Films

Watch Alex Karpovsky as a Struggling Stand-up Comic in Trailer for FOLK HERO & FUNNY GUY

[caption id="attachment_21696" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Folk Hero & Funny Guy[/caption] Here is the new trailer and poster for Jeff Grace‘s upcoming comedy Folk Hero & Funny Guy starring Alex Karpovsky as a struggling stand-up comic. The film which also stars Wyatt Russell, Meredith Hagner, Michael Ian Black, Hannah Simone, Heather Morris, Melanie Lynskey, and David Cross, will be released in select cities and on digital/VOD on May 12th, 2017. Recently dumped by his fiancée and with a stagnating standup routine, aspiring comedian-slash-copywriter Paul (Alex Karpovsky) is stuck. The manager of the club where he performs suggests he take some time off to update his comedy material, and in waltzes his childhood friend Jason Black (Wyatt Russell), an acclaimed folk-rock musician about to embark on a solo acoustic tour of the east coast. Jason suggests Paul needs to get his mojo back—and he should start by opening for Jason on tour. They set off on the road together, picking up a new act (folk singer Bryn, played by Meredith Hagner) on the way. But when Jason reveals an ulterior motive behind the tour, rifts are exposed in their otherwise affable camaraderie. Folk Hero & Funny Guy is a music-infused spin on the road-trip buddy comedy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdBCp60TpN0
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“King of Bollywood” Shah Rukh Khan to Receive Special Tribute at San Francisco International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_21683" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] “King of Bollywood” Shah Rukh Khan[/caption] “King of Bollywood” Shah Rukh Khan will be honored at the 60th San Francisco International Film Festival with a special onstage tribute and screening of “My Name Is Khan”. An intimate conversation with the actor, producer, and humanitarian exploring his unique balance between commercially-minded cinema and artistic values will be moderated by famed director and producer Brett Ratner. The onstage tribute will take place Friday, April 14, 8:30 pm at the Castro Theatre, and will be followed by a screening of Karan Johar’s 2013 film My Name is Khan in which Khan offers an unforgettable performance. Often referred to as the “King of Bollywood,” Shah Rukh Khan is an internationally renowned actor and producer. In a career spanning over 30 years, Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films and won 14 Filmfare Awards—for excellence in cinematic achievements in the Hindi language film industry—from 30 nominations. In 2005 he was the recipient of India’s second highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, in recognition of his distinguished contributions to Indian cinema, and in 2014 he was the recipient of France’s highest civilian award, the Knight of the Legion of Honour, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cultural diversity across the world. One of India’s most successful movie stars, Khan’s cultural influence extends far beyond his home country. Eleven of the films he has starred in have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over one billion dollars. His 2013 Bollywood-English-language crossover film, My Name Is Khan, earned enough in its opening weekend to become the highest-grossing Bollywood film in North America, a record previously set in 2007 by the film Om Shanti Om—which also featured Khan in the leading role. In 2011, Khan was the first Indian citizen to be honored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization with a special award—the Pyramide con Marni—for his charitable and social commitment towards providing education for children. Later that same year, Khan was appointed by the United Nations Office for Project Services as the first global ambassador to the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, which advocates for improved sanitation and hygiene for the most vulnerable and marginalized people around the world. In 2008, Newsweek named Khan one of the 50 most powerful people in the world. Brett Ratner, moderating the onstage conversation, is one of Hollywood’s most successful filmmakers and producers, whose films have grossed over $2 billion at the global box office. Ratner made his feature directorial debut with the action comedy hit Money Talks (1997) followed by the blockbuster hit Rush Hour (1998) and its successful sequels. Additional film directing credits include The Family Man (2000), Red Dragon (2002), After the Sunset (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Tower Heist (2011), and Hercules (2014). In 2013, Ratner co-founded RatPac Entertainment—a film finance, production, and media company—which has co-financed over 75 films, including Gravity (2013), The Lego Movie (2014), American Sniper (2014), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), The Revenant (2015), and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014). RatPac’s co-financed films have been nominated for 51 Academy Awards®, 20 Golden Globes® and 39 BAFTAs® and have won 21 Academy Awards®, 7 Golden Globes®, and 17 BAFTAs®. This epic 2010 melodrama “My Name Is Khan” tackles the subject of post-9/11 prejudice in America, as seen through the eyes of Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), a devout Muslim who ends up on a cross-country quest to meet the President after a devastating family tragedy. Adding a wrinkle to this story, which is told mostly in flashbacks, is the fact that Khan has Asperger’s syndrome, which means he has a unique way of looking at the world that colors his interactions with others. One person who’s able to see past his mannerisms is lovely single mother Mandira (Kajol), who happens to be Hindu, which causes some strife in Khan’s family. Nevertheless, they fall in love against the backdrop of a lovingly photographed San Francisco, complete with a sparkling wedding at the Palace of Fine Arts, although their road to happily-ever-after is a supremely bumpy one. My Name Is Khan’s bouncy musical numbers and underlying messages of tolerance, unconditional love, and truth-seeking are worth celebrating in these challenging times.
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Film Independent Selects 10 Indie Filmmakers for 2017 Documentary Lab + Launches Fiscal Sponsorship Program

[caption id="attachment_21677" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Brooklyn/Alaska, Erica Sterne[/caption] 10 filmmakers and six projects have been selected for Film Independent’s 2017 Documentary Lab. The 2017 Doc Lab is a five-week intensive program designed to support filmmakers who are currently in post-production on their feature-length documentaries. “We’re thrilled to bring together this group of talented filmmakers for the seventh year of our Documentary Lab and provide them with career support and mentorship that will help elevate their unique visions and fully realize the potential of their stories,” said Kushner. This year’s Documentary Lab Advisors and Guest Speakers include Jennifer Arnold (Tig, A Small Act); Nels Bangerter (Editor, Cameraperson); Peter Broderick (President, Paradigm Consulting); Greg Finton (Editor, He Named Me Malala); Keith Fulton (The Bad Kids); Simon Kilmurry (Executive Director, International Documentary Association); Peter Nicks (The Force); Lou Pepe (The Bad Kids); and Chris Perez (Partner, Donaldson + Callif LLP). The organization also launched its new Fiscal Sponsorship Program, open to all types of eligible projects at every stage including documentary and fiction films and interactive media. Fiscal sponsorship is a legal arrangement between a 501(c)3 and an independent artist that gives them the eligibility to apply for grants and solicit tax-deductible donations for their project. “In response to what our members have told us they need, we’re happy to deepen our support by offering Fiscal Sponsorship, helping filmmakers gain access to new sources of project funding,” said Jennifer Kushner, Director of Artist Development. The 2017 Documentary Lab projects and Fellows are: Brooklyn/Alaska, Erica Sterne – director/producer Teenage boys from tough Brooklyn neighborhoods discover the natural world on an unlikely adventure through the remote Alaskan wilderness and are transformed by the physical and emotional challenges encountered along the way. Minding the Gap, Bing Liu – director/producer, Diane Quon – producer Bing, a 25-year-old Chinese-American skateboarder and filmmaker, returns to his hometown and reconnects with two skateboarders: Keire, an African-American 17-year-old and Zack, a white 23-year-old, who all share a history of childhood trauma. Over the next three years, their freewheeling lives unravel as they figure out who they hope to be. Shadow of His Wings, Lucas Habte – director/producer, Isidore Bethel – producer/editor Hoping to understand his Ethiopian father’s history of forced migration, an American filmmaker moves to Addis Ababa and falls in love with a young man who soon must flee homophobic death threats at home to become France’s first LGBT refugee from Ethiopia. A Taste of Sky, Michael Lei – director/producer In the dizzying heights of Bolivia’s capital of La Paz a gastronomical revolution is offering the possibility of hope to the country’s impoverished youth. We follow the trials and tribulations of GUSTU, the innovative cooking school and world-class restaurant of South America’s poorest country. A Woman’s Work, Yu Gu – director, Elizabeth Ai – producer Football and feminism collide in this feature documentary that follows three former NFL cheerleaders as they battle against their former teams and the NFL to reverse 50 years of illegal employment practices. Waiting for Kate…(female is not a genre) Amy Goldstein – director/producer, Anouchka van Riel –producer Waiting for Kate…(female is not a genre) takes us on the roller coaster of contemporary pop stardom, with an unprecedented inside look at the euphoric highs and destructive lows on the cutting edge of today’s music industry. image via Brooklyn/Alaska, Erica Sterne
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Angkor Awakens: A Portrait of Cambodia is “A Fascinating Portrait of a Nation Struggling to Come to Terms with its Past”

[caption id="attachment_21671" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Angkor Awakens: A Portrait of Cambodia[/caption] Angkor Awakens: A Portrait of Cambodia is a fascinating portrait of a growing nation struggling to come to terms with its past. The follows the people of Cambodia as they fight to recover their culture and history in the wake of the Khmer Rouge genocide (1975-1979). The documentary film includes an unprecedented appearance by Cambodia’s Strongman/Prime Minister Hun Sen, who seems to align himself here with President Trump. Directed by Robert H Lieberman, Angkor Awakens: A Portrait of Cambodia will open on May 5th, 2017 in New York at Landmarks Sunshine Cinema and in DC at the E Street Theater, in LA on May 12th at Laemmle’s Monica Theater and at Playhouse 7 in Pasadena and Claremont 5. Additional cities to follow “Angkor Awakens” is a sweeping and eye-opening portrait of a nation now poised at the tipping point. The film documents the process and collective efforts of the Khmer people as they work to recover their culture and history in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge regime. It views the present through the lens of the country’s tangled history. Though the legacy of past violence and present-day repression lives on, it is counterbalanced by the hope and aspirations of the new generation of Cambodians. Built around intimate interviews and stunning footage of the country, this is the film for anyone desiring to learn more about one of Asia’s youngest populations as it seeks to leave behind its brutal past. “”Angkor Awakens: A Portrait of Cambodia” is directed by Robert H. Lieberman, a best-selling novelist, award winning filmmaker and long-time member of Cornell University Physics faculty. It is Lieberman’s background as a child of the holocaust that has led him to explore the effects of the genocide on the mentality of today’s young Cambodian. The film opens with a rush of motion, the camera speeding up a flight of stairs with increasing momentum, panning out to reveal lush hills, stone steps and a vibrant earth that stretches on and on. Ambient music fills the theatre; the screen slips to a red backdrop, with the shadows of traditional dancers gliding about; a voiceover extracted from one of the many interviews speaks, introducing us to an eighty-minute documentary probe into Cambodia. Following independence from France, the Cambodia of the ’60s and ’70s was sucked into the Cold War when its neighbor Vietnam fell into civil chaos, despite efforts to stay neutral. What eventually emerged from the din and struggle for national survival was the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge, an extremist Communist group led by Pol Pot, which proceeded to commit one of the worst mass killings of the 20th century, claiming up to an estimated two million lives. Angkor Awakens is a poignant, revealing documentary in how it chooses to look at this highly volatile and violent time.” – Cornell Daily Sun
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ABORTION: STORIES WOMEN TELL Spotlighting Voices on Both Sides of The Polarizing Issue, will Debut April 3 on HBO | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_21645" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] ABORTION: STORIES WOMEN TELL[/caption] ABORTION: STORIES WOMEN TELL, a documentary film that presents a candid dialogue about one of the most divisive and timely issues facing America today, will debut Monday, April 3 on HBO. Although 44 years have passed since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade recognized a woman’s right to choose, abortion remains one of the most polarizing issues in America. Since 2011, more than half of the states have imposed significant restrictions on abortion, including in Missouri, where only one abortion clinic remains open in the entire state, and patients and their doctors must navigate a 72-hour waiting period. ABORTION: STORIES WOMEN TELL offers an intimate window into the lives of women living in Missouri. Tracy Droz Tragos (winner of the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary for “Rich Hill”), a native of the state, sheds new light on the issue, focusing not on the debate, which is typically dominated by legislators and advocates, but on women’s personal stories. Presenting a candid dialogue about one of the most divisive and timely issues facing America today, the film debuts MONDAY, APRIL 3 (8:00-9:35 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO. Wherever they stand the issue, the women in the film base their choices on individual circumstances and beliefs. ABORTION: STORIES WOMEN TELL underscores their strength and capacity to overcome and persevere through complicated and unexpected circumstances. As a result of the state’s restrictions and the availability of just one operating clinic, many women in Missouri travel across the state line, to Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City, Ill., just 15 minutes from downtown St. Louis, but more than 100 miles from rural Missouri. Drawing on access to the clinic, the film features interviews with a range of women of all ages, backgrounds and faiths, as well as doctors, nurses and staff who face protestors on a daily basis, and activists on both sides, hoping to sway decisions and lives. The film provides a balanced looks at abortion through women’s own words and experiences. Among the subjects: Amie, a 30-year-old single mom who splits custody of her two children with her ex and works 70 hours a week as a waitress and bartender to make ends meet. She drives 400 miles round-trip to get to Hope Clinic, where she’s given a prescription for an abortion pill. Crying, Amie thinks of her kids and says, “I’m not just doing this for me.” Chi Chi, a guard at Hope Clinic, who shields women daily from the anti-choice protesters in the clinic’s parking lot. Challenging a particularly vocal protestor, Chi Chi demands, “Are you gonna take care of these babies?” Reflecting on her own abortion years ago – her son was only six months old at the time – Chi Chi says it was the right decision because she didn’t want to end up on public assistance. Erin, a doctor at Hope Clinic who says she had no problems when she worked at Planned Parenthood in Chicago, but has had protestors show up at her house since moving to the St. Louis area. “They identified me as an abortion provider, where I just think of myself as a gynecologist,” she says. When she feels worn down, Erin looks at a book with messages left by clinic patients, but warns that access to abortion keeps shrinking. Kathy, a pro-life activist, who says that her dad once told her that she was almost aborted, and that she always felt “a kinship with the baby in the womb.” Kathy hosts a local event featuring Susan, a prominent pro-life speaker who has had three abortions and sees herself as protecting women from the shame and guilt that she felt. Chelsea, a young woman who learned that her baby had a genetic defect and would not survive past birth. She and her husband consulted their pastor, who they say was supportive of their decision to terminate. As Christians, the couple says it was a tough choice, but knowing that they are not alone is the reason they want to share their story. Reagan, an anti-abortion activist for Students for Life of America. Reagan says there’s a stereotype of pro-life people as old men and women holding up graphic signs of aborted fetuses, but insists that is changing. She and other members of her group hand out anti-Planned Parenthood information on campus, and are challenged by a pro-choice student, who points out that Planned Parenthood provides many other services for women besides abortion. Te’Aundra, a young mother who was set to go to college on a basketball scholarship when she got pregnant. She wanted to give the baby up for adoption, but the father disagreed, though he didn’t want to be involved in raising the child. With a baby daughter now in her care and her college dreams dashed, Te’Aundra says, “I’d hate to say… I probably would have just had an abortion and just been on my way.” Interspersed throughout the film are short stories of women who have had an abortion in the recent or distant past. A few regret the decision, while others say they would not be where they are now if they hadn’t made that choice. The documentary had its world premiere at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X94ZaE7pso
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Restored Version of Marcel Ophuls’ THE MEMORY OF JUSTICE to Air April 24, Holocaust Remembrance Day, on HBO

[caption id="attachment_21634" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Marcel Ophuls’ THE MEMORY OF JUSTICE[/caption] Following the film’s restoration by the Academy Film Archive and The Film Foundation, the newly restored version of Oscar(R)-winner Marcel Ophüls’ 1976 documentary THE MEMORY OF JUSTICE will be debut on HBO2 on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Monday, April 24. The rarely seen epic was presented at the Berlin, Toronto and New York film festivals in 2015. THE MEMORY OF JUSTICE explores the relationship between individual and collective responsibility, as Ophüls investigates then-recent alleged war crimes committed by France in Algeria and by the U.S. in Vietnam in light of atrocities committed by the Nazis. The director was inspired by the 1970 book “Nuremberg and Vietnam: An American Tragedy,” by Telford Taylor, a counsel for the prosecution at the Nuremberg trials, who became a harsh critic of America’s escalating involvement in Vietnam. Filmed 30 years after the end of World War II and the Nuremberg trials, the film draws on the unique perspectives of those who lived through the conflict and those who came of age afterward. THE MEMORY OF JUSTICE features rare archival footage and interviews with both victims and architects of atrocities, raising essential questions about the moral choices made by individuals and governments in the latter half of the 20th century that are equally relevant today. “It seems to me that THE MEMORY OF JUSTICE, which flopped pretty badly when it first came out, is the best work I ever did in my life, or at any rate the most personal and the most sincere of my films,” says Marcel Ophüls. “Now, thanks to Martin Scorsese and The Film Foundation, and with the help of my favorite studio, my favorite child has been put back into circulation as an adult. Needless to say, I’m immensely grateful!” “THE MEMORY OF JUSTICE is a monumental documentary achievement; an essential work of historic and intellectual importance,” notes Martin Scorsese, founder and chair of The Film Foundation. “The film was unavailable for decades and, strongly encouraged by my friend Jay Cocks, the Academy and The Film Foundation undertook the nearly ten-year process of restoration. We were incredibly fortunate to have support for this project from Olivia Harrison’s Material World Charitable Foundation and Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation.” After years of research, The Film Foundation and the Academy Film Archive discovered an original, unlabeled, 16mm camera negative of THE MEMORY OF JUSTICE in a studio vault, and worked closely with Ophüls and producer Hamilton Fish on its restoration. Newly discovered original recordings of Ophüls’ interviews with French and German speaking interview subjects were restored and substituted for the existing English-language voiceover tracks. New subtitles in English, French and German were created for the restoration so that the participants’ own voices can now be heard, along with Ophüls’ questions. The original film screened at the 1976 Cannes and New York Film Festivals, and was hailed by Vincent Canby as “a standard against which all other non-fiction cinema must be measured.”
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HBO Likes Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio’s Documentary on Avett Brothers’ Band

[caption id="attachment_20911" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] MAY IT LAST: A PORTRAIT OF THE AVETT BROTHERS[/caption] HBO quickly snapped up the documentary MAY IT LAST: A PORTRAIT OF THE AVETT BROTHERS, co-directed and produced by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, ahead of its March 15 world premiere in the 24 Beats Per Second section of the 2017 South by Southwest Film Festival. The documentary is expected to air on HBO later this year. Filmed with extraordinary access over the course of more than two years, MAY IT LAST: A PORTRAIT OF THE AVETT BROTHERS chronicles the band, fronted by brothers Scott and Seth Avett, on the long journey from their rural North Carolina childhoods to topping the charts and selling out arenas, experiencing heartbreak, tragedy and joy along the way. The film also provides an inside look at their collaboration with legendary producer Rick Rubin while recording the 2017 Grammy-nominated album “True Sadness,” which was released on American Recordings/Republic Records. With the recording process as the backdrop, MAY IT LAST intimately depicts the deeply personal, lifelong bond between brothers, and shows how that dynamic helps shape their creative process as musicians and songwriters. “This film has been a true labor of love for us for more than three years now, and we could not be happier that HBO – with their incredible lineage of documentary programming – believes in it as much as we do,” say Apatow and Bonfiglio. “The accuracy with which Apatow and Bonfiglio present this moment in our lives and process is stunning,” says Seth Avett. “From the vantage point of my brother and I, the film is almost surreal in its level of personal truth-telling.” Featuring a wealth of exclusive footage of the Avetts in the studio and at home, never-before-seen family photographs, concert footage and revealing interviews with band members Scott (banjo, lead vocals) and Seth (guitar, lead vocals) Avett, Bob Crawford (bass), Joe Kwon (cello), Tania Elizabeth (fiddle), Paul DeFiglia (keyboards) and Mike Marsh (drums), as well as producer Rick Rubin and intimate family and friends, the film takes an in-depth look at the personal and creative relationship between the brothers that helps define America’s biggest roots band. Apatow and Bonfiglio previously co-directed the ESPN documentary “Doc & Darryl” as part of the network’s “30 for 30” series, which was Apatow’s first foray into the documentary world.

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Watch Mr. Robot’s Rami Malek in First Trailer for Indie Thriller BUSTER’S MAL HEART

[caption id="attachment_20413" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] BUSTER’S MAL HEART[/caption] BUSTER’S MAL HEART starring Rami Malek of the USA Network hit Mr. Robot, has released the official trailer. In this bold thriller peppered with dark humor and interlocking mystery, an eccentric mountain man is on the run from the authorities, surviving the winter by breaking into empty vacation homes in a remote community. Regularly calling into radio talk shows — where he has acquired the nickname “Buster” — to rant about the impending Inversion at the turn of the millennium, he is haunted by visions of being lost at sea, and memories of his former life as a family man. Buster (Rami Malek) was once Jonah, a hard-working husband and father whose job as the night-shift concierge at a hotel took its toll on his psyche and, consequently, his marriage to the sensitive Marty (Kate Lyn Sheil) — until a chance encounter with a conspiracy-obsessed drifter (DJ Qualls) changed the course of their lives forever. As the solitary present-day Buster drifts from house to house, eluding the local sheriff at every turn, we gradually piece together the events that fractured his life and left him alone on top of a snowy mountain, or perhaps in a small rowboat in the middle of a vast ocean — or both, in this visceral mind bender that will provoke discussion long after it turns your world upside-down. BUSTER’S MAL HEART, written and directed by Sarah Adina Smith, opens theatrically in New York and Los Angeles on April 28th. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-NGiCB-6js
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Watch Trailer for Michael O’Shea’s Indie Vampire Thriller THE TRANSFIGURATION

Here is the new trailer for The Transfiguration written and directed by Michael O’Shea, and starring Eric Ruffin and Chloe Levine, that will screen at the upcoming 2017 SXSW Film Festival. The film will open in New York on Friday, April 7th at the Angelika Film Center, and in Los Angeles on Friday, April 21st at The Nuart Theatre. An official selection at the Cannes Film Festival, writer/director Michael O’Shea’s debut feature The Transfiguration follows troubled teen Milo who hides behind his fascination with vampire lore. When he meets the equally alienated Sophie, the two form a bond that begins to challenge Milo’s dark obsession, blurring his fantasy into reality. A chilling portrait of violence, The Transfiguration is an atmospheric thriller set against the grit of New York City.
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Poster + Trailer for I, OLGA HEPNAROVA Based on Crimes of Olga Hepnarova, a Lonely 23 Year Old Czech Lesbian

Here is the new poster and trailer for the award-winning Czech film I, Olga Hepnarova, based on the crimes of Olga Hepnarova, a young, lonely lesbian who on July 10, 1973, drove a rented truck into a group of people waiting for a tram in Prague, Czechoslovakia, killing 8 of them. I, Olga Hepnarova will open theatrically in NYC on Friday, March 24 with a national release to follow. Olga Hepnarová (b. June 30, 1951) was a young, lonely lesbian outsider from a coldhearted family who couldn’t play the part society desired of her. Her paranoid self-examination and inability to connect with other people eventually drove her over the edge of humanity when she was only twenty-two years old. On July 10, 1973, Olga drove a rented truck into a group of about 25 people waiting for a tram in Prague, Czechoslovakia, all aged between 60 to 79, killing 8 of them. Before the murder, she sent a letter to two newspapers explaining her action as revenge for all the hatred against her by her family and the world. She was found to be sane and sentenced to death. The execution took place on March 12, 1975 in the Pankrác Prison in Prague. She was the last woman executed in Czechoslovakia. The film shows the human being behind the mass murderer without glorifying or downplaying the terrible crime she committed. Guided by her letters we delve into Olga’s psyche and witness the worsening of her loneliness and alienation as we reconstruct the events that led up to her disastrous actions. Although the story is set in the seventies, young people worldwide today still face problems of not belonging, being different, and being bullied because of race, gender or sexual orientation.
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Robert McGinley’s DANGER DIVA Starring Molly Sides of THUNDERPUSSY to World Premiere on April 13 | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_21505" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] DANGER DIVA[/caption] DANGER DIVA, a new cyberpunk musical thriller, written, directed and produced by Robert McGinley (award-winning filmmaker of JIMMY ZIP and SHREDDER ORPHEUS), will have it’s World Premiere at the SIFF Egyptian Theater in Seattle, Washington on Thursday, April 13. Danger Diva was filmed entirely in Seattle with a local cast and crew. The film stars Molly Sides, lead singer of the all-girl rock/pop band, THUNDERPUSSY. Also starring in Danger Diva are Seattle theater/film standouts Tim Gouran, Ray Tagavilla, Amy Thone and Conner Neddersen. After the screening, THUNDERPUSSY will mount the stage and unleash a set of their fiery brand of rock. In Danger Diva, audiences are taken on a journey into the near future with hard rock singer Devi Danger as she is coerced into becoming an electronically enhanced new-music diva. Her singing voice is used to control and energize the brains of indoctrinated employees (also known as “Brain Cattle”) that are being used as external processors for the advancement of corporate high tech clients. Operating in a digital sweatshop, these “Brain Cattle” process binary algorithms that serve as a chorus for Devi Danger. McGinley’s influences for the film came mainly from cyberpunk literature and films; in particular, William Gibson’s “NEUROMANCER” and the science-fiction classic, BLADE RUNNER. Further inspired by the Ella Fitzgerald “Is it live, or is it Memorex” commercial, DANGER DIVA explores the conflict between high tech vs. high touch, and what it means to be human in a digitally enhanced bio-tech future. Music anchors these themes with an eclectic rocking score with songs by Seattle-based rock band THUNDERPUSSY and composer Regan Remy. McGinley explains, “In the midst of this rock ‘n roll saga, the audience will have an opportunity to ponder future technology nightmares like the use of enslaved human brains as external hard drive processors, or employing human offspring as vehicles for life extension.”
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GRAMMY Award Winning René Pérez Joglar’s Documentary RESIDENTE to Premiere at SXSW | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_20404" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Residente[/caption] Residente, the eponymous documentary by director & 25-time GRAMMY Award winning artist René Pérez Joglar (also known as Residente), has been selected to premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, in Austin, Texas. Residente will be screened in the 24 Beats Per Second section of the festival, which showcases films that highlight sounds, culture and the influence of music and musicians. Residente is centered on the global journey Pérez Joglar embarked on – after taking a DNA test – to trace his ancestry, explore his creative process and expose local stories, all the while creating music with local communities along the way. The documentary explores the human condition as well as how music and art cut across cultural, social, economic, racial and political divides, while taking audiences on a tour across four continents, seven countries and numerous regions: Siberia (Kyzyl), Moscow, The Caucasus (North Ossetia, South Ossetia, Georgia and Armenia), China, Barcelona, London, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Puerto Rico. Pérez Joglar expressed: “We are all microscopically invisible in relation to the history of time, yet we are all part of the same map, part of a great moment, and within our greatest moments we are all equally small.” Through concerted self-exploration Pérez Joglar was confronted with a new world view, that he refined as he wrote and composed his new album. While the film focuses on Residente’s music – the visual, environmental, sociocultural and political landscapes of each region also provided inspiration for his creativity and curiosity. Pérez Joglar added: “I didn’t write my own lyrics, my journey wrote them for me. Our common genetic map, that unites us all, composed my sheet music.” The film is based on a concept by Pérez Joglar and Marc de Beaufort, and is the first feature-length film directed by the artist himself. It was completed by a talented team, including Rebecca Adorno (editor), Alexandra Posada (director of photography) and Marc de Beaufort (field production) – and features cameo appearances from an equally impressive array of musicians, artists and influencers, from Lin Manuel Miranda to Bombino.
Residente’s world premiere will take place at the Alamo Drafthouse Lamar Theater at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 11. The film will also screened two additional times at SXSW: On Tuesday, March 14 at the Rollins Theatre (1:45 p.m.) and on Thursday, March 16 at the Zach Theatre (11:00 a.m.)
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