Terry P.

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

Harry Potter Star Tom Felton to be Honored at 45th Giffoni Film Festival

Tom Felton, the British actor, best known for his portrayal of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series, will receive the “Giffoni Experience Award” at the 45th Giffoni Film Festival, which runs July 17 – 26 in Giffoni Valle Piana (Sa). The star began acting when he was eight years old and his early film roles included playing Peagreen Clock in Peter Hewitt’s The Borrowers (1997) and playing Jodie Foster’s son in Andy Tennant’s Anna and the King (1999). In 2001 he landed the role of Draco Malfoy, the enemy of Harry Potter, in the highly successful Harry Potter saga (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire(2005), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)). His work as Draco earned him Best Villain Awards at the 2010 and 2011 MTV Movie Awards and a Best Cast Award, along with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards. Felton’s additional credits include Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) by Rupert Wyatt, From the Rough (2013) by Pierre Bagley, Belle (2013) by Amma Asante, and Against the Sun (2014) by Brian Falk. In 2016, he will return to the big screen in Risen helmed by Kevin Reynolds and co-starring Joseph Fiennes, Peter Firth, and Cliff Curtis.
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ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL and HARRY & SNOWMAN Win Awards at 20th Nantucket Film Festival

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, and Ron Davis’ HARRY & SNOWMAN won for Best Documentary Feature at the 20th Nantucket Film Festival (NFF). Eric Rockey’s PINK BOY won the Audience Award for Best Short. The Audience Award Best Film runner up was animated comedy SHAUN THE SHEEP THE MOVIE, written & directed by Richard Starzak & Mark Burton. Kristen Dávila’s COUNTERINTELLIGENCE received the top prize as the winner of the Feature Screenplay Competition. The Television Pilot nods went to Estella Gabriel for ICE and to Jonathan Schwartz for SOLD. Kristen Dávila’s COUNTERINTELLIGENCE, a political satire set in Pakistan involving the CIA, a budding jihadist group, and an indebted gambler who plays the two off one another in an attempt to save his own neck. Dávila receives $5000 cash prize and one of only four coveted spots to participate in partner organization the Screenwriters Colony month-long writing retreat in October. NFF recognizes the remarkable renaissance on the small screen through two Television Pilot Competitions, one for Hour-Long Pilots and the other for Half-Hour Pilots. Both winners receive a $1000 cash prize, as well as a consultation with a Showtime executive. The Half-Hour Television Pilot winner is SOLD by Jonathan Schwartz, which is set in a fine-arts auction house. The Hour-Long Television Pilot winner is ICE by Estella Gabriel, which details the conflicts and violence faced by a border patrol agent. The Short Screenplay Competition winner is MORE COW BELL by Andy Nellis, a dark portrait of a farm family. Nellis receives a $500 cash prize. The winner of the Best Screenwriting in a Short Film Award, given to an exceptional short film featured in this year’s festival, went to writer/director Shaka King and writer Kristan Sprague for MULIGNANS. The Festival’s Teen View Jury Award, selected by a group of Nantucket junior high school students, went to BIRTHDAY, written & directed by Chris King. Earlier this weekend, the winner of the ninth annual Adrienne Shelly Foundation Excellence in Filmmaking Award was announced, which bestows a cash prize to a female filmmaker in honor of the late director. The award went to director Crystal Moselle for her acclaimed debut documentary, THE WOLFPACK.
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MAY ALLAH BLESS FRANCE Sets US Release Date of August 11| US TRAILER

Here is the new trailer for rapper and spoken word artist, Abd Al Malik’s feature directorial debut, “May Allah Bless France,” adapted from his autobiographical book of the same name, that tells the story of Régis, the offspring of African immigrants in France, who is raised, with his two brothers, by his Catholic mother in the high-rise, underprivileged hinterlands of Strasbourg. Between deliquency, rap and Islam, he discovers love and finds his true path. Strand Releasing has set an August 11, 2015 US theatrical release date. Celebrated rapper and spoken word artist Abd Al Malik makes his directorial debut with May Allah Bless France!, a candid account of his early life and artistic awakening that earned him the FIPRESCI Discovery Prize at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. Born Régis Fayette-Mikano to Congolese immigrants, he grew up in Strasbourg’s housing projects, participating in petty crimes that cost the lives of his friends. He found release in writing and performance, converting to Sufism at age 24 and penning the memoir that informed this adaptation. Marc Zinga ably inhabits the role of young Régis, movingly limning his journey to redemption. Shot in black and white, the film visually and thematically recalls Mathieu Kassovitz’s seminal urban crime drama La Haine. Nominated for two César Awards including Best Debut Feature. [filmlinc] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ocM5klJWhA
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45 YEARS, THE DIARY OF A TEENAGER GIRL Win Tops Awards at 69th Edinburgh International Film Festival

Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years (pictured above) won the top prize, the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film, at the 69th Edinburgh International Film Festival. Described by the festival as “one of the best British films of the year”, 45 Years is about the fractured relationship between a couple, played by Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, as they head towards their 45th wedding anniversary party. Director Andrew Haigh commented, “This is a real honor and made even more special when you consider the list of British films that have won before. All you can hope for when you make a film is that it resonates with people and that is why receiving an award such as this feels so fantastic.” 45 Years’ lead actress Charlotte Rampling won the Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film, sharing it with James Cosmo for his performance in The Pyramid Texts. The Award for Best International Feature Fim was awarded to Marielle Heller’s The Diary of a Teenage Girl (USA) (pictured above), which received its UK Premiere at EIFF. Starring Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård and Kristen Wiig, the film takes place in 1970s San Francisco, where a young cartoonist Minnie (Bel Powley) can’t wait to grow up. Her mother’s (Kristen Wiig) no-holds-barred approach to partying colours her adolescent judgement, encouraging her to seek grown-up thrills anywhere she can. Instigating a liaison with her mother’s boyfriend, Monroe (Alexander Skarsgård), she begins a passionate affair with a man two decades her senior, and despite the age gap remains utterly in control. Special Mentions were given to Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s The Stanford Prison Experiment and J.Davis’ Manson Family Vacation. The Award for Best Documentary Feature Film was awarded to Crystal Moselle’s The Wolfpack (USA) (pictured above). The Jury commented “Out of a very strong field, the Jury has selected The Wolfpack as the best documentary in competition at the 2015 Edinburgh International Film Festival. Shot over five years, the director Crystal Moselle turned a chance encounter with six brothers into an intriguing, intimate portrait that shines a light on the warmth, humor and underlying tension of an extraordinary situation.” Scrapbook directed by Mike Hoolboom won The Award for Best Short Film, Stems by director Ainslie Henderson won the McLaren Award for Best New British Animation, and the Student Critics Jury Award went to Black Mountain Poets directed by Jamie Adams.
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THE SHORE BREAK Wins Audience Award for Best South African Film at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival | TRAILER

Ryley Grunenwald’s The Shore Break, won the prestigious Backsberg Audience Choice Award at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival for Best South African Film. The award-winning documentary film follows the dilemma faced by a rural community on South Africa’s Wild Coast as to whether to support or resist a proposed titanium mining project and a national tolled highway. https://vimeo.com/102621491 Grunenwald says she is thrilled with the accolade. “Both my co-producer Odette Geldenhuys and I are really pleased about the win. The Shore Break was a labour of love so it is very rewarding to know it is well received by South African audiences. It was an important story to tell because it captures the nuance and complexity around issues of developing the Wild Coast. The story follows two Pondo cousins who have opposing dreams for the future of their land. One wants to preserve the land through sustainable development while the other plans to mine it for titanium, believing large scale development is the only way to improve employment opportunities.” “The audience award is based on a complicated calculation in which the festival takes into account the capacity of the cinemas, numbers of tickets sold and the votes cast.” says Odette Geldenhuys. “The film captured the imagination of festival goers, so much so that all our five scheduled screenings were sold out and we had to have two additional screenings in Cape Town and Johannesburg.” Backsberg Estate Cellars CEO Simon Back adds, “It is a great honour for us to sponsor the Audience Choice Awards. The aim of the awards is to raise awareness around the festival and what has resonated with audiences. With sustainability being core to the way we run our winery, I am also thrilled that both winners raise awareness around critical environmental matters.” The Shore Break, which was a project in the 2013 Durban FilmMart, will have its co-premiere at the 36th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) on July 18, 2015 with four screenings only during the festival which runs from July 16 to 26. Image: Backsberg Estate Cellars CEO Simon Back (right) with Odette Geldenhuys , co-producer of The Shore Break which won the Backsberg Audience Choice Award at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival for Best South African Film. The film will next screen at the Durban International Film Festival in July.
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WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? Wins AFI DOCS 2015

WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? directed by Liz Garbus (THE FARM: ANGOLA, USA) won the Audience Award for Best Feature at AFI DOCS 2015 in Washington, DC. This year’s Audience Award for Best Short went to A CONVERSATION WITH MY BLACK SON directed by Blair Foster (TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, co-producer) and Geeta Gandbhir (BY THE PEOPLE: THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA, editor). WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? Nina Simone earned her moniker as the “High Priestess of Soul.” Trained as a classical pianist in North Carolina when racism was open and rampant, Simone drew upon her struggles as she became one of jazz music’s most beloved and complex figures. Director Liz Garbus offers access into Simone’s most intimate thoughts through her own words as the influential chanteuse became a leading voice for the civil rights movement of the late 1960s. Despite her enormous talent, however, Simone battled worsening demons that ultimately drove her into a life of seclusion in Liberia and France. A CONVERSATION WITH MY BLACK SON The short film features a group of racially diverse parents discussing the importance of having a conversation with their young black sons about racism and interacting with the police. AFI DOCS attendees included America’s greatest documentary filmmakers, including Alex Gibney, Barbara Kopple, Stanley Nelson and Morgan Neville. National leaders in attendance included White House Cabinet Secretary and Chair of MBK Task Force Broderick Johnson, U.S. Representative Steve Cohen, U.S. Representative Ted Lieu, civil rights leader Julian Bond, former U.S. Representative Mary Bono, Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony S. Fauci and former Governor of West Virginia and President of the Alliance for Excellent Education Bob Wise. Global leaders at AFI DOCS included the Ambassador of Kuwait H.E. Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Ambassador of Jordan Dr. Alia Hatoug Bouran, Ambassador of Lebanon Antoine Chedid and Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Anne Patterson. Joining the opinion leaders were distinguished journalists: Executive Producer of PBS’s FRONTLINE Raney Aronson-Rath, Margaret Brennan of CBS News, The Atlantic’s Steve Clemons and Ta-Nehisi Coates, former ABC News anchor Sam Donaldson, Bloomberg View’s Al Hunt and PBS NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff.
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LEARNING TO DRIVE Wins Top Award at 2015 Provincetown International Film Festival

LEARNING TO DRIVE directed by Isabel Coixet won the HBO Audience Award / Best Narrative Feature, and PACKED IN A TRUNK: THE LOST ART OF EDITH LAKE WILKINSON directed by Michelle Boyaner won the HBO Audience Award / Best Documentary Feature at the 2015 Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF). In LEARNING TO DRIVE, starring Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kinsley, a recently divorced book editor, on a path to self-sufficiency, and her driving instructor, a soft-spoken taxi driver from India on the verge of an arranged marriage, connect over their mutual anxieties. In 1924 artist Edith Lake Wilkinson was committed to an asylum and never heard from again.PACKED IN A TRUNK: THE LOST ART OF EDITH LAKE WILKINSON follows Edith’s great-niece, Emmy Award winning writer and director Jane Anderson, on her journey to find the answers to the mystery of Edith’s buried life. The complete list of awards and winners of the 2015 Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) – HBO Audience Award / Best Narrative Feature: LEARNING TO DRIVE directed by Isabel Coixet – HBO Audience Award / Best Documentary Feature: PACKED IN A TRUNK: THE LOST ART OF EDITH LAKE WILKINSON directed by Michelle Boyaner – The John Schlesinger Award, presented to a first time documentary and narrative feature filmmaker: BREATHE, directed by Mélanie Laurent (narrative) and OUTERMOST RADIO directed by Alan Chebot (documentary) – HBO Short Documentary Award: THE FACE OF UKRAINE: CASTING OKSANA BAIUL directed by Kitty Green – Jury Award / Best Narrative Short Film: MYRNA THE MONSTER directed by Ian Samuels – Jury Award / Best Animated Short Film: SYMPHONY NO. 42 directed by Réka Bucsi – Jury Award / Best New England Short Film: AWESOME_FCK directed by Isaak James – Jury Award / Student Short Film: SHARE directed by Pippa Bianco The Short Film Jury consisted of documentary filmmaker Jeff Dupre, producer Laura Heberton and Mark Elijah Rosenberg, founder and artistic director of Rooftop Films. The festival also announced the dates for next year’s event as June 15-19, 2016. Bobcat Goldthwait was presented with the 2015 Filmmaker on the Edge Award in conversation with PIFF resident artist John Waters at Town Hall on Saturday night. Jennifer Coolidge received the Faith Hubley Career Achievement Award in conversation with film critic and professor B. Ruby Rich.
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GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME Documentary to Premiere on CNN on June 28 | TRAILER

Glen Campbell’s extraordinary life and musical legacy are explored in a critically-acclaimed film to be exclusively broadcast on CNN/U.S. on Sunday, June 28. CNN Films Presents: GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME will be presented with limited commercial interruptions on the network at 9:00pm, with an encore at 10:48pm Eastern and is sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company. The film explores Campbell’s brave decision to go public with his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in 2011. After receiving the devastating diagnosis, together with his wife Kim, Campbell decided to complete one last album and say farewell to his fans in a final tour that expanded from the original five-week goodbye to fans, to 151 sold out shows over 18 months. In association with the CNN Films Presents broadcast, CNN.com has created and curated content related to Alzheimer’s disease and its impact on people and families. There are medical facts about the disease, a digital short film about one man’s ‘cruel journey’ with Alzheimer’s, and a look into Glen Campbell’s experience through excerpts of the film. CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will report for a digital series on the latest progress in Alzheimer’s research. The special content can be found by visiting www.cnn.com/glencampbell. Also preceding the film’s broadcast, Glen Campbell’s wife, Kim Campbell and CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen will answer questions on Facebook at 12:00pm Eastern on Friday, June 26. Facebook users can connect with both of them with their questions about the disease, and the challenges facing families and loved ones with relatives suffering from Alzheimer’s, via www.Facebook.com/CNN. The film captures this amazing journey that included a stop in Washington, DC, where the Campbell family testified before Congress and lobbied members for more research funding for a cure – meeting with House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, among others. A custom public service message about advances in Alzheimer’s medical research will follow the presentation of the film. CNN’s Impact Your World will gather resources for families and sufferers of Alzheimer’s online at www.cnn.com/impact. This portrait of the extraordinary five-time Grammy Award®-winning artist also includes cameos with a wide array of dynamic artists including Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton, Paul McCartney, The Edge, Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea, John Carter Cash, Sheryl Crow, The Band Perry, Keith Urban, Larry Gatlin, and Brad Paisley, as they comment on Campbell’s legacy and how his inspiration for their work. Archival footage in the film captures some of the ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’s’ most remarkable performances and appearances including Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, and the Beach Boys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAQK8FZSLbw
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South Korean Thriller A HARD DAY to Open in US on Friday July 17 | TRAILER

A HARD DAY, the South Korean thriller written and directed by Kim Seong-hun, will open in the US on Friday July 17, 2015 in New York at Village East Cinemas with a national release to follow by KINO LORBER. A HARD DAY, an official selection at Cannes Film Festival 2014 (Director’s Fortnight), Toronto International Film Festival 2014, and London Film Festival 2014, stars Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Jin-woong, Jeong Man-sik, Shin Jung-keun and Jang In-sub.
Homicide detective Geon-soo Go is having a hard day: in less than 24 hours, he receives a divorce notice from his wife, his mother passes away, and along with his coworkers, he becomes the focus of a police investigation over alleged embezzlement. Making things worse, on his way to his mother’s funeral, Geon-soo commits a fatal hit and run and then, desperately tries to hide the accident by hiding the man’s corpse in his deceased mother’s coffin. But when Geon-soo gets a mysterious call from a person claiming to be the sole witness of the crime, he realizes that someone has been watching him all along.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMHH08BRAOg
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The Coffee Documentary CAFFEINATED Opens Nationwide on July 14th | TRAILER

Do you want to learn the story behind your morning Joe? From seed to mug, coffee, and the process by which it is created, has shaped the lives of thousands of individuals worldwide. The feature documentary CAFFEINATED directed by Hanh Nguyen and Vishal Solanki will open nationwide on July 14th. Working with Geoff Watts, famous green-buyer, the filmmakers travel to America’s most populous coffee-drinking cities and to producing countries, interviewing connoisseurs and farmers alike. With a focus on the social and cultural landscape of coffee, Caffeinated gives the coffee consumer unprecedented access to the farmers responsible for growing that perfect bean, and the producers responsible for brewing that perfect cup. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W73LntppUs
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Kimberly Levin’s RUNOFF Starring Joanne Kelly in Theaters June 26 | TRAILER

RUNOFF, the debut narrative feature film from biochemist turned playwright, filmmaker Kimberly Levin, will open in theaters on June 26th from Monterey Media. RUNOFF stars Joanne Kelly (Warehouse 13, Hostages), Alex Shaffer (Win, Win, Lifeguard) , Neal Huff (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, The Wire),Kivlighan De Montebello (A Scientist’s Guide to Living and Dying, Celebrity Ghose Stories), Tom Bower (Independent Spirit Award nominee, Crazy Heart, Die Hard 2),Darlene Hunt (The Big C, Good Morning Miami).
The beauty of the land cannot mask the brutality of a farm town. As harvest draws near, Betty confronts a terrifying new reality and will go to desperate lengths to save her family when they are threatened with being forced from their land. An old friend, struggling to keep his own farm profitable by any means necessary—offers Betty a way out. She refuses to get involved, but as the pressures mount for her family and they are on the brink of eviction, her husband, Frank, reveals that he is seriously ill. How far will one to go to take care of one’s own? Recalling all that is heartland Americana, this film combines an ecological urgency with a compelling yet sensitive story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yZazxohlo0
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‘Out of My Hand’ ‘Flocken’ Among Winners of Los Angeles Film Festival

The Los Angeles Film Festival announced the winners of the 2015 Festival at the Awards Cocktail Reception. The Festival hosts juried awards for U.S. Fiction, World Fiction, Documentary, Zeitgeist, LA Muse, and Nightfall, as well as Best Short Fiction and Best Short Documentary. Audience awards are presented to Best Fiction Feature Film, Best Documentary Feature Film, Best Short Film and Best Web Series. “Our mission includes connecting filmmakers with the industry so we are grateful to our jurists for lending their time and expertise,” said Stephanie Allain, Festival Director. “Congratulations to all the winners!” The U.S. Fiction Award went to Takeshi Fukunaga for Out of My Hand (pictured above), which made its North American Premiere at the Festival. The World Fiction Award went to Beata Gårdeler for Flocken, which made its North American Premiere at the Festival. The Documentary Award went to Mo-Young Jin for My Love, Don’t Cross That River, which made its North American Premiere at the Festival. The LA Muse Award was given to Delila Vallot for Can You Dig This, which had its World Premiere at the Festival. The inaugural Nightfall Award went to Viet Nguyen for Crush the Skull, which had its World Premiere at the Festival. Also newly established this year, the Zeitgeist Award was given to Bradley Kaplan for Stealing Cars, which also had its World Premiere at the Festival. The Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature Film went to POCHA (Manifest Destiny), directed by Michael Dwyer and co-directed by Kaitlin McLaughlin. The Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature Film was a tie, and was given to two films: I Am Thalente, directed by Natalie Johns, and Be Here Now, directed by Lilibet Foster. The Award for Best Short Fiction went to Drama, directed by Tian Guan. The Award for Best Short Documentary went to Dolphin Lover, directed by Kareem Tabsch. The Audience Award for Best Short Film went to In Her Place, directed by Kevin Hamedani. The Audience Award for Best Web Series went to The Genderton Project, directed by Anna Martemucci and Victor Quinaz. A number of Special Awards were also given across categories. The Documentary jury awarded a special mention to The Babushkas of Chernobyl, directed by Holly Morris and Anne Bogart. The World Fiction jury awarded special mentions to White Moss, directed by Vladimir Tumaev, and Ayanda and the Mechanic, directed by Sara Blecher. The Nightfall jury awarded a special mention toCrumbs, directed by Miguel Llansó, and a special jury “high five” to Dude Bro Party Massacre III, directed by Michael Rousselet,Tomm Jacobsen, Jon Salmon and Joey Scoma. The LA Muse jury awarded a special mention to Elsa Biedermann for her role as a supporting actress in French Dirty, directed by Wade Allain-Marcus and Jesse Allain-Marcus. The Zeitgeist jury awarded a special mention to Pocha (Manifest Destiny), directed by Michael Dwyer and co-directed by Kaitlin McLaughlin. Also announced during the Festival at the Film Independent Fast Track finance market were two Alfred P. Sloan Grants given to films that engage with science and technology themes and characters. The Alfred P. Sloan Fast Track Grant was awarded to writer/director Elena Greenlee and producer Márcia Nunes for their project Dark Forest. The grant includes a $20,000 production grant and year-round support from Film Independent. Film Independent’s inaugural Alfred P. Sloan Distribution Grant was awarded to Michael Almereyda’s Experimenter, produced by Uri Singer, Fabio Golombek, Isen Robbins, and Aimee Schoof. The filmmakers will receive $50,000 in funds to support the release of the film, which will be released by Magnolia Pictures in October. This year marked the second year of a special collaboration with Funny Or Die for the Make ’em LAFF internet talent competition to discover content creators of color and underrepresented voices who specialize in comedy. The winner was selected by a jury comprised of comedians Jason Mantzoukas (Kroll Show, Parks and Recreation), Beth Stelling (@midnight, Jimmy Kimmel Live!) andRon Funches (Kroll Show, Undateable) as well as Film Independent curator Elvis Mitchell. The winner is Marisha Mukerjee’s Open House. Marisha will have her next video produced by Funny Or Die. Grants were also awarded to Imani Peterkin and Maya Suchak, winners of the Ed Elias Future Filmmaker Grant for Best Narrative Film for Falling, Grace Hoffman and Michelle Miles, winners of the Ed Elias Future Filmmaker Grant for Best Documentary Filmfor Beatrix, and Katie Speare, winner of the Ed Elias Future Filmmaker Grant for Best Animated or Experimental Film for Mask.Special Mentions were also awarded to Sour Lemonade for Narrative Film, Curt Lowens: A Life of Changes for Documentary Filmand How Do You Pronounce Pho? for Animated or Experimental Film. The Los Angeles Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday, June 10 with the LA Premiere of Paul Weitz’s Grandma and will close tomorrow with a Live Read of Fast Times at Ridgemont High directed by Eli Roth. Gala Screenings included the World Premiere of the new television series Scream, Todd Strauss-Schulson’s The Final Girls and Benson Lee’s Seoul Searching. The 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival Guest Director was Rodrigo García; the recipient of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award wasGale Anne Hurd, this year’s Spirit of Independence Award was bestowed upon Lily Tomlin. The Los Angeles Film Festival is a qualifying festival in all categories for the Film Independent Spirit Awards and for the Narrative and Animated Short Film categories at the Academy Awards. Awards were given out in the following categories: U.S. Fiction Award Winner: Out of My Hand, directed by Takeshi Fukunaga Screenwriter: Takeshi Fukunaga, Donari Braxton Producer: Donari Braxton, Mike Fox Cast: Bishop Blay, Zenobia Taylor, Duke Murphy Dennis, David Roberts, Shelley Molad Film Description: A struggling Liberian rubber plantation worker risks everything to begin a new life as a New York City cabbie but is haunted by his wartime past. North American Premiere. World Fiction Award Winner: Flocken, directed by Beata Gårdeler Country: Sweden Screenwriter: Emma Broström Producers: Agneta Fagerström Olsson, Annika Hellström Cast: Fatime Azemi, John Risto, Eva Melander, Malin Levanon, Jacob Öhrman Film description: Breathtaking cinematography captures the desolation of a tiny Swedish village when a tight-knit community turns against a 14-year-old girl and her family after she reports being sexually assaulted by a popular classmate. North American Premiere The World Fiction Jury awarded special mentions to: Ayanda and the Mechanic, directed by Sara Blecher Country: South Africa Screenwriters: Trish Malone Producers: Terry Pheto, Busi Sizani, Robbie Thorpe Cast: Fulu Moguvhani, OC Ukeje, Nthati Moshesh, Kenneth Nkosi, Jafta Mamabolo, Thomas Gumede, Sihle Xaba, Venessa Cooke Film description: Within a multi-African Johannesburg community, a young hipster-designer saves her deceased father’s prized garage by refurbishing classic cars – until family secrets and a corrupt legal system threaten her passionate resolve. World Premiere White Moss (Belyy Yagel), directed by Vladimir Tumaev Country: Russian Federation Producers: Svetlana Dalskaya Cast: Evgeniy Sangadzhiev, Galina Tihonova, Irina Mihaylova, Efim Stepanov, Dolzhin Tangatova Film description: Love and betrayal in the arctic Russian tundra. A young indigenous man struggles with the obligations of an arranged marriage, while yearning for the love of his life, who has left for the city. International Premiere Documentary Award, Sponsored by Netflix Winner: My Love, Don’t Cross That River, directed by Mo-Young Jin Country: South Korea Producer: Kyungsoo Han Featuring: Byong-man Jo, Gye-Yeul Kang Film Description: A loving, elderly couple who have been married for 76 years face the final moments of their marriage and life. This story of “the 100-year-old lovebirds” broke Korean box office records as the biggest Korean indie film of all time. North American Premiere. The Documentary Jury awarded a special mention for directing: The Babushkas of Chernobyl, directed by Holly Morris, Anne Bogart Producers: Holly Morris, Anne Bogart Featuring: Valentyna Sochenok, Hanna Zavorotnya, Maria Shovkuta Film Description: In the radioactive “dead zone” surrounding Chernobyl’s Reactor No. 4, a defiant community of elderly women cultivates an existence on some of the most toxic land on Earth. World Premiere. LA Muse Award Winner: Can You Dig This, directed by Delila Vallot Producers: Rafael Marmor, Christopher Leggett Cast: Ron Finley, Mychael “Spicey” Evans, Kenya Johnson, Quimonie Lewis, Hosea Smith Film Description: In South Central Los Angeles, one of the largest food deserts in the US, inspirational stories of new gardeners reveal the beginnings of an urban gardening revolution and the lasting impact of planting seeds for a better life. World Premiere. The LA Muse Jury awarded a special mention to Elsa Biedermann for her role as a supporting actress in: French Dirty, directed by Wade and Jesse Allain-Marcus Screenwriters: Peter K. Hagen, Wade Allain-Marcus Producers: Jason Wolf, Mel Jones Cast: Wade Allain-Marcus, Melina Lizette, Arjun Gupta Film Description: After committing the carnal sin of sleeping with his best friend’s girlfriend, Vincent must deal with the consequences of his betrayal and hope that his bond with his brother-from-another-mother can withstand the blow. World Premiere Nightfall Award Winner: Crush the Skull, directed by Viet Nguyen Screenwriter: Viet Nguyen, Christopher Dinh Producers: Jimmy Tsai, Aya Tanimura, Viet Nguyen, Christopher Dinh Cast: Christopher Dinh, Katie Savoy, Chris Riedell, Tim Chiou, Lauren Reeder, Walter Michael Bost Film Description: A couple of master thieves find themselves trapped within a house they intend to rob, only to discover they’ve wandered into the lair of a deranged serial killer. World Premiere. The Nightfall Jury awarded special mentions to: Crumbs, directed and written by Miguel Llansó Country: Ethiopia/Spain Producer: Sergio Uguet de Resayre Cast: Daniel Tadesse, Selam Tesfaye, Tsegaye Abegaz Film description: An unlikely hero embarks on an epic quest across a surreal, Ethiopian post apocalyptic landscape in search of a hovering spacecraft that has become a landmark in the skies. North American Premiere Dude Bro Party Massacre III, directed by Michael Rousselet, Tomm Jacobsen, Jon Salmon and Joey Scoma Screenwriters: Michael E. Peter, Ben Gigli, Tomm Jacobsen, Michael Rousselet, Jon Salmon, Alec Owen, Tim Ciancio, Brian Firenzi,Joey Scoma, Mike James Cast: Alec Owen, Olivia Dudley, Kelsey Gunn, Brian Firenzi, Jimmy Wong, Jon Salmon, Michael Rousselet, Joey Scoma, Greg Sestero,Mike James, Ben Gigli, Maria del Carmen, Patton Oswalt, Nina Hartley, Andrew W.K., Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney, Larry King Film description: Deranged serial killer “Motherface” is back for one final, blood-spattered rampage in the most notorious ’80s teen slasher flick that never existed! World Premiere Zeitgeist Award Winner: Stealing Cars, directed by Bradley Kaplan Screenwriter: Will Aldis, Steve Mackall Producers: Rachel Winter, Dan Keston Cast: Emory Cohen, John Leguizamo, William H. Macy, Paul Sparks, Mike Epps, Felicity Huffman, Heather Lind, Al Calderon Film Description: An intelligent, but deeply troubled teenager is sentenced to a juvenile detention center, where attempts at reformation are thwarted by his own nihilistic agenda. World Premiere. The Zeitgeist Jury awarded a special mention for directing to: Pocha (Manifest Destiny), directed by Michael Dwyer, co-directed by Kaitlin McLaughlin Producers: Alicia Dwyer, Kathleen Dwyer Cast: Veronica Sixtos, Julio César Cedillo, Roberto Urbina, Jorge A. Jimenez, Sandra Santiago, Jessie Garcia, María del Carmen Farías Film description: When a young woman is deported to Mexico, she must choose between reconciling with her estranged father or partnering with a local smuggler to return to the US. World Premiere Award for Best Short Film Winner: Drama, directed byTian Guan. USA. Film Description: A young couple who are having sex in a car but they realize that there are no more condoms left… Award for Best Documentary Short Winner: Dolphin Lover, directed by Kareem Tabsch, USA Film Description: A true story set in a 1970s Florida roadside amusement park explores Malcolm Brenner’s romantic and sexual love affair with Dolly, a captive dolphin. Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature Film Winner: POCHA (Manifest Destiny), directed by Michael Dwyer, co-directed by Kaitlin McLaughlin Producers: Alicia Dwyer, Kathleen Dwyer Cast: Veronica Sixtos, Julio César Cedillo, Roberto Urbina, Jorge A. Jimenez, Sandra Santiago, Jessie Garcia, María del Carmen Farías Film Description: When a young woman is deported to Mexico, she must choose between reconciling with her estranged father or partnering with a local smuggler to return to the US. World Premiere. This award is given to the fiction feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select fiction feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature: U.S. Fiction, World Fiction, Zeitgeist, LA Muse, Nightfall, and Premieres. Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature Film Winner: I Am Thalente, directed by Natalie Johns Producers: Colin Kennedy, Oualid Mouaness, Selema “Sal” Masekela, Jason Bergh, Julia Lebedev Featuring: Thalente Biyela, Tony Hawk, Kenny Anderson, Guy Mariano, Lance Mountain Film Description: 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 Durban, South Africa to Venice, California. World Premiere. Winner: Be Here Now, directed by Lilibet Foster Producers: Lilibet Foster, Sam Maydew Featuring: Andy Whitfield, Vashti Whitfield Film Description: After landing the lead role in Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Andy Whitfield learns he has non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Armed with resilience, courage and the adoration of his family, he prepares for the battle of his life. World Premiere. This award is given to the documentary feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select documentary feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: Documentary, LA Muse, and Premieres. Audience Award for Best Short Film Winner: In Her Place, directed by Kevin Hamedani Country: USA Film Description: An Iranian-American man suffering from a mid-life crisis visits his homeland to meet and wed a young Iranian woman. This award is given to the short film audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Short films screening in the Shorts Programs or before feature films in the Festival were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Short Film. Audience Award for Best Web-series Winner: The Genderton Project, directed by Anna Martemucci, Victor Quinaz Description: A modern group of young gay men head to Palm Springs for a gay wedding weekend, when their story is interrupted by the tale of a 1960’s Pasadena housewife whose life is anything but a piece of cake in this gender-swapped comedy.
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