Maryland Film Festival revealed the first 10 films on the lineup for the upcoming 17th annual festival, which will take place May 6 to 10, 2015, in downtown Baltimore.
The first ten feature films announced for MFF 2015 include Stanley Nelson’s Black Panthers documentary, The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution; Kris Swanberg’s Unexpected; Olivia Wyatt’s look at Moken culture, Sailing a Sinking Sea; and Eugene Kotlyarenko’s rom-com, A Wonderful Cloud. Also announced for MFF 2015 is the world premiere of Stephen Cone’s coming-of-age drama Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party.
THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION (Stanley Nelson) Master documentarian Stanley Nelson has demonstrated an unparalleled ability to bring history to life with films such as Freedom Summer; The Murder of Emmett Till; andJonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple. Here he turns his lens on the revolutionary Black Panther Party and the various cultural forces that worked to support or destroy the group, creating an essential portrait of a singular radical moment in the American experience.
BREAKING A MONSTER (Luke Meyer) Viral-video sensation Unlocking the Truth, a teenage metal buzz-band from Brooklyn, navigate the bizarre current state of the record industry in this fascinating, fist-pumping, and often hilarious documentary. Fresh from its premiere at SXSW, this exceptional rock doc follows the band as they sign a major-label record deal and are suddenly caught up in an adult-driven world of contracts, tours, interviews, and branding. From Luke Meyer, co-director of MFF 2006 hit Darkon.
FUNNY BUNNY (Alison Bagnall) The writer/director of The Dish & the Spoon returns with this offbeat, infectious mix of comedy and drama. Kentucker Audley stars as an obesity-awareness canvasser who strikes up a friendship with a wealthy, emancipated 19-year-old named Titty (Olly Alexander) and the animal-rights-activist object of Titty’s desire, Ginger (Joslyn Jensen). Co-starring Josephine Decker, Louis Cancelmi, and Anna Margaret Hollyman.
HENRY GAMBLE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY (Stephen Cone) A pool party celebrating the seventeenth birthday of Henry Gamble (Cole Doman), the son of a megachurch preacher (Pat Healy), sets the stage for this expertly observed ensemble drama. As sunny skies fade into moonlight, director Stephen Cone (The Wise Kids, Black Box) offers a subtle and insightful portrait of a community full of pressures and secrets —exploring identity, sexuality, and organized religion in the process. World premiere.
SAILING A SINKING SEA (Olivia Wyatt) This experimental documentary, which premiered at SXSW, looks at the traditional lifestyle of the Moken people, a seafaring community of Burma and Thailand. Olivia Wyatt’s gorgeous and immersive film transports viewers deep into the turquoise sea and onto thirteen different islands, giving us intimate access to a culture where shamans, mermaids, and sea gods collide with present-day practices. Executive-produced by Will Oldham.
STINKING HEAVEN (Nathan Silver) This ultra-dark comedy looks at a communal home for sober living in 1990s suburban New Jersey, which spirals into dysfunctional decline when an outsider arrives on the scene. Director Nathan Silver’s film boasts an uncompromising visual aesthetic that goes against the grain of contemporary indie filmmaking—not to mention a fantastic cast that includes Deragh Campbell, Hannah Gross, Keith Poulson, and Eleonore Hendricks.
TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL (Jeffrey Schwarz) Top-notch documentary biographer Jeffrey Schwarz has captivated MFF audiences with definitive looks at iconic personalities William Castle, Vito Russo, and Divine. Now he delivers the warm and intimate story of 1950s Hollywood heartthrob Tab Hunter, who simultaneously balanced a stratospheric career on the silver screen with a secret life as a gay man. From his rise to stardom to his reinvention as a cult-film star with John Waters—and a number of fascinating surprises—it’s all here.
UNEXPECTED (Kris Swanberg) High-school science teacher Samantha (Cobie Smulders), already dealing with stress and uncertainty as her low-income school prepares to close, finds out she’s pregnant. When she discovers her favorite student Jasmine (Gail Bean) is also with child, the two form a tight and unconventional bond. From Kris Swanberg (whose earlier features Empire Builder and It was great, but I was ready to come home. both screened within MFF) comes this refreshing character study that mines honest emotions and the quiet battlefields of love and friendship for real beauty and insight.
WELCOME TO LEITH (pictured above) (Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) This edge-of-your-seat documentary follows the arrival of notorious white supremacist Craig Cobb to a small town in North Dakota, where he promptly buys up land for like-minded collaborators and disrupts town council meetings, leading to fears that he plans a neo-Nazi takeover. As his behavior escalates further into the outrageous and threatens to get violent, a once-placid community must decide how to react.
A WONDERFUL CLOUD (Eugene Kotlyarenko) When his ex-girlfriend visits him in Los Angeles to resolve some lingering business entanglements, Eugene seeks to revisit old feelings, and introduces her to an LA populated by a wild cast of artists, scenesters, and eccentrics. Variety called this gleefully anarchic romantic comedy “a raucous, wholly improvised 21st-century Annie Hall.” Starring director Kotlyarenko (whose 0s & 1s had its world premiere at MFF 2010) and Kate Lyn Sheil (Sun Don’t Shine, House of Cards).Film Festivals
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Maryland Film Festival Unveils First 10 Films on 2015 Lineup
Maryland Film Festival revealed the first 10 films on the lineup for the upcoming 17th annual festival, which will take place May 6 to 10, 2015, in downtown Baltimore.
The first ten feature films announced for MFF 2015 include Stanley Nelson’s Black Panthers documentary, The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution; Kris Swanberg’s Unexpected; Olivia Wyatt’s look at Moken culture, Sailing a Sinking Sea; and Eugene Kotlyarenko’s rom-com, A Wonderful Cloud. Also announced for MFF 2015 is the world premiere of Stephen Cone’s coming-of-age drama Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party.
THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION (Stanley Nelson) Master documentarian Stanley Nelson has demonstrated an unparalleled ability to bring history to life with films such as Freedom Summer; The Murder of Emmett Till; andJonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple. Here he turns his lens on the revolutionary Black Panther Party and the various cultural forces that worked to support or destroy the group, creating an essential portrait of a singular radical moment in the American experience.
BREAKING A MONSTER (Luke Meyer) Viral-video sensation Unlocking the Truth, a teenage metal buzz-band from Brooklyn, navigate the bizarre current state of the record industry in this fascinating, fist-pumping, and often hilarious documentary. Fresh from its premiere at SXSW, this exceptional rock doc follows the band as they sign a major-label record deal and are suddenly caught up in an adult-driven world of contracts, tours, interviews, and branding. From Luke Meyer, co-director of MFF 2006 hit Darkon.
FUNNY BUNNY (Alison Bagnall) The writer/director of The Dish & the Spoon returns with this offbeat, infectious mix of comedy and drama. Kentucker Audley stars as an obesity-awareness canvasser who strikes up a friendship with a wealthy, emancipated 19-year-old named Titty (Olly Alexander) and the animal-rights-activist object of Titty’s desire, Ginger (Joslyn Jensen). Co-starring Josephine Decker, Louis Cancelmi, and Anna Margaret Hollyman.
HENRY GAMBLE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY (Stephen Cone) A pool party celebrating the seventeenth birthday of Henry Gamble (Cole Doman), the son of a megachurch preacher (Pat Healy), sets the stage for this expertly observed ensemble drama. As sunny skies fade into moonlight, director Stephen Cone (The Wise Kids, Black Box) offers a subtle and insightful portrait of a community full of pressures and secrets —exploring identity, sexuality, and organized religion in the process. World premiere.
SAILING A SINKING SEA (Olivia Wyatt) This experimental documentary, which premiered at SXSW, looks at the traditional lifestyle of the Moken people, a seafaring community of Burma and Thailand. Olivia Wyatt’s gorgeous and immersive film transports viewers deep into the turquoise sea and onto thirteen different islands, giving us intimate access to a culture where shamans, mermaids, and sea gods collide with present-day practices. Executive-produced by Will Oldham.
STINKING HEAVEN (Nathan Silver) This ultra-dark comedy looks at a communal home for sober living in 1990s suburban New Jersey, which spirals into dysfunctional decline when an outsider arrives on the scene. Director Nathan Silver’s film boasts an uncompromising visual aesthetic that goes against the grain of contemporary indie filmmaking—not to mention a fantastic cast that includes Deragh Campbell, Hannah Gross, Keith Poulson, and Eleonore Hendricks.
TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL (Jeffrey Schwarz) Top-notch documentary biographer Jeffrey Schwarz has captivated MFF audiences with definitive looks at iconic personalities William Castle, Vito Russo, and Divine. Now he delivers the warm and intimate story of 1950s Hollywood heartthrob Tab Hunter, who simultaneously balanced a stratospheric career on the silver screen with a secret life as a gay man. From his rise to stardom to his reinvention as a cult-film star with John Waters—and a number of fascinating surprises—it’s all here.
UNEXPECTED (Kris Swanberg) High-school science teacher Samantha (Cobie Smulders), already dealing with stress and uncertainty as her low-income school prepares to close, finds out she’s pregnant. When she discovers her favorite student Jasmine (Gail Bean) is also with child, the two form a tight and unconventional bond. From Kris Swanberg (whose earlier features Empire Builder and It was great, but I was ready to come home. both screened within MFF) comes this refreshing character study that mines honest emotions and the quiet battlefields of love and friendship for real beauty and insight.
WELCOME TO LEITH (pictured above) (Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) This edge-of-your-seat documentary follows the arrival of notorious white supremacist Craig Cobb to a small town in North Dakota, where he promptly buys up land for like-minded collaborators and disrupts town council meetings, leading to fears that he plans a neo-Nazi takeover. As his behavior escalates further into the outrageous and threatens to get violent, a once-placid community must decide how to react.
A WONDERFUL CLOUD (Eugene Kotlyarenko) When his ex-girlfriend visits him in Los Angeles to resolve some lingering business entanglements, Eugene seeks to revisit old feelings, and introduces her to an LA populated by a wild cast of artists, scenesters, and eccentrics. Variety called this gleefully anarchic romantic comedy “a raucous, wholly improvised 21st-century Annie Hall.” Starring director Kotlyarenko (whose 0s & 1s had its world premiere at MFF 2010) and Kate Lyn Sheil (Sun Don’t Shine, House of Cards).
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Norman Lear to Receive “Outstanding TV Writer” Award at 2015 Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival (AFF), will honor Norman Lear with the “Outstanding Television Writer” Award at the 22nd Annual Austin Film Festival, taking place October 29-November 5, 2015.
Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in television and film, and as a political and social activist and philanthropist.
Mr. Lear began his television writing career in 1950 when he and his partner, Ed Simmons, were signed to write forThe Ford Star Revue, starring Jack Haley. After only four shows, they were hired away by Jerry Lewis to write for him and Dean Martin on The Colgate Comedy Hour, where they worked until the end of 1953. They then spent two years on The Martha Raye Show, after which Mr. Lear worked on his own for The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show and The George Gobel Show.
In 1958, Mr. Lear teamed with director Bud Yorkin to form Tandem Productions. Together they produced several feature films, with Mr. Lear taking on roles as executive producer, writer, and director. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1967 for his script for Divorce American Style. In 1970, CBS signed with Tandem to produce All in the Family, which first aired on January 12, 1971 and ran for nine seasons. It earned four Emmy Awards for Best Comedy series as well as the Peabody Award in 1977. All in the Family was followed by a succession of other television hit shows including Maude, Sanford and Son, Good Times, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.
Mr. Lear’s memoir, Even This I Get to Experience, was published in October 2014 by The Penguin Press.
Austin Film Festival annually recognizes an Outstanding Television Writer for their collective body of work that has elevated and heavily contributed to the culture of television. Previous Award recipients have been Chris Carter, David Chase, Vince Gilligan, Mitch Hurwitz, Mike Judge, David Milch, Garry Shandling, David Simon, and Matthew Weiner, among others.
Lear joins a strong roundup of Panelists confirmed to speak at the 22nd Annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference, including:
Andrea Berloff, writer World Trade Center
Shane Black, writer/director Iron Man 3, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang; writer Lethal Weapon, Last Action Hero
Michael Botti, Manager at Industry Entertainment
VJ Boyd, writer/producer Justified
Jack Burditt, creator Last Man Standing; writer/executive producer The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Mindy Project, 30 Rock; writer/co-producer Fraiser
Katie Dippold, writer The Heat, Parks and Recreation, MADtv
Seth Grahame-Smith, writer Dark Shadows, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Matthew Gross, President, EuropaCorp TV Studios; producer Sons of Liberty, Body of Proof, Across the Universe
James V. Hart, writer Hook, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Contact, Muppet Treasure Island, August Rush, Epic
Jason Headley, writer/director It’s Not About the Nail, At The Bar, To Say Goodbye
Barry Josephson, Josephson Entertainment; producer Enchanted, Hide and Seek, The Last Boy Scout, Someone Marry Barry; executive producer Turn, Bones
Aaron Kaplan, Manager at Kapital Entertainment, Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment
Casper Kelly, creator/writer/director Too Many Cooks, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell; writer Squidbillies
Todd Kessler, co-creator Bloodline
Craig Kestel, Agent at WME Entertainment
Adam Kolbrenner, Co-founder Madhouse Entertainment
Gary Lennon, producer Black Box, Orange is the New Black, Justified, The Shield
David Lowery, writer/director Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Pioneer, Pete’s Dragon (2016), writer Pit Stop
Jenny Lumet, writer Rachel Getting Married
Maggie Malone, Head of Creative Affairs at Disney Animation Studios
Kelly Marcel, writer Saving Mr. Banks, Fifty Shades of Grey; writer/executive producer Terra Nova
George Pelecanos, writer/producer Treme, The Pacific, The Wire, novelist
Nicole Perlman, writer Guardians of the Galaxy
Chris Provenzano, co-executive producer/writer Justified; writer Mad Men
Pamela Ribon, writer at Walt Disney Animation Studios; writer Romantically Challenged, Samantha Who?
Phil Rosenthal, creator Everybody Loves Raymond; writer/director Exporting Raymond
Terry Rossio, writer Shrek, Aladdin, The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, The Mask of Zorro
John Swetnam, writer Step Up: All In, Evidence, Into the Storm, Breaking Through
David Wain, creator Stella, Wainy Days; writer/director Wet Hot American Summer; director Role Models
Ron Yerxa, producer Bona Fide Productions, Nebraska, Little Miss Sunshine, Ruby Sparks, Election, Cold Mountain, The Ice Harvest, executive producer The Leftovers
The 2015 Austin Film Festival and Screenwriters Conference will once again present over 150 panels on the art and craft of storytelling featuring a slate comprised entirely of working film, television, and new media industry professionals. In addition to over a dozen parties and nearly 200 film premieres, AFF is adding more networking opportunities this year, including a “Screenwriters Lounge” which will serve as a dedicated space to set meetings and write. The 22nd Annual Austin Film Festival and Conference takes place October 29th through November 5th, 2015.
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Cine Las Americas International Film Festival Announces 2015 Film Lineup
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival announced its 2015 program, including the Hecho en Tejas showcases. All films are presented in English or with English subtitles (if English is not the original language). The 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival is scheduled for April 22-26, 2015, in Austin, Texas.
The full festival lineup includes 41 feature films, 49 short films, and 5 music videos, in representation of 18 countries’ participation in production and co-production of the films.
Hecho en Tejas films are shot and/or produced in Texas and showcase the wide variety of work by filmmakers with varied backgrounds and experience. This year, the Hecho en Tejas program includes two feature films, six short films, and two music videos.
About the Hecho en Tejas Films
Features
Agave is Life (pictured above)
Dir. David Brown, Meredith Dreiss
Historical/Cultural Documentary, 2014
AGAVE IS LIFE is the story of mankind’s alliance with the agave plant, from which tequila is derived. Told through the lens of archaeological and historical investigations, and narrated by Edward James Olmos, the film explores ten thousand years of the human-agave relationship. Once a critical resource for hunter-gatherers, agave was a source of food, drink, textiles, fuel, and medicines. We learn that this unique desert plant, once embedded in cultural identity, mythology, art, and rituals, faces an uncertain future. Today, ancient folkways, from fiber craftsmanship to traditional pulque and mescal productions, are rapidly disappearing. While entrepreneurs and scientists work to turn the tide, a loss of diversity of both cultivated and wild species may be the ultimate arbitrator.
What’s the Use?
Dir. Nicole Elmer
Alternative/Comedy/Drama, 2014
Seventeen year-old Sara defends her pride from a career oriented greasy-spoon waitress and her potty mouth. In the gymnastics of her self-defense, she recalls the night when she moved home to live with her father Tony, a skinny loser fresh out of rehab. Determined to start their lives over, he throws her a birthday party, only to have it wrecked by Shy, a dangerous loan shark. Pissed by her father’s passive retreat into his bedroom, Sara sets off to find Shy and take care of her father’s debt on her own. On her journey through the 4th of July heat of Austin, Texas, she meets a love-starved perfectionist, a professional Love Guru, and an eccentric who is planning a painless suicide. Finally reaching Shy, he pushes her fragile ego to the edge, where she is forced to finally see her family’s dark secret and realize she might be her own greatest enemy.
Shorts
¿Por qué el recuerdo? (The Solitude of Memory), Dir. Juan Pablo González
El fuego detrás (The Fire Behind), Dir. Leo Aguirre
Jornaleras (Women Workers), Dir. Marcela Moran
Morgan Robyn Collado, Dir. Danea Johnson
Sunrise, Dir. Diego Rico
Yo soy Juan (I am Juan), Dir. Patrick Rangel
Music Videos
El marinero y la sirena (The Sailor and the Mermaid), Dir. Patricia Vonne
Whispers and Dreams, Dir. Sharon Arteaga
Film Titles from Full Program, by Program Section
New Releases
OPENING NIGHT: The Martini Shot, Dir. Demetrius Navarro, USA
CLOSING NIGHT: Mr. Kaplan, Dir. Álvaro Brechner, Spain/Uruguay/Germany
ADDITIONAL TITLES:
Buscando a Gastón (Finding Gaston), Dir. Patricia Perez, USA/Peru
Castanha, Dir. Davi Pretto, Brazil
Dólares de arena (Sand Dollars), Dir. Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán, Argentina/Mexico/Dominican Republic
Feriado (Holiday), Dir. Diego Araujo, Ecuador/Argentina
La isla minima (Marshland), Dir. Alberto Rodríguez, Spain
La voz en off (Voice Over), Dir. Cristián Jiménez, Chile/France/Canada
The Lodge, Dir. Terril Calder, Canada
This May Be the Last Time, Dir. Sterlin Harjo, USA
Tres D (Three D), Dir. Rosendo Ruíz, Argentina
Viejos amigos (Good Old Boys), Dir. Fernando Villarán, Peru
Narrative Feature Competition
Climas, Dir. Enrica Pérez, Peru
El futuro (The Future), Dir. Luis López Carrasco, Spain
Los enemigos del dolor (The Enemies of Pain), Dir. Arauco Hernandez, Uruguay
O Último Cine Drive-in (The Last Drive-in Theater), Dir. Iberê Carvalho, Brazil
Viento aparte (A Separate Wind), Dir. Alejandro Gerber Bicecci, Mexico
Documentary Feature Competition
Gazelle – The Love Issue, Dir. Cesar Terranova, Brazil/French Polynesia/USA
Hotel Nueva Isla, Dir. Irene Gutierrez, Javier Labrador, Cuba/Spain
La Violencia: The Untold Truths of Guatemala, Dir. Pia Janning, Til Frohlich, Ireland/Guatemala
Poder e impotencia, Un drama en 3 actos (Power and Impotence: A Drama in 3 Acts), Dir. Anna Recalde Miranda, Paraguay/France/Italy
Tres mujeres guerreras (Three Women Warriors), Dir. Alexander Preuss, Germany/Colombia
Ambulante Showcase
El hogar al revés (Upside Down Home), Dir. Itzel Martínez del Cañizo, Mexico
H20mx, Dir. José Cohen, Mexico
Retratos de una búsqueda (Portraits of a Search), Dir. Alicia Calderón, Mexico
Panorama Features
Algún lugar (On the Road, Somewhere), Dir. Guillermo Zouain, Dominican Republic
Anatomía de un vestido (Anatomy of a Dress), Dir. Flora Pérez Garay, Puerto Rico
Asolagados (Flooded), Dir. David Vázquez Vázquez, Spain
Ati y Mindhiva (As the Tree Under the Hurricane), Dir. Claudia Fischer, Colombia
BKLYN 11211, Dir. Zac73dragon, Spain/Bolivia/USA
Chuy, El hombre lobo (Chuy, The Wolf Man), Dir. Eva Aridjis, Mexico
Dos Aguas (Two Waters), Dir. Patricia Velásquez, Costa Rica/Colombia
Flory’s Flame, Dir. Curt Fissel, USA
Genoveva, Dir. Paola Castillo Villagran, Chile
Icaros, Dir. Georgina Barreiro, Argentina/Peru
Les indiens, l’aigle et le dindon (The Indians, the Eagle and the Turkey), Dir. Iphigénie Marcoux-Fortier, Karine van Ameringen, Canada
Movimientos espectaculares (Spectacular Movements), Dir. Mateo Hinojosa, Bolivia/USA/Venezuela
Oil & Water, Dir. Francine Strickwerda, Laurel Spellman Smith, USA
Salgán & Salgán: A Father-Son Tango, Dir. Caroline Neal, Argentina
Narrative Shorts Competition
Bolero para surfear en Moravia (Bolero for Surfing in Moravia), Dir. Valerio Mendoza Guillén, Venezuela/Czech Republic
El sermón de la montaña (Sermon on the Mount), Dir. Pepe Puertas Piñero, Spain
Indigo, Dir. Amanda Strong, Canada
La carta (The Letter), Dir. Mara Soler, Mexico
Leonard Peres, Dir. Missy Hernandez, USA
Documentary Shorts Competition
Dona Rosa, Dir. Mathias Mangin, Lucas Mandacaru, Brazil
Elena Asins – Génesis, Dir. Álvaro Giménez Sarmiento, Spain
Flor de la mar (Flower of the Sea), Dir. Jorge Thielen Armand, Venezuela
I Was Born in Mexico, But…, Dir. Corey Ohama, USA
Nuestro hogar (Our Home), Dir. Detsy “Mara” Barrigon, Iván Jaripio, Panama
Music Videos
C.T.R.L, Dir. Mariana Conde, United Kingdom
El marinero y la sirena (The Sailor and the Mermaid), Dir. Patricia Vonne, USA (Hecho en Tejas)
La ciudad (The City), Dir. Javier Orman, Tom Farrell, USA
Nitahkôtân (I Have Arrived), Dir. Moe Clark, Canada
Whispers and Dreams, Dir. Sharon Arteaga, USA (Hecho en Tejas)
Indigenous Shorts Program – Retrospective
Día 2 (Day 2), Dir. Dante Cerano Bautista, Mexico
Late, Dir. Christi Bertelsen, USA
Mohawk Midnight Runners, Dir. Zoe Leigh Hopkins, Canada
Poi Dogs, Dir. Joel Moffett, USA
Roberta, Dir. Caroline Monnet, Canada
Search for the World’s Best Indian Taco, Dir. Steven Judd, USA
Smoke Break, Dir. Sally Kewayosh, USA
Panorama Shorts
2 and 2, are 4, Dir. Pedro Sena Nunes, Portugal
Aceito (I Do), Dir. Felipe Cabral, Brazil
Beyond Recognition, Dir. Michelle Grace Steinberg, USA
Bloodlines, Dir. Christopher Cegielski, USA
Caballo de mar (Knight of the Seas), Dir. Fernando Alcántara, Iñaki Gaztañaga, Spain
Deseo (Desire), Dir. Carolina Cortella, Argentina
En la orilla (At the Edge), Dir. Liza Hoos, Xavier Basurto, Mexico
Inch’ Allah, Dir. Angélica Romanini, Mexico
Nudo (Knot), Dir. Juliana Gómez Castañeda, Cuba
Soberano papeleo (Sovereign Paperwork), Dir. Lala Severi, Uruguay
Una pared (A Wall), Dir. Javier Ferreiro, Cuba
YO, la PEOR de TODAS (I, the WORST of ALL), Dir. Francisco Lupini, USA
Emergencia “Youth Film” Special Presentation
Cine Joven Latinitas Showcase, Various Directors, USA
Emergencia “Youth Film” Competition Lineup
A Harmonious Cacophony, Dir. Marielle Boland, Isabela Reid, USA
A Pirate’s Life, Dir. Isabella Olaguera, Nick Haaf, USA
Can I Help You?, Dir. Pedro Salles Leite, Brazil
Ella (Elle), Dir. David Hebrero, Spain
Growing, Dir. Allison Coon-Come, Canada
Háblame (Talk to Me), Dir. Alba Linares, Spain
Kayna Wawaiki Jamuni (Now I Come as Your Son), Dir. Nicolas Page, Chile
La boda de las calaveras, Dir. Ricardo Miguel Salazar, USA
Little Red, Dir. Wynter Rhys, USA
Never Comes Easy, Dir. Naate, Canada
Pleasant, Dir. Miranda Whitus, USA
Sin madre (Without A Mother), Dir. Buffy Almendares, USA
The Lonely Baker, Dir. Cyntheara Tham, Allison McInerney, Ayanna Marte, USA
The Only Road, Dir. Sergio Valencia, Nathan Miguel, Alan Bagh, USA
For the 18th consecutive year, Austin will serve as host to a wide range of international films and filmmakers as the festival creates networking opportunities for industry professionals, and provides a rich cultural experience for statewide audiences. The festival will showcase contemporary films from the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Iberian Peninsula. All films are presented in English and/or subtitled.
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Actress Isabella Rossellini to Preside over Un Certain Regard Jury at 2015 Cannes Film Festival
Italian-American actress and director Isabella Rossellini will preside over the Un Certain Regard Jury, the Official Selection of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. The lineup of the twenty films comprising the Official Selection along with the films In Competition, will be announced on April 16th.
The daughter of Italian director Roberto Rossellini and Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman, to whom this year’s Festival de Cannes is to pay tribute, Isabella began her cinematic career alongside her father as a dresser, before becoming acting for the Taviani Brothers – family friends who gave her a role in The Meadow (1979). Her career quickly took an international turn, with White Nights by Taylor Hackford (1985), Tough Guys Don’t Dance by Norman Mailer (1987), Les Yeux noirs (1987) by Nikita Mikhalkov, Blue Velvet (1986) and then Wild at Heart (1990) by David Lynch, for whom she played a number of mysterious and tortured female roles. She went on to star in a wider variety of guises for both television and film in Italy and America but returned to arthouse cinema with Abel Ferrara’s The Funeral (1996), and Two Lovers by James Gray (2008), in which she played a role of remarkable intensity. In 2010 she appeared in The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Saverio Costanzo. In 2008 following a request from Robert Redford, she threw herself into directing a miniseries devoted to the reproduction, seduction techniques and maternal behaviour of animals. Green Porno, Seduce me and Mammas– all produced by SundanceTV – revealed her irresistible comic talent and off-beat sense of humour. Isabella Rossellini and Jean-Claude Carrière then made a scenic version entitled Animals Distracted Me, which toured the world to great acclaim. At the Festival de Cannes, Isabella Rossellini will take part in the tribute to her mother by attending the screening of Ingrid Bergman, in Her Own Words, a documentary by Stig Björkman being shown as part of the Cannes Classics. She will also launch her own ‘Ingrid Bergman Tribute’ to celebrate the centenary of her mother’s birth. The show, directed by Guido Torlonia and Ludovica Damiani, will be based on both her autobiography and her correspondence with Roberto Rossellini and will play on some at the world’s major theatres. With the help of a soon-to-be-announced Jury made up of artists, journalists and festival directors, Isabella Rossellini will award the Un Certain Regard Prize and meet the winners on Saturday 23rd of May, on the eve of the closing ceremony. The 2014 Un Certain Regard was awarded by President of the Jury Pablo Trapero to White God directed byKornél Mundruczó.
image via flickr: Isabella Rossellini and Guy Maddin in Conversation | Aug 24, 2013 Isabella Rossellini and Guy Maddin in Conversation Aug 24, 2013 Wexner Center for the Arts The Ohio State University
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Ambulante to Showcase Mexican Documentary Films at 2015 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_7862" align="alignnone" width="1180"]
EL HOGAR AL REVÉS / UPSIDE DOWN HOME[/caption]
Cine Las Americas is partnering with Ambulante to present a special series of three documentary films at the 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, taking place April 22-26, 2015. The Ambulante Showcase screenings will take place at 8pm on three consecutive evenings, Thursday April 23rd, Friday April 24th, and Saturday April 25th, in the Jones Auditorium at the Ragsdale Center, located on the campus of St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX. The screenings are free and open to the public.
Ambulante was founded in 2005 by Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Pablo Cruz and Elena Fortes,and is a Mexico based non-profit organization that annually organizes an international documentary film festival, touring Mexico for three months. Through the presentation of films, workshops, talks, seminars, networking panels, and documentary theater, Ambulante opens up different ways of experiencing and understanding documentary film. The Ambulante festival is currently holding its 10th edition, which will be closing in the state of Oaxaca next May 3 after 92 days on tour.
“For Cine Las Americas, this partnership with Ambulante represents an opportunity to share with our festival audience a series of films in line with both organizations’ missions,” said Cine Las Americas Festival Director Jean Lauer. “Ambulante’s mission to ‘cultivate new forms of expression and encourage debate’ compliments Cine’s objective of ‘promote cross-cultural understanding … through film and media arts.’ We are confident that this is the beginning of a long-term collaboration in support of documentary films and discourse around important contemporary issues.”
The Ambulante showcase during the 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival will be hosted by special guest Christine Davila, Director of Ambulante California. The showcase consists of three documentary films from Mexico, exploring contemporary issues that resonate across the border. EL HOGAR AL REVÉS / UPSIDE DOWN HOME (2014), a moving portrait directed by Itzel Martínez del Cañizo, presents the lives of women looking forward and chasing their dreams, while working day and night, and shines a light on their children, who learn to survive without their mother’s available daily presence. RETRATOS DE UNA BÚQUEDA / PORTRAITS OF A SEARCH (2014), directed by Alicia Calderón, is a window into the impact of the Mexican drug war and specifically how thousands of mothers search for their missing daughters and sons as a result of the war. H2OMX (2014), directed by José Cohen and Lorenzo Hagerman, examines the question of whether Mexico City, with over 20 million residents, can avert disaster and become water-sustainable.
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Cannes Film Festival Pays Tribute to Ingrid Bergman with 2015 Official Poster
The 68th Festival de Cannes taking place May 13 to 24, 2015, has chosen to pay tribute to Ingrid Bergman with this year’s poster.
This year’s poster captures the actress, who worked with Alfred Hitchcock, Roberto Rossellini and Ingmar Bergman, and starred opposite Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and Gregory Peck, in all her beauty, her face lit up by a calm serenity that seems to herald a promising future.
Liberty, audacity, modernity – values also shared by the Festival, year after year, through the artists and films it showcases. Ingrid Bergman, who was President of the Jury in 1973, encouraged this journey…
“My family and I are deeply moved that the Festival de Cannes has chosen to feature our magnificent mother on the official poster to mark the centenary of her birth,” said Isabella Rossellini. “Her outstanding career covered so many countries, from the smallest European independent films to the greatest Hollywood productions. Mum adored working as an actress: for her acting was not a profession but vocation. As she put it, ‘I didn’t choose acting, acting chose me.’ ”
Based on a photograph by David Seymour, co-founder of Magnum Agency, Hervé Chigioni, who also created for last year’s remarkable Festival poster, was once again behind this year’s image, with his graphic designer Gilles Frappier.
He has also produced an animated film based on the visual, featuring a remix of the Festival’s theme music, “The Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns, arranged by two Swedish musicians, Patrik Andersson and Andreas Söderström.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoLzAj0WmO0
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Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Rapaport, Steve Buscemi Among Jurors for 2015 Tribeca Film Festival
The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), today announced its jurors – a diverse group of 34 industry leaders, including award-winning filmmakers, producers, acclaimed actors, authors and entrepreneurs. The jury will be divided among the seven competitive Festival categories. The winning films, filmmakers and actors in each category will be announced at the TFF Awards Night ceremony on April 23 at Spring Studios. The 2015 Festival runs from April 15 –26.
“The group of unique voices and perspectives that make up this year’s jury are sure to spark thoughtful discussion – and perhaps some friendly debate – around this year’s films,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival.
The seven TFF juries will award $150,000 in cash and prizes. Announced earlier this year, eight of the winners will also receive a work of original art by an acclaimed artist as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program, sponsored by CHANEL. In addition to the Festival’s main competition juries, the five jurors for the third annual $25,000 Nora Ephron Prize, sponsored by Coach, recognizing a female writer or director, were also announced.
Following is a list of all 2015 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories
The jurors for the 2015 World Narrative Competition, sponsored by AKA, are:
Paul Attanasio: Paul Attanasio is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter and producer whose credits include Quiz Show, Donnie Brasco, The Good German, and House: MD.
Sophie Barthes: Sophie Barthes is a French-American director and screenwriter best known for her directorial feature film debut Cold Souls.
Whoopi Goldberg: One of an elite group of artists who have won an Academy, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Awards. Film and television credits include The Color Purple, Ghost, Sister Act, Boys on the Side, The Lion King,For Colored Girls, and The View on ABC. She made her directorial debut with the 2013 TFF selection Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley.
Dylan McDermott: Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee, Dylan McDermott currently stars in the CBS drama Stalker. Other projects he has starred in were American Horror Story, and the films Olympus Has Fallenand The Campaign.
Burr Steers: Burr Steers is a filmmaker best known for his writing and/or directing Igby Goes Down, 17 Again and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
The jurors for the 2015 World Documentary Competition, sponsored by Santander Bank, N.A., are:
Diego Bunuel: Diego Buñuel, the grandson of the legendary Spanish film director Luis Buñuel, is a Franco-American filmmaker and the new Head of Documentaries on Canal Plus since October 2014.
Tine Fischer: Tine Fischer is the founder and CEO of one of the leading international documentary film festivals CPH:DOX as well as the director and founder of CPH:LAB and CPH:FORUM.
David Gelb: David Gelb has directed a variety of both fiction and non-fiction projects, most notable the critically acclaimed documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
Joshua Rothkopf: Joshua Rothkopf, film critic who is currently the Film Editor at Time Out New York.
Gloria Steinem: Gloria Steinem is a writer, lecturer, editor, feminist activist, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She is the frequent media spokeswoman on issues of equality.
Emerging Competition Categories
The jurors for the 2015 Best New Narrative Director are:
Mark Boal: Mark Boal is a two-time Oscar winner for producing and writing Best Picture winner The Hurt Locker, and a two-time Oscar-nominee for producing and writing Best Picture nominee Zero Dark Thirty.
Minnie Driver: Minnie Driver is an accomplished recording artist and Academy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and Emmy Award nominee who currently stars on NBC’s comedy, About a Boy.
Don Hertzfeldt: Don Hertzfeldt is an Oscar-nominated American independent filmmaker whose animated films include It’s Such a Beautiful Day, The Meaning of Life, Rejected, and World of Tomorrow.
Cobie Smulders: Cobie is a Canadian actress better known for her roles as Robin Sherbatzky in How I Met Your Mother and Agent Maria Hill in the Avenger Series.
Joana Vicente: Joana Vicente is an award winning producer who has collaborated with filmmakers such as Jim Jarmush, Todd Solondz, Alex Gibney & Brian De Palma.
The jurors for the 2015 Best New Documentary Director are:
Rachel Boynton: Rachel Boynton is an award winning producer and director best known for the documentaries Our Brand is Crisis and Big Men.
Lola Kirke: Lola Kirke is a British-American actress known for her roles in Gone Girl, Mistress America, Free the Nipple, to name a few and soon to be seen in Fallen.
Will Patton: Will Patton is an American actor starring in over 60 feature films and best known for his roles in Remember the Titans, Armageddon, The Mothman Prophecies, and No Way Out.
Alison Pill: Alison Pill is a critically acclaimed film and stage actress who most recently starred in the Joon-ho Bong directed, Snowpiercer.
Michael Rapaport: Native New Yorker Michael Rapaport is an actor and director who has appeared in over 50 feature films including True Romance, Beautiful Girls, Mighty Aphrodite, and Higher Learning.
Short Film Competition Categories
The jurors for the 2015 Narrative Short Film Competition are:
Hank Azaria: Hank Azaria, a New York Native, best known for the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu, Chief Wiggins and many others on The Simpsons. He won a SAG Award for his break out role in The Birdcage.
Mamie Gummer: A Native New Yorker, Mamie Gummer is a film, television and stage actress featured inEvening, John Adams, Off the Map, and many more.
André Holland: André Holland stars in the hit Cinemax series, THE KNICK, and was most recently seen in theaters in the Oscar and Golden Globe nominated feature, SELMA.
Arian Moayed: Arian Moayed is a Tony nominated actor, Artistic Director of Waterwell, and a writer/director for film.
Sheila Nevins: Since 2004, Sheila Nevins has been president of HBO Documentary Films, responsible for overseeing the development and production of all documentaries for HBO, HBO2 and Cinemax.
Dan Silver: Dan Silver is the Senior Director of Development for ESPN FILMS and an Emmy winning producer of series such as 30 for 30 Shorts.
The jurors for the 2015 Documentary and Student Visionary Competitions are:
Steve Buscemi: Steve Buscemi is an American actor and director best known for his role in Boardwalk Empire, which garnered him a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy nominations as well as directing many TV credits including The Sopranos and 30 Rock.
Debi Mazar: Debi Mazar, actress and native New Yorker made her film debut in Scorsese’s Goodfellas and is better known for her role as the hard charging publicist “Shauna” on HBO’s Entourage.
Katherine Oliver: Katherine Oliver is currently a principal at Bloomberg Associates; prior to this role she served as Commissioner of NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment from 2002-2013.
Theo Rossi: Theo Rossi is an actor, producer, and philanthropist best known for his portrayal of Juan Carlos “Juice” Ortiz on the FX series Sons of Anarchy.
Vanessa Williams: Having sold over 25 million records worldwide, Vanessa is one of just a few artists to score #1 and Top 10 hits on various Billboard Album and Singles charts and her work in film, television, recordings, and the Broadway stage has been recognized by every major industry award.
Storyscapes presented in collaboration with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin
The jurors for the 2015 The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Storyscapes Award are:
Andrew Golis: Andrew Golis, previously the Director of Digital and Senior Editor at FRONTLINE, is the founder & CEO of This.
Shari Frilot: Shari Frilot is the curator of New Frontier at Sundance and senior programmer for the Sundance Film Festival, focusing on American and World Cinema dramatic features, as well as films that push the boundaries of conventional storytelling
Charlie Phillips: Charlie Phillips is the Head of Documentaries at The Guardian.
Nora Ephron Prize
The jurors for the 2015 Nora Ephron Prize are:
Rachael Harris: Rachael Harris is a comedic actress hailing from The Groundlings. She has starred in many films, including Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Night at the Museum 3 and the independent filmNatural Selection, for which she received a Breakthrough Performance award.
Kevin Corrigan: Kevin Corrigan has been a prolific New York based actor in film and television dating back to when he was first cast in Goodfellas. In addition to his massive credits, Kevin has been a favorite of established and cutting-edged directors for over 25 years.
Katja Blichfeld: Katja Blichfeld is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker, WGA award-winning writer, and Emmy award-winning casting director known for the critically acclaimed series, High Maintenance, which has gained recognition as one of the best new series on the web.
Christine Lahti: Christine Lahti is a multiple-award-winning actress of film, television, and theater.
Talya Lavie: Talya Lavie is an Israeli director and screenwriter whose feature film Zero Motivation received the Nora Ephron Prize at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival as well as the Best Narrative Award.
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Montclair Film Festival Unveils 2015 Competition Lineups and Main Slate
The Montclair Film Festival (MFF) announced the festival’s inaugural competition lineups and main slate selections for the 4th annual Montclair Film Festival, May 1-10 in Montclair, NJ. This year’s festival features over 135 feature and short films, and for the first time will cover ten days, expanding from seven days in its first three years.
For the first time, the festival will feature filmmaking awards, competitions and audience awards, all of which will be presented on Saturday, May 9th at the MFF’s inaugural Filmmaker Awards ceremony. Competitive categories include the Narrative Feature Competition, Documentary Feature Competition, Future/Now, honoring emerging low-budget American independent filmmaking, and the New Jersey Films Competition, which honors a selected group of films made by New Jersey artists. Audience Awards will be given in the Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, World Cinema, and Short film categories.
The festival will also present two awards in honor of the late David Carr and Bruce Sinofsky, both Montclair residents. The David Carr Award for Truth in Non-Fiction Filmmaking will honor a filmmaker, selected by the festival, who utilizes journalistic techniques to explore important contemporary subjects. In conjunction with the Carr family, this award is established by the festival in memory of David Carr and will be presented by Mr. Carr’s friend and colleague Brian Stelter (CNN’s Reliable Sources).
The Bruce Sinofsky Prize will be awarded to the winning film in the festival’s Documentary Feature competition, awarded by the festival’s Documentary Competition Jury. In conjunction with the Sinofsky family, this award is established by the festival in memory of Bruce Sinofsky and will be presented by Mr. Sinofsky’s long time friend and collaborator Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost I, II, and III). Both awards are established in perpetuity.
“We are deeply humbled to honor the memory of our friends David Carr and Bruce Sinofsky at the festival, and we look forward to welcoming the filmmaking community to Montclair,”said MFF founder and Chairman Bob Feinberg.
“This year’s program features films from around the world that address the diversity and sophistication of our audiences,”said MFF Executive Director Tom Hall. “We are incredibly proud to be able to bring this lineup of powerful, state of the art filmmaking to Montclair.”
Narrative Feature Competition
Fidelio: Alice’s Journey (Fidelio: L’Odyssée d’Alice), directed by Lucie Borleteau (France), The Fool (Durak), directed by Yury Bykov (Russia), Goodnight, Mommy (Ich Seh, Ich Seh), directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz (Germany), Heaven Knows What, directed by Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie (USA),Margarita, With A Straw, directed by Shonali Bose (India), The Tribe (Plemya), directed by Miroslav Slaboshpitsky(Ukraine).
Jurors: Thelma Adams (Critic), Eric Hynes (Reverse Shot), Stephen Whitty (Star Ledger, NJ.com)
Documentary Feature Competition
The Armor Of Light, directed by Abigail Disney (USA), Best Of Enemies, directed by Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon (USA), Deep Web, directed by Alex Winter (USA), Listen To Me, Marlon, directed by Stevan Riley (UK),Peace Officer, directed by Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber (USA), The Russian Woodpecker, directed by Chad Gracia (USA).
Jurors: Logan Hill (Critic), Joe Neumaier (NY Daily News), Jordan Zakarian (Yahoo Movies)
Future/Now Competition
Edén, directed by Elise DuRant (USA, Mexico), God Bless The Child, directed by Robert Machoian and Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck (USA), Jackrabbit, directed by Carleton Ranney (USA), Lamb, directed by Ross Partridge (USA), Tears Of God, directed by Robert Hillyer Barnett (USA),Tired Moonlight, directed by Britni West (USA).
Jurors: Jeremy Boxer (Creative Director, Film & Video, Vimeo), Eric Kohn (Deputy Editor, Chief Film Critic, Indiewire), Dan Schoenbrun (Film Outreach Lead, Kickstarter)
New Jersey Films Competition
Christmas, Again, directed by Charles Poekel (USA), The One That Got Away directed by John Block (USA), Some Kind Of Spark, directed by Ben Niles (USA), Stinking Heaven, directed by Nathan Silver (USA), Sunshine Superman, directed by Marah Strauch (USA), Thought Crimes, directed by Erin Lee Car (USA).
Jurors: Georgette Gilmore (Baristanet), Christina Kotlar (Film Festival reViews), Lacey Schwartz (CEO, Truth Aid).
The 2015 Montclair Film Festival
Feature Films
5 FLIGHTS UP
Director: Richard Loncraine
Producers: Charlie Peters, Lori McCreary, Curtis Burch, Tracy Mercer
Cast: Michael Cristofer, Diane Keaton, Morgan Freeman, Cynthia Nixon, Claire van der Boom, Korey Jackson, Carrie Preston, Sterling Jerins, Josh Pais, Miriam Shor, Alysia Reiner
USA/92 Min
7 CHINESE BROTHERS
Director: Bob Byington
Producers: Molly Christie Benson, Seana Flanagan, Nancy Schafer
CAST: Jason Schwartzman, Olympia Dukakis, Tunde Adebimpe, Eleanore Pienta
USA/76 Min
THE ARMOR OF LIGHT
Director: Abigail Disney
Producers: Eva Anisko, Kathleen Hughes
USA/90 Min
BARGE
Director: Ben Powell
Producers: Ben Powell, Dave Schachter
USA/71 Min
BEST OF ENEMIES
Director: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon
Producers: Caryn Capotosto, Julie Goldman
USA/88 Min
THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION
Director: Stanley Nelson
Producers: Laurens Grant
USA/116 Min
BOULEVARD
Director: Dito Montiel
Producers: Monica Aguirre Diez Barroso, Mia Chang, Jeffrey Gelber, Ryan Belenzon
Cast: Robin Williams, Kathy Baker, Roberto Aguire, Bob Odenkirk, Giles Matthey, Eleonore Hendricks
USA/89 Min
BOY AND THE WORLD (O MENINO E O MUNDO)
Director: Alê Abreu
Producers: Tita Tessler, Fernanda Carvalho
Brazil/80 Min
CALL ME LUCKY
Director: Bobcat Goldthwait
Producers: Charlie Fonville, Clinton Trucks
Featuring: Barry Crimmins, David Cross, Margaret Cho, Steven Wright, Patton Oswalt
USA/107 Min
CEREMONY FOR THIS TIME (2015)
with CEREMONY FOR OUR TIME (1995)
Director: Daryl Ferrara
Producers: Rick Kitts, Whitney Kitts, Thomas Lupfer, Daryl Ferrara, Kate Forsatz
USA/58 Min
CHRISTMAS, AGAIN
Director: Charles Poekel
Producers: Charles Poekel
Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross
USA/80 Min
CITY OF GOLD
Director: Laura Gabbert
Producers: Laura Gabbert, Holly Becker
USA/91 Min
DANNY SAYS
Director: Brendan Toller
Producers: Pamela Lubell
Featuring: Danny Fields, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Judy Collins, Jonathan Richman
USA/103 Min
DEEP WEB
Director: Alex Winter
Producers: Marc Schiller, Alex Winter, Glen Zipper
USA/90 Min
THE DINNER (I NOSTRI RAGAZZI)
Director: Ivano De Matteo
Producers: Caldecott Chubb, Marco Poccioni, Marco Valsania
Cast: Allessandro Gassman, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Luigi Lo Cascio, Babora Bobulova, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, Jacopo Olmo Antinori
Italy/93 Min
(DIS)HONESTY – THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES
Director: Yael Melamede
Producers: Yael Melamede, Dan Ariely
USA/90 Min
DO I SOUND GAY?
Director: David Thorpe
Producers: Howard Gertler, David Thorpe
USA/77 Min
DREAM/KILLER
Director: Andrew Jenks
Producers: Chip Rosenbloom, Andrew Jenks, Dylan Ratigan
USA/106 Min
DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON
Director: Doug Tirola
Producers: John Battsek, Molly Thompson, Douglas Tirola, Susan Bedusa, Dirk Hoogstra
USA/94 Min
EDÉN
Director: Elise DuRant
Producers: José Leandro Córdova Lucas
Cast: Will Oldham, Diana Sedano, Paula María Landa Hartasánchez
USA, Mexico/95 Min
FIDELIO: ALICE’S ODYSSEY (FIDELIO, L’ODYSSÉE D’ALICE)
Director: Lucie Borleteau
Producers: Marine Arrighi de Casanova
Cast: Ariane Labed, Melvil Poupaud, Anders Danielsen Lie, Pascal Tagnati, Corneliu Dragomirescu, Jean-Louis Coulloc’h, Bogdan Zamfir
France/95 Min
THE FOOL (DURAK)
Director: Yury Bykov
Producers: Alexey Uchitel, Kira Saksaganskaya
Cast: Artem Bystrov, Nataliya Surkova, Boris Nevzorov, Kirill Polukhin, Darya Moroz, Yury Tsurilo, Irina Nizina, Alexander Korshunov
Russia/116 Min
FROM THIS DAY FORWARD
Director: Sharon Shattuck
Producers: Martha Shane, Sharon Shattuck
USA/75 Min
GIRLS SHOW
Director: David Krantz
Producers: Rebecca Atwood, Kyle Luker
USA/73 Min
GOD BLESS THE CHILD
Directors: Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck
Producers: Laura Heberton, Robert John Thomas
Cast: Harper Graham, Elias Graham, Arri Graham, Ezra Graham, Jonah Graham
USA/94 Min
GOODNIGHT MOMMY (ICH SEH, ICH SEH)
Directors: Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz
Producer: Ulrich Seidl
CAST: Susanne Wuest, Lukas Scharz, Elias Scharz
Germany/100 Min
HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT
Director: Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie
Producers: Oscar Boyson, Sebastian Bear-McClard
Cast: Arielle Holmes, Caleb Landry Jones, Buddy Duress, Necro, Eleonore Hendricks
USA/95 Min
HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS
Director: Michael Showalter
Producers: Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Riva Marker, Daniel Crown, Michael Showalter, Jordana Mollick, Kevin Mann
Cast: Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Stephen Root, Jack Antonoff, Natasha Lyonne, Tyne Daly
USA/ 95 Min
HOLBROOK/TWAIN: AN AMERICAN ODYSSEY
Director: Scott Teems
Producer: Laura D. Smith
USA/95 Min
HOT TYPE: 150 YEARS OF THE NATION
Director: Barbara Kopple
Producers: Barbara Kopple, Suzanne Mitchell
USA/92 Min
HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO
Director: Alexandra Shiva
Producers: Bari Pearlman
USA/89 Min
HUNGRY HEARTS (Il bambino indaco)
Director: Saverio Costanzo
Producers: Mario Gianani, Lorenzo Mieli
Cast: Adam Driver, Alba Rohrwacher, Roberta Maxwell
Italy, USA/109 Min
I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS
Director: Brett Haley
Producers: Rebecca Green, Laura D. Smith, and Brett Haley
Cast: Blythe Danner, Martin Starr, Sam Elliott, Malin Akerman, June Squibb, Rhea Perlman, Mary Kay Place
USA/92 Min
IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE
Director: Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg
Producers: Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg, Charles Miller
Featuring: Che “Rhymefest” Smith, Donnie Smith, Brian Tillman
USA/93 Min
IN THE NAME OF MY DAUGHTER (L’HOMME QU’ON AIMAIT TROP)
Director: André Téchiné
Producers: Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier, Guillaume Canet
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Guillaume Canet, Adèle Haenel, Judith Chemla, Jean Corso
France/116 Min
JACKRABBIT
Director: Carleton Ranney
Producers: Destin Douglas, Rebecca Rose Perkins, Joe Stankus
Cast: Josh Caras, Ian Christopher Noel, Joslyn Jensen, Reed Birney
USA/100 Min
JIMMY’S HALL
Director: Ken Loach
Producer: Rebecca O’Brien
Cast: Barry Ward, Francis Magee, Aileen Henry, Simone Kirby, Stella McGirl, Sorcha Fox, Martin Lucey, Mikel Murfi
United Kingdom, Ireland, France/106 Min
THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER (HAGANENET)
Director: Nadav Lapid
Producers: Talia Kleinhendler, Osnat Handelsman-Keren, Caroline Benjo
Cast: Sarit Larry, Avi Shnaidman, Lori Raz, Hamuchtar
Israel, France/120 Min
KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK
Director: Brett Morgen
Executive Producers: Frances Bean Cobain, David Byrnes, Lawrence Mestel, Sheila Nevins
Producers: Brett Morgen, Danielle Renfrew Behrens, Sara Bernstein
USA/132 Min
LAMB
Director: Ross Partridge
Producers: Mel Eslyn, Taylor Williams
Cast: Ross Partridge, Oona Laurence, Jess Weixler, Tom Bower, Scoot McNairy
USA/97 Min
THE LAST DIAMOND (LE DERNIER DIAMANT)
Director: Eric Barbier
Producers: Farid Lahouassa, Aïssa Djabri
Cast: Yvan Attal, Bérénice Bejo, Jean-François Stévenin, Antoine Basler, Jacques Spiesser
France, Belgium, Luxembourg/109 Min
LISTEN TO ME MARLON
Director: Stevan Riley
Producers: John Battsek, RJ Cutler, George Chignell
UK/102 Min
LOVE AND MERCY
Director: Bill Pohlad
Producers: Bill Pohlad, Claire Rudnick Polstein, John Wells
Cast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti
USA/120 Min
LOVE AT FIRST FIGHT (LES COMBETTANTS)
Director: Thomas Cailley
Producer: Pierre Guyard
Cast: Adèle Haenel, Kévin Azaïs, Antoine Laurent
France/98 Min
THE LOVE SONG OF R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER
Director: Sam Green
Producer: Sam Green
Live Score Performance by Yo La Tengo
USA/ 75 Min
MANGLEHORN
Director: David Gordon Green
Producers: Lisa Muskat, David Gordon Green, Derrick Tseng, Molly Conners, Christopher Woodrow
Cast: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine, Chris Messina
USA/97 Min
MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW
Director: Shonali Bose
Producer: Gayatri Gulati
Cast: Kalki Koechlin
India/100 Min
MAVIS!
Director: Jessica Edwards
Producers: Jessica Edwards, Rachel Mills
Featuring: Mavis Staples
USA/ 85 Min
ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL
Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rajon
Executive Producer: Nora Skinner
Producers: Jeremy Dawson, Dan Fogelman, Steven M. Rales
Cast: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Molly Shannon, Connie Britton, Nick Offerman
USA/ 104 Min
MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED
Director: Greg Whiteley
Producer: Adam Leibowitz
USA/86 Min
THE NEW GIRLFRIEND (UNE NOUVELLE AMIE)
DIRECTOR: François Ozon
PRODUCER: Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer
CAST: Romain Duris, Anaïs Demoustier, Raphaël Personnaz
France/109 Min
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
Director: John Block
Producers: John Block, Steve McCarthy
USA/70 Min
OUT IN THE NIGHT
Director: Blair Dorosh-Walther
Producers: Giovanna Chesler, Mridu Chandra, Yoruba Richen
USA/75 Min
PEACE OFFICER
Director: Scott Christopherson, Brad Barber
Producers: Scott Christopherson, Brad Barber, Dave Lawrence
USA/109 Min
PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS
Director: Jim Strouse
Producers: Michael B. Clark, Alex Turtletaub
Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Michael Chernus
USA/86 Min
THE RUSSIAN WOODPECKER
Director: Chad Gracia
Producers: Mike Lerner, Ram Devineni
USA/82 Min
THE SANDWICH NAZI
Director: Lewis Bennett
Producers: Calum MacLeod, Lewis Bennett, Benjamin Taft
Canada/72 Min
SCENE OF THE CRIME (LE LIEU DU CRIME) (1986)
Director: André Téchiné
Producers: Alain Terzian
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Wadeck Stanczak, Nicolas Giraudi, Jean Bousquet, Philippe Landoulsi
France/90 Min
THE SECOND MOTHER (QUE HORAS ELA VOLTA?)
Director: Anna Muylaert
Producers: Fabiano Gullane, Caio Gullane, Debora Ivanov, Anna Muylaert
Cast: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli
Brazil/110 Min
SEX AND BROADCASTING
Director: Tim K. Smith
Producers: Caitlin Mae Burke, Tim K. Smith
USA/78 Min
SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE
Director: Leslye Headland
Producers: Jessica Elbaum, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Sidney Kimmel
Cast: Alison Brie, Adam Scott, Amanda Peet, Jason Mantzoukas, Natasha Lyonne, Jason Sudeikis
USA/101 Min
SLOW WEST
Director: John Maclean
Producers: Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Conor McCaughan, Rachel Gardner
Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Fassbender, Ben Mendelsohn, Caren Pistorius, Rory McCann
United Kingdom, New Zealand/84 Min
SOME KIND OF SPARK
Director: Ben Niles
Producer: Ben Niles
USA/90 Min
STINKING HEAVEN
Director: Nathan Silver
Producer: Rachel Wolther
Cast: Hannah Gross, Deragh Campbell, Keith Poulson, Eléonore Hendricks, Tallie Medel, Henri Douvry, Jason Giampietro, Jason Grisell, Eileen Kearney, Larry Novak
USA/70 Min
SUNSHINE SUPERMAN
Director: Marah Strauch
Producers: Eric Bruggemann, Marah Strauch, Lars Loge
USA/101 Min
TEARS OF GOD
Director: Robert Hillyer Barnett
Producers: Diamando Proimos
CAST: Kate Lyn Sheil, Samuel T. Herring, Lindsay Burdge, Kira Pearson, Audrey Speicher, Amara Gyulai, Michael Crabtree
USA/67 Min
(T)ERROR
Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe
Producers: Christopher St. John, Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe
USA/83 Min
THOUGHT CRIMES
Director: Erin Lee Carr
Producers: Andrew Rossi
USA/81 Min
TIME OUT OF MIND
Director: Oren Moverman
Producers: Richard Gere, Lawrence Inglee, Caroline Kaplan, Edward Walson, Miranda Bailey, Bill Pohlad
Cast: Richard Gere, Ben Vereen, Jena Malone, Steve Buscemi
USA/117 Min
TIRED MOONLIGHT
Director: Britni West
Producers: Britni West
Cast: Liz Randall, Paul Dickinson,Hillary Berg, Rainleigh Vick, Alex Karpovsky, Charles Smith, Nick Stockton
USA/76 Min
TOP SPIN
Director: Mina T. Son, Sara Newens
Producers: Mina T. Son, Sara Newens
USA/81 Min
THE TRIBE (PLEMYA)
Director: Miroslav Slaboshpitsky
Producers: Miroslav Slaboshpitsky
Cast: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, Rosa Babiy, Alexander Dsiadevich
Ukraine/130 Min
UNEXPECTED
Director: Kris Swanberg
Producer: Andrea Roa
Starring: Cobie Smulders, Gail Bean, Anders Holm, Elizabeth McGovern
USA/ 85 Min
VERY SEMI-SERIOUS
Director: Leah Wolchok
Producers: Davina Pardo, Leah Wolchok
USA/79 Min
WELCOME TO LEITH
Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker
Producers: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker, Jenner Furst, Joey Carey, Joshua Woltermann
USA/86 Min
WESTERN
Director: Bill Ross, Turner Ross
Producers: Michael Gottwald
USA/93 Min
WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE ?
Director: Liz Garbus
Producers: Amy Hobby, Liz Garbus, Justin Wilkes, Jayson Jackson, Lisa Nishimura, Adam Del Deo
USA/104 Min
WIND ON THE MOON
Director: Yi Seung-jun
Producer: Min-chul Kim
South Korea/100 Min
X+Y
Director: Morgan Matthews
Producers: Laura Hastings-Smith, David M. Thompson, Ed Rubin
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins
UK/111 Min
SHORT FILMS
A.D. 1163, THE END OF CHIVALRY
Director: Jake Mahaffy
US/New Zealand/3 Min
ADJUST-A-DREAM
Director: Jonathan Wysocki
USA/6 Min
THE ANNIVERSARY
Director: Henry Chaisson
USA/8 Min
BLACK CARD
Director: Pete Chatmon
USA/14 Min
CAST IN INDIA
Director: Natasha Raheja
USA/26 Min
THE CHARITY STRIPE
Director: Aaron Hodgins Davis
USA/17 Min
CINDY SHERMAN: “UNTITLED FILM STILLS”
Director: Douglas Sloan
USA/4 Min
COACH
Director: Ben Adler
France/14 Min
COMIC BOOK HEAVEN
Director: E.J. McLeavey-Fisher
USA/12 Min
CROOKED CANDY
Director: Andrew Rodgers
USA/6 Min
DANIEL IN THE LION’S DENS
Director: Joseph Robert Redl
USA/14 Min
DOWN IN FLAMES: THE TRUE STORT OF TONY “VOLCANO” VALENCI
Director: William J. Stribling
USA/29 Min
THE EMISSARY
Director: Rudy Dobrev
USA /13 Min
EXIT ROAD
Director: Yuri Alves
USA/13 Min
FALLING TO PIECES
Directors: Chris Connolly, Vivian Connolly
USA/18 Min
THE FACE OF UKRAINE: CASTING OKSANA BAIUL
Director: Kitty Green
Ukraine/Australia/7 Min
GEORGE AND THE VACCUMM
Director: Chadd Harbold
USA/6 Min
GONE IN THE DARK
Director: Steven Moreno
USA/16 Min
JUSTINE
Director: Eric Shahinian
USA/6 Min
LATTER-GAY SAINTS
Director: Brittany Knotts
USA/20 Min
THE MANY SAD FATES OF MR. TOLEDANO
Director: Joshua Seftel
USA/25 Min
MESHING
Director: John Kim
USA/8 Min
THE MISADVENTURES OF LANDON
Director: Jon Milano
USA/17 Min
MUCK
Director: Bruce Smolanoff
USA/14 Min
MYRNA THE MONSTER
Director: Ian Samuels
USA/14 Min
NUGGET
Director: Sarah Salovaara
USA/10 Min
PILL
Director: Amelia Arnold
USA/21 Min
PRE- PRE SCHOOL
Director: Troy Hall
USA/Canada/8 Min
ROOTLESS
Director: Xue Yu
China/ 26 Min
SATURDAY
Director: Mike Forshaw
UK/15 Min
SPEARHUNTER
Directors: Adam Roffman, Luke Poling
USA/14 Min
SPECIAL FEATURES
Director: James N. Kienitz Wilkins
USA/12 Min
TILL DARK
Director: Quinn Shephard
USA/12 Min
UNMAPPABLE
Director: Diane Hodson, Jasmine Luoma
USA/ 23 Min
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Josh Braun to Receive 2015 Advocate Award at Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Josh Braun, co-president of Submarine Entertainment will be presented with the 2015 Advocate Award at the upcoming Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Full Frame’s Director, Deirdre Haj, presents the Full Frame Advocate Award in recognition of individuals who have supported the documentary medium and the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Braun will receive this honor at the festival’s Awards Barbecue on Sunday, April 12.
Previous recipients of the Advocate Award are Jim Goodmon and Michael Goodmon, Triangle, philanthropists and developers; Molly Thompson, President of A&E IndieFilms; and longtime Full Frame advisor Wyndham Robertson.
Braun is the co-president of Submarine, a hybrid sales and production company which he and his twin brother, Dan, formed in 2001. Recent films sold by Submarine include the Oscar®-winning documentariesCitizenfour, 20 Feet from Stardom, Searching for Sugar Man, and Man on Wire. Other titles includeSunshine Superman, The Wolfpack, Dior and I, Best of Enemies, 3 ½ Minutes, Battered Bastards of Baseball, The Unknown Known, Finding Vivian Maier, Blackfish, Dirty Wars, Queen of Versailles, Tabloid,Page One: Inside the New York Times, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Bill Cunningham New York, Food, Inc.,Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, Valentino: The Last Emperor, and many others. Braun has executive produced numerous documentaries including The Unknown Known, Patrolman P, Seamless, Gramercy Park Hotel, Cat Dancers, Billionaire, Easy Riders Raging Bulls, Kill Your Idols, Page One: Inside the New York Times, and Ivory Tower.
“When one thinks of an advocate for documentary film, many professionals come to mind, but the tireless sales agent rarely comes first,” said Full Frame Director Deirdre Haj. “Josh is a genius at promoting documentaries that have become household names, award winners and game changers. He is in many ways responsible for the popularity the genre enjoys. For this we honor him with this year’s Advocate Award.”
Braun is committed to finding films that instill in him a passionate response. He states, “I tell the younger guys in our office, the starting point is that you love it, and it excites you. If that is true then it is likely that other people will feel the same way. Some films are obvious, you know they will play well, but others…you have to go with your instincts.”
Laura Poitras, director of Citizenfour, said, “I am deeply grateful to Josh and his work on Citizenfour. He was able to navigate our complex distribution plans and keep everything under the radar. We asked him to break many rules, which he did gracefully. He is a great advocate for cinema and filmmakers.”
“Braun is an expert advisor of documentary filmmakers, advocating for their work and fairly representing them so they enjoy commercial success,” said Haj.
“Some of these films anyone could have sold,” Braun added. “It is the films where how we intervened mattered, that is where I derive the most satisfaction.”
The 18th Annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will be held April 9-12, 2015, in Durham, N.C., with Duke University as the presenting sponsor.
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CAT SHOW and AMERICA RECYCLED Win Top Awards at American Documentary Film Festival
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CAT SHOW[/caption]
The 4th annual edition of The American Documentary Film Festival (AMDocs) called it a wrap on Monday, March 30, 2015, with its signature Closing Night Mystery Screening and Film Festival Awards Presentation. Director Peter Bogdanovich was the recipient of the 2015 Filmmaker Who Makes a Difference Award, Dr. Ronni Sanlo (the subject of the film, LETTER TO ANITA) was the recipient of the 2015 Rozene Supple Humanitarian Award, and the film,SPARTANS, was the recipient of the 2015 Robert Drew Verite Award.
Three film projects were awarded American Documentary Film Fund Grants this year, including POW WOW, PERSONHOOD, and THE TROUBLE WITH RAY. Each year, The American Documentary Film Fund provides up to $50,000 in grants to independent American filmmakers. Applicants must provide detailed story outlines and budgets for their works in progress or new projects. Filmmakers screen a five (5) minute preview of their film projects before an industry panel of judges and take part in a ten minute Q&A about their projects.
This year’s Film Awards were also announced as follows: 2015 Best Foreign Feature Documentary: CAT SHOW (U.K./Australia), 2015 Best Foreign Short Documentary: HONEY ON WOUNDS (Romania),2015 Best Animated Short(s): DEATH & THE MAIDEN (Israel/Germany) and THE LOST MARINER(Netherlands/Canada), 2015 Best American Feature Documentary: AMERICA RECYCLED, and 2015 Best American Short Documentary: SEEING THE FULL SOUNDING.
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Comedian Tig Notaro Documentary Kicks Off Film Lineup for 2015 Hot Docs
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Comedian Tig Notaro Documentary TIG[/caption]
210 documentaries from 44 countries will be featured at the upcoming 22nd edition of Hot Docs, taking place April 23 to May 3, 2015. The Festival will opens with the international premiere of directors Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York’s TIG (USA, 2014, 95 min), described as a testament to comedian Tig Notaro’s defiant spirit and incredible humor in the face of adversity.
This year’s Scotiabank Big Ideas Series will welcome such notable subjects as: Grammy-nominated comedian Tig Notaro (TIG); charismatic former Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Danny Williams, subject of (DANNY); director Alex Winter, WIRED senior writer Andy Greenberg and the parents of subject Ross Ulbricht (DEEP WEB); Ex-Fugee Pras Michel (SWEET MICKY FOR PRESIDENT); and Olympic Gold Medal–winning hockey player Charline Labonté, former Major League Baseball player Billy Bean and American college football player Conner Mertens (OUT TO WIN).
Hot Docs announce DocX, a new program that celebrates innovative documentary storytelling through new technologies and original experiences, will feature a one-night-only participatory live performance of Katerina Cizek’s HIGHRISE: UNIVERSE WITHIN, LIVE. Festival audiences will also have the opportunity to experience the DocX Virtual Reality Showcase, a free exhibit at the Isabel Bader Theatre, available to view from Friday, April 24 to Friday, May 1, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In addition to the opening night international premiere of Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York’s TIG, a testament to comedian Tig Notaro’s defiant spirit and incredible humour in the face of adversity, other notable films in the Special Presentations program include: Andreas Koefoed’s THE ARMS DROP, which follows a British arms dealer’s hunt for the MI5 agent who betrayed him; Violeta Ayala’s THE BOLIVIAN CASE, a sensational exposé about three teenage girls caught smuggling cocaine; Jessica Edwards’ MAVIS!, a powerful film rich with songs and stories from music legend and civil rights icon Mavis Staples; Nick Berardini’s TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE, an investigative look at the allegedly non-lethal TASER gun; Matthias Bittner’s WAR OF LIES, a riveting account about the effects of misinformation about weapons of mass destruction; and Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross’ WESTERN, a subtle portrait of the ever-growing divide between two towns straddling the US-Mexico border.
In the competitive Canadian Spectrum program, notable films include: Charles Wilkinson’s HAIDA GWAII: ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, a look at a sustainable and healing community at risk from a proposed oil tanker route; Shelly Saywell’s LOWDOWN TRACKS, which tells the stories of five transient musicians on Toronto’s streets; Su Rynard’s THE MESSENGER, which highlights ever-worsening environmental devastation through the alarming disappearance of songbirds; Rama Rau’s NO PLACE TO HIDE: THE REHTAEH PARSONS STORY, an alarming account of the effects of cyber-bullying; and André-Line Beauparlant’s PINOCCHIO, a deeply personal portrait of the struggle to trust someone who feels no obligation to the truth.
In the competitive International Spectrum program, notable films include: Malin Andersson’s BLOOD SISTERS, the story of twin sisters bound by trauma; Karen Guthrie’s THE CLOSER WE GET, a sharply focused snapshot of strained family dynamics; Ramyata Limbu, Amy Benson and Scott Squire’s DRAWING THE TIGER, a powerful portrait of a studious daughter carrying her family’s hopes for a brighter future; and Ross Sutherland’s STAND BY FOR TAPE BACK-UP, a poetic and humourous meditation on memory and loss.
In the World Showcase program, notable films include: Yael Melamede’s (DIS)HONESTY—THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES, a fascinating and insightful study on honesty; Monika Pawluczuk’s END OF THE WORLD, a revealing look at personal struggles as the Mayan doomsday prophecy looms in the night; Maya Newell’s GAYBY BABY, a moving and honest film about the lives of children of same-sex parents; Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber’s PEACE OFFICER, a timely investigation of the controversies behind recent police shootings and the militarization of American law enforcement; and Gillian Laub’s SOUTHERN RITES, a complex look at race relations and the true pace of progress in America.
The Made In India program includes: Spandan Banerjee’s ENGLISH INDIA, a look at a country coming to terms with its own identity as it shakes off the weight of its colonial past; Parvez Sharma’s A SINNER IN MECCA, a fascinating personal essay on a gay Muslim’s inner-most struggles, and Anuj Adlakha and Farha Alam’s THE SUPERSTARS OF KOTI, a coming-of-age tale about three boys united as “chosen ones.”
The Next program includes: Luke Meyer’s BREAKING A MONSTER, a behind-the-scenes look at the tension between being a kid amidst the overwhelming demands of the music industry machine; and David Shapiro’s MISSING PEOPLE, an engrossing examination of the effects of violence on the psyche.
The Nightvision program includes: Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel’s FINDERS KEEPERS, a stranger-than-fiction tale of a human foot inadvertently bought at an auction; and Rodney Ascher’s THE NIGHTMARE, a real-life horror film about the mysterious phenomenon of sleep paralysis.
The Show Me the Funny program includes: Howie Mandel, Reed Grinsell and Steve Sunshine’s COMMITTED, an inspiring look at the hard road to success; and Bao Nguyen’s LIVE FROM NEW YORK!, the story of SNL’s enduring brand of television magic as told by the show’s countless alumni.
The Screen on Screen program includes: Florian Heinzen-Ziob and Georg Heinzen’s ORIGINAL COPY, a delightful ode to Mumbai’s last one-of-a-kind film poster painter; Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen’s RAIDERS!, the story of two friends painstakingly remaking Raiders of the Lost Ark; and Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti’s A WOMAN LIKE ME, a funny and moving documentary-drama hybrid about the filmmaker’s tumultuous journey with terminal cancer.
The Redux program will highlight six films that deserve another outing on the big screen.
Additionally, Hot Docs will present two retrospective programs: Focus On Carole Laganière, a mid-career retrospective of the filmmaker’s work; and the Outstanding Achievement Award Retrospective, honouring the influential work of Chilean documentary filmmaker Patricio Guzmán.
Also a premier documentary conference and market, Hot Docs will be welcoming over 2,000 industry delegates who will partake in a wide array of industry events and services, including conferences sessions, receptions and parties, Hot Docs Deal Maker, The Doc Shop and the Hot Docs Forum, April 29 and 30.
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TIME OUT OF MIND to Open and I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS to Close Sarasota Film Festival
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Director Brett Haley’s I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, starring Blythe Danner, Martin Starr and Sam Elliott[/caption]
Director Oren Moverman’s TIME OUT OF MIND, starring Richard Gere, Jena Malone, and Ben Vereen, will open the 17th Sarasota Film Festival on Friday, April 10th at 6:30PM at the Sarasota Opera House. Moverman will attend the festival and receive the Hearts and Minds of Independent Film Award.
Director Brett Haley’s I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, starring Blythe Danner, Martin Starr and Sam Elliott, will screen as the Closing Night film on Saturday, April 18th at 7:00PM at the Sarasota Opera House. Haley will be in attendance along with Danner, who will receive the festival’s Impact Award.
“We’re excited to have these two films to open and close our 17th installment,” said Mark Famiglio, President of the Sarasota Film Festival. “Opening with a very dramatic performance by Richard Gere and closing with the elegant and clever Blythe Danner, the festival will have both touching and inspiring moments for all.”
“I’m thrilled to be able to showcase these two significant films for my first year at the festival,” said Michael Dunaway, Director of Programming. “They place the Sarasota Film Festival in a competitive spotlight and tastefully frame our diverse lineup.”
TIME OUT OF MIND, produced by Richard Gere, Lawrence Inglee, Caroline Kaplan, Edward Watson, Miranda Bailey andBill Pohlad, and directed by Oren Moverman, follows a seemingly normal homeless man (Gere) on the streets of New York as he struggles to find stability and restore his relationship with his estranged daughter (Malone). IFC Films will be releasingTIME OUT OF MIND in September.
Closing night film I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, directed by Brett Haley, stars Ms. Danner as a widow who’s settled into her life and her age, until a series of events propel her into a renewed engagement with the people and the world around her. The film also stars Martin Starr, Sam Elliott, Malin Akerman, June Squibb, Rhea Perlman, and Mary Kay Place. The film was written by Brett Haley and Marc Basch and produced by Rebecca Green, Laura D. Smith and Brett Haley. Bleecker Street will be releasing I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS in May.