Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER.[/caption]
“The Shape of Water” won the top honors – the Oscar for best picture, along with the Oscar for best director for Guillermo del Toro at the 90th Academy Awards. “Icarus” won the Oscar for best documentary and “A Fantastic Woman” from Chile, won for best foreign language film.
Terry P.
VIMOOZ is for lovers of independent films + foreign film + documentary + film festivals. We love championing the little films.
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Complete List of Winners of 90th Academy Awards – “The Shape of Water” Wins Best Picture
[caption id="attachment_25167" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER.[/caption]
“The Shape of Water” won the top honors – the Oscar for best picture, along with the Oscar for best director for Guillermo del Toro at the 90th Academy Awards. “Icarus” won the Oscar for best documentary and “A Fantastic Woman” from Chile, won for best foreign language film.
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Call Me by Your Name, Get Out, I, Tonya Among Winners of 2018 Spirit Awards | Complete List
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SANTA MONICA, CA – MARCH 03: Actor Frances McDormand accepts Best Female Lead for ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ onstage during the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards on March 3, 2018 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)[/caption]
Call Me by Your Name, Get Out, I, Tonya, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Big Sick, Ingrid Goes West and Lady Bird, all snagged awards at this afternoon’s 33rd Film Independent Spirit Awards. Life and Nothing More, Faces Places and A Fantastic Woman also received awards at the ceremony, which was held on the beach in Santa Monica.
This year’s major winners were Get Out, which won Best Feature and Best Director; Call Me by Your Name, which won Best Male Lead and Best Cinematography; I, Tonya, which won Best Supporting Female and Best Editing; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which won Best Female Lead and Best Supporting Male; Lady Bird, which won Best Screenplay; Ingrid Goes West, which won Best First Feature; The Big Sick, which won Best First Screenplay; Life and Nothing More, which won the John Cassavetes Award; Faces Places which won Best Documentary and A Fantastic Woman, which won Best International Film.
The 11th annual Robert Altman Award was given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. Mudbound director Dee Rees received this award, along with casting directors Billy Hopkins and Ashley Ingram as well as cast members Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan and Carey Mulligan.
The 2018 Roger and Chaz Ebert Foundation Fellowship annually selects an outstanding filmmaker and participant in Project Involve, Film Independent’s longest running diversity and mentorship program, now in its 25th year. The fellowship includes an unrestricted cash grant of $10,000 and was awarded to writer/director Faren Humes, a distinct and bold new voice.
Complete list of the winners of 33rd Film Independent Spirit Awards
Best Feature: Get Out (Universal Pictures) Producers: Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr., Sean McKittrick, Jordan Peele Best Director: Jordan Peele, Get Out (Universal Pictures) Best Screenplay: Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird (A24) Best First Feature: Ingrid Goes West (NEON) Director: Matt Spicer Producers: Jared Ian Goldman, Adam Mirels, Robert Mirels, Aubrey Plaza,Tim White, Trevor White Best First Screenplay: Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani, The Big Sick (Amazon Studios) John Cassavetes Award (For best feature made under $500,000): Life and Nothing More (CFI Releasing) Writer/Director: Antonio Méndez Esparza Producers: Amadeo Hernández Bueno, Alvaro Portanet Hernández, Pedro Hernández Santos Best Supporting Female: Allison Janney, I, Tonya (NEON) Best Supporting Male: Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Fox Searchlight) Best Female Lead: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Fox Searchlight) Best Male Lead: Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name (Sony Pictures Classics) Robert Altman Award: Mudbound (Netflix) Director: Dee Rees Casting Directors: Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram Ensemble Cast: Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan, Carey Mulligan Best Cinematography: Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Call Me by Your Name (Sony Pictures Classics) Best Editing: Tatiana S. Riegel, I, Tonya (NEON) Best International Film: A Fantastic Woman (Chile – Sony Pictures Classics) Director: Sebastián Lelio Best Documentary: Faces Places (Cohen Media Group) Directors: Agnés Varda, JR Producer: Rosalie Varda
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2018 Annapolis Film Festival to Screen Over 80 Films, “Beirut” “The Miracle Season” and More..
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Beirut[/caption]
The 2018 Annapolis Film Festival will screen more than 80 films from 28 countries during the festival taking place March 22 to 25, 2018, including a U.S. premiere and four films from Sundance making their East Coast premiere, The Festival’s new theme: Voices Strong. Minds Open, is threaded throughout the four-day program of films, panels, parties, showcases, coffee talks, and Q&As with filmmakers.
“The diversity in this year’s slate is more than we have ever had. Audiences will get to experience firsthand the depth of this slate because many great directors, producers and talent are accompanying their films,” said Patti White, Festival Director. Some films have been sourced locally right here in Maryland, others come from afar including, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Iran, Ireland, France, Georgia, Germany, Norway, Pakistan, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia, Swaziland, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom and Venezuela.
Narrative films include the Opening Night political thriller, Beirut, directed by Brad Anderson and starring Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike, at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, which will be followed by a Q&A with producer Monica Levinson and industry professionals.
Other narrative films selected are: Beauty and the Dogs – Khaled Walid Barsaoui, Kaouther Ben Hania; Beauty Mark – Harris Doran; Bernard and Huey – Dan Mirvish; Butterfly Kisses – Erik Kristopher Myers; Cardinals – Grayson Moore, Aidan Shipley; Come Sunday – Joshua Marston; A Crooked Somebody– Trevor White; Disappearance – Ali Asgari; Flock of Four – Gregory Caruso; Hearts Beat Loud – Brett Haley; Humor Me – Sam Hoffman; Kiss Me! – Océane Michel, Cyprien Vial; Mary Goes Round – Molly McGlynn; The Miracle Season – Sean McNamara; The Rider – Chloé Zhao; Spinning Man – Simon Kaijser; Wallay – Berni Goldblat, and What Will People Say– Iram Haq.
Documentary features have also been chosen, including: Acorn and the Firestorm – Reuben Atlas, Samuel D. Pollard; Coyote: The Mike Plant Story – Thomas M. Simmons; Finding Home – AB Troen; Itzhak – Alison Chernick; Kim Swims – Kate Webber; Liyana – Aaron Kopp, Amanda Kopp; Lots of Kids, A Monkey, and a Castle – Gustavo Salmerón; Love Means Zero – Jason Kohn; New Wave: Dare To Be Different – Ellen Goldfarb; Resistance is Life – Apo W. Bazidi; Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me – Samuel D. Pollard; Stumped – Robin Berghaus; Three Identical Strangers – Tim Wardle; True Conviction – Jamie Meltzer; Waiting for the Sun – Kaspar Astrup Schröder; and What Lies Upstream – Cullen Hoback, and a special screening of the NBC Originals documentary Courageous: Ted Turner and the 1977 America’s Cup.
The film debuting for its U.S. premiere is The Miracle Season, directed by Sean McNamara and starring Helen Hunt as the coach of a volleyball team who must unite the team in hopes of winning the state championship in the wake of the tragic death of a star player. The four films making their East Coast premiere include Beirut; Come Sunday, directed by Joshua Marston and starring Martin Sheen and Chiwetel Ejiofor as real-life American evangelical preacher Carlton Pearson, who risks everything when he questions church doctrine and is branded a modern-day heretic; Hearts Beat Loud, directed by Brett Haley and starring Nick Offerman as a record store owner, who is forced to close his shop, and decides to form a band with his college-bound daughter; and documentary Three Identical Strangers, directed by Tim Wardle, which follows the incredible true story of triplets who learned of one another’s existence only at age 19, their initial joy giving way to increasingly unsettling discoveries.
In addition to award-winning features, AFF has made its mark now in its sixth year by continually bringing a lineup of compelling short films. Two shorts that screened at last year’s AFF landed on the Oscar’s Shortlist for Best Live Action Shorts, with DeKalb Elementary still contending for the Oscar at the upcoming 90th Academy Awards.
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San Francisco International Film Festival to Honor Charlize Theron with Tribute + Screening of TULLY
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THE DRUMMER AND THE KEEPER to Open, BORG VS. MCENROE to Close 2018 Cleveland International Film Festival
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THE DRUMMER AND THE KEEPER[/caption]
The 42nd Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF42) is kicking-off its 12-day run with a story of new-formed friendship, and closing with a look at an epic rivalry that took the tennis world by storm. CIFF42 will be held April 4 to 15, 2018 at Tower City Cinemas and select neighborhood screening locations.
The CIFF42 will open on Wednesday, April 4th, with THE DRUMMER AND THE KEEPER. Directed by Nick Kelly, the film tells the story of the unlikely friendship formed between two young men: Gabriel, a reckless young drummer with bipolar disorder; and, Christopher, a 17-year-old with Asperger’s Syndrome, who yearns to fit in. This heartwarming story shows the strength of the human bond in the face of adversity. The film stars a collection of talented Irish actors including Dermot Murphy, Jacob McCarthy, and Peter Coonan. Special Guests expected to be in attendance on Opening Night include director Nick Kelly, producer Kate McColgan, as well as actors Dermot Murphy and Jacob McCarthy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ExhyLIdEHs
On Sunday, April 15th at 7:00 p.m. the Festival will close with BORG VS. MCENROE. Directed by Janus Metz, the film tells the story of the rivalry between two tennis champs: the calm and cool Björn Borg, played by Sverrir Gudnason, and his fiercest competitor, the brash John McEnroe, played by Shia LaBeouf. The story culminates with a legendary meeting on the court at the 1980 Wimbledon Championships.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgfFdEOGUqE
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SXSW 2018: Watch New Teaser Trailer for Megan Griffiths’ SADIE Starring OITNB Danielle Brooks
Here is the new teaser trailer for Megan Griffiths’ SADIE which will premiere at the 2018 SXSW. The film, which is in the festival’s Narrative Feature Competition, also features Arrested Development‘s Tony Hale taking a dramatic turn, Orange is the New Black favorite Danielle Brooks as well as young actor Keith Williams who has appeared in The Last Man on Earth. Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready composed the film’s score. SADIE also stars Sophia Mitri Schloss, Melanie Lynskey, and John Gallagher Jr.
SADIE is the story of a 13-year-old girl (Sophia Mitri Schloss) who lives at home with her mother (Melanie Lynskey) while her father serves repeated tours in the military. Sadie is extremely attached to her father despite his prolonged absence, and when her mother begins dating a new man (John Gallagher Jr.), Sadie takes extreme measures to end the relationship and safeguard her family through the only tactics she knows – those of war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk1lgi7fjwc
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Jonathan Hacker’s Jihadi Terrorism Documentary PATH OF BLOOD Eyes Summer Release
Described as a “documentary thriller,” the documentary Path Of Blood is a provocative and unprecedented glimpse into the world of jihadi terrorism. Path Of Blood is directed by Jonathan Hacker based on his acclaimed book of the same title. Paladin today announced that the company has acquired the film with plans for a multi-city summer release in 2018.
Path Of Blood depicts Islamist terrorism as it has never been seen before. Drawn from a hoard of jihadi home-movie footage that was captured by Saudi security services, this is the story of Muslim terrorists targeting Muslim civilians and brought to justice by Muslim security agents. It is a stark reminder that all who are touched by terrorism are victimized by it.
A powerful and sometimes shocking cinematic experience, Path Of Blood reveals how brainwashed youths, fuelled by idealism and the misguided pursuit of adventure, can descend into madness and carnage. The raw, unvarnished footage, to which the filmmakers negotiated exclusive access, captures young thrill-seekers at a jihadi “boot camp” deep in the Saudi desert, having signed on to overthrow the Saudi government. They plot to detonate car-bombs in downtown Riyadh, become embroiled in a game of cat-and-mouse with government forces and, as their plans unravel, resort to ever more brutal tactics.
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Jonathan Hacker[/caption]
Adopting a strictly objective approach, the film doesn’t editorialize and contains no interviews or “talking heads” commentary. The home video footage was shot by the terrorists themselves, allowing viewers to see them in all their complexity, while compelling audiences to draw their own conclusions. About the film, Hacker says, “I was shocked at how powerful the imagery was. The footage took the viewer behind the scenes with Al Qaeda and had a genuine intimacy. I felt, for the first time, that I was seeing these disturbed young men as real human beings.” Urman adds, “Path Of Blood is an intense, immersive look at one of the most important—and polarizing—issues of our time: terrorism. It is an eye-opening experience, unlike any non-fiction film I’ve seen, and it is bound to capture the interest of anyone who cares about the ever-evolving way in which documentaries can tell us about the world we live in.”
The book of the same title, published by Overlook Press in the U.S. and Simon & Schuster U.K., is currently available.
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Berlinale 2018 Awards: TOUCH ME NOT Wins Golden Bear | Complete List
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Touch Me Not by Adina Pintilie[/caption]
It’s awards time at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, and Touch Me Not by Romanian artist and director, Adina Pintilie, won the top prize, the Golden Bear for Best Film. Touch Me Not follows a filmmaker and her protagonists in a personal research project on intimacy. The film takes us on a journey of discovery through the emotional worlds of Laura, Tómas and Christian, blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality, and providing profoundly insightful insights into their lives.
Winners of 68th Berlin International Film Festival Awards
PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL JURY
GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST FILM (awarded to the film’s producer) Touch Me Not by Adina Pintilie SILVER BEAR GRAND JURY PRIZE Twarz Mug by Małgorzata Szumowska SILVER BEAR ALFRED BAUER PRIZE for a feature film that opens new perspectives Las herederas The Heiresses by Marcelo Martinessi SILVER BEAR FOR BEST DIRECTOR Wes Anderson for Isle of Dogs (Isle of Dogs — Ataris Reise) SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTRESS Ana Brun in Las herederas (The Heiresses) by Marcelo Martinessi SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTOR Anthony Bajon in La prière (The Prayer) by Cédric Kahn SILVER BEAR FOR BEST SCREENPLAY Manuel Alcalá and Alonso Ruizpalacios for Museo (Museum) by Alonso Ruizpalacios SILVER BEAR FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION Elena Okopnaya for costume and production design in Dovlatov by Alexey German Jr.GWFF BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD
GWFF BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD endowed with € 50,000, funded by GWFF Touch Me Not by Adina Pintilie SPECIAL MENTION An Elephant Sitting Still by Hu BoGLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL — DOCUMENTARY AWARD
GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL — DOCUMENTARY AWARD endowed with € 50,000, funded by Glashütte Original Waldheims Walzer The Waldheim Waltz by Ruth Beckermann LOBENDE ERWÄHNUNG Ex Pajé Ex Shaman by Luiz BolognesiPRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM JURY
GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST SHORT FILM The Men Behind the Wall by Ines Moldavsky SILVER BEAR JURY PRIZE (SHORT FILM) Imfura by Samuel Ishimwe AUDI SHORT FILM AWARD endowed with € 20,000, enabled by Audi Solar Walk by Réka Bucsi BERLIN SHORT FILM NOMINEE FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS Burkina Brandenburg Komplex by Ulu BraunPRIZES OF THE JURIES GENERATION
Children’s Jury Generation Kplus CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Film Les rois mongols Cross My Heart Hand auf’s Herz by Luc Picard SPECIAL MENTION Supa Modo by Likarion Wainaina CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Short Film A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year-Old Girl Handbuch einer 12-Jährigen by Tilda Cobham-Hervey SPECIAL MENTION Snijeg za Vodu Snow for Water Schnee für Wasser by Christopher VilliersInternational Jury Generation Kplus
THE GRAND PRIX OF THE GENERATION KPLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best feature-length film, endowed with € 7,500 by the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Sekala Niskala The Seen and Unseen Sichtbar und unsichtbar by Kamila Andini SPECIAL MENTION Allons enfants Cléo & Paul by Stéphane Demoustier THE SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE GENERATION KPLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best short film, endowed with € 2,500 by the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Jaalgedi A Curious Girl Ein neugieriges Mädchen by Rajesh Prasad Khatri SPECIAL MENTION Cena d’aragoste Lobster Dinner Hummer zum Abendbrot by Gregorio FranchettiYouth Jury Generation 14plus
CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Film Fortuna by Germinal Roaux SPECIAL MENTION Retablo by Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio L. CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Short Film Kiem Holijanda by Sarah Veltmeyer SPECIAL MENTION Je fais où tu me dis Dressed for Pleasure by Marie de MaricourtInternational Jury Generation 14plus
THE GRAND PRIX OF THE GENERATION 14PLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best feature-length film, endowed with € 7,500 by the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education) Fortuna by Germinal Roaux SPECIAL MENTION Dressage by Pooya Badkoobeh THE SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE GENERATION 14PLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best short film, endowed with € 2,500 by the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education) Juck by Olivia Kastebring, Julia Gumpert and Ulrika Bandeira SPECIAL MENTION Na zdrowie! Bless You! by Paulina ZiolkowskaPRIZES OF THE INDEPENDENT JURIES
PRIZES OF THE ECUMENICAL JURY
Competition In den Gängen (In the Aisles) by Thomas Stuber Special Mention: Utøya 22. juli (U – July 22) by Erik Poppe Panorama Styx by Wolfgang Fischer endowed with € 2,500 Forum Teatro de guerra (Theatre of War) by Lola Arias endowed with € 2,500PRIZES OF THE FIPRESCI JURY
Competition Las herederas (The Heiresses) by Marcelo Martinessi Panorama River’s Edge by Isao Yukisada Forum An Elephant Sitting Still by Hu Bo GUILD FILM PRIZE In den Gängen (In the Aisles) by Thomas StuberCICAE ART CINEMA AWARD
Panorama Tinta Bruta (Hard Paint) by Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher Forum Teatro de guerra (Theatre of War) by Lola Arias LABEL EUROPA CINEMAS Styx by Wolfgang FischerTEDDY AWARD
Best Feature Film Tinta Bruta (Hard Paint) by Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher Nominated: Las herederas (The Heiresses) by Marcelo Martinessi and Touch Me Not by Adina Pintilie Best Documentary/Essay Film Bixa Travesty (Tranny Fag) by Claudia Priscilla and Kiko Goifman Nominated: Yours in Sisterhood by Irene Lusztig and Shakedown by Leilah Weinraub Best Short Film Three Centimetres by Lara Zeidan Nominated: T.R.A.P by Manque La Banca and Je fais où tu me dis (Dressed for Pleasure) by Marie de Maricourt Special Jury Award Obscuro Barroco by Evangelia Kranioti L’Oréal Paris TEDDY NEWCOMER AWARD Retablo by Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio L. CALIGARI FILM PRIZE La casa lobo (The Wolf House) by Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña PEACE FILM PRIZE The Silence of Others by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FILM PRIZE Zentralflughafen THF (Central Airport THF) by Karim Aïnouz Special Mention: Eldorado by Markus Imhoof HEINER CAROW PRIZE Styx by Wolfgang FischerREADERS’ JURIES AND AUDIENCE AWARDS
PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARD Fiction Film Profile by Timur Bekmambetov PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARD Documentary Film The Silence of Others by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar BERLINER MORGENPOST READERS’ JURY AWARD Dovlatov by Alexey German Jr. TAGESSPIEGEL READERS’ JURY AWARD L’empire de la perfection (In the Realm of Perfection) by Julien Faraut TEDDY READERS’ AWARD POWERED BY MANNSCHAFT Las herederas (The Heiresses) by Marcelo MartinessDEVELOPMENT AWARDS
COMPASS-PERSPEKTIVE-AWARD Überall wo wir sind (Everywhere We Are) by Veronika Kaserer KOMPAGNON-FELLOWSHIP Blutsauger by Julian Radlmaier (Perspektive Deutsches Kino 2017) When a farm goes aflame, the flakes fly home to bear the tale by Jide Tom Akinleminu (Berlinale Talents 2018) ARTE INTERNATIONAL PRIZE The War Has Ended by Hagar Ben Asher, produced by Madants (Poland), Match Factory Productions (Germany) and Transfax Film Productions (Israel) EURIMAGES CO-PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT AWARD Madants (Poland), Match Factory Productions (Germany) and Transfax Film Productions (Israel) for The War Has Ended (Director: Hagar Ben Asher) VFF TALENT HIGHLIGHT AWARD Producer Jing Wang (China) for Tropical Memories (Director: Shipei Wen)
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SXSW 2018: See New Artsy Poster for Megan Griffiths’ SADIE
The new artsy poster debuted this week for Sadie, written and directed by Megan Griffiths, which will screen at the upcoming 2018 SXSW Film Festival. Sadie stars Sophia Mitri Schloss, Melanie Lynskey, John Gallagher Jr., Tony Hale, Keith Williams, and Danielle Brooks.
Sadie is the story of a 13-year-old girl (Sophia Mitri Schloss) who lives at home with her mother (Melanie Lynskey) while her father serves repeated tours in the military. Sadie is extremely attached to her father despite his prolonged absence, and when her mother begins dating a new man (John Gallagher Jr.), Sadie takes extreme measures to end the relationship and safeguard her family through the only tactics she knows – those of war.
Sadie SXSW Festival Screenings
World Premiere: Saturday, March 10th at 4:15pm (Stateside) Screening #2: Sunday, March 11th at 12:15pm (Alamo Lamar B) Screening #3: Wednesday, March 14th at 4:30pm (Alamo Lamar E)
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Berlinale 2018: Veronika Kaserer’s “Everywhere We Are” Wins Compass-Perspektive-Award
[caption id="attachment_27229" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Compass Perspektive Award
Winner Veronika Kaserer and the jury from left to right Sol Bondy, Veronika Kaserer, Jules Herrmann, Sung-Hyung Cho.[/caption] On the closing night of Perspektive Deutsches Kino program of the 2018 Berlin International film festival, the Compass-Perspektive-Award 2018 for the best film was presented to Überall wo wir sind (Everywhere We Are) by Veronika Kaserer. Endowed with 5,000 euro, this year is the second time the prize has been awarded. The filmmaker received a compass as trophy, symbolically it should serve to provide orientation and direction. During the festival, the jury members watched all 14 entries in the competition of the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section and, after deliberating intensively, picked their favourite. As the jury members stated: “The prize goes to a film that divided our jury and sparked heated debates. But we decided to honour precisely this film, rather than settle on a compromise, as we firmly believe that consensus films are not where the future of German cinema lies.” Jury Statement – Überall wo wir sind (Everywhere We Are): Veronika Kaserer has made a film about grief, which at the same reminds us that life is worth living. With an astonishing closeness, unconventional montage, and many surprising moments, she portrays the last weeks and days of Heiko Lekutat, a 29-year-old Berlin dance instructor, and, most notably, his wonderful, big-hearted family. Does the film cause us pain because the family’s sorrow distresses us so, or do we suffer because we feel that the great intimacy to those grieving oversteps a line and in doing so impinges on our own sense of well-being? The editing constantly flashes back and forth between “before” and “after” Heiko’s death. Is it legitimate to disrupt the process of dying in this way in order to arouse, on an abstract level, empathy for the psychological and emotional process of grieving? The fact that a film triggers fierce sentiments and debates is a fine quality. We congratulate director, producer, and camerawoman Veronika Kaserer. Image/credit: © Daniel Seiffert / Berlinale 2018
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Berlinale 2018: PROFILE and THE SILENCE OF OTHERS Win Panorama Audience Awards
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Winner documentary “The Silence of Others” by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar with presenter Ana David[/caption]
The votes are in and the 20th Panorama Audience Awards of the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival go to Profile by Timur Bekmambetov for best fiction film and The Silence of Others by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar for best documentary.
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Panorama Audience Award. Winner movie: Profiles by Timur Bekmambetov
Paz Lázaro (Head of Panorama ), Shazad Latif, Timur Bekmambetov, Valene Kane, Olga Kharina[/caption] In Profile, a journalist investigating the recruitment of young women for ISIS falls under the spell of a Jihadist – a story entirely told on a computer screen. Director Timur Bekmambetov has previously been a guest of the Berlinale Special with his films Night Watch (2005) and Day Watch (2007). In the documentary The Silence of Others, directors Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar tackle the issue of justice in Spain, after a 1977 amnesty law prohibited the prosecution of the regime’s perpetrators. The Panorama Audience Award has been given since 1999. Since 2011, not only the best fiction film but also the best documentary films have received awards. During the festival, moviegoers are asked to rate the films shown in Panorama on voting cards after the screenings. In 2018 a total of 26,000 votes were cast and counted. This year Panorama presented 47 feature-length films from 40 countries, of which 20 screened in the Panorama Dokumente series. Panorama Audience Award Winner – Fiction Film 2018 Profile USA / United Kingdom / Cyprus / Russian Federation By Timur Bekmambetov 2nd place Panorama Audience Award – Fiction Film 2018 Styx Germany / Austria By Wolfgang Fischer 3rd place Panorama Audience Award – Fiction Film 2018 L‘Animale Austria 2018 By Katharina Mueckstein Panorama Audience Award Winner – Panorama Dokumente 2018 The Silence of Others USA / Spain By Almudena Carracedo, Robert Bahar 2nd place Panorama Audience Award – Panorama Dokumente 2018 Partisan Germany By Lutz Pehnert, Matthias Ehlert, Adama Ulrich 3rd place Panorama Audience Award – Panorama Dokumente 2018 O processo Brazil / Germany / Netherlands By Maria Augusta Ramos Images / Credit:Oben v.l.n.r./top FLTR: Robert Bahar und Almudena Carracedo mit Moderatorin Ana David.The Silence of Others.Regie/directors: Almudena Carracedo, Robert Bahar. Foto: © Trevor Good / Berlinale 2018
Unten v.l.n.r./bottom FLTR: Paz Lázaro (Leiterin Panorama) mit Shazad Latif,Timur Bekmambetov, Valene Kane und Olga Kharina.Profile. Regie/director: Timur Bekmambetov. Foto: © Brigitte Dummer / Berlinale 2018
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THE JUDGE Documentary on First Woman Judge on Middle East’s Shari’a Courts Sets Release Date | Trailer
The inspiring documentary feature The Judge from Emmy-Winning Director Erika Cohn, offers a unique portrait of Kholoud Al-Faqih who became the first woman judge to be appointed to the Middle East’s Shari’a (Islamic law) courts – her brave journey as a lawyer, her tireless fight for justice for women, and her drop-in visits with clients, friends, and family.
When she was a young lawyer, Kholoud Al-Faqih walked into the office of Palestine’s Chief Justice and announced she wanted to join the bench. He laughed at her. But just a few years later, Kholoud became the first woman judge to be appointed to the Middle East’s Shari’a (Islamic law) courts.
The Judge, which debuted at Toronto International Film Festival will open in U.S. theaters nationwide wide starting April 13.
Religious courts in the Middle East had historically banned women from adjudicating domestic and family matters – in both the Shari’a courts of Islam and the Rabbinic courts of Judaism – until Kholoud Al-Faqih, dares to challenge that history.
With the support of a progressive Sheik, Kholoud becomes the first woman judge with her appointment to a Palestinian Shari’a court in the West Bank, bringing a subtle new perspective garnered from her early professional life working with battered women as an attorney in both the criminal and Shari’a courts.
This feature-length documentary chronicles Kholoud’s appointment, her first years as a judge, and her tenacious ability to maintain her position despite attempts to marginalize and demote her. Through Kholoud’s eyes, the film examines the religious and legal stipulations between men and women according to Shari’a law, relaying how the worst aspects of misinterpreted Shari’a laws reflect a tragic misogyny – rape, beatings, and polygamy – stemming from misconstrued ignorance of the Qur’an.
As Kholoud’s most compelling cases develop in gripping cinema vérité style, the film reveals precisely the kinds of misinterpretations of Shari’a law that Kholoud now has the power to correct.
With unparalleled access and a critical cinematic eye, The Judge follows Kholoud in and outside of the courtroom as she asserts her right to equality and redefines how Shari’a law perceives, treats, and respects women.
Illustrating a unique portrait of her sustained intervention, The Judge reveals that Shari’a is a system largely mischaracterized both in the Middle East and in the West. Amid a time of rapidly increasing global Islamophobia, the unprecedented Muslim Ban and potential future Muslim registry – The Judge illuminates how colonial occupation has impacted the legal and cultural worlds of the contemporary Islamic world, while reflecting a universal struggle for women’s control over their bodies, economic welfare, custodial rights, and marital status.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5VNYkwjG30
THEATRICAL RELEASE SCHEDULE
Friday, April 13, 2018
Opens in New York City at Cinema Village
Friday, April 20, 2018
Opens in Los Angeles at Laemmle Monica Film Center
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Opens in Seattle at Northwest Film Forum
Friday, April 27 , 2018
Opens in San Francisco at The Roxie
Opens in Berkeley, CA at Rialto Cinemas® Elmwood
Opens in Detroit at Cinema Detroit
Friday, May 4 , 2018
Opens in Washington, DC at Landmark’s West End Cinema
Additional Markets/Theaters TBA Soon
