The Montclair Film Festival (MFF) announced the festival’s inaugural competition lineups and main slate selections for the 4th annual Montclair Film Festival, May 1-10 in Montclair, NJ. This year’s festival features over 135 feature and short films, and for the first time will cover ten days, expanding from seven days in its first three years.
For the first time, the festival will feature filmmaking awards, competitions and audience awards, all of which will be presented on Saturday, May 9th at the MFF’s inaugural Filmmaker Awards ceremony. Competitive categories include the Narrative Feature Competition, Documentary Feature Competition, Future/Now, honoring emerging low-budget American independent filmmaking, and the New Jersey Films Competition, which honors a selected group of films made by New Jersey artists. Audience Awards will be given in the Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, World Cinema, and Short film categories.
The festival will also present two awards in honor of the late David Carr and Bruce Sinofsky, both Montclair residents. The David Carr Award for Truth in Non-Fiction Filmmaking will honor a filmmaker, selected by the festival, who utilizes journalistic techniques to explore important contemporary subjects. In conjunction with the Carr family, this award is established by the festival in memory of David Carr and will be presented by Mr. Carr’s friend and colleague Brian Stelter (CNN’s Reliable Sources).
The Bruce Sinofsky Prize will be awarded to the winning film in the festival’s Documentary Feature competition, awarded by the festival’s Documentary Competition Jury. In conjunction with the Sinofsky family, this award is established by the festival in memory of Bruce Sinofsky and will be presented by Mr. Sinofsky’s long time friend and collaborator Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost I, II, and III). Both awards are established in perpetuity.
“We are deeply humbled to honor the memory of our friends David Carr and Bruce Sinofsky at the festival, and we look forward to welcoming the filmmaking community to Montclair,”said MFF founder and Chairman Bob Feinberg.
“This year’s program features films from around the world that address the diversity and sophistication of our audiences,”said MFF Executive Director Tom Hall. “We are incredibly proud to be able to bring this lineup of powerful, state of the art filmmaking to Montclair.”
Narrative Feature Competition
Fidelio: Alice’s Journey (Fidelio: L’Odyssée d’Alice), directed by Lucie Borleteau (France), The Fool (Durak), directed by Yury Bykov (Russia), Goodnight, Mommy (Ich Seh, Ich Seh), directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz (Germany), Heaven Knows What, directed by Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie (USA),Margarita, With A Straw, directed by Shonali Bose (India), The Tribe (Plemya), directed by Miroslav Slaboshpitsky(Ukraine).
Jurors: Thelma Adams (Critic), Eric Hynes (Reverse Shot), Stephen Whitty (Star Ledger, NJ.com)
Documentary Feature Competition
The Armor Of Light, directed by Abigail Disney (USA), Best Of Enemies, directed by Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon (USA), Deep Web, directed by Alex Winter (USA), Listen To Me, Marlon, directed by Stevan Riley (UK),Peace Officer, directed by Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber (USA), The Russian Woodpecker, directed by Chad Gracia (USA).
Jurors: Logan Hill (Critic), Joe Neumaier (NY Daily News), Jordan Zakarian (Yahoo Movies)
Future/Now Competition
Edén, directed by Elise DuRant (USA, Mexico), God Bless The Child, directed by Robert Machoian and Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck (USA), Jackrabbit, directed by Carleton Ranney (USA), Lamb, directed by Ross Partridge (USA), Tears Of God, directed by Robert Hillyer Barnett (USA),Tired Moonlight, directed by Britni West (USA).
Jurors: Jeremy Boxer (Creative Director, Film & Video, Vimeo), Eric Kohn (Deputy Editor, Chief Film Critic, Indiewire), Dan Schoenbrun (Film Outreach Lead, Kickstarter)
New Jersey Films Competition
Christmas, Again, directed by Charles Poekel (USA), The One That Got Away directed by John Block (USA), Some Kind Of Spark, directed by Ben Niles (USA), Stinking Heaven, directed by Nathan Silver (USA), Sunshine Superman, directed by Marah Strauch (USA), Thought Crimes, directed by Erin Lee Car (USA).
Jurors: Georgette Gilmore (Baristanet), Christina Kotlar (Film Festival reViews), Lacey Schwartz (CEO, Truth Aid).
The 2015 Montclair Film Festival
Feature Films
5 FLIGHTS UP
Director: Richard Loncraine
Producers: Charlie Peters, Lori McCreary, Curtis Burch, Tracy Mercer
Cast: Michael Cristofer, Diane Keaton, Morgan Freeman, Cynthia Nixon, Claire van der Boom, Korey Jackson, Carrie Preston, Sterling Jerins, Josh Pais, Miriam Shor, Alysia Reiner
USA/92 Min
7 CHINESE BROTHERS
Director: Bob Byington
Producers: Molly Christie Benson, Seana Flanagan, Nancy Schafer
CAST: Jason Schwartzman, Olympia Dukakis, Tunde Adebimpe, Eleanore Pienta
USA/76 Min
THE ARMOR OF LIGHT
Director: Abigail Disney
Producers: Eva Anisko, Kathleen Hughes
USA/90 Min
BARGE
Director: Ben Powell
Producers: Ben Powell, Dave Schachter
USA/71 Min
BEST OF ENEMIES
Director: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon
Producers: Caryn Capotosto, Julie Goldman
USA/88 Min
THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION
Director: Stanley Nelson
Producers: Laurens Grant
USA/116 Min
BOULEVARD
Director: Dito Montiel
Producers: Monica Aguirre Diez Barroso, Mia Chang, Jeffrey Gelber, Ryan Belenzon
Cast: Robin Williams, Kathy Baker, Roberto Aguire, Bob Odenkirk, Giles Matthey, Eleonore Hendricks
USA/89 Min
BOY AND THE WORLD (O MENINO E O MUNDO)
Director: Alê Abreu
Producers: Tita Tessler, Fernanda Carvalho
Brazil/80 Min
CALL ME LUCKY
Director: Bobcat Goldthwait
Producers: Charlie Fonville, Clinton Trucks
Featuring: Barry Crimmins, David Cross, Margaret Cho, Steven Wright, Patton Oswalt
USA/107 Min
CEREMONY FOR THIS TIME (2015)
with CEREMONY FOR OUR TIME (1995)
Director: Daryl Ferrara
Producers: Rick Kitts, Whitney Kitts, Thomas Lupfer, Daryl Ferrara, Kate Forsatz
USA/58 Min
CHRISTMAS, AGAIN
Director: Charles Poekel
Producers: Charles Poekel
Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross
USA/80 Min
CITY OF GOLD
Director: Laura Gabbert
Producers: Laura Gabbert, Holly Becker
USA/91 Min
DANNY SAYS
Director: Brendan Toller
Producers: Pamela Lubell
Featuring: Danny Fields, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Judy Collins, Jonathan Richman
USA/103 Min
DEEP WEB
Director: Alex Winter
Producers: Marc Schiller, Alex Winter, Glen Zipper
USA/90 Min
THE DINNER (I NOSTRI RAGAZZI)
Director: Ivano De Matteo
Producers: Caldecott Chubb, Marco Poccioni, Marco Valsania
Cast: Allessandro Gassman, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Luigi Lo Cascio, Babora Bobulova, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, Jacopo Olmo Antinori
Italy/93 Min
(DIS)HONESTY – THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES
Director: Yael Melamede
Producers: Yael Melamede, Dan Ariely
USA/90 Min
DO I SOUND GAY?
Director: David Thorpe
Producers: Howard Gertler, David Thorpe
USA/77 Min
DREAM/KILLER
Director: Andrew Jenks
Producers: Chip Rosenbloom, Andrew Jenks, Dylan Ratigan
USA/106 Min
DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON
Director: Doug Tirola
Producers: John Battsek, Molly Thompson, Douglas Tirola, Susan Bedusa, Dirk Hoogstra
USA/94 Min
EDÉN
Director: Elise DuRant
Producers: José Leandro Córdova Lucas
Cast: Will Oldham, Diana Sedano, Paula María Landa Hartasánchez
USA, Mexico/95 Min
FIDELIO: ALICE’S ODYSSEY (FIDELIO, L’ODYSSÉE D’ALICE)
Director: Lucie Borleteau
Producers: Marine Arrighi de Casanova
Cast: Ariane Labed, Melvil Poupaud, Anders Danielsen Lie, Pascal Tagnati, Corneliu Dragomirescu, Jean-Louis Coulloc’h, Bogdan Zamfir
France/95 Min
THE FOOL (DURAK)
Director: Yury Bykov
Producers: Alexey Uchitel, Kira Saksaganskaya
Cast: Artem Bystrov, Nataliya Surkova, Boris Nevzorov, Kirill Polukhin, Darya Moroz, Yury Tsurilo, Irina Nizina, Alexander Korshunov
Russia/116 Min
FROM THIS DAY FORWARD
Director: Sharon Shattuck
Producers: Martha Shane, Sharon Shattuck
USA/75 Min
GIRLS SHOW
Director: David Krantz
Producers: Rebecca Atwood, Kyle Luker
USA/73 Min
GOD BLESS THE CHILD
Directors: Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck
Producers: Laura Heberton, Robert John Thomas
Cast: Harper Graham, Elias Graham, Arri Graham, Ezra Graham, Jonah Graham
USA/94 Min
GOODNIGHT MOMMY (ICH SEH, ICH SEH)
Directors: Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz
Producer: Ulrich Seidl
CAST: Susanne Wuest, Lukas Scharz, Elias Scharz
Germany/100 Min
HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT
Director: Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie
Producers: Oscar Boyson, Sebastian Bear-McClard
Cast: Arielle Holmes, Caleb Landry Jones, Buddy Duress, Necro, Eleonore Hendricks
USA/95 Min
HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS
Director: Michael Showalter
Producers: Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Riva Marker, Daniel Crown, Michael Showalter, Jordana Mollick, Kevin Mann
Cast: Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Stephen Root, Jack Antonoff, Natasha Lyonne, Tyne Daly
USA/ 95 Min
HOLBROOK/TWAIN: AN AMERICAN ODYSSEY
Director: Scott Teems
Producer: Laura D. Smith
USA/95 Min
HOT TYPE: 150 YEARS OF THE NATION
Director: Barbara Kopple
Producers: Barbara Kopple, Suzanne Mitchell
USA/92 Min
HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO
Director: Alexandra Shiva
Producers: Bari Pearlman
USA/89 Min
HUNGRY HEARTS (Il bambino indaco)
Director: Saverio Costanzo
Producers: Mario Gianani, Lorenzo Mieli
Cast: Adam Driver, Alba Rohrwacher, Roberta Maxwell
Italy, USA/109 Min
I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS
Director: Brett Haley
Producers: Rebecca Green, Laura D. Smith, and Brett Haley
Cast: Blythe Danner, Martin Starr, Sam Elliott, Malin Akerman, June Squibb, Rhea Perlman, Mary Kay Place
USA/92 Min
IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE
Director: Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg
Producers: Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg, Charles Miller
Featuring: Che “Rhymefest” Smith, Donnie Smith, Brian Tillman
USA/93 Min
IN THE NAME OF MY DAUGHTER (L’HOMME QU’ON AIMAIT TROP)
Director: André Téchiné
Producers: Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier, Guillaume Canet
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Guillaume Canet, Adèle Haenel, Judith Chemla, Jean Corso
France/116 Min
JACKRABBIT
Director: Carleton Ranney
Producers: Destin Douglas, Rebecca Rose Perkins, Joe Stankus
Cast: Josh Caras, Ian Christopher Noel, Joslyn Jensen, Reed Birney
USA/100 Min
JIMMY’S HALL
Director: Ken Loach
Producer: Rebecca O’Brien
Cast: Barry Ward, Francis Magee, Aileen Henry, Simone Kirby, Stella McGirl, Sorcha Fox, Martin Lucey, Mikel Murfi
United Kingdom, Ireland, France/106 Min
THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER (HAGANENET)
Director: Nadav Lapid
Producers: Talia Kleinhendler, Osnat Handelsman-Keren, Caroline Benjo
Cast: Sarit Larry, Avi Shnaidman, Lori Raz, Hamuchtar
Israel, France/120 Min
KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK
Director: Brett Morgen
Executive Producers: Frances Bean Cobain, David Byrnes, Lawrence Mestel, Sheila Nevins
Producers: Brett Morgen, Danielle Renfrew Behrens, Sara Bernstein
USA/132 Min
LAMB
Director: Ross Partridge
Producers: Mel Eslyn, Taylor Williams
Cast: Ross Partridge, Oona Laurence, Jess Weixler, Tom Bower, Scoot McNairy
USA/97 Min
THE LAST DIAMOND (LE DERNIER DIAMANT)
Director: Eric Barbier
Producers: Farid Lahouassa, Aïssa Djabri
Cast: Yvan Attal, Bérénice Bejo, Jean-François Stévenin, Antoine Basler, Jacques Spiesser
France, Belgium, Luxembourg/109 Min
LISTEN TO ME MARLON
Director: Stevan Riley
Producers: John Battsek, RJ Cutler, George Chignell
UK/102 Min
LOVE AND MERCY
Director: Bill Pohlad
Producers: Bill Pohlad, Claire Rudnick Polstein, John Wells
Cast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti
USA/120 Min
LOVE AT FIRST FIGHT (LES COMBETTANTS)
Director: Thomas Cailley
Producer: Pierre Guyard
Cast: Adèle Haenel, Kévin Azaïs, Antoine Laurent
France/98 Min
THE LOVE SONG OF R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER
Director: Sam Green
Producer: Sam Green
Live Score Performance by Yo La Tengo
USA/ 75 Min
MANGLEHORN
Director: David Gordon Green
Producers: Lisa Muskat, David Gordon Green, Derrick Tseng, Molly Conners, Christopher Woodrow
Cast: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine, Chris Messina
USA/97 Min
MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW
Director: Shonali Bose
Producer: Gayatri Gulati
Cast: Kalki Koechlin
India/100 Min
MAVIS!
Director: Jessica Edwards
Producers: Jessica Edwards, Rachel Mills
Featuring: Mavis Staples
USA/ 85 Min
ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL
Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rajon
Executive Producer: Nora Skinner
Producers: Jeremy Dawson, Dan Fogelman, Steven M. Rales
Cast: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Molly Shannon, Connie Britton, Nick Offerman
USA/ 104 Min
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED
Director: Greg Whiteley
Producer: Adam Leibowitz
USA/86 Min
THE NEW GIRLFRIEND (UNE NOUVELLE AMIE)
DIRECTOR: François Ozon
PRODUCER: Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer
CAST: Romain Duris, Anaïs Demoustier, Raphaël Personnaz
France/109 Min
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
Director: John Block
Producers: John Block, Steve McCarthy
USA/70 Min
OUT IN THE NIGHT
Director: Blair Dorosh-Walther
Producers: Giovanna Chesler, Mridu Chandra, Yoruba Richen
USA/75 Min
PEACE OFFICER
Director: Scott Christopherson, Brad Barber
Producers: Scott Christopherson, Brad Barber, Dave Lawrence
USA/109 Min
PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS
Director: Jim Strouse
Producers: Michael B. Clark, Alex Turtletaub
Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Michael Chernus
USA/86 Min
THE RUSSIAN WOODPECKER
Director: Chad Gracia
Producers: Mike Lerner, Ram Devineni
USA/82 Min
THE SANDWICH NAZI
Director: Lewis Bennett
Producers: Calum MacLeod, Lewis Bennett, Benjamin Taft
Canada/72 Min
SCENE OF THE CRIME (LE LIEU DU CRIME) (1986)
Director: André Téchiné
Producers: Alain Terzian
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Wadeck Stanczak, Nicolas Giraudi, Jean Bousquet, Philippe Landoulsi
France/90 Min
THE SECOND MOTHER (QUE HORAS ELA VOLTA?)
Director: Anna Muylaert
Producers: Fabiano Gullane, Caio Gullane, Debora Ivanov, Anna Muylaert
Cast: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli
Brazil/110 Min
SEX AND BROADCASTING
Director: Tim K. Smith
Producers: Caitlin Mae Burke, Tim K. Smith
USA/78 Min
SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE
Director: Leslye Headland
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Sidney Kimmel
Cast: Alison Brie, Adam Scott, Amanda Peet, Jason Mantzoukas, Natasha Lyonne, Jason Sudeikis
USA/101 Min
SLOW WEST
Director: John Maclean
Producers: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Conor McCaughan, Rachel Gardner
Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Fassbender, Ben Mendelsohn, Caren Pistorius, Rory McCann
United Kingdom, New Zealand/84 Min
SOME KIND OF SPARK
Director: Ben Niles
Producer: Ben Niles
USA/90 Min
STINKING HEAVEN
Director: Nathan Silver
Producer: Rachel Wolther
Cast: Hannah Gross, Deragh Campbell, Keith Poulson, Eléonore Hendricks, Tallie Medel, Henri Douvry, Jason Giampietro, Jason Grisell, Eileen Kearney, Larry Novak
USA/70 Min
SUNSHINE SUPERMAN
Director: Marah Strauch
Producers: Eric Bruggemann, Marah Strauch, Lars Loge
USA/101 Min
TEARS OF GOD
Director: Robert Hillyer Barnett
Producers: Diamando Proimos
CAST: Kate Lyn Sheil, Samuel T. Herring, Lindsay Burdge, Kira Pearson, Audrey Speicher, Amara Gyulai, Michael Crabtree
USA/67 Min
(T)ERROR
Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe
Producers: Christopher St. John, Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe
USA/83 Min
THOUGHT CRIMES
Director: Erin Lee Carr
Producers: Andrew Rossi
USA/81 Min
TIME OUT OF MIND
Director: Oren Moverman
Producers: Richard Gere, Lawrence Inglee, Caroline Kaplan, Edward Walson, Miranda Bailey, Bill Pohlad
Cast: Richard Gere, Ben Vereen, Jena Malone, Steve Buscemi
USA/117 Min
TIRED MOONLIGHT
Director: Britni West
Producers: Britni West
Cast: Liz Randall, Paul Dickinson,Hillary Berg, Rainleigh Vick, Alex Karpovsky, Charles Smith, Nick Stockton
USA/76 Min
TOP SPIN
Director: Mina T. Son, Sara Newens
Producers: Mina T. Son, Sara Newens
USA/81 Min
THE TRIBE (PLEMYA)
Director: Miroslav Slaboshpitsky
Producers: Miroslav Slaboshpitsky
Cast: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, Rosa Babiy, Alexander Dsiadevich
Ukraine/130 Min
UNEXPECTED
Director: Kris Swanberg
Producer: Andrea Roa
Starring: Cobie Smulders, Gail Bean, Anders Holm, Elizabeth McGovern
USA/ 85 Min
VERY SEMI-SERIOUS
Director: Leah Wolchok
Producers: Davina Pardo, Leah Wolchok
USA/79 Min
WELCOME TO LEITH
Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker
Producers: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker, Jenner Furst, Joey Carey, Joshua Woltermann
USA/86 Min
WESTERN
Director: Bill Ross, Turner Ross
Producers: Michael Gottwald
USA/93 Min
WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE ?
Director: Liz Garbus
Producers: Amy Hobby, Liz Garbus, Justin Wilkes, Jayson Jackson, Lisa Nishimura, Adam Del Deo
USA/104 Min
WIND ON THE MOON
Director: Yi Seung-jun
Producer: Min-chul Kim
South Korea/100 Min
X+Y
Director: Morgan Matthews
Producers: Laura Hastings-Smith, David M. Thompson, Ed Rubin
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins
UK/111 Min
SHORT FILMS
A.D. 1163, THE END OF CHIVALRY
Director: Jake Mahaffy
US/New Zealand/3 Min
ADJUST-A-DREAM
Director: Jonathan Wysocki
USA/6 Min
THE ANNIVERSARY
Director: Henry Chaisson
USA/8 Min
BLACK CARD
Director: Pete Chatmon
USA/14 Min
CAST IN INDIA
Director: Natasha Raheja
USA/26 Min
THE CHARITY STRIPE
Director: Aaron Hodgins Davis
USA/17 Min
CINDY SHERMAN: “UNTITLED FILM STILLS”
Director: Douglas Sloan
USA/4 Min
COACH
Director: Ben Adler
France/14 Min
COMIC BOOK HEAVEN
Director: E.J. McLeavey-Fisher
USA/12 Min
CROOKED CANDY
Director: Andrew Rodgers
USA/6 Min
DANIEL IN THE LION’S DENS
Director: Joseph Robert Redl
USA/14 Min
DOWN IN FLAMES: THE TRUE STORT OF TONY “VOLCANO” VALENCI
Director: William J. Stribling
USA/29 Min
THE EMISSARY
Director: Rudy Dobrev
USA /13 Min
EXIT ROAD
Director: Yuri Alves
USA/13 Min
FALLING TO PIECES
Directors: Chris Connolly, Vivian Connolly
USA/18 Min
THE FACE OF UKRAINE: CASTING OKSANA BAIUL
Director: Kitty Green
Ukraine/Australia/7 Min
GEORGE AND THE VACCUMM
Director: Chadd Harbold
USA/6 Min
GONE IN THE DARK
Director: Steven Moreno
USA/16 Min
JUSTINE
Director: Eric Shahinian
USA/6 Min
LATTER-GAY SAINTS
Director: Brittany Knotts
USA/20 Min
THE MANY SAD FATES OF MR. TOLEDANO
Director: Joshua Seftel
USA/25 Min
MESHING
Director: John Kim
USA/8 Min
THE MISADVENTURES OF LANDON
Director: Jon Milano
USA/17 Min
MUCK
Director: Bruce Smolanoff
USA/14 Min
MYRNA THE MONSTER
Director: Ian Samuels
USA/14 Min
NUGGET
Director: Sarah Salovaara
USA/10 Min
PILL
Director: Amelia Arnold
USA/21 Min
PRE- PRE SCHOOL
Director: Troy Hall
USA/Canada/8 Min
ROOTLESS
Director: Xue Yu
China/ 26 Min
SATURDAY
Director: Mike Forshaw
UK/15 Min
SPEARHUNTER
Directors: Adam Roffman, Luke Poling
USA/14 Min
SPECIAL FEATURES
Director: James N. Kienitz Wilkins
USA/12 Min
TILL DARK
Director: Quinn Shephard
USA/12 Min
UNMAPPABLE
Director: Diane Hodson, Jasmine Luoma
USA/ 23 Min