Films

SXSW 2018: This Is Her Fight – Watch Trailer for Olivia Newman’s FIRST MATCH

Netflix today dropped the trailer for First Match, the first feature film from writer/director Olivia Newman, that is set to World Premiere at SXSW 2018. Following its debut, the film will launch on Netflix on March 30, 2018.
Hardened by years in foster care, a teenage girl from Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood decides that joining the all-boys’ wrestling team is the only way back to her estranged father.
First Match stars Elvire Emanuelle, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Colman Domingo, Jharrel Jerome and Jared Kemp. From producers Chanelle Elaine, Veronica Nickel and Bryan Unkeless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xva2FWNdcD0
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Watch Trailer for NEW WAVE: DARE TO BE DIFFERENT – The Story of WLLR 92 “the Most Influential Radio Station”

New Wave: Dare To Be Different directed by Ellen Goldfard tells the story of the most influential radio station on Long Island, NY called WLLR 92. U2, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Blondie, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, The Clash, The Cure – over half a billion records sold, but you might have never heard of them if not for the small suburban radio station on Long Island, NY called WLIR 92.7. The documentary film is a nostalgic look back at the rogue radio station on the cutting edge of music throughout the 1980s. Program director Denis McNamara, the station crew and the biggest artists of the era tell the story of how they battled the FCC, record labels, mega-radio and all the conventional rules to create a musical movement that brought New Wave to America. New Wave: Dare To Be Different features rare archival footage and candid interviews with artists including Joan Jett, Debbie Harry, Billy Idol, Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Dave Wakeling (The English Beat), Annabella Lwin (Bow Wow Wow), Jim Kerr (Simple Minds), Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, YAZ and Erasure), Curt Smith (Tears for Fears), Fred Schneider (The B-52s), Mike Score (A Flock of Seagulls), Mike Peters (The Alarm), Katrina Leskanich (Katrina and the Waves), Thomas Dolby, Howard Jones and Midge Ure (Ultravox, Live Aid founder), among others. WLIR helped introduce most of these bands to a U.S. audience while creating a community centered around the punk and New Wave scene. Now, 30 years after the station went off the air, the film tells the story of the unique rise and fall of this independent cultural institution. New Wave: Dare To Be Different premieres on Showtime on Friday, March 30 at 8 p.m. ET/PT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdmvLN_pZq8
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7 Documentaries incl. “The Rape of Recy Taylor” Acquired by Starz

[caption id="attachment_26582" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Rape of Recy Taylor[/caption] Seven exclusive, first-run documentaries including The Rape of Recy Taylor, a film that exposes a legacy of physical abuse of black women and reveals Rosa Parks’ intimate role in Recy Taylor’s story, have been acquired by Starz. The Rape of Recy Taylor will premiere on STARZ in July 2018. Recently mentioned as “a name I know and I think you should know, too” by Oprah Winfrey during her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 75th Golden Globes on January 7, 2018, Mrs. Recy Taylor was abducted and gang raped by six white men in Alabama in 1944. An epic story of black women who spoke up when danger was greatest, it was their noble efforts to take back their bodies that led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and movements that followed.
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
The Rape of Recy Taylor – Premiere Date: July 2, 2018 Mrs. Recy Taylor was abducted and gang raped by six white men in Alabama in 1944. Unbroken, she spoke up and fought for justice with help from the NAACP, Rosa Parks and legions of women. An epic story of sexual violence in the Jim Crow South, when courageous black women fight to take back their bodies and their dignity. McLaren – Premiere Date: March 12, 2018 A fearless sportsman and a brilliant visionary engineer, Bruce McLaren became a superstar during the glamorous jet-set world of 1960s Formula One motor racing. McLaren recounts the New Zealander’s life, from his humble beginnings at his father’s auto shop in Auckland, to revolutionizing Formula One Racing by becoming the youngest driver ever to win a Grand Prix, to his death at 32. Featuring interviews from his closest friends and family members, the documentary is an unprecedented window into the life of a true genius. Pecking Order – Premiere Date: March 26, 2018 Fierce rivalries, club infighting, problematic birds and irregular judging are just some of the challenges faced by a group of zealous Kiwi chicken breeders hell bent on victory at the 2015 National Poultry Show. Sled Dogs – Premiere Date: April 9, 2018 Winner of the World Documentary Award and Best Female-Directed Documentary at the Whistler Film Festival, Sled Dogs is the first documentary to look at the sometimes gruesome reality of what happens at sled dog operations and the Iditarod once the tourists go home. This film weaves together various characters and narratives to explore a truth about the dog sledding industry while posing the question: “Is the abuse seen against “man’s best friend” disguised as entertainment? Intent to Destroy: Death, Denial & Depiction – Premiere Date: April 23, 2018 Emmy(R) award winner and Academy Award(R)-nominated director Joe Berlinger (STARZ Original Docuseries “Wrong Man”) embeds himself on the epic film set of Terry George’s The Promise (2016) to take an unwavering look at the Armenian Genocide. Historians, scholars and filmmakers come together in Berlinger’s cinematic exploration of the tangled web of responsibility that has driven a century of denial by the Turkish government and its strategic allies. Intent to Destroy (2017) is a timely reckoning with the large-scale suppression of a historical tragedy. Berlinger confronts the fraught task of shedding light on the Armenian Genocide – whose witnesses and descendants are still fighting to be officially acknowledged as such by the international community – how it was carried out during World War I as the reign of the Ottoman Empire drew to a close, and how it laid the groundwork for the genocides that followed. What Haunts Us – Premiere Date: May 14, 2018 The 1979 class of Porter Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina graduated 49 boys. Within the last 35 years, six of them have committed suicide. When Paige Goldberg Tolmach gets word that another former student from her beloved high school has killed himself, she decides to take a deep dive into her past in order to uncover the surprising truth and finally release the ghosts that haunt her hometown to this day. Stranger Fruit – Premiere Date: June 18, 2018 Stranger Fruit is a documentary about what happened to Mike Brown, told through the eyes of those closest to him, including his father, Michael Brown Sr. Pollock delivers an in-depth look at the facts of Mike Brown’s case in an effort to unravel the full story of what happened on Aug. 9, 2014, when then-Ferguson, Missouri, Police Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Brown. Love & Bananas – Premiere Date: July 30, 2018 Ashley Bell and a team of elephant rescuers led by world renowned Asian elephant conservationist Lek Chailert, embark on a daring 48-hour mission across Thailand to rescue a 70-year old captive blind Asian elephant and bring her to freedom.
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WHEN GOD SLEEPS, Profile of Exiled Iranian Musician Shahin Najafji, Debuts on PBS Independent Lens | Trailer

Directed by Till Schauder, When God Sleeps is a rap-punk-rock documentary about Iranian musician Shahin Najafi, who is forced into hiding after hardline clerics issue a fatwa for his death, incensed by a rap song that focuses on the oppression of women and human rights abuses. Shahin’s frantic escape leads to an impossible romance with Leili Bazargan, granddaughter of the first prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who was handpicked for the job by none other than the late Ayatollah Khomeini. Risking his life every time he steps on a stage, Shahin refuses to stop performing as an act of resistance while living a modern day Romeo and Juliet romance. When God Sleeps premieres on Independent Lens on Monday, April 2, 2018, 10:00-11:30 PM ET (check local listings) on PBS. In 2012, Najafi released a satirical rap song that triggered thousands to rally in a campaign for his assassination. Incensed by the song’s irreverent remarks about Ali al-Naghi, one of twelve imams revered by Shia Muslims, hardline clerics placed a $100,000 bounty on his head. “My songs didn’t make me famous,” said Shahin. “The fatwa did.” German journalist Günter Wallraff, who gave refuge to Salman Rushdie after his death fatwa, offers shelter to Shahin too. Despite the threats against his life, Shahin insists on total freedom of expression. His stubborn refusal to back down in spite of death threats is reminiscent of a suicide mission, complicating long-term planning for his new romantic relationship. Ironically, his uncompromising stance is not unlike that of the religious hardliners who want him dead. Shahin sees it as his mission, indeed his life’s purpose, to stand up to oppressive religious leaders — even if he has to pay the ultimate price for it. “Touching on hot topics like Islam, terrorism, protest, and the global refugee crisis, When God Sleeps checks off just about every newsworthy box as we immerse ourselves in the life of the ‘Salman Rushdie of Rap,’” said Lois Vossen, Independent Lens executive producer. “The human cost of resistance is at the core of this film, which explores nationalism and the growing hostility toward immigrants through the lens of a rebellious musician who occupies the complex role of both political activist and cultural bridge-builder.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbk9nhUqmvs
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SXSW 2018: See New Poster + Trailer for AI Documentary “More Human Than Human”

Check out the new poster and trailer for More Human Than Human, the fascinating new documentary directed by Tommy Pallotta and Femke Wolting that delves into the increasing presence of Artificial Intelligence in our daily lives, and the existential questions it raises for humanity. More Human Than Human premieres this Saturday March 10th, in the VISIONS section at SXSW 2018. In this personal, playful and at times dramatic quest, filmmaker Tommy Pallota explores how much of his creativity and human values are at stake as he builds his own robot to replace himself as a filmmaker. The complexity of tasks that smart machines can perform is increasing at an exponential rate. Where will this ultimately take us? If a robot can learn to fold a towel on its own, will it someday be able to cook you dinner, perform surgery, and even conduct a war? This film instigates this debate between futurists and skeptics, about the potential of Artificial Intelligence. The filmmakers take us on a quest of understanding these innovations, opposing views and challenging our aspirations for the future of man and machine.
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OFFICIAL SELECTION- SXSW 2018- VISIONS MORE HUMAN THAN HUMAN Directed By Tommy Pallotta & Femke Wolting TRT: 78 min in English Screening Times Saturday, March 10 – 1:45 PM – Vimeo Theater Monday, March 12 – 4:00 PM – Alamo Lamar D Thursday, March 15 – 6:00 PM – Alamo Lamar A
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SXSW 2018: Kino Lorber to Release New 4K Restoration of “The Atomic Cafe”

The new 4K IndieCollect restoration of The Atomic Cafe, supervised by filmmakers Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader and Pierce Rafferty that is set to premiere at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX, on Saturday, March 10, 2018, has been acquired by Kino Lorber Repertory for release in the U.S. The newly-restored The Atomic Cafe will open in theaters nationwide during the summer––and receive a home media release during fall 2018. Composed entirely of civil defense and propaganda films created by the U.S. military and other agencies, The Atomic Cafe exploded myths about nuclear weapons and landed the filmmakers on Late Night with David Letterman: see video below. It created a sensation when it opened at the Film Forum in March 1982 and played around the country to capacity audiences, garnering extraordinary reviews, including from the New York Times, whose critic Vincent Canby called it “A stunner! Has one howling with laughter, horror and disbelief.” With the White House hurling threats to use nuclear weapons, The Atomic Cafe is the perfect movie for our time––a darkly funny meditation on Armageddon. Using our government’s own films, it pulls back the curtain to expose how Americans were taught to “stop worrying and love the bomb.” A cute cartoon assures children that ducking under their desks will protect them from radiation. A U.S. Army officer asserts the atomic bomb is a beautiful sight “when viewed at a safe distance,” as we watch young soldiers running towards a mushroom cloud. With Cold War memes re-emerging in our public discourse, audiences will weep with laughter and pained recognition as they contemplate the deployment of “alternate facts,” then and now, to achieve a desired end. “Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader and Pierce Rafferty have made a landmark film about the nuclear age that remains just as relevant and darkly comical today as it’s ever been,” wrote Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber. “We wish times were different. But at least we have The Atomic Cafe to expose the horrific prospect of the Armageddon with humor, style and historical perspective.” “We’re delighted to be rereleasing the 4K digital restoration of The Atomic Cafe with Kino Lorber,” said filmmakers Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader and Pierce Rafferty. “Kino Lorber did an outstanding job distributing Kevin’s film Harvard Beats Yale 29 – 29 and we’re all looking forward to working with their dynamic team.” The Atomic Cafe was deemed of such historic importance that it was named to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2016. This 4K digital restoration was created by IndieCollect, a New York-based non-profit organization that saves and restores American independent films so that they can be seen in state-of-the-art digital formats. Funding was provided by the National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress, administered through a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR).
About the filmmakers:
Kevin Rafferty: Kevin Rafferty began making movies as an undergraduate at Harvard in the late 1960s. His feature documentaries include Hurry Tomorrow, The Atomic Cafe, Blood in the Face, Feed, The Last Cigarette and Harvard Beats Yale 29-29. He has done commissioned films for television and contributed his camera work to such filmmakers as Michael Moore (Roger and Me) and Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker (The War Room). He wrote a book for Overlook Press based on his movie also entitled “Harvard Beats Yale 29-29.” Jayne Loader: Jayne Loader is the author of the novel “Between Pictures” and the short story collection “Wild America,” both published by Grove Press. She created the CD-ROM and website Public Shelter and WWWench, one of the first blogs, in 1995. In the 2000s, she and her husband, the astronomer Robert Kirshner, were the Masters of Quincy House at Harvard College. She lives in Portola Valley, California and Friendship, Maine. Pierce Rafferty: Following the release of The Atomic Cafe in 1982, Pierce Rafferty co-founded Petrified Films, an independent stock footage library located in the Meat Market District, New York City. From 1984 to 1994, Petrified’s holdings grew exponentially to include the stock footage libraries of Warner Bros. (pre-1951) and Columbia Pictures (pre-1965). In 1994, Petrified Films sold its collection of archival stock footage to Image Bank, a company later purchased by Getty Images. In 2002, Pierce moved to Fishers Island, NY, where he works as the director of the Henry L. Ferguson Museum.
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SXSW 2018: Watch Trailer for “TAKE YOUR PILLS” Documentary on Rise in Adderall Prescriptions

Take Your Pills, directed by acclaimed documentarian Alison Klayman (Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry) and executive produced by Maria Shriver and Christina Schwarzenegger, explores the rise in popularity of prescription stimulants such as Adderall in today’s do-more-better-faster world. Take Your Pills will premiere at SXSW on Friday, March 9, and will launch globally on Netflix on Friday, March 16. The pressure to achieve more, do more, and be more is part of being human – and in the age of Adderall and Ritalin, achieving that can be as close as the local pharmacy. No longer just “a cure for excitable kids,” prescription stimulants are in college classrooms, on Wall Street, in Silicon Valley…any place “the need to succeed” slams into “not enough hours in the day.” But there are costs. In the insightful Netflix documentary Take Your Pills, award-winning documentarian Alison Klayman (Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry) focuses on the history, the facts, and the pervasiveness of cognitive-enhancement drugs in our amped-up era of late-stage-capitalism. Executive produced by Maria Shriver and Christina Schwarzenegger, Take Your Pills examines what some view as a brave new world of limitless possibilities, and others see as a sped-up ride down a synaptic slippery slope, as these pills have become the defining drug of a generation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6Xebo1pngM
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Showtime Documentary Series “THE FOURTH ESTATE” to World Premiere as Closing Night Film of Tribeca Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_27371" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Fourth Estate[/caption] The new Showtime original documentary series, The Fourth Estate, directed by award-winning filmmaker Liz Garbus (What Happened, Miss Simone?), will have its world premiere as the closing night film of the prestigious 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. In these times when journalism is being questioned and attacked as “fake news,” Garbus turns her lens on The New York Times in The Fourth Estate, revealing the challenges, triumphs and pitfalls of covering a president who has declared the majority of the nation’s major news outlets “the enemy of the people.” Embedded for the past year with The Times and granted unprecedented access and interviews with editors and reporters on the front lines, the docuseries presents a groundbreaking portrait of the men and women who are fighting for freedom of the press. Viewers will witness the inner workings of journalism and investigative reporting during this administration’s first history-making year. Following the screening on Saturday, April 28, Tribeca Film Festival will host a panel discussion with some of the subjects of the documentary including The New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet, Washington bureau chief Elisabeth Bumiller, White House correspondent Maggie Haberman, Washington investigative correspondent Mark Mazzetti and Garbus. The Fourth Estate will premiere on Showtime, on Sunday, May 27 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
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2018 Tribeca Film Festival Announces Immersive Program Featuring Lupita Nyong’o, Alicia Vikander and More..

[caption id="attachment_27429" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] My Africa[/caption] The Tribeca Immersive program at the upcoming 2018 Tribeca Film Festival showcases works by artists who are pushing boundaries, using technology to tell stories and create new experiences. The Virtual Arcade lineup includes 21 world premiere VR/AR exhibits as well as five Storyscapes experiences in competition. The program takes place at the Tribeca Festival Hub from April 20 to 28. A new addition to Tribeca Immersive is Tribeca Cinema360, a VR theater featuring four curated screening programs of 360° mobile content, running April 21-28. The 17th annual Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 18 to 29, 2018. As one of the first festivals to champion VR as a dynamic form of storytelling, this year’s offerings include 33 virtual reality (VR) innovative exhibitions and experiences from top creators such as Jeremy Bailenson, Chris Milk, Eliza McNitt, Eugene YK Chung, Gabo Arora, and Saschka Unseld, and emerging artists Asad J. Malik, Gabriela Arp, and Lucas Rizzotto. Other acclaimed creators include: Angel Manuel Soto, Lindsay Branham, and Navid Khonsari. Established directors, actors, and musicians with projects this year include: directors Terrence Malick (Together), Laurie Anderson (Chalkroom); actors Rosario Dawson (BattleScar), Lupita Nyong’o (My Africa), Alicia Vikander (Arden’s Wake: Tide’s Fall); and GRAMMY® award winning band OK Go (Untitled OK Go & WITHIN Project). Several Immersive projects featured in the program tackle timely cultural issues, including racism (1,000 Cut Journey), climate change (This is Climate Change), immigration and xenophobia (Terminal 3), nuclear war (The Day The World Changed) and HIV/AIDS (Queerskins: a love story). In addition, the lineup includes programming that allows visitors to become active participants in astonishing experiences, such as swimming with sharks (Into the Now), caring for a baby elephant (My Africa), being caught in the bombing raid of a town square (Hero), and participating in a groundbreaking collaboration of AR and Immersive Theater from creators Graham Sack, Sensorium Works and NY Theater Workshop (objects in mirror AR closer than they appear). Tribeca Cinema360 spotlights four immersive screening programs: VR for Good Creators Lab, This is Climate Change, horror themed It’s Right Behind You, and the breathtaking experimental visions of Horizons.
VIRTUAL ARCADE
20 projects from five countries, with 17 world premieres, make up this dynamic program. #WarGames VR (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Sam Barlow, Eko Key Collaborators: MGM, m ss ng p eces Kelly, an ex-military brat-turned-hacker activist, teams up with international hackers in an attempt to bring about peace. But, as events escalate, it begins to appear that they may have done more harm than good. #WarGames puts viewers in the middle of the convergence of hacktivism, modern-day espionage, and military intrigue. 1000 Cut Journey (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Courtney Cogburn, Elise Ogle, Jeremy Bailenson, Tobin Asher, Teff Nichols Key Collaborators: Virtual Human Interaction Lab, Cogburn Research Group In this immersive virtual-reality experience, the viewer becomes Michael Sterling, a black man, encountering racism as a young child, adolescent, and young adult. 1,000 Cut Journey highlights the social realities of racism, for understanding racism is the essential first step in promoting effective, collective social action and achieving racial justice. Arden’s Wake: Tide’s Fall (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Eugene YK Chung, Jimmy Maidens Key Collaborators: Devon Penney, Annmarie Koenig, Bruna Berford, Christina Tasooji, Adrian Ochoa, Jessica Douglas, Terry Kaleas, Kinga Vasicsek Tide’s Fall continues the journey of Meena, a young woman living in a post-apocalyptic world and searching for her father in the depths of the ocean after his unexpected disappearance. Featuring the voice of Academy Award-winner Alicia Vikander, this expansion of Penrose Studios’ award winning Arden’s Wake embraces the art of long-form storytelling in virtual reality. Cast: Alicia Vikander (narrator) BattleScar (New York Premiere) – USA, France Project Creator: Nico Casavecchia, Martin Allais Key Collaborators: Arnaud Colinart, Andrew Geller, Raphael Penasa, René Pinnell After Lupe, a Puerto Rican runaway, meets Debbie in the cell of a juvenile detention center, she is introduced to the punk scene of the Lower East Side and the secret world of Alphabet City. BattleScar is a coming of age drama set in 1978 New York that explores identity and empowerment through stunning animation and immersive environments. Cast: Rosario Dawson (narrator) Campfire Creepers: Midnight March (World Premiere) – France, USA Project Creator: Alexandre Aja Key Collaborators: Casey Cooper Johnson, Martin Andersen When the kids at Camp Coyote are forced on a brutal midnight march by their sadistic counselors, one boy reaches his breaking point. He turns the tables on the bullies, revealing a surprising secret about himself in the process. Master of horror Alexandre Aja invites viewers on a thrilling ride that will leave them gasping. Cast: Archie Lewis, Chloe Hawthorne, Kai Czuplak, Lara Karbritz, Lola Martin Chalkroom (New York Premiere) – Taiwan R.O.C., USA Project Creator: Laurie Anderson, Hsin-Chien Huang Chalkroom is a virtual reality work by celebrated artist Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang in which the reader—the viewer—flies through an enormous structure made of words, drawings, and stories. Inside the experience, the reader is free to roam and fly, while words sail through the air like emails, fall into dust, and form and reform. Coral Compass: Fighting Climate Change in Palau (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Tobin Asher, Elise Ogle, Jeremy Bailenson Key Collaborators: Rob Dunbar, Bob Richmond Palau, like many other small countries, is powerless to curb global carbon dioxide emissions. Nevertheless, the tiny island nation is adapting to climate change: In its clear, warm waters exist resilient coral reefs safeguarded by a strong-willed people fighting to keep them alive. The Day the World Changed (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Gabo Arora, Saschka Unseld Key Collaborators: Nathan Brown, Tom Lofthouse, Jennifer Tiexiera, Nate Robinson, Igal Nassima This virtual-reality experience situates participants in the ruins of Hiroshima after the bomb, allowing them to witness testimony from survivors and survey the nuclear arms race through immersive, interactive data visualization. The Day the World Changed, from acclaimed creators Gabo Arora & Sachka Unseld, brings the harrowing impressions of the victims of atomic bombings and nuclear tests to viewers through innovative use of 3-D scanning and photogrammetry. Dinner Party (New York Premiere) – Puerto Rico, USA Project Creator: Angel Manuel Soto, Charlotte Stoudt, Laura Wexler Key Collaborators: Rachel Skidmore, Bryn Mooser, Erik Donley Dinner Party tells the incredible story of Betty and Barney Hill, an interracial couple who made the first report of a UFO abduction in America in 1961. Having sought hypnosis to recover memories of their inexplicable experience, the Hills decide to listen to the recording of their session during a dinner party—and what they hear could change their lives forever. Cast: Malcolm Barrett, Sarah Sokolovic Firebird: The Unfinished (World Premiere) – France Project Creator: Balthazar Auxietre Key Collaborators: Hadrien Lanvin The curator of a museum dedicated to the famous sculptor Auguste is making a last inspection the night before the grand opening when a storm breaks out. Suddenly, the statues populating the grounds are not quite as still as one might expect—but it’s not clear whether the storm outside is playing mind games, or whether, perhaps, the ghost of Auguste has appeared to ask for help finishing his masterpiece. Cast: Tarek Aitmeddour, Raphaelle Boitel, Augustin Jacob, Pauline Journe, Myriam Kerkour, David Negroni Fire Escape (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Vassiliki Khonsari, Navid Khonsari, Andres Perez-Duarte, Sam Butin Key Collaborators: Lulu LaMer, Maria Essig, iNK Stories This innovative, interactive thriller invites the participant to peer into the private lives of eight diverse New Yorkers from the vantage of a fire escape, where suspicion and deception unfold in real time. Set against the shadowy backdrop of gentrification in contemporary Brooklyn, Fire Escape depicts a contingent of disenfranchised tenants who soon become entangled in a string of dark mysteries and murder. Cast: ASMR Darling, Ethan Rains, Edward Jackson, Michelle Lukes, Olivia Preciado, Tanya Henderson, Giselle Gilbert The Hidden (World Premiere) – India, USA Project Creator: Lindsay Branham Key Collaborators: International Justice Mission, Oculus VR for Good There are currently more people living in slavery than at any other time in human history. One such family has been enslaved in a rock quarry in southern India for 10 years—over a paltry debt of $70 USD. Indian government representatives, supported by the human rights group International Justice Mission, plot a daring raid to free the family. Also playing as a part of Cinema360: VR For Good Creators Lab Into the Now (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Michael Muller Key Collaborators: Michael Smith, Morne Hardenberg Director and legendary shark photographer Michael Muller’s lifelong fear of sharks eventually led him to discover the tranquility and peace of mind that is possible underwater, engaged with these curious and intimidating creatures. This stunning documentary, a revolutionary, stereoscopic virtual-reality experience, explores marine life and ocean conservation via Muller’s own internal journey. My Africa (World Premiere) – USA, UK Project Creator: Conservation International, Passion Planet, Vision3 In Northern Kenya, the futures of wildlife and people are intertwined. Stand in the midst of a thundering wildebeest migration, witness a lioness snatch her prey—and meet a community dedicated to saving Africa’s wildlife in My Africa. The mixed-reality, companion experience puts paticipants in the shoes of a Reteti Elephant Sanctuary keeper caring for the newest arrival, a baby elephant named Dudu. Cast: Lupita Nyong’o (narrator), Naltwasha Leripe SPHERES: Pale Blue Dot (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Eliza McNitt Key Collaborators: Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel, Jess Engel, Arnaud Colinart, Dylan Golden In this cosmic journey from the edges of the universe to our “pale blue dot,” the viewer uncovers echoes of the Big Bang; gazes back in time; traces the history of sound across the cosmos, uncovering the strangest song of all; and traverses the universe, ultimately finding a path home. Star Child (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Paul Bettner Key Collaborators: Mia Goodwin This cinematic platforming adventure follows the journey of Spectra and her companion on an important mission to an alien planet. After they are stranded, they uncover a hostile, overwhelming force that threatens to destroy everything. Inspired by countless science fiction adventure classics—games, books, and movies alike—Star Child is, at its heart, both a mystery and a journey of self-discovery. Untitled OK Go & WITHIN Project (World Premiere) – USA, UK Project Creator: Chris Milk, Damian Kulash Key Collaborators: WITHIN, OK Go, Oculus Innovative creators Chris Milk and OK Go’s Damian Kulash invite pairs of participants into a wondrous environment where they can experience the joy of creating music through collaboration. In this virtual world, replete with magical music-making contraptions, friendly animals, robots, and audience members work together to create an original song. Vacation Simulator (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Owlchemy Labs Key Collaborators: The follow-up to the wildly popular virtual-reality game Job Simulator, Vacation Simulator returns participants to the world of Owlchemy Labs, where they can visit Vacation Island and experience “recreation,” optimal “relaxation,” and classic human pastimes like “sunburn.” Vacation Island offers all this and more, helping visitors rediscover the lost art of “time off.” Vestige (World Premiere) – UK, USA, France Project Creator: Aaron Bradbury Key Collaborators: Paul Mowbray, Antoine Cayrol, Jill Klekas Basmajian This creative nonfiction experience uses multi-narrative and volumetric capture to journey through the mind of Lisa as she remembers her lost love, Erik. Fragments of memories of their life together appear inside a void and, over time, become entangled with a haunting vision, culminating in the shocking moment of Erik’s death. Cast: Lisa Elin Where Thoughts Go : Prologue (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Lucas Rizzotto Key Collaborators: Tarik Merzouk, Steven Hodgson An intimate social virtual-reality experience, Where Thoughts Go is set in a world where all human thoughts exist as sleeping creatures, each holding a voice message left by a previous visitor. As they awake, they reveal the dreams, experiences and fears of other people—and give the participant the opportunity to leave their own for others to find.
STORYSCAPES
The competition includes four world premieres and one New York premiere. One Storyscapes nominee will be selected by a jury to receive the Storyscapes Award, presented by AT&T, which recognizes groundbreaking approaches in storytelling and technology. The five projects come from Canada, Pakistan and USA. Biidaaban: First Light (World Premiere) – Canada Project Creator: Lisa Jackson, Mathew Borrett, Jam3 and the National Film Board of Canada Key Collaborators: Rob McLaughlin, Dana Dansereau The town square has flooded, buildings and subways have merged with local flora, and indigenous languages and knowledge are thriving in a radically different future Toronto. Here, in the future, people have found a connection to the past. As a work of indigenous futurism, Biidaaban explores how the languages of native peoples can provide a framework for understanding our place in the world and open up a space for new imaginings of the future. Hero (New York Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari, Brooks Brown Key Collaborators: Mark Harwood, Sinclair Fleming, Andres Perez-Duarte, Sam Butin, iNK Stories, Starbreeze Studios This powerfully immersive, large-scale, multi-sensory installation explores humanity in our modern era of civilian warfare. When everyday life is disrupted by a barrel bomb falling from the sky, provoking a profound crisis in this vérité virtual-reality experience, only connection among humans can inspire hope, and participants must embark on a visceral hero’s journey. Cast: Masoume Khonsari, Perla Daoud, Samer Sakka, Sam Sako, Said Faraj, Sue Shaheen [caption id="attachment_27428" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] objects in mirror AR closer than they appear[/caption] objects in mirror AR closer than they appear (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Graham Sack, Geoff Sobelle, John Fitzgerald, Matthew Niederhauser Key Collaborators: Sarah Hughes, Steven Dufala, Steve Cuiffo, Jecca Barry, The Molecule, New York Theatre Workshop, SilVR Based on the critically acclaimed theatrical performance The Object Lesson, objects in mirror AR closer than they appear fuses augmented reality technology with an immersive theater installation, inviting audiences to reflect on the relationship between new media and archaic objects; 21st-century technology and 19th-century magic; and memory and optical illusion. The piece creates a philosophical playground to explore the shifting relationship between images, memories, and things. Cast: Geoff Sobelle Queerskins: a love story (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Illya Szilak, Cyril Tsiboulski In Missouri in the early ’90s, a diary and a box of belongings offers a devoutly Catholic mother—and participants of this haptic virtual-reality experience—a chance to know Sebastian, the estranged son she has lost to AIDS. Sitting in the back seat of a car, behind Sebastian’s parents, you take an emotionally charged journey down a country road, a memory lane populated with scrapbook artifacts that present an archive of Sebastian’s life. Cast: Hadley Boyd, Drew Moore, Michael DeBartolo Terminal 3 (World Premiere) – USA, Pakistan Project Creator: Asad J. Malik Key Collaborators: Kaleidoscope VR, Anita Gou, RYOT, Philipp Schaeffer, Viva Wittman, Jack Daniel Gerrard, Musa Ghaznavi Terminal 3 is an interactive, augmented-reality documentary that explores contemporary Muslim identities in the U.S. through the lens of an airport interrogation. As viewers put on the Hololens, they step into the uncanny to directly interrogate, and determine the fate of, the hologram passenger before them. These interrogations become strikingly personal encounters that only end when the participant decides if the hologram should be let into the country or not—but there is a twist. Cast: Aisha Yousaf, Ahmad Cory Jubran, Fereydoun Vakhshoury, Ani Zonneveld, Helya Salarvand
TRIBECA CINEMA360
The Cinema360 includes four programs that play twice daily, including:
Horizons:
02:09 (World Premiere) – Sweden, China Project Creator: Svante Fjaestad In three minutes, the world will end. The rich have already left Earth for the New Colonies; those who couldn’t afford private shuttles into orbit remain stranded, like the now-worthless banknotes on the streets. A couple wait together on a rooftop, contemplating their fate, while, in front of them, the last human refugees leave the planet before it is too late. Cast: Chen Dong Hong, Xie Hong Together (New York Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Terrence Malick, The Factory at Facebook, Movement Art Is Together fuses storytelling, dance and technology, placing the viewer in the center of a stirring, emotional narrative that explores the power of human connection. Working with Movement Art Is co-founders Jon Boogz and Lil Buck, Palme d’Or winning director Terrence Malick has crafted an immersive experience about breaking down barriers that is brilliantly brought to life through choreography.
It’s Right Behind You:
Campfire Creepers: The Skull of Sam (North American Premiere) – Spain, USA Project Creator: Alexandre Aja Key Collaborators: Casey Cooper Johnson, Martin Andersen French horror auteur Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes, High Tension) directs this creepy tale of a couple who encounters a vicious stranger in the woods, who has plans to add them to his rather unique collection. But by injecting humor into this horrific scenario, the experience invites audiences to laugh between the screams. Cast: Robert Englund [caption id="attachment_27430" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Caretaker[/caption] The Caretaker (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Jacob Wasserman, Nicolas Pesce, Adam Donald Key Collaborators: Hidden Content, RealMotion VFX After their car breaks down on the side of the road on a cold winter night, a couple checks into a strange hotel while they wait for a mechanic to arrive. When the woman’s boyfriend suddenly goes missing—the latest in a series of unsettling occurrences within the hotel—she begins to suspect that something more sinister is at work. An Obituary (boogo) (US Premiere) – South Korea Project Creator: Jean Yoon Key Collaborators: Kuk- seok Yang, Jin-hee Kim A young man travels alone deep into the countryside to pay his respects after hearing of a friend’s untimely death. Upon his arrival, he finds himself to be the sole mourner at the funeral. Alone in the country, save for the elderly mother of his deceased friend, he begins to wonder why they seem to be the only two people left in the village. Cast: Tae-kyung Oh, Yong-nyeo Lee.
This is Climate Change:
This is Climate Change (World Premiere) – Åland Islands, Brazil, Greenland, Somalia, USA Project Creator: Eric Strauss, Danfung Dennis Key Collaborators: Diana El-Osta (Producer), Catherine Yrisarri (Producer), Jeff Skoll (Executive Producer), Elise Pearlstein (Executive Producer), Kathy Davidov (Executive Producer), Casey Brown (Executive Producer) In this expansive new four-part virtual reality docu-series from Participant Media and Condition One, journey to the far corners of the earth to discover the people and places being hit hardest by climate change. This Is Climate Change offers an immersive look into our new reality of catastrophic weather events that are displacing communities and transforming landscapes with alarming speed.
VR For Good Creators Lab:
Meeting a Monster (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Gabriela Arp Key Collaborators: Oculus VR for Good, Life After Hate Through audio recordings and re-enactments, former white supremacist Angela King relives the memories of, and motivations behind, the eight years she spent inside the white power movement—and the path she took to get out. While the monsters of Angela’s past define the years she spent mired in hate, she finds redemption only after acknowledging the ultimate monster: herself. Cast: Belle Emilie Gold, Jerry Edwards, Diana Mitchell, Skye Waller, Aidan Shields, Toia Johnson She Flies by Her Own Wings (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Jesse (Jesus) Ayala Key Collaborators: Oculus VR for Good, Pride Foundation, Fovrth Studios, Flight School She Flies by Her Own Wings depicts the inspiring story of Shannon Scott, who chose to stand up when her community, the U.S. armed services’ proud transgender service members and veterans, was under attack by President Donald Trump. Having enlisted before she could vote, Shannon has dedicated her entire adult life to defending and safeguarding American citizens at home and abroad. Cast: Shannon Scott The Hidden (World Premiere) – India, USA Project Creator: Lindsay Branham Key Collaborators: International Justice Mission, Oculus VR for Good There are currently more people living in slavery than at any other time in human history. One such family has been enslaved in a rock quarry in southern India for 10 years—over a paltry debt of $70 USD. Indian government representatives, supported by the human rights group International Justice Mission, plot a daring raid to free the family.
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Warwick Thornton’s Award Winning Drama SWEET COUNTRY Sets April 2018 Release Date

Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country draws on the conventions of the American Western to explore the genesis of contemporary Australian racism and the generational neglect of Aboriginal people. The film stars Bryan Brown (Australia), Hamilton Morris (“Gideon”), Thomas M. Wright (Everest), Ewen Leslie (The Daughter), Natassia Gorey-Furber, Gibson John, Matt Day (“Rake”), Anni Finsterer (Teenage Kicks), Treymayne Doolan, Trevon Doolan, and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park). It’s 1929 on the vast, desert-like Eastern Arrernte Nation lands that are now known as the Central Australian outback. Sam Kelly (Hamilton Morris), a middle-aged Aboriginal man, works the land of a kind preacher, Fred Smith (Sam Neill). After an ill-tempered bully arrives in town and Kelly kills him in self-defense, he and his wife, Lizzie, go on the run as a posse gathers to hunt him down. The film will open in theaters on April 6, 2018 in New York (IFC Center) and Los Angeles (The Landmark). Directed by Warwick Thornton and written by Steven McGregor and David Tranter, Sweet Country had its world premiere at the 2017 Venice Film Festival where Warwick won a Special Jury Prize. The film then went on to win the coveted Platform prize at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival as well as winning Best Film at the Adelaide Film Festival and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The film was previously screened at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Sam, a middle-aged Aboriginal man, works for a preacher in the outback of Australia’s Northern Territory. When Harry, a bitter war veteran, moves into a neighbouring outpost, the preacher sends Sam and his family to help Harry renovate his cattle yards. But Sam’s relationship with the cruel and ill-tempered Harry quickly deteriorates, culminating in a violent shootout in which Sam kills Harry in self-defence. As a result, Sam becomes a wanted criminal for the murder of a white man, and is forced to flee with his wife across the deadly outback, through glorious but harsh desert country. A hunting party led by the local lawman Sergeant Fletcher is formed to track Sam down. But as the true details of the killing start to surface, the community begins to question whether justice is really being served. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfFYmtPegOI
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Watch Trailer for Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead’s Mind-Bending Thriller THE ENDLESS

[caption id="attachment_21965" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Justin Benson as Justin and Aaron Moorhead as Aaron in THE ENDLESS. [/caption] Here is the new trailer for Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s mind-bending thriller The Endless. The film also starring Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, along with Callie Hernandez, Emily Montague, Lew Temple, Tate Ellington, and James Jordan will open in New York on April 6th and in Los Angeles on April 13th. Following their Lovecraftian modern cult classic Spring, acclaimed filmmakers Moorhead and Benson return with this mind-bending thriller that follows two brothers who receive a cryptic video message inspiring them to revisit the UFO death cult they escaped a decade earlier. Hoping to find the closure that they couldn’t as young men, they’re forced to reconsider the cult’s beliefs when confronted with unexplainable phenomena surrounding the camp. As the members prepare for the coming of a mysterious event, the brothers race to unravel the seemingly impossible truth before their lives become permanently entangled with the cult. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMHpWCN0byw
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See the Official Poster for William Friedkin’s Exorcist Documentary “The Devil And Father Amorth”

The Orchard has released the official poster for “The Devil And Father Amorth” directed by William Friedkin. The film will be released in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on April 20th, 2018.

In his latest, William Friedkin returns not only to his documentary roots but to the subject of one of his most towering works, 1973’s THE EXORCIST. Friedkin, a legendary raconteur, leads a tour that moves from the infamous Exorcist steps in Georgetown to Italy, where he meets with the 91-year-old Father Gabriele Amorth, official exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, and accompanies Amorth on one of his harrowing house calls. A sprightly, at times gonzo-style investigation into the long history of demonic lore, and a one-of-a-kind insight into the persistence of medieval belief in the supposedly modern world.
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Films

DOCUMENTARY FILMS

About the filmmakers:

VIRTUAL ARCADE

STORYSCAPES

TRIBECA CINEMA360

Horizons:

It’s Right Behind You:

This is Climate Change:

VR For Good Creators Lab: