Film Festivals

Urbanworld Announces 2013 Festival Winners; “THE VOLUNTEER” “THE NEW BLACK” “FULL CIRCLE” Win Top Awards

Stacy Spikes (Urbanworld founder), Tai Beauchamp, Marvin Scott (HBO), Allison Bonner Shillingford, Solvan “Slick” Naim, Robert Kolodny, Yoruba Richen, Darius Clark Monroe, Greg Rhem (HBO), and Gbenga Akinnagbe

THE VOLUNTEER directed by Vicky Wight, THE NEW BLACK directed by Yoruba Richen, and FULL CIRCLE directed by Solvan “Slick” Naim won the big awards at the 17th annual Urbanworld Film Festival held over the weekend – September 18 to 22 in Manhattan, New York City. Urbanworld, which screened 60 films this year describes itself at the largest internationally competitive festival dedicated to the exhibition of independent cinema by and about people of color.

The 17th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival winners are:

Best Narrative Feature – Presented by Fox Audience Strategy – $5,000 Cash Prize

THE VOLUNTEER
Directed by Vicky Wight

After dramatically leaving her successful but soul-crushing career, forty-something Leigh finds herself wondering if there’s more to life, to love, to everything. Overwhelmed by apathy and a vague sense of guilt, she decides to volunteer at a local soup kitchen. There, she begins an unexpected and electric affair with a homeless man, Ethan. Leigh attempts to hide Ethan from her long-time boyfriend, her family, and her new coworkers. However, after a series of troubling encounters, she realizes Ethan’s charm may be masking a troubled past.

Honorable Mention:
Sable Fable – Directed by Stephen Jackson

Best Documentary Feature

THE NEW BLACK
Directed by Yoruba Richen

The New Black is a documentary that tells the story of how the African-American community is grappling with the gay rights issue in light of the recent gay marriage movement and the fight over civil rights. The film documents activists, families and clergy on both sides of the campaign to legalize gay marriage and examines homophobia in the black community’s institutional pillar—the black church and reveals the Christian right wing’s strategy of exploiting this phenomenon in order to pursue an anti-gay political agenda. The New Black takes viewers into the pews and onto the streets and provides a seat at the kitchen table as it tells the story of the historic fight to win marriage equality in Maryland and charts the evolution of this divisive issue within the black community.

Honorable Mention:
Brother’s Hypnotic – Directed by Reuben Atlas

Best Narrative Short – Presented by HBO – $5,000 Cash Prize

“CRESCENDO”
Directed by Alonso Alvarez

Honorable Mention:
Baghdad Messi – Directed by Sahim Omar Kalifa

Best Screenplay – Presented by BET Networks – $5,000 Cash Prize

“YEAR OF OUR LORD”
Written by Darius Clark Monroe

Best Teleplay – Presented by BET Networks – $5,000 Cash Prize

“MEL & MISSY”
Written by Allison Bonner Shillingford

Audience Award – Feature

FULL CIRCLE
Directed by Solvan “Slick” Naim

A young pizza delivery boy, Anthoni, faces a life-changing crisis when his curiosity pulls him away from his delivery order into an adjacent apartment’s open door. He cannot resist temptation when he stumbles across a large sum of money in the aftermath of what seems to be a drug deal gone bad. After taking the money, his life is thrown into turmoil as everyone he knows and cares about is put in jeopardy. His focus turns to revenge when his close friend is killed. Anthoni goes on a comically charged journey for vengeance as outlandish characters banter throughout in this musically infused, urban set comedy-action-drama. Anthoni is set on avenging the death of his close friend even if it means going up against the neighborhood’s most notorious thug.

Audience Award – Short

“FLY ON OUT”
Directed by Robert Kolodny

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International Uranium Film Festival Goes on The Road to … Munich

TAILINGS directed by Sam Price-Waldman

Last May, the International Uranium Film Festival took place at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Rio de Janeiro. And now for the first time, from September 26 to September 29, 2013, the festival is going to visit Munich, capital of Bavaria, Germany. The Uranium Film Festival is described as the world’s only festival devoted to the entire nuclear fuel chain: from uranium mining to nuclear waste, from Hiroshima to Fukushima and Fallujah!

A total of 44 films from 14 countries: Australia, Brazil, Germany, Estonia, India, Italy, Israel, Iran, Japan, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine and the USA – documentary, fiction, experimental and animated films, new comedies and science fiction – have been selected for the festival’s debut in Munich.
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2013 African Diaspora International Film Festival to Preview Films at Queens, NY Black Spectrum Theatre

JOSEPHINE BAKER, A BLACK DIVA IN A WHITE MAN’S WORLD

The African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) and 43 year old historic Queens, New York based Black Spectrum Theatre are partnering for an early start of the 21st Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival with screenings to be held at Black Spectrum starting in October 2013 until the end of the festival on December 15.

Filmmakers and films include Maia Wechsler, director of MELVIN & JANE, AN AMERICAN STORY which revisits a 40-year-old American hijacking that led two former Black Panther Party members to relocate permanently to Europe, and New York based independent filmmaker Patrice Johnson who will present her two feature films NY’S DIRTY LAUNDRY, a comedy-drama set in the weeks after 9/11, when racial paradigms are shifted and hidden prejudices are revealed in heated and often hilarious exchange between the members of two immigrant families and HILL AND GULLY an urban Cinderella love story set during 2008, the historic election year of Barack Obama.

AFRICAN DIASPORA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
@ BLACK SPECTRUM

JOSEPHINE BAKER, A BLACK DIVA IN A WHITE MAN’S WORLD
A tender, revealing documentary about one of the most famous and popular performing artists of the 20th century. Her legendary banana belt dance created theatre history; her song “J’ai deux amours” became a classic, and her hymn. The film focuses on her life and work from a perspective that analyses images of Black people in popular culture. It portrays the artist in the mirror of European colonial clichés and presents her as a resistance fighter, an ambulance driver during WWII, and an outspoken activist against racial discrimination involved in the worldwide Black Consciousness movement of the 20th century.
Annette von Wangenheim, Germany, 2006, 45min, documentary in English/French/German with English subtitles.

MELVIN & JANE, AN AMERICAN STORY
Melvin and Jean McNair hijacked a plane from Detroit to Algeria in 1972 with their two babies on board, they called it an act of political resistance. The hijacking was also an act of desperation committed by two people in their early twenties who saw no other way to escape what they felt was the constant state of racial oppression in America. Living in Paris forty years after the hijacking and unable to return to the U.S., Melvin and Jean are still coming to terms with their crime and its lifelong consequences.
Maia Wechsler, USA/France, 2012, 59mins, documentary in English and French with English subtitles.

NY’S DIRTY LAUNDRY
In the weeks after 9/11, racial paradigms are shifted and hidden prejudices are revealed in this heated and often hilarious exchange between the members of two immigrant families (one Afro-Caribbean and the other Arab-Muslim) who clash in a crowded Brooklyn Laundromat and in an airless NYC taxicab. With mistrust already heightened, quarters are exchanged for political conversation as these “new” New Yorkers debate what it now means to be an American.
Patrice Johnson, USA, 2007, 117 min, comedy-drama in English

HILL AND GULLY
Hill and Gully is an urban Cinderella story, set during 2008, the historic election year of Barack Obama. With palpable ‘Change’ in the air, love pursues an unhappy single mother, and her dysfunctional family who become transformed through the efforts of a psychiatrist who challenges them to speak their secret wishes and to take a chance on opening their hearts to their deepest dreams.
Directed by Patrice Johnson Chevannes, 2011, 113 min, USA, Drama, English.

ALUKU LIBA, MAROON AGAIN
Loeti has spent years away from his village in French Guiana, working in extreme conditions. When the army cracks down on illegal gold mining in the Amazon forest, he is forced to flee and must use the skills he learned as a child to survive in the forest. His only hope is to find his way home to his people and reclaim his Maroon past and culture.
Directed by Nicolas Jolliet, 2009, 90 min, Canada/French Guiana/Suriname, Documentary/Drama

CARIBBEAN HISTORY PROGRAM

CATCH A FIRE
Catch a Fire tells the story of Deacon Paul Bogle, often described as a 19th century Malcom X. 30 years after the end of slavery in Jamaica, the Morant Bay Rebellion of 1865 provoked outrage in Victorian Britain shaping race and land attitudes. The story is constructed using extensive interviews with Paul Bogle’s grand son as well as archive material.
Menelik Shabazz, UK/Jamaica/ 1995, 30min, docu-drama

GRENADA: COLONIALISM AND CONFLICT
A chronicle of the philosophical and sometimes bloody struggles Grenadians have waged against colonialism and its long-lasting psychological influences. Grenadian leaders fought against colonialism in different ways. Julian Fedon freed 100 slaves to fight the British. Eric Gairy led the poor people in a massive strike and obtained many improvements for them. Maurice Bishop led a successful coup against Eric Gairy in 1979, promising education and societal reform. History tells the tale, however, that even as Grenadian leaders have struck blows at colonialism, they have at times employed the tools of oppression taught to them by their colonial masters.
Valerie Scoon, Grenada/USA, 2012, 45min, documentary in English

RETURN TO GOREE
A musical road movie, Return to Gorée follows Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour’s historical journey tracing the trail left by slaves and the jazz music they created. Youssou N’Dour is performing the last concert in Gorée, the island that today symbolizes the slave trade and its victims.
Directed by Pierre-Yves Borgeaud, 2006, 108 min, Senegal/Switzerland/Luxembourg, Documentary, English with French and English subtitles.

THE PIROGUE
In Moussa Toure’s powerful epic fiction film, Baye Laye is the captain of a fishing pirogue. When he is offered to lead one of the many pirogues that head towards Europe via the Canary Island, he reluctantly accepts the job. Leading a group of 30 men and a woman who don’t all speak the same language, some of whom have never seen the sea, Baye Laye will confront many perils in order to reach the distant coasts of Europe.
Directed by Moussa Toure, 2012, 87 min, Senegal/France/Germany, Drama, French and Wolof with English subtitle
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Australia’s Greek Film Festival Sets 2013 Dates; Early Films Include “THE DAUGHTER” “JOY” “MARJORAM”

Thanos Anastopoulos‘s THE DAUGHTER

The 20th Delphi Bank Greek Film Festival will showcase the best of contemporary Greek cinema for Australian audiences from November 6 to November 24, 2013 at Palace Chauvel Cinema in Sydney and November 7 to November 24, 2013 at Palace Cinema Como in Melbourne. It also tours nationally – from October 31 – November 3 in Brisbane, and November 14 to November 17 in Adelaide.

Early program announcements include Thanos Anastopoulos‘s THE DAUGHTER, which premiered earlier in the year at the 2013 Berlinale and recently featured at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival where Athens was showcased in the City to City program strand. Following the coming-of-age of both a young girl and a country amidst change, it’s a contemporary thriller which explores the moral and financial bankruptcies at the core of one family’s crisis.

In the startling narrative, JOY, director Ilias Yannakakis recounts the story of a middle-aged woman, Joy (played with inexhaustible nuance by Amalia Moutoussi), accused of kidnapping a newborn baby from a maternity ward. What begins as the perfect utopia for new mother and child eventually turns into a bitter tragedy. Shot in striking black and white, with minimal dialogue, Yannakakis allows Joy’s mindset to unfold before the eyes of the viewer, resulting in an intricate and poignant psychological drama.

A.C.A.B. ALL CATS ARE BRILLIANT directed by Constantina Voulgaris, daughter of legendary Greek director Pantelis Voulgaris (With Heart and Soul, GFF ’10 and Brides, GFF ’06) is a more buoyant tale that centres on the relationship between artist/activist Electra (Maria Georgiadou) and the young Petros, who forces her to tackle big questions about how to lead a revolutionary life and still find love and happiness amongst the turbulence of the city.

The GFF will also screen MARJORAM by acclaimed director Olga Malea (First Time Godfather, GFF ’09, Honey and the Pig, GFF ’06). The first thriller-drama from a filmmaker celebrated by Greek audiences for her comedies, Marjoram shines a revealing, psychological light into the dark corners of a mother-daughter relationship.
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African Films Under The Spotlight at 49th Chicago International Film Festival

Black South-Easter

African films will get international exposure at 49th Chicago International Film Festival, thanks to a three-year grant from the Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Spotlight Africa Program, the third year of the World Cinema Spotlight Program will highlight films from across the African continent including MANDELA: A LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, OF GOOD REPORT and the World Premiere of BLACK SOUTH-EASTER. The 49th Chicago International Film Festival runs October 10 to October 24, 2013.

Spotlight Africa Screenings

The Battle of Tabatô Guinea-Bissau/Portugal (Director: João Viana) – After years of European exile, Imatur returns to his native village of Tabatô to attend his daughter’s wedding, his head still saturated with horrific visions of a war he fought long ago. When tragedy strikes on the road to Tabatô, the entire village must come together in this entrancing, surreal film that blends music and magic with the lingering effects of Guinea-Bisseau’s history. US Premiere.

Black South-Easter South Africa (Director: Carey McKenzie) – When a body washes up on a Cape Town beach, ambitious township cop Sizwe seizes the opportunity to prove himself and earn the promotion he desperately needs. But when the investigation leads him to a black market smuggling ring, Sizwe is caught in the middle of a deadly power play orchestrated by an old friend. With no one left to trust, Sizwe must take the law into his own hands in this gritty crime drama. World Premiere.

Burn It Up Djassa Ivory Coast/France (Director: Lonesome Solo) – Shot on a miniscule budget but positively bursting with style and energy, this hugely inventive DIY crime thriller follows Tony, a young cigarette seller in an Abidjan ghetto. Ignoring the pleas of his policeman brother to stay on the right side of the law, Tony gets increasingly mixed up in local gambling and criminal activities until a moment of violence puts him on the run from the law. Chicago Premiere

Comrade President Zimbabwe (Director: Mosco Kamwendo) – An inspiring portrait of Mozambique’s founding president, Comrade President traces the life and legacy of revolutionary leader Samora Moisés Machel. At the forefront of a popular uprising, Machel helped establish a fledgling government and continued fighting for justice until his suspicious death in 1986. With candid interviews from those who knew Machel best – including his opponents – this documentary examines the indelible legacy of a revolutionary hero. US Premiere

Grigris Chad (Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun) – Despite a paralyzed leg that keeps him on the fringes of society, Grigris comes alive at the local nightclub, tearing up the dance floor every night. When a relative’s hospital bills start piling up, Grigris must turn to the black market for work. After double-crossing his new boss in a desperate attempt at fast money, Grigris finds himself on the run in this sensitive depiction of a desperate, marginalized man by one of Africa’s most celebrated directors. Chicago Premiere

Imbabazi: The Pardon Rwanda (Director: Joel Karekezi) – Best friends Manzi and Karemera find themselves on opposing sides in Rwanda’s ethnic civil war, with Tutsi Karemera’s family paying a horrific price for Manzi’s allegiance to his Hutu heritage. When Manzi is released from prison fifteen years later, his return re-opens old wounds. Filmmaker Joel Karekezi draws from his own experience as a survivor of Rwanda’s violence in creating this moving account of two former friends who must contend with the unimaginable horrors in their past. Chicago Premiere

Malak Morocco (Director: Abdeslam Kelai) – When 16-year-old Malak discovers that she’s pregnant, she quickly finds herself alone in a community that marginalizes and mistreats single mothers. Abandoned by the baby’s father, shunned by her family, and in dire need of cash, Malak is forced to take desperate measures. An elegantly-photographed portrait of a young woman’s struggles, Malak garnered major awards at Morocco’s National Film Festival, including the Jury Prize, Best Screenplay, and Best Actress for its young star Chaimae Ben Acha. US Premiere

Mandela: A Long Walk To Freedom UK/South Africa (Director: Justin Chadwick) – Mandela: A 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 his country’s once segregated society. Idris Elba (Prometheus) stars as Nelson Mandela, and Naomie Harris (Skyfall) stars as Winnie Mandela, with Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) directing. Chicago Premiere

Of Good Report South Africa (Director: Jahmil X. T. Qubeka) – This modern day film noir tracks Parker, a shy high school teacher arriving at a new school. While he is earnest in his passion for teaching, his extra-curricular attentions are drawn to a gorgeous young woman. When he realizes she is a student at his very school-and forbidden fruit-he grows increasingly obsessed. When the girl goes missing, a female detective comes snooping around, fueling Parker’s unstable, even dangerous, behavior as she gets closer to the shocking truth. US Premiere

Something Necessary Kenya/Germany (Director: Judy Kibinge) – Anne struggles to rebuild her life after Kenya’s civil unrest has killed her husband, gravely injured her son, and left her isolated farm in ruins. Joseph, a quiet and troubled young gang member who took part in the countrywide violence, is drawn to Anne and her farm, seemingly in search of connection and redemption. This powerful story of forgiveness and reconciliation presents an intimate look at the aftermath of violence on both perpetrators and victims. US Premiere

Die Welt Netherlands/Tunisia (Director: Alex Pitstra) – In the summer of 2011, Tunisia is finally free of its dictatorial shackles, but 23-year-old Abdallah is still a slave to his mundane life, dreaming of an escape to Europe -or “die Welt”- to fulfill his dormant ambitions. Following a chance encounter with Dutch tourist Anna, Abdallah’s passion to reach the other side of the Mediterranean burns brighter than ever before, prompting a desperate gamble for escape in this at turns comic and heartbreaking story. Chicago Premiere

Yema Algeria (Director: Djamila Sahraoui) – In an isolated house on a drought-stricken mountainside, Ouardia must bury the body of her son Tarik, a victim of the civil conflict waging between the government and the fundamentalists. She suspects her other son, Ali, a mujahedeen fighter, has had a hand in the killing. And their mutual distrust is evidenced in the young soldier that Ali has sent to guard her. Beautifully capturing the expansive Algerian countryside this minimalist tale of a single family’s tragedy takes on mythic proportions. Chicago Premiere

Shorts 5 Spotlight Africa – From Earth’s Center – These award-winning African short films tell us stories rich with sympathy and symbolism, hailing from across the continent and beyond.

A Ghanaian family, lost in America, travels to a Louisiana church to find a cure for its problem child in Boneshaker(USA). A majestic drag queen descends into a breakdown in Nairobi’s iconic central station in Fluorescent Sin(Kenya). When two best friends photograph a gigantic fish leaping out of the sea, their small town blossoms into a tourist hot spot in Jonah (Tanzania/UK). In a township divided by an age-old feud, a boy falls in love with a girl from the other side of town in KanyeKanye (South Africa). An old man is getting ready to go to an important meeting in Siggil (France/Senegal). When a small boy catches her with her lover, Fatine must pay a terrible price in The Curse (Morocco, UK). Yellow Fever (Kenya/UK) reflects on the effects that globalization is having on the African woman’s understanding of beauty.

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6 Films Selected for “Views From Long Island” section at the 2013 Hamptons International Film Festival

BIG SHOT

Three features and three shorts have been selected for the “Views From Long Island” section at the 2013 Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF 2013). The “Views From Long Island” section focuses on local filmmakers, landscapes and issues. The films include “BIG SHOT”, “THE MAID’S ROOM” and “KISS THE WATER”.

BIG SHOT
Feature Documentary
Directed by Kevin Connolly, a native of Patchogue, NY, who starred as ‘E’ on the hit HBO show Entourage, BIG SHOT is a documentary about the rise and fall of the New York Islanders: how did one Texas millionaire dupe all of Long Island, as well as the NHL? Big Shot will premiere on October 22 on ESPN, as part of the network’s 30 for 30 series.

THE MAID’S ROOM
Feature Narrative; World Premiere
Starring Annabella Sciorra and Philip Ettinger, THE MAID’S ROOM is a haunting thriller about a young woman from Colombia who takes a job as a maid in a Hamptons home. Director Michael Walker (Price Check, Chasing Sleep) is a resident of Bellport, and the film takes place in the Hamptons.

KISS THE WATER
Feature Documentary
For decades, on the outskirts of Scotland, the enigmatic Megan Boyd learned and perfected the obscure craft of fly-making for fishermen. Her flies were hailed as some of the best ever made and have even been collected as folk art pieces. In his lyrical documentary KISS THE WATER, director Eric Steel, who grew up in Bridgehampton, captures the beauty and mysticism of Boyd and the art of fly-fishing.

MISS TODD
Director: Kristina Yee
New York Premiere

LOST THOUGHTS
Director: Jeff Scher
World Premiere

FOOL’S DAY
Director: Cody Blue Snider
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“THE IMMIGRANT” Starring Joaquin Phoenix is Opening Night Film of the 49th Chicago International Film Festival

THE IMMIGRANT, directed by James Gray, and starring Academy Award-winning actress Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner, has been selected as the Opening Night Film of the 49th Chicago International Film Festival which runs October 10 to October 24, 2013. The Opening Night Gala is dedicated to the late Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert, a long-time supporter and friend of the Festival.

About THE IMMIGRANT. 1921. In search of a new start and the American dream, Ewa Cybulski (Marion Cotillard) and her sister sail to New York from their native Poland. When they reach Ellis Island, doctors discover that Magda is ill, and the two women are separated. Ewa is released onto the mean streets of Manhattan while her sister is quarantined. Alone, with nowhere to turn and desperate to reunite with Magda, Ewa quickly falls prey to Bruno (Joaquin Phoenix), a charming but wicked man who takes her in and forces her into prostitution. The arrival of Orlando (Jeremy Renner) – a dashing stage magician who is also Bruno’s cousin – restores her self-belief and hopes for a brighter future, but she has not reckoned with Bruno’s jealousy.
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Heartland Unveils Film Festival Lineup; Opens With “GIMME SHELTER” Starring Vanessa Hudgens

“GIMME SHELTER” starring Vanessa Hudgens

The indie film “GIMME SHELTER” starring Vanessa Hudgens, will kick off the 22nd Heartland Film Festival which runs October 17 to October 26, 2013, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Centering on 16-year-old Agnes “Apple” Bailey, “GIMME SHELTER” uncovers the struggle for survival and the hope of redemption through the harsh realities of life on the streets of New Jersey. As a pregnant teenager, Apple’s journey plummets to perilous struggles until finding salvation in a suburban shelter for homeless pregnant teens. Based on the lives of actual homeless, pregnant young women, writer and director Ronald Krauss lived in the primary shelter one year prior to production writing the “Gimme Shelter” screenplay. In addition to the opening film, the Academy Award-qualifying festival within the Short Films category will feature a lineup including 134 independent films from 76 countries.

The festival will wrap on Saturday, October 26, with the Special Premiere of “THE BOOK THIEF”starring Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush, who will receive the Heartland Pioneering Spirit Award, and Sophie Nélisse who will receive the Heartland Pioneering Spirit: Rising Star Award and directed by Brian Percival, who will be honored with the Heartland Truly Moving Picture Award for the film.

Based on the beloved bestselling book, “The Book Thief” tells the inspirational story of a spirited and courageous young girl who transforms the lives of everyone around her when she is sent to live with a foster family in World War II Germany.

Narrative Feature ($50,000 Grand Prize)
“The Forgotten Kingdom”
“Hide Your Smiling Faces”
“Life Inside Out”
“This is Where We Live”
“When a Wolf Falls in Love with a Sheep”

Documentary Features ($50,000 Grand Prize)
“Barzan”
“Blood Brother”
“The Genius of Marian”
“Life According to Sam”
“The Network”

Narrative Short ($5,000 Grand Prize)
“The Amber Amulet”
“Liquidation”
“Rhino Full Throttle”
“Springtime”
“The Sweatshop”

Documentary Short ($5,000 Grand Prize)
“Atomic Dream”
“The Circle”
“Herd in Iceland”
“How the Light Gets In”
“Wrinkles of the City – La Havana”

Special presentations include:
“The Crash Reel”
“Gideon’s Army”
“Linsanity”
“Valentine Road”

World premiere titles include, but are not limited to:
“The Christmas Candle”
“Life Inside Out”
“Little Hope Was Arson”
“No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie”

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Thirteen Films to Compete in 49th Chicago International Film Festival LGBTQ Program

STRANGER BY THE LAKE directed by Alain Guiraudie

Thirteen films will compete for the inaugural Q-Hugo Film Award, the Festival’s recently rebranded LGBTQ program, at the 49th Chicago International Film Festival which runs October 10 to October 24, 2013. Films include the Chicago Premiere of the much buzzed French film STRANGER BY THE LAKE directed by Alain Guiraudie and the World Premiere of the Taiwanese film VOYAGE by director Scud.

OUT-Look Program

American Vagabond Finland/Denmark/USA (Director: Susanna Helke) – Growing up gay in a family and a community that refuse to accept him for who he is, James leaves his hometown for San Francisco. Moving with his boyfriend Tyler, James imagines easily finding a home in the world’s gay Mecca, but without jobs they end up living among the city’s sizable community of homeless queer youth. Both stylized and deeply personal, this moving documentary presents an intimate portrait of its subjects’ joys and struggles. North American Premiere.

Contracted USA (Director: Eric England) – When gorgeous lesbian Samantha has a drunken one night stand with a strange man, she contracts what she thinks is a sexually-transmitted disease. But the truth is far more disturbing. As her horrific condition worsens, her friends begin to fear for her… and themselves. A gory body-horror film in the vein of David Cronenberg, Contracted provides truly gut-wrenching, visceral terror. North American Premiere.

Floating Skyscrapers Poland (Director: Tomasz Wasilewski) – When the self-assured Kuba, a promising swimmer who lives with his gorgeous girlfriend, meets shy young student Michal, he finds himself falling in love. But his family’s overwhelmingly negative response to his new relationship compounds his own deep-seated internal conflicts and insecurities. Kuba attempts to find peace and fulfillment while keeping one foot in the closet in this moving depiction of the psychic turmoil wrought by homophobia. Chicago Premiere.

Illiterate Chile (Director: Moisés Sepúlveda) – For fifty years, Ximena has managed to get by without being able to read. When Jackeline, a young unemployed teacher, comes into her life, Ximena’s isolation is disturbed. Jackeline’s efforts to teach Ximena how to read prove almost Herculean as they clash, but it soon becomes evident that the two women need each other in ways they could never predict. Mesmerizing performances drive this intimate, engrossing chamber drama about learning and acceptance. North American Premiere.

In The Name Of … Poland (Director: Malgoska Szumowska) – Catholic priest Adam works at a home for troubled boys in the isolated Polish countryside. Deeply committed to the Church, Adam’s convictions are thrown into turmoil when his close bond with a young teen named Łukasz forces his repressed homosexuality to the surface. Desperate to keep his secret but increasingly confronted by his desires, Adam must face who he is and who he has chosen to be in this humane, nonjudgmental portrait of an earnest priest in conflict. Chicago Premiere.

It’s All So Quiet Netherlands/Germany (Director: Nanouk Leopold) – Stifled by his ailing father’s oppressive presence, Helmer moves him to the second floor of their isolated rural farmhouse. Free from his father’s judgmental gaze, Helmer finds himself developing increasingly warm relationships with the milk truck driver and an attractive young farmhand who moves into the house. Helmer quietly acquires a newfound self-confidence and openness towards his own sexuality in this gorgeously acted, intricately plotted film. Chicago Premiere.

Kill Your Darlings USA (Director: John Krokidas) – For dutiful son Allen Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe), Columbia University is Mecca-a portal to art, intellect, culture, and freedom-everything hometown Patterson, New Jersey is not. When Allen is accepted into Columbia, his father Louis (David Cross), a working-class poet, urges him to leave his emotionally ill mother Naomi (Jennifer Jason Leigh) behind and head to New York to go pursue his own creative dreams. Chicago Premiere.

The Nun France/Germany/Belgium (Director: Guillaume Nicloux) – Forced to join a convent against her will at 16, Suzanne describes, in a series of letters written in secret, her yearnings for freedom and her persecution and mistreatment at the hands of her fellow nuns – including Isabelle Huppert in an electrifying performance as her Mother Superior. Her tragic life of suffering and her confrontations with hypocritical church authorities are chronicled with raw, powerful emotion in this moving adaptation of Denis Diderot’s treasured novel. Chicago Premiere.

Snails In The Rain Israel (Director: Yariv Mozer) – In the summer of 1989, beautiful yet melancholy linguistics student Boaz finds his quiet life with his devoted girlfriend Noa derailed when he begins receiving amorous letters from a closeted secret male admirer. Both flattered and troubled, Boaz is thrown into a profound internal conflict, questioning his own sexuality and alienating Noa in this tender, affecting drama.

Stockholm Stories Sweden (Director: Karin Fahlén) – The lives of five seemingly unrelated lost souls intertwine in Sweden’s chilly capital in this delicate and wryly funny ensemble film. A precocious yet untalented young writer, a friendless advertising genius, a tight-lipped workaholic, a shy upper-class boy with a secret crush, and a recently dumped young woman all come to realize hard truths about love and life over the course of several days. World Premiere.

Stranger By The Lake France (Director: Alain Guiraudie) – In a secluded cruising spot tucked away on a picturesque lake, Franck notices the muscular Michel and quickly falls for him. Franck’s desire continues to grow even as he witnesses Michel commit a terrible, violent act. Aware of the potential danger, possibly even excited by it, Franck indulges his passion in this brilliantly observed, sharply insightful meditation on sex and desire that was awarded a directing prize at Cannes. Chicago Premiere.

Voyage Hong Kong (Director: Scud) – Young psychiatrist Ryo attempts to find catharsis by ruminating on the stories of his patients who have taken their own lives. While on a lone voyage off the coast of Southeast Asia, he writes about each patient, the film staging each of these vignettes in a beautiful surrealist landscape. As Ryo tries to find solace, he realizes that life and death are both part of the same great journey in this surprisingly playful meditation on depression. World Premiere.

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Taiwan (Director: Arvin Chen) – Introvert Weichung’s measured life as a family man is shaken up when a chance encounter revives feelings from his long suppressed gay past, forcing him to choose between love and security. Meanwhile, his sister, engaged to the nicest of men, begins to question her own desire for conventional family life. Fantastical flourishes and a sunny musical score color this bittersweet romantic comedy that is at once wise and funny in its exploration of formal notions of family, sexuality, and friendship. Chicago Premiere.
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Urbanworld Film Festival Opens With Premiere of BAGGAGE CLAIM

Rickey Smiley, Derek Luke, Jill Scott, Paula Patton and David E. Talbert at the Urbanworld Opening Night screening of Baggage Claim

The 17th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival kicked off last night, Thursday, September 19, 2013, with the premiere of the romantic comedy BAGGAGE CLAIM at the SVA Theater in Manhattan. Director David E. Talbert along with cast members Paula Patton, Derek Luke, Jill Scott, Jenifer Lewis and Rickey Smiley all attended the premiere. Urbanworld runs through Sunday, September 22, 2013.
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Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Unveils 2013 Lineup; Open with FREE RIDE and Closes with WALKING WITH THE ENEMY

Mark Schmidt’s WALKING WITH THE ENEMY

Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLiFF) revealed the official line-up of over 175 American Independent films and World Cinema for the 28th annual event, October 18 to November 11, 2013. The festival opens on October 18 with the Southeast Premiere of FREE RIDE.   Actress, Anna Paquin, who won the Oscar® for her role in The Piano and writer/director, Shana Betz, will be in attendance.  Free Ride is Betz directorial debut and is based on her childhood in Fort Lauderdale. October 18 also happens to be her birthday. In Free Ride, Paquin stars as a single mom caught up in the Florida drug trade during the late 1970s while trying to make a better life for her two girls.

FLiFF’s Centerpiece Film (on November 5) is the Florida Premiere of the sophisticated comedy GARIBALDI’S LOVERS, an entry from Italy-Switzerland.  The contemporary love story is a vibrant ride through a magical vision of metropolitan Italy, while at the same time casting a critical eye on modern life in the city. Widowed plumber Leo is struggling to deal with the growing pains of his two adolescent children, when his life intersects with penniless artist Diana and her eccentric landlord Amanzio. Through a hilarious series of coincidences, they give each other new hope for their futures – and for the city itself, so emblematic of our times.

FLiFF’s Closing Night Film on November 10 is the Southeast Premiere of Mark Schmidt’s WALKING WITH THE ENEMY, an unforgettable film of love, war, and sacrifice, which is sure to inspire and touch audiences. Starring Hannah Tointon and Jonas Armstrong, who are expected to attend, Walking with the Enemy is based on a true story and heroic life of a young man swept up in the horrors of WWII. Separated from his family during the German invasion and occupation of Hungary, he is determined to find them and be reunited. Aided by the woman he loves, he disguises himself as a Nazi SS Officer and uncovers the truth of Hitler’s ‘final solution.’ In a race against time to save his family and thousands of others, he embarks on a journey filled with suspense and danger.

FLiFF will honor Anna Paquin, star of Free Ride, and Lea Thompson,star of The Trouble with the Truth, with Career Achievement Awards at the screening of their films. Tab Hunter, Ed Asner and Ann-Margret will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at special events paying tribute to their luminary careers in film. This year the Star on the Horizon Award will be presented to two incredibly talented actors, Hannah Tointon and Jonas Armstrong, who star in FLiFF’s closing night film. The FLiFF 2013 Vision Award will be presented to Ben Stassen, director ofAfrican Safari 3-D.

Some of the highlighted features this year include: John Well’s  August: Osage County featuring an all-star cast including: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Sam Shepard and Misty Upham. From the director of The Devil Wears Prada, Dave Frankel’s British comedy One Chance; The Florida Premieres of Mike Newell’s Great Expectations starring Jeremy Irvine, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter; From the director of Don Juan De Marco, Jeremy Levin, and the producers of the Academy Award winning movie, The Lives of Others, comes this charming and fun-filled romantic comedy Girl On A Bicycle.  John Turteltaub’s Last Vegas starring four legends like you’ve never seen them before. Academy Award®-winners Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline portray childhood friends who relive their glory days when they throw a bachelor party in Las Vegas for their last remaining single. Justin Chadwick’s Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom based on South African President Nelson Mandela’s autobiography; Alexander Payne’s adventure of a father and son traveling Nebraska stars Bruce Dern, Will Forte, Bob Odenkirk and June Squibb; and Jim Hemphill’s feature The Trouble With Truth starring Lea Thompson.

World Premieres include (30): Arthur Luhn’s feature House Across The Street starring Eric Roberts (USA), Matthew White’s documentary The Upside Down Book(U.S./Germany/France), Jon Sumple’s fascinating extraterrestrial doc extraordinary:the stan romanek story, Kenneth Shapiro’s The Making of Great Voices Sing John Denver(USA), Gus Cantavero’s documentary A Drop of Water (Cambodia), Juana M. Frias’ short film 9 Birthdays (USA), Lisa Resnik’s short film 95 Decibels (USA), Marcus Wolf ‘s short film Abduction: A Love Story (USA), Scott Ross’ and Karl Beyer’s short film The Burning House (USA), Brian Bayerl’s short film The Case (USA-Japan), Aneel Ahmad Checkpost (Pakistan), Samuel and Luke Willis’ short film Freefall (USA), Rick Santese’ short film Forever (USA), Larelle Bossi’s short film The Game(Australia), Joe Pisciotta’s short film Human Nature (USA), H.W. Moss’ short film The Injuries to Tim Dale (USA), Maritza De Quesada’s short film I’d Rather Be Crazy Than Boring South Florida director, Jayce Bartok’s short film Jack and Paul (USA), Alyn Darnay’s feature Krissy Belle (USA-Florida), Mike Glier’s thriller The Last Hit(USA-Snshine Celluloid), John Rhee’s short film Letters (USA), Jon Bougher’s short documentary Mozayik (Haiti), Kareem Mortimer’s short film Passage (Bahamas), Thierry de Coster’s short film Prrreüte (Belgium), Chris Shimojima’s short film Pura Vida (Costa Rica), Neil Golin’s feature Run, Stinky, Run (USA-Florida), Amy French’s short film Side Effects of Barry (USA),  Keary T. Cunningham’s short film Sleep: The Movie (Florida), Marcus Wolf’s short film Sock Monkey Stories (USA), Stéphane Everaert’s and Frédéric Mosbeux’s short film Stock Exchange (Belgium).

U.S. Premieres include (18): Ben Stassen’s ride of your life African Safari 3-D, ThierryGaytan’s documentary The Cocaine Route (Columbia/France), Darisha Beresford’s short film The Cutlass (Trinidad and Tobago), Pourya Azarbaijany’s feature Everything is Fine (Iran), Nathaniel Prince Lewis’ short film Frapper Avec Amour (The Bahamas), Andrzej Jakimowski’s feature The Geographer Drank His Globe Away (Poland), Sherese Robinson Lee’s short film If I Were A Bell (USA), Andrzej Jakimowski’sImagine (Poland), Natasha Merkulova’s and Alexey Chupov’s feature Intimate Parts(Russia), Agnes Obadia’s feature Josephine, Single & Fabulous (France), Josh Tanner’s short film The Landing (Australia), Christopher Payne’s feature Love Tomorrow starring English National Ballet Principal Cuban born Arionel Vargas (UK), Momcilo Mrdakovic’s comedy Mamarosh (Serbia/Germany/Hungary), Johnny Vong’s short film The Marvelous Girl (Canada), Charles Wilkinson’s documentary Oil Sands Karaoke (Canada), Mark Lobatto’s short film Silent Treatment (UK), Antonin Svoboda’s docu-drama The Strange Case of Wilhelm Reich (Austria), Laurent Tuel’s feature Tour de Force (France).

East Coast Premieres include (21): Richard E. Stark’s short film 30-Love,   Miranda Bailey’s short film Another Happy Anniversary , Stephen Cone’s feature Black Box(Russia), Alexey Fedorchenko’s feature Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari(Russia), Norry Niven’s enchanting love store Chasing Shakespeare starring Danny Glover (USA) , Zak Forsman ‘s crime-thriller Down and Dangerous  starring Judd Nelson (USA-Mexico), Gabriel Ochoa’s comedy El Amor No Es Lo Que Era (Love’s Not What it Used to Be/Spain), Mary Lambert’s documentary Fishing Pono: Living In Harmony with the Sea (Moloka’i Kaua’i, Hawai’i), Jerod Ra’Del Hollyfield, short film,Goodfriends (USA), Kim Noonan’s short film Heavy, Monty Miranda’s crime mysteryThe Insomniac starring John Heard, and Danny Trejo (USA), Matteo Pellegrini’s comedy Italian Movies (Italy), de la Vega’s short film Left (USA), Ronnie Cramer’s short film Living Legend, Alexandre Castagnetti’s romance feature Love is in The Air(Amour & Turbulences/France), Christina Hadjicharalambous’ & Radoslav Pavkovic’s comedy Loveless Zoritsa (Serbia-Poland-Cyprus-Greece), Ashley Pegg’s short film,Reflections (UK), Caddie Hastings’ & Ben Kopke’s short film Reunion, Akil DuPont’s short film Silhouettes (Florida), Staten Cousins-Roe’s short film, This Way Out (UK), Lydia B. Smith’s documentary Walking The Camino: Six Ways to Santiago (USA-Spain-France).

With Free Ride and Walking With the Enemy, Southeast Premieres include (7): Jerome Bonnell’s feature Just a Sigh starring Emanuelle Devos and Gabriel Byrn (France),  Antonio Piazza’s feature Salvo (Italy), Paolo Virzì’s feature Tutti Santi Giorni (Every Blessed Day/Italy), Anne-Marie Etienne’s feature Under The Fig Tree(Sous le figuier/France), Richard Trank’s docu-drama The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers with voice overs Sandra Bullock as Golda Meir, Michael Douglas as Yitzhak Rabin, Leonard Nimoy as Levi Eshkol, Christoph Waltz as Menachem Begin (Israel).

Documentaries include: Emmy winning Producer/Director, Robyn Symon’s Behind the Blue Veil, is the first exclusive look behind the crisis in the Sahara and exposes the government corruption and neglect of an indigenous people who may be the best hope for defeating Islamic radicals in the region. Tim Phillips’ Lion Ark is a vivid behind the scenes account of the world’s ambitious animal rescue ever undertaken.  Matthew VanDyke’s Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution features the story of the Syrian struggle for freedom. Danny Holguin & Juan Carlos Echeverria’s Interrupted Destinies (Destinos Interrumpidos) after 26 years, two men discover they were switched at birth. Samantha Grant’s A Fragile Trust tells the shocking story of Jayson Blair, the most infamous serial plagiarist of our time. Liam K. Smith’s Ian Harvie Superhero showcases the gender-bending comedian in his first stand-up comedy concert film.

Returning feature filmmakers include: Isaak James with his feature By Way of Homeabout family, friendship, love and the elusive American dream and Paul Osborne with his thriller Favor.

Films with local color include: Brit Primask’s documentary Taking Charge: The Pauly Cohen Story about big band era trumpeter who, at 91, has his own big band in South Florida; Daniel Griffith’s film They Came From The Swamp: The Films Of William Grefé relives the classic drive-in flicks, like Stanley and Mako: The Jaws of Death, by the Miami-born writer/director/producer; George Schellenger’s and marine wildlife artist and conservationist, Guy Harvey’s remarkable adventure documentary Tiger Shark Express.

FLiFF’s last day, November 11, salutes our veterans and active duty service men and women with free admission to screenings, including the Florida Premiere of theUnclaimed. This documentary, about a missing U.S. Serviceman who was discovered living in Vietnam decades after the war, will be preceded by two veteran themed short films, The Case and The Letter.
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London’s EAST END FILM FESTIVAL Sets 2014 Dates | TRAILER

Sebastian Hoffman’s HALLEY winner of EEFF’s Best Feature award in 2013

London’s EAST END FILM FESTIVAL (EEFF) will return next summer; the 13th edition of the festival will open on Friday 13th June 2014,and will run for 13 days, closing on Wednesday 25th June 2014. According to the festival. the shift in dates strengthens the partnership with Sheffield Doc/Fest, which closes Thursday 12th June, one day before EEFF’s opening night. As in previous years, both festivals will share a selection of films, and EEFF will run the East End Bar at Doc/Fest.

Mexican filmmaker Sebastian Hoffman, whose debut feature HALLEY won EEFF’s Best Feature award in 2013, has been invited back to east London in 2014 as the festival’s Director In Residence. He will work alongside the EEFF programming team to co-curate a focus on the new wave in Mexican cinema.

http://youtu.be/F8ta97g6Szk
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