The Rescue List[/caption]
SFFILM’s Launch program returns to the San Francisco International Film Festival to provide a platform for a select group of exceptional films just beginning their distribution journey.
In Launch’s second year, five documentary features within the official lineup of the 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival have been selected to have their world premieres.
Terry P.
VIMOOZ is for lovers of independent films + foreign film + documentary + film festivals. We love championing the little films.
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SFFILM Launch Program to Feature World Premiere of 5 Documentaries on 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival Lineup
[caption id="attachment_27553" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Rescue List[/caption]
SFFILM’s Launch program returns to the San Francisco International Film Festival to provide a platform for a select group of exceptional films just beginning their distribution journey.
In Launch’s second year, five documentary features within the official lineup of the 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival have been selected to have their world premieres.
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FILMWORKER -Documentary on Stanley Kubrick’s Long-Time Assistant Leon Vitali, Sets Release Date
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Filmworker[/caption]
Filmworker, a documentary film directed by Tony Zierra about Stanley Kubrick’s long-time assistant Leon Vitali, will open at the Metrograph in New York on May 11th, and at the Nuart in Los Angeles on May 18th, followed by a national rollout. The film world premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and went on to screen at numerous international film festivals including Telluride, the New York Film Festival and the AFI Fest.
It’s a rare person who would give up fame and fortune to dedicated himself to someone else’s creative vision. Yet, that’s exactly what Leon Vitali did after his acclaimed performance as ‘Lord Bullingdon” in Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. After appearing in Barry Lyndon, prestigious job offers poured in from film, television and stage, but Leon turned them all down to take on the role of assistant to the master filmmaker. It would prove to be an extraordinary, intense, often arduous journey that would push Leon to his limit and beyond. The young actor surrendered his thriving career to become Kubrick’s loyal right-hand man.
For more than two decades, Leon played a crucial role behind-the-scenes helping Kubrick make and maintain his legendary body of work. In Filmworker, Leon’s candid and often funny experiences in the company of the notoriously private Kubrick are woven together with rich and varied elements including previously unseen photos, videos, letters, notebooks, and memos from Leon’s private collection of Kubrick artifacts. Insightful, emotionally charged anecdotes from actors, family, crew members, and key film industry professionals who worked with Kubrick and Leon add an important layer of detail and impact to the story.
On what would turn out to be Kubrick’s final film, Eyes Wide Shut, Leon was stretched to the limit carrying out double duties. Not only did he attend to countless production tasks, he also gave a stellar performance as the imperious ‘Red Cloak’. Kubrick’s sudden death in the midst of putting the final touches on Eyes Wide Shut left chaos in its wake. Without Kubrick’s unassailable leadership, confusion reigned. Exhausted, ill, and grief-stricken over the loss of the man whose dynamic presence had been his driving force for decades, Leon threw himself into a tough and constant battle to keep Kubrick’s uncompromising standards alive.
Filmworker enters the world of Leon Vitali and Stanley Kubrick from a unique perspective that highlights the nitty-gritty of the creative process. By experiencing Leon’s journey we come to understand how the mundane gives rise to the magnificent as timeless filmmaking is brought to life at its most practical and profound level. Leon’s story is uniquely his own, but this chronicle of one artist who chose to serve another stands as a testament to the legions of unsung heroes whose names shine for a brief moment as the credits roll.
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“Ice Mother” and “Science Fair” Win Top Audience Awards at 41st Portland International Film Festival
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Ice Mother[/caption]
Ice Mother (Czech Republic) directed by Bohdan Sláma and Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster’s Science Fair (United States) snagged the top audience accolades at the 41st Portland International Film Festival. Ice Mother won the award for Best Narrative Feature and Science Fair took the Best Documentary Feature award.
Director Ryôta Nakano is the winner of this year’s Best New Director award for his debut feature, Her Love Boils Bathwater (Japan). Tehran Taboo (Austria/Germany) director Ali Soozandeh takes home the Audience Award for Best Animated Feature. This year’s Best International Short Film Award goes to director Britt Raes for her film Catherine (Belgium). Portland-based director Dawn Jones Redstone’s film We Have Our Ways is the recipient of the Best Oregon Short Film Award.
Best Narrative Feature
1. Ice Mother / Czech Republic/France/Slovakia / dir. Bohdan Sláma *winner Best Narrative Feature 2. A Taxi Driver / South Korea / dir. Hun Jang 3. Foxtrot / Israel/Switzerland/Germany/France / dir. Samuel MaozBest Documentary Feature
1. Science Fair / United States / dir. Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster *winner Best Documentary Feature 2. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? / United States / dir. Morgan Neville 3. Soufra / Lebanon/United States/Singapore / dir. Thomas A. MorganBest New Director
1. Her Love Boils Bathwater / Japan / dir. Ryôta Nakano *winner Best New Director 2. Bad Genius / Thailand / dir. Nattawut Poonpiriya 3. The Rider / United States / dir. Chloé ZhaoBest Animated Feature
1. Tehran Taboo / Austria/Germany / dir. Ali Soozandeh *winner Best Animated Feature 2. The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales / France / dir. Benjamin Renner, Patrick Imbert 3. Big Fish & Begonia / China / dir. Xuan Liang, Chun ZhanBest International Short Film
1. Catherine / Belgium / dir. Britt Raes *winner Best International Short Film 2. World of Tomorrow Episode Two / United States / dir. Don Hertzfeldt 3. Edith & Eddie / United States / dir. Laura CheckowayBest Oregon Short Film
1. We Have Our Ways / Portland, OR / dir. Dawn Jones Redstone *winner Best Oregon Short Film 2. Lovely Legs / Portland, OR / dir. Abby Thompson 3. Two Balloons / Portland, OR / dir. Mark SmithBest of Masters sidebar
On Body and Soul / Hungary / dir. Ildikó EnyediBest of PIFF After Dark sidebar
Bodied / United States / dir. Joseph KahnBest of Ways of Seeing sidebar
The Nothing Factory / Portugal / dir. Pedro PinhoBest of Films for Families sidebar
Science Fair / United States / dir. Cristina Costantini, Darren FosterBest of Global Panorama sidebar
A Taxi Driver / South Korea / dir. Hun Jang
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2018 Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival in NYC Announces Lineup, “Men Don’t Cry” “Birds Like Us” and More…
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Men Don’t Cry[/caption]
A total of 15 films will screen at the 2018 Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival (BHFF), along with a series of Q&A and discussion panels with filmmakers. The festival will run from Wednesday, April 11 through Saturday, April 14 at two Manhattan venues.
The BHFF will kick off with a special event on Wednesday, April 11, with a screening and discussion panel at Anthology Film Archives before moving to the SVA Theatre for three exciting nights featuring screenings, events with with filmmakers, and much more.
This year’s program will feature the work of 7 women directors, and brings to New York City both innovative young filmmakers, as well as established regional names including renowned director and screenwriter Aida Begić, and legendary actor Emir Hadžihafizbegović.
The fifteenth annual BHFF and will consist of five narrative feature films, four narrative shorts and six documentary films. All films selected to screen at the 15th Annual BHFF program are eligible to win a number of honors including the Golden Apple audience and jury awards. Films in competition are:
FEATURE FILMS
Birds Like Us | Faruk Šabanović, Amela Ćuhara | 84 min A group of birds are unceremoniously evicted from their home tree after a brave couple attempts to disrupt the community’s unique and unsettling social contract. Featuring Oscar winners Jeremy Irons and Alicia Vikander, and music by Peter Gabriel. The Frog (Žaba) | Elmir Jukić | 78 Minutes Zeko, a barber and a veteran, finds himself prone to violent fits resulting from post-traumatic stress disorder. Zeko attempts to reassemble the pieces of his life by reaching out to his brother Braco, who struggles with his own demons. Men Don’t Cry (Muškarci ne plaču) | Alen Drljević | 98 Minutes Twenty years after the conclusion of the Bosnian War, a diverse group of men meet to discuss their experiences and process the events that shaped their lives decades ago. Never Leave Me (Bırakma Beni) | Aida Begić | 97 min A group of young Syrian children try to overcome war trauma, and adjust to refugee life in Turkey. Nothing but the Wind (Ništa, samo vjetar) | Timur Makarević | 87 min If home is where the heart is, Bosnian-born Swede Vedran is conflicted about both. Forced to revisit his hometown of Sarajevo 18 years after departing, he must accept the changes the visit brings to him.SHORT FILMS
Great Wall of China (Kineski zid) | Aleksandra Odić | 36 min The legacy of the conflicts of the 1990s lurks in the background of a family gathering in the Bosnian countryside, as experienced by Maja, a young girl. Hedgehog’s Home (Ježeva kućica) | Eva Cvijanović | 10 min An interpretation of Branko Ćopić’s story of the same name, this animated short focuses on a hedgehog who is both envied and respected by other animals. Hedgehog’s Home is narrated by Rade Šerbedžija of Eyes Wide Shut, and Mission impossible: 2. Pink Elephant | Ado Hasanović | 17 min A secret suddenly breaks open when a daughter returns home from abroad, in this laugh-out-loud funny short about generational clashes. Stalemate | Amir Karagić | 13 min Mike, a middle-aged chef from Amsterdam, sits down to a game of chess with his estranged millennial son. A power battle ensues. Winter Sun (Zimsko sunce) | Pilar Palomero | 37 min Nana, who is eighty years old, is in need of a surgery. To have it, she and her husband must leave their home in the small village of Hrsa, in this an intimate look at this couple’s struggles to navigate a daunting healthcare system.DOCUMENTARY FILMS
Što te nema | Rialda Zukić | 8 min This documentary reflects on the recent incarnation in Boston’s iconic Copley Square of Što te nema, a “nomadic monument” held each July 11 that is dedicated to the 8,372 victims of the Srebrenica genocide. Scream for Me Sarajevo | Tarik Hodžić | 95 min A look back at the 1994 Iron Maiden concert in Sarajevo and what it took to make it happen as the city and its inhabitants were struggling through the three-year siege. To Be Far (Biti daleko) | Samira Kameli, Sajra Subašić | 9 min Samira, a documentarian from Iran, has traveled to Sarajevo to make a film. Attempting to connect with the country and its people, she seeks out others who have traveled great distances to be there, but encounters difficulties upon attempting to film at a refugee center. Two Schools (Dvije škole) | Srđan Šarenac | 43 min This documentary explores the Travnik Gymnasium, which, following the war in Bosnia, has been divided into two separate schools that share the same building. The annual Christmas football tournament is the only time when children from both sides of the school get a chance to interact with one another. [caption id="attachment_27539" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Undercovered[/caption]
Undercovered | Nejra Latić Hulušić, Sabrina Begović-Čorić | 53 min
Undercovered deals with six young Bosnian women from different spheres of life who decide to wear the headscarf as expression of their religion and identity.
Winter Sun (Zimsko sunce) | Pilar Palomero | 37 min
Nana, who is eighty years old, is in need of a surgery. To have it, she and her husband must leave their home in the small village of Hrsa, in this an intimate look at this couple’s struggles to navigate a daunting healthcare system.
The BHFF also presents a jury award for Best Acting Performance, awarded to an actor or actress in a lead or supporting role in any of the narrative short and feature films. The festival extend the following nominations for the BHFF 2018 Jury Award for Best Acting Performance to:
Emir Hadžihafizbegović, lead actor in the role of Zeko in The Frog
Ermin Bravo, lead actor in the role of Ahmed in Men Don’t Cry
Elena Matić, lead actress in the role of Maja in Great Wall of China
Boris Glibusić, lead actor in the role of Vedran in Nothing but the Wind
Izudin Bajrović, supporting actor in the role of Sead in Pink Elephant
Jasna Žalica, supporting actress in the role of Zlata in Pink Elephant
Isa Demlakhi, lead actor in the role of Isa in Never Leave Me
Emir Hadžihafizbegović, lead actor in the role of Merim in Men Don’t Cry
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5 Scientists Explore Some of the Most Spectacular Places on Earth in Trailer for “The Serengeti Rules”
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“Bob Paine (played by Matthieson McCrae) explores the Pacific Northwest in search of a natural laboratory.” From THE SERENGETI RULES. Photo credit: Nicolas Brown.[/caption]
Check out the beautiful and breath-taking trailer for The Serengeti Rules, a film that follows five pioneering scientists exploring some of the most remote and spectacular places on Earth.
Directed by Emmy and BAFTA award-winning filmmaker Nicolas Brown, The Serengeti Rules, will world premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival.
Beginning in the 1960s, a small band of young scientists headed out into the wilderness, driven by an insatiable curiosity about how nature works. Immersed in some of the most remote and spectacular places on Earth—from the majestic Serengeti to the Amazon jungle; from the Arctic Ocean to Pacific tide pools—they discovered a single set of rules that govern all life. Now in the twilight of their eminent careers, these five unsung heroes of modern ecology—Bob Paine, Jim Estes, Mary Power, Tony Sinclair, and John Terborgh—share the stories of their adventures, and how their pioneering work flipped our view of nature on its head. Across the globe, they discovered that among the millions of species on our planet, some are far more important than others. They called these species “keystones,” because they hold the natural world together. The role of keystones is both revelatory and surprising: sea otters help kelp forests flourish, supporting everything from salmon to eagles; wolves enable rivers to run clear and help forests thrive; and the humble wildebeest controls the numbers of trees, butterflies, elephants, and even giraffes on the savanna.
Unfortunately, these deep connections also work in reverse. When keystones are removed, ecosystems unravel and collapse—a phenomenon no one had imagined—or understood until their revolutionary discoveries. But with new knowledge also comes new hope, and these same visionaries reveal the remarkable resilience of nature—and how the rules they discovered can be used to upgrade and restore the natural world. They give us the chance to reimagine the world as it could and should be.
Based on the book by Sean B. Carroll, The Serengeti Rules will forever change the way we see nature. The film will be accompanied by a media and impact campaign to shine a light on restoration projects across the world.
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25th Anniversary of THE FUGITIVE Starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones will Open 2018 Ebertfest
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The Fugitive[/caption]
The Fugitive directed by Andrew Davis, and starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, will open this year’s 20th anniversary celebration of Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, co-founded and hosted by Chaz Ebert and also known as ‘Ebertfest.” The Fugitive celebrates its 25th anniversary of release having opened in theaters on August 6, 1993.
“We like to start the festival with a bang and Andy Davis’s award winning film The Fugitive will do just that as our projectionist, James Bond, lights it on our huge screen at the beautiful movie palace, the Virginia Theater,” said co-founder Chaz Ebert. “And that is just for starters. We are really going to celebrate Roger and cinema and the filmmakers and our guests and all that we have shared over these last twenty years. It will be glorious and joyful.”
Additionally, Ebertfest reavealed that 13TH (d. Ava DuVernay), BELLE (d. Amma Asante) and DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST (d. Julie Dash) as the initial films in this year’s slate. The remaining schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
“What an honor to have these Three Queens of Cinema grace our festival,” said Chaz Ebert. “Ava DuVernay first met Roger outside of the practice arena for the Academy Awards when she was 8 years old. She was accompanied by her aunt whose death later inspired Ava’s poignant independent film, I WILL FOLLOW that Roger gave Thumbs Up. Now she is directing a 100 million dollar movie. But why I am especially thrilled to have her at our 20th anniversary is because of all of the good work she is doing in Hollywood to assure that women and people of color are having opportunities that were not available before. She didn’t stop at her own success, she reached out and invited others to come along.”
Special guests Director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive) Director, Writer and Producer Ava DuVernay (13TH), Director Amma Asante (BELLE) and Director Julie Dash (DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST) will be in attendance and participate in Q&As following their screenings.
The 20th Anniversary of Ebertfest will be held April 18 to 22, 2018 at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL with related talks and panel discussions to be held at the Hyatt Place in Champaign and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This year’s event will be dedicated to its namesake and co-founder, Roger Ebert, and to the festival’s cherished friend, Mary Frances Fagan.
The Fugitive (1993) – Opening Night Film
Directed by Andrew Davis, 130 mins
Special Guest Andrew Davis will be in attendance
Wrongfully accused of murdering his wife, Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) escapes from the law in an attempt to find her killer and clear his name. Pursuing him is a team of U.S. marshals led by Deputy Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), a determined detective who will not rest until Richard is captured. As Richard leads the team through a series of intricate chases, he discovers the secrets behind his wife’s death and struggles to expose the killer before it is too late.
In his 4-star review, Roger Ebert called the film “one of the best entertainments of the year, a tense, taut and expert thriller that becomes something more than that, an allegory about an innocent man in a world prepared to crush him.”
13TH (2016)
Directed by Ava DuVernay, 100 Mins, DCP
Special Guest Ava DuVernay will be in attendance
The title of Ava DuVernay’s extraordinary and galvanizing documentary refers to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which reads “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.” The progression from that second qualifying clause to the horrors of mass criminalization and the sprawling American prison industry is laid out by DuVernay with bracing lucidity. With a potent mixture of archival footage and testimony from a dazzling array of activists, politicians, historians, and formerly incarcerated women and men, DuVernay creates a work of grand historical synthesis.
In his 4 star review on RogerEbert.com, Odie Henderson wrote that 13TH is “an unflinching, well-informed and thoroughly researched look at the American system of incarceration, specifically how the prison industrial complex affects people of color.”
BELLE (2014)
Directed by Amma Asante, 102 Mins, DCP
Special Guest Amma Asante will be in attendance
BELLE is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed race daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode). Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson), Belle’s lineage affords her certain privileges, yet her status prevents her from the traditions of noble social standing. While her cousin Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) chases suitors for marriage, Belle is left on the sidelines wondering if she will ever find love. After meeting an idealistic young vicar’s son bent on changing society, he and Belle help shape Lord Mansfield’s role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.
“Amma Asante did something that no one ever thought possible, bringing a Jane Austen sensibility to historical issues of race in England in her film ‘Belle’,” said Chaz Ebert. “I can’t wait to welcome her to Ebertfest.”
DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST (1991)
Directed by Julie Dash, 112 Mins
Special Guest Julie Dash will be in attendance
At the dawn of the 20th century, a family in the Gullah community of coastal South Carolina — former West African slaves who adopted many of their ancestors’ Yoruba traditions — suffers a generational split. Young Haagar (Kaycee Moore) wants to move to the mainland away from tradition-bound matriarch Nana (Cora Lee Day). Former prostitute Yellow Mary (Barbara-O) gets a cold shoulder when she returns to the island with her female lover, especially from her sister Viola (Cheryl Lynn Bruce).
Roger Ebert called the film “a tone poem of old memories, a family album in which all of the pictures are taken on the same day” in his 3 star review. He went on to say that “at certain moments we are not sure exactly what is being said or signified, but by the end we understand everything that happened — not in an intellectual way, but in an emotional way.”
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See Poster + Trailer for Indie Action-Comedy GARLIC AND GUNPOWDER Starring Steven Chase, James Duvall, Vivica A. Fox
Check out the official trailer and poster for the indie slapstick action-comedy Garlic and Gunpowder starring Steven Chase, James Duvall, Lainie Kazan, Judy Tenuta, Martin Kove, Dean McDermott, Felissa Rose, Vivica A. Fox and Michael Madsen. The film is set for release in North American on Friday, March 16th by Global Digital Releasing.
Garlic and Gunpowder centers around a news report warning that a comet is on track to hit and possibly destroy the planet – or not, depending on who you talk too. However, some of the city’s super rich aren’t taking any chances and devise a plan to stash much of their wealth in bunkers….just in case. Ma (Rose), a 300 pound, cigar chompin’ Mob Boss, assigns her top two wise guys (Chase and Duvall) to hijack the convoy carrying all of the loot to the site. However, Ma is not the only one who sees this as an opportunity to get rich quick. While a public relations rep (Fox) tries to damage control the hysteria, a rival Chinese mafia leader, a clown, a porn star and even a couple of corrupt federal agents all formulate their own plan to steal the loot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rECoFJO-hxI
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Kevin Macdonald’s Authorized Whitney Houston Documentary Gets a Summer Theatrical Release Date
Whitney, Academy Award®-winning director Kevin Macdonald’s highly anticipated documentary about the life and career of legendary superstar Whitney Houston will be released this summer in the United States on July 6th by Roadside Attractions and Miramax, and also on July 6th in the UK and Ireland by Altitude Film Entertainment.
Whitney is the intimate, definitive account of the superstar’s life and career, authored by renowned Oscar®-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald. The only film officially supported by the late singer’s estate, it includes previously unreleased recordings, rare never-before-seen footage and live performances recorded by Houston at various stages her life, as well as original studio recordings and acapellas of some of the late singer’s greatest hits. Because the filmmakers had access to vast archives of the Houston estate, the film also contains personal home movie footage that has never been seen publicly before, offering a rare glimpse of Whitney’s life behind-the-scenes as known only to her closest relatives, friends and collaborators.
Director Macdonald says, “I approached Whitney’s life like a mystery story; why did someone with so much raw talent and beauty self-destruct so publicly and painfully? I was lucky enough to have the support of Pat Houston and the Whitney Houston estate in this quest. They entrusted me with the ‘keys to the vault’ while giving me complete freedom to follow the story wherever it went. At heart, Whitney is an intimate family story that reveals a new side to a woman that even her most die-hard fans never knew.”
“To tell Whitney’s story, you have to know her story,” says Patricia Houston, the late singer’s manager, sister-in-law and the executor of Houston’s estate. “We could not be more excited that Whitney’s fans will have this authoritative and definitive documentary chronicling the full arc or her career and the scope of Whitney’s entire life. This is an amazing retrospective that celebrates Whitney with never-before-seen footage and Kevin approaches her life with no blinders on. He captures all of Whitney’s magic, and he does not ignore the hard times. This is a film that will truly thrill all who knew and loved her as a musician, actress, model and so much more.”
Academy Award®-winner Kevin Macdonald (Marley, Touching The Void, One Day in September, The Last King of Scotland), Academy Award®-winning producer Simon Chinn (Man on Wire, Searching For Sugarman), and his Lightbox co-founder Emmy® Award-winning producer Jonathan Chinn (LA 92, Fantastic Lies) and multi-Emmy® Award nominated and Happy Street Entertainment co-founder Lisa Erspamer (“Running From Crazy”) tell the unvarnished and authentic story of the late icon’s life in a film that examines both the meteoric highs and devastating lows of her remarkable and unforgettable career. Patricia Houston, Nicole David, Zanne Devine, Rosanne Korenberg, Joe Patrick, and Altitude Film Entertainment’s Will Clarke, Andy Mayson, and Mike Runagall executive produced.
Often referred to simply as ‘The Voice’, Whitney Houston was a singular talent, blessed with an extraordinary vocal range and incredible technical skill. As one of music’s biggest selling artists ever, she broke more records than any other female singer in the history of pop music. With over 200 million album sales worldwide, and remaining the only artist to chart seven consecutive US No. 1’s, Whitney Houston became the voice of a generation and is the most awarded female singer in history. Coming from an esteemed lineage of singers, Whitney was destined to be plucked from her gospel-singing roots to rule the world stage. She inspired a generation of singers from Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga to Beyoncé and her unforgettable performance of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ moved the nation.
But all these achievements became overshadowed by a story of deep internal turmoil, addiction and self-destruction. With unprecedented access to friends, family and collaborators – some of whom have never told their story before, Kevin Macdonald offers the first comprehensive look at Whitney Houston’s life, work and creative process. The film reveals a woman who was both blessed and cursed with perhaps the greatest natural ability of any pop star in history.
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SXSW 2018: This Is Her Fight – Watch Trailer for Olivia Newman’s FIRST MATCH
Netflix today dropped the trailer for First Match, the first feature film from writer/director Olivia Newman, that is set to World Premiere at SXSW 2018. Following its debut, the film will launch on Netflix on March 30, 2018.
Hardened by years in foster care, a teenage girl from Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood decides that joining the all-boys’ wrestling team is the only way back to her estranged father.
First Match stars Elvire Emanuelle, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Colman Domingo, Jharrel Jerome and Jared Kemp. From producers Chanelle Elaine, Veronica Nickel and Bryan Unkeless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xva2FWNdcD0
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WHEN GOD SLEEPS, Profile of Exiled Iranian Musician Shahin Najafji, Debuts on PBS Independent Lens | Trailer
Directed by Till Schauder, When God Sleeps is a rap-punk-rock documentary about Iranian musician Shahin Najafi, who is forced into hiding after hardline clerics issue a fatwa for his death, incensed by a rap song that focuses on the oppression of women and human rights abuses. Shahin’s frantic escape leads to an impossible romance with Leili Bazargan, granddaughter of the first prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who was handpicked for the job by none other than the late Ayatollah Khomeini. Risking his life every time he steps on a stage, Shahin refuses to stop performing as an act of resistance while living a modern day Romeo and Juliet romance. When God Sleeps premieres on Independent Lens on Monday, April 2, 2018, 10:00-11:30 PM ET (check local listings) on PBS.
In 2012, Najafi released a satirical rap song that triggered thousands to rally in a campaign for his assassination. Incensed by the song’s irreverent remarks about Ali al-Naghi, one of twelve imams revered by Shia Muslims, hardline clerics placed a $100,000 bounty on his head. “My songs didn’t make me famous,” said Shahin. “The fatwa did.”
German journalist Günter Wallraff, who gave refuge to Salman Rushdie after his death fatwa, offers shelter to Shahin too. Despite the threats against his life, Shahin insists on total freedom of expression. His stubborn refusal to back down in spite of death threats is reminiscent of a suicide mission, complicating long-term planning for his new romantic relationship. Ironically, his uncompromising stance is not unlike that of the religious hardliners who want him dead. Shahin sees it as his mission, indeed his life’s purpose, to stand up to oppressive religious leaders — even if he has to pay the ultimate price for it.
“Touching on hot topics like Islam, terrorism, protest, and the global refugee crisis, When God Sleeps checks off just about every newsworthy box as we immerse ourselves in the life of the ‘Salman Rushdie of Rap,’” said Lois Vossen, Independent Lens executive producer. “The human cost of resistance is at the core of this film, which explores nationalism and the growing hostility toward immigrants through the lens of a rebellious musician who occupies the complex role of both political activist and cultural bridge-builder.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbk9nhUqmvs
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SXSW 2018: See New Poster + Trailer for AI Documentary “More Human Than Human”
Check out the new poster and trailer for More Human Than Human, the fascinating new documentary directed by Tommy Pallotta and Femke Wolting that delves into the increasing presence of Artificial Intelligence in our daily lives, and the existential questions it raises for humanity.
More Human Than Human premieres this Saturday March 10th, in the VISIONS section at SXSW 2018.
In this personal, playful and at times dramatic quest, filmmaker Tommy Pallota explores how much of his creativity and human values are at stake as he builds his own robot to replace himself as a filmmaker. The complexity of tasks that smart machines can perform is increasing at an exponential rate. Where will this ultimately take us? If a robot can learn to fold a towel on its own, will it someday be able to cook you dinner, perform surgery, and even conduct a war? This film instigates this debate between futurists and skeptics, about the potential of Artificial Intelligence. The filmmakers take us on a quest of understanding these innovations, opposing views and challenging our aspirations for the future of man and machine.
OFFICIAL SELECTION- SXSW 2018- VISIONS
MORE HUMAN THAN HUMAN
Directed By Tommy Pallotta & Femke Wolting
TRT: 78 min in English
Screening Times
Saturday, March 10 – 1:45 PM – Vimeo Theater
Monday, March 12 – 4:00 PM – Alamo Lamar D
Thursday, March 15 – 6:00 PM – Alamo Lamar A
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2018 Chattanooga Film Festival to Open with ROCK STEADY ROW and SUMMER OF ’84 | Trailers
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Caleb Emery, Cory Grüter-Andrew, Judah Lewis and Graham Verchere appear in Summer of ’84 by Francois Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann Whissell[/caption]
ROCK STEADY ROW and SUMMER OF ’84, have been selected as the opening night films of the 2018 Chattanooga Film Festival (CFF) slated for April 5 to 8, 2018. The festival will also screen the world premiere of the highly anticipated documentary LIFE AFTER FLASH.
LIFE AFTER FLASH is an inspiring and moving feature documentary that celebrates what makes that Mike Hodges enduring classic FLASH GORDON so iconic with audiences to this day. This film takes a looks at the real man behind the heroic mask, Sam J. Jones, including his successes, his battles, and his ultimate struggle for redemption. Director Lisa Downs, along with star Sam J. Jones and producer Ashley Pugh, will be in attendance for this once in a lifetime screening.
“The Chattanooga Film Festival has quickly grown over the last four years,” says festival executive director Chris Dortch. “Last year was our biggest, and for our fifth anniversary we weren’t going to settle for anything less than our best, most insane year yet.”
ROCK STEADY ROW | Director Trevor Stevens
Rock Steady Row centers around a young college freshman who, after his bike is stolen, lands on a college campus and is compelled to take action against the reigning fraternities and ultimately the dean.| Q&A with Trevor Stevens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJAEbawJZzg
SUMMER OF ’84 | Directors François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
After suspecting that their police officer neighbor is a serial killer, a group of teenage friends spend their summer spying on him and gathering evidence in, but as they get closer to discovering the truth, things get dangerous. | Q&A with François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B46J7fY4PY
LIFE AFTER FLASH | Director Lisa Downs
*WORLD PREMIERE
LIFE AFTER FLASH explores the life of Sam J Jones since his iconic performance as ‘Flash Gordon’ in the 1980 classic of the same name, and the aftermath of the young stars’ clash with one of Hollywood’s biggest legends, producer Dino De Laurentiis. Q&A with star Sam J. Jones, Lisa Downs, and producer Ashley Pugh