Film Festivals

  • Director Tom Tykwer Named Jury President of the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival

    Tom Tykwer German director, screenwriter, film composer, and producer Tom Tykwer will serve as jury president of the 68th Berlin International Film Festival. “Tom Tykwer is one of the highest-profile German directors and has established himself on the international stage as a great filmmaker. His outstanding talent and innovative trademark have been on display in a variety of film genres. We have gained a superb jury president in Tom Tykwer,” says Festival Director Dieter Kosslick. Since 1992, the prize-winning, internationally renowned filmmaker has presented six of his films at the Berlinale. The first was his short film Epilog in the 1992 Panorama section. The Berlin International Film Festival has twice opened with Tykwer films – Heaven (2002) and The International (2009). Also seen at the festival were his short True (2004), as well as the film projects Germany 09: 13 Short Films About the State of the Nation (2009) and Rosakinder (2013), both anthology films made with other German directors. “The Berlinale has always been my favourite and my home film festival, and has supported me since I began working as a filmmaker. We have a fantastic and broad history with each other. Now I can look forward to two focused and fun weeks of films with the jury”, says Tom Tykwer with regard to his jury presidency. Tom Tykwer originally studied philosophy in Berlin, and worked as a projectionist and manager of the Moviemento cinema before making his first feature Deadly Maria in 1993. In 1994, he joined Stefan Arndt, Wolfgang Becker, and Dani Levy in founding the production company X Filme Creative Pool. He co-wrote the screenplay for Becker’s film Life is All You Get (Berlinale Competition 1996). In 1997, he directed Winter Sleepers, followed in 1998 by Run Lola Run, which marked his international breakthrough. After The Princess and the Warrior (2000), which he shot in his hometown of Wuppertal, he made his first English-language film Heaven, based on the last screenplay written by Krzysztof Kieślowski. Cate Blanchett played the lead. Further international productions followed with Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), based on Patrick Süskind’s novel, and The International (2009 Berlinale opening film). Three (2010), for which Tykwer won the German Film Prize for best director, was followed in 2012 by Cloud Atlas. The film, based on the eponymous bestseller by David Mitchell, was the first time Tykwer worked as a director with the Wachowskis (the Matrix trilogy). Tykwer composed music for and directed several episodes of the siblings’ Netflix series Sense8 (2015 – 2017). Tykwer’s feature A Hologram for the King, with Tom Hanks in the lead, was released in 2016. The director adapted the screenplay himself from the novel by Dave Eggers. For his most recent turn at the helm, Tykwer has ventured into episodic television. Babylon Berlin is based on the series of books by Volker Kutscher and is set in Berlin during the Weimar era. Tom Tykwer co-directed the first 16 episodes of Babylon Berlin with Achim von Borries and Henk Handloegten. Since the beginning of his career, Tom Tykwer has always composed the music for his own films, and has recently been collaborating with Johnny Klimek. He received numerous awards for the Cloud Atlas soundtrack, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for best composer. In addition to often functioning as writer, director, producer, and composer on his own films, Tom Tykwer has also been a producer on the films Gigantic (1999, dir: Sebastian Schipper), Soundless (2004, dir: Mennan Yapo), A Friend of Mine (2006, dir: Sebastian Schipper) and The Heart is a Dark Forest (2007, dir: Nicolette Krebitz).

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  • Actress Tessa Thompson to be Honored at Napa Valley Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_25392" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Tessa Thompson in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Tessa Thompson in Thor: Ragnarok (2017)[/caption] Actress Tessa Thompson will receive the JCB Collection Trailblazer Tribute at this year’s Celebrity Tributes presentation at the seventh annual Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF). Thompson will join the festival’s already announced line-up of honorees including Charles Krug Legendary Filmmaker Nancy Meyers, Raymond Vineyards Trailblazer Michael Shannon, Charles Krug Spotlight Tribute honoree Michael Stuhlbarg and the Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch Humanitarian Tribute honorees Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder. Thompson is best known for her roles in Creed and Dear White People, as well as her performance on HBO’s acclaimed drama series Westworld. She is also starring as the female lead in the highly-anticipated third installment of the Thor franchise, Thor: Ragnarok. In 2018, Thompson can also be found co-starring in the sci-fi thriller Annihilation and the fantasy/comedy Sorry to Bother You. “Tessa is an actress who has demonstrated in her career the ability to take on unique, dynamic roles that demonstrate her remarkable range and ability to bring her humanity to each performance. As a “trailblazer,” she is the embodiment of someone who is undaunted by taking risks and in doing so, achieves great success,” said Marc Lhormer, co-founder of the Napa Valley Film Festival. The Celebrity Tributes program will take place on Thursday, November 9 at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville and will include highlight reels and an intimate on-stage conversation with Access Hollywood’s Natalie Morales. NVFF announced their plans to move forward with this year’s programming following the wildfires that affected the region last month. The festival will be the first big event to take place since the fires, and will be both a celebration of the Valley itself, as well as an opportunity to support the rebuilding efforts of the community. NVFF will be donating 10% of all pass sales revenue from October 16 through the festival to the Napa Valley Disaster Relief Fund and Presenting Sponsor Lexus is generously donating 1,000 free tickets to select movies for those impacted by the fires.

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  • Whistler Film Festival Unveils Lineup, Opens with Winston Churchill Biopic DARKEST HOUR

    [caption id="attachment_25385" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]DARKEST HOUR DARKEST HOUR[/caption] The 17th Whistler Film Festival, aka ‘Canada’s Coolest Film Fest’, will take place from November 29 to December 3, 2017, and feature 87 fresh films (46 features and 41 shorts) from over 15 countries. WFF is set to open with Joe Wright’s DARKEST HOUR, starring Gary Oldman and Lily James. Endorsed by Winston Churchill’s estate, the film tells the story of Churchill’s refusal to engage in peace treaty negotiations with Nazi Germany during WWII, and his determination to fight on against incredible odds. Closing the festival is the World Premiere of THE MOMENT. Darcy Hennessey Turenne’s latest documentary feature uncovers the origin of Freeride Mountain Biking and its provenance in British Columbia by following a dedicated group of adventure seekers who changed the course of the sport forever. Oscar-contending films screening at WFF include the Western Canadian premieres of I, TONYA, one of the most pleasant surprises of this year’s festival season about disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding, directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Margot Robbie; THE DISASTER ARTIST, directed and starring James Franco along with Dave Franco, tells the true-life story of Tommy Wiseau, Hollywood outsider and director of the cult-hit THE ROOM, which will also debut as the “From the Vault” selection; and Canada’s entry in this year’s Best Foreign-Language film Oscar competition HOCHELAGA, LAND OF SOULS directed by François Girard. Additional critically acclaimed directors with works premiering in the festival include Richard Linklater, with LAST FLAG FLYING starring Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell and Laurence Fishburne, about three ex-marines who reunite thirty years after the Vietnam War; Émile Gaudreault with FATHER AND GUNS 2 (DE PÉRE EN FLIC 2), Canada’s highest grossing film of the year; Oscar Winner Mike Van Diem with the Netherlands, Italy, Canada co-production TULIPANI: LOVE, HONOUR, AND A BICYCLE; and acclaimed Canadian documentarian Alan Zweig with his latest film THERE IS A HOUSE HERE, about an Inuk rock singer Lucie Idlout. Director of Programming Paul Gratton stated: ”It is gratifying to see that the Whistler Film Festival’s ever growing reputation as a cool film festival in which to showcase original work is growing well beyond our borders. The quality of our American Indie submissions was way up this year, as was the quality of our hundreds of Canadian entries. The Borsos jury will have a particularly challenging time picking the winners this year.” Programming strands include American Indies, Canada 150, Contenders, Doc Bloc, Family Feature, First Features, From Overseas, From The Vault, Mountain Culture, ShortWork, Transgressive Tales, and World Premieres. This year WFF is proud to boast that all five films in its “American Indies” strand will grace Canadian screens for the first time in Whistler. American Indies include STORY OF A GIRL, the directorial debut from Kyra Sedgwick starring Kevin and Sosie Bacon; THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWN starring Bill Pullman directed by Jared Moshe; THE LEARS directed by longtime Whistler Alumnus and Canadian filmmaker Carl Bessai starring Bruce Dern, Sean Astin and Anthony Michael Hall; NEVER HERE directed by Camille Thoman starring the late Sam Shepard in his last performance on screen; and PAINLESS  directed by Jordan Horowitz starring Canadian actor Joey Klein. Other American films include PERMISSION directed by Brian Crano starring Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens and Jason Sudeikis; BERNARD AND HUEY directed by Slamdance Founder Dan Mirvish with the original script written by the legendary Jules Feiffer; and HEAVEN’S FLOOR directed by Lori Stoll based on the true story of a LA photographer who heads to Iqualuit for a shoot. And it’s not just Americans are entrusting WFF with their Canadian premieres. From Hungary, WFF will present Eva Gardos’ Chinatown style film noir set in Budapest during the early years of World War II. BUDAPEST NOIR is the story of an investigator trying to uncover the truth about a prostitute’s murder, though no one around him seems to care.

    This year, 20 Canadian films will compete for Canada’s second largest festival prize -Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature. Borsos titles include eight World Premieres featuring work from WFF Alumni including Pat Kiely with SOMEONE ELSE’S WEDDING starring Jacob Tierney, Jessica Paré, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Kevin Zegers, Kathleen Turner and Wallace Shawn; PRODIGALS directed by Michelle Ouellet starring Sara Canning and David Alpay; Jackie English’s first feature BECOMING BURLESQUE about a Muslim woman who turns to burlesque dancing starring Shiva Negar; Gail Harvey’s crime thriller NEVER SAW IT COMING based on the novel by Linwood Barclay; NOBODY FAMOUS directed by Sarah Rotella; plus three features from Vancouver based directors including 8 MINUTES AHEAD by Ben Hoskyn shot over the course of four years in Vancouver and China; THE PRODIGAL DAD, a home-grown sort of Toni Erdmann directed by Robert Wenzek; and THE CANNON directed by WFF Alumni Marshall Axani, who won the inaugural MPPIA Short Film Award.

    Canadian premieres in the Borsos competition include Hannah Cheesman and Mackenzie Donaldson’s coming of age story, THE DEFINITES, Daniel DiMarco’s atmospheric character study JUGGERNAUT starring Jack Kesy and Amanda Crew, and the family friendly Christmas story SANTA STOLE OUR DOG: A MERRY DOGGONE CHRISTMAS starring Ed Asner from DIY master Bryan Michael Stoller. Western Canadian premieres in the Borsos Competition include Carlos and Jason Sanchez’s first time feature A WORTHY COMPANION starring Evan Rachel Wood and Vancouver’s Julia Sarah Stone produced by the TIFF Canadian producers of the year, Luc Déry and Kim McCraw, ALL YOU CAN EAT BUDDHA the original and rhythmic visual buffet from first time director Ian Lagarde, Grayson Moore and Aidan Shipley’s drama CARDINALS featuring an unforgettable performance from Sheila McCarthy, Vladimir de Fontenay’s Canada/France co-production MOBILE HOMES starring Imogen Poots, Callum Keith Rennie and Callum Turner, TRENCH 11 an unusual WWI dark thriller starring Rossif Sutherland, the comedic drama VENUS about a man transitioning to a woman, and PORCUPINE LAKE, a beloved coming of age story about two best friends directed by DIY queen Ingrid Veninger. Also screening alongside PORCUPINE LAKE is the making of documentary feature THE OTHER SIDE OF PORCUPINE LAKE directed by Julian Papas. Other Canadian films screening at the festival out of competition include ANOTHER WOLFCOP directed by Lowell Dean, the hilarious sex comedy A SWINGERS WEEKEND directed by Jonathan Cohen, and the original crime drama ORDINARY DAYS shot in three segments by three directors Jordan Canning, Kris Booth and Renuka Jeyapalan. In addition to the World Premiere of THE MOMENT which closes the fest, Mountain Culture films include A TO B ROLLERSKI directed by Arnis Aspers about an athlete who “rollerskis” from the Arctic to Baja, DEPTH PERCEPTION the latest brainchild of Travis Rice directed by Chip Taylor and Chris Murphy accompanied by the short series SOMETHING from The Manboys as well as compilation of short mountain based films from some of the industry’s finest athletes and storytellers. This year’s Doc Bloc competition features a very diverse film line-up. In keeping with the theme of emerging talent, WFF is pleased to present the World Premiere of BECOMING ICONIC, Neal Thibedeau’s incisive look at aspiring New York based director Jonathan Barker’s first feature with Nicolas Cage, Gina Gershon and Faye Dunaway, and interviews with such directing legends as Adrian Lyne, John Badham, Jodie Foster and Taylor Hackford about their first time on set as directors. Additional films in this section include WORLD OF DARKNESS, a detailed look at the history and evolution of one the most popular goth lifestyle games of all time, will receive its Canadian Premiere at our fest; and THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ANDRÉ, a probing biodoc of André Leon Talley, former editor of Vogue Magazine, featuring interviews with everyone from Anna Wintour to Tom Ford.

    WFF 2017 COMPLETE FEATURE FILM LISTING BY STRAND:

    American Indies:

    THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWN (United States) Dir. Jared Moshe THE LEARS (Canada, United States) Dir. Carl Bessai NEVER HERE (United States) Dir. Camille Thoman PAINLESS (United States) Dir. Jordan Horowitz STORY OF A GIRL (United States) Dir. Kyra Sedgwick

    Canada 150:

    ANOTHER WOLFCOP (Canada) Dir. Lowell Dean FATHER AND GUNS 2 (DE PÉRE EN FLIC 2) (Canada) Dir. Émile Gaudreault HEAVEN’S FLOOR (Canada, United States) Dir. Lori Stoll JUGGERNAUT (Canada) Dir. Daniel DiMarco MOBILE HOMES (Canada, France) Dir. Vladimir de Fontenay ORDINARY DAYS (Canada) Dir. Jordan Canning, Kris Booth, Renuka Jeyapalan PORCUPINE LAKE (Canada) Dir. Ingrid Veninger TRENCH 11 (Canada) Dir. Leo Scherman

    Contenders:

    THE DARKEST HOUR (United Kingdom) Dir. Joe Wright THE DISASTER ARTIST (United States) Dir. James Franco HOCHELAGA, LAND OF SOULS (HOCHELAGA, TERRE DES ÂMES) (Canada) Dir. François Girard I, TONYA (United States) Dir. Craig Gillespie

    The Doc Bloc:

    BECOMING ICONIC (United States) Dir. Neal Thibedeau THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ANDRE (United States) Dir. Kate Novack THE OTHER SIDE OF PORCUPINE LAKE (Canada) Dir. Julian Papas THERE IS A HOUSE HERE (Canada) Dir. Alan Zweig WORLD OF DARKNESS (Sweden) Dir. Giles Alderson

    Family Feature:

    SANTA STOLE OUR DOG: A MERRY DOGGONE CHRISTMAS! (Canada) Dir. Bryan Michael Stoller

    First Features:

    ALL YOU CAN EAT BUDDHA (Canada) Dir. Ian Lagarde BECOMING BURLESQUE (Canada) Dir. Jackie English CARDINALS (Canada) Dir. Aidan Shipley & Grayson Moore THE DEFINITES (Canada) Dir. Hannah Cheesman & Mackenzie Donaldson

    From Overseas:

    BUDAPEST NOIR (Hungary) Dir Éva Gárdos TULIPANI: LOVE, HONOUR, AND A BICYCLE (Canada, Netherlands, Italy) Dir. Mike Van Diem

    From The Vault:

    THE ROOM (United States) Dir. Tommy Wiseau

    Mountain Culture:

    A TO B ROLLERSKI (Latvia, United States, Canada, Mexico) Dir. Arnis Aspers DEPTH PERCEPTION Dir. Chip Taylor & Chris Murphy

    Transgressive Tales:

    A SWINGER’S WEEKEND (Canada) Dir. Jonathan Cohen A WORTHY COMPANION (Canada) Dir. Carlos Sanchez & Jason Sanchez BERNARD AND HUEY (United States) Dir. Dan Mirvish THE CANNON (Canada) Dir. Marshall Axani PERMISSION (United States) Dir. Brian Crano VENUS (Canada) Dir. Eisha Marjara

    World Premieres:

    8 MINUTES AHEAD (Canada, China) Dir. Ben Hoskyn NEVER SAW IT COMING (Canada) Dir. Gail Harvey NOBODY FAMOUS (Canada) Dir. Sarah Rotella PRODIGALS (Canada) Dir. Michelle Ouellet THE PRODIGAL DAD (Canada) Dir. Robert Wenzek SOMEONE ELSE’S WEDDING (Canada) Dir. Pat Kiely

    WFF 2017 Feature Films Eligible for the Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature:

    A WORTHY COMPANION ALL YOU CAN EAT BUDDHA BECOMING BURLESQUE THE CANNON CARDINALS THE DEFINITES HOCHELAGA, LAND OF SOULS JUGGERNAUT MOBILE HOMES NEVER SAW IT COMING NOBODY FAMOUS PORCUPINE LAKE PRODIGALS THE PRODIGAL DAD SANTA STOLE OUR DOG: A MERRY DOGGONE CHRISTMAS SOMEONE ELSE’S WEDDING TRENCH 11 TULIPANI: LOVE, HONOUR AND A BICYCLE VENUS 8 MINUTES AHEAD  

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  • AFI FEST 2017 Presentations and Conversations Lineups Feature Christopher Nolan, Angelina Jolie and More

    [caption id="attachment_25378" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Angelina Jolie, FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER Angelina Jolie, FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER[/caption] Conversations on directing with Christopher Nolan and on storytelling with Angelina Jolie and Loung Ung are among the events on the Presentations and Conversations lineups for AFI FEST 2017 presented by Audi. Other events include a roundtable of documentary filmmakers presented by the Los Angeles Times; The Hollywood Reporter’s Indie Contenders Roundtable with eight standout artists; an in-depth conversation with director Patty Jenkins; a conversation with filmmaker Agnès Varda; and a conversation with Martin McDonagh and Sam Rockwell about THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, presented by Variety. AFI FEST takes place November 9 to 16, 2017, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and other events will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.

    PRESENTATIONS

    CINEMATIC STORYTELLING: A CONVERSATION WTH CHRISTOPHER NOLAN Director/writer/producer Christopher Nolan discusses his latest film, Dunkirk, centering on the British maneuvers from the land, sea and air as the military and civilians attempt to save 400,000 soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, during World War II. A special 70mm film presentation of Dunkirk will precede the discussion. WORLD CINEMA MASTER IN CONVERSATION: AGNÈS VARDA French auteur and AFI FEST 2013 Guest Artistic Director Agnès Varda sits down for a discussion of her career and her new film Faces Places (co-directed with French installation artist JR). The event begins with a screening of Faces Places. The event will be moderated by Serge Toubiana, President of UniFrance.

    CONVERSATIONS

    INDIE CONTENDERS ROUNDTABLE Hear from a diverse panel of artists who have done standout work in independent film this year. Presented by The Hollywood Reporter and moderated by columnist and blogger Scott Feinberg, the panel will feature a 90-minute discussion with the artists about their careers and influences, as well as the challenges and rewards of working on indies. Panelists include Sean Baker (THE FLORIDA PROJECT), Richard Gere (NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER), Salma Hayek (BEATRIZ AT DINNER), Diane Kruger (IN THE FADE), Kumail Nanjiani (THE BIG SICK), Robert Pattinson (GOOD TIME), Margot Robbie (I, TONYA) and Lois Smith (MARJORIE PRIME). The roundtable is presented by The Hollywood Reporter and will be moderated by Scott Feinberg their lead awards analyst. DOC ROUNDTABLE Los Angeles Times film critic Justin Chang sits down with a panel of distinguished directors behind some of the most talked-about and acclaimed documentaries of the year. The panelists will include Evgeny Afineevsky (CRIES FROM SYRIA), Greg Barker (THE FINAL YEAR), Kasper Collin (I CALLED HIM MORGAN), Feras Fayyad (LAST MEN IN ALEPPO), Yance Ford (STRONG ISLAND), Bryan Fogel (ICARUS), Steve James (ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL), Amanda Lipitz (STEP) and Brett Morgen (JANE). The roundtable it presented by the Los Angeles Times. ON DIRECTING: PATTY JENKINS WONDER WOMAN director and AFI Conservatory alumna Patty Jenkins sits down for a moderated, in-depth discussion. ON DIRECTING: SOFIA COPPOLA Director/writer Sofia Coppola sits down to discuss her latest film, THE BEGUILED, set during the American Civil War and centering on an all-female Southern boarding school that takes in a wounded Union soldier, with unsettling results. ON ACTING: BRINGING APES TO LIFE – ANDY SERKIS, TERRY NOTARY, MATT REEVES, JOE LETTERI Actors Andy Serkis and Terry Notary, director Matt Reeves and Senior Visual Effects Supervisor Joe Letteri of the critically acclaimed and visually stunning WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES sit down for a panel discussion on how performance capture and visual effects bring complex and emotional characters to life. ON COLLABORATIVE STORYTELLING: ANGELINA JOLIE AND LOUNG UNG Director Angelina Jolie and writer Loung Ung discuss the artistic and cross-cultural collaboration that brought FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER to the screen. Based on Ung’s autobiography, the film centers on a young girl who must embark on a harrowing quest for survival amid the sudden rise and terrifying reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER is Cambodia’s official Best Foreign Language Film Oscar® submission. CINEMA’S LEGACY: A CONVERSATION WITH JORDAN PEELE GET OUT director/writer Jordan Peele sits down for an in-depth conversation about his film and the impact and legacy of GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER (1967), the groundbreaking, Oscar® winner about an interracial romance starring Sidney Poitier that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER will screen following the conversation. IN CONVERSATION: MARTIN MCDONAGH AND SAM ROCKWELL Director/writer/producer Martin McDonagh and actor Sam Rockwell, who have a long relationship working together for both the stage and screen, sit down for a moderated discussion with Jenelle Riley of Variety on THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, a darkly comedic drama centering on a mother (Frances McDormand) who makes a bold move to find her daughter’s murderer, riling local law enforcement. The conversation is presented by Variety.

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  • 2017 Twin Cities Film Fest Awards – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Wins Best Film

    [caption id="attachment_23572" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri[/caption] The Twin Cities Film Fest announced its 2017 award winners Saturday evening, and named Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” as the year’s Best Feature Film. “The Bachelors,” a father-son drama starring J.K. Simmons, was named a finalist in several categories and walked away with the Indie Vision Breakthrough Award for Simmons’ teenage co-star Josh Wiggins. The festival’s top non-fiction awards went to documentaries spotlighting the great migrations of refugees now underway around the globe. Ai Weiwei’s “Human Flow,” was named Best Documentary; Amanda Bailly’s “8 Borders, 8 Days” won the 2017 Non-Fiction Indie Vision Award. The 2017 Audience Awards went to “Instructions for Living,” a drama co-starring and co-written by Minnesota native Morgan Owens; “Coyote,” a documentary about the life and disappearance of acclaimed sailor Mike Plant who grew up in the state; and ‘Hearts Want,” a sweeping short romance directed by Twin Cities filmmaker Jason P. Schumacher. Minnesota native Lea Thompson returned home to the state to open the festival with her comedic directorial debut “The Year of Spectacular Men.” The film is written by her daughter Madelyn Deutch, who stars in the comedy opposite her sister Zoe. At Saturday evening’s award ceremony, Madelyn was named this year’s Indie Vision Breakthrough Artist for narrative filmmaking. “The creativity of Madelyn’s script, the strength of her performance, and the uniqueness of Lea’s first film, set the tone for the entire festival,” says Jatin Setia, Twin Cities Film Fest’s executive director. “We billed this year as the ‘Year of Spectacular Women,’ in part because we were captivated by these memorable female-driven films we were seeing on the festival circuit and also in recognition of the fact that over 50 percent of all our titles this year were directed/produced by women. Madelyn’s award is just the tip of the iceberg, in terms of the female talent we celebrated this year.” On the festival’s closing day, TCFF also honored actress, and Minnesota native, Rachael Leigh Cook with the festival’s coveted North Star Award.

    2017 Twin Cities Film Fest Award Winners

    Best Feature Film: “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” directed by Martin McDonagh. Best Documentary: “Human Flow,” directed by Ai Weiwei Best Short Film: “Cat Killer,” directed by Wes Jones. Audience Award, Narrative: “Instructions For Living,” directed by Sarah Heinss (Runner-Up: “Aquarians,” directed by Michael M. McGuire) Audience Award, Non-Fiction: “Coyote,” directed by Thomas Simmons (Runner-Up: “Victor’s Last Class,” directed by Brendan Brandt) Audience Award, Short Film: “Hearts Want,” directed by Jason P. Schumacher (Runner-Up: “Wet Dreams: One Woman’s Chance at Touching Gold,” directed by Darren Coyle) Indie Vision Breakthrough Award — Narrative: Madelyn Deutch (screenplay, “The Year of Spectacular Men”) Indie Vision Breakthrough Award — Non-Fiction: “8 Borders, 8 Days,” directed by Amanda Bailly Indie Vision Breakthrough Award – Best Performance: Josh Wiggins (“The Bachelors” and “Walking Out”) Fun Is Good Bill Murray Comedic Shorts Award: “Lady Lillian,” directed by Amber Johnson North Star Award for Excellence: Rachael Leigh Cook TCFF 2017 Changemaker Award: Lexi Reed Holtum, executive director and lobbyist of the Steve Rummler Hope Network, for her work advocating on behalf of Steve’s Law and the 2015 state funding that enabled first responders to have the resources they need to implement the law. Holtum was also responsible for the creation of the network’s Overdose Prevention Program, fostering partnerships between hospitals, treatment and sober living facilities, and communities to reduce opioid overdose deaths.

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  • STRAWBERRY DAYS and PLASTIC CHINA Win Golden Tine Awards at Devour! The Food Film Fest

    [caption id="attachment_25361" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Strawberry Days, directed by Wiktor Ericsson Strawberry Days[/caption] Eight Filmmakers from around the globe have become the winners of the coveted Golden Tine Awards as the seventh edition of Devour! The Food Film Fest comes to a close in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Strawberry Days, directed by Wiktor Ericsson, won Best Feature Drama for shining an intimate light on a part of the food industry we don’t often see up close; and Jiu-liang Wang’s Plastic China won Best Feature Documentary for tackling a massive global issue and bringing it right down to a human, in fact child size, level. Shingo Usami received the Golden Tine Award in the Best Short Drama category for Riceballs, a film built on small moments around food for a father and son. Best Short Documentary went to Patrick Bresnan for The Rabbit Hunt which follows a family on a rabbit hunt as sugar cane fields are being burned. Best Animation went to Fabio Friedli’s In a Nutshell, a clever and creative film that makes unexpected but legitimate links. Honourable mentions go to Aube Giroux for her film Modified and Kevin Kossowan for his short, Kill Day. The jurors were impressed by the way Giroux’s film wove together a political and personal story, ambitiously assembling an assortment of footage and techniques from home movies to interviews. The Devour! jury was incredibly moved by Kevin Kossowan’s Kill Day. Never has a butcher so eloquently summed up the somewhat conflicted, ongoing struggle to put ethically sourced meat on the table. Kossowan takes a topic so many people would rather look away from and brings it to life in a very poetic and poignant way. The Nourish Nova Scotia Youth Food & Film Challenge winner was also awarded at today’s brunch. Presented by CBC’s Tom Murphy, Christelinda Laureijs took home the $500.00 Nourish Nova Scotia Youth Food & Film Challenge prize to support a healthy eating initiative in their school/community for her film, Food for the Planet. Laureijs was also gifted a brand-new CBC prize, a $500 GoPro Kit. The eighth edition of Devour! will take place October 24 to 28, 2018.

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  • “Insecure” Star Jay Ellis Named Celebrity Ambassador of 2018 American Black Film Festival

    Jay Ellis, Insecure The 22nd American Black Film Festival (ABFF) returns to Miami, June 13 to 17, 2018 with actor Jay Ellis, star of the popular HBO series “Insecure” serving as the 2018 Celebrity Ambassador. Jay Ellis currently stars as ‘Lawrence’ on HBO’s critically-acclaimed comedy series, ”Insecure,” which follows a young African-American woman as she navigates familiar insecure situations in Los Angeles, while Lawrence, her ex-boyfriend, faces his own expectations for himself and his professional and personal success and happiness. Ellis also starred as ‘Bryce “Blue” Westbrook’ on the hit BET series, “The Game.” His additional television credits include roles on “Masters of Sex,”, “Grace and Frankie,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “NCIS.” On the big screen, Ellis is currently on location in Cape Town, South Africa filming “The Maze” for Sony Pictures, with producer Neal Mortiz. Ellis recently wrapped production on the indie, “A Boy. A Girl. A Dream: Love on Election Night,” with castmates Omari Hardwick and Meagan Good, directed by Qaism Basir. “It’s an honor to serve as ambassador for the 2018 American Black Film Festival. Jeff’s vision for ABFF and his continued passion to create a platform for storytellers and content creators of color has been inspiring to me and many others. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of building on the mission of ABFF,” says Jay Ellis. “We are delighted to welcome Jay Ellis to the ABFF family. His commitment to new and diverse stories embodies the mission of this festival. Jay’s career trajectory exemplifies the importance of supporting and uplifting our own. We feel very fortunate to have him as our 2018 ambassador and are excited about what his participation will bring to our event,” said Jeff Friday, CEO of ABFF Ventures.

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  • 2017 Austin Film Festival Awards – IN BLUE and TRANSFORMER Win Film Jury Awards

    [caption id="attachment_25348" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Transformer  directed by Michael Del Monte Transformer[/caption] The Austin Film Festival (AFF) announced the 2017 Script Competition Winners and the Film Competition Jury Award Winners. In Blue directed by Jaap van Heusden won the award for Best Narrative Feature, and Transformer  directed by Michael Del Monte won the award for Best Documentary Feature. In “In Blue”,  a flight attendant who has successfully existed as a single independent woman for years finds herself delivering a child mid flight. This moment flips her world on its head. Transformer tells the story of former US Marine and world record weightlifter Matt Kroczaleski who was publicly outed as transgender in the summer of 2015.  The reaction was universal: her sponsors abandoned her, she was disowned by her parents, and banned from competing. Now Janae, she must find her place in society, unable to lose the muscle she once so desperately gained and living one day as an alpha male and the next day as a delicate girl.

    2017 Austin Film Festival Film Competition Jury Award Winners

    Narrative Feature: In Blue written by Jan-Willem den Bok and Jaap van Heusden Narrative Feature Honorable Mention: Boost written by Darren Curtis Documentary Feature in partnership with POV:  Transformer directed by Michael Del Monte Comedy Vanguard Feature: Don’t Talk to Irene written by Pat Mills Dark Matters Feature: Freddy/Eddy written by Tini Tüllman Narrative Short presented by ShortsTV: Demon written by Caleb Slain Narrative Student Short: Towards the Sun written by Elie Choufany and Monica Santis Documentary Short: Los Comandos directed by Joshua Bennett and Juliana Schatz Preston Animated Short: Second to None written by Vincent Gallagher Scripted Digital Series presented by Stage 13:  Cleaner Daze created by Tess Sweet and Daniel Gambelin

    2017 Austin Film Festival Script Competition Winners

    Drama Screenplay Award presented by the Writers Guild of America, East:  Brokenhearted by Caroline Hopkins Comedy Screenplay Award presented by Sony Pictures Animation: The Olympian by Troy Miller Sci-Fi Screenplay Award presented by Skybound Entertainment:  Every Horizon Beyond by Henry Tranton Enderby Entertainment Award: Apacheria by Andrew Reuland & Joey Grossfield Horror Screenplay Award: Family Photos by Chad Harris AMC One-Hour Pilot Award: Breakfield by Caitlin Schneiderhan Sitcom Pilot Award: The Big D by Jill Taylor Short Screenplay Award: Ringneck by Michael Allcock Scripted Digital Series Award presented by Stage 13: The Range by Adam Groff One-Hour Spec Award: Black Mirror: Punchbag by Steven Snell Sitcom Spec Award: You’re the Worst: Antiversary by Cara Brown Playwriting Award underwritten by Sweetwood Creative: Signature Photo by Michael Bucklin Fiction Podcast Award presented by Public Radio International: How to Build a Fire by Kat Sandler

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  • First 15 Films Revealed for 47th International Film Festival Rotterdam

    [caption id="attachment_24746" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Florida Project The Florida Project[/caption] International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) revealed the first 15 films selected for its 47th edition, among which are Sean Baker’s The Florida Project and Guillermo del Toro’sThe Shape of Water. Other selections include work by Wang Bing, Constantin Popescu and Alexey Fedorchenko. The festival will take place from January 24 to February 4, 2018. IFFR celebrates film art from all over the world and continues to present its programme in four sections, each with its own distinct character: Bright Future (including the Hivos Tiger Competition and the Tiger Competition for Short Films); Voices; Deep Focus and Perspectives. Short films are strongly represented throughout the festival. Also among the first titles are the international premieres of La fleurière by Ruben Desière (Belgium/Slovakia) and The Bottomless Bag by Rustam Khamdamov (Russia). Other festival highlights include Wang Bings Golden Leopard winning Mrs. Fang; Les garçons sauvages by French filmmaker Bertrand Mandico; Zhang Miaoyan’s Silent Mist (China/France); and the world premiere of the short film project with history in a room filled with people with funny names 4 by Korakrit Arunanondchai (USA/Thailand/South Africa/UK). The first 15 films confirmed for the 47th IFFR:

    BRIGHT FUTURE

    The Flower Shop (La fleurière), Ruben Desière, Belgium/Slovakia, international premiere The Wild Boys (Les garçons sauvages), Bertrand Mandico, France All You Can Eat Buddha, Ian Lagarde, Canada, European premiere

    VOICES

    Anna’s War, Alexey Fedorchenko, Russia, European premiere Pororoca, Constantin Popescu, Romania/France Silent Mist, Zhang Miaoyan, China/France, European premiere

    VOICES/Limelight

    The Florida Project, Sean Baker, USA The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro, USA

    DEEP FOCUS

    The Bottomless Bag, Rustam Khamdamov, Russia, international premiere Mrs. Fang, Wang Bing, Hong Kong/France/Germany Marquis of Wavrin, from the manor to the jungle (Marquis de Wavrin, du manoir à la jungle), Grace Winter, Luc Plantier, Belgium

    SHORT FILM

    Glimpse, Artur Zmijewski, Poland/Germany I Have Nothing to Say, Ying Liang, Taiwan/Hong Kong with history in a room filled with people with funny names 4, Korakrit Arunanondchai, USA/Thailand/South Africa/UK, world premiere

    MID-LENGTH

    The Worldly Cave, Zhou Tao, China, European premiere

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  • VIDEO: Watch Daniel McCabe’s Eye Opening Documentary THIS IS CONGO Trailer

    This is Congo Here is the powerful trailer for Daniel McCabe’s eye opening documentary This is Congo which will have its New York premiere at the upcoming DOC NYC 2017. The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Venice Film Festival and will also screen at the upcoming IDFA 2017. After living in the Congo for 7+ years, McCabe gained unprecedented access to top military officials and well-connected locals, allowing him to give a truly unfiltered look into one of the longest conflicts in the world, and the people surviving within it. This is Congo examines multiple sides of the fractious war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following a former rebel whistle blower, a beloved frontline Commander and Mama Romance, a charismatic mineral dealer working on the black market. This is Congo is a highly-immersive, unfiltered look into one of the longest conflicts in the world. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen more than five million conflict-related deaths, multiple regime changes and the wholesale impoverishment of its people in the past two decades. This is Congo immerses the viewer onto the frontlines of battle with key players including a whistleblower and military commanders to provide a truly unfiltered and unique look into the conflict plaguing Congo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WfWODjDYAk

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  • I AM NOT A WITCH and TASTE OF CEMENT Win at 2017 Adelaide Film Festival 

    [caption id="attachment_25151" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]I AM NOT A WITCH I AM NOT A WITCH[/caption] I Am Not A Witch and documentary Taste of Cement are the top prize winning films of the 2017 Adelaide Film Festival.  The festival named Nothing Happens, the winner of the inaugural AFTRS International VR Award. The 2017 ADL Film Fest International Feature Award winner, I Am Not A Witch, is the feature debut of Zambia-born Welsh director Rungano Nyoni, and tells the tale of Shaula, a young, Zambian orphan banished from her village to a ‘witch camp.’ The Jury hailed the film as “unique and bold … surprisingly funny … a bold debut from a bright new talent.” The 2017 Flinders University International Best Documentary Award goes to Ziad Kalthoum’s Taste of Cement. The film details the tale of Syrian Construction workers who are virtually imprisoned on the site of the Beirut skyscrapers they build. It celebrated its Australian Premiere at ADL Film Fest, and was applauded by the Jury; “a poetic unfolding … we admire the filmmaker’s audacity, ambition and heart … Ziad is a director of talent.” For the 2017 GU Film House Audience Awards, as voted by the audiences, Best Feature went to Warwick Thornton’s frontier western – Sweet Country, Jill Bilcock: Dancing the Invisible scooped up Best Documentary; and Oddlands took Best Short. Inspired by real events, Sweet Country is a period western set in 1929 in the outback Northern Territory. When Aboriginal stockman Sam (Hamilton Morris) kills white station owner Harry March (Ewen Leslie) in self-defence, Sam and his wife Lizzie (Natassia Gorey-Furber) go on the run. They are pursued across the outback, through glorious but harsh desert country. With credits including Strictly Ballroom, Muriel’s Wedding, The Dish, Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet and Road to Perdition Jill Bilcock is regarded as one the world’s great film editors. Axel Grigor’s hugely entertaining documentary Jill Bilcock: Dancing the Invisible, traces Bilcock’s journey from Melbourne film student in the 1960s to working as an extra in Bollywood movies and learning her craft when Australia had virtually no feature film industry.

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  • MADE IN ILIMA, SUPERDESIGN Among Films for 9th Architecture & Design Film Festival in NYC

    [caption id="attachment_25336" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Made in Ilima Made in Ilima[/caption] The 9th Architecture & Design Film Festival returns to Cinépolis Chelsea in New York City from November 1 to November 5,  and will screen a total of 34 feature-length and short films, including films that explore the life and work of revered architects such as Glenn Murcutt, Kevin Roche and Rem Koolhaas and timely topics such as the power of design to instill positive change. Among the world premieres, attendees will get the first look at Made in Ilima, a film about a primary school and community center built in the Congo by 2017 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award winner, MASS Design. Viewers can also expect to see the U.S. premiere of Aires Mateus: Matter in Reverse, a film about the uniquely developed architectural language embodied in the work of the Portuguese architecture firm. In addition to the curated selection of films, ADFF will present a series of intimate discussions with prominent architects, designers, industry leaders and filmmakers as well as entertainment in the theater’s newly revamped lounge.

    Highlights include:

    Thursday, November 2 (6:00 PM) Van Alen Sessions: Infrastructure on Film Following the screening of the Van Alen Institute’s world premiere of Season Three of the short documentary series Van Alen Sessions, Steven Thomson, managing producer of Van Alen Sessions and programs and communications manager at the Van Alen Institute, will moderate a panel discussion on the changing narrative of cities’ infrastructures. Thursday, November 2 (6:00 PM) What to do with 520 Miles of Coastline? Following the screening of Arup’s short film Pier to Pier: Reclaiming New York’s Waterfront, Arup’s Francesca Birks will moderate a panel discussion with leading members of the city’s waterfront and public space communities including Jonathan Boulware, Executive Director of the South Street Seaport Museum, Nancy Choi, Senior Environmental Engineer at Arup, Archie Lee Coates, Executive Director, Co-Founder & Designer of + POOL and Robert Holdbrook, Planning Department Director at NYC Economic Development Corporation. Friday, November 3 (6:45 PM) REM Following the screening of REM, Cathleen McGuigan, Editor in Chief of Architectural Record, will sit in conversation with Nicolai Ouroussoff, architecture writer and critic, to discuss the intimate portrayal of world-renowned architect Rem Koolhaas. Friday, November 3 (9:00 PM) Made in Ilima The co-founders of MASS Design, Michael Murphy and Alan Ricks, will sit down with film director Thatcher Bean for a Q&A to discuss their project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – a conservation-focused primary school and community center in the Ilima community, which remains one of the most isolated in the world. Saturday, November 4 (4:15 PM) Kevin Roche: The Quiet Architect Pritzker Prize-winning Irish-American architect Kevin Roche and director Mark Noonan will discuss the film and Roche’s lifetime of acclaimed work in a Q&A after the film screening. Sunday, November 5 (4:30 PM) SUPERDESIGN Following the screening of SUPERDESIGN, Felix Burrichter, creative director, curator, writer and founder of PIN-UP Magazine will moderate a conversation about Italian Radical Design with Evan Snyderman, owner and co-founder of R & Company and producer of SUPERDESIGN; Francesca Molteni, director of SUPERDESIGN; Franco Audrito, founder of Studio65; and Maria Cristina Didero, co-curator of SUPERDESIGN and curator of the SuperDesign exhibition at R & Company.

    The VR films include:

    This is What the Future Looked Like: A new eight-minute VR documentary created by filmmakers Sam Green and Gary Hustwit that is a rumination on the work of architect and futurist Buckminster Fuller. Inside the Biennale: A VR Series: In a collaboration with Artsy and UBS, Scenic created a series about the Venice Art Biennale.

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