Here is a first look at Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom, a dangerously intimate documentary directed by Alba Sotorra that follows a woman commando unit as it takes on ISIS. Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom will World Premiere at the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival on Sunday April 29.
When we meet Arian, a 30-year-old commander of the YPJ, the Kurdish-Syrian Women’s Protection Unit, she is struggling to recover from multiple ISIS sniper wounds. But her greatest worry is to be sent home. “If I live an ordinary life, I will be scared of death,” she says.
The words reflect the dual motivations that inspired Kurdish women to literally take arms against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria as it gobbled territory and slaughtered villagers in their homeland. She and her all-female comrades know the stakes involved in stopping the ultra-fundamentalist insurgency from overrunning them.
“To them, a piece of fabric is worth more than a woman,” Arian says angrily in an earlier interview from the battlefield. “To end their threat to women, we will fight them until there is no one left.”
But Alba Sotorra’s riveting documentary Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom, is about more than the threat in front of these women. It’s about their camaraderie. And it’s about what they left behind that they would like to see change in the face of a victory over the Islamic extremists.
The documentary jumps regularly between the post-recovery Arian – who wants nothing more than to get back in battle – and the YPJ fighters as they make village-by-village progress to the occupied Syrian city of Kobane, “the heart of Kurdistan.” We witness Arian in her role as a de facto life coach toward fellow soldiers who have left a life where they were only expected to be wives and mothers. “What kind of woman do you want to be?” she repeatedly asks those under her command.
As a fellow fighter named Nupelda offers in advance of the next fire-fight, “Here, there is a goal, to enrich my thoughts and be free.” There is tragedy along with the high ideals. Some of the women we meet en route to Kobane will be injured and killed. But the push forward continues, along with the dreams for a better life than before.
“When the war in Syria broke out, Kurdish women took arms against Daesh (ISIS),” director Sotorra says. “Having followed the news about the atrocities committed in the region, especially against women, I thought it was incredible that a female force was emerging as the fiercest power against these monsters.”
When the YPJ was taking back Kobane and repelling attacks, Sotorra undertook a risky filmmaking mission via contacts in Turkey, arriving in time to see a city in ruins and without power. “I decided to travel to Kobane and meet the women who had led that battle. I wanted to share their feminist struggle and, as a woman filmmaker, it almost felt like my duty to document it.
“It was an adventure. I had no idea what I was getting into. Sometimes I think if I had been aware of all the things I would experience, I wouldn’t have had the courage to go. But ignorance is bliss and this is a story about courage.”
[gallery size="large" link="file" columns="4" ids="28288,28289,28290,28291,28292,28293,28294,28295,28296,28297,28298,28299,28300,28301,28287"]
Film Festivals
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First Look at Women Commandos Fighting Isis in Documentary ‘Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom’ [VIDEO]
Here is a first look at Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom, a dangerously intimate documentary directed by Alba Sotorra that follows a woman commando unit as it takes on ISIS. Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom will World Premiere at the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival on Sunday April 29.
When we meet Arian, a 30-year-old commander of the YPJ, the Kurdish-Syrian Women’s Protection Unit, she is struggling to recover from multiple ISIS sniper wounds. But her greatest worry is to be sent home. “If I live an ordinary life, I will be scared of death,” she says.
The words reflect the dual motivations that inspired Kurdish women to literally take arms against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria as it gobbled territory and slaughtered villagers in their homeland. She and her all-female comrades know the stakes involved in stopping the ultra-fundamentalist insurgency from overrunning them.
“To them, a piece of fabric is worth more than a woman,” Arian says angrily in an earlier interview from the battlefield. “To end their threat to women, we will fight them until there is no one left.”
But Alba Sotorra’s riveting documentary Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom, is about more than the threat in front of these women. It’s about their camaraderie. And it’s about what they left behind that they would like to see change in the face of a victory over the Islamic extremists.
The documentary jumps regularly between the post-recovery Arian – who wants nothing more than to get back in battle – and the YPJ fighters as they make village-by-village progress to the occupied Syrian city of Kobane, “the heart of Kurdistan.” We witness Arian in her role as a de facto life coach toward fellow soldiers who have left a life where they were only expected to be wives and mothers. “What kind of woman do you want to be?” she repeatedly asks those under her command.
As a fellow fighter named Nupelda offers in advance of the next fire-fight, “Here, there is a goal, to enrich my thoughts and be free.” There is tragedy along with the high ideals. Some of the women we meet en route to Kobane will be injured and killed. But the push forward continues, along with the dreams for a better life than before.
“When the war in Syria broke out, Kurdish women took arms against Daesh (ISIS),” director Sotorra says. “Having followed the news about the atrocities committed in the region, especially against women, I thought it was incredible that a female force was emerging as the fiercest power against these monsters.”
When the YPJ was taking back Kobane and repelling attacks, Sotorra undertook a risky filmmaking mission via contacts in Turkey, arriving in time to see a city in ruins and without power. “I decided to travel to Kobane and meet the women who had led that battle. I wanted to share their feminist struggle and, as a woman filmmaker, it almost felt like my duty to document it.
“It was an adventure. I had no idea what I was getting into. Sometimes I think if I had been aware of all the things I would experience, I wouldn’t have had the courage to go. But ignorance is bliss and this is a story about courage.”
[gallery size="large" link="file" columns="4" ids="28288,28289,28290,28291,28292,28293,28294,28295,28296,28297,28298,28299,28300,28301,28287"]
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First Look at ‘SAY HER NAME: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland’ Documentary Premiering At Tribeca Film Festival [VIDEO]
Ahead of its April 25th World Premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, HBO Documentary Films shared a first look and official poster for the highly anticipated documentary, SAY HER NAME: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland. The documentary which is directed by Kate Davis and David Heilbroner, will premiere on HBO.
In 2015, Sandra Bland, a politically active 28-year-old black woman from Chicago was arrested for a traffic violation in a small Texas town. Three days later, Sandra was found hanging from a noose in her jail cell. Though ruled a suicide, her death sparked allegations of racially-motivated police murder and Sandra became a poster child for activists nationwide, leaving millions to question, “What really happened to Sandra Bland?”
Ten days after Sandra’s death, the filmmakers began working closely with the family’s legal team, tracking the two-year battle between Sandra’s aggrieved family and Texas authorities. With disturbing, never-before-told details about the case, the film is punctuated by Sandra’s own passionate and moving commentary.
Approximately 30 “Sandy Speaks” video blogs, which Sandra created herself, allowed the filmmakers to get to know Sandra Bland in a deeply personal way. Via these videos, Sandy herself emerges as a central voice in SAY HER NAME — an empowered, enlightened woman of color whose sharp, humorous, charismatic remarks address subjects from educating kids about black history to police brutality to the importance of natural hair.
Part legal thriller, part parable about race in America, SAY HER NAME takes viewers deep inside a story that galvanized activists across the country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pybBqJNg5ds
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See Trailer + Poster for New British Film OBEY World Premiering at 2018 Tribeca Film Festival [VIDEO]
Obey, the powerful new British film set during the time of the London Riots (which took place in 2011) will World Premiere in the International Narrative Competition category at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Obey is about Leon, a nineteen-year-old boy with an alcoholic mother who has grown up in and out of care. Introducing Marcus Rutherford as Leon, who plays the film’s central character, Obey also stars Sophie Kennedy Clark (Philomena, Nymphomaniac, Black Mirror) as Twiggy and T’Nia Miller (Wagstaffe, Stud Life, Marcella, Guilt) as Leon’s mother.
Obey is raw and uncompromising and set against the backdrop of social unrest in London. It is the directorial debut feature from Jamie Jones whose award-winning short film THE NEST starring Vicky McClure was recently selected for Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and Tampere Film Festival 2017. Produced by Emily Jones of Beyond Fiction and Ross Williams of Harvest Pictures, Executive Produced by John Giwa-Amu (The Party, The Silent Storm, The Machine) of Red & Black Films and with Sound Design by Ben Baird (Lady Macbeth, The Levelling).
Finally free from adult supervision, Leon begins to rail against the injustice of his reality as his dreams become more and more unattainable and distant. Oppressed at home and hunted on the streets by local gangs, Leon’s existence is suffocating, and all too real. When he meets Twiggy, a beautiful blond girl living in a local squat something stirs inside of him. As she introduces him to her world, the weight of his past lifts. He is in love for the first time and for a moment escapes the reality of his unrelenting existence. But naïve to the affluent world supporting Twiggy’s hedonistic lifestyle, Leon is unprepared when Twiggy no longer wants him around. Leon withdraws, allowing his raw and unhampered emotions to take over in the blind fight against his unjust existence with terrifying and brutal consequences.
Director Jamie Jones said: “I’m delighted to have our World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. The journey to get to this point has been long – so i am thrilled that the cast and crew who have worked so hard can bask in this glory! Without their determination and dedication we wouldn’t have got this far. It’s been such a collaborative process every step of the way and we are such a tight team, so really this is a dream for us all.
Obey is a social drama – a politically driven film that highlights the tough plight and frustrations of young adults growing up in London so I am hopeful that it resonates with NY audiences. London and New York are both global cities with complex multi-cultural societies, and I am excited to show an aspect of London that is often unrepresented in cinema to a New York audience.”
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Tribeca 2018: Watch First Trailer for McQUEEN, Documentary on Designer Alexander McQueen [VIDEO]
Bleeker Street has released the first teaser trailer for the documentary “McQueen“, which will have its World Premiere on Sunday, April 22, 2018 at the Tribeca Film Festival and released in select theaters on July 13, 2018. The documentary is directed by Ian Bonhôte and co-directed/written by Peter Ettedgui.
McQueen is described as a personal look at the extraordinary life, career and artistry of Alexander McQueen. Through exclusive interviews with his closest friends and family, recovered archives, exquisite visuals and music, McQueen is an authentic celebration and thrilling portrait of an inspired yet tortured fashion visionary.
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Tribeca 2018: Watch Clip from TIME FOR ILHAN , Documentary on Muslim Somali-American Ilhan Omar’s Political Campaign [VIDEO]
Norah Shapiro documentary “Time For Ilhan“, which will have its World Premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, April 21, has released the first video clip. Ilhan Omar, a young, hijab-wearing mother of three, takes on two formidable opponents in a highly-contested race for a seat in the Minnesota State Legislature. If successful, she will become the first Muslim Somali- American woman lawmaker in the United States. Similar to the classic tale of David and Goliath, Omar, who is up against a 43-year incumbent, is the “outsider”- a Muslim, refugee, woman of color – who seeks to challenge the party’s status quo while simultaneously defying the gender norms within her own Muslim community.
Time For Ilhan shadows Ilhan and her scrappy group of dedicated campaign staffers throughout the entire campaign’s dramatic uphill battle. A fresh take on the old story of the American Dream, the film offers an inspiring, stereotype-busting portrait of a rising political star and a vision of what is truly possible for women and New Americans in politics today.
Norah Shapiro is a Minneapolis-based filmmaker who left a decade-long career as a public defender to pursue documentary filmmaking, and hasn’t looked back since. Her first feature film MISS TIBET: BEAUTY IN EXILE (2014) premiered at the 2014 DOC NYC Film Festival. Additional screenings include the 2015 Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival where it received the “Best Minnesota Made Feature Documentary” award; SF DOCFEST; the Asian American International Film Festival in New York City; and others around the globe. She received a McKnight Filmmaking Fellowship in 2012 and has received numerous production and completion funding awards from funders including the Jerome Foundation, and the Minnesota Filmmakers Legacy Fund. She is also currently producing a new documentary about the recently solved 27-year old abduction of Jacob Wetterling, a young Minnesota boy in rural Minnesota and its far reaching impact.
2018 Tribeca Film Festival Screening Schedule:
WORLD PREMIERE: Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 3:30 PM at CIN-08
Cinepolis Chelsea (CIN) 260 West 23 Street, between 7 and 8 Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 8:15PM at REGAL-06
Regal Battery Park Stadium 11 (RGL) 102 North End Ave, New York, NY 10281
Monday, April 23, 2018 at 3:45PM at CIN-02
Cinepolis Chelsea (CIN) 260 West 23 Street, between 7 and 8 Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Friday, April 27, 2018 at 8:15PM at REGAL-06
Regal Battery Park Stadium 11 (RGL) 102 North End Ave, New York, NY 10281
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Director David Cronenberg to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Venice Film Festival
David Cronenberg will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement for directors at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, taking place August 29 to September 8, 2018.
Accepting the award, David Cronenberg declared: “I’ve always loved the Golden Lion of Venice. A lion that flies on golden wings––that’s the essence of art, isn’t it? The essence of cinema. It will be almost unbearably thrilling to receive a Golden Lion of my own.”
With regard to this prize, Festival Director, Alberto Barbera declared: “Although Cronenberg was originally relegated to the margins of the horror genre, right from his first, scandalously subversive movies, the director has shown that he wants to take his audiences well beyond the cinema of exploitation, as he constructs an original and highly personal structure, movie after movie. Revolving around the inseparable relationship of body, sex, and death, his universe is populated by grotesque deformities and terrifying couplings, a horror which reflects the fear of mutations inflicted on bodies by science and technology, of disease and physical decay, of the unresolved conflict between spirit and flesh. Violence, sexual transgression, confusion between what is real and what is virtual, the image’s deforming role in contemporary society: these are a few of the recurring themes which have helped make him one of the most daring and stimulating filmmakers ever, a tireless innovator of forms and languages.”
Director David Cronenberg’s reputation as an authentic auteur has been firmly established by his uniquely personal body of work which includes: Shivers, Rabid, Fast Company, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, Crash, eXistenZ, The Dead Zone, M. Butterfly, Spider, A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, A Dangerous Method, Cosmopolis and Maps to the Stars. In 1991, Cronenberg was nominated for the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival for Naked Lunch and won this award in 1999 for eXistenZ. Cronenberg’s films Crash, Spider, A History of Violence and Cosmopolis have all been in competition for the Palme d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1996, Crash received a Special Jury Prize from the Festival. Most recently, in 2011, A Dangerous Method was nominated for a Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival.
Frequently lauded as one of the world’s greatest and most influential directors, Cronenberg’s films have earned him critical praise and recognition internationally. In 1999, he presided over the Cannes Film Festival jury and in 2006, was awarded the Festival’s lifetime achievement award, the Carrosse d’Or. Collectively, his films have been nominated for seven Golden Globes; received BAFTA and France’s César Award nominations for A History of Violence and Eastern Promises; four Academy Award nominations; prizes from the Toronto International Film Festival, Directors Guild of Canada and Canada’s Genie Awards. Cronenberg’s short film, At the Suicide of the Last Jew in the World in the Last Cinema in the World, in which he also stars, was created for the Chacun son cinema collection of films commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Cannes International Film Festival. Other special commissions include Camera (2000), created for the 25th anniversary of the Toronto International Film (TIFF) and The Nest (2013) as part of TIFF’s David Cronenberg Evolution exhibition and retrospective.
In 2006, Cronenberg worked with the Art Gallery of Ontario as a guest curator for the exhibition, Andy Warhol/Supernova: Stars, Deaths and Disasters, 1962-1964. David created an innovative soundtrack audio guide with additional commentary by several of Warhol’s contemporaries. Further challenging himself outside the realm of film, David brought the opera of the The Fly to the stage for the Théâtre du Châtelet and LA Opera in 2008. Turning his hand to fiction in 2014, David debuted his first novel, Consumed. The inventive and disturbing work was mounted as a stage play by Theatre Bremen in 2015 and is currently being developed for television. Recognition of Cronenberg’s contribution to art and culture has included an appointment as an Officer to the Order of Canada in 2003, a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2014, investiture in France’s Order of Arts and Letters in 1990 and the Légion d’Honneur in 2009. Cronenberg was made a Fellow of the British Film Institute in 2011.
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Richmond International Film Festival to Honor Governor Terry McAuliffe + “Thank You For Your Service” for Military Spotlight
Each year Richmond International Film Festival honors state and national leaders who are paving a future path in leadership and evoking inspiring change in our communities. This year the festival’s Pioneer Award for Excellence in Public Service & Leadership will be awarded to Governor Terry McAuliffe for his extraordinary work in public service, national leadership, and in successfully ending veteran’s homelessness in Virginia as he promised and helping get them into programs that create new purpose upon transitioning to civilian life. The Pioneer Award will be presented to Governor Terry McAuliffe by Governor Ralph Northam during RIFF”s Sunday, April 29 Military Spotlight at 2:30pm.
The Military Spotlight will feature a screening of Thank You For Your Service, a groundbreaking feature documentary that investigates the failed mental health policies within the US military and the deadly consequences to the troops. The film will screen Sunday, April 29 at 2:30pm at the Byrd Theatre, and will be followed by the Pioneer Award presentation and an extensive Q&A with filmmaker, Tom Donahue & leading experts Carrie Ann Alford (Director of Policy and Planning, Virginia Department of Veterans Services, William Rodriguez MSW (Founder at Torii Coaching and Consulting), and Brian Meyer (Clinical Psychologist and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder/Substance Use Disorders Specialist at the H.H. McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50LQGcb5knE
RIFF will bring another special guest to the festival, Rene Balcer, a top influencer in television and film who will present his feature documentary, Above the Drowning Sea with co-executive Producer, Carolyn & Hsu Balcer. The film is a documentary about WWII and Austrian immigrants who fled to Shanghai to escape Hitler and the Nazis and narrated by Julianna Margulies, Tony Goldwyn, and Nick Mancuso. It will screen Thursday, April 26th at 8pm at the Byrd Theatre with an extensive Q&A to follow. Rene Balcer is a co-Creator, writer, and executive producer of Law & Order.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkbUwHimFGg
Image: Terry McAuliffe, Virginia governor, meets with Soldiers during a visit to Fort Eustis, Va., Dec. 2, 2014. During his visit, McAuliffe asked the Soldiers questions about their military experiences, and thanked them for their service. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kimberly Nagle/Released)
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FOX Sports Soccer Documentary Mini-Series PHENOMS to World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival [Trailer]
FOX Sports will world premiere the action-packed soccer documentary mini-series, PHENOMS, at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, in its Tribeca TV section. The network will showcase the FOX Sports Films series’ third episode, “Goalkeepers,” introducing audiences to the behind-the-scenes journey with these future stars, who act as the true last line of defense for their countries on the global stage.
The premiere will take place on Wednesday, April 25 at 8:30pm ET at SVA Theatre (333 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011), followed by a panel discussion about the upcoming mini-series and road to the FIFA World Cup. The post-film panel, hosted by FOX Sports’ Rachel Bonnetta, includes guests Mario Melchiot (Executive Producer, PHENOMS; former professional player); David Worthen Brooks (Executive Producer, PHENOMS; EVP, ALL CITY); Arbi Pedrossian (Producer, PHENOMS); Chris Perkel (Series Creative Director, PHENOMS); Directors Jane Hicks, Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist; and Thomas Verette (editor, PHENOMS).
In its May network television premiere, PHENOMS will kick-off with back-to-back episodes, “Attackers” and “Defenders,” on Friday, May 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Episode 3, “Goalkeepers,” will air on Friday, June 1, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, ahead of the finale on June 8, when Episodes 4 and 5, “Playmakers” and “Creators,” will air back-to-back at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET/PT.
The five-part documentary chronicles the journey of the next great soccer players on their quests to represent their respective countries in the 2018 FIFA World Cup(TM). The series allows fans and viewers to experience the personal lives of players through unprecedented behind-the-scenes access. Some of the players featured include young stars from the world’s top clubs and countries such as Dele Alli, Davinson Sanchez, Marco Asensio, Paulo Dybala, Gabriel Jesus, Ousmane Dembele, Adrien Rabiot, Leon Goretzka, Corentin Tolisso, Hirving Lozano and Marquinhos.
This captivating global sports documentary series has been created by the world’s top sports documentarians and award-winning storytellers — filmmakers who’ve won Emmys, Peabodys and Academy Awards, including Jeff and Michael Zimbalist, Kevin Klauber, Chris Perkel, Leo Pearlman, Jane Preston, Alastair Uhlig, Lovinsa Kavuma, Bart van den Aardweg, Mirko Dreiling, Marco Schillaci, Gilles Rof, Joan Lloret and Sofia Geveyler.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1TeBHXgquI
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2018 San Francisco International Film Festival is a Wrap – ‘Eighth Grade’ and ‘A Thousand Thoughts’ Win Audience Awards
[caption id="attachment_27753" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
EIGHTH GRADE[/caption]
After over two weeks of screening 186 films from 45 countries, the 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival came to a close on Tuesday, April 17th.
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A Thousand Thoughts – A Live Documentary by Sam Green and Kronos Quartet[/caption]
The 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival Festival Audience Awards gave festival-goers the opportunity to select their favorite narrative and documentary features. The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade (USA), with Un Traductor by Rodrigo Barriuso and Sebastián Barriuso (Canada/Cuba) also scoring highly with Festival audiences. The Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature went to Sam Green’s A Thousand Thoughts – A Live Documentary by Sam Green and Kronos Quartet, while Betsy West and Julie Cohen’s RBG (USA) was another favorite at the Festival.
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Tribeca Film Festival to LiveStream Events with Paris Hilton, Spike Lee, Thandie Newton, Alec Baldwin, Jamie Foxx
The Tribeca Film Festival will provide exclusive, real time livestream access to must-see events and the biggest names in film, television, music, journalism and fashion at the 2018 festival. The real time access provides a window for festival goers at home or anywhere to be a part of the candid conversations with such stars as Evan Rachel Wood, Spike Lee, Thandie Newton, Alec Baldwin, Jamie Foxx, Paris Hilton, Nathan Lane, Christine Baranski, André Leon Tally, Antonio Banderas and James Marsden among many others.
Audiences from around the world will be able to join the star-studded cast of Westworld for a conversation about the anticipated new season and experience the conversation with the world’s most respected journalists following the gala closing night film The Fourth Estate. The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival will run from April 18-29 and is presented by AT&T.
The talks are available exclusively via Facebook Live on the Tribeca Film Festival Facebook page. The Tribeca Film Festival/Facebook Live schedule follows.
Thursday, April 19
6:00 PM: John Legend with Sara Bareilles (Tribeca Talks: Storytellers) – Join in a conversation when Sara Bareilles interviews celebrated singer, songwriter, actor, and producer, John Legend who has been releasing billboard hits since his debut album Get Lifted in 2004. He’s earned a total of ten Grammy Awards. John Legend also formed a film and television production company, Get Lifted, in 2014, and executive produced and starred in La La Land and the hit television show, Underground. He won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his song “Glory” in Selma. In addition to his work in music and film, Legend is also well known for his philanthropic work in education and criminal justice reform. He founded #FREEAMERICA, a campaign designed to change the national conversation of our country’s misguided policies and to make a change in America’s criminal justice system.
9:40 PM: Westworld (Tribeca TV) – Join the cast and creators for a conversation about Westworld, following the season two New York Premiere at Tribeca of the smash hit from HBO, as it continues on its dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Featured will be co-creators, showrunners, and directors Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, along with cast-members Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, and James Marsden.
Friday, April 20
6:30 PM: Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story (Tribeca TV) – Join in the conversations about the world premiere of a new mini-series from Paramount Network looking at the life and legacy of Trayvon Martin. The new series, Executive Produced by Shawn JAY – Z Carter, presents the definitive look at one of the most talked-about, controversial events of the last decade. MSNBC’s host Joy Reid moderates a conversation with co-directors Julia Willoughby Nason and Jenner Furst, the parents of Trayvon Martin, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, executive producers Mike Gasparro and Chachi Senior, and a special guest.
9:20 PM: Genius: Picasso (Tribeca TV) – Antonio Banderas stars as Pablo Picasso in the world premiere of the second season of the National Geographic Series and headlines a candid conversation following the world premiere. Genius: Picasso explores the Spanish expatriate Pablo Picasso’s devotion to his craft, his contribution to modern art, and his turbulent personal life. Variety’s Cynthia Littleton moderates a conversation with showrunner Ken Biller, executive producers Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo, and cast-members Antonio Banderas, Alex Rich, Clémence Poésy, Poppy Delevingne, and Samantha Colley.
Saturday, April 21
6:00 PM: Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro (Tribeca Talks: Storytellers) – Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro will sit down to discuss Cooper’s career as an actor, producer and now director; from his early work in acclaimed comedies such as Wet Hot American Summer, Wedding Crashers and The Hangover trilogy, to his impactful dramatic turns in Silver Linings Playbook and American Sniper, which led to him becoming the tenth actor to receive an Academy Award nomination three years in a row. Most recently, Cooper has been working on his directorial debut, a modern adaptation of A Star is Born, which he also produced, co-wrote, and stars in alongside Lady Gaga. Cooper and De Niro have worked together on such films as Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Joy and Limitless which was their first picture together.
Monday, April 23
6:00 PM: Jamie Foxx (Tribeca Talks: Storytellers) – Prolific actor, musician, and comedian Jamie Foxx is a Hollywood triple threat and the subject of this special Tribeca Talk. Perhaps his most iconic role as an actor, his portrayal of musician Ray Charles in the biopic Ray, landed him an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA in 2005. The very same year, Foxx was nominated for a second Oscar for his acting in the film Collateral, making him only the second man in history to receive two acting Oscar nominations in the same year for two different roles. In addition to film, Foxx is a GRAMMY award-winning musician, producing four albums that have charted the top ten of the US Billboard 200. Recently, Foxx has taken on the dual role of host and executive producer for the game show Beat Shazam, which will have its second season premiere in May on FOX, and he will also be appearing in Robin Hood, scheduled for theatrical release in November.
9:30 PM: Every Act of Life (World Premiere, Special Screening) – Playwright Terrance McNally is the subject a new riveting documentary which presents a revealing portrait of the four-time Tony-winning playwright through his groundbreaking, six-decade career in the theater, fight for LGBTQ rights, and triumph over addiction. New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich leads a conversation with McNally, director Jeff Kaufman, actor/director Joe Mantello, and actors Nathan Lane, F. Murray Abraham, Christine Baranski, and Chita Rivera.
Tuesday, April 24
8:45 PM: Alec Baldwin and Spike Lee (Tribeca Talks: Storytellers) – Alec Baldwin and Spike Lee, two of the industry’s most prolific storytellers, will sit down and discuss in great detail their passionate and reverential relationship to film: their favorite movies of all time, the films that have influenced them as creators, and the power of storytelling. Spike Lee is an Academy Award-winning director, producer, writer, actor and activist and NYU Grad Film Tenured Professor, best known for his groundbreaking and acclaimed films, Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, 4 Little Girls, When The Levees Broke,25th Hour and Inside Man. Alec Baldwin is a critically acclaimed actor, writer, producer, and activist, most recognizable for his roles in Beetlejuice, The Hunt for Red October, Glengarry Glen Ross, 30 Rock, and Saturday Night Live. He is also the hosts of his podcast, Here’s the Thing, for WNYC radio and is the author of three books.
Wednesday, April 25
10:00 PM: The Gospel According to André (World Premiere – Special Screening) – From the segregated South to the fashion capitals of the world, The Gospel According to André recounts fashion editor André Leon Talley’s storied life and career through intimate conversations, rich archival, and testimonials from fashion luminaries. Join in a conversation with director Kate Novack and subject André Leon Talley, producer Andrew Rossi, executive producer Roger Ross Williams and producer Josh Braun. Moderated by performer Sandra Bernhard.
Friday, April 27
9:35 PM: The American Meme (World Premiere – Special Screening) – Paris Hilton, the Fat Jew, Kirill Bichutsky, and Brittany Furlan have all used social media to achieve massive internet fame. But, is it worth it? Join in a conversation following the world premiere of the documentary The American Meme with director Bert Marcus, subjects Paris Hilton, Kirill Bichutsky, Brittany Furlan, The Fat Jew and Hailey Baldwin.
Saturday, April 28
2:00 PM: Writing & Showrunning for TV (Tribeca Talks: Master Class) American television writing duo, Robert and Michelle King, will sit down with The Daily Show Executive Producers Steve Bodow and Jennifer Flanz, to discuss what it takes to write and produce a compelling show and the grit required to churn out episodes that feel timely and fresh. The Kings are a Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award-nominated writing team. Their work on their two major hit series The Good Wife and The Good Fight touch on a wide range of issues, from political corruption to cyber-security — making their shows simultaneously gripping and true to life. Bodow and Flanz have collectively won over 20 Primetime Emmy Awards for The Daily Show’s hilariously cutting political satire, garnering remarkable success and notoriety for the show.
9:30 PM: The Fourth Estate (World Premiere, Closing Night) Join the filmmakers and journalists from The New York Times following the closing night film of the Tribeca Film Festival of Showtime’s The Fourth Estate. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus’ new documentary goes inside The New York Times to chronicle the inner workings of journalism and investigative reporting from the front line during the Trump administration’s first history-making year. Join the conversation with The New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet, Washington Bureau Chief Elisabeth Bumiller, White House Correspondent Julie Davis, Washington Investigative Correspondent Mark Mazzetti, director Liz Garbus, and producer Jenny Carchman.
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Isabel Coixet’s THE BOOKSHOP to Kick off 2018 Seattle International Film Festival
Isabel Coixet’s The Bookshop will kick off the 44th annual Seattle International Film Festival on Thursday, May 17, 2018. The 2018 Festival runs May 17 through June 10 at venues in Seattle and surrounding cities.
Written and directed by the acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Isabel Coixet (Learning to Drive, Elegy) and based on the bestselling novel by Penelope Fitzgerald, the film stars Emily Mortimer (Mary Poppins Returns, The Newsroom), Bill Nighy (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Love Actually) and Patricia Clarkson (House of Cards, The Maze Runner). The film played as a Special Gala selection at the 2018 Berlin Film Festival and was the winner of three Goya Awards in Spain, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
The Bookshop is Coixet’s follow-up to the indie hit Learning to Drive and is set in a seaside village in England where a grieving widow (Mortimer) pursues her lifelong dream of opening a bookshop. As she introduces the townsfolk to the world’s best literature and stirs a cultural awakening, her efforts are ruthlessly opposed by a powerful local (Clarkson) causing a reclusive resident (Nighy) to join the fight to keep the bookshop open.
“The raw and delicate relationship between tradition and change comes head to head between the two woman characters,” said SIFF Artistic Director Beth Barrett. “It’s a gem of a film with incredible performances from the lead actresses, and a celebration of women who persist.”
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VR Experience VESTIGE Acquired by Other Set Ahead of World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival
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“Fractured memories within the black abyss.” From Vestige. Photo credit: Aaron Bradbury.[/caption]
VESTIGE, an emotional, complex, virtual reality documentary, that is set to world premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, has been acquired by UK-based VR distributor and sales agent Other Set. The deal marks the second VR acquisition for the company who picked up ZIKR: A SUFI REVIVAL in a historic deal earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. It is the third-ever sale of a virtual reality experience at a major film festival.
Other Set is Andy Whittaker’s latest venture and is a sales and distribution company, specializing in director-driven VR and immersive content from around the world. Other Set is focused on changing how users engage with crucial stories centered on social impact. Prior to Other Set, Andy founded Dogwoof the UK’s documentary powerhouse.
“VESTIGE allows the viewer to experience the healing that can be discovered on the other side of grief and loss. The experience showcases the unique power of the VR medium to connect audiences to Lisa’s very human story on a visceral, emotional level” said Andy Whittaker, founder Other Set.
Antoine Cayrol, producer of the experience and co-founder of AtlasV, said, “As a newly formed company, we’re working to re-focus VR storytelling towards a sustainable indie film production model. With the support of Other Set and our joint mission to share outstanding content we’re thrilled to be able to dive further into the future of distribution and bring the powerful story that is VESTIGE to a wider audience.”
VESTIGE is a 10 minute room-scale VR creative documentary that uses multi-narrative and volumetric live capture to take the viewer on a journey into the mind of Lisa as she remembers her lost love, Erik. Within an empty void, fragments of past memories appear of their life together. As we navigate the space to explore these moments, new memories are triggered revealing new pathways through the story. Over time the memories become entangled with a haunting vision and eventually lead us to the shocking moment of Erik’s death. Every viewing will reveal a different journey towards this moment, revealing the complex world of memory and grief.
Paul Mowbray, producer of the experience and director of NSC Creative, said, “Our studio has been creating immersive experiences across the globe for 18 years but this is our first room-scale VR piece. VESTIGE is really pushing the limits of what can be done with volumetric capture and multi-narrative storytelling right now. Aaron’s success as a leading VR Creator comes from a deep technical knowledge across multiple disciplines combined with a passion to connect with the audience in a profoundly emotional way.”
VESTIGE is directed by Aaron Bradbury and produced by Paul Mowbray, Antoine Cayrol and Jill Klekas Basmajian. The project was created in collaboration with NSC Creative, AtlasV, RYOT and funded through Kaleidoscope’s platform, and was supported by the French CNC. The film also features original music by Starkey.
The film is set for a Spring 2019 release and will be available for the Rift, Vive and Microsoft VR headsets through streaming platforms, Steam, Oculus, VivePort and Microsoft.