Marshall[/caption]
The 15th Annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) will be held from August 7 to 12, 2017, and will officially kick off with Reginald Hudlin’s Marshall.
The 2017 Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival will kick-off with a presentation by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Earl W. and Amanda Stafford Center for African American Media Arts’ department of digitization and preservation. On Monday, August 7 at 4 p.m. at the MVPAC the museum will preview, from their historical collection, home movies from Cab Calloway, among others.
Exclusive Spotlight Screenings: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Annapurna Pictures will screen Detroit starring John Boyega and Anthony Mackie. Talk-back to follow with Kathryn Bigelow, moderated by Khalil Muhammad, professor of History, Race and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School – Harvard University. From 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. Amazon Studio’s Crown Heights will screen starring Lakeith Stanfield and Nnamdi Asomugha.
Opening Night film will be a special screening of Reginald Hudlin’s Marshall, presented by Open Road Films, on Tuesday, August 8 at 7 p.m. at the MVPAC. “The Color of Conversation” will immediately follow with Reginald Hudlin.
Wednesday, August 9 at 7 p.m. at MVPAC, the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University will present a screening of the NAACP Image Award-nominated “Little Ballers” – talk-back to immediately follow.
On Thursday, August 10 at 7 p.m. at MVPAC, the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University and Spike Lee will present clips from, the Netflix acquired, Rodney King starring Roger Guenveur Smith.
The short film competition, sponsored by HBO and Saatchi & Saatchi Global Advertising, will be held Friday, August 11 from 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the MVPAC. Immediately following, at 5 p.m., HBO will showcase an episode of the network’s inventive series, Issa Rae’s “Insecure” with moderated talk-back. At 7 p.m. HBO’s “The Defiant Ones” will screen. Moderated talk-back to immediately follow with Allen Hughes and Dr. Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr.
Spike Lee to present preview the Original Netflix series “She’s Gotta Have It” on Saturday, August 12 at 7 p.m. at MVPAC. “The Color of Conversation” to follow.
The annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival is presented by Run&Shoot Filmworks.Film Festivals
-
Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival to Open with MARSHALL + Feature Kathryn Bigelow, Spike Lee
[caption id="attachment_22840" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Marshall[/caption]
The 15th Annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) will be held from August 7 to 12, 2017, and will officially kick off with Reginald Hudlin’s Marshall.
The 2017 Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival will kick-off with a presentation by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Earl W. and Amanda Stafford Center for African American Media Arts’ department of digitization and preservation. On Monday, August 7 at 4 p.m. at the MVPAC the museum will preview, from their historical collection, home movies from Cab Calloway, among others.
Exclusive Spotlight Screenings: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Annapurna Pictures will screen Detroit starring John Boyega and Anthony Mackie. Talk-back to follow with Kathryn Bigelow, moderated by Khalil Muhammad, professor of History, Race and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School – Harvard University. From 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. Amazon Studio’s Crown Heights will screen starring Lakeith Stanfield and Nnamdi Asomugha.
Opening Night film will be a special screening of Reginald Hudlin’s Marshall, presented by Open Road Films, on Tuesday, August 8 at 7 p.m. at the MVPAC. “The Color of Conversation” will immediately follow with Reginald Hudlin.
Wednesday, August 9 at 7 p.m. at MVPAC, the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University will present a screening of the NAACP Image Award-nominated “Little Ballers” – talk-back to immediately follow.
On Thursday, August 10 at 7 p.m. at MVPAC, the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University and Spike Lee will present clips from, the Netflix acquired, Rodney King starring Roger Guenveur Smith.
The short film competition, sponsored by HBO and Saatchi & Saatchi Global Advertising, will be held Friday, August 11 from 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the MVPAC. Immediately following, at 5 p.m., HBO will showcase an episode of the network’s inventive series, Issa Rae’s “Insecure” with moderated talk-back. At 7 p.m. HBO’s “The Defiant Ones” will screen. Moderated talk-back to immediately follow with Allen Hughes and Dr. Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr.
Spike Lee to present preview the Original Netflix series “She’s Gotta Have It” on Saturday, August 12 at 7 p.m. at MVPAC. “The Color of Conversation” to follow.
The annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival is presented by Run&Shoot Filmworks.
-
2017 Venice Film Festival Unveils Official Lineup Featuring George Clooney, Darren Aronofsky and More
[caption id="attachment_23335" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Suburbicon[/caption]
The Venice Film Festival today revealed the official lineup of films for the 74th edition of the festival taking place August 30 to September 9, 2017. The in-competition lineup features films Mother! by Darren Aronofsky, Suburbicon by George Clooney, and Downsizing by Alexander Payne.
Venezia 74
International competition of feature films, presented as world premieres AI WEIWEI – HUMAN FLOW Germany, USA, 140’ DARREN ARONOFSKY – MOTHER! USA, 120’ Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson, Ed Harris GEORGE CLOONEY – SUBURBICON USA, 104’ Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Noah Jupe, Oscar Isaac GUILLERMO DEL TORO – THE SHAPE OF WATER USA, 119’ Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer ZIAD DOUEIRI – L’INSULTE France, Lebanon, 110’ Adel Karam, Kamel El Basha, Camille Salameh, Rita Hayek ROBERT GUÉDIGUIAN – LA VILLA France, 107’ Ariane Ascaride, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Gérard Meylan, Jacques Boudet, Anaïs Demoustier, Robinson Stévenin ANDREW HAIGH – LEAN ON PETE United Kingdom, 121’ Charlie Plummer, Steve Buscemi, Chloë Sevigny ABDELLATIF KECHICHE – MEKTOUB, MY LOVE: CANTO UNO France, Italy, 180’ Shain Boumedine, Ophélie Baufle, Salim Kechiouche, Lou Luttiau, Alexia Chardard, Hafsia Herzi KOREEDA HIROKAZU – SANDOME NO SATSUJIN (THE THIRD MURDER) Japan, 124’ Fukuyama Masaharu, Yakusho Koji, Hirose Suzu XAVIER LEGRAND – JUSQU’À LA GARDE France, 90’ Denis Ménochet, Léa Drucker, Thomas Gioria, Mathilde Auneveux, Saadia Bentaïeb MANETTI BROS. – AMMORE E MALAVITA Italia, 133’ Giampaolo Morelli, Serena Rossi, Claudia Gerini, Carlo Buccirosso SAMUEL MAOZ – FOXTROT Israel, Germany, France, Switzerland, 113’ Lior Ashkenazi, Sarah Adler, Yonatan Shiray MARTIN MCDONAGH – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI United Kingdom, 110’ Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, John Hawkes, Peter Dinklage ANDREA PALLAORO – HANNAH Italy, Belgium, France, 95’ Charlotte Rampling, André Wilms ALEXANDER PAYNE – DOWNSIZING USA, 140’ Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig VIVIAN QU – JIA NIAN HUA (ANGELS WEAR WHITE) China, France, 107’ Wen Qi, Zhou Meijun, Shi Ke, Geng Le, Liu Weiwei, Peng Jing SEBASTIANO RISO – UNA FAMIGLIA Italy, 105’ Micaela Ramazzotti, Patrick Bruel PAUL SCHRADER – FIRST REFORMED USA, 108’ Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles WARWICK THORNTON – SWEET COUNTRY Australia, 112’ con Sam Neill, Bryan Brown, Hamilton Morris, Thomas M. Wright PAOLO VIRZÌ – THE LEISURE SEEKER Italia, 112’ Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland FREDERICK WISEMAN – EX LIBRIS. THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY USA, 197’Out of Competition
Important works by directors already established in previous editions of the Festival JON ALPERT – CUBA AND THE CAMERAMAN [NON-FICTION] USA, 113’ GIANNI AMELIO – CASA D’ALTRI [SPECIAL EVENTS] Italy, 16’ RITESH BATRA – OUR SOULS AT NIGHT USA, 101’ Jane Fonda, Robert Redford DAVID BATTY – MY GENERATION [NON-FICTION] United Kingdom, 85’ Michael Caine ANTONIETTA DE LILLO – IL SIGNOR ROTPETER Italy, 37’ Marina Confalone ABEL FERRARA – PIAZZA VITTORIO [NON-FICTION] Italy, 82’ STEPHEN FREARS – VICTORIA & ABDUL United Kingdom, 149’ Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard WILLIAM FRIEDKIN – THE DEVIL AND FATHER AMORTH [NON-FICTION] USA, 68’ RACHID HAMI – LA MÉLODIE France, 102’ Kad Merad, Samir Guesmi, Renély Alfred, Youssouf Gueye TAKESHI KITANO – OUTRAGE CODA Japan, 104’ Beat Takeshi, Nishida Toshiyuki JERRY KRAMER – MAKING OF MICHAEL JACKSON’S THRILLER [SPECIAL EVENTS] USA, 45’ JOHN LANDIS – MICHAEL JACKSON’S THRILLER 3D [SPECIAL EVENTS] USA, 14’ Michael Jackson, Ola Ray FERNANDO LEÓN DE ARANOA – LOVING PABLO Spain, Bulgaria, 123’ Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard LUCRECIA MARTEL – ZAMA Argentina, Brazil, 115’ Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lola Dueñas, Matheus Nachtergaele, Juan Minujín DANIEL MCCABE – THIS IS CONGO [NON-FICTION] Congo, 91’ ERROL MORRIS – WORMWOOD USA, 300’ (TV series, 6 episodes) Peter Sarsgaard, Molly Parker, Christian Camargo, Scott Shepherd, Tim Blake Nelson, Bob Balaban STEPHEN NOMURA SCHIBLE – RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: CODA [NON-FICTION] USA, Japan, 100’ FRANCESCO PATIERNO – DIVA! Italy, 75’ Barbora Bobulova, Anita Caprioli, Carolina Crescentini, Silvia D’Amico, Isabella Ferrari, Carlotta Natoli, Greta Scarano, Anna Foglietta, Michele Riondino MICHAËL R. ROSKAM – LE FIDÈLE Belgium, France, Netherlands, 130’ Matthias Schoenaerts, Adèle Exarchopoulos CHRIS SMITH – JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND. THE STORY OF JIM CARREY, ANDY KAUFMAN AND TONY CLIFTON [NON-FICTION] USA, Canada, 90’ SILVIO SOLDINI – IL COLORE NASCOSTO DELLE COSE Italy, Switzerland, 115’ Valeria Golino, Adriano Giannini, Arianna Scommegna, Laura Adriani JAMES TOBACK – THE PRIVATE LIFE OF A MODERN WOMAN USA, 71’ Sienna Miller, Alec Baldwin, Charles Grodin, Colleen Camp, Carl Icahn GIOVANNI TOTARO – HAPPY WINTER [NON-FICTION] Italy, 91’ S. CRAIG ZAHLER – BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 USA, 132’ Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter, Don Johnson, Udo KierVenice Virtual Reality
Competitive section of VR films, with a selection of out-of-competition VR films NICOLÁS ALCALÁ – MELITA USA, 24’ (Animation) LAURIE ANDERSON, HUANG HSIN-CHIEN – LA CAMERA INSABBIATA USA, 20’ (Animation) GABO ARORA – THE LAST GOODBYE USA, 20’ LYSANDER ASHTON, LEO WARNER – MY NAME IS PETER STILLMAN United Kingdom, 6’ (Amimation) MATHIAS CHELEBOURG – ALICE, THE VIRTUAL REALITY PLAY France, 20’ Robin Berry, Josh Jefferies EUGENE YK CHUNG – ARDEN’S WAKE EXPANDED USA, 16’ (Animation) NONNY DE LA PEÑA – GREENLAND MELTING USA, 11’ GINA KIM – DONGDUCHEON (BLOODLESS) South Korea, USA, 12’ URI KRANOT, MICHELLE KRANOT – NOTHING HAPPENS Denmark, France, 14’ (Animation) MI LI – SHI MENG LAO REN (THE DREAM COLLECTOR) China, 11’ (Animation) RICHARD MILLS, KIM-LEIGH PONTIN – NEFERTITI United Kingdom, 15’ (Animation) RAFAEL PAVÓN, NICOLÁS ALCALÁ – SNATCH VR HEIST EXPERIENCE USA, 5’ Rupert Grint, Luke Pasqualino, Lucien Laviscount, Phoebe DynevorOrizzonti
A competition dedicated to films that represent the latest aesthetic and expressive trends in international cinema ALI ASGARI – NAPADID SHODAN (DISAPPEARANCE) Iran, Qatar, 89′ with Sadaf Asgari, Amir Reza Ranjbaran, Nafiseh Zare, Sahar Sotoodeh GILLES BOURDOS – ESPÈCES MENACÉES France, Belgium, 105’ with Alice Isaaz, Vincent Rottiers, Grégory Gadebois, Suzanne Clément NANCY BUIRSKI – THE RAPE OF RECY TAYLOR Usa, 91′ LUCIEN CASTAING-TAYLOR, VERENA PARAVEL – CANIBA France , 90′ SOFIA DJAMA – LES BIENHEUREUX France, Belgium, 102′ with Sami Bouajila, Nadia Kaci, Amine Lansari, Lyna Khoudri ANNE FONTAINE – MARVIN France , 115′ with Finnegan Oldfield, Isabelle Huppert, Grégory Gadebois, Vincent Macaigne PABLO GIORGELLI – INVISIBLE Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, 87’ with Mora Arenillas, Mara Bestelli, Diego Cremonesi COSIMO GOMEZ – BRUTTI E CATTIVI Italy, France, 87’ with Claudio Santamaria, Marco D’Amore, Sara Serraiocco TZAHI GRAD – HA BEN DOD (THE COUSIN) Israel, 92′ with Ala Dakka, Tzahi Grad, Osnat Fishman AMICHAI GREENBERG – HA EDUT (THE TESTAMENT) Israel, Austria, 91’ with Ori Pfeffer, Rivka Gur, Hagit Dasberg Shamul, Ori YanivCinema nel Giardino
Films, talks, and visions DARIO ALBERTINI – MANUEL Italy, 97’ Andrea Lattanzi, Giulia Elettra Gorietti, Francesca Antonelli, Raffaella Rea RÄ DI MARTINO – CONTROFIGURA Italy, France, Morocco, Switzerland, 75’ Valeria Golino, Filippo Timi, Corrado Sassi, Nadia Kounda, Younes Bouab KATE MULLEAVY, LAURA MULLEAVY – WOODSHOCK USA, 116’ Kirsten Dunst, Pilou Asbaek, Joe Cole, Stephan Duvall BRUNO OLIVIERO – NATO A CASAL DI PRINCIPE Italy, Spain, 96’ Alessio Lapice, Massimiliano Gallo, Donatella Finocchiaro, Lucia Sardo, Antonio Pennarella MICHELE PLACIDO, ANDREA MOLAIOLI, GIUSEPPE CAPOTONDI – SUBURRA. LA SERIE Italy, 100’ Alessandro Borghi, Giacomo Ferrara, Eduardo Valdarnini, Francesco Acquaroli, Filippo Nigro, Claudia Gerini FRANÇOIS TROUKENS, JEAN-FRANÇOIS HENSGENS – TUEURS Belgium, France, 86’ Olivier Gourmet, Lubna Azabal, Kevin Janssens, Bouli Lanners
-
16 Short Films and Webisodes Selected as Semi-Finalists for 2017 NBCUniversal Short Film Festival
16 original short films and webisodes have been selected as semi-finalists for the 12th annual NBCUniversal Short Film Festival.
The webisodes and shorts, which include a mix of comedies and dramas, will be showcased at public screenings in New York on August 15 and 16 before the finalists are chosen. The finale screening and awards ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on October 18 at the Directors Guild of America.
The complete list of semi-finalists are:
Akashi, Writer & Director: Mayumi Yoshida
Kana, a young Japanese woman, receives news that her grandmother has passed away. During her trip to attend the funeral, she recalls intimate conversations with her grandmother that lead her to examine her own life.
Audible Static, Writer & Director: Sai Selvarajan
Thaddeus, a clever teenager with a speech impediment, creates a new way to communicate his feelings to his crush.
Brothers, Writer & Director: Emmett Lundberg
Four transgender male friends explore life and love in Brooklyn. This episode of the web series focuses on Max as he opens up to his new girlfriend that he is transgender.
Couples: Movie Night, Director: Ryan Sulak, Writer: Chris Sturgeon
A quiet night-in for couple, Sara and Adam, turns into an epic thrill-ride to find the perfect movie in a race against time before Sara falls asleep.
Cul-De-Sac, Director: Damon Russell, Writer: Shawn Christensen
Parents living at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac discover a listening device inside their son’s teddy bear. The film stars Phoebe Tonkin (The Originals, The Vampire Diaries).
Emergency, Director: Carey Williams, Writer: K.D Davila
A group of Black and Latino college students carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an emergency situation.
Groundhog Day For A Black Man, Writer & Director: Cynthia Kao
A Black man continually relives the same day until he can survive an encounter with the police.
Joy Joy Nails, Writer & Director: Joey Ally
Sarah manages a Korean-owned nail salon with an ever cheerful iron fist. New manicurist Mia, who is Chinese, starts working at the salon and attracts the affections of Sarah’s love interest. Threatened, Sarah becomes increasingly antagonistic toward Mia and later discover truths about herself and Joy Joy Nails.
Lost Dogs, Director: Cullan Bruce, Writers: Cullan Bruce and Chris Lee
A woman ridiculed by her family longs to escape. Striking a deal with her brother to clear his illegal debt, she delves deeper into darkness.
Madaran, Writer & Director: Rayka Zehtabchi
An Iranian mother decides whether to end or spare the life of her son’s killer.
Misery Loves Company 1: “Pussy,” Director: Gloria Calderon Kellett, Writers: Sara Amini and Emily Chang
Misery Loves Company 3: “Racist,” Director: Nadine Truong, Writers: Sara Amini and Emily Chang
Two friends navigate being women of color in a post-election world, while trying (and failing) at a #blessedlife in LA. In this episode, Sara and Emily deal with cat-callers on the street.
Mr. & Mrs. Kim, Director: Jaehuen Chung, Writer: Josh Aichenbaum
Joshua Kim makes up a glamorous story about his Korean immigrants parents for his fourth grade class. He later discovers that their real-life backstory is more extraordinary than what he could have ever imagined.
Mrs. Drake, Director: Caitlin FitzGerald, Writer: Kyle Warren
Laura is a single mother struggling to raise her son Jack. She is thrown into a spiral of confusion and guilt when Jack comes home from school claiming his teacher locked him in a closet.
Night Call, Director: Amanda Renee Knox, Writer: Joseph Sousa
During a routine patrol, a Black female cop (Marlyne Barrett, Chicago Med) is called to a disturbance that leads to her making a life-altering decision.
Pop Rox, Director: Nate Trinru, Writer: Alyssa Lerner
Jesse, an Iranian-American teenage girl, decides to tell her best friend, Roxanne, that she’s in love with her.
-
2017 Open City Documentary Festival Unveils Lineup
MOTHERLAND OR DEATH, Vitaly Mansky 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.
-
13TH Director Ava DuVernay, World Premiere Music Videos + Comedians Added to Sundance NEXT FEST
[caption id="attachment_14964" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Ava DuVernay[/caption]
World premiere music videos, conversations between film legends and up-and-coming creatives and three female comedians have been added to the lineup for Sundance NEXT FEST, taking place August 10 to 13 at The Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles.
CONVERSATIONS
Ava DuVernay (13th, Selma) will join a conversation, presented by FilmL.A., Inc., with director Justin Chon after Saturday’s 4:00 p.m. screening of Gook. Also on Saturday, Gente-fied executive producer America Ferrera, director/creator/co-writer Marvin Lemus, co-writer Linda Yvette Chavez and producer Aaliyah Williams will be in conversation following the noon screening of all seven episodes of the series. On Sunday, Emmy Award winner Larry Wilmore will join directors Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles and the subject of Dina for a conversation following the afternoon screening. Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show) will be in conversation with filmmaker Alex Ross Perry following Sunday’s 4:00 p.m. screening of Golden Exits.WORLD PREMIERE MUSIC VIDEOS
Highlighting the connection between music and movies, three brand-new music videos have been added to the lineup and will screen before films. Temptation — Joey Bada$$ Directed by Nathan R. Smith. A little girl journeys through Brooklyn as an omniscient Joey Bada$$ protects her from the alluring temptations she encounters. The track is featured on Joey Bada$$’ latest album, All-Amerikkkan Bada$$. The music video will premiere Saturday, August 12 with the 4:00 p.m. screening of Gook. Do It, Try It — M83 Written and directed by David Wilson. A family outing to a burger joint sparks an argument between the parents whilst two children draw pictures to entertain themselves, taking the viewer into their imaginations. This four-minute adventure of mixed media film, fusing live action and hand-drawn animation, premieres Sunday, August 13 with the noon screening of Dina. Fingers — Hundred Waters Directed by Allie Avital. Fingers is an eerie meditation on the dissolution of a relationship featuring 10,000 live insects.The music video will make its world premiere on Sunday, August 13 with the 4:00 p.m. screening of Golden Exits.COMEDIANS
Kate Berlant will host the screening of Lemon and performance by Lizzo on Friday, August 11 at 8:00 p.m. Berlant has been described by The New York Times as a “magnetic improvisational comic” and named by Time Out New York as one of New York City’s “Top Three Comics to Watch.” She is also one of Comedy Central’s “Comics to Watch.” Kate Micucci will host Saturday‘s 8:00 p.m. screening of Bitch and performance by Sleigh Bells. Micucci can be seen in The Little Hours with Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Dave Franco, Molly Shannon and John C. Reilly. Kate is co-creator and co-star of the group GARFUNKEL AND OATES, with Riki Lindhome. They were one of Variety’s comics to watch in 2010 and their two-woman show regularly sold out Largo and UCB. Natasha Leggero will host Sunday’s 8:00 p.m. screening of L.A. Times and performance by Electric Guest. Leggero has built her body of work with numerous roles on prominent television series including NBC’s Community, FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Arrested Development, Comedy Central’s Reno 911 and Drunk History, ABC’s Suburgatory, the sketch comedy Key and Peele, Comedy Bang! Bang! Chelsea Lately, and The Tonight Show, among many others.
-
World Premiere of Woody Allen’s WONDER WHEEL to Close New York Film Festival
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.
-
38th Durban International Film Festival Awards, A FATHER’S WILL Wins Best Film
[caption id="attachment_23317" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
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.
38th Durban International Film Festival Awards
Best Feature Film – A Father’s Will Best South African Feature – Vaya Best Director for a South African Film: John Trentgrove The Wound Best Direction – A Father’s Will (Bakyt Mukul, Dastan Zhapar Uulu.) Best Cinematography – A Father’s Will (Akjol Bekbolotov) Best Screenplay – La Soledad (Jorge Thielen Armand, Rodrigo Michelangeli) Best Actor – Nakhane Touré (The Wound) Best actress – Mariam Al Ferjani (Beauty and the Dogs) Best editing – La Soledad (Felipe Guerrero) Artistic Bravery – Liyana Best International Short Film – Witnesses Best African Short Film – All of Us Best South African Short – The Hangman Best South African Documentary Film – Strike A Rock Best International Documentary Film – Dusk Chorus
-
2017 HollyShorts Film Festival Unveils Competition Short Films Lineup
[caption id="attachment_11940" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
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 “Full Metal Jacket” to Open HollyShorts Film Festival
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
-
Michael Jackson-Themed SHEIKH JACKSON will Close Toronto Film Fest Special Presentation Program
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.
-
Cinematographer José Luis Alcaine to Receive Vision Award at Locarno Festival
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.
-
World Premiere of Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano’s C’EST LA VIE! to Close Toronto International Film Festival
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.