Life directed by Daniel Espinosa[/caption]
The World Premiere of Life directed by Daniel Espinosa has been selected as the Closing Night Film of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals. Life is a terrifying sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth. The SXSW will take place March 10 to 19, 2017, with the closing night film screening on Saturday March 18, 2017 at the Zach Theatre.
“We are thrilled to close out the 2017 SXSW Film Festival with such a special film as Life,” said Janet Pierson, Director of Film. “Our audiences will love this taut space thriller’s twists and turns as well as its amazing cast.”
“I’m so honored that Life has been chosen as the closing film at South by Southwest,” added Daniel Espinosa. “The people that flock to Austin each year are some of the most engaged and passionate fans of film out there and are the perfect audience to introduce our visceral sci-fi thriller. I hope that, with Life, we find new ways to entertain them, terrify them, and thrill them.”
Life features an ensemble cast of Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, Olga Dihovichnaya. The film is directed by Daniel Espinosa, written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and produced by David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Bonnie Curtis, and Julie Lynn. Columbia Pictures and Skydance will release the film on March 24, 2017.
SXSW also announced several titles titles set to screen at the 2017 event, including world premieres Atomic Blonde directed by David Leitch and featuring an ensemble cast including Charlize Theron, James McAvoy and John Goodman, and Parker Smith’s Ramblin’ Freak. Another addition includes a celebratory 10th Anniversary screening of Gary Hustwit’s Helvetica, plus VR projects Miyubi and The People’s House by Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël.
Late titles added to the 2017 SXSW Film Festival:
Terry P.
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LIFE Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds to Close 2017 SXSW Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_21010" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Life directed by Daniel Espinosa[/caption]
The World Premiere of Life directed by Daniel Espinosa has been selected as the Closing Night Film of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals. Life is a terrifying sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth. The SXSW will take place March 10 to 19, 2017, with the closing night film screening on Saturday March 18, 2017 at the Zach Theatre.
“We are thrilled to close out the 2017 SXSW Film Festival with such a special film as Life,” said Janet Pierson, Director of Film. “Our audiences will love this taut space thriller’s twists and turns as well as its amazing cast.”
“I’m so honored that Life has been chosen as the closing film at South by Southwest,” added Daniel Espinosa. “The people that flock to Austin each year are some of the most engaged and passionate fans of film out there and are the perfect audience to introduce our visceral sci-fi thriller. I hope that, with Life, we find new ways to entertain them, terrify them, and thrill them.”
Life features an ensemble cast of Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, Olga Dihovichnaya. The film is directed by Daniel Espinosa, written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and produced by David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Bonnie Curtis, and Julie Lynn. Columbia Pictures and Skydance will release the film on March 24, 2017.
SXSW also announced several titles titles set to screen at the 2017 event, including world premieres Atomic Blonde directed by David Leitch and featuring an ensemble cast including Charlize Theron, James McAvoy and John Goodman, and Parker Smith’s Ramblin’ Freak. Another addition includes a celebratory 10th Anniversary screening of Gary Hustwit’s Helvetica, plus VR projects Miyubi and The People’s House by Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël.
Late titles added to the 2017 SXSW Film Festival:
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Ghanian Film and Film Independent Spirit Award Nominee NAKOM Sets March 3rd Release Date | Trailer
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Nakom[/caption]
Nakom, directed by the female team of TW Pittman and Daniela Norris, and nominated for the John Cassavetes Film Independent Spirit Award for the best new film made for under $500,000, will be released by Corinth Films. The film, starring Jacob Ayanaba, Justina Kulidu, Shetu Mussah, Grace Ayariga, Aziz Abdul, Esther Issaka, Mamudu Asigiri, and Thomas Kulidu, will open Friday March 3rd at New York’s Cinema Village in Manhattan.
Set in present day Ghana, Nakom follows Iddrisu, a talented medical student who is summoned home by his sister after their father’s sudden death. Iddrisu reluctantly returns home to the village of Nakom, buries his father and temporarily assumes the head of the impoverished household and farm, inheriting not only the delicate task of planting a successful crop but also a debt left by the deceased patriarch that could destroy the family. Attempting to maintain part of his studies from the confines of a small hut, Iddrisu becomes increasingly frustrated with the incessant physical and emotional needs of those around him, the demanding toil of the land and lack of rain. A contentious relationship with his uncle Napolean, to whom the sizeable debt is owed, is further complicated by the unplanned pregnancy of Napolean’s granddaughter who was sent to live with Iddrisu’s family. As the new patriarch grapples with tradition and familial duty, he is met with varying shades of contempt by both family and villagers who compare him with his father expecting a resemblance. Iddrisu’s patience and wisdom are tempered by the strange paradox created by his faith in God and desire for control, the latter of which he cannot have so long as he stays in Nakom. As circumstances swell, Iddrisu suddenly begins to realize that no future for him exists in the place where he is needed the most, even despite an offer by the village Chieftain to remain in Nakom to become an elder and marry his daughter. [gallery size="medium" type="rectangular" ids="20737,20738,20746,20745,20744,20743,20742,20741,20740,20739"]
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KRISHA Wins Big at 1st American Independent Film Awards
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Krisha[/caption]
Krisha by director Trey Edward Shults is the big winner of the 1st American Independent Film Awards (AIFAs), winning the awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay (Shults), Best Lead Performance (Krisha Fairchild) and Best Score (Brian McOmber). Krisha premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in 2015, and was distributed by A24 Films in March of 2016.
The award for the NoBudge Film went to Benjamin Crotty’s Fort Buchanan, while the Michael Cimino Best Film award (1 to 3 Million dollar budget) went to Anna Biller’s The Love Witch.
The American Independent Film Awards is dedicated to promoting and supporting independent films, filmmakers and film technicians. The voting body consists of U.S. based and international film festival programmers and North American based film critics.
1st American Independent Film Awards winners
BEST FILM (10 Noms) #10. White Girl – Director: Elizabeth Wood #9. Always Shine – Director: Sophia Takal #8. The Other Side – Director: Roberto Minervini #7. Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party – Director: Stephen Cone #6. The Eyes of My Mother – Director: Nicolas Pesce #5. Little Sister – Director: Zach Clark #4. The Invitation – Director: Karyn Kusama #3. Kate Plays Christine – Director: Robert Greene #2. The Fits – Director: Anna Rose Holmer #1. Krisha – Director: Trey Edward Shults BEST DIRECTOR Trey Edward Shults, Krisha BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Trey Edward Shults, Krisha BEST IMPROVISATIONAL SCREENPLAY Kate Plays Christine BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE Krisha Fairchild, Krisha BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE Molly Shannon, Other People BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER Paul Yee, The Fits BEST EDITOR Robert Greene, Kate Plays Christine BEST COSTUME DESIGN Christina Blackaller, The Greasy Strangler BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Sam Hensen, The Eyes of My Mother BEST HAIR & MAKE-UP Michelle Sfarzo, The Greasy Strangler BEST SCORE Brian McOmber, Krisha The NOBUDGE FILM AWARD Fort Buchanan, Benjamin Crotty THE MICHAEL CIMINO BEST FILM AWARD (Films with a budget between 1M to 3M) Winner: The Love Witch – Director: Anna Biller Runner up: Certain Women – Director: Kelly Reichardt
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SOME FREAKS, FIRST LADY OF THE REVOLUTION Among 2017 Oxford Film Festival Winners
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SOME FREAKS[/caption]
The 2017 Oxford Film Festival celebrated the best of the fest, handing out Hoka awards for Ian MacAllister-McDonald’s SOME FREAKS for Best Narrative Feature, Andrea Kalin’s FIRST LADY OF THE REVOLUTION for Best Documentary Feature, Julie Sokolow’s WOMAN ON FIRE for Best LGBTQ Feature, and the presentation of the Lisa Blount Memorial Acting Award to Victoria Negri for her performance in GOLD STAR.
There was a rare tie for the Audience Award honors with Raoul Peck’s I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO and Sally Sussman’s MIDNIGHT RETURN: THE STORY OF BILLY HAYES AND TURKEY sharing the award.
Oxford Film Festival Executive Director Melanie Addington said, “For the past two years, the Oxford Film Festival has enjoyed larger audiences to go along with the increased number of films we have accepted and presented. There is a lot of satisfaction to see that, as this film festival continues to grow and adapt with our increased base of enthusiastic film fans and the local film community, that the ambition and quality of the films we present somehow continues to trend upward as well.”
2017 OXFORD FF AWARD-WINNING FILMS
SOME FREAKS – BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE Director: Ian MacAllister-McDonald Country: United States, Running Time: 95min When one-eyed high school senior Matt meets 250 lb. Jill, he falls more in love than he ever thought possible. However, when graduation comes and Jill moves cross-country to go to college, she then loses over 50 lbs. – much to Matt’s surprise when he arrives to visit her. While Matt struggles to accept Jill’s new body, Jill begins to question whether Matt is really the man she wants to date. As the distance widens between them, the characters are propelled onto a collision course with brutality and loss, forcing them to confront who they are, who they were, and who everyone thinks they’re supposed to be. FIRST LADY OF THE REVOLUTION – BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Director: Andrea Kalin Countries: Costa Rica, United States, Running Time: 67min While visiting an aunt and uncle in the exotic countryside of Costa Rica, a young Southern belle from Alabama accepts a ride on the back of a motorcycle belonging to a charismatic local farmer—a ride that would propel her down narrow mountain roads and into history. DON’T COME AROUND HERE – BEST MISSISSIPPI FEATURE Director: Navid Sanati Country: United States, Running Time: 95min When he learns that his father may not have much longer to live, Chuck goes back to the home he ran away from. There he must come to terms with his troubled brother Lenny, his own fears, and a secret he has been hiding for years. SHAKE ‘EM ON DOWN – BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY Director: Joe York Country: United States, Running Time: 57min SHAKE ‘EM ON DOWN tells the story of Mississippi Fred McDowell, the godfather of the North Mississippi style of blues. WOMAN ON FIRE – BEST LGBTQ FILM Director: Julie Sokolow Country: United States, Running Time: 95min As a third-generation firefighter, Brooke Guinan has a passion for heroism that runs in her blood. But when Brooke transitions from male to female in her father’s workplace, it poses not only a challenge to a macho profession, but also to the customs of the people she cares about the most – her traditional family. GOODBYE NEENAW – BEST NARRATIVE SHORT Director: Donald Ian Black Country: United States, Running Time: 5:59min David and Jennifer are a brother and sister dealing with the recent and sudden loss of their grandmother who raised them from a young age in the absence of their parents. They are traveling deep into the California mountains to scatter Neenaw’s ashes when a mishap occurs. ON SUNDAY – SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – NARRATIVE SHORT Director: David Lea Country: United Kingdom, Running Time: 6:30min An old man and his dog make their routine walk to the isolated cliff tops of deepest Cornwall…but this time they’re not alone. REFUGE – BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT Director: Matthew Firpo Country: Greece, Running Time: 20min REFUGE is a chronicle of human stories from the European Refugee Crisis, focused on humanity and hope. THROUGH THE WALL – SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – DOCUMENTARY SHORT Director: Tim Nackashi Country: United States, Running Time: 6:20min A short documentary about a family divided by the US/Mexico border. OTHA TURNER – BEST MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILM Director: Ava Lowrey Country: United States, Running Time: 6:02min In the late 1950’s, fife and drum legend Otha Turner began hosting annual Labor Day picnics at his property in Gravel Springs, Mississippi. This short documentary film digs into the archives to take us back in time to Labor Day 1978. PRISMA – SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILM Director: Coop Cooper Country: United States, Running Time: 9:13min A corporate promotional VHS tape from 1984 conceals a hidden signal which is said to grant increased health, longevity and psychic powers to those who watch it. View at your own risk. BROKEN PATHS – BEST MISSISSIPPI MUSIC VIDEO Director: J.B Lawrence Country: United States, Running Time: 4:44min Debut music video filmed in Brandon, Miss. Created by Stace and Cassie and J. B. Lawrence. LESS HELL, MORE ANGEL – REEL SOUTH AWARD Director: Christian D’Andrea Country: United States, Running Time: 11:20min In Mississippi, I came across black and white biker clubs doing something surprising… hugging. And blessing each other. I, PHILLIP – BEST VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) Director: Pierre Zandrowicz Country: France, Running Time: 14min In early 2005, David Hanson is developing his first android human. His name is Phil and it is simply the copy of the famous science fiction author Philip K. Dick. THE TRADER – BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM Directors: Manuel Alvarez Diestro, Sergio Belinchon Country: Spain, Running Time: 12:06min A successful stock trader decides to start a journey far from the trading floor. PACO – BEST NEW MEDIA Director: Catalina Jordan Alvarez Country: United States, Running Time: 12:10min He wants you to bounce on his lap. GUNNER JACKSON – SPECIAL JURY AWARD FOR ACTING – NEW MEDIA Christian Strevy Director: Christian Strevy Country: United States, Running Time: 8:52min My name is Jason Gunner Jackson, and I know without a doubt that I am a target of a multi-agency program that intends to surveil, track, and document my life. THE FOX AND THE WHALE – BEST ANIMATION Director: Robin Joseph Country: Canada, Running Time: 12:03min The tale of a curious fox who goes in search of an elusive whale. A journey of pursuit, longing and discovery. A LITTLE LOVE GOES A LONG CLAY – SPECIAL JURY AWARD FOR CONCEPT – ANIMATION Director: Juliet Buckholdt Country: United States (Mississippi), Running Time: 3:20min This video was made as a school project about stopping social media bullying. Victoria Negri (GOLD STAR) – Lisa Blount Memorial Acting Award Erin Heidenreich (GIRL UNBOUND) – Alice Guy-Blaché Female Filmmaker award Juliet Buckholdt (A LITTLE LOVE GOES A LONG CLAY) – Pat Rasberry Emerging Mississippi Filmmaker Award BREAKFAST – BEST EDITING Director: Tyler Byrnes Country: United States, Running Time: 9:44min When a young man suffering from anorexia is pressured to eat breakfast by his boyfriend, the couple are thrust into another world where their anxieties and frustrations are made horrifyingly real. I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO – AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER (TIE) Director: Raoul Peck Countries: United States, France, Running Time: 95min Writer James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House. MIDNIGHT RETURN: THE STORY OF BILLY HAYES AND TURKEY – AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER (TIE) Director: Sally Sussman Country: United States, Running Time: 99min Documentary explores the emotional and political power of film, as seen through the lens of the blockbuster hit MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, a movie that turned the real Billy Hayes into an international celebrity and made him the enemy of Turkey. Join Hayes on a daring journey back to Turkey as he faces the country still haunted by MIDNIGHT EXPRESS.
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TONI ERDMANN, ELLE, MOONLIGHT Win International Cinephile Society Awards
Toni Erdmann directed by Maren Ade Maren Ade’s dark comedy, Toni Erdmann was the big winner at the 14th International Cinephile Society Awards (ICS), taking top honors for Best picture, director, non-English language film and original screenplay.
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MOONLIGHT and COMMAND AND CONTROL Win 2017 Writers Guild Awards
The Writers Guild of America last night announced the winners of the 2017 Writers Guild Awards for outstanding achievement, honoring Moonlight with award for Original Screenplay and Command and Control with the award for Documentary Screenplay.
The WGAW presented several honorary awards during its ceremony: Oscar-nominated actor James Woods (Salvador, Nixon) presented the WGAW’s Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement to Academy Award and WGA-winning screenwriter-director Oliver Stone (Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK); Emmy-winning The Newsroom star Jeff Daniels presented the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement to Oscar and WGA-winning The Social Network screenwriter and The West Wing / The Newsroom Creator Aaron Sorkin; Emmy-nominated actress Kerry Washington (Confirmation, Scandal) presented the Paul Selvin Award to screenwriter Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich) for her script for the HBO telefilm, Confirmation, which embodies “the spirit of constitutional rights and civil liberties which are indispensable to the survival of free writers everywhere;” actor Jeff Goldblum (Independence Day: Resurgence, Jurassic Park) presented the Valentine Davies Award to acclaimed screenwriter-director Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones’s Diary) for his humanitarian service and charitable efforts around the globe; Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated actress Shohreh Aghdashloo (The Expanse) presented the Jean Renoir Award for International Screenwriting Achievement to late Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami (Taste of Cherry, The Wind Will Carry Us, Certified Copy), whose son Ahmad Kiarostami accepted on his behalf; and writer Howard Michael Gould (Instant Mom) presented the Morgan Cox Award to Emmy-nominated M*A*S*H writer and past WGAW Board of Directors member Dan Wilcox for his Guild service.
2017 Writers Guild Awards Winners
FILM WINNERS ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Moonlight, Screenplay by Barry Jenkins, Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney; A24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfF5bc42pfc ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Arrival, Screenplay by Eric Heisserer; Based on the Story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang; Paramount Pictures DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY Command and Control, Telescript by Robert Kenner & Eric Schlosser, Story by Brian Pearle and Kim Roberts; Based on the book Command and Control by Eric Schlosser; American Experience Films TELEVISION AND NEW MEDIA WINNERS DRAMA SERIES The Americans, Written by Peter Ackerman, Tanya Barfield, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Stephen Schiff, Joe Weisberg, Tracey Scott Wilson; FX COMEDY SERIES Atlanta, Written by Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Jamal Olori, Stefani Robinson, Paul Simms; FX NEW SERIES Atlanta, Written by Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Jamal Olori, Stefani Robinson, Paul Simms; FX ORIGINAL LONG FORM Confirmation, Written by Susannah Grant; HBO ADAPTED LONG FORM The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Written by Scott Alexander, Joe Robert Cole, D.V. DeVincentis, Maya Forbes, Larry Karaszewski, Wally Wolodarsky, Based on the book The Run of His Life by Jeffrey Toobin; FX ORIGINAL SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA “The Party” (The Commute), Written by Linsey Stewart & Dane Clark; youtube.com ADAPTED SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA “Part 4” (Fear the Walking Dead: Passage), Written by Lauren Signorino & Mike Zunic; amc.com ANIMATION “Stop the Presses” (BoJack Horseman), Written by Joe Lawson; Netflix EPISODIC DRAMA “The Trip” (This Is Us), Written by Vera Herbert; NBC EPISODIC COMEDY “Kimmy Goes on a Playdate!” (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Written by Robert Carlock; Netflix COMEDY / VARIETY TALK SERIES Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Writers: Kevin Avery, Tim Carvell, Josh Gondelman, Dan Gurewitch, Geoff Haggerty, Jeff Maurer, John Oliver, Scott Sherman, Will Tracy, Jill Twiss, Juli Weiner; HBO COMEDY / VARIETY SKETCH SERIES Saturday Night Live, Head Writers: Rob Klein, Bryan Tucker Writers: James Anderson, Fred Armisen, Jeremy Beiler, Chris Belair, Megan Callahan, Michael Che, Mikey Day, Jim Downey, Tina Fey, Fran Gillespie, Sudi Green, Tim Herlihy, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Zach Kanin, Chris Kelly, Erik Kenward, Paul Masella, Dave McCary, Dennis McNicholas, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, Josh Patten, Paula Pell, Katie Rich, Tim Robinson, Sarah Schneider, Pete Schultz, Streeter Seidell, Dave Sirus, Emily Spivey, Andrew Steele, Will Stephen, Kent Sublette; NBC COMEDY / VARIETY SPECIALS Triumph The Primary Election Special 2016, Written by Andy Breckman, Josh Comers, Raj Desai, David Feldman, R J Fried, Jarrett Grode, Ben Joseph, Matthew Kirsch, Michael Koman, Mike Lawrence, Brian Reich, Craig Rowin, Robert Smigel, Zach Smilovitz, David Taylor, Andrew Weinberg; Additional Materials by Ray James, Jesse Joyce, Jason Reich, Alex Scordelis; Hulu QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION Hollywood Game Night, Head Writer: Grant Taylor; Writers: Michael Agbabian, Alex Chauvin, Ann Slichter, Dwight D. Smith; NBC DAYTIME DRAMA General Hospital, Writers: Shelly Altman, Anna Theresa Cascio, Andrea Archer Compton, Suzanne Flynn, Janet Iacobuzio, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O’Connor, Jean Passanante, Dave Rupel, Katherine Schock, Scott Sickles, Chris Van Etten, Christopher Whitesell; ABC CHILDREN’S EPISODIC “Mel vs. The Night Mare of Normal Street” (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street), Written by Laurie Parres; Amazon Studios CHILDREN’S LONG FORM Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas, Written by Geri Cole & Ken Scarborough; HBO DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS “The Choice 2016” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS (TIE) “Inside Assad’s Syria” (Frontline), Written by Martin Smith; PBS (TIE) DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS “Jackie Robinson, Part One,” Written by David McMahon & Sarah Burns; PBS TV NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT “Muhammad Ali: Remembering A Legend” (48 Hours), Written by Jerry Cipriano, John Craig Wilson; CBS News TV NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY “CBS Sunday Morning Almanac” June 12, 2016 (CBS Sunday Morning), Written by Thomas A. Harris; CBS RADIO WINNERS RADIO DOCUMENTARY “Chernobyl: 30 Years Later,” Written by Andrew Evans; ABC News Radio RADIO NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT “World News This Week” August 26, 2016, Written by Tara Gimbel Tanis; ABC News Radio RADIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY “Morley Safer: A Journalist’s Life,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio PROMOTIONAL WINNERS ON-AIR PROMOTION (TELEVISION, NEW MEDIA OR RADIO) “CBS On-Air Reel,” Written by Brian Retchless; CBS On-Air Promotion TELEVISION GRAPHIC ART AND ANIMATION “The Real History of Cinco de Mayo” (Gawker Media Group), Graphic Animation by Elisa Solinas; Lifehacker.com VIDEOGAME WINNER OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN VIDEOGAME WRITING Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Written by Neil Druckmann, Josh Scherr; Additional Writing Tom Bissell, Ryan James; Naughty Dog
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I CALLED HIM MORGAN Documentary on Jazz Legend Lee Morgan Sets March Release Date
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I CALLED HIM MORGAN[/caption]
I CALLED HIM MORGAN, Kasper Collin’s (My Name Is Albert Ayler) documentary portrait of legendary jazz musician Lee Morgan and the woman who tragically took his life will open in New York on March 24 and Los Angeles on March 31. Featuring cinematography by Oscar-nominated DP Bradford Young (Arrival, Selma), I CALLED HIM MORGAN swept a prestigious group of fall film festivals—Venice, Telluride, Toronto, New York, and London.
The film will open theatrically on Friday, March 24 at New York’s Film Society of Lincoln Center, and followed on Friday, March 31 by openings at Manhattan’s Metrograph Theater and Los Angeles’ Laemmle Monica with a national expansion to follow.
On a snowy night in February 1972, 33-year-old jazz trumpet star Lee Morgan was shot dead by his common-law wife, Helen, during a gig at a club in New York City. The murder sent shockwaves through the jazz community, where Morgan played with such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey and John Coltrane. Helen served time for the crime and, following her release, retreated into obscurity. Over 20 years later, a chance encounter led her to give a remarkable interview. Helen’s revealing audio “testimony” acts as a refrain throughout the film, which draws together a wealth of archival photographs and footage, interviews with friends and bandmates and incredible jazz music to tell the ill-fated pair’s story. Part true-crime tale, part love story, and an all-out musical treat, I CALLED HIM MORGAN is a captivating chronicle of the dramatic destinies of two unique personalities and the music that brought them together.
Featuring Wayne Shorter, Paul West, Charli Persip, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Larry Ridley, Jymie Merritt, Bennie Maupin, Billy Harper, Larry Reni Thomas, and more.
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THE PREACHER’S SON to Open, EVERYTHING BUT A MAN to Close 2017 Hollywood Black Film Festival
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EVERYTHING BUT A MAN[/caption]
The 2017 Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF) will open on Wednesday February 22 with the feature film “The Preacher’s Son” and close on Saturday February 25 with “Everything But A Man.”
The HBFF will feature an exciting line up of 100 films, along with panels, panelists and festivities over a four-day period. HBFF happens February 22 to 26, 2017 and will be hosted at Hotel MdR, 13480 Maxella Ave, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292. Known as one of the leading Black film festivals in the world, the Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF) is now in its fourteenth year, the upcoming edition of Hollywood Black Film Festival’s theme is “Festival at the Beach”.
OPENING NIGHT
THE PREACHER’S SON
Director: Trey Haley
Writer: Carl Weber
Stars: Christian Keyes, Clifton Powell, Valarie Pettiford, Vanessa Bell Calloway and MORE…
Based on the characters from New York Times bestselling author Carl Weber’s novel The Preacher’s Son. Bishop T.K. Wilson, his wife & two children are a well-respected family in their community — yet the Wilson kids are fighting temptations, and the bishop’s son, Dante, has plans that don’t include taking over his father’s church. Tri-Destined Studios
CLOSING NIGHT
EVERYTHING BUT A MAN
Writer/director: Nnegest Likke
Stars: Monica Calhoun, Jimmy Jean-Louis and Camille Winbush and MORE…
She’s sexy, smart, successful… and still single. “Everything But A Man” explores the paradox modern career women face, having to think and act like a man in the work world, but still be expected to behave like “a lady” in order to keep a man. The story follows a high achieving but secretly lonely lawyer who despite all her material success is a failure when it comes to love. Things heat up for her when she meets a handsome, mysterious man from another culture. But his radical lifestyle differences threaten to shake up her world and challenge her beliefs on love, relationships and what it means to be a “strong” woman. Race, class, gender and culture all clash in this unconventional romantic comedy-drama. N’Vision Pictures, Jet Media Productions, Bek Films & Sneak Preview Entertainment
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Berlinale 2017: Complete List of Awards – ON BODY AND SOUL Wins Golden Bear
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On Body and Soul (Testről és lélekről) by Ildikó Enyedi[/caption]
A slaughterhouse in Budapest is the setting of a strangely beautiful love story, the Hungarian film On Body and Soul by Ildikó Enyedi, crowned winner of the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival. The film also is the winner of the Berliner Morgenpost Readers’ Jury Award.
THE AWARDS OF THE 67th BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL JURY
GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST FILM (awarded to the film’s producer) Testről és lélekről On Body and Soul by Ildikó Enyedi SILVER BEAR GRAND JURY PRIZE Félicité by Alain Gomis SILVER BEAR ALFRED BAUER PRIZE for a feature film that opens new perspectives Pokot Spoor by Agnieszka Holland SILVER BEAR FOR BEST DIRECTOR Aki Kaurismäki for Toivon tuolla puolen (The Other Side of Hope/Die andere Seite der Hoffnung) SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTRESS Kim Minhee in Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja (On the Beach at Night Alone) by Hong Sangsoo SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTOR Georg Friedrich in Helle Nächte (Bright Nights) by Thomas Arslan SILVER BEAR FOR BEST SCREENPLAY Sebastián Lelio and Gonzalo Maza for Una mujer fantástica (A Fantastic Woman) by Sebastián Lelio SILVER BEAR FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION in the categories camera, editing, music score, costume or set design Dana Bunescu for the editing in Ana, mon amour by Călin Peter NetzerGWFF BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD
GWFF BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD Estiu 1993 Summer 1993 Sommer 1993 by Carla SimónGLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY AWARD
GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY AWARD Istiyad Ashbah Ghost Hunting by Raed AndoniPRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM JURY
GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST SHORT FILM Cidade Pequena Small Town Kleine Stadt by Diogo Costa Amarante SILVER BEAR JURY PRIZE (SHORT FILM) Ensueño en la Pradera Reverie in the Meadow Träumerei in der Prärie by Esteban Arrangoiz Julien AUDI SHORT FILM AWARD Street of Death by Karam Ghossein SPECIAL MENTION Centauro Centaur Zentaur by Nicolás Suárez BERLIN SHORT FILM NOMINEE FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS Os Humores Artificiais The Artificial Humors Die Künstlichen Humore by Gabriel AbrantesPRIZES OF THE JURIES GENERATION
Children’s Jury Generation Kplus CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Film Piata loď Little Harbour Das fünfte Schiff by Iveta Grófová SPECIAL MENTION Amelie rennt Mountain Miracle — An Unexpected Friendship by Tobias Wiemann CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Short Film Promise Versprechen by Xie Tian SPECIAL MENTION Hedgehog’s Home Das Haus des Igels by Eva CvijanovicInternational Jury Generation Kplus
THE GRAND PRIX OF THE GENERATION KPLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best feature-length film Becoming Who I Was Werden wer ich war by Chang-Yong Moon and Jin Jeon tie Estiu 1993 Summer 1993 Sommer 1993 by Carla Simón THE SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE GENERATION KPLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best short film Aaba Grandfather Großvater by Amar Kaushik SPECIAL MENTION Sabaku by Marlies van der WelYouth Jury Generation 14plus
CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Film Butterfly Kisses by Rafael Kapelinski SPECIAL MENTION Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n’ont fait que se creuser un tombeau Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves by Mathieu Denis and Simon Lavoie CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Short Film Wolfe by Claire Randall SPECIAL MENTION SNIP by Terril CalderInternational Jury Generation 14plus
THE GRAND PRIX OF THE GENERATION 14PLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best feature-length film, Shkola nomer 3 School Number 3 by Yelizaveta Smith and Georg Genoux SPECIAL MENTION Ben Niao The Foolish Bird by Huang Ji and Ryuji Otsuka THE SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE GENERATION 14PLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best short film, The Jungle Knows You Better Than You Do by Juanita Onzaga SPECIAL MENTION U Plavetnilo Into the Blue by Antoneta Alamat KusijanovićPRIZES OF INDEPENDENT JURIES
PRIZES OF THE ECUMENICAL JURY Competition Testről és lélekről (On Body and Soul) by Ildikó Enyedi Special Mention: Una mujer fantástica (A Fantastic Woman) by Sebastián Lelio Panorama Tahqiq fel djenna (Investigating Paradise) by Merzak Allouache Special Mention: I Am Not Your Negro by Raoul Peck Forum Maman Colonelle (Mama Colonel) by Dieudo Hamadi Special Mention: El mar la mar by Joshua Bonnetta and J.P. Sniadecki PRIZES OF THE FIPRESCI JURY Competition: Testről és lélekről (On Body and Soul) by Ildikó Enyedi Panorama: Pendular by Julia Murat Forum: Shu’our akbar min el hob (A Feeling Greater Than Love) by Mary Jirmanus Saba GUILD FILM PRIZE The Party by Sally Potter CICAE ART CINEMA AWARD Panorama: Centaur by Aktan Arym Kubat Forum: Newton by Amit V Masurkar LABEL EUROPA CINEMAS Insyriated by Philippe Van Leeuw TEDDY AWARD Best Feature Film: Una mujer fantástica (A Fantastic Woman) by Sebastián Lelio Best Documentary/Essay Film: Ri Chang Dui Hua (Small Talk) by Hui-chen Huang Best Short Film: Min Homosyster (My Gay Sister/Meine Homoschwester) by Lia Hietala Special Jury Award: Karera ga Honki de Amu toki wa (Close-Knit) by Naoko Ogigami Special Teddy Award: Monika Treut CALIGARI FILM PRIZE El mar la mar by Joshua Bonnetta and J.P. Sniadecki PEACE FILM PRIZE El Pacto de Adriana (Adriana’s Pact) by Lissette Orozco AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FILM PRIZE La libertad del diablo (Devil’s Freedom) by Everardo González (Berlinale Special) HEINER CAROW PRIZE Fünf Sterne (Five Stars) by Annekatrin HendelREADERS’ JURIES AND AUDIENCE AWARD
PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARD Fiction Film Insyriated by Philippe Van Leeuw PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARD Documentary Film I Am Not Your Negro by Raoul Peck BERLINER MORGENPOST READERS’ JURY AWARD Testről és lélekről (On Body and Soul) by Ildikó Enyedi TAGESSPIEGEL READERS’ JURY AWARD Maman Colonelle (Mama Colonel) by Dieudo Hamadi HARVEY – MÄNNER READERS’ JURY AWARD God’s Own Country by Francis LeeDEVELOPMENT AWARDS
COMPASS-PERSPEKTIVE-AWARD Die beste aller Welten (The Best Of All Worlds) by Adrian Goiginger Special Jury Prize: Final Stage by Nicolaas Schmidt KOMPAGNON-FELLOWSHIP System Crasher (Systemsprenger) by Nora Fingscheidt (Berlinale Talents 2017) Der grüne Wellensittich by Levin Peter and Elsa Kremser (Perspektive Deutsches Kino 2016) ARTE INTERNATIONAL PRIZE Lost Country by Vladimir Perišić (Serbia), produced by KinoElektron (France), MPM Film (France) and Trilema Films (Serbia) EURIMAGES CO-PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT AWARD Razor Film Produktion (Germany) for The Wife of the Pilot (Director: Anne Zohra Berrached) VFF TALENT HIGHLIGHT AWARD Producer Nefes Polat (Turkey) for The Bus to Amerika (Director: Derya Durmaz)
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Berlinale 2017: INSYRIATED and I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO Win Audience Awards
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Insyriated[/caption]
The audience at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival has cast its votes, and the Panorama Audience Awards go to Insyriated by Philipp Van Leeuw for best fiction film and I Am Not Your Negro by Raoul Peck for best documentary.
Insyriated is a tautly-constructed chamber drama about trying to live a normal life in a war zone. It is the second film starring Hiam Abbass that has won the Panorama Audience Award (she also played the lead in Eran Riklis’s Lemon Tree in 2008).
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I Am Not Your Negro[/caption]
Raoul Peck’s filmic essay I Am Not Your Negro about James Baldwin and his three assassinated friends – civil rights activists Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X – has also been nominated for an Academy Award as Best Documentary Feature.
The Panorama Audience Award has been given since 1999. Since 2011, not only the best fiction film but also the best documentary film have received awards. During the festival, moviegoers are asked to rate the films shown in Panorama on voting cards after the screenings. In 2017 a total of 29,000 votes were cast and counted.
This year Panorama presented 50 feature-length films from 43 countries, of which 21 screened in the Panorama Dokumente series.
Panorama Audience Award Winner Fiction Film 2017
Insyriated
Belgium / France / Lebanon 2017
By Philippe Van Leeuw
2nd place Panorama Audience Award Fiction Film 2017
Close-Knit (Karera ga Honki de Amu toki wa)
Japan 2017
By Naoko Ogigami
3rd place Panorama Audience Award Fiction Film 2017
1945
Hungary 2017
By Ferenc Török
Panorama Audience Award Winner Panorama Dokumente 2017
I Am Not Your Negro
France / USA / Belgium / Switzerland 2016
By Raoul Peck
2nd place Panorama Audience Award Panorama Dokumente 2017
Chavela
USA 2017
By Catherine Gund, Daresha Kyi
3rd place Panorama Audience Award Panorama Dokumente 2017
Ghost Hunting (Istiyad Ashbah)
France / Palestine / Switzerland / Qatar 2017
By Raed Andoni
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Berlinale 2017: Adrian Goiginger’s THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS Wins Compass Perspektive Award for Best Film
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The Best of All Worlds (Die Beste aller Welten) by Adrian Goiginger[/caption]
Awarded for the first time this year and endowed with EUR 5,000, The Best of All Worlds (Die Beste aller Welten) by Adrian Goiginger is the winner of the 2017 Compass Perspektive Award for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival.
The jury members watched the 14 films in the Berlinale’s Perspektive Deutsches Kino section, and after debating passionately, they picked their favorite – The Best of All Worlds. The jury commented, “The film is the story of seven-year-old Adrian, who lives in 1990s Salzburg with a heroin-addicted, but loving mother and her friends. His life is like an adventure playground – until both child services and the brutal reality of drug addiction threaten to destroy his world.”
Director Adrian Goiginger’s film is based on his own childhood and is a disturbingly realistic portrayal of the seemingly hopeless battle between maternal love and addiction. Goiginger leaves open to interpretation whether it is the drug itself, or society’s way of dealing with it, that presents a greater threat to the child protagonist.
With his sensitive direction of a brilliant ensemble cast, the film is touching without becoming kitschy; the unpretentious cinematography gets under your skin without being voyeuristic.
The jury also spontaneously awarded a “special jury prize” to Final Stage directed by Nicolaas Schmidt. The jury commented, “Final Stage by Nicolaas Schmidt is an experiment in essayistic montage set in an urban consumer space. It comprises three sequences – separation, pain and reunion. The film turns cinema into an interactive space, in which the audience’s associations become the narrative. With this prize, we want to encourage young filmmakers to take structural-technical risks.”
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Berlinale 2017: BUTTERFLY KISSES and SCHOOL NUMBER 3 Win Top Generation 14plus Awards
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Butterfly Kisses[/caption]
Butterfly Kisses by Rafael Kapelinski, of the United Kingdom is the winner of the Crystal Bear for the Best Film by the Youth Jury Generation 14plus at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival. The Generation 14plus International Jury awarded the Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus for the Best Film to School Number 3 (Shkola nomer 3) by Yelizaveta Smith and Georg Genoux.
Crystal Bears and the Awards by the Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education) in Generation 14plus
Youth Jury Generation 14plus Awards:
Crystal Bear for the Best Film: Butterfly Kisses By Rafael Kapelinski, 2017, United Kingdom Propelled by the rhythm of its powerful soundtrack and imagery, this film awakens a terrifying suspicion in the viewer. Without resorting to simple accusations of guilt, it confronts us with an explosive issue which our society has so far been unable to resolve. The finely differentiated characterizations inspire profound empathy for the protagonists in the situations they face. From the kaleidoscopic opening sequence onwards, we are captivated by the haunting intensity of this electrifying feature film debut. Special Mention: Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves (Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n’ont fait que se creuser un tombeau) By Mathieu Denis, Simon Lavoie, 2016, Canada With epic aspirations, this film is an accurate portrayal of destructive group dynamics. With brutal honesty, it gradually unleashes its hypnotic potential as the narrative unfolds. Contemporary footage, fictional life stories and performances fuse together to create a disturbing yet rousing cinematic work. Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film: Wolfe By Claire Randall, 2016, Australia By means of its authentic narrative and tactful approach to a sensitive subject, this documentary manages to demystify a taboo without sentimentality or judgment. With impressive honesty and intimacy, the protagonist discloses his experiences of psychological illness, accompanied by lovingly animated memory sequences. We thank the filmmaker for this factually informative and deeply moving work. Special Mention Short Film: SNIP By Terril Calder, 2016, Canada This film takes the viewer on a journey into a painful chapter of a country’s history. The synthesis of diverse animation styles provides for a compelling and emotionally direct exploration of this often neglected subject. We would like to thank the director for this unconventional approach to opening our generation’s eyes to the past as we head towards the future.Generation 14plus International Jury Awards:
The Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best Film, endowed with € 7,500 by the Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education): School Number 3 (Shkola nomer 3)
By Yelizaveta Smith, Georg Genoux, 2016, Ukraine / Germany
We give the Grand Prix to a film that unpacked itself slowly involving the audience through details and personal account from the perspective of its protagonists, delivering with a range of tenderness, trauma, and even banality and humor. It has a sensitive approach and is direct in form without discourse or presumption. We admire the collaboration between director, cinematographer and protagonists and how they built a space of trust. This film doesn’t let the narrative of war take over the emotional world of its young characters, who allowed us to connect with the most precious and intimate details of their lives.
Special Mention: Ben The Foolish Bird (Niao)
By Huang Ji, Ryuji Otsuka, 2017, People’s Republic of China
Our special mention goes to a film that haunted us with its mystery and how it speaks about human relationships that pave their way through detached modern tools of communications. What sets this film apart are the well planned ellipses and the remarkable performance of the young actress, Yao Honggui from China.
Special Prize of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the Best Short Film, endowed with € 2,500 by the Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education): The Jungle Knows You Better Than You Do
By Juanita Onzaga , 2016, Belgium / Colombia
We give the special price for best short to a film that has a hybrid approach to the autobiographical. A film that hovers between the past and the present and yet has an intuitive way of showing us a character who couldn’t be closer to the filmmaker herself.
Special Mention: U Plavetnilo (Into the Blue)
By Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović, 2017, Croatia / Slovenia / Sweden
Special mention goes to a film which reveals the complexities of adolescence, when its four characters must confront their expectations and desires against a dramatic seaside landscape.