Sam Did It[/caption]
LA Shorts International Film Festival will showcase 333 films coming from 23 countries on July 25 through August 2, 2018. Opening day will be held downtown at LA LIVE Regal Cinemas. The following 8 days move to Leammle Noho 7.
This year LA Shorts presents the first annual NEW WAVE CHINESE FILMMAKERS on opening day July 25 consisting of three film programs by Chinese American filmmakers.
There are 44 curated film programs, some of the special theme programs include: British Shorts, Crime, Romance, Parts Unknown, Southeast Asia, Sci Fi Fantasy, , Music, Horror/Suspense, Directed by SuperWomen, Comedy, Family/Kids, Animation, Documentaries, Awards Encore Screening.
The Documentary programs includes shorts from powerhouse creators; NETFLIX, ESPN, NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, THE ATLANTIC.
The animation block contains shorts from BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, DREAMWORKS ANIMATION, THE CARTON NETWORK, LEVEL-5, SEGA OF AMERICA.
This year’s list of films include celebrities, Billy Bob Thornton, Katie Holmes, Jane Lynch, Alfred Molina, Michael Madsen, Rob Belushi, Cameron Douglas, Philip Baker Hall, M. Emmet Walsh, Bubba Sparxxx, Rhea Perlman, Robert Davi, Eric Roberts, Joan Collins, Lea Thompson and David Arquette.
Winners in four categories will automatically become eligible for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS®). Over the course of 22 years, the Festival has presented 55 films that have gone on to receive Academy Award® nominations. Winners will be announced at a encore screening on Thursday, August 2 at Leammle Noho 7.
In addition to the award-winning short films, the festival welcomes industry professionals presenting master classes, workshops, panel discussions free to participating filmmakers.
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 4:00 PM
Actors Read Screenplay Finalist from LA Shorts Competition
FRIDAY, JULY 27, 5:00 PM
Workshop – Pitching Session with Carole Dean (CEO – From The Heart Productions) and Carol Joyce (film producer)
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 5:00 PM
Masterclass – From Shorts to Features: If I Can Do It – Anyone Can! How to Reach Your Goals by Pen Densham (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Twilight Zone, Outer Limits)
MONDAY, JULY 30, 3:00 PM
Masterclass by Blizzard Entertainment Gurpreet Wahla (video game and animation producer)
TUESDAY, JULY 31, 4:00 PM
Interactive Discussion -Diversity in Film with Lionsgate’s CodeBlack Productions executive Christina Sibul
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 4:00 PM
Workshop – Breaking Into The Industry with film producer Tom Nunan and writer/actor Lisa Ebersole
This year LA Shorts presents SUMMER FILM AND ACTING CAMP FOR TEENS, JULY 30 – AUGUST 2, 2018 at The Art Institute of California – Hollywood.
At the Summer Film and Acting Camp, students will collaborate in different roles to create a story and execute the filming with guidance from industry professional instructors and mentors over the course of four days.-
2018 LA Shorts International Film Festival Unveils Lineup of 333 Films
[caption id="attachment_30950" align="aligncenter" width="1224"] Sam Did It[/caption]
LA Shorts International Film Festival will showcase 333 films coming from 23 countries on July 25 through August 2, 2018. Opening day will be held downtown at LA LIVE Regal Cinemas. The following 8 days move to Leammle Noho 7.
This year LA Shorts presents the first annual NEW WAVE CHINESE FILMMAKERS on opening day July 25 consisting of three film programs by Chinese American filmmakers.
There are 44 curated film programs, some of the special theme programs include: British Shorts, Crime, Romance, Parts Unknown, Southeast Asia, Sci Fi Fantasy, , Music, Horror/Suspense, Directed by SuperWomen, Comedy, Family/Kids, Animation, Documentaries, Awards Encore Screening.
The Documentary programs includes shorts from powerhouse creators; NETFLIX, ESPN, NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, THE ATLANTIC.
The animation block contains shorts from BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, DREAMWORKS ANIMATION, THE CARTON NETWORK, LEVEL-5, SEGA OF AMERICA.
This year’s list of films include celebrities, Billy Bob Thornton, Katie Holmes, Jane Lynch, Alfred Molina, Michael Madsen, Rob Belushi, Cameron Douglas, Philip Baker Hall, M. Emmet Walsh, Bubba Sparxxx, Rhea Perlman, Robert Davi, Eric Roberts, Joan Collins, Lea Thompson and David Arquette.
Winners in four categories will automatically become eligible for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS®). Over the course of 22 years, the Festival has presented 55 films that have gone on to receive Academy Award® nominations. Winners will be announced at a encore screening on Thursday, August 2 at Leammle Noho 7.
In addition to the award-winning short films, the festival welcomes industry professionals presenting master classes, workshops, panel discussions free to participating filmmakers.
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 4:00 PM
Actors Read Screenplay Finalist from LA Shorts Competition
FRIDAY, JULY 27, 5:00 PM
Workshop – Pitching Session with Carole Dean (CEO – From The Heart Productions) and Carol Joyce (film producer)
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 5:00 PM
Masterclass – From Shorts to Features: If I Can Do It – Anyone Can! How to Reach Your Goals by Pen Densham (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Twilight Zone, Outer Limits)
MONDAY, JULY 30, 3:00 PM
Masterclass by Blizzard Entertainment Gurpreet Wahla (video game and animation producer)
TUESDAY, JULY 31, 4:00 PM
Interactive Discussion -Diversity in Film with Lionsgate’s CodeBlack Productions executive Christina Sibul
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 4:00 PM
Workshop – Breaking Into The Industry with film producer Tom Nunan and writer/actor Lisa Ebersole
This year LA Shorts presents SUMMER FILM AND ACTING CAMP FOR TEENS, JULY 30 – AUGUST 2, 2018 at The Art Institute of California – Hollywood.
At the Summer Film and Acting Camp, students will collaborate in different roles to create a story and execute the filming with guidance from industry professional instructors and mentors over the course of four days.
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ANTONIO LOPEZ 1970: SEX FASHION & DISCO Documentary Opens on September 14th [Trailer]
[caption id="attachment_25696" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco[/caption]
The documentary Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco by James Crump is described as an Electrifying Ode to the ’70s Most Influential Fashion Illustrator. The film features interviews with some of the big fashion icons from that era including Jessica Lange, Grace Jones, Bob Colacello and Jerry Hall. ANTONIO LOPEZ 1970 will open in theaters on September 14th at IFC Center in New York City with additional cities to follow.
Puerto Rican-born, Harlem and Bronx-raised Antonio Lopez was the most influential fashion illustrator of 1970s New York and Paris. And Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco, from filmmaker James Crump (Troublemakers: The Story of Land Art, Black White + Gray), brings an exhilarating, often outrageous chapter of fashion history to rich life. Winner of the Metropolitan Grand Jury prize at this year’s DOC NYC Film Festival and produced by Crump and Ronnie Sassoon, ANTONIO LOPEZ 1970 is a time capsule of Paris and New York between 1969 and 1973 as viewed through the eyes of Antonio Lopez (1943-1987), the dominant fashion illustrator of the time. Lopez was a seductive arbiter of style and glamour who, beginning in the 1960s, brought elements of the urban street and ethnicity to bear on a postwar fashion world desperate for change and diversity. Counted among Antonio’s discoveries-muses of the period-were unusual beauties such as Cathee Dahmen, Grace Jones, Pat Cleveland, Tina Chow, Jessica Lange, Jerry Hall and Warhol Superstars Donna Jordan, Jane Forth and Patti D’Arbanville among others.
Through archival footage and stills of studio life in Carnegie Hall, infamous venues such as Max’s Kansas City and Hotel Chelsea, a soundtrack featuring disco superstars like Donna Summer, Chic, Curtis Mayfield and original interviews with principal characters from the time, Crump takes audiences back to the swinging seventies when fashion designers and their entourages gained the prominence of rock stars. Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco, features interviews with Lange, Cleveland, Jordan, Forth and D’Arbanville, as well as revered fashion photographer Bill Cunningham in his very last interview, Grace Coddington, Joan Juliet Buck, Michael Chow, Bob Colacello, Corey Tippin, and Paul Caranicas, among others. The film which Interview Magazine called “dazzling,” perfectly captures Lopez and his entourage, blithely on a quest for beauty and pleasure before the decade, saturated by drug use, addiction and sexual promiscuity came to a crashing halt.
SELECT THEATRICAL DATES
9/14 : IFC Center — NYC
9/21: Laemmle Royal – Los Angeles CA
9/21: Laemmle Playhouse – Pasadena CA
10/5: Landmark Ritz at the Bourse – Philadelphia PA
10/12: Landmark Opera Plaza – San Francisco CA
10/12: Landmark Shattuck – Berkeley CA
10/12: SIEFilm Center – Denver CO
11/2: Landmark Midtown Art – Atlanta GA
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NEON to Release Todd Douglas Miller’s APOLLO 11 Documentary [Trailer]
Todd Douglas Miller’s (Dinosaur 13) cinematic space event documentary, Apollo 11 that features never-before-seen, large-format film footage of one of humanity’s greatest accomplishments has been acquired by NEON for release in theaters. The film which is is currently in post-production is executive produced by CNN Films, which will retain the U.S. television rights, and is produced by Miller’s Statement Pictures.
Miller is best known for the Emmy® Award-winning documentary, Dinosaur 13, which was also executive produced by CNN Films. That film tells the story of the discovery of the largest Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever found. Dinosaur 13 world premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
Apollo 11 is the second film distribution collaboration between NEON and CNN Films in 2018. Earlier this year, the two companies announced their shared distribution of Three Identical Strangers, a feature-length documentary about triplets separated at birth and then reunited as adults. Three Identical Strangers had its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and is successfully exhibiting in theaters now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNKM8YpTmVw
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PBS’ Independent Lens Fall Season to Open with YOUNG MEN AND FIRE
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Young Men and Fire[/caption]
The award-winning PBS series Independent Lens opens its new season on Monday, October 29 with Young Men and Fire, a richly personal look at the lives of a western firefighting crew during one challenging season. Also on the fall schedule is Dawnland, which explores the devastating impact of the forced removal of Native American children from their families; The Judge, a look at the first woman appointed to the Middle East’s Shari’a (Islamic law) courts; The Cleaners, an eye-opening investigation into how Silicon Valley monitors online content; and Man on Fire, the story of an elderly Texas minister driven to a shocking act of protest.
Highlights of the soon-to-be-announced Winter/Spring 2019 season include two of the most acclaimed documentaries of this summer: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Morgan Neville’s moving portrait of children’s TV pioneer Fred Rogers, and Eugene Jarecki’s unique meditation on Elvis and America, The King. Also premiering in 2019 is RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World (January 28), a celebration of the Native American musicians who transformed blues, jazz and rock.
“Documentary film is soaring right now because it’s doing the deep work of telling stories about ordinary and extraordinary people from across the country—all kinds of people who hold different beliefs,” said Lois Vossen, Executive Producer of Independent Lens. “The news has become divisive, and we’re not the news. We’re newsworthy, character-driven stories. And because we’re public media we have exceptional reach with 394 stations across the United States — that gives us the ability to be both local and national every time we work with a film.”
Independent Lens will also present a new season of Indie Lens Pop-Up, a national series of free public events that bring community leaders, local residents and organizations together for discussions and screenings. Selections this year include Dawnland, RUMBLE, and Won’t You Be My Neighbor?; additional titles to be announced.
The Fall broadcast schedule follows; additional Winter/Spring titles and broadcast dates will be announced late fall.
Young Men and Fire by Kahlil Hudson and Alex Jablonski (Monday, October 29, 10-11 pm ET)
Forest and wildland fires are growing larger, more frequent, and deadlier every year, threatening millions of acres and thousands of lives. Meet a firefighting crew as they struggle with fear, loyalty, love and defeat over the course of a single wildfire season. What emerges is a quietly powerful story of a small group of men – their exterior world, their interior lives, and the fire that lies between.
Dawnland by Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip (Monday, November 5, 10-11 pm ET)
Follow the first government-sanctioned truth and reconciliation commission in the U.S., which investigates the devastating impact of Maine’s child welfare practices on Native American communities. With exclusive access to this groundbreaking process and never-before-seen footage, the film reveals the untold narrative of Indigenous child removal in the U.S.
The Judge by Erika Cohn (Monday, November 12, 10:30 pm- 12 am ET)
When Kholoud Al-Faqih walked into the office of Palestine’s Chief Justice and announced she wanted to join the bench, he laughed at her. But just a few years later, Kholoud became the first woman judge to be appointed to the Middle East’s Shari’a (Islamic law) courts. The Judge offers a unique portrait of Kholoud’s brave journey and her tireless fight for justice for women while offering an unvarnished look at life for women under Shari’a.
The Cleaners by Moritz Riesewieck and Hans Block (Monday, November 19, 10-11:30 pm ET)
Meet some of the people hired by Silicon Valley leaders like Facebook and Google to do “digital cleaning.” Mostly located in the Philippines, these “content moderators” delete “inappropriate” content on the net, thereby influencing what people around the world see and think. The film charts social media’s evolution from a shared vision of a global village to a dangerous web of fake news, extremism and radicalization.
Man on Fire by Joel Fendelman (Monday, December 17, 10-11 pm ET)
On June 23, 2014, a 79-year-old white Methodist minister named Charles Moore drove to an empty parking lot in his old home town of Grand Saline, Texas, and set himself on fire. He left a note explaining that his act was his final protest against the virulent racism of the community and his country at large. Man on Fire goes back to Grand Saline — population 3,266 — to try to uncover the truth about the town’s ugly past and the fervor for God and justice that drove Moore to his shocking final act.
RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World by Catherine Bainbridge (Monday, January 28)
The acclaimed documentary explores how Native American musicians transformed American blues, jazz and rock — despite frequent attempts to ban, censor, and erase Indian culture. This eye-opening musical celebration features Robbie Robertson, Taj Mahal, George Clinton, Martin Scorsese, Slash, Jackson Browne, Taboo, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Steve Van Zandt, Quincy Jones, Tony Bennett, Iggy Pop, Steven Tyler, and many more.
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Film Society of Lincoln Center Announces 11th Scary Movies Horror Film Festival Lineup
Anna and the Apocalypse Scary Movies XI, the horror festival presented by New York’s Film Society of Lincoln Center returns August 17 to 23, 2018.
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Director Wim Wenders to Receive A Tribute to… Award at Zurich Film Festival
German director Wim Wenders (Pope Francis – A Man of His Word) will receive the A Tribute to… Award at the 14th Zurich Film Festival on October 6. A retrospective of twelve of the his most important films will be screened in his honor.
Wenders, who in addition to his activities as a director is also an author, producer and photographer, looks back this year on five decades of filmmaking experience – a period that has witnessed the creation of numerous award-winning feature and documentary films, many of which highlight questions of identity or tackle socially relevant issues.
Born in 1945, Wenders first studied medicine and philosophy before turning his hand to painting and finally, in 1967, to filmmaking, which he saw as “the continuation of painting in another medium”. He first drew worldwide acclaim in 1977 with his feature film THE AMERICAN FRIEND. Wenders has since worked in Europe, the USA, Latin America and Asia, places where he continues to this day to question the world presented to him with thoughtfulness and curiosity.
The films of Wim Wenders have garnered countless international awards, including a Golden Palm and British Academy Film Award for his feature PARIS, TEXAS (1984), the Best Director Award in Cannes for his feature WINGS OF DESIRE (1987) and Academy Award nominations for his documentaries BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB (1999), PINA (2011) and THE SALT OF THE EARTH (2014). His most recent production, the documentary POPE FRANCIS – A MAN OF HIS WORDS (2018), has just hit German-speaking cinemas.
Launched in 2012, the Wim Wenders Foundation brings together the cinematic, photographic, literary and artistic lifework of Wim Wenders. The foundation is responsible for the digital restoration of a large number of the films to be screened in Zurich. It also offers the annually awarded Wim Wenders Grant for the promotion of innovative approaches to cinematic storytelling.
Said Zurich Film Festival co-founders Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri “Wim Wenders was seen at the very beginning of his career as a pioneer of New German Cinema. Fifty years later, he is still regarded as one of the world’s most influential filmmakers. We are delighted to welcome him to this year’s Zurich Film Festival and present him with the A Tribute to… Award.”
Retrospective overview:
THE GOALIE’S ANXIETY AT THE PENALTY KICK (1972)
ALICE IN THE CITIES (1974)
KINGS OF THE ROAD (1976)
THE AMERICAN FRIEND (1977)
PARIS, TEXAS (1984)
WINGS OF DESIRE (1987)
UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD (1991)
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB (1999)
THE MILLION DOLLAR HOTEL (2000)
DON’T COME KNOCKING (2005)
PINA (2011)
THE SALT OF THE EARTH (2014)
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World Premiere of Damien Chazelle’s FIRST MAN Starring Ryan Gosling to Open 75th Venice International Film Festival [Trailer]
First Man, directed by Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash) and starring Ryan Gosling, Jason Clarke and Claire Foy, will World Premiere as the opening night film, in Competition, of the 75th Venice International Film Festival (August 29 – September 8, 2018).
Festival director Alberto Barbera declared: “It is a true privilege to present the world premiere of Damien Chazelle’s new, highly-awaited film. It is a very personal, original and compelling piece of work, wonderfully unexpected within the context of present day epic films, and a confirmation of the great talent of one of the most important contemporary directors of American cinema. Our gratitude goes to Universal Pictures for premiering First Man at the 75th Venice Film Festival.”
Chazelle declared:”I am humbled by Venice’s invitation and am thrilled to return. It feels especially poignant to share this news so close to the moon landing’s anniversary. I eagerly look forward to bringing the film to the festival.”
First Man will be shown in its world premiere screening on Wednesday August 29th, in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido di Venezia.
On the heels of their six-time Academy Award®-winning smash, La La Land, Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for Universal Pictures’ First Man, the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969. A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost—on Armstrong and on the nation—of one of the most dangerous missions in history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9Y7DTCn7Cc
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LYNYRD SKYNYRD: IF I LEAVE HERE TOMORROW Documentary To Premiere on Showtime [Trailer]
The documentary Lynyrd Skynyrd: If I Leave Here Tomorrow, directed by Stephen Kijak takes viewers on a trip through the history, myth and legend of one of the most iconic American rock bands. Featuring Rare And Never-Before-Seen Interviews With Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Leon Wilkeson, Bob Burns, Billy Powell, Ed King, Artimus Pyle And Steve Gaines, the documentary will premiere on Saturday, August 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.
ising from the swamps of the Deep South, these good ol’ boys from Jacksonville, Florida came to define an era with their hard-rocking boogie-woogie sound, soulful lyrics, drunken and dangerous antics and their controversial use of the rebel flag. The film also serves as a portrait of late band leader Ronnie Van Zant whose life was cut tragically short, but whose legacy endures to this day in songs like the “Simple Man,” “Country Boy,” and “Whiskey Rock-a-Roller.”
The film is primarily narrated by Gary Rossington, the last of the Street Survivors and founding member along with Van Zant and Allen “Freebird” Collins. Rossington remains the only original member still in the band today. His recollections, from the beginning to the very end, mingle with the tales of drummer Artimus Pyle and “Sweet Home Alabama” co-writer Ed King, interviews with the late drummer Bob Burns, “Honkette” JoJo Billingsley, producer Al Kooper, and recently discovered radio interviews with the late founding members, Leon “Mad Hatter” Wilkeson, Collins and Van Zant. Capturing the band through their own words, stories and memories, Lynyrd Skynyrd: If I Leave Here Tomorrow vividly explores the makings of this quintessential Southern rock band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loo320c79aI
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Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA to Premiere in NY as Centerpiece of 56th New York Film Festival
Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA will have its New York premiere as the Centerpiece film of the 56th New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall on Friday, October 5, 2018. ROMA is a Netflix release and will launch globally and in theaters later this year.
In Alfonso Cuarón’s autobiographically inspired film, set in Mexico City in the early ’70s, we are placed within the physical and emotional terrain of a middle-class family whose center is quietly and unassumingly held by its beloved live-in nanny and housekeeper (Yalitza Aparicio). The cast is uniformly magnificent, but the real star of ROMA is the world itself, fully present and vibrantly alive, from sudden life-changing events to the slightest shifts in mood and atmosphere. Cuarón tells us an epic story of everyday life while also gently sweeping us into a vast cinematic experience, in which time and space breathe and majestically unfold. Shot in breathtaking black and white and featuring a sound design that represents something new in the medium, ROMA is a truly visionary work.
New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones said, “I was absolutely stunned by ROMA from beginning to end—by the craftsmanship and the artistry of everyone involved, by the physical power and gravitational force of the images, by the realization that I was seeing something magical: a story of ongoing life grounded within the immensity and mystery of just being here on this planet. Alfonso Cuarón’s film is a wonder.”
“I am honored ROMA has been selected for the Centerpiece slot at this year’s New York Film Festival,” said Cuarón. “NYFF has a longstanding history of celebrating meaningful and compelling filmmaking and it felt right to return to the festival with ROMA—an incredibly personal, illuminating, and transformative project for me.”
The 17-day New York Film Festival taking place September 28 to October 14, 2018, highlights the best in world cinema, featuring works from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent.
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Long Beach International Film Festival in NY Announces 2018 Lineup, Closes with ROCKAWAY
[caption id="attachment_24999" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Rockaway[/caption]
The Long Beach International Film Festival (LBIFF) in Long Beach, NY, announced its diverse lineup of feature-length documentaries, feature-length narrative films, and short films screening from August 1 to August 4, 2018.
“This festival began seven years ago with the screening of 12 films, and we’ve more than quadrupled in size over the last few years, gaining international interest and exposure. It’s an honor to be a part of this annual event that brings smiles and laughs to the thousands of attendees and their families who travel from near and far to view the talent involved in the festival,” said LBIFF Founder Craig Weintraub.
Four days of industry celebrations and sophisticated culinary events will be held on Long Beach, New York’s pristine, popular beachfront at the glamorous Allegria Hotel. Daily film screenings, including Opening Night and Closing Night, will be hosted at the newly renovated Regal Lynbrook 13 & RPX.
“With Lynbrook’s deep roots in Hollywood’s film history,” Lynbrook Mayor Alan Beach said, “it is only appropriate that Lynbrook host the Film Festival at its new state of the art Movie Theatre. We wish theatre patrons for this year’s Festival a warm welcome, as they shop and dine in Lynbrook,” the Mayor added.
Feature Films
Face of a Nation is the story of Mina Chow, an idealistic American architect, who struggles to help her dream stay alive as she journeys to discover Why America abandoned World’s Fairs? In the Orchard (personal loss & PTSD feature) the story of two strangers from different worlds that find a connection through traumatic events that have happened in their lives. In one encounter they find themselves linked to one another as their relationship evolves. This feature is making is New York premiere. Status Pending, a romantic dramedy of a millennial girl dating her ‘Tinder’ guy, must overcome the high life expectations she’s built from social media to decide today: either take a last-minute voyage, or settle down into a career and relationship with him. Making his East Coast premiere, producer Ben Zolno from New Zealand is available for interviews. Papillon is based on a true story and remake of the 1973 ‘Papillon’, tells the story of a prisoner detained on a remote island and how he plots his escape. This feature is making its Long Island premiere. Monsoon (opened in Long Beach in 2016) is a coming-of-age drama starring Austin Lyon, Katherine Hughes and Yvette Monreal, based in the hot dessert monsoon season of Arizona, best friends John and Sarah have trouble letting go of each other after a tragedy rips them apart. This feature is making its Long Island premiere. Michael Inside (Irish feature) a narrative feature film about an 18-year-old boy Michael living in a Dublin housing estate with his grandfather after his mother died of an overdose and his father is in prison. Michael was caught holding drugs for his friend’s older brother and is sentenced to 3 months in prison.Documentaries
Chesley Bonestell: A Brush with The Future is the biograophy of the forgotten architect, artist, matte painter and visionary Chesley Bonestell (1888-1986), whose futuristic paintings helped inspire America’s space program. Bonestell worked on architecture projects like the Chrysler Building and the Golden Gate Bridge. The Push is an inspiring documentary of an adventurous athlete and former nanoscientist, Grant Korgan, attempts to become the first spinal-cord injured athlete in history to ski the final degree of latitude to the bottom of the world, only using his arms to propel himself. Slim Aarons spent his life documenting jet setters, movie stars and beautiful people doing beautiful things during the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. In “The High Life,” the story behind some of his most fabulous photographs are revealed among white sand beaches, longing palms and relaxed, gorgeous faces. She is the Ocean a documentary exploring the lives of nine astonishing women ranging from fourteen to seventy and all four corners of the globe as they share one love for the deep love for the Ocean. The Joan Jett documentary named after one of her famous songs Bad Reputation explores the life of the iconic Joan from early years as the founder of The Runaways and first meeting collaborator Kenny Laguna in 1980 to her presence in pop culture as a rock-n-roll pioneer. The film also stars Billie Joe Armstrong, Michael J. Fox and Miley Cyrus The Secret Ingredients are out! This film takes you behind the compelling story of Kathleen and her family of five that live with 21 chronic diseases. After suggestions from doctors and nothing seeming to work Kathleen was determined to find out what was holding back her family. Kathleen takes matters into her own hands as many others, who regain their health and transform their lives after identifying that secret ingredient in their food and making a strong commitment to avoid them. Rockaway is inspired by true events. This film, written and directed by an East Rockaway native, takes you back to the summer of ’94 when a man recounts when he and his brother plotted revenge against their abusive father. Mostly shot on Long Island, this will be the Closing Night film. FREE short films suitable for all ages will be shown at the beach theatre during Shorts on the Beach on Friday, August 3. Attendees will need to register for a ticket in advance for entrance into this FREE event. Short films will be DIVIDED into five programs throughout the festival: comedies, dramas, animation, documentaries, and foreign. In addition to film screenings, tickets for culinary events, Chefs & Shorts: A Pairing of Gastronomy & Film (August 2) and Taste On The Beach (August 3) are available online. The LBIFF premiered in 2012 with just 50 submissions and showcased 12 films with free screenings on the beach. After Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012, the LBIFF had just finished its inaugural year and was threatened to collapse before ever fully taking off. Aided by a $25,000 grant from Nassau County, and participation from local celebrity stars like Daniel Baldwin and resilient festival organizers, the festival persevered and expanded each year. It is with the aid of the Village of Lynbrook that this year’s films are being screened at the Regal Lynbrook 13 & RPX, which opened its doors in June 2018.
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I AM NOT A WITCH, Rungano Nyoni’s Provocative Film on Witchcraft in Zambia to Open on September 7 [Trailer]
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I AM NOT A WITCH[/caption]
I Am Not a Witch, the debut award-winning feature film from Zambian-born Welsh director Rungano Nyoni is described as a striking satire about witchcraft in contemporary Zambia. The film will open on September 7th at Quad Cinema and BAMCinematek in New York City with additional markets to follow.
Nominated for a 2018 Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film and a Golden Camera Award at Cannes, I Am Not a Witch, from the Zambian-born Welsh director Rungano Nyoni is a striking satire about witchcraft in contemporary Zambia. When eight-year-old Shula turns up alone and unannounced in a rural village, the locals are suspicious. A minor incident escalates to a full-blown witch trial, where she is found guilty and sentenced to life on a state-run witch camp. There, she is tethered to a long white ribbon and told that if she ever tries to run away, she will be transformed into a goat. As the days pass, Shula begins to settle into her new community, but a threat looms on the horizon. Soon she is forced to make a difficult decision – whether to resign herself to life on the camp, or take a risk for freedom.
[caption id="attachment_30908" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Rungano Nyoni[/caption]
At times moving, often funny and occasionally surreal, I Am Not a Witch offers spellbinding storytelling with flashes of anarchic humor, showcasing Nyoni as the birth of a significant new screen voice. Festival audiences and juries also agreed, bestowing more than 20 nominations on I Am Not a Witch, including the AFI Fest Audience Award and a nod for “Best British Independent Film”. It has also captured nine awards from “Best Film” at the 2017 Adelaide Film Festival and “Best Directorial Debut” at the Stockholm Film Festival to “Best Director”, “Breakthrough Producer” (Emily Morgan) at the 2017 British Independent Film Awards and Nyoni’s BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_0NUA0aEpg
SELECT THEATRICAL DATES
9/7: Quad Cinema & BAMcinematek – NYC 9/7-9: Portland Museum of Art – ME 9/14: Laemmle Glendale – Los Angeles 9/14: Northwest Film Forum – Seattle WA 9/14: The Texas Theater – Dallas TX 9/16: Alamo Drafthouse – Yonkers NY 9/21:The Parkway – Baltimore MD 9/21: The Roxie – San Francisco CA 9/21: The Lyric Cinema – Fort Collins CO 9/28: SIE Film Center – Denver CO 9/28: The Hippodrome – Gainesville FL 10/12: Living Room Theater – Portland OR 10/12: State Theater – Modesto CA 10/19: Living Room Theater – Boca Raton FL
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Watch New Trailer for Thai prison Boxing Film A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN Starring Joe Cole
A24 today released the brand new trailer and poster for Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire’s A Prayer Before Dawn based on a remarkable true story and set in a real Thai prison. A Prayer Before Dawn starring Joe Cole is available now exclusively on DIRECTV, and will be open in theaters on August 10.
A Prayer Before Dawn is the remarkable true story of Billy Moore, a young English boxer incarcerated in two of Thailand’s most notorious prisons. He is quickly thrown into a terrifying world of drugs and gang violence, but when the prison authorities allow him to take part in the Muay Thai boxing tournaments, he realizes this might be his chance to get out. Billy embarks on a relentless, action-packed journey from one savage fight to the next, stopping at nothing to do whatever he must to preserve his life and regain his freedom. Shot in a an actual Thai prison with a cast of primarily real inmates, A Prayer Before Dawn is a visceral, thrilling journey through an unforgettable hell on earth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oywjMHMXids