Film Festivals

MY DAYS OF MERCY to Open, POSTCARDS FROM LONDON to Close 2018 BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_27012" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] MY DAYS OF MERCY[/caption] The 32nd edition of BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival which takes place from March 21st to April 1st, 2018, announced the Opening and Closing Night Galas films. MY DAYS OF MERCY opens the Festival on Wednesday March 21, with POSTCARDS FROM LONDON closing the Festival on Saturday March 31. Tali Shalom-Ezer’s MY DAYS OF MERCY will open the Festival on Wednesday March 21st . Powered by stirring performances from Ellen Page and Kate Mara , Shalom-Ezer’s follow up to PRINCESS is a poignant love story between two women from vastly different backgrounds and opposing political views. [caption id="attachment_27014" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] POSTCARDS FROM LONDON[/caption] The European Premiere of Steve McLean’s stylish and sexy POSTCARDS FROM LONDON will feature as the Closing Night Gala. The film tells the story of beautiful teenager Jim (Harris Dickinson, BEACH RATS) who, having travelled from the suburbs, finds himself in Soho where he falls in with a gang of unusual high class male escorts ‘The Raconteurs’. Set in a vibrant, neon-lit, imaginary vision of Soho, this morality tale manages to be both a beautifully shot homage to the spirit of Derek Jarman and a celebration of the homo-erotic in Baroque art. MY DAYS OF MERCY is written by BAFTA nominated British writer Joe Barton (THE RITUAL & IBOY) and the film is produced by Ellen Page, Kate Mara, Christine Vachon & David Hinojosa. POSTCARDS FROM LONDON is Steve McLean’s long-awaited follow-up to his 1994 Sundance and Indie Spirit-nominated drama POSTCARDS FROM AMERICA.
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2018 MidWest WeirdFest Announces Full Program, Opens with Wisconsin Premiere of PICKINGS

[caption id="attachment_26992" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] PICKINGS[/caption] The MidWest WeirdFest today announced the full program for its second annual film festival – a cinematic celebration of of all things fantastic, frightening, offbeat, and just plain weird – which will take place March 9-11, 2018 at the Micon Cinemas Downtown in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Opening the festival is the Wisconsin premiere of PICKINGS from director Usher Morgan. In this neo-noir, western, thriller a short-tempered mobster and his gang of thugs try to shake down a neighborhood bar. But they’re soon confronted with the wrath of its owner: a mysterious southern mother with a dangerous past. PICKINGS is a twisting, blood-drenched, super-stylized, thrill ride, sure to delight fans of Quentin Tarantino’s KILL BILL and Robert Rodriguez’s SIN CITY. And for closing night, MidWest WeirdFest presents director Amara Cash’s DADDY ISSUES. A compelling and at times confronting film that tracks a bizarre love triangle: Maya, a desperate young artist, is unaware that her new girlfriend is involved in an emotionally charged, co-dependent, fetish relationship with a neurotic and drug-addicted sugar daddy: a man who is also Maya’s biological father. All three lovers are oblivious to the dark secret of their entanglement, and revelation will change them, forever… “This year’s festival program runs a weird and wonderful gamut, ranging from the boldest and bloodiest in sci-fi and horror, through documentaries of the strange and macabre, to twisting thrillers and erotic underground dramas” says festival director Dean Bertram, an Australian expatriate and veteran of the international film festival scene. “Whether you want to be thrilled, terrified, mesmerized or titillated you’re going to find an abundance of entertaining films in this unique cinematic smorgasbord.” Some other fantastic titles the festival announces today include: CANNIBALS AND CARPET FITTERS (Dr: James Bushe) A ragtag group of carpet layers are sent on a job to an old English country house in the middle of nowhere. They soon discover it’s a trap set up by a savage cannibalistic family. The carpet fitters must fight for their lives or risk ending up as the evening’s dinner. Horrific delights abound in this gore filled dish of a horror comedy, that tastes like a wickedly decadent blend of SHAUN OF THE DEAD and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. IMPOSSIBLE HORROR (Dr: Justin Decloux) Lily, an insomniac filmmaker, hears a sinister scream outside her window every night. Determined to help the screaming person, she heads into the darkness of her neighbourhood. There she meets Hannah, a veteran “scream hunter”, obsessed with putting a stop to the nightly occurrence. The young women join forces to solve the bloodcurdling mystery, and quickly discover that its source may be an otherworldly threat that drives its victims into madness – and Lily and Hannah are next. THE MILWAUKEE MAFIA: FRANK BALISTRIERI (Director: Jason Love) Frank Peter Balistrieri (AKA “Mr. Big”, “Big Frank”, “Mr. Slick”, and “Mad Bomber”) was the most notorious and dangerous Mob Boss in Milwaukee’s history. In this documentary, learn about the secret world of organized crime through the lens of the most dangerous man in Milwaukee. Known for using car bombs to murder his enemies, Frank Balistrieri was willing to do anything to keep his power over the city. OFFICER PIGSLEY (Director: Kevin Losani, Michael J. Widger) In a a city full of superheroes and monstrous villains, a clumsy police officer stumbles upon an evil conspiracy. He has to decide whether it’s worth taking the law into his own hands – and risking his life – to save a city that despises him. An indie epic, that bats miles above its meager budget, and delivers laughs, gasps, and feels.
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Architecture & Design Film Festival Returns to LA in Spring 2018, Opens with BIG TIME

[caption id="attachment_25103" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] BIG TIME[/caption] The Architecture & Design Film Festival returns to Los Angeles this Spring, from March 14 to 18, 2018, at the historic Los Angeles Theatre Center, providing the film capital of the world a unique lens to explore architecture and design. ADFF: LA will bring a selection of 30+ compelling short length and feature films. The screenings will explore the life and work of revered architects and designers such as desert modernist Albert Frey, contemporary starchitect Bjarke Ingels, and fashion designer Dries van Noten. Films will also cover timely topics such as the power of design to instill positive change and the building of a model city to solve urban problems. Kicking off with the Short Films Walk (SFW: LA) on March 10, design aficionados are invited to explore the Helms Bakery District, where six showrooms including Arcana Books, Harbour Outdoor, H.D. Buttercup, Scandinavian Designs, Room & Board and Vitra will open their doors and screen over 24 short film documentaries throughout the day from 10am-7pm. The event will conclude with a public screening of Building Hope: The Maggie’s Centres, a beautifully shot film by award-winning director Sarah Howitt that tells the story of Maggie’s, their approach to cancer care, and the role that great design plays in the cancer support they offer. The film will be followed by a talk with Frances Anderton, host of KCRW’s DnA. ADFF: LA opens on Thursday, March 14 with BIG TIME, a documentary by Kaspar Astrup Schröder that follows Bjarke Ingels during the course of seven years while he struggles to finish his biggest project yet, letting viewers into his creative process and compromises along the way. The following evening, Liam Young of SCI-Arc’s M.A. in Fiction and Entertainment program will curate a selection of experimental films. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK0mGdMKMW4 Other film highlights include: Albert Frey: Part 1 – The Architectural Envoy, directed by Jake Gorst, is about the unpretentious Swiss-born mid-20th century architect. The first of a two-part film series produced by Design Onscreen, this film explores Albert’s early life and work in Europe to his New York architectural accomplishments in the 1930s, including the famed Aluminaire House, the Canvas Weekend House, features of the New York Museum of Modern Art, as well as his Kocher-Samson Building in Palm Springs. The Experimental City explores the story of Athelstan Spilhaus, a visionary scientist and futurist comic-strip writer in the 1960s. Frustrated by the growing problem of urban pollution, he assembled a team of experts to develop a bold experiment: the Minnesota Experimental City (MXC). MXC would be the city of the future, a domed metropolis for 250,000 pioneering residents, built from scratch using cutting-edge technology to prevent urban sprawl and pollution. Things didn’t quite go as planned, as explored in Chad Friedrichs’ fascinating look back at the would-be city of tomorrow. DRIES, a film about the notoriously private fashion designer Dries Van Noten, who allows a filmmaker to accompany him in his creative process and rich home life for the first time. The film offers an insight into the life, mind and creative heart of a master fashion designer who, for more than 25 years, has remained independent in a landscape of fashion consolidation and globalization. Other festival highlights include Breakpoint, a short mockumentary that follows the founder of LASVIT, a company that revived the Czech glass making craft; Made in Ilima, a film about MASS Design’s conservation-focused primary school in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; REM, a film by Tomas Koolhaas; and for St. Patrick’s Day, a screening of Kevin Roche: The Quiet Architect. Additionally, ADFF will transform the Los Angeles Theatre Center lobby into an immersive lounge area for attendees to enjoy between screenings. The lounge will include VR films including one by Gary Hustwit and Sam Green that explores the work of architect and futurist Buckminster Fuller; an exhibition called “The Original Comes from Vitra” that focuses on authenticity in the design and manufacturing process; short films displayed on the Sony Ultra-Short Throw 4K HDR Home Theater Projector; furniture supplied by Vitra and Poliform; and a pop-up book store.
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Tsai Ming-Liang’s VR Film THE DESERTED to Hong Kong Premiere at 2018 Hong Kong International Film Festival

The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) will introduce the future of cinema to audiences – the Hong Kong premiere of Tsai Ming-Liang’s The Deserted, HTC’s first virtual reality (VR) Chinese language film. World-renowned Taiwanese master TSAI Ming-Liang and Golden Horse Award Best Leading Actor LEE Kang-Sheng will lead the Hong Kong audience through an unparalleled eye-opening VR experience, and share their thoughts and visions of this cinematic innovation in a Master Class. Winner of the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival with Vive L’amour (1994), TSAI Ming-Liang has established himself as one of contemporary cinema’s most accomplished auteurs. In addition to bringing films into the art world, he has been constantly exploring multi-media and new technology in filmmaking. The Deserted, his debut VR work, is an attempt to break the established dichotomy of traditional cinema, and create an interactive film experience that blurs the lines between reality and creative expression. The work is an elliptical tale of love, death and memory, starring LEE Kang-Sheng as a man recuperating from an illness in the mountains. Unable to communicate with his late mother or the female ghost next door, his only companion is a lone fish who swims with him in the bathtub. The Deserted offers a dreamlike 3D experience which immerses viewers in the construction of the scenes, and the characters’ personal journeys. The 55-min piece is a milestone in Chinese language cinema and selected for the first-ever Virtual Reality competition at the Venice Film Festival. It received overwhelming response at the Golden Horse Festival, selling out all 13 sessions within seconds. The Deserted is supported by HTC VIVE, ZOTAC and the Academy of Film of Hong Kong Baptist University.
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2018 Black Women Film Summit Unveils Shorts Lineup + Opening Night Film “A Wrinkle in Time!”

[caption id="attachment_26972" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A Wrinkle in Time[/caption] The 2018 Black Women Film Summit organized by Black Women Film Network (BWFN) will take place March 9 to 10, 2018 at Atlanta Technical College. This two-day event will celebrate the work of women of color in film and television and provide attendees with networking opportunities, information and resources to further their careers in the industry. Opening Night of the Summit is Friday, March 9, when BWFN will take over Regal Atlantic Station at 6pm for an evening at the movies with A Wrinkle in Time! BWFN will celebrate the premiere of Ava DuVernay’s masterpiece by buying out a theater and supporting this historic release during its opening weekend. The Summit continues Saturday, March 10 at Atlanta Technical College beginning at 9am with the BWFN Short Film Festival and a full day of informative classes.
2018 Black Women Film Summit Shorts Lineup
The following shorts have been selected for the 2018 Summit and will screen from 9am to 3pm: “Valerie Morgan: TV Qualified” – Directed by LaQuanda Plantt Based solely on her obsession with medical television shows, Valerie Morgan attempts to gain employment in the medical field. “Distorted” – Directed by Tai Anderson Two sisters meet to put their father to rest when they get an unexpected knock at the door, turning their night upside down. “Broken Branches” – Directed by Chris Anthony Hamilton Keith returns home from an evening out with a male companion to find his 18-year-old son Eric home from college a day early. Eric confronts his father who attempts to explain his lifelong struggle with his true sexual identity. Feeling betrayed, Eric is unable to reconcile his father’s truth and leaves Keith feeling guilted, shamed and searching for a sign of hope to repair his relationship with his son. “In the Field” – Directed by Tesia Walker “In The Field” follows an ambitious local reporter, John Landon, who witnesses a police-related shooting of a black girl outside a toy store on Christmas Eve. John is tasked with interviewing the girl’s family to get the scoop that will bring him national fame. However, he finds that getting the exclusive involves more than just being there first. “Horse & Buggy” – Directed by Sherie Hodge The objective of this piece was to visually capture the remarkable story of Atlanta Mayoral Candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms. “Horse & Buggy” is a story of sheer determination and how one candidate attests to why Atlanta is truly the city where impossible dreams take form. “BlacKorea” – Directed by Christine Swanson The story is set in the late 80’s in Chicago. Two children, born to a Korean mother, and African-American father are forced to live with the tangled consequences of their parents’ decisions, while struggling to traverse new life in the Windy City. “Least Suspect” – Directed by Bobby Huntley Five former sorority sisters reunite, forming their own “Secret Society” to deceive men out of cash and jewels, when one of them unknowingly crosses the nephew of a Russian Mob Boss. “Soul Fire” – Directed by Janlatae’ Mullins A couple dances together every day as they fight for the love they once shared. “The Tree of Palimpsest” – Directed by Ingrid Agbo Palimpseste, an old ceramist and storyteller in her spare time, is regularly solicited by Iba and Emeka, two young brawling brothers, to settle their daily conflicts. Rather than offering them a simple answer, Palimpsest finds the perfect analogy between their childish concerns and the life of an African historical figure. So begins the journey in the past of those women and men who made Africa. “Dirty Money” – Directed by Ciara Boniface As addictions and murky loyalties swirl around them, three women desperate to escape their surroundings rob a group of drug dealers and find themselves fighting through a night that will change their lives forever.
2018 Black Women Film Summit Classes
The schedule for the 2018 BWFN Summit classes is as follows: 9:00am – 10:30am – “Finding Your Funny with Cocoa Brown” – Actress Cocoa Brown shows you how to incorporate funny into any situation. Also how to create your funny through developed improv skills. 10:00am -12:00pm – “Kids Acting Class” – For kids ages 7-17. Actors will gain confidence for audition and study using the Primal 5 tool of the Chubbuck Technique. 10:00am – 12:00pm – “Protect Your Legal Work” – Learn from attorney Zakiya Watson-Caffe on how to protect your brand/work from legal issues or theft. 10:00am – 12:00pm – “Marathon Mindset for Actors” – Would you rather be a trend or you rather be Ralph Lauren? Actress Jasmine Burke shares how she has sustained 10 years in the film industry using her mind set. This conversation is for SERIOUS ARTISTS ONLY. 10:00am – 12:00pm – “Red Carpet Hosting” – Broadcast journalist Summer Jackson will give you tips on how to host and interview celebrities on the red carpet. 11:30pm – 1:00pm – “Hair, Makeup & Wardrobe for Film & TV” – Learn from experienced professionals on how to enter and be successful in the film industry for hair, makeup, and wardrobe. Guest panelists are Gocha Hawkins, Denise Tunnel, and Moe Grant. 12:30pm – 2:30pm – “Audition Tips with Rhavynn Dummer” – Learn from a professional casting director on the correct and effective techniques for auditioning. 12:30pm – 2:30pm – “Screenwriting with AZ Yeamen” – In this two-hour workshop, writers will learn how to create dynamic 3-dimensional characters, the superhuman antagonist to intensify your story, and the science of loglines to master your 90-second pitch. 12:30pm -2:30pm – “A Conversation with Zane” – Best-selling author Zane talks about future projects and will answer your questions on selling your work. 12:30pm – 2:30pm – “How to Pitch to Network Television” – HaJ House shares her experience pitching to Networks and production companies from the creator perspective. 3:00pm – 4:00pm – “All You Ever Wanted to Know About SAG-AFTRA” – Learn the benefits and what it means to be a part of the Screen Actors Guild. Registration for this session is FREE.
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Joe Berlinger to Curate Thematic Program and Jehane Noujaim to Receive Tribute at 2018 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_26967" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Joe Berlinger, Jehane Noujaim[/caption] Delving into the fascinating genre of true crime, filmmaker Joe Berlinger will curate the 2018 Thematic Program of the 2018 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, which will feature films that follow individual cases and consider the ways documentary uniquely represents the complexities, and limitations, of the American judicial system. For the Tribute, Full Frame will honor Jehane Noujaim’s illustrious body of work and showcase her lauded films exploring themes of resilience, freedom, democracy, and free speech. Academy Award®-nominated filmmakers Berlinger and Noujaim will both be in attendance at the 21st annual festival, held April 5 to 8, 2018, in Durham, North Carolina. Exploring themes of crime and punishment, Berlinger will draw from his own work on the subject, as well as influential work by other filmmakers. A leading voice in nonfiction film and television for the past two decades, Berlinger’s films include the landmark documentaries Brother’s Keeper, Paradise Lost, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, WHITEY: United States of America v. James J. Bulger, and Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru, among many others. Crude, about oil pollution in the Amazon Rainforest, won 22 human rights, environmental, and film festival awards and triggered a high-profile First Amendment battle with oil-giant Chevron. Berlinger’s Under African Skies, documenting the 25th Anniversary of Paul Simon’s Graceland album, was nominated for three primetime Emmy awards, including Outstanding Nonfiction Special. In addition to his feature documentary work, Berlinger has created many hours of crime-related unscripted series for television, including Gone: The Forgotten Women of Ohio, Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders, and Killing Richard Glossip. Berlinger is currently in production on a narrative film, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, about infamous serial killer Ted Bundy, starring Zac Efron, Lily Collins, and John Malkovich. “Joe Berlinger brings unparalleled vision to the subject of true crime,” said Full Frame Artistic Director Sadie Tillery. “Examining complicated accusations of wrongdoing and the legal proceedings that follow, his films make palpable the intricacies and tensions involved in these cases, in both the courtroom and the surrounding communities. They’ve not only impacted the lives of the people involved and even the outcomes of cases, they’ve also shaped the documentary form itself. We are honored to have Berlinger curate this year’s Thematic Program and to see this subject matter through his lens.” “Having had the honor of exhibiting many of my films at Full Frame since the festival’s inception, it’s tremendously gratifying to come back this year to curate the Thematic Program that I have so enjoyed as an audience member in years past,” said Berlinger. “It’s also very timely to put a spotlight on true crime. While much has (deservedly) been made about the explosion of interest in this genre in recent years due to such breakouts as Serial, The Jinx, and Making A Murderer, crime and punishment has been a staple of documentary storytelling from the earliest days of nonfiction filmmaking. There’s no better time than now to examine the evolution of the genre by presenting some its milestone films.” Past curators of Full Frame’s Thematic Program include Amir Bar-Lev, R.J. Cutler, Chris Hegedus, Steve James, D A Pennebaker, and Lucy Walker. For the 2018 Tribute, Full Frame will recognize Jehane Noujaim, presenting a retrospective from her distinguished career. Noujaim earned a B.A. in Film and Philosophy at Harvard, and lives in Cairo and New York City. Noujaim’s impressive proportion of award-winning titles includes Academy Award®-nominated film The Square, which was widely hailed as the definitive film about the Arab Spring, and earned the Audience Award at the Sundance and Toronto film festivals. Her explosive 2004 film Control Room, about Al Jazeera and its coverage of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, was one of the first documentaries to examine modern media bias. It was described by A.O. Scott of the New York Times as “an indispensable example of the inquisitive self-questioning democratic spirit.” Noujaim’s work has been nominated by the DGA, IDA, Independent Spirit Awards and several Critics Associations, and has exhibited at international festivals, has screened in theaters and been broadcast globally. In collaboration with Angelina Jolie, Noujaim most recently executive produced 2018 Academy Award®-nominated animated feature The Breadwinner. In 2006, Noujaim won the TED Prize, an annual award in which the recipients are granted a wish. Noujaim’s TED Prize wish, to create a day in which the world comes together through film, was the catalyst for the international multimedia event Pangea Day, broadcast live across the globe. “We are thrilled to celebrate Jehane Noujaim’s work with our 2018 Full Frame Tribute,” said Tillery. “With intimacy and urgency, Noujaim’s films allow us to see global issues unfold through personal accounts. They introduce us to unforgettable people and bring new perspective to international events.” “I am deeply grateful for this tribute, as Full Frame is such a special place for me,” said Noujaim. “I came to Full Frame in my twenties with my first film, Startup.com, co-directed with Chris Hegedus and produced by D A Pennebaker, they loved the festival, and introduced me to it. I felt I had found family. We came back to Full Frame with Control Room almost fifteen years ago. To return now, at a time when I feel we are living in an age of digital Control Rooms on steroids, feels right. There will be a lot to talk about!” Most recently, Full Frame has honored filmmakers Kirsten Johnson, Marshall Curry, Steve James, and Stanley Nelson with the Full Frame Tribute.
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2018 Oxford Film Festival Winners – THE DRAWER BOY and THE ORGANIZER Win Top Awards

[caption id="attachment_26962" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] THE DRAWER BOY[/caption] The 2018 Oxford Film Festival celebrated the best of the fest with an entertaining awards ceremony emceed by Crooked Marquee’s Eric D. Snider, and handed out Hoka awards to Arturo Perez Torres and Aviva Armour-Ostroff’s THE DRAWER BOY for Best Narrative Feature, Nick Taylor’s THE ORGANIZER for Best Documentary Feature, Itako’s BOYS FOR SALE for Best LGBTQ Feature, and the presentation of the Lisa Blount Memorial Acting Award to Catherine Eaton for her performance in THE SOUNDING. Jeff Dennis’s THE PROCESS: THE WAY OF PABLO SIERRA won the Hoka Award for Best Mississippi Feature Film, and Sacha Jenkins’s WORD IS BOND took the top prize for Best Music Documentary. Receiving “Special Recognition” in the Narrative Feature Film Category were Catherine Eaton for her film THE SOUNDING with Astin Rocks receiving the same in the Mississippi Films Category for her film LOVE SOLILOQUY: A VISUAL ALBUM. Also cited in the documentary film category was a Special Jury Mention for “Creative Storytelling” to Aaron and Amanda Kopp for their documentary, LIYANA. A special Editing Award was presented to director Mark Potts for the film, COP CHRONICLES: LOOSE CANNONS: LEGEND OF THE HAJ-MIRAGE. The Pat Rasberry Emerging Mississippi Filmmaker Award was given to Kelly Buckholdt (TRUTH RISES). The Alice Guy-Blaché Emerging Female Filmmaker Award (and check for $1000 from the Louis M. Rabinowitz Foundation) went to Amanda Kopp, who co-directed the documentary LIYANA with her husband Aaron Kopp. In the Short Film category, Best Narrative Short went to Clark Duke’s HOME, with a Special Jury Prize for “Creative Vision” going to Alejandro Damiani’s M.A.M.O.N. (MONITOR AGAINST MEXICANS OVER NATIONWIDE), and an “Honorable Mention” going to Jessee Kreitzer’s BLACK CANARIES. The winner of the Hoka for Best Documentary Short was Peter Byck’s ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND BEATING HEARTS. A Special Jury Prize for “Personal Vision” went to Daniel Robin’s ALL THE LEAVES ARE BROWN, with an “Honorable Mention” given to Dana Nachman‘s WASHED AWAY. Nathan Willis’s COWGIRL UP was named Best Mississippi Short Film, with E.J. Carter’s TRUTH RISES receiving a Special Jury Prize for “Filmmaker to Watch,” and David Ross’s HAND MADE getting a “Honorable Mention” Vincent Jude Chaney’s music video for “Manna” by King Woman took the Hoka in that category with Michael Williams’s music video for “Royal” by Lost in Constellation receiving an Honorable Mention. Mark C. Smith’s TWO BALLOONS won the Fest Forward animation category, and Quentin Haberham’s HOMEGROWN received an “Honorable Mention.” The Best LGBTQ Short winner was Joseph Sulsenti’s FISHY. John Matthew Tyson picked by his previously announced Hoka Award as the winner for the Oxford Film Festival’s first Screenplay Competition for his script, “Twirling at Ole Miss;” and Liam Hendrix’s NATION DOWN is the winner of the inaugural Artist Vodka Award.
2018 OXFORD FF AWARD-WINNING FILMS
THE DRAWER BOY – BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE Directors: Arturo Perez Torres and Aviva Armour-Ostroff’ THE SOUNDING – Special Recognition/Narrative Director: Catherine Eaton THE ORGANIZER – BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Director: Nick Taylor LIYANA – Special Jury Mention for “Creative Storytelling”/Documentary Directors: Aaron and Amanda Kopp THE PROCESS: THE WAY OF PABLO SIERRA – BEST MISSISSIPPI FEATURE Director: Jeff Dennis LOVE SOLILOQUY: A VISUAL ALBUM – Special Recognition/Mississippi Films Director: Astin Rocks WORD IS BOND – BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY Director: Sacha Jenkins BOYS FOR SALE – BEST LGBTQ FILM Director: Itako FISHY – BEST LGBTQ SHORT Director: Joseph Sulsenti HOME – BEST NARRATIVE SHORT Director: Clark Duke M.A.M.O.N. (MONITOR AGAINST MEXICANS OVER NATIONWIDE – Special Jury Prize for “Creative Vision” Director: Alejandro Damiani BLACK CANARIES – Honorable Mention Director: Jessee Kreitzer ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND BEATING HEARTS – BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT Director: Peter Byck ALL THE LEAVES ARE BROWN – Special Jury Prize for “Personal Vision” Director: Daniel Robin WASHED AWAY – Honorable Mention Director: Dana Nachman COWGIRL UP – BEST MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILM Director: Nathan Willis TRUTH RISES – Special Jury Prize for “Filmmaker to Watch” Director: E.J. Carter (Kelly Buckholdt) HAND MADE – Honorable Mention Director: David Ross “Manna” by King Woman – BEST MISSISSIPPI MUSIC VIDEO Director: Vincent Jude Chaney “Royal” by Lost in Constellation – Honorable Mention Director: Michael Williams TWO BALLOONS – FEST FORWARD BEST ANIMATION Director: Mark C. Smith HOMEGROWN – Honorable Mention Director: Quentin Haberham Catherine Eaton (THE SOUNDING) – Lisa Blount Memorial Acting Award Amanda Kopp (LIYANA) – Alice Guy-Blaché Emerging Female Filmmaker Award Kelly Buckholdt (TRUTH RISES) – Pat Rasberry Emerging Mississippi Filmmaker Award COP CHRONICLES: LOOSE CANNONS: LEGEND OF THE HAJ-MIRAGE – BEST EDITING Director: Mark Potts “Twirling at Ole Miss” – BEST SCREENPLAY Screenwriter: John Matthew Tyson NATION DOWN – ARTIST VODKA AWARD Director: Liam Hendrix image via Facebook
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2018 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Award Winners – SKID ROW MARATHON Wins Audience Choice Award

[caption id="attachment_22793" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Skid Row Marathon[/caption] The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) announced the highly anticipated winners for its 33rd year at a ceremony held in their honor, with the coveted Audience Choice Award, going to Mark Hayes’ SKID ROW MARATHON. On LA’s Skid Row, a criminal court judge organizes a running club comprised of homeless, recovering alcoholics, and paroled men and women who seek to rediscover their sense of self-worth and dignity. The Best Documentary Film Award went to Grant Korgan and Geoff Callan’s THE PUSH. The jury remarked that “We chose THE PUSH as the best feature documentary because it was a riveting, well told story with excellent camera work, and superb editing that kept us engaged the entire time.” Gjorce Stavreski’s SECRET INGREDIENT (Iscelitel) is the recipient of the Jeffrey C. Barbakow Award for Best International Film. The Jury remarked that “It’s outstanding direction and the terrific performances of all the cast make it hard to believe that it’s a directorial debut.” Molly McGlynn’s MARY GOES ROUND took home the Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema. The Jury remarked that “Aya Cash’s performance beautifully depicts the intense, painful descent into alcohol addiction and its consequences. “ The Nueva Vision Award for Spain/Latin America Cinema went to Pablo Solarz’s THE LAST SUIT (El último traje) for it’s for its theme, mise-en-scene, and great performances. The Jury also had a special mention for Denny Brechner, Alfonso Guerrero and Marcos Hecht’s GET THE WEED (Misión no oficial) for it was a great surprise, full of humor and made with great effort, that every single person in the audience enjoyed. The Valhalla Award for Best Nordic Film was awarded to Antti-Jussi Annila’s THE ETERNAL ROAD (Ikitie). The Jury remarked that the film “told a fascinating story about an unknown period in history, featuring excellent performances, a gripping narrative with wonderful cinematography and production design.” The ADL Stand Up Award went to Talya Tibbon and Joshua Bennett’s SKY AND GROUND. Sponsors Santa Barbara and Tri-Counties ADL remarked that “in furtherance of our mission ‘to secure justice and fair treatment for all,’ ADL is pleased to stand up with SKY AND GROUND, a film that stands for respecting human dignity amidst fear and bigotry.” The Social Justice Award for Documentary Film went to Ludovic Bonleux’s GUERRERO. They Jury remarked that this is “an essential story about the fallout from a mass kidnapping in a historic Mexican city that takes its time making the viewer feel a region’s collective pain and determination; the people of this city seek not just justice from a corrupt government, but also answers as to what happened to their children. It’s a film everyone should see—and one we won’t soon forget.” Three awards were handed out for short films. The Bruce Corwin Award for Best Live Action Short Film went to Richard Van’s AUDITION. The Bruce Corwin Award for Best Animated Short Film went to Randall Christopher’s THE DRIVER IS RED. Best Documentary Short Film was awarded to Kyle Morrison’s MOTT HAVEN.
2018 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Award Winners
Audience Choice Award: Mark Hayes’ SKID ROW MARATHON Best Documentary Short Film Award: Kyle Morrison’s MOTT HAVEN Bruce Corwin Award – Best Live Action Short Film: Richard Van’s AUDITION Bruce Corwin Award – Best Animated Short Film: Randall Christopher’s THE DRIVER IS RED Best Documentary Award: Grant Korgan and Geoff Callan’s THE PUSH Jeffrey C. Barbakow Award – Best International Feature Film: Gjorce Stavreski’s SECRET INGREDIENT (Iscelitel) Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema: Molly McGlynn’s MARY GOES ROUND Nueva Vision Award for Spain/Latin America Cinema: Pablo Solarz’s THE LAST SUIT (El último traje) Special Mention: Denny Brechner, Alfonso Guerrero and Marcos Hecht’s GET THE WEED (Misión no oficial) Valhalla Award for Best Nordic Film: Antti-Jussi Annila’s THE ETERNAL ROAD (Ikitie) ADL Stand Up Award: Talya Tibbon and Joshua Bennett’s SKY AND GROUND Social Justice Award for Documentary Film: Ludovic Bonleux’s GUERRERO
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Director Guillermo del Toro Named President of the International Jury of the 75th Venice International Film Festival

Director Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone) will be the president of the International Jury of the Competition at the 75th Venice International Film Festival taking place August 29 to September 8, 2018, which will assign the Golden Lion for Best Film as well as other official awards. Guillermo del Toro commented: “To serve as president in Venice is a immense honor and responsibility that I accept with respect and gratitude. Venice is a window to world cinema and the opportunity to celebrate its power and cultural relevance.” Festival Director Alberto Barbera said: “Guillermo Del Toro personifies generosity, a love for movies past or future, and a passion for the kind of cinema that can spark emotions, affect people and, at the same time, make them reflect. By virtue of his lively imagination, uncommon sensitivity and his trust in the power of images, he has brought to life a fantastic universe in which love and fear can coexist, and to treasure diversity is a fundamental value. We are pleased and honored that he has agreed to preside over the Jury of the 75th Venice Film Festival, after having illuminated the previous edition with the dazzling beauty of The Shape of Water. He will be a genial, inquisitive and enthusiastic President.” Guillermo del Toro participated in the Competition of the recent 74th Venice International Film Festival 2017 with The Shape of Water, which won the Golden Lion for Best Film, awarded by the Jury chaired by Annette Bening. Del Toro participated in the Venice Film Festival for the first time in 1997 with the film Mimic, in the Mezzanotte section. In 2006, he was a member of the Jury for the Luigi de Laurentiis Venice Award for a Debut Film at the 63rd Venice Film Festival.
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BATTLE OF THE SEXES to Open and THE POST to Close 2018 Athena Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_23776" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] BATTLE OF THE SEXES[/caption] Athena Film Festival (AFF) will open their 2018 edition on Thursday, February 22nd with BATTLE OF THE SEXES, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Emma Stone and Steve Carell star in this dramatic retelling of the legendary 1973 tennis match in which tennis star Billie Jean King faced off against 55-year-old former Wimbledon champion, Bobby Riggs who boasted that he could beat any woman player. Billie Jean King will participate in a post-screening conversation. Prior to opening night, the festival will host a special presentation premiering the first episode of Season three of Lifetime’s critically-acclaimed series UnREAL. The Centerpiece film, documentary MANKILLER, directed by Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, will screen on Saturday, February 24th. The documentary tells the tale of a true American legend, Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010), a community organizer who became Chief of the Cherokee Nation and defied all odds to make a difference for her people. The film will be followed by a conversation with director Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, executive producer Gale Anne Hurd, and journalist and activist Gloria Steinem. Ann Hornaday from the Washington Post will moderate. The festival will close on Sunday, February 25th with the Academy Award®-nominated THE POST, directed by Steven Spielberg, and starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. In this thrilling drama, the Washington Post’s Katharine Graham, the first female publisher of a major American newspaper (Meryl Streep) and Post editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) race to catch up with The New York Times’ publication of the Pentagon Papers, which expose a massive cover-up of government secrets about the Vietnam war. Additional films announced include 9 TO 5, directed by Colin Higgins and starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin; PATTI CAKE$, directed by Geremy Jasper and starring Athena’s 2018 Inaugural Breakthrough Award honoree Bridget Everett and Danielle Macdonald ; THELMA, directed and co-written by Joachim Trier and co-written by Eskil Vogt; NORTH COUNTRY, directed by Niki Caro and starring Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Jeremy Renner, Woody Harrelson and Sissy Spacek; and the classic documentary MISS SHARON JONES!, directed by two-time Oscar® winner and 2018 Athena Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree, Barbara Kopple. Additional panels include Master Class: Alexa Junge ’85 and Spotlight on Women and STEM, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which will follow the screening of Bombshell, the Hedy Lamarr Story. This panel of illustrious filmmakers will focus on the stories of powerful women in STEM fields and discuss the challenges of bringing these rich, and sometimes complicated scientific stories to life on the big screen. The festival will feature a program of narrative, documentary and short films, including: WONDER WOMAN, directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot; LADY BIRD, the directorial debut of Greta Gerwig ’06 and AFF ’11 Honoree and starring Saoirse Ronan; MEGAN LEAVEY, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and starring Kate Mara; WAITING FOR HASSANA, directed by Ifunanya Maduka; BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY, directed and written by Alexandra Dean; I AM EVIDENCE, directed by Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir and produced by Mariska Hargitay; the New York City premiere of IT’S CRIMINAL, directed by Signe Taylor ’87; and the international premiere of MY YEAR WITH HELEN, directed by Gaylene Preston; FRONTIER, directed by Jillian Banner; and the New York premieres of AL IMAM, directed by Omar Al Dakheel; BEADS, directed by Rachel Byrd; CON MADRE, directed by Clancy McCarty; THE FAN directed by Mohammad Ghanefard and Ali Delkari, among others. The 2018 Athena Film Festival Awardees include two-time Academy Award®-winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple who will receive the Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award; BAFTA-winning writer and director Amma Asante who will receive the Athena Award; world-renowned cabaret artist and actress Bridget Everett who will receive the inaugural Breakthrough Award; and director, producer and screenwriter J.J. Abrams who will receive the Athena Leading Man Award. Awards will be presented at the Athena Film Festival Awards Ceremony on Friday, February 23rd. The Athena Film Festival showcases films and TV series about strong, bold women leaders in real life and the fictional world; it is a weekend dedicated to elevating female voices and stories that inspire and empower a new generation of filmmakers and individuals. The eighth annual festival, co-founded by Barnard College’s Athena Center for Leadership Studies and Women and Hollywood, will take place February 22 to 25, 2018, at Barnard College in New York City. FULL INFORMATION ON NEWLY ANNOUNCED FILMS AND PROGRAMS: FEATURES 9 to 5 Director: Colin Higgins Writer: Colin Higgins, Patricia Resnick This office satire about three female secretaries—Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin—who decide to get revenge on their tyrannical, sexist boss was an instant classic. Featuring a depiction of women agitators well ahead of their time and a score that doubled as anthem, 9 to 5’s impact has resonated for the thirty-plus years since its release and remains iconic in 2017’s #MeToo era. North Country Director: Niki Caro Writer: Michael Seitzman This classic feature, based on a true story, centers on Josey Aimes who takes a job at a local iron mine in Minnesota in 1975. She and other female miners endure unyielding harassment from male co-workers, ranging from verbal taunts to pornographic graffiti and physical abuse. Ignoring advice from family and friends, Josey files a ground-breaking lawsuit and wins a landmark decision that is still protecting women today. Directed by Niki Caro, North Country’s all-star cast includes Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Jeremy Renner, Woody Harrelson and Sissy Spacek. Battle of the Sexes – OPENING NIGHT FILM Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris Writer: Simon Beaufoy Emma Stone and Steve Carell star in this dramatic retelling of the legendary 1973 tennis match in which women’s tennis star Billie Jean King faced off against 55-year-old former Wimbledon champion, Bobby Riggs who boasted that he could beat any woman player. Riggs hyped the contest with a slew of misogynistic comments, including that “the best way to handle women is to keep them pregnant and barefoot.” In the period leading up to the match, King, a champion athlete and social justice pioneer, found herself beset with both personal and professional challenges as she sought to face her sexuality and fight for pay equity in tennis. Patti Cake$ – Awardee Spotlight Film Director and writer: Geremy Jasper First-time writer/director Geremy Jasper showcases his music chops in this brash and bombastic story of unlikely rapper Patti “Killa P” Dombrowski. Breakout talent Danielle Macdonald plays Patti with the magnetism and stage presence of a seasoned musician, and is matched by the talents of the 2018 Athena Award winner Bridget Everett as Patti’s disillusioned mother, who missed her chance at stardom. Thelma Director: Joachim Trier Writers: Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt Writer/director Joachim Trier crafts a haunting tale of Thelma (Eili Harboe) a shy college student who has just left her religious family in a small town Norway and finds herself intensely drawn to her classmate Anja (Kaya Wilkins). But in a surprising twist to this coming of age tale, first love and self-discovery arrive with uncontrollable seizures and supernatural powers, that forces her to confront the terrifying implications of her powers. The Post – CLOSING NIGHT FILM In this thrilling drama directed by Steven Spielberg, the Washington Post’s Katharine Graham, the first female publisher of a major American newspaper (Meryl Streep) and Post editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) race to catch up with The New York Times’ publication of the Pentagon Papers, which expose a massive cover-up of government secrets about the Vietnam war that spans three decades and four U.S. presidents. This movie shows the importance of the free press to the life of a democracy, but it’s also a very personal story about a woman who was trained to be a wife who becomes the main character in her own story. The Post is a movie about a woman who finds her voice and saves democracy in the process. DOCUMENTARIES MANKILLER – CENTERPIECE FILM Director: Valerie Red-Horse Mohl Executive Producer: Gale Anne Hurd MANKILLER examines the legacy of the formidable Wilma Mankiller, who defied all odds to become one of the most influential leaders in the United States. Mankiller overcame rampant sexism and personal challenges to emerge as the Cherokee Nation’s first woman Principal Chief in 1985. Through rare archival footage and intimate interviews with activists including Gloria Steinem, as well as with Wilma herself, MANKILLER gives us insight into how this remarkable woman successfully navigated through the minefield of bipartisan politics. Miss Sharon Jones! – Awardee Spotlight Film Director: Barbara Kopple This documentary, directed by the two-time Oscar winner and 2018 Athena Honoree, Barbara Kopple, tells the stirring story of Sharon Jones, a true soul survivor who’s been called “the female James Brown”. The film follows Sharon Jones on an emotional journey as she battles cancer, struggles to keep her band together and mount a comeback show at New York’s Beacon Theater. TELEVISION Lifetime’s UnReal Join us for the premiere of the first episode of UnREAL, season 3, Lifetime’s critically-acclaimed series from A+E Studios. UnREAL takes place behind the scenes of the fictional dating competition show Everlasting, as the show’s producers manipulate the contestants to get the footage they need. Caitlin FitzGerald (“Masters of Sex,” “Rectify”) takes the reins in Season 3 as Everlasting’s female “suit PANELS AND SPECIAL EVENTS Master Class on Producing and Writing for Television: Alexa Junge – Sponsored by Stephens College Come learn from Alexa Junge, a 1985 Barnard alumna, and accomplished showrunner, screenwriter, T.V. writer and producer whose credits include Friends, The West Wing, and Grace & Frankie. Spotlight on Women and Stem – Sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Following the screening of Bombshell, the Hedy Lamarr Story, a panel of illustrious filmmakers will focus on the stories of powerful women in STEM fields, and discuss the challenges of bringing these rich, and sometimes complicated scientific stories to life on the big screen.
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Kate Bosworth and Michael Polish’s Sex Trafficking Film NONA to Open 2018 Richmond International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_26932" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] NONA[/caption] Nona, a narrative feature film written and directed by filmmaker Michael Polish (Twin Falls Idaho, Northfork, The Astronaut Farmer) and co-produced by Kate Bosworth will be the Opening Night film at the 2018 Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF). Together Bosworth and Polish will present the film on opening night Tuesday, April 24th at 7:15 p.m. at the historic Byrd Theatre with a Q&A to follow. Bosworth will also be distinguished with the festival’s 2018 Founder’s Award. The Founder’s Award honors a filmmaker whose work champions stories of truths often untold or overlooked. It seeks to recognize artists on the frontlines, creating necessary yet artful thought and dialogue in their work. Nona puts a face to Central America’s sex trafficking industry. It follows the harrowing path of a young Honduran girl from her home in San Pedro Sula, across four countries, into a living hell of servitude in a world of modern day sex slavery. Nona is an acronym, of sorts, for “No Name.” This is the first feature co-produced by the husband and wife producing team through their newly formed production company, Make Pictures Productions. “We are thrilled to present Nona as the opening night film, which captures the heart and spirit of the festival,” said RIFF Founder and Producer, Heather Waters. “We are proud to offer a platform for brave, socially-conscious filmmakers like Michael and Kate to shine a light on a dark space impacting women and young girls around the world and establish dialogue that can pave the way towards change.” image: via screengrab
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Portland International Film Festival Unveils 2018 PIFF After Dark Lineup | Trailers

[caption id="attachment_26927" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Five Fingers for Marseilles[/caption] This year’s 41st Portland International Film Festival will once again include the popular, boundary pushing fare that constitutes the PIFF After Dark program, showcasing late night movies like Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s (Amer, The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears) giallo-inflected, spaghetti western Let the Corpses Tan, Joseph Kahn’s (Torque) caustic, rap battle comedy Bodied, Can Evrenol’s (Baskin) riff on 1970s Italian horror Housewife, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s (Spring) looping, sci-fi thriller The Endless, Lukas Figelfeld’s folk-horror tale Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse, and Michael Matthews’ western set in South Africa Five Fingers for Marseilles. All PIFF After Dark at PIFF 41 screenings are at the Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium, located in the Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park Ave.)
2018 PIFF After Dark
Bodied (Dir. Joseph Kahn) – United States A UC Berkeley grad student whose thesis explores the use of racial slurs in rap battles finds himself drawn into the ring in this Eminem-produced feature directed by hip-hop/pop music video director Joseph Kahn and written by battle rap legend Alex “Kid Twist” Larsen. Winner of the Midnight Madness Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, “Bodied is pure zany fun disguised as a pure provocation, and sometimes vice versa, mainly because any attempt to characterize its narrative as problematic proves its point.”—IndieWire. (120 mins.) https://youtu.be/YgpL6R-X5Ng PRECEDED BY: Tickle Monster (Dir. Remi Weekes) – United Kingdom A wannabe rapper doesn’t believe his girlfriend’s claim that her apartment is home to a tickle monster. (4 mins.) Let the Corpses Tan (Dir. Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani) – France/Belgium A gang of ne’er-do-wells rob an armored truck, getting away with the gold bars. Hiding out, trouble ensues when unexpected guests AND the cops arrive, resulting in epic and complexly staged action. Cattet and Forzani (Amer, The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears) continue to channel their love of giallo cinema, but stretch in new directions, gloriously borrowing from spaghetti Westerns and Italian crime films. “Boiled down to a blurb, it’s like Alejandro Jodorowsky (El Topo) directed Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire.”—Birth. Movies. Death. (90 mins.) https://youtu.be/8Cx48AN5_y8 PRECEDED BY: Manila Death Squad (Dir. Dean Colin Marcial) – United States/Philippines A journalist embeds herself with a violent vigilante group leader during the Philippine drug war. (13 mins.) Housewife (Dir. Can Evrenol) – Turkey A woman who experienced a tragic loss as a child comes under the spell of a mysterious and charismatic cult leader. Pivoting (mostly) from the H.P. Lovecraft and Anton Levay influences of his debut film (Baskin), Evrenol instead projects a mélange of cosmic horror and giallo influences mixed with a 1980s European soft-core production aesthetic. “Evrenol shows that he’s more than a one-trick pony. Housewife is an intriguing and strangely sensual tale of the descent into madness.”—The Hollywood News. (82 mins.) https://youtu.be/IuBs3WtYnLY PRECEDED BY: Setaceous (Dir. Tel Benjamin) – Australia A neighborhood is terrorized by a car alarm in the dead of the night. (11 mins.) Five Fingers for Marseilles (Dir. Michael Matthews) – South Africa A recent parolee returns to his hometown, vowing to turn his back on his criminal ways. Before long he finds that some of his friends from the Apartheid era have internalized and recreated the tyranny they struggled against. “Director Michael Matthews and scripter Sean Drummond skillfully employ recycled genre elements to enhance the mythic qualities of their slow-burn narrative and reinforce the underlying sense that their archetypical characters are fulfilling destinies as inescapable as the fates that might befall major players in a conventional Wild West saga.”—Variety. (120 mins.) https://youtu.be/vaWV8YhoYCQ PRECEDED BY: Catherine (Dir. Britt Raes) – Belgium An animated look into the origins of a crazy cat lady. (10 mins.) Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse (Dir. Lukas Feigelfeld) – Austria/Germany In a small Austrian mountain village in the 15th century, a single mother is ostracized by the other residents, who claim she is a witch. With his debut feature, director Lukas Feigelfeld has constructed a folk-horror tale that hews more closely to a black metal aesthetic than any other film in recent memory. “It looks and feels far more substantial than most indie debuts, confidently bending genre rules with its minimalist dialogue and hallucinatory plot, which owes more to David Lynch or Lars Von Trier than to more orthodox horror.”—Hollywood Reporter. (102 mins.) https://youtu.be/ctr9g-9gVkU PRECEDED BY: Möbius (Dir. Sam Kuhn) – United States/Canada Following the death of her true love, a high school poet describes what led her there in this highly textured, neo-noir short film. (15 mins.) The Endless (Dir. Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead) – United States After receiving a cryptic video in the mail, two brothers return to the Southern California cult they left a decade ago. They discover that no one they left behind has aged, and the event that the cult’s doctrine foretold has yet to happen. The directors make the most of the sci-fi tropes at the center of their micro-budget film, which has more in common with My Dinner With Andre and Primer than it does with the Hollywood-produced spectacles that pass for science fiction today. “The Endless isn’t just terrific—it’s poised to be that breakout genre hit that It Follows and The Babadook were.”—Slash Film. (111 mins.) (111 mins.) https://youtu.be/pcdTcGRJJRg PRECEDED BY: Zarr-Dos (Dir. Bart Wasem) – Switzerland Two giant heads blow shit up. (7 mins.)
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