Film Festivals

2018 Athena Film Festival Announces Lineup, I AM NOT A WITCH, LADY BIRD and More…

[caption id="attachment_25151" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] I AM NOT A WITCH[/caption] The Athena Film Festival (AFF) continues to showcase films about strong and courageous women leaders with its 2018 lineup of narrative, documentary, and short films. Among the feature films included in this year’s lineup are THE BREADWINNER, directed by Nora Twomey and executive produced by Angelina Jolie; the New York premiere of I AM NOT A WITCH, from first-time writer and director Rungano Nyoni; LADY BIRD, the directorial debut of Greta Gerwig (AFF ‘11 Honoree and 2006 Barnard graduate), starring Saoirse Ronan; MEGAN LEAVEY, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and starring Kate Mara; WONDER WOMAN, directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot; and THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE, directed by Niki Caro and starring Jessica Chastain, among others. The documentary category includes 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 (1987 Barnard graduate); and the international premiere of MY YEAR WITH HELEN, directed by Gaylene Preston, among others. A wide variety of shorts will be featured, including the world premiere of 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; and THE RED THUNDER, directed by Alvaro Ron, among others. In addition, the festival will feature several Virtual Reality experiences including Look But With Love: A Story of Women, Look But With Love: A Story of Dance from Oscar-winning director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Testimony from project creator Zohar Kfir, and Under the Net from director and writer Justin Perkison. The festival will also host entertaining and informative panels including: The Female Gaze, Social Media and Branding For Filmmakers, and Revising the Canon. “We are thrilled to announce an incredible line-up for the 2018 Athena Film Festival which highlights diverse female talent both in front of and behind the camera,” said Melissa Silverstein, co-founder and Artistic Director of the Festival and founder of Women and Hollywood. “Our goal as a festival has always been to highlight and recognize the strong and unique female voices and points of view in the industry by giving them a platform for their stories to be shared and amplified.” “It’s an honor to once again host this inspiring festival that celebrates the stories of courageous and bold women leaders and the filmmakers who create them,” said Kathryn Kolbert, co-founder of the Festival and Constance Hess Williams ‘66 Director of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College. “We are thrilled to recognize the diverse talents of current filmmakers, actors and executives and ignite a spark in the next generation.” 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. The 2018 festival co-chairs include Ava DuVernay, Julie Parker Benello, Debra Martin Chase, Geralyn Dreyfous, Paul Feig, Sherry Lansing, Jon Levin, Dylan McDermott, Sheila Nevins, David Oyelowo, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Susan Rovner, Regina K. Scully, and Rachel Weisz. The eighth annual festival, co-founded by the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College and Women and Hollywood, will take place February 22 to 25, 2018, at Barnard College in New York City.
FEATURES
The Breadwinner Director: Nora Twomey Writers: Anita Doron and Deborah Ellis The Breadwinner is the story of Parvana, a young girl living under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, who must disguise herself as a boy to become the breadwinner of the family when her father is unfairly imprisoned. A story of self-empowerment and imagination in the face of oppression, The Breadwinner celebrates the culture, history, and beauty of Afghanistan The Divine Order Director and Writer: Petra Volpe Political and religious leaders in Switzerland cited “Divine Order” as the reason why women still did not have to right to vote as late as 1970. Director Petra Volpe introduces us to Nora, an apolitical housewife, who becomes the unflinching suffragette leader of the village and helps shepherd equality to this European nation. Fanny’s Journey Director: Lola Doillon Writers: Lola Doillon and Anne Peyregne Based on a true story from WWII, this stirring film is an incredible tale of bravery, strength and survival that tells the story of a young Jewish girl in France, who is sent by her parents to a “safe-haven” school in Italy to avoid the Nazi occupation. When the Nazis arrive in Italy, 13-year-old Fanny finds a way to escape, leading her sisters and nine other children across the border to safety in Switzerland. I Am Not a Witch [New York Premiere] Director and Writer: Rungano Nyoni First-time writer/director Rungano Nyoni spins a magical tale where comedy and tragedy are interwoven to virtuosic affect. After a harmless encounter in an African village, the state imprisons the quiet, withdrawn, 8-year-old orphan, Shula, in witch camp — where the witches wear ribbons tied to a tree to ‘keep them from flying’ — and are threatened with a curse if they try to escape. Lady Bird Director and Writer: Greta Gerwig Appearing on many of the 2017 best film lists, Barnard grad and Athena Award winner Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut, loosely based on her teen years in Sacramento, stars Saoirse Ronan as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson who navigates the pressures and constraints of Catholic school with awkward self-assuredness. Longing to break free, she dreams of a future full of east coast skyscrapers, Ivy League universities, and a cosmopolitan culture. The New York Times, A.O. Scott calls this “exceptionally well-written script, full of wordplay and lively argument,”. . . “perfect”. Megan Leavey Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite Writers: Pamela Gray, Annie Mumolo, Tim Lovestedt Based on a true story, Kate Mara plays Marine corporal Megan Leavey whose exceptional skill and unique bond with a military combat dog, Rex, saves countless lives as they search for IEDs during 100+ combat missions in Iraq, proving that heroes come in many forms. After leaving the military with a Purple Heart, Megan fights valiantly to adopt the injured Rex, and bring him home. Moana Director: Ron Clements, John Musker Writer: Jared Bush Moana is a sweeping animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who is inspired to leave the safety and security of her island on a daring journey to save her people. Inexplicably drawn to the ocean, Moana convinces the mighty demigod Maui to join her mission, and he reluctantly helps her become a wayfinder like her ancestors. Together, they voyage across the open ocean and along the way, Moana fulfills her quest and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity. Te Ata Director: Nathan Frankowski Writer: Esther Luttrell, Jeannie Barbour This inspiring film is based on the true story of Mary Thompson Fisher who became one of the greatest Native American performers of all time. Born in Indian Territory, and raised on the songs and stories of her Chickasaw tribe, Te Ata’s journey (played by Q’orianka Kilcher) led her through isolation, discovery, love and a stage career that culminates in performances for a United States President, European royalty and audiences across the world. Yet, of all the stories she shared, none are more dramatic than her own. Their Finest Director: Lone Scherfig Writer: Gaby Chiappe Set in London in 1940, this wry comedy tells the story of Catrin Cole, a young copywriter drafted by the Ministry of Information to add a woman’s touch to its propaganda films that are intended to boost morale in the midst of the Blitz. Gemma Arterton leads a cast of Britain’s top talent, as Catrin and a cynical, witty screenwriter Buckley (Sam Claflin) set out to make an epic feature film based on the Dunkirk rescue starring the gloriously vain, former matinee idol Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy). As bombs are dropping all around them, Catrin, Buckley and their colorful cast and crew work furiously to make a film that will warm the hearts of the nation. Wonder Woman Director: Patty Jenkins Screenplay: Allan Heinberg; Story: Zack Snyder, Allan Heinberg, Jason Fuchs In the 2017 blockbuster of the year, based on the DC comics superhero, Gal Gadot plays Wonder Woman, aka Diana, the Amazonian princess trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Her sheltered island paradise is compromised when an American pilot (Chris Pine) crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world. Diana decides to leave the only world she’s ever known, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting in the war to end all wars, Diana discovers her full powers and her true destiny and inspires young women across the globe. The Zookeeper’s Wife Director: Niki Caro Writer: Angela Workman Academy Award-nominated actress Jessica Chastain stars in this stirring film as Antonina Zabinska, the title character in a true story of husband and wife team that run the Warsaw Zoo during the Nazi occupation. Working secretly with the Resistance throughout the Holocaust, the zookeepers sneak Jews out of the ghetto, and give them refuge in tunnels beneath their home, saving hundreds from extermination.
DOCUMENTARIES
Be Relentless Director Brad Riley Writers: Norma Bastidas, Jessie Marek, Alexis Rhyner, Brady Riley On May 5, 2014, Norma Bastidas, a fearless survivor of human trafficking, sexual violence, abuse and addiction, shattered the Guinness World Record for longest triathlon—running, biking and swimming 3,762 miles from Cancún, Mexico to Washington D.C. Join Norma and her team on their 64-day trek and witness her unrelenting endurance, selflessness, and compassion as she takes a stand against human trafficking. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story Director and Writer: Alexandra Dean Alexandra Dean’s illuminating documentary reveals how Hedy Lamarr, considered by many to be the most beautiful woman in the world was also one of the smartest and most misunderstood. An Austrian Jewish émigré who acted by day and invented by night, Lamarr (1914-2000) developed a radio system to throw Nazi torpedoes off course during WWII, and the concepts underlying today’s cell phone and bluetooth technology. Weaving interviews and clips with never-before-heard audio tapes of Hedy speaking on the record about her incredible life, Bombshell brings to light the story of an unusual and accomplished woman who remains a role model to this day. Chavela Directors: Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi Documentary filmmakers Gund and Kyi unearth previously unpublished material and footage to give us a captivating look at the unconventional life of beloved performer Chavela Vargas, whose passionate renditions of Mexican popular music and triumphant return to the stage late in life brought her international fame. Performing with an intense artistry unmatched by her contemporaries, Chavela was an open lesbian when being out in Mexico was rare and dangerous. By the end of her life, she earned a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, and sold out performances at prestigious concert halls around the world. Dalya’s Other Country Director: Julia Meltzer With their country at war and her parents’ marriage falling apart, 12-year-old Dalya and her mother leave Aleppo, Syria, to join her brother in Los Angeles. Together they navigate life in a new country. Dalya, a smiling, effervescent teenager who is the only girl who wears a headscarf at her all-girls Catholic school, must balance her father’s expectations with her developing ideals. A remarkable story of a family displaced by the Syrian conflict explores how they must grow and change, caught between highly politicized identities. I Am Evidence Directors: Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir Activist and actress Mariska Hargitay investigates the alarming backlog of untested rape kits that have denied justice to survivors of sexual assault for decades. Over 175,000 untested kits have been uncovered to date. As a result, perpetrators remaining free, victims ignored, and the potentially crucial evidence left to languish. Telling the story of four courageous women whose kits went untested for years, I Am Evidence reveals pervasive problems within the U.S. criminal justice system and sends a powerful message that this travesty must be stopped. It’s Criminal [New York City Premiere] Director: Signe Taylor A powerful critique of the economic and social inequities that divide the United States, It’s Criminal follows a group of Dartmouth College students who as part of a college class, work with female inmates in a rural jail to create and perform an original play. Signe Taylor’s camera turns an intimate lens on these interactions and the life-changing experiences had by both the inmates and students, demonstrating that empathy is a powerful force in bridging divides. MANKILLER Director: Valerie Red-Horse Valerie Red-Horse’s documentary tells the tale of a true American legend, Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010), a community organizer turned political leader who defied all odds to make a difference for her people. During a time when American Indians found themselves disenfranchised and undervalued by the United States at large, Wilma emerged as a champion of the Cherokee Nation and became its first female Principal Chief. My Year with Helen [International Premiere] Director: Gaylene Preston By any measure, Helen Clark is an exceptional woman. Her journey from one of four children on a remote New Zealand farm to becoming New Zealand’s first elected female Prime Minister is an inspirational life story. My Year with Helenfollows her in 2016 as she adds a new, ever more ambitious goal: to become the first female Secretary-General of the United Nations. Play Your Gender Director: Stephanie Clattenburg Writers: Stephanie Clattenburg and Sahar Yousefi Canadian musician, Kinnie Starr, goes on a quest to find out why only five percent of music producers are women despite bold advances in other industries. Through conversations with some of the leading talents and voices in the field including Melissa Auf der Maur (Smashing Pumpkins, Hole), Sara Quinn (Tegan and Sara) and others, Play Your Gender asks what it takes for a female producer to make it in the music industry. Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart Director and Writer: Tracy Heather Strain Filmmaker Tracy Heather Strain delivers a moving account of the life of black playwright, communist, feminist, lesbian, and outspoken trailblazer Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965), a pivotal voice among black intellectuals of her time. Her legendary play, A Raisin in the Sun—the first Broadway play produced and written by a black woman—depicted the struggle for dignity of black Americans living under segregation in Chicago with a resonance that persists to the present day. In Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart, Tracy Heather Strain unveils the woman behind the words, revealing what it meant to be young, gifted and black in Hansberry’s world and remembering a light lost way too soon. Soufra Director: Thomas Morgan Writer: Thomas Morgan and Mohammed el Manasterly Soufra follows the unlikely and wildly inspirational story of social entrepreneur and refugee, Mariam Shaar – a stateless refugee who has spent her entire life in a Lebanese refugee camp. The film follows Mariam as she sets out to launch a successful catering company, “Soufra,” and then expand it into a food truck business with a diverse group of women from Syria, Iraq and Palestine—who also call the camp home. Susanne Bartsch: On Top Directors and Writers: Anthony Caronna, Alexander Smith Born and raised in Switzerland, Susanne Bartsch moved to the United States and reinvented herself as a legendary party girl “Queen of the Night” at the height of New York’s 1980s club scene. “Susanne Bartsch picked up where Warhol left off,” says RuPaul. The doyenne of NYC nightlife for decades, and still at it, she’s stirred together the art, fashion, and gay dance-club worlds to create extravagant spectacles. Along the way she married (bodybuilder/gym mogul David Barton) and had a son. The film follows Bartsch’s (now in her early 60’s) unconventional life as she plans a show-stopping party and takes stock of her life.
SHORTS
116 Cameras Director: Davina Pardo A remarkable digital project created by the USC Shoah Foundation enables Auschwitz survivor Eva Schloss to share her story in 3D and interact with an audience for generations to come. Al Imam [New York Premiere] Director: Omar Al Dakheel Despite controversy and threats, Muslim singer/songwriter turned spiritual leader Ani Zonneveld makes a stand for justice and the progressive practice of Islam. Beads [New York Premiere] Director: Rachel Byrd Writers: Cydney Fisher, Lydia Lane A new friendship is tested when it is confronted by racism. Beatrice Director: Lorena Alvarado Beatrice Vio was twelve when she had her four limbs amputated due to complications from meningitis. Yet nothing could stop her from pursuing the sport she loved and becoming a world fencing champion at the age of nineteen. Con Madre [New York Premiere] Director: Clancy McCarty Highlighting the importance of midwifery care in Guatemala, a country with high infant mortality, Erika and Dora Maria are training to be the first university-level midwives in the country, incorporating new skills into their culture’s traditional practices. The Fan [New York Premiere] Directors: Mohammad Ghanefard, Ali Delkari Writers: Ali Dekari When a rural elderly woman’s TV antenna is ruined, she only has a few hours until the national soccer tournament will begin. Will she be able to travel to town and back in time for the big game? Frontier [World Premiere] Director: Jillian Banner The moving story of a retired bull rider, the younger rider she mentors, and the barriers they both face as women in the world of rodeo. Lemonade Mafia Director: Anya Adams Writer: Keith Edie Lemonade Mafia tells the story of a young girl pursuing her dream—to own her own business. But what happens when a rival enters the picture? Lunch Time Director and Writer: Alireza Ghasemi A 16-year-old girl, who has come to the hospital morgue to identify her mother’s body is turned away by hospital attendants because she’s too young. Objector Director: Molly Stuart To protest abuses in the Palestinian territories, 18-year-old Atalya faces imprisonment for her decision to become a conscientious objector and forego enlistment in the Israeli army. Prudence Director and Writer: Angela Jude Stricken by grief and crippling dementia, an aging World War II veteran, dishonorably discharged for loving a woman, seeks out her beloved for one last dance. The Red Thunder [New York Premiere] Director: Alvaro Ron Writer: Valentine Pozzoli, Alvaro Ron, Clara Viola, Rafael Alvarez When Sarah, a nerdy teenager, steals her mom’s new car to go on a date, an unexpected event changes her life forever. Showdown Director: Ashlen Renner Studio owner Cheryl Bellamy takes her dance team from Durham’s inner city to suburban Smithfield, NC where they compete at the first competition of the year—the Showdown. Waiting for Hassana Director and Writer: Ifunanya Maduka In 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 teenage girls in Nigeria. Waiting for Hassana is the harrowing account of one girl’s escape from captivity and a lament for her closest friend, Hassana, who remains missing. Whirlpool Director: Elizabeth Dixon Writers: Elizabeth Dixon and Kate Baxter Helen Keller might be known for being deaf and blind, but she was also an avid civil rights activist who fought to eliminate bias against the disabled within the public, her family, and even herself. Ya Albi Director and Writer: Christine Chen A Syrian refugee, Aya, adapts to life in an unfamiliar country on her own after her husband’s immigration visa is unexpectedly rejected.
VIRTUAL REALITY
Look But With Love: A Story of Women Look But With Love: A Story of Dance Director: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and presented by WITHIN, this nonfiction series follows extraordinary women in Pakistan actively working to change their communities. A Story of Dance features a dancer who has stood up to old community norms to teach children their cultural history through dance and A Story of Women features a community of courageous anti-terrorist officers in Nowshera, the epicenter of the terrorist insurgency. Testimony Project creator: Zohar Kfir Testimony shares the stories of five survivors of sexual assault and their journey to healing. Its goal is to inspire those who have been silenced to speak out, while building courage amongst survivors. Under the Net Director and writer: Justin Perkison In one of the world’s largest refugee camps in Tanzania, where malaria is the number one killer, the lives of an 11-year-old girl named Amisa and her ill-stricken family are changed forever by the simple gift of mosquito bed nets.
PANELS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
The Female Gaze One of the most pressing conversations in Hollywood is how to increase the number of female storytellers. In building on our conversation from last year, we will discuss how vital the female gaze is for progressively depicting the intersectional female narrative. Social Media and Branding For Filmmakers Social Media is a key component in crowdfunding but it also plays a vital role in a film’s promotion. This panel brings together social media experts to introduce filmmakers to the latest tools and strategies integral to creating a successful campaign. Revising the Canon For as long as any of us have been around, the canon – those books, plays, films and TV series – anointed as the most important of their kind has been largely defined as white and male. Join us for a discussion on how we can make the canon more inclusive of women and people of color whose voices and experiences have been historically omitted from the cultural narratives.
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7 Films Nominated for Zeno Mountain Award at 2018 Miami Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_25474" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Coming to My Senses[/caption] Miami Film Festival (MFF) unveiled seven new films nominated for the Festival’s second annual Zeno Mountain Award, and also featured in the Festival’s upcoming 35th anniversary edition to be held March 9 to 18, 2018. The Zeno Mountain Award is a $5,000 cash prize established at Miami Film Festival’s 2017 edition and is funded by Miami-based Fringe Partners. The jury-selected award celebrates the diversity of abilities and disabilities, and seeks to reward a film of any length or genre in the Festival’s Official Selection which helps break down barriers to our understanding of people living with disabilities. The award is named after the non-profit Zeno Mountain Farm in Lincoln, Vermont and is inspired by the actors and filmmakers in the acclaimed 2016 documentary Becoming Bulletproof. “The universal distinction of the three features and four short films that make up this year’s Zeno Mountain Award candidates is that they are all illuminating, wonderful films,’” said Festival director Jaie Laplante. “And all of them showcase unique characters who surprise and delight us with their zest for life.” The seven films competing for this year’s Zeno Mountain Award are: “Carry That Weight: A Rockumentary” (USA, directed by Brian J. Leitten). Documentary Short. Miami Beach Senior High professor Doug Burris lived with multiple sclerosis for 46 years and created the school’s renowned Rock Ensemble, which rocks on to this day. Coming to My Senses (USA, directed by Dominic Gill). Documentary Feature. In 1999, Aaron Baker broke his neck in a motocross accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, but now fights against the odds for some mobility as he pursues a dream of returning to some of the athletic endeavors that he has loved all his life. High Expectations (Brazil, directed by Alvaro Campos and Pedro Antonio). Narrative Feature. Decio, a horse trainer at the Rio de Janeiro Jockey Club, falls in love with Lena, a café owner/artist. Decio’s dwarfism may work to his advantage as a jockey, but his no-limits romantic expectations create a more challenging situation. A hilarious romantic comedy, loosely based on the real life story of Brazilian stand-up comedian Gigante Leo, who plays Decio. September (Guatemala/Mexico, directed by Kenneth Müller). Narrative Feature. Josue’s family was ripped apart by Guatemala’s brutal civil war when a terrorist attack on September 5, 1980 left his wife dead and his 3-month-old daughter Theresa deaf for life. As Theresa grows up and faces the challenges of connecting with the world around her while dealing with her adolescent hormones, she finds strength in her father’s unwavering love. “Sexual Being” (Canada, directed by Paul Stavropoulos). Documentary Short. Two young adults with cerebral palsy reject societal notions of sexual desirability that exclude them. Toronto college business student Chandler stars in adult movies, and Los Angeles empath Meaghan makes experimental art films. “Share The Same Madness” (USA, directed by Tim Richardson). Documentary Short. Dennis Hudson, an autistic Detroit teenager home-schooled in an orthodox Catholic household, discovers electronic dance music. EDM provides Dennis with a means to transcend isolation and find the community he needs to survive. “Spoon Fed” (UK, directed by Nick Hatton Jones). Narrative Short. Restaurant critic Ellie (played by Lesley Sharp) joins a support group after she’s diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. As her condition worsens, hope arrives from an unexpected place.
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2018 Portland International Film Festival Reveals First Wave of Films + Trailers, to Open with THE DEATH OF STALIN

[caption id="attachment_23440" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Death of Stalin[/caption] The Portland International Film Festival revealed the first wave of film titles for the upcoming 41st edition which begins on Thursday, February 15th and will run through Thursday, March 1, 2018. The Opening Night selection is writer/director Armando Iannucci’s (In the Loop, Veep) new comedy The Death of Stalin, starring Steve Buscemi, Olga Kurylenko, Jason Isaacs, and Michael Palin. The film, which premiered to rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival, is an adaptation of the audacious, historical graphic novel by Fabien Nury.
FIRST WAVE TITLES include:
PIFF 41 Opening Night selection: The Death of Stalin Dir. Armando Iannucci United Kingdom, 2017 The one-liners fly as fast as political fortunes fall in this uproarious, wickedly irreverent satire from Armando Iannucci. Moscow, 1953: when tyrannical dictator Joseph Stalin drops dead, his parasitic cronies square off in a frantic power struggle to be the next Soviet leader. Among the contenders are the dweeby Georgy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor), the wily Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi), and the sadistic secret police chief Lavrentiy Beria (Simon Russell Beale). But as they bumble, brawl, and backstab their way to the top, just who is running the government? Combining palace intrigue with rapid-fire farce, this is a bitingly funny takedown of bureaucratic dysfunction performed to the hilt by a sparkling ensemble cast. https://youtu.be/ukJ5dMYx2no Let the Sunshine In Dir. Claire Denis France/Belgium, 2017 Living alone in Paris, Isabelle (Juliette Binoche), a divorced artist in her 50s, is optimistic that romantic hope springs eternal – or maybe she does. But as she auditions, not unpleasantly, but with increasing exasperation, a steady succession of prospective men, she ponders just what she’s seeking, and whether sex and companionship are really the keys to fulfillment. Featuring an ensemble cast of stellar French actors including Gerard Depardieu, Denis offers a complex, feminist take on love and the quest to find Mr. Right while not being trapped by need, convention, or expectation. “An elegant, eccentric relationship comedy of ideas, highly rarified and possessed of an almost inscrutable sophistication.” – The Guardian https://youtu.be/h-haop2Ini0 Zama Dir. Lucrecia Martel Argentina/Spain/France, 2017 “Martel ventures into the realm of historical fiction and makes the genre entirely her own in this adaptation of Antonio di Bendetto’s classic of Argentinean literature. In the late 18th century, in a far-flung corner of what seems to be Paraguay, an officer of the Spanish crown, born in the Americas, waits in vain for a transfer to a more prestigious location. Martel renders Zama’s world – his daily regimen of small humiliations and petty politicking – as both absurd and mysterious, and as he increasingly succumbs to lust and paranoia, subject to a creeping disorientation. Precise yet dreamlike, and thick with atmosphere, Zama is a singular and intoxicating experience from one of cinema’s truly brilliant minds.” – New York Film Festival. https://youtu.be/K8dW6YHINAA 24 Frames Dir. Abbas Kiarostami Iran/France, 2017 Three years in the making and Kiarostami’s final film before his death in 2016, each segment in 24 Frames offers a view of a photograph or painting and what he imagined might have occurred before and after the image was frozen in time. Employing multiple cinematic devices while shifting between fiction and documentary, he wistfully attempts to decipher the essence of cinema and its ability to capture reality. “Repetition-with-variations and a sly wit are hallmarks of many Kiarostami works, and these 24 mini-films abound with his visual acuity and dry authorial humor, all of it in accessible and pleasurable form.” – Film Comment. Won’t You Be My Neighbor Dir. Morgan Neville United States, 2017 “With his gentle voice and heartfelt words of wisdom, Fred Rogers served as a compassionate surrogate father for generations of American children who tuned in to public television. He believed in love as the essential ingredient in life and was able to assist kids through difficult situations armed merely with handmade puppets suggesting tolerance and acceptance. An ordained Presbyterian minister, Mr. Rogers made speaking directly and openly to children his life’s work, both on and off his long-running show. Animated sequences are peppered between archival footage of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and interviews with Fred Rogers’s family friends, and colleagues, offering a deliberate and beautiful tribute to an authentic human being and providing a much-needed salve for these often-fraught times.” – Sundance Film Festival. https://youtu.be/ocElSTC9S1U On the Beach at Night Alone Dir. Hong Sang-soo South Korea, 2017 “Hong Sang-soo’s movies have always invited autobiographical readings, and this is perhaps his most achingly personal film yet, a steel-nerved clear-eyed response to the tabloid frenzy that erupted in South Korea over his relationship with actress Kim Min-hee. The film begins in Hamburg, where actress Young-hee (played by Kim herself, who won the Best Actress prize at Berlin for this role) is hiding out after the revelation of her affair with a married filmmaker. Back in Korea, a series of encounters shed light on Young-hee’s volatile state, as she slips in and out of melancholic reflection and dreams.” – New York Film Festival. “A drama of rare lyrical exaltation…a kaleidoscopic fusion of reality and fantasy.” – The New Yorker https://youtu.be/AkBJ9QGtvRA Lean on Pete Dir. Andrew Haight United Kingdom, 2017 Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer) wants some stability: a home, food on the table, and a high school he can attend for more than part of the year. As the son of an itinerate single father (Travis Fimmel) working in warehouses across the Pacific Northwest, stability is hard to find. Hoping for a new start they move to Portland where Charley takes a summer job with a washed-up horse trainer (Steve Buscemi), and befriends an aging racehorse named Lean on Pete, ridden by the hard-nosed Bonnie (Chloe Sevigny). Based on Willy Vlautin’s novel and filmed in Burns and Portland, Lean on Pete chronicles a harsh coming of age in the American West. https://youtu.be/nzlazAyylw8 Jeannette, the Childhood of Joan of Arc Dir. Bruno Dumont France, 2017 France, 1425. In the midst of the Hundred Years’ War, the young Jeannette, still at the tender age of eight, looks after her sheep in the small village of Domremy. One day, she tells her friend Hauviette how she cannot bear to see the suffering caused by the English. Madame Gervaise, a nun, tries to reason with the young girl, but Jeannette is ready to take up arms for the salvation of souls and the liberation of the Kingdom of France. Carried by her faith, she will become Joan of Arc. “With his tenth feature, Bruno Dumont radically delves into Joan’s childhood with a category-defying period-cum-techno-head-banging musical, derived from two works by French writer Charles Péguy.” – Toronto International Film Festival. https://youtu.be/aLPW60Zo53w Foxtrot Dir. Samuel Moax Israel, 2017 Michael and Dafna experience gut-wrenching grief when army officials come to announce the death of their son. Unable to find any solace in the well-meaning condolences of family, or in the military’s patriotic platitudes, Michael spirals in to anger only to subsequently experience one of life’s unfathomable turns – a twist that can only be rivaled by the surreal military experiences of his son. Although terrible tragedy is at the heart of the film, Foxtrot contains moments laced with mordant humor, irony, and resonant emotion, as it explores the heartache of war and its far-reaching and unpredictable impacts. Winner of Israeli Ohphir Awards for Best Film and Best Director, the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, and this year’s Israeli Oscar submission. https://youtu.be/wrBEDEmUceM I Am Not a Witch Dir. Rungano Nyoni United Kingdom/France/Zambia/Germany, 2017 Following an incident in her Zambian village, nine-year-old Shula is denounced as a witch and exiled to a state-run witch camp. While making every effort to adapt to her new life among much older women, Shula is both embraced and exploited by the camp officials. Now she must decide whether to accept the fate forced upon her or risk everything for freedom. Zambian-born Welsh director Rungano Nyoni’s debut combines anthropology, social satire, and superstition in a fascinating and touching magic-realist fable. Best Director, British Independent Film Awards. https://youtu.be/jOtcU_-KuaQ Gemini Dir. Aaron Katz United States, 2017 A heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant and her Hollywood starlet boss. As the assistant travels across Los Angeles to unravel the mystery, she must stay one step ahead of a determined policeman and confront her own understanding of friendship, truth, and celebrity. Former Portlander Katz, whose Cold Weather appeared in the PIFF 34 lineup, “delves into dreamy neo-noir territory with nods to films from auteurs like Hitchcock, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Brian De Palma, and David Lynch that tackle the “double” in cinema – and the potential, in the process of taking on an alternate identity, of subsuming the darkness of another’s soul.” – AFI Film Festival. https://youtu.be/ISjmjYU-kMI Five Fingers for Marseilles Dir. Michael Matthews South Africa, 2017 A recent parolee returns to his hometown, vowing to turn his back on his criminal ways. But it’s not long before he finds that some of the friends he grew up with in Apartheid era Marseilles have internalized and recreated the tyranny they struggled against for the present inhabitants of “New Marseilles.” “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 https://youtu.be/b5oVrZrbCr0 The Third Murder Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda Japan, 2017 This moving story of a man struggling to find the truth while questioning his own faith in the law is a philosophical whodunnit, intelligently broaching questions of innocence and guilt. Star attorney Shigemori agrees to defend Misumi, accused of murder after a fatal holdup. A man with a long criminal record, Misumi narrowly escaped the death sentence for another murder thirty years earlier. Astonishingly laid-back, Misumi has already confessed to the murder, and all the evidence points to the fact that he is guilty. But the deeper Shigemori delves into this case, the more he begins to doubt his client. Soon, he is faced with a complicated family story and the plot thickens. https://youtu.be/Plr3V4TYBQE Spoor Dir. Agnieszka Holland Czech, 2017 Drawing inspiration from local fairy tales, Spoor dissects political corruption and environmental activism in a small Polish town. Janina Duszejko is a retired engineer, astrology lover, vegetarian, and defender of animal rights. Now, she lives alone in the Sudeten Mountains near the Czech border. One winter night, she finds the body of her neighbor, a poacher. The circumstances of the man’s death are unusally mysterious as the only footprints found around his house are the prints of deer hooves. Soon, other members of the local hunting club are mysteriously murdered. Seeing the ineffectiveness of the police, she starts her own, unconventional investigation. Holland’s genre-bending, ecologically-minded thriller is this year’s Polish submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. https://youtu.be/3JxYmGXAfXc Under the Tree Dir. Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson Iceland/France, 2017 Equal parts family drama, absurdist black comedy, and unconventional thriller, Under the Tree follows two warring households locked in a bitter dispute. One family adores their beautiful old tree, but the couple next door complain that blocks their sunlight, causing their garden to languish in its shadow. As the disagreement escalates into a passive-aggressive back-and-forth of nasty vibes, mysterious property damage, disappearing cats and dogs, the installation of security cameras, and more. Though set in Iceland, this humorous, but at times unsettling, story of suburban neighborhood warfare could be anywhere. https://youtu.be/qJghTR5y9U0
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Eight Films Selected for Hivos Tiger Competition at 2018 International Film Festival Rotterdam

[caption id="attachment_26345" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Possessed[/caption] Eight films have been selected for the Hivos Tiger Competition – seven world premieres and one international premiere, at the 2018 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Three of the films to world premiere in the Hivos Tiger Competition 2018 were supported by the Hubert Bals Fund. Nervous Translation by Philippine filmmaker Shireen Seno (which was also selected for CineMart in 2014) is a sparkling and at times surreal film which quietly shows the politically unstable climate of the Philippines in 1987 as seen through the dreamy eyes of an eight-year-old girl. The Reports on Sarah and Saleem by Muayad Alayan (also selected for BoostNL in 2016) is a story of the impossible affair between a Jewish woman and a Palestinian man which attracts the attention of security services, and was supported by the Hubert Bals Fund in 2017. And Sultry, Brazilian filmmaker Marina Meliande’s combination of social realist drama and body horror, recounts the struggle of a young lawyer in the oppressive heat of Rio de Janeiro against the all-encompassing influence of the Olympic Games on the city. This is the second time Meliande has been supported by the Hubert Bals Fund; in 2011 she co-directed Cannes entry The Joy (with Felipe Bragança). The world premiere of the fascinating cinematic essay Possessed reflects on the ways humans obsessively search for connections in a digital age. For this film, the filmmakers from the Amsterdam-based Metahaven collaborated with Dutch graphic designer and documentary filmmaker Rob Schröder, who also has a connection to IFFR – his short films screened at IFFR in 1998 and 2000. The Hivos Tiger Competition also includes Djon África, a first fiction by documentary filmmakers João Miller Guerra and Filipa Reis portraying the playful odyssey of a 25-year-old Portuguese Rastafarian in search of his father and his own identity; I Have a Date with Spring by South Korean director Baek Seungbin, a mysterious black comedy in which a filmmaker struggles with a script revolving around the hypothetical question of what to do on your last day on earth; andThe Widowed Witch by Chinese filmmaker Cai Chengjie, which is a complete re-edit of the -winning Chinese film Shaman and wryly details the life of an unfortunate woman who suddenly seems to possess magical powers. Finally, the competition includes the international premiere of the US film Piercing by Nicolas Pesce, a playful psycho thriller in which a sadomasochistic game of cat-and-mouse unfolds between a man and the call girl he planned to murder. The prestigious Hivos Tiger Award includes a cash prize of €40,000, to be divided between filmmaker and producer. An international jury of five filmmakers and film professionals also chooses an exceptional artistic achievement within the Tiger selection to receive a Special Jury Award worth €10,000. Festival Director Bero Beyer: “This year’s Tiger line-up features daring filmmakers who boldly venture into new territories. All of them combine relevant stories and themes – like Israeli/Palestinian relations as seen through the eyes of two lovers, the consequences of the Olympic Games in downtown Rio, or the concept of the imminent end of the world – with outspoken cinematic form.” The jury for the Hivos Tiger Competition 2018 consists of British filmmaker Anthea Kennedy (The View from Our House), Mexican producer Paula Astorga(La caridad), Dutch editor Job ter Burg (Elle), German filmmaker Valeska Grisebach (Western), and South Korean filmmaker Kim Kyungmook (Stateless Things). Both the Hivos Tiger Award and the Special Jury Award will be presented on Friday, February 2, 2018 during the Awards Ceremony.
Hivos Tiger Competition 2018
Djon África, João Miller Guerra/Filipa Reis, 2018, Portugal/Brazil, world premiere I Have a Date with Spring, Baek Seungbin, 2018, South Korea, world premiere Nervous Translation, Shireen Seno, 2018, Philippines, world premiere Piercing, Nicolas Pesce, 2018, USA, international premiere Possessed, Metahaven/Rob Schröder, 2018, Netherlands/Croatia, world premiere The Reports on Sarah and Saleem, Muayad Alayan, 2018, Palestine/Netherlands/Germany/Mexico, world premiere Sultry, Marina Meliande, 2018, Brazil, world premiere The Widowed Witch, Cai Chengjie, 2018, China, world premiere
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2018 Berlinale Shorts Program to Feature 22 Films in Competition + Special Program “1968 – Red Flags for Everyone”

[caption id="attachment_26340" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Circle[/caption] This year’s 2018 Berlinale Shorts competition includes 22 films from 18 countries competing for the Golden and the Silver Bear, as well as the Audi Short Film Award, worth € 20,000, and a nomination for the European Film Awards. The Nigerian film Besida by Chuko Esiri and the Austrian film The Shadow of Utopia by Antoinette Zwirchmayr will be screened out of competition. The competition includes films by João Salaviza, Réka Bucsi, Bárbara Wagner & Benjamin de Burca, Manque La Banca, Sylvia Schedelbauer, Ulu Braun, Arash Nassir, João Viana, among others. In addition the Berlinale Shorts will present a special programme about 1968. In City of Tales by Arash Nassiri, a polyphony of Persian dialects can be heard that turns Los Angeles into Teheran. The sites of memory are the cities of others. In Onde o Verão Vai (episódios da juventude), Portuguese director David Pinheiro Vicente stages a queer exodus from the Garden of Eden and so rethinks the beginnings of humankind. In her documentary Circle, Jayisha Patel shows how the family can be a breeding ground for the trafficking of women. It is the grandmother who accepts money for her granddaughter’s rape. For the first time, a film from Rwanda will be shown in the competition, the co-production Imfura by Samuel Ishimwe. The members of the International Short Film Jury are Portuguese filmmaker and winner of the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the Berlinale 2017, Diogo Costa Amarante; US filmmaker and curator Mark Toscano; and South African filmmaker and academic Jyoti Mistry. 50 years since 1968: The Berlinale Shorts special programme “1968 – Red Flags for Everyone” will present aesthetic strategies that are still relevant to this day. “Without raising the question of social unrest, it would be impossible to examine 1968 – the subjective gaze in its aesthetic diversity is the kaleidoscope that makes the conditions then accessible today. By radically reducing everything to the material itself, the artists free film from any sort of narrative and allow a new reality to become apparent,” states Berlinale Shorts curator Maike Mia Höhne. In Programmhinweise, Christiane Gehner ponders gender roles: “I’m not sure, but sometimes it feels like it might be better to just comply with men’s demands – for isolation is even worse than suppression.” In Antigone, Ula Stöckl discloses the structures involved in imbalances of power. In Na und…?, Marquard Bohm and Helmut Herbst reveal – at the home of Bohm’s own family in Hamburg – the often-depicted fustiness hidden beneath the academic gown. Dore O. describes her film Alaska as a dream about herself, as a consequence of interacting with society. In 1968, Helmut Herbst and Dore O. were founding members of the first Hamburg Filmmakers’ Cooperative, which radically influenced contemporary social discourse with their films.
Films screening in the Berlinale Shorts 2018:
After/Life, Puck Lo, USA, 15’ (WP) Alma Bandida, Marco Antônio Pereira, Brazil, 15’ (WP) And What Is the Summer Saying, Payal Kapadia, India, 23’ (WP) Babylon, Keith Deligero, Philippines, 20’ (IP) Besida, Chuko Esiri, Nigeria, 12’ (WP) – out of competition Blau, David Jansen, Germany, 15’ (WP) Burkina Brandenburg Komplex, Ulu Braun, Germany, 19’ (WP) Circle, Jayisha Patel, Great Britain / India / Canada, 14’ (WP) City of Tales, Arash Nassiri, France, 21’ (WP) Coyote, Lorenz Wunderle, Switzerland, 10’ (WP) Imfura, Samuel Ishimwe, Switzerland / Rwanda, 36’ (IP) Imperial Valley (Cultivated Run-Off), Lukas Marxt, Germany / Austria, 14’ (WP) Des jeunes filles disparaissent, Clément Pinteaux, France, 16’ (IP) Madness, João Viana, Mozambique / Guinea-Bissau / Qatar / Portugal / France, 13‘ (WP) The Men Behind the Wall, Ines Moldavsky, Israel, 28’ (WP) Onde o Verão Vai (episódios da juventude), David Pinheiro Vicente, Portugal, 20’ (WP) Russa, João Salaviza & Ricardo Alves Jr., Portugal / Brazil, 20’ (WP) The Shadow of Utopia, Antoinette Zwirchmayr, Austria, 23’ (IP) – out of competition Solar Walk, Réka Bucsi, Denmark, 21’ (WP) Terremoto Santo, Bárbara Wagner & Benjamin de Burca, Brazil, 20’ (IP) Le Tigre de Tasmanie, Vergine Keaton, France, 14’ (WP) T.R.A.P, Manque La Banca, Argentina, 16’ (WP) While I Yet Live, Maris Curran, USA, 15’ (IP) Wishing Well, Sylvia Schedelbauer, Germany, 13‘ (WP)
Berlinale Shorts Special Program “1968 – Red Flags for Everyone”
Alaska, Dore O., Federal Republic of Germany, 18‘, 1968 Antigone, Ula Stöckl, Federal Republic of Germany, 9‘, 1964 Farbtest Rote Fahne, Gerd Conradt, Federal Republic of Germany, 12‘, 1968 Fundevogel, Claudia von Alemann, Federal Republic of Germany, 22‘, 1967 I Ruhrområdet, Peter Nestler, Sweden, 34‘, 1967 Ja/Nein, Ernst Schmidt jr., Austria, 3‘, 1968 Kunst & Revolution, Ernst Schmidt jr., Austria, 2‘, 1968 My Name is Oona, Gunvor Nelson, USA, 10‘, 1969 Na und…?, Marquard Bohm & Helmut Herbst, Federal Republic of Germany, 33‘, 1966 Programmhinweise, Christiane Gehner, Federal Republic of Germany, 10‘, 1970 Rohfilm, Birgit & Wilhelm Hein, Federal Republic of Germany, 20‘, Tapp und Tastkino, VALIE EXPORT, Austria, 2‘, 1968
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Directors Richard Linklater, Olivier Assayas and Thom Zimny Among New Speakers Added to 2018 SXSW

[caption id="attachment_24811" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Richard Linklater[/caption] South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals, taking place March 9 to 18, 2018, has added Keynote Melinda Gates and the newest round of Featured Speakers including visionary film director Richard Linklater and writer/director Olivier Assayas to the programming lineup. The other Featured Speakers include founder and CEO of Dell Technologies Michael Dell; Elvis Presley: The Searcher documentary executive producer Priscilla Presley and director Thom Zimny; hacktivist Joséphine Goube; futurist Ray Kurzweil; former U.S. Chief Technology Officer and shift7 co-founder Megan Smith; Westworld showrunners and creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy; designer and entrepreneur Rachel Zoe; and more. As SXSW celebrates the 25th year of Interactive and Film, and its second year with a unified conference that features Interactive, Film, Music, and Convergence Tracks, Melinda Gates and the Featured Speakers announced today reflect the current and coming trends through the lens of tech and culture.
Keynote Speaker
Melinda Gates (Convergence Keynote) – Philanthropist Melinda Gates has dedicated her life to achieving transformational improvements in the health and prosperity of families, communities and societies. Core to her work is empowering women and girls to help them realize their full potential. As co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is guided by the belief that every life has equal value, Gates shapes and approves strategies, reviews results, and sets the overall direction of the world’s largest private foundation. Gates recently launched an executive office, Pivotal Ventures, which enables her to bring together the different strands of her advocacy and philanthropic work and create meaningful change.
Featured Speakers
Olivier Assayas and Richard Linklater (Making Film & Episodics) – Olivier Assayas is a French author, screenwriter and director. He’s written and directed notable films such as Demonlover, Something in the Air, and 2016’s psychological thriller Personal Shopper starring Kristen Stewart. Richard Linklater is an award-winning filmmaker best known for such visionary works such as Slacker, the Before Trilogy with Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, Boyhood, and many others. Linklater also serves as the Artistic Director for the Austin Film Society, which he founded in 1985 to showcase films from around the world that were not typically shown in Austin. Joe Berlinger, Tamron Hall, and Ryan White (Making Film & Episodics) – There is no denying our national fascination for true crime content, and the appetite for these stories continues to grow, among audiences and filmmakers alike. A stellar lineup of documentary filmmakers discuss what drew them to these emotional stories and highlight some of the unique challenges they face when crafting deeply personal narratives about life and death, innocence or guilt. With a life potentially hanging in the balance, non-fiction storytellers are keenly aware of how they represent their subjects – but how do they balance that with their responsibility to victims? What burden does a filmmaker willingly take on when developing relationships with individuals whose lives or livelihood are on the line? Is there a cost that comes from exposing the cracks in our justice system? Michael Dell and Clay Johnston (Health & Wellness) – Michael Dell is chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies, a unique family of businesses encompassing Dell, Dell EMC, Pivotal, RSA, SecureWorks, Virtustream and VMware. Dell Technologies is an innovator and technology leader providing the essential infrastructure for organizations to build their digital future, transform IT and protect their most important information. Dell is also the founder and board member of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the private family foundation which provided lead donor funding to build the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin. Clay Johnston is the inaugural Dean of the Dell Medical School. His ambitious vision includes building a world-class medical school by creating a vital, inclusive health ecosystem that supports new and innovative models of education and health care delivery – all with a focus on improving health and making Austin a model healthy city. He is also a neurologist, specializing in stroke care and research. Elvis Presley: The Searcher Featured Session (Music Culture & Stories) – Priscilla Presley (Executive Producer), David Porter (legendary Memphis music writer and producer) Thom Zimny (Director), Jon Landau (Producer), and moderator John Jackson (SVP A&R, Sony Music) will discuss the three-hour, two-film presentation of Elvis Presley as the musical artist which will premiere on HBO on April 14, 2018. The films take the audience on a comprehensive creative journey from his childhood through the final 1976 Jungle Room recording sessions. Joséphine Goube (Social Impact) – Joséphine is a hacktivist for migrants and refugees’ social inclusion. As CEO of Techfugees, a non-profit coordinating the tech community to respond to the refugee & migrant challenge in 25 countries over the world, Goube promotes the use of mobile & new digital technologies to empower the displaced and provide them access to information, healthcare, and education. Joséphine Goube will be the opening speaker of SXSW 2018. Kim Jackson and Alex Winter with Logan Hill (Film & TV Industry) – Blockchain is a buzzword across industries as diverse as finance, insurance, and green energy, but what is it really, and how will it impact our world? Join journalist Logan Hill in a conversation with filmmaker Alex Winter and producer Kim Jackson, the team behind the upcoming blockchain documentary from SingularDTV and Futurism Studios, as they explore what blockchain and decentralization actually is, who are the innovators building real world applications for this technology, and how it will affect our everyday lives in the years to come. Ray Kurzweil (Intelligent Future) – Ray Kurzweil is one of the world’s leading inventors, thinkers, and futurists, with a thirty-year track record of accurate predictions. Called “the restless genius” by The Wall Street Journal and “the ultimate thinking machine” by Forbes magazine, he was selected as one of the top entrepreneurs by Inc. Magazine, which described him as the ”rightful heir to Thomas Edison.” PBS has selected him as one of the “sixteen revolutionaries who made America.” Megan Smith (Intelligent Future) – Megan Smith is an award-winning entrepreneur, engineer, and tech evangelist. As the third U.S. chief technology officer, Smith helped the President and federal teams harness the power of technology, data, and innovation to advance the future of our nation and the world. Smith has recently co-founded a company, shift7, focusing on tech-forward networked innovation for impact and economic inclusion. Smith joins the session Democratizing AI for Individuals & Organizations with Dr. Fei-Fei Li and Joanne Chen. Whitney Wolfe Herd (Startup & Tech Sectors) – As Founder and CEO of Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd helms one of the fastest-growing social networks in the world. In 3 years, her strategic vision has led to Bumble’s growth of nearly 26 million users worldwide and has singlehandedly disrupted the way people connect on- and offline. Wolfe Herd’s mission for Bumble was simple: create a female-first platform grounded in positive behavior, which would strive to fix the broken system surrounding antiquated gender norms when it comes to connecting. In 2016, Bumble launched Bumble BFF as a friend-finding feature, and launched Bumble Bizz in 2017, which connects users for professional networking. Westworld Featured Session (Entertainment Influencers) – The HBO drama series Westworld is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Join showrunners and creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy along with cast (TBA) for an inside look at the award-winning show, which will return for its second season this spring. Rachel Zoe and Hillary Kerr (Style) – Rachel Zoe is a distinguished designer, editor, author, and entrepreneur, renowned for her effortless take on glamour. As a designer, Zoe makes her exceptional taste and expertise accessible to the fashion-savvy as Creative Director of the Rachel Zoe Collection. Hillary Kerr is the co-founder and Chief Ideation Officer of Clique a media, marketing, and consumer brands company recently named to Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list for 2017.
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15th Oxford Film Festival Announces Lineup of 204 Films, Opens with THE LAST MOVIE STAR, Starring Burt Reynolds and Ariel Winter

[caption id="attachment_26312" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Vic Edwards (Burt Reynolds) and Ariel Winter (Lil) in THE LAST MOVIE STAR[/caption] A total of 204 films will screen at this year’s 15th Anniversary edition of the Oxford Film Festival taking place February 7 to 11, 2018. On opening night, writer/director Adam Rifkin will present his latest film, THE LAST MOVIE STAR, starring Burt Reynolds and Ariel Winter, while Carlos and Jason Sanchez’s intense drama, ALLURE, starring Evan Rachel Wood, will screen at the festival’s Centerpiece Selection and Robert Mullan’s 60s biopic MAD TO BE NORMAL, starring David Tennant Elisabeth Moss and Michael Gambon, serves as the closing night selection. Narrative feature films in competition this year include: Dan Mirvish’s BERNARD AND HUEY, Mark Potts’s COP CHRONICLES: LOOSE CANNONS: LEGEND OF THE HAJ-MIRAGE, Billy Chase Goforth’s DOOR IN THE WOODS, Arturo Perez Torres and Aviva Armour-Ostroff’s THE DRAWER BOY; Akiyo Fujimura’s ERIKO, PRETENDED; and Catherine Eaton’s THE SOUNDING. Documentary features in competition include: Skye Borgman’s FOREVER ‘B’; Aaron and Amanda Kopp’s LIYANA; Nick Taylor’s THE ORGANIZER; Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler, and Jeff Springer’s RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE; and Owsley Brown III’s SERENADE FOR HAITI. The LGBTQ Juried Feature Competition will include Shaz Bennett’s festival favorite ALASKA IS A DRAG, along with Jill Salvino’s BETWEEN THE SHADES, and Itako’s BOYS FOR SALE, and highlights the Oxford Film Festival’s commitment to support our LGBTQ filmmakers and offer a more positive reaction to the passage of Mississippi’s “Religious Liberty Accommodations Act.” “This year we’ve struck a wonderful balance between films that are thoughtful, provocative, reflect the world we live in, and address the issues of the day without blinking, with films that are just pure, fun, entertainment,” said Oxford Film Festival Executive Director Melanie Addington. “The festival continues to increase in size and scope and that growth can also be seen in the work of our local Mississippi filmmakers, whose exceptional work continues to impress. This year’s festival includes 18 films from Mississippi artists, the most to date, and they will be highlighted right next to the best films we could find from all around the world.” Rifkin’s THE LAST MOVIE STAR (formerly titled, DOG YEARS) stars Burt Reynolds as a former box-office king, who many years later, is invited to receive an honor at a film festival that turns out to be beyond dubious. Therefore, he instead opts to go on an impromptu road trip with the sister (Ariel Winter) of one of the fest’s organizers. A bittersweet journey follows as the odd pairing visit some memorable spots – and people – from the old man’s past. The film screens Thursday, February 8 at 7:30PM at the Gertrude C. Ford Center (351 University Ave.). Carlos and Jason Sanchez’s ALLURE stars Evan Rachel Wood as a woman struggling to re-establish her life and meet someone as she continues to recover from past abuse. However, there seems to be hope when she meets Eva, a young, talented pianist disillusioned by the life her mother imposes upon her. As Laura become increasingly obsessed with Eva, she convinces the girl to run away with her and they soon find themselves caught up in an intense relationship that can’t be sustained. The film screens Saturday, February 10 at 8:45PM at the Malco Commons (204 Commonwealth Blvd.) Mullan’s biopic, MAD TO BE NORMAL, stars “Jessica Jones/”Dr. Who” star, David Tennant as RD Laing, a radical psychiatrist who rewrote the rules on mental health treatment. He became a 60s counterculture hero for challenging the status quo of pills and electro shock therapy, instead opting for a holistic treatment without drugs, group therapy, and communal healing. The films impressive cast also includes Elisabeth Moss, Gabriel Byrne, and Michael Gambon. The film screens Sunday, February 11 at 6:00PM at the Malco Commons (204 Commonwealth Blvd.) Two of OFF’s special events directly address issues that concern women and are currently at the forefront of society today. Daytime television legend (“All My Children”) Cady McClain’s documentary SEEING IS BELIEVING: WOMEN DIRECT will screen on Friday (February 9), followed by a panel featuring several attending female filmmakers as they discuss some of the myriad issues that have been in the news this past year regarding female filmmakers and women in general. Saturday sees the Mississippi premiere of Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir’s award-winning HBO documentary, I AM EVIDENCE, produced by Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay, about the tens of thousands of unprocessed rape kits across the country. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and special guests. “Given the recent and continuing avalanche of sexual harassment and assault revelations in almost every area of society,” Added Addington, “we felt it was important that the issues raised in these two films, as well as others in this year’s festival, be highlighted and discussed in our community.” Another comedy will make its world premiere at OFF, as filmmaker Mark Potts returns to the festival with his latest, COP CHRONICLES: LOOSE CANNONS: THE LEGEND OF THE HAJ-MIRAGE. The film follows two police officers, as they take on an evil mastermind, while working through some personal partnership issues. Potts’ indie comedy, SPAGHETTIMAN, was an audience favorite two years ago.
2018 OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL FILMS AND DESCRIPTIONS

Feature Films
OPENING NIGHT SELECTION THE LAST MOVIE STAR Director: Adam Rifkin Cast: Burt Reynolds, Ariel Winter, Clark Duke, Chevy Chase Country: USA, Running Time: 94 min An aging former movie star is forced to face the reality that his glory days are behind him. On its surface, THE LAST MOVIE STAR is a tale about faded fame, but at its core, it’s a universal story about growing old. CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION MAD TO BE NORMAL Director: Robert Mullan Cast: David Tennent, Elisabeth Moss, Gabriel Byrne, Michael Gambon Country: UK, Running Time: 105 min During the 1960s, a renegade Scottish psychiatrist courts controversy within his profession for his approach to the field, and for the unique community he creates for his patients to inhabit. CENTERPIECE SELECTION ALLURE Directors: Carlos Sanchez, Jason Sanchez Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Julia Sarah Stone, Denis O’Hare Country: USA, Running Time: 105 min Plagued by the abuse of her past and the turmoil of failed intimate encounters, Laura struggles to find a lover and a sense of normalcy. SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY SCREENING BASEKETBALL (1998) Director: David Zucker Cast: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Dian Bachar, Yasmine Bleeth, Jenny McCarthy Country: USA, Running Time: 103 min Two childhood friends are pro athletes of a national sport called BASEketball, a hybrid of baseball and basketball, and must deal with a greedy businessman scheming against their team. SPECIAL WORK-IN-PROGRESS SCREENING CIRCLES PRESENTED BY MISSISSIPPI HUMANITIES COUNCIL Director: Cassidy Friedman Country: USA, Running Time: 82 min A Hurricane Katrina survivor who works to keep black teenagers in school in Oakland, California, finds his personal and professional lives colliding when his 15-year-old son is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. NARRATIVE FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION BERNARD AND HUEY Director: Dan Mirvish Cast: Jim Rash, David Koechner, Sasha Alexander, Eva Darville , Richard Kind, Nancy Travis, Bellamy Young, Mae Whitman Country: USA, Running Time: 94 min Based on characters from Jules Feiffer’s Village Voice comic strip dating back to 1957, roguish Huey, and nebbishy Bernard are unlikely friends in late 1980s New York. 25 years later, and now Bernard is a successful bachelor, and Huey arrives on his doorstep looking old and washed up. As the two reconnect, Bernard starts a relationship with Huey’s estranged daughter Zelda. Huey slowly gets his mojo back and tries to seduce various women in Bernard’s life, while reconnecting with his family. At least one of them is in danger of marrying a woman old enough to be his wife. COP CHRONICLES: LOOSE CANNONS: LEGEND OF THE HAJ-MIRAGE WORLD PREMIERE Director: Mark Potts Country: USA, Running Time: 83 min Action. Suspense. Death. Love. Hot men. Etc. COP CHRONICLES: LOOSE CANNONS: THE LEGEND OF THE HAJ-MIRAGE tells the story of two wild police officers, Higgs and McGraw, and their chase to take down Samir, an evil mastermind hell bent on making the world bow down to him. DOOR IN THE WOODS Director: Billy Chase Goforth Country: USA, Running Time: 90 min A young family encounters paranormal forces and face a devastating choice after they install a mysterious vintage door in their home. THE DRAWER BOY Directors: Arturo Perez Torres, Aviva Armour-Ostroff Country: Canada, Running Time: 98 min Set in Ontario, 1972, the film follows Miles, a naive actor from Toronto, who turns up at a remote farm run by two men: the ruggedly practical Morgan and the simple-minded Angus. However, when the farmers let the city-boy into their home, Miles’ search for a story gradually unearths a devastating truth that threatens to destroy the tranquil lives of his hosts forever. ERIKO, PRETENDED Director: Akiyo Fujimura Country: Japan, Running Time: 93 min Ten years have gone by since Eriko moved to Tokyo to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. However, things haven’t gone like she expected, and for Eriko, there was no hope in sight. She receives the news about her older sister’s sudden death. Eriko returns home to attend her sister’s funeral her relatives question Eriko’s pretend life as a successful actress. On a whim, Eriko declares that she will take care of Kazuma, her sister’s 10-year-old son, while finding out that her sister worked as a mourner-for-hire at funerals. THE SOUNDING Director: Catherine Eaton Country: USA, Running Time: 93 min On a remote island off the coast of Maine, Liv, after years of silence, begins to weave a language out of Shakespeare’s words. A driven neurologist, brought to the island to protect her, commits her to a psychiatric hospital. She becomes a full-blow rebel in the hospital; her increasing violence threatens to keep her locked up for life as she fights for her voice and her freedom. At a tipping point for otherness in our current climate, THE SOUNDING champions it.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION
FOREVER ‘B’ Director: Skye Borgman Country: USA, Running Time: 91 min FOREVER ‘B’ is a twisting, turning, stranger-than-fiction story of the Broberg’s, a naïve, church-going Idaho family whose daughter, Jan, was kidnapped by the family’s best friend and neighbor. Twice. LIYANA Director: Aaron Kopp, Amanda Kopp Country: Swaziland, USA, Running Time: 77 min A Swazi girl embarks on a dangerous quest to rescue her young twin brothers. This animated African tale is born in the imaginations of five orphaned children in Swaziland who collaborate to tell a story of perseverance drawn from their darkest memories and brightest dreams. THE ORGANIZER Director: Nick Taylor Country: USA, Running Time: 101 min THE ORGANIZER is a portrait of Wade Rathke, the controversial founder of ACORN, as well as an exploration of that much maligned and misunderstood occupation – community organizing. RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE Directors: Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer Country: USA, Running Time: 71 min Hard headed Louisiana fisherman Thomas Gonzales doesn’t know what will hit him next. After decades of hurricanes and oil spills he faces a new threat – hordes of monstrous 20-pound swamp rats. Known as “nutria”, these invasive South American rodents breed faster than the roving squads of hunters can control them. SERENADE FOR HAITI Director: Owsley Brown III Country: USA, Running Time: 110 min A classical music school in the heart of Port-au-Prince, Haiti thrives despite decades of entrenched poverty and political strife. When a catastrophic earthquake completely destroys the school in 2010, a stunned and devastated faculty and student body must pick up the pieces and find a way to move forward.
MISSISSIPPI FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION
THE LONG SHADOW Director: Frances Causey Country: USA, Running Time: 88 min Two daughters of the South look beyond their white privilege to discover a history that’s been hidden, exposing the long and shockingly powerful reach of Southern politics from slavery through to today’s racial imbalance. LOVE SOLILOQUY: A VISUAL ALBUM Director: Astin Rocks. Country: USA, Running Time: 31 min Distorting the perception of true events, LOVE SOLILOQUY uses avant-garde storytelling to reveal the psyche behind young women navigating their relationships. Astin Rocks doubles as the band’s vocalist, lyricist, and film director. MISSISSIPPI MADAM: THE LIFE OF NELLIE JACKSON WORLD PREMIERE Director: Timothy Givens and Mark K. Brockway County: USA, Running Time: 81 min In 1902 Nellie Jackson, an African-American woman born into poverty in Possum Corner, Miss., travels north to Natchez and opens a brothel she ran for more than 60 years with full knowledge of police and Natchez officials until a fiery end one hot July night in 1990 THE PROCESS: THE WAY OF PABLO SIERRA WORLD PREMIERE Director: Jeff Dennis Country: USA, Running Time: 66 min A film about a potter named Pablo Sierra who lives in Yocona, MS. Born in Spain, he came to Ole Miss on track scholarship. He became a world-class runner, and is now a potter, baker, and horseman. For Pablo, the process is everything.
MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES JURIED COMPETITION
CASSETTE: A DOCUMENTARY MIXTAPE Director: Zack Taylor Country: USA, Running Time: 88 min CASSETTE: A DOCUMENTARY MIXTAPE is, in fact, a documentary mixtape about a musical format that refuses to die. Through a series of one-on-one interviews, Lou Ottens, inventor of the cassette, confronts 50 years of mixed emotions about his creation. He is joined on his journey by Henry Rollins, Thurston Moore, Ian MacKaye, Rob Sheffield, Burger Records, and many more. DO U WANT IT? Directors: Sam Radutzky, Josh Freund Country: USA, Running Time: 96 min DO U WANT IT? is an exploration and celebration of the musical culture of New Orleans. The film chronicles the rise of beloved New Orleans’ band Papa Grows Funk and uses their illustrious thirteen-year career, from formation up to the band’s emotional final shows, as a vehicle to explore the nuances of success and struggle in the greatest musical city in the world. HOW THEY GOT OVER Director: Robert Clem Country: USA, Running Time: 87 min HOW THEY GOT OVER explores the evolution of black gospel quartet music and its contributions to the emergence of rock & roll. The film includes performances by the Blind Boys of Mississippi and Alabama, the Soul Stirrers, Dixie Hummingbirds, Davis Sisters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sensational Nightingales and many more. WORD IS BOND Director: Sacha Jenkins Country: USA, Running Time: 85 min Word Is Bond is a documentary ﬁlm by Sacha Jenkins that examines the transformative power of lyrics in the world of hip-hop music. What was born on the streets of the South Bronx has now taken root globally, and the young poets of New York have helped to spawn regional dialects everywhere.
LGBTQ FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION
ALASKA IS A DRAG Director: Shaz Bennett Country: USA, Running Time: 89 min A fish out of water story – literally. Our hero Leo is an aspiring superstar stuck working in a fish cannery in Alaska. Leo and his twin sister Tristen hang out at the one gay bar in a hundred miles, owned by their surly surrogate mom Jan (Margaret Cho). After years of getting beat up by his former best friend, Leo has learned to fight back, catching the eye of his cannery boss, an amateur boxer who offers to train him to be a fighter. BETWEEN THE SHADES Director: Jill Salvino Country: USA, Running Time: 82 min BETWEEN THE SHADES seeks to put faces to the letters that make up LGBTQI and how those letters have evolved. The film examines the immense power of labels and the transcendence of love. BOYS FOR SALE Director: Itako Country: Japan, Running Time: 76 min Boys are selling sex in Japan. Who is buying? In the Tokyo district of Shinjuku 2-chome there are bars that specialize in “Urisen”, young boys who have sex with men.
KID FILM FESTIVAL FEATURE FILMS
THE AMAZING WIZARD OF PAWS Director: Brian Michael Stoller Country: USA, Running Time: 96 min What happens when you find out the family dog is actually six-hundred years old and was once owned by a great and powerful wizard? In this charming and magical adventure, young Bobby Spade and his faithful therapy dog, Ozzy, stumble upon an ancient wizard’s mystical book of spells. MEERKAT MOONSHIP Director: Hanneke Schutte Country: South Africa, Running Time: 97 min Timid, wildly imaginative 13-year-old Gideonette de La Rey learns that the name she was given comes with it a horrible curse. After her father dies, Gideonette is paralyzed by fear and is sent to live on a farm with her grandparents where she befriends a young deaf boy who is “training” to become an astronaut and preparing to fly away in a Moonship that Gideonette’s grandfather built for him. WHALE RIDER (2002) Director: Niki Caro Country: Running Time: 101 min A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.
ADDITIONAL SPECIAL SCREENINGS
I AM EVIDENCE Directors: Trish Adlesic, Geeta Gandbhir Country: USA, Running Time: An investigation into the way sexual assault cases are handled by police departments across the United States and an examination of how there came to be a backlog of tens of thousands of untested rape kits. LIVING ON SOUL Directors: Jeff Broadway, Cory Bailey Country: USA, Running Time: 96 min LIVING ON SOUL is a hybrid docu-concert film featuring the late Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley and the rest of the Daptone Records family. Filmed largely during Daptone’s December 2014 three-night, sold-out residency at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, the documentary features a mixture of live performances and verité scenes that paint a robust picture of the Daptone family and culture. SEEING IS BELIEVING: WOMEN DIRECT Director: Cady McClain Country: USA, Running Time: 57 min SEEING IS BELIEVING Is an in-depth investigation into the challenges faced by women directors. The film focuses on the journeys of four articulate filmmakers – Lesli Linka Glatter (HOMELAND), Sarah Gavron (SUFFRAGETTE), li Lu (THERE IS A NEW WORLD SOMEWHERE), and Naima Ramos Chapman (AND NOTHING HAPPENED) who provide a wonderful mix of perspectives. URANIA DESCENDING Director: Tav Falco Country: Austria, Running Time: 69 min An American girl, Gina Lee is an alienated and disaffected female who has become disenchanted with hometown strip malls, sleaze bars, and rides along the river-side in her BMW. Impulsively she buys a discount airline ticket in a shopping mall travel agency. Destination: Vienna, the merry/sinister imperial city on the Danube. Gina Lee quickly slips into discreet, yet decadent dalliances at Cafe Central and at the notorious Hotel Orient, where she becomes embroiled in an intrigue to uncover buried Nazi plunder. Her tragic liaison with rakish Karl Heinz Von Riegl results in her submersion beneath the dark waters of Lake Atter, yet her ultimate fate remains unresolved.
Oxford Film Festival Short Films

BEST OF THE LOUISIANA FILM PRIZE
CANDYLAND Director: Taylor Bracewell Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min EXIT STRATEGY Director: Travis Bible Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min MY FATHER’S SON Director: Kyle Clements Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min SCOUNDRELS Director: Mark Blitch Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min STAG Director: Jonnie Stapleton Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min
NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS (DRAMA SHORTS BLOCK)
AN ACT OF TERROR Director: Ashley Paige Brim Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min BLACK CANARIES Director: Jessee Kreitzer Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min BLOOD WOLF WORLD PREMIERE Director: Diana Cignoni Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min THE BLUE CAR Director: Henrik A. Meyer Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min HOME WORLD PREMIERE Director: Clark Duke Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min LAWMAN Director: Matthew Gentile Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min RUNNING EAGLE Director: Konrad Tho Fiedler Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min
NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS (COMEDY SHORTS BLOCK)
BITCHES LOVE BRUNCH Director: Sasha Leigh Henry Country: Canada, Running Time: 11 min THE FINAL SHOW WORLD PREMIERE Director: Dana Nachman Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min GLORIA TALKS FUNNY WORLD PREMIERE Director: Kendall Goldberg Country: USA, Running Time: 19 min LAST WORDS Director: Andre LeBlanc Country USA, Running Time: 9 min M.A.M.O.N. (MONITOR AGAINST MEXICANS OVER NATIONWIDE) Director: Alejandro Damiani Country: Mexico, Running Time: 5 min SANS RESPONSE Director: William Papadin Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min TEMPORARY Director: Milena Govich Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min THAT SMELL Director: Kyle Lavore Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min
NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS (INTERNATIONAL SHORTS BLOCK)
ALZHAÏMOUR Director: Pierre Van de Kerckhove Country: Belgium, Running Time: 14 min FLIEGEN Director: Marcus Hanisch Country: Germany, Running Time: 18 min SAVE ME! Director: Mohsen Nabavi Countries: Iran/Malyasia, Running Time: 10 min SAY NO WORLD PREMIERE Director: Samuel Clemens Country: UK, Running Time: 9 min SPACE GIRLS WORLD PREMIERE Director: Carys Watford Country: UK, Running Time: 10 min SPINOSAURUS Director: Tessa Hoffe Country: UK, Running Time: 15 min THE VEST Director: Lesley Manning Country: UK, Running Time: 7 min THE WEIGHT Director: Garrett Detrixhe Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min A WHOLE WORLD FOR A LITTLE WORLD Director: Fabrice Bracq Country: France, Running Time: 15 min
NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS (LATE NIGHT SHORTS BLOCK)
ALFRED J. HEMLOCK Director: Edward Lyons Country: Australia, Running Time: 15 min THE APOCALYPSE WILL BE AUTOMATED WORLD PREMIERE Director: Melanie Killingsworth Country: Australia, Running Time: 8 min EINSTEIN-ROSEN Director: Olga Osorio Country: Spain, Running Time: 9 min HEARTLESS WORLD PREMIERE Director: Kevin Sluder Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min IT BEGAN WITHOUT WARNING Directors: Santiago C. Tapia, Jessica Curtright Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min LABORATORY CONDITIONS Director: Jocelyn Statmat Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min PESSIM U.S. PREMIERE Director: TAKCOM Country: Japan, Running Time: 11 min (NOTE – PESSIM is a Fest Forward selection screening in this block) REAL ARTISTS Director: Cameo Wood Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min TRANSMISSION Directors: Varun Raman & Tom Hancock Country: UK, Running Time: 17 min (NOTE – TRANSMISSION is a Fest Forward selection screening in this block)
NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES
FAVORITES Director: Tracy S. Facelli Country: USA, Running Time: 17:24 min (ARTIST VODKA runner up) (screens with Winning Short Films block) THE MELANCHOLY MAN Director: Samantha Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min (screens with ERIKO PRETENDING) NATION DOWN Director: Liam Hendrix Heath Country: USA, Running Time: 14:57 min (ARTIST VODKA winner) (screens with Winning Short Films block) THE PERFECT FIT WORLD PREMIERE Director: Emory Parker Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min (screens with THE DRAWER BOY) ROBERT Directors: Sarah Fleming, Joann Self Selvidge Country: USA, Running Time: 8 min (screens with CIRCLES) SURROGATE Director: Olivia Hamilton Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min (screens with BERNARD & HUEY) TIMBRE U.S. PREMIERE Director: Gareth Peevers Country: UK, Running Time: 4 min (screens with THE SOUNDING) TOND Directors: Josh Ruben, Vince Peone Country: USA, Running Time: 21 min (screens with COP CHRONICLES: LOOSE CANNONS: THE LEGEND OF THE HAJ-MIRAGE)
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS
$30 TO ANTARCTICA Director: Joey Chu Country: USA/Hong Kong, Running Time: 18 min A LIFE’S WORK U.S. PREMIERE Director: Ben Spilling Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min ALL THE LEAVES ARE BROWN Director: Daniel Robin Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min ALTIMIR Director: Kay Hannahan Country: Bulgaria/USA, Running Time: 15 min JOHNNY’S GREEK AND THREE Director: Ava Lowery Country: USA, Running Time: 8 min NEWPORT GUN GIRLS WORLD PREMIERE Director: Lauren Orme Country: UK, Running Time: 11 min OUR GHOSTS Director: Hannah Ruddle Country: UK, Running Time: 4 min WASHED AWAY Director: Dana Nachman Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES
AN ACCIDENTAL DROWNING Director: Matteo Servente Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min (screens with LIYANA) JESSZILLA Director: Emily Sheskin Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min (screens with SERENADE FOR HAITI) MONSTER IN THE BAYOU Director: Victoria Greene Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min (screens with SERENADE FOR HAITI) THE NATURE OF MASS DEMONSTRATIONS WORLD PREMIERE Director: Nate Lavey Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min (screens with THE ORGANIZER) ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND BEATING HEARTS Director: Peter Byck Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min (screens with RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE) YOU SEE ‘EM Director: Emma Landeche Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min (screens with RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE)
MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS (COMMUNITY FILM BLOCK)
#FIFTEEN Director: Melanie Addington Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min BIRTHING VIDEO Director: Christina Huff Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min CLOSED Director: Samuel Cox Country: USA, Running Time: 3:17 min DAYFALL Director: Tony King Country: USA, Running Time: 1:17 min DEAR MR BRYANT WORLD PREMIERE Directors: Robbie Fisher, Jenni Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min (MAGNIFYING GLASS FELLOWSHIP WINNER) FIFTEEN Director: Julia Mitchell Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min THE PIZZA MAGAZINE WORLD PREMIERE Director: Daniel Perea Country: USA, Running Time: 15:48 min THACKER MOUNTAIN RADIO HOUR: 20TH ANNIVERSARY Director: Christina Huff Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min
MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS (MISSISSIPPI SHORTS BLOCK)
CAUTION Director: Thomas Haffey Country: USA, Running Time: 1:17 min COWGIRL UP Director: Nathan Willis Country: USA, Running Time: 5:17 min CUBICLE CITY Director: Glenn Payne Country: USA, Running Time: 16:42 min FLAG FLAP OVER MISSISSIPPI Director: Rex Jones Country: USA, Running Time: 27 min HAND MADE Director: David Ross Country: USA, Running Time: 4:55 min MOMBIE Director: N.T. Bullock Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min PART OF IT WORLD PREMIERE Director: Victoria De Leone Country: USA, Running Time: 7:20 min PAY THE PIPER Director: Maggie Bushway Country: USA, Running Time: 6:29 min RIVER MADE WORLD PREMIERE Director: David Ross Country: USA, Running Time: 7:09 min TRUTH RISES WORLD PREMIERE Director: E. J. Carter Country: USA, Running Time: 2:40 min WE BELIEVED WE WERE IMMORTAL Directors: Kathleen Wickham, Larry Wells Country: USA, Running Time: 8 min WINSTON COUNTY MIRACLE MAN Director: Rick Guy Country: USA, Running Time: 6:25 min
MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES
COLETTE Director: Royce Swayze Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min (screens with MISSISSIPPI MADAM: THE LIFE OF NELLIE JACKSON) HERE I’LL STAY Directors: Marlene McCurtis, Lorena Maniquez Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min (screens with THE LONG SHADOW)
LGBTQ SHORT FILMS
3 FRIENDS Director: Michael Moody Culpepper Country: Ireland/USA, Running Time: 22 min THE CLEANSE Director: Lucas Omar Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min DUSK Director: Jake Graf Country: UK, Running Time: 15 min HAYGOOD EATS! Director: Hazart Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min HOW TO MAKE A PEARL Director: Jason Hanasik Country: USA, Running Time: 22 min SPARK WORLD PREMIERE Director: Aharonit Elinor Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min SUNUNÚ: THE REVOLUTION OF LOVE Director: Olivia Crellin Country: UK, Running Time: 24 min THE THIRD MOVEMENT U.S. PREMIERE Director: Josephine Anderson Country: Canada, Running Time: 11 min WAFFLES Director: Foster Wilson Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min
LGBTQ SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES
FISHY Director: Joseph Sulsenti Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min (screens with ALASKA IS A DRAG) LADY EVA Directors: Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu Country: Kingdom of Tonga, Running Time: 11 min (screens with ALASKA IS A DRAG)
FEST FORWARD SHORT FILMS (ANIMATION BLOCK)
CATHERINE Director: Britt Raes Country: Belgium, Running Time: 12 min FIRST BLOOM Director: Tingting Liu Country: China, Running Time: 5 min JAMSHID: A LAMENT FOR A MYTH U.S. PREMIERE Director: Moin Samadi Country: Iran, Running Time: 12 min MEETING MACGUFFIN Director: Catya Plate Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min NEGATIVE SPACE U.S. PREMIERE Directors: Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata Country: France, Running Time: 5 min THE SERVANT Director: Farnoosh Abedi Country: Iran, Running Time: 9 min THE SPIRIT SEAM WORLD PREMIERE Director: Ashley Gerst Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min TWO BALLOONS Director: Mark C. Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min UGLY Director: Nikita Diakur Country: Germany, Running Time: 12 min
FEST FORWARD SHORT FILMS (FEST FORWARD BLOCK)
ANIMAL CINEMA Director: Emilio Vavarella Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min ANTHROPOCENE WORLD PREMIERE Director: Bradley Rappa Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min BLUE BUT PALE BLUE Director: Daisy Dickinson Country: UK, Running Time: 4 min THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER Director: Jadwiga Kowalska Country: Switzerland, Running Time: 6 min CARGO Director: Jasmine Ellis Country: Germany, Running Time: 4 min COLLAPSING Director: Brian Ratigan Country: USA, Running Time: 1 min COOKING WITH CONNIE Director: Stavit Allweis Country: USA, Running Time: 20 min DISILLUSIONMENT OF 10 POINT FONT Director: Greg Condon Country: USA, Running Time: 1 min LYING WOMEN Director: Deborah Kelly Country: Australia, Running Time: 4 min MAY I? REMIX# Director: Vasco Diogo Country: Portugal, Running Time: 4 min PARALYSIS WORLD PREMIERE Director: Victoria Negri Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min PITTARI Director: Patrick Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min THE REALM OF DEEPEST KNOWING Director: Seunghee Kim Country: South Korea, Running Time: 3 min SHOT Director: Aemilia Scott Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min TOWARDS THE EXPERIMENTAL CONTROL OF DREAMING Director: Ryan Betschart Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min TRUMPET MAN Director: Emily Wong Country: Hong Kong, Running Time: 14 min WHAT’S THAT IN THE GROUND? WORLD PREMIERE Director: Wally Chung Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min YELLOW AND RED MAKE ORANGE WORLD PREMIERE Director: Jay Hollinsworth Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min
MISSISSIPPI MUSIC VIDEOS
“A Hard Rain” by Stacie and Cassie Director: J.B. Lawrence/Stace and Cassie Country: USA, Running Time: 5:55 min “All I Know” by Jake Wood Director: Rex Harsin Country: USA, Running Time: 2:56 min “Damaged” by American Automatic WORLD PREMIERE Director: Greg Johnson Country: USA, Running Time: 5:28 min “Glory Glory” by Sharde Thomas and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band WORLD PREMIERE Director: Jeff Dennis Country: USA, Running Time: 5:01 min “God Bless America” by Effie Burt Director: Effie Burt Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min “Make Me Want You” by Shayne Weems Director: J.B. Lawrence Country: USA, Running Time: 4:28 min “Manna” by King Woman Director: Vincent Jude Chaney Country: USA, Running Time: 6:12 min “My City” by Adam “AJC” Collier Directors: Philip Scarborough, Tom Beck Country: USA, Running Time: 4:40 min “Randy Weeks: Mississippi Songwriter” WORLD PREMIERE Directors: Keerthi Chandrashekar, Je’Monda Roy, Jimmy Thomas Country: USA, Running Time: 5:15 min “Royal” by Lost in Constellation Director: Michael Williams Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min “Spinning” by The Fuzzy Crystals Director: Justin Possenti Country: USA, Running Time: 3:30 min “Stomping Ground” by Robert King Director: J.B. Lawrence Country: USA, Running Time: 5:54 min “Trust and Believe” WORLD PREMIERE Director: Andre Hill Country: USA, Running Time: 4:40 min “World Gone Crazy” by 61 Ghosts Director: Coop Cooper Country: USA, Running Time: 6:03 min “Your Mistress” by Mersaidee Soules Director: Michael Williams Country: USA, Running Time: 4:16 min
KID FILM FEST SHORT FILMS
A MESSAGE FOR BRAZEY Director: Jared D. Weiss Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min THE ADVENTURE OF THE AFTERNOON Directors: Vance Yang, Stella Huang Country: Taiwan, Running Time: 8 min BRAND NEW DAY Directors: Patricia Beckmann Wells, EdD Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min C-5-11 Director: Edward Ramsay-Morin Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min GHOST BEATS Director: Brent Barson Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min HOMEGROWN Director: Quentin Haberham Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min LIGHT SIGHT Director: Seyed M. Tabatabaei Country: Iran, Running Time: 8 min ROYAL (MOVE TO MUSIC VIDEOS) Director: Michael Williams Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min SAVING SANTA Director: Keith O’ Grady Country: Northern Ireland, Running Time: 17 min STARS Director: Han Zhang Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min
SCREENPLAY COMPETITION WINNERS
“Twirling at Ole Miss”(Grand Prize) Screenwriter: John Matthew Tyson “Not Everything Was Burning” (Runner Up) Screenwriter: John Bateman
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International Film Festival Rotterdam Reveals 2018 Bright Future Mid-length Program

[caption id="attachment_26296" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Drown Among the Dead (Pierdete entre los muertos), Ruben Gutiérrez[/caption] Since 2014, International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) highlights a new format on the rise: the mid-length film, between 45 and 62 minutes. The Bright Future Mid-length program of 2018 consists of ten films, five of which are world premieres. From a tale of revenge in the Mexican desert to the reincarnation of Walter Benjamin taking the Staten Island Ferry. After each screening there will be extra time to meet the director.
2018 Bright Future Mid-length Program
World Premieres: Good Evening to the People Living in the Camp, Joost Conijn, France/Greece/Netherlands, 2018, world premiere The long awaited new work by Dutch artist and filmmaker Joost Conijn: an unorthodox portrait of refugees in Europe. Everyone in Hawaii Has a Sixpack Already, Marvin Hesse, Germany/Spain, 2018, world premiere Hesse’s intimate coming-of-age documentary on the island of La Gomera. Death of the Master (La muerte del maestro), José María Avilés, Ecuador/Argentina, 2018, world premiere A mysterious narration of an old farmer’s experience of the 2016 Ecuador earthquake. Villain Robert Otto (Der Schurke Robert Otto), Florian Haag, Germany, 2018, world premiere A remarkable debut by Florian Haag who sketches the rigorous portrait of Swiss writer Robert Walser. Drown Among the Dead (Pierdete entre los muertos), Ruben Gutiérrez, Mexico, 2018, world premiere A bizarre yet comical nightmare in the Mexican desert. As well as: Exile, Zoe Beloff, USA, 2017, international premiere Bertolt Brecht and Walter Benjamin are alive and kicking, and they roam around New York City! Beyond the One (Au-delà de l’un), Anna Marziano, France, 2017, European premiere An elegant 16mm essay investigating love and new forms of relationships in Europe and India. Cartucho, Andrés Chaves, Colombia, 2017 Portrait of El Cartucho in Bogotá, a hell hole that used to belong to drug lords. Playing Men, Matjaž Ivanišin, Slovenia/Croatia, 2017 Serious absurdism by the great hope of Kroatian cinema. Stomach of the World, Eva Kotatkova, Greece, 2017 A playful meditation on capitalism.
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Eight Films in Big Screen Competition at 2018 International Film Festival Rotterdam

[caption id="attachment_26244" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Pity by Babis Makridis[/caption] Eight films have been selected for the Big Screen Competition at the 2018 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR): three world premieres, one international premiere and four European premieres. The three world premiere nominees are: Nina, Polish filmmaker Olga Chajdas’s feature film debut in which a couple’s love is tested as they struggle to find a surrogate mother for their child; Father to Son, the third feature by Taiwanese filmmaker Hsiao Ya-chuan (Mirror Image), a story of reconciliation in which a 60-year-old man goes to Japan to look for his father who abandoned him when he was 10, and An Impossibly Small Object by Dutch filmmaker David Verbeek, which confronts the relationship between maker and subject. In this meditative film, Verbeek himself plays a Dutch photographer transfixed by a picture he took of a girl in a Taiwanese parking lot. IFFR has screened many of Verbeek’s films in the past. His Shanghai Trance and Dead & Beautiful were both selected for CineMart. The Big Screen Competition also includes the international premiere of Night Comes On, Jordana Spiro’s debut feature about an 18-year-old woman who takes her 10-year-old sister on a journey that could destroy their futures.

Lastly, the four European premieres. British filmmaker Jim Hosking’s comedy An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn stars Aubrey Plaza as a woman whose unsatisfactory marriage is shaken when she sees a performance piece by a mysterious man from her past. Danish filmmaker Gustav Möller’s intense feature debut The Guilty revolves around one emergency phone call – an initially disinterested police officer quickly jumps into action when he hears a woman being kidnapped. Pity by Greek filmmaker Babis Makridis (selected for CineMart in 2014) is about a man with such need for pity he’s willing to do absolutely anything to get it from others. IFFR previously screened Makridis’ film L, in 2012 in the Tiger Awards Competition. Sebastián Hofmann’s second feature Tiempo compartido was also selected for CineMart in 2014, and also received a grant from the Hubert Bals Fund. This satire follows the struggle of two paranoid men against the ever-smiling staff of an all-inclusive resort. Hofmann made his debut at IFFR 2013 with Halley, which also competed in the Tiger Awards Competition.

In 2013, the VPRO Big Screen Award was inaugurated to promote the presence of quality films on the big screen and public television in the Netherlands. Of the €30,000 in prize money, €15,000 is spent towards the winning film’s theatrical release and €15,000 towards the production of the filmmaker’s next project. In 2017 the award was won by Kirsten Tan’s Pop Aye. Earlier winners were Les ogres by Léa Fehner in 2016, Second Coming by Debbie Tucker Green in 2015, Another Year by Oxana Bychkova in 2014 and Bellas mariposas by Salvatore Mereu in 2013. A jury of five experienced festival-goers picks the winner of the VPRO Big Screen Award, worth €30,000. The winning film will be released in Dutch cinemas and will be purchased by the Dutch public broadcasting network NPO to screen on national television.

Full selection Big Screen Competition:

An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn, Jim Hosking, UK/USA, 2018, European premiere

Father to Son, Hsiao Ya-chuan, Taiwan, 2018, world premiere

The Guilty, Gustav Möller, Denmark, 2018, European premiere

An Impossibly Small Object, David Verbeek, Taiwan/Netherlands/Croatia, 2018, world premiere

Night Comes On, Jordana Spiro, USA, 2018, international premiere

Nina, Olga Chajdas, Poland, 2018, world premiere

Pity, Babis Makridis, Greece/Poland, 2018, European premiere

Tiempo compartido, Sebastián Hofmann, Mexico/Netherlands, 2018, European premiere

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48 Feature Films Selected for Bright Future Main Program at 2018 International Film Festival Rotterdam

[caption id="attachment_26231" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Impermanence[/caption] International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has selected 48 feature film titles for its Bright Future Main Program dedicated to young, emerging film talent. Within this line-up, all feature-length film debuts that are a world or international premiere in Rotterdam are eligible for the Bright Future Award, worth €10,000. Many of them are world premieres. In Impermanence by young Chinese filmmaker Zeng Zeng, three fascinating lost souls – a monk, an innkeeper and a father who has lost his son – are brought together by fate. The German film Ella und Nell by Aline Chukwuedo follows two Berlin women on a hike in the woods. August at Akiko’s is Christopher Makoto Yogi’s dreamy debut about a musician who returns to Hawaii trying to find his ‘ha’`– the spirit that links him to his birthplace. Other nominated world premieres include the harrowing Counting Tiles by Lebanese filmmaker Cynthia Choucair, following a group of clowns who set off for the island of Lesbos to deliver laughter to refugees; The Heart by Swedish filmmaker Fanni Metelius about an invisible conflict stirring between the sheets of two lovers (“If you love me then fuck me!”); and the Egyptian film Poisonous Roses by Ahmed Fawzi Saleh, in which a young man dreams of a life beyond his tannery job in the slums. Also in competition: Argentinian filmmaker Gustavo Biazzi’s charming and melancholy coming-of-ager Los vagos. Other world premieres in the Bright Future Main Program include YEAH by Japanese filmmaker Suzuki Yohei; Jonaki by celebrated Indian filmmaker Aditya Vikram Sengupta, whose Labour of Love screened at IFFR 2015; Permanent Green Light by Dennis Cooper and Zac Farley, about a teenager obsessed with the idea of blowing himself up in public; and La estrella errante by Spanish filmmaker Alberto Gracia about the wandering front man of a Galician underground punk band. Gracia won the FIPRESCI Award with his feature debut The Fifth Gospel of Kaspar Hauser at IFFR 2013.
Bright Future Competition
August at Akiko’s, Christopher Makoto Yogi, USA, 2018, world premiere Musician Alex Zhang Hungtai returns to Hawai‘i after years abroad. His search for home and roots intensifies when he forms a bond with local kupuna Akiko. Azougue Nazaré/Azougue Nazareth, Tiago Melo, Brazil, 2018, world premiere In the sugarcane country of North East Brazil, where Evangelicalism is on the rise, people start to disappear and other strange things start to happen as Maracatu carnival season gets underway. The Bangle Seller, Ere Gowda, India, 2018, world premiere In a small Indian village, Kempanna and his wife Saubaghya are unable to conceive. A scandal seems imminent. Counting Tiles, Cynthia Choucair, Lebanon , 2018, world premiere A group of clowns travel to the Greek island of Lesvos on a mission to bring laughter to the many people escaping war in February 2016. Ella und Nell/Ella & Nell, Aline Chukwuedo, Germany, 2018, world premiere Ella and Nell used to be best friends. Now grown apart and in their forties, they set out on a hike in order to reconnect. The mood changes as old wounds are reopened. The Heart, Fanni Metelius, Sweden, 2018, world premiere Mika and Tesfay. She’s a photographer. He’s a musician. Both are up-and-coming. The first true romance. But an invisible conflict, an unnameable shame, stirs between their sheets. Impermanence, Zeng Zeng, China, 2018, world premiere Fate brings together three fascinating lost souls – a monk with a sack of money, an innkeeper with a heavy conscience and a father who’s lost his son – in young Chinese director Zeng Zeng’s mysterious tale of guilt, punishment and ambiguous redemption. Poisonous Roses, Ahmed Fawzi Saleh, Egypt/France, 2018, world premiere Saqr dreams of a life beyond his tannery job in the slums, but his love for the sister he would leave behind keeps him tied there. Their Remaining Journey, John Clang, Singapore/USA/Taiwan, 2018, world premiere A tale of reincarnation unfolds through the stories of a dead actress, an ex-mistress and an unfaithful husband, somewhere between New York and Singapore. La torre/Tower, Sebastián Múnera, Colombia/Mexico, 2018, world premiere On March 17, 2004 an explosive device was activated at the Piloto Public Library in Medellín, where much of the photographic archive of Colombian history is kept. A photograph is the only evidence of this barbarism. Los vagos/Bums, Gustavo Biazzi, Argentina, 2017, international premiere High school sweethearts Ernesto and Paula return to their hometown, Misiones, for the summer. Ernesto’s rekindled friendship with los vagos (‘the bums’) triggers upheaval for the pair.
Bright Future premieres
Ambiguous Places, Ikeda Akira, Japan, 2017, international premiere A series of odd and mysterious dramas unfolds against ordinary backdrops in this new film from Tiger Award winner Ikeda. Blockage, Mohsen Gharaei, Iran, 2017, European premiere Fired from his job at the municipality for making deals on the side, Ghasem is forced to make changes. While is he making plans for his wife’s inheritance, a completely new opportunity arises. La estrella errante/Wandering Star, Alberto Gracia, Spain, 2018, world premiere The punk band Los Fiambres released one cult album in 1984. More than thirty years later, their lead singer, Rober Perdut, wanders around his Galician hometown in this sensory, melancholic film. Hit the Night, Jeong Gayoung, South Korea, 2017, international premiere Under the pretence of research, Ga-yeong pries into the personal and sexual life of a new acquaintance. Despite having a girlfriend, the acquaintance willingly participates. Is he unaware of her desire, or just impressed by her line of questioning? Inferninho/My Own Private Hell, Guto Parente, Pedro Diógenes, Brazil, 2018, world premiere In a bar called Inferninho, the staff dream of escape. A handsome sailor with a dream of finding home arrives. Jonaki, Aditya Vikram Sengupta, India/France/Singapore, 2018, world premiere While Jonaki, an 80-year-old woman, searches for love in a strange world of decaying memories, her lover, now old and grey, returns to a world she is leaving behind. The Pain of Others, Penny Lane, USA, 2018, world premiere A found-footage documentary about Morgellons, a mysterious illness whose sufferers say they have parasites under the skin and a host of other bizarre symptoms that could be taken from a horror film. Permanent Green Light, Dennis Cooper/Zac Farley, France, 2018, world premiere A young disabled guy wants to explode in public. He’s not suicidal or an extremist, he’s purely interested in this act’s effect. That he’ll die is unimportant, he just doesn’t want people to misinterpret the event. Sol alegria, Tavinho Teixeira, Brazil, 2018, world premiere An eccentric family on a mission travel through dictatorial Brazil to save humanity from annihilation. Cheerfully nihilistic film trip takes us past a colourful parade of sailors, whores, generals, corrupt priests and trigger-happy nuns. YEAH, Suzuki Yohei, Japan, 2018, world premiere A young woman, Ako, wanders around a sparsely populated housing estate in a rural city, Mito, where she spends her time speaking to objects and plants.
Confirmed for Bright Future
The Gulf, Emre Yeksan, Turkey/Germany/Greece, 2017 Leaving behind a ruined career and a bitter divorce, Selim returns to his hometown, Izmir. While wandering the city he runs into an old friend and finds himself gradually drawn into a new world. Those Who Are Fine, Cyril Schäublin, Switzerland, 2017 Using skills gained working in a call centre, Alice makes a sinister income posing as the granddaughter of Zurich’s many lonely grandmothers. Previously announced titles in the Bright Future Main Program
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2018 Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival Unveils Lineup, Opens with “Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me”

The 17th Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival (LVJFF), running January 13 to 28, 2018, will kick off with the Las Vegas premiere of “Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me,” the first major film documentary to examine Davis’ vast talent and his journey for identity through the shifting tides of civil rights and racial progress during 20th-century America. Highlights of the 2018 LVJFF include “Ben-Gurion: Epilogue,” the winner of the Best Documentary Feature at the 2017 Ophir Awards (the Israeli Oscars), “1945” a new award winning Hungarian post-Holocaust drama, and “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” about the beautiful and brilliant Jewish actress, winner of Best Documentary of the 2017 New York Film Critics, Online and San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. All LVJFF films will be accompanied by the filmmakers, or related experts in the subject matter, who will provide introductions and moderate post-screening discussions with the audience. “LVJFF shares insight into Jewish identity, history, and culture, and promotes solidarity with Israel and remembrance of the Holocaust. Everyone is encouraged to attend,” said Joshua Abbey, the festival’s director. “Our 2018 LVJFF is dedicated to Heather Heyer who was killed while protesting against anti-Semitism and hate in Charlottesville, Virginia. May her memory be a blessing for love over hate.”
2018 LVJFF PROGRAM SCHEDULE:
“Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me” 1/13/18 | 7:00 PM | Century Suncoast 16 Hosted by Vegas PBS and Neon Museum Moderated by Claytee White, Director, Oral History Research Center at UNLV Libraries with with Obba Babatunde, Actor and Sam Pollard, Director (via Skype) “One Night in Anzeria” 1/14/18 | 1:00 PM | Adelson Educational Campus Hosted by Israeli American Council Moderated by Nir Caspi, Former Israeli Navy Seal “Ben-Gurion: Epilogue” 1/14/18 | 3:00 PM | Adelson Educational Campus Hosted by Israeli American Council Moderated by (TBA) “Look About You” 1/18/18 | 7:00 PM | Brenden Theatres, Palms Casino Resort Hosted by Jewish National Fund and Friends of Israel Gospel Ministries Moderated by Janet Wellish, Board President JNF with Ty Perry, G’sherim Trainer FIGM “A Place of Hope” | “Pista” 1/21/18 | 3:00 PM | Adelson Educational Campus Hosted by Dam Short Film Festival Moderated by Barbara Tabach, Project Manager, UNLV Oral History Research Center with Holocaust Survivors Henry Kronberg, Ben Lesser and Stephen “Pista” Nasser “1945” 1/25/18 | 7:00 PM | Brenden Theatres Palms Casino Resort Hosted by Jewish Community Center Moderated by Mark Hall-Patton, Museum Administrator, Clark County Museum System, “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” 1/27/18 | 7:00 PM | Adelson Educational Campus Hosted by Las Vegas Review-Journal Moderated by Ed Cassidy, VP Marketing Las Vegas Review-Journal with Alexandra Dean, Director (via Skype) “Wanderlust: Lesley Hazleton” 1/28/18 | 1:00 PM | Eclipse Theaters Hosted by The Believer Magazine and Black Mountain Institute Moderated by Kellen Braddock, Deputy Director, BMI and Publisher, The Believer Magazine with Lesley Hazleton “Heather Booth: Changing the World” 1/28/18 | 3:00 PM | Eclipse Theaters Hosted by Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada – Southern Nevada and Nevada Women’s Film Festival Moderated by Heather Booth and Lilly Rivlin, Film Director Image: Sammy Davis, Jr. takes aim in a backstage photo with his dancers in a scene from the documentary SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME. Photo Credit: The Estate of Altovise Davis
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Filmmakers Diogo Costa Amarante, Jyoti Mistry and Mark Toscano Selected for Berlinale 2018 International Short Film Jury

[caption id="attachment_26197" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Diogo Costa Amarante, Jyoti Mistry and Mark Toscano[/caption] Portuguese filmmaker and winner of the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the Berlinale 2017, Diogo Costa Amarante; US filmmaker and curator Mark Toscano; and South African filmmaker and academic Jyoti Mistry will make up the International Short Film Jury of 2018 Berlin Film Festival. They will award the Golden and the Silver Bear, as well as the Audi Short Film Award. In addition, they will nominate a film for the European Film Awards in the category European Short Film 2018. “The diverse perspectives that Mark Toscano, Jyoti Mistry and Diogo Costa Amarante bring to the jury portend a well-versed, young and contemporary discussion on the 2018 selection,” comments Maike Mia Höhne, curator of Berlinale Shorts. Diogo Costa Amarante (Portugal) Diogo Costa Amarante completed his Master of Fine Arts at New York University / Tisch School of the Arts in 2016 with his film Cidade Pequena, which celebrated its international premiere at the 67th Berlinale in 2017 and received the Golden Bear for Best Short Film. Amarante is a member of the widely acclaimed third generation of Portuguese filmmakers, whose works have established an impressive position for Portugal in the cinematic world. His first film Jumate/Jumate received accolades at many festivals, and in 2007 he received a scholarship for documentary film and cinematography at the School of Cinema and Audiovisuals of Catalonia (ESCAC). In 2009, he was a participant at Berlinale Talents, and shot his second documentary film In January, perhaps. Jyoti Mistry (South Africa) Filmmaker Jyoti Mistry is an Associate Professor and Deputy Head of Division at the Wits School of Arts in South Africa. She received the CILECT Teaching Award (The International Association of Film and Television Schools) in 2016 in recognition of her outstanding achievements in film pedagogy and film practice research. Her research areas include cultural policy, questions of identity, and multiculturalism. Her experimental film The Bull On the Roof (2010) celebrated its debut at the Durban International Film Festival and was presented at the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume in Paris, among other institutions. Her feature film Impunity (2014) celebrated its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and her most recent short film When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Black Man was a competition selection at the short film festival Winterthur in 2017. Her publications include “’we remember differently’: Race, Memory, Imagination” (2012), “Gaze Regimes: Film and Feminisms in Africa” (2015) and “Places to Play – Practice, Research & Pedagogy” (2017) which was adapted for the screen. Mark Toscano (USA) Mark Toscano has worked for many noted institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art, Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art, EYE Filmmuseum, Tate Modern, Los Angeles Filmforum, as well as for festivals in Rotterdam, London, Oberhausen, Zagreb and Bangalore, functioning as curator and presenter of stand-out programmes. In addition, he lectures on experimental film and archiving at numerous universities. At the California Institute of the Arts, he is an instructor in the area of Experimental Animation. A distinguished filmmaker and curator, Mark Toscano has been a contributor to the conservation of cinematic heritage at the Academy Film Archive since 2003, where he specialises in the conservation of noteworthy films, maintaining exchange with over 100 international filmmakers.
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