Films

HBO to Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month With ‘Visionary’ Short Film Program [Video]

[caption id="attachment_28669" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] From left: HBO APA Visionaries finalists Huay-Bing Law, Feng-I Fiona Roan, and Maritte Go.[/caption] In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, HBO will premiere the second installment of Asian Pacific American Visionaries, a short film program featuring the works of emerging Asian American directors on May 7th. The trio of films, which explores historic – and timely – issues of immigration, racism and assimilation, will be available to stream across all of HBO’s on-demand and digital platforms (including HBO NOW®, HBO GO®, HBO On Demand® and streaming partner platforms) through the end of the month.
About the films
[caption id="attachment_28670" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Remittance[/caption] ‘Remittance’ by Maritte Go, is the story of a Filipino cruise worker who receives a call informing her that her son is in the hospital. [caption id="attachment_28671" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] June[/caption] ‘June,‘ directed by Huay-Bing Law, is set on an American college campus during the 1960s and chronicles the experience of a young Chinese woman as she attends her husband’s graduation. [caption id="attachment_28672" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Jie Jie[/caption] ‘Jiejie,‘ directed by Feng-I Fiona, is a portrait of two young sisters being raised by a single immigrant mother in Los Angeles during the 1990s. The three shorts are the top finalists of this year’s HBO Asian Pacific American Visionaries, a national competition that offers emerging directors of Asian and/or Pacific Islander descent the opportunity to showcase their work. Launched in 2016, the contest was created to help further the dialogue about race, diversity and representation in Hollywood while also identifying new cinematic storytellers who offer unique perspectives of the Asian Pacific American experience. The winner of this year’s competition will be announced on May 7 at HBO Asian Pacific American Visionaries. “HBO is proud to provide these young artists the opportunity to showcase their talents and share their unique stories through Asian Pacific American Visionaries,” said Jackie Gagne, VP Multicultural Marketing at HBO. “As a leader in the conversation about diversity in Hollywood, initiatives like Asian Pacific American Visionaries enable new voices to be seen and heard.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJeAi4Z84Mc
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Netflix Debuts Trailer for Documentary EVIL GENIUS on 2003 Pennsylvania ‘Pizza Bomber Heist’

Netflix today dropped the trailer for the documentary Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist. 2:28 PM. August 28, 2003. A man walks into a bank with a bomb locked around his neck. This is a true story. In 2003 in Erie, Pennsylvania, a robbery gone wrong and a terrifying public murder capture the nation’s attention, and a bizarre collection of Midwestern hoarders, outcasts, and lawbreakers play cat-and-mouse with the FBI. The Netflix Original Documentary Series From the Executive Producers of Wild Wild Country will launch globally on the streaming platform on May 11. From the executive producers of Wild Wild Country, the truth behind an extraordinary criminal case, known as the “pizza bomber heist,” is brought to light in the four-part Netflix original documentary series Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist. In 2003 in Erie, Pennsylvania, a robbery gone wrong and a terrifying public murder capture the nation’s attention, and a bizarre collection of Midwestern hoarders, outcasts, and lawbreakers play cat-and-mouse with the FBI. Eventually, a middle-aged mastermind named Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong – once a town beauty, now a woman grappling with mental illness – is arrested. But 15 years later, Evil Genius proves there’s more to the conspiracy and murders than was ever thought. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpdb9zo_1t8
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Showtime to Debut Docu-Comedy Series JUST ANOTHER IMMIGRANT Starring UK Comedian Romesh Ranganathan

[caption id="attachment_28649" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Romesh Ranganathan[/caption] Showtime will premiere a new docu-comedy unscripted series centered around popular UK comedian Romesh Ranganathan called Just Another Immigrant. The 10-episode, half-hour series will air two episodes on Fridays beginning June 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Just Another Immigrant is a comedic docuseries that follows Romesh Ranganathan, one of the most popular stand-ups in the UK, as he uproots his entire family – his supportive wife, their three kids, his Sri Lankan mother and his eccentric uncle – and immigrates to the U.S. Displaced in Los Angeles, Ranganathan attempts to find success and happiness, while rebuilding a life from scratch. In addition to his efforts to adapt, he has committed himself to booking a U.S. gig – the 6,000-seat Greek Theater – with only three months to sell it out. The series chronicles the true-life adventures of this modern immigrant family and the obstacles of making it in today’s America. Ranganathan debuted on the British comedy circuit in 2010 and was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2013 Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Since then Ranganathan has appeared on multiple television shows and is well-known for his performances on Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, The Royal Variety Show and A League Of Their Own, among others. Ranganathan’s hit series Asian Provocateur followed his escapades after being sent by his mother to his parents’ homeland of Sri Lanka in an attempt to connect him with his roots. The series earned the comedian his first BAFTA nomination. In 2016 Ranganathan embarked on his solo tour ‘Irrational’ and was awarded Ents24 Hardest Working Comedian of the Year. Just Another Immigrant is a co-production of Rangabee Productions, JSA Olive Oil and Renegade. Eric Pankowski (Carpool Karaoke), Benjamin Green (Asian Provocateur) and Ranganathan are executive producers, with Green directing. David Garfinkle and Jay Renfroe (Naked and Afraid) also serve as executive producers.
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First Look: See Trailer + Poster for UK Sci Fi Horror Comedy CANARIES

Ahead of the Marche du Film in Cannes (May 8th-17th 2018) the first trailer and poster has been released for the UK sci fi horror comedy ‘Canaries’. ‘Canaries’ from Welsh writer/director Peter Stray is about a group of friends at a New Year’s Eve bash in the Welsh Valley, who must fight against an invasion force of time travelling aliens. The film stars Robert Pugh (Game Of Thrones, Doctor Who, Master & Commander) and Hannah Daniel (Netflix’s Hinterland). Canaries is first title in the Cannes lineup for Genre sales specialists Devilworks.
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Abu Dhabi-Set Animated Feature Film CATSAWAY Debuts Trailer

The first glimpse of ‘Catsaway’, a new animated feature-length film by Emirati director Fadel Saeed AlMuhairi, trailer was released today on the twofour54 Abu Dhabi YouTube channel. It is being directed by AlMuhairi, who also helmed ‘Abood Kandaishan’, which was nominated for 2014’s Muhr Emirati Award at Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). The movie, which is the director’s first animated film, is about a group of cats trying to make a home in Abu Dhabi as the city evolves around them. It features traditional hand-drawn animation rather than computer generated images. ‘Catsaway’ is being produced by Tent Pictures Productions, in cooperation with Juice Studios in Poland, and is being made at twofour54, where the company is based. After more than a year of pre-production work, production started earlier this year on the film. H.E. Maryam Eid AlMheiri, CEO of Media Zone Authority – Abu Dhabi and twofour54, said of the director: “Fadel is a long-standing member of our thriving media ecosystem at twofour54 and a wonderful example of the incredible creative talent that we are developing in Abu Dhabi as we realise our vision of being the Capital for content creators. ‘Catsaway’ is expected to get its theatrical release later this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWpDEvdp1Kw
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Watch Trailer for ‘TROLL, INC.’ Expose on World’s Most Famous Internet Troll, Andrew ‘Weev’ Auernheimer

Troll Inc., director George Russell‘s spellbinding expose on Andrew ‘Weev’ Auernheimer, described as the world’s most famous internet troll, has released the official trailer and poster. The film will be available on VOD May 22. From innocent meme culture to malicious propaganda, the avant-garde has moved online and they have an agenda. Emerging from deep within underground computer programming culture, internet trolls are disenfranchised and using the click-bait obsessed mass media to propel their performance art into the mainstream. Whether mischievously entertaining the masses, influencing presidential elections, or manipulating journalists and corporations, trolls are either saving us or driving our culture off of a cliff. Prosecuted as a whistleblower by the Federal Government, Troll Inc. follows the world’s most famous Internet troll, Andrew Auernheimer, and his merry band of provocateurs as they take on corporate America, the media, and political-correctness. Hung on a meticulously framed, no-holds-barred interview with Auernheimer that took three, six-hour days, and at which the only sustenance served was plenty of high-definition rope, TROLLS INC. features case studies of his most notorious, just-barely illegal actions, like that time he revealed a gaping security hole in the iPad’s partnership with AT&T and when he erased all books with gay content from Amazon dot anything-but-calm. After viewing Troll. Inc., its hard not to wonder if the grand scale of these invasions into our privacy and passions, by virtue of their regularity and overwhelming scope, didn’t somehow numb us to the very notion of privacy and normalizing this new Internet “fake news” attack culture, paving the way for the Kremlin to master the art of the troll and undermining our democracy right under our noses and in our own virtual backyards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ajiyxkIG-4
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Documentary THE FINAL YEAR Following President Obama’s Foreign-Policy Team During His Last Year in Office Sets HBO Debut Date [Trailer]

During his last year in office, President Obama’s foreign-policy team worked to solidify the administration’s policies amidst immense challenges. The Final Year offers an insider’s look at key figures, including Secretary of State John Kerry, UN Ambassador Samantha Power, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes and National Security Advisor Susan Rice, as they sought to promote diplomacy and redefine how the U.S. confronts questions of war and peace, all while preparing to hand over the machinery of American power to a new administration. Directed by Greg Barker (HBO’s Emmy(R)-winning “Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden”), the revealing behind-the-scenes documentary debuts Monday, May 21 (8:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), on HBO. The film will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and partners’ streaming platforms. Shooting from late 2015 until 3:00 a.m. on the morning of Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2017, director Greg Barker and his crew filmed extensively in the White House, the State Department and the United Nations, following their subjects to 21 countries, among them Austria, Cameroon, Chad, Cuba, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Nigeria, the UK and Vietnam. Among the events chronicled in The Final Year: Secretary of State Kerry is in Vienna for the Iran Nuclear Deal, which he calls “as serious a moment in diplomacy as you can get.” Meanwhile, the president is in Vietnam, where he holds a forum for young people. Advisor Ben Rhodes is focused on writing President Obama’s unprecedented upcoming speech in Japan to mark the 71st anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. In Vienna, Secretary Kerry attends more than 30 meetings on the situation in Syria over two days, while UN Ambassador Power sits down with Syrian refugees to hear their heartrending stories. While Kerry and Power try to broker peace for Syria, Advisor Rhodes is in Havana, where he reflects on the newly open relationship between the U.S. and Cuba, saying, “If these two countries can try to put the past behind them, maybe we all can do that.” In Laos prior to a presidential visit, Advisor Rhodes notes that the rhetoric of the presidential campaign is worrying people around the world. In the U.S., Ambassador Power speaks at the citizenship ceremony for her babysitter, Maria, noting emotionally that she is an immigrant herself. Next, she visits high security-risk areas in Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria to help bring attention to the hundreds of girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, who have not been found after two years. After becoming the first U.S. president to visit Laos, site of the 1964-1973 “secret war” that still claims victims from unexploded bombs, President Obama and his team prepare for UN General Assembly meetings in New York. With the situation in Syria front and center, there are heated arguments for and against military intervention, but National Security Advisor Rice points out that disagreement is important, noting, “You don’t want groupthink around a table.” On election night 2016, Ambassador Power hosts a gathering with Madeleine Albright, Gloria Steinem and female UN ambassadors, but the mood is dampened when it becomes clear Hillary Clinton won’t be the next president. Although his successor will likely reverse his policies, President Obama, visiting Athens on his final trip as head of state, is hopeful. “History doesn’t follow a straight line,” he says. “It zigs and zags.” In the days before Donald Trump’s inauguration, Kerry, Rhodes and Power pack up their offices. Vowing to continue their work, Power says, “We’re in this for the long haul.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFlb1sAqvO0 The Final Year, which had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, was hailed as “compelling… irresistible… deeply moving” by the Hollywood Reporter, while the Wrap called it “immense and intimate.” In addition to the Emmy(R)-winning “Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden,” director Greg Barker’s HBO credits include “Homegrown: The Counter-Terror Dilemma,” “Koran by Heart” and the Emmy(R)-nominated “Sergio.” The Final Year is directed by Greg Barker; produced by Julie Goldman, John Battsek, Greg Barker; co-executive producers, Kerstin Emhoff, Andrew Ruhemann. For HBO: senior producer, Nancy Abraham; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.
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21st American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes Film Festival to Feature 27 Short Films

[caption id="attachment_28594" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Dirty Bomb[/caption] The 2018 lineup for the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase will feature an impressive program features 27 short documentary and narrative films by up-and-coming filmmakers from the U.S. and around the world, all of which will screen at The American Pavilion during the Cannes Film Festival. The showcase encompasses five sections, including: Student Short Films, Student Documentaries, Emerging Filmmaker Short Films, Emerging Filmmaker Documentaries, and Emerging Filmmaker LGBTQ Showcase films. In a second year partnership with KCETLink Media Group, a leading national independent nonprofit public broadcast and digital network, three of the films from the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase will be featured in the FINE CUT broadcast television series, which will begin airing in the fall on KCET independent public television in Southern California. A flagship program for Los Angeles’ KCET public television since the late ‘90s, the Fine Cut festival was founded by actor Jack Larson, best known for his portrayal of photographer/reporter Jimmy Olsen in the 1952-1958 television series “Adventures of Superman,” on the idea that public television was an excellent platform for providing critical visibility to student and emerging filmmakers. The films in this year’s Emerging Filmmaker Showcase focus on themes as diverse as the sexual violence, Alzheimer’s, bullying, holocaust, father/daughter stories, falling for Mr. Wrong, women entrepreneurs, online dating, coming to terms with sexual orientation, the impact of social media, werewolves and zombies to name a few. A variety of stars are featured, including: Jamie McShane, Marlyne Barrett, Elizabeth Guest, Mary Kate Wiles, Maya Kazan,Charlotte Ritchie, Ed White, Shawn Ryan, Candi Milo, Scott Cooper Ryan, Bernard White, Meera Syal, Doug Tompos, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Petersen, Ido Samuel, James Babson, J. Michael Trautmann, Shani Atias, Leif Gantvoort, Bart McCarthy, Ioanna Meli, and more. Female directors are once again well represented in The Showcase, with more than half of the films directed by women. Student filmmakers hail from schools across the United States, including: School of Visual Arts, Santa Monica College, Chapman University Dodge College of Media Arts, USC, Yale School of Drama, Florida State University, UC Berkeley School of Journalism, Brooklyn Film College, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Art Center College of Design, AFI Directing Workshop for Women, and The Young Actors’ Theatre Camp. “This year’s showcase promotes a wide selection of themes, cultural diversity amongst the films and filmmakers and I’m excited that again this year, more than half of the finalist films are directed by women,” said Monika Skerbelis, Programming Director.
STUDENT DOCUMENTARY
HALE 2017, 20:24 min., USA, Documentary, UC Berkeley School of Journalism Producer/Writer/Director: Brad Bailey Cast: Hale Zukas, Judith Heuman, Zona Roberts Born with cerebral palsy, Hale Zukas is the grandfather of disability movement, started in Berkeley, California. Every morning, he still wakes up for the fight to live independently with dignity, strength, and courage. PEACEKEEPER 2017, 13 min., USA, Florida State University, Documentary Producers/Directors: Nicholas Markart, Tyler Knutt Cast: Judith LeBlanc, Lewis Grassrope, Ray Taken Alive, William Brown Otter, Margaret Landin Native Americans from Standing Rock speak out on the pipeline, the repetition of history, and their roles as water-protectors in a struggle for modern sovereignty. BUILD RAMPS NOT WALLS 2018, 13:20 min., Documentary/Sports, USA/Mexico, Brooklyn Film College Director: Brian Adamkiewicz Producer: Rebecca Frances Scotti Cast: Emilio Fernandez, Nathaniel Rabinor Shown through the eyes of an 8-year-old American-Mexican boy, Build Ramps Not Wallsdocuments a bi-national skate community in Mexico seeking a positive response to the negative rhetoric between Mexico and the USA after the 2016 presidential elections. JESSICA CLARK RACING 2017, 4:57 min., USA, Documentary, Art Center College of Design Producer/Writer/Director: Ellen Houlihan Cast: Jessica Clark Jessica Clark, a 21-year-old race car driver from Ventura, California dreams of racing in NASCAR one day. As a confident and driven woman in a male-dominated career field, she is an empowering example of a woman defying the odds and resisting any challenge she encounters on and off the track.
STUDENT SHORT FILMS
THE RISEN 2018, 7:43 min., USA, Drama/Thriller, The Young Actors’ Theatre Camp Director: John Ainsworth Co-Directors: Monica Jeon, Olivia Ingram, Sarah Whalen Writers: Sarah Elizabeth Whalen, Brad Griffith Producers: John Ainsworth, Shawn Ryan, Valerie Dohrer Cast: Marguerite Williamson, Reed Wylie-Chaney, Jolie Orban Without warning or any explanation, all kids on earth have woken up to an overtaken planet. The kids retreat to live in the forest until they receive a signal that the threat has receded… but has it truly? Can the kids get along with each other long enough to survive the destruction of earth? A CHRISTMAS DINNER 2017, 5:41 min., USA, Comedy, University Nevada Las Vegas Writer/Director: Tyler Yarbro Producer: Melissa Del Rosario Cast: David Kurtz, Spiro Siavelis, Kevin Fitzpatrick A family’s nutcracker Christmas dinner is interrupted when the narrator unveils their darkest secrets. BROADSIDE 2017, 3:25 min., USA, Animation, School of Visual Arts Writer/Director: Jodi Chamberlain Producer: Jimmy Calhoun Cast: Lisa O’Hara She just wants to enjoy a snack, but when this salty old sailor is attacked by a beast many times larger than her boat, she must think and act fast in this spaghetti-western sci-fi monster movie about wit, grit, and cunning. NIGHT CALL 2017, 17:39 min., USA, Drama/Action, Chapman University Dodge College of Film & Media Arts Writer/Director: Amanda Renee Knox Producers: Phabillia Afflack-Borja, Miriam Anwari Cast: Marlyne Barrett, Rachael Holmes, Delaney Williams, Matthieu Jean-Pierre When on a routine patrol, a Black female cop living in and patrolling Inglewood gets called to a disturbance she is forced to make an unprecedented life altering decision. GLORIA TALKS FUNNY 2017, 18:27 min., USA, Comedy/Dramedy, Chapman University Dodge College of Film & Media Arts Writer/Director: Kendall Goldberg Producer: Michael Stanziale Cast: Candi Milo, Ryan Stiffelman, Shawn Ryan, Jon Heder, Jeremy Shada When struggling voice actress, Gloria, discovers her agent failed to tell her that her claim-to-fame cartoon is being remade, she sets her sights on reprising her role as the famous BioBoy.
DOCUMENTARY
ZEBRAFISH: PRACTICALLY PEOPLE, TRANSFORMING THE STUDY OF DISEASE 2018, 9:54 min., USA, Documentary Producer/Director: Jennifer Manner Writer: Dr. Wendy Leonard Healthcare spending is out of control. What if we could get better biomedical data, spend pennies on the dollar, and get results in a fraction of the time? Zebrafish, a proven but under-recognized and underutilized biomedical research model, can do that. Zebrafish are human avatars. GUNS FOUND HERE 2018, 10:05 min., USA, Documentary Director: David Freid Producer: Mor Albalak An American paper trail. When there’s a gun crime in America, there’s only one place to go to trace the gun back to its owner: Martinsburg, West Virginia. That’s where the ATF’s National Tracing Center handles roughly 8,000 active traces per day
EMERGING SHORT FILMS
ALL THE MARBLES 2017, 17 min., USA, Family, Drama, Fantasy Director: Michael Swingler Producers/Writers: Michael Swingler, Carl Petersen Cast: Carl Petersen, Christopher Franciosa, Cole Sand, Helen Sadler, Micah Fitzgerald A little boy challenges a villainous bully to a game of marbles in a bizarre and fantastical world where marbles are as precious as gold. G[R]O[W]ING UP 2017, 9:55 min., USA, Romance Producer/Writer/Director: Annabelle K. Frost Line Producer: Cherryl Siena Espinoza Cast: Mary Kate Wiles, Billy Beck, Scott Cooper Ryan, Larry Clarke, Fran Bennett, Terri Ivens, Evan Arnold A naive elevator operator becomes smitten when she meets a winsome new tenant in the spring. She falls deep in love over the summer only to hit troubled times in the fall. Frozen by her predicament, she withdraws through the winter. Will she find love before spring returns? DIRTY BOMB 2017, 14:59 min., USA, Drama/Action/History Writer/Director: Valerie McCaffrey Producers: Brian Kelly Jones, Jennifer Tung, Stefan Simon Cast: Ido Samuel, J. Michael Trautmann, Dallas Hart, Hunter Doohan, James Babson, Clayton Haymes, Stefan Simon, Robert Arce, Connor Linnerooth, Matt Otstot, Windy Hamilton, Tara Soojian Signing his own death wish, a concentration camp prisoner sabotages the construction of the V-2 bomb against the Nazis, while American soldiers struggle to advance against the Germans during “The Battle of the Bulge”, Hitler’s last chance for winning the war. THE FIRST OF MANY 2017, 12:39 min., USA, Drama Producers/Directors: Pamela Guest, Elizabeth Guest Writer: Pamela Guest Cast: Elizabeth Guest, Lawrence Michael Levine, Kristen Slaysman In 1971 a young actress goes on her first audition with surprising, life-changing results. MAN OF THE HOUR 2018, 17:51 min., United Kingdom, Drama/Mystery/Comedy Directors: Linda Ludwig & James Curle Writer: Tom Palmer Producers: Tom Palmer, Linda Ludwig, James Curle Cast: Charlotte Ritchie, Ed White, Oliver Chris, Richard Durden, Tom Palmer, Harriet Green, Tom Stourton, Natasia Demetriou Gemma receives a mysterious invitation to the birthday party of an enigmatic millionaire, Jeremy. She must pass herself off as Jeremy’s old friend and mingle with his glittering guests. But Gemma cannot help but wonder who Jeremy is and why he has tasked her with such a peculiar job – there’s something more to him than meets the eye. SCARLETT-ANGELINA 2017, 9:55 min, Family/Drama, USA Director: Lorette Bayle Writer: Jacqueline K. Ogburn Producers: Nicolas Emiliani, Stephanie Nilles, Lorette Bayle Cast: Madison Calderon, Leif Gantvoort, Anthony Jensen, Rachael Markarian, Thomas Ashworth Scarlett-Angelina is a little girl who knows how to take care of herself, much to the dismay of the small-time crook who kidnaps her. TZEVA ADOM: COLOR RED 2017, 20:25 min., USA/Israel, Drama Director: Michael Horwitz Writer: C. Ashleigh Caldwell Producers: Todd Felderstein, C. Ashleigh Caldwell Cast: Shani Atias, Jack Pitchon, Jonathan Arkin, Danny Boushebel, Kenzie Caplan, Sima Galanti A female Israeli soldier forms an unlikely connection with a Palestinian boy over social media. GOOD MORNING 2017, 12:26 min., USA, Drama/Horror Writer/Director: Elaine Mongeon Producer: Julie M. Anderson Cast: Maya Kazan, Jamie McShane A young woman and her father adapt to terrifying challenges they never expected.
LGBTQ FILMS
LADY EVA 2017, 10:45 min., USA/Tonga, Documentary/LGBTQ Directors: Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson Producer: Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu A brave young transgender woman sets off on a journey to become her true self in the conservative Pacific Island Kingdom of Tonga – with a little inspiration from Tina Turner along the way. COMING OF AGE 2018, 7:26 min., USA, Drama/Romance/LGBTQ Writer/Director: Doug Tompos Producers: Risa Bramon Garcia, Steve Braun, Doug Tompos Cast: Doug Tompos, Adrian Gonzalez In the afterglow of sex, a generation gap opens between two men as they struggle to define trust in the age of open marriage and NSA hookups. CANDACE 2017, 9 min., USA, Comedy/Drama/LGBTQ, Yale School of Drama Director: Emma Weinstein Writer: Emma Weinstein, Stella Baker Producers: Emma Weinstein, Alix Masters, Michael Breslin, Stella Baker Cast: Stella Baker, Moses Ingram Through race, sexuality and dolphin suicide, this 9-minute short looks at the erotic and messy intimacy of childhood best friends trying to figure out how to say goodbye. PRETTY 2018, 9:30 min., USA, Drama/LGBTQ, Young Actors’ Theatre Camp Director: Jim Fall Writer: Jeremy Pitzer Producers: John Ainsworth, Shawn Ryan, Valerie Dohrer Cast: Jeremy Pitzer, Ava Vukic, Sean McCrystal, Riley Blum, Karen Moore, Matt McCoy, Shawn Ryan, Brad Griffith Sam strives to be accepted but worries he will be rejected for being himself. He loves pretty gowns, fancy makeup and sneaking into the local drag show. He soon realizes the only thing holding him back is himself. LIFE IN COLOR 2018, 21 min., USA, Drama/LGBTQ, Santa Monica College Director: Bishal Dutta Writers: Bishal Dutta, Matt McClelland Producer: Olivia Shapiro Executive Producer: Scott Carper Cast: Bart McCarthy, Ioanna Meli, Sean McBride An aging, closeted gay man with Alzheimer’s struggles against his strong-willed daughter to hold on to the memory of the long lost love of his life. EMPIRE ON MAIN STREET 2018, 24 min., USA, Documentary/LGBTQ Director: Jessica Congdon Producer: Eric Holland Cast: Crista Luedtke A tireless entrepreneur jump-starts the transformation of a neglected vacation town, until her ambition pushes her to the brink. THE HOMESTAY 2017, 11:45, USA, Comedy/LGBTQ Writer/Director: Priyanka Mattoo Producers: Priyanka Mattoo, Ursula Camack, Meghan Malloy Cast: Meera Syal, Bernard White, Max Jenkins, Ravi Patel, Sujata Day, Gabe Delahaye A sheltered Indian couple visits their son in the U.S. for the first time and bungles their apartment rental, ending up in close quarters with their hosts, a gay couple and their dog. HAIRCUT: THE MUSICAL! 2017, 6:25 min., USA, Comedy/Musical/LGBTQ, University Southern California Writer/Director: Jason Phillips Producer: Adrian Vega Albela Osorio Cast: Matthew Manhard, Finley Polynice, John Skoubis, Kate Enggren Before Brian Mills leaves for his first year at Princeton University, he must come to terms with his sexual orientation and be honest with himself after some guidance from his trusted barber.
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ANDY IRONS: KISSED BY GOD, Surfer Andy Irons’ Story of Opioid Addiction and Bipolar Disorder Comes to U.S. Cinemas [Trailer]

[caption id="attachment_28590" align="aligncenter" width="667"] Andy Irons: Kissed by God[/caption] “Andy Irons: Kissed by God,” the heart-wrenching story of three-time world champion surfer Andy Irons will open in U.S. movie theaters this spring. As the opioid crisis rises to a national emergency in the United States and bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans (National Institute of Mental Health), the untold story of Irons’ life serves to tear down the myths associated with these two ferocious diseases. The documentary features in-depth interviews with Andy’s brother Bruce Irons, his wife Lyndie Irons, and fellow surfers Joel Parkinson, Nathan Fletcher, Sunny Garcia and Kelly Slater. In addition to the feature content, audiences will also view a Q&A with top experts in the field of opioid addiction and bipolar disorder, directors Steve and Todd Jones, as well as Andy’s friends and family. Fathom Events and Teton Gravity Research bring “Andy Irons: Kissed by God” to nearly 500 U.S. cinemas for one night on Thursday, May 31 at 7:00 p.m. local time, through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). “Andy Irons: Kissed by God” chronicles the struggles of bipolar disorder and opioid addiction as seen through the life of three-time world champion surfer Andy Irons. Irons struggled with the same demons that millions of people worldwide battle with daily. He was an incredible presence on the surfing world stage as the “People’s Champion,” the pride of Hawaii and revered around the world for his blue-collar rise to fame and success. However, many were unaware of his internal battles that led to his demise. “‘Andy Irons: Kissed by God’ is both a moving documentary and an opportunity to shine a light on the country’s opioid crisis and mental health systems,” said Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt. “It’s events such as these that turn local cinemas into a place to both entertain and educate communities.” “The time to tell Andy’s story is now, not because we want to glorify his life or accomplishments, but because Andy wanted to share the truth of his struggles to educate future generations,” said his brother, Bruce Irons. “We wanted to shine an honest light on the truth – both the struggles and the triumphs – and tell an accurate story of who Andy truly was.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJWIPRvtAHk
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Berlinale Award Winning THE SILENCE OF OTHERS Acquired by Blue Ice Docs + Premieres at Hot Docs

After world premiering at the Berlinale in February, where it won both the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary and the Berlinale Peace Prize, Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar’s new documentary, The Silence of Others, will have its North American premiere at the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival. The Silence of Others reveals the epic struggle of victims of Spain’s 40-year dictatorship under General Franco, who continue to seek justice to this day. Filmed with intimate access over six years, the film follows a courageous band of survivors as they organize the groundbreaking “Argentine Lawsuit” and challenge a decades long “pact of forgetting” around the crimes that they suffered. Through this dramatic, contemporary story, The Silence of Others speaks to universal questions of how societies transition from dictatorship to democracy, how individuals confront silence and fight for justice, and how societies should deal with perpetrators of crimes against humanity in their midst. What happens when a country is forced to reckon with its past after decades of silence? Can justice be done after so long? Pedro Almodóvar and his brother and producer Agustín, whose cinema careers began in the heady days after the death of Franco and Spain’s return to democracy, along with their partner Esther García, are executive producers. As Agustín Almodóvar affirms, “The Silence of Others is a profoundly human and poetic documentary that treats difficult themes with tenderness, respect and care. With cinematographic style and a story that grabs you from the first second, the directors, Almudena and Robert, transport us on a journey of 6 years and thousands of kilometers, to explore forgetting and its consequences. We are moved by the great humanity of this work and are thrilled to be supporting its North American Premiere in Toronto. Philippa Kowarsky of Cinephil, who handles world sales, comments: “The Silence of Others is a perfect fit for our slate of powerful, politically aware documentaries. Robert and Almudena’s film lets you experience the loss, but also the dignity and the tenacity of those victimized by dictatorship – a topic that reaches far beyond Spain.”[RB3] Robin Smith of Blue Ice Docs, who is handling the Canadian rights, says, “We are incredibly proud to be working with Almudena and Robert on bringing their powerfully important and beautiful film The Silence of Others to Canadian audiences.” From Picasso’s “Guernica” to Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, the Spanish Civil War holds a special place in the Western imagination, as a heroic and tragic early front against fascism. Yet outside Spain, little is known about the 40-years of dictatorship that followed, or the complex choices that were made during Spain’s transition from dictatorship to democracy. As revealed in The Silence of Others, due to an amnesty law passed shortly after Franco’s death and still in force today, no crimes linked to the regime or its officials (many of whom went on to successful careers in democratic Spain) can be prosecuted. As a result, José María “Chato” Galante passes by his torturer’s window every day, Maria Martín can’t retrieve her mother’s remains from a mass grave to finally lay her to rest, and cases of stolen children remain uninvestigated. To challenge this amnesty before time runs out, a small band of survivors launch the “Argentine Lawsuit”, based in international human rights laws and filed in Buenos Aires. The Silence of Others follows their six-year journey and reveals how a movement that began in someone’s kitchen can go where the Spanish legal system fears to tread, achieving thefirst-ever arrest warrants for perpetrators from Franco’s regime and bringing this nearly forgotten cause to world attention.
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See First Trailer for Official WHITNEY Documentary, set to World Premiere at Cannes Film Festival

The first trailer was released today for the documentary WHITNEY which will have its world premiere at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2018. The film directed by Kevin Macdonald, is probably one of the rare ones featuring her family in front of and behind the scenes, with sister-in-law, Pat Houston, as one of the Executive Producers. Miramax and Roadside Attractions will release WHITNEY in theaters July 6, 2018. Whitney Houston broke more music industry records than any other female singer in history. With over 200 million album sales worldwide, she was the only artist to chart seven consecutive U.S. No. 1 singles. She also starred in several blockbuster movies before her brilliant career gave way to erratic behavior, scandals and death at age 48. The documentary feature Whitney is an intimate, unflinching portrait of Houston and her family that probes beyond familiar tabloid headlines and sheds new light on the spellbinding trajectory of Houston’s life. Using never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive demo recordings, rare performances, audio archives and original interviews with the people who knew her best, Oscar®-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald unravels the mystery behind “The Voice,” who thrilled millions even as she struggled to make peace with her own troubled past.
WHITNEY Trailer

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A&E Network to Premiere Biography Special “Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography”

A&E Network will premiere the Biography special “Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography,” a raw two-hour documentary following former teacher Mary Kay Letourneau as she recounts her tumultuous past in her most in-depth confessional to date. Mary, a Seattle grade school teacher, stunned the world when she fell in love with her 13-year-old former sixth grade student Vili Fualaau. Their subsequent relationship ultimately sent her to prison for more than seven years, isolating her from her children and altering the course of her life forever. Mary reveals key never-before-heard details as she shares her deeply emotional story of forbidden love, her legal troubles and the media firestorm that followed. “Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography” premieres on Tuesday, May 29th at 8pm ET/PT. “This documentary gives viewers an unfiltered look at the story of Mary Kay Letourneau through her words as she expresses her side to a story that stunned the nation,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, A&E Network. “Honest storytelling is at the heart of the Biography brand and we hope viewers will see her story with a new understanding.” Throughout the engrossing two hour special, Mary and Villi detail their early years, how their relationship came to be and how it intrigued and disturbed the country. Delving further, Mary shares her feelings of injustice and betrayal when she lost contact with her children and the effect her choices have had on both her and her family. Mary’s lawyers, friends and a fellow prison inmate help tell this complex story. Currently working as a paralegal, Mary talks about her future and what it may hold for her and her family. “Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography” is produced by Asylum Entertainment in association with Marwar Junction Productions. Executive producers for Asylum Entertainment are Steve Michaels and Jonathan Koch along with David Michaels and executive producers for Marwar Junction are Allison Berkley and Joseph Freed. Executive producers for A&E are Elaine Frontain Bryant, Amy Savitsky and Brad Abramson. A+E Network holds worldwide distribution rights to “Biography Presents: Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography.”
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WHITNEY Trailer