Film Festivals

Whistler Film Festival Unveils Unprecedented Canadian Slate of 22 Films

BANG BANG BABY

22 Canadian feature films, including 13 by first-time feature film directors and six directed by women, will screen at the upcoming 14th Annual Whistler Film Festival (WFF) taking place December 3 to 7, 2014 in Whistler, British Columba, Canada. 6 films will compete in the 11th annual Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature Film including AFTER THE BALL, BANG BANG BABY, FÉLIX AND MEIRA (Félix et Meira), MOUNTAIN MEN, RELATIVE HAPPINESS, and WOLVES (Les Loups).

Following is the list of eleven Canadian features having their World Premiere at this year’s Whistler Film Festival:

AFTER FILM SCHOOL Joel Ashton McCarthy, Canada World Premiere
A hilarious mockumentary made by, and about, film school graduates who can’t raise financing for their first feature. Over 100 Vancouver area filmmakers and musicians devoted their time and talent to this chance-taking comedy that will have you rolling in the aisles. Get ready for High School Murders – The Musical, a film within a film that you won’t believe.

AFTER THE BALL Sean Garrity, Canada World Premiere
This charming Cinderella story is set in the world of fashion design, a daughter must disguise herself in order to win the approval of her rejecting father who owns a fashion design shop. One of this year’s Borsos competitors, it is written by Borsos Winner Kate Melville (PICTURE DAY, WFF 2012). Starring Portia Doubleday, Chris Noth, Lauren Holly and Marc-André Grondin.

BAD CITY Carl Bessai, Canada World Premiere
Canada’s most prolific filmmaker, Carl Bessai, returns to Whistler after last year’s triumphant genre bender No Clue, with another film homage, but this one to blaxploitation flicks from the 70s and the reverence that certain film intellectuals maintain for Canucksploitation films of the same era. So, dust off your Afro wigs and come out and play. Can you dig it? Right on! Starring Dustin Milligan and Amanda Crew.

ELSEWHERE, N .Y. Jeffrey P. Nesker, Canada World Premiere
A first feature directed by Canadian Jeffrey P. Nesker, entirely shot on the streets of New York with a cast of four and a crew of two. The style will evoke the work of Amos Kollek or the street grit of ONCE. The film follows the romances and yearnings of a small group of young adults trying to connect in the big city. Starring Andrew Leland Rogers, Fiona Graham and Andrew Ruth.

THE COCKSURE LADS Murray Foster, Canada World Premiere
A toe-tapping musical comedy that looks at the split-up of a British boy band when they land in Toronto for a gig. This is a first feature directed by Murray Foster, the bassist with Moxy Fruvous and Great Big Sea, and it has the joyous feeling of Cliff Richard or Dave Clark Five movies from the 60s. With Lyndon Ogbourne and Luke Marty, and great original songs.

LES LOUPS (WOLVES) Sophie Deraspe, Canada World Premiere
A haunting new drama from the director of previous Borsos winner Vital Signs, about an attractive Montreal woman who arrives on a North Atlantic island during whale hunting season for no apparent reason. The locals are a rough and tumble group living a harsh life off the land, but they become very curious about why the young lady has chosen to join them. Starring Evelyne Brochu, Gilbert Sicotte and Louise Portal.

MOUNTAIN MEN Cameron Labine, Canada World Premiere
Whistler provides the perfect setting for the World Premiere of this Borsos entry of hilarious banter, nail-biting suspense and charismatic leads in Chace Crawford and Tyler Labine as estranged brothers forced to reconcile when a fire leaves them no choice but to descend a dangerous wintery mountain landscape and fight for their lives.

PRETEND WE’RE KISSING Matt Sadowski, Canada World Premiere
A first feature from director Matt Sadowski, this is a charming comic romance between a classic uber-nerd played by Dov Tiefenbach, whose character personifies neurotic self-doubt, and a dream girl played by Zoe Kravitz who shows some interest in him. Reminding you of early Woody Allen, the sex scenes are laugh out loud awkward.

SNOWMAN Mike Douglas, Canada World Premiere
Whistler filmmaker and ‘Godfather of free skiing’ Mike Douglas returns to WFF with his documentary feature debut, SNOWMAN, which pays tribute to mountain culture lifestyle and to living in Whistler in particular. It doesn’t sugarcoat the dangers of living life on the edge of a mountain, as a helicopter crash during a routine inducement of a controlled avalanche provides the film with some real-life jeopardy.

STAY AWHILE Jessica Edwards, Canada World Premiere
Anyone over a certain age may not necessarily remember the name The Bells, but they will certainly recognize the signature theme song that was a worldwide monster hit back in the early 70s before the era of radio quotas for Canadian content. Canada’s first super-group, The Bells appeared on US television, toured extensively andmade the rounds of Canadian variety and musical shows of the time. Other hits included ‘Little White Dove’ and ‘Moody Manitoba Morning’. An intimate insider’s look at the group The Bells, as told by the daughter of two of its principals, Jessica Edwards.

WHAT AN IDIOT Peter Benson, Canada World Premiere
Borrowing a plot line from the Rock Hudson/Doris Day movie SEND ME NO FLOWERS, a man (played by first-time director Peter Benson) pretends to be gay in order to befriend his gorgeous new boss at work, who seems to have a real soft spot for gay men, while treating all others with disdain. Julia Benson plays the boss, and in real life, Peter and Julia are a Vancouver based couple, which explains the genuine romantic connection between the two leads in this classic romantic comedy.

Following is a list of the many other fine Canadian films being showcased at this year’s Whistler Film Festival:

ALLY WAS SCREAMING: Jeremy Thomas, Canada BC Premiere
A tense but darkly funny exploration of the thin line between greed and morality, follows two buddies who find a dead friend’s winning lottery ticket, but her do-gooder sister stands in the way of redemption. Nice Canadian boys would never think of knocking her off, now would they? Starring Charlie Carrick, Giacomo Baessato and Camille Sullivan.

BANG BANG BABY Jeffery St. Jules, Canada Western Canadian Premiere
A wildly unique and original take on the musical genre is a first feature from Jeffrey St. Jules. The Borsos entry tells the story of a 60s teenager who dreams of making it big as a singer, if only that pesky nearby chemical plant leak wasn’t turning the townsfolks into genetic mutants. Starring Jane Levy, Justin Chatwin and Peter Stormare.

BACKCOUNTRY Adam MacDonald, Canada Western Canadian Premiere
An extremely well made true story of two ill-prepared campers who were attacked in their tent by a ferocious black bear. The bear footage was shot in Squamish BC, because that’s where the producers found the most ferocious (trained) bear, who could roar and bare his fangs on cue. This true-life horror movie is a remarkable first feature by Adam MacDonald and starring Eric Balfour, Missy Peregrym and Nicholas Campbell.

THE BACKWARD CLASS Madeleine Grant, Canada Western Canadian Premiere
Cheer-out-loud documentary filmmaking and winner of the Audience Award at this year’s Hot Docs, this is a remarkable look at the link between education and class. The film focuses on the first graduating class of low-caste individuals plucked from their impoverished families in India and given a European style education for the last thirteen years. They are about to write their first college entrance exams. How will they do as individuals, and how will this reflect on this privately funded project that has nearly bankrupted its chief proponents? A first feature directed by Vancouver-based Madeleine Grant.

BIG MUDDY Jefferson Moneo, Canada Western Canadian PremiereFirst feature from director Jefferson Moneo, this is a visually stylish look at a crime spree set in the prairies. A Saskatchewan mother gets by performing low-level cons, but must go into hiding when an escaped murderer comes looking for her and her son. This is a film that could best be described as Prairie Noir, and may remind you of Terrence Malick’s classic Badlands. Starring Nadia Litz, Stephen McHattie and Rossif Sutherland.

FÉLIX AND MEIRA: Maxime Giroux, Canada Western Canadian PremiereVoted the Best Canadian Film at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, this is a delicate, quiet study of a forbidden romance between a depressive francophone Montrealer, and the married Hasidic mother that attracts his romantic attention. The conflict between desire and duty has never come into sharper focus. Directed by former Borsos competitor Maxime Giroux (JO FOR JONATHAN, WFF 2010) with Martin Dubreuil and Hadas Yaron.

I PUT A HIT ON YOU: Dane Clark, Linsey Stewart Western Canadian PremiereDirected by first-timers Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart, this very funny thriller follows a jilted fiancée who drunkenly offers her engagement ring online to anyone who wants to kill her boyfriend for her. Someone takes her up on the offer, and in the sober light of the next morning’s hangover, what do you do when your would-be assassin is anonymous and can’t be called off? Starring Sara Canning and Aaron Ashmore

IN HER PLACE Albert Shin, Canada/South Korea Western Canadian PremiereA second film from Canadian director Albert Shin, this is a meticulously authentic South Korean shot film, with Korean actors, and a distinctly Korean storyline, about a rich city woman who comes to live with some poor country bumpkins, a woman and her teenage daughter, for reasons that are not immediately apparent. With Yoon-Da-Kyung and Ahn Ji Hye.

THE OUTLAW LEAGUE (LA GANG DES HORS-LA-LOI) Jean Beaudry, Canada Western Canadian PremiereDirected by Jean Beaudry, this is veteran family film producer Rock Demers’ 24th entry in the Tales for All series. A rare film to be shot in French in New Brunswick, it tells the story of some local kids who fight for the right to clear a lot full of junk, so that they can have a baseball diamond to play on. City planners oppose them, of course. Starring Guy Thauvette and André Kasper Kolstad.

RELATIVE HAPPINESS Deanne Foley, Canada Western Canadian PremiereThis previously announced Borsos entry follows a pleasingly plump and plucky Nova Scotia bed and breakfast operator who needs to find a date for her gorgeous sister’s wedding. In walks the hunk of her dreams… A second film directed by Deanne Foley, starring Melissa Bergland and Aaron Poole

WE WERE WOLVES Jordan Canning, Canada Western Canadian PremiereA first feature directed by Jordan Canning, this is another perfect Whistler film as two estranged brothers reconcile in a cabin in the Kawartha Lakes region following the death of their father. They discover secrets of their father’s life that they never suspected, and must reconcile with their memories and each other. Starring Lynda Boyd, Steve Cochrane and Peter Mooney.
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“Unlucky Plaza” is Opening Film for Singapore International Film Festival + Egyptian Ahmad Abdalla is Filmmaker in Focus

Unlucky Plaza

After a two-year hiatus, the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) is back and will open December 4th with Ken Kwek’s Unlucky Plaza, a first for a Singaporean film. Unlucky Plaza is a story about one man’s financial woes that spiral into a harrowing crisis. When he is further outdone by a financial scam, he takes a group of people hostage in a millionaire’s bungalow and the crisis, captured on video, sparks an international outcry. A multi-character thriller from one of Asia’s most exciting young filmmakers, Unlucky Plaza navigates among three narrative threads in order to create a dramatic statement about the things we do for money.

It stars Filipino actor Epy Quizon in the lead role. The other parts are taken by local veteran stage and screen actors Adrian Pang, Judee Tan, Shane Mardjuki, Janice Koh, Pamela Oei, who is Kwek’s wife, and television host and actor Guo Liang. The film’s title is a play on Lucky Plaza, the Orchard Road mall known for its businesses serving Filipino residents.Ken Kwek was born in Singapore and attended Cambridge University. He has written and directed the shorts anthology Sex.Violence.FamilyValues. Unlucky Plaza is his first feature, which debuted in the Discovery section at the recent Toronto International Film Festival.

The festival which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, will screen over 100 feature and short films, of all genres. Audiences can look forward to Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s (Turkey) Winter Sleep (2014), a story set in Anatolia that examines the significant divide between the rich and poor, as well as the powerful and powerless in Turkey. At the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, the film won the Palme d’Or and the FIPRESCI Prize. The film has also been selected as the Turkish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards.

Also in the line-up are Red Amnesia (2014) by acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Wang Xiaoshuai (China) (Beijing Bicycle, In Love We Trust), and From What Is Before (2014) by SGIFF regular Lav Diaz (Philippines).

Red Amnesia is a disturbing thriller about a retired widow, who has her daily routine disrupted when she starts receiving mysterious, anonymous phone calls. It is set in the ever-changing world of contemporary China, and brings powerful political urgency to the telling of its suspenseful tale. A renowned auteur, Wang is regarded as one of China’s “Sixth Generation” filmmakers, along with names like Zhang Yuan and Jia Zhangke.

Meanwhile, From What Is Before follows a remote town in the Philippines under Marcos’ dictatorship in the 1970s. The film had its world premiere in the Philippines in July this year, and won the Golden Leopard at the 2014 Locarno International Film Festival. It recently had its North American premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, under the Wavelengths section.

36-year-old Ahmad Abdalla El Sayed Abdelkader, an Egyptian film director, editor and screenwriter, has been confirmed as this year’s Filmmaker in Focus.

SGIFF will feature his latest film Décor (2014), a psychological drama set in Cairo about a woman struggling to know what she wants, and have her own choices in life. The main character is obsessed with old Egyptian films, which she keeps playing on VHS. In keeping with the classic theme, the entire film is played out in black and white, the first Egyptian film to use this format since Mohamed Fadel’s 1996 drama Nasser 56, about the late Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser.
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AFI FEST 2014 Reveals Remaining Films on World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight, and Cinema’s Legacy Program Lineup

OVER YOUR DEAD BODY (KUIME)

AFI FEST 2014 revealed the remaining films that will screen in the World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight, and Cinema’s Legacy programs. AFI FEST will take place November 6 through 13 in Hollywood, CA, at the Dolby Theatre®, the TCL Chinese Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

WORLD CINEMA SELECTIONS (29 titles)

The World Cinema selections showcase some of the most acclaimed international films of the year.

’71 – A rookie British soldier (rising star Jack O’Connell) must survive one night in war-torn Belfast at the height of the Troubles in this taut thriller. DIR Yann Demange. SCR Gregory Burke. CAST Jack O’Connell, Paul Anderson, Richard Dormer, Sean Harris, Barry Keoghan, Martin McCann, Charlie Murphy, Sam Reid.   UK.

THE ABSENT (LOS AUSENTES) – When an elderly man loses his isolated cabin deep in the Mexican woods, he also loses his grip on reality. DIR Nicolás Pereda. SCR Alejandro Mendoza. CAST Guadalupe Cárdenas, Eduard Fernández, Gabino Rodríguez. Mexico. U.S. Premiere.

AUGUST WINDS (VENTOS DE AGOSTO) – When a young Brazilian couple makes a discovery in the ocean waters off their small village, they must confront the realities of life and death. DIR Gabriel Mascaro. SCR Gabriel Mascaro & Rachel Ellis. CAST Dandara de Morais, Geová Manoel dos Santos, Maria Salvino dos Santos, Gabriel Mascaro. Brazil.

BLACK COAL, THIN ICE (BAI RI YAN HUO) – In this Berlin Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, a down-and-out former detective is lured back to an old murder case when the brutal killer re-emerges. DIR Diao Yinan. SCR Diao Yinan. CAST Liao Fan, Gwei Lun Mei, Wang Xuebing, Wang Jingchun, Yu Ailei, Ni Jingyang. China, Hong Kong.   This screening is co-presented by the China Onscreen Biennial 2014 and is the closing night screening of their Los Angeles series.

BREATHE (RESPIRE) – High school student Charlie is sent reeling after her intense friendship with Sarah falls apart in Mélanie Laurent’s sophomore feature. DIR Mélanie Laurent. SCR Mélanie Laurent & Julien Lambroschini. CAST Joséphine Japy, Lou de Laâge, Isabelle Carré, Claire Keim. France.

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY – An amateur butterfly collector and her housekeeper can’t get enough of their sadomasochistic games in this phantasmic tale. DIR Peter Strickland. SCR Peter Strickland. CAST Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D’anna. UK.

EDEN – Mia Hansen-Løve’s 20-year journey through the electronic dance music scene follows DJ Paul, whose love for the turntables stays strong even after the craze has ended. DIR Mia Hansen-Løve. SCR Mia Hansen-Løve & Sven Hansen-Løve. CAST Felix De Givry, Pauline Etienne, Vincent Macaigne, Greta Gerwig, Golshifteh Farahani, Laura Smet, Vincent Lacoste. France.

THE FOOL (DURAK) – A small-town plumber must evacuate a building before its occupants are put in a deadly situation, but citywide corruption makes it nearly impossible to find help. DIR Yury Bykov. SCR Yury Bykov. CAST Artem Bystrov, Natalia Surkova, Dmitry Kulichkov, Ilya Isaev, Maxim Pinsker, Lyubov Rudenko. Russia.

FROM WHAT IS BEFORE (MULA SA KUNG ANO ANG NOON) – Filipino arthouse sensation Lav Diaz’s latest epic centers on a coastal village haunted by strange and supernatural occurrences. DIR Lav Diaz. SCR Lav Diaz. CAST Perry Dizon, Roeder Camañag, Hazel Orencio, Karenina Haniel, Joel Saracho, Reynan Abcede, Ching Valdes-Aran, Mailes Kanapi, Ian Lomongo, Noel Sto. Domingo, Evelyn Vargas, Bambi Beltran, Teng Mangansakan. Philippines. U.S. Premiere.

GETT, THE TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSALEM – Unfolding entirely in a small courtroom, this edge-of-your-seat film follows Viviane Amsalem’s tense battle for a divorce in Israel’s strict rabbinical court. DIR Ronit Elkabetz & Shlomi Elkabetz. SCR Ronit Elkabetz & Shlomi Elkabetz. CAST Ronit Elkabetz, Menashe Noy, Simon Abkarian, Sasson Gabay , Eli Gorstein, Rami Danon, Roberto Pollack. Israel.

GIRLHOOD (BANDE DE FILLES) – Teenager Marieme drops out of school and finds acceptance with a gang of free-spirited girls, while taking on a new feminine identity. DIR Céline Sciamma. SCR Céline Sciamma. CAST Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré. France.

GOODNIGHT MOMMY (ICH SEH, ICH SEH) – Twin boys fear that their mother, whose face is masked with bandages after plastic surgery, has been subsumed by an evil being. DIR Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala. SCR Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala. CAST Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz. Austria.

HAEMOO – Amid a shroud of sea fog, the voyage of a South Korean boat smuggling a group of illegal immigrants turns into a catastrophe. DIR Shim Sung-bo. SCR Shim Sung-bo & Bong Joon-ho. CAST Kim Yoon-seok, Park Yu-chun, Han Ye-ri. South Korea.

HUMAN CAPITAL (IL CAPITALE UMANO) – The fates of two seemingly unrelated families become increasingly intertwined in this stylish Italian murder mystery. DIR Paolo Virzì. SCR Paolo Virzì, Francesco Bruni and Francesco Piccolo. CAST Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Valeria Golino, Fabrizio Gifuni, Luigi Lo Cascio. Italy.

THE IRON MINISTRY – Three years spent on China’s vast train system are distilled into a one-of-a-kind sensory experience in this immersive, formally daring documentary. DIR J.P. Sniadecki. China, USA.

JAUJA – Viggo Mortensen stars as a 19th-century Danish general who must search the unforgiving Patagonian wilderness for his runaway daughter. DIR Lisandro Alonso. SCR Lisandro Alonso & Fabián Casas. CAST Viggo Mortensen, Viilbjork Malling Agger, Ghita Nørby. Argentina, USA, Netherlands, France, Mexico.

LEVIATHAN – In the latest work from Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev, a small-town auto mechanic becomes embroiled in a property dispute with devastating consequences. DIR Andrey Zvyagintsev. SCR Oleg Negin & Andrey Zvyagintsev. CAST Alexey Serebryakov, Elena Lyadova, Vladimir Vdovitchenkov, Roman Madyanov, Anna Ukolova, Alexey Rozin, Sergey Pokhodaev. Russia.

MANOS SUCIAS – Brothers Jacobo and Delio agree to transport millions of dollars of cocaine into Panama in this suspenseful portrait of lives forever altered by the drug trade. DIR Josef Kubota Wladyka. SCR Alan Blanco & Josef Kubota Wladyka. CAST Cristian Advincula, Jarlin Martinez, Manuel David Riascos, Hadder Blandon. Colombia, USA.

OVER YOUR DEAD BODY (KUIME) – Actors rehearsing a classic play find their violent, double-crossing stage roles seeping into real life in a ghost story from Takashi Miike. DIR Takashi Miike. SCR Kikumi Yamagishi. CAST Ebizo Ichikawa, Ko Shibasaki, Hideaki Ito, Miho Nakanishi, Maiko, Toshie Negishi, Hiroshi Katsuno, Ikko Furuya. Japan.

REALITY (RÉALITÉ) – A cameraman for a TV show is offered a chance to direct in this tapestry of dream logic that slides from one brilliantly bizarre situation to the next. DIR Quentin Dupieux. SCR Quentin Dupieux. CAST Alain Chabat, Jonathan Lambert, Elodie Bouchez, Kyla Kenedy, John Glover, Eric Wareheim, Jon Heder. Belgium, France. North American Premiere.

RED ARMY – The Cold War plays out with vivid intensity – on the ice – in this vibrant documentary on the history of the Soviet Union’s Red Army hockey team. DIR Gabe Polsky. FEATURING Slava Fetisov, Vladislav Tretiak, Scotty Bowman, Vladimir Pozner. USA, Russia.

THE SALT OF THE EARTH – This documentary on Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado, often referred to as the master of black-and-white photojournalism, is co-directed by filmmaker Wim Wenders and Salgado’s son, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado. DIR Wim Wenders & Juliano Ribeiro Salgado. SCR Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders and David Rosier. France.

SONG OF THE SEA – In this Irish animated film, a brother and sister embark on a magical journey to discover their connection to the mythical selkies. DIR Tomm Moore. SCR Will Collins. CAST Brendan Gleeson, Fionnula Flanagan, Pat Shortt, Jon Kenny, Liam Hourican, Colm Ó’Snodaigh, Lucy O’Connell, Kevin Swierszcz, David Rawle, Lisa Hannigan. Ireland. U.S. Premiere.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS (KREUZWEG) – Fourteen masterfully composed single-shot scenes tell the story of adolescent Maria, a girl caught between a secular world and the strict religious teachings of her church. DIR Dietrich Brüggemann. SCR Anna Brüggemann & Dietrich Brüggemann. CAST Lea van Acken, Franziska Weisz, Florian Stetter. Germany.

TIMBUKTU – Mauritania’s official entry for the Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar® centers on the 2012 Islamic jihadist takeover of northern Mali, and its toll on the region’s civilians. DIR Abderrahmane Sissako. SCR Abderrahmane Sissako & Kessen Tall. CAST Ibrahim Ahmed, Toulou Kiki, Abel Jafri, Fatoumata Diawara. France, Mauritania.

TITLI – Young Titli must risk everything to escape his life of abject poverty and intergenerational crime in this assured debut feature. DIR Kanu Behl. SCR Sharat Katariya & Kanu Behl. CAST Ranvir Shorey, Amit Sial, Lalit Behl, Shivani Raghuvanshi, Shashank Arora. India.

TU DORS NICOLE – Nicole trips aimlessly through her post-college summer in this delightfully light and sublime film. DIR Stéphane Lafleur. SCR Stéphane Lafleur. CAST Julianne Côté, Catherine St-Laurent, Francis La Haye, Simon Larouche, Godefroy Reding, Marc-André Grondin. Canada.

VILLA TOUMA – A teenage Palestinian orphan’s life is turned upside down when she goes to live in the secluded home of her three aristocrat aunts. DIR Suha Arraf. SCR Suha Arraf. CAST Nisreen Faour, Ula Tabri , Cherien Dabis , Maria Zriek.

WILD TALES (RELATOS SALVAJES) – Characters are pushed to delightfully deranged savagery in this anthology of six sublimely absurd short films. DIR Damián Szifrón. SCR Damián Szifrón. CAST Ricardo Darin, Oscar Martinez, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Érica Rivas, Rita Cortese, Julieta Zylberberg, Dario Grandinetti. Argentina, Spain.

MIDNIGHT SELECTIONS (4 titles)

These dark and macabre films from around the world will grip audiences with terror and laughter.

ALLELUIA – A hustler has the tables turned on him when a besotted con victim becomes his partner in crime in this genre-bending tale of sex and obsession. DIR Fabrice Du Welz. SCR Fabrice Du Welz & Vincent Tavier. CAST Laurent Lucas, Lola Dueñas, Stéphane Bissot, Edith Le Merdy, Anne-Marie Loop, Helena Noguerra, Pili Groyne, David Murgia. France, Belgium.

A HARD DAY (KKEUT-KKA-JI GAN-DA) – When corrupt Detective Ko is involved in a hit-and-run, a chain of events is unleashed that pits him against a diabolical nemesis. DIR Kim Seong-hun. SCR Kim Seong-hun. CAST Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Jin-woong. South Korea.

IT FOLLOWS – A group of friends is plagued by a nightmarish supernatural threat in this coming-of-age horror film from AFI FEST alum David Robert Mitchell. DIR David Robert Mitchell. SCR David Robert Mitchell. CAST Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe. USA.

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS – In this hilarious mockumentary, the undead lives of five flat-mates are thrown into pandemonium when a recently turned hipster tries to join the party. DIR Taika Waititi & Jemaine Clement. SCR Taika Waititi & Jemaine Clement. CAST Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathan Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Stu Rutherford, Jackie Van Beek, Ben Fransham. New Zealand.

BREAKTHROUGH SELECTIONS (4 titles)

The Breakthrough section is dedicated to the true discoveries of the programming process. It exists as a platform for artists at a crucial stage in their career to share their innovative work with enthusiastic audiences.

THE BLUE WAVE (MAVI DALGA) – Deniz and her friends are restless Turkish teenagers, distracted by love interests and ever-changing friendship dynamics, as they await the end of high school. DIR Zeynep Dadak & Merve Kayan. SCR Zeynep Dadak & Merve Kayan. CAST Ayris Alptekin, Onur Saylak, Baris Hacihan. Turkey, Germany, Netherlands, Greece.

FISH & CAT – Achieved in one stunning long take, this Iranian arthouse slasher follows a group of students in the woods and the sinister crooks they encounter there. DIR Shahram Mokri. SCR Shahram Mokri. CAST Babak Karimi, Saeed Ebrahimifar, Abed Abest, Ainaz Azarhoush, Mona Ahmadi, Neda Jebraieli, Parinaz Tayeb, Samaneh Vafaiee. Iran.

MAY ALLAH BLESS FRANCE! (QU’ALLAH BENISSE LA FRANCE!) – French rapper Abd Al Malik adapts his raw memoir chronicling the way religion and hip-hop saved him from the streets. DIR Abd Al Malik. SCR Abd Al Malik. CAST Marc Zinga, Sabrina Ouazani, Larouci Didi, Mickaël Nagenraft, Matteo Falkone, Stéphane Fayette-Mikano. France. U.S. Premiere.

THE MIDNIGHT SWIM – Three half-sisters try to unlock the mystery of their mother’s deep-water disappearance in this unsettling tale, part ghost story and part family drama. DIR Sarah Adina Smith. SCR Sarah Adina Smith. CAST Lindsay Burdge, Aleksa Palladino, Jennifer Lafleur, Ross Partridge, Beth Grant, Michelle Hutchison, Shirley Venard. USA. U.S. Premiere.

CINEMA’S LEGACY SELECTIONS (4 titles)

Now in its second year, Cinema’s Legacy is AFI FEST’s celebration of motion picture history, and a special opportunity to screen recent restorations of film classics and films about the history of cinema.

CINEMA PARADISO (1989) – A famous Italian film director reflects on his childhood friendship with a local theater projectionist in this must-see classic. DIR Giuseppe Tornatore. SCR Giuseppe Tornatore. CAST Philippe Noiret, Jacques Perrin, Antonella Attili, Enzo Cannavale, Isa Danieli, Leo Gullotta, Marco Leonardi, Pupella Maggio, Agnese Nano, Leopoldo Trieste, Salvatore Cascio. Italy.

LOVE STREAMS (1984) – Centering on a boozy, hedonistic writer and his beleaguered sister, this latter-era film by the great John Cassavetes celebrates its 30th anniversary. DIR John Cassavetes. SCR John Cassavetes. CAST Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes, Diahnne Abbott, Seymour Cassel, Eddy Donno, Tom Badal, Joan Foley, Jakob Shaw, Al Ruban, Margaret Abbott. USA.

MAGICIAN: THE ASTONISHING LIFE AND WORK OF ORSON WELLES (2014)– Combining extensive filmmaker interviews and rare archival footage, Chuck Workman’s documentary takes us through the life of one of cinema’s greatest masters: Orson Welles. DIR Chuck Workman.   USA.

YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW (IERI, OGGI, DOMANI) (1963) – Vittorio De Sica’s unique, three-part omnibus film features the mega-watt star coupling of international icons Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. DIR Vittorio De Sica. SCR Eduardo De Filippo, Isabella Quarantotti, Cesare Zavattini, Bella Billa and Lorenza Zanuso. CAST Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Aldo Giuffrè, Agostino Salvietti, Lino Mattera, Tecla Scarano, Silvia Monelli, Carlo Croccolo, Pasquale Cennamo, Armando Trovajoli. Italy, France.

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St Louis-Set Drama “The Makings of You” to Kick off Lineup for 23rd Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival

The 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) will be held November 13 to 23, and will screen 389 films, including 89 narrative features, 76 documentary features, and 224 shorts. The festival will open on Thursday, Nov. 13, with the premiere of “The Makings of You,” a St. Louis-set and -shot drama by Matt Amato. An award-winning director of music videos and commercials, Amato returned to his hometown of St. Louis to shoot his feature debut, which stars Jay R. Ferguson (of “Mad Men”) and Sheryl Lee and Grace Zabriskie (both of “Twin Peaks”). Ferguson and Zabriskie will attend.

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Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Announces 2014 Film Festival Lineup; Opens with “Lucky Stiff” Starring Jason Alexander

Actor Jason Alexander of Seinfeld fame, will be honored with the Career Achievement Award on Friday, November 7 at the 29th annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) Opening Night film, the East Coast Premiere of Lucky Stiff, in which he stars with Pamela Shaw (also attending). Lucky Stiff marks the first time the festival debuts with a musical comedy. Directed by Christopher Ashley, the zany and fast-paced Lucky Stiff follows a down and out British shoe salesman who, in order to receive his inheritance of $6 million, must fulfill his deceased Uncle’s request of taking him for the best time of his “life” in Monte Carlo for a week of fun, sun, dancing, and gambling. Book writer/lyricist, Lynn Ahrens adapted her clever 1988 New York stage hit for the screen with additional songs written by her and composer Stephen Flaherty.

Selected as the Centerpiece Film, is the Southeast premiere of Frank vs God, a light-hearted, uplifting story of a former lawyer, David Frank. Unable to move past the loss of his wife, he had all but given up…that is until a tornado not only destroys his house but, takes his beloved dog Brutus. When the insurance company deems the loss an “act of God,” David becomes desperate and decides to serve God…with a lawsuit. In attendance are stars Henry Ian Cusick (TV hit series LOST) and director Stewart Schill.

FLiFF closes on Sunday, November 23, with the Southeast Premiere of dark comedy, Just Before I Go, the feature film directorial debut of actress Courteney Cox (Friends, Cougar Town). Seann William Scott (American Pie franchise) stars as Ted Morgan, who’s on the verge of giving up on life. Before he does, he decides to return to his hometown one last time to confront some old demons.

FLiFF line-up for the 2014 event will feature over 175 American Independent and World Cinema features, shorts and documentaries will premiere. The Sunshine Celluloid segment will highlight film by Florida talent. There are 34 World Premieres, 12 U.S Premieres, 27 East Coast and 16 Southeast.

Feature films on the lineup include the World premieres of Oro Verde (Switzerland) directed by Mohammed Soudani, Foreign Land (USA-Mexico) directed byRafi Girgis, Love Thy Nature ( USA-Brazil-Namibia-British Virgin Islands) directed by Sylvie Rokab , Every Child Counts ( Bahamas-Canada), directed by Wendy Loten.

U.S Premieres include Arabani (Israel) directed by Adi Adwan, Lost in Karastan (Georgia) directed by Ben Hopkins, La Casa Ausente (The Absent House), (Puerto Rico-USA-Switzerland) directed by Rubén Abruña, Non Present Time (Lithuania) directed by Mykolas Vildziunas and Papita, Mani & Toston (Venzuela) directed by Luis Carlos Hueck.

East Coast Premieres include Gone Doggy Gone (USA) directed by Kasi Brown & Brandon Walter, Healing (Australia) directed by Craig Monahan, FLiFF’s opener Lucky Stiff (USA) directed by Christopher Ashley, Sombras de Azul (Cuba-Mexico-USA) directed by Kelly Daniela Norris.

Southeast Premieres include: Centerpiece Film Frank vs God (USA) directed by Stewart Schill, Amka and the Three Golden Rules (Mongolia) directed by Babar Ahmed, Human Capital (Italy) directed by Paola Virzi, Charlie’s Country (Australia) directed by Rolf de Heer, Inside Out: The People’s Art Project, (France-Israel-Abu Dhabi-USA) directed by Alastair Siddons, Jersey Shore Massacre (USA) directed by Paul Tarnpool, FLiFF’s closer Just Before I Go (USA) directed by Courtney Cox, Manos Sucias (Colombia) / directed by Josef Kubota Wladyka. Shunned (Philippines/USA) directed by Janice Villarosa, Two Bit Waltz (USA) directed by Clara Mamet, and Traitors (Morroco) directed by Sean Gullette.

The Southeast Premiere of director Paulo Virzi’s Human Capital, the Italian Candidate for the Foreign Language Oscar 2015, is a slick, stylish drama about the destinies of two families irrevocably tied together after a cyclist is hit by a jeep the night before Christmas Eve.

The Florida premiere of The Imitation Game features Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley in the a historical thriller about Alan Turing, a genius who pioneered modern-day computing and is credited with cracking the German Enigma code. However, Turing was prosecuted for homosexual acts which The U.K deemed illegal in 1952.

Big In Japan, from director John Jeffcoat, a semi-fictionalized rock ‘n roll road movie, featuring the band Tennis Pro, is based loosely on actual events and told with rollicking humor with a fresh narrative approach and guerrilla production style.

Director Sean Gullette attends the Southeast Premiere of his film, Traitors. Tangiers is the launching pad for this intoxicating, slick suspense ride into desperation and ambition.

The Salvation, a Florida Premiere directed by Kristian Levring, stars Mads Mikkelsen (The Hunt) as a peaceful American settler who revenges his family’s murder in this Danish western which is just as compelling as Eastwood’s Unforgiven.

Under The Same Sun, is the story of two businessmen – one Palestinian and one Israeli – who struggle to set up a solar energy company to communities in the Palestinian territories. The film was produced by Amir Harel, an Oscar nominated Israeli producer for Paradise Now, and directed by Sameh Zoabi, a leading Palestinian film-maker.

Directed by Alexandre Coffre, The Volcano, is a fun, fast moving comedy starring Danny Boon and Valerie Bonneton as two divorcees who must swallow their pathological hatred for each other and hit the road together if they are to make it in time to their daughter’s wedding. The Southeast premiere is an extension of French Week.

Winter Sleep took the 2014 Cannes Film Festival’s coveted Palme d’Or. The richly engrossing and ravishingly beautiful Turkish drama, directed by Nuri Bilge, is about three people with marital issues whose animosities are fueled when they are inescapably isolated in a small mountain hotel as the snow begins to fall.

Fascinating Documentaries include: An Honest Liar, directed by Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom, is about deception and the life of world-famous magician, escape artist and master skeptic, James ‘The Amazing’ Randi.

The South Florida Premiere of Shunned, from Filipino-American director Janice Villarosa, is a no holds barred look into the lives of transsexuals (male to female), in the Philippines. The film documents the rejection and attacks of violence within the society and transition to what it takes to be a woman.

FLiFF hosts the Florida Premieres of two documentaries with a focus on remarkable women.The Empowerment Project: Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things is the incredible journey of 5 female filmmakers driving across America to encourage, empower, and inspire the next generation of strong women to go after their career ambitions. Director Sarah Moshman and executive producer will attend. I know a Woman Like That, directed by Elaine Madsen and produced by daughter/actress Virginia Madsen, features interviews with extraordinary women over the age of sixty-five.

Sammy: The Journey is the incredible story of child Holocaust survivor, Sam Harris, the instrumental force behind the building of the 65,000 square foot Illinois Holocaust Museum and Educational Center, of which he is President Emeritus.

FLiFF premieres several ambitious Florida films. Among them are: Short film, Tom In America, directed by Flavio Alves stars Oscar nominees, Burt Young and Sally Kirkland. The foundation of a 50 year marriage is rocked when the husband confesses to being gay. The film marks the first time Burt Young, from the Rocky franchise, has played a gay man in his career.

City of Memory by local filmmaker, director Robert Adanto and producer Gabriel Tyner, explores the ways in which the cataclysmic events in the wake of Hurricane Katrina became imprinted on the memory of the visual artists who lived through them. Adanto and Tyner head the Film & TV program at University School of Nova Southeastern University.

The Art of Community, directed by Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale film professor, Tas Salini, looks at a unique initiative led by the Community Foundation of Broward in bringing people together through civic engagements and by utilizing the arts in solving issues and problems important to the communities.

The first of two shorts in FLiFF’s Salute To Veteran’s special program is Rudy +Neil Go Fishing, directed by Abigail Tannebaum Sharon, and filmed in the Everglades, Aventura and Davie. The short doc is a touching story about Neil – a hairdresser and tournament fisherman, and Rudy, a U.S. soldier with PTSD who go fishing for therapy. The second short doc, And Great Showers of Tears Came Down, by Miami filmmaker, Dalton Narine, underscores themes about spirituality, suffering and fate, as a Marine’s tough slog in Vietnam attests to horrific experiences.

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4th Napa Valley Film Festival Announces Film Lineup; Opens with “The Imitation Game”

The Imitation Game

The fourth annual Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) returns with a five-day festival showcasing the year’s best new independent films in the four postcard-perfect towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga, November 12 to 16, 2014. The Festival kicks off Opening Night, Wednesday, November 12, with a Red Carpet screening of The Imitation Game. Fresh off winning the audience award at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, The Imitation Game, stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. Director Morten Tyldum is expected to attend.

Film highlights include:

Alex of Venice – – In actor Chris Messina’s directorial debut feature, Alex (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a workaholic environmental attorney is forced to reinvent herself after her husband (Messina) suddenly leaves the family.

Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me – An intimate, devastating, and inspiring look at the final tour of musical legend Glen Campbell as he faces the end of his career due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon – Mike Myers will attend the festival with Shep Gordon, the original mega talent manager and subject of Mike’s hilarious, touching and award-winning documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon.

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her & Him – A special presentation of a unique cinematic achievement: back-to-back screenings of Ned Benson’s two versions of a film about a marriage falling apart, one from the wife’s perspective and one from the husband’s, starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy.

Additional sneak previews include:

The Better Angels – Director A.J. Edwards’ debut feature tells the story of Abraham Lincoln’s childhood in the wilderness of Indiana. Starring Jason Clarke, Diane Kruger, Brit Marling and Wes Bently

The Last 5 Years – Based on the 2002 off-Broadway musical, and adapted by writer/director Richard LaGravenese, The Last 5 Years is the story of a couple’s tumultuous relationship, from entanglement to denouement starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan.

Match – A Seattle couple (Carla Gugino and Matthew Lillard) travels to New York to interview an acclaimed former ballet star (Patrick Stewart) for a research project on the dance scene in the 1960’s.

Escobar: Paradise Lost – The debut feature from writer/director Andrea Di Stephano traces the journey of a young Canadian surfer (Josh Hutcherson) who falls under the spell of a beautiful young woman in Columbia. Unfortunately she also who happens to be the niece of international drug kingpin Pablo Escobar (Benicio Del Toro). An edgy crime drama and a soul-searching love story about family ties and loyalty, the film is a look at a dark chapter in the war on drugs and the casualties.

Documentary Competition:
#chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes On A Dictator, Director Joe Piscatella (California Premiere)
American Native, Director Steven Oritt (World Premiere)
An Honest Liar, Directors Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom (California Premiere)
Botso, Director Tom Walters (Bay Area Premiere)
Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank, Directors Sheila
Canavan and Michael Chandler (West Coast Premiere)
Flying The Feathered Edge; The Bob Hoover Project, Director Kim Furst (World Premiere)
Havana Curveball, Directors Ken Schneider and Marcia Jarmel
States of Grace, Directors Helen S. Cohen and Mark Lipman
Underwater Dreams, Director Mary Mazzio
What the F@#- is Cancer and Why Does Everybody Have It?, Director A.W. Gryphon

Narrative Competition:
Amira & Sam, Director Sean Mullin (California Premiere)
East Side Sushi, Director Anthony Lucero (World Premiere)
Fall To Rise, Director Jayce Bartok (California Premiere)
Kinderwald, Director Lise Raven
Like Sunday, Like Rain, Director Frank Whaley
Little Accidents, Director Sara Colangelo
Song One, Director Kate Barker-Froyland (West Coast Premiere)
Sun Belt Express, Director Evan Buxbaum (California Premiere)
Teacher of the Year, Director Jason Strouse
Thank You A Lot, Director Matt Muir (California Premiere)
The Road Within, Director Gren Wells
WildLike, Director Frank Hall Green (West Coast Premiere)

Lounge Features:
All Stars, Director Lance Kinsey (West Coast Premiere)
Bar America, Director Matthew Jacobs
Big In Japan, Director John Jeffcoat (California Premiere)
Cheatin’, Director Bill Plympton
Gone Doggy Gone, Directors Brandon Walter and Kasi Brown
Goodbye To All That, Director Angus MacLachlan (West Coast Premiere)
Growing Up and Other Lies, Directors Danny Jacobs and Darren Grodsky
Mudbloods, Director Farzad Nikbakht (Bay Area Premiere)
Time Lapse, Director Bradley King (Northern California Premiere)
We’ll Never Have Paris, Directors Jocelyn Towne and Simon Helberg (California Premiere)

Special Presentations:
#standwithme, Directors Patrick Moreau and Grant Peelle (World Premiere)
Big Dream, Director Kelly Cox (Special Sneak Preview)
Buscando A Gaston (Finding Gaston), Director Julia Patricia Perez (US Premiere)
Food Chains, Director Sanjay Rawal (West Coast Premiere)
Hairy Who & the Chicago Imagists, Director Leslie Buchbinder (West Coast Premiere)
Half The Road: The Passion, Pitfalls & Power of Women’s Professional Cycling, Director Kathryn Bertine
Harlem Street Singer, Directors Trevor Laurence and Simeon Hutner (West Coast Premiere)
Harmontown, Director Neil Berkeley
Last Days In Vietnam, Director Rory Kennedy
Stretch, Director Joe Carnahan (World Premiere)
True Son, Director Kevin Gordon
Impossible Light, Director Jeremy Ambers

2014 Festival Sidebar – Architecture (sponsored by Blue Homes):
Henry Hornbostel in Architecture and Legacy, Director Mark Fallone (California Premiere)
Lutah, Director Kum-Kum Bhavnani (Northern California Premiere)
Paolo Soleri: Beyond Form, Director Aimee Madsen (Northern California Premiere)
Robin Boyd: Australian Beauty, Director Kerry Gardner

Documentary Short Programs:
A Stroll the Park: An Asbury Symphony, Albie (World Premiere), Cab City (World Premiere),Crooked Candy (California Premiere), David Hockney in the Now: In Six Minutes, Slomo, The Bulletproof Stockings, The Lion’s Mouth Opens, The Ox, White Earth (Bay Area Premiere), The Invisible Peak

World Cinema Shorts:
5 Tropoina Pethaneis (5 Ways 2 Die), Bis Gleich, Chronophobe (California Premiere), Into the Silent Sea, Lan Yen, Rez Carz

Narrative Shorts:
His Keeper, Horrible Parents (World Premiere), Last Shot (Nor Cal Premiere), Mediation, My New Apartment, Pin It (Nor Cal Premiere), Snail (Nor Cal Premiere), Team Work (World Premiere), The Gunfighter, An Honorable Man (California Premiere), Care, Gift, Immaculate Reception, Looms, Be My Unfinished (World Premiere), New, One Foot In (World Premiere), Plain Clothes, Salvatore (Nor Cal Premiere), Selling Rosario (World Premiere), The Inheritance, Undercover, Bunion, Humpty (California Premiere), Leonard in Slow Motion, Neighbors, Sure Thing (Nor Cal Premiere), The Motion Picture Co. 1914 (Nor Cal Premiere),The Oven

Animated Shorts:
Collectors, Silent, Humanexus, John Doe, Prelude, Sticky, The Box, The Duck, The Missing Scarf, The Umbrella Factory
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Cairo International Film Festival Features Six Foreign Language Films Submitted for the 2015 Academy Awards

Charlie’s Country

The 36th Cairo International Film Festival taking place November 9 -18, 2014, will feature 6 international films, submitted for the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 2015 Oscars, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The films include Charlie’s Country (Australia), Eyes of a Thief (Palestine), The Light that Shines Only There (Japan), Rocks in My Pocket (Latvia), Timbuktu (Mauritania) and Little England (Greece).

Charlie’s Country (Australia – 2013) International Competition: Directed by Rold de Heer, the film tells the story of a warrior named Charlie, who lives in a remote indigenous community within the northern region of Australia. As the government increases its stranglehold over the community’s traditional way of life, Charlie becomes lost between two cultures. The film’s leading star, David Gulpilil, earned the Best Actor Award at Un Certain Regard within Cannes Film Festival in 2014.

Eyes of a Thief (Palestine, 2014)| International Competition: Directed by Najwa Najjar, the film stars Khaled Abol Naga and Souad Massi. Filmed in the heart of the occupied territories of Palestine over the course of 25 days, Eyes of a Thief is based on a true story during the upheavals of the Palestinian Uprising in 2002, offering a glimpse into the Palestinian society and their options of survival and resistance.

The Light that Shines Only There (Japan, 2014)| Festival of Festivals: Directed by Mipo Oh, the film follows a young man called Tatsuo, who becomes head over heels with his friend’s sister, who is clearly older than him and strives to make a living to save her poor family. The film was showcased at the closing of Osaka Asian Film Festival and received the Grand Prix at the Montreal World Film Festival.

Rocks in My Pocket (USA – Latvia, 2014) | Festival of Festivals: Written, produced and directed by Signe Baumane, the animated picture is set in the late 1920s Latvia, where a pretty young lady, Anna, falls in love with an adventurous entrepreneur. Following their marriage, the husband’s jealousy drives him to hide Anna away in the forest far from other men, where she bears 8 children. The film earned the FIPRESCI award and a Special Jury Mention from Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Timbuktu (Mauritania, 2014)|Prospects of Arab Cinema: Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, the film traces the vivid transformation of the city of Timbuktu, which lies on the Mauritanian borders with Mali. A popular city recognized for its illustrious culture and openness to the world; it’s even said to be the place where African and Arab heritage and civilization were born. Timbuktu has turned into a bloodbath by extremist groups, which banned everything – starting from music to football and cigarettes. Sissako garnered two awards from Cannes Film Festival namely; the Francois Chalais Prize and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury. He also won the Best Feature Film Award at Jerusalem Film Festival.

Little England (Greece)|Festival Closer: Directed by Pantelis Voulgaris, the film is set during the interwar period in the Greek island of Andros, where two sisters living in the same house fall in love with the same man. The film has also earned the Golden Goblet Award for Best Feature Film at the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival in June, 2014, in addition to Best Actress and Best Director awards.
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Cucalorus Film Festival Announces Final 2014 Schedule of 241 Films

The Cucalorus Film Festival announced the final film and event line-up for its 20th annual showcase, scheduled for November 12-16, 2014 in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. The five-day event will include 43 narrative features, 21 documentary features, 145 shorts, 34 music videos and 7 works-in-progress along with a deep schedule of multi-disciplinary performances ranging from dance to spoken word and beyond. Among the 241 films being shown at Cucalorus, some notable selections include:

World Premieres

Uncensored – a documentary by DC-based director Stephanie Martinez featuring three Colombian journalists recounting the terrifying reality of living through the Escobar cartel and the ongoing struggle to maintain freedom of the press.

A Better You – From one of the founders of The Upright Citizens Brigade (Matt Walsh from HBO’s “Veep”) comes the story of Dr. Ron (Brian Huskey), a revolutionary Los Angeles hypnotherapist, who could solve everyone’s problems but his own.

Times Like Dying – a thrilling Western set in the Post-Civil War South involving four brothers facing the loss of their family farm; features actorBill Cody. Shot and produced in Wilmington.

U.S./Eastern/Southeastern Premieres

Labyrinthus – an edge of your seat thriller about a 14-year-old boy who must complete a sinister computer game that uses real children from his neighborhood as players; part of the newly launched Kids-a-lorus program and recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2014.

Hide and Seek – director Joanna Coates’ provocative drama about a group of young, unmoored adults who retreat to the countryside to test intimate boundaries; winner of the Michael Powell award at EdinburghFilm Festival 2014.

Felix and Meira – a young married woman from Montreal’s Orthodox Jewish community escapes the bonds of her faith when she meets an artist in her neighborhood who is mourning the loss of his father; won best Canadian feature at Toronto International Film Festival 2014.

Spring – Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s intriguing indie drama blends romance and horror together in this ultimately uplifting film about a young man who flees California to find himself working on a farm in Italy and falling in love with a woman who carries a dark secret.

The Tribe – a smashing hit at this year’s Cannes film festival, this outstanding Ukranian feature follows a gang of deaf-mute students who spend their nights running a prostitution ring at the local truck stop.

The Age of Love – a charming documentary that follows the humorous adventures of thirty seniors in Rochester, NY who sign up for a Speed Dating event exclusively for 70- to 90-year-olds.

Other Noteworthy Films

Force Majeure – directed by Ruben Ostlund, this award-winning, brilliantly funny psychodrama tells the story of a model Swedish family on a skiing holiday in the French Alps when an avalanche strikes;Sweden’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film for Oscars 2014; winner of Jury Prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2014.

Wildlike – an unsettling drama about a young girl who tries to make her way back to Seattle after fleeing her uncle’s home in Alaska; recently premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

The Hip-Hop Fellow – a documentary following Grammy award winning producer 9th Wonder’s tenure at Harvard University where he explores 40 years of hip-hop history and lays out the case for hip-hop as part of the larger evolution of the universal language of music.
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Virginia Film Festival Unveils Lineup; Opens with World Premiere of Virginia-Themed and Made “Big Stone Gap”

Big Stone Gap

The 2014 Virginia Film Festival lineup will return to Charlottesville from November 6-9, and officially kick off with the World Premiere of Big Stone Gap, filmed on location in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and based on the popular series of books by noted author and Big Stone Gap native Adriana Trigiani. The film stars Ashley Judd as the small town’s self-appointed middle-age spinster who keeps countless secrets before discovering one of her own that will change her life forever. 5 to 7, the tale of a “cinq-a-sept” romance, and love’s power to conquer even the most insurmountable of obstacles, has been selected as the Centerpiece Film, and for the closing film, the festival will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Dead Poets Society.

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“An Honest Liar” “Evolution of a Criminal” “Waiting for August” Win Top Awards at 23rd Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival

Filmmakers and special guests attended Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival held from October 10 – 19, 2014, to celebrate the best in documentary film from around the world, including visits by actor George Takei, the musical family of Arkansas icon Glen Campbell, actress/director/producer Joey Lauren Adams, former Olympic Diving Champion Greg Louganis, producer/director Harry Thomason, Arthur Agee of Hoop Dreams, illusionist James Randi and many more. Former President Bill Clinton made a stop at this year’s festival. Mr. Clinton has been a long-time supporter of HSDFF from its beginnings in 1991 as the first all-documentary film festival in North America.

Glen Campbell…I’ll be Me opened the festival on October 10, 2014. Directed and produced by James Keach (Walk The Line) and produced by Trevor Albert (Because of Winn Dixie, Groundhog Day), this powerful portrait of the life and career of great American music icon opened to the viewer the world of the singular talent who created hits like Rhinestone Cowboy, Wichita Lineman and Gentle on My Mind.

Hot Springs audiences joined actor and activist George Takei on his playful and profound trek for life, liberty, and love as Jennifer Kroot’s To Be Takei closed the festival on Saturday, October 18. Special guest Takei took part in an exclusive Q&A at the conclusion of the film and mingled with guests following the screening event.

Over seven decades, George Takei boldly journeyed from a WWII internment camp, to the helm of the starship Enterprise, to the daily news feeds of hordes of social media fans. Now a new documentary, To be Takei, takes a closer look at the many roles played by this eclectic 77-year-old actor/activist, whose wit, humor and grace have helped him to become an internationally beloved figure and Internet phenomenon with 7-million Facebook fans and counting.

The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival is an Academy Award®-qualifying festival in the category of Documentary Short Subject. Recipients of the festival’s Spa City Best Documentary Short Award will qualify for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

Award winners at the 2014 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival:

Spa City Best U.S. Documentary Feature (Tie):
An Honest Liar, dir. Tyler Measom, Justin Weinstein
Evolution of a Criminal, dir. Clark Monroe

Spa City Best International Documentary Feature:
Waiting for August, dir. Teodora Ana Mahai

Spa City Best Documentary Short (Academy Award®-qualifying short film category):
Buffalo Dreams, dir. Maurice O’Brien

Spa City Short Film Special Jury Award for Non-Fiction:
White Earth, dir. J. Christian Jensen

Spa City Clyde Scott Best Sports Documentary:
Happy Valley, dir. Amir Bar-Lev

Spa City Audience Award:
Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me, dir. James Keach

Recipient of the HSDFF 2014 Career Achievement Award:
Gordon Quinn
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Opening Night of 2014 Abu Dhabi Film Festival with Film “From A to B” by Ali Mostafa | PHOTOS

From A To B Fadi Rifaai, Fahad Albutairi, Ali Mostafa And Shadi Alfons

The 8th Abu Dhabi Film Festival kicked off on October 23rd with the movie “From A to B” directed by Ali Mostafa. The film is the story of three childhood friends who grew apart, travel on a road trip from Abu Dhabi to Beirut in memory of their lost one. If what happens on route does not make them crazy, it just might make them closer.

Abderrahmane Sissako, Director ‘Timbuktu’

Ali Mostafa, Director ‘From A To B’

Cheryl Boone Issacs, AMPAS President

Marcell Gero, Director ‘Cain’s Children’

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“KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON” “THE DAVID DANCE” Win Tallgrass Film Festival Audience Top Awards

KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON, directed by Al Hicks is the winner of the Vimeo Audience Award Documentary Feature, and THE DAVID DANCE, directed by Aprill Winney is the winner of Vimeo Audience Award Narrative Feature at the12th annual Tallgrass Film Festival. Shot over the course of five years by first time filmmaker Al Hicks, KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON depicts a 23-year-old, blind piano prodigy, Justin Kauflin, and music legend and teacher Clark Terry, 89. A winter drama set in Buffalo, NY, THE DAVID DANCE tells the story of David, who is soft spoken, shy and unsure of himself. However, as his on-air alias ‘Danger Dave,’ the host of “Gay Talk,” he’s poised, witty, and every listener’s best friend! Then life one day throws him a lemon. Past and present intertwine to tell the story of a man learning to love and accept himself.

Vimeo Audience Awards

Vimeo Audience Award Short ($500): FOOLS DAY, Dir. Cody Blue Snider
Runner Up: THE PHONE CALL, Dir. Matt Kirby

Vimeo Audience Award Documentary Feature ($1,000): KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON, Dir. Al Hicks
Runner Up: THE LIFE AND MIND OF MARK DEFRIEST, Dir. Gabriel London

Vimeo Audience Award Narrative Feature:($1,000): THE DAVID DANCE, Dir. Aprill Winney
Runner Up: A IS FOR ALEX, Dir. Alex Orr

Programming Awards

Best Emerging Filmmaker Short: LAUNDRY DAY, Dir. Michael Stevantoni

Best Kansas Short: COUNTER PARTS, Dir. Patrick Rea

Golden Strands Documentary Awards

Outstanding Documentary for Cinematic Legacy: A LIFE IN DIRTY MOVIES, Dir. Wiktor Ericsson

Outstanding Documentary in Recognition of Social Action: SILENCED, Dir. James Spione

Outstanding Documentary: THE OVERNIGHTERS, Dir. Jesse Moss

Golden Strands Narrative Awards

Outstanding New Talent: John Diaz, FIVE STAR

Outstanding Ensemble Cast: The Cast of LOVE LAND, Dir. Joshua Tate

Outstanding Cinematography: Sean Porter, KUMIKO: THE TREASURE HUNTER

Outstanding Narrative: MAN FROM RENO, Dir. David Boyle
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