Film Festivals

7 New Films and Events Added to 2016 Sundance Film Festival

Two new feature films, two special events and three archive films have been added to the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, taking place January 21-31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. With these additions, the 2016 Festival will present 123 feature-length films, representing 37 countries and 49 first-time filmmakers, including 30 in competition. These films were selected from 12,793 submissions, including 4,081 feature-length films and 8,712 short films. Of the feature film submissions, 1,972 were from the U.S. and 2,109 were international. 103 feature films at the Festival will be world premieres. The three archive films are selections from The Sundance Collection at UCLA, a film preservation program established in 1997. The Collection is specifically devoted to the preservation of independent documentaries, narratives and short films supported by Sundance Institute and has grown to nearly 2,300 holdings representing 1,800 titles, including recent additions such as Paris is Burning, El Mariachi, Winter’s Bone, Johnny Suede, Working Girls, Crumb, Groove, Better This World, The Oath and Paris, Texas. Titles are generously donated by individual filmmakers, distributors and studios. WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION Tickled / New Zealand (Directors: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve) — A journalist stumbles upon a mysterious tickling competition. As he delves deeper into the event, he comes up against fierce resistance, but that doesn’t stop him from getting to the bottom of a story stranger than fiction. World Premiere DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES Becoming Mike Nichols / U.S.A. (Director: Douglas McGrath) — This intimate portrait of director, producer, and improvisational comedy icon Mike Nichols shows his final and historic interviews filmed just months before his death. Director Douglas McGrath documents Nichols’s early life, as he opens up to his friend and director Jack O’Brien about the storied beginnings of his career. World Premiere SPECIAL EVENTS American Epic / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Bernard MacMahon) — Take a journey across time to the birth of modern music, when the musical strands of a diverse nation were first combined, thereby sparking a cultural revolution that forever transformed the future of music and the world. The event will include clips of the film, an extended conversation with the creators including executive producers Robert Redford, T Bone Burnett and Jack White, and live performances featuring The Avett Brothers and other special music guests. Dazed and Confused with live commentary by Richard Linklater and Jason Reitman / U.S.A. (Director: Richard Linklater) — Get insider information on one of the most quotable films of all time, which boasted an incredible cast of mostly unknowns who later went on to become household names. As the film screens, Richard Linklater and Jason Reitman will share fun stories, behind-the-scenes details, and filmmaker insights in real time. FROM THE COLLECTION City of Hope / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: John Sayles) — A city pulses with racial problems, political corruption, and small-time crime in this ambitious microcosm of urban life. Nick Rinaldi seeks a sense of control and a way out of the network of greed and influence surrounding an urban development plan, which affects the innocent and guilty alike. Cast: Vincent Spano, Tony Lo Bianco, Joe Morton, Todd Graff, David Strathairn, Anthony John Denison. Premiered at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival. Digitally preserved by Sony Pictures Entertainment in conjunction with Sundance Institute and the UCLA Film & Television Archive. River of Grass / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kelly Reichardt) — River of Grass, Kelly Reichardt’s debut feature, chronicles the misadventures of disaffected housewife Cozy and her lover, the aimless layabout Lee. Reichardt describes the film, shot on 16mm, as “a road movie without the road, a love story without the love, and a crime story without the crime.” Cast: Lisa Bowman, Larry Fessenden, Dick Russell, Stan Kaplan, Michael Buscemi. Premiered at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival. Preserved by Sundance Institute, Oscilloscope Laboratories, the UCLA Film & Television Archive and TIFF. Walking and Talking / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nicole Holofcener) — Laura and Amelia are best friends living in New York City. When Laura gets engaged, they must navigate the realities of marriage versus independence, loyalty, and the sometimes rough terrain of an evolving but enduring friendship. This hilarious, touching film explores love, friendship, and the relationships that can come in between. Cast: Catherine Keener, Anne Heche, Todd Field, Liev Schreiber, Kevin Corrigan.Premiered at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival. New print created by Sundance Institute and the UCLA Film & Television Archive. Shown by permission of Miramax.
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13 Films Selected for Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus at 2016 Berlinale

13 feature films produced or co-produced in 13 different countries (Australia, Chile, Germany, India, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, the Russian Federation, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Turkey and the People’s Republic of China) have already been selected to participate in competition in Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus at the upcoming 2016 Berlinale, Berlin International Film Festival. The films selected thus far feature young individuals whose inner lives are in turmoil. The protagonists’ often fragile states of mind find heightened expression in anxious spaces, dream worlds, landscapes of desire and surreal apparitions. Generation 14plus Ani ve snu! (In Your Dreams!) – Czech Republic By Petr Oukropec Athletic, fast and fearless, 16-year-old Laura has little trouble conquering her hometown’s parkour routes and none at all keeping up with the boys in the process. However, she can only express her feelings for Luky, the parkour-king, in her vivid dreams. When he suddenly disappears, the line between dream and reality begins to blur. World premiere Born to Dance – New Zealand (pictured above) By Tammy Davis For the Maori teenager, Tu, it appears that hip-hop dance is the only hope for him to escape from a predestined career in the military. Tammy Davis (Ebony Society, Generation 2010) is back again with fat beats and spectacular moves, choreographed by hip-hop dance world champion Parris Goebel. European premiere Girl Asleep – Australia By Rosemary Myers It’s the 1970s and Greta should be celebrating at her 15th birthday party.Instead she descends into a bizarre and dangerous dream world full of strange creatures. Thus begins an absurd and both terrifying and beautiful trip, into the mind of a teenager. Featuring Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Imogen Archer (52 Tuesdays, Generation 2014). International premiere Las Plantas (Plants) – Chile By Roberto Doveris Moments awash in shimmering grey and the distorted sounds of a guitar: for Florencia night beckons and threatens at the same time. She reads aloud to her comatose brother, from a comic book about the evolving souls of plants. At the same time, she starts to explore her curiosity about sex with online acquaintances. International premiere Sairat (Wild) – India By Nagraj Manjule The love that binds clever Parshya and beautiful and self-confident Archie is as passionate as it is socially taboo. Breaking away from the narrow-mindedness and violence of convention is the only way out for the young couple. With powerful imagery and epic scope, Nagraj Manjule tells the story of an impossible love. International premiere Triapichniy Soyuz (Rag Union) – Russian Federation By Mikhail Mestetskiy Vania’s introspective teenage existence takes a radical turn when he joins up with an anarchistic group of young men that call themselves the “Rag Union”. They want to set the world on fire with art and violence. A debut film told with breakneck pacing and exuberant energy. International premiere What’s in the Darkness – People’s Republic of China By Yichun Wang Qu’s world is one full of riddles, contradictions and forensic science. Her parents don’t seem to like each other at all. Her friend disappears suddenly and then there’s a serial killer on the loose to top things off. Coming-of-age meets chilling thriller. International premiere Generation Kplus ENTE GUT! Mädchen allein zu Haus (Fortune Favors the Brave) – Germany By Norbert Lechner Because her mother had to go back to Vietnam, eleven-year-old Linh now has to take care of her little sister and the take-away restaurant on her own. Nobody is supposed to know, but nothing gets past Pauline who lives in the same neighbourhood. Will the self-appointed “spy” blow the whistle on the two sisters? World premiere Genç Pehlivanlar (Young Wrestlers) – Turkey / Netherlands By Mete Gümürhan Living, learning, suffering for their passion: the 26 boys living at the sports academy in the Turkish province of Amasya will endure a lot to realise their wrestling dream. This documentary’s observational camera remains unobtrusive while still allowing us to experience an everyday life at close range – somewhere between camaraderie and competition. World premiere Rauf – Turkey By Barış Kaya, Soner Caner Rauf hopes to win over his big crush, the older Zana, with the help of the colour pink. But what does pink really look like anyways, and will he even be able to find it in his snowy little Kurdish village up in the mountains? Meanwhile, disturbing rumours sweep in from the outside world. World premiere Siv sover vilse (Siv Sleeps Astray) – Sweden / Netherlands By Catti Edfeldt, Lena Hanno Clyne Little Siv (Astrid Lövgren) is supposed to sleep over at Cerisia’s (Lilly Brown) place, but the later it gets the stranger things start to appear in her new friend’s odd home. An original adaptation of Pija Lindenbaum’s children’s book. World premiere Ted Sieger’s Molly Monster – Der Kinofilm (Ted Sieger’s Molly Monster) – Germany / Switzerland / Sweden By Ted Sieger, Matthias Bruhn, Michael Ekbladh There’s quite a stir in Monsterland: the little monster Molly is going to get a brother or sister. But before the new baby finally hatches, Molly and her best friend Edison have to make it through a number of adventures. Colourful animation fun for the youngest festivalgoers, adapted for the big screen from the popular TV series “Ted Sieger’s Molly Monster”. World premiere Zud – Germany / Poland By Marta Minorowicz In the barren steppes of Mongolia, eleven-year-old Sukhbat is training hard for a win at the horse races and hoping thus to gain his father’s recognition. With its panoramic landscape shots and observational documental style, this feature film tells the story of a nomadic childhood. World premiere
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First Films Revealed for Panorama Section of 2016 Berlin Film Festival

The 2016 Berlin Film Festival revealed the first wave of titles that will screen in the Panorama section. By mid January some 32 fiction films and 18 documentaries will have been selected for the Panorama 2016. Films include Rebecca Miller’s Maggie’s Plan (pictured above) starring Julianne Moore, and Ethan Hawke. In Maggie’s Plan, everything revolves around possible relationships, and the compulsions and constraints of pregnancy, as well as a threesome – or maybe not. The fresh ideas the actors bring to their characters make for great fun. In Nakom by Kelly Daniela Norris and TW Pittman, first fiction film from Ghana at the Berlinale, life is just starting for a young medical student, far away from his village in Ghana’s capital, Accra. But suddenly his father dies and, as the oldest son, he is ordered home. There he has his hands full, trying to deal with the wishes of his relatives and getting the farm back on track. A portrait of customs and traditions in rural Ghana, but also of a departure from the limitations that every village community in the world imposes on its children. Dokumente films make up about a third of the Panorama program. So far the festival has selected two: Laura Israel’s Don’t Blink – Robert Frank is an exceptionally lively and organic portrait of this photographer and filmmaker as well as a kaleidoscope of Jewish life in New York. When navigating his later years, Frank is at times grumpy and dissatisfied, at others affable and ironic. William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Ed Lachman, with music by Lou Reed, Patti Smith, the band Bauhaus – Frank’s life and work reveals a cornucopia of inspiration. From Romania comes Hotel Dallas by Livia Ungur and Sherng-Lee Huang: the film investigates the formative influence of a TV series on a society in upheaval. With underlying humour, fun and fantasy, Livia Ungur takes us and Patrick Duffy, the star of TV series Dallas, on a tour through her Romania – a country that still has not stopped dreaming of better days. Additionally, the only official LGBTIQ (in short, queer) film prize at an A-festival in the world is celebrating its 30th anniversary: the Teddy Award. This year’s anniversary program will present a total of 16 films. The Panorama will be presenting a special screening, the world premiere of the restoration of Anders als die Andern (Different from the Others, Germany 1919). This film by Richard Oswald was the first gay film in cinematic history. Its restoration has been carried out by the Outfest Legacy Project / UCLA Film & Television Archive in Los Angeles and underscores the need to archive films on 35mm, at present the only reliable storage medium. Panorama 2016 Já, Olga Hepnarová (I, Olga Hepnarová) – Czech Republic / Poland / Slowak Republic / France By Tomáš Weinreb, Petr Kazda With Michalina Olszanska, Marta Mazurek, Ondrej Malý World premiere Junction 48 – Israel / Germany / USA By Udi Aloni With Tamer Nafar, Samar Qupty, Salwa Nakkara, Sameh Zakout, Ayed Fadel World premiere Les Premiers, les Derniers (The First, the Last) – France / Belgium By Bouli Lanners With Albert Dupontel, Bouli Lanners, Suzanne Clément, Michael Lonsdale, David Murgia International premiere Maggie’s Plan – USA By Rebecca Miller With Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph European premiere Nakom – Ghana / USA By Kelly Daniela Norris, TW Pittman With Jacob Ayanaba, Grace Ayariga, Abdul Aziz, Justina Kulidu, Shetu Musah, Esther Issaka, Thomas Kulidu, James Azudago, Felicia Awinbe, Sumaila Ndaago World premiere Remainder – United Kingdom / Germany By Omer Fast With Tom Sturridge, Cush Jumbo, Ed Speleers, Arsher Ali, Shaun Prendergast International premiere S one strane (On the Other Side) – Croatia / Serbia By Zrinko Ogresta With Ksenija Marinković, Lazar Ristovski World premiere Starve Your Dog – Morocco By Hicham Lasri With Jirari Ben Aissa, Latifa Ahrrare, Fehd Benchemsi European premiere Sufat Chol (Sand Storm) – Israel By Elite Zexer With Lamis Ammar, Ruba Blal-Asfour, Haitham Omari, Khadija Alakel, Jalal Masarwa European premiere – debut feature film Théo et Hugo dans le même bateau (Paris 05:59) – France By Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau With Geoffrey Couët, François Nambot World premiere The Ones Below – United Kingdom By David Farr With Clémence Poésy, David Morrissey, Stephen Campbell Moore, Laura Birn European premiere – debut feature film War on Everyone – United Kingdom By John Michael McDonagh With Michael Peña, Alexander Skarsgård, Theo James World premiere Panorama Dokumente Don’t Blink – Robert Frank – USA / France By Laura Israel International premiere Hotel Dallas – Romania / USA By Livia Ungur, Sherng-Lee Huang With Patrick Duffy World premiere – debut feature film The complete Teddy30 program with short synopses of the films 1 Berlin Harlem – Germany (Federal Republic), 1974 By Lothar Lambert, Wolfram Zobus Legendary film from super-indy filmmaker Lambert, one time most-featured Berlinale director, about the forms of racism in Berlin’s vibrant lifestyle at the time of the film’s making. Brimming with cameos galore: alongside leading actor Conrad Jennings the likes of Ortrud Beginnen, Tally Brown, Ingrid Caven, Peter Chatel, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Günter Kaufmann, Dietmar Kracht, Evelyn Künneke, Lothar Lambert, Y Sa Lo, Bernd Lubowski, Brigitte Mira, Vera Müller can all be seen. Anders als die Andern (Different from the Others) – Germany, 1919 By Richard Oswald A significant world premiere: realised by the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project/UCLA Film & Television Archive, the newly-restored version of this cultural document of immeasurable value is screened for the first time – in a 35mm print, still the only reliable archive medium. Before Stonewall – USA, 1984 By Greta Schiller, Robert Rosenberg Info-Schau (former title of Panorama) 1985 The legendary film from Greta Schiller reveals a lot which is missing from Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall – but nevertheless agrees with him in quite a few details. The world “before Stonewall”, the beginning of the post-war gay rights movement: the German portrait of this dark Adenauer era in which homosexuals were transferred directly from concentration camps to West German correctional facilities and have not been rehabilitated is yet to come. Greta Schiller later gained renown with Paris Was A Woman which she screened together with her partner and screenwriter Andrea Weiß in the 1996 Panorama. Die Betörung der Blauen Matrosen (The Enchantment of the Blue Sailors) – Germany (Federal Republic), 1975 By Ulrike Ottinger Ulrike Ottinger won the Special Teddy Award in 2014 for her incomparable lifetime achievement, of which this enchanting queer film is an early example even before her groundbreaking films Madame X and Bildnis einer Trinkerin (Ticket of No Return). Die Wiese der Sachen (The Meadow of Things) – Germany (Federal Republic), 1974-1987 By Heinz Emigholz Panorama / Teddy Award winner 1988 At a time when New German Cinema still appeared to be elusive, this artist and architect amongst West German filmmakers inspired with strikingly visual collages, associative streams and intellectual juxtapositions. An important work from an important German filmmaker. Gendernauts – Eine Reise durch die Geschlechter (Gendernauts – A Journey Through Shifting Identities) – Germany, 1999 By Monika Treut Panorama / Teddy Award winner 1999 One of the early researchers into the walled-in, gender-dualistic world of female and male, Monika Treut is at once a pioneer and veteran of Queer Cinema – an icon of the emancipation movement. She has screened numerous works in Panorama. I Shot Andy Warhol – USA, 1996 By Mary Harron The attempted assassination of Andy Warhol from the perspective of Factory member, artist, writer and publisher of the S.C.U.M. Manifesto Valerie Solanas. Mary Harron’s debut film was produced by Christine Vachon who, with her Killer Films production company, has produced many works screened at the Berlinale and Teddy Award winners including all of Todd Haynes’ films. Je, tu, il, elle (I, You, He, She) – France / Belgium, 1974 By Chantal Akerman In her boundary-breaking feature debut Chantal Akermann herself plays a young woman who seeks to address her experience of isolation through the study of other individuals. In tribute to Chantal Akerman, Panorama is screening two of her films: alongside Je, tu, il, elle, her Panorama film from 1983, Toute une nuit (A Whole Night). Looking for Langston – United Kingdom, 1989 By Isaac Julien Panorama / Teddy Award winner 1989 Now a star of the video art world, Isaac Julien has always first and foremost been a poetical activist, aesthete and cultural historian in the service of emancipation. This montage of archive material, dramatised scenes and literary texts creates an image of black gay identity exemplified by the life and work of Langston Hughes during the “Harlem Renaissance” in 1930s and 1940s New York City. Machboim (Hide and Seek) – Israel, 1979 By Dan Wolman Info-Schau (former title of Panorama) 1980 Today it is exactly the same as 36 years ago: love between Arabs and Jews is punished, hate and murder are accepted as normality. Dan Wolman casts a brave early look at this never-to-be-accepted situation. Marble Ass – Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 1995 By Želimir Žilnik Panorama / Teddy Award winner 1995 Žilnik counters the homophobia and transphobia of Balkan societies which came to light years after the fall of the Berlin Wall with an early and anarchistic stand in what is still, to this day, one of the most extraordinary films to emerge from the entire region Nitrate Kisses – USA, 1992 By Barbara Hammer Forum 1993 A never seen in this way before, sensitively creative conquest of the female sexual realm, radically beyond the prescriptions of mainstream culture. Barbara Hammer has screened many of her works at the Berlinale. The Watermelon Woman – USA, 1996 By Cheryl Dunye Panorama / Teddy Award winner 1996 Racist tendencies might appear to have been expunged from emancipation and gender discourse – but this is far from being the case. The racism inherent in mainstream culture is not necessarily recognised as such by alternative thinkers. Dunye takes a stance with a reflection on a representative figure of this complex issue. Tongues Untied – USA, 1989 By Marlon Riggs Panorama / Teddy Award winner 1990 An early work of queer black emancipation from the then beacon of hope in the Afro-American gay rights movement – another artist and intellectual who died far too young from AIDS. Toute une nuit (A Whole Night) – France / Belgium, 1982 By Chantal Akerman Info-Schau (former title of Panorama) 1983 The director at the forefront of the post-war gender debate was already present in only the third year of the Info-Schau with this film. Virtuoso atmospheres between people and things, between spirit and world and time and space distinguish the work of this passionate artist who took her own life in October 2015. Panorama is screening two films in tribute to Chantal Akerman: alongside Toute une nuit, her debut from 1974, the radical Je, tu, il, elle (I, You, He, She). Tras el cristal (In a Glass Cage) – Spain, 1987 By Agustí Vilaronga A scandalous film at the time of making: an old Nazi and his young carer in Spain. A truly dark work about dark subject matters, the concealment and unrepentant nature of the post-fascist Spanish world when it had not yet begun to grapple analytically and politically with those grim times. In 2000 Vilaronga won the Manfred Salzgeber Prize with El Mar.
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Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, Richard Branson Confirmed for Tribeca Film Festival

The upcoming 2016 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) announced a new program platform, Tribeca Talks: Storytellers, a series of in-depth conversations with leading creators taking place at the Tribeca Festival Hub and other venues. Tina Fey and Tom Hanks are among the first of the featured actors, artists, musicians, and writers to be announced. The 15th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival will take place April 13 to 24, 2016 in New York City with the Tribeca Festival Hub returning to Spring Studios, which will serve as the Festival’s creative center. The Hub will host ten days of immersive storytelling experiences, musical performances, panel discussions and special guests. Among the events will be Imagination Day, powered by the Hatchery, which brings together some of the most influential, provocative and creative minds for an all-day summit that takes place on April 19. The day focuses on: “What happens when our wildest dreams become reality and what will that reality be in our not-so-distant future?” The first round of participants includes entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of the Virgin Group, and business leader and product innovator Regina Dugan, of Google ATAP. Joining them are esteemed VR creatives and tech entrepreneurs: Second Life and High Fidelity founder Philip Rosedale, VR directors Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël of Felix & Paul Studios, and STRIVR founder and CEO Derek Belch. Part of the Hub’s immersive programming for the 15th Festival will be the world festival premiere of Invasion!, the first VR, interactive, animated film from Baobab Studios, co-founded by Maureen Fan (former VP of Games for Zynga) and Eric Darnell (director Antz and the Madagascar series). The project follows menacing aliens with vastly superior technology who come to claim the Earth and destroy anyone in their way. Despite incredible odds, Earth’s citizens rise up and defeat the evil aliens. Surprisingly, these Earthly citizens are not humans but a pair of the cutest, meekest and cuddliest creatures of our planet — two fluffy white bunnies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EuG8o6rUE4 Felix & Paul Studios will be the Tribeca Festival Hub “Featured Creator” for 2016. At the forefront of cinematic virtual reality, Félix and Paul combine artistic and technological innovation using Felix & Paul Studios’ proprietary VR technology platform to create original live-action virtual reality content. The VR filmmakers will appear as part of Imagination Day on April 19 and a selection of their work, including Inside Impact: East Africa with President Bill Clinton, Cirque du Soleil’s Inside the Box of Kurios, and Nomads: Maasai will be featured throughout the space. The Hub will also showcase Storyscapes, a juried section that showcases groundbreaking exhibits in technology and interactive storytelling, which returns to TFF for the fourth year. The fifth annual TFI Interactive will again assemble the brightest thinkers from the worlds of media, gaming and technology for an all-day forum. The day will also include the “interactive playground,” which gives the audience an opportunity to play and explore a range of works from VR, to games, to the future of AR.
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Palm Springs International Film Festival Announces Complete Line-up of Premieres, New Voices/New Visions Competition and Modern Masters

The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) running from January 1-11, 2016 in Palm Springs, California, announced its line-up of Premieres, New Voices/New Visions competition and Modern Masters. “I am thrilled at the breadth and depth of this year’s program,” said Festival Artistic Director Helen du Toit. “While Modern Masters showcases such widely acclaimed filmmakers as as Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Barbara Kopple and Terence Davies, our New Voices/New Visions program is evidence that new masters are emerging around the world. The range of approaches is extraordinary. Highlights include Raam Reddy’s Thithi (India), which skillfully juggles myriad characters in a delightful low key comedy; Yorgos Zois’ Interruption (Greece), which challenges the audience with a complex and highly compelling narrative; and Maris Curran’s Five Nights in Maine (USA), featuring David Oyelowo’s nuanced and heartbreaking performance as a widower reconnecting with his estranged mother-in-law.” Showcasing the diversity of international cinema, Festival premieres will include: World premieres: 50 Days in the Desert (Luxembourg) directed by Fabrizio Maltese, Agnes (Germany/Belgium), the documentary Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age (US) featuring Alec Baldwin, Carol Channing, Dick Van Dyke, Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, The Carer (Hungary/UK), Going Going Gone (UK), Searchdog (US) and Set the Thames on Fire (UK). North American premieres: Banat (Italy/Romania/Bulgaria/Macedonia), Death By Death (Belgium/France), A Decent Man (Switzerland), Departure (France/UK), Fly Away Solo (India/France), Interruption (Greece/Croatia), A Korean in Paris (South Korea/France), The Memory of Water (Chile/Spain/Argentina/Germany), Moor (Pakistan), On My Mother’s Side (Canada), Paradise Trips (Belgium/Croatia), Rosita (Denmark), Spy Time (Spain), Tanna (Australia/Vanuatu), Thithi (India/US/Canada), Utopians (Hong Kong) and When a Tree Falls (Spain). U.S. premieres: 1944 (Estonia/Finland), 3000 Nights (Palestine/France/Jordan/Lebanon), Atomic Falafel (Israel/Germany/New Zealand), Belgian Rhapsody (Belgium), Beyond My Grandfather Allende (Chile/Mexico), Born to Dance (New Zealand), Closet Monster (Canada), Enclave (Serbia/Germany), The Endless River (South Africa/France), Endorphine (Canada), Exotica, Erotica, Etc. (France), Fire Song (Canada), Five Nights in Maine (US), A Heavy Heart (Germany), Home Care (Czech Republic/Slovakia), Let Them Come (Algeria/France), My Big Night (Spain), My Internship in Canada (Canada), The Other Side (Italy/France), Our Everyday Life (Bosnia, Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia), The Paradise Suite (Netherlands/Sweden/Bulgaria), Parched (India/US/UK), Parisienne (France), Sabali (Canada), Sleeping Giant (Canada), Summer Solstice (Poland/Germany), Trap (Philippines), The Violin Teacher (Brazil), Wedding Doll (Israel) and Zubaan (India). The New Voices/New Visions competition showcases 12 US premieres from top emerging international directors marking their feature film debut at the Festival, with the additional criteria that the films selected are currently without U.S. distribution. Films selected for this year include: Banat (Italy/Romania/Bulgaria/Macedonia), Director Adriano Valerio Death By Death (Belgium/France), Director Xavier Seron Departure (UK/France), Director Andrew Steggall Five Nights in Maine (US), Director Maris Curran and starring David Oyelowo A Heavy Heart (Germany), Director Thomas Stuber Home Care (Czech Republic/Slovakia), Director Slávek Horák Interruption (Greece/Croatia), Director Yorgos Zois Let Them Come (Algeria/France), Director Salem Brahimi Our Everyday Life (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia), Director Ines Tanovic Paradise Trips (Belgium/Croatia), Director Raf Reyntjens Sleeping Giant (Canada), Director Andrew Cividino Thithi (India/US), Director Raam Reddy The Modern Masters section features 10 films from international directors who set the standards for contemporary cinema. Films selected for this year include: Cemetery Of Splendour (Thailand/UK), Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul Dheepan (France), Director Jacques Audiard Miss Sharon Jones! (US), Director Barbara Kopple Mountains May Depart (China/France/Japan), Director Jia Zhangke My Golden Days (France), Director Arnaud Desplechin My Mother (Italy/France), Director Nanni Moretti Our Little Sister (Japan), Director Hirokazu Kore-eda Sunset Song (UK/Luxembourg), Director Terence Davies Sweet Bean (Japan), Director Naomi Kawase Women He’s Undressed (Australia), Director Gillian Armstrong Other Festival films with notable talent and directors include: 45 Years (UK) directed by Andrew Haigh and starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, Anomalisa (US) directed by Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman with the voices of David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chronic (Mexico/France) starring Tim Roth, Closet Monster (Canada) with Connor Jessup and Isabella Rossellini, Eisenstein in Guanajuato (Netherlands/Mexico/Finland/Belgium/France) directed by Peter Greenaway, February (US/Canada) starring Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts, Hello, My Name is Doris (US) starring Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs and Stephen Root, Hitchcock/Truffaut (France/US) directed by Kent Jones and featuring Peter Bogdanovich, David Fincher and Richard Linklater, The Invitation (US) starring Logan Marshall-Green and Michiel Huisman, The Lady in the Van (UK) directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent and James Corden, (pictured above) Louder Than Bombs (USA) starring Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Byrne and Isabelle Huppert, Men & Chicken (Denmark) starring Mads Mikkelsen, Papa (Cuba) directed by Bob Yari and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Joely Richardson and Minka Kelly, A Perfect Day (Spain) starring Benicio del Toro, Tim Robbins and Olga Kurylenko, The Seventh Fire (US) executive produced by Terrence Malick, Natalie Portman and Chris Eyre, and Where to Invade Next (US) directed by Michael Moore.
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Jamie M. Dagg’s RIVER Dominates 2015 Whistler Film Festival Awards

The 15th anniversary celebration of the Whistler Film Festival wrapped, and the romantic drama CAROL, directed by Todd Haynes and starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, took home the Pandora Audience Award. The WFF Audience Award runner-ups were THE LEGEND OF BARNEY THOMSON, actor Robert Carlyle’s first theatrical feature and directorial debut, which received its North American premiere at the festival, followed by Ricardo Trogi’s mid-life crisis dramedy, Quebec film LE MIRAGE, the highest grossing and most popular Canadian film of the year so far. Toronto’s first-time feature director Jamie M. Dagg’s RIVER dominated 2015 Whistler Film Festival awards, winning for best Canadian feature, Best Director and Best Screenplay in the Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature. The jury also awarded French-Canadian actor Paul Savoie with Best Performance in a Borsos Film for his performance in THE DIARY OF AN OLD MAN, as well as provided honorable mention for Rossif Sutherland’s work in RIVER and Laura Abramsen’s roles in BASIC HUMAN NEEDS and THE SABBATICAL. Receiving WFF’s Trailblazer Award and Tribute, British-born Canadian actor, film producer, and film director Kiefer Sutherland discussed his extensive acting career spanning film, stage and television, with CTV Film Critic Jim Gordon, followed by the Western Canadian Premiere of his latest film, FORSAKEN. Scottish-born Robert Carlyle, one of the most recognizable actors today, graced the Festival’s red carpet at this year’s Spotlight event as WFF’s Maverick Award honoree and sat down with Jim Gordon to discuss his bold choices that have led to the creation of some of the most dynamic, memorable, and beloved characters of our time before the North American Premiere of his directorial debut, THE LEGEND OF BARNEY THOMSON. One of Canada’s hardest working and most accomplished character actors, Bruce Greenwood was the recipient of WFF’s Career Achievement Award, at the World Premiere of his latest film REHEARSAL, directed by admired WFF Alumni Carl Bessai. Winners of the 2015 Whistler Film Festival Awards World Documentary Award LAST HARVEST Honorable Mention AL PURDY WAS HERE Best Mountain Culture Film ECLIPSE Canadian ShortWork Award WITHHELD Honorable Mention MIA by Amanda Strong and Bracken Hanuse Corlett International ShortWork Award DISSONANCE Canadian ShortWork Award for Best Screenplay THE WOLF WHO CAME TO DINNER Student ShortWork Awarded THE BLUE JET MPPIA Short Film Award HOODS AWFJ EDA Best Female-Directed Narrative Feature Award A LIGHT BENEATH THEIR FEET AWFJ EDA Best Female-Directed Documentary Award LAST HARVEST Honorable Mention AL PURDY WAS HERE by Brian D. Johnson AWFJ EDA Best Female-Directed Short Award SUNDAY LUNCH AL PURDY WAS HERE receives honorable mention from World Documentary Jury and AWFJ EDA Jury
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‘Genius’ ‘Where To Invade Next’ Among First 9 Films Revealed for Berlin International Film Festival

Joining opening film Hail, Caesar! by Joel and Ethan Coen, the first nine films have been revealed for the 66th Berlin International Film Festival Competition and Berlinale Special program. Films include the European Premiere of Where To Invade Next – documentary by Michael Moore, and The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble by Morgan Neville; and the World Premiere of Genius (pictured above) by Michael Grandage, starring Colin Firth, Jude Law and Nicole Kidman. Competition Boris sans Béatrice (Boris without Béatrice) Canada By Denis Côté (Vic+Flo Saw a Bear) With James Hyndman, Simone-Elise Girard, Denis Lavant, Isolda Dychauk, Dounia Sichov World premiere Genius United Kingdom / USA By Michael Grandage With Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Laura Linney, Guy Pearce, Dominic West World premiere – first feature Alone in Berlin Germany / France / United Kingdom By Vincent Perez (The Secret) With Brendan Gleeson, Emma Thompson, Daniel Brühl, Mikael Persbrandt World premiere Midnight Special USA By Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter) With Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Jaedan Lieberher, Sam Shepard World premiere Zero Days – documentary USA By Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) World premiere Berlinale Special The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble – documentary USA By Morgan Neville (Twenty Feet from Stardom) European premiere The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger – documentary United Kingdom By Colin MacCabe, Christopher Roth, Bartek Dziadosz, Tilda Swinton World premiere Where To Invade Next – documentary USA By Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 9/11, Bowling for Columbine) European premiere
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New York Jewish Film Festival Reveals Special Programs Incl. 20th Anniversary Screening of ‘Welcome to the Dollhouse’

The 2016 New York Jewish Film Festival (NYJFF) presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Jewish Museum will take place January 13 to 26, 2016 at the Film Society’s Walter Reade Theater and Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. This year’s 25th-anniversary edition will include a number of special programs, including a retrospective of film highlights from past festivals; an exhibition of posters from previous festival selections; a panel discussion bringing together some of New York’s finest film curators and programmers; a 20th-anniversary screening of Todd Solondz’s Welcome to the Dollhouse (pictured above) accompanied by the classic documentary Night and Fog, selected by Solondz; a Master Class on filmmaking by director Alan Berliner; continuous screenings of pivotal moments from 10 films seen in previous editions of the New York Jewish Film Festival; an evening of five shorts featuring such talents as Robert De Niro and Richard Kind; and an online anniversary publication looking back over the first 25 years of the festival. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS NYJFF at 25: A Retrospective This series of 10 films from previous editions of the New York Jewish Film Festival marks the silver anniversary of the festival, ranging from the silent film Benya Krik to works from such acclaimed directors as Amos Gitai and the late Chantal Akerman. Benya Krik Vladimir Vilner, USSR, 1926, 35mm, 90m Silent with English intertitles and live musical accompaniment by Peter Freisinger Vladimir Vilner’s classic film is set in the Jewish area of Moldavanka in Odessa, where the local gangster king Benya Krik rules with an iron fist. Based on the real-life gangster Mishka “Mike the Jap” Vinnitsky, Krik revels in murder and leverages his power into tremendous profit. When the Russian Revolution begins, the local commissioner attempts to put Krik’s gang to work as a revolutionary regiment, complete with tattooed red stars. Ultimately, Krik finds himself ensnared in a Bolshevik trap—and mystery and intrigue ensue. Restoration and English intertitles by the National Center for Jewish Film. This special event is presented in conjunction with the exhibition The Power of Pictures: Early Soviet Photography, Early Soviet Film, on view through February 7 at the Jewish Museum. The Castle Michael Haneke, Austria/Germany, 1997, DCP, 123m German with English subtitles The Castle is the unfinished, final novel by Franz Kafka, arguably the 20th century’s most influential Jewish writer. With extraordinary fidelity to Kafka’s original language and tone, Austrian director Michael Haneke has adapted the work for the big screen, complete with a star-studded cast made up of Haneke regulars. A land surveyor known only as K is summoned to a remote mountain village by the local government. Upon arrival, he is denied entrance and faces an increasingly obstructive provincial bureaucracy. Haneke masterfully evokes Kafka’s vision of a dystopian society hobbled by paperwork and bled dry by conformism and convolution. Holy Week Andrzej Wajda, Poland/Germany/France, 1995, 35mm, 97m Polish with English subtitles As the Warsaw Ghetto burns, a Jewish woman seeks sanctuary with a former boyfriend on the Christian side of the city. Andrzej Wajda’s adaptation of Jerzy Andrzejewski’s short story Holy Week is an inquiry into the relationship between Polish Christians and Polish Jews during World War II. If Jan hides Irena in his home, he will be committing a crime for which the sentence in Nazi-occupied Poland is death for the perpetrator and his family. His humanitarian nature still shines through, and the two forge a tense but caring new chapter in their deeply rooted relationship. Left Luggage Jeroen Krabbé, USA/Netherlands/Belgium, 1998, 35mm, 100m English, Hebrew, and Yiddish with English subtitles Set in 1970s Belgium, Left Luggage tells the story of Chaya (Laura Fraser), the 20-year-old daughter of Holocaust survivors who studies philosophy and lives a bohemian existence in Antwerp. When Chaya takes a job as a nanny for a Hasidic family, her developing friendship with the devout mother forces her to reevaluate the Jewish faith. This clear-eyed look at Hasidism and its relationship with Judaism as a whole also stars Isabella Rossellini, actor-director Jeroen Krabbé, and Topol, and was the winner of three awards at the Berlin International Film Festival. Lost Embrace Daniel Burman, Argentina/France/Italy, 2004, 35mm, 99m Spanish, Korean, Yiddish, and Russian with English subtitles Argentinean director Daniel Burman’s coming-of-age ensemble film is a warm and amusing story of self-actualization and familial ties. Ariel Makaroff, a Jewish twentysomething in Buenos Aires, has left his architectural studies, unmotivated to do anything but wander through a rundown shopping mall. Ever since his father went missing, his mother and brother have worked in a lingerie shop. In hopes of a fresh start, Ariel decides he wants to move to Poland, and asks his grandmother, ex-girlfriend, and rabbi for help. Winner of two Silver Bear awards at the 2004 Berlin Film Festival. Mahler on the Couch Percy Adlon & Felix O. Adlon, Austria/Germany, 2010, DCP, 98m German with English subtitles Percy Adlon, the acclaimed director of Bagdad Cafe, teamed up with his son Felix for this portrait of the great composer Gustav Mahler and his tempestuous relationship with his wife, Alma. Chafing under an agreement to give up her own musical ambitions, Alma begins an affair with the young architect Walter Gropius, as Mahler consults with Sigmund Freud on matters of creativity and passion. Moving, funny, and filled with Mahler’s sublime music (conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen), Mahler on the Couch is a sensory feast based on actual encounters between Mahler and Freud. News from House / News from Home Amos Gitai, Israel/France/Belgium, 2006, DCP, 97m English, Arabic, Hebrew, and French with English subtitles A house in West Jerusalem was for decades a microcosm of a city in conflict: abandoned by its Palestinian owner in the 1948 war; then requisitioned by the Israeli government as vacant; rented to Jewish Algerian immigrants in 1956; and, finally, purchased by a university professor who undertook its transformation into a three-story house in 1980. While its inhabitants have now dispersed and the common space has disintegrated, the structure remains both an emotional and a physical center at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian situation. Here, renowned filmmaker Amos Gitai uncovers the multilayered human history of this remarkable place. Nobody’s Business Alan Berliner, USA, 1996, Digital projection, 60m Acclaimed New York filmmaker Alan Berliner took on his reclusive father as the reluctant subject of this poignant documentary, and what emerged was this cinematic biography that finds both humor and pathos in the swirl of conflicts and affections that bind father and son. Berliner weaves together archival footage and interviews with relatives in his quest to understand this complex and troubled character. Ultimately, Nobody’s Business serves as a meeting of the minds, where generations collide and the boundaries of family relationships are pushed to the brink. Intimate Stranger Alan Berliner, USA, 1991, Digital projection, 60m Alan Berliner’s maternal grandfather is the subject of his remarkable documentary from 1991. Joseph Cassuto was a Palestinian Jew, born in 1905 and raised in Egypt. After World War II, his fascination with Japanese culture blossomed into a lifelong love affair with the country, and he abandoned his family to live there and pursue miscellaneous business interests. Equal parts romantic adventurer and coldhearted shirker of familial responsibility, Cassuto is a riveting protagonist in this poetic and emotional jigsaw puzzle of family history. Tomorrow We Move Chantal Akerman, France/Belgium, 2004, 35mm, 110m French with English subtitles The late Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman brings us an intellectual comedy about a mother and daughter who find themselves living together for the first time in decades. Charlotte, a freelance writer, invites her recently widowed mother, Catherine, to live in her apartment, and the ensuing clutter becomes a source of irritation and strife. When Catherine decides to revitalize her career as a piano teacher, the claustrophobia reaches new and absurd levels. Charlotte continues to pursue her desperate quest for peace as Tomorrow We Move develops into a slyly Jewish tale of rootlessness and familial burdens. NYJFF Shorts Program (TRT: 75m): Five concise stories come together in this program of short films. Dear God (Guy Nattiv & Erez Tadmor, Israel, 2014, 13m), whose co-director Nattiv also directed the 2012 NYJFF opening-night film Mabul, depicts a romantic Jerusalem through the eyes of Aaron, a simple man who guards the historic Western Wall. In Gloomy Sabbath (Amit Epstein, Germany, 2013, 15m), an ailing woman leads her grandson on a lively and colorful dance into the past to reveal a dark family secret. The Notebook (Zach Clark, USA, 2014, 15m) takes place in a video store, where a woman makes a sad, strange request. In What Cheer? (Michael Slavens, USA, 2014, 18m), starring Richard Kind, a man grappling with the sudden passing of his wife encounters a 20-piece punk marching band. Ellis (JR, USA, 2015, 14m) stars Robert De Niro as an immigrant whose pursuit of a new life expired at Ellis Island. Dear God, Gloomy Sabbath, and The Notebook are receiving their New York premieres. Guest Selects: Todd Solondz: 20th Anniversary Screening Welcome to the Dollhouse Todd Solondz, USA, 1995, 35mm, 88m Eleven-year-old Dawn “Weinerdog” Wiener is a junior-high geek who just wants to be popular. Teased by her classmates and tormented by the school bully, she develops an improbable plan to seduce the star of a high-school garage band. Todd Solondz’s celebrated black comedy follows Dawn through the many dark corners of suburban youth. Bitterly funny and true to life, the film launched Solondz’s career, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and is now hailed as a classic of modern independent cinema. Night and Fog Alain Resnais, France, 1955, 35mm, 32m French with English subtitles Ten years after the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps, French filmmaker Alain Resnais documented the abandoned grounds of Auschwitz in his harrowing documentary. One of the first cinematic reflections on the horrors of the Holocaust, Night and Fog contrasts the stillness of the abandoned camps’ quiet, empty buildings with wartime footage. Using a combination of archival materials from past and present, in color and black and white, Resnais investigates the cyclical nature of humanity’s violence and presents the unsettling suggestion that such atrocities could happen again. On selecting Night and Fog, Todd Solondz writes: “I saw Night and Fog in college and it stuck with me as a touchstone for speaking of the unspeakable, evoking the unevocable, memorializing without pomp. I can’t say it ‘inspired’ me, but it’s always stood as a kind of monument: What is worth our time and attention? What matters? Who are we?” Talking Movies: Panel Discussion: Curating Film (90m) A collection of New York’s finest film curators and programmers come together to jump-start a discussion about engaging film audiences in the 21st century. With festivals, museums, galleries, and online platforms all presenting film in new and different ways, the medium finds itself at an exciting crossroads. Panelists: Thomas Beard is the Founder and Director of Light Industry, a venue for film and electronic arts in Brooklyn, and Programmer at Large at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. He has organized screenings for Artists Space, the Centre Pompidou, the Museum of Modern Art, and Tate Modern, and he co-curated the cinema for Greater New York 2010 at MoMA PS1 and the film program for the 2012 Whitney Biennial. Stuart Comer is Chief Curator of Media and Performance Art at the Museum of Modern Art. He was a co-curator of the 2014 Whitney Biennial and was previously the founding curator of film at Tate Modern, London. Chrissie Iles is the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art where one of her specializations is film and video. Moderator: Jens Hoffmann is Deputy Director, Exhibitions and Public Programs, the Jewish Museum and Curator for Special Programs, New York Jewish Film Festival. He has curated more than 50 exhibitions internationally since the late 1990s, including the 2nd San Juan Triennial (2009), the 12th Istanbul Biennial (2011), and the 9th Shanghai Biennale (2012-13). Master Class with Alan Berliner (90m): Alan Berliner’s ability to combine experimental cinema and artistic purpose has made him one of the most acclaimed independent filmmakers in the United States. In this unique master class, Berliner will discuss his use of sound and image metaphors in Intimate Stranger (1991) and Nobody’s Business (1996), both of which are screening in the festival. The lecture will include a presentation of clips from each film. Happy Ends (TRT: 20m; running on loop): Spoiler alert! Pivotal moments from 10 films presented at previous editions of the New York Jewish Film Festival highlight a wide array of themes and life lessons with fluctuating degrees of fate, heroism, and self-determination. This 20-minute compilation will run on a continuous loop in the amphitheater of the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center during the festival. Films include The Jewish Cardinal (2013), Daas (2011), The Strange Case of Wilhelm Reich (2012), Protektor (2009), Emotional Arithmetic (2007), Mahler on the Couch (2010), A Bottle in the Gaza Sea (2011), Nina’s Tragedies (2003), Gloomy Sunday (1999), and Live and Become (2005). Celluloid on Paper: Poster Exhibition Posters that highlight works from the festival’s quarter-century history will be on view in the Furman Gallery at the Walter Reade Theater, ranging in style from the Soviet constructivist–inspired design for Sonia, to a more minimalist film still of a woman contemplating the nature of evil, or a man gazing into the horizon, perhaps looking ahead to the next 25 years of the festival. Highlights include posters for Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Ida (2013), Lost Embrace (2004), Sonia (2007), and The Castle (1997), among others.
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Alicia Vikander ‘The Danish Girl’ To Receive Rising Star Award at Palm Springs International Film Festival

The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Alicia Vikander with the Rising Star Award at its annual Awards Gala. The Festival runs January 1-11. “In The Danish Girl, Alicia Vikander delivers a superb performance as Gerda Wegener, the wife of transgender pioneer Lili Elbe,” said Film Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “She projects so much love and pain as she goes on a journey with Lili during an era when there was no precedent for it. Gerda’s own transformation as a character speaks to the story’s themes of courage and self-acceptance. For her astonishing screen presence and masterful performance, we are delighted to present Alicia Vikander with the 2016 Rising Star Award.” The Danish Girl is the remarkable love story inspired by the lives of Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener, portrayed in the film respectively by Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, directed by Academy Award winner Tom Hooper. The film also stars Ben Whishaw, Sebastian Koch, Amber Heard, and Matthias Schoenaerts. For her role in the film, Vikander received a Breakthrough Performance honor from the New York Film Critics Online. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3qEphMRGIc Past recipients of the Rising Star Award include Jessica Biel, Dakota Fanning, Emile Hirsch, Bryce Dallas Howard, Terrence Howard, Anna Kendrick, Jennifer Lawrence, and Scarlett Johansson. In the years they were honored Howard, Kendrick, and Lawrence went on to receive Academy Award nominations.
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72 Short Films on Lineup for 2016 Sundance Film Festival

The 2016 Sundance Film Festival, taking place January 21 to 31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Sundance and Ogden, Utah, announced its full lineup of 72 short films. Among the short films the Festival has shown in recent years are World of Tomorrow, Whiplash, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom and Fishing Without Nets. This year’s short film lineup will include both a Midnight and a New Frontier section, tying into the Festival’s other programmatic strands.

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2016 Sundance Film Festival Completes Lineup with Premieres, Documentary Premieres, Spotlight, Sundance Kids and Special Events

The 2016 Sundance Film Festival completed its feature film lineup with the highly anticipated narratives, documentaries, episodic work and events in the Premieres, Documentary Premieres, Spotlight, Sundance Kids and Special Events sections. The Festival takes place January 21-31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Sundance and Ogden, Utah. Sophie and the Rising Sun directed by Maggie Greenwald has been selected as the Salt Lake City Gala Film, and the festival will close with the World Premiere of The Fundamentals of Caring directed by Rob Burnett and starring Selena Gomez (pictured above). Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, “Many of our selections this year reveal that what resides at the core of captivating stories are fascinating, and at times heroic, characters. In shining light on these people, independent filmmakers are doing what they’ve always done best: connecting the dots of human existence with a deeply charged emotional current.” PREMIERES A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated narrative films of the coming year. Agnus Dei / France, Poland (Director: Anne Fontaine, Screenwriters: Sabrina N. Karine, Alice Vial, Pascal Bonitzer) — 1945 Poland: Mathilde, a young French doctor, is on a mission to help World War II survivors. When a nun seeks her assistance in helping several pregnant nuns in hiding, who are unable to reconcile their faith with their pregnancies, Mathilde becomes their only hope. Cast: Lou de Laâge, Agata Kulesza, Agata Buzek, Vincent Macaigne, Joanna Kulig, Katarzyna Dabrowska. World Premiere Ali & Nino / United Kingdom (Director: Asif Kapadia, Screenwriter: Christopher Hampton) — Muslim prince Ali and Georgian aristocrat Nino have grown up in the Russian province of Azerbaijan. Their tragic love story sees the outbreak of the First World War and the world’s struggle for Baku’s oil. Ultimately they must choose to fight for their country’s independence or for each other. Cast: Adam Bakri, Maria Valverde, Mandy Patinkin, Connie Nielsen, Riccardo Scamarcio, Homayoun Ershadi. World Premiere Captain Fantastic / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Ross) — Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave his paradise and re-enter society, beginning a journey that challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent. Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, George MacKay, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn, Ann Dowd. World Premiere Certain Women / U.S.A. (Director: Kelly Reichardt, Screenwriter: Kelly Reichardt based on stories by Maile Meloy) — The lives of three woman intersect in small-town America, where each is imperfectly blazing a trail. Cast: Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams, James Le Gros, Jared Harris, Lily Gladstone. World Premiere Complete Unknown / U.S.A. (Director: Joshua Marston, Screenwriters: Joshua Marston, Julian Sheppard) — When Tom and his wife host a dinner party to celebrate his birthday, one of their friends brings a date named Alice. Tom is convinced he knows her, but she’s going by a different name and a different biography—and she’s not acknowledging that she knows him. Cast: Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates, Danny Glover. World Premiere Frank & Lola / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matthew Ross) — A psychosexual noir love story—set in Las Vegas and Paris—about love, obsession, sex, betrayal, revenge and, ultimately, the search for redemption. Cast: Michael Shannon, Imogen Poots, Michael Nyqvist, Justin Long, Emmanuelle Devos, Rosanna Arquette. World Premiere The Fundamentals of Caring / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rob Burnett) — Having suffered a tragedy, Ben becomes a caregiver to earn money. His first client, Trevor, is a hilarious 18-year-old with muscular dystrophy. One paralyzed emotionally, one paralyzed physically, Ben and Trevor hit the road, finding hope, friendship, and Dot in this funny and touching inspirational tale. Cast: Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Ehle, Megan Ferguson, Frederick Weller. World Premiere. CLOSING NIGHT FILM The Hollars / U.S.A. (Director: John Krasinski, Screenwriter: Jim Strouse) — Aspiring New York City artist John Hollar returns to his Middle America hometown on the eve of his mother’s brain surgery. Joined by his girlfriend, eight months pregnant with their first child, John is forced to navigate the crazy world he left behind. Cast: John Krasinski, Anna Kendrick, Margo Martindale, Richard Jenkins, Sharlto Copley, Charlie Day. World Premiere Hunt for the Wilderpeople / New Zealand (Director and screenwriter: Taika Waititi) — Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together to survive in this heartwarming adventure comedy. Cast: Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House, Oscar Kightley. World Premiere Indignation / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: James Schamus) — It’s 1951, and among the new arrivals at Winesburg College in Ohio are the son of a kosher butcher from New Jersey and the beautiful, brilliant daughter of a prominent alum. For a brief moment, their lives converge in this emotionally soaring film based on the novel by Philip Roth. Cast: Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, Tracy Letts, Linda Emond, Danny Burstein, Ben Rosenfield. World Premiere Little Men / U.S.A. (Director: Ira Sachs, Screenwriter: Mauricio Zacharias) — When 13-year-old Jake’s grandfather dies, his family moves back into their old Brooklyn home. There, Jake befriends Tony, whose single Chilean mother runs the shop downstairs. As their friendship deepens, however, their families are driven apart by a battle over rent, and the boys respond with a vow of silence. Cast: Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle, Paulina Garcia, Theo Taplitz, Michael Barbieri. World Premiere Love & Friendship / Ireland, France, Netherlands (Director and screenwriter: Whit Stillman) — From Jane Austen’s novella, the beautiful and cunning Lady Susan Vernon visits the estate of her in-laws to wait out colorful rumors of her dalliances and to find husbands for herself and her daughter. Two young men, handsome Reginald DeCourcy and wealthy Sir James Martin, severely complicate her plans. Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Chloë Sevigny, Xavier Samuel, Emma Greenwell, Tom Bennett, Stephen Fry. World Premiere Manchester by the Sea / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kenneth Lonergan) — After his older brother passes away, Lee Chandler is forced to return home to care for his 16-year-old nephew. There he is compelled to deal with a tragic past that separated him from his family and the community where he was born and raised. Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler. World Premiere Mr. Pig / Mexico (Director: Diego Luna, Screenwriters: Augusto Mendoza, Diego Luna) — On a mission to sell his last remaining prize hog and reunite with old friends, an aging farmer abandons his foreclosed farm and journeys to Mexico. After smuggling in the hog, his estranged daughter shows up, forcing them to face their past and embark on an adventurous road trip together. Cast: Danny Glover, Maya Rudolph, José María Yazpik, Joel Murray, Angélica Aragón, Gabriela Araujo. World Premiere Sing Street / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: John Carney) — A boy growing up in Dublin during the ’80s escapes his strained family life and tough new school by starting a band to win the heart of a beautiful and mysterious girl. Cast: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aidan Gillen, Mark McKenna. World Premiere Sophie and the Rising Sun / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Maggie Greenwald) — In a small Southern town in the autumn of 1941, Sophie’s lonely life is transformed when an Asian man arrives under mysterious circumstances. Their love affair becomes the lightning rod for long-buried conflicts that erupt in bigotry and violence with the outbreak of World War ll. Cast: Julianne Nicholson, Margo Martindale, Lorraine Toussaint, Takashi Yamaguchi, Diane Ladd, Joel Murray. World Premiere. SALT LAKE CITY GALA FILM Wiener-Dog / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Todd Solondz) — This film tells several stories featuring people who find their life inspired or changed by one particular dachshund, who seems to be spreading comfort and joy. Cast: Greta Gerwig, Kieran Culkin, Danny DeVito, Ellen Burstyn, Julie Delpy, Zosia Mamet. World Premiere DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES Renowned filmmakers and films about far-reaching subjects comprise this section highlighting our ongoing commitment to documentaries. Eat That Question—Frank Zappa in His Own Words / France, Germany (Director: Thorsten Schütte) — This entertaining encounter with the premier of sonic avant-garde is acidic, fun-poking, and full of rich and rare archival footage. This documentary bashes favorite Zappa targets and dashes a few myths about the man himself. World Premiere Film Hawk / U.S.A. (Directors: JJ Garvine, Tai Parquet) — Trace Bob Hawk’s early years as the young gay child of a Methodist minister to his current career as a consultant on some of the most influential independent films of our time. World Premiere LO AND BEHOLD, Reveries of the Connected World / U.S.A. (Director: Werner Herzog) — Does the internet dream of itself? Explore the horizons of the connected world. World Premiere Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures / U.S.A. (Directors: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato) — This examination of Robert Mapplethorpe’s outrageous life is led by the artist himself, speaking with brutal honesty in a series of rediscovered interviews about his passions. Intimate revelations from friends, family, and lovers shed new light on this scandalous artist who ignited a culture war that still rages on. World Premiere Maya Angelou And Still I Rise / U.S.A. (Directors: Bob Hercules, Rita Coburn Whack) — The remarkable story of Maya Angelou — iconic writer, poet, actress and activist whose life has intersected some of the most profound moments in recent American history. World Premiere Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall / U.S.A. (Director: Spike Lee) — Catapulted by the success of his first major solo project, Off the Wall, Michael Jackson went from child star to King of Pop. This film explores the seminal album, with rare archival footage and interviews from those who were there and those whose lives its success and legacy impacted. World Premiere Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You / U.S.A. (Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) — How did a poor Jewish kid from Connecticut bring us Archie Bunker and become one of the most successful television producers ever? Norman Lear brought provocative subjects like war, poverty, and prejudice into 120 million homes every week. He proved that social change was possible through an unlikely prism: laughter. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper / U.S.A. (Director: Liz Garbus) — Gloria Vanderbilt and her son Anderson Cooper each tell the story of their past and present, their loves and losses, and reveal how some family stories have the tendency to repeat themselves in the most unexpected ways. World Premiere Resilience / U.S.A. (Director: James Redford) — This film chronicles the birth of a new movement among pediatricians, therapists, educators, and communities using cutting-edge brain science to disrupt cycles of violence, addiction, and disease. These professionals help break the cycles of adversity by daring to talk about the effects of divorce, abuse, and neglect. World Premiere Richard Linklater—dream is destiny / U.S.A. (Directors: Louis Black, Karen Bernstein) — This is an unconventional look at a fiercely independent style of filmmaking that arose in the 1990s from Austin, Texas, outside the studio system. The film blends rare archival footage with journals, exclusive interviews with Linklater on and off set, and clips from Slacker, Dazed and Confused, Boyhood, and more. World Premiere Under the Gun / U.S.A. (Director: Stephanie Soechtig) — The Sandy Hook massacre was considered a watershed moment in the national debate on gun control, but the body count at the hands of gun violence has only increased. Through the lens of the victims’ families, as well as pro-gun advocates, we examine why our politicians have failed to act. World Premiere Unlocking the Cage / U.S.A. (Directors: Chris Hegedus, Donn Alan Pennebaker) — Follow animal rights lawyer Steven Wise in his unprecedented challenge to break down the legal wall that separates animals from humans. By filing the first lawsuit of its kind, Wise seeks to transform a chimpanzee from a “thing” with no rights to a “person” with basic legal protection. World Premiere SPOTLIGHT Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love. Cemetery of Splendor / Thailand (Director and screenwriter: Apichatpong Weerasethakull) — A lonesome middle-aged housewife tends to a soldier with sleeping sickness and falls into a hallucination that triggers strange dreams, phantoms, and romance. Cast: Jenjira Pongpas, Banlop Lomnoi, Jarinpattra Rueangram. Embrace of the Serpent / Colombia (Director: Ciro Guerra, Screenwriters: Ciro Guerra, Jacques Toulemonde Vidal) — This blistering, poetic story is inspired by the original journals of scientists Theodor Koch-Grünberg and Richard Evans Schultes, who meet lone survivor Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman. Over 40 years, they develop a friendship while traveling through the Colombian Amazon in search of the sacred, psychedelic yakruna plant. Cast: Jan Bijvoet, Brionne Davis, Antonio Bolivar, Nilbio Torres, Miguel Dionisio Ramos. Green Room / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeremy Saulnier) — This wickedly fun horror-thriller tells a story about the owner of a neo-Nazi club who squares off against an unsuspecting but resilient young punk band after they witness a horrific act of violence. Cast: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, Callum Turner, Patrick Stewart. Land of Mine / Denmark (Director and screenwriter: Martin Zandvliet) — At the end of World War II, a group of young German POWs captured by the Danish army are forced to defuse and clear landmines from the Danish coastline with no training. Inspired by real events, the film exposes the untold story of one tragic moment in Denmark’s history. Cast: Roland Møller, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Louis Hofmann, Joel Basman, Emil Belton, Oskar Belton. U.S. Premiere The Lobster / Ireland, United Kingdom, Greece, France (Director: Yorgos Lanthimos, Screenwriters: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou) — In a dystopian near future, single people are obliged to find a mate in 45 days or else be transformed into an animal of their choice and be released into the woods. Cast: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux, John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman. Maggie’s Plan / U.S.A. (Director: Rebecca Miller, Screenwriters: Rebecca Miller, based on a story by Karen Rinaldi) — A young woman’s determination to have a child catapults her into a nervy love triangle with a heart-throb academic and his eccentric critical-theorist wife. Cast: Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, Travis Fimmel. Miles Ahead / U.S.A. (Director: Don Cheadle, Screenwriters: Don Cheadle, Steven Baigelman) — Inspired by events in Miles Davis’s life, this is a wildly entertaining, impressionistic, no-holds-barred portrait of one of twentieth-century music’s creative geniuses. Cast: Don Cheadle, Ewan McGregor, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Lakeith Lee Stanfield, Michael Stuhlbarg. Rams / Iceland (Director and screenwriter: Grímur Hákonarson) — In a remote Icelandic farming valley, two brothers who haven’t spoken in 40 years have to come together to save what’s dearest to them—their sheep. Cast: Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Theodór Júlíusson. Viva / Ireland (Director: Paddy Breathnach, Screenwriter: Mark O’Halloran) — In contemporary Cuba, a father and son struggle to escape from each other’s expectations, duty, and the burden of past sins. Cast: Héctor Medina, Jorge Perugorría, Luis Alberto García. SUNDANCE KIDS This section of the Festival is especially for our youngest independent film fans. Programmed in cooperation with Utah Film Center which presents the annual Tumbleweeds Film Festival, Utah’s premiere film festival for children and youth. The Eagle Huntress / U.S.A. (Director: Otto Bell) — Step aside, Daenerys and Katniss—Aisholpan is a real-life role model on an epic journey in a faraway world. Follow this 13-year-old nomadic Mongolian girl as she battles to become the first female to hunt with a golden eagle in 2,000 years of male-dominated history. World Premiere Little Gangster / Netherlands (Director: Arne Toonen, Screenwriter: Lotte Tabbers) — Rik Boskamp wants a life where he’s not constantly bullied. When he and his family move, the people in their new town think his father is a Mafia boss, and everybody treats them with respect—until a bully from Rikkie’s past turns up. How long can he keep up his lie? Cast: Thor Braun, Henry Van Loon, Rene Van ‘T Hof, Meral Polat, Fedja Van Huêt, Maas Bronkhuyzen. North American Premiere Snowtime! / Canada (Directors: Jean-François Pouliot, François Brisson, Screenwriters: Normand Canac-Marquis, Paul Risacher) — To amuse themselves during their winter break from school, the kids in a small village have a massive snowball fight. But what starts out as pure youthful fun and enthusiasm deteriorates into a more serious conflict as the children learn the role that love and friendship play in their lives. Cast: Sandra Oh, Ross Lynch, Angela Gallupo, Lucinda Davis, Don Shepherd, Sonja Ball. North American Premiere SPECIAL EVENTS One-of-a-kind moments highlighting new independent works that add to the unique Festival experience. An evolving section, this year includes episodic work, short films and live post-screening discussions. 11.22.63 / U.S.A. (Director: Kevin Macdonald, Screenwriter: Bridget Carpenter, Executive Producers: J.J. Abrams, Stephen King, Kevin Macdonald, Bridget Carpenter, Bryan Burk) — On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy was killed, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? Take a journey to find out in this genre-busting, epic new nine-hour event series. The Festival will debut the two-hour premiere of the series, followed by an extended Q&A. Cast: James Franco, Sarah Gadon, Daniel Webber, George MacKay, Josh Duhamel, Chris Cooper. World Premiere Behind the Scenes of Anomalisa / U.S.A. (Directors: Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson, Screenwriter: Charlie Kaufman) — Michael Stone—husband, father and respected author—is crippled by the mundanity of his life. On a business trip, he checks into the Fregoli Hotel. He’s amazed to discover a possible escape from his desperation in an unassuming woman, who may or may not be the love of his life. The Festival will present a screening of the film followed by a Q&A with the creators. Separately, they will speak on a Festival panel explaining their creative process and how they brought their extraordinary film to life. Cast: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan, David Thewlis. Chelsea Does / U.S.A. (Director: Eddie Schmidt) — This four-part documentary series features Chelsea Handler as she explores topics of personal and universal fascination: marriage, racism, Silicon Valley, and drugs. The Festival will premiere one installment of the series with clips from the other three installments, followed by an extended Q&A with Chelsea Handler, Director Eddie Schmidt, and Executive Producer Morgan Neville. World Premiere The Girlfriend Experience / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Lodge Kerrigan, Amy Seimetz, Executive Producers: Steven Soderbergh, Philip Fleishman, Lodge Kerrigan, Amy Seimetz, Gary Marcus, Jeff Cuban) — Law student Christine Reade is introduced to the world of transactional relationships in this original anthology series. Providing “The Girlfriend Experience” (an emotional and sexual relationship offered at a high price) gives Christine a rush of control and intimacy, but she soon finds herself juggling two very different lives. The Festival will premiere four episodes of the series, followed by an extended Q&A. Cast: Riley Keough, Paul Sparks, Mary Lynn Rajskub, James Gilbert, Kate Lyn Sheil. World Premiere The New Yorker Presents / U.S.A. (Executive Producers: Alex Gibney, Kahane Cooperman, Showrunner: Kahane Cooperman) — A groundbreaking new series that brings America’s most award-winning magazine, The New Yorker, to the screen with documentaries, short narrative films, comedy, poetry, animation, and cartoons from the hands of acclaimed filmmakers and artists. The Festival will premiere the first two episodes of the series, followed by an extended Q&A. World Premiere O.J.: Made in America / U.S.A. (Director: Ezra Edelman) — This is the story of O.J. Simpson, one of the most polarizing people of the twentieth century, and the city in which he lived for much of his life, Los Angeles. The film explores Simpson’s rise and fall, centered around two of America’s greatest fixations—race and celebrity. The Festival will premiere the full 7.5-hour documentary, followed by an extended Q&A. World Premiere The Skinny / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jessie Kahnweiler) — Follow feminist and wannabe YouTube star Jessie as she struggles to live, love, and get over her bulimia. The Festival will premiere six 10-minute episodes, followed by an extended Q&A with Kahnweiler. Cast: Jessie Kahnweiler, Illeana Douglas, Spencer Hill, Ryan Pinkston, Megan Ferguson, Sadie Calvano.World Premiere United Shades of America / U.S.A. (Executive Producers: Jimmy Fox, W. Kamau Bell, Star Price) — Political comedian W. Kamau Bell explores the racial subcultures of America. In this original series premiere, he uses humor to challenge Klansmen looking to rebrand their message. The screening will include an extended Q&A. World Premiere
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40 Submissions for Best Foreign Language Film to Compete for FIPRESCI Award at Palm Springs International Film Festival

The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), scheduled January 1-11, 2016, announced the films selected to compete for the FIPRESCI Award in the Awards Buzz section.

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