Norica P.

Hollywood Comedy Shorts Film Festival Announces 2018 Winners + 2019 Fest Dates

The 3rd Annual Hollywood Comedy Shorts Film Festival Presented by the Laugh Factory came to a close this past Sunday to a rousing success held at the TCL Chinese 6 Theaters. The festival announced the 2018 Award Winners in a special sold-out ceremony hosted by comedian Allene Quincy. The night’s big winner was “THE ACCOMPLICE” by Directors Jon Hoeg and John F. Beach who took home Best of Fest Award. Best Short Script went to Alexandra Marshall for her film “TIL DEATH,” and Best Feature script winner was Cedric Shelton for his script “I AM MY BROTHERS KEEPER.” Best Rom Com went to “REKINDLED” by Erin Brown Thomas, Best Web Series went to “STRUT” by Michelle Cutolo. The festival run April 20-22 and kicked off with a special panel at the Laugh Factory Featuring executives from YouTube, Warner Bros. Blue Ribbon Ent., Legendary Digital Studios, Ginsberg Daniels, Collab Studios and DigitalLA. Fabric Media Studios hosted the official after party for opening night. Powerhouse held several events for the filmmakers throughout the week. Sponsors included: Bitpix, TCL Chinese Theater, Laugh Factory, Color Space Finishing, Final Draft, Tech Rentals, and TCD The Camera Division. The next year’s Festival will expand with the dates: April 19-21, 2019. The winners and films can be currently viewed on the streaming channel BITPIX.
HOLLYWOOD COMEDY SHORTS FILM FEST WINNERS
SHORT SCRIPT WINNER- ‘TIL DEATH”-Alexandra Marshall FEATURE SCRIPT WINNER- “I AM MY BROTHERS KEEPER” by Cedric Shelton HONORABLE MENTION- “EVIL WOMAN” by Danny Turkiewicz BEST HORROR- “KELOID” by Brendan Pollecutt BEST DARK COMEDY- “PARENT TEACHER” by Jim Cummings BEST INTERNATIONAL- “ORDEAL” by Sacha Barbin BEST CRINGE- “DICK HEAD” by Brecht Vanthof BEST ALTERNATIVE- “SIX PACK” by Madeline Mack & Michael Lincoln BEST WEB SERIES- “STRUT” by Michelle Cutolo BEST SPOOF- “CLASS DISMISSED” by Edward Marks, Joe Godreault BEST ROM COM- “REKINDLED” by Erin Brown Thomas BEST OF THE FEST- “THE ACCOMPLICE” by Jon Hoeg and John F. Beach
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Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Announces 2018 Line-Up + Opening and Closing Films

[caption id="attachment_26511" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson in Damsel.[/caption] The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival (MLFF) announced their feature film line-up, as well as the Opening and Closing Night films, for the fourth edition of the festival, taking place May 23 through 27 at venues across Mammoth Lakes. The 2018 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival will open with Damsel on Wednesday, May 23. Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska star in a comedic homage to classic Westerns. Samuel (Pattinson), is a businessman who sets out to rescue his kidnapped fiancée Penelope (Wasikowska). The situation turns out to be more complicated than it first appears, and Penelope is no mere damsel in distress. The film from Magnolia Pictures is directed and written by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner. [caption id="attachment_26877" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Love, Gilda[/caption] The festival will close with the documentary film Love, Gilda on Sunday, May 27. In her own words, comedienne Gilda Radner reflects on her life and career. Weaving together her recently discovered audiotapes, interviews with friends (Chevy Chase, Lorne Michaels, Laraine Newman, Paul Shaffer and Martin Short), rare home movies and diaries read by modern-day comedians inspired by Gilda (Bill Hader, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Cecily Strong), Love, Gilda opens up a unique window into the honest and whimsical world of a beloved performer whose greatest role was sharing her story. The film from CNN Films is directed by Lisa D’Apolito. “We’re excited to bring such a dynamic and diverse lineup to this year’s festival,” said Festival Director Shira Dubrovner. “In four short years, we’ve already begun to establish MLFF as a must-attend festival thanks to our scenic and majestic backdrop of the Eastern Sierra and world-class cinema.” “MLFF focuses on films that have powerful, innovative artistic voices,” said Director of Programming Paul Sbrizzi. “We look forward to bringing our festival-goers the bold style and thought-provoking stories found in this year’s slate.”
The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival line-up

Core Competitions

Narrative Features:
Birds Without Feathers – In this pitch-black comedy, six broken individuals unable to make a human connection will give everything away in an attempt to receive love. Directed and written by Wendy McColm. West Coast Premiere Fort Maria – A sensitive, lyrical look at an agoraphobic Bulgarian woman and her adopted African-American daughter, as they each evaluate their lives and their relationship after the death of the beloved family dog. Directed and written by S. Cagney Gentry and Thom Southerland. My Name Is Myeisha – A charming, talented teenage girl crosses over into a candy-coated hip-hop-musical dreamscape on the fateful night she crosses paths with police. Directed by Gus Krieger, written by Rickerby Hinds. The Queen of Hollywood Blvd. – On her 60th birthday, the proud owner of a Los Angeles strip club finds herself in hot water, leading her on a downward spiral of violence and revenge. Directed and written by Orson Oblowitz. West Coast Premiere Rock Steady Row – A college freshman’s bike is stolen and he’s compelled to go to battle with the comic-book villain that rules the reigning fraternity using Walkmen and No. 2 pencils as weapons. Directed by Trevor Stevens, written by Bomani J. Story.
Documentary Features:
Buddha.mov – Lured by the chance of being the protagonist of a documentary film, Buddha Dev starts authorizing unrestricted access into the most private parts of his life. Directed by Kabir Mehta. West Coast Premiere Crime + Punishment – A group of brave officers risk it all to expose the truth about illegal quota practices in the NYPD. Directed by Steven Maing. Minding the Gap – The lives of three young skateboarding friends grow together and apart as they try to process childhood trauma and escape the cycle of domestic violence in their Rust Belt hometown. Directed by Bing Liu. Tourists – A disturbing and hilarious trip around the world, observed through the amateur cinematography of naïve, outspoken and judgmental middle-class tourists. Directed by Mateusz Romaszkan and Marta Wójtowicz-Wcislo. North American Premiere Vianey – New Jersey and Bronx based underground hip hop artist Vianey Otero (Icey Trap) discusses growing up on the streets, the lure of escorting, everyday life in jail, and being a female artist in the music industry. Directed by Marko Vuorinen. West Coast Premiere White Tide: The Legend of Culebra – There’s an island, there’s a map, there’s buried treasure… $2 million dollars just waiting for someone to dig it up. There’s just one slight problem: it happens to be in cocaine form. Directed by Theo Love. West Coast Premiere
Foreign Features:
Barren and Empty the Sea (Spain) – Esteban wakes up one morning and everybody accuses him of being a stranger that happens to look just like Esteban.Directed and written by Lucas Parnes Pereira and Jesus Serna. International Premiere Melodrama / Random / Melbourne! (Australia) – A feminist documentarian, a pick up artist and a virgin’s lives collide, and blood will be shed on neon-lit streets of Melbourne. Directed by Matthew Pastor, written by Celina Yuen and Matthew Victor Pastor. North American Premiere Tower. A Bright Day (Poland) Just before her daughter’s First Holy Communion, Mula’s long lost sister Kaja pays them a visit, harboring a secret. The family believes in reconciliation, but Mula has her reasons to be afraid. Directed and written by Jagoda Szelc. North American Premiere Vidar the Vampire (Norway) – The wildly hilarious adventure of a Christian farmer searching for a higher purpose to life, who falls into sin and wakes up as the Prince of Darkness in the city of Stavanger, Norway. Directed and written by Thomas Aske Berg and Fredrik Waldeland.
Spotlight Presentations:
Dyna Does Dressage – Documentary about the first mule ever to compete at the national level in the competitive equestrian sport of dressage. Directed by Sarah Crowe. Home + Away – A group of students with family on both sides of the US/Mexico border navigate academics, athletic competition, a school in need of greater funding and familial strife during the their final year at a Texas high school. Directed by Matt Ogens. West Coast Premiere On Her Shoulders – Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi genocide and ISIS sex slave survivor, becomes the voice of her people and their best hope to spur the world to action.Directed by Alexandria Bombach. Pick of the Litter – The story of puppies from the moment they’re born through their quest to become guide dogs for the blind, the ultimate canine career. Directed by Dana Nachman and Don Hardy Jr. A Woman Captured – Director Bernadett Tuza-Ritter’s incredible document of the evolving consciousness of a Hungarian woman who has been held as a domestic slave for 10 years and decides to undertake a daring escape. Directed by Bernadett Tuza-Ritter. West Coast Premiere The festival will also feature Short Film Programs of 26 Narrative Shorts, 10 Documentary Shorts, 11 Animation Shorts and a program of classic animation from East Germany. Over $40,000 in cash and prizes will be given out in nine categories to this year’s films in competition. Winners will be announced on Sunday, May 27 at a Closing Night reception.
The 2018 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Jurors
Allison Amon (EVP Sales & Development, Bullitt) Lindsey Bahr (Associated Press) Peter Baxter (Filmmaker; President/Co-Founder, Slamdance) Shalini Dore (Variety) Alonso Duralde (TheWrap) Tim Rhys (MovieMaker Magazine) Vincent Spano (Actor) Nicole Sperling (Vanity Fair) Rachel Winter (Producer) Ana Souza (Sundance Film Festival) Scenery Samundra (Tru Thoughts, NTS Radio)
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Coming Soon: Demetrius Shipp Jr., Essence Atkins, Terrence J to Star in Derege Harding’s SAME DIFFERENCE

[caption id="attachment_28465" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Demetrius Shipp Jr., Essence Atkins[/caption] Demetrius Shipp Jr. (All Eyez On Me), Essence Atkins (NBC’s “Marlon”), Terrence Jenkins (MTV’s “SafeWord”) and Edwina Findley (The CW’s “Black Lightning”) have all signed on to star in the indie mysterious drama titled Same Difference. Already in production in Los Angeles, the film, produced by Datari Turner for Datari Turner Productions, was written and directed by Derege Harding. Additional co-stars include: Kandi Burruss, Affion Crockett, Kris D. Lofton, Gabby Douglas, Lew Temple, and Page Kennedy. Same Difference follows a young woman (Atkins) who is told that her death is imminent by a mysterious group of people who all start dying one by one. The woman becomes compelled to let go of the past and reconcile with her estranged twin sister, also played by Atkins, who is suffering from alcohol addiction. Making his feature film directorial debut, Harding is a Film Independent Project Involve Alum. His short film “First Date, Last Date” won numerous festival awards and was bought and distributed by HBO. He was the Winner of last year’s 2017 Turner (TNT) / ABFF Pilot Screenwriting Competition.
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See the New Trailer + Poster for BOOM FOR REAL: THE LATE TEENAGE YEARS OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT [Video]

When you think you have read and seen everything there is to know about Jean-Michel Basquiat, then comes the captivating documentary, Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years Of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The film which follows Basquiat’s life pre-fame and how New York City in the 1980’s formed the artist he became, released a new trailer and cool retro-looking poster. Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years Of Jean-Michel Basquiat which World Premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, will be in theaters on May 11. Using never-before-seen works, writings and photographs, director Sara Driver, who was part of the New York arts scene herself, worked closely and collaboratively with friends and other artists who emerged from that period: Jim Jarmusch, James Nares, Fab Five Freddy, Glenn O’Brien, Kenny Scharf, Lee Quinones, Patricia Field, Luc Sante and many others. Drawing upon their memories and anecdotes, the film also uses period film footage, music and images to visually re-recreate the era, drawing a portrait of Jean-Michel and Downtown New York City -pre AIDS, President Reagan, the real estate and art booms – before anyone was motivated by money and ambition. The definition of fame, success and power were very different than today – to be a penniless but published poet was the height of success, until everything changed in the early 1980s. This is New York City’s story before that change.
THE BACKGROUND “If we don’t tell the history, then others will, who weren’t there and don’t know the truth.” – Alexis Adler Thirty years ago, Alexis Adler, an embryologist and friend of Jean-Michel stored away what’s now considered a treasure trove of his art and writings, along with the more than 150 photographs she took of him at work, goofing around and hanging out. In 1979, she gave him a key to her apartment, a safe place for him to stay and there he began to explore his talents. BASQUIAT AND NEW YORK CITY The film explores the movements that touched and inspired Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as the influence a bankrupt, violent city had on this seminal artist. Jean-Michel has become, over the years, the ultimate representation of this period. All the many things that were going on in the city fed through him – politics, hip-hop, punk rock, race issues and the art scene. In 1978, Jean-Michel was a teenager (18 years old), living on the street and sleeping on friends’ sofas in the East Village. He was shaped and formed by his friendships — those he influenced and those who influenced him. The crumbling city allowed them the freedom to discover and experiment with their work. THE CITY, THE CRIME, THE ARTS During a brief time, downtown NYC was the epicenter for a community of young artists: musicians, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, performers, dancers, etc., living among the burned-out buildings that punctuated the city. These artists cross-pollinated each other, experimenting with different mediums. There were no divisions between young and old. The young learned from the older artists and vice versa. At the parties, clubs and in the streets there were minimalist painters, beatniks and jazz heroes. It was cheap to live in NYC. The city was lawless and drugs were everywhere, sold openly on the street. The origins of hip-hop were floating through everything. The sounds of salsa, disco, punk, hardcore and no wave music wafted in the streets and through the clubs: CBGB, Mudd Club, Max’s Kansas City, Hurrah, Studio 54, Tier 3. The streets were dangerous and crime rampant. The night’s events spread by word of mouth and handmade posters plastered on building walls, as well as through listings in local art papers: the Village Voice, the East Village Eye and the Soho News. NYC was bankrupt and crumbling, but because it was so cheap it became a fertile breeding ground for so many artists.
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First Look at ‘SAY HER NAME: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland’ Documentary Premiering At Tribeca Film Festival [VIDEO]

Ahead of its April 25th World Premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, HBO Documentary Films shared a first look and official poster for the highly anticipated documentary, SAY HER NAME: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland. The documentary which is directed by Kate Davis and David Heilbroner, will premiere on HBO.
In 2015, Sandra Bland, a politically active 28-year-old black woman from Chicago was arrested for a traffic violation in a small Texas town. Three days later, Sandra was found hanging from a noose in her jail cell. Though ruled a suicide, her death sparked allegations of racially-motivated police murder and Sandra became a poster child for activists nationwide, leaving millions to question, “What really happened to Sandra Bland?”

Ten days after Sandra’s death, the filmmakers began working closely with the family’s legal team, tracking the two-year battle between Sandra’s aggrieved family and Texas authorities. With disturbing, never-before-told details about the case, the film is punctuated by Sandra’s own passionate and moving commentary.

Approximately 30 “Sandy Speaks” video blogs, which Sandra created herself, allowed the filmmakers to get to know Sandra Bland in a deeply personal way. Via these videos, Sandy herself emerges as a central voice in SAY HER NAME — an empowered, enlightened woman of color whose sharp, humorous, charismatic remarks address subjects from educating kids about black history to police brutality to the importance of natural hair.

Part legal thriller, part parable about race in America, SAY HER NAME takes viewers deep inside a story that galvanized activists across the country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pybBqJNg5ds
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Tribeca 2018: Watch First Trailer for McQUEEN, Documentary on Designer Alexander McQueen [VIDEO]

Bleeker Street has released the first teaser trailer for the documentary “McQueen“, which will have its World Premiere on Sunday, April 22, 2018 at the Tribeca Film Festival and released in select theaters on July 13, 2018. The documentary is directed by Ian Bonhôte and co-directed/written by Peter Ettedgui. McQueen is described as a personal look at the extraordinary life, career and artistry of Alexander McQueen. Through exclusive interviews with his closest friends and family, recovered archives, exquisite visuals and music, McQueen is an authentic celebration and thrilling portrait of an inspired yet tortured fashion visionary.

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Tribeca 2018: Watch Clip from TIME FOR ILHAN , Documentary on Muslim Somali-American Ilhan Omar’s Political Campaign [VIDEO]

Norah Shapiro documentary “Time For Ilhan“, which will have its World Premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, April 21, has released the first video clip. Ilhan Omar, a young, hijab-wearing mother of three, takes on two formidable opponents in a highly-contested race for a seat in the Minnesota State Legislature. If successful, she will become the first Muslim Somali- American woman lawmaker in the United States. Similar to the classic tale of David and Goliath, Omar, who is up against a 43-year incumbent, is the “outsider”- a Muslim, refugee, woman of color – who seeks to challenge the party’s status quo while simultaneously defying the gender norms within her own Muslim community. Time For Ilhan shadows Ilhan and her scrappy group of dedicated campaign staffers throughout the entire campaign’s dramatic uphill battle. A fresh take on the old story of the American Dream, the film offers an inspiring, stereotype-busting portrait of a rising political star and a vision of what is truly possible for women and New Americans in politics today. Norah Shapiro is a Minneapolis-based filmmaker who left a decade-long career as a public defender to pursue documentary filmmaking, and hasn’t looked back since. Her first feature film MISS TIBET: BEAUTY IN EXILE (2014) premiered at the 2014 DOC NYC Film Festival. Additional screenings include the 2015 Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival where it received the “Best Minnesota Made Feature Documentary” award; SF DOCFEST; the Asian American International Film Festival in New York City; and others around the globe. She received a McKnight Filmmaking Fellowship in 2012 and has received numerous production and completion funding awards from funders including the Jerome Foundation, and the Minnesota Filmmakers Legacy Fund. She is also currently producing a new documentary about the recently solved 27-year old abduction of Jacob Wetterling, a young Minnesota boy in rural Minnesota and its far reaching impact.

2018 Tribeca Film Festival Screening Schedule: WORLD PREMIERE: Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 3:30 PM at CIN-08 Cinepolis Chelsea (CIN) 260 West 23 Street, between 7 and 8 Avenue, New York, NY 10011 Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 8:15PM at REGAL-06 Regal Battery Park Stadium 11 (RGL) 102 North End Ave, New York, NY 10281 Monday, April 23, 2018 at 3:45PM at CIN-02 Cinepolis Chelsea (CIN) 260 West 23 Street, between 7 and 8 Avenue, New York, NY 10011 Friday, April 27, 2018 at 8:15PM at REGAL-06 Regal Battery Park Stadium 11 (RGL) 102 North End Ave, New York, NY 10281
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FIVE SEASONS: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf, Documentary on Inspirational Designer and Plantsman, Sets Release Date [ Trailer ]

[caption id="attachment_28200" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Piet Oudolf photographing wildflowers in the Texas Hill Country.[/caption] After completing a feature documentary on New York’s High Line, award-winning filmmaker Thomas Piper met the inspirational designer and plantsman, Piet Oudolf, and the idea for a new project was born – FIVE SEASONS: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf. The documentary immerses viewers in Oudolf’s work and takes us inside his creative process, from his beautifully abstract sketches, to theories on beauty, to the ecological implications of his ideas. This award-winning film will open at IFC Center in New York on Wednesday, June 13, and at the Laemmle Royal in Los Angeles on Friday, June 29; Other cities will follow. Intimate discussions take place through all four seasons in Piet’s own gardens at Hummelo, and on visits to his signature public works in New York, Chicago, and the Netherlands, as well as to the far-flung locations that inspire his genius, including desert wildflowers in West Texas and post-industrial forests in Pennsylvania. As a narrative thread, the film also follows Oudolf as he designs and installs a major new garden at Hauser & Wirth Somerset, a gallery and arts center in Southwest England, a garden he considers his best work yet. Piet Oudolf has radically redefined what gardens can be. As Rick Darke, the famous botanist, says to Piet in the film, “your work teaches us to see what we have been unable to see.” Through poetic cinematography and unique access, FIVE SEASONS will reveal all that Piet sees, and celebrate all that we as viewers have been unable to see.

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Tribeca Film Festival to LiveStream Events with Paris Hilton, Spike Lee, Thandie Newton, Alec Baldwin, Jamie Foxx

The Tribeca Film Festival will provide exclusive, real time livestream access to must-see events and the biggest names in film, television, music, journalism and fashion at the 2018 festival. The real time access provides a window for festival goers at home or anywhere to be a part of the candid conversations with such stars as Evan Rachel Wood, Spike Lee, Thandie Newton, Alec Baldwin, Jamie Foxx, Paris Hilton, Nathan Lane, Christine Baranski, André Leon Tally, Antonio Banderas and James Marsden among many others. Audiences from around the world will be able to join the star-studded cast of Westworld for a conversation about the anticipated new season and experience the conversation with the world’s most respected journalists following the gala closing night film The Fourth Estate. The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival will run from April 18-29 and is presented by AT&T. The talks are available exclusively via Facebook Live on the Tribeca Film Festival Facebook page. The Tribeca Film Festival/Facebook Live schedule follows. Thursday, April 19 6:00 PM: John Legend with Sara Bareilles (Tribeca Talks: Storytellers) – Join in a conversation when Sara Bareilles interviews celebrated singer, songwriter, actor, and producer, John Legend who has been releasing billboard hits since his debut album Get Lifted in 2004. He’s earned a total of ten Grammy Awards. John Legend also formed a film and television production company, Get Lifted, in 2014, and executive produced and starred in La La Land and the hit television show, Underground. He won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his song “Glory” in Selma. In addition to his work in music and film, Legend is also well known for his philanthropic work in education and criminal justice reform. He founded #FREEAMERICA, a campaign designed to change the national conversation of our country’s misguided policies and to make a change in America’s criminal justice system. 9:40 PM: Westworld (Tribeca TV) – Join the cast and creators for a conversation about Westworld, following the season two New York Premiere at Tribeca of the smash hit from HBO, as it continues on its dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Featured will be co-creators, showrunners, and directors Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, along with cast-members Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, and James Marsden. Friday, April 20 6:30 PM: Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story (Tribeca TV) – Join in the conversations about the world premiere of a new mini-series from Paramount Network looking at the life and legacy of Trayvon Martin. The new series, Executive Produced by Shawn JAY – Z Carter, presents the definitive look at one of the most talked-about, controversial events of the last decade. MSNBC’s host Joy Reid moderates a conversation with co-directors Julia Willoughby Nason and Jenner Furst, the parents of Trayvon Martin, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, executive producers Mike Gasparro and Chachi Senior, and a special guest. 9:20 PM: Genius: Picasso (Tribeca TV) – Antonio Banderas stars as Pablo Picasso in the world premiere of the second season of the National Geographic Series and headlines a candid conversation following the world premiere. Genius: Picasso explores the Spanish expatriate Pablo Picasso’s devotion to his craft, his contribution to modern art, and his turbulent personal life. Variety’s Cynthia Littleton moderates a conversation with showrunner Ken Biller, executive producers Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo, and cast-members Antonio Banderas, Alex Rich, Clémence Poésy, Poppy Delevingne, and Samantha Colley. Saturday, April 21 6:00 PM: Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro (Tribeca Talks: Storytellers) – Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro will sit down to discuss Cooper’s career as an actor, producer and now director; from his early work in acclaimed comedies such as Wet Hot American Summer, Wedding Crashers and The Hangover trilogy, to his impactful dramatic turns in Silver Linings Playbook and American Sniper, which led to him becoming the tenth actor to receive an Academy Award nomination three years in a row. Most recently, Cooper has been working on his directorial debut, a modern adaptation of A Star is Born, which he also produced, co-wrote, and stars in alongside Lady Gaga. Cooper and De Niro have worked together on such films as Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Joy and Limitless which was their first picture together. Monday, April 23 6:00 PM: Jamie Foxx (Tribeca Talks: Storytellers) – Prolific actor, musician, and comedian Jamie Foxx is a Hollywood triple threat and the subject of this special Tribeca Talk. Perhaps his most iconic role as an actor, his portrayal of musician Ray Charles in the biopic Ray, landed him an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA in 2005. The very same year, Foxx was nominated for a second Oscar for his acting in the film Collateral, making him only the second man in history to receive two acting Oscar nominations in the same year for two different roles. In addition to film, Foxx is a GRAMMY award-winning musician, producing four albums that have charted the top ten of the US Billboard 200. Recently, Foxx has taken on the dual role of host and executive producer for the game show Beat Shazam, which will have its second season premiere in May on FOX, and he will also be appearing in Robin Hood, scheduled for theatrical release in November. 9:30 PM: Every Act of Life (World Premiere, Special Screening) – Playwright Terrance McNally is the subject a new riveting documentary which presents a revealing portrait of the four-time Tony-winning playwright through his groundbreaking, six-decade career in the theater, fight for LGBTQ rights, and triumph over addiction. New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich leads a conversation with McNally, director Jeff Kaufman, actor/director Joe Mantello, and actors Nathan Lane, F. Murray Abraham, Christine Baranski, and Chita Rivera. Tuesday, April 24 8:45 PM: Alec Baldwin and Spike Lee (Tribeca Talks: Storytellers) – Alec Baldwin and Spike Lee, two of the industry’s most prolific storytellers, will sit down and discuss in great detail their passionate and reverential relationship to film: their favorite movies of all time, the films that have influenced them as creators, and the power of storytelling. Spike Lee is an Academy Award-winning director, producer, writer, actor and activist and NYU Grad Film Tenured Professor, best known for his groundbreaking and acclaimed films, Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, 4 Little Girls, When The Levees Broke,25th Hour and Inside Man. Alec Baldwin is a critically acclaimed actor, writer, producer, and activist, most recognizable for his roles in Beetlejuice, The Hunt for Red October, Glengarry Glen Ross, 30 Rock, and Saturday Night Live. He is also the hosts of his podcast, Here’s the Thing, for WNYC radio and is the author of three books. Wednesday, April 25 10:00 PM: The Gospel According to André (World Premiere – Special Screening) – From the segregated South to the fashion capitals of the world, The Gospel According to André recounts fashion editor André Leon Talley’s storied life and career through intimate conversations, rich archival, and testimonials from fashion luminaries. Join in a conversation with director Kate Novack and subject André Leon Talley, producer Andrew Rossi, executive producer Roger Ross Williams and producer Josh Braun. Moderated by performer Sandra Bernhard. Friday, April 27 9:35 PM: The American Meme (World Premiere – Special Screening) – Paris Hilton, the Fat Jew, Kirill Bichutsky, and Brittany Furlan have all used social media to achieve massive internet fame. But, is it worth it? Join in a conversation following the world premiere of the documentary The American Meme with director Bert Marcus, subjects Paris Hilton, Kirill Bichutsky, Brittany Furlan, The Fat Jew and Hailey Baldwin. Saturday, April 28 2:00 PM: Writing & Showrunning for TV (Tribeca Talks: Master Class) American television writing duo, Robert and Michelle King, will sit down with The Daily Show Executive Producers Steve Bodow and Jennifer Flanz, to discuss what it takes to write and produce a compelling show and the grit required to churn out episodes that feel timely and fresh. The Kings are a Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award-nominated writing team. Their work on their two major hit series The Good Wife and The Good Fight touch on a wide range of issues, from political corruption to cyber-security — making their shows simultaneously gripping and true to life. Bodow and Flanz have collectively won over 20 Primetime Emmy Awards for The Daily Show’s hilariously cutting political satire, garnering remarkable success and notoriety for the show. 9:30 PM: The Fourth Estate (World Premiere, Closing Night) Join the filmmakers and journalists from The New York Times following the closing night film of the Tribeca Film Festival of Showtime’s The Fourth Estate. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus’ new documentary goes inside The New York Times to chronicle the inner workings of journalism and investigative reporting from the front line during the Trump administration’s first history-making year. Join the conversation with The New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet, Washington Bureau Chief Elisabeth Bumiller, White House Correspondent Julie Davis, Washington Investigative Correspondent Mark Mazzetti, director Liz Garbus, and producer Jenny Carchman.
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2018 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival to Open with EL ÚLTIMO TRAJE (THE LAST SUIT) [ Complete Lineup ]

EL ÚLTIMO TRAJE (THE LAST SUIT)

This year’s twenty-first Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (CLAIFF21) will kick off on Wednesday, May 2nd, with the drama/comedy EL ÚLTIMO TRAJE (THE LAST SUIT), directed by Pablo Solarz and starring Miguel Ángel Solá.

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9 Documentaries Win Peabody Awards, ‘America ReFramed: Deej’ ‘Chasing Coral’ ‘Indivisible’

[caption id="attachment_28139" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] America ReFramed: Deej[/caption] The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors has selected nine winners in the Documentary category for programs released in 2017. The honorees, part of the annual Peabody 30, include stories that give insight to the lingering grief of communities after mass shootings, the impact of climate change on Earth’s oceans, and young activists fighting for a path to citizenship. The Peabody Awards are based at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. Peabody Award winners, including Carol Burnett, recipient of the first-ever Peabody Career Achievement Award presented by Mercedes-Benz, will be celebrated on Saturday, May 19 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. Hasan Minhaj, comedian, writer and senior correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” will serve as host. The presenting sponsor is Mercedes-Benz, the official automobile of the 77th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony. Supporting sponsor is The Coca-Cola Co. Variety is the exclusive media partner.
2017 Documentary Winners
America ReFramed: Deej A bold step forward in inclusive filmmaking that allows David James (Deej) Savarese, a nonspeaking young man with autism, to tell his own story, focusing on accomplishment and possibility, not limits and barriers. Chasing Coral This surprisingly emotional film expertly documents, through time-lapse underwater photographs, the effects of climate change on the rapid decimation of the world’s coral reefs, events known as coral bleaching that affected 29 percent of the shallow-water coral in the Great Barrier Reef in 2016 alone. Indivisible An urgent, intimate portrait of heartbreak and determination, disappointment and victory as three young Dreamers navigate confusing immigration policy, bad faith on the part of politicians, and the emotional trauma of family separation. Last Men in Aleppo Masterful storytelling by civilian filmmakers at the heart of the Syrian crisis as they follow the volunteer group the White Helmets, who provide emergency services to traumatized residents in the rebel-occupied areas of the city of Aleppo. Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise A vivid portrait of Maya Angelou, who, while best known as one of America’s leading writers, also blazed a brave and original life as a performer, actress, and activist integral to the civil rights movement and the celebration of African-American experience. Newtown Testimonials from survivors of the deadliest mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history document a traumatized community fractured by grief but driven toward a sense of purpose. Oklahoma City Essential viewing that draws a line from armed standoffs at Ruby Ridge and Waco to the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, to tell the story of both the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history and the rise of anti-government hatred and white militancy. The Islands and the Whales An exquisitely photographed documentary that explores the inextricable links between oceans poisoned by coal burning power plants and the direct impact they have on people of the remote Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, who struggle between maintaining their traditional way of life and the long-term health repercussions of mercury poisoning. TIME: The Kalief Browder Story Powerful miniseries illuminating the greatest flaws of our criminal justice system through the tragic events and death of a young African-American who spent three years on Rikers Island without being convicted of a crime.
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THE CAREGIVER and VILLAGE ROCKSTARS Win Grand Jury Prizes at 2018 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles [Complete List of Winners]

[caption id="attachment_28136" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Village Rockstars[/caption] The 16th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) came to an end on Sunday evening with Rima Das’ Village Rockstars winning the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature. In awarding the Grand Prize, the narrative jury stated: “This film explores gender expectations in a gentle manner. It blends beautiful cinematography with naturalistic performances in a fun and uplifting coming-of age story. Working as a one woman army, this director created an unforgettable portrait of childhood.” Village Rockstars, one of the most lauded Indian films on the festival circuit, also just took home four top awards at the National Film Awards in India, including Best Feature Film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frFAeVALgE0 A special jury mention was made for Sushama Deshpande’s performance in Ajji. The jury stated: “Taking on difficult characters is always a challenge for an actor. It takes courage to humanize and portray a role that breaks the stereotypes. This actress demonstrated undeniable talent and commitment to deliver an authentic and grounded performance.” The Grand Jury Prize for Best Short was presented to The Caregiver, directed by Ruthy Pribar. Regarding the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short, the jury awarded, “a film that we loved for its elegant representation of the nuances between compassion and survival, and for its understated yet decisive storytelling.” A special jury mention was made for Counterfeit Kunkoo, which the jury called “an incredible short film about apartment hunting in Mumbai that not only manages to be well-paced, gripping and bold but also a heart-wrenching perspective into gender inequality in metropolitan India.” The audiences at this year’s IFFLA chose Take Off directed by Mahesh Narayanan as their favorite narrative feature film of the festival. Lovesick, directed by Priya Giri Desai and Ann S. Kim took the Audience Award for Best Documentary, and An Essay of the Rain directed by Nagraj Manjule was chosen as Best Short.
GRAND JURY AWARDS
Best Feature: Village Rockstars, directed by Rima Das Features Special Mention: Sushama Deshpande’s lead performance in Ajji Best Short Film: The Caregiver, directed by Ruthy Pribar Short Film Special Mention: Counterfeit Kunkoo, directed by Reema Sengupta
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS
Best Feature (Narrative): Take Off, directed by Mahesh Narayanan Best Documentary: Lovesick, directed by Priya Giri Desai and Ann S. Kim Best Short: An Essay of the Rain, directed by Nagraj Manjule
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