Film Festivals

  • Chilean film “No” Wins 2012 Havana Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2993" align="alignnone" width="550"]Gael Garcia Bernal[/caption]

    The Chilean film “No” was the winner of the first prize Coral Award for fiction at the 34th Havana Film Festival. “No”, directed by Chilean director Pablo Larrain, and starring Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal, is about the referendum vote that finally removed Augusto Pinochet from power in 1990. With “No”, Larrain completes his trilogy on the Chilean dictatorship, which began with “Tony Manero”  and was followed by “Post Mortem”.

    The second place Coral award in the Best Fiction Film category also went to Chile, “Violeta se fue a los cielos”, by Andres Wood. The film chronicles the life and death of the singer Violeta Parra, one of the most celebrated voices of Latin American popular song.

    The complete list of winners

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  • Helen Mirren to be Honored at 2013 Palm Springs International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2991" align="alignnone" width="550"]Helen Mirren in Hitchcock[/caption]

    Actress Helen Mirren will receive the International Star Award at the 24th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF).  The Festival runs January 3-14, 2013.  The International Star Award recognizes an actor or actress who has achieved both critical and commercial international recognition throughout their body of work.

    “With more than four decades’ worth of memorable film, television and stage performances, Helen Mirren continues to be one of the most outstanding actresses of her generation,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner.  “In Hitchcock, Mirren delivers another virtuoso performance as Alma Reville, wife to the great master of cinema, who was integral to creating his classic films including the masterpiece Psycho.  The Palm Springs International Film Festival is honored to present the 2013 International Star Award to Helen Mirren.”  Past International Star Award honorees include Javier Bardem and Gary Oldman.

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  • First Six Films Announced for 2013 Berlin International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2989" align="alignnone" width="550"]Paradies: Hoffnung (Paradise: Hope) [/caption]

    The 63rd Berlin International Film Festival has picked the first six films for the Berlinale’s Competition section. They include Gloria from Chile/Spain, Nugu-ui Ttal-do Anin Haewon (Nobody’s Daughter Haewon) from Republic of Korea, Paradies: Hoffnung (Paradise: Hope) from Austria/France/Germany, Poziţia Copilului (Child’s Pose) from Romania, Promised Land starring Matt Damon and the animanted 3D film, The Croods from the US. In addition, Christian Rost and Claus Strigel will present the world premiere of their documentary Unter Menschen (Redemption Impossible) in the Berlinale Special.

    French documentary filmmaker and producer Claude Lanzmann will be honored with a Homage and awarded the Honorary Golden Bear for his lifetime achievement at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival.

    Claude Lanzmann’s film Shoah (1985) made cinematic history as an unparalleled masterpiece of commemorative culture. The nine-and-a-half hour documentary on the genocide of European Jews was screened in the Berlinale Forum in 1986 and received numerous international awards. The preparation and film work for Shoah lasted nearly twelve years. In the film, Lanzmann shows only interviews with survivors and witnesses of the Shoah, including perpetrators, and visits sites of extermination, vividly calling into consciousness the unfathomable horrors of the Nazi genocide.

     

    Competition

     

    Gloria
    Chile/Spain 
    By Sebastián Lelio (La Sagrada Familia, Navidad, El año del tigre)
    With Paulina García, Sergio Hernández
    World premiere

     

    Nugu-ui Ttal-do Anin Haewon (Nobody’s Daughter Haewon)
    Republic of Korea
    By Hong Sangsoo (Night and Day, Hahaha, In Another Country)
    With Eunchae Jung, Sunkyun Lee
    World premiere

     

    Paradies: Hoffnung (Paradise: Hope)
    Austria/France/Germany
    By Ulrich Seidl (Dog Days, Import Export, Paradise: Love)
    With Melanie Lenz, Vivian Bartsch, Joseph Lorenz, Michael Thomas
    World premiere

     

    Poziţia Copilului (Child’s Pose)
    Romania
    By Călin Peter Netzer (Maria, Medal of Honor, Zapada mieilor) 
    With Luminiţa Gheorghiu, Bogdan Dumitrache, Florin Zamfirescu
    World premiere

     

    Promised Land
    USA
    By Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, Milk) 
    With Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt, Hal Holbrook
    International premiere

     

    The Croods – animated film in 3D
    USA 
    By Kirk De Micco (Space Chimps) Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon)
    With the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds 
    World premiere / out of competition

     

    Berlinale Special

     

    Unter Menschen (Redemption Impossible) – Documentary
    Germany
    By Christian Rost, Claus Strigel
    World premiere

     

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  • Four More Films Added to 2013 Sundance Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2127" align="alignnone" width="550"]El Mariachi [/caption]

    The Sundance Film Festival added four films to the 2013 Festival, including Magic Magic (Director: Sebastián Silva), Muscle Shoals (Director: Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier) and Wrong Cops (Director: Quentin Dupieux) as well as El Mariachi (1993) for the From the Collection screening. The 2013 Festival will be January 17-27 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

    El Mariachi is part of The Sundance Collection at UCLA (The Collection), a film preservation program established in 1997. 

    With the addition of these four films, the 2013 Sundance Film Festival will present 119 feature-length films, representing 32 countries and 51 first-time filmmakers, including 27 in competition.

    PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT

    Magic Magic / U.S.A., Chile (Director and screenwriter: Sebastián Silva) — An American girl vacationing in remote Chile mentally unravels, putting herself and those around her in danger. Cast: Michael Cera, Juno Temple, Emily Browning, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Augustín Silva. World Premiere

     

    DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES

    Muscle Shoals / U.S.A. (Director: Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier) — Down in Alabama Rick Hall founded FAME Studios and gave birth to the Muscle Shoals sound. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Gregg Allman, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Bono and others bear witness to the greatest untold American music story. World Premiere 

     

    NEW FRONTIER (Film)

    Wrong Cops / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Quentin Dupieux) — Imagine a Los Angeles where crime is so low that a bored cop sells drugs and harasses a teenager to pass the time. Shot in standalone chapters, as it is being financed, screened and released, watch the 45 minutes of crazy. Cast: Mark Burnham, Marilyn Manson, Steve Little, Eric Wareheim.

     

    FROM THE COLLECTION

    El Mariachi / U.S.A. (Director: Robert Rodriguez, Screenwriters: Carlos Gallardo, Robert Rodriguez) — A mariachi musician arrives in a Mexican border town at the same time as a hit man. Each carries a guitar case, but the mariachi’s contains his beloved instrument, while the hit man’s is full of gadgets and weapons. Cast: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gomez, Jaime De Hoyos, Peter Marquardt, Reinol Martinez.

     

    El Mariachi premiered at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival. A newly struck preservation print of El Mariachi, created by Sony Pictures Entertainment to commemorate the film’s 20th anniversary, will screen on Saturday, January 19 at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City. Director Robert Rodriguez is expected to introduce the film and participate in the Q&A.

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  • Lad: A Yorkshire Story Wins Best Feature at 2012 Anchorage International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2982" align="alignnone" width="550"] Lad: A Yorkshire Story[/caption] Lad: A Yorkshire Story, directed by Dan Hartley was awarded the top prize, the Golden Oosikars for Best Feature at the 2012 Anchorage International Film Festival which ran November 30 to December 12, 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska.   Set in the starkly beautiful Yorkshire Dales, the film is described as a heart-warming tale of two individuals overcoming adversity and in the process forming a unique and inspiring friendship. Roadmap to Apartheid, directed by Ana Nogueira won the award for Best Documentary.  Co- directors Ana Nogueira and Eron Davidson are respectively a white South African and a Jewish Israeli. Drawing on their first-hand knowledge of the issues, the directors take a close look at the apartheid comparison often used to describe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Their film breaks down the rhetorical analogy into a fact-based comparison, noting where the analogy is useful and appropriate, and where it is not. Their film is as much a historical document of the rise and fall of Apartheid as it is a film about why Palestinians feel that they are living in an Apartheid system today, and why an increasing number of people around the world agree with them. The complete list of Golden Oosikars winners at the 2012 Anchorage International Film Festival Golden Oosikars Features Best Feature: “Lad: A Yorkshire Story“, directed by Dan Hartley Runner Up: “Things I Don’t Understand“, directed by David Spaltro Honorable Mention: “Shouting Secrets“, directed by Korinna Sehringer   Documentaries Best Documentary: “Roadmap to Apartheid“, directed by Ana Nogueira Runner Up: “The World Before Her“, directed by Nisha Dahuja Honorable Mention: “Ping Pong“, directed by Hugh Hartford   Shorts Best Short: “Lapse“, directed by Gilles Gueraz Runner Up: “Calcutta Taxi“, directed by Vikram Dasgupta Honorable Mention: “Cockatoo“, directed by Matthew Jenkin   Super Shorts Best Super Short: “Her Next Door“, directed by Sasha Ransome Runner Up: “Matriarche“, directed by Guillaume Pierret Honorable Mention: “Polarised“, directed by Steve Fleming   Animation Best Animation: “Paths of Hate“, directed by Damian Nenow Runner Up: “Light Me Up“, directed by Ryan Walton and Derek Dolechek Honorable Mention: “Lemons“, directed by Kate Burck   Snowdance Documentaries Best Snowdance Documentary: “Rousseau’s Children“, directed by Monika Scharer Runner Up: “No Horizon Anymore: A Year Long Journey at the Bottom of the World“, directed by Keith Reimink   Shorts Best Snowdance Short: “I Met Her in the Coffee Shop“, directed by Erik Hogan Runner Up: “Scare“, directed by Matt Jardin   Audience Choice   Features Audience Choice Feature: “Passionflower“, directed by Shelagh Carter Runner Up: “Shouting Secrets“, directed by Korinna Sehringer   Documentaries Audience Choice Documentary: “Espacios Inacabados (Unfinished Spaces)“, directed by Alysa Nahmias and Benjamin Murray Runner Up: “Wolves Unleashed“, directed by Andrew Simpson

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  • Film from 2013 Sundance Film Festival To Screen in 10 Indie Theaters Across US on January 31

    [caption id="attachment_2975" align="alignnone" width="550"]Afternoon Delight[/caption]

    Films from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival will screen in 10 independent theaters in cities across the country on January 31 as part of the Sundance Film Festival USA initiative. Audiences in 10 cities will have the opportunity to share in the excitement of discovery of a film fresh from the  2013 Festival as well as hear directly from the filmmaker about their work.

    Each of 10 filmmakers will travel to one of the following cities: Ann Arbor, MI; Boston, MA; Brooklyn, NY; Chicago, IL; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Nashville, TN; Orlando, FL; San Francisco, CA; and Tucson, AZ.  In each city, the filmmaker will introduce and screen their film and participate in a Q&A with the audience.

    Ann Arbor, MI – The Michigan Theatre michtheater.org 

    The East / U.S.A. (Director: Zal Batmanglij, Screenwriters: Zal Batmanglij, Brit Marling) — An operative for an elite private intelligence firm goes into deep cover to infiltrate a mysterious anarchist collective attacking major corporations.  Bent on apprehending these fugitives, she finds her loyalty tested as her feelings grow for the group’s charismatic leader. Cast: Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Ellen Page, Toby Kebbell, Shiloh Fernandez, Patricia Clarkson.

    Boston, MA – Coolidge Corner Theatre coolidge.org 
    The Lifeguard / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Liz W. Garcia) — A former valedictorian quits her reporter job in New York and returns to the place she last felt happy: her childhood home in Connecticut. She gets work as a lifeguard and starts a dangerous relationship with a troubled teenager. Cast: Kristen Bell, Mamie Gummer, Martin Starr, Alex Shaffer, Amy Madigan, David Lambert.

    Brooklyn, NY – BAM bam.org 
    Kill Your Darlings / U.S.A. (Director: John Krokidas, Screenwriters: Austin Bunn, John Krokidas) — An untold story of murder that brought together a young Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs at Columbia University in 1944, providing the spark that led to the birth of an entire generation – their Beat revolution. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHann, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Elizabeth Olsen.

    Chicago, IL – Music Box Theatre musicboxtheatre.com 
    Touchy Feely / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lynn Shelton) — A massage therapist is unable to do her job when stricken with a mysterious and sudden aversion to bodily contact. Meanwhile, her uptight brother’s foundering dental practice receives new life when clients seek out his “healing touch.” Cast: Rosemarie DeWitt, Allison Janney, Ron Livingston, Scoot McNairy, Ellen Page, Josh Pais.

    Houston, TX – Sundance Cinemas Houston sundancecinemas.com 
    Ain’t Them Bodies Saints / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Lowery) — The tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met. Cast: Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Nate Parker, Keith Carradine.

    Los Angeles, CA – Sundance Sunset Cinema sundancecinemas.com 
    Afternoon Delight / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jill Soloway) —  In this sexy, dark comedy, a lost L.A. housewife puts her idyllic hipster life in jeopardy when she tries to rescue a stripper by taking her in as a live-in nanny. Cast: Kathryn Hahn, Juno Temple, Josh Radnor, Jane Lynch.

    Nashville, TN – Belcourt Theatre belcourt.org 
    Mother of George / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Dosunmu, Screenwriter: Darci Picoult) — A story about a woman willing to do anything and risk everything for her marriage. Cast: Isaach De Bankolé, Danai Gurira, Tony Okungbowa, Yaya Alafia, Bukky Ajayi.

    Orlando, FL – Enzian Theater enzian.org 
    A.C.O.D. / U.S.A. (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.

    San Francisco, CA – Sundance Kabuki Cinemas sundancecinemas.com 
    In a World… / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lake Bell) — An underachieving vocal coach is motivated by her father, the king of movie-trailer voice-overs, to pursue her aspirations of becoming a voiceover star. Amidst pride, sexism and family dysfunction, she sets out to change the voice of a generation. Cast: Lake Bell, Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Fred Melamed.

    Tucson, AZ – The Loft loftcinema.com 
    The Spectacular Now / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber) — Sutter is a high school senior who lives for the moment; Aimee is the introvert he attempts to “save.” As their relationship deepens, the lines between right and wrong, friendship and love, and “saving” and corrupting become inextricably blurred. Cast: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kyle Chandler.

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  • Palm Springs International Film Festival to Honor Bradley Cooper, Sally Field, and Argo

    [caption id="attachment_2973" align="alignnone" width="550"]Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook[/caption]

    The 24th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will honor actor Bradley Cooper, actress Sally Field and the cast of Argo.  The Festival runs January 3-14, 2012.

    Bradley Cooper will be presented with the Desert Palm Achievement Award for acting, Academy Award® winning actress Sally Field with its Career Achievement Award, and the film Argo with its Ensemble Performance Award.  

    Bradley Cooper is currently starring in the Weinstein Company’s Silver Linings Playbook, a family drama, comedy and love story based on the bestselling novel by Matthew Quick, written and directed by David O. Russell.  Pat Solution has lost everything — his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his mother and after spending 8 months in a state institution on a plea bargain. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife, despite the challenging circumstances of their separation.  All Pat’s parents want is for him to get back on his feet – and to share their family’s obsession with their favorite Philadelphia football team.  When Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he’ll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives.  Cooper served as an executive producer on the film and stars in it along with Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Demuro, Jackie Weaver, Anuran Khmer and Chris Tucker.

    Cooper received Best Actor from the National Board of Review and is nominated for a Best Male Lead Independent Spirit Award.  Past honorees of the Desert Palm Achievement Award include Jeff Bridges, Daniel Day-Lewis, Colin Firth, Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and John Travolta.

    The Palm Springs International Film Festival will honor Sally Field with the 2013 Career Achievement Award. Steven Spielberg recently directed the two-time Academy Award® winner in Lincoln, described as a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous final months in office. Past Career Achievement Award honorees include Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren.

    The Palm Springs International Film Festival will present the entire cast of Argo with the 2013 Ensemble Performance Award. Cast members from the film, including Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin and Bryan Cranston will attend to accept the award. Warner Bros. Pictures’ dramatic thriller Argo chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis.  The drama focuses on the little-known role that the CIA and Hollywood played—information that was not declassified until many years after the event. Ben Affleck directs and stars in the film, which also stars Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler and Chris Messina.  

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  • Santa Barbara International Film Festival to Honor Actress Amy Adams with the Cinema Vanguard Award

     [caption id="attachment_2971" align="alignnone" width="550"]Amy Adams in The Master[/caption]

    The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor award winning actor Amy Adams with the Cinema Vanguard Award on Thursday, January 31, 2013. She will be honored for her exceptional performance in this year’s The Master with a tribute at the 28th edition of the Festival, which runs January 24 – February 3, 2013.

    Adams, a three- time Academy Award® nominee and just awarded Best Supporting Actress by the L.A. Film Critics Association, portrayed Peggy Dodd, the steely and educated wife to a charismatic spiritual leader set in the 1950s in The Master. 

    The Cinema Vanguard Award was created by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in recognition of an actor who has forged his/her own path – taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film. Past recipients include Jean Dujardin & Bérénice Bejo, Nicole Kidman, Peter Sarsgaard, Christoph Waltz, Stanley Tucci, Vera Farmiga, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ryan Gosling.

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  • Slamdance Film Festival Announces 2013 Feature Film Competition Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_2961" align="alignnone" width="550"]Best Friends Forever[/caption]

    The 2013 Slamdance Film Festival which coincides with the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT each year, announced their Narrative and Documentary Feature Competition Programs. The Feature Competition Programs present breakthrough films by first-time feature film directors from around the world. The 2013 Slamdance Film Festival will showcase 22 feature-length competition films – 12 Narrative Films and 10 Documentary Films, including 13 World Premieres and 7 US Premieres. 

    The 2013 Slamdance Film Festival will take place January 18 – 24, 2013 in Park City, Utah, at the Treasure Mountain Inn: 255 Main Street, Park City, UT 84060. 

    The lineup.

    NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION:

    The Narrative Competition is comprised of American and International productions. All 12 films are feature debuts with budgets of less than $1 million, and were programmed entirely from blind submissions.

    Best Friends Forever/ Director: Brea Grant, Screenwriters: Brea Grant, Vera Miao (USA) World Premiere

    Harriet and Reba hit the road in this darkly comedic apocalypse tale that explores the boundaries of friendship, the danger of hipsters, and nuclear fallout. Cast: Brea Grant, Vera Miao, Sean Maher, Glen Powell, Kit Williamson, Alex Berg, Alex Fernie, Stacey Storey

    Big Words/Director and Screenwriter: Neil Drumming (USA) World Premiere

    A lively drama that captures members of a once-promising hip-hop group, now in their late 30’s, as they struggle with regret, disappointment, and change on Election Night 2008. Cast: Darien Sills-Evans, Dorian Missick, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Yaya Alafia, Zachary Booth, Amir Arison, Jean Grae

    The Court of Shards/ Director and Screenwriter: Jan Eilhardt (Germany) World Premiere

    In this experimental narrative, two disabled women fight in their own way to maintain their independent loves and lives against an overpoweringly caring family. Cast: Caroline Fricke, Silvia Giehle, Natalia Bondar, Frank Hoffmann, Doris Egbring-Kahn

    The Dirties/ Director: Matt Johnson, Screenwriters: Matt Johnson, Evan Morgan, Josh Boles (Canada) World Premiere

    Two best friends think it would be funny to make a movie about getting revenge on the bullies at their school. One of them isn’t joking. Cast: Matt Johnson, Owen Williams, Krista Madison, David Matheson, Brandon Wickens, Josh Boles, Alen Delaine, Jay McCarrol

    Fynbos/ Director: Harry Patramanis, Screenwriters: Harry Patramanis, Jonathan Glatzer (South Africa) US Premiere

    On a lavish and remote property, within the walls of a glass house, six lives intersect and lay bare their secrets and psyches in this twisting drama. Cast: Jessica Haines, Warrick Grier, Cara Roberts, Chad Philips, Susan Danford, Sthandiwe Kgoroge, John Herbert

    Billy Chen Presents: Ghost Team One/ Directors: Ben Peyser, Scott Rutherford, Screenwriters: Andrew Knauer, Arthur Pielli, Scott Rutherford, Ben Peyser (USA) World Premiere

    A subversive, comedic take on the found footage genre, where two roommates deathly afraid of ghosts both fall in love with a girl who believes their home is haunted. Cast: Carlos Santos, Fernanda Romero, J.R. Villarreal, Meghan Folcone, Tony Cavalero, James Babson, Scott MacArthur, Craig Stott

    Hank and Asha/ Director: James E. Duff, Screenwriters: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison (USA) World Premiere

    In this voyeuristic love story, an Indian student in Prague and a lonely New Yorker correspond online through video letters – two strangers aching for human connection in a hyper-connected world. Cast: Andrew Pastides, Mahira Kakkar

    He’s Way More Famous Than You/ Director: Michael Urie, Screenwriters: Halley Feiffer, Ryan Spahn (USA) World Premiere

    A struggling actress will stop at nothing to get her movie made in this sharp comedy, bolstered by absurdist touches and a bravura lead performance. Cast: Halley Feiffer, Ryan Spahn, Tracee Chimo, Jesse Eisenberg, Mammie Gummer, Michael Urie, Ralph Macchio , Natasha Lyonne, Ben Stiller

    Joy De V./ Director and Screenwriter: Nadia Szold (USA) World Premiere

    An expressionistic, gritty look at the intersection of madness and love that follows a young con-artist who wakes up to discover his pregnant wife is missing. Cast: Evan Louison, Claudia Cardinale, Josephine de La Baume, Iva Gocheva, Victoria Imperioli

    Kohlhaas/ Director and Screenwriter: Aron Lehmann (Germany) US Premiere

    An obsessed director and his cast seek to adapt the true story of a 16th-century revolutionary when their actions behind the scenes begin to mimic the book’s subject. Cast: Robert Gwisdek, Jan Messutat, Thorsten Merten, Rosalie Thomass, Michael Fuith, Heiko Pinkowski

    Visitors/ Director: Constanze Knoche, Screenwriters: Leis Bagdach, Constanze Knoche (Germany) US Premiere

    Three adult siblings are surprised by their parents’ announcement that they are cutting off finances in this commanding and evocative look at the oppressive results of stasis. Cast: Uwe Kockisch, Corinna Kirchhoff, Irina Potapenko, Jakob Diehl, Anne Muller, Anjorka Strechel, Bernhard Schütz, Andreas Leupold, Janusz Kocaj, Mehdi Nebbou

    What Isn’t There/ Director: Marie Jamora, Screenwriters: Marie Jamora, Ramon De Veyra (Philippines) US Premiere

    In this lyrical exploration of love, music and expression, a self-imposed mute returns home for Christmas and the anniversary of his twin brother’s accidental death. Cast: Dominic Roco, Annicka Dolonius, Boboy Garrovillo, Dawn Zulueta, Felix Roco, Alchris Galura, Mercedes Cabral, Marc Abaya

     

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION:

    The Documentary Competition is comprised of American and International productions. All 10 films are directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1 million, and were programmed entirely from blind submissions.

    Battery Man/ Directors and Screenwriters: Dusan Saponja, Dusan Cavic (Serbia) US Premiere

    Thanks to the powers he discovered by accident, Biba Struja has spent his entire life experimenting with electricity and proving to himself and others that it cannot harm him. Cast: Slavisa Pajkic

    Bible Quiz/ Director: Nicole Teeny (USA) World Premiere

    Seventeen-year-old Mikayla memorizes books of the Bible on her quest to win the National Bible Quiz Championship and the heart of JP, her quiz team captain. The film explores coming of age in the face of faith, doubt, fierce competition and teen love. Cast: Mikayla Irle, JP O’Connor, Christopher Teeny, Brandon Duffy, Rich Nelson, Rachel Dawson, Rachel Holley, Gary Irle

    The Bitter Buddha/ Director: Steven Feinartz (USA)

    Cult-Comic Eddie Pepitone’s life is on display in this unhinged portrait of creativity, enlightenment and rage. Cast: Eddie Pepitone, Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt, Sean Conroy, Paul Provenza, Dana Gould, Marc Maron

    The Brotherhood of the Traveling Rants/ Directors: Gavin McInnes, Steve Durand, Bryan Gaynor (USA/Canada) World Premiere

    ‘Godfather of hipsterdom’ Gavin McInnes goes on a stand-up comedy tour with his best friend from high school and things go from bad to worse to downright catastrophic. Cast: Gavin McInnes, Steve Durand, Bryan Gaynor

    The Institute/ Director: Spencer McCall, Screenwriters: Uriah Findley, Spencer McCall (USA)

    Is it a cult? Is it a game? Or is it a life-changing adventure? Cast: Daniel Shoup, Arye Michael Bender, Carolee Gilligan Wheeler, Garland Glessner, Michael Wertz, Kiyomi Tanouye, Geordie Aiken, Jeff Hull

    The Last Shepherd/ Director and Screenwriter: Marco Bonfanti (Italy) US Premiere

    Renato, the last traveling shepherd left in Milan, has a dream – get to the inaccessible center of the city to meet the children who have never seen a flock of sheep. Cast: Renato Zucchelli, Piero Lombardi, Lucia Zucchelli, Patrizia Frisoli, Hedy Krissane, Barbara Sorrentini (voice)

    My Name is Faith/ Directors: Jason Banker, Jorge Torres-Torres, Tiffany Sudela-Junker (USA) US Premiere

    Faith, a 13-year-old girl who suffers from Reactive Attachment Disorder, attempts to heal from the trauma inflicted by her birthmother’s lifestyle.

    Running Wild: The Life of Dayton O. Hyde/ Director: Suzanne Mitchell (USA) World Premiere

    The inspiring journey of a remarkable cowboy who triumphs in his quest to protect wild horses and the American West. Cast: Dayton O. Hyde

    Where I Am/ Director and Screenwriter: Pamela Drynan (Ireland) World Premiere

    The courageous story of Gay American writer Robert Drake and his struggle to recover and return to the scene of a crime in Ireland, where, he was left for dead more than 10 years ago. Cast: Robert Drake

    Without Shepherds/ Director: Cary McClelland (Pakistan/USA) World Premiere

    Six bold individuals struggle to find their role in the turbulent waters of Pakistan and build a better tomorrow. Cast: Vaneeza Ahmad, Arieb Azhar, Abdullah Khan, Imran Khan, Ibrahim Waheed, Laiba Yousafzai

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  • 2013 Sundance Film Festival Unveils Short Film Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_2959" align="alignnone" width="550"]When the Zombies come [/caption]

    65 short films have been selected from a record 8,102 submissions (427 more than for the 2012 Festival) to screen at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, January 17-27 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. 

    Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, “The Short Film section of our 2013 Festival is comprised of bold works by adventurous filmmakers who have mastered creative ways to embody their unique perspectives in the short form onscreen. The selections represent the immensely varied and dynamic approaches to storytelling that will inspire audiences with their huge accomplishments within a limited timeframe.”

    The Short Film program is presented by YouTube.

    U.S. NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

    The Apocalypse / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Zuchero) — Four uninspired friends try to come up with a terrific idea for how to spend their Saturday afternoon.

     

    Black Metal / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kat Candler) — After a career spent mining his music from the shadows, one fan creates a chain reaction for the lead singer of a black metal band.

     

    Boneshaker / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Frances Bodomo) — An African family lost in America travels to a Louisiana church to find a cure for its problem child.

     

    Broken Night / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Guillermo Arriaga) — A young woman and her four-year-old daughter drive across desolated hills. Everything looks fine and they seem to enjoy the ride, until an accident sends them into the nightmare of darkness.

     

    The Captain / Australia, U.S.A. (Directors: Nash Edgerton, Spencer Susser, Screenwriters: Nash Edgerton, Spencer Susser, Taika Waititi) — A man wakes up with a hangover, only to discover the consequences of his actions.

     

    The Cub / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Riley Stearns) — Wolves make the best parents.

     

    GUN / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Spencer Gillis) — Roy purchases a handgun to protect his wife and newborn baby after a terrifying home invasion. The newfound sense of power Roy feels carrying the weapon becomes an obsession, leading him down a reckless path that may have tragic consequences.

     

    Karaoke! / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew F. Renzi) — On a night out in New York City, a young man tries to avoid his problems.

     

    K.I.T. / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michelle Morgan) — A guilt-ridden, but well-intentioned, yuppie goes to great lengths to prove she is a decent person.

     

    Movies Made From Home # 6 / U.S.A. (Director: Robert Machoian) — Debbie is good at playing hide and seek – so good she is often hard to find.

     

    Movies Made From Home # 15 / U.S.A. (Director: Robert Machoian) — Robert attempts to keep himself healthy and fit so he can live as long as possible, unaware of what that really means.

     

    Palimpsest / U.S.A. (Director: Michael Tyburski, Screenwriters: Michael Tyburski, Ben Nabors) — A successful house tuner provides clients with a unique form of therapy that examines subtle details in their living spaces.

     

    #PostModem / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva) — A comedic, satirical, sci-fi pop musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists, #PostModem is the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with technological singularity, as told through a series of cinematic tweets.

     

    Record/Play / U.S.A. (Director: Jesse Atlas, Screenwriters: Aaron Wolfe, Jesse Atlas) — War, fate, and a broken Walkman transcend time and space in this sci-fi love story.

     

    Skin / U.S.A. (Director: Jordana Spiro, Screenwriters: Jordana Spiro, David Pablos) — A young taxidermist and small town loner is entranced by a girl who finds his work beautiful. Just as their relationship begins to progress, he does something that drastically changes everything.

     

    Social Butterfly / France, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lauren Wolkstein) — When a 30-year-old American woman attends a teenage party in the south of France, guests wonder who she is and what she is doing there.

     

    What Do We Have in Our Pockets? / Israel, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Goran Dukic) — A most unusual love story unravels when the objects in a young man’s pockets come to life. Based on a short story by Etgar Keret.

     

    Whiplash / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Damien Chazelle) — An aspiring drummer enters an elite conservatory’s top jazz orchestra.

     

    INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

    The Companion / Peru (Director and screenwriter: Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio) — On the outskirts of Lima, a young prostitute tends to his father, a fallen-from-grace artisan. However, the young man feels that his efforts are never enough. He tries to break free, but his father’s dependence is stronger than his son’s will.

     

    The Curse / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Fyzal Boulifa) — Fatine has ventured far from the village to meet her older lover. When a small boy catches her, all she wants to do is go home.

     

    The Date / Finland (Director and screenwriter: Jenni Toivoniemi) — Tino’s manhood is put to the test in front of two women when he has to host a date for Diablo, the family’s stud cat.

     

    Le Futur Proche / Canada (Director: Sophie Goyette, Screenwriters: Sophie Goyette, Madeleine David) — A French immigrant pilot receives an unexpected phone call that changes his life forever. He must deal with the emotional consequences of the call while still completing his work duties in this impressionistic depiction of an all-but-ordinary day.

     

    Jonah / Tanzania, United Kingdom (Director: Kibwe Tavares, Screenwriter: Jack Thorne) — When two young men photograph a gigantic fish leaping from the sea, their small town becomes a tourist attraction in this story about the old and the new.

     

    Magnesium / Netherlands (Director: Sam de Jong, Screenwriter: Shady El-Hamus) — A talented gymnast makes a life-changing discovery as she prepares for an important tournament, which is her last chance to reach the top.

     

    Night Shift / New Zealand (Director and screenwriter: Zia Mandviwalla) — Salote, an airport cleaner, starts another long night shift. She keeps her head down, does her job, and gleans the means for her survival from what others leave behind.

     

    On Suffocation / Sweden (Director and screenwriter:Jenifer Malmqvist) — This dialogue-free film about an execution describes what happens when the system becomes more important than human life.

     

    Scrubber / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Romola Garai) — A mysterious and disturbing suburban narrative about a listless young mother who is torn between family duty and self-serving fantasies.

     

    The song of the Mechanical Fish / Russian Federation (Director and screenwriter: Philipp Yuryev) — A fisherman who lives in a deserted village in the far north receives an invitation to the wedding of a son he has never seen and decides to make a redemptive journey.

     

    Summer Vacation / Israel (Directors: Sharon Maymon, Tal Granit, Screenwriters: Tal Granit, Sharon Maymon) — The family summer vacation: sea, sun and sand, and all Yuval wants is to get the heck out of there.

     

    Today and Tomorrow / Netherlands (Director: Aaron Douglas Johnston, Screenwriter: Jesse van’t Hull) — Iranian and Afghani political refugees make a life for themselves in Holland as they anxiously await word if they will be granted political asylum or sent back to their native countries.

     

    Volume / United Kingdom (Director: Mahalia Belo, Screenwriter: Ingeborg Topsøe) — Sam’s perfectly polished world is upended when Georgina goes missing. As everyone acts like nothing has happened, Sam drifts back into his memories of Georgina and realizes he may know more than he wants to remember.

     

    You Are More Than Beautiful / China, Hong Kong (Director: Tae-yong Kim) — A man arrives in beautiful Jeju Island and pays a woman to act as his partner while he visits his ill father in this tale of beauty among base human acts.

     

    DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

    30% (Women and Politics in Sierra Leone) / United Kingdom, Sierra Leone (Director: Anna Cady) — Oil-painted animation brings to life the stories of three powerful women in postconflict Sierra Leone, revealing the violence and corruption women face as they fight for fairer representation in the governance of their country.

     

    The Battle of amfAR / U.S.A. (Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, Screenwriter: Sharon Wood) — When AIDS strikes, two very different women – Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor and research scientist Dr. Mathilde Krim – join forces to create America’s first AIDS research foundation.  The fight against HIV/AIDS has never been the same.

     

    Catnip: Egress to Oblivion? / U.S.A.(Director: Jason Willis) — Catnip is all the rage with today’s modern feline, but do we really understand it? This film frankly discusses the facts about this controversial substance.

     

    Endless Day / Germany (Director: Anna Frances Ewert) — For most people, sleep comes naturally, but for others, the night turns into an ongoing struggle to drift off into oblivion. This film explores what it’s like to be awake involuntarily and the feelings that accompany the passing of sleepless time.

     

    Fall to Grace / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandra Pelosi) — Former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey famously resigned from office after declaring himself “a gay American.” Since then, he has continued to use his connections to help rehabilitate women and to make peace with his journey from married governor to gay suburban priest. 

     

    Irish Folk Furniture / Ireland (Director: Tony Donoghue) — In Ireland, old hand-painted furniture is often associated with hard times, with poverty, and with a time many would rather forget. In this animated documentary, 16 pieces of traditional folk furniture are repaired and returned home.

     

    Outlawed in Pakistan / Pakistan, U.S.A. (Directors: Habiba Nosheen, Hilke Schellmann) — Kainat Soomro, a Pakistani teenager, accuses four men from her village of gang-raping her. She takes her case to the Pakistani courts and faces a deeply flawed criminal-justice system.

     

    Paraíso / U.S.A. (Director: Nadav Kurtz) — Three immigrant window cleaners risk their lives every day rappelling down some of Chicago’s tallest skyscrapers. Paraíso reveals the danger of their job and what they see on the way down.

     

    The Roper / U.S.A. (Director: Ewan McNicol) — A black man with hip-hop and zydeco roots hard grafts through the local, all-white rodeo circuits in the Deep South, as he dreams of competing in  the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

     

    The Secret of Trees / U.S.A. (Director: Albert Maysles) — What do trees know that we don’t? Thirteen-year-old inventor Aidan has discovered that trees use a mathematical formula to gather sunlight in crowded forests. Now he wonders why we don’t collect solar energy in the same way.

     

    Skinningrove / U.S.A. (Director: Michael Almereyda) — Photographer Chris Killip shares unpublished images chronicling time spent among the fiercely independent residents of a remote English fishing village.

     

    A Story for the Modlins / Spain (Director: Sergio Oksman, Screenwriter: Sergio Oksman) —The tale of Elmer Modlin, who, after appearing in Rosemary’s Baby, fled with his family to a far-off country and shut himself away in a dark apartment for 30 years. 

     

    When the Zombies come / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Hurst) — At a remote hardware store, fans of the walking dead have turned their love of zombies into an obsession, warping the way they see the store and its customers.

     

    The Whistle / Poland (Director: Grzegorz Zariczny) — Marcin, a lowest-leagues football referee who lives in a small town near Krakow, dreams of better times. At his mother’s urging, he decides to change his life and find himself a girlfriend and a better job.

     

    You Don’t Know Jack / U.S.A. (Director: Morgan Spurlock) — Jack Andraka, a high school sophomore, has developed a revolutionary new test for pancreatic cancer, proving the future of science is in the hands of our youth.

     

    ANIMATED SHORT FILMS

    Benjamin’s Flowers / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Malin Erixon) — Lovelorn and lonely Benjamin lives on the blurry borderline between fantasy and reality.

     

    Bite of the Tail / South Korea, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Song E Kim) — Life is a constant struggle for a husband and wife. She is suffering from stomach pain, and the doctor has no clue about a cure. Meanwhile, her husband is on his own journey of hunting a snake.  

     

    The Event / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Julia Pott, Screenwriter: Tom Chivers) — Love and a severed foot at the end of the world.

     

    Feral / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Daniel Sousa) — A solitary hunter finds a wild boy in the woods and brings him back to civilization. Alienated by his strange new environment, the boy tries to adapt by using the same strategies that kept him safe in the forest.

     

    In Hanford / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Chris Mars) — This heartbreaking true story of a town poisoned by Cold War–era nuclear-arms manufacture is told through firsthand accounts and fantasy scenes, which empathize with the victim’s plight.

     

    Marcel, King of Tervuren / U.S.A. (Director: Tom Schroeder, Screenwriter: Ann Berckmoes) — In this Greek tragedy – as acted out by Belgian roosters – Marcel survives the bird flu, alcohol, sleeping pills and his son, Max.

     

    Oh Willy… / Belgium, France, Netherlands (Directors and screenwriters: Marc James Roels, Emma De Swaef) — Willy returns to his naturalist roots as he bungles his way into noble savagery.

     

    Seraph / U.S.A. (Director: Dash Shaw, Screenwriters: John Cameron Mitchell, Dash Shaw) — A boy’s childhood scars his life.

     

    Thank You / U.S.A. (Directors: Pendleton Ward, Tom Herpich, Screenwriters: Pendleton Ward, Tom Herpich) — A pack of fire wolves attack a snow golem in the forest and accidentally leave a cub behind after their retreat. The golem’s life is thrown into chaos as he attempts to reunite the cub with its family.

     

    Tram / France, Czech Republic (Director and screenwriter: Michaela Pavlátová) — The humdrum daily routine of a tram conductress is jolted when the vibrations and rhythm of the road turn her on and take her on an erotic and surrealistic fantasy journey.

     

    NEW FRONTIER SHORT FILMS

    An electrifying celebration of innovation in filmmaking, these New Frontier shorts energize the mind through bold aesthetics and thought-provoking content.

     

    The Capsule / Greece (Director: Athina Rachel Tsangari, Screenwriters: Athina Rachel Tsangari, Aleksandra Waliszewska) — Seven young women. A mansion perched on a Cycladic rock. A series of lessons on discipline, desire, discovery, and disappearance. A melancholy, inescapable cycle on the brink of womanhood – infinitely.

     

    Century / U.S.A. (Director: Kevin Jerome Everson) — Filmed in Charlottesville, Virginia, and starring a General Motors automobile – the titular brown Buick Century – meeting its fate.

     

    Datamosh / U.S.A. (Director: Yung Jake) — A contemporary rap video that explores the glitchy video art trend “datamoshing”. All geeked up, Yung Jake glitches out your computer and celebrates nerdiness and getting money.

     

    Iyeza / South Africa (Director and screenwriter: Kudzanai Chiurai) — An allegory of the Last Supper depicting the establishment of a new nation-state, Kudzanai Chiurai’s Iyeza explores the African condition by juxtaposing the past and the present of a continent in the grip of violent civil wars.

     

    Primate Cinema: Apes As Family / Scotland, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rachel Mayeri) — Chimpanzees, our closest relatives, like to watch television. What would a film made expressly for chimps look like? Created with a primatologist and actors in chimp suits, a primate drama is presented to chimpanzees at the Edinburgh Zoo.

     

    Reindeer / United Kingdom (Director: Eva Weber) — A lyrical and haunting portrait of reindeer herding in the twilight expanses of the Lapland wilderness.

     

    Sirocco / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Hisham Bizri) — A detective is sent to the desert to investigate a murder only to find out he’s been investigating his own death.

     

    Until the Quiet Comes / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kahlil Joseph) — Shot in the Nickerson Gardens housing projects in Watts, Los Angeles, this film deals with themes of violence, camaraderie and spirituality through the lens of magical realism.

     

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  • Bronx International Film Festival to Kick Off On December 6th with French Film Vole Comme Un Papillon

     [caption id="attachment_2957" align="alignnone" width="550"]Vole Comme Un Papillon[/caption]

    The world premiere of the French film Vole Comme Un Papillon will open the 10th Annual Bronx International Film Festival on Thursday, December 6th, 2013,  at the Lovinger Theater at Lehman College, in the Bronx, New York City. 

    Vole Comme Un Papillon directed by Jerome Maldhe and starring Max Gomis, Sabrina Ouazani, Hammou Graia, and Zaher Rehaz; is about Youssef who lives in a dormitory town and has just celebrated his 13 years. His best friend, Ladji, is plunged into the coma recently. When Youssef learns that the culprit is other one than his brother, he sees his family tearing under the eyes and tries to pick up the pieces.

    The three-day festival runs through Saturday December 8, at Lovinger Theater at Lehman College and includes more than 30 shorts, documentaries, animated and feature-length movies.

    The complete lineup:

    THURSDAY – 8PM

    VOLE COMME UN PAPILLON

     

    FRIDAY – 8PM

    ASTORGOS

    DOUGLAS

    EVOLUTION

    FAIS CROQUER

    HEADS UP

    HEARTLAND

    KAVINKSY

    NAUFRAGOS

    NO WHERE, NO ONE

    ROBOT MAN

    ROTOS

    SPLIT TIME

    THE BOAT

    TU & EU

     

    SATURDAY – 7PM

    ATONAL

    DOCKET 32357

    Q

    THE TELEGRAM MAN

    NO MESSAGES

    THE WORLD OUTSIDE

    PRO KOPF

    WRIGLEY AND KING

    GABI

    LE TETTE DI UNA DICIOTTENNE

    PARETO PRINCIPAL

    SON OF MAN

    WALT

    NOWHERE IN PARTICULAR

    THE RUNNER

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  • Sundance Film Festival Announces Premieres and Documentary Premieres Films

    [caption id="attachment_2953" align="alignnone" width="550"]Don Jon’s Addiction[/caption]

    Sundance Film Festival announced the films selected to screen in the out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections of the 2013 festival scheduled to run January 17-27 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

    Films on the lineup include Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut, Don Jon’s Addiction, about a selfish modern-day Don Juan attempts to change his ways. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, and Tony Danza.

    The complete lineup

     PREMIERES

    A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated dramatic films of the coming year. Presented by Entertainment Weekly.

     

    A.C.O.D. / U.S.A. (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.

     

    Before Midnight/ U.S.A. (Director: Richard Linklater, Screenwriters: Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater— We meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna. Before the clock strikes midnight, we will again become part of their story. Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Xenia Kalogeropoulou, Ariane Labed, Athina Rachel Tsangari, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick.

     

    Big Sur / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Polish) — Unable to cope with a suddenly demanding public and battling advanced alcoholism, Jack Kerouac seeks respite in three brief sojourns to a cabin in Big Sur, which reveal his mental and physical deterioration. Cast: Jean-Marc Barr, Kate Bosworth, Josh Lucas, Radha Mitchell, Anthony Edwards, Henry Thomas.

     

    Breathe In / U.S.A. (Director: Drake Doremus, Screenwriters: Drake Doremus, Ben York Jones) — When a foreign exchange student arrives in a small upstate New York town, she challenges the dynamics of her host family’s relationships and alters their lives forever. Cast: Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones, Amy Ryan, Mackenzie Davis.

     

    Don Jon’s Addiction / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Joseph Gordon-Levitt) — In Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s charming directorial debut, a selfish modern-day Don Juan attempts to change his ways. Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Glenne Headly, Rob Brown.

     

    The East / U.S.A. (Director: Zal Batmanglij, Screenwriters: Zal Batmanglij, Brit Marling) — An operative for an elite private intelligence firm goes into deep cover to infiltrate a mysterious anarchist collective attacking major corporations.  Bent on apprehending these fugitives, she finds her loyalty tested as her feelings grow for the group’s charismatic leader. Cast: Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Ellen Page, Toby Kebbell, Shiloh Fernandez, Patricia Clarkson.

     

    The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete / U.S.A. (Director: George Tillman Jr., Screenwriter: Michael Starrbury) — Separated from their mothers and facing a summer in the Brooklyn projects alone, two boys hide from police and forage for food, with only each other to trust.  A story of salvation through friendship and two boys against the world. Cast: Skylan Brooks, Ethan Dizon, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Anthony Mackie, Jeffrey Wright.

     

    jOBS / U.S.A. (Director: Joshua Michael Stern, Screenwriter: Matt Whiteley) — The true story of one of the greatest entrepreneurs in American history, jOBS chronicles the defining 30 years of Steve Jobs’ life. jOBS is a candid, inspiring and personal portrait of the one who saw things differently. Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad, Lukas Haas, J.K. Simmons, Matthew Modine. CLOSING NIGHT FILM

     

    The Look of Love / United Kingdom (Director: Michael Winterbottom, Screenwriter: Matt Greenhalgh) — The true story of British adult magazine publisher and entrepreneur Paul Raymond. A modern day King Midas story, Raymond became one of the richest men in Britain at the cost of losing those closest to him. Cast: Steve Coogan, Anna Friel, Imogen Poots, Tamsin Egerton.

     

    Lovelace / U.S.A. (Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, Screenwriter: Andy Bellin) — Deep Throat, the first pornographic feature film to be a mainstream success, was an international sensation in 1972 and made its star, Linda Lovelace, a media darling. Years later the “poster girl for the sexual revolution” revealed a darker side to her story. Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Hank Azaria, Adam Brody, James Franco, Sharon Stone.

     

    The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman / U.S.A. (Director: Fredrik Bond, Screenwriter: Matt Drake) — Traveling abroad, Charlie Countryman falls for Gabi, a Romanian beauty whose unreachable heart has its origins in Nigel, her violent, charismatic ex. As the darkness of Gabi’s past increasingly envelops him, Charlie resolves to win her heart, or die trying. Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Evan Rachel Wood, Mads Mikkelsen, Rupert Grint, James Buckley, Til Schweiger.

     

    Prince Avalanche / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Gordon Green) — Two highway road workers spend the summer of 1988 away from their city lives. The isolated landscape becomes a place of misadventure as the men find themselves at odds with each other and the women they left behind. Cast: Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch.

     

    Stoker / U.S.A. (Director: Park Chan-Wook, Screenwriter: Wentworth Miller) — After India’s father dies in an auto accident, her Uncle Charlie comes to live with her and her mother, Evelyn. Soon after his arrival, India suspects that this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives but becomes increasingly infatuated with him. Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Dermot Mulroney, Jacki Weaver, Nicole Kidman.

     

    Sweetwater / U.S.A. (Directors: Logan Miller, Noah Miller, Screenwriter: Andrew McKenzie) — In the late 1800s, a fanatical religious leader, a renegade Sheriff, and a former prostitute collide in a blood triangle on the rugged plains of the New Mexico Territory. Cast: Ed Harris, January Jones, Jason Isaacs, Eduardo Noriega, Steven Rude, Amy Madigan.

     

    Top of the Lake / Australia, New Zealand (Directors: Jane Campion, Garth Davis, Screenwriters: Jane Campion, Gerard Lee) — A 12-year-old girl stands chest deep in a frozen lake. She is five months pregnant, and won’t say who the father is. Then she disappears. So begins a haunting mystery that consumes a community. Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Holly Hunter, Peter Mullan, David Wenham. This six-hour film will screen once during the Festival.

     

    Two Mothers / Australia, France (Director: Anne Fontaine, Screenwriter: Christopher Hampton) — This gripping tale of love, lust and the power of friendship charts the unconventional and passionate affairs of two lifelong friends who fall in love with each other’s sons. Cast: Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Xavier Samuel, James Frechevile.

     

    Very Good Girls / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Naomi Foner) — In the long, half-naked days of a New York summer, two girls on the brink of becoming women fall for the same guy and find that life isn’t as simple or safe as they had thought. Cast: Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Olsen, Boyd Holbrook, Demi Moore, Richard Dreyfuss, Ellen Barkin.

     

    The Way, Way Back / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash) — Duncan, an introverted 14-year-old, comes into his own over the course of a comedic summer when he forms unlikely friendships with the gregarious manager of a rundown water park and the misfits who work there. Cast: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Liam James.

     

    DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES

    Renowned filmmakers and films about huge subjects comprise this section highlighting our ongoing commitment to documentaries. Each is a world premiere.

     

    ANITA / U.S.A. (Director: Freida Mock) — Anita Hill, an African-American woman, charges Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas with sexual harassment in explosive Senate hearings in 1991 – bringing sexual politics into the national consciousness and fueling 20 years of international debate on the issues.

     

    The Crash Reel / U.S.A. (Director: Lucy Walker) — The jaw-dropping story of one unforgettable athlete, Kevin Pearce; one eye-popping sport, snowboarding; and one explosive issue, traumatic brain injury. An epic rivalry between Kevin and Shaun White culminates in a life-changing crash and a comeback story with a difference. SALT LAKE CITY GALA FILM

     

    History of the Eagles / U.S.A. (Director: Alison Ellwood) — Using never-before-seen home movies, archival footage and new interviews with all current and former members of the Eagles, this documentary provides an intimate look into the history of the band and the legacy of their music.

     

    Linsanity / U.S.A. (Director: Evan Leong) — Jeremy Lin came from a humble background to make an unbelievable run in the NBA. State high school champion, all-Ivy League at Harvard, undrafted by the NBA and unwanted there: his story started long before he landed on Broadway.

     

    Pandora’s Promise / U.S.A. (Director: Robert Stone) — A growing number of environmentalists are renouncing decades of antinuclear orthodoxy and have come to believe that the most feared and controversial technology known to mankind is probably our greatest hope.

     

    Running from Crazy / U.S.A. (Director: Barbara Kopple) — Mariel Hemingway, granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, strives for a greater understanding of her family history of suicide and mental illness. As tragedies are explored and deeply hidden secrets are revealed, Mariel searches for a way to overcome a similar fate.

     

    Sound City / U.S.A. (Director: Dave Grohl) — Through interviews and performances with the legendary musicians and producers who worked at America’s greatest unsung recording studio, Sound City, we explore the human element of music, and the lost art of analog recording in an increasingly digital world.

     

    We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks / U.S.A. (Director: Alex Gibney) — The definitive story of Julian Assange, Bradley Manning and WikiLeaks, WE STEAL SECRETS explores the people and events behind the upstart website that rocked the U.S. government, ushered in a new era of transparency and ignited an information war. 

     

    When I Walk / U.S.A., Canada (Director: Jason DaSilva) — At 25, filmmaker and artist Jason DaSilva finds out he has a severe form of multiple sclerosis. This film shares his personal and grueling journey over the next seven years. Along the way, an unlikely miracle changes everything.

     

    Which Way is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington / U.S.A. (Director: Sebastian Junger) — Shortly after the release of his documentary Restrepo, photographer Tim Hetherington was killed in Libya. Colleague Sebastian Junger traces Hetherington’s work across the world’s battlefields to reveal how he transcended the boundaries of image-making to become a luminary in his profession.

     

    The World According to Dick Cheney / U.S.A. (Directors: R.J. Cutler, Greg Finton) — Dick Cheney is the most powerful, most controversial and in his words, “most consequential” Vice President in American history. This dramatic and intimate examination of Cheney’s life, career, relationships and worldview features interviews with Cheney and those closest to him.

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