Served Like a Girl, directed by Lysa Heslov, is a powerful and poignant look at a group of diverse female veterans as they transition from active duty to civilian life after serving tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Struggling with PTSD, homelessness, broken families, serious illness, physical injuries, and military sexual abuse, these inspiring women find ways to adapt to the challenges they face through participation in the “Ms. Veteran America” competition. Guided by event founder and veteran Major Jas Boothe, the women work hard to prepare for the competition, and, in the process, recover parts of their identities they had lost on the battlefield. Filled with humor and heart in equal measures, Served Like a Girl premieres on Independent Lens on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, 2018, 10:00-11:30 PM ET on PBS.
Wounded U.S. female service personnel often return home to a stark reality; many face debilitating emotional, social and economic challenges. The Ms. Veteran America competition was established in 2012 to encourage women veterans to recognize and support their sisters as they return to civilian life. More than a vehicle for shared recovery, the competition’s main mission is to raise funds and awareness for America’s 55,000 homeless women veterans, a goal that resonates strongly with the women profiled in the film.
Served Like a Girl features:
Sergeant Nichole Alred served six years in the Army as a mechanic, including one tour in Kuwait and two in Iraq. Nichole joined the Army as a single mother in an effort to give her son a better life. Nichole and her mother share a special relationship; her mother was her biggest supporter during both her time in the military and in the Ms. Veteran America competition. Nichole lives in Alabama with her husband.
Major Jas Boothe is a Chicago native, disabled veteran, cancer survivor, and international speaker who served 17 years in the Army. She founded Final Salute in 2010 and the Ms. Veteran America competition in 2012, which have collectively raised over $2 million and assisted over 3600 women veterans and children in over 30 states and territories. In honor of her leadership and positive impact on the community, Boothe has been recognized by Oprah Winfrey, Toyota, People Magazine, CNN Heroes, and the Department of Defense. She lives in Northern Virginia.
Lieutenant Commander Rachel Engler is second-generation Navy on both her mother and father’s side. A former NFL cheerleader and a registered nurse, she received her officer’s commission straight out of college and deployed to Afghanistan. In 2011, she was diagnosed with a chronic neuromuscular illness called Myasthenia Gravis, a condition that still affects her life today, but which hasn’t slowed her volunteer work on behalf of her fellow veterans. She lives in Arlington, Virginia.
Master-at-Arms First Class Hope Garcia served ten years in the Navy before being placed on the Permanent Disability Retired list. She struggles with PTSD and the trauma resulting from military sexual assault. But Hope continues to work for a better life for herself and her sons. At the time of filming Hope was working her way through school while attempting to build a career as a pin-up model. Through participating in the Ms. Veteran America competition, Hope was reunited with her mother and the two were able to start rebuilding their relationship. She lives in Los Angeles.
Master Sergeant Denyse Gordon comes from a family with a long and proud history of military and civic service. Her maternal grandfather served during WWII, her stepfather was a Vietnam- era veteran and served in the U.S. Navy, her sister is a U.S. Army Reserve Captain who is a veteran of both the Gulf War and Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom, her mother retired as an Executive Officer with the New York City Police Department Traffic Division, and Denyse, who is also an Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom combat veteran, is a 22-and-a-half-year U.S. Air Force Reserves Master Sergeant, having served 12 years on active duty. In 2012, she was crowned the first Ms. Veteran America and continues with the competition as its director. She lives in Northern Virginia.
Specialist Marissa Strock lost both lower legs in 2005, when an IED detonated beneath her Army Humvee outside Baghdad. Three of the five people on board were killed, and Marissa spent weeks in a medically induced coma. After competing in Ms. Veteran America 2013 and taking home three trophies, including one for significant military achievement, this self-proclaimed “glamputee” has served as the event’s master of ceremonies in subsequent years. She has an impressive collection of fabulous shoes and refuses to let the loss of her legs slow her down. She lives in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Sergeant Andrea Waterbury enlisted in the Army two days after 9/11 and was deployed in Iraq for two years starting in 2003. A dynamic, small-town woman and divorced mother of four, she works as the Cavalier Cadet Corp instructor at Chillicothe High School in Ohio and continues to serve proudly in the Army Reserves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLRDXIXm1HA
Image: Denyse Gordon, Joanne Makay, Hope Garcia, Rachel Engler, Jas Boothe, Nichole Alred and Andrea Waterbury – INDEPENDENT LENS “Served Like a Girl”Films
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SERVED LIKE A GIRL Chronicling Female Veterans Competing for Ms. Veteran America to Premiere on PBS on Memorial Day [Trailer]
Served Like a Girl, directed by Lysa Heslov, is a powerful and poignant look at a group of diverse female veterans as they transition from active duty to civilian life after serving tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Struggling with PTSD, homelessness, broken families, serious illness, physical injuries, and military sexual abuse, these inspiring women find ways to adapt to the challenges they face through participation in the “Ms. Veteran America” competition. Guided by event founder and veteran Major Jas Boothe, the women work hard to prepare for the competition, and, in the process, recover parts of their identities they had lost on the battlefield. Filled with humor and heart in equal measures, Served Like a Girl premieres on Independent Lens on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, 2018, 10:00-11:30 PM ET on PBS.
Wounded U.S. female service personnel often return home to a stark reality; many face debilitating emotional, social and economic challenges. The Ms. Veteran America competition was established in 2012 to encourage women veterans to recognize and support their sisters as they return to civilian life. More than a vehicle for shared recovery, the competition’s main mission is to raise funds and awareness for America’s 55,000 homeless women veterans, a goal that resonates strongly with the women profiled in the film.
Served Like a Girl features:
Sergeant Nichole Alred served six years in the Army as a mechanic, including one tour in Kuwait and two in Iraq. Nichole joined the Army as a single mother in an effort to give her son a better life. Nichole and her mother share a special relationship; her mother was her biggest supporter during both her time in the military and in the Ms. Veteran America competition. Nichole lives in Alabama with her husband.
Major Jas Boothe is a Chicago native, disabled veteran, cancer survivor, and international speaker who served 17 years in the Army. She founded Final Salute in 2010 and the Ms. Veteran America competition in 2012, which have collectively raised over $2 million and assisted over 3600 women veterans and children in over 30 states and territories. In honor of her leadership and positive impact on the community, Boothe has been recognized by Oprah Winfrey, Toyota, People Magazine, CNN Heroes, and the Department of Defense. She lives in Northern Virginia.
Lieutenant Commander Rachel Engler is second-generation Navy on both her mother and father’s side. A former NFL cheerleader and a registered nurse, she received her officer’s commission straight out of college and deployed to Afghanistan. In 2011, she was diagnosed with a chronic neuromuscular illness called Myasthenia Gravis, a condition that still affects her life today, but which hasn’t slowed her volunteer work on behalf of her fellow veterans. She lives in Arlington, Virginia.
Master-at-Arms First Class Hope Garcia served ten years in the Navy before being placed on the Permanent Disability Retired list. She struggles with PTSD and the trauma resulting from military sexual assault. But Hope continues to work for a better life for herself and her sons. At the time of filming Hope was working her way through school while attempting to build a career as a pin-up model. Through participating in the Ms. Veteran America competition, Hope was reunited with her mother and the two were able to start rebuilding their relationship. She lives in Los Angeles.
Master Sergeant Denyse Gordon comes from a family with a long and proud history of military and civic service. Her maternal grandfather served during WWII, her stepfather was a Vietnam- era veteran and served in the U.S. Navy, her sister is a U.S. Army Reserve Captain who is a veteran of both the Gulf War and Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom, her mother retired as an Executive Officer with the New York City Police Department Traffic Division, and Denyse, who is also an Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom combat veteran, is a 22-and-a-half-year U.S. Air Force Reserves Master Sergeant, having served 12 years on active duty. In 2012, she was crowned the first Ms. Veteran America and continues with the competition as its director. She lives in Northern Virginia.
Specialist Marissa Strock lost both lower legs in 2005, when an IED detonated beneath her Army Humvee outside Baghdad. Three of the five people on board were killed, and Marissa spent weeks in a medically induced coma. After competing in Ms. Veteran America 2013 and taking home three trophies, including one for significant military achievement, this self-proclaimed “glamputee” has served as the event’s master of ceremonies in subsequent years. She has an impressive collection of fabulous shoes and refuses to let the loss of her legs slow her down. She lives in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Sergeant Andrea Waterbury enlisted in the Army two days after 9/11 and was deployed in Iraq for two years starting in 2003. A dynamic, small-town woman and divorced mother of four, she works as the Cavalier Cadet Corp instructor at Chillicothe High School in Ohio and continues to serve proudly in the Army Reserves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLRDXIXm1HA
Image: Denyse Gordon, Joanne Makay, Hope Garcia, Rachel Engler, Jas Boothe, Nichole Alred and Andrea Waterbury – INDEPENDENT LENS “Served Like a Girl”
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Watch First Trailer for THE TALE Starring Laura Dern, Sets HBO Premiere Date
HBO today released the trailer for The Tale starring Laura Dern that chronicles one woman’s powerful investigation into her own childhood memories, as she is forced to reexamine her first sexual experience – and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive. Debuting Saturday, May 26 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT), the HBO Films presentation is written and directed by Sundance Grand Prize winner and Emmy(R) nominee Jennifer Fox, who based it on her own true story.
The film will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms.
The Tale stars Laura Dern (Oscar(R) nominee for “Wild” and “Rambling Rose”; Emmy(R) winner for HBO’s “Big Little Lies”; Emmy(R) nominee for HBO’s “Enlightened,” “Recount” and “Afterburn”), Isabelle Nélisse (“Mama”), Elizabeth Debicki (“The Night Manager”), Jason Ritter (“Kevin (Probably) Saves the World”), Frances Conroy (Emmy(R) nominee for HBO’s “Six Feet Under”) and John Heard (Emmy(R) nominee for HBO’s “The Sopranos”), with Common (Oscar(R) winner for “Selma”) and Ellen Burstyn (Academy Award(R) winner for “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”).
An accomplished documentarian working in New York, Jennifer (Laura Dern) is completing her latest project about the lives of women around the world. She receives a series of phone calls from her mother, Nettie (Ellen Burstyn), who has found a short story Jennifer wrote at age 13, in which she describes various encounters with her riding instructor, Mrs. G (Elizabeth Debicki), and her running coach, Bill (Jason Ritter), while at summer camp. Nettie is unnerved by the implications of her daughter’s writing, but Jennifer is nonplussed. She has always looked back with fondness on the time she spent with these two charismatic adults.
Egged on by Nettie and encouraged by her supportive fiancé (Common), Jennifer yearns to know more and sets out on a journey, 30 years later, to find those people from her past – the children, now adults, who also attended the camp back then – and eventually the coaches themselves. But the more she learns, the more her memories shift and the more questions she unearths. As Jennifer’s frustration mounts, she finds herself turning inward to get to the truth, imagining conversations with her 13-year-old self (Isabelle Nélisse) and even Mrs. G and Bill in an effort to understand how and why events occurred so long ago.
An unforgettable meditation on the elusive nature of memory, The Tale is the first narrative feature from Jennifer Fox, whose documentary films have earned international acclaim for their groundbreaking artistry and unflinching honesty. Based on Fox’s own life story, The Tale sees the filmmaker bravely pushing forward the boundaries of conventional storytelling, creating a dialogue between past and present to illustrate the interplay between memory and trauma.
“My goal was not to ask, ‘Did this happen?,’ because I always remembered it,” explains writer and director Fox. “It was, ‘How and why did it happen, and how and why did I spin it as a positive story to myself?’ There was a lightbulb moment when I was making another film about women all around the world, and it seemed that every other woman – regardless of class, culture or color – had an abuse story to tell. Their stories just floored me, because they had a system or a paradigm that looked like my story. Suddenly, I couldn’t see it as my own private little narrative and knew that it was time to investigate what happened in the open space of a fictional film.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXpYsr3AL4U
The Tale is produced by Jennifer Fox, Oren Moverman, Laura Rister, Mynette Louie, Simone Pero, Lawrence Inglee, Sol Bondy, Regina K. Scully, Lynda Weinman and Reka Posta. Julie Parker Benello, Dan Cogan, Geralyn Dreyfous, Wendy Ettinger, Abigail E. Disney, Robert & Penny Fox, Jayme Lemons, Amy Rodrigue, Ali Jazayeri, Jason Van Eman, David Van Eman, Ross Marroso and Ben McConley are executive producers.
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BIPOLAR ROCK ‘N ROLLER, Documentary on Sportscaster Mauro Ranallo Battle with Mental Illness to Debut on Showtime [Trailer]
Prolific combat sports broadcaster Mauro Ranallo and his lifelong battle with mental illness are the subject of a new documentary film from Showtime Sports. Bipolar Rock N Roller – named for the moniker Ranallo gave himself as a broadcast personality and DJ in the early 90’s – will premiere on Showtime during Mental Health Awareness Month on Friday, May 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Ranallo has Bipolar Affective Disorder, a condition afflicting nearly five percent of the U.S. population according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI.org). As a national sportscaster for preeminent boxing, mixed martial arts and WWE events, Ranallo has long been an advocate for ending the stigma of mental illness. Now, for the first time, he exposes the true extent of his daily struggle. Through extensive behind-the-scenes video footage, candid personal interviews and detailed accounts from his loved ones and doctors, Bipolar Rock N Roller takes an unflinching look at mental illness and its effects.
The film explores Ranallo’s career, including his work on the two biggest pay-per-view events in television history, and his relentless pursuit of a childhood dream despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Through this deeply personal portrait, Ranallo hopes that the film might inspire others to persevere in pursuing their dreams despite the challenges of a mental health condition.
“I have always tried to do my part to bring awareness to mental health issues,” said Ranallo. “Over the last several years, I allowed my best friend, Haris (Usanovic), to film me at my lowest points as well as at my highest. The idea is simply to show others who suffer that they are not alone and that, even when the outlook is bleak, you can overcome and achieve success. Mental illness is a life sentence – there is no cure – but it doesn’t have to be a death sentence.”
“Through Bipolar Rock N Roller, Mauro Ranallo has chosen to share not only his life’s dreams, but his nightmares as well,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Event Programming for Showtime Networks Inc. “Having reached the pinnacle of his profession, Mauro bravely turns his keen observational skills inward to examine his own life-long battle. The result is a raw, poignant and ultimately inspirational film that personifies Mauro’s courage and selflessness.”
Ranallo is a popular fixture on today’s combat sports scenes. In a career that has spanned more than 30 years, he has called everything from “All-Star Wrestling,” a Canadian professional wrestling outfit, to historic MMA events for Pride Fighting Championships out of Japan, to WWE SmackDown Live on USA Network, to many of the biggest boxing events in the world for Showtime Sports. Ranallo was the first broadcaster to call play-by-play on boxing, kickboxing, MMA and professional wrestling events on national television.
Today, Ranallo is the voice of three prominent nationally televised series: Showtime Championship Boxing (R), WWE’s weekly show NXT on WWE Network, and Bellator MMA on Paramount Network. Perhaps best known for his dramatic, excitable style, Ranallo is a student of the English language. He has already made a lasting mark on the industry having called the two biggest pay-per-view events in television history: Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao (May 2015, international telecast); and Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor (Aug. 2017, Showtime PPV(R)).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NAkbSIXxVc
Bipolar Rock N Roller is produced by Brian Dailey, the network’s Vice President, Sports Digital Content and Strategy, and MALKA MEDIA GROUP. Directed by first-time filmmaker Haris Usanovic, the film is executive produced by Stephen Espinoza and Showtime Sports.
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HBO to Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month With ‘Visionary’ Short Film Program [Video]
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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 dayEMERGING 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]
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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