Film Festivals

San Sebastian Festival to Honor Original KING KONG Directors Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack with a Retrospective

The 63rd San Sebastian Festival will dedicate a retrospective to directors Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, masterminds of the iconic King Kong (1933). Merian C. Cooper (1893-1973) and Ernest B. Schoedsack (1893-1979) were, in the golden age of Hollywood, one of the strangest and most exciting creative twosomes ever to come out of Hollywood. The coming edition of the San Sebastian Festival will recover their work in a cycle dedicated to their films. Acclaimed for generations as the masterminds of the iconic King Kong (1933), Cooper and Schoedsack’s contribution to cinema didn’t stop at this masterpiece. Their career began with two masterpieces in the history of documentary filmmaking, Grass; A Nation’s Battle for Life (1925) and Chang (1927). They later made fantasy, drama, adventure and mystery movies, some of which are now cult titles: The Four Feathers (1929), The Most Dangerous Game (1932), The Last Days of Pompeii (1935), Dr. Cyclops (1940), Son of Kong (1933) and Mighty Joe Young (1949). GRASS; A NATION’S BATTLE FOR LIFE MERIAN C. COOPER, MARGUERITE HARRISON, ERNEST B. SCHOEDSACK (USA) 1925 Cooper and Schoedsack’s debut behind the cameras took the shape of this anthropological documentary classic shot in the spectacular landscapes of Iran. The everyday life of the Bakhtiari tribe, in the former Persia, and their migration in search of pastures for their livestock: 50,000 people and their flocks must cross natural obstacles and overcome harsh atmospheric conditions to find food for their animals. CHANG MERIAN C. COOPER, ERNEST B. SCHOEDSACK (USA) 1927 Cooper and Schoedsack’s second cinematic adventure took them to the forests of Thailand. A documentary with elements of fiction where the directors give free rein to their passion for exotic settings and sense of spectacle thanks to this fascinating tale of a man’s struggle against the beast. THE FOUR FEATHERS MERIAN C. COOPER , ERNEST B. SCHOEDSACK , LOTHAR MENDES (USA) 1929 Schoedsack and Cooper made the first sound adaptation of the famous colonial novel by A.E.W. Mason, taken to the screen on several occasions. The Sudanese adventures of Lieutenant Faversham, accused of cowardice by his friends, are the perfect excuse for the directors to impress upon the original narration the verve and dynamism so typical of their films. This was their first collaboration with a recurring actress in their filmography, Fay Wray. RANGO ERNEST B. SCHOEDSACK (USA) 1931 Two years before shooting their masterpiece, King Kong, Cooper and Schoedsack fantasized about relations between men and monkeys in this tale of adventures set in the Sumatran forests with its anthropological vocation. However, as was usual in their films, their ability to narrate fables always imposed itself upon the simple observation of reality. THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME ERNEST B. SCHOEDSACK, IRVING PICHEL (USA) 1932 Adaptation of a classic tale by Richard Connell, Cooper and Schoedsack used this film as a testing ground for the mind-boggling nightmare atmospheres that would culminate in King Kong the following year, since both titles were shot on the same sets. Adventure cinema merges with a gothic tale in a cruel, savage film of frenzied scenes that still raise eyebrows even today. BLIND ADVENTURE ERNEST B. SCHOEDSACK (USA) 1933 Cooper and Schoedsack abandon the exotic settings so often found in their films to take us to the London of detective mysteries. Here, their fetish actor, Robert Armstrong, plays an American lost in the London fog ensnared in a complicated plot that feels like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. KING KONG MERIAN C. COOPER, ERNEST B. SCHOEDSACK (USA) 1933 The best known monster film in the history of cinema, a mythical title that gave us one of the most lasting icons of the seventh art. The sad tale of the giant gorilla who loses his kingdom for an impossible love is not only a dreamlike take on the Beauty and the Beast myth, recovered by intellectuals and artists all over the world, but a fabulous display of special effects, spectacle, imagination and poetry in its purest state. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0WpKl2A_2k
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Cate Blanchett to Receive BFI Fellowship; TRUTH Added to BFI London Film Festival

Cate Blanchett will receive the BFI’s highest honor, the BFI Fellowship, at the BFI London Film Festival’s annual Awards Ceremony. TRUTH, starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford, will have its UK Premiere on the same night and, in honor of the award, is screening as the Fellowship Special Presentation film. Based on the book “Truth and Duty” by Mary Mapes, TRUTH tells the incredible story of Mary Mapes, an award-winning CBS News journalist and Dan Rather’s 60 Minutes producer and the risks she took to expose a story on the then President George W. Bush. TRUTH, which screens as the Fellowship Special Presentation, is directed by James Vanderbilt, based on the book “Truth and Duty” by Mary Mapes, played in the film by Cate Blanchett who stars with Robert Redford as Dan Rather. The film chronicles the story Mapes and Rather uncovered that sitting US president, George W. Bush, may have been AWOL from the United States National Guard for over a year during the Vietnam War. When the story blew up in their face, the ensuing scandal ruined Dan Rather’s career, nearly changed a US Presidential election, and almost took down all of CBS News in the process. Blanchett is also starring in Todd Haynes’ Carol, the festival’s American Express Gala, as an alluring woman trapped in a loveless marriage who falls for a young woman (Rooney Mara) working as a department store clark in 50s Manhattan. Each year at the LFF Awards Ceremony a BFI Fellowship is awarded to an individual in recognition of their outstanding contribution to film or television. Previous BFI Fellowships have been presented to Stephen Frears in 2014, the late Sir Christopher Lee – given the honor by his friend Johnny Depp – in 2013, Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter in 2012 and Ralph Fiennes, who was presented his BFI Fellowship by friend Liam Neeson, in 2011. In the last year, Al Pacino and Mel Brooks were also awarded BFI Fellowships.
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2015 Toronto International Film Festival In Conversation With … Lineup to Feature Julianne Moore, Salma Hayek, Sarah Silverman, and Matthew Weiner

The 2015 Toronto International Film Festival In Conversation With … invites audiences to four unique, intimate sessions with preeminent stars from the film and television worlds. Offering compelling, in-depth exchanges and revealing personal experiences from their latest projects, this year’s lineup of special guests includes Julianne Moore, Salma Hayek, Sarah Silverman, and Matthew Weiner. “Our In Conversation With… events always offer something unexpected. Whether it’s a personal anecdote, a surprising fact, or an industry tidbit, audiences will be enchanted by this year’s lineup of prestigious guests,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director, Toronto International Film Festival. “Festivalgoers will have the exclusive opportunity to hear from the top talent of the film and television industries in a candid and intimate environment.” In Conversation With… replaces the Festival’s former Mavericks program. In Conversation With… Julianne Moore Among her numerous accolades throughout her career in film, television, on stage and as a NY-Times Bestselling author, Academy Award® and Emmy®-winning actress Julianne Moore is the ninth person in Academy history to receive two Oscar nominations in the same year and the only American actress to be awarded top acting prizes at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals. Having appeared in more than 60 feature films, she will next be seen this October in Freeheld – part of the Festival’s official selection – opposite Ellen Page and Michael Shannon, and in November as President Coin in Francis Lawrence’s upcoming Hunger Games sequel Mockingjay: Part 2. Julianne is an Artist Ambassador for Save the Children U.S. Programs, is on the Advisory Council of The Children’s Health Fund, and is a supporter of Planned Parenthood and the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance. Moore will hit the stage for a special conversation on the occasion of the premiere of her highly anticipated new film. In Conversation With… Salma Hayek Academy Award-nominee and Emmy winner Salma Hayek has proven herself as a prolific actress, producer and director in both film and television. Hayek has several films set for release this year and next, including the Festival selection Septembers of Shiraz alongside Adrien Brody, Tale of Tales by acclaimed Italian director Matteo Garrone, and as the voice “Teresa Taco” in Seth Rogen’s upcoming animated feature Sausage Party. She was nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe®, Screen Actors Guild and a BAFTA award for her leading role in Julie Taymor’s Frida. Noted for her acting career, Hayek has also dedicated much of her time to social activism, previously serving as spokesperson for the Pampers/UNICEF partnership worldwide and the Avon Foundation’s Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program. In November 2005, she served as co-host, alongside Julianne Moore, at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo. She was also part of the One campaign that singer and activist Bono created, as well as a member of Global Green, and Youth Aids. Born and raised in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, Hayek studied International Relations in college in Mexico. Hayek takes the stage to discuss her remarkable career to date. In Conversation With… Sarah Silverman Two-time Emmy winner Sarah Silverman is a versatile performer with a repertoire that includes everything from film and television to stand-up comedy and iconic videos. Silverman next stars in the lead role of drama I Smile Back – in the Festival’s official selection – and in Ashby. She recently wrapped production on the ‘Top Secret Untitled Lonely Island Project,’ as well as a comedy pilot for HBO which she executive produced and in which she stars. Last year she was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special for her comedy special We Are Miracles. Other credits include Wreck-It Ralph, Take This Waltz and her concert film Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic. Silverman’s sharp sense of humour is sure to entertain audiences as she discusses her varied career. In Conversation With… Matthew Weiner Matthew Weiner serves as creator, Executive Producer, writer and director on the critically acclaimed drama Mad Men. This exclusive on-stage conversation is sure to delight fans and will include a screening of the final episode of Season 1, “The Wheel,” which Weiner wrote and directed, accompanied by his engaging and entertaining live commentary, as well as a discussion about Weiner’s career to date. Mad Men is nominated for 11 Emmy nominations this year including Outstanding Drama Series and two writing nominations for Weiner including the finale of the series which he also directed. Since the series premiere in 2007, Mad Men has become one of television’s most honored shows joining an elite group in 2011 when it became only the fourth drama to be awarded four consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series. Additional honors for the series include: three Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Drama Series; a Peabody Award; three Producers Guild Awards; four Writers Guild Awards; two BAFTA Awards; five Television Critics Association Awards, including Program of the Year; and being named seven years running to AFI’s Top 10 Outstanding Television Programs. Weiner’s additional credits include serving as an Executive Producer and writer on The Sopranos, and writer on various television comedy series including The Naked Truth, Becker, and Andy Richter Controls the Universe. In addition to his television credits, Weiner wrote and directed the feature film, Are You Here, featuring performances from Owen Wilson, Zack Galifianakis and Amy Poehler. Weiner currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, architect Linda Brettler, and their four sons.
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“Dark Knight” Director Christopher Nolan and Tacita Dean to Launch New Talk Series “LFF Connects” At London Film Festival

British filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Interstellar, Inception, The Dark Knight, Memento), and Tacita Dean, known for her art work in film, will launch the new series of high profile talks – LFF Connects at the 59th BFI London Film Festival. LFF Connects is described by the festival as a brand new series of thought-provoking high-impact talks intended to stimulate new collaborations and ideas by exploring both the future of film itself and how film engages with other creative industries including television, music, art, games and creative technology. In the LFF Connects Film conversation moderated by BFI Creative Director Heather Stewart, Nolan and Dean will also explore the importance of seeing films projected on film as an essential part of our cultural experience, as well as the necessity of determining new archival and exhibition standards that secure film’s future, and why the debate around film needs to change. They will also be joined in the discussion by Alexander Horwath, Director of the Austrian Film Museum who has written and spoken extensively about the importance of showing film as film and preservation, asking how can any cultural heritage remain intelligible when handed down to future generations without attention to its medium? Christopher Nolan is internationally recognized for being one of the most successful and innovative filmmakers working today, creating films that bridge blockbuster and art-house including The Dark Knight trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), The Prestige (2006), Insomnia (2002) and Memento (2000). A British artist based in Berlin, and recent artist in residence at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, Tacita Dean is internationally renowned for her 16mm and 35mm films, as well as other works in various mediums, most notably her chalkboard drawings. She is a former Turner Prize nominee. In 2011, she made FILM for Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in London and is a founding member of savefilm.org. Tacita Dean says, “As an artist who makes and exhibits film for reasons indexical to the medium, I have had no choice but to fight to get film re-appreciated for what it is: a beautiful, robust and entirely different way of making and showing images in the gallery and in the cinema. Film has characteristics integral to its chemistry and internal discipline that form my work and I cannot be asked to separate the work from the medium that I used to make it. We need to keep the medium distinct from the technology; we need to keep the choice of film available for artists, filmmakers and audiences.” Alexander Howath is the Director of the Austrian Film Museum in Vienna, formerly with the Vienna International Film Festival and author of books about Michael Haneke and Josef von Sternberg, Peter Tscherkassky and American Cinema amongst others.
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New Films Incl. FREEHELD starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Added to 2015 San Sebastian Film Festival | TRAILER

Three new competing titles have been added to the lineup of the Official Selection at the upcoming 2015 San Sebastian Film Festival taking place September 18 to 26, 2015. The Chinese director Liu Hao returns to San Sebastian with Xiang bei fang / Back to the North, five years after competing in the Official Selection with Addicted to Love; the Belgian moviemaker Joachim Lafosse will present his new film, Les chevaliers blancs / The White Knights; and Peter Sollett will bring to the Festival the film Freeheld, starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Michael Shannon, Josh Charles and Steve Carrell. The New Directors section also added the Swedish production,Tjuvheder / Thieves Honor directed by Peter Grönlund, . LES CHEVALIERS BLANCS / THE WHITE KNIGHTS JOACHIM LAFOSSE (BELGIUM – FRANCE) Joachim Lafosse brings to the screen the Zoe’s Ark controversy which made headlines in 2007: a story about the limits of the right of interference. Jacques Arnault, head of Sud Secours NGO, is planning a high impact operation: he and his team are going to exfiltrate 300 orphans victims of Chadian civil war and bring them to French adoption applicants. Françoise Dubois, a journalist, is invited to come along with them and handle the media coverage for this operation. Completely immersed in the brutal reality of a country at war, the NGO members start losing their convictions and are faced with the limits of humanitarian intervention. FREEHELD PETER SOLLETT (USA) Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Michael Shannon, Steve Carrell and Josh Charles star in this film based on true events. The true love story of Laurel Hester and Stacie Andree and their fight for justice. A decorated New Jersey police detective, Laurel is diagnosed with cancer and wants to leave her hard earned pension to her domestic partner, Stacie. However the county officials, Freeholders, conspire to prevent Laurel from doing this. Hard-nosed detective Dane Wells, and activist Steven Goldstein, unite in Laurel and Stacie’s defence, rallying police officers and ordinary citizens to support their struggle for equality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blk27Jj9UE8 XIANG BEI FANG / BACK TO THE NORTH LIU HAO (CHINA) Xiao Ai is diagnosed with a terminal illness and does not have long to live. She is concerned that her parents will become a “lost family” and have no one to take care of them after her death, so she decides to persuade them to have another child… The latest film by Liu Hao, who competed at San Sebastian in 2010 with Addicted to Love. New Directors TJUVHEDER / THIEVES HONOR PETER GRÖNLUND (SUECIA) An intense social drama about a woman’s struggle for survival on the margins of society. When street pusher Minna can’t pay her rent she cheats a few young criminals on a drug deal and takes the money. She happens to meet Katja, the mother of a child who has been taken from her by the social authorities.
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Director Mike Leigh To Receive A Tribute to… Award at Zurich Film Festival

Zurich Film Festival will honor British film director Mike Leigh, described as “one of the most significant exponents of New British Cinema” with A Tribute to… award during the Award Night ceremony at the upcoming festival taking place September 24 to October 2, 2015. Screened during the ZFF, a comprehensive retrospective comprising a number of his productions will offer insight into his work. Mike Leigh will also head a ZFF Public Master Class. Mike Leigh is known to cinema audiences across the globe for films such as HIGH HOPES (1988), LIFE IS SWEET (1990), NAKED (1993), SECRETS AND LIES (1996), VERA DRAKE (2004), HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008), ANOTHER YEAR (2010) and, most recently, MR. TURNER (2014). Often set against the backdrop of a working-class Britain, his sensitive works have garnered a variety of important film awards.
Theatre, Television, Cinema Mike Leigh was born in 1943 in Salford, North West England. He learned his craft and his oft-praised sensitive approach to actors and actresses in the theatre. He began training as an actor and director at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and continued at the London Film School. He worked as an assistant director with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has written and directed more than 20 of his own plays, including his celebrated social comedy “Abigail’s Party”. Leigh developed his first feature in 1971 from the play BLEAK MOMENTS, a film which won him the Golden Leopard at Locarno Film Festival. He worked primarily throughout the 1970s and 80s for television and created during this period numerous films for the BBC, most of which were caustic commentaries on British society and the politics of the time. He completed his second feature film HIGH HOPES in 1988 and continued on a regular basis to create exceptional films that screened at the world’s most important film festivals and garnered countless awards, including seven Oscar nominations. In 1993 his film NAKED won the award for best director at Cannes Film Festival. In 1996, again at Cannes, his SECRETS AND LIES took the coveted Golden Palm. VERA DRAKE won the Golden Lion for Best Film at Venice Film Festival in 2004, and HAPPY-GO-LUCKY won the film’s main actress, Sally Hawkins, the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlinale in 2008. Humour and Wit Star actors such as Tim Roth, Gary Oldman and Stephen Rea cut their teeth in the films of Mike Leigh, and character actors such as Alison Steadman, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall, Sally Hawkins and Lesley Manville appear regularly in his films. Created with humour, wit and extreme sensitivity, Mike Leigh’s films capture the struggle for survival and minor trials and tribulations of Britain’s working class. Leigh is less a social warrior and more a person who takes the weaknesses and psychological idiosyncrasies of his protagonists seriously, and develops them into dialogue-rich stories. Leigh does not write screenplays per se, but develops his films in collaboration with his actors. His productions are usually understated and low budget, exceptions include the historical drama TOPSY-TURVY (1999) and MR. TURNER, which was released last year. A retrospective of his films will be screened during the ZFF.
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Slamdance to Release the Wrestling Doc THE RESURRECTION OF JAKE THE SNAKE | TRAILER

Slamdance will partner with the filmmakers of The Resurrection of Jake the Snake for the multi-city theatrical release of the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival favorite documentary beginning in Portland, Oregon on September 2nd. The Portland Film Festival will host the film’s release with a special event screening of the documentary and a Q&A session moderated by UFC superstar Chael Sonnen with Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Diamond Dallas Page and director Steve Yu. The event format is a key element of the film’s continuing theatrical release with personal appearances by Jake “The Snake” Roberts, filmmakers and special guests. The theatrical release marks the initiation of Slamdance Presents, a new distribution moniker for Slamdance’s world premier programs dedicated to creating theatrical and other innovative commercial opportunities for independent filmmakers. The inspiring documentary feature opened the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival and went on to win critical acclaim as well as this unique theatrical distribution partnership with Slamdance Presents. When The Resurrection of Jake the Snake screens at Portland Film Festival, it may very well be the first time two festivals have come together to support a nationwide release of an independent film. Directed by Steve Yu, The Resurrection of Jake the Snake documents one of the most famous professional wrestlers in the world, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, as he battles his personal demons in a struggle to reclaim his life and the family that had given up on him. The feature-length documentary is also features Diamond Dallas Page and Scott Hall (aka Razor Ramon). Diamond Dallas Page is the film’s producer. We’re thrilled that Slamdance believes enough in our documentary to pursue this innovative theatrical strategy,” said the film’s director Steve Yu, “As filmmakers we were fortunate to be at the right place at the right time, and capturing Jake’s incredible story was as compelling as any fictional narrative – except this was 100% real.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iwntL5wVWk Find Tickets Now Portland Film Festival. Portland, OR. Wednesday September 2, 2015. 8:15pm. Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan Portland, OR 97219 Tickets Here Living Room Theater. Portland, OR. September 6-11, 2015. 341 SW Tenth Avenue Portland, OR 97205 Tickets Here Landmark Midtown Art Cinema. Atlanta, GA. September 18-24, 2015. 931 Monroe Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 Tickets Here
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CAROL Starring Cate Blanchett to UK Premiere at 59th BFI London Film Festival Gala | TRAILER

The 59th BFI London Film Festival has selected CAROL, Todd Haynes’ beautiful 1950s set drama, as the Festival’s American Express Gala. The film will receive its UK Premiere on Wednesday October 14 at the Odeon Leicester Square, attended by Academy Award® nominated director Todd Haynes and his stars Academy Award® winner Cate Blanchett and Academy Award® nominee Rooney Mara. A young woman in her 20s, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) is a clerk working in a Manhattan department store and dreaming of a more fulfilling life when she meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), an alluring woman trapped in a loveless, convenient marriage. As an immediate connection sparks between them, the innocence of their first encounter dims and their connection deepens. While Carol breaks free from the confines of marriage, her husband (Kyle Chandler) threatens her competence as a mother when Carol’s involvement with Therese and close relationship with her best friend Abby (Sarah Paulson) comes to light. As Carol leaves the comfort of home to travel with Therese, an internal journey of self-discovery coincides with her new sense of space. Based on Patricia Highsmith’s seminal novel, The Price of Salt, adapted by Emmy nominated screenwriter Phyllis Nagy, directed by Todd Haynes, CAROL stars Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Kyle Chandler, Jake Lacy and Sarah Paulson. The 59th BFI London Film Festival runs from Wednesday October 7 to Sunday October 18, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt-WC9xa7qs
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BELGIAN RHAPSODY by Vincent Bal will close the 39th Montreal World Film Festival | TRAILER

The North American premiere of the comedy film Belgian Rhapsody directed by Vincent Bal will close the 39th Montreal World Film Festival in Out of Competition. Produced by Peter Bouckaert for Eyeworks (Ben X, The Verdict, Marina presented and awarded at the MWFF) this comedy stars Amaryllis Ouitterlinden, Arthur Dupont, Jos Verbist, Marc Weiss, Koen Van Impe, Philippe Résimont. Two Belgian brass bands, the Flemish “Sint Cecilia” and the Walloon “En Avant”, have both been selected for the great European final. The Walloons are blown into the final by Hugues, their exceptionally talented and handsome trumpet player. When Sint Cecilia’s soloist drops dead on stage, Elke, daughter of the band’s conductor Joseph, has the solution: let’s buy that Walloon super talent out. BELGIAN RHAPSODY is a musical comedy about Belgium where anything goes when the two dominant communities compete: double-crossing, schmaltzy songs and even love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zoUYll9Ft8 Born in Ghent, Belgium in 1971, Vincent Bal began his career at the age of six appearing in musicals, films and television series. However, he quickly realized that he was far more comfortable behind the camera and enrolled at the LUCA School of Art in Brussels, after which he directed a number of film shorts and TV commercials, notably The Bloody Olive (1996), adapted from a graphic novel by Lewis Trondheim. His best known feature, THE ZIGZAG KID (2012), based on David Grossman’s novel, won the European Film Academy’s Young Audience Award. Together with Colette Bothof, he wrote and directed 26 episodes of the animated series Kika & Bob. The MWFF will take place from August 27th to September 7th
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A WALK IN THE WOODS + Films by Notable Filmmakers on World Greats Program of 2015 Montreal World Film Festival

Twenty-four feature films from a score of countries are being shown in the World Greats (out of competition) section of the 2015 Montreal World Film Festival (MWFF). Notable among the filmmakers included are Majid Majidi whose Muhammad will be getting its world premiere, Jean-Jacques Annaud, who will be showing the North-American premiere of his latest film, Wolf Totem, Cristina Commencini (Latin Lover), Ventura Pons (The Virus of Fear), Ermanno Olmi (Greenery Will Bloom Again), Vincent Bal (Belgian Rhapsody), Ken Kwapis (A Walk in the Woods, with Robert Redford) and Sergio Castellitto (You Can`t Save Yourself Alone), among others. MWFF will take place from August 27th to September 7th. A WALK IN THE WOODS by Ken Kwapis. 2015 / Color / 98 min USA (pictured above) After spending two decades in England, Bill Bryson returns to the US, where he decides the best way to connect with his homeland is to hike the Appalachian Trail with one of his oldest friends. AN ITALIAN NAME (IL NOME DEL FIGLIO) by Francesca Archibugi. 2015 / Color / 94 min, Italy Paolo and Simona are expecting. At a dinner with guests one question will lead to an argument that will disturb the entire evening: the name of Paolo and Simonaís son. BEFORE SPRING (ABL AL RABIE) by Ahmed Atef. 2015 / Color / 92 min, Egypt A young blogger who lost both eyes during the Egyptian Revolution recounts in flashback the events of the Spring that eventually came to his country. BELGIAN RHAPSODY (LA BRABANÇONNE) by Vincent Bal. 2014 / Color / 100 min, Belgium – Luxembourg Two Belgian brass bands, the Flemish ‘St. Cecilia’ and Walloon ‘En Avant’, have both been selected for the great European final. It is a competition with no holds barred. BLOOD BEAD (AKAI TAMA) by Banmei Takahashi. 2015 / Color / 108 min, Japan Tokita would rather be making movies than teaching about them in film school. But it pays the bills and thereís always Yui, the pretty school secretary. Then Ritsuko enters his life… CHRIEG by Simon Jacquemet. 2014 / Color / 106 min, Switzerland Matteo, a rebellious 15-year old is sent to a remote farm for rehabilitation. But the farm is run by the inmates. Matteo must quickly learn to run with the pack. CORPSE COLLECTOR (SUBIRACH NA TRUPOVE) by Dimitar Dimitrov. 2015 / Color / 116 min, Bulgaria Itzo, who drives a morgue wagon, is loved by young, innocent Mimmy, but prefers tough, experienced Katya who mistreats him. Itzo’s assistant, Buddy, tells him he’s got things all wrong. EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO by Peter Greenaway. 2015 / Color / 105 min, Netherlands – Mexico – Finland – Belgium In 1931, at the height of his artistic powers, Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein travels to Mexico to shoot a new film to be titled Que Viva Mexico! GITEL by Robert Mullan. 2014 / Color / 115 min, United Kingdom – Lithuania September, 5 1969, and Gitel Bargman is about to attend a party to celebrate her 33rd birthday. Racked by guilt simply for being alive, for her it is hardly cause for celebration. GREENERY WILL BLOOM AGAIN (TORNERANNO I PRATI) by Ermanno Olmi. 2014 / Color / 95 min, ItalyDedicated to his father who told him stories of the Great War, Ermanno Olmiís film is a touching slice of life in the First World War trenches on the Italian front. IT’S REALLY KIND OF YOU by So Jae-ick. 2015 / Color / 92 min, South Korea It is late night and raining hard when a strange woman clad only in underwear rushes up to a man who is fishing at the lake, asking for help. Help to do what ? LATIN LOVER by Cristina Comencini. 2014 / Color / 104 min, Italy On the 10th anniversary of the death of Saverio Crispo, Italy’s most famous actor, his 5 daughters, born from different mothers and in different countries, are brought together and get to know each other. MUHAMMAD (Opening Film) by Majid Majidi. 2015 / Color / 171 min, Iran The film does not depict Muhammad himself but his world, the pagan age with all its tyranny and oppression as seen through the eyes of young Muhammad from birth to the age of 13. MY SISTER, THE PIG LADY (DWAEJI GATEUN YEOJA) by Jan Moon-il. 2015 / Color / 104 min, South Korea In a small seaside village where all the young men left for the city, three young women scheme to catch the eye of the only bachelor left in town. NECKAN by Gonzalo Tapia. 2015 / Color / 92 min, Spain In 1956, a young Spaniard arrives in Morocco, soon to be independent, to find out what happened years ago to his family. If he discovers the truth, will it be worth the effort ? SILVER SKIES by Rosemary Rodriguez. 2015 / Color / 96 min, USA A group of eccentric retirees’ lives are turned upside down when their beloved apartment complex is suddenly sold out from under them. But you can never be too old for new beginnings. SIMON by Éric Martin, Emmanuel Causse. 2015 / Color / 96 min, France Simon, a seventeen-year-old boy is diagnosed with cancer — Ewing’s sarcoma. But he’s not about to bow out without leaving his mark on the world. SISKA DELUXE by Ian Cvitkovic. 2015 / Color / 108 min, Slovenia – Czech Republic – Macedonia Longtime friends and losers, Mile, Fedr and Zekir need to rescue their calamitous professional and personal lives. An innovative pizzeria comes to the rescue. THE NEXT GENERATION PATLABOR – TOKYO WAR Mamoru Oshii. 2015 / Color / 93 min Japan / Japan In a world where giant robots are built and used for labour, a special police force of robots is created to handle crimes relating to these machines. THE SECRET OF ITALIA (IL SEGRETO DI ITALIA) by Antonello Belluco. 2014 / Color / 98 min, Italy Italy, May 1945. The war is over. But for a 15-year-old girl called Italia in a small town in the region of Venice, the tragedy has just begun. VIRUS OF FEAR (EL VIRUS DE LA POR) by Ventura Pons. 2015 / Color / 76 min, Spain A small boy is being taught to swim at a Barcelona municipal pool. He he terrified of the water and the swimming instructor tries to calm him with a kiss. He is immediately accused of abuse. WINTER by Heidi Greensmith. 2015 / Color / 95 min, United Kingdom Devastated by the death of his beloved wife, Woods, a successful artist can no longer connect with his two sons. Motherless, will they have to take of him as well ? WOLF TOTEM by Jean-Jacques Annaud. 2015 / Color / 98 min, France – China The story of young Beijing intellectual’s fascination with the wolves he encounters when he’s sent to teach Mandarin to minority nomadic herders in the majestic, scenic grasslands of Inner Mongolia. YOU CAN’T SAVE YOURSELF ALONE (NESSUNO SI SALVA DA SOLO) Sergio Castellitto. 2015 / Color / 103 min, Italy When a separated couple meet to discuss the terms of their children’s holidays, the meal immediately becomes a wide reflection on their past ten years.
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RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN Wins Top Award at 68th Locarno Film Festival | TRAILER

RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN by the South Korean director HONG Sangsoo is the winner of the Pardo d’oro, the top award, of the 68th Locarno Film Festival, along with award for Best Actor. In RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN, film director Ham Chun-su arrives in Suwon a day early by mistake, and has time to kill before his screening with a debate the next day. He stops by a restored, old palace and meets an artist named Yoon Hee-jung who introduces him to her paintings. They spend time together visiting her studio, having sushi and soju for dinner, spending time drinking with Hee-jung’s friends and they end up growing close to each other. But when Chun-su is asked if he is married, he has no choice but to reveal that he is, deeply disappointing Hee-jung. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBjQP6FbQEM THITHI by Indian director Raam Reddy won two top awards, Pardo d’oro Cineasti Del Presente Premio Nescens and Swatch First Feature Award. THITHI tells the story of how three generations of sons react to the death of Century Gowda, their grandfather, a 101-year-old man, in a remote village in South India. The 69th Festival del film Locarno will take August 3 –13, 2016 Concorso internazionale Pardo d’oro JIGEUMEUN MATGO GEUTTAENEUN TEULLIDA (Right Now, Wrong Then) by HONG Sangsoo, South Korea Premio speciale della giuria (Special Jury Prize) TIKKUN by Avishai Sivan, Israel Pardo per la miglior regia (Best direction) ANDRZEJ ZULAWSKI for COSMOS, France/Portugal Pardo per la miglior interpretazione femminile (Best actress) TANAKA SACHIE, KIKUCHI HAZUKI, MIHARA MAIKO, KAWAMURA RIRA for HAPPY HOUR by HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke, Japan Pardo per la miglior interpretazione maschile (Best actor) JUNG JAE-YOUNG for JIGEUMEUN MATGO GEUTTAENEUN TEULLIDA (Right Now, Wrong Then) by HONG Sangsoo, South Korea Special Mention For the script of HAPPY HOUR by HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke, Japan For the cinematography by Shai Goldman for TIKKUN by Avishai Sivan, Israel Concorso Cineasti del presente Pardo d’oro Cineasti del presente – Premio Nescens THITHI by Raam Reddy, India/USA/Canada Premio speciale della giuria Ciné+ Cineasti del presente (Special Jury prize) DEAD SLOW AHEAD by Mauro Herce, Spain/France Premio per il miglior regista emergente (Prize for the best emerging director) LU BIAN YE CAN (Kaili Blues) by BI Gan, China First Feature Swatch First Feature Award (Prize for Best First Feature) THITHI by Raam Reddy, India/USA/Canada Swatch Art Peace Hotel Award SINA ATAEIAN DENA for MA DAR BEHESHT (Paradise), Iran/Gemany Special Mentions LU BIAN YE CAN (Kaili Blues) by BI Gan, China KIEV/MOSCOW. PART 1 by Elena Khoreva, Russia/Estonia/Ukraine Pardi di domani Concorso internazionale Pardino d’oro per il miglior cortometraggio internazionale – Premio SRG SSR MAMA by Davit Pirtskhalava, Georgia Pardino d’argento SRG SSR per il Concorso internazionale LA IMPRESIÓN DE UNA GUERRA by Camilo Restrepo, France/Colombia Locarno Nomination for the European Film Awards – Premio Pianifica FILS DU LOUP by Lola Quivoron, France Premio Film und Video Untertitelung MAMA by Davit Pirtskhalava, Georgia Special Mention NUEVA VIDA by Kiro Russo, Argentina/Bolivia Concorso nazionale Pardino d’oro per il miglior cortometraggio svizzero – Premio Swiss Life LE BARRAGE by Samuel Grandchamp, Switzerland/USA Pardino d’argento Swiss Life per il Concorso nazionale D’OMBRES ET D’AILES by Eleonora Marinoni, Elice Meng, Switzerland/France Best Swiss Newcomer Award LES MONTS S’EMBRASENT by Laura Morales, Switzerland Prix du Public UBS DER STAAT GEGEN FRITZ BAUER by Lars Kraume, Germany Variety Piazza Grande Award LA BELLE SAISON by Catherine Corsini, France
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14 Latin American Films on Horizontes Latinos Program at 63rd San Sebastian Festival

The Horizontes Latinos program of the 63rd San Sebastian Festival will feature fourteen films from Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Cuba, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela.

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