I.Faleye

26th Sarajevo Film Festival Awards – EXILE Wins Best Film

Exile (Exil) directed by Visar Morina

Exile (Exil) directed by Visar Morina won the top prize, Heart of Sarajevo, for Best Feature film at the 26th Sarajevo Film Festival which was held online from August 14th to 21st. The film follows Xhafer, a Kosovo-born pharmaceutical engineer living in Germany, who suddenly feels discriminated against and bullied at work because of his ethnic background. As he loses his job, his wife and his family, he walks a delicate tightrope between his life as an integrated, middle-class family man, and foreigner in his adopted country.

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Watch Trailer THE PLANTERS, Indie Offbeat Dark Comedy

The Planters, directed by Alexandra Kotcheff, Hannah Leder

The new trailer debuted for The Planters, a dark comedy written, directed, starring and crewed by longtime friends Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder. 1091 Pictures is set to release the film in theaters in September 2020 followed by a rollout on digital and on-demand December 8th.

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Watch New Trailer for MR. SOUL!, Award Winning Documentary Opens August 28

On the set of SOUL!, original director Stan Lathan stands with the cameraman filming a segment featuring Ellis Haizlip (host) with special guest filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles (Sweet Sweetback’s Baadassss Song) in a scene from MR. SOUL! – A FILM BY MELISSA HAIZLIP – Courtesy of Shoes In The Bed Productions

Award winning director Melissa Haizlip released the brand new theatrical trailer for the award winning documentary “MR. SOUL!” The trailer features incredible scenes and footage from the much praised film.

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BlacKkKlansman Composer Terence Blanchard to Receive TIFF Variety Artisan Award at Toronto Film Festival

Terence Blanchard (credit: Henry Adebonojo)

Academy Award–nominated and six-time Grammy Award–winning composer Terence Blanchard will be honored with the TIFF Variety Artisan Award at this year’s TIFF Tribute Awards during the 45th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. The award recognizes a distinguished creative who has excelled at their craft and made an outstanding contribution to cinema and entertainment. Last year’s Variety Artisan Award was given to Academy Award–winning cinematographer Roger Deakins.

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European Film Academy Announces First Wave of 2020 EFA Feature Film Selections

BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ

Due to Covid-19 and the related restrictions, the European Film Academy is announcing the EFA Feature Film Selection 2020 in two steps. Today, EFA revealed the titles of the 32 films in the first part, the second part will be announced in September. This will allow the inclusion of films that would have premiered by May 31, 2020 – be it at a festival or at a regular cinema – but could not due to the pandemic, provided they will premiere theatrically or online before the end of November 2020. Together, the films from part 1 and 2 form the EFA Feature Film Selection, the list of feature-length fiction films recommended for a nomination for the European Film Awards 2020. The films have been selected by a committee consisting of the EFA Board and invited experts.

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Magnolia to Release SOME KIND OF HEAVEN, Documentary on Life in ‘Disneyland for Retirees’

Some Kind of Heaven

Lance Oppenheim’s documentary feature debut Some Kind of Heaven which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival has been acquired by Magnolia Pictures. Magnolia is planning an early 2021 release.

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Documentary MY NAME IS PEDRO on Bronx Maverick Educator Pedro Santana Gets a Fall Release

My Name Is Pedro

Lillian LaSalle’s award-winning, documentary My Name Is Pedro on South Bronx, Latino maverick educator, Pedro Santana will be released in New York on September 17 at The Maysles Cinema, followed by Los Angeles on October 2 at Laemmle, with major cities to follow.

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Utopia to Release MINOR PREMISE, Eric Schultz’s Fantasia-bound Sci-Fi Thriller

Sathya Sridharan as Ethan in MINOR PREMISE

Utopia Distribution is emerging as a leader in independent film acquisition and distribution. Utopia’s latest acquisition, sci-fi thriller Minor Premise, will have its world premiere at the renowned Fantasia Festival in Montreal, which kicks off the genre film festival season, and will take place virtually from August 20 to September 2, 2020.

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Sidewalk Film Festival Announces Lineup of 163 Films for This Year’s Special Drive-in Edition

BANKSY MOST WANTED

Sidewalk Film Festival announced the complete film lineup of official selections for the 22^nd edition of the Birmingham-based film festival which will take place August 24-30. All 163 films (41 features, 122 shorts) and 23 music videos, will be screened at The Grand River Drive-In at The Backyard in Leeds.

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Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Documentary SURVIVING THE SILENCE, Gets Spotlight at OUTshine Film Festival

SURVIVING THE SILENCE. Colonel Pat Thompson and Barbara Brass

The feature documentary Surviving the Silence, directed and produced by Cindy L. Abel and produced by Marc Smolowitz, will screen virtually for Florida residents as part of this year’s OUTshine Film Festival. The documentary is the untold love story of two women who played an integral part in changing military policy.

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Watch Trailer for BUOYANCY, Australian Human Trafficking Thriller

Buoyancy

Kino Lorber released the trailer for the award winning human trafficking thriller Buoyancy, which was Australia’s submission in the International Feature Film category for the 92nd Academy Awards. The film, the feature directorial debut of Australian filmmaker Rodd Rathjen, originally premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and won the Ecumenical Jury Prize in Berlinale Panorama.

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Milwaukee Film to Hold 2 Virtual Fall Fests – Milwaukee and Minority Health Film Festivals

Milwaukee Film will hold two 15-day virtual film festivals this fall including the 12th annual Milwaukee Film Festival (MFF2020), which although virtual, will take place during its previously announced dates of Oct. 15-29. The second Minority Health Film Festival (MHFF), presented by the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin regional health network, will expand to 15 days, running from Sept. 10-24.

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