‘Promise at Dawn’ (‘La Promesse de l’aube’)[/caption]
The New York premiere of Eric Barbier’s epic drama Promise at Dawn, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Pierre Niney will open the 2019 New York Jewish Film Festival one of the oldest and most influential Jewish film festivals worldwide. The 28th edition will run January 9 to 22, 2019.
This riveting memoir chronicles the colorful life of infamous French author Romain Gary, from his childhood conning Polish high society with his mother to his years as a pilot in the Free French Air Forces. The Centerpiece selection represents the first time Israeli TV has been presented at the NYJFF with the 3½ hour miniseries Autonomies. Directed by Yehonatan Indursky, the dystopian drama is set in an alternate reality of present-day Israel, a nation divided by a wall into the secular “State of Israel,” with Tel Aviv as its capital, and the “Haredi Autonomy” in Jerusalem, run by an ultra-Orthodox religious group. A globally relevant tale of identity, religion, politics, personal freedom, and love, this gripping story follows a custody battle that upends the fragile peace of the country, pushing it to the brink of civil war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M45iQnJUm0
Filmmaker Amos Gitai returns to the 2019 NYJFF with the U.S. premiere of his thought-provoking new drama, A Tramway in Jerusalem. Gitai uses the tramway that runs through Jerusalem to connect a series of short vignettes, forming a mosaic of Jewish and Arab stories embodying life in the city.
The NYJFF will also present the U.S. premiere of Fig Tree by first-time director Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian. Set in Addis Ababa during the Ethiopian Civil War, the film concerns a young woman who plans to flee to Israel with her brother and grandmother to reunite with her mother. But she is unwilling to leave her Christian boyfriend behind and hatches a scheme to save him from being drafted.
This year’s festival features an array of enlightening and gripping documentaries. Highlights include the New York premiere of Roberta Grossman’s Who Will Write Our History, which uses painstakingly compiled archival materials unearthed after World War II to tell the story of a resistance group in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi occupation and the reality of Jewish life in occupied Warsaw; and Rubi Gat’s Dear Fredy, focusing on Fredy Hirsch, a proud and openly gay Jew in Nazi Germany and, later, Theresienstadt and Auschwitz, who oversaw and protected hundreds of children in the camps by setting up a day care center.
NYJFF special programs include the New York City premiere of the new digital restoration of Ewald Andrew Dupont’s 1923 silent masterpiece, The Ancient Law, featuring a new score and live accompaniment by pianist Donald Sosin and klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals. In this classic drama the son of an orthodox rabbi leaves home, against his father’s wishes, to join a traveling theater troupe.Terry P.
VIMOOZ is for lovers of independent films + foreign film + documentary + film festivals. We love championing the little films.
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NY Premiere of Eric Barbier’s PROMISE AT DAWN to Kick Off 2019 New York Jewish Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_32653" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] ‘Promise at Dawn’ (‘La Promesse de l’aube’)[/caption]
The New York premiere of Eric Barbier’s epic drama Promise at Dawn, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Pierre Niney will open the 2019 New York Jewish Film Festival one of the oldest and most influential Jewish film festivals worldwide. The 28th edition will run January 9 to 22, 2019.
This riveting memoir chronicles the colorful life of infamous French author Romain Gary, from his childhood conning Polish high society with his mother to his years as a pilot in the Free French Air Forces. The Centerpiece selection represents the first time Israeli TV has been presented at the NYJFF with the 3½ hour miniseries Autonomies. Directed by Yehonatan Indursky, the dystopian drama is set in an alternate reality of present-day Israel, a nation divided by a wall into the secular “State of Israel,” with Tel Aviv as its capital, and the “Haredi Autonomy” in Jerusalem, run by an ultra-Orthodox religious group. A globally relevant tale of identity, religion, politics, personal freedom, and love, this gripping story follows a custody battle that upends the fragile peace of the country, pushing it to the brink of civil war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M45iQnJUm0
Filmmaker Amos Gitai returns to the 2019 NYJFF with the U.S. premiere of his thought-provoking new drama, A Tramway in Jerusalem. Gitai uses the tramway that runs through Jerusalem to connect a series of short vignettes, forming a mosaic of Jewish and Arab stories embodying life in the city.
The NYJFF will also present the U.S. premiere of Fig Tree by first-time director Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian. Set in Addis Ababa during the Ethiopian Civil War, the film concerns a young woman who plans to flee to Israel with her brother and grandmother to reunite with her mother. But she is unwilling to leave her Christian boyfriend behind and hatches a scheme to save him from being drafted.
This year’s festival features an array of enlightening and gripping documentaries. Highlights include the New York premiere of Roberta Grossman’s Who Will Write Our History, which uses painstakingly compiled archival materials unearthed after World War II to tell the story of a resistance group in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi occupation and the reality of Jewish life in occupied Warsaw; and Rubi Gat’s Dear Fredy, focusing on Fredy Hirsch, a proud and openly gay Jew in Nazi Germany and, later, Theresienstadt and Auschwitz, who oversaw and protected hundreds of children in the camps by setting up a day care center.
NYJFF special programs include the New York City premiere of the new digital restoration of Ewald Andrew Dupont’s 1923 silent masterpiece, The Ancient Law, featuring a new score and live accompaniment by pianist Donald Sosin and klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals. In this classic drama the son of an orthodox rabbi leaves home, against his father’s wishes, to join a traveling theater troupe.
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Felicity Jones to Receive Variety Award at British Independent Film Awards
[caption id="attachment_32649" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Felicity Jones in On the Basis of Sex[/caption]
Actress Felicity Jones, who is earning raves for her portrayal of Ruth Bader Ginsberg in On the Basis of Sex, will receive this year’s Variety Award at the British Independent Film Awards ceremony on Sunday December 2. The award recognizes a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helps to focus the international spotlight on the UK.
Previous recipients of the award include Benedict Cumberbatch, Jude Law, Kenneth Branagh, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, Paul Greengrass, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet and Gary Oldman who was last year’s honouree.
“When actress Felicity Jones first appeared on your radar, you probably knew she was destined for greatness but you probably didn’t know she would impact so forcefully on all sizes of screens in all kinds of projects,” says Steven Gaydos, Variety’s Vice President and Executive Editor. “She has infused the Star Wars juggernaut with feminine soul as well as womanly grit and she brought gravity and tenderness to the Oscar-winning Theory of Everything. Now she plays a brave woman whose life and achievements loom larger every day. On the Basis of Sex is a rallying cry for women’s rights in a time of political crisis, but in the hands of Felicity Jones, Ruth Bader Ginsberg becomes a woman we don’t simply admire, but we come to deeply understand her drives and relish the soul that sustains her commitment to justice and equality.”
Felicity Jones: “It’s an incredible honor to receive this Award and, in doing so, to join such an illustrious and inspiring group of filmmakers and actors. To support the British film industry on the global stage is a huge privilege and something I feel very proud and lucky to be a part of.”
BIFA comments: “BIFA and Variety have been honoring British talent on the world stage for 18 years; the award recipients have all had exceptional careers spanning award-winning independent films and the biggest of Hollywood blockbusters. Felicity Jones is no exception: she is a remarkable actress and we’re delighted to be able to celebrate her spectacular international achievements on home turf.”
Felicity Jones has been performing on stage and screen since the age of 11. She has twice been nominated for British Independent Film Awards for her performances in Albatross and Ralph Fiennes’ The Invisible Woman. Felicity became a household name for her critically acclaimed performance in James Marsh’s The Theory of Everything which garnered her a Best Actress Nomination at the 87th Academy Awards. She then went on to star in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story which has grossed over one billion dollars worldwide. Jones’ most recent role is portraying the formidable Ruth Bader Ginsberg in Mimi Leder’s On the Basis of Sex. The biopic, which follows a young Ruth’s struggle for equal rights, will release in UK cinemas on February 22, 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28dHbIR_NB4
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GREEN BOOK Wins Best Film, CAPERNAUM, THE PUSH Win Awards at 2018 St. Louis International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_32616" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
“Green Book” directed by Peter Farrelly[/caption]
The St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) presented seven major filmmaking awards during the course of the 2018 festival, with the award for Best Film going to “Green Book” directed by Peter Farrelly. Other awards include Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Awards to Jim Finn, Jane Gilooly, and Karyn Kusama; Women in Film Award to Melanie Mayron; Lifetime Achievement Award to Joe Edwards and John Goodman; and the Contemporary Cinema Award to Jason Reitman.
2018 St. Louis International Film Festival Awards Winners
Shorts Awards
Juries choose the winners of seven awards from among the shorts in competition. The SLIFF shorts competition is officially sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, making the winners in the Best of Fest, Best Animated, Best Live Action, and Best Documentary categories eligible to submit for Oscar® consideration. The 2018 winners: Best Documentary Short: “Koka, The Butcher” directed by Bence Máté Best Local Short: “The Buck: Midwest Gully” directed by Jun Bae Best Short Short: “The Puppy Trials” directed by Becky Nicol & Thomas Nicol Best International Short: “Death, Father & Son” directed by Waltgenwitz Denis & Paronnaud Vincent Best Animated Short: “Le Mans 1955” directed by Quentin Baillieux Best Live-Action Short: “Rainbow Ruthie” directed by Ruthie Marantz Best of Fest: “Souls of Totality” directed by Richard RaymondInterfaith Awards
Juries gives Interfaith Awards to both a documentary and a narrative, choosing from among 10 competition films (five in each category), which were selected for their artistic merit; contribution to the understanding of the human condition; and recognition of ethical, social, and spiritual values. The 2018 winners: Best Documentary Feature: “Intelligent Lives” directed by Dan Habib Best Narrative Feature: “Eternal Winter” directed by Attila Szasz St. Louis Film Critics Association Joe Pollack and Joe Williams Awards In conjunction with the St. Louis Film Critics organization, SLIFF holds juried competitions for documentary and narrative features. The awards are named in honor of the late St. Louis Post-Dispatch critics Joe Pollack (narrative) and Joe Williams (documentary). The winners are picked by two juries composed of St. Louis film critics. SLIFF chose eight films to compete in each category. The 2018 winners: Best Documentary Feature: “Letter from Masanjia” directed by Leon Lee Best Narrative Feature: “The Captain” directed by Robert SchwentkeMidrash Award
Midrash St. Louis engages myriad aspects of American culture — hot topics, deep subjects, music, arts, and film — and seeks to give and receive commentary on the subjects and issues that matter to people in St. Louis and that form and shape our views and lives. The Midrash St. Louis Film Award celebrates St. Louis-related films of honesty and artistry that portray the need or the hope for reconciliation or redemption. These are among the most powerful and worthy themes that films should explore. Eligible work for the Midrash St. Louis Film Award includes feature and short films largely shot in St. Louis or directed by filmmakers with strong local ties. The award comes with a cash prize of $500. The 2018 winner: “The Man Behind the Merferds” directed by Josh HerumNew Filmmakers Forum Emerging Director Award (The Bobbie)
The New Filmmakers Forum (NFF) annually presents the Emerging Director Award. Since its inception, NFF was co-curated by Bobbie Lautenschlager. Bobbie died in the summer of 2012, and SLIFF honors her memory by nicknaming the NFF Emerging Director Award as the Bobbie. Five works by first-time feature filmmakers competed for the prize, which includes a $500 cash award. The 2018 winner: Emerging Director Award (“The Bobbie”): “Farmer of the Year” directed by Vince O’Connell & Kathy SwansonSpotlight on Inspiration Documentary Award
This year, SLIFF inaugurates this juried competition, which awards a $5,000 prize to a feature documentary that focuses on people working to make the world a better place and that inspires audience members and leaves them with a sense of hope for the future. The 2018 winner: “The Providers” directed by Laura Green & Anna Moot-LevinBest of Fest Audience Choice Awards
Audience voting determines the winner of three awards from among the films in competition. The 2018 winners: Leon Award for Best Documentary Film: “The Push” directed by Grant Korgan & Brian Niles TV5MONDE Award for Best International Film: “Capernaum” directed by Nadine Labaki Best Film: “Green Book” directed by Peter Farrelly
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TOMORROW, TRANSMILITARY, GENERAL MAGIC Win Awards at 2018 Napa Valley Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_32528" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Tomorrow[/caption]
The 8th Annual Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) announced this year’s juried and audience award winners at the Uptown Theatre in Napa on Saturday, November 10, 2018.
The festival also announced that the next edition will take place from November 13 to 17, 2019.
Each of the festival winners received a large format wine bottle from one of the festival’s esteemed Vintner Circle winery partners. The two winners of the 18 films that vied for the title of Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature, as determined by the respective juries, were awarded $10,000, presented by Meadowood Napa Valley.
“I was most impressed by the array of topics and compelling and courageous film subjects included in this year’s festival,” said juror Amy Shatsky, Series Producer of PBS’s Independent Lens. Juror Alexandre Philippe, filmmaker and creative director of Exhibit A Pictures, also said, “Having served on multiple juries throughout the world, serving on the documentary jury at NVFF was unequivocally one of the most pleasant and enriching experiences of my year.”
2018 Napa Valley Film Festival Juried Awards
Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature presented by Rombauer Vineyards, and with a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of Meadowood Napa Valley, goes to Tomorrow. Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature presented by Acumen Wines, and with a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of Meadowood Napa Valley, goes to General Magic. Jury Award for Best Screenplay presented by Charles Krug Winery goes to Are You Glad I’m Here. Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast presented by Vintner’s Collective goes to Cold Brook. Jury Award for Best Narrative Short presented by Reynolds Family Winery goes to Have It All. Jury Award for Best Documentary Short presented by RiverHouse by Bespoke Collection goes to Fear Us Women. Jury Award for Best Verge Film presented by Cru by Vineyard 29 goes to Summer ‘03. Special Jury Award – Best Genre Bending presented by VGS Chateau Potelle goes to White Tide: The Legend of Culebra. Special Jury Award – Best Untold Story presented by Cuvaison goes to TransMilitary.2018 Napa Valley Film Festival Audience Awards
Audience Award for Favorite Actor presented by J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines goes to Sebastian Street for his work in the film Tomorrow. Honorable Mention, presented by Castellucci Napa Valley, goes to Logan Miller for his work in the film You Can Choose Your Family. Audience Award for Favorite Actress presented by Italics Winegrowers goes to Stephanie Leonidas for her work in the film Tomorrow. Honorable Mention, presented by Castellucci Napa Valley, goes to Skyler Samuels for her work in the film Spare Room. Audience Award for Favorite Documentary Feature presented by Provenance Vineyards goes to TransMilitary. Audience Award for Favorite Documentary Short presented by Hess Collection goes to Fear Us Women. Audience Award for Favorite Narrative Feature presented by Alpha Omega Winery goes to Tomorrow. Audience Award for Favorite Narrative Short presented by Duckhorn Portfolio goes to Tzeva Adom: Color Red. Audience Award for Favorite Food & Beverage Spotlight Film presented by Grgich Hills Estate goes to Soufra. Audience Award for Favorite Special Screening presented by Materra | Cunat Family Vineyards goes to Pick of the Litter. Audience Award for Favorite Verge Film presented by Barnett Vineyards goes to White Tide: The Legend of Culebra. The documentary film Sharkwater Extinction also received Special Recognition by the NVFF Programming Team for Courageous Filmmaking. Narrative Features Jury: Richard Keith, Nancy Collet and Jill Green Documentary Features Jury: Alexandre O. Philippe, Amy Shatsky and Lissa Gibbs Narrative Shorts Jury: Emily Ting, Felicity Wren and Brent Emery Documentary Shorts Jury: Jonathan Robinson, Miguel Martinez and Sophie Constantinou Verge Jury: Jeff Grace, Gren Wells and Alece Oxendine
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Watch an EXCLUSIVE Clip from CHINA LOVE on Chinese Ritual of Pre-Wedding Photography
[caption id="attachment_32605" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
China Love. At Only Photo Studio just out of Shanghai. This is a “go-to” pre wedding photography studio with 3 floors of ‘old world’ romantic and fantasy sets. July 2015[/caption]
Just for you our readers, an exclusive clip from China Love directed by Olivia Martin-McGuire premiering in the U.S. on November 9, 2018 at 2018 DOC NYC.
China Love takes us on a billion-dollar ride of fantasy exploring contemporary China through the window of the pre-wedding photography industry. The film is a feature length observational documentary which follows Chinese and Australian participants as they navigate love, weddings and family in the lead up to the most important ritual of Chinese society – getting married.
China Love is directed and produced by Olivia Martin-McGuire, produced by Rebecca Barry and Madeleine Hetherton, and features documentary subject Allen Shi the owner of the Jihao Group.
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GREEN BOOK, FREE SOLO, RELAXER, AMÉRICA Win at 2018 Virginia Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_32594" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
L to R: Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in GREEN BOOK[/caption]
After showcasing an impressive lineup of nearly 200 films, the audience attending the 31st Annual Virginia Film Festival voted Peter Farrelly’s Green Book winner of the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, and National Geographic’s Free Solo won for Best Documentary Feature. Relaxer won the 2018 Programmer’s Awards for Best Narrative Feature, and América won for Best Documentary Feature.
The Virginia Film Festival also presented its first-ever Commonwealth Awards to honor their achievements of Virginia filmmakers. The inaugural Commonwealth Award winners were Fiddlin’, for Best Virginia Feature Film, and Werowocomoco, for Best Virginia Short Film.
2018 Virginia Film Festival Audience Awards
Narrative Feature: Green Book Documentary Feature: Free Solo Narrative Short: Are You Volleyball?! Documentary Short: Unstuck: An OCD Kids Movie2018 Virginia Film Festival Programmer’s Awards
Narrative Feature: Relaxer Documentary Feature: América Narrative Short: Lamb Documentary Short: Like Dolls, I’ll Rise
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Polish Drama COLD WAR Leads Nominations for 31st European Film Awards
[caption id="attachment_29874" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
COLD WAR by Pawel Pawlikowski[/caption]
The Polish drama Cold War (Zimna wojna) directed by Ali Abbasi leads the nominations for the 31st European Film Awards with 5 nods including Best European Film, Best Director, European Screenwriter along with Best Actress for Joanna Kulig as Zula, and Best Actor for Tomasz Kot as Wiktor. The more than 3,500 EFA Members will now vote for the winners who will be presented during the awards ceremony on December 15 in Seville.
31st European Film Awards Nominations
EUROPEAN FILM 2018
BORDER GRÄNS Sweden, Denmark DIRECTED BY Ali Abbasi WRITTEN BY Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf & John Ajvide Lindqvist PRODUCED BY Nina Bisgaard, Piodor Gustafsson & Petra Jönsson COLD WAR ZIMNA WOJNA Poland, UK, France WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Pawel Pawlikowski PRODUCED BY Ewa Puszczynska & Tanya Seghatchian DOGMAN Italy, France DIRECTED BY Matteo Garrone WRITTEN BY Matteo Garrone, Ugo Chiti & Massimo Gaudioso PRODUCED BY Matteo Garrone, Jean Labadie, Jeremy Thomas & Paolo Del Brocco GIRL Belgium, Netherlands DIRECTED BY Lukas Dhont WRITTEN BY Lukas Dhont & Angelo Tijssens PRODUCED BY Dirk Impens [caption id="attachment_30997" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
HAPPY AS LAZARRO[/caption]
HAPPY AS LAZZARO
LAZZARO FELICE
Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Alice Rohrwacher
PRODUCED BY Carlo Cresto-Dina, Tiziana Soudani, Alexandra Henochsberg, Grégory Gajos, Arthur Hallereau, Pierre-François Piet, Michel Merkt, Michael Weber & Viola Fügen
EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2018
A WOMAN CAPTURED Hungary, Germany DIRECTED BY Bernadett Tuza-Ritter PRODUCED BY Julianna Ugrin & Viki Réka Kiss BERGMAN – A YEAR IN A LIFE BERGMAN – ETT ÅR, ETT LIV Sweden, Germany DIRECTED BY Jane Magnusson PRODUCED BY Cecilia Nessen, Fredrik Heinig & Mattias Nohrborg OF FATHERS AND SONS Germany, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar DIRECTED BY Talal Derki PRODUCED BY Tobias Siebert, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme & Hans Robert Eisenhauer THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS Denmark, Finland, Sweden DIRECTED BY Simon Lereng Wilmont PRODUCED BY Monica Hellström, Tobias Janson & Sami Jahnukainen THE SILENCE OF OTHERS Spain, USA DIRECTED & PRODUCED BY Almudena Carracedo & Robert BaharEUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2018
Ali Abbasi for BORDER Matteo Garrone for DOGMAN Samuel Maoz for FOXTROT Pawel Pawlikowski for COLD WAR Alice Rohrwacher for HAPPY AS LAZZAROEUROPEAN ACTRESS 2018
Marie Bäumer as Romy Schneider in 3 DAYS IN QUIBERON Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir as Halla / Ása in WOMAN AT WAR Joanna Kulig as Zula in COLD WAR Bárbara Lennie as Petra in PETRA Eva Melander as Tina in BORDER Alba Rohrwacher as Antonia old in HAPPY AS LAZZAROEUROPEAN ACTOR 2018
Jakob Cedergren as Asger in THE GUILTY Rupert Everett as Oscar Wilde in THE HAPPY PRINCE Marcello Fonte as Marcello in DOGMAN Sverrir Gudnason as Björn Borg in BORG/MCENROE Tomasz Kot as Wiktor in COLD WAR Victor Polster as Lara in GIRLEUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2018
[caption id="attachment_29152" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
GRÄNS (BORDER) by Ali Abbasi[/caption]
Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf & John Ajvide Lindqvist for BORDER
Matteo Garrone, Ugo Chiti & Massimo Gaudioso for DOGMAN
Gustav Möller & Emil Nygaard Albertsen for THE GUILTY
Pawel Pawlikowski for COLD WAR
Alice Rohrwacher for HAPPY AS LAZZARO
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MY NAME IS MYEISHA Wins Best Film at 2018 Ithaca Fantastik
[caption id="attachment_32588" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
My Name is Myeisha[/caption]
The Ithaca Fantastik film festival wrapped up the 7th edition of genre programming, documentaries, events last Sunday, and awarded the top prize of Best Film to MY NAME IS MYEISHA, directed by Gus Krieger.
The 2018 edition of the festival hosted films from 19 different countries and welcomed guests such as STARFISH director A.T. White; GIRLS WITH BALLS actress Anne-Solenne Hatte; Perry Blackshear, director of THE RUSALKA; BOILED ANGELS director Frank Henenlotter, producer Mike Hunchback and criminal indie comic book artist and subject of the film Mike Diana; and CAM actor Patch Darragh. The festival also hosted the very first DRUNKEN CINEMA projection in the US where spectators were invited to participate to an informal drinking game involving secret rules while watching an 80’s classic genre film.
This year, the jury was composed of Yellow Veil Pictures co-owner Joe Yanick, programmer and producer Vanessa Meyer and the Archive co-owner and Vinegar Syndrome lead restoration artist Brandon Upson.
2018 Ithaca Fantastik Film Festival Award Winners
Best Film: MY NAME IS MYEISHA, dir. Gus Krieger Best Screenplay: DOG, Samuel Benchetrit and Gábor Rassov Best Achievement in Directing: Gus Krieger, MY NAME IS MYEISHA Special Mention directing: Yann Gonzalez, KNIFE + HEARTShort Films
Best Horror Short: MILK dir. Santiago Menghini Best WTF! Short: MOTHER FUCKER dir. Nicholas Payne, who was in attendance at the festival. Best comedy Short: FETISH, dirs. David Lee Hess and Richard H. PerryNecessary Voices Short Films
The Necessary Voices shorts section was created this year to uplift the voices of filmmakers and narratives that often aren’t lifted. This year’s Necessary Voices honorable mentions are as follows : DEATH METAL GRANDMA, dir. Leah Galant, EVERY GHOST HAS AN ORCHESTRA, dir. Shayna Connely TiCK, dir. Ashlea Wessel THOSE WHO CAN DIE, dir. Charlotte Cayeux SWEET DECEIT, dir. Shannon Jones ENTROPIA, dir. Marinah Janello BFF GIRLS, dir. Brian LonanoAudience Awards
Cinema Pur Audience Award: KEEP AN EYE OUT, dir. Quentin Dupieux International Competition Audience Award: MY NAME IS MYEISHA, dir. Gus Krieger Short Audience Award: FETISH, dirs. David Lee Hess and Richard H. Perry
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Watch Spine-Tingling Electrifying Trailer for CAM, Set in World of Webcam Porn
Netflix today released the new trailer for the psychological cyberworld thriller CAM starring Madeline Brewer, set in the world of webcam porn.
It follows Alice (Brewer), an ambitious camgirl, who wakes up one day to discover she’s been replaced on her show with an exact replica of herself. As this copy begins to push the boundaries of Alice’s internet identity, the control that Alice has over her life, and the men in it, vanishes. While she struggles to regain what she’s lost, she slowly finds herself drawn back to her show and to the mysterious person who has taken her place.
Daniel Goldhaber directed the pic, which was co-financed by Blumhouse Productions and Gunpowder & Sky and produced by Divide/Conquer. Goldhaber also co-wrote the story with Isabelle Link-Levy and Isa Mazzei, who penned the script from her experience as an ex-camgirl, making CAM a rare film about sex work openly written by a sex worker. Link-Levy, Adam Hendricks, John Lang, Greg Gilreath produced.
CAM premiered at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal and stars Madeline Brewer (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Patch Darragh (“The First Purge”), Melora Walters (“Venom”), and Devin Druid (“13 Reasons Why”). The film took home the best first feature and best screenplay awards from Fantasia and recently won best actress, a special jury prize for production design, and the audience award at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN8xZ5WDonk
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Miami Film Festival to Host Fashion in Film Program for 2019 Festival
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Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco[/caption]
Miami Design District (MDD) will partner with Miami Dade College (MDC) to present the acclaimed Fashion in Film Festival in the Miami Design District as part of the upcoming 36th edition of Miami Film Festival, March 1 to 10, 2019. The Fashion in Film Festival will be curated by Marketa Uhlirova, University of the Arts London, Central Saint Martins.
“Cinema at its best takes us to places of wonder, and for our next edition Miami Film Festival will take cinema to a new place of wonder: the Miami Design District, one of Miami’s coolest neighborhoods,” said Miami Film Festival executive director Jaie Laplante. “We are thrilled to be expanding the 36th edition of the Festival into this oasis for culture, art, food, fashion, and film.”
“Every year Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival puts on an extraordinary and surprising program. This year, the Miami Design District is honored to co-present and host the Fashion in Film Festival through this collaboration and partnership with the Miami Film Festival and Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London. We are grateful to Cathy Leff for helping bring Fashion in Film to the District and this new and exciting partnership with the Miami Film Festival,” said Craig Robins, President & CEO of Dacra, the real estate development company behind the Miami Design District. “The District serves as a center for high fashion, luxury and design. It also is a vibrant cultural hub where creative and enriching programming comes to life that serves our community. I couldn’t think of a better place for Fashion in Film to take place. Get your tickets early.”
This special Miami edition of the London festival takes place during the final weekend of Miami Film Festival, March 8 to 10th.The program will consist of a specially curated program comprising screenings, performance, panel discussions, and chats that explore the intersection between fashion and cinema. The program will be presented at Nite Owl Theater and in Paradise Plaza, a popular convening place within the District.
“For Miami, I am interested in staging a speculative dialogue between cinema, fashion and art – as three areas of creative practice that are normally seen as separate – to consider different kinds of intersections and continuities among them. Looking at the entire history of cinema it is evident that fashion and dress have been among major concerns for filmmakers and artists working in the medium of moving image. There has been great interest in the rituals of dressing, undressing, and posing; in self-fashioning and physical transformation; in the decadently pleasurable qualities of decorative surfaces, in the poetry and uncanny tension between the organic and the artificial body – and that of disembodied clothes that assume a life of their own,” commented curator Marketa Uhlirova, co-founder and director of the annual London festival.
While the full line-up of Fashion in Film will be unveiled in late January, Uhlirova, Laplante, and Leff divulged details of the program’s opening event taking place on March 8th. In collaboration with London composer, music producer, and filmmaker Rollo Smallcombe, Uhlirova will present The Inferno Unseen, their own assemblage of rushes from the kinetically experimental visuals of Henri-George Clouzot’s The Inferno, starring Romy Schneider, one of the most tantalizing uncompleted projects in film history. Smallcombe will accompany the presentation with live music. A Festival party on the rooftop deck of Paradise Plaza will complete the evening.
Miami Design District and Miami Film Festival’s announcement was unveiled at a reception in one of the future venues for the program, Nite Owl Theater, and was accompanied by a screening of James Crump’s new fashion documentary Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex, Fashion & Disco, courtesy of Film Movement.
Miami Film Festival is the only major film festival produced and presented worldwide by a college or university. MDC is also home to the renowned Miami Fashion Institute which has also used film as a teaching tool with its popular film series.
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165 Films Documentary Feature Films Submitted for 2018 Oscar Race
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Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind[/caption]
One hundred sixty-six features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 91st Academy Awards®. Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process. This year, for the first time, films that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival or have been submitted in the Foreign Language Film category as their country’s official selection, are also eligible in the category. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 17.
Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.
The 91st Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
“Above and Beyond: NASA’S Journey to Tomorrow”
“Active Measures”
“Amazing Grace”
“American Chaos”
“Andy Irons: Kissed by God”
[caption id="attachment_25696" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco[/caption]
“Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco”
“Avicii: True Stories”
“Bali: Beats of Paradise”
“Bathtubs over Broadway”
“Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché”
“Believer”
“Better Angels”
“Bill Coors: The Will to Live”
“Bisbee ’17”
“The Bleeding Edge”
“Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat”
“Breaking Point: The War for Democracy in Ukraine”
“Call Her Ganda”
“Charm City”
“Chef Flynn”
“The China Hustle”
“Christian Audigier The Vif”
“The Cleaners”
“Communion”
“Crime + Punishment”
“Dark Money”
“Daughters of the Sexual Revolution: The Untold Story of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders”
“The Dawn Wall”
“The Distant Barking of Dogs”
“Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes”
“Drug$”
“Eating Animals”
“Eldorado”
“Fahrenheit 11/9”
“Fail State”
“Family in Transition”
“Far from the Tree”
“Filmworker”
“The First Patient”
“Foreign Land”
“40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie”
“Free Solo”
“Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable”
“Generation Wealth”
“Ghost Hunting”
“Ghosthunter”
“The Gilligan Manifesto”
“The Gospel According to André”
“Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami”
“Graves without a Name”
“The Great Buster: A Celebration”
“Hal”
“Hale County This Morning, This Evening”
“Half the Picture”
“The Heart of Nuba”
“Hillbilly”
“The Homeless Chorus Speaks”
“Hondros”
“Howard”
“In Search of Greatness”
“In the Land of Pomegranates”
“Inventing Tomorrow”
“Invisible Hands”
“Itzhak”
“Jane Fonda in Five Acts”
“John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection”
“The Judge”
“Kangaroo: A Love Hate Story”
“Killer Bees”
“The King”
“King in the Wilderness”
“Kusama – Infinity”
“The Last Race”
“Leaning into the Wind: Andy Goldsworthy”
“Letter from Masanjia”
“Licu, a Romanian Story”
“Living in the Future’s Past”
“Liyana”
“Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle”
“Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story”
“Love, Cecil”
“Love, Gilda”
“Love Is Tolerance – Tolerance Is Love – Make Tolerance Great Again!”
“Making The Five Heartbeats”
“Maria by Callas”
“Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.”
“McQueen”
“Minding the Gap”
“Monrovia, Indiana”
“The Most Unknown”
“New Moon”
“93Queen”
“Nossa Chape”
“Of Fathers and Sons”
“Of Love & Law”
“On Her Shoulders”
“Opera about Poland”
“The Opera House”
“The Oslo Diaries”
“The Other Side of Everything”
“The Panama Papers”
“Path of Blood”
“People’s Republic of Desire”
“Philosopher King – Lee Teng-hui’s Dialogue”
“Pick of the Litter”
“Piripkura”
“Police Killing”
“Pope Francis – A Man of His Word”
“The Price of Everything”
“The Price of Free”
“Qiu (Inmates)”
“Quincy”
“RBG”
“The Rachel Divide”
“The Raft”
“Recovery Boys”
“Restoring Tomorrow”
“Reversing Roe”
“The Road Movie”
“Robin Williams: Come inside My Mind”
“Ruben Blades Is Not My Name”
“Samouni Road”
“Saving Brinton”
“Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland”
“Science Fair”
“Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood”
“Searching for Ingmar Bergman”
“Seeing Allred”
“The Sentence”
“Shirkers”
“Shot in the Dark”
“The Silence of Others”
“Sisters of the Wilderness”
“A Son of Man”
“Songwriter”
“Stan”
“Studio 54”
“Summer in the Forest”
“Tea with the Dames”
“That Summer”
“That Way Madness Lies…”
“They Fight”
“They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead”
“This Is Congo”
“This Is Home: A Refugee Story”
“Three Identical Strangers”
“To Be Continued”
“Transformer”
“Travel Ban”
“The Trial”
“Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace”
“Trust Machine”
“Under the Wire”
“United Skates”
“Unknown Distance”
“Up Down and Sideways”
“The Waldheim Waltz”
“We Could Be Heroes”
“Weed the People”
“What Haunts Us”
“What Lies Upstream”
“Whitney”
“Wonderful Losers: A Different World”
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
“Yellow Is Forbidden”
“Yellowing”
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First Films Confirmed for 2019 International Film Festival Rotterdam
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The Day I Lost My Shadow[/caption]
As the 48th edition of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) fast approaches, the festival is announcing the first 26 confirmed titles, including new films by Claire Denis, Jia Zhangke and Garin Nugroho. IFFR 2019 will take place from January23 to February 3, 2019.
The confirmed titles include the world premiere of Simona Kostova’s Dreissig and the international premiere of Fabienne Godet’s Nos vies formidables. Other filmmakers on the selection list so far are Nadine Labaki with her new film Capernaum and Khalik Allah with his Black Mother, a piercing reflection on Jamaican identity which won the Yellow Robin Award at Curaçao IFFR in April 2018. BNK48: Girls Don’t Cry, a European premiere, is a remarkable documentary feature by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit chronicling the intense lives of a group of pop singers living together in Bangkok. And with I diari di Angela – Noi due cineasti Yervant Gianikian has created a moving portrait of his partner in cinema Angela Ricci Lucchi, who passed away in 2018.
Three of the films selected so far received support from IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) in previous years: The Day I Lost My Shadow by Soudade Kaadan and Rafiki by Wanuri Kahiu in 2016, The Load by Ognjen Glavonić in 2013.
IFFR celebrates film art from all over the world and presents its program within four sections, each with its own distinct character: Bright Future (including the Tiger Competition and the Ammodo Tiger Short Competition), Voices, Deep Focus and Perspectives. Short films are strongly represented throughout all sections.
Festival director Bero Beyer: “We’re delighted to present an appealing and rich first selection of titles to screen at our upcoming festival. There are names we’ve seen before in Rotterdam, and ones that are brand new. Together they exemplify the type of bold and daring cinema we like to celebrate at IFFR.”
Bright Future
Black Mother, Khalik Allah, 2018, Jamaica/USA Core of the World, Natalia Meshchaninova, 2018, Russia/Lithuania The Day I Lost My Shadow, Soudade Kaadan, 2018, Lebanon (supported by HBF in 2016) Dreissig/Thirty, Simona Kostova, 2019, Germany, world premiere The Load, Ognjen Glavonić, 2018, Serbia/France/Croatia/Iran/Qatar (supported by HBF in 2013) Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Bi Gan, 2018, China/France The Proposal, Jill Magid, 2018, USAVoices
BNK48: Girls Don’t Cry, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, 2018, Thailand, European premiere Knife + Heart, Yann Gonzalez, 2018, France/Mexico Memories of My Body, Garin Nugroho, 2018, Indonesia The Mountain, Rick Alverson, 2018, USA Nos vies formidables/Our Wonderful Lives, Fabienne Godet, 2018, France, international premiere Tel Aviv on Fire, Sameh Zoabi, 2018, Israel/France/Luxembourg/BelgiumVoices: Limelight
Ash Is Purest White, Jia Zhangke, 2018, China/France De Camino – Een feature-length selfie, Martin de Vries, 2019, Netherlands, world premiere Capernaum, Nadine Labaki, 2018, Lebanon Leto/Summer, Kirill Serebrennikov, 2018, Russia/France Rafiki, Wanuri Kahiu, 2018, Kenya/South Africa (supported by HBF in 2016)Deep focus
High Life, Claire Denis, 2018, Germany/France/USA/United Kingdom/Poland I diari di Angela – Noi due cineasti, Yervant Gianikian, 2018, ItalyShort films
Anteu, João Vladimiro, 2018, Portugal/France Lost Tune, Reetu Sattar, 2019, Bangladesh, world premiere Primeiro ato/First Act, Matheus Parizi, 2019, Brazil, world premiere Pwdre Ser (the rot of stars), Charlotte Pryce, 2019, USA, world premiere Salt, Pepper to Taste, Teymur Hajiyev, 2019, Azerbaijan, world premiere Van ver staat het stil/Still from afar, Eva van Tongeren, 2018, Belgium, international premiere