Film Festivals

TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival Unveils 2018 Jury + New Share Her Journey Prize

The TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival, launched in 2016, in partnership with Instagram to discover and celebrate emerging, diverse, and creative voices from the global film community is back for a third year. This year, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is committed to meeting gender parity within its final selection with the addition of the new Share Her Journey Prize. TIFF’s Share Her Journey campaign is a five-year commitment to championing women, both in front of and behind the camera, by investing in their skill development. The TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is supporting this initiative by enlisting an all-woman jury made up of some of the industry’s most creative, knowledgeable, and experienced experts. This year’s jury features award-winning UK writer, director, and Share Her Journey Ambassador Amma Asante (@iammasante); leading arts-marketing guru and #oscarssowhite creator April Reign (@reignofapril); TCM and FilmStruck host, author Alicia Malone (@aliciamalone), rapper, comedian, and Ocean’s 8 star Awkwafina (@awkwafina), and activist, artist, and actor Sarain Fox (@sarainfox). Since the launch of TIFFxInstagram Shorts Film Festival, jury members have included Isabelle Huppert, Lake Bell, Ava DuVernay, Xavier Dolan, Ashton Sanders, Director X, and Priyanka Chopra. The Share Her Journey Prize recipient will be selected by Amma Asante. Eligibility for the prize is based solely on a film’s direction by an individual who identifies as a woman. Additional jury members will be revealed in the coming weeks. “In many ways, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is reflective of the ever-evolving nature of storytelling and digital media. The film industry is going through a period of change, and the addition of the new Share Her Journey Prize reinforces our commitment to achieving gender parity,” said Malcolm Gilderdale, Director of Content, Creative, and Digital at TIFF. “With the support of our amazing partners at Instagram and the generous participation of our jury, we are grateful to have the opportunity to champion the brilliant work that we know will be presented during this year’s edition of the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival.” Last year saw entrants from regions all over the world — including submissions from America, Europe, Asia, and Africa — whose films reached more than 64 million users on the social platform. The 2017 TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival featured the Fan Favourite Award winner, Canadian-born, Paris-based filmmaker Justin Wu for Overtime, and Jury’s Choice Award winner Confession, by Russia’s Natalia Gurkina. In early 2018, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival was nominated for a Webby Award in the category of Social: Promotions & Contests. “We’re thrilled to once again collaborate with TIFF to celebrate the craft of short filmmaking through the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival.” said Claudine Cazian, Head of Entertainment Partnerships at Instagram. “More than 800 million people come to Instagram to engage with a positive, highly engaged community where they can express their creativity around shared interests. The TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is just another way in which creators can showcase their inspiring work and connect with new fans all over the world.” To enter, filmmakers may submit a 60-second-or-less film on Instagram using the hashtag #TIFFxInstagram and complete the submission form at tiff.net/shortsfestival. The deadline for submissions is June 18. Entries must be submitted from a public Instagram account that must remain open until August 21. Winners will receive a round-trip flight to Toronto and three nights’ accommodation to attend the Toronto International Film Festival this September, and get a chance to network with the film community at the popular Industry Conference and see a selection of exciting film premieres. The winning short films will also be showcased on TIFF and Instagram’s digital channels.
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BREACH, NOSOTROS, and AFGHAN CYCLES Win Top Awards at 21st Brooklyn Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_30003" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Breach directed by Lorenzo Monti[/caption] Breach directed by Lorenzo Monti picked up the coveted best of the fest Grand Chameleon Award, as well as Best Experimental Film at the Brooklyn Film Festival’s 21st edition: THRESHOLD, which wrapped on Sunday. Felipe Vara de Rey’s Nosotros won Best Narrative Feature and Sarah Menzies’ Afghan Cycles took home the award for Best Feature Documentary. “It has been a wonderful festival. Everything we were hoping would happen, actually did,” said Marco Ursino, Brooklyn Film Festival Executive Director. “We envisioned this edition as a sanctuary where people of different backgrounds and cultures could have an honest and civilized conversation stimulated by 119 projects which, I feel, did bring back interest in politics and in the social condition of people who live so far away and yet experience the same things we are going through here in the U.S.” This year’s festival was comprised of 119 features and shorts from 30 countries spread over six continents. The lineup included 19 world premieres, 21 USA bows, 37 east coast debuts and 30 first-time screenings in NYC.
2018 Brooklyn Film Festival Winners
GRAND CHAMELEON AWARD – BREACH by LORENZO MONTI [caption id="attachment_30004" align="aligncenter" width="1249"] Nosotros[/caption] Best Narrative Feature – NOSOTROS by FELIPE VARA DE REY Best Documentary Feature – AFGHAN CYCLES by SARAH MENZIES Best Short Documentary – GIVE by DAVID DE ROZAS Best Narrative Short – COUNTERFEIT KUNKOO by REEMA SENGUPTA Best Animation – LA MORT, PERE & FILS by PARONNAUD VINCENT and WALTGENWITZ DENIS Best Experimental – BREACH by LORENZO MONTI Best New Director – BROTHERS by BRAM SCHOUW Best Brooklyn Project – ONE BEDROOM by DARIEN SILLS-EVANS
Spirit Awards
Feature Narrative – ICE CREAM by SABA RIAZI Feature Documentary – STREET FIGHTING MEN by ANDREW JAMES Short Documentary – CHRISANTO STREET by PALOMA MARTINEZ Short Narrative – BONOBO by ZOEL AESCHBACHER Experimental – GENESIS by ABTIN MOZAFARI Animation – LES ANIMAUX DOMESTIQUES by JEAN LECOINTRE
Audience Awards
Feature Narrative – ARE YOU GLAD I’M HERE by NOOR FAY GHARZEDDINE Feature Documentary – MY NAME IS PEDRO by LILLIAN LASALLE Short Documentary – DAVID’S VOICE by GRAHAM HILL Short Narrative – CASUALTIES by HOLLY VOGES Experimental – DUPPY by JUSTIN MORRIS Animation – HI-FIVE THE CACTUS by CHRISTOPHER THOMAS
Certificates of Outstanding Achievement
Producer – MICHAEL ANGELO ZERVOS & LUKE SHIROCK for TOMMY BATTLES THE SILVER SEA DRAGON Screenplay – Director/Writer MARINA MICHELSON for BIOPHILIA Cinematography – VLADIMIR EGOROV for FAITH Editing – ROMANY MALCO, JR. for PRISON LOGIC Style – WENDY MCCOLM for BIRDS WITHOUT FEATHERS Original Score – Composer SIMON TAUFIQUE for ARE YOU GLAD I’M HERE Actor Female – LAURA ESTERMAN for CAN HITLER HAPPEN HERE? Actor Male – ROMANY MALCO for PRISON LOGIC
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‘Eighth Grade’ ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ Among Winners at 2018 Seattle International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_27753" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] EIGHTH GRADE[/caption] The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) today announced the winners of the 2018 Golden Space Needle Audience and Competition Awards. Eighth Grade received the Golden Space Needle Audience Award for Best Film and a Best Actress Award for Elise Fisher. Won’t You Be My Neighbor won Best Documentary and Grand Jury prizes went to The Reports on Sarah and Saleem, Dead Pigs, Rust, Inventing Tomorrow, and Thunder Road. Artistic Director Beth Barrett said, “Executive Director Sarah Wilke and I were thrilled to present Ethan Hawke with the Festival’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Cinema before a screening of Blaze, his latest directing effort, as well as welcoming Melanie Lynskey back to the Festival for a special screening of Seattle based local film, Sadie. We also had an incredible lineup of local films, and our documentary film selection continues to be among the best in the country. Back for the second year was SIFF’s New Works-in-Progress Forum, where we screened two narrative and two documentary features in the midst of their creative process to the Seattle audience of industry and festival attendees, as well as continuing our exploration of the intersections between cinema and Virtual Reality at our first Pop-up event, SIFF VR Zone at Pacific Place.”
2018 GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD WINNERS
The 2018 Golden Space Needle Awards are created by Seattle Artist, Piper O’Neill. GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST FILM Eighth Grade, directed by Bo Burnham (USA 2018) First runner-up: The Last Suit, directed by Pablo Solarz (Argentina/Poland/Spain/France/Germany 2017) Second runner-up: Champions, directed by Javier Fesser (Spain 2018) Third runner-up: C’est la vie!, directed by Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano (France/Canada/Belgium 2017) Fourth runner-up: Supa Modo, directed by Likarion Wainaina (Kenya/Germany 2018) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST DOCUMENTARY Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, directed by Morgan Neville (USA 2018) First runner-up: Pick of the Litter, directed by Don Hardy Jr., Dana Nachman (USA 2017) Second runner-up: Return to Mount Kennedy, directed by Eric Becker (USA 2018) Third runner-up: The Most Dangerous Year, directed by Vlada Knowlton (USA 2018) Fourth runner-up: The Russian Five, directed by Joshua Riehl (USA 2018) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST DIRECTOR Gustav Möller, The Guilty (Denmark 2018) First runner-up: Pablo Solarz, The Last Suit (Argentina/Poland/Spain/France/Germany 2017) Second runner-up: Megan Griffiths, Sadie (USA 2018) Third runner-up: Debra Granik, Leave No Trace (USA 2018) Fourth runner-up: Albert Dupontel, See You Up There (France 2017) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST ACTOR Miguel Ángel Solá, The Last Suit (Argentina/Poland/Spain/France/Germany 2017) First runner-up: Jakob Cedergren, The Guilty (Denmark 2018) Second runner-up: Ethan Hawke, First Reformed (USA 2017) Third runner-up: Jim Cummings, Thunder Road (USA 2018) Fourth runner-up: Ben Foster, Leave No Trace (USA 2018) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST ACTRESS Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade (USA 2018) First runner-up: Rhaechyl Walker, My Name is Myeisha (USA 2018) Second runner-up: Sophia Mitri Schloss, Sadie (USA 2018) Third runner-up: Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, Leave No Trace (USA 2018) Fourth runner-up: Ana Brun, The Heiresses (Paraguay/Uruguay/Germany/Brazil/Norway/France 2018) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST SHORT FILM Emergency, directed by Carey Williams (USA 2017) First runner-up: About the Birds and the Bees, directed by J.J. Vanhanen (Finland 2017) Second runner-up: Wishing Box, directed by Wenli Zhang, Nan Li (USA 2017) Third runner-up: Cats Cradle, directed by Jonathan Napolitano (USA 2018) Fourth runner-up: Wave, directed by Benjamin Cleary, TJ O’Grady Peyton (Ireland 2017) LENA SHARPE AWARD FOR PERSISTENCE OF VISION Presented by Women in Film – Seattle Dana Nachman, Pick of the Litter (USA 2017) This award is given to the female director’s film that receives the most votes in public balloting at the Festival. Lena Sharpe was co-founder and managing director of Seattle’s Festival of Films by Women Directors and a KCTS-TV associate who died in a plane crash while on assignment. As a tribute to her efforts in bringing the work of women filmmakers to prominence, SIFF created this special award and asked Women in Film – Seattle to bestow it.
SIFF 2018 COMPETITION AWARDS

SIFF 2018 OFFICIAL COMPETITION WINNER
GRAND JURY PRIZE The Reports on Sarah and Saleem (d: Muayad Alayan, Palestine/Netherlands/Germany/Mexico 2018) JURY STATEMENT: The Official Competition Jury Award goes to a work that through its complex and multi-dimensional characters tells a familiar story of infidelity in an original and wholly disarming way. We were struck by the unexpected journey taken by the two female leads towards empowerment, particularly given the political and social climate of a modern day divided Jerusalem. The Official Competition Jury Award goes to The Reports on Sarah and Seleem. SPECIAL JURY MENTION The Heiresses (d: Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay/Uruguay/Germany/Brazil/Norway/France 2018) JURY STATEMENT: We would like acknowledge The Heiresses, a remarkable first feature from Paraguay by Marcelo Martinessi. 2018 Entries: The Devil’s Doorway (d: Aislinn Clarke, United Kingdom 2018, World Premiere) Garbage (d: Qaushiq Mukherjee, India 2018, North American Premiere) The Heiresses (d: Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay/Uruguay/Germany/Brazil/Norway/France 2018, US Premiere) Leave No Trace (d: Debra Granik, USA 2018) Luna (d: Elsa Diringer, France 2017) Pig (d: Mani Haghighi, Iran 2018, North American Premiere) Team Hurricane (d: Annika Berg, Denmark 2017) The Reports on Sarah and Saleem (d: Muayad Alayan, Palestine/Netherlands/Germany/Mexico 2018, North American Premiere) Something Useful (d: Pelin Esmer, Turkey/France/Netherlands/Germany 2017, North American Premiere)
SIFF 2018 IBERO-AMERICAN COMPETITION
GRAND JURY PRIZE Rust (d: Aly Muritiba, Brazil 2018) JURY STATEMENT: For highlighting a very important social issue, through an inventive structure and phenomenal performances, we present the Ibero-American Competition Jury Award to Aly Muritiba’s Rust. SPECIAL JURY MENTION Rush Hour (d: Luciana Kaplan, Mexico 2017) JURY STATEMENT: The Jury wants to also recognize a wonderful discovery, told with a subtle, unique point of view. For her examination of suffering and humanity inside of an increasingly automotive environment, the Ibero-American Competition Jury awards a special mention to Luciana Kaplan’s Rush Hour. 2018 Entries: Champions (d: Javier Fesser, Spain 2018) Giant (d: John Garaño, Aitor Arregi, Spain 2017) Gold Seekers (d: Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schémbori, Paraguay 2017) The Heiresses (d: Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay/Uruguay/Germany/Brazil/Norway/France 2018, US Premiere) Killing Jesus (d: Laura Mora Ortega, Colombia/Argentina 2017) Lots of Kids, A Monkey and a Castle (d: Gustavo Salmerón, Spain 2017) Marilyn (d: Martin Rodriguez, Argentina/Chile 2018, North American Premiere) Retablo (d: Peru/Germany/Norway 2017, North American Premiere) Rush Hour (d: Luciana Kaplan, Mexico 2017) Rust (d: Aly Muritiba, Brazil 2018) Virus Tropical (d: Santiago Calcedo, Colombia/Ecuador 2017)
SIFF 2018 NEW DIRECTORS COMPETITION
GRAND JURY PRIZE Dead Pigs (d: Cathy Yan, China/USA 2018) JURY STATEMENT: For building an epic world, grounded in humanity, purposefully depicting the intricacies of the characters who exemplify the changes of a modernizing China, the New Directors Competition Jury award goes to Cathy Yan for Dead Pigs. SPECIAL JURY MENTION Scary Mother (d: Ana Urushadze, Georgia/Estonia 2017) JURY STATEMENT: Using striking and haunting visuals, this filmmaker confidently creates intimate and empathetic characters while depicting the struggle for artistic expression in a society that does not allow the full breadth of it. The jury would like to recognize Ana Urushadze with a special mention for her filmScary Mother. 2018 Entries: After the War (d: Annarita Zambrano, Italy/Belgium/Switzerland 2017) Amateurs (d: Gabriela Pichler, Sweden 2018) The Blessed (d: Sofia Djama, Algeria/France/Belgium/Qatar 2017) The Charmer (d: Milad Alami, Denmark/Sweden 2017) Dead Pigs (d: Cathy Yan, China/USA 2018) Sashinka (d: Kristina Wagenbauer, Canada (Québec) 2017, US Premiere) Scary Mother (d: Ana Urushadze, Georgia/Estonia 2017) Shuttle Life (d: Tan Seng Klat, Malaysia 2017, US Premiere) Supa Modo (d: Likarion Wainaina, Kenya/Germany 2018) Retablo (d: Alvaro L. Delgado-Aparicio, Peru/Germany/Norway 2017, North American Premiere)
SIFF 2018 NEW AMERICAN CINEMA COMPETITION
Thunder Road (d: Jim Cummings, USA 2018) JURY STATEMENT: For the bold and unpredictable lead performance and commitment to telling a hilarious and ultimately heartbreaking story of shifting family relations in the face of personal adversity and tragedy, the New American Cinema Competition Jury award goes to Thunder Road by Jim Cummings. 2018 Entries: Jinn (d: Nijla Mu’min, USA 2018) My Name is Myeisha (d: Gus Krieger, USA 2018) Noble Earth (d: Ursula Grisham, USA 2017, US Premiere) Prospect (d: Zeek Earl, Chris Caldwell, USA 2018) Sadie (d: Megan Griffiths, USA 2018) Thunder Road (d: Jim Cummings, USA 2018) Tyrel (d: Sebastián Silva, USA 2018) Wild Nights with Emily (d: Madeleine Olnek, USA 2018)
SIFF 2018 DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
GRAND JURY PRIZE Inventing Tomorrow (d: Laura Nix, USA 2018) JURY STATEMENT: For it’s compelling cast of young visionaries from around the globe who are engaged and looking for solutions to the world’s environmental problems, Inventing Tomorrow offers us a sense of optimism and the certainty that science matters. SPECIAL JURY MENTION Afghan Cycles (d: Sarah Menzies, USA/France/Afghanistan 2018) JURY STATEMENT: For portraying a side of Afghanistan that we don’t usually see and the self confidence and bravery of the young women, we would like to acknowledge Afghan Cycles with a Documentary Competition Special Jury Mention. 2018 Entries: Afghan Cycles (d: Sarah Menzies, USA/France/Afghanistan 2018, US Premiere Inventing Tomorrow (d: Laura Nix, USA 2018) MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. (d: Stephen Loveridge, United Kingdom/USA 2018) People’s Republic of Desire (d: Hao Wu, China 2018) Queerama (d: Daisy Asquith, United Kingdom 2017) The Return (d: Malene Choi, Denmark 2018, US Premiere) Unarmed Verses (d: Charles Officer, Canada 2017, US Premiere) Warrior Women (d: Elizabeth A. Castle, Christina D. King, USA 2018, US Premiere)
SIFF 2018 YOUTH JURY FEATURES & FUTUREWAVE SHORTS AWARDS
YOUTH JURY PRIZE FOR BEST FILMS4FAMILIES FEATURE Zoo (d: Colin McIvor, Ireland 2017) JURY STATEMENT: For its well-developed, heartwarming plot, spectacular scenery, and believable acting. YOUTH JURY PRIZE FOR BEST FUTUREWAVE FEATURE My Name is Myeisha (d: Gus Krieger, USA 2018) JURY STATEMENT: For its creative and non-linear storytelling that incorporates multiple art forms, including poetry, rap, beat-boxing, and dance, and its holistic portrayal of victims of police brutality. In addition, SIFF presents FutureWave Shorts during ShortsFest Weekend. These inspiring original short films represent some of the best short filmmaking from around the world. WAVEMAKER AWARD (GRAND PRIZE) iRony (d: Radheya Jegatheva, Australia 2017) JURY STATEMENT: We found that the animation was excellent, smart, and gorgeous. This film was paired with emotional and poignant prose about technology in this new world, sustaining our curiosity and interest throughout. PRODIGY CAMP SCHOLARSHIP The winner will be awarded a $1000 partial scholarship to the Prodigy Camp. Roommate (d: Jinho Rhee, USA 2017) FUTUREWAVE SHORTS AUDIENCE AWARD iRony (d: Radheya Jegatheva, Australia 2017)
SIFF 2018 SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS
LIVE ACTION GRAND JURY PRIZE Caroline (d: Celine Held, Logan George, USA 2017) JURY STATEMENT: “Perfect” and “flawless” were two words our team used multiple times to describe this intense drama. A searing portrait of motherhood, it sent our blood pressure through the roof and arrested our attention until the very last second with its clever and powerful ending. The winner of the 2018 Live Action Short Jury Award goes to Caroline by Celine Held and Logan George. SPECIAL JURY MENTION Creme de Menthe (d: Jean-Marc E. Roy & Philippe David Gagné, Canada 2017) JURY STATEMENT: Unlike the liqueur for which it is titled, this film is bittersweet and complex, a poignant reminder of every grown child’s desire for parental validation, even posthumously. What the captivating lead finds instead are small victories amidst her “rush” to judgement and the rubble of her father’s later life. Our special mention award goes to the understated and masterful Creme de Menthe by Jean-Marc E. Roy and Philippe David Gagné. SPECIAL JURY MENTION The Victory of Charity (d: Albert Meisl, Austria 2017) JURY STATEMENT: This Austrian farce manages to create comedic gold with a mismatched pair of music professors: turning an act of charity–however maliciously motivated–into a hilarious treasure hunt around Vienna. For its endlessly humorous crafting of two endearingly ridiculous characters, on an earnest and equally ridiculous quest, we award a Special Mention to the short that left us in stitches, The Victory of Charity by Albert Meisl. DOCUMENTARY GRAND JURY PRIZE Juck [Thrust] (d: Olivia Kastebring, Julia Gumpert, Ulrika Bandeira, Sweden 2018) JURY STATEMENT: An unapologetic, empowering, and affecting call to action that demands attention. SPECIAL JURY MENTION The Driver is Red (d: Randall Christopher, USA 2017) JURY STATEMENT: An invigorating revelation of an important, lesser known part of history, full of inventive visuals and tension-filled storytelling ANIMATION GRAND JURY PRIZE Between the Lines (d: Maria Koneva, Russia 2017) JURY STATEMENT: A delightful and whimsical story from a skilled, emerging new voice in animation. SPECIAL JURY MENTION The Driver is Red (d: Randall Christopher, USA 2017) JURY STATEMENT: An invigorating revelation of an important, lesser known part of history, full of inventive visuals and tension-filled storytelling.
SIFF 2018 CHINA STARS AWARDS
CHINA STARS BEST FILM AWARD The Taste of Betel Nut (d: Jia Hu, p: Wei Sun, China 2017) CHINA STARS BEST FIRST FILM Dead Pigs (d: Cathy Yan, China/USA 2018) CHINA STARS BEST NEW TALENT Girls Always Happy (d: Mingming Yang, China 2018)
SIFF 2018 DOCUMENTARY FILM GRANT PROGRAM
The 2018 Clark Family Legacy Film Grant in the amount of $50,000 was awarded to Jordan Schiele for his film The Silk and the Flame and the Áegis Living Film Grant in the amount of $25,000 was awarded to Sarah Menzies for her film Afghan Cycles. These grants are given to documentary filmmakers who are working with excellence and integrity to bring important human stories to life. Both films were screened at this year’s Festival.
SIFF 2018 SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
GRAND PRIZE WINNER Youth Decay by Brandon Hall FINALISTS Anh Sang by Barry Brennessel Kibou by Cassie Hayasaka and Keith Hayasaka Plan B by Paige Gresty SEMI-FINALISTS Amelia Was Here! by Millie West Kelley’s Coffin by Jon Hartz Pale Souls by Michael Lavine The Rodeo King of Brooklyn by Paul Longo Seattle ‘94 by Charles Freeman Strange Trails by Jordan Short
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GIANT to Open and NY Premiere of OUT OF STATE to Close CCNY 5th The Americas Film Festival of NY

[caption id="attachment_29978" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Giant (Handia)[/caption] Giant (Handia) will open the fifth annual The Americas Film Festival of New York (TAFFNY) – a cultural project of The City College of New York’s Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education (CWE) – which runs from June 7 to 15, 2018. [caption id="attachment_24175" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Out of State (d. Ciara Lacy)[/caption] TAFFNY closes on Friday, June 15 at 6 p.m. with the Awards Ceremony of The Americas Short Films Competition at the National Museum of the American Indian, which is followed by the New York premiere of Out of State by Native Hawaiian filmmaker Ciara Lacy. “Out of State” is a character-driven documentary that chronicles the experience of two men who find their cultural identity while housed in a private prison, thousands of miles from their island home of Hawaii. “TAFFNY is in its fifth edition and through the years it has been growing,” said Dr. Juan Carlos Mercado, dean of the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. “This year, we wanted to honor the students and faculty of City College’s MFA program in film, one of the oldest film schools in the U.S. and the only public institution in New York City to offer a BFA in film. The film school was founded in 1941 by Dada artist and filmmaker Hans Richter and was originally the Institute for Film Techniques. Among the list of people who studied or took classes at CCNY’s film program are Woody Allen, Judd Hirsch, Stanley Kubrick, Jackie Mason, Richard Schiff, Eli Wallach and Ben Gazzara. TAFFNY aims to create a new culture of cinematography appreciation by providing a dynamic space for the public and artists to meet, reflect on multiculturalism and diversity in our society, while promoting the work of new and emerging filmmakers. TAFFNY presents feature-length films, documentaries and shorts and animations that represent the rich diversity of cultures, languages and stories of the Americas. The festival will also offer workshops, debates and lectures. It will host The Americas Short Film Competition, exclusively dedicated to the promotion and exhibition of short-length audiovisual works by emerging filmmakers. The Americas Short Film Competition is exclusively dedicated to the promotion and exhibition of short-length audiovisual works by emerging filmmakers. The festival’s competition will showcase films with a maximum length of 20 minutes that portray contemporary concerns of filmmakers living in the region. This year, TAFFNY screens 40 short films in competition for The Americas Award in the categories of animation, documentary, experimental and fiction. The Americas Panorama is an exciting program that will bring the richness of the cultures of The Americas through eight award winning, feature-length films in fiction and documentary. The films reflect the multiplicity of stories and identities that form the “American” experience, ranging from documentaries that explore the complexities of community in a globalized world to stories, both personal and social, of perseverance, memory and love. via CCNY
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47th Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival Awards: THE SAINT Wins Grand-Prix

The Festival Jury of the 47th Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival in Kyiv, Ukraine awarded the winners in 6 categories, along with the festival‘s Shoot&Play competition. The Grand-Prix of the festival for the best first full-length film, the Scythian Deer was awarded to Andrius Blaževičius for his film The Saint (Lithuania, Poland, 2016). Prize for best full-length film is awarded to Hlynur Pálmason for his film Winter Brothers (Denmark, Iceland, 2017). Special Jury Diploma of Full-Length Competition is awarded to The Load by Ognjen Glavonić (Serbia, France, Croatia, Iran, Qatar, 2018). Prize for Best Short Film is awarded to The Blissful Accidental Death by Sergiu Negulici (Romania, 2017). Prize for Best Student Film is awarded to Close Ties by Zofia Kowalewska (Poland, 2016). Special Jury Diploma of Student Films Competition is awarded to Ocean Swells by Sverre Matias Glenne (Norway, 2016). Teen Screen Competition Jury has awarded its prize to Half Ticket by Samit Kakkad (India, 2016). Special Jury Diplomas of Teen Screen Competition are awarded to Supa Modo by Likarion Wainaina (Kenya, Germany, 2018) and Behind the Blue Door by Mariusz Palej (Poland, 2016). Prize for Best Film in National Competition is awarded to Weightlifter by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk (Ukraine, Poland, 2018) – for virtuosic directing and impressive imagery. Special Jury Diplomas of National Competition are awarded to Unavailable by Nikon Romanchenko (Ukraine, 2017) – for delicate view and particular tone. And to The Wonderful Years by Svitlana Shymko and Galina Yarmanova (Ukraine, 2018) – for subtle display of an unknown world. Audience Award of the 47th Molodist KIFF went to the film Silent Night by Piotr Domalewski (Poland, 2016). The best film of Shoot&Play competition is Your Choice Will Benefit You by Anastasiia Khomenko. Prize for Best LGBTQ Film of Sunny Bunny competition program is awarded to The Heiresses by Marcelo Martinessi. Special Jury Diplomas of Sunny Bunny Competition Jury are awarded to The Cakemaker by Ofir Raul Graizer and Hard Paint by Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon. The Scythian Deer for the contribution to world cinematography was awarded to the German actor Jürgen Prochnow.
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NATHAN’S KINGDOM, Coming-of-Age Film on Autism, Premieres at Dances With Films Festival [Trailer]

Nathan’s Kingdom, a dramatic motion picture about one young man’s battle with autism and the fantasy world to which he and his sister escape, premieres on the West Coast at this year’s acclaimed Dances With Films Festival on Wednesday, June 13, 7:15 PM at TCL Chinese Theatres, Auditorium 1, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. Actors from the film, including writer-director Olicer Muñoz, will be in attendance. Jacob Lince, 24, takes away any preconceived notion of what an actor on the spectrum should “act” like, as his character, Nathan, leads the audience into a dark fantasy while he struggles with his teenage opiate-addict sister, Laura, (played by Madison Ford), his sole and loving caregiver. Rather than surrender to social services, Nathan and Laura risk it all to find “Nathan’s Kingdom” — as they battle monsters, endure mythical wars, and confront an underground civilization of ghouls — in hope of finding a fictitious kingdom with the potential to transform their lives forever. ”I was adamant that the title role of Nathan be played by an actor on the autism spectrum,” says the film’s writer-director-producer Olicer J. Muñoz, 38, who contacted the Performing Arts Studio West (PASW), a one of a kind non-profit and state-funded training facility for adults with developmental disabilities. Through the organization, Muñoz auditioned dozens of actors and discovered his lead actor, Lince. Muñoz began writing the script upon graduating with an M.F.A. from the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI). Earlier in his career, the bi-lingual (Spanish) filmmaker worked with Academy Award winner (“Scared Straight”), Emmy and Peabody Award winning producer Arnold Shapiro who instilled in Muñoz the golden rules of filmmaking. “Shapiro taught me how to master a story and allow the narrative to take on a life of its own. It was under his watch that I began writing and developing Nathan’s Kingdom,” says Muñoz, whose family hails from Mexico. Muñoz counts Oscar-winning directors Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu as his directing role models. Nathan’s Kingdom was co-produced by Michelle Opitz who received her B.F.A. from Chapman University where she met Muñoz and later studied at the American Film Institute (AFI). Emily Beach (Brown Eyed Girls Productions) is also co-producer under Opitz’s and Beach’s banner. Visual effects, CGI animation, combined with live action and unique sound design enhance the highly stylized fantasy film sequences that reflect the inner workings of Nathan’s imagination. Nathan’s Kingdom had its world premiere in March 2018 at the Sedona International Film Festival where it won its prestigious “Director’s Choice – Heart of The Film Festival Award.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuDbF42I5l8
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Horror Film THE TOKOLOSHE to Open, LGTB Love-Story RAFIKI to Close 39th Durban International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_29914" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Tokoloshe[/caption] A thriller/horror film and a LGTBI love-story have been selected respectively as the opening- and closing films of the 39th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), which takes place from July 19 to 29, 2018. In a bold move to shift perceptions of how African stories can be told cinematically across genres, the DIFF has selected a South African debut thriller/horror feature The Tokoloshe, directed by Jerome Pikwane, for opening night and Kenyan director, Wanuri Kahiu’s tender story of lesbian love, Rafiki as its closing film. “With the current global focus on giving women a voice in a world dominated by masculinity and systemic misogyny, we wanted to book-end the festival with films that tell stories about woman, their strength and their survival. We also want to showcase, from a cinematic point of view, that there are many ways to tell these stories,” says Manager of DIFF, Chipo Zhou. [caption id="attachment_29920" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] The Tokoloshe, Jerome Pikwane[/caption] The Tokoloshe is directed by Jerome Pikwane, co-written with novelist Richard Kunzmann and produced by Dumi Gumbi and Cati Weinek of The Ergo Company. In The Tokoloshe, which stars Petronella Tshuma, Dawid Minnaar, Kwande Nkosi, Harriet Manamela and Yule Masiteng, a young woman, crippled by suppressed emotions, must find the courage to face an insatiable demon, wrought in her own childhood, when she tries to save the life of a girl-child abandoned in a rundown Johannesburg hospital. “Using the horror genre I wanted to investigate how we suppress trauma, and what happens when the trauma comes to the surface. In effect, the Tokoloshe in South African mythology has become a foil for abuse that is ingrained in our society, ” says director Jerome Pikwane. “And the characters, their journey, their relationships are the focus and not the beautiful shots nor the CGI, although we have that too.” “The film is not quite what one expects from its title, so I dare audiences to see beneath the surface,” says Zhou. “It is a horror film, crafted so intricately, unveiling the menace that is our everyday burden as woman in this country. But the film depicts the story of a survivor, not a victim. It is a chilling story, one that needs to be told now and is particularly relevant as it gives voice to the voiceless.” [caption id="attachment_29915" align="aligncenter" width="1199"] Rafiki[/caption] Closing film Rafiki, directed by Wanuri Kahiu, produced by Steven Markovitz (SA) and starring Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva, is a touching tale of two very different girls living in Nairobi, who fall in love. Co-written with Jenna Bass (SA), the film was the first Kenyan feature film to be invited to Cannes Film Festival 2018 as part of the Official Un Certain Regard selection, and was a project in the 2012 Durban FilmMart. “Over the years of developing this film, we have seen worrying developments in the anti-LGBTI climate in East Africa,” says director Wanuri Kahiu. “Local films and international TV shows have been banned because of LGBTI content. This has muffled conversations about LGBTI rights and narrowed the parameters of freedom of speech. My hope is that the film is viewed as an ode to love, whose course is never smooth, and as a message of love and support to the ones among us who are asked to choose between love and safety. May this film shout where voices have been silenced.” [caption id="attachment_29917" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Rafiki[/caption] “We are delighted to be able to screen Rafiki at DIFF,” says Zhou. “The film speaks to the issues of patriarchy that has led the film to be banned in its own country, and closes a festival with a programme packed with films dealing with a host of current challenges that those marginalised in our society, and especially woman, are “loudly” grappling with.” “At this time alongside the #MeToo and, closer to home, the “#ItsNotOk campaigns, that seek to expose the perpetrators of violence against woman, these films bookend a conscious and carefully curated selection of cinematic themes that also run as threads through the Durban FilmMart and through our new Isiphethu industry programme for emerging and micro-budget filmmakers.” DIFF opens at The Playhouse on July 19 and runs until July 29. The closing film is on July 28.
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Diverse Films from 19 Countries on 2018 Stony Brook Film Festival Program

[caption id="attachment_29880" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Aurora Borealis: Északi fény[/caption] The 2018 Stony Brook Film Festival presented by Island Federal Credit Union presents films of great diversity this summer, both in their themes and their settings. The schedule for the ten-day Festival, held at Staller Center at Stony Brook University from July 19-28, is available online at stonybrookfilmfestival.com. Alan Inkles, founder and director of the Stony Brook Film Festival, comments, “Films from nineteen different countries, from Scotland to Spain, Argentina to Afghanistan, and coast to coast across the United States, promise to take filmgoers on an extraordinary journey. We have carefully curated this Festival to give patrons a great mix of the best in new independent films. Many filmmakers and actors are coming to the Festival to represent their films and will take the stage for questions and answers. It’s a highlight of the Festival to hear from them.” This year the Stony Brook Film Festival travels from a war-torn past to an embattled future, from light-hearted comedies to heart-stopping thrillers, and from modern class struggles to sexual abuse stories that feel straight out of the #MeToo movement. Some of the films take place over decades, while others unfold in real time. There are social-media addicted mobsters, Shakespearian partygoers, and a shoe-stealing soccer prodigy. The opening night film, Shelter, is an international spy thriller from returning filmmaker Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree, Zaytoun) that follows an Israeli agent protecting a Lebanese informant in Germany, and features actress Golshifteh Farahani (best known to U.S. audiences from Paterson, and to Stony Brook audiences from My Sweet Pepperland and About Ella) as well as acclaimed Israeli actress Neta Riskin. (Thursday, July 19 at 8:00 pm) The closing night film, Aurora Borealis: Északi fény, was directed and co-written by the incredible Márta Mészáros, who—with 65 directing credits to her name going all the way back to 1954—is one of Hungary’s most accomplished female directors. A film that is part mystery and part war-drama, it not only uncovers atrocities during the Soviet occupation of Hungary, it also confronts secrets from the past and the measures people will take to protect those they love. (Saturday, July 28 at 8:00 pm)
Premieres at the Stony Brook Film Festival
The World Premiere of Dean Darling on Saturday, July 21st at 4:00 pm is an ambitious, coming-of-age drama created by local, Long Island talent and shot entirely in Smithtown and Coney Island on a miniscule budget. The film was written and directed by Calogero Carucci and features Douglas Towers, Joel Widman and Allison Frasca. [caption id="attachment_29879" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Etruscan Smile[/caption] Acclaimed actor Brian Cox returns to the Stony Brook Film Festival in the U.S. Premiere of The Etruscan Smile, in which a rugged, old Scotsman who has reluctantly left his beloved Scottish Isle for medical treatment finds his life transformed by a new-found bond with his baby grandson. This gem also stars Thora Birch, JJ Field, and Roseanna Arquette, with several of the actors planning to be in attendance at the 9:30 pm screening on Saturday, July 21st. Other U.S. Premieres include Octav, a nostalgic, life-affirming story from Romania (Saturday, July 21st at 7:00 pm), Outdoors, a captivating film about a city couple building a home in the country from Israel (Tuesday, July 24 at 7:00 pm), Growing Up, a riotous, romantic comedy from Spain (Friday, July 20 at 9:30 pm), and A Dysfunctional Cat, a quirky story about two Iranians navigating their arranged marriage—and a very bizarre cat—while living in Germany (Wednesday, July 25 at 7:00 pm).
Female Filmmakers at the Stony Brook Film Festival
Fourteen films are by female directors, with Growing Up written and directed by Spanish filmmaker Clara Martínez-Lázaro, and A Dysfunctional Cat, written and directed by Iranian-German filmmaker Susan Gordanshekan. Another female-helmed feature, The Tale, has writer and director Jennifer Fox recounting her personal story of sexual abuse at a very young age in an intense, unnerving and cathartic work starring Laura Dern, Elizabeth Debicki, Ellen Burstyn and Isabelle Nélisse (Friday, July 27 at 7:00 pm). Other women filmmakers include writer and director Isabel Coixet, whose film The Bookshop was adapted from the novel by Penelope Fitzgerald about a widow who puts her grief behind her and opens a bookshop in a small, seaside town in England (Friday, July 20 at 7:00 pm). Virna Molina, who co-wrote and co-directed Symphony for Ana, recounts the struggle of high school students during the bloodiest coup d’etat in Argentina (Thursday, July 26 at 7:00 pm). Writer and director Samantha Davidson Green, whose Thrasher Road is a big-hearted father/daughter road trip, screens on Sunday, July 22 at 9:30 pm. Skye Borgman, director of the documentary Abducted in Plain Sight, recounts the absolutely bizarre double-kidnapping of Jan Broberg in the 70’s (Sunday, July 22 at 4:00 pm). Female-directed short films have been chosen that will stretch boundaries and touch hearts– shorts by Amy Wang, writer/director/actress Ashley Grace, Tesia Walker, Jackie L. Stone, and Helen Crosse.
Films with Heart and Films with Guts
Other selected films include My Brother Simple, a heart-warming and humorous story about a young man trying to take custody of his mentally-handicapped adult brother, screening on Sunday, July 22 at 7:00 pm. The Guilty, an edge-of-your-seat thriller from Denmark that takes place entirely in an alarm dispatch facility, screens on Monday, July 23 at 9:30 pm. Trauma, an intense documentary about the medics and pilots of a US Black Hawk medevac unit in Afghanistan screens on Tuesday, July 24 at 9:30 pm. Wednesday, July 25 at 9:30 pm showcases Funny Story, a dark comedy about a womanizing former TV star trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter. The emotional journey of A Boy, A Girl, A Dream unfolds in real time against the backdrop of the 2016 Presidential election on Thursday, July 26 at 9:30 pm. Other shorts include stories about a young woman with cerebral palsy falling in love, an Israeli patient finding out she has an Arab doctor, a foreman protecting her workers from the Department of Labor, and a law school student trying to explain a rather dire situation to police detectives. Images credit: The Etruscan Smile (Rosanna Arquette and Brian Cox pictured), photo credit: Po Valley Productions Aurora Borealis: Eszaki feny (Closing Night feature, Franciska Töröcsik pictured) photo credit: The Hungarian National Film Fund
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Pawel Pawlikowski’s COLD WAR to Open 2018 Sarajevo Film Festival [Trailer]

Cold War by Oscar-winning director Pawel Pawlikowski, winner of the Best Director Award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival will open the 24th edition of Sarajevo Film Festival on August 10th. Cold War is a passionate love story between two people of different backgrounds and temperaments, who are fatally mismatched and yet fatefully condemned to each other. Set against the background of the Cold War in the 1950s in Poland, Berlin, Yugoslavia and Paris – the film depicts an impossible love story in impossible times. Staring in the film are Tomasz Kot, Joanna Kulig, Agata Kulesza, Jeanne Balibar and Cédric Kahn. A day after the screenings, the festival-goers will have a chance to talk with Pawlikowski within the Festival’s Coffee with… program. Pawel Pawlikowski was born in Warsaw and left Poland at the age of fourteen first for the UK, Germany and Italy, before finally settling in the UK in 1977. He studied literature and philosophy in London and Oxford. Pawlikowski started making documentary films for the BBC in the late 1980s. His documentaries, which include FROM MOSCOW TO PIETUSHKI, DOSTOEVSKY’S TRAVELS, SERBIAN EPICS, and TRIPPING WITH ZHIRINOVSKY, have won numerous international awards including an Emmy and the Prix Italia. In 1998, Pawlikowski moved into fiction with a low budget TV film, Twockers, which was followed by two full-length features, Last Resort and My Summer of Love, both of which he wrote and directed. Both films won British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards, as well as many others at festivals around the world. He made The Woman in the Fifth in 2011, and his most recent film, IDA, won the 2015 Foreign Language Academy Award, five European Film Awards, a Bafta and a Goya, among many other prizes. Pawlikowski returned to Poland in 2013 while completing Ida. He currently lives in Warsaw and teaches film direction and writing at the Wajda School. Pawlikowski visited Sarajevo in 2014 to present his film IDA at the 20th Sarajevo Film Festival, film that won the Oscar for best foreign language film. https://vimeo.com/271271263
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French Filmmaker Bruno Dumont to Receive Pardo d’onore Manor Award at Locarno Festival

French filmmaker Bruno Dumont will receive the Pardo d’onore Manor award at the 71st Locarno Festival. Dumont will be a guest at the Festival in Piazza Grande on Saturday August 4 for the world premiere of the miniseries Coincoin et les z’inhumains. Born in Bailleul in the French part of Flanders in 1958, Bruno Dumont is one of the most original directors on the international scene today. Many of his films have proved controversial during a career stretching back over two decades, in which he has focused his rigorous, austere and uncompromising gaze on the mystery that lies within the reality of daily life, meticulously exploring the question of the existence of evil and the banal forms it can take. Dumont made his directing debut at the age of 38 with his first full-length feature, La vie de Jésus (1997), shot in his own native city of Bailleul. It was an immediate success, bringing him a César nomination for best first film and also a special mention in the Caméra d’or section at Cannes, where it was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight. Dumont carried on his highly personal cinematic research in his second full-length feature L’Humanité (1999), which won the Grand Prix at Cannes. In 2003 Dumont moved away from locations in Northern France for the first time to make his third film Twentynine Palms (2003), set in California. He returned to France to make Flandres (2006), which brought him his second Grand Prix at Cannes. Mystery is central to Dumont’s idea of cinema: in Hadewijch (2009) and Hors Satan (2011) he once again explored the sacred through the everyday. In 2012 Dumont made Camille Claudel 1915, on aspects of the life of the noted French sculptress, with Juliette Binoche in the title role. The film was presented at the Berlinale in 2013. Dumont began working for television with the series P’tit Quinquin (2014), which aired on ARTE. The move also brought humor into Dumont’s filmic world for the first time, a shift in genre which he repeated in his next feature film Ma Loute (2016), a blend of comedy and drama shown in competition at Cannes in 2016. The next change of tone was even more extreme, as the filmmaker tackled the challenge of a rock musical with Jeannette, l’enfance de Jeanne d’Arc (2017), based on a play by Charles Péguy. During the 71st Locarno Festival Dumont will be presenting his new miniseries Coincoin et les z’inhumains, due for theatrical release in Switzerland and screening on ARTE in September. Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director of the Locarno Festival: “Bruno Dumont is one of those directors who best typify 21st century cinema. His films are deeply rooted in philosophical, literary and film tradition and yet are forward-looking at the same time; they are the best possible riposte to those who claim that the cinema has nothing left to discover. His films are essays on men and women, on the absurdity intrinsic to existence, but also on the eternal problem of evil. They are also exhortations not to cease thinking about such issues, even when the noise from the images all around us becomes deafening. Dumont’s presence in Locarno will provide an opportunity to look back over some of the stages in his remarkable career and also, first and foremost, to discover the sequel to the series which took the Directors’ Fortnight by storm four years ago. I can’t think of a better way for miniseries to make their Piazza Grande debut than with this offering that combines slapstick comedy with a political message.” Bruno Dumont will receive the Pardo d’onore Manor award in Piazza Grande on the evening of 4 August. The Festival tribute will also include screenings of several titles in his filmography to date. On Sunday 5 August the Festival audience will also be able to see the filmmaker in a panel discussion at the Spazio Cinema. Recipients of the Pardo d’onore award at past Festivals include Samuel Fuller, Jean-Luc Godard, Ken Loach, Sydney Pollack, William Friedkin, Jia Zhang-ke, Alain Tanner, Werner Herzog, Agnès Varda, Michael Cimino, Marco Bellocchio, Alejandro Jodorowsky and, in 2017, Jean-Marie Straub and Todd Haynes. The Pardo d’onore is supported by Swiss department store chain Manor. The 71st Locarno Festival will take place from 1 to 11 August 2018.
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2018 Illuminate Film Festival Awards: STAY HUMAN And THE PUSH Tie to Win Audience Award

[caption id="attachment_29849" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Push by Grant Korgan[/caption] Michael Franti’s Stay Human tied with Grant Korgan’s The Push for the Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the 5th annual ILLUMINATE Film Festival, in Sedona. Stay Human takes viewers on a journey through music and the stories of some of the most inspiring individuals on the planet chronicling Franti’s experiences with people that he’s met on his travels who have chosen to overcome cynicism with optimism, hope, tenacity, music, and love. Directed by Grant Korgan and Brian Niles, The Push tells Korgan’s inspiring tale of triumph after becoming paralyzed in a snowmobile accident where he focused on 120 percent recovery to do the impossible: push his way over nearly 100 miles in Antarctica, spinal cord injury and all. Franti also was the recipient of the festival’s inaugural Voice for Humanity Award. “It’s important to be able to see each other as human beings above all else,” noted Franti. “I believe that there is no one in the world that you wouldn’t love if you heard their story.” The Audience Award for Best Short Film went to Black Star, directed by Akira Chan. This short documentary explores art as a healing modality to stop the VICIOUS cycle of addiction. In a feature competition section consisting of seven world and US Premieres, You Are What You Act took home the coveted 2018 Debut Feature Competition Jury Prize. The documentary proposes a revolutionary new health trend by asking what influences us more: our minds or our bodies. Director Albert Nerenberg and other leading psychologists in embodied cognition demonstrate fascinating psychological exercises with amazing results. Honorable Mentions were also given to Calling All Earthlings for unearthing a hidden truth and to From Shock to Awe for social impact. Living Music, directed by Libby Spears, took home the jury prize in the Debut Short Film Competition. When a promising young musician’s career is almost cut short after he loses his voice to a rare medical condition called spasmodic dysphonia, he goes on a rehabilitative journey of artistic experimentation. Vision: Seeing is Believing received an Honorable Mention for cinematography. From Shock to Awe captured the inaugural Mangurama Award for Conscious Documentary Storytelling. Including a $5000 cash prize, the Mangurama Award goes to to the most transformative non-fiction film that exhibits a strong story arc, compelling subjects and high production value. From Shock to Awe follows THE JOURNEY of returned U.S. combat veterans as they abandon pharmaceutical drugs to seek relief through the controversial, mind-expanding world of cannabis, ayahuasca and MDMA, known as ecstasy. Documentary 3100: Run And Become captured the Director’s Choice Award. This sweeping examination of running’s spiritual nature, follows long-distance runners in Arizona, Finland, New York City, the Japanese highlands and Africa’s Kalahari Desert. The ILLUMINATE Film Festival Impact Award went to Secret Ingredients by Amy Hart and Jeffrey Smith, which highlights through both personal stories and scientific input the role that pesticides and GMO’s are playing in compromising health on a large scale.
2018 ILLUMINATE Film Festival Award Winners
Debut Feature Competition Jury Prize Winner You Are What You Act Honorable Mention for Social Impact From Shock to Awe Honorable Mention for Unearthing a Hidden Truth Calling All Earthlings Debut Short Film Competition Jury Prize Winner Living Music Honorable Mention for Cinematography VISION: Seeing is Believing Mangurama Award for Conscious Documentary Storytelling From Shock to Awe Audience Award for Best Feature Winner (TIE)* The Push Stay Human Audience Award for Best Short Film Winner Black Star Runner-Up Living Music Director’s Choice Award Winner 3100: Run and Become Impact Award Winner Secret Ingredients
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Ground Breaking Immersive Documentary FACE TO FACE to World Premiere at Sheffield Doc/Fest

FACE TO FACE, the ground breaking immersive story/documentary/installation directed by the award-winning photo journalist, Michelle Gabel and co-directed by immersive storyteller/filmmaker Michaela Holland will world premiere at the Sheffield Doc/Fest beginning June 7 to 12, 2018. Imagine if a shotgun blast took away your eyes, nose and upper palate leaving you permanently blind and unable to smell. FACE TO FACE is the true story of Michelle, who was the victim of this accidental shooting and is currently raising her two daughters. A shotgun blast took away Michelle Fox’s eyes, nose, and upper palate, leaving her permanently blind and unable to smell. Years of photojournalism and audio interviews work in tandem with a virtual reality piece as viewers explore an immersive, three-act installation. FACE TO FACE is an intimate look at gun injury and human resilience. The film is an immersive documentary that blends years of photojournalism with virtual reality to create a three-act installation. This intimate look at gun injury and human resilience is based on the life of a woman who wears a facial prosthesis after a near fatal shooting accident. The installation will bring the viewer up close and personal, as we experience only a fraction of a day in the life of the main character. Years of photojournalism and interview audio is the foundation and cornerstone of this project. These traditional mediums work in tandem with a virtual reality piece as guests explore the film/installation. FACE TO FACE was chosen from a record number of highest quality entries to be awarded the 2018 Alternate Realities Commission . It was awarded due to the project’s ability to push the boundaries of what is possible within factual storytelling and its strong commitment to innovation in the realm of non-fiction. FACE TO FACE is a part of Sheffield Doc/Fest’s Alternate Realities programme, which is a leading forum for interactive, augmented reality, and virtual reality projects. Here, the festival explores game-changing forms of storytelling through experimenting with technology, for fully immersive experiences. Image: Michelle in her daily ritual just before she puts her face on – in a scene from FACE TO FACE – an immersive documentary directed by Michelle Gabel and co-directed by Michaela Holland.
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