Film Festivals

GASLAND PART II to have Australian Premiere at 2014 Byron Bay International Film Festival | VIDEO Watch Trailer

GASLAND PART II, the follow up to Emmy Award-winning and Oscar®-nominated director Josh Fox’s groundbreaking documentary, GASLAND that exposed the truth, lies and corruption in the natural gas industry and inspired communities worldwide to act, will have its Australian Premiere on Saturday 1st March at the 8th Byron Bay International Film Festival. GASLAND PART II, which premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival in New York, shows how the stakes have been raised on all sides in one of the most important environmental issues facing the world today.

Fox uses his trademark dark humor to take a deeper, broader look at the dangers of the controversial mining method hydraulic fracturing, known as ‘fracking’, to extract natural gases like coal seam gas and oil, that is now occurring on a global level in 32 countries worldwide.

The film argues that the gas industry’s portrayal of natural gas as a clean and safe alternative to oil is a myth and that many ‘fracked’ wells inevitably leak over time, contaminating water and air, hurting families, and endangering the earth’s climate with the potent greenhouse gas, methane.

In addition, the film looks at how the powerful oil and gas industries are in Fox’s words “contaminating our democracy”.

The film is a relentless kick to the head of scientifically-sourced data, personal stories, case examples, insider information, consistent pragmatic research and an investigative documentary-makers mindset that keeps chasing the core subject matter, staying on track, keeping an audience’s interest front and centre in the frame.

Taking no prisoners in the making of GASLAND PART II, as reported in The Guardian in early 2012, Fox was arrested and handcuffed at US Congress when he tried to film a hearing about fracking. Fox stated, “This is the second or third time we were denied access to a hearing that should be covered and coverable by our film. Everyone should be allowed to take in these hearings. They are public speech.”

Byron Bay International Film Festival Director J’aimee Skippon-Volke has been in discussion with Josh since 2010 and is excited to be presenting the Australian Premiere of his second installment, which has been nominated for a hat trick of awards, Best Film, Best Documentary and Best Environmental Film.

http://youtu.be/dzx7UXzK_z4
Read more
Australia’s Byron Bay International Film Festival Taking Place through March 9; Opens with Australian premiere of WHEN MY SORROW DIED

WHEN MY SORROW DIED: THE LEGEND OF ARMEN RA & THE THEREMIN

Described as “Australia’s independent showcase for the edgiest filmmakers on the planet,” the 8th Byron Bay International Film Festival kicked off on Friday, February 28th and runs through March 9th, 2014. The festival opened with the Australian premiere of WHEN MY SORROW DIED: THE LEGEND OF ARMEN RA & THE THEREMIN – the candidly told life story of Armen Ra, who toured with Nick Cave and whose performance Debby Harry describes as ‘beyond’. RISE OF THE ECO WARRIORS closes the festival.15 brave and passionate young people and one scientist step up against rampant destruction in Borneo to save its Orangutans.

Other film highlights include:

Multi-award winning anti-fracking doco GASLAND 2 from Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated director and ativist, Josh Fox. Nominee, Best Film; Best Environmental Film; Best Documentary

Australian premiere of WHEN MY SORROW DIED: THE LEGEND OF ARMEN RA & THE THEREMIN – the candidly told life story of Armen Ra, who toured with Nick Cave and whose performance Debby Harry describes as ‘beyond’. Opening Night Film. Nominee, Best Film, Best Documentary

World premiere of the gobsmacking DWARVES KINGDOM – about a real life fantastical mountain village built for 3,000 Chinese dwarves.

Game-changing Australian gay surf film OUT IN THE LINE UP cracks open homophobia in this Aussie way of life. Nominee, Best Surf Film.

THE INTERVIEWER by former Tropfest winner, Genevieve Clay-Smith, and co-created with 12 people living with a disability.

World premiere of highly anticipated, A WOMAN’S DEEPER JOURNEY INTO SEX starring infamous Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss and pornstar Jesse Jane

A GUERRA DA BEATRIZ, the first post-war dramatic feature film from East Timor. Nominee, Best Dramatic Feature

World premiere of Aussie surf film BURRAJURRA, a doco about the life-changing indigenous surf charity featuring champions Layne Beachleyand Josh Melling. Nominee, Best Surf Film

RISE OF THE ECO WARRIORS closes the festival.15 brave and passionate young people and one scientist step up against rampant destruction in Borneo to save its Orangutans. Nominee, Best Environmental Film.

Girls go hard in New Zealand’s PRETTY BRUTAL about the highs and lows of the roller derby scene – one of six films to be shown at the Festival’s showcase for International Women’s Day on 8 March

THE ACTIVIST. A thriller set in 1973 about two Native American activists embroiled in a secret that stretches all the way to Hollywood and Nixon. Nominee, Best Film, Best Dramatic Feature

THE DEFLOWERING OF EVA VAN END. A Wes Anderson-style feature about a family aflutter when an Adonis-like exchange student moves in. Nominee, Best Film, Best Dramatic Feature

A cross-cultural dance fusion from the streets of New York to farthest India, UPAJ: IMPROVISE. Stars Emmy-winner, Jason Samuels-Smith. Nominee, Best film, Best Documentary.

image via ianyanmag
Read more
Polish Documentary, DEEP LOVE to Screen at 2014 American Documentary Film Festival

The 2014 edition of the American Documentary Film Festival and Film Fund will screen a number of award-winning international films, including the acclaimed Polish documentary, DEEP LOVE. DEEP LOVE is a story of Dr. Janusz Solarz (Soley), an active economist, researcher and lawyer, and an avid scuba diver. Life for Soley is filled with passion and promise until suddenly, at age 58, he suffers a debilitating stroke that leaves him partially paralyzed and unable to communicate clearly. Rehabilitation and recovery proves difficult, despite the assistance of his partner, Asia, a water therapist who works with disabled children, and is an active diver herself. Over the course of three years, Soley begins to regain some mobility, but not enough to reclaim his passion for diving – especially not his big dream of returning to one of the most dangerous diving locations on earth – the perilous Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt.

Together with his friend Arthur, Solely determines that he must return to the Blue Hole, and dive there, despite its danger, and his own physical challenges. They begin planning the trip, despite the concerns of Asia, who fears she may lose her life partner to the Hole. In the end, though, Asia, Arthur and Soley all three decide to make the trip, knowing that Soley’s life, and, more importantly, his joy for life, may never be the same until he makes the attempt.

DEEP LOVE is a story of danger and dreams. Of the human will to survive, and thrive, despite illness and physical limitations. It is a testament to human ingenuity and the desire to succeed despite all odds. It is also one more way the American Documentary Film Festival and Film Fund helps us all see the bigger picture, one film at a time.

The American Documentary Film Festival opens on Thursday, March 27th and continues through Monday, March 31st.

Read more
Bermuda International Film Festival Unveils 2014 Film Selections

LE WEEK-END

The 17th annual Bermuda International Film Festival taking place later this month, March 21 to 27, 2014, under the theme, Global Visions, unveiled its lineup including more than 25 feature-length and short films which will screen this year at Liberty Theatre in Hamilton, Bermuda. BIFF 2014 opens with “LE WEEK-END,” a British film set in Paris. It stars Jim Broadbent and Lindsay Duncan as a fifty-something couple returning to the city of love, in which they honeymooned, in an attempt to rejuvenate their marriage.

For its centerpiece Gala, the festival will screen screen THE FRENCH MINISTER, described as an off-the-wall comedy about French politics is based on the award-winning graphic novel by Abel Lanzac, a former government speech writer.

The festival closes with the Gala Presentation of ALAN PARTRIDGE, with Steve Coogan returning in his BBC television comic creation of Alan Partridge, a broadcaster at the edge of his own sanity.

Other films on the lineup include three Oscar-nominated films, MISSING PICTURE, OMAR and THE SQUARE, which will be screened in Bermuda for the first time.

The narrative line-up includes GLORIA; LIKE FATHER LIKE SON, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival last year; ABUSE OF WEAKNESS; and THE DOUBLE, the latest film from director Richard Ayoade, who won the Audience Choice Award at BIFF 2011 with SUBMARINE.

Documentaries screening at BIFF 2014 are AFTERNOON OF A FAUN: TANAQUIL LE CLERCQ; FINDING VIVIAN MAIER; and THE GALAPAGOS AFFAIR: SATAN CAME TO EDEN.

The Onion Patch strand which showcases Bermudian cinematic talent includes three films: Ben Watson’s DOWNING’S WRECK documentary about Bermuda’s most famous shipwreck, Sea Venture; Robert Zuill’s documentary AN ANCIENT WINDOW also about a shipwreck that tells the tale of early Bermuda; and Gareth Fletcher Pit Bull dog documentary, BULLIED BREEDS.

via Bermuda Sun
Read more
49 Films to Premiere at 2014 Miami International Film Festival

Family United (La gran familia Española)

49 films are making their World, International, North American, and U.S. Premieres at the upcoming 31st Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), opening next week. The Miami International Film Festival, a program of Miami Dade College’s MDCulture, will run March 7 to 16, 2014).

From this year’s lineup, MIFF will screen seven feature films and 17 short films making their World Premieres, three films will make their International Premieres, 12 films will make their North American Premieres, and six films will be screening for the first time in the U.S. There will also be three North American premiering short films and one U.S. premiering short film.

7 World Premiere Features

ASTEROID (ASTEROIDE) (Mexico, directed by Marcelo Tobar)
After seven years Cristina returns to her childhood home—left to her older brother, Mauricio, by their deceased parents. The siblings, now dysfunctional adults, struggle to find their footing and someone they can each count on.

DEFAULT (USA / Colombia, directed by Simon Brand)
Somali pirates led by Atlas (David Oyelowo), hijack a plane chartered by an American news crew in a tension-packed thriller centered around a deadly battle of wits.

ECTOTHERMS (USA, directed by Monica Peña)
An impression of Miami as it is lived, not imagined: a sultry city where family heritage, urban plight, and a unique landscape intersect to create a youth culture like no other in the world.

KID CANNABIS (USA, directed by John Stockwell)
True story of two Idaho border-dwellers who built a multimillion-dollar business by illegally running marijuana (that was legally purchased a few miles away in Canada) into the US, in this cross between Stand by Me and Scarface.

MATEO (Colombia / France, directed by Maria Gamboa)
At the impressionable age of 16, young Mateo faces a dilemma about the direction his life will take when his corrupt uncle asks him to infiltrate a local Barrancabermeja theatre group to uncover its members’ political activities.

MEMORIES OF THE DESERT (Romance Political) (Brazil / Chile, directed by Jorge Durán) Antônio, a 28-year-old novelist in Rio, hitchhikes to Chile’s Atacama desert to write an erotic tale, and inadvertently becomes “involved” in a murder.

ROB THE MOB (USA, directed by Raymond De Felitta)
Andy Garcia and director Raymond De Felitta (City Island) re-team in this Bonnie & Clyde-style crime caper, involving a cash-strapped couple from Queens who rob a succession of mafia social clubs to cover their debts. Also stars Ray Romano, Michael Pitt, Griffin Dunne, Frank Whaley and Burt Young. (World Festival Premiere)

17 World Premiere Short Films

“BLUE” (USA, directed by Justin Malone)

“CHERRY POP: THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S FANCIEST CAT” (USA, directed by Kareem Tabsch)
The Chicago Project X Fashion Outlets of Chicago (USA, directed by Bill Bilowit)

(11 individual short films: “DANIEL ARSHAM”, “BHAKTI BAXTER”, “JIM DRAIN”, “FRIENDSWITHYOU”, “CODY HUDSON”, “ALVARO ILIZARBE”, “ANDREW NIGON”, “KENTON PARKER”, “BERT RODRIGUEZ”, “JEN STARK” and “AUSTYN WEINER”)

“CHUB” (USA, directed by Samuel Albis)

“SHIRT OUT, GAME OVER!” (Switzerland, directed by Eric Paternot)

“STRIKE: THE GREATEST BOWLING STORY EVER TOLD” (USA, directed by Joey Daoud)

“UNICORN (UNICORNIO)” (Bolivia, directed by Rodrigo Bellott)

3 International Premiere Features

CITY OF GOD: 10 YEARS LATER (CIDADE DE DEUS: 10 ANOS DEPOIS) (Brazil, directed by Luciano Vidigal and Cavi Borges)
Ten years after the release of the Oscar-nominated City of God, this new documentary explores the positive and negative impact the 2002 film has had on the lives of those in the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood.

FACK JU GÖHTE/SUCK ME SHAKESPEER (Germany, directed by Boar Dagtekin) Zeki, an ex-con who can barely spell, becomes a substitute teacher at Goethe High in order to drill a tunnel below the new gym built on the exact spot where stripper friend Charlie buried his loot.

GLOBAL PLAYER (GLOBAL PLAYER – WO WIR SIND ISCH VORNE) (Germany, directed by Hannes Stöhr)
A family-run textile machine company in a small southern German town is in trouble, and the heir to the business is forced to negotiate with Chinese entrepreneurs behind his caustic 90-year old father’s back, in this intelligent comedy.

12 North American Premiere Features

THE ART RUSH (France, directed by Marianne Lamour)
As the contemporary art market is dominated by speculative billionaire collectors, long-view professionals such as Don & Mera Rubell hold steady to a sense of artistic merit.

THE DEVIL’S VIOLINIST (DER TEUFELSGEIGER) (Germany / Italy / Austria, directed by Bernard Rose)
Notorious womanizer and 19th century violin virtuoso at the peak of his career, Niccolò Paganini (David Garrett) is lured to London by his business- savvy agent.

ELSA & FRED (USA, directed by Michael Radford)
Elsa (Shirley MacLaine), a vivacious retiree in New Orleans gets straight-laced widower, Fred (Christopher Plummer), as an unwanted next-door neighbor—until he ultimately surrenders to her bold and beautiful madness—and the two soon discover it’s never too late to fulfill a lifetime fantasy, in this rousing re-make of hit Spanish-Argentine film by Il Postino director, Michael Radford. Also stars Marcia Gay Harden, George Segal, Chris Noth.

FAMILY UNITED (La gran familia Española) (Spain, directed by Daniel Sánchez Arévalo)
Ephraim’s wedding day coincides with Spain’s appearance in the 2010 World Soccer Championship finals, and nothing goes as planned in this touching comedy, nominated for 12 Goya Awards.

IN DARKNESS WE FALL (LA CUEVA) (Spain, directed by Alfredo Montero)
Five friends go on a cave-exploring Mediterranean holiday but get lost in a myriad of passageways, resulting in a diabolic quest for survival.

LOS POSIBLES (Argentina, directed by Santiago Mitre & Juan Onofri Barbato)
In a rhapsody of toughened bodies and torn emotions, a group of teenagers seeking refuge from hardship perform in an experimental fusion of film and dance that stretches the boundaries of visual kinetics.

THE MAN OF THE CROWD (O HOMEM DAS MULTIDÕES) (Brazil, directed by Marcelo Gomes and Cao Guimarães)
Both Juvenal and Margo live in a state of isolation, despite residing in a bustling urban center. Each manages to find comfort in peculiar ways, in this adaption of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story, updated to contemporary Belo Horizonte.

NATURAL SCIENCES (CIENCIAS NATURALES) (Argentina, directed by Matias Lucchesi)
Twelve-year-old Lila enlists her boarding school teacher as a companion on an emotional journey to track down the biological father she has never known.

SÉPTIMO (Spain / Argentina, directed by Patxi Amexcua)
Tense kidnapping thriller exposing Buenos Aires’ criminal underbelly. Ricardo Darín and Belen Rueda masterfully portray divorcing couple Sebastian and Delia, as their children disappear on the most important day of Sebastian’s legal career.

SERRAT & SABINA: TWO FOR THE ROAD (SERRAT Y SABINA: EL SIMBOLO Y EL CUATE) (Spain, directed by Francesc Relea)
Two celebrated Spanish singer/songwriters—generational icon Joan Manuel Serrat, exiled in Mexico under Franco’s dictatorship, and Joaquín Sabina, whose poetry and rebelliousness seduced audiences by the thousands—embark on a final tour together.

THREE MANY WEDDINGS (TRES BODAS DE MÁS) (Spain, directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera)
A fresh, hilarious comedy from the director of Ghost Graduation (MIFF 2013). Three ex-boyfriends invite Ruth (Inma Cuesta) to their weddings, all in one month; the only person Ruth can convince to be her date is the sexy new intern.

WE ALL WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR HER (TOTS VOLEM EL MILLOR PER A ELLA) (Spain, directed by Mar Coll)
A car crash leaves Geni (Nora Navas, Black Bread) disillusioned with her domestic and professional world in Catalonia, causing her to re-think everything she thought she wanted from life.

3 North American Premiere Short Films

“GRACE (GRAÇA)” (Brazil, directed by Anna Clara Peltier)

“SKIN” (France, directed by Cédric Prévost)

“XENOS” (United Kingdom / Greece / Denmark, directed by Mahdi Fleifel)

6 U.S Premiere Features

ALL ABOUT THE FEATHERS (POR LAS PLUMAS) (Costa Rica, directed by Neto Villalobos)
A loner security guard buys a fighting rooster so he can enter illegal cockfights. Chalo’s feathered pal attracts an assortment of oddball characters in this insightful comedy of fate and friendship.

BRASSERIE ROMANTIQUE (BRASSERIE ROMANTIEK) (Belgium, directed by Joël Vanhoebrouck)
Anticipation is high in Pascaline and Angelo’s renowned restaurant for Valentine’s Day, but tension soon rises in the kitchen when Pascaline’s ex-lover of 20 years ago walks in for dinner.

CRISTO REY (CRISTO REY) (Dominican Republic, directed by Leticia Tonos)
In a slum barrio of Santo Domingo, a mixed race Haitian-Dominican teen guards the local kingpin’s beautiful young sister, in a retelling of the Romeo & Juliet tragedy.

HERE’S THE DEAL (SOMOS GENTE HONRADA) (Spain, directed by Alejandro Marzoa)
Two middle-aged family men, hit hard by Spain’s economic crisis, stumble upon a hefty stash of cocaine while out fishing, but are conflicted and clueless on how to get rid of the haul in this Galician black comedy.

I’LL FOLLOW YOU DOWN (Canada, directed by Richie Mehta)
Erol (Haley Joel Osment, now 25) struggles to keep his mother (Gillian Anderson) on an even keel after his father vanishes into thin air.

STOCKHOLM (ESTOCOLMO) (Spain, directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen)
A hot-blooded Spaniard wanders the romantic late-night streets of Madrid to woo a pretty yet reluctant girl into his bed. But love’s mor

1 U.S Premiere Short Film

“A BIG DEAL (特殊交易)” (China, directed by Yoyo Yao)
A 10-year-old boy, lonely for his mother who is always working, hires a prostitute to fill in for her when she can’t come to Parent Day at school.
Read more
JOE starring Nicolas Cage to Open 2014 Atlanta Film Festival; THE DOUBLE starring Jesse Eisenberg to Close

JOE starring Nicolas Cage

The 38th Annual Atlanta Film Festival taking place March 28 to April 6 2014, will open with the feature film “JOE,” starring Nicolas Cage. This film from Roadside Attractions is centered on Nicolas Cage, who plays the titular role of Joe, an ex-con and unlikely role model, who meets a 15-year-old boy (Tye Sheridan) and is faced with the choice of redemption or ruin. “JOE” is directed by David Gordon Green, director/producer of television’s “Eastbound and Down” and cult classic films “Pineapple Express” and “All the Real Girls.”

Read more
100 Films on Lineup for 2014 Gasparilla International Film Festival; THERE’S ALWAYS WOODSTOCK is Opening Night Film

The Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) unveiled its list of scheduled films for the eighth annual event held March 19-23, 2014 in Tampa, Florida. 100 films which will be screened at the Tampa Theatre, Cinébistro at Hyde Park and Muvico Centro Ybor 20, Tampa Art Museum and Firehouse Cultural Center. The World premiere,of THERE’S ALWAYS WOODSTOCK directed by Rita Merson is the opening night film , and the U.S.premiere of CHU AND BLOSSOM directed by Gavin Kelly and Charles Chu is the closing night film.

Below is a list of some of the films that will be featured at the GIFF 2014

Opening Night Film

THERE’S ALWAYS WOODSTOCK: When neurotic, struggling songwriter, Catherine Brown’s life in New York City falls apart, she is forced to confront her past when she spends the summer at her childhood home in Woodstock, New York, learning that becoming successful means becoming your true self first.
World premiere, opening night film directed by Rita Merson and featuring: Brittany Snow, Katey Sagal, Ryan Guzman, Allison Miller, Jason Ritter, Anna Anissimova, Rumer Willis and James Wolk.

Centerpiece Films

THE BOYS OF ABU GHRAIB: An American soldier deployed at Abu Ghraib finds himself behind the walls of the infamous Hard Site, where he develops a secret friendship with an Iraqi detainee.
World premiere film directed by Luke Moran and starring: Luke Moran, Sean Astin, Sara Paxton and Michael Welch.

Enemy: Adam Bell is a glum, disheveled history professor, who seems disinterested even in sex with his beautiful girlfriend, Mary. Watching a movie on the recommendation of a colleague, Adam spots his double, an actor named Anthony Clair, in a bit role, and decides to track him down — an adventure he quite relishes. The identical men meet, and their lives become bizarrely and irrevocably intertwined.
Florida premiere film directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners) and featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Melanie Laurent.

Obvious Child: An honest comedy about what happens when Brooklyn comedian Donna Stern gets dumped, fired and pregnant just in time for the worst/best Valentine’s Day of her life.
Florida premiere directed by Gillian Robespierre and starring: Jenny Slate, Gaby Hoffmann, David Cross and Richard Kind. World premiered at Sundance 2014.

Hank and Asha: An Indian student in Prague and a lonely New Yorker correspond online through video letters.
Directed by James E. Huff and starring Mahira Kakkar and Andrew Pastides, this Tampa premiere was the Audience Award recipient at Slamdance 2013.

Narrative Competition Films

House of Last Things: A mind-bending thriller set in Portland, Oregon about an unspoken tragedy and its effects on a house, its temporary caretakers and the owners, a classical music critic and his wife on a recuperative trip to Italy.
U.S. premiere directed by Michael Bartlett and starring Lindsey Haun, Blake Berris, and RJ Mitte.

The Red Robin: A family reunion goes awry when the oldest son makes the accusation that his dying father, a famed psychiatrist who also did work for the CIA, adopted his children for the purposes of psychological experimentation.
Directed by Michael Z. Wechsler and featuring: Judd Hirsch, Ryan O’Nan, C.S. Lee, Jaime Ray Newman and Caroline Lagerfelt. A Florida premiere film.

Copenhagen: When the girl of your dreams is half your age, it’s time to grow up.
Directed by Mark Raso and starring: Gethin Anthony, Frederikke Dahl Hansen and Olivia Grant, this Florida premiere film was the Slamdance 2014 Audience Award Winner.

In Lieu of Flowers: Most love stories are about losing love or finding it. This is a story about what happens in between.
Florida premiere film directed by William Savage and cast includes: Josh Pence, Spencer Grammer, Nate Corddry, and Melissa Rauch.

Winter in the Blood: True to the tough, lyrical, magical spirit of James Welch’s classic novel of Native American life, this hauntingly beautiful movie follows a young Blackfoot Indian’s alcohol-fueled search for his wife, his rifle, his identity—and salvation.
Directed by Alex Smith and Andrew J. Smith, and featuring: Chaske Spencer, David Morse, Gary Farmer and Julia Jones.

Teddy Bears: Dark comedy about three couples who head to the desert to help their friend heal after the death of his mother. They would do anything for him – except for the one thing he wants.
Florida premiere directed by Thomas Beatty and Rebecca Fishman, and cast includes: Gillian Jacobs, Zachary Knighton, David Krumholtz, Melanie Lynskey, Ahna O’Reilly, Jason Ritter, and Ned Beatty.

Odd Brodsky: Audrey Brodsky is a lovable loser who hates her job. After 11 years, she finally quits the office to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an actress. There’s just one problem – she’s not very good at it.
Directed by Cindy Baer and starring Tegan Ashton Cohan and Matthew Kevin Anderson, this is a Florida premiere film.

Closing Night Film

Chu and Blossom: A coming-of-age comedy that centers on an unlikely brotherhood between a pensive, awkwardly tall Korean foreign exchange student and a militant performance artist, both trapped together in a small town.

This Florida premiere movie was filmed throughout the Tampa Bay region, including: Tampa, Lakeland, Plant City, Ocala and Pinellas County, over 18 days in summer of 2012. Directed by Gavin Kelly and Charles Chu, the World premiere of this film was at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival earlier this year. Features: Charles Chu, Ryan O’Nan (GIFF 2012 Rising Star Award recipient), Annie Potts, Caitlin Stasey, Alan Cumming, Melanie Lynskey, Richard Kind and Mercedes Ruehl.

In addition to the above films, GIFF 2014 will include competition films in the following categories: Narrative, World Showcase, Documentary Feature, Focus on Florida and New Visions Competition, sponsored by Indie Pix Distributors.

There will also be Cuisine Short Films at the Tampa Museum of Art, which celebrates the culinary delights of cinema, a Women Filmmakers panel, and a selection of Cuban documentaries and feature films that explore the vibrant film culture and beautiful landscape of Cuba.
Read more
3 Iconic Films Discovered by the Sundance Film Festival to Screen at 2014 Sundance London

Winter’s Bone

Three films discovered by the Sundance Film Festival in its 30-year history have been selected to screen at the 2014 edition of the Sundance London film and music festival. Sundance London will take place from April 25-27, 2014, at The O2. The films are: MEMENTO, which launched Christopher Nolan’s directing career after its premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, leading to his work directing Inception and a trilogy of Batmanfilms; RESERVOIR DOGS, which was supported by Sundance Institute during production and premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival, propelling Quentin Tarantino’s directing career; and WINTER’S BONE, from director Debra Granik and featuring Jennifer Lawrence in one of her first film roles, before she appeared in the Hunger Games series and won an Academy Award for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook.

Memento (Director: Christopher Nolan, Screenwriters: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan) — A man with a relentless desire to revenge his wife’s brutal murder faces a rare, untreatable form of memory loss that hinders his path. Memento is a complex puzzle in which the outcome is known and the enjoyment comes from piecing together the steps leading up to it. Cast: Harriet Sansom Harris, Mark Boone Junior, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Guy Pearce, Stephen Tobolowsky. Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the2001 Sundance Film Festival.

Reservoir Dogs (Director and screenwriter: Quentin Tarantino) — Six unacquainted professional criminals are brought together by a veteran thief to execute an elaborate diamond robbery that goes awry. Confused and panicked by their narrow escape, the four surviving jewel thieves regroup at the planned rendezvous spot, where they question trustworthiness and face harrowing confrontations and fierce dissension. Cast: Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Tim Roth, Lawrence Tierney. Premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival.

Winter’s Bone (Director: Debra Granik, Screenwriters: Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini) — When a teenage girl’s crystal-meth-making father skips bail and goes missing, she and her young siblings and disabled mother face losing their home. In a heroic quest, the girl traverses the county to confront her kin, break their silent collusion, and bring her father home. Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, Garret Dillahunt, Kevin Breznahan. Winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Read more
Theatrical Premieres abound this year at American Documentary Film Festival and Film Fund (AMDOCS); Films Redefine the Art of Storytelling

When it opens in Palm Springs, California, on March 27th, 2014, the American Documentary Film Festival and Film Fund will begin a five five day schedule of over 120 documentary films from around the world. That schedule includes a record number of theatrical premieres – fifteen World Premieres, twenty-five North American Premieres and twenty US premieres.

“We are fortunate to have secured a large number of documentaries that will be premiering at our festival this year,” says Ted Grouya, Festival Director and Founder. “We have always been proud of the fact that we were on the cutting edge of screening new documentaries, but this year exceeds all expectations.”

The documentary genre of filmmaking, powered by a whole new generation of filmmakers, continues to grow in popularity. “These story-driven films are becoming the new keepers of culture,” Grouya said. “They have really redefined the tradition of storytelling, and, in many ways, documentary filmmakers have become the storytellers of the new millennium. Documentaries today are preserving culture, exposing corruption, and capturing events – but they are also capturing daily life – the stories of all our lives.”

“Take 57º NORTH, one of this year’s World Premiere documentaries from the United Kingdom,” Grouya continued. “It provides a poignant insight into the traditional lifestyle of John Jo MacDonald, a 67-year-old fisherman from The Outer Hebrides, whose entire way of life is under threat from environmental issues outside of his control. Another film, ALUMBRONES, uses artists to tell the story of the impact Cubans felt when the Soviet Union collapsed, and Cuba lost 90 percent of its trade overnight. RACING HEARTS, a World Premiere short film from the United States, follows the inspiring journey of three heart transplant recipients as they attempt to finish the La Jolla Half Marathon, an arduous race with a daunting hill climb. These films are lasting records of what it was for these people to live their lives, and the things we can learn from them to help us see the bigger picture that exists beyond ourselves. The bonus is that we will be among the first audiences to see them.”

The American Documentary Film Festival opens on Thursday, March 27th and continues through Monday, March 31st. It is presented in conjunction with The Palm Springs Cultural Center.

images: (top left to right) 57º NORTH, ALUMBRONES, RACING HEARTS

via press release
Read more
Los Angeles Film Festival Unveils 20th Anniversary Commemorative Poster

The Los Angeles Film Festival unveiled the Festival’s 20th Anniversary commemorative poster, designed by iconic American artist Ed Ruscha, based on his 1962 painting “Large Trademark With Eight Spotlights.” The Festival opens Wednesday, June 11, and runs through Thursday, June 19 2014. It will include world premieres of American and international features, documentaries and short subject films as well as conversations, master classes, Music in Film Nights at the GRAMMY Museum, Hollywood studio premieres, and other signature events.

“I’m pleased to have designed the poster in support of the 20th LA Film Festival and Film Independent, and I hope the image reaches as many people as possible,” said Ruscha. Ruscha’s work is collected by museums worldwide, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Musee National Jeu de Paume, The Getty Center, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.

“We’re honored that Ed Ruscha created the artwork for the 20th anniversary poster,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “Ruscha’s body of work represents the creative spirit of Los Angeles that is embodied in the Festival.”
Read more
VIDEO | Watch Trailer for Rapper Nas Documentary TIME IS ILLMATIC

Check out the short trailer for TIME IS ILLMATIC, the documentary on rapper Nas, set to World Premiere as the opening night film of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The film follows the trajectory of Nas’ 1994 landmark debut album, Illmatic– widely considered one of the most important and revolutionary albums in hip-hop. TIME IS ILLMATIC, is directed by multimedia artist, One9, written by Erik Parker, and produced by One9, Parker, and Anthony Saleh.

http://youtu.be/A3e7AwBuqmA
Read more
Official Poster Unveiled for the 2014 Florida Documentary Film Festival

DocMiami International Film Festival unveiled the official poster for the Florida Documentary Film Festival, a new series designed to bring the film festival experience to various cities throughout the Sunshine State. The Florida Documentary Film Festival takes place September 12 to 13th, 2014, at the Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton, Florida. Designed by artist David Caines of the U.K., the poster was revealed by DocMiami Director, Monica Rosales and Sugar Sand Park Special Event Coordinator Stacee Lanz.

Read more