Check out the trailer for BURYING THE EX, the horror comedy from renowned director Joe Dante which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Written by Alan Trezza (TV’s “Sanctuary”), and starring Anton Yelchin (ODD THOMAS, FRIGHT NIGHT), Ashley Greene (TWILIGHT) and Alexandra Daddario (TV’s “True Detective”), the film will be released in theaters on June 19.
BURYING THE EX follows Max (Anton Yelchin), an all-around nice guy, and his overbearing but incredibly beautiful girlfriend, Evelyn (Ashely Greene). Their relationship takes a nosedive after they decide to move in together and Evelyn turns out to be a controlling, manipulative nightmare. Max realizes it’s time to call it quits, but there’s just one problem: he’s too afraid to break up with her. Fate steps in when Evelyn is involved in a freak accident and dies, leaving Max single and ready to mingle. Several weeks later, he has a chance encounter with Olivia (Alexandra Daddario), a cute and spirited girl who just might be his soul mate. But that same night, Evelyn returns from the grave as a dirt-smeared Zombie and she’s determined to live happily ever after with Max …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3vuRYFCwjoTerry P.
VIMOOZ is for lovers of independent films + foreign film + documentary + film festivals. We love championing the little films.
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Trailer + Release Date for Horror Comedy BURYING THE EX
Check out the trailer for BURYING THE EX, the horror comedy from renowned director Joe Dante which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Written by Alan Trezza (TV’s “Sanctuary”), and starring Anton Yelchin (ODD THOMAS, FRIGHT NIGHT), Ashley Greene (TWILIGHT) and Alexandra Daddario (TV’s “True Detective”), the film will be released in theaters on June 19.
BURYING THE EX follows Max (Anton Yelchin), an all-around nice guy, and his overbearing but incredibly beautiful girlfriend, Evelyn (Ashely Greene). Their relationship takes a nosedive after they decide to move in together and Evelyn turns out to be a controlling, manipulative nightmare. Max realizes it’s time to call it quits, but there’s just one problem: he’s too afraid to break up with her. Fate steps in when Evelyn is involved in a freak accident and dies, leaving Max single and ready to mingle. Several weeks later, he has a chance encounter with Olivia (Alexandra Daddario), a cute and spirited girl who just might be his soul mate. But that same night, Evelyn returns from the grave as a dirt-smeared Zombie and she’s determined to live happily ever after with Max …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3vuRYFCwjo
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Gay French Drama TOM AT THE FARM To Be Released in U.S. Unrated
The gay French-language drama TOM AT THE FARM directed by Xavier Dolan, will finally be released in the U.S., nearly two years after it premiered at the 2013 Venice Film Festival.
Tom at the Farm, starring Dolan, along with Caleb Landry Jones and Pierre-Yves Cardinal, will be released in theaters and on VOD platforms on August 14, 2015.
“After the sudden death of his lover, Guillaume (Jones), Tom (Dolan) travels from his home in the city to Guillaume’s family’s remote country farm for the funeral. Upon arriving, he’s shocked to find that the family knows nothing of him and was expecting a woman in his place. Tom keeps his identity a secret but soon finds himself increasingly drawn into a twisted, sexually charged game by Guillaume’s aggressive brother (Cardinal), who suspects the truth.”
“It’s hard to say it in a fully modest way, but I was truly puzzled as to how exactly ‘Tom At The Farm’ had never landed distribution in the U.S.,” said Dolan. “To me, it was by far my most accessible film; I mean, it’s a 90-minute psychological thriller, and it’s sort of gory but then very conventional too. I’m obviously psyched that Amplify Releasing has taken ‘Tom’ under their wing. But the topic remains truly relevant — can intolerance and psychological violence ever be dull? — and I’m proud to know the American public will be able to see it. And hopefully, like it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLOJpY6DfAE
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Horror Film ‘The Green Inferno’ Finally Gets U.S. Release Date
Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno will finally be released in the U.S. on September 25, 2015 in collaboration with Universal Pictures and High Top Releasing. The companies will debut The Green Inferno on approximately 1,000 screens.
The Green Inferno premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.
In The Green Inferno, a group of student activists travels to the Amazon to save the rain forest and soon discover that they are not alone, and that no good deed goes unpunished.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6fyb8vW6Y8
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Musical Comedy LUCKY STIFF Sets NYC Release Date + Day And Date Release
LUCKY STIFF will be released in New York City on July 24th, 2015, and also available to all U.S. and Canadian cable, satellite and digital platforms for a simultaneous day and date release.
The film is directed by Christopher Ashley (Tony nominated Broadway director of MEMPHIS, XANADU, ROCKY HORROR SHOW) with a screenplay and lyrics and music by the Tony Award winners and Academy Award nominated composer-lyricist team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (RAGTIME, ROCKY THE MUSICAL, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND. The film is produced by Victor Symris (PSYCHO BEACH PARTY) and J. Todd Harris (Broadway’s DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, off Broadway’s HEAHERS THE MUSICAL, Academy nominated THE KIDS ARE ALLRIGHT, BOTTLE SHOCK.)
The film stars Jason Alexander (SEINFELD, Broadway’s FISH IN THE DARK), Nikki M. James (Tony Award winner for THE BOOK OF MORMON), Pamela Shaw (SCARCITY -HILLTOWN PLAYS (Obie 2014) MASKS OUTRAGEOUS, THE WHISTLEBLOWER, WALTER), Dennis Farina (LAW AND ORDER, EMPIRE FALLS) and Dominic Marsh (The Royal Shakespeare Company), Cheyenne Jackson (XANADU, ALL SHOOK UP, LOVE IS STRANGE) and KATE SHINDLE (LAW AND ORDER, CAPOTE).
Lucky Stiff is a musical comedy with a romantic heart. A young down and out British show salesman named harry Witherspoon (Dominic Marsh) takes his dead American uncle (Don Amendolia) to Monte Carlo for the best time of his life – a week of fun, dancing, gambling and sun. If the young man fulfills his dead uncle’s will to the letter, he will inherit 6 million dollars left to him. If he doesn’t, the money will go to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn. As Harry races from casino to nightclub to beach and bedroom with his dead uncle, he is chased by a desperate put-upon optometrist (Jason Alexander) his controlling myopic trigger happy sister (Pamela Shaw) a mysterious Italian playboy (Dennis Farina) as well as young woman from Brooklyn (Nikki M James) dead set on getting that money for he dogs. Guns go off, disguises go on, champagne corks pop romance blossoms, dogs bark and everyone sings!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXdT4FGiUnw
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Sports Documentary THE SEARCH FOR FREEDOM Set For One-Day Release in Theaters
The documentary THE SEARCH FOR FREEDOM, written and directed by Jon Long, is gearing up for a national one-day theatrical event release on June 10, 2015 in more than 75 theaters. The Earth Network, Abramorama, GrindTV, Tugg and Vimeo are collaborating on the US theatrical release.
The film’s VOD release in the United States will be on August 10, 2015. eONE and Universal are releasing the film on VOD across Canada and the around the world on August 10th as well.
THE SEARCH FOR FREEDOM is described as a visceral, visual experience chronicling how an electrifying new world came about through pure energy and imagination and the infinite possibilities of self-expression available to anyone willing to drop in. Told through the eyes, and the footage, of some of the brightest pioneers, legends, visionaries and champions of surfing, snowboarding, skiing, skateboarding, mountain biking and more.
The film features interviews with skate board legend Tony Hawk, world champion surfer Kelly Slater, the modern day “Evel Knievel” Robbie Maddison, climbing icon Ron Kauk, windsurfing world Champion Robby Naish, world champion paddle boarder Kai Lenny, world champion long boarder Kelia Moniz, street skater Nyjah Huston, X Games Gold Medalist Tom Schaar, as well as the Godfather of the Action sports film Warren Miller, the father of the mountain bike Gary Fisher, Quiksilver founder and surfer Bob McKnight, filmmaker Bruce Brown, and rock climber and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, among others.
Filmmaker Jon Long stated, “We are thrilled to be collaborating with this group to bring ’The Search for Freedom’ to such a wide audience. This unique collaboration is a wonderful achievement for an independent film.”
https://vimeo.com/129512882
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Documentary THE OUTRAGEOUS SOPHIE TUCKER Sets July 2015 Release Date
THE OUTRAGEOUS SOPHIE TUCKER, directed by Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker William Gazecki, and produced and written by Susan and Lloyd Ecker, will be released in the US via Menemsha Films. SOPHIE TUCKER was the Opening Night film at the 2015 Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival and screened at many other film festivals, and will open on July 24th at Cinema Village and JCC Manhattan in New York, as well as at the Royal and Town Center in Los Angeles and at Westpark 8 in Irvine. Many other cities will open the film on the same day.
THE OUTRAGEOUS SOPHIE TUCKER is the rags to riches story of one of old time showbiz’s biggest personalities. From 1906 through the beginning of television, Sophie Tucker and her bawdy, brash, and risqué songs paved the way for performers such as Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Bette Midler, Cher, Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé.
After eight years spent reading hundreds of Tucker’s personal scrapbooks, visiting fourteen archives, and interviewing dozens of family, friends, and fellow icons of stage and screen, Susan and Lloyd Ecker have completed their comprehensive documentary about the Last of the Red Hot Mamas.
“Sophie was like the Forrest Gump of the first half of the 1900s,” says producer Susan Ecker. “She was close friends with seven U.S. presidents, King George VI, young Queen Elizabeth, Charlie Chaplin, J. Edgar Hoover, Al Capone, Judy Garland, Jerry Lewis, Frank Sinatra and every other notable of her era.”
“After immersing ourselves in Sophie’s 400+ personal scrapbooks and meeting all of Tucker’s surviving friends and family,” says producer Lloyd Ecker, “this film biography is the complete uncensored tale of this vaudeville, Broadway, radio, television and Hollywood legend. Though she obsessively documented her life, Sophie loved to exaggerate for dramatic effect. Over the years, she told multiple versions of each important event. At the end, not even Sophie knew the difference between truth and tall tale”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyUlZm4O4yE
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8 Classic Films from Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation to Screen at 2015 Seattle International Film Festival
Eight classic films from Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation will screen at this year’s 2015 Seattle International Film Festival running May 14 through June 7, 2015. Taking place during the final week of the Festival are the North American premieres of two restored films: 1966’s Black Girl (La Noire de…) (pictured above) from “the father of African cinema” Ousmane Sembène on June 1 and 1978’s Alyam, Alyam from Moroccan master Ahmed El Maanoui on June 7.
Established in 1990 by Martin Scorsese, The Film Foundation is dedicated to protecting and preserving motion picture history and has helped to restore over 620 films in the last 25 years.
Carl Spence, SIFF’s Artistic Director, says, “Martin Scorsese has been shining a light on the urgent work of film preservation through The Film Foundation for 25 years. Through his efforts, we are able to publicly showcase these films from around the world that audiences would not otherwise have a chance to see projected on a big screen. The enthusiastic response from SIFF audiences is a testament to our belief that movie lovers from all walks of life want to experience films in cinemas. It is also fitting that we are presenting the North American premieres of two films from Africa – it pairs nicely with the 12 contemporary features being presented in our African Pictures spotlight.”
Jennifer Ahn, Managing Director of The Film Foundation, says, “We are delighted that the Seattle International Film Festival is focusing on the importance of film preservation with its tribute to The Film Foundation’s 25th Anniversary. We’re especially pleased that the festival is presenting two remarkable works of global cinema: Black Girl (1966), directed by Senegal’s Ousmane Sembène and Alyam, Alyam (1978) by Moroccan filmmaker Ahmed El Maanouni. These films were restored through The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, and we welcome this opportunity to collaborate with SIFF on their international premieres.”
Still to play:
Alyam, Alyam
Morocco | 1978 | 80 minutes | Ahmed El Maanouni
Following his father’s death, Abdelwahad is expected to provide for his mother and his seven brothers. But faced with the cycle of poverty that rural farmers seem doomed to repeat, he dares to hope for something better. Restoration by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project at Cineteca di Bologna/L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory.
Also played at SIFF 2015:
Black Girl
Senegal | 1966 | 65 minutes | Ousmane Sembène
This 1966 film explores the complex dynamics and larger post-colonial implications that arise between a young Senegalese maid and the French family that employs her. This quiet, observational drama was esteemed African filmmaker Ousmane Sembène’s first feature film. Restored by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project at Cineteca di Bologna/L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory.
Caught
USA | 1949 | 88 minutes | Max Ophüls
A model (Barbara Bel Geddes), a sociopathic millionaire (Robert Ryan), and a sympathetic pediatrician (James Mason) engage in a fraught romantic power struggle in Max Ophüls’ 1949 noir, only one of four movies the esteemed director made in the United States.
The Color of the Pomegranates
Armenia | 1969 | 77 minutes | Sergei Parajanov
Sergei Parajanov’s empirical masterpiece loosely follows the life of Sayat Nova, “King of Song,” an Armenian poet and musician born in the 18th century, through vibrant sets and costumes and hypnotic shots. This colorful and avant-garde masterpiece provides an utterly transformative cinematic experience.
The Dark Mirror
USA | 1946 | 85 minutes | Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak’s 1946 psychological thriller follows a pair of identical twins with dueling personalities, one of which is a suspect in the murder of a doctor. The Dark Mirror dips into terrifying evil doppelganger territory, while at the same time hitting all the disturbing aspects of an effective melodrama.
The Old Dark House
USA | 1932 | 71 minutes | James Whale
Long thought a lost film, this cult masterpiece from director James Whale (Frankenstein) is a twisted gothic thriller, equal parts macabre nightmare and camp farce, about three lost travelers who seek shelter in a crumbling Welsh manor. 35mm restoration by the Library of Congress with funding provided by The Film Foundation.
Rebel Without a Cause
USA | 1955 | 111 minutes | Nicholas Ray
That iconic red motorcycle jacket. An apron-wearing father. The brutal intensity of James Dean’s face, and Natalie Wood’s nurturing touch. This classic drama by renowned director Nicolas Ray is perhaps the perfectly crafted teen angst film, catapulting Dean’s short-lived film career and guaranteed to tear you apart.
The Red Shoes
United Kingdom | 1948 | 133 minutes | Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
Moira Shearer stars in this seminal 1948 drama from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, one of the most highly regarded dance films in cinema history, about a young woman who works her way up the ladder of a prestigious ballet company.
Playing as part of STG Presents Trader Joe’s Silent Movie Mondays in June:
The Mark of Zorro (d: Fred Niblo, 1920)
My Best Girl (d: Sam Taylor, 1927)
The Unholy Three (d: Tod Browning, 1925)
Snow White (d: J. Searle Dawley, 1916)
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2015 Stony Brook Film Festival Film Lineup, Opens with ‘The Man from Oran’
The 2015 Stony Brook Film Festival unveiled its schedule of films for its 20th anniversary edition, taking place from Thursday, July 16 through Saturday, July 25, 2015. The schedule of films is being announced today on the festival’s website, and features thirty-four films (19 features and 15 shorts), chosen out of more than 700 entries.
Many alums of the film festival are returning with films this year. The short documentary Coaching Colburn was created by Jeff Bemiss and his film students at Trinity College, with a story about a man with Fragile X Syndrome. Mr. Bemiss screened the film The Book and the Rose at Stony Brook in 2002. Menemsha Films returns with the film Dough, about a Jewish baker and his young Muslim apprentice, and Shooting Star of the Netherlands brings Painkillers to the Festival, a poignant story about a teenage musician.Producer of To Life!, Alice Brauner, was also the producer of Stony Brook’s 2012 Audience Choice-Best Feature, Wunderkinder. Peter Miller of AKA Doc Pomus fame, the 2012 Grand Prize winner, brings a new documentary to Stony Brook Film Festival this year, the World Premiere of Projections of America. During World War II, short documentaries about American life were created by filmmakers led by Academy Award winning screenwriter Robert Riskin. The U.S. Office of War Information disseminated them to be shown to audiences around the world. Projections of America tells the story of the production.
Opening night brings a dramatic feature film from Algeria, The Man from Oran (pictured above), with Lyes Salem, director, writer and star. In Arabic and French, it is a U.S. Premiere. Set largely in the years after Algeria gained independence from France, it explores the themes of friendship, idealism, politics and betrayal.
Closing Night screens The Passion of Augustine, a film from French Canada about a small convent school that has become a musical treasure. Mother Augustine is played by Céline Bonnier, who starred in the film Mommy is at the Hairdresser’s, a feature at Stony Brook in 2012. Both films were directed by Léa Pool.
American Independent features include the romantic comedy, This Isn’t Funny, starring Paul Ashton and Katie Page, who are the scriptwriters and co-producers. Paul Ashton directed the entertaining story about a stand up comedienne coping with an anxiety disorder. Feature film Jackie & Ryan stars Katherine Heigel and Ben Barnes, and is directed by Ami Canaan Mann, who was inspired by street musicians she met in Austin, Texas at South by Southwest Festival. Jackie & Ryan centers in the picturesque mountains of Ogden, Utah, where a musician and train hopper meets a former singer at a crossroads in her life. Wildike, written and directed by Frank Hall Green, stars Ella Purnell as a troubled teenager who is sent to live with her uncle in Alaska. Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek, Mad Men) and Brian Gerahty (The Hurt Locker) also star. Christine Vachon, film professor at Stony Brook Southampton’s MFA in Film program, is among the producers of Wildike, along with her company Killer Films. Documentary features include Projections of America by Peter Miller and The Best of Enemies, a documentary about the television debates between William F. Buckley Jr. and Gore Vidal in 1968.
Audiences will see the many works of true indie spirit in which filmmakers do it all. Three films in the Festival have the actor, producer, and writer as one and the same. The Man from Oran by Lyes Salem, This Isn’t Funny by Paul Ashton and Katie Page, andThe Challenger by Kent Moran are ambitious films where their creators have a hand in all aspects of the film. For the documentaryNefertiti’s Daughters writer/director/producer Mark Nickolas was also one of the Directors of Photography.
Lyes Salem of The Man from Oran will be attending the Thursday, July 16 Opening Night screening. Painkillers producers Maria Peters and Dave Schram of Shooting Star will be attending the Friday, July 17 screening. Paul Ashton and Katie Page of This Isn’t Funny will be on board for Friday, July 17 as well.
Saturday, July 18, the writer and director of Henri Henri, Martin Talbot, and actors Andres Trelles Turgeonand Sophie Desmarais will be attending the screening. Jackie & Ryan’s Katherine Heigel and Ben Barnes have been invited to attend the Festival on Saturday, July 18, and the director Ami Canaan Mann is expected to attend. Sunday, July 19 the Festival will host Nefertiti’s Daughters director Mark Nickolas.
On Sunday, July 19, the screening of To Life will have producer Alice Brauner on hand, along with Uwe Janson, the director. The film that follows it, Wildlike, will be represented by director Frank Hall Green. Thicker than Paint writer/director Maryam Sepehri is expected to attend the Festival for her film on Tuesday, July 21, as is Kent Moran of The Challenger. Peter Miller will represent his documentary Projections of America, a U.S. premiere on Wednesday, July 22, and the director and cast members of One for the Road are expected to attend Stony Brook from Mexico. On closing night, Saturday, July 25, Céline Bonnier of The Passion of Augustine will be attending.
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Russian film CHAGALL-MALEVICH Sets US Theatrical Release Date
After having screened at numerous international film festivals including Palm Springs, Montreal, Haifa, Moscow, Busan, and LA Jewish Film Festival, the Russian film CHAGALL-MALEVICH, directed by Alexander Mitta finally sets a U.S. theatrical release date. CHAGALL-MALEVICH will open at Cinema Village in New York on June 12 and at Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills and at Town Center 5 in Encino, CA on June 19.
The artistic and political revolution of early 20th century Russia is mythologized in CHAGALL-MALEVICH, a magical period drama about the uneasy relationship between two artistic geniuses.
Inspired by the memoirs of Marc Chagall and those of his contemporaries, the film blends fact and folklore to evoke the return of the iconic Jewish artist (portrayed by Leonid Bichevin “Cargo 200”) to his childhood home of Vitebsk. Having left behind immense success in Paris, Chagall returns to the Russian empire in 1917 in hope to marry the love of his life Bella Rosenfeld (Kristina Schneidermann); he produces copious paintings and establishes the Academy of Modern Art. A rivalry develops with abstract painter Kazimir Malevich (Anatoliy Belyy), invited to teach at the art school. As Bella rekindles a childhood friendship with military Red Commissar Naum (Semyon Shkalikov), Chagall competes for the affections of his muse and future wife. As the October Revolution sweeps across Russia, historical events intrude on personal struggles and upend the quiet provincial life in Vitebsk.
Brimming with surrealistic imagery from the paintings of Chagall and Malevich (over 140 paintings were used in the film), this sumptuous melodrama marks veteran Russian filmmaker Alexander Mitta’s return after a decade-long hiatus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enaho11_x8Q
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2015 Portland Jewish Film Festival Film Lineup + Trailers
The 2015 Portland Jewish Film Festival will screen 18 feature films including: EAST JERUSALEM/WEST JERUSALEM (pictured above), a riveting documentary about Israeli musician David Broza and his efforts to bridge Israeli and Palestinian tensions through music, THE MYSTERY OF HAPPINESS, director Daniel Burman’s delightful hybridization of buddy movie, detective film, and romantic comedy tropes, the Opening Night selection MAGIC MEN, a road trip comedy that pairs an aging atheist Holocaust survivor with his estranged Hasidic rapper son, and DOUGH, a comedy set in a failing bakery where intergenerational and cross cultural solutions just might save the day.
The 23rd edition of the Portland Jewish Film Festival is produced by the Northwest Film Center and co-presented with the Institute for Judaic Studies and takes place June 14 to 28, 2015.Complete Film listings: MAGIC MEN https://vimeo.com/68012664 THE MUSES OF ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER (preceded by REVERENCE) https://youtu.be/MZfkOHfOkwE A PLACE IN HEAVEN https://youtu.be/TGcwONCKks0 TO LIFE https://youtu.be/8hYSCSHH7rM THE DOVE FLYER https://youtu.be/W_Uq68Ql9f8 DOUGH SECRETS OF WAR https://youtu.be/l4Oc187S7OU EAST JERUSALEM/WEST JERUSALEM https://youtu.be/VnVNgIW4ZPc ALMOST FRIENDS https://youtu.be/p_GBYHqPf58 A BORROWED IDENTITY (AKA DANCING ARABS) https://youtu.be/TW0Jjf3RrME THEODORE BIKEL: IN THE SHOES OF SHOLEM ALEICHEM https://vimeo.com/114923514 Trailer for SHOLEM ALEICHEM: LAUGHING IN THE DARKNESS https://youtu.be/-Z6cJ2_RLdA RAISE THE ROOF https://vimeo.com/107332820 THE MYSTERY OF HAPPINESS https://youtu.be/svx8CyZTkWg LET’S GO https://youtu.be/7wK_7PG7_4g RUN BOY RUN https://youtu.be/njjdP3gZ_pk THE ZIONIST IDEA 24 DAYS https://youtu.be/Sg4xo2pYRdI
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3 Film Premieres, Music in Film Nights Featuring Pras Michel and More Added to 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival
The 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival announced several additions to the 2015 Festival program, including Premiere section titles, Pras Michel and BT as part of the Music in Film Nights at the GRAMMY Museum, Tributes to Jonathan Demme and Rodrigo García, a Master Class with music video director Mathew Cullen, Diversity Speaks panels, the Los Angeles Times Young Hollywood Roundtable, and the Steed Symposium on cyber security.
Three more titles were added to the Premieres section which features World Premieres of compelling new works from notable talent.
Premieres (3)
Consumed, dir. Daryl Wein, USA, World Premiere
Consumed – USA (DIRECTOR Daryl Wein WRITERS Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister-Jones
PRODUCERS Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister-Jones CAST Zoe Lister-Jones, Danny Glover,Victor Garber, Taylor Kinney, Anthony Edwards, Griffin Dunne, Kunal Nayyar, Beth Grant) Set in the complex world of genetically modified food, this dramatic thriller intertwines the stories of an organic farmer and a biotechnology CEO with the quest of a single mother working to uncover the cause of her son’s mysterious illness. World Premiere
Frank and Cindy, dir. G.J. Echternkamp, USA, World Premiere
Frank & Cindy – USA (DIRECTOR G.J. Echternkamp WRITER G.J. Echternkamp, Alex Holdridge PRODUCER Bill Perkins, John Pierce, Scoot McNairy, Bic Tran CAST Rene Russo, Oliver Platt, Johnny Simmons, Jane Levy, Marc Maron) In 1983, Cindy married a rock star, Frank. She imagined a life of glitz and glamor. But as life happened, Frank lost his mojo. Twenty years later, Cindy’s son, G.J., both appalled and amused by his parents’ behavior, picks up his video camera and aims it at them. In an attempt to mock his one-hit-wonder step-father, G.J. unintentionally creates a candid portrait of the pursuit of happiness – and love. World Premiere
I am Thalente, dir. Natalie Johns, South Africa/USA, World Premiere
I Am Thalente – South Africa/USA (DIRECTOR Natalie Johns WRITER Natalie Johns PRODUCERS Colin Kennedy, Oualid Mouaness, Salema Masekela, Jason Bergh, Julia Lebedev FEATURING Thalente Biyela, Tony Hawk, Kenny Anderson, Guy Mariano, Lance Mountain) One of the most promising young skaters in the world, Thalente Biyela, navigates growing up within the demands of professional skateboarding from the skate parks of Duban, South Africa to Venice, California. World Premiere
On Thursday, June 11, as part of this year’s Music in Film Nights at the GRAMMY Museum, the Festival hosts an evening with Brian Transeau, better known as BT, one of the pioneers of modern American electronic music. He will play scores from Monster and Dark Places with live accompaniment and visuals. BT will also discuss his work from his classical roots to electronic music innovator. On Friday, June 12, the Festival welcomes Pras Michel and friends for an evening of performance and discussion in celebration of his documentarySweet Micky for President, with special guests who have used their art to champion causes close to their heart.
As part of the Tributes section on Sunday, June 14 the Festival presents an evening with Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs,Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married), moderated by Elvis Mitchell, titled Jonathan Demme: An American Iconoclast, to reminisce about seminal moments of his career and give us a special sneak-peek of his upcoming film Ricki and the Flash, starring Meryl Streep.
On Tuesday, June 16, in celebration of this year’s Guest Director, Rodrigo García (Nine Lives, In Treatment, Albert Nobbs), the Festival will hold Two for One: An Evening with Guest Director Rodrigo Garcia and Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, Beyond the Lights), an intimate conversation where they will compare notes about working with actors, women’s stories and the travails of independent filmmaking.
An additional Festival Master Class has been announced. On Tuesday, June 16 acclaimed music video director Mathew Cullen will reflect on his journey as an artist while exploring the evolving art and science of storytelling. Hailed as one of the most imaginative music video and commercial directors of his generation, he will share some of his work, including a sneak peek of London Fields, his upcoming feature directorial debut. Cullen is an alumnus of Loyola Marymount University. The Master Class is sponsored by Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television.
At the Diversity Speaks panels, taking place on Saturday, June 13 at the Conga Room at L.A. LIVE, content creators of color who embody innovation will discuss how they manage to combine their passions for storytelling, entrepreneurship and their cultural identities into success stories. In Prime Time: Adjusting the Color Spectrum on TV, the talent in front and behind the camera of some of today’s most celebrated TV shows engage in a dialogue to explore issues relating to race and cultural representation on the small screen. Panelists include: Kenya Barris, creator, Black-ish; Wendy Calhoun, writer, Empire; Andrea Navedo, actress, Jane the Virgin; Randall Park, actor, Fresh off the Boat; Our Lady J, writer, Transparent. Also part of Diversity Speaks is the Visions of Mandela panel, an exclusive premiere screening of a collection of films inspired by Nelson Mandela’s speeches, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Directors include Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo, 99 Homes), Eva Weber (Black Out) and James Marsh (The Theory of Everything, Man on Wire), Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding; New York, I Love You), Nabil Elderkin (Bouncing Cats) and Hank Willis Thomas (Question Bridge: Black Males). Diversity Speaks is sponsored by HBO and supported by Yvonne Huff and Jason Delane.
On Sunday, June 14, the Los Angeles Times brings together a group of film’s rising stars in the Los Angeles Times Young Hollywood Roundtable. This lively discussion, moderated by reporter Amy Kaufman, will center on life in the industry and what it means to be thrust into the limelight.
On Monday, June 15 the Festival presents the annual LMU Steed Symposium on Cyber Security: Is There A Safe Box in the Cloud? This event will include an entertaining and informative presentation by cyber security expert Ralph Echemendia, a screening of Implant, a short film created by Film Independent Fellow Casey Cooper Johnson, and a round table with cyber security experts, filmmakers and industry executives. The discussion will be moderated by KCRW¹s The Business host Kim Masters. The LMU Steed Symposium is funded by LMU Alumnus Michael Steed and is presented in partnership with Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television. Mr. Steed is a member of the university¹s board of trustees and Managing Director of Paladin Capital Partners Fund, LP, a private equity firm.
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Sneak Peak at Lineup for 2015 New York Asian Film Festival
The 2015 New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), is back for its 14th edition and will run from June 26 to July 11. The festival takes place from June 26 to July 8 at the Film Society and July 9 to 11 at SVA Theatre . Initial details include notable awards to be presented to director Ringo Lam, superstar Aaron Kwok, and actor Shota Sometani. The festival will also host a slew of North American film premieres, as well as spotlight the works of Korean female directors and honor the memory of Japanese legends Ken Takakura and Bunta Sugawara with a joint tribute.
Hong Kong’s legendary director Ringo Lam (City on Fire) will receive the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award. One of Hong Kong’s most influential directors, Lam was directing comedies when City on Fire was released in 1987, fusing the social-protest movie with kinetic action filmmaking. It was followed by the massive hit Prison on Fire later that year, and thenSchool on Fire, a movie so unblinking that nervous Hong Kong censors sliced it to ribbons. Lam became one of the city’s best action filmmakers, and one of the few local directors to be so deeply concerned with the price of progress, the corrosive influence of money on human relationships, and the lives of the little people crushed beneath the wheels of change. In 2003, he directed what was to be his final feature and went into semi-retirement, only to be lured out again in 2015 with Wild City, in which Lam’s tooth-and-claw vision of modern urban living remains untamed.
Hong Kong’s superstar actor-singer Aaron Kwok (Divergence, After This Our Exile, Cold War) will receive the festival’s 2015 Star Asia Award onJune 26. One of Hong Kong’s Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop, Kwok has won dozens of awards for his chart-topping albums. For over 30 years, he has performed steadily both on television and in movies and is respected for his box-office star power as well as his outstanding acting chops. Kwok has worked with some of Hong Kong’s finest directors, like Johnnie To, Jacob Cheung, Andrew Lau, and Patrick Tam. His self-described Method acting was rewarded in 2005 and 2006 when he won back-to-back Golden Horse awards for Best Actor, a feat previously achieved only by Jackie Chan. Kwok was awarded his first Best Actor prize was for his performance in 2005’s Divergence, but it was his work in the 2006 After This Our Exile, for which he won his second award, that blew audiences away. In that film, Kwok’s fearless portrayal of a gambling addict exhibited a serious commitment to his craft as well as a complete lack of vanity. He then went on to give a series of startling performances in films like Yim Ho’s Floating City, the blockbuster Cold War, as well as his upcoming tour de force, Port of Call.
Japanese actor Shota Sometani will attend the festival on July 4, on the occasion of the New York premiere of Kabukicho Love Hotel, to receive the Screen International Rising Star Award. Director Ryuichi Hiroki will also be in attendance. This marks the second year of a partnership with Screen International, with whom the NYAFF will honor an emerging talent in the East Asian film world each year. At age 22, Sometani is already a leading man in both blockbusters and indie gems and has earned critical acclaim on the international film festival circuit. In 2011, he received the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in Himizu, along with his co-star Fumi Nikaido (last year’s recipient of the Screen International Rising Star Award).
Notable NYAFF titles this year will include the North American premieres of Nobuhiro Yamashita’s La La La at Rock Bottom (pictured above) and Yim Soon-rye’s The Whistleblower and the international premiere of Namewee’s Banglasia, which was banned in Malaysia, its home country.
The festival will also feature a section on Korea’s production company Myung Films, highlighting a few of their major works — Cart, The President’s Last Bang, The Isle, and Waikiki Brothers — as part of a greater focus on women who work behind the camera. Producer Shim Jae-myung and directors Yim Soon-rye (The Whistleblower) and Boo Ji-young (Cart) will be in attendance.
Japanese film legends Ken Takakura and Bunta Sugawara, both of whom passed away last November, will be the subject of the first joint tribute outside of Japan, which will feature the brand-new digital remaster of the 1973 classic Battles Without Honor and Humanity—screened for the time in North America—among others.