Film Festivals

  • A.C.O.D., Mud and Metro Manila Added to 2013 Sundance London

    [caption id="attachment_3363" align="alignnone" width="550"]A.C.O.D.[/caption]

    Three feature films have been added to the programme for the second Sundance London film and music festival, 25-28 April at The O2. They are: A.C.O.D. (Director: Stuart Zicherman, Screenwriters: Ben Karlin, Stuart Zicherman), Mud (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Nichols) and Metro Manila(Director: Sean Ellis, Screenwriters: Sean Ellis, Frank E. Flowers). 

    FEATURE FILM PROGRAMME

    The international and UK premieres of American independent narrative and documentary films that premiered in January at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A.

    A.C.O.D. (Director: Stuart Zicherman, Screenwriters: Ben Karlin, Stuart Zicherman) — Carter is a well-adjusted Adult Child of Divorce. So he thinks.  When he discovers he was part of a divorce study as a child, it wreaks havoc on his family and forces him to face his chaotic past. Cast: Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Catherine O’Hara, Amy Poehler, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clark Duke. (Narrative) International Premiere

    [caption id="attachment_3364" align="alignnone" width="550"]Mud[/caption]

    Mud (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Nichols) — Two teenage boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the bounty hunters on his trail and reunite him with his true love. Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon. (Narrative) UK Premiere

    UK SPOTLIGHT

    Drawing on the Sundance Film Festival’s rich legacy of premiering outstanding films produced in the UK – including An Education, Four Weddings and a Funeral, In Bruges, In the Loop, Kinky Boots, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels – this new showcase presents a selection of UK films that premiered in Park City, Utah.

    [caption id="attachment_3365" align="alignnone" width="550"]Metro Manila[/caption]

    Metro Manila (Director: Sean Ellis, Screenwriters: Sean Ellis, Frank E. Flowers) — Seeking a better life, Oscar and his family move from the poverty-stricken rice fields to the big city of Manila, where they fall victim to various inhabitants whose manipulative ways are a daily part of city survival. Cast: Jake Macapagal, John Arcilla, Althea Vega. Winner of the Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. (Narrative) International Premiere

    These additions join the following previously announced titles:

    FEATURE FILM PROGRAMME
    Blackfish Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
    Blood Brother Director: Steve Hoover
    Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes Director: Francesca Gregorini
    God Loves Uganda Director: Roger Ross Williams
    In a World… Director: Lake Bell
    The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete Director: George Tillman Jr. 
    The Kings of Summer Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
    Muscle Shoals Director: Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier
    Running from Crazy Director: Barbara Kopple
    Touchy Feely Director: Lynn Shelton 
    Upstream Color Director: Shane Carruth

    SPECIAL EVENT PROGRAMME
    History of the Eagles Part One Director: Alison Ellwood 
    Peaches Does Herself Director: Peaches 
    Sleepwalk With Me Director: Mike Birbiglia 

    UK SPOTLIGHT
    In Fear Director: Jeremy Lovering 
    The Look of Love Director: Michael Winterbottom 
    The Moo Man Director: Andy Heathcote 
    The Summit Director: Nick Ryan 

    SHORT FILM PROGRAMME
    The Apocalypse Director: Andrew Zuchero 
    Black Metal Director: Kat Candler 
    The Date Director: Jenni Toivoniemi
    Irish Folk Furniture Director: Tony Donoghue
    Jonah Director: Kibwe Tavares
    Reindeer Director: Eva Weber
    Until the Quiet Comes Director: Kahil Joseph
    Whiplash Director: Damien Chazelle
    The Whistle Director: Grzegorz Zariczny

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  • DEKH TAMASHA DEKH to Open and FILMISTAAN to Close 2013 New York Indian Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_3361" align="alignnone" width="550"]DEKH TAMASHA DEKH [/caption]

    Feroz Abbas Khan’s DEKH TAMASHA DEKH will open the 2013 New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) while Nitin Kakkar’s FILMISTAAN will screen as the closing night film. Now celebrating its 13th year, the festival is considered the oldest, most prestigious Indian film festival in the United States and runs April 30 to May 4, 2013.

    Lyrically interwoven, DEKH TAMASHA DEKH is a social and political satire that cuts deep to the heart of many current issues, a true story based off true events. Written by renowned marathi playwright Shafaat Khan, who creates finely nuanced characters with depth and dimensions and sets them against a lush visual backdrop of a small village in India. Director Feroz Abbas Khan has directed some of India’s finest acting talent during his career of over two decades and he is at the forefront of Indian theatre today. His debut Film “Gandhi My Father” received rave reviews and won several national and international awards. He now showcases his new cinematic vision as the opening night film for the festival.  

    For the closing night of NYIFF, debut director Nitin Kakkar brings his cinematic work of art, FILMISTAAN, exploring Indo-Pak relationships with subtle brilliance.  The protagonist, aspiring actor Sharib Hashmi, is assisting an American film crew shooting a documentary in the Indo-Pak border when one night he is kidnapped and held hostage in a small village in Pakistan. When the terrorist group realizes they have kidnapped an Indian and not an American, Hashmi is kept hostage until the mix-up is corrected, and he begins a burgeoning friendship with a young Pakistani. 

    http://youtu.be/6kGSjrW7rb8

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  • 2013 Tribeca Film Festival Tribeca Talks® Series Lineup to Feature Conversations With Clint Eastwood, Whoopi Goldberg, Darren Aronofsky, Ben Stiller, Jay Roach And More

    The 2013 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) announced its lineup for the 2013 Tribeca Talks® panel series. This year’s programs include the “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series”; “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie;” “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie, Beyond the Screens: The Artist’s Angle,”; “Tribeca Talks: Industry;” and “Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper, hosted by Barnes & Noble.” Tribeca Talks will featurqe conversations with some of the most influential and creative minds in the film industry.  Those participating in the “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series” events include Academy Award®-winner Clint Eastwood with Academy Award®-nominee Darren Aronofsky, Academy Award®-nominee Richard Linklater with fellow nominees Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, director Mira Nair with actress Bryce Dallas Howard, and Emmy Award®-winner Jay Roach with actor Ben Stiller.  Among the “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” event panelists are Academy Award®-winner Whoopi Goldberg, Academy Award®-nominee Ellen Page, legendary author and activist Gloria Steinem and actor Adrian Grenier. The Tribeca Talks panel series is open to the public and will take place throughout TFF, which will run from April 17 to April 28, 2013, at locations around New York City. Each year we seek to provide audiences with diverse opportunities to connect with some the most accomplished and innovative minds in film with the Tribeca Talks series, ” said Geoff Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. “We are excited to present this year’s lineup, featuring visionary industry leaders who are sure to engage audiences with thoughtful discussions on topics inspired by films and filmmakers participating in the Festival.” TFF also unveiled four new titles that will screen at this year’s Festival, all followed by conversations with the respective filmmakers and topical experts.  Paul Verhoeven’s groundbreaking film Tricked, whose script was crowd-sourced, will screen as part of the “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” series, as will documentaries How to Make Money Selling Drugsand Out of Print, along with the world premiere screening of footage from the highly anticipatedBeyond: Two Souls, a new interactive videogame currently in development by Quantic Dream and scheduled for release in October on PlayStation 3.  Further, TFF announced that the world premiere of Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story will be followed by a conversation with legendary director Clint Eastwood as part of the “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series,” which features intimate discussions with acclaimed directors. Also part of “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” is the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s 20th anniversary retrospective screening and discussion of the internationally acclaimed made-for-television filmAnd the Band Played On from director Roger Spottiswoode. TFF’s conversation series is rounded out by the “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie, Beyond the Screens: The Artist’s Angle” program which gives viewers an inside look at the lives of iconic artists and those they impact; the free “Tribeca Talks: Industry” panels designed for industry professionals to explore the evolving film business; and finally, the free “Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper” panels, hosted by Barnes & Noble, which focus on the creative writers and re-writers in the filmmaking industry. “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series,” sponsored by OppenheimerFunds, will include intimate conversations with:
    • Academy Award®-winning director Clint Eastwood in conversation with Academy Award®-nominee Darren Aronofsky following the world premiere of Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story.
    • Director and Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter Richard Linklater in conversation with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy about their Before Sunrise series collaboration and most recent installment, Before Midnight.
    • Emmy Award®-winning director Jay Roach (“Game Change”) in conversation with actor Ben Stiller.
    • Acclaimed writer, director and producer Mira Nair (The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding), in conversation with actress Bryce Dallas Howard.
    “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” will include:
    • The North American premiere of Tricked, the revolutionary film whose narrative was created by crowd sourcing; followed by a conversation with director Paul Verhoeven who will discuss the process of making an audience-created film.
    • The US premiere of How to Make Money Selling Drugs, a shockingly candid examination of the entrenched, corrupt and violent drug industry, from street dealer to kingpin; followed by a conversation with director Matthew Cooke, producers Adrian Grenier and Bert Marcus, executive director of Law Enforcement Against ProhibitionNeill Franklin, president of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation Eric Sterling and author of HIGH: Confessions of an International Drug Smuggler Brian O’Dea in a conversation about the grim underbelly of the oft-glamorized drug trade. Moderated by Huffington Post contributor Keith Rushing.
    • Out of Print, an exploration of the future of the publishing industry in a digital age; followed by a conservation with director Vivienne Roumani, president and CEO of the New York Public Library Tony Marx, CEO and co-founder of Open Road Integrated Media Jane Friedman and science writer Annie Murphy Paul who will discuss our shifting relationship with books and a glimpse into our future learning.  Moderated by The New Yorker’s Ken Auletta.
    • Inequality for All, follows Clinton-era Labor secretary Robert Reich as he examines the consolidation of wealth, the stagnation in wages and elasticity of the American economy; followed by a conversation with producers Jen Chaiken and Sebastian Dungan and political economist, professor and author Robert Reich who will discuss the widening income gap and deterioration of the USA’s economic health.
    • The world premiere screening of footage from Beyond: Two Souls, a new interactive videogame developed by Quantic Dream that examines the supernatural and afterlife; followed by a conversation with actress Ellen Page and game creator David Cage exploring the cinematic elements of filmmaking that have crossed over into interactive entertainment.
    • The world premiere of I Got Somethin’ to Tell You, Whoopi Goldberg’s directorial debut about comedic legend and pioneer Moms Mabley; followed by a conversation with Whoopi Goldberg and The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney.
    • The US premiere of Wadjda, the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first by a female Saudi filmmaker which follows a determined young girl who refuses to submit to her surrounding social norms. The premiere will be followed by a conversation with filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour and founder of Women for Women International Zainab Salbi who will discuss the individuals and movements that are breaking gender boundaries. Moderated by journalist and social and political activistGloria Steinem.
    • A 20th anniversary retrospective screening sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a long standing partner of Tribeca Film Festival and Tribeca Film Institute, of the internationally acclaimed made-for-TV film And the Band Played On. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode, the film examines the scientific facts and myths surrounding AIDS during the early stages of the epidemic. The screening will be followed by a conversation with industry leaders in film and science about the science of AIDS and the social politics surrounding the AIDS epidemic from the 1980s to the present.  The panel includes will be moderated by filmmaker Tom Kalin.
    “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie, Beyond the Screens: The Artist’s Angle,” sponsored by OppenheimerFunds, will feature:
    • The world premiere of Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, a documentary that blends archival footage and cinema vérité to reach beyond Broadway legend Elaine Stritch’s brassy exterior, revealing a multi-dimensional portrait of a complex woman and inspiring artist; followed by a conversation with filmmaker Chiemi Karasawa andElaine Stritch who will share her stories and tricks of the trade from her illustrious career.  Moderated by The New York Times’ Charles Isherwood.
    • The world premiere of Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic, a documentary that chronicles legendary comedian Richard Pryor’s meteoric rise as well as his personal struggles; followed by a conversation with Emmy Award®-winning director Marina Zenovich, author Walter Mosley and comedian Wyatt Cenac about the making of the film and the impact of one of Hollywood’s most controversial comedians.
    “Tribeca Talks: Industry” are free events and will feature:
    • Look Who’s Talking, a conversation with film industry professionals about race, authorship and authenticity in today’s filmmaking scene. The panelists will explore the marked lack of diversity behind the camera in major box office hits and how the ethnicity of film artists and filmmakers play into public perception of a movie about people of color.  Panelists include critic and filmmaker Nelson George, actor and playwright Anna Deavere Smith, Indiewire’s Shadow & Act Chief Editor TambayObenson, producer and Braven Films President and CEO Frida Torresblanco and filmmaker Terence Nance.  Moderated by Executive Director of the Tribeca Film Institute Beth Janson.
    • Brand New Studios, a discussion about partnerships and projects that are stretching the traditional sponsor role and creating new opportunities for filmmakers. Meet successful brands producing original shorts, feature-length films and episodic series. Panelists include ESPN Films Director of Development Dan Silver, GE Executive Director of Global Digital Marketing Linda Boff, VICE Media, Inc. Executive Creative Director Danny Gabai and Red Bull Media House Head of Distribution Greg Jacobs  Moderated by strategic consultant Nancy Schafer.
    • The Business of Entertainment: Truth, Persuasion and Bias in Documentaries, sponsored by Bloomberg, a conversation with documentarians about navigating the choices filmmakers make between journalistic precision and creative nonfiction, including how the business of entertainment shapes those decisions.  Panelists include Executive Vice President American Documentary | POV Cynthia López and leading documentary filmmakers Dan Krauss (The Kill Team), Morgan Spurlock, Kristi Jacobson and Shola Lynch. Moderated by Bloomberg Chief Content Officer Norman Pearlstine.
    • Big Data and the Movies, sponsored by SAP, a conversation with industry experts to consider the effect and implications of strategically developed content and social sentiment to explore the latest ways audience data analysts and distributors are retooling the what, when and how of filmgoing. Panelists include Rentrak CEO Bill Livek, FilmTrack Co-Founder and CEO Jason Kassin, MoviePass Co-Founder and CEOStacy Spikes, Mashable’s Senior Tech Analyst Christina Warren and Director of Digital Strategy at Film Society of Lincoln Center Eugene Hernandez. Moderated by SAP Labs SVP/GM of Media Industry Solutions Richard Whittington.
    • New Filmmakers in the Digital Age, sponsored by Panavision, is a discussion among new filmmakers about how they navigated the world of digital filmmaking to grow a festival feature.  Panelists include director Lance Edmands (Bluebird), filmmaker/actor Alex Karpovsky, director Jenée LaMarque (The Pretty One), directorRob Meyer (A Birder’s Guide to Everything) and producer Tamara Anghie (Run and Jump).  Moderated by Panavision’s Peter Brogna.
    “Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper hosted by Barnes & Noble” are free events and will include:
    • New Chick Flicks, a discussion exploring how and why being a female in the film industry requires rewriting the typecast model and how our panelists are challenging traditional associations of what makes a movie by or for women.  Panelists include producer of the ESPN Nine for IX series Libby Geist, director Rachel Boynton (Big Men), producer Tanya Ager Meillier (Alias Ruby Blade) and writer/producer Laura Goode (Farah Goes Bang).  Moderated by producer Abigail Disney.
    • Putting the “I” in “Film,” a conversation with filmmakers who reflect on their very personal experiences writing themselves into the filmmaking process.  Panelists include director Banker White (The Genius of Marian), director Tom Berninger(Mistaken for Strangers), writer /actress Amy Grantham (Lily) and director Josh Fox(Gasland Part II).  Moderated by Screen International’s Mark Adams.
    • Whose Credit Is It Anyway? A group of filmmakers debate the emergence of the controversial writing credit in documentary films.  Panelists include writer/directorFahad Mustafa (Powerless), writer/director Warwick Ross (Red Obsession), directorJason Osder (Let the Fire Burn), editor Nels Bangerter (Let the Fire Burn) and director Sean Dunne (Oxyana).  Moderated by director Julia Bacha (Budrus).
    The full schedule for the 2013 Tribeca Talks series follows: “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series” Sponsored by OppenheimerFunds Mira Nair with Bryce Dallas Howard Acclaimed writer, director and producer Mira Nair (The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding) in conversation with actress Bryce Dallas Howard. DATE: Saturday, April 20 TIME: 3:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 Jay Roach with Ben Stiller Emmy Award®-winning director Jay Roach (“Game Change”) in conversation with actor Ben Stiller. DATE: Sunday, April 21 TIME: 3:00 PM LOCATION: BMCC Richard Linklater with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy Director and Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter Richard Linklater in conversation with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy about their Before Sunrise series collaboration and most recent installment, Before Midnight. DATE: Monday, April 22 TIME: 3:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 Clint Eastwood Academy Award®-winning director Clint Eastwood will be in conversation with Academy Award®-nominee Darren Aronofsky following the world premiere of Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story. Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story Directed by Richard Schickel. (USA) – World Premiere. This unprecedented new film focuses on Eastwood’s directorial method thanks to producing partners and fellow actors sharing never-before-told stories of working with Clint.  It explores Eastwood’s signature style, dissecting the skills that have ensured his four decades of success.  Bringing together the insights of Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and many others, the film creates the complete picture of the man, the colleague, the creator.  Courtesy of Warner Bros. © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. DATE: Saturday, April 27 TIME: 2:30 PM LOCATION: BMCC “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” Wadjda Directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour.  (Saudi Arabia, Germany) – US Premiere. Meet Wadjda (Waad Mohammed), a feisty, funny and wholly unconventional ten-year-old girl determined to scrounge up enough money to buy a bicycle, despite the societal repercussions sure to follow.  The groundbreaking first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first by a female Saudi filmmaker, Wadjda offers a moving, rarely seen picture of everyday life in Riyadh: through the eyes of a girl unwilling to surrender what she wants. After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour and founder of Women for Women International Zainab Salbi to discuss the brave individuals and grassroots movements that are breaking gender boundaries and creating lasting change. Moderated by journalist and social and political activist Gloria Steinem. DATE: Sunday, April 21 TIME: 5:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 I Got Somethin’ to Tell You Directed by Whoopi Goldberg. (USA) – World Premiere. Having broken racial and sexual boundaries as a pioneering comic talent, the late Moms Mabley has long been an icon in the comedy world. Now Whoopi Goldberg takes a deep dive into Mabley’s legacy via recently unearthed photography, rediscovered performance footage and the words of numerous celebrated comedians. A true passion project for Goldberg, I Got Somethin’ to Tell You shows Mabley’s profound influence as a performer vastly ahead of her time. After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with Whoopi Goldberg, who will discuss her directorial debut.  She will explain, through the work of comedian Moms Mabley, why we laugh, who we think is funny and what comedy is really all about.  Moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney. SPECIAL EVENT exclusively for American Express® Cardmembers DATE: Monday, April 22 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 Tricked Directed by Paul Verhoeven. (Netherlands) – North American Premiere. Join acclaimed director Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall, Basic Instinct) as he steps into the creative unknown to test a brand new style and structure of crowd-sourced filmmaking. Having established only the first four minutes of the script for a new feature, Verhoeven asks the public to complete the story. Tricked follows Verhoeven as he gathers ideas, hunts for an intriguing narrative and turns his craft into one of the more unlikely experiments in democratic art. After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with director Paul Verhoeven as he takes us through the uncharted process of making an audience-created film – his ups, his downs and his unexpected creative breakthroughs. DATE: Tuesday, April 23 TIME: 6:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 How to Make Money Selling Drugs Directed by Matthew Cooke. (USA) – US Premiere. Moving from desperate street dealers to millionaire kingpins, from well-funded DEA agents to politicians who ensure reelection through egregious drug laws, Matthew Cooke’s debut feature is a captivating, shockingly candid guide to the entrenched, corrupt and violent drug industry in which these players each inhabit a vital role. 50 Cent, Eminem, Susan Sarandon, Woody Harrelson and a wealth of inside voices color this outstanding, detailed documentary. After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with director Matthew Cooke, producers Adrian Grenier and Bert Marcus, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Neill Franklin, president of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation Eric Sterling and the author ofHIGH: Confessions of an International Drug Smuggler Brian O’Dea to discuss the grim underbelly of the oft-glamorized drug trade.. Moderated by Huffington Post contributor Keith Rushing. DATE: Thursday, April 25 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 And the Band Played On Directed by Roger Spottiswoode. (USA). Celebrating its twentieth anniversary, And the Band Played On aired at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the early ‘90s, examining the facts surrounding the deadly disease and debunking many of its myths.  The film won three Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Made for Television Movie. Topping the incredible ensemble cast is Matthew Modine, who received Emmy and Golden Globe-nominations for his poignant portrayal of a doctor who heads an American research team.  Sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. After the Movie: Exploring the Science of AIDS and the Arts.  Join us for a panel conversation featuring leading figures from film and science about the science of AIDS and the social politics surrounding the AIDS epidemic from the 1980s until now. The panel will explore how the AIDS crisis has activated a cross section of storytelling amongst scientists, artists and politicians. Moderated by filmmaker Tom Kalin. DATE: Saturday, April 27 TIME: 3:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 Beyond: Two Souls Directed by David Cage. (USA) – World Premiere. From Quantic Dream and David Cage, visionary director of Heavy Rain, comes an emotionally charged interactive thriller starring Academy Award®-nominees Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe.  Jodie Holmes (Page) has always been a little different.  Aided by scientist Nathan Dawkins (Dafoe), she discovers a connection to a mysterious entity, setting off a thrilling, globe-spanning journey to discover the truth about who she is.  Join us for an exclusive look at this breathtaking gaming experience fused with a classical film style.  Beyond: Two Souls releases on October 8, 2013 and is made exclusively for the PlayStation 3® System. After the Screening: Join game creator David Cage and actress Ellen Page for a behind-the-scenes look at this breakthrough in interactive storytelling.  Moderated by video game journalistHarold Goldberg. DATE: Saturday, April 27 TIME: 7:00 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 Out of Print Directed by Vivienne Roumani. (USA) – World Premiere. Dive into the riveting debate over the future of ideas, as documentarian Vivienne Roumani tackles the questions confronting the modern word industry and proves that more is at stake than how quickly we can access the latest bestseller. Featuring interviews with Scott Turow, Ray Bradbury, Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos and many more, Out of Print is a fascinating, in-depth look at publishing’s milestones and what it means to adapt that history to the information age.  Narrated by Meryl Streep. After the Movie: Join president and CEO of the New York Public Library Tony Marx, CEO of Open Road Integrated Media Jane Friedman, filmmaker Vivienne Roumani and science writerAnnie Murphy Paul for an exploration of our shifting relationship with books and a glimpse into our future learning. Moderated by The New Yorker’s Ken Auletta. DATE: Sunday, April 28 TIME: 1:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 Inequality for All Directed by Jacob Kornbluth. (USA) – New York Premiere. Robert Reich is your guide in this no-holds-barred assessment of the U.S. economy.  With winningly approachable finesse, the Clinton-era Labor secretary and current Berkeley professor covers the consolidation of wealth, the stagnation in wages and the elasticity of our economy.  Director Jacob Kornbluth builds a rigorous and engaging overview of where the economy stands and the risks that will become reality if we fail to act. After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with producers Jen Chaiken and Sebastian Dunganas well as political economist, professor and author Robert Reich who will discuss the widening income gap and deterioration of the USA’s economic health. DATE: Sunday, April 28 TIME: 4:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie, Beyond the Screens: The Artist’s Angle” Sponsored by OppenheimerFunds Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me Directed by Chiemi Karasawa. (USA) – World Premiere. Broadway legend Elaine Stritch remains in the spotlight at eighty-seven years old. Join the uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winner both on and off stage in this revealing documentary. With interviews from Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, Alec Baldwin and others, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me blends rare archival footage and intimate cinema vérité to reach beyond Stritch’s brassy exterior, revealing a multi-dimensional portrait of a complex woman and an inspiring artist. After the Movie: Stay for a fun and lively conversation with filmmaker Chiemi Karasawa and the high-kicking Elaine Stritch, who shares her stories, tricks of the trade and the industry dish that you just won’t want to miss.  Moderated by The New York Times’ Charles Isherwood. DATE: Monday, April 22 TIME: 5:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic Directed by Marina Zenovich. (USA) – World Premiere. This moving portrait of legendary comedian Richard Pryor chronicles his life from his troubled youth in Peoria, Illinois, to his meteoric rise as one of the most respected comic actors of the 20th century. Often misunderstood during the height of his celebrity, the late superstar has never been profiled this extensively. Marina Zenovich’s revealing and entertaining film lays bare the demons with which he struggled and reminds us just how daring and dangerous artistic freedom can be. After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with Emmy Award®-winning director Marina Zenovich, author Walter Mosley and comedian Wyatt Cenac to discuss the making of the documentary and the impact of one of Hollywood’s most controversial comedians. DATE: Wednesday, April 24 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 “Tribeca Talks: Industry” (Free event: Reserve tickets in advance at www.tribecafilm.com/film guide) Look Who’s Talking Now celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Tribeca Film Institute’s Tribeca All Access® program has supported several projects whose crews included at least one writer or director from a community statistically underrepresented in the film industry. When it comes to major box office hits, narratives featuring a diversity of characters on screen are finding increased success despite a marked lack of diversity behind the camera. Join our film industry professionals for a dynamic debate on race, authorship and authenticity in today’s filmmaking scene.  Panelists include author, critic and filmmaker Nelson George, actor and playwright Anna Deavere Smith, Indiewire’s Shadow & Act Chief Editor Tambay Obenson, producer and Braven Films President and CEO Frida Torresblanco and filmmaker Terence Nance.  Moderated by Tribeca Film Institute Executive Director Beth Janson. DATE: Friday, April 19 TIME: 2:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 Brand New Studios What happens to film when brands become producers? Filmmakers and brand managers are uniting like never before to make everything from shorts to feature-length films to episodic series.  The results of these partnerships are stretching the traditional sponsor role and creating new opportunities for filmmakers.  Hear from successful brands that are vying to take on the role of producer.  Panelists include ESPN Films Director of Development Dan Silver; GE Executive Director of Global Digital Marketing Linda Boff; VICE Media, Inc. Executive Creative Director Danny Gabai and Red Bull Media House Head of Distribution Greg Jacobs.  Moderated by strategic consultant Nancy Schafer. DATE: Sunday, April 21 TIME: 2:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 The Business of Entertainment: Truth, Persuasion and Bias in Documentaries Sponsored by Bloomberg. Documentarians, like journalists, make use of a full range of storytelling conventions. Some prefer to observe and report events as they happen, while others gravitate more toward opinion, commentary or in-depth personal narrative. How do filmmakers navigate between journalistic precision and creative nonfiction – and are these choices shaped by financial demands in the business of entertainment? Hear from leading voices in the documentary world to examine choices of style and approach to telling their stories. Panelists include Executive Vice President American Documentary | POV Cynthia López and leading documentary filmmakers Dan Krauss (The Kill Team) Morgan Spurlock, Kristi Jacobson andShola Lynch. Moderated by Bloomberg Chief Content Officer Norman Pearlstine. DATE: Monday, April 22 TIME: 2:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 Big Data and the Movies Sponsored by SAP. Big Data presents new methods for testing the production and distribution of films both big and small.  Join our panel of industry experts to consider the effect and implications of strategically developed content and social sentiment to explore the latest ways audience data analysts and distributors are retooling the what, when and how of filmgoing.  Whether you are creating or consuming film on small screens or in IMAX theaters, learn what Big Data will mean to you.  Panelists include Rentrak CEO Bill Livek, FilmTrack Co-Founder and CEO Jason Kassin, MoviePass Co-Founder and CEO Stacy Spikes, Mashable’s Senior Tech Analyst Christina Warren and Director of Digital Strategy at Film Society of Lincoln CenterEugene Hernandez.  Moderated by SAP Labs SVP/GM of Media Industry Solutions Richard Whittington. DATE: Tuesday, April 23 TIME: 2:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 New Filmmakers in the Digital Age Sponsored by Panavision.  Learn from doing.  With expanding options in digital cameras and lens combinations, along with a transparency of production workflow strategies and processes, directors, producers and cinematographers are learning more from each other than ever before.  Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program supports filmmakers by providing grants for camera packages.  Come and hear from new filmmakers on how they navigated the world of digital filmmaking.  Panelists include director Lance Edmands (Bluebird), filmmaker/actor Alex Karpovsky, director Jenée LaMarque (The Pretty One), director Rob Meyer (A Birder’s Guide to Everything) and producer Tamara Anghie (Run and Jump).  Moderated by Panavision’s Peter Brogna. DATE: Thursday, April 25 TIME: 2:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 “Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper” (Free) Hosted by Barnes & Noble New Chick Flicks From sports films to comedies, action flicks to war documentaries, female filmmakers, writers and actors are challenging traditional associations of what makes a movie for or by women. Join us for this dynamic exploration why being a female in the film industry requires re-writing the typecast model.  Panelists include producer of the ESPN Nine for IX series Libby Geist, directorRachel Boynton (Big Men), producer Tanya Ager Meillier (Alias Ruby Blade) andwriter/producer Laura Goode (Farah Goes Bang). Moderated by producer Abigail Disney. DATE: Friday, April 19 TIME: 1:00 PM LOCATION: Barnes & Noble 33 E 17th Street at Union Square Putting the “I” in “Film” “Write what you know” has always been a mantra, but “film what you know”? How can direct personal experiences translate to audience-friendly, relatable pieces on screen? How much of our “all” should we bare? Hear from filmmakers, writers and actors who have written more than a piece of themselves into the filmmaking process.  Panelists include director Banker White (The Genius of Marian), director Tom Berninger (Mistaken for Strangers), writer/actressAmy Grantham (Lily), director Josh Fox (Gasland Part II).  Moderated by Screen International’sMark Adams. DATE: Saturday, April 20 TIME: 1:00 PM LOCATION: Barnes & Noble 33 E 17th Street at Union Square Whose Credit is it Anyway? Documentaries continue to evolve over the years into ever more complex, multi-format storytelling features. One recent development is a new credit: the writer. As filmmakers embrace or fight this controversial title, our panelists discuss when taking the credit is appropriate. Panelists include writer/director Fahad Mustafa (Powerless), writer/directorWarwick Ross (Red Obsession), director Jason Osder (Let the Fire Burn), editor Nels Bangerter(Let the Fire Burn) and director Sean Dunne (Oxyana).  Moderated by director Julia Bacha(Budrus). DATE: Sunday, April 21 TIME: 1:00 PM LOCATION: Barnes & Noble 33 E 17th Street at Union Square Special “Tribeca Talks” Events A Special Shorts Event: The Battle of amfAR Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.  (USA) – New York Premiere. In the darkest days of the AIDS pandemic, two women from very different walks of life unite to take a stand.  Two-time Academy Award®-winner Rob Epstein and his longtime collaborator Jeffrey Friedman, the creative forces behind The Celluloid Closet, tell the story of the extraordinary moment when Dr. Mathilde Krim and Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor launched the country’s first AIDS research foundation.  The fight against HIV/AIDS would never be the same.  An HBO Documentary Films release. After the Screening: Stay for a conversation with special guests Dr. Mathilde Krim, global health consultant and activist Regan Hofmann and amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost to discuss the new strides medicine has taken in AIDS research development.  Moderated by amfAR chairman Kenneth Cole. DATE: Wednesday, April 24 TIME: 5:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 source: Tribeca Film Festival

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  • 2013 San Francisco International Film Festival Announces Big Nights Opening, Centerpiece and Closing Night Films

    The 56th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 25 – May 9) announced the films in its Big Nights series. Things kick off with the Opening Night presentation of returning Bay Area duo Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s drama What Maisie Knew (USA 2012) starring Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan and Alexander Skarsgård. The celebration continues on May 4 with the Centerpiece screening of Jacob Kornbluth’s Inequality For All (USA 2013), featuring local economist Robert Reich. The festival then comes to a close with Richard Linklater’s (Bernie, SFIFF 2012) Before Midnight (USA 2013), the third film in the director’s romantic trilogy starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. 

    Opening Night: What Maisie Knew
    Thursday April 25, 7:00 pm, Castro Theatre
    Codirectors Scott McGehee and David Siegel and actor Onata Aprile expected
    In a loose adaptation of Henry James’ novel of the same name, Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s What Maisie Knew focuses on the effects of a marriage unraveling as viewed through the eyes of a couple’s six-year-old daughter (played by remarkable newcomer Onata Aprile). Shuffling between narcissistic parents-her rock star mother (Julianne Moore) and distracted art dealer father (Steve Coogan)-or foisted off on parental stand-ins (Alexander Skarsgård and Joanna Vanderham), young Maisie comes face to face with the mercurial world of grown-ups who are anything but.

    The Opening Night celebration continues at the Temple Nightclub (540 Harrison Street) at 9:00 pm with a lavish party featuring hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants, sophisticated cocktails and, of course, dancing. 

    Centerpiece: Inequality For All


    Saturday May 4, 6:30 pm, Sundance Kabuki Cinemas
    Director Jacob Kornbluth and subject Robert Reich expected
    In this Inconvenient Truth for the economy, the Sundance Special Jury Award-winning Inequality For All introduces former Secretary of Labor (and current UC Berkeley professor) Robert Reich as an inspirational and humorous guide in exploring the causes and consequences of the widening income gap in America and asks what is means for the future of our economy and nation. Passionate and insightful, Reich connects the dots for viewers by providing a comprehensive and significantly deeper understanding of what’s at stake if we don’t act. 

    At 8:30 pm guests will party at Roe (651 Howard Street), San Francisco’s premier boutique nightclub and lounge destination. They will indulge in cool cocktails, delicious hors d’oeuvres and the latest beats.

    Closing Night: Before Midnight


    Thursday May 9, 7:00 pm, Castro Theatre
    Director Richard Linklater expected
    They’re still the same romantic, articulate and gorgeous couple that met on a train in Linklater’s Before Sunrise (1995), but now, nearly 20 years on, Jesse and Celine (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) are approaching middle age and facing questions of commitment, family and, as ever, the staying power of love.Before Midnight, with a funny and touching screenplay cowritten by Linklater and his two lead actors, is that rare sequel (rarer still: a sequel to a sequel) that not only delivers the charm and energy of its antecedents but adds layers of poignancy, standing firmly on its own as a mature observation of love’s pleasures and discontents.

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  • The Spectacular Now to Open 2013 Phoenix Film Festival

    The Spectacular Now, which premiered earlier this year at 2013 Sundance Film Festival, will have its Arizona Premiere on April 4th as this year’s Opening Night film selection at the 13th Annual Phoenix Film Festival!  James Ponsoldt, the director of The Spectacular Now, will also be on hand to introduce the film and participate in a post screening Q&A. This is Ponsoldt’s third feature film and an adaptation of Tim Tharp’s novel The Spectacular Now. 

    The Spectacular Now is described as a funny, compassionate and poignant look at young adulthood.  The film captures the insecurity and confusion of adolescence without looking for tidy truths. Sutter Keely (Miles Teller from Footloose), lives in the now. It’s a good place for him. A high school senior, charming and self-possessed, he’s the life of the party, loves his job at a men’s clothing store, and has no plans for the future. A budding alcoholic, he’s never far from his supersized, whiskey-fortified thirst-master cup. But after being dumped by his girlfriend, Sutter gets drunk and wakes up on a lawn with Aimee Finicky (Shailene Woodley from The Descendants) hovering over him. She’s different: the “nice girl” who reads science fiction and doesn’t have a boyfriend. While Amy has dreams of a future, Sutter lives in the impressive delusion of a spectacular now, yet somehow, they’re drawn together.

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  • Toronto International Film Festival Announces 2013 Asian Film Summit

     

    Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival, today announced the return of the Asian Film Summit. Returning to the Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto, the 2013 Summit will take place during the Festival, on Tuesday, September 10, 2013. The Summit is a key element of TIFF’s ongoing commitment to building bridges between Asian cinema and the West.

    “Last year we were honoured to have among our Asian Film Summit guests filmmakers Chen Kaige, Mira Nair and Eli Roth, film executives Harvey Weinstein, Bill Kong, Chris Dodd, Nina Lath Gupta and Stuart Ford, and global superstar Jackie Chan,” said Bailey. “We’re looking forward to welcoming another stellar lineup of key influencers and film leaders from both sides of the Pacific.”

    Following the success of the inaugural event, the 2013 Summit will include panel discussions, in-depth working sessions and a gala banquet. The Summit offers a platform for industry leaders to connect with one another—generating ideas and finding new business opportunities.

    Information on Asian Film Summit guests and programming will be announced in the coming months.

    The TIFF Industry Office will be selling a limited number of passes to industry professionals who are registered with the Festival. Passes will go on sale May 1. Visit tiff.net/industry in April for more details.

    The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 5 to 15, 2013. 

    source: TIFF

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  • Australia’s Revelation Perth International Film Festival Announce 2013 Dates And Invites Filmmakers to Submit Films

    Revelation Perth International Film Festival will run from July 4-14, 2013 in Perth, Australia and filmmakers from across the globe are invited to enter their films.

    Regarded as one of Australia’s most exciting independent film festivals, the festival’s search is on for unique, signature-driven works from both emerging and established filmmakers.

    Each year, REVELATION sees Australian filmmakers converging on Western Australia to present their works and meet with screenwriters, producers, directors, distributors, and other industry representatives.

    Founded in 1997, REVELATION has developed into an internationally renowned film festival, screening stand-out works and giving a platform for distinctive approaches to production, distribution and exhibition. REVELATION is an outstanding networking opportunity for the Australian and international film community.

    The event’s reputation as a leading light of the Australian screen industry has resulted in an impressive number of Australian and world premieres and growing attendance by the film industry’s brightest and best.

    Submissions may include narrative features, documentary, short film, animation, experimental work and anything in between.

    Entries for the Revelation Perth International Film Festival close on 5 April 2013.

    For the first time, Revelation also offers an online entry option. 

    REVELATION is proudly supported by the West Australian government. 

    source: Revelation Perth International Film Festival

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  • Short Term 12 and The Short Game Among Audience Award-winners at 2013 SXSW

    The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival announced Audience Award-winners from the Narrative Feature Competition, Documentary Feature Competition, Narrative Spotlight, Documentary Spotlight, Emerging Visions, Midnighters, 24 Beats Per Second, SXGlobal, Festival Favorites and Design Award categories.

    The Audience Awards follow the previously announced 2013 Jury Awards, which included Grand Jury Winners Destin Daniel Cretton’s Short Term 12 for Narrative Feature, and Ben Nabors’ WILLIAM AND THE WINDMILL for Documentary Feature.

    2013 SXSW Film Festival Audience Award Winners:

    NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
    Winner: Short Term 12
    Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
    Winner: The Short Game
    Director: Josh Greenbaum

    DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT
    Winner: An Unreal Dream: The Michael Morton Story
    Director: Al Reinert

    NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT 
    Winner: Zero Charisma
    Directors: Katie Graham & Andrew Matthews

    VISIONS
    Winner: Maidentrip
    Director: Jillian Schlesinger

    MIDNIGHTERS
    Winner: Cheap Thrills
    Director: E.L. Katz

    24 BEATS PER SECOND
    Winner: A Band Called Death
    Directors: Mark Christopher Covino & Jeff Howlett

    SXGLOBAL
    Winner: The Punk Syndrome
    Directors: Jukka Kärkkäinen & J-P Passi

    FESTIVAL FAVORITES
    Winner: The Crash Reel
    Director: Lucy Walker

    SXSW Film Design Awards 

    EXCELLENCE IN POSTER DESIGN
    Audience Award Winner: Kiss of the Damned
    Designer: Akiko Stehrenberger, Gravillis Inc

    EXCELLENCE IN TITLE DESIGN 
    Audience Award Winner: Chasing Shakespeare
    Designer: Lucky Post

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  • William And The Windmill Leads Award-winners of the 2013 South by Southwest Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_3337" align="alignnone" width="550"]William And The Windmill[/caption]

    William And The Windmill directed by Ben Nabors took the top prize when the Jury and Special Award-winners of the 2013 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival were announced at the Festival’s Awards Ceremony, hosted by comedian Jerrod Carmichael. SXSW also announced the Jury Award-winners in Shorts Filmmaking and winners of the SXSW Film Design Awards, as well as Special Awards, including the Louis Black “Lone Star” Award and the SXSW Chicken & Egg Emergent Narrative Woman Director Award.

    SXSW FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2013 JURY & SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS

    The 2013 SXSW Film Festival Award Winners:

    Feature Film Jury Awards

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

    Grand Jury Winner: WILLIAM AND THE WINDMILL
    Director: Ben Nabors

    Special Jury Recognition for Cinematography: Touba
    Director of Photography: Scott Duncan

    Special Jury Recognition for Directing: We Always Lie To Strangers
    Directors: AJ Schnack & David Wilson

    NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

    Grand Jury Winner: Short Term 12
    Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

    Special Jury Recognition for Ensemble Cast: Burma
    Christopher Abbott, Gaby Hoffmann, Christopher McCann, Dan Bittner, Emily Fleischer, Jacinta Puga, Matt McCarthy, Kelly Aucoin

    Short Film Jury Awards

    NARRATIVE SHORTS

    Winner: Ellen is Leaving
    Director: Michelle Savill

    Honorable Mention: Sequin Raze
    Director: Sarah Gertrude Shapiro

    Honorable Mention: SKIN
    Director: Jordana Spiro

    DOCUMENTARY SHORTS 

    Winner: SLOMO
    Director: Josh Izenberg

    Special Jury Recognition for Acting: Tishuan Scott, The Retrieval

    MIDNIGHT SHORTS

    Winner: The Apocalypse
    Directors: Andrew Zuchero

    ANIMATED SHORTS 

    Winner: Oh Willy…
    Director: Emma De Swaef & Marc James Roels

    MUSIC VIDEOS

    Winner: Vitalic, “Stamina”
    Director: Saman Keshavarz

    TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS

    Winner: The Benfactress
    Director: Alina Vega

    SXSW Film Design Awards

    EXCELLENCE IN POSTER DESIGN

    Winner: Kiss of the Damned
    Designer: Akiko Stehrenberger, Gravillis Inc

    Special Jury Recognition: We Always Lie To Strangers
    Designer: Erik Buckham, PALACEWORKS

    EXCELLENCE IN TITLE DESIGN 

    Winner: Joven & Alocada
    Designer: Pablo González, Fabula

    Special Jury Recognition: Crave
    Designer: Raleigh Stewart, Iron Helmet

    SXSW Special Awards

    SXSW CHICKEN & EGG EMERGENT NARRATIVE WOMAN DIRECTOR AWARD
    Winner: Hannah Fidell, A Teacher
    Special Mention: Katie Graham. Zero Charisma

    LOUIS BLACK “LONE STAR” AWARD
    Winner: Loves Her Gun
    Director: Geoff Marslett

    KAREN SCHMEER FILM EDITING FELLOWSHIP
    Presented to: Jim Hession

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  • The Best Bike Movies from Around the World at 2013 Filmed by Bike in Portland, Oregon

    The 11th Annual Filmed by Bike is a film festival that features the best bicycle movies from around the world. The festival takes place at the Clinton Street Theater, 2516 SE Clinton Street, Portland, Oregon, on April 20-23, 2013. Love is born, victories are achieved and fantastic feats are accomplished as stories of two-wheeled adventures cycle across the silver screen in eight minutes or less.

    [caption id="attachment_3326" align="alignnone" width="550"]Sandy On Bikes[/caption]

    * Filmed by Bike was started in 2003.

    * 40% of the submissions come form Portland, the rest come from around the world.

    * The festival features an array of film genres including documentary, animation, drama and comedy.

    * The festival is only shown in Portland, Oregon

    * Festival attendees come from all over the region. In 2008, Amtrak reportedly sold out of space for bicycles on the Cascades line because of the number of bike-enthusiasts traveling from Seattle to Portland for the festival.

    * 120 movies are submitted. 40 movies are shown.

    The opening day is Saturday, April 20 and features the New Belgium Street Fest in the middle of Clinton Street. The event is all ages and features a Speed Raffle presented by Sock Dreams, live entertainment, a beer garden, a video storytelling booth, a photo booth and a gigantic bike parking arena.

    source: Filmed by Bike

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  • Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children to Help Kick Off 2013 New York Indian Film Festival

    The 13th Annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) announced an exclusive kick-off screening of MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN followed by a special Q&A on April 10, 2013. In attendance will be the film’s acclaimed director Deepa Mehta, award-winning writer of the novel Salman Rushdie who also adapted the screenplay, producer David Hamilton, cast members Sarita Choudhury and Samrat Chakrabarti, plus other special guests. Paladin and 108 Media will be officially releasing MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN in major U.S. cities starting in New York City on April 26. 

    [caption id="attachment_3321" align="alignnone" width="550"](L-R) Author and Screenwriter Salman Rushdie and Director Deepa Mehta[/caption]

    Deepa Mehta returns to NYIFF after her Oscar-nominated film WATER opened the film festival in 2005. “We have had a very long and creatively fruitful relationship with NYIFF. FIRE, the very first film in the elemental Trilogy was shown there and almost every film I have made since,” says Mehta. “Aroon Shivdasani was in fact responsible for the creation of MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN. She brought Salman to the premiere screening of WATER in New York and that began a close relationship with Salman, which culminated in the very first film adaptation of any of his novels. It is enormously pleasing for me to be once again collaborating with NYIFF and bringing to their extremely discerning audience MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN, a film that I have been dreaming of doing since I first read the book over 30 years ago.”

    With this latest masterpiece, MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN, Mehta tantalizes audiences with lush visuals and a magical, wide-spanning story. Two babies, born within moments of India proclaiming Independence from Britain, are switched at birth and are forever marked by history.

    Long-time supporter of NYIFF, Salman Rushdie also narrates the film. “I’m delighted the film of MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN is to be given this preview screening in New York by my old friends at NYIFF,” says Rushdie. “I look forward to a great evening with you all!”

    MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN has played at festivals worldwide to much critical acclaim. This star-studded event is open only to press and members of the film festival’s presenting organization, the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC). Widely recognized as the premiere showcase of groundbreaking Indian cinema globally, IAAC’s NYIFF will announce the full line-up of screenings and events for the festival by March 22.

    Celebrating its 13th year, NYIFF will run April 30 to May 4.

    About the film:

     

    Paladin and 108 Media present

    MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN

    148 minutes

    Director: Deepa Mehta

    Writer: Salman Rushdie

    Executive Producers: Deepa Mehta, Dilip Mehta, Salman Rushdie, Doug Mankoff, Andrew Spaulding, Steven Silver, Neil Tabatznik, Elizabeth Karlsen, David Hamilton, Stephen Woolley

    Producer: David Hamilton

    Cast: Satya Bhabha, Shahana Goswami, Rajat Kapoor, Seema Biswas, Shriya Saran, Siddharth, Ronit Roy, Rahul Bose, Anita Majumdar, Zaib Shaikh, Anupam Kher

    Logline: Born in the hour of India’s freedom. Handcuffed to history. 

    Release Date: April 26 in NY, additional cities in May

    English and Urdu with English subtitles

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXgx6C8PHd4

    source: New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF)

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  • HollyShorts takes over NYC and LA March 29th

    HollyShorts, considered “the premier festival showcasing the top short films” is coming to New York City on Friday March 29th. 

    For the first time in the festival’s history, HollyShorts will be have a New York City screening series at the Showbiz store located at 19 W 21st St. New York, NY 10010 and on the same night there will be a separate program screening celebration at the Showbiz store LA located at 500 S Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90049.

    Audiences at each screening get to choose their favorite film and the film with the most votes gets entered into the prestigious august festival held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, August 15th-25th.

    HollyShorts New York March Screening

    Movies Screening Include

    Rockaway – Directed by  Melanie Schiele
    Periods – Directed by Victor Quinaz and Anna Martemucci
    The Man at the Counter – Directed by Brian McAllister
    Tu & Eu – Directed by Edward Shieh
    Truth About Lies – Directed by Shalako Gordon
    Harry Grows Up – Directed by Mark Nickelsburg
    5 Second Films

    HollyShorts Los Angeles March Screening

    Movies Screening Include:

    Drunk History – Directed by Derek Waters
    Mantle – Directed by Luke Dejoras
    Real Girls Guide – Directed by Heather De Michele
    Butterfly – Directed by J.R. Curry
    Loop Holes – Directed by Erin Granat 
    Goodbye, Simon – Directed by Dylan Stern 
    5 Second Films

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