Film Festivals

Revelation Perth International Film Festival Announces REVEL-8 Call for Entries

The Revelation Perth International Film Festival launches Revel-8 2013, inviting submissions from filmmakers from across the country

THEME: PHOBIA!

Calling all Super-8 filmmakers – whether you’re a seasoned campaigner or a Super-8 newbie, Revel-8 Film Fest is throwing out the challenge far and wide to take part in a celebration of image meets music.

Keanu Reeves’ recent docu Side by Side got a whole debate going between lovers of film and digital – get in on the conversation by putting your creative talents to work on celluloid’s smallest, but most accessible film medium.

Now everyone’s a little afraid of something – be it spiders, the colour blue, stepping on cracks in the footpath, or something more unique. Tell the story of confronting a phobia ‘in-camera’ on a single 3.5 minute cartridge of Super-8 film, and the talented music composition students at the WA Academy of Performing Arts will put down a music soundtrack to help your images really pop for the audience.

Revel-8 makes the Super 8 journey easy by providing a film cartridge as part of the registration fee and processing it for you. The fun but challenging part of Revel-8, is that films must be shot in sequence on the one Super 8 cartridge.

Sit side by side with the audience as Revel-8 films premiere to their makers for the first time at Revelation Perth International Film Festival July 4-14, 2013. Awards to be presented include Best Film, Best Music Soundtrack, Best Cinematography, Audience Choice Award and more!

“Revel-8 has been an incredibly popular part of Rev for years and its unique blend of analogue technology and blind-dating is always enjoyable to watch unfold” says Revelation founder Richard Sowada. “Everyone takes it very seriously and from it comes some really very surprising and thoughtful work”.

Entry forms can be downloaded from www.revelationfilmfest.org or contact revel8filmfest@gmail.com for more information and a Super 8 Help Guide.

Registrations close 17 May and films must be completed by 31 May.

Revelation is proudly supported by the West Australian government.

source: Revelation Perth International Film Festival

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Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2013 Lineup Reflects Diversity of Indian Cinema

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) which runs April 9 to 14, 2013 at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, will screen an impressive lineup of narrative and documentary features and short films at this year’s festival reflecting the rich diversity of Indian cinema,

Highlights include: a special screening of Mira Nair’s THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST, a political thriller based on the New York Times bestseller with a star-studded cast; MISS LOVELY by Ashim Ahluwalia, a dark look at the seedy underbelly of Bollywood C-movies and soft-porn during the 1980’s, that premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes last year; PEDDLERS, Vasan Bala’s directorial debut, which premiered at the 2012 International Critics’ Week, a crime thriller following the desperation of young drug runners who are merely looking to survive; SHAHID, based on the true story of Shahid Azmi, a human rights activist murdered in India in 2010, directed by Hansal Mehta and produced by Guneet Monga and Anurag Kashyap; and Sundance and Berlin favorite SALMA, directed by Kim Longinotto, a documentary about one South Indian woman’s courageous journey in the face of mass oppression.

Anurag Kashyap’s GANGS OF WASSEYPUR will open the festival, while Deepa Mehta’s MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN will feature as the closing night film.

Attending the festival this year to present their films will be a host of celebrated filmmakers, including Mira Nair, Deepa Mehta, Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga, Hansal Mehta, Vasan Bala, Nitin Kakkar, and S.S. Rajamouli among others.

Other titles include a documentary about India’s obsession with cricket called BEYOND ALL BOUNDARIES, which will have its world premiere at the festival, and the Malayalam extravaganza EEGA, a delightful tale of love, rebirth, and revenge with dazzling special effects.

Two films at the festival this year celebrate the power of Indian cinema: CELLULOID MAN, a documentary about beloved Indian film expert and archivist P.K. Nair, and the charming FILMISTAN, the fictional tale of one man’s love of Hindi films and how cinema has the power to unite us all.

The festival’s popular Bollywood by Night series returns this year with three films by legendary director, writer, producer, and Hindi cinema’s ‘king of romance,’ Yash Chopra.: KABHI KABHIE (1976), SILSILA (1981), and CHANDNI (1989).

The lineup of films include:

OPENING NIGHT GALA

GANGS OF WASSEYPUR I
Los Angeles Premiere
India/2012/159 minutes
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Writers: Zeeshan Qadri, Sachin Ladia, Akhilesh Jaiswal, Anurag Kashyap,
Producers: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga, Sunil Bohra,
Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chaddha, Reema Sen, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Nawazuddin Siddiqui,

Epic in scope, GANGS OF WASSEYPUR I and II is a mafia revenge saga that chronicles the violent and bloody decade-long turf war between two mob families.
Hindi with English Subtitles

CLOSING NIGHT GALA

MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN

Los Angeles Premiere
Canada/United Kingdom/2012/148 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

Oscar©-nominated director Deepa Mehta brings us her latest work, MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN, a poetic and visual journey scaling time and space.
English and Urdu with English subtitles

FEATURE FILMS

EEGA

India / 2012 / 134min
Director: S.S Rajamouli
Producer: Korrapati Sai
Screenwriter: S.S Rajamouli
Cast: Sudeep, Nani, Samantha Ruth Prabhu

EECHA flies into our hearts and proves that with true love, even the most unlikely of heroes can conquer any adversity, no matter how large – or in this case, how small.
Telugu with English subtitles

FILMISTAAN

Los Angeles Premiere
India / 2012 / 116min
Director: Nitin Kakkar
Producer: Nitin Kakkar
Screenwriter: Nitin Kakkar,
Cast: Sharib Hashmi, Inaamulhaq, Kumud Mishra, Gopal Datt

FILMISTAN is Nitin Kakkar’s feature-length directorial debut, and has won hearts across the globe at festivals like MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, Gothenburg Film Festival, Jaipur International Film Festival, and the International Film Festival of Kerala.
Hindi with English subtitles

MISS LOVELY

Los Angeles Premiere
India / 2012 / 110 minutes
Director: Ashim Ahluwalia
Producers: Shumona Goel, Sanjay Shah
Screenwriters: Ashim Ahluwalia, Uttam Sirur
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Niharika Singh, Anil George, Zeena Bhatia

The story of two brothers immersed in the seedy underbelly of Bollywood C-movies and soft-porn during the 1980’s. MISS LOVELY made its world premiere in competition in the Un Certain Regard at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
Hindi with English subtitles

PEDDLERS

Los Angeles Premiere
India / 2012 / 116min
Director: Vasan Bala
Producers: Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga
Screenwriter: Vasan Bala
Cast: Gulshan Devaiya, Nishikanth Kamath, Nimrat Kaur

PEDDLERS, debuting at the 2012 International Critics’ Week, which runs parallel to the Cannes Film Festival, is a crime thriller following the desperation of young drug runners who are merely looking to survive.
Hindi with English subtitles

THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST

USA / 2013 / 128min
Director: Mira Nair
Producer: Lydia Dean Pilche
Screenwriters: Ami Boghani, Mohsin Hamid, William Wheeler
Cast: Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Liev Schreiber, Kiefer Sutherland, Om Puri, Meesha Shafi, Shabana Azmi

Based on the best-selling novel by Mohsin Hamid, THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST is a riveting thriller about the story of Changez, a young Pakistani man chasing corporate success on Wall Street in the era of globalisation.
English

SHAHID

U.S. Premiere
India / 2012 / 126min
Director: Hansal Mehta
Producers: Guneet Monga, Sunil Bohra
Screenwriter: Sameer Gautam Singh
Cast: Raj Kumar Yadav, Prabhleen Sandhu, Baljinder Kaur, Vipin Sharma, Mohb Ayyup Mohd Ayyub

Shot in secrecy, SHAHID is based on true events and the life of Shahid Azmi, a defense lawyer and human rights activist who was murdered in 2010 at the age of 32, in retribution for his defense of a man accused in the Mumbai terror attacks.
Hindi with English subtitles

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

CELLULOID MAN

Los Angeles Premiere
India / 2012 / 150min
Director: Shivendra Singh Dungarpur
Cast: P.K. Nair

An exploration of the life and work of the legendary guardian of Indian cinema, P.K. Nair.
English

BEYOND ALL BOUNDARIES

World Premiere
India / 2013 / 96min
Director/Writer: Sushrut Jain
Eat, sleep, breathe cricket.
Hindi with English subtitles

MOHAMMED TO MAYA

Los Angeles Premiere
USA / 2012 / 74min Director/Producer/Editor: Jeff Roy
Cast: Maya Jafer

Meet Maya: a 42 year-old from Chennai, India, who goes through a life-changing sexual- reassignment surgery.
English

SALMA

Los Angeles Premiere
USA / 2012 / 91min
Director: Kim Longinotto

Master documentarian Kim Longinotto returns to IFFLA with her latest compelling work, SALMA, the extraordinary story of one South Indian woman’s courageous journey in the face of mass oppression.
Hindi with English subtitles

BOLLYWOOD BY NIGHT

KABHI KABHIE
India / 1976 / 178min
Director: Yash Chopra
Producer: Yash Chopra
Screenwriter: Pamela Chopra (story), Sagar Sarhadi (screenplay)
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Rakhee, Neetu Singh, Rishi Kapoor

KABHI KABHIE remains one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved films. Sweeping several awards, it began a definitive tradition of romance in Hindi cinema, which Mr. Chopra mastered to perfection and his fans came to love.
Hindi with English subtitles

SILSILA
India / 1981 / 183min
Director/Producer: Yash Chopra
Screenwriters: Preeti Bedi, Yash Chopra, Sagar Sarhadi, Romesh Sharma
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Rekha, Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar, Kulbhushan Karbandha

A melodrama in the best sense of the word, SILSILA is stunningly shot in spectacular locations. It is remembered both for its pairing of Amitabh and Rekha and its evocative poetry. A must-see for lovers of mainstream Bollywood cinema.
Hindi with English subtitles

CHANDNI
India / 1989 / 187min
Director/Producer: Yash Chopra
Screenwriter: Kamna Chandra, Umesh Kalbagh, Arun Kaul, Sagar Sarhadi
Cast: Sridevi, Rishi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna

Shot in beautiful locations in Switzerland, the CHANDNI was a turning point for Chopra and established him as the successful commercial director of the 1980s. Sridevi was to become the star of the decade and the film launched what was to become Bollywood’s signature style: a musical genre combined with an ensemble cast. CHANDNI must be seen on full screen in order to appreciate Chopra’s signature elements: stunning sets, costumes, colorful landscapes all mingled with a star cast.
Hindi with English subtitles

SHORTS

…OR DIE
Shorts Program 2
Los Angeles Premiere
USA / 2012 / 14min
Director: Gregory Bonsignore and John Petaja

This is what happens in Hollywood when three ‘brown’ actors meet with an entertainment exec to pitch their latest internet masterpiece.
English

AFTERGLOW
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India / 2012 / 19min
Director: Kaushal Oza

Fed up with entertaining a slew of annoying guests, Minocher defies her traditional Parsi community and mourns the loss of her husband in her own way.
English, Gujarati with English subtitles

DOSA HUNT
Los Angeles Premiere
USA / 2012 / 22min
Directors: Amrit Singh, Sam Carroll

Searching for a connection to the motherland…through your stomach.
English

HERE AND AWAY
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
USA/India / 2012 / 11min
Director/Producer: Meena Nanji

A village, standing at the crossroads between tradition and modernity, is seen through the curious perspective of a young boy.
Hindi with English subtitles

HOMECOMING
Shorts Program 1
Los Angeles Premiere
USA / 2011 / 26min
Director/Producer: Gursimran Sandhu
Producer: Michael Candelori

When Nina Patel’s strict Indian parents refuse to let her attend the eighth-grade homecoming dance, she resorts to emotional blackmail.
English

HUMBLE THE POET
Shorts Program 2
Los Angeles Premiere
USA / 2011 / 12min
Directors/Producers: Brendan Nahmias, Ruth Paul

A bold and personal look at Sikh hip-hop artist, Humble the Poet, a second generation South Asian poet and musician defining his own cultural identity.
English

ENNAKUM ORU PER
Shorts Program 2
Los Angeles Premiere
Sri Lanka / 2011 / 12min
Director: Suba Sivakumaran

A nun residing in a monastery hides her daughter from an approaching military as civil war ravages modern day Sri Lanka.
Tamil with English subtitles

IKA
Shorts Program 2
U.S. Premiere
India / 2012 / 15min
Director/Producer: Raam Reddy

Who needs a camera to make a film when you have a cardboard box, a magnifying glass, an old VHS tape and a chicken?
Telugu with English subtitles

QUEEN OF MY DREAMS
Shorts Program 1
USA/2012/3min/DCP
Directors: Fawzia Mirza, Ryan Logan

Fawzia falls under the spell of Bollywood heroines and their promise of love and feminine perfection – in a queer light.
English

RAGS TO PADS
World Premiere
India/US / 2012 / 3min
WORLD PREMIERE
Director/Producer: Chithra Jeyaram

Fed up with his wife’s lack of sanitary menstrual hygiene, a poor villager takes matters into his own hands, and unexpectedly starts a small revolution resulting in a million jobs for rural women.
Tamil with English subtitles

RECURRENCE
Shorts Program 1
World Premiere
USA / 2013 / 7min
Directors/Producers: Sonia Albert Sobrino, Miriam Albert Sobrino

A lush, visual exploration of the transcendental space between memory and dream.
English

RIPPLES
Shorts Program 2
Los Angeles Premiere
USA / 2012 / 4min
Director/Producer: Shreyasi Das

An elderly woman remembers her youth back home in Calcutta, India in beautiful animation.
English

TATPASCHAT
Shorts Program 1
World Premiere
India / 2012 / 15min
Director: Vasudev Keluskar

One odd day, every single boy at a reform school becomes obedient.
Hindi with English subtitles

UNRAVEL
Shorts Program 2
Los Angeles Premiere
UK / 2012 / 14min
Director: Meghna Gupta

Tall tales, dreams and stories are spun as Western society’s least wanted clothes are literally unraveled a world away.
Hindi with English subtitles

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TRAILER: First Look at Documentary Film Featuring Final Interviews with Gore Vidal to World Premier at 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

Trailer for 2013 Tribeca Film Festival world premiere GORE VIDAL: THE UNITED STATES OF AMNESIA was released.

Directed by Nicholas Wrathall (Abandoned: The Betrayal of America’s Immigrants), the film features the final interviews with the iconic American writer, essayist, and singular intellectual. Featuring interviews with Gore Vidal, Burr Steers, Christopher Hitchens, Jodie Evans, Tim Robbins, Mikhail Gorbachev, Sting, David Mamet, Bob Scheer, William F. Buckley, Jay Parini, Norman Mailer, Nina Straight and Dick Cavett.

No twentieth-century figure has had a more profound effect on the worlds of literature, film, politics, historical debate, and the culture wars than Gore Vidal. Anchored by intimate one-on-one interviews with the man himself, Nicholas Wrathall’s new documentary is a fascinating and wholly entertaining portrait of the last lion of the age of American liberalism.

Commentary by those who knew him best—including filmmaker/nephew Burr Steers and the late Christopher Hitchens—blends with footage from Vidal’s legendary on-air career to remind us why he will forever stand as one of the most brilliant and fearless critics of our time.

GORE VIDAL: THE UNITED STATES OF AMNESIA is playing in the Spotlight Section of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival, and will world premiere on Thursday, April 18th at 8:30pm at the AMC Loews Village 7. Additional public screenings are Saturday, April 20th, 2:30pm at the AMC Loews Village 7, and Friday, April 26th at 5:30pm at the Clearview Cinemas Chelsea.

http://youtu.be/INW6i6K1NmQ

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Full Frame Documentary Film Festival to Feature Series of Provocative Conversations for 2013 A&E IndieFilms Speakeasy

Durham, NC – The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival has announced a series of provocative conversations for the 2013 A&E IndieFilms Speakeasy. Speakeasy conversations will be held Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6, 2013 in the Durham Convention Center during the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.

The Speakeasy is a place where everyone from a first-time filmmaker to industry visionaries like D.A. Pennebaker and Michael Moore can share their expertise, dialogue about the state of documentary filmmaking and tackle issues immediately facing the documentary community.

Panelists include Academy Award-nominated directors, filmmakers whose films have grossed millions of dollars in revenues, as well as provocateurs who are pushing boundaries on topics that are playing out in news headlines and others that are often sidestepped as taboo.

Each panel is filmed and made available online after the festival, and the use of social media is encouraged. The panel conversations are free and open to the public, no ticket is required. For more information, please visit: http://www.fullframefest.org/filmsevents/speakeasy-conversations/

Based on a True Story                                              Friday, April 5 — 12:30 pm

Narrative films built on real-life stories have been fertile ground for filmmakers for almost as long as movies have existed, but increasingly documentaries have become good source material for feature filmmakers. What is the process to take your own documentary into the world of fiction, and what should a documentarian look for should someone wish to option their material?

Panelists include: Nancy Buirski, filmmaker (THE LOVING STORY); Marshall Curry, filmmaker (STREET FIGHT, RACING DREAMS, IF A TREE FALLS); Mark Landsman, filmmaker (THUNDER SOUL); and Stephen Nemeth, producer (THE SESSIONS).

Pay the F**king Filmmakers                                 Friday, April 5 — 3:30 pm

In February Sean Farnel, former programmer for Hot Docs, wrote a series of provocative web-articles about film festivals, culminating in a piece stating that film festivals should pay filmmakers to screen their work. Setting off comments on both sides, filmmakers urged Full Frame to bring this topic to the Speakeasy for further examination.

Panelists include: Sean Farnel, columnist and programmer; Caroline Libresco, senior programmer, Sundance; and David Wilson, filmmaker and co-director, True/False.

Making the Cut                                                        Saturday, April 6 — 9:30 am

Documentary film editors work through hundreds of hours of footage and materials to shape a ninety-minute feature. In this panel, a selection of esteemed editors talk about their art and how the approach to cutting interview, vérité, and archival content distinguishes a film.

Panelists include: Matthew Hamachek, editor (GIDEON’S ARMY, IF A TREE FALLS, RACING DREAMS); Amy Linton, editor (A.K.A. DOC POMUS, SACCO AND VANZETTI, JEWS AND BASEBALL); Sam Pollard, editor (VENUS AND SERENA, REMOTE AREA MEDICAL, THE PLEASURES OF BEING OUT OF STEP); and Toby Shimin, editor (BUCK, EVERYTHING’S COOL, SEABISCUIT).

To Be Seen                                                                 Saturday, April 6 —12:30 pm

When it comes to explicit footage, how do filmmakers choose what, and what not, to show? At what point does “bearing witness” become “exploitation”? Can revealing less particulars act to strengthen a story? Filmmakers discuss their bold choices to reveal and conceal.

Panelists include: Martha Shane, filmmaker (AFTER TILLER, BI THE WAY); Marco Williams, filmmaker (THE UNDOCUMENTED, BANISHED, TWO TOWNS OF JASPER); and Farihah Zaman, filmmaker (REMOTE AREA MEDICAL).

Stories About Stories                                               Saturday, April 6 — 3:30 pm

The truth can be tricky. This panel brings together three incredible filmmakers to reflect on Amir Bar-Lev’s Thematic Program and to discuss the complex waters of storytelling, the act of projecting meaning onto reality, and “the inevitable friction that happens when multiple stories collide and compete.”

Panelists include: Amir Bar-Lev, filmmaker (Fighter, My Kid Could Paint That); John Walter, filmmaker (THEATER OF WAR) and editor (MY KID COULD PAINT THAT); and Jessica Yu, filmmaker (PROTAGONIST, IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL).

The 16th Annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will be held April 4-7, 2013, in Durham, NC, with Duke University as the presenting sponsor. Along with the complete schedule of films, tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at http://www.fullframefest.org.

source: 16th Annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
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Not in NYC? 2013 Tribeca Film Festival Unveils Lineup for Tribeca Online Festival

[caption id="attachment_3411" align="alignnone" width="550"]Fresh Meat[/caption]

The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) which runs April 17-28, 2013 in lower Manhattan, New York, announced the lineup and programming for the Tribeca Online Festival. The Tribeca Online Festival (TOF) will provide free streaming of Festival films.

Seven titles including features Alias Ruby Blade: A Story of Love and Revolution, Lil Bub & Friendz, and Farah Goes Bang (which will be streamed just after their Festival theatrical premieres), and short films RPG OKC, Delicacy, The Exit Room, and A Short Film About Guns will be accessible on tribecaonlinefestival.com . Via TribecaOnlineFestival.com audiences can vote on the best online feature and short, with the winners receiving a total of $16,000 in prize money.

The Tribeca Online Festival will also stream a number of highly anticipated conversations during the Festival as well as the 2013 TFF awards show on Thursday April 25, 2013.

Tribeca Film will also release 2013 TFF selections What Richard Did, Greetings from Tim Buckley, Fresh Meat andThe English Teacher nationwide via on demand during the Festival window. The titles will be available in more than 50 million homes in the U.S. and Canada through all major cable video-on-demand providers, as well as iTunes, Amazon Watch Instantly, VUDU, Xbox, Google Play and YouTube.

New this year is the launch of Tribeca Film Festival’s #6SECFILMS Vine Competition, an online juried competition using the six-second, micro-movie making app. Filmmakers can submit in one of four categories — #genre, #auteur, #animate and #series – using both the category hashtag and #6SECFILMS . Shortlists in each category will be viewable for the public on April 17 and will compete for cash prizes of $600. Submissions are now open through midnight on April 7. Winners will be announced by the Tribeca Online Festival on April 26.

Details on the VOD and Tribeca Online Festival offerings follow:

TRIBECA ONLINE FESTIVAL

FREE STREAMING OF OFFICIAL FESTIVAL SELECTIONS:

Three feature titles and four short films from the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival will be available on TOF. Each film will have limited screening windows and capacity. Online viewers will be able to vote for the Best Tribeca Online Feature Film, a prize of $10,000, and the Best Tribeca Online Short Film, a prize of $5,000. Winners will be announced at the Tribeca Film Festival Awards on April 25.

The full list of feature films streamed on the Tribeca Online Festival is as follows:

[caption id="attachment_3412" align="alignnone" width="550"]ALIAS RUBY BLADE: A Story of Love and Revolution[/caption]

Alias Ruby Blade: A Story of Love and Revolution, directed by Alex Meillier, written by Tanya Ager Meillier and Meillier. (USA) – North American Premiere. Kirsty Sword Gusmão went to Timor-Leste to document injustice in an area closed to Western journalists. Over the next decade, she became the lynchpin that sustained the nation’s harrowing struggle for independence and met the man who would redefine the cause for which she was fighting. Using astonishing footage of the years-long resistance, director Alex Meillier presents a highly personal account of the courage needed to create a new democracy in modern times.

[caption id="attachment_3413" align="alignnone" width="550"]LIL BUB & FRIENDZ[/caption]

Lil Bub & Friendz, directed by Andy Capper and Juliette Eisner. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Called “the most famous cat on the Internet,” the wide-eyed perma-kitten Lil Bub is the adorable embodiment of the Web’s fascination with all things cats. Join Lil Bub and her owner on a wild cross-country romp as they meet the Internet’s most famous cat-lebrities. Chock full of adorable kitties, hilarious videos and the dedicated cat enthusiasts who love them, Lil Bub & Friendz is a fun and hip peek behind the memes we know and love. Includes Mike “The Dude” Bridavsky, Ben Lashes, Grumpy Cat, Nyan Cat, Keyboard Cat.

Farah Goes Bang, directed by Meera Menon, written by Laura Goode and Menon. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Farah hits the road with her buddies to stump for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election, hoping the trip will be her opportunity to finally shed her unwanted virginity. She soon finds her efforts on both political and sexual fronts continuously thwarted. Comically balancing that moment’s climate of intolerance with a universal coming-of-age tale, Farah Goes Bang paints a comic portrait of the overdue growing pains of a group of girlfriends and the country itself.

The full list of short films streamed on the Tribeca Online Festival is as follows:

RPG OKC, Directed and written by Emily Carmichael, (USA), World Premiere. Two video game characters forge an unlikely romance.

Delicacy, Directed by Jason Mann, written by Frieda Luk and Jason Mann, (USA), New York Premiere. A culinary connoisseur and a chef go on a hunt for a rare animal.

The Exit Room, Directed and written by Todd Wiseman Jr, (USA), World Premiere. It is 2021, and imprisoned journalist Joseph Michaels faces government execution and contemplates a desperate escape attempt in order to return to his young family.

A Short Film About Guns, Directed by Minos Papas, (Cyprus), (U.K.), (USA), World Premiere. Four experts on arms trafficking recount first-hand experiences with the black market and how the illegal flow of weapons facilitates loss of life and devastation.

TRIBECA FILM VIDEO-ON-DEMAND

[caption id="attachment_3415" align="alignnone" width="550"]WHAT RICHARD DID[/caption]

What Richard Did, directed by Lenny Abrahamson, written by Malcolm Campbell. (Ireland) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Charismatic Richard leads a group of devoted friends through the rituals of their final summer break together: partying on the beach, hazing younger students, hooking up. But the good times will not last forever. When jealousy leads to a senseless act, Richard’s perfect life unravels amid self-doubt, shame, grief and guilt. What Richard Did is a gripping dissection of an action and its consequences, featuring a stellar lead performance by Jack Reynor. A Tribeca Film release.

[caption id="attachment_3416" align="alignnone" width="550"]Greetings from Tim Buckley[/caption]

Greetings from Tim Buckley, directed by Daniel Algrant, written by David Brendel, Emma Sheanshang and Algrant. (USA) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. “Like father, like son” is a demanding expression for someone who never knew his dad. When young Jeff Buckley (Penn Badgley) is asked to participate in a tribute concert for his late musician father Tim, music opens his eyes to the artistic legacy that he is destined to follow. Imogen Poots co-stars in this quiet and powerful tribute to those legends sustained by admiration, love and, in this case, beautiful music. A Focus World and Tribeca Film release.

[caption id="attachment_3411" align="alignnone" width="550"]Fresh Meat[/caption]

Fresh Meat, directed by Danny Mulheron, written by Briar Grace-Smith. (New Zealand) – New York Premiere, Narrative. After a poorly executed escape from the police, a gang of dysfunctional criminals flees to the suburbs and gets more than it bargained for when it crash lands in the garage of an upper-class Maori family whose refined palates have developed a taste for human flesh. This action-packed horror comedy tells a blood-spattered tale of basement butchery and shifting allegiances as these unlikely adversaries enter a deadly showdown. A Tribeca Film release.

[caption id="attachment_3417" align="alignnone" width="550"]THE ENGLISH TEACHER[/caption]

The English Teacher, directed by Craig Zisk, written by Dan Chariton and Stacy Chariton. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Teacher Linda Sinclair (Julianne Moore) balances her staid home life with an incredible passion for her subject, but her routine is forever altered when a former star pupil and his unsupportive father reenter her life. Go-to television director Craig Zisk, whose credits include Scrubs, Weeds and United States of Tara, takes a turn on the big screen with this insightful comedy about self-discovery co-starring Greg Kinnear, Nathan Lane, Michael Angarano and Lily Collins. A Cinedigm and Tribeca Film release.

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30th Anniversary Restoration of Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy to Close 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_3400" align="alignnone" width="550"]Jerry Lewis and Robert De Niro in The King of Comedy directed by Martin Scorsese.[/caption]

The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), has chosen the 30th Anniversary of Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy, restored in association with The Film Foundation, Regency Enterprises and Twentieth Century Fox, to close its 12th edition on Saturday, April 27.

The King of Comedy – directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul D. Zimmerman, produced by Arnon Milchan, and starring Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott and Sandra Bernhard –was originally released in 1983. Lauded as “shockingly prescient” by Moviefone, the film is recognized for its groundbreaking foresight into reality-TV culture and lack of distinction between renown and notoriety. It also holds up as the finest dramatic work of Lewis’ career, one of Martin Scorsese’s most underrated movies and a darkly funny film that features Robert De Niro playing the scary and fascinating character, Rupert Pupkin.

The King of Comedy is being restored digitally in 4K from the original camera negatives at Sony Colorworks; John Polito at Audio Mechanics is digitally restoring the soundtrack.

“Twelve years ago when we announced the first Festival, it was Marty’s idea for us to feature Restored and Rediscovered films. This year we are proud to close our 12th Festival with a restoration of his The King of Comedy,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder, Tribeca Film Festival. “The King of Comedy was so ahead of its time; it seems more relevant today than it was 30 years ago. We are so grateful to Jim Gianopulos and Regency for helping to restore such an iconic film and ensuring it remains a part of our cultural heritage.”

In this unforgettable film, a funny thing happens to talk show host Jerry Langford (Lewis) on his way to the studio. Kidnapped by stand-up comedian Rupert Pupkin (De Niro) and his wacky sidekick (Bernhard), Langford is forced to give Pupkin a shot at the big time by allowing the struggling comic to perform his routine on Langford’s show. What unfolds is an incredibly funny and poignant story about the darker side of comedy.

“I was a big fan of the script and was very excited to do it with Marty and happy that we finally made it. The fact that it’s been restored (hard to believe so many years have passed) is even all the better, and I can’t wait to see it on our closing night,” said Robert De Niro, co-founder, Tribeca Film Festival.

Scorsese said, “I’ve always been partial to comedians – the irreverence, the absurdity, the hostility, all the feelings under the surface – and to the old world of late night variety shows hosted by Steve Allen and Jack Paar and, of course, Johnny Carson, to the familiarity and the camaraderie between the guests. You had the feeling that they were there with you, in your living room. Robert De Niro and I were both drawn to Paul Zimmerman’s script for The King of Comedy, which really captured the show business atmosphere and the desperate attachments that some of the people on the other side of the screen could form, the ones that in certain cases turned dangerous.

“Making the picture was quite an experience. We had Sandra Bernhard in her debut. We had New York in summer. We had the beautiful Diahnne Abbott. We had all those wonderful guest stars like Tony Randall and Victor Borge and Ed Herlihy and Dr. Joyce Brothers, and the people who were really in the business, like Freddy De Cordova and Ed Scherick. We had my mother, and my father, and my daughter Cathy. We even had The Clash in a couple of shots, in the role of ‘street trash.’ And, we had a living legend, the great Jerry Lewis.

“I’m so happy that after all this time, The King of Comedy is finally getting a restoration, from our wonderful friends at Fox.”

The 12th annual Tribeca Film Festival will take place from April 17-28, 2013.

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BLANCANIEVES to Open 2013 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival and 7 BOXES to Close The Festival

Pablo Berger’s BLANCANIEVES will open the 16th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, on Tuesday, April 16 at the Stateside Theatre. Winner of multiple awards and chosen to represent Spain at the 2012 Academy Awards, the film stars Maribel Verdú, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Angela Molina and newcomer Macarena García.

Closing the festival is 7 CAJAS (7 BOXES) on Sunday, April 21 also at the Stateside Theatre. A cunningly plotted action thriller, the film shows a rarely seen Paraguay on the cinematic map, bringing an inventive, lo-fi ingenuity to the traditional crime thriller.

A re-telling of the classic Brothers’ Grimm fairy tale “Snow White”, BLANCANIEVES is described as a breathtakingly beautiful film and a uniquely spirited homage to the black-and-white Golden Age of Europe’s silent cinema. Set in a romanticized 1920s Seville, Berger’s Snow White is Carmen, the daughter of a famous bullfighter, who lives under the tyrannical rule of her monstrous, evil stepmother, Encarna. She escapes and joins a troupe of bullfighting dwarves, where her beauty and natural talent in the ring attract notices from the press. But soon the news reaches Encarna, who at last she knows where to find Carmen, and she prepares for the final showdown.

7 CAJAS develops on a single, sweltering hot night in Asuncion, Paraguay. Víctor, a 17-year-old wheelbarrow delivery boy, dreams of becoming famous and covets a fancy TV set in the infamous Mercado 4. He’s offered a chance to deliver seven boxes with unknown contents in exchange for a quick hundred bucks. But what sounds like an easy job soon gets complicated. When something in the boxes is highly coveted, Víctor and his pursuers quickly find themselves caught up in a crime they know nothing about.

The 16th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, which runs April 16-21, 2013, will take place at the Stateside Theatre in downtown Austin, the Alamo Drafthouse Village, and the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC), with additional screenings at St. Edward’s University. All screenings at the MACC and at St. Edward’s University are free and open to the public. All films are subtitled in English.
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Mickey Sumner, Cheryl Hines Among Stars Attending 2013 Sarasota Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_3393" align="alignnone" width="550"]Greta Gerwig and Mickey Sumner in Frances Ha[/caption]

Sarasota, FL – Mickey Sumner will receive the Breakthrough Performer Award at the 2013 Sarasota Film Festival for her performance in the closing night film FRANCES HA. The award will be presented at the annual Tribute Luncheon, Sarasota Yacht Club on Friday, April 12th. Ms. Sumner was seen most recently on stage in New York City opposite Carol Kane in the Atlantic Theater Company’s production of THE LYING LESSON. Ms. Sumner joins previously announced guests Suzanne Clément, Griffin Dunne, Mariel Hemingway, Barbara Kopple and Lili Taylor in receiving honors at the Tribute. Ms. Sumner will also introduce the festival’s screening of FRANCES HA on Saturday, April 13th at The Sarasota Opera House.

Cheryl Hines, star of the festival’s Spotlight film PASADENA, will serve as host for the festival’s Filmmaker Awards, Saturday, April 13th at 6:00 PM at The Sarasota Opera House.

In addition, several former Sea World whale trainers have announced that they will be joining the festival’s Opening Night screening of BLACKFISH to participate in a provocative post-screening Q&A, along with the film’s director Gabriela Cowperthwaite. The group includes John Hargrove, Samantha Berg, Carol Ray, John Jett and Jeff Ventre.

Also joining the festival is David Call (GOSSIP GIRL, TINY FURNITURE) who has three films in the festival with DEAD MAN’S BURDEN, NOR’EASTER, and the short film MOBILE HOMES while WWE superstar Brodus Clay will attend with his film NO ONE LIVES on Saturday, April 13th.

“We are honored to welcome these wonderful guests to our festival,” says Festival Director Tom Hall. “Sarasota is a city that celebrates the arts, and we hope our community joins us in embracing these artists and their work.”

via: Sarasota Film Festival
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American Documentary Film Festival to Present World Premiere of BEAUTY FACTORY

Palm Springs, CA – BEAUTY FACTORY, which will have its world premiere at this year’s American Documentary Film Festival, follows five Venezuelan contestants over the course of four months as they compete for the coveted Miss Venezuela Crown; offering an intimate look into the world of beauty, and the sometimes-ugly things people do to be part of it.

Venezuela has won more international beauty pageants than any other country. With 6 Miss International Crowns, 6 Miss World Crowns, and 6 Miss Universe Crowns, what is it that makes Venezuelan beauty queens so special? This film takes viewers behind the scenes as the girls are told how much weight to lose, how big their breasts need to be, what diet they need to follow, how long their hair should be and what color it should be, what gym routine they should follow, and even what plastic surgeries they should have prior to competing. For many of the contestants, the ultimate goal isn’t the Miss Venezuela crown, or even the Miss Universe crown. These are smart, savvy women who are using their beauty as the launching pad for something greater. BEAUTY FACTORY is a film about Female empowerment, with some positive twists.

For Tickets and/or More Information,
visit http://americandocumentaryfilmfestival.com/

The American Documentary Film Festival
April 4-8, 2013

Camelot Theatres
2300 E Baristo Road
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-325-6565

Cinemark Century Theatres at The River
71800 Hwy 111Suite A-137
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270

760-836-1940

via: American Documentary Film Festival
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College Student, Allison Koch Wins Charleston International Film Festival’s Spire Award Design Contest

(Charleston, SC ) – A senior and Studio Art major at the College of Charleston, Allison Koch, concepted and created the winning design for Charleston International Film Festival’s Spire Award. The award will be given annually during the festival to recognize those who exhibit the very best in the art of filmmaking and writing.

Chosen by the festival’s directors from more than a dozen award designs by College of Charleston students, Koch’s prototype truly captured the essence of the Spire, which alludes to Charleston’s iconic steeple-dotted skyline. Furthermore, the shape of a Spire demonstrates a reach for the skies, something the festival’s winning filmmakers and screenwriters truly embody.

Koch, who is from New Jersey, but grew up in North Myrtle Beach said she was influenced by art deco movie theatre architecture. “The geometric, streamlined look seemed to suit the award,” Koch said. Her piece evolved, however, as it developed. Koch explained, “the initial form I had in mind is not at all what I felt worked best in the end.”

The award will be cast in glass and given out for the first time during the 6th annual Charleston International Film Festival, April 24 – 28, 2013.

For having the winning submission, Koch will receive a cash prize of $500.

To learn more about Charleston International Film Festival or buy tickets, visit CharlestonIFF.org.

via: Charleston International Film Festival
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Jill Morley’s Documentary, Fight Like A Girl to World Premiere at 2013 American Documentary Film Festival

The World Premiere of Fight Like A Girl at the 2013 American Documentary Film Festival, will screen at 4:30pm on Fri. Apr 5, 2013, at the Cinemark Century Theatres at The River in Rancho Mirage, California. Jill Morley’s documentary, Fight Like A Girl, is a gritty, first person insider’s narrative shot over five years.

March 25, 2013, Palm Springs, CA – Boxers training for the Golden Gloves – the world’s most famous amateur boxing tournament – live in a world of sweaty leather gloves thudding against heavy bags, twirling jump ropes, and fierce competition. Many of these rising fighters must overcome obstacles of child abuse, depression, addiction and eating disorders to become champions on their own terms, facing their own mortality and demons within. The game changer: these fighters are women.

Jill Morley’s documentary, Fight Like A Girl, is a gritty, first person insider’s narrative shot over five years. Delving into the little-known world of female boxers, Jill discovers they all have a lot in common. Emotional traumas surface to reveal histories of battles with suicide, abuse, sexism, depression, racism and drugs.

While there has always been a fascination with women fighting, they were not allowed to compete in the New York Golden Gloves until 1995. 2012 saw the debut of female boxing in the Olympic games. From amateurs training for local tournaments to world champions, you meet the women who are passionate about fighting hard.

“When I decided to compete in the New York Golden Gloves, I was fascinated by this sisterhood of female boxers,” says Morley. “I realized how much more I had in common with these women than I originally thought. That inspired me to tell their stories. And gave me courage to tell my own.”

Taking us into the world of sweaty boxing gyms where women must fight for respect in an alpha male culture, Fight Like A Girl shows the real fight that happens within, and the struggle to emerge as champions inside and outside the ring. The World Premiere of Fight Like A Girl will screen at 4:30pm on Fri. Apr 5, 2013, at the Cinemark Century Theatres at The River in Rancho Mirage.

For Tickets and/or More Information,

visit http://americandocumentaryfilmfestival.com/

The American Documentary Film Festival
April 4-8, 2013

Camelot Theatres
2300 E Baristo Road
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-325-6565

Cinemark Century Theatres at The River
71800 Hwy 111Suite A-137
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
760-836-1940

via: The American Documentary Film Festival
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Launch Pad program brings World Premiere genre films to 2013 Fantastic Planet Film Festival in Sydney, Australia

[caption id="attachment_3385" align="alignnone" width="550"]THE TAKING, directed by The BAPartists [/caption]

Fantastic Planet Film Festival announced it’s inaugural LAUNCH PAD program of world premiere films.

“Launch Pad was developed to provide a solid starting point for genre feature films just commencing their festival run,” explains festival director Dr. Dean Bertram. “Festivals often tend to focus their publicity on films that already have buzz from previous screenings, those which originate from within the studio system, or from a name director. We wanted to provide a specific component of the festival dedicated to discovering, showcasing, and promoting exceptional independent feature films and talented filmmakers beginning their journey.”

The three fantastic films accepted into the inaugural LAUNCH PAD program are:

A DARK MATTER, directed by James Naylor (Twisting cerebral sci-fi thriller.)
THE TAKING, directed by The BAPartists (Deep and disturbing art-house horror.)
WET AND RECKLESS, directed by Jason Trost (Hilarious buddy-caper come reality TV parody.)

All of these filmmakers, as well as some cast members from the films, will be attending the festival and partaking in Q&A sessions after their screenings. Launch Pad is a component of the 4th edition of Fantastic Planet Film Festival. Taking place in conjunction with the 7th annual A Night of Horror Film Festival, at Dendy Cinemas Newtown, April 11 to 21. Combined, the festivals will screen over 100 films. Together they are dedicated to presenting Sydney audiences with a stunning showcase of the latest in horror, sci-fi, fantasy and cult cinema.

A brief synopsis and the screening details of this year’s three (3) Launch Pad films follow:

A DARK MATTER (Screens Friday April 19, 9:00pm at Dendy Newtown)
Director: James Naylor
CAN / 2013 / 100 min
World Premiere

In this compelling and mind-bending sci-fi thriller, an artist struggles to find love in an underworld where murder, and what might be an alternate time-stream, distort his perception of reality. Angus and Laura love each other deeply…but Laura is holding a deep dark secret. When she leaves him inexplicably, Angus slips into a foreboding realm, where the Demon of Nothingness reigns supreme. After Laura’s exit, Angus questions his role in her disappearance and sets out to uncover the truth. Working his way through a cunning gallery of underworld figures, Angus slowly unlocks Laura’s secret while discovering sinister truths about himself. With nothing but his own Demon to guide him, Angus ventures across dimensions and alternate states of reality to find Laura and win her back. A powerful exploration of love and existence tinged with the type of masterful high strangeness one finds in a P. K. Dick novel or a David Lynch film. Lovers of cerebral sci-fi should not miss this mesmerising movie.

THE TAKING (screens Saturday April 13, 9:00pm, at Dendy Newtown)
Directors: The BAPartists (Cezil Reed and Lydelle Jackson)
USA/2013/77 min
World Premiere

If David Lynch had written and directed THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE it well could have resembled this feverish and stylised nightmare. A man seeking vengeance against his best friend and unfaithful fiancee, and a woman determined to kill the man who murdered her daughter, are drawn into the depths of a mysterious forest. There, sadistic locals have far more horrifying plans for the vengeful interlopers than just torturing the flesh of their bodies. A dark, disturbing, independent masterpiece, that proves that there are still original stories to be told in the horror genre, and masterful ways to tell them.

WET AND RECKLESS (Screens Monday April 15, 7:00pm, at Dendy Newtown)
Director: Jason Trost
USA/2013/87 min
World Premiere

Imagine Wes Anderson’s BOTTLE ROCKET fused with the reality TV show SURVIVOR, and you might get the slightest inkling of this hilarious buddy-comedy-crime-caper that spins entirely off the rails. Two party-animal, reality TV stars (Jason Trost – THE FP, and Lucas Till – X-MEN: FIRST CLASS) are dumped in Thailand by the producer of their over-the-top reality show. The only way home, and last chance of reclaiming their reality star-status? A treasure map… to a treasure map… Hilarity and adventure ensue in this indie comedic gem.

via: Fantastic Planet Film Festival
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