• Don’t Let Oleg Die! Imprisoned Ukrainian Film Director Oleg Sentsov Goes on Hunger Strike

    Oleg Sentsov The European Film Academy today released a statement, titled “Don’t Let Oleg Die!’ in support of of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov who has been on a hunger strike for twelve days.  Oleg Sentsov, best known for his 2011 film Gamer, is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Russia on charges of plotting terrorism acts.

    On its website, EFA states, that the Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who was involved in supporting the Euro Maidan protests in Kiev and who has opposed the annexation of Crimea by Russia, was arrested by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) in his house in Simferopol on 10 May 2014 and brought to Moscow.  On 25 August 2015, he was sentenced to 20 years in jail, a sentence that was confirmed iIn late November 2015 by the Russian Supreme Court in Moscow.

    Don’t Let Oleg Die! Today is Day 12 of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov’s indefinite hunger strike which his lawyer Dimitri Dinze reports he full plans to follow through to the death should his demands not be met. Oleg Sentsov, who was involved in supporting the Euro Maidan protests in Kiev and who opposed the annexation of Crimea by Russia, was arrested by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) in his house in Simferopol on 10 May 2014 and brought to Moscow where he was detained and awaiting trial for over a year. Although the key witness had retracted his testimony as given “under duress”, the trial, based on the accusation of Oleg Sentsov having committed “crimes of a terrorist nature”, was continued. Although thousands of signatures supporting an EFA letter to the President of Russia and Russian authorities were gathered across Europe, asking for Sentsov’s immediate release, Oleg Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison. At the end of what Amnesty International described as “an unfair trial in a military court”, in late November 2015 the Russian Supreme Court in Moscow confirmed this sentence and Oleg Sentsov was moved to Yakutia. We are deeply worried so once again we ask that his safety is ensured and that he be released immediately and unconditionally! Please help us to help him, contact your foreign minister, your MP and MEP, and the Russian embassy in your country and ask them to do all they can for the release of Oleg Sentsov! We need to act now! (You can use the template below) With the support of Masha Alyokhina, activist (Pussy Riot), Russia Stephen Daldry, director, UK Mike Downey, producer, UK Dariusz Jablonski, producer, Poland Aki Kaurismäki, director, Finland Mike Leigh, director, UK Ken Loach, director, UK Wojciech Marczewski, director, Poland Daniel Olbrychski, actor, Poland Volker Schlöndorff, director, Germany Béla Tarr, director, Hungary Bertrand Tavernier, director, France Krzysztof Zanussi, director, Poland And 1,750 other members and friends of the European Film Academy as well as institutions including ANAC Associazione Nazionale Autori Cinematografici / National Association of Cinematographic Authors (Italy) APA Audiovisual Producers Association (Czech Republic) Directors UK FERA I Federation of European Film Directors PEN America The Austrian Film Academy The Czech Film Academy The European Producers Club The French Directors’ Guild (SRF) The German Film Academy The Polish Film Academy The Presidium of the Slovak Film and Television Academy (SFTA) The Russian Filmmakers Union Kinosoyuz The Ukrainian Film Academy The Union of Filmmakers of Ukraine Deeply worried, Agnieszka Holland & Wim Wenders PLEASE WRITE TO YOUR FOREIGN MINISTER, YOUR MP AND MEP, AND THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY IN YOUR COUNTRY AND CALL ON THEM TO SECURE OLEG’S SAFETY AND RELEASE. YOU MAY WISH TO USE BELOW TEXT. THANK YOU!!! Dear______________________, Don’t Let Oleg Die! Today Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov is on day 12 of an indefinite hunger strike which his lawyer Dimitri Dinze reports he full plans to follow through to the death should his demands not be met. Oleg Sentsov, who was involved in supporting the Euro Maidan protests in Kiev and who opposed the annexation of Crimea by Russia, was arrested by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) in his house in Simferopol on 10 May 2014 and brought to Moscow where he was detained and awaiting trial for over a year. Although the key witness had retracted his testimony as given “under duress”, the trial, based on the accusation of Oleg Sentsov having committed “crimes of a terrorist nature”, was continued and at the end of what Amnesty International described as “an unfair trial in a military court”, Oleg Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison. In late November 2015 the Russian Supreme Court in Moscow confirmed this sentence and Oleg Sentsov was moved to Yakutia, where he has now started his hunger strike. I am deeply worried so I call on you to make sure that his safety is ensured and that he be released immediately and unconditionally! My name: My address:

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  • THE MOST DANGEROUS YEAR, Doc about Transgender Fight, to World Premiere at Seattle Int’l Film Festival [Trailer]

    The Most Dangerous Year The Most Dangerous Year, a new documentary by Vlada Knowlton, about transgender fight in Washington state, will world premiere at the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival on May 29 and June 2. In early 2016, when a dark wave of anti-transgender “bathroom bills” began sweeping across the nation, The Hu-man Rights Campaign published a report identifying 2016 as the most dangerous year for transgender Americans. In Washington State six such “bathroom bills” were introduced in the State Legislature. Documentary filmmaker Vlada Knowlton captured the ensuing civil rights battle from the perspective of a small group of embattled parents as they banded together to fight a deluge of proposed laws that would strip away the rights of their young, trans-gender children. As one of the parents, Knowlton presents an intimate portrait of her own struggle to protect her 5-year-old transgender daughter from laws inspired by hate and fear. From tension-filled Senate hearings in Olympia to intimate household settings of the families involved; from thought provoking conversations with key lawmakers to elucidating facts explained by leading scientists – The Most Dangerous Year explores the transgender civil rights battle in all its richness and complexity. While the film follows the story and outcome of anti-transgender legislation in Washington, it culminates in a moving victory for Knowlton and the other families who, it turns out, won the battle before it even began. They won the moment they made the decision to accept and support their kids for exactly who they are

    ABOUT THE DIRECTOR: Vlada Knowlton

    Vlada is a Seattle-based filmmaker. Her first documentary feature, HAVING IT ALL, was selected by Washington’s PBS station, KCTS9, as the anchor program for its “Women Who Inspire” series in August, 2015, and went on to also be broadcast by Oregon Public Broadcasting. Its online premiere, presented by the organizations Flexjobs and 1 Million For Work Flexibility, was a press-covered event that included a panel discussion with Kelly Wallace of CNN. Her current documentary, The Most Dangerous Year, was awarded the Professional Grant from Women in Film Seattle and an Open 4Culture Grant. Prior to becoming a filmmaker Vlada worked at Microsoft. She holds a B.Sc. in Psychology from McGill University and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Brown University. https://vimeo.com/264539442

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  • Danish Actress Trine Dyrholm To Present NICO, 1988 at Karlovy Vary Film Festival [Trailer]

    Nico, 1988 The Karlovy Vary festival’s Horizons section will present the music biopic Nico, 1988, with a personal introduction from Danish actress Trine Dyrholm, who plays the title character. Nico, 1988 charts the final chapters in the artistic career of music icon Nico, birth name Christa Päffgen. Most often talked about as Warhol’s muse or in connection with the band the Velvet Underground, Päffgen lived a dramatic life full of intensity, one that ultimately saw her rebirth as an artist and her discovery of herself as a woman and mother. “Trine Dyrholm was key to the film,” says director Susanna Nicchiarelli about her lead actor. “Her contribution to my film and to me personally was tremendous. Trine gave Nico energy and vitality; she provided the movie with the exact amount of energy that was needed.” Trine Dyrholm started out as the singer for the popular Danish band The Moonlighters. She studied acting and is one of the busiest actors working in Denmark today. Her movie credits include Thomas Vinterberg’s Festen (1998), the comedy In China They Eat Dogs (1999), and the Oscar-nominated historical drama A Royal Affair (2012). In 2016 at the Berlinale she picked up a Silver Bear for best actress in Vinterberg’s The Commune (2016). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38RBdHtWkWo

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  • Film Projects by Manuel Abramovich, Grigory Kolomytsev, Elena López Riera, Arantza Santesteban, and Nele Wohlatz Selected for 4th Ikusmira Berriak

    [caption id="attachment_29451" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]CHUPACABRA CHUPACABRA[/caption] Filmmakers from Germany, Argentina, Spain, and Russia will develop their audiovisual projects within the framework of the Ikusmira Berriak program, which is celebrating its fourth edition this year. The selection committee, which is comprised of members from the Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture, the San Sebastian Film Festival and, for the first time, Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola, has selected the following projects out of the 155 offerings received from 31 countries: in the international category, El oasis, by Argentine filmmaker Manuel Abramovich (Buenos Aires, 1987) and Dormen os peixes de olhos abertos, by Nele Wohlatz (Hannover, Germany, 1982); in the Spanish filmmaker category, El agua, by Elena López Riera (Orihuela, Spain, 1982); among filmmakers residing in the Basque Autonomous Community, 918 gau, by Arantza Santesteban (Pamplona, Spain, 1979); and among Nest alumni (International Film Students Meeting), Chupacabra, by Grigory Kolomytsev (Krasnodar, Russia, 1990). Projects on daily life in prison, the porn industry, legends, childhood, and alienation inspire the five chosen offerings. The fifth project was chosen thanks to Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola’s partnership in the audiovisual residency program organised by the Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture and the San Sebastian Film Festival. Several of the filmmakers chosen have enjoyed considerable success at international festivals. Abramovich has premiered his films in Berlin and Karlovy Vary, where he received a special mention, and last year Soldado, his latest film, was shown at Zabaltegi-Tabakalera; López Riera has presented two of her productions at the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes and Locarno; and Nele Wohlatz won the award for Best First Feature in Locarno and Zinebi with El Futuro Perfecto. Kolomytsev was selected two years in a row (2016 and 2017) at Nest, and the Arantza Santesteban’s latest work, co-directed with Irati Gorostidi, was shown at the last Festival in the Zinemira selection, at the Kimuak catalogue sessions for professionals.

    PROJECTS

    918 GAU

    ARANTZA SANTESTEBAN (SPAIN) In the minuscule cell of a police van, a woman that has spent many years in prison told me: to be able to explain what prison is like, you need to have slept in one. Nearly a decade ago, I spent 918 nights in prison. This film is about what it means to live in an isolated world without images. Director’s bio/filmography A history graduate of the University of the Basque Country. She holds a degree in Creative Documentary from the Centre de Dones Francesca Bonemaison (2012, Barcelona). Likewise, she has trained in Documentary Film Writing with Carmen Ávalos (2013, Barcelona). She has carried out specific training with Víctor Erice (2015, San Sebastian) and Patricio Guzmán (2016, Madrid). In 2012, she began to work as a director in various documentaries, including the noteworthy Passatgeres, her first work. Together with others, she curated the GORPUTZ_GRAFIAK exhibition at the Koldo Mitxelena cultural centre (San Sebastian) in 2015. This work brings together genealogy and research work from the Basque Country’s feminist movement. Together with Irati Gorostidi, she directed Euritan in 2017, which was selected in the 2017 Kimuak catalogue. She has made the rounds at festivals such as San Sebastian, Punto de Vista, Miradas Doc, and the Malaga Film Festival. In 2017, she was selected by the Huarte Centre of Contemporary Art to carry out a curatorial research residency, through which she will curate the Imágenes a través: reflexiones sobre imágenes en conflictos (‘Traversing images: reflections on images in conflict’) international seminar in June of 2018. She is a researcher of the Communication, culture, society, and politics master’s program (UNED-Spain), and studies questions that relate to cinematographic representation, feminism, and contemporary political conflicts. Director’s note There are numerous cinematographic narratives about prison, however, in my opinion, they are always missing something. What these images reflect are not daily conditions in prison, but ways in which the popular consciousness about them works. Cells, yards, fences, organised crime, terrorism, and drugs… These are elements that are a part of our prior characterisations. However, it is practically impossible to represent questions that are fundamental to understanding daily life in prison: the passing of time, isolation from the outside world, the physical and psychological consequences of confinement, opaque spaces of domination, etc. This film will address those topics.

    CHUPACABRA

    GRIGORY KOLOMYTSEV (RUSSIA) Nine years old Andrey lives on the outskirt of a small village near the White Sea. Nervous, tired of poverty and fatherlessness mother keeps Andrey in constant tension and beats him. She threatens to send his son to the orphanage at the slightest misconduct from his side. Once Andrey finds a dead dog on the seashore in a storm – he decides that it is a mystical beast “Chupacabra”, a goat vampire, which will save his mother from ills and help them to reunite. Andrey heard on TV that whom Chupacabra bites at the full moon will become Chupacabra himself. Andrey scratches his hand the dead fang. Director’s bio/filmography Grigory Kolomytsev (1990, Russia) graduated from the Russian State University of Cinematography (VGIK) in 2017 (workshop of the Kott brothers). His debut short film Three Sisters (2015) was Semifinalist of the 43d Student Academy Awards. His next short work Mary was shown at more then 60 festivals including San Sebastian, Cairo, Camerimage, ZINEBI, etc. In 2017 he shooted his diploma film I’m Staying on the Black sea shore where he spent his childhood. It was shown at San Sebastian, Premiers Plans – Festival D’Angers, Winterthur etc. Chupacabra will be his debut feature film. Director’s note For me it is very important to make a debut picture about childhood – the necessary distance has already been passed, but feelings and memories are still hot. I was born near the sea. There was my first death experence. Sound of waves and wind is the sound of my childhood, tears of mother is my main humane feeling.  Andrey, this small autistic boy, sincerely believes that there is no death, that he can find love by sacrificing himself.  This is a film about the ordeal of a little Holy child. It is a “Life of Saint Andrey”.

    DORMEN OS PEIXES DE OLHOS ABERTOS

    NELE WOHLATZ (GERMANY) Three outsiders in a tropical city, passing through places that could be anywhere. A condominium tower with white, empty rooms, made in China bric-a-brac stores, a shark-infested beach, the sea. Lixue, Ah, and Bo live in a reality that sometimes seems like fiction and, perhaps, a prediction of the future for the world’s cities. Three verses in an incomplete song, but who is speaking through whom? The alienation of the tree, who are so different, yet so similar. Director’s bio/filmography Nele Wohlatz (1982, Hannover) studied art and film in Karlsruhe and Buenos Aires. She created the short films La mochila perfecta and Tres oraciones sobre la Argentina, and co-directed Ricardo Bär. The first full-length film she directed on her own was El futuro perfecto, which was shown at more than 60 international festivals and won numerous awards, including such as the Best First Feature award at Locarno. Director’s note Recife is a city with a great deal of history, yet it seems that urban development is focused on erasing its mark and replacing it with the feeling of an airport: generic towers with private security surrounded by high walls, shopping centres, and urban highways that connect these locations. I want to make a film could take place anywhere, because it is about people that came for different reasons, but do not belong in their new city. After my first visit to Recife I thought, why not here? Behind its anonymous face, the city is full of ruptures, warmth, and peculiarities. EL AGUA

    EL AGUA

    ELENA LÓPEZ RIERA (SPAIN) It is summertime, and the threat of a powerful storm hangs over a town in the Spanish Levant. Ana is 17 years old and has grown up in the shadows of her mother who disappeared in the last flood, becoming phantasmagorical legend, a character for the townswomen who say that the water there is always mixed with death. In this electric atmosphere before the storm, Ana meets Jose, her first love. Director’s bio/filmography Elena López holds a doctorate in Audiovisual Communication and is a filmmaker. She has directed Pueblo (2015), which debuted at the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes, and Las vísceras (2016), which premiered at the Locarno Festival. She is a member of the Lacasinegra collective, through which she co-directed Pas à Genève. She has also worked as a producer for the Seville, Belfort, and Visions du Réel festivals. Director’s note I was born in Orihuela, a town in the Spanish Levant divided by the Segura, one of Europe’s most polluted rivers. I grew up with my mother, my grandmother, and my aunts, surrounded by women that used to tell all kinds of stories to take the ease off the long afternoons of asphyxiating heat. These stories almost always had a true origin (based on events, secrets whispered between neighbours, or family stories), but changed with each new version until some of them became truly fantastic tales. This is surely why I decided, one day, to make films. It was my way of participating in this popular, collective tale that does not distinguish between history and poetry.

    EL OASIS

    MANUEL ABRAMOVICH (ARGENTINA) “Why do you want to do porn?” they ask at the casting. “Because I love to feign pleasure”. How does pleasure itself become a performance? If an adult film actor transforms their sexuality into a show, where do they find true pleasure? Director’s bio/filmography Manuel Abramovich (Buenos Aires, 1987) is a director, producer, and directory of photography. His work challenges the limits between reality and fiction, and reflects on the concept of an author in so-called ‘documentary filmmaking’. He has directed La Reina (2013), Las Luces (2014), Solar (2016), Soldado (2017), and Años Luz (2017). His works have received numerous awards, and have been shown at festivals and artistic institutions such as the Berlinale, Venice, San Sebastian, MoMA, Cinéma du Réel, IDFA, Tribeca, Tabakalera, Film Society of Lincoln Center, BAFICI, and Documenta Madrid. He was selected for various grants and residencies, including the Fondo Nacional de las Artes (Buenos Aires), Tres Puertos (Mexico and Chile), EMARE (Germany), and others. Currently, he is developing a trilogy focused on sex work and pornography in three cities: Berlin, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires. Años Luz, 2017, Argentina/Spain/Brazil, 72′. Soldado, 2017, Argentina, 73′. Solar, 2016, Argentina, 75′. Las Luces, 2014, Argentina, 6′. La Reina, 2013, Argentina, 19′. Director’s note El Oasis is a film on the construction of intimacy as a show. This is also the second piece of a trilogy that I am producing on the male body used as a business, focused on pornography and sex work in three cities (Berlin, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires). I am interested in the porn industry as a context to talk about sex in a world where the self is constructed by others, where we must be connected to exist and be seen. How does the body itself become a performance? How does pleasure act? The five filmmakers will enjoy a residency of six weeks in San Sebastian from 20 August. In the first four, the filmmakers will develop their projects at Tabakalera’s Creator’s Space, and will receive master classes and guidance from members of this edition’s expert committee, which includes Irish producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, Brazilian filmmaker Sergio Oksman and TorinoFilmLab director, Savina Neirotti, who have guided the judges panel in their selection. In the fifth week of the residency, the participants will prepare the pitching session, which involves a project presentation to the industry during the sixth and final week of the residency. The session is part of the San Sebastian Film Festival. The residents will have the opportunity to arrange meetings with attending professionals who are interested in collaborating in their projects, and will receive an access pass to screenings and the Festival’s other industry activities. Ikusmira Berriak will also provide financial support amounting to 25,000 euros, which will be distributed among the projects selected. In addition, REC Grabaketa Estudioa will offer its feature film post-production services as a prize, which is valued at 35,000 euros. Ikusmira Berriak is a program that seeks to involve new talent as well as producers and people from the audiovisual industry who support innovation and new languages. It is organised by Tabakalera, the San Sebastian Film Festival and Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola in collaboration with REC Grabaketa Estudioa and the Basque Film Archive, and is part of the San Sebastian 2016 European Capital of Culture legacy.

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  • Watch First Official Trailer for Dark Comedy THE SISTERS BROTHERS Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal

    THE SISTERS BROTHERS Brothers by blood. Sisters by name. Here is the first official trailer for dark comedy The Sisters Brothers. The film, written and directed by Jacques Audiard, stars Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Riz Ahmed; and will be released in theaters in Fall 2018. Based on Patrick Dewitt’s acclaimed novel of the same name, follows two brothers – Eli and Charlie Sisters – who are hired to kill a prospector who has stolen from their boss. The story, a genre-hybrid with comedic elements, takes place in Oregon in 1851. The film is Jacques Audiard’s follow-up to his Palme D’Or Winning DHEEPAN, which premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OwvqKwTKmE

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  • Actress Emma Thompson to Receive 2018 CineMerit Award at Munich Filmfest

    Emma Thompson British actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson will receive the 2018 CineMerit Award at Munich International Film festival.  In Munich, Emma Thompson will not only present her latest film, “The Children Act“, but will also meet the audience up close at the Filmmakers Live discussion in the Black Box at the Gasteig cultural center. In further homage to Emma Thompson, Munich International Film festival will also be showing three fantastic films in which she has previously starred: “Howards End”, “Sense and Sensibility”, and “Nanny McPhee”. Witty, charming, profound: Emma Thompson is multitalented. In some 80 films, adapting everything from the works of Shakespeare to Harry Potter, the British actress has portrayed a wide variety of characters alongside Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep, Helena Bonham Carter, Anthony Hopkins, Alan Rickman, Tom Hanks, and many others. Thompson has succeeded in doing what no one else had done before: she received an Academy Award for best actress for her leading role in “Howards End” as well as one for best writing for her screenplay adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility”. “In Emma Thompson, we welcome to the film festival a terrific actress who not only has an incredible sense of humor but who is also very modern and emancipated. The entire festival team is thrilled,” says festival director Diana Iljine. “Honoring Emma Thompson with the CineMerit Award makes an important statement at a time when the film industry is undergoing change. For many years, she has campaigned for equal rights as well as for prudent feminism. This makes her a wonderful example to young women.” For the film festival, Emma Thompson is bringing her latest film, “The Children Act”, to Munich. In this film adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel of the same title, Thompson plays Fiona Maye, a High Court judge specializing in family law. The case of a 17-year-old Jehovah’s Witness affects Fiona and her ailing marriage more than she could have imagined. In accordance with his religious beliefs, the teenage leukemia patient refuses a blood transfusion that could save his life. Is his young life more valuable than his religious devotion? Dealing with the boy causes Judge Fiona Maye to experience emotions that she has long suppressed. Thompson’s acting career began with brief sketches as a member of the Cambridge Footlights, the university theatrical club that produced such comedy greats as Monty Python and Fry & Laurie. The London native soon stood out for her tragic roles, as with only the slightest of facial expressions, she is able to make her characters deeply human — something that few others have mastered. Time and again, her parts have included those of women who dissent with the norms and rules of society and their position in it. The three other films that Munich International Film festival is showing in homage to Emma Thompson have this in common: In 1993, for “Howards End”, Emma Thompson received the Academy Award for best actress as well as Britain’s renowned BAFTA award. E. M. Foster’s novel was the basis for the story of two young women who find themselves in the world of an extremely affluent family. The estate Howards End comes to symbolize freedom and independence to the Victorian petty bourgeois. Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Thompson play two sisters caught up in a conflict between their youthful attempts at independence and the restraints that the customs of their time impose on them. Emma Thompson’s love of literature and language is evident not only in the many film adaptations in which she’s acted, but also in her work as a screenwriter. In 1995, she adapted “Sense and Sensibility” for the screen, which earned her a second Academy Award.  Munich International Film festival proudly presents this masterpiece by Ang Lee, starring Kate Winslet in one of her earliest roles. In “Nanny McPhee”, however, the author is a little less benign. As the quirky, homely and strict governess of the title, she magically transforms Mr. Brown’s unruly children into well-behaved little angels. Here, too, Thompson demonstrated her literary talent as screenwriter and combined this with her precise acting.

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  • Karlovy Vary’s People Next Door Section Will Present Oscar-Winning Short Film THE SILENT CHILD [Trailer]

    The Silent Child For the third time the Karlovy Vary IFF will present the People Next Door program section, focusing on films with hearing-impaired protagonists. One of the motion pictures presented in People Next Door will be The Silent Child (2017), which took this year’s Academy Award® for Best Live Action Short Film. This emotive movie will be presented by actress and screenwriter Rachel Shenton and director Chris Overton. The Silent Child tells the story of a four-year-old profoundly deaf girl who, thanks to a social worker played by Rachel Shenton, emerges from a world of silence by means of sign language. The script was inspired by the personal experiences of the British actress and writer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxwBd9OMOC4

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  • LOVE, CECIL, Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s Portrait of Style Icon Cecil Beaton, Sets Release Date [Trailer]

    [caption id="attachment_29432" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]LOVE CECIL Cecil Beaton Selfies Late 1910's Cecil Beaton Selfies Late 1910’s[/caption] Zeitgeist Films, in association with Kino Lorber, will release LOVE, CECIL, a documentary portrait of the legendary Cecil Beaton directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland (Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel, Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict). Winner of the Hamptons International Film Festival’s Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, the film premiered at the 2017 Telluride Film Festival and went on to screen at a number of festivals including DOC NYC and Palm Springs. LOVE, CECIL will open in New York on Friday, June 29 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center with a national rollout to follow. Photographer, Oscar-winning set and costume designer (My Fair Lady, Gigi), writer, painter, and self-professed dandy Cecil Beaton was not only a dazzling chronicler, but an arbiter of his time. From the Bright Young Things to the front lines of war to the international belle monde and the pages of Vogue, and then onto the Queen’s official photographer—Beaton embodied the cultural and political changes of the twentieth century. In this tender portrait, director Lisa Immordino Vreeland blends evocative archival footage and photographs with excerpts from his diaries—wittily narrated by Rupert Everett—to capture his legacy as a complex and unique creative force. Dynamic and lyrical, LOVE, CECIL is an examination of Beaton’s singular sense of the visual, which dictated a style that set standards of creativity that continue to resonate and inspire today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xznzK0EOwfs

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  • “To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Windsor” Shines Spotlight on LGBTQ Icon Edie Windsor [Trailer]

    To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Winds Filmmaker Donna Zaccaro’s illuminating new documentary “To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Windsor” shines a powerful light on historic LGBTQ civil rights figure Edie Windsor.  CineLife Entertainment will bring the Ferrodonna Features Inc. acclaimed documentary to more than 150 screens nationwide beginning on June 7, 2018 with Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, D.C., Denver, Atlanta, Austin, Palm Springs, San Diego, etc. timed to the anniversary of this landmark Supreme Court decision. The film features interviews with notable voices in this civil rights battle, including: Roberta Kaplan (Windsor Attorney), Pam Karlan (Windsor Legal Team & Co-Director, Stanford Supreme Court Litigation Clinic), Rosie O’Donnell (Comedian, Actor & Activist), Frank Rich (Writer-At-Large, NY Magazine), Hilary Rosen (Communications Advisor & LGBT Activist), Richard Socarides (White House Special Assistant & Advisor to President Clinton), Matt Staver (Founder & Chairman of Liberty Counsel), Jeff Toobin (CNN Legal Analyst & New Yorker Staff Writer), Nina Totenberg (Legal Affairs Correspondent for National Public Radio), Tony West (Former Associate U.S. Attorney General), Edie Windsor (Plaintiff), Evan Wolfson (Founder & President of Freedom to Marry), among others. “It is a true privilege to be working with Donna and the Ferrodonna team on this brilliant and important film” said CineLife Entertainment’s Managing Director Mark Rupp. “We look forward to bringing Edith Windsor’s story to a discerning audience on big screens across the US for Pride Month.” “To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Windsor” shares a rich tapestry of love, marriage, and a fight for equality. The film chronicles unlikely heroes — octogenarian Edie Windsor and her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, on their quest for justice. Upon the death of her spouse Thea Spyer, Windsor was forced to pay a huge estate tax bill because the government denied federal benefits to same-sex couples. Windsor became a renowned LGBTQ civil rights advocate when she chose to sue the United States government to recognize her more than 40 year union– and won. Windsor and Kaplan’s legal and personal journeys go beyond the story of this pivotal case in the marriage equality movement as Zaccaro tells the story of our journey as a culture, and as a country that promises its citizens equal rights for all. “To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Windsor” Director/Producer Donna Zaccaro is the Founder & President of Ferrodonna Features Inc., a non-profit film production company with a mission of producing films about women, women’s issues, and social justice issues. Previously, Zaccaro Directed/Produced “Geraldine Ferraro: Paving the Way,” the critically acclaimed documentary about the trailblazer who made history as the first woman to run for national office on a major party ticket, which debuted on Showtime. Prior to founding her media production company, Zaccaro was an award-winning producer for the “Today” show at NBC News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W4CfhlA_6c

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  • Director Barry Levinson to Receive Award at Karlovy Vary Festival

    Barry Levinson Screenwriter-producer-director Barry Levinson, who won an Academy Award for Rain Man, will accept the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema at this year’s Karlovy Vary festival. The Karlovy Vary festival continues its tradition of recognizing the most important personalities of world cinema, the likes of which include directors William Friedkin, Jerry Schatzberg, and Ken Loach, and screenwriter Paul Laverty. In his writing and directing capacity, Academy Award winner and five-time nominee Barry Levinson deftly combines personal stories with an often satirical look at society, and his movies have fundamentally influenced numerous young filmmakers. Barry Levinson established himself as a writer of successful television shows. With his onetime wife, Valerie Curtin, he then wrote the movie script for Norman Jewison’s courtroom drama …and justice for all (1979), which brought them an Oscar nomination. He debuted as a director with the comedy-drama Diner (1982), receiving his second Oscar nomination for the script. Ivan Král, a Czech musician based in the US, co-wrote the film music. Subsequent titles confirmed his reputation with critics and audiences: The Natural (1984) with Robert Redford, Tin Men (1987) with Richard Dreyfuss and Danny DeVito, and Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) with Robin Williams. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the legendary picture Rain Man (1988), awarded four Oscars (e.g. Best Director for Barry Levinson) and numerous other honors, including the Golden Bear at the Berlinale and the David di Donatello for Best Foreign Film. Under Levinson’s guidance, Dustin Hoffman turned in one of his most memorable performances and Tom Cruise extended his star status while paired up with onscreen girlfriend Valeria Golino. His next movie, the drama Avalon (1991), earned Levinson another Oscar nomination, this time for Best Original Screenplay. The Warren Beatty vehicle Bugsy (1991), based on the life of the well-known gangster, brought Levinson another two Academy Award nominations – for best director and picture. Recently turned 20, Levinson’s movie Wag the Dog is a behind-the-scenes political parody (once again) starring Dustin Hoffman in an Oscar-nominated role. The film earned Barry Levinson a Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize at Berlinale in 1998. Similar to his work with Hoffman, with whom he also shot the drama Sleepers (1996) and the sci-fi picture Sphere (1998), he teams up with other Hollywood stars for multiple productions, including Robert De Niro (Wag the Dog, What Just Happened, 2008) and Robin Williams (Toys, 1992; Man of the Year, 2006). Levinson produces the majority of his movies and has backed a number of ambitious project by other directors, among others Mike Newell’s crime drama Donnie Brasco (1997) and Neil LaBute’s romantic drama Possession (2002). Barry Levinson will present his latest directorial effort at KVIFF, the HBO-produced drama Paterno, and will introduce Rain Man and the timeless satire Wag the Dog.

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  • Molly Shannon To Receive Excellence In Acting Award at Provincetown International Film Festival

    Molly Shannon Actress Molly Shannon will receive the festival’s Excellence in Acting Award at the upcoming 2018 Provincetown International Film Festival on Saturday, June 16, in conversation with author and film scholar B. Ruby Rich at Provincetown Town Hall. Shannon spent six seasons as a member of the repertory company on “Saturday Night Live,” during which she created iconic characters such as Mary Katherine Gallagher and Sally O’Malley. In 2000, she received an Emmy nomination on behalf of her work on the show. On television, Shannon was most recently seen starring in the second season of the hit HBO series, “Divorce,” in addition to making guest appearances on NBC’s revival of “Will & Grace,” the “Wet Hot American Summer” miniseries for Netflix, which served as a prequel to the cult comedy classic film of the same name (which Shannon also starred in), “Enlightened” for which she received her second Emmy nomination, “Raising Hope,” among many others. In 2016, Molly received critical acclaim and an Independent Spirit Award for “Best Supporting Actress” for her emotional performance in Chris Kelly’s film, OTHER PEOPLE. This year, Shannon is earning praise for her leading role of Emily Dickinson in Madeleine Olnek’s dramatic comedy, WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY. The film will open the festival. Other on-screen film credits include the independent dark comedy THE LITTLE HOURS; Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner ME, EARL AND THE DYING GIRL; Sofia Coppola’s MARIE ANTOINETTE; Ron Howard’s HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS; and the cult classic WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER. “Comedy, drama, film, television, Broadway… you name it, Molly Shannon can do it. We’ve been enormous fans for years and are thrilled to honor the singular talents of Molly Shannon at our 20th anniversary festival,” said Andrew Peterson, PIFF’s Director of Programming. Additionally, the festival announced that editor, author and radio host Kim Masters will give the keynote address at this year’s Evan Lawson Filmmakers’ Brunch. Masters is editor-at-Large of The Hollywood Reporter and host of KCRW’s The Business. A former correspondent for NPR and “Entertainment Journalist of the Year,” she has also served as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, Time and Esquire, and was a staff reporter for the Washington Post. Masters will speak on her experience in the film industry, being a voice in the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, and what will come next for gender equity after the revelations of abuse in Hollywood. Held each Sunday of the festival, the fifth annual breakfast supports the Gabrielle A. Hanna Film Institute and its mission of supporting underrepresented filmmakers and artists. “Kim Masters’ extensive reporting and insider knowledge of Hollywood puts her in the unique position to provide context and meaning at a critical juncture for race and gender equity in U.S. entertainment media,” said Christine Walker, Executive Director of PIFF and CEO of the Provincetown Film Society. “For those who believe that the Weinstein story is only relevant to a rarefied group of individuals, Masters’ insight will help dispel that notion.” MODERN LOVE LIVE, presented by WBUR and The New York Times Friday, June 15, 6:30pm at Town Hall Join WBUR and The New York Times in this very special event at the Provincetown Film Festival, where the joys and tribulations of love come to life during Modern Love Live, a live recording of their hit podcast based on the popular New York Times column. This exceptional evening will include Modern Love essay readings by Chloë Grace Moretz (THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, KICK-ASS), Cory Michael Smith (Gotham, CAROL, WONDERSTRUCK, 1985) and Amy Seimetz (WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY, The Girlfriend Experience), hosted by WBUR’s Meghna Chakrabarti, and accompanied by live sound recording. Live music by will also be featured. *Hosted by WBUR’s Meghna Chakrabarti PIFFtalks: ALL ABOUT EMILY: REIMAGINING A LIFE Thursday, June 14, 10:00am at Provincetown Theater Join the WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY creative team, including director Madeleine Olnek and actress Amy Seimetz, for a lively conversation about adapting the life and loves of Emily Dickinson into a raucous and unexpected comedy. With extensive research, Olnek pieced together a thoroughly original story from the poet’s writings and scholarship on Dickinson. After seeing WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY and hearing the stories about the film’s creation you’ll never look at Emily Dickinson the same again! *Moderated by Janice Page, Film Editor, The Boston Globe PIFFtalks: CONVERSATION WITH CHLOË GRACE MORETZ, NEXT WAVE HONOREE Friday, June 15, 12:00pm at The Pilgrim House Sundance Film Festival Director John Cooper returns to Provincetown to be in conversation with 2018 Provincetown Next Wave Honoree Chloë Grace Moretz as they discuss her career, including her leading role in the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning film THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST. Given the amazing directors with whom Chloë’s collaborated (Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton, Kimberly Pierce, Neil Jordan and Luca Guadagnino, among many others), there should be a lot to discuss. Come hear and meet one of the best young actors working in Hollywood. Tickets include a post-conversation reception. *Chloë Grace Moretz will be in conversation with Sundance Film Festival Director John Cooper PIFFtalks: CONVERSATION WITH CHRISTINE VACHON Saturday, June 16, 10:00am at Provincetown Theater Christine Vachon was our second ever Filmmaker on the Edge honoree (in 2000) and she was already a major force in the independent film scene. The industry has changed immensely since then, yet Christine’s passion for producing groundbreaking films and her ability to shepherd fiercely independent projects has only flourished. Christine Vachon, returns to Provincetown to share tales of her illustrious career over the past two decades with no sign of letting up. Her extensive credits include: POISON, BOY’S DON’T CRY, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, FAR FROM HEAVEN, STILL ALICE, and CAROL. *Christine Vachon will be in conversation with journalist and author Mark Harris PIFFtalks: AN ARTIST’S PERSPECTIVE Sunday, June 17, 10:30am at Waters Edge 2 Director Ondi Timoner brings her narrative debut MAPPLETHORPE to Provincetown for Closing Night and we want to hear her perspective on creating a film about a seminal figure in the art world. Jo Hay is a celebrated artist working in Provincetown and the subject of a new short film by Lois Norman. We welcome these filmmakers and artists to discuss their work, their inspiration, and their challenges, as they find a way to tell their fascinating stories. *Moderated by Steven Raphael, Founder/President, Required Viewing

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  • ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND to Kickoff Hamptons International Film Festival 10th SummerDocs series

    [caption id="attachment_28784" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind[/caption] The Hamptons International Film Festival will kick off the 10th Anniversary SummerDocs series with HBO’s ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND on Friday, June 29, at 7pm, followed by a conversation with director Marina Zenovich. On Saturday, July 21, at 7pm, director Dava Whisenant’s BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY will screen.  The series will conclude with CHEF FLYNN on Saturday, August 25, at 7pm, with director Cameron Yates and celebrated chef Flynn McGarry scheduled to attend. “We are excited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our SummerDocs series with three dynamic films covering a variety of topics, including a legendary actor, forgotten Broadway musicals and a culinary prodigy. Over the last decade we have captivated audiences with some of the most incredible storytelling and know that our 10th anniversary continues that tradition,” said HIFF Co-Chairman and SummerDocs series presenter Alec Baldwin. SummerDocs host (and HIFF Co-Chair) Alec Baldwin will once again lead conversations with filmmakers and guests, presenting new and groundbreaking documentary filmmaking and thought-provoking stories to the East End at Guild Hall of East Hampton. ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND Director: Marina Zenovich A funny, intimate and heartbreaking portrait of one of the world’s most beloved and inventive comedians, ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND takes us through his extraordinary life and career and reveals what drove him to give voice to the characters in his mind. Told largely by Robin himself, with a wealth of never-before-seen footage, and informed by in-depth interviews with those who loved and knew him, the film features Billy Crystal, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Pam Dawber, Zak Williams and many others. Directed by Marina Zenovich. Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind will premiere on HBO on Monday, July 16th. In conversation: director Marina Zenovich [caption id="attachment_29400" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY[/caption] BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY Director: Dava Whisenant When he started as a comedy writer for the LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, Steve Young had few interests outside of his day job. But while gathering material for a segment on the show, Steve stumbled onto a few vintage record albums that would change his life forever. Bizarre cast recordings—marked “internal use only”—revealed full-throated Broadway-style musical shows about some of the most recognizable corporations in America: General Electric, McDonald’s, Ford, DuPont, Xerox. Steve didn’t know much about musical theater, but these recordings delighted him in a way that nothing ever had. BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY follows Steve Young on his quest to find all he can about this hidden world. While tracking down rare albums, unseen footage, composers and performers, Steve forms unlikely friendships and discovers how this discarded musical genre starring tractors and bathtubs was bigger than Broadway. With David Letterman, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, Florence Henderson, Susan Stroman, Jello Biafra and more. In conversation: director Dava Whisenant [caption id="attachment_26690" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Flynn McGarry appears in Chef Flynn by Cameron Yates Flynn McGarry appears in Chef Flynn by Cameron Yates[/caption] CHEF FLYNN Director: Cameron Yates While many of young Flynn McGarry’s peers were playing video games, he was creating remarkable gastronomic delights far beyond his years at his home in Studio City, California. Flynn’s family encouraged him to pursue his creative passion, and his unique journey was thoroughly documented by his artist mother. He loved to prepare elaborate dinners for friends and family and soon became known as the “Teen Chef,” establishing his own supper club at age 12 and being featured in a New York Times Magazine cover story at age 15. Before he was 16, he had staged in top restaurants in Los Angeles, New York, and Europe. Trying to stay focused on his dream, Flynn had to weather the critics who challenged his rapid ascent in the culinary world. With access to a trove of personal archival footage and including new, intimate vérité footage, director Cameron Yates creates a collage of Flynn’s singular focus and distinctive path through childhood. CHEF FLYNN shares a rare view of a young man’s successful rise from the inside. In conversation: director Cameron Yates and celebrated chef Flynn McGarry Past SummerDocs selections, including ICARUS (2017), TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM (2013), LAST DAYS OF VIETNAM (2014), THE COVE (2009), SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN (2012) and HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE (2012), have gone on to receive Academy Award® wins and nominations. What will audiences discover this year?

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