The 25th anniversary edition of Sheffield Doc/Fest taking place from June 7 to 12, 2018, will open with the World Premiere of A Northern Soul by Yorkshire-born director Sean McAllister – winner of the 2015 Grand Jury Prize with A Syrian Love Story.
In the film, McAllister returns to his Yorkshire hometown of Hull as creative director of the opening ceremony of the City of Culture celebrations: living back with his 90 year-old parents, McAllister reflects on the changes to a city hit by cuts in public spending and divided by Brexit and where more than 1 in 3 children are living in poverty. Drawn to the fringes of town, McAllister met and started filming with Steve Arnott, a struggling warehouse worker by day and hip-hop performer by night, who harbours his own creative dream. Says Sean McAllister, “Back home in Hull, where I began, I have been filming Steve and wondering whether he can, against the odds, unlock the opportunities to build a better life? Is social mobility possible in cities like Hull? What role does culture have to play in this? How long can he hold onto his dreams for?”
Luke W Moody, Director of Film Programming, Sheffield Doc/Fest says, “The World Premiere of A Northern Soul is the perfect opening scene to Doc/Fest’s 25th festival edition. Sean’s internationally recognised cinema of rapport questions the present from a local point of view, but touches us all. A Northern Soul is a potent story about belonging, the value of culture for every person and offers a sense of hope and solidarity in turbulent times.”
Continues Sean McAllister, “I am delighted that Sheffield Doc/Fest is opening its 25th edition with a film from Yorkshire, and I cannot think of a more fitting occasion for A Northern Soul to receive its World Premiere. As a Northern filmmaker – and as someone who has attended every Doc/Fest since its inception and screened all my films here – it particularly resonates with me that the festival supports and celebrates regional voices and brave filmmaking – whether that’s in Syria or Hull – and it’s great to see the festival making these bold choices.
“Steve represents a forgotten generation whose dreams haven’t been met. He is also a deeply community driven optimist, who has been trying to find a way to bring creativity and culture to the disadvantaged kids of the city, whose opportunities to build a better life are restricted by the world around them. I left school at 16 and went straight into dead end factory work and eventually made a film in a pea factory that got me into film school and since then I’ve enjoyed filming around the world but it felt like an important time to be filming back in the North “.
Director Sean McAllister is known for his candid, frank films, depicting with extraordinary intimacy the lives of ordinary people who are struggling to survive but are survivors, caught up in political and personal conflict, struggling to make sense of the world we live in. From his early films Working For The Enemy (1997) and The Minders (1998), Sundance Jury Prize-winning The Liberace Of Baghdad (2004) and Japan: A Story Of Love And Hate (2008) to his more recent successes, The Reluctant Revolutionary and Sheffield Grand Jury Prize winning, BAFTA nominated A Syrian Love Story (2015), Sean’s work continues to inspire, to surprise and to fascinate audiences.
A Northern Soul is produced by Elhum Shakerifar (Even When I Fall 2017, Almost Heaven 2017, A Syrian Love Story 2015,) and Sean McAllister for BBC Two, with support from the BFI awarding funds from the National Lottery, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Sharp House.Film Festivals
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World Premiere of Sean McAllister’s ‘A NORTHERN SOUL’ to Open 25th Sheffield Doc/Fest
The 25th anniversary edition of Sheffield Doc/Fest taking place from June 7 to 12, 2018, will open with the World Premiere of A Northern Soul by Yorkshire-born director Sean McAllister – winner of the 2015 Grand Jury Prize with A Syrian Love Story.
In the film, McAllister returns to his Yorkshire hometown of Hull as creative director of the opening ceremony of the City of Culture celebrations: living back with his 90 year-old parents, McAllister reflects on the changes to a city hit by cuts in public spending and divided by Brexit and where more than 1 in 3 children are living in poverty. Drawn to the fringes of town, McAllister met and started filming with Steve Arnott, a struggling warehouse worker by day and hip-hop performer by night, who harbours his own creative dream. Says Sean McAllister, “Back home in Hull, where I began, I have been filming Steve and wondering whether he can, against the odds, unlock the opportunities to build a better life? Is social mobility possible in cities like Hull? What role does culture have to play in this? How long can he hold onto his dreams for?”
Luke W Moody, Director of Film Programming, Sheffield Doc/Fest says, “The World Premiere of A Northern Soul is the perfect opening scene to Doc/Fest’s 25th festival edition. Sean’s internationally recognised cinema of rapport questions the present from a local point of view, but touches us all. A Northern Soul is a potent story about belonging, the value of culture for every person and offers a sense of hope and solidarity in turbulent times.”
Continues Sean McAllister, “I am delighted that Sheffield Doc/Fest is opening its 25th edition with a film from Yorkshire, and I cannot think of a more fitting occasion for A Northern Soul to receive its World Premiere. As a Northern filmmaker – and as someone who has attended every Doc/Fest since its inception and screened all my films here – it particularly resonates with me that the festival supports and celebrates regional voices and brave filmmaking – whether that’s in Syria or Hull – and it’s great to see the festival making these bold choices.
“Steve represents a forgotten generation whose dreams haven’t been met. He is also a deeply community driven optimist, who has been trying to find a way to bring creativity and culture to the disadvantaged kids of the city, whose opportunities to build a better life are restricted by the world around them. I left school at 16 and went straight into dead end factory work and eventually made a film in a pea factory that got me into film school and since then I’ve enjoyed filming around the world but it felt like an important time to be filming back in the North “.
Director Sean McAllister is known for his candid, frank films, depicting with extraordinary intimacy the lives of ordinary people who are struggling to survive but are survivors, caught up in political and personal conflict, struggling to make sense of the world we live in. From his early films Working For The Enemy (1997) and The Minders (1998), Sundance Jury Prize-winning The Liberace Of Baghdad (2004) and Japan: A Story Of Love And Hate (2008) to his more recent successes, The Reluctant Revolutionary and Sheffield Grand Jury Prize winning, BAFTA nominated A Syrian Love Story (2015), Sean’s work continues to inspire, to surprise and to fascinate audiences.
A Northern Soul is produced by Elhum Shakerifar (Even When I Fall 2017, Almost Heaven 2017, A Syrian Love Story 2015,) and Sean McAllister for BBC Two, with support from the BFI awarding funds from the National Lottery, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Sharp House.
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Comedy Film ‘The Breaker Upperers’ by Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami to Open 2018 Sydney Film Festival [Trailer]
The Breaker Upperers, by New Zealand directors Jackie van Beek, Madeleine Sami will open the 2018 Sydney Film Festival on June 6. In this side-splittingly funny film, Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami star as best friends who run an unconventional business breaking up couples for cash.
Directors Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami star as Jen and Mel, who 15 years ago discovered that they were being two-timed by the same man. From heartbreak, a friendship blossomed, alongside a hearty cynicism about love and relationships. And so The Breaker Upperers was born, a business helping people who lack the courage to end their relationships. Faking deaths, impersonating cops and strippers, and feigning pregnancies are all part of their extensive repertoire. But when consciences resurface and the prospect of romance rears up, the unbreakable friendship between the two starts to show its first cracks. The Breaker Upperers is refreshingly candid about modern sexuality and beautifully captures a multicultural community. Executive produced by Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, SFF 2014), The Breaker Upperers is a joyous, hilarious film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkhYyW1pd18
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Hollywood Comedy Shorts Film Festival Announces 2018 Winners + 2019 Fest Dates
The 3rd Annual Hollywood Comedy Shorts Film Festival Presented by the Laugh Factory came to a close this past Sunday to a rousing success held at the TCL Chinese 6 Theaters. The festival announced the 2018 Award Winners in a special sold-out ceremony hosted by comedian Allene Quincy.
The night’s big winner was “THE ACCOMPLICE” by Directors Jon Hoeg and John F. Beach who took home Best of Fest Award. Best Short Script went to Alexandra Marshall for her film “TIL DEATH,” and Best Feature script winner was Cedric Shelton for his script “I AM MY BROTHERS KEEPER.”
Best Rom Com went to “REKINDLED” by Erin Brown Thomas, Best Web Series went to “STRUT” by Michelle Cutolo.
The festival run April 20-22 and kicked off with a special panel at the Laugh Factory Featuring executives from YouTube, Warner Bros. Blue Ribbon Ent., Legendary Digital Studios, Ginsberg Daniels, Collab Studios and DigitalLA. Fabric Media Studios hosted the official after party for opening night. Powerhouse held several events for the filmmakers throughout the week. Sponsors included: Bitpix, TCL Chinese Theater, Laugh Factory, Color Space Finishing, Final Draft, Tech Rentals, and TCD The Camera Division.
The next year’s Festival will expand with the dates: April 19-21, 2019. The winners and films can be currently viewed on the streaming channel BITPIX.
HOLLYWOOD COMEDY SHORTS FILM FEST WINNERS
SHORT SCRIPT WINNER- ‘TIL DEATH”-Alexandra Marshall FEATURE SCRIPT WINNER- “I AM MY BROTHERS KEEPER” by Cedric Shelton HONORABLE MENTION- “EVIL WOMAN” by Danny Turkiewicz BEST HORROR- “KELOID” by Brendan Pollecutt BEST DARK COMEDY- “PARENT TEACHER” by Jim Cummings BEST INTERNATIONAL- “ORDEAL” by Sacha Barbin BEST CRINGE- “DICK HEAD” by Brecht Vanthof BEST ALTERNATIVE- “SIX PACK” by Madeline Mack & Michael Lincoln BEST WEB SERIES- “STRUT” by Michelle Cutolo BEST SPOOF- “CLASS DISMISSED” by Edward Marks, Joe Godreault BEST ROM COM- “REKINDLED” by Erin Brown Thomas BEST OF THE FEST- “THE ACCOMPLICE” by Jon Hoeg and John F. Beach
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2nd Overlook Film Festival Closes with Awards Ceremony, WOLFMAN’S GOT NARDS: A Documentary Wins Audience Award
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WOLFMAN’S GOT NARDS: A Documentary[/caption]
The second edition comes of the Overlook Film Festival has come to a close, with the Festival announcing its second year juried and audience awards. Culled from a stellar lineup of 41 films (23 features and 18 short films from 12 countries), the festival’s features and short film juries deliberated over the course of the event, publicly revealing the winning selections at the festival’s closing night screening presentation of A24’s HEREDITARY.
The features jury consisted of the Los Angeles Times’s Jen Yamato, Toronto Intl. Film Festival Midnight Madness programmer Peter Kuplowsky, and producer Toby Halbrooks (A GHOST STORY, PETE’S DRAGON). The jurors chose to honor director Joko Anwar’s SATAN’S SLAVES from Indonesia with the Feature Film Jury Prize. Additionally, the jurors highlighted Véréna Paravel & Lucien Castaing-Taylor’s CANIBA, giving it the festival’s scariest feature award.
Actress Barbara Crampton (RE-ANIMATOR, THE PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH), New Orleans Film Society Artistic Director Clint Bowie, and filmmaker Misty Talley (ZOMBIE SHARK) comprised the short film jury. The jury awarded their prize to Anna Roller’s PAN with an honorable mention going to Mariama Diallo for HAIR WOLF, and L. Gustavo Cooper’s AMY receiving the honor of scariest short film.
The Overlook Film Festival’s Audience Award for 2018 went to WOLFMAN’S GOT NARDS: A Documentary directed by André Gower.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ROZnlMuuL0
In addition to the film lineup, the Overlook showcased 6 live performances, 5 virtual reality experiences, 4 curated immersive theater productions, 3 panel presentations and 1 weekend long alternate reality game.
Discussing his experience at this year’s fest, The Overlook Film Festival’s 2018 Visionary award recipient Leigh Whannell said, “The Overlook Film Festival is a celebration of horror fandom, and I’ve been a horror fan for so long that to be recognized by the festival with an award is a complete honor. I’m happy just to be at this festival – hanging out with my fellow fans, watching amazing movies and taking part in the immersive games that are a staple of the weekend – that to take home a beautiful, shiny axe with my name engraved on it is merely the bloody cherry on top of it all.”
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“High & Outside : a baseball noir” is Closing Night Film of Julien Dubuque International Film Festival [Trailer]
“High & Outside : a baseball noir” is about a minor league baseball player, Phil Harding, who takes desperate measures to fight off the almost certain end to his dream in the big leagues, which threatens to wreck his already fragile family life. The film is the Closing film at the Julien International Film Festival in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday, April 29, 2018, where “Field Of Dreams” was filmed. Moviemaker magazine named it “One of the 25 coolest film festivals in the World.”
High & Outside : a baseball noir has been nominated for Best Screenplay & Film at the prestigious Raindance Film Festival in London & Austin Film Festival and recently at Cinequest Film Festival. The opening to the film was shot at Lewis and Clark Park, home of the real life “Sioux City Explorers” of the American Association Independent Baseball league in Iowa.
It features Golden Globe nominee Geoffrey Lewis in his last starring role as Phil’s domineering father, baseball legend Len Harding. Phil Donlon plays his son, Phil Harding. Joining them is Ernie Hudson (Grace & Frankie) as Phil’s manager, Lindsey Haun (True Blood) as Phil’s wife, Jason Richter (Free Willy) as Phil’s best friend, David Yow (The Jesus Lizard) as Lewis’ caregiver, Eddie Jemison (Chicago Med) as Sal, and David Proval (Everyone Loves Raymond) as Don.
“High & Outside” is Director Evald Johnson’s second feature. Johnson comes from non-scripted TV, along with Producers John Cook and Ellen Philips. Johnson grew up the son of his once beloved and then befallen MLB father Tim Johnson, which inspired “High & Outside : a baseball noir.” Dan O’Dair wrote the screenplay. Music score by Alexander Hacke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4Dkcj52MzY
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Viola Davis’s Documentary Series THE LAST DEFENSE to World Premiere at Tribeca + Debut June 12, on ABC
The powerful, new seven-episode documentary series, “The Last Defense,” from Executive producers Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, explores and exposes flaws in the American justice system through emotional, in-depth examinations of the death row cases of Darlie Routier and Julius Jones. The series will seek to trace the path that led both Routier and Jones to their places on death row, while taking a deep look into their personal stories.
In 1997, Darlie Routier, wife and mother, was sentenced to death for the brutal stabbing murder of her two young sons, a crime she insists she did not commit. Now 20 years on death row in Texas, the contentious debate over the fairness of her trial is more polarized than ever.
In 2001, Julius Jones, a 21-year-old African-American college student with an academic scholarship, was sentenced to death for the carjacking murder of a white father of two, in Edmond, Oklahoma. Twenty years later and having exhausted his appeals, Jones maintains his innocence.
The world premiere of “The Last Defense” will screen at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, on Friday, April 27, with the first hour of the Julius Jones case followed by a panel discussion with executive producers Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Christine Connor and attorney Dale Baich; and premier Tuesday, June12 (10:00 – 11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network.
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Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Announces 2018 Line-Up + Opening and Closing Films
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Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson in Damsel.[/caption]
The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival (MLFF) announced their feature film line-up, as well as the Opening and Closing Night films, for the fourth edition of the festival, taking place May 23 through 27 at venues across Mammoth Lakes.
The 2018 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival will open with Damsel on Wednesday, May 23. Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska star in a comedic homage to classic Westerns. Samuel (Pattinson), is a businessman who sets out to rescue his kidnapped fiancée Penelope (Wasikowska). The situation turns out to be more complicated than it first appears, and Penelope is no mere damsel in distress. The film from Magnolia Pictures is directed and written by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner.
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Love, Gilda[/caption]
The festival will close with the documentary film Love, Gilda on Sunday, May 27. In her own words, comedienne Gilda Radner reflects on her life and career. Weaving together her recently discovered audiotapes, interviews with friends (Chevy Chase, Lorne Michaels, Laraine Newman, Paul Shaffer and Martin Short), rare home movies and diaries read by modern-day comedians inspired by Gilda (Bill Hader, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Cecily Strong), Love, Gilda opens up a unique window into the honest and whimsical world of a beloved performer whose greatest role was sharing her story. The film from CNN Films is directed by Lisa D’Apolito.
“We’re excited to bring such a dynamic and diverse lineup to this year’s festival,” said Festival Director Shira Dubrovner. “In four short years, we’ve already begun to establish MLFF as a must-attend festival thanks to our scenic and majestic backdrop of the Eastern Sierra and world-class cinema.”
“MLFF focuses on films that have powerful, innovative artistic voices,” said Director of Programming Paul Sbrizzi. “We look forward to bringing our festival-goers the bold style and thought-provoking stories found in this year’s slate.”
The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival line-up
Core Competitions
Narrative Features:
Birds Without Feathers – In this pitch-black comedy, six broken individuals unable to make a human connection will give everything away in an attempt to receive love. Directed and written by Wendy McColm. West Coast Premiere Fort Maria – A sensitive, lyrical look at an agoraphobic Bulgarian woman and her adopted African-American daughter, as they each evaluate their lives and their relationship after the death of the beloved family dog. Directed and written by S. Cagney Gentry and Thom Southerland. My Name Is Myeisha – A charming, talented teenage girl crosses over into a candy-coated hip-hop-musical dreamscape on the fateful night she crosses paths with police. Directed by Gus Krieger, written by Rickerby Hinds. The Queen of Hollywood Blvd. – On her 60th birthday, the proud owner of a Los Angeles strip club finds herself in hot water, leading her on a downward spiral of violence and revenge. Directed and written by Orson Oblowitz. West Coast Premiere Rock Steady Row – A college freshman’s bike is stolen and he’s compelled to go to battle with the comic-book villain that rules the reigning fraternity using Walkmen and No. 2 pencils as weapons. Directed by Trevor Stevens, written by Bomani J. Story.Documentary Features:
Buddha.mov – Lured by the chance of being the protagonist of a documentary film, Buddha Dev starts authorizing unrestricted access into the most private parts of his life. Directed by Kabir Mehta. West Coast Premiere Crime + Punishment – A group of brave officers risk it all to expose the truth about illegal quota practices in the NYPD. Directed by Steven Maing. Minding the Gap – The lives of three young skateboarding friends grow together and apart as they try to process childhood trauma and escape the cycle of domestic violence in their Rust Belt hometown. Directed by Bing Liu. Tourists – A disturbing and hilarious trip around the world, observed through the amateur cinematography of naïve, outspoken and judgmental middle-class tourists. Directed by Mateusz Romaszkan and Marta Wójtowicz-Wcislo. North American Premiere Vianey – New Jersey and Bronx based underground hip hop artist Vianey Otero (Icey Trap) discusses growing up on the streets, the lure of escorting, everyday life in jail, and being a female artist in the music industry. Directed by Marko Vuorinen. West Coast Premiere White Tide: The Legend of Culebra – There’s an island, there’s a map, there’s buried treasure… $2 million dollars just waiting for someone to dig it up. There’s just one slight problem: it happens to be in cocaine form. Directed by Theo Love. West Coast PremiereForeign Features:
Barren and Empty the Sea (Spain) – Esteban wakes up one morning and everybody accuses him of being a stranger that happens to look just like Esteban.Directed and written by Lucas Parnes Pereira and Jesus Serna. International Premiere Melodrama / Random / Melbourne! (Australia) – A feminist documentarian, a pick up artist and a virgin’s lives collide, and blood will be shed on neon-lit streets of Melbourne. Directed by Matthew Pastor, written by Celina Yuen and Matthew Victor Pastor. North American Premiere Tower. A Bright Day (Poland) Just before her daughter’s First Holy Communion, Mula’s long lost sister Kaja pays them a visit, harboring a secret. The family believes in reconciliation, but Mula has her reasons to be afraid. Directed and written by Jagoda Szelc. North American Premiere Vidar the Vampire (Norway) – The wildly hilarious adventure of a Christian farmer searching for a higher purpose to life, who falls into sin and wakes up as the Prince of Darkness in the city of Stavanger, Norway. Directed and written by Thomas Aske Berg and Fredrik Waldeland.Spotlight Presentations:
Dyna Does Dressage – Documentary about the first mule ever to compete at the national level in the competitive equestrian sport of dressage. Directed by Sarah Crowe. Home + Away – A group of students with family on both sides of the US/Mexico border navigate academics, athletic competition, a school in need of greater funding and familial strife during the their final year at a Texas high school. Directed by Matt Ogens. West Coast Premiere On Her Shoulders – Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi genocide and ISIS sex slave survivor, becomes the voice of her people and their best hope to spur the world to action.Directed by Alexandria Bombach. Pick of the Litter – The story of puppies from the moment they’re born through their quest to become guide dogs for the blind, the ultimate canine career. Directed by Dana Nachman and Don Hardy Jr. A Woman Captured – Director Bernadett Tuza-Ritter’s incredible document of the evolving consciousness of a Hungarian woman who has been held as a domestic slave for 10 years and decides to undertake a daring escape. Directed by Bernadett Tuza-Ritter. West Coast Premiere The festival will also feature Short Film Programs of 26 Narrative Shorts, 10 Documentary Shorts, 11 Animation Shorts and a program of classic animation from East Germany. Over $40,000 in cash and prizes will be given out in nine categories to this year’s films in competition. Winners will be announced on Sunday, May 27 at a Closing Night reception.The 2018 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Jurors
Allison Amon (EVP Sales & Development, Bullitt) Lindsey Bahr (Associated Press) Peter Baxter (Filmmaker; President/Co-Founder, Slamdance) Shalini Dore (Variety) Alonso Duralde (TheWrap) Tim Rhys (MovieMaker Magazine) Vincent Spano (Actor) Nicole Sperling (Vanity Fair) Rachel Winter (Producer) Ana Souza (Sundance Film Festival) Scenery Samundra (Tru Thoughts, NTS Radio)
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PUZZLE Starring Scottish Actress Kelly Macdonald to Open 72nd Edinburgh International Film Festival
The highly regarded drama Puzzle, featuring a spellbinding performance by acclaimed Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald, will open the 72nd edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival on Wednesday June 20th.
Puzzle is the closely observed portrait of Agnes, who has reached her early 40s without ever venturing far from home, family or the tight-knit immigrant community in which she was raised by her widowed father. That begins to change in a quietly dramatic fashion when Agnes receives a jigsaw puzzle as a birthday gift and experiences the heady thrill of not only doing something she enjoys, but being very, very good at it.
After years of concerning herself exclusively with the needs and wants of her husband Louie and sons Ziggy and Gabe, Agnes has found something that she wants to do. Stepping out of her domestic bubble to pursue her new hobby, Agnes meets Robert, a wealthy, reclusive inventor who immediately recognizes her talent and recruits her as his partner for an upcoming world jigsaw tournament. Each day she spends out in the world, puzzling and conversing with Robert, takes Agnes further along on the road to a new understanding of herself and her strengths. With that understanding come new insights and an assertiveness that finds her speaking out on her own behalf and pushing back against the assumptions and routines that have until now defined her role in her family. Ultimately, Agnes will decide for herself what comes next.
Friend of EIFF, Kelly Macdonald plays Agnes whilst the legendary Irrfan Khan takes on the role of charismatic puzzle master Robert, both leading a stellar ensemble cast in this life-affirming film directed by Marc Turtletaub. The film is set to be released in the UK by Sony Pictures Releasing this Summer.
Mark Adams, Artistic Director of Edinburgh International Film Festival commented: “We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the undeniable talent of Kelly Macdonald in this wonderfully enjoyable and uplifting film. It is a subtle and impressive new film that succeeds on all levels.”
Director Marc Turtletaub added: “It’s a great honor to be invited to have Puzzle open Edinburgh International Film Festival 2018. This world class Festival has been a personal favorite for a long time – and being able to showcase Kelly’s performance here makes it even more rewarding.”
The 72nd edition of EIFF runs from June 20 to July 1, 2018.
View images from Puzzle
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Cannes Film Festival Unveils 2018 Cannes Classis Lineup Featuring ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Turning 50
2001: A Space Odyssey 2001: A Space Odyssey turning 50 as seen by Christopher Nolan, an essay by Mark Cousins about Orson Welles, Margarethe von Trotta’s tribute to Bergman, Fernando Solanas and The Hour of the Furnaces, Five and the Skin by Pierre Rissient are among the lineup for the Cannes Classics 2018
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Karlovy Vary IFF To Honor Czech Actor Jaromir Hanzlik
Actor Jaromír Hanzlík will receive the President’s Award for Artistic Contribution to Czech Cinema at the upcoming 53rd Karlovy Vary IFF. The Karlovy Vary festival will also screen Searching, directed by Antonín Máša and Jan Čuřík.
Jaromír Hanzlík, who celebrated his 70th birthday this year, has been a star of the Czech stage and screen, both large and small, for decades. He began his rewarding career at a young age; in 1966, the 18 year old earned an engagement on one of the foremost Prague stages, Vinohrady Theater. Until his departure in the early 1990s Hanzlík filled numerous roles in seminal plays by Czech and world dramatists, including The Outlaw, Hamlet, Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich, The Government Inspector, Crime and Punishment, Cyrano de Bergerac, and Oedipus.
At the same time, he snagged his first film roles, and they were significant because he had already worked with a number of directors. He began his acting career in children’s TV movies, portraying roles that included Huckleberry Finn. In film, director Zdeněk Sirový cast him in the lead in Das finnische Messer (1965), after which he regularly appeared in other films. His filmography includes the above-mentioned Searching (1965), as well as Every Young Man (1965, dir. Pavel Juráček), an adaptation of František Hrubín’s Romance for Trumpet (1966, dir. Otakar Vávra), Coach to Vienna (1966, dir. Karel Kachyňa), the war film The Marathon (1968, dir. Ivo Novák), The Joke (1968, dir. Jaromil Jireš), and Honor and Glory (1968, dir. Hynek Bočan). He took on comedy as his next genre, and thanks to television series (“Such a Normal Family,” “Hospital at the End of the City,” “There Once Was a House,” “Ambulance,” “Circus Humberto,” “Good Water”), stage productions (The Lodgers, Father or Brother, and A Letter Written in Spanish), and movies (Majesties and Cavaliers, 1969; A Night at Karlstein, 1973; How to Drown Dr. Mracek, The Lawyer, 1974; and Summer with a Cowboy, 1976), Jaromír Hanzlík became one of the most beloved Czech actors. Television, in turn, also offered him superb dramatic roles, including in Jiří Hubač’s award-winning work The Fall of Icarus (1977) and its loose sequel Migratory Birds (1983).
In the 1980s he enjoyed success alongside Jiří Menzel, under whose direction he portrayed distinctive, idiosyncratic, and tragicomic characters à la Hrabal, such as the palavering uncle Pepin in Shortcuts (1980), the enthusiastic junk collector Leli from The Snowdrop Festival (1983), and the rather dull castle librarian Bernard Spara in a film based on the Vladislav Vančura novel The End of Old Times (1989).
At the beginning of the 1990s Jaromír Hanzlík decided to curtail his acting work; since then he only rarely accepts roles and those are carefully selected. Nevertheless, his work from this period includes significant parts as well – for example, in the TV movie The Witness (2001) and the sequel to the TV series “Ambulance,” as well as in Robert Sedláček’s movie comedy Men in Rut (2009). His most recent cinema role to date came in Jan Pachl’s crime drama Gangster Ka (2015).
image: Jaromír Hanzlík (Credit: L. Hatašová)
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Tribeca 2018: Filmmakers Jacob Wasserman, Adam Donald and Ant Gentile Launch VR Company ‘Hidden Content’
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The Caretaker[/caption]
Filmmakers Jacob Wasserman, Adam Donald and Ant Gentile announced the formation of Hidden Content, a full-service virtual reality. Their first project was unveiled yesterday at the Tribeca Film Festival with the world premiere of their narrative 360 Cinema project The Caretaker, the first installment of an original horror anthology series.
Created by Wasserman and Donald as well as filmmaker Nicolas Pesce (The Eyes Of My Mother, Piercing), The Caretaker stars Adelaide Clemens, Tom Lipinski, Clara Wong and Diana Agostini, was produced by Max Born and Schuyler Weiss and executive produced by Gentile and Kimberly Parker. The pilot was a co-production with RealMotion Inc. and audio services were provided by Hobo Audio.
Hidden Content has also teamed with film producer and financier Max Born to produce and acquire a slate of VR films and series, as well as develop a VR/AR distribution platform.
Wasserman, Donald and Gentile have been working in the virtual reality and 360 cinema space for some time, having produced high profile VR commercials and branded content experiences, including Samsung’s “Anatomy of Ski” 4D VR Experience for the 2018 Winter Olympics, featuring Olympic gold medalist downhill skier Bode Miller and “360 Meals,” a journey inside celebrity chef Daniel Boulud’s Michelin-starred flagship restaurant, Daniel.
The trio’s first narrative effort, the interactive VR thriller Broken Night starring Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola, premiered at Tribeca Film Festival 2017 and was also featured at Cannes NEXT 2017.
Hidden Content and Max Born are currently in development on three additional VR genre series, and are in talks with outside creators to acquire new content to build out their 2018 project slate.
The Hidden Content Team
Jacob Wasserman Jacob Wasserman has produced notable and critically acclaimed films including James White (Winner of Sundance NEXT Audience Award, AFI Audience Award), The Eyes of My Mother (Sundance NEXT 2016 Official Selection), virtual reality film Broken Night (2017 Cannes NEXT) with his latest feature films TYREL and Piercing premiering at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. His most recent VR narrative film The Caretaker , which he co-wrote and directed alongside horror director Nicolas Pesce (The Eyes Of My Mother, Piercing), will have its premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. Wasserman has also produced and directed several award winning commercials, music videos and virtual reality films for clients including The North Face, Gatorade, The Wall Street Journal, Sony Music and Samsung. He a founding partner of Virtual Reality production company, Hidden Content and is currently based in Los Angeles, California. Adam Donald Adam Donald is a director who continues to expand his work and collaborations across all genres from Film and Television to Virtual Reality. He is a founding partner in Hidden Content, and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Donald has worked with the world’s top agencies and directed story-telling campaigns for many global brands, including The North Face, Gatorade, Sony, SKYY Vodka, NBA, Budweiser, and American Express, featuring world class artists and athletes Jay Z, Pharell, Diplo, Courtney Love, Venus Williams, Usain Bolt and Elton John, among others. He is the recipient of several industry awards, including The New Directors Showcase, Clio Advertising Awards, D&AD Awards, as well as VMA nominations. In addition to his commercial work, Donald recently directed a television pilot for TruTV and co-directed the experimental VR dance film, The Gate. This is the second year he has had a film selected for both Tribeca and Cannes Film festivals. Ant Gentile Ant Gentile has worked in audio and video production for over 10 years, serving as creative director and producer for clients including Samsung, ABC, Interscope Records, Atlantic Records, CenturyLink, McGraw-Hill Education, Clearasil, Cengage, 451 Media, and Sun Chemical. Wanting the ability to offer full-service production, Gentile opened a state-of-the-art audio production facility in midtown Manhattan, allowing him to score, mix and sound design projects for his clients, as well as start a music publishing and podcast division. In addition, Gentile has executive produced two feature length documentaries and has raised significant strategic funding for both entertainment projects and tech start-ups. With a passion for storytelling in new media, as well as relationships tech and VC companies, Gentile joined with commercial and narrative filmmakers Adam Donald and Jake Wasserman and producing VR content under a new banner, Hidden Content. Nicolas Pesce Nicolas Pesce’s debut feature The Eyes Of My Mother was one of the most critically acclaimed horror films of 2016. It premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in the NEXT section and was released theatrically in the U.S. by Magnolia Pictures. In 2013, Pesce developed an animated series starring Malcolm MacDowell, J.K. Simmons, and Colin Quinn and most recently he completed his second feature film Piercing , based on the Ryu Murakami novel by the same title. Piercing premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight section and stars Christopher Abbott, Mia Wasikowska, Maria Dizzia, and Marin Ireland. Nick is writing and will direct the upcoming The Grudge for Good Universe and Ghost House Pictures. Pesce is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and currently lives in Los Angeles. Max Born Born is a film producer and financier and his production of Josh Mond’s James White was the start of what would be a successful collaboration with Borderline Films, with whom he went on to produce Nicolas Pesce’s debut feature The Eyes Of My Mother. Shortly thereafter he developed Piercing with Pesce and Borderline, which Pesce directed and premiered at Sundance 2018. In 2017, Born collaborated with Sebastián Silva on his film TYREL, which premiered in competition at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. He is currently developing both adapted and original content with Pesce, Silva, and Antonio Campos of Borderline. More recently, Born has refocused on development financing and has already started to build a small library of IP to adapt with more filmmakers. Also in 2018, Born produced a VR short called The Caretaker, which will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and screen in Cannes NEXT. Along with production and post-production partners in this emerging medium, Born is looking to create what would essentially be a small VR studio.
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‘Concerto for Two’ Thrilling Documentary about Conductor Jerzy Maksymiuk will Open 58th Krakow Film Festival
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Concerto for Two by Tomasz Drozdowicz[/caption]
The international première of the documentary film “Concerto for Two” by Tomasz Drozdowicz will open the 58th Krakow Film Festival on the May 27th. It is a tale full of vivid episodes, telling us about the eminent conductor, pianist and composer Jerzy Maksymiuk, as well as an intimate depiction of the unique relationship which he forms with his wife Ewa.
The conductor Jerzy Maksymiuk and his wife Eve make up a special relationship. The charismatic maestro, successful in the world of music, seems to be totally helpless and lost in the daily life without the help of his wife, who supports him in the simplest everyday activities and takes many life decisions on his behalf. The camera accompanies the artist during his work with outstanding musicians and orchestras, as well as shows the fascinating world of the genius composer, absorbed in the score to the very boundaries of madness.
The director Tomasz Drozdowicz created a portrait of the artist filled with behind-the-scenes anecdotes, from which the works of the greatest composers sound out. Above all, however, he showed the story of love, passion and talent.
“It is another Polish film which will open our festival and the next one after “Dream of Warsaw” by Krzysztof Magowski, which portrays an outstanding musician,” explains Krzysztof Gierat, the Director of Krakow Film Festival. “The film about Czesław Niemen was made up of archival materials and memories, this one is a dynamic observation of the creative process clashing against prosaic, often funny everyday life, which is much harder to record as a colorful score.”
Jerzy Maksymiuk was born in Grodno. His music studies were crowned with three diplomas: piano, composition and conducting. He is the founder of the Polish Chamber Orchestra, which was considered one of the best orchestras in the world. He has given concerts in the most prestigious concert halls of the world. He has recorded about 100 albums and has written music for several dozen films, out of which he most values the soundtrack written for “The Hourglass Sanatorium,” directed by Wojciech Has.
Tomasz Drozdowicz is a graduate of Directing at the Faculty of Film and Television at the University of Silesia in Katowice. He is the author of documentary films, among others, “Kolba, na szczęście!”, “Zupa na puentach,” and the feature film “Futro,” as well as numerous music videos, television series and teleplays.
The film “Concerto for Two,” produced by Film Studio Autograf, was shown at the session Docs to Go! within the frames of the project DOC LAB POLAND at the Festival in 2016. This year, it will compete for the highest laurels in two competitions: the international music documentary film competition DocFilmMusic and in the Polish competition.