Documentary FIRE MUSIC launches KICKSTARTER Campaign to shine a light on the Free Jazz revolution, described as the most radical musical movement of all time.
FIRE MUSIC is a feature length documentary currently in production, which tells the definitive history of the Free Jazz revolution. Directed by Tom Surgal, produced by Dan Braun, and executive produced by Thurston Moore and Nels Cline, the film seeks to tell the story of an irrepressible art form that has inspired generations of fans the world over.
FIRE MUSIC will launch a KICKSTARTER Campaign today to complete the documentary and bring the project to film festivals and theaters for fans across the globe to enjoy.
Commenting on the project, Executive Producer Thurston Moore stated: “Free Jazz is liberation, is the excitement of the new and now….. It is with respect, passion and knowledge that Tom Surgal captures the significance of this self proclaimed “Fire Music.” His work, like its subject, shines for the collective call of beauty and unity.”
FIRE MUSIC seeks to preserve this vital history and the music of a criminally ignored art form that has gone cinematically undocumented for far too long.
Free Jazz is one of the original outsider art forms that broke all the rules. Spearheaded by legendary mavericks like John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor, it is the cultural precursor to all the other musical protest scenes that followed, such as Punk, Hardcore and Hip Hop. It gave voice to a disenfranchised generation galvanized by the burgeoning civil rights and anti-war movements.
In the late 1950s, when the Abstract Expressionists took the art world by storm and The Beats forever changed the face of literature, a new radical form of Jazz erupted from New York’s Lower East Side. This new music was a far cry from the toe-tapping, post Bebop sound of the Jazz mainstream popular in the day. This was an angry form of Jazz that mirrored the more turbulent times in which it was being played.
The coming together of these like-minded artists, iconic figures such as Albert Ayler, Sun Ra, Eric Dolphy and Pharoah Sanders, was a historic occasion. Like the Dadaists, the Lost Generation and the Italian Neo-Realists before them, the early progenitors of the Free Jazz scene were initially met with skepticism and outright disdain. They were accused of being anti-Jazz and the music they played was dismissed as being pure noise. Undeterred by their critics, they would soldier on in relative obscurity and in the process create one of the most influential bodies of work of the contemporary age.
Interviews, archival footage, and live performances combine to depict the sights and sounds of some of the most influential artists of the period including:
Sam Rivers, Wadada Leo Smith, Oliver Lake, John Tchicai, Roswell Rudd, Noah Howard, Dave Burrell, Marshall Allen, Prince Lasha, Sonny Simmons, Bobby Bradford, Sirone, Rashied Ali, Gato Barbieri, Evan Parker, Gunter Hampel, Han Bennink, Peter Brotzmann, Barry Guy, Paul Lytton, Keith Rowe, Gunter Baby Sommer, Trevor Watts,Tristan Honsinger, Joseph Jarman, and renowned Jazz historian and six time Grammy winner Gary Giddins.
Live, never before seen concert footage includes performances by: Peter Brotzman, Han Bennink, Gunter Baby Sommer, Urlich Gumpert, Dave Burrell, Paul Lytton, Ken Vandemark, Evan Parker, Gunter Hampel and Marshell Allen.
FIRE MUSIC is led by writer/ director Tom Surgal who is known for directing a series of groundbreaking music videos for leading alternative bands like Sonic Youth, Pavement and the Blues Explosion. Tom was a teenage protégé of Brian DePalma and has worked in a wide range of film production jobs, including production design, casting and writing. Tom is also a working musician who performs regularly with Nels Cline (Wilco), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Jim O’Rourke and Mike Watt (Minutemen, The Stooges) and is co-leader of the improvisational ensemble White Out. He is also a curator who has programmed a number of celebrated music series at various downtown New York venues, including an entire month of shows at John Zorn’s hallowed performance space The Stone.
Tom is also recognized as a leading authority on Avant-garde Jazz and boasts one the world’s largest collections of Free Jazz recordings.
Dan Braun, co-president of one of the top documentary production and sales companies, Submarine Entertainment, produces the project. Dan recently produced Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival and executive produced the award-winning documentary “Kill Your Idols” and the No Wave documentary “Blank City. Dan is also an Executive Producer on the recently released base-jumping documentary “Sunshine Superman.”
Dan’s company, Submarine Entertainment has represented and sold the Oscar winning documentaries “Searching for Sugar Man,” “20 Ft from Stardom,” “Man on Wire” and “The Cove.” Other films in the companies portfolio include “NAS Time is Illmatic,” “Muscle Shoals,” “Tales of the Grim Sleeper,” “Citizenfour,” “Keep on Keepin On,” “The Great Invisible,” “Blackfish,” “Cutie and the Boxer,” “Winter’s Bone,” “Bill Cunningham NY,” “Tiny Furniture,” “Queen of Versailles,” “Chasing Ice,” “Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me,” “Super Size Me” and many more.
Executive producers are musicians Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and Nels Cline (Wilco). ranked respectively #99 and # 82 on Rolling Stone’ s rating of “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.Terry P.
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Free Jazz documentary FIRE MUSIC launches Kickstarter Campaign
Documentary FIRE MUSIC launches KICKSTARTER Campaign to shine a light on the Free Jazz revolution, described as the most radical musical movement of all time.
FIRE MUSIC is a feature length documentary currently in production, which tells the definitive history of the Free Jazz revolution. Directed by Tom Surgal, produced by Dan Braun, and executive produced by Thurston Moore and Nels Cline, the film seeks to tell the story of an irrepressible art form that has inspired generations of fans the world over.
FIRE MUSIC will launch a KICKSTARTER Campaign today to complete the documentary and bring the project to film festivals and theaters for fans across the globe to enjoy.
Commenting on the project, Executive Producer Thurston Moore stated: “Free Jazz is liberation, is the excitement of the new and now….. It is with respect, passion and knowledge that Tom Surgal captures the significance of this self proclaimed “Fire Music.” His work, like its subject, shines for the collective call of beauty and unity.”
FIRE MUSIC seeks to preserve this vital history and the music of a criminally ignored art form that has gone cinematically undocumented for far too long.
Free Jazz is one of the original outsider art forms that broke all the rules. Spearheaded by legendary mavericks like John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor, it is the cultural precursor to all the other musical protest scenes that followed, such as Punk, Hardcore and Hip Hop. It gave voice to a disenfranchised generation galvanized by the burgeoning civil rights and anti-war movements.
In the late 1950s, when the Abstract Expressionists took the art world by storm and The Beats forever changed the face of literature, a new radical form of Jazz erupted from New York’s Lower East Side. This new music was a far cry from the toe-tapping, post Bebop sound of the Jazz mainstream popular in the day. This was an angry form of Jazz that mirrored the more turbulent times in which it was being played.
The coming together of these like-minded artists, iconic figures such as Albert Ayler, Sun Ra, Eric Dolphy and Pharoah Sanders, was a historic occasion. Like the Dadaists, the Lost Generation and the Italian Neo-Realists before them, the early progenitors of the Free Jazz scene were initially met with skepticism and outright disdain. They were accused of being anti-Jazz and the music they played was dismissed as being pure noise. Undeterred by their critics, they would soldier on in relative obscurity and in the process create one of the most influential bodies of work of the contemporary age.
Interviews, archival footage, and live performances combine to depict the sights and sounds of some of the most influential artists of the period including:
Sam Rivers, Wadada Leo Smith, Oliver Lake, John Tchicai, Roswell Rudd, Noah Howard, Dave Burrell, Marshall Allen, Prince Lasha, Sonny Simmons, Bobby Bradford, Sirone, Rashied Ali, Gato Barbieri, Evan Parker, Gunter Hampel, Han Bennink, Peter Brotzmann, Barry Guy, Paul Lytton, Keith Rowe, Gunter Baby Sommer, Trevor Watts,Tristan Honsinger, Joseph Jarman, and renowned Jazz historian and six time Grammy winner Gary Giddins.
Live, never before seen concert footage includes performances by: Peter Brotzman, Han Bennink, Gunter Baby Sommer, Urlich Gumpert, Dave Burrell, Paul Lytton, Ken Vandemark, Evan Parker, Gunter Hampel and Marshell Allen.
FIRE MUSIC is led by writer/ director Tom Surgal who is known for directing a series of groundbreaking music videos for leading alternative bands like Sonic Youth, Pavement and the Blues Explosion. Tom was a teenage protégé of Brian DePalma and has worked in a wide range of film production jobs, including production design, casting and writing. Tom is also a working musician who performs regularly with Nels Cline (Wilco), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Jim O’Rourke and Mike Watt (Minutemen, The Stooges) and is co-leader of the improvisational ensemble White Out. He is also a curator who has programmed a number of celebrated music series at various downtown New York venues, including an entire month of shows at John Zorn’s hallowed performance space The Stone.
Tom is also recognized as a leading authority on Avant-garde Jazz and boasts one the world’s largest collections of Free Jazz recordings.
Dan Braun, co-president of one of the top documentary production and sales companies, Submarine Entertainment, produces the project. Dan recently produced Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival and executive produced the award-winning documentary “Kill Your Idols” and the No Wave documentary “Blank City. Dan is also an Executive Producer on the recently released base-jumping documentary “Sunshine Superman.”
Dan’s company, Submarine Entertainment has represented and sold the Oscar winning documentaries “Searching for Sugar Man,” “20 Ft from Stardom,” “Man on Wire” and “The Cove.” Other films in the companies portfolio include “NAS Time is Illmatic,” “Muscle Shoals,” “Tales of the Grim Sleeper,” “Citizenfour,” “Keep on Keepin On,” “The Great Invisible,” “Blackfish,” “Cutie and the Boxer,” “Winter’s Bone,” “Bill Cunningham NY,” “Tiny Furniture,” “Queen of Versailles,” “Chasing Ice,” “Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me,” “Super Size Me” and many more.
Executive producers are musicians Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and Nels Cline (Wilco). ranked respectively #99 and # 82 on Rolling Stone’ s rating of “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.
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Dance Documentary PAUL TAYLOR: CREATIVE DOMAIN to Open on September 11
Paul Taylor is described as one of the dance world’s most elusive and admired choreographers. For 60 years he has given only glimpses into his creative process, but for his 133rd dance, ‘Three Dubious Memories,’ the audience is allowed into his studio. PAUL TAYLOR: CREATIVE DOMAIN is an in-depth exploration of how Mr. Taylor creates a single work.
PAUL TAYLOR: CREATIVE DOMAIN directed by Kate Geis will open at Film Society Of Lincoln Center in New York on Friday, September 11 with a national release to follow in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and other major cities.
The film begins with Mr. Taylor dancing in his youth, describing the nature of dance, ‘you learn to live day to day, hour to hour.’ We leap to Mr.Taylor present day, now in his 80’s, still living his life in the moment, with his mind intently focused on his next dance. His new work is aRashomon-inspired exploration of memory, three characters entangled in a relationship, and each believing only in their own dark memory of it.
Through the lens of award-winning cinematographer Tom Hurwitz, we witness Mr. Taylor’s verbal and non-verbal communication with his dancers. Below the surface of this dance and the many works that came before, is his power of acute observation, revealing a side to his choreography that is strangely prophetic. The dominant voice is Paul Taylor’s and between the guarded and unguarded moments we see him with new eyes and new understanding.
https://vimeo.com/37539696
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Watch TRAILER for Psychological Thriller TOM AT THE FARM
Here is the official trailer for the the psychological thriller Tom at the Farm, written and directed by Xavier Dolan. Tom at the Farm which also stars Xavier Dolan along with Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Lise Roy, and Evelyne Brochu will be released unrated in the U.S. in theaters and on VOD platforms on August 14, 2015.
From the creative mind of Xavier Dolan (Mommy, Heartbeats) comes the psychological thriller Tom at the Farm. After the sudden death of his lover, Guillaume (Caleb Landry Jones of Heaven Knows What), Tom (Dolan), travels from his home in the city to a remote country farm for the funeral. Upon arriving, he’s shocked to find that Guillaume’s family knows nothing about him and was expecting a woman in his place. Torn between his own grief and that of the family, Tom keeps his identity a secret but soon finds himself increasingly drawn into a twisted, sexually-charged game by Guillaume’s aggressive brother (Pierre-Yves Cardinal of Through the Mist), who suspects the truth. Stockholm syndrome, deception, grief, and savagery pervade this stirring tale from Dolan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZNzJhTczZQ
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Its a Tie. ASTRAEA and COME TO MY VOICE Win 18th Maine International Film Festival Audience Award
The 18th Maine International Film Festival closed on Sunday and unveiled the winner of its audience favorite award, with Astraea and Come To My Voice tied as the MIFF audience’s favorite.
“We’re thrilled that MIFF audiences once again were adventurous and enthusiastic about exploring and discussing films from around the world,” said Festival Director Shannon Haines. “We had a fabulous slate of guests and an incredible array of films for MIFF audiences to enjoy. We look forward to seeing you all next year”
In the film Astraea, directed by Kristjan Thor, – when an epidemic nearly wipes out the human race, a telepathic teenage girl named Astraea has visions of survivors living in New Brunswick. She leads her doubting brother on a 5000-mile journey through a silent and abandoned America into the snowbound wilderness, hoping to rebuild life as she knew it. As they head north, her clairvoyance intensifies and they encounter a wary young couple, homesteading on a remote lake in Western Maine. The grief and complexity—as well as the excitement and comfort—of encountering other normal humans pits itself against Astraea’s desire to keep moving and find her family. This post-apocalyptic film, spectacularly shot in wintry Maine landscapes, uses sensitivity and intellect rather than special effects to show not what humanity is running from, but what we’re running towards.
https://vimeo.com/118208194
In Come To My Voice, directed by Hüseyin Karabey, which takes place in a snowy Kurdish mountain village, in the east of Turkey, an old woman Berfé and her granddaughter Jiyan are distressed. The only man in the household, Temo, the son of one and the father of the other, was arrested by the Turkish military. The commanding officer has been told that the villagers are hiding weapons, so he arrested all the men and announced that they will be kept in prison until their families hand over the weapons. The problem is that there are no weapons in the village. Desperate, Berfé and Jiyan embark on a long journey, in search of a gun which they could exchange for their beloved Temo. Will the old woman and her innocent granddaughter find a way out of the inextricable Kurdish identity conflict?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Xbi0l61k0
Learning To Drive and Samba were tied for second place and Au Bord du Monde came in third place for the audience favorite award. Forty-four of the 47 films eligible for the award received at least one vote.
Acclaimed actor Michael Murphy was presented the Mid-Life Achievement Award in honor of his diverse career that includes a long-time collaboration with director Robert Altman and work with Woody Allen, P.T. Anderson, Elia Kazan and Oliver Stone. MIFF screened the U.S. premiere of Murphy’s new film Fall before the award presentation on July 16.
For the first time, MIFF hosted the World Filmmakers’ Forum through a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts. Filmmakers from France, Argentina, Turkey and Mexico will show their work and discuss their creative process and the state of international film.
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Le Dep by Sonia Bonspille-Boileau to Close 25th First Peoples Festival l TRAILER
Le Dep, directed by Sonia Bonspille-Boileau will close the 25th edition of First Peoples Festival in Montreal, Canada. The film stars Eve Ringuette (a Jutra nominee for the film Mesnak) Marco Colin, Charles Buckell-Roberston, also in the Mesnak cast, and Yan England.
One evening, in an Outaouais region Amerindian community, Lydia (Eve Ringuette) is just about to close her father’s convenience store where she occasionally works for the night. But an armed and masked individual suddenly bursts inside, and orders her to hand over the cash. However she recognizes the thief from his voice and eyes. Her subsequent decisions will have many consequences in her life.
“The story takes place in an Aboriginal community, and exposes modern Aboriginal problems in Canada, but the emotions I wanted to convey and the characters I tried to create aim first and foremost to develop public awareness”. Sonia Bonspille-Boileau
The film production received a grant from Telefilm Canada’s microbudget program. The producer and director will take part in workshops focusing on this type of production, as part of the professional workshops organized by First Peoples Festival.
Le Dep, distributed by K-Films Amérique, will be released in Quebec on August 7th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzwTbICOLPY
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TIKKUN, HOTLINE Win Top Awards at 32nd Jerusalem Film Festival
TIKKUN, directed by Avishai Sivan is the winner of the The Haggiag Award for Best Israeli Feature Film at the 32nd Jerusalem Film Festival. Tikkkun also won the awards for The Anat Pirchi Award for Best Script, The Haggiag Award for Best Actor to Khalifa Natour for his role in Tikkun, and The Van Leer Award for Best Cinematography to Shai Goldman.
Tikkun follows Haim-Aaron, a bright, Ultra-Orthodox religious scholar living in Jerusalem. His talents and devotion are envied by all. One evening, following a self-imposed fast, Haim-Aaron collapses and loses consciousness. The paramedics announce his death, but his father takes over resuscitation efforts and, beyond all expectations, Haim-Aaron comes back to life. After the accident, try as he might, Haim-Aaron remains apathetic to his studies. He feels overwhelmed by a sudden awakening of his body and suspects this is God testing him. He wonders if he should stray from the prescribed path and find a way to rekindle his faith. The father notices his son’s changed behavior and tries to forgive him. He is tormented by the fear of having crossed God’s will, the night he resuscitated his son.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8hlHhX_H14
HOTLINE, directed by Silvina Landsmann is the winner of the Van Leer Award for Best Documentary Film. Hotline delves into the heart of a small Tel Aviv-based NGO – a human rights organization called the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants – shedding light on its activities and revealing its reality, while observing the functions of an NGO in the democratic arena. The Hotline for Refugees and Migrants is dedicated to promoting the rights of refugees and undocumented migrant workers in Israel. In addition to its direct services through weekly visits to detention centers and its hotline, the NGO’s work also includes legal advocacy and public policy activities. The Hotline works to ensure that existing laws protecting basic human rights are implemented.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN9n45YWJOo
The complete list of 2015 Awards of 32nd Jerusalem Film Festival
The Haggiag Competition for Full-Length Israeli Features
The Haggiag Award for Best Israeli Feature Film granting 120,000 ILS:
Tikkun, directed by Avishai Sivan, produced by Ronen Ben Tal, Moshe and Leon Edery.
Jury: For its very impressive artistic achievement in telling a deep and delicate story with great sensitivity.
The Anat Pirchi Award for Best First Film granting 20,000 ILS
Wedding Doll, directed and produced by Nitzan Gilady.
The Anat Pirchi Award for Best Script granting 10,000 ILS
Avishai Sivan for his film Tikkun.
The Haggiag Award for Best Actor granting 10,000 ILS
Khalifa Natour for his role in Tikkun.
The Haggiag Award for Best Actress granting 10,000 ILS
Asi Levi for her performance in Wedding Dolls.
The Van Leer Award for Best Cinematography granting 9,000 ILS
Shai Goldman for filming Tikkun.
The Haggiag Award for Best Editing granting 10,000 ILS
Reut Han, Yoav Paz and Doron Paz for editing JeruZalem.
Israel Critics’ Forum Award for Best Feature Film
A.K.A. Nadia, directed by Tova Ascher, produced by Estee Yacov-Mecklberg, Haim Mecklberg.
The Audience Favorite Award
JeruZalem, directed by Yoav Paz, Doron Paz, produced by Yoav Paz, Doron Paz, Nir Miretzky and Rotem Levim.
The Van Leer Competition for Israeli Documentary Cinema
The Van Leer Award for Best Documentary Film granting 30,000 ILS
Hotline, directed by Silvina Landsmann, produced by Silvina Landsmann, Pierre-Olivier Bardet.
The Van Leer Award for Best Director of a Documentary granting 18,000 ILS
Nirit Aharoni for her film, Strung Out.
The Haggiag Award for Best Music granting 10,000 ILS
The jury has elected to present this award to a musician who contributed to a documentary: Ophir Leibovitch, for his work in Strung Out.
Honorary Mention to a Documentary
Thru You Princess, directed by Ido Haar, produced by Liran Aztmor.
The jury of the Israeli Feature Film Competition was comprised of Elma Tataragić from the Sarajevo Film Festival, Matthijs Wouter Knol from the Berlin Film Festival/EFM, Turkish director Tayfun Pirselimoğlu and Israeli film critic Yael Shuv.
The Wim Van Leer “In the Spirit of Freedom” Competition
The Cummings Award for Best Feature Film granting 4,000$
Three Windows and a Hanging, directed by Isa Qosja.
The Ostrovsky Award for Best Documentary Film grating 2,000$
The Pearl Button, directed by Patricio Guzman
Honorary Mention
Mussa, directed by Anat Goren, produced by Daniela Rachminov-Sidi, Anat Goren.
The In the Spirit of Freedom jury was comprised of Israeli director and screenwriter Tali Shalom-Ezer, French actress Laëtitia Eïdo and French journalist Hélène Schoumann.
The FIPRESCI International Debuts Competition
The FIPRESCI Award for Best First Film
Songs my Brothers Taught Me, directed by Chloe Zhao.
Honorary Mention to an Israeli Debut
Wedding Doll, directed and produced by Nitzan Gilady.
The FIPRESCI jury was comprised of José Luis Losa García of Spain, Jack Mener of Belgium and Yair Raveh of Israel.
The Israeli Short Film Competition
The Van Leer award for Best Short Feature Film granting 9,000 ILS
Line of Grace, directed by Rotem Kapelinsky, produced by Eyal Shirai.
The Van Leer Award for Best Director of a Short Feature granting 9,000 ILS
Yehonatan Indursky for his film The Cantor and the Sea.
The Van Leer award for Best Short Documentary Film granting 7,000 ILS
Mazal Means Luck, directed by Mazal Ben Yishai, Maaleh Film School.
The Van Leer Award for Best Short Animation Film granting 7,000 ILS
Warm Snow, directed by Ira Elshansky, Bezalel Academy of Arts & Design.
The jury of the Short Film Competition was comprised of Mexican director and producer Gabriel Ripstein, Israeli director and screenwriter Elad Keidan and Israeli director, screenwriter and poet Netalie Braun.
The Experimental Cinema and Video Art Competition
The Lia Van Leer Award, donated by Rivka Saker, granting 12,000 ILS
Factory, directed by Maya Geller.
The Ostrovsky Family Foundation Award granting 8,000 ILS
Last Person Shooter, directed by Boaz Levin and Adam Kaplan.
The jury was comprised of Austrian artist and filmmaker Manu Luksch, Israeli curator Ran Kasmy-Ilan and Israeli curator Edna Moshenson.
The Jewish Experience Competition
The Leah Van Leer Award for Films about Jewish Heritage
Zelda: A Simple Woman, directed by Yair Qedar
The Avner Shalev – Yad Vashem Chairman’s Award for Holocaust-Related Films
My Nazi Legacy: What Our Fathers Did, directed by David Evans.
The International Children’s Films Competition
The Cummings Award for Best Children’s Film granting 3,000$
Paper Planes, director by Robert Connolly
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Restored Anti-apartheid Film, A Dry White Season, will Screen on Mandela Day 2015 for Durban International Film Festival
The award-winning and world-renowned French filmmaker Euzhan Palcy will showcase her most celebrated work, A DRY WHITE SEASON (1989), as part of the film’s 25th anniversary at this year’s Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). The film was adapted from a book by the acclaimed South African writer Andre Brink who died earlier this year. Palcy will be honoring Brink on Mandela Day (July 18).
Additionally, in a tribute to her contribution to the South African film industry, Palcy will be honoured at the Simon Sabela Awards on July 19. Karina Brink, Dame Janet Suzman and Thoko Ntshinga will attend both the screening and the awards.
At the time the film was produced, Ms. Palcy (pictured above) was distinguished for being the first black female director to be hired by a major Hollywood studio (MGM) and to direct an anti-apartheid film during Nelson Mandela’s prison sentence. She is also the only woman to have directed Marlon Brando and the first black person to win a French Oscar.
Andre Brink’s book, a narrative about the social movements of South Africa and the 1976 Soweto riots inspired Palcy’s impassioned response to illustrate an accurate account of the reality of apartheid. Palcy made the film in 1989 after doing extensive research undercover in Soweto. The film stars Donald Sutherland, Janet Suzman, Marlon Brando, Zakes Mokae, Susan Sarandon, John Kani, Winston Ntshona, Jürgen Prochnow amongst others.
“We are pleased to be able to present an important work created by a black woman, which highlights and even represents the lost voices of the people of this continent; the unspoken narratives and the untold stories,” says Pedro Pimenta, Director of DIFF. “Her courage to create a work which could stand out and give three dimensional life to Brink’s book, and by association the voiceless at the time, required an enormous amount of bravery. We are proud to be able to salute her at the DIFF this year.”
The South African event will kick off on 17 July with the opening of an exhibition of David James’ still photographs from A DRY WHITE SEASON at the KwaZulu-Natal Society of Arts. James is the 2011 Society of Cinematographer Lifetime achievement award winner in stills photography and was the official photographer of the 81st to the 84th Oscars ceremonies. The exhibition will run for the duration of the DIFF until the 26 July.
A DRY WHITE SEASON will be screened on Mandela Day at Suncoast on Saturday, 18 July at 20:00. This will be followed by a question and answer session with Ms. Palcy. Her first classic award winning film, SUGAR CANE ALLEY, which Brink apparently screened in secret to his students, celebrates its 30th anniversary and will be screened as a South African premiere at Suncoast on Monday, 20 July at 19:30, in which she will also be in attendance.
Comment from Patrick Aglae director of communications for Euzhan Palcy and producer of A DRY WHITE SEASON: the 25th anniversary tour:
It has been a long journey since we decided to officially screen A DRY WHITE SEASON in South Africa on the big stage. Euzhan Palcy had made the promise to Nelson Mandela to comeback one day to officially screen the film. In March at the Andre Brink’s Memorial at the University of Cape Town she said “Let’s make it happen”. So to do it on the Mandela Day is magnificent. I’d like to thank DIFF’s new leadership to make this dream a reality alongside MGM and Park Circus, its worldwide distribution partner which played a key role to restore this film and make the DCP on time. To make it so fast speaks volume about their respect for the film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbNbN3KSkI8
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Skateboarding Film WE ARE BLOOD to Premiere in August 2015 | TRAILER
The skateboarding film WE ARE BLOOD will World Premiere on August 13, 2015 in Los Angeles in conjunction with the start of the Dew Tour L.A. stop.
Directed by Ty Evans, the feature length film stars professional street skateboarder and DEW® athlete Paul Rodriguez as he and other top skateboarders travel the world, pushing the limits of what’s possible on a skateboard and celebrating the unconditional bond created by the simple act of skateboarding. With staggering cinematography, state-of-the-art cameras and unique perspectives that lend to a cutting-edge, progressive skateboarding experience, WE ARE BLOOD takes viewers through Spain, Brazil, China and Dubai, thanks to the support of film sponsor XDubai, as well as on a classic road trip across the United States.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVus4Ua1EFQ
The world premiere of WE ARE BLOOD will be held at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, on Saturday, August 15.
Following the Los Angeles premiere, WE ARE BLOOD will launch a screening tour across the United States and globally at select locations including:
Thursday, August 20 – New York, N.Y.
Monday, August 24 – Boston, Mass.
Tuesday, August 25 – Denver, Colo.
Wednesday, August 26 – Chicago, Ill.
Friday, August 28 – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Saturday, August 29 – Munich, Germany
Sunday, August 30 – Vienna, Austria
Tuesday, September 1 – Portland, Ore.
Wednesday, September 2 – San Francisco, Cali.
Thursday, September 3 – San Diego, Cali.
Friday, September 4 – Houston, Texas
Saturday, September 5 – Dallas, Texas
Thursday, September 10 – Sao Paulo, Brazil
The film will release worldwide in mid-August in Ultra HD 4K and HD on digital and other VOD and streaming platforms such as iTunes, Amazon Instant Play and MGO as well as on DVD and Blu-ray in Zumiez and other core skate shops.
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THE MEND Starring Josh Lucas Sets Summer 2015 Release Date
THE MEND “the wonderfully strange and acidic debut comedy from writer / director John Magary” and starring Josh Lucas, Stephen Plunkett, Lucy Owen, Mickey Sumner and Austin Pendleton, will open in theaters in NYC on August 21st, and in LA on August 28th via Cinelicious.
Shot through with the wicked humor and anarchy of Bruce Robinson’s Withnail & I and Mike Leigh’s Naked, The Mend follows a mismatched yin-yang pair of NYC brothers, loose cannon Mat (Josh Lucas in a career-best performance) and put-upon Alan ( Stephen Plunkett) as they stagger dimly towards some understanding of love, women, masculinity and what it truly means to be a brother. Featuring a gorgeous, minimalist score by Michi Wiancko & Judd Greenstein and beautiful, fluid cinematography by Chris Teague (Obvious Child), the film unfolds as three stylistically distinct but interwoven acts, each with its own mesmerizing rhythm. With superb supporting performances by Mickey Sumner (Frances Ha) and Lucy Owen as the brothers’ sharp-tongued girlfriends.
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2015 trinidad+tobago film festival Reveals First Ten Classic Caribbean Films on Lineup
The 2015 trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) unveiled the first selections of ten classic Caribbean films for this year’s edition of the Festival.
These ten films will screen in a special sidebar to the main program, in honor of the ttff’s tenth anniversary. The Festival takes place from September 15–29.
“Many people are unaware that there has been a Caribbean film industry for quite some time, or that almost every country in the region has produced feature films,” said Bruce Paddington, ttff Founder and Festival Director. “We are therefore very proud to present ten of the very best classic films from the Caribbean that will help one to appreciate and enjoy the rich diversity of the region.”
Comprising films from nine different countries, the sidebar ranges across the English-, Spanish-, French- and Dutch-speaking sections of the region.
The lineup includes the Jamaican classic, The Harder They Come, and Bim, from T&T.
Memories of Underdevelopment, the oldest film in the lineup, is from 1968, while the most recent, Strawberry and Chocolate, was released in 1993. Both of those films hail from Cuba.
The full slate of films is as follows:
Memories of Underdevelopment (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Cuba, 1968)
The Harder They Come (Perry Henzell, Jamaica, 1972)
Bim (Hugh A. Robertson, Trinidad and Tobago, 1974)
One People (Pim de la Parra, Suriname, 1976)
Sugar Cane Alley (Euzhan Palcy, Martinique, 1983)
One Way Ticket (Agliberto Menéndez, Dominican Republic, 1988)
What Happened to Santiago (Jacobo Morales, Puerto Rico, 1989)
Ava and Gabriel: A Love Story (Felix de Rooy, Curaçao, 1990)
The Man on the Shore (Raoul Peck, Haiti, 1993)
Strawberry and Chocolate (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío, Cuba, 1993)
Caption: A still from The Harder They Come
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SNEAKERHEADZ Documentary to Hit Theaters on Friday, August 7 | TRAILER
The documentary SNEAKERHEADZ, directed by David T. Friendly (Academy Award nominated producer of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) and Mick Partridge (SEVEN DAYS IN UTOPIA, DECODING ANNIE PARKER, MERCY),which examines the cultural influence of sneaker collecting, will open in theaters on August 7 – opening at Village East Cinemas in NYC on Friday, August 7 with a national release to follow.
To Rock or Stock? Sneakerheads will do almost anything to get their hands on a unique pair of kicks, going to such extreme lengths as hiding in trash cans to score a pair of Retro Jordan 11s to camping for days in sub zero temperatures for the latest Nike Foamposites. How did sneakers become as prized as collectable art? From the shores of Cali to the congested streets of Tokyo, SNEAKERHEADZ examines the cultural influence of sneaker collecting around the world and delves into a subculture whose proud members don’t just want to admire art, they want to wear it.
https://vimeo.com/130269223
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American Film BOB AND THE TREES Win Top Prize at 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
The American film, Bob and the Trees, starring Bob Tarasuk, playing himself, as Bob, a fifty-year old logger, struggling to make ends meet in a threatened industry, was awarded with the Crystal Globe at the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Tarasuk accepted the Festival Grand Prix in person, together with director Diego Ongaro (pictured above).
“This really is a surprise. We had virtually no money to shoot the film so I had to invest my and my wife’s money, and I would like to thank everybody involved in making the film” stated director Ongaro, noting that he still has not found a distributor. Bob Tarasuk, too, expressed his amazement: “I have never won anything so far. Indeed, I have never left the States before, but my grandmother was Czech and my grandfather Ukrainian so I dedicate this award to them.”
The Special Jury Prize went to Austrian director Peter Brunner for the film Those Who Fall Have Wings, a drama on coming to terms with the death of a loved one.
Kosovan Visar Morina received the Best Director Award for his film Babai, a story about a small boy setting off on a journey to find his father.
The Grand Prix for Best Documentary Film went to Helena Třeštíková for Mallory. Life hasn’t been easy on Mallory but after the birth of her son she tries desperately to kick her drug habit, and to stop living on the street. She wants to turn her back on her dark past and help those she knows best – people on the fringes of society. In her latest long-term documentary, Helena Třeštíková demonstrates that even seemingly hopeless lives needn’t be cut short halfway.
The prize for the best film of the East of the West Competition was awarded to social drama The Wednesday Child by the Hungarian director Lili Horváth, a tale of a young girl who wants to secure better circumstances for her child than she had.
OFFICIAL SELECTION – COMPETITION
GRAND JURY
Tim League, USA
Angelina Nikonova, Russia
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Iceland
Hengameh Panahi, France
Ondřej Zach, Czech Republic
GRAND PRIX – CRYSTAL GLOBE (25 000 USD)
The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film.
Bob and the Trees
Directed by: Diego Ongaro
USA, 2015
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (15 000 USD)
The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film.
Those Who Fall Have Wings / Jeder der fällt hat Flügel
Directed by: Peter Brunner
Austria, 2015
BEST DIRECTOR AWARD
Visar Morina for the film Babai
Germany, Kosovo, Macedonia, France, 2015
BEST ACTRESS AWARD
Alena Mihulová for her role in the film Home Care / Domácí péče
Directed by: Slávek Horák
Czech Republic, Slovakia, 2015
EAST OF THE WEST – COMPETITION
EAST OF THE WEST JURY
Gaby Babić, Germany
Alexis Grivas, Greece
Tomáš Luňák, Czech Republic
Ivan I. Tverdovsky, Russia
Olena Yershova, Ukraine
EAST OF THE WEST AWARD (20 000 USD)
The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film.
The Wednesday Child / Szerdai gyerek
Directed by: Lili Horváth
Hungary, Germany, 2015
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
The World Is Mine / Lumea e a mea
Directed by: Nicolae Constantin Tănase
Romania, 2015
DOCUMENTARY FILMS – COMPETITION
DOCUMENTARY FILMS JURY
Paolo Bertolin, Italy
Teodora Ana Mihai, Romania
Ivana Pauerová Miloševič, Czech Republic
BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM OVER 60 MINUTES (5 000 USD)
Mallory
Directed by: Helena Třeštíková
Czech Republic, 2015
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
The Father Tapes / Vaterfilm
Directed by: Albert Meisl
Austria, 2015
BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM UNDER 30 MINUTES (5 000 USD)
White Death / Muerta Blanca
Directed by: Roberto Collío
Chile, 2015
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
Women in Sink
Directed by: Iris Zaki
Great Britain, Israel, 2015
FORUM OF INDEPENDENTS – COMPETITION
FORUM OF INDEPENDENTS JURY
Katrin Gebbe, Germany
Michael Málek, Czech Republic
Yeo Joon Han, Malaysia
FORUM OF INDEPENDENTS AWARD
The winning film will be purchased by Czech Television for the flat fee of 5000 EUR.
Tangerine
Directed by: Sean Baker
USA, 2015
AUDIENCE AWARD
Youth / La giovinezza
Directed by: Paolo Sorrentino
Italy, France, Switzerland, Great Britain, 2015
Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema
Richard Gere, USA
Festival President’s Award for Contribution to Czech Cinematography
Iva Janžurová, Czech Republic
NON-STATUTORY AWARDS
AWARD OF INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS (FIPRESCI)
Awarded by The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI).
FIPRESCI JURY
Pamela Cohn, USA, Germany
Swapan Kumar Ghosh, India
Radovan Holub, Czech Republic
Eva Peydró, Spain
Srđan Vucinic, Serbia
Box
Directed by: Florin Şerban
Romania, Germany, France, 2015
THE ECUMENICAL JURY AWARD
THE ECUMENICAL JURY
Michael Otřísal, Czech Republic
Vít Poláček, Czech Republic
Lothar Strüber, Germany
Rita Weinert, Germany
Bob and the Trees
Directed by: Diego Ongaro
USA, 2015
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
Song of Songs / Pesn pesney
Directed by: Eva Neymann
Ukraine, 2015
FEDEORA AWARD
Awarded by the Federation of Film Critics of Europe and The Mediterranean (FEDEORA) to the best film from East of the West – Competition
FEDEORA JURY
Ronald Bergan, United Kingdom
James Evans, United Kingdom
Dubravka Lakić, Serbia
Heavenly Nomadic / Sutak
Directed by: Mirlan Abdykalykov
Kyrgysztan, 2015
The Wednesday Child / Szerdai gyerek
Directed by: Lili Horváth
Hungary, Germany 2015
EUROPA CINEMAS LABEL AWARD
For the best European film in the Official Selection – Competition and in the East of the West – Competition.
Europa Cinemas Label jury
Erika Borsos, Hungary
Caroline Dragacci, France
David O’Mahony, Ireland
Jens Schneiderheinze, Germany
Babai
Directed by: Visar Morina
Germany, Kosovo, Macedonia, France, 2015
BEST ACTOR AWARD
Kryštof Hádek for his role in the film The Snake Brothers / Kobry a užovky
Directed by: Jan Prušinovský
Czech Republic, 2015
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
The Magic Mountain / La montagne magique
Directed by: Anca Damian
Romania, France, Poland, 2015
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
Antonia
Directed by: Ferdinando Cito Filomarino
Italy, Greece, 2015
Works in Progress 2015
15 selected projects were presented in the Works in Progress 2015. The most promising project selected by the International Jury received the award of 10 000 Euros in services from the event’s partner Barrandov Studios.
THE WORKS IN PROGRESS JURY 2015
Paz Lázaro, Berlin International Film Festival (Germany)
Titus Kreyenberg, unafilm (Germany)
Jan Naszewski, New Europe Film Sales (Poland)
AWARD OF 10 000 EUROS IN SERVICES FOR THE MOST PROMISING PROJECT
Park
Directed by: Sofia Exarchou
Greece, 2015
image via 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival