Film Festivals

LISTEN TO ME MARLON Wins Best Film at 2015 Traverse City Film Festival

The Traverse City Film Festival, founded, programmed, and run by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore, just wrapped its 11th edition which ran July 29-August 2, 2015 in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan. The festival welcomed over 100,000 avid cinema lovers. “This year’s festival brought some of the best films we’ve ever had, and we had more filmmakers here to share the stories of those film with audiences than ever before. Everyone I’ve spoken with has their own special moment from the festival – for me, celebrating the 100th birthday of the State Theatre with Geraldine Chaplin in attendance was a once in a lifetime experience,” said Moore. The 2015 official program added new sections which sold out quickly, including #Tween (movies for the generation currently coming of age), and The Sidebar: Food on Film (the best in culinary cinema, followed by candid conversations between the stars of the Northern Michigan food scene and sample bites prepared by the chefs and inspired by the films), and LGBTQ (marking the Supreme Court’s historic ruling on gay marriage). Closing Night’s gala screening of “Grandma” began with Michael Moore legally marrying a gay couple, live on the stage of the State Theatre. The Founders Grand Prize for Best Film, the festival’s top prize, went to “Listen to Me Marlon.” Best Documentary went to “The Wanted 18” and Best Comedy to “Finders Keepers.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cekn77FeK4A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCfIVdmIbgY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etx0cHsVcqg The festival’s Changemaker Award went to Iraq veteran Ross Caputi for his film “Fear Not the Path of Truth,” and its Discovery Award to Kauother Ben Hania for her satirical film “Challat of Tunis.” Audience Award winning films included “A Brave Heart: The Story of Lizzie Velasquez” for Best Documentary and “Tangerines” for Best Foreign Film. AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS OF 2015 TRAVERSE CITY FILM FESTIVAL Audience Award Winner for Best Kids Short: “The Present“ Audience Award Winner for Best Narrative Short: “Birthday“ Audience Award Winner for Best Documentary Short: “Naneek“ Audience Award Winner for Best Kids Film: “Fiddlesticks“ Audience Award Runner Up for Best Foreign Film: “The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared“ Audience Award Winner for Best Foreign Film: “Tangerines“ Audience Award Runner Up for Best American Film: “Learning to Drive“ Audience Award Winner for Best American Film: “Kill the Messenger“ Audience Award Runner Up for Best Documentary Film: “The Hunting Ground“ Audience Award Winner for Best Documentary Film: “A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story“ SHORT FILM WINNERS Founders Prize Special Mention Short Film: “Let Your Light Shine“ Founders Prize for Best Narrative Short: “Discipline“ Founders Prize for Best Documentary Short: “My Enemy, My Brother“ FOUNDERS AWARDS Lifetime Achievement Award: Geraldine Chaplin Visionary Award: Robert Altman Michigan Filmmaker Award: Roger Corman Discovery Award: Kaouther Ben Hania, “Challat of Tunis“ Changemaker Award: Ross Caputi, “Fear Not the Path of Truth“ Stuart J. Hollander Prize for Best Kids Film: “Fiddlesticks“ Buzz Wilson Prize for Best Avant-Garde Film: “Journey to the West“ Founders Prize Special Award: “7 Chinese Brothers“ Founders Prize Special Award: “The Trials of Spring“ Founders Prize Special Award: “The Wolfpack“ Founders Prize Special Award: “Roseanne for President!“ Founders Prize Special Award: “The Armor of Light“ Founders Prize Special Award: “Wild Tales“ Founders Prize Special Award: “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem“ Founders Prize Special Award: “The Last Five Years“ Roger Ebert Prize for Best Film by a First Time Filmmaker: “T-Rex“ Stanley Kubrick Award for Bold and Innovative Filmmaking: “Tangerine“ Founders Prize for Best Documentary: “The Wanted 18“ Founders Prize for Best Comedy: “Finders Keepers“ Founders Prize for Best Drama: “Two Days, One Night“ Founders Prize for Best Film: “Listen to Me Marlon“ TCFF DOWNTOWN WINDOW DECORATION CONTEST First Place: Great Lakes Bath & Body and Paperworks Studio Second Place: Toy Harbor Third Place: Haystacks FIM GROUP BUMPER CONTEST First Place Claire Holloway DECISION TIME $1,000 Second Place Brian Steinberg SHORT AND TALL $300 Third Place Mike DeRosa THE KID AND HIS CITY $200 The 12th annual Traverse City Film Festival will take place July 26 – 31, 2016.
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Film Society of Lincoln Center Unveils Official 53rd New York Film Festival Poster by Laurie Anderson

The Film Society of Lincoln Center unveiled the official 53rd New York Film Festival poster designed by artist Laurie Anderson. Laurie Anderson joins a stellar lineup of artists that have commissioned their work for the festival, including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, Julian Schnabel, Cindy Sherman, and, last year’s artist, Laurie Simmons. Looked upon as a yearly artistic “signature” for the film festival, NYFF posters have taken on a celebrated pop culture significance through the years. Please find a complete list of artists below. “We are thrilled to welcome Laurie Anderson to the NYFF family, and to have an artist of her caliber carry on this 53-year tradition,” said FSLC Board Chairman Ann Tenenbaum. “Her innovative and daring work is a perfect representation of what we strive to achieve annually at the festival, and throughout the year at the Film Society.” Laurie Anderson (pictured above) added: “The NYFF is such an eclectic and ecstatically wild mix of films, and I wanted to try to capture some of the variety of subjects and styles. The original piece this is based on, Follow the Sound, is 18 feet long with lots of plots and characters and fragments. I made this painting two years ago when I was feeling especially inspired by the scale of projected film and the possibilities of abrupt jump cuts. I’m so happy it’s the poster for this year’s festival.” Anderson is one of America’s most renowned—and daring—creative pioneers. She is best known for her multimedia presentations and innovative use of technology. As a writer, director, visual artist, and vocalist she has created groundbreaking works that span the worlds of art, theater, and experimental music. Anderson’s latest film Heart of a Dogwill premiere this fall, and her upcoming installation Habeas Corpus will be at the Park Avenue Armory from October 2-4. Her recording career, launched by “O Superman” in 1981, includes the soundtrack to her feature documentary Home of the Brave (1986) and the short Life on a String (2002). Anderson’s live shows range from simple spoken word to elaborate multimedia stage performances such as “Songs and Stories for Moby Dick” (1999). Anderson has published seven books and her visual work has been presented in major museums around the world. In 2002, Anderson was appointed the first Artist in Residence of NASA, which culminated in her 2004 touring solo performance “The End of the Moon.” Recent projects include a series of audio-visual installations and a high-definition film,Hidden Inside Mountains, created for World Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan. In 2007, she received the prestigious Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize for her outstanding contribution to the arts. In 2008, she completed a two-year worldwide tour of her performance piece “Homeland,” which was released as an album on Nonesuch Records in June 2010. Anderson’s solo performance “Delusion” debuted at the Vancouver Cultural Olympiad in February 2010. In October 2010 a retrospective of her visual and installation work opened in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and later traveled to Rio de Janeiro. In 2011 her exhibition of new visual work titled “Forty-Nine Days in the Bardo” opened in Philadelphia, and “Boat,” her first exhibition of paintings, premiered at the Vito Schnabel Gallery in New York. She has recently completed a three-year fellowship at both EMPAC, the multimedia center at RPI in Troy, NY, and PAC at UCLA. Anderson lives in New York City. The poster will be available for purchase during the New York Film Festival (September 25 – October 11). The complete list of NYFF poster artists: Larry Rivers, 1963 Saul Bass, 1964 Bruce Conner, 1965 Roy Lichtenstein, 1966 Andy Warhol, 1967 Henry Pearson, 1968 Marisol (Escobar), 1969 James Rosenquist, 1970 Frank Stella, 1971 Josef Albers, 1972 Niki de Saint Phalle, 1973 Jean Tinguely, 1974 Carol Summers, 1975 Allan D’Arcangelo, 1976 Jim Dine, 1977 Richard Avedon, 1978 Michelangelo Pistoletto, 1979 Les Levine, 1980 David Hockney, 1981 Robert Rauchenberg, 1982 Jack Youngerman, 1983 Robert Breer, 1984 Tom Wesselmann, 1985 Elinor Bunin, 1986 Sol Lewitt, 1987 Milton Glaser, 1988 Jennifer Bartlett, 1989 Eric Fischl, 1990 Philip Pearlstein, 1991 William Wegman, 1992 Sheila Metzner, 1993 William Copley, 1994 Diane Arbus, 1995 Juan Gatti, 1996 Larry Rivers, 1997 Martin Scorsese, 1998 Ivan Chermayeff, 1999 Tamar Hirschl, 2000 Manny Farber, 2001 Julian Schnabel, 2002 Junichi Taki, 2003 Jeff Bridges, 2004 Maurice Pialat, 2005 Mary Ellen Mark, 2006 agnès b., 2007 Robert Cottingham, 2008 Gregory Crewdson, 2009 John Baldessari, 2010 Lorna Simpson, 2011 Cindy Sherman, 2012 Tacita Dean, 2013 Laurie Simmons, 2014
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11th HollyShorts Film Festival Star-Studded Opening Night Lineup to Feature Films Starring Rose McGowan, Jason Patric | TRAILERS

The 11th HollyShorts Film Festival (August 13-22) unveiled it’s star-studded opening night lineup today that features films starring Rose McGowan, Jason Patric, Sharon Lawrence, Rose McIver, Beth Grant, Robert Forster, Jennifer Morrison, Josh Lawson, Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin, and many more. The festival will also open with a new clip from 2009 HollyShorts Visionary Award recipient Eli Roth’s highly anticipated new feature film THE GREEN INFERNO from Blumhouse Productions, Universal and Focus Features. The film is being released in theaters on September 25. Commented festival director Daniel Sol: “We are thrilled to open HollyShorts with such a star-studded and great lineup of short movies, it’s going to be quite a night and an epic week of incredible content! This year marks the biggest HollyShorts ever and we look forward to helping create opportunities for our filmmakers August 13-22 in Hollywood!” The 11th HollyShorts Film Festival opening night takes place Thursday August 13, which is taking place at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres and OHM nightclub at Hollywood & Highland. HollyShorts opening night celebration will feature the following short films: Weight of Blood and Bones (pictured above) https://vimeo.com/129056788 Chris Ekstein’s western short Weight of Blood and Bones starring Jason Patric, Danny Trejo, Rose McGowan, Mark Boone Junior, Noah Hardin, Marissa Coughlan and Jeff Daniel Phillips. The Weight of Blood and Bones was inspired by characters from Zane Grey’s Novels and tells the story of how the past of a legendary bounty hunter catches up with him and haunts the memories of his young son. The film is Produced by Stacy Ekstein, p.g.a. and Kevin Ragsdale. The Bridge Partner https://vimeo.com/113459769 Gabriel Olson’s The Bridge Partner, written by acclaimed author Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn) starring Beth Grant (Mindy Project), Emmy nominee Sharon Lawrence, Rebecca Brooks, Catherine Carlen and Robert Forster. The Bridge Partner tells the story of a timid housewife who is jolted into a fight for her survival when she thinks she hears her new parter at a weekly bridge game whisper a shocking threat. Warning Labels https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz2z_HQY0Gs Warning Labels Directed by Jennifer Morrison (Once Upon A Time, Warrior, Star Trek), starring Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy), Josh Lawson (House of Lies), and Rose McIver (iZombie). Warning Labels is centered on 2 workers for the Center For Disease Control who meet for drinks, only to discover that love is the most hazardous thing of all. THE GREEN INFERNO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcpYPu9M3bw Eli Roth’s THE GREEN INFERNO centers on a group of student activists traveling to the Amazon to save the rain forest. They soon discover they are not alone after crash-landing on a remote location, and are held hostage by a native tribe they set out to help save.
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40th Toronto International Film Festival Reveals Canadian Films on Lineup

The 40th Toronto International Film Festival, taking place September 10 to 20, 2015, revealed a lineup of bold Canadian works by filmmakers including Patricia Rozema, André Turpin, Anne Émond, Kazik Radwanski, and Guy Édoin.

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2015 HollyShorts Film Festival Announces Official Film Lineup

The official film lineup of the 2015 HollyShorts Film Festival was announced today, and includes 400 of the top short movies from almost every major continent. The 11th annual HollyShorts Film Festival will take place at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres August 13-22, 2015. The HollyShorts Film Conference, which will feature heavy hitter panel discussions, will take place at IgnitedSpaces August 14-21. This year’s festival feature shorts with talent including: Jerry Stiller stars in Steve Monarque’s Simpler Times, Caity Lotz who stars in Susana Hornil’s short Missed Call, Corbin Bernsen in his son Oliver Bernsen’s short Midland, Dominic Polcino’s animated award-winning short Lovesick Fool: Love in the Age of Like stars Janeane Garofalo and Lisa Kudrow. Joe Magee and Bill Bailey’s Love Song stars Emma Thompson, Brent Weinbach’s I Don’t Dance stars Natasha Leggero, John Henry Hinkel’s HOME stars Robert Forster. JT Mollner’s Flowers in December stars Dee Wallace, Emad Asfoury’s Duality stars Don Most, Sarah Lynn Dawson, Jon Foo and was voiced by Deepak Chopra. Aaron Webman’s After Lilly stars Jack Quaid, Raymond Cruz stars in Alexandra Debricon’s A Gringo Honeymoon. Michael Gross stars in Linda Palmer’s Our Father. This year’s categories include: Live Action, Animation, Documentary, Web Series, Trailers, Commercial, Music Videos. Short genres range from Horror, Romance, Drama, Action, Comedy, Thrillers and much more. Commented Theo Dumont, HollyShorts co-founder and co-director: “We are honored to showcase this selection of the world’s top short movies at HollyShorts. This festival has grown into the biggest and most prestigious annual celebration of short movies and prides itself on providing next level opportunities for our filmmakers. It’s going to be an epic 10 days with receptions every day for our guests.” Added co-founder and co-director Daniel Sol: “We are flattered that other festivals in Los Angeles this year have aggressively contacted our filmmakers with numerous efforts to poach them, this shows the demand for their great works. What those festivals don’t understand is that this is THE filmmakers festival and they’ll do whatever they want here whenever they want, and we encourage that.” The official selection of the 2015 HollyShorts Film Festival.
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SINNER VICTIM SAINT Wins 2015 PBS Online Film Festival “People’s Choice” Award | VIDEO

“Sinner Victim Saint,” (pictured above) a short narrative presented by CET/Think TV, centering on a newlywed husband who has recently lost his wife in a car accident and the dark turn of events that teaches him the power of sacrifice, won the“People’s Choice” top honor of the 2015 PBS Online Film Festival. The animated film “11 Paper Place,” presented by member station Vermont PBS, a love story about two sheets of paper who meet in a recycle bin, was the most-viewed of the 25 short films screened online. “Sinner Victim Saint” follows Isaac, a newlywed husband who has recently lost his wife in a tragic car accident. After her funeral, a dark turn of events leads Isaac to a meeting with a sinister man who claims he can bring his wife back from the dead. There’s a catch, though; in order to bring her back, Isaac learns that he must sacrifice his life for hers. The film was directed and written by Moses Flores, who spent the first three years of his career writing and directing TV commercials and web videos for corporate clients. In 2012, after a long creative rut, he made the decision to jump head first into the world of independent filmmaking. “Sinner Victim Saint” debuted in 2014 at the Eichelberger Film Dayton Festival and won the Ohio Shorts Audience Choice Award. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB4XDKb5KN8 “11 Paper Place” is an animated love story about two sheets of paper that magically transform into paper people as they are spit out of a malfunctioning printer into a recycling bin. Filmmaker Daniel Houghton is currently an animation teacher at Middlebury College, where he also manages a range of media projects. https://vimeo.com/94786328
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Calling All Foodies. 17 Films to Screen in Culinary Zinema Section of 2015 San Sebastian Festival

The 2015 San Sebastian Festival announced the 17 films selected to screen in the program of the “Culinary Zinema” section. The five years of collaboration between the San Sebastian Festival, the Berlin Festival and the Basque Culinary Center have given rise to what the festival describes as one of the most highly appreciated sections by Festival spectators and to a must-attend rendezvous for local gastronomy lovers in an event that combines an internationally prestigious film festival with the culinary wealth of one of the regions with the highest concentration of Michelin stars in the world. This fifth edition increases the selection of titles to 17, consisting of 4 short films and 13 feature films, including 9 in competition and 4 not in competition. The screening of seven of the films will be accompanied by themed dinners by chefs of international prestige. The section opens with the documentary CAMPO A TRAVÉS. MUGARITZ, INTUYENDO UN CAMINO (OFF-ROAD. MUGARITZ, FEELING A WAY) directed by Pep Gatell and closes with COOKING UP A TRIBUTE directed by Luis Gonzalez. FILMS IN COMPETITION Opening Night Film CAMPO A TRAVÉS. MUGARITZ, INTUYENDO UN CAMINO (OFF-ROAD. MUGARITZ, FEELING A WAY) (pictured above)
PEP GATELL (SPAIN)

A philosophical and ethological documentary. La Fura dels Baus reveals the motors that drive Mugaritz, the ideas behind its dishes, what it means for the team to achieve excellence and success, the suffering and the enjoyment… at the end of the day, how Mugaritz constantly creates and destroys. It highlights the constant risk, hence its title, but also the knowhow drawn from the effort and work of the many people past, present and future at Mugaritz; a place where culinary purpose has been surpassed by the creative process and its potential variables. Closing Night Film COOKING UP A TRIBUTE LUIS GONZÁLEZ, ANDREA GÓMEZ (SPAIN)
The tale of an unprecedented voyage when one of the best restaurants in the world closes its doors for five weeks to set out and travel. Making its way through four American countries, the team from El Celler de Can Roca pays homage to the cuisines of Mexico, Peru and Colombia, personally reinterpreting their ingredients and traditions.
ADN DU CEVICHE

ORLANDO ARRIAGADA (CANADA)

A gastronomic voyage revealing the cultural and historical wealth of Peru guided by one of its favourite dishes: ceviche!
THE BIRTH OF SAKÉ

ERIK SHIRAI (USA – JAPAN)

A beautiful and immersive portrait of life at the 144-year old Yoshida Brewery, a producer of world class sake. With changing times ahead and new regime led by the 6th generation heir, this is a rarified look at the personal and professional intensity needed to create a revered product and the artisans behind it.
KAMPAI! FOR THE LOVE OF SAKE

MIRAI KONISHI (JAPAN)

In this fascinating look at the universe of sake, three outsiders; a British sake brewer with 25 years experience in Japan, an American journalist who has published multiple guidebooks on sake, and the young president of a centuries -old Japanese sake brewery who wants to make changes to his family legacy, join together to explore the mysterious world of sake illustrating how these unique individuals each have a role to play in the rich, complex, and spectacular world of sake.
LITTLE FOREST – WINTER/SPRING

JUNICHI MORI (JAPAN)

Ichiko lives in Komori, a tiny village in northeastern Japan. She moved out to the city once, but felt lost there and returned. With no supermarkets or convenience stores nearby, living in Komori is like living off the land. She grows her own rice, works the farm, and makes meals out of seasonal foods gathered from the neighboring mountains and fields…
NOMA, MY PERFECT STORM

PIERRE DESCHAMPS (UK – DENMARK)

How did Redzepi manage to revolutionize the entire world of gastronomy, inventing the alphabet and vocabulary that would infuse newfound pedigree to Nordic cuisine and establish a new edible world while radically changing the image of the modern chef? His story has the feel of a classic fairy tale: the ugly duckling transformed into a majestic swan, who now reigns over the realm of modern gourmet cuisine. But beneath the polished surface, cracks appear in the form of old wounds.
SERGIO HERMAN – FUCKING PERFECT

WILLEMIEK KLUIJFHOUT (NETHERLANDS)

At the height of his culinary career, Master chef Sergio Herman feels he needs to let go of his 3-star restaurant Oud Sluis in order to fulfill his dreams. A revealing documentary about perfection, ambition and sacrifice.
WANTON MEE

ERIC KHOO (SINGAPORE)

After finding out that his home is slated to be demolished, Koh Chun Feng, a middle-aged food critic whose career is starting to wear away at him decides to explore his life and the progress of Singapore through local food. NOT IN COMPETITION

COCINANDO EN EL FIN DEL MUNDO (COOKING AT THE WORLD’S END)

ALBERTO BAAMONDE BELLO (SPAIN)

Galician nouvelle cuisine has the peculiar trait of a love for exploring the past, for recovering the flavours left behind by the modern world, for lending dignity to products considered inferior. The Nove Group is an association of chefs who reach beyond the clichés to promote this cuisine of the future. A realistic portrayal of Galicia taking gastronomy as its vehicle in the endeavour to unravel the delicate balance between tradition and modernity in a land of contrasts.
CHEF’S TABLE “MASSIMO BOTTURA”

DAVID GELB (USA)

A documentary which features six of the world’s most renowned international chefs, and offers viewers the opportunity to go inside the lives and kitchens of these culinary talents. The chefs featured include Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy), Dan Barber (Blue Hill Restaurant at Stone Barns and in New York City, USA), Francis Mallmann (El Restaurante Patagonia Sur in Buenos Aires, Argentina), Niki Nakayama (N/Naka Restaurant in Los Angeles, CA, USA), Ben Shewry (Attica Restaurant in Melbourne, Australia) and Magnus Nilsson (Fäviken in Järpen Sweden).
SAGARDOA BIDEGILE (CIDER STORIES)

BEGO ZUBIA GALLASTEGI (SPAIN)

The Basques have been drinking cider for centuries, but in the Basque Country cider is more than just fermented apple juice. The documentary takes us on a journey, a cultural, gastronomic, scientific and historical adventure. It’s leading character: cider.
SNACKS, BOCADOS DE UNA REVOLUCIÓN

VERÓNICA ESCUER, CRISTINA JOLONCH (SPAIN)

A documentary portraying the origin, evolution, current status and future of Spanish gastronomy, conceived as a movement that established creative and conceptual freedom as the ground rule of the game all over the globe. Short films
BRASA (HOT COAL)

Short film

XABI GUTIÉRREZ MÁRQUEZ (SPAIN)

Four artists from different disciplines: chef Xabier Gutiérrez, painter Juan Vich, musician Ander Fernández and producer Pello Gutiérrez. Each lends a new slant to a concept based on a single premise: charcoal embers. All four set about exposing their individual takes on the materials, colours, sound, sensations.
COMER CONOCIMIENTO (KNOWLEDGE-EATING)

Short film

LUIS GERMANÓ (SPAIN)

Ferran Adrià dons his chef’s jacket once again, to take up a new challenge: cooking without cooking and reformulating the conference format, turning it into content to explain the creative process that led him to make his restaurant one of the great temples of 20th creativity, a feat that would forever change the history of gastronomy.
THE PERFECT PROTEIN

Short film

CATERINA BARJAU DACHS, RAFAEL JORGE MARTÍNEZ PARDO (SPAIN)

While the sea is being ransacked as never before, more than 90% of the fish captured is controlled by only 30 countries. The NGO Oceana and the globe’s top chefs suggest ways to curb overfishing that would provide food for much of the world.
EL SUEÑO DE SONIA (SONIA’S DREAM)

Short film

DIEGO SARMIENTO PAGÁN (PERU)

Sonia Mamani lives in Capachica, a peninsula of Lake Titicaca (Puno, Peru). She learned to cook at the age of fifteen and has been travelling ever since, teaching women not only how to prepare traditional dishes but also to appreciate their customs and identity.

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11th Fantastic Fest Reveals First Wave of Programming; Closes with World Premiere of Kurt Russell’s BONE TOMAHAWK

The 11th Fantastic Fest, taking place September 24 – October 1 in Austin, TX at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, revealed the first wave of programming lineup, including the World premiere of BONE TOMAHAWK with Kurt Russell and Matthew Fox as closing night film. Other highlights include a retrospective of Turkish Genre Cinema, and a special Mondo Gallery event and programming series curated by filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn to celebrate the release of his new book Nicolas Winding Refn: The Act of Seeing, which profiles Refn’s collection of vintage exploitation-era American movie posters. “Bringing Kurt Russell back to the Alamo is something we’ve been trying to do for a long time” said Fantastic Fest founder Tim League, “And to do it with BONE TOMAHAWK, a quintessential Fantastic Fest film, means we’re in for one hell of a closer. Huge thanks to Caliber Media for making it all happen.” Turkish genre cinema is at the heart of this year’s Fantastic Fest, inspiring both feature programming and the festival theme. This relatively unknown school of ‘70s renegade filmmaking is explored in REMIX, REMAKE, RIP-OFF, which will be receiving its U.S. Premiere with director Cem Kaya in attendance. As part of the Turkish celebration, Fantastic Fest will be screening three seminal films, DÜNYAYI KURTARAN ADAM (aka THE MAN WHO SAVES THE WORLD, aka TURKISH STAR WARS) , YILMAYAN ŞEYTAN (aka THE DEATHLESS DEVIL) and TARKAN VİKİNG KANI (aka TARKAN VS THE VIKINGS). In keeping with the Turkish spirit, this year’s poster is comprised exclusively of elements from classic Turkish movie art, of which there will be over 60 original movie posters on display at the festival. Filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn shares his unique collection of rare American exploitation movie posters in the lush new hardcover book Nicolas Winding Refn: The Act of Seeing. Three of the films featured in the book – FAREWELL UNCLE TOM, THE X-RATED SUPERMARKET and MY BODY HUNGERS – were selected by Refn to screen during the opening weekend of Fantastic Fest, followed by a Q&A and book signing. First wave film lineup below: BONE TOMAHAWK United States, 2015 World Premiere, 133 min Director – S. Craig Zahler Kurt Russell stars in this character driven and at times horrific Western about a group of men (including Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox and Richard Jenkins) who set out to rescue a local woman and a young deputy who’ve been kidnapped by a tribe of cannibalistic troglodytes. DARLING United States, 2015 World Premiere, 78 min Director – Mickey Keating A young woman slowly goes crazy after taking a job as the caretaker for an ancient New York home in the new film from writer/director Mickey Keating. THE DEATHLESS DEVIL Turkey, 1972 Repertory Screening, 84 min Director – Yilmaz Atadeniz The mysterious Dr. Satan’s nefarious plans threaten the future of everyone on the planet, and the only men who can stop him are the brilliant Copperhead and his assistant Sherlock Holmes! DER BUNKER Germany, 2015 North American Premiere, 85 min Director – Nikias Chryssos A student rents a room from a family in their converted army bunker, and ends up the tutor to the child and a virtual slave to the parents. FAREWELL UNCLE TOM Italy, 1971 Repertory Screening, 123 min Directors – Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco Prosperi The first movie based on historical facts about the rise and revolt of slavery in America is one of the most brilliant, misunderstood and reviled of all time. GERMAN ANGST Germany, 2015 US Premiere, 111 min Directors – Jörg Buttgereit, Michal Kosakowski & Andreas Marschall German directors Buttgereit, Kosakowski and Marschall unleash this brutal assault on the senses, a surreal three-part horror anthology touching on love and hate and everything in between. IN SEARCH OF ULTRA SEX France, 2015 North American Premiere, 60 min Directors – Nicolas Charlet and Bruno Lavaine A pandemic infects people everywhere with infinite lust, and the only ones who can save us are a group of astronauts in space, desperately looking for a solution. THE INVITATION United States, 2015 Special Screening, 97 min Director – Karyn Kusama A haunted man attends a dinner party at the house he once called home, and becomes gripped with paranoia that his ex-wife and her new husband are harboring an insidious agenda. LIZA THE FOX FAIRY Hungary, 2015 Regional Premiere, 98 min Director – Károly Ujj-Mészáros Somewhere in 1970s Budapest, nurse Liza dreams of romance. But as all her suitors die in violent and extreme ways, she begins to fear the worst: maybe she is really a fox fairy, doomed to remain alone forever! LOVE AND PEACE Japan, 2015 US Premiere, 117 min Director – Sion Sono Fantastic Fest staple Shion Sono returns once again with a deeply personal (and expectedly odd) film about a lonely businessman with dreams of punk rock stardom and his best friend, a turtle. LOVEMILLA Finland, 2015 North American Premiere, 97 min Director – Teemu Nikk LOVEMILLA is a delightful peek at life and love in Finland, filled with all the usual zombies, black holes, giant pandas and superheros you’d expect from the land that gave us Renny Harlin. THE MAN WHO SAVES THE WORLD Turkey, 1982 Repertory Screening, 91 min Director – Çetin İnanç There has never been and will never be another film like THE MAN WHO SAVES THE WORLD, and your only chance to discover why is at this special Fantastic Fest screening! MY BODY HUNGERS United States, 1967 Repertory Screening, 80 min Director – Joseph W. Sarno A roadhouse hostess goes undercover to investigate the murder of her sister in a little-seen sexploiter from grindhouse rebel and master of erotica Joe Sarno. OFFICE Korea, 2015 US Premiere, 111 min Director – HONG Won-Chan OFFICE is the story of Kim, the salaryman who one day brutally murders his entire family with a hammer, and Lee, the put-upon intern at his workplace. It’s dark-as-night corporate satire hiding behind a slasher veneer with scares so well timed, you’ll jump out of your seat non-stop. REMAKE, REMIX, RIP-OFF Turkey/Germany, 2014 US Premiere, 96 min Director – Cam Kaya Welcome to Turkey. It’s home to Yesilcam, the Turkish Hollywood where, in the late ‘70s, dreams were built on nothing more than a dime. Both a loving tribute to the burgeoning cinema of this young country and a trip into history, REMAKE, REMIX, RIP-OFF brings you the most outlandish story you’ve never heard, about filmmaking so dangerous that you need a safety harness just for watching. RUINED HEART Phillipines-Germany, 2015 Regional Premiere, 73 min Director – Khavn de la Cruz Filipino iconoclast Khavn De La Cruz teams with famed cinematographer Christopher Doyle and Japanese mega star Tadanobu Asano to create a self-described “punk noir opera.” SENSORIA Sweden, 2015 World Premiere, 82 min Director – Christian Hallman Caroline Menard is a woman in her thirties who has lost everything. As she moves into a new apartment searching for a new start, she’s unaware that something ancient is waiting for her. THE SIMILARS Mexico, 2015 World Premiere, 89 min Director – Isaac Ezban On a dark and stormy night, eight strangers are stuck in a small bus station waiting for a bus to Mexico City. When strange things start happening, they find themselves trapped in a struggle for sanity and survival. SPEED South Korea, 2015 North American Premiere, 104 min Director – Lee Sang-woo Four friends navigate sex, love and life in a heart-breaking new film from Korean director Lee Sang-woo. STAND BY FOR TAPE BACK-UP United Kingdom, 2015 US Premiere, 65 min Director – Ross Sutherland Hypnotically scanning the contents of a VHS tape, this experimental essay-film eulogizes the former custodian of the analog artifact, transforming its recordings of GHOSTBUSTERS and FRESH PRINCE (among others) through rap-infused anecdotal narration, and inscribing both profound and hilarious associations to the tracking-lined images. STAND BY FOR TAPE BACK-UP will be presented as both a traditional screening as well as a live performance by creator Ross Sutherland. TARKAN VS THE VIKINGS Turkey, 1971 Repertory Screening, 86 min Director – Mehmet Aslan Based on one of the most popular comic strips in Turkey. this rip-roaring adventure sees Tarkan and his trusty wolf companion Kurt take on the despicable Viking invaders after they leave him for dead! VICTORIA Germany, 2015 Regional Premiere, 138 min Director – Sebastian Schipper Sebastian Schipper’s fourth directorial work is a single-shot tour-de-force that follows a Spanish barista through a dance club, the streets of Berlin, a coffee shop, a bank robbery and her destiny. THE X-RATED SUPERMARKET United States, 1972 Repertory Screening, 62 min Director – Paul Roberts Want to save money on your weekly sex toy budget? Look no further than the supermarket shelves in some salacious tips and reactions from suburban horny housewives.
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2015 Woodstock Film Festival Unveils Official Poster by JOY + NOELLE

The 2015 Woodstock Film Festival has unveiled the official poster art by acclaimed animators Joy Buran and Noelle Melody. Joy Buran and Noelle Melody are not only responsible for animating memorable WFF posters (2010, 2012), but some of their signature work have been Official Woodstock Selections. “Woodstock is one of our favorite festivals, so we were pretty excited to be invited to illustrate the 2015 poster,” said Noelle Melody. “When I visited the Film Center, we talked about palette and detail ideas, like scratched up stickers with the names of winning feature directors over the years. I invited Joy up for a little Drink and Draw session, meaning we drank a lot of coffee and sketched out the cake.” “We had to constantly try to keep Noelle’s cat from playing with the film strips!” said Joy Buran. “We’ve been coming to the Woodstock Film Festival for almost 10 years, so it was a huge honor to be invited to design this poster. We both feel very lucky to be part of such a big year for this festival, like we’re in high school and just got invited to a super cool Sweet Sixteen party. We hope the poster illustrates the fierce independence of the filmmakers and the festival itself.” “We are so excited to have Joy and Noelle as our official poster artists this year,” Executive Director and co-founder Meira Blaustein said. “Not only are they festival alumni, having their animation shown here before, but they perfectly encapsulate the Sweet 16 celebration aspect that is our theme this year. Incorporating past Maverick Award winners is a subtle nod to celebrating sixteen years of great independent filmmaking.” The Woodstock Film Festival will celebrate its “Sweet 16” Anniversary Sept 30-Oct 4 in the Hudson Valley towns of Woodstock, Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Kingston, and Saugerties.
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BLACK MASS starring Johnny Depp to World Premiere at 72nd Venice International Film Festival | TRAILER

Warner Bros. Pictures’ highly anticipated drama Black Mass, directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) will world premiere in out-of-competition at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival. The film stars Johnny Depp as notorious gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, along with an acclaimed ensemble cast including Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rory Cochrane, Jesse Plemons, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, and Kevin Bacon. Black Mass will screen on Friday September 4th 2015 in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema atVenice Lido. The 72nd Venice International Film Festival will take place at the Lido from September 2-12, 2015; it is directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by la Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta. In 1970s South Boston, FBI Agent John Connolly (Edgerton) persuades Irish mobster Jimmy Bulger (Depp) to collaborate with the FBI in order to eliminate their common enemy: the Italian mob. The drama tells the story of this unholy alliance, which spiraled out of control, allowing Whitey to evade law enforcement while consolidating his power and becoming one of the most ruthless and dangerous gangsters in Boston history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_F-lVhSfx8 Black Mass is produced by John Lesher, Brian Oliver, Scott Cooper, Patrick McCormick, and Tyler Thompson, with Brett Ratner, James Packer, Peter Mallouk, Ray Mallouk, Christopher Woodrow, Brett Granstaff, Gary Granstaff, Phil Hunt and Compton Ross serving as executive producers.Warner Bros. Pictures presents Black Mass in association with Cross Creek Pictures & RatPac-Dune Entertainment; the screenplay is by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth (Get on Up, Edge of Tomorrow) based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill. Warner Bros. Pictures will distribute Black Mass worldwide beginning September 18th. Its Italian release is scheduled for October 1, 2015.
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72nd Venice Film Festival Unveils Official Film Lineup

The 72nd Venice International Film Festival, organized by la Biennale di Venezia, held on the Lido of Venice from September 2nd to September 12th, 2015, unveiled the official film lineup. The Official Selection includes the sections Venezia 72, Out of Competition, Orizzonti, and Venice Classics, as well as the three feature films in the project, Biennale College – Cinema. The Independent and Parallel Sections include the SIC – International Critics’ Week, and the Giornate degli Autori – Venice Days. Venezia 72 EMIN ALPER – ABLUKA (FRENZY) Turkey, France, Qatar, 114′ Mehmet Özgür, Berkay Ates LAURIE ANDERSON – HEART OF A DOG USA, 75′ Laurie Anderson MARCO BELLOCCHIO – SANGUE DEL MIO SANGUE Italy, France, Switzerland, 106′ Roberto Herlitzka, Pier Giorgio Bellocchio, Lydiya Liberman, Fausto Russo Alesi, Alba Rohrwacher, Federica Fracassi, Filippo Timi SUE BROOKS – LOOKING FOR GRACE Australia, 97′ Richard Roxburgh, Radha Mitchell, Odessa Young, Terry Norris, Harry Richardson DRAKE DOREMUS – EQUALS USA, 101′ Kristen Stewart, Nicholas Hoult, Guy Pearce, Jacki Weaver ATOM EGOYAN – REMEMBER Canada, Germany, 95′ Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, Dean Norris, Bruno Ganz, Jürgen Prochnow, Heinz Lieven CARY FUKUNAGA – BEASTS OF NO NATION USA, 133′ Idris Elba GIUSEPPE M. GAUDINO – PER AMOR VOSTRO Italy, France, 110′ Valeria Golino, Massimiliano Gallo, Adriano Giannini XAVIER GIANNOLI – MARGUERITE France, Czech Republic, Belgium, 127′ Catherine Frot, André Marcon, Michel Fau, Christa Théret, Denis Mpunga, Sylvain Dieuaide AMOS GITAI – RABIN, THE LAST DAY Israel, France, 153′ Ischac Hiskiya, Pini Mitelman, Michael Warshaviak, Einat Weizman, Rotem Keinan, Yogev Yefet, Yael Abecassis LUCA GUADAGNINO – A BIGGER SPLASH Italy, France, 120′ Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenaerts, Dakota Johnson, Corrado Guzzanti OLIVER HERMANUS – THE ENDLESS RIVER South Africa, France, 108′ Nicolas Duvauchelle, Crystal-Donna Roberts, Clayton Evertson, Darren Kelfkens, Denise Newman TOM HOOPER – THE DANISH GIRL UK, USA, 120′ Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard, Sebastian Koch, Ben Whishaw, Matthias Schoenaerts CHARLIE KAUFMAN, DUKE JOHNSON – ANOMALISA USA, 90′ (Animation) Jennifer Jason Leigh, David Thewlis, Tom Noonan ZHAO LIANG – BEHEMOTH China, France, 95′ (Documentary) PIERO MESSINA – L’ATTESA Italy, France, 100′ Juliette Binoche, Lou de Laâge, Giorgio Colangeli, Domenico Diele, Antonio Folletto, Giovanni Anzaldo JERZY SKOLIMOWSKI – 11 MINUT (11 MINUTES) Poland, Ireland, 81′ Richard Dormer, Paulina Chapko, Wojciech Mecwaldowski, Dawid Ogrodnik, Andrzej Chyra ALEKSANDR SOKUROV – FRANCOFONIA France, Germany, Netherlands, 87′ Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Benjamin Utzerath PABLO TRAPERO – EL CLAN Argentina, Spain, 108′ Guillermo Francella, Peter Lanzani LORENZO VIGAS – DESDE ALLÁ Venezuela, 93′ Alfredo Castro, Luis Silva CHRISTIAN VINCENT – L’HERMINE France, 98′ Fabrice Luchini, Sidse Babett Knudsen Out of Competition EVGENY AFINEEVSKY – WINTER ON FIRE Ukraine, 85′ (documentary) DANIEL ALFREDSON – GO WITH ME USA, Canada, Sweden, 90′ Anthony Hopkins, Julia Stiles, Ray Liotta, Alexander Ludwig, Hal Holbrook, Steve Bacic, Lochlyn Munro YANN ARTHUS-BERTRAND – HUMAN France, 188′ (documentary) NOAH BAUMBACH, JAKE PALTROW – DE PALMA USA, 109′ (documentary) AMY BERG – JANIS USA, 115′ (documentary) CLAUDIO CALIGARI – NON ESSERE CATTIVO Italy, 100′ Luca Marinelli, Alessandro Borghi, Silvia D’Amico, Roberta Mattei SCOTT COOPER – BLACK MASS USA, 122′ Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rory Cochrane, Jesse Plemons, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, Kevin Bacon GUAN HU – LAO PAO ER (MR SIX) China, 135′ Feng Xiaogang BALTASAR KORMÁKUR – EVEREST [OPENING FILM] United Kingdom, USA, 122′ Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson, Jake Gyllenhaal SERGEI LOZNITSA – SOBYTIE (THE EVENT) Netherlands, Belgium, 74′ (documentary) FRANCO MARESCO – GLI UOMINI DI QUESTA CITTÀ IO NON LI CONOSCO Italy, 115′ (documentary) THOMAS MCCARTHY – SPOTLIGHT USA, 123′ Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Stanley Tucci, Liev Schreiber, Brian d’Arcy James TSAI MING-LIANG – NA RI XIAWU (AFTERNOON) Chinese Taipei, 137′ Tsai Ming-liang, Lee Kang-sheng GIANFRANCO PANNONE – L’ESERCITO PIÙ PICCOLO DEL MONDO Vatican City, Italy, Switzerland, 80′ (documentary) ARTURO RIPSTEIN – LA CALLE DE LA AMARGURA Mexico, Spain, 99′ Patricia Reyes Spíndola, Nora Velázquez, Sylvia Pasquel, Arcelia Ramírez, Alejandro Suárez, Alberto Estrella MARTIN SCORSESE – THE AUDITION USA, 16′ Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Martin Scorsese BERTRAND TAVERNIER – LA VIE ET RIEN D’AUTRE France, 135′ Philippe Noiret, Sabine Azéma FREDERICK WISEMAN – IN JACKSON HEIGHTS USA, 190′ (documentary) Check out the LINE-UP of the 72nd Venice Film Festival
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13 Films to Compete for 2015 Kutxabank-New Directors Award at San Sebastian Festival

The San Sebastian Festival revealed the titles of the thirteen films to compete for the 2015 Kutxabank-New Directors Award, decided by a specific international jury and carrying €50,000. Last year’s prize was won by Urok / The Lesson, directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov. Following its world premiere at the Toronto Festival and its European premiere in the New Directors section, the film has been distributed all over the world, winning awards at numerous international festivals, such as Gothenburg, Thessaloniki, Tokyo, Warsaw, Varna, Vilnius, Sofia and Transylvania. Urok / The Lesson is also one of the three finalist films for the European Parliament Lux Prize. AFTER EDEN HANS CHRISTIAN BERGER (CANADA) (pictured above) A tale of love and temptation in the age of Internet pornography. A reclusive university student tracks down his favourite porn star in the real world and becomes her anonymous follower – until he finds the courage to connect in person. BARASH MICHAL VINIK (ISRAEL) 17 year old Naama Barash enjoys alcohol, drugs and hanging out with like-minded friends. Her activities are an escape from a home where her parents always fight, and a rebellious, army-enrolled sister, who, one day, disappears. As a new girl shows up at school, Barash falls deep in love for the first time, and the intensity of the experience at once confuses her and gives her life new meaning. EINER VON UNS / ONE OF US STEPHAN RICHTER (AUSTRIA) Julian, a 14-year old teenager, dies surrounded by the colorful products of a huge supermarket. The film is based on a true story and shows the rebellion of the local youth against the bleak life of suburbia. GRANNY’S DANCING ON THE TABLE HANNA SKÖLD (SWEDEN – DENMARK) Eini grows up isolated from society with her father, a man afraid of the world. His biggest fear is to be left alone and to be left by Eini. He does everything he can to make her believe that the world outside and the people out there are evil, and that all that has to do with sexuality and adulthood is dangerous. IONA SCOTT GRAHAM (UK – GERMANY) Three years after competing at the New Directors Section with Shell, Scottish director Scott Graham comes back to the San Sebastian Festival with this drama. Iona and her teenage son Bull seek refuge from a violent crime on the island where she was born. Iona’s return exposes Bull to a way of life she rejected as a teenager and sends a shock wave through the family she left behind. JAJDA / THIRST TSOTSORKOVA SVETLA (BULGARIA) A couple and their teenage son eke out a living on a hilltop, doing the laundry for local hotels, despite the intermittent water supply. Their simple life is overturned by the arrival of a father-and-daughter team of diviner and well-digger. LE NOUVEAU / THE NEW KID RUDI ROSENBERG (FRANCE) Benoit, 14 years old, leaves the country-side for Paris. His first day at school turns out to be more difficult than expected, and he quickly becomes isolated. Until one day a new girl arrives in class… PARASOL VALÉRY ROSIER (BELGIUM) Holiday time, a Mediterranean island. Three wanderings at summer’s end. The determination, no matter the cost, to make things change. Nostalgia for a past that never existed. PAULA EUGENIO CANEVARI (ARGENTINA – SPAIN) Young Paula lives and works at the pile of a middle-class family caring for their children. Her life takes an unexpected turn on discovering that she’s pregnant by a young man who refuses to accept his fatherhood. Directorial debut by Eugenio Canevari, who participated in the International Film Students Meeting at San Sebastian in 2013 with his short film, Gorila baila. PIKADERO BEN SHARROCK (SPAIN – UK) A penniless, young couple have trouble consummating their fledgling relationship in their parents’ homes, forcing their relationship into question as they try to break free from the shackles of a crumbling economy. Barbara Goenaga and Joseba Usabiaga star in this romantic comedy. RODINNY FILM / FAMILY FILM OLMO OMERZU (CZECH REP. – GERMANY – SLOVENIA – FRANCE – SLOVAKIA) Husband and wife set sail across the ocean, leaving their two children to explore the freedom of being home alone. The boat goes under, and so does the family. A dog, stuck on a desert island, is their only hope. STAY WITH ME JINWOO RHEE (SOUTH KOREA) Scholar Leeseop is new in class, where troublemaker Hayun is in. The two become friends, influencing and changing each other’s lives little by little. A drama that thoughtfully explores teenage life. VIDA SEXUAL DE LAS PLANTAS (SEX LIFE OF PLANTS) SEBASTIÁN BRAHM (CHILE) After an accident turns the love of Barbara’s life into a dimwit stranger, she gets involved with a man who can offer her stability, minus the passion. She tries to adapt to her new fate, but the memory of lost love continues to hound her. Until she realises that what really matters isn’t lost.
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