The World Premiere of YouTube Originals docuseries Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil directed by Michael D. Ratner will kick off the 2021 Online South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals taking place entirely online March 16-20, 2021.
Film Festivals
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Docuseries ‘Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil’ to KickOff SXSW Film Festival
Interview still from Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil | Credit: OBB MEDIA
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45th Hong Kong International Film Festival To Go Hybrid
The 45th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF45) will go hybrid with both in-theatre and online screenings and audience-engagement events.
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Documentaries on Rita Moreno, Amy Tan, Alvin Ailey and Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio to Premiere at 2021 Sundance Film Festival
A still from Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It by Mariem Pérez Riera, an official selection of the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. Three American Masters Pictures documentaries – Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It, Ailey and Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir – will world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, which runs January 28 – February 3. These films will have their exclusive U.S. broadcast premieres on American Masters on PBS at a later date. Additionally, Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio: This is the Way We Rise, now streaming as part of American Masters and Firelight Media’s documentary short film series In the Making, will screen in Sundance’s Short Film program.
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Watch Trailer for ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ Starring Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Lakeith Stanfield and Jesse Plemons appear in Judas and the Black Messiah by Shaka King, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Glen Wilson. Ahead of the world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, the new trailer debuted today for Judas and the Black Messiah directed by Shaka King. Inspired by true events, Judas and the Black Messiah tells the story of the betrayal of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Black Panther Party.
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‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ and ‘Captains of Zaatari’ Added to 2021 Sundance Film Festival
Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya appear in Judas and the Black Messiah by Shaka King, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Glen Wilson. Two more world premiere feature films – Judas and the Black Messiah directed by Shaka King and Captains of Zaatari directed by Ali El Arabi, have been added to the 2021 Sundance Film Festival lineup. The 2021 Festival will be held virtually via a feature-rich, Sundance-built online platform and in person on Satellite Screens across the country (on a condition that it’s safe) from January 28 to February 3, 2021.
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Final Girls Berlin Film Festival 2021 Goes Hybrid, On-Line in February, In-Person for Halloween
“Time of Moulting (Fellwechselzeit)” The Final Girls Berlin Film Festival, Berlin’s premier showcase of horror films directed and produced by women and non-binary filmmakers, returns in the new year for the 6th time and first virtual edition. The fest will run from February 4 – 7, 2021, with a dynamic digital line-up consisting of five features, five short blocks, and non-film events that include talks, a screenwriting workshop, special podcast episode, and more.
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2021 Animation First Festival Goes Online with 60 + French Animation Film Premieres and Special Guest Wes Anderson
“Josep” by Le Monde cartoonist Aurel The fourth edition of Animation First, the only film festival in the US dedicated to France’s animation studios and schools presented by the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) will take place entirely online from Friday, February 5 to Monday, February 15, 2021.
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Documentary THE PAPER MAN Wins Whistler Film Festival 2020 Audience Award
The Paper Man (Lafortune en papier) directed and produced by journalist Tanya Lapointe The winner of the 2020 Whistler Film Festival (WFF) Audience Award is The Paper Man (Lafortune en papier) directed and produced by journalist Tanya Lapointe, which received its world premiere at the fest as well as an honorable mention in WFF’s World Documentary Competition. This is an affectionate look at Claude Lafortune, Quebec’s own version of Mr. Rogers, who was a staple of French-Canadian television bringing his inspirational story and beautiful paper sculptures to life. The beloved children’s television host inspired generations of children through his celebration of creativity, inclusivity and diversity. For over five decades, he dedicated his life to transforming mere paper into whimsical sculptures, creatures and film sets. The Paper Man reveals the depths of Claude Lafortune’s work, as well as his continuing legacy. The gentle, compassionate and truly humble folk artist Lafortune passed away in April at the age of 83 after contracting COVID-19.
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2020 British Urban Film Festival Winners – “How to Stop a Recurring Dream” Wins Best Feature Film
How to Stop a Recurring Dream (directed by Ed Morris) The 6th annual British Urban Film Festival (BUFF) came to a close with the annual awards ceremony streamed online via the festival website (see video below) and hosted by actor, writer and director Femi Oyeniran. How to Stop a Recurring Dream directed by Ed Morris won the Victor Adebodun Award: Best Feature along with Best Actress for Ruby Barker. Exploring themes of separation and loss this dreamy trip takes place over a weekend in the lives of two sisters. In the film, an imminent family separation forces the oldest daughter to kidnap her sister in an attempt to reconnect before they part.
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Michelle Latimer’s Documentary “Inconvenient Indian” Pulled from Sundance
Inconvenient Indian, directed by Michelle Latimer The National Film Board of Canada withdrew Michelle Latimer’s documentary Inconvenient Indian from active distribution and all upcoming festivals, including the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. The withdrawal comes after questions were raised about filmmaker Latimer’s claims about her Indigenous identity.
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International Film Festival Rotterdam 2021 Reveals Competition Lineup – Opens with “Riders of Justice”
Anders Thomas Jensen’s “Riders of Justice” starring Mads Mikkelsen International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2021 will open with the international premiere of absurdist tragicomedy Riders of Justice by Danish filmmaker Anders Thomas Jensen, starring Mads Mikkelsen. Riders of Justice with Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas centers on the deployed military man Markus who has to go home to his teenage daughter, Mathilde, when his wife dies in a tragic train accident. It seems to be plain bad luck – until the mathematics geek Otto shows up with his two eccentric colleagues, Lennart and Emmenthaler. Otto was also a passenger on the wrecked train. He is convinced someone must have been behind it. As the clues pile up, it becomes clear to Markus that his wife became a random casualty of what looks like a carefully orchestrated assassination.
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Whistler Film Festival Announces 2020 Award Winners, LITTLE ORPHANS Wins Best Canadian Feature
LITTLE ORPHANS directed by Ruth Lawrence The winners of the 2020 Whistler Film Festival (WFF) were announced at the Awards Celebration on the final day of official programming at the 20th edition.