Florida Film Festival

 THE TRIP TO ITALY directed by Michael Winterbottom.

The program lineup was unveiled today for the 23rd Annual Florida Film Festival, taking place April 4 to 13, 2014, in Maitland and Winter Park, Florida. FFF will screen more than 170 feature and short films representing 26 countries, along with celebrity guest appearances, forums and parties. The festival opens with Florida Premiere of THE TRIP TO ITALY directed by Michael Winterbottom.

Michael Winterbottom’s largely improvised 2010 British TV series-turned-feature-film, The Trip, had comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing variations on their own public personas as they went on a restaurant tour of northern England. In this hilarious and incisive follow-up, the director has reunited the pair for a new culinary road trip, retracing the steps of the Romantic poets’ grand tour of Italy and indulging in some sparkling banter and, thankfully, more impersonation battle-royales. On assignment by The Observer to write about some high-end restaurants and historical sites along the Italian peninsula, Rob enlists the on-hiatus-from-Hollywood Steve to join him on this new journey. So off they go in a rented Mini-Cooper, enjoying mouthwatering meals in gorgeous settings from Liguria to Capri while riffing on subjects as varied as the latestBatman flick, the artistic merits of Alanis Morissette, and of course, the virtue of sequels. As the camera captures the idyllic Italian landscape and the gastronomic treasures being prepared and consumed, THE TRIP TO ITALY effortlessly mines the chemistry and brilliant comic interplay between Coogan and Brydon. Thankfully, we’re all along for the ride. 

Festival films feature familiar talent, both in front and behind the camera, including Steve Coogan, Bill Plympton, Jude Law, Demian Bichir, Richard E. Grant, Emilia Clarke, Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn, Noah Taylor, Cathy Moriarty, Johnny Depp, Ralph Steadman, Nicolas Cage, David Gordon Green, Jenny Slate, David Cross, Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche, Joe Swanberg, Amy Seimetz, Mercedes Ruehl, Alan Cumming, Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, Alia Shawkat, Michael Cera, Martin Starr, Andrew Wilson, Rachel Korine, Paul Sorvino, Michael Rapaport, Chazz Palminteri, David Morse, Michael O’Keefe, Annie Potts, Richard Kind, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Melanie Griffith, Ray Liotta, Sienna Miller , Nick Cassavetes, Emmy Rossum, and Ron Perlman.

FESTIVAL FILMS:

Opening Night Film
THE TRIP TO ITALY (UK/ITALY, 2014, 107 MIN, DIRECTED BY MICHAEL WINTERBOTTOM, FLORIDA PREMIERE)

Spotlight Films
BEFORE I DISAPPEAR (USA, 2014, 95 MIN, DIRECTED BY SHAWN CHRISTENSEN, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
CHEATIN’ (USA, 2013, 76 MIN, DIRECTED BY BILL PLYMPTON, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
DOM HEMINGWAY (UK, 2013, 93 MIN, DIRECTED BY RICHARD SHEPARD, RATED R)
THE DOUBLE (UK, 2013, 93 MIN, DIRECTED BY RICHARD AYOADE)
FOR NO GOOD REASON (UK/USA, 2012, 89 MIN, DIRECTED BY CHARLIE PAUL, EAST COAST PREMIERE, RATED R)
GABRIELLE (CANADA, 2013, 104 MIN, DIRECTED BY LOUISE ARCHAMBAULT)
JOE (USA, 2013, 117 MIN, DIRECTED BY DAVID GORDON GREEN)
OBVIOUS CHILD (USA, 2013, 83 MIN, DIRECTED BY GILLIAN ROBESPIERRE)
WORDS AND PICTURES (USA, 2013, 111 MIN, DIRECTED BY FRED SCHEPISI, RATED PG-13)
YELLOW (USA, 2013, 108 MIN, DIRECTED BY NICK CASSAVETES, EAST COAST PREMIERE)

Narrative Features Competition
COPENHAGEN (USA/CANADA, 2013, 98 MIN, DIRECTED BY MARK RASO, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY (USA, 2013, 77 MINS, DIRECTED BY JERZY ROSE, FLORIDA PREMIERE) 
DOOMSDAYS (USA, 2013, 91 MIN, DIRECTED BY EDDIE MULLINS, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
DRUID PEAK (USA, 2013, 111 MIN, DIRECTED BY MARNI ZELNICK, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
FINDING NEIGHBORS (USA, 2013, 96 MINS, DIRECTED BY RON JUDKINS, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
FOREV (USA, 2013, 88 MIN, DIRECTED BY MOLLY GREEN AND JAMES LEFFLER, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS (USA, 2014, 80 MINS, DIRECTED BY LEAH MEYERHOFF, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
LAST I HEARD (USA, 2013, 100 MIN, DIRECTED BY DAVID RODRIGUEZ, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
MEDEAS (USA, 2013, 98 MIN, DIRECTED BY ANDREA PALLAORO, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
WINTER IN THE BLOOD (USA, 2013, 98 MIN, DIRECTED BY ALEX SMITH AND ANDREW SMITH, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)

Documentary Features Competition
AMERICAN JESUS (USA, 2013, 80 MIN, DIRECTED BY ARAM GARRIGA, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
BEFORE YOU KNOW IT (USA, 2013, 109 MIN, DIRECTED BY PJ RAVAL)
THE FRONT MAN (USA, 2013, 72 MIN, DIRECTED BY PAUL DEVLIN, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
THE KILL TEAM (USA, 2013, 79 MINS, DIRECTED BY DAN KRAUSS, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
LEVITATED MASS (USA, 2013, 89 MIN, DIRECTED BY DOUG PRAY, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
LOVE ME (USA, 2013, 94 MIN, DIRECTED BY JONATHON NARDUCCI, WORLD PREMIERE)
MISSION CONGO (USA, 2013, 65 MIN, DIRECTED BY DAVID TURNER AND LARA ZIZIC, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE/2ND US SHOWING)
NO NO: A DOCKUMENTARY (USA, 2014, 100 MIN, DIRECTED BY JEFFREY RADICE, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
POWERLESS (USA/INDIA, 2013, 82 MIN, DIRECTED BY DEEPTI KAKKAR AND FAHAD MUSTAFA, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
SLINGSHOT (USA, 2013, 90 MIN, DIRECTED BY PAUL LAZARUS, FLORIDA PREMIERE)

Documentary Shorts Competition
A Night At The Jai Alai (USA, 2013, 9 MIN, DIRECTED BY DREW BLATMAN, WORLD PREMIERE)
Ambien & Aaron (USA, 2013, 30 MIN, DIRECTED BY CHRIS BRANDT, WORLD PREMIERE)
Fantasy Land (USA, 2013, 9 MIN, DIRECTED BY GABRIELLE TILLENBURG)
Fishhooks (USA, 2013, 4 MINS, DIRECTED BY RYAN COCKRELL, WORLD PREMIERE)
Grand Central Diary (USA, 2013, 5 MIN, DIRECTED BY ANDY AND CAROLYN LONDON, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution (USA/SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC/TURKEY, 2013, 15 MIN, DIRECTED BY MATTHEW VANDYKE)
Scattered (USA, 2013, 26 MIN, DIRECTED BY LINDSAY LINDENBAUM, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
The Silly Bastard Next To The Bed (USA, 2013, 7 MIN, DIRECTED BY SCOTT CALONICO, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE) 
STRIKE: The Greatest Bowling Story Ever Told (USA, 2013, 13 MIN, DIRECTED BY JOEY DAOUD)
Tim and Susan Have Matching Handguns (USA, 2013, 2 MIN, DIRECTED BY JOE CALLANDER, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Token Exchange (USA, 2013, 4 MIN, DIRECTED BY AARON MATTHEWS, WORLD PREMIERE)
We Will Live Again (USA, 2013, 12 MIN, DIRECTED BY MYLES KANE AND JOSH KOURY)
What I Hate About Myself (USA, 2013, 28 MIN, DIRECTED BY BOBBY MOSER AND BEN MULLINKOSSON, EAST COAST PREMIERE)

Narrative Shorts Competition
A Long Walk (USA, 2014, 14 MIN, DIRECTED BY CHINONYE CHUKWU, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Aftermath (USA, 2013, 20 MIN, DIRECTED BY JEREMY ROBBINS, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Another Time, Maybe (USA, 2013, 12 MIN, DIRECTED BY SPENCER CHANDLER, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
The Bravest, The Boldest (USA, 2014, 17 MIN, DIRECTED BY MOON MOLSON, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Cash For Gold (USA, 2013, 7 MIN, DIRECTED BY ROBERT ENRIQUEZ, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
The Cyclist (USA, 2013, 7 MIN, DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER BRYAN, WORLD PREMIERE)
Delicious Ambiguity (USA, 2013, 17 MIN, DIRECTED BY JUSTIN CANEL, WORLD PREMIERE)
Dog Meet Goose (USA, 2012, 21 MIN, DIRECTED BY JON BRYANT CRAWFORD, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
First Prize (USA, 2013, 10 MIN, DIRECTED BY KEVIN MCMULLIN, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Fool’s Day (USA, 2013, 19 MIN, DIRECTED BY CODY BLUE SNIDER, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Fortune House (USA, 2013, 10 MIN, DIRECTED BY MATTHEW BONIFACIO, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Gregory Go Boom (USA, 2013, 18 MIN, DIRECTED BY JANICZA BRAVO, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
I Love You So Much (USA, 2013, 3 MIN, DIRECTED BY LEAH SHORE, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
The Immaculate Reception (USA, 2013, 16 MIN, DIRECTED BY CHARLOTTE GLYNN, EAST COAST PREMIERE/2ND US SHOWING)
Keep A Tidy Soul (USA, 2013, 11 MIN, DIRECTED BY JOSHUA MOORE, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Kush (USA/INDIA, 2013, 25 MIN, DIRECTED BY SHUBHASHISH BHUTIANI, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Leonard in Slow Motion (USA, 2013, 8 MIN, DIRECTED BY PETER LIVOLSI, WORLD PREMIERE)
The Lipstick Stain (USA, 2013, 10 MIN, DIRECTED BY DAGNY LOOPER, WORLD PREMIERE)
Me+Her (USA, 2013, 12 MIN, DIRECTED BY JOSEPH OXFORD, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Meet My Rapist (USA, 2013, 7 MIN 25 SEC, DIRECTED BY JESSIE KAHNWEILER, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Milk and Blood (USA/ICELAND, 2013, 11 MIN, DIRECTED BY MARKUS ENGLMAIR, EAST COAST PREMIERE/2ND US SHOWING)
nasty hardcoreXXX amateur couple (USA, 2013, 16 MIN, DIRECTED BY REED VAN DYK, WORLD PREMIERE)
Oi, Meu Amor (USA, 2013, 4 MIN, DIRECTED BY ROBERT G. PUTKA, EAST COAST PREMIERE/2ND US SHOWING)
One Please (USA, 2013, 6 MIN, DIRECTED BY JESSE BURKS, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Penny Dreadful (USA, 2013, 18 MIN, DIRECTED BY SHANE ATKINSON)
Rat Pack Rat (USA, 2014, 19 MIN, DIRECTED BY TODD ROHAL)
Setup, Punch. (USA, 2013, 19 MIN, DIRECTED BY DAVID SCHLUSSEL, FLORIDA PREMEIRE)
Salvatore (USA, 2013, 6 MIN, DIRECTED BY WILLIAM SHERMER, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Trauma (USA, 2013, 12 MIN, DIRECTED BY ETHAN YOUNG, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Verbatim (USA, 2013, 7 MIN, DIRECTED BY BRETT WEINER, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
ZZZZZZZ (USA, 2013, 5 MIN, DIRECTED BY TARIK KARAM, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)

Animated Shorts Competition
Baby, I Love You (USA, 2012, 3 MIN, DIRECTED BY FAIYAZ JAFRI, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
CRIME: The Animated Series (USA/CANADA, 2013, 21 MIN, DIRECTED BY SAM CHOU AND ALIX LAMBERT, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Danger Dan (USA, 2013, 2 MIN, DIRECTED BY AARON AUGENBLICK, WORLD PREMIERE)
Drifters (USA, 2012, 8 MIN, DIRECTED BY ETHAN CLARKE, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
El Delirio Del Pez Leon (USA, 2012, 4 MIN, DIRECTED BY QUIQUE RIVERA, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
The Last Orange Grove of Middle Florida (USA, 2013, 3 MIN, DIRECTED BY CARL KNICKERBOCKER)
Passer Passer (USA, 2013, 4 MIN, DIRECTED BY LOUIS MORTON, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Raw Data (USA, 2013, 1 MIN, DIRECTED BY JAKE FRIED, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Roadkill Redemption (USA, 2013, 3 MIN, DIRECTED BY KARL HADRIKA)
Salmon Deadly Sins (USA, 2013, 7 MIN, DIRECTED BY STEVEN VANDER MEER, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Shelter (USA, 2012, 6 MIN, DIRECTED BY CARL BURTON, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Sidewalk (USA, 2013, 4 MIN, DIRECTED BY CELIA BULLWINKEL, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Spy Fox (USA, 2013, 5 MIN, DIRECTED BY TAYLOR CLUTTER, KENDRA PHILLIPS, AND YOAV SHTIBELMAN, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Tome of The Unknown (USA, 2013, 8 MIN, DIRECTED BY PATRICK McHALE, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Twiller Parkour (USA, 2013, 1 MIN, DIRECTED BY MORGAN MILLER, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Twiller Parkour #2 (USA, 2013, 1 MIN, DIRECTED BY MORGAN MILLER, NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Yearbook (USA, 2013, 5 MIN, DIRECTED BY BERNARDO BRITTO, EAST COAST PREMIERE)

International Showcase Features
THE FINAL MEMBER (CANADA, 2012, 76 MIN, DIRECTED BY JONAH BEKHOR AND ZACH MATH)
I FEEL LIKE DISCO (GERMANY, 2013, 95 MIN, DIRECTED BY AXEL RANISH, NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
IDA (POLAND, 2013, 80 MIN, DIRECTED BY PAWEL PAWLIKOWSKI)
ILO ILO (SINGAPORE, 2013, 99 MIN, DIRECTED BY ANTHONY CHEN)

International Shorts
B-Class Cultural Heritage (JAPAN, 2013, 8 MIN, DIRECTED BY YUJI HARIU, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Cargo (AUSTRALIA, 2013, 7 MIN, DIRECTED BY BEN HOWLING AND YOLANDA RAMKE, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
The Fall (NORWAY, 2013, 15 MIN, DIRECTED BY ANDREAS THAULOW, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Inertial Love (SPAIN, 2013, 6 MIN, DIRECTED BY CÉSAR ESTEBAN ALENDA AND JOSÉ ESTEBAN ALENDA, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Memorable Moi (CANADA, 2013, 15 MIN, DIRECTED BY JEAN-FRANÇOIS ASSELIN, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
More Than Two Hours (Bishtar Az Do Saat) (IRAN, 2013, 15 MIN, DIRECTED BY ALI ASGARI, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
The Parachutist (UK, 2013, 15 MIN, DIRECTED BY TOM TAGHOLM, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Requiem for a Robot (AUSTRIA/USA, 2013, 5 MIN, DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPH RAINER, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Uproot (UK, 2013, 15 MIN, DIRECTED BY DEBJITA DHAR, NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)

International Animated Shorts

Bless You (CANADA, 2013, 3 MIN, DIRECTED BY DAVID BARLOW-KRELINA, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Faces from Places—Ivory Coast: Wax (FRANCE, 2012, 3 MIN, DIRECTED BY BASTIEN DUBOIS, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Faces from Places–Japan: Hôjô Jutsu (FRANCE, 2012, 3 MIN, DIRECTED BY BASTIEN DUBOIS, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
In the Air is Christopher Gray (UK, 2013, 10 MIN, DIRECTED BY FELIX MASSIE, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
La Ravaudeuse (FRANCE, 2012, 10 MIN, DIRECTED BY SIMON FILLIOT, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Lonely Bones (FRANCE/THE NETHERLANDS, 2013, 10 MIN, DIRECTED BY ROSTO, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Oh Sheep! (GERMANY, 2012, 7 MIN, DIRECTED BY GOTTFRIED MENTOR, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Noodle Fish (SOUTH KOREA, 2012, 10 MIN, DIRECTED BY JIN-MAN KIM, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Sleep Clinic (NEW ZEALAND, 2013, 6 MIN, DIRECTED BY FRANCES HASZARD, LOUIS OLSEN, AND LUKE SCOTT, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Subconscious Password (CANADA, 2013, 11 MIN, DIRECTED BY CHRIS LANDRETH, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Tap to Retry (ISRAEL, 2012, 4 MIN, DIRECTED BY NETA COHEN)
What is Dead May Never Die (THE NETHERLANDS, 2012, 2 MIN, DIRECTED BY KADAVRE EXQUIS, EAST COAST PREMIERE/2ND US SHOWING)
White Morning (UK, 2013, 12 MIN, DIRECTED BY PAUL BARRITT, EAST COAST PREMIERE/2ND US SHOWING)

SOS: Short Order Swedish
ABC (SWEDEN, 2013, 17 MIN, DIRECTED BY NANNA HUOLMAN, NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Coffee Time (SWEDEN, 2013, 14 MIN, DIRECTED BY MARIA FREDRIKSSON, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Grandpa and Me and a Helicopter to Heaven (SWEDEN, 2013, 14 MIN, DIRECTED BY ÅSA BLANCK AND JOHAN PALMGREN, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Kilimanjaro (SWEDEN, 2013, 15 MIN, DIRECTED BY NIMA YOUSEFI, NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Reset (SWEDEN, 2012, 16 MIN, DIRECTED BY FREDRIK ÅKERSTRÖM AND MARCUS KRYLER, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Syndromeda (SWEDEN, 2013, 22 MIN, DIRECTED BY PATRIK EKLUND, EAST COAST PREMIERE)

Midnight Features
THE BABADOOK  (AUSTRALIA, 2014, 95 MIN, DIRECTED BY JENNIFER KENT)
MOEBIUS (SOUTH KOREA, 2013, 89 MIN, DIRECTED BY KIM KI-DUK, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
THE SACRAMENT (USA, 2013, 100 MIN, DIRECTED BY TI WEST)
WETLANDS (GERMANY, 2013, 109 MIN, DIRECTED BY DAVID WNENDT)

Midnight Shorts
Baskin (TURKEY, 2013, 11 MIN, DIRECTED BY CAN EVRENOL, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Eczemus (USA, 2013, 7 MIN, DIRECTED BY GARRETT BROWN, WORLD PREMIERE)
Jack Attack (USA, 2013, 9 MIN, DIRECTED BY ANTONIO PADOVAN AND BRYAN NORTON, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Liebe (Love) (CANADA, 2013, 3 MIN, DIRECTED BY CAMERON MACGOWAN, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Perfect Drug (BELGIUM, 2012, 14 MIN, DIRECTED BY TOON AERTS, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Pineal Warriors (USA, 2013, 7 MIN, DIRECTED BY EGON VON SCHIRACH AND OTTO VON SCHIRACH, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Unicorn Blood (SPAIN, 2013, 9 MIN, DIRECTED BY ALBERTO VAZQUEZ, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
The Voice Thief (FRANCE/CHILE/USA, 2013, 26 MIN, DIRECTED BY ADAN JODOROWSKY, EAST COAST PREMIERE/2ND US SHOWING)
Wawd Ahp (USA, 2013, 3 MIN, DIRECTED BY JOSH CHERTOFF AND STEVE GIRARD, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Welcome to Dignity Pastures (USA, 2013, 3 MIN, DIRECTED BY BRIAN LONANO, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Whispers (USA, 2013, 7 MIN, DIRECTED BY MAX ISAACSON, EAST COAST PREMIERE)
Woman Who Hates Plants (USA, 2013, 1 MIN, DIRECTED BY MORGAN MILLER, FLORIDA PREMIERE)
Yield (USA, 2013, 2 MIN, DIRECTED BY CALEB WOOD, FLORIDA PREMIERE)

Special Screenings:

Family Films
ANNIE: IT’S THE HARD KNOCK LIFE (USA, 2013, 55 MIN, DIRECTED BY JOSHUA SEFTEL, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
ERNEST & CELESTINE (FRANCE/LUXEMBOURG/BELGIUM, 2013, 80 MIN, DIRECTED BY STÉPHANE AUBIER, VINCENT PATAR, AND BENJAMIN RENNER)
The Numberlys (USA, 2013, 11 MIN, DIRECTED BY BRANDON OLDENBURG AND WILLIAM JOYCE, FLORIDA PREMIERE)

Music Films
DEEP CITY (USA, 2013, 55 MIN, DIRECTED BY MARLON JOHNSON, DENNIS SCHOLL, AND CHAD TINGLE)
LED ZEPPELIN PLAYED HERE (USA, 2013, 80 MIN, DIRECTED BY JEFF KRULIK, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
THE OTHERSIDE (USA, 2013, 51 MIN, DIRECTED BY DANIEL TOROK, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)

Florida Films

Best of Brouhaha:
BYE HYUNGJIK (directed by Hyungjik Lee, FSU)
CHICKEN OR THE EGG (directed by Elaine Wu & Christine Kim, Ringling College of Art and Design)
DEAD TO RIGHTS (directed by Daniel Neil, Ringling College of Art and Design)
THE FEAR OF BEING UNINTERESTING (directed by McKenzi Vanderberg, Rollins College)
FINAL STRAW (directed by Riccardo Renna, Ringling College of Art and Design)
THE FLY (directed by Jarelis Cabrera, Trinity Preparatory School)
LITTLE AFRICA (directed by Curtis Adair, FSU)
MOONBOUNCE (directed by Michael Kefeyalew, FSU)
THE PAST (directed by Sean Sida & Garrett Callahan, Full Sail University)
SMALL WORLDS (directed by Steven Sobel, Daytona State College)
TECHSQUAD (directed by TL Westgate, October FilmSlam winner)
RUNAWAY RENN (directed by Zachary Johnson, FSU) Jury Selection & Audience Award Winner!
RUNAWAY (directed by Susan Yung, Emily Buchanan & Esther Parobek, Ringling College of Art and Design)
WHERE IS ALICE? (directed by Zachary Beckler, UCF)

Florida Narrative Feature:
CHU AND BLOSSOM (USA, 2014, 103 MIN, DIRECTED BY CHARLES CHU AND GAVIN KELLY)

Florida Documentary Feature:
15 TO LIFE KENNETH’S STORY (USA, 2013, 83 MIN, DIRECTED BY NADINE PEQUENEZA, FLORIDA PREMIERE)

Food Films
AFTER WINTER, SPRING (USA/FRANCE, 2013, 74 MIN, DIRECTED BY JUDITH LIT, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
Faces from Places—Louisiana: La Boucherie (FRANCE, 2012, 3 MIN, DIRECTED BY BASTIEN DUBOIS, SOUTHEAST PREMIERE)
LE CHEF (FRANCE/SPAIN, 2012, 84 MIN, DIRECTED BY DANIEL COHEN, RATED PG-13)

Retro Films
Wednesday Night Pitcher Show: THE BIG LEBOWSKI (USA, 1998, 119 MIN, DIRECTED BY JOEL COEN AND ETHAN COEN, RATED R)
GOLDFINGER (UK, 1964, 110 MIN, DIRECTED BY GUY HAMILTON, RATED PG)
INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION (ITALY, 1970, 112 MIN, DIRECTED BY ELIO PETRI, RATED R)
Popcorn Flick in the Park: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (UK, 1974, 128 MIN, DIRECTED BY SIDNEY LUMET, RATED PG)

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The 2013 Florida Film Festival announced the Jury and Audience Awards, and the film THIS IS MARTIN BONNER, directed by Chad Hartigan took the top prize, the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature. The film about fifty-something Martin Bonner (Paul Eenhoorn), a divorced father of two grown kids who’s just declared bankruptcy, and starting a new chapter in his life in Reno, Nevada, was the winner of the audience award for Best of NEXT at 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences®, the Grand Jury Award for Best Live Action and Animated Short films automatically qualifies the winners for entry into the Live Action and Animated Short Film categories of the Academy Awards®.

The complete list of jury and audience award winners of the 2013 Florida Film Festival in the American Independent and International Feature Film, Documentary, and Short Film categories are as follows:

Narrative Features:

Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature – THIS IS MARTIN BONNER, directed by Chad Hartigan
Special Jury Award for Outstanding Ensemble Cast – THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE, directed by Josh Barrett and Marc Menchaca

Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature – THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM, directed by Andrew Mudge

Documentaries:

Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature – BIG JOY: THE ADVENTURES OF JAMES BROUGHTON, directed by Eric Slade, Stephen Silha, and Dawn Logsdon
Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Short – SKATE YRSELF CLEAN, directed by Janna Jude Brown

Special Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Directing – SHEPARD & DARK, directed by Treva Wurmfeld

Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature – FAR OUT ISN’T FAR ENOUGH: THE TOMI UNGERER STORY, directed by Brad Bernstein 

Shorts:

Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short – MY NAME IS YOUR FIRST LOVE, directed by Rob Richert
Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short – BACKYARD JAM, directed by Randall Christopher 
Special Jury Award for Outstanding Narrative Short – ASAD, directed by Bryan Buckley
Audience Award for Best Short Film – THINGS YOU DON’T JOKE ABOUT, directed by Viet Nguyen

International:

Audience Award for Best International Feature – STARBUCK (Canada), directed by Ken Scott

Audience Award for Best International Short – HEAD OVER HEELS (UK), directed by Timothy Reckhart

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[caption id="attachment_3255" align="alignnone" width="550"]BROKEN[/caption]

The 2013 Florida Film Festival announced the international feature films that will screen at the festival. The 2013 International Showcase released includes the harsh tale of a loan shark enforcer with mother issues, a unique coming of age tale set against a British neighborhood, a shocking portrayal of accusation and scandal, and a Capture the Flag contest.

New to the Festival this year is the British Shorts Now! program, featuring several examples of UK short film. This program is filled with recognizable faces such as Dame Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love), Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Liam Cunningham (TV’s Game of Thrones), and Mackenzie Crook (TV’s The Office).

2013 FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE

BROKEN/UK (Director: Rufus Norris)
Skunk (newcomer Eloise Laurence) is an eleven year-old diabetic girl who lives with her lawyer-father Archie (Tim Roth, Arbitrage) and her older brother Jed. Though their family has been broken apart by divorce, they lead a regular life and share a residence in what seems like a normal British suburb. She hangs out with her brother and au pair Kasia, whose boyfriend Mike (Cillian Murphy, 28 Days Later), Skunk has a crush on. But when she witnesses one of her neighbors, a mentally disturbed young man named Rick, get beaten up for something he didn’t do by bitter and angry older neighbor Mr. Oswald (Rory Kinnear, Skyfall), things begin to change.  The Opening Feature of Critic’s Week at the Cannes Film Festival and featuring a score by Damon Albarn’s Electric Wave Bureau, BROKEN is the award-winning feature film debut from theater director Rufus Norris. Its innovative, gritty, and powerful spin on British social realism and coming-of-age provides a curious look into a teenage adolescence surrounded by chaos and a seemingly commonplace suburban neighborhood that ultimately begins to crumble.

THE HUNT/Denmark (Director: Thomas Vinterberg)
Mads Mikkelsen, winner of the Best Actor prize at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, is brilliant as Lucas, a school teacher in a small, close-knit Scandinavian town. Lucas limps through an ugly custody battle over his son, only to have the promise of that situation’s resolution ruined by the accusation of his being a child molester. The charges come from Lucas’s best friend’s daughter in an innocent little lie and are so unfounded that he can barely bring himself to suffer the indignity of denying them. The investigation that follows is nothing compared to the nightmare Lucas finds himself plunged into by the social leprosy of his suspected pedophilia. The film’s unflinching focus on Mikkelsen’s character creates an inescapable and uncomfortable tension in this spellbinding new drama from Thomas Vinterberg (The Celebration). Winner of two other awards at Cannes and Best Screenwriter at the European Film Awards, THE HUNT is a masterful piece of filmmaking.

I DECLARE WAR/Canada (Director: Jason Lapeyre, Robert Wilson) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
I DECLARE WAR definitely shows us a different side of war—the war games children engage in outside of school, perhaps during a boring weekend. The film follows a bunch of pre-teens as they arm themselves with make-believe weapons and real-life conflict for a contest of Capture the Flag, the likes of which we haven’t seen before. Let the childhood games begin! In this war there are two teams—one led by P.K. Sullivan, a Patton fan who tries to win at any cost, and the other led by Quinn, who seems to run a group of misfits (they even have a girl on their side, which only adds to the tension). This isn’t just a battle about winning or losing. These kids all have their own issues to face, and this metaphorical war is just the place to do it. Skillfully blending fantasy and reality and boasting terrific performances from its young cast, this is an infectious film that brings us back to our childhoods, when adulthood didn’t seem that complicated from far away. Humorous and unsettling, I DECLARE WAR plays out like Roald Dahl crossed with Lord of the Flies or Son of Rambow.

PIETA/South Korea (Director: Kim Ki-Duk)
South Korea’s daring writer-director Kim Ki-Duk (The Isle; Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring) delivers a visceral film that is sure to provoke controversy. While the title alludes to Michelangelo’s serene statue, this movie uses a gritty, poor former factory district as the setting where Kang-do (Lee Jung-jin), a loan shark’s enforcer, works its small alleyways and tin-roofed workshops. Showing no emotion, he routinely cripples marginalized workers to collect on insurance policies, robbing them of limbs and livelihood. The victims’ lives seem as meaningless as the detritus of the post-industrial machinery around them. A mysterious woman (Cho Min-soo) appears, claiming to be Kang-do’s mother. Unbelieving, he inflicts sadistic violence and humiliation upon her, until eventually believing her story.  As Kang-do experiences new feelings, he begins seeing his victims and past actions differently, discovering guilt, remorse, and repentance.  The acting is superb, the movie grim, and the plot has some unexpected twists.  Ultimately, however, the story offers redemption and grace—or at least atonement.  Winner of the “Golden Lion” for Best Film at the 2012 Venice International Film Festival, PIETA is a gripping and provocative vision of extreme storytelling at its finest.

BRITISH SHORTS NOW! PROGRAM

Lifelong friends Mary (Dame Judi Dench, Oscar® winner for Best Supporting Actress, Shakespeare in Love) and Linda discuss the pitfalls, pleasures, and problems with using social networking to try and woo Trevor, the local choirmaster.

82/UK (Director: Calum Macdiarmid) FLORIDA PREMIERE
A postman (Nick Moran, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) lets us into his dark world in quiet suburbia.

I AM TOM MOODY/UK (Director: Ainslie Henderson) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
Mackenzie Crook (The Office, Pirates of the Caribbean) and his son Jude provide the voices in this charming tale of a failed adult who, as he struggles to perform on stage, is forced to confront his inner child.

MOZZARELLA INC./UK (Director: Matan Rochlitz) EAST COAST PREMIERE
A former trance DJ and ex-club promoter brave London’s restaurant world to provide the freshest buffalo mozzarella on the market. They’ll stop at nothing to be the best…even if it costs them their friendship.  This documentary won Best Short at the 2012 Chicago Food Film Festival.

STORMING OUT/UK (Director: Vito Bruno) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
This funny but moving family drama deals with how well we know, or think we know, our nearest and dearest.  Should we confront reality no matter how potentially painful that may be?

THE PUB/UK (Director: Joseph Pierce) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
As the booze flows, the line between who belongs behind and in front of the bar becomes increasingly blurred in this twisted tale of a day in the life of a North London pub.  Winner of the Best Animated or Experimental Short Film award at the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival.

THE NORTH LONDON BOOK OF THE DEAD/UK (Director: Jake Lushington) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
The tale of a grown man who struggles to come to terms with the death of his domineering mother, only to discover that she’s spending her “after life” very happily in a suburb of London.  Based on a short story by Will Self.

PITCH BLACK HEIST/UK (Director: John Maclean) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
Michael (Michael Fassbender, Shame, Inglourious Basterds) and Liam (Liam Cunningham, Harry Brown, HBO’s Game of Thrones) are professional safe crackers who meet while doing a job to relieve an office safe of its contents.  The catch is a light-activated alarm system that forces the men to operate in total darkness.  BAFTA Award winner for Best Short Film.

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The “funny, unique, and multi-talented” Cloris Leachman will attend the 2012 Florida Film Festival, on April 20 to present a screening of THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar®) and reminisce about her expansive career during a live Q&A.  

Leachman will screen a digitally restored, definitive director’s cut of THE LAST PICTURE SHOW with 7 minutes of original footage previously unseen in its theatrical release. Described as one of the signature films of the “New Hollywood” of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, this great American drama was nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and a remarkable four nominations for acting: Ben Johnson and Jeff Bridges for Best Supporting Actor, and Ellen Burstyn and Cloris Leachman for Best Supporting Actress.  Johnson and Leachman both won Oscars, a fitting tribute to a stellar ensemble cast that also featured Randy Quaid, Cybill Shepherd, Timothy Bottoms, Eileen Brennan, Clu Gulager, and John Hillerman.  Set in a small, windswept, dying Texas town in the ‘50s, where the only cinema is about to close for good, this coming-of-age tale is based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Larry McMurtry and lovingly directed by Peter Bogdanovich.  The film’s nostalgic appeal is heightened by Robert Surtees’ black-and-white cinematography and so effectively captures its time that Roger Ebert called it “the best film of 1951.” 

The 2012 Florida Film Festival runs April 13-22 in Central Florida.

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[caption id="attachment_2573" align="alignnone" width="550"]TURN ME ON, DAMMIT![/caption]

The 2012 Florida Film Festival International Showcase lineup announced today includes an outrageous adventure, a moving tale of childhood wishes, a sexually-charged coming-of-age comedy, and a darkly witty take on the afterlife.
2012 FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE

CLOWN, Denmark (Director: Mikkel Nørgaard) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
In Danish with English subtitles
Frank and Casper planned an elaborate adventure to an exclusive brothel under the guise of a canoe trip. The problem is Frank just discovered his girlfriend is pregnant, and she’s none too certain he’s fatherhood material. But a fortuitous occurrence has left Frank in charge of his 12-year-old nephew. Eager to prove he doesn’t hate children while not disrupting Casper’s weekend escapades, Frank brings the kid along. Featuring a cast of Danish film luminaries, it’s a rare production that leaves you laughing till it hurts while at the same time shouting, “Oh no, they did not!”

I WISH (KISEKI), Japan (Director: Hirokazu Kore-Eda) FLORIDA PREMIERE
In Japanese with English subtitles
Twelve-year-old Koichi regrets that his parents have split. He lives with his mother and maternal grandparents in small-town Kagoshima; his younger brother lives with their slacker rock-musician father in big city Hakata.  A new bullet train line will soon run between the two cities. Koichi comes to believe that where the two trains pass on their maiden voyage, wishes can come true. Enlisting friends and adults, all with their own wishes, he journeys to reunite his family.  Japanese master filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-Eda (Afterlife, FFF1999) shows the inventiveness and resilience of children and the power of the imagination.

TURN ME ON, DAMMIT!, Norway (Director: Jannicke Systad Jacobsen) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
In Norwegian with English Subtitles
Alma is a teenage girl living in the confines of a small town, utilizing every inch of her imagination to escape the mundane lifestyle in which she is trapped. Fortunately (and unfortunately) for her, she is now at that age where her more-than-active libido is taking her places most wouldn’t have dared to travel before. TURN ME ON, DAMMIT! is an entertaining, sweet-natured, comedic look at that awkward stage of our adolescence most of us spent years trying to erase from our memories.

UP THERE, United Kingdom (Director: Zam Salim) EAST COAST PREMIERE
At many points of our lives, there are moments where we think it simply couldn’t get any worse.  Then comes death.  For Martin, coping with the afterlife is a challenge. 
Writer/director Zam Salim constructs a beautiful, touching, and darkly witty comedy about the value of life and death. UP THERE is the type of film that reminds us how good we have it while we are here, and how the grass might not always be greener on the other side.    

This year’s Festival features a record-breaking 167 films representing 31 countries and runs April 13-22, 2012.

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The 2012 Florida Film Festival unveiled the Florida Showcase and Music Sidebar programs earlier this week.  Film subjects include about a hurricane, ’70s sensation Paul Williams, songsmith Andrew Bird, Florida’s juvenile justice system, and legendary artist Paul Simon.

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[caption id="attachment_1580" align="alignnone" width="550"]RENEE[/caption]

The 2012 Florida Film Festival, announced that a record-breaking 167 films were selected to screen at the festival, with 144 having their Florida premiere (or higher) at the Festival. This year’s Festival runs April 13-22, 2012 and is located in Central Florida.

The Narrative and Documentary Feature Film selections for the 2012 Florida Film Festival American Independent Competition were announced.

Among them, DeLand based director Sylvia Caminer unveils her documentary on pop star Rick Springfield. The Zellner brothers, whose bizarrely funny films are regulars at the Festival, bring something quite unexpected and different. FSU graduate Ken Adachi makes his feature film debut. Among recognizable faces on screen this year are Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist), Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), Andrew McCarthy (St. Elmo’s Fire), Robin Tunney (TV’s The Mentalist), Scott Glenn (The Silence of the Lambs), and newcomers including EJ Bonilla and Veronica Diaz-Carranza. 

The opening night selection was also announced today.  The prestigious pole position belongs to RENEE, which will have its East Coast premiere at the 2012 Florida Film Festival.  Based on the life of Renee Yohe, the film tells the story of a 19-year-old who received national and international attention when her courageous story was posted on MySpace. The film deals with the cycle of self-injury which plagues many teenagers and young adults worldwide.  Her experience was the inspiration for the “To Write Love on Her Arms” movement. The Orlando-based production skillfully blends gritty reality with rich fantasy as the film powerfully visualizes this young girl who grew up loving fairy tales but lived through a considerably darker truth.  Kat Dennings (TV’s 2 Broke Girls, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist) is a knockout as Renee, and Chad Michael Murray (TV’s One Tree Hill), Rupert Friend (The Young Victoria), and Corbin Bleu (High School Musical) lend superb support along with a great music score and appearances by Rachael Yamagata and Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes. It is directed by Nathan Frankowski.  Deeply rooted in its own community with people on both sides of the camera whose investment is both personal and passionate, RENEE is a vivid reminder of how the independent film can generate incredible power out of its own reality and bring a story so effectively to life using the support mechanisms available around it.

AMERICAN INDEPENDENT NARRATIVE FEATURES COMPETITION

THE BROOKLYN BROTHERS BEAT THE BEST / USA (Director:  Ryan O’Nan)A failing singer-songwriter (Ryan O’Nan) decides to hit the road with a self-appointed music revolutionary and rediscovers his love for life and music. This inspired musical comedy also stars Andrew McCarthy (St. Elmo’s Fire) and features pitch-perfect cameos by Wilmer Valderrama (TV’s That 70’s Show), Jason Ritter (TV’s Parenthood), Christopher McDonald (Happy Gilmore), and Melissa Leo (The Fighter).

DEAD DAD / USA (Director: Ken J. Adachi) WORLD PREMIEREIn the highly accomplished feature debut of FSU graduate Ken Adachi (Picture Day, FFF 2010), three estranged siblings reunite for their Dad’s funeral and end up leaving with way more than they bargained for: his remains. 

DOG YEARS / USA (Directors: Warren Sroka and Brent Willis) WORLD PREMIEREAn emotionally withdrawn Japanese-American is working in Japan and struggling with the unwanted  arrival of his needy American half-brother. Skillfully shot and boasting terrific performances, the film is at once haiku poetry and psychological monograph. 

DREAMWORLD / USA (Director: Ryan Darst) EAST COAST PREMIEREIn this refreshing romantic comedy, an animator finds himself on an adventure of self-discovery. A talented cast led by Whit Hertford and Mary Kate Wiles gives the script just the right balance of dreaminess and weight. 

KID-THING / USA (Director: David Zellner) EAST COAST PREMIEREThe Florida Film Festival has been home to many of the Zellner Brothers’ uniquely bizarre short films and screened their acclaimed feature Goliath in 2008. KID-THING is a haunting fable that will surprise even their most die-hard fans. A troubled ten-year-old girl (Sydney Aguirre) with a part-time demolition derby driver and goat farmer father (Nathan Zellner) hears the distress call of a woman coming from an abandoned well and takes matters into her own immature hands. 

MAGIC VALLEY / USA (Director: Jaffe Zinn) SOUTHEAST PREMIEREA high school student in the small town of Buhl, Idaho, returns home early one brisk October morning bearing the burden of a terrible secret.  Meanwhile, members of the community go about their day completely unaware of how their lives are about to be changed forever.  A strong and powerful cast of actors (led by veteran Scott Glenn, The Silence of the Lambs) reveals this haunting story.

MAMITAS / USA (Director: Nicholas Ozeki) FLORIDA PREMIEREA coming-of-age romance rooted in Los Angeles Mexican-American community, MAMITAS introduces two wonderful young actors, EJ Bonilla and Veronica Diaz-Carranza, and first-time feature filmmaker and Independent Spirit Award nominee Nicholas Ozeki. 

AN ORDINARY FAMILY / USA (Director: Mike Akel) SOUTHEAST PREMIEREA funny, bittersweet family reunion at a lake cabin centers around two brothers in conflict.  Director Mike Akel (Chalk, FFF 2006 Special Jury Award winner) has created a world where love, faith, and reason are brought together with such gentleness that it still seems possible to believe that America is a nation of tolerance and forgiveness.

SEE GIRL RUN / USA (Director: Nate Meyer) FLORIDA PREMIERENate Meyer (FFF 2007 Special Jury Award winner, Pretty in the Face) returns to the Florida Film Festival with a different style of love story starring Robin Tunney (TV’s The Mentalist, The Craft), Josh Hamilton (The Bourne Identity), and Adam Scott (TV’s Parks and Recreation, Step Brothers.) 

THINK OF ME / USA (Director: Bryan Wizemann) SOUTHEAST PREMIERETHINK OF ME tells the gripping story of Angela (Lauren Ambrose, HBO’s Six Feet Under and Best Actress Independent Spirit Award nominee), a jobless single mother doing her best not to fall apart. This disturbing drama, co-starring Dylan Baker (Happiness) and Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist), raises important questions about the claims of parenthood, privilege, and the complicated and powerful ethics of familial love.

AMERICAN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY FEATURES COMPETITION

AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART / USA (Director: Sylvia Caminer) WORLD PREMIERELocal filmmaker Sylvia Caminer explores the life, fame, and fans of pop idol Rick Springfield. The film reveals a behind-the-scenes portrait of hard-working Springfield and his devoted, obsessive fans.

BERT STERN: ORIGINAL MADMAN / USA (Director: Shannah Laumeister) EAST COAST PREMIEREPhotographer Bert Stern revolutionized the world of advertising, changed the taste of America during the post-war boom years, and convinced Marilyn Monroe to reveal her deepest heart during what turned out to be her last photo session. 

BURY THE HATCHET / USA (Director: Aaron C. Walker) SOUTHEAST PREMIEREBURY THE HATCHET takes the audience behind the scenes and through the vast history of the Mardi Gras “Indians” and their great Chiefs and shares the culture as well as the extraordinary music that underscores this captivating and hidden corner of New Orleans.

GIRL MODEL / USA (Directors: David Redmon and Ashley Sabin) FLORIDA PREMIEREDirected by the filmmaking team that brought us Mardi Gras: Made in China (FFF 2005 Grand Jury Award for Best Doc Feature), Kamp Katrina (FFF 2007), and Intimidad (FFF 2008), GIRL MODEL takes the viewer deep into the underbelly of the international modeling industry by following the paths of both model and scout.  

GIVE UP TOMORROW / USA (Director: Michael Collins) SOUTHEAST PREMIEREPaco Larrañaga’s arrest and trial were a media circus reflecting schisms of race, class, and political power in a Philippine legal system marred by corruption. GIVE UP TOMORROW is the gripping result of over a decade of filming, on three continents and four countries, a Kafkaesque trial and conviction where justice was abandoned.

JOBRIATH A.D. / USA (Director: Kieran Turner) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIEREIn the 1970’s music scene, the vastly talented Jobriath, nabbed one of the richest deals in rock history and openly proclaimed his homosexuality by declaring himself “The True Fairy of Rock & Roll.”  Now, nearly 40 years after his solo debut the bizarre, tragic, and nearly forgotten mystery that was Jobriath is ready for its close-up. 

KUMARE USA / (Director: Vikram Gandhi) SOUTHEAST PREMIERETo make a point about blind faith, filmmaker Vikram Gandhi grew out his hair, adopted a kooky accent, and presented himself as Kumare, a perpetually grinning guru recently arrived from India.  Setting up shop in Phoenix with a pair of lithe yoga babes, Kumare recruits a cadre of followers. KUMARE starts as an indictment of religious beliefs but ends up a weirdly sincere ode to the true power of faith.  

NOT YET BEGUN TO FIGHT / USA (Director: Sabrina Lee and Shasta Grenier) FLORIDA PREMIERE Retired Marine Colonel Eric Hastings knows first hand about the reality of war and the disconnection soldiers feel when they return home from battle. Beautifully shot and featuring music by Sean Eden (ex-Luna), this moving and powerful look at the human cost of war is the work of Sabrina Lee (Where You From, FFF 2009) and Emmy winner Shasta Grenier.  

SALAAM DUNK / USA (Director: David Fine) SOUTHEAST PREMIERENightly news coverage of Iraq typically offers a monolithic vision of violence, fanaticism, and repression. SALAAM DUNK reveals a different reality—intelligent young women developing leadership skills as well as tolerance for diverse religious and ethnic groups via the most American of pursuits, basketball. 

THE SHEIK & I / USA (Director: Caveh Zahedi) EAST COAST PREMIERECinematic provocateur Caveh Zahedi (I Am a Sex Addict) is commissioned by the Sharjah Biennial to make a film on the theme “art as a subversive act.” Similarly hilarious yet far more disturbing than the mega-hit Borat, THE SHEIK & I is a breathtaking display of filmmaking chutzpah.

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The 20th annual Florida Film Festival came to a close last weekend with an awards reception recognizing the best in American independent and foreign film.

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The 20th annual Florida Film Festival, sponsored by Full Sail University, will take place April 8 through 17, 2011, and this year’s lineup features more than 160 films from 25 countries with 43 female directors.

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