Stony Brook Film Festival

U. S. Premieres of foreign films took the top awards at the 19th Annual Stony Brook Film Festival.  U.S. premiere of French film Paper Souls (Les âmes de papier) directed by Vincent Lannoo took the Jury Award for Best Feature, and U.S. Premiere of Dutch film Kenau directed by Maarten Treurniet won the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature

Stony Brook’s ten-day festival screened films each evening at Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University. Opening night was sold out, with over 900 in the audience for Ralph Macchio’s short film, Across Grace Alley, followed by the U.S. Premiere of the German film Back on Track from Beta Cinema. Alan Inkles, founder and director of the Festival, greeted European and American filmmakers at the awards night, following the New York Premiere of Erik Poppe’s 1,000 Times Good Night starring Juliette Binoche.

The winners were:

2014 Jury Award-Best Feature
PAPER SOULS (LES ÂMES DE PAPIER)

U.S. Premiere from France/ Luxembourg/Belgium. Directed by Vincent Lannoo. Written by François Uzan.
With Stéphane Guillon, Julie Gayet, Jonathan Zaccai, Pierre Richard.
An Artémis Productions, Samsa Film and Liaison Cinémtographique Production. From Films Distribution.
In French with subtitles.

In this quirky comedy from France, a funeral speech writer, a mother and her son, a man who may be a ghost, and a neighbor, all come together in a charming story of loss and love. The writer gets a new lease on life when he meets a widow who commissions him to write a piece about the father of her eight-year-old son.

2014 Audience Choice-Best Feature
KENAU

U.S. Premiere from the Netherlands. Directed by Maarten Treurniet. Written by Marnie Blok, Darin van Holst Pellekaan.
With Monic Hendrickx, Lisa Smit, Barry Atsma, Sallie Harmsen, Eva Bartels.
A Fu Works Film. From Eye International.
In Dutch with subtitles.

A big-screen adventure based on the story of a woman folk hero who led the defense of the Dutch city of Haarlem in 1573.

2014 Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking
MAÏNA

Canada – Directed by Michel Poulette. Written by Pierre Billon.
With Roseanne Supernault, Graham Greene, Ipelie Ootoova.
In Innu/Inuit/English with subtitles.

Michel Poulette’s career is a long list of success stories with all of Quebec and Canada’s major broadcast networks. The TV programs and features he has worked on have consistently been among the highest rated. He also works for American networks Showtime and Lifetime.This award is for his direction in Maina, introducing the fascinating civilizations of the Innu and Inuit tribes living in North America six hundred years ago.

 2014 Festival Outstanding Performance
MY SWEET PEPPER LAND

N.Y. Premiere from Iraq/France/Germany.
Directed by Hiner Saleem. Written by Hiner Saleem and Antoine Lacomblez.
In Kurdish/Arabic/Turkish with subtitles.

As Govend, the teacher in My Sweet Pepper Land, Golshifteh Farahani’s performance wins special recognition. Farahani won a Best Actress award at the age of 14 for her lead in Dariush Mehrjui’s The Pear Tree and is an accomplished musician. She was the first Iranian star to act in a major Hollywood production, Body of Lies, by Ridley Scott in 2008. She is fluent in French and English and now lives in Paris.

2014 Jury Award-Best Short
SEQUESTERED

USA – A film by Lucas Spaulding

A funny and original short in which two would-be bank robbers run into trouble when each takes exception to the other’s mask.

2014 Audience Award-Best Short
LITTLE AFRICA

USA – A film by Curtis Adair Jr.

A race riot that devastated a black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921 is the setting for this powerful short in which a biracial cop passing as white pleads with his black mother not to get involved in the protests. Produced by Curtis Adair Jr. while a film student at Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts, Tallahassee.

2014 Special Jury Recognition
INTO THE SILENT SEA

USA – A film by Andrej Landin

A lone cosmonaut adrift connects with a radio operator in Italy. Produced by Andrej Landin while a film student at Chapman University in California. Gravity and  Into the Silent Sea screened at the Telluride Film Festival at the same time Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity premiered.

Photo caption: Caption L to R: At the 2014 Stony Brook Film Festival Awards Reception: John Anderson, film critic and M.C.; François Uzan, screenwriter representing Paper Souls; Eva Bartels, actress representing Kenau; Michel Poulette, director, Maïna; Curtis Adair Jr., filmmaker, Little Africa;Alan Inkles, founder/director of the Stony Brook Film Festival.

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Juliette Binoche in A Thousand Times Good Night, directed by Eric Poppe 

The 19th Annual Stony Brook Film Festival, produced by Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University, will screen ten evenings of the best in new independent film from Thursday, July 17 through Saturday, July 26 in the Staller Center Main Stage Theatre. The popular summer festival will include three World Premieres and four U.S. Premieres among the seventeen features and twenty shorts and host Q&As with filmmakers and Opening and Closing Night receptions.

The U.S. Premiere features include Back on Track directed by Kilian Riedhof, a bittersweet drama from Germany about a man well over 70 years old training for the Berlin marathon; Kenau, directed by Maarten Treurniet, a big-screen adventure from the Netherlands set in the 16th century; Paper Souls  (Les âmes de papier) a quirky and surprising comedy from France; The Dark Valley directed by Andreas Prochaska, with Sam Riley (On the Road), a tale of revenge from Austria/Germany reminiscent of the best of American Westerns. 

Juliette Binoche (The English Patient) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Game of Thrones”) star in the Closing Night film, the New York Premiere of A Thousand Times Good Night, directed by Erik Poppe, inspired by his own experience as a Reuters war photojournalist. Other actors seen on screen in the Festival: Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green and Joe Pantoliano in the New York Premiere of The Identical; Daphne Rubin-Vega (“Smash”) in Fall to Rise; Hiam Abass (Lemon Tree) in the New York Premiere of May in the Summer. Karina Smirnoff (“Dancing with the Stars”) and Marsha Mason (The Goodbye Girl) are both expected to accompany Ralph Macchio screening his short film Across Grace Alley, opening the film Festival along with Back on Track. Among the short films are three World Premieres, The Ring Cycle, a film by Erin Cramer with Natalie Dormer (“Game of Thrones,” “The Tudors”); The Showdown, a film by Daniela Schrier Kafshi; and Sorta’ Horny, a film by Don Cherel.

Alan Inkles, founder and director of the Stony Brook Film Festival noted, “In addition to receiving hundreds of entries as we send out a Call for Entries with a ‘no entry fee,’ and working with many U.S. sales agents and distributors, we have also established good relationships with foreign sales agents and film distributors. Films Distribution, Eye International (Holland Films), Beta Cinema, eOne Films International, Media Luna, and Global Screen have been pivotal in securing an exciting and diverse program. Along with films from the U.S., the international slate of features, documentaries and shorts will take audiences to Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, Israel, Iraq, France, Netherlands, Singapore, Italy, Spain, Austria, Argentina, and Jordan.”

Tiffany Bartok, producer of Fall to Rise, as well as the short, The Showdown, returns to the Festival this year with Fall to Rise’s writer/director Jayce Bartok. She noted, “In this carefully curated, highly selective festival, all filmmakers who screen their film at Stony Brook feel like winners. With the intense competition to secure a spot on the program, it is an honor to screen at Stony Brook once again. We have been in the theater with close to 1,000 appreciative filmgoers and it’s an awesome experience.” Tiffany Bartok’s short Little Pumpkin screened at a past festival and Jayce Bartok wrote and starred in Mary Stuart Masterson’s The Cake Eaters, which premiered at the Stony Brook Film Festival in 2008.

Other Premieres

East Coast Premieres include Maïna, directed by Michel Poulette, a historical feature from Canada in Innu, Inuit and English;  Canopy,  directed by Aaron Wilson, an almost wordless drama set in wartime 1942;  and The Green Prince, directed by Nada Schirman, a documentary about a top Hamas leader’s son who spies for Israel. 

New York Premieres include The Identical directed by Dustin Marcellino, with Blake Rayne, Ashley Judd, Ray Liotta, Seth Green and Joe Pantoliano, a rock and roll tale about identical twins separated at birth; 45 RPM, directed by Juli Jackson, a charming road movie; My Sweet Pepper Land, directed by Hiner Saleem from Iraq/France/Germany, an engrossing drama set in a remote village at the edge of Kurdistan; Thesis on a Homicide, directed by Hernán Goldfrid, from Argentina/Spain, a murder-movie thriller,  A Five Star Life, directed by Maria Sole Tognazzi, a sophisticated drama from Italy about a luxury hotel inspector, and May in the Summer, directed by Cherien Dabis, who also plays the leading role of May, a Jordanian woman who lives in New York and goes home to plan her wedding.

OPENING NIGHT – Long Island’s Own: Ralph Macchio

Among the expected guests for opening night are the cast and filmmaker for the short film, Across Grace Alley. Ralph Macchio, a Long Island native, wrote and directed Across Grace Alley. Karina Smirnoff, the dancer who partnered with him on the television show, “Dancing with the Stars,” makes her acting debut in Across Grace Alley and is expected to attend.  In addition, actors Marsha Mason (The Goodbye Girl) and newcomer Ben Hyland are also expected to attend the screening. Ralph Macchio is well-known for his role in The Karate Kid, celebrating its 30th anniversary.

“The Art of the Short” – Special Program

The Art of the Short brings John Salcido and Michael Nathanson to Stony Brook on Friday, July 25 to present a collective body of award-winning work,beginning with a program of three acclaimed shorts – from Michael’s starring role in the Oscar-nominated Time Freak (directed by Andrew Bowler), through John Salcido’s audience favorite Cataplexy, to the darkly funny and daring This Is Ellen, all of which have been showcased previously at the Stony Brook Film Festival.  The event will culminate in the East Coast premiere of their latest collaboration, Tribute, a dark comedy that explores loss, love and obsession.

Michael and John will discuss the creative process of each film and how the meeting of two successful filmmaking teams, brought together through the Stony Brook Film Festival, resulted in the creation of Tribute, their most ambitious work to date.

Funded and Executive Produced by Stony Brook sponsor and University alum Joe Campolo, along with his partner Joe Zepf, Tribute represents the evolution of two talented filmmakers who became one team, blending their comic voices to create a surprising and bold new film.

Closing Night/Additional Screenings

The Closing Night Awards will be announced by John Anderson, film critic, at a reception following the screening of A Thousand Times Good Night, starring Juliette Binoche and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Game of Thrones”), along with young newcomer Lauryn Canny.

Additional features include Fall to Rise, a film about a principal dancer’s injury forcing her out of her dance company, written and directed by Jayce Bartok,Life’s a Breeze, a raucous comedy from Ireland about a search for one family’s treasure, written and directed by Lance Daly, Hanna’s Journey, a film from Israel/Germany directed by Julia von Heinz, about a German business woman’s trip to Israel as a volunteer. 

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L to R: Alan Inkles, founder/director of the Stony Brook Film Festival; Gert Embrechts, director/writer, ALLEZ EDDY!; Ate de Jong, director and co-writer, THE BLITZ; John Burgess, director, ONE SMALL HITCH; John Anderson, film critic and master of ceremonies at the Stony Brook Film Festival awards reception; Georg Maas, director/co-writer of the Closing Night film TWO LIVES.

The 18th Annual Stony Brook Film Festival wrapped up on Saturday night with a Closing Night Reception and announced the winners of the 2013 festival. MY BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY written and directed by Michaela Kezele was selected by the jury as the 2013 Jury Award-Best Feature; and the 2013 Audience Choice-Best Feature a tie between ALLEZ, EDDY! written and directed by Gert Embrechts and THE BLITZ directed and co-written by Ate de Jong.

Winners of the 18th Annual Stony Brook Film Festival

2013 Jury Award-Best Feature
MY BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY

Written and directed by Michaela Kezele.
East Coast Premiere from Serbia/Croatia/Germany
Zrinka Cvitešić, Mišel Matičević, Andrija Nikčević, Miloš Mesarović, Danica Ristovski, Slavko Štimac. In Serbian with subtitles

During the civil war in Kosovo, the young Serbian widow Danica takes care of Ramiz, a wounded Kosovo-Albanian soldier on the run from the Serbian militia. She finds him seeking refuge in her home on the Serbian side of the River Ibar. As love slowly blossoms between them, Ramiz begins to make friends with Danica’s two sons, both deeply affected by the recent loss of their father at the hands of Albanians.

Produced by Gabriela Sperl. Edited by Andre Bendocchi-Alves. Director of Photography: Felix Novo De Oliveira. From Global Screen GmbH.

2013 Audience Choice-Best Feature (tie)
ALLEZ, EDDY!

Written and directed by Gert Embrechts.
East Coast Premiere from Belguim
With Jelte Blommaert, Peter van den Begin, Barbara Sarafian, Els Dottermans, Stefaan Degand, Bruno Georis, Mathias Vergels, Frieda Pittoors. In Dutch and French with subtitles.

ALLEZ, EDDY! is a heart-warming comedy about Freddy, an 11-year old cycling enthusiast with special needs and lots of courage. He is the son of a butcher in an idyllic village, disrupted when the first supermarket opens its doors and sponsors a cycling race as an opening event. The winner of the race will meet world famous cyclist Eddy Merckx. Since the supermarket is the enemy of the local shopkeepers and, in particular, his own father, Freddy is obliged to enter the race in secret.

Produced by Jacqueline de Goeij. Edited by Els Voorspoels. Director of Photography: Bert Pot. From Global Screen GmbH.

2013 Audience Choice-Best Feature (tie)
THE BLITZ

Directed and co-written by Ate de Jong.
U.S. Premiere from the Netherlands
Screenplay by Ate de Jong, Paul Ruven. With Jan Smit, Roos van Erkel, Monic Hendrickx, Mike Weerts. In Dutch and German with subtitles.

Set in Rotterdam, May 1940, just days before the Germans bombed citizens of the Netherlands in a surprise attack, The Blitz tells the story of Vincent, a poor, young amateur boxer, and Eve, a young woman from Germany who has agreed to marry a wealthy middle-aged industrialist she does not love in order to save her family.

Produced by San Fu Maltha, Paul Ruven (Don’t Touch My Children), René Huybrechtse. Edited by Herman P. Koerts. Director of Photography: Gabor Szabo. A Fu Works & Talent United Production.

2013 Achievement in Directing
John Burgess
ONE SMALL HITCH

Written by Dode B. Levenson. With Shane McRae, Aubrey Dollar, Daniel J. Travanti, Ron Dean, Robert Belushi, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Mary Jo Faraci, Rebecca Spence, Heidi Johanningmeier.

In this hilarious comedy, Molly and Josh innocently agree to fake a wedding engagement to make Josh’s dying father’s last wish come true. Things quickly get out of hand with their two boisterous families as they pretend to be a couple and start planning a phony wedding. The Stony Brook Film Festival congratulates John Burgess on his excellent direction of One Small Hitch, his first feature film.

Produced by Brett Henenberg and John Burgess. Edited by Ryan Koscielniak. Director of Photography: Tari Segal. A Principle Entertainment Film from Curb Entertainment.

2013 Audience Choice-Best Short
(MY RIGHT EYE) THE APPLE OF MY EYE

A film from Spain by Josecho de Linares. New York Premiere.

As a child, Zurdo shared a special relationship with his grandmother but he has lost contact with her. On the last day of summer, he visits her with the intuition that he might not see her again.

2013 Jury Award-Best Short
FALLEN

A film from Germany by Christoph Schuler. New York Premiere.

Upon returning home from Germany after a tour of duty in Afghanistan, a soldier tries to adjust to civilian life.

Career Achievement Award – Christine Vachon, Killer Films

On Friday, July 26, a Career Achievement Award was presented to Christine Vachon of Killer Films, one of the nation’s most esteemed and influential independent film producers. Director Mo Ogrodnik and Pamela Koffler, co-founder of Killer Films, attended the screening of Deep Powder. Vachon’s extraordinary career as a producer includes 70 movies over 20 years (Boys Don’t Cry, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Happiness, One-Hour Photo, Kids, I Shot Andy Warhol, At Any Price, and virtually all of Todd Haynes’ films). She recently joined the faculty of Stony Brook Southampton and spearheaded 20/20/20, which granted full scholarships to 20 students to make 20 short films in 20 days (July 8-28). The entire class and staff of 20/20/20 students attended the screening of Deep Powder.

Opening Night and Closing Night Films Recognized at Closing Night Awards Reception sponsored by HBO

John Anderson presented trophies for the powerful opening and closing night films. ZAYTOUN (Israel/U.K./ France), which opened the Stony Brook Film Festival on July 18, had director Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree) and actor Stephen Dorff (Blade, Somewhere) at the screening, where they fielded questions at a Q&A. Georg Maas, the director of the closing night film, TWO LIVES (Norway/Germany) attended closing night’s screening, with a full house of nearly 1000 filmgoers in attendance.

(Descriptions provided by Stony Brook Film Festival)

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