Colombian-American filmmaker Mateo Márquez’s film THE INVADERS, featuring actress Isra Elsalihie will celebrate its world premiere this week in Colorado as an Official Selection of the 2018 Vail Film Festival.
Jayla, a Muslim-American teen, is being followed as she walks the streets of the neighborhood in which she has always lived. Terror and confusion take over as Jayla attempts to outrun the powerful, swift-moving menace that pursues her even into the supposed safety of her own home. As Anti-Muslim sentiment spreads through Western societies, THE INVADERS imagines a not too distant future in which an exaggerated fear of Islam has replaced moral or humanitarian regard.
THE INVADERS has been written and directed by New York City-based Mateo Márquez and is a co-production between Mateo Márquez Films and Cup of Joe Film.
THE INVADERS World Premiere at Vail Film Festival on Saturday, April 7 at 1:30 PM at Theater 2 at Blue Starlite Cinema in Colorado.
Film Festivals
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Horror Short Film THE INVADERS Starring Isra Elsalihie to World Premiere at Vail Film Festival | Trailer
Colombian-American filmmaker Mateo Márquez’s film THE INVADERS, featuring actress Isra Elsalihie will celebrate its world premiere this week in Colorado as an Official Selection of the 2018 Vail Film Festival.
Jayla, a Muslim-American teen, is being followed as she walks the streets of the neighborhood in which she has always lived. Terror and confusion take over as Jayla attempts to outrun the powerful, swift-moving menace that pursues her even into the supposed safety of her own home. As Anti-Muslim sentiment spreads through Western societies, THE INVADERS imagines a not too distant future in which an exaggerated fear of Islam has replaced moral or humanitarian regard.
THE INVADERS has been written and directed by New York City-based Mateo Márquez and is a co-production between Mateo Márquez Films and Cup of Joe Film.
THE INVADERS World Premiere at Vail Film Festival on Saturday, April 7 at 1:30 PM at Theater 2 at Blue Starlite Cinema in Colorado.
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BOILED ANGELS: THE TRIAL OF MIKE DIANA Wins Audience Award at First-ever What the Fest!?
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Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana[/caption]
BOILED ANGELS: THE TRIAL OF MIKE DIANA by Frank Henenlotter (BASKET CASE, BRAIN DAMAGE), won the Audience Award at the first-ever What the Fest!? billed as a new showcase for outrageous content, at New York’s IFC Center. The latest documentary directed by Henenlotter, which made its World Premiere at the festival, BOILED ANGELS is the true story of underground comic artist Mike Diana, the only American artist ever convicted of obscenity. The film also featured appearances from Neil Gaiman and George A. Romero, among others. Henenlotter and Diana were both present for a Q&A following the World Premiere screening, along with producers Anthony Sneed and Mike Hunchback.
“The first edition of What The Fest!? had something organic that’s impossible to buy or manufacture: an incredible atmosphere,” says Creative Director Maria Reinup. “Audiences and filmmakers welcomed our new festival with open arms, and we were thrilled to launch a new home for great genre films in New York — and we’re especially proud that our audiences honored a legendary New York genre filmmaker like Frank Henenlotter.”
BOILED ANGEL’s Audience Award win was the cherry on top of a successful launch for What the Fest!?. The eleven-program lineup featured an international selection of new films from the US, France, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, and Indonesia, along with a sneak preview of AMC’s new series “The Terror,” with star Jared Harris in attendance, and the world premiere of a restoration of the 1988 Polish-Estonian CURSE OF SNAKES VALLEY, a Soviet-era action spectacular never released stateside. Festival selections included upcoming releases THE ENDLESS and LOWLIFE (both opening April 6th), GHOST STORIES (April 20th) and REVENGE (May 11th), as well as titles not yet acquired for the US. Filmmakers were present for most screenings, among them Jenn Wexler, Larry Fessenden, and Heather Buckley, in attendance for the Closing Night selection, THE RANGER.
In addition to traditional filmmaker Q&As, the festival also partnered with Forbidden Planet, The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, The Swarm Lab, The Association for Psychoanalytic Medicine, and punk band Rotten UK to provide audiences with unforgettable screening events — from a talk on female adolescence and body horror, to a post-film taco truck, a surprise hardcore concert and more.
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DocLands Documentary Film Festival Unveils 2018 Lineup – ‘Ask The Sexpert’ ‘McQueen’ ‘The King’ and More…
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Ask The Sexpert[/caption]
DocLands Documentary Film Festival unveiled the lineup for the 2nd annual Festival, taking place May 3 to 6, 2018; and that includes 43 documentary films from 10 countries, the inaugural DocLands Honors award presentation to award-winning filmmaker and photographer Louie Psihoyos (The Cove, Racing Extinction, The Game Changers), along with special programs.
DocLands will host the World Premieres of 16 Bars with director Sam Bathrick, and film subjects Todd “Speech” Thomas of hip-hop group Arrested Development (Tennessee, Mr. Wendell), Teddy Kane and Loretta Simmons-Jackson attending, and Olompali: A Hippie Odyssey with filmmakers director Gregg Gibbs and producer Maura McCoy attending.
Additional films premiering at the Festival include the US Premiere of DugOut; the North American Premiere of Have You Heard from Johannesburg: Oliver Tambo with director Connie Field in attendance; and the California Premieres of Anote’s Ark with director Matthieu Rytz and former president of Kiribati/film subject Anote Tong; The Guardians with directors Tessa Moran and Ben Crosbie attending; Into Twin Galaxies: A Greenland Epic; and Shiners with director Stacey Tenebaum and film subject Kealani Lada attending.
Festival Sections include The Great Outdoors, films that transport us outside to truly appreciate, explore, and ultimately compel us to save and conserve our environment and the wilds of our one precious and precarious planet; Wonderlands, films that lift our spirits through stories of joy, wonder and possibility; and Art of Impact, films that engage and spark action by sharing stories that open our eyes to the global community and its disparate cultures, politics, personal narratives and biographies.
Additionally, the Festival is host to DocLife, an interactive industry forum consisting of three programs, DocPitch a program designed to connect filmmakers and their ideas to funders, distributors, philanthropists, fellow filmmakers and future audiences, DocTalk an intimate conversation focusing this year on the story enhancing power of music, and an experiential workshop, Metamorphosis Journey, that explores transformation in the face of planetary emergency.
Big Nights – Opening | Closing | DocLand Honors Award
Opening Night
ANOTE’S ARK – California Premiere
Former president of Kiribati and film subject Anote Tong joins director Martthieu Rytz for the Festival’s Opening Night film Anote’s Ark. Climate change is no abstraction to the people of Kiribati, a series of low-lying atolls in the central Pacific Ocean that are being swallowed by the rising sea. Photographer-ethnologist Matthieu Rytz’s exquisitely shot film portrays the slow, dignified demise of an entire culture—soon to be global refugees. Rytz and Tong will take part in an on-stage conversation and audience Q&A following the screening.
Opening Night Party following screening and onstage conversation will be held at the San Rafael Elks Lodge.
Closing Night
16 BARS – World Premiere
In Sam Bathrick’s transformative film, Todd “Speech” Thomas of hip-hop group Arrested Development is involved with a unique rehabilitation program in Richmond, Virginia, helping prisoners write and record their own songs. The filmmaker lovingly follows four inmates battling cycles of incarceration and addiction. Through superbly produced recording sessions, the men reach out from behind bars to bring their poignant stories to life through music.
Director Sam Bathrick will be joined on-stage by film subjects Todd “Speech” Thomas of hip-hop group Arrested Development (Tennessee, Mr. Wendell), Teddy Kane and Loretta Simmons-Jackson following the premiere of 16 Bars for an on-stage Q&A and special performance featuring Speech and Kane.
Closing Night Party following the screening, onstage conversation, and special performance will be held at Art Works Downtown.
DocLands Honors Award
Presented to a filmmaker in recognition of exceptional storytelling within the documentary genre, an artist whose films resonate universally, emphasizing our common humanity – no matter the subject.
The inaugural DocLands Honors Award is presented to iconic photographer and award-winning filmmaker Louie Psihoyos (The Cove, Racing Extinction, The Game Changers) for his dogged determination and tenacity in exposing wrongs and expanding awareness. We also show our appreciation for his astounding efforts in outreach, bringing some of our most pressing environmental and social issues to a worldwide audience.
DocLife Events
Metamorphosis Journey An experiential workshop, lead by award-winning filmmakers and certified coaches, Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper, explores transformation in the face of planetary emergency. Participants move through the stages of Chrysalis, Crisis, Catharsis, Symbiosis and Metamorphosis, personalizing this arc, and applying it to their own lives. Short films representing each of the stages are integrated throughout the workshop. DocPitch Five filmmaker teams with feature documentary projects currently in development will present a three minute verbal pitch, three-to-five minute trailer and participate in a ten-minute Q&A with an audience comprised of potential funders, distributors, fellow filmmakers and the general public. All members of the audience will be given a ballot prior to the presentations and will vote for their favorite pitch. Winning project will receive a $10,000 cash prize.DocTalk
Story Arc, Music Arc – Do The Follow the Same Beat? The story-enhancing power of music and score is palpable in the films that stick with us. But how do you achieve this sought-after influence and emotion? Join our panelists for an intimate conversation as they share their strategies for hitting all the right notes. Panelists:- Alexandria Bombach, ON HER SHOULDERS
- Connie Field, HAVE YOU HEARD FROM JOHANNESBURG: OLIVER TAMBO
- Louie Psihoyos, RACING EXTINCTION
- Velcrow Ripper, METAMORPHOSIS
- Todd “Speech” Thomas, 16 BARS
DocLands Full Program – Features
16 Bars (dir. Sam Bathrick) Section: Art of Impact – In Sam Bathrick’s transformative film, Todd “Speech” Thomas of hip-hop group Arrested Development is involved with a unique rehabilitation program in Richmond, Virginia, helping prisoners write and record their own songs. The filmmaker lovingly follows four inmates battling cycles of incarceration and addiction. Through superbly produced recording sessions, the men reach out from behind bars to bring their poignant stories to life through music. Albatross (dir. Chris Jordan) Sections: Art of Impact/The Great Outdoors – Shot on Midway, a remote North Pacific atoll and home to the world’s largest albatross colony, this film captures extraordinarily intimate footage of the birds, and features a hauntingly beautiful score. Yet, as the birds feed their young, we learn of a hidden danger that implicates us all. Watching Albatross may well change your life. Anote’s Ark (dir. Matthieu Rytz) Sections: Art of Impact/The Great Outdoors – Climate change is no abstraction to the people of Kiribati, a series of low-lying atolls in the central Pacific Ocean that are being swallowed by the rising sea. Photographer-ethnologist Matthieu Rytz’s exquisitely shot film portrays the slow, dignified demise of an entire culture—soon to be global refugees—while sounding a clarion call for meaningful political action. Ask The Sexpert (dir. Vaishali Sinha) Section: Wonderlands – Gynecologist Mahinder Watsa writes a popular Mumbai sex advice column, and, at 91 years of age, he has heard it all. But whether in person or in print, he does what he’s always done: deliver witty, nonjudgmental truths about sexual health. Not everyone agrees with his usual prognosis — “it’s normal” — and India’s vocal conservatives lay bare just how much more work Watsa has yet to do. Becoming Who I Was (dirs. Chang-Yong Moon, Jin Jeon) Section: Wonderlands – Padma Angdu is a rosy-cheeked young Rinpoche, or reincarnation of a spiritual master. Under the care of a local lama, Urgyan Rickzen, in the remote mountainous Ladakh region of southern India, Padma must eventually re-join his monastic order in Tibet. With delicately intimate moments and breathtaking aerial cinematography, this is a masterpiece of epic proportions. Drawn Together (dir. Harleen Singh) Section: Art of Impact – From comics to cosplay, diverse and progressive artists such as Keith Knight, Vishavjit Singh, and Eileen Kaur Alden are breaking new ground. This survey highlights exciting changes in cartooning. Mr. Fish: Cartooning From The Deep End (dir. Pablo Bryant) – One of the world’s greatest editorial cartoonists finds his acidic equal-opportunity political critiques are too hot to handle in today’s ever-shrinking, increasingly cautious publishing marketplace. DugOut (dir. Benjamin Sadd) Section: The Great Outdoors – The vibrant green Ecuadorian Amazon, bursting with life, is the star of this eco-adventure. With generous help of a local Huaorani family, two young British men set out to make a traditional dugout canoe and row it down a river. It’s an arduous journey, but this duo is all charm as they encounter the taste of howler monkey, overcome G.I. woes, and evade unfriendly darts. Finding Hygge (dir. Rocky Walls) Section: Wonderlands – What is hygge? A colorful cast of characters share humorous, surprising and often deeply philosophical thoughts about this Danish concept in a delightful, heartwarming film. Ranked among the happiest people in the world, Danes share their secrets about loving life. The moral of the story? Maybe we all have a little hygge, even if we’re not Danish. The Guardians (dirs. Tessa Moran, Ben Crosbie) Section: Art of Impact –Every year majestic Monarch butterflies make their way on a 3,000-mile journey from Canada to their winter home in the ancient forests of Michoacán, Mexico, and it is here that the struggling community of Donaciano Ojeda strives to preserve the delicate balance between humans and nature. Like the millions of monarchs that also call this forest home, their survival depends on it. Have You Heard From Johannesburg: Oliver Tambo (dir. Connie Field) Section: Wonderlands – A religious man heading a secular movement, a pacifist commanding its army, Oliver Tambo was a man of many contradictions who largely orchestrated a revolution that shook institutionalized racism to its core. This is a thrilling portrait of a towering yet little-remembered figure by Berkeley-based director Connie Field, who adds an essential chapter to her original eight-hour epic series. Into Twin Galaxies (dir. Jochen Schmoll) Section: The Great Outdoors – Two pro kayakers and a polar expert set out on the “most epic expedition ever” across Greenland in this incredible real-life adventure. Their goal is an unknown river canyon they’ll run to the ocean—but first there are weeks of treacherous cross-country travel by hoof and kite-ski, in gale-force winds. It’s a perilous, visually stunning journey. The King (dir. Eugene Jarecki) Section: Wonderlands) – A road trip ostensibly tracing the rise and fall of Elvis Presley, director Eugene Jarecki outlines the deep fallacies in the story America tells about its greatness. Driving around the country in the singer’s 1963 Rolls-Royce accompanied by an articulate array of celebrities, musicians, and political pundits, Jarecki’s captivating documentary searches for a truer tale, one that might still allow for an American Dream. McQueen (dirs. Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui) Section: Art of Impact/Wonderlands – This superb film traces designer Alexander McQueen’s meteoric rise to stardom from his first forays into tailoring to worldwide fame as a fashion icon. Through touching interviews and dazzling footage of McQueen’s fashion show extravaganzas, the documentary expertly weaves the tale of a tortured man whose universe of designs reflected not only the beauty he saw in the world, but his own dark side. Metamorphosis (dirs. Nova Ami, Velcrow Ripper) Sections: Art of Impact/The Great Outdoors – What is our capacity for change? It’s a prescient question given a whole new spin in Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper’s striking film. The answers here are eye opening, the visuals mesmerizing, and the sound bewitchingly portentous as it evokes Earth’s final breaths. Does the change we’re facing offer us an opportunity for transformation? This film gives us a chance to discover—and accept—the wonder of impermanence. Minding The Gap (dir. Bing Liu) Section: Art of Impact – Set in blue-collar Rockford, Illinois, director Bing Liu’s fresh and discerning film follows a group of his skateboarding friends. In between the excellent skate scenes, Bing unearths some deeper truths affecting all three buddies. An unorthodox filmmaking style and unique access make this film about skateboarding, friendship, and acceptance as uplifting and heartwarming as it is gritty and honest. Olompali: A Hippie Odyssey (dir. Gregg Gibbs) Section: Wonderlands – “Turning on, tuning in, and dropping out, a group of kindred spirits calling itself the “Chosen Family” in the late ’60s built its base camp 30 miles north of San Francisco. Clothing was optional, authority disdained, and weed widely distributed. Peter Coyote narrates this warmly reflective story, which crosses paths with tragedy–as well as the Grateful Dead, Hells Angels, and the Diggers–as it celebrates the spirit of invention. On Her Shoulders (dir. Alexandria Bombach) Section: Art of Impact – The plight of the Yazidi community, who face mass extermination at the hands of ISIL extremists, is told elegantly through delicately lit interviews and the selfless lobbying of 23-year-old reluctant activist, Nadia Murad. Although the toll of retelling her own harrowing story is clearly evident in her face, Murad refuses to rest lest the atrocities continue to go unnoticed by those who may be able to help. Pick of the Litter (dir. Don Hardy, Dana Nachman) Section: Wonderlands – In Pick of the Litter, we follow five dogs, from the moment they are born through the intense two-year program that will prepare them to become working guide dogs and unite with their blind partners. The stakes are high and not every dog will make the cut, but those who graduate will all go on to provide life-changing services for those in need. Racing Extinction (dir. Louie Psihoyos) Sections: Art of Impact/The Great Outdoors – Scientists believe we are in the sixth major extinction event in the planet’s history, and unlike the previous five, this one is being caused by humankind. Half of all species are threatened with annihilation by the end of this century, and Academy Award-winning director Louie Psihoyos’ remarkable film tackles this monumental challenge by focusing on activists, scientists, and artists dedicated to saving those without a voice—the vanishing species of our globe. Psihoyos has created an ode to life on our planet with a documentary that takes us on an unforgettable visual journey. The Rescue List (dirs. Alyssa Fedele, Zachary Fink) Section: Art of Impact – Ghana’s Lake Volta, the most massive man-made lake in the world, is also the site of a monumental human rights failure: the selling of area children into slavery. This riveting, gorgeously photographed documentary by Bay Area filmmakers Zachary Fink and Alyssa Fedele chronicles the brave efforts to find these children, bring them to safety, and return them to their families of origin. A River’s Last Chance (dir. Shane Anderson) Sections: Art of Impact/The Great Outdoors– One of the most diverse rivers in the United States, the Eel, ran dry in 2014, for the first time in history. Once victimized by logging, damming, and drought, the Eel faced new challenges in the new century from some of California’s favorite commodities: wine and weed. This urgent and compelling documentary makes a renewed case for regulation and collaboration in protecting this vital resource. Saving Brinton (filmmakers Tommy Haines, John Richard, Andrew Sherburne) Section: Wonderlands – An eccentric collector and the self-appointed local historian of a small town in Iowa stumbles upon a cache of old dusty film reels that will end up consuming him for more than thirty-two years. The treasure trove he discovers in a farmhouse basement includes a collection of magical films from cinematic pioneer George Méliés long thought to be lost to cinematic history. Shiners (dir. Stacey Tenenbaum) Section: Wonderlands – Shoe-shiners from New York to Tokyo, often invisible to the disdainful eye of the public, get the spotlight in a film directed with compassion and skill. These illusive artists speak of class differences, job satisfaction, and the meaning of life. Just as the shoe-shining philosophers bring pleasure and conversation to their clientele, this entertaining and polished film has never a dull moment. Soufra (dir. Thomas Morgan) Section: Art of Impact – Mariam Shaar lives in a refugee camp just south of Beirut. When she and other enterprising women refugees resolve to grow a small catering business, named Soufra, or “spread” in Arabic, obstacles emerge. As a bevy of colorful, mouthwatering food parades by, we find ourselves rooting for Mariam’s success and her courage reminds us that every refugee has a dream for a better life. Three Identical Strangers (dir. Tim Wardle) Section: Art of Impact – Bobby, David, and Eddy—triplets who find each other by chance in their late teens—generate heartwarming headlines in the 1980s. Their three identical smiles, mop-top heads, and wide shoulders charmed the public almost as much as the circumstances of their reunification. But we soon learn a far-fetched story that goes much further than their exultant initial encounter. The Valley of the Wolves (dir. Jean-Michel Bertrand) Section: The Great Outdoors – With unabating good humor and infinite patience and enthusiasm, filmmaker and wildlife enthusiast Jean-Michel Bertrand keeps himself—and us—amused as he spends months amid the magnificent beauty of a remote valley in the French Alps searching for a family of wolves he believes (with all his heart) have established a den there. Wall (dir. Cam Christiansen) Section: Art of Impact– Adapted from the 2009 monologue by renowned British playwright and screenwriter David Hare, Wall ruminates over the terminology, philosophy, and reality of what Israelis call a “security fence” and Palestinians “an apartheid wall.” Canadian animation filmmaker Cam Christiansen employs a largely black-and-white canvas as a malleable, clarifying backdrop for Hare’s journey of inquiry about the barrier’s implications for Middle East peace. Won’t You By My Neighbor? (dir. Morgan Neville) Section: Wonderlands – “Love is the root of everything: all learning, all parenting, all relationships. Love or the lack of it.” These are the wise and seemingly prescient words of Fred Rogers, the originator/host of public television’s, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Speaking to children as equals on any topic in an open and unruffled manner, he taught tolerance above all else. He was one of a kind, a man whose teachings are even more relevant today.DocLands Full Program – Shorts
Colors of Change (dir. Jenny Nichols) – Through the eyes of an artist, a scientist, and an Inuit Elder, we experience Greenland’s beauty as it tackles climate change. Dear Erik (dir. Bryan Wetzel) – A lark quickly becomes an obsession for an eccentric collector of personal letters received from stars of Hollywood’s Golden Era. The Last Honey Hunter (dir. Ben Knight) – After being visited by a spirit in his dreams, Maule Dhan Rail is determined to pass along a dangerous generations-old Nepali tradition. Little Fiel (dir. Irina Patkanian) – This unique short animated documentary is based on and features the sculptures of a Mozambican artist whose creations comment on war, resistance, and hope. My Irnik (dirs. Matthew Hood, François Lebeau) – Deep within the Arctic, a young father teaches his son about his ancestral Inuit heritage and the value of shared adventures. Objector (dir. Molly Stuart) – Torn between love of country, family, and her dedication to Palestinian rights, a young Israeli woman refuses her military service. Person of the Forest (dirs. Melissa Lesh, Tim Laman) – In the vanishing lowland rainforests of Borneo, a team of environmentalists seek to understand the unique cultural behavior of wild orangutans before it’s too late. Plant (dirs. David Zlutnick, Flavia Cassani) – From seed to harvest, a cinematic look at the beauty of a small, family-run cannabis farm in California’s famed Emerald Triangle. The Reason to Live (dir. Boyoung Kim) – An optimistic street musician busking in San Francisco shares inspirational stories of music, transformation, and making people smile. Spark Plug Cowboys (dirs. Kramer Herzog, Leonard Marcel) – Rally car enthusiasts, friends since their 1950s, meet weekly in downtown San Rafael to reminisce about their daredevil days. Surviving International Boulevard (dir. Sian Taylor Gowan) – The complex reality of domestic child sex trafficking is revealed through the experiences of two local women from Oakland, California. Swan (dirs. Laetitia Jacquart, J.P. Dobrin) – As the loudspeaker announces 15 minutes until the start of the show, a ballet soloist prepares to dance. Water Town (dir. Maya Craig) – The city of Weed embarks upon a David vs. Goliath battle to win back their water rights from a large timber company. Wrangling Russia (dir. Ilie Mitaru) – Seemingly out of place, four American cowboys take on the task of training Russian ranchers as they set out to resurrect the local beef industry.
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Sean Baker and Chloë Grace Moretz to Receive Awards at Provincetown International Film Festival
Director Sean Baker (THE FLORIDA PROJECT, TANGERINE) has been named the 2018 “Filmmaker on the Edge” of the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF); and will be in attendance to accept the award in conversation with resident artist John Waters on Saturday, June 16. Additionally, actress Chloë Grace Moretz (THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, IF I STAY), will receive the festival’s second annual “Next Wave Award,” which recognizes those who have exciting and distinctive voices, take artistic risks, and have a passionate commitment to independent film. Moretz will also be in attendance to accept the award in conversation with Sundance Film Festival Director John Cooper on Friday, June 15, and in support of her film THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, which is a PIFF Spotlight selection.
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Wild Nights With Emily[/caption]
The festival will kick off with the New England premiere of WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY, a dramatic comedy about the secret life of Emily Dickinson, portrayed by Molly Shannon. Hailed by Indiewire as “the best lesbian comedy in years,” this independent film explores Dickinson’s vivacious, irreverent side — most notably Emily’s lifelong romantic relationship with another woman. The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival where it received rave reviews. Writer/director Madeleine Olnek was awarded the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship for the film. The Opening Night Film will screen on Wednesday, June 13 at Provincetown Town Hall.
The Provincetown International Film Festival runs June 13 to 17, 2018 in Provincetown, MA.
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Tribeca Film Festival Adds World Premiere of ‘Horses: Patti Smith and her Band,’ TIME’S UP event + More to 2018 Lineup
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Horses: Patti Smith and her Band[/caption]
Tribeca Film Festival, has added new film, TV, Tribeca Talks and Tribeca Immersive programming, including the world premiere of ‘Horses: Patti Smith and her Band’, and TIME’S UP event, rounding out its 2018 slate.
Tribeca has added the world premiere of Horses: Patti Smith and her Band, Steven Sebring’s documentary film capturing the final performance of Patti Smith’s iconic “Horses” at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles as well as the 40th anniversary of the Horses album tour. Following the special screening at the Beacon Theatre, Smith and her band will perform some of their most popular songs. Tickets go on sale on Monday April 2, at 12:00 PM.
TIME’S UP will host its inaugural New York event during the Tribeca Film Festival. The program will feature compelling conversations with activists, filmmakers, storytellers, lawyers and more including early TIME’S UP supporters such as Ashley Judd and Julianne Moore as well as Fatima Goss Graves (National Women’s Law Center), Robin Morgan (celebrated poet and activist), Mónica Ramírez (Alianza Nactional de Campesinas), and more. The day will explore how we got here, the women who came before us to make this work possible, and what’s next for TIME’S UP and beyond.
In addition, Tribeca Immersive is adding the world premiere of Jack: Part One. From the Emmy Award-winning creators of INVASIONS!, ASTEROIDS! and Rainbow Crow comes Baobab Studios’ latest visionary animation that lets viewers enter the world of Jack from the classic fairytale in a groundbreaking blend of VR and immersive theater that must be seen to be believed.
The Tribeca TV program expands with the world premiere of Enhanced, an ESPN docuseries from Executive Producers Alex Gibney and Brad Hebert, that explores the frontiers of sports training, technology and recovery, as boundary-pushing innovations propel human athletic achievement to its limits.
FILM – SPECIAL SCREENING
Horses: Patti Smith and her Band, directed by Steven Sebring and executive produced by Jimmy Iovine (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. The documentary of the last concerts of the fortieth anniversary of Patti Smith’s seminal album Horses, performed in full in sequence at the Wiltern Theater, Los Angeles. Horses: Patti Smith and her Band includes intimate backstage footage and features Patti Smith and her band, Lenny Kaye, Jay Dee Daugherty, Tony Shanahan, and Jack Petruzzelli, joined by guitarist Jackson Smith and Flea. Horses: Patti Smith and her Band will be released exclusively on Apple Music. After the screening: Patti Smith and her Band – Lenny Kaye, Jay Dee Daugherty, Tony Shanahan, and Jack Petruzzelli – will perform the title track of Horses along with some of their signature songs. Monday, April 23, 7:00 PM, Beacon TheatreTIME’S UP EVENT
In response to the growing national movement, Tribeca Film Festival has partnered with TIME’S UP to host a day of conversations with the outspoken women playing a pivotal role in raising awareness about inequality in the workplace. Activists, storytellers, business leaders, filmmakers, lawyers, media figures, and more share their stories, seek next steps to establish the parameters for lasting change across industries and the pay spectrum. Participants will include Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (theBoardlist), Joanna Coles (Hearst), Amy Emmerich (Refinery29), Fatima Goss Graves (National Women’s Law Center), Christy Haubegger (CAA), Danielle Herzlich (New Jersey National Guard Sexual Assault Alliance), Saru Jayaraman (ROC United), Ashley Judd, Robbie Kaplan (Kaplan & Company, LLP), Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (UN Women), Sienna Miller, Julianne Moore, Robin Morgan (celebrated poet and activist), Sarah Jessica Parker, Jess Morales Rocketto (National Domestic Workers Alliance), Mónica Ramírez (Alianza Nacional de Campesinas), Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Amber Tamblyn, Marisa Tomei, Rachel Tuchman (Kaplan & Company, LLP), Pam Wasserstein (New York Media), Sisters of Comedy standup created & produced by Agunda Okeyo, and more. Net proceeds from the day will go to the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund. Donations to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund Saturday, April 28th, 11:00 AM, Tribeca Festival Hub.TRIBECA TV
Enhanced (ESPN) – World Premiere Executive Producers: Brad Hebert, Alex Gibney Enhanced explores the frontiers of sports training, technology, recovery, and more, as boundary-pushing innovations push human athletic achievement to its limits. After the screening: A conversation with Executive Producer Alex Gibney, Director Chai Vasarhelyi, Director Jesse Sweet, and moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s Marisa Guthrie Screening: Thursday, April 26, 6:00 PM, Cinépolis ChelseaIMMERSIVE
Jack: Part One (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Mathias Chelebourg Key Collaborators: Baobab Studios, Nexus Forward Step into the shoes of Jack and experience a world completely re-imagined from the classic fairytale. From Emmy Award-winning creators of INVASION!, ASTEROIDS! and Rainbow Crow comes Baobab Studios’ latest visionary VR animation: the most immersive theater work to date by Mathias Chelebourg, creator of Alice: The Virtual Reality Play.
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Danny Glover, Lee Aronsohn Among Special Guests Featured at 2018 Richmond International Film Festival
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Buckout Road, Danny Glover[/caption]
The Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) will feature several renowned special guests, including actor, producer and humanitarian, Danny Glover. Glover stars in the festival’s 2018 Closing Night film, Buckout Road, a horror thriller directed by Matthew Currie Holmes. The film also stars Henry Czerny, Evan Ross, and Dominque Provost-Chalkey. A special discussion will take place with Glover directly following the film’s screening which will be Sunday, April 29th at 5:15pm at the Byrd Theatre. Glover will also be presented with RIFF’s 2018 Legacy Award.
The 2018 festival will also welcome special guest Lee Aronsohn. Aronsohn is one of America’s most successful television writers and producers. He co-created the sitcom Two and a Half Men and wrote the original music for the series. Aronsohn also served as an executive producer, writer and director for The Big Bang Theory and has written for many other notable television shows, including The Love Boat, Who’s the Boss?, Murphy Brown, Grace Under Fire and Cybill.
On Thursday, April 26th at Bowtie Movieland from 6:30-8pm, Aronsohn will present his feature documentary film, 40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Band. This will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker about his experience making the film, his music and television background and a discussion on how the film and television industries have evolved into what they are today.
The Colorado-based legends, Magic Music Band, was started in 1969 and is dubbed as the state’s first “jam band.” Hailing from various cities around the United States, the group began as a merry troop of renegades whose brotherhood was eternally forged in the music they made that spread throughout the country. RIFF patrons are invited to wear 1970’s hippie attire to the film’s screening in celebration of the band and the unforgettable magic they brought to the 1970’s era.
RIFF brings London-based live music collective Ibibio Sound Machine to Richmond, Virginia in honor of the festival’s spirit to celebrate diverse perspectives, cultures and international music. The group will be performing at The National on Thursday, April 26th at 7:30pm with Rodney the Soul Singer Stith to open.
Ibibio Sound Machine was started by producers Max Grunhard, Leon Brichard and Benji Bouton, who were all enthusiasts of African grooves from the 1970s and ’80s. This trio began creating drum’n’bass tracks around the voice of the electrifying frontwoman Eno Williams. Their sound is inspired in equal measure by the golden era of West African funk and disco, post-punk, and modern electro.
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California Premiere of ‘Anote’s Ark’ to Open + World Premiere of ’16 Bars’ to Close 2018 DocLands Documentary Film Festival
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Anote’s Ark[/caption]
Now in its second year, the 2018 edition of DocLands Documentary Film Festival kicks off Thursday, May 3 with the California Premiere of Anote’s Ark; director Matthieu Rytz and former president of Kiribati/film subject Anote Tong will be in attendance. The four-day festival will showcase 43 films from 10 countries, with 50 filmmakers in attendance. The Festival will close with the World Premiere of 16 Bars with director Sam Bathrick and film subjects Todd “Speech” Thomas of hip-hop group Arrested Development (Tennessee, Mr. Wendell) and Teddy Kane attending.
Showcasing documentary film in a variety of genres and with a diversity of content, while exploring three main programming sections (Art of Impact, The Great Outdoors, and WonderLands) and highlighting films that transcend the traditional definition of the documentary—films that break form in terms of creativity and entertainment. DocLands is a non-competitive, inclusive festival dedicated to fostering connections and partnerships that will invigorate the business and art of nonfiction filmmaking. Through public screenings, engaged conversations, and grassroots networking events, the Festival aims to build an active, involved, and fully supportive community around documentary film, with organizational goals that include gender equality and zero waste.
Opening Night
ANOTE’S ARK – California Premiere Thursday, May 3 | 7:00pm | Smith Rafael Film Center In Person: Director Matthieu Rytz and former president of Kiribati/film subject Anote Tong Climate change is no abstraction to the people of Kiribati, a series of low-lying atolls in the central Pacific Ocean that are being swallowed by the rising sea. Photographer-ethnologist Matthieu Rytz’s exquisitely shot film portrays the slow, dignified demise of an entire culture—soon to be global refugees—while sounding a clarion call for meaningful political action.Closing Night
16 BARS – World Premiere Saturday, May 5 | 6:30pm | Smith Rafael Film Center In Person: Director, Sam Bathrick and film subjects Todd “Speech” Thomas of Arrested Development and Teddy Kane In Sam Bathrick’s transformative film, Todd “Speech” Thomas of hip-hop group Arrested Development instigates a unique rehabilitation program in Richmond, Virginia, helping prisoners write and record their own songs. The filmmaker lovingly follows four inmates battling cycles of incarceration and addiction. Through superbly produced recording sessions, the men reach out from behind bars to bring their poignant stories to life through music.
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‘Big Bang Theory’ Star Kunal Nayyar + World Premiere of MERCURY Added to Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2018 Lineup
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The Big Bang Theory star Kunal Nayyar[/caption]
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has added two exciting programs and revealed the members of its features and shorts juries for the 16th annual festival, which takes place April 11 to 15 at the Regal L.A. LIVE: A Barco Innovation Center cinemas in downtown Los Angeles.
The Big Bang Theory star Kunal Nayyar will sit down for a moderated discussion about his career beginnings, his path to stardom on U.S. television’s highest rated comedy, and to advise the next generation of artists on how to gain a foothold in a competitive industry.
Best known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory, Nayyar’s career has spanned television, features and the stage. He’s performed voice work in the DreamWorks animated feature TROLLS, and Fox’s ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT, as well as the Nickelodeon series Sanjay and Craig. His television credits also include a recurring role on TBS’ Sullivan & Sons, and a 2015 stint as guest host on CBS’ The Late Late Show. In 2015, he made his off-Broadway and London West End debut starring alongside Jesse Eisenberg in The Spoils, and he produced the documentary feature BEYOND ALL BOUNDARIES, which won an IFFLA Grand Jury Prize in 2013.
The master class is presented with support from the India Center Foundation and will take place on Thursday, April 12 at 9:00pm.
IFFLA has also added to its 2018 lineup the world premiere of rising star director Karthik Subbaraj’s new feature MERCURY. The film features South Indian superstar Prabhu Deva, and focuses on five long-time friends, all of whom are maimed as a result of their town’s mercury poisoning, who come together for their high school reunion. But a moment of mischief and misfortune during the after-party puts them on a one-way road to hell. MERCURY will screen on Thursday, April 12 at 9:15pm with director Karthik Subbaraj in attendance.
An impressive panel of jurors will preside over IFFLA’s features and shorts competitions.
The features jury includes: director Haifaa Al-Mansour, whose multiple award-winning debut feature WADJDA was the first film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia; film critic Carlos Aguilar, whose work appears in Indiewire, MovieMaker Magazine, Filmmaker Magazine, Variety Latino and Remezcla; and actress Sujata Day, known for her starring role on Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, and her recurring role as Sarah on HBO’s Insecure.
The shorts jury will include: Internationally renowned religious scholar and writer Reza Aslan, whose books include the #1 New York Times best-seller Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, and who has served as producer on HBO’s The Leftovers, ABC’s Of Kings and Prophets, and hosted CNN’s original series Believer; director Aneesh Chaganty, whose debut feature SEARCHING was acquired by Sony Pictures for worldwide release in 2018 after its world premiere in Sundance, where it was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film prize and the NEXT Audience Award; and Guinevere Turner, screenwriter of AMERICAN PSYCHO, THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE, and Mary Harron’s forthcoming CHARLIE SAYS. Turner also wrote, produced and starred in the 1994 landmark queer film GO FISH.
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15 Israeli Films to Compete in 2018 Docaviv – The Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival
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Bus 881[/caption]
Around 120 new local and international documentaries will be screened at the 20th anniversary edition of Docaviv – The Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival which will take place in Tel Aviv from May 17 through May 26, 2018. Docaviv is the largest documentary film festival in Israel, and the only one dedicated exclusively to documentary films.
This year 15 Israeli documentaries were selected from 78 submissions for the Israeli Competition. The selection represents superb, rich and diverse filmmaking, and includes: A Sister’s Song by Danae Elon, The Candidate by Tali Shemesh & Asaf Sudry, A Song of Ascension by David Ofek & Gad Aisen, In the Desert: Firing Zone 918 by Avner Faingulernt, The Jewish Underground by Shai Gal, Settler by Iris Zaki, and others. Three Israeli films were selected for the international Depth of Field Competition. These films stretch the boundaries of documentary filmmaking and explore the cinematic language: Salarium by Daniel Mann & Sasha Litvintseva, The Disappeared by Gilad Baram & Adam Kaplan and Standby Painter by Amir Yatziv.
In addition, six films by students from Israel’s leading film schools were selected for Docaviv’s annual Student Film Competition.
Additional films will be screened outside of competition: The King of Börek by Orit Ronel, Daddy, Where are Mom and Grandma? by Nili Tal, The Assassination by Avi Weissblei, and others. To mark the festival’s 20th edition, founder Ilana Tzur has curated a special slate of films from the festival’s early years, including No. 17 by David Ofek, winner of the Israeli Competition from Docaviv’s fifth edition.
The winner of this year’s Israeli Competition will be presented with the Howard Gilman award: NIS 70,000—Israel’s largest prize for documentary filmmaking. Other honors include the Mayor’s Award for Best Debut Film, Honorable Mention, as well as the Editing, Cinematography, Research, and Original Score awards.
Israeli Competition:
A Sister’s Song Director: Danae Elon Producers: Danae Elon & Paul Cadieux Israeli Premiere Marina, a young Jewish woman from Haifa, sets out to confront her sister, who has become a nun and lives in a monastery in Greece, where she is known as “Sister Jerusalem”. Marina hopes her sister will let her family back into her heart. A Perfect Housewife Director: Jane Bibi Producer: Arik Bernstein World Premiere All her life Jane has stood against the conventions of conservative Georgian society. Now a mother-to-be, she returns to her family after years of resentment. Armed with a camera, she tries to understand her mother and herself, and maybe even find it in her heart to forgive, despite the looming shadow of their complex relationships with the men of the family. You Only Die Twice Director: Yair Lev Producers: David Deri & Markus Glaser By: Yair Lev and David Deri International Premiere Who stole the identity of Ernest Bachinsky, the director’s grandfather? This surprising mystery thriller tells the story of a man who became the president of the Jewish community in Austria while living with a family of high-ranking S.S. officials and concealing his true identity. What dark fate was he trying to run from? In the Desert: Firing Zone 918 A Documentary Diptych Director: Avner Faingulernt Producers: Shlomi Elkabetz, Hagar Saad Shalom, Paul Cadieux, Danae Elon, Avner Faingulernt International Premiere Two documentary features about Jewish and Arab shepherds who live next to each other in the southern reaches of Mt. Hebron, but never actually meet. As they struggle to adhere to ancient traditions, they find that the desert is deceptive, and politics are even more so. But the struggle that determines their fate is the struggle within. Yeshurun in 6 Chapters Director: Amichai Chasson Producer: Yair Qedar World Premiere Yehiel Perlmutter wrecked his own house to be reborn in Tel Aviv as the great outsider poet Avoth Yeshurun, who wrote in a unique mix of Hebrew, Yiddish and Arabic. This is a portrait of a lone revolutionary and silence breaker, suspended between ostracism and recognition. The Wounded Healer Director: Yochay Rosenberg Producer: Ron Ofer World Premiere Dan Philipp, a senior clinical criminologist, has spent a career treating sex offenders. His friendship with the most despised of all criminals and his refusal to uphold the boundaries between normality and deviance have driven him away from his professional community and immediate family. At 87, shortly before he “cashes in his chips”, he finally faces the one memory he never dared to face. Dudu Tassa & the Kuwaitis Director: Tal Hake Producer: Or Davidson World Premiere Dudu Tassa & the Kuwaitis, a successful Arab-Israeli ensemble, join legendary band Radiohead to support them on their USA tour. They try to win the hearts of the audience with almost-forgotten Iraqi music, written a century ago by Tassa’s grandfather and his brother. This is a film about the dream, the excitement, the journey and the distance. Der Nister (The Hidden one) Director: Nahar Shabtai Producers: Elad Peleg & Haggai Arad World Premiere Der Nister is what my mother, Coleen Shabtai, called the house where she dreamed of raising a happy family. She married my father, the poet Aharon Shabtai, and gave birth to six children. Together they raised them in a house in Jerusalem, surrounded by cypress trees—until one day it was all taken away. The Candidate Directors & producers: Tali Shemesh & Asaf Sudry World Premiere The film follows Moshe Kahlon and his campaign staff from the 2015 elections to the moment he sat down in the minister’s office. The mystery man of Israeli politics has agreed to let a camera into his headquarters, where the key players of today’s political arena plan their next moves. The Jewish Underground Director: Shai Gal Producers: Lisa Shiloach-Uzrad, Idit Mistriel, Amit Stretiner, Yossi Uzrad, Guy Jacoel Israeli Premiere This political detective thriller begins with the Shin Bet’s investigation that led to the arrest of the members of the Jewish Underground, who had planned to blow up the Dome of the Rock. Using unique archive footage and interviews, it tells the story of how the members of the underground made their way to the top of Israel’s political power structure, where they continue to pull the strings even today. Flood Director & producer: Ohad Milstein International Premiere Thousands of years after the Great Flood, four people, floating between heaven and earth, must face nature’s changes. Family in Transition Director: Ofir Trainin Producers: Ofir Trainin & Tal Barda World Premiere A Nahariya based family copes with the father’s gender transition. Galit, Amit and their four children believe love conquers all, but just when it seems Amit has finally made it through his gender journey, it is Galit’s personal journey that threatens the relationship. Settler Director: Iris Zaki Producers: Iris Zaki & Osnat Saraga Israeli Premiere Director Iris Zaki enters the heart of Tekoa, a West-Bank settlement, and sits down to talk to the locals. Though fearful at first of the left-wing invader, settlers from various backgrounds gradually open up to her. Their honest, surprising and sometimes funny conversations offer a fresh take on Israeli reality from both sides of the Green Line. A Song of Ascension Directors: David Ofek & Gad Aisen Production: Producer in Chief: Enav Shenhar, Head of Documentary Department: Ilanit Baumann By David Ofek, Gad Aisen and Sigal Russak Gissin World Premiere The film follows Rinat, Elad and Einav. Elad was left disabled after a botched simple operation. He and his wife Rinat bond with Einav as they enter the surrogacy process. The film follows their emotionally intense journey and dramatic life-choices. Wild Directors: Uriel Sinai & Danel Elpeleg Producer: Sol Goodman World Premiere The small staff of this wildlife hospital is acutely aware that an infirm animal cannot survive in the wild. But when an animal makes only a partial recovery, hard choices have to be made. Is life worth living at any cost?Depth of Field Competition
Standby Painter Director & Producer: Amir Yatziv International Premiere In September, 2000, Poznan Art Museum in Poland gave Robert Z permission to copy the painting “Beach in Pourville” by Claude Monet. Robert Z tells the untold story of what really happened that day at the museum, including the consequences. The Disappeared Directors & producers: Gilad Baram & Adam Kaplan Israeli Premiere The Disappeared is an experimental documentary unraveling the story of an action-drama feature film produced by the Israeli Army in the year 2000 and censored just a few weeks before its release. Salarium Directors and producers: Daniel Mann & Sasha Litvintseva Israeli Premiere Salarium captures the entanglement of economic, military and geological forces at work around the tens of thousands of sinkholes on the Dead Sea shores. The sinkholes in Salarium are the point of convergence for many themes: colonization, ecological disaster, military occupation and economic appropriation, human history and geological timelines.Student Film Competition:
Hebrew Kisses Director & producer: Manya Lozovskaya Sapir Academic College Newly repatriated from Russia, Manya tries to build a relationship with Erez, a native born Israeli Jew. But to be with him she must first undergo the process of Giyur and convert to Judaism. The Bride’s Tree Director & producer: Shadi Habib Allah Sam Spiegel Film and Television School Like his father before him, 12-year-old Murhaf is “the Secret-Keeper of the Tree”. He is responsible for a 400-year-old oak. Under the oak, the reality of living in poverty in an occupied land meets a world of fantasy and myth, and Murhaf finds the path to love. My Father’s Son Director & Producer: Hillel Rate Ma’aleh School of Television, Film and the Arts The symbiotic love between father and son is about to be tested by the son’s search for love. Bus 881 Director: Ron Goldin Producers: Christopher Albrodt & Cedric Engels Film Dept. at HaMidrasha – Faculty of the Arts at Beit Berl Academic College Anyone who wants to cross Dormagen has to ride bus 881, where newly-arrived refugees and native Germans find themselves stuck together in forced intimacy. It is a microcosm that tells the story of Germany’s coping with its recent immigration wave. A Train to the Horizon Director & producer: Sharon Shahanny Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Department of Screen-Based Arts Following a dream about a train shooting out from the yard of her Moroccan grandmother’s block, Sharon arrives at the picturesque town of Ofakim. The train turns out to be the block itself, and in it she finds a surprising, difficult and touching reality. Shudia Director & producer: Maayan Kapach Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Department of Photography Shudia is 95, and she can’t wait to die. When her son Meir reopens an old wound—the kidnapping of her eldest daughter—he is surprised to find not only pain, but also humor and an ongoing intergenerational conflict about a girl and a lost identity.Selected Israeli films from the festival’s various sections:
In Search of Ladino Director: David Perlov Producers: Liat Benhabib & Yael Perlov Israel 1981, 49 min A restored version Ladino encapsulates the sounds of an entire world—complete with culture, hopes and memories. David Perlov brings this world back to life, allowing Israeli Ladino speakers, some of them Holocaust survivors, to tell their stories and sing their songs in the rich language that has always been at the heart of their identities. No. 17 Directors: David Ofek & Ron Rotem Producers: Edna & Elinor Kowarsky Screening category: Rare Gems—Ilana Tzur Israel 2003, 75 min, Hebrew, English subtitles On June 2, 2002, a bus was blown up on its way to Tiberias. 17 people were killed. 16 of the bodies were identified, but nobody came for number 17. He was buried some weeks later, a John Doe. The German Director: Noga Nezer Producers: Noga Nezer & Robert Cibis Screening category: Panorama World Premiere In this documentary thriller, a romance between a young German man and the grandchild of a Holocaust survivor spirals of control in grandma’s old house. The Assassination Director & producer: Avi Weissblei Screening category: Panorama World Premiere 85 years ago an influential political leader was murdered on a beach in Tel Aviv. The two shooters were never identified. The film takes us back to those crucial minutes and delves into the unsolved mystery: who killed Haim Arlosoroff. Covered Up Director: Rachel Elitzur Producer: Avigail Sperber Screening category: Panorama World Premiere Rachel does not want to keep wearing her wig after her divorce, but it is forbidden by the Halakha and frowned upon by her family and the ultra-orthodox Jewish community she lives in. Her attempts to understand the meaning of the wigs worn by ultra-orthodox women after marriage lead her to a journey through personal, family and community life. Phoenix Director and producer: Anat Tel Screening category: Panorama World Premiere Phoenix, 32, was born in the Hebrew Israelite Nation in Dimona. When Phoenix was 3, his father was cast out of the community. They say that was when he got his curse. Now, as he starts a new chapter, he wants to forgive his parents, make his dreams come true and find happiness. Memory Agents Directors: Amalia Rosenblum & Ido Rosenblum Producer: Meital Cohen Screening category: Art World Premiere A decade after the death of Adam Baruch—a controversial cultural figure—his children, Ido and Amalia Rosenblum, try to get to know him. They create a temporary museum that displays more than a thousand items from his vast archive, and invite key figures to guide them through memory’s backstreets. The King of Börek Orit Ronell Producers: Yoram Ivry & David Noy Screening category: Panorama World Premiere This is the story of the Alkolombris, a family of Bulgarian bakers who immigrated to the newborn state of Israel, introducing the famous Bourekas pastry. A household name in Jaffa, Bourekas Sami has grown into a large franchise under the name Sami & Sons, but when money and respect began to flow, everything started to go wrong. Neighbors Director: Shay Levi Producers: Yoav Roeh & Orit Zamir Screening category: Panorama World Premiere After years of living in a moshav, I returned to my home town of Rehovot. I traded greenhouses and orchards for an elevator and a stairwell. All of a sudden there are other people living on the other side of my wall—parallel worlds, disturbingly close. Daddy, Where are Mom and Grandma? Director & Producer: Nili Tal Screening category: Panorama World Premiere In May 1996, when Itay Bleichman was 11, his father Dr. Amiram Hochberg murdered his mother Shlomit and his grandmother Ida Bleichman, kidnapped him and took him to Switzerland. In an exclusive interview, Itay recounts his story up to the day he was found in Basel.
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World Premiere of Elissa Down’s THE HONOR LIST to Kick Off 2018 Bentonville Film Festival
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THE HONOR LIST[/caption]
Bentonville Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Elissa Down’s THE HONOR LIST, and the festival will present a Centerpiece Screening of Lea Thompson’s THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN.
“We’re thrilled to be hosting these trailblazing women in the beautiful region of Northwest Arkansas at the fourth installment of BFF,” said co-founder Geena Davis, Academy Award®-winning actor and founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. “This IS the Year of the Woman, and BFF is proud to be at the forefront of this seismic change. If they can see it, they can be it!”
BFF will kick-off its celebration of inclusive filmmaking with its Opening Night film with the World Premiere of THE HONOR LIST as its Opening Night film from Studio L, a Lionsgate company. Directed by Elissa Down and written by Marilyn Fu, THE HONOR LIST is based on a story by Marilyn Fu and Meghan Rienks, and stars Meghan Rienks, Sasha Pieterse, Karrueche Tran, and Arden Cho. The film follows former best friends who reunite when tragedy strikes before their graduation. It is produced by sisters Mariel, Zoe, and Cisely Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures, along with PopSugar Films, and had a crew of over 60% women. Truly a film made by women, for women, it explores the complexities of friendships, family, love, loss, and high school.
“We are very happy to premiere THE HONOR LIST at this year’s Bentonville Film Festival,” said Executive Producer Zoe Saldana. “The festival’s focus on women and inclusion perfectly reflect the theme and spirit of our film, filmmakers, and cast. We couldn’t ask for a better setting to launch this special movie.”
In addition, BFF will present a Centerpiece Screening of Lea Thompson’s THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN, from a script by Thompson’s daughter, Madelyn Deutch, who also scored the film. Thompson plays a supporting role opposite both Madelyn and her other daughter, Zoey Deutch.
Madelyn Deutch portrays a woman out of college dealing with the seemingly incessant failures of adulthood and the reality of a substandard dating pool, so she resigns herself to the support of her mother and sister, who are struggling with their own relationship problems. Zoey Deutch and Thompson’s husband, Howard Deutch, served as the film’s producers, alongside Gordon Gilbertson and Parkside’s Dan Roth and Damiano Tucci. The movie also stars Avan Jogia, Melissa Bolona, Jesse Bradford, Brandon T. Jackson, Cameron Monaghan, Zach Roerig, and Nicholas Braun.
THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN is the first feature film Lea Thompson, Madelyn Deutch and Zoey Deutch have worked on together as creatives behind the scenes. It has been a long collaboration and labor of love that evolved from a yearning for funnier and more honest young women’s stories. The film is set for a June theatrical release by MarVista Entertainment
“From our inception, MarVista has taken pride in supporting female filmmakers and voices,” said CEO Fernando Szew. “With THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN, we immediately connected with the authenticity of the story and performances and know this multilayered film will have strong appeal across generations. We are honored to be working with such a talented, creative and passionate group of women like Lea, Maddie, and Zoey, who also bring amazing dynamism as an inspiring family.”
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The Overlook Film Festival Announces 2018 Lineup, Opens with ‘Unfriended: Dark Web’
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Unfriended: Dark Web[/caption]
The Overlook Film Festival today announced its second year programming lineup of 40 films (23 features and 17 short films from 12 countries) along with exciting parties, virtual reality, interactive events, and live performances – all taking place in America’s most haunted city: New Orleans, Louisiana.
On opening night of the festival, audience members will enjoy the chiller Unfriended: Dark Web (United States, 2018), from Blumhouse Productions and Bazelevs Productions, directed by Stephen Susco, and starring Colin Woodell, Betty Gabriel, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Andrew Lees, Connor del Rio, Stephanie Nogueras, and Savira Windyani.
The Overlook Film Festival will screen A24’s highly anticipated Hereditary (United States, 2018) as its closing feature presentation, directed by Ari Aster, and starring Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, and Gabriel Byrne.
The Centerpiece of the 2018 edition of The Overlook Film Festival is St. Agatha, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, which will hold its world premiere in New Orleans at the festival.
The festival’s Visionary Award will be presented to modern genre favorite Leigh Whannell, best known for writing the first three films in the Saw franchise, as well as Insidious, and Insidious: Chapter 2, and directing Insidious: Chapter 3. Whannell is an Australian screenwriter, producer, director, and actor who will celebrate his latest directorial effort at the festival, Upgrade. The Visionary Award was established to honor a contemporary horror figure or company elevating the genre, while fostering the community by providing opportunities for new talent to thrive.
In addition to the films and special guests, the Overlook Film Festival will be generously packed with live presentations. The festival’s virtual reality program will feature the world premiere of noted experience creator Jon Braver’s Delusion: Lies Within, a fully immersive, 360 degree episodic narrative from Skybound Entertainment.
Opening Night Film:
Unfriended: Dark Web Director: Stephen Susco Cast: Colin Woodell, Betty Gabriel, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Andrew Lees, Connor del Rio, Stephanie Nogueras, Savira Windyani United States, 2018 Preparing for his weekly Skype game night with his friends, a cyber café attendant borrows a laptop from the lost and found, only to find that the previous owner will stop at nothing to retrieve it. A sequel in name only, UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB borrows key cinematic elements from the original UNFRIENDED while telling its own edge-of-your-seat sadistic tale full of shocks and surprises that will make you think twice about who’s watching when you log on.Centerpiece Film:
St. Agatha WORLD PREMIERE Director: Darren Lynn Bousman Cast: Sabrina Kern, Carolyn Hennesy, Courtney Halverson United States, 2018 Horror film impresario Darren Lynn Bousman, director of SAW II, III and IV, modern experiments REPO! A GENETIC OPERA and THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL, not to mention the groundbreaking ongoing immersive property The Tension Experience, brings to life his latest vision, a period piece concerning a troubled woman running from her past who finds herself kept hostage by a coven of vicious nuns.Closing Night Film:
Hereditary Director: Ari Aster Cast: Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, Gabriel Byrne United States, 2018 When their reclusive grandmother passes away, the Graham family is slowly taken hold by a cursed terror, one that won’t let go. A cavalcade of gifted performers led by Toni Collete star in filmmaker Ari Aster’s astounding debut feature, which has deservedly become one of the most anticipated horror films of the year since it’s electrifying debut at the Sundance Film Festival.Feature Film Presentations
Arizona Director: Jonathan Watson Cast: Danny McBride, Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Wilson, Lolli Sorenson, Elizabeth Gillies, Kaitlin Olson United States, 2017 This wickedly inventive comedic thriller that sharply utilizes the true life economic turmoil of the housing crisis as its backdrop, casts Danny Mcbride as an unhinged homeowner who attempts to take out his frustrations on a scrupulous relator (Rosemarie Dewitt) with a rampage that grows increasingly murderous. Beast Director: Michael Pearce Cast: Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Trystan Gravelle,Geraldine James United Kingdom, 2017 In this brutal, sexy, critically acclaimed debut thriller from UK director Michael Pearce, a disturbed woman finds herself caught between her oppressive family’s demands and her animalistic attraction to an alluring stranger who’s arrival in her life is suspiciously timed with a series of vicious murders in their isolated community. Blood Fest Director: Owen Egerton Cast: Robbie Kay, Jacob Batalon, Seychelle Gabriel, Tate Donovan, Barbara Dunkelman, Nick Rutherford, Zachary Levi United States, 2018 When the most exciting horror festival in the country turns the tables on its zealous fan base by trapping them on the grounds and murdering them en masse, a group of teens armed with the knowledge of a thousand horror movies must fight their way through the bloodbath in this hilarious send-up of horror culture. Blue My Mind Director: Lisa Brühlmann Cast: Luna Wedler, Zoë Pastelle Holthuizen Switzerland, 2017 During the process of moving cities with her parents and trying to start over with a new group of friends, 15-year-old Mia begins to discover unexpected changes to her body that she dare not speak about to anyone. In spite of her radical attempts to halt the process, Mia is forced to face the horrifying reality of who she truly is. Equal parts tender, surreal, and grotesque, actor-turned-director Lisa Brühlmann’s first feature is a worth addition to the adolescent body horror canon. Caniba Director: Véréna Paravel & Lucien Castaing-Taylor Cast: Issei Sagawa, Jun Sagawa France, 2017 Sensory ethnography documentarians Lucien Castaign-Taylor and Véréna Paravel turn their cameras on notorious Japanese cannibal cum manga author, pornography director, and sushi critic, Issei Sagawa. In an unprecedented and shocking interview, Sagawa reveals gruesome details about his life and crimes, as well as a peak into his fraught relationship with his mysterious brother. Don’t Leave Home Director: Michael Tully Cast: Anna Margaret Hollyman, Lalor Roddy, Helena Bereen, David McSavage, Karrie Cox Ireland, 2018 An American artist accepts a strange invitation to a secluded Irish manor to construct an original sculpture for a priestly painter whose work has been shrouded in a sinister urban legend involving the disappearance of an 8-year-old girl in this creepy, offbeat cinematic discovery from indie stalwart Michael Tully (SEPTIEN). Downrange Director: Ryuhei Kitamura Cast: Kelly Connaire, Stephanie Pearson, Alexa Yeames, Jason Tobias United States, 2017 Macabre mastermind Ryuhei Kitamura (VERSUS, MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN) comes crashing back with a frenetic new film of murder and mayhem. Stranded by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere from a tire blowout, a group of carpoolers become suddenly besieged by flying bullets from an unseen shooter with incredible precision and a savage will. The Farm WORLD PREMIERE Director: Hans Stjernswärd Cast: Nora Yessayan, Alec Gaylord, Ken Volok, Rob Tisdale United States, 2018 The classic horror tale of a young couple who takes a wrong turn and stumbles into a small town full of people with nefarious intentions is turned on its head in this disturbing manifesto about food production. Seeping with eerie atmosphere, this unnerving first feature from newcomer Hans Stjernswärd finds as much fear in its silences as it does in its sickening, insidious images. Ghost Stories Director: Jeremy Dyson & Andy Nyman Cast: Martin Freeman, Alex Lawther, Andy Nyman, Paul Whitehouse United Kingdom, 2017 After stumbling across a long-lost folder of material from his childhood hero, Goodman, a TV investigator known for debumking psychic hoaxes, digs deep into three cases of ghoulish hauntings. Determined to find rational explanations, Goodman quickly realizes he’s in over his head. Featuring Martin Freeman, this spine-tingling anthology, adapted from the hit stage play, tells enough tales to keep you up for nights to come. Good Manners Director: Juliana Rojas & Marco Dutra Cast: Isabél Zuaa, Marjorie Estiano, Miguel Lobo Brazil/France, 2017 A surprising, imaginative and engaging twist on classic genre stories told with a sophisticated cinematic technique, GOOD MANNERS begins unassumingly with a near destitute nurse becoming the caretaker for a wealthy, isolated pregnant woman exhibiting strange behavior. But soon her habits turn into a sleeping hunger that changes both of their lives forever. Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich WORLD PREMIERE Director: Sonny Laguna & Tommy Wiklund Cast: Thomas Lennon, Michael Paré, Barbara Crampton, Udo Kier United Kingdom / United States, 2018 During a roadtrip to a convention for the 30th Anniversary of the infamous Toulon Murders, a comic book nerd, his new girlfriend and his best friend come face to face with a set of sadistic nazi puppets out for blood. A reimagining of the Charles Band classic, this uproarious horror comedy starring Thomas Lennon, Udo Kier, Barbara Crampton, Nelson Franklin, and Charlene Yi pays homage to the Full Moon features of the late 80s, early 90s. The Ranger Director: Jenn Wexler Cast: Chloë Levine, Granit Lahu, Jeremy Pope, Bubba Weiler, Amanda Grace Benitez, Jeremy Holm, Larry Fessenden United States, 2018 A band of punks on the run from trouble with the local law hide out in the woods, only to stumble onto the radar of a deranged park ranger with a malicious approach to justice and a mysterious connection to a member of their group. Longtime indie horror producer Jenn Wexler makes her directorial debut with this manic, punk-rock take on the traditional slasher flick. Revenge Director: Coralie Fargeat Cast: Matilda Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe, Guillaume Bouchede, Jean-Louis Tribes France, 2017 First time filmmaker Coralie Fargeat subverts expectations of the exploitative rape-revenge film tropes from the grind house age for this explosively shocking assault on misogynistic culture that stunned unsuspecting audiences at both the Toronto and Sundance film festivals. Don’t miss one of the most intense debuts of the year. Satan’s Slaves Director: Joko Anwar Cast: Tara Basro, Bront Palarae, Dimas Aditya, Endy Arfian, Nasar Annuz, Ayu Laksmi, Egy Fedly Indonesia, 2017 When Mawarni, a famous Indonesian singer, dies of a mysterious illness, her husband and four children are left behind to pick up the pieces, only to discover that they are being haunted by a pack of rabid spirits headed by Mawarni herself. Technically billed as a remake of the 1982 Indonesian remake of Don Coscarelli’s PHANTASM, celebrated director Joko Anwar’s SATAN’S SLAVES is its own chilling throwback to 70s supernatural thrillers, packed to the brim with jump scares and iconic imagery. Sex Madness Revealed WORLD PREMIERE Director: Tim Kirk Cast: Patton Oswalt, Rob Zabrecky United States, 2018 Notorious comedian Patton Oswalt and renowned magician Rob Zabrecky star in Tim Kirk’s (DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY) latest experiment in how to tell tales of terror. Taking the form of an audio commentary that plays out over the little known 1938 STD propaganda film SEX MADNESS, the voice of a persnickety film blogger interviews the descendant of the original motion picture’s director who harbors a nefarious secret. Tigers Are Not Afraid Director: Issa López Cast: Paola Lara, Juan Ramón López, Ianis Guerrero, Rodrigo Cortés, Hanssel Casillas Mexico, 2017 In one of the most imaginative (and award winning!) features traveling the genre festival circuit in recent months, a young girl with a missing mother joins a band of street misfits in effort to survive amidst rampant cartel violence in modern-day Mexico City. Populated with fairy tale imagery, TIGERS is at turns harshly real and terrifyingly surreal, reminiscent of films like THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE and CITY OF GOD as it details a tragic and engulfing nightmare. Upgrade Director: Leigh Whannell Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson, Benedict Hardie Australia, 2017 Fan favorite Leigh Whannell, whose work on the SAW and INSIDIOUS franchises have made him a modern genre icon, thrills and delights with this gory and action-packed foray into a science-fiction dystopia. An experimental procedure infuses a sentient computer chip into the body and mind of paralyzed Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green), fueling a spiraling mission for vengeance that leads to a terrifying endgame. Vampire Clay Director: Soichi Umezawa Cast: Kyoka Takeda, Momoka Sugimoto, Ena Fujita, Yuyu Makihara, Asuka Kurosawa Japan, 2017 A group of unwitting art school students find themselves in a brutal showdown against a pack of evil of modeling clay in this campy, inventive, practical effects extravaganza from Japanese FX artist turned filmmaker Soichi Umezawa. What Keeps You Alive Director: Colin Minihan Cast: Hannah Emily Anderson, Brittany Allen, Martha Macisaac, Joey Klein, Charlotte Lindsay Marron Canada, 2018 For their first wedding anniversary, Jackie and Jules retreat to a cozy cabin near a beautiful lake. The sudden appearance of Jackie’s childhood best friend sets off a chain of unlikely events that turn a quiet vacation into the deadliest game of cat and mouse in Overlook Alum Colin Minihan’s (writer of STILL/BORN) claustrophobic survivalist thriller. Wolfman’s Got Nards: A Documentary Director: André Gower Cast: Fred Dekker, Shane Black, Seth Green, Adam F. Goldberg, Ryan Lambert, Ashley Bank, Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Chuck Russell, Heather Langenkamp United States, 2018 August 14, 1987 saw the release of what has become one of the strangest, scariest and most iconic kids film to ever grace the silver screen – THE MONSTER SQUAD. In this endearing documentary, director Andre Gower takes us not only behind the scenes on the production, but also into the heart of the fandom surrounding the movie and the magic that made it such a defining cinematic experience for so many in the genre community.Virtual Reality Presentations
Campfire Creepers: The Skull of Sam Director: Alexandre Aja From master of horror Alexandre Aja, the director of films such as The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha, and Horns, comes an original anthology series that brings classic campfire stories to life in stunning Virtual Reality. Produced by Oculus and Future Lighthouse and distributed by Dark Corner, Campfire Creepers invites viewers to join the fire circle at a summer camp called Camp Coyote as a group of kids take turns telling spooky tales. Inspired by cult classics like Creepshow and Tales from the Crypt, every episode of Campfire Creepers is a wild ride that will have you laughing and screaming in equal measure. Delusion: Lies Within WORLD PREMIERE Director: Jon Braver Set in the 1940’s American South, beloved author Elena Fitzgerald goes missing before releasing the final novel in her epic dark fantasy that has captivated fans Daniel and Virginia. As many believe her to be dead, Daniel and Virginia must leave their grim reality behind to save Fitzgerald from her own literary nightmare. The VR series from Skybound Entertainment is a fully immersive, 360 degrees episodic story. Delusion is based off Jon Braver’s 2014 immersive theatrical performance in Los Angeles. Masters Of The Sun Director: will.i.am This interactive comic book series from Oculus Studios, born from the mind of will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), is a retro futuristic B-boy zombie thriller about a hip-hop group from East LA that must battle an ancient god who is turning black drug dealers and gangsters into zombies. This epic journey, spanning 13 episodes, explores gang culture, hip-hop origins, and cloaked conspiracy theories—from ancient Egypt to the streets of LA. Starring Queen Latifah, Rakim, Jamie Foxx, Ice-T, and KRS-One. Night Night Director: Guy Shelmerdine It’s time to drift off to dreamland…but first your mom is going to read you a short bedtime story. Take a journey into your childhood nightmares with Dark Corner’s sense-stunning immersive experience. Produced by Dark Corner and MPC VR. Wolves In The Walls (Chapter 1) Director: Pete Billington Eight-year-old Lucy suspects that wolves live in the walls of her family’s home. She has no one to believe her … but you. Forging a groundbreaking blend of film, theatre, audience agency, and sleight of hand, this exquisitely crafted animated experience, adapted from material by Neil Gaiman and choreographed by immersive theater company Third Rail Projects, casts you as an active performer in a narrative where you interact, have a relationship with, and go on a quest with the central character in ways that leave your mark on the experience. Live Event Presentations BLACKOUT WORLD PREMIERE Creators: Kristjan Thor and Josh Randall In 2009, an underground immersive horror experience swept through the NYC art scene and began a path that would transform the international theater community. BLACKOUT, the X-rated fear experience designed for adults over 18 to walk through completely alone. Created by directors Kristjan Thor and Josh Randall, BLACKOUT has had productions in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Now at the Overlook Film Festival, BLACKOUT presents the world premiere of a rare and unique opportunity for the adventurous to make their way through what the NEW YORK TIMES has called the “most extreme theater event of the year.” WARNING: This is considered an extreme experience and is exclusively for pass holders. Participants are required to sign a waiver. Slots will be made available exclusively for all-access pass holders. The Canon Podcast Live Host: Amy Nicholson What films should be included in the list of all-time greats? Film critic Amy Nicholson and a guest debate, discuss and sometimes harmoniously agree about whether a film should be Canon-ized. Ultimately, the decision is yours. Cast your vote, and decide the legacy of each movie forevermore. No pressure. In Another Room Directors: Austin and Aaron Keeling Last summer, E3W Productions’ surprise hit ‘In Another Room’ invited guests to explore the richly storied rooms of a notoriously haunted house in Los Angeles, introducing audience members to the inhabitants who lived and died within its walls. Now, E3W Productions is pleased to offer exclusive access to one of the rooms from their debut show, transported to the Bourbon Orleans Hotel for the duration of the Overlook Film Festival. Audiences of three will be invited to step inside this room, where they will meet a previous inhabitant and learn of the tragedies that befell them. ‘In Another Room’ sold out in just three days upon its initial run, and this excerpt promises a haunting, moving, and extremely intimate experience. We invite those of you most attuned to the psychic and supernatural to join us for a once in a lifetime opportunity to come face to face with the unknown. Slots will be made available exclusively for all-access pass holders. Infinitely Dinner Society: Midnight Snacks Creator, Director: Annie Lesser Infinitely Dinner Society’s Midnight Snacks presents Bananas Foster. IDS Midnight Snacks are late night pairings of food and art with the math and science behind infinity. Previous snacks have included donuts paired with the infinite points of a circle, cheese cubes paired with hypercubes and oyster shooters paired with the intangible nature of infinity. Each snack features food sourced from local bakers, shop owners and farmers markets. For the Overlook Film Festival, creator Annie Lesser has designed a piece based on the cosmic horror of the multiverse featuring Bananas Foster made from Louisiana cane sugar and rum. News about Infinitely Dinner Society and the IDS MidnightSnacks can be found Instagram @infinitelydinnersociety. Slots will be made available exclusively for all-access pass holders. The Overlook Immersive Game Producer: Mali Elfman For the signature event of the Overlook Film Festival, 2018 introduces a new alternate reality game and welcomes this year’s experience designers Scott Gillies and Nick Tierce, whose credits include a range of projects with companies such as Electronic Arts, Disney, Microsoft, Niantic Labs, and Google. Throughout the entire weekend, uncover an interactive horror mystery that permeates the festival, featuring live actors inhabiting unique locations, hidden clues, tactile puzzles, and surprising twists that each player can engage with at their own level of comfort and curiosity. Follow the clues to become the protagonist of an engaging and thrilling narrative that no two players will experience in exactly the same way. Details of the game’s story will remain locked away until the festival begins, but you may wish to seek out the celestial raven, instantly. The game is available exclusively to festival pass holders, with active player registration limited to 100 available spots. All registered players must attend a game orientation upon festival check-in. Over the course of the game, curious players may receive invitations to engage further for additional immersive depth, which they may opt-in for when the opportunity is presented. Paperbacks From Hell Creator, Writer, Performer: Grady Hendrix In the early Seventies, three books changed horror forever: ROSEMARY’S BABY, THE EXORCIST, and THE OTHER. The first horror novels to hit bestseller lists since 1940, they opened the floodgates for an avalanche of horror paperbacks to pour onto supermarket shelves throughout the Seventies and Eighties until SILENCE OF THE LAMBS slit the genre’s throat in the early Nineties. Writer Grady Hendrix delivers a mind-melting oral history of this now forgotten world of Nazi leprechauns, skeleton doctors, killer crabs, killer jellyfish, killer babies, pretty much killer everything. Prepare yourself for a tour of this long-lost universe of terror that lurked behind the lurid, foil-embossed, die-cut covers of…the Paperbacks from Hell!!!! The Pumpkin Pie Show: Best of Show Creator, Writer, Performer: Clay McLeod Chapman Come join us for an encore presentation of the best Pumpkin Pie Show stories from over the last 20 years. Author Clay McLeod Chapman will lead the audience through the back-catalogue of his personal favorite tales, offering a view into the sordid lives of Southern Gothic monstrosities that explore the domestic horrors of the everyday, finding terror within our own households. This is Edgar Allan Poe for the modern age, people. The Pumpkin Pie Show: New Skulduggery Creator, Writer, Performer: Clay McLeod Chapman Author Clay McLeod Chapman is bringing BRAND NEW STORIES to the Overlook! The Pumpkin Pie Show has remained a staple of the fest – and this year they’re offering an even sweeter treat: original tales that have never been inflicted upon an audience anywhere. Flesh-eating bacteria, killer baby carrots and haunted comic books are all on the menu. These new campfire stories will be sure send a shiver up your spine. Hear them first before they’re unleashed upon the rest of the world! The Pumpkin Pie Show: One-On-Ones Creator, Writer, Performer: Clay McLeod Chapman A returning favorite from last year’s fest, please join author Clay McLeod Chapman as he takes one audience member at a time on a dark ride through this depraved, intimate storytelling experience. Think of it as a heart-to-bleeding-heart with madmen, murderers and monsters telling their own story. No fourth wall, no escape. First come, first serve. Sessions will last 20 minutes. Slots will be made available exclusively for all-access pass holders. Shock Waves Presents Host: Ryan Turek Overlook welcomes Ryan Turek, co-host of Blumhouse’s hit horror podcast Shock Waves for an insightful discussion with one of the festival’s guests. Summerland Lost Creator, Writer, Performer: Grady Hendrix The Wall Street Journal calls him “a national treasure.” His mother calls him “Sunshine.” Now author Grady Hendrix brings his one-man show about psychic teenagers and shaved cats to New Orleans with Summerland Lost: A Ghost Story. Telling the all-shocking, all-true tale of drunk Victorian teenagers who spoke to the dead, this is the real life story of how biomechanical sex cults, the ghost of Ben Franklin, suffragettes, abolitionists, anarchists, and Arctic explorers all teamed up to answer the ultimate question: is there life after death?Short Film Presentations
Amy Director: L. Gustavo Cooper Cast: Danielle Kennedy, Rebekah Kennedy, Tom Fitzpatrick, Samantha Ann United States, 2017 Set against the backdrop of the deadliest heat wave in recorded history and inspired by America’s most prolific female serial killer, L. Gustavo Cooper’s AMY provides a surreal and distorted glimpse into a killing spree that captivated a nation in the early 1900s. The Beaning Director: Sean McCoy United States, 2017 An experimental sports film combining documentary techniques with horror aesthetics, THE BEANING explores a sinister theory surrounding the death of Cleveland baseball player Ray Chapman in 1920 and the subsequent rise of the Yankee dynasty. Beastly Things Director: Zev Chevat United States, 2017 A young street artist encounters a group of local schoolchildren, and learns what really makes monsters. Blood Runs Down WORLD PREMIERE Director: Zandashé Brown Cast: Farrah Martin, Idella Johnson United States, 2018 When a woman undergoes a frightening transition, her vigilant young daughter must decide between saving her or protecting herself in this haunting tale of inheritance, daughterhood, and demons. Cerulia Director: Sofía Carrillo Cast: Diana Bracho Mexico, 2017 Cerulia returns to her childhood home to bid farewell to her past, but the memories of her youth and a presence in the home will not let her go. Coyote Director: Lorenz Wunderle Switzerland, 2018 A coyote loses his family to a vicious attack by wolves. Tormented by fear, anger and grief, he sees a chance to avenge their deaths… Good Morning Director: Elaine Mongeon Cast: Maya Kazan, Jamie McShane United States, 2017 A young woman and her father adapt to terrifying changes they never expected. Hair Wolf Director: Mariama Diallo Cast: Kara Young, Taliah Webster, Madeline Weinstein, Trae Harris, Jermaine Crawford United States, 2017 In a black hair salon in gentrifying Brooklyn, the local residents fend off a strange new monster: white women intent on sucking the lifeblood from black culture. Latched Director: Justin Harding & Rob Brunner Cast: Alana Elmer, Peter Higginson, Jarrett Siddall, Bowen Harding Canada, 2017 A choreographer pursues creative inspiration at a cottage retreat while attempting to wean her demanding toddler — and unknowingly awakens a vile fairy corpse in the process. When she discovers the creature’s terrifying intentions, she will have to put her creativity to good use to lure the repugnant beast. Milk Director: Santiago Menghini Cast: Cameron Brodeur, Anana Rydvald Canada, 2018 On a late night, a young teen goes into the kitchen for a glass of milk. Upon encountering his sleepless mother, he quickly realizes things are not as they seem. Möbius Director: Sam Kuhn Cast: Caley Jones, Daiva Z, Britt Grayson, Elissa Mielke, Austin Will Canada/United States, 2017 A moth eaten tale of magic and mutation half remembered by a teen poet whose beloved lies lifeless in a stream. Pan Director: Anna Roller Cast: Anna Platen, Jeff Wilbusch, Luisa-Céline Gaffron, Sue Simmy Lemke, Emil Borgeest Germany, 2017 Juno, a twenty-year-old girl becomes obsessed with Pan. Her obsession turns her into an animal. The Plague Director: Guillermo Carbonell Cast: Gabriela Freire, Walter Rey, Rafael Soliwoda Uruguay, 2017 Rosa’s father escapes from a nursing home and comes back to his former house. He hides a secret, and he’s not coming alone. The Sermon Director: Dean Puckett Cast: Molly Casey, Grant Gillespie, Denise Stephenson, Oliver Monaghan, Emma White United Kingdom, 2018 In an isolated church community in the English countryside, a powerful hate preacher prepares to deliver a sermon to his flock, but his daughter has a secret that could destroy them all. Tammy’s Tiny Tea Time (Episode 1: Strangers) Created by Peter Gulsvig Cast: Rachel Butera, Nate Corddry, Peter Gulsvig United States, 2018 Tammy’s Tiny Tea Time exists in the fractured psyche of a middle aged woman whose refusal to grow up has resulted in a life spent talking to inanimate objects (and a dying box turtle) in her parents’ house. Thursday Night Director: Gonçalo Almeida Cast: Bimbo the Dog Portugal, 2017 An elusive stranger pays Bimbo a visit in the middle of the night to deliver a vital message. We Summoned a Demon Director: Chris McInroy Cast: Kirk C. Johnson, Carlos Larotta, John Orr United States, 2017 They just wanted to be cool. Instead, they got a demon.
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Documentary Filmmaker Louie Psihoyos to Receive Inaugural DocLands Honors Award
Iconic photographer and award-winning filmmaker Louie Psihoyos will be honored with the inaugural DocLands Honors Award at the 2018 DocLands Documentary Film Festival, on Friday, May 4, 2018, 6:30 PM in Mill Valley.
The DocLands Honors Award is presented to a filmmaker in recognition of exceptional storytelling within the documentary genre, an artist whose films resonate universally, emphasizing our common humanity – no matter the subject.
The inaugural DocLands Honors Award is presented to director Louie Psihoyos (The Cove, Racing Extinction, The Game Changers) for his dogged determination and tenacity in exposing wrongs and expanding awareness. We also show our appreciation for his astounding efforts in outreach, bringing some of our most pressing environmental and social issues to a worldwide audience.
Recognized as one of the top photographers in the world, Louie Psihoyos was hired directly out of college, where he won an unprecedented first place in every category of the prestigious College Photographer of the Year award, to shoot for National Geographic. He worked for the magazine for 18 years, establishing himself as one of the medium’s most prolific and profound visionaries and social observers. His ability to bring humanity and wit to complicated stories carries over to his filmmaking. His first documentary film, The Cove, won over 75 awards around the world including the 2010 Academy Award® for Best Documentary. His second feature, Racing Extinction, premiered on Discovery in over 200 countries and territories on the same day, was nominated for an Emmy (Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking) and an Academy Award® (Best Song). The film also sparked the #StartWith1Thing movement. Most recently Psihoyos finished directing The Game Changers, executive produced by James Cameron, which debuted at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.