Film Festivals

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, DELIVERY, MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM Among Winners of 2013 Twin Cities Film Fest

Indie Vision Award: DELIVERY directed by Brian Netto

The 2013 Twin Cities Film Fest which ran October 17 to 26, singled out eight films for awards at this year’s festival, including AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, which walked away with the festival’s coveted Best Feature Film award and the indie horror film DELIVERY won the festival’s inaugural “Indie Vision Award.” The festival audience voted MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, starring Idris Elba, the TCFF Audience Award (feature), and the Mason Makram short THE FIRST DATE with the TCFF Audience Award (short).

The complete list of 2013 winners:

Best Feature Film: AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (dir. John Wells)
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY tells the dark, hilarious and deeply touching story of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose lives have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Midwestern house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them. Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name made its Broadway debut in December 2007 after premiering at Chicago’s legendary Steppenwolf Theatre earlier that year. It continued with a successful international run and was the winner of five Tony Awards in 2008, including Best Play. AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is directed by John Wells (THE COMPANY MEN) and features an all-star cast, including Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, Sam Shepard and Misty Upham.

Best Documentary:ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE (dir. Anthony Powell)
A visually stunning chronicle of what it is like to live in Antarctica for a full year, including winters isolated from the rest of the world, while enduring months of unending darkness in the coldest place on Earth.

Best Short Film:HOT AND BOTHERED (dir. Jake Greene)
Desperate singles get all tangled up when a compulsive internet dater loses track of her accounts.

Audience Award (Feature):MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM (dir. Justin Chadwick)
MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM is based on South African President Nelson Mandela’s autobiography of the same name, which chronicles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison before becoming President and working to rebuild the country’s once segregated society. Idris Elba (PROMETHEUS) stars as Nelson Mandela, Naomie Harris (SKYFALL) stars as Winnie Mandela, with Justin Chadwick (THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL) directing.

Audience Award (Short):THE FIRST DATE (dir. Mason Makram)

Indie Vision Award: DELIVERY (dir. Brian Netto)
In this unnerving chiller, Kyle and Rachel Massy are a young couple who have agreed to document their first pregnancy for a reality show. During the production, a series of unexplained phenomena start plaguing the couple, eventually derailing the production of the show. Rachel, growing increasingly paranoid, starts to believe that there might be something seriously wrong with their unborn bundle of joy.

Told through the show’s un-aired footage and interviews from friends, family and production members, Brian Netto’s savvy debut feature injects the found footage genre with a fresh perspective and enough eeriness to keep you on the edge of your seat.

TCFF Breakthrough Achievement Award: Emily Fradenburgh, actress, NOTHING WITHOUT YOU (dir. Xackery Irving)

Twin Cities Community Change Maker Award: Sankara Frazier, Executive Director and Founder, Circle of Discipline
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“ILO ILO” “GOD LOVES UGANDA” Leads 2013 Philadelphia Film Festival Jury Award Winners

ILO ILO

The 22nd Philadelphia Film Festival announced the 2013 Jury Award winners; ILO ILO won the award for Best Narrative Feature Film, and GOD LOVES UGANDA won the award for Best Documentary Feature Film. Set in the late 1990s, the moving relationship between a rebellious Singaporean boy and his new Filipino nanny is lovingly captured in director Anthony Chen’s ILO ILO, winner of the Camera d’Or for Best First Feature at 2013 Cannes. In GOD LOVES UGANDA, the effects of the American evangelical fundamentalist movement on the religious and political climate of Uganda are scrutinized in this eye-opening documentary by Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams.

LET THE FIRE BURN directed by Jason Osder which examines the fatal standoff between Philadelphia law enforcement and the black militant liberation group MOVE, won the Pinkenson Award for Best Local Feature. The Archie Award for Best First Feature went to HARMONY LESSONS directed by Emir Baigazin, about the squabbles of schoolboys in a village in the steppes of rural Kazakhstan, which then take a dark tragic turn.

2013 Philadelphia Film Festival Jury Award Winners:

Narrative Feature Award
Best Narrative Feature – ILO ILO (dir. Anthony Chen)
Honorable Mention for Best Ensemble – WE ARE THE BEST! (starring Mira Birkhammar, Mira Grosin and Liv LeMoyne)
Honorable Mention for Best Director – VIC + FLO SAW A BEAR (dir. Denis Côté)
Honorable Mention for Best Cinematography – HARMONY LESSONS (cinematographer Aziz Zhambakiyev)

Documentary Feature Award

Best Documentary Feature – GOD LOVES UGANDA (dir. Roger Ross Williams)
Honorable Mention – 12 O’CLOCK BOYS (dir. Lotfy Nathan)
Honorable Mention for Best Director – CAUCUS (dir. AJ Schnack)

Pinkenson Award for Best Local Feature

LET THE FIRE BURN

Best Feature – LET THE FIRE BURN (dir. Jason Osder)
Honorable Mention – THE DISCOVERERS (dir. Justin Schwarz

Archie Award for Best First Feature

HARMONY LESSONS

Best Feature – HARMONY LESSONS (dir. Emir Baigazin)

Short Award
Best Short – RPG OKC (dir. Emily Carmichael)
Honorable Mention – THE GLOBE COLLECTOR(dir. Summer De Roche)

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WINTER IN THE BLOOD, NEBRASKA Among Finalists for 2013 Twin Cities Film Fest Awards

WINTER IN THE BLOOD

The Twin Cities Film Fest announced 16 finalists for its coveted slate of awards. The festival, which continues to screen films through Saturday evening at Kerasotes Showplace ICON Theatres, will announce its seven award winners at a Closing Night Gala following the Saturday screening of “NOTHING WITHOUT YOU” – a thriller that features local actress Emily Fradenburgh in a performance deemed “one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen” by TCFF Artistic Director Steve Snyder.

The 2013 TCFF Awards Finalists include the critically-acclaimed, Cannes award-winning drama NEBRASKA, directed by Alexander Payne; the Alex Gibney documentary THE ARMSTRONG LIE; and the star-studded AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, which earned standing ovations at the Toronto International Film Festival and stars Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep. Each winner will be bestowed with a one-of-a-kind Renter’s Warehouse TCFF Statue.

The finalists for the 2013 TCFF Best Feature Film Award include WINTER IN THE BLOOD, NEBRASKA, MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM and AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.

Finalists for the 2013 TCFF Indie Vision Award include DELIVERY , POLLYWOGS, WILD BLUE and NOTHING WITHOUT YOU .

Finalists for the 2013 TCFF Best Short Film Award include THE AVENUE, HOT AND BOTHERED, FRAY and HONEYMOON SUITE.

Finalists for the 2013 TCFF Best Documentary Award include THE ARMSTRONG LIE, ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE, REMOTE AREA MEDICAL and TAPIA..

The festival will announce three additional Renter’s Warehouse Statues Saturday evening: The 2013 TCFF Breakthrough Achievement Award, 2013 TCFF Audience Award (Feature) and 2013 TCFF Audience Award (Short).
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2013 Boston Film Festival to Open Friday, Oct 25; Announces Lineup

AT MIDDLETON starring Andy Garcia and Vera Farmiga, and directed by Adam Rodgers

The 29th Boston Film Festival kicks off on Friday, October 25th and runs through Sunday, October 27th, 2013, featuring films screening in Theatre 1 at the Revere Hotel Boston Common. The festival opens with “AT MIDDLETON” starring Andy Garcia and Vera Farmiga, and directed by Adam Rodgers. “AT MIDDLETON” focuses on Edith (Farmiga) a strong-willed and successful business woman taking her 18 year-old daughter on a tour of potential colleges and George (Garcia) a buttoned-up heart surgeon taking his 18 year-old sonon a similar tour. Their paths cross at Middleton College and begins the story of two people who, through a remarkable, unexpected connection, are able to glimpse the potential that true romance can offer. The festival includes two locally shot films”SIREN” and “GEORGE OF THE CENTER” highlighted in the festival’s Massachusetts focus.

The 2013 Film Lineup

“At Middleton” (1:33)
Director: Adam Rogers
Writer: Adam Rogers & Glenn German
Starring: Andy Garcia, Vera Farmiga , Taissa Farmiga, Tom Skerritt , Peter Riegert , Nicholas Braun
Synopsis: EDITH (Vera Farmiga) is a strong-willed, free-spirited and successful business woman who’s taking her 18 year-old daughter AUDREY on a tour of potential colleges. GEORGE (Andy Garcia) is a buttoned-up heart surgeon who’s taking his 18 year-old son, CONRAD, on a similar tour. Their paths cross at Middleton College, nestled in the picturesque Connecticut countryside. And while we suspect at the outset that this will be the kids’ story, it quickly becomes clear that George and Edith are the heart of this movie. MIDDLETON is the story of two people who, through a remarkable, unexpected connection, are able to glimpse the potential that true romance can offer. As Edith and George eventually realize, in ways both hilarious and heartbreaking, their adventure proves to be “the greatest half-day” of their lives.

Shorts Program 1
Wallace Seeks Solace (8:00)
Director: Christopher Macken
Synopsis: Wallace Seeks Solace tells the story of a young boy and his journey through the holocaust. This short, filmed in super 16 black & white film, presents an innocent view of a tragic event in history through the perspective of a child and told in ‘Dr. Seuss-like’ rhyming narration. After being ripped from his bed, Wallace is thrown into a whole new world of adult hood and, before he can even blink, is faced with the biggest decision one must ever face.

Partisan (17:30)
Director: Jake Holm
Synopsis: In 1942, Poland, a young Jewish girl escapes a Nazi raid to join a partisan group in the forest and lead a personal, revenge mission against the Nazi collaborator who ratted out her family. As Bella matures from a lost, frightened girl to a fierce guerrilla fighter, she adapts to the new life she is thrust into without a proper transition into womanhood. Will Bella be able to confront her family’s murderer or will her emotions and unresolved fragility get the better of her during the mission?

Rocketship (14:40)
Director: Alfred Thomas Catalfo
Synopsis: An unlikely bond is forged between a lonely boy and an elderly man claiming to be a former astronaut. Together, they transform a vintage vacuum cleaner into a rocketship for a surprising journey.

Toy Soldier (16:00)
Director: Mike Hayes
Synopsis: Sixteen year-old Shane finds himself in the reluctant position of baby-sitter to his kid brother Charlie while his mother is at work. Along with Shane’s best mates – Bean and Hally – their small rural town is the jungle gym where they spend most of their days. When Shane makes a seemingly innocuous discovery one day, he’s and Charlie’s lives are changed forever.

Home (30:44)
Director: Jason Pangilinan
Synopsis: A reclusive older man agrees to help a young woman with no recollection of her identity or past find her way home, but soon discovers she’s no ordinary girl.

1982 (10:24)
Director: Jeremy Breslau
Synopsis: A blocked novelist reflects on a pivotal year in his life, when, as a precocious six-year-old, he struggled for the attention of his bickering parents.

Who I Am (4:04)
Director: Dawn Young
Synopsis: This music video shines a light on an increasingly prevalent and heart breaking disease in which the victim gradually forgets personal history, how to function in society and how to survive. ‘Who I Am’ is performed by Jon Pousette-Dart and Jaime Kyle for our upcoming feature documentary ‘Forget Me Not’ on the subject of Alzheimer’s disease. Pousette-Dart has also included the song is his forthcoming CD release “Anti Gravity.”

Menschen (28:00)
Director: Sarah Lotfi
Synopsis: May 1945, as the Allies close in, an Austrian captain guides his remnant company behind the Russian lines to surrender to the Americans, taking under their wing a boy with a developmental disability. As the loyalty of his men is brought to the test, the captain’s bond with the boy evokes a dark secret from his past.

Huerfano (5:48)
Director: Jeff Bernier
Synopsis: A lone man’s search for the perfect sound leads him on an unexpected journey.

“Out of Print” (55 min.)
Director: Vivienne Roumani
Narator: Meryl Streep
Synopsis: “Out of Print” draws us into the topsy-turvy world of words, illuminating the turbulent, exciting journey from the book through the digital revolution. Ray Bradbury, Scott Turow, Jeff Bezos, parents, students, educators, scientists — all highlight how this revolution is changing everything about the printed word — and changing us.

“The Grand Deception” (1:10)
Director: Steve Emerson
Synopsis: It is a threat that is right in front of us — just below the surface and hidden in plain sight. “Jihad in America: The Grand Deception” exposes the history and structure of the subversive menace behind the public mask — The Muslim Brotherhood in America. This investigative documentary exposes how Muslim Brotherhood-linked leaders rose to prominence right here in the United States, and how they exploit American values under the cover of religion for their ulterior political agenda. Startling first-person accounts and chilling exclusive undercover video and audio of these groups behind closed doors.

“Plastic Paradise” — New England Premiere (57 min.)
Director: Angela Sun
Synopsis: Angela Sun’s journey of discovery to one of the most remote places on Earth, Midway Atoll, to uncover the truth behind the mystery of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Along the way she encounters scientists, industry, legislators and activists who shed light on what our society’s vast consumption of disposable plastic is doing to our oceans, and what it may be doing to our health.

“Kilimanjaro” (1:20)
Director: Walter Strafford
Starring: Abigail Spencer, Chris Marquette, Brian Geraghty, Bruce Altman, Jim Gaffigan
Synopsis: For years, Doug Collins (late 20s) has been wading through a routine unsatisfying job and an increasingly miserable relationship. After his girlfriend moves out, Doug pushes himself to live a more fulfilling life starting with a trek to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Life pushes back. In the face of challenges from every direction, Doug struggles to make his way to the mountaintop.

CLOSING NIGHT

Shorts Program 2
Lambing Season (15 mins.)
Director: Jeannie Donohoe
Synopsis: LAMBING SEASON is the offbeat tale of Bridget, an American woman who travels to the Irish countryside to track down her long-lost father while posing as a stranger. When things don’t go according to her convoluted plan, Bridget and her father are surprised to learn they have more in common than they imagined. On a sheep farm full of secrets, nature has its way of delivering the truth.

Cut Out (24:19 mins.)
Director: Mary Novak
Synopsis: A young college student befriends a neighborhood kid and finds herself caught up in gang violence.

Jim and the Genie (10:30 mins.)
Director: Kathlene Ennis
Synopsis: JIM discovers an eternally youthful GENIE and has the opportunity to change his life, if only he could get his genie to stop jumping on the couch.

Machsom (24 mins.)
Director: Joel Novoa
Synopsis: “Machsom,” the Hebrew word for “Checkpoint,” tells the story of Yaniv Greenblatt, a barely 19 Israeli soldier stationed at one of the most dangerous such checkpoints along the West Bank. He would like to be a pacifist and struggles to be fair to the Palestinians, but has to contend with the prying eyes of his superiors. The problems Yaniv faces at home are no easier. His mother is a wheelchair bound hard-right-winger due to the same terrorist attack that killed her husband.The story centers on Yaniv’s relationship with his younger brother, Avi, who attends one of the few mixed Jewish-Arab schools in Israel, and builds towards an incident at the checkpoint that challenges all involved to reconsider their previous resolve.

Awake (6 mins.)
Director: Connie Lisogar-Cocchia
Synopsis: Jason, a U.S. soldier returns from war trying to find happiness at home with his loving wife. While struggling with P.T.S.D., his memories begin to consume him. He realizes that he is no longer the man his wife deserves, and must make some of the most difficult decisions that he never thought he would face. While he reminisces on the life he used to have, he finally discovers his only solution. So ask yourself – Will You Finally Wake Up Before You Die?

Implosion (8:34 mins.)
Director: Hajji Golightly
Synopsis: A soldier scarred by moral injury, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) searches for answers after he harms the person he loves most.

Grape (29 mins.)
Director: Daniel Stine
Synopsis: Grieving winemaker Grayson Delecourt, pondering the sale of his family vineyard, receives an unwelcome overnight visitor on a bleak, wintry afternoon. He soon discovers that Tyler, the drunken, disheveled young man who stumbled into his tasting room faces life-altering decisions of his own, and over the course of an awkward evening, the two forge a tenuous common bond. When Grayson retires to bed, Tyler is left alone to wander the house and nearby winery. He soon encounters a host of a very different sort and is transported into a hauntingly beautiful midnight journey that will give him a glimpse into the past history of Delecourt Vineyards and a hint of what fate holds in store for him and the once-proud Virginia estate.

Doctor Gutmans Eulogy (17:46 mins.)
Director: Melanie Wainberg
Synopsis: Ethan learns of his father’s unexpected last request: he must honor him by giving the eulogy. Growing up struggling to live up to the expectations of his stubborn father, Ethan now has one last chance to make his old man proud. Will he find the right words to send him off while dodging bad advice, match maker family members, and his own anxieties?

The Painter (10 mins.)
Director: Nate Townsend
Synopsis: Obsessed by events that changed his life decades ago, an amateur artist finally returns to the farm where it all began. One man’s journey in search of redemption, closure, and peace.

PM Animated Shorts

The Lady in Number 6 (39 mins.)
Director: Malcom Clarke
Synopsis: The Lady In Number 6 is one of the most inspirational and uplifting stories of the year. 109 year old, Alice Herz Sommer, the world’s oldest pianist and Holocaust survivor shares her story on how to achieve a long and happy life. She discussed the importance of music, laughter and how to have an optimistic outlook on life.

Life, Liberty and Resilience (44 mins.)
Director: Steffan Tubbs
Synopsis: An African-American WWII veteran and grandson of a slave re-traces his segregated roots and his U.S. Navy service on Iwo Jima. From poverty to war, pharmacy to interracial marriage, “Life, Liberty & Resilience” takes a look at how Joe LaNier, in his own words, is able to overcome life’s hurdles and lead an amazing, loving and forgiving life.

“George of the Center” — World Premiere (1:21)
Director: Brian Dorrington
Synopsis: In the affecting documentary, “George of the Center,” director Brian Dorrington centers on a Billerica political activist who is steadfast about informing residents about an impending highway project that will dramatically alter the landscape of the town center. He is undeterred in his campaign to enlighten the unaware citizens to the irreversible effect upon Billerica’s core.

“Siren” — East Coast Premiere (1:33)
Director/Writer: Jesse Peyronel
Starring: Vinessa Shaw, Robert Kazinsky
Synopsis: SIREN is a dark love story about LEIGH, a girl with a unique curse: every man who meets her falls madly, uncontrollably in love with her. So she’s hidden herself away in the forest, living a life of solitude. Until one day, she meets GUY, the only man immune to her spell. Is this her first chance at true love? Or is he more dangerous than he seems?

“Coldwater” — East Coast Premiere (1:39)
Director: Vincent Shaw
Starring: P.J. Boudousqué, James C. Burns, Chris Petrovski, Octavius J. Johnson
Synopsis: Brad Lunders is a teenager forcefully abducted from his home in the middle of the night by his mother’s consent to a harsh wilderness reform facility. There is no contact with the outside world and the retired war colonel in charge prides himself on breaking an inmate’s spirit in order to correct delinquent behavior. As we learn of the tragic events that led to Brad’s arrival, unforeseen circumstances threaten to tear the already eroding reform facility apart, forcing Brad to confront not only his fellow inmates and the personnel in charge, but finally his own sense of what is right and what is wrong.

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Thriller “INNOCENCE” to World Premiere at 2013 Austin Film Festival | TRAILER

“INNOCENCE,” a supernatural thriller set in a New York prep school will have its World Premiere at the 2013 Austin Film Festival. The fim is described as a chilling allegory of the precarious state of the American teenager, and the film explore themes of loss, the human condition and a society torn between purity and narcissism.

Haunted by nightmares about the death of her beloved mother who died in a Montauk surfing accident, 16-year-old Beckett (Sophie Curtis, “The English Teacher,” 2013) and her father, novelist Miles (Linus Roache, “Batman Begins,” 2005), move to Manhattan in an attempt to piece together their shattered lives. Now enrolled at the exclusive Hamilton Preparatory School, Beckett’s psychosis and hallucinations intensify with the dubious suicides of current and past students. Beckett falls in love with the handsome, caring Tobey (Graham Phillips, “Evan Almighty,” 2007) as she discovers that her new school may be run by a coven of beautiful and seductive women including school nurse Pamela (Kelly Reilly, “Me and Orson Wells,” 2008), psychiatrist Vera (Sarita Choudhury, “Lady in the Water,” 2006) and Tobey’s mother, Natalie, (Stephanie March, “Law & Order SVU”) who perpetuate their youth by drinking the blood of virgins.

“INNOCENCE,” will screen at the State Theatre on Saturday, October 26th at 10:30 PM and on Wednesday, October 30th at 9:30PM at the IMAX Theatre at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

http://youtu.be/YWmbl_7VVYk
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Cucalorus Film Festival in Wilmington, NC, Unveils 2013 Schedule

Cucalorus Film Festival taking place in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, from November 13 to 17, 2013, unveiled its full 2013 schedule of screenings, artistic interventions and parties. More than 200 features, docs and shorts will be presented as part of the Magnolia, Vanguard, Voices, Works-in-Progress, Midnight Madness and Shorts Programs. The festival opens on Wednesday with Dance-a-lorus, a growing program of performances, screenings and workshops exploring the intersection between dance and film.

Set in Florida but lensed in the Wilmington area late last year, Michael Maren’s directorial debut, A SHORT HISTORY OF DECAY, will have its Southern US Premier. The dark comedy had its World Premier last week at the Hamptons Film Festival. Former Wilmington resident Linda Lavin delivers a solid performance as a mother and wife struggling with the realities of Alzheimer’s.

REDWOOD HIGHWAY, directed by Gary Lundgren (Calvin Marshall, CucFF 2009), features a beautiful performance from Shirley Knight, who plays a woman struggling with her increasing lack of independence in her later years.

Fresh from its World Premier at the Toronto Film Festival, Ingrid Veninger’s THE ANIMAL PROJECT, a charming ensemble comedy, will have its US Premier on Friday, November 15. Full of inspiring surf footage and a touching testimony to local surfing legend Jack Viorel, BOUND BY SEA (directed by Nate Daniel) will have its World Premier on Saturday, November 16.

Foreign language Academy contenders BORGMAN (Netherlands) and BOY EATING THE BIRDS FOOD (Greece) join Scandinavian deep sea diving thriller PIONEER on the list of 31 international films. SXSW audience award winner SHORT TERM 12 returns to the festival (Director Destin Cretton’s short of the same title screened at Cucalorus in 2009). BLUE RUIN headlines the Midnight Madness program and charming comedy THE ZIGZAG KID fills the festival’s new slot for a Sunday afternoon family film (ages 11 and up).
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“AUTUMN BLOOD” “WALKING THE CAMINO” Win Top Awards at 2013 Hollywood Film Festival

AUTUMN BLOOD directed by Markus Blunder

The 17th Hollywood Film Festival which ran from Friday, October 18 to Sunday, October 20 in Hollywood. announced the award winners for the 2013 Festival. The Narrative Award for Best Film went to Markus Blunder for AUTUMN BLOOD, and the Best Documentary Award went to Lydia Smith for WALKING THE CAMINO. The Emerging Filmmaker Award was added this year to honor a local filmmaker in the inaugural “Celebrate Hollywood” section, films either shot in Hollywood or referencing show business. The prize went to Nathan Sutton for AUTUMN WANDERER.

Awards were given out in the following categories:

Narrative Award (for Best Narrative Feature)
Winner: AUTUMN BLOOD directed by Markus Blunder (Austria)
High in the mountains, a widowed mother dies, leaving her two children orphaned. Fearing being split up they keep their mother’s death a secret. They survive until villagers destroy their innocence when they brutally assault the girl. Now the siblings must come of age to protect each other and survive.

Documentary Award (for Best Documentary Feature)
Winner: WALKING THE CAMINO directed by Lydia Smith (Spain)
Six determined strangers on a life-changing journey across Spain. Whatever their motivation, no one can predict just how their paths will unfold, what personal demons or angels they will face, or what transformations they will undergo by trail’s end.

Short Film Award (for Best Short Film)
Winner: THE BRIGHT SIDE directed by Sarah Wilson Thacker (U.S.)
1940′s Hollywood glitz, glamour, and the promise of the American dream meets the harsh, gritty reality of a world at war in this musical romance, where Leonard Lewis, a young theatre performer, races against time and confusion to vie for the heart of the girl of his dreams – before it’s too late.

Emerging Filmmaker Award (for nascent local filmmaker)
The Emerging Filmmaker Award was added this year to honor a local filmmaker in the inaugural “Celebrate Hollywood” section, films either shot in Hollywood or referencing show business. The prize went to Nathan Sutton for AUTUMN WANDERER.
Winner: AUTUMN WANDERER directed by Nathan Sutton (U.S.)
While dealing with his father’s schizophrenia, and the very real possibility of it being passed down, Charlie meets the woman of his dreams.
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BREASTMILK Documentary to Screen at 2013 DOC NYC | TRAILER

The new documentary BREASTMILK directed/produced by Dana Ben-Ari and executive produced by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, will screen at the 4th annual DOC NYC, the largest documentary festival in the U.S. BREASTMILK follows five New York City mothers from late pregnancy until their babies are a year old. Filmed in in a cinéma vérité style, the film is an intimate, frank exploration of the truth, sexuality, politics, and emotions surrounding modern breastfeeding.

During DOC NYC, BREASTMILK will screen on Saturday, November 16 at 4:30pm at the School of Visual Arts Theatre in Chelsea (333 W. 23^rd Street, NYC) with Q&A to follow with Dana Ben-Ari, Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein and Tuesday, November 19 at 11:30am at IFC Center in the West Village (323 6th Avenue) with a Q&A to follow with Dana Ben-Ari.

BREASTMILK is the first film to explore the full range of the breastfeeding experience. With unexpected humor and an unflinching camera, first-time director Dana Ben-Ari documents the journeys of new parents, bringing to light their pain, their honest revelations, and a surprising amount of fun. Many women today are wrestling with questions of their maternal and reproductive health and their roles in society as mothers and women. BREASTMILK speaks to those concerns in a direct, surprising way.

The film is unrated with a running time of 90 minutes. It is produced by Aleph Pictures. Executive Producers are Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, the filmmakers behind the 2008 documentary The Business of Being Born.

BREASTMILK is also hosting a limited number of community screenings in the US and Canada. Find or request a screening at www.breastmilkthemovie.com.

http://youtu.be/0Zkq_Sr5NYQ

via press release
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RAM-LEELA to Open 2013 Marrakech International Film Festival | PICS + TRAILER

The opening ceremony of the 13th Marrakech International Film Festival will have an Indian flavor with the premiere of RAM-LEELA, the new film from Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the director of DEVDAS. RAM-LEELA, described as a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, and starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, will kick off the festival on 29 November, 2013. The 13th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival takes place from 29 November to 7 December 2013 in Marrakech, Morocco.

RAM-LEELA is said to be an adaptation of Shakespeare’s epic love story Romeo and Juliet, set in violent times

Ram : Born in the land of guns, goons and hardcore enmity, RAM – the local village romeo, is a raapchik, cheap, dramatic vagabond. The lover who fights the whole world for his Leela and yet the man who stands by his clan even at the cost of his own love

Leela : In love with her enemy, a beautiful, young, spicy, fearless gujrati belle, born to an underworld mistress and yet far removed from the violence that surrounds her. Her life is only about her faith in her lover , her tireless wait for him, her sacrifices for him and ultimately her’self’ against him

When the two see each other for the first time, worlds collide, wars are fought and destinies are written in blood, forever. The Jadejas and the Rabaris are sworn enemies since the past 500 years and their own kin falling in love with each other is worst than any storm that could have ever come by. Set in the present day, magnificent vibrant landscape of Gujarat, woven with song and dance, Ram and Leela fight the world to live their own dreams. What will happen when they declare their love to the world? Will their families relent or will Ram and Leela carve their own destiny?

http://youtu.be/StphRCLkx6Q
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AFI FEST 2013 Full Program Including World Cinema Selections

WE ARE THE BEST directed by Lukas Moodysson.

AFI FEST announced the remaining sections and films that will screen in the festival’s World Cinema, American Independents, Breakthrough, Midnight, Cinema’s Legacy and Presentations programs. This year’s program includes CLOSED CURTAIN directed by Jafar Panahi; MOEBIUS directed by Kim Ki-duk; OUR SUNHI directed by Hong Sang-soo; TOM AT THE FARM directed by Xavier Dolan and WE ARE THE BEST directed by Lukas Moodysson.

WORLD CINEMA SELECTIONS (32 titles)

This section presents new work by many of the world’s most renowned filmmakers.

BABY BLUES – DIR/SCR Kasia Rosłaniec. Poland.

BETHLEHEM – DIR Yuval Adler. SCR Yuval Adler, Ali Waked. Isarel.

BORGMAN – DIR/SCR Alex van Warmerdam. Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark.

CHILD’S POSE – DIR Călin Peter Netzer. SCR Răzvan Rădulescu, Călin Peter Netzer. Romania.

CLOSED CURTAIN – DIR Jafar Panahi, Kamboziya Partovi. SCR Jafar Panahi. Iran.

THE CONGRESS – DIR/SCR Ari Folman. Israel, Germany, Poland, Luxembourg.

AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF AN IRON PICKER – DIR/SCR Danis Tanovic. Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Slovenia.

EXHIBITION – DIR/SCR Joanna Hogg. United Kingdom.

GABRIELLE – DIR/SCR Louise Archambault. Canada.

GLORIA – DIR Sebastián Lelio. SCR Sebastián Lelio, Gonzalo Maza. Chile, Spain.

GRAND CENTRAL – DIR Rebecca Zlotowski. SCR Gaëlle Mace, Rebecca Zlotowski. France, Austria.

THE GREAT BEAUTY – DIR Paolo Sorrentino. SCR Paolo Sorrentino, Umberto Contarello. Italy, France.

HALF OF A YELLOW SUN – DIR/SCR Biyi Bandele. Nigeria, United Kingdom.

HELI – DIR Amat Escalante. SCR Amat Escalante, Gabriel Reyes. Mexico, France, Germany, Netherlands.

JUVENILE OFFENDER – DIR Kang Yi-kwan. SCR Kang Yi-kwan, Park Joo-young. South Korea.

LA JAULA DE ORO – DIR Diego Quemada-Diez. SCR Diego Quemada-Diez, Gibrán Portela, Lucía Carrera. Mexico, Spain.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON – DIR/SCR Hirokazu Kore-eda. Japan.

THE LUNCHBOX – DIR/SCR Ritesh Batra. India, France, Germany.

MANAKAMANA – DIR Stephanie Spray, Pacho Velez. Nepal, USA.

MANUSCRIPTS DON’T BURN – DIR Mohammad Rasoulof. Iran.

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS – DIR Thomas Imbach. SCR Thomas Imbach, Andrea Štaka, Eduard Habsburg. Switzerland, France.

THE MISSING PICTURE – DIR Rithy Panh. SCR Christophe Bataille. Cambodia, France.

MOEBIUS – DIR/SCR Kim Ki-duk. South Korea.

OMAR – DIR/SCR Hany Abu-Assad. Palestine.

OUR SUNHI – DIR/SCR Hong Sang-soo. South Korea.

THE ROCKET – DIR/SCR Kim Mordaunt. Australia.

STRANGER BY THE LAKE – DIR/SCR Alain Guiraudie. France.

TOM AT THE FARM – DIR Xavier Dolan. SCR Xavier Dolan, Michel Marc Bouchard. Canada, France.

VIC + FLO SAW A BEAR – DIR/SCR Denis Côté. Canada.

WE ARE THE BEST! – DIR/SCR Lukas Moodysson. Sweden.

WHEN EVENING FALLS ON BUCHAREST OR METABOLISM – DIR/SCR Corneliu Porumboiu. Romania, France.

THE WIND RISES – DIR/SCR Hayao Miyazaki. Japan.

AMERICAN INDEPENDENTS SELECTIONS (6 titles)

The American Independents section features work by emerging U.S. filmmakers.

AWFUL NICE – DIR Todd Sklar. SCR Todd Sklar, Alex Rennie. USA.

BLUE RUIN – DIR/SCR Jeremy Saulnier. USA.

BREATHE IN – DIR Drake Doremus. SCR Drake Doremus, Ben York Jones. USA.

CAUCUS – DIR AJ Schnack. USA.

CHARLIE VICTOR ROMEO – DIR Robert Berger, Patrick Daniels, Karlyn Michelson. SCR Robert Berger, Patrick Daniels, Irving Gregory. USA.

WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE – DIR Zeke Hawkins, Simon Hawkins. SCR Dutch Southern. USA.

BREAKTHROUGH SELECTIONS (4 titles)

B FOR BOY – DIR/SCR Chika Anadu. Nigeria.
North American Premiere.

CONGRATULATIONS! – DIR/SCR Mike Brune. USA.

LITTLE BLACK SPIDERS – DIR Patrice Toye. SCR Ina Vandewijer, Patrice Toye. Belgium.

MY AFGHANISTAN – LIFE IN THE FORBIDDEN ZONE – DIR/SCR Nagieb Khaja. Denmark.

MIDNIGHT SELECTIONS (5 titles)

This section showcases comedy and horror programming worth staying up late for.

BIG BAD WOLVES – DIR/SCR Navot Papushado, Aharon Keshlaes. Israel.

THE GREEN INFERNO – DIR Eli Roth. SCR Eli Roth, Guillermo Amoedo. USA, Chile.

R100 – DIR/SCR Hitoshi Matsumoto. Japan.

THE SACRAMENT – DIR/SCR Ti West. USA.

THE STRANGE COLOUR OF YOUR BODY’S TEARS – DIR/SCR Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani. Belgium, France, Luxembourg.

CINEMA’S LEGACY SELECTIONS (3 titles)

THE COURT JESTER (1955) – DIR/SCR Norman Panama, Melvin Frank. USA.

MARY POPPINS (1964) – DIR Robert Stevenson. SCR Bill Walsh, Don DaGradi. USA.

THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964) – DIR/SCR Jacques Demy. France.

PRESENTATIONS SELECTIONS (2 titles)

The Whitewater Films Roundtable

Micro-Budget Filmmaking – The New Paradigm

Producer and Director Rick Rosenthal brings the famed Whitewater Films roundtable to AFI FEST for a conversation about how micro-budget filmmaking has emerged as the new paradigm for independent filmmakers. The conversation will be followed by a screening of Rosenthal’s micro-budget film DRONES.

DRONES – DIR Rick Rosenthal. SCR Matt Witten. USA.

Michael Stevens presents HERBLOCK: THE BLACK AND THE WHITE

Special guests join director Michael Stevens for a panel discussion about the influence of the political cartoons of Herbert Lawrence Block. The conversation will be followed by a screening of Stevens’ HERBLOCK: THE BLACK AND THE WHITE.

HERBLOCK: THE BLACK AND THE WHITE – DIR Michael Stevens. SCR Sara Lukinson, Michael Stevens. USA.

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2013 Heartland Film Festival Grand Prize Awards;

2013 Heartland Film Festival Awards Winners

The 22nd annual Heartland Film Festival taking place October 17 to 26, 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana, announced its four Grand Prize Awards. HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES directed by Daniel Patrick Carbone received the award for Best Narrative Feature Film and THE NETWORK directed by Eva Orner received the award for Best Documentary Feature. In addition actress Vanessa Hudgens received the Pioneering Spirit: Rising Star Award for her role in GIMME SHELTER, the Festival’s Opening Night Event film that held its world premiere at the festival.

Narrative Feature
HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES
Directed by Daniel Patrick Carbone

While exploring their Northeastern environment, two young boys discover the dead body of one of their friends under a bridge. Even though there doesn’t seem to be any evidence of foul play, the event ripples under the surface of their town, unsettling the brothers and their friends in ways they can’t fully understand. Once-familiar interactions begin to take on a macabre tone in light of the tragic accident, leading Eric and Tommy to retreat into their wild surroundings. They face opposition from different forces in their town, including the father of their friend, as they struggle to come to terms with what happened and how this correlates with the existing paradigm of nature. As the two brothers vocally face the questions they have about mortality, they simultaneously hold their own silent debates within their minds that build into seemingly insurmountable moral peaks.

Documentary Features
THE NETWORK
Directed by Eva Orner

This is the story of the first independent television network, TOLO TV, in one of the most unstable and dangerous places on earth, Afghanistan. In 2002, Kabul was emerging from five years of Taliban terror. Under the Taliban, all forms of media except the state-run radio station had been outlawed. Wanting to help rebuild their country, the Mohseni family returns from exile in Australia, passionate about giving the Afghan people a voice that had been taken away from them for so long. They knew nothing about the media, but they knew how to run a successful business. The result is Afghanistan’s largest and most successful television network employing over 800 Afghans producing news, current affairs, drama, comedy, music and lifestyle programs.

This was not and is not an easy process. Expats are brought in to teach the Afghans the myriad details of running a television network and find themselves, in spite of the serious dangers, enamored of the Afghans; their optimism and how, really, they just want the same basic things we do. Women, despite cultural and familial pressures, risk their lives and reputations to work alongside the men at TOLO TV. You’ll find yourself completely taken in by this most unlikely subject, fascinated by the unusual challenges faced by the upstart television network. Finally, it’s a chance to see Afghanistan and its people as something other than a war-torn nation.

Narrative Short
THE AMBER AMULET
Directed by Matthew Moore

The Masked Avenger can make things happen. Though at 10 he is considered young for a justice fighter he has already proved himself highly effective in the pursuit of peace. He has discovered powers that are locked inside gems and minerals and uses them to keep Franklin Street safe. But something is wrong in the house at the end of the street. There is a woman in trouble. When The Masked Avenger leaves a ‘happiness questionnaire’ in her letterbox a series of events are set in motion that no one could predict. This is the story of a superhero, a beagle, an amber amulet and the potential that is locked inside all of us.

Documentary Short
WRINKLES OF THE CITY – LA HAVANA
Directed by José Parlá and J.R.

In 2012, the French artist JR collaborated with Cuban-American artist Jose Parla for the Havana Biennale. Through JR’s pasting and Jose’s painting, they created murals to tell the stories of 25 senior citizens who lived through the Cuban revolution.

High School Film Competition
UPROOTED
Directed by Carol Nguyen

Everyone has an origin story. It is important to know your history because it is part of your identity and reveals where you came from. ‘Uprooted’ is a personal retell of my father’s escape from Vietnam. His story displays the powerful strength of the human will and illustrates how we should enjoy the little things in life.

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2013 New Hampshire Film Festival Granny Award Winners; ALL THAT I AM Wins Grand Jury Award

ALL THAT I AM directed by Carlos Puga

ALL THAT I AM directed by Carlos Puga is the winner of the Grand Jury Award at the 2013 New Hampshire Film Festival which took place October 17 to 20, 2013 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. GOODBYE WORLD directed Denis Henry Hennely took the award for Best Feature and THE CRASH REEL directed by Lucy Walker won the award for Best Documentary.

Grand Prize Screenplay Writers
George Guthridge and Deborah Schildt

Best Student Film – IF WE WERE ADULTS
Directed by Michael Fitzgerald
Starring: Suziey Block and Zach Alden
When Mitch and Izzy learn of their best friend’s engagement, they become the last unmarried couple. Out of spite and a little booze, they decide to take the plunge, and what they find is downright frightening.

Best Short Comedy – ALIVE FEELING LIKE A BUCK SEVENTY FIVE
Directed by Michael Neithardt
1999. I was somebody. Then she broke my heart. Can’t forget. Don’t want to remember. Amanda came into my life like a goddamn freight train. Why’d we ever meet? Everything was fine. It’s years later. Still feel empty. I’m nobody. For months, you know what, almost a whole year I was somebody. But I’d give it all back to avoid this empty, bleeding feeling. Because nobody deserves that. Never.

Best Short Drama – PALIMPSEST
Directed by Michael Tyburski
A successful house tuner provides clients a unique form of therapy that examines subtle details in their living spaces.

Best Short Documentary – HIGH AND HALLOWED: EVEREST 1963
Directed by David Morton, Jake Norton, Jim Aikman
High and Hallowed: Everest 1963 is the deeper story of the greatest Himalayan climb in American mountaineering history. Profiling the bold and visionary efforts of the 1963 American Mount Everest Expedition, the film examines the sheer commitment, step-by-step struggle and lasting impact of the first American ascent of Mt. Everest and the pioneering first ascent of the West Ridge by Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld. Five decades later, High and Hallowed journeys back to Everest to discover if the essence of risk, adventure and the unknown that drew the first Americans to the summit still exists on Everest today.

Best Animated Film – THE MISSING SCARF
Directed by Eoin Duffy
Albert the Squirrel makes a startling discovery … an empty space where once his favorite scarf lay. He heads off into the forest only to find everyone else is preoccupied with worries of their own. He helps whomever he can before moving on but never seems to get any closer to his goal. Ultimately, Albert’s problem is put in perspective by the friends he helped and the problems they faced and overcame together.

Audience Choice Documentary – LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM
Directed by Sean and Andrea Fine
One family’s courageous fight to save their only son from a rare and fatal disease, progeria. The average age of death from progeria is 13, there is no treatment and no cure. Dr. Leslie Gordon and Dr. Scott Berns are set on changing this. Their son, Sam, was diagnosed with progeria at age two and they were told to enjoy what time they had. They refused to believe this was the answer. Sam is now 16. In less than a decade, their advances have led to the discovery of the gene at fault, creating the first drug trials for treatment, and revealing the amazing discovery that progeria is linked to the aging process in all of us.

Audience Choice Feature – SANATORIUM
Directed by Brant Sersen
Starring: Kate Wood, Megan Neuringer, Don Fanelli, DJ Hazard.
On a bitterly cold December night, a paranormal investigations team has set their sights on the bloody Hillcrest Sanatorium to answer the age old question: Is there life after death? With rumors of hauntings and local children gone missing, they may just get their answer the hard way when members of the team mysteriously disappear, leaving behind unnerving evidence…

Best Documentary – THE CRASH REEL
Directed by Lucy Walker
Starring: Kevin Pearce, Shaun White and Mason Aguirre
Fifteen years of vérité footage show the epic rivalry between snowboarding half-pipe legends Shaun White and Kevin Pearce. These childhood friends became number one and two in the world leading up to the Vancouver Winter Olympics, pushing one another to ever more dangerous tricks, until Kevin crashed on a Park City half-pipe, barely surviving. As Kevin recovers from his injury, Shaun wins Gold. Now all Kevin wants to do is get on his snowboard again, even though medics and family fear this could kill him. We also celebrate Sarah Burke who crashed in Park City and died January 19, 2012.

Best Feature – GOODBYE WORLD
Director Denis Henry Hennely (pictured above)
Starring: Adrian Grenier, Gaby Hoffmann, Ben McKenzie, Mark Webber, Kerry Bishé, Scott Mescudi and Caroline Dhavernas
James and Lily live off the grid, raising their young daughter in a cocoon of comfort and sustainability. When a mysterious mass text ripples its way across the country, triggering a crippling, apocalyptic cyber attack, their home transitions from sheltered modern oasis to a fortress for the estranged old friends that show up at their door for protection and community. The unexpected reunion—abundant with revelry and remembrances, generously enhanced by organic wine and weed—is quickly undermined by the slights of the past, the spark of lingering flirtations and the threat of a locally grown new world order.

Grand Jury Award – ALL THAT I AM
Directed by Carlos Puga
Starring: Christopher Abbott, Gaby Hoffmann, Chris McCann and Dan Bittner
When Dr. Lynn abandoned his terminally ill wife on her deathbed, he left his three children—Susan, Christian and Win—essentially orphaned. Almost a decade later, on the eve of their annual family reunion, Dr. Lynn unexpectedly shows up at Christian’s door claiming he can justify his nine-year absence. Drug-addled and emotionally vulnerable, Christian reluctantly agrees to escort his father to the reunion, sending an already volatile family environment reeling.
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