Film Festivals

  • Dallas International Film Festival Releases Full Film Lineup for 2012 Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2331" align="alignnone"]5 BROKEN CAMERAS[/caption]

    The Dallas International Film Festival revealed the full schedule of features and shorts that will be screened through the Festival’s 11-day run (April 12 – 22, 2012).

    The festival also announced that the past president and CEO of United Artists and Orion Pictures respectively, Eric Pleskow, will be honored for his lifetime achievements in the film industry at the Dallas Film Society Honors on April 20.

    The 2012 Dallas International Film Festival schedule includes Morgan Spurlock presents COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN’S HOPE; Robert Byington returns with SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME following his success at DIFF 2010 with HARMONY AND ME; DIFF 2009 Environmental Visions winner for CRUDE and Academy Award nominee Joe Berlinger will grace this year’s Festival with the celebrated Paul Simon documentary, UNDER AFRICAN SKIES. World Premieres of Will Moore’s SATELLITE OF LOVE and Timothy Armstrong’s COWGIRLS N’ ANGELS will see talent Zachary Knighton (HAPPY ENDINGS), Janina Gavankar (TRUE BLOOD), James Cromwell (L.A CONFIDENTIAL, THE ARTIST) and rising star Bailee Madison (CONVICTION, DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK) adorning the Dallas screens.  Brandon Dickerson’s SIRONIA will see musician and writer Wes Cunningham and SMU alum Amy Acker (CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, ALIAS) return to their Texas roots and X-MEN’s Famke Janssen will introduce her directorial debut BRINGING UP BOBBY.

    The full schedule is as follows
    Centerpiece

    MY WAY (South Korea) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Je-gyu Kang
    Inspired by a true story. Jun Shik works for Tatsuo’s grandfather’s farm while Korea is colonized by Japan, but he has a dream to participate in Tokyo Olympics as a marathon runner. Starring Dong-gun Jang, Jô Odagiri, Bingbing Fan and In-kwon Kim.

    Premiere Series

    BROOKLYN BROTHERS BEAT THE BEST, THE (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Ryan O’Nan
    A singer-songwriter hits the road with a self-appointed music revolutionary.  Cast includes Ryan O’ Nan, Michael Weston, Arielle Kebbel, Andrew McCarthy, Jason Ritter, Wilmer Valderrama, Christoper McDonald and Melissa Leo.

    BRINGING UP BOBBY (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Famke Janssen
    A European con-artist and her son Bobby find themselves in Oklahoma in an effort to escape her past and build a better future. Starring Milla Jovovich, Bill Pullman, Marcia Cross and Rory Cochrane.

    COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN’S HOPE (USA)
    Director: Morgan Spurlock
    A behind-the-scenes look at the fans who gather by the thousands each year in San Diego, California to attend Comic-Con, the world’s largest comic book convention. Featuring Kevin Smith, Stan Lee, Eric Hensen, Stephenie Werner, Tayler Hudson and Chuck Rozanski.

    COMPLIANCE (USA)
    Director: Craig Zobel
    When a prank caller convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, no one is left unharmed. Starring Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker, Pat Healy, Bill Camp and Philip Ettinger.

    DARLING COMPANION (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Lawrence Kasdan
    A story of a woman who loves her dog more than her husband and then her husband loses the dog. Cast includes Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Dianne Wiest, Richard Jenkins, Sam Shepard, Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss and Ayelet Zurer.

    DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Directors:  Lisa Immordino Vreeland, Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Frédéric Tcheng
    A look at the life and work of Diana Vreeland, the influential fashion editor of Harpers Bazaar and later the editor of Vogue.

    LIBERAL ARTS (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Josh Radnor
    When 30-something Jesse is invited back to his alma mater, he falls for a young 19-year-old college student and is faced with the powerful attraction that springs up between them. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Zac Efron, Josh Radnor, Allison Janney, Richard Jenkins.

    Narrative Feature Competition

    FAITH, LOVE AND WHISKEY (USA, Bulgaria) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Kristina Nikolova
    Neli, a Bulgarian woman, engaged to a well-off American panics and runs back home. She reunites with her drifter friends and falls in love with her passionate but alcoholic best friend. When her fiance arrives Neli must make a choice between two opposing futures. Starring Ana Stoyanovska and Valeri Yordanov.

    FATHER’S CHAIR (Brazil) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Luciano Moura
    A man who has put his career ahead of everything else in life learns the value of family when his son goes missing. Stars Wagner Moura, Lima Duarte, Mariana Lima and Brás Antunes.

    LUV (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Sheldon Candis
    Over the course of one day, a shy 13-year-old forms a bond with his troubled uncle as he shows the boy what it takes to be a man in Baltimore. Starring newcomer Michael Rainey, Jr., Common, Michael K. Williams, Danny Glover, Meagan Good and Charles S. Dutton.

    MAYA (Albania) – North American Premiere
    Director:  Pluton Vasi
    A man who has been living in the west returns to his village in Albania to bury his father. Having met the beautiful Maya, he wants to stay on and make a life for himself there, but a vicious web of rumor and hearsay threatens his happiness. Starring Genti Kame, Rovena Lule Kuka, Myzafer Zifla

    SAVE THE DATE (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Michael Mohan
    Two sisters fumble their way along the road to happiness. Stuck between having it figured out and screwing it up, they’re compelled to learn how to love and be loved in the moments when everything changes. Stars Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr and Mark Webber.

    SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME (USA)
    Director: Robert Byington
    The film follows Max, his best friend Sal and a woman they both adore through 35 years of mandatory but apparently unfulfilling entanglements at weddings, funerals, hospitals, eateries, divorce courts… and the tool shed.  Stars Keith Paulson, Jess Weixler, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman

    TEDDY BEAR (Denmark) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Mads Matthiesen
    Dennis, a 38-year-old bodybuilder, would really like to find true love. He has never had a girlfriend and lives alone with his mother in a suburb of Copenhagen. Stars Kim Kold, David Winters, Elsebeth Steentoft, Chanicha Shindejanichakul and Lamaiporn Hougaard.

    Documentary Feature Competition

    BIBA! ONE ISLAND, 879 VOTES (USA) – World Premiere
    Director: Benjamin Bloodwell
    BIBA! follows the rallies and debates of Trenton Conner and Henry San Nicolas in their battle for control over the Pacific island, Tinian, which was the launch point for the Enola Gay in World War II and presently the home of the Voice of America broadcasting towers, sending pro-democracy propaganda into China and North Korea.

    BROOKLYN CASTLE (USA)
    Director: Katie Dellamaggiore
    Amidst financial crises and unprecedented public school budget cuts, BROOKLYN CASTLE takes an intimate look at the challenges and triumphs facing members of a junior high school’s champion chess team.

    ESCAPE FIRE: THE FIGHT TO RESCUE AMERICAN HEALTHCARE (USA)
    Directors: Matthew Heineman, Susan Froemke
    ESCAPE FIRE exposes the perverse nature of American healthcare, contrasting the powerful forces opposing change with the compelling stories of pioneering leaders and the patients they seek to help. The film is about finding a way out, about saving the health of a nation.

    THE IMPOSTER (UK)
    Director: Bart Layton
    Layton uncovers the story about a young Frenchman who convinces a grieving Texas family that he was their 16-year-old son who went missing for 3 years.

    LOW & CLEAR (USA)
    Directors: Kahlil Hudson, Tyler Hughen
    A meditation on friendship and life in the disappearing wilderness of the West, LOW & CLEAR follows two formerly close friends who reunite for one last fly-fishing trip. Over the course of their time together they come to understand how much they have each changed and how these changes now threaten the friendship.

    TCHOUPITOULAS (USA)
    Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross
    Three young brothers take to the night streets of New Orleans in this sensory and kaleidoscopic odyssey.

    WE’RE NOT BROKE (USA) – Texas Premiere ♥
    Directors: Karin Hayes, Victoria Bruce
    An exposé on how the government has allowed U.S. corporations to avoid paying taxes and the growing wave of discontent that it has fostered.

    Documentary Showcase

    GIRL MODEL (USA) ♥
    Directors: David Redmon, A. Sabin
    Follows a complex supply chain between Siberia, Japan, and the U.S. within the modeling industry. The story is told through the eyes of the scouts, agencies and a 13 year-old model.

    THE INVISIBLE WAR (USA) – Texas Premiere ♥
    Director: Kirby Dick
    An investigative and powerfully emotional documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military, the institutions that perpetuate and cover up its existence, and its profound personal and social consequences.

    NO ASHES NO PHOENIX (Germany) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Jens Pfeifer
    A locker room exposé about young basketball players in Hagen, Germany who face their fears of losing and challenge enormous odds to succeed. The team signs “Michael Jordan”, but their savior brings a lot more baggage to Hagen than just a famous name.

    VITO (USA) – Texas Premiere ♥
    Director: Jeffrey Schwarz
    The story of Vito Russo, founding father of the gay liberation movement, author of “The Celluloid Closet,” and vociferous AIDS activist in the 1980s.

    World Cinema

    5 BROKEN CAMERAS (Palestine, Israel, France) – Texas Premiere ♥
    Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi
    A documentary chronicles a Palestinian farmer’s nonviolent resistance to the actions of the Israeli army.

    ALPS (Greece) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Giorgos Lanthimos
    A nurse, a paramedic, a gymnast and her coach have formed a service for hire. They stand in for dead people by appointment, hired by the relatives, friends or colleagues of the deceased. Starring Aris Servetalis, Johnny Vekris, Ariane Labed, Aggeliki Papoulia and Stavros Psyllakis.

    ELENA (Russia) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Andrei Zvyagintsev
    Elena and Vladimir are an older couple from different backgrounds. Vladimir is a wealthy and cold man, Elena comes from a modest milieu and is a docile wife. They
    have met late in life and each one has children from previous marriages. Stars Aleksey Rozin, Andrey Smirnov, Yelena Lyadova and Nadezhda Markina.

    EXTRATERRESTRIAL (Spain)
    Director: Nacho Vigalondo
    Everyone knows what to do if one morning the sky would be absolutely full of UFOs: run as fast as you can. However, what would happen if the invasion started while you are in the flat of the girl of your dreams, the one you have just met? Starring Michelle Jenner, Carlos Areces, Julián Villagrán, Raúl Cimas and Miguel Noguera.

    I WISH (Japan) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
    A 12-year-old boy, Koichi, wishes that his family separated by divorce is brought together again. He devises a plan that a miracle will transpire at the exact moment when two bullet trains bound in opposite directions pass each other.
    Starring Hoshinosuke Yoshinaga, Rento Isobe Ryôga Hayashi and Kanna Hashimoto.

    SALT OF LIFE (Italy) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Gianni Di Gregorie
    Gianni is a retiree who has become invisible to most everyone around him. In response, he tries his best to generate some kind of extracurricular love life. Stars Gianni Di Gregorio, Valeria De Franciscis Bendoni, Alfonso Santagata and Elisabetta Piccolomini.

    UNTOUCHABLES (France) – Texas Premiere
    Directors: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
    A true story of two men who should never have met: a quadriplegic aristocrat who was injured in a paragliding accident and a young man from the projects. Starring François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot and Clotilde Mollet.

    WHERE DO WE GO NOW? (France, Lebanon, Egypt, Italy) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Nadine Labaki
    A group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village. Starring Claude Baz Moussawbaa, Layla Hakim, Nadine Labaki and Yvonne Maalouf.

    Latino Showcase

    BEING: CAFÉ TACVBA (Mexico) – U.S. Premiere
    Directors: Ernesto Contreras and José Manuel Craviotto
    As Mexican rock band Café Tacvba celebrates 20 years, this film uncovers the creative process that brings them together, their friendship, frustrations and the desire of still being a rock band, Featuring Ruben Albarran, Emmanuel del Real, Enrique Rangel and Joselo Rangel.

    HELENO (Brazil) – Texas Premiere
    Director: José Henrique Fonseca
    A biography of the tragic life of one of Brazil’s greatest soccer players, Heleno de Freitas. Starring Rodrigo Santoro, Othon Bastos, Herson Capri, Angie Cepeda and Erom Cordeiro.

    MARIACHI GRINGO (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Tom Gustafson
    A stifled, small-town man stuck in a dead end life, runs away to Mexico to be a mariachi singer. Starring Shawn Ashmore, Martha Higareda, Kate Burton and Adriana Barraza.

    South Korean Spotlight

    LET ME OUT (South Korea) – World Premiere
    Directors: Jae Yong Soh, Chang Rae Kim
    A student filmmaker whose inexperience, demands and impatience cause every human involved in his first film – an undead melodrama – to go crazy.  So, the zombies step in and help out.
    Starring Hyun Sang Kwon, Geunsup Han, Yumouyoung, Hee Von Park and Jessica Choi.

    Texas Competition in partnership with PANAVISION

    AMERICA’S PARKING LOT (USA)
    Director: Jonny Mars
    Two die-hard fans and leaders of the legendary ‘Gate 6’ tailgate party spend their last season with the Dallas Cowboys at historic Texas Stadium. When the Cowboys move 20 miles west to Arlington, the shifting politics and economics of major league sports threaten to dissolve the friendships and traditions they have built over 20 years and they scramble to preserve their place in AMERICA’S PARKING LOT.

    CINEMA SIX (USA) – World Premiere
    Directors: Mark Potts, Cole Selix
    Three small-town friends have to decide whether to keep their easy jobs at a movie theater or actually try to do something meaningful with their lives. Cast includes John Merriman, Mark Potts, Brand Rackley, Byron Brown, Lindsey Newell, Heather Wallis, Madi Goff, Chris Doubek, Cole Selix, Kevin M. Brennan, Maggie Carey and Barry Corbin.

    KID-THING (USA)
    Director: David Zellner
    A fever-dream fable about a rebellious girl who spends her time roaming the land, leaving destruction in her wake. Starring Sydney Aguirre and Nathan Zellner.

    SATELLITE OF LOVE (USA) – World Premiere
    Director: Will Moore
    To atone for his absence at their wedding, globe-trotting and hard-partying musician, Samuel, invites his best friend Blake, a successful chef, and Blake’s new wife Catherine (with whom Samuel has previously shared both a bed and a bond) to idyllic Nadi Vineyards for a week-long party in paradise.  Samuel imports cosmopolitan DJ, Michelle, from Barcelona to stir the pot. Stars Nathan Phillips, Zachary Knighton, Shannon Lucio and Janina Gavankar

    SIRONIA (USA)
    Director: Brandon Dickerson
    A singer-songwriter beat up by the L.A. music machine moves with his wife to Sironia, Texas. Starring Wes Cunningham, Amy Acker, Tony Hale, Jeremy Sisto, Courtney Ford, Carrie Preston and Robyn Lively.

    THANK YOU FOR JUDGING (USA)
    Directors: Sean Fornara, Michael Urie, Selma Al-Faqih, Travis Flournoy
    In Texas every year, the best of the best come to be judged at the mother of all Speech and Debate competitions. These kids will tug at your heart strings and tickle your funny bone as they learn not only about speaking in public, but also confidence, adult relations, and self-presentation, both in appearance and eloquence. Featuring Michael Urie.

    WOLF (USA)
    Director: Ya’Ke Smith
    A family is shaken to the core when they discover that their son has been molested. As they struggle to deal with the betrayal, their son heads towards a total mental collapse because of his love for his abuser. Cast includes Irma P. Hall, Amelia Jeffries, Shelton Jolivette and Jordan Cooper.

    Environmental Visions Competition in partnership with Whole Foods

    ATOMIC STATES OF AMERICA, THE (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Directors: Dan Argott, Sheena Joyce
    In 2010, the United States announced construction of the first new nuclear power plant in more than 32 years. A year later, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Fukushima Power Plant in Japan sparking a fierce debate in the U.S. over the safety and viability of nuclear power.

    DIRTY ENERGY (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Bryan D. Hopkins
    April 20th, 2010: The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig abruptly exploded into flames off the Gulf of Mexico just 50 miles from the coast of Louisiana tragically taking the lives of 11 workers. Now, with the disaster’s first anniversary passed, the fate of the Gulf is still largely unknown.

    LAST CALL AT THE OASIS (USA)
    Director: Jessica Yu
    LAST CALL AT THE OASIS presents a powerful argument for why the global water crisis will be the central issue facing our world this century. Among those appearing in the film are Erin Brockovich-Ellis, Jay Famiglietti, Peter H. Gleick and Tyrone Hayes.

    Family Friendly

    COWGIRLS N’ ANGELS (USA) – World Premiere
    Director: Timothy Armstrong
    A group of rodeo trick-riders recruits a young girl to join them. Stars Jackson Rathbone, James Cromwell, Bailee Madison, Alicia Witt, Drew Waters and Frankie Faison.

    E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982, USA)
    Director: Steven Spielberg
    A meek and alienated little boy finds a stranded extraterrestrial. He has to find the courage to defy the authorities to help the alien return to its home planet. Stars Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton and Drew Barrymore.

    FIRST POSITION (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Bess Kargman
    A documentary that follows six young ballet dancers as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix.

    OBLIVION ISLAND: HARUKA AND THE MAGIC MIRROR (Japan) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Shinsuke Sato
    Having lost her mother, Haruka is now a 16-year-old girl and feels neglected by her father. She escapes to her grandmother’s house and discovers a fox-like creature who steals her keys. She follows him and is transported into a magical world. Starring Haruka Ayase, Miyuki Sawashiro, Mitsuki Tanimura, Naho Toda and Nao Ohmori.

    Deep Ellum Sounds

    ANDREW BIRD: FEVER YEAR (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Xan Aranda
    Filmed during culminating months of the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s most rigorous year of touring, Andrew Bird crosses the December finish line in his hometown of Chicago – feverish and on crutches from an onstage injury. FEVER YEAR is the first to capture Bird’s precarious multi-instrumental looping technique and features live performances at Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater with collaborators Martin Dosh, Jeremy Ylvisaker, Michael Lewis and Annie Clark of St. Vincent.

    UNDER AFRICAN SKIES (USA)
    Director: Joe Berlinger
    Paul Simon returns to South Africa to explore the incredible journey of his historic Graceland album, including the political backlash he received for allegedly breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa designed to end the Apartheid regime. Among those appearing in the film are Maya Angelou, Harry Belafonte, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey and Paul Simon.

    Midnight Specials

    BINDLESTIFFS (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Andrew Edison
    Three high school virgins, suspended from school on a bogus graffiti charge, flee to the inner city in an attempt to live out the plot of The Catcher in the Rye – a book they neither have read nor understand. Starring John Karma, Luke Loftin, Andrew Edison and Will Fordyce.

    JUAN OF THE DEAD (Spain, Cuba)
    Director: Alejandro Brugués
    Where the Cuban government sees an American conspiracy and the rest of the world sees a non-political zombie outbreak, Cuban nationalist and scoundrel Juan sees the business opportunity of a lifetime – charging people to kill their undead loved ones.
    Stars Blanca Rosa Blanco, Elsa Camp, Alexis Díaz de Villegas, Antonio Dechent and Andrea Duro.

    THE PACT (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Nicholas McCarthy
    As a woman struggles to come to grips with her past in the wake of her mother’s death, an unsettling presence emerges in her childhood home. Starring Caity Lotz, Casper Van Dien, Agnes Bruckner, Mark Steger and Haley Hudson.

    TORMENTED (Japan, Netherlands) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Takashi Shimizu
    TORMENTED centers on a young boy whose family seems to be unraveling around him. His sister is grappling with the reality of life or death, while his father walks a line with insanity. The situation intensifies when the boy manifests a dangerous friendship with a stuffed toy rabbit that comes to life. Starring Teruyuli Kagawa, Hikari Mitsushima and Nao Ohmori.

    Special Presentation

    L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997, USA)
    Director: Curtis Hanson
    A shooting at an all night diner is investigated by three LA policemen in their own unique ways. Stars Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, James Cromwell, Kim Basinger and Danny DeVito.

    GAYBY (USA)
    Director: Jonathan Lisecki
    Jenn and Matt, best friends since college who are now in their thirties, decide to have a child together, the old-fashioned way – even though Matt is gay and Jenn is straight.
    Starring Jenn Harris, Matthew Wilkas, Charlie Barnett, Samantha Buck and Louis Cancelmi.

    AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF HER BEAUTY (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Terence Nance
    Nance’s explosively creative debut feature documents the relationship between Nance and a young woman as it teeters on the divide between platonic and romantic delving into his own male psyche when she stands him up. Stars Alisa Becher, Jc Cain, Dexter Jones and Namik Minter.

    QWERTY (USA) –Texas Premiere
    Director: Bill Sebastian
    An off-beat love story about a closeted competitive Scrabble savant, Zoe & her new found irascible love-interest, Marty. Together they try to carve out their place in a world filled with other people.  Starring Dana Pupkin, Eric Hailey, Bill Redding

    THE REVISIONARIES (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Scott Thurman
    THE REVISIONARIES follows the rise and fall of some of the most controversial figures in American education through some of their most tumultuous intellectual battles. Among those appearing in the film are Don McLeroy, Kathy Miller and SMU professor, Ron Wetherington.

    ROBOCOP (1987, USA)
    Director: Paul Verhoeven
    In a dystopic and crime ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg with submerged memories haunting him. Starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O’Herlihy, Ronny Cox and Kurtwood Smith.

    Community Showcase

    CLOSE TIES: TYING ON A NEW TRADITION (USA)
    Director: Gemal Woods
    Cultural traditions have been the cornerstone of African American communities for centuries, and CLOSE TIES examines the similar impact of a new tradition—the tying of a necktie, an act associated with men who embody professionalism and prestige—that inspires high school boys to commit to a life of achievement and success.

    KISSED BY THE DEVIL (USA)
    Director: M. Legend Brown
    Although Oakland Hill is a well known, late night radio personality, her life is far from storybook. She spends most of her time caring for her mentally ill brother Michael, who witnessed their father commit an unimaginable act.

    PATRIOCRACY (USA) – Texas Premiere
    Director: Brian Malone
    PATRIOCRACY explores the extreme polarization in America that cripples the country from tackling its most serious problems. Featuring Elliot Ackerman, Jason Altmire, Rob Andrews, Pat Buchanan and Jason Chaffetz. 


    Shorts Competition

    ’92 SKYBOX ALONZO MOURNING ROOKIE CARD (USA)
    Director: Todd Sklar
    Two estranged brothers are forced to come together for a week when their dad dies in Kansas City. Dave believes he has a limited edition 1992 Skybox Series Alonzo Mourning rookie card, but Jim has other ideas.

    AARON BURR, PART 2 (USA)
    Director: Dana O’Keefe
    A contemporary re-imagining of the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr explores the idea of history as a contested narrative.

    ANOTHER BULLET DODGED (USA)
    Director: Landon Zakheim
    A wolf in sheep’s clothing who thinks he is a sheep.

    AT THE FORMAL (Australia)
    Director: Andrew Kavanagh
    Modern and ancient rituals collide in this macabre depiction of a high school formal.

    AUDACITY (India)
    Director: Anirban Roy
    What happens when a father scolds his daughter? Meltdown of an entire community.

    AURORA BOREALIS (USA)
    Director: Matt H. Mayes
    A man visits his mother in a rest home when a shift of light reveals the spaces between and inside them.

    BEAR (Australia)
    Director: Nash Edgerton
    Jack means well, but sometimes good intentions have horrible consequences.

    CHORES (USA)
    Director: Terence Bernardo
    On a remote and isolated farm, a man passes his days with only his animals for company. His idyllic life quickly takes a turn for the unexpected when he realizes that he is not alone.

    DOUBLES WITH SLIGHT PEPPER (USA, Canada, Trinidad)
    Director: Ian Harnarine
    Set in Trinidad during Christmas a young street food vendor must decide if he will help save his estranged father from dying.

    THE DUMP (New Zealand)
    Director: Hamish Bennett
    A comedy/drama about an 11-year old boy and the gradual bond he develops with his estranged dad Orlando, the sole employee at a tiny rubbish dump in rural New Zealand.

    THE ELECT (USA)
    Directors: Dan Moore, Erin Zacek
    Everyday life inside the controversial Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, is explored through this verité-style documentary

    EVERYTHING IS INCREDIBLE (USA)
    Directors: Tyler Bastian, Trevor Hill, Tim Skousen
    A disabled man named Agustin in Honduras has been building a helicopter in his home for the past 53 years causing controversy amongst his family and community.

    FAMILY NIGHTMARE (USA)
    Director: Dustin Guy Defa
    This dizzying trip through the mid-1990s with a dysfunctional American family is a crumpled letter from a filmmaker to his family: a shattered kaleidoscope of the destructive patterns that have been trapped and wounded its members.

    FUNGUS (Sweden)
    Director: Charlotta Miller
    Katrin is sitting apathetically in her dump like apartment, after being cheated on and left by her boyfriend. Time passes slowly and Katrin is just trying to endure being in her own skin.

    HEART STOP BEATING (USA)
    Director: Jeremiah Zagar
    Two visionary doctors from the Texas Heart Institute successfully replaced a dying man’s heart with a rotor-driven artificial one—proving that life is possible without a heartbeat.

    HELLION (USA)
    Director: Kat Candler
    Little seven-year old Petey falls prey to his older brothers’ hellion ways.

    THE HICCUP (USA)
    Director: Matt Smukler
    Two friends desperately trying to skip town find that an overheated radiator is the least of their problems.

    IZZY & SALVADOR (USA)
    Director: Jean-Pierre Caner
    Izzy is bringing Salvador home to meet the family for the first time.

    A LETTER TO JULIA (Spain)
    Director: David González Rúdiez
    She writes a letter to Julia.

    LIFE AND FREAKY TIMES OF UNCLE LUKE (USA)
    Director: Jillian Mayer
    A modern adaptation of the 1962 French short film ‘La Jetee’, the film recounts Luke’s (Uncle Luke, legendary rapper from the hip-hop group 2 Live Crew) rise to fame as he changes the face of hip-hop, fights for first amendment rights, and later ushers Miami into a golden era of peace and prosperity as Mayor.

    LIFELIKE (USA)
    Directors: Erick Stoll, Chase Whiteside
    A taxidermist coolly goes about his business.

    THE LOVE COMPETITION (USA)
    Director: Brent Hoff
    The Stanford MRI Lab hosts the world’s first ever love competition, in which seven contestants have five minutes to neurochemically love someone as hard as they can.

    LOVE HACKING (USA)
    Director: Jenni Nelson
    A virtual relationship becomes a reality when a robot inventor falls in love over the Internet and journeys to Nepal to meet his fiancée for the first time. They marry the next day.

    MEANING OF ROBOTS (USA)
    Director: Matt Lenski
    The benevolent Mike Sullivan, age 65, has been shooting a stop-motion robot sex film in his apartment for the last 10 years. Now his miniature robot porn stars are threatening to squeeze him out of the space he needs to shoot his epic.

    ONCE IT STARTED IT COULD NOT END OTHERWISE (USA)
    Director: Kelly Sears
    Terrifying and strange happenings descend on a 1970s high school.

    PERFECT FIT (Mexico)
    Director: Leonel Fernandez
    A 30-year-old man works at a mall’s parking lot booth. He lives a lonely, monotonous and apparently an emotionless life.

    PLAYTIME (Germany)
    Director: Lucas Mireles
    A seamless journey of German youth and innocence on a Sunday afternoon.

    PLUTO DECLARATION (USA)
    Director: Travis Wilkerson
    Restore the classical definition of planet! Bring back planet Pluto! The solar system needs its 12th planet.

    RASPBERRY JAM (USA)
    Director: Courtney Ware
    A mystical tale about a man who loses everything on his journey toward hope. Oh, and there’s a leprechaun, too.

    ZERGÜT (USA)
    Directors: Natasha Subramaniam, Alisa Lapidus
    ZERGÜT focuses on the unique, often overlooked, beauty of everyday edible delights.

    Shorts Before Features

    THE BIRTH OF SAINT ELISEO (USA)
    Director: Stacy Dean Campbell
    Set along the Texas-Mexico border in the late 1930’s, THE BIRTH OF SAINT ELISEO is a story of vengeance that is not solely the Lord’s.

    Student Shorts Competition

    BENNY (USA)
    Director: Huay-Bing Law
    An overweight teenager revisits a friend from his past – now a personal fitness trainer.

    GRANDMOTHERS (UK)
    Director: Afarin Eghbal
    In a small apartment in Buenos Aires, an old woman eagerly awaits the birth of her grandchild. However, horrific circumstances mean that she will be forced to wait for over 30 years.

    THE KIDS DON’T LIKE IT (USA)
    Director: Jeremy David White
    The bond between two brothers is tested amidst the turmoil caused by their father.

    NANI (USA)
    Director: Justin Tipping
    Oscar got caught spraying graffiti. Now doing community service at a nursing home, he meets Isabel who is suffering from dementia.

    NEWSWORTHY (USA)       
    Director: Jeremy Robbins
    Frederick Wiles, an ambitious high-school sophomore, with dreams of becoming the next Woodward or Bernstein, tries to find a story worthy of the seniors-only news show.

    WASH ME (USA)
    Director: Winston Tao
    After the death of their daughter, a remorseful policeman, Mick, faces a broken marriage and seeks his penance as he answers a domestic disturbance call.

    Animation Competition in partnership with REEL FX

    663114 (Japan)
    Director: Isamu Hirabayashi
    I am a 66-year cicada. There was a big earthquake. There was a big tsunami. There also was a big accident.

    DR. BREAKFAST (USA)
    Director: Stephen Neary
    One day at breakfast, a man’s soul bursts out of his eyeball. While the soul roams the earth eating everything in sight, two wild deer bathe, clothe, and feed the man’s catatonic body.

    IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY (USA)
    Director: Don Hertzfeldt
    Don Hertzfeldt narrates the close of this trilogy as Bill finds himself in a hospital struggling to piece together his shattering psyche.

    A MORNING STROLL (UK)
    Director: Grant Orchard
    When a New Yorker walks past a chicken on his morning stroll, we are left to wonder which one is the real city slicker.

    MOXIE (UK)
    Director: Stephen Irwin
    A pyromaniac bear misses his mother.

    SLOW DEREK (UK)
    Director: Dan Ojari
    The tale of Derek, an office worker, as he struggles with the true speed of planet earth.

    WILD LIFE (Canada)
    Directors: Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby
    An Englishman moves to the Canadian frontier, but is singularly unsuited to it. His letters home are much sunnier than the reality.

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  • Mumbai to be Focus of 2012 Toronto International Film Festival City to City Program

    Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival, announced today that the 2012 Festival’s City to City program will focus on Mumbai.

    “Past editions of City to City explored how filmmakers represented their urban landscape. This year we’ll shift the scope of the program to showcase filmmakers living and working in Mumbai, regardless of where their films are set,” said Bailey, who is currently in Mumbai participating in FICCI FRAMES, the global media and entertainment convention. “There’s been an exciting evolution recently that’s seen local independent films emerge to contrast with Bollywood’s dazzling commercial movies. Whether you call it Mumbai or Bombay, this city is a massive player in the global film world, and a place I’ve grown to love in all its diversity. Toronto audiences are in for a thrill this September.”

    This is the fourth year for the City to City series; cities featured in past programs include Tel Aviv, Istanbul and Buenos Aires. The announcement of the City to City lineup will be made in August. The 37th Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2012.

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  • Beware of Mr Baker and Gimme The Loot take Top Jury and Audience Awards at 2012 SXSW

    The results are in! SXSW Film 2012 Jury and Audience Award-winners were announced tonight at the Festival’s Awards Ceremony, presented by Veam and hosted by comedian and actor Doug Benson.

    Only Narrative and Documentary Feature Audience Awards were announced tonight. Narrative Spotlight, Documentary Spotlight, Emerging Visions, Midnighters, 24 Beats Per Second, SXGlobal and Festival Favorites 

    And the winners are:

    Feature Film Jury Awards
    DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

    Grand Jury Winner: Beware of Mr. Baker
    Director: Jay Bulger

    NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

    Grand Jury Winner: Gimme The Loot
    Director: Adam Leon

    Special Jury Recognition for Performance:
    Jamie Chung – Eden
    Besedka Johnson – Starlet
    Nico Stone – Booster

    Feature Film Audience Awards

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
    Winner: Bay of All Saints
    Director: Annie Eastman

    NARRATIVE FEATURE
    Winner: Eden
    Director: Megan Griffiths

    *Audience Awards for Narrative Spotlight, Documentary Spotlight, Emerging Visions, Midnighters, 24 Beats Per Second, SXGlobal and Festival Favorites sections will be announced on Saturday, March 17. 

    Short Film Jury Awards

    NARRATIVE SHORTS
    Winner: The Chair
    Director: Grainger David

    DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
    Winner: CatCam
    Director: Seth Keal

    MIDNIGHT SHORTS
    Winner: Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
    Directors: Rebecca Sloan & Joseph Pelling

    SXGLOBAL SHORTS
    Winner: The Perfect Fit
    Director: Tali Yankelevich

    ANIMATED SHORTS
    Winner: (notes on) biology
    Director: Danny Madden

    MUSIC VIDEOS
    Winner: Battles, “My Machines”
    Director: DANIELS

    TEXAS SHORTS
    Winner: Spark
    Director: Annie Silverstein

    TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS
    Winner: Boom
    Director: Daniel Matyas & Brian Broder

    SXSW Film Design Awards presented by iStockphoto

    EXCELLENCE IN POSTER DESIGN
    Winner: Man & Gun
    Designer: Justin Cox

    Special Jury Recognition: Pitch Black Heist
    Designer: Andrew Cranston

    Audience Award Winner: The Maker
    Designer: Christopher Kezelos

    EXCELLENCE IN TITLE DESIGN

    Winner: Les Bleus de Ramville
    Designer: Jay Bond, Oily Film Company Inc.

    Special Jury Recognition: X-Men: First Class
    Designer: Simon Clowes, Prologue Films

    Audience Award Winner: Bunraku
    Designer: Guilherme Marcondes, Hornet Inc.



    SXSW Special Awards

    SXSW WHOLPHIN AWARD
    Winner: The Black Balloon
    Director: Benny Safdie & Josh Safdie

    SXSW CHICKEN & EGG EMERGENT NARRATIVE WOMAN DIRECTOR AWARD
    Winners: Megan Griffiths for Eden and Amy Seimetz for Sun Don’t Shine

    LOUIS BLACK “LONE STAR” AWARD
    Winner: Bernie
    Director: Richard Linklater

    Special Jury Recognition: Trash Dance
    Director: Andrew Garrison

    KAREN SCHMEER FILM EDITING FELLOWSHIP
    Presented to: Lindsay Utz

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  • Wes Anderson’s New Film MOONRISE KINGDOM to open 65th Festival de Cannes

    Wes Anderon’s new film, MOONRISE KINGDOM, will open the 65th Festival de Cannes on Wednesday, May 16, 2012.

    Starring Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman as well as Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman playing the pre-adolescents, MOONRISE KINGDOM recounts a tormented and surprising story of children and adults during the stormy days of the summer of 1965.

    Gilles Jacob, President of the Festival, is glad to proclaim: “With Wes Anderson opening the 65th Festival de Cannes, young American cinema will be celebrated on the Croisette.”

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  • Marilyn Monroe chosen as Face of 2012 Cannes Film Festival

    Fifty years after her death, and on its 65th anniversary, the Festival de Cannes has selected Marilyn Monroe as the icon of the 2012 Festival.

    The Festival poster captures Marilyn by surprise in an intimate moment where myth meets reality – a moving tribute to the anniversary of her passing, which coincides with the Festival anniversary.

    She enchants us with this promising gesture: a seductively blown kiss.

    The Festival is a temple of glamour and Marilyn is its perfect incarnation. Their coming together symbolises the ideal of simplicity and elegance.

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  • Swiss Film Special Flight Takes the Top Prize at One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Prague

    [caption id="attachment_2165" align="alignnone"]Special Flight[/caption]

    The winning films of this year’s One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Prague, Czech Republic were announced at the closing ceremony and the Best Film Award was given to Special Flight by Swiss director Fernand Melgar.

    This year the festival screened over 60 films including I am a Woman Now, Girl Model, The Price of Sex, Carte Blanche, Mama Illegal, Big Boys Gone Bananas!*, The Substance, and Taste the Waste.

    One World 2012 Winning Films

    Grand Jury

    Choosing from documentaries shortlisted for the Main Competition (15 films this year), the Grand Jury presents the Best Film Award and Best Director Award.

    The Best Film Award goes to Special Flight (Special Flight / Switzerland/ 2011 / 103 min) by Swiss director Fernand Melgar.

    ”The Swiss film Special Flight looks at refugees at an internment facility in Switzerland who are waiting to learn whether they will be sent back to their home countries or whether they will be granted asylum. In addition to the extraordinary and unprecedented access gained by the filmmaker, the jury was impressed by this film’s exceptional storytelling and dramaturgy, its flawless controlled camera work, its intelligent and precise editing, and perhaps above all, by the filmmaker’s compassion and respect for his characters. This film succeeds in transforming reality into a work of art,” said Grand Jury member Peter Lom.


    [caption id="attachment_2331" align="alignnone"]5 Broken Cameras[/caption]
    The Best Director Award goes to 5 Broken Cameras (5 Broken Cameras/ Israel, Palestine, Netherlands, France / 2011 / 90 min) by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi. The award will be presented at the closing ceremony to Emad Burnat whose shots of the Palestine village of Bil’in were used to make the film.

    “We have decided to present the Best Director Award to 5 Broken Cameras – a film that shows the conflict between Palestinian villagers and Jewish settlers.  Rubber projectiles are shot mechanically at unarmed individuals; we see the gradual trampling of any decency or rule of law and the steady increase in aggression on both sides – perhaps no other film has so perfectly captured these scenes as does this unique long-term documentary. Moreover, the directors show how one can still act with non-violence, and endless courage and uncompromising dignity. His actions are awe-inspiring, and the result is an extraordinary film,” said Grand Jury member Robert Sedláček.

    This year’s Grand Jury included director Ali Samadi Ahadi whose documentary Green Wave received two awards at the last year’s One World Film Festival; artistic director of the Golden Apricot International Film Festival Susanna Harutyunyan; Czech-Canadian director Petr Lom whose latest film Back to the Square opened this year’s One World Film Festival; Sara Rüster from the Swedish Film Institute; and award-winning Czech director Robert Sedláček.


    Rudolf Vrba Jury

    The Rudolf Vrba Jury awards the best film in the Right to Know category; the jury members are human rights advocates, international representatives of the non-profit sector, and donors.

    [caption id="attachment_1891" align="alignnone"]Big Boys Gone Bananas![/caption]

    The Rudolf Vrba Award goes to Big Boys Gone Bananas!* (Big Boys Gone Bananas!* / Sweden / 2011 / 87 min) by Swedish director Fredrik Gertten. In Prague, the film was represented by its producer Margaret Jangord who will also receive the award at the ceremony.

    “The film highlights the perseverance of human rights defenders and their fight against the dominating powers of international corporations that threaten freedom of speech. The film empowers citizen reporters, investigative journalists and the society to investigate wrongdoings and get involved in cross border issues. This film should be for sure screened in journalism schools,” said jury member Elena Milashina.

    [caption id="attachment_2580" align="alignnone" width="550"]Who Killed Natasha?[/caption]

    The Special Mention of Rudolf Vrba Jury goes to Who Killed Natasha? (Who Killed Natasha? / France, Serbia, Croatia, UK / 2011 / 64 min) by Mylène Sauloy.

    “Natasha Estemirova was the last person from a generation of human rights defenders and journalists who documented abuses and crimes in Chechnya. A special tribute should be paid to the investigative journalists and human rights defenders who risk their lives to bring information to the public,” said jury member Paul Radu.

    This year’s Rudolf Vrba Jury included Egyptian journalist and founder of TortureInEgypt.net Noha Atef; director of the organisation Human Rights Without Frontiers International Willy Fautré; human rights activist and member of the Kachin people of northern Burma Naung Latt; investigative journalist Elena Milashina of the Russian independent daily Novaya Gazeta; and journalist and executive director of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Paul Radu.


    Václav Havel Jury

    The Václav Havel Jury awards a film that makes an exceptional contribution to the defence of human rights.

    The special mention to a film that makes an exceptional contribution to the defence of human rights goes to Who Killed Natasha? (Who Killed Natasha? / France, Serbia, Croatia, UK / 2011 / 64 min) by Mylène Sauloy; this is the second award the film receives at this year’s One World Film Festival.

    “The film looks at the immense courage of human rights advocates as well as at the cynicism of the state-supported terror against citizens along with the brutality the violent regime can unleash against defenceless population. Above all, the film’s thorough investigative form basically unravels the connections between the murders of human rights advocates and the government,” said jury member Šimon Pánek.

    This year’s Václav Havel Jury included long-term colleagues of the Czech ex-president Helena Dluhošová and Martin Vidlák: and director of People in Need Šimon Pánek.


    Czech Radio Jury

    The Czech Radio Jury presents the Czech Radio Award for creative use of music and sound in a documentary film.

    The Czech Radio Jury Award goes to Into Oblivion (Into Oblivion / Czech Republic / 2011 / 52 min) by Czech director Šimon Špidla who has introduced the film himself at the festival and who will also attend the closing ceremony.

    “The jury acknowledges the close synergy between the visual and sound elements of the film blurring the differences between the traditional categories of sound and music composition. Complementing the film’s topic with a parallel narrative structure, the full sound contributes significantly towards the emotional impression of the film,” the jury said.

    This year’s Czech Radio Jury included Czech Radio sound engineers Michal Rataj, Ladislav Železný, and Tomáš Zikmund.


    Student Jury

    The Student Jury awards the best film in the festival’s selection of films for students One World in Schools; the jury members are secondary school students.

    The Student Jury Award goes to Life in Stills (Life in Stills / Israel / 2011 / 58 min) by Israeli director Tamar Tal who has introduced the film herself at the festival and who plans to prolong her stay in Prague to receive the award in person.

    “The film presents several important subjects, including a look at everyday life in Israel, which we had previously known only in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the same time, it reveals the life of senior citizens and awakens our interest in the older people around us,” the jury said.

    This year’s Student Jury included four secondary school students, organisers of One World in Schools student film clubs – Michaela Rudolfová, Tereza Vágnerová, Anežka Nováková, and Pavlína Juračková.


    Bageterie Boulevard Audience Award

    The voting for the Audience Award closes on Wednesday; the winning film will be announced at the closing ceremony in Lucerna on Thursday, 15 March 2012.


    One World Social Innovation Award

    The seventh One World festival jury awards the best and the most effective social campaign that makes the best use of new media to make a real positive impact; the jury members are communication experts.

    The One World Social Innovation Award for 2011 goes to the Russian online project Liza Alert – a network of volunteers activated by means of new media during searches for missing children in Russia, effectively standing in for the incompetent police charged with doing so. The award was presented to project coordinators Irina Vorobieva and Marina Kaceanov at the gala ceremony at the French Institute on Monday, 12 March 2012.

    “Liza Alert is a project that fulfilled, with excellence, the main competition criteria. First, it is the only case among all the nominees when we know that the project saved lives. Secondly, it is able to mobilise people in real time through a range of tools including web and SMS. And most importantly, it pushes the responsible bodies to take action,” said jury member Camilla Hawthorne.

    This year’s One World Social Innovation Jury included Gregory Asmolov whose project Help Map won the One World Social Competition Award last year; Manager of Digital Media Initiatives at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Camilla Hawthorne; and director of Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation Ondřej Zapletal.

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  • Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Announces 16 Film in 2012 Invited Program

    [caption id="attachment_1891" align="alignnone"]Big Boys Gone Bananas![/caption]

    Full Frame announced the 16 titles that will screen as part of its 2012 Invited Program. This section features films screening out of competition. The Invited Program also includes the festival’s Center Frame screenings, which are premium events that feature moderated panel discussions following the films and take place in Fletcher Hall of the Carolina Theatre.

    The US Premiere of Ross McElwee’s “Photographic Memory” will screen as a Center Frame on Friday, April 13. Fredrik Gertten’s “Big Boys Gone Bananas!*” and Macky Alston’s “Love Free or Die” will also screen as Center Frame programs on Saturday, April 14.  Filmmakers for all Center Frame programs will be in attendance. Additional special guests will be announced in the coming weeks.

    As previously announced, the World Premiere of Laurens Grant’s “Jesse Owens” will screen on Opening Night.

    The 2012 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will be held April 12-15, in Durham, N.C.

    2012 Invited Program

    OPENING NIGHT FILM Jesse Owens     (Director: Laurens Grant)
    The African American track and field star triumphed at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin but returned home to find that his brilliant start was not followed by easy opportunity. World Premiere

    CENTER FRAME Big Boys Gone Bananas!*     (Director: Fredrik Gertten)
    A David and Goliath story unfolds as Fredrik Gertten learns the premiere of his film has been hijacked by Dole’s lawsuit against him.

    CENTER FRAME Love Free or Die     (Director: Macky Alston)
    As the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church of America, Gene Robinson faces death threats and the possibility of schism.

    CENTER FRAME Photographic Memory     (Director: Ross McElwee)
    McElwee’s strained relationship with his young adult son leads him to France, where he seeks out the people he was once close to and reflects on his own life as a young man. US Premiere

    Bones Brigade: An Autobiography     (Director: Stacy Peralta)
    Members of the renowned skateboarding team share their stories of triumph and struggle in this touching return to form for director Stacy Peralta.

    The Bus     (Director: Damon Ristau)
    Hit the open road with VW bus devotees who rhapsodize about the siren call of freedom embodied by this distinctive counter culture icon. World Premiere

    Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel     (Director: Lisa Immordino Vreeland)
    A richly layered and spirited tribute to the outspoken icon, whose vision steered both Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue through revolutionary periods in fashion history.

    First Position     (Director: Bess Kargman)
    Talented young dancers strive for scholarships and career-making acclaim as they perform in the world’s fiercest ballet competition.

    [caption id="attachment_2195" align="alignnone"]Marina Abramovic The Artist is Present[/caption]

    Marina Abramovic The Artist is Present     (Director: Matthew Akers)
    A three-month-long performance exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art tests the limits of the fearless artist and the audience alike.

    Marley     (Director: Kevin Macdonald)
    A comprehensive look at the music, and the life, loves and death, of reggae legend Bob Marley.

    Putin’s Kiss     (Director: Lise Birk Pedersen)
    A Russian woman’s extreme dedication to Nashi, a nationalistic youth movement, is threatened by her association with liberal journalists.

    [caption id="attachment_2290" align="alignnone"]The Queen of Versailles[/caption]

    The Queen of Versailles     (Director: Lauren Greenfield)
    A character-driven documentary about a billionaire family and their financial challenges in the wake of the economic crisis.

    Samsara     (Director: Ron Fricke)
    This intoxicating cross-continental journey, captured on 70mm film, reveals a startling visualization of our world, from monasteries to meat-processing.

    St-Henri, the 26th of August (À St-Henri le 26 août)     (Director: Shannon Walsh)
    This kaleidoscopic romp through a Montreal neighborhood captures everyday life in the lively working-class community.

    Under African Skies     (Director: Joe Berlinger)
    Paul Simon returns to South Africa twenty-five years after the release of the historic Graceland album, to reunite with musicians and reconcile political debates.

    Under Control (Unter Kontrolle)     (Director:  Volker Sattel)
    A visually arresting, exquisitely articulated Cinemascope essay on the design, operation, and decommissioning of German nuclear plants.

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  • RiverRun International Film Festival Reveals 2012 Full Lineup of Films

    [caption id="attachment_2290" align="alignnone"]THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES[/caption]

    The RiverRun International Film Festival announced the full lineup of films for the 14th annual Festival, running April 13-22, 2012. This year RiverRun will screen 140 films, which includes 59 features and 81 shorts.

    “We’ve put together a fantastic lineup of films for this year’s Festival, ranging from hysterically funny comedies and powerful issue documentaries to groundbreaking independent works and critically-acclaimed international movies,” said RiverRun Executive Director Andrew Rodgers. “Once again, we’ve selected some of the best cinema from around the world to share with our audiences – and I believe we’ve put together our best program yet!”

    The Festival will open on April 13 with a screening of ONE NIGHT STAND, a brilliant documentary that peeks behind the curtain to show the amazing creative process of some of Broadway’s best, and will close on April 22 with Fred Schepisi’s THE EYE OF THE STORM, about an upper-crust matron (Charlotte Rampling) and her adult children (Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis). In between, the Festival will feature a wide variety of features, documentaries, shorts and animation in competition sections, as well as many films in non-competition sidebars. Additionally, UNCSA alum Paul Schneider (Lars and the Real Girl, All the Real Girls) will receive RiverRun’s 2012 Emerging Master Award, following a screening of BRIGHT STAR on April 20. Also, for this year’s Centerpiece Premiere on April 18 at the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro, RiverRun will show THE HUNTER, about a man (Willem Dafoe) sent to the Tasmanian wilderness to hunt an endangered animal.

    Included in the non-competition lineup this year is a Spotlight on Science Fiction Favorites from the 60’s and 70’s, featuring classics from Stanley Kubrick, Andrei Tarkovsky,Woody Allen and others. Additional sidebars include a new Focus section and the second year of Altered States: New Directions in American Cinema, which features new works by young American filmmakers.

    2012 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

    NARRATIVE COMPETITION: The 2012 Narrative Competition is incredibly diverse including films from around the world that range from fast paced thrillers to dream-like dramas. The films in the Narrative Competition are eligible for jury prizes and the Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature.

    ELENA  – Russia / Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev
    The ages-old adage that a mother will do anything to protect her children finds new meaning in the domestic stunner Elena. When her well-to-do husband takes ill and threatens to excise her parasitic son from the will, Elena must take desperate measures to ensure the security of her progeny.

    THE FAIRY- France / Belgium / Directors: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon and Bruno Romy
    From the filmmaking team that delighted RiverRun audiences in 2009 with Rumba comes this new lighter-than-air comedic fable, filled with inspired gags and choreographed wonders, about a woman who thinks she’s a fairy and the man who believes in her.

    FOUND MEMORIES – Argentina / Brazil / France / Director: Júlia Murat
    Life is simple and habits beat a warm, familiar cadence in an aging, off-the-map Brazilian village. The sudden appearance of Rita, a dynamic young photographer, disrupts the monotony however, and sets a series of changes in motion that transform daily life in unexpected ways.

    KEEP THE LIGHTS ON – USA / Director: Ira Sachs
    This intense film follows the relationship between a man and his closeted lover. What begins as a highly charged first sexual encounter soon becomes something much more. As the two start building a home and life together, each continues to privately battle their own compulsions and addictions.

    LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE – Hong Kong / Director: Johnnie To
    A low-level gangster, a bank officer and a cop find their fates entwined at the onset of the global economic crisis, when fear and panic seem to take hold. As a result of actions that each takes, their moral compass is tested on a day when clear thinking is already in short supply.

    MONSIEUR LAZHAR – Canada / Director: Philippe Falardeau

    [caption id="attachment_1958" align="alignnone"]MONSIEUR LAZHAR[/caption]

    An endearing and eager Algerian immigrant is hired to replace a teacher who died under mysterious circumstances at a French Canadian elementary school. His presence quickly becomes essential to the grieving and shell-shocked students in this affirming masterpiece, a 2012 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.

    OSLO, AUGUST 31st – Norway / Director: Joachim Trier
    Anders is a fortunate but deeply troubled man battling addiction. As part of his rehab he is sent for a job interview in the city, but instead uses the opportunity to wander and visit old friends, reawakening personal demons in his search for love and a new life.

    THE STUDENT – Argentina / Director: Santiago Mitre
    A gritty, energetic university initiates a young man into the fast-paced, cutthroat system of student politics in Buenos Aires, where the students are refreshingly activated in constructing their campus experience. But the line between sexual and political power becomes far more blurred than their textbooks would confess.

    WUTHERING HEIGHTS – UK / Director: Andrea Arnold
    The fearless Andrea Arnold, director of 2009’s critically-acclaimed Fish Tank, reinvents Emily Bronte’s epic love story in a fresh, visually arresting way. A poor boy of unknown origins is taken in by the Earnshaw family, where he develops an intense relationship with his foster sister.

    DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION: The 2012 Documentary Competition includes plenty of commentary on the issues that have so far defined the 21st century. From global warming to American greed to the issue of gay rights to the collapse of US manufacturing, the topics of these works are sure to spark discussions. The films in the Documentary Competition are eligible for jury prizes and the Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature.


    THE BOY WHO WAS A KING – Bulgaria / Germany / Director: Andrey Paounov
    Paounov’s film tells the fascinating story of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who at the age of six became the Tsar of Bulgaria, only to then be overthrown by communist dissenters three years later. The film presents Gotha’s harrowing and complicated return to national politics after 50 years in exile.

    CHASING ICE – USA / Director: Jeff Orlowski

    [caption id="attachment_2337" align="alignnone" width="549"]CHASING ICE[/caption]

    One of the most visually stunning films made about global climate change, Orlowski’s work demonstrates how renowned photographer James Balog has captured incontrovertible proof of vanishing glaciers across the Arctic. With astounding time-lapse photography, this film offers a visual face to this dire problem.

    DETROPIA – USA / Directors: Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
    The city of Detroit may have suffered from the collapse of US manufacturing more than any other American city, and its residents have borne more than their share of economic hardships. But as this arresting film shows, the city hasn’t given up and is desperately trying to reclaim its sense of home.

    ETHEL – USA / Director: Rory Kennedy
    Who better to tell the life story of Ethel Kennedy (widow of the late Bobby Kennedy) than her youngest daughter, Rory? Incorporating stories told by many of the Kennedys themselves, this film paints a truly intimate, personal and deeply moving portrait of one of the greatest American political families.

    INDIE GAME: THE MOVIE – Canada / Directors: Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky
    Video games are big business, raking in untold millions for corporations around the globe, who peddle in the latest new releases. Not unlike the music or film industries, however, there are many young video game developers trying to go it alone and make their fortunes by making independent games. This film tells their story.

    THE ISLAND PRESIDENT – USA / Director: Jon Shenk

    [caption id="attachment_1766" align="alignnone"]THE ISLAND PRESIDENT[/caption]

    President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives is credited with bringing democracy to his country. His next challenge is combating a threat that is much harder to control, the possibility of the entire country slowly disappearing under the sea.

    JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI – USA / Director: David Gelb
    One wouldn’t expect to find the finest sushi restaurant in the world in the basement of a nondescript Tokyo office building, but that’s where Sukiyabaski Jiro has worked for a majority of his 85 years. Now, facing retirement, his son Yoshikazu must take over from this sushi master.

    LOVE FREE OR DIE – USA / Director: Macky Alston
    Gene Robinson has become well-known since becoming the first openly gay person to become a bishop in a major Christian denomination. Through this personal story that details Robinson’s life and work, we are given a front-row seat to the Episcopal Church’s struggle to come to terms with homosexuality.

    THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES – USA / Netherlands / UK / Denmark / Director: Lauren Greenfield
    Greefield’s impressive character-driven documentary chronicles a billionaire family and their financial challenges in the wake of the economic crisis. With epic proportions of Shakespearean tragedy, the film follows two unique characters, whose rags-to-riches success stories reveal the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream.

     


    SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS: This year, RiverRun’s non-competition Special Presentation section features a collection of stunning new films spanning all genres, ranging from comedies about line dancing to documentaries about Broadway musicals.

    BRIGHT STAR – Australia / UK / Director: Jane Campion
    Based on the true story of 19th century poet John Keats and his three-year romance with Fanny Brawne, Jane Campion’s literary biopic also stars UNCSA alum Paul Schneider, who has amassed an impressive array of striking and distinctive film roles. Following the screening, Schneider will participate in a discussion about the film and his career, and will be presented with RiverRun’s 2012 Emerging Master Award.

    CHIMPANZEE – USA / Directors: Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield
    Celebrate Earth Day with a film from the Disneynature series that transports you to the tropical jungles of the Ivory Coast and Uganda to meet Oscar, an adorable baby chimp, whose playful curiosity and zest for discovery demonstrates the intelligence and ingenuity of one of the most extraordinary personalities in the animal kingdom.

    THE HUNTER – Australia / Director: Daniel Nettheim
    Willem Dafoe stars as a mercenary sent to the Tasmanian wilderness by a mysterious biotech company in search of the last remaining Tasmanian tiger. His job becomes complicated, however, by uncooperative and occasionally hostile locals, the unforgiving terrain and a young family who prompt him to question his assignment. CENTERPIECE PREMIERE

    THE EYE OF THE STORM – Australia / Director: Fred Schepisi
    Elizabeth Hunter (Charlotte Rampling) controls every aspect of her stiff upper-crust life: society, her staff, her children (played wonderfully by Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis); but the once great beauty will now carry out her most defiant act as she chooses her time to die. CLOSING NIGHT

    THE GOOD DOCTOR – USA / Director: Lance Daly
    Orlando Bloom stars as a socially aloof doctor who befriends a pretty young patient with a kidney infection. He likes having her around so much, in fact, that he starts tampering with her treatment in order to keep her sick and in the hospital near him.

    ONE NIGHT STAND – USA / Directors: Elisabeth Sperling and Trish Dalton
    Ever wonder how much work goes into making a musical? In this brilliant and charming documentary, audiences are given a back-stage pass to watch the creative process as a collection of Broadway’s best artists race to create, rehearse and perform a series of 20-minute musicals… all within 24 hours. OPENING NIGHT

    QUEENS OF COUNTRY – USA / Directors: Ryan Page & Christopher Pomerenke
    Jolene (Lizzy Caplan) lives in a fantasy world of bygone country songs. When she discovers a lost iPod with her boyfriend (Ron Livingston), she becomes convinced that the owner is her soul mate and is thrust into a sexy, heartwarming and hilarious adventure while searching for the iPod’s true owner.

    RETURN – USA / Director: Liza Johnson
    A soldier, dazzlingly played by Linda Cardellini, returns from a tour of duty in Afghanistan to her children, friends, job and loving husband, played by 2011 Emerging Master honoree Michael Shannon. But the PTSD she suffers from makes every day a struggle.

    SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT – USA / Director: Hal Needham
    A maverick racecar driver is hired to run a tractor-trailer full of beer over county lines with a pesky sheriff in hot pursuit. To coincide with the release of his memoir, Stuntman!, RiverRun has invited legendary Hollywood stuntman and director Hal Needham to reflect on this film (his directorial debut) and his illustrious career.

    Spotlight on Science Fiction Favorites: Rather than focusing on a specific country, the 2012 Spotlight will showcase a particular genre – Science Fiction – and will include landmark films of the genre, cult classics, campy B-movies and even a comedy. This Spotlight was designed to highlight seminal works of Science Fiction film from the 60s and 70s, specifically pre-Star Wars. The films selected include in this section include:

    2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY – USA / UK / Director:  Stanley Kubrick
    Based on Arthur C. Clarke’s story “The Sentinel,” this landmark 1968 epic is a mind-bending, sci-fi symphony. Director Stanley Kubrick spent more than two years meticulously creating the most “realistic” depictions of outer space ever seen, pushing the limits of narrative and special effects toward a meditation on technology and humanity.

    THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN – USA / Director: Robert Wise
    A deadly alien virus is brought to Earth when a research satellite crashes near a tiny Arizona town. A team of scientists is recruited from labs all over North America to don radiation suits and race against time to destroy the virus. This film returns director Wise to the genre he first explored with The Day the Earth Stood Still.

    LOGAN’S RUN – USA / Director:
    Set in a dystopian future where population and the consumption of resources are managed and maintained by killing everyone who reaches the age of thirty, this cult classic follows the title character as he attempts to escape from society’s lethal demand.

    THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH – UK / Director: by Nicolas Roeg
    In this deeply allegorical science-fiction drama, an alien lands on Earth seeking a way to ship water to his home planet, which is suffering from a severe drought. The film achieved cult status for David Bowie’s performance and the surreal imagery of director Nicolas Roeg.

    SLEEPER – USA / Director: Woody Allen
    In Allen’s futuristic comedy, a neurotic health food store owner is cryogenically frozen in 1973 and defrosted 200 years later in an inept totalitarian state. A mix of bizarre sight gags and clever one-liners, Allen’s film is filled with plot points that parody or spoof the works of H.G. Wells, George Orwell and other sci-fi greats.

    SOLARIS – SOVIET UNION / Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
    Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival, Tarkovsky’s masterpiece centers on a widowed psychologist who is sent to a space station to investigate the mysterious death of a doctor, as well as the mental problems plaguing the dwindling number of cosmonauts on the station.

    SOYLENT GREEN – USA / Director: Richard Fleischer
    Set in the future, as Earth suffers from pollution, overpopulation, depleted resources, poverty and global warming, a New York police detective finds himself marked for murder by government agents when he gets too close to a bizarre state secret involving the origins of a revolutionary and needed new foodstuff.

    ALTERED STATES: NEW DIRECTIONS IN AMERICAN CINEMA: With technological breakthroughs and new distribution models rapidly democratizing the landscape of the motion picture industry, this program features a new wave of exciting, independent American filmmakers who are exploring new territory within the medium.

    BAD FEVER – USA / Director: Dustin Guy Defa
    Fixated on securing a gig at a second-rate Salt Lake City comedy club to impress a street urchin girl he’s befriended, socially adrift naïf Eddie sets down a heartbreakingly hopeless path in seeking to forge the real human connection that’s always eluded him.

    GREEN – USA / Director: Sophia Takal
    Sensitive NYC dilettante Genevieve retreats to a rural Virginia cottage with her boyfriend Sebastian, a pedantic journalist working on a story about sustainable farming.  When Genevieve befriends saccharine local Robin, however, a tense triangle of brooding jealousy and attraction develops that tests the self-control of all.

    KEVIN – USA / Director: Jay Duplass
    Filmmaker Jay Duplass’ documentary investigates the story of Kevin Gant, an inspired and beloved Austin musician who disappeared from the scene in 1995. Who is Kevin? What happened to him and can he get back what he lost? Features a special live musical performance from Kevin Gant.

    A LITTLE CLOSER – USA / Director: Matthew Petock
    In a backwater Virginia town, a single mom struggles to raise two unruly boys growing increasingly independent and preoccupied with the opposite sex. Petock’s debut feature presents a moving and naturalistic sketch of a working-poor family trying desperately to keep their heads above water.          

    MAGIC VALLEY – USA / Director: Jaffe Zinn
    On the surface, the small town of Buhl, Idaho appears the picture postcard of a wholesome, close-knit Western community.  The daylong search for a fish farmer’s missing daughter unearths strata of civil dysfunction and unrest that belie its unassuming exterior, however, in this grippingly atmospheric piece.

    PILGRIM SONG – USA / Director: Martha Stephens
    A recently laid-off high-school music teacher embarks on a cathartic solo backpacking adventure along Kentucky’s Sheltowee Trace Trail, seeking to rediscover a lost sense of personal fulfillment. UNCSA alum Martha Stephens (Passenger Pigeons) returns to RiverRun with her quietly assured and gently arresting second feature.

    SAWDUST CITY – USA / Director: David Nordstrom
    An estranged pair of brothers reunite for a frostbitten Wisconsin Thanksgiving, and the family bonds are quickly re-formed as the daylong search for their alcoholic father leads to a whirlwind tour of the local dives full of bittersweet revelry and revelation.

    SMALL, BEAUTIFULLY MOVING PARTS – USA / Directors: Annie Howell and Lisa Robinson
    Technology-obsessed Sarah finds the chaos and unpredictability of her recent pregnancy daunting, sparking an impulsive road trip to reconnect with her absentee mother living in parts unknown out in the Western desert. Howell and Robinson’s film dazzles as a comic coming-of-parenthood tale for the internet age.

    FOCUS: This year RiverRun introduces a new non-competition sidebar, featuring films of all shapes and sizes. Including films from emerging talents, RiverRun alums, veteran filmmakers and living legends alike, this section highlights a variety of film styles and stories, presenting a collection of some of our favorites.

    ANDREW BIRD: FEVER YEAR – USA / Director: Xan Aranda
    An amazing amalgamation of concert footage, studio work and personal introspection, this documentary delves deep into the life of musician Andrew Bird and follows him along his year-long rigorous tour across the country ending with the concert in his hometown of Chicago.

    CRAZY HORSE – USA / France / Director: Frederick Wiseman
    Legendary documentarian Frederick Wiseman turns his lens on the world famous Le Crazy Horse de Paris, a landmark nude dance club in Paris.  Priding itself on world class choreography, this club sets itself apart by mixing burlesque with Broadway-like numbers as well as Cirque de Soleil style feats. 

    DARWIN – Switzerland / Director: Nick Brandestini
    An isolated community, Darwin, CA, population 35, prides itself as a city on the fringes of society, one who doesn’t need the government. Yet, the town is fragile and depends more on the outside world than it realizes. This documentary shows that Darwin is a true, unique American story.

    GIRL MODEL- USA / Russia / Japan / France / Directors: Ashley Sabin and David Redmon
    This documentary is a unique examination into the, not so glamorous, world of international modeling. Following a 13 year-old girl from Siberia who dreams of making it big, the scout that finds her and the people in the industry she encounters, this film reveals a world rarely seen by outsiders. 

    THE INVISIBLE WAR – USA / Director: Kirby Dick
    An intensely powerful and emotional documentary, this astonishing new film from Oscar-nominated documentarian Kirby Dick (Twist of Faith) details just how vast a problem sexual abuse and rape are within the United States military today and how poorly it is being handled.

    THE SALT OF LIFE – Italy / Director: Gianni Di Gregorio
    In this follow-up to the RiverRun 2010 hit, Mid-August Lunch, we catch back up with Gianni who is attempting to have a wild love affair, in an effort to spice up his life, but ends up hilariously and poignantly unsuccessful in his endeavors.

    SEE GIRL RUN – USA / Director: Nate Meyer
    Featuring Robin Tunney and Adam Scott, this film sheds both a comic and poignant light on the problems of letting the “what ifs” of past romantic involvements get in the way of the love that is right in front of your face.

    SEMPER FI: ALWAYS FAITHFUL – USA / Director: Tony Hardmon and Rachel Libert
    After the young daughter of a life-long Marine dies of a rare form of leukemia, his search for answers, portrayed in this stirring documentary, leads to the startling discovery that the Corps had been covering up the largest water contamination incident in American history… at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

    THE TENTS – USA / Director: James Belzer
    New York Fashion Week, one of the most photographed, reported and attended events in the fashion world, is put under the microscope in this film by James Belzer. Chock full of interviews with legendary fashion icons, Belzer’s documentary conveys the history and importance of those famous white tents.

    UNDER AFRICAN SKIES – USA / Director: Joe Berlinger
    Twenty-five years after his album “Graceland” became an international sensation, musician Paul Simon returns to South Africa to reconnect with his collaborators and perform again with them. He also sits down with his most vocal critics, who asserted in the 1980s that he hindered the fight against apartheid.

    LATE NIGHT:  Every year, RiverRun searches for films that shock, scare or otherwise tantalize late night thrill-seekers. The 2012 Late Night lineup is no exception to this standard.

    THE BROOKLYN BROTHERS BEAT THE BEST – USA / Director: Ryan O’Nan
    After being dumped by both his girlfriend and his band, Alex is in a depressing rut, toiling away at his comically pathetic dead-end job. When he gets the opportunity to leave his life behind and go on a bizarre cross-country music tour with a new, eccentric friend, Alex jumps at the chance.

    FRIDAY THE 13th – USA / Director: Sean S. Cunningham
    In honor of the fact that RiverRun opens on Friday the 13th this year – not something likely to reoccur often – we just couldn’t resist the obvious! And so, fans of campy horror, enjoy our bonus opening night presentation of this cult classic, in which a group of summer camp counselors are stalked and murdered by an unknown and mysterious killer.

    GOD BLESS AMERICA – USA / Director: Bobcat Goldthwait
    When a terminally ill man in his 40s meets a 16-year-old firebrand, the two launch into a Bonnie and Clyde-esque killing spree of reality TV stars, talk show hosts and anyone else corrupting American culture in this absurdly comic farce from director and RiverRun alum Bob Goldthwait (World’s Greatest Dad).

    LATE NIGHT SHORTS
    Once again, we’ve found a variety of ways to disturb and delight our late night audiences. Including the Oscar nominated animated short A MORNING STROLL, we think this year’s program will thrill those ready for some late night scandal.

    FILMS WITH CLASS: In addition to our regular programming, RiverRun presents free public screenings to students and participating schools throughout the year and during the run of the annual Festival. This education outreach initiative, “Films With Class” is one of the most active components of RiverRun’s year-round activities. For this year’s Festival, the education department selected three films that will be screened privately for Forsyth County students and publicly during the festival.

    HYMAN BLOOM: THE BEAUTY OF ALL THINGS – USA / Director: Angelica Brisk
    Following the career of renowned abstract expressionist Hyman Bloom, Brisk’s film explores Bloom’s life from his birth in Latvia to his youth in Boston and his adult life as a Harvard student and artist in New England.  Audiences will come away with a unique look into an extraordinary artist’s life.

    REMEMBERING FREDERIC – THE GENIUS OF CHOPIN – USA / Directors: Pam Howland and Daniel McKinny
    Take a film exploration into the world of one of the most famous pianists of all time, Frédéric Chopin.  Through personal reflection, interviews and beautiful journeys through Chopin’s homeland of Warsaw, Poland, this film will enlighten and enliven audiences’ knowledge of the great composer.

    WHY I WRITE: THE TWIN POETS – USA / Director: Sharon Baker
    Life in poor, violence-ridden areas can be arduous for young children exposed to these harsh realities, but artists and social workers Nnamdi Chukwuocha and Albert Mills have made it their mission to help the youths in their Delaware neighborhood through the art of spoken word poetry and outreach.

    COMMUNITY CINEMA INITIATIVE: For the second year, we will offer free community screenings to connect with audiences from throughout the community. This program also furthers our outreach efforts and ensures the Festival’s demographics match both the diversity of our local community and the diversity of the films we present.

    ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE – USA / Director: Tom Shadyac,
    This classic comedy about a goofy detective is RiverRun’s 2012 “Fido Frolic and Film” selection, where audiences are encouraged to bring their dogs to the film. Sponsored by PetSmart and The Winston-Salem Dash.

    E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL – USA / Director: Steven Spielberg,
    This Oscar-winning film about a boy and a stranded alien serves as a family-friendly introduction to RiverRun’s 2012 Spotlight theme on “Science Fiction Favorites.” Sponsored by Hanesbrands Inc.

    WHY I WRITE: THE TWIN POETS – USA / Director: Sharon Baker
    (See description above in “Films With Class” section.) Sponsored in part by the North Carolina Arts Council.

    SHORTS: This year the Festival will be continuing the competitive Narrative, Documentary and Animated Shorts sections while adding, for the second time, special selections of North Carolina Shorts. This program will screen some of the best short films received from N.C. filmmakers this year in two different programs, while giving attendees a chance to support local artists.

     

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  • Films from Denmark, Japan, Norway and UK at 2012 Florida Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2573" align="alignnone" width="550"]TURN ME ON, DAMMIT![/caption]

    The 2012 Florida Film Festival International Showcase lineup announced today includes an outrageous adventure, a moving tale of childhood wishes, a sexually-charged coming-of-age comedy, and a darkly witty take on the afterlife.
    2012 FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE

    CLOWN, Denmark (Director: Mikkel Nørgaard) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
    In Danish with English subtitles
    Frank and Casper planned an elaborate adventure to an exclusive brothel under the guise of a canoe trip. The problem is Frank just discovered his girlfriend is pregnant, and she’s none too certain he’s fatherhood material. But a fortuitous occurrence has left Frank in charge of his 12-year-old nephew. Eager to prove he doesn’t hate children while not disrupting Casper’s weekend escapades, Frank brings the kid along. Featuring a cast of Danish film luminaries, it’s a rare production that leaves you laughing till it hurts while at the same time shouting, “Oh no, they did not!”

    I WISH (KISEKI), Japan (Director: Hirokazu Kore-Eda) FLORIDA PREMIERE
    In Japanese with English subtitles
    Twelve-year-old Koichi regrets that his parents have split. He lives with his mother and maternal grandparents in small-town Kagoshima; his younger brother lives with their slacker rock-musician father in big city Hakata.  A new bullet train line will soon run between the two cities. Koichi comes to believe that where the two trains pass on their maiden voyage, wishes can come true. Enlisting friends and adults, all with their own wishes, he journeys to reunite his family.  Japanese master filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-Eda (Afterlife, FFF1999) shows the inventiveness and resilience of children and the power of the imagination.

    TURN ME ON, DAMMIT!, Norway (Director: Jannicke Systad Jacobsen) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
    In Norwegian with English Subtitles
    Alma is a teenage girl living in the confines of a small town, utilizing every inch of her imagination to escape the mundane lifestyle in which she is trapped. Fortunately (and unfortunately) for her, she is now at that age where her more-than-active libido is taking her places most wouldn’t have dared to travel before. TURN ME ON, DAMMIT! is an entertaining, sweet-natured, comedic look at that awkward stage of our adolescence most of us spent years trying to erase from our memories.

    UP THERE, United Kingdom (Director: Zam Salim) EAST COAST PREMIERE
    At many points of our lives, there are moments where we think it simply couldn’t get any worse.  Then comes death.  For Martin, coping with the afterlife is a challenge. 
    Writer/director Zam Salim constructs a beautiful, touching, and darkly witty comedy about the value of life and death. UP THERE is the type of film that reminds us how good we have it while we are here, and how the grass might not always be greener on the other side.    

    This year’s Festival features a record-breaking 167 films representing 31 countries and runs April 13-22, 2012.

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  • Tribeca Film Festival Reveals 2012 Short Film Selections

    [caption id="attachment_2571" align="alignnone" width="550"]Turning a Corner [/caption]

    The 2012 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) today revealed its lineup of 60 short films, 26 of which are world premieres.

    For the second year running, the winner of the Tribeca Film Festival’s Best Narrative Short award will qualify for consideration in the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run. The 2011 TFF Narrative Short Pentecost was nominated for Best Live Action Short at this year’s annual Academy Awards®, while last year’s award-winning TFF documentary short Incident in New Baghdad was nominated for Best Documentary Short.

    The year’s lineup includes “Triptych,” a documentary program focusing on art, music and physical beauty, to a decidedly testosterone-heavy edition of our ever-popular New York shorts program (titled “Men-Hattan” this year in honor of its unusually masculine bent), which will include the world premiere of writer-director (and TFF alum) Neil LaBute’s BFF.  Performers and interviewees include Jamie Lee Curtis, Rachel Dratch, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Fassbender, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Rachael Harris, Hugh Masekela, Sting, and Lily Tomlin.

    Returning TFF directors joining Neil LaBute include Julia Bacha, Matthew Bonifacio, Shawn Christensen, David Darg, Sasha-Waters Freyer, Martin Laporte, David B. Levy, Charles Lim, Bryn Mooser, Jay Rosenblatt, and Joel Schlemowitz.

    Following is a listing of the selected short films in the nine programs in which they will be presented:

    2012 Tribeca Film Festival Short Film Program

    Men-Hattan – Narrative

    Our New York shorts program takes a decidedly masculine turn in these testosterone-infused tales. In 1964 a young pediatrician begins his residency at Willowbrook, only to discover that the institution’s medical personnel are conducting U.S. Army-funded experiments on the children (based on true events). A poor kid from Brooklyn with college dreams fights the fates for a chance to change his life in Turning a Corner. Each morning Vincent, a down-on-his-luck New Yorker, waits at the B61 bus stop, but when mysterious Sal joins him, an unlikely friendship develops. A conservative Seattle shoe designer travels to New York City for the first time and experiences an unforgettable night in Migraine. Jack and Jill have been “best friends forever,” and when Jill suspects that her boyfriend is cheating on her, Jack offers to help her in BFF. At the lowest point of his life, Richie gets a call from his estranged sister, asking him to look after his nine-year-old niece Sophia for a few hours in Curfew. A young man suspects the girl he is dating to be hiding a secret after she routinely orders massive amounts of food to go in Doggy Bags.

    Willowbrook · Directed by Ross Cohen, written by Andrew Rothschild · USA · World Premiere

    Turning a Corner · Directed and written by David B. Levy · USA · New York Premiere

    B61 · Directed and written by Michael Buscemi · USA · World Premiere

    Migraine · Directed and written by Matthew Bonifacio · USA · World Premiere

    BFF · Directed and written by Neil LaBute · USA · World Premiere

    Curfew · Directed and written by Shawn Christensen · USA · New York Premiere

    Doggy Bags · Directed and written by Edward Burns · USA · World Premiere



    Character Flaws –Narrative

    These shorts provide a glimpse into self-identity and self-discovery. Yasemin lives in her own world of fantasy with the notes she feels and the sounds she sees, as she spends a day with her mother and grandfather in Time of the Plums. In Donkey, David, a London banker who was the most popular child in class, bumps into Stanley, whom he bullied in high school, resulting in a powerful encounter. The Fourth of July in Los Angeles is always about Fireworks, as two adolescent brothers set out on a quest to impress a group of girls. Once the show begins at this drive-in theater, the concession stand closes for the clerk’s private performance, but tonight his victims seek revenge during Intermission Time. After participating in an execution by lethal injection, a doctor is so overcome by Angst that he decides to find a way out. A 12-year-old boy in a war-torn fishing village in Somalia must decide between falling into the pirate life or rising above to choose the path of an honest fisherman in Asad. Overweight Maori woman Kiri awakens powerful memories when she takes a trip with family and friends to the Whakatiki River, where she spent many summers as a girl. Teacher of the Year is a day in the life of Ethan Collins, a severely depressed, foul-mouthed elementary school teacher whose wife’s recent infidelity and departure have left him questioning everything in his life.

    Time of the Plums (Erik Zamani) · Directed by Sezen Kayhan, written by Sezen Kayhan and Cemil Kavukçu · Turkey · New York Premiere

    Donkey · Directed and written by Keir Burrows · UK · New York Premiere

    Fireworks · Directed by Victor Hugo Duran, written by Kevin James McMullin · USA · World Premiere

    Intermission Time · Directed by Michael Degg · USA · New York Premiere

    Angst (Angustia) · Directed by León Rechy · Mexico · International Premiere

    Asad · Directed and written by Bryan Buckley · USA · World Premiere

    Whakatiki · Directed by Louise Leitch, written by Bernadette Murphy · New Zealand · World Premiere

    Teacher of the Year · Directed by Chris Modoono, written by Chris Modoono and Gil Zabarsky · USA · World Premiere



    Status Update – Narrative

    Life’s surprising twists and turns change the direction of these short films. In Rung, after a cathedral bell ringer passes away, his spot on the bell-ringing choir is up for grabs and two women find themselves in an unlikely competition for the coveted position. A couple’s relationship goes through its first big test in a crowded spot in Café Regular Cairo. GABI is a sassy, sexy, and strong Puerto Rican woman, but an unexpected family death forces her to return to her native homeland, confronting a place she thought she had left behind. When a man brings his eight-year-old son to a soccer game and the ticket price is higher than he expected, he is desperate not to disappoint the boy in Bad Gones. In Screenshot Kate meets an old friend through Facebook and discovers just how unfriendly a place the internet can be. On his way to a statistics conference, John Wilkins is the victim of a freak accident, sucked out of a plane when an emergency door fails mid-flight at 43,000 Feet. Clark and Becca leave a bar after a night out with friends, and when they pass a homeless man on the street Clark gets an idea in Double or Nothing. Liam and Michael are professional safecrackers who meet on a simple job to relieve an office safe of its contents, but there’s a catch—a light-activated alarm system impels the men to embark on a Pitch Black Heist.

    Rung · Directed by Chris Hanratty, written by Mike McPhaden · Canada · International Premiere

    Café Regular Cairo · Directed and written by Ritesh Batra · Egypt, India · North American Premiere

    GABI · Directed and written by Zoeì Salicrup Junco · Puerto Rico · U.S. Premiere

    Bad Gones · Directed and written by Steìphane Demoustier · France · International Premiere

    Screenshot · Directed and written by Cathal Burke · Ireland · New York Premiere

    43,000 Feet · Directed by Campbell Hooper, written by Matthew Harris · New Zealand · World Premiere

    Double or Nothing · Directed by Nathaniel Krause, written by Neil LaBute · USA · World Premiere

    Pitch Black Heist · Directed and written by John Maclean · UK · New York Premiere



    Escape Clause –Narrative

    These shorts ponder personal predicaments and the pursuit of happiness. An Air Force drone pilot operates air strikes in Afghanistan from a base in America, returning each day to his wife and son in suburbia, but when his team makes a lethal mistake, he is forced to face reality beyond the cubicle in Unmanned. Alone in a brightly lit studio, a ballerina recalls her old choreography, leaping and spinning in front of an invisible audience in Prima. Amit and her female life partner Noa have decided to take a crucial step and have a baby, but despite their strong self-confidence, after the baby’s birth neither one of them knows what to do next in Stitches. A French narrator jumps from one dramatic scene to another, confused about the story that he is trying to tell in Voice Over. When Jason and his mother attend a funeral service of someone they have never met, they accidentally wind up leading The Procession. An ordinary suburban mom carefully plans a life-changing trip to Paris, but when her plans go terribly awry, she finds herself alone on the banks of the Seine wondering why the city of dreams cannot magically fill her life with meaning in Picture Paris.

    Unmanned · Directed and written by Casey Cooper Johnson · USA · New York Premiere

    Prima · Directed and written by Miguel Calayan · Philippines · World Premiere

    Stitches (Tfarim) · Directed and written by Adiya Imri Orr · Israel · World Premiere

    Voice Over · Directed by Martin Rosete, written by Luiso Berdejo · Spain · North American Premiere

    The Procession · Directed and written by Robert Festinger · USA · World Premiere

    Picture Paris · Directed and written by Brad Hall · USA · New York Premiere



    Fallout – Narrative

    Decisions and repercussions confront the characters in these short films. Following the tsunami that claimed the lives of his parents, Adirake searches for the white elephant his mother spoke of in this coming-of-age story. After passing the civil service examination Sung-joo returns to her hometown to spend the day with her friend, Shin-hee, who stayed behind, in Chupachups. Taking place in the ex-Yugoslavia of the 1970s, a mother secretly celebrates Easter at home with her children when their father, an army officer and ingrained communist, discovers his family’s clandestine festivities in Easter Eggs. Trotteur is a tale of man versus machine in a duel between a young man and a locomotive. A young couple trapped in a remote estate of empty houses and shrieking Foxes is beckoned from their isolation into a twilight world. Following a deadly pandemic that has decimated the world’s population, a father drives his nine-year-old daughter from the west coast of Australia to the safe zone in Transmission. A young Irishman traveling All That Way For Love across the African continent to get to his doctor girlfriend hitches a ride with a nomadic older couple and becomes embroiled in their complicated history.

    Adirake · Directed and written by Tati Barrantes and Andinh Ha · Thailand · International Premiere

    Chupachups · Directed by Ji-suk Kyung · South Korea · North American Premiere

    Easter Eggs · Directed by Slobodan Karajlovic, written by Slobodan Karajlovic and Jelena Svilar · Croatia · New York Premiere

    Trotteur · Directed by Arnaud Brisebois and Francis Leclerc, written by Arnaud Brisebois · Canada · New York Premiere

    Foxes · Directed by Lorcan Finnegan, written by Garret Shanley · Ireland · New York Premiere

    Transmission · Directed and written by Zak Hilditch · Australia · International Premiere

    All That Way For Love · Directed by Henry Mason, written by Thomas Martin · UK · New York Premiere



    Long Story Short – Documentary

    Past, present and future coexist in this program of short docs from here and abroad. A Soviet family searching for a modest paradise is swept into the immense Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, recalled through small episodes as Leonid’s Story. Experience the Egyptian revolution through the eyes of a Bedouin falcon trainer who sees the regime fall from afar and speaks of how falconry and government are similar in A Falcon, A Revolution. Over the course of The New Yorker magazine cartoonists’ weekly lunch, four prominent artists share their styles, inspirations, and creative processes in Every Tuesday: A Portrait of the New Yorker Cartoonists. Ballet shoes are worn by delicate girls, but they’re crafted by burly men whose hands tell another story in The Perfect Fit. For the last 53 years, The Last Ice Merchant Baltazar Ushca has harvested glacial ice from the tallest mountain in Ecuador, prompting this tale of cultural change and indigenous people. A tour of the Oregon State Hospital conducted to uncover the deplorable conditions there uncovers thousands of corroded copper urns containing the cremated remains of unclaimed psychiatric patients in Library of Dust.

    Leonid’s Story (Istoriya Leonida) · Directed and written by Rainer Ludwigs · Germany, Ukraine · New York Premiere

    A Falcon, A Revolution · Directed and written by Md Rezwan Al Islam and Jassim Al Rumaihi · Qatar · North American Premiere

    Every Tuesday: A Portrait of the New Yorker Cartoonists · Directed by Rachel Gordon Loube · USA · World Premiere

    The Perfect Fit · Directed by Tali Yankelevich · Scotland · New York Premiere

    The Last Ice Merchant (El Uìltimo Hielero) · Directed by Sandy Patch · USA · World Premiere

    Library of Dust · Directed by Ondi Timoner and Robert James · USA · New York Premiere



    Help Wanted – Documentary

    Political or personal, these short documentaries address some life-challenging situations. German engineer Jürgen Perthold was intrigued about where his newly adopted stray, Mr. Lee, disappeared to for days on end, so he developed the CatCam to help solve the mystery. Three Mexican immigrants who risk their lives every day rappelling down some of the tallest skyscrapers in Chicago reveal their thoughts about work, mortality, and the people they observe inside the high-rises they clean in Paradise. As the cholera epidemic rages in Haiti and the UN denies responsibility for introducing the disease despite mounting evidence, witness the stories of a young baseball player named Joseph and a Haitian lawyer fighting for victim compensation in Baseball in the Time of Cholera. By vacating the apartment of an elderly building manager we discover the soul of Jean Lewis, a former female Hollywood reporter connected to some of the most renowned stars of her time. Benjaman Kyle was found unconscious outside a Burger King in 2004 without any clothes, identification, or memories, and seven years later no one knows who he is, even the FBI, in Finding Benjaman. Mohammed El Kurd is a Palestinian teenager growing up in the heart of East Jerusalem, but when his family is forced to give up a part of their home to Israeli settlers, local residents begin peaceful protests and in a surprising turn, are quickly joined by scores of Israeli supporters in My Neighbourhood.

    CatCam · Directed by Seth Keal · USA · New York Premiere

    Paradise (Paraíso) · Directed by Nadav Kurtz · USA · New York Premiere

    Baseball in the Time of Cholera · Directed by David Darg and Bryn Mooser · Haiti · World Premiere

    Jean Lewis · Directed by Pascui Rivas · USA · New York Premiere

    Finding Benjaman · Directed and written by John Wikstrom · USA · New York Premiere

    My Neighbourhood · Directed by Julia Bacha, Rebekah Wingert-Jabi, written by Rebekah Wingert-Jabi · USA, Israel, Palestine · World Premiere



    Triptych – Documentary

    This trio of short documentaries delves into art, music, and physical beauty. Dreamscapes looks behind and beyond the canvas of artist Stephen Hannock, following him from his Newcastle opening to the canals of Venice and the streets of New York. Alekesam is the story of Hugh Masekela, an international jazz icon and apartheid activist who was exiled from his homeland South Africa for 30 years, and his son Selema, who attempts to embrace the roots of his identity through music and reconnect with his father. Beauty Culture investigates our obsession with beauty and the influence of photographic representations on female body image and the persistent “beauty contest” of daily life.

    Dreamscapes · Directed by Wolfram Hissen · USA, France · World Premiere

    Alekesam · Directed by Jason Bergh, written by Jason Bergh and Kevin Barth · USA · World Premiere

    Beauty Culture · Directed by Lauren Greenfield · USA · World Premiere


    Journeys Across Cultural Landscapes – Experimental

    Spanning creative journeys across four continents. The assembled filmmakers invoke diverse cultural landscapes, suggesting a collective struggle of humanity between apocalyptic visions of the past, present, and future, and the redemptive power of the human spirit. Cinematic techniques comprising found footage imagery, historic audio recordings, still photography, animation, collage, Super 8mm (celluloid) filmmaking, and digital cinematography comprise the rich visual and audio landscapes of these films, all made by talented artists, ranging from emerging student voices to experienced filmmakers returning to TFF.

    An Incomplete History of the Travelogue, 1925 · Directed and written by Sasha Waters Freyer · USA · New York Premiere

    Scenes From a Visit to Japan · Directed by Joel Schlemowitz · USA, Japan · World Premiere

    The Valley · Directed and written by Leif Huron · USA · World Premiere

    Sinews of Peace · Directed and written by Timo Franc · UK · World Premiere

    Barcelona · Directed by Martin Laporte · Canada · World Premiere

    Democratic Locations · Directed and written by Thomas Kutschker · Germany · World Premiere

    Abyss of Man’s Conscience (ReconoceR) · Directed by Juan Camilo Gonzaìlez · Colombia, USA · New York Premiere

    Inquire Within · Directed by Jay Rosenblatt · USA · North American Premiere

    All the Lines Flow Out · Directed by Charles Lim · Singapore · North American Premiere

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  • Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Picks 57 films for 2012 NEW DOCS program

    [caption id="attachment_2480" align="alignnone" width="549"]Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry[/caption]

    57 films have been selected for the 2012 NEW DOCS program at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.

    The 2012 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will be held April 12-15, in Durham, N.C..


    2012 NEW DOCS                         * Indicates short film, 40 minutes or under in length
    Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry     (Director: Alison Klayman)
    This portrait of the intrepid artist and his work is also a reflection on modern-day China and the struggle for freedom of expression.   

    An Angel in Doel (De Engel van Doel)     (Director: Tom Fassaert)   
    In this mesmerizing black-and-white elegy to the Belgian village of Doel, Emilienne, an older resident, is caught between past and future. US Premiere

    Aranda     (Director: Anu Kuivalainen)
    Existential explorers aboard a marine research vessel contemplate iceburgs, ocean currents, and life itself. North American Premiere

    Beauty Is Embarrassing     (Director: Neil Berkeley)   
    Paul Reubens, Todd Oldham, Mark Mothersbaugh, Matt Groening, and Mimi Pond love this LBJ puppet suit–wearing, profanity-spewing, banjo-picking artist and iconoclast—you will too!

    CatCam *     (Director: Seth Keal)
    Ever wonder what your pet does all day? This romp with Mr. Lee satisfies an itch most animal owners never dreamed they’d get to scratch.

    Chasing Ice     (Director: Jeff Orlowski)   
    Scientific fact and aesthetic beauty merge in monumental and dramatic time-lapse photos illustrating global warming’s chilling ravages.

    Children of the Sea (Les enfants de la mer/mère) *     (Director: Annabel Verbeke)
    Students at Belgium’s Ibis school are urchins in uniform, reflecting the maritime tradition of this institution for troubled boys.

    Cutting Loose *     (Directors: Finlay Pretsell, Adrian McDowall)
    Francis Duffy, three-time champ of the Scottish Prison Service hairdressing competition, defends his title just days before his release.

    The D Train *     (Director: Jay Rosenblatt)    
    To the accompaniment of a jaunty Shostakovich waltz, black-and-white found footage tells a life story, at once singular and universal.

    DETROPIA     (Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady)
    An affecting and surprising portrait of Detroit, heart of the American Dream, and the unprecedented challenges facing its citizens.

    Eating Alabama     (Director: Andrew Beck Grace)   
    Attempts to eat locally in Alabama yield surprising, often funny results, for one couple on a quest for a simpler life.

    ESCAPE FIRE: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare      (Directors: Matthew Heineman, Susan Froemke)
    American healthcare has evolved into a profit-driven disease-care system—this film closely examines the medical industry and bold new measures that may help ease what ails us.

    Ethel      (Director: Rory Kennedy)
    Ethel Kennedy’s life, told in intimate interviews and never-before-seen archival footage, reveals her place, both public and private, in the Kennedy legacy.

    Fanuzzi’s Gold *     (Director: Georgia Gruzen)   
    Ed Fanuzzi is a Staten Island inventor, treasure hunter, and eternal optimist—he sees gold where others see trash.   World Premiere

    Five Star Existence     (Director: Sonja Lindén)   
    A stimulating and exquisitely filmed exploration of technology’s ever-increasing affect on our lives—its benefits, and its limitations. North American Premiere

    A Girl Like Her     (Director: Ann Fessler)   
    “Nice” girls didn’t get pregnant in the 50s and 60s. They had their babies far away from prying eyes and were then forced to give them up. World Premiere

    Girl Model     (Directors: David Redmon, A. Sabin)
    Hunting for beauty and the fulfillment of dreams, two women bookend this story of hope, ambition and exploitation.   

    Grandmothers (Abuelas) *     (Director: Afarin Eghbal)
    This animated documentary about Argentina’s Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo features stories of women who search for their missing grandchildren.

    Herman’s House     (Director: Angad Singh Bhalla)    
    An artist forms a relationship with a man who’s been in solitary confinement for over three decades, embarking on a project to design and construct his dream home. World Premiere

    The House I Live In     (Director: Eugene Jarecki)
    The impact of narcotics on one family’s lives gives way to this comprehensive, multilayered interpretation of America’s War on Drugs.

    How to Survive a Plague     (Director: David France)
    Astounding archival footage chronicles the courageous, and innovative, battle waged by early AIDS activists against drug companies and the government as they fight the epidemic.

    I Send You This Place     (Directors: Andrea Sisson, Peter Ohs)   
    A personal and experimental essay that transports the viewer to and from Iceland in search of clues to a family mystery. World Premiere

    The Imposter     (Director: Bart Layton)   
    A Texas boy who mysteriously disappeared resurfaces years later in Spain. There’s a remarkable reunion, but something’s not quite right.

    The Invisible War     (Director: Kirby Dick)   
    A shocking percentage of servicewomen and men are sexually assaulted by fellow soldiers. This film bears witness to their powerful and emotional stories.

    ITALY LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT     (Directors: Gustav Hofer, Luca Ragazzi)
    A couple sets out on a road trip through Italy, to decide whether or not they should stay in the country, or leave it, like so many of their other friends have done already.

    Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet     (Director: Jesse Vile)   
    Twenty years after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, the metal guitar god has not only survived, he continues to compose music.

    Justice for Sale     (Directors: Ilse van Velzen, Femke van Velzen)
    Attorney Claudine Tsongo winds her way through the Congo’s evolving justice system in search of truth in the case of a soldier who may have been unjustly convicted of rape. North American Premiere   

    The Kingdom of Mister Edhi     (Director: Amélie Saillez)
    Mr. Edhi’s kingdom is a sprawling network of support systems for Pakistan’s most vulnerable, especially at-risk women and children. North American Premiere  

    Kiss the Paper *     (Director: Fiona Otway)    
    No amount of technology has been able to curb one man’s passion for hand-set type and the poetry of letterpress printing.

    The Law in These Parts (Shilton Ha’Chok)     (Director: Ra’anan Alexandrowicz)   
    A meticulously constructed exploration of the complex military laws imposed by Israel on citizens in the occupied territories.

    A Letter to Dad (Pismo ocu)      (Director: Srdjan Keca)   
    When his father dies unexpectedly in a Serbian hospital, a son interviews close friends and family to piece together his own unfocused recollections. North American Premiere

    The Lifeguard (El Salvavidas) *     (Director: Maite Alberdo)   
    A Chilean beach is the setting for this vividly filmed collection of interactions with Mauricio, the complicated titular subject. North American Premiere

    Light Plate *     (Director: Josh Gibson)   
    Hand processed film presents an evocative, whimsical and contemplative document of an Italian interlude.

    Mr. Cao Goes to Washington     (Director: S. Leo Chiang)   
    Rookie congressman Joseph Cao of Louisiana angers fellow Republicans by befriending President Obama; will bipartisanship reward or ruin his chances for re-election?

    Nation (Nació)     (Director: Homer Etminani)   
    A young man in Catalonia tirelessly trains amidst a sprawling landscape in this meditation on extensive preparation toward a mysterious end. North American Premiere

    Needle Exchange *     (Director: Colm Quinn)    
    Spencer and Glenn are best mates and recovering addicts who have traded heroin for copious amounts of tattoo ink, and each other.

    Peak     (Director: Hannes Lang)   
    The Alps are the backdrop for this wry take on climate change and the idiosyncratic responses to its affects on natives and tourists alike. North American Premiere

    A People Uncounted     (Director: Aaron Yeger)   
    This film bears witness to the Porrajmos or “devouring” of the Roma by the Nazis during WWII and their ongoing struggles.

    The Photographer’s Wife (Die Frau des Fotografen) *     (Directors: Karsten Krause, Philip Widmann)
    A widow revisits four decades of photos her husband took of her—nude portraits taken at home, in cars, and in the great outdoors. North American Premiere

    Radio Unnameable     (Directors: Paul Lovelace, Jessica Wolfson)   
    Bob Fass has been broadcasting his midnight free-form show from New York City for nearly 50 years to reflect the decades’ alternative cultural scenes.  World Premiere

    Raising Resistance     (Directors: Bettina Borgfeld, David Bernet)   
    For some in Paraguay transgenic soy is “green gold,” but for others it is an unprecedented ecological and cultural disaster. North American Premiere

    Reportero     (Director: Bernardo Ruiz)   
    A veteran journalist and his fearless colleagues at the Mexican newspaper Zeta investigate corrupt officials and drug lords despite increasing violence and repeated death threats. US Premiere

    Santa Land *    (Director: Kim Nguyen)   
    Meet a husband and wife Mr. and Mrs. Claus team and the Real Bearded Santas—men so committed to portraying Santa they maintain their lustrous whiskers year-round. North American Premiere

    Silent Springs *     (Director: Erin Espelie)   
    Taking a cue from Rachel Carson, this experimental film attempts to make visible what’s hard to see, the disappearance of species and a natural world under mortal threat.

    Sivan *     (Director: Zohar Elefant)
    A minimalist portrait of an Israeli soccer fan in thrall to a team and an obsession.

    Special Flight (Vol Spécial)     (Director: Fernand Melgar)   
    Tensions build at a Swiss detention center as rejected asylum seekers await their forced removal from the country they now call home. US Premiere

    Tahrir: Liberation Square     (Director: Stefano Savona)
    An intense and deft account of the first weeks of protest in Cairo’s Tahrir Square at the beginning of the Egyptian Arab Spring.   

    The Time We Have (Den tid vi har) *     (Director: Mira Jargil)   
    A beautiful, intimate, and deeply tender look at saying goodbye to the love of your life after 67 years of marriage. US Premiere

    Trash Dance     (Director: Andrew Garrison)    
    An unusual partnership between a dancer and the Austin Solid Waste Services to stage a public performance starring man, music, and machine.

    The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom *    (Director: Lucy Walker)   
    Survivors of Japan’s recent tsunami find courage and solace in the cherry blossoms that emerge not long after the disaster.

    Unfinished Spaces     (Directors: Alysa Nahmias, Benjamin Murray)
    A thrilling and unknown story of the visionary architecture of the early Cuban revolution—its creation, decay, renewal, and rediscovery.

    Violated Letters (Cudze Listy)     (Director: Maciej Drygas)   
    The Polish Secret Service monitored private correspondence during the Cold War. Brilliantly edited footage sets the stage for this story of repression, censorship, letters never delivered.  North American Premiere

    The Waiting Room     (Director: Peter Nicks)   
    This gripping vérité film is a symphony of patients, caregivers, and loved ones, bureaucracy and hard choices, in an Oakland ER’s waiting room. World Premiere

    While You Were Gone (Medan du var borta) *     (Director: Frida Kempff)
    Absence doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder. It can sometimes make it cold, violent, or even forgiving.

    Winter Light (Vinterlys) *     (Director: Skule Eriksen)   
    In the Arctic archipelago of Lofoten in Norway, winter sun makes for a subtle yet spectacular landscape.

    Without A Fight     (Director: Jason Arthurs)    North American Premiere
    Far more than a mere sport, soccer equals survival and a sensible haven for the young men of Kibera, Kenya’s largest slum. North American Premiere

    Young Bird Season *     (Director: Nellie Kluz)   
    The flyers at the Braintree Pigeon Racing Club pass the time as their treasured birds race the hundreds of miles back home.

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  • Disney-Pixar animated film “Brave” to Close Edinburgh International Film Festival

    The Disney-Pixar animated film “Brave”, which is set in mythical Scotland will receive a glittering European premiere in Edinburgh, on the closing night of the 66th Edinburgh International Film Festival.

    Chris Fujiwara, Artistic Director, Edinburgh International Film Festival, said: “We’re delighted to host the premiere of Brave and continue the Festival’s long relationship with Disney. Though we are an international film festival, we’re mindful that we have a special responsibility to Scotland’s cinematic image. It makes perfect sense that this film, which is so strongly tied to the cultural mythology of Scotland and the beauty of the Scottish landscape, and in which Scottish talent has such a significant involvement, should be part of our festival.”

    The 66th Edinburgh International Film Festival takes place 20 June – 1 July 2012.

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