Mary Goes Round[/caption]
The inclusive lineup for this year’s 2018 Bentonville Film Festival includes 42 Competition Films, 13 episodic content presentations, notable showcase screenings of top festival films, critical favorites, anniversary screenings of classics, a presentation of family focused and animated greats, and every film to date from the Marvel Cinema Universe in a special free-to-the-public presentation for BFF’s film fans.
“This year’s edition of the Bentonville Film Festival truly exemplifies our mission,” said BFF co-Founder Geena Davis. We are thrilled to honor industry pioneers, while at the same time recognizing current trendsetters and changemakers, and showcasing a new class of inclusive storytellers. To be able to bring them all together in one place to enact change – that is what BFF is all about.”
Films in the dramatic feature competition this year include: Marisol Gomez-Mouakad’s ANJELICA; Sanghoon Lee’s BANANA SEASON; Kevin Arbouet’s BENJI THE DOVE; Marinanna Palka’s EGG; Tom Huang’s FIND ME; Sean Olson’s F.R.E.D.I.; Anne-Marie Hess’s GOOD AFTER BAD; Jenna Laurenzo’s LEZ BOMB; Molly McGlynn’s MARY GOES ROUND; Autumn McAlpin’s MISS ARIZONA; Vashhti Anderson’s MOKO JUMBIE; Santiago Rizzo’s QUEST; Alex Ranarivelo’s RIDE; Jenn McGowan’s RUST CREEK; Megan Griffith’s SADIE; Anthony Nardolillo’s SHINE; Ramaa Mosley’s TATTERDEMALION; Mark Dennis and Ben Foster’s TIME TRAP; Teddy Smith’s URBAN COUNTRY; Nadine Truong’s I CAN I WILL I DID; Suzi Yoonessi’s UNLOVABLE; and Kendall Goldberg’s WHEN JEFF TRIED TO SAVE THE WORLD.
Documentary features in competition include: Marvin Blunte’s 6 WEEKS TO MOTHER’S DAY; Joanna James’s A FINE LINE; Skye Borgman’s ABDUCTED IN PLAIN SIGHT; Robin Hauser’s BIAS; Stacey Reiss’s DAUGHTERS OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION; Luis Prieto’s THE DISUNITED STATES OF AMERICA; Brian Ivie’s EMANUEL; Dan Habib’s INTELLIGENT LIVES; Susan Kucera’s LIVING IN FUTURE’S PAST; Trish Russo and Craig E. Shapiro’s LOVE ALWAYS, MOM; T Cooper’s MAN MADE; Sebastien Paquet’s MIND OVER MATTER; Rob Herring and Ryan Wirick’s THE NEED TO GROW; Kulap Vilaysack’s ORIGIN STORY; Kate Hickey’s ROLLER DREAMS; Mark Hayes’s SKID ROW MARATHON; Robin Berghaus’s STUMPED; Jillian Moul and Matthew Moul’s SURVIVING HOME; Maya Washington’s THROUGH THE BANKS OF THE RED CEDARS; P.J. Marcellino, and Hermon Farahi’s WHEN THEY AWAKE and Sally Colón-Petree’s WOMEN LIKE US.
The Episodic Projects vying for prizes are: Ben Strang’s Beast; Morgan Beck’s Brooke; Keith Miller’s Brooklynification; Jennifer Morrison’s Fabled; Raj Trivedi’s From Jappan; Corrie Chen and Tori Garrett’s Mustangs FC; Kholi Hicks’s Reaver Vs. Specter; Max Rissman’s Root for the Villain; Will Seefried’s Sink Sank Sunk; Andrew Olsen’s SusaneLand; Jeremy Redleaf’s Threads; Milena Govich’s Unspeakable; and Allison Vanore’s Whatta Lark (Ep 1).
BFF previously announced that Elissa Downs’s THE HONOR LIST would make its world premiere as the Opening Night selection, with Lea Thompson’s THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN screening as this year’s Centerpiece selection.
Special Spotlight selections include; Carlos Lopez Estrada’s drama BLINDSPOTTING, about the intersection of race and class, set against the backdrop of a rapidly gentrifying Oakland; Sara Driver’s documentary BOOM FOR REAL, about legendary New York City-centric artist Jean-Michel Basquiat; Brett Haley’s crowd-pleaser HEARTS BEAT LOUD, starring Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons as a father and daughter, who form an unlikely songwriting duo; Julie Cohen and Betsy West documentary RBG, about the inestimable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Andrew Bujalski’s latest, SUPPORT THE GIRLS, about a restaurant manager attempting to outmaneuver the owner as she tries to help one of her employees; and Jennifer Fox’s Sundance hit, THE TALE, which stars Laura Dern, Ellen Burstyn, and Common, in a devastating film which dramatizes Fox’s reconciling her memories of her first sexual relationship with the reality of what actually transpired.
The Sony/ConAgra Outdoor Theatre @ Lawrence Plaza will offer a number of family-friendly and animated hits including; the recent Academy Award winner, Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina’s COCO, Ang Lee’s classic, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000); Otto Bell’s adventure film, THE EAGLE HUNTRESS (2016); both Joe Johnston’s JUMANJI (1995) and Jake Kasdan’s recent blockbuster hit, JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, and Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook’s animated classic, MULAN (1998), celebrating its 20th Anniversary.
Additional highlights and events within the film festival are; the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Finalists screening on Wednesday, May 3, followed by a Q&A with founder Nic Novicki; the special Project Zero screening and event on, Sunday, May 5, to raise awareness for the Arkansas-based organization’s mission to diligently and passionately promote adoption through the foster care system; the Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center, Ready Nation, Moms in Film and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families presentation of Raising America on Friday, May 4, followed by a panel discussion with Kyle Peterson, Alysia Reiner and others; the Samsung Create Event, on Thursday, May 23, presenting student filmmakers challenged to make a short film based on the mission of BFF by utilizing a Samsung Galaxy phone and tablet; and Marvel Experience, Wednesday May 2 – Friday May 4, at Skylight Cinema which will offer the ultimate Marvel Experience for film fans, with free film screenings, themed concessions and galactic experiences.
For the 4th consecutive year, BFF will remain the only film festival in the world to offer guaranteed distribution to its narrative feature film winner. BFF’ s distribution partners include AMC Theatres, Lifetime, Starz, ACI-Inspires and others.
In 2018, BFF will add new prizes for its other juried categories. Through a partnership with MarVista Entertainment, the winner of the Short Film Competition will be awarded a directing role on one of MarVista’s future feature films, providing an opportunity for diverse ideas, opinions and stories to be heard.
The winner of the Documentary Film Competition will receive a mentorship prize package sponsored by ITVS, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that has, for over 25 years, funded and partnered with a diverse range of documentary filmmakers to produce and distribute untold stories. The Episodic Competition winner will receive a prize package sponsored by SeriesFest, an award winning festival dedicated to showcasing the best and boldest in episodic storytelling from around the world, that includes a screening at the SeriesFest Season 4 in Denver, a consultation with an industry professional, and a VIP Badge.Terry P.
VIMOOZ is for lovers of independent films + foreign film + documentary + film festivals. We love championing the little films.
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Impressive Slate of 96 Feature Film Selections on Lineup for 4th Bentonville Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_27971" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Mary Goes Round[/caption]
The inclusive lineup for this year’s 2018 Bentonville Film Festival includes 42 Competition Films, 13 episodic content presentations, notable showcase screenings of top festival films, critical favorites, anniversary screenings of classics, a presentation of family focused and animated greats, and every film to date from the Marvel Cinema Universe in a special free-to-the-public presentation for BFF’s film fans.
“This year’s edition of the Bentonville Film Festival truly exemplifies our mission,” said BFF co-Founder Geena Davis. We are thrilled to honor industry pioneers, while at the same time recognizing current trendsetters and changemakers, and showcasing a new class of inclusive storytellers. To be able to bring them all together in one place to enact change – that is what BFF is all about.”
Films in the dramatic feature competition this year include: Marisol Gomez-Mouakad’s ANJELICA; Sanghoon Lee’s BANANA SEASON; Kevin Arbouet’s BENJI THE DOVE; Marinanna Palka’s EGG; Tom Huang’s FIND ME; Sean Olson’s F.R.E.D.I.; Anne-Marie Hess’s GOOD AFTER BAD; Jenna Laurenzo’s LEZ BOMB; Molly McGlynn’s MARY GOES ROUND; Autumn McAlpin’s MISS ARIZONA; Vashhti Anderson’s MOKO JUMBIE; Santiago Rizzo’s QUEST; Alex Ranarivelo’s RIDE; Jenn McGowan’s RUST CREEK; Megan Griffith’s SADIE; Anthony Nardolillo’s SHINE; Ramaa Mosley’s TATTERDEMALION; Mark Dennis and Ben Foster’s TIME TRAP; Teddy Smith’s URBAN COUNTRY; Nadine Truong’s I CAN I WILL I DID; Suzi Yoonessi’s UNLOVABLE; and Kendall Goldberg’s WHEN JEFF TRIED TO SAVE THE WORLD.
Documentary features in competition include: Marvin Blunte’s 6 WEEKS TO MOTHER’S DAY; Joanna James’s A FINE LINE; Skye Borgman’s ABDUCTED IN PLAIN SIGHT; Robin Hauser’s BIAS; Stacey Reiss’s DAUGHTERS OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION; Luis Prieto’s THE DISUNITED STATES OF AMERICA; Brian Ivie’s EMANUEL; Dan Habib’s INTELLIGENT LIVES; Susan Kucera’s LIVING IN FUTURE’S PAST; Trish Russo and Craig E. Shapiro’s LOVE ALWAYS, MOM; T Cooper’s MAN MADE; Sebastien Paquet’s MIND OVER MATTER; Rob Herring and Ryan Wirick’s THE NEED TO GROW; Kulap Vilaysack’s ORIGIN STORY; Kate Hickey’s ROLLER DREAMS; Mark Hayes’s SKID ROW MARATHON; Robin Berghaus’s STUMPED; Jillian Moul and Matthew Moul’s SURVIVING HOME; Maya Washington’s THROUGH THE BANKS OF THE RED CEDARS; P.J. Marcellino, and Hermon Farahi’s WHEN THEY AWAKE and Sally Colón-Petree’s WOMEN LIKE US.
The Episodic Projects vying for prizes are: Ben Strang’s Beast; Morgan Beck’s Brooke; Keith Miller’s Brooklynification; Jennifer Morrison’s Fabled; Raj Trivedi’s From Jappan; Corrie Chen and Tori Garrett’s Mustangs FC; Kholi Hicks’s Reaver Vs. Specter; Max Rissman’s Root for the Villain; Will Seefried’s Sink Sank Sunk; Andrew Olsen’s SusaneLand; Jeremy Redleaf’s Threads; Milena Govich’s Unspeakable; and Allison Vanore’s Whatta Lark (Ep 1).
BFF previously announced that Elissa Downs’s THE HONOR LIST would make its world premiere as the Opening Night selection, with Lea Thompson’s THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN screening as this year’s Centerpiece selection.
Special Spotlight selections include; Carlos Lopez Estrada’s drama BLINDSPOTTING, about the intersection of race and class, set against the backdrop of a rapidly gentrifying Oakland; Sara Driver’s documentary BOOM FOR REAL, about legendary New York City-centric artist Jean-Michel Basquiat; Brett Haley’s crowd-pleaser HEARTS BEAT LOUD, starring Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons as a father and daughter, who form an unlikely songwriting duo; Julie Cohen and Betsy West documentary RBG, about the inestimable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Andrew Bujalski’s latest, SUPPORT THE GIRLS, about a restaurant manager attempting to outmaneuver the owner as she tries to help one of her employees; and Jennifer Fox’s Sundance hit, THE TALE, which stars Laura Dern, Ellen Burstyn, and Common, in a devastating film which dramatizes Fox’s reconciling her memories of her first sexual relationship with the reality of what actually transpired.
The Sony/ConAgra Outdoor Theatre @ Lawrence Plaza will offer a number of family-friendly and animated hits including; the recent Academy Award winner, Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina’s COCO, Ang Lee’s classic, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2000); Otto Bell’s adventure film, THE EAGLE HUNTRESS (2016); both Joe Johnston’s JUMANJI (1995) and Jake Kasdan’s recent blockbuster hit, JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, and Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook’s animated classic, MULAN (1998), celebrating its 20th Anniversary.
Additional highlights and events within the film festival are; the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Finalists screening on Wednesday, May 3, followed by a Q&A with founder Nic Novicki; the special Project Zero screening and event on, Sunday, May 5, to raise awareness for the Arkansas-based organization’s mission to diligently and passionately promote adoption through the foster care system; the Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center, Ready Nation, Moms in Film and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families presentation of Raising America on Friday, May 4, followed by a panel discussion with Kyle Peterson, Alysia Reiner and others; the Samsung Create Event, on Thursday, May 23, presenting student filmmakers challenged to make a short film based on the mission of BFF by utilizing a Samsung Galaxy phone and tablet; and Marvel Experience, Wednesday May 2 – Friday May 4, at Skylight Cinema which will offer the ultimate Marvel Experience for film fans, with free film screenings, themed concessions and galactic experiences.
For the 4th consecutive year, BFF will remain the only film festival in the world to offer guaranteed distribution to its narrative feature film winner. BFF’ s distribution partners include AMC Theatres, Lifetime, Starz, ACI-Inspires and others.
In 2018, BFF will add new prizes for its other juried categories. Through a partnership with MarVista Entertainment, the winner of the Short Film Competition will be awarded a directing role on one of MarVista’s future feature films, providing an opportunity for diverse ideas, opinions and stories to be heard.
The winner of the Documentary Film Competition will receive a mentorship prize package sponsored by ITVS, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that has, for over 25 years, funded and partnered with a diverse range of documentary filmmakers to produce and distribute untold stories. The Episodic Competition winner will receive a prize package sponsored by SeriesFest, an award winning festival dedicated to showcasing the best and boldest in episodic storytelling from around the world, that includes a screening at the SeriesFest Season 4 in Denver, a consultation with an industry professional, and a VIP Badge.
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NashFilm Announces 2018 Feature Films Lineup for Narrative, Documentary, New Directors & Graveyard Shift Competitions
[caption id="attachment_25450" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Adventures in Public School[/caption]
The Nashville Film Festival continues its lineup for the ten-day festival, running May 10 to 19, 2018, with the announcement of 48 additional feature films in Narrative, Documentary, New Directors and Graveyard Shift competitions.
Capturing the essence of today’s most relevant social issues, historical stories and more, these 48 films hail from China, South Africa, Netherlands, Denmark, India, France and more, as well as 31 from the U.S. A jury of industry professionals will select the winning films that will take home up to $20,000 in cash and prizes.
“We received over 6,100 film submissions and the process of determining the 48 participants was incredibly challenging as the caliber of submissions continues to astonish us each year,” said Artistic Director, Brian Owens. “We strive to always include a diverse roster of feature films that inspire, move and create meaningful conversations.”
Below are the 2018 selections in the categories:
Narrative Competition
1985 (Southeast US Premiere) – A closeted young man goes home for the holidays and struggles to reveal his dire circumstances to his conservative family. Cast: Jamie Chung, Virginia Masden, Michael Chiklis, Director: Yen Tan, Producers: Hutch, Ash Christian (USA) Across the Waters (Southeast US Premiere) – ACROSS THE WATERS is the gripping tale of the Danish Jews’ escape to Sweden in October 1943. Cast: David Dencik, Danica Curcic, Director: Nicolo Donato, Producer: Peter Bech (Denmark) An Act of Defiance (Tennessee Premiere) – A South African lawyer risks his life and career to defend Nelson Mandela and his inner circle. Cast: Peter Paul Muller, Antoinette Louw, Sello Motloung, Sean Venter, Director: Jean van de Velde, Producers: Michael Auret, Richard Claus, Hugh Rogers (South Africa, Netherlands) Adventures In Public School (Southeast US Premiere) – A socially awkward home-schooled kid forces his way into public-school against his suffocating but loving mother’s wishes. Cast: Judy Greer, Daniel Doheny, Russell Peters, Grace Park, Siobhan Williams, Director: Kyle Rideout, Producer: Josh Epstein (Canada) Angels Wear White (Tennessee Premiere) – ANGELS WEAR WHITE is a powerful film noir that exposes the social injustices and difficult issues women face in contemporary China. Cast: Wen Qi, Zhou Meijun, Shi Ke, Geng Le, Liu Weiwei, Peng Jing, Director: Vivian Qu, Producer: Sean Chen (China) Bikini Moon (Tennessee Premiere) – A charismatic homeless woman captures the attention of a documentary film crew who are ready to exploit her story for their own shot at independent movie fame in this very modern, urban fairy tale set amidst a fractured ideal of family. Cast: Condola Rashad, Sarah Goldberg, Will Janowitz, Sathya Sridharan, Director: Milcho Manchevski, Producers: Anja Wedell, Munire Armstrong (USA) Craving (US Premiere) – Coco has no idea what to do with her life until she discovers her mother is terminally ill. Cast: Simone Kleinsma, Elise van ‘t Laar, Director: Saskia Diesing. Producers: Hans de Wolf, Hanneke Niens (Netherlands) Dating My Mother (Southeast US Premiere) – A single mother and her gay son navigate the world of online dating in search of their versions of Mr. Right. Cast: Kathryn Erbe, Patrick Reily, Kathy Najimy, James Le Gros, Paul Iacono, Director: Mike Roma, Producer: Ashley Hills (USA) DriverX (Tennessee Premiere) – Skidding into middle age, a “50-something” stay-at-home dad who recently lost his record store must start driving for a rideshare company to help support his working wife and two young daughters. Cast: Patrick Fabian, Tanya Clarke, Desmin Borges, Travis Schuldt, Melissa Fumero, Oscar Nunez, Director: Henry Barrial, Producers: Mark Stolaroff, Alex Cutler (USA) Fifty Springtimes (Southeast US Premiere) – A woman in her 50s loses her job, finds out she is about to become a grandmother and is given an opportunity to start life over again. Cast: Agnès Jaoui, Director: Blandine Lenoir, Producers: Fabrice Goldstein, Antoine Rein (France) Goliath (Southeast US Premiere) – When a young soon-to-be father is unable to defend in his girldfriend in an attack, he takes steps that may threaten everything he loves. Cast: Sven Schelker, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Director: Dominik Locher. Producers: Rajko Jazbec, Dario Schoch (Switzerland) Prison Logic (Tennessee Premiere) – PRISON LOGIC is an original comedy that tracks the life of Tijuana Jackson, an ex-convict fresh out of prison, set on becoming a world renowned motivational speaker. Cast: Romany Malco Jr., Regina Hall, Tami Roman, Alkoya Brunson, Director: Romany Malco Jr., Producers: Romany Malco Jr., Josh Etting, Brian Etting (USA) Salvation (Southeast US Premiere) – Cris, a thirteen year old girl, is admitted to a hospital to undergo open heart surgery. There she meets Víctor, a boy her same age who says he’s a vampire and who proposes a different kind of salvation for her heart: immortality. Cast: Marina Botí, Laura Yuste, Alzira Gómez, Carmen Flores, Director: Denise Castro, Producer: Denise Castro (Spain) Shelter (Tennessee Premiere) – A subtle thriller set in Germany involving Mona, a Lebanese woman, and Naomi, an Israeli Mossad agent, sent to protect their informant who is recovering from plastic surgery to conceal her identity. Together for two weeks in a quiet apartment in Hamburg, the two women take us into a complex, multi-dimensional labyrinth of trust and mistrust, of honesty and deception, of loyalty and betrayal. Cast: Neta Riskin, Golshifteh Farahani, Haluk Bilginer, Director: Eran Riklis, Producers: Bettina Brokemper, Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Michael Eckelt, Eran Riklis (USA) When She Runs (Tennessee Premiere) – A young mother of limited means puts everything on the line to pursue her dream of becoming a competitive runner. Cast: Kirstin Anderson, Ivan Gehring, Jonah Graham. Directors: Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, Producer: Laura Heberton (USA)Documentary Competition
Chef Flynn (Tennessee Premiere) – With access to a trove of personal archival footage and including new, intimate vérité footage, director Cameron Yates creates a collage of Flynn’s singular focus and distinctive path through childhood. CHEF FLYNN shares a rare view of a young man’s successful rise from the inside. Director: Cameron Yates, Producers: Laura Coxson, Cameron Yates, Philipp Engelhorn (USA) Circles (US Premiere) – A Hurricane Katrina survivor who works to keep Black teenagers in school in Oakland, California finds his personal and professional lives colliding when his 15-year-old-son goes to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Cast: Eric Butler, Tre Thomas, Betsye Steele, Mercedes Morgan, Ted Quant, Director: Cassidy Friedman, Producer: Cassidy Friedman (USA) Crime + Punishment (Tennessee Premiere) – Meet the NYPD12: a group of minority whistleblower officers who risk everything to expose racially discriminatory policing practices and smash the blue wall of silence. Director: Stephen Maing. Producer: Stephen Maing, Ross Tuttle, Eric Daniel Metzgar (USA) Crossroads (Tennesee Premiere) – This documentary follows a team of at-risk African-American teenagers and their lacrosse coach on a most improbable and inspiring journey. Director: Ron Yassen, Producers: Lauren Griswold, John Hirsch (USA) Dark Money (Tennessee Premiere) – Kimberly Reed returns to her native state of Montana to expose the insidious reach of corporate interests into politics and to chronicle its grassroots opposition. Director: Kimberly Reed, Producers: Kimberly Reed, Katy Chevigny (USA) Every Act of Life (Southeast Premiere) – The life of Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally: 60 years of groundbreaking plays and musicals, the struggle for LGBT rights, addiction and recovery, finding true love, and the relentless pursuit of inspiration. Cast: Rita Moreno, Meryl Streep, Bryan Cranston, Christine Baranski, Director: Jeff Kaufman, Producers: Jeff Kaufman, Marcia Ross (USA) hillbilly (World Premiere) hillbilly is a documentary film that examines the iconic hillbilly stereotype in film and television. The film explores more than a hundred years of media representation of mountain and rural people, reveals how the hillbilly icon reflects America’s aspirational self-image over the decades, and offers an urgent exploration of how we see and think about poor, white, rural America. Cast: Billy Redden, Ronny Cox, bell hooks, Michael Apted, Silas House, Crystal Good, Frank X Walker. Directors: Sally Rubin, Ashley York. Producers: Sally Rubin, Ashley York. (USA). Minding the Gap (Tennessee Premiere) – Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust-Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship. Cast: Zack Mulligan, Keire Johnson, Bing Liu, Nina Bowgren, Director: Bing Liu, Producers: Bing Liu, Diane Quon (USA) A Murder in Mansfield (Tennessee Premiere) – In 1990, the testimony of a 12-year-old boy sealed his father’s fate. A jury convicted prominent Ohio doctor John Boyle of murdering Collier’s mother. 26 years later, the son returns determined to get an admission of guilt from his imprisoned father. Cast: Collier Landry, Director: Barbara Kopple, Producers: Barbara Kopple, David Cassidy, Ray Nowosielski (USA) On Her Shoulders (Tennessee Premiere) – Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi, survived genocide and sexual slavery committed by ISIS. Repeating her story to the world, this ordinary girl finds herself thrust onto the international stage as the voice of her people. Away from the podium, she must navigate bureaucracy, fame and people’s good intentions. Cast: Nadia Murad, Directors: Alexandria Bombach, Producers: Hayley Pappas, Brock Williams (USA) Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland (Southeast US Premiere) – In 2015, Sandra Bland, a young black woman, was found hanging in a small-town Texas jail cell days after a traffic violation. Ruled a suicide, her death fueled worldwide allegations of a racially motivated police murder. The filmmakers embedded with Sandra’s family during their two-year battle to uncover the truth. Cast: Sandra Bland, Directors: Kate Davis, David Heilbroner, Producers: Nancy Knox Talcott, David Heilbroner (USA) The World Before Your Feet (Tennessee Premiere) – For over six years, and for reasons he can’t explain, Matt Green has been walking every block of every street in New York City – a journey of more than 8,000 miles. Cast: Matt Green, Director: Jeremy Workman, Producers: Jeremy Workman, Jesse Eisenberg (USA) Zero Weeks (Southeast US Premiere) – Weaving powerful stories together with insightful interviews from leading policy makers, economists, researchers and activists, ZERO WEEKS lays out a compelling argument for guaranteed paid leave for every American worker. Director: Ky Dickens, Producers: Ky Dickens, Alexis Jaworski (USA) Weed the People (Southeast US Premiere) – Cannabis has been off-limits to doctors and researchers in the US for the past 80 years, but recently scientists have discovered its anti-cancer properties. Armed with only these laboratory studies, desperate parents obtain cannabis oil from underground sources to save their children from childhood cancers. Director: Abby Epstein, Producers: Giancarlo Canavesio, Sol Tryon (USA)New Directors Competition
3/4 (Southeast US Premiere) – Mila is a gifted pianist with a bright future, yet her father pays more attention to the rings of Saturn than to her goals, and her brother tries to distract her with his unwanted talent for the absurd. A portrait of a family, struggling to find meaning during their last summer together. Cast: Mila Mihova, Nikolay Mashalo. Director: Ilian Metev, Producers: Ilian Metev, Ingmar Trost (Bulgaria) After Louie (Tennessee Premiere) – AFTER LOUIE explores the contradictions of modern gay life and history through Sam, a man desperate to understand how he and his community got to where they are today. Cast: Alan Cumming, Zachary Booth, Sarita Choudhury. Director: Vincent Gagliostro. Producers: Lauren Belfer, Alan Cumming, Bryce Renninger (USA) Best of All Worlds (Tennessee Premiere) – The true story of a child and his life in the unusual world of his heroin addict mother and their love for one another. Cast: Verena Altenberger, Jeremy Miliker, Lukas Miko, Michael Pink, Reinhold G. Moritz, Philipp Stix. Director: Adrian Goiginger, Producers: Wolfgang Ritzberger, Nils Dünker (Austria) The Marriage (Southeast US Premiere) – Bekim and Anita are getting married, but she is unaware that he is still in love with his best friend Nol. Cast: Alban Ukah, Adriana Matoshi, Genc Salihu. Director: Blerta Zeqiri, Producer: Kreshnik Keka Berisha (Kosovo) Mountain Rest (World Premiere) – After sequestering herself to a small mountain town, an aging actress calls her estranged daughter and granddaughter home for reconciliation and one final celebration. Cast: Natalia Dyer, Frances Conroy, Kate Lynn Sheil, Shawn Hatosy, Joshua Brady, Karson Kern, Director: Alex O Eaton, Producers: Fernando Loureiro, Roberto Vasconcellos, Renata Nascimento (USA) Never Steady, Never Still (Tennessee Premiere) – A mother struggles to take control of her life in the face of advanced Parkinson’s disease, while her son battles his sexual and emotional identity amongst the violence of Alberta’s oil field work camps. Cast: Shirley Henderson, Théodore Pellerin, Mary Galloway, Nicholas Campbell, Jared Abrahamson, Hugo Ateo, Lorne Cardinal, Director: Kathleen Hepburn. Producers: James Brown, Tyler Hagan (Canada) Noblemen (Tennessee Premiere) – A 15-year-old boy, struggling with his adolescent years, is terrorized by a gang of bullies in a posh boarding school. This sets forth a chain of events that leads to a loss of life and innocence. Cast: Kunal Kapoor, Ali Haji, Director: Vandana Kataria, Producers: Siddharth Anand Kumar, Vikram Mehra (India) Still (Tennessee Premiere) – When Lily loses her way on a hike through the Appalachian wilderness, she finds rescue in the form of a peculiar married couple who have completely isolated themselves from the outside world. Cast: Lydia Wilson, Madeline Brewer, Nick Blood, Mark Ashworth, Kevin Wayne, Diesel Madkins, Director: Takashi Doscher, Producers: Alex P. Creasia, Takashi Doscher, Craig Miller, Gabrielle Pickle (USA) The Swan (Southeast US Premiere) – A wayward nine-year-old girl is sent to the countryside to work and mature, but finds herself instead deeply entangled in a drama she can hardly grasp. Cast: Thor Kristjansson, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson, Þuríður Blær Jóhannsdóttir, Gríma Valsdóttir, Katla M. Þorgeirsdóttir, Director: Ása Helga Hjörleifsdótirr, Producers: Birgitta Bjornsdottir, Hlín Jóhannesdóttir (Iceland)Graveyard Shift Competition
Door In the Woods (Tennessee Premiere) – A struggling family installs a vintage door only to find it’s a portal to supernatural danger, leading to a heart wrenching choice. Cast: Jennifer Pierce Mathus, David Snell, C.J. Jones, John-Michael Fisher, Director: Billy Chase Gofort, Producers: Kerri Elder, Blake Elder, Billy Chace Goforth (USA) Found Footage 3D (Tennessee Premiere) – A group of filmmakers set out to make the first 3D found footage horror movie, but find themselves in a found footage horror movie when the evil entity from their film escapes into their behind-the-scenes footage. Cast: Carter Roy, Alena von Stroheim, Chris O’Brien, Director: Steven DeGennaro, Producers: Steven DeGennaro, Kim Henkel, Charles Mulford (USA) Get My Gun (Tennessee Premiere) – After an innocent prank leaves Amanda pregnant and out of a job, she finds herself on the verge of motherhood and the target of a psychotic stalker who will stop at nothing to get her hands on her unborn child. Cast: Kate Hoffman, Christy Casey, Rosanne Rubino, William Jousset, Director: Brian Darwas, Producer: Jennifer Carchietta (USA) Katrina’s Dream (US Premiere) – Katrina wishes to have children but her boyfriend Louis doesn’t. She falls in love with his best friend Ron, who becomes the man of her life. When the two men are involved in a car accident in which Ron loses his head and Louis his body, a drastic surgery helps them survive, but merged into one person. Cast: Dagna Vinet Litzenberger, Manfred Liechti, Adrian Furrer, Simon Esteban, Directors: Mirko Bischofberger, Dario Bischofberger. Producers: Mirko Bischofberger, Dario Bischofberger (Switzerland) The Laplace’s Demon (Nashville Premiere) – Eight people are imprisoned in a secluded mansion on an uninhabited island. After waiting in vain for the host, they find a model with eight self-propelled pawns that reproduces the movements of each group member in real time. Cast: Alessandro Zonfrilli, Carlotta Mazzoncini, Silvano Bertolin, Duccio Giulivi, Walter Smorti, Director: Giordano Giulivi, Producers: Silvano Bertolin, Ferdinando D’Urbano, Duccio Giulivi, Giordano Giulivi (Italy) Mickey Reece’s Alien (Southeast US Premiere) – Elvis Presley struggles with an existential meltdown before his TV comeback special. Spirituality, space, and divine art clash in his marriage to Priscilla and his obligations to those surrounding The King. Cast: Jacob Snovel, Cate Jones, Director: Mickey Reece, Producers: Jacob Snovel, Cate Jones, Mickey Reece. (USA) The Odds (Southeast US Premiere) – A young woman enlists in an underground game of pain endurance in the hope of winning the million dollar prize. She soon learns the real opponent is the man who’s running the game, as he employs horrific methods to manipulate and defeat her. Cast: Abbi Butler, James Fuertes, Sean Ramey, Les Parker, Katie Gunn, Director: Bob Giordano, Producers: Tom Steinmann, Kelly Frey, Alan McKenna (USA) PROTOTYPE (Southeast US Premiere) – As the deadliest natural disaster in US history strikes Galveston, Texas, taking an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 lives, a mysterious televisual device projects images of unknown origin. Director: Blake Williams, Producer: Marco Gualtieri (Canada) Zerzura (Southeast US Premiere) – ZERZURA is a feature-length ethnofiction shot in the Sahara desert. Mixing folktales and documentary, the film follows a young man from Niger who leaves home in search of an enchanted oasis. Cast: Ibrahim Affi, Zara Alhassane, Ahmoudou Madassane, Director: Christopher Kirkley, Producer: Christopher Kirkley, Rhissa Koutata, Ahmoudou Madassane, Guichene Mohamed (Niger|USA)
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Watch New Trailer + Poster for Sadaf Foroughi’s Award-Winning Debut AVA – A Young Girl’s Coming-of-Age in Iran
A new trailer and poster has been released for AVA written and directed by Sadaf Foroughi, winner of the Toronto International Film Festival 2017 FIPRESCI Discovery Award. The film starring Mahour Jabbari, Bahar Noohian, Vahid Aghapour, Shayesteh Sajadi, and Sarah Alimorad will opening theatrically on April 27th.
Based on her own adolescent experiences, Sadaf Foroughi’s AVA is a gripping debut about a young girl’s coming-of-age in a strict, traditional society. Living with her well-to-do parents in Tehran, Ava is a bright and focused teen whose concerns— friendships, music, social status, academic performance—resemble that of nearly any teenager. When Ava’s mistrustful and overprotective mother questions her relationship with a boy —going as far as to visit a gynecologist— Ava is overwhelmed by a newfound rage. Formerly a model student, Ava begins to rebel against the structures imposed by her parents, her school, and the society at large.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIgiOw69YyM&feature=youtu.be
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Samuel Goldwyn Films Acquires ‘A BOY. A GIRL. A DREAM’ Starring Omari Hardwick and Meagan Good [ CLIP]
Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired the acclaimed Sundance Film A BOY. A GIRL. A DREAM directed by Qasim Basir and starring Omari Hardwick (“Power”), Meagan Good (A GIRL LIKE GRACE). The film which co-stars Jay Ellis (“Insecure”), Dijon Talton (“Glee”), Wesley Jonathan (ROLL BOUNCE), and Affion Crockett (THE WEDDING RINGER), was written by written by Qasim Basir & Samantha Tanner.
The story follows a Los Angeles club promoter named Cass (Hardwick), who on the night of the 2016 Presidential Election meets a woman named Free (Good) who challenges him to revisit his broken dreams. This happens during a series of unfortunate events during the time that Trump is surging ahead of Hilary Clinton.
“I can’t think of a better company to partner with for this next phase of the journey of getting our film out to the world,” says director/writer Qasim Basir.
“Samuel Goldwyn has a solid track record. They were extremely passionate about our film and the talented people involved with making it so we believe we are in good hands,” added producer Datari Turner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g25UY0Pwctc
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World Premiere of Documentary STEVEN TYLER: OUT ON A LIMB to Kick Off Nashville Film Festival [ Trailer ]
The world premiere of Steven Tyler: Out on a Limb will kick off the opening night of the 49th Annual Nashville Film Festival on May 10, 2018. The Nashville Film Festival, which will take place in Music City on May 10 to 19, 2018, at the Regal Hollywood 27 theaters.
“It is an honor to feature Steven’s incredible journey as depicted through his documentary on opening night,” said Ted Crockett, CEO of the Nashville Film Festival. “Steven’s involvement in this year’s Festival is the first announcement of many we will be making as we bring unprecedented star-power and an even greater scope of events to the Festival in May.”
“I’m also so touched that the Nashville Film Festival selected Steven Tyler: Out on a Limb to kick off opening night of this year’s event with our world premiere,” added Tyler.
Steven Tyler: Out on a Limb is an intimate portrait of rock icon Steven Tyler as he embraces the challenges of shifting gears, both as a solo performer and in a new genre of music. Uncovering a side of Tyler many fans have never seen before, this inspiring story looks at the passion, drive and search for creative fulfillment that keeps artists pushing boundaries throughout their careers. Casey Tebo directed the documentary and also served as producer alongside Steven Tyler, Rebecca Warfield as well as Timmy Thompson and Todd Thompson under their Vermillion Entertainment banner. Momentum Pictures will release the film on VOD and digital HD on May 15, 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4j7ozZaUg4
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‘A Boy. A Girl. A Dream’ Starring Omari Hardwick and Meagan Good Headed to San Francisco Film Festival | Video
A Boy. A Girl. A Dream – the critically-acclaimed one-take film that premiered at Sundance in January – will screen at the 2018 San Francisco Film Festival (SFFILM) on Tuesday, April 10 at 6:00pm and Friday, April 13 at 9:00pm.
Director Qasim Basir and producer Datari Turner will attend on individual nights and participate in a Q&A talk-back (Turner on 4/10 and Basir on 4/13).
Starring Omari Hardwick (Starz’ “Power”), Meagan Good (Hulu’s upcoming “Foxy Brown”), Jay Ellis (HBO’s “Insecure”), and Kenya Barris (ABC’s “black-ish”), A Boy. A Girl. A Dream is set on the night of the 2016 Presidential election, when “Cass” (Hardwick), an L.A. club promoter, takes a thrilling and emotional journey with “Free” (Good), a Midwestern visitor. She challenges him to revisit his broken dreams – while he pushes her to discover hers.
Written by Basir and Samantha Turner, A BOY. A GIRL. A DREAM was produced by Datari Turner through his Production Banner Datari Turner Productions. Executive producers on the film are Jash’d Kambui Belcher, Louis Steyn, TJ Steyn, Jamal Chilton, Tim Weatherspoon, Phil Thornton, Meagan Good, and Omari Hardwick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlrZrGG1d8U
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RLJE Films Acquires Horror Film HOUSEWIFE for Fall Release Date |Trailer
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HOUSEWIFE[/caption]
The horror film Housewife, directed by Can Evrenol (Baskin), who also co-wrote the film with Cem Özüduru, and starring Clementine Poidatz (Shut-In) and David Sakurai (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), has been acquired by RLJE Films. RLJE Films plans to release the film in the fall of 2018.
In Housewife, young Holly’s sister and father are killed by her frantic mother. Years later, Holly is married, lonely, and her life is soon about take a turn for the ultra-weird, when she visits the leader of the “Umbrella of Love and Mind.”
Housewife had its world premiere at L’Etrange Festival in France and was an official selection at the SITGES International Film Festival, Brooklyn Horror Film Festival and the Vancouver, Portland and Denver International Film Festivals, winning “Best Director” award at Melbourne’s MonsterFest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNcjauj8xRU
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TULLY Starring Charlize Theron to Open, THE LONG DUMB ROAD to Close Indy Film Fest 15th Anniversary Edition
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Charlize Theron in Tully[/caption]
The Indy Film Fest is back and kicks off on Thursday, April 26 with the opening night drama Tully, written by Diablo Cody and directed by Jason Reitman. Academy-award winning actress Charlize Theron of “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Atomic Blonde” fame plays a struggling mother of three who forms a unique friendship with her babysitter, played by Mackenzie Davis (“Blade Runner 2049”).
The awards night film on April 28 will feature the documentary RBG, giving fest moviegoers a special first look at 85-year-old United State Supreme Court Justice and unexpected pop culture icon Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s unique personal journey, legal legacy, courtroom fashion and workout routine. RBG is a revolutionary documentary with cameos from Gloria Steinem and Nina Totenberg.
Then the Fest will close on a comedic note on May 5 with a favorite from this year’s Sundance Film Festival, The Long Dumb Road. The film follows two men who accidentally meet when they are both facing personal, emotional intersections and they decide to embark on an unplanned road trip across the Southwest. The Long Dumb Road is directed by Indiana University graduate Hannah Fidell. Fidell is no stranger to the Indy Film Fest; she wrote and directed the 2011 short “We’re Glad You’re Here” about a rudderless twenty-something who moves back to her native Bloomington, Indiana from New York City.
During the Fest, guests can enjoy more than 125 feature-length and short films from across the world, plus the 48 Hour Film Project, a recent addition to Indy Film Fest’s year-round programming in which local teams have one weekend to create an original short film. The 48 Hour Film Project films will screen on April 31 and May 1.
The 15th anniversary edition of Indy Film Fest presented by Indiana State University will run April 26 to May 5, 2018, at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
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WHEN LAMBS BECOME LIONS, Jon Kasbe’s Debut Documentary on Poaching Crisis to Debut at Tribeca Film Festival
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Ivory dealer “X” (outside car window) and poacher Lukas wait for the wildlife rangers to pass. From When Lambs Become Lions, directed by Jon Kasbe. Courtesy of Kasbe Films / The Documentary Group.[/caption]
WHEN LAMBS BECOME LIONS, a gorgeously crafted work of vérité cinema that takes us to the front lines of the poaching divide through the intertwined stories of an ivory dealer and a wildlife ranger, will World Premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, running April 18-29. WHEN LAMBS BECOME LIONS, from Kasbe Films and The Documentary Group, was executive produced by Matthew Heineman (Cartel Land, City of Ghosts) and marks the arrival of an exciting new filmmaking talent in 27-year-old first-time feature director Jon Kasbe.
In a Kenyan town bordering wildlife conservation land, “X”, a small-time ivory dealer, fights to stay on top while forces mobilize to destroy his trade. When he turns to his younger cousin, Asan, a conflicted wildlife ranger who hasn’t been paid in months, they both see a possible lifeline.
As African governments step up their crackdown on elephant poaching, the poachers face their own existential crisis. For them, conservationists are not only winning their campaign to value elephant life over its ivory, but over human life as well. Who are these hunters who will risk death, arrest, and the moral outrage of the world to provide for their families?
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Ivory dealer “X” (left in foreground) visits the wildlife ranger unit of his cousin Asan (at right). From When Lambs Become Lions, directed by Jon Kasbe. Courtesy of Kasbe Films / The Documentary Group.[/caption]
Director Jon Kasbe followed the film’s subjects over a three-year period, gaining an extraordinary level of access and trust as he became part of their everyday lives. The result is a rare and visually arresting look through the perspectives and motives of the people at the epicenter of the conservation divide.
WHEN LAMBS BECOME LIONS was directed and shot by Jon Kasbe and produced by Kasbe, Innbo Shim, Tom Yellin, and Andrew Harrison Brown. The film was edited by Frederick Shanahan, Jon Kasbe and Caitlyn Greene with music by West Dylan Thordson. Executive producers are Matthew Heineman, Isaac Lee, Eric Douat, Nicolás Ibargüen, Juan Rendón, and Daniel Eilemberg.
Tribeca Film Festival Screenings
Friday, April 20, 8:30 pm Cinepolis Chelsea 2, 260 W. 23rd St. (at 8th Ave.) Saturday, April 21, 6:00 pm Regal Battery Park 10, 102 North End Ave. (at Murray St.) Sunday, April 22, 3:15 pm Regal Battery Park 1, 102 North End Ave. (at Murray St.) Wednesday, 25, 4:00 pm Cinepolis Chelsea 9, 260 W. 23rd St. (at 8th Ave.)
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Sci-Fi Thriller CHIMERA Starring Kathleen Quinlan to Open Boston International Film Festival | Trailer
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CHIMERA starring Kathleen Quinlan[/caption]
The sci-fi thriller Chimera starring Henry Ian Cusick, Kathleen Quinlan, Jenna Harrison and Erika Ervin a.k.a. Amazon Eve will have its North American Premiere as the Opening Night Feature of the 2018 Boston International Film Festival (BIFF) on Wednesday April 11th.
Chimera was filmed entirely in Massachusetts for which the producers give thanks to the assistance of the MA Film Office and to the tax credits offered by the MA Department of Revenue. Most of the production’s below-the-line crew and supporting cast are from the region and/or have ties to the state. Given Chimera’s deep connections to Boston and Massachusetts, the film’s North American Premiere is fittingly taking place on Opening Night at the 2018 BIFF.
“We viewed Chimera not just as a stunning piece of genre filmmaking, but as a fascinating character study and an exploration of love and loss, obsession and redemption. We loved the sincerity and intensity of the performances and the way the creative elements came together to produce a compelling cinematic experience,” says Patrick Jerome, the Executive Director of the festival. “It gives me great pleasure to present the North American Premiere of Chimera at the Opening Night of the 2018 Boston International Film Festival,” he concludes.
Actress Kathleen Quinlan brilliantly portrays her character Masterson, the story’s antagonist. “There was a corporate greed and a voracious disregard for life I found intriguing with Masterson,” she says about her villainous role. “She perceives everything and everyone as her prey,” she adds.
In Chimera, Quint, a brilliant but disturbed scientist performs dangerous experiments and tests risky procedures on his children (including transplanting animal organs and editing their genome). When their condition continues to deteriorate, he freezes them alive to suspend the progression of their deadly genetic disease. Convinced that the secrets of immortality are encoded within the Turritopsis jellyfish, he races against time to save his children by decoding the jellyfish’s DNA.
“Chimera adds a new voice to the debate on human stem cells, animal testing, and genetics, as well as raises important philosophical questions about humanity, mortality and morality,” says director Maurice Haeems. “One of my goals was to hold up a mirror to the viewers, so they could ask these questions to themselves. By having a single-minded focus on a distant end goal, however important it may be, does one’s lose sight of right and wrong? Even in the pursuit of the most altruistic goal, can we condone the crossing of ethical boundaries?” he adds.
Chimera’s intimate yet high-profile cast includes Henry Ian Cusick (Quint), Kathleen Quinlan (Masterson), Jenna Harrison (Charlie), Karishma Ahluwalia(Jessie), and Erika Ervin (Gruze). The children at the center of the plot, Miles and Flora, were very close to the project, as Raviv Haeems (Miles) is the director’s son, and Kaavya Jayaram (Flora) is the producer’s daughter.
To commemorate Chimera’s North American Premiere the producers have released a brand-new teaser and trailer.
https://youtu.be/NKCevLHGirQ
https://youtu.be/tHmoXSQTdFE
Chimera recently had its World Premiere at the prestigious Fantasporto International Film Festival in Portugal, one of the top “Genre” festivals in the world. After its North American Premiere in Boston, the film will continue its tour in other cities.
Upcoming Festival Screenings:
Boston International Film Festival Showplace Icon Theatre • 60 Seaport Blvd Suite 315, Boston, MA, USA Wednesday, April 11 • 5:30pm (red carpet) • 6:30pm (screening) Phoenix Film Festival Theatre 4 – Harkins Scottsdale 101 7000 E Mayo Blvd Phoenix, AZ, USA Friday, April 13 • 11:20am Saturday, April 14 • 1:25pm Sunday, April 15 • 2:10pm All screenings will have a Q&A with writer-director Maurice Haeems and actress Erika Ervin a.k.a. Amazon Eve. Sci-Fi London Film Festival (Opening Night Film) Stratford Picturehouse – East London Salway Road, London E15 1BX, UK Tuesday, May 1• 7:00 pm Followed by a Q&A with writer-director Maurice Haeems and actress Jenna Harrison. NYC Independent Film Festival Producers Club – Theatre G 358 West 44th Street, New York, NY, USA Wednesday, May 9 • 6:45pm
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Horror Short Film THE INVADERS Starring Isra Elsalihie to World Premiere at Vail Film Festival | Trailer
Colombian-American filmmaker Mateo Márquez’s film THE INVADERS, featuring actress Isra Elsalihie will celebrate its world premiere this week in Colorado as an Official Selection of the 2018 Vail Film Festival.
Jayla, a Muslim-American teen, is being followed as she walks the streets of the neighborhood in which she has always lived. Terror and confusion take over as Jayla attempts to outrun the powerful, swift-moving menace that pursues her even into the supposed safety of her own home. As Anti-Muslim sentiment spreads through Western societies, THE INVADERS imagines a not too distant future in which an exaggerated fear of Islam has replaced moral or humanitarian regard.
THE INVADERS has been written and directed by New York City-based Mateo Márquez and is a co-production between Mateo Márquez Films and Cup of Joe Film.
THE INVADERS World Premiere at Vail Film Festival on Saturday, April 7 at 1:30 PM at Theater 2 at Blue Starlite Cinema in Colorado.
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BOILED ANGELS: THE TRIAL OF MIKE DIANA Wins Audience Award at First-ever What the Fest!?
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Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana[/caption]
BOILED ANGELS: THE TRIAL OF MIKE DIANA by Frank Henenlotter (BASKET CASE, BRAIN DAMAGE), won the Audience Award at the first-ever What the Fest!? billed as a new showcase for outrageous content, at New York’s IFC Center. The latest documentary directed by Henenlotter, which made its World Premiere at the festival, BOILED ANGELS is the true story of underground comic artist Mike Diana, the only American artist ever convicted of obscenity. The film also featured appearances from Neil Gaiman and George A. Romero, among others. Henenlotter and Diana were both present for a Q&A following the World Premiere screening, along with producers Anthony Sneed and Mike Hunchback.
“The first edition of What The Fest!? had something organic that’s impossible to buy or manufacture: an incredible atmosphere,” says Creative Director Maria Reinup. “Audiences and filmmakers welcomed our new festival with open arms, and we were thrilled to launch a new home for great genre films in New York — and we’re especially proud that our audiences honored a legendary New York genre filmmaker like Frank Henenlotter.”
BOILED ANGEL’s Audience Award win was the cherry on top of a successful launch for What the Fest!?. The eleven-program lineup featured an international selection of new films from the US, France, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, and Indonesia, along with a sneak preview of AMC’s new series “The Terror,” with star Jared Harris in attendance, and the world premiere of a restoration of the 1988 Polish-Estonian CURSE OF SNAKES VALLEY, a Soviet-era action spectacular never released stateside. Festival selections included upcoming releases THE ENDLESS and LOWLIFE (both opening April 6th), GHOST STORIES (April 20th) and REVENGE (May 11th), as well as titles not yet acquired for the US. Filmmakers were present for most screenings, among them Jenn Wexler, Larry Fessenden, and Heather Buckley, in attendance for the Closing Night selection, THE RANGER.
In addition to traditional filmmaker Q&As, the festival also partnered with Forbidden Planet, The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, The Swarm Lab, The Association for Psychoanalytic Medicine, and punk band Rotten UK to provide audiences with unforgettable screening events — from a talk on female adolescence and body horror, to a post-film taco truck, a surprise hardcore concert and more.