Film Festivals

Cannes Film Festival Winners: I, DANIEL BLAKE Wins 2016 Palme d’or | TRAILERS

[caption id="attachment_14033" align="aligncenter" width="926"] The Jury and the Winners of the 69th Festival of Cannes[/caption] I, DANIEL BLAKE by British filmmaker Ken Loach, won the 2016 Palme d’or at the Cannes Film Festival. Ken Loach enters the elite circle of two-time Palme d’or winners, having already won the award for The Wind That Shakes The Barley in 2006. In I, DANIEL BLAKE, Daniel Blake, 59, has worked as a joiner most of his life in Newcastle. Now, after a heart attack and nearly falling from a scaffold, he needs help from the State for the first time in his life. He crosses paths with a single mother Katie and her two young children, Daisy and Dylan. Katie’s only chance to escape a one-roomed homeless hostel in London has been to accept a flat in a city she doesn’t know some 300 miles away. Daniel and Katie find themselves in no-man’s land caught on the barbed wire of welfare bureaucracy as played out against the rhetoric of ‘striver and skiver’ in modern day Britain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLEPQ9FYU0U JUSTE LA FIN DU MONDE (It’s Only the End of the World) by Xavier DOLAN is the winner of the Grand Prix award. After 12 years of absence, a writer goes back to his hometown, planning on announcing his upcoming death to his family. As resentment soon rewrites the course of the afternoon, fits and feuds unfold, fueled by loneliness and doubt, while all attempts of empathy are sabotaged by people’s incapacity to listen and love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFkhQpVVulU The complete list of winners of 2016 Cannes Film Festival FEATURE FILMS Palme d’or I, DANIEL BLAKE by Ken LOACH Grand Prix JUSTE LA FIN DU MONDE (It’s Only the End of the World) by Xavier DOLAN Award for Best Director Ex-Aequo Cristian MUNGIU for BACALAUREAT (Graduation) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VimmuogOOks Olivier ASSAYAS for PERSONAL SHOPPER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hghXP4F3Qs Award for Best Screenplay Asghar FARHADI for FORUSHANDE (The Salesman) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-o5I5UWBh0 Jury Prize AMERICAN HONEY by Andrea ARNOLD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOEFbvNP288 Award for Best Actress Jaclyn JOSE in MA’ ROSA by Brillante MENDOZA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y-YxXlwNw4 Award for Best Actor Shahab HOSSEINI in FORUSHANDE (The Salesman) by Asghar FARHADI — SHORT FILMS Palme d’or TIMECODE by Juanjo GIMENEZ Special disctinction A MOÇA QUE DANÇOU COM O DIABO (The Girl Who Danced With the Devil) by João Paulo MIRANDA MARIA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m997lLIrAEM — CAMÉRA D’OR DIVINES by Houda BENYAMINA presented during The Directors’ Fortnight The Jury of the CST has awarded the VULCAN AWARD OF THE TECHNICAL ARTIST to: SEONG-HIE RYU, for the artistic direction, with great inspiration, for the film MADEMOISELLE (The Handmaiden/Agassi) by PARK Chan-Wook. Image: The Jury and the Winners of the 69th Festival of Cannes © Antonin Thuillier / AFP via Cannes Film Festival
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MIMOSAS Wins Top Prize at Cannes 2016 International Critics’ Week

[caption id="attachment_14028" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Mimosas by Oliver Laxe[/caption] MIMOSAS directed by Oliver Laxe, is the winner of the Nespresso  Grand Prize in the International Critics’ Week section of the Cannes Film Festival. A caravan escorts an elderly and dying Sheikh through the Moroccan Atlas. His last wish is to be buried with his closed ones. But death does not wait. The caravaneers, fearful of the mountain, refuse to continue transporting the corpse. Saïd and Ahmed, two rogues travelling with the caravan, say they know the way and promise to take the corpse to its destiny. In another world, Shakib is chosen to travel to the mountains with a mission: to help the improvised caravaneers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r854X85Q49s 2016 International Critics’ Week awards. Nespresso  Grand Prize Mimosas by Oliver Laxe France 4  Visionary Award Album by Mehmet Can Mertoglu A couple in their late 30’s sets out to prepare a fake photo album of a pseudo pregnancy period in order to prove their biological tie to the baby they’re planning to adopt. Leica Cine Discovery Prize for short films Prenjak by Wregas Bhanuteja PARTNER AWARDS Gan Foundation Award for Distribution Sophie Dulac, French distributor for One Week and a Day (Shavua Ve Yom) by Asaph Polonsky SACD  Award Davy Chou and Claire Maugendre, co-writers of Diamond Island Canal+ Award for short films L’enfance D’un Chef by Antoine de Bary
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Shahrbanoo Sadat’s WOLF AND SHEEP Wins Director’s Fortnight at Cannes Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_14024" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] WOLF AND SHEEP[/caption] Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat is the winner the 2016 Director’s Fortnight’s top prize, the Art Cinema Award, at the Cannes Film Festival for her debut feature WOLF AND SHEEP. In an interview with the Danish Film Institute, Sadat notes that the Danish-produced Wolf and Sheep, was inspired by her feeling of being an outsider during her childhood in a small isolated village in Central Afghanistan. Her goal was to tell a story that doesn’t revolve around war, the election, or other political issues dominating the media, but depicts Afghan everyday life as she knows it. “When I watched other films about Afghanistan, I always missed something. I know it’s a cliché, but I wanted to show the real Afghanistan. I wasn’t sure how to make a good film, but I knew what I didn’t want to make a film about. Women’s rights, the election and bombings were all on my blacklist. I wanted a local to see it and say, ‘That’s my life’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz0aCZJha9w “Wolf and Sheep,” takes place in a rural village like the one Sadat grew up in and follows a group of shepherd children in the mountains. The boys practice with their slings to fight wolves, while the girls smoke secretly and play wedding. They gossip about 11-year-old Sediqa, an outsider, whom they think is cursed. Finally, she makes friends with 11-year Qodrat, who becomes a gossip topic, after his mother remarries with an old man with two wives. The story is inspired by a combination of Sadat’s own childhood and the childhood of her best friend, Anwar Hashimi, who lived in the same village before Sadat and had a similar experience of becoming an outsider after his mother remarried. Winners and Awards of 2016 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight / Quinzaine des Realisateurs Art Cinema Award to a feature film “Wolf & Sheep,” dir. Shahrbanoo Sadat SACD Award to a French-language feature film “The Together Project” (aka “L’Effet Aquatique”) dir. Solveig Anspach SACD special mention “Divines” dir. Houda Benyamina The Europa Cinemas Label to a European feature film “Mercenary” (aka “Mercenaire”) dir. Sacha Wolff Illy Prize to a short film “Chasse Royal” dirs. Lise Akoka, Romane Gueret Illy special mention “The Beast” (aka “Zvir”) dir. Miroslav Sikavica
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The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mä Wins 2016 Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_14016" align="aligncenter" width="926"] The Jury and the Winners – Un Certain Regard Awards (Cannes Film Festival)[/caption] HYMYILEVÄ MIES (The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki) by Juho Kuosmanen won the 2016 Un Certain Regard Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Summer 1962, Olli Mäki has a shot at the world championship title in featherweight boxing. From the Finnish countryside to the bright lights of Helsinki, everything has been prepared for his fame and fortune. All Olli has to do is lose weight and concentrate. But there is a problem – he has fallen in love with Raija. [caption id="attachment_14018" align="aligncenter" width="1296"] FUCHI NI TATSU (Harmonium) by Fukada Kôji[/caption] FUCHI NI TATSU (Harmonium) by Fukada Kôji is the winner of Jury Prize. Toshio hires Yasaka in his workshop. This old acquaintance, who has just been released from prison, begins to meddle in Toshio’s family life… Un Certain Regard 2016 presented in competition 18 films hailing from 20 different countries. Seven of the works were first films. The Opening film was ESHTEBAK (Clash) by Mohamed Diab. Under the presidency of Marthe Keller (actress – Switzerland), the Jury was comprised of Jessica Hausner (director, producer – Austria), Diego Luna (actor, director, producer – Mexico), Ruben Östlund (director – Sweden) and Céline Sallette (actress – France). [caption id="attachment_14017" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] HYMYILEVÄ MIES (The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki) by Juho Kuosmanen[/caption] Prize of Un Certain Regard HYMYILEVÄ MIES (The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki) by Juho Kuosmanen Jury Prize FUCHI NI TATSU (Harmonium) by Fukada Kôji Prize for Best Director Matt Ross for CAPTAIN FANTASTIC [caption id="attachment_13531" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Captain Fantastic[/caption] Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, isolated from society, a devoted father dedicates his life to transforming his six young children into extraordinary adults. But when a tragedy strikes the family, they are forced to leave this self-created paradise and begin a journey into the outside world that challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent and brings into question everything he’s taught them. Prize for Best Screenplay Delphine Coulin & Muriel Coulin for VOIR DU PAYS (The Stopover) At the end of their tour of duty in Afghanistan, two young military women, Aurore and Marine, are given three days of decompression leave with their unit at a five-star resort in Cyprus, among tourists. But it’s not that easy to forget the war and leave the violence behind. Un Certain Regard Special Prize LA TORTUE ROUGE (The Red Turtle) by Michael Dudok de Wit [caption id="attachment_14000" align="aligncenter" width="1213"] THE RED TURTLE[/caption] Through the story of a man shipwrecked on a tropical island inhabited by turtles, crabs and birds, THE RED TURTLE recounts the milestones in the life of a human being.
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3 Films To Screen as Centerpiece Program of 2016 Greenwich International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_11531" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING[/caption] The Greenwich International Film Festival set to run June 9 to 12, will screen Rob Burnett’s THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING, Sophie Goodhart’s MY BLIND BROTHER and Kim Snyder’s NEWTOWN as part of its Centerpiece program. “We are proud to be featuring these three wonderful films in the centerpiece section of our second edition,” said Colleen deVeer, Founder and Director of Programming for GIFF. “We feel these stories will inspire our audience, while also highlighting social impact themes, an important part of our festival’s mission.” THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING tells the story of an unlikely pair who, through their struggles, come to understand the importance of hope and the necessity of true friendship. The film will screen on Saturday, June 11th at The Greenwich High School Performing Arts Center and will be followed by a Q&A with Director Rob Burnett and star Craig Roberts, moderated by actor/comedian Tom Cavanagh (Ed, Scrubs). “I’m thrilled to be a part of the Greenwich Film Festival,” said Burnett. “Greenwich has been my home for 15 years and it’s special to be able to show the film surrounded by friends and family.” [caption id="attachment_13908" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] MY BLIND BROTHER[/caption] Stars Nick Kroll and Charlie Hewson will be joined by Screenwriter and Director Sophie Goodhart on Saturday, June 11th for a screening of their film MY BLIND BROTHER at Bow Tie Cinemas and will be followed by a post screening Q&A. In the film, love for the same woman creates a rift between an over-achieving blind athlete and his resentful brother. “I couldn’t be more excited to be included in this year’s Greenwich International Film Festival! It’s thrilling to be part of this new festival’s journey,” said Goodhart. [caption id="attachment_13909" align="aligncenter" width="1320"] NEWTOWN[/caption] As part of GIFF’s commitment to community engagement, the festival will be screening NEWTOWN, a documentary about the victims and families of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. NEWTOWN will screen on Saturday, June 11th at Bow Tie Cinemas. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Director Kim Snyder, Producer Maria Cuomo Cole, and several of the family members profiled in the film along with first responders, doctors, educators, and community heroes. “NEWTOWN is a portrait of community resilience and hope in the aftermath of heartbreaking tragedy. We thank the families and survivors in our film for their courage, grace and trust in sharing their most personal stories, and we thank the Greenwich International Film Festival for allowing us to share these stories with the local community.”
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Lineup Unveiled for 10th Anniversary of Los Angeles Greek Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_13899" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Worlds Apart[/caption] The 2016 Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, celebrating its tenth anniversary, will run June 1 to 5, 2016 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA. This year’s festival will showcase more films, Q&A’s and festivities than ever before including a collaboration with Athens International CulinaryFilm Festival (AICFF) and a Gastronomical Sidebar complete with cuisine themed entertainment and top chef cooking demonstration with tasting. The 2016 Los Angeles Greek Film Festival will kick off with the North American premiere of Tassos Boulmetis’ bittersweet comedy “Mythopathy “(Notias) on Wednesday, June 1. The story is set during the 1970s military junta in Greece and follows a young boy, Stavros, as he copes with the ever changing social and political climate by reinventing established Greek myths and creating his own versions. This is the third feature from the award-winning “Touch of Spice” director. “Mythopathy” stars Hellenic Academy awardwinners Themis Panou (“Miss Violence”), Maria Kallimani (“Sto Spiti”) and introduces Giannis Niaros in his first feature starring role among others. Tasos Boulmetis, a former UCLA assistant professor and film school Alum, will be in attendance The Closing Night film will be Christopher Papakaliatis’ “Worlds Apart” in its debut outside of Greece. The film stars Academy Award® winner J.K. Simmons. “Worlds Apart” is the highest grossing Greek film since 2009, notably surpassing box office numbers in Greece for the long-awaited 2015 blockbusters “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Spectre”. “Worlds Apart” fosters three separate narratives each following a love story between a foreigner and a Greek. Each story represents a different generation falling in love during a time of socioeconomic turmoil that dominates Southern Europe as a whole, only to connect with a single story in the end. Christopher Papakaliatis and J.K. Simmons will be present for their film’s North American premiere. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=94D1XC83i3o Following the screening is the star-studded Orpheus Awards Ceremony where J.K. Simmons will receive the 2016 Orpheus at the ceremony hosted by “American Beauty” star Mena Suvari. Thursday, June 2 LAGFF will have a special tribute to iconic Greek director Alexis Damianos with a screening of the all-time favorite masterpiece “Evdokia” in its original 35mm format. First released in 1971, this Greek/UK co-production is a love story between a prostitute (Evdokia) and a sergeant (Yorgos). The film features an original Manos Loizos’ Rembetico musical piece and stars the late Maria Vassilou (Chrysothemis) and Chris Zorbas (Silhouettes). In 2002, the Greek Film Critics Association voted Evdokia as one the 5 best Greek films of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRedRJeihbw Thursday also offers writer/director Athina Rachel Tsangari’s critically acclaimed comedy “Chevalier”. Tsangari, who is attending this year’s festival, will also be conducting a Directing Master Class on Saturday, June 4 which is open to the public. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b10Bc8mVbHo There is something for every Cinephile on Friday, June 3 when the Festival screens 15 films beginning at 4:00 P.M. The TGIF program includes a searing look at relationships with Panos Karkanevatos’ “Riverbanks” (Ohthes) and Dimitri Anthanitis’ drama “Invisible”. Representative of Friday’s documentary offerings is Loukas Stamellos’ “Golden Dawn: A Personal Affair” about the Greek neo-Nazi party “Golden Dawn” and Vasilis Katsoupis’ “My Friend Larry Gus” about the Milan, Italy-based electronic artist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9_8H33wloc Preceding all narrative and documentary films is a litany of the best creative shorts of 2015 and 2016. Highlights include Haris Pantelidakis comedy “Pacino’s Way”, Nikos Tsemberopoulos’, “Simon Says” winner of the Grand Prize of the Competition Section Greek Film Short Film of the 21st Athens International Film Festival ‘Opening Nights’,Christos Liakouris’ family drama and festival circuit favorite “Pet” and “Stutterer” Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage’s 2016 Oscar Winner for Short Film (Live Action). Michael Paledimos, “Stutterer’s” Producer will be in attendance for the film with Q&A to follow. On Thursday June 2 and Saturday, June 4, LAGFF proudly hosts the films of the Athens International Culinary Film Festival (AICFF.ORG). The Gastronomical sidebar will offer savory treats like the moving yet joyful coming of age documentary from director Angelos Abatzoglou’s “Mustafa’s Sweet Dreams”; Taso Boulmetis award-winning relationship drama “A Touch of Spice” starring George Corraface as a forty-year-old chef who returns to Istanbul after years of exile. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7nIP0wm6_4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DioZyZQUDTY World-renowned award-winning chef, Doxis Bekris will be on hand to offer up a tantalizing cooking demonstration in the Egyptian courtyard with tastes of Greek cuisine for all in attendance. New this year, Loyola Marymount University (LMU) Professor of Classics Katerina Zacharia instituted an Interdisciplinary Core course on “Representations of Greece: Ancient and Modern” with embedded student internships at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival. The 16 LMU-LAGFF interns and Prof. Zacharia assisted in the selection of this year’s program. LAGFF designated an LMU Special Selection slot at 10 pm on Saturday, June 4th 2016, during which the LAGFF-LMU interns selected Angelos Frantzis modern fantasy drama “Symptom” and the short “Pet” by Christos Liakouris for their screening. For the first time in Festival history, LAGFF is opening its screenings free of charge to all college students with a valid student ID. Discounted tickets to the Opening and Closing Night Galas for eligible students will also be offered.
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School of Visual Arts Announces Winners of Dusty Film & Animation Festival

Fourteen projects were chosen from more than 100 filmmakers and animators as award winners of the School of Visual Arts 2016 Dusty Film & Animation Festival. Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film and BFA Animation programs at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), and Annie Flocco, producer and director of the festival, were among the many industry notables to proudly announce the festival’s winning student films and animations at the SVA Theatre in New York City. Highlighting the work of more than 100 filmmakers and animators graduating from the BFA Film and BFA Animation departments in 2016, the 2016 Dusty Film & Animation Festival Award Winners were: For Film: Outstanding Film: Winner: Aurora Alänge, Syskon Outstanding Achievement in Directing: Winner: Kishan Savjani, Rubaroo Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Winner: Anthony Carella, Syskon Outstanding Achievement in Editing: Winners: Erin DeWitt and Tobias Belliard, Apocalypse Mambo Outstanding Documentary: Winner: Juana Hodari, Tomasa Gotham Sound Grant: Recipient: Ashley Avila New York Women in Film & Television Award: Maya Cozier IFP Award: Recipients: Enrico Granato and Luigi Rossi, Human Spirit Award: Recipient: Philippa Fort, Pippa For Animation: Outstanding Animated Film: Winners: Hsuan Ho and Silver Paul, Mausie and The Order of the Golden Sun Outstanding Achievement in Character Animation: Winner: Montana Hall, Monster Outstanding Achievement in Animation Production Design: Winner: Ivan Viaranchyk, Night Shadows Special Jury Award for Comedy in Animation: Winner:Kristina Martin, Sprigs and Parsley in: Coffee Table For Screenwriting: Outstanding Achievement in Screenwriting: Winner: Evan DeCarlo, Marry Me on Mulberry Mountain “We are excited to celebrate the successes of our students with many guests from the worlds of film and animation,” said Reeves Lehmann. Annie Flocco added, “We’d also like to extend a big thank you to our many generous sponsors and supporters, some of whom have been with us for many years, and to the spectacular SVA Theatre crew for collaborating on another year of stellar events.” Hosted by media personality Valerie Smaldone, the 27th Dusty presenters included notables from the world of film, television and animation, including Josh Singer, Trudie Styler, Mark Osborne, Chris Newman, Laurens Grant, Ti West, Michael Simmonds, Howard Beckerman, Tom Sito, Mark Ulano, Aaron Yanes and Neil Burger. image via Facebook
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HELL OR HIGH WATER Starring Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine Sets August Release Date

[caption id="attachment_13861" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] HELL OR HIGH WATER[/caption] The action drama HELL OR HIGH WATER starring Academy Award®-winner Jeff Bridges and Chris Pine, will open in limited release on August 12, followed by nationwide release on August 19, after World Premiering at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Hell Or High Water is directed by David Mackenzie (“Young Adam,” “Starred Up”) and in addition to Bridges (“Crazy Heart,” “True Grit”), and Pine (“Star Trek,” “Into The Woods”), also stars Ben Foster (“3:10 To Yuma,” “The Messenger”) and Gil Birmingham (“The Lone Ranger,” “Twilight”). A story about the collision of the Old and New West, two brothers — Toby (Chris Pine), a straight-living, divorced father trying to make a better life for his son; and Tanner (Ben Foster), a short-tempered ex-con with a loose trigger finger — come together to rob branch after branch of the bank that is foreclosing on their family land. The hold-ups are part of a last-ditch scheme to take back a future that powerful forces beyond their control have stolen from under their feet. Vengeance seems to be theirs until they find themselves in the crosshairs of a relentless, foul-mouthed Texas Ranger (Jeff Bridges) looking for one last triumph on the eve of his retirement. As the brothers plot a final bank heist to complete their plan, a showdown looms at the crossroads where the last honest law man and a pair of brothers with nothing to live for except family collide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQoqsKoJVDw
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Yvonne Paulin’s THE TRAIL Wins Seattle Intl Film Festival Screenplay Competition

[caption id="attachment_13856" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Seattle International Film Festival[/caption] THE TRAIL by Yvonne Paulin is the Grand Prize winner of the Seattle International Film Festival first-ever Catalyst Screenplay Competition. THE TRAIL is described as a riveting dramatic thriller set in the snow-covered forests of Washington state that follows a young mother as she fights for her life while unraveling the mystery of her missing daughter. THE TRAIL will receive a live read-through at the SIFF Film Center on Saturday, June 11 during SIFF’s Catalyst Weekend, taking place June 9 to 12, 2016, with screenwriter Yvonne Paulin expected in attendance as a distinguished guest of the Festival. The SIFF Catalyst Screenplay Competition connects strong scripts with independent directors and producers, all alumni of SIFF’s Catalyst program. It emphasizes the importance of the screenwriter in the creative process and closes the loop of mentorship and collaboration by drawing on industry professionals who have participated in and graduated from Catalyst over its five years of existence. Each screenplay submitted to the SIFF Catalyst Screenplay Competition receives one page of written feedback from SIFF’s team of trained screenplay readers. Semi-finalist scripts are determined with the use of a 13-category, 10-point rating system. This year, the ten semi-finalist scripts were evaluated by screenwriter George Wing (50 FIRST DATES), who selected the Grand Prize winner, three finalists, and six semi-finalists, each of whom will receive a live reading in front of an audience as part of SIFF’s monthly Catalyst programming over the coming year. Grand Prize Winner THE TRAIL by Yvonne Paulin Finalists DIETRICH DANZIG by John Pisano-Thomsen THE FLID SHOW by Richard Willett THE ROUSTIE by Gina B. LaLonde Semi-Finalists LOCK EYES by Bodine Boling PRIVATE PARTS by Elizabeth Giorgi RED IVORY by Noah Foster-Koth SAVING SHENANDOAH by Alessandra Bautze SOME KIND OF MIRACLE by Arun Narayanan SUBJECT A by Shannon Bentley
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French Actor Jean-Pierre Léaud to Receive Honorary Palme d’or at Cannes Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_13835" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Jean-Pierre Léaud[/caption] French actor/comedian Jean-Pierre Léaud will receive the honorary Palme d’or at the upcoming 69th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Jean-Pierre Léaud is part of the Cannes legend. He was discovered by François Truffaut who made him the young hero of his first film, Les 400 Coups (The 400 Blows), and made his first appearance on the Croisette in 1959 as an extrovert, unruly 14-year-old. His spontaneity was representative of the wind of freedom that the French New Wave brought to cinema. Antoine Doinel and François Truffaut continued to support him with Antoine et Colette (Antoine and Colette) (1962), Baisers volés (Stolen Kisses) (1968), Domicile conjugal (Bed and Board) (1970) and L’Amour en fuite (Love on the Run) (1979). As early as 1965, he began what was to be a long partnership with Jean-Luc Godard; Masculin féminin (1966) and La Chinoise (1967) are considered to be committed and forward-thinking highlights of their collaboration. Fascinated by cinematographic language, Jean-Pierre Léaud was even assistant director for several films by Godard (Pierrot le fou (Crazy Pete), Alphaville) and Truffaut (La Peau douce) (The Soft Skin). He can also be found in films by Bernardo Bertolucci (Last Tango in Paris) or Jacques Rivette (Out 1). In La Maman et la Putain (The Mother and the Whore) (1973), his offbeat acting, between poetry and flippancy, was offered an unequalled setting and consecrated him once and for all. The film by Jean Eustache was emblematic for a whole generation and received the Jury’s Special Grand Prix at the Festival de Cannes before becoming a cult film. Since then, the passionate and clumsy, idealistic and disenchanted or enigmatic characters he plays are part of the universes of Aki Kaurismäki (I Hired a Contract Killer), Olivier Assayas (Paris s’éveille (Paris Awakes), Irma Vep), Lucas Belvaux (Pour rire) (Just for Laughs), Philippe Garrel (La Naissance de l’amour) (The Birth of Love), Bertrand Bonello (Le Pornographe) (The Pornographer) or even Tsai Ming-liang (Et là-bas quelle heure est-il ? (What Time is it There?) or Visage (Face), presented in Competition at Cannes in 2009). Jean-Pierre Léaud is forever daring and surprising, as when embodying the Sun King in the new film by the Spanish director Albert Serra, La Mort de Louis XIV (The Death of Louis XIV), to be shown as a Special Screenings and with both of them present, on Thursday May 19th at 5 pm.
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Edinburgh International Film Festival to Screen 30th Anniversary Screening of 4K Restored HIGHLANDER

[caption id="attachment_13779" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] HIGHLANDER[/caption] Edinburgh International Film Festival will present a special 30th anniversary screening of the newly 4K restored HIGHLANDER, as part of the celebrations marking EIFF’s 70th edition. Its interweaving storyline may well flit around from New York of the 1980s to World War II, but it has its dramatic origins in the 16th century Scottish Highlands where Connor MacLeod (Christophe Lambert) first discovers he is not like other men. After doing battle with a rival clan he is stabbed by a strange mercenary fighter called the Kurgan (Clancy Brown), but finds that he cannot die. Befriended and trained by the charismatic Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (Sean Connery), he finds out he is part of a group of immortals who must do battle until there is only one left alive. Clancy Brown is acclaimed as a cult icon thanks to his mesmeric and maniacal performance as the Kurgan whilst Christophe Lambert is soulful and heroic as Connor, and Sean Connery quite sublime as the foppish yet skillful Ramirez. Clancy Brown commented: “It’s taken a while, but I swore to myself that I would return again to Scotland after filming 30 years ago where I first learned of Robert the Bruce, James Macpherson, The Fortingall Yew and, most blissfully, single-malt scotch whisky.” Restored by Deluxe London, the restoration of is based on a 4K scan of the original camera negative, followed by a full 4K workflow, with the approval of director Russell Mulcahy. Here is the original trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSZ0gxh2ZKQ
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Provincetown International Film Festival Reveals Film Lineup

[caption id="attachment_13531" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Captain Fantastic[/caption] The 2016 Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) announced its lineup of Opening and Closing night films, spotlight selections, special screenings and narrative and documentary features for its 18th edition, running June 15-19, in Provincetown, MA. The Opening Night film will be Matt Ross’ CAPTAIN FANTASTIC, starring Viggo Mortensen. Closing Night film will be the Madonna dance documentary STRIKE A POSE. Spotlight films are POLITICAL ANIMALS, directed by Jonah Markowitz and Tracy Wares; INDIGNATION, directed by James Schamus; and OUR KIND OF TRAITOR, directed by Susanna White. “We continue to be impressed with the quality of films we view each year to put together our festival lineup,” said Connie White, Artistic Director of PIFF. “In June, Provincetown will be abuzz with new talent to watch and returning artists who continue to take risks and push the boundaries of their work. We are thrilled with the variety of films we are presenting in this year’s slate from both international and US filmmakers. It truly builds on the excitement of the past 17 years of this festival.” The 2016 Provincetown International Film Festival lineup is below. OPENING NIGHT CAPTAIN FANTASTIC – directed by Matt Ross (Wednesday, June 15) CLOSING NIGHT STRIKE A POSE – directed by Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan (Sunday, June 19) SPOTLIGHT SELECTIONS POLITICAL ANIMALS – directed by Jonah Markowitz and Tracy Wares (Thursday, June 16) INDIGNATION – directed by James Schamus (Friday, June 17) OUR KIND OF TRAITOR – directed by Susanna White (Saturday, June 18) SPECIAL SCREENINGS JOHN WATERS PRESENTS THE DEEP BLUE SEA – directed by Terrence Davies A NIGHT AT THE DRIVE-IN (DOUBLE FEATURE) CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON and LIFE OF PI – directed by Ang Lee CELEBRATION OF MODERN MASTERS FROM JANUS FILMS MULTIPLE MANIACS – directed by John Waters BLOOD SIMPLE – directed by Joel and Ethan Coen ANG LEE TRIBUTE BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN – directed by Ang Lee CYNTHIA NIXON TRIBUTE JAMES WHITE – directed by Josh Mond NARRATIVE FEATURES AWOL – directed by Deb Shoval BEING 17 – directed by André Téchiné BLOOD STRIPE – directed by Remy Auberjonois DON’T THINK TWICE – directed by Mike Birbiglia GOAT – directed by Andrew Neel A GOOD WIFE – directed by Mirjana Karanovic HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE – directed by Taika Waititi THE INNOCENTS – directed by Anne Fontaine LAZY EYE – directed by Tim Kirkman LITTLE MEN – directed by Ira Sachs LONG WAY NORTH – directed by Rémi Chayé MILES – directed by Nathan Adloff MORRIS FROM AMERICA – directed by Chad Hartigan OTHER PEOPLE – directed by Chris Kelly OUR LITTLE SISTER – directed by Hirokazu Koreeda THE PEOPLE VS. FRITZ BAUER – directed by Lars Kraume THE SAVER – directed by Wiebke von Carolsfeld SPA NIGHT – directed by Andrew Ahn SUMMERTIME – directed by Catherine Corsini A STRAY – directed by Musa Syeed WIENER-DOG – directed by Todd Solondz DOCUMENTARY FEATURES AUTHOR: THE JT LEROY STORY – directed by Jeff Feuerzeig BRILLO BOX (3¢ OFF) – directed by Lisanne Skyler CAMERAPERSON – directed by Kirsten Johnson CHECK IT – directed by Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer CLASS DIVIDE – directed by Marc Levin DON’T BLINK – ROBERT FRANK – directed by Laura Israel THE GUYS NEXT DOOR – directed by Amy Geller and Allie Humenuk JEWEL’S CATCH ONE – directed by C. Fitz THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS: YO-YO MA & THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE – directed by Morgan Neville OBIT – directed by Vanessa Gould OFF THE RAILS – directed by Adam Irving PETER AND THE FARM – directed by Tony Stone SONIC SEA – directed by Michelle Dougherty and Daniel Hinerfeld SONITA – directed by Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami SUITED – directed by Jason Benjamin TICKLED – directed by David Farrier and Dylan Reeve THE TRANS LIST – directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders UNCLE HOWARD – directed by Aaron Brookner UNLOCKING THE CAGE – directed by Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker Additionally, on Saturday, June 19, two-time Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee will be honored with the festival’s annual Filmmaker on the Edge Award and Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award-winner Cynthia Nixon will be presented with the Excellence in Acting Award. Filmmaker Effie T. Brown will provide the keynote address at the Evan Lawson Filmmakers’ Brunch on Sunday, June 19.
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