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  • 2018 LA Film Festival Unveils Diverse Competition Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_31196" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Banana Split[/caption] The 2018 LA Film Festival taking place September 20 to 28, 2018. unveiled a diverse slate of 40 feature films, 41 short films, and 10 short episodic works in the U.S. Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, LA Muse and Nightfall sections. Across the competition categories 42% of the films are directed by women and 39% are directed by people of color. “Our mission of finding fresh new voices from different geographical and cultural axes remains true,” said LA Film Festival Director Jennifer Cochis. “These storytellers are united by their ability to transport, impact and inspire audiences with the power of their craft.” Venues for the 2018 Festival include the ArcLight Cinemas in Culver City, Hollywood and Santa Monica, as well as the new LMU Playa Vista Campus (opening this fall), the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and the Writers Guild Theater.

    U.S. Fiction Competition

    Banana Split – USA (DIRECTOR Benjamin Francis Kasulke WRITERS Hannah Marks, Joey Power PRODUCERS Jeremy Garelick, Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon, Will Phelps, Glen Trotiner, Sam Slater CAST Hannah Marks, Dylan Sprouse, Liana Liberato, Luke Spencer Roberts, Haley Ramm, Meagan Kimberly Smith) – Over the course of a summer, two teenage girls develop the perfect kindred spirit friendship, with one big problem: one of them is dating the other’s ex. World Premiere In Reality – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Ann Lupo CO-DIRECTOR/CO-WRITER Esteban Pedraza & Aaron Pryka PRODUCERS Ann Lupo, Nadine Martinez, Holly Meehl CAST Ann Lupo, Miles G. Jackson, Kimiko Glenn, Jill Eikenberry, Olivia Washington, Esteban Pedraza, Lauren E. Banks) – A young woman takes a journey through her own fantastic mind as she investigates her relationship to unrequited love. LA Premiere Olympia – USA (DIRECTOR Gregory Dixon WRITER McKenzie Chinn PRODUCERS Gregory Dixon, McKenzie Chinn, Elliott Lonsdale, Lucy Lola Manda, Sarah Sharp CAST McKenzie Chinn, Charles Gardner, Ericka Ratcliff, LaNisa Renee Frederick, Penelope Walker, Sadieh Rifai) – A struggling Chicago artist finds herself at a crossroads in life, overwhelmed by changes and needing to make a critical decision in her relationship. World Premiere Simple Wedding – USA (DIRECTOR Sara Zandieh WRITERS Sara Zandieh, Stephanie Wu PRODUCERS Ray Moheet, Norman Aladjem, Sara Zandieh CAST Tara Grammy, Christopher O’Shea, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Rita Wilson, Maz Jobrani, Houshang Touzie, Jaleh Modjallal, Peter Mackenzie, James Eckhouse, Rebecca Henderson, Aleque Reid) – A romantic comedy about a young Iranian-American woman and the lengths she goes to in order to appease her parents and their need to see her settled down. World Premiere Softness of Bodies – USA/Germany (DIRECTOR/WRITER Jordan Blady PRODUCERS Jordan Blady, Catherine Morawitz CAST Dasha Nekrasova, Morgan Krantz) – An American poet living in Berlin hopes to win a prestigious grant while dealing with her former relationships, a rival poet and her own penchant for stealing things. World Premiere This Teacher – USA (DIRECTOR Mark Jackson WRITERS Mark Jackson, Dana Thompson PRODUCERS Mark Jackson, Dana Thompson, Gigi Graff, Josh Mandel, Javier Gonzalez CAST Hafsia Herzi, Sarah Kazemy, Lucy Walters, Kevin Kane, Lev Gorn) – A young Arab-French woman on an introspective journey visits her childhood friend in New York City before heading to the woods upstate. World Premiere The Wrong Todd – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Rob Schulbaum PRODUCERS Ric Murray, Anthony Ambrosino CAST Jesse Rosen, Anna Rizzo, Sean Carmichael, Derek K. Moore, Erin Rose) – A sci-fi comedy about a man who gets caught up in extraordinary events, and the bizarre lengths he goes through to get back to his reality. World Premiere

    Documentary Competition

    Behind the Curve – USA (DIRECTOR Daniel J. Clark PRODUCERS Caroline Clark, Nick Andert, Daniel J. Clark) – The internet breathed new life into an old conspiracy theory: that the earth is flat instead of spherical. America’s flat-Earth movement appears to be growing, in spite of its detractors in the scientific community. US Premiere Facing the Dragon – USA/Afghanistan (DIRECTOR Sedika Mojadidi PRODUCER Jenny Raskin) – After international withdrawal from Afghanistan, two remarkable Afghan women working within the government and media struggle to maintain their hard-won rights while balancing what’s best for their families. World Premiere False Confessions – Denmark (DIRECTOR Katrine Philp PRODUCER Katrine A. Sahlstrøm) – “Would you confess to a crime you did not commit?” A defense attorney fights against the complex and manipulative tactics of US police interrogations, focusing on victims of coerced confessions as she helps exonerate her incarcerated clients. North American Premiere hillbilly – USA (DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS Sally Rubin, Ashley York SUBJECTS bell hooks, Billy Reddon, Ronny Cox, Frank X Walker, Crystal Good, Silas House) – Two filmmakers visit rural Kentucky, one returning home to Appalachia, to unpack the stereotype of “hillbilly” and explore the personal and painful experiences fueling our polarizing political climate. LA Premiere Mamacita – Germany/Mexico (DIRECTOR José Pablo Estrada Torrescano PRODUCERS José Pablo Estrada Torrescano, Arne Birkenstock) – A filmmaker fulfills his promise to make a film about his 95-year-old grandmother, showcasing her big personality and along the way uncovering the source of deep familial wounds. US Premiere Moroni for President – USA (DIRECTORS Saila Huusko, Jasper Rischen PRODUCERS Saila Huusko, Jasper Rischen, Sara Goldblatt) – Determined to shake up the status quo and bring positive change to his people, a young, gay college professor begins a grass-roots campaign to become the next President of the Navajo Nation. LA Premiere Same God – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER Linda Midgett) – It started out simply: a demonstration of solidarity. What followed? Life-changing events violating university and ethical codes and a public attack on a tenured professor’s ideals, faith, racial and religious identity. World Premiere The Silence of Others – Spain (DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS Almudena Carracedo, Robert Bahar) – In a country with streets that still bear his name, a group of resolute Spanish citizens seek justice for crimes committed during the brutal dictatorship of Francisco Franco by organizing a groundbreaking international lawsuit. West Coast Premiere Stammering Ballad – China (DIRECTOR/WRITER Nan Zhang PRODUCERS Ruby Chen, Yong Zhang, Sinae Ha) – The visual and musical journey of a Chinese folk musician torn between his desire for fame and his love for singing rural folk songs that are on the verge of being lost. North American Premiere Wrestling Ghosts — USA (DIRECTOR Ana Joanes PRODUCERS Ana Joanes, Toni Nagy) — Unable to understand why parenting seems like a constant uphill battle, an emotionally exhausted mother who can’t connect with her two young sons courageously confronts the events of her own traumatic childhood. World Premiere

    World Fiction Competition

    Border – Sweden (DIRECTOR Ali Abbasi WRITERS Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf, John Ajvide Lindqvist PRODUCERS Nina Bisgaard, Peter Gustafsson, Petra Jönsson CAST Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff, Jörgen Thorsson) – Despite having the remarkable gift of being able to smell emotions, a border agent leads a mundane existence until she meets a stranger who shares her unique abilities and upends her life. California Premiere The Cotton Wool War – Brazil (DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCERS Cláudio Marques, Marilia Hughes CAST Dora Goritzki, Thaia Perez, Thaila Lima) – Dora is a German-raised teenager visiting her enigmatic Brazilian grandmother for the first time. While trying to return to Germany at all costs, she discovers the incredible history behind the women of her family. US Premiere The Day I Lost My Shadow – France/Lebanon/Qatar/Syrian Arab Republic (DIRECTOR/WRITER Soudade Kaadan PRODUCER Amira Kaadan CAST Sawsan Arshid, Reham Al Kasar, Samer Ismail, Ahmad Ali) – In the midst of a gas crisis during the early days of the Syrian Arab Spring, a young mother takes the day off work and strays far from home with only one objective in mind: finding a working cylinder so that she may cook a meal for her son. US Premiere Heaven Without People – Lebanon (DIRECTOR/WRITER Lucien Bourjeily PRODUCERS Lucien Bourjeily, Farah Shaer CAST Ghassan Chemali, Hussein Hijazi, Jean Paul Hage, Jenny Gebara, Laeticia Semaan, Nadim Abou Samra, Samira Sarkis) – When a large family comes together for the first time in two years over Easter lunch, tensions bubble to the surface in surprising ways as they navigate an unforeseen conflict that threatens to derail their reunion. LA Premiere Microhabitat – South Korea (DIRECTOR/WRITER Jeon Go-Woon PRODUCER Kim Soon-Mo CAST Som Lee, Jae-hong Ahn) – An increase in the price of cigarettes destabilizes the economy of Miso, a young housekeeper who prefers to stop paying the rent rather than give up on the little pleasures of life. While she enjoys her smokes, Miso starts a couch-surfing journey that reconnects her with family and friends. West Coast Premiere Socrates – Brazil (DIRECTOR Alex Moratto WRITERS Alex Moratto, Thayná Mantesso PRODUCERS Tammy Weiss, Ramin Bahrani, Alex Moratto, Jefferson Paulino CAST Christian Malheiros, Tales Ordakji, Rosane Paulo, Caio Martinez Pacheco, Jayme Rodrigues) – A 15-year-old boy in São Paulo is forced to live on his own after his mother’s death. The search for a job, and dealing with his own sexual awakening, proves to be a lot to handle. World Premiere Tower. A Bright Day. – Poland/Czech Republic (DIRECTOR/WRITER Jagoda Szelc PRODUCERS Marcin Malatyński, Agata Golanska, Agnieszka Janowska, Kacper Habisiak, Andrzej Jędrzejewski, Maciej Ostoja-Chyżyński, Rafał Bubnicki CAST Anna Krotoska, Małgorzata Szczerbowska, Rafał Cieluch, Dorota Łukasiewicz-Kwietniewska, Laila Hennessy) – A protective mother has taken care of her young niece for years, raising her in the countryside as her own daughter. Her sister’s sudden return triggers a sense that she may be back to reclaim her offspring or to implement even more ominous plans. LA Premiere

    Nightfall

    The Dead Center – USA (DIRECTOR Billy Senese WRITER Billy Senese PRODUCERS Billy Senese, Denis Deck, Jonathan Rogers, Shane Carruth CAST Shane Carruth, Poorna Jagannathan, Jeremy Childs, Bill Feehely) – When a mysterious John Doe wakes up in a morgue and wanders into a psychiatric ward, a devoted doctor and curious medical examiner must slowly uncover dark and sinister secrets about the man that reveal a more horrifying truth than they could have ever imagined. World Premiere Deep Murder – USA (DIRECTOR Nick Corirossi WRITERS Josh Margolin, Quinn Beswick, Benjamin Smolen, Nikolai von Keller PRODUCERS Eric B. Fleischman, Andrew Swett, Drew Foster, Jesse Berger, Brent Johnson, Pat McErlean CAST Quinn Beswick, Katie Aselton, Christopher McDonald, Jerry O’Connell, Jessica Kennedy, Chris Redd, Stephanie Drake, Josh Margolin) – Set in an alternate reality in which everyone is a cliché from a tacky soft-core porn film, a group of increasingly self-aware stock characters are up against a mysterious killer offing them one by one. World Premiere Ghost Light – USA (DIRECTOR John Stimpson WRITERS/PRODUCERS Geoffrey Taylor, John Stimpson CAST Roger Bart, Tom Riley, Shannyn Sossamon, Danielle Campbell, Carol Kane, Cary Elwes) – The story of an unfortunate Shakespearean acting troupe that unleashes the infamous curse of Macbeth with horrifying results. World Premiere Head Count – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Elizabeth Callahan PRODUCERS Samuel Sandweiss, Brandon Somerhalder CAST Isaac W. Jay, Ashleigh Morghan, Bevin Bru, Billy Meade, Hunter Peterson, Chelcie May, Tory Freeth, Michael Herman, Amaka Obiechie, Sam Marra, Cooper Rowe) – During a weekend getaway to Joshua Tree, a group of teenagers find themselves under mental and physical assault from a supernatural entity that mimics their appearances as it completes an ancient ritual. World Premiere Spell – USA (DIRECTOR Brendan Walter WRITER Barak Hardley PRODUCERS Brendan Walter, Jon Lullo, Barak Hardley, Katy Stoll, Eleanor Wilson CAST Barak Hardley, Jackie Tohn, Magnús Jónsson, Birna Rún Eiriksdóttir, Tom Wright, Stacey Moseley, Michael Nanfria, Michole Briana White, Bryndís Haraldsdóttir) – Following the unexpected death of his fiancé, an American illustrator travels to the Icelandic countryside to seek solace. What he finds instead is a blurred line between reality and fantasy as magical things begin to shake his very foundation—unless it’s all in his head. World Premiere Thriller – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Dallas Jackson PRODUCERS Greg Gilreath, Adam Hendricks, John Lang, Dallas Jackson CAST Mykelti Williamson, RZA, Jessica Allain, Luke Tennie, Tequan Richmond, Paige Hurd, Chelsea Rendon, Mitchell Edwards, Pepi Sonuga, Jason Woods, Maestro Harrell, Michael Ocampo)– Years after a childhood prank goes horribly wrong, a clique of South Central LA teens find themselves terrorized during Homecoming weekend by a killer hell-bent on revenge. World Premiere

    LA Muse

    The Advocates – USA (DIRECTOR Rémi Kessler PRODUCERS Rémi Kessler, Robert McFalls) – A sweeping look at the homeless crisis in Los Angeles and an intimate view of the tireless advocates who strive to create better lives for their clients. World Premiere El Chicano – USA (DIRECTOR Ben Hernandez Bray WRITERS Ben Hernandez Bray, Joe Carnahan PRODUCERS Joe Carnahan, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Frank Grillo CAST Raúl Castillo, George Lopez, Aimee Garcia, Emilio Rivera, David Castañeda, Marlene Forte, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Sal Lopez) – A cop is drawn into his ex-con brother’s death while investigating the crime-fighting exploits of a mysterious vigilante known as “El Chicano.” World Premiere Fire on the Hill – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Brett Fallentine PRODUCERS Brett Fallentine, Jordana Glick-Franzheim) – Three Black cowboys in South Central share their stories following a mysterious fire that burnt down the community’s stables, leaving the fate of the culture in question. World Premiere Funke – (DIRECTOR Gabriel Taraboulsy PRODUCERS Gabriel Taraboulsy, Alex Emanuele, Jay Holzer, Cecile Murias) – A prodigious chef mounts his culinary comeback, eyeing the most competitive street in America as a stage for his ode to the dying art of handmade pasta. World Premiere Making Montgomery Clift – (DIRECTORS/WRITERS/PRODUCERS Robert A. Clift, Hillary Demmon) – Classic film star Montgomery Clift’s legacy has been a story of tragedy and self-destruction, but a more complicated picture emerges when his nephew dives into the family archives. World Premiere Saint Judy – USA (DIRECTOR Sean Hanish WRITER Dmitry Portnoy PRODUCERS Sean Hanish, Paul Jaconi-Biery CAST Michelle Monaghan, Leem Lubany, Common, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Mykelti Williamson) – The true story of LA immigration attorney Judy Wood, who single-handedly changed the United States Law of Asylum, saving countless lives in the process. World Premiere Solace – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Tchaiko Omawale PRODUCERS Tchaiko Omawale, Maya Emelle, Hope Olaide Wilson, Sabine Hoffman, Sascha Brown Rice CAST Hope Olaide Wilson, Lynn Whitfield, Chelsea Tavares, Glynn Turman, Luke Rampersad, Sydney Bennett) – A teenage orphan moves to LA to live with her estranged grandmother and works to win a performance art grant while secretly struggling with binge eating. California Premiere Staycation – USA (DIRECTOR Tanuj Chopra WRITERS Tanuj Chopra, Anthony Ma, Grace Su PRODUCER Lalithra Fernando CAST Anthony Ma, Grace Su) – A modern millennial codependent couple in DTLA have their relationship thrown for a loop when he discovers a photo from an ex on her phone. World Premiere Stuntman – USA (DIRECTOR Kurt Mattila PRODUCERS Steven Golebiowski, Kurt Mattila, Eddie Braun CAST Eddie Braun, Gary Davis, Conrad E. Palmisano, Buddy Joe Hooker, Scott Truax) – A veteran stuntman sets out to complete the jump that bested his idol Evel Knievel: clearing the Snake River Canyon in a rocket-powered craft. World Premiere We the Coyotes – USA (DIRECTORS/WRITERS Hanna Ladoul, Marco La Via PRODUCERS Raphael Gindre, Kevin Van Der Meiren, Julius Schultheib CAST Morgan Saylor, McCaul Lombardi, Betsy Brandt, Khleo Thomas, Lorelei Linklater) – A young couple moves to LA from the Midwest to start a new life together, but things don’t go exactly as planned. North American Premiere

    Shorts (41)

    Agua Viva – USA (DIRECTOR Alexa Lim Haas) – A Chinese manicurist in Miami attempts to describe feelings she doesn’t have the words for. Audition – USA (DIRECTOR Richard Van) – Unable to find a sitter, an aspiring actress has no choice but to drag her three-year-old son to her audition. Beastly Things – USA (DIRECTOR Zev Chevat) – A young artist encounters a vicious group of local schoolchildren and learns what beastly behavior truly means. Black 14 – USA (DIRECTOR Darius Clark Monroe) – An archival social study examining the media coverage of a 1969 racial protest at the University of Wyoming. Burn Bridge – USA/England (DIRECTOR Rhys Jones) – Hopelessly infatuated with his clueless best friend, an adolescent boy in North Yorkshire explores his sexuality and acts out with destructive behavior. Caroline – USA (DIRECTORS Celine Held, Logan George) – A precocious six-year-old is faced with a big responsibility on a hot Texas day. Cheer Up, Baby – USA (DIRECTOR Adinah Dancyger) – A young woman who has been sexually assaulted by a stranger on the subway is rendered with psychological menace and sensory dislocation in this elliptical tale. Counterfeit Kunkoo – India (DIRECTOR Reema Sengupta) – In a city that houses millions, Smita fights a stubborn cultural bias while trying to rent a house in middle-class Mumbai. Coyote – Switzerland (DIRECTOR Lorenz Wunderle) – After wolves attack his family, a coyote goes on a vision quest of revenge. Cross My Heart – Jamaica/USA (DIRECTOR Sontenish Myers) – An American teenage girl visits her family in Jamaica and uncovers a secret that changes the way she sees the people she loves. Delay – Iran/Italy (DIRECTOR Ali Asgari) – A man and his two children miss their flight and while waiting for the next flight, undergo a transformative moment. The Earth is Humming – USA (DIRECTOR Garrett Bradley) – In Japan earthquake preparedness is a way of life, and a full-blown industry. Falling – France (DIRECTOR Benjamin Vu) – In 1994 France, a clever, gay, much-bullied young esthete and his naïve, athletic classmate develop an unexpected intimacy when they’re paired up for a high school presentation. Hair Wolf – USA (DIRECTOR Mariama Diallo) – In a black hair salon in gentrifying Brooklyn, the residents fend off a strange new horror: white women sucking the lifeblood from black culture. Hierophany – USA (DIRECTOR Kevin Contento) – A Florida boy comes in contact with the sacred while living in the margins of the South. Intercourse – Sweden (DIRECTOR Jonatan Etzan) – A passing joke between a couple blurs the lines and brings them to terms with how it has changed their relationship. Jeom – USA (DIRECTOR Kangmin Kim) – A father and son, who share the same big birthmark on their butt wage war against this genetic blemish. Kevlar – Sweden (DIRECTOR Tuna Özer) – A young man from the projects outside of Stockholm borrows his friend’s jacket to impress a hip city girl and winds up at a party in a strange land. Ladders – USA (DIRECTOR Andrew Stephen Lee) – The bright future facing a smart, ambitious Dominican teen becomes clouded with doubt following a pointed interaction at a fundraising gala. Libre – USA (DIRECTOR Anna Barsan) – Undocumented immigrants forced to spend months in detention turn to private companies to secure their release on bond in this gripping documentary. Lotus – Iran (DIRECTOR Mohammadreza Vatandoust) – After a controlled flood an old woman is left to gaze from her window at the island she’s forbidden to visit, longing for the object of her affection. Mud – USA (DIRECTOR Shaandiin Tome) – On her last day of life, a woman faces the inescapable remnants of alcoholism, family and culture. Nevada – USA (DIRECTOR Emily Ann Hoffman) – A young couple’s romantic weekend getaway is interrupted by a birth control mishap in this stop-motion animated comedy. One Leg In, One Leg Out – Canada (DIRECTOR Lisa Rideout) – A lively, strong-willed sex worker struggles to move from the streets and into a career as a social worker, hoping to help fellow trans sex workers find acceptance. The Passage – USA (DIRECTOR Kitao Sakurai) – Fleeing a pair of mysterious agents sends a dim-witted mute on a series of absurd misadventures. Room 140 – USA (DIRECTOR Priscilla Gonzalez Sainz) – Immigrants just released from detention centers spend their first night in Oakland at a motel paid for by a local pastor. Roya – USA (DIRECTOR Shaina Pakravan) – On the night of a relative’s engagement party, an image conscious Iranian-American mother clashes with her free-spirited teenage daughter. Scratch – Spain (DIRECTOR David Valero) – A young DJ with a cognitive disability has trouble understanding the violent word around him; his actions subvert societal concepts of perpetrator and victim, apology and forgiveness. Shadow Animals – Sweden (DIRECTOR Jerry Carlsson) – A young girl follows her parents to a party where the adults’ behavior becomes increasingly strange. The Shift – USA (DIRECTOR Elivia Genny Shaw) – For San Francisco’s 911 dispatchers, the city is hard to escape. Sin Cielo – USA (DIRECTOR Jianna Maarten) – Two teenagers pursue young love in the borderlands where life under cartel violence may be inescapable. Skip Day – USA (DIRECTORS Ivete Lucas, Patrick Bresnan) – With graduation approaching, a group of high school seniors take a day at the beach to revel in the joys of being young in an increasingly unsteady world. Swedi – Sweden (DIRECTOR Sosi Chamoun) – A woman in a grocery store contends with a clerk who won’t leave her alone in this one-take shot. This Magnificent Cake! – Belgium/France/Netherlands (DIRECTORS Emma De Swaef, Marc James Roels) – Set in colonial Africa in the late 19th century, this breathtaking stop-motion epic examines colonialism through five different stories. This, My Favorite Mural – USA (DIRECTOR Michael Arcos) – The Latinx immigrant experience in Louisiana is explored through the eyes of a German woman who becomes obsessed with finding the artist who painted a tire shop mural. The Things You Think I’m Thinking – Canada (DIRECTOR Sherren Lee) – On his first date since a devastating accident, a burn victim throws himself back into the world of relationships and the fear of allowing love back into his life. True Love in Pueblo Textil – USA (DIRECTOR Horatio Baltz) – A young girl living in the Cuban countryside describes how it feels to be stricken with the world’s oldest infliction: love. War Paint – USA (DIRECTOR Katrelle Kindred) – For a bright South LA teen, what should be a happy 4th of July weekend becomes an unexpected lesson in the stark realities of power and racism. Weekends – USA (DIRECTOR Trevor Jimenez) – A young boy shuffles between the homes of his recently divorced parents in this surreal hand-animated film set in 1980s Toronto. While I Yet Live – USA (DIRECTOR Maris Curran) – African-American quilters from Alabama talk about love, religion and the fight for civil rights as they continue the tradition of quilting that originally brought them together. Wild Wild West: A Beautiful Rant By Mark Bradford – USA (DIRECTOR Dime Davis) – The origin of artists is explored through paper, percussion and one provocative creative.

    Episodes: Indie Series from the Web

    Avant-Guardians, dir. Clarence Williams II, USA Flatbush Misdemeanors, dirs. Dan Perlman, Kevin Iso, USA Fresh, dir. Grant Scicluna, Australia Kiki and Kitty, dir. Catriona Mackenzie, Australia Otis, dir. Alexander Etseyatse, USA Petal & Paint, dir. Bradley Smith, USA Psusy, dirs. Duckworth, Jaya Beach-Robertson, New Zealand Revenge Tour, dir. Andrew Carter, USA Robits, dir. Christopher Parks, USA Tracy Buckles, dir. Robin Nystrom, USA

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  • 19 Canadian Films Added to 2018 Toronto International Film Festival Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_31190" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Firecrackers Firecrackers[/caption] The Toronto International Film Festival added another 19 Canadian titles to the Festival’s 2018 lineup. The selection includes nine films directed by women and six exciting debut features. From personal dramas exploring identity to documentaries that spotlight a world at risk and democracy in jeopardy, this year’s lineup is rich in stories that tap into contemporary Canadian and International anxieties. “We’re especially proud to present such a diverse group of films,” said Steve Gravestock, Senior Programmer, TIFF. “Ranging from science fiction to fantasy, myth to documentary, and romance to a dystopic vision of our neighbours to the south, this year’s Canadian films come from every region in the country, stretching from east to west and north to south.” TIFF presents the World Premieres of three films that showcase Indigenous talent: Gwaai Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown’s Edge of the Knife, the first feature-length film made in Haida, which is classified by UNESCO as an endangered language; Darlene Naponse’s Falls Around Her, a moving portrait of healing and resilience, starring renowned Métis actor Tantoo Cardinal; and Miranda de Pencier’s feature directorial debut The Grizzlies, a creative collaboration between De Pencier and Inuit producers Alethea Arnaquq-Baril and Stacey Aglok MacDonald that tells an inspiring, true story and that was shot on location in MacDonald’s home community in Nunavut. “We’re thrilled with this year’s lineup of compelling and distinctive films,” said Danis Goulet, TIFF Canadian Features Programmer. “The films feature characters who push hard against prescribed boundaries, asking vital questions about the state of the world and the status quo. We are especially excited to have a strong slate of bold and dynamic women-centric stories. Forty percent of the Canadian film slate this year is directed by women.” This year’s lineup also includes works by legendary Canadian documentary filmmakers that look at contemporary culture through a critical lens, such as Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, and Edward Burtynsky’s highly anticipated documentary Anthropocene, Ron Mann’s Carmine Street Guitars and Thom Fitzgerald’s Splinters; Festival alumnus Igor Drljača is making his feature-documentary debut at the Festival with The Stone Speakers, and veteran Barry Avrich returns with Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz, a portrait of the United States’ chief prosecutor during the Nuremberg trials. A highlight of the festival will be a Special Event World Premiere and tribute showcasing the illuminating documentary Sharkwater Extinction, the final work by the late filmmaker and conservationist Rob Stewart. Other works by TIFF alumni premiering at the Festival include Canadian master Denys Arcand’s The Fall of the American Empire; Bruce Sweeney’s Kingsway; Sébastien Pilote’s The Fireflies Are Gone; Maxime Giroux’s The Great Darkened Days; and Astra Taylor’s What is Democracy? Renée Beaulieu is at TIFF for the first time with Les Salopes or the Naturally Wanton Pleasure of Skin, a study of a professor’s hidden desires. The Canadian feature debuts at this year’s Festival are: Gwaai Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown’s Haida epic Edge of the Knife; Akash Sherman’s sci-fi fantasy drama Clara ; Jasmin Mozaffari’s Firecrackers; Andrea Bussmann’s first solo project, Fausto; Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein’s Freaks and Miranda De Pencier’s Grizzlies. This year’s slate also features performances by multiple Canadian and international stars, such as Amanda Crew, Graham Greene, Brigitte Poupart, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, and Kyle MacLachlan. Other talent includes TIFF 2018 Rising Star Michaela Kurimsky ( Firecrackers) and former TIFF Rising Stars Sarah Gadon ( The Great Darkened Days) and Karelle Tremblay ( The Fireflies Are Gone). All 23 Canadian feature films at the Festival are eligible for the Canada Goose ® Award for Best Canadian Feature Film. All five Canadian feature directorial debuts are eligible for the City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film. This year’s Canadian feature-film jury is composed of award-winning Montreal filmmaker Mathieu Denis ( Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves), renowned Toronto journalist and documentarian Michelle Shephard ( Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr), and legendary Turkish director Ali Özgentürk, who wrote the screenplay for The Girl with the Red Scarf . The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.

    SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS*

    Anthropocene Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Edward Burtynsky | Canada World Premiere The Fall of the American Empire Denys Arcand | Canada Toronto Premiere The Grizzlies Miranda de Pencier | Canada World Premiere Previously announced Canadian features at the Festival include Keith Behrman’s Giant Little Ones (Special Presentation), Kim Nguyen’s The Hummingbird Project (Special Presentation), Patricia Rozema’s MOUTHPIECE (Opening Special Presentation), and Don McKellar’s Through Black Spruce (Special Presentation).

    SPECIAL EVENT

    Sharkwater Extinction Rob Stewart | Canada World Premiere

    TIFF DOCS

    Carmine Street Guitars Ron Mann | Canada North American Premiere Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz Barry Avrich | Canada World Premiere What is Democracy? Astra Taylor | Canada North American Premiere

    DISCOVERY

    Clara Akash Sherman | Canada World Premiere Edge of the Knife Gwaai Edenshaw, Helen Haig-Brown | Canada World Premiere Firecrackers Jasmin Mozaffari | Canada World Premiere Freaks Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein | Canada World Premiere

    CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA

    Falls Around Her Darlene Naponse | Canada World Premiere The Fireflies Are Gone Sébastien Pilote | Canada North American Premiere The Great Darkened Days Maxime Giroux | Canada World Premiere Kingsway Bruce Sweeney | Canada World Premiere Les Salopes or the Naturally Wanton Pleasure of Skin Renée Beaulieu | Canada World Premiere Splinters Thom Fitzgerald | Canada World Premiere

    WAVELENGTHS

    Fausto Andrea Bussmann | Canada/Mexico North American Premiere The Stone Speakers Igor Drljača | Canada/Bosnia and Herzegovina World Premiere

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  • Julian Schnabel’s AT ETERNITY’S GATE to Close 56th New York Film Festival

    At Eternity’s Gate Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate will make its North American premiere as the Closing Night film of the 56th New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall on Friday, October 12, 2018. CBS Films will release the film in November 2018. Julian Schnabel’s ravishingly tactile and luminous new film takes a fresh look at the last days of Vincent van Gogh, and in the process revivifies our sense of the artist as a living, feeling human being. Schnabel; his co-writers Jean-Claude Carrière and Louise Kugelberg, also the film’s editor; and cinematographer Benoît Delhomme strip everything down to essentials, fusing the sensual, the emotional, and the spiritual. And the pulsing heart of At Eternity’s Gate is Willem Dafoe’s shattering performance: his Vincent is at once lucid, mad, brilliant, helpless, defeated, and, finally, triumphant. With Oscar Isaac as Gauguin, Rupert Friend as Theo, Mathieu Amalric as Dr. Gachet, Emmanuelle Seigner as Madame Ginoux, and Mads Mikkelsen as The Priest. New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones said, “At Eternity’s Gate is such a surprising film, for all kinds of reasons. Julian Schnabel makes use of the most up-to-date information about Vincent van Gogh, altering our accepted ideas of how he lived and died; he grounds the film in the very action of painting, the intense contact between an artist and the world of forms and textures colored by light; and he gives us Willem Dafoe’s performance as Vincent—acting this pure is endlessly surprising.” “I would like to say thank you to Kent Jones and the NYFF selection committee on behalf of Willem Dafoe, who is Vincent van Gogh in the film, and the cast and crew, who I have been so privileged to work with, for choosing At Eternity’s Gate for Closing Night,” said Schnabel. “It is a profound honor to be included with the other films and to be part of the history of Closing Night films that came before us. Looking forward to sitting in the audience with everybody.” Earlier this summer, NYFF announced Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite as Opening Night and Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA as the Centerpiece selection. This year’s gala screenings, including Closing Night, will be held on Fridays instead of Saturdays. The 56th New York Film Festival runs September 28 to October 14, 2018.

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  • Xavier Dolan’s THE DEATH AND LIFE OF JOHN F. DONOVAN to World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

    The Death and Life of John F. Donovan Xavier Dolan’s The Death and Life of John F. Donovan will have its World Premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival this September. The Death and Life of John F. Donovan follows the story of a young actor (Jacob Tremblay) as he reminisces on the letters he once shared with an American TV star (Kit Harington), who passed away a decade earlier, and the impact those letters had on both their lives. The film also stars Natalie Portman, Ben Schnetzer, Susan Sarandon, Jared Keeso, Kathy Bates, Thandie Newton, Emily Hampshire, and former TIFF Rising Star Sarah Gadon. “In only a few short years, Xavier Dolan has drawn film lovers all over the world into his personal vision,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “That vision and his remarkable skill as a filmmaker are on full display in his English-language debut. We are honoured to premiere it in Toronto.” The Death and Life of John F. Donovan will screen as part of the Special Presentations programme. The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.

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  • Penelope Cruz, Whoopi Goldberg, Jane Lynch Among 2018 HollyShorts Film Festival Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_31174" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]THE BIRDS SING TO LOUD starring Jane Lynch THE BIRDS SING TO LOUD starring Jane Lynch[/caption] The Oscar-Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival today unveiled the Official Selections of the upcoming 14th edition taking place August 9 to 18, 2018  at the TCL Chinese Theater, Harmony Gold Theater and other locations in Hollywood. Nearly 400 short films will compete for the festival’s top prizes. Last year HollyShorts finalists included 3 out of the 5 Live Action Oscar nominees and the winning short Silent Child from Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton. This year, HollyShorts received an all-time record 5,000 submissions from over 80 countries. The competition will feature Live Action, Animation and Documentary Shorts as well as web series, student shorts, music videos, TV pilots, and VR. The festival also features a screenplay competition where the winning short gets greenlit, shot and shown at next year’s festival courtesy of Evil Slave Productions. This year’s competition lineup is the most star-studded. Standouts include Penelope Cruz’s short documentary SOY UNOENTRECIENMIL which explores childhood leukaemia, Ramon Rodriguez’s (The Affair) ROUND, Liz Lachman’s PIN-UP starring Angela Sarafyan (Westworld), Kelley Kali’s LALO’S HOUSE starring Garcelle Beauvais and Jimmy Jean-Louis, Jarod Einsohn’s Long Walk Home (Produced by Anthony Hemingway) starring Ryan Rottman, Jocelyn Stamat’s LABORATORY CONDITIONS starring Minnie Driver, Kevin Alejandro’s (Arrow) LUCIFER, Fox and Mars Candy Brands short BITE SIZE HORROR (Directed by a team of up and coming horror directors), Choice Skinner’s BLACK LIGHTNING- TOBIAS REVENGE starring Jay Hunter (If Loving you is Wrong), Jack Kenny’s THE BIRDS SING TO LOUD starring Jane Lynch, Mark Lobatto’s STEALING SILVER starring Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Michael Reilly’s HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oscar nominated animator Bill Plympton’s MODERN LIVES, Guy Nattiv’s SKIN starring Danielle MacDonald (Patti Cake$), Tyler Winther’s GOLIATH 22 starring Jaylen Moore (SIX), R.H. Norman’s HAJJI starring Ross Marquand (Walking Dead), Lisa Edelstein’s (House) UNZIPPING, Omar Benson Miller’s (Ballers) ADVANTAGE OMAR, Jaclyn Bethany’s THE DELTA GIRL starring Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan) and Caitlyn Carver (I, Tonya) among others. The festival will announce additional films in the coming week, include opening night and closing night programs. Image via Twitter

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  • 2018 Durban International Film Festival Awards: THE REPORTS ON SARAH AND SALEEM Wins Best Film

    [caption id="attachment_31165" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Reports on Sarah and Saleem The Reports on Sarah and Saleem[/caption] The 39th Durban International Film Festival held its awards ceremony on Saturday and awarded the Best Feature Film prize to The Reports on Sarah and Saleem, directed by Muayad Alayan. Maisa Abd Elhadi was awarded Best Actress prize the for her role as Bisan in the film. A total of 17 awards were given out at the ceremony. DIFF has recently been included as a Documentary Feature Qualifying Festival by the Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences, which means that both the winners of the Best Documentary, New Moon and Best SA Documentary Sisters of the Wilderness, will now automatically qualify for consideration for an Oscar nomination.

    39th Durban International Film Festival Awards

    Best Feature Film: The Reports on Sarah and Saleem, directed by Muayad Alayan, and produced by Muayad Alayan, Rami Alayan, Hans de Wolf, Hanneke Niens, Rebekka Garrido, Rodrigo Iturralde, Georgina Gonzalez, and Alejandro Duran. Best South African Feature Film: High Fantasy, directed by Jenna Bass and produced by David Horler and Steven Markovitz. Best Documentary: New Moon, produced and directed by Philippa Ndisi-Hermann. Best South African Documentary: Sisters of the Wilderness, directed by Karin Slater and produced by Ronit Shapiro. Best Direction: Constantin Popescu for Pororoca Best Cinematography: Liviu Marghidan for Pororoca Best Screenplay: Jennifer Fox for The Tale Best Actor: Bogdan Dumitrache for his role as Tudor in Pororoca, directed by Constantin Popescu Best Actress: Maisa Abd Elhadi for her role as Bisan in The Reports on Sarah and Saleem Best Editing: Anne Fabini, Alex Hall and Gary Level for The Tale Artistic Bravery: was won jointly by High Fantasy, directed by Jenna Bass and Supa Modo directed by Likarion Wainaina. Best South African Short Film: Stillborn, directed by Jahmil X. T. Qubeka and produced by Huanxi Media Group, Xstream Pictures, and Yellowbone Entertainment. Best African Short Film: Aya, directed by Moufida Fedhila and produced by Appel d’Air Films. Best Short Film: The Patience of Water (La Paciencia Del Agua), directed by Guillem Almirall. Audience Choice Award: The State Against Mandela and the Others, directed by Nicolas Champeaux and Gilles Porte. Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award: Silas, directed by Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman and produced by Appian Way, Big World Cinema and Ink & Pepper Productions. Best Wavescape Film: Heavy Water, directed by Michael Oblowitz  

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  • 2018 Stony Brook Film Festival Awards: THE ETRUSCAN SMILE Starring Brian Cox Wins Grand Prize

     (left to right) Emmy Award winning actor Brian Cox and Alan Inkles, founder and director of the Stony Brook Film Festival, at the U.S. Premiere of The Etruscan Smile, July 21, 2018. The Etruscan Smile won the Grand Prize at the 23rd Annual Stony Brook Film Festival Presented by Island Federal Credit Union. Credit: Nick A. Koridis The Etruscan Smile, starring Brian Cox won the Grand Prize at the 23rd Annual Stony Brook Film Festival. It also stars Rosanna Arquette, Thora Birch, JJ Field, Peter Coyote, Treat Williams and twins Aero and Boom Epps. The Etruscan Smile is based on the bestselling book La Sonrisa Etrusca by Jose Louis Sampedro, with the story being transposed to Scotland and the United States. In it, a rugged old Scotsman reluctantly leaves his beloved isolated Hebridean island and travels to the U.S. to seek medical treatment. Moving in with his estranged son and workaholic daughter-in-law, he finds his life being transformed by a new-found bond with his baby grandson. Alan Inkles, founder and director of the Stony Brook Film Festival announced additional awards at a reception at Staller Center for the Arts, Stony Brook University on Saturday, July 28. “We received so many enthusiastic responses from our astute audience members over the ten days of the Festival. The Etruscan Smile was hailed as a favorite. I was fortunate to have Brian Cox reach out to us just as we were finishing our schedule. He had been to the Stony Brook Film Festival for his film The Carer and was keen on having the U.S. Premiere of The Etruscan Smile at Stony Brook.” Th Stony Brook Film Festival has awarded eight Grand Prizes in its 23-year history. The Etruscan Smile is the ninth to receive a Grand Prize.

    2018 STONY BROOK FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

    2018 Grand Prize

    The Etruscan Smile U.S. Premiere – United States – 107 min Directed by Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis. Written by Michael McGowan, Michal Lali Kagan and Sarah Bellwood. With Brian Cox (Braveheart, The Carer), Thora Birch (Ghost World), JJ Feild (Austenland), and Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction).

    2018 Jury Award – Best Feature (tie)

    Octav U.S. Premiere – Romania – 100 min Directed by Serge Ioan Celebidachi. Written by Serge Ioan Celebidachi and James Olivier. With Marcel Iures, Victor Rebengiuc, Eric Aradits and Alessia Tofan. The magical feature Octav centers on an elderly man returning to his family home after decades of absence. The apparition of his childhood sweetheart triggers a rewind to the life-changing events from his youth. As long-forgotten memories resurface, he begins to find answers to the questions that have cast a shadow over his life and gains clarity on decisions before him. Octav is a life-affirming story that celebrates the purity of childhood, love, and friendship. In Romanian with subtitles. Produced by Adela Vrînceanu Celebidachi. Edited by Mircea Olteanu. Director of Photography: Blasco Giurato. A Celi Films and Oblique Media Film production. From The Little Film Company.

    2018 Jury Award – Best Feature (tie)

    Symphony for Ana East Coast Premiere – Argentina – 119 min Directed by Ernesto Ardito, Virna Molina. Written by Ernesto Ardito, Virna Molina and Gaby Meik. With Isadora Ardito, Rocio Palacin, Rafael Federman, Ricky Arraga, Vera Fogwill and Rodrigo Noya. Based on a true story, Symphony for Ana is about the bloodiest coup d’etat in Argentina, when the military dictatorship ‘disappeared’ 108 students from The National High School of Buenos Aires, known for being elite and prestigious. Ana is a student there, a teenager who just wants to fall in love, have lots of friends, and fight for a better world. Instead, she must choose her friends carefully as she navigates the power struggles and ever-changing allegiances in her 15-year-old world. This intense and superbly acted film features current students from The National High School of Buenos Aires. The hard-hitting story drawn from Gaby Meik’s book is history that should not be forgotten. In Spanish with subtitles. Produced by Ernesto Ardito, Virna Molina. Edited by Ernesto Ardito, Virna Molina. Director of Photography: Fernando Molina. An Ernesto Ardito and Virna Molina Film.

    2018 Audience Choice – Best Feature

    The Guilty Denmark – 85 min Directed by Gustav Möller. Written by Emil Nygaard Albertsen and Gustav Möller. With Jakob Cedergren, Jessica Dinnage and Omar Shargawi. In this brilliantly suspenseful thriller, an alarm dispatcher and former policeman answers an emergency call from a kidnapped woman, when the call is suddenly disconnected. With the phone as his only tool, the dispatcher enters a race against time to save the endangered woman and find her kidnapper, but he soon realizes that he is dealing with a much more complicated crime than he first thought. A tense and restrained knockout performance by Jakob Cedergren keeps the audience riveted throughout the film. In Danish and English with subtitles. Produced by Lina Flint. Edited by Carla Luffe Heintzelmann. Director of Photography: Jasper Spanning. A Nordisk Film/SPRING production. From Magnolia Pictures.

    2018 Spirit of Independent Filmmaking

    Thrasher Road East Coast Premiere – United States – 86 min. Written and Directed by Samantha Davidson Green. With Allison Brown and Christian Kohn. Samantha Davidson Green, the writer and director of Thrasher Road, attended the Stony Brook Film Festival with actress Allison Brown and Christian Kohn to represent the film. Ms. Green teaches film directing at Dartmouth College and Thrasher Road was her first feature film after making award-winning short films that have been featured at festivals worldwide. In this original, fresh road trip story, pregnant Chloe and her elderly dog, Thrasher, get an unwelcome rescue from Chloe’s father when her car breaks down in a trip across country. Stuck together in a car with thousands of miles ahead of them and thirteen years’ estrangement behind them, father and daughter start to reconnect. Shot on location from California to Mississippi to Vermont, this very indie road trip features a cast from across the country, and a heart as big as a huge, rusted-out, pickup truck. Produced by Maria Rosenblum, Jonathan Wysock. Edited by Karen Smalley. Director of Photography: Eric Leach. A BetwixtNbetween Films production.

    2018 Jury Award – Best Short

    Unnatural East Coast Premiere – United States – 26 min. A film by Amy Wang. In every attempt for normality, 18-year-old James is perpetually confronted by his demon. “The core of this film is about hating who you are,” notes Amy Wang. In Unnatural, she introduces a reclusive teenager with a secret.

    2018 Audience Choice Award – Best Short

    Internet Gangsters New York Premiere – United States – 6 min. A film by Sam Friedlander. SBFF alumnus and Deer Park native Eddie Alfano (Cops and Robbers) returns to star in a hilarious short as two New York hitmen in L.A. discover technology is the real enemy. As one of the many gems among the shorts that the SBFF audience rated highly, it was a standout. Image:  (left to right) Emmy Award winning actor Brian Cox and Alan Inkles, founder and director of the Stony Brook Film Festival, at the U.S. Premiere of The Etruscan Smile, July 21, 2018. The Etruscan Smile won the Grand Prize at the 23rd Annual Stony Brook Film Festival Presented by Island Federal Credit Union.  Credit: Nick A. Koridis

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  • Gold Coast International Film Festival to Honor Actor Robert Wagner

    Robert Wagner Actor Robert Wagner has been named the recipient of the Gold Coast International Film Festival’s second annual Burton Moss Hollywood Golden Era Award. Presentation of the Burton Moss Hollywood Golden Era Award will be on October 24, 2018. Born on February 10, 1930, in Detroit, Michigan, Robert Wagner has amassed an impressive list of feature and television films, along with three hit television series over a career that has spanned nearly seven decades. He made his film debut in 1950 in The Happy Years, and soon after was put under contract with 20th Century Fox. At Fox, his first film was in 1951 in a supporting role in Halls of Montezuma, a World War II movie starring Richard Widmark. Cast by Darryl F. Zanuck as a crippled soldier in the 1952 film With a Song in My Heart, Mr. Wagner’s performance brought immediate public reaction to the studio. The rest, as it is said, is history. Film legend Spencer Tracy saw Mr. Wagner in Beneath the Twelve Mile Reef and requested him in the role of his son in Broken Lance. Impressed with his acting skills, Tracy cast him as his brother in The Mountain. Among Robert Wagner’s numerous film credits includes Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, The Pink Panther, The Curse of the Pink Panther, Midway, The Towering Inferno, Banning, Harper, Prince Valiant, The True Story of Jesse James, and All the Fine Young Cannibals. He re-created his role of Number Two, the villainous henchman to Dr. Evil, the archenemy of Mike Myers’ title character in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. As a television star, Mr. Wagner has starred in three long-running hit series, It Takes a Thief, with Fred Astaire, Switch, with Eddie Albert and Sharon Gless and Hart to Hart, with Stefanie Powers. He was nominated for an Emmy for his role as Alexander Mundy in It Takes a Thief. He also starred with Jaclyn Smith in the top-rated miniseries Windmills of the Gods, based on Sidney Sheldon’s best-selling novel; with Angie Dickinson in the miniseries Pearl with Audrey Hepburn in Love among Thieves; with Lesley Anne Down in Indiscreet and in North and South III with Joanne Woodward in A Kiss Before Dying; and with Elizabeth Taylor in There Must Be a Pony, which he also executive-produced. He also appeared in the memorable Seinfeld episode, “The Yada, Yada, Yada,” as Dr. Abbot. Longtime close friend, Larry King, who also serves on the nominating committee for the Burton Moss Hollywood Golden Era Award said of the nomination, “Robert Wagner is most deserving of this award.” Named for the man who has represented some of Hollywood’s finest stars, the Burton Moss Hollywood Golden Era Award pays tribute to film legends who may not have been appropriately honored during their lifetimes, and whose legacy is in danger of becoming forgotten by newer generations of filmgoers. Burton Moss, for whom the award is named, represented Hollywood legends over an illustrious career that has spanned several decades. Moss’s client roster has included Bette Davis, Sidney Poitier, Robert Vaughn, Tom Cruise, Mia Farrow, Juliet Mills, Hugh O’Brian, Cliff Robertson, Tippi Hedren, William Shatner, Dyan Cannon, Carroll O’ Connor, Martin Landau, Sally Kellerman, Dina Merrill, Connie Stevens, Tom Bosley, Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman, Dorothy McGuire, Charles Bickford, Victor Jory, Sally Kellerman, Carrie Snodgress, Larry King, Elizabeth Montgomery, Constance Towers, Ruth Roman, Cyd Charisse, June Allyson, Jack Valenti, and Hollywood’s “Love Goddess,” Rita Hayworth, who posthumously received the inaugural Burton Moss Hollywood Golden Era Award in October 2017. The Burton Moss Hollywood Golden Era Award, itself an original work of art, was created by renowned sculptor Edwina Sandys, who is a granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill. The first award was accepted by Hayworth’s daughter, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, at the presentation made at a private reception held at the New York City home of Ms. Sandys. “American culture owes a debt of gratitude to The Pioneers of the film and television industry for creating out of whole cloth a form of entertainment that is accessible to the ordinary individual and that has had the potential to educate and transform the thinking of millions of people,” said Ms. Gil. “The producers, directors, actors and technicians who dreamed, worked, invented, reinvented, and developed what we know today as Hollywood were the greats of this industry, upon whose shoulders today’s stars stand. Robert Wagner has the long view of this pond, having served in film and television as a leading man and talented actor. He worked alongside the greatest in his profession because he was one of them. It is our honor to recognize him with this award.”

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  • Indie Memphis Announces 2018 Black Creators Forum, Alex Huggins Wins Residency

    Indie Memphis Announces 2018 Black Creators Forum Indie Memphis Film Festival continues it commitment to supporting black filmmakers, present and future, with the new Black Creators Forum, running November 1st and 2nd at the Hattiloo Theatre. The Black Creators Forum will run before and parallel with the opening of the Indie Memphis Film Festival (November 1st – 5th, 2018), and is a two-day symposium of workshops and invited speakers led by notable black filmmakers and critics with a wide interdisciplinary range, including fine art, music, and online content. The goal is to explore ways black filmmaking can find creativity and sustainability from other mediums, and to ease the barrier of entry for black artists who would like to work in film. The event will be programmed by Indie Memphis Senior Programmer Miriam Bale and produced by Jason Farmer, Indie Memphis board member and owner of Black Lens Productions. “With the rich cultural, arts and musical legacy of Memphis as the backdrop, creating vibrant stories in our own tenor and tone on film is a natural, organic progression,” said Farmer, ”The Black Creators Forum in conjunction with the Indie Memphis Film Festival was created to give voice and vision to empower artists who can meet a growing demand for new media.” The two-day event of closed door discussions will conclude with a public pitch event on November 2nd, 2018. A dozen filmmakers will pitch projects, including finalists of the inaugural Indie Memphis Black Filmmaker Residency in Screenwriting program, as well as the winner of the Residency, Alex Huggins. Huggins will receive a $7500 unrestricted cash grant and a two month residency in Memphis to work on his feature film screenplay, Mason Dixon. “There was an incredible range of subjects and tones among the finalists’ projects—from a coming-of-age period piece about pop culture just before Beyoncé to a perverse comedy adventure, best described as if John Waters were a queer woman. Ultimately the selection committee went with Alex Huggins and his strong vision as a writer-director,” said Bale. “But we want to see all these projects made. Our intention is that the Forum and its pitch event will bring these new talents to the attention of producers, funders, and future collaborators.” The Residency finalists were decided by Indie Memphis staff and a board member from 106 applications, and the winner was decided by an independent selection committee of black film professionals.

    2018 Recipient

    Alex Huggins

    Bio: Alex Huggins is a filmmaker and screenwriter from Salt Lake City, Utah. After a stint studying Architecture at Parsons School of Design in New York, and a brief period back home working in production through the Utah Film Commission, he returned to New York to act as an apprentice to Josh and Benny Safdie at their burgeoning studio Elara Pictures. Growing up in an immigrant household –raised by his Haitian mother and the youngest of three – Huggins recalls watching films from an early age, utilizing them to bridge the contrasting realities impressed upon him by his Caribbean influenced home life and the American West. In his work, Huggins exercises these contrasting realities via subversive themes in an effort to cast reconfigured historical context on a contemporary landscape. Huggins is currently working on his next film – a short entitled “Pennies” following a group of vampires in Harlem – while also writing collaboratively on multiple projects. Project, Mason Dixon: The film tells the story of Vanessa Pierre, a 20-year-old Haitian American, who becomes entangled in a convoluted historical mystery following the return of her estranged father to her mother’s home.

    2018 Finalists

    Jon-Carlos Evans

    Bio: Jon-Carlos Evans is a Berlin-based filmmaker, audiovisual artist and writer. A native of St. Louis, MO, he holds a B.A. in Film Production from Webster University-St. Louis and a MFA in Media Arts Production from the City College of New York. Under his musical alias Klaas von Karlos, Evans is also the founder of experimental-electronic collective ReVerse Bullets and creative director of the GLITCH performance series/music label. As Klaas von Karlos, he is a member of music projects BIINDS, Naked Sweatshop, and Divan Rouge. His previous works include the short films “Antithesis,” “Goodbye Brooklyn,” “Julya,” and “Salvation (Without You).” He is a recipient of the Eastman Kodak Student Grant (2006), the Aloha Accolade Award (2010, Honolulu International Festival), and the Silver Palm Award (2010, Mexico International Film Festival). His recently completed feature, All Tomorrow’s Children, continues to play in festivals after winning the Bronze Remi Award at Worldfest Houston and Best Narrative Film at the 2017 CUNY Film Festival. Project, The Lost Gods of Memphis: The Lost Gods of Memphis is a free jazz-noir, dark fairytale about a hidden society of Egyptian gods and goddesses based along the Mississippi River in the 21st century. When the sacred bull disappears, a group of four elderly, eccentric gods turned jazz musicians are enlisted to restore order.

    Natalie Frazier

    Bio: Natalie Frazier is the director and writer of Cheetah & The Deathgoers. She is a proud Chicagoan, filmmaker and writer. She’s worked as a production assistant on MTV’s “Sweet Viscous” and “Catfish,” and “Brujos,” a web series. She graduated with a degree in Radio, Television and Film from Northwestern University in 2016. Project, Mr. Interlocutor: After years of attempting to entertain a world that just can’t seem to peg them, G, a scorned burlesque dancer, embarks on a different kind of tour — a farcical killing spree.

    Jeri Hilt

    Bio: Jeri Hilt is a mixed media artist and filmmaker native to Louisiana. Her art reflects cosmologies, aesthetics, and cannons of thought from communities of color as she has experienced them this lifetime. Though much of her work has been regionally specific in space and time to southern Louisiana and the state’s coastal Wetlands; her art is created with intent to be both resonate and reflective of contemporary Black/Indigenous communities throughout the African Diaspora. Project, Five Million Marielles: After the assassination of Marielle Franco in 2018, Black and Indigenous Women in Brazil and throughout the African Diaspora create a campaign to “produce” five million Marielles by vowing to name their next immediate child-regardless of sex/gender-Marielle. Discreetly, they also vow to raise them according to her principles and humanistic philosophy-with the ultimate goal of changing the world completely in one generation.

    Amanda Layne Miller

    Bio: Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Amanda Layne Miller is a writer, director, and part-time editor in Los Angeles, creating new worlds and complex characters in fantasy/sci-fi and coming-of-age narratives. She is passionate about inclusive representation in film, television, and digital media. She loves using dramatic and comedic elements to portray real life in bizarre ways, and is excited by the new opportunities and stories being told on television and new media services. Miller’s ultimate goal is to create content that reflects her personal worldview as a Black woman from the American South. In doing so, she also hopes to expand the range of identities represented on-screen and behind the scenes. She is currently a developing writer on an American/Chinese co-production, while serving as a Creative Assistant and writer at indie comic company Stranger Comics. She has previously interned for HBO West Coast Production in LA, MACRO in Hollywood, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment in LA, and HBO Creative Services in New York City. Project, Black Cherry: In 1985 Memphis, black and white communities bump heads and turn to chaos when head cheerleader Cherry Grace receives an invitation to Cotillion–the first black girl in the tradition’s long history.

    Ama Quao

    Bio: Ama Quao is a first-generation African-American, screenwriter based in New York by way of Tennessee. A 2012 graduate of Brown University, she has interned and worked at A24, Billions on Showtime and Sweetbitter on Starz. A 2017 MADE IN NEW YORK Fellowship Semi-Finalist and recipient of the 2017 Jesse Thompkins III Emerging Storyteller Award, her comedic writing seeks to expand the representation of women of color in film and TV. Project, 1999: When Zeus, a first-generation African-American loses a pound of weed, the same day his type-A sister, Zola, wins two tickets to a Britney Spears concert, they realize they must work together if they want to make it to the concert alive.

    Final Selection Committee for Indie Memphis Black Filmmaker Residency in Screenwriting

    Monica Cooper

    Monica Cooper was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and reared in Pittsburgh. She studied Theater Arts at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, NC. While working as an actress and voice over artist in the Carolinas, she was frustrated at not being able to find good talent representation, so opened her own successful model and talent agency. After a move to Hollywood, she worked as Casting Assistant on films such as Posse (1993, Mario Van Peebles) and Friday (1995, F. Gary Gray). She has worked as Casting Director on films like Cauleen Smith’s Drylongso (1998). Currently Cooper is President of Make it Happen Entertainment, which develops film television and new media projects in the U.S. and internationally. Cooper is also the founder of the In-Focus Film Society, developing educational programs such as a recent series of panels and discussions on diversity at the Cannes Film Festival.

    Rooney Elmi

    Rooney Elmi is ​the ​creator and managing editor of SVLLY(wood), a biannual print and digital movie magazine geared toward radical cinephilia. ​As the former director of development of Ohio Film Group, she handled acquisitions and marketing for the state-of-the-art post production studio and currently programs short films and documentaries for international cinema spaces and online platforms.

    Rob Williams

    Rob Williams is a veteran Creative Executive and Producer who has worked with most major studios including Paramount, DreamWorks, and Disney/ABC, developing and shepherding many an award-winning projects through the production process. He is currently Senior Vice President of Theatrical Motion Pictures at JuVee Productions is an award-winning, artist-driven production company from Viola Davis and Julius Tennon. Prior to that he was a consultant to the CEO of Cape Town Film Studios in South Africa and instrumental in securing US Congressional support for a sustainable value chain consisting of training, production, distribution and complimentary media services linked between South Africa and the United States. During his tenure at Amblin, Williams worked as a Screenplay Editor on Amistad, Ants, and Deep Impact. Williams was also intimately involved in the development and production of the Michael Mann directed motion picture Ali. During his tenure, he worked closely with Oscar-winning Producer Graham King (Argo, The Town, The Departed) and Mann in developing several high-profile projects including Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, and the upcoming highly anticipated Ferrari to be directed by Mann. Image(pictured from top-left): Alex Huggins, Jon-Carlos Evans, Natalie Frazier, Jeri Hilt, Amanda Layne Miller, and Ama Quao.

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  • Rhode Island International Film Festival Celebrates 22nd Season with Over 290 Films

    [caption id="attachment_31064" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FAMILY YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FAMILY[/caption] Over a six-day run, from August 7 to 12, 2018, the 22nd Annual Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival will screen 293 films that include 84 World/United States Premieres from 48 countries. The festival will host the premieres of local films such as Pat Heywood and Jamil McGinnis’ “Fall River,” Clayton Vila’s “Back to Life: The Torin Yater-Wallace Story,” URI Film Professor, Reshad Kulenovic’s “Blood & Moonlight,” Selene Means’ “The Time Is Already,” Ali Migliore’s “After Her,” Denali Tiller’s “Tre Maison Dason,” Gene Pina’s “Warrior,” Tim Gray’s “Survivors of Malmedy: December 1944” and many, many more. Starting on Tuesday, August 7th, a special year long “Celebration of Women in Film and Arts” will be launched (#WomenInTheArts). To celebrate this achievement, the Festival is dedicated this year’s event to Dr. Winifred E. Brownell, a groundbreaking educator and Dean Emerita of the Arts and Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. Her visionary work propelled the University to become a leading hub for film media studies and nurtured the Festival during its infancy, spurring it to become the internationally acclaimed event that it is today. The Festival is also establishing a $2,000 annual scholarship in her name that pays recognition to her career championing the arts and humanities at the University of Rhode Island and a leading female voice in higher education. RIIFF is one of 10 Festivals in the world that is an Academy Award qualifier in the Live Action, Animation and Documentary Short categories and a qualifier with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

    AWARDS

    GILBERT STUART ARTISTIC VISION (LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT) AWARD will be presented to Joseph M. Alves, an American film production designer. He designed the three mechanical sharks for the movie Jaws (1975). Alves also designed three features for Steven Spielberg, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction and won the BAFTA for Best Art Direction for his work on Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The RIIFF SCREENPLAY COMPETITION AWARD will be presented to Barry Brennessel from Silver Spring, MD whose screenplay is entitled “ANH SANG.” The 2018 PRODUCER’S CIRCLE AWARDS are presented annually to members of the community who have actively worked to support and promote the mission of the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival. This year’s recipients include: Michael Braca, photographer; Judge Frank Caprio, Municipal Judge and television personality; Dr. J. Scott Oberacker, RIIFF Educational Outreach Director; and Niko Stamatakos, business sponsor/supporter

    OPENING NIGHT LINEUP

    TIGHT SPOT | Directed by: Kevin Haefelin | 4 min. Switzerland, USA, 2018 Shining the shoes of a walk-in customer, a shiner discovers his client’s dark secret. ZION | Directed By: Floyd Russ | 11 min. USA, 2017 Zion is a short documentary about the life of Zion Clark, a young wrestler who was born without legs and grew up in foster care. CAROLINE | Directed By: Celine Held and Logan George | 12 min. USA, 2018 When plans fall through, a six-year-old is faced with a big responsibility on a hot Texas day. FALL RIVER | Directed by: Pat Heywood and Jamil McGinnis | 7 min. USA, 2018 Through the intimate reflections of one extraordinary woman, Fall River tells the story of a family’s tragedy, the once-thriving city they inhabited, and how hope can blossom in unexpected places. In the search for closeness, for comfort, for history — what does it mean to be from somewhere? THE COLLAR | Directed by: Viktoria Runtsova | 23 min. Russian Federation, 2017 A modest young woman buys the new collar for her clothing. But the collar starts to rule her life leading to an important decision. MARGUERITE | Directed by: Marianne Farley | 19 min. Canada, 2017 An aging woman and her nurse develop a friendship that inspires her to unearth unacknowledged longing and thus help her make peace with her past. GEOFF | Directed by: Michael Rouse and Will Kenning | 20 min. United Kingdom, 2017 Bridging Fear with Love and Peanuts. TYRANNOSAURUS FUNK | Directed by: Sandra Boynton | 4 min. United States, 2017 A confident T. Rex singing about the particular joys of being king of the dinosaurs. FERN | Directed by: Johnny Kelly | 6 min. United Kingdom, 2017 A woman loses her husband, and finds a houseplant. ONE SMALL STEP | Directed by: Bobby Pontillas | 8 min. USA/China | 2018 Luna, a young Chinese American girl, dreams of becoming an astronaut. Supported by her humble father, Luna endeavors to make her dreams come true.

    WORKSHOPS AND SPECIAL PROGRAMMING

    A number of events that RIIFF will hold during the week are targeted toward helping novice and professional filmmakers improve and refine their skills. One of the most popular events is the annual RHODE ISLAND FILM FORUM, to be held on Thursday, August 9, at the Biltmore Hotel Ballroom in collaboration with the RI Film & Television Office, the University of Rhode Island’s Harrington School of Communication and Media, Johnson and Wales University, Providence College, and Roger Williams University. This year’s special guest is director and production designer, Joe Alves (IMDB). Alves will receive the 2018 Gilbert Stuart Visionary Artist Lifetime Achievement Award. Joseph Alves is an American film production designer best known for his work on the third of the Jaws films, and for directing Jaws 3-D. Alves designed three features for Steven Spielberg, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction and won the BAFTA for Best Art Direction for his work on Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Alves worked on Jaws 2 in the capacity of both production designer and as second unit director, and he was visual consultant on Carpenter’s Starman. The SCRIPTBIZ SCREENPLAY PITCH SEMINAR returns on Friday, August 10 for its 19th edition, showcasing this year’s Grand Prize Screenplay Competition winner “ANH SANG.” Barry Brennessel from Silver Spring, MD. The SCRIPTBIZ workshop is a great place for aspiring screenwriters looking to make an impact with their work by receiving constructive critique and advice from people with experience in the field. The director of the program, Andrew Lund, Esq. filmmaker and entertainment lawyer, is an Associate Professor and Director of the Integrated Media Arts MFA Program in the Film & Media Department at Hunter College of the City University of New York. The extensive list of panelists will include writer Chris Sparling, actor/director, Tribeca Film Festival Program Director, Sharon Badal; writer/director, Alfred Catalfo; and British actor/director, Freddie Fox. This year the Festival will re-launch its popular Morning “Coffee Talks” entitled “THE CREATIVE PROCESS IN 60 MINUTES: Journeys in Filmmaking” with leading directors, actors, writers, composers and members of the industry at the Hotel Providence. Audience members, and, up-and-coming filmmakers attending the Festival would have the opportunity to learn about the development and evolution of the films screened at the Festival, the process and journey filmmakers have taken to make it in the industry and the growing importance of the international box office. Additionally, on Thursday, August 9th at 8:00 p.m. Flickers’ acclaimed television series “doubleFEATURE,” will provide highlights of this year’s Festival and feature Dr. Winifred E. Brownell, for whom the Festival is dedicated this year. In a compelling interview with Steven Feinberg, audiences will learn how one person can make a difference. Now in its second year, the series is produced by Flickers in partnership with RI PBS and the Rhode Island Films and Television Office.

    FILM HIGHLIGHTS

    THE ETRUSCAN SMILE Directed by: Mihal Brezis | 107 min. Switzerland, 2018 Starring acclaimed British actor Brian Cox as Rory MacNeil, a rugged old Scotsman who reluctantly leaves his beloved isolated Hebridean island and travels to San Francisco to seek medical treatment. YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FAMILY Directed by: Miranda Bailey | 113 min. USA, 2018 A seventeen year-old boy blackmails his father after discovering he has a secret family. Starring two-time Emmy award-winner Anna Gunn, and Emmy award-winner Jim Gaffigan. FAKE TATTOOS | Directed by: Pascal Plante | 87 min. Canada, 2017 Theo spends his 18th birthday alone, getting drunk at a brutal punk rock show. There, he meets Mag, a marginal teenager who invites him to spend the night at her place. A love story unfolds between them, but Theo has to move to a small town at the end of the summer, far away from a painful past. MAXIMILIAN (English Version) | Directed by: Nicolas Greinacher | 76 min. France, Switzerland, 2016 With an IQ of 149+, 13-year old Maximilian Janisch is Switzerland’s most famous highly gifted child. After passing the final secondary-school examinations in Mathematics at just 9 years old, Maximilian has jumped forward 3 grades and is now attending Mathematical courses at University level. The film follows Maximilian and his parents through their high-energy daily life and reflects on what it means to be a child prodigy. Maximilian Janisch will be in attendance. TRE MAISON DASON Directed by: Denali Tiller | 90 min. USA 2017 A story of boyhood marked by the criminal justice system and what it means to become a man in America, TRE MAISON DASAN explores parental incarceration through the eyes of three boys. eHero | Directed by: Joseph Procopio | 85 min. Canada, 2018 An up-and-coming video gamer faces his greatest challenge yet as he and his team must overcome a fiery gaming superstar, as well as their own battling egos, to win the ultimate video game championship. Featuring Sean Astin. THE MAESTRO Directed by: Adam Cushman | 94 min. USA, 2017 After the Second World War, budding film composer Jerry Herst moves to Hollywood to study with infamous master teacher Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Starring Xander Berkeley. ANJELICA HUSTON ON JAMES JOYCE: A SHOUT IN THE STREET | Directed by: Kieron Walsh | 59 min. Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, USA, United Kingdom, 2018 Anjelica Huston played the lead female role in the movie adaptation by her father, John Huston, of James Joyce’s famous short story, ‘The Dead’. It was the last of the classic movies that the legendary director made, and is regarded as the finest adaptation of Joyce’s work ever produced. In this film, Anjelica uses her background – as a child in Ireland and as an acclaimed actor – to tell the extraordinary story of the life and work of the celebrated, (and, at times, infamous) Irish novelist. She tells of his impoverished childhood in Dublin; of the chaotic years when he struggled to establish himself as a writer of originality and distinction; of the world wide celebrity that followed the appearance of his great novel, ‘Ulysses’; of his epic struggles against censorship and ill health: and of his final desperate flight from the Nazi occupation of France which threatened the life of his only grandchild. As Anjelica relates Joyce’s personal and creative history, other distinguished writers – such as David Simon, John Banville, Jeffrey Eugenides and Edna O’Brien – help to explain why his influence has been so extensive and so profound. REINVENTING POWER: AMERICA’S RENEWABLE ENERGY BOOM Directed by: Tony Valentino | 49 min. USA, 2018 Takes us across the country to hear directly from the people making our clean energy future achievable. These individuals are working to rebuild what’s broken, rethink what’s possible, and revitalize communities. Highlighted among others is the Block Island Wind Farm. SECRET INGREDIENTS Directed by: Amy S. Hart, Jeffrey M. Smith| 80 min. USA | 2018 | 1 hr 20 min Compelling stories of people who regain their health and transform their lives after identifying the ‘secret ingredients’ in their food, and making a bold commitment to avoid them. BACK ROADS Directed by: Alex Pettyfer | 80 min. USA, 2018 A young man cares for his sisters after their mother is imprisoned for murdering their abusive father. When he strikes up an affair with a married woman, long-dormant family secrets bubble to the surface in this noir thriller. Featuring actor/director Alex Pettyfer. INTELLIGENT LIVES Directed by: Dan Habib | 70 min. USA, 2018 Three pioneering young adults with intellectual disabilities — Micah, Naieer, and Naomie — challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college, and the workforce. Featuring noted actor, Chris Cooper. AMERICAN RELAPSE * | Directed by: Pat Adam McGee Linkenhelt | 105 min. USA, 2018 AMERICAN RELAPSE is a feature documentary about the ripped-from-the-headlines heroin epidemic and the corrupt underground rehab industry that has sprung up around it in Southern Florida. This, on-the-ground documentary follows the day-to-day struggle of recovering addicts Allie and Frankie attempting to place addicts in treatment, but can they stay clean themselves? ON KILLER ROBOTS Directed by: Lorraine Nicholson | 15 min. USA, 2018 On July 7th 2016, US Law Enforcement used robotic technology to confront and kill a suspect for the first time. Through the mouths of its fictional characters, ‘On Killer Robots’ explores the morality behind this historic step towards automation. HERO Directed by: Freddie Fox | 18 min. United Kingdom, 2018 An isolated young boy and a decaying old film star are brought together by their shared love of the silver screen – and for a brief moment its magic seeps into their lives. With Charles Dance, James Norton and Jessica Brown Findlay. On Saturday, August 11th at 12:15, Metcalf Auditorium, RISD Museum, the Festival presents a powerful, thought-provoking and inspiring program entitled: THE POWER OF FILM: Can a Film Change the World? This special showcase centers on films that show how very brave people confront the challenges we all face in just living our lives. Discover how these challenges can push all boundaries. Learn how the power of our shared humanity – the daily struggles and fights we all have – can ultimately lead to a new and more empowering future. The focal point of the event is a presentation of the documentary film: the feature “The Push” and the documentary short, “A Racing Heart.” THE PUSH is a documentary film that focuses on Grant Korgan, an adventure athlete and former nanoscientist who became the first spinal-cord injured athlete in history to ski the final degree of latitude to the bottom of the world ~ to Antarctica’s geographic South Pole. Just five months after marrying the love of his life, Shawna, Grant Korgan went out with his three friends one morning for a day of fun and filming on snowmobiles. After much consideration, he attempted a jump that he had always wanted to take on his snowmobile. Grant’s snowmobile crashed down hard, and Grant broke his back. Despite his prognosis, that he would never walk again, both he and Shawna focused on the goal of 120% recovery. Shawna, a health and wellness expert, took his recovery head-on and with the same drive and tenacity as Grant. While working on his rehabilitation, Grant was offered an opportunity to join an expedition heading to the South Pole. If he completed the 100 miles using his arms to pull himself on a sit-ski, he would become the first spinal cord injured athlete to reach the South Pole. Grant and two guides headed off to South America. On the ice, they struggled with minus 50 degree conditions, failing solar panels, hypothermia, frost bite, and mental challenges. On January 17, 2012, Grant reached the bottom of our world on the 100th anniversary when Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expedition arrived at the earth’s most remote spot. When Grant returned home, the thrill of his achievement turned to reflection about his reality. He had to face his paralysis and realize that going forward he would still have to overcome his inability to use his legs unassisted. But Grant made a profound, inspiring decision, to choose positivity. He focuses on what he is able to do and finds pleasure and comfort in kayaking, downhill skiing, diving, and waterskiing as an adaptive athlete. On August 2015, Korgan broke the record for the human powered circumnavigation of Lake Tahoe by over two hours, finishing the 72-mile paddle in just 14 hours and 15 minutes. Andrew Dickhout’s “A RACING HEART” introduces us to John Dickhout, a recent heart transplant survivor, who attempts to cross the final goal off of his bucket list as a documentary crew follows him on a weekly basis. His goal; to run a 10k in under 60 minutes, and show the progress he has made in the 2 years since his life was saved. While training, John regales us with stories about his near death experiences, and his desire to prove himself after a stranger and their family’s choice to donate helped to give his life new meaning. Featuring triumph against all odds, what you experience at this screening might just change your life! Interactive networking events will be held nightly during the span of the six-day festival including our CITY PARTY PUB CRAWL, starting at The Rosendale, 55 Union Street, and ending at EGO, 73 Richmond Street, downtown Providence. Last year’s event drew over 2,000 participants, making the week of the Festival an unparalleled Celebration of Film, Arts and Culture.

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  • HOTEL MUMBAI Starring Armie Hammer, Dev Patel to Open 2018 Adelaide Film Festival

    Hotel Mumbai The internationally anticipated film Hotel Mumbai is set for an Australian Premiere at the 2018 Adelaide Film Festival Film Festival Opening Night Gala on Wednesday October 10, after its World Premiere as a TIFF special presentation in September at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Anthony Maras and starring Armie Hammer, Dev Patel, Nazanin Bonaidi, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, with Anupam Kher, and Jason Isaacs, Hotel Mumbai tells the astonishing story of those trapped in the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in the 2008 attacks. Director Anthony Maras comments, “I am forever grateful for the unwavering support the Adelaide Film Festival has offered our project since day one. The SAFC and ADL Film Fest’s backing of Hotel Mumbai enabled my home town of Adelaide to play a crucial role in the making of this truly international production, and allowed us to work again with so many amazing South Australian cast and crew. It could not be more fitting to premiere the film at AFF, and so soon after the World Premiere at the Toronto international Film Festival.”

    HOTEL MUMBAI

    26 November 2008. A wave of devastating terror attacks throughout Mumbai catapult the bustling Indian metropolis into chaos. In the heart of the city’s tourist district, Jihadist terrorists lay siege to the iconic Taj Palace Hotel, whose guests and staff become trapped in a heroic, days-long fight for survival.

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  • Fantasia 2018 Awards – Daniel Roby’s JUST A BREATH AWAY Wins Best Film

    [caption id="attachment_30222" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Just a Breath Away (Dans la brume) Just a Breath Away (Dans la brume)[/caption] The Fantasia International Film Festival announced the award winners of the juried sections of its 22nd edition, with the festival’s Best Film Award going to Daniel Roby’s Paris-set science fiction adventure Just a Breath Away (Dans la brume), which opened Fantasia 2018 to massive acclaim and adoration. The epic apocalyptic thriller, which stars Romain Duris and Olga Kurylenko, sees The City of Lights covered in a deadly white fog that threatens the very existence of humanity.

    THE CHEVAL NOIR AWARDS

    BEST FILM: DANS LA BRUME (d. Daniel Roby) BEST DIRECTOR: Nosipho Dumisa (NUMBER 37) BEST SCREENPLAY: Isa Mazzei (CAM) BEST ACTOR: Joshua Burge (RELAXER) BEST ACTRESS: Kim Da-mi (THE WITCH PART 1: THE SUBVERSION) The Cheval Noir jury also awarded a special prize to Dennison Ramalho’s The Nightshifter, noting, “Marriage is hell in this daring combination of sub-genres and tones, creating a grisly original ghost story, fueled by revenge, infused with pitch-black comedy, and littered with assorted body parts.”

    NEW FLESH AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FEATURE

    BEST FIRST FEATURE: CAM (d. Daniel Goldhaber) The New Flesh Jury calls Cam, “an ambitious, empowered project devoid of moral policing with respect to sex work, smartly told through visually vibrant storytelling. Cam captures the complexities and contradictions of curated identities on- and offline. This talented team embodies a collaborative spirit of next generation of genre filmmakers.” SPECIAL MENTION: AMIKO The jury calls Amiko, directed by 20-year-old filmmaker Yoko Yamanaka, “a new auteur voice with a DIY punk spirit delivered with a PURE punch.” SPECIAL MENTION: ONE CUT OF THE DEAD The jury also adds that Shinichirou Ueda’s One Cut of the Dead is, “a conceptually playful and brave film, willing to risk losing the audience knowing they will win them back in the end. And they do.”

    AQCC-CAMERA LUCIDA AWARD

    WINNING FILM: MICROHABITAT (d. Jeon Go-Woon) Says the jury, “Microhabitat uses skilled criticism of consumer society, and offers a powerful portrait of a woman that is subtly both comedy and drama, all backed by elegant and controlled staging.”

    AXIS: SATOSHI KON AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ANIMATION

    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: PENGUIN HIGHWAY (d. Hiroyasu Ishida) Says the Axis jury, “For creating a beautifully written and designed story of love and friendship: a magical sci-fi love story for all ages that touched our hearts and minds, we present The Satoshi Kon Award to Penguin Highway.” SPECIAL MENTION: DA HU FA The jury adds, “This brilliantly crafted film defies description by being both funny and frightening, cute and horrific. It thrilled and mystified the jury and we would like to acknowledge for daring to be a genre blending political allegory. The special mention goes to Da Hu Fa.” BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM: SIMBIOSIS CARNAL “This beautiful and playfully animated film is a nine minute master class in gender equality. It takes us on a sensual journey, brings us to a fantastic climax and shows us that images are more powerful than words. The Satoshi Kon Award for best animated short goes to Simbiosis Carnal.” SPECIAL MENTION: MAKE IT SOUL “With design inspired by African American folk art this is a beautiful story of soul searching where the protagonist learns to sacrifice his self interest for the greater good. The jury would like to give a special mention to Make it Soul.”

    INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION AWARD

    BEST SHORT FILM: AURORE (d. Mael Le Mée) The Short Film Jury called Aurore, “an attention-grabbing, slick, surreal slide into the world of teenage sexual exploration and the beauty of the unfamiliar, accepting the otherworldly and finding beauty in what we don’t understand. Fantasia’s International Short Film Jury awards Aurore the title of Best Short Feature.” BEST DIRECTOR: SANTIAGO MENGHINI (MILK) “Fantasia’s jury for the International Short film competition awards Milk the title of Best Director due to Menghini’s masterful ability to capture universal moments of growth and maturity through a tense, haunting, and wholly purposeful coming of age vision of the childlike realization of a caretaker’s malicious intent.” BEST SCREENPLAY: TRAVIS BIBLE (EXIT STRATEGY) The jury calls Exit Strategy, “a well structured, tightly controlled script about human beings lack of control. Exit Strategy is a surprisingly touching look at the different languages of love and learning. This films offers concise character development and a thoughtful switch on a familiar narrative, showing us how to accept our fate. BEST ACTOR: FÉLIX GRENIER (FAUVE) “The jury was utterly impressed by Félix Grenier’s performance, this young up-and-comer’s raw and innate talent is displayed in such a confident and vulnerable manner that this exhilarating breakout star can only get better from here on out.” BEST ACTRESS: MANDA TOURÉ (PETIT AVARIE) The jury notes, “We were blown away by Manda Touré’s ability to deliver undeliverable dialogue and express internal monologue that is so unabashedly hyper psycho-sexual and casually cavalier, it translates as insanely appealing.” SPECIAL MENTION: HELLO, RAIN “The jury was impressed by this audacious deep dive into an individualistic and decadent world, in which a filmmaker could achieve such a bold and spiritually fueled universe where vibrant art direction reigns supreme and nothing is off limits.”

    THE BARRY CONVEX AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE

    The jury for the 2018 Barry Convex Award for Best Canadian Feature or Co-Production awarded David Paradis’ Le Nid their top honor, for, “Its unconventional and disturbing narrative, its poignant revelations and a strong lead performance from actor Pierre-Luc Brillant that skillfully glides between deadpan humor, terror and pathos.”

    FANTASIA VIRTUAL REALITY JURY AWARD

    The Fantasia VR Jury awarded the 2018 Fantasia VR Grand Prize to the film Dinner Party, directed by Angel Manuel Soto. Says the jury, “This film intelligently uses every aspect of the virtual reality experience to its advantage, and benefits from an intelligent script and a cast of actors who contribute to the overall offering. ” A special mention from the jury goes to Alexander Aja’s Campfire Creepers series – already at two episodes and showing great potential – which pays homage to the genre-film culture of the ’80s and ’90s, smartly transposed into a virtual reality experience.

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