Film Festivals

First 10 Films Revealed for 2014 Maryland Film Festival incl. Michael Tully’s PING PONG SUMMER

Ping Pong Summer

Maryland Film Festival has begun unveiling the lineup for its 16th annual festival, which will take place May 7-11, 2014, in downtown Baltimore and include approximately 50 feature films and 10 short-film programs from around the world. The first ten feature films announced for MFF 2014 include the area premieres of a number of highly anticipated independent, documentary, and international features, including Michael Tully’s star-studded, shot-in-Maryland Ping Pong Summer; Josephine Decker’s beautiful and provocative Thou Wast Mildand Lovely; Fernando Eimbcke’s poignant coming-of-age comedy Club Sandwich; and Stanley Nelson’s riveting civil-rights documentary Freedom Summer.

Maryland Film Festival has distinguished itself as a creatively charged meeting place for filmmakers and audiences, offering all its U.S. feature films hosted by a filmmaker in a relaxed and competition-free environment. The festival is also known for its close relationship with legendary filmmaker John Waters, who selects and hosts a favorite film within each year’s festival. Building on record ticket sales and submissions over the last several years, the festival expanded to five days in 2013, and will again offer five days of programming in 2014, using seven screens in and around Baltimore’s Station North Arts and Entertainment District.

Lineup announcements will continue over the next 2 weeks. The first ten titles announced for MFF 2014 are:

CLUB SANDWICH

CLUB SANDWICH (Fernando Eimbcke) Poignant drama, gentle comedy, and a hint of transgression mix brilliantly as we observe the coming of age of a 15-year-old teen vacationing with his single mother in a sleepy Mexican beachfront resort. From the director of Lake Tahoe and Duck Season.

FIGHT CHURCH

FIGHT CHURCH (Daniel Junge and Bryan Storkel) Christianity and the world of Mixed Martial Arts collide in this thought-provoking and expectation-challenging documentary from Academy Award Winner Daniel Junge and Bryan Storkel.

Freedom Summer

FREEDOM SUMMER (Stanley Nelson) In the summer of 1964, a thousand civil-rights volunteers worked to combat segregation in Mississippi. Master documentarian Stanley Nelson (Freedom Riders; Jonestown: The Life & Death of Peoples Temple; The Murder of Emmett Till) tells their story.

Happy Christmas

HAPPY CHRISTMAS (Joe Swanberg) Following his breakthrough hit Drinking Buddies, Joe Swanberg re-teams with star Anna Kendrick and cinematographer Ben Richardson (Beasts of the Southern Wild) for an insightful look at family and friendship centered around a Chicago Christmas. With Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, and Lena Dunham.

KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER

KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER (David Zellner) The Zellner brothers (Goliath, KID-THING) bring their unique mix of resonant drama and offbeat comedy to an expanded canvas, following a young Japanese woman who believes her worn VHS copy of Fargo contains instructions to recover that film’s buried treasure.

PING PONG SUMMER (Michael Tully) The director of Septien returns with a sweet and hilarious love letter to summers spent in Ocean City, MD during the golden era of hip-hop, boasting a cast that includes Susan Sarandon, Lea Thompson, Amy Sedaris, and Robert Longstreet.

THE STRANGE LITTLE CAT

THE STRANGE LITTLE CAT (Ramon Zürcher) This strikingly original film builds on Robert Bresson’s ideas of space and sound to create a moving-image sculpture inside a Berlin apartment during a family gathering. Notes of gentleness and tension merge to form a strange visual symphony.

THOU WAST MILD AND LOVELY

THOU WAST MILD AND LOVELY (Josephine Decker) Following her Butter on the Latch, which premiered at MFF 2013, Josephine Decker further explores themes of budding romance and psychological terror against a backdrop of bucolic beauty. Fresh from its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).

WHO TOOK JOHNNY

WHO TOOK JOHNNY (David Beilinson, Michael Galinsky, and Suki Hawley) When Johnny Gosch disappeared in 1982, his picture appeared on milk cartons, catapulting the issue of missing children into the public’s imagination. The team behind Horns and Halos and Battle for Brooklyn follows the search for answers over decades of stunning twists and turns, resulting in an unforgettable documentary experience that will have audiences questioning everything and everyone.

WILD CANARIES

WILD CANARIES (Lawrence Michael Levine) From the director of 2010’s Gabi on the Roof in July comes this captivating blend of comedy, romance, and mystery set in contemporary Brooklyn. The all-star indie cast includes Levine alongside Sophia Takal, Alia Shawkat, Annie Parisse, Jason Ritter, and Kevin Corrigan.

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LAST CALL(TERCERA LLAMADA) to Open and BAD HAIR (PELO MALO) to Close 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

TERCERA LLAMADA (LAST CALL)

The 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, which runs April 22-27, 2014, will open with Francisco Franco’s TERCERA LLAMADA (LAST CALL), Winner of Audience Awards in Lima and Guadalajara, Best Editing at the Havana Film Festival and the award for the entire female cast at the Guadalajara International Film Festival in 2013. TERCERA LLAMADA stars Irene Azuela, Ricardo Blume, Anabel Ferreira, Kristyan Ferrer, Karina Gidi, Rebecca Jones, Fernando Luján, Jorge Poza, Cecilia Suárez, Mariana Treviño, and Silvia Pinal in her first film role in 20 years.

PELO MALO (BAD HAIR)

Closing the festival is PELO MALO (BAD HAIR), directed by Mariana Rondón, PELO MALO, which has enjoyed great international success, including acclaimed premieres in Toronto and Cartagena, and the prestigious Concha de Oro award for best film at the 2013 San Sebastián International Film Festival.

The story of TERCERA LLAMADA is based on a play written by director Francisco Franco in which a theater group goes through a challenging process in trying to bring to stage the play Caligula for an international theater festival.The incredible cast of the film provide moments of great humor and drama, and the film offers subtle and fresh points of view on contemporary Mexican society. TERCERA LLAMADA is a Habanero Films release.

In PELO MALO (BAD HAIR) from Venezuela, nine year old Junior is fed up with his “bad hair,” and wants to straighten it for his yearbook picture so he can look like a fashionable pop singer. This elicits a tidal wave of homophobic panic in his hard-working mother, who finds it increasingly difficult to tolerate Junior’s fixation with his looks. The film portrays contemporary life in Caracas from the perspective of regular citizens who try day by day to get ahead in their lives. PELO MALO is a FiGa Films release.

ABOUT THE FILMS

Tercera llamada (Last Call)
A film by Francisco Franco
Mexico, Comedy/Drama, 2013
In Spanish with English subtitles

Starring: Irene Azuela, Ricardo Blume, Anabel Ferreira, Kristyan Ferrer, Karina Gidi, Rebecca Jones, Fernando Luján, Jorge Poza, Cecilia Suárez, Mariana Treviño, and Silvia Pinal

In one and a half months, a theater company will premiere “Caligula,” the play by Albert Camus. The neurotic director is constantly disagreeing with his cast. The diva is offended, the old actor cannot remember his lines, the producer is only sober when asleep, the assistant director believes the ghost of Pedro Infante appears in the theater, and the main actress is in panic. Will they be ready for Last Call?

A Habanero Release

http://youtu.be/w_fTLl6DYVs

Pelo malo (Bad Hair)
A film by Mariana Rondón
Starrring: Samuel Lange, Samantha Castillo, Nelly Ramos
Venezuela, Drama, 2013
Spanish with English subtitles

Junior is nine years old and has “bad hair.” He wants to straighten his hair for his yearbook picture so he can look like a fashionable pop singer. This elicits a tidal wave of homophobic panic in his hard-working mother, who finds it increasingly difficult to tolerate Junior’s fixation with his looks. The more he tries to look sharp to make his mother love him, the more she rejects him. Eventually, he is cornered, faced with a painful decision.

A FiGa Films Release

http://youtu.be/mIN-DuZ416k

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Toni Collette, Christine Lahti, Jeff Goldblum, Whoopi Goldberg Among Jurors Announced for 2014 Tribeca Film Festival

The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), today announced its jurors – a diverse group of 33 industry leaders, including award-winning filmmakers, writers, producers, acclaimed actors, respected journalists and entrepreneurs. The jury will be divided among the seven competitive Festival categories. The winning films, filmmakers and actors in each category will be announced at the TFF Awards Night ceremony on April 24. The 2014 Festival runs from April 16 –27.

“The diverse group of voices that make up this year’s jury will make for very interesting deliberations,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival.

The seven TFF juries will award $150,000 in cash and prizes. Announced earlier this year, 8 of the winners will also receive a work of original art by an acclaimed artist as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program, sponsored by CHANEL. In addition to the Festival’s main competition juries, the three jurors for the second annual $25,000 Nora Ephron Prize, recognizing a female writer or director, were also announced.

The 2014 TFF Juror Welcome Lunch will be presented for the first time by Condé Nast. Later this year the media leader will relocate to its new global headquarters at 1 World Trade Center where it will play a prominent role in the resurgence of Lower Manhattan.

Following is a list of all 2014 Festival jurors and their respective categories.

World Competition Categories

The jurors for the 2014 World Narrative Competition are:

Lake Bell:  Independent Spirit Award-nominated triple threat whose recent film, In A World…, she directed, wrote, and starred in. Other acting credits include Black Rock, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, and the soon-to-be released Million Dollar Arm, The Coup, and Man Up.

Steve Conrad: Screenwriter and director whose writing credits include The Weather Man, The Pursuit of Happyness, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and the soon to be released The Business Trip. He directed and wrote The Promotion and the upcoming film, Belushi.

Bart Freundlich: Director, screenwriter, and producer whose credits include The Rebound, Trust the Man, Catch That Kid, World Traveler, his feature-film debut and Sundance hit, The Myth of Fingerprints, and numerous episodes of Showtime’s Californication.

Catherine Hardwicke: Director best known for the blockbuster hit Twilight. Her critically-acclaimed debut feature Thirteen received the Director’s Award at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, two Golden Globe nominations, and an Independent Spirit Award. Additional directing credits include Red Riding Hood and Lords of Dogtown.

Ben Younger:  Independent Spirit Award-winning screenwriter and director whose credits include Boiler Room, Prime, and the soon-to-be released, Bleed for This.

The jurors for the 2014 World Documentary Competition are:

David Edelstein: Movie critic of New York Magazine, NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and CBS Sunday Morning. He guest hosted for Turner Classic Movies in 2011 and 2013. He has written for Slate, The New York Times, and Vanity Fair.

Nick Fraser: London-based journalist, independent television producer, and program editor. He is currently Commissioning Editor of Storyville, the BBC’s long-running and award-winning series of international documentaries.

Andrea Meditch: Founding president of Back Allie Films whose executive producing credits include Academy Award®-winning Man on Wire, Academy Award®-nominated Encounters at the End of the World, Grizzly Man, and Buck.

Jenni Wolfson: Executive Director of Chicken & Egg Pictures, which supports women nonfiction filmmakers whose diverse voices and dynamic storytelling have the power to catalyze change, at home and around the globe.

Marina Zenovich: Director and producer whose films have screened at Tribeca, Cannes, Sundance, New York, and Toronto Film Festivals. Credits include NAACP Image Award-winning Richard Pryor: Omit The Logic, Emmy Award-winning Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, and Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out.

Emerging Competition Categories

The jurors for the 2014 Best New Narrative Director are:

Jeff Goldblum: Renowned Academy Award and Emmy Award-nominated actor and director. Film credits include Jurassic Park, Independence Day, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Igby Goes Down, Adam Resurrected, Nashville, and Death Wish. He starred on television in Law and Order: Criminal Intent and appeared on Broadway in The Pillowman.

Nadine Labaki: Lebanese filmmaker and actress named to Variety’s 2008 list of “10 Directors to Watch” for her first feature film Caramel, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won numerous prestigious awards. Her second feature film, Where Do We Go Now?, debuted at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, won a Special Mention from the Cannes Film Festival, and received the Cadillac People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival.

Dorothy Lyman: Emmy Award-winning actress best known for her roles as the dynamic “Opal Gardner” on ABC’s All My Children and “Naomi Harper” onMama’s Family. Film credits include acting in Ruby in Paradise, I Love Trouble, Blow, and The Departed, as well as directing The Northern Kingdom and Split Ends.

Adepero Oduye: Independent Spirit and NAACP Image Award-nominated actress. Credits include Pariah, Twelve Years a Slave, and the 2012 television adaptation of Steel Magnolias with Alfre Woodard. She debuted on Broadway in the acclaimed revival of The Trip to Bountiful with Cicely Tyson.

Mickey Sumner: Actress whose film credits include Noah Baumbach’s critically-acclaimed Frances Ha, 2014 SXSW Film Festival selection, The Mend, recently shot indie, The End of the Tour, directed by James Ponsoldt, festival award-winner Missed Connections, Girl Most Likely, and CBGB. She’s had recurring television roles in Low Winter Sun and The Borgias.

The jurors for the 2014 Best New Documentary Director are:

Rebecca Cammisa: Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated documentary film director, producer, and cinematographer. Credits include Sister Helen, Which Way Home, and God is the Bigger Elvis.

Heather Graham: Independent Spirit Award-nominated actress for her breakout role in Gus Van Sant’s Drugstore Cowboy. Additional credits includeSwingers, Boogie Nights,  Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The Hangover 1 & 3, and At Any Price.

Nate Parker: Actor honored as one of Variety’s 2012 “10 Actors to Watch” and Sundance fellowship recipient for his screenplay for the Nat Turner biopic, Birth of a Nation. Film credits include The Great Debaters, Arbitrage, Red Hook Summer, The Secret Life of Bees, Red Tails, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, and Non-Stop.

Doug Pray: Emmy Award-winning feature documentary film director focusing on American subcultures and maverick individuals. Work includes Art & Copy, Surfwise, Big Rig, Infamy, Scratch, Hype!, and the upcoming Levitated Mass.

Michael Stuhlbarg: Golden Globe Award-nominated and Independent Spirit Award-winning actor best known for his role in Boardwalk Empire, which won him two SAG Awards. Film credits include A Serious Man, Blue Jasmine, Lincoln, Hitchcock, and Hugo; television credits include Damages and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip; theatrical credits include The Invention of Love, Cabaret, and The Pillowman, for which he received a Tony Award Nomination and Drama Desk Award.

Alfonso Arau: Award-winning Mexican character actor and prominent filmmaker of the Latino community in Hollywood. He made his American debut in The Wild Bunch and achieved international acclaim for directing Like Water for Chocolate, one of the most successful foreign-language films ever released in the U.S.

Whoopi Goldberg: One of an elite group of artists who have won an Academy, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award. Film and television credits includeThe Color Purple, Ghost, Sister Act, Boys on the Side, The Lion King, For Colored Girls, and The View on ABC. She made her directorial debut with the 2013 TFF selection Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley.

Christine Lahti: An Emmy, Golden Globe and Oscar-winning actress and director of film, television, and theater.

Sheila Nevins: President, HBO Documentary Films. She has been responsible for overseeing the development and production of more than 1,000 documentaries for HBO, HBO2, and Cinemax. As an executive producer or producer, she has received 26 Primetime Emmy® Awards, 31 News and Documentary Emmys®, and 37 George Foster Peabody Awards. During her tenure, HBO’s critically-acclaimed documentaries have gone on to win 23 Academy Awards®.

Paul Wesley: Actor currently starring in the CW’s Vampire Diaries. Made his directorial debut with the episode “Resident Evil.” He co-produced and co-starred in the feature film Before I Disappear, which premiered in competition at the SXSW Film Festival. Film credits include Shot in the Heart, Peaceful Warrior, Baytown Outlaws, Roll Bounce, and the forthcoming Sam & Amira. Television credits include Fallen, Everwood, American Dreams, 8 Simple Rules, and 24.

Lindsay Burdge: Actress, producer, and casting director who has starred in films screened at Tribeca, Sundance, and SXSW Film Festivals. Credits include A Teacher and First Winter as well as the soon-to-be-released The Midnight Swim and Some Beasts.

Toni Collette: Australian Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actress. Best known for her performances in Muriel’s Wedding, The Sixth Sense, for which she received an Academy Award nomination, About A Boy, The Hours, Little Miss Sunshine, the acclaimed Showtime series The United States of Tara,The Way, Way Back, and Enough Said. She is currently co-starring in The Realistic Joneses on Broadway and will next appear in the upcoming films Lucky Them and A Long Way Down.

Regina Dugan: Vice President of Engineering at Google named Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business 1000” and CNN’s “Top 10 Thinkers.” She leads the Advanced Technology and Projects group charged with breakthrough innovations in mobile computing and accelerating the development of promising technologies to market.

Simon Kilmurry: Twelve time Emmy Award and three time George Foster Peabody Award-winning executive producer of POV, the long-running PBS showcase of independent documentaries. Serves as chief executive of American Documentary, POV’s non-profit parent organization.

Anton Yelchin: Critically-acclaimed actor with performances in Star Trek, Terminator Salvation, The Beaver, and Charlie Bartlett. He was honored for his starring role in Like Crazy with the “Artist to Watch” Award at the 2011 Aspen Film Festival and the “Hollywood Spotlight Award” at the 2011 Hollywood Film Festival. Upcoming films include Only Lovers Left Alive, Cymbeline, Rudderless, and 5 to 7, which will premiere at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.

Paola Antonelli: Senior Curator of Architecture and Design at MoMA whose work investigates design’s influence on everyday experience. Appointed to direct a new research and development initiative in 2012 and named one of the top 100 most powerful people in the world of art by Art Review.

Kira Pollack: Director of Photography at TIME Magazine and executive producer of Red Border Films, TIME’s new documentary film project. Named Photo Editor of the Year at the 2011 Lucie Awards and spearheaded TIME’s Emmy Award-winning Beyond 9/11 project.

Caspar Sonnen: Curator and festival organizer working in the still largely undefined spaces between cinema, digital storytelling, and interactive art. He started the new media program IDFA DocLab at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam as well as co-founded the Open Air Film Festival Amsterdam.

Delia Ephron: Best-selling author, screenwriter, journalist, and playwright. Film credits include Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Michael, and Hanging Up. She has written numerous novels, non-fiction essays, humor books, and a hit play, Love, Loss, and What I Wore, in collaboration with her sister Nora Ephron.

Natasha Lyonne:  Successful on stage and screen, Natasha Lyonne continues to display her creative versatility and talent after more than two decades in the industry. She will soon return as “Nicky Nichols” in Orange Is The New Black, the popular Netflix drama series.

Gary Ross: Four-time Oscar nominated writer and director whose credits include The Hunger Games, Big, Pleasantville, and Seabiscuit. His first book,Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind, an illustrated children’s fantasy, was released last year.

Short Film Competition Categories

The jurors for the 2014 Narrative Short Film Competition are:

The jurors for the 2014 Documentary and Student Visionary Award Competitions are:

Storyscapes

The jurors for the 2014 BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Award for transmedia are:

Nora Ephron Prize

The jurors for the 2014 Nora Ephron Prize are:

·Delia Ephron: Best-selling author, screenwriter, journalist, and playwright. Film credits include Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Michael, and Hanging Up. She has written numerous novels, non-fiction essays, humor books, and a hit play, Love, Loss, and What I Wore, in collaboration with her sister Nora Ephron.

Natasha Lyonne:  Successful on stage and screen, Natasha Lyonne continues to display her creative versatility and talent after more than two decades in the industry. She will soon return as “Nicky Nichols” in Orange Is The New Black, the popular Netflix drama series.

Gary Ross: Four-time Oscar nominated writer and director whose credits include The Hunger Games, Big, Pleasantville, and Seabiscuit. His first book,Bartholomew Biddle and the Very Big Wind, an illustrated children’s fantasy, was released last year.
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“The House That Jack Built” Leads Winners and Awards of 2014 Phoenix Film Festival

The House That Jack Built directed by Henry Barrial

The House That Jack Built directed by Henry Barrial is the big winner of the 2014 Phoenix Film Festival, winning the awards for Best Picture, Best Director for Henry Barrial, and Best Screenplay posthumously went to Joseph Vasquez. According to the filmmakers, The House That Jack Built took nearly 20-years to complete. The script was written by Joseph Vasquez, whose life was cut short in 1995 when he died of AIDS after an extended struggle with severe Bi-polar disorder, a story documented in Entertainment Weekly.

in the film, Jack Maldonado is an ambitious young Latino man who, fueled by misguided nostalgia, buys a small apartment building in the Bronx and moves his boisterous family into the apartments to live rent-free. His parents, Carlos and Martha, sister Nadia, brother Richie and his wife Rosa, Grandmother / Abuela and cousins Hector and Manny, all under one roof. Tension builds quickly as Jack imposes his views on everyone around him, including his fiancée, Lily. All the while, he hides the fact that his corner store is a front for selling marijuana, but soon has to deal with new unwanted competitive forces. It’s only a matter of time before Jack’s family and ‘business’ lives collide in tragic fashion

http://youtu.be/9ID7C6jBpC8

The Joe Show, a documentary about America’s most controversial Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, and his ringmaster’s approach to media, politics and law enforcement, directed by Randy Murray won the award for Best Documentary. The Cox Audience Award went to Life Inside Out directed by Jill D’Agnenica. The film tells the parallel stories of Laura, a devoted mother of three teenage boys, and her youngest son Shane, the family misfit. When Laura stumbles upon her long forgotten guitar, the former passion of her youthful life, and Shane begins to discover musical gifts of his own, their lives change in complex and unpredictable ways.

Complete list of awards and winners of the 2014 Phoenix Film Festival.

International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Fest Awards

Best Sci-Fi Short – The Developer
Best Sci-Fi Feature – S.O.S: Save Our Skins
Best Horror Short – The Carriage or Dracula and My Mother
Best Horror Feature – Billy Club

Short Film Awards

Best Grade/High School Short – As Always
College – Til Death
Arizona – Long Way
Best Arizona Short Documentary – For the Love of Dogs
Short Documentary – Eugene
Animated – Estefan
Live Action – Ice

World Cinema Awards

World Cinema Short – Mr. Invisible
World Cinema Documentary – The Aryans
World Cinema Director – Petr Nikolaev, Godfather’s Story
World Cinema Best Picture – When I Saw You
World Cinema Audience Award Winner – The Aryans

Foundation Awards

Arizona Filmmakers of the Year – Josh Kasselman and Stephanie Lucas
Volunteer of the Year – Marty Freetage

Feature Film Awards

Dan Harkins Breakthrough Filmmaker Award – Eddie Jemison and Sean Richardson – King of Herrings
Special Achievement in Acting – Elias Koteas, Jake Squared
Best Ensemble – Teddy Bears
Best Director – Henry Barrial – The House That Jack Built
Best Screenplay – Joseph Vasquez – The House That Jack Built
Best Documentary – The Joe Show
Best Picture – The House That Jack Built
Cox Audience Award – Life Inside Out
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Sonoma International Film Festival Announce 2014 Award Winners; “Brahmin Bulls” Starring Mary Steenburgen Wins Best American Independent Feature

Brahmin Bulls

The Sonoma International Film Festival’s 17th edition which ran April 2 to 6, 2014, came to a close Sunday night and bestowed awards on the winning films and filmmakers. Brahmin Bulls directed by Mahesh Pailoor and starring Mary Steenburgen, Justin Bartha and Michael Lerner won the award for Best American Independent Feature. In the film, a disillusioned architect and his distant father come together after many years, but when a woman from the past resurfaces, old wounds threaten to break their new-found relationship.

FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS:

Best American Independent Feature: Brahmin Bulls
Directed by Mahesh Pailoor

A disillusioned architect and his distant father come together after many years, but when a woman from the past resurfaces, old wounds threaten to break their new-found relationship. The film stars Mary Steenburgen, Justin Bartha and Michael Lerner.

Jury notes: Universal recognition of the father-son relationship told through the specificity of a cultural lens.

Best World Feature: Siddharth, directed by Richie Metha

After sending away his 12-year-old son Siddharth for work, Mahendra (a chain-wallah who fixes broken zippers on the streets) is relieved his financial burdens will be alleviated. But when Siddharth fails to return home, Mahendra learns he may have been taken by child-traffickers. With little resources and no connections, he travels across India with the hope that whatever force arbitrarily took his child away will return him unharmed.

Jury notes: Tremendous heart and humanity in a quickly changing time… classic storytelling with a fresh perspective.

Honorable Mention: Everything Is Fine Here, directed by Pourya Azarbayjani

An engaged girl is gang raped in a desert area of Teheran. In a strict conservative society the crime of the assailants is the catastrophe of the victim. Overwhelmed by rumors her life turns into a nightmare.

Jury notes: A courageous approach to narrative storytelling.

Best Documentary Feature: The Human Experiment, directed by Donald Hardy, Jr.

Narrated and executive-produced by Oscar winner Sean Penn, the film documents how thousands of untested chemicals are in our products, our homes and in us. The film follows a band of unlikely activists who are fighting back. Ranging from a conservative businessman to a teenage radical, they are staking their lives on this battle to protect our health. They go head-to-head with the powerful and well-funded chemical industry to uncover a system that’s been hidden from consumers, where science is for sale and million-dollar PR campaigns keep dangerous products on the shelves.

Jury notes: An important story that needed to be told, and equally entertaining.

Best Narrative Short: Door God, directed by Yulin Liu

On Chinese New Year, a little girl learns reality is not what it seems as she discovers how betrayal can be done out of love. A seven-year-old girl, Lingli, has been waiting two years for her mother to come home. When her family finally puts up the Door God on Chinese New Year, her mother finally returns, but brings irreversible change to Lingli and her family.

Jury notes: A moving tale of a small girl and her father learning to exist following the mother’s abandonment… a story of hope and stoicism.

Best Documentary Short: Happy Hands, directed by Honey Lauren

In 1975 Saigonm, actress Tippi Hedren gave her time and heart on the South China Sea, bravely helping Vietnamese refugees and eventually becoming a fixture in the camp known as Hope Village. There, Miss Hedren personally conceived and provided the means for twenty of the first refugees to establish themselves as manicurists. Together, they brought beauty to the masses, and established a new industry that became a Vietnamese American Dream for a people whose language has no word to describe it.

Jury notes: A revealing introduction of how South Vietnamese immigrants earned a living and gained a sense of self via an unlikely route — nail salons.

AUDIENCE FAVORITE WINNERS

The Stolman Audience Award of $1,000 for Best American Independent Feature:
The Fourth Noble Truth, directed by Gary T. McDonald

After being convicted of road rage, a playboy movie star is sentenced to individual mediation lessons with an enlightened Buddhist teacher.

A³ Audience Award of $1000 for Best Documentary: Taking My Parents to Burning Man, directed by Joel Ashton McCarthy and Bryant H. Boesen

Burning Man is a arts festival in the Nevada desert that is notorious for dust, destruction, and debauchery. Needless to say, it’s not your average place for a family vacation…that is until Bry decides to rip his parents from their day to day office jobs and throw them into an adventure of a lifetime.

Audience Award of $1000 for Best World Feature: Butterfly’s Dream, directed by Yilmaz Erdogan

In a small Turkish town, two young tuberculous poets try to survive while publishing their poems. As they both fall in love, their life would never be the same.

via sonomaportal
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Ashland Independent Film Festival Announces 2014 Award Winners; ‘The Case Against 8’ Sweeps Awards for Best Documentary

The Case Against 8 The Ashland Independent Film Festival announced the 2014 juried and audience award winning films at an Awards Celebration gala at the Historic Ashland Armory. The festival’s opening night film, The Case Against 8, directed by Ben Cotner and Ryan White, took home the Les Blank Award for Best Feature Length Documentary, given by the festival’s jurors, as well the Rogue Creamery Audience Award for Best Documentary, voted on by the audience. The film offers a behind-the-scenes look at the historic case to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage. The filmmakers and two of the plaintiffs attended the festival and participated in a lively Q&A with audiences following the screening of the film. 2014 Audience Award Winners Obvious Child won the Varsity Audience Award for Best Feature. Brooklyn Farmer received the Audience Award for Best Short Film: Documentary and Young Americans took home the Audience Award for Best Short Film: Narrative. The Audience Family Choice Award went to Macropolis. 2014 Juried Award Winners Hank and Asha, directed by James E. Duff received the festival’s jury award for Best Narrative Feature film. Bluebird received an Honorable Mention in the category. New for AIFF14, the jury award for Best Editing: Feature Length Documentary went to Marmato, directed by Mark Grieco. Bluebird won jury prize for Best Acting Ensemble, with Hank and Asha receiving an honorable mention.Before I Disappear received the Gerald Hirschfeld A.S.C. Award for Best Cinematography and Drunktown’s Finest received an Honorable Mention. Hirschfeld was the 2007 A.S.C President’s Award Honoree and Director of Photography for films such as Young Frankenstein and My Favorite Year. Best Short Documentary went to Rougarouing. The juried award for Best Short Film went to Yearbook.Verbatim received an Honorable Mention in the Best Short Film category. The 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to two-time Academy Award® winning Director Barbara Kopple. Kopple received an Oscar® in 1977 for Harlan County USA, which screened at the Festival, and again in 1991 for American Dream. Kopple’s many award-winning films include Shut Up and Sing; Woodstock: Now and Then; and Wild Man Blues. Kopple’s latest documentary, Running from Crazy, also screened at the Festival. The film examines the personal journey of writer, model and actress Mariel Hemingway, the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, as she strives for a greater understanding of her complex family history. Earlier in the week, the AIFF presented a 2014 Rogue Award to Ty Burrell. Ty has appeared in blockbuster hits such as Black Hawk Down (2001), Dawn of the Dead (2004), and The Incredible Hulk (2008) and is the voice of Mr. Peabody in the upcoming Mr. Peabody & Sherman. Most know him as the funniest father on television, Phil Dunphy. But Ashland audiences got to know the man behind Phil, the Emmy Award® winning performer who grew up in Ashland, during A Conversation with Ty Burrell held on Saturday, April 5 at the Historic Ashland Armory. Ty and his childhood friend, Miles Inada, Professor of Art and Emerging Media at Southern Oregon University, engaged in an insightful and thoroughly entertaining discussion. Putting the spotlight on a filmmaker making a unique contribution to independent film, the AIFF presented Mark Monroe with a 2014 Rogue Award. Monroe is the writing talent behind the Academy Award® winning film The Cove and the eye-opening Chasing Ice (AIFF12). Monroe was presented with his Rogue Award after the screening of his most recent film, Mission Blue. Mission Blue is about legendary oceanographer, marine biologist, and environmentalist Sylvia Earle and her campaign to create a global network of protected marine sanctuaries. Monroe was also featured on the filmmaker TalkBack panel, Not the Same Old Story, examining the critical role of writing for documentary films.
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Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Announces 2014 Award Winners; “Evolution of a Criminal” Wins Grand Jury Award

Evolution of A Criminal

The 2014 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival award winners were announced this afternoon at the festival’s annual Awards Barbecue. The Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award was presented to Evolution of a Criminal, directed by Darius Clark Monroe. Ten years after robbing a bank as teenager, filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe returns home and turns the camera on himself — to tell the story of what happened and look at the fallout from his actions.

Jury members Shola Lynch, Robb Moss, and Christine O’Malley stated: “For its mix of autobiographical storytelling and inventive use of recreations, for its ability to disrupt what has become a familiar narrative, we award the Grand Jury Award to Evolution of a Criminal.”

White Earth

The Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short was given to White Earth, directed by J. Christian Jensen. Against the backdrop of an ethereal North Dakota winter, three children and their immigrant mother describe scenes of isolation and exertion — the impact of the oil boom to their everyday lives.

Jury members Brian McGinn, Rick Prelinger, and Toby Shimin stated: “Short filmmaking is the art of working within the constraints of limited resources. For its elegant images of an environmentally precarious practice, its enigmatic and often surprising characters, and its vivid depiction of a place undergoing rapid transition, we recognize White Earth with the Jury Award for Best Short.”

The Hand That Feeds

The Hand That Feeds, directed by Rachel Lears and Robin Blotnick, received the Full Frame Audience Award for Feature. The film, a moving story of a bitter labor dispute, follows a group of New York City restaurant workers who stand up for their rights, despite the threat of job loss and deportation.

http://youtu.be/Hs2KiBiPU6w

The Silly Bastard Next to the Bed, directed by Scott Calonico, received the Full Frame Audience Award Short. The film is a humorous retelling of how JFK handled a scandal over some pricey bedroom furniture during the last summer of his presidency.

The Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award was given to Evolution of a Criminal, directed by Darius Clark Monroe. Provided by the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, this award honors a documentary artist whose work is a potential catalyst for education and change. Representatives from the Center for Documentary Studies juried the prize: Randy Benson, Wesley Hogan, Katie Hyde, Lynn McKnight, Dan Partridge, Elena Rue, Teka Selman, and April Walton.

Return to Homs

Return to Homs, directed by Talal Derki, was awarded the Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award. The film takes viewers to the frontlines of the Syrian Civil War as two friends who are determined to defend their city abandon peaceful resistance and take up arms, heading straight for the heart of the warzone. Provided by the Charles E. Guggenheim family, this prize honors a first-time documentary feature director. Zak Piper, Roger Ross Williams, and Martha Shane juried this award.

The Overnighters

The Overnighters, directed by Jesse Moss, received the Full Frame Inspiration Award. The film deals with a pastor in an oil boomtown who opens his doors to desperate and disillusioned jobseekers, and the unintended consequences that result from his good intentioned actions. Sponsored by the Hartley Film Foundation, this award is presented to the film that best exemplifies the value and relevance of world religions and spirituality. Sarah Masters, Jason Osder, and Dawn Porter juried this award.

Santa Cruz del Islote

The Full Frame President’s Award was presented to Santa Cruz del Islote, directed by Luke Lorentzen. The film is about the remote island of Santa Cruz del Islote, one of the most densely populated on the planet, where a community struggles to main its way of life as resources and opportunities dwindle. Sponsored by Duke University, representatives on behalf of the President’s Office juried the prize.

Private Violence

Private Violence, directed by Cynthia Hill, won the Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights. This urgent and inspiring film confronts the question, “Why didn’t you leave?” through two women’s complex stories of survival, while exploring the way we talk about and deal with domestic violence as a society. Provided by the Julian Price Foundation, this award is presented to a film that addresses a significant human rights issue in the United States. Representatives from the Kathleen Bryan Edwards family juried the prize: Anne Arwood, Laura Edwards, Clay Farland, Margaret Griffin, and Pricey Harrison.

The Great Invisible

The Nicholas School Environmental Award was presented to The Great Invisible, directed by Margaret Brown. The film is a chilling investigation of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, told through the stories of people still experiencing its after effects — from oil executives to Gulf Coast residents — long after the media moved on. The Nicholas School Environmental Award honors the film that best depicts the conflict between our drive to improve living standards through development and modernization, and the imperative to preserve both the natural environment that sustains us and the heritages that define us. Representatives from the Nicholas School of the Environment juried the prize: Lisa Campbell, Erin Espelie, Cindy Horn, Rebecca Patton, and Tom Rankin.

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Documentary About Matthew Shepard Wins Top Award at 38th Cleveland International Film Festival

MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE

A personal documentary about 21-year-old college student, Matthew Shepard, who was murdered in 1998 because he was gay, won the Audience Choice Award For Best Film at the 38th Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF). The film, MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE, directed by Matthew Shepard’s childhood friend Michele Josue, also won the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition. The film takes you on a journey to learn about Matt Shepard’s charismatic personality, which is documented through family photos, vacation videos, and even his personal diary entries. Some of the film’s most compelling scenes are with Matt’s parents, Judy and Dennis.

The winners and awards of the the 38th Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF):

Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award For Best Film
Sponsored by the Callahan Foundation
MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE, Directed by Michele Josue
$5,000 cash prize

George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern Competition
Presented with generous support from the George Gund Foundation
LIFE FEELS GOOD, Directed by Maciej Pieprzyca (Poland)
$10,000 cash prize

Nesnadny + Schwartz Documentary Competition
Sponsored by Nesnadny + Schwartz
THE SARNOS: A LIFE IN DIRTY MOVIES, Directed by Wiktor Ericsson
$7,500 cash prize

Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition
Presented with generous support from the George Gund Foundation
MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE, Directed by Michele Josue
$5,000 cash prize

American Independents Competition
Presented with the generous support of Alan and Marta Glazen
A BIRDER’S GUIDE TO EVERYTHING, Directed by Rob Meyer
$5,000 cash prize

Local Heroes Competition
Presented with the generous support of Mike and Nicki Cancelliere
THE SAX MAN, Directed by Joe Siebert
$5,000 cash prize

Global Health Competition
THE STARFISH THROWERS, Directed by Jesse Roesler
$5,000 cash prize

Music Movies Competition
THE WINDING STREAM, Directed by Beth Harrington
Presented with the generous support of Jules and Fran Belkin
$5,000 cash prize

ReelWomenDirect Award for Excellence in Directing by a Woman
Presented with the generous support of Deborah Bachman Ratner
Claudia Pinto Emperador (for THE LONGEST DISTANCE)
$7,500 cash prize

Audience Choice Award for Best Short Subject
Sponsored by Howard Hanna
FOOL’S DAY, Directed by Cody Blue Snider
$1,000 Cash Prize

Best Animated Short Award*
Sponsored by Reminger Co., L.P.A
THE NUMBERLYS, Directed by Brandon Oldenburg & William Joyce
$1,000 cash prize

Best Live Action Short Award*
Sponsored by Anne Bloomberg and Alan Gordon Lipson & Judy Harris
FOR THE BIRDS, Directed by Tara Atashgah
$1,000 cash prize

*These award winners will qualify for consideration in the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards®.

http://youtu.be/qL1vhqsWwyQ
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Polish Film “The Girl from the Wardrobe”, Swedish documentary “No Burqas Behind Bars” Win Top Awards at 13th Rome Independent Film Festival

The Girl From The Wardrobe

The Polish film, The Girl From The Wardrobe (Dziewczyna Z Szafy) from first-time director Bodo Kox, won the award for Best International Feature Film at the 13th Rome Independent Film Festival which ran March 16th to 23rd 2014. The film is about two brothers who strike up a friendship with their mysterious next-door neighbor. The Swedish documentary, No Burqas Behind Bars, by Nima Sarvestani won the award for Best International Documentary. This documentary takes viewers inside one of the worlds most restricted environments: an Afghan womens prison. Through the prisoners own stories we explore how moral crimes are used to control women.

Best International Feature Film:
The Girl From The Wardrobe, by Bodo Kox, Poland, 2013

Best Italian Feature Film:
Sogni di gloria, by Patrizio Gioffredi (collettivo John Snellinberg) – Italy, 2013

Best New Vision Best Italian Feature Film:
Ci vorrebbe un miracolo, by Davide Minnella – Italy, 2014

Best International Documentary:

No Burqas Behind Bars, by Nima Sarvestani

No Burqas Behind Bars, by Nima Sarvestani – Sweden, 2013

Best Italian Documentary:
Happy Goodyear, by Laura Pesino & Elena Ganelli – Italy, 2014
** Honorable Mention:
Iriria – Niña Terra, by Carmelo Camilli – Italy, 2013

Best International Short Film:
9 Meter, by Anders Walter – Danimarca, 2013

Best Italian Short Film:
L’impresa, by Davide Labanti – Italy, 2013
**Honorable Mention:
Sassiwood, by Antonio Andrisani, Vito Cea – Italy, 2013

Best Student Short Film:
Deserted, by Yoav Hornung – Israele, 2013
**Honorable Mention:
For The Birds, by Tara Atashgah – USA/Iran, 2013

Best Animation Short Film:
Wind Of Share, by Pierre Mousquet and Jérôme Cauwe – France/Belgium, 2013

Best experimental film:
Street Views, by Annie Berman – USA, 2013
**Honorable Mention:
Maria’s City, by Dania Reymond – France, 2013

Best Screenplay for Short Film
Malatempora Night, by Valerio Vestoso

Best Award for Feature Film Screenplay
Santo Vito, by David Fratini

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Independent Film Festival Boston Reveals 2014 Film Lineup; Fest to Open with “Beneath The Harvest Sky” and Close With “Mood Indigo”

Beneath The Harvest Sky

The Independent Film Festival Boston unveiled the film lineup, including the opening and closing night films for this year’s festival taking place April 23 and April 30, 2014.

Mood Indigo

Kicking off the festival this year will be Beneath The Harvest Sky, written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, which tells a teen drama set during the fall potato harvest in a small northern Maine town. Closing the festival will be the French film, Mood Indigo, directed by Michael Gondry, and starring Audrey Tautou, which follows a woman who suffers from an unusual illness caused by a flower growing in her lungs.

Narrative Features

A FOR ALEX directed by Alex Orr
BELLE directed by Amma Asante
BIG SIGNIFICANT THINGS directed by Bryan Reisberg
BOYHOOD directed by Richard Linklater
CAVALRY directed by John Michael McDonagh
DEAR WHITE PEOPLE directed by Justin Simien
THE DOUBLE directed by Richard Ayoade
FAT directed by Mark Phinney
FORT TILDEN directed by Sarah-Violet Bliss & Charles Rogers
HELLION directed by Kat Candler
I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS directed by Leah Meyeroff
KUMIKO THE TREASURE HUNTER directed by David Zellner
LOCKE directed by Steven Knight
OBVIOUS CHILD directed by Gillian Robespierre
PALO ALTO directed by Gia Coppola
PING PONG SUMMER directed by Michael Tully
RUBBER SOUL directed by Jon Lefkovitz
THE SACRAMENT directed by Ti West
SKELETON TWINS directed by Craig Johnson
STARRED UP directed by David Mackenzie
TRAP STREET directed by Vivian Qu
THE TRIP TO ITALY directed by Michael Winterbottom
WE ARE THE BEST directed by Lukas Moodysson
WILD CANARIES directed by Lawrence Michael Levine

Documentary Features

20,000 DAYS ON EARTH directed by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard
78 PROJECT directed by Alex Steyermark
9 MAN directed by Ursula Liang
AYITI TOMA directed by Joseph Hillel
THE CASE AGAINST 8 directed by Ben Cotner & Ryan White
EVERY EVERYTHING directed by Gorman Bechard
FIGHT CHURCH directed by Bryan Storkel
FREEDOM SUMMER directed by Stanley Nelson
IN COUNTRY directed by Mike Attie & Meghan O’Hara
THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY: THE STORY OF AARON SWARTZ directed by Brian Knappenberger
JON IMBER’S LEFT HAND directed by Richard Kane
LIFE ON THE V: THE STORY OF V66 directed by Eric Green
ONE CUT, ONE LIFE directed by Lucia Small & Ed Pincus
OVERNIGHTERS directed by Jesse Moss
POINT AND SHOOT directed by Marshall Curry
PRINT THE LEGEND directed by Luis Lopez & Clay Tweel
PROJECT WILD THING directed by David Bond
RICH HILL directed by Tracy Droz Tragos & Andrew Droz Palermo
RIOT ON THE DANCE FLOOR directed by Steve Tozzi
THE SEARCH FOR GENERAL TSO directed by Ian Cheney
SHE’S BEAUTIFUL WHEN SHE’S ANGRY directed by Mary Dore
STARFISH THROWERS directed by Jesse Roesler
THE SUPREME PRICE directed by Joanna Lipper
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR directed by Jeff Reichert & Farihah Zaman
TOUGH LOVE directed by Stephanie Wang-Breal
VESSEL directed by Diana Whitten
WEB directed by Michael Kleiman
WICKER KITTENS directed by Amy C. Elliot

Short Films

25.7 directed by David Abel
A PLACE CALLED PLUTO directed by Steve James
AFRONAUTS directed by Frances Bodomo
THE APOTHECARY directed by Helen Hood Scheer
BEAUTIFUL DREAMER directed by Brian Paccione
BHIWANI JUNCTION directed by Abhi Singh
THE BRAVEST, THE BOLDEST directed by Moon Molson
CHOREOGRAPHY directed by David Redmon & Ashley Sabin
DISCONNECTED directed by Ludovic Littee
DISTANCE directed by Aimee Long
ELVIS LOSES HIS EXCESS AND OTHER TALES OF THE WORLD’S LONGEST YARD SALE directed by Riley Hooper
THE EXHIBITOR directed by Scott Norwood
FIRST PRIZE directed by Kevin McMullin
FONT MEN directed by Dan Covert
FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS directed by Tim O’ Donnell
THE HERO POSE directed by Mischa Jakupcak
HOUSEKEEPING directed by Catherine Licata
LAMBING SEASON directed by Jeannie Donohoe
LOMAX directed by Jesse Kreitzer
MARQUEE directed by Joseph Stankus
THE MORNING OF EVERYTHING directed by Jeff Stern
NAILED IT directed by Jean-Paul Discisio
OTHERWORLDLY directed by Evan Mann
OVERPASS LIGHT BRIGADE directed by Dusan Harminc & Matt Mullins
PAUL THE DOWSER directed by Kire Paputts
RAT PACK RAT directed by Todd Rohal
REAL ETHEREAL directed by Evan Mann
SAMNANG directed by Asaph Polonsky
SEASICK SAILOR directed by Torre Catalano
SHE LOOK GOOD directed by Carly Short
SO YOU’VE GROWN ATTACHED directed by Kate Tsang
SPACEMAN directed by Chloe Lee
STUMPED directed by Robin Berghaus
TOKEN EXHANGE directed by Aaron Matthews
TRASHCANLAND directed by Christopher Ward
WALLACE directed by Ian McCulloch
WHAT I HATE ABOUT MYSELF directed by Bobby Moser & Ben Mullinkosson

via underthegunreview
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Film Featuring Sophia Grace and Rosie from Ellen Show Among Lineup for 9th Big Island Film Festival

Sophia Grace and Rosie’s Royal Adventure

The 9th Big Island Film Festival at The Fairmont Orchid, Hawai‘i (BIFF) has announced its 48 Official Selections, to be screened May 22-26, 2014. On Thursday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m., BIFF’s Grand Opening will include a free sampler of short films.

On Friday, May 23, the festival will present Warner Brothers, “Sophia Grace and Rosie’s Royal Adventure.” The brand-new film stars British cousins, Sophia Grace Brownlee and Rosie McClelland, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award Winners and frequent guests of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In the movie, to be released May 20 on DVD, the girls are Ellen’s special correspondents, sent to cover the coronation of a new queen.

http://youtu.be/odhUPMYXpX4

Other notable BIFF Official Selections include the time-travel mystery-thriller “Time Lapse,” the intense and intimate portrait of homelessness, “3:13,” drama “Pretty Rosebud,” about an ambitious career woman whose unorthodox choices unravel her carefully constructed world, and comedy “Welcome to the Lucky Country” a laughable look at an Australian reality show.

The Haumana

Contenders from Hawai‘i include Leo Woolford’s acclaimed “The Haumana,” which chronicles the journey of a new Kumu Hula and his high school men’s hālau, with choreography by Robert Cazimero, Lanakila Casupang, Maelia Loebenstein-Carter and Kaipo Hale. From the Big Island, “Bullitt and the Curse of the Blood Ring” is the next chapter of the continuing island action-adventure, produced, acted, and directed by Kona filmmakers Richard Gonzalez and Rockwood.

The Official Selections for BIFF 2014 are:

3:13
BULLITT and the Curse of the Blood Ring
Butterfly Dreams
Courting Chaos
Day For Night
Druid Peak
Great
Helen Alone
Horse for Sale
If We Were Adults
Light Me Up
Limit
Little Girl’s War Cry
Lost Island of the Firewalkers
Makua Charley
Meet Anna
Mirror
Missing Child
No More Aloha
One Weekend
Poison Apple
Posey
Pretty Rosebud
Prinsesa
Ravi & Jane
Rise Again
Rose, Mary and Time
Shadow
Sheltered Love
Solace
Sophia Grace and Rosie’s Royal Adventure
Suka
Suriname Gold
Take a Deep Breath
The Bathroom Attendant
The End
The Haumana
The Haunting of Heather
The Honey Maple Morgan
The Maury Island Incident
The New Neighbors
The Pimp & The Rose
Time Lapse
Tuesday Morning
We Are Enemies
Welcome to the Lucky Country
Wolf Summer
Zone 7

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French actor Lambert Wilson to be Master of ceremonies for the 67th Festival de Cannes

Lambert Wilson

French actor Lambert Wilson has been announced as the Master of Ceremony for 67th Festival de Cannes. Lambert Wilson will have the honor of launching the festival on Wednesday 14th, in addition to welcoming the President Jane Campion and her jury on to the stage at the Palais des Festivals, and hosting the prize-giving ceremony on Saturday 24th May.

Previous master/mistress of ceremony include Audrey TAUTOU, who was given the honor last year, Vincent CASSEL (2006) and Edouard BAER (2008 and 2009).

Who is Lambert Wilson? He has worked with some of the great names in French cinema, from André Téchiné to Benoît Jacquot, and from Bertrand Tavernier to Alain Resnais.

His numerous collaborations with Resnais, including Same Old Song, Not on the Lips, Private Fears in Public Places and You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet which enabled him to combine two of his passions: the stage and the screen, in a cinematographic genre that was one of a kind, and unique to Resnais.

He made his first appearance in Cannes in 1985, with Rendez-vous, by André Téchiné, in which he acted alongside a young débutante named Juliette Binoche. He then returned on several occasions to the Selection, both as an actor and as President of the Jury of Un Certain Regard (1999).

On the international scene, he distinguished himself with his portrayal of the “Merovingian” in the The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions in 2003.

In 2010, during the 63rd Festival de Cannes, the cinema world was deeply moved by his performance in Xavier Beauvois’ Of Gods and Men, which picked up that year’s Grand Prix du Jury and for which, a few months later, he would be nominated at the César for Best Actor.
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