The jazz-inspired drama The Song of Sway Lake, directed by Ari Gold (Adventures of Power), who co-wrote the film with Elizabeth Bull; and starring Rory Culkin (Signs), Robert Sheehan (Geostorm) and Mary Beth Peil (Tony nominee for Anastasia) has been acquired by The Orchard. The Song of Sway Lake will be released in theaters on September 21st and on VOD and Digital HD on September 25th.
Featuring both original and classic songs, The Song of Sway Lake tells the story of a young man (Culkin) who plots to steal a valuable, long-lost jazz record from his grandmother’s lake house. His plan is derailed when his accomplice (Sheehan) falls for the matriarch.
The Song of Sway Lake was produced by Grack Films’ Ari Gold, Michael Bederman (Spotlight), Allison Rose Carter (American Honey) and Social Construct’s Zak Kilberg. The film was executive produced by Garrett P. Fennelly (The Tested) and Anne Bernstein (Otis N’ Dwayne).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WuRTxBOji4Films
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The Orchard to Release Jazz-Inspired Drama THE SONG OF SWAY LAKE [Trailer]
The jazz-inspired drama The Song of Sway Lake, directed by Ari Gold (Adventures of Power), who co-wrote the film with Elizabeth Bull; and starring Rory Culkin (Signs), Robert Sheehan (Geostorm) and Mary Beth Peil (Tony nominee for Anastasia) has been acquired by The Orchard. The Song of Sway Lake will be released in theaters on September 21st and on VOD and Digital HD on September 25th.
Featuring both original and classic songs, The Song of Sway Lake tells the story of a young man (Culkin) who plots to steal a valuable, long-lost jazz record from his grandmother’s lake house. His plan is derailed when his accomplice (Sheehan) falls for the matriarch.
The Song of Sway Lake was produced by Grack Films’ Ari Gold, Michael Bederman (Spotlight), Allison Rose Carter (American Honey) and Social Construct’s Zak Kilberg. The film was executive produced by Garrett P. Fennelly (The Tested) and Anne Bernstein (Otis N’ Dwayne).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WuRTxBOji4
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2018 Palm Springs International ShortFest to Showcase 333 Short Films
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All that We Carry (USA), Directed by: Erin Semine Kökdil[/caption]
The 2018 Palm Springs International ShortFest will showcase 333 films including 42 World Premieres, 32 International Premieres, 42 North American Premieres and 13 U.S. Premieres with films coming from 62 countries around the world. There are 55 curated programs, which will screen June 19-25, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center in Palm Springs. More than 5,300 of the festival submissions will be available in the Film Market for industry attendees to view.
“We’re thrilled to be sharing this year’s lineup,” said ShortFest Festival Director Lili Rodriguez. “With an increase in submission numbers, we knew we’d have our work cut out for us, but the programming team has narrowed down the selection to a wonderful collection that includes some of this year’s festival favorites as well as amazing new discoveries. We were so impressed by the quality of these stories and we can’t wait to pack into theatres and share them with our audience this summer.”
This year’s list of films include the following:
WOLRD PREMIERES
Are You Still Singing? (USA), Directed by: Gillian Barnes August Sun (UK), Directed by: Franco Volpi Babygirl (Australia), Directed by: Lara Gissing Bertie (UK), Directed by: Garry Crystal Broken Bunny (Canada), Directed by: Meredith Hama-Brown The Christmas Fish (Czech Republic), Directed by: Cole Stamm Cornflower (USA), Directed by: Sam Evoy Dead to the World (UK), Directed by: Freddie Hall Delivery (USA), Directed by: Joe Boothe Dima (UK), Directed by: Remi Itani Dulce (Colombia), Directed by: Guille Isa, Angello Faccini Fence (Kosovo), Directed by: Lendita Zeqiraj The Fish & the Sea (Canada), Directed by: Phillip Thomas Freaks of Nurture (Canada), Directed by: Alexandra Lemay Good People (USA), Directed by: Gregory Kohn How to Swim (Israel), Directed by: Noa Gusakov The Invader’s Song (UK), Directed by: Emma Swinton It’s a Match (USA), Directed by: Ron Najor Keep Coming Back! (Canada), Directed by: Brendan Brady Last Requests (USA), Directed by: Courtenay Johnson Library of God (Norway), Directed by: Stian Hafstad Mammoth (USA), Directed by: Ariel Heller The Master of York (UK), Directed by: Kieron Quirke The Mute (Vietnam), Directed by: An Pham My Ex-Girlfriend Is a Shovel (USA), Directed by: Dezi Gallegos Nettles (USA), Directed by: Raven Jackson Open Wide (UK), Directed by: Behnam Taheri, Gideon Beresford Perisher (Australia), Directed by: Gabriel Hutchings Pink Lemonade (USA), Directed by: Christian Sprenger A Place to Stay (USA), Directed by: Charlie Polinger Prey (USA), Directed by: Bill Whirity Provence (Belgium), Directed by: Kato De Boeck Punta Cana (USA), Directed by: Andree Ljutica Release (China), Directed by: Henry Liu Shooter (Australia), Directed by: Andrew Carbone Talent Night at Auschwitz: Bunk Five (USA), Directed by: Max Rifkind-Barron Tomorrow the Sun (Switzerland), Directed by: Quentin Tomshire Two Puddles (UK), Directed by: Timothy Keeling The Villa (France), Directed by: Emmanuel Poulain-Arnaud Wait for Laugh (USA), Directed by: Patrick Franklin Yellow Line (France), Directed by: Simon RoubyINTERNATIONAL PREMIERES
The Artist Has a Baby (Sweden), Directed by: Sanna Lenken Bailaora (Spain), Directed by: Rubin Stein Black Lips (Australia), Directed by: Adrian Chiarella Denmark (France), Directed by: Max Mauroux Dieter Not Unhappy (Germany), Directed by: Christian Schäfer Eloise (Sweden), Directed by: Johan Rosell Emma and the Fury (Germany), Directed by: Elisa Mishto Falling (France), Directed by: Benjamin Vu Fitting (Australia), Directed by: Emily Avila Flightmode (Norway), Directed by: Liv Mari Mortensen In the Arms of the Sea (Russian Federation), Directed by: Dmitry Moiseev Kevlar (Sweden), Directed by: Tuna Özer Let’s See How Fast This Baby Will Go (Australia), Directed by: Julietta Boscolo Mamartuile (Mexico), Directed by: Alejandro Saevich Melodi (Singapore), Directed by: Michael Kam Mobile (Norway), Directed by: Truls Krane Meby Mother & Baby (Ireland), Directed by: Mia Mullarkey Mwah (Australia), Directed by: Nina Buxton Once Upon a Time My Prince Will Come (France), Directed by: Lola Naymark Prince’s Tale (Canada), Directed by: Jamie Miller Pure Bodies (Belgium), Directed by: Bérangère Mc Neese, Guillaume de Ginestel Raymonde or The Vertical Escape (France), Directed by: Sarah Van Den Boom Red Ink (Australia), Directed by: Alex Ryan Satán (Switzerland), Directed by: Carlos Tapia González The School Nurse (Sweden), Directed by: Anna Brodin, Frida Sandberg Suck It Up (France), Directed by: Jan Sitta Sump (UK), Directed by: Mike Wozniak Trois Pages (Canada), Directed by: Roger Gariépy Verde (Colombia), Directed by: Victoria Rivera Waiting Room (Netherlands), Directed by: Simone van Dusseldorp Well Done (Israel), Directed by: Aryeh Hasfari, Omer Ben Simon A Worthy Man (Denmark), Directed by: Kristian HåskjoldNORTH AMERICAN PREMIERES
An Act of Love (Australia), Directed by: Lucy Knox Adam & Esra (Austria), Directed by: Achmed Abdel-Salam After/Life (USA), Directed by: Puck Lo Benidorm (France), Directed by: Raphaëlle Tinland Bilby (USA), Directed by: Pierre Perifel, Liron Topaz, JP Sans Bogdan and Rose (Poland), Directed by: Milena Dutkowska Bog Hole (Norway), Directed by: Torfinn Iversen Bordalo II: A Life of Waste (Ireland), Directed by: Trevor Whelan, Rua Meegan Chuchotage (Hungary), Directed by: Barnabás Tóth From Above (Austria), Directed by: Felix Krisai Graduation`97 (Ukraine), Directed by: Pavlo Ostrikov Happy Today (France), Directed by: Giulio Tonincelli Hash Key (France), Directed by: Erwan Alépée The Hitchhiker (France), Directed by: Julien Decoin The Hooligan Soul (Brazil), Directed by: Marco Antonio Pereira Imfura (Switzerland), Directed by: Samuel Ishimwe Imperial Valley (cultivated run-off) (Austria), Directed by: Lukas Marxt Kiem Holijanda (Netherlands), Directed by: Sarah Veltmeyer Lobster Dinner (Italy), Directed by: Gregorio Franchetti Manicure (Iran, Islamic Republic of), Directed by: Arman Fayaz Molt (Sweden), Directed by: Nathalie Álvarez Mesén The Moonshiners (Finland), Directed by: Juho Kuosmanen My Best Friend’s Shoes (India), Directed by: Ajitpal Singh Dhaliwal A Mythology of Pleasure (Germany), Directed by: Lara Rodríguez Cruz, Jule Katinka Cramer Nose Nose Nose Eyes! (South Korea), Directed by: Jiwon Moon Obon (Germany), Directed by: Andre Hörmann, Samo Paper Crane (Australia), Directed by: Takumi Kawakami Primo (Italy), Directed by: Federica Gianni Rå (Germany), Directed by: Sophia Bösch Roujoula (France), Directed by: Ilias El Faris Seascape (Belgium), Directed by: Leni Huyghe Spacedogs (Germany), Directed by: Sophia Schönborn Stopover (Switzerland), Directed by: Cosima Frei A Sweet Story (Germany), Directed by: Moritz Biene Thick Skin (Iceland), Directed by: Erlendur Sveinsson Three Room (South Korea), Directed by: Na-yeon Lee The Ties that Bind (France), Directed by: Yann Chemin Virgencita (USA), Directed by: Giselle Bonilla Wildebeast (Belgium), Directed by: Nicolas Keppens, Matthias Phlips Wild Game (Estonia), Directed by: Jerónimo Sarmiento Yaman (India), Directed by: Raghuvir Joshi The Young Patissier (Germany), Directed by: Ksenia CiuvasevaUS PREMIERES
After Dawn (Belgium), Directed by: Nicolas Graux The Handover (Germany), Directed by: Leonhard Hofmann Haunted (Denmark), Directed by: Christian Einshøj The Last Refugees (USA), Directed by: Tanaz Eshaghian Last Summer (Japan), Directed by: Asuka Sylvie Lira’s Forest (Canada), Directed by: Connor Jessup Midnight Confession (USA), Directed by: Maxwell McCabe-Lokos (OO) (Korea, Republic of), Directed by: Oh Seo-ro Rewind Forward (Switzerland), Directed by: Justin Stoneham Rien Ne Va Plus! (Germany), Directed by: Sophie Linnenbaum Room (Poland), Directed by: Michał Socha Tungrus (India), Directed by: Rishi Chandna Waiting (New Zealand), Directed by: Amberley Jo AumuaREST OF PROGRAM
#barewithme (Finland), Directed by: Ulla Heikkilä Abnie Oberfork: A Tale of Self-Preservation (USA), Directed by: Shannon Fleming Achoo (France), Directed by: Lucas Boutrot, Elise Carret, Maoris Creantor, Pierre Hubert, Camille Lacroix, Charlotte Perroux Acide (France), Directed by: Just Philippot Allen Anders – Live At The Comedy Castle (Circa 1987) (USA), Directed by: Laura Moss All that Remains (Belgium), Directed by: Anne-Lise Morin All that We Carry (USA), Directed by: Erin Semine Kökdil And Still We Will Walk On (France), Directed by: Jonathan Millet AniMal (Iran), Directed by: Bahram Ark, Bahman Ark Asian Girls (Australia), Directed by: Hyun Lee Atelier (Denmark), Directed by: Elsa María Jakobsdóttir Australia (Spain), Directed by: Lino Escalera Ayesha (India), Directed by: Yanyu Dong The Beaning (USA), Directed by: Sean McCoy Beneath the Ink (USA), Directed by: Cy Dodson The Big Day (UK), Directed by: Dawn Shadforth Bird Karma (USA), Directed by: Willian Salazar Birth Control Your Own Adventure (USA), Directed by: Sindha Agha Black 14 (USA), Directed by: Darius Clark Monroe Blackjack (Switzerland), Directed by: Lora Mure-Ravaud Black Line (Switzerland), Directed by: Mark Olexa , Francesca Scalisi Blind Mice (USA), Directed by: Nicholas D’Agostino Bonboné (Palestine), Directed by: Rakan Mayasi Bonobo (Switzerland), Directed by: Zoel Aeschbacher Botanica (Netherlands), Directed by: Noël Loozen Boundaries (USA), Directed by: Rhys Marc Jones The Box (Slovenia), Directed by: Dušan Kastelic Career Day (USA), Directed by: Ashley Deckman Careful How You Go (USA), Directed by: Emerald Fennell The Caregiver (Israel), Directed by: Ruthy Pribar Caroline (USA), Directed by: Logan George, Celine Held Catastrophe (Netherlands), Directed by: Jamille van Wijngaarden Cat Days (Germany), Directed by: Jon Frickey The Climb (USA), Directed by: Michael Covino Counterfeit Kunkoo (India), Directed by: Reema Sengupta Coyote (Switzerland), Directed by: Lorenz Wunderle A Craftsman (USA), Directed by: Sanford Jenkins Crisanto Street (USA), Directed by: Paloma Martinez Cross My Heart (USA), Directed by: Sontenish Myers Dancing Girls (Turkey), Directed by: Zeynep Köprülü Dario (Germany), Directed by: Manuel Kinzer, Jorge A. Trujillo Gil The Day That (USA), Directed by: Dorian Tocker Death Metal Grandma (USA), Directed by: Leah Galant Death of the Sound Man (Thailand), Directed by: Sorayos Prapapan The Disinherited (Spain), Directed by: Laura Ferrés The Door (Finland), Directed by: Jenni Toivoniemi Down Escalation (Japan), Directed by: Shunsaku Hayashi Dressed for Pleasure (Switzerland), Directed by: Marie De Maricourt The Driver Is Red (USA), Directed by: Randall Christopher Earthly People (Hungary), Directed by: Ádám Freund Emergency (USA), Directed by: Carey Williams End of the Line (USA), Directed by: Jessica Sanders Été (UK), Directed by: Gregory Oke Evaporated (Mexico), Directed by: Jimena Muhlia Eve (USA), Directed by: Susan Bay Nimoy Everlasting Mom (Israel), Directed by: Elinor Nechemya Every Ghost Has an Orchestra (USA), Directed by: Shayna Connelly Excuse Me, I’m Looking for The Ping-Pong Room and My Girlfriend (Austria), Directed by: Bernhard Wenger Eye Contact (Australia), Directed by: Stuart Mannion A Farewell (China), Directed by: Yifei He Fauve (Canada), Directed by: Jérémy Comte Feedback (France), Directed by: Margot Gallimard Femme (USA), Directed by: Alden Peters The Fix (USA), Directed by: Edward Jack Fran this Summer (USA), Directed by: Mary Evangelista Fundamental (Taiwan), Directed by: Shih-chieh Chiu Funny Fish (France), Directed by: Krishna Chandran A. Nair Garage at Night (Canada), Directed by: Daniel Daigle Gaze (Iran), Directed by: Farnoosh Samadi A Gentle Night (China), Directed by: Qiu Yang Go Tell Your Fathers (USA), Directed by: Chloe Sarbib, Amy Taylor Rosenblum Gustav (Ireland), Directed by: Ken Williams, Denis Fitzpatrick Hair Wolf (USA), Directed by: Mariama Diallo The Heights (USA), Directed by: Ryan Booth Homegrown (UK), Directed by: Quentin Haberham How Tommy Lemenchick Became a Grade 7 Legend (Canada), Directed by: Bastien Alexandre Hula Girl (USA), Directed by: Amy Hill, Chris Riess Hunter (USA), Directed by: Hilary Bell I Have a Message for You (Italy), Directed by: Matan Rochlitz I Have Something to Tell You (USA), Directed by: Ben Joyner, Dumaine Babcock I’m Cold Meat (France), Directed by: Romain Laguna Intercourse (Sweden), Directed by: Jonatan Etzler Islands (France), Directed by: Yann Gonzalez I Will Not Write Unless I Am Swaddled in Furs (New Zealand), Directed by: Wade Shotter JEOM (South Korea), Directed by: Kangmin Kim Jiejie (USA), Directed by: Feng-I Fiona Roan JUCK [THRUST] (Sweden), Directed by: Olivia Kastebring, Julia Gumpert, Ulrika Bandeira Kapitalistis (France), Directed by: Pablo Munoz Gomez Kerloster (France), Directed by: Ombeline de la Gournerie Khol (Open) (USA), Directed by: Faroukh Virani Kimchi (USA), Directed by: Jackson Segars Kira Burning (USA), Directed by: Laurel Parmet Kleptomami (Germany), Directed by: Pola Beck Krista (USA), Directed by: Danny Madden Layam (Israel), Directed by: Assaf Machnes Let Me Dance (France), Directed by: Valérie Leroy The Life of Esteban (Belgium), Directed by: Inès Eshun Liquor Store Babies (USA), Directed by: So Yun Um Little Fiel (USA), Directed by: Irina Patkanian Lonesome Willcox (USA), Directed by: Ryan Maxey, Zack Wright Long Distance Relationship (Brazil), Directed by: Carolina Markowicz Lost Property Office (Australia), Directed by: Daniel Agdag The Love Letter (Israel), Directed by: Atara Frish Lunch Ladies (USA), Directed by: J.M. Logan Ma (USA), Directed by: Millicent Cho Magic Alps (Italy), Directed by: Andrea Brusa, Marco Scotuzzi March Fool (Canada), Directed by: Pierre-Marc Drouin, Simon Lamarre-Ledoux Margaret and the Moon (USA), Directed by: Trevor Morgan Mariela (Argentina), Directed by: Victoria Romero Matria (Spain), Directed by: Álvaro Gago Maude (USA), Directed by: Anna Margaret Hollyman Maybe It’s Me (UK), Directed by: Dimitris Simou Men Don’t Whisper (USA), Directed by: Jordan Firstman Merry-Go-Round (Russia), Directed by: Ruslan Bratov Milk (Canada), Directed by: Heather Young Milk and Cookies (USA), Directed by: Patrick Mulvey, Andrew Ramsay Mon Amour, Mon Ami (Italy), Directed by: Adriano Valerio The Motion of Stars (Austria), Directed by: Jan Prazak The Mud (USA), Directed by: Brandon Lake The Music Lesson (USA), Directed by: Adam R. Brown, Kyle I. Kelley My Paintbrush Bites (USA), Directed by: Joel Pincosy, Joe Egender Negative Space (France), Directed by: Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata Nevada (USA), Directed by: Emily Ann Hoffman No Jail Time: The Movie (USA), Directed by: Lance Oppenheim Nothing Important (UK), Directed by: Tara FitzGerald Nursery Rhymes (Australia), Directed by: Tom Noakes Observatory Blues (USA), Directed by: Eric Paschal Johnson, Conor Dooley Offstage (Romania), Directed by: Andrei Huțuleac One Cambodian Family Please for My Pleasure (USA), Directed by: A.M. Lukas One Small Step (USA), Directed by: Bobby Pontillas, Andrew Chesworth Open Your Eyes (Israel), Directed by: Ilay Mevorah The Overcoat (UK), Directed by: Patrick Myles Palenque (Colombia), Directed by: Sebastián Pinzón Silva Pan (Germany), Directed by: Anna Roller The Passage (USA), Directed by: Kitao Sakurai Perfect Town (Switzerland), Directed by: Anaïs Voirol Pet Friendly (USA), Directed by: Catherine Licata Phototaxis (USA), Directed by: Melissa Ferrari Pink Trailer (USA), Directed by: Mary Neely Plastic Girls (South Korea), Directed by: Nils Clauss Premonition (Chile), Directed by: Leticia Akel Escarate The President’s Visit (Lebanon), Directed by: Cyril Aris Propagation (USA), Directed by: Will Joines, Karrie Crouse Quiet Hours (USA), Directed by: Paul Szynol Rae (Canada), Directed by: Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs Rebuilding in Miniature (Tukey), Directed by: Veena Rao Roadside Attraction (USA), Directed by: Patrick Bresnan, Ivete Lucas Room 140 (USA), Directed by: Priscilla Gonzalez Sainz Rupture (Canada), Directed by: Yassmina Karajah Saltwater Baptism (USA), Directed by: Jared Callahan, Russell Sheaffer Salvation (Iceland), Directed by: Thora Hilmarsdottir Sam Did It (USA), Directed by: Dominic Burgess Sauna (USA), Directed by: Charlie Polinger Scaffold (Canada), Directed by: Kazik Radwanski The Sermon (UK), Directed by: Dean Puckett Serving Joy (Australia), Directed by: Martin Sharpe Set Me as a Seal Upon Thine Heart (Israel), Directed by: Omer Tobi Shadow Animals (Sweden), Directed by: Jerry Carlsson Sherbert Rozencrantz, You’re Beautiful (Australia), Directed by: Natalie van den Dungen The Shift (USA), Directed by: Elivia Shaw, Paloma Martinez The Shuttle (USA), Directed by: Lu Han Signature (Japan), Directed by: Kei Chikaura Silence Please (Spain), Directed by: Carlos Villafaina Silica (Australia), Directed by: Pia Borg Sin Cielo (USA), Directed by: Jianna Maarten Sleepover (Sweden), Directed by: Jimi Vall Peterson Souls of Totality (USA), Directed by: Richard Raymond Spacesavers (USA), Directed by: Sarah Ginsburg Still Water Runs Deep (USA), Directed by: Abbesi Akhamie Stray (USA), Directed by: Andrew Boylan Subterra (USA), Directed by: Joel Villegas Suitable (USA), Directed by: Thembi Banks Tammy’s Tiny Tea Time: Episode 1 (USA), Directed by: Peter Gulsvig Tangles and Knots (Australia), Directed by: Renée Marie Petropoulos Teddy (UK), Directed by: Christopher Sweeney The Tesla World Light (Canada), Directed by: Matthew Rankin Three August Days (Estonia), Directed by: Madli Lääne Three Boys Manzanar (USA), Directed by: Preeti Mankar Deb Trapeze, U.S.A. (USA), Directed by: Mark Anthony Green Troll (USA), Directed by: Anu Valia Tweener (Sweden), Directed by: Julia Thelin Two Medusas (USA), Directed by: Scott Hamilton Kennedy Under Mom’s Skirt (France), Directed by: Sarah Heitz de Chabaneix Undiscovered (USA), Directed by: Sara Litzenberger Unearthed (USA), Directed by: Erin Semine Kökdil, Zulfiya Hamzaki Unfinished, 2017 (Mixed media) (USA), Directed by: Rafael Salazar Moreno Unravel (Canada), Directed by: Evan Luchkow Untitled Short Film About White People (USA), Directed by: Nicholas Colia Ur Dead To Me (New Zealand), Directed by: Yonoko Li The Velvet Underground Played at My High School (USA), Directed by: Anthony Jannelli, Robert Pietri A View from the Window (USA), Directed by: Azar Kafaei, Chris Filippone Wave (Ireland), Directed by: Benjamin Cleary, TJ O’Grady Peyton We Are the Freak Show (Canada), Directed by: Marie-Hélène Viens, Philippe Lupien Weekends (USA), Directed by: Trevor Jimenez We Forgot to Break Up (Canada), Directed by: Chandler Levack Welcome Home (Norway), Directed by: Armita Keyani Wendy’s Shabbat (USA), Directed by: Rachel Myers We Summoned a Demon (USA), Directed by: Chris McInroy While I Yet Live (USA), Directed by: Maris Curran Wicked Girl (Turkey), Directed by: Ayçe Kartal Wild Beasts (Norway), Directed by: Sverre Kvamme With Thelma (Belgium), Directed by: Ann Sirot, Raphaël Balboni Would You Look at Her (Macedonia), Directed by: Goran Stolevski Wyrm (USA), Directed by: Christopher Winterbauer Zion (USA), Directed by: Floyd Russ ShortFest jurors include Penelope Bartlett (Programmer for the Criterion Collection), Marc-André Grondin (Actor), Brian Hu (Artistic Director of Pacific Arts Movement, Presenter of the San Diego Asian Film Festival, Assistant Professor of TV, Film, and New Media at San Diego State University), Missy Laney (Director of Development at Adult Swim) and Ina Pira (Curator at Vimeo). Over $87,500 in prizes, including $27,000 in cash awards, will be given out in 21 categories to this year’s short films in competition. First place winners in five categories will automatically become eligible for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS®) for a possible Academy Award® nomination. Over the course of 23 years, the Festival has presented 101 films that have gone on to receive Academy Award® nominations. Winners will be announced at a brunch on Sunday, June 24. In addition to ShortFest’s award-winning short films, each year the Festival also welcomes a long guest list of filmmakers and industry attendees for the ShortFest Forums of panels and roundtables.
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Watch Official Trailer for Ofir Raul Graizer’s THE CAKEMAKER
Strand Releasing has debut the official US trailer for the The Cakemaker, by Israeli filmmaker Ofir Raul Graizer. The Cakemaker which had its World Premiere at the 2017 Karlovy Vary Film Festival will open in select US theaters on June 29th.
Thomas, a young and talented German baker, is having an affair with Oren, an Israeli married man who dies in a car crash. Thomas travels to Jerusalem seeking answers. Keeping his secret for himself, he starts working for Anat, his lover’s widow, who owns a small café. Although not fully kosher and despised by the religious, his delicious cakes turn the place into a city attraction. Finding himself involved in Anat’s life in a way far beyond his anticipation, Thomas will stretch his lie to a point of no return. The Cakemaker is both written and directed by Israeli filmmaker/artist Ofir Raul Graizer, making his feature directorial debut after a number of short films previously.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XxLHyzsB_Q
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Dark Star Pictures to Release KING COHEN, Documentary on Maverick Filmmaker Larry Cohen [Trailer]
Steve Mitchell’s King Cohen, the true story of writer, producer, director, creator and all-around maverick, Larry Cohen has been acquired by Dark Star Pictures. Dark Star is planning a July 7th theatrical roll-out followed by an August 14th VOD release.
Synopsis: Buckle up for King Cohen, the true story of writer, producer, director, creator and all-around maverick, Larry Cohen (Black Caesar, It’s Alive, Q: The Winged Serpent, The Stuff). Told through compelling live interviews, stills and film/TV clips, the people who helped fulfill his vision, and industry icons such as Martin Scorsese, J.J. Abrams, John Landis, Michael Moriarty, Fred Williamson, Yaphet Kotto and many more, including Larry himself, bring one-of-a-kind insight into the work, process and legacy of a true American film auteur. Few can boast of a career as remarkable or prolific, spanning more than 50 years of entertaining audiences worldwide.
King Cohen had its US premiere at Fantastic Fest in 2017, was an official selection at DOC NYC 2017, and has since screened around the world, in Austria, Ireland, Amsterdam and more, ensnaring raves.
Cohen, best known for resourceful low-budget horror and thriller films that combine social commentary with prerequisite scares and welcome humor, is responsible for celluloid classics including Black Caesar, It’s Alive, Q: The Winged Serpent, and The Stuff. He was also a major player in the Blaxploitation films of the 1970s, as well as a prominent Hollywood screenwriter (Phone Booth).
Mitchell’s film features interviews with such industry luminaries as Martin Scorsese, J.J Abrams, Joe Dante, Mick Garris, John Landis, Fred Williamson as well as Cohen himself. Cohen’s remarkable one-of-a-kind career, from 60’s TV series creator (Branded, The Invaders), to 70’s and 80’s independent film icon and beyond, is chronicled with freewheeling and insightful verve.
Winner of the 2017 Fantasia Fest Best Documentary Feature Audience Award, King Cohen hails from Rondo Award-winning writer/director Steve Mitchell, whose film and television credits include co-writing the beloved cult horror/comedy Chopping Mall.
“Larry Cohen is one of a kind – a true film auteur. Steve Mitchell has brilliantly captured his essence and passion in this very entertaining and also informative film. We’re ecstatic to bring this work to North American audiences” says Michael Repsch, President of Dark Star Pictures.
“We couldn’t be more delighted to have Dark Star Pictures unleash King Cohen on North America,” says producer Matt Verboys. “They completely get Larry Cohen’s indelible impact on cinema and are perfectly suited to get this film in front of enthusiastic viewers!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPblr7nKaYw
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Watch Trailer for SISTERS OF THE WILDERNESS DOCUMENTARY, 5 Zulu Women on a Journey of Self-Discovery
Set in the iMfolozi wilderness, South Africa, in the oldest game park in Africa, the iconic Hluhluwe-iMfolozi park, where the White Rhino was saved from extinction, Sisters of the Wilderness tells the story of five young Zulu women venturing into the wilderness for the first time on a journey of self-discovery, reminding them that we are all intimately linked to nature.
Sisters of the Wilderness, a new South African social impact feature documentary, directed by award-wining filmmaker, Karin Slater, will have its world premiere at the Encounters South African International Documentary Festival in Cape Town and Johannesburg in June; with further festival screenings at the Durban International Film Festival and at the Nature, Environment, Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF) Congress in Durban in July and at the Mzansi Women’s Film Festival in Johannesburg in August.
The film follows the women as they walk in big game country and camp under the stars, totally surrounded by wild animals. Exposed to the elements and carrying on their backs all they need for the journey, they face emotional and physical challenges, and learn what it takes to survive in the wild.
“We want to ‘transfer’ the audience to an ancient place where no barriers separate human and nature,” says creator / producer, Ronit Shapiro, of One Nature Films, whose experience in the iMfolozi wilderness and a meeting with South Africa’s legendary conservationist, the late Dr Ian Player, inspired her to make this film. “A journey into wilderness is an intense experience where one can expect to undergo a personal transformation and build leadership.”
Director Karin Slater says, “I was born in Empangeni and spent my early years, close to the iMfolozi wilderness. I have a deep love and connection to this area. I know what the wilderness has done for me over the years.”
Sisters of the Wilderness serves as a foundation for an outreach program that will use multiple platforms to re-connect global audiences with nature.
The film also explores the plight of this wilderness area threatened by an open-cast coal mine on its border, as well as the severe poaching that is decimating the rhino population here.
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FAMILY IN TRANSITION, WILD, THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS Win Top Awards at 20th Docaviv
[caption id="attachment_29480" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]
Family in Transition – Ofir Trainin[/caption]
Docaviv, the International Documentary Film Festival, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, announced the winners in a ceremony held at Mindspace Tel- Aviv . This year’s festival which concludes today May 26, has had a record-breaking lineup of 125 Israeli and international documentaries, as well as its first ever Shorts Competition.
2018 Docaviv Winners
ISRAELI COMPETITION
The Howard Gilman Award For the Best Israeli Documentary Film Family in Transition Ofir Trainin Jury’s justification: סרט זה משרטט בעדינות סיפור של With great sensitivity, this film tells the story of identities getting to know themselves and each other anew, and changing right before our eyes. The jury commends the filmmaker for the intimate dynamic he has formed with his subjects and for choosing to make their voices heard, unmediated. An important and timely film, it is a reminder of the power of documentary to refresh our experience of the world and make us question distorted worldviews. Behind the strong bond between subjects and audience is the director’s dedication to his subjects, and when the two meet, the magic happens. Special Jury Award A Perfect Housewife Jane Bibi Jury’s justification: A brave new voice, this filmmaker demonstrates an uncompromising relationship to her craft. Smashing through the restrictive taboos of traditional values, she forges new cinematic pathways to create an unforgettable portrait of the tremendous love that can exist between three generations of women. The Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo Award for Best Debut Film Wild Uriel Sinai, Danel Elpeleg Jury’s justification: Jumping between chaos and calm, poetry and humor, man and animal, this film transcends the clichés of its genre, providing a profoundly moving reflection on the fragility and preciousness of life. Best Cinematography Award In The Desert – A Documentary Diptych Cinematograper: Avner Faingulernt Jury’s justification: In this opus, the cinematographer succeeds in crafting through his lens an epic allegory of hope infused with biblical intonations. From the harshest landscapes to the most intimate moments of human interaction, the camera is used with respectful restraint to accentuate the creator’s vision. Best Editing Award The Wounded Healer Editor: Yithzhak Sverdlov Jury’s justification: The editor’s authorial stamp is strong and skillful, weaving the story with great sensitivity and leading us from scene to scene with natural confidence. The editing makes a series of twists and turns while compassionately revealing a complex character coming to terms with his tragic past. Research Award You Only Die Twice Research: Niko Hofinger Jury’s justification: Research is the heart and soul of this film, a film where the director works as investigator, uncovering a personal mystery to reveal a profound truth about family, brotherhood and forgiveness. Best Original Music Award A Sister’s Song Composer: Peter Venne Jury’s justification: In this film, a haunting original score interweaves the film’s competing dualities into the soundscape, fusing together the secular and the sacred worlds, the musical motifs succeed in mirroring the personal stories that unfold before us. AIDC Award for Innovative Filmmaking A Sister’s Song Danae Elon Jury’s justification: This award recognizes the daring vision of a filmmaker who has shown a clear and deep understanding of the filmic language. An authorial stamp marks the film on every level, infusing the text with multiple layers of meaning, resulting in a meditative, thought-provoking journey that continues long after the film concludes. Israeli Competition Best Director Award by Fipresci In The Desert – A Documentary Diptych Avner Faingulernt The International Federation of Film Critics award Jury’s justification: A personal and humane look at both sides of one of the biggest conflict zones in the Middle East. The director of In the Desert finds two separate lyrical languages to tell the film’s stories in a way that serves the differences and similarities between the two sides. Despite being challenging and demanding, the film manages not to patronize the viewers or its subjects. In a film that is tough and gentle at the same time, big concepts like ownership, family, spirituality and calling are all translated into human moments.INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION WINNERS
Best International Film Award The Distant Barking of Dogs Simon Lereng Wilmont Jury’s justification: Set in a village near the Ukraine/Russia frontline this highly accomplished film is a unique window into traumatic experience of growing up next to the battle zone in echoes of artillery fire. The International Competition Main Award goes to Simon Lereng Wilmont’s The Distant Barking of Dogs. Honorable Mention The Waldheim Waltz Ruth Beckermann Jury’s justification: The Honorable Mention goes to a film about truth and lies in politics. The filmmaker follows the investigation of the Jewish World Congress about the military past of the former General Secretary of the United Nations and Austrian President Kurt Waldheim, who has tried to hide his involvement in war crimes in Yugoslavia and Greece during World War II. The film combines private archival footage of the filmmaker with international material and shows how Waldheim and his conservative supporters tried to protect the myth of Austria as a victim of the Third Reich. Ruth Beckermann’s Waldheim Waltz is also a statement against growing populism and sometimes not even hidden anti-Semitism today.DEPTH OF FIELD COMPETITION
Artistic Vision Award Playing Men Matjaž Ivanišin Jury’s justification: For its strong, memorable and vibrant cinematic language, its bold and surprising storytelling and its creative and alternative approach to the way we see men. In Playing Men, the male state of being is addressed in a funny, timely and touching way.SHORTS COMPETITION WINNER
Best Short Film Award Tracing Addai Esther Niemeier Jury’s justification: The winner of the Docaviv Shorts Competition is a true story about a son who disappeared without a trace. Addai, a young man, leaves his mother’s home to join a group of Salafi Syrian fighters and disappears, never to return. The director pieces together fragmented memories, facts and moments into a gentle, story loaded with emotion, yet manages to avoid pathos. The storylines converge into an honest examination of grief, regret and lost hope.WINNERS OF THE STUDENTS COMPETITION IN MEMORY AND HONOR OF RUTHI GOTTESMAN
First Prize My Father’s Son Hillel Rate, Ma’aleh School of Television, Film and the Arts Jury’s justification: For its singular, emotionally stirring characters; for letting us glimpse at a uniquely close father-son relationship from a respectful, loving perspective; for drawing an unconventional portrait of religious masculinity. Second Prize The Bride’s Tree Shadi Habib Allah, Sam Spiegel Film and Television School Jury’s justification: For its gentle, patient and lyrical look at nature and its inhabitants; for dealing with history, identity and legacy as seen through the eyes of children being raised into a grim political reality. Third Prize A Train To The Horizon Sharon Shahanny, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jury’s justification: For turning the spotlight on the backyard of Israeli society and showing its personal and social aspects with sensitivity and humor. The day-to-day life stories the director has brought to the screen depict the complex human reality of life in the south of Israel, the far corner of its social consciousness.
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THE MOST DANGEROUS YEAR, Doc about Transgender Fight, to World Premiere at Seattle Int’l Film Festival [Trailer]
The Most Dangerous Year, a new documentary by Vlada Knowlton, about transgender fight in Washington state, will world premiere at the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival on May 29 and June 2.
In early 2016, when a dark wave of anti-transgender “bathroom bills” began sweeping across the nation, The Hu-man Rights Campaign published a report identifying 2016 as the most dangerous year for transgender Americans. In Washington State six such “bathroom bills” were introduced in the State Legislature. Documentary filmmaker Vlada Knowlton captured the ensuing civil rights battle from the perspective of a small group of embattled parents as they banded together to fight a deluge of proposed laws that would strip away the rights of their young, trans-gender children. As one of the parents, Knowlton presents an intimate portrait of her own struggle to protect her 5-year-old transgender daughter from laws inspired by hate and fear.
From tension-filled Senate hearings in Olympia to intimate household settings of the families involved; from thought provoking conversations with key lawmakers to elucidating facts explained by leading scientists – The Most Dangerous Year explores the transgender civil rights battle in all its richness and complexity. While the film follows the story and outcome of anti-transgender legislation in Washington, it culminates in a moving victory for Knowlton and the other families who, it turns out, won the battle before it even began. They won the moment they made the decision to accept and support their kids for exactly who they are
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR: Vlada Knowlton
Vlada is a Seattle-based filmmaker. Her first documentary feature, HAVING IT ALL, was selected by Washington’s PBS station, KCTS9, as the anchor program for its “Women Who Inspire” series in August, 2015, and went on to also be broadcast by Oregon Public Broadcasting. Its online premiere, presented by the organizations Flexjobs and 1 Million For Work Flexibility, was a press-covered event that included a panel discussion with Kelly Wallace of CNN. Her current documentary, The Most Dangerous Year, was awarded the Professional Grant from Women in Film Seattle and an Open 4Culture Grant. Prior to becoming a filmmaker Vlada worked at Microsoft. She holds a B.Sc. in Psychology from McGill University and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Brown University. https://vimeo.com/264539442
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Film Projects by Manuel Abramovich, Grigory Kolomytsev, Elena López Riera, Arantza Santesteban, and Nele Wohlatz Selected for 4th Ikusmira Berriak
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CHUPACABRA[/caption]
Filmmakers from Germany, Argentina, Spain, and Russia will develop their audiovisual projects within the framework of the Ikusmira Berriak program, which is celebrating its fourth edition this year.
The selection committee, which is comprised of members from the Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture, the San Sebastian Film Festival and, for the first time, Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola, has selected the following projects out of the 155 offerings received from 31 countries: in the international category, El oasis, by Argentine filmmaker Manuel Abramovich (Buenos Aires, 1987) and Dormen os peixes de olhos abertos, by Nele Wohlatz (Hannover, Germany, 1982); in the Spanish filmmaker category, El agua, by Elena López Riera (Orihuela, Spain, 1982); among filmmakers residing in the Basque Autonomous Community, 918 gau, by Arantza Santesteban (Pamplona, Spain, 1979); and among Nest alumni (International Film Students Meeting), Chupacabra, by Grigory Kolomytsev (Krasnodar, Russia, 1990).
Projects on daily life in prison, the porn industry, legends, childhood, and alienation inspire the five chosen offerings. The fifth project was chosen thanks to Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola’s partnership in the audiovisual residency program organised by the Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture and the San Sebastian Film Festival.
Several of the filmmakers chosen have enjoyed considerable success at international festivals. Abramovich has premiered his films in Berlin and Karlovy Vary, where he received a special mention, and last year Soldado, his latest film, was shown at Zabaltegi-Tabakalera; López Riera has presented two of her productions at the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes and Locarno; and Nele Wohlatz won the award for Best First Feature in Locarno and Zinebi with El Futuro Perfecto. Kolomytsev was selected two years in a row (2016 and 2017) at Nest, and the Arantza Santesteban’s latest work, co-directed with Irati Gorostidi, was shown at the last Festival in the Zinemira selection, at the Kimuak catalogue sessions for professionals.
PROJECTS
918 GAU
ARANTZA SANTESTEBAN (SPAIN) In the minuscule cell of a police van, a woman that has spent many years in prison told me: to be able to explain what prison is like, you need to have slept in one. Nearly a decade ago, I spent 918 nights in prison. This film is about what it means to live in an isolated world without images. Director’s bio/filmography A history graduate of the University of the Basque Country. She holds a degree in Creative Documentary from the Centre de Dones Francesca Bonemaison (2012, Barcelona). Likewise, she has trained in Documentary Film Writing with Carmen Ávalos (2013, Barcelona). She has carried out specific training with Víctor Erice (2015, San Sebastian) and Patricio Guzmán (2016, Madrid). In 2012, she began to work as a director in various documentaries, including the noteworthy Passatgeres, her first work. Together with others, she curated the GORPUTZ_GRAFIAK exhibition at the Koldo Mitxelena cultural centre (San Sebastian) in 2015. This work brings together genealogy and research work from the Basque Country’s feminist movement. Together with Irati Gorostidi, she directed Euritan in 2017, which was selected in the 2017 Kimuak catalogue. She has made the rounds at festivals such as San Sebastian, Punto de Vista, Miradas Doc, and the Malaga Film Festival. In 2017, she was selected by the Huarte Centre of Contemporary Art to carry out a curatorial research residency, through which she will curate the Imágenes a través: reflexiones sobre imágenes en conflictos (‘Traversing images: reflections on images in conflict’) international seminar in June of 2018. She is a researcher of the Communication, culture, society, and politics master’s program (UNED-Spain), and studies questions that relate to cinematographic representation, feminism, and contemporary political conflicts. Director’s note There are numerous cinematographic narratives about prison, however, in my opinion, they are always missing something. What these images reflect are not daily conditions in prison, but ways in which the popular consciousness about them works. Cells, yards, fences, organised crime, terrorism, and drugs… These are elements that are a part of our prior characterisations. However, it is practically impossible to represent questions that are fundamental to understanding daily life in prison: the passing of time, isolation from the outside world, the physical and psychological consequences of confinement, opaque spaces of domination, etc. This film will address those topics.CHUPACABRA
GRIGORY KOLOMYTSEV (RUSSIA) Nine years old Andrey lives on the outskirt of a small village near the White Sea. Nervous, tired of poverty and fatherlessness mother keeps Andrey in constant tension and beats him. She threatens to send his son to the orphanage at the slightest misconduct from his side. Once Andrey finds a dead dog on the seashore in a storm – he decides that it is a mystical beast “Chupacabra”, a goat vampire, which will save his mother from ills and help them to reunite. Andrey heard on TV that whom Chupacabra bites at the full moon will become Chupacabra himself. Andrey scratches his hand the dead fang. Director’s bio/filmography Grigory Kolomytsev (1990, Russia) graduated from the Russian State University of Cinematography (VGIK) in 2017 (workshop of the Kott brothers). His debut short film Three Sisters (2015) was Semifinalist of the 43d Student Academy Awards. His next short work Mary was shown at more then 60 festivals including San Sebastian, Cairo, Camerimage, ZINEBI, etc. In 2017 he shooted his diploma film I’m Staying on the Black sea shore where he spent his childhood. It was shown at San Sebastian, Premiers Plans – Festival D’Angers, Winterthur etc. Chupacabra will be his debut feature film. Director’s note For me it is very important to make a debut picture about childhood – the necessary distance has already been passed, but feelings and memories are still hot. I was born near the sea. There was my first death experence. Sound of waves and wind is the sound of my childhood, tears of mother is my main humane feeling. Andrey, this small autistic boy, sincerely believes that there is no death, that he can find love by sacrificing himself. This is a film about the ordeal of a little Holy child. It is a “Life of Saint Andrey”.DORMEN OS PEIXES DE OLHOS ABERTOS
NELE WOHLATZ (GERMANY) Three outsiders in a tropical city, passing through places that could be anywhere. A condominium tower with white, empty rooms, made in China bric-a-brac stores, a shark-infested beach, the sea. Lixue, Ah, and Bo live in a reality that sometimes seems like fiction and, perhaps, a prediction of the future for the world’s cities. Three verses in an incomplete song, but who is speaking through whom? The alienation of the tree, who are so different, yet so similar. Director’s bio/filmography Nele Wohlatz (1982, Hannover) studied art and film in Karlsruhe and Buenos Aires. She created the short films La mochila perfecta and Tres oraciones sobre la Argentina, and co-directed Ricardo Bär. The first full-length film she directed on her own was El futuro perfecto, which was shown at more than 60 international festivals and won numerous awards, including such as the Best First Feature award at Locarno. Director’s note Recife is a city with a great deal of history, yet it seems that urban development is focused on erasing its mark and replacing it with the feeling of an airport: generic towers with private security surrounded by high walls, shopping centres, and urban highways that connect these locations. I want to make a film could take place anywhere, because it is about people that came for different reasons, but do not belong in their new city. After my first visit to Recife I thought, why not here? Behind its anonymous face, the city is full of ruptures, warmth, and peculiarities.
EL AGUA
ELENA LÓPEZ RIERA (SPAIN) It is summertime, and the threat of a powerful storm hangs over a town in the Spanish Levant. Ana is 17 years old and has grown up in the shadows of her mother who disappeared in the last flood, becoming phantasmagorical legend, a character for the townswomen who say that the water there is always mixed with death. In this electric atmosphere before the storm, Ana meets Jose, her first love. Director’s bio/filmography Elena López holds a doctorate in Audiovisual Communication and is a filmmaker. She has directed Pueblo (2015), which debuted at the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes, and Las vísceras (2016), which premiered at the Locarno Festival. She is a member of the Lacasinegra collective, through which she co-directed Pas à Genève. She has also worked as a producer for the Seville, Belfort, and Visions du Réel festivals. Director’s note I was born in Orihuela, a town in the Spanish Levant divided by the Segura, one of Europe’s most polluted rivers. I grew up with my mother, my grandmother, and my aunts, surrounded by women that used to tell all kinds of stories to take the ease off the long afternoons of asphyxiating heat. These stories almost always had a true origin (based on events, secrets whispered between neighbours, or family stories), but changed with each new version until some of them became truly fantastic tales. This is surely why I decided, one day, to make films. It was my way of participating in this popular, collective tale that does not distinguish between history and poetry.EL OASIS
MANUEL ABRAMOVICH (ARGENTINA) “Why do you want to do porn?” they ask at the casting. “Because I love to feign pleasure”. How does pleasure itself become a performance? If an adult film actor transforms their sexuality into a show, where do they find true pleasure? Director’s bio/filmography Manuel Abramovich (Buenos Aires, 1987) is a director, producer, and directory of photography. His work challenges the limits between reality and fiction, and reflects on the concept of an author in so-called ‘documentary filmmaking’. He has directed La Reina (2013), Las Luces (2014), Solar (2016), Soldado (2017), and Años Luz (2017). His works have received numerous awards, and have been shown at festivals and artistic institutions such as the Berlinale, Venice, San Sebastian, MoMA, Cinéma du Réel, IDFA, Tribeca, Tabakalera, Film Society of Lincoln Center, BAFICI, and Documenta Madrid. He was selected for various grants and residencies, including the Fondo Nacional de las Artes (Buenos Aires), Tres Puertos (Mexico and Chile), EMARE (Germany), and others. Currently, he is developing a trilogy focused on sex work and pornography in three cities: Berlin, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires. Años Luz, 2017, Argentina/Spain/Brazil, 72′. Soldado, 2017, Argentina, 73′. Solar, 2016, Argentina, 75′. Las Luces, 2014, Argentina, 6′. La Reina, 2013, Argentina, 19′. Director’s note El Oasis is a film on the construction of intimacy as a show. This is also the second piece of a trilogy that I am producing on the male body used as a business, focused on pornography and sex work in three cities (Berlin, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires). I am interested in the porn industry as a context to talk about sex in a world where the self is constructed by others, where we must be connected to exist and be seen. How does the body itself become a performance? How does pleasure act? The five filmmakers will enjoy a residency of six weeks in San Sebastian from 20 August. In the first four, the filmmakers will develop their projects at Tabakalera’s Creator’s Space, and will receive master classes and guidance from members of this edition’s expert committee, which includes Irish producer Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, Brazilian filmmaker Sergio Oksman and TorinoFilmLab director, Savina Neirotti, who have guided the judges panel in their selection. In the fifth week of the residency, the participants will prepare the pitching session, which involves a project presentation to the industry during the sixth and final week of the residency. The session is part of the San Sebastian Film Festival. The residents will have the opportunity to arrange meetings with attending professionals who are interested in collaborating in their projects, and will receive an access pass to screenings and the Festival’s other industry activities. Ikusmira Berriak will also provide financial support amounting to 25,000 euros, which will be distributed among the projects selected. In addition, REC Grabaketa Estudioa will offer its feature film post-production services as a prize, which is valued at 35,000 euros. Ikusmira Berriak is a program that seeks to involve new talent as well as producers and people from the audiovisual industry who support innovation and new languages. It is organised by Tabakalera, the San Sebastian Film Festival and Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola in collaboration with REC Grabaketa Estudioa and the Basque Film Archive, and is part of the San Sebastian 2016 European Capital of Culture legacy.
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Watch First Official Trailer for Dark Comedy THE SISTERS BROTHERS Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal
Brothers by blood. Sisters by name. Here is the first official trailer for dark comedy The Sisters Brothers. The film, written and directed by Jacques Audiard, stars Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Riz Ahmed; and will be released in theaters in Fall 2018.
Based on Patrick Dewitt’s acclaimed novel of the same name, follows two brothers – Eli and Charlie Sisters – who are hired to kill a prospector who has stolen from their boss. The story, a genre-hybrid with comedic elements, takes place in Oregon in 1851. The film is Jacques Audiard’s follow-up to his Palme D’Or Winning DHEEPAN, which premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OwvqKwTKmE
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LOVE, CECIL, Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s Portrait of Style Icon Cecil Beaton, Sets Release Date [Trailer]
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Cecil Beaton Selfies Late 1910’s[/caption]
Zeitgeist Films, in association with Kino Lorber, will release LOVE, CECIL, a documentary portrait of the legendary Cecil Beaton directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland (Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel, Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict).
Winner of the Hamptons International Film Festival’s Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, the film premiered at the 2017 Telluride Film Festival and went on to screen at a number of festivals including DOC NYC and Palm Springs. LOVE, CECIL will open in New York on Friday, June 29 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center with a national rollout to follow.
Photographer, Oscar-winning set and costume designer (My Fair Lady, Gigi), writer, painter, and self-professed dandy Cecil Beaton was not only a dazzling chronicler, but an arbiter of his time. From the Bright Young Things to the front lines of war to the international belle monde and the pages of Vogue, and then onto the Queen’s official photographer—Beaton embodied the cultural and political changes of the twentieth century. In this tender portrait, director Lisa Immordino Vreeland blends evocative archival footage and photographs with excerpts from his diaries—wittily narrated by Rupert Everett—to capture his legacy as a complex and unique creative force. Dynamic and lyrical, LOVE, CECIL is an examination of Beaton’s singular sense of the visual, which dictated a style that set standards of creativity that continue to resonate and inspire today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xznzK0EOwfs
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“To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Windsor” Shines Spotlight on LGBTQ Icon Edie Windsor [Trailer]
Filmmaker Donna Zaccaro’s illuminating new documentary “To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Windsor” shines a powerful light on historic LGBTQ civil rights figure Edie Windsor. CineLife Entertainment will bring the Ferrodonna Features Inc. acclaimed documentary to more than 150 screens nationwide beginning on June 7, 2018 with Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, D.C., Denver, Atlanta, Austin, Palm Springs, San Diego, etc. timed to the anniversary of this landmark Supreme Court decision.
The film features interviews with notable voices in this civil rights battle, including: Roberta Kaplan (Windsor Attorney), Pam Karlan (Windsor Legal Team & Co-Director, Stanford Supreme Court Litigation Clinic), Rosie O’Donnell (Comedian, Actor & Activist), Frank Rich (Writer-At-Large, NY Magazine), Hilary Rosen (Communications Advisor & LGBT Activist), Richard Socarides (White House Special Assistant & Advisor to President Clinton), Matt Staver (Founder & Chairman of Liberty Counsel), Jeff Toobin (CNN Legal Analyst & New Yorker Staff Writer), Nina Totenberg (Legal Affairs Correspondent for National Public Radio), Tony West (Former Associate U.S. Attorney General), Edie Windsor (Plaintiff), Evan Wolfson (Founder & President of Freedom to Marry), among others.
“It is a true privilege to be working with Donna and the Ferrodonna team on this brilliant and important film” said CineLife Entertainment’s Managing Director Mark Rupp. “We look forward to bringing Edith Windsor’s story to a discerning audience on big screens across the US for Pride Month.”
“To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Windsor” shares a rich tapestry of love, marriage, and a fight for equality. The film chronicles unlikely heroes — octogenarian Edie Windsor and her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, on their quest for justice. Upon the death of her spouse Thea Spyer, Windsor was forced to pay a huge estate tax bill because the government denied federal benefits to same-sex couples. Windsor became a renowned LGBTQ civil rights advocate when she chose to sue the United States government to recognize her more than 40 year union– and won. Windsor and Kaplan’s legal and personal journeys go beyond the story of this pivotal case in the marriage equality movement as Zaccaro tells the story of our journey as a culture, and as a country that promises its citizens equal rights for all.
“To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Windsor” Director/Producer Donna Zaccaro is the Founder & President of Ferrodonna Features Inc., a non-profit film production company with a mission of producing films about women, women’s issues, and social justice issues. Previously, Zaccaro Directed/Produced “Geraldine Ferraro: Paving the Way,” the critically acclaimed documentary about the trailblazer who made history as the first woman to run for national office on a major party ticket, which debuted on Showtime. Prior to founding her media production company, Zaccaro was an award-winning producer for the “Today” show at NBC News.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W4CfhlA_6c
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ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND to Kickoff Hamptons International Film Festival 10th SummerDocs series
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Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind[/caption]
The Hamptons International Film Festival will kick off the 10th Anniversary SummerDocs series with HBO’s ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND on Friday, June 29, at 7pm, followed by a conversation with director Marina Zenovich. On Saturday, July 21, at 7pm, director Dava Whisenant’s BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY will screen. The series will conclude with CHEF FLYNN on Saturday, August 25, at 7pm, with director Cameron Yates and celebrated chef Flynn McGarry scheduled to attend.
“We are excited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our SummerDocs series with three dynamic films covering a variety of topics, including a legendary actor, forgotten Broadway musicals and a culinary prodigy. Over the last decade we have captivated audiences with some of the most incredible storytelling and know that our 10th anniversary continues that tradition,” said HIFF Co-Chairman and SummerDocs series presenter Alec Baldwin.
SummerDocs host (and HIFF Co-Chair) Alec Baldwin will once again lead conversations with filmmakers and guests, presenting new and groundbreaking documentary filmmaking and thought-provoking stories to the East End at Guild Hall of East Hampton.
ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND
Director: Marina Zenovich
A funny, intimate and heartbreaking portrait of one of the world’s most beloved and inventive comedians, ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND takes us through his extraordinary life and career and reveals what drove him to give voice to the characters in his mind. Told largely by Robin himself, with a wealth of never-before-seen footage, and informed by in-depth interviews with those who loved and knew him, the film features Billy Crystal, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Pam Dawber, Zak Williams and many others. Directed by Marina Zenovich. Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind will premiere on HBO on Monday, July 16th. In conversation: director Marina Zenovich
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BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY[/caption]
BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY
Director: Dava Whisenant
When he started as a comedy writer for the LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, Steve Young had few interests outside of his day job. But while gathering material for a segment on the show, Steve stumbled onto a few vintage record albums that would change his life forever. Bizarre cast recordings—marked “internal use only”—revealed full-throated Broadway-style musical shows about some of the most recognizable corporations in America: General Electric, McDonald’s, Ford, DuPont, Xerox. Steve didn’t know much about musical theater, but these recordings delighted him in a way that nothing ever had. BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY follows Steve Young on his quest to find all he can about this hidden world. While tracking down rare albums, unseen footage, composers and performers, Steve forms unlikely friendships and discovers how this discarded musical genre starring tractors and bathtubs was bigger than Broadway. With David Letterman, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, Florence Henderson, Susan Stroman, Jello Biafra and more. In conversation: director Dava Whisenant
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Flynn McGarry appears in Chef Flynn by Cameron Yates[/caption]
CHEF FLYNN
Director: Cameron Yates
While many of young Flynn McGarry’s peers were playing video games, he was creating remarkable gastronomic delights far beyond his years at his home in Studio City, California. Flynn’s family encouraged him to pursue his creative passion, and his unique journey was thoroughly documented by his artist mother. He loved to prepare elaborate dinners for friends and family and soon became known as the “Teen Chef,” establishing his own supper club at age 12 and being featured in a New York Times Magazine cover story at age 15. Before he was 16, he had staged in top restaurants in Los Angeles, New York, and Europe. Trying to stay focused on his dream, Flynn had to weather the critics who challenged his rapid ascent in the culinary world. With access to a trove of personal archival footage and including new, intimate vérité footage, director Cameron Yates creates a collage of Flynn’s singular focus and distinctive path through childhood. CHEF FLYNN shares a rare view of a young man’s successful rise from the inside. In conversation: director Cameron Yates and celebrated chef Flynn McGarry
Past SummerDocs selections, including ICARUS (2017), TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM (2013), LAST DAYS OF VIETNAM (2014), THE COVE (2009), SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN (2012) and HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE (2012), have gone on to receive Academy Award® wins and nominations. What will audiences discover this year?