The documentary The Insufferable Groo by Scott Christopherson, follows a prolific low budget indie-filmmaker who sets off to cast Jack Black in his newest feature film, an elf/human love story. The Insufferable Groo will be released in select theaters in December and on demand December 14th by Gravitas Ventures.
The Insufferable Groo received critical praise and audience attention at its World Premiere at The Sheffield Film Festival earlier this year and had its North American Premiere on November 14th at DOC NYC in New York.
“Jack Black and Stephen Groo make for a hilarious documentary experience” says Christopherson. “Groo’s huge body of work should be recognized and celebrated and we are excited to have Gravitas share his story with the world.”
The Insufferable Groo follows Utah based filmmaker Stephen Groo, age 41, a self-proclaimed auteur, narrowing in on his 200th film in 20 years. His oeuvre of outlandishly awful genre films has managed to attract admirers like Napoleon Dynamite’s Jared Hess and Jack Black, but the Utah-based director has never made a dime off of his work, leaving his wife to provide for their family of four small boys. As Groo attempts to make his latest opus, an elf/human love story, his narcissism threatens to prove his undoing in this entertaining look at low-budget guerrilla filmmaking.
Scott Christopherson was one of ten documentary filmmakers featured in Variety Magazine’s “Docu-makers to Watch” list in 2015. Scott’s debut feature film, Peace Officer, won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards for best documentary at the SXSW Film Festival. Scott’s films have played at Hot Docs, Full Frame, Sheffield, DOC NYC, Montclair, Camden, Traverse City, New Zealand International, Melbourne International, and Taiwan film festivals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kwwSwbwltITerry P.
VIMOOZ is for lovers of independent films + foreign film + documentary + film festivals. We love championing the little films.
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Documentary THE INSUFFERABLE GROO Starring Jack Black Sets December Release Date
The documentary The Insufferable Groo by Scott Christopherson, follows a prolific low budget indie-filmmaker who sets off to cast Jack Black in his newest feature film, an elf/human love story. The Insufferable Groo will be released in select theaters in December and on demand December 14th by Gravitas Ventures.
The Insufferable Groo received critical praise and audience attention at its World Premiere at The Sheffield Film Festival earlier this year and had its North American Premiere on November 14th at DOC NYC in New York.
“Jack Black and Stephen Groo make for a hilarious documentary experience” says Christopherson. “Groo’s huge body of work should be recognized and celebrated and we are excited to have Gravitas share his story with the world.”
The Insufferable Groo follows Utah based filmmaker Stephen Groo, age 41, a self-proclaimed auteur, narrowing in on his 200th film in 20 years. His oeuvre of outlandishly awful genre films has managed to attract admirers like Napoleon Dynamite’s Jared Hess and Jack Black, but the Utah-based director has never made a dime off of his work, leaving his wife to provide for their family of four small boys. As Groo attempts to make his latest opus, an elf/human love story, his narcissism threatens to prove his undoing in this entertaining look at low-budget guerrilla filmmaking.
Scott Christopherson was one of ten documentary filmmakers featured in Variety Magazine’s “Docu-makers to Watch” list in 2015. Scott’s debut feature film, Peace Officer, won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards for best documentary at the SXSW Film Festival. Scott’s films have played at Hot Docs, Full Frame, Sheffield, DOC NYC, Montclair, Camden, Traverse City, New Zealand International, Melbourne International, and Taiwan film festivals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kwwSwbwltI
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Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE FAVOURITE Dominates Early 2018 British Independent Film Awards
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The Favourite[/caption]
Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite topped the first wave of awards for the 2018 British Independent Film Awards, winning five awards in the Craft category including Best Casting for Dixie Chassay, Best Cinematography for Robbie Ryan, Best Costume Design for Sandy Powell, Best Make Up & Hair Design for Nadia Stacey and Best Production Design for Fiona Crombie.
You Were Never Really Here won Best Music for Jonny Greenwood and Best Sound for Paul Davies; Nick Fenton, Julian Hart and Chris Gill won the award for Best Editing for American Animals; and Early Man Visual Effects Supervisor Howard Jones was the winner of Best Effects.
To better recognize the wealth of exceptional talent working on British independent films, BIFA introduced these nine award categories in 2017. The nominations and winners have been chosen by BIFA voters over the course of three rounds of viewing, discussion and voting.
BIFA comments: “We are proud to celebrate the achievements of such a diverse group of Individuals who represent their craft at such a high level.”
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NY Premiere of Eric Barbier’s PROMISE AT DAWN to Kick Off 2019 New York Jewish Film Festival
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‘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
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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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Finnish-Syrian LGBT Romantic Drama A MOMENT IN THE REEDS Gets Release Date
Finnish-Syrian LGBT romantic drama A Moment in the Reeds, the feature debut of Finnish writer/director Mikko Makela is a moving gay romance between a young Finnish academic and a struggling Syrian refugee, set against an idyllic Finnish summer.
After world premiering at the 2017 London Film Festival and a year of critical success on the worldwide festival circuit and opening theatrically to critical acclaim in Finland this past summer, A Moment in the Reeds releases on December 4th, 2018 in the U.S. and Canada on DVD & VOD.
Mikko Makela’s stunning debut explores the relationship between two men, set against an idyllic Finnish summer. Whilst visiting his estranged father, Leevi meets Tareq, a handsome Syrian immigrant employed to restore the family lake house. Leevi’s father departs for the city, leaving the two men alone in the beautiful remote countryside and enabling them to act on their impulses and the chemistry that clearly exists between them. Far removed from their everyday lives, the only immediate threat to the men’s relationship is the eventual return of Leevi’s father. But there’s also Tareq’s complex relationship with his family back in Syria. Makela sensitively explores the perspectives of both men, who long for some human connection, acceptance and a place to call home. Locating marginalised characters at the forefront of the story, Makela’s film is a very welcome and refreshingly frank portrait of contemporary Finnish society.
One of the first LGBT-themed films made in Finland, Makela’s intimate drama places at its center the freedom and acceptance of sexual and ethnic minorities, amidst the backdrop of breathtaking Finnish lake country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sld9shloXw4
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GREEN BOOK Wins Best Film, CAPERNAUM, THE PUSH Win Awards at 2018 St. Louis International Film Festival
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“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
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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
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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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Austin Film Festival Announces 2018 Winners, THE INTERPRETERS Wins Hiscox Courage Award
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The Interpreters[/caption]
Austin Film Festival (AFF) announced its 2018 Jury Award winners, Hiscox Audience and Courage Award Winners, and the Screenplay Competition winners.
One film was selected to receive the Hiscox Courage Award. Voted on by the audience, the Hiscox Courage Award is presented to the film that best embodies the virtue of courage and to the filmmaker who best embraced the risk to share the story. The 2018 Hiscox Courage Award was awarded to The Interpreters, directed by Andres Caballero and Sofian Khan. The Interpreters is a documentary feature that follows local interpreters from Iraq and Afghanistan who worked with US forces and are now trying to rebuild their lives.
2018 Austin Film Festival Jury Award Winners
Narrative Feature: Clara, written by Akash Sherman and James Ewasiuk Documentary Feature: The Interpreters, directed by Andres Caballero and Sofian Khan Comedy Vanguard Feature: In Reality, written by Ann Lupo, Esteban Pedraza, and Aaron Pryka Dark Matters Feature: Ghost Light, written by Geoffrey Taylor and John Stimpson Narrative Short presented by ShortsTV: Judas Collar, written by Alison James Narrative Student Short: Woman in Stall, written by Josh Boles Documentary Short: Father K, directed by Judd Ehrlich Animated Short: Sister, written by Siqi Song Scripted Digital Series presented by Stage 13: Song in the Sky, created by Samuel Frederich2018 Austin Film Festival Hiscox Audience Award Winners
Narrative Feature: Above the Clouds, written by Simon Lord Documentary Feature: Care to Laugh, directed by Julie Getz Dark Matters Feature: Alive, written by Jules Vincent and Chuck McCue Comedy Vanguard Feature: In Reality, written by Ann Lupo, Esteban Pedraza, and Aaron Pryka Texas Independent Feature: The Iron Orchard, written by Gerry De Leon and Ty Roberts Narrative Short: Everything Mattress, written by Chase Joliet Documentary Short: Father K, directed by Judd Ehrlich Animated Short: Lost & Found, written by Bradley Slabe Narrative Student Short: Tiny Warriors, written by Jono Chanin Scripted Digital Series: The Gary Gold Story, created by Greg Ash Marquee Feature: Green Book, written by Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie, and Peter Farrelly2018 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition Winners
Drama Screenplay Award presented by the Writers Guild of America, East: Horsehead Girls by Wenonah Wilms Comedy Screenplay Award presented by Sony Pictures Animation: Sex APPeal by Tate Elizabeth Hanyok Sci-Fi Screenplay Award: Our Own Devices by Paul Vance Enderby Entertainment Award (scripts that can be produced under $10 million): Project Horizon by Charles Morris, II Horror Screenplay Award: The Patience of Vultures by Greg Sisco AMC Drama Teleplay Pilot Award: Worth by Stuti Malhotra Comedy Pilot Award: What Will Jessie Do? by Kevin Luperchio Short Screenplay Award: Ruby Throat by Sarah Polhaus Scripted Digital Series Award presented by Stage 13: Epizootic by Dan Young Drama Teleplay Spec Award: The Handmaid’s Tale, “Rebels” by Angela Jorgensen Comedy Teleplay Spec Award: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, “Kimmy Volunteers!” by Maggie Gottlieb Playwriting Award: Particular Disposition by Benjamin Fulk Fiction Podcast Award: The Rest Stop at the End of the Universe by Samuel Suksiri2018 Austin Film Festival Josephson Entertainment Screenwriting Fellowship Winners
In addition, producer Barry Josephson announced the selected fellows for the inaugural Josephson Entertainment Screenwriting Fellowship, which will provide a one-on-one mentorship with Josephson and his team in Los Angeles for the writers of one feature screenplay and one teleplay pilot. The winners were: Feature Screenplay: The Death of Colm Canter by Revati Dhomse & Hector Lowe Teleplay Pilot: Lifers Anonymous by Sean Collins-Smith
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GREEN BOOK, FREE SOLO, RELAXER, AMÉRICA Win at 2018 Virginia Film Festival
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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
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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
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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