Film Festivals

Newark Black Film Festival to Open with Ava DuVernay’s 13TH

The Newark Black Film Festival (NBFF) kicks off its 43rd season on June 28 at the Newark Museum with 13th, Ava DuVernay’s exploration of the history of race, justice and mass incarceration in the U.S., focusing on the nation’s prisons that are disproportionately filled with African-Americans. Youth Cinema, the accompanying summer-long series of free children’s features and short films, debuts on July 3 at The Newark Public Library and July 5 at the Museum. Since its introduction by the Museum in 1974, the NBFF has provided a forum for emerging writers, directors, producers, performers that highlight the work and history of African Americans and the African Diaspora that reflect the diversity of viewpoints, from documentaries to the avant-garde. Screenings are followed by a Q&A session. Screenings are free, but reservations are strongly suggested. NEWARK BLACK FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE All screenings begin at 7 pm in the Newark Museum BJ Auditorium, unless otherwise noted. June 28: 13th Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of race, justice and mass incarceration in the U.S., focusing on the nation’s prisons that are disproportionately filled with African-Americans. Opening Reception: 5:30 pm Speakers: Khalil Muhammad, Prof. of History, Race and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School; and Lawrence Hamm, People Organization for Progress Host: Gloria Hopkins Buck July 5: Queen of Katwe – Family Night in the Museum Garden Living in the slum of Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle for 10-year-old Phiona and her family. Her world changes when she meets a missionary who teaches children how to play chess. Enjoy pre-film activities at 7 pm with the Newark Chess Club, a mentorship program that teaches strategic theory and thought, through chess. Screening will follow at 8 pm. Speaker and Host: Darryl Scipio, Newark Chess Club July 12: Steps A young attorney left traumatized after an armed robbery becomes an alcoholic, loses everything and spends 14 years on the streets. After he befriends a local pastor, his story shifts to one of redemption and love in this Indie film set in Jersey City. Speakers: Eddie Harris, filmmaker/writer; and Penwah, actress/producer/comedian Host: Richard Wesley, screenwriter/educator July 19: Shashamane This documentary, set in Shashamane, Ethiopia, tells the story of Africans returning to their homeland, after generations of slavery and oppression, to reclaim their African identity. Speakers: Giulia Amati, Producer, Karl Courtenay Phillpotts, President, The Shashamane Settlement Community Development Foundation and Jake Homiak, Director of the Smithsonian’s National Anthropological Archives. Host: Akil Khalfani, Director of Africana Institute, Essex County College July 26: Millie & The Lords Milagros Baez, a young Puerto Rican woman, has her life changed for the better when she learns about the Young Lords Party who fought for social justice in Spanish Harlem in the 1960s. Speakers: Jennica Carmona, writer/director and Jessica Carmona, co-producer and plays the role of Millie Host: TBD August 2: John Lewis: Get in the Way A portrayal of John Lewis’ personal journey of courage, disappointments and hard-won triumphs. Over decades, he has inspired others to stand up and seek justice for the marginalized. Speaker: Kathleen Dowdey, producer/director Host: TBD NEWARK BLACK FILM FESTIVAL YOUTH CINEMA SCHEDULE Youth Cinema will be held on Mondays at The Newark Public Library at 10:30 am and at the Newark Museum on Wednesdays at 1 pm. Monday, July 3, The Newark Public Library Wednesday July 5, Newark Museum Tell Me Who I Am – A princess from Timbuktu and her magical friend take a journey in a time-travel ship into the 21st century. George Washington Carver – Learn how Mr. Carver became one of the world’s foremost experts in agriculture and horticulture. Adventures in Odyssey: Race to Freedom – With the help of friends, a young boy helps slaves escape through the Underground Railroad. Monday, July 10, The Newark Public Library Wednesday, July 12, Newark Museum The Proud Family Movie – A young girl and her family go on vacation, only to be captured by a mad scientist. Monday, July 17, The Newark Public Library Wednesday, July 19, Newark Museum Meltrek: Exploring Ancient Africa – Learn history, culture and contributions of various African civilizations. Zarafa – In this African fable, a boy and a baby giraffe take a hot air balloon on an adventure from Africa to Europe. Monday, July 24, The Newark Public Library Wednesday, July 26, Newark Museum Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness – Adventures of neighborhood kids of different racial cultures. Sule and the Case of the Tiny Sparks – A young girl who wants to learn the meaning of a proverb seeks guidance from the proverb detective. The Honest-to-Goodness Truth – Libby tries not to lie–she’s been taught that it’s good to be honest– sometimes the truth can be hard. Monday, July 31, The Newark Public Library Wednesday, August 2, Newark Museum Mrs. Katz and Tush – Lamel, a young African-American boy, and Mrs. Katz, an elderly Jewish woman, develop an unusual friendship through their concern for a cat named Tush. You’re Beautiful – 11-year-old Shola truly knows the internal conflict she faces and the pressures of dealing with school. White Water – A boy in the Deep South discovers that no matter the fountain, water is water. Monday, August 7, The Newark Public Library Wednesday, August 9, Newark Museum Queen of Katwe – Living in the slum of Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle for 10-year-old Phiona and her family. Her world changes when she meets a missionary who teaches children how to play chess.
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New Media Film Festival Announces Winners, THE DARK & WOUNDED Wins Grand Prize

[caption id="attachment_22686" align="aligncenter" width="960"] The Dark & The Wounded – James Picard[/caption] The Dark & The Wounded directed by James Picard and Jeff Dean triumphed over 87 new media films and content, to win the Grand Prize at the 8th Annual New Media Film Festival that ran June 6 to 8, 2017. THE WINNERS ARE: GRAND PRIZE The Dark & The Wounded (screened in Short Category) Director: James Picard, Jeff Dean Country: Canada, USA Running time: 26:24 World premiere! To go beneath the surface of our distracted reality and get to the root of what is really happening to us as individuals, society and as a species on the planet. By getting past our fears we can become more compassionate and understanding towards ourselves and others, beyond fear, there truly is freedom. BEST 3D Chrysalis Director: Ina Conradi, Mark Chavez Country: Singapore Running time: 7:03 L.A. premiere! Chrysalis is a tale of personal struggles and endurance. The film is based on an old legend about the butterfly‘s struggles to evolve. BEST ANIMATION Bosatsu – Year of the Dragon Director: Siddharth Ahluwalia Country: USA Running time: 6:13 Based on a dream and has been made with the hope of finding the Unknown. BEST APP Recontact: Istanbul Director: Eray Dinc Country: Turkey Running time: :27 L.A. premiere! In a recorded city, are you the one watching or being watched? Play the leading r BEST DIGITAL COMIC The Nothing Spirit Written by: Grace Fiorre Country: US World premiere! Her new disease caused her to lose alot of weight and for that reason the kids started to pick on her in school. She started being homeschooled, which gave her the opportunity to follower her dream and become an author. BEST DOCUMENTARY Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed Director: Jeremy Snead Country: USA Running time: 3:00 L.A. premiere! Unlocked is a groundbreaking 8 part documentary series that provides firsthand stories by industry icons, celebrities, consumers, and field experts on the culture, technology, history, and future of the video game industry. BEST DRONE Running into air Director: Sebastian Wöber Country: Austria Running time: 3:00 L.A. premiere! Who didn’t have dreams about flying as a kid? On film it’s possible. This is me running into the air and filming cinematic landscapes on my flight over Switzerland. BEST FEATURE Non – Transferable Director: Brendan Bradley Country: Turkey, USA Running time: 84:00 World premiere! Stuck with vacation reservations in her ex-boyfriends, Amy Tyler decides if she can’t change the tickets…why not change the guy? Cast Members: Ashley Clements (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Poe Party), Shanna Malcolm (HeyYoShanna, Bob Thunder), Katie Wee (Return Of the Mac, 2 Broke Girls), Matthew Scott Montgomery (So Random!, Jane The Virgin), Amin Joseph (Baywatch, Call Me King), Sara Fletcher (Frankenstein MD, Days of our Lives), Daniel Vincent Gordh (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Hollywood Acting Studio), Joey Richter (Starkid, I Ship It), Shira Lazar (What’s Trending) BEST MOBILE/TABLET Cuba LIbre Director: Felixe de Becker and Colin Bates Country: Cuba Running time: 6:41 World premiere! Young business man journeys to Havana Cuba for work, only to find a beautiful distraction… BEST MUSIC VIDEO Inertia by Orfan Inspired by the sentiments of Werner Herzog Director: Ted Beagles Country: UK Running time: 4:34 Armed with only a harmonium, Orfan performs ‘Inertia’ in places where he shouldn’t be. Security descends. BEST NEW MEDIA My Millennial Life Director: Maureen Judge Country: Canada Running time: 2:20 US premiere! An interactive documentary follows millenials, living a reality that sees nearly half of their age group either unemployed or underemployed. Combining verité filming, interviews, video diary, text and statistics, the i-DOoc puts a human face on the quandary of finding a place in 21st century society. BEST PILOT Adventure Travel Director: Ho Kwok Man, Berry Country: Hong Kong Running time: 4:45 World premiere! An interactive game show. Participants will travel only with directions from TV producers and TV viewers. To earn money, participants have to finish challenges to earn virtual points. BEST SCRIPT Render Written by: Kirill Kiselev Country: USA World premiere! A woman who can enter the minds of artificially intelligent machines is pulled into a hidden war with a corporate government. Top 3 Script Winners receive memberships in The Hatchery, InkTip, iPitch.tv and Sell A Script:Top 3 winners – Render, Clash of the Gods, Alan BEST SHORT MATE Director: Tom Connolly Country: UK Running time: 7:30 L.A. premiere! Two nihilistic colleagues hatch a plan in a cafe, paying no attention to the stranger at their table. Their good natured victim is left with a simple choice to make, upon which his future rests. BEST SNIPLER-30 SECOND PITCH Life Interrupted Director: Steven Wishnoff Country: USA Running time: :30 World premiere! Half Hour single -camera comedy, starring several fan-favorites about a former child actor whose life and career peaked at age 10. He is about to turn 50 with nothing in life the way he thought it would or should be. BEST SRC – Socially Responsible Content Ode to Lesvos Director: Talal Derki Country: Greece Running time: 11:30 US premiere! Ode to Lesvos is the inspiring story about a small group of fishermen and old ladies from the town of Skala Sikamineas on Lesvos, who received hundreds of thousands of refugees with open arms during summer of 2016. As a result of their selfless efforts the villagers were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize BEST STEAM Adrift Director: Cath Le Couteur Country: Chile, USA and space Running time: 11:00 L.A. premiere! Exploring the mysteries and contradictions of space junk: a sometimes beautiful, but potentially destructive museum of space exploration hurtling above our heads. BEST STUDENT AEON a 3D Student film Director: Derek O’Dell Country: USA Running time: 4:00 Aeon, a long, indefinite, period — is an abstract immersive audio-visual experience. A study on the behavior of energy over a period of time. Created using experimental 2D/3D animation techniques. BEST TRAILER Dream Big: Engineering Our World Director: Greg MacGillivray Country: Space and USA Running time: 2:00 World premiere! Dream Big: Engineering Our World is narrated by Academy Award® winner Jeff Bridges, and is a first film of its kind for IMAX® and giant screen theatres that will transform how we think about engineering. BEST VIRTUAL REALITY Et Moi – 360 Director: Herman Fredlund Country: Sweden Running time: 2:59 L.A. premiere! The film is about a couple from the past dancing through memories in Berlin. The story ends in Grunau abandoned Ballroom then two urban explorers arrive. BEST WEB SERIES You are nothing Ep 3 Director: Mike Stivala, Mark Travis Country: USA Running time: 6:50 World premiere! A web series disguised as a self-help video tutorial – or perhaps, a parody of one – that uses the crumbing life of Mitch Repter as a teaching tool for a bizarre philosophy of life. SPECIAL PRESENTATION TO JERRY COPE – SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE CONSERVATION AWARD PRODUCER A LOVE SONG FOR EARTH (this award was only given to one other person, Leonardo Di Caprio) Love Song to the Earth Running time: 4:15 Special Presentation (during awards ceremony) – Love Song To The Earth video featuring Paul McCartney, Sean Paul, Colbie Callait, Natasha Bedingfield, Q’orianka Kilcher and others. Directed by Trey Fanjoy, Produced by Jerry Cope. All proceeds from the Love Song project benefit Friends Of The Earth and the United Nations Foundation. Premiered with Ban Ki-mmon in Paris at UNFCCC COP21.
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WE WHO REMAIN Wins Seattle International Film Festival’s First 360/VR Award

The Seattle International Film Festival has presented the first SIFF 360/VR Award, recognizing excellence in virtual reality filmmaking to We Who Remain by Trevor Snapp and Sam Wolson. The winner will receive $500 and the opportunity for the awarded film to be distributed globally through Pixvana’s SPIN Studio platform. This year, the jury’s decision was guided by three criteria: story, impact, and technical prowess. Jury members included Julia Fryett (Director of Marketing & Community Development, Pixvana), Kate Becker (Director, Seattle Office of Film + Music) and Sarah Wilke (Executive Director, SIFF). In a statement the jury said, “We are pleased to present the SIFF 360/VR Award, sponsored by Pixvana, to We Who Remain, a film that intimately brings the viewer inside the heart of a forgotten conflict in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. Fusing elegant storytelling with sharp technical skill, the film weaves together narratives from a student, rebel soldier, journalist, and mother who have chosen to remain and relentlessly struggle to bring peace back to their land.” We Who Remain is produced by Emblematic Group and directed by Trevor Snapp and Sam Wolson.
360/VR Films Presented at SIFF 2017
After Solitary by Emblematic Group / Cassandra Herrman and Lauren Mucciolo Behind the Fence by Lindsay Branham and Jonathan Olinger Eagle Bone by Tracy Rector The Giant by New Media Ltd. / Mike Anderson, Ryan Dickle, and Abigail Horton Journey VR by Eugene Capon Love! A Virtual Reality Dance Story by Jess Kantor The Ministry of Time by Future Lighthouse / Nicolás Alcalá Potato Dreams by Mechanical Dreams / Wes Hurley (Work-in-Progress) Say Our Name by State Media / Stina Hamlin Silent Resonance by Pixvana / Scott Squires Syzygy: Paul Taylor Dance Company by Andrew Asnes We Who Remain by Emblematic Group / Trevor Snapp and Sam Wolson All twelve films included in the 360/VR Storytelling Pop-Up at the 2017 Seattle International Film Festival will be available for viewing at the SIFF Lounge.
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Palm Springs International ShortFest Announces 2017 Lineup Featuring Idris Elba, Kate Winslet and More

[caption id="attachment_22679" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Idris Elba in Five by Five[/caption] This year’s 23rd Palm Springs International ShortFest taking place June 20-26, 2017, at the Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs will showcase 338 films including 46 World Premieres, 12 International Premieres, 42 North American Premieres and 16 U.S. Premieres. “Each year, the quality of films we watch for ShortFest keeps getting stronger,” said Festival Director Lili Rodriguez. “It makes our job of narrowing down the final selection that much harder, but also incredibly rewarding. There are so many unique and strong voices and we’re really proud to champion these films at the festival.” This year’s star-studded shorts feature Academy Award® winners and nominees, as well as film and television stars including Summer Phoenix in Across My Land (USA/France); Thomas Lennon and Lennon Parham in All Exchanges Final (USA); Tatiana Maslany in Apart From Everything (Canada); The Dark of Night (USA) directed by Robin Wright and starring Leslie Bibb and Sam Rockwell; Sir Ian McKellen in Edmund the Magnificent (UK); Toby Jones in The Entertainer (UK); Julian Sands in The Escape (UK); Idris Elba in Five by Five (UK); Rick Fox in Game (USA); Carrie Coon in Great Choice (USA); Kate Winslet in The Lost Letter (Ireland); Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale in Martha Monster (Australia); Valerie Harper in My Mom and the Girl (USA); Helena Bonham Carter in Poles Apart (UK); Show Business (USA) directed by Clark Duke; and Super Sex directed by Matthew Modine and starring Kevin Nealon, Edward Asner, Elizabeth Perkins and Efren Ramirez. In addition to ShortFest’s award-winning short films, each year the Festival also welcomes a long guest list of filmmakers and industry attendees for the ShortFest Forums of panels and roundtables. Other prominent industry figures from AMPAS®, Anonymous Content, CAA, Cartoon Network, FX Networks, ICM Partners, NASA, Preferred Content, Seed&Spark, UTA, Vimeo and other organizations will participate in three days of ShortFest Forums covering a wide range of emerging trends and new practices in the global film community.
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David Bly’s Romantic Drama SWEET PARENTS to World Premiere at Brooklyn Film Festival | Trailer

Sweet Parents directed by David Bly, follows a young couple trying to make it in New York; and will world premiere at the 2017 Brooklyn Film Festival on Friday, June 9th at 8:30pm. The film starring Leah Rudick, David Bly, Casey Biggs, Barbara Weetman, Chris Roberti, Sunita Mani, Willie C. Carpenter, Katie Hartman, and Daniel Marin, follows the pursuit of success, and subsequent struggle, in the New York culinary and art worlds. Gabby, a sculptor, and Will, a chef, start side relationships with a successful older man and woman in a last ditch hope of supporting their careers, ultimately pitting true love against ambition. Sweet Parents is not about the young couple moving to New York to pursue their dreams, full of fire and passion, but rather, it’s about the couple that has been there for 10 years, burnt out, contemplating giving it all up, asking themselves “What’s the point? Why are we still here?” and making one last ditch effort to avoid the feeling that the last 10 years have been a waste for Will & Gabby.
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Bill Duke Directed Indie Thriller CREATED EQUAL to World Premiere at American Black Film Festival | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_22655" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Created Equal[/caption] Six years after stunning audiences with his shocking documentary, Dark Girls, actor/director Bill Duke returns to directing with the legal thriller Created Equal. Created Equal, based on the novel, Created Equal written by Roger A. Brown, will World Premiere at the 2017 American Black Film Festival on Thursday, June 15, 4pm, at the Miami Beach Cinematheque (1130 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL). In a world where gender equality remains a critical issue, this controversial film, doesn’t set out to challenge the Catholic Church doctrine, but asks a very modern question… Should women be allowed into seminaries to study for the priesthood? “Created Equal is a film that gives you a voyeur experience into the stained glass ceiling that exists in the Catholic Church and asks the question about women being allowed into seminaries without actually taking sides,” shares Bill Duke. “We are so excited that the American Black Film Festival has officially selected our film as a world premiere and look forward to the conversation that is created around this highly debated topic.” The film stars Broadway actor and singer Aaron Tveit (Grease Live!) Latina actress Edy Ganem (Devious Maids), Yohance Myles (Shots Fired), veteran actors Lou Diamond Phillips (Longmire) and GregAlan Williams (Greenleaf). Desperate to become a priest in the Catholic Church, Alejandra “Allie” Batista (Edy Ganem) turns to Thomas Reilly (Aaron Tveit), a successful lawyer who files suit against the Archdiocese of New Orleans for sex discrimination without justifiable cause. As Allie’s case starts to make national headlines, both she and Tommy face serious backlash from the people in their lives. The trial unfolds and an extremist concocts a plot to stop the heresy against the church by attacking Alejandra and attempting to kill her if she doesn’t back off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Bw2UFlonM
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Vero Beach Wine + Film Festival Announces 2017 Lineup, and Award for Burt Reynolds

[caption id="attachment_22641" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Vic Edwards (Burt Reynolds) and Ariel Winter (Lil) share a moment at McDougalís Pub in DOG YEARS. Photo by Bob Franklin.[/caption] The Second Annual Vero Beach Wine + Film Festival (VBWFF) has announced the official selections for the 2017 event, held June 8 to 11 at various screening locations in Vero Beach, FL. VBWFF focuses on providing a truly unique festival, allowing guests to fully experience films with tailored wine and drink pairings, special guests and immersive viewing. Films were submitted in the categories of Documentary, Narrative, Short and NEXT UP! (young filmmakers). Florida resident and notable actor, producer, director Burt Reynolds will be honored with VBWFF’s highest honor, the Life Worth Living Legend Award. Reynolds founded the nearby historic Jupiter Theatre, once one of the most renowned cultural centers in South Florida, which operated as a dinner theater and local arts institution from 1979-96. In it’s prime, more stars performed at the Jupiter Theatre than any other venue in Palm Beach County, including Martin Sheen, Sarah Jessica Parker, Julie Harris and Judd Nelson. Festival Founder and Director, Jerusha Stewart, said “We’re thrilled to be presenting award-winning actor Burt Reynolds with the VBWFF Life Worth Living Legend Award. Burt is a star among stars who’s enchanted millions with his charisma and comedic style. We’re excited and honored to present his latest film, ‘Dog Years’ in its Florida Premiere after opening at Tribeca.” Stewart continues on the unique experiential screenings during VBWFF, “One of the things that makes VBWFF so unique is that we plan for movies to be experienced differently – whether through venue or the presentation – VBWFF is definitely a ‘Sip, See, Savor!’ experience! Unlike most festivals, we want guests to experience the film, not just watch it.” Full list of film selections linked below, highlights include: Dog Years Starring Burt Reynolds and Ariel Winter, Dog Years tells the story of an aging, former movie star is forced to face the reality that his glory days are behind him. Director: Adam Rifkin; Producer: Neil Mandt; Narrative The Letter Carrier Set in 1860 in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, The Letter Carrier is the story of a boy and his family hidden from slavery and a parent’s will to protect their freedom at all costs. Director: Jesse L. Martin; Short Finding Kukan Filmmaker Robin Lung investigates the case of Li Ling-Ai, the un-credited female producer of KUKAN, a landmark color film that revealed the atrocities of World War II China to American audiences, and was the first-ever American feature documentary to receive an Academy Award in 1942. Producer & Director: Robin Lung; Documentary VBWFF experiential screenings include: Perfume War The multiple award winning documentary follows a single mom as she creates an unlikely weapon in the fight for world peace, turning Afghan farms from illegal opium farms into legal flower farms. Director: Michael Melski; Documentary * Molly Smith, Academy Award Winning Producer of La La Land, will host an intimate lunch and talk with Barb Stegemann, CEO & Founder, The 7 Virtues Beauty Inc. and star of “Perfume War.” STRAWS Narrated by actor Tim Robbins, STRAWS make its Florida premiere at VBWFF. Director and producer Linda Booker created the documentary to expose the negative impact of the billions of plastic straws that live in our landfills and oceans. Director: Linda Booker; Documentary *Following the screening, there will be a private sea turtle walk on the beach and a Q&A with Booker. Discovering Dave The story of David Drake, a South Carolina slave potter/craftsman who created beautiful pottery, including jars, during the turbulent 1800s. Director: Mark Albertin; Documentary *Guests will be able to view up close and handle pottery usually kept in museums under glass. Bartender at Large The documentary on the art of bartending and the world of craft cocktails provides a look at the modern cocktail renaissance. Director: Erick Castro; Documentary *Guests will take part in a cocktail demo at local hotspot, Grind + Grape, before screening. Decanted The documentary gives a look inside one of the most intimate wine growing regions in the world, Napa Valley, as we follow the journey of new beginnings, mastering a craft, and what it takes to make it in the wine business. Director: Nick Kovacic; Documentary
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LEMON, GOOK, BITCH Among 7 Films from 2017 Sundance Selected to Screen at Sundance NEXT FEST

[caption id="attachment_19434" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Lemon[/caption] Seven films from the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, paired with three energizing musical performances will screen at the upcoming Sundance NEXT FEST. The fest lights up Los Angeles August 10-13 at The Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, and this year will include presentation of the Institute’s Vanguard Awards to Quentin Tarantino and Dee Rees. The festival’s NEXT FEST After Dark program on Thursday, August 10, will feature a 25th anniversary screening of Reservoir Dogs on restored 35mm and presentation of the Institute’s Vanguard Leadership Award to Quentin Tarantino. Reservoir Dogs debuted at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival following Tarantino’s participation in the Institute’s Directors Lab and returned to its roots with a From the Collection screening at this year’s Festival. Sundance NEXT FEST continues on Friday with the LA premiere of absurd comedy Lemon directed by Janicza Bravo, with a performance by powerhouse vocalist Lizzo. Saturday’s lineup includes: Sundance NEXT FEST’s first-ever episodic selection — a special screening of seven episodes of the comedic drama Gente-fied, created by Marvin Lemus; the 2017 Sundance Film Festival’s Audience Award: NEXT-winner Gook; and Bitch, starring Jason Ritter and Jaime King, paired with a performance by Sleigh Bells who just released their fourth LP, Jessica Rabbit. Sunday’s events include: the Los Angeles premieres of Dina, a documentary about an unconventional love story that took home the Grand Jury Prize in Park City; Alex Ross Perry’s latest film Golden Exits; and Michelle Morgan’s witty love letter to the city of angels, LA Times, accompanied by a live performance by LA-based duo Electric Guest, the band behind the hit “Dear to Me.” Additional program elements for the daytime screenings, including live Q&As with movie icons, will be announced. Sundance alum Dee Rees, writer and director of Pariah, Bessie and Mudbound, will receive the Vanguard Award at Sundance NEXT FEST, celebrating an emerging artist with creative independence. Rees is an alumna of Sundance Screenwriters, Creative Producing and Directors Labs. She has been the recipient of Sundance Institute’s Time Warner Fellowship and Annenberg Film Fellowship and premiered two feature films at the Sundance Film Festival, Pariah in 2011 and Mudbound in 2017. The Vanguard Award includes a cash grant and mentorship from industry professionals and Institute staff. Rees will be the sixth recipient of this award; past recipients include Damien Chazelle (Whiplash), Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild) and Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station). The Vanguard Award was founded in 2011 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program and its founding director, Michelle Satter. Thursday, August 10 7:30 p.m. – Reservoir Dogs Reservoir Dogs / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Quentin Tarantino) — They were perfect strangers, assembled to pull off the perfect crime. Then their simple robbery explodes into a bloody ambush and the ruthless killers realize one of them is a police informant. But which one? This 25th anniversary screening will be presented on a 35mm print. Cast: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen. 25th ANNIVERSARY Friday, August 11 8:00 p.m. – Lemon + Lizzo Lemon / U.S.A. (Director: Janicza Bravo, Screenwriters: Janicza Bravo, Brett Gelman) — Lemon: a person or thing that proves defective, imperfect, or unsatisfactory. A man whose blind girlfriend is leaving him, whose career is going nowhere and whose family is disappointed in him—Isaac Lachmann is 40. He doesn’t know how he got there. Things were supposed to work out differently. Cast: Brett Gelman, Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Nia Long, Shiri Appleby, Fred Melamed. LOS ANGELES PREMIERE Lizzo wields the kind of voice that’s right at home in soul, pop, hip-hop, R&B, rock and gospel. The vivacious and versatile vocalist’s impassioned delivery and dynamic range bonds the six tracks on her major label debut EP, Coconut Oil (Nice Life Recording Company/Atlantic Records). Lauded by Noisey, Entertainment Weekly, Paste, Rolling Stone, Spin, Idolator, and more, the EP boasted the hit “Good As Hell,” which was featured on the Original Soundtrack to Barbershop: The Next Cut and churned out over 7.3 million Spotify streams and 1.3 million YouTube views in less than six months. Saturday, August 12 12:00 p.m. – Gente-fied Gente-fied / U.S.A. (Director, creator and co-writer: Marvin Lemus, Co-writer: Linda Yvette Chavez, Executive Producers: Charles D. King, Aaliyah Williams, America Ferrera) — Seven characters deal with the effects of change in L.A.’s Boyle Heights. Bicultural millennials and old-school business owners hustle to create spaces that celebrate their Latino identities—even while faced with rent hikes, a housing crisis, and a steady stream of outsiders threatening to gentrify their barrio. NEXT FEST will screen all seven episodes of this short-form episodic series. Cast: Edsson Morales, Alicia Sixtos, Victoria Ortiz, Yareli Arizmendi, Salvador Velez Jr, Rafael Sigler, Art Bonilla. LOS ANGELES PREMIERE 4:00 p.m. – Gook Gook / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Justin Chon) — Eli and Daniel—Korean American brothers who run a shoe store in Paramount, California—form an unlikely friendship with Kamilla, an 11-year-old African American girl. As Daniel dreams of becoming a recording artist and Eli struggles to keep the store afloat, LA’s racial tensions erupt during the infamous 1992 riots. Cast: Justin Chon, Simone Baker, David So, Curtiss Cook Jr., Sang Chon, Ben Munoz. Winner of the Audience Award: NEXT at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. 8:00 p.m. – Bitch + Sleigh Bells Bitch / U.S.A. (Director and 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. Cast: Jason Ritter, Jaime King, Marianna Palka, Brighton Sharbino, Rio Mangini, Kingston Foster. LOS ANGELES PREMIERE Sleigh Bells wasted no time after getting off the ground in 2009, releasing three blistering records in four years. Ready for a break from the road, they took their time on their fourth LP, Jessica Rabbit, writing and finishing the record several times only to realize that they wanted to push themselves and the music further. The result is an intense and vulnerable record that’s highly evolved and completely uncategorizable, a major statement from a band wholly committed to advancing their dynamic, uncompromising vision. Jessica Rabbit is the first release on the band’s own record label, Torn Clean. Sunday, August 13 12:00 p.m. – Dina Dina / U.S.A. (Directors: Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini) — An eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door-greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story. LOS ANGELES PREMIERE. Winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. 4:00 p.m. – Golden Exits Golden Exits / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Alex Ross Perry) — The arrival of a young foreign girl disrupts the lives and emotional balances of two Brooklyn families. Cast: Emily Browning, Adam Horovitz, Mary-Louise Parker, Lily Rabe, Jason Schwartzman, Chloë Sevigny. LOS ANGELES PREMIERE 8:00 p.m. – L.A. Times + Electric Guest L.A. Times / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michelle Morgan) — In this classically styled comedy of manners set in Los Angeles, sophisticated thirtysomethings try to determine whether ideal happiness exists in coupledom or if the perfectly suited couple is actually just an urban myth. Cast: Michelle Morgan, Dree Hemingway, Jorma Taccone, Kentucker Audley, Margarita Levieva, Adam Shapiro. LOS ANGELES PREMIERE Electric Guest – L.A.-based duo Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton – recently released Plural on Downtown/Interscope Records. The record finds the duo at the absolute top of their game, infusing their version of electronic r&b with an even more confident, adventurous spirit than their 2012 debut album, Mondo, displayed, which Rolling Stone called “a Beck-ian journey into L.A. slacker soul, full of hooky neon jams.” MTV named Electric Guest an Artist To Watch, NME tagged them as a Band Of The Week, and they made the rounds at festivals in addition to taking late night TV by storm with performances on Letterman, Fallon, Conan and more.
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Emmy Winner Cady McClain’s SEEING IS BELIEVING: WOMEN DIRECT to East Coast Premiere at SOHO International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_22616" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Seeing is Believing: Women Direct[/caption] Emmy winning actress-turned-director Cady McClain’s Seeing is Believing: Women Direct will make its East Coast Premiere and is an Official Selection of the 2017 SOHO International Film Festival, screening Monday, June 19 at Village East Cinemas. Seeing is Believing: Women Direct is a documentary series directed, executive produced, written and edited by Cady McClain about women directors who are on the front lines of the field: from major award winners and those in the vanguard of television and feature films, to graduate students and frustrated auteurs. The first episode recently made its World Premiere at Newport Beach Film Festival, where it won an Honorable Mention for Best Documentary Short. Now, McClain will debut a feature-length version at SOHO International Film Festival. McClain has spent the past year traveling the globe, speaking to female directors of film and television and documenting their stories. The outcome is a feature film and a serialized documentary, providing insider access to the skills and tools needed to succeed as a woman in the directing field. When only 1.9% of the top 100 films are directed by women, it is a symptom of a larger problem: an ingrained cultural bias against women’s ability to lead. McClain believes the best way to create change is to show proof that the bias is based on outdated and false ideas. Considering all aspects of the directing experience, the series will show how these women drive through obstacles creative, cultural and professional. The series is also intended to serve as peer-to-peer mentorship for anyone of any gender looking for guidance and real world experience as they pursue their dreams of becoming a visual storyteller. Last fall, McClain started an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign for the project’s post-production, which successfully met and then surpassed its $50,000 goal by 16%. Donations were fully tax-deductible due to not-for-profit sponsorship from The Film Collaborative. The series also received a micro grant and social media support from Awesome Without Borders via the Harnisch Foundation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k67qp3vjIGU “We are so excited to be sharing our feature-length version of this documentary with the SOHO International Film Festival this June,” said Cady McClain. “My husband (who is a producer on this doc) and I are both veterans of the festival having screened his narrative feature (I was his AP) and my short (he was my PA!) in 2013 and 2015. We’ve found the audiences at SOHO to be full of savvy film lovers and caring filmmakers. The personal support from the festival of our work is truly meaningful to us both.” The 50 interviewees include: Sarah Gavron (Suffragette, Brick Lane), Meera Menon (Equity), Oscar winner Lee Grant (Down and out in America), Lesli Linka Glatter (EP/Director, Homeland), Betty Thomas (highest grossing female director: The Brady Bunch Movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeekquel) Bethany Rooney (200+ hours primetime TV & co-author of Directors Tell the Story), Lizzie Borden (Born In Flames, Working Girls (Sundance Jury Prize), two-time Oscar-winner Sarah Kernochan (documentaries: Marjoe, Thoth), Emmy-winner Anne Makepeace (I. M. Pei: Building China Modern, Robert Capa in Love and War), Rusudan Glurdijdze (Karlovy Vary winner: House of Others), Marianna Palka (Sundance: Good Dick, Bitch), Nicole Conn (lesbian genre films: A Perfect Ending, Elena Undone), producer Deborah Del Prete (Ender’s Game, The Spirit), plus John Wells (ER, West Wing), Mike Robin (Major Crimes), Deborah Riley Draper (Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, Versailles ‘73: American Runway Revolution) and many more. The producing team: Lead Producer: Kate Super (Director/Producer: Women on the Edge), Additional Producers: Amanda Quinn Olivar (Board member, The Chimaera Project), Kimberly McCullough (Director: Pretty Little Liars), Jon Lindstrom (Director: How We Got Away With It) and Li Lu (Director: There Is a New World Somewhere).
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ICARUS Voted Winner of Sundance Film Festival: London’s Inaugural Audience Favourite award

[caption id="attachment_20053" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] ICARUS[/caption] ICARUS directed by Bryan Fogel was voted the winner of Sundance Film Festival: London’s inaugural Audience Favorite award. Festivalgoers voted in the thousands for their favorite features across the four-day event at Picturehouse Central. The ruthless worlds of international sports and politics rarely collide as spectacularly on screen as they do in Bryan Fogel’s documentary thriller that’s sure to set off convulsions of controversy. Exemplifying the special bond between filmmaker and subject, Icarus is a portrait of the sacrifice some people make to stand up for truth, placing you at the heart of an international game of cat and mouse where a miscalculation can cost you your life. 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. ICARUS had its U.K. premiere at Sundance Film Festival: London following its World Premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A. where it received the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: The Orwell Award. image via Sundance Film Festival London at Picturehouse Central
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Indie Film LANDING UP to World Premiere at Dances With Films and East Coast Premiere at Soho Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_22611" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Landing Up[/caption] “Landing Up” directed by Dani Tenenbaum is a story about a girl with nothing to lose and everything to hide. The film stars Maltin (“Working On It,” “Lipstick Jungle”), Ben Rappaport (ABC’s “For the People,” USA’s “Mr. Robot”), E’dena Hines (“5 Flights Up,” “Moll Flanders”), Dov Tiefenbach (“Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, “Homeland”), Theodora (Woolley) Miranne (“The Blacklist: Redemption,” “Blue Bloods”) and Jay DeYonker (“Royally,” “Puerto Ricans in Paris”), and is an Official Selection in Competition Features at Dances With Films, screening on Wednesday, June 7, 2017, at 9:30 p.m., at the TCL Chinese Theatres, located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, California. The East Coast Premiere will be held on Saturday, June 17th at 6:30 p.m. as an Official Selection of the Soho International Film Festival, screening at Village East Cinema (181-189 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003). Chrissie (Stacey Maltin) is young, wild, and living on the streets. She and her best friend Cece (E’dena Hines) use their youth and good looks to their advantage, playing a con game with strangers to put a roof over their heads, while all the time fantasizing about having enough money to score their dream apartment. When Chrissie meets David (Ben Rappaport), a funny, genuine guy who works his way into her heart, she falls for him and must decide whether to confess the real circumstances of her life or continue her carefully crafted lie at all costs—even the cost of someone’s life. (Running time: 98-minutes) Filmmaker and star Stacey Maltin says, “The film exists in two worlds: Chrissie’s life on the street and her romantic life with David. Chrissie’s life on the street is gritty and dangerous, but when Chrissie meets David, her world explodes into color. He’s everything she always wanted and the film jumps in tone and style to almost a romantic comedy feel. Ben has no idea of the realities that Chrissie is facing. Her life is so far outside his realm of comprehension he never suspects her secret, even as she hides the truth from him at every turn.” Director Dani Tenenbaum adds, “We are showing how people often exist in different parts of themselves. Chrissie’s carefully crafted lies lead her into a world that turns into a very real feeling of love. But can you ever really know someone if we all spend so much time crafting the perfect stories about ourselves?” This film has a tragic real life story as well. Just one month after principal photography wrapped, Maltin’s co-star E’dena Hines was tragically murdered by her boyfriend, which was devastating to the cast and crew. The story made national headlines, in part due to E’dena being the granddaughter of acting icon Morgan Freeman. “Landing Up” is E’dena’s last on-screen performance. Maltin adds, “E’dena was an incredible and loving human being who illuminated any room she entered. She had so much talent and this energy that was so raw and magnetic. She really gave herself over to playing Cece and it’s reflected in her performance. We miss her every day and wish she could have seen what she created with us.” Because of this tragic violence in real life, which happens all too often against women in the world, and because the film tackles homelessness, the filmmakers felt it was paramount to give their audience a call to action. They have partnered with the non-profit organizations Midnight Mission, which offers paths to self-sufficiency to men, women and children who have lost direction, and LA Family Housing, which helps people transition out of homelessness and poverty, to help raise awareness for these issues.
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Film Independent Selects 10 Projects and 24 Filmmakers for 14th Fast Track + RADIANT Awarded Grant

10 projects and 24 filmmakers have been selected for the Film Independent’s 14th annual Fast Track film finance market. Held during the LA Film Festival, Fast Track helps producer-director teams advance their projects through meetings with top industry executives – financiers, agents, managers, distributors, production companies, and granting organizations. During three days of intensive meetings, participants build vital industry relationships and gain valuable exposure for their projects as they fast track their films towards completion. Film Independent will present the ninth annual Alfred P. Sloan Fast Track Grant, a $20,000 production grant to support a film that explores science and technology themes or that depicts scientists, engineers and mathematicians in engaging and innovative ways, to writer/director Annika Glac and producer Robyn Kershaw for their fiction feature film Radiant. A select list of Industry participants include: Bunim-Murray, CAA, Color Force, Electric City Entertainment, Fox Searchlight, Imperative Entertainment, June Pictures, LA Media Fund, Mandalay Pictures, Participant Media, Pilgrim Media Group, Preferred Content, ShivHans Pictures, Sight Unseen Pictures, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, Sycamore Pictures, Symbolic Exchange and UTA. Recent Fast Track projects completed include Lana Wilson’s The Departure, which premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival; Lou Pepe and Keith Fulton’s Bad Kids, which premiered at Sundance 2016; Maris Curran’s Five Nights in Maine which premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival; Chloe Zhao’s Songs My Brothers Taught Me, which premiered in U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and Directors’ Fortnight at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for three Film Independent Spirit Awards. The following filmmakers have been selected to participate Film Independent’s 2017 Fast Track program:
2017 Fast Track Projects and Fellows
Blow the Man Down, fiction feature, Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy – co-writers/co-directors, Drew Houpt, Producer An accidental murder. An established Madam who does her dirtiest business while the town willingly looks the other way. Fifty grand of cash up for grabs and the local men out to sea… enter two sisters with nothing and everything to lose. Cantering, fiction feature, HIKARI – writer/director/producer, Peter Maestrey – producer In order to escape her oppressive home life, a naïve paraplegic artist begins to illustrate for an erotic manga, putting her on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. Farewell Tour, fiction feature, Sean Hackett – writer/director, Frederick Thornton – producer When three Christian fundamentalist teenagers with the dynamic of The Golden Girls help a local agnostic search Kansas City for his AWOL, terminally ill mother, they are forced to re-evaluate their true intentions and discover what truly binds their friendship. Followers, fiction feature, Tim Marshall – writer/director, Christina Radburn – producer A lonely woman who has lost all faith in God, becomes obsessed with her aqua-aerobics instructor after seeing the face of Jesus on his swimming shorts. Maybe Tomorrow, fiction feature, Eliza Lee – writer/director, Michelle Sy – producer, Sophia Chang – executive producer In 1978 London, with only 24 hours left on her visa, a young American musician, Chrissie Hynde, takes one last stab at keeping her rock ‘n roll dream alive. Radiant, fiction feature, Annika Glac – writer/director, Robyn Kershaw – producer Paris 1900, a physics prodigy glimpses a future world of unseen energy. Now she must battle the male scientific academy. The closer she gets to recognition, the more she realizes the battle is not with the male establishment but with the unleashed power of her own radioactive discovery. Son of A Very Important Man, fiction feature, Najwa Najjar – writer/director, Hani Kort – producer A Palestinian couple must travel to Israel in order to get a divorce and discover that sometimes the most unexpected roads in life are in the detours you didn’t mean to take. In response to a growing community of nonfiction filmmakers, the Fast Track finance market will also feature a new Documentary Fast Track session where selected projects will connect with industry executives dedicated to working in the nonfiction space: Minding the Gap, documentary feature, Bing Liu – producer/director, Diane Quon – producer A group of skateboarders confront domestic violence as they come of age in a rust-belt Midwestern town. Missing in Brooks Country, documentary feature, Jeff Bemiss and Lisa Molomot – producers/co-directors/cinematographers, Jacob Bricca – producer/editor In a small town in Texas, the border wall has already arrived. Untitled Claudia Sparrow Documentary, documentary feature, Claudia Sparrow – director, Steven J. Berger and Ryan Schwartz – producers A woman farmer from the beautiful highlands of South America stands up to a massive international mining conglomerate, defending the land, water, and people from devastating corporate greed. Film Independent Artist Development has also selected two additional filmmakers and their projects to receive support that will include participation in select Fast Track meetings and mentorship: Experience Designer, documentary feature, Mackenzie Fegan – producer On an apocalyptic commune in the Alaskan wilderness, a young man returns to confront his past in this unconventional non-fiction film. Selene, fiction feature, Maris Curran – writer/director Selene fears she has laryngitis again. On a routine doctor visit to get antibiotics, she is diagnosed with a rare condition that leaves her permanently voiceless. As her world turns upside down and she struggles to communicate and adapt, she discovers that this limitation leads to the opening of a new world.
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Film Festivals

360/VR Films Presented at SIFF 2017

2017 Fast Track Projects and Fellows