Terry P.

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

Portland International Film Festival Unveils 2018 PIFF After Dark Lineup | Trailers

[caption id="attachment_26927" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Five Fingers for Marseilles[/caption] This year’s 41st Portland International Film Festival will once again include the popular, boundary pushing fare that constitutes the PIFF After Dark program, showcasing late night movies like Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s (Amer, The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears) giallo-inflected, spaghetti western Let the Corpses Tan, Joseph Kahn’s (Torque) caustic, rap battle comedy Bodied, Can Evrenol’s (Baskin) riff on 1970s Italian horror Housewife, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s (Spring) looping, sci-fi thriller The Endless, Lukas Figelfeld’s folk-horror tale Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse, and Michael Matthews’ western set in South Africa Five Fingers for Marseilles. All PIFF After Dark at PIFF 41 screenings are at the Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium, located in the Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park Ave.)
2018 PIFF After Dark
Bodied (Dir. Joseph Kahn) – United States A UC Berkeley grad student whose thesis explores the use of racial slurs in rap battles finds himself drawn into the ring in this Eminem-produced feature directed by hip-hop/pop music video director Joseph Kahn and written by battle rap legend Alex “Kid Twist” Larsen. Winner of the Midnight Madness Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, “Bodied is pure zany fun disguised as a pure provocation, and sometimes vice versa, mainly because any attempt to characterize its narrative as problematic proves its point.”—IndieWire. (120 mins.) https://youtu.be/YgpL6R-X5Ng PRECEDED BY: Tickle Monster (Dir. Remi Weekes) – United Kingdom A wannabe rapper doesn’t believe his girlfriend’s claim that her apartment is home to a tickle monster. (4 mins.) Let the Corpses Tan (Dir. Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani) – France/Belgium A gang of ne’er-do-wells rob an armored truck, getting away with the gold bars. Hiding out, trouble ensues when unexpected guests AND the cops arrive, resulting in epic and complexly staged action. Cattet and Forzani (Amer, The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears) continue to channel their love of giallo cinema, but stretch in new directions, gloriously borrowing from spaghetti Westerns and Italian crime films. “Boiled down to a blurb, it’s like Alejandro Jodorowsky (El Topo) directed Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire.”—Birth. Movies. Death. (90 mins.) https://youtu.be/8Cx48AN5_y8 PRECEDED BY: Manila Death Squad (Dir. Dean Colin Marcial) – United States/Philippines A journalist embeds herself with a violent vigilante group leader during the Philippine drug war. (13 mins.) Housewife (Dir. Can Evrenol) – Turkey A woman who experienced a tragic loss as a child comes under the spell of a mysterious and charismatic cult leader. Pivoting (mostly) from the H.P. Lovecraft and Anton Levay influences of his debut film (Baskin), Evrenol instead projects a mélange of cosmic horror and giallo influences mixed with a 1980s European soft-core production aesthetic. “Evrenol shows that he’s more than a one-trick pony. Housewife is an intriguing and strangely sensual tale of the descent into madness.”—The Hollywood News. (82 mins.) https://youtu.be/IuBs3WtYnLY PRECEDED BY: Setaceous (Dir. Tel Benjamin) – Australia A neighborhood is terrorized by a car alarm in the dead of the night. (11 mins.) Five Fingers for Marseilles (Dir. Michael Matthews) – South Africa A recent parolee returns to his hometown, vowing to turn his back on his criminal ways. Before long he finds that some of his friends from the Apartheid era have internalized and recreated the tyranny they struggled against. “Director Michael Matthews and scripter Sean Drummond skillfully employ recycled genre elements to enhance the mythic qualities of their slow-burn narrative and reinforce the underlying sense that their archetypical characters are fulfilling destinies as inescapable as the fates that might befall major players in a conventional Wild West saga.”—Variety. (120 mins.) https://youtu.be/vaWV8YhoYCQ PRECEDED BY: Catherine (Dir. Britt Raes) – Belgium An animated look into the origins of a crazy cat lady. (10 mins.) Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse (Dir. Lukas Feigelfeld) – Austria/Germany In a small Austrian mountain village in the 15th century, a single mother is ostracized by the other residents, who claim she is a witch. With his debut feature, director Lukas Feigelfeld has constructed a folk-horror tale that hews more closely to a black metal aesthetic than any other film in recent memory. “It looks and feels far more substantial than most indie debuts, confidently bending genre rules with its minimalist dialogue and hallucinatory plot, which owes more to David Lynch or Lars Von Trier than to more orthodox horror.”—Hollywood Reporter. (102 mins.) https://youtu.be/ctr9g-9gVkU PRECEDED BY: Möbius (Dir. Sam Kuhn) – United States/Canada Following the death of her true love, a high school poet describes what led her there in this highly textured, neo-noir short film. (15 mins.) The Endless (Dir. Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead) – United States After receiving a cryptic video in the mail, two brothers return to the Southern California cult they left a decade ago. They discover that no one they left behind has aged, and the event that the cult’s doctrine foretold has yet to happen. The directors make the most of the sci-fi tropes at the center of their micro-budget film, which has more in common with My Dinner With Andre and Primer than it does with the Hollywood-produced spectacles that pass for science fiction today. “The Endless isn’t just terrific—it’s poised to be that breakout genre hit that It Follows and The Babadook were.”—Slash Film. (111 mins.) (111 mins.) https://youtu.be/pcdTcGRJJRg PRECEDED BY: Zarr-Dos (Dir. Bart Wasem) – Switzerland Two giant heads blow shit up. (7 mins.)
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Moving Documentary A BOND UNBROKEN Sets February 13th Release Date | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_26915" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A Bond Unbroken. Nguyen Hoang Minh, at his home in My Tho.[/caption] The moving documentary A Bond Unbroken narrated by Renowned Broadcast Journalist Bob Woodruff which traces the emotional 40-Year journey of Navy SEALs to reunite with their Vietnamese combat interpreter will be released starting February 13, 2018, across digital, On-Demand and DVD via Cinedigm. In the deadly jungles of Vietnam over 40 years ago, the Navy SEALs forged an enduring bond of friendship with their Vietnamese combat interpreter. Through brutal fire-fights and night-time ambushes, Nguyen Hoang Minh fought as a member of the SEAL platoons in the Mekong Delta and helped keep them alive. Though wounded numerous times, he never backed down or gave up the fight, and the SEALs began to feel that Minh was “one of us.” When the Communists overran Vietnam, Minh could not get out, and the SEALs’ brave comrade was lost to them forever. Or so they thought. Until one Navy lieutenant’s relentless search found him and the SEALs brought him to America for a reunion. A Bond Unbroken captures that remarkable reunion decades in the making, and presents another side of the battle-tough, covert warrior SEALs. Their actions change Minh’s life and dramatically impacted his family and the Vietnamese-American community. “A Bond Unbroken” is narrated by veteran broadcast journalist Bob Woodruff and features the song “The Great Unknown,” written and performed by three-time Grammy Award® winner Rob Thomas (“Smooth”), who in addition to his solo career is also the lead vocalist for Matchbox Twenty. “The emotional threads in this story were just so compelling that I knew it needed to be told,” says director Mary Ann Koenig. “We wanted to demonstrate intrinsic parts of the SEAL credo that we had come to understand, those of honor and integrity and fidelity. Along the way it became clear that these SEALs have hearts of gold, and that was an element I didn’t anticipate. Their ongoing efforts to raise money to support their old colleague and his family in Vietnam and to bring him to America for a reunion, have made it a privilege to take the four-year journey and make the world aware of this story.”

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VIDEO: Watch Daniel Brühl and Rosamund Pike in Brand New Clip from 7 DAYS IN ENTEBBE

Watch Daniel Brühl and Rosamund Pike star in a brand new video clip from the hijacking thriller 7 Days In Entebbe, which opens in select theaters on March 16, 2018. 7 Days In Entebbe directed by José Padilha (“Narcos,” “Elite Squad”) and starring Rosamund Pike, Daniel Brühl, Eddie Marsan, Ben Schnetzer, Lior Ashkenazi, and Denis Ménochet, is a gripping thriller inspired by the true events of the 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight en route from Tel Aviv to Paris, the film depicts the most daring rescue mission ever attempted.

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Documentary LIVES WELL LIVED Celebrates Wit, Wisdom and Experiences of Seniors | Trailer

Lives Well Lived, the award-winning documentary by Sky Bergman that celebrates the incredible wit, wisdom and experiences of people aged 75 to 100 years old, will open on April 20th at the Laemmle Monica Film Center, Town Center in Encino and Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, California; other cities will follow. Through their intimate memories and inspiring personal histories encompassing over 3000 years of experience, forty people share their secrets and insights to living a meaningful life. These men and women open the vault on their journey into old age through family histories, personal triumph and tragedies, loves and losses – seeing the best and worst of humanity along the way. Their thoughtful perspectives reveal a treasure of life lessons and a reminder of the greatest role models in our own families. “My inspiration for the Lives Well Lived project was my 103 year old grandmother who enjoyed exercise, making the best lasagna you’ve ever tasted and being with family. She showed me by example, that age is truly just a number. In our society, the elderly are often overlooked and I wanted to bring that generation to the forefront. Our greatest role models are those living full and meaningful lives in their later years. It has been a six-year long labor of love to see this film to fruition: from the first days filming in my grandmother’s kitchen, to the moment of the final edits, it is a great honor to share the stories of the amazing people featured in the film.” – filmmaker Sky Bergman.

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MarVista Entertainment to Release Lea Thompson’s THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN

Actor/director Lea Thompson’s debut feature The Year of Spectacular Men, which premiered at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Festival has been acquired by MarVista Entertainment for a mid-June 2018 theatrical release date. Thompson directed from a script by daughter Madelyn Deutch and plays a supporting role opposite both Deutch and her other daughter Zoey Deutch (Before I Fall, Why Him?). In the year after graduating college, Izzy (Madelyn Deutch) struggles to navigate the seemingly incessant failures of adulthood, the reality of a substandard dating pool and a debilitating fear of top-sheets, all in between X-Files marathons. Comically unsuccessful in love over the course the year, including five half-hearted relationships with astoundingly self-centered men, Izzy resigns herself to the support of her mother and sister, who are struggling with their own relationship problems. Seeing herself in them, Izzy gradually gains the confidence to be honest and vulnerable. In a charming feature debut, established comedic actor Lea Thompson directs her real-life daughters Madelyn and Zoey Deutch, creating a palpable sense of intimacy in this story of connectedness and familial love. “From our inception, MarVista has taken pride in supporting female filmmakers and voices”, said MarVista CEO Fernando Szew. “When the team saw The Year of Spectacular Men , we immediately connected with the authenticity of the story and performances and felt that it is a multilayered film that would have strong appeal across generations. We are honored to be working with such a talented, creative and passionate group of women like Lea, Maddie, and Zoey, who also bring amazing dynamism as an inspiring family.” For her part, Thompson said, “This has been such a joyous passion project for me and my whole family. We feel incredibly lucky that our vigor and energy for “The Year of Spectacular Men” has been so genuinely matched by MarVista. We can’t wait to release our film with a company who truly believes in and sees the value in telling an authentic millennial woman’s story.” The Year of Spectacular Men also stars Avan Jogia, Melissa Bolona, Jesse Bradford, Brandon T. Jackson, Cameron Monaghan, Zach Roerig, and Nicholas Braun.
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2018 SXSW Festival to Close with Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs” + Midnighters, Shorts, VR Lineup

[caption id="attachment_25762" align="aligncenter" width="1329"] Isle of Dogs[/caption] The North American premiere of Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs will close the 2018 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals. The film tells the story of Atari Kobayashi, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by executive decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage dump, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies to Trash Island in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture. The film features an all star cast including Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Kunichi Nomura, Akira Takayama, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Akira Ito, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel, F. Murray Abraham, Yoko Ono, Tilda Swinton, Ken Watanabe, Mari Natsuki, Fisher Stevens, Nijiro Murakami, Liev Schreiber, and Courtney B. Vance. The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals also announced the remainder of its Film Festival program, including the Midnighters, Shorts, Virtual Cinema, Music Video, Title Sequence and new Independent Episodic lineup, plus late-addition Features for the 25th edition of the Festival, running March 9-18, 2018 in Austin, Texas.
FEATURES

MIDNIGHTERS
Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – ten provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious. Ajin: Demi-Human Director: Katsuyuki Motohiro, Screenwriter: Kouji Seko Endless battle between human being and immortal demi-human “Ajin”. A stunning, strikingly original action masterpiece! Cast: Takeru Satoh, Go Ayano, Tetsuji Tamayama, Yu Shirota, Yudai Chiba, Rina Kawaei, Minami Hamabe (North American Premiere) Blood Fest Director/Screenwriter: Owen Egerton In Blood Fest, fans flock to a festival celebrating the most iconic horror movies, only to discover that the charismatic showman behind the event has a diabolical agenda. Cast: Robbie Kay, Jacob Batalon, Seychelle Gabriel, Tate Donovan, Barbara Dunkelman, Nick Rutherford, Zachary Levi (World Premiere) Untitled Blumhouse-Bazelevs Film Director/Screenwriter: Stephen Susco A 20-something finds a cache of hidden files on his new laptop and is thrust into the deep waters of the dark web. From the makers of Unfriended, this thriller unravels in real-time, entirely on a computer screen. A warning for the digital age. Cast: Colin Woodell, Betty Gabriel, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Andrew Lees, Conor del Rio, Stephanie Nogueras, Savira Windyani (World Premiere) Field Guide to Evil (Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Poland, Turkey, U.S.) Directors: Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, Peter Strickland, Agnieszka Smoczynska, Katrin Gebbe, Can Evrenol, Calvin Reeder, Ashim Ahluwalia, Yannis Veslemes They are known as dark folklore. Created to give logic to mankind’s darkest fears, these stories and others laid the foundation for what we now call the horror genre. (World Premiere) Ghost Stories (United Kingdom) Directors/Screenwriters: Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman An arch skeptic debunker of the supernatural embarks upon a terror filled quest when he stumbles across a long lost file containing details of three cases of inexplicable ‘hauntings’. Adapted from the Olivier Award Winning hit stage play. Cast: Martin Freeman, Alex Lawther, Jill Halfpenny, Andy Nyman, Paul Whitehouse(North American Premiere) Hereditary Director/Screenwriter: Ari Aster When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. Cast: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Ann Dowd, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro A Prayer Before Dawn (United States, France) Director: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, Screenwriters: Jonathan Hirschbein, Nick Saltrese Based on the international best-seller, A Prayer Before Dawn is the true story of Billy Moore, a troubled young British boxer sent to one of Thailand’s most notorious jails. Cast: Joe Cole, Vithaya Pansringar, Panya Yimmumphai, Nicolas Shake (North American Premiere) The Ranger Director: Jenn Wexler, Screenwriters: Jenn Wexler, Giaco Furino Teen punks, on the run from the cops and hiding out in the woods, come up against the local authority—an unhinged park ranger with an axe to grind. Cast: Chloë Levine, Granit Lahu, Jeremy Pope, Bubba Weiler, Amanda Grace Benitez, Jeremy Holm, Larry Fessenden (World Premiere) Upgrade Director/Screenwriter: Leigh Whannell In a utopian near-future when technology controls everything, a technophobe avenges his wife’s murder and his own paralysis-causing injury with the help of an experimental computer chip implant – STEM – that turns out to have a mind of its own. Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson, Benedict Hardie (World Premiere) What Keeps You Alive (Canada) Director: Colin Minihan, Screenwriters: Colin Minihan, Brittany Allen Majestic mountains, a still lake and venomous betrayals engulf a female married couple attempting to celebrate their one-year anniversary. Cast: Hannah Emily Anderson, Brittany Allen, Martha Macisaac, Joey Klein, Charlotte Lindsay Marron(World Premiere)
HEADLINERS
Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major and rising names in cinema. Isle of Dogs (United States, United Kingdom) Director/Screenwriter: Wes Anderson Set in Japan, Isle of Dogs follows a boy’s odyssey in search of his dog. Cast: Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Kunichi Nomura, Akira Takayama, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Akira Ito, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel, F. Murray Abraham, Yoko Ono, Tilda Swinton, Ken Watanabe, Mari Natsuki, Fisher Stevens, Nijiro Murakami, Liev Schreiber, Courtney B. Vance (North American Premiere)
NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
High profile narrative features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW. Brother’s Nest (Australia) Director: Clayton Jacobson, Screenwriter: Jaime Browne With their Mother dying of cancer, intent on changing her will to benefit her “new” husband before she dies, two brothers go to extreme and deadly lengths to protect their inheritance from being signed away before it’s too late. Cast: Shane Jacobson, Clayton Jacobson, Lynette Curran, Kim Gyngell, Sarah Snook (World Premiere) Galveston Director/Screenwriter: Melanie Laurent After surviving a setup by his criminal boss, a hitman rescues a young prostitute and flees with her to Galveston, Texas, where the two find strength in each other as dangerous pursuers and the shadows of their pasts follow close behind. Cast: Ben Foster, Elle Fanning, Beau Bridges, Adepero Aduye, Robert Aramayo, Lili Reinhart, Maria Valverde (World Premiere) Most Likely To Murder Director: Dan Gregor, Screenwriters: Dan Gregor, Doug Mand Billy, the coolest kid in high school, comes back to his hometown 15 years later to find he’s no longer cool and the girl he still has feelings for now dates the former town outcast. Billy becomes obsessed with proving the outcast is a murderer. Cast: Adam Pally, Rachel Bloom, Vincent Kartheiser, John Reynolds, Didi Conn, Ethan Phillips, Doug Mand, Hasan Minhaj, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Julia Goldani Telles(World Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT
Shining a light on new documentary features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW. They Live Here, Now Director/Screenwriter: Jason Outenreath Austin based refugee house, Casa Marianella, is one of the most prominent refugee houses in the United States, providing life saving services for thousands of immigrants each year. Meet the people who live here now. (World Premiere)
EPISODIC
Episodic tunes in to the explosion of exciting material on non-theatrical platforms, including serialized TV and beyond.
24 BEATS PER SECOND
Showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music and musicians, with an emphasis on documentary. Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story (United Kingdom) Director/Screenwriter: Steve Sullivan The hilarious and bizarre story of Frank Sidebottom, the cult British comedian in a papier mâché head, and the secretive life of Chris Sievey, the artist trapped inside. (World Premiere) Hearts Beat Loud Director: Brett Haley, Screenwriters: Brett Haley, Marc Basch A father and daughter become an unlikely song writing duo before she leaves for college. Cast: Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, Ted Danson, Toni Collette, Blythe Danner, Sasha Lane
GLOBAL
A diverse selection of international filmmaking talent, featuring innovative narratives, artful documentaries, premieres, festival favorites and more. Jeannette, The Childhood of Joan of Arc (France) Director/Screenwriter: Bruno Dumont France, 1425. In the midst of the Hundred Years’ War, the young Jeannette, at the still tender age of 8, looks after her sheep in the small village of Domremy. Cast: Lise Leplat Prudhomme, Jeanne Voisin, Lucile Gauthier, Victoria Lefebvre, Aline Charles
FESTIVAL FAVORITES
Acclaimed standouts and selected previous premieres from festivals around the world. Blindspotting Director: Carlos Lopez Estrada, Screenwriters: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs Lifelong friends Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal co-wrote and star in this timely and wildly entertaining story about the intersection of race and class set against the backdrop of a rapidly gentrifying Oakland. Cast: Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casa, Janina Gavankar, Jasmine Cephas Jones Science Fair Directors: Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster, Screenwriters: Jeffrey Plunkett, Darren Foster, Cristina Costantini Nine high school students from around the globe navigate rivalries, setbacks, and of course, hormones, on their journey to compete at the international science fair. Facing off against 1,700 of the smartest, quirkiest teens from 78 different countries, only one will be named Best in Fair. Sorry To Bother You Director/Screenwriter: Boots Riley In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe. Cast: Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer, Terry Crews, Steven Yeun, Omari Hardwick, Jermaine Fowler, and Danny Glover
SPECIAL EVENTS
Live soundtracks, cult re-issues and much more. Our Special Events section offers unusual, unexpected and unique one-off film events. Cartoon Network Screening at SXSW For the third year in a row, Cartoon Network presents a fun-filled family event open to all fans. Be among the first to watch upcoming adventure series, Craig of the Creek plus catch brand new episodes of favorite shows Ben 10 and Unikitty! And fans are in for a special treat with a never-before-seen look at Teen Titans Go! to the Movies, coming to theaters this summer. Doug Benson Master Pancake and Doug Loves Movies Podcast Doug Benson returns in the continuing tradition of our annual St. Patrick’s Day screening of the Leprechaun series. On March 17 we present Leprechaun 5: In The Hood, directed by Rob Spera. 20th CENTURY FOX PRESENTS ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL SXSW OPENING NIGHT PARTY For the first time ever, 20th Century Fox welcomes SXSW Platinum and Film badge holders to Iron City, the movie set where Alita: Battle Angel was filmed. SXSW Platinum and Film badge holders are invited to join the cast and filmmakers at Robert Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios for the 2018 SXSW Opening Night Party in celebration of the upcoming Alita: Battle Angel. Attendees will be picked up at the 5th Street side entrance of the Hilton Hotel in Downtown Austin by Alita: Battle Angelbranded shuttles and will be transported to the futuristic Iron City movie set. From 9:30 pm to 12:30 am on Friday March 9, guests will enjoy cocktails, bites from local food trucks and great music, all within an immersive film set, featuring props from the film.
SHORTS PROGRAM

NARRATIVE SHORTS
A selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short form and exemplify distinctive and genuine storytelling. Allen Anders – Live at the Comedy Castle (circa 1987) Director: Laura Moss, Screenwriter: Tony Grayson Footage of Allen Anders famed 1987 performance at the Comedy Castle. (World Premiere) Are We Good Parents? Director: Bola Ogun, Screenwriters: Hailey Chavez, Bola Ogun When Lauren and Bill’s 14-year-old daughter says she’s going to her first dance with her classmate Ryan, they question their preconceived notions of her sexuality and their openness as parents. (World Premiere) The Big Day (United Kingdom) Director: Dawn Shadforth, Screenwriter: Kellie Smith Jess is super excited to attend her step-sister’s wedding and truly become part of the family, but after only recently finding out about her existence, her stepfamily are less than delighted about her presence on the big day. (World Premiere) Brian and Charles (United Kingdom) Director: Jim Archer, Screenwriters: David Earl, Chris Hayward A comedy about two friends who share a cottage in the English countryside. Brian is a poorly groomed, gravelly voiced farmer who struggles with depression and loneliness. Charles is a robot. Caroline Directors/Screenwriters: Logan George, Celine Held When plans fall through, a six-year-old is faced with a big responsibility on a hot Texas day. (World Premiere) Carro (Brazil, United States) Director/Screenwriter: Gustavo Rosa An undocumented Brazilian immigrant living in the Boston area decides to buy a car in an effort to better his life before returning home. (World Premiere) Emergency Director: Carey Williams, Screenwriter: K.D. Dávila Faced with an emergency, a group of young Black and Latino friends weigh the pros and cons of calling the police. Guilt (Mexico) Director/Screenwriter: Moisés Aisemberg Guilt is a direct window into the undeniable violence experienced by children today and the involuntary repression that they must undergo within a society that tolerates abuse. (World Premiere) Haven (Canada) Director/Screenwriter: Kelly Fyffe-Marshall When a little girl finds solace in between her mother’s legs, biggest fears become reality. (North American Premiere) Intercourse (Sweden) Director/Screenwriter: Jonatan Etzler “I’ll give you 100 bucks” he suggests, and jokingly she agrees, and neither of them see the gravity of the situation. When a sexual boundary is crossed and the balance of power is shifted – what will happen to their peaceful and normal relationship? (North American Premiere) Jay-Z – ‘Moonlight’ Director/Screenwriter: Alan Yang The One Where No One’s Ready Kimchi Director/Screenwriter: Jackson Kiyoshi Segars As his family argues about his end-of-life care, an elderly Korean man reflects on his life with a stranger. (World Premiere) Kira Burning Director/Screenwriter: Laurel Akira Parmet Teenage Kira attempts to take revenge after a heartbreaking betrayal by her ex-best friend. (World Premiere) Krista Director: Danny Madden, Screenwriters: Danny Madden, Will Madden In a high school theater class, Krista uses her scene study as catharsis. (World Premiere) Men Don’t Whisper Director: Jordan Firstman, Screenwriters: Charles Rogers, Jordan FIrstman After being emasculated at a sales conference, gay couple Reese and Peyton set out to do the most masculine thing they can think of – sleep with some women. Pink Trailer Director: Mary Neely, Screenwriters: Macey Isaacs, Jenny Leiferman Best friends Lucy and Julie are spending their summer hiding from a terrorizing neighbor until Lucy runs out of her antidepressant, and they’re forced to fight for their lives. (North American Premiere) Shiva Baby (Canada) Director/Screenwriter: Emma Seligman At a Jewish funeral service with her parents, a college student runs into her sugar daddy. (World Premiere) Tangles and Knots (Australia) Director/Screenwriter: Renée Marie Petropoulos An intimate, unique bond between mother and daughter becomes threatened when the mother helps her teenage daughter throw a party to impress new, more popular friends. The Things You Think I’m Thinking (Canada) Director: Sherren Lee, Screenwriter: Jesse LaVercombe A black male burn-survivor and amputee goes on a date with a regularly-abled man. Tooth and Nail Director: Sara Shaw, Screenwriters: Sara Shaw, Amanda Verwey A sister makes a bargain with her terminally ill brother. He agrees to let her use his sperm for future use with a partner if she comes out to her family that night. (World Premiere) We Forgot to Break Up (Canada) Director: Chandler Levack, Screenwriters: Steven McCarthy, Chandler Levack After a few years absence, Evan unexpectedly returns one night to face his now-famous former bandmates. The surprise reunion is bittersweet, in this intimate depiction of the knotty complexities of relating to old friends after everything has changed. (U.S. Premiere) We Win Director: Michael Stahl-David, Screenwriters: Ana Nogueira, Michael Stahl-David A happy couple’s relationship unravels during a game of “Mafia.” (World Premiere) Wren Boys (United Kingdom) Director: Harry Lighton, Screenwriters: Harry Lighton, John Fitzpatrick On the day after Christmas, a Catholic priest from Cork drives his nephew to prison.
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Slices of life from across the documentary spectrum. The Earth is Humming Director: Garrett Bradley In Japan, earthquake preparedness is a way of life—and a full-blown industry. (World Premiere) The Coffin Club (New Zealand) Director: Briar March, Screenwriter: Kim Harrop, Nick Ward, Briar March A group of rebellious, creative Kiwi seniors give death the finger, one crazy coffin at a time. (North American Premiere) Dead. Tissue. Love. (United Kingdom) Director: Natasha Austin-Green Dead. Tissue. Love. is an intimate experimental documentary exploring the character of a female necrophile, as she recounts her life experiences and sexual awakening. (U.S. Premiere) Death Metal Grandma Director: Leah Galant, Screenwriters: Sean Weiner, Leah Galant Death Metal Grandma follows 97-year-old Holocaust survivor, Inge Ginsberg, who has decided to break out as a singer of Death Metal music. (World Premiere) Lonesome Willcox Directors: Ryan Maxey, Zack Wright Willcox, Arizona is a country music town that isn’t what it used to be. The town’s only radio station has but one employee – a local pariah who lives in the studio, and has a complicated and difficult relationship with the music he plays every day. (World Premiere) My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes (Canada) Director: Charlie Tyrell, Screenwriters: Josef Beeby, Charlie Tyrell Filmmaker Charlie Tyrell seeks to better understand his emotionally distant late-father through the random objects he left behind, including a stack of tacky, 1980s VHS pornography. A Night at The Garden Director: Marshall Curry Months before the start of World War II, 22,000 Americans gathered in New York’s Madison Square Garden to rally in support of Nazism. On My Way Out: The Secret Life of Nani and Popi (Canada) Directors: Brandon Gross, Skyler Gross Ruth (Nani) and Roman (Popi) are Holocaust survivors married for 65 years. After six decades of marriage, a painful truth tests their enduring union. Brandon and Skyler Gross’ moving portrait of their grandparents raises more questions than it answers. (U.S. Premiere) Roadside Attraction Directors: Patrick Bresnan, Ivete Lucas Palm Beach International Airport’s newest snowbird has become one of the fastest growing roadside attractions in the United States. Santa Ana Director: César Pesquera, Screenwriters: Kako Mendez, Christian Lopez, César Pesquera Part art-film, part documentary, Santa Ana aims to elucidate the link between evil and the famed Santa Ana winds, extremely dry down-slope winds in Southern California supposedly responsible for a tense, uneasy, wrathful mood among the people. Sister Hearts Director: Mohammad Gorjestani Maryam Uloho spent thirteen years in prison in Louisiana. After her release in 2013, she was homeless and lived as a squatter for over 2 years. This experience led her to discover her lifelong mission: To help incarcerated women re-enter society. (World Premiere) The Terrorist Hunter (Canada, United States) Director/Screenwriter: Ann Shin The Terrorist Hunter follows controversial spy Rita Katz, lauded by some for her work fighting terrorism, and criticized by others who say she creates terrorist plots where none exist. The film explores how fear and terror play out in our society. (World Premiere) Xavier Corbero: Portrait of an Artist in Winter (Spain, United Kingdom) Director: Nathalie Biancheri The first and last glimpse into the universe of iconic Spanish sculptor Xavier Corberó. A kaleidoscopic life and career that traversed a turbulent moment of Spanish history. (World Premiere)
ANIMATED SHORTS COMPETITION
An assortment of stories told using traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stop-motion, and everything in-between. Abnie Oberfork: A Tale of Self-Preservation Director/Screenwriter: Shannon Fleming A 12-year-old girl pickles herself to escape the malaise of childhood. (World Premiere) Agua Viva Director/Screenwriter: Alexa Lim Haas A Chinese manicurist attempts to describe feelings she doesn’t have the words for in a language she does not speak. (World Premiere) Intimity (Switzerland) Director/Screenwriter: Elodie Dermange As she is showering, dressing, putting on her make-up, a woman bares her soul. She speaks of her fears, her complexes, and the process of accepting – even loving – herself. Jeom Director: Kangmin Kim A father and a son both have the same big birthmark on their butt. Believing that the two birthmarks are connected, the son scrubs his father’s birthmark to remove it – but he just can’t get rid of it. Manivald (Estonia) Director: Chintis Lundgren, Screenwriters: Chintis Lundgren, Draško Ivezić Tinged with typically absurdist Estonian humour, Manivald mixes the surreal and the heartfelt in its timely tale of an emotionally unnourished generation that continue to live with their parents well into their adult lives. Octane Director: Jeron Braxton A street race that reflects America’s genocidal history and the parallels between slavery and the private prison system. (World Premiere) People of Color Director: Raghav Arumugam An animated documentary about race and perception in America. (World Premiere) The Shivering Truth Directors: Vernon Chatman, Cat Solen, Screenwriter: Vernon Chatman An omnibus of painfully riotous daymares dripping with dream logic; a slate of emotional parables from the deepest caverns of your unconscious, lovingly animated in stop-motion. In other words, it is the Truth. Sog (Germany) Director: Jonatan Schwenk, Screenwriters: Jonatan Schwenk, Merlin Flügel The dystopic drama Sog is about the cruel efforts of a people of humanlike creatures to lash out viciously against a shoal of fish that had unintentionally entered their desolate land. Solar Walk (Denmark, Hungary) Director/Screenwriter: Réka Bucsi Solar Walk shows the a cosmic journey of individuals and their passion for creation, through the unique and playful texture of the animation craft itself. (U.S. Premiere) Undiscovered Director: Sara Litzenberger Sasquatch has always remained elusive in photos–but not for the reasons we think. (World Premiere) MIDNIGHT SHORTS Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, gore, and hilarity cravings. Asian Girls (Australia) Director/Screenwriter: Hyun Lee Chan is a Chinese factory worker who lives alone. Every night, she suffers from horrific nightmares involving the woman in the apartment next door, a Japanese office lady. (World Premiere) Brendan Maclean – ‘House of Air’ (United Kingdom) Directors: Brian Fairbairn and Karl Eccleston An exploration of hanky codes and visual signifiers in 1970s San Francisco. Inspired by Hal Fischer’s Gay Semiotics, House of Air humorously investigates a clash between coded and explicit representations of gay sex. Crying Bitch (Japan) Director/Screenwriter: Reiki Tsuno Crying Bitch is a dark tale about a woman’s grudge, mixed with comedy, horror, and a homage to 80s cinema. A dark tale about a man who discovers his wife’s dark side after having an affair with a young girl. (U.S. Premiere) Hair Wolf Director/Screenwriter: Mariama Diallo In a black hair salon in gentrifying Brooklyn, the local residents fend off a strange new monster: white women intent on sucking the lifeblood from black culture. (World Premiere) Lil Dicky – ‘Pillow Talking’ Director: Tony Yacenda, Screenwriters: Lil Dicky, Dave Burd A story about a man, a woman, and a brain. Long Distance Relationship (Brazil) Director/Screenwriter: Carolina Markowicz A brief story about a gentleman who’s obsessed about having sex with ETs. (U.S. Premiere) The Mangina Exit Director: Byron Brown, Screenwriters: Byron Brown, David James Ward Two people. Zero broken hearts. One harmless little mangina. (World Premiere) Milk (Canada) Director/Screenwriter: Santiago Menghini On a late night, a young teen goes into the kitchen for a glass of milk. Upon encountering his sleepless mother, he quickly realizes things are not as they seem. (World Premiere) Neverlanding. A Bad Thriller. (Belgium) Director/Screenwriter: Wim Reygaert A reclusive Michael Jackson impersonator dedicates his whole life to the perfection of his act. (North American Premiere) Perfect Town (Switzerland) Director/Screenwriter: Anais Voirol In search of perfection a city obeys to selection. A constant struggle. Trying and trying again. Where is the difference between endurance and madness? Who’s the daddy (Hong Kong) Director/Screenwriter: Wong Ping A journey finding my root of shame. (U.S. Premiere)
TEXAS SHORTS
An offshoot of our regular narrative shorts program, composed of work shot in, about, or somehow relating to the Lone Star state. An Uncertain Future Directors: Iliana Sosa, Chelsea Hernandez In Austin, Texas, two expectant mothers—one undocumented and one US citizen—must contend with increased ICE raids and mounting hostility towards immigrants under President Trump. Come & Take It Directors: Ellen Spiro, PJ Raval Come & Take It captures Jessica Jin’s transformation into one of America’s most inspired anti-gun violence leaders creating what some people are calling The Great Texas Dildo Revolt. (World Premiere) Don’t Be a Hero Director/Screenwriter: Pete Lee Lizzy Jo still lives with mom at 45 and battles her loneliness and boredom by robbing banks in the guise of a cowboy on her lunch break. After the adrenaline rush wears off, she still has to deal with her deeply unhappy life. Based on a true story. Ghosted Featuring Kamille – ‘Get Some’ Director/Screenwriter: Fidel Ruiz-Healy A story about youthful animalistic lust and how it presents itself under the glow of the full moon light. The answer is it’s messy and there is lots of biting. Heavy Chemistry Director/Screenwriter: Blair Rowan Feelings get complicated and oddly mutual amongst a trio of friends in Heavy Chemistry, a short comedy about love, friendship, attraction, hunger, lust, and other complex chemical reactions. (World Premiere) Maude Director/Screenwriter: Anna Margaret Hollyman Teeny thought it was just another routine babysitting job—until she’s shocked to meet the client. As the day goes on, Teeny decides to become the woman she had no idea she always wanted to be … until she gets caught. Nice Ass Director: Carlyn Hudson, Screenwriter: Jeff Whitaker After a failed date, Jake maintains a friendly connection with a part of Brooke no one saw coming. (World Premiere)
TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS
A preview of the next filmmaking generation, as Texas High Schoolers present shorts of 5 minutes or less. #RefugeesWelcome Director/Screenwriter: Ramiro Cantu In order to survive, a young Syrian woman leaves her home, family and country behind to seek refuge in the United States. The Art of War Director/Screenwriter: Cal Etcheverry There are only two realms in which rules are broken – art and war. This film explores the deontological ethics of war through the deep contrast of the utopian life of a painter and the chaotic life of a battle-bruised soldier. CCISD Strong Director: Sofia Rasmussen These are the stories of people who stepped up in the tough times after Hurricane Harvey and brought hope to the people who needed the support of their community in and around Clear Creek Independent School District. Confined Directors: The Zavitsanos Brothers When Myles is held at gunpoint in crime-ridden Baltimore, his life is forever changed… Contact Director/Screenwriter: Lindsay Wolf Contact follows two awkward teenagers on a movie date, struggling with whether or not to show their true feelings for each other through subtle physical contact. Escape Directors/Screenwriters: Jada Harbin, Karina Harchandani A 19-year-old drunk is triggered to drink when her boyfriend fails to keep his promise. A friend cleans her up and is her shoulder to cry on, maybe even more. Is it too good to be true? How You See Us Director/Screenwriter: Susannah Joffe How You See Us is my way of giving a voice to all the women who are done with being disrespected, and I hope it encourages men to rethink the over-sexualization of women in society. Hunned Effort Directors: Nicholas Luna, Alan Lawson High School Music Video for Alan Lawson’s Hunned Effort. Shot and edited by Nicholas Luna. Kopecke Director: C. Fears Koepcke is an experimental animation about the experience of a 17-year-old girl in 1971. Loveless Director/Screenwriter: Weston Bering A couple who meets at a masquerade ball is interrupted by another couple’s plan to heist them. Molly and Me Directors: Colton Vanlandingham, Collin Grant, Screenwriters: Sydney Sexton, Mary Patrello, Gaby Fernandez Party animal Bryce and sweet Molly meet each other at a party and decide to get to know each other better. They start to find out that neither one of them are who they seem. The Night I Lost My Favorite Jacket Director/Screenwriter: Jenna Krumerman A girl tells her friend about her Saturday night. She loses her favorite jacket and a little of herself while meeting new characters and trying to get by. Pursuit of a Dream Director/Screenwriter: Scott Larson A man working a dead end nine to five has to let go of his past in order to pursue his future. Pursuit: 21XX Director: Ben Phillips, Screenwriters: Ben Phillips, Billy Nguyen, Edward Nuno A cybernetically enhanced man must track down the criminal who stole his wallet by chasing the masked thief through a futuristic city, and will have to make the ultimate decision between what is right and wrong. Puzzle Pieces: Living Life on The Spectrum Director/Screenwriter: Georgia Puzzle Pieces: Living Life on The Spectrum explores children and teens that have autism spectrum disorder. Return Policy Directors: Demar Gunter, Victoria Hartson, Screenwriter: Demar Gunter In a dystopian future, where life holds monetary value, a family must make a tough decision. The Risk For Freedom (Vietnam) Director: Alex Le This documentary follows the early life of a Vietnamese immigrant, the director’s grandmother and her struggle to get to America. Roommate Director/Screenwriter: Jinho Rhee Everyone has roommate problems at one point; However, none is like the one Nayeon has to face. Silent Fist Directors: Jose Martinez, Nana Achempong, Screenwriters: Jose Martinez, Nana Achempon, and Brandon Mai A silent Buddhist prays for peace when a loud, angry boxer next door challenges him to enter the ring. What It Takes Director: Kourtney Williams This documentary was created to help express the point of view of a male gymnast. There’s a lot that goes into the sport of gymnastics and what it takes to be successful. The story takes you through 3 different perspectives to show their passion.
INDEPENDENT EPISODICS
Innovative and new independent web series, pilots and docs aimed squarely at the small screen. Beast Director/Screenwriter: Ben Strang When his father mysteriously goes missing at sea, a teenager rallies the help of his small fishing-island town to find him and figure out once and for all why people keep disappearing on Smith Island. (World Premiere) Cleansed Directors/Screenwriters: Flora Birnbaum, Sarah Scarlett Downing A jaded Los Angeles thirty-something goes on a magical juice cleanse to fix her life. (World Premiere) Everything is Okay: Robot Director: Adam Sacks, Screenwriter: Cirocco Dunlap A better you is just a click away. First World Problems Director/Screenwriter: X. Dean Lim Harold, an Asian-American, comes to realizes his family are apathetic douchebags. But when a mysterious crisis starts a ticking clock, he alienates them all to prove they’re more than Amazon, Audi and Autopay. The question is: can he be wrong? (World Premiere) Hold To Your Best Self Director/Screenwriter: Emily Hagins Over the course of a prom night, young adults tackle big questions concerning identity, relationships, self-esteem, and the future – their adolescent ideas and expectations are fundamentally challenged by high school coming to an end. (World Premiere) My Dead Ex Directors: Joe Lynch, Zoe Cassavetes, Screenwriter: Drew Hancock A little thing like death can’t stop these two teens from falling in love. Or maybe it can. (World Premiere) Night Owl (Canada) Directors: R. Miskin, Gillian Muller, Screenwriter: R. Miskin One Girl’s quest to face her fears, step outside her comfort zone and make some real friends!… in the middle of the night at a 24-hour grocery store. Well?… What do you do when you can’t sleep? (World Premiere) One Eye Small Director/Screenwriter: Jane Stiles Two female strangers become affectionate friends over the course of a frenetic evening in NYC. (World Premiere) Otis Director/Screenwriter: Alexander Etseyatse A young calm, mentally unstable man attempts to convince his new buddy that they don’t belong at a Psych ward by inciting an uprising while trying to win back the affection of his ex-fiancée and daughter. (World Premiere) Polar (Denmark, Greenland) Directors: Natalia Anna Ciepiel, Alexander Ohrt, Screenwriter: Morten Mortensen Terrorized by an unbearable sound a group of teenagers commit suicide in the habour of Nuuk. After being declared dead, Ivik, awakes again. As the phenomenon returns to haunt the young population of Nuuk, Ivik sets out to find the nature of the sound. (World Premiere) She’s the Ticket Director: Nadia Hallgren Five different women from around the country see Donald Trump get elected to the presidency on November 8th, 2016 and decide to do something about it. Run for office. Unspeakable Director: Milena Govich, Screenwriter: David Cornue A young woman in a desperate situation averts authorities by claiming to be a girl who disappeared years ago as a child. But when the missing girl’s family welcomes the impostor home, she’s forced to keep the deception alive or face the consequences. (World Premiere)
MUSIC VIDEOS
A range of classic, innovative, and stylish work showcasing the scope of music video culture. Aisha Badru – ‘Mind on Fire’ / Director/Screenwriter: Thoranna “Tota” Sigurdardottir Amanda Palmer & Edward Ka-Spel – ‘The Clock At The Back Of The Cage’(Australia) / Directors: Chris Bennett, Christy Flaws, Luke O’Connor The Blaze – ‘Territory’ / Director: The Blaze Capital Cities – ‘Vowels’ / Director/Screenwriter: Remy Cayuela CATHEDRALS – ‘Try To Fight’ / Director/Screenwriter: Jesse Fleece Chris Lake – ‘I Want You’ / Director/Screenwriter: NORTON COM TRUISE – ‘Propagation’ / Directors/Screenweriters: Karrie Crouse, Will Joines Cray – ‘Lotus’ / Director: Ariel Fisher, Screenwriters: Ariel Fisher and Cray Every Time I Die – ‘Map Change’ / Director: Kyle Thrash JAY-Z – ‘Smile’ / Director/Screenwriter: Miles Jay JIL – ‘All Your Words’ / Director: Anton Tammi Moses Sumney – ‘Doomed’ / Director: Allie Avital Oly. – ‘Growing Young’ (Poland) / Director: Katarzyna Sawicka Oren Lavie – ‘Second Hand Lovers’ (Israel) / Director/Screenwriter: Oren Lavie Peejay – ‘NA B YA’ (Republic of Korea) / Directors: Jinwoo Lee, Jungsu Lee POLO & PAN – ‘Coeur Croisé’ (France) / Director: PABLO MAESTRES salute – ‘Storm’ (United Kingdom) / Director: Raine Allen Miller The Shins – ‘Half A Million’ / Director: LAMAR+NIK siyyu – ‘stop us’ (United Kingdom) / Director: This is Felo Sue the Night – ‘Mind Dear’ (Netherlands) / Director: Thessa Meijer
VIRTUAL CINEMA
The immersive arts are finding new ways to enhance our ability to perceive the world that surrounds us, and in many instances they are redefining how we experience the world. The 27 projects presented in our new Virtual Cinema emphasize storytelling, ingenuity and also showcase how other industries are embracing this new medium. Aeronaut Discover an ever-changing virtual landscape created by Viacom NEXT and Isobar (with Tilt Brush art by Danny Bittman), where a volumetric 3D model of two-time Grammy award winning artist Billy Corgan sings and plays the piano to his single Aeronaut. (World Premiere) The Atrium Director: Brian Solomon, Screenwriters: Brian Solomon, James Longmire The Atrium, Meow Wolf’s first mixed reality installation, builds on the story of the acclaimed immersive exhibition, House of Eternal Return. Voyage through the surreal lullaby of the multiverse — and unravel a mystery spanning multiple dimensions. (World Premiere) Awake: Episode One (Australia, United States) Director: Martin Taylor, Screenwriters: Martin Taylor, Mike Jones, Christian Cantamessa Harry is a prisoner in his own house, obsessed with discovering the truth behind a recurring dream and a cryptic message within it. The arrival of a new presence promises to save Harry from his darkness and unlock the potential of humanity’s future. (World Premiere) Beethoven’s Fifth (United Kingdom, United States) Director: Jessica Brillhart, Screenwriters: Jessica Brillhart, Esa-Pekka Salonen Journey into interstellar space with a performance of Beethoven’s Fifth by the Philharmonia Orchestra, London – conducted by Principal Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. The film was inspired by content on Voyager’s Golden Record, launched by NASA in 1977. (U.S. Premiere) Chorus Director: Tyler Hurd Transform into fantastical female warriors in this social virtual reality experience. Six people can band together to battle evil in this epic journey of empowerment, all orchestrated to the song “Chorus” by Justice. (World Premiere) Dinner Party Director: Angel Manuel Soto, Screenwriters: Charlotte Stoudt, Laura Wexler Dinner Party, the pilot episode for a true-life supernatural anthology series The Incident, is a 3D virtual reality experience based on the true story of Betty and Barney Hill, an interracial couple who in 1961 reported the first known UFO abduction. Everything Flows (China, United States) Director: Yumeng Du Everything Flows is a VR film experience that presents time and space in an artistic way. It invites you to a journey of Director’s hometown, Wuhan, China. It is a mixture of painting, video capture, sounds, dreaming, memory, and reality. (World Premiere) The Evolution of Testicles (United States, Ireland, United Kingdom) Director: Ryan Hartsell A testicular romp through the evolution of man told via CGI, a giant testicle-shaped hot air balloon, and narrator Chris O’Dowd—all in the name of bringing awareness to male cancer prevention. (World Premiere) The Four Worlds (United States, Australia) Directors: Jonathan Zawada, Mark Pitchard The Four Worlds consists of four installations comprised of looping VR experiences augmented with extra sensory stimulation IRL. Each scene is a microcosm of a different environment, accompanied by an exquisite soundtrack by Mark Pritchard. (World Premiere) GFE Director: Michael Jacobs An immersive 360 experimental film that offers a first-person experience of going on a date with a sex worker. (World Premiere) Greenland Melting Directors: Catherine Upin, Nonny de la Peña, Screenwriters: Catherine Upin, Nonny de la Peña, Julia Cort, Caitlin Saks, Carla Borras NASA scientists are studying a troubling cause, Greenland is melting faster and faster. Using cutting edge VR technology, people can experience standing in front of a glacier, traveling underwater, and flying over some of the world’s stunning scenery. (North American Premiere) Hold The World (United Kingdom) Director: Dan Smith Hold the World (“HTW”) is a world-first interactive VR entertainment experience hosted by Sir David Attenborough at the London’s Natural History Museum. (North American Premiere) The Journey (United States, Chad, Ethiopia, South Sudan, United Kingdom) Director: Charlotte Mikkelborg The Journey through childhood in three of the toughest environments on Earth. Our three children will take you on a sensory journey into their worlds – where not only sight and sound but taste, smell and touch immerse you in their past present and future. (World Premiere) Living With Jaguars (Canada) Directors: Patrick McGuire, Jeff Orlowski, Screenwriter: Kate Lunau Living With Jaguars is an interactive virtual reality film documenting wild jaguars in Brazil. Users explore the complex and interconnected perspectives of four key stakeholders: jaguars, ranchers, conservation researchers, and ecotourism operators. (World Premiere) MONO – Blackwater Director: Ben Wolstenholme, Screenwriters: Ben Wolstenholme, Felipe Marino, Anthony Brock MONO, the former assassin to the queen and legendary ape-man, returns from exile to save his daughter, and reluctantly, Mankind. (World Premiere) One Eighty (United States, India) Director: Eren Aksu One Eighty is the story of an Indian mother, Vijai Kumari, who spent 20 years behind bars, and her son, Kanhaiya Kumari, who was born in prison…and their quest to clear their names and live in freedom. (World Premiere) Parragirls Past, Present – unlocking institutional memories of ‘care’ (Australia) Directors: Media artists and Parragirls, Parragirls/Parramatta Female Factory Precinct Memory Project, Screenwriters: Bonney Djuric, Lily Hibberd, Jenny McNally Parragirls Past, Present is a deeply moving immersive experience presenting former residents’ contemporary visions of Parramatta Girls Home to unlock memories of institutional ‘care’ within the punitive Australian child welfare system. (North American Premiere) RONE (Australia) Director: Lester Francois A distinctive portrait in VR of street artist Rone, whose stunning large-scale portraits are often seen in forgotten spaces. A mix of 360′ video and a virtual art gallery to explore, RONE will draw you into the world of street art like never before. (North American Premiere) Sanctuaries of Silence Directors: Adam Loften, Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee Sanctuaries of Silence is an immersive listening journey into Olympic National Park, one of the quietest places in North America. Space x Girl (Republic of Korea) Director: Minhyuk Che A story about a girl and her space. The girl has a special sense of feeling the heart of the space. One day the space of the girl begins a conversation. It is about her memories that she was not aware of. (World Premiere) Spheres: Songs of Spacetime Director/Screenwriter: Eliza McNitt Dive into the heart of a black hole and uncover the hidden songs of the cosmos. In this VR experience, the breakthrough discovery of gravitational waves transforms how we see the Universe. Fall into the darkness, and you will find the light. Summation of Force (Australia) Directors: Trent Parke, Narelle Autio, Matthew Bate, Screenwriters: Trent Parke, Narelle Autio In a moonlit suburban backyard, two brothers battle one another in an otherworldly game of cricket in this stunning black and white live-action study of the motion, physics, and psychology of sport. Created by photographers Trent Parke and Narelle Autio, in collaboration with filmmaker Matthew Bate, this VR artwork offers a cosmic, darkly beautiful, and dreamlike metaphor for life. Sun Ladies VR Directors: Celine Tricart, Christian Stephen In 2014, ISIS invaded Iraq and targeted the Yazidi community. The men were killed, and the women taken as sex slaves. Some of the ones who escaped decided to join the Kurdistan army and started a female-only fighting unit called the Sun Ladies. Tiniest Tremor Directors: Nicholas Manting Brewer, Megan Simon An emotionally immersive and visually poetic journey into the issue of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome through the story of a woman who suffered from substance abuse disorder to Opioids and her child. (World Premiere) Together Director: Terrence Malick Together is a VR experience about the power of human connection. The piece fuses dance and technology, putting the viewer in the middle of an emotional narrative about breaking down barriers and bringing people closer. (World Premiere) We’re Still Here Director: Jesse Ayala Aiden Short Cloud, a Two-Spirit artist and historian in Boise, Idaho, struggles to preserve and revive his heritage in a race against time. (World Premiere) Wonderful You VR (United Kingdom) Director: John Durrant Wonderful You VR, a Virtual Reality experience narrated by Academy Award nominee Samantha Morton, is a journey through the strange world of your developing senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. (North American Premiere)
EXCELLENCE IN TITLE DESIGN
Inspired by an essential part of the theatrical experience, these are works of art in their own right. The 21 sequences selected represent the very best and most original of the past year. Big Mouth / Company: Titmouse Inc. / Designer: Mike Roush Book of Henry / Company: Imaginary Forces / Creative Director: Alan Williams Britannia / Company: Me & the Bootmaker / Designer: Manija Emran Comtes de Barcelona (Counts of Barcelona) / Company: Freelance / Designer: J. A. Duran Counterpart / Company: Imaginary Forces / Creative Director: Karin Fong Dark / Company: Self employed / Designer: Lutz Lemke Divide / Company: Ringling College of Art and Design / Designer: Ioana Oprescu Exhalación / Company: Mordisco Films / Designer: Alberto Díaz López Godless / Company: Method Studios / Designer: John Likens Narcos Season 3 / Company: Digital Kitchen / Designer: Harshit Desai National Geographic Breakthrough / Company: Imaginary Forces / Creative Director: Karin Fong OFFF CDMX Opening titles / Company: Diecinueve36 / Designer: Maribel Martínez OFFF Barcelona 2017 / Company: Sailor Productions / Designer: Vallee Duhamel Orient City: Ronin & The Princess / Company: Spoke Lane Entertainment / Designer: Zsombor Huszka Paa Joe & The Lion / Company: Bottletop / Designer: Mark Pyper Semi Permanent Festival / Company: Framestore / Designer: Akira Thompson SOLO / Company: Plexus Post / Designer: Vijesh Rajan Taboo / Company: Method Studios / Designer: John Likens TEDx Sydney / Company: Substance / Designer: Scott Geersen ZARAH / Company: Bakery Films / Designers: Florian Meimberg, Izzy Acar Also, a special viewing of SXSW Gaming Awards Open 2017 / Company: Imaginary Forces / Designer: Jeremy Cox
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Berlinale 2018: “U – July 22” and Ed Sheeran Documentary “Songwriter” Finalize Competition and Berlinale Special Lineups

[caption id="attachment_26891" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Ed Sheeran in “Songwriter”[/caption] The addition of two new films Utøya 22. juli (U – July 22) by Erik Poppe, and Songwriter by Murray Cummings complete the lineups of the Competition and Berlinale Special programs of the 68th Berlin International Film Festival. The Norwegian film Utøya 22. juli (U – July 22) by Erik Poppe completes the Competition program, which features 24 films, 19 of which will be competing for the Golden Bear and the Silver Bears. The documentary Songwriter by Murray Cummings completes the Berlinale Special program. The film follows British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran as he creates his latest album and provides an intimate look at the musician’s work.
Competition
Utøya 22. juli (U – July 22) Norway by Erik Poppe with Andrea Berntzen, Aleksander Holmen, Brede Fristad, Elli Rhiannon Müller Osbourne, Solveig Koløen Birkeland, Sorosh Sadat, Ada Eide World premiere
Berlinale Special Gala at the Friedrichstadt-Palast
Songwriter – Documentary United Kingdom by Murray Cummings World premiere
Competition films:
3 Tage in Quiberon (3 Days in Quiberon) by Emily Atef (Germany / Austria / France) 7 Days in Entebbe by José Padilha (USA / United Kingdom) – Out of competition Ága by Milko Lazarov (Bulgaria / Germany / France) – Out of competition Ang Panahon ng Halimaw (Season of the Devil) by Lav Diaz (Philippines) Black 47 by Lance Daly (Ireland / Luxembourg) – Out of competition Damsel by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner (USA) Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot by Gus Van Sant (USA) Dovlatov by Alexey German Jr. (Russian Federation / Poland / Serbia) Eldorado by Markus Imhoof (Switzerland / Germany) – Documentary, out of competition Eva by Benoit Jacquot (France / Belgium) Figlia mia (Daughter of Mine) by Laura Bispuri (Italy / Germany / Switzerland) Las herederas (The Heiresses) by Marcelo Martinessi (Paraguay / Uruguay / Germany / Brazil / Norway / France) – First Feature In den Gängen (In the Aisles) by Thomas Stuber (Germany) Isle of Dogs by Wes Anderson (United Kingdom / Germany) – Animation Khook (Pig) by Mani Haghighi (Iran) Mein Bruder heißt Robert und ist ein Idiot (My Brother’s Name is Robert and He is an Idiot) by Philip Gröning (Germany / France / Switzerland) Museo (Museum) by Alonso Ruizpalacios (Mexico) La prière (The Prayer) by Cédric Kahn (France) Toppen av ingenting (The Real Estate) by Måns Månsson and Axel Petersén (Sweden / United Kingdom) Touch Me Not by Adina Pintilie (Romania / Germany / Czech Republic / Bulgaria / France) – First Feature Transit by Christian Petzold (Germany / France) Twarz (Mug) by Małgorzata Szumowska (Poland) Unsane by Steven Soderbergh (USA) – Out of competition Utøya 22. juli (U – July 22) by Erik Poppe (Norway)
Berlinale Special films:
AMERICA Land of the FreeKS by Ulli Lommel (Germany / USA) – Documentary Form The Bookshop by Isabel Coixet (Spain / United Kingdom / Germany) Gurrumul by Paul Williams (Australia) – Documentary, debut film The Happy Prince by Rupert Everett (Germany / Belgium / Italy) The Interpreter by Martin Šulík (Slovak Republic / Czech Republic / Austria) Monster Hunt 2 by Raman Hui (People’s Republic of China / Hong Kong, China) RYŪICHI SAKAMOTO: async AT THE PARK AVENUE ARMORY by Stephen Nomura Schible (USA / Japan) – Documentary Das schweigende Klassenzimmer (The Silent Revolution) by Lars Kraume (Germany) Songwriter by Murray Cummings (United Kingdom) – Documentary Unga Astrid (Becoming Astrid) by Pernille Fischer Christensen (Sweden / Germany / Denmark) Usedom – Der freie Blick aufs Meer by Heinz Brinkmann (Germany) – Documentary Viaje a los Pueblos Fumigados (A Journey to the Fumigated Towns) by Fernando Solanas (Argentina) – Documentary
Berlinale Special – Berlinale Series:
Bad Banks – Director: Christian Schwochow – Head writer: Oliver Kienle, based on a concept by Lisa Blumenberg (Germany / Luxembourg) Heimebane (Home Ground) – Creator: Johan Fasting – Director: Arild Andresen (Norway) Liberty – Creator: Asger Leth – Director: Mikael Marcimain (Denmark) The Looming Tower – Creators: Dan Futterman, Alex Gibney, Lawrence Wright – Director: Alex Gibney – Written by Dan Futterman, based on the book by Lawrence Wright (USA) Picnic at Hanging Rock – Director: Larysa Kondracki (episodes 1-3) – Written by Beatrix Christian, Alice Addison (Australia) Sleeping Bears – Creator and director: Keren Margalit (Israel) The Terror – Showrunners: David Kajganich and Soo Hugh – Director: Edward Berger (episodes 1-3), (USA)
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LOVE, GILDA, Documentary on Comedian Gilda Radner, to Open 2018 Tribeca Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_26877" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Love, Gilda[/caption] The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival will open with the world premiere of the documentary Love, Gilda on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. Love, Gilda opens a window into the world of celebrated Emmy® and Grammy® award-winning comedian Gilda Radner who became a cultural icon the moment audiences first laughed with her on Saturday Night Live’s debut episode. A trailblazer for female comedians, her impact on the entertainment industry has endured almost four decades. The film will premiere opening night of the Tribeca Film Festival at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, the city she called home when she catapulted to fame. The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival runs April 18-29. Love, Gilda is directed and produced by Lisa D’Apolito with the support of the Gilda Radner estate. The film is a true autobiography of a pioneering woman, told in her own words and in her own voice. It weaves together audiotapes, rare home movies, diary entries, and interviews with her friends and those inspired by her including: Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Cecily Strong; SNL original cast members Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, and Paul Shaffer; as well as Lorne Michaels (SNL creator and producer), Alan Zweibel (SNL writer), Stephen Schwartz (Broadway composer); Andrew Alexander (CEO of Second City), and long-time friend and actor Martin Short. Gilda Radner captivated millions of television viewers as an original cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1975-1980. The popularity of her now classic comedic characters Roseanne Roseannadanna, Emily Litella, and Lisa Loopner fueled the young talent to meteoric fame in television, movies, and on Broadway. After finding happiness in love with Gene Wilder she received the cruelest joke of all, cancer. Her fight against the disease served as an inspiration to people impacted by the illness to stay positive and to keep laughing no matter what challenges life brings you. “As a Festival that has always supported women’s voices and is largely run by women we are incredibly proud to celebrate the inimitable voice of Gilda during the opening night of our Festival,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder and CEO of the Tribeca Film Festival. “Gilda Radner was a powerful comedic force of nature who opened doors and thrilled audiences while becoming one of the most prolific comedians of a generation. Her cutting edge humor was only second to her dedicated leadership in cancer care with her eponymous Gilda’s Club.” “Love, Gilda is the right film at the right time and the perfect way to open our Festival,” said Paula Weinstein, EVP of Tribeca Enterprises. “Gilda is a woman for the ages, an extraordinary talent in film, television, and theater who overcame her personal struggles to make us laugh, to make us cry. She understood the healing power of laughter not simply for her audience but in her own life as she struggled with cancer and lead the way for all of us to make the world a better place.” First time feature filmmaker Lisa D’Apolito commented, “I fell in love with Gilda Radner while doing pro bono work at Gilda’s Club, the cancer support organization Gene Wilder founded in honor of Gilda, in Greenwich Village where I grew up. This started my journey to discover who Gilda was as a person and as a performer. Gilda inspired me and many other women with her remarkable spirit and unique talent that changed the world of comedy. I’m grateful and honored to share the extraordinary legacy of Gilda Radner at the Tribeca Film Festival.”
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Jason Reitman’s TULLY Starring Charlize Theron to Open 35th Miami Film Festival | Trailier

TULLY

Jason Reitman latest film Tully, written by Diablo Cody and starring Charlize Theron, will premiere as the Opening Night film of the 35th edition of Miami Film Festival.

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“The Shape of Water” and “City of Ghosts” Among Winners of 70th DGA Awards

[caption id="attachment_25167" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER.[/caption] The winners of the Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards for 2017 were announced on Saturday night during the 70th Annual DGA Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills hosted byJudd Apatow. Guillermo del Toro won the DGA’s Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The Shape of Water, and Matthew Heineman won the Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for City of Ghosts.
70th Annual DGA Awards Winners
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film GUILLERMO del TORO The Shape of Water (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Mr. del Toro’s Directorial Team: Unit Production Manager: J. Miles Dale Production Manager: Dennis Chapman First Assistant Director: Pierre Henry Second Assistant Director: Tyler Delben This is Mr. del Toro’s first DGA Award nomination. Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Feature Film JORDAN PEELE Get Out (Universal Pictures) Mr. Peele’s Directorial Team: Unit Production Managers: Marcei A. Brown, Rick A. Osako (Fairhope Unit) First Assistant Director: Gerard DiNardi Second Assistant Directors: Ram Paul Silbey, Marc Newland (Fairhope Unit), Jack McKenna (New York Unit) Second Second Assistant Director: Maggie Ballard Location Manager: Kurt Enger (New York Unit) This was one of two DGA Award nominations this year for Mr. Peele. He was also nominated in the Feature Film category for Get Out. Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary MATTHEW HEINEMAN City of Ghosts (Amazon) This is Mr. Heineman’s second DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary in 2015 for Cartel Land. Outstanding Directorial Achievement inDramatic Series REED MORANO The Handmaid’s Tale, “Offred” (Hulu) Ms. Morano’s Directorial Team: Unit Production Manager: Joe Boccia This is Ms. Morano’s first DGA Award nomination Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series BETH McCARTHY-MILLER Veep, “Chicklet” (HBO) Ms. McCarthy-Miller’s Directorial Team: Unit Production Manager: David Hyman First Assistant Director: Dale Stern Second Assistant Director: Jeff Rosenberg Second Second Assistant Director: Yarden Levo Additional Second Assistant Director: Chalis Romero This is Ms. McCarthy-Miller’s twelfth DGA Award nomination. She won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series in 2013 for the 30 Rock episode “Hogcock!/Last Lunch.” She was also nominated that year, together with Rob Ashford, in the Movies for Television and Mini-Series category for The Sound of Music Live! She was previously nominated in the Comedy Series category for 30 Rock episodes “Live from Studio 6H” in 2012, “Live Show” in 2010, “The Reunion Episode #304” in 2008 and “Somebody to Love” in 2007. She won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety twice, in 2001 for America: A Tribute to Heroes (co-directed with Joel Gallen) and in 2000 for the “Val Kilmer and U2” episode of Saturday Night Live. She was also twice nominated in that category for Saturday Night Live episodes “Christopher Walken and The Foo Fighters” in 2003 and the 25th Anniversary episode in 1999. She was also nominated in 2015 in the Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials category for Adele Live in New York City. Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series JEAN-MARC VALLÉE Big Little Lies (HBO) Mr. Vallée’s Directorial Team: Unit Production Managers: Barbara A. Hall, G.D. Fienberg First Assistant Director: David Ticotin Second Assistant Director: Christine Danahy Second Second Assistant Director: Bob Riley Additional Second Assistant Directors: Bryan Landrine, Rob Burgess, Allison Rushton, Mallory Squeo This is Mr. Vallée’s first DGA Award nomination. Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming DON ROY KING Saturday Night Live, “Host: Jimmy Fallon” (NBC) Mr. King’s Directorial Team: Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Bob Caminiti Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly This is Mr. King’s twelfth DGA Award nomination. He previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in this category for Saturday Night Live, “Host: Dave Chappelle” in 2016 and for Saturday Night Live “Host: Justin Timberlake” in 2013. Mr King also won the DGA Award for Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials for Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special in 2015. He was previously nominated for Saturday Night Live episodes in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, and in 2015 in the Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regularly Scheduled Programming category for the Saturday Night Live episode, “Host: Tracy Morgan/Musical Guest: Demi Lovato.” Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials GLENN WEISS The 89th Annual Academy Awards (ABC) Mr. Weiss’s Directorial Team: Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Eve Adair, Susan Kopensky, Lori Margules, Robin Mishkin Abrams, Michael Polito Stage Managers: Gary Natoli, Rita Cossette, Dave Cove, John Esposito, Valdez Flagg, Chris Hines, Alissa Levisohn Hoyo, Arthur Lewis, Roxanne Lozano, Ron Paul, Tammy Raab, Jason Seligman, Jackie Stathis, Cheryl Teetzel-Moore, Debbie Williams, Ari Woog This is Mr. Weiss’s fourteenth DGA Award nomination. He previously won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials in 2013, 2014 and 2016 for the 67th, 68th and 70th Annual Tony Awards and in the Musical Variety category in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012 for the 61st, 64th, 65th, and 66th Annual Tony Awards. He was also nominated in the Musical Variety category in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008 for the 55th, 56th, 59th, 60th, and 62nd Annual Tony Awards. Additionally, Mr. Weiss was nominated in 2015 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series, together with Rob Ashford, for Peter Pan Live! Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs BRIAN SMITH MasterChef, “Vegas Deluxe & Oyster Shucks” (FOX) Mr. Smith’s Directorial Team: Associate Director: Anna Moulaison Stage Managers: Drew Lewandowski, Brady Hess This is Mr. Smith’s fifth DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs in 2012 for MasterChef, “Episode #305.” He was previously nominated in this category for episodes of MasterChef in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, and in 2016 for S.T.R.O.N.G., “Welcome to Strong.” Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs NIKI CARO Anne with an E, “Your Will Shall Decide Your Destiny” (Netflix) This is Ms. Caro’s first DGA Award nomination Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials MARTIN de THURAH (Epoch Films) Festival, StubHub – Goodby Silverstein First Assistant Director: Charles Conner Machines, StubHub – Goodby Silverstein First Assistant Director: Charles Conner Mad World, WealthSimple – WealthSimple In House First Assistant Directors: Jey Wada Second Assistant Director: Custis Smith This is Mr. de Thurah’s second DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials in 2013 for The Man Who Couldn’t Slow Down (Hennessy VS) and Human Race (Acura MDX 2014). Lifetime Achievement & Service Award Recipients MICHAEL APTED Honorary Life Member Award Given in recognition of leadership in the industry, contribution to the Guild and the profession of directing, and outstanding career achievement. DWIGHT WILLIAMS Frank Capra Achievement Award This award is given to an Assistant Director or Unit Production Manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Directors Guild of America. JIM TANKER Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award This award is given to an Associate Director or Stage Manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Directors Guild of America.
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Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 3rd Neighboring Scenes to Showcase Latin American Cinema

[caption id="attachment_24570" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] ALANIS[/caption] The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Cinema Tropical will present the third annual Neighboring Scenes, a 17-film showcase of contemporary Latin American cinema from February 28 to March 4, 2018 at the Walter Reade Theater in New York City. Opening night is the U.S. premiere of Anahí Berneri’s award-winning Alanis, an unflinching portrait of a young mother eking out a living as a prostitute in Buenos Aires. Unfolding over the course of three days, Berneri’s fifth film explores the challenges of urban life as an immigrant woman, and is anchored by Sofía Gala’s fearless performance. Closing out the weekend is the world premiere of a new restoration of Pizza, Beer, and Cigarettes (1998), celebrating its 20th anniversary. Bruno Stagnaro and Adrián Caetano’s landmark film, which follows a pair of less than talented thieves, launched the New Argentine Cinema movement and has continued inspiring Latin American filmmakers for generations. Other highlights in this year’s lineup include such festival favorites as Niles Atallah’s formally daring Rey, which won the Special Jury Prize at Rotterdam; Santiago Mitre’s political thriller The Summit, an Un Certain Regard selection from Cannes, featuring an impressive international cast; and Fellipe Barbosa’s around-the-world travelogue Gabriel and the Mountain, a two-time prizewinner at Cannes Critics’ Week. The festival also features documentaries about Mexican fishermen, showgirls of the ’70s and ’80s, and the colonialist history of Easter Island; adaptations of Dostoevsky (António, One, Two, Three) and Hans Christian Andersen (The Little Match Girl); and a number of debut features including visual artist Adrián Villar Rojas’s The Theater of Disappearance, a cinematic reimagining of his acclaimed Met rooftop installation.
FILMS & DESCRIPTIONS
Opening Night Alanis Anahí Berneri, Argentina, 2017, 82m U.S. Premiere Winner of the Best Director and Best Actress awards at the San Sebastian Film Festival, the fifth feature by Argentinian filmmaker Anahí Berneri is a poignant and compelling drama that portrays three days in the life of a young Buenos Aires mother and sex worker struggling to survive. Featuring a potent performance by Sofía Gala Castaglione in the title role (alongside her real-life son Dante), the film offers an unsentimental and non-moralizing take on a self-determined woman trying to live her unapologetic life while facing contradictory prostitution laws that are intended to protect her but often do the opposite. António, One, Two, Three / António um dois três Leonardo Mouramateus, Portugal/Brazil, 2017, 95m Portuguese with English subtitles U.S. Premiere Reminiscent of the films of Hong Sangsoo and Matías Piñeiro, Mouramateus’s debut offers a simple yet scrambled tale of love, longing, and the theater. After angering his father, António seeks refuge in his ex-girlfriend Mariana’s Lisbon apartment, where he meets Débora, a Brazilian woman on her way to Russia. Inevitably, he ends up romantically involved in different ways with each of them. Meanwhile, António’s autobiographical play—which borrows from Dostoevsky’s White Nights—complicates our understanding of his motivations and our own relationship to the film (which is also based on White Nights). As the film goes on, repetitions of scenes (with slight alterations) further speak to the ambivalence of young love. Beauties of the Night / Bellas de noche María José Cuevas, Mexico, 2016, 91m Spanish with English subtitles New York premiere María José Cuevas’s engrossing and captivating debut feature, winner of the Best Documentary award at the Morelia Film Festival, is a moving portrait of five of Mexico’s most popular and iconic showgirls of the late 1970s and ’80s, almost 40 years after they ruled Mexico’s entertainment world. Eight years in the making, with a keen eye and devoid of any sensationalism, the documentary enters the fascinating world of these women, who have struggled to reinvent themselves after the decline of the burlesque heyday. Fuera del campo Marcelo Guzmán and Mauricio Durán, Bolivia, 2017, 60m Spanish, Aymara with English subtitles U.S. Premiere On November 2, 1972, 67 Bolivian political prisoners executed a daring escape from a makeshift jail in the middle of Lake Titicaca during a soccer game; the prisoners then sought asylum in Peru. Their stand against the brutality of Hugo Banzer’s dictatorship was a watershed moment, but interviews with locals who were forced to assist the dissidents reveal the cruel and complicated legacy of this “heroic” tale. The directors of this film admit their inability (personal and creative) to fully deal with history and memory, relying on a series of narrative devices, sometimes controversial, but always cinematic, to tell the story. Screening with: Las nubes Juan Pablo González, 2018, Mexico/USA, 20m Spanish with English subtitles New York Premiere Affected by violence and broken family relationships, a man goes on a journey through memory and time. Gabriel and the Mountain / Gabriel e a Montanha Fellipe Barbosa, Brazil/France, 2017, 131m Portuguese, English, and French with English subtitles New York Premiere Winner of two prizes at Cannes’ Critics’ Week in 2017, Fellipe Barbosa’s follow-up to his acclaimed debut, Casa Grande, follows Gabriel Buchmann (Joao Pedro Zappa) as he travels the world for one year before entering a prestigious American university. After ten months on the road, he arrives in Kenya determined to discover the African continent. Everything changes, however, when he reaches the top of Mount Mulanje, Malawi. The film is based on the true story of Barbosa’s friend from school. Lightning Falls Behind / Atrás hay relámpagos Julio Hernández Cordón, Costa Rica/Mexico, 2017, 82m Spanish with English subtitles New York Premiere The sixth film by Mexican-Guatemalan filmmaker Julio Hernández Cordón (I Promise You Anarchy, ND/NF 2016), and his first shot in Costa Rica, is a rakish slacker movie that follows rebellious girls Sole (Adriana Alvarez) and Ana (Natalia Arias). While biking around San José, and planning to create a vintage cab company, they find something inside the trunk of a car that they’d rather forget. Lightning Falls Behind, featuring playful and fluid camerawork, is a prime example of the kind of recent Central American cinema that has delighted viewers on the international film circuit. The Little Match Girl / La vendedora de fósforos Alejo Moguillansky, Argentina, 2017, 71m Spanish with English subtitles U.S. Premiere Moguillansky’s follow-up to The Gold Beetle is a fantasia that elegantly weaves together disparate elements: Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of the title, Bresson’s saintly abused donkey Balthazar, a Red Army Faction member’s correspondence with an Argentine pianist, and a composer trying to mount an opera at the Teatro Colón. Winner of Best Argentine Film at last year’s BAFICI, The Little Match Girl is infused with emotion, and never devolves into the obscure or didactic, despite its many literary and cinematic references. Featuring exquisite cinematography from Inés Duacastella, this spectacular work is not to be missed. Mariana Chris Gude, Colombia, 2017, 64m Spanish with English subtitles U.S. Premiere In this experimental road movie, director Chris Gude (Mambo Cool) follows two smugglers attempting to cross into Colombia from Venezuela. As the men drive across the sun-soaked terrain of the Guajira Peninsula, occasionally stopping off to wander or play pool in the lonely ruins of abandoned buildings, their journey comes to symbolize a search for an idealized land. Gesturing toward Colombia’s colonial legacy (such as when the pair listen to a Hugo Chávez radio broadcast about Simón Bolívar), this beautifully photographed film gives the viewer ample room to ponder questions of space and identity. Screening with: The Mouth / La Bouche Camilo Restrepo, France, 2017, 19m Susu with English subtitles U.S. Premiere Following his 2016 film Cilaos, Restrepo again experiments with the musical genre in a film that uses radical aesthetics as a means of standing up to social injustice. Rey / King Niles Atallah, France/Chile/The Netherlands/Germany/Italy/Qatar, 2017, 90m Spanish and Mapuche with English subtitles U.S. Premiere Recipient of the Special Jury Prize at Rotterdam, Rey tells the curious story of Orélie-Antoine de Tounens, a French lawyer who attempted to create an independent state for the indigenous peoples of Araucanía (part of present-day Chile) and Patagonia (Argentina) in 1860 and claimed he was its king. Honoring the ambiguous nature of Tounens’s life—it’s unclear if he was a spy, a huckster, an above-average colonial exploiter, or actually summoned by a Mapuche deity—Rey uses a variety of formal techniques and visual styles, including papier-mâché masks, battered 16mm stock, and educational film aesthetics. Ruinas tu reino / Ruins, Your Realm Pablo Escoto, Mexico, 2016, 64m Spanish with English subtitles U.S. Premiere This lyrical and immersive documentary, reminiscent of films by Peter Hutton and Kazuhiro Soda, follows the rhythms of Mexican fishermen in extreme, minute detail. Fish are glimpsed underneath the water and gasping on the deck of a ship; men hoist their nets and sails. Interspersed with these quotidian images are snippets of text and poetry, juxtaposed against a black background. Screening with: Amundsen’s Dogs / Los perros de Amundsen Rafael Ramírez, Cuba 2017, 27m Spanish and English with English subtitles Rafael Ramírez connects the avant-garde and the political in this intertwining of fiction and documentary that tells the story of an industrial accidents inspector. Solitary Land / Tierra Sola Tiziana Panizza, Chile, 2017, 107m Spanish, Rapa Nui, and English with English subtitles U.S. Premiere Easter Island (Rapa Nui) has long been a grand mystery of archeology—how did such a large civilization fall, and does it foreshadow our own ruin? For the indigenous people who currently live there, the island’s past carries a very different legacy: one of colonial abuse and inescapable remoteness. Panizza’s film shows the legacy of this exploitation, as well as the daily rhythms of the small prison on the island, in a film constructed from pieces of 32 documentaries (many of which include similar voiceovers and framing, despite being shot by crews from different countries) and original present-day footage. Winner of Best Chilean Film at the Valdivia Film Festival. The Summit / La cordillera Santiago Mitre, Argentina/France/Spain, 2017, 114m Spanish with English subtitles New York premiere Santiago Mitre (The Student) continues his ongoing cinematic investigation into politics with his third feature, set at a summit of Latin American presidents in Chile. Here, the Argentine president—played by acclaimed actor Ricardo Darín—endures a political and familial drama that will force him to face his own demons. This high-profile thriller, an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section, boasts an impressive international cast including Dolores Fonzi, Erica Rivas (Wild Tales), Elena Anaya (The Skin I Live In), Paulina García (Gloria), Daniel Giménez Cacho (Zama), Alfredo Castro (The Club), and Christian Slater. The Theater of Disappearance / El teatro de la desaparición Adrián Villar Rojas, Argentina/South Korea, 2017, 120m U.S. Premiere Sharing the same title as his 2017 installation from the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s rooftop, acclaimed Argentine visual artist Adrián Villar Rojas’s The Theater of Disappearance is a hypnotic triptych portraying the current state of latent war on different continents. Using disparate styles and sensual, sometimes randomly connected imagery, Villar Rojas searches for beauty through a wordless portrait of a Moroccan pottery workshop, an almost surreal study of the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, and a camera tour of different locations around the world. 20th Anniversary Screening—New restoration! Pizza, Beer, and Cigarettes / Pizza, birra, faso Bruno Stagnaro & Adrián Caetano, Argentina, 1998, 80m Spanish with English subtitles Restoration World Premiere Bruno Stagnaro and Adrián Caetano’s milestone debut feature heralded the deeply influential New Argentine Cinema, fostered the careers of a vast generation of international filmmakers, and fueled the Latin American cinema renaissance of the past two decades. Rarely seen in the United States, Pizza, Beer, and Cigarettes is set in the Buenos Aires criminal underworld, and follows two impoverished teens who graduate from petty theft to armed robbery, though they’re incompetent at both. This restoration, by the Action Program to rescue the Argentine cinema, a joint initiative between CINAIN (Cinematheque and National Image Archive of Argentina) and the DAC (Argentine Cinematographic Directors), was carried out in 4K from the original negative in the framework of the Plan Recuperar DAC / Gótika, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, under the supervision of Bruno Stagnaro, Adrián Caetano and cinematographer Marcelo Lavintman.
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Human Rights Watch Film Festival, London Will Feature 14 Award Winning Films, Opens with “Naila and the Uprising” | Trailers

[caption id="attachment_25154" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Naila and the Uprising[/caption] The Human Rights Watch Film Festival in London from March 8 to 16, 2018, will feature 14 award-winning international documentary and feature films, half of them directed by women. The films offer fresh perspectives and critical insights on human rights concerns impacting people around the world today. The festival will open at the Barbican on March 8, International Women’s Day, with Naila and the Uprising directed by Julia Bacha, which celebrates the courageous Palestinian women activists who played a pivotal role in the first Intifada, 30 years ago. “In a year in which women have collectively raised their voices against discrimination and abuse, the 22nd edition of the festival spotlights strong women who push back against formidable forces within their respective societies,” said John Biaggi, creative director of the Human Rights Watch Film festival. “We are thrilled to open with the powerful Naila and the Uprising, which showcases women change-makers, and we look forward to welcoming the director Julia Bacha and film subjects Naila Ayesh and Zahira Kamal”. When a nationwide uprising breaks out in 1987, Naila Ayesh must make a choice between love, family and freedom. Undaunted, she embraces all three, joining a clandestine network of women in a movement that forces the world to recognize the Palestinian right to self-determination for the first time. “I call on women all over the world, I call on Israeli mothers: double your efforts to lift the injustices from my people, so my son, and your son, and all children can live side by side,” said Ayesh, who will attend opening night. In the closing night film Silas, directed by Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman, the activist Silas Siakor and a network of dedicated citizen reporters respond with swift action when the rights to one-third of Liberia’s land are illegally signed away to multinational companies. “When they tear down the trees and strip the land, they tear down our people and strip away their lives,” Siakor said. “Silas compellingly demonstrates how dedicated individuals can lead and create change,” Biaggi said. “We look forward to welcoming Silas Siakor and the director Anjali Nayar to London.” The themes of female defiance, activists and resistance, environmental plunder and closed worlds are seen throughout the festival. In The Poetess, directors Stefanie Brockhaus and Andreas Wolff introduce Hissa Hilal, who through her poetry performances challenges the repressive patriarchy ruling Saudi Arabia. In Margarita Cadenas’ Women of the Venezuelan Chaos, five resilient women creatively defend their fellow citizens, their families, and their very survival amid the national crisis that has enveloped their country. Sadaf Foroughi’s timely coming-of-age drama, Ava, portrays a strong and complex teenager who is pushed to the limits as she fights to find her voice, despite the constraints of her conservative, patriarchal community in Tehran. The closing night theme of resistance and environmental plunder continues in Chris Kelly’s A Cambodian Spring, in which a fearless Buddhist monk and bold female leaders rally neighbors to oppose land-grabbing politicians and businesses, but at considerable cost to their personal lives and friendships. Directed by Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis, Whose Streets? takes an unflinching look at the Ferguson uprising in the US, told by the activists and leaders who live and breathe this movement for justice. “We are raising activists, we have to create a generation of activists if there’s gonna be any change”, said Aurellia Davis-Whitt, activist and film subject. The festival will screen three films that expose viewers to worlds usually closed from the public eye: Mohammed Naqvi’s Insha’Allah Democracy shows a surprisingly intimate side of the former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan; Peter Nicks’ The Force brings us inside the Oakland Police Force in the USA, which is struggling to make change amidst serious corruption and misconduct, and Adam Sobel’s The Workers Cup presents an exposé on working conditions that migrant workers face in building the 2022 World Cup site in Qatar, following a group of young laborers hoping to become footballers themselves. Three compelling cinema-verité-style documentaries reveal how war and bureaucracy can force institutions of care and shelter to become places of imprisonment and containment. Set in France where each year 92,000 people are placed under psychiatric care without their consent, Raymond Depardon’s 12 Days captures the raw and vulnerable interactions at the border of justice and psychiatry, humanity and bureaucracy when a crucial decision must be made: will a patient be forced to stay in a hospital or granted freedom. In Rina Castelnuovo-Hollander and Tamir Elterman’s Muhi – Generally Temporary, a young boy from Gaza has been trapped in an Israeli hospital for over eight years. Rushed there in his infancy with a life-threatening immune disorder, Muhi, and his doting grandfather, Abu Naim, are caught in an immigration limbo and only permitted to reside within the constraints of the hospital walls. And in The Long Season, the award-winning filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich (Position Among the Stars) spent a year-and-a-half in the Majdal Anjar refugee camp in Lebanon capturing the intimate daily lives of Syrians whose futures are postponed by war. This year’s benefit gala on March 7 at RIBA features Daniel McCabe’s This Is Congo, an immersive and unfiltered look at this lush, mineral-rich country, from the rise of Rwandan and Ugandan-backed M23 rebels in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012 to the present day, via four profoundly resilient characters. Described by Timo Meuller, researcher in the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch as, “the best documentary I’ve seen on the Democratic Republic of Congo. McCabe cares deeply about the country and does a great job walking the audience through the complicated historical trajectory of the Congo.” This is Congo will also screen within the festival program. 12 Days Filmmaker(s):Raymond Depardon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn6CbSBi3ho A Cambodian Spring Filmmaker(s):Chris Kelly https://vimeo.com/209625471 Ava Filmmaker(s):Sadaf Foroughi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF9pDPmF3is Insha’allah Democracy Filmmaker(s):Mohammed Naqvi https://vimeo.com/237785739 Muhi – Generally Temporary Filmmaker(s):Rina Castelnuovo-Hollander and Tamir Elterman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1Ej_v-_IwQ Naila and the Uprising Filmmaker(s):Julia Bacha https://vimeo.com/242161763 Silas Filmmaker(s):Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman The Force Filmmaker(s):Peter Nicks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrS5Okom6ow The Long Season Filmmaker(s):Leonard Retel Helmrich https://vimeo.com/248278067 The Poetess Filmmaker(s):Stefanie Brockhaus and Andreas Wolff https://vimeo.com/241193553 The Workers Cup Filmmaker(s):Adam Sobel https://vimeo.com/218488667 This Is Congo Filmmaker(s):Daniel McCabe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WfWODjDYAk Whose Streets? Filmmaker(s):Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upiJnjJSerw Women of the Venezuelan Chaos Filmmaker(s):Margarita Cadenas https://vimeo.com/227763820
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