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2017 BAFTA Awards: LA LA Land Wins Best Film, 13TH Wins Best Documentary

La La Land was named Best Film at the EE British Academy Film Awards aka 2017 BAFTA Awards, with Damien Chazelle winning Director and Emma Stone receiving the award for Leading Actress. Linus Sandgren won for Cinematography and Justin Hurwitz won Original Music. Ava DuVernay’s film, exploring race in the US criminal justice system, 13th, won the award for Documentary. Kubo and the Two Strings took the award for Animated Film, and Film Not in the English Language was won by Hungarian holocaust drama, Son of Saul. Outstanding British Film was won by I, Daniel Blake, directed by Ken Loach. Writer/director Babak Anvari and producers Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill and Lucan Toh received the award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for Under the Shadow. Home won the British Short Film award, while the BAFTA for British Short Animation was won by A Love Story. The EE Rising Star Award, voted for by the public, went to Tom Holland. The Special Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema was presented to film distributor and exhibitor Curzon for its work in bringing art house and foreign language cinema to British audiences. Nathan Lane, Simon Pegg and HRH The Duke of Cambridge, President of BAFTA, presented the Academy’s highest honour, the Fellowship, to writer, director, actor and producer Mel Brooks. The winners of the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2017 2016 NOMINATIONS AND WINNERS (presented in 2017) FELLOWSHIP MEL BROOKS OUTSTANDING BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA CURZON BEST FILM ARRIVAL Dan Levine, Shawn Levy, David Linde, Aaron Ryder I, DANIEL BLAKE Rebecca O’Brien LA LA LAND Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz, Marc Platt MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Lauren Beck, Matt Damon, Chris Moore, Kimberly Steward, Kevin J. Walsh MOONLIGHT Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM AMERICAN HONEY Andrea Arnold, Lars Knudsen, Pouya Shahbazian, Jay Van Hoy DENIAL Mick Jackson, Gary Foster, Russ Krasnoff, David Hare FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM David Yates, David Heyman, Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowling, Lionel Wigram I, DANIEL BLAKE Ken Loach, Rebecca O’Brien, Paul Laverty NOTES ON BLINDNESS Peter Middleton, James Spinney, Mike Brett, Jo-Jo Ellison, Steve Jamison UNDER THE SHADOW Babak Anvari, Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill, Lucan Toh OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER The Girl With All the Gifts: MIKE CAREY (Writer), CAMILLE GATIN (Producer) The Hard Stop: GEORGE AMPONSAH (Writer/Director/Producer), DIONNE WALKER (Writer/Producer) Notes on Blindness: PETER MIDDLETON (Writer/Director/Producer), JAMES SPINNEY (Writer/Director/Producer), JO-JO ELLISON (Producer) The Pass: JOHN DONNELLY (Writer), BEN A. WILLIAMS (Director) Under the Shadow: BABAK ANVARI (Writer/Director), EMILY LEO, OLIVER ROSKILL, LUCAN TOH (Producers) FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE DHEEPAN Jacques Audiard, Pascal Caucheteux JULIETA Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar MUSTANG Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Charles Gillibert SON OF SAUL László Nemes, Gábor Sipos TONI ERDMANN Maren Ade, Janine Jackowski DOCUMENTARY 13th Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Howard Barish THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK- THE TOURING YEARS Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Scott Pascucci, Nigel Sinclair THE EAGLE HUNTRESS Otto Bell, Stacey Reiss NOTES ON BLINDNESS Peter Middleton, James Spinney WEINER Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg ANIMATED FILM FINDING DORY Andrew Stanton KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS Travis Knight MOANA Ron Clements, John Musker ZOOTROPOLIS Byron Howard, Rich Moore DIRECTOR ARRIVAL Denis Villeneuve I, DANIEL BLAKE Ken Loach LA LA LAND Damien Chazelle MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Kenneth Lonergan NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Tom Ford ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY HELL OR HIGH WATER Taylor Sheridan I, DANIEL BLAKE Paul Laverty LA LA LAND Damien Chazelle MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Kenneth Lonergan MOONLIGHT Barry Jenkins ADAPTED SCREENPLAY ARRIVAL Eric Heisserer HACKSAW RIDGE Andrew Knight, Robert Schenkkan HIDDEN FIGURES Theodore Melfi, Allison Schroeder LION Luke Davies NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Tom Ford LEADING ACTOR ANDREW GARFIELD Hacksaw Ridge CASEY AFFLECK Manchester by the Sea JAKE GYLLENHAAL Nocturnal Animals RYAN GOSLING La La Land VIGGO MORTENSEN Captain Fantastic LEADING ACTRESS AMY ADAMS Arrival EMILY BLUNT The Girl on the Train EMMA STONE La La Land MERYL STREEP Florence Foster Jenkins NATALIE PORTMAN Jackie SUPPORTING ACTOR AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON Nocturnal Animals DEV PATEL Lion HUGH GRANT Florence Foster Jenkins JEFF BRIDGES Hell or High Water MAHERSHALA ALI Moonlight SUPPORTING ACTRESS HAYLEY SQUIRES I, Daniel Blake MICHELLE WILLIAMS Manchester by the Sea NAOMIE HARRIS Moonlight NICOLE KIDMAN Lion VIOLA DAVIS Fences ORIGINAL MUSIC ARRIVAL Jóhann Jóhannsson JACKIE Mica Levi LA LA LAND Justin Hurwitz LION Dustin O’Halloran, Hauschka NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Abel Korzeniowski CINEMATOGRAPHY ARRIVAL Bradford Young HELL OR HIGH WATER Giles Nuttgens LA LA LAND Linus Sandgren LION Greig Fraser NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Seamus McGarvey EDITING ARRIVAL Joe Walker HACKSAW RIDGE John Gilbert LA LA LAND Tom Cross MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Jennifer Lame NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Joan Sobel PRODUCTION DESIGN DOCTOR STRANGE Charles Wood, John Bush FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Stuart Craig, Anna Pinnock HAIL, CAESAR! Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh LA LA LAND David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds-Wasco NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Shane Valentino, Meg Everist COSTUME DESIGN ALLIED Joanna Johnston FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Colleen Atwood FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS Consolata Boyle JACKIE Madeline Fontaine LA LA LAND Mary Zophres MAKE UP & HAIR DOCTOR STRANGE Jeremy Woodhead FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS J. Roy Helland, Daniel Phillips HACKSAW RIDGE Shane Thomas NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Donald Mowat, Yolanda Toussieng ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY Amanda Knight, Neal Scanlan, Lisa Tomblin SOUND ARRIVAL Sylvain Bellemare, Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariépy Strobl DEEPWATER HORIZON Dror Mohar, Mike Prestwood Smith, Wylie Stateman, Renee Tondelli, David Wyman FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Niv Adiri, Glenn Freemantle, Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, Ian Tapp HACKSAW RIDGE Peter Grace, Robert Mackenzie, Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright LA LA LAND Mildred Iatrou Morgan, Ai-Ling Lee, Steve A. Morrow, Andy Nelson SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS ARRIVAL Louis Morin DOCTOR STRANGE Richard Bluff, Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Tim Burke, Pablo Grillo, Christian Manz, David Watkins THE JUNGLE BOOK Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY Neil Corbould, Hal Hickel, Mohen Leo, John Knoll, Nigel Sumner BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION THE ALAN DIMENSION Jac Clinch, Jonathan Harbottle, Millie Marsh A LOVE STORY Khaled Gad, Anushka Kishani Naanayakkara, Elena Ruscombe-King TOUGH Jennifer Zheng BRITISH SHORT FILM CONSUMED Richard John Seymour HOME Shpat Deda, Afolabi Kuti, Daniel Mulloy, Scott O’Donnell MOUTH OF HELL Bart Gavigan, Samir Mehanovic, Ailie Smith, Michael Wilson THE PARTY Farah Abushwesha, Emmet Fleming, Andrea Harkin, Conor MacNeill STANDBY Jack Hannon, Charlotte Regan EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public) ANYA TAYLOR-JOY LAIA COSTA LUCAS HEDGES RUTH NEGGA TOM HOLLAND
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Sarasota Film Festival Unveils 2017 Artwork Designed by Tyler Mathis

The Sarasota Film Festival unveiled its 2017 artwork created by Tyler Mathis, a Motion Design student at Ringling College of Art and Design. This is the second consecutive year the Sarasota Film Festival and the Ringling College of Art and Design have partnered together to develop the concept and design to help market and brand the upcoming festival. This is the first time three different posters will be used to market the festival, each one donning the slogan in a multidimensional- play on words, “See and Be Seen”, “Sea and Be Seen” and “See and be Scene”. The three images selected will be featured on SFF banners throughout Main Street in Sarasota starting February 15th. They will also be seen on all major festival materials such as mailings, play bills, and sponsorship ads. “This year’s artwork not only represents the festival but the entire community of Sarasota,” said Mark Famiglio, President of the Sarasota Film Festival. “The slogan this year “See and Be Scene” invites our audience to attend the festival and participate in our community. Collaborating with the Ringling College of Art and Design has proven once again that a community can create beautiful work by working together.” “We greatly value our relationship with Sarasota Film Festival, as it presents incredible opportunities for our students—both through our Collaboratory and our rising Film program,” says Dr. Larry R. Thompson, President of Ringling College of Art and Design. “We view the SFF as a vital partner in further developing our creative region as a hub for emerging and established filmmakers, and we celebrate the opportunity for our students at Ringling to create artwork that supports our shared initiatives—always keeping creativity right at the center.”
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ERIC CLAPTON: A LIFE IN 12 BARS Documentary Heads to Theaters in Fall

Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars, a new documentary featuring legendary 18-time Grammy(R) winner Eric Clapton, will be released theatrically in the U.S. this Fall followed by a television premiere on Showtime in 2018. Showtime Documentary Films will release the new documentary ERIC CLAPTON: A LIFE IN 12 BARS, an unflinching and deeply personal journey into the life of the legendary musician. The documentary will screen at domestic and international film festivals later this year, followed by a theatrical run in the U.S. and Canada, before airing nationally on SHOWTIME in 2018. The film will be directed by Oscar(R)-winner Lili Fini Zanuck (Rush, Driving Miss Daisy), with John Battsek (One Day In September, Searching for Sugar Man) producing for Passion Pictures. BAFTA winner Chris King (Amy, Senna) will serve as editor. Told through his own words and songs, ERIC CLAPTON: A LIFE IN 12 BARS is a moving and surprising film about one of the great artists of the modern era – an 18-time Grammy Award winner, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the only artist ever to be inducted three times into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Spanning more than half a century of legendary popular musical innovation, the film will contextualize Eric Clapton’s role in contemporary music and cultural history. No other artist has continually intersected across a broad stratum of musical genres with so many other great musicians – many of whom have inspired and informed his body of work. The documentary features extensive interviews with Clapton himself, along with his family, friends, musical collaborators, contemporaries and heroes – including late music icons B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison. Stretching from his traumatic childhood living in a “house of secrets,” through his long and difficult struggle with drugs and alcohol and the tragic loss of his son in a devastating accident, Clapton always found an inner strength and healing in music. The insatiable search to grow his artistic voice surprised fans as he constantly quit successful bands, from the groundbreaking Yardbirds to 60’s super-group Cream. His isolated pursuit of his craft – and fear of selling out – served as a catalyst for his evolution as an artist. “Clapton’s music is the foundation of our film – his commitment to the Blues, its traditions and originators is absolute from his earliest days,” says director Lili Fini Zanuck. “His personal life conveys the emotional spine of the film – his damaged emotional psyche threads throughout his life, informing his art, and causing many abrupt and surprising shifts along the way. The film traces all the key junctures: his prodigious talent, obsessive impatience, perfectionism and musical ‘mission.’ Mining inner strength and spiritual resolve, he somehow maintains sobriety, finding healing in music. He reflects on his newfound domestic happiness and a magical, meteoric journey which has secured his place in the rock pantheon. Despite the fact that his path is strewn with tragedies, addiction and loss, he never fails to regain his bearings and continue to serve what he holds dearest: his music.” “We have unique access to Clapton’s extensive personal archive of classic performance clips, on- and off-stage footage, iconic photos, concert posters, handwritten letters, drawings and personal diary entries – elements with the power to transport audiences to each era, from obsessive student, to peer, to transcendent figure in musical history and one of the greatest guitarists of all time,” said Battsek.
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Berlinale 2017: Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Spanish Trans Drama A FANTASTIC WOMAN

[caption id="attachment_20524" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A Fantastic Woman (Una Mujer Fantástica)[/caption] Chilean filmmaker Sebastian Lelio’s trans drama A Fantastic Woman (“Una Mujer Fantástica”) has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for release in North America, Australia and New Zealand. The film starring Daniela Vega and Francisco Reyes, will have its world premiere at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival. Daniela Vega plays Marina, a waitress and singer, and Francisco Reyes plays Orlando, an older man, who is in love with Marina, and planning for the future. After Orlando suddenly falls ill and dies, Marina is forced to confront his family and society. Marina and Orlando are in love and plan to spend their lives together. She is working as a waitress and adores singing. Her lover, twenty years her senior, has left his family for her. One night, when they return home after having exuberantly celebrated Marina’s birthday at a restaurant, Orlando suddenly turns deathly pale and stops responding. At the hospital, all the doctors can do is confirm his death. Events follow thick and fast: Marina finds herself facing a female police inspector’s unpleasant questions, and Orlando’s family shows her nothing but anger and mistrust. Orlando’s wife excludes Marina from the funeral; she also orders her to leave the apartment – which on paper at least belonged to Orlando – as soon as possible. Marina is a transgender woman. The deceased’s family feels threatened by her sexual identity. With the same energy she once used to fight for her right to live as a woman Marina, with head held high, now insists on her right to grieve. Even if her environment conspires against her, the film at least is entirely on her side, showing us a protagonist who, although increasingly side-lined, is nonetheless strong and worldly-wise – a truly fantastic woman. “I’m thrilled Sony Pictures Classics will be releasing ‘A Fantastic Woman,’ and am excited by their passion for Marina’s story,” Lelio said in a statement. “The story is one of great human strength, which I hope will invite and challenge audiences to explore the limits of their own empathy. For me, Marina is an inspiration.”
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58 Films on Lineup for 2017 Boulder International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_20521" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World[/caption] The 13th Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) announced its program, which includes 58 films from around the world and three Sundance Film Festival award-winning films. This year, the festival will screen four films nominated for a 2017 Oscar. The Festival takes place from March 2-5, 2017. “We are so excited about this year’s program,” said Robin Beeck, Festival Executive Director. “This is a stellar lineup with award-winning films from the world’s greatest directors and from fresh, new filmmakers just hitting the scene. We’re thrilled to be able to present a feast of the best films today.” The festival kicks off on Thursday, March 2nd with an Opening Night Red Carpet Gala and screening of Their Finest, a rousing romantic comedy about a female screenwriter during World War II. The film stars Gemma Arterton, Sam Clatlin and Bill Nighy. Fresh from winning the Audience Award: U.S. Documentary at Sundance 2017, the closing night film, Chasing Coral follows a team of divers, photographers and scientists on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why coral reefs are vanishing around the world. Directed by Jeff Orlowski. New this year is the VR Pavilion displaying Virtual Reality, an entirely new film language. Film highlights include Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World, Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back and Dean. Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World Jimi Hendrix was proud of his Cherokee grandmother, and Mohawk guitarist Robbie Robertson (The Band) remembers being told in the ‘50s when he started out in rock ‘n’ roll: “Be proud you’re an Indian, but don’t tell anybody.” Rumble is about the role of Native Americans in popular music history, a missing chapter. Winner at Sundance 2017. Directed by Catherine Bainbridge. Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back Italian sculptor Maurizio Cattelan has become a superstar in the art world, with a major retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum. His sculptures—for example, an oversized Pinocchio floating face down in a pool—sell for millions of dollars. In this funny, mind-bending and visually beautiful film, Boulder director Maura Axelrod tries to find the “real” Cattelan, a task that is complicated by the fact that the artist is elusive, to say the least. Dean Writer/director/comedian Demetri Martin stars alongside Academy Award winner Kevin Kline in this comedic and heartfelt tale about a father and son coming to terms with love, loss and everything in between. Both father and son set out on their own paths, as unexpected circumstances and potential new love interests threaten to thwart all plans. A CBS Films release. Directed and written by Demetri Martin
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Hamptons International Film Festival to Celebrate its 25th anniversary with ’25 Years: 25 Films’

[caption id="attachment_20518" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] THE PIANO[/caption] The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) will celebrate its 25th anniversary with 25 Years: 25 Films, screening one film from each year of the festival. 24 screenings throughout The Hamptons, Palm Beach, New York City, and Los Angeles will lead up to one final screening and Lifetime Achievement Award presentation before the annual October Festival. The 25 Years: 25 Films series will kick off on February 17th at Guild Hall in East Hampton with THE PIANO from HIFF 1993, and then head to Palm Beach on February 23rd for BLACK SWAN from HIFF 2010. The films in the 25 Years: 25 Films series have all previously screened with HIFF. These include Oscar®-winning films such as the aforementioned THE PIANO and BLACK SWAN, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, STILL ALICE, THE ARTIST, THE COVE, SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN, Oscar®-nominated films such as THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY, EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT, I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO, and other critically acclaimed films such as OPEN WATER and HEAVENLY CREATURES. “The festival has seen 25 years of unforgettable films from both first-time directors, as well as recognized masters,” said HIFF Artistic Director David Nugent. “To look back on the works that made the festival so enticing is to recognize a quarter-century of incredible cinema.” The 25th Hamptons International Film Festival will take place over Columbus Day Weekend: October 5 – 9, 2017 Full list of films below: WINTER 1993 | The Piano – The Hamptons 2010 | Black Swan – Palm Beach – Presented by The Norton Museum of Art and The Breakers Palm Beach 2016 | I Am Not Your Negro – The Hamptons 1997 | Winter Guest – The Hamptons 1996 | Gray’s Anatomy – The Hamptons SPRING 1998 | The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg – The Hamptons 1994 | Heavenly Creatures – NYC 1999 | Judy Berlin – The Hamptons 2002 | Nowhere in Africa – The Hamptons 2004 | Kinsey – The Hamptons 2001 | No Man’s Land – The Hamptons 2014 | Still Alice – The Hamptons 1995 | Last Summer in the Hamptons – The Hamptons SUMMER 2012 | Searching for Sugarman – NYC 2013 | 20 Feet from Stardom – LA 2009 | The Cove – The Hamptons 2015 | Embrace of the Serpent – The Hamptons 2007 | The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – NYC 2008 | Slumdog Millionaire – The Hamptons 2005 | Boynton Beach Club – The Hamptons 2006 | The Fountain – The Hamptons 2003 | Open Water – The Hamptons 2011 | The Artist – The Hamptons 2000 | Pollock – The Hamptons
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AGAINST THE LAW, Factual Drama on Decriminalization of Homosexuality in England, to Open London LGBT Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_20515" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] AGAINST THE LAW[/caption] The world premiere of AGAINST THE LAW, a powerful and timely factual new British drama, directed by Fergus O’Brien and starring Daniel Mays, will open the 31st edition of BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival. The cast also features Mark Gatiss, Richard Gadd and Charlie Creed-Miles. 2017 sees the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act which decriminalized homosexual acts in England and Wales between adult males, in private. While it would take several decades before homosexuals would reach anything like full equality in this country, this legislation marks the beginning of this journey. AGAINST THE LAW is a timely and sensitive biopic based on Peter Wildeblood’s bestseller which tells the story of his affair with a handsome serviceman he met in Piccadilly and the devastating consequences of their relationship. Wildeblood had been a celebrated and wellconnected journalist on the Daily Express, with a range of acquaintances that included Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. He is played by Daniel Mays, in a beautifully nuanced performance that charts his journey from Fleet Street via public vilification to his imprisonment under the same legislation that sent Oscar Wilde to Reading Gaol. Mark Gatiss gives a chilling performance as a prison doctor charged with administering therapeutic measures to homosexuals acquiescing to the idea that they can be ‘changed’. The importance of Peter Wildeblood’s case (jointly brought against him, Lord Montagu and Michael Pitt-Rivers) is that it brought the debate about homosexuality into the public domain. It led the way to the creation of the Wolfenden Committee on sexual law reform that eventually resulted in the passing of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which changed the lives of thousands of gay men with its partial decriminalization of homosexual acts. This film offers a profoundly moving portrait of what it meant to be gay in the 1950s, underlining the importance of understanding our recent history Director Fergus O’Brien said: “Making this film for the BBC not only allowed us to tell a powerful and important story in the evolution of LGBT rights in this country but also to capture for posterity the voices of some of the men who lived through these dark days in gay history. Their story, and the story of Peter Wildeblood, are timely reminders of the difficult journey it took to arrive at the rights enjoyed by gay people today and why it’s so important that we safeguard them. I’m delighted and honored that the film will be the Opening Night of BFI Flare“. The 31st edition of BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival will take place March 16th to 26th, 2017 at BFI Southbank.
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MOONLIGHT Partners with President Obama’s ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ Mentoring Program

In celebration of Black History Month, MOONLIGHT is partnering with My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, a mentoring program started by President Obama’s Administration for young men of color to empower them with the resources and support to achieve their full potential regardless of circumstance. The screenings kicked off earlier this week in Los Angeles with My Brother’s Keeper and attended by dozens of young men from several local high schools. After the film, Mike Muse of My Brother’s Keeper moderated a talk-back session with the students and MOONLIGHT’s Oscar-Nominated stars Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, writer/director Barry Jenkins, and writer Tarell Alvin McCraney. A screening and talk back with high schoolers in New York is also set for next week. MOONLIGHT chronicles the life of Chiron, a boy growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami, Florida. Lauded by critics and audiences alike, the film is nominated for eight Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Mahershala Ali), and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Naomie Harris). To date, MOONLIGHT has won the Golden Globe® for Best Picture – Drama and was nominated for an additional five Golden Globes®, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Mahershala Ali). The film is also nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards, and additionally is the this year’s recipient of the Spirits’ Robert Altman Award, which honors an outstanding ensemble cast in a motion picture. MOONLIGHT has been named the Best Picture of 2016 by the Gotham Awards, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, The National Society of Film Critics, and The New York Times, among many others. [gallery type="rectangular" size="medium" ids="20507,20511,20510,20509,20508"]
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Watch the First Trailer for Horror Film IT COMES AT NIGHT Starring Joel Edgerton

The horror film IT COMES AT NIGHT, starring Joel Edgerton has released its terrifying first trailer and poster. A24 will release IT COMES AT NIGHT, Trey Edward Shults’ follow-up to the critically acclaimed KRISHA on August 25th. Imagine the end of the world— Now imagine something worse. Award-winning filmmaker Trey Edward Shults follows his incredible debut feature Krisha with It Comes At Night, a horror film following a man (Joel Edgerton) as he is learns that the evil stalking his family home may be only a prelude to horrors that come from within. Secure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, the tenuous domestic order he has established with his wife and son is put to the ultimate test with the arrival of a desperate young family seeking refuge. Despite the best intentions of both families, paranoia and mistrust boil over as the horrors outside creep ever-closer, awakening something hidden and monstrous within him as he learns that the protection of his family comes at the cost of his soul. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKnigN8OiNc
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French Erotic Thriller SEX DOLLS Opens in Theaters on Friday, February 10 | Trailer

Check out the trailer for the French erotic thriller SEX DOLLS starring César Award winner Hafsia Herzi. The film, written and directed by Sylvie Verheyde, and co-starring Ash Stymest, Karole Rocher, Paul Hamy, opens in theaters – in New York at the IFC Center, and in Los Angeles at the Arena Cinelounge, Hollywood – on VOD Friday February 10th. A high-priced call girl navigates the shadowy world of London’s sex trade underground in this provocative, erotic thriller. Virginie (César Award winner Hafsia Herzi) goes about her work as a prostitute with a cool detachment, trading sex with wealthy businessmen for money, but never getting emotionally involved. That all changes when she meets Rupert (Ash Stymest), an enigmatic stranger with unclear intentions. Risking everything, Virginie plunges into a dangerous affair that tears her between a ruthless madame who forbids romantic attachments and a dark, sexy man who could be her savior or her downfall.
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DISGRACED, Documentary on Basketball Star Patrick Dennehy to World Premiere at SXSW 2017

[caption id="attachment_20497" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] DISGRACED – Former Baylor basketball coach Dave Bliss. | Credit: M. Andrew Barrera[/caption] The documentary DISGRACED, which recounts the shocking murder of Baylor University men’s basketball star Patrick Dennehy as well as an attempted cover-up of NCAA rule violations, will world premiere at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival, followed by its debut on SHOWTIME on March 31. DISGRACED examines the tragic events surrounding the 2003 murder of Dennehy, to which fellow teammate and friend Carlton Dotson pled guilty in the only known instance in the history of the NCAA where one student-athlete was convicted of murdering another. Through first-hand accounts from students, investigators, family and friends, DISGRACED calls into question the plea and conviction of Dotson. The film also includes exclusive and revealing interviews with former head coach Dave Bliss, who directly addresses the attempted cover-up and secretly recorded statements he made in 2003 that implicated him in NCAA rule violations. The violations, revealed in part by whistle blower and then assistant coach Abar Rouse, ultimately led to Bliss’ resignation and a partial ban on NCAA play for the Baylor Bears basketball team. “This is a complex story, told through powerful first-person accounts, about both a senseless murder and an attempted cover-up of NCAA rule violations that still reverberate within Baylor University and collegiate athletics to this day,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “DISGRACED is yet another provocative, compelling and culturally relevant documentary delivered with the inside perspective that has become the hallmark of unscripted programming from SHOWTIME Sports.” Recruited by Coach Bliss, Dennehy was a standout player with a bright future until the 6-foot-10 forward went missing under a set of bizarre circumstances. The murder and then the attempted cover-up of improper payments to players rocked the Baptist university in Waco, Texas. Ultimately, Dotson pled guilty and the university and Bliss were cited for multiple NCAA rule violations. Bliss essentially was ousted from NCAA basketball for 10 years. In contemplating his involvement in the attempted cover-up, his 2003 resignation and his religious faith, Bliss said, “A question that a man always has to ask himself when he goes through something like I went through, are you in a better spot than you were before? Was it worth it? And the answer to me is yes.” Bliss recently returned to coaching at Southwestern Christian University in Oklahoma competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
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Michael Almereyda Wins San Francisco Film Society Inaugural Sloan Science in Cinema Fellowship

[caption id="attachment_20485" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Michael Almereyda[/caption] The San Francisco Film Society has selected Michael Almereyda as the inaugural recipient of the Sloan Science in Cinema Filmmaker Fellowship, which will support the development of the screenplay for his upcoming narrative feature project about Nikola Tesla. The Sloan Science in Cinema Filmmaker Fellowship is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation as part of their support of programs that cultivate and champion films that explore scientific or technological themes and characters. Under the auspices of its Artist Development program, the SF Film Society will award fellowships to filmmakers developing screenplays that tell stories related to science or technology. The Sloan Science in Cinema Filmmaker Fellowship will be awarded twice annually, and include a $35,000 cash grant and a two-month residency at FilmHouse, the Film Society’s suite of production offices for local and visiting independent filmmakers. Fellows will gain free office space alongside access to weekly consulting services and professional development opportunities. The Film Society will connect each fellow to a science advisor with expertise in the scientific or technological subjects at the center of their screenplays, as well as leaders in the Bay Area’s science and technology communities. In addition to the residency and grant, the Film Society’s Artist Development team will offer industry introductions to producers and casting, financing, and creative advisors — investing in fellows from early script development stages through to release. Additional filmmaker support programs include the SF Film Society / Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grant, the Documentary Film Fund and full-year FilmHouse residencies. “I’m grateful for the ongoing support and encouragement of the San Francisco Film Society and the Sloan Foundation,” said Almereyda. “I’m looking forward to spending time in San Francisco, meeting with advisors in the area and having access to the city’s rich cultural resources.” Michael Almereyda dropped out of college to pursue filmmaking, and wrote his first screenplay about Nikola Tesla, the very subject he returns to now. His films have alternated between fiction and documentary, and (with very few exceptions) have been self-generated, independent productions. Almereyda has received numerous awards and prizes, including a Guggenheim Fellowship for film/video in 2005, and a Creative Capital Grant for filmmaking in 2014. He has participated in five residencies at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire, most recently in 2015. Almereyda’s writing on film has appeared in the New York Times, Film Comment, Artforum, and booklets for the Criterion Collection. His film credits include Hamlet (2000), William Eggleston in the Real World (2005), Paradise (2009), Experimenter (2015), and Marjorie Prime, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was awarded the Sloan Feature Prize. Tesla tracks the struggles and achievements of Nikola Tesla — one of the most brilliant and innovative scientific minds of his time — from his arrival in the US in 1884 to his solitary death in a New York hotel room in 1943. The story chronicles Tesla’s earliest patents and prototypes, his manufacturing partnership with George Westinghouse, and the fierce “Battle of the Currents” that brought Tesla’s ideas for alternating current head to head with the direct current system favored by Thomas Edison. Celebratory exhibitions at the 1893 World’s Fair lead to a coveted commission to design the titanic power station harnessing the force of Niagara Falls. Yet even at the peak of his fame and success, Tesla sets out to explore more radical ideas — the first applications of radio and radio-controlled machines, and the transmission of energy without wires. The film will highlight the glorious possibilities brought forth by technological advances while also admitting their limits, measured against the abiding mysteries of human feelings and desires. Applications are now being accepted for the next round of the Sloan Science in Cinema Filmmaker Fellowship. The early deadline for applications is April 18; the final deadline is April 25. Visit San Francisco Film Society for more details.
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