Film Festivals

16 Short Films and Webisodes Selected as Semi-Finalists for 2017 NBCUniversal Short Film Festival

16 original short films and webisodes have been selected as semi-finalists for the 12th annual NBCUniversal Short Film Festival. The webisodes and shorts, which include a mix of comedies and dramas, will be showcased at public screenings in New York on August 15 and 16 before the finalists are chosen. The finale screening and awards ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on October 18 at the Directors Guild of America. The complete list of semi-finalists are: Akashi, Writer & Director: Mayumi Yoshida Kana, a young Japanese woman, receives news that her grandmother has passed away. During her trip to attend the funeral, she recalls intimate conversations with her grandmother that lead her to examine her own life. Audible Static, Writer & Director: Sai Selvarajan Thaddeus, a clever teenager with a speech impediment, creates a new way to communicate his feelings to his crush. Brothers, Writer & Director: Emmett Lundberg Four transgender male friends explore life and love in Brooklyn. This episode of the web series focuses on Max as he opens up to his new girlfriend that he is transgender. Couples: Movie Night, Director: Ryan Sulak, Writer: Chris Sturgeon A quiet night-in for couple, Sara and Adam, turns into an epic thrill-ride to find the perfect movie in a race against time before Sara falls asleep. Cul-De-Sac, Director: Damon Russell, Writer: Shawn Christensen Parents living at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac discover a listening device inside their son’s teddy bear. The film stars Phoebe Tonkin (The Originals, The Vampire Diaries). Emergency, Director: Carey Williams, Writer: K.D Davila A group of Black and Latino college students carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an emergency situation. Groundhog Day For A Black Man, Writer & Director: Cynthia Kao A Black man continually relives the same day until he can survive an encounter with the police. Joy Joy Nails, Writer & Director: Joey Ally Sarah manages a Korean-owned nail salon with an ever cheerful iron fist. New manicurist Mia, who is Chinese, starts working at the salon and attracts the affections of Sarah’s love interest. Threatened, Sarah becomes increasingly antagonistic toward Mia and later discover truths about herself and Joy Joy Nails. Lost Dogs, Director: Cullan Bruce, Writers: Cullan Bruce and Chris Lee A woman ridiculed by her family longs to escape. Striking a deal with her brother to clear his illegal debt, she delves deeper into darkness. Madaran, Writer & Director: Rayka Zehtabchi An Iranian mother decides whether to end or spare the life of her son’s killer. Misery Loves Company 1: “Pussy,” Director: Gloria Calderon Kellett, Writers: Sara Amini and Emily Chang Misery Loves Company 3: “Racist,” Director: Nadine Truong, Writers: Sara Amini and Emily Chang Two friends navigate being women of color in a post-election world, while trying (and failing) at a #blessedlife in LA. In this episode, Sara and Emily deal with cat-callers on the street. Mr. & Mrs. Kim, Director: Jaehuen Chung, Writer: Josh Aichenbaum Joshua Kim makes up a glamorous story about his Korean immigrants parents for his fourth grade class. He later discovers that their real-life backstory is more extraordinary than what he could have ever imagined. Mrs. Drake, Director: Caitlin FitzGerald, Writer: Kyle Warren Laura is a single mother struggling to raise her son Jack. She is thrown into a spiral of confusion and guilt when Jack comes home from school claiming his teacher locked him in a closet. Night Call, Director: Amanda Renee Knox, Writer: Joseph Sousa During a routine patrol, a Black female cop (Marlyne Barrett, Chicago Med) is called to a disturbance that leads to her making a life-altering decision. Pop Rox, Director: Nate Trinru, Writer: Alyssa Lerner Jesse, an Iranian-American teenage girl, decides to tell her best friend, Roxanne, that she’s in love with her.
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2017 Open City Documentary Festival Unveils Lineup

MOTHERLAND OR DEATH, Vitaly Mansky

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

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13TH Director Ava DuVernay, World Premiere Music Videos + Comedians Added to Sundance NEXT FEST

[caption id="attachment_14964" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Ava DuVernay[/caption] World premiere music videos, conversations between film legends and up-and-coming creatives and three female comedians have been added to the lineup for Sundance NEXT FEST, taking place August 10 to 13 at The Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles.
CONVERSATIONS
Ava DuVernay (13th, Selma) will join a conversation, presented by FilmL.A., Inc., with director Justin Chon after Saturday’s 4:00 p.m. screening of Gook. Also on Saturday, Gente-fied executive producer America Ferrera, director/creator/co-writer Marvin Lemus, co-writer Linda Yvette Chavez and producer Aaliyah Williams will be in conversation following the noon screening of all seven episodes of the series. On Sunday, Emmy Award winner Larry Wilmore will join directors Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles and the subject of Dina for a conversation following the afternoon screening. Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show) will be in conversation with filmmaker Alex Ross Perry following Sunday’s 4:00 p.m. screening of Golden Exits.
WORLD PREMIERE MUSIC VIDEOS
Highlighting the connection between music and movies, three brand-new music videos have been added to the lineup and will screen before films. Temptation — Joey Bada$$ Directed by Nathan R. Smith. A little girl journeys through Brooklyn as an omniscient Joey Bada$$ protects her from the alluring temptations she encounters. The track is featured on Joey Bada$$’ latest album, All-Amerikkkan Bada$$. The music video will premiere Saturday, August 12 with the 4:00 p.m. screening of Gook. Do It, Try It — M83 Written and directed by David Wilson. A family outing to a burger joint sparks an argument between the parents whilst two children draw pictures to entertain themselves, taking the viewer into their imaginations. This four-minute adventure of mixed media film, fusing live action and hand-drawn animation, premieres Sunday, August 13 with the noon screening of Dina. Fingers — Hundred Waters Directed by Allie Avital. Fingers is an eerie meditation on the dissolution of a relationship featuring 10,000 live insects.The music video will make its world premiere on Sunday, August 13 with the 4:00 p.m. screening of Golden Exits.
COMEDIANS
Kate Berlant will host the screening of Lemon and performance by Lizzo on Friday, August 11 at 8:00 p.m. Berlant has been described by The New York Times as a “magnetic improvisational comic” and named by Time Out New York as one of New York City’s “Top Three Comics to Watch.” She is also one of Comedy Central’s “Comics to Watch.” Kate Micucci will host Saturday‘s 8:00 p.m. screening of Bitch and performance by Sleigh Bells. Micucci can be seen in The Little Hours with Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Dave Franco, Molly Shannon and John C. Reilly. Kate is co-creator and co-star of the group GARFUNKEL AND OATES, with Riki Lindhome. They were one of Variety’s comics to watch in 2010 and their two-woman show regularly sold out Largo and UCB. Natasha Leggero will host Sunday’s 8:00 p.m. screening of L.A. Times and performance by Electric Guest. Leggero has built her body of work with numerous roles on prominent television series including NBC’s Community, FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Arrested Development, Comedy Central’s Reno 911 and Drunk History, ABC’s Suburgatory, the sketch comedy Key and Peele, Comedy Bang! Bang! Chelsea Lately, and The Tonight Show, among many others.
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World Premiere of Woody Allen’s WONDER WHEEL to Close New York Film Festival

Woody Allen’s Wonder Wheel will make its World Premiere as the Closing Night film of the 55th New York Film Festival on Saturday, October 14. Amazon Studios will release Wonder Wheel on December 1, 2017. In a career spanning 50 years and almost as many features, Woody Allen has periodically refined, reinvented, and redefined the terms of his art, and that’s exactly what he does with his daring new film. We’re in Coney Island in the 1950s. A lifeguard (Justin Timberlake) tells us a story that just might be filtered through his vivid imagination: a middle-aged carousel operator (James Belushi) and his beleaguered wife (Kate Winslet), who eke out a living on the boardwalk, are visited by his estranged daughter (Juno Temple)—a situation from which layer upon layer of all-too-human complications develop. Allen and his cinematographer, the great Vittorio Storaro, working with a remarkable cast led by Winslet in a startlingly brave, powerhouse performance, have created a bracing and truly surprising movie experience. New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones said, “I’m not quite sure what I expected when I sat down to watch Wonder Wheel, but when the lights came up I was speechless. There are elements in the film that will certainly be familiar to anyone who knows Woody Allen’s work, but here he holds them up to a completely new light. I mean that literally and figuratively, because Allen and Vittorio Storaro use light and color in a way that is stunning in and of itself but also integral to the mounting emotional power of the film. And at the center of it all is Kate Winslet’s absolutely remarkable performance—precious few actors are that talented, or fearless.” The New York Film Festival has showcased Allen’s work on two other occasions: Bullets Over Broadway was Centerpiece of NYFF32 in 1994 and Celebrity was Opening Night of NYFF36 in 1998. The New York Film Festival taking place September 28 to October 15, 2017, highlights the best in world cinema, featuring works from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent. Earlier this summer, NYFF announced Richard Linklater’s Last Flag Flying as Opening Night and Todd Haynes’s Wonderstruck as the Centerpiece selection. The retrospective section honors Robert Mitchum’s centenary.
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38th Durban International Film Festival Awards, A FATHER’S WILL Wins Best Film

[caption id="attachment_23317" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A Father’s Will[/caption] The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) announced this year’s award-winners at the 38th DIFF Awards ceremony, with the award for the Best Feature Film going to A Father’s Will; and the award for Best South African Feature Film going to Vaya directed by Akin Omotoso. The Best Director for a South African Film went to John Trentgrove The Wound. The Best South African Documentary award was taken by Strike A Rock, directed by Aliki Saragas which the jury described as a powerful documentary that reflects the context of the current South African society; while the Best International Documentary went to Dusk Chorus directed by Nika Šaravanja and Alessandro D’Emilia. The award for Best Direction in the international competition, went to A Father’s Will (Bakyt Mukul, Dastan Zhapar Uulu) in addition to the award for Best Cinematography (Akjol Bekbolotov). The Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award for the film that best reflects human rights issues which comes with a cash prize donated by the Amnesty International went to Strike a Rock and Mama Colonel ; and the African Critic Award was won by Serpent which also opened DIFF this year.
38th Durban International Film Festival Awards
Best Feature Film – A Father’s Will Best South African Feature – Vaya Best Director for a South African Film: John Trentgrove The Wound Best Direction – A Father’s Will (Bakyt Mukul, Dastan Zhapar Uulu.) Best Cinematography – A Father’s Will (Akjol Bekbolotov) Best Screenplay – La Soledad (Jorge Thielen Armand, Rodrigo Michelangeli) Best Actor – Nakhane Touré (The Wound) Best actress – Mariam Al Ferjani (Beauty and the Dogs) Best editing – La Soledad (Felipe Guerrero) Artistic Bravery – Liyana Best International Short Film – Witnesses Best African Short Film – All of Us Best South African Short – The Hangman Best South African Documentary Film – Strike A Rock Best International Documentary Film – Dusk Chorus
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2017 HollyShorts Film Festival Unveils Competition Short Films Lineup

[caption id="attachment_11940" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Super Sex[/caption] The Academy Awards® qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival unveiled today it’s official lineup of in-competition short films for the upcoming 13th edition of the festival. HollyShorts, which is LA’s biggest shorts film festival takes place August 10 to 19 at the TCL Chinese Theater, Roosevelt Hotel, Harmony Gold Theater and other venues throughout Hollywood. This year’s festival received an all time record of 4,000 submissions from 65 countries. 400 shorts will compete for the Best Short Film Prize and Grand Jury Prize, Best Director among other top categories. 2017 HollyShorts official selections include: Walking Dead’s Emma Bell’s Directorial debut horror short Scratch; Matthew Modine’s comedy Super Sex starring his daughter Ruby Modine, Kevin Nealon, Elizabeth Perkins, Ed Asner and Efren Ramirez; John Stamos’s short Ingenue-ish; Julia Barnett’s Chasing Grace Produced by Connie Britton starring Christopher Backus, and Lydia Tracy; Joshua Shultz’s Strobe starring Sammi Hanratty; Brett Gursky’s Graffiti starring Cassie Scerbo; Erin Elder’s Penny Sucker starring James Paxton; Russell Simpson’s Home starring Sharon Lawrence and Marianne Jean-Baptiste; Jack Henry Robbins Hot Winter: A Film By Dick Pierre; Bill Plympton’s animated short Cop Dog, Spike Lee’s Lil Joints $15 Dollar Kicks Directed by Jenn Shaw. Tye Sheridan and Nikola Todorovic co-founders of VR production company Aether will oversee the first-ever VR Experience at this year’s HollyShorts. As previously reported the festival will open with a special screening of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece Full Metal Jacket on Thursday August 10 followed by a Q&A with Matthew Modine.
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Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” to Open HollyShorts Film Festival

Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam war masterpiece “Full Metal Jacket” will open this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival on August 10. The opening night festivities will coincide with the iconic feature’s thirtieth anniversary — the film first bowed back in June of 1987 — and star Matthew Modine will be on hand to participate in a special post-screening Q&A. Kubrick’s instant classic depiction of Vietnam — and really, war in general — was based on Gutav Hasford’s novel “The Short-Timers,” which Kubrick sparked to after seeking material for a war film for years. The film stars Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Arliss Howard, Kevyn Major Howard, and Ed O’Ross and follows a motley crew of Marines as they train for and eventually go to battle in Vietnam. The film was a lauded success, and earned an Oscar nod for Best Adapted Screenplay. The actor has also offered to display his own personal collection of behind-the-scenes photos from the making of the film, which will be available for viewing at Hollywood’s Chinese Theater during the run of the festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j3_iPskjxk
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Michael Jackson-Themed SHEIKH JACKSON will Close Toronto Film Fest Special Presentation Program

The World Premiere of Sheikh Jackson, written and directed by Amr Salama, will be the Closing Night film of the Special Presentation program of the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Sheikh Jackson tells the story of a young imam and former Michael Jackson devotee who falls into a tailspin following the news of the King of Pop’s death. “We couldn’t be happier to have Sheikh Jackson close the Special Presentations program and to welcome Amr Salama to TIFF for its World Premiere,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “With this film he has provided a deeply personal look at one man’s life through the lens of the passing of his larger-than-life hero. Film lovers can expect a tender and moving account of fandom and faith and their influence on the more intimate aspects of our lives.” “I’m thrilled to have this film premiere at such a prestigious festival,” said Amr Salama, writer and director, Sheikh Jackson. “Though this film was a collaborative effort, it’s my most personal film to date. It’s about faith, identity, self-discovery and embracing one’s contradictions.” Sheikh Jackson is produced by Mohamed Hefzy and Hani Osama. The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.
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Cinematographer José Luis Alcaine to Receive Vision Award at Locarno Festival

The Locarno Festival will honor cinematographer José Luis Alcaine with the Vision Award TicinoModa, the prize dedicated to those who have used their talents to trace new perspectives in the world of film. José Luis Alcaine, noted for his strong colors and photography that highlights shade and form while remaining always believable, even at extremely high contrast, has worked with some of the most important and influential auteurs in Spanish and international filmmaking. He made five films with Pedro Almodóvar, from the cult movie Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988) to Átame!(1989), from La mala educacíon (2004) to La piel que habito (2011), as well as Volver (2006). In the 1980s he was involved in many of the films, which hallmarked the originality of Spanish cinema of the decade, from El sur (Victor Erice, 1983) to Tasio(Montxo Armendáriz, 1984), from Los paraísos perdidos (Basilio Martín Patino, 1985) to El viaje a ninguna parte (Fernando Fernán Gómez, 1986). Further fundamental collaborations in his career were those with Vicente Aranda, with whom he made a dozen films, including Amantes (1991), and, again in Spain, with Fernando Trueba (El sueño del mono loco, 1989 and Belle Epoque, 1992), with Carlos Saura (¡Ay, Carmela!, 1990 and Sevillanas, 1992) and Bigas Luna (Jamón Jamón, 1992, Huevos de oro, 1993 and La teta y la luna, 1994). Outside Spain, apart from his various forays in the U.S., Alcaine worked several times with Italian filmmakers, directing photography for Alberto Lattuada (Così come sei, 1978), Fabio Carpi (Barbablù, Barbablù, 1987) and Giovanni Veronesi (Il mio West, 1998). He is currently engaged on set for Domino, the new thriller by Brian De Palma, with whom he previously made Passion (2012), and on a new project by Asghar Farhadi, with Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz. Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director: “Cinema as seduction and entertainment, mystery and comedy (of life): the lengthy career of José Luis Alcaine is rich in just the ingredients that we try to encourage at Locarno. Film is not just storytelling but first and foremost a gaze on the world, and that world sees the light thanks to artists like Alcaine who can impress upon film – and now on digital formats – both the tints and shadows of human skin and the extraordinary work of actors and art designers. The Vision Award to Alcaine is not just a tribute to a long and successful career, but also an opportunity to meet with one of the most skilled professionals working today; a man who can both illuminate an erotic film and give a lecture on the rapport between Picasso’s painting Guernica and Frank Borzage’s A Farewell to Arms, revealing his profound awareness of film history.” José Luis Alcaine will receive the Vision Award TicinoModa in Piazza Grande on Thursday August 10. He will also be holding a Master Class on Friday August 11 at the PalaVideo at 3.30 pm. The Festival tribute will include a screening of the films La piel que habito (Pedro Almodovar, 2011), Passion (Brian De Palma, 2012), Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Pedro Almodóvar, 1988) and Belle Epoque (Fernando Trueba, 1992). In previous years the Locarno Festival has conferred the Vision Award, introduced in 2013, on Douglas Trumbull (2013), Garrett Brown (2014), Walter Murch (2015) and Howard Shore (2016). The 70th Locarno Festival will be held from August 2 to 12, 2017.
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World Premiere of Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano’s C’EST LA VIE! to Close Toronto International Film Festival

The World Premiere of C’est la vie!, written and directed by award-winning filmmakers Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, will be the Closing Night Gala of the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. The film starring Gilles Lellouche, Suzanne Clément, Eye Haïdara, and Jean-Pierre Bacri will screen at Roy Thomson Hall on September 16. “We are proud to announce C’est la vie! as this year’s Closing Night film,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “The filmmakers have truly captured the love, laughter, and often chaos that goes into planning our most important milestones, giving audiences a unique point of view to what our lives could look like to people from the outside.” “Nakache and Toledano make films that the whole world has embraced. We’re thrilled to welcome them back with their latest,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “This will be a terrific way for Toronto to close out the Festival.” “We are excited to be back at TIFF to present C’est la vie! for the Closing Night film,” stated Nakache and Toledano. “We loved the experience we had at the Festival with Samba and are looking forward to meeting the audience again.” C’est la vie! tells the story of Max, who has begun to grow tired after running his catering company for 30 years. While planning a large wedding for clients Pierre and Helena, a series of mishaps upends a very tight schedule, and every instant of happiness and emotion could veer into disaster and chaos. From the preparations to daybreak, we get a behind-the-scenes look at a wedding party through the eyes of the people working the event. They will all have to count on their one common quality: knowing how to throw a good party! The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.
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Films by Angelina Jolie, George Clooney Among Gala + Special Presentation Films for Toronto Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_23266" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] First They Killed My Father – Angelina Jolie[/caption] The Toronto International Film Festival today unveiled the first round of titles premiering in the Gala and Special Presentations programs of the 42nd edition of the festival, taking place from September 7 to 17, 2017. Of the 14 Galas and 33 Special Presentations, this first announcement includes 25 World Premieres, eight International Premieres, six North American Premieres and eight Canadian Premieres. “Festival-goers from around the world can anticipate a remarkable lineup of extraordinary stories, voices and cinematic visions from emerging talent and some of our favorite masters,” said Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF. “Today’s announcement offers audiences a glimpse at this year’s rich and robust selection of films, including works from Canada, USA, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, India, Chile, Egypt and Cambodia.” “Every year we set the stage for film lovers of all ages and cultural backgrounds to come together and embrace the universal power of cinema,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “As the Festival enters its fifth decade, we’ve challenged ourselves to adapt and build on our strengths, and we look forward to championing a new selection of films that will captivate and inspire global film audiences.”
GALAS 2017
Breathe Andy Serkis, United Kingdom World Premiere The Catcher Was A Spy Ben Lewin, USA World Premiere *Closing Night Film* C’est la vie! Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano, France World Premiere Darkest Hour Joe Wright, United Kingdom Canadian Premiere Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool Paul McGuigan, United Kingdom Canadian Premiere Kings Deniz Gamze Ergüven, France/Belgium World Premiere Long Time Running Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Canada World Premiere Mary Shelley Haifaa Al Mansour, Ireland/United Kingdom/Luxembourg/USA World Premiere The Mountain Between Us Hany Abu-Assad, USA World Premiere Mudbound Dee Rees, USA International Premiere Stronger David Gordon Green, USA World Premiere Untitled Bryan Cranston/Kevin Hart Film Neil Burger, USA World Premiere The Wife Björn Runge, United Kingdom/Sweden World Premiere Woman Walks Ahead Susanna White, USA World Premiere
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2017
Battle of the Sexes Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton, USA International Premiere BPM (Beats Per Minute) Robin Campillo, France North American Premiere The Brawler Anurag Kashyap, India World Premiere The Breadwinner Nora Twomey, Canada/Ireland/Luxembourg World Premiere Call Me By Your Name Luca Guadagnino, Italy/France Canadian Premiere Catch the Wind Gaël Morel, France International Premiere The Children Act Richard Eyre, United Kingdom World Premiere The Current War Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, USA World Premiere Disobedience Sebastián Lelio, United Kingdom World Premiere Downsizing Alexander Payne, USA Canadian Premiere A Fantastic Woman Sebastián Lelio, Chile Canadian Premiere First They Killed My Father Angelina Jolie, Cambodia Canadian Premiere The Guardians Xavier Beauvois, France World Premiere Hostiles Scott Cooper, USA International Premiere The Hungry Bornila Chatterjee, India World Premiere I, Tonya Craig Gillespie, USA World Premiere *Special Presentations Opening Film* Lady Bird Greta Gerwig, USA International Premiere mother! Darren Aronofsky, USA North American Premiere Novitiate Maggie Betts, USA International Premiere Omerta Hansal Mehta, India World Premiere Plonger Mélanie Laurent, France World Premiere The Price of Success Teddy Lussi-Modeste, France International Premiere Professor Marston & the Wonder Women Angela Robinson, USA World Premiere The Rider Chloé Zhao, USA Canadian Premiere A Season in France Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, France World Premiere The Shape of Water Guillermo del Toro, USA Canadian Premiere *Special Presentations Closing Film* Sheikh Jackson Amr Salama, Egypt World Premiere The Square Ruben Östlund, Sweden North American Premiere Submergence Wim Wenders, France/Germany/Spain World Premiere Suburbicon George Clooney, USA North American Premiere Thelma Joachim Trier, Norway/Sweden/France/Denmark International Premiere Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Martin McDonagh, USA North American Premiere Victoria and Abdul Stephen Frears, United Kingdom North American Premiere
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Director Barry Jenkins Among Keynotes and Featured Speakers Announced for 2018 SXSW

[caption id="attachment_18082" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] MOONLIGHT director Barry Jenkins[/caption] Academy Award-winning writer and director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, Medicine for Melancholy) is among the Keynotes and Featured Speakers announced today for the 2018 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals, taking place March 9 to 18, 2018. “We are overjoyed to invite Barry Jenkins back to SXSW as a Film Keynote having presented the world premiere of his first feature, Medicine for Melancholy, in 2008,” said Janet Pierson, Director of Film. “Moonlight is a magnificent piece of work, transcendent, and made on his own terms. We couldn’t be happier for his success and to have this remarkable artist with such a generous soul return to SXSW.”
Keynotes
Barry Jenkins (Film Keynote) – Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins feature film debut, Medicine for Melancholy (which had its world premiere at SXSW in 2008) was hailed as one of the best films of 2009 by The New York Times. Jenkins received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his second feature Moonlight, which won Best Picture at both the Oscars and the Golden Globes (Drama). His upcoming projects include adaptations of If Beale Street Could Talk and The Underground Railroad. Esther Perel (Interactive Keynote) – Psychotherapist Esther Perel is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern love. Fluent in nine languages, she holds a therapy practice in New York City and serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Her celebrated TED talks have garnered more than 18 million views and her bestseller Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence became a global phenomenon translated into 24 languages. Her recent book, The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity, is another example of her bold synthesis of complex cultural shifts. whurley (Convergence Keynote) – whurley is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and the founder of Honest Dollar, a fintech company Goldman purchased in 2016. He is the Chair of the Quantum Standards Working Group at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). His latest book Endless Impossibilities brings the realities of a quantum future into the present, helping readers understand and prepare for the coming age of quantum computing.
Featured Speakers
Bob Richards (Intelligent Future) – Bob Richards is a space entrepreneur and futurist. He is a Co-Founder of the International Space University, Singularity University, SEDS, the Space Generation Foundation, and Moon Express, Inc., a space transportation and lunar resources company located at Cape Canaveral, where he currently serves as President and CEO. Ingrid Vanderveldt (Startup & Tech Sectors) – Ingrid Vanderveldt is the Chairman and CEO of Empowering a Billion Women by 2020 (EBW2020). Previously, she was the first Entrepreneur-in-Residence (“EIR”) for Dell Inc. where she oversaw entrepreneurial initiatives worldwide helping to build a $250 million business segment and founded the $125M Dell Innovators Credit Fund, Dell Founders Club, and the Dell Center for Entrepreneurs during her 3-year term. Cleo Wade (Social Impact) – Cleo Wade, an outspoken artist, speaker, poet, and the author of a forthcoming book, is an inspiring voice in today’s world for gender and race equality. She creates motivating messages, blending simplicity with positivity, femininity and arresting honesty. Her poems, accessible yet empowering, speak to a greater future for all women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community, preaching love, acceptance, justice, and peace. Amy Webb (Startup & Tech Sectors) – Amy Webb is an author, futurist and Founder of the Future Today Institute, a strategic foresight and futures forecasting company that advises the world’s leading businesses and governments. Forbes named Amy one of the world’s preeminent thinkers on the future impacts of technology.
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Film Festivals

CONVERSATIONS

WORLD PREMIERE MUSIC VIDEOS

COMEDIANS

38th Durban International Film Festival Awards

GALAS 2017

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2017

Keynotes

Featured Speakers