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  • 6 Indie Filmmakers to Compete in Seattle International Film Festival’s 2018 Fly Filmmaking Challenge

    [caption id="attachment_27596" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]2018 SIFF Fly Filmmakers are Jeff Barehand (Olympia), Graham Bourque (Ellensburg), Myisa Plancq-Graham (Seattle), Elliat Graney-Saucke (Seattle), Kendra Ann Sherrill (Spokane), Masahiro Sugano (Tacoma) 2018 SIFF Fly Filmmakers are (top row: l – r) Jeff Barehand (Olympia), Graham Bourque (Ellensburg), Myisa Plancq-Graham (Seattle), (bottom row: l – r) Elliat Graney-Saucke (Seattle), Kendra Ann Sherrill (Spokane), Masahiro Sugano (Tacoma)[/caption] The Fly Filmmaking Challenge organized in partnership with Washington Filmworks, returns to the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) after a three year hiatus. For the first time ever, the Fly Filmmaking Challenge hit the road and invited filmmakers from cities across the state to participate. “As a statewide entity that works closely with creative industries, Washington Filmworks knows first hand how creativity and creative professionals transform communities both culturally and economically,” said Amy Lillard, Executive Director of Washington Filmworks. “The six filmmakers selected for this year’s Challenge have chosen to showcase a diverse group of people and places from their community which make a delightful, inspired, and unforgettable program for SIFF audiences.” Each filmmaker chose a creative professional living in their community as the subject of their documentary film. From a fashion professional to a creative technologist, from a woodworker to a literary artist, SIFF audiences will experience an intimate look inside each artisan’s creative process and understand how their work benefits the quality of life in the city which they live and work. Given only 10 weeks to plan, produce, and complete a short 5-7 minute documentary short within the creative challenges, filmmakers must think on their feet to present the most compelling film. “Documentary projects often afford months to years of production but this year’s team said they are up to the challenge.” said Dustin Kaspar, SIFF’s Education Programs Manager. “The abbreviated production timeline engages their creative instincts and provides a showcase of their visionary talent through another artist’s process. The final program features six short films by filmmakers from across the state, intended to shine a light on Washington’s far-reaching and inspired creative industries. The 2018 Fly Filmmakers are Jeff Barehand (Olympia), Graham Bourque (Ellensburg), Myisa Plancq-Graham (Seattle), Elliat Graney-Saucke (Seattle), Kendra Ann Sherrill (Spokane), Masahiro Sugano (Tacoma). The Fly Filmmaking Challenge is scheduled to premiere on Monday, May 28 and will screen again on Wednesday, June 6.

    The Filmmakers

    Jeff Barehand

    Jeff is an enrolled citizen of the Gila River Indian Community of Arizona. He studied at the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory in Washington, D.C. and filmmaking at the American Indian Arts Institute’s intensive filmmaking workshop sponsored by ABC/Disney. He is a founding member of the non-profit, the Olympia Film Collective, a South Sound premiere filmmaking hub. He is co-owner of Sky Bear Media, a video production company specializing in producing media for Tribes, Native organizations, and Tribal youth programs. He is a Sundance Native Lab fellow and also the current Board Chair of Red Eagle Soaring, Seattle’s only Native youth theatre program.

    Graham Bourque

    Graham is a filmmaker living in Ellensburg, Washington. He graduated from Central Washington University in 2017 with a degree in Film Production, and has produced a number of short films, documentaries, and commercials. During his senior year, he produced Todd’s Vlog which won 1st place in the narrative short film category at the BEA Festival of Media Arts 2017.

    Elliat Graney-Saucke

    Elliat is a documentary filmmaker focused on equity and cultural knowledge exchange. Currently acting President of the Seattle Documentary Association, Elliat is completing her second feature documentary Boys on the Inside, about ‘boy’ culture in women’s prisons. She is also completing the documentary Art Heart: Children of Riot Grrrl with Celeste Chan, about coming of age in riot grrrl, queercore culture. After seven years in Berlin producing content in eight countries, she is back in Seattle as an organizer and teacher at Northwest Film Forum and Director of Elliat Creative, LLC.

    Myisa Plancq-Graham

    San Francisco native, Myisa, began her photography career exploring the streets of Atlanta in 2011. Her growing appreciation for photography and videography culminated in the creation of Annie Graham Imagery. Creating content by, about and for Black people is her primary filmmaking incentive. Myisa serves as lead director, videographer, and editor for documentary short series UNCODE, highlighting people and stories of the African Diaspora.

    Kendra Ann Sherrill

    Kendra Ann is an award-winning filmmaker from Spokane, WA. Many of her short films have screened at local film festivals such as the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, Seattle Shorts Film Festival, Local Sightings Film Festival, and Reel NW. She is a graduate of the Eastern Washington University’s Film Program, where she received the Best Director and Best Screenplay awards, and was a finalist for the the DGA Student Film Awards. Kendra also serves as the Assistant Director for the Spokane International Film Festival and works full time as an editor and producer for the Emmy award-winning television series Washington Grown.

    Masahiro Sugano

    Masahiro, a Sundance Film Festival alumnus, is an award winning filmmaker whose accolades stretch from a Student Academy Award nomination in 1997 to his most recent 2016 Documentary Award given by the National Asian American Journalists Association. In 2013 he received the Center for Asian American Media’s Innovation Fund for his series “Verses in Exile,” currently hosted on PBS.org. Masahiro’s second feature, Cambodian Son is winner of several awards including the Best Documentary Award at CAAMFEST 2014 and the Audience Choice Award at Bali International Film Festival 2015. As co-founder of artist-ran media lab Studio Revolt, Masahiro creates short films on a variety of societal issues such as deportation. He’s also a pioneering force in the art of spoken word videos. Earning a B.A. in Philosophy from California State University, Northridge, Masahiro went on to earn an M.F.A. in Film from University of Illinois, Chicago. Masahiro currently resides in Tacoma, WA and serves as an Artist-in-Residence at the University of Washington, Bothell.

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  • “PICKINGS” ” OFFICER PIGSEY” “DADDY ISSUES” Among Winners of 2018 MidWest WeirdFest Awards

    [caption id="attachment_27588" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]PICKINGS PICKINGS[/caption] The 2nd annual MidWest WeirdFest wrapped this past Sunday, at the Micon Downtown Cinema in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and director Usher Morgan’s stunning western/neo-noir hybrid PICKINGS won the award for “Best Film”. “MidWest WeirdFest was a blast, and winning the festival’s Independent Spirit Award is an immense deal to us”, says Kevin Losani, who, along with Michael J. Widger, directed the incredibly ambitious super hero/comedy feature film OFFICER PIGSEY. “To stand out in a lineup consisting of such impressive, creative, and alternative films is major props! We always believed and hoped people would look beyond our film’s budget restrictions and recognize all the other aspects that we think make it great. We feel this award honors that.” An overview of the festival’s other winning films follows: Amara Cash won “Best Director” for her visionary erotic drama DADDY ISSUES. The mesmerizing and chilling BORLEY RECTORY from British animator Ashley Thorpe captured the fest’s award for “Best Documentary”. And “Best Screenplay” went to the darkly comedic time-travel tale FUTURE, written by Joshua P. Cousineau, Rob Cousineau, and Doug Kolbicz (directed by Rob Cousineau and Chris Rosik) . “Best Short Film” was won by the bloody hilarious LUNCH LADIES (directed by J. M. Logan). The monstrous comedy CRYPTO FORCE ALPHA (directed by Megan Kluck) was awarded “Best Animated Short”. While the unique and ambitious thriller MENTAL STATE: REVELATION (directed by Chris Page) took the fest’s “Independent Spirit Award – Short Film”. The laugh out loud web series THE STREET WIZARD’S APPRENTICE (directed by Andrew Melzer, Matt Giordano, and Drew Krehel) snagged the fest’s “Best Web/TV Content” award. And “Best Music Video” went to director Jed Schlegelmilch’s video for HOT COFFIN – “WHISTLE, HAWK & SPIT”.

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  • Rebekah Nelson’s Award-Winning Short Film “The Shoulder” to Premiere at Queens World Film Festival | Trailer

    The Shoulder The Shoulder, an award-winning short film, directed by Rebekah Nelson and produced by Michael Freeland, will have its premiere on Friday, March 16th 2018, at the Queens World Film Festival. The Shoulder chronicles the harrowing and raw journey of Derrick (Jordan Gwiazdowski), who in a last-ditch effort to save his older brother Jeremy (Jerzy Gwiazdowski) from the grips of addiction, kidnaps him, and drives him cross-country to wean Jeremy off heroin. . The Shoulder is a timely exploration of the complexities of addiction, and the devastation it wroughts on the individual and their family. The film effectively captures the chaos, demoralization and denial of addiction. The film asks the question, “Am I My Brothers Keeper.” The Shoulder also features John Warren (Table Talk, Mister Warren’s Neighborhood) and Tony Andriotis. Rebekah Nelson says, with The Shoulder, I wanted to explore the thin line between survival and devastation. What happens to those who bear witness to the victims of addiction? In the midst of the opioid crisis in the US, I had the opportunity to read the stage play “Hugging the Shoulder”. It gave me some insight into the destructive path of addiction and the impact it can have on those close to the victim. How far should one go to save someone who doesn’t want to be saved?  The Shoulder serves as a window into a broader story, a glimpse into the journey of two brothers searching for deliverance. The Shoulder is based on Jerrod Bogard’s stage play “Hugging the Shoulder”, which premiered at the 2006 New York Fringe Festival.

    Screening Info

    THE SHOULDER will premiere at The Museum of Moving Image during the following date /time: March 16TH at 7:45pm, Q&A with Director Rebekah Nelson, Producer Mike Free and cast.

    The Filmmakers

    Rebekah Nelson is a filmmaker hailing from Queens, NY. She frequently collaborates with The Sparrow Film Project, writing & directing several short films for their festival. Such shorts include Eurydice and…, The Drop, Cytokine Cascade, A Christmas Carol: Stave V and Mister Warren’s Neighborhood. She produced the indie feature Living with the Dead (Lion Hearted Films), which is available to stream on Amazon. Nelson starred in the feature American Bomber, which was promoted by the NYC Mayor’s Office as part of the MADE IN NY campaign. She has been a member of The Queensborough Theatre Project and Taxdeductible Theatre Company. She received a B.A. in theatre arts from Marymount Manhattan College & majored in drama at the Professional Performing Arts School in NYC. Michael Freeland ‘s producer credits include American Bomber and Dead Light Glory, in which he also starred in, as well as the short In Between. He is the producer of The Sparrow Film Project: a festival of three-minute short films. Michael produced the stage play “Hugging the Shoulder”, inspiration for the short film The Shoulder, in the 2006 NY Fringe Festival. Michael attended school at The University of Southern Mississippi and graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, as well as receiving his B.S. from The New School University. He currently resides in Astoria, Queens and is constantly plotting out the next project.

    The Trailer

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsTMMU_LFDM

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  • 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival Announces Lineup, Opens with “A Kid Like Jake”

    [caption id="attachment_27573" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, and Leo James Davis appear in A Kid Like Jake by Silas Howard Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, and Leo James Davis appear in A Kid Like Jake by Silas Howard[/caption] The complete lineup was unveiled today for the 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival, running April 4 to 17. The festival will open with independent filmmaker Silas Howard’s drama A Kid Like Jake, starring Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, and Octavia Spencer; and Closing Night will be Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, Gus Van Sant’s biopic of cartoonist John Callahan, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, and Jack Black. Van Sant. A Kid Like Jake, directed by Silas Howard and adapted from Daniel Pearle’s lauded Off-Broadway play, is the most exceptional and timely of social dramas, exploring issues at the heart of multiple national debates with great intensity and sly humor. Pregnant Alex (Claire Danes) and her psychiatrist husband Greg (Jim Parsons) are anxiously navigating the minefield of New York’s exclusive private schools. Their young son Jake’s intelligence and imagination have helped him win impressive test scores, but he is also expressing a preference for what Judy (Octavia Spencer), the proprietor of his preschool, delicately describes as “gender-variant play,” ranging from imaginative cross-dressing to a slavish devotion to all things “princess.” While at first encouraged to play up their son’s possible transgender leanings so he might be considered a “diverse” candidate for a progressive school, the parents begin a round of self-questioning once Jake begins acting out when confronted with bullies and teachers looking for more normative behavior. A Kid Like Jake will be released theatrically this summer by IFC Films. In the caustic and wickedly funny, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, celebrated quadriplegic Portland cartoonist John Callahan had a knack for depicting taboo subjects—especially people with physical disabilities—without political correctness. With an engrossing and shape-shifting performance by Joaquin Phoenix as Callahan, accompanied by scene-stealing support from Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, and Jack Black, Gus Van Sant’s (Milk, My Own Private Idaho) newest film follows the life of this troubled alcoholic who journeys from rock-bottom to an oddball AA group to ultimately channeling his demons into sometimes shocking and always humorous profane art. The Festival’s 2018 award and tributes include honors for Wayne Wang (A Tribute to Wayne Wang), Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (George Gund III Craft of Cinema Award), Annette Insdorf (Mel Novikoff Award), and Nathaniel Dorsky (Persistence of Vision Award), along with the previously announced Tribute to Charlize Theron. Special live events include Blonde Redhead performing live with Yasujiro Ozu’s I Was Born, But… , A Thousand Thoughts – A Live Documentary by Sam Green and Kronos Quartet, A Celebration of Oddball Films with Marc Capelle’s Red Room Orchestra, and the 2018 State of Cinema Address by Canadian iconoclast Guy Maddin.

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  • 2018 Florida Film Festival Announces Lineup, Opens with “American Animals”

    Jared Abrahamson, Evan Peters, Blake Jenner and Barry Keoghan appear in American Animals by Bart Layton, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. Today the Florida Film Festival announced the program lineup of 183 films representing 38 countries, for the 27th Annual Festival, taking place April 6 to 15, 2018, in Maitland and Winter Park, Florida. The festival will open with American Animals directed by Bart Layton, and close with the 75th Anniversary Screening of  Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt. “This is going to be a banner year in every aspect,” commented Matthew Curtis, Florida Film Festival Programming Director. “With a greater number of films making their Florida debut than ever before, we could not be more excited about introducing these talented filmmakers and presenting such an extraordinary and diverse group of films to our audience. We are proud that this year’s lineup includes 82 women filmmakers–the most ever and more than 45% of our total programming! Their voices will be represented everywhere in the Festival, including our first-ever experimental shorts program (“Sunspots: New Visions of the Avant Garde”), and our first-ever “X Real” Doc shorts program completely directed by women. Let the story-gazing begin!” The 21 features and 59 short films in the American Independent Competition will be eligible for up to three awards each: a Grand Jury Award for best film in that category, a Special Jury Award given at the jury’s discretion for exceptional achievements, and an Audience Award determined by audience votes for Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, and Best Short Film. International films are also eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature and Best International Short, and an Audience Award will be given for the Best Midnight Short as well.

    2018 Florida Film Festival OFFICIAL SELECTION:

    OPENING NIGHT FILM:

    American Animals – Directed by Bart Layton, USA, 2018, 116 MIN, East Coast Premiere Star Blake Jenner will be in attendance for the Opening Night Film and Party, and will participate in a post-film Q&A with the audience

    SPOTLIGHT FILMS:

    Borg McEnroe – Directed by Janus Metz, Sweden/Denmark/Finland, 2017, 107 MIN, Rated R, In English and Swedish with English subtitles The Guilty – Directed by Gustav Möller, Denmark, 2018, 85 MIN, In English and Danish with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Hearts Beat Loud – Directed by Brett Haley, USA, 2018, 97 MIN, East Coast Premiere A Kid Like Jake – Directed by Silas Howard, USA, 2018, 92 MIN, Florida Premiere Lean on Pete – Directed by Andrew Haigh, UK, 2017, 121 MIN, Southeast Premiere RBG – Directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West, USA, 2018, 97 MIN Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood – Directed by Matt Tyrnauer, USA, 2017, 98 MIN, Southeast Premiere Three Identical Strangers – Directed by Tim Wardle, UK, 2018, 96 MIN Tully – Directed by Jason Reitman, USA, 2018, 94 MIN, Rated R We the Animals – Directed by Jeremiah Zagar, USA, 2018, 94 MIN, East Coast Premiere Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – Directed by Morgan Neville, USA, 2018, 94 MIN

    NARRATIVE FEATURES COMPETITION:

    Call Me Brother – Directed by David Howe, USA, 2018, 77 MIN, World Premiere Cold November – Directed by Karl Jacob, USA, 2017, 92 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Feels – Directed by Jenée LaMarque, USA, 2017, 90 MIN Locating Silver Lake – Directed by Eric Bilitch, USA, 2018, 110 MINS, East Coast Premiere Prison Logic – Directed by Romany Malco Jr., USA, 2018, 95 MINS, Florida Premiere Quality Problems – Directed by Brooke & Doug Purdy, USA, 2017, 107 MIN, Southeast Premiere Savage Youth – Directed by Michael Curtis Johnson, USA, 2018, 97 MIN, Southeast Premiere Say You Will – Directed by Nick Naveda, USA, 2017, 98 MIN, Southeast Premiere Tatterdemalion – Directed by Ramaa Mosley, USA, 2017, 101 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing White Rabbit –  Directed by Daryl Wein, USA, 2018, 71 MIN, East Coast Premiere

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES COMPETITION:

    Ask the Sexpert – Directed by Vaishali Sinha, USA/India, 2017, 83 MIN, Southeast Premiere Dark Money – Directed by Kimberly Reed, USA, 2018, 98 MIN, Florida Premiere Getting Naked: A Burlesque Story – Directed by James Lester, USA, 2017, 86 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Last Race – Directed by Michael Dweck, USA, 2018, 74 MIN, Florida Premiere Mole Man – Directed by Guy Fiorita, USA, 2017, 87 MIN, Southeast Premiere Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End – Directed by Pablo Bryant, USA, 2017, 70 MIN, Southeast Premiere My Indiana Muse – Directed by Ric & Jen Serena, USA, 2018, 44 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Power of Glove – Directed by Andrew Austin and Adam Ward, USA, 2017, 65 MIN, Southeast Premiere Samantha’s Amazing Acro-Cats – Directed by Jacob Feiring, USA, 2017, 58 MIN, Southeast Premiere This is Home – Directed by Alexandra Shiva, USA/Jordan, 2018, 91 MIN, Southeast Premiere TransMilitary – Directed by Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson, USA, 2018, 92 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing

    DOCUMENTARY SHORTS COMPETITION:

    Alaska DGAF – Directed by David Freid, USA, 2018, 11 MIN, World Premiere Curious Kaleo – Directed by Judie Muhrez, Shana Kheradyar, Dylan McGale, and Tara Salveson, USA, 2018, 11 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing A Few Things About Robert Irwin. – Directed by Lisanne Skyler, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Footprint – Directed by Sara Newens, USA, 2018, 17 MIN, World Premiere The Forger – Directed by Alexandra Garcia, Samantha Stark, and Pamela Druckerman, USA, 2017, 16 MIN, In French with English subtitles, Florida Premiere JessZilla – Directed by Emily Sheskin, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Florida Premiere Let My People Vote – Directed by Gilda Ann Brasch, USA, 2018, 17 MIN, World Premiere Little Fiel – Directed by Irina Patkanian, USA/Mozambique, 2017, 16 MIN, Southeast Premiere Lotte That Silhouette Girl – Directed by Elizabeth Beecherl and Carla Patullo, USA, 2018, 10 MIN, East Coast Premiere Nueva Vida – Directed by Jonathan Seligson, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Please – Directed by Erica Rose, USA, 2018, 7 MIN, World Premiere The Shift – Directed by Elivia Shaw and Paloma Martinez, USA, 2017, 8 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Tables – Directed by Jon Bunning, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Florida Premiere Taobao – Directed by Noah Sheldon, USA/China, 2018, 4 MIN, In Mandarin with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Used: A Documentary – Directed by Rolando Nieves, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Southeast Premiere Winter’s Watch – Directed by Brian Bolster, USA, 2017, 14 MIN, Florida Premiere

    NARRATIVE SHORTS COMPETITION:

    The Accomplice – Directed by Jonathan Hoeg and John F. Beach, USA, 2017, 8 MIN, Florida Premiere After Her – Directed by Aly Migliori, USA, 2018, 15 MIN, World Premiere An Alien Walks Into A Bar – Directed by Eli Bildner, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Florida Premiere/2nd US Showing Anna & the Asteroid – Directed by Scott Sherman, USA, 2017, 25 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing Artifice – Directed by Kevin Byrnes, USA, 2018, 4 MIN, World Premiere Caroline – Directed by Celine Held and Logan George, USA, 2018, 12 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing Control – Directed by Kimmy Gatewood, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Florida Premiere El Afilador (The Sharpener) – Directed by James Casey, USA/MEXICO, 2018, 9 MIN, North American Premiere, In Spanish with English subtitles Emergency – Directed by Carey Williams, USA, 2017, 12 MIN, Southeast Premiere End Times – Directed by Bobby Miller, USA, 2018, 9 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing everything’s gonna be okay – Directed by Matt Soson, USA, 2018, 15 MIN, World Premiere Falling – Directed by Ewen Wright, USA, 2018, 19 MIN, East Coast Premiere Five Minutes – Directed by Justine Bateman, USA, 2017, 10 MIN, Southeast Premiere Flatbush Misdemeanors – Directed by Dan Perlman and Kevin Iso, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Southeast Premiere Fran This Summer – Directed by Mary Evangelista, USA, 2018, 9 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Haircut – Directed by David Brundige, USA, 2018, 7 MIN, World Premiere Home Shopper – Directed by Dev Patel, USA/Singapore, 2018, 16 MIN, East Coast Premiere I Got This – Directed by Erik Bork, USA, 2018, 22 MIN, World Premiere Iron Hands – Directed by Johnson Cheng, USA/China, 2017, 11 MIN, In Mandarin with English Subtitles, Florida Premiere Life After – Directed by Ria Tobaccowala, USA, 2018, 12 MIN, Florida Premiere Life Boat – Directed by Lorraine Nicholson, USA, 2017, 18 MIN, Southeast Premiere Magic Bullet – Directed by Amanda Lovejoy Street, USA, 2018, 19 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Mama Jane – Directed by Lisa Maria Hall, USA, 2018, 12 MIN, World Premiere Men Don’t Whisper – Directed by Jordan Firstman, USA, 2017, 22 MIN, Florida Premiere My Loyal Audience – Directed by Megan Seely, USA, 2017, 12 MIN Painting with Joan – Directed by Jack Henry Robbins, USA, 2018, 4 MIN, East Coast Premiere Sweet & Lo – Directed by Clay Liford, USA, 2018, 14 MIN, World Premiere Valentina – Directed by Mary Angélica Molina, USA, 2017, 8 MIN, Florida Premiere , In English and Spanish with English subtitles Wyrm – Directed by Christopher Winterbauer, USA, 2017, 20 MIN, East Coast Premiere

    ANIMATED SHORTS COMPETITION:

    Abnie Oberfork: A Tale of Self-Preservation – Directed by Shannon Fleming, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Florida Premiere Aquacade – Directed by Caroline Voagen Nelson, USA, 2017, 3 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Driver is Red – Directed by Randall Christopher, USA, 2017, 15 MIN Fired Up – Directed by Elyse Kelly and Dan Fipphen, USA/Colombia/Israel, 2017, 3 MIN, Florida Premiere For Educational Purposes Only – Directed by David Nessl, USA, 2018, 3 MIN, US Premiere Fundamental – Directed by Shih-Chieh Chiu, USA/Taiwan, 2017, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Jeom – Directed by Kangmin Kim, USA/South Korea, 2018, 4 MIN, In Korean with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Nevada – Directed by Emily Ann Hoffman, USA, 2017, 12 MIN, Southeast Premiere Phototaxis – Directed by Melissa Ferrari, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Seahorse Man – Directed by Diana Carter, USA, 2018, 3 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Shahkboy – Directed by Jake Peckar, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing Undiscovered – Directed by Sara Litzenberger, USA, 2017, 3 MIN The Velvet Underground Played At My High School – Directed by Robert Pietri and Tony Jannelli, USA, 2018, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Weekends – Directed by Trevor Jimenez, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Florida Premiere

    INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE:

    The Cakemaker – Directed by Ofir Raul Graizer, Israel/Germany, 2017, 104 MIN, In English, Hebrew and German with English subtitles Euthanizer – Directed by Teemu Nikki, Finland, 2017, 85 MIN, In Finnish with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Mama – Directed by Nicholas Brennan, USA/Uganda, 2017, 7 MIN, In Luganda with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts – Directed by Mouly Surya, Indonesia/France/Malaysia/Thailand, 2017, 93 MIN, In Indonesian with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Soufra – Directed by Thomas Morgan, USA/Lebanon, 2017, 73 MIN, In Arabic with English subtitles, Florida Premiere

    INTERNATIONAL SHORTS:

    The App – Directed by Julián Merino, Spain, 2017, 15 MIN, In Spanish with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Beatrice – Directed by Lorena Alvarado, Italy, 2017, 9 MIN, In Italian with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Daughter – Directed by Mara Tamkovich, Poland, 2018, 29 MIN, In Polish with English subtitles, World Premiere Do I Have Boobs Now? – Directed by Milena Salazar and Joella Cabalu, Canada, 2017, 7 MIN, East Coast Premiere Fern – Directed by Johnny Kelly, UK, 2017, 6 MIN, East Coast Premiere Gaze – Directed by Farnoosh Samadi, Iran/Italy, 2017, 14 MIN, In Persian with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Iris – Directed by Gabrielle Demers, Canada, 2017, 10 MIN, In French with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Limit – Directed by Javad Daraei, Iran, 2017, 8 MIN, In Persian with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere The Log (Halko) – Directed by Teemu Nikki, Finland, 2016, 7 MIN, In Finnish with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Merry-Go-Round – Directed by Ruslan Bratov, Russian Federation, 2017, 13 MIN, In Russian with English subtitles, North American Premiere My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes – Directed by Charlie Tyrell, Canada, 2018, 14 MIN, East Coast Premiere The Old Woman Who Hid Her Fear Under the Stairs – Directed by Faye Jackson, UK, 2018, 16 MIN, World Premiere Shadow Animals – Directed by Jerry Carlsson, Sweden, 2017, 22 MIN, In Swedish with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Slap Happy – Directed by Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli, Canada, 2017, 11 MIN, East Coast Premiere State of Emergency Motherfucker – Directed by Sébastien Petretti, Belgium, 2017, 6 MIN, In French with English subtitles Thursday Night – Directed by Gonçalo Almeida, Portugal, 2017, 8 MIN, Southeast Premiere True Love in Pueblo Textil – Directed by Horatio Baltz, Cuba/USA, 2017, 5 MIN, In Spanish with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Wren Boys – Directed by Harry Lighton, UK, 2017, 11 MIN, East Coast Premiere

    INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED SHORTS:

    The Burden – Directed by Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Sweden, 2017, 14 MIN, In Swedish with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Catherine – Directed by Britt Raes, Belgium, 2017, 12 MIN Dead Horses – Directed by Marc Riba and Anna Solanas, Spain, 2016, 6 MIN, In Catalan with English subtitles, Florida Premiere The Death, Dad & Son – Directed by Denis Walgenwitz and Winshluss, France, 2017, 14 MIN, East Coast Premiere Intimity – Directed by Elodie Dermange, Switzerland, 2017, 5 MIN, East Coast Premiere The Laughing Spider – Directed by Keiichi Tanaami, Japan, 2016, 7 MIN, Florida Premiere Life Before Life – Directed by Rao Heidmets, Estonia, 2017, 7 MIN, In English and Estonian with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Negative Space – Directed by Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata, France, 2017, 6 MIN The Noise of Licking – Directed by Nadja Andrasev, Hungary, 2016, 9 MIN, Southeast Premiere Perfect Town – Directed by Anaïs Voirol, Switzerland, 2017, 4 MIN, Florida Premiere Wicked Girl – Directed by Ayce Kartal. France/Turkey, 2017, 8 MIN, In Turkish with English subtitles

    SUNSPOTS: NEW VISIONS OF THE AVANT GARDE:

    Animal Cinema – Directed by Emilio Vavarella, USA, 2017, 12 MIN, East Coast Premiere Blot – Directed by Benjamin Rouse, USA, 2017, 2 MIN, Florida Premiere A Diptych to Educate Birds – Directed by Noah Engel, USA, 2017, 1 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Dot Matrix – Directed by Lauren Cook, USA, 2017, 4 MIN, Southeast Premiere Edge of Alchemy – Directed by Stacey Steers, USA, 2017, 19 MIN, Florida Premiere The Garden of Delight – Directed by Michael Fleming, Netherlands/USA, 2017, 12 MIN, East Coast Premiere Growing Girl – Directed by Marnie Ellen Hertzler, USA, 2017, 12 MIN Holy Pink: Fragrant – Directed by Clementine Leger and Benjamin Whatley, USA, 2018, 2 MIN, World Premiere The Knits – Directed by Lisa Birke, Canada, 2017, 10 MIN, Florida Premiere Mountain Castle Mountain Flower Plastic – Directed by Annapurna Kumar, USA, 2017, 3 MIN, Southeast Premiere OK, Call Me Back – Directed by Emily Ann Hoffman, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Southeast Premiere

    MIDNIGHT FEATURES:

    Ghost Stories – Directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, UK, 2017, 98 MIN, Florida Premiere King Cohen – Directed by Steve Mitchell, USA/Canada, 2017, 109 MIN Revenge – Directed by Coralie Fargeat, France, 2017, 108 MIN, In English and French with English Subtitles, East Coast Premiere Summer of 84 – Directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell, USA/Canada, 2018, 105 MIN, East Coast Premiere

    MIDNIGHT SHORTS:

    BFF Girls – Directed by Brian Lonano, USA, 2018, 13 MIN, In English and Japanese with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing Bigfoot’s Love Slave – Directed by Heather Tom, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Southeast Premiere Cee Cee’s Bedtime Stories #3 Cee Cee and the Ex-Calibahhh – Directed by Joy Buran and Noelle Melody, USA, 2017, 1 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing DaemonRunner – Directed by Kiah Roache-Turner, Australia, 2017, 5 MIN, East Coast Premiere Empire of Dirt – Directed by Adam Mason, USA, 2018, 8 MIN, US Premiere Hair Wolf – Directed by Mariama Diallo, USA, 2018, 12 MIN, East Coast Premiere The Jerry Show – Directed by Stephen Stull, USA, 2017, 9 MIN Little Donnie (The Ten Inch Terror) – Directed by Chel White, USA, 2018, 4 MIN, North American Premiere Little Wonder – Directed by Jordan Carlman, USA, 2018, 3 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Master Blaster – Directed by Sawako Kabuki, Japan, 2016, 4 MIN, In Japanese with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere The Order of the Orchid – Directed by Alex Italics, USA, 2018, 7 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Peen Zine – Directed by Simeon Kondev, USA, 2017, 3 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing We Love You, Stephanie! – Directed by Sara Ambra, USA, 2018, 6 MIN, World Premiere We Summoned a Demon – Directed by Chris McInroy, USA, 2017, 6 MIN, Florida Premiere Zablah – Directed by Rachel Nakawatase and Ryan Betschart, USA, 2018, 4 MIN, World Premiere

    SPECIAL SCREENINGS:

    FAMILY FILMS:

    The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales… – Directed by Benjamin Renner and Patrick Imbert, France/Belgium, 2017, 83 MIN, Rated G, In French with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Lu Over the Wall – Directed by Masaaki Yuasa, Japan, 2017, 112 MIN, Southeast Premiere

    FOOD FILMS:

    Back to Burgundy – Directed by Cédric Klapisch, France, 2017, 113 MIN, In English, French, and Spanish with English subtitles Ramen Heads – Directed by Koki Shigeno, Japan, 2017, 93 MIN, In Japanese with English subtitles, Florida Premiere

    MUSIC FILMS:

    40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie – Directed by Lee Aronsohn, USA, 2017, 99 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Godfathers of Hardcore – Directed by Ian McFarland, USA/Belgium/Cuba/France/Germany/Italy/Netherlands/Switzerland, 2017, 95 MIN, Florida Premiere Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami – Directed by Sophie Fiennes, Ireland/UK, 2017, 115 MIN, East Coast Premiere

    FLORIDA FILMS:

    FLORIDA SHORTS: THE BEST OF BROUHAHA:

    Barely There – Directed by Hannah Lee, USA, 2017, 2 MIN Blood for Blood – Directed by Jared Bolhuis, USA, 2017, 8 MIN The Day Comedy Died – Directed by Nick Pletcher and Angelo Guevara-Malavé, USA, 2017, 6 MIN Extinguished – Directed by Ashley Anderson and Jacob Mann, USA, 2017, 4 MIN Flicker – Directed by Amanda Belawski, USA, 2018, 3 MIN, World Premiere A Grave Matter – Directed by Dylan Thompson, USA, 2017, 6 MIN, World Premiere If – Directed by Gabriel Valbuena, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Florida Premiere In a Heartbeat – Directed by Esteban Bravo and Beth David, USA, 2017, 4 MIN Mama I Wanna March – Directed by Malcolm Baity, USA, 2017, 15 MIN Peacekeeper – Directed by Tyler Knutt and Nicholas Markart, USA, 2017, 13 MIN The Stranger – Directed by Katherine Oostman, USA, 2018, 13 MIN, World Premiere Thump – Directed by Ben Roth, USA, 2017, 2 MIN Tom in Couchland – Directed by James Just, USA, 2017, 2 MIN

    FLORIDA FILMS:

    A Greater Society – Directed by Craig A. Colton and Stacy Goldate, USA, 2018, 87 MIN, World Premiere Long Time Coming – Directed by Jon Strong, USA, 2018, 90 MIN, World Premiere A Mediocre Documentary with Tom and Dan – Directed by Kirk Murray, USA, 2018, 77 MIN, World Premiere

    CLOSING NIGHT RETRO FILM:

    Shadow of a Doubt – Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1943, 108 minutes, 75th Anniversary Screening!

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  • Tribeca 2018: James Gardner’s JELLYFISH Acquired by Bankside Films

    [caption id="attachment_27560" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Liv Hill as Sarah Talor in JELLYFISH. Photo credit: Dan Atherton. Liv Hill as Sarah Talor in JELLYFISH. Photo credit: Dan Atherton.[/caption] Jellyfish which will have its world premiere screening in the View Points section at the forthcoming Tribeca Film Festival in New York, has been acquired by Bankside Films. Directed by James Gardner, from a script which he co-wrote with Simon Lord, Jellyfish tells the story of a teenage carer who discovers a hidden talent for stand-up comedy. James Gardner’s previous work includes short films Barry Glitter and Ferris and The Fancy Pigeon. Between being bullied at school, put upon by her overbearing boss at the local amusement arcade and having to look after her younger brother, sister and emotionally unstable mother, life isn’t easy for Sarah Taylor. However, when Sarah’s drama teacher channels her ferocious and volatile energies in to a stand-up comedy routine for the graduation showcase, Sarah discovers that she may have a hidden talent. As her love for comedy grows and the showcase draws nearer, the delicate balance in her life becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. Little by little the walls start to close in, ultimately forcing her to choose between her responsibilities as a carer and her newfound passion for comedy. Jellyfish stars newcomer, Liv Hill (The Little Stranger) who delivers a mesmerizing performance as Sarah which is bound to announce her as one of the UK’s most exciting new talents. Additional cast includes Sinead Matthew (Mr. Turner) and BAFTA award nominee, Cyril Nri (Cucumber). Nikolas Holttum serves as producer and arranged production finance. James Gardner, the director, said “Little films can do big things and little films matter. Since finding us on the Edinburgh works-in-progress lab last year, the team at Bankside have shown nothing but unrelenting enthusiasm for Jellyfish, respecting the integrity of my vision for the film, while enabling it to find its biggest possible audience. To be working with such a well-respected sales company on my first feature film, and for it to be premiering at Tribeca, still feels a bit surreal, but I’m thrilled it’s happening and I look forward to continuing to develop our relationship with my next feature-film projects.” Stephen Kelliher, Director at Bankside Films, added, “We were blown away by James Gardner’s intensely moving debut feature which announces him as compelling new voice in British cinema as well as introducing a super star in the making in Liv Hill. The film speaks directly to the times in which we live and we are thrilled to be introducing the film to the world at the forthcoming Tribeca Film Festival.”

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  • SXSW 2018: “Thunder Road” and “People’s Republic of Desire” Win Top Jury Awards

    [caption id="attachment_27557" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Thunder Road - Jim Cummings Thunder Road – Jim Cummings[/caption] The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival last night announced the 2018 Jury and Special Award winners of the SXSW Film Festival Awards at the awards ceremony hosted by actor and comedian Jim Gaffigan.  Thunder Road directed by Jim Cummings won the award for Best Narrative  Feature Film, and People’s Republic of Desire directed by Hao Wu won the award for Best Documentary Feature Film. SXSW continues showing films through Saturday, March 17.

    2018 SXSW Film Festival Awards:

    Feature Film Grand Jury Awards

    NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION Winner: Thunder Road Director: Jim Cummings Special Jury Recognition For First Feature: The New Romantic Director: Carly Stone Special Jury Recognition for Writing: Jinn Director/Screenwriter: Niljla Mu’min DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION Winner: People’s Republic of Desire Directors: Hao Wu Special Jury Recognition for Best Cast: This One’s For The Ladies Director: Gene Graham Special Jury Recognition for Best Feminist Reconsideration of a Male Artist: Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable Director: Sasha Waters Freyer

    Short Film Grand Jury Awards

    NARRATIVE SHORTS Winner: Emergency Director: Carey Williams Special Jury Recognition for Acting: Actor: Shirley Chen from Krista DOCUMENTARY SHORTS Winner: My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes Director: Charlie Tyrell MIDNIGHT SHORTS Winner: Milk Director: Santiago Menghini ANIMATED SHORTS Winner: Agua Viva Directors: Alexa Lim Haas Special Jury Recognition: JEOM Director: Kangmin Kim MUSIC VIDEOS Winner: “Second Hand Lovers” – Oren Laviev Director: Oren Lavie Special Jury Recognition for Acting: “Territory” – The Blaze Director: The Blaze TEXAS SHORTS Winner: An Uncertain Future Director: Iliana Sosa & Chelsea Hernandez TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS Winner: The Night I Lost My Favorite Jacket Director: Jenna Krumerman Special Jury Recognition: CCISD Strong Director: Sofia Rasmussen INDEPENDENT EPISODICS Winner: Beast Director: Ben Strang Special Jury Recognition: She’s the Ticket Director: Nadia Hallgren

    SXSW Film Design Awards

    EXCELLENCE IN POSTER DESIGN Winner: The Gospel of Eureka Designer: Matt Taylor Special Jury Recognition: A Little Wisdom Designer: Adam Zhu EXCELLENCE IN TITLE DESIGN Winner: Counterpart Director: Karin Fong Special Jury Recognition: Godless Director: John Likens

    SXSW Special Awards

    SXSW LUNA® Gamechanger Award – Narrative Winner: First Match Director: Olivia Newman Special Jury Recognition: Unlovable Director: Suzi Yoonessi SXSW LUNA® Chicken & Egg Award – Documentary Winner: On Her Shoulders Director: Alexandria Bombach Special Jury Recognition: ¡Las Sandinistas! Director: Jenny Murray SXSW Louis Black “Lone Star” Award To honor SXSW co-founder/director Louis Black, a jury prize was created in 2011 called the Louis Black “Lone Star” Award, to be awarded to a Texas film in content, filmmaker residency, or primary shooting location. (Opt-in Award) Louis Black “Lone Star” Award Winner: Daughters of the Sexual Revolution: The Untold Story of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Director: Dana Adam Shapiro SXSW Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award In honor of a filmmaker whose work strives to be wholly its own, without regard for norms or desire to conform. The Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award is presented to a filmmaker from our Visions screening category. SXSW Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award Presented to: Prospect directed by Zeek Earl & Chris Caldwell Vimeo Staff Picks Award In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the Staff Picks channel, Vimeo Staff Pick Award here at SXSW. Films featured in the Narrative, Documentary, Animation, and Texas Shorts competitions are eligible for this award, which includes a $5,000 cash prize and, of course, a Vimeo Staff Pick. The Winning film will be released on Vimeo on Wednesday, March 14. Vimeo Staff Picks Award Presented to: Krista directed by Danny Madden SXSW Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship Presentation The Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship is a year-long experience that encourages and champions the talent of an emerging documentary editor. Awarded annually, the fellowship was created to honor the memory of gifted editor Karen Schmeer. Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship Presented to: Kristin Bye for X

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  • SFFILM Launch Program to Feature World Premiere of 5 Documentaries on 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_27553" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Rescue List The Rescue List[/caption] SFFILM’s Launch program returns to the San Francisco International Film Festival to provide a platform for a select group of exceptional films just beginning their distribution journey. In Launch’s second year, five documentary features within the official lineup of the 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival have been selected to have their world premieres.

    LAUNCH TITLES AT 2018 SFFILM FESTIVAL

    The Human Element (Matthew Testa, USA, 80 min) – World Premiere American photographer James Balog has been tracking human-caused changes to our planet for over 35 years. Disturbed and motivated by what he has seen, The Human Element documents how the earth’s four elements–water, air, fire, and earth–have all been impacted by a fifth element, homo sapiens. With breathtakingly rich and innovative photography, he illustrates issues ranging from rising sea levels to pollution’s impact on asthma cases to focus us on a call for change. The Rescue List (Alyssa Fedele and Zachary Fink, USA/Ghana, 80 min) – World Premiere Lake Volta in Ghana is the largest man-made lake in the world; it is also notorious as a locale for forced child labor. Bay Area filmmakers Alyssa Fedele and Zachary Fink’s beautifully shot documentary charts the courageous efforts of a local safe house to rescue the kids, give them schooling and therapy, and prepare them for reintegration into their families. Though it contains many intimate and moving moments with the children, the star of the film is real life hero Kwame, who initiates several dramatic rescues. Tre Maison Dasan (Denali Tiller, USA, 94 min) – World Premiere Tre, Maison, and Dasan are three boys who all share something in common–one of their parents is in jail. Following their separate lives through boyhood and weaving their stories together, first-time documentary filmmaker Denali Tiller tenderly observes each youngster’s life, as the kids come to understand more about the world around them. Capturing loving, frustrating, and heart wrenching moments between parent and child, Tre Maison Dasan approaches the issue of mass-incarceration by exposing the effects of the criminal justice system on young men. Ulam: Main Dish (Alexandra Cuerdo, USA, 80 min) – World Premiere For lovers of food documentaries like Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) and the Chef’s Table series, Ulam: Main Dish will come as a welcome and fresh addition. The film centers on the honest struggle for authenticity and respect for a cuisine often marginalized by the food world. Deploying rousing interviews with owners, restaurateurs, top chefs, as well as mouth-watering dishes placed front and center, filmmaker Alexandra Cuerdo follows the heartaches and triumphs of contemporary chefs that seek a place for their culture at the dinner table, one dish at a time. Wrestle (Suzannah Herbert, USA, 96 min) – World Premiere Jamario, Jaquon, Jailen, and Teague are teammates on the J.O. Johnson High School wrestling team in Huntsville, Alabama. Led by their passionate coach, they are trying to qualify for the State Championships but the pressures outside of the ring–emotional breakdowns, racial profiling by the police, teenage pregnancy–are mounting for each of the young men. Over the course of the season, director Suzannah Herbert gracefully follow each of them, showing that the sport is what keeps them focused and in control of their lives.

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  • 2018 Tribeca Film Festival Reveals Short Film Lineup of 55 Films incl. Animated Shorts Curated by Whoopi G

    [caption id="attachment_27549" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The River of the Kukamas The River of the Kukamas[/caption] The 17th Tribeca Film Festival today revealed its lineup of 55 diverse and engaging short films in competition, including 29 world premieres.  For the second year running, 40% of the selections are directed by female filmmakers. The short films will be presented in 10 distinct competition programs, which consist of five narrative, three documentary, one animation, and one hybrid program. The program will also include special screenings and the 12th annual Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival. A spotlight shines locally as the popular New York shorts program returns this year with HOMEMADE, a section that features world premiere documentaries directed by New York-based filmmakers. The timely hybrid program entitled AFTERMATH will focus on compassion and humanity as vital tools in coping with gun violence, and will include extended Q&A’s with the filmmakers of both the narrative film Surviving Theater 9 and the documentary film Lessons from a School Shooting. The 2017 Oscar® winner Dear Basketball, directed by Glen Keane, written and narrated by Kobe Bryant, world premiered at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival and is the latest in the festival’s long tradition of curating films that have been nominated or won an Oscar. Recipients of the Tribeca Film Festival awards for Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short and, for the first time, Best Animated Short will qualify for consideration in the Academy Awards’ Short Films category, provided the film complies with Academy rules. Tribeca Film Festival also gives out a Student Visionary Award to a student filmmaker.

    2018 Tribeca Film Festival Shorts Program

    Aftermath

    The impact of gun violence is explored in this unique hybrid program. Followed by an extended Q&A. Surviving Theater 9, directed and written by Tim McGrath. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. After the mass shooting at a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, filmmaker Tim McGrath and his fellow survivors offer an inside look in this intriguing and inspiring movie. With Corben Bernsen, Chelsey Crisp, Brittany Ishibashi, Luke Columbero, Tim McGrath, Stacey Oristano. Lessons from a School Shooting, directed by Kim Snyder. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Following the Sandy Hook Massacre, a priest from Dunblane, Scotland reaches out to Father Bob offering support 16 years after a school shooting in his own town. The men bond over personal trauma and responsibilities… In the aftermath the UK reformed its gun laws; the US responded with inaction. With Monsignor Bob Weiss, Monsignor Basil O’Sullivan.

    Animated Shorts Curated by Whoopi G

    Showcasing imaginative storytelling and captivating craft. This program is suggested for those 14 and older. Brooklyn Breeze, directed and written by Alex Budovsky. (USA) – North American Premiere, Short Narrative. Brooklyn Breeze is a visual journey through different parts of Brooklyn, some of the iconic spots and others not often seen by the visitors, based on a tune recorded by New York based Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra. Late Afternoon, directed and written by Louise Bagnall. (Ireland) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. Disconnected from the world around her, Emily drifts back through her own memories, looking to her past in order to fully embrace her present. With Fionnula Flanagan, Niamh Moyles, Lucy O’Connell, Michael McGrath. The History of White People in America, directed by Jonathan Halperin, Clementine Briand, Ed Bell, Aaron Keane, Pierce Freelon, Drew Takahashi, written by Pierce Freelon and Jon Halperin. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. The invention of race in America gets an animated, musical treatment. Two Balloons, directed by Mark Smith, written by Mark C. Smith. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. Two travelers return to a place crossed by stars and clouds where love is at the beginning of everything. Surpresa, directed and written by Paulo Patrício. (Portugal) – US Premiere, Short Documentary. A recorded conversation between a mother, Joana, and her three-year-old daughter, Alice, who is recovering from kidney cancer, forms the heart of this short experimental-documentary animation. With Daniela Duarte, Carina Beringuilho, Joana Amorim, Ana Sofia Gueifão, Inês Almendra. In Portuguese with English subtitles. The Velvet Underground Played at My High School, directed by Robert Pietri, Tony Jannelli, written by Marina Donahue. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. This animated short recounts the Velvet Underground’s first gig—in 1965, in front of a crowd of shocked kids at a suburban New Jersey high school. Fire in Cardboard City, directed by Phil Brough, written by Phil Brough, Matt Heath. (New Zealand) – US Premiere, Short Narrative. When a city made entirely of cardboard catches fire, it’s up to the local fire chief and his brave deputies to save Cardboard City and its citizens from impending doom. Bao, directed and written by Domee Shi. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. An empty-nesting Chinese mom gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life. But she must come to terms with the bittersweet revelation that nothing stays cute and small forever.

    Bold Moves

    Risk takers tell true tales. Hula Girl, directed by Amy Hill, Chris Riess, written by Amy Hill. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Hula Girl is the untold story behind one of the biggest fads in modern American history. At 94 years of age, Joan Anderson has waited 50 years to prove that “a gentleman’s handshake ” was hardly a deal and it’s time to set the record straight. With Joan Anderson, Richard Burton, James DiLullo, residents of La Costa Glen retirement home. Cosmic Debris, directed and written by Patrick Waldrop. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. This documentary depicts the friendship between animator and creator Gabor Csupo (The Simpsons, Rugrats) and the legendary musician Frank Zappa. With Gabor Csupo. 9 at 38, directed by Catherine Lee. (South Korea, USA) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. Juilliard-trained violinist Hyungjoon Won is about to realize a dream seven years in the making: a joint concert by North and South Korean musicians straddling the 38th parallel. But military aggression and apathy soon threaten to derail his plan. With Hyungjoon Won. In English, Korean with English subtitles. The Last Storm, directed and written by Liam Saint-Pierre. (UK, USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Mark, a 60-year-old fledgling storm chaser who was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, sets out across the Midwest with his friend’s nephew to search for a twister before the two- month season comes to an end. With Mark Zabawa, Mike Marz. Adventure Not War, directed by Max Lowe. (Iraq, USA) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. Three U.S. veterans travel back into the mountains of Iraq on a mission to heal wounds and to experience the country and its culture, relieved of the shadow of war. With Stacey Bare, Robin Brown, Matthew Griffin.

    Home Sweet Home

    From small towns to planet Earth, docs that celebrate home. Hey Ronnie Reagan, directed by Maurice O’Brien. (Ireland) – International Premiere, Short Documentary. When U.S. President Ronald Reagan makes a visit to his ancestral home in Ireland, the tiny, anonymous Tipperary village is thrust into the world spotlight. Ballyporeen would never be the same. Wendy’s Shabbat, directed and written by Rachel Myers. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. After mourning the loss of her husband Jack of nearly 60 years, Roberta Mahler sought to connect with her Jewish community to ease the loneliness. She did so, surprisingly, at her local Wendy’s. With Roberta Mahler, Sharon Goodman, Michael Goodman, Lou Silberman, Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin, Gerrie Gussman, Winston Bannister. Destination Park, directed by Andrew Cohn. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Deep within Trump’s America, a camp of destitute truck drivers confide their anxieties, frustrations, hopes, and fears in the chaplain of a Midwest mobile chapel. With Chad Roedema. Homeless: The Soundtrack, directed by Irene Taylor Brodsky. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Thirty years after being taken away from her parents by the state and given up for adoption, singer-songwriter Jenni Alpert went searching for her father. She finally finds him: homeless, toothless, addicted. And a musician, just like her. With “Cami” Jenni Alpert, Don Logsdon, Jill Alpert. The River of the Kukamas (The El Río de los Kukamas), directed and written by Nika Belianina. (Peru) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. This film takes a tranquil journey through the waters and history of Kukama people, who inhabit the Amazon basin in Peru. With Pablo Taricuarima Pinedo. In Spanish with English subtitles. Earthrise, directed by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, written by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, Adam Loften. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. The Apollo 8 astronauts recount their memories of capturing the first image of Earth from space in 1968 and evokes the awe of seeing Earth framed against the blackness of space. With Frank Borman, James Lovell, Bill Anders.

    Into the Void

    Sci-Fi shorts that will rock your multiverse. The 716th, directed and written by Andrew Bowen. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Left to die at the hands of her enemies. When a small shuttle piloted by an unlikely hero arrives to save them, a poorly planned, at times comical rescue sends these outcasts on an unexpected adventure. With Andrew Bowen, John Asher, Lauren McFall, Taj Speights. Bad Peter, directed and written by Zach Strauss. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. An expectant mother is forced into a humiliating birthing regimen by her automated personal assistant, which thinks it knows what’s best for her and her unborn child. With Frankie Shaw, Ross Partridge. Exit Strategy, directed and written by Travis Bible. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. A man who is trapped in a time loop must work with his brother to prevent a catastrophic fire. With Christopher O’Shea, Richard Kohnke. Let Them Die Like Lovers, directed by Jesse Atlas, written by Jesse Atlas, Aaron Wolfe. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. A body-jumping soldier grapples with the morality of her missions in this emotionally charged sci-fi thriller. With Mustafa Shakir, Angela Lewis, Bradley Fisher. UI – Soon We Will All Be One, directed by Johannes Mücke, Patrick Sturm, written by Johannes Mücke. (Austria) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. When hard-bitten ranger Kira is sent out to retrieve a drone that has gone astray, she discovers a mysterious, large object in the vast ice lands of Antarctica. Little does she know that inside this object waits a lethal trap not only for her, but for mankind. With Tanja Petrovsky, Dennis Kozeluh, Michael Smulik. Laboratory Conditions, directed by Jocelyn Stamat, written by Terry Rossio. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. A physician investigating a missing body disrupts an unlawful experiment. With Marisa Tomei, Minnie Driver, Paulo Costanzo, Lisa Renee, Robert Scheid, John Kearney.

    Lighten Up!

    Have some fun with comedic & off-beat stories. The Last Romantic (El Último Romántico), directed by Natalia García Agraz, written by Natalia García Agraz, Gerardo Lechuga. (Mexico) – International Premiere, Short Narrative. Hector, the employee of the month at a bowling alley, is in love with Magda, his co-worker. With Ulises Galván, Lorea Montemayor, Enrique Arreola, Raúl Briones. In Spanish with English subtitles. Five Minutes, directed and written by Justine Bateman. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. A “parenting class” at a progressive elementary school takes an unexpected, dramatic turn. With Rob Benedict, Rae Dawn Chong, Bre Blair, Aimee Graham, Steve Agee, Seana Kofoed. Love-40, directed and written by Harry Israelson. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. A friendly tennis match between Alice and Andy takes an abrupt turn when Alice goes to retrieve a stray tennis and is bitten by a rattlesnake. With Lola Kirke, Jack Henry Robbins. Ugh!, directed by Jimmy Marble, written by Jimmy Marble, Doug Sacrison. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. 1990s. Los Angeles. The Future Is Repeating Itself. Oh My God. With Nika de Carlo, Carly Foulkes. Black Label (Etiqueta negra), directed by David Vergés, written by Guillermo Tato, David Vergés. (Spain) – North American Premiere, Short Narrative. Erik is a night-shift employee from a lonely gas station; Alex is a regular at the shop. One night, something happens that gives them the opportunity to discover who they really are. With Úrsula Corberó, Marcel Borràs, Andrés Herrera, Macarena Gomez, Cristina Brondo. In Spanish with English subtitles. Welcome Home (Velkommen til oss), directed and written by Armita Keyani. (Norway) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. An Iranian refugee couple living in the North of Norway invite in two Jehovah’s Witnesses when they knock on their door. With Ashkan Ghorbani, Elnaz Asgari, Marianne Lauritsen, Ole Jorgen Farstad. In English, Farsi, Norwegian with English subtitles. So You Like the Neighborhood, directed and written by Jean Pesce. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. After Wendy gets dumped and then evicted from her Brooklyn apartment, she befriends some locals, who offer to help her with the eviction. The thing is, they’re mafia members, and by “help,” they mean something rather more nefarious. With Sarah Stiles, Carmine Raspaolo, Ernest Mingione, Vince Bandille, Corey Sullivan, Matt Hopkins, Joe Corrao, Chuck McMahon, Jason Nuzzo, John Forde, Hillary Hamilton, Matt Casuccio.

    Loose Ends

    Life is unravelling. The Goodnight Show, directed by Charlie Schwan, written by Charlie Schwan and Wyatt Miller. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Being a virgin isn’t the end of the world, but when the world is actually ending, the stakes are raised so tragic hero Samuel embarks on a quest to lose his virginity before it’s too late. With Spencer Flynn, Ellie Dubin. Paper Roof, directed and written by Judith Tong. (Singapore) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Two young sisters, Pamela and Abigail, decide to run away from trouble at home to build a cardboard house together. However, reality soon catches up with them and threatens to put an end to their escapade. With Lee Min Xin, Zhang Zhirou We Were Three (Vi var tre), directed by Caroline Ingvarsson, written by Caroline Ingvarsson, Gunnar Järvstad. (Sweden, Norway) – International Premiere, Short Narrative. In this true story, three young girls arrive at the airport after a long night of partying during a parent-free trip to England. But a naive joke in the wrong place shatters their friendship. With Selma Modéer Wiking, Sofie Nilsask, Livia Liedholm. Phone Duty (Дежурство), directed and written by Lenar Kamalov. (Russia) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. A Donbass rebel fighter, whose nom de guerre is Cat, receives orders to sit on phone duty—which, he quickly learns, is not as easy as it first seems. With Zakhar Prilepin, Oleg Chernov, Gleb Kornilov, Mikhail Sivorin, Yuriy Maslak. In Russian with English subtitles. Salam, directed and written by Claire Fowler (USA, Wales) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. A female Lyft driver navigates the night shift in New York City while waiting to hear life-or-death news from her family in Syria. With Leslie Bibb, Hana Chamoun, Khaled Al Maleh, Jessica Damouni. In Arabic, English with English subtitles. The Motion of Stars (Die Bewegung der Sterne), directed and written by Jan Prazak. (Austria) – North American Premiere, Short Narrative. Eight-year-old Lena’s favourite book, about the secret relationship between stars and humans, gains special significance when she watches a solar eclipse with her father, an even that changes both their worlds forever. With Ulrich Reinthaller, Lena Madsen, Rainer Doppler, Martina Spitzer, Aaron Friesz, Vivienne Causemann. In German with English subtitles. Souls of Totality, directed by Richard Raymond, written by Kate Trefry, Ben Bolea. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. Set during the Great American Eclipse, Souls of Totality is a relationship story about the sacrifices we make, the things we don’t say, and love’s seemingly supernatural ability to conquer all. With Tatiana Maslany, Tom Cullen, Helen Shaver, Mike Tague.

    Magic Act

    Everyone can enjoy these family-friendly films. How Tommy Lemenchick Became a Grade 7 Legend, directed by Bastien Alexandre, written by Nicolas Billon. (Canada) – US Premiere, Short Narrative. Eleven-year-old Ophelia has never been kissed, but she has the perfect plan to remedy that. She finds a suitable candidate—Tommy Lemenchick—and at school the following day, he describes how he became a seventh-grade legend. With Charlie Birdgenaw, Sam Ashe Arnold, Caroline Dhavernas. Mirette, directed and written by Helen O’Hanlon. (UK) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. In 20th-century Paris, a young girl’s life is changed by the arrival of a mysterious man, who she discovers is a wirewalker, in this adaptation of the much-loved, Caldecott Medal-winning book. With Tom Conti, Miriam Margolyes, Dixie Egerickx, Jean-Marc Desmond, Bebe Cave. Earthy Encounters, directed and written by Sam Johnson. (UK) – North American Premiere, Short Narrative. Fifteen-year-old Kyle believes he can save his dying older brother with a plant he found in the garden center where he works—the problem is, a shadowy government agency is out to destroy it first. With Fionn O’Shea, Jessica Barden, Pete Sullivan, Luke Baverstock, Nathalie Armin, Johnny Palmiero.

    Make or Break

    Aspirations and complications. The Love Letter (Michtav Ahava Lam’em Sheli), directed by Atara Frish, written by Atara Frish. (Israel) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. When Noa finds a special love letter in her locker, she struggles to reconcile her safe, restrained world and her urge to feel—at least for a brief moment—loved. With Gili Beit Hallahmi, Ravit Dor, Shir Abramov. In Hebrew with English subtitles. Time Traveller, directed and written by Steve Kenny. (Ireland) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. A Back to the Future-obsessed young Irish Traveller strives to finish building his own DeLorean replica before he and his family are evicted from their halting site. With Barry Ward, Tom Doran, Liam Doran, Denise McCormack, Barbara Bergin. Knuckles, directed and written by Laura Groombridge. (Australia) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. A man entangled in the violent criminal underworld of bare-knuckles fighting pursues a misguided attempt at redemption. With Tim Phillipps, Mirko Grillini, Simon Todman, Laura Jane Turner. Blind Audition, directed by Andreas Kessler, written by Linda Kokkores. (Germany) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. When violinists and partners Ari and Ron both get invited to audition for the same solo part in an orchestra, their relationship is put to the ultimate test. With Han Nguyen, Simon Kluth, Horst Kotterba, Sven Gielnik, Tine Kiefl. In German with English subtitles. The Life of Esteban (Het Leven van Esteban), directed and written by Inès Eshun. (Belgium) – International Premiere, Short Narrative. Esteban, a future Olympic swimmer, has grown up with a single mother and doesn’t know who his father is. As he searches for his identity in this poetic short film, he determines swimming is a metaphor for life itself. With Noah Mavuela, Mathis Mavuela, Joshua Tassin, Tine Cartuyvels, Goua Grovogui, Lamine Diouf. In Dutch with English subtitles. Rise of a Star (Naissance d’une Étoile), directed by James Bort, written by Stéphane Landowski. (France) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Emma is about to be the new Ballerina at Paris Opera. But something upsets her. A secret. A secret liable to undermine what she has spent a whole life on. With Dorothée Gilbert, Catherine Deneuve, Antonia Desplat, Pierre Deladonchamps. In French with English subtitles.

    NY Shorts: Homemade

    World Premiere docs from our New York-based filmmakers. I Heart NY, directed by Andre Andreev, written by Dan Covert. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. This documentary short examines the life of the creator of the infamous I Heart NY symbol and his struggle to find love for the city during a trying time. With Milton Glaser. Saul’s 108th Story, directed and written by Joshua Carlon. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Wherein Saul recalls fixing a window. With Saul Moroz. Into My Life, directed by Sarah Keeling, Grace Remington, Ivana Hucikova. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. From 1965 to the present, M. Elaine and Cassandra Bromfield, two African-American women, made joyful documents of their lives in Brooklyn’s Lindsay Park Housing Cooperative on 8-mm film. Into My Life pays tribute to their drive for self-preservation and self-representation, highlighting the memories, identities, and relationships housed within their archive. With Cassandra Bromfield. Big Elvis, directed by Paul Stone, written by Mark Winegardner. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. A 960-pound Elvis impersonator becomes convinced he is Elvis Presley’s secret love child. With Pete “Big Elvis” Vallee, Brendon Paul, Ron Decar. Sidelined, directed by Galen Summer. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. In 1978, several NFL cheerleaders posed in Playboy magazine, having received approval from team management. But when the issue hit newstands, it unleashed a wave of repercussions for the women themselves—and their team.

    Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival: Sports Shorts

    A spectrum of stories, styles, and sports, this collection of athletically-minded short films will take audiences on the exciting personal journeys of four athletes. Locked In, directed and written by Alison Ellwood. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. After falling victim to a pair of illnesses at age 11, Victoria Arlen lived with locked-in syndrome for four years. Locked In, directed by Alison Ellwood (No Limits, American Jihad), tells the story of her recovery and eventual gold-medal victory in swimming at the 2012 London Paralympics. With Victoria Arlen. A Mountain to Climb, directed by Kristen Lappas, written by Tom Rinaldi. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. A Nepali teen, Pratima Sherpa, works to become her country’s first golf star With Pratima Sherpa, Pasang Sherpa, Kalpana Sherpa. Run: The Robert Young Story, directed by Todd Kapostasy (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Ultra-marathon runner Rob Young attempts to set a record running across the United States, but his efforts are marred by allegations of fraud. Sonic Break, directed by Stevan Riley. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Directed by Stevan Riley (Listen to Me, Marlon), Sonic Break explores the sports psychology and mental training that helped Felix Baumgartner to jump from the Earth’s stratosphere. With Felix Baumgartner, Joe Kittinger.

    Special Screenings

    Lessons from a School Shooting, directed by Kim Snyder. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Following the Sandy Hook Massacre, a priest from Dunblane, Scotland reaches out to Father Bob offering support 16 years after a school shooting in his own town. The men bond over personal trauma and responsibilities… In the aftermath the UK reformed its gun laws; the US responded with inaction. With Monsignor Bob Weiss, Monsignor Basil O’Sullivan. Following the screening there will be a conversation with director Kim Snyder, producer Maria Cuomo Cole along with Sandy Hook surviving teacher Mary Ann Jacob, and Parkland, Florida student Ryan Deitsch. Moderated by actor & director John Slattery. RX: Early Detection A Cancer Journey with Sandra Lee¸ directed and written by Cathy Chermol Schrijver. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. RX Early Detection A Cancer Journey with Sandra Lee follows the intense and intimate journey of a woman whose life becomes dramatically altered when her routine medical check-up delivers a cancer diagnosis. Executive Produced by Sandra Lee and Sheila Nevins. After the screening: a conversation with director Cathy Chermol Schrijver and subjects Sandra Lee, Kimber Lee, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

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  • “Ice Mother” and “Science Fair” Win Top Audience Awards at 41st Portland International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_27542" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Ice Mother (Czech Republic) directed by Bohdan Sláma Ice Mother[/caption] Ice Mother (Czech Republic) directed by Bohdan Sláma and Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster’s Science Fair (United States) snagged the top audience accolades at the 41st Portland International Film Festival. Ice Mother won the award for Best Narrative Feature and Science Fair took the Best Documentary Feature award. Director Ryôta Nakano is the winner of this year’s Best New Director award for his debut feature, Her Love Boils Bathwater (Japan). Tehran Taboo (Austria/Germany) director Ali Soozandeh takes home the Audience Award for Best Animated Feature. This year’s Best International Short Film Award goes to director Britt Raes for her film Catherine (Belgium). Portland-based director Dawn Jones Redstone’s film We Have Our Ways is the recipient of the Best Oregon Short Film Award.

    Best Narrative Feature

    1. Ice Mother / Czech Republic/France/Slovakia / dir. Bohdan Sláma *winner Best Narrative Feature 2. A Taxi Driver / South Korea / dir. Hun Jang 3. Foxtrot / Israel/Switzerland/Germany/France / dir. Samuel Maoz

    Best Documentary Feature

    1. Science Fair / United States / dir. Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster *winner Best Documentary Feature 2. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? / United States / dir. Morgan Neville 3. Soufra / Lebanon/United States/Singapore / dir. Thomas A. Morgan

    Best New Director

    1. Her Love Boils Bathwater / Japan / dir. Ryôta Nakano *winner Best New Director 2. Bad Genius / Thailand / dir. Nattawut Poonpiriya 3. The Rider / United States / dir. Chloé Zhao

    Best Animated Feature

    1. Tehran Taboo / Austria/Germany / dir. Ali Soozandeh *winner Best Animated Feature 2. The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales / France / dir. Benjamin Renner, Patrick Imbert 3. Big Fish & Begonia / China / dir. Xuan Liang, Chun Zhan

    Best International Short Film

    1. Catherine / Belgium / dir. Britt Raes *winner Best International Short Film 2. World of Tomorrow Episode Two / United States / dir. Don Hertzfeldt 3. Edith & Eddie / United States / dir. Laura Checkoway

    Best Oregon Short Film

    1. We Have Our Ways / Portland, OR / dir. Dawn Jones Redstone *winner Best Oregon Short Film 2. Lovely Legs / Portland, OR / dir. Abby Thompson 3. Two Balloons / Portland, OR / dir. Mark Smith

    Best of Masters sidebar

    On Body and Soul / Hungary / dir. Ildikó Enyedi

    Best of PIFF After Dark sidebar

    Bodied / United States / dir. Joseph Kahn

    Best of Ways of Seeing sidebar

    The Nothing Factory / Portugal / dir. Pedro Pinho

    Best of Films for Families sidebar

    Science Fair / United States / dir. Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster

    Best of Global Panorama sidebar

    A Taxi Driver / South Korea / dir. Hun Jang

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  • 2018 Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival in NYC Announces Lineup, “Men Don’t Cry” “Birds Like Us” and More…

    [caption id="attachment_25619" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Men Don't Cry Men Don’t Cry[/caption] A total of 15 films will screen at the 2018 Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival (BHFF), along with a series of Q&A and discussion panels with filmmakers. The festival will run from Wednesday, April 11 through Saturday, April 14 at two Manhattan venues. The BHFF will kick off with a special event on Wednesday, April 11, with a screening and discussion panel at Anthology Film Archives before moving to the SVA Theatre for three exciting nights featuring screenings, events with with filmmakers, and much more. This year’s program will feature the work of 7 women directors, and brings to New York City both innovative young filmmakers, as well as established regional names including renowned director and screenwriter Aida Begić, and legendary actor Emir Hadžihafizbegović. The fifteenth annual BHFF and will consist of five narrative feature films, four narrative shorts and six documentary films. All films selected to screen at the 15th Annual BHFF program are eligible to win a number of honors including the Golden Apple audience and jury awards. Films in competition are:

    FEATURE FILMS

    Birds Like Us | Faruk Šabanović, Amela Ćuhara | 84 min A group of birds are unceremoniously evicted from their home tree after a brave couple attempts to disrupt the community’s unique and unsettling social contract. Featuring Oscar winners Jeremy Irons and Alicia Vikander, and music by Peter Gabriel. The Frog (Žaba) | Elmir Jukić | 78 Minutes Zeko, a barber and a veteran, finds himself prone to violent fits resulting from post-traumatic stress disorder. Zeko attempts to reassemble the pieces of his life by reaching out to his brother Braco, who struggles with his own demons. Men Don’t Cry (Muškarci ne plaču) | Alen Drljević | 98 Minutes Twenty years after the conclusion of the Bosnian War, a diverse group of men meet to discuss their experiences and process the events that shaped their lives decades ago. Never Leave Me (Bırakma Beni) | Aida Begić | 97 min A group of young Syrian children try to overcome war trauma, and adjust to refugee life in Turkey. Nothing but the Wind (Ništa, samo vjetar) | Timur Makarević | 87 min If home is where the heart is, Bosnian-born Swede Vedran is conflicted about both. Forced to revisit his hometown of Sarajevo 18 years after departing, he must accept the changes the visit brings to him.

    SHORT FILMS

    Great Wall of China (Kineski zid) | Aleksandra Odić | 36 min The legacy of the conflicts of the 1990s lurks in the background of a family gathering in the Bosnian countryside, as experienced by Maja, a young girl. Hedgehog’s Home (Ježeva kućica) | Eva Cvijanović | 10 min An interpretation of Branko Ćopić’s story of the same name, this animated short focuses on a hedgehog who is both envied and respected by other animals. Hedgehog’s Home is narrated by Rade Šerbedžija of Eyes Wide Shut, and Mission impossible: 2. Pink Elephant | Ado Hasanović | 17 min A secret suddenly breaks open when a daughter returns home from abroad, in this laugh-out-loud funny short about generational clashes. Stalemate | Amir Karagić | 13 min Mike, a middle-aged chef from Amsterdam, sits down to a game of chess with his estranged millennial son. A power battle ensues. Winter Sun (Zimsko sunce) | Pilar Palomero | 37 min Nana, who is eighty years old, is in need of a surgery. To have it, she and her husband must leave their home in the small village of Hrsa, in this an intimate look at this couple’s struggles to navigate a daunting healthcare system.

    DOCUMENTARY FILMS

    Što te nema | Rialda Zukić | 8 min This documentary reflects on the recent incarnation in Boston’s iconic Copley Square of Što te nema, a “nomadic monument” held each July 11 that is dedicated to the 8,372 victims of the Srebrenica genocide. Scream for Me Sarajevo | Tarik Hodžić | 95 min A look back at the 1994 Iron Maiden concert in Sarajevo and what it took to make it happen as the city and its inhabitants were struggling through the three-year siege. To Be Far (Biti daleko) | Samira Kameli, Sajra Subašić | 9 min Samira, a documentarian from Iran, has traveled to Sarajevo to make a film. Attempting to connect with the country and its people, she seeks out others who have traveled great distances to be there, but encounters difficulties upon attempting to film at a refugee center. Two Schools (Dvije škole) | Srđan Šarenac | 43 min This documentary explores the Travnik Gymnasium, which, following the war in Bosnia, has been divided into two separate schools that share the same building. The annual Christmas football tournament is the only time when children from both sides of the school get a chance to interact with one another. [caption id="attachment_27539" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Nejra Latić Hulušić, Sabrina Begović-Čorić's Undercovered Undercovered[/caption] Undercovered | Nejra Latić Hulušić, Sabrina Begović-Čorić | 53 min Undercovered deals with six young Bosnian women from different spheres of life who decide to wear the headscarf as expression of their religion and identity. Winter Sun (Zimsko sunce) | Pilar Palomero | 37 min Nana, who is eighty years old, is in need of a surgery. To have it, she and her husband must leave their home in the small village of Hrsa, in this an intimate look at this couple’s struggles to navigate a daunting healthcare system. The BHFF also presents a jury award for Best Acting Performance, awarded to an actor or actress in a lead or supporting role in any of the narrative short and feature films. The festival extend the following nominations for the BHFF 2018 Jury Award for Best Acting Performance to: Emir Hadžihafizbegović, lead actor in the role of Zeko in The Frog Ermin Bravo, lead actor in the role of Ahmed in Men Don’t Cry Elena Matić, lead actress in the role of Maja in Great Wall of China Boris Glibusić, lead actor in the role of Vedran in Nothing but the Wind Izudin Bajrović, supporting actor in the role of Sead in Pink Elephant Jasna Žalica, supporting actress in the role of Zlata in Pink Elephant Isa Demlakhi, lead actor in the role of Isa in Never Leave Me Emir Hadžihafizbegović, lead actor in the role of Merim in Men Don’t Cry

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  • Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One” World Premieres Tonight at SXSW | Trailer

    Ready Player One Steven Spielberg’s latest film Ready Player One, based on the global bestseller by Ernest Cline, will World Premiere tonight at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival. In the year 2045 people can escape their harsh reality in the OASIS, an immersive virtual world where you can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone — the only limits are your own imagination. OASIS creator James Halliday left his immense fortune and control of the OASIS to the winner of a contest designed to find a worthy heir. When unlikely hero Wade Watts conquers the first challenge of the reality-bending treasure hunt, he and his friends — known as the High Five — are hurled into a fantastical universe of discovery and danger to save the OASIS and their world. Spielberg directed Ready Player One from a screenplay by Zak Penn and Cline.  The film stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Philip Zhao, Win Morisaki, and Hannah John-Kamen with Simon Pegg and Mark Rylance. “We are thrilled to be premiering Ready Player One at SXSW,” said Janet Pierson, Director of Film. “The film brings to the screen a story that has captivated millions of readers around the globe, written by Austin’s very own Ernest Cline. And in the hands of Steven Spielberg —inarguably one of our greatest directors —we know the film is going to be a special cinematic event for our attendees. We also look forward to the Ready Player One Experience, which brings us into both the physical and virtual worlds of the film.” Ready Player One will open on March 29, 2018 in 2D and 3D in select theaters and IMAX. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSp1dM2Vj48

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