In Devil’s Cove, his award-winning feature directorial debut, opening August 3 in L.A theaters, director Erik Lundmark serves up a roguishly electrifying indie take on Thelma & Louise that pits an interracial lesbian couple, fresh from a killing, against a dark highway.
New girl in town Toni (Christelle Baguidy) is unhappy in her marriage to the vehement Rick. Not surprisingly, her eye catches that of another- Jackie (Chloe Traicos in an award-nominated performance), a woman who recently escaped a jail sentence involving the death of her child.
When Rick (Cameron Barnes) gets wind of the passionate relationship his wife is having with Jackie, he erupts into a fiery rage. In an act of self-defence, Toni and Jackie end Rick’s life. To stay out of jail, the duo hit the road – one with many twists and turns in it.
Made for just $10,000 by Leomark Studios, the truly independent “Devil’s Cove” premiered at the New York City International Film Festival where it was nominated for two Best Actress awards (for Chloe Traicos) and Best Original Screenplay. Director Erik Lundmark also won a Global Accolade at the Global Accolade Awards.
Chloe Traicos, Christelle Baguidy, Cameron Barnes, Westworld’s Michael Keyes and Sammy Anderson co-star in Devil’s Cove, opening in theaters August 3.
Films
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Watch Trailer for DEVIL’S COVE ‘Indie take on Thelma & Louise”
In Devil’s Cove, his award-winning feature directorial debut, opening August 3 in L.A theaters, director Erik Lundmark serves up a roguishly electrifying indie take on Thelma & Louise that pits an interracial lesbian couple, fresh from a killing, against a dark highway.
New girl in town Toni (Christelle Baguidy) is unhappy in her marriage to the vehement Rick. Not surprisingly, her eye catches that of another- Jackie (Chloe Traicos in an award-nominated performance), a woman who recently escaped a jail sentence involving the death of her child.
When Rick (Cameron Barnes) gets wind of the passionate relationship his wife is having with Jackie, he erupts into a fiery rage. In an act of self-defence, Toni and Jackie end Rick’s life. To stay out of jail, the duo hit the road – one with many twists and turns in it.
Made for just $10,000 by Leomark Studios, the truly independent “Devil’s Cove” premiered at the New York City International Film Festival where it was nominated for two Best Actress awards (for Chloe Traicos) and Best Original Screenplay. Director Erik Lundmark also won a Global Accolade at the Global Accolade Awards.
Chloe Traicos, Christelle Baguidy, Cameron Barnes, Westworld’s Michael Keyes and Sammy Anderson co-star in Devil’s Cove, opening in theaters August 3.
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Classic Silent Film THE GOLEM (1920) for Pre-Opening of Venice International Film Festival
The silent film classic The Golem – How He Came Into The World (Der Golem – Wie er in die Welt kam, 1920), written and directed by Paul Wegener, is the film chosen for the Pre-opening event of the 75th Venice International Film Festival of the Biennale di Venezia, to be shown in the Sala Darsena (Palazzo del Cinema) on the Lido on Tuesday August 28th.
The Golem – How He Came Into The World will be screened from a new digital copy made from the original negative that was thought to have been lost, restored in 4K and supervised by the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung in Wiesbaden (Germany) and by the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique (Cinematek) in Brussels, to be shown in its world premiere screening. The digital restoration was done by Immagine ritrovata in Bologna.
The screening of The Golem – How He Came Into The World will be scored with original music by maestro Admir Shkurtaj, commissioned by La Biennale di Venezia, and performed live by the Mesimèr Ensemble wth members: Hersjana Matmuja (soprano), Giorgio Distante (Bb trumpet, midi trumpet), Pino Basile (cupafon – a set of friction drums, percussions, ocarina), Vanessa Sotgiù (synthesizer, piano), Iacopo Conoci (cello), Admir Shkurtaj (conductor, electronics, accordion, piano).
The 75th Venice International Film Festival will be held on the Lido from August 29th to September 8th 2018, directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by La Biennale chaired by Paolo Baratta.
The Golem – How He Came Into The World by Paul Wegener
Set in ancient Prague of the 16th century Der Golem – Wie er in die Welt kam (1920) recounts the Jewish tale of the clay-made creature brought to life by a rabbi’s occult ritual. Foreseeing the upcoming expulsion of the Jews from the city, Rabbi Löw (Albert Steinrück) creates and awakes the mythical Golem in order to protect his people. Through a turn of events the Golem saves the emperor’s (Otto Gebühr) life, convincing him to lift the ban. But due to a jealous servant (Ernst Deutsch) and his selfish plans the Golem runs out of control and turns against his creator… Director Paul Wegener, who also performs the Golem, already adapted the story twice before, once in 1914 and again in 1917. But only his third attempt, driven by great artistic ambition, earned him broader appreciation. Its outstanding mise-en-scène with architecture by Hans Poelzig and cinematography by Karl Freund made Der Golem – Wie er in die Welt kam one of the most recognized and widely-cited films of Weimar Cinema. The film turned out to be a great international success for the German silent film industry with sold out screenings for months – even in the US and China. Its emblematic expressionist style influenced Hollywood’s classical horror movies as well as popular culture up to this day.Notes of Restoration
No German version has survived of the silent classic Der Golem – Wie er in die Welt kam. A photochemical restoration from the 1990s bases on export versions. The discovery of an original negative at the Cinematek (Royal Film Archive of Belgium) gave cause for a new digital 4K restoration of the lost German version by the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung and the Cinematek (Royal Film Archive of Belgium). This negative is edited of different takes than the export version. The takes for two negatives were filmed with two cameras in parallel. The Cinematek`s negative is superior with respect to camera angle and montage. A duplicate negative from the US release version at the George Eastman House proofs that at some point this negative was used for the US market. It is likely that it was originally the negative for German release. As a result of cuts for the US release, several shots were abridged. Today the original negative lacks few scenes. Some of them have survived in the material of the George Eastman House. Another source for completion will be a black-and-white print of the Cinémathèque française made from the export negative. The original negative contains many intertitles in the original Expressionist font that had not been accessible for the previous restoration. Together with the titles that the Filmmuseum München obtained from the Gosfilmofond of Russia, the new restoration will present almost all titles in the famous original font. Digital restoration of the image includes removal of excessive white dirt, defects of the negative that were created by wear and tear, and adjustment of the completing sources as close as possible to the original negative. The digitale restoration is carried out by L`Immagine Ritrovata. Reference for colours and grading is the only known vintage print of this film, an Italian release version from the Fondazione Cineteca Italiana to restore the original gray scale and typical colour effect of the original tinting.The Music
With regard to the original music which will accompany The Golem – How He Came Into The World on the evening of August 28th, maestro Admir Shkurtaj has written: “Scoring Wegener’s film engaged the composer, for the many latent or hidden metaphors that he feels driven to identify and to develop in his own language. And so just as the wise man-wizard Löw uses his own hands to shape out of clay the instrument destined to save the community he feels responsible for, the ensemble of instruments selected for this work was asked to make, by hand, the instruments that would be needed to perform it. The Cupafon used by the percussionist is an original instrument arising from his own research into the stick friction idiophone, an instrument popular in the regions of Puglia and Basilicata; moreover, playing it requires constantly dipping the hands in water, exactly like you would to shape clay. The midi trumpet is also the result of a handcrafting process, even if to make it requires applying electronic circuits onto the instrument. Here the role of water in shaping the sound as the musician plays the Cupafon is again an artisanal process of the electronics. And so on for the rest of the musicians who were asked to make constant reference to the modus operandi of the maker who does not intend to passively follow academic and canonical performing methods. The entire work is based on a non-homogeneous musical vocabulary, which reflects the fleeting nature of form which is inherent to clay; a blend in which one can recognize elements of jazz, of contemporary music, of melodic and rhythmic modules typical of the Eastern European musical tradition and of electronic music. Geometry and the material impression of the buildings in which the scenes are set are mirrored by the concrete sounds recorded in the real environment and played through the synthesizer. The use of electronics, which initially appear unsuited to the scoring of a 1920s silent film, is justified by analogy with the unpredictable nature of the fate of every human creation: once technique has left the hands of its maker, it is destined to live a life of its own. Just as the Golem intends to do. Along with the score and as a complement to it, the performers must follow the photograms of the film to underscore, as if they were additional dynamic markings, its emotional developments. Another analogy that more specifically involves the composer of contemporary music in this scoring effort, is his spasmodic search, just like Rabbi Löw, to give life to an inanimate material which for one is the clay, for the other the sounds. Both must also make an effort to avoid incurring the disapproval of the social context for which, all things told, they both work. The Golem is taunted and feared when he is presented to the public, just like a sound production that seeks to break through established conventions and canons. If the rabbi had used his clay to make vases or pots he would undoubtedly have earned more immediate approval, but he would not have convinced the emperor to save his people. His attempt to overstep the boundaries and to attempt the impossible, is identical in nature to the attempt that a manipulator of sound materials makes in his own field when he tries new combinations and new alchemies in the language of sounds”.Admir Shkurtaj
Admir Shkurtaj (Tirana, 3 December 1969) began his musical studies in 1984-88 at the arts and music high school “Jordan Misja” in Tirana, in Accordion playing. In 1989 he began his studies in composition at the Conservatory, and pursued them in Italy in 1991 at the Conservatorio statale “Tito Schipa” in Lecce, from which he graduated in 1999. He continued his studies with Sandro Gorli (1994 -1996) and then with Alessandro Solbiati (1999-2002), in courses that would be important for his training as a composer. He earned a diploma in Electronic Music in 2009 and works as a composer, instrumentalist and improviser. He writes music for chamber and full orchestras, theatre and film.
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Racially-Charged Drama THE BEST OF ENEMIES Starring Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell to be Released by STXfilms
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Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell[/caption]
The Best of Enemies, the timely drama from first-time director Robin Bissell starring Academy Award® nominee Taraji P. Henson (Hidden Figures) and Academy Award® winner Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) has been acquired by STXfilms for release in the US. Bissell also wrote the screenplay which was inspired by the true events chronicled in The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South, by Osha Gray Davidson. The film also stars BAFTA TV Award-nominee Babou Ceesay (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Anne Heche (John Q), Wes Bentley (American Beauty), Bruce McGill (Lincoln), Tony Award-winner John Gallagher Jr. (Short Term 12) and Nick Searcy (The Shape of Water) lead the supporting cast.
Producers include Danny Strong, Fred Bernstein, Matt Berenson, Bissell, Dominique Telson, and Material Pictures’ Tobey Maguire and Matthew Plouffe. Rick Jackson and Jeremiah Samuels are executive producers.
Based on a true story, The Best of Enemies centers on the unlikely relationship between Ann Atwater (Henson), an outspoken civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis (Rockwell), a local Ku Klux Klan leader who reluctantly co-chaired a community summit, battling over the desegregation of schools in Durham, North Carolina during the racially-charged summer of 1971. The incredible events that unfolded would change Durham and the lives of Atwater and Ellis forever.
“Robin Bissell crafted a beautiful look at this unlikely friendship that arose from one of the most unsettling times in our country’s history, with Taraji P. Henson, Sam Rockwell, and the entire cast delivering riveting performances,” said Adam Fogelson, Chairman of STXfilms. “STXfilms is proud to come on board for this important and entertaining film that will resonate and evoke dialogue about the timeless humanity that is at the heart of this powerful story.”
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Apocalyptic Thriller WHAT STILL REMAINS Starring Colin O’Donoghue Sets August Release Date [Trailer]
The end is near! Strike the Sun Entertainment has released the poster and trailer for the apocalyptic thriller What Still Remains written and directed by Josh Mendoza. What Still Remains stars Lulu Antariksa (T@gged), Colin O’Donoghue (Once Upon a Time), Mimi Rogers (The X-Files), Dohn Norwood (Hell on Wheels), and Jeff Kober (The Walking Dead); and will open in cinemas on August 10th and on VOD nationwide on August 14th, 2018.
Twenty-five years after a viral outbreak decimated the population, the remaining survivors still fear that deadly illness and the feral “Changed” it has created. Against this post-apocalyptic backdrop, a young woman loses her family and struggles to survive on her own in the wilderness. When a lonely traveler offers her a place in his community, she must decide if the promise of a better life is worth the risk of trusting him. But as she ventures out into a world she’s never known, she discovers there are far more dangers than the legends of savage beasts from her childhood. Numerous factions of humanity still endure and she will learn people can become their own kind of monster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLFYxOZ1igg
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Jonathan Berman’s Documentary CALLING ALL EARTHLINGS Explores One of the First UFO Cults [Trailer]
Calling All Earthlings, a documentary by Jonathan Berman, explores one of the first UFO cults, led by George Van Tassel, a one-time Howard Hughes confidante. Van Tassel combines alien technology with Tesla science to build a rejuvenation machine and mid-century dome called The Integratron. Van Tassel claimed to have combined extraterrestrial guidance with the work of inventor/physicist Nikola Tesla and other alternative scientists, to build an electromagnetic time machine he dubbed “The Integratron.” Was he deluded? Or could the dome actually break through the boundaries of space, time, and energy? FBI agents try to halt the growing army of outliers who gather in the desert to create a threatening reality on the edge of the midcentury American Dream. An empathetic enquiry into an archetypical countercultural movement, the story is told by relatives, neighbors, skeptics, believers, scientists, healers, artists, and historians, including Dr. Kevin Starr, the preeminent historian of California; Eric Burdon, musician and area resident, and futurists JJ and Desiree Hurtak.
Jonathan Berman’s documentaries explore third places, those beyond home or work. Previous work includes The Shvitz (The Steambath) and Commune.
Calling All Earthlings will open in New York at Maysles Cinema on August 1 and available on VOD on August 28.
Calling All Earthlings is the true story of Howard Hughes, the Postwar avant-garde, and a mad genius named George who took off from the California desert in a flying saucer.
In 1947, George Van Tassel, a Hughes employee and confidante, suddenly quits working for his mentor and ditches the straight life, moving deep into the Mojave Desert where he and his family sleep under a rock. He leaves behind a tattered Los Angeles in the grips of postwar paranoia, opting for the quietude of the Joshua Tree area. It is during an August 1953 full moon that Van Tassel has an encounter with extraterrestrials, who give him the information to build a rejuvenation machine he dubs “The Integratron.”
Van Tassel believes he has been chosen by these extraterrestrial visitors, led by Solganda (who “speaks” to him with a voice not unlike that of actor Ronald Coleman) to build a massive experimental dome that will open a hole in time and space. The groovy iconoclast and charismatic leader’s received blueprints from Solganda are soon combined with the work of Nikolai Tesla and other alternative scientists.
Long before the ‘X-Files,’ and the internet, it was the threat of nuclear bombs and stifling social conformity that drew artists, inventors, eccentrics and postwar seekers to the desert to experiment with alternate lifestyles and futures. They join other do-it-yourself inhabitants of the “jack-rabbit shacks,” the five acres that the government gave to citizens through the Small Tract Act of 1938.
Van Tassel, a pilot and self-taught inventor, becomes a local, and lands as one of the first gurus of alien contact culture. Using ‘outsider science” and rugged charm, Van Tassel pursues his dream of combining science and spirit to create a new utopia. The Integratron would not only solve the issue of aging and the attendant loss of seasoned wisdom but would also act as a source of unlimited power for the planet
In the 1950’s, George Van Tassel devises the Interplanetary Spacecraft Conventions as a way to fund the dome and bring attention to his transformative and rabidly anti-militaristic stance. Is he crazy or could The Integratron really work?
Rich Los Angeles playboys help fund the work (seeking rejuvenation, of course) and they fly into his airfield nearby, including his old boss, one Mr. Howard Robard Hughes. Beyond any vanities, Hughes’ concern for contamination bonds him to the anti-nuclear Van Tassel and he adds money to the project.
With his can-do neighbors, including an early disciple of Yogananda, Van Tassel actually builds his dome and prepares to turn it on. People flock to the desert to join in what quickly becomes an alien-guided, peace-loving, revolutionary movement. Questionable science, secret agents, and an army of eccentrics collide on the edge of the American Dream to try to further – or halt – this new reality.
It looks promising but there is a hiccup: the Integratron stands on the border of one of the largest military bases in the world, the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, commonly known as Twentynine Palms. It is balanced by its other neighbor, an enigmatic boulder, Giant Rock, that was once revered by American Indians and has had its own embattled history.
Meanwhile, the dome’s workings are mysterious – some of the electro-magnetic processes actually bear merit, however they must be “phased” by the Venusians, as one subject suggests: “otherwise Southern California could be blown off the map.” Nearing completion, Van Tassel’s tale and the Integratron meets an unexpected, twisted end.
The magical ‘workings’ of the dome emerge in an unexpected way: for some participants in the film it is a simple opportunity for friendship and mentorship, for another it’s a global plan to colonize space, for others it’s a site-specific zone for art and culture. ‘Calling All Earthlings’ tells the story through their eyes –the current and past residents of the Joshua Tree area — including singer Eric Burdon, medicine woman Valerie Brightheart, Ernest Siva, historian and elder of the Morongo Indians, L.A. Free Press publisher Art Kunkin, and the current “Stewards of the Dome, the Karl sisters, who now own the property. Rounding out the story are esteemed California historian Dr. Kevin Starr, skeptical astronomer Bob Berman, and legendary “Stargate” participant Dr. J.J. Hurtak.
Featuring a celestial score by Knitting Factory stalwart Elliott Sharp, desert ambient wizard Clive Wright, and other co-conspirators including the legendary Harmonia and Queens of the Stone Age’s Dave Catching, the project is an enigmatic look at the boundary-breaking culture of Joshua Tree and its eccentric residents, still waiting for their spaceship.
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Watch First Trailer for Sundance Indie Drama COLETTE Starring Keira Knightley as a 19th-Century French Writer
Bleecker Street Films has released the first official trailer for Colette starring Keira Knightley which world premiered earlier this year at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Colette which is directed by English filmmaker Wash Westmoreland (The Fluffer, Quinceañera, The Last of Robin Hood, and Still Alice) will be released in select theaters starting September 21st.
After marrying a successful Parisian writer known commonly as “Willy” (West), Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (Knightley) is suddenly transplanted from her childhood home in rural France to the intellectual and artistic splendor of Paris. Soon after, Willy convinces Colette to ghostwrite for him. She pens a semi-autobiographical novel about a witty and brazen country girl named Claudine, sparking a bestseller and a cultural sensation. After its success, Colette and Willy become the talk of Paris and their adventures inspire additional Claudine novels. Colette’s fight over creative ownership and gender roles drives her to overcome societal constraints, revolutionizing literature, fashion and sexual expression.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_8U7gjb2k4
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Stefanie Sparks’ Edgy Comedy IN CASE OF EMERGENCY Gets a VOD Release Date of July 24 [Trailer]
NYC filmmaker Stefanie Sparks wrote, produced, directed, and stars in the edgy comedy film “In Case of Emergency,” which is being released on Prime Video and iTunes on July 24.
This darkly comic gem won the audience choice award at Bushwick Film Festival after being selected as the opening night film, and went on to win Best Feature at the Broad Humor Film Festival and the audience choice award at New Filmmakers New York. With a soundtrack of feminist-fueled anthems by The Coathangers, Girlpool, Chastity Belt, Childbirth, and more, this edgy comedy is an entertaining commentary on the intense social pressure for women to “have it all.”
In Case of Emergency is one woman’s sometimes raunchy, always funny internal battle of style vs. substance. Following an accident, NYC socialite Sarah Williams is forced to reevaluate her life goals. Is she ready to put away her judgements and pearls to descend into the subways of redemption? Or will she continue up the photo shopped elevator towards a lonely, bitter Park Avenue high rise?
Stefanie Sparks breathes satiric perfection into Sarah, with comedic actress Jenni Ruiza starring as her social opposite and unlikely supporter, Melinda. Annapurna Sriram and Andrea Morales round out the cast as Sarah’s perfectly-coiffed best “frenemies.” The film also features appearances by Phoebe Robinson (2 Dope Queens) and Cathy Curtin (Orange is the New Black), as well as other emerging female comedians.
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Watch New Trailer for Exorcism Horror Film ALONG CAME THE DEVIL
Gravitas Ventures has released the trailer for the horror film Along Came the Devil directed by actor-filmmaker Jason DeVan. The film starring Jessica Barth, Matt Dallas, Sydney Sweeney, Madison Lintz, Heather DeVan, and Bruce Davison, will be released in theatres and on VOD and Digital HD on August 10th.
Ashley (Sydney Sweeney, “The Handmaid’s Tale”) is sent to live with her estranged Aunt Tanya (Jessica Barth, Ted 2) . While in her old hometown she has visions of her deceased mom, driving her to contact the spirit world. Ashley unknowingly unearths a demonic force, which leaves her loved ones fighting for her soul. The film also stars Matt Dallas (Painted Woman), Bruce Davison (Insidious: The Last Key), Madison Lintz (“Bosch”), and Heather DeVan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQFuhqCdXIg
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See New Poster for Sundance Award Winning Film THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST Starring Chloë Grace Moretz
Just days after debuting the new trailer, here is the new poster for Sundance Award winning film The Miseducation of Cameron Post starring Chloë Grace Moretz. FilmRise will release The Miseducation of Cameron Post in New York on August 3rd and Los Angeles on August 10th
Based on the celebrated novel by Emily M. Danforth, The Miseducation of Cameron Post directed by Desiree Akhavan follows the titular character (Chloë Grace Moretz) as she is sent to a gay conversion therapy center after getting caught having sex with the prom queen.
Run by the strict Dr. Lydia Marsh (Jennifer Ehle) and her brother, Reverend Rick (John Gallagher Jr.) — himself an example of how those in the program can be “cured” — the center is populated by teens “struggling with same-sex attraction.” In the face of outlandish discipline, dubious methods, and earnest Christian rock songs, Cameron forms an unlikely gay community, including the amputee stoner Jane (Sasha Lane) and the Lakota Two-Spirit, Adam (Forrest Goodluck). In creating a family on her own terms, she learns what it means to empower herself and have confidence in her identity.
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Watch Trailer + Poster for A WHALE OF A TALE on Controversial Debate over Whale and Dolphin Hunting Traditions
The new trailer and poster dropped today for the documentary A Whale of a Tale from director/producer Megumi Sasaki of Herb & Dorothy. Following THE COVE documentary, A Whale of a Tale reveals the complex story behind the ongoing debate – can a proud 400-year-old whaling tradition survive a tsunami of modern animal-rights activism and colliding forces of globalism vs. localism? The film will open theatrically in New York on Friday, August 17 (The Quad) and Los Angeles on Friday, August 24 (Laemmle Music Hall) with a nationwide release to follow.
In 2010, Taiji, a sleepy fishing town in Japan, suddenly found itself in the worldwide media spotlight. THE COVE, a documentary denouncing the town’s longstanding whale and dolphin hunting traditions, won an Academy Award and almost overnight, Taiji became the go-to destination and battleground for activists from around the world.
Told through a wide range of characters including local fishermen, international activists and anAmerican journalist (and long time Japanese resident), this powerful documentary unearths a deep divide in eastern and western thought about nature and wildlife and cultural sensitivity in the face of global activism.
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PBS Online Film Festival Returns for 7th Edition with 25 Independent Short Films
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Flip the Record[/caption]
The PBS Online Film Festival returns for a seventh year July 16-27 featuring 25 short-form independent films from multiple public media partners and PBS member stations. The PBS Online Film Festival is part of a multi-platform initiative to increase the reach and visibility of independent films, and to provide a showcase for diverse storytelling that inspires and engages.
The festival will be available via PBS and station digital platforms, including PBS.org. As in previous years, films will also be available to stream on YouTube and Facebook.
This year’s lineup features films from the Black Public Media, Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), Independent Television Service (ITVS), Latino Public Broadcasting, National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), POV, To The Contrary, Vision Maker Media and World Channel, as well as PBS local member stations, including DPTV (Detroit), KLRU-TV Austin PBS, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, NET (Nebraska), Twin Cities Public Television, UNC-TV, Vermont PBS, WNET (New York) and WSIU (Illinois).
“Every year, PBS and its member stations challenge ourselves to elevate the breadth and depth of innovative storytelling through our work with the PBS Online Film Festival,” said Ira Rubenstein, Chief Digital & Marketing Officer. “The world of filmmaking is changing, and filmmakers can make as much of an impact on small screens as they do on big screens. The festival amplifies unique stories from an exciting collection of filmmakers across the country, reaching viewers on platforms as diverse as the films themselves.”
Viewers are encouraged to vote for their favorite film to win the “Most Popular” award, and a distinguished panel of eight jury members will select their favorite film of the festival for the “Juried Prize.” This year’s jury members include International Documentary Association Executive Director Simon Kilmurry, Black Film Critics Circle Founder Mike Sargent, WGBH Educational Foundation Executive Producer Judith Vecchione, Firelight Media & Films Documentary Lab Manager Chloe Walters-Wallace, Digital Media Executive Adnaan Wasey, Senior Director of Programming & Development at PBS Pamela Aguilar, FRONTLINE Producer & Editor Michelle Mizner and American Experience Producer Eric Gulliver.
Short films featured in the 2018 PBS Online Film Festival include:
Black Public Media
“Heroes of Color”
An educational video series highlighting the outstanding achievements of people of color.
CAAM
“Flip the Record”
In this 1980s coming-of-age story, a Filipino American teen flips the narrative by teaching herself how to DJ.
“Our Time”
A dark family secret opens up a young child’s eyes to a sobering reality, but also love.
DPTV
“Hungry for Love”
Two down-and-out foodies embark on an all-night dining adventure through Sapporo, Japan.
“The Book Club”
A sequel to the stop-motion short film “The List,” “The Book Club” is, at heart, a love story, but carries a deeper message about staying true to oneself.
ITVS
“Pops Ep. 1 “La Guardia Adjusts to Fatherhood””
Pops tells three stories of African Americans from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds and regions, all deeply engaged in the beautiful struggle of fatherhood.
“The F Word Ep. 1 ‘F Is for: Foster Care’”
A queer Bay Area couple bumble through a bureaucratic maze as they seek to form their family by adopting from foster care.
KLRU
“Animal Facts Club Presents – Endangered Rituals”
The curious mating rituals of the endangered Attwater Prairie Chicken and Houston Toad.
Latino Public Broadcasting
“Caracol Cruzando”
A Costa Rican girl decides if she will bring her pet turtle across the U.S. border.
Louisiana Public Broadcasting
“Mr. United States”
Today, Avery D. Wilson appears to be a confident pillar of his community, but in this uplifting story, he reveals otherwise. Avery was bullied as a child and later questioned how being gay would affect his faith. As an adult, he feared how his parents would react to his secret. It wasn’t until years later that Avery learned to accept himself – to love himself – and become Mr. United States.
NALIP
“Desde el principio”
In the darkness of a soundproof recording studio, a conversation sparks between two voice actors dealing with a shared tragedy.
“The Melancholy Man”
“The Melancholy Man” tells the story of the world’s saddest man who meets the world’s saddest woman. Through a fantastical lens, these characters come together in their harmonious misery and find something that surprises them both.
NET Nebraska
“Total Eclipse of the Heartland”
From sky to prairie, relive the Great American Eclipse of 2017 in 360 degrees.
PIC
“Ka Piko”
When his girlfriend dies during childbirth, Makana, a young Native Hawaiian man, must perform a traditional birthing ritual with his girlfriend’s overbearing father.
POV
“Redneck Muslim”
A Muslim hospital chaplain honors his Southern heritage while challenging white supremacy.
To The Contrary
“Ties That Bind”
A personal and heartfelt documentary on one family’s experience with gender transition.
Twin Cities Public Television
“I Am a Refugee”
There are 64 million refugees in the world. This film explores their experience.
“Women in Sports Leadership”
Explore why having women coaches matters, hear some of their barriers and celebrate a few successes.
UNC-TV
“Cowgirl Up”
A cowgirl from Natchez, Mississippi pursues her lifelong dream to become the first African American female in the National Finals Rodeo.
Vermont PBS
“Black Canaries”
Isolated, desperate, and haunted by his coal-stained birthright, Father continues his daily descent into the accursed Maplemine — even after it has crippled his ancestors and blinded his youngest son.
Vision Maker Media
“A Redemption Story”
See how Leo Yankton (Oglala Lakota) contributed in efforts to protect the water on the Standing Rock reservation and continues to find ways to have a positive impact with Native Country and the rest of the world.
World Channel
“Black Muslim Woman”
Against a rhythmic score, Mikel Aki’leh delivers a powerful poem on beauty and blackness.
WNET
“Stronghold of Resistance: Sable Island & Her Legendary Horses”
This short film takes viewers to the shores of Sable Island, a remote strip of land less than a mile wide, whose only full-time inhabitants are a herd of near-mythical wild horses; no human attempts at colonization have ever succeeded.
“Wind Back”
A sealed door divides a little boy from his mother. He will go to great lengths to be with her, but when that barrier breaks down, the boy will have to become an adult.
WSIU
“Super Predator: Preludes of the Black Fish”
Parallels the predator-prey relationship of a black man and social boundaries.
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Billy Wilder’s SOME LIKE IT HOT and More in Venezia Classici Lineup of 75th Venice International Film Festival
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Since 2012, the Venezia Classici of the Venice International Film Festival has been presenting the world premieres of a selection of the best restorations of classic films conducted over the previous year by film libraries, cultural institutions and productions all over the world. Curated by Alberto Barbera in collaboration with Stefano Francia di Celle, Venezia Classici also presents a selection of documentaries about cinema and its filmmakers. The Jury, chaired by Italian director Salvatore Mereu (Three Steps Dancing, Pretty Butterflies), is composed of 26 cinema history students – nominated by their professors – from Italian universities, DAMS performing arts courses, and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and will award the VENEZIA CLASSICI AWARD for the BEST RESTORED FILM and the BEST DOCUMENTARY ON CINEMA.
The numerous restored masterpieces in the Venezia Classici section of the 75th Venice International Film Festival include: The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982) by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Il posto (1961) by Ermanno Olmi, The Ascent (1976) by Larisa Shepitko, The Place Without Limits (1977) by Arturo Ripstein, The Brick and the Mirror (1964) by Ebrahim Golestan, Adieu Philippine (1962) by Jacques Roziers, Last Year in Marienbad (1961, Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival) by Alain Resnais, Some Like It Hot (1959) by Billy Wilder, Street of Shame (1956, Special Mention at the Venice International Film Festival) by Kenji Mizoguchi, The Night Porter (1974) by Liliana Cavani and Love, Thy Name Be Sorrow (1962) by Tomu Uchida.
The 75th Venice International Film Festival will be held at the Lido from August 29 to September 8, 2018; it is directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by the Biennale chaired by Paolo Baratta.
The list of the films selected for the Venezia Classici section of the 75th Festival:
VENEZIA CLASSICI
THEY LIVE [ESSI VIVONO] by JOHN CARPENTER (USA, 1988, 94’, COL.) restoration: Studiocanal IL PORTIERE DI NOTTE (THE NIGHT PORTER) by LILIANA CAVANI (Italy, 1974, 120’, COL.) restoration: CSC-Cineteca Nazionale and Istituto Luce – Cinecittà THE NAKED CITY [LA CITTÀ NUDA] by JULES DASSIN (USA, 1948, 96’, B/W) restoration: Brook Productions and Master Licensing KHESHT O AYENEH (THE BRICK AND THE MIRROR) by EBRAHIM GOLESTAN (Iran, 1964, 130’, B/W) restoration: Ecran Noir production (Mitra Farahani) and Ebrahim Golestan in collaboration with Cineteca di Bologna AKASEN CHITAI (STREET OF SHAME) [LA STRADA DELLA VERGOGNA] by KENJI MIZOGUCHI (Japan, 1956, 86’, B/W) restoration: Kadokawa Corporation IL POSTO by ERMANNO OLMI (Italy, 1961, 95’, B/W) restoration: Cineteca di Bologna and Titanus L’ANNÉE DERNIÈRE À MARIENBAD (LAST YEAR IN MARIENBAD) [L’ANNO SCORSO A MARIENBAD] by ALAIN RESNAIS (France, Italy, 1961, 94’, B/W) restoration: Studiocanal with the support of Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée and Chanel EL LUGAR SIN LÍMITES (THE PLACE WITHOUT LIMITS) [IL LUOGO SENZA LIMITI] by ARTURO RIPSTEIN (Mexico, 1977, 110’, COL.) restoration: Cineteca Nacional México and Imcine ADIEU PHILIPPINE [DESIDERI NEL SOLE] by JACQUES ROZIERS (France, Italy, 1962, 103’, B/W) restoration: Cinémathèque française and A17 with the support of Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée. In collaboration with Les Archives audiovisuelles de Monaco, La Cinémathèque suisse and Extérieur Nuit. VOSKHOZHDENIYE (THE ASCENT) [L’ASCESA] by LARISA SHEPITKO (Russia, 1976, 110’, B/W) restoration: Mosfilm (producer of the restoration Karen Shakhnazarov) THE KILLERS [CONTRATTO PER UCCIDERE] by DON SIEGEL (USA, 1964, 102’, COL.) restoration: Universal Pictures THE KILLERS [I GANGSTERS] by ROBERT SIODMAK (USA, 1946, 95’, B/W) restoration: Universal Pictures LA NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO (THE NIGHT OF THE SHOOTING STARS) by PAOLO E VITTORIO TAVIANI (Italy, 1982, 107’, COL.) restoration: CSC-Cineteca Nazionale and Istituto Luce – Cinecittà KOI YA KOI NASUNA KOI (LOVE, THY NAME BE SORROW aka THE MAD FOX) [LA VOLPE FOLLE] by TOMU UCHIDA (Japan, 1962, 109’, COL.) restoration: Toei Company, Ltd. MORTE A VENEZIA (DEATH IN VENICE) by LUCHINO VISCONTI (Italy, France, USA, 1971, 130’, COL.) restoration: Cineteca di Bologna and Istituto Luce – Cinecittà in collaboration with Warner Bros. and The Criterion Collection NOTHING SACRED [NULLA SUL SERIO] by WILLIAM A. WELLMAN (USA, 1937, 74’, COL.) restoration: The Museum of Modern Art SOME LIKE IT HOT [A QUALCUNO PIACE CALDO] by BILLY WILDER (USA, 1959, 121′, B/W) restoration: Park Circus in collaboration with Metro Goldwyn Mayer and The Criterion Collection The Venezia Classici section will also feature the presentation of a selection of documentaries about cinema and its filmmakers. The complete list of the section will be announced during the press conference presenting the program of the Venice Film Festival, on Wednesday, July 25th at 11 a.m. in Rome (Cinema Moderno). Salvatore Mereu – Biography Salvatore Mereu was born in Dorgali in 1965. After graduating in film directing from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome, he made several short films including Notte rumena (1996), Miguel (1999), Il mare (2004). Starting with his first feature-length film, Ballo a tre passi (Three Steps Dancing, 2003), distinguished by its particular four-part structure, each corresponding to one season of the year, he explores the relationship between tradition and modernity in his native land, Sardinia. For Ballo a tre passi, Mereu won the Settimana della Critica award in Venice in 2003, as well as the David di Donatello and the Ciak d’Oro as best emerging director. He was also nominated for three Nastro d’argento awards including Best Screenplay. His second film, Sonetàula (2008), was presented at the Berlin Film Festival in the Panorama section, and was awarded the Globo d’oro of the Foreign Press, as well as the FIPA d’Or at the Biarritz Film Festival for Best Screenplay. He returned to the Venice Film Festival in 2010 with Tajabone, set among the young students of the middle schools on the outskirts of Cagliari, and in 2012 participated in the Orizzonti section with Bellas mariposas (Pretty Butterflies), from the eponymous book by Sergio Atzeni, the story of two adolescent girls who live in a working-class neighbourhood in Cagliari. The film won him the Schermi di Qualità award at the Venice Film Festival, the Big Screen Award at the Rotterdam Festival. For the same film, he won the Premio Suso Cecchi D’Amico for Best Screenplay and the Premio Tonino Guerra for Best Screenplay at the Bif&st. In 2013, again for the Venice Film Festival, he made the collective film Venezia 70 – Future Reloaded along with 70 directors from around the world, to celebrate the Festival’s 70th edition. For years he has alternated his work as a director with his teaching of image education. He has taught film in various schools around the island, producing several short films with his students (Il mare, La vita adesso, Scegliere per crescere, Futuro prossimo), selected for the most important Italian and international film festivals. In recent years, in collaboration with CELCAM, he has taught a course in film direction and screenwriting at the Department of Humanities and Philosophy at the University of Cagliari. Since 2004, he has been a member of the Accademia del Cinema Italiano.