
The 2017 Open City Documentary Festival today announced the program for the 7th edition of the festival, taking place in London from September 5 to 10, 2017.

The 2017 Open City Documentary Festival today announced the program for the 7th edition of the festival, taking place in London from September 5 to 10, 2017.
Woody Allen’s Wonder Wheel will make its World Premiere as the Closing Night film of the 55th New York Film Festival on Saturday, October 14. Amazon Studios will release Wonder Wheel on December 1, 2017.
In a career spanning 50 years and almost as many features, Woody Allen has periodically refined, reinvented, and redefined the terms of his art, and that’s exactly what he does with his daring new film. We’re in Coney Island in the 1950s. A lifeguard (Justin Timberlake) tells us a story that just might be filtered through his vivid imagination: a middle-aged carousel operator (James Belushi) and his beleaguered wife (Kate Winslet), who eke out a living on the boardwalk, are visited by his estranged daughter (Juno Temple)—a situation from which layer upon layer of all-too-human complications develop. Allen and his cinematographer, the great Vittorio Storaro, working with a remarkable cast led by Winslet in a startlingly brave, powerhouse performance, have created a bracing and truly surprising movie experience.
New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones said, “I’m not quite sure what I expected when I sat down to watch Wonder Wheel, but when the lights came up I was speechless. There are elements in the film that will certainly be familiar to anyone who knows Woody Allen’s work, but here he holds them up to a completely new light. I mean that literally and figuratively, because Allen and Vittorio Storaro use light and color in a way that is stunning in and of itself but also integral to the mounting emotional power of the film. And at the center of it all is Kate Winslet’s absolutely remarkable performance—precious few actors are that talented, or fearless.”
The New York Film Festival has showcased Allen’s work on two other occasions: Bullets Over Broadway was Centerpiece of NYFF32 in 1994 and Celebrity was Opening Night of NYFF36 in 1998.
The New York Film Festival taking place September 28 to October 15, 2017, highlights the best in world cinema, featuring works from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent.
Earlier this summer, NYFF announced Richard Linklater’s Last Flag Flying as Opening Night and Todd Haynes’s Wonderstruck as the Centerpiece selection. The retrospective section honors Robert Mitchum’s centenary.
A Father’s Will[/caption]
The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) announced this year’s award-winners at the 38th DIFF Awards ceremony, with the award for the Best Feature Film going to A Father’s Will; and the award for Best South African Feature Film going to Vaya directed by Akin Omotoso.
The Best Director for a South African Film went to John Trentgrove The Wound.
The Best South African Documentary award was taken by Strike A Rock, directed by Aliki Saragas which the jury described as a powerful documentary that reflects the context of the current South African society; while the Best International Documentary went to Dusk Chorus directed by Nika Šaravanja and Alessandro D’Emilia.
The award for Best Direction in the international competition, went to A Father’s Will (Bakyt Mukul, Dastan Zhapar Uulu) in addition to the award for Best Cinematography (Akjol Bekbolotov).
The Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award for the film that best reflects human rights issues which comes with a cash prize donated by the Amnesty International went to Strike a Rock and Mama Colonel ; and the African Critic Award was won by Serpent which also opened DIFF this year.
Super Sex[/caption]
The Academy Awards® qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival unveiled today it’s official lineup of in-competition short films for the upcoming 13th edition of the festival. HollyShorts, which is LA’s biggest shorts film festival takes place August 10 to 19 at the TCL Chinese Theater, Roosevelt Hotel, Harmony Gold Theater and other venues throughout Hollywood. This year’s festival received an all time record of 4,000 submissions from 65 countries. 400 shorts will compete for the Best Short Film Prize and Grand Jury Prize, Best Director among other top categories.
2017 HollyShorts official selections include: Walking Dead’s Emma Bell’s Directorial debut horror short Scratch; Matthew Modine’s comedy Super Sex starring his daughter Ruby Modine, Kevin Nealon, Elizabeth Perkins, Ed Asner and Efren Ramirez; John Stamos’s short Ingenue-ish; Julia Barnett’s Chasing Grace Produced by Connie Britton starring Christopher Backus, and Lydia Tracy; Joshua Shultz’s Strobe starring Sammi Hanratty; Brett Gursky’s Graffiti starring Cassie Scerbo; Erin Elder’s Penny Sucker starring James Paxton; Russell Simpson’s Home starring Sharon Lawrence and Marianne Jean-Baptiste; Jack Henry Robbins Hot Winter: A Film By Dick Pierre; Bill Plympton’s animated short Cop Dog, Spike Lee’s Lil Joints $15 Dollar Kicks Directed by Jenn Shaw. Tye Sheridan and Nikola Todorovic co-founders of VR production company Aether will oversee the first-ever VR Experience at this year’s HollyShorts.
As previously reported the festival will open with a special screening of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece Full Metal Jacket on Thursday August 10 followed by a Q&A with Matthew Modine.
Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam war masterpiece “Full Metal Jacket” will open this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival on August 10. The opening night festivities will coincide with the iconic feature’s thirtieth anniversary — the film first bowed back in June of 1987 — and star Matthew Modine will be on hand to participate in a special post-screening Q&A.
Kubrick’s instant classic depiction of Vietnam — and really, war in general — was based on Gutav Hasford’s novel “The Short-Timers,” which Kubrick sparked to after seeking material for a war film for years. The film stars Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Arliss Howard, Kevyn Major Howard, and Ed O’Ross and follows a motley crew of Marines as they train for and eventually go to battle in Vietnam. The film was a lauded success, and earned an Oscar nod for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The actor has also offered to display his own personal collection of behind-the-scenes photos from the making of the film, which will be available for viewing at Hollywood’s Chinese Theater during the run of the festival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j3_iPskjxk
The World Premiere of Sheikh Jackson, written and directed by Amr Salama, will be the Closing Night film of the Special Presentation program of the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Sheikh Jackson tells the story of a young imam and former Michael Jackson devotee who falls into a tailspin following the news of the King of Pop’s death.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Sheikh Jackson close the Special Presentations program and to welcome Amr Salama to TIFF for its World Premiere,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “With this film he has provided a deeply personal look at one man’s life through the lens of the passing of his larger-than-life hero. Film lovers can expect a tender and moving account of fandom and faith and their influence on the more intimate aspects of our lives.”
“I’m thrilled to have this film premiere at such a prestigious festival,” said Amr Salama, writer and director, Sheikh Jackson. “Though this film was a collaborative effort, it’s my most personal film to date. It’s about faith, identity, self-discovery and embracing one’s contradictions.” Sheikh Jackson is produced by Mohamed Hefzy and Hani Osama.
The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.
The Locarno Festival will honor cinematographer José Luis Alcaine with the Vision Award TicinoModa, the prize dedicated to those who have used their talents to trace new perspectives in the world of film.
José Luis Alcaine, noted for his strong colors and photography that highlights shade and form while remaining always believable, even at extremely high contrast, has worked with some of the most important and influential auteurs in Spanish and international filmmaking. He made five films with Pedro Almodóvar, from the cult movie Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988) to Átame!(1989), from La mala educacíon (2004) to La piel que habito (2011), as well as Volver (2006). In the 1980s he was involved in many of the films, which hallmarked the originality of Spanish cinema of the decade, from El sur (Victor Erice, 1983) to Tasio(Montxo Armendáriz, 1984), from Los paraísos perdidos (Basilio Martín Patino, 1985) to El viaje a ninguna parte (Fernando Fernán Gómez, 1986). Further fundamental collaborations in his career were those with Vicente Aranda, with whom he made a dozen films, including Amantes (1991), and, again in Spain, with Fernando Trueba (El sueño del mono loco, 1989 and Belle Epoque, 1992), with Carlos Saura (¡Ay, Carmela!, 1990 and Sevillanas, 1992) and Bigas Luna (Jamón Jamón, 1992, Huevos de oro, 1993 and La teta y la luna, 1994).
Outside Spain, apart from his various forays in the U.S., Alcaine worked several times with Italian filmmakers, directing photography for Alberto Lattuada (Così come sei, 1978), Fabio Carpi (Barbablù, Barbablù, 1987) and Giovanni Veronesi (Il mio West, 1998). He is currently engaged on set for Domino, the new thriller by Brian De Palma, with whom he previously made Passion (2012), and on a new project by Asghar Farhadi, with Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz.
Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director: “Cinema as seduction and entertainment, mystery and comedy (of life): the lengthy career of José Luis Alcaine is rich in just the ingredients that we try to encourage at Locarno. Film is not just storytelling but first and foremost a gaze on the world, and that world sees the light thanks to artists like Alcaine who can impress upon film – and now on digital formats – both the tints and shadows of human skin and the extraordinary work of actors and art designers. The Vision Award to Alcaine is not just a tribute to a long and successful career, but also an opportunity to meet with one of the most skilled professionals working today; a man who can both illuminate an erotic film and give a lecture on the rapport between Picasso’s painting Guernica and Frank Borzage’s A Farewell to Arms, revealing his profound awareness of film history.”
José Luis Alcaine will receive the Vision Award TicinoModa in Piazza Grande on Thursday August 10. He will also be holding a Master Class on Friday August 11 at the PalaVideo at 3.30 pm. The Festival tribute will include a screening of the films La piel que habito (Pedro Almodovar, 2011), Passion (Brian De Palma, 2012), Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Pedro Almodóvar, 1988) and Belle Epoque (Fernando Trueba, 1992).
In previous years the Locarno Festival has conferred the Vision Award, introduced in 2013, on Douglas Trumbull (2013), Garrett Brown (2014), Walter Murch (2015) and Howard Shore (2016).
The 70th Locarno Festival will be held from August 2 to 12, 2017.
The World Premiere of C’est la vie!, written and directed by award-winning filmmakers Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, will be the Closing Night Gala of the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. The film starring Gilles Lellouche, Suzanne Clément, Eye Haïdara, and Jean-Pierre Bacri will screen at Roy Thomson Hall on September 16.
“We are proud to announce C’est la vie! as this year’s Closing Night film,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “The filmmakers have truly captured the love, laughter, and often chaos that goes into planning our most important milestones, giving audiences a unique point of view to what our lives could look like to people from the outside.”
“Nakache and Toledano make films that the whole world has embraced. We’re thrilled to welcome them back with their latest,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “This will be a terrific way for Toronto to close out the Festival.”
“We are excited to be back at TIFF to present C’est la vie! for the Closing Night film,” stated Nakache and Toledano. “We loved the experience we had at the Festival with Samba and are looking forward to meeting the audience again.”
C’est la vie! tells the story of Max, who has begun to grow tired after running his catering company for 30 years. While planning a large wedding for clients Pierre and Helena, a series of mishaps upends a very tight schedule, and every instant of happiness and emotion could veer into disaster and chaos. From the preparations to daybreak, we get a behind-the-scenes look at a wedding party through the eyes of the people working the event. They will all have to count on their one common quality: knowing how to throw a good party!
The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.
First They Killed My Father – Angelina Jolie[/caption]
The Toronto International Film Festival today unveiled the first round of titles premiering in the Gala and Special Presentations programs of the 42nd edition of the festival, taking place from September 7 to 17, 2017.
Of the 14 Galas and 33 Special Presentations, this first announcement includes 25 World Premieres, eight International Premieres, six North American Premieres and eight Canadian Premieres.
“Festival-goers from around the world can anticipate a remarkable lineup of extraordinary stories, voices and cinematic visions from emerging talent and some of our favorite masters,” said Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF. “Today’s announcement offers audiences a glimpse at this year’s rich and robust selection of films, including works from Canada, USA, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, India, Chile, Egypt and Cambodia.”
“Every year we set the stage for film lovers of all ages and cultural backgrounds to come together and embrace the universal power of cinema,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “As the Festival enters its fifth decade, we’ve challenged ourselves to adapt and build on our strengths, and we look forward to championing a new selection of films that will captivate and inspire global film audiences.”
MOONLIGHT director Barry Jenkins[/caption]
Academy Award-winning writer and director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, Medicine for Melancholy) is among the Keynotes and Featured Speakers announced today for the 2018 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals, taking place March 9 to 18, 2018.
“We are overjoyed to invite Barry Jenkins back to SXSW as a Film Keynote having presented the world premiere of his first feature, Medicine for Melancholy, in 2008,” said Janet Pierson, Director of Film. “Moonlight is a magnificent piece of work, transcendent, and made on his own terms. We couldn’t be happier for his success and to have this remarkable artist with such a generous soul return to SXSW.”
Pin Cushion[/caption]
The 2017 Venice International Film Critics’ Week will screen a selection of seven debut films in competition and two special events out of competition, all presented in world premiere screenings. The Venice International Film Critics’ Week is an independent and parallel section organized by the National Union of Italian Film Critics (SNCCI) during the 74th Venice International Film Festival running August 30th to September 9th, 2017. The selection is curated by the General Delegate of the Venice Critics’ Week Giona A. Nazzaro together with the members of the selection committee Luigi Abiusi, Alberto Anile, Beatrice Fiorentino and Massimo Tria.
The DC Comics and Marvel Comics illustrator Carmine Di Giandomenico designed the futuristic cinematic muse for the 32nd edition of the independent sidebar dedicated to debut feature films.
The 2017 Venice International Film Critics’ Week official selection includes: