Film Festivals

“THE ROCKET” “THE SELFISH GIANT” Among Winning Films at AFI FEST 2013

THE ROCKET

AFI FEST 2013 announced the features and short films receiving this year’s Audience and Jury Awards. THE ROCKET, an Australian film; THE SELFISH GIANT, made in the UK; WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE, an American independent film directed by Zeke Hawkins (AFI Class of 2009) and Simon Hawkins; and B FOR BOY, a Nigerian film, received Audience Awards. Grand Jury Awards were presented to BUTTER LAMP, in the Live Action Short category, and THE PLACES WHERE WE LIVED, in the Animated Short category. Special Jury Award winners were BALCONY and SYNDROMEDA.

COMPLETE LIST OF AWARD WINNERS

NEW AUTEURS CRITIC’S AWARD

NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN

New Auteurs Critic’s Award:  NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN. “The true story of a homeless Christian teenager adopted by an abusive family who tests his ability to turn the other cheek. Many, many bad things happen. But the blessing is discovering first-time filmmaker Katrin Gebbe and her incredible ensemble who have braved their own tests – boos and walkouts, nothing too bloody – in order to bring us this powerful movie and faith and sacrifice.”

New Auteur Special Award for Personal Storytelling: IN BLOOM. The jury wanted to give a Special Award for Personal Storytelling for IN BLOOM. This film, in its intimate exploration of the lives of two teenage girls in the former Soviet state of Georgia just after the fall of the USSR, is an exemplar of personal history as political history, or fiction filmmaking infused with and bolstered by the truth.

SELFISH GIANT

New Auteur Special Award for Direction:  SELFISH GIANT. The jury has also selected a Special Award for Direction to Clio Barnard, whose film THE SELFISH GIANT underscores the promise of the New Auteurs category. Drawing stunning performances from her two young leads, Barnard brings the specificity of a Bradford housing estate to a devastating and universally relatable fable.

GRAND JURY AWARDS, LIVE ACTION AND ANIMATED SHORT

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST Grand Jury Award winners in the Live Action and Animated Shorts categories as qualifiers for the annual Academy Awards Short Film category. The Shorts jury featured Alejandro De Leon (producer), Kitao Sakurai (filmmaker), Jordan Vogt-Roberts (filmmaker) and Heidi Zwicker (shorts programmer).

Grand Jury Award, Live Action Short: BUTTER LAMP.  DIR Hu Wei. France, Tibet.

Grand Jury Award, Animated Short:  THE PLACES WHERE WE LIVED.  DIR Bernardo Britto. USA.

Special Jury Award: BALCONY. DIR Lendita Zeqiraj. Kosov.

Special Jury Award for Outstanding Achievement in Direction:SYNDROMEDA.  DIR Patrik Eklund. Sweden.

Special Jury Mention for Best Datamosh: DATAMOSH.  DIR Yung Jake. USA.

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Audience Awards, World Cinema: THE ROCKET.    DIR Kim Mordaunt. Australia.

Audience Award, New Auteurs: THE SELFISH GIANT. DIR Clio Barnard. UK.

WE GOTTA GET OUTTA THIS PLACE

Audience Award, American Independents: WE GOTTA GET OUTTA THIS PLACE. DIR Zeke Hawkins, Simon Hawkins. USA.

B FOR BOY.

Audience Award, Breakthrough: B FOR BOY.  DIR Chika Anadu. Nigeria.

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CANOEJACKED Among Lineup for 2013 LA COMEDY FESTIVAL Taking Place November 14 – 24

Canoejacked

The LA COMEDY FESTIVAL runs from November 14 to17 and 21 to 24, 2013 at LET LIVE THEATRE showcasing features and Shorts, lots of world premieres and of course comedy acts. Films on the lineup include the USA Premiere of the Canadian film CANOEJACKED, directed by Jonathan Williams and starring Al Sapienza, Mpho Koaho, and Pat Thornton, about two escaped convicts fleeing from a trigger-happy prison guard hijack a getaway canoe owned by a nudist outdoorsman.

There are 66 short films in competition playing throughout the festival. The shorts offer a tremendous variety and will keep you laughing. Peppered among the short film programs are familiar faces among them CHERYL HINES, RACHAEL HARRIS, ERIC LASALLE, MINDY STERLING, JOEL MURRAY, JEREMY SISTO, ANTONIO SABATO JR., AMY YASBECK, BODHI ELFMAN and ANTHONY HEALD.

Features from New Zealand and Canada bring international fun to L.A.. Live Comedy Acts will provide laughs, with all new shows from the award winning groups WET THE HIPPO, IDENTITY CRUSH and THINK TANK. Stand ups are peppered throughout the festival with notable acts from SARAH GALLAGHER and ANNABELLE DESISTO.

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Marrakech International Film Festival Announces 2013 Lineup

CLOSING FILM: WE ARE THE BEST! directed by Lukas Moodysson

The 13th Marrakech International Film Festival taking place from November 29 to December 7, 2013 announced the lineup of official film selections. More than 110 films from 23 nationalities will be screened during the event. As with every year for the past 12 years, the focus will be on films in competition, which comprises 15 films. The section “Cinema at heart” will focus on Moroccan cinema, the out-of-competition films will “distill the perfume of directors in touch with their audiences,” while the Cinécoles program of short films will reveal the filmmakers of tomorrow.

Competition

AGAIN – Japan
1st film by Junichi Kanai starring Yoshikura Aoi and Yagira Yuya

BAD HAIR – Venezuela, Peru, Argentina and Germany
by Mariana Rondón starring Samuel Lange and Samantha Castillo

BLUE RUIN – USA
2nd film by Jeremy Saulnier starring Macon Blair

FEVERS – France and Morocco
by Hicham Ayouch starring Didier Michon, Slimane Dazi, Farida Amrouche, Lounès Tazairt and Tony Harrisson

HAN GONG-JU – South Korea
1st film by Lee Su-jin starring Chun Woo-hee

HOTELL – Sweden
2nd film by Lisa Langseth starring Alicia Vikander

HOW I LIVE NOW – UK
by Kevin Macdonald starring Saoirse Ronan

IDA – Poland and Denmark by
Pawel Pawlikowski starring Agata Trzebuchowska and Agata Kulesza

LA MARCHE – France
by Nabil Ben Yadir starring Olivier Gourmet, Tewfik Jallab, Lubna Azabal, Hafsia Herzi, Charlotte Le Bon, Vincent Rothiers, M’Barek Belkouk, Nader Boussandel, Philippe Nahon and Jamel Debbouze

MEDEAS – USA, Italy and Mexico
1st film by Andrea Pallaoro starring Catalina Sandino Moreno and Brian F. O’Byrne

THE GAMBLER – Lithuania and Latvia
1st film by Ignas Jonynas starring Vytautas Kaniusonis

THE SWIMMING POOL – Cuba and Venezuela
1st film by Carlos Machado Quintela

THE WISHFUL THINKERS – Spain
2nd film by Jonás Trueba starring Francesco Carril

TRAITORS – Morocco and USA
1st film by Sean Gullette starring Chaimae Ben Acha, Soufia Issami, Nadia Niaza, Driss Roukhe, Mourade Zeguendi and Morjana Alaoui

VIVA LA LIBERTÀ – Italy
by Roberto Andò starring Toni Servillo and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi

CINEMA AT HEART

DERRIÈRE LES PORTES FERMÉES – Morocco
2nd film by Mohammed Ahed Bensouda starring Amal Ayouch, Zoubida Akkif, Abdellah Farkous, Bouchra Ahrich and Omar Azzouzi

KANYAMAKAN – Morocco
1st film by Said C. Naciri starring Afif Ben Badra, Sarah Kazemy, Mohamed El Achi, Anas El Baz, Younes Megri, Mehdi Ouazzani and Diouc Koma

SARA – Morocco
by Said Naciri starring Layla Hadiu, Said Naciri, Iman Nakhad and Aziz Houbaibi

C’EST EUX LES CHIENS – Morocco
2nd film by Hicham Lasri starring Hassan Badida

OUT OF COMPETITION

OPENING FILM
RAM-LEELA – India
by Sanjay Leela Bhansali starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh

A THOUSAND TIMES GOOD NIGHT – Norway, Ireland and Sweden
by Erik Poppe starring Juliette Binoche

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON – Japan
by Kore-Eda Hirokazu

ONE CHANCE – UK and USA
by David Frankel starring James Corden, Julie Walters, Alexandra Roach and Valeria Bilello

THE IMMIGRANT – USA
by James Gray starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner

THE REUNION – Sweden
by Anna Odell starring Anna Odell

THE STONE – South Korea
by Cho Se-rae starring Cho Dong-in and Kim Roi-ha

THE ZERO THEOREM – UK, USA, France and Romania
by Terry Gilliam starring Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Thierry and David Thewlis

THOSE HAPPY YEARS – Italy
by Daniele Luchetti starring Kim Rossi Stuart and Micaela Ramazzotti

WALTZ FOR MONICA – Sweden
by Per Fly starring Edda Magnason

CLOSING FILM
WE ARE THE BEST! – Sweden
by Lukas Moodysson
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Director Oliver Stone to be Honored at 2013St. Louis International Film Festival

Academy Award winning writer/director Oliver Stone will be honored at the 22nd Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), taking place November 14 to 24, 2013. Stone will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award on Friday, November 22, 2013. Directors who have previously been honored with a SLIFF Lifetime Achievement Award include Paul Schrader, John Sayles, Michael Apted, and Joe Dante.

Held on the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the program will feature a screening of the director’s cut of Stone’s “JFK.” The evening will begin with a clip reel surveying Stone’s career, the presentation of the award, and a conversation between Stone and St. Louis Post-Dispatch film critic Joe Williams that explores the director’s career generally and “JFK” specifically. At the conclusion of the interview, Stone will introduce a Kennedy-focused segment from his most recent work, “The Untold History of theUnited States,” and “JFK” will screen after the excerpt.
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GREASE director Randal Kleiser to Receive First Stanley Kramer Lifetime Achievement Award

GREASE director, Randal Kleiser has been selected to be the recipient of the first annual Stanley Kramer Lifetime Achievement Award at the Stanley Kramer Film Festival, which takes place November 15 to 17, 2013, at the Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs. Kleiser, whose first feature film, Grease (1978), launched his professional career as a Director, starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, and went on to became the most successful movie musical ever made. Mr. Kleiser’s other directorial film credits include The Blue Lagoon, Summer Lovers, Grandview, USA, Flight of the Navigator, Honey I Blew Up the Kid, White Fang, Getting It Right, Shadow of Doubt, Love Wrecked, Red Riding Hood, and It’s My Party.
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‘IT FELT LIKE LOVE’ ‘BROTHERS HYPNOTIC’ Lead Winning Films at 2013 Indie Memphis

IT FELT LIKE LOVE, directed by Eliza Hittman

IT FELT LIKE LOVE, directed by Eliza Hittman won the Jury award for Best Narrative Feature; and BROTHERS HYPNOTIC, directed by Reuben Atlas won the Jury award for Best Documentary Feature at the Indie Memphis film festival which took place October 31 to November 3, 2013. The audience, on the other hand, voted for SHORT TERM 12, directed by Destin Cretton to win the Narrative Feature Audience award and A WHOLE LOTT MORE, directed by Victor Buhler took home the Documentary Feature Audience award.

2013 Festival Awards

Best Narrative Feature*
($1,000 cash prize presented by Nice Shoes)
IT FELT LIKE LOVE, directed by Eliza Hittman

During an uneventful summer on the outskirts of Brooklyn, Lila, a lonely fourteen-year-old from Gravesend, turns her attentions to Sammy, an older thug she sees at Rockaway beach. Wanting something to brag about, she weaves a story about him and becomes fixated on seeing it realized. When her attempts fail, she propels the lie even further, claiming they’ve had sex. During her sexual quest, Lila turns from predator to prey.

Duncan-Williams Scriptwriting Award*($1,000 cash prize presented by Duncan-Williams, Inc.)Duncan-Williams Scriptwriting Award*
($1,000 cash prize presented by Duncan-Williams, Inc.)
SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY, written by Drew Tobia

Starring Dana Eskelson, Eleanore Pienta, Keisha Zollar and Molly Plunk

Mona is pregnant, single, and mentally unbalanced. Her only close friend is her mother, May, a recovering alcoholic with a brash sense of humor. Mona’s sister, Jordan, is an emotionally distant and unemployable party girl. In the last days of her pregnancy, Mona draws her mother and sister into her hectic life as she drifts further from reality.
Special Jury Award for outstanding performance
Eleanor Pienta (SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY)

Special Jury Award – The Emerging Artist Award for the creative promise shown by their debut feature
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT CONCRETE, directed by Katherine Dohan & Alanna Stewart
Starring Morgan Rose Stewart

A homespun high school fairy tale comedy, WHAT I LOVE ABOUT CONCRETE is a tour through the unbearable awkwardness, nascent cynicism, and disarming wonder that comprise the 11th grade experience, in a world where synchronized swimming breaks out in rundown motel pools, and dead swans are concealed in Mary Poppins-like bottomless book bags.

Armed with only a shoestring budget and a grand vision, co-directors Katherine Dohan and Alanna Stewart turned to homemade special effects, an original score, family members as actors, and puppets to realize their uncanny take on the classic heroine’s journey.

DOCUMENTARY JURY AWARDS

Best Documentary Feature*
($1,000 cash prize presented by Classic American Hardwoods)
BROTHERS HYPNOTIC, directed by Reuben Atlas

For the eight young men who comprise the joyful and bombastic Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, brotherhood is literal: They’re all sons of anti-establishment jazz legend Phil Cohran. Raised on a steady diet of jazz and funk crossed with Black Consciousness on Chicago’s South Side, this jazz cooperative has moved from busking on the streets to collaborating with Mos Def and opening for Prince. This coming-of-age doc is filled with their unremittingly unique brand of music and showcases their struggle to maintain the values they were raised on w

Special Jury Award
GREAT CHICKEN WING HUNT, directed by Matt Reynolds

Short Film Jury AwardsBest Narrative Short*</strong><br>($500 cash prize)<br><a href=\”<a href=” http:=”” indiememphis=”” festivalgenius=”” com=”” 2013=”” films=”” aftermath_indiememphis2013_indiememphis2013=””>
American expatriate, international journalist and upstate New Yorker Matt Reynolds forsake a successful life in Eastern Europe, compelled by a singular obsession: find the world’s best Buffalo chicken wing. Joined by his long-suffering Czech girlfriend, a perplexed Slovak film crew, and a ragtag gang of wing-obsessed misfits recruited on-line, Reynolds embarks on THE GREAT CHICKEN WING HUNT. After 2,627 miles and 284 varieties of wings, the quest ends in the very countryside of Reynolds’ childhood.

SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS

Best Narrative Short*
($500 cash prize)
AFTERMATH, directed by Jeremy Robbins

Best Documentary Short*
($500 cash prize)
SWEET CRUDE MAN CAMP, directed by Isaac Gale

Best Animation or Experimental Film*
THE MISSING SCARF, directed by Eoin Duffy

Special Jury Award
MS. BELVEDERE, directed by Michael Reynolds

Special Jury Award
HOW TO SHARPEN PENCILS, directed by Kenneth Price

SPECIAL FESTIVAL AWARDS

Southern Soul of Independent Film Award*
ORANGE MOUND, TENNESSEE: AMERICA’S COMMUNITY, directed by Emmanuel Amido

Ron Tibbett Excellence in Filmmaking Award*
BOB BIRDNOW’S REMARKABLE TALE OF HUMAN SURVIVAL AND THE TRANSCENDENCE OF SELF, directed by Eric Steele

Craig Brewer Emerging Filmmaker Award*
ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW, directed by Randy Moore

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Narrative Feature*
SHORT TERM 12, directed by Destin Cretton

SHORT TERM 12 follows the story of Grace, a 24-year-old girl who is the supervisor for a group home that houses 15 at-risk teenagers. As she deals with the day-to-day problems of the kids, along with her own discovery of an unwanted pregnancy, Grace is forced to confront the issues from her past she’s always avoided.

Documentary Feature*
A WHOLE LOTT MORE, directed by Victor Buhler

There are almost eight million Americans with developmental disabilities – which include Cerebral Palsy, Autism and Down’s syndrome. Many of these Americans live on the edges of society, separate from the non-disabled. In a competitive job market people with developmental disabilities struggle to earn a living – an estimated 80% of them are out of work. Those who do work often find refuge in ‘disabled workplaces’ – coalitions of industry and social service that provide manufacturing jobs. Until recently these were called ‘sheltered workshops’. But few are like Lott Industries.

For decades, Lott Industries successfully competed with non-disabled factories for auto industry contracts. TJ Hawker, who has cerebral palsy and is deaf, cannot imagine working anywhere else – he suffered depression after he lost his previous job at a local hospital. Wanda Huber, who has Turner’s and Down’s Syndrome, is the fiery leader of the workers’ group at Lott. Kevin Tyree is a recent high school graduate who has autism. Is Lott the best option for him in a changing economy or should he look for a job in the wider community?

Ever since Ford pulled out of town the company has struggled. Lott has twelve months to find new contracts or they will close. For Joan Browne, Lott’s President, it is an unthinkable scenario. A WHOLE LOTT MORE is a moving feature documentary that details the most crucial year in Lott Industries’ history and brings audiences closer to the working world for Americans with developmental disabilities.

Narrative Short*
COOTIE CONTAGION, directed by Joshua Smooha

Documentary Short*
MABON ‘TEENIE’ HODGES: A PORTRAIT OF A MEMPHIS SOUL ORIGINAL, directed by Susanna Vapnek

Hometowner Film*
MEANWHILE IN MEMPHIS: THE SOUND OF A REVOLUTION, directed by Nan Hackman & Robert Allen Parker

HOMETOWNER AWARDS

Best Hometowner Feature*
($1,000 cash prize presented by the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission)
BEING AWESOME, directed by Allen C. GardnerBest Hometowner Narrative Short*
($500 cash prize presented by the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission)
JOHN’S FARM, directed by Melissa SweazyBest Hometowner Documentary Short*
($500 cash prize presented by the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission)
BOOKIN’, directed by John Kirkscey

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‘FRUITVALE STATION’ ‘THE RAILWAY MAN’ Among Int’l Films on Lineup for 2013 Dubai International Film Festival

THE RAILWAY MAN starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman

The 10th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) which takes place from the December 6th to 14th, 2013, unveiled the line-up of international films in the Cinema of the World section. Films on the lineup include award-winning indie film FRUITVALE STATION; THE RAILWAY MAN starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman; Polish Oscar contender WALESA. MAN OF HOPE; Georgia Oscar contender IN BLOOM; documentary THE UNKNOWN KNOWN; Italian film THE REFEREE, and Slovenian film CLASS ENEMY.

FRUITVALE STATION

The winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; “FRUITVALE STATION”, is a confident, touching and, finally, shattering directorial début by Ryan Coogler. Produced by Forest Whitaker the film follows the true story of Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan), a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.

Academy Award winners Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman star in “THE RAILWAY MAN” the true story of Eric Lomax, a British soldier in World War II who endured gruelling conditions as a forced labourer on the Thailand Death Railway after being captured by Japanese troops. Director Jonathan Teplitzky’s adaptation of Lomax’s bestselling memoir chronicles the stunning true story of one man’s epic journey toward forgiving those who had done him unspeakable harm.

WALESA. MAN OF HOPE

From the acclaimed filmmaker Andrzej Wajda and Poland’s candidate for the Academy Awards in the Foreign Language Film category comes “WALESA. MAN OF HOPE”. The impressive, decades-spanning biopic is the story of one of the most famous and heroic men in Polish history, former dockworker, Solidarity founder, and eventual Polish president Lech Walesa, who helped millions of people by leading a revolution that ended up not only toppling a dictatorship in his own country, but also eating away at the crumbling edifice of the Soviet empire in the 1980s.

“IN BLOOM” directed by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross

Another contender for the Oscar in the Foreign Language Film category is Georgia’s submission “IN BLOOM” directed by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross. This absorbing and powerful coming-of-age drama follows two young girls navigating the oppressive familial and societal expectations of post-Soviet Georgia. This fascinating story is loosely based on debut writer and co-director Ekvtimishvili’s childhood memories of growing up in newly independent Georgia in the early 1990s.

THE UNKNOWN KNOWN

Academy Award winning and one of the most important and influential non-fiction filmmakers of his generation, Errol Morris (The Fog Of War) returns with the documentary “THE UNKNOWN KNOWN”. The gripping exploration details the career and philosophy of former U.S Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Using declassified memos, Morris guides Rumsfeld through a discussion of his controversial career as a high-level executive under four different Republican presidents. Such absorbing topics as Vietnam, the Cold War, Desert Storm and the War on Terror are all examined through the words of one of America’s most divisive and complex public figures.

“THE REFEREE” (“L’ARBITRO”) by Italian filmmaker and writer Paolo Zucca

“THE REFEREE” (“L’ARBITRO”) is the brilliant first feature by Italian filmmaker and writer Paolo Zucca, a development of his earlier short film with the same title which won the Prix Spécial du Jury at Clermont-Ferrand in 2009. The drastic reversal of fortunes for two Sardinian third league teams, the corruption scandal that destroyed an international referee’s career and the ancient codes of sheep breeding are among the stories woven around each other in this unique football comedy-drama.

“CLASS ENEMY” by Slovenian director Rok Bicek

Slovenian director Rok Bicek’s gripping debut feature “CLASS ENEMY” is loosely based on actual events about a high-school class that spins out of control. The compelling film revolves around a group of teens who blame their demanding new teacher and his demeaning methods when one of their classmates commits suicide, leading to rising tension as the situation approaches a boiling point. Only gradually do the students come to realise that things are not always as black and white as they seem, but at that point it may be too late.
Nashen Moodley, DIFF’s Co-Director of the Cinema of the World programme, said: “This year’s Cinema of the World slate is guaranteed to take you on an emotional rollercoaster this December. From inspiring and uplifting to heartbreaking and shocking, the diversity of the stories in this section is truly remarkable. The performances are magnetic and engaging with acclaimed directors at the helm, and it’s a pleasure to present some of the most anticipated films of the year.”

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Wes Anderson’s THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL to Open 2014 Berlin International Film Festival

The 64th Berlin International Film Festival will open on February 6, 2014 with the world premiere of Wes Anderson’s THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL,shot on location in Germany, recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.

The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune — all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.

In addition to starring Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori in the lead roles, the film also features F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Tom Wilkinson and Owen Wilson.

http://youtu.be/1Fg5iWmQjwk
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Whistler Film Festival Unveils 2013 Film Lineup; Closes with THE CRASH REEL

THE CRASH REEL

The 13th Whistler Film Festival (WFF) taking place from December 4th to 8th, 2013, in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada has unveiled its lineup of films . WFF’s Closing Night Gala film is the Western Canadian Premiere of THE CRASH REEL by two time Academy Award nominated documentary director, Lucy Walker, and is about champion half-pipe snowboard legend Kevin Pearce’s inspiring rehabilitation following a devastating neck injury.

The festival previously announced Canadian director and actor Jason Priestley’s CAS & DYLAN (Western Canadian Premiere) is this year’s Opening Night Gala presentation.

Additional feature film World Premieres include: snowbound romantic comedy THREE NIGHT STAND directed by Pat Kiely; and late night thriller ICE SOLDIERS directed by Sturla Gunnarsson. Returning programming strands include the 10th Anniversary Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature featuring six diverse titles including CAS & DYLAN, THE HUSBAND, PATCH TOWN and UVANGA, LOUIS CYR and Richie Mehta’s SIDDHARTH.

The Documentary competition returns with five titles, including Barry Avrich’s FILTHY GORGEOUS: THE BOB GUCCIONE STORY, and the Canadian Premiere of Whitney Ransick’s MISFIRE: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SHOOTING GALLERY.

Mountain Culture is back with three Western Canadian premieres, and includes THE RIDGE, THE CRASH REEL, and the Latvian snowboard doc SKLMNTI.

WFF’s World Now will showcase four films from diverse corners of the world including the Canadian Premieres of Chinese box office giant FINDING MR. RIGHT (China) directed by Xiao Lu Xue; CINCO DE MAYO: THE BATTLE (Mexico) from director Rafa Lafa; and Benecio Del Toro starring JIMMY P: PSYCHOTHERAPY OF A PLAINS INDIAN, directed by Arnaud Desplechin.

Nine films make up this year’s Special Presentations including, LE DEMANTELEMENT (Sébastien Pilote), SEX AFTER KIDS (Jeremy LaLonde), THE GRAND SEDUCTION (Don McKellar), and the Canadian nominee for the Best Foreign Language category at this year’s Academy Awards GABRIELLE (Louise Archambault).

Late Night selections will showcase great genre films including the World Premiere of ICE SOLDIERS directed by Sturla Gunnarsson; the Canadian premiere of SAVAGED directed by Michael S. Ojeda; and the Western Canadian premieres of ODD THOMAS directed by Stephen Sommers and Austria’s THE STATION directed by Marvin Kren.

A selection of all age friendly flicks make up the Family program, including the World Premiere of BC film IF I HAD WINGS directed by Allan Harmon and starring Lorne Cardinal and Jill Hennessey; and the Western Canadian nature doc AMAZONIA, WFF’s first ever 3D presentation.

Finally, WFF’s American Indies strand features a particularly edgy collection this year with Justin Long and Tyler Labine in BEST MAN DOWN; Lukas Haas in METH HEAD from director Jane Clark; THE WAIT starring Chloe Sevigny & Jena Malone, directed by M. Blash; and the jaw-droppingly shocking CHEAP THRILLS featuring David Koechner.

WFF 2013 Complete Feature Film Listing:

World Premieres:
AFTERPARTY (Canada) Dir. Michelle Ouellet
DOWN HERE (Canada) Dir. Teach Grant
IF I HAD WINGS (Canada) Dir. Allan Harmon
ICE SOLDIERS (Canada) Dir. Sturla Gunnarsson
NO CLUE (Canada) Dir. Carl Bessai
THREE NIGHT STAND (Canada) Dir. Pat Kiely

Canadian Premieres:
CINCO DE MAYO: THE BATTLE (Mexico) Dir. Rafa Lara
BEST MAN DOWN (USA) Dir. Ted Koland
FINDING MR. RIGHT (China) Dir. Xiao Le Xue
JIMMY P: PSYCHOTHERAPY OF A PLAINS INDIAN (USA/France) Dir Arnaud Desplechin
JINGLE BELL ROCKS! (Canada) Dir. Mitchell Kezin
METH HEAD (USA) Dir. Jane Clark
PATCH TOWN (Canada) Dir. Craig Goodwill
MISFIRE: THE RISE & FALL OF THE SHOOTING GALLERY (Canada) Dir Whitney Ransick
SAVAGED (USA) Dir. Michael S. Ojeda
WAIT, THE (USA) Dir. M. Blash

Western Canadian Premieres:
ANIMAL PROJECT, THE (Canada) Dir. Ingrid Veninger
AMAZONIA 3D(France) Dir Thierry Ragobert
CAS & DYLAN (Canada) Dir. Jason Priestley
CITIZEN MARC (Canada) Dir. Roger Larry
CHEAP THRILLS (Canada) Dir. E.L. Katz
CRASH REEL, THE (USA) Dir. Lucy Walker
DARK BLOOD (USA) Dir. George Sluizer
DEVIL’S KNOT (USA) Dir. Atom Egoyan
EMPIRE OF DIRT (Canada) Dir. Peter Stebbings
FILTHY GORGEOUS: THE BOB GUCCIONE STORY (Canada) Dir. Barry Avrich
HI-HO MISTAHEY! (Canada) Dir. Alanis Obomsawin
HUSBAND, THE (Canada) Dir. Bruce McDonald
LE DEMANTELEMENT (Canada) Dir. Sébastien Pilote
LIFE’S A BREEZE (Ireland) Dir. Lance Daly
LOUIS CYR, STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD (Canada) Dir. Daniel Roby
ODD THOMAS (USA) Dir. Stephen Sommers
RIDGE, THE (UK) Dir. Pablo Iranburu
SIDDHARTH (Canada) Dir. Richie Mehta
STATION, THE (Austria) Dir. Marvin Kren
SKLMNTI (Latvia) Dir. Ernests Cerbul
UVANGA (Canada) Dir. Marie-Hélène Cousineau, Madeline Piujuq Ivalu

BC Premieres:
GRAND SEDUCTION, THE (Canada) Dir. Don McKellar
SEX AFTER KIDS (Canada) Dir. Jeremy LaLonde

Whistler Premieres:
CALIGULA (USA) Dir. Tinto Brass/Bob Guccione
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (USA) Dir. Jean-Marc Vallée
GABRIELLE (Canada) Dir. Louise Archambault

Special Presentation:
PRISONERS (USA) Dir. Denis Villeneuve
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Austin Film Festival Announces 2013 Audience Award Winners; Sets 2014 Dates

1982 written and directed by Tommy Oliver won the Marquee Feature Audience Award

The 20th Austin Film Festival (AFF) which ran October 24 to 31, 2013, announced the 2013 Audience Award winners, voted on by festival audience members. 1982 written and directed by Tommy Oliver and starring Hill Harper, Bokeem Woodbine, Quinton Aaron, and Wayne Brady, won the Marquee Feature Audience Award. in the film, a father protects his gifted daughter from the insidious crack cocaine epidemic which has literally come home via her drug-addicted mother. BESIDE STILL WATERS won the Narrative Feature Audience Award and ALL OF ME tied with THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF DORIS PAYNE to win the Documentary Feature Audience Award. AFF also announced its dates for the 21st Annual Austin Film Festival and Conference for October 23 to 30, 2014.

Marquee Feature Audience Award:

1982
Writer/ Director: Tommy Oliver
Starring Hill Harper, Bokeem Woodbine, Quinton Aaron, and Wayne Brady

Narrative Feature Audience Award:

BESIDE STILL WATERS
Writers: Chris Lowell, Mohit Narang
Director: Chris Lowell
Starring: Reid Scott, Brett Dalton, Beck Bennett, Ryan Eggold, and Britt Lower

In this BIG CHILL for Generation Y, a group of childhood friends come together for the last time at the scenic lake house where they all grew up, to comfort each other, rekindle old flames and drunkenly stumble down memory lane. The house brings out the adolescence in all of them, and what follows is a weekend full of drinking and dancing. Laughter and secrets. Sex, drugs, mischief and regret. Equally full of humor and heartbreak, BESIDE STILL WATERS explores the past and getting past it.

Documentary Feature Audience Award: (tie)

(tie) ALL OF ME
Director: Alexandra Lescaze

The ‘Girls’ have been friends for years, bonding over hopes, dreams, food, and the shared experience of being very obese. They met via the Austin chapter of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) and partied together among Austin’s Big Beautiful Women community. Meanwhile they tried every diet and every pill. Now going through the life-changing process of weight-loss surgery, their center has shifted and upset everything they knew about happiness, friendship and love.

(tie) THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF DORIS PAYNE
Directors: Kirk Marcolina, Matthew Pond

Find out how a poor, single, African-American mother from segregated 1930s America winds up as one of the world’s most notorious jewel thieves. A glamorous 80-year-old, Doris Payne is as unapologetic today about the $2 million in jewels she’s stolen over a 60-year career as she was the day she stole her first carat. With Doris now on trial for the theft of a department store diamond ring, we probe beneath her consummate smile to uncover the secrets of her trade and what drove her to a life of crime. Stylized recreations, an extensive archive and candid interviews reveal how Payne managed to jet-set her way into any Cartier or Tiffany’s from Monte Carlo to Japan and walk out with small fortunes. This sensational portrait exposes a rebel who defies society’s prejudices and pinches her own version of the American Dream while she steals your heart.

Comedy Vanguard Audience Award:

THE GOLDEN SCALLOP
Writer: Kevin Harrigan
Director: Joseph Laraja
Starring: James Cosmo, Nicole Steinwedell, and Tobias Jelinek

Three fried-fish restaurants’ struggles, passions and eccentricities are documented at the ultimate short order cooking contest, The Golden Scallop Championship. A food truck, a novelty eatery, and old favorite all vie for victory, but all their practice cannot prepare them for their head-to-head-to-head showdown. For fans of BEST IN SHOW and WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, this mockumentary-style film is full of battles and battered cod.

Dark Matters Audience Award:

BLOOD PUNCH
Writer: Eddie Guzelian
Director: Madellaine Paxson
Starring: Olivia Tennet, Cohen Holloway, Ari Boyland, Milo Cawthorne, Adelaide Kane, and Fleur Saville

A mysterious “bad girl” checks herself into rehab to find someone who can cook meth for her. After breaking him out, she draws him into a dangerous love triangle with her abusive dirty cop boyfriend and their get-rich-quick drug score plan. Everything goes terribly wrong, and then the next day, they do it again in this genre-bending neo-noir time-shifting whiplash

Texas Independents Audience Award:

SOMBRAS DE AZUL
Writer/Director: Kelly Daniela Norris
Starring: Seedne Bujaidar, Yasmani Guerrero, Charlotta Mohlin, and Lieter Ledesma Alberto

In the wake of her brother’s suicide, a young Mexican woman, Maribel, books a one-way ticket to the place he’d always dreamt of going – Cuba. Wandering the streets of Havana, Maribel attempts to escape her grief, but the city’s rhythms and strangers just serve to trigger tortured ruminations and memories of him. It is only when she bonds with Eusebio – a petty thief and skilled woodcraftsman – that Maribel begins to face her demons. (In Spanish with English Subtitles)

Write/Rec Audience Award:

SPEAK NOW
Writer: Erin Cardillo
Director: Noah Harald
Starring: Rosie Mattia, Jason Drumwright, Jayme Lynn Evans, Eric Goldrich, Rane Jameson, Russell Taylor, and Erika Ward

SPEAK NOW is a romantic dramedy about a group of high school friends reuniting for a wedding. Setting aside their personal dramas to support the union of Tommy and Anna was the intention of the wedding guests, but as the night unfolds old offenses and newly mounting scandal plunge the group back into a pool of high-school drama. One wedding will challenge the beliefs and change the lives of all in attendance… forever. This feature film was shot in three days with all the dialogue improvised by the actors.

Narrative Short Audience Award:

MR. INVISIBLE
Writer: Richard Sainsbury
Director: Greg Ash

Narrative Student Short Audience Award:

COOTIE CONTAGION
Writer/Director: Josh Smooha

Animated Short Audience Award:

MIA
Writers: Wouter Bongaerts, Bert Vandecasteele
Director: Wouter Bongaerts

Documentary Short Audience Award:

THE GUIDE
Director: Jessica Yu

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‘JIN’ ‘BLUSH OF FRUIT’ Win Top Awards at 2013 Adelaide Film Festival

JIN directed by Reha Erdem

Turkish film JIN and the documentary BLUSH OF FRUIT won top film honors at the 2013 Adelaide Film Festival which took place October 10 to 20, 2013 in Adelaide, Australia. JIN, directed and written by Reha Erdem is the winner of the Foxtel Movies International Award for Best Feature Film and BLUSH OF FRUIT, directed by Jakeb Anhvu, is the winner of the festival’s first ever Documentary Award.

in JIN, a 17-year-old girl deserts the Kurdish guerrillas in the mountains and tries to make her way through the forest to her grandmother’s house. It’s a simple enough story that plays on the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale, but it sets the framework for a film of extraordinary visual richness. As she moves through the intense green landscapes, she is in constantly in contact with animals who share her condition as solitary, threatened and magnificent figures—and there is no shortage of big bad wolves in the world, though they are exclusively human. Man makes war not simply on himself, but also on nature.

Blush of Fruit directed by Reha Erdem

BLUSH OF FRUIT, is described as a fly on the wall documentary about a man’s quest and the mothers who care for the abused, orphaned children of Nha–Trang, Vietnam. Tong Phuoc Phuc has won fame and fortune by opposing abortion in the name of Christianity and accumulating lucrative donations for taking in unwanted babies and pregnant girls in Vietnam. The girls are used as carers though the children are routinely treated with neglect and cruelty.

2013 Audience Award Winners

Most Popular Feature – CHARLIE’S COUNTRY, directed by Rolf de Heer

CHARLIE’S COUNTRY, directed by Rolf de Heer

After glowing reviews at the Festival from such publications as The Guardian, Screen Daily, Fairfax and ABC Radio, audiences agreed. Starring David Gulpilil, Charlie’s Country tells the story of an Aboriginal man living in a remote community who takes off, to live the old way, but in doing so sets off a chain of events in his life that has him return to his community chastened, and somewhat the wiser.

Most Popular Short – THE GALLANT CAPTAIN, directed by Graeme Base and Katrina Mathers

Screened as part of the Festival’s family session, The Gallant Captain is the animated film debut of renowned children’s book illustrator and author Graeme Base. Adapted from Base’s hugely popular picture book The Legend of the Golden Snail, The Gallant Captain is a child’s pirate fantasy that celebrates the power of the imagination.

Most Popular Documentary – ONCE MY MOTHER, directed by Sophia Turkiewicz

ONCE MY MOTHER, directed by Sophia Turkiewicz

This is the story of two women: Turkiewicz, an award-winning Australian filmmaker, and her mother Helen. It is a story of survival and forgiveness, and finally a deeply affecting love story. In her old age her daughter leads her through a rediscovery of the epic journey of her life, from Poland to a wartime Siberian gulag, and through Uzbekistan, Persia and a refugee camp in Africa before she comes to rest in Adelaide. Turkiewicz traces her own life in parallel with her mother’s in an effort to make peace with their troubled relationship.

Audience Award Top 10′s:

FEATURE:

1. Charlie’s Country

2. Beatriz’s War

3. 52 Tuesdays

4. Like Father, Like Son

5. Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

6. Short Term 12

7. The Past

8. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

9. Omar

10. Broken Circle Breakdown

DOCUMENTARY

1. Once My Mother

2. Tender

3. All This Mayhem

4. Bradley Wiggins: A Year in Yellow

5. Fire in the Blood

6. This Ain”t No Mouse Music!

7. Muscle Shoals

8. Battle of the Sexes

9. Blackfish

10. A World Not Ours

SHORT

1. The Gallant Captain

2. Welcome to Iron Knob

3. I Want To Dance Better At Parties

4. Bonny Doon

5. Oh Willy

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New Films incl. ‘SAVING MR. BANKS’ ‘FROZEN 3D’ Added to 2013 Cork Film Festival

FROZEN 3D

A ‘raft of exciting new titles’ have been added to the 58th Cork Film Festival taking place November 9 to 17, 2013 in Cork, Ireland. Two major new Disney pictures FROZEN 3D and SAVING MR. BANKS lead the new films. In the big-screen animation comedy adventure, FROZEN 3D, directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey – teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven – to find her sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (voice of Josh Gad), Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom. Two-time Academy Award®–winner Emma Thompson and fellow double Oscar®-winner Tom Hanks topline Disney’s SAVING MR. BANKS, directed by John Lee Hancock, and inspired by the extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney’s classic Mary Poppins made it to the screen.

The Festival adds to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F Kennedy with a presentation of New Yorker journalist Peter Landesman’s directorial debut PARKLAND, described as a tense and poetic recounting of the chaotic events that occurred at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital on that fateful day. Amongst the star-studded cast are Zac Efron, Billy Bob Thornton, Marcia Gay Harden and Paul Giamatti (once more).

Fresh from its Gala presentation at the BFI London Film Festival comes that Institute’s new restoration of Captain John Noel’s 1924 the EPIC OF EVEREST. The official film record of the legendary 1924 attempt to conquer the highest mountain in the world is one of the most remarkable films in the BFI National Archive. This legendary expedition culminated in the deaths of two of the finest climbers of their generation, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, and sparked an on-going debate over whether or not they did indeed reach the summit.

Epic Irish documentary THE SUMMIT is the last film playing in the Cork Opera House during the Festival. In the summer of 2008, some 70 people from 15 separate expeditions braved the pilgrimage to the world’s second highest summit, on what became the deadliest day in mountaineering history. Together with writer Mark Monroe (the Cove), Irish director Nick Ryan creates a compelling narrative made up of multiple perspectives, time frames, actual video documentation, and beautifully recreated footage documenting K2’s deadliest day.

MILIUS is described as the fascinating and hilarious biography of John Milius, the ‘fourth horseman of the 70s Hollywood apocalypse’ with Lucas, Spielberg and Coppola. Millius wrote and directed Conan the Barbarian – launching the career of Arnold Schwarzenegger – and wrote Apocalypse Now.

Greek filmmakers Zoe Mavrousi and Augustine Zenakos’ new documentary about the criminalization of HIV, RUINS: A CHRONICLE OF AN HIV WITCH-HUNT, tells the story of a group of HIV-positive women who were detained by the Greek Police, forcibly tested, charged with a felony, imprisoned and publicly exposed, when their mug shots and personal data were published in the media, in the run-up to the country’s 2012 national elections.

Other new films include five choice picks from the 2013 BFI London film Festival:

Bruno Dumont’s (La vie de Jesus, Flandres) 2013 Berlinale Golden Bear nominee CAMILLE CLAUDEL (1915) see Camille Claudel (Juliet Binoche) confined by her family to a mental asylum in the south of France – where she will no longer sculpt – and living a reclusive life while waiting for a visit from her brother.

Set in Singapore Anthony Chen’s ILO ILO (awards at the Cannes and London Film festivals) chronicles the relationship between a family of three and their newly arrived Filipino maid, Teresa, who has come like many other Filipino women in search of a better life.

In Xavier Dolan’s deviously sexy psychological thriller TOM AT THE FARM (nominations at both the Venice and London Film festivals), Tom attends the funeral of his deceased boyfriend, only to find the family were not even aware of the relationship.

Co-directors Ben Rivers’s and Ben Russell’s hybrid documentary A SPELL TO WARD OF DARKNESS follows pagan re-enactors to failed communes, black metal festivals to Arctic hermits, and the forever Golden Hour to the Northern Lights, and explores the possibilities of a spiritual existence within an increasingly secular Western culture.

Quebecois debutant writer / director Chloe Robichaud’s impressively controlled SARAH PREFERS TO RUN (nominations at both the Cannes and London Film festivals) features a compelling performance from Sophie Desmarais, an emerging track and field star whose grip on life gets progressively greasy.

Dark family secrets abound in Chris Sullivan’s 14-year-labour-of-love rural Gothic fantasia CONSUMING SPIRITS. Featuring a variety of animation styles, all shot frame-by-frame on 16mm, ranging from evocative charcoal sketch work, collage and paper cut-outs and 3D models, in order to peel back the layers of the sad and lonely lives of horticulturalist Earl Gray; newspaper typesetter, museum guide and bus driver Gentian Violet; and her gentleman friend and fellow newspaper employee Victor Blue.
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