Film Festivals

7 Films Selected to Compete in 28th Venice International Film Critics’ Week

L’Armée du salut (SALVATION ARMY) by Abdellah Taïa

Nine films, including seven in competition, have been selected for the 28th Venice International Film Critics’ Week, August 28 through Sept. 7, 2013. The seven films in competition are eligible for two awards – RaroVideo Audience Award and the USD$100,000 Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Award for a Debut Film. The week of screenings will open with world premiere of the Italian film L’arte della felicità (THE ART OF HAPPINESS) by Alessandro Rak and close with International Premiere of the Chilean film Las analfabetas (ILLITERATE) by Moisés Sepúlveda.

The seven films in competition:

L’Armée du salut (SALVATION ARMY)
by Abdellah Taïa
France-Morocco, 2013 – World Premiere

Cast: Said Mrini (young Abdellah), Karim Ait M’hand (adult Abdellah), Amine Ennaji (Slimane).

In Casablanca, the young Abdellah spends his days at home, living a relationship of conflicts and complicity with his father. In the city streets, he has occasional sexual intercourse with men. During a holiday, his older and venerated brother Slimane abandons him. Ten years later Abdellah lives with his Swiss lover, Jean. He leaves Morocco and goes to Geneva, where he decides to break up and to start a new life alone. He takes shelter in a house of the Salvation Army, where a Moroccan man sings a song of his idol Abdel Halim Hafez for him.

Återträffen (THE REUNION)
by Anna Odell
Sweden, 2013 – World Premiere

Cast: Anna Odell.

Swedish artist Anna Odell invites us to a grim class reunion with a twist. What happens when old hierarchies and truths are questioned from an unexpected voice? This film investigates how far, too far reality is. It traverses the border between fiction and reality with Odell playing the main character, using her own identity and life story to go into unspoken and invisible hierarchical structure. By processing the story in multiple layers, the complexity of power and exclusion is revealed and the dynamics of the group is exposed.

Las Niñas Quispe (THE QUISPE GIRLS)
by Sebastián Sepúlveda
France-Argentina, 2013 – World Premiere

Cast: Digna Quispe (Justa), Catalina Saavedra (Lucía), Francisca Gavilán (Luciana), Alfredo Castro (Fernando).

Based on a true story occurred in 1974, this is the tale of sisters Justa, Lucia, and Luciana Quispe, sheperds in the Chilean altiplano who lead a solitary life. A visitor brings news about a law that might change their way of living. This event forces the women to question their existence and relentlessly brings them to a tragic end.

Razredni sovražnik (CLASS ENEMY)
by Rok Biček
Slovenia, 2013 – World Premiere

Cast: Igor Samobor (Robert), Nataša Barbara Gračner (Zdenka), Tjaša Železnik (Saša), Maša Derganc (Nuša), Robert Prebil (Matiaž), Voranc Boh (Luka), Jan Zupančič (Tadej), Daša Cupevski (Sabina).

Due to a huge difference in the way they perceive life, the relationship between the students and their new German language teacher becomes critically tense. When one of the students commits suicide, her classmates accuse the teacher of being responsible for her death. The realisation that things are not so black and white comes too late.

WHITE SHADOW
by Noaz Deshe
Germany-Tanzania, 2013 – World Premiere

Cast: Hamis Bazili (Alias), James Gayo (Kosmos), Glory Madgalena Cyril Mbaywayu (Antoinette), Salum Abdallah (Salum), Tito David Ntanga (Father), Riziki Ally (Mother), James D. Salala (Adin), John Samuel Makipunda (Anulla).

Since 2008, albinos in Tanzania have become human targets. Witch doctors offer huge sums of cash for their body parts to be used in magic potions. From 2008 to 2010, more than 200 witch-doctor inspired murders occurred. As a local saying goes: “Albinos do not die, they just disappear.” This is the story of Alias, an albino boy on the run. After his father’s murder, his mother sends him to the city. His uncle Kosmos, a truck driver, takes care of him. Alias learns fast in the city, selling sunglasses, DVDs, and mobile phones. He is attracted to Antoinette, his uncle’s daughter, but her father totally disapproves. However, Alias will soon be noticed for the color of his skin.

Zoran, il mio nipote scemo (ZORAN, MY NEPHEW THE IDIOT)
by Matteo Oleotto
Italy-Slovenia, 2013 – World Premiere

Cast: Giuseppe Battiston (Paolo), Teco Celio (Gustino), Rok Presnikar (Zoran), Marjuta Slamic (Stefania), Roberto Citran (Alfio), Riccardo Maranzana (Ernesto), Jan Cvitokovic (Jure), Ariella Reggio (Clara).

Paolo, 40 years old, lives in a small Friulian town close to the north-eastern border. Unreliable and with a passion for good wine, he spends his days at the local tavern and stubbornly stalks his ex-wife. One day, unexpectedly, he meets his nephew Zoran, an awkward 16-year-old boy grown up in the Slovenian mountains. Reluctantly, Paolo has to take care of him, but he soon discovers Zoran’s bizarre gift: he is phenomenal master of darts. Paolo thinks this is the right chance to take revenge on the world. But will everything be so easy?

Surprise Film

Opening Film – Special Event Out of Competition
L’arte della felicità (THE ART OF HAPPINESS)
by Alessandro Rak
Italy, 2013 – World Premiere

Two brothers. Two continents. Two lives. One single soul. Under a gloomy sky, between apocalyptic premonitions in a Naples at its utmost decay, Sergio, a taxi driver, receives a shocking news. Nothing will be the same as before. Now Sergio looks himself in the mirror and what he sees is a forty-year-old man who has turned his back on music and got lost in the limbo of his city. While a storm is raging outside, a crowd of memories, hopes, regrets and presences begins to populate his cab. Sooner or later the rain will stop and the sky will open up again. And the end will come. Or the music will be back.

Closing Film – Special Event Out of Competition
Las analfabetas (ILLITERATE)
by Moisés Sepúlveda
Chile, 2013 – International Premiere

Cast: Paulina García (Ximena), Valentina Muhr (Jackeline).

50-year-old Ximena has learned to live on her own to keep her illiteracy as a secret. 26-year-old Jackeline, an unemployed teacher, offers to read the news for her. The young woman soon tries to teach her reading, but this new task looks quite complicated. One day, Jackeline finds a letter that Ximena has been keeping as her only treasure: a message her father had left before abandoning her many years before. Due to this mystery, the two women embarks in a learning process in which the role of the teacher and that of the student will continuously reverse.
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Paul Schrader, Shekhar Kapur Among 70 Filmmakers to Make Short Films to Celebrate 70th Venice International Film Festival

Director Paul Schrader at 44th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

Paul Schrader, Shekhar Kapur, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul are amont 70 movie directors from all over the world invited to make a short film lasting between 60 and 90 seconds, for a special project, Venezia 70 – Future Reloaded, in celebration of the 70th Venice International Film Festival (August 28 – September 7, 2013).

The invitation has been accepted by what the festival describes as “great maestros, well-known directors, and young filmmakers of recognized talent.” All have participated at the Venice Film Festival at least once over the past twenty years. All the shorts will be given a first public screening at the Lido during the 70th Venice International Film Festival.

Bernardo Bertolucci, Paul Schrader, Shekhar Kapur, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Abbas Kiarostami, Monte Hellman and Walter Salles are just a few of the great filmmakers who have agreed to contribute to Future Reloaded.
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“IT’S ALL SO QUIET” “BORN THIS WAY” “REACHING FOR THE MOON” “BRIDEGROOM” Among 2013 Outfest LA Winners

IT’S ALL SO QUIET, directed by Nanouk Leopold

Outfest Los Angeles wrapped its 31st festival and awarded IT’S ALL SO QUIET, directed by Nanouk Leopold the Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film, and BORN THIS WAY, directed by Shaun Kadlec and Deb Tullman won the Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film. The Audience on the other hand picked REACHING FOR THE MOON, directed by Bruno Barreto with the Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Feature Film and BRIDEGROOM, directed by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason won the Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film.

Nanouk Leopold’s IT’S ALL SO QUIET takes place on an isolated Dutch farm overseen by a lonely man named Helmer. Forced to look after the land and to tend to his ailing father, Helmer has long accepted pain and solitude as inevitable aspects of life. But his weary soul gets a lift when a farmhand arrives one afternoon looking for work. The young man awakens feelings in Helmer that prompt him, for the first time in years, to reconsider his self-inflicted isolation.

BORN THIS WAY, directed by Shaun Kadlec and Deb Tullman

The documentary BORN THIS WAY had its premiere at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival. Shot in Cameroon, where homosexuality is punishable with a five-year prison sentence, the film observes Gertrude, a young lesbian, as she hesitantly comes out to the nun who raised her in a convent. Meanwhile, Cedric, a young gay man, is determined to stay in his home even as his neighbors escalate their violent threats. From their base in an HIV treatment center, these two brave souls risk life and liberty to create positive momentum for LGBT rights, even as they face overwhelming personal struggles.

REACHING FOR THE MOON, winner of Best Feature Film at 2013 Frameline, is described as a steamy tale of an unlikely romance between two extraordinary lesbian artists, set against the backdrop of political upheaval and a clash of cultures. Grappling with writer’s block, legendary American poet Elizabeth Bishop (Miranda Otto) travels to 1950s Rio de Janeiro to visit her college friend, Mary (Tracy Middendorf). Hoping to find inspiration on Mary’s sprawling estate, Elizabeth winds up with much more — a tempestuous relationship with Mary’s bohemian partner, architect Lota de Macedo Soares (Glória Pires), that rocks the staid writer to her foundation. Alcoholism, geographical distance and a military coup come between the lovers, but their intimate connection would span decades and forever impact the life and work of these two extraordinary artists. The attraction of two polar-opposite women has rarely been so volatile and so erotically charged on the big screen.

In BRIDEGROOM, which won the Heineken Audience Award at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival, director Linda Bloodworth Thomason (“Designing Women”) navigates the romantic highs of Tom and Shane’s relationship – until tragedy strikes. Immediately after, Tom’s conservative parents block Shane off from all contact, refusing to let Shane attend Tom’s funeral. But instead of conceding, Shane vows to tell his and Tom’s love story to the world. First on Youtube, his video “It Could Happen to You” attracted 3.4 million views. Now, as a remarkable, heart-felt feature about love, loss and the courage to stand up for same-sex equality, Shane’s story has taken the nation by storm.

The complete list of awards for 2013 Outfest

Special Programming Awards

Special Programming Award for Freedom
DEEPSOUTH, Directed by Lisa Biagiotti

Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement
ANIMALS, Directed by Marçal Forés

Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent
Diego Ruiz, Writer/Director/Actor, IGLOO

Audience Awards

Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film
FACING FEAR, Directed by Jason Cohen

Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film
WINI + GEORGE, Directed by Benjamin Monie

Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film
BRIDEGROOM, Directed by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Feature Film
REACHING FOR THE MOON, Directed by Bruno Barreto

Audience Award for Outstanding First U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
GEOGRAPHY CLUB, Directed by Gary Entin

Jury Awards

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Experimental Short Film
SHE GONE ROGUE, Directed by Zackary Drucker and Rhys Ernst

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film
PERFORMING GIRL, Directed by Crescent Diamond

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film
GOING SOUTH, Directed Leesong Hee-il

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film
BORN THIS WAY, Directed by Shaun Kadlec and Deb Tullman

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film
IT’S ALL SO QUIET, Directed by Nanouk Leopold

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film
Guinevere Turner, WHO’S AFRAID OF VAGINA WOLF?

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film
Bill Heck and Marcus DeAnda, PIT STOP (tie)

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting
Chris Mason Johnson, TEST

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
TEST, Directed by Chris Mason Johnson

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Actress Jessica Chastain Honored at 2013 Giffoni Film Festival

Actress Jessica Chastain was honored at the 2013 Giffoni Film Festival with ‘Giffoni Experience Award’ dedicated to international guest stars. The Giffoni Film Festival located in Giffoni Valle Piana in Campania, Southern Italy, is considered the largest children’s film festival in Europe.

Jessica Chastain was nominated for an Academy® Award for her performance in the 2011 critically-acclaimed drama The Help and stars opposite Golden Globe®-nominee James McAvoy in Myriad Pictures’ double-feature film project, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY: HIM and THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY: HER. Ned Benson (In Defiance of Gravity) wrote the two scripts and will direct both films.

The love story explores how a married couple in New York City deals with an emotional, life-altering experience, from the two different perspectives of the husband, Conor, (McAvoy), a restaurant owner, and of the wife, Eleanor, (Chastain), who goes back to college. Cassandra Kulukundis (A Late Quartet, In Defiance of Gravity) is producing. Kulukundis is also casting director (There Will Be Blood, Shattered Glass)

The film will be released on September 13, 2013.
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UK’s Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival Returns for 2013 with a ‘Swiss Focus’

Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival, the longest running competitive short film and animation festival in the UK returns to Bristol from September 17-22, 2013. This year the festival has announced a Swiss Focus in partnership with Swiss Films and Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, highlighting today’s hottest Swiss film and animation exports. The showcase includes ‘God You’re So Square’, curated by Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, which breaks down the conventional image of the Swiss psyche (efficient, boring, predictable) by exploring dysfunctional males who are struggling to find their place in society and the film THE LIVING ALSO CRY by Basil da Cunha, who recently presented his first feature at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.

The gala event of the Focus invites Franz Treichler, founder of legendary Swiss band The Young Gods, to perform a specially designed soundtrack for an overview of experimental films of the 20th century. Based on the instigators of the Dada Movement (Hans Richter, Man Ray), its self-proclaimed heirs of the 1960s and more recent experimental films, this will be the UK premiere performance of ‘Franz Treichler Plays Dada’. Treichler, who is also confirmed for the Brief Encounters International Jury, draws on rich experimentation from the music he has created over 20 years for cinema.

Franz Treichler explains; “This soundtrack takes us from Man Ray to Fluxus, to Jean Painlevé, Stan Brackage and Martin Arnold. A soundtrack for a selection of pioneers of the genre movies, focused on originality since a large part of creation is left to improvisation.”

Also at the Arnolfini, Swiss artist Yves Netzhammer will be creating an installation of his short film trilogy. Meanwhile, the Encounters Filmmaker Focus will be on Marie-Elsa Sgualdo, whose short fiction film You Can’t Do Everything At Once, But You Can Leave Everything At Once, inspired by the work of Spanish filmmaker José-Luis Guerin, also screened at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.

A free-entry Pop-Up Cine Chalet will be open for the whole week in The Parlour Showrooms. Far from a nostalgic trip through idyllic mountain pastures, it will screen works such as the feature documentary Image Problem, which pokes fun at perceptions of the Swiss national identity, and The Lonely Pioneers, which traces The Young Gods’ history from the beginnings in 1985 up until today.

Encounters Managing Director Liz Harkman says; “We’re delighted to be working with our international partners for this programme, which will delve into the current artistic and cultural output of Switzerland in order to show the many contemporary faces of this nation”.

Marcel Müller, Project Leader for Swiss Films says; “It is a great privilege for us to be guest of honour at the festival this year. Preparing the Swiss attendance in collaboration with the Encounters team has been very exciting. And it will be even more exciting to see the results live, introducing the audience to the variety of creation in Swiss shorts, ranging from fictional works to sound and visual installation, from animation to filmic essays.”
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Durban International Film Festival Opening Night Film Screening of “OF GOOD REPORT” Canceled; Government Refuses to Allow Sreening

As we reported earlier, the World Premiere “OF GOOD REPORT” from South African director Jahmil XT Qubeka was scheduled to open the 34th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), in Durban, South Africa, on Thursday, July 18, 2013. However, just before the festival was scheduled to begin, the filmmakers tweeted that the opening night film screening had to be canceled at the last minute after the South African government Film and Publication Board effectively censored the film. Instead an image was displayed on the screen that read, “This film has been refused classification by the Film and Publication Board, in terms of the Film and Publications Act of 1996. Unfortunately we may not legally screen the film, Of Good Report, as doing so would constitute a criminal offense.”

This didn’t go over too well with the filmmakers, who tweeted

@diffest opening film @ofgoodreportogr has been cancelled by the South African Film and Publications board. Full press release to follow.
— Of Good Report (@OfGoodReportOGR) July 18, 2013

“Unfortunately, the film and publication board has refused to allow the release of OF GOOD REPORT. According to their communication to the festival, the film contains a scene, which constitutes child pornography, and we are unable to legally show the film. I am very sorry about this,” said Durban International Film Festival manager Peter Machen.

Some more twitter feedback

“This is unconstitutional and we will fight it! On Mandela’s birthday we’ve returned to the dark days of apartheid censorship” – Producer
— Of Good Report (@OfGoodReportOGR) July 18, 2013

I’ve seen #OfGoodReport. There was nothing that hasn’t been shown before. Can’t believe it was censored for child pornography @DIFFest
— Dylan Bosman (@DylanBosman) July 18, 2013

DAMN! The whole cast and crew in the brink of tears. Emotions running rampant right now. #DIFF #OfGoodReport
— Khetha Mkhize (@Khetha) July 18, 2013

“This is unconstitutional and we will fight it! On Mandela’s birthday we’ve returned to the dark days of apartheid censorship” – Producer
— Of Good Report (@OfGoodReportOGR) July 18, 2013

OF GOOD REPORT is described as “a passionate homage to classic film noir”, tells the somber tale of a small-town high-school teacher with a penchant for young girls.”

The trouble for Parker Sithole (Mothusi Magano) begins when he accepts an invitation to a drinking session at the local tavern. Here, he meets the undeniably gorgeous Nolitha Ngubane (Petronella Tshuma). Captivated by her beauty, Parker experiences an ecstasy he’s never known before and truly feels like a man reborn. From this mutual attraction, an illicit affair ensues. However, there ’s just one problem: the beautiful Nolitha is one of Parker’s pupils and just sixteen years old. Parker quickly spirals into a deep obsession that ultimately turns to a tragedy.

Six months later, the sociopathic Parker has moved on from his previous job. Trudging along the barren landscape, he stumbles upon an opportunity for a fresh start. According to a caption on an old strewn newspaper, there is a shortage of teachers in Zimbabwe. A qualified educator like him shouldn’t struggle to find a post; after all, he does come ‘of good report’.

In Qubeka’s words, Of Good Report, “is a serial killer origins story about how a social misfit turns into an inadequate man hell-bent on satisfying his shameful lust. It is Little Red Riding Hood, told from the wolf’s perspective.”

DIFF manager, Peter Machen said the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as the organizing body of the Durban International Film Festival would appeal and he hoped it could still be screened before the festival ends on July 28.

image via instagram.com/makhulu_
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Woodstock Film Festival Unveils Official 2013 Poster

Woodstock Film Festival unveiled its official 2013 poster art, painted by artist Scott Michael Ackerman. This year’s festival will be held October 2-6 in the arts colony of Woodstock, NY and across the Hudson Valley region, including the historic towns of Kingston, Rhinebeck, Rosendale, and Saugerties.

“I’ve had the pleasure of having my work exhibited in the filmmaker lounge at the Colony Café during the past two Woodstock Film Festivals,” said artist Scott Michael Ackerman. ” Last year, Timothy Hutton bought two of my pieces. That was a real thrill, but it doesn’t top being asked to do the 2013 WFF poster. The painting symbolizes the blossoming of life and reawakening. It’s my hope that it’s an appropriate metaphor for the blossoming that results from all the amazing filmmakers and talent who manifest the creative, fiercely independent spirit that has come to symbolize the Woodstock Film Festival.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Scott onto our roster of artists” said Meira Blaustein, co-founder & executive director of the Woodstock Film Festival. “The vibrancy, boldness, raw talent and passion that flow from each of his paintings are emblematic of the fiercely independent spirit of the Woodstock Film Festival and of the innovative, passionate and thought provoking filmmakers it supports.”
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“I HATE MYSELF :)” to World Premiere at NYC’s Rooftop Films

I HATE MYSELF 🙂 directed by Brooklyn, New York filmmaker Joanna Arnow will World Premiere this weekend – Friday July 19, 2013, as part of the Rooftop Films summer screening series in Brooklyn, NY. “Sex, offensive slam poets, and a naked film editor add to the director’s journey for egoless self-identity in this home movie-style portrait of lilting self-loathing.”

In I HATE MYSELF :), the 20-something filmmaker Joanna Arnow, here documents her first relationship through the reactions of those around her: her parents, who are blunt yet loving; her friends, disembodied voices on the phone, adamantly giving advice; the editor of her film, a pushy, nude Freud with a ‘fro; and the film’s co-antagonist, Arnow’s boyfriend, a “performance artist” out to offend, drinking heavily and hovering just above derelict. Through her associates’ viewpoints, she reveals a raw and honest portrait of twenty-something Brooklyn malaise and the pathos that fuels it.

http://youtu.be/eST4qrq6iBY
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Locarno Film Festival Unveils Lineup and Jury, Opens with 2 GUNS starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg

2 GUNS directed by Baltasar Kormákur and starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg

The Locarno Film Festival unveiled the official jury and film lineup for 2013 including a competition lineup up of 20 films, 18 of which are world premieres. The festival will open on August 7 with the action film 2 GUNS directed by Baltasar Kormákur and starring Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg.

The Jury of the Concorso internazionale
President: Lav Diaz, Director (Philippines)
Matthias Brunner, Cinema Expert (Switzerland)
Juan de Dios Larraín, Producer (Chile)
Valérie Donzelli, Director, Actress (France)
Yorgos Lanthimos, Director, Producer (Greece)

The Jury of the Concorso Cineasti del presente
President: Hartmut Bitomsky, Director, Producer (Germany)
Tine Fischer, Festival Director (Denmark)
Daniele Gaglianone, Director (Italy)
Peaches, Musician, Director (Canada)
Nicolás Pereda, Director (Mexico)

The Jury of the Pardi di domani
President: Adriano Aprà, Director, Film Critic (Italy)
Marta Andreu, Producer (Spain)
Emir Baigazin, Director (Kazakhstan)
Grégoire Colin, Actor, Director (France)
Basil Da Cunha, Director (Switzerland)

The Jury of the Opera prima – Best First Feature
Luciano Barisone, Film Critic, Festival Director (Italy/Switzerland)
Scott Foundas, Film Critic (United States)
Shelly Kraicer, Film Critic (Canada)

I film delle giurie presents films featuring or made by members of the official juries,
Lav Diaz
NORTE, HANGGANAN NG KASAYSAYAN (Norte, the End of History) – Philippines – 2013

Juan de Dios Larraín
GLORIA by Sebastián Lelio – Chile – 2012 (Piazza Grande)

Valérie Donzelli
QUE D’AMOUR – France – 2013 (Fuori concorso)

Yorgos Lanthimos
ALPIS – Greece – 2011

Hartmut Bitomsky
B-52 – Germany/United States/Switzerland – 2001

Daniele Gaglianone
L’ORECCHIO FERITO DEL PICCOLO COMANDANTE – Italy – 1993
I NOSTRI ANNI (Our Years) – Italy – 2000

Peaches
PEACHES DOES HERSELF – Germany – 2012

Nicolás Pereda
PERPETUUM MOBILE – Mexico – 2009

Adriano Aprà
ROSSO CENERE (Red Ashes) by Adriano Aprà and Augusto Contento – France/Italy – 2013
(Histoire(s) du cinéma)

Marta Andreu
108 – CUCHILLO DE PALO by Renate Costa – Spain – 2010

Emir Baigazin
HARMONY LESSONS – Germany/France/Kazakhstan – 2013

Grégoire Colin
LA BAIE DU RENARD (Fox Bay) – France – 2009
LISIÈRES (On the Edge) – France – 2009

Basil da Cunha
ATÉ VER A LUZ – Switzerland – 2013

Piazza Grande
2 GUNS by Baltasar Kormákur – United States
VIJAY AND I by Sam Garbarski – Belgium/Luxembourg/Germany
LA VARIABILE UMANA by Bruno Oliviero – Italy
WRONG COPS by Quentin Dupieux – United States
WE’RE THE MILLERS by Rawson Marshall Thurber – United States
THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES by Mikkel Nørgaard – Denmark/Germany/Sweden
LES GRANDES ONDES (À L’OUEST) by Lionel Baier – Switzerland/France/Portugal
RICH AND FAMOUS by George Cukor – United States
GABRIELLE by Louise Archambault – Canada
L’EXPÉRIENCE BLOCHER by Jean-Stéphane Bron – Switzerland/France
GLORIA by Sebastián Lelio – Chile
MR. MORGAN’S LAST LOVE by Sandra Nettelbeck – Germany/Belgium
BLUE RUIN by Jeremy Saulnier – United States
ABOUT TIME by Richard Curtis – United Kingdom
FITZCARRALDO by Werner Herzog – Germany/Peru
SUR LE CHEMIN DE L’ÉCOLE by Pascal Plisson – France

Concorso internazionale
CÂND SE LASA SEARA PESTE BUCURESTI SAU METABOLISM by Corneliu Porumboiu – Romania
E AGORA? LEMBRA-ME by Joaquim Pinto – Portugal
EDUCAÇÃO SENTIMENTAL by Júlio Bressane – Brazil
EL MUDO by Daniel and Diego Vega – Peru/France/Mexico
EXHIBITION by Joanna Hogg – United Kingdom
FEUCHTGEBIETE by David Wnendt – Germany
GARE DU NORD by Claire Simon – France/Canada
HISTORIA DE LA MEVA MORT by Albert Serra – Spain/France
L’ÉTRANGE COULEUR DES LARMES DE TON CORPS
by Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani – Belgium/France/Luxembourg
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS by Thomas Imbach – Switzerland/France
PAYS BARBARE by Yervant Gianikian and Angela Ricci Lucchi – France
REAL by Kiyoshi Kurosawa – Japan
SANGUE by Pippo Delbono – Italy/Switzerland
SHORT TERM 12 by Destin Cretton – United States
SHU JIA ZUO YE by Tso chi Chang – Taiwan
TABLEAU NOIR by Yves Yersin – Switzerland
TOMOGUI by Shinji Aoyama – Japan
TONNERRE by Guillaume Brac – France
U RI SUNHI by Sangsoo Hong – South Korea
UNE AUTRE VIE by Emmanuel Mouret – France

Concorso Cineast
BUQLMUN by Elvin Adigozel and Ru Hasanov – Azerbaijan/France/Russia
COSTA DA MORTE by Lois Patiño– Spain
FORTY YEARS FROM YESTERDAY by Robert Machoian and Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck –United States
L’HARMONIE by Blaise Harrison –France/Switzerland
LE SENS DE L’HUMOUR by Marilyne Canto –France
LOS INSÓLITOS PECES GATO by Claudia Sainte-Luce – Mexico
MANAKAMANA by Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez –Nepal
MOUTON by Gilles Deroo and Marianne Pistone –France
ROXANNE by Valentin Hotea – Romania/Hungary
SAI NAM TID SHOER by Nontawat Numbenchapol –Thailand
THE DIRTIES by Matt Johnson –Canada/United States
THE SPECIAL NEED by Carlo Zoratti – Germany/Italy
THE STONE by Se-rae CHO –South Korea
THE UGLY ONE by Eric Baudelaire –France/Lebanon/Japan
THE UNITY OF ALL THINGS 團結一切事物by Alex Carver and Daniel Schmidt –United States
YUAN FANG by Zhengfan Yang – China
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“TOOMELAH” “THE ABOMINABLE CRIME” Win Top Awards at 2013 Belize International Film Festival

Toomelah

The Australian film TOOMELAH directed by Ivan Sen won the Best Feature Length Narrative, and THE ABOMINABLE CRIME directed by Micah Fink won the award for Best Feature Length Documentary at the 2013 Belize International Film Festival held in Belize, Central America, from July 11th – 15th, 2013. MAROONS: AFRICANS ON THE MOVE directed by Michael Flores won the prize for Most Notable Belizean Film (in the Festival).

Starring Dean Daley-Jones, Daniel Conners, Michael Conners, Danieka Connors, Christopher Edwards, TOOMELAH is set in a remote Aboriginal community, 10-year-old Daniel yearns to be a “gangster” like the male role models in his life. Skipping school, getting into fights and running drugs for Linden, the main drug dealer in town, Daniel is well on his way to accomplishing his goal. When a rival drug dealer returns from prison, a violent showdown ensues. After Linden and his gang are taken off to jail, Daniel is suddenly alone and vulnerable. Can he make a choice for the better?

THE ABOMINABLE CRIME, is described as a story about a mother’s love for her child and an activist’s troubled love for his country. It also gives voice to gay Jamaicans who, in the face of endemic anti-gay violence, are forced to flee their homeland. Told first hand as they unfold, these personal accounts take the audience on an emotionally gripping journey traversing four years and five countries. Their stories expose the roots of homophobia in Jamaican society, reveal the deep psychological and social impacts of discrimination on the lives of gays and lesbians, and offer an intimate first-person perspective on the risks and challenges of seeking asylum abroad.

The Belizean film MAROONS: AFRICANS ON THE MOVE takes a look at African cultural similarities and African cultural continuity among the people known as the Maroons and the Garifuna, and others in the African Diaspora, featuring accompanying town Jamaica – home to Jamaican Maroons, established under Kudjo, and Nanny, his sister.

The complete list of winners of the 2013 Belize International Film Festival CONCHSHELL AWARD

Best Feature Length Narrative
Winner
TOOMELAH (Australia, 2011) Dir: Ivan Sen

Special Jury Mention:
HOME AGAIN (Canada, 2012) Dir. Sudz Sutherland

Best Feature Length Documentary
Winner:
THE ABOMINABLE CRIME (Jamaica, Holland, UK, Canada, 2013) Dir. Micah Fink

Special Jury Mention:
SEPARATED (Australia, Spain, 2012) Dir. Natalie Halla

Best Short Film
CEBU (Cuba, 2012) Dir. Pablo Belaubre

Best Short Documentary Film
AGAPE: Story of a Dream (Spain, Thailand 2012) Dir. Carlos Quiles

Most Notable Belizean Film (in the Festival)
MAROONS: Africans on the Move (Belize 2013) Dir: Michael Flores

Best Music Video
Winner #1: COME AWAY by Dir. Ben Hudson
Artist: Melonie Gillett / Label: Metamorph Creatives, Starbase Films

Winner #2: EX-BOYFRIEND by Dir. Carlo Habet
Artist: Tanya Carter / Label: I Am Music / BiG Pikcha Films
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Lineup Announced for Sundance’s First Ever NEXT WEEKEND film festival

BLUE CAPRICE directed by Alexandre Moors

The lineup of 10 feature films, 10 short films and related programming was announced today for the first-ever NEXT WEEKEND film festival, August 8-11, 2013 in Los Angeles. NEXT WEEKEND described as – an extension of the popular NEXT <=> section at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah – is a summer film festival presenting four days of screenings, parties and artist programs that celebrate the renegade spirit of independent filmmaking. As announced last week, NEXT WEEKEND will kick off with an outdoor screening of Chris Smith’s documentary American Movie and Mark Borchardt’s horror film Coven on August 8.

FEATIURE FILMS

12 O’CLOCK BOYS / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lotfy Nathan) — Pug, a bright 13-year-old boy living on a dangerous, west-side block in Baltimore, dreams of joining the 12 O’Clock Boys – a notorious Urban dirt bike pack who invade the streets, popping wheelies and cruising at high speeds through traffic while clashing with police. (Documentary) LA PREMIERE

BLUE CAPRICE / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandre Moors, Screenwriters: R. F. I. Porto, Alexandre Moors) — An abandoned boy is lured to America and drawn into the shadow of a dangerous father figure in this film inspired by the real-life events that led to the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks.Cast: Isaiah Washington, Tequan Richmond, Joey Lauren Adams, Tim Blake Nelson, Cassandra Freeman, Leo Fitzpatrick. LA PREMIERE

CUTIE AND THE BOXER / U.S.A. (Director: Zachary Heinzerling) — Over the course of the chaotic 40-year marriage between New York-based Japanese artists Ushio and Noriko Shinohara, their headstrong, yet complementary personalities form a graceful rumination on companionship, sacrifice and the creative spirit. (Documentary) LA PREMIERE

THE FOXY MERKINS / U.S.A. (Director: Madeleine Olnek, Screenwriters: Madeleine Olnek, Jackie Monahan, Lisa Haas) — Two lesbian hookers work the streets of New York. One is a down-on-her-luck newbie; the other is a beautiful – and straight – grifter who is an expert on picking up women. Together they face bargain-hunting housewives and double-dealing conservative women in this subversive buddy comedy.Cast: Lisa Haas, Jackie Monahan, Alex Karpovsky, Susan Ziegler, Sally Sockwell, Deb Margolin. WORLD PREMIERE

HOW TO BE A MAN / U.S.A. (Director: Chadd Harbold, Screenwriters: Bryan Gaynor, Chadd Harbold, Gavin McInnes) — When former comedian Mark is faced with a rare form of cancer, he hires an impressionable cameraman to document his crude and comical lessons on what it means to be a man for his unborn son. But when Mark nearly loses everything, he realizes he has the most to learn. Cast: Gavin McInnes, Liam Aiken, Paulo Costanzo, Megan Neuringer, Nigel DeFriez, Nicole Balsam. WORLD PREMIERE

IT FELT LIKE LOVE / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Eliza Hittman) — On the outskirts of Brooklyn, a 14-year-old’s sexual quest takes a dangerous turn when she pursues an older guy and tests the boundaries between obsession and love. Cast: Gina Piersanti, Giovanna Salimeni, Ronen Rubinstein, Jesse Cordasco, Nick Rosen, Case Prime. LA PREMIERE

NEWLYWEEDS / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Shaka King) — A Brooklyn repo-man and his globetrotting girlfriend forge an unlikely romance. But what should be a match made in stoner heaven turns into a love triangle gone awry in this dark ballad of chemical dependency — part coming of age romance, part hallucinatory adventure. Cast: Amari Cheatom, Trae Harris, Tone Tank, Colman Domingo, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Adrian Martinez. LA PREMIERE

STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS/ U.S.A. (Director: Sam Fleischner, Screenwriters: Rose Lichter-Marck, Micah Bloomberg) — When a young, autistic Mexican boy runs away from his undocumented family on the outskirts of New York City, he embarks on an 11-day odyssey in the city’s subway system, forcing his splintered family to reconcile their differences in order to bring him home. Cast: Andrea Suarez Paz, Jesus Sanchez-Velez, Azul Zorrilla, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Marsha Stephanie Blake. LA PREMIERE

A TEACHER / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Hannah Fidell) — A popular young high school teacher in a wealthy suburban Texas high school has an affair with one of her students. Her life begins to unravel as the relationship comes to an end.Cast: Lindsay Burdge, Will Brittain, Jennifer Prediger, Jonny Mars, Julie Phillips, Chris Doubek. LA PREMIERE

THIS IS MARTIN BONNER / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Chad Hartigan) — In this 2013 Sundance Film Festival award-winning film we discover two men, each searching in their quiet solitude to begin a new life amidst an unspoken need for encouragement and support. Cast: Paul Eenhoorn, Richmond Arquette, Sam Buchanan, Robert Longstreet, Demetrius Grosse. LA PREMIERE

SHORT FILMS

THE APOCALYPSE / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Zuchero) — Four uninspired friends try to come up with a terrific idea for how to spend their Saturday afternoon. Cast: Martin Starr, Ella Rae Peck, Kate Lyn Shiel, Benjamin Pike, Chanel Michaels, Duke Dlouhy.

THE CUB / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Riley Stearns) — Wolves make the best parents. Cast: Davey Johnson, Savannah Lathem, Mandy Olsen, Alexis McGraw. LA PREMIERE

THE EVENT / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Julia Pott, Screenwriter: Tom Chivers) — Love and a severed foot at the end of the world. Cast: Alex Britton, Laura Free.

K.I.T. / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michelle Morgan) — A guilt-ridden, but well-intentioned yuppie goes to great lengths to prove she is a decent person. Cast: Michelle Morgan, Stephanie Allynne, John F. Beach, Ryan Harrison, Jeff Grace. LA PREMIERE

#POSTMODEM / U.S.A. (Directors: Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva, Screenwriters: Lucas Leyva, Jillian Mayer) — A comedic, satirical, sci-fi pop-musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists, this is the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets. Cast: Jillian Mayer, Kayla De La Cerda, Arly Montes, Zoom Zoom, Jesse Miller, Shivers Thedog. LA PREMIERE

SERAPH / U.S.A. (Director: Dash Shaw, Screenwriters: John Cameron Mitchell, Dash Shaw) — Seraph is an animated short film about how a boy’s childhood scars his later life. LA PREMIERE

SOCIAL BUTTERFLY / France, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lauren Wolkstein) — When a 30-year-old American woman attends a teenage party in the South of France, guests wonder who she is and what she is doing there. Cast: Anna Margaret Hollyman, Camille Claris, Ulysse Grosjean.

A STORY FOR THE MODLINS / Spain (Director: Sergio Oksman, Screenwriters: Carlos Muguiro, Emilio Tomé, Sergio Oksman) — The tale of Elmer Modlin who, after appearing inRosemary’s Baby, fled with his family to a far-off country and shut himself away in a dark apartment for 30 years. LA PREMIERE

UNTIL THE QUIET COMES / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kahlil Joseph) — Shot in the Nickerson Gardens housing projects in Watts, Los Angeles, this film deals with themes such as violence, camaraderie and spirituality, through the lens of magic-realism. Cast: Solomon Gibbs, Storyboard P.

WHAT DO WE HAVE IN OUR POCKETS? / U.S.A., Israel (Director: Goran Dukic, Screenwriters: Goran Dukic, based on a short story by Etgar Keret) — A most unusual love story unravels when the objects in a young man’s pockets come to life. Cast: Azazel Jacobs, Diaz Jacobs.
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Director Giuseppe Tornatore and Actor Geoffrey Rush Among Lineup of Guests for 2013 Melbourne International Film Festival

Academy Award winning Italian film director and screenwriter Giuseppe Tornatore and actor Geoffrey Rush are among the lineup of international and local guests expected to attend the 2013 Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). Giuseppe Tornatore and Geoffrey Rush are set to visit Melbourne with the Italian film THE BEST OFFER. which stars MIFF Patron Geoffrey Rush, Donald Sutherland, Jim Sturgess and newcomer Sylvie Hoeks in a mystery drama set in a high-society world of art deals and closed doors.

The 2013 Melbourne International Film Festival(MIFF) will host a stellar lineup of international and local guests, spanning established auteurs, sporting idols, new faces in international cinema and a whole lot more.

Academy Award winning Italian film director and screenwriter Giuseppe Tornatore(Cinema Paradiso) is set to visit Melbourne with the Italian box office smash, The Best Offer. Part of MIFF’s International Panorama program, The Best Offer, stars MIFF Patron Geoffrey Rush, Donald Sutherland, Jim Sturgess and newcomer Sylvie Hoeks in a mystery drama set in a high-society world of art deals and closed doors. Geoffrey Rush will join Giuseppe Tornatore at the Australian Premiere on Wednesday 31 July.

Melbourne will also play host to American rock band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, including acclaimed actor and front man of the band, Jared Leto (Requiem for a Dream). Under the pseudonym Bartholomew Cubbins, Leto directs Artifact, which follows the band as they record their third album, providing an often Spinal Tap-esque insight into the realities of modern music. Also part of the Backbeat program are guests Maureen Gosling, director of This Ain’t No Mouse Music!, which traces one man’s obsession with the American South’s music, and Nathaniel Kohn, producer of Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker, an exploration of the life and music of the New Orleans piano legend.

Cannes Best Screenplay winner, director Jia Zhang-ke and actress Zhao Tao, will be in town to present A Touch of Sin, a confronting character-driven tale of modern China and the domestic conflict its newfound wealth has wrought. Accelerator alumnusAnthony Chen will return to Melbourne with this year’s Camera d’Or winner, Ilo Ilo, the stirring tale of a Singaporean family who take in a Filipino woman as a live-in maid. Also fresh from Cannes is the winner of the Un Certain Regard Directing Prize, Alain Guiraudie, with his steamy thriller Stranger by the Lake; and hot on the heels of Cannes, young German filmmaker Katrin Gebbe will be presenting her film Nothing Bad Can Happen, a harrowing tale of a vulnerable young Christian man.

The American contingent is strongly represented this year. Champion snowboarder Kevin Pearce will be in Melbourne to present the SXSW Audience Award-winning film The Crash Reel, which documents the rise and literal fall of his career, which was cut short at age 22 in a near-fatal crash. Also from the This Sporting Life section and jetting in from the US is Michelle Major who will present her directorial debut, Venus and Serena – a fascinating insight into the legendary athletes and sisters, Venus and Serena Williams. From the Next Gen program first-time filmmaker Marta Cunningham will be presenting her affecting documentary Valentine Road, about 14-year-old Brandon McInerney from Oxnard, California, who shot and killed his cross-dressing classmate, Lawrence King. Meanwhile indie filmmaker Matt Porterfield, will be in town to present I Used to be Darker – a striking picture of quotidian family dynamics and revelations which will screen in MIFF’s new spotlight, States of Play: American Independents.

Mark Albiston will be crossing the Tasman with his debut feature Shopping – a coming-of-age drama set in 1981 New Zealand and winner of the Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury for Best Feature Film at this year’s Berlinale. Also set in New Zealand is Denmark-based director Daniel Joseph Borgman’s debut feature, The Weight of Elephants – a captivating exploration of childhood fragility. Daniel Joseph Borgman will be a guest of the festival and both films will screen in MIFF’s International Panorama program.

Other international guests include: Chilean actress Paulina García, whose standout performance in Gloria won her the prestigious Silver Bear for Best Actress at this year’s Berlinale; Nicholas Bonner, co-director of Comrade Kim Goes Flying – a vivacious romantic comedy and extremely rare Western–North Korean co-production, screening in MIFF’s new spotlight, Juche Days: North Korea on Film; João Pedro Rodrigues and João Rui Guerra da Mata, who co-direct the audacious documentary hybrid The Last Time I Saw Macau, which screens in MIFF’s TeleScope: Visions from the EU program; and Axel Straschnoy, director of Kilpisjärvellä, which presents the Northern Lights as they are experienced by someone watching them from the ground. Kilpisjärvellä will screen as part of the Planetarium Fulldown Showcase, a special program of jaw-dropping fulldome screenings at the Melbourne Planetarium.

Former British Film Institute and London Film Festival Director Adrian Wootton returns exclusively to Melbourne for another series of his acclaimed Illustrated Film Talks, this year celebrating major icons of screen culture. The Adrian Wootton Talks Icons series runs from Thursday 1 – Sunday 4 August. Celebrated LA-based developer, writer and lecturer Wendall Thomas is also returning exclusively to Melbourne for more of her popular series unlocking the secrets of films’ script structure with a series of four standalone all-day seminars, running from Monday 29 July – Thursday 1 August.

MIFF will also host an array of leading Australian talent featured in this year’s festival program. Walking the red carpet on Saturday 3 August for the world premiere of this year’s Centrepiece Gala Tim Winton’s The Turning will be Tim Winton, Robert Connolly, Mia Wasikowska, Tony Ayres, Warwick Thornton, Rhys Graham, Hugo Weaving and producer Maggie Miles. Tim Winton’s The Turning is part of the 2013 MIFF Premiere Fund slate.

Australian thriller Patrick is another film from this year’s MIFF Premiere Fund that will have its world premiere on Saturday 27 July. Director Mark Hartley (Not Quite Hollywood, MIFF ‘08) reinterprets the classic Aussie horror flick and will be attending alongside cast including Rachel Griffiths, Peta Sergeant, Damon Gameau, Jackson Gallagher, Simone Buchanan and producer Antony I. Ginnane. Other Premiere Fund guests include: writer/director Anna Broinowski (Forbidden Lie$, MIFF ‘07) and producer Lizzette Atkins, with the revolutionary film within a film, Aim High in Creation!, based on the creative manifesto by North Korea’s late leader Kim Jong-il; writer/director Rhys Graham (Words from the City, MIFF ‘07), who tells the story of four teens whose lives are forever scarred by tragedy in Galore, will be joined by cast members Lily Sullivan and Maya Stange and producer Philippa Campey; writer/director Lynn-Maree Milburn (Autoluminescent: Roland S Howard, MIFF ‘11), who shines the spotlight on local Catholic provocateur Father Bob Maguire in the documentary In Bob We Trust, will be joined by Father Bob Maguire, producerRichard Lowenstein and cinematographer Andrew de Groot; and writer/director Zak Hilditch, actor Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek), rising star Angourie Rice and producerLiz Kearney will be in town to present the apocalyptic thriller These Final Hours.

Music lovers are in for a treat with a number of Australian talent attending this year’s festival including local punk rock band Cosmic Psychos and Matt Weston, the director of Cosmic Psychos: Blokes you can Trust, which charts the colourful three-decade history of the group; director Kaye Harrison with The Sunnyboy, a film about rock, redemption and the healing power of getting the band back together one last time; and director Juliet Lamont and documentary subject Nikki May with Miss Nikki and the Tiger Girls, the insightful documentary of Burma’s first girl band.

MIFF’s home-grown contingent of guests continues with legendary surfer Wayne Lynch, the documentary subject of Uncharted Waters by director Craig Griffin, which follows Wayne’s career and the evolutionary influence he had on the sport. Director Kim Mordaunt will be in town to present the multi-award-winning feature, The Rocket, a heart-warming coming of age story set in war-ravaged Laos. Other Australian guests include Lawrence Johnston, director of Fallout about the untold story of Nevil Shute’s famed novel On The Beach and the film of the same name; Award-winning director Ivan Sen (Toomelah, MIFF 11), director of Australian thriller Mystery Road and cast members Aaron Pedersen, Jack Charles and Damian Walshe-Howling; Steve Ostrow, documentary subject of Continental, which explores the notorious venue that sparked a revolution and cemented its place in legend; Haydn Keenan, director of the extraordinary TV series Persons of Interest; Warwick Ross and David Roach, co-directors of Red Obsession which charts the modern fortunes of Bordeaux’s most famous export; Shannon Swan and Angelo Pricolo, co-directors of Lygon Street – Si Parla Italiano, the true story of Melbourne’s most iconic street, as told by the men and women who made it; and from the made-for-ABC-TV Nowhere Boys, by the prolific Matchbox Pictures, director Daina Reid and cast will attend the screening.

Melbourne International Film Festival runs 25 July – 11 August 2013.

via press release
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