Liberia soldier Joseph Duo exults after firing a rocket at rebel forces in Monrovia, Liberia in 2003. The photo led to an unlikely and enduring friendship between the subject and the photographer, Getty Images photojournalist Chris Hondros. Film still from HONDROS. Photo by Chris Hondros.[/caption]
Festival goers at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival voted The Divine Order (Die göttliche Ordnung) and Hondros the winners of the Audience Awards. The Divine Order (Die göttliche Ordnung), directed and written by Petra Volpe was chosen to receive the Narrative award and Hondros, directed by Greg Campbell, written by Greg Campbell, Jenny Golden, was chosen for the Documentary award. Each award comes with a cash prize of $10,000. Additionally, as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program, Divine Order receives R.H. Quaytman: Delphi Landscape, 2017, and Hondros receives Urs Fischer boomboomboom, 2016, The Transit of Venus (Melanie).
“It is always exited to see what resonates most with the audience, and this year both the narrative and documentary winners represent smart filmmaking and impactful storytelling,” said Tribeca Film Festival’s Paula Weinstein. “On behalf of the Tribeca team, we congratulate The Divine Order and Hondros as the 2017 Audience Award winners, and hope moviegoers worldwide get to experience these powerful films.”
The runners-up were Saturday Church, directed and written by Damon Cardasis, for the narrative audience award and Shadowman, directed and written by Oren Jacoby, for the documentary audience award. Throughout the Festival, which kicked off on April 19, audience members voted by using the official Tribeca Film Festival app on their mobile devices and rating the film they just experienced on a scale of 1-5 stars. Films in the U.S. Narrative Competition, International Narrative Competition, World Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Spotlight, Specials, and Midnight sections were eligible.
THE AUDIENCE AWARD WINNING FILMS AND RUNNERS-UP:
WINNERS
The Divine Order (Die göttliche Ordnung), directed and written by Petra Volpe. (Switzerland) – International Premiere. Political leaders in Switzerland cited ‘Divine Order’ as the reason why women still did not have the right to vote as late as 1970. Director Petra Volpe explores this surprising history through the story of Nora, a quiet housewife from a quaint village searching for the fierce suffragette leader inside her. With Marie Leuenberger, Max Simonischek, Rachel Braunschweig, Sibylle Brunner, Marta Zoffoli, Bettina Stucky. In Swiss-German with subtitles.
The film played in the International Narrative Competition section.
Hondros, directed by Greg Campbell, written by Greg Campbell, Jenny Golden. (USA) – World Premiere. Beginning with the war in Kosovo in 1999, award-winning photographer Chris Hondros served as a witness to conflict for over a decade before being killed in Libya in 2011. In Hondros, director and childhood friend Greg Campbell creates a portrait of a man with not only great depth and sensitivity, but a passion for his craft, and an unending talent for creating breathtaking imagery. Executive produced by Jake Gyllenhaal. In Arabic, English with subtitles.
The film played in the Spotlight Documentary section.
RUNNERS UP
Saturday Church, directed and written by Damon Cardasis. (USA) – World Premiere. 14-year-old Ulysses is a shy and effeminate teen being raised in the Bronx by his strict Aunt Rose. He finds escape in a rich fantasy life of music and dance, and soon with a vibrant transgender youth community called Saturday Church. Damon Cardasis’ directorial debut is a rousing celebration of one boy’s search for his identity. With Luka Kain, Margot Bingham, Regina Taylor, Marquis Rodriguez, MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Alexia Garcia.
The film played in the U.S. Narrative Competition section.
Shadowman, directed and written by Oren Jacoby. (USA) – World Premiere. In the early 1980s, Richard Hambleton was New York City’s precursor to Banksy, a rogue street artist whose silhouette paintings haunted the sides of Manhattan buildings. Like so many other geniuses of his time, he fell victim to drug addiction, even as his work continued to rise in both demand and value. Shadowman doubles as both a time capsule of a forgotten New York City era, and a redemption story.
The film played in the Documentary Competition section.Film Festivals
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Tribeca 2017: THE DIVINE ORDER and HONDROS Win Audience Awards
[caption id="attachment_22121" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Liberia soldier Joseph Duo exults after firing a rocket at rebel forces in Monrovia, Liberia in 2003. The photo led to an unlikely and enduring friendship between the subject and the photographer, Getty Images photojournalist Chris Hondros. Film still from HONDROS. Photo by Chris Hondros.[/caption]
Festival goers at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival voted The Divine Order (Die göttliche Ordnung) and Hondros the winners of the Audience Awards. The Divine Order (Die göttliche Ordnung), directed and written by Petra Volpe was chosen to receive the Narrative award and Hondros, directed by Greg Campbell, written by Greg Campbell, Jenny Golden, was chosen for the Documentary award. Each award comes with a cash prize of $10,000. Additionally, as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program, Divine Order receives R.H. Quaytman: Delphi Landscape, 2017, and Hondros receives Urs Fischer boomboomboom, 2016, The Transit of Venus (Melanie).
“It is always exited to see what resonates most with the audience, and this year both the narrative and documentary winners represent smart filmmaking and impactful storytelling,” said Tribeca Film Festival’s Paula Weinstein. “On behalf of the Tribeca team, we congratulate The Divine Order and Hondros as the 2017 Audience Award winners, and hope moviegoers worldwide get to experience these powerful films.”
The runners-up were Saturday Church, directed and written by Damon Cardasis, for the narrative audience award and Shadowman, directed and written by Oren Jacoby, for the documentary audience award. Throughout the Festival, which kicked off on April 19, audience members voted by using the official Tribeca Film Festival app on their mobile devices and rating the film they just experienced on a scale of 1-5 stars. Films in the U.S. Narrative Competition, International Narrative Competition, World Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Spotlight, Specials, and Midnight sections were eligible.
THE AUDIENCE AWARD WINNING FILMS AND RUNNERS-UP:
WINNERS
The Divine Order (Die göttliche Ordnung), directed and written by Petra Volpe. (Switzerland) – International Premiere. Political leaders in Switzerland cited ‘Divine Order’ as the reason why women still did not have the right to vote as late as 1970. Director Petra Volpe explores this surprising history through the story of Nora, a quiet housewife from a quaint village searching for the fierce suffragette leader inside her. With Marie Leuenberger, Max Simonischek, Rachel Braunschweig, Sibylle Brunner, Marta Zoffoli, Bettina Stucky. In Swiss-German with subtitles.
The film played in the International Narrative Competition section.
Hondros, directed by Greg Campbell, written by Greg Campbell, Jenny Golden. (USA) – World Premiere. Beginning with the war in Kosovo in 1999, award-winning photographer Chris Hondros served as a witness to conflict for over a decade before being killed in Libya in 2011. In Hondros, director and childhood friend Greg Campbell creates a portrait of a man with not only great depth and sensitivity, but a passion for his craft, and an unending talent for creating breathtaking imagery. Executive produced by Jake Gyllenhaal. In Arabic, English with subtitles.
The film played in the Spotlight Documentary section.
RUNNERS UP
Saturday Church, directed and written by Damon Cardasis. (USA) – World Premiere. 14-year-old Ulysses is a shy and effeminate teen being raised in the Bronx by his strict Aunt Rose. He finds escape in a rich fantasy life of music and dance, and soon with a vibrant transgender youth community called Saturday Church. Damon Cardasis’ directorial debut is a rousing celebration of one boy’s search for his identity. With Luka Kain, Margot Bingham, Regina Taylor, Marquis Rodriguez, MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Alexia Garcia.
The film played in the U.S. Narrative Competition section.
Shadowman, directed and written by Oren Jacoby. (USA) – World Premiere. In the early 1980s, Richard Hambleton was New York City’s precursor to Banksy, a rogue street artist whose silhouette paintings haunted the sides of Manhattan buildings. Like so many other geniuses of his time, he fell victim to drug addiction, even as his work continued to rise in both demand and value. Shadowman doubles as both a time capsule of a forgotten New York City era, and a redemption story.
The film played in the Documentary Competition section.
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Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Selects Series Launches with Israeli Romantic Comedy THE WEDDING PLAN
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The Wedding Plan[/caption]
The Wedding Plan, an Israeli romantic comedy about a jilted Orthodox bride who embarks on an elaborate search for Mr. Right, will screen as the first film of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Selects series on Thursday, May 11.
The AJFF Selects series is designed to bring the same type of world-class films from the annual festival to audiences year-round. AJFF Selects will feature a series of special screening events outside of the annual festival. These programs will feature outstanding new foreign and independent films, as well as expert speakers and guest filmmakers.
Says AJFF Executive Director Kenny Blank, “With programming initiatives like the AJFF Selects, we have the opportunity to continue our conversation with the community and expand our artistic footprint all year long. We’re excited to unveil more films in the Selects series soon. This is just the beginning of new program offerings from AJFF.”
From acclaimed writer-director Rama Burshtein (Fill the Void) comes the surprisingly gentle and sweet new Israeli romantic comedy, The Wedding Plan.
After her fiancé calls off their wedding a month before the ceremony, an ultra-Orthodox woman (Noa Koler) decides to keep the wedding date, leaving it to fate to provide a suitable groom. Unwilling to return to lonely single life, Michal embarks on an exhaustive search for a spouse, enlisting different matchmakers and enduring a series of horrible blind dates. As the day of her wedding grows closer and without the presence of Mr. Right, the jilted bride-to-be puts everything on the line to find happiness.
Nominated for nine Israeli Academy Awards, The Wedding Plan is winner of Best Actress and Best Screenplay honors, and claimed Best Actress prize at the Haifa International Film Festival. A nominee for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival, the film is also an Official Selection of the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival.
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Roman Polanski’s BASED ON A TRUE STORY Among New Films Added to 2017 Cannes Film Festival
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Roman Polanski[/caption]
Roman Polanski’s latest film Based on a True Story (D’après une histoire vraie) along with six other films have been added to the lineup of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Based on a True Story will screen Out of Competition.
The complete list of films added to the 2017 Cannes Film Festival
Competition
The Square by Ruben Ostlund
Out of Competition
Based on a True Story (D’après une histoire vraie) by Roman Polanski
Un Certain Regard
La Cordillera by Santiago Mitre
Walking past the Future by Li Ruijun
Special Screenings
Le Vénérable W. by Barbet Schroeder
Carré 35 by Eric Caravaca
Children’s Screening
Zombillénium by Arthur de Pins and Alexis Ducord
The Festival de Cannes will also offer a screening tribute to André Téchiné presenting his newest film Nos années folles; and an event with a concert and a film by Tony Gatlif whose movie Djam will be screened at the Cinéma de la plage (“Movies on the Beach).
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Tribeca 2017: KEEP THE CHANGE, SON OF SOFIA, and BOBBI JENE Win Top Juried Awards
[caption id="attachment_22103" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Brandon Polansky as David Cohen and Samantha Elisofon as Sarah Silverstein in KEEP THE CHANGE. Photographer: Giacomo Belletti.[/caption]
Keep the Change, Son of Sofia and Bobbi Jene won the top competition awards at the 16th Tribeca Film Festival award ceremony earlier tonight.
Keep the Change won the award for Best U.S. Narrative, Son of Sofia won for Best International Narrative, and Bobbi Jene won for Best Documentary.
For the fifth year, Tribeca awarded innovation in storytelling through its Storyscapes Award for immersive storytelling, which went to TREEHUGGER: WAWONA.
“It is more important than ever to celebrate artists both in front of and behind the camera who have the unique ability to share different viewpoints to inspire, challenge and entertain us,” said Jane Rosenthal, Executive Chair and Co-Founder, Tribeca Film Festival. “The winning creators from across the Festival program shared stories that did exactly that, and we are honored to recognize them tonight. And how wonderful is it that the top awards in all five feature film categories were directed by women.”
This year’s Festival included 97 feature length films, 57 short films, and 30 immersive storytelling projects from 41 countries.
The winners of awards of the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival
U.S. NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Keep the Change, written and directed by Rachel Israel. Jury Comment: “For her heartwarming, hilarious and consistently surprising reinvention of the New York romantic comedy, which opens a door to a world of vibrant characters not commonly seen on film, the U.S. Narrative Jury gives the Founders Award to Rachel Israel for Keep the Change.” Best Actor in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Alessandro Nivola in One Percent More Humid. Jury Comment: “For his raw, complex and deeply human portrayal of middle-aged teacher and writer who tries to rekindle his creativity by plunging into an ill-advised affair with a student, the award for Best Actor goes to Alessandro Nivola, in Liz W. Garcia’s One Percent More Humid.” Best Actress in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Nadia Alexander in Blame. Jury Comment: “For her powerful, multilayered and risky portrayal of a troubled teenager in Quinn Shepard’s accomplished directorial debut Blame, the award for Best Actress goes to Nadia Alexander.” Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Cinematography by Chris Teague for Love After Love. Jury Comment: “For creating a visual style that beautifully mirrors the fraught and messy landscape of grief, the cinematography award goes to Love After Love, shot by Chris Teague.” Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Abundant Acreage Available written by Angus MacLachlan. Jury Comment: “For its portrayal, both universal and intimate, of two families who meet, clash and ultimately discover what it means to call a place home, the best screenplay award goes to Abundant Acreage, written and directed by Angus MacLachlan.”INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
The Best International Narrative Feature – Son of Sofia (O Gios tis Sofias) written and directed by Elina Psykou (Greece, Bulgaria, France). Jury Comment: “When we were watching these movies we were looking for something we hadn’t seen before. We unanimously agree that one film challenged us to see in a new way, and we were seduced by the surprising humanity of its difficult characters. The direction was assured, and its tone unique, and we look forward to seeing Elina Psykou’s next work. The Best International Narrative Feature Award goes to Son of Sofia.” Best Actor in an International Narrative Feature Film – Guillermo Pfening in Nobody’s Watching (Nadie Nos Mira) (Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, USA, Spain). Jury Comment: “For a performance of extraordinary vulnerability and commitment that anchored the film, the Best Actor Award goes to Guillermo Pfening for Nobody’s Watching.” Best Actress in an International Narrative Feature Film – Marie Leuenberger in The Divine Order (Die göttliche Ordnung) (Switzerland). Jury Comment: “For a performance that is patient, intelligent and graceful, that captured the liberation of a young woman the Best Actress Award goes to Marie Leuenberger for The Divine Order.” Best Cinematography in an International Narrative Feature Film – Cinematography by Mart Taniel for November (Estonia, Netherlands, Poland). Jury Comment: “We were particularly impressed by the high level of the cinematography of the films we’ve just seen which had very different styles and demands. One film was particularly audacious and showed supreme command of its visual language. The Best Cinematography Award goes to Mart Taniel for November.” Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature Film – Ice Mother (Bába z ledu) written by Bohdan Sláma (Slovakia, France). Jury Comment: “A screenplay can create a world. With warmth and humor, this movie leads us into a specific and eccentric world driven by an unlikely love story. The Best Screenplay Award goes to Bohdan Sláma for Ice Mother.”DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
Best Documentary Feature – Bobbi Jene, directed by Elvira Lind (USA, Denmark, Israel). Jury Comments: “In a diverse field of worthy films, one work captivated our jury with its exquisite blend of emotional depth and rigorous craft. Fulfilling the promise of classic cinema verite, where camera serves as both observer and provocation, this film connected two artists, filmmaker and subject, pushing nonfiction intimacy to bold new places. Our winner documents the deeply personal process of a brilliant woman finding her voice – paired with a director whose own artistic vision dances elegantly with that of her subject. We the jury give the Best Documentary Feature to Elvira Lind’s Bobbi Jene.” Best Documentary Cinematography – Cinematography by Elvira Lind for Bobbi Jene (USA, Denmark, Israel). Jury Comments: “For the film’s extraordinary relationship to an artist who is willing to go bare not only in performance but in stunningly intimate scenes that are poetic, honest and moving, seemingly without barriers between camera and subject, we give Best Cinematography to Elvira Lind for Bobbi Jene.” Best Documentary Editing – Editing by Adam Nielson for Bobbi Jene (USA, Denmark, Israel). Jury Comments: “For a film whose precise economy of construction creates space for the rich sensual palette of a committed artist going through a life change, and whose internal rhythms mirror the art it portrays, we give Best Editing to Adam Nielson for Bobbi Jene.” Special Jury Mention – True Conviction. “For its compelling storytelling and for introducing us to three heroic characters who transform the injustice they suffered into active change, we give a Special Jury Mention for Best Documentary Feature to Jamie Meltzer’s True Conviction.”BEST NEW NARRATIVE DIRECTOR COMPETITION:
Best New Narrative Director – Rachel Israel, director of Keep the Change (U.S.). Jury Comments: “For this award, we were looking for a filmmaker with a fearless, authentic voice. Our decision was unanimous. This filmmaker created a world full of vibrant characters often under-represented in cinema. It is a unique, yet universal love story told in a way we’ve never seen. We anxiously await to see what this filmmaker does next. We are so thrilled to present the award for Best New Narrative Director to Rachel Israel for Keep the Change.”BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR COMPETITION
Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award – Sarita Khurana and Smriti Mundhra for A Suitable Girl (U.S./India). Jury Comments: “For the top prize we chose a film that helped us to rethink the dynamics of love through a moving portrayal of a cultural tradition. With incredible access, heartfelt scenes and it’s strong verite style, The Albert Maysles Prize for first documentary feature goes to A Suitable Girl.” Special Jury Mention – Hondros. “In considering a wide range of subjects in our category we were moved by two different kinds of love stories. The film we decided to honor with a special mention delves into the fractured worlds of chaos and violence and the interconnectedness of humanity. A childhood friend carries on his legacy to show the enduring power of love. The special mention goes to Hondros.”:THE NORA EPHRON PRIZE
The Nora Ephron Prize: Petra Volpe, writer/director of The Divine Order (Switzerland). Jury Comments: “For its intrepid and compassionate storytelling, beautiful cinematography (DP-ed by a woman), complex characterization of the female experience, seamless navigation of both drama and comedy, and true embodiment of the personal being political, we award the Nora Ephron Prize to Petra Volpe for her film The Divine Order.” Special Jury Mention: Keep the ChangeSHORT FILM COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
Best Narrative Short – Retouch, directed by Kaveh Mazaheri (Iran). Jury Comments: “For its message of choice, liberty, and renewal where the lines of morality and honesty are blurred, leaving the audiences own projection of the events open for discussion and introspection. We appreciated the unification of the aesthetic and the ethical. The winner of the Best Narrative Short goes to Retouch.” Best Animated Short – Odd is an Egg (Odd er et egg) directed by Kristin Ulseth (Norway). Jury Comments: “We found the story of this animated short sweet and moving. We were also very impressed with beautiful visuals, which were artistic, cool and haunting. The filmmaker shows great promise. Best Animated Short goes to Kristin Ulseth for her film, Odd is an Egg.” Best Documentary Short – The Good Fight directed by Ben Holman (U.S., UK, Brail). Jury Comments: “An unflinching portrait of finding hope in a world of danger; a journey of perseverance in the face of tragedy; an uplifting and visually compelling story of redemption. The winner of the Best Documentary Short is The Good Fight.” Special Jury Mention – Resurface: “Shedding light on the struggle for normalcy, hope, and recovery that US Veterans face every day, this is the story of reviving the human spirit through connecting with something deeply powerful and larger than the self: the Natural World.” Student Visionary Award – Fry Day directed by Laura Moss (U.S.). Jury Comments: “For its success in balancing an immersive coming of age experience with relevant social commentary in a historically specific context; compelling performances and expert filmmaking, the student visionary award goes to Fry Day.” Special Jury Mention – Dive: “Visceral, deeply moving meditative and exquisitely constructed / A nuanced examination of love and moving on after grief. Dive receives a Special Jury Mention.”STORYSCAPES AWARD
Storyscapes Award: TREEHUGGER: WAWONA created by Barnaby Steel (Co-Founder, Creative Director), Ersin Han Ersin (artist, Creative Director) and Robin McNicholas (Co-founder, Creative Director) of Marshmallow Laser Feast . Jury Comments: “The project we chose exemplifies the highest standards of artistry and inventiveness. It explores the potential for new visual forms and investigates unique modes of storytelling that allow us to tap into aspects the world and our lived experience that are intuitively known but seldom articulated. Through its use of poetic abstraction, embodiment, and the viewer’s own imagination and interpretation, we are able to unlock new ways of understanding and experiencing the world around us. We’ve selected this piece because we hope it will inspire others to start creating in ways that take risks and use the limitations of technology to revamp story and experience. The Storyscapes Award goes to TREEHUGGER: WAWONA.” The Festival’s competition categories continue to incorporate storytelling in all its forms with two awards that were given out earlier in the week. The Tribeca X Award is a juried section recognizing the intersection of advertising and entertainment and Tribeca also presented the first Tribeca Snapchat Short Award, a new official categoryTRIBECA X AWARD
Tribeca X Award: Chris Fonseca: Keep It Moving by 72andSunny for Smirnoff Ice. Directed by Zachary HeinzerlingTRIBECA SNAPCHAT SHORTS
Tribeca Snapchat Short award: Magic Show directed by Annie Hubbard.
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Stranger With My Face International Film Festival Releases Poster and More Program Highlights
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DEAREST SISTER[/caption]
The fifth edition of Stranger With My Face International Film Festival will take place in Hobart from May 4 to 7, 2017. Stranger With My Face focuses on women’s perspectives in genre filmmaking with an emphasis on horror and related genres.
The 2017 program includes the Australian premiere of Elizabeth E. Schuch’s debut film THE BOOK OF BIRDIE. Schuch is a London-based director and producer specializing in creative visuals and has contributed to many films, TV, and theatre productions in the art department as a production designer, matte painter or storyboard and concept artist (including Wonder Woman and Pacific Rim:Uprising).
“It’s a visually stunning piece, with a fascinating intensity and sense of its own style,” says Festival Director Briony Kidd. “I’ve no doubt Elizabeth is a filmmaker to watch.”
The film tells the story of a fragile teenage girl who’s placed in a gloomy convent to be looked after by nuns. Will her unusual obsessions become a mark of sainthood or a dark heresy?
The director says: “I’m absolutely thrilled to bring the mad, mystical world of The Book of Birdie to meet the perfect genre audience in Tasmania, and to meet the other filmmakers passionate about telling strange dark tales with a female eye.”
Also screening at Stranger With My Face 2017:
The Australian feature film INNUENDO, directed by Saara Lamberg, in a micro-budget spotlight;
The Laos feature film DEAREST SISTER, a ghost story with powerful social resonances from SWMF favorite Mattie Do;
And a line-up of short films including:
Blood Sisters (Australia, dirs. Caitlin Koller & Lachlan Smith)
Doll (Australia, director Jia He)
The Man Who Caught a Mermaid (Australia, director Kaitlin Tinker)
What Happened to Her (USA, Kristy Guevara-Flanagan)
Pendulum (UK, Lauren Cooney)
Gardening at Night (USA, Shayna Connelly)
Slapper (Australia, Luci Schroder)
And the following one-hour talks make up this year’s Mary Shelley Symposium:
Print-maker Jazmina Cininas talking about her ‘Girlie Werewolf Hall of Fame’ body of work around the mythology of the female werewolf in culture (her exhibition Blood Moon will also be opened as part of the festival);
Film academic Deb Verhoeven talking about the films of Gaylene Preston, SMWF’s featured retrospective for 2017;
Writer, researcher and artist Lauren Carroll-Harris reflecting on the screen culture in Australia, with a presentation entitled ‘Why do we fund Australian films but not the cinemas to screen them in?’;
And horror fan and broadcaster Chloe Black with ‘The Wolf in the Dress’, an exploration of transgender and transphobic representation in modern horror.
The 2017 poster is by Adelaide-based artist Amy Fairweather, who cites influenced including Robert Louis Stevenson’s DR JECKYLL AND MR HYDE, and the Jennnifer Kent film THE BABADOOK. “I had an image in mind of a Victorian-esque woman who’s in a trance-like state, her ‘darker’ side emerging in plumes of smoke.The monster is a representation of her tormented, malevolent and twisted self.”
The key international guests for 2017, and mentors for the Attic Lab program for filmmakers that takes place within the festival, are Gaylene Preston (the featured retrospective filmmaker of the festival with her films PERFECT STRANGERS and MR WRONG screening), producer/director Roxanne Benjamin (whose anthology feature film XX is screening) and cinematographer Sandi Sissel (who worked on Wes Craven’s THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS) will be showcased in a special screening.
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Tribeca 207: JULIAN SCHNABEL: A PRIVATE PORTRAIT Opens in NY on May 5 Following World Premiere at Festival
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A film still from JULIAN SCHNABEL: A PRIVATE PORTRAIT.[/caption]
Pappi Corsicato’s documentary Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, and will be followed by a New York theatrical release on Friday, May 5 at the newly launched Quad Cinema and the Lincoln Plaza Cinema. A national theatrical rollout will follow.
Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait is a vivid chronicle of the colorful personal life and public career of the celebrated painter and filmmaker. The film details the Brooklyn-born Schnabel’s formative years in Texas, the beginning of his professional career in New York City in the late ‘70s, his rise to superstar status in the ‘80s Manhattan art scene, and his move into filmmaking with 1995’s Basquiat followed by Before Night Falls and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. With a kaleidoscopic blend of material from Schnabel’s personal archives, newly shot footage of the artist at work and play, and commentary from friends, family and artists, including Al Pacino, Mary Boone, Jeff Koons, and Laurie Anderson—not to mention Schnabel himself—Italian filmmaker Pappi Corsicato creates a fascinating portrait of one of the modern art world’s true mavericks.
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Trump Admin Denies Visas for Foreign Guests of The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival
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The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille[/caption]
The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival said today that guests from Muslim-majority countries invited to this year’s festival will not attend largely because of obstacles to obtaining visas.
Largely because of obstacles to obtaining visas, most foreign guests invited to Lane County’s oldest film festival, The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival, will not attend. The absence of these anticipated participants, belonging to three Muslim-majority countries, will have a significant and damaging impact on the event.
Of nine individuals in this group from Egypt, Iran and Pakistan, only one has been granted a visa. Two of them have had their visa applications outright rejected and two have been place in the “Administrative Processing” category, a kind of limbo status that can last weeks or months and is a de facto denial of a visa for someone coming to a scheduled event. Three other anticipated guests, after initial attempts to obtain visas and learning that others were being denied visas, decided against coming to the Festival and one was blocked by his employer from coming.
TAC Festival opens its 14th edition on May 3rd at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center in Eugene, Oregon. Other main components of the Festival are The Archaeology Channel Conference on Cultural Heritage Media, featuring presentations May 4-6 at the Hilton, and the film screenings for the competition at The Shedd May 4-7. Most of the expected guest who are not coming were scheduled to give formal presentations at the Conference.
“The U.S. State Department vetting process for visas already was arbitrary and unpredictable,” says Festival Director and ALI head Rick Pettigrew. “We saw problems of this kind last year. However, the difficulty faced by people trying to obtain visas from these countries appears to have grown significantly this year. One of our expected guests this year was here on our jury two years ago and spent months on Administrative Processing last year so he couldn’t come. Two others who won’t be with us were here last year. I can’t help but suspect that this outcome is the result of a silent but de facto travel ban as well as the negative publicity about the travel ban. It sends a message to people in these countries that an attempt to get a US visa is likely to be a waste of time and money. The absence of these guests weakens the value of our event for other participants and creates serious financial challenges for us in sustaining the event.”
The absences of foreign guests leave six open places in the presentation schedule for TAC Conference. Festival staff will do all possible to make use of the vacant times for other productive Festival purposes. Fortunately, the schedule includes other highly anticipated presentations, such as by Dr. Christopher Thornton of the National Geographic Society. Also noteworthy among the presenters at the Conference portion of the Festival are a group of panelists discussing their film about the lost Egyptian movie set of Cecil B. DeMille on the California coast, a filmmaker and archaeologist from Luxembourg who has been doing 3D documentation using drones in Iraqi Kurdistan, and a Kazakh filmmaker from Altay, China, describing the ancient skiing culture of the Altai Mountains in Central Asia. Several presentations focus on methods and opportunities for the development of network TV programming in the US. This is the most diverse and numerous set of presentations in the history of TAC Conference.
2017 Films
Agacheri Turks: The Woodmen of Anatolia Approaches: Saint Michel de Cuxa The Bridge Recovered Chambord: The Castle, the King and the Architect The Destruction of Memory The Enigma of the Great Menhir The Experts Travel Back in Time: The Neolithic Ages Fatal Alchemy A Footnote in Ballet History Fort Ancient A Gigantic Jigsaw Puzzle: The Epicurean Inscription of Diogenes of Oinoanda God’s House The Grand Masters of the Chauvet Cave Gyptis: A Greco-Massalian Boat Dating back to the 6th Century BC Himera: The Temple of Victory Honey Hunters Iceman Reborn The Inevitable Evolution of Fort Frederick The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille Mia My Name is Salt Naachtun: The Forgotten Mayan City Nowruz in Tajikistan Prayers Long Silent Sailing a Sinking Sea Stone Age Cinema Vikings Unearthed
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Ken Loach, Paul Laverty and James Newton Howard to be Honored at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
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Ken Loach, Paul Laverty and James Newton Howard[/caption]
Director Ken Loach along with his long-time screenwriter Paul Laverty, and music composer James Newton Howard will be honored at the 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
The Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema will be presented to two individuals who together have influenced the history of British cinema – director Ken Loach and his long-time screenwriter Paul Laverty. Ken Loach and Paul Laverty have worked together on twelve feature films and two shorts, in the process becoming pioneers of British social realist film with a humanitarian message.
The films of Ken Loach and Paul Laverty are regular winners of awards at renowned international festivals (Cannes, Venice), and Loach in particular has close ties to the festival in Karlovy Vary as well.
At the 16th Karlovy Vary IFF in 1968 Carol White has received Best Female Actress Award for her performance in Loach’s film Poor Cow. The film has also received a Special Jury Prize. In 1970, Loach personally accepted an award at the 17th annual KVIFF for his ground-breaking film Kes, a drama that the British Film Institute has included among the ten best British films of the 20th century.
Music composer James Newton Howard, the author of music to legendary movies such as Pretty Woman, The Sixth Sense, Batman Begins and all four parts of The Hunger Games will be a guest at the 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where he will receive the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema.
In 1985, he was offered his first film, Head Office, and he quickly knew he had found his calling. Since then, he has scored films such as all four installments of The Hunger Games, Concussion, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Maleficent, Nightcrawler, Snow White and the Huntsman, The Bourne Legacy, Salt, The Last Airbender, Water For Elephants, Gnomeo & Juliet, Batman Begins, Collateral, Snow Falling on Cedars, Outbreak, The Village, Hidalgo, Peter Pan, Wyatt Earp, Lady in the Water, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Freedomland, Treasure Planet, Signs, Falling Down, Primal Fear, Glengarry Glen Ross, Waterworld, The Devil’s Advocate, Dave, and Pretty Woman among many others. In 2016 he composed the music for the prequel to Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which was released in November.
In 2017 he is working on the scores for Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Inner City with Denzel Washington and Red Sparrow with Jennifer Lawrence.
The festival will continue a successful tradition with the world premiere screening of the digitally-restored, The Shop on Main Street from from creative pair Ján Kadár and Elmar Klos, and winner of Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1966.
One of the most highly respected filmmakers in the history of cinema, Japanese Master Kenji Mizoguchi, will be celebrated at the festival via a collection of ten fundamental pictures from his extensive filmography as selected by renowned British writer, curator and film critic Tony Rayns.
“At a time when film buffs are often forced to watch classic movies on screens that measure diagonally about the length of your forearm, KVIFF will provide big-screen viewing of mainly 35mm prints for another chapter in our series devoted to filmmakers who had an immense influence on the development of film culture,” said festival artistic director Karel Och.
The festival will also pay tribute to the legend of Czech cinematography Jiří Brdečka on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birthday. The festival will present the well-known film Lemonade Joe and the cross-section of the Brdečka’s short films.
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Ben Affleck & Pixar Filmmakers Honored at 1st Autfest Film Festival, PO Wins Best Film
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Ed Asner and AutFest honoree Ben Affleck (PRNewsfoto/The Autism Society)[/caption]
Actor Ben Affleck, Pixar filmmakers Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera were among the awardees honored for their filmmaking contributions to autism awareness at the 1st AutFest International Film Festival in Orange, California.
After a screening of his 2016 film The Accountant, in which he portrayed a forensic accountant on the autism spectrum, seven-time Emmy® winner and autism advocate Ed Asner presented Affleck with the AutFest Awareness Award.
Oscar-winning Pixar filmmakers Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera were honored by Asner with the AutFest Vanguard Award after a screening of their film Inside Out.
Over nine feature films and six short films were presented during the two-day festival that included this year’s Oscar-nominated documentary Life, Animated and international films from China (Destiny) and Malaysia (Redha). Two of the shorts, Even in Death and The Adventures of Pelican Pete: A Bird is Born, were written and directed by filmmakers on the autism spectrum. Panelists included Po’s director John Asher and actor Julian Feder, as well as an autism sibling panel following the Life, Animated screening.
The 1st Annual AutFest International Film Festival winners include:
Best Film:
Po, directed by John Asher (U.S.A.)
Best Documentary:
Swim Team, directed by Lara Stolman (U.S.A.)
Best Short:
The Buddy System, directed by William Harris and Megan Smith-Harris (U.S.A.)
Best Performance
Julian Feder, Po (U.S.A.)
Audience Award:
The Accountant, directed by Gavin O’Connor (U.S.A.)
Best Autistic Filmmaker:
Zac Davis, Even in Death (U.S.A.)
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Tribeca 2017: Susan Froemke’s THE RESILIENT HEART Premiered at Fest, Debuts on Amazon | Trailer
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NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 24: Host Bob Harper, Director Susan Froemke and Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital Dr. Valentin Fuster, MD, PHD during the Tribeca Film Festival premiere for the feature documentary, The Resilient Heart.[/caption]
Oscar-nominee and Grammy winning director, Susan Froemke, premiered her feature documentary film, The Resilient Heart, during the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival to a packed audience. The screening event was hosted by Bob Harper, the celebrity trainer and host of NBC’s Biggest Loser, who suffered a heart attack earlier this year. Over the weekend, the film made its world premiere in competition at the acclaimed Newport Beach Film Festival.
The feature length documentary film, which centers on the work of Dr. Valentin Fuster, a world-renowned cardiologist and Physician-in-Chief at The Mount Sinai Hospital, has been picked up by Amazon Prime Video and Amazon.com for a global launch, and is available now.
Froemke announced the release of The Resilient Heart in Park City, UT following the 2017 Sundance Film Festival premiere of her documentary Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman.
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“When I first met Dr. Valentin Fuster, I thought cardiovascular disease was a rich nation’s illness, but I soon found out it was the leading cause of death across the globe,” said Froemke. “Dr. Fuster’s mission to stem the tide of this debilitating epidemic inspired me to make The Resilient Heart with the hope to bring his important story to a wide audience.”
“Every year, over 17 million people worldwide die from heart disease,” explained Dr. Fuster. “By 2030 that number is expected to be 23 million, and most of those deaths are preventable. I hope this film will help to change those statistics moving forward.”
The film, made with generous support from The Valentin Fuster Mount Sinai Foundation for Science, Health & Empowerment, Inc., focuses on Dr. Fuster’s research and travels as he discovers that the real answer to fighting chronic disease lies in early education. The Resilient Heart follows Dr. Fuster as he travels from Bogota, Columbia, to Eldoret, Kenya, the island of Grenada, Madrid, the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, and Mexico, where he encounters the profound impacts of coordinated global health initiatives, proactive public policy, and the passion of people to better the health and well-being of populations, no matter the circumstances.
The film was directed by Oscar®-nominee and Grammy® winner Susan Froemke, a non-fiction filmmaker with over 30 documentaries to her credit, including the iconic Grey Gardens (1976), the Academy Award nominated Lalee’s Kin (2001), Conversations With The Rolling Stones (1994), and Escape Fire: The Fight To Rescue American Healthcare which premiered at Sundance in 2013.
For four decades, Dr. Fuster has been a global leader in the field of cardiology, including cardiovascular medicine, translational research, and education. He has a keen interest in promoting cardiovascular health, especially for the world’s tiniest hearts — those in our children. Dr. Fuster has published more than 1,000 research studies on the prevention and treatment of heart disease, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and thrombosis, and is Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Fuster is the former President of the American Heart Association and the World Heart Federation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbg0ojiNixc
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2017 Sundance Film Festival: London Unveils Lineup of 14 Feature, 15 Short Films + Special Events
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Sundance Film Festival: London at Picturehouse Central[/caption]
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival: London, taking place June1 to 4 at Picturehouse Central will present 14 feature films direct from this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The festival will open with the International premiere of Miguel Arteta’s Beatriz at Dinner, and it will close four days later with the UK premiere of David Lowery’s critically acclaimed A Ghost Story, starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara.
The 2017 festival will also include a short film program with 15 shorts, including a strand dedicated to new UK shorts. For the first time, the program will include a “Surprise Film” screening which promises festivalgoers an exclusive chance to catch an audience hit from this year’s festival in Park City. Additionally, the Sundance Film Festival: London will introduce an Audience Favorite award for 2017, giving festivalgoers the chance to vote for their favorite features, with the winner announced at the close of the festival.
The Special Events program comprises three panel events and an “In Conversation” event with renowned guests, providing incredible insights into the filmmaking process. The “Independent Film Trumps Reality” panel will examine independent filmmaking in the current political climate, involving directors at the festival whose films have gained a new level of currency in the age of Trump, while the “On Collaboration: Documentary Practices and Process” panel (presented by Dropbox) will explore the themes of diversity, accessibility and progress in documentary, and the short filmmaker panel “Art vs. Stepping Stone” (presented in association with London Short Film Festival) will pose the question, “Are shorts simply a stepping stone or do they sustain a filmmaker throughout a career?” Acclaimed director David Lowery, whose highly anticipated film A Ghost Story will close the festival, will participate in an “In Conversation” event (presented in association with Empire magazine) which will be followed by a special screening of his earlier feature, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.
FEATURE FILM PROGRAM
Beatriz at Dinner (Director: Miguel Arteta, Screenwriter: Mike White) – Beatriz, an immigrant from a poor town in Mexico, has drawn on her innate kindness to build a career as a health practitioner. Doug Strutt is a cutthroat, self-satisfied billionaire. When these two opposites meet at a dinner party, their worlds collide and neither will ever be the same. Principal cast: Salma Hayek, John Lithgow, Chloë Sevigny, Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass, Connie Britton International premiere The Big Sick (Director: Michael Showalter, Screenwriters: Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani) – Based on the real-life courtship: Pakistan-born comedian Kumail and grad student Emily fall in love, but they struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail must navigate the crisis with her parents and the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart. Principal cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher International premiere Bitch (Director/Screenwriter: Marianna Palka) – A woman snaps under crushing life pressures and assumes the psyche of a vicious dog. Her philandering, absentee husband is forced to become reacquainted with his four children and sister-in-law as they attempt to keep the family together during this bizarre crisis. Principal cast: Jason Ritter, Jaime King, Marianna Palka, Brighton Sharbino, Rio Mangini, Kingston Foster International premiere Bushwick (Directors: Cary Murnion, Jonathan Millot, Screenwriters: Nick Damici, Graham Reznick) – Lucy emerges from a Brooklyn subway to find that her neighborhood is under attack by black-clad military soldiers. An ex-Marine corpsman, Stupe, reluctantly helps her fight for survival through a civil war, as Texas attempts to secede from the United States of America. Principal cast: Dave Bautista, Brittany Snow, Angelic Zambrana, Jeremie Harris, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Arturo Castro UK premiere Chasing Coral (Director: Jeff Orlowski) – Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. A team of divers, photographers, and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world. (Documentary) Special preview screening Winner of the Audience Award: U.S. Documentary Crown Heights (Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin) – When Colin Warner is wrongfully convicted of murder, his best friend, Carl King, devotes his life to proving Colin’s innocence. Adapted from This American Life, this is the incredible true story of their harrowing quest for justice. Principal cast: Lakeith Stanfield, Nnamdi Asomugha, Natalie Paul, Bill Camp, Nestor Carbonell, Amari Cheatom International premiere Winner of Audience Award: US Dramatic Dina (Directors: Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini) – An eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story. (Documentary) Special preview screening Winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary A Ghost Story (Director/screenwriter: David Lowery) – This is the story of a ghost and the house he haunts. Principal cast: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Will Oldham, Sonia Acevedo, Rob Zabrecky, Liz Franke UK premiere Icarus (Director: Bryan Fogel) – When Bryan Fogel sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller involving dirty urine, unexplained death, and Olympic Gold—exposing the biggest scandal in sports history. (Documentary) UK premiere Winner of U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: The Orwell Award The Incredible Jessica James (Director/Screenwriter: Jim Strouse) – Jessica James, an aspiring NYC playwright, is struggling to get over a recent breakup. She sees a light at the end of the tunnel when she meets the recently divorced Boone. Together, they discover how to make it through the tough times while realizing they like each other—a lot. Principal cast: Jessica Williams, Chris O’Dowd, Lakeith Stanfield, Noël Wells European premiere Marjorie Prime (Director/Screenwriter: Michael Almereyda) – In the near future—a time of artificial intelligence—86-year-old Marjorie has a handsome new companion who looks like her deceased husband and is programmed to feed the story of her life back to her. What would we remember, and what would we forget, if given the chance? Principal cast: Jon Hamm, Geena Davis, Lois Smith, Tim Robbins UK premiere Winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize Walking Out (Directors/Screenwriters: Alex Smith, Adam Smith) – A teenager journeys to Montana to hunt big game with his estranged father. The two struggle to connect, until a brutal encounter in the heart of the wilderness changes everything. Principal cast: Matt Bomer, Josh Wiggins, Bill Pullman, Alex Neustaedter, Lily Gladstone European premiere Wilson (Director: Craig Johnson, Screenwriter: Daniel Clowes) – Wilson, a lonely, neurotic, and hilariously honest middle-aged misanthrope, reunites with his estranged wife and gets a shot at happiness when he learns he has a teenage daughter he has never met. In his uniquely outrageous and slightly twisted way, he sets out to connect with her. Principal cast: Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, Judy Greer, Cheryl Hines UK premiere SURPRISE FILM! – For the first time this year the Sundance Film Festival: London will feature a surprise film. We can’t say too much, but it was a favourite among audiences in Utah, and with just one screening this will be among the hottest of the hot tickets. The title will be revealed only when the opening credits roll. Don’t miss out.SHORT FILM PROGRAM
2017 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour – A 95-minute theatrical program of seven short films selected from this year’s Festival, which over the course of its more than 30-year history has been widely considered the premier showcase for short films and the launch pad for many now-prominent independent filmmakers. Including fiction, documentary and animation from around the world, the 2017 program gives a taste to what the Festival offers. From laugh-out-loud fun to contemplative thoughts about the world we live in, audiences will encounter a variety of emotions and exciting filmmaking. 5 Films About Technology (Director/Screenwriter: Peter Huang) – Take a satirical look at the dumber side of technology. And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye (Director/Screenwriter: Francisca Alegria) – Emeteria is visited by the ghost of her patrón, Teodoro. She believes he has come to take her to the afterlife—but he has more devastating news. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction Come Swim (Director/Screenwriter: Kristen Stewart) – This is a diptych of one man’s day, half impressionist and half realist portraits. Lucia, Before And After (Director/Screenwriter: Anu Valia) – After traveling 200 miles, a young woman waits out Texas’s state-mandated 24-hour waiting period before her abortion can proceed. Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction Night Shift (Director/Screenwriter: Marshall Tyler) – Get a glimpse into a day in the life of a bathroom attendant in a Los Angeles nightclub. Pussy (Director/Screenwriter: Renata Gasiorowska) – Alone at home one evening, a young girl decides to have a solo pleasure session—but not everything goes according to plan. Ten Meter Tower (Co-Directors: Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson) – People who have never been up a 10-meter diving tower must choose whether to jump or climb down in this entertaining study of people in a vulnerable position. UK Shorts – A showcase of visionary new shorts from the UK. A wild ride through fiction, documentary and animation, discovering some of the exciting new filmmaking talent in the country. Dawn of the Deaf (Director/Screenwriter: Rob Savage) – When a strange sound wipes out the hearing population, a small group of deaf people must band together to survive. Dear Mr. Shakespeare (Director: Shola Amoo, Screenwriter: Phoebe Boswell) – An exploration of Shakespeare’s intentions when writing Othello explores the play’s racial themes in historical and contemporary settings, and draws wider parallels between immigration and blackness in the UK today. Fish Story (Director/Screenwriter: Charlie Lyne) – Behind a fishy tale lies this search for the truth. In the Hills (Director/Screenwriter: Hamid Ahmadi) – Shahram is a young immigrant who lives in the idyllic countryside of the Cotswolds in England. To integrate into the new society, he chooses a rather radical approach. Mother (Director/Screenwriter: Leo Leigh) – In the aftermath of his mother’s death, Edwin reaches out to his extended family for support. Robot & Scarecrow (Director: Kibwe Tavares, Screenwriters: Kibwe Tavares and Ursula Rani Sarma) – A fairy tale set against the backdrop of a heady summer music festival, where a robot and a scarecrow meet and fall in love. Tough (Director: Jennifer Zheng) – New light is shed on childhood cultural misunderstandings when a Chinese mother and her British-born daughter speak as adults for the first time. Some things can only be understood with maturity. White Riot: London (Director: Rubika Shah, Screenwriters: Ed Gibbs, Rubika Shah) – 1977, immigration divides Britain. What happens when a punk fanzine challenges the status quo?SPECIAL EVENTS
Sundance Film Festival: London Docs Panel – On Collaboration: Documentary Practices and Process The Sundance Film Festival sets the bar extremely high for its documentary presentations, providing a showcase for some of the most diverse, cutting-edge and challenging works while reflecting something of a state of the art for this exciting and rapidly evolving medium. Our Sundance Film Festival: London selections Chasing Coral, Dina and Icarus are richly different films but are united in their presentation of hard-hitting issues in a fresh and open fashion. This panel, featuring directors from those films and British artist and filmmaker Jeanie Finlay, will ask the filmmakers to detail their working practices and the role of collaboration in their work whilst exploring themes of diversity, accessibility and progress in documentary. Panelists to include: Alice Tynan -EMEA Corporate Marketing Manager at Dropbox (Moderator); Jeff Orlowski – Director of Chasing Coral; Bryan Fogel – Director of Icarus; Jeanie Finlay – Orion: The Man Who Would Be King, The Great Hip Hop Hoax. INDEPENDENT FILM TRUMPS REALITY – re-evaluating films in the current political climate and where filmmaking will go from here… This year’s Sundance Film Festival straddled one of the most important shifts in modern American and world history, with the Festival kicking off under an Obama presidency and closing under President Trump. Understandably, Trump talk was unavoidable in Park City and whilst the films screening were developed and made before the election, many have gained a new level of currency in the age of Trump. Panelists: John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival; Miguel Arteta, Director of Beatriz at Dinner; Jeff Orlowski, Director of Chasing Coral; Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott, Directors of Bushwick; Wendy Mitchell, Film Programme Manager, British Council and Contributing Editor, Screen International. Art vs. Stepping Stone – An Argument: Sundance Meets London Presented in association with LSFF (London Short Film Festival) Sundance and LSFF host a short filmmaker discussion about straddling the worlds of the auteur and the commercial. Are shorts simply a stepping stone or do they sustain a filmmaker throughout a career? With a focus on two women filmmakers, each one working in those potentially opposing areas, we hope for a heated debate and a fascinating discussion. Hosted by Mike Plante (Sundance) and Philip Ilson (London Short Film Festival & BFI London Film Festival). I Get Overwhelmed: From Saints to Ghosts, David Lowery in Conversation Presented in association with Empire Magazine Since his striking, Malick-infused 2013 Sundance Film Festival debut Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Wisconsin-born filmmaker David Lowery has become something of a wunderkind of the U.S. filmmaking scene. His big-budget Disney production Pete’s Dragon (2016) along with this year’s Sundance selection A Ghost Story have both been greeted with rapturous reviews, praising the director’s ability to tackle complex human emotions and diverse genres with a real sense of grace and romanticism. His editing work on films like Shane Carruth’s Upstream Colour (2013) and writing on acclaimed indie The Yellow Birds (2017) also demonstrate a talent that is at once multi-faceted and poised with a singular, unique vision. We screen both Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and A Ghost Story this year and welcome David for a career interview which will explore his meteoric rise to filmmaking stardom. This “In Conversation” event will be accompanied by a special screening of: Ain’t Them Bodies Saints – David Lowery burst onto the scene in 2013 with this rapturous, Malick-infused period piece about two lovers separated by a run-in with the law.
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Cannes Film Festival Unveils 2017 Jury, Pedro Almodóvar, Will Smith, Jessica Chastain and More
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Pedro Almodóvar[/caption]
Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar will preside over the Jury for the 70th Cannes Film Festival. The jury will be made up of eight key figures from cinema world to judge the films in Competition. The winners will be announced on Sunday 28th May at the Closing Ceremony, following which the Palme d’or will be awarded.
THE 2017 JURY
Pedro Almodóvar – President
(Director, Screenwriter, Producer – Spain)
Maren Ade (Director, Screenwriter, Producer – Germany)
Jessica Chastain (Actress, Producer – United States)
Fan Bingbing (Actress, Producer – China)
Agnès Jaoui (Actress, Screenwriter, Director, Singer – France)
Park Chan-Wook (Director, Screenwriter, Producer – South Korea)
Will Smith (Actor, Producer, Musician – United States
Paolo Sorrentino (Director, Screenwriter – Italy)
Gabriel Yared (Composer – France)
Maren Ade, director, screenwriter, producer – Germany
In 1998, Maren Ade began studying film production and direction in Munich. During her studies, she co-founded the film production company Komplizen Film. In 2004, Maren Ade first film, The Forest for the Trees, premiered in Toronto and won the Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2009, her second film Everyone Else received the Silver Bear for Best Film and for Best Actress. Maren Ade third film, Toni Erdmann, debuted in Competition at the 2016 Festival de Cannes and won numerous awards like the European Film Award. As a producer, she worked on productions like Tabu by Miguel Gomes and Sleeping Sickness by Ulrich Köhler.
Jessica Chastain, actress, producer – United States
Two-time Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought after actresses of her generation. She has received numerous nominations and accolades for her work, in Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, A Most Violent Year by J.C. Chandor, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby by Ned Benson and Ridley Scott’s The Martian. Jessica Chastain launched a production company Freckle Films. She is currently in production for Susanna White’s period drama Woman Walks Ahead and will be seen in Xavier Dolan’s The Death and Life of John F. Donovan
Fan Bingbing, actress, producer – China
Born in 1981, Fan Bingbing rose to fame in 1998 with the mega-hit TV series My Fair Princess. In 2003, she starred in Cell Phone, which became the highest-grossing Chinese film of the year. Since then, she has starred in many films, most notably Lost in Beijing (2007), Buddha Mountain (2011), and Double Xposure (2012). In 2014, she participated in the Hollywood blockbuster X-Men: Days of Future Past. In 2016, she starred in I Am not Madame Bovary and received the San Sebastian Film Festival Best Actress Award as well as the 11th Asian Film Best Actress Award. Fan is selected for the 2017 TIME 100.
Agnès Jaoui, actress, screenwriter, director, singer – France
Multi-award winning artist Agnès Jaoui joined forces with Jean-Pierre Bacri to develop a theatre and film style of which Kitchen with Apartment and Family Resemblances were first to meet with success. They worked with Alain Resnais on Smoking/No Smoking and Same Old Song. In 2000, Agnès Jaoui directed The Taste of Others which won four César. She wrote and directed Look at Me, which won Best Screenplay Award at the 2004 Festival de Cannes, followed by Let’s Talk about the Rain (2008) and Under the Rainbow (2013). She is a singer, and her Latin “Canta” album won a Victoire de la Musique award in 2007. She can be currently seen in Aurore by Blandine Lenoir.
Park Chan-Wook, director, screenwriter, producer – South Korea
Ever since his Korean box office record breaking Joint Security Area in the year 2000, Park Chan-wook’s diverse body of work has garnered recognition both at home and abroad. These include his successes at the Festival de Cannes in 2004 with the Grand Prix for Old Boy and the Jury Prize for Thirst in 2009. In 2013, Park Chan-wook expanded his œuvre to include English language films with Stoker and also produced Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer. In 2016, Park Chan-wook returned to Cannes in Competition with The Handmaiden and won the Vulcan Prize, once again establishing him as one of the most significant talents working in cinema today.
Will Smith, actor, producer, musician – United States
Two-time Academy Award nominee Will Smith has a vast filmography including portrayals of true-life icons in Ali, The Pursuit of Happiness and Concussion. His headlining credits include Independence Day, I, Robot, Hitch, I Am Legend, Men in Black I, II, & III, and last summer’s Suicide Squad. The two-time Grammy Award winner began his career as a musician selling millions of records worldwide before crossing over into television with The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Will Smith is dedicated to working toward the advancement of communities and individuals through the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation.
Paolo Sorrentino, director, screenwriter – Italy
Paolo Sorrentino, director and screenwriter, was born in Naples in 1970. Seven of his 8 films have been presented in Competition at the Festival de Cannes, where Il Divo won the Prix du Jury in 2008. In 2014, his film La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty) won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as a BAFTA. In 2016, La Giovinezza (Youth) gained an Oscar nomination and won three European Film Awards. In 2016, he made his first TV Series: The Young Pope. He has also published a novel “Hanno tutti ragione” in 2010, and two collections of short stories: “Tony Pagoda e i suoi amici” (2012), and “Gli aspetti irrilevanti” (2016).
Gabriel Yared, composer – France
After spending his childhood in Lebanon, Gabriel Yared attended the composition classes of Henri Dutilleux in Paris. He stayed in Brazil and returned to France in 1972, and quickly became an orchestrator and producer sought after by the biggest European singers of the time. Since 1980, he devoted most of his time to film composition. He has written more than a hundred scores to date, of which many have earned him prestigious international awards. He wrote his first score for Jean-Luc Godard, which was followed by successful notable collaborations with Jean-Jacques Beineix, Jean-Jacques Annaud (Cesar for The Lover), Anthony Minghella (Oscar for The English Patient) and Xavier Dolan.