The House That Jack Built[/caption]
Lars Von Trier’s The House That Jack Built, starring Matt Dillon, Bruno Ganz, Uma Thurman, Riley Keough and Siobhan Fallon Hogan, will be released in the U.S. by IFC Films. IFC Films also released Von Trier’s 2009 film Antichris.
USA in the 1970s. We follow the highly intelligent Jack through 5 incidents and are introduced to the murders that define Jack’s development as a serial killer. We experience the story from Jack’s point of view. He views each murder as an artwork in itself, even though his dysfunction gives him problems in the outside world. Despite the fact that the final and inevitable police intervention is drawing ever near (which both provokes and puts pressure on Jack) he is – contrary to all logic – set on taking greater and greater chance.Independent Film
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IFC Films to Release Lars Von Trier’s THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT Starring Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman
[caption id="attachment_22443" align="aligncenter" width="1100"] The House That Jack Built[/caption]
Lars Von Trier’s The House That Jack Built, starring Matt Dillon, Bruno Ganz, Uma Thurman, Riley Keough and Siobhan Fallon Hogan, will be released in the U.S. by IFC Films. IFC Films also released Von Trier’s 2009 film Antichris.
USA in the 1970s. We follow the highly intelligent Jack through 5 incidents and are introduced to the murders that define Jack’s development as a serial killer. We experience the story from Jack’s point of view. He views each murder as an artwork in itself, even though his dysfunction gives him problems in the outside world. Despite the fact that the final and inevitable police intervention is drawing ever near (which both provokes and puts pressure on Jack) he is – contrary to all logic – set on taking greater and greater chance.
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Award Winning Comedy FUTURE ’38 to NY Premiere at Art of Brooklyn Film Festival
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FUTURE ’38[/caption]
FUTURE ’38, which won the Audience Award at this year’s 2017 Slamdance, will have its New York premiere on June 8 at the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival.
FUTURE ’38 from director/writer Jamie Greenberg, is a technicolor valentine to the classic screwball comedies of the 1930s and ‘40s, with a sci-fi twist. It’s a time-travel adventure which presents the exotic future-world of 2018 A.D., as imagined by the film-makers of 1938! Starring Betty Gilpin, Nick Westrate, Robert John Burke, Ethan Phillips and Sean Young.
ART OF BROOKLYN SCREENING INFORMATION:
NY PREMIERE – Thursday, June 8, 9:00pm – St. Francis College, Brooklyn
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THIRST STREET, Nathan Silver’s Psychosexual Drama from Tribeca 2017 Set for a Late 2017 Release
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Lindsay Burdge as Gina in THIRST STREET. Photo by Sean Price Williams.[/caption]
Thirst Street, the darkly comic Paris-set tale of romantic obsession directed by Nathan Silver that World Premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival will be released later this year by Samuel Goldwyn Films. The film stars Lindsay Burdge (“A Teacher”), Damien Bonnard (“Staying Vertical”) and is narrated by Academy Award-winner Anjelica Huston.
Thirst Street follows grief-stricken American flight attendant Gina (Burdge) on a layover in Paris, where she hooks up with nightclub bartender Jerome (Bonnard). As Gina falls deeper into lust and opts to stay in France, Jerome’s ex (Esther Garrel) reenters the picture, sending Gina on a downward spiral of miscommunication, masochism and madness.
“We are immensely excited to work with Samuel Goldwyn on the release of Thirst Street. We feel like it’s the ideal home for this French/American labor of love,” says director Nathan Silver.
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Coming Soon: The Orchard to Release Archie Borders’ UNDER THE EIFFEL TOWER Starring Matt Walsh, Judith Godrèche
Director Archie Borders’ forthcoming film Under The Eiffel Tower has quickly been acquired by The Orchard for release. Written by Borders and David Henry, the film stars Emmy-nominee Matt Walsh (Veep), Cesar Award-winner Judith Godrèche (L’auberge espagnole), Ary Abittan (Qu’est-ce qu-on a fait au bon Dieu), David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer), Gary Cole (Talladega Nights), Ryan Eggold (The Blacklist) and Michaela Watkins (Casual). Godrèche is producing, along with Michael Fitzer, Stacey Parks and Erin Roark. Executive producers are Paul Davidson, Danielle DiGIacomo and Brad Navin. Currently prepping for a July production start in France, The Orchard is targeting a 2018 release for the film.
A bourbon salesman (Walsh) fighting off 50, unexpectedly proposes and is rejected by his best friend’s 24-year-old daughter under the Eiffel Tower. The soul crushing event sparks a wine-fueled ‘coming of middle age’ jaunt across the French countryside, a surprising friendship with a local footballer (Eggold) and sparks romantic possibilities with a beautiful and independent French woman (Godrèche).
“Under The Eiffel Tower represents the perfect combination of France, wine and a stellar ensemble cast,” said Paul Davidson, The Orchard’s EVP, Film and Television. “We are thrilled to be working with Archie, Judith, Matt, Stacey and the rest of the team to bring this endearing comedy to audiences.”
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GOOD TIME Starring Robert Pattinson to World Premiere at Cannes Film Festival, in Theaters on August 11 | Trailer
A24 will release Good Time starring Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Buddy Duress and Barkhad Abdi, on August 11, 2017. The film, from Josh & Benny Safdie, will make its World Premiere as a Competition title at this year’s 70th Annual Cannes Film Festival.
Following the mind-bending Heaven Knows What, celebrated filmmakers Josh and Ben Safdie return to the mean streets of New York City with Good Time, a hypnotic crime thriller that explores with bracing immediacy the tragic sway of family and fate.
After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Constantine Nikas (Robert Pattinson) embarks on a twisted odyssey through the city’s underworld in an increasingly desperate—and dangerous—attempt to get his brother out of jail. Over the course of one adrenalized night, Constantine finds himself on a mad descent into violence and mayhem as he races against the clock to save his brother and himself, knowing their lives hang in the balance.
Anchored by a career-defining performance from Robert Pattinson, Good Time is a psychotic symphony of propulsive intensity crafted by two of the most exciting young directors working today. Josh and Ben Safdie’s transcendent vision is an intoxicating portrait of desperation and destruction that will not be soon forgotten.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVyGCxHZ_Ko
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Award Winning Film RADIO DREAMS on U.S. Immigrants’ Story of Upstart Radio Station Sets Release Date
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Radio Dreams[/caption]
Radio Dreams, winner of the 45th Rotterdam International Film Festival’s Tiger Award, is the newest feature film from Iranian-British director Babak Jalali (Frontier Blues).
Radio Dreams creates the bizarre yet very real world of PARS-FM – a Farsi-language radio station broadcasting from the heart of San Francisco. The story unfolds over a single day as the station’s program manager, Hamid – a brilliant, misunderstood Iranian writer (played by the “Iranian Bob Dylan” Mohsen Namjoo) – prepares for a triumphant broadcast – a live performance pairing Metallica and Kabul Dreams, Afghanistan’s first rock band. Meanwhile, Hamid must juggle a dysfunctional mix of on-air talent, station managers, and performers while fending off the owner’s plans to wrest control of the station.
Radio Dreams brings to life the sometimes bizarre experience of immigrants pursuing dreams in the U.S.A. with the perfect mixture of honesty, art, and socio-political topicality served up in an ingenious, offbeat transmission.
“Honest, funny, and visionary – Radio Dreams is a truly unique gem and we are beyond excited to bring it to audiences this Spring,” said Hannah Campbell, Vice President, Matson Films. “Director Babak Jalali has masterfully created an authentic yet curious world inhabited by spellbinding characters who provide much-needed insight into the sometimes surreal experiences of American immigrants. Radio Dreams is all at once a poignant art film, tragicomic hero’s journey, and immeasurably topical socio-political dialogue. The intrigue is simply undeniable.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7s54sFwM3Q
Film distribution company Matson Films has set a U.S. theatrical release for the acclaimed feature film Radio Dreams.
SAN FRANCISCO
Opens in San Francisco this Friday, May 19
at The Roxie
NEW YORK
Opens in New York City on Friday, June 2
at Village East Cinema (City Cinemas)
LOS ANGELES / SO. CAL.
Opens in the Los Angeles area on Friday, June 9
at Laemmle’s Ahrya Fine Arts (Beverly Hills)
at Laemmle’s Town Center (Encino)
and at Edwards Westpark 8 (Irvine)
WASHINGTON, DC
It will open in Washington, DC on Friday, June 16
at Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market
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Sony Pictures Classics to Release Stanley Tucci’s FINAL PORTRAIT
Stanley Tucci’s FINAL PORTRAIT which had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for release in the U.S. Written and directed by Tucci, FINAL PORTRAIT stars Geoffrey Rush, Armie Hammer, Clémence Poésy, Tony Shalhoub and Sylvie Testud.
FINAL PORTRAIT is the story of the touching and offbeat friendship between American writer and art-lover James Lord and Alberto Giacometti, as seen through Lord’s eyes and revealing unique insight into the beauty, frustration, profundity and sometimes the chaos of the artistic process. Set in 1964, while on a short trip to Paris, Lord is asked by his friend, Giacometti, to sit for a portrait. The process, promises Giacometti, will take only a few days and so Lord agrees — ultimately wondering “how much longer can it go on like this?”
“Giacometti’s work and life and Lord’s poignant memoir have fascinated me for years. To finally bring my adaptation to the screen with this extraordinary cast and crew has been indeed a pleasure and to have Sony Classics distributing is a great honor,” said Tucci.
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Watch Kirsten Dunst Levitate in a Forest in New Trailer for WOODSHOCK
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Woodshock[/caption]
Yes, Kirsten Dunst levitates in a forest, in the new trailer for Woodshock, the hypnotic first feature from Rodarte designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy. The film also starring Joe Cole and Pilou Asbæk will open in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, September 22nd.
The exquisite feature film debut of visionary fashion designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy (Rodarte), Woodshock is a hypnotic exploration of isolation, paranoia, and grief that exists in a dream-world all its own. Kirsten Dunst stars as Theresa, a haunted young woman spiraling in the wake of profound loss, torn between her fractured emotional state and the reality-altering effects of a potent cannabinoid drug. Immersive, spellbinding, and sublime, Woodshock transcends genre to become a singularly thrilling cinematic experience that marks the arrival of the Mulleavy siblings as a major new voice in film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpscZ_YD-ns
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Native American Filmmakers, Erin Lau and Shaandiin Tome Selected for 2017 Sundance Institute Native Filmmakers Lab
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Sundance Institute[/caption]
Two Native American filmmakers, Erin Lau (Native Hawaiian) and Shaandiin Tome (Diné), have been selected to participate in the 2017 Sundance Institute Native Filmmakers Lab.
The Lab takes place May 14 to 19 in Santa Fe, NM. During the Lab, Fellows work with a cast, crew, and supervising producer to shoot workshop versions of scenes from their short films under the expert creative mentorship of Program alumni and other established industry professionals and Program staff. The Lab encourages Fellows to hone their storytelling and technical skills in a hands-on and supportive environment. After the Lab they will receive targeted support from supervising producers, grants to fund the production of their short films and will attend the annual Native Forum at the January 2018 Sundance Film Festival for ongoing support on their projects.
N. Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne/Mescalero Apache), director of the Institute’s Native American and Indigenous Program, said, “We welcome Erin and Shaandiin to the Sundance Institute family and look forward to watching them create and collaborate with the advisors in this unique space. Supporting Native and Indigenous storytellers is crucial to the Institute’s mission and has helped launch the careers of some of the most innovative Native storytellers working today.”
Three generations of Native artists have been supported since the founding of the Institute, with the goal of identifying and further uplifting Indigenous voices of the fourth generation within film and culture. The Native Program has built and sustained a unique support cycle for Indigenous artists through grants, labs, mentorships, fellowships, the platform of Sundance Film Festival, and screenings in Native communities to inspire new generations of storytellers. The Institute has established a rich legacy of commitment to Native filmmaking, supporting more than 300 Native and Indigenous filmmakers over the years, including Taika Waititi (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), Chris Eyre (Cheyenne/Arapaho), Sterlin Harjo (Seminole/Muskogee), Billy Luther (Diné/Hopi/Laguna Pueblo), Andrew Okpeaha MacLean (Iñupiaq), Aurora Guerrero (Xicana), Sydney Freeland (Diné), Blake Pickens (Chickasaw), Ciara Lacy (Kanaka Maoli),Razelle Benally (Oglala Lakota/Dine) and Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr. (Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe).
The filmmakers serving as Creative Advisors for this year’s Native Lab include: Andrew Ahn (Spa Night), Bernardo Britto (Yearbook), Sydney Freeland (Diné) (Drunktown’s Finest; Deidra & Laney Rob a Train) and Blackhorse Lowe (Diné) (Shimasani; 5th World; Chasing the Light).
Artists and projects selected for the 2017 Native Filmmakers Lab:
The Moon and the Night
Erin Lau (Native Hawaiian)
Set in rural Hawai’i, a teen is forced to confront her ex-convict father after he enters her beloved pet in a dogfight.
Native Hawaiian Filmmaker Erin Lau received her bachelor’s degree in film production from the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH) in 2014. During her time there, she wrote and directed several shorts, including Little Girl’s War Cry. The script, which focused on domestic violence against women and children, was selected out of a 1,000+ submissions by the Film Raro Competition to be one of six fully funded and produced films in the Cook Islands. Once completed, the film went on to win the 2013 Eurocinema Student Film Award and has screened around the world including festivals located in New Zealand, France, Guam, Fiji and Canada. Erin also crafted a short documentary titled, Ka Pua (The Flower), which focused on the life of her great grandmother who, until her death at the age of 94, cared for her mentally handicapped granddaughter. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Film Directing at Chapman University’s Dodge College of the Arts and will graduate in Spring of 2018.
Mud (Hastl’ishnii)
Shaandiin Tome (Diné)
On the last day of her life, a woman struggles to accept the extent to which her life has been affected by addiction.
Shandiin Tome graduated cum laude from the University of New Mexico with a BFA in Film and Digital Media Production. She is an alumna of the 2016 Sundance Full Circle Fellowship. As an aspiring new filmmaker, her experience ranges working in small roles to key positions in major motion pictures, documentaries and independent films. In the past year, Tome resided in Los Angeles, working on several productions and learning more about independent film by interning with Sundance Institute. She currently lives in Albuquerque, aiming to bring resonating imagery in convergence with story while illustrating her perspective as a Diné woman.
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Jason Barrett’s Romantic Comedy THE NAKED POET to be Released in US by ArtMattan Films | Trailer
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The Naked Poet[/caption]
Jason Barrett’s The Naked Poet, a smart, heartfelt drama about infidelity and sexual desire, will be released in the US by ArtMattan Films.
Directed and produced by talented independent British filmmaker Jason Barrett – who also stars in the film – The Naked Poet is the story of Lazarus, a young poet exploring the difficulties associated with matters of the heart.
He finds himself caught up in a love triangle and confronting the painful and confusing decision of choosing between his long-term girlfriend Louise and newfound love Simone while dealing with his responsibilities as a father to his only child from a past relationship.
Release in the UK in late 2016, The Naked Poet is a comedy-drama with a predominantly Black cast – including UK gone Hollywood actor Aml Ameen (The Maze Runner, Sense8) – which offers a complex, multidimensional portray of life, love and friendship within the young, middle class Black British community.
The Naked Poet had its US Premiere as the Opening Night Film of the 2016 African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) and will have its Chicago Premiere screening as the Centerpiece of ADIFF Chicago, in June 2017.
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Stephen Cone’s Coming-of-Age Lesbian Drama PRINCESS CYD to Be Released in US in Late 2017
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Princess Cyd[/caption]
The Chicago-set coming-of-age drama Princess Cyd, starring Rebecca Spence (Joe Swanberg’s “Easy”) and Jessie Pinnick (“Shameless”), which world premiered at the 2017 Maryland Film Festival will be released in the US later this year by Wolfe Releasing.
Princess Cyd follows 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin (Pinnick) while visiting her novelist aunt (Spence) in Chicago over the summer. Eager to escape life with her depressive single father, Cyd falls for a girl in the neighborhood, while she and her aunt gently challenge each other in the realms of sex and spirit.
Princess Cyd marks an ongoing relationship between director Stephen Cone and Wolfe, following their release of his acclaimed dramas Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party (which also had its world premiere at the Maryland Film Festival) and The Wise Kids. The film was produced by Grace Hahn, Madison Ginsberg and Stephen Cone.
“It is impossible to overstate how important the faith and support from Wolfe Releasing has been to my development as a filmmaker over the past several years,” Cone said. “This kind of partnership is a dream and a pleasure.”
Stephens commented, “We are thrilled to work with Stephen again. He is a wonderfully talented filmmaker and has a unique voice in a crowded field of independent cinema.”
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COLUMBUS and UNREST Selected for Sundance Institute’s Creative Distribution Fellowship
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Unrest[/caption]
Sundance Institute has selected two acclaimed works from the 2017 Sundance Film Festival: Columbus, from director and screenwriter Kogonada, and Unrest, a documentary directed by Jennifer Brea for its Creative Distribution Fellowship. The fellowship is a new initiative to support filmmaking teams seeking a more entrepreneurial approach to the release of their work.
Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, “Columbus and Unrest are perfect examples of the creative spirit of independent filmmaking, and this new Fellowship will provide them with resources, mentorship and tactical support to pioneer independent pathways to audiences. This entrepreneurial approach to marketing, distribution and audience building empowers independent filmmakers to release their own films, on their own terms, while retaining their rights.”
The Creative Distribution Fellowship, inspired by Sundance Institute’s long-standing Labs, will provide Columbus and Unrest with tools, resources and exclusive distribution deals in an immersive and nurturing environment. Each film will receive grants to fund marketing and distribution expenses. The Institute is working closely with the film teams to devise and execute tactics that will allow them to connect with their audiences in new and innovative ways. The filmmakers will serve as their own distributors, working with a network of professional vendors and digital retailers, with all theatrical and digital revenue flowing back to them. As a core part of the Fellowship, the producers of Columbus and Unrest are committed to sharing lessons learned from their creative distribution. These lessons will create “best practices” to help guide future independent filmmakers.
The Institute has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds and build audiences for Columbus and Unrest, which is open through Thursday, June 1.
Danielle Renfrew Behrens, producer of Columbus, said, “Many films have attempted to self-release over the years, but until recently filmmakers haven’t had the tools needed to reach their targeted audience. We’ve turned down more traditional distribution offers in the hopes of determining if this is a viable way forward for indie films with identifiable niche audiences. We’re thrilled to have Sundance Institute’s aid and guidance in navigating this new terrain, and hopefully creating a guide that other independent films can follow.”
Jennifer Brea, producer/director of Unrest, said, “We can’t wait to connect our film directly with its audience, combining a bespoke theatrical release with innovative ways of reaching those who would not be able to see the film in theaters. With the aid of the Creative Distribution Fellowship we’ll be able to actively engage with our viewers, encouraging an experience that will last far beyond the end of the film.”
Columbus stars John Cho, Haley Lu Richardson, Parker Posey, Rory Culkin and Michelle Forbes and world premiered in the NEXT section at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. In the film, Casey (Richardson) lives with her mother in a little-known Midwestern town haunted by the promise of modernism. Jin (Cho), a visitor from the other side of the world, attends to his dying father. Burdened by the future, they find respite in one another and the architecture that surrounds them. Vanity Fair wrote that Columbus “is a clever and compelling exploration into how physical structures can come to represent emotional landmarks in our personal lives, and the drive we have to share them with others.” Columbus will be released, starting theatrically, in August.
Unrest chronicles director and Harvard PhD student Jennifer Brea, who was struck down at 28 by a fever that left her bedridden. Doctors told her it’s “all in your head.” Determined to live, she sets out on a virtual journey to document her story—and four other families’ stories—fighting a disease medicine forgot. The film will have a theatrical release prior to airing as part of PBS’s ‘Independent Lens’ series in 2018.
The Creative Distribution Fellowship is part of Sundance Institute’s Creative Producing Program. Founded in 2011, the Program has empowered filmmakers navigating the changing business of independent film with online resources, live workshops and a network of allied organizations. Films it has supported include Upstream Color (Director: Shane Carruth), BURN (Directors: Brenna Sanchez and Tom Putnam), Cronies (Director: Michael Larnell), Western (Directors: Bill Ross and Turner Ross), First Girl I Loved (Director: Kerem Sanga), NUTS! (Director: Penny Lane) and HITS (Director: David Cross).