Terry P.

VIMOOZ is for lovers of independent films + foreign film + documentary + film festivals. We love championing the little films.

Inaugural Hollywood Comedy Shorts Film Festival Announces Winners

The short film Manager has won the Grand Jury Best Short Film Prize at the inaugural 2016 Hollywood Comedy Shorts Film Festival (HCSFF). Directed by Jacob Meszaros, Manager, tells the story of when a loud mouth idiot of a building manager discovers one of his tenants dead, he believes it’s murder. Instead of calling the police, he teams up with his girlfriend to solve the case. The Grand Jury winner takes home a $5,000 studio rental package from sponsor True Vision Entertainment. Each winner in each of the categories will take home $1500 studio rental prize packages toward their next projects courtesy of True Vision Entertainment. The festival featured 82 shorts in competition. Next year’s Hollywood Comedy Shorts Film Festival will take place April 7-8, 2017. HOLLYWOOD COMEDY SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS Grand Jury Best Short Manager by Jacob Meszaros Best Dark Comedy SETH by Zach Lasry Best Romantic Comedy Relationship Goals by Nic Stanich Best Spoof Handjob Cabin by Bennet Silverman Best Cringe Tampoon by Jeanne Jo Best Alternative Comedy El Audifono (The Earpiece) by Samuel Quiles Palop Best Web Series Holloway Heights-The Web Series by John F. Beach, Alex Petrovitch, Katherine Randolph, Bill Sebastian Honorable Mention Honey Pot by Merve Tekin Best Short Screenplay Claus Vs. Hollywood by Alicia Lomas-Gross & Steve D’Arcangelo Best Feature Screenplay Zombie Games by Emily Thorne
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HERE ALONE and THE RETURN Win Tribeca Film Festival Audience Awards

[caption id="attachment_12753" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Return[/caption] Here Alone, and The Return are the winners of the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival Audience Awards. The festival closes today Sunday April 24. Here Alone directed by Rod Blackhurst, was chosen to receive the Narrative award and The Return, directed by Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway, was chosen for the Documentary award. Each award comes with a cash prize of $10,000. Additionally as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program, Here Alone receives Zak Kitnick’s Untitled (acrylic, ink and phosphorescent pigment on paper) and The Return receives Clifford Ross’s Horizon XI (silver-Gelatin print.) The runners-up were Children of the Mountain directed by Priscilla Anany for the narrative audience award and Midsummer in Newtown, directed by Lloyd Kramer, for the documentary audience award. Winners of the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival Audience Awards WINNERS Here Alone, directed by Rod Blackhurst, written by David Ebeltoft. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. A virus has ravaged human civilization, leaving two groups of survivors: those who have managed to avoid infection, and those driven to madness, violence, and an insatiable bloodlust. Living deep in the woods, Ann, Chris, and Olivia are forced to fend off the infected while foraging for supplies. But when a supply expedition goes terribly awry, one among their number must make a terrible choice. With Lucy Walters, Gina Piersanti, Adam David Thompson, and Shane West. [caption id="attachment_12754" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Here Alone[/caption] The Return, directed by Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway, written by Kelly Duane de la Vega, Katie Galloway, and Greg O’Toole. (USA) – World Premiere. How does one reintegrate into society after making peace with a life sentence? California’s controversial and notoriously harsh three-strikes law was repealed in 2012, consequently releasing large numbers of convicts back into society. The Return presents an unbiased observation of the many issues with re-entry through the varied experiences of recently freed lifers. RUNNERS UP [caption id="attachment_12755" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Midsummer in Newtown[/caption] Midsummer in Newtown, directed by Lloyd Kramer. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Midsummer in Newtown is a testament to the transformative force of artistic expression to pierce through the shadow cast down by trauma. From auditions to opening night, we witness the children of Sandy Hook Elementary find their voice, build their self-confidence, and ultimately shine in a rock-pop version of A Midsummer’s Night Dream. [caption id="attachment_12756" align="aligncenter" width="864"] Children of the Mountain[/caption] Children of the Mountain, directed and written by Priscilla Anany. (USA, Ghana) – World Premiere, Narrative. When a young woman gives birth to a deformed and sickly child, she becomes the victim of cruelty and superstition in her Ghanaian community. Discarded by her lover, she is convinced she suffers from a ‘dirty womb,’ and embarks on a journey to heal her son and create a future for them both. With Rukiyat Masud, Grace Omaboe, Akofa Edjeani, Adjetey Annang, Agbeko Mortty (Bex), Dzifa Glikpo, Mynna Otoo. In Twi with subtitles.
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Fighting for Peace, Zanzibar Soccer Dreams Bookend Lineup for Canadian Sport Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_12737" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Zanzibar Soccer Dreams[/caption] 23 films featuring Rio to Toronto and around the world, are on the lineup for the 2016 Canadian Sport Film Festival (CSFF) taking place May 20 to 22 at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Canada. The 8th annual CSFF will open with the films Fighting for Peace, and Sully’s; and closes with Zanzibar Soccer Dreams, and Boxing For Freedom. “With billions of eyes on the Summer Olympics this year, and Toronto’s recent experience as host city for the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, we know international sporting events generate a craving for healthy dialogue and discussion surrounding important social issues,” said Russell Field, Executive Director. “Our film festival addresses that need as the majority of our films feature a sport that will be part of this summer’s competition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.” Every year, CSFF films feature the remarkable resilience of people in challenging circumstances who find hope through sport. Powerful stories are put on screen that highlight the ways in which sport, recreation, and play matter in the everyday lives of people and offer opportunities for social change. Of the 23 films presented this year, highlights include: Fighting for Peace (Opening Night) – Two young boxers living in one of Rio’s most violent and poorest slums are on a quest to become national champions. With one having lost a sister to addiction, and the other as sole provider for his mother and seven siblings, the film looks at what it takes to be a winner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHsiMDakEVs Sully’s (Opening Night) – As one of Toronto’s most legendary boxing gyms, Sully’s served as a training home of Nicky Furlano, George Chuvalo and even Muhammad Ali. Viewers will learn more about the man behind the beloved boxing institution. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teXh0rykpFs Eastern – Four students at a storied Toronto high school with a great basketball pedigree find themselves competing for the school’s last chance at championship glory. With the school closing down, they are trying to write a memorable end to one of Canada’s most historic sport programs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8g3gxvrG28 Ron Taylor: Dr. Baseball – In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Toronto Blue Jays, celebrate the life of Ron Taylor. After winning World Series championships as a pitcher, Ron Taylor gave up baseball for a career in medicine. Find out how a life-changing tour of Vietnam led him to become the team physician for the Toronto Blue Jays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0IkSC7hM4s Zanzibar Soccer Dreams (Closing Night) – With all eyes on the Canadian national women’s soccer team’s pursuit of Olympic gold in Rio, meet a remarkable group of women who are fighting just for the right to play the game. Soccer players in Zanzibar have had to overcome religious, cultural and gender prejudices, and the world premiere of this film will be attended by both the film’s director and star. View Trailer Boxing For Freedom (Closing Night) – Two sisters who are the best female boxers in Afghanistan aim to compete in London 2012 Olympics. But they must first overcome the challenge of being physically active women in a country that doesn’t support it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-vVnrWLklU As part of the festival, the Canadian Sport Film Festival reaches out to young people in the Greater Toronto Area. CSFF is hosting an interactive panel and engaging workshop for youth that will allow them to actively participate by making their own films. Former Olympic Gymnast Alexandra Orlando, and Olympic boxing hopeful Arthur Biyarslanov are scheduled to participate in the panel.
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Hometown Film “Bastards y Diablos” Wins Best Film at Ashland Independent Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_12086" align="aligncenter" width="1296"] Bastards y Diablos[/caption] Bastards y Diablos, with several cast and crew members who hailed from nearby Medford, Oregon, swept both the juried and audience awards for Best Feature at the 2016 Ashland Independent Film Festival.The film is a voyage of self-discovery and reconciliation for two estranged half-brothers told in an unconventional manner. It was shot entirely on location in Columbia, on a budget of only $25,000. The co-star was Dillon Porter, who grew up in Medford. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4NuLLJmHQo The documentary Mothering Inside by Portland director Brian Lindstrom won the audience award for Best Short Documentary, and the audience award for Best Feature length documentary went to Voyagers Without Trace, which was directed, produced and written by Ian McCluskey, also from Portland. The audience award for Short Film was awarded to The Stairs, which co-stars Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) actor Anthony Heald. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkS0bxwoF-k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fig2VaOZmEc “As an Oregon filmmaker, I have always wanted to bring a film to the Ashland Independent Film Festival, which has built a reputation as a world-class festival, attended by engaged audiences,” McCluskey said. “We felt the energy in the small, historic Varsity Theater, with every ooh, aww, chuckle, and gasp. Each screening was followed by lively Q&As, and folks coming up to us throughout the festival to share their own stories. The heart of making an independent film is in its collaborative spirit, and that spirit is fully realized when shared with the audiences of Ashland.” “It was very satisfying to discover and program so many strong films emerging from our region,’’ said Richard Herskowitz, director of programming. “The enthusiastic response to these films, from both our audiences and our international jurors, testifies to the region’s cinematic vitality.” Other Pacific Northwest films also received warm receptions at the Ashland film festival, including , Honey Buddies, recently renamed Buddymoon, which was shot in the Columbia Gorge, and accompanied on opening night by a live performance by its star, DJ Flula Borg. The film co-stars David Guintoli of the Portland-based TV series Grimm. Other Oregon-connected films include: Christopher LaMarca and Jessica Dimmock’s The Pearl, a documentary that followed four people from the Pacific Northwest as they transition from man to woman; LaMarca’s Boone, a documentary about an organic goat farm in the Little Applegate Valley of Southern Oregon; and the short films 1985, The Child and the Dead, and Damn, What a Dame, made by students of the Southern Oregon University Film Club, and a winner of AIFF’s Launch student film competition. The complete list of award-winning films follows: JURY AWARDS BEST FEATURE Bastards y Diablos BEST ACTING Five Nights in Maine Honorable Mention: A Light Beneath Their Feet BEST SHORT FILM Killer Honorable Mention: El Tigre LES BLANK AWARD: BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY Hooligan Sparrow Honorable Mention: The Birth of Saké BEST EDITING: FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY NUTS! Honorable Mention: In Pursuit of Silence BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY 100 Years Show Honorable Mention: Greenwood AUDIENCE AWARDS VARSITY AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE Bastards y Diablos. ROGUE CREAMERY AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY Voyagers Without Trace. JIM TEECE AUDIENCE AWARD FOR SHORT FILM The Stairs. BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY Mothering Inside.
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Animated Films Focus of World Cinema Spotlight at 2016 San Francisco International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_12066" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Blanca Engström in GRANNY’S DANCING ON THE TABLE[/caption] The 6th World Cinema Spotlight at the 2016 San Francisco International Film Festival will feature films under the theme Animating the Image, focusing on frame-by-frame animation. Whether hand-drawn, stop-motion, CGI, motion capture or a combination thereof, animation recalls the illusory magic of the earliest days of cinema, a surprisingly simple “trick” that continues to enthrall and inspire—when presented in succession, a series of still images transform to appear in motion. Adaptable to a variety of eclectic approaches—exemplified by this year’s Golden Gate Persistence of Vision Award recipient Aardman Animations, the collage of Lewis Klahr’s Sixty Six and the variety of styles employed by multiple artists in Penny Lane’s surprising and singular documentary NUTS!—animation endures as one of the most satisfying and versatile techniques in cinema. WORLD CINEMA SPOTLIGHT PROGRAMS Granny’s Dancing on the Table (Sweden/Denmark 2015) – Taking place within the quiet serenity of the dense Swedish woods, isolated from civilization, Hanna Sköld’s intense drama delivers a harrowing tale of abuse, psychological imprisonment and the power of imagination to withstand painful circumstances. Enchanting stop-motion animation captures 13-year-old Eini’s worldview as she silently struggles against her father’s brutal control and envisions the dysfunctional family history that led to her grandmother’s rebellious travels and her own pale and powerless existence. Life, Animated (USA 2016) – The power of cinema has rarely been revealed as strongly as in this documentary about an autistic man named Owen Suskind who, as a boy, discovers a way to communicate with his parents through Disney movies. Now a young man, Owen is getting ready to live on his own, and the film shows his successes and struggles as he embarks on this huge step. NUTS! (USA 2015) – Penny Lane’s documentary—comprised of archival material, animated sequences and the occasional talking head—blooms into an incredible almanac of early 20th-century quackery and innovation as she focuses on JR Brinkley, an early broadcasting baron, direct-mail pioneer and an evangelical proponent of goat-testicle implants. An empire built on spurious claims and fear mongering seems unstoppable—until the American Medical Association dares to question its foundations. Persistence of Vision Award: An Afternoon with Aardman Animations – Established in 1997, the Golden Gate Persistence of Vision Award honors the achievement of filmmakers whose main body of work falls outside the realm of narrative feature filmmaking. This year, we recognize the team behind beloved animation studio Aardman. Join co-founder Peter Lord for an in-depth conversation and a filmic celebration of the studio’s 40th anniversary. Phantom Boy (France/Belgium 2015) – When a kingpin with a face only Picasso could love threatens to bring down New York City’s infrastructure, a seriously ill boy with a unique, ghostly superpower teams up with a bedridden crusading cop to stop him. The team behind A Cat in Paris (SFIFF 2011) delivers another dose of enchanting 2D animation along with a story that blends absurd humor with an emotionally potent tale of a child rising about troubling circumstances. Shorts 3: Animation – A retirement home resident attempts to woo with music. A participant in a primal scream class gets more than he bargained for. And a child is made to drink blood from deer antlers. These imaginative, often hilarious story-based animations mingle with non-narrative works that ply their magic with light and sophisticated processing techniques in this wide-ranging program. Shorts 5: Family Films – In this eclectic international collection of short films for young audiences, an array of colorful characters—of the human, animal and monster varieties—learn how to help one another and work together in fun and sometimes surprising ways. Works range from new student films to those by veteran artists such as Nick Park of Aardman Animations, Disney animator Glen Keane, YouTube favorite Simon Tofield (and his fussy fat cat), and Oscar-winning SFIFF alum Brandon Oldenburg. [caption id="attachment_12067" align="aligncenter" width="1018"] A scene from Lewis Klah’s SIXTY SIX[/caption] Sixty Six (USA 2015) – Sixties pop-art heroines and DC comic-strip heroes are suffused with the passions of Greco-Roman gods in Lewis Klahr’s short film compilation spanning 14 years of filmmaking, chosen by the New York Times’ Manohla Dargis as one of the best films of 2015. Lovers of melodrama, all your paper-doll superstars are here, but an individual heart beats beneath the vivid imagery.
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Filmmaker Mira Nair to Receive Directing Award

Filmmaker Mira Nair will be honored with the Irving M. Levin Directing Award at the 59th San Francisco International Film Festival taking place April 21 to May 5, 2016. Given each year to one of the masters of world cinema in memory of SFIFF founder Irving M. Levin, the tribute acknowledges exceptional versatility in film and honors the director’s expansive body of work while celebrating her unique contributions to the art of cinema. Nair will also be honored at An Afternoon with Mira Nair at the Castro Theatre on Sunday April 24. An onstage conversation with Nair will be followed by a screening of Monsoon Wedding (2001). [caption id="attachment_12062" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Queen of Katwe[/caption] The presentation will also include an exclusive first look at special footage from Nair’s next project , about a rural Ugandan girl with an aptitude for chess, starring Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo. Mira Nair was born and raised in Rourkela, India and went on to study at Delhi and Harvard universities. She began as an actress before segueing to make documentaries. Her narrative feature debut, Salaam Bombay! (1988) won the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film. A resourceful and determined independent filmmaker who casts unknowns alongside Hollywood stars, Nair has directed Mississippi Masala (1991), The Perez Family (1995), Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996), Hysterical Blindness (2002), Vanity Fair (2004), The Namesake (2006), Amelia (2009) and The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012). Monsoon Wedding: Winner of the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion in 2001, Monsoon Wedding is a film of gigantic heart served with an ample dollop of social satire. Five romantic entanglements threaten to derail a high-end New Delhi marriage as the film effortlessly shifts between Bollywood expressionism and Altman-like character intrigue, gut-busting comedy and tender romance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjQjw-UyAX0 Previous recipients are Guillermo del Toro, Mexico; Richard Linklater, USA; Philip Kaufman, USA; Kenneth Branagh, England; Oliver Stone, USA; Walter Salles, Brazil; Francis Ford Coppola, USA; Mike Leigh, England; Spike Lee, USA; Werner Herzog, Germany; Taylor Hackford, USA; Milos Forman, Czechoslovakia/USA; Robert Altman, USA; Warren Beatty, USA; Clint Eastwood, USA; Abbas Kiarostami, Iran; Arturo Ripstein, Mexico; Im Kwon-Taek, South Korea; Francesco Rosi, Italy; Arthur Penn, USA; Stanley Donen, USA; Manoel de Oliveira, Portugal; Ousmane Sembène, Senegal; Satyajit Ray, India; Marcel Carné, France; Jirí Menzel, Czechoslovakia; Joseph L. Mankiewicz, USA; Robert Bresson, France; Michael Powell, England; and Akira Kurosawa, Japan.
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Dallas International Film Festival Reveals Film Lineup

A TALE OF LOVE AND DARKNESS

The 2016 Dallas International Film Festival taking place April 14 to 17, revealed the full schedule of film selections.

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Danish Comedy MEN & CHICKEN Sets April 22nd Release Date | TRAILER

[caption id="attachment_12019" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] MEN & CHICKEN[/caption] The “inventively bizarre and outlandish comedy” MEN & CHICKEN directed by acclaimed, Oscar-winning director Anders Thomas Jensen will open in New York and LA on April 22nd. MEN & CHICKEN starring David Dencik (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) was an official selection of the 2015 Toronto Film Festival and 2015 Fantastic Fest, where the film won the award for Best Director for Anders Thomas Jensen. Men & Chicken is a darkly hilarious slapstick comedy starring Mads Mikkelsen (“Hannibal,” ingeniously cast against type) about a pair of socially-challenged siblings who discover they are adopted half-brothers in their late father’s videotaped will. Their journey in search of their true father takes them to the small, insular Danish island of Ork, where they stumble upon three additional half-brothers—each also sporting hereditary harelips and lunatic tendencies—living in a dilapidated mansion overrun by barn animals. Initially unwelcome by their newfound kin, the two visitors stubbornly wear them down until they’re reluctantly invited to stay. As the misfit bunch get to know each other, they unwittingly uncover a deep family secret that ultimately binds them together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag1miLsTpeQ
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Tisha Campbell-Martin, Naturi Naughton, Fran Burst Honored at Black Women Film Summit

[caption id="attachment_11980" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Fran Burst, Mikki Taylor, Naturi Naughton, Sheryl Gripper, Tisha Campbell-Martin at The Black Women Film Network[/caption] Last week, the Black Women Film Network (BWFN) hosted the 2016 Black Women Film Summit, featuring the popular “Untold Stories Awards Luncheon.” Actress/singer Tisha Campbell-Martin (ABC’s “Dr. Ken”), actress/singer Naturi Naughton (“POWER”), ESSENCE editor-at-large Mikki Taylor and film director and producer Fran Burst were honored at the2016 Black Women Film Summit held at the Intercontinental Buckhead. TV and radio personality Ebony Steele (“Coffee with America”) hosted the affair with music provided by DJ Salah Ananse. Scholarships were awarded to aspiring filmmakers Anita Salley and Martha Carswell. Additional luncheon attendees included comedian/writer Myra J, actress Charmin Lee and media personality Spirit. The Summit that day also included the “Reel Sista Talk” and “Marketing Your Film to Hollywood” panel discussions featuring Haj Chenzira Pinnock, Mikki Taylor, Shante Bacon and Saptosa Foster. On Saturday, the Summit hosted a number of seminars and panels including a Kids Acting Workshop, a Comedy Class led by Myra J, a “Screenwriting 101” workshop and “The YBF: Young, Black & Filming” panel. Additionally, authors James E. Chandler, Sr., Amber Saunders, Saunya M. Williams, Ph.D, and BWFN founder Sheryl Gripper showcased their titles at the Book Festival, while various black women filmmakers from around the country debuted their film shorts during the competitive Film Festival. At the end of the day, the winning films were announced: Best of Festival Masquerade Meleisha Edwards, Writer/Producer Best of Festival (Student Category) Suga Water Nakia Stephens, Writer/Producer Audience Participation Award Ms. Glo Angela Edmond, Writer/Director
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Ashland Independent Film Festival Unveils Lineup, Opens with HONEY BUDDIES

[caption id="attachment_11777" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Honey Buddies[/caption] The 2016 Ashland Independent Film Festival will be celebrating its 15th anniversary this April by paying tribute to the roots of independent film. AIFF will give special emphasis to the intersection of live performance and film, beginning with the opening night screening, and Pacific Northwest premiere of Honey Buddies. Filmed in Oregon, the Slamdance award-winning comedy stars Flula Borg as the relentlessly upbeat best man who convinces David Giuntoli (Grimm), after his fiancée dumps him at the altar, to take him on his Columbia River Gorge honeymoon, instead. Borg, an online musical sensation thanks to his YouTube music videos and his striking performance in the recent Pitch Perfect 2, will perform a live DJ set in the Ashland Armory following the screening. The mainstay of the festival continues to be a rich assortment of documentary and narrative feature films and shorts, including many regional and several national premieres. Magali Noel’s Addicted to Sheep, Nick Hartanto and Sam Roden’s Traveler (which will be accompanied to the festival by its subject, photographer Nicholas Syracuse) and AIFF 2015 Audience Choice award winner Alexandria Bombach’s short film How We Choose are U.S. premieres. Ten feature films that opened at Sundance in January are receiving their regional premieres at AIFF, including Werner Herzog’s essay film on the Internet’s effect on society, Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World; Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, Uncle Howard, Cameraperson, NUTS!, Hooligan Sparrow, Trapped, and The Fits, along with Sonita and Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You. There are a number of films with regional connections, including two by rising Portland filmmaker Christopher LaMarca, whose films Boone and The Pearl (co-directed by Jessica Dimmock) just premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW)and True/False Film Festivals. Boone is a sensory and unsentimental meditation on the lives of three young goat farmers living off the land in the Little Applegate Valley near Jacksonville, Ore. The Pearl delves into the experiences of older transgender women in the Pacific Northwest. The film will be accompanied by the filmmakers and two of their most striking subjects from Oregon, Krystal and Jodi, two sisters who were formerly brothers, and unaware of each other’s gender fluidity. Bastards y Diablos, about two half-brothers who go on a journey of self-discovery to Colombia, involved a crew based mostly out of Medford, Ore., including producer and co-star Dillon Porter. For lovers of the “other” Ashland festival, there are two films that highlight Shakespeare on the 400th anniversary of his death. Julie Taymor’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream, a theater performance inventively filmed by Rodrigo Prieto, is being touted as a visually spectacular adaptation, and will be accompanied by a Skype conversation with Taymor. Bill is a Monty Pythonesque tale of William Shakespeare’s “lost years”. In addition, a program of short films will feature current and former Oregon Shakespeare Festival actors, including Anthony Heald in The Stairs; and David DeSantos and Stephanie Beatriz in Closure. “It’s going to be an exciting and stimulating five days and nights,’ said Cathy Dombi, the festival’s executive director. “More than 50 visiting filmmakers and artists will attend the festival to engage in dialogues after screenings, with several artists accompanying their films with live music, art exhibits, and even virtual reality headgear for audiences to sample.” In his Ashland debut, Richard Herskowitz, the new director of programming, will honor two key indie film institutions by paying tribute to Kartemquin Films and Women Make Movies, organizations that have built an infrastructure for indie filmmakers working outside the mainstream. Kartemquin co-founder and artistic director Gordon Quinn will be joined by filmmakers Joanna Rudnick and Maria Finitzo for three screenings honoring Karteqmquin on its 50th anniversary. Accomplished documentarians Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar of New Day Films will screen three of their latest short films and join Quinn for a TalkBack panel on Activist Film Collectives. “Independent film’s social and cultural importance has been reaffirmed lately as Hollywood’s neglect of women’s and other minority voices has become painfully apparent,” said Herskowitz. This year, 24 of the 39 independent feature films are directed or co-directed by women, and the subject of one of the festival’s three “TalkBack” panel discussions will be Women Make Indie Movies, moderated by Women Make Movies’ executive director Debra Zimmerman. Zimmerman will also introduce her company’s acclaimed new release Sonita, winner of the Grand Jury and Audience Prize for international documentaries at Sundance. Sonita is about an Iranian teenager who creates an underground rap song to protest her family’s plan to sell her as a bride. This year’s Rogue Award will go to the esteemed directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Detropia, Jesus Camp, The Boys of Baraka), who will screen their latest documentary, Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You, an homage to the 93-year-old American social activist and creator of the TV shows All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and Maude. Barbara Hammer, the pioneering director of queer cinema, will receive the festival’s Pride Award, supported by the Equity Foundation, and will present her latest film, Welcome to this House, on the life and poetry of Elizabeth Bishop. Herskowitz is introducing a new section titled Beyond, devoted to films that challenge and reinvent storytelling conventions. A highlight of this section will be MA, the debut feature by dance world sensation Celia Rowlson-Hall, a transfixing, artfully wordless narrative in which Rowlson-Hall stars as a reincarnation of the Virgin Mary. Rowlson-Hall was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine in 2014 and named one of 25 “new faces of independent film” in 2015 by Filmmaker Magazine. She is the winner of the festival’s first-ever Juice Award, given to an emerging female film director, with support from Tangerine Entertainment and the Faerie Godmother Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation. Other Beyond titles include The Fits, collective:unconscious, and He Hated Pigeons. At the TalkBack panel titled Transmedia & Virtual Reality Platforms for New Documentaries, filmmaker Helen de Michiel will present her latest transmedia projects, Lunch Love Community and Berkeley vs. Big Soda. Brad Lichtenstein will demo his virtual reality project, Across the Line, on the effect of anti-abortion protests on health centers and patients. Google VR headsets will be available for sampling after the panel. Vicki Callahan, a USC professor and an authority on digital culture and media strategies for social change, will moderate the discussion. 2016 AIFF FEATURE FILM SELECTIONS FILM; DIRECTOR Addicted to Sheep; Magali Pettier Bastards y Diablos; A.D. Freese Bill; Richard Bracewell Birth of Saké, The; Erik Shirai Boone; Christopher LaMarca Cameraperson; Kirsten Johnson Chicago Maternity Center Story, The; Jerry Blumenthal, Suzanne Davenport, Sharon Karp, Gordon Quinn, Jennifer Rohrer collective:unconscious; Lily Baldwin, Frances Bodomo, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Josephine Decker, Lauren Wolkstein Embers; Claire Carré Fits, The; Anna Rose Holmer Five Nights in Maine; Maris Curran Gesture and a Word; Dave Davidson He Hated Pigeons; Ingrid Veninger Honey Buddies; Alex Simmons Hooligan Sparrow; Nanfu Wang Hunky Dory; Michael Curtis Johnson In Pursuit of Silence; Patrick Shen In the Game; Maria Finitzo In Transit; Albert Maysles, Lynn True, Nelson Walker, Ben Wu, David Usui Light Beneath Their Feet; Valerie Weiss Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World; Werner Herzog Louder than Bombs; Joachim Trier MA; Celia Rowlson Hall Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise; Bob Hercules & Rita Coburn Whack Midsummer Night’s Dream; Julie Taymor Neptune; Derek Kimball Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You; Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady NUTS!; Penny Lane Pearl, The; Jessica Dimmock and Christopher LaMarca Secret Screening from Kartemquin Films; TBA Seventh Fire, The; Jack Pettibone Riccobono Sonita; Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami Three Hikers, The; Natalie Avital Trapped; Dawn Porter Traveler; Nick Hartanto and Sam Roden Uncle Howard; Aaron Brookner Voyagers Without Trace; Ian McCluskey Welcome to This House; Barbara Hammer Women He’s Undressed; Gillian Armstrong Short Film Programs After Hours Shorts Animated Worlds with Mark Shapiro Art Docs Ashland Actors On Screen CineSpace Family Shorts: Kid Pix Family Shorts: TweenScreen Locals Only 1: Family Friendly Locals Only 2: Woman to Man Short Stories Short Docs TalkBack Panel Discussions Activist Film Collectives: Kartemquin and New Day Films Women Make Indie Movies Transmedia and Virtual Reality Platforms for New Documentaries
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WEINER Documentary to Open Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_11832" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] WEINER, Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg[/caption] Weiner, following disgraced congressman Anthony Weiner’s 2013 campaign for mayor of New York City, will be the Opening Night Film of the 2016 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, will screen as the free Closing Night Film. Four films : Unlocking the Cage by Chris Hegedus and DA Pennebaker, Two Trains Runnin’ by Sam Pollard, Raising Bertie by Margaret Byrne, and Presenting Princess Shaw by Ido Haar, will exhibit as Center Frame screenings. Filmmakers and subjects from the films will participate in extended conversations after the Center Frame screenings. Special guests include Steven Wise from Unlocking the Cage; David Dennis, co-director of Mississippi Freedom Summer, from Two Trains Runnin’; Reginald Askew, Davonte Harrell, David Perry, and Vivian Saunders from Raising Bertie; and Samantha Montgomery from Presenting Princess Shaw. Full Frame 2016 will feature two free outdoor screenings in addition to the Closing Night Film, continuing its tradition of showing free films Friday and Saturday nights. (Dis)Honesty – The Truth About Lies and Iris will screen outdoors at Durham Central Park. The 2016 Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant, now in its tenth year, has been awarded to Jonathan Olshefski for Quest: The Fury and the Sound and to Matt Yoka for Whirlybird. Grant organizers will join the filmmakers in presenting short excerpts from their works-in-progress prior to a screening of The Peacemaker by 2014 grant recipient James Demo. The grant is awarded in honor of filmmaker Garrett Scott, who made a distinctive mark in the documentary genre during his brief career. It recognizes first-time filmmakers who, like Scott, bring a unique vision to the content and style of their documentary films. Opening Night Film of the 2016 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival at Carolina Theatre’s Fletcher Hall OPENING NIGHT FILM – Thursday, April 7, at 7:40pm Weiner (Directors: Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg) With unparalleled access to the candidate, Weiner follows disgraced congressman Anthony Weiner’s 2013 campaign for mayor of New York City and intensely navigates new political scandal as it unfolds. Center Frame Screenings at Carolina Theatre’s Fletcher Hall CENTER FRAME – Friday, April 8, at 1:30pm Unlocking the Cage (Directors: Chris Hegedus, DA Pennebaker) Having devoted his career to fighting for greater legal rights for nonhuman animals, attorney Steven Wise and his colleagues at the Nonhuman Rights Project launch a history-making lawsuit arguing for captive chimpanzees’ right to personhood. CENTER FRAME – Friday, April 8, at 8:00pm Two Trains Runnin’ (Director: Sam Pollard) Featuring artful animation and performances by Gary Clark Jr. and Lucinda Williams, this story of the search for two forgotten blues singers takes us to Mississippi during the height of the civil rights movement. World Premiere CENTER FRAME – Saturday, April 9, at 4:30pm Raising Bertie (Director: Margaret Byrne) In this intimate portrait of coming of age, three young men in rural Bertie County, North Carolina, persevere against poverty, discrimination, and unemployment. World Premiere CENTER FRAME – Saturday, April 9, at 8:00 pm Presenting Princess Shaw (Director: Ido Haar) Video blogger and aspiring singer Samantha Montgomery is unaware she has a follower and fan in the form of an enigmatic Israeli composer, whose unforgettable YouTube mashups might just help Samantha achieve her dreams. FREE CLOSING NIGHT FILM Sunday, April 10, at 8:00pm – Carolina Theatre’s Fletcher Hall (Ticket Required) Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You (Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) The legendary, influential king of 1970s sitcoms reflects on his life, his work, and the profound shift in national consciousness fomented by his groundbreaking television shows. FREE OUTDOOR SCREENING Friday, April 8, at 8:30pm – Durham Central Park (Dis)Honesty – The Truth About Lies (Director: Yael Melamede) Personal stories of dishonesty are interwoven with insights by behavioral economics expert Dan Ariely in this enlightening study of the human tendency to lie. FREE OUTDOOR SCREENING Saturday, April 9, at 8:30pm – Durham Central Park Iris (Director: Albert Maysles) The late, legendary Albert Maysles documents 93-year-old fashion icon Iris Apfel in this charming celebration of style, wit, and individuality. Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant Saturday, April 9, at 4:20pm – Cinema 3 Quest: The Fury and the Sound (Director: Jonathan Olshefski) A longitudinal portrait of an African American family who, despite being victimized by gun violence, continue to embrace their community. Whirlybird (Director: Matt Yoka) Bob Tur revolutionized the news industry from the Los Angeles sky and defined our recorded memory of the city.
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Women Texas Film Festival Announces Call For Entries For Fest’s Debut

The Women Texas Film Festival announced a Call for Entries for the inaugural edition of the film festival which will take place at the Texas Theater in Dallas, Texas on August 19 to 21, 2016. Led by Executive Director Justina Walford, WTFF will screen films, television, and virtual reality projects that have women in at least one key creative role “behind the camera”: Writer, Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor, or Composer. WTFF will also organize a host of activities for the festival focused on the craft and artistry of filmmaking by women, including moderated Q&As with filmmakers, panel discussions, networking events, and a red carpet gala. A filmmaker and playwright, Walford, co-wrote and co-produced last year’s critically acclaimed film, THE LADIES OF THE HOUSE, which was shot in Dallas, Texas. Upon relocating to Dallas from New York City late last year, she discovered that the city, and in fact, the state did not have a film festival dedicated to screening and celebrating the work of female filmmakers in all forms (narrative features, feature length documentaries, shorts, experimental, television, and virtual reality, etc.). Walford said, “We saw a need to create another home for the work of female filmmakers, so the Women Texas Film Festival will be just that – a three-day fest to celebrate the work of women in that creative space, to give another opportunity to meet and network with other filmmakers and industry professionals here in the great production town of Dallas, Texas, and to offer something concrete for the many talented women behind the camera to point to each year.” For more info and to submit via Film Freeway
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