Terry P.

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Cine Las Americas International Film Festival Announces 2015 Film Lineup

Cine Las Americas International Film Festival announced its 2015 program, including the Hecho en Tejas showcases. All films are presented in English or with English subtitles (if English is not the original language). The 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival is scheduled for April 22-26, 2015, in Austin, Texas. The full festival lineup includes 41 feature films, 49 short films, and 5 music videos, in representation of 18 countries’ participation in production and co-production of the films. Hecho en Tejas films are shot and/or produced in Texas and showcase the wide variety of work by filmmakers with varied backgrounds and experience. This year, the Hecho en Tejas program includes two feature films, six short films, and two music videos. About the Hecho en Tejas Films Features Agave is Life (pictured above) Dir. David Brown, Meredith Dreiss Historical/Cultural Documentary, 2014 AGAVE IS LIFE is the story of mankind’s alliance with the agave plant, from which tequila is derived. Told through the lens of archaeological and historical investigations, and narrated by Edward James Olmos, the film explores ten thousand years of the human-agave relationship. Once a critical resource for hunter-gatherers, agave was a source of food, drink, textiles, fuel, and medicines. We learn that this unique desert plant, once embedded in cultural identity, mythology, art, and rituals, faces an uncertain future. Today, ancient folkways, from fiber craftsmanship to traditional pulque and mescal productions, are rapidly disappearing. While entrepreneurs and scientists work to turn the tide, a loss of diversity of both cultivated and wild species may be the ultimate arbitrator. What’s the Use? Dir. Nicole Elmer Alternative/Comedy/Drama, 2014 Seventeen year-old Sara defends her pride from a career oriented greasy-spoon waitress and her potty mouth. In the gymnastics of her self-defense, she recalls the night when she moved home to live with her father Tony, a skinny loser fresh out of rehab. Determined to start their lives over, he throws her a birthday party, only to have it wrecked by Shy, a dangerous loan shark. Pissed by her father’s passive retreat into his bedroom, Sara sets off to find Shy and take care of her father’s debt on her own. On her journey through the 4th of July heat of Austin, Texas, she meets a love-starved perfectionist, a professional Love Guru, and an eccentric who is planning a painless suicide. Finally reaching Shy, he pushes her fragile ego to the edge, where she is forced to finally see her family’s dark secret and realize she might be her own greatest enemy. Shorts ¿Por qué el recuerdo? (The Solitude of Memory), Dir. Juan Pablo González El fuego detrás (The Fire Behind), Dir. Leo Aguirre Jornaleras (Women Workers), Dir. Marcela Moran Morgan Robyn Collado, Dir. Danea Johnson Sunrise, Dir. Diego Rico Yo soy Juan (I am Juan), Dir. Patrick Rangel Music Videos El marinero y la sirena (The Sailor and the Mermaid), Dir. Patricia Vonne Whispers and Dreams, Dir. Sharon Arteaga Film Titles from Full Program, by Program Section New Releases OPENING NIGHT: The Martini Shot, Dir. Demetrius Navarro, USA CLOSING NIGHT: Mr. Kaplan, Dir. Álvaro Brechner, Spain/Uruguay/Germany ADDITIONAL TITLES: Buscando a Gastón (Finding Gaston), Dir. Patricia Perez, USA/Peru Castanha, Dir. Davi Pretto, Brazil Dólares de arena (Sand Dollars), Dir. Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán, Argentina/Mexico/Dominican Republic Feriado (Holiday), Dir. Diego Araujo, Ecuador/Argentina La isla minima (Marshland), Dir. Alberto Rodríguez, Spain La voz en off (Voice Over), Dir. Cristián Jiménez, Chile/France/Canada The Lodge, Dir. Terril Calder, Canada This May Be the Last Time, Dir. Sterlin Harjo, USA Tres D (Three D), Dir. Rosendo Ruíz, Argentina Viejos amigos (Good Old Boys), Dir. Fernando Villarán, Peru Narrative Feature Competition Climas, Dir. Enrica Pérez, Peru El futuro (The Future), Dir. Luis López Carrasco, Spain Los enemigos del dolor (The Enemies of Pain), Dir. Arauco Hernandez, Uruguay O Último Cine Drive-in (The Last Drive-in Theater), Dir. Iberê Carvalho, Brazil Viento aparte (A Separate Wind), Dir. Alejandro Gerber Bicecci, Mexico Documentary Feature Competition Gazelle – The Love Issue, Dir. Cesar Terranova, Brazil/French Polynesia/USA Hotel Nueva Isla, Dir. Irene Gutierrez, Javier Labrador, Cuba/Spain La Violencia: The Untold Truths of Guatemala, Dir. Pia Janning, Til Frohlich, Ireland/Guatemala Poder e impotencia, Un drama en 3 actos (Power and Impotence: A Drama in 3 Acts), Dir. Anna Recalde Miranda, Paraguay/France/Italy Tres mujeres guerreras (Three Women Warriors), Dir. Alexander Preuss, Germany/Colombia Ambulante Showcase El hogar al revés (Upside Down Home), Dir. Itzel Martínez del Cañizo, Mexico H20mx, Dir. José Cohen, Mexico Retratos de una búsqueda (Portraits of a Search), Dir. Alicia Calderón, Mexico Panorama Features Algún lugar (On the Road, Somewhere), Dir. Guillermo Zouain, Dominican Republic Anatomía de un vestido (Anatomy of a Dress), Dir. Flora Pérez Garay, Puerto Rico Asolagados (Flooded), Dir. David Vázquez Vázquez, Spain Ati y Mindhiva (As the Tree Under the Hurricane), Dir. Claudia Fischer, Colombia BKLYN 11211, Dir. Zac73dragon, Spain/Bolivia/USA Chuy, El hombre lobo (Chuy, The Wolf Man), Dir. Eva Aridjis, Mexico Dos Aguas (Two Waters), Dir. Patricia Velásquez, Costa Rica/Colombia Flory’s Flame, Dir. Curt Fissel, USA Genoveva, Dir. Paola Castillo Villagran, Chile Icaros, Dir. Georgina Barreiro, Argentina/Peru Les indiens, l’aigle et le dindon (The Indians, the Eagle and the Turkey), Dir. Iphigénie Marcoux-Fortier, Karine van Ameringen, Canada Movimientos espectaculares (Spectacular Movements), Dir. Mateo Hinojosa, Bolivia/USA/Venezuela Oil & Water, Dir. Francine Strickwerda, Laurel Spellman Smith, USA Salgán & Salgán: A Father-Son Tango, Dir. Caroline Neal, Argentina Narrative Shorts Competition Bolero para surfear en Moravia (Bolero for Surfing in Moravia), Dir. Valerio Mendoza Guillén, Venezuela/Czech Republic El sermón de la montaña (Sermon on the Mount), Dir. Pepe Puertas Piñero, Spain Indigo, Dir. Amanda Strong, Canada La carta (The Letter), Dir. Mara Soler, Mexico Leonard Peres, Dir. Missy Hernandez, USA Documentary Shorts Competition Dona Rosa, Dir. Mathias Mangin, Lucas Mandacaru, Brazil Elena Asins – Génesis, Dir. Álvaro Giménez Sarmiento, Spain Flor de la mar (Flower of the Sea), Dir. Jorge Thielen Armand, Venezuela I Was Born in Mexico, But…, Dir. Corey Ohama, USA Nuestro hogar (Our Home), Dir. Detsy “Mara” Barrigon, Iván Jaripio, Panama Music Videos C.T.R.L, Dir. Mariana Conde, United Kingdom El marinero y la sirena (The Sailor and the Mermaid), Dir. Patricia Vonne, USA (Hecho en Tejas) La ciudad (The City), Dir. Javier Orman, Tom Farrell, USA Nitahkôtân (I Have Arrived), Dir. Moe Clark, Canada Whispers and Dreams, Dir. Sharon Arteaga, USA (Hecho en Tejas) Indigenous Shorts Program – Retrospective Día 2 (Day 2), Dir. Dante Cerano Bautista, Mexico Late, Dir. Christi Bertelsen, USA Mohawk Midnight Runners, Dir. Zoe Leigh Hopkins, Canada Poi Dogs, Dir. Joel Moffett, USA Roberta, Dir. Caroline Monnet, Canada Search for the World’s Best Indian Taco, Dir. Steven Judd, USA Smoke Break, Dir. Sally Kewayosh, USA Panorama Shorts 2 and 2, are 4, Dir. Pedro Sena Nunes, Portugal Aceito (I Do), Dir. Felipe Cabral, Brazil Beyond Recognition, Dir. Michelle Grace Steinberg, USA Bloodlines, Dir. Christopher Cegielski, USA Caballo de mar (Knight of the Seas), Dir. Fernando Alcántara, Iñaki Gaztañaga, Spain Deseo (Desire), Dir. Carolina Cortella, Argentina En la orilla (At the Edge), Dir. Liza Hoos, Xavier Basurto, Mexico Inch’ Allah, Dir. Angélica Romanini, Mexico Nudo (Knot), Dir. Juliana Gómez Castañeda, Cuba Soberano papeleo (Sovereign Paperwork), Dir. Lala Severi, Uruguay Una pared (A Wall), Dir. Javier Ferreiro, Cuba YO, la PEOR de TODAS (I, the WORST of ALL), Dir. Francisco Lupini, USA Emergencia “Youth Film” Special Presentation Cine Joven Latinitas Showcase, Various Directors, USA Emergencia “Youth Film” Competition Lineup A Harmonious Cacophony, Dir. Marielle Boland, Isabela Reid, USA A Pirate’s Life, Dir. Isabella Olaguera, Nick Haaf, USA Can I Help You?, Dir. Pedro Salles Leite, Brazil Ella (Elle), Dir. David Hebrero, Spain Growing, Dir. Allison Coon-Come, Canada Háblame (Talk to Me), Dir. Alba Linares, Spain Kayna Wawaiki Jamuni (Now I Come as Your Son), Dir. Nicolas Page, Chile La boda de las calaveras, Dir. Ricardo Miguel Salazar, USA Little Red, Dir. Wynter Rhys, USA Never Comes Easy, Dir. Naate, Canada Pleasant, Dir. Miranda Whitus, USA Sin madre (Without A Mother), Dir. Buffy Almendares, USA The Lonely Baker, Dir. Cyntheara Tham, Allison McInerney, Ayanna Marte, USA The Only Road, Dir. Sergio Valencia, Nathan Miguel, Alan Bagh, USA For the 18th consecutive year, Austin will serve as host to a wide range of international films and filmmakers as the festival creates networking opportunities for industry professionals, and provides a rich cultural experience for statewide audiences. The festival will showcase contemporary films from the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Iberian Peninsula. All films are presented in English and/or subtitled.
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Mo’Nique and Cast Attends ‘BLACKBIRD’ Screening in Atlanta

On Wednesday night in Atlanta, RLJ Entertainment and Urban Movie Channel (UMC) hosted a private screening of the upcoming film ‘BLACKBIRD,’ directed by Patrik-Ian Polk and starring Academy Award winner Mo’Nique, Isaiah Washington and Julian Walker. A mix of VIP’s, press and influencers, including pictured above, Sidney Hicks, MoNique Hicks, Torrey Laamar, D. Woods, and Nikki Jane, packed the theater at Midtown Art Cinema to preview the much talked about film and sit in on a Q&A with executive producers Mo’Nique. V103 personality Ramona Debreaux moderated the discussion. ‘BLACKBIRD’ opens in select theaters on April 24. Visit www.blackbirdthemovie.com for theater locations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHe0ukjp0-M
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Ambulante to Showcase Mexican Documentary Films at 2015 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_7862" align="alignnone" width="1180"] EL HOGAR AL REVÉS / UPSIDE DOWN HOME[/caption] Cine Las Americas is partnering with Ambulante to present a special series of three documentary films at the 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, taking place April 22-26, 2015. The Ambulante Showcase screenings will take place at 8pm on three consecutive evenings, Thursday April 23rd, Friday April 24th, and Saturday April 25th, in the Jones Auditorium at the Ragsdale Center, located on the campus of St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX. The screenings are free and open to the public. Ambulante was founded in 2005 by Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Pablo Cruz and Elena Fortes,and is a Mexico based non-profit organization that annually organizes an international documentary film festival, touring Mexico for three months. Through the presentation of films, workshops, talks, seminars, networking panels, and documentary theater, Ambulante opens up different ways of experiencing and understanding documentary film. The Ambulante festival is currently holding its 10th edition, which will be closing in the state of Oaxaca next May 3 after 92 days on tour. “For Cine Las Americas, this partnership with Ambulante represents an opportunity to share with our festival audience a series of films in line with both organizations’ missions,” said Cine Las Americas Festival Director Jean Lauer. “Ambulante’s mission to ‘cultivate new forms of expression and encourage debate’ compliments Cine’s objective of ‘promote cross-cultural understanding … through film and media arts.’ We are confident that this is the beginning of a long-term collaboration in support of documentary films and discourse around important contemporary issues.” The Ambulante showcase during the 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival will be hosted by special guest Christine Davila, Director of Ambulante California. The showcase consists of three documentary films from Mexico, exploring contemporary issues that resonate across the border. EL HOGAR AL REVÉS / UPSIDE DOWN HOME (2014), a moving portrait directed by Itzel Martínez del Cañizo, presents the lives of women looking forward and chasing their dreams, while working day and night, and shines a light on their children, who learn to survive without their mother’s available daily presence. RETRATOS DE UNA BÚQUEDA / PORTRAITS OF A SEARCH (2014), directed by Alicia Calderón, is a window into the impact of the Mexican drug war and specifically how thousands of mothers search for their missing daughters and sons as a result of the war. H2OMX (2014), directed by José Cohen and Lorenzo Hagerman, examines the question of whether Mexico City, with over 20 million residents, can avert disaster and become water-sustainable.
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Italian Mafia film BLACK SOULS Sets April 2015 Release Date in US

The Italian Mafia film BLACK SOULS (ANIME NERE) which wowed audiences at the 2014 Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, opens in NYC on April 10, and Los Angeles on April 23, with a nationwide release to follow. BLACK SOULS (“Anime Nere”) is described as a gripping morality tale of violence begetting violence in rural Calabria, that takes us on a journey into the dark and sinister world of the real-life mafia (‘Ndrangheta) in Southern Italy. Based upon the actual events described in Gioacchino Criaco’s novel of the same name, Black Souls vividly brings to life the inevitable tragic consequences when never-ending revenge and vendetta is passed down from generation to generation. The film focuses in on the Carbone family that consists of three brothers, Luigi (Marco Leonardi) & Rocco (Peppino Mazzotta) who are engaged in the family business of international drug trade, and Luciano (Fabrizio Ferracane) who has remained behind herding goats in their ancestral town of Africo in the remote Aspromonte mountains on the Ionic coast. Luciano’s 20-year old son Leo (Giuseppe Fumo) has little respect for his father’s simple ways and instead idealizes his two Mafioso uncles and their urban lifestyle. When Leo shoots up a local bar owned by a rival family, his reckless actions reignites a longstanding blood feud and sets off a tragic chain of events that violently grinds toward an inevitable bloody showdown for all involved. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1LlGKQ92aU
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Songbird Documentary EMPTYING THE SKIES to Be Released on Earth Day

EMPTYING THE SKIES documentary, based on the New Yorker Magazine essay by best-selling novelist Jonathan Franzen, that exposes the rampant poaching of migratory songbirds in southern Europe, opens in NY at Cinema Village, as well as in Chicago on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, and on VOD platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube. Songbird populations have been drastically declining for several decades, with a number of species facing imminent extinction. This poignant documentary explores the wonder of these tiny globe-spanning marvels, millions of which are unlawfully trapped and killed each year for large sums on the black market, and follows the intrepid squad of pan-European bird-lovers who risk their lives waging a secret war against poachers, to disrupt illegal trapping to free as many as possible. Embedding filmmakers Douglas Kass and Roger Kass with their activist subjects, this year-long undertaking transports viewers right onto the front lines as poachers are confronted at critical migration pinch-points in Cyprus, France and Italy. A moving call to arms in the spirit of THE COVE, EMPTYING THE SKIES chronicles a devastating environmental tragedy and the valiant journey of those risking their lives to stop it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js6tM4ClJHk
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Official Trailer and Poster for THE D TRAIN Starring Jack Black

IFC Films has released the Official Trailer and Poster from the Sundance hit comedy starring Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn and Jeffrey Tambo. THE D TRAIN opens in US theaters on May 8th, 2015. All his life, Dan Landsman (Jack Black) has never been the cool guy. That’s about to change – if he can convince Oliver Lawless (Marsden), the most popular guy from his high school who’s now the face of a national Banana Boat ad campaign, to show up with him to their class reunion. A man on a mission, Dan travels from Pittsburgh to LA and spins a web of lies to recruit Lawless. But he gets more than he bargains for as the unpredictable Lawless proceeds to take over his home, career, and entire life. Showcasing Jack Black and James Marsden’s most intoxicating performances to date, D TRAIN serves up the question: how far would you go to be popular? Co-starring Kathryn Hahn and Jeffrey Tambor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PzB1Feeocw STARRING: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer, Henry Zebrowski, Russell Posner and Jeffrey Tambor RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2015 WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY: Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel PRODUCED BY: Mike White, David Bernad, Jack Black, Priyanka Mattoo, Ben Latham-Jones, Barnaby Thompson GENRE: Comedy RUNNING TIME: 98 Minutes MPAA RATING: R DISTRIBUTOR: IFC Films
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Russian film CHAGALL-MALEVICH US Release Date Set for June 2015

The Russian film CHAGALL-MALEVICH, directed by Alexander Mitta, 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 19th 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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Grindhouse-Style Feminist Thriller THE LADIES OF THE HOUSE on VOD May 1st

Gravitas Ventures will release John Stuart Wildman’s THE LADIES OF THE HOUSE on VOD, May 1st. The grindhouse-style feminist thriller will wrap up a successful year-long film festival run with an appearance at the Nashville Film Festival on Friday, April 16 as part of the fest’s Graveyard Shift lineup prior to the VOD date. The film is currently available for pre-order on iTunes. Featuring a screenplay by Justina Walford and Wildman, the film stars Farah White, Melodie Sisk, Brina Palencia, Samrat Chakrabarti, and Michelle “Belladonna” Sinclair and was produced by White, Wildman, Walford and Adam Dietrich. THE LADIES OF THE HOUSE made its world premiere at last year’s Dallas International Film Festival. THE LADIES OF THE HOUSE follows the fate of two brothers, Jacob and Kai, who, along with their friend Derek, go to a dance club to celebrate Kai’s birthday. After Derek convinces the other two to follow one of the dancers home, things take a tragic turn resulting in the young woman’s death. However, that is simply the beginning of the nightmare for the young men, because her roommates (Getty, Lin and Crystal) aren’t just fellow dancers, they are also cannibals with a fierce sense of home and family – and a taste for men. After Kai quickly falls victim to Getty and Lin and is on his way to becoming the centerpiece of that evening’s meal, Derek tries to figure out how to escape while Jacob discovers his survival may hinge on the twisted desire and whims of Crystal, the beautiful and sociopathic “baby” of the family. THE LADIES OF THE HOUSE marks the feature film directorial debut for Wildman, who is the Senior Publicist for the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The former Head of Press & Public Relations for the American Film Institute, as well as the PR Director for AFI FEST and the DALLAS International Film Festival, Wildman has headed the PR efforts for film festivals across the country and written for numerous film sites (Film Threat.com, Film Comment.com, etc.). THE LADIES OF THE HOUSE was executive produced by Ruth Mutch (INFINITELY POLAR BEAR, LITTLE ACCIDENTS), and co-executive produced by Debbi Berlin. The film was shot and produced in Dallas, Texas.
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Josh Braun to Receive 2015 Advocate Award at Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

Josh Braun, co-president of Submarine Entertainment will be presented with the 2015 Advocate Award at the upcoming Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Full Frame’s Director, Deirdre Haj, presents the Full Frame Advocate Award in recognition of individuals who have supported the documentary medium and the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Braun will receive this honor at the festival’s Awards Barbecue on Sunday, April 12. Previous recipients of the Advocate Award are Jim Goodmon and Michael Goodmon, Triangle, philanthropists and developers; Molly Thompson, President of A&E IndieFilms; and longtime Full Frame advisor Wyndham Robertson. Braun is the co-president of Submarine, a hybrid sales and production company which he and his twin brother, Dan, formed in 2001. Recent films sold by Submarine include the Oscar®-winning documentariesCitizenfour, 20 Feet from Stardom, Searching for Sugar Man, and Man on Wire. Other titles includeSunshine Superman, The Wolfpack, Dior and I, Best of Enemies, 3 ½ Minutes, Battered Bastards of Baseball, The Unknown Known, Finding Vivian Maier, Blackfish, Dirty Wars, Queen of Versailles, Tabloid,Page One: Inside the New York Times, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Bill Cunningham New York, Food, Inc.,Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, Valentino: The Last Emperor, and many others. Braun has executive produced numerous documentaries including The Unknown Known, Patrolman P, Seamless, Gramercy Park Hotel, Cat Dancers, Billionaire, Easy Riders Raging Bulls, Kill Your Idols, Page One: Inside the New York Times, and Ivory Tower. “When one thinks of an advocate for documentary film, many professionals come to mind, but the tireless sales agent rarely comes first,” said Full Frame Director Deirdre Haj. “Josh is a genius at promoting documentaries that have become household names, award winners and game changers. He is in many ways responsible for the popularity the genre enjoys. For this we honor him with this year’s Advocate Award.” Braun is committed to finding films that instill in him a passionate response. He states, “I tell the younger guys in our office, the starting point is that you love it, and it excites you. If that is true then it is likely that other people will feel the same way. Some films are obvious, you know they will play well, but others…you have to go with your instincts.” Laura Poitras, director of Citizenfour, said, “I am deeply grateful to Josh and his work on Citizenfour. He was able to navigate our complex distribution plans and keep everything under the radar. We asked him to break many rules, which he did gracefully. He is a great advocate for cinema and filmmakers.” “Braun is an expert advisor of documentary filmmakers, advocating for their work and fairly representing them so they enjoy commercial success,” said Haj. “Some of these films anyone could have sold,” Braun added. “It is the films where how we intervened mattered, that is where I derive the most satisfaction.” The 18^th Annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will be held April 9-12, 2015, in Durham, N.C., with Duke University as the presenting sponsor.
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CAT SHOW and AMERICA RECYCLED Win Top Awards at American Documentary Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_7813" align="alignnone" width="640"] CAT SHOW[/caption] The 4th annual edition of The American Documentary Film Festival (AMDocs) called it a wrap on Monday, March 30, 2015, with its signature Closing Night Mystery Screening and Film Festival Awards Presentation. Director Peter Bogdanovich was the recipient of the 2015 Filmmaker Who Makes a Difference Award, Dr. Ronni Sanlo (the subject of the film, LETTER TO ANITA) was the recipient of the 2015 Rozene Supple Humanitarian Award, and the film,SPARTANS, was the recipient of the 2015 Robert Drew Verite Award. Three film projects were awarded American Documentary Film Fund Grants this year, including POW WOW, PERSONHOOD, and THE TROUBLE WITH RAY. Each year, The American Documentary Film Fund provides up to $50,000 in grants to independent American filmmakers. Applicants must provide detailed story outlines and budgets for their works in progress or new projects. Filmmakers screen a five (5) minute preview of their film projects before an industry panel of judges and take part in a ten minute Q&A about their projects. This year’s Film Awards were also announced as follows: 2015 Best Foreign Feature Documentary: CAT SHOW (U.K./Australia), 2015 Best Foreign Short Documentary: HONEY ON WOUNDS (Romania),2015 Best Animated Short(s): DEATH & THE MAIDEN (Israel/Germany) and THE LOST MARINER(Netherlands/Canada), 2015 Best American Feature Documentary: AMERICA RECYCLED, and 2015 Best American Short Documentary: SEEING THE FULL SOUNDING.
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THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT Sets July 17th Release Date

THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, based on the real-life research of Dr. Zimbardo, on the psychology of imprisonment, will open in theaters via IFC Films on July 17th. It is the summer of 1971. Dr. Philip Zimbardo launches a study on the psychology of imprisonment. Twenty-four male undergraduates are randomly assigned to be either a guard or a prisoner. Set in a simulated jail, the project unfolds. The participants rapidly embody their roles—the guards become power-hungry and sadistic, while the prisoners, subject to degradation, strategize as underdogs. It soon becomes clear that, as Zimbardo and team monitor the escalation of action through surveillance cameras, they are not fully aware of how they, too, have become part of the experiment. Based on the real-life research of Dr. Zimbardo (who was a consultant on the film), THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT is a dramatic period piece that remains relevant over 40 years later. Along with an impressive cast, including Billy Crudup as Zimbardo, Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G., 2013 Sundance Film Festival) delivers an intense, visceral film about the role of power that plays to both chilling and exhilarating effect. Features an excellent roster of young talent, including Ezra Miller, Tye Sheridan, Olivia Thirlby, Michael Anganaro, Logan Miller, Thomas Mann, Keir Gilchrist, Johnny Simmons, Moises Arias, Jack Kilmer, Chris Sheffield, Ki Hong Lee, and James Frechville, to name a few.
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Comedian Tig Notaro Documentary Kicks Off Film Lineup for 2015 Hot Docs

[caption id="attachment_7799" align="alignnone" width="1500"] Comedian Tig Notaro Documentary TIG[/caption] 210 documentaries from 44 countries will be featured at the upcoming 22nd edition of Hot Docs, taking place April 23 to May 3, 2015. The Festival will opens with the international premiere of directors Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York’s TIG (USA, 2014, 95 min), described as a testament to comedian Tig Notaro’s defiant spirit and incredible humor in the face of adversity. This year’s Scotiabank Big Ideas Series will welcome such notable subjects as: Grammy-nominated comedian Tig Notaro (TIG); charismatic former Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Danny Williams, subject of (DANNY); director Alex Winter, WIRED senior writer Andy Greenberg and the parents of subject Ross Ulbricht (DEEP WEB); Ex-Fugee Pras Michel (SWEET MICKY FOR PRESIDENT); and Olympic Gold Medal–winning hockey player Charline Labonté, former Major League Baseball player Billy Bean and American college football player Conner Mertens (OUT TO WIN). Hot Docs announce DocX, a new program that celebrates innovative documentary storytelling through new technologies and original experiences, will feature a one-night-only participatory live performance of Katerina Cizek’s HIGHRISE: UNIVERSE WITHIN, LIVE. Festival audiences will also have the opportunity to experience the DocX Virtual Reality Showcase, a free exhibit at the Isabel Bader Theatre, available to view from Friday, April 24 to Friday, May 1, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. In addition to the opening night international premiere of Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York’s TIG, a testament to comedian Tig Notaro’s defiant spirit and incredible humour in the face of adversity, other notable films in the Special Presentations program include: Andreas Koefoed’s THE ARMS DROP, which follows a British arms dealer’s hunt for the MI5 agent who betrayed him; Violeta Ayala’s THE BOLIVIAN CASE, a sensational exposé about three teenage girls caught smuggling cocaine; Jessica Edwards’ MAVIS!, a powerful film rich with songs and stories from music legend and civil rights icon Mavis Staples; Nick Berardini’s TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE, an investigative look at the allegedly non-lethal TASER gun; Matthias Bittner’s WAR OF LIES, a riveting account about the effects of misinformation about weapons of mass destruction; and Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross’ WESTERN, a subtle portrait of the ever-growing divide between two towns straddling the US-Mexico border. In the competitive Canadian Spectrum program, notable films include: Charles Wilkinson’s HAIDA GWAII: ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, a look at a sustainable and healing community at risk from a proposed oil tanker route; Shelly Saywell’s LOWDOWN TRACKS, which tells the stories of five transient musicians on Toronto’s streets; Su Rynard’s THE MESSENGER, which highlights ever-worsening environmental devastation through the alarming disappearance of songbirds; Rama Rau’s NO PLACE TO HIDE: THE REHTAEH PARSONS STORY, an alarming account of the effects of cyber-bullying; and André-Line Beauparlant’s PINOCCHIO, a deeply personal portrait of the struggle to trust someone who feels no obligation to the truth. In the competitive International Spectrum program, notable films include: Malin Andersson’s BLOOD SISTERS, the story of twin sisters bound by trauma; Karen Guthrie’s THE CLOSER WE GET, a sharply focused snapshot of strained family dynamics; Ramyata Limbu, Amy Benson and Scott Squire’s DRAWING THE TIGER, a powerful portrait of a studious daughter carrying her family’s hopes for a brighter future; and Ross Sutherland’s STAND BY FOR TAPE BACK-UP, a poetic and humourous meditation on memory and loss. In the World Showcase program, notable films include: Yael Melamede’s (DIS)HONESTY—THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES, a fascinating and insightful study on honesty; Monika Pawluczuk’s END OF THE WORLD, a revealing look at personal struggles as the Mayan doomsday prophecy looms in the night; Maya Newell’s GAYBY BABY, a moving and honest film about the lives of children of same-sex parents; Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber’s PEACE OFFICER, a timely investigation of the controversies behind recent police shootings and the militarization of American law enforcement; and Gillian Laub’s SOUTHERN RITES, a complex look at race relations and the true pace of progress in America. The Made In India program includes: Spandan Banerjee’s ENGLISH INDIA, a look at a country coming to terms with its own identity as it shakes off the weight of its colonial past; Parvez Sharma’s A SINNER IN MECCA, a fascinating personal essay on a gay Muslim’s inner-most struggles, and Anuj Adlakha and Farha Alam’s THE SUPERSTARS OF KOTI, a coming-of-age tale about three boys united as “chosen ones.” The Next program includes: Luke Meyer’s BREAKING A MONSTER, a behind-the-scenes look at the tension between being a kid amidst the overwhelming demands of the music industry machine; and David Shapiro’s MISSING PEOPLE, an engrossing examination of the effects of violence on the psyche. The Nightvision program includes: Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel’s FINDERS KEEPERS, a stranger-than-fiction tale of a human foot inadvertently bought at an auction; and Rodney Ascher’s THE NIGHTMARE, a real-life horror film about the mysterious phenomenon of sleep paralysis. The Show Me the Funny program includes: Howie Mandel, Reed Grinsell and Steve Sunshine’s COMMITTED, an inspiring look at the hard road to success; and Bao Nguyen’s LIVE FROM NEW YORK!, the story of SNL’s enduring brand of television magic as told by the show’s countless alumni. The Screen on Screen program includes: Florian Heinzen-Ziob and Georg Heinzen’s ORIGINAL COPY, a delightful ode to Mumbai’s last one-of-a-kind film poster painter; Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen’s RAIDERS!, the story of two friends painstakingly remaking Raiders of the Lost Ark; and Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti’s A WOMAN LIKE ME, a funny and moving documentary-drama hybrid about the filmmaker’s tumultuous journey with terminal cancer. The Redux program will highlight six films that deserve another outing on the big screen. Additionally, Hot Docs will present two retrospective programs: Focus On Carole Laganière, a mid-career retrospective of the filmmaker’s work; and the Outstanding Achievement Award Retrospective, honouring the influential work of Chilean documentary filmmaker Patricio Guzmán. Also a premier documentary conference and market, Hot Docs will be welcoming over 2,000 industry delegates who will partake in a wide array of industry events and services, including conferences sessions, receptions and parties, Hot Docs Deal Maker, The Doc Shop and the Hot Docs Forum, April 29 and 30.
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