The 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival announced several additions to the 2015 Festival program, including Premiere section titles, Pras Michel and BT as part of the Music in Film Nights at the GRAMMY Museum, Tributes to Jonathan Demme and Rodrigo García, a Master Class with music video director Mathew Cullen, Diversity Speaks panels, the Los Angeles Times Young Hollywood Roundtable, and the Steed Symposium on cyber security.
Three more titles were added to the Premieres section which features World Premieres of compelling new works from notable talent.
Premieres (3)
Consumed, dir. Daryl Wein, USA, World Premiere
Consumed – USA (DIRECTOR Daryl Wein WRITERS Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister-Jones
PRODUCERS Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister-Jones CAST Zoe Lister-Jones, Danny Glover,Victor Garber, Taylor Kinney, Anthony Edwards, Griffin Dunne, Kunal Nayyar, Beth Grant) Set in the complex world of genetically modified food, this dramatic thriller intertwines the stories of an organic farmer and a biotechnology CEO with the quest of a single mother working to uncover the cause of her son’s mysterious illness. World Premiere
Frank and Cindy, dir. G.J. Echternkamp, USA, World Premiere
Frank & Cindy – USA (DIRECTOR G.J. Echternkamp WRITER G.J. Echternkamp, Alex Holdridge PRODUCER Bill Perkins, John Pierce, Scoot McNairy, Bic Tran CAST Rene Russo, Oliver Platt, Johnny Simmons, Jane Levy, Marc Maron) In 1983, Cindy married a rock star, Frank. She imagined a life of glitz and glamor. But as life happened, Frank lost his mojo. Twenty years later, Cindy’s son, G.J., both appalled and amused by his parents’ behavior, picks up his video camera and aims it at them. In an attempt to mock his one-hit-wonder step-father, G.J. unintentionally creates a candid portrait of the pursuit of happiness – and love. World Premiere
I am Thalente, dir. Natalie Johns, South Africa/USA, World Premiere
I Am Thalente – South Africa/USA (DIRECTOR Natalie Johns WRITER Natalie Johns PRODUCERS Colin Kennedy, Oualid Mouaness, Salema Masekela, Jason Bergh, Julia Lebedev FEATURING Thalente Biyela, Tony Hawk, Kenny Anderson, Guy Mariano, Lance Mountain) One of the most promising young skaters in the world, Thalente Biyela, navigates growing up within the demands of professional skateboarding from the skate parks of Duban, South Africa to Venice, California. World Premiere
On Thursday, June 11, as part of this year’s Music in Film Nights at the GRAMMY Museum, the Festival hosts an evening with Brian Transeau, better known as BT, one of the pioneers of modern American electronic music. He will play scores from Monster and Dark Places with live accompaniment and visuals. BT will also discuss his work from his classical roots to electronic music innovator. On Friday, June 12, the Festival welcomes Pras Michel and friends for an evening of performance and discussion in celebration of his documentarySweet Micky for President, with special guests who have used their art to champion causes close to their heart.
As part of the Tributes section on Sunday, June 14 the Festival presents an evening with Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs,Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married), moderated by Elvis Mitchell, titled Jonathan Demme: An American Iconoclast, to reminisce about seminal moments of his career and give us a special sneak-peek of his upcoming film Ricki and the Flash, starring Meryl Streep.
On Tuesday, June 16, in celebration of this year’s Guest Director, Rodrigo García (Nine Lives, In Treatment, Albert Nobbs), the Festival will hold Two for One: An Evening with Guest Director Rodrigo Garcia and Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, Beyond the Lights), an intimate conversation where they will compare notes about working with actors, women’s stories and the travails of independent filmmaking.
An additional Festival Master Class has been announced. On Tuesday, June 16 acclaimed music video director Mathew Cullen will reflect on his journey as an artist while exploring the evolving art and science of storytelling. Hailed as one of the most imaginative music video and commercial directors of his generation, he will share some of his work, including a sneak peek of London Fields, his upcoming feature directorial debut. Cullen is an alumnus of Loyola Marymount University. The Master Class is sponsored by Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television.
At the Diversity Speaks panels, taking place on Saturday, June 13 at the Conga Room at L.A. LIVE, content creators of color who embody innovation will discuss how they manage to combine their passions for storytelling, entrepreneurship and their cultural identities into success stories. In Prime Time: Adjusting the Color Spectrum on TV, the talent in front and behind the camera of some of today’s most celebrated TV shows engage in a dialogue to explore issues relating to race and cultural representation on the small screen. Panelists include: Kenya Barris, creator, Black-ish; Wendy Calhoun, writer, Empire; Andrea Navedo, actress, Jane the Virgin; Randall Park, actor, Fresh off the Boat; Our Lady J, writer, Transparent. Also part of Diversity Speaks is the Visions of Mandela panel, an exclusive premiere screening of a collection of films inspired by Nelson Mandela’s speeches, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Directors include Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo, 99 Homes), Eva Weber (Black Out) and James Marsh (The Theory of Everything, Man on Wire), Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding; New York, I Love You), Nabil Elderkin (Bouncing Cats) and Hank Willis Thomas (Question Bridge: Black Males). Diversity Speaks is sponsored by HBO and supported by Yvonne Huff and Jason Delane.
On Sunday, June 14, the Los Angeles Times brings together a group of film’s rising stars in the Los Angeles Times Young Hollywood Roundtable. This lively discussion, moderated by reporter Amy Kaufman, will center on life in the industry and what it means to be thrust into the limelight.
On Monday, June 15 the Festival presents the annual LMU Steed Symposium on Cyber Security: Is There A Safe Box in the Cloud? This event will include an entertaining and informative presentation by cyber security expert Ralph Echemendia, a screening of Implant, a short film created by Film Independent Fellow Casey Cooper Johnson, and a round table with cyber security experts, filmmakers and industry executives. The discussion will be moderated by KCRW¹s The Business host Kim Masters. The LMU Steed Symposium is funded by LMU Alumnus Michael Steed and is presented in partnership with Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television. Mr. Steed is a member of the university¹s board of trustees and Managing Director of Paladin Capital Partners Fund, LP, a private equity firm.
Film Festivals
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3 Film Premieres, Music in Film Nights Featuring Pras Michel and More Added to 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival
The 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival announced several additions to the 2015 Festival program, including Premiere section titles, Pras Michel and BT as part of the Music in Film Nights at the GRAMMY Museum, Tributes to Jonathan Demme and Rodrigo García, a Master Class with music video director Mathew Cullen, Diversity Speaks panels, the Los Angeles Times Young Hollywood Roundtable, and the Steed Symposium on cyber security.
Three more titles were added to the Premieres section which features World Premieres of compelling new works from notable talent.
Premieres (3)
Consumed, dir. Daryl Wein, USA, World Premiere
Consumed – USA (DIRECTOR Daryl Wein WRITERS Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister-Jones
PRODUCERS Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister-Jones CAST Zoe Lister-Jones, Danny Glover,Victor Garber, Taylor Kinney, Anthony Edwards, Griffin Dunne, Kunal Nayyar, Beth Grant) Set in the complex world of genetically modified food, this dramatic thriller intertwines the stories of an organic farmer and a biotechnology CEO with the quest of a single mother working to uncover the cause of her son’s mysterious illness. World Premiere
Frank and Cindy, dir. G.J. Echternkamp, USA, World Premiere
Frank & Cindy – USA (DIRECTOR G.J. Echternkamp WRITER G.J. Echternkamp, Alex Holdridge PRODUCER Bill Perkins, John Pierce, Scoot McNairy, Bic Tran CAST Rene Russo, Oliver Platt, Johnny Simmons, Jane Levy, Marc Maron) In 1983, Cindy married a rock star, Frank. She imagined a life of glitz and glamor. But as life happened, Frank lost his mojo. Twenty years later, Cindy’s son, G.J., both appalled and amused by his parents’ behavior, picks up his video camera and aims it at them. In an attempt to mock his one-hit-wonder step-father, G.J. unintentionally creates a candid portrait of the pursuit of happiness – and love. World Premiere
I am Thalente, dir. Natalie Johns, South Africa/USA, World Premiere
I Am Thalente – South Africa/USA (DIRECTOR Natalie Johns WRITER Natalie Johns PRODUCERS Colin Kennedy, Oualid Mouaness, Salema Masekela, Jason Bergh, Julia Lebedev FEATURING Thalente Biyela, Tony Hawk, Kenny Anderson, Guy Mariano, Lance Mountain) One of the most promising young skaters in the world, Thalente Biyela, navigates growing up within the demands of professional skateboarding from the skate parks of Duban, South Africa to Venice, California. World Premiere
On Thursday, June 11, as part of this year’s Music in Film Nights at the GRAMMY Museum, the Festival hosts an evening with Brian Transeau, better known as BT, one of the pioneers of modern American electronic music. He will play scores from Monster and Dark Places with live accompaniment and visuals. BT will also discuss his work from his classical roots to electronic music innovator. On Friday, June 12, the Festival welcomes Pras Michel and friends for an evening of performance and discussion in celebration of his documentarySweet Micky for President, with special guests who have used their art to champion causes close to their heart.
As part of the Tributes section on Sunday, June 14 the Festival presents an evening with Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs,Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married), moderated by Elvis Mitchell, titled Jonathan Demme: An American Iconoclast, to reminisce about seminal moments of his career and give us a special sneak-peek of his upcoming film Ricki and the Flash, starring Meryl Streep.
On Tuesday, June 16, in celebration of this year’s Guest Director, Rodrigo García (Nine Lives, In Treatment, Albert Nobbs), the Festival will hold Two for One: An Evening with Guest Director Rodrigo Garcia and Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, Beyond the Lights), an intimate conversation where they will compare notes about working with actors, women’s stories and the travails of independent filmmaking.
An additional Festival Master Class has been announced. On Tuesday, June 16 acclaimed music video director Mathew Cullen will reflect on his journey as an artist while exploring the evolving art and science of storytelling. Hailed as one of the most imaginative music video and commercial directors of his generation, he will share some of his work, including a sneak peek of London Fields, his upcoming feature directorial debut. Cullen is an alumnus of Loyola Marymount University. The Master Class is sponsored by Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television.
At the Diversity Speaks panels, taking place on Saturday, June 13 at the Conga Room at L.A. LIVE, content creators of color who embody innovation will discuss how they manage to combine their passions for storytelling, entrepreneurship and their cultural identities into success stories. In Prime Time: Adjusting the Color Spectrum on TV, the talent in front and behind the camera of some of today’s most celebrated TV shows engage in a dialogue to explore issues relating to race and cultural representation on the small screen. Panelists include: Kenya Barris, creator, Black-ish; Wendy Calhoun, writer, Empire; Andrea Navedo, actress, Jane the Virgin; Randall Park, actor, Fresh off the Boat; Our Lady J, writer, Transparent. Also part of Diversity Speaks is the Visions of Mandela panel, an exclusive premiere screening of a collection of films inspired by Nelson Mandela’s speeches, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Directors include Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo, 99 Homes), Eva Weber (Black Out) and James Marsh (The Theory of Everything, Man on Wire), Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding; New York, I Love You), Nabil Elderkin (Bouncing Cats) and Hank Willis Thomas (Question Bridge: Black Males). Diversity Speaks is sponsored by HBO and supported by Yvonne Huff and Jason Delane.
On Sunday, June 14, the Los Angeles Times brings together a group of film’s rising stars in the Los Angeles Times Young Hollywood Roundtable. This lively discussion, moderated by reporter Amy Kaufman, will center on life in the industry and what it means to be thrust into the limelight.
On Monday, June 15 the Festival presents the annual LMU Steed Symposium on Cyber Security: Is There A Safe Box in the Cloud? This event will include an entertaining and informative presentation by cyber security expert Ralph Echemendia, a screening of Implant, a short film created by Film Independent Fellow Casey Cooper Johnson, and a round table with cyber security experts, filmmakers and industry executives. The discussion will be moderated by KCRW¹s The Business host Kim Masters. The LMU Steed Symposium is funded by LMU Alumnus Michael Steed and is presented in partnership with Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television. Mr. Steed is a member of the university¹s board of trustees and Managing Director of Paladin Capital Partners Fund, LP, a private equity firm.
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First 13 Films Revealed for 2015 Palm Springs International ShortFest Online Film Festival
The 2015 Palm Springs International ShortFest & Short Film Market announced the first 13 films chosen to represent the ShortFest Online Film Festival. Now in its fifth year, the select films will play on a special section of the festival website (http://www.psfilmfest.org/onlinefest) starting May 26. Online voting for these films will open on June 9 and run through June 20, with the “ShortFest Online Audience Award” announced at the Festival Award Ceremony on Closing Night.
The films selected for the 2015 Palm Springs International ShortFest Online Film Festival include:
Animator vs. Animation IV (USA) – A stick figure goes to war with his maker. Inventive and compulsively watchable, this is the continuation of a series that first went viral on the web in 2006. Director: Alan Becker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUrmub4i4ck
The Deadman (Peru) – A young man who everyone believes is dead returns to his parent’s house after seven years, followed shortly by two “detectives”… Director: Franco Finocchiaro. Cast: Miguel Iza, Hernan Romero, Ana Cecilia Natteri, Nicolas Galindo and Renato Rueda.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_tH_KozVt4
Elgin Park (USA) – The story of the ban behind Elgin Park, a fictional 50s any town USA created entirely through miniatures and still photography. Director: Danny Yourd. Cast: Michael Paul Smith (as himself).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFuas2cHkFg
Evil Mexican Child (Mexico) – The drawings of a seemingly sweet 4 year old Mexican boy wreak havoc on those depicted. When his mother realizes his father has a mistress, she suddenly is more supportive of his burgeoning talent. Director: Michael Noonan. Cast: Xochitl Hernàndez, Nyno Bernal, Anahi Davila and Max De La Rosa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJJmFa3-ZVE
The Evolution of an Artist // Thom Jones (USA) – Thom Jones doesn’t describe himself as a “designer” (except once in a while when he’s drunk), but he’s most certainly an artist – with spray paint, with wood and with motorcycle parts. Director: Craig Brooks. Cast: Thom Jones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrVqTAGEY6o
Milk! (UK) – Two lactose-craving brothers will stop at nothing to get their daily dose of milk… Director: Ben Mallaby. Cast: Toby Williams and Paul F Taylor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubWYf0C0rTY
NYC Life: Narrated by Dorvid Attenborough (USA) – Special measures are called for when trying to find a mate in NYC… Director: Michael Slavens. Cast: David Friedlander, Marie Smith, Mike Rosengarten, Anna Elizabeth, Geoffrey Countryman, Shaun Ahuja, Tyler Jakes, Tiffany Marie Sparks, Kristen Dausch, Christina Toth, Alexandre F. Charlebois, Bianca Boragi, Timothy Hull and Jack and Milo Uhrmacher.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaVzzna6Erk
Russian Roulette (UK) – Lucy, lonely and lovelorn, meets a cosmonaut on Chat Roulette that may be the answer to her dreams… Director: Ben Aston. Cast: Bec Hill and Stewart Lockwood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gAfgOOV-bY
SAMUEL-613 (UK) – An angry young Hasidic man forgoes his controlling father in pursuit of a more seductive life in Eastern London. But the grass is not always greener on the other side of the cultural divide… Director: Billy Lumby. Cast: Theo Barklem-Biggs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8D8QJ8n3Nc
solemates (USA) – The story of love and family…as seen from a shoe’s perspective. Director: Bryce Dallas Howard. Cast: Seth Gabel, Theo Howard Gabel, Beatrice Howard, Bryce Dallas Howard, Judy Howard, Rance Howard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTD2nbp94rc
Somewhere in Palm Springs (USA) – Shag-style animated tale about three gay men and their girl friend hanging out at a hotel pool, talking shit in Palm Springs. Director: Nate Clark. Cast: Nate Clark, Allen Loeb, Jennie Pierson, Drew Tarver and Jimmy Fowlie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQK18WE4PTM
This Dynamic Opportunity (USA) – A not very good salesman meets an equally odd client from the internet to sell his new toothpaste brand. Director: Matt Mays. Cast: Tony Lewellen and Mike Betette.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBMDitBSaU4
We Are Fire (India) – Stunning documentary about a group of women (the ‘Gulabi Gang’) in red saris who join forces to help other women who have been oppressed or suffered wrongdoing in India. Director: Orlando Von Einsiedel. Cast: Champa Pal and Sampat Pal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4s1irbxgtI
The ShortFest Online Film Festival will continue to play online through August 31 after the end of the festival.
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2015 American Black Film Festival Unveils Lineup, Opens with DOPE
The 2015 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) taking place at the AMC Empire 25 in Times Square, New York City, June 11 to 14, 2015, unveiled its lineup of films, including documentaries, web originals, short films and narrative features. Film director Rick Famuyiwa’s critically acclaimed film, Dope, will open the 19th annual American Black Film Festival on Thursday, June 11, at the SVA Theatre.
Dope is a coming-of-age comedy/drama for the post hip-hop generation; its main characters are obsessed with ‘90s hip-hop. Malcolm (Shameik Moore) is warily surviving life in “The Bottoms” in Los Angeles, while juggling college applications, academic interviews and SATs. His dream is to attend Harvard. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into a gritty adventure filled with offbeat characters and bad choices that could allow him to go from being a geek to being dope to ultimately being himself. Open Road Films will release the film nationwide on June 19, 2015.
Dope stars Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky, Chanel Imanand Quincy Brown and is produced by Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi (Fruitvale Station). Pharrell Williams, Michael Y. Chow (Fruitvale Station), Rick Famuyiwa (The Wood, Brown Sugar) and David Lonner are executive producers.Sean “P. Diddy” Combs is co-executive producer, and Mimi Valdes and Caron Veazy are co-producers.
The complete list of films selected for Spotlight, Narrative Features Competition, HBO Short Film Competition, ABFF Web Originals, and the ABFF Documentary Competition follows below:
OPENING NIGHT FILM
DOPE
2014 USA 115 MIN HD NY Premiere
Sponsored by the Motion Picture Association of America
Courtesy of Open Road Films
Directed by: Rick Famuyiwa
Written by: Rick Famuyiwa
Produced by: Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi
Executive Producers: Pharrell Williams, Michael Y. Chow, Rick Famuyiwa, David Lonner
Co-Exec. Prod: Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. Co-Prods: Mimi Valdes, Caron Veazys
Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky, Chanel Iman, Quincy Brown
SPOTLIGHT SCREENINGS 2015
ABFF INDEPENDENT – Season 4 Premiere
2015 USA 35 MIN World Premiere
ABFF Independent is a showcase of popular and award-winning films from the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) hosted by hip-hop artist, record producer and actor David Banner.
AN UNEXPECTED HISTORY: THE STORY OF HENNESSY AND AFRICAN AMERICANS
2015 USA 49 MIN HD World Premiere
Courtesy of Hennessy
Directed by: Llewellyn Smith
Produced by: Llewellyn Smith, Annie Stopford
Featuring: Jason P. Chambers, PhD, Herbert P. Douglas Jr., Noel Hankin, Rhonda McDonald, Rodney Williams
An Unexpected History celebrates Moët Hennessy’s hundred-year relationship with African American culture, as well as the role of African Americans in shaping the brand’s identity and success. The film recounts Hennessy’s historic role in bringing respect and opportunities to Black professionals and consumers, by focusing on the remarkable achievements of two of the brand’s most influential Black executives.
BOYZ N THE HOOD + Q&A with director John Singleton to follow
1991 USA 108 MIN 35 mm
Courtesy of Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Directed by: John SingletonWritten by: John Singleton
Produced by: Steve Nicolaides
Cast: Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Angela Bassett, Regina King
John Singleton’s classic saga tells the story of a group of childhood friends growing up in a Los Angeles ghetto.
BOXED IN + Q&A with actress and director Tasha Smith to follow
2014 USA 30 MIN HD World Premiere
Directed by: Tasha Smith
Written by: Tasha Smith
Produced by: Tasha Smith, Kim Ogletree
Cast: Walter Fauntleroy, Antonique Smith, Tyra Ferrell
A Black man in NYC struggles with bipolar disorder, while his girlfriend and mother learn to deal with the pain of his manic episodes and struggle for mental survival.
RUNAWAY ISLAND + Q&A with the director and cast to follow
2015 USA 85 MIN Estimated HD World Premiere
Courtesy of TV One
Directed by: Dianne Houston
Written by: Christopher Brandt
Produced by: Gingi Rochelle & Allison Wilmarth
Cast: Lorraine Toussaint (Orange Is the New Black), Thomas Q. Jones (Being Mary Jane), Aisha Hinds (Star Trek Into Darkness), Leon Thomas (Victorious), A. Russell Andrews (Grey’s Anatomy, House of Payne),Erica Tazel (Justified), Melanie Liburd (CSI, Stalker).
A pastor, an aging widow, and a socialite with cold feet visit a luxurious Gullah Sea Island resort to be rejuvenated by its holistic setting.
NARRATIVE FEATURES
FRENCH DIRTY
2015/USA/72min/HD/NY Premiere
Directed by: Wade Allain-Marcus, Jesse Allain-Marcus
Written by: Peter K. Hagen, Wade Allain-Marcus
Produced by: Jason Wolf, Mel Jones
Cast: Wade Allain-Marcus, Melina Lizette, Arjun Gupta
After committing the carnal sin of sleeping with his best friend’s girlfriend, Vincent must deal with the consequences of his betrayal and hope that his bond with his brother-from-another-mother can withstand the blow
GIRLFRIENDS’ GETAWAY 2 ** FEATURED ALUMNI SCREENING
2015/USA/84min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Roger M. Bobb
Written by: Cas Sigers-Beedles
Produced by: Roger M. Bobb, Angi Bones, Cas Sigers, Terri J. Vaughn
Cast: Garcelle Beauvais, Terri J. Vaughn, Essence Atkins, Malinda Williams, Stephen Bishop, Khalil Kane
Four girlfriends travel to Puerto Rico for a destination wedding and chaos ensues when the low-key wedding turns into a disaster.
JOHN OF GOD THE MOVIE
2014/ Democratic Republic of Congo/86min/HD/North America Premiere
Directed by: Selé M’Poko
Written by: Selé M’Poko
Produced by: Selé M’Poko, Alessia Michielan, Jo D. Jonz, Woody T. Richman, Pamela Lubell
Cast: Jo D. Jonz, Jean Shaka Tshipamba, Moïse Ilunga
John of God is the world’s greatest musician…in his own mind.
KNUCKLEHEAD
2015/USA/81min/HD
Directed by: Ben Bowman
Written by: Bryan Abrams, Ben Bowman
Produced by: Gbenga Akinnagbe, Ben Bowman
Executive Producers: Jonathan Gray, Debra Azemar
Cast: Gbenga Akinnagbe, Alfre Woodard, Amari Cheatom, Justin Myrick, Nikiya Mathis, Carla Duren
Convinced prescription drugs will fix his mind, a mentally disabled man leaves Brooklyn for the first time to find the one doctor who he believes can cure him.
LAST NIGHT
2014/USA/93min/HD/NY Premiere
Directed by: Harold Jackson III
Written by: Harold Jackson III
Produced by: Harold Jackson III, Hope Taylor, Prince Levy Jr., Latecia Durham
Cast: Judi Blair, Danny Gavigan, Benton Greene, Nedra McClyde, Nikkole Salter
A woman’s last night alone before settling down is sidetracked by a chance meeting with an attractive stranger.
SUPERMODEL *** FEATURED ALUMNI SCREENING
2015/USA/95min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Shawn Baker
Written by: Shawn Baker, Datari Turner
Produced by: Datari Turner
Cast: Tyson Beckford, Sessilee Lopez, Datari Turner, Roger Guenveur Smith, Fat Joe, Toccara Jones, Angela Simmons, Marc John Jefferies, Tatyana Ali, Nichole Galicia, Melissa De Sousa, Don Benjamin, Cassandra Freeman, Tobias Truvillion, Julito McCullum, Adam Senn
A young girl from the Brooklyn housing projects goes from the subway to the runway, becoming one of the most sought after models in the fashion industry. But in the high stakes world of fashion and beauty, things aren’t always as pretty and glamorous as they seem.
THE GIRL IS IN TROUBLE *** FEATURED ALUMNI SCREENING
2015/USA/94min/35mm/NY Premiere
Directed by: Julius Onah
Written by: Mayuran Tiruchelvam, Julius Onah
Produced by: Dana Offenbach, Ryan Silbert, Robert Profusek, Jen Gatien
Cast: Columbus Short, Wilmer Valderrama, Alicja Bachelda, Jesse Spencer
A Lower East Side bartender becomes entangled in a murder mystery involving a desperate woman, a missing drug dealer and the scion of a powerful investment firm.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
2015/USA/86min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Kenny Young
Written by: Kenny Young
Produced by: Phil James, Lisa D. Washington, Kim Hardin
Executive Producers: Angela White, Felicia James
Cast: Colin Egglesfield, David Faustino, Fred Willard, Anna Hutchinson, Brian White, Gary Owen
A “ladies man” must face his own fear of commitment while hosting his best friend’s bachelor party.
THE SIN SEER
2015/USA/119min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Paul D. Hannah
Written by: Paul D. Hannah
Produced by: Paul D. Hannah, Angela White, Isaiah Washington
Cast: Lisa Arrindell Anderson, Isaiah Washington, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, C. Thomas Howell, Michael Ironside, Richard Brooks
A woman becomes trapped in a murderous web deception and uses her gift of discernment to discover the truth.
WHAT LOVE WILL MAKE YOU DO
2015/USA/95min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Lisa Haynes
Written by: Lisa Haynes
Produced by: Lisa Haynes, Andre Congo, Justin Bones, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Brad James, Ty Johnston, Victoria Rowell
Cast: Darrin Dewitt Henson, Judi Blair, Victoria Rowell, Darryl Booker, Sir Brodie, Carl Anthony Payne II, Brad James
An attorney from a prestigious law firm falls in love with a beautiful woman of his dreams, but later discovers her father is seeking revenge against him over a court case gone terribly wrong.
HBO® SHORT FILM COMPETITION
BLACK CARD
2015/USA/14min/HD/New York Premiere
Directed by: Pete Chatmon
Written by: Tony Patrick
Produced by: Christina DeHaven, Tony Patrick, Dorian Missick, Dylan Verrechia, ELEW
Executive Producer: Pete Chatmon
Cast: Dorian Missick, Simone Missick, Hisham Tawfiq, Stephen Hill, Erika Myers, Malikha Mallette, April Matthis, Valence Thomas
In a culture requiring an ID card and commitment to the code, an African American couple is about to find out just how far the boundaries can be pushed….
CHAINING DAY
2014/USA/11min/HD/New York Premiere
Directed by: Dominic Haxton
Written by: Chris Bailey
Produced by: Chris Bailey
Cast: Dusan Brown, Shawn Kenneth
A young boy commits an accidental murder, which causes a stir in the community and forces him to choose between his loyalty to the gang he belongs to OR saving what’s left of his innocence by turning himself into the police.
FIRST DATE, LAST DATE
2015/USA/7min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Derege Harding
Written by: E.V. Anderson
Produced by: Derege Harding
Cast: Andrea Bordeaux, Daniel Hall
Soul mates Sara and Michael carry on their first date as the world comes to an end.
JOY
2015/USA/15min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Solomon Onita Jr.
Written by: Solomon Onita Jr.
Produced by: Elsie Dortelus, Terrence J. Grant, Solomon Onita Jr.
Cast: Sope Aluko, Bayo Akinfemi, Hannah Tarver, Georgina E. Okon, Brooke-Monaé Westbrook
A Nigerian middle-aged woman living in America struggles to convince her traditionalist husband not to circumcise their ten-year-old daughter.
STANHOPE
2015/USA/18min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Solvan Naim
Written by: Solvan Naim
Produced by: Solvan Naim, Akshay Bhansali
Cast: Malik Lockett, Johnnie Mae, Rob Morgan, Nedra McClyde, Simeon Buresch
Stanhope is a drama about a teenage inner-city kid from Brooklyn who gets caught up in a web of violence as a paid assassin.
ABFF WEB ORIGINALS – GROUP 1
#JOSH
2014 USA 15:35 MIN HD World Premiere
Directed by: Edson Jean, Nick Katz
Written by: Episode-1 Joshua Jean-Baptiste; Episode-2 Mimi Davila, Marckenson Charles, Maria Corina Ramirez; Episode-3 Joshua Jean-Baptiste, Mimi Davila, Maria Corina Ramirez
Produced by: Edson Jean, Nick Katz, Barry Katz
Cast: Joshua Jean Baptiste, Edson Jean, Shira Abergel, Marckenson Charles
A naive, chaste acting student (Josh) seeks guidance from his immoral problematic roommate in hopes to become a leading man.
ACKEE & SALTFISH
2015 UNITED KINGDOM 16:21 MIN HD
Directed by: Cecile Emeke
Written by: Cecile Emeke
Produced by: Cecile Emeke, Abraham Popoola
Cast: Michelle Tiwo, Vanessa Babirye
Everyday moments are never mundane with these two hilarious best friends in Ackee & Saltfish.
ESCORTS
2015 USA 21:37 MIN HD New York Premiere
Directed by: Dave Patten
Written by: Dave Patten, Josh West.
Produced by: Dave Patten, Alexx Ray, Chris Bauer
Executive Producer: David Ricks
Cast: Dave Patten, David Ricks, Alexx Ray, Richard Amezcua
Pragmatic hipster Jay Miller’s successful small business of selling sex to his collegiate peers becomes infinitely more difficult when one of his employees dies while “working.”
ALL ABOUT THE MCKENZIES
2014 UNITED KINGDOM 20:51 MIN HD World Premiere
Directed by: Samuell Benta
Written by: Samuell Benta
Produced by: Samuell Benta
Cast: Samuell Benta, Jason Pennycooke, Ria Horsford, Frankie Clarence, Destinee Tombling, Sheldon Nicolls, Fenella James
All about comedy, all about drama, it’s All About The McKenzies.
BLACK ACTRESS SERIES – SEASON TWO
2015 USA 23:34 MIN HD New York Premiere
Directed by: William Alexander Runnels
Written by: Episode 1-Andrea Lewis; Episode 2-Andrea Lewis, Austin Hall; Episode 3 – Andrea Lewis
Produced by: Andrea Lewis, Brian Walker, Tatyana Ali, Essence Atkins, Brad Kaaya, Carol Desousa
Cast: Andrea Lewis, Allison Edwards-Crewe, Rob Vincent
The life of an actress who wants to be more than just Black.
ABFF WEB ORIGINALS – GROUP II
DOWNTOWN GIRLS
2014 USA 17:35 MIN HD New York Premiere
Directed by: Emebeit Beyene & Chandra Russell
Written by: Jessica Lamour
Produced by: Jacques Lamour, Emebeit Beyene, Crystal Boyd, Chandra Russell
Cast: Emebeit Beyene, Crystal Boyd, Chivonne Michelle, Chandra Russell
To raise money to launch their own business, four girls turn their Lower East Side apartment into a lucrative nightclub.
DOCKET 32357
2014 USA 24:11 MIN HD World Premiere
Directed by: Randy Wilkins
Written by: Eljon Wardally
Produced by: Jessica Karen Brown, Juan Caceres
Cast: Tara Gadomski, Ashley Denise Robinson
A successful businesswoman and a grieving housewife struggle to overcome loneliness in the face of a shared tragedy.
Q’S ONE NIGHT STANDS
2014 USA 17 MIN HD World Premiere
Directed by: Terrence L. Moore
Written by: Terrence L. Moore
Produced by: Michael Galvan
Executive Producers: Terrence L. Moore, Jenny Cadenillas, Uana Coccoloni
Cast: Kee Seymore, Susana Victoria Perez, Joshua Windley, Kajuana Shuford, Dominic Marcus, Gayle Samuels
A comedy about a guy so fed up with traditional dating he commits to having only one-night stands.
THE INCREDIBLE LIFE OF DARRELL
2015 USA 14:31 MIN HD New York Premiere
Directed by: Darrell Lake
Written by: Darrell Lake
Produced by: Darrell Lake
Cast: Darrell Lake, Tru Collins, Joy Regullano, Larry Karman, Justin Bryant Rapp, Pete George
The spectacularly mundane adventures of an incredible average Joe in small town Wakooki, Arizona.
AMERICAN KOKO
2015 USA 24 MIN HD New York Premiere
Directed by: Diarra Kilpatrick & Miles Orion Feld
Written by: Diarra Kilpatrick
Produced by: Anna Micayla Feld
Cast: Diarra Kilpatrick, Terrence Colby Clemons, Miles Orion Feld, Elaine Kao, Cedric Sanders
Employees of the “Everyone’s a Little Racist (EAR) Agency” do their best to tackle every race problem that comes through their door, but for lead agent Akosua Miller, the biggest case of all may be her own…
ABFF DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The following films compete for the Best Documentary award. One winner will be announced during the “Best of the ABFF” awards ceremony, Sunday, June 14.
ALTHEA
2014 USA 77 MIN HD
Directed by: Rex Miller
Produced by: Nancy Buirski, Elisabeth Haviland James, Rex Miller
Executive Producers: John Amos, Billie Jean King, William Ackman
Principal Subject(s): Billie Jean King, Nick Bollettieri, David Dinkins, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe
Althea Gibson, a truant from the rough streets of Harlem, emerged as a most unlikely queen of the highly segregated tennis world of the 1950s.
AN AMERICAN ASCENT
2015 USA 64 MIN HD New York Premiere
Directed by: Andy Adkins, George Potter
Written by: Andy Adkins, James Mills
Produced by: George Potter, Andy Adkins
Principal Subject(s): Stephen Shobe, Erica Wynn, Tyrhee Moore, Scott Briscoe, Billy Long, Rosemary Saal, Ryan Mitchell, Stephen DeBerry, Adina Scott, James Kagambi, Robby Rechord, Madhu Chikkaraju, Aaron Devine, Jon Krakauer, Conrad Anker
An American Ascent documents the first African American expedition to tackle North America’s highest mountain, Denali, while shedding light on the complex relationship many African Americans have with the outdoors.
NAT KING COLE – AFRAID OF THE DARK
2014 UNITED KINGDOM 94 MIN HD New York Premiere
Directed by: Jon Brewer
Produced by: Jon Brewer
Principal Subject(s): Maria Cole, Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Mathis and more…
A poignant authorized feature documentary on the life and legacy of Nat King Cole.
via Indiewire
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See Poster, and Watch Trailer for Amy Whinehouse Documentary AMY
The poster and trailer are released for the Amy Winehouse documentary, AMY, which world premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, and is scheduled to open in New York & Los Angeles on July 3, 2015 followed by nationwide on July 10, 2015.
From BAFTA award-winning director Asif Kapadia (SENNA), AMY tells the incredible story of six-time Grammy-winner Amy Winehouse – in her own words. Featuring extensive unseen archive footage and previously unheard tracks, this strikingly modern, moving and vital film shines a light on the world we live in, in a way that very few can.
A once-in-a-generation talent, Amy Winehouse was a musician that captured the world’s attention. A pure jazz artist in the most authentic sense – she wrote and sung from the heart using her musical gifts to analyse her own problems. The combination of her raw honesty and supreme talent resulted in some of the most unique and adored songs of the modern era.
Her huge success, however, resulted in relentless and invasive media attention which coupled with Amy’s troubled relationships and precarious lifestyle saw her life tragically begin to unravel. Amy Winehouse died from alcohol poisoning in July 2011 at the age of 27.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2yCIwmNuLE
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The Orchard to Release Joachim Trier’s drama Louder Than Bombs from 2015 Cannes
Joachim Trier’s drama Louder Than Bombs, an official selection of this year’s, 2015 Cannes Film Festival, is set for release in the U.S. via The Orchard. Louder Than Bombs is Trier’s follow-up to Reprise and Oslo, and August 31st.
The film stars Golden Globe winner Gabriel Byrne (Miller’s Crossing, The Usual Suspects), Academy Award® nominee Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), and Isabelle Huppert (two-time Best Actress Cannes winner: in 1978 for Violette and 2001 for The Piano Teacher). The ensemble cast is rounded out by the Academy Award® nominated actors Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) and David Strathairn (Good Night, And Good Luck) and newcomerDevin Druid.
Louder Than Bombs was co-written by Eskil Vogt. The pair collaborated on Trier’s two previous, critically heralded features.
Three years after the death of his wife, acclaimed photographer Isabelle Reed (Huppert), Gene (Byrne) keeps everyday life going with his shy teenage son, Conrad (Druid). A planned exhibition of Isabelle’s photographs prompts Gene’s older son, Jonah (Eisenberg), to return to the house he grew up in – and for the first time in a very long time, the father and the two brothers are living under the same roof.
Underneath the affection and friction that is a part of restored family life between these three, we feel the striking loss that marks each of them. At the same time, the three have markedly different memories of their wife and mother.
The film observes these three men as they find ways to live together and reconcile themselves both to the loss of – and each other’s sense of – the exceptional woman who influenced their lives so profoundly.
Grief, mixed with surprising humor, informs all that happens – as each of these three men take meaningful steps forward both as individuals and as a renewed but forever changed family.
Director Joachim Trier stated, “I’m thrilled to be working with a company as innovative and forward thinking as The Orchard in bringing our film to North American audiences. We shot the film in the U.S., so it’s particularly meaningful to have found this great partner for our release.”
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Cannes Award Winning Film THE MEASURE OF A MAN to BE Released in the U.S.
Kino Lorber will release in the U.S. and Canada, Stephane Brizé’s (Mademoiselle Chambon) THE MEASURE OF A MAN, starring Vincent Lindon (Mademoiselle Chambon, Bastards, Friday Night, La Moustache), winner of the Best Actor award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. The film was directed by Mr. Brizé and co-written by Brizé and Olivier Gorce. This is Stephane Brizé’s sixth feature film.
The film, stars Vincent Lindon as a working-class man struggling with unemployment and then, facing a difficult moral choice as a security guard in a supermarket, Brizé supports his lead with a brilliantly directed cast of non-professional performers playing dramatized versions of themselves.
Kino Lorber, which released Stephane Brizé’s Mademoiselle Chambon in the United States to both critical acclaim and box office success (grossing over $530,000 in theaters alone), is planning to release the film in theatres in the fall of 2015, after prestigious North American festival dates. Home media and digital releases will follow in 2016.
Richard Lorber comments: “Cannes brought us the gift to work again with Stephane Brizé and Vincent Lindon, after our great success with their Mademoiselle Chambon. With THE MEASURE OF A MAN’s hugely deserved Best Actor honor, we’re keen to share this gift with North American audiences. This deeply moving performance and uniquely framed tale delivers a profound new humanistic insight into questions of economic justice.”
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#DopeMovie Starring Zoë Kravitz, Rapper A$AP Rocky at 2015 Cannes Film Festival
Front row (left to right): Actors Chanel Iman, Shameik Moore / Second row (left to right): Executive Producer Pharrell Williams, Actors Zoë Kravitz, Quincy Brown, Amin Joseph, Director Rick Famuyiwa, Actors A$AP Rocky, Tony Revolori and Kiersey Clemons celebrate Open Road Films’ DOPE in Cannes. DOPE was the closing night film of the Directors’ Fortnight, screening on the evening of May 22nd. DOPE will be released in the United States on June 19, 2015. #DopeMovie.
Executive Producer Pharrell Williams and actress Zoë Kravitz celebrate Open Road Films’ DOPE in Cannes.
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Sneak Peak at Lineup for 2015 New York Asian Film Festival
The 2015 New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), is back for its 14th edition and will run from June 26 to July 11. The festival takes place from June 26 to July 8 at the Film Society and July 9 to 11 at SVA Theatre . Initial details include notable awards to be presented to director Ringo Lam, superstar Aaron Kwok, and actor Shota Sometani. The festival will also host a slew of North American film premieres, as well as spotlight the works of Korean female directors and honor the memory of Japanese legends Ken Takakura and Bunta Sugawara with a joint tribute.
Hong Kong’s legendary director Ringo Lam (City on Fire) will receive the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award. One of Hong Kong’s most influential directors, Lam was directing comedies when City on Fire was released in 1987, fusing the social-protest movie with kinetic action filmmaking. It was followed by the massive hit Prison on Fire later that year, and thenSchool on Fire, a movie so unblinking that nervous Hong Kong censors sliced it to ribbons. Lam became one of the city’s best action filmmakers, and one of the few local directors to be so deeply concerned with the price of progress, the corrosive influence of money on human relationships, and the lives of the little people crushed beneath the wheels of change. In 2003, he directed what was to be his final feature and went into semi-retirement, only to be lured out again in 2015 with Wild City, in which Lam’s tooth-and-claw vision of modern urban living remains untamed.
Hong Kong’s superstar actor-singer Aaron Kwok (Divergence, After This Our Exile, Cold War) will receive the festival’s 2015 Star Asia Award onJune 26. One of Hong Kong’s Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop, Kwok has won dozens of awards for his chart-topping albums. For over 30 years, he has performed steadily both on television and in movies and is respected for his box-office star power as well as his outstanding acting chops. Kwok has worked with some of Hong Kong’s finest directors, like Johnnie To, Jacob Cheung, Andrew Lau, and Patrick Tam. His self-described Method acting was rewarded in 2005 and 2006 when he won back-to-back Golden Horse awards for Best Actor, a feat previously achieved only by Jackie Chan. Kwok was awarded his first Best Actor prize was for his performance in 2005’s Divergence, but it was his work in the 2006 After This Our Exile, for which he won his second award, that blew audiences away. In that film, Kwok’s fearless portrayal of a gambling addict exhibited a serious commitment to his craft as well as a complete lack of vanity. He then went on to give a series of startling performances in films like Yim Ho’s Floating City, the blockbuster Cold War, as well as his upcoming tour de force, Port of Call.
Japanese actor Shota Sometani will attend the festival on July 4, on the occasion of the New York premiere of Kabukicho Love Hotel, to receive the Screen International Rising Star Award. Director Ryuichi Hiroki will also be in attendance. This marks the second year of a partnership with Screen International, with whom the NYAFF will honor an emerging talent in the East Asian film world each year. At age 22, Sometani is already a leading man in both blockbusters and indie gems and has earned critical acclaim on the international film festival circuit. In 2011, he received the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in Himizu, along with his co-star Fumi Nikaido (last year’s recipient of the Screen International Rising Star Award).
Notable NYAFF titles this year will include the North American premieres of Nobuhiro Yamashita’s La La La at Rock Bottom (pictured above) and Yim Soon-rye’s The Whistleblower and the international premiere of Namewee’s Banglasia, which was banned in Malaysia, its home country.
The festival will also feature a section on Korea’s production company Myung Films, highlighting a few of their major works — Cart, The President’s Last Bang, The Isle, and Waikiki Brothers — as part of a greater focus on women who work behind the camera. Producer Shim Jae-myung and directors Yim Soon-rye (The Whistleblower) and Boo Ji-young (Cart) will be in attendance.
Japanese film legends Ken Takakura and Bunta Sugawara, both of whom passed away last November, will be the subject of the first joint tribute outside of Japan, which will feature the brand-new digital remaster of the 1973 classic Battles Without Honor and Humanity—screened for the time in North America—among others.
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“The Chicken” “Bihttoš” Win Short Film Awards at 2015 Seattle International Film Festival
The 2015 Seattle International Film Festival announced today this year’s ShortsFest Jury Award winners. The Chicken (pictured above), directed by Una Gunjak, and described by the jury as an expertly crafted narrative that explores life and death through the eyes of a young girl, is the winner of the Grand Jury Prize, Live Action Short Film. Bihttoš, an unconventional documentary that explores the complex relationship between a father and daughter, directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers won the Grand Jury Prize Documentary Short Film. This years Festival running May 14 through June 7, features 164 short films, including 25 World, 18 North American, and 11 US premieres.
ShortsFest jurors chose winners in the Live Action, Animation, and Documentary categories. All ShortsFest films shown at the Festival are also eligible for Golden Space Needle Audience Awards. Each ShortsFest Grand Jury winner will receive $1,000, and the winners in the three categories are eligible for the Academy Awards® in their respective Short Film category (Live Action, Animated, or Documentary).
SIFF 2015 SHORTSFEST AWARD WINNERS
LIVE ACTION
GRAND JURY PRIZE
The Chicken (Croatia, Germany), directed by Una Gunjak
JURY STATEMENT: An expertly crafted narrative that explores life and death through the eyes of a young girl. With a film full of authentic performances, Iman Alibalic is extraordinary as the six-year-old protagonist who receives a live chicken from her father for her birthday, and soon realizes it’s meant for dinner. This is an emotional film with a production quality that continues to move the story along and underscore the realities of life in a war zone.
SPECIAL JURY MENTION
Hole (Canada), directed by Martin Edralin
JURY STATEMENT: Hole is a brave exploration of human sexuality and yearning for intimacy through the eyes of a lonely, forgotten, disabled man in the heart of Toronto. Ken Harrower delivers a captivating performance that transcends any labels or limitations and speaks to the need for human connection.
DOCUMENTARY
GRAND JURY PRIZE
Bihttoš (Canada), directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers
JURY STATEMENT: For its ambitious approaches to visual storytelling and imaginative recounting of an exceptional family history.
ANIMATION
GRAND JURY PRIZE
The Mill at Calder’s End (USA), directed by Kevin McTurk
JURY STATEMENT: There exists a tendency to laud the new-new stories, new techniques, new talent. With the animation award, the jury is pleased to celebrate a film that is decidedly old-school, breathing life into a bygone style, iterating in a story tradition that is centuries old. For this fusion of the modern and classic, we are happy to award Kevin McTurk for The Mill at Calder’s End.
FUTUREWAVE SHORTS AWARDS
“WAVEMAKER AWARD (GRAND PRIZE)
In recognition of superior artistic and technical achievement.
Audio Input (USA), directed by Sho Schrock-Manabe
JURY STATEMENT: For its insightful and engaging portrait of podcasting, an audio art form, through a collage of interviews and images.
PRODIGY CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS
Each winner will be awarded a $1000 scholarship to the Prodigy Camp.
I’m Not Here (South Africa), directed by Jack Markovitz
Minimum Max (USA), directed by Josh Ovalle
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2015 Cannes Film Festival Awards, DHEEPAN by Jacques Audiard Wins Palme d’or
The Jury of the 68th Cannes Film Festival, presided by Joel and Ethan Coen picked DHEEPAN by Jacques Audiard (pictured above) the winner of Palme d’or award. In the film, “to escape the civil war in Sri Lanka, a former soldier, a young woman and a little girl pose as a family. They end up settling in a housing project outside Paris. They barely know one another, but try to build a life together.”
After receiving the prize, presented by the actress Cécile de France and the two Presidents of the Feature Films Jury, Joel and Ethan Coen, Jacques Audiard said: “I am very moved. I knew it would have an effect on me. I’d like to thank Michael Haneke for not filming this year. I’d also like to thank my actors, without whom there would be no film, nor a Palme d’or. Receiving a prize from the Coen brothers is just incredible! Alexandre Dumas’ son spoke about his father as “this child I had so young”. Tonight, I’m thinking of my father”.
The Grand Prix, considered the runner up prize, was awarded to Saul Fia (Son of Saul) by László Nemes. Described as “October 1944, Auschwitz-Birkenau. Saul Ausländer is a Hungarian member of the Sonderkommando, the group of Jewish prisoners isolated from the camp and forced to assist the Nazis in the machinery of large-scale extermination. While working in one of the crematoriums, Saul discovers the corpse of a boy he takes for his son. As the Sonderkommando plans a rebellion, Saul decides to carry out an impossible task: save the child’s body from the flames, find a rabbi to recite the mourner’s Kaddish and offer the boy a proper burial.”
After he had received the prize from the Danish actor, Mads Mikkelsen, László Nemes declared: ” This was my first time in Cannes. We wanted this film to tell the new generation about the destruction of European Jews, I’m happy to have made this film using roll. It’s the magic of cinema! ”
The complete list of winners of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival awards
FEATURE FILMS – COMPETITION
Palme d’or
DHEEPAN by Jacques Audiard
Grand Prix
SAUL FIA (Son of Saul) by László Nemes
Best Director Award
Hou Hsiao-Hsien for NIE YINNIANG (The Assassin)
Jury Prize
THE LOBSTER by Yorgos Lanthimos
Best Actress Award
Rooney Mara in CAROL by Todd Haynes
Emmanuelle Bercot in MON ROI by MAÏWENN
Best Actor Award
Vincent Lindon in LA LOI DU MARCHÉ (The Measure of a Man) by Stéphane Brizé
Best Screenplay Award
Michel Franco for CHRONIC
SHORT FILMS – COMPETITION
Palme d’or
WAVES ’98 by Ely Dagher
UN CERTAIN REGARD
UN CERTAIN REGARD AWARD
HRÚTAR (Rams) by Grímur Hákonarson
JURY PRIZE
ZVIZDAN (The High Sun) by Dalibor Matanić
BEST DIRECTOR PRIZE
Kiyoshi Kurosawa for KISHIBE NO TABI (Journey to the Shore)
UN CERTAIN TALENT PRIZE
COMOARA (Treasure) by Corneliu Porumboiu
Joint PROMISING FUTURE PRIZE
MASAAN (Fly Away Solo) by Neeraj Ghaywan
NAHID by Ida Panahandeh
CAMÉRA D’OR
LA TIERRA Y LA SOMBRA (Land and Shade) by César Augusto Acevedo
CINÉFONDATION
First Prize
SHARE by Pippa Bianco
AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women, USA
Second Prize
LOCAS PERDIDAS (Lost Queens) by Ignacio Juricic Merillán
Carrera de Cine y TV Universidad de Chile, Chile
Joint Third Prize
THE RETURN OF ERKIN by Maria Guskova
High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors, Russia
Joint Third Prize
VICTOR XX by Ian Garrido López
ESCAC, Spain
The Jury of the CST awarded the VULCAN AWARD OF THE TECHNICAL ARTIST to:
Tamas ZANYI, sound engineer, for the outstanding contribution of sound to the narration of SAUL FIA (Son of Saul) by László NEMES.
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Lucie Borleteau’s FIDELIO: ALICE’S ODYSSEY Wins Top Award at 2015 Montclair Film Festival
The 2015 Montclair Film Festival (MFF) for the first time announced competition awards, with Lucie Borleteau’s FIDELIO: ALICE’S ODYSSEY (pictured above) taking home the Narrative Feature Jury prize. The narrative competition jury also awarded a special jury prize to Yury Bykov’s THE FOOL for storytelling.
The festival inaugurated two awards in honor of the late David Carr and Bruce Sinofsky, both Montclair residents. THE RUSSIAN WOODPECKER, directed by Chad Gracia, took home the Bruce Sinofsky Prize in the festival’s Documentary Feature competition. This award was established in memory of Bruce Sinofsky and was presented by Sinofsky’s long time friend and collaborator Joe Berlinger (PARADISE LOST I, II, AND III).
Brad Barber and Scott Christopherson’s PEACE OFFICER took home the David Carr Award for Truth in Non-Fiction Filmmaking, which honors a filmmaker, selected by the festival, who utilizes journalistic techniques to explore important contemporary subjects. The award was presented by Ta-Nehisi Coates, a longtime friend and colleague of Carr.
Elise DuRant’s EDÉN was awarded with the Future/Now prize, honoring emerging low-budget American independent filmmaking, and Marah Strauch’s SUNSHINE SUPERMAN took home the New Jersey Films Award, which honors a selected group of films made by New Jersey artists. The junior jury prize went to Alexandra Shiva’s documentary HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO.
“We’re thrilled to be launching these awards for our fourth installment, and to honor the diverse group of talented filmmakers,” said MFF founder and Chairman Bob Feinberg. “This has been a significant year for us and it truly exemplifies the festival’s impact and growth, as we continue to lay the groundwork for many more successful years ahead.”
“This year’s festival featured over 135 films and we are incredibly proud of each and every one of our filmmakers. These inaugural awards represent the best of what our festival can offer – global stories that have an intimate, connection to our audiences and help Montclair connect to the world of cinema,”said MFF Executive Director Tom Hall.
Congratulations to the 2015 winners of The Montclair Film Festival Awards:
David Carr Award for Truth in Non-Fiction Filmmaking Winner
PEACE OFFICER
Directors – Brad Barber and Scott Christopherson
Narrative Feature Competition Winner
FIDELIO: ALICE’S ODYSSEY
Director – Lucie Borleteau
Narrative Feature Competition
Special Jury Prize for Storytelling
THE FOOL
Director – Yury Bykov
Bruce Sinofsky Prize for Documentary Feature Competition Winner
THE RUSSIAN WOODPECKER
Director – Chad Gracia
Future/Now Winner
EDÉN
Director – Elise DuRant
New Jersey Films Competition Winner
SUNSHINE SUPERMAN
Director – Marah Strauch
Junior Jury Winner
HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO
Director – Alexandra Shiva
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US Premiere of Black (NWA) Kicks Off Film Lineup for 2015 Chicago African Diaspora International Film Festival
The 2015 Chicago African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) taking place from June 12-18, will showcase 17 documentary and fiction films set in The United States, Angola, Cuba, Brazil, Canada, Haiti, St Vincent, New Zealand, the UK, Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Argentina, Uruguay, and Honduras.
The festival will open with the US Premiere of Black (NWA) (pictured above), a fiction film that chronicles the lives of four people living in a neighborhood plagued by poverty and violence, aspiring to freedom and happiness. “This gritty look at gang culture in Montreal North is incredibly timely in that central to the drama are the tense relations between the police and the black community. This has become a hot-button issue in recent months following a number of controversial high-profile cases of police officers in the U.S. shooting unarmed black men.” – Montreal Gazette. Lead actor Remy St Eloi will be in attendance for a discussion after the screening.
Several films in this year’s ADIFF had their premiere in major international film festivals. Based on a novel by “Whale Rider” writer Witi Ihimaera, White Lies – New Zealand’s entry in the 2014 Oscar competition for best foreign-language film and Toronto International Film Festival official selection – is an intense drama that explores with great humanity and sensitivity such difficult topics as race relations, bleaching and abortion.
First presented at the Montreal World Film Festival is the Chicago Premiere of the impressive epic drama based on a true story, Njinga Queen of Angolaabout a 17th century Queen who fought for freedom against Portuguese colonialism.
Screened at the Toronto and Venice film festival in 2000 is the epic drama Adanggaman, a provocative retelling of the African slave experience, based on facts. ADIFF will also bring back The Pirogue (Cannes Film Festival, 2012), a powerful immigration drama about a group of African men and one woman who leave Senegal for Europe on a fishing boat at the risk of their lives. The pirogue by Moussa Toure is part of the Great African Films collection, a DVD series that celebrates great African filmmakers. The Pirogue can be found in Great African Films Vol. 4 with the work of Khady Sylla, a renowned Senegalese filmmaker.
The strong African retention in New World cultures as expressed through music, dance, and religious traditions is celebrated in four documentaries screening in ADIFF 2015. The program Candomble & Santeria with the screening of Oggun: an Eternal Presence & Summer of Gods explores African based religions. Tango Negro: The African Roots of Tango moves in and out of Uruguay and Argentina as it illustrates the ever present African component in Tango, Candombe, Milongon and other African based musical styles found in the Rio de la Plata region. In Candombe, musician Fernado Nunez sees himself as the heir to “candombe,” a dance and musical expression initiated by his enslaved ancestors.
For its CENTERPIECE, the festival will present the GARIFUNA CELEBRATION program with two documentaries: Revolutionary Medicine: A Story of the First Garifuna Hospital and Homeland (Yurumein) both about the Garifuna people in Honduras and St. Vincent respectively. The screenings will be followed by a discussion with local members of the Garifuna community.
Also premiering in the festival this year are Obama Mama, a documentary about Stanley Ann Dunham, mother of the nation’s first black president,Reshipment, a documentary by Afro-Cuban filmmaker Gloria Rolando about the historical connection between Cubans and Haitians, and the U.S. premiere of Ken Bugul – Nobody Wants Her, a powerful documentary who leads us into the secret world of an assertive African woman artist and writer and her brave fight for freedom and acceptance.
ADIFF CHICAGO 2015 FILM SYNOPSIS
THE SUMMER OF THE GODS
The Summer of the Gods revolves around Lili, a six year old Afro-Brazilian who unites with her native religious ancestry on a summer visit to her family’s rural village. Soon after arriving in Northeast Brazil, where Afro-Brazilian religious traditions still endure, Lili encounters Orishas. As these African deities help her cope with a gift that has previously vexed her, Lili’s grandmother upholds Afro-Brazilian religious practices as a revered local priestess. To ensure that these customs carry on after her grandmother passes, the gifted Lili is led on a mystic and supernatural adventure of initiation. Directed by Eliciana Nascimento, 2014, Brazil/USA, Drama, 21mins, Portuguese with English subtitles. OGGUN: AN ETERNAL PRESENCE Gloria Rolando relates the patakin or mythical story of Oggun, the tireless warrior who, enamored of his mother, decided as punishment to imprison himself in the mountains. Only Ochun, goddess of love, succeeded in captivating him when she let fall a few drops of honey on the lips of the god of metal, war, progress, and civilization. Oggun is the first effort of the team known as Images of the Caribbean, now chartered as an independent video group. Directed by Gloria Rolando, 1992, Cuba, Documentary, Spanish, 52 min, Spanish, English subtitles. BLACK / NWA BLACK chronicles the lives of four people living in a neighborhood plagued by poverty and violence, aspiring to freedom and happiness. KADHAFI, a 26 year-old aspiring Algerian rapper and ex-member of a street gang, just out of prison, wants to steer clear of troubles. FLEUR, a 17 year-old Haitian mother in an abusive and passionate relationship with her daughter’s father, dreams of leaving the ghetto and becoming a nurse. SUZIE, a 20-year-old white stripper who falls for a gang member. DICKENS, 16 year-old Haitian wants to be part of the street gang controlled by his older brother. Directed by Yves Christian Fournier, 2015, Canada, Drama, 110 min, French/Creole with English subt THE PIROGUE A group of African men and one woman leave Senegal in a pirogue captained by a local fisherman to undertake the treacherous crossing of the Atlantic to Spain where they believe better lives and prospects are waiting for them.Directed by Moussa Touré, 2012, Senegal/France/Germany, 86 min, French, Wolof, Spanish, English subt. OBAMA MAMA Stanley Ann Dunham was an anthropologist with a Ph.D, a lifelong traveler and the mother of the first Black president of the United States. Her intelligence, progressive politics, and activism made for a profound life—one whose inspiration continues to resonate through her son, President Barack Obama. The “largeness of her heart,” as her son describes it, is the centerpiece of this inspiring documentary. Directed by Vivian Norris, 2014, 83 min, United States/Poland/France, Documentary, English. RESHIPMENT / RE-EMBARQUE The voices of prominent historians join the memories of Haitians and their descendants in Cuba to understand a chapter of the complex economic and social history of the Caribbean: the presence in the Island of Cuba of thousands of West Indian laborers, especially from Haiti. For many, it was a great bargain of cheap labor. For others, the realization of the dream of every immigrant: make money and return home. Reshipment demonstrates that despite the discrimination suffered by the Haitians since this period, the Creole language, religious and other musical and dance traditions remain in the cultural landscape of Cuba. The film also recalls the Haitian generation who garnered years of stay in Cuba and were victims of a “reshipment” as if they were damaged goods–a forced repatriation to Haiti when they were no longer needed in the sugar cane fields or coffee plantations. As the life of Haitians in Cuba has moved between dreams and setbacks, this film is not only a fitting reminder of the often forgotten chapter in Cuban history but a tribute to the unsung Haitian heroes who wove an important passage between two Caribbean nations. Directed by Gloria Rolando, 2014, Cuba/Haiti, Documentary, 58 min, Spanish, English subt NJINGA, QUEEN OF ANGOLA In the 17th century, a warrior woman fights for the independence of Angola. After witnessing the murder of her son and watching her people being humiliated by Portuguese colonizers, Njinga will become a Queen and struggle for the liberation of her people embodying the motto: those who stay fight to win. This epic drama is based on the real life story of Queen Anna Njinga(c. 1583 –1663), also known as Ana de Sousa Njinga Mbande, queen of the Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms of the Mbundu people in Angola. Directed by Sergio Graciano, 2013, 109 min, Angola, Biography, Portuguese with English subt. WHITE LIKE THE MOON A Mexican-American girl struggles to keep her identity when her mother forces her to bleach her skin. White Like the Moon is a revealing film about a dilemma not very well known outside Latino communities; that of the myth of the light skin superiority in Indigenous and Indigenous descendant communities.Directed by Marina Gonzalez Palmier, 2001, 23mins, USA, Drama in English WHITE LIES Based on a novel by “Whale Rider” writer Witi Ihimaera, White Lies – New Zealand’s entry in the 2014 Oscar competition for best foreign-language film – is an intense drama that explores with great humanity and sensitivity such difficult topics as race relations, bleaching and abortion. Paraiti is the healer and midwife of her rural, tribal people – she believes in life. But new laws in force are prohibiting unlicensed healers, making the practice of much Maori medicine illegal. She gets approached by Maraea, the servant of a wealthy woman, Rebecca, who seeks her knowledge and assistance in order to hide a secret which could destroy Rebecca’s position in European settler society. This compelling story tackles moral dilemmas, exploring the nature of identity, societal attitudes to the roles of women and the tension between Western and traditional Maori medicine. Directed by Dana Rotberg, 2014, New Zealand, 96mins, Drama, English and Maori with English subt. REVOLUTIONARY MEDICINE: A STORY OF THE FIRST GARIFUNA HOSPITAL The inspiring documentary tells the story of how the hospital’s alternative health model is transforming communities on Honduras’ Northern Coast and standing as an alternative to an increasingly privatized national health system. Could a remote hospital that runs on solar panels, in a community with no paved roads or electricity provide a new global model for health care? Directed by Jesse Freeston & Beth Geglia, 2013, 41 min, Honduras/Canada/ United States, Documentary in Spanish with English subt. HOMELAND (YURUMEIN) This is the untold history of the indigenous Carabis/Garifuna of St. Vincent: their near extermination and exile by the British 200 years ago and their return to reconnect with those left behind. A powerful, untold story of Caribbean renaissance, rupture and repair in post-colonial St. Vincent. Directed by Andrea E. Leland, 2014, 50 min, St. Vincent/Garifuna, documentary, English. GLORIOUS EXIT Jarreth Merz, a Swiss-Nigerian actor living in Los Angeles, is summoned to Nigeria to bury his father. Nigerian tradition mandates the eldest child to take charge of a father’s burial. Although he accepts the responsibility, he struggles with why he feels morally responsible toward Nigerian tradition and a family whom he hardly knows. Jarreth starts a journey of self-discovery. Directed by Kevin Merz , 2008, 75 min, St. Nigeria/Switzerland, documentary, English and German with English subtitles. THE STORY OF LOVERS ROCK Lovers Rock, often dubbed ‘romantic reggae’ is a uniquely black British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems. Live performance, comedy sketches, dance, interviews and archive shed light on the music and the generation that embraced it. Lovers Rock allowed young people to experience intimacy and healing through dance- known as ‘scrubbing’- at parties and clubs. This dance provided a coping mechanism for what was happening on the streets. Lovers Rock developed into a successful sound with national UK hits and was influential to British bands (Police, Culture Club, UB40). Menelik Shabazz, 2011, 96mins, UK, musical documentary, English KEN BUGUL – NOBODY WANTS HER An expressive aesthetic as rhapsodic as the written words of Bugul herself, Ken Bugul: Nobody Wants Her is a filmic ode to the brilliance of this revered Senegalese writer. Determined to set her own path in life, Ken Bugul (born Mariètou Mbaye Biléoma) left Senegal and spent 20 years living in Europe, only to feel an even deeper loneliness and alienation. She belonged neither here nor there. Encountering crushing rejection upon her return to Senegal, at her most destitute and desperate, Bugul sought refuge in her writing. Her debut novel, The Abandoned Baobab, already captured Bugul’s unique idiosyncratic style and cemented her position as a novelist. Painting a mosaic picture of Bugul’s life and times, this powerful documentary leads us into the secret world of an assertive African woman artist and her brave fight for freedom and acceptance. Silvia Voser, 2013, 62mins, French/Swiss documentary, French with English subtitles. CANDOMBE More than two hundred years ago, there was an influx of slaves from Africa into Uruguay. Long after their empancipation, these individuals continued to comprise the poorest and most marginalized strata in society. Musician Fernado Nunez sees himself as the heir to “candombe,” a dance and musical expression initiated these individuals, his slave ancestors. As the far-reaching, socio-cultural legacy of of candombe has yet to be acknowledged, Fernando Nunez and his friends from the back street quarter of Montevideo have taken on the responsibility of keeping these important cultural roots alive in the consciousness of the Uruguayan people. Directed by Rafael Deugenio, 1993, Uruguay, Documentary, 16 min, Spanish w/ English subt. TANGO NEGRO: THE AFRICAN ROOTS OF TANGO Tango Negro explores the expression of African-ness inherent in the dance of the “tango” and the contribution of African cultures to the dance’s creation. Angolan director, Dom Pedro, details the dance’s early cultural significance as a depiction of the social life of captured African slaves and provides an expansive compilation of musical performances and interviews from tango enthusiasts and historians alike. Tango Negro provides a novel insight into the depth of tango’s sub-Saharan African musical influence, a presence that has crossed oceans and endured the tides of forced bondage. Directed by Dom Pedro, 2013, France, Documentary, 93 min, French, Spanish, English subt. ADANGGAMAN Set in the late 17th century, on the Western coast of Africa, “Adanggaman” is an epic fiction film about a rebellious young man, who refuses to marry his parents’ choice of a bride, flees his village one evening, only to return to find his father and girlfriend slain, his village destroyed and his mother captured by a tribe of Amazon warriors. His efforts to free his mother lead to the kingdom of Adanggaman, where captives are held before sale. Roger Gnoan M’Bala, 2000, 90mins, Ivorian, Burkinabé, French, Swiss and Italian historical drama film, Bambara, Baoulé and French with English subtitles.