Film Festivals

First 10 Films Announced for 2012 Miami International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_1992" align="alignnone"]Blood of My Blood[/caption]

The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) announced the line-up of ten Ibero-American premieres that will compete for $45,000 in jury prizes at its 29th annual event, March 2 – 11, 2012.

The lineup includes four International/North American premieres and two U.S. premieres, including new films from acclaimed veteran directors Carlos Sorin, David Trueba and Andrés Wood.

“As of today, only one of the films in the competition has U.S. distribution secured – Strand Releasing will be releasing Bonsai later in 2012,” noted MIFF’s executive director Jaie Laplante. “It is our hope that U.S. buyers attending the Festival will discover many more riches– and see through our MIFF audiences how U.S. audiences respond to these amazing films.”

2012 MIFF Knight Ibero-American Competition films:

The Porcelain Horse (Mejor no hablar de ciertas cosas) (Ecuador, directed by Javier Andrade): In Javier Andrade’s startling debut, two brothers steal a porcelain horse from their parent’s home in order to buy drugs, leading to a fight that will haunt the family for the rest of their lives. North American Premiere

I’d Receive the Worst News From Your Beautiful Lips (Eu Receberia As Piores Notícias De Seus Lindos Lábios) (Brazil, directed by Beto Brant and Renato Ciasca): Set against a steamy Amazonian backdrop, a sensual melodrama of a beautiful woman caught in an unstable situation between two men. North American Premiere

Blood of My Blood (Sangue do Meu Sangue) (Portugal, directed by João Canijo): Two adult sisters struggle fiercely to hold their family together in the harsh world of a Lisbon slum, but the ticking time bomb of the situation is in grave danger of exploding. East Coast Premiere

Pescador (Ecuador/Colombia, directed by Sebastián Cordero): After a drug shipment miraculously washes up on a beach, Blanquito (Andrés Crespo) has the opportunity to finally leave his small fishing village and go to the big city, in this major tonal new direction for acclaimed director Cordero. North American Premiere

Bonsái (Chile/Argentina/Portugal/France, directed by Cristián Jiménez): Based on the seminal novel by Chilean author Alejandro Zambra. Julio, a struggling writer, pens a book about his first experience with love, in order to keep up a lie he’s told his lover. Bonsai marks director’s Cristián Jiménez second appearance in MIFF’s Iberoamerican competition. Florida Premiere

Zoo (Zoológico) (Chile, directed by Rodrigo Marín): Set in an affluent Santiago suburb, a social commentary on today’s youth follows three teens (Alicia Rodríguez, Luis Balmaceda and Santiago de Aguirre) consumed in Americanized customs: malls, the Internet, pornography, skateboarding and angst. North American Premiere

The Cat Vanishes (El gato desaparece) (Argentina, directed by Carlos Sorin): When Beatriz (Beatriz Spelzini) picks up her husband Luis (Luis Luque) from the sanatorium, she doesn’t quite believe the psychiatrist’s pronouncement that he is cured. But after the family cat vanishes, she questions her sanity as well as her husband’s in Sorin’s unsettling psychological mystery. U.S. Premiere

Madrid, 1987 (Spain, directed by David Trueba): The balance of power and desire shift during the meeting of an older journalist (José Sacristán) and a young student (María Valverde) in a beautifully-written, dusk-to-dawn meditation on youth, age and the music of the spheres. East Coast Premiere

Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se fue a los cielos) (Chile, directed by Andrés Wood): portrait of famed Chilean singer, folklorist and multifaceted artist Violeta Parra (Francisca Gavilán) filled with her musical work, her memories, her loves and her hopes. East Coast Premiere

The Sleeping Voice (La voz dormida) (Spain, directed by Benito Zambrano): In Benito Zambrano’s portrayal of the dark days following the Spanish Civil War, two sisters (Maria Leon and Inma Cuesta) find themselves caught up in the frightening politics of the divided country. U.S. Premiere

All 10 directors in MIFF’s Knight Ibero-American Competition are expected to attend the Festival and present their works to Miami audiences in person.

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IFFR unearths São Paulo’s ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s low-budget film culture

[caption id="attachment_2399" align="alignnone"]OH! REBUCETEIO (Claudio Cunha, 1984)[/caption]

In the Signals section’s theme programme ‘The Mouth of Garbage: Sub Culture and Sex in São Paulo’, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) will present a vast panorama of features and shorts from São Paulo’s so-called ‘Boca do Lixo’ (Mouth of Garbage), the nickname for the working class neighborhood in the center of the Brazilian metropolis. These quick and dirty productions frequently highlighted the sleazy underbelly of Brazilian society using established genres such as noir, horror, the western, and pornography.

In the Boca do Lixo district a constellation of entrepreneurial producers and up-and-coming filmmakers came together to create low-budget films in the mid 1960s, remaining active for nearly thirty years. An accessible option to burgeoning directors who felt excluded from high-end studio filmmaking and elite artistic movements such as Cinema Novo, the Boca do Lixo yielded some of Brazilian filmmaking’s chief talents, among them: Rogério Sganzerla, Carlos Reichenbach, José Mojica Marins (Coffin Joe), Ozualdo Candeias, and others.

Despite the fact that several of the Boca films were hugely successful with national audiences, producers at the time found themselves fighting constantly against government censors and the constraints of a distribution landscape saturated with Hollywood product. Some films managed to cleverly elude government control and market limitations even as they presented a fiercely critical outlook; others were banned or phased-out of the commercial distribution circuit outright. As a result, large portions of the films associated with the Boca have remained elusive.

The International Film Festival Rotterdam presents about eighteen films in tribute to the Boca do Lixo, including rare works by João S. Trevisan, Claudio Cunha, Ody Fraga, and Jean Garret, many of them presented in new transfers made from the films’ original 35mm negatives.

‘The Mouth of Garbage: Sub Culture and Sex in São Paulo’, curated by film scholar Gabe Klinger and IFFR programmer Gerwin Tamsma, is supported by The Netherlands Film Fund as part of the Central de Cultura program. The Central de Cultura program aims to intensify and extend cultural exchange and cultural cooperation between Brazil and The Netherlands. The IFFR also thanks the Cinemateca Brasileira in São Paulo for its generous collaboration.

The lineup of ‘The Mouth of Garbage: Sub Culture and Sex in São Paulo’, to be announced shortly, includes:

THE MARGIN (Ozualdo Candeias, 1967) – Truck driver-turned-director Candeias fled the commercial filmmaking scene to be able to tell this neo-realistic story of São Paulo’s underprivileged citizens living near the Tietê river.

THE PORNOGRAPHER (João Callegaro, 1970) – A pop art portrait of the trials and tribulations of a young man hired to edit a porno rag run by a shady madame.

ORGY OR: THE MAN WHO GAVE BIRTH (João S. Trevisan, 1970) – Celebrated novelist Trevisan’s sole feature is a radical, plotless re-envisioning/critique of Cinema Novo, loosely recounting the journey of a deranged youth who has killed his father. Summarily banned by the military, IFFR will present the world premiere of the director’s cut of the film made from a new 35mm transfer especially for the occasion of the retrospective.

THE VAMPIRE OF THE CINEMATHEQUE and THE INSIGNI FICANT (Jairo Ferreira, 1976 and 1980) – Free-flowing essay/diary works in Super 8 featuring many of the Boca’s luminaries in candid moments compiled by the critic and scholar Ferreira.

SNUFF – THE VICTIMS OF PLEASURE (Claudio Cunha, 1977) – One of the biggest box-office successes of its era, Cunha’s William Castle-like production deals with two American filmmakers who come to Brazil and attempt to make a snuff film in a remote barn.

THE EMPIRE OF DESIRE/SENSUAL ANARCHY (Carlos Reichenbach, 1981) – Though unfairly maligned by critics of its day, this wild road trip sex romp has recently been hailed as one of the great Brazilian films by a few noted scholars. Long unavailable, IFFR presents Reichenbach’s masterpiece in a new 35mm transfer.

OH! REBUCETEIO (Claudio Cunha, 1984) – A hard-core porn Chorus Line parody featuring an egomaniacal theater director who inspires his actors to perform lurid, freeform sexual acts on stage.

SIT ON MINE AND I’LL ENTER YOURS (Ody Fraga, 1985) – A witty diptych about a talking vagina and a man with a strange penile outgrowth on his head, Fraga’s surreal farce is full of zingers and has a lighthearted sensibility reminiscent of Russ Meyer and Radley Metzger’s classics.

FUK FUK BRAZILIAN STYLE (Jean Garret, 1986) – A class conflict satire featuring little person actor Chumbinho as a domestic-cum-slave who escapes the home of his wealthy employers to go on dream-like journey through a subterranean universe of repressed sexual yearning.

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Octavia Spencer to be honored at Palm Springs International Film Festival

The 23rd annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Octavia Spencer with the Breakthrough Performance Award. Presented by Cartier, the Awards Gala will be held Saturday, January 7, at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Hosted by Mary Hart, the Awards Gala will also present awards to previously announced honorees George Clooney, Glenn Close, Michel Hazanavicius and Michelle Williams. The Festival runs January 5-16.

“Octavia Spencer is a consummate actress who seamlessly blends her dramatic and comedic talents, creating performances of uncommon depth,” said Film Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “As the irascible Minny in The Help, she captures the essence of awoman who deals with life head on, relishing confrontation and serving as a source of courage and humor for those whom she loves. To Octavia Spencer, it is therefore a great honor for the Palm Springs International Film Festival to present the 2011 Breakthrough Performance Award.”

Spencer has most recently been seen starring in Tate Taylor’s The Help. Set in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s, The Help chronicles the relationship between three different and extraordinary women who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. Screenplay by Tate Taylor and Kathryn Stockett, based on the critically acclaimed No. 1 New York Times best-selling debut novel by Kathryn Stockett. The DreamWorks Pictures and Participant Media film is directed by Tate Taylor and also stars Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Spencer’s acting career began with her big screen debut in 1995 in Joel Schumacher’s A Time to Kill, opposite Sandra Bullock. Spencer’s extensive feature film credits include Peep World, Dinner for Schmucks, Small Town Saturday Night, Herpes Boy, Halloween II, The Soloist, Drag Me to Hell, Seven Pounds, Pretty Ugly People, Coach Carter, Charm School, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton, Bad Santa, Spiderman, Big Momma’s House, Being John Malkovich and Never Been Kissed. She was recently lauded by Entertainment Weekly online for her comedic timing when she was named to their esteemed list of the “25 Funniest Actresses in Hollywood.” Spencer also won Best Supporting Actress from the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association.

Past recipients of the Breakthrough Performance Award include Carey Mulligan, Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey, Felicity Huffman and Freida Pinto.

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Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo to be honored at Santa Barbara International Film Festival for their performance in The Artist

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival, will honor Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo with the Cinema Vanguard Award for their performances in the silent film The Artist at the 27th edition of the Festival which runs January 26 – February 5, 2012.

The Cinema Vanguard Award was created in recognition of an actor who has forged his/her own path – taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film. The award has previously been presented to Nicole Kidman, Christoph Waltz, Vera Farmiga, Stanley Tucci, Peter Sarsgaard, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ryan Gosling.

Dujardin and Bejo are currently receiving wide praise for their lead performances in The Artist, directed by Michel Hazanavicius. In late 1920’s Hollywood, many actors witnessed the decline of their careers with the rise of the talking picture. This is just the case for silent film superstar George Valentin (Dujardin), who crosses paths with rising starlet Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo). Resistant to the conversion, Valentin is faced with the demise of his career while Miller embraces it and emerges a star. Through his performance, Dujardin offers a striking portrayal of the silent era male superstar, packed with the conviction and suave on par with the likes of Rudolph Valentino. No sooner does Peppy Miller enchant fictional audiences, than does Bejo with the real, through her pure charm and genuine charisma. Together Dujardin and Bejo’s masterful talent, make for one of the most compelling stories in film.

Born in Rueil-Malmaison, France, Jean Dujardin got his break on the talent show Graines de Star in 1996 as part of the comedy group Nous C Nous. Following he went on to star as Jean ‘Loulou’ in the comedy television series Un Gars, Une Fille from 1999 to 2003. Continuing in the realm of comedy, Dujardin broke onto the big screen as aspiring surfer Brice Agostini in The Brice Man (2005). 2006 marked Dujardin’s first collaboration with Bejo through his role as Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath in the espionage film OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies. Dujardin reprised the role in 2009 for OSS 117: Lost in Rio.

Bérénice Bejo was born in Buenos Aires and moved to France at the age of 3. Bejo got her start working in an assortment of French television shows. She landed her first recurring role as Sophie on the comedy series Un Et Un Font Six (1997-1999). American audiences were introduced to her when she appeared in 2001’s A Knight Tale as Christina. Bejo returned to French films acting in a number of films including her role as Larmina in OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006) alongside Jean Dujardin.

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No Staten Island Film Festival in 2012, Future Uncertain

Blaming the economy – dwindling contributions and attendance, SI Live is reporting that unless someone steps and takes the rein from the current organizer, Staten Island Economic Development Corporation, the Staten Island Film Festival will not return next year.

“The board made a decision…based on the shrinking funding for film festival, and the fact that we weren’t seeing the economic impact that other film festivals have on their areas, we thought it might be best not to host the festival,” said Cesar Claro, president of the SIEDC. “I think, what you’re going to see, if there is a need for it, and if people really want it, you will see smaller film festival type things popping up and it’s our hope that a group of committed young artists maybe can get something going. My advice out of the gate, knowing what I know about the lack of money that’s out there, would be start slow, start small.”

In 2006, the festival raised $400,000 in corporate and private sponsorships, however, last year, in large part due to the economy, sponsorships were down to about $170,000. Organizers also mentioned that even though the films were free at last year’s festival, only about 5,000 people attended, down from more than 7,000 in previous years. Additionally, local businesses near the festival venues showing the films never got the economic boost that organizers expected.

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The Last Rites of Joe May Takes Top Awards at 2011 Best of the Midwest Awards

[caption id="attachment_1975" align="alignnone"]The Last Rites of Joe May[/caption]

The 2011 Best of the Midwest Awards, an annual ceremony that celebrates Chicago’s Midwest Independent Film Festival, were presented on Tuesday, December 6th in downtown Chicago. Hometown film, “The Last Rites of Joe May,” directed by Joe Maggio was the big winner, taking home the prizes for Best Feature, Best Actor for Dennis Farina and Best Actress for Meredith Droeger.

“The Last Rites of Joe May, chronicles the last days in the life of Joe May, an aging, short money hustler who, despite a life of loss and failure, has always believed that a glorious destiny awaited him. Now in his sixties, his health failing and resources dwindling, Joe is presented with one last shot at greatness.

The 2011 Best of the Midwest Award Winners are as followed….

Best Feature
“The Last Rites of Joe May,” directed by Joe Maggio

Best Director
Mike Diedrich, “Ballhawks”

Best Actor
Winner: Dennis Farina, “The Last Rites of Joe May”

Best Actress
Winner: Meredith Droeger, “The Last Rites of Joe May”

Best Music Video
Winner: “Call the Press and Send Their Best,” directed by Michael Starcevich and Mattew Achterberg.

Best Short Film
Winner: “A Certain Breed,” directed by Scott Smith

Best Editing
Winner: Randy Palmer, Jr. and Brooks Ruyle, “Ballhawks”

Best Cinematography
Winner: Joel Edwards, “Mumbai Golf”

Best Screenplay
Winner: Dean Peterson, “Incredibly Small”

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RESTLESS CITY and the Winners of 8th Bahamas International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_1970" align="alignnone"]RESTLESS CITY[/caption]

The 8th Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) awarded the film RESTLESS CITY with the New Visions prize, but the audience voted the Jamaican film BETTER MUS’ COME the Best Film at the now wrapped festival. Restless City, an official selection of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of an Africa immigrant surviving on the fringes of New York City where music is his passion, life is a hustle, and falling in love is his greatest risk.

[caption id="attachment_1971" align="alignnone" width="550"]Better Mus Come[/caption]

Better Mus’ Come set in 1970’s Jamaica, is a violent film that captures the deep rooted conflict at the heart of Jamaican politics.

[caption id="attachment_920" align="alignnone"]MARATHON BOY[/caption]

MARATHON BOY about the four-year-old boy in India famous for running long distance races and his relationship with his mentor-trainer was awarded the Spirit of Freedom: Documentary award.

BIFF 2011 winners are:

New Visions
RESTLESS CITY (USA) / Director: Andrew Dosunmu

First Look
Best Feature: AMOS (The Bahamas) / Director: Karen Arthur, Thomas Neuwirth

Best Short: FIVE BONES (The Bahamas) / Director: Tyler Johnston

*Honorable mention to TALL TALE OF AN ACCIDENTAL TOURIST (The Bahamas) / Director: Jason Evans

Spirit of Freedom: Narrative
VIPS (Brazil) / Director: Toniko Melo

*Honorable mention to BETTER MUS’ COME (Jamaica) / Director: Storm Saulter

Spirit of Freedom: Documentary
MARATHON BOY (USA/UK/India) / Director: Gemma Atwal

*Honorable mention to ZERO PERCENT (USA) / Director: Tim Skousen

Short Film
HOMECOMING (USA) / Director: Gursimran Sandhu

2011 BIFF Audience Awards
Best Narrative Feature: BETTER MUS’ COME (Jamaica) / Director: Storm Saulter

Best Documentary: ON THE WINGS OF MEN (USA/The Bahamas) / Director: Calvin Dwight Harris

Winning screenplay in BIFF’s Filmmakers’ Residency Program is Danea Cash’s screenplay MARCH ON.

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2012 San Joaquin International Film Festival unveils Official Selections

The 5th San Joaquin International Film Festival (SJIFF) annouced its official selections. The Festival will run in Stockton, California from January 12th-14th at the Stockton Empire Theatre (1825 Pacific Avenue), and January 15th at the Janet Leigh Theatre (3601 Pacific Avenue) on the campus of University of the Pacific. The Festival will launch on Thursday, January 12th, 2012 with the original Swiss comedy “The Sandman” with Director Peter Luisi in person, and will wrap on Sunday, January 15th with the American biographical documentary “Carol Channing: Larger than Life.”

– From Founder-Director Sophoan Sorn: “Selections for 2012 come from master directors, auteurs and new talents of 16 countries, including winners from the European Film Awards, Festival de Cannes, the Goyas (Spain), the Ophirs (Israel) and the Student Academy Awards; while several films are running for the 2012 Oscars. We feel so proud to be a gateway and a unique opportunity for the people of San Joaquin to experience some of the best of recent World Cinema. Now in its fifth year, the San Joaquin International Film Festival has become an annual tradition for the community.”

– From SJ Film Society Chairman Shane Williamson: “This year’s festival is filled with impressive films from across the globe which were carefully hand picked. The line-up showcases not only diverse subjects for broad audiences but impeccable award winning quality and films with relevant topics of our world today.”

FEATURES

“Amigo” – A village mayor caught in the murderous crossfire of the Philippine-American War, in a powerful drama of friendship, betrayal, romance and heartbreaking violence. Director John Sayles, The Philippines/USA, 124min.

“Chico & Rita” – Havana, 1948. A passionate love story between a young jazz pianist called Chico and Rita, a singer with a bewitching voice. Directors Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, Tono Errando, Spain/UK, 94min. Valley Premiere.

“Le Havre” – When an African boy arrives by cargo ship in the French port city of Le Havre, an aging shoe shiner takes pity on the child and welcomes him into his home. Director Aki Kaurismäki, Finland/France, 93min. Centerpiece Film.

[caption id="attachment_2238" align="alignnone"]My Wedding and Other Secrets[/caption]

“My Wedding and Other Secrets” – A romantic comedy based on a true story of a New Zealand-born Chinese woman convincing her traditional Hong Kong parents to let her marry her Caucasian boyfriend. Director Roseanne Liang, New Zealand, 88min.

“Remembrance” (“Die verlorene Zeit”) – A remarkable love story that blossomed amidst the terror of a German concentration camp in 1944 Poland. Director Anna Justice, Germany/Poland, 108min. Valley Premiere.

“Restoration” (“Boker tov adon Fidelman”) – A triangle of fatherhood ties, a triangle of love. A drama about a family’s effort to save their antique restoration business. Director Yossi Madmony, Israel, 105min. Valley Premiere.

“The Sandman” (“Der Sandmann”) – One fine morning, Benno finds sand in his bed. While he tries to ignore this at first, he soon must realize that he himself is loosing the sand… Director Peter Luisi (In Person), Switzerland, 88min. Opening Night Film. Valley Premiere.

“Winter’s Daughter” (“Wintertochter”) A heartwarming film for the family about a young Polish girl who searches for her Russian sailor father. Director Johannes Schmid, Germany/Poland, 93min. Valley Premiere.

DOCUMENTARIES

“Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey” – The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet – the heart and soul of Elmo – Kevin Clash. Director Constance Marks, USA, 80min. Centerpiece film.

“Carol Channing: Larger than Life” – The story of legendary performer Carol Channing’s life is as colorful as the lipstick on her big, bright smile. Feel the magic and vivacity of the 90-year-old icon – both onstage and off…past and present. Director Dori Berinstein, USA, 84min. Closing Night film.

[caption id="attachment_2239" align="alignnone"]Rice Field of Dreams[/caption]

“Rice Field of Dreams” – The journey of Cambodia’s first national baseball team. Director Daron Ker, Cambodia/USA, 75min.

SHORTS

“Between Heaven and Earth” – Brothers Koroballa and Tiemogo try to escape the brutality of African life by sneaking into the landing section of a plane. York-Fabian Raabe, Germany/South Africa, 15min. Fiction short. Valley Premiere.

“I Don’t Want to Go Back Alone” (“Eu Não Quero Voltar Sozinho”) – A 15 year-old blind teenager deals with the jealousy of his friend Giovana while figuring out the new feelings he’s having towards his new friend, Gabriel. Director Daniel Ribeiro, Brazil, 17min. Fiction short. Valley Premiere.

“The First Anders” (“Den Første Anders”) – A father tries to teach his artistic and troubled young son a valuable lesson, with a story spanning over one thousand years of Danish history and countless generations of the family Andersen. Director Kristian Ussing Andersen, Denmark, 9min. Fiction short. Northern California Premiere.

“Kahanikar – The Storyteller” – Seven-year-old Nirmala attempts to grapple with the demons of her granddad’s dementia when he starts to forget the details of her favourite story. Director Nandita Jain, UK, 10min. Animated short. Northern California Premiere.

“A Salton Soul” – June Eilers came to the Salton Sea when her father opened the Date Palm Beach resort in the Roaring Twenties. As the sea slowly begins to dry up, she reflects on a lifetime of priceless memories. Director Mike Agnew, Greg Balkin, Tim Kressin, USA, 13min. Documentary short. Northern California Premiere.

“Tuba Atlantic” – Oskar is dying, and is ready to forgive his brother for a disagreement years ago. Will he reach his brother, who he believes live on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, before it is too late? Director Hallvar Witzø, Norway, 25min. Fiction short. Northern California Premiere.

“The Vermeers” – Experience Jan Vermeer’s paintings (1632-1675) through the contemporary digital palette. Director Tal S. Shamir, USA, 5min. Experimental short. Northern California Premiere.

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Toronto International Film Festival unveils its 2011 top 10 Films

[caption id="attachment_1963" align="alignnone" width="550"]Hobo With a Shotgun[/caption]

Toronto International Film Festival unveiled the top 10 best features and top 10 best short films of 2011. Canada’s Top Ten films are chosen from features, shorts, documentaries, animation and experimental films. Each film must have premiered at a major film festival or obtained a commercial theatrical release in Canada in 2011. The filmmaker must be a Canadian citizen or resident, and have a history of working in Canada or on Canadian-financed films.

Monsieur Lazhar, Canada’s Canada’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award and audience favorite film at the just wrapped Whistler Film Festival made the list, along with Edwin Boyd, about the mid-century Canadian bank robber, and Starbuck, about a sperm donor who learns he’s fathered more than 500 children.

Canada’s Top Ten feature film selections for 2011 (in alphabetical order):

Café de flore — Jean-Marc Vallée (Alliance Films)
A Dangerous Method — David Cronenberg (Entertainment One)
Edwin Boyd — Nathan Morlando (Entertainment One)
Hobo With a Shotgun — Jason Eisener (Alliance Films)
Keyhole — Guy Maddin (Entertainment One)
Marécages — Guy Édoin (Mongrel Media)
Monsieur Lazhar — Philippe Falardeau (Entertainment One)
Starbuck — Ken Scott (Entertainment One)
Take This Waltz — Sarah Polley (Mongrel Media)
Le Vendeur — Sébastien Pilote (Entertainment One)

Canada’s Top Ten short film selections for 2011 (in alphabetical order):

Choke — Michelle Latimer
Doubles With Slight Pepper — Ian Harnarine
The Fuse: Or How I Burned Simon Bolivar — Igor Drljaca
Hope — Pedro Pires (Phi Group)
No Words Came Down — Ryan Flowers and Lisa Pham
Ora — Philippe Baylaucq (National Film Board of Canada)
Rhonda’s Party — Ashley McKenzie
La Ronde — Sophie Goyette (Locomotion Films)
Trotteur — Arnaud Brisebois and Francis Leclerc (Phi Group and Cirrus Communications)
We Ate the Children Last — Andrew Cividino

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Monsieur Lazhar Wins Audience Award at 11th Whistler Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_1958" align="alignnone"]Monsieur Lazhar[/caption]
Quebec director Philippe Falardeau’s Monsieur Lazhar, starring Fellag, Marie-Ève Beauregard, Marie Charlebois and Evelyne de la Chenelière, took home the Audience Award at the eleventh annual Whistler Film Festival (WFF), which wrapped on Sunday night. Winner of Best Canadian Film At TIFF and Canada’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award, Monsieur Lazhar follows Bachir Lazhar, a 55-year-old Algerian immigrant, who goes to a Montreal elementary school to offer his services as a substitute teacher having learned of a teacher dying abruptly in the newspaper. Quickly hired to replace the deceased, he finds himself in an establishment in crisis, while going through his own personal tragedy. WFF Audience Award runner up was Rasta: A Soul’s Journey (dir: Stuart Samuels). Other audience favorites included three BC films: Foreverland (dir: Maxwell McGuire), and Marilyn (dir: Christopher Petry), which both had their world premieres at the Festival, and Doppleganger Paul (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself), directed by Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand.

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64 Short Films Selected for 2012 Sundance Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_1956" align="alignnone"]92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card[/caption]

64 short films have been selected to screen as part of the Short Film program at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The Festival will be January 19 through 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

The Short Film program at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival is presented by Yahoo!. As part of its sponsorship, a special selection of short films from the Festival will be featured on Yahoo! Screen, Yahoo’s premium video destination, where an audience of millions will be able to vote for their favorite. The winning filmmaker will be presented with the Yahoo! Audience Award at the end of the Festival.

U.S. SHORT FILMS
This year’s 32 U.S. short films were selected from 4,083 submissions.

U.S. NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS
’92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card (Director: Todd Sklar, Screenwriters: Todd Sklar, Alex Rennie) — Jim and Dave are brothers who haven’t spoken in years and don’t like each other very much, but are forced to come together for a week when their dad dies in Kansas City. A limited edition 1992 Skybox Series Alonzo Mourning rookie card is a point of contention.

The Arm (Directors and screenwriters: Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos, Jessie Ennis) — In an attempt to keep up with social pressure in a technologically advanced world, Chance starts a texting relationship with Genevieve, a girl he meets at a yogurt shop.

The Black Balloon (Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie) — The Black Balloon strays from the herd and experiences what life as an individual is like. He explores New York City in the deepest way, seeing all of its characters.

Dol (First Birthday) (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Ahn) — A gay Korean American man yearns for a family life just out of reach.

Famous Person Talent Agency: Pearls of Asia (Director: Ivan Hurzeler, Screenwriter: Cami Delavigne) — Jackie Diamond is a luckless talent agent who never stops dreaming. He believes in his clients and he believes in show business. Jackie reaches for the stars from a shabby office in Queens – the Famous Person Talent Agency.

FISHING WITHOUT NETS (Director: Cutter Hodierne, Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey) — A story of pirates in Somalia, told from the perspective of the pirates themselves.

The Fort (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Renzi) — On a rainy day, a young boy builds a fort in the woods when a man appears and offers to help.

FOURPLAY: TAMPA (Director: Kyle Henry, Screenwriter: Carlos Trevino) — Louis loops into a local mall to grab lunch in the food court and a quickie in the public restroom. Paranoid about his own small package and clearly nervous about the situation, he scouts for possible partners, letting his imagination take over when reality proves thoroughly unsatisfying.

Hellion (Director and screenwriter: Kat Candler) — Little seven-year-old Petey falls prey to his older brothers’ hellion ways.

Henley (Director: Craig Macneill, Screenwriters: Craig Macneill, Clay McLeod Chapman) — Meet nine-year-old Ted Henley, budding motel manager and roadkill entrepreneur.

L TRAIN (Director and screenwriter: Anna Musso) — Sunny is a self-regarding teenager fighting her way through an inner city blizzard, until she encounters someone who forces her to consider an altruistic, if not absurd, action.

Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke (Director: Jillian Mayer, Screenwriter: Lucas Leyva) — A modern Miami 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 and fights for first amendment rights- and later as he ushers Miami into a golden era of peace and prosperity as Mayor.

OK BREATHE AURALEE (Director and screenwriter: Brooke Swaney) — Auralee wants a baby and will go to great lengths to get what she wants.

Rolling on the Floor Laughing (Director and screenwriter: Russell Harbaugh) — Two grown brothers return home for their widowed mother’s birthday, only to find themselves competing with a strange man for her affection.

Song of the Spindle (Director and screenwriter: Drew Christie) — An animated, humorous and informative conversation between a sperm whale and a man. Each one tries to convince the other that his brain is bigger.

spoonful (Director and screenwriter: Jenée LaMarque) — Three sisters return to their childhood home after the death of their father in order to pack up the family house. To make matters worse, the oldest sister has been separated from her baby for the first time.

The Thing (Director: Rhys Ernst, Screenwriters: Rhys Ernst, Avery McTaggart) — Zooey has spent weeks planning a road trip to a mysterious roadside attraction known as ‘The Thing’ in the hopes that she and Tristan will reconnect. Both Tristan, an FTM transman, and his fluffy cat Steven struggle to find places to comfortably pee, while Zooey learns the open road isn’t everything she hoped it would be.

UNA HORA POR FAVORA (Director and screenwriter: Jill Soloway) — A woman hires a day laborer for an hour and gets more than she bargained for.

U.S. DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS
AQUADETTES (Directors: Drea Cooper, Zackary Canepari) — The Aquadettes are a group of elderly synchronized swimmers from Leisure World, a retirement community nestled in Orange County, California. One of them, Margo Bauer, is fighting multiple sclerosis and using medical marijuana to ease her pain and to keep on swimming.

The Debutante Hunters (Director: Maria White) — In the Lowcountry of South Carolina a group of true Southern belles reveal their more rugged side, providing a glimpse into what drives them to hunt in the wild.

Family Nightmare (Director: Dustin Guy Defa) — A dizzy trip through the mid-1990s with a dysfunctional American family. Reliving a distracted child’s birthday party, an emotionless wedding, a Halloween in a garage and a Christmas marked with alcohol, drugs and perversion, the film is a crumpled letter from a filmmaker to his family: a shattered kaleidoscope of the destructive patterns that have trapped and wounded its members.

The Meaning of Robots (Director: Matt Lenski) — The benevolent Mike Sullivan, age 65, has been shooting an epic stop-motion robot sex film in his apartment for the last 10 years. Obsessed with constructing the miniature robot porn stars, his apartment now overflows with thousands of them.

The Movement: One Man Joins an Uprising (Directors: Greg I. Hamilton, Kurt Miller) — In 2004 Rick Finkelstein was paralyzed in a ski accident on Aspen Mountain. With a severed spine and severe internal trauma, he wasn’t expected to live. Six years, nine surgeries, and a lifetime of rehab later, cameras captured his dramatic return to Aspen and skiing.

Odysseus’ Gambit (Director: Àlex Lora Cercós) — A gambit is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices a pawn with the hope of achieving a resulting advantageous position. The protagonist is a Cambodian American guy looking for his place in the game.

Pluto Declaration (Director: Travis Wilkerson) — Restore the classical definition of planet! Bring back planet Pluto! The solar system is 12!

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (Director: Lucy Walker) — Survivors in the areas hardest hit by Japan’s recent tsunami find the courage to revive and rebuild as cherry blossom season begins. A visual haiku about the ephemeral nature of life and the healing power of Japan’s most beloved flower.

U.S. ANIMATED SHORT FILMS
38-39° C (Director and screenwriter: Kangmin Kim) — A man with a big birthmark on his back enters an old public bathhouse. He falls into a dream where he confronts his father who has the same birthmark.

Avocados (Director and screenwriter: Kataneh Vahdani) — A journey with many characters in one day through a city.

Dr Breakfast (Director and screenwriter: Stephen Neary) — One day at breakfast, a man’s soul bursts out of his eyeball. A surreal meditation on the quirky but rejuvenating nature of friendship.

It’s Such a Beautiful Day (Director and screenwriter: Don Hertzfeldt) — Bill wakes to find himself in a hospital struggling with memory problems, in this third and final chapter to Don Hertzfeldt’s EVERYTHING WILL BE OK.

Night Hunter (Director and screenwriter: Stacey Steers) — In this handmade film, composed of more than 4,000 collages and shot in 35mm color, the actress Lillian Gish is seamlessly appropriated from silent-era cinema and plunged into a new and haunting role.

Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise (Director and screenwriter: Kelly Sears) — Terrifying and strange happenings descend on a 1970’s high school.
INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS
This year’s 27 international short films from 16 countries were selected from a record 3,592 submissions.

INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS
Barbie Blues / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Adi Kutner) — When Mika, a suburban teenager finds a disturbing creature in her swimming pool she asks her neighbor Gershon for help. What starts off as a friendly encounter between two neighbors turns into an unexpected lesson on the borders of control.

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

Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared / United Kingdom (Directors: Joseph Pelling, Rebecca Sloan) — A short film about teaching creativity by This Is It Collective.

Frozen Stories (Opowiesci z chlodni) / Poland (Director and screenwriter: Grzegorz Jaroszuk) — Two worst employees of a supermarket have been ordered to find a goal in their lives.

Fungus (Svamp) / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Charlotta Miller) — Katrin decides to face her old boyfriend, who is back to collect some of his stuff.

Girl / Sweden (Director: Fijona Jonuzi, Screenwriter: Gustaf Boman Bränngård) — Hanna, 32, randomly finds a party consisting of of five 20-year-old boys. At first she feels uncomfortable, but after a little adjusting, she soon feels like she’s one of them.

The Hidden Smile (El somriure amagat) / Spain (Director: Ventura Durall, Screenwriters: Ventura Durall, Miguel Llansó) — Following a 10-year-old kid who arrives at the Ethiopian capital after escaping from his home and his misfortunes to integrate into a street children group, The Hidden Smile constructs a realistic tale on the values that flourish in a society formed by children.

Juku / Bolivia (Director: Kiro Russo, Screenwriters: Gilmar Gonzales, Kiro Russo) — The dark mass between the screen and the room can beat again like once the first darkness did. Deep in it a man moves. He has a lamp, and the light it makes forms the rocks that will end up taking over the screen. About ten thousand people enter daily into Posokoni, the largest tin mine in Bolivia.

Killing the Chickens to Scare the Monkeys / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Jens Assu) — Nine scenes unfold in the grey area between black and white, where national politics and strategy have unforeseen consequences on a young teacher’s life.

Las Palmas / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Johannes Nyholm) — A middle-aged lady on a holiday in the sun tries to make new friends and have a good time.

LAZAROV / France (Director and screenwriter: Nieto) — Refusing to accept the decline of the USSR, a handful of Russian scientists work secretly to resurrect the Soviet power. Here are some new images of the mysterious program Lazarov.

Long Distance Information / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Douglas Hart) — Da always said not to talk to strangers…but you’ve got to phone home sometimes.

Moxie / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stephen Irwin) — A pyromaniac bear misses his mother.

Playtime (Spielzeit) / Germany (Director and screenwriter: Lucas Mireles) — A seamless journey of German youth and innocence on a Sunday afternoon.

Random Strangers / United Kingdom (Director: Alexis Dos Santos, Screenwriters: Laurence Coriat, Alexis Dos Santos) — Rocky and Lulu live in opposite sides of the planet: they bump into each other in ChatRoulette and decide to stay in touch. Using video diaries, secret confessions, fictional representations of facts of their lives made with toys, dance performances and songs, they create a place where they can truly be themselves. But how real is their world?

The Return (Kthimi) / Kosovo (Director: Blerta Zeqiri, Screenwriter: Shefqet Gjocaj) — A man comes back from a Serb prison to his wife and son. Much has changed since he was declared missing and continuing where they left off four years ago may not be as easy as it seems.

Surveillant / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Yan Giroux) — It’s another quiet summer day in Park Dufresne. The neighborhood youth loiter around the park until a new park monitor appears for his first day of work. Two universes clash and a territorial struggle begins.

Tooty’s Wedding / United Kingdom (Director: Frederic Casella, Screenwriters: Laura Solon, Ben Willbond) — A young couple’s marriage hilariously hits the rocks during a weekend wedding in the country.

Tumult / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Johnny Barrington) — A tribe of Norse warriors traipse across a barren land after battle. Bloodied and wounded, their chief is near death. He is about to hand over power to his son when an army of a completely different kind descends upon them.

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS
Into the Middle of Nowhere / United Kingdom (Director: Anna Frances Ewert) — The documentary is about the uniqueness of childhood and the exploration of the human mind. In an outdoor nursery based in the woods, children create their own individually constructed worlds and can test out the boundaries of reality.

Stick Climbing / Austria, Switzerland (Director: Daniel Zimmerman) — A contemplative walk leads to a bizarre climbing tour going from everyday village life to a seemingly impossible ascent.

INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED SHORT FILMS
663114 / Japan (Director: Isamu Hirabayashi) — I am a 66-year-old cicada. There was a big earthquake. There was a big tsunami. There also was a big accident.

Belly / United Kingdom (Director: Julia Pott) — Oscar is coming of age, against his better judgment. In doing so he must experience the necessary evil of leaving something behind, but he can still feel it in the pit of his stomach.

BOBBY YEAH / United Kingdom (Director: Robert Morgan) — Bobby Yeah is a petty thug who lightens his miserable existence by brawling and thieving stuff. One day, he steals the favorite pet of some very dangerous individuals, and finds himself in deep trouble. He really should learn, but he just can’t help it.

A Morning Stroll / United Kingdom (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.

Robots of Brixton / United Kingdom (Director: Kibwe Tavares) — The trials and tribulations of young robots surviving at the sharp end of inner city life, living the predictable existence of a populous hemmed in by poverty, disillusionment and mass unemployment.

Slow Derek / United Kingdom (Director: Dan Ojari) — The tale of Derek, an office worker, as he struggles with the true speed of planet earth.

NEW FRONTIER SHORT FILMS
An electrifying celebration of innovation in filmmaking, these New Frontier shorts, through bold color and thought-provoking messaging, electrify and energize the mind.

The Conquerors (Les Conquérants) / Canada, France (Directors and screenwriters: Sarolta Szabo, Tibor Banoczki) — What exactly we need to build new civilization? Bravery? Courage? Power? Or the only thing we need is to successfully destroy an already existing one.

The Diatom / U.S.A. (Director: Chris Peters) — The diatom is the most numerous species on the planet, the basis of the aquatic food chain, produces most of the oxygen on earth, and is a key scientific indicator of the health of a water system. In order to understand our place in the world this mixed-mode ‘science film’ observes renowned Utah-based scientist Sam Rushforth and his team in the wide isolated landscape then in the lab and finally goes through the microscope to the diatom itself.

Fragments of Dissolution / U.S.A. (Director: Travis Wilkerson) — A poetic, anguished cry from the heart of a rotting empire. Four women describe their own unique hells. Children, brothers, and friends burned alive while simply trying not to freeze. Husbands and sons deployed over and over, who kill themselves rather than fighting again. From Ft. Lewis to Detroit, the empire is devouring its own intestines.

Moving Stories / Belgium (Director and screenwriter: Nicolas Provost) — Two young passengers adventure towards a mysterious future.

SEEKING THE MONKEY KING (Director: Ken Jacobs) — The film could have well been called KICKING AND SCREAMING but that only describes me in the process of making it, questioning its taste. Cut through the flashy swastikas and one sees the German Nazis were Christians fulfilling historic obligation (The Final Solution) with relatively few so well-read as to imagine themselves Nietzscheans. SEEKING THE MONKEY KING is a reversion to my mid-20s and that sense of horror that drove the making of STAR
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2012 Sundance Film Festival Announces Films in Star Studded Premieres and Documentary Premieres Sections

[caption id="attachment_1940" align="alignnone"]2 Days in New York starring Chris Rock[/caption]

The Sundance Film Festival revealed the films selected to screen in the out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections of the 2012 festival. The Festival will be held January 19 through 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

The star studded lineup includes films directed by rapper/actor Ice-T, James Marsh, Rory Kennedy and Spike Lee.

PREMIERES
A showcase of some of the most highly anticipated dramatic films of the coming year from new and established directors. Presented by Entertainment Weekly. Each is a world premiere.

2 Days in New York / France (Director: Julie Delpy, Screenwriters: Julie Delpy, Alexia Landeau) — Marion has broken up with Jack and now lives in New York with their child. A visit from her family, the different cultural background of her new boyfriend, her sister’s ex-boyfriend, and her upcoming photo exhibition make for an explosive mix. Cast: Julie Delpy, Chris Rock, Albert Delpy, Alexia Landeau, Alex Nahon.

[caption id="attachment_1941" align="alignnone"]Arbitrage [/caption]
Arbitrage / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nicholas Jarecki) — A hedge-fund magnate is in over his head, desperately trying to complete the sale of his trading empire before the depths of his fraud are revealed. An unexpected, bloody error forces him to turn to the most unlikely corner for help. Cast: Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Brit Marling, Nate Parker.
[caption id="attachment_1942" align="alignnone"]Bachelorette [/caption]

Bachelorette / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Leslye Headland) — Unresolved issues between four high school friends come roaring back to life when the least popular of them gets engaged to one of the most eligible bachelors in New York City and asks the others to be bridesmaids in her wedding. Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, James Marsden, Adam Scott, Kyle Bornheimer.
[caption id="attachment_1943" align="alignnone"]California Solo[/caption]

California Solo / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marshall Lewy) — A former Britpop rocker has long settled for an unfettered life working on a farm outside of L.A. When he’s caught driving drunk and faces deportation, he must confront past and current demons in his life to stay in the country. Cast: Robert Carlyle, Alexia Rasmussen, Kathleen Wilhoite, A Martinez, Danny Masterson.

[caption id="attachment_1944" align="alignnone"]Celeste and Jesse Forever[/caption]

Celeste and Jesse Forever / U.S.A. (Director: Lee Toland Krieger, Screenwriters: Rashida Jones, Will McCormack) — Celeste and Jesse met in high school, married young, and at 30, decide to get divorced but remain best friends while pursuing other relationships. Cast: Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Ari Graynor, Chris Messina, Elijah Wood, Emma Roberts.
[caption id="attachment_1945" align="alignnone"]For A Good Time, Call[/caption]

For A Good Time, Call… / U.S.A. (Director: Jamie Travis, Screenwriters: Katie Anne Naylon & Lauren Anne Miller) — Lauren and Katie move in together after a loss of a relationship and a loss of a rent controlled home, respectively. When Lauren learns what Katie does for a living the two enter into a wildly unconventional business venture. Cast: Ari Graynor, Lauren Anne Miller, Justin Long, Mark Webber, James Wolk.
[caption id="attachment_1946" align="alignnone"]GOATS [/caption]

GOATS / U.S.A. (Director: Christopher Neil, Screenwriter: Mark Jude Poirier) — Ellis leaves his unconventional desert home to attend the disciplined and structured Gates Academy. There, he re-connects with his estranged father and for the first time questions the family dynamics. Cast: David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Graham Phillips, Justin Kirk, Ty Burrell.
[caption id="attachment_1947" align="alignnone"]LAY THE FAVORITE [/caption]

LAY THE FAVORITE / U.S.A. (Director: Stephen Frears, Screenwriter: D.V. DeVincentis) — An adventurous young woman gets involved with a group of geeky older men who have found a way to work the sportsbook system in Las Vegas to their advantage. Cast: Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rebecca Hall.
[caption id="attachment_1948" align="alignnone"]Liberal Arts[/caption]

Liberal Arts / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Josh Radnor) — When 30-something Jesse is invited back to his alma mater, he falls for a 19-year-old college student and is faced with the powerful attraction that springs up between them. Cast: Josh Radnor, Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins, Allison Janney, John Magaro, Elizabeth Reaser.
[caption id="attachment_1949" align="alignnone"]Price Check[/caption]

Price Check / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Walker) — Pete is having trouble resolving a happy marriage and family life with rising debt and a job he hates. When his new boss pulls him into the maelstrom that is her life, money and opportunities come his way, but at what price? Cast: Parker Posey, Eric Mabius, Annie Parisse, Josh Pais, Cheyenne Jackson.
[caption id="attachment_1950" align="alignnone"]Red Hook Summer [/caption]

Red Hook Summer / U.S.A. (Director: Spike Lee, Screenwriters: James McBride, Spike Lee) — A young Atlanta boy spends his summer in Brooklyn with his grandfather, who he’s never seen before. Cast: Clarke Peters, Jules Brown, Toni Lysaith, James Ransone, Thomas Jefferson Byrd.
[caption id="attachment_1951" align="alignnone"]Red Lights[/caption]

Red Lights / U.S.A., Spain (Director and screenwriter: Rodrigo Cortés) — Psychologist Margaret Matheson and her assistant study paranormal activity, which leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic. Cast: Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Elizabeth Olsen, Toby Jones.
[caption id="attachment_1952" align="alignnone"]Robot and Frank[/caption]

Robot and Frank / U.S.A. (Director: Jake Schreier, Screenwriter: Christopher Ford) — A curmudgeonly older dad’s grown kids install a robot as his caretaker. Cast: Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, Liv Tyler. SALT LAKE CITY GALA FILM
[caption id="attachment_1953" align="alignnone"]Shadow Dancer[/caption]

Shadow Dancer / United Kingdom (Director: James Marsh, Screenwriter: Tom Bradby) — When a widowed mother is arrested in an aborted bomb plot she must make hard choices to protect her son in this heart-wrenching thriller. Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Aidan Gillen, Domhnall Gleeson, with Gillian Anderson and Clive Owen.

[caption id="attachment_1954" align="alignnone" width="553"]The Words[/caption]

The Words / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal) — Aspiring writer Rory Jansen finds another man’s haunting memories in a collection of lost stories and claims them as his own, propelling him to literary stardom. Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde with Zoe Saldana. CLOSING NIGHT FILM

Special event: Hit RECord at the Movies with Joseph Gordon-Levitt — Be a part of the process by joining Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the global hitRECord community for a special one-time-only interactive exploration of the power of making things together. Gordon-Levitt will showcase works that have been created from the collaborative hitRECord production company and invite the audience to engage, interact and contribute to the event using their digital devices. The event will be recorded, with footage posted on their website for all to enjoy and be inspired by. hitRECord, which launched with an installation in the New Frontier section of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, returns to the Festival to showcase the project’s evolution and potential for creative experimentation.

DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES
Created to highlight the growing impact and popularity of documentaries in our world today, Documentary Premieres presents eight moving new films about big subjects or by master filmmakers that showcase the power of the form. Each is a world premiere.

About Face / U.S.A. (Director: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders) — An exploration of beauty and aging through the stories of the original supermodels. Participants including Isabella Rossellini, Christie Brinkley, Beverly Johnson, Carmen Dell’Orefice, Paulina Porizkova, Jerry Hall and Christy Turlington weigh in on the fashion industry and how they reassess and redefine their own sense of beauty as their careers progress.

BONES BRIGADE: An Autobiography / U.S.A. (Director: Stacy Peralta) — When six teenage boys came together as a skateboarding team in the 1980s, they reinvented not only their chosen sport but themselves too – as they evolved from insecure outsiders to the most influential athletes in the field.

The D Word: Understanding Dyslexia / U.S.A. (Director: James Redford) — While following a Dyslexic high school senior struggling to achieve his dream of getting into a competitive college, The D Word exposes myths about Dyslexia and reveals cutting edge research to elucidate this widely misunderstood condition.

ETHEL / U.S.A. (Director: Rory Kennedy) — This intimate, surprising portrait of Ethel Kennedy provides an insider’s view of a political dynasty, including Ethel’s life with Robert F. Kennedy and the years following his death when she raised their eleven children on her own.

A Fierce Green Fire / U.S.A. (Director: Mark Kitchell) — A definitive history of one of the most important movements of the 20th century, A Fierce Green Fire chronicles the environmental movement’s fascinating evolution from the 1960s to the present.

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP/ United Kingdom (Director: Ice-T, Co-Director: Andy Baybutt) — Through conversations with Rap’s most influential artists – among them Chuck D, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, MC Lyte, Mos Def, and Kanye West – Ice-T explores the roots and history of Rap and reveals the creative process behind this now dominant art form.
Untitled Paul Simon Project / U.S.A. (Director: Joe Berlinger) — Paul Simon returns to South Africa to explore the incredible journey of his historic Graceland album, including the political backlash he sparked for allegedly breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa, designed to end Apartheid.

West of Memphis / U.S.A. (Director: Amy Berg) — Three teenage boys are incarcerated for the murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. 19 years later, new evidence calls into question the convictions and raises issues of judicial, prosecutorial and jury misconduct – showing that the first casualty of a corrupt justice system is the truth.

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