Idris Elba in Five by Five[/caption]
This year’s 23rd Palm Springs International ShortFest taking place June 20-26, 2017, at the Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs will showcase 338 films including 46 World Premieres, 12 International Premieres, 42 North American Premieres and 16 U.S. Premieres.
“Each year, the quality of films we watch for ShortFest keeps getting stronger,” said Festival Director Lili Rodriguez. “It makes our job of narrowing down the final selection that much harder, but also incredibly rewarding. There are so many unique and strong voices and we’re really proud to champion these films at the festival.”
This year’s star-studded shorts feature Academy Award® winners and nominees, as well as film and television stars including Summer Phoenix in Across My Land (USA/France); Thomas Lennon and Lennon Parham in All Exchanges Final (USA); Tatiana Maslany in Apart From Everything (Canada); The Dark of Night (USA) directed by Robin Wright and starring Leslie Bibb and Sam Rockwell; Sir Ian McKellen in Edmund the Magnificent (UK); Toby Jones in The Entertainer (UK); Julian Sands in The Escape (UK); Idris Elba in Five by Five (UK); Rick Fox in Game (USA); Carrie Coon in Great Choice (USA); Kate Winslet in The Lost Letter (Ireland); Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale in Martha Monster (Australia); Valerie Harper in My Mom and the Girl (USA); Helena Bonham Carter in Poles Apart (UK); Show Business (USA) directed by Clark Duke; and Super Sex directed by Matthew Modine and starring Kevin Nealon, Edward Asner, Elizabeth Perkins and Efren Ramirez.
In addition to ShortFest’s award-winning short films, each year the Festival also welcomes a long guest list of filmmakers and industry attendees for the ShortFest Forums of panels and roundtables. Other prominent industry figures from AMPAS®, Anonymous Content, CAA, Cartoon Network, FX Networks, ICM Partners, NASA, Preferred Content, Seed&Spark, UTA, Vimeo and other organizations will participate in three days of ShortFest Forums covering a wide range of emerging trends and new practices in the global film community.Films
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Palm Springs International ShortFest Announces 2017 Lineup Featuring Idris Elba, Kate Winslet and More
[caption id="attachment_22679" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Idris Elba in Five by Five[/caption]
This year’s 23rd Palm Springs International ShortFest taking place June 20-26, 2017, at the Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs will showcase 338 films including 46 World Premieres, 12 International Premieres, 42 North American Premieres and 16 U.S. Premieres.
“Each year, the quality of films we watch for ShortFest keeps getting stronger,” said Festival Director Lili Rodriguez. “It makes our job of narrowing down the final selection that much harder, but also incredibly rewarding. There are so many unique and strong voices and we’re really proud to champion these films at the festival.”
This year’s star-studded shorts feature Academy Award® winners and nominees, as well as film and television stars including Summer Phoenix in Across My Land (USA/France); Thomas Lennon and Lennon Parham in All Exchanges Final (USA); Tatiana Maslany in Apart From Everything (Canada); The Dark of Night (USA) directed by Robin Wright and starring Leslie Bibb and Sam Rockwell; Sir Ian McKellen in Edmund the Magnificent (UK); Toby Jones in The Entertainer (UK); Julian Sands in The Escape (UK); Idris Elba in Five by Five (UK); Rick Fox in Game (USA); Carrie Coon in Great Choice (USA); Kate Winslet in The Lost Letter (Ireland); Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale in Martha Monster (Australia); Valerie Harper in My Mom and the Girl (USA); Helena Bonham Carter in Poles Apart (UK); Show Business (USA) directed by Clark Duke; and Super Sex directed by Matthew Modine and starring Kevin Nealon, Edward Asner, Elizabeth Perkins and Efren Ramirez.
In addition to ShortFest’s award-winning short films, each year the Festival also welcomes a long guest list of filmmakers and industry attendees for the ShortFest Forums of panels and roundtables. Other prominent industry figures from AMPAS®, Anonymous Content, CAA, Cartoon Network, FX Networks, ICM Partners, NASA, Preferred Content, Seed&Spark, UTA, Vimeo and other organizations will participate in three days of ShortFest Forums covering a wide range of emerging trends and new practices in the global film community.
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Watch Putin Offer His Opinion of Senator McCain in New Clip from Oliver Stone’s THE PUTIN INTERVIEWS
Showtime has released a new extended clip from Oliver Stone’s unprecedented conversations with Vladimir Putin, the docuseries – The Putin Interviews. The clip is pulled from hour four of the special, which features Stone’s most recent discussion with the Russian president this past February, following the U.S. presidential elections.
In the newly released clip, Putin offers his opinion of his former Cold War foe, Senator John McCain, that sheds light on how Putin views today’s global affairs in a historical context.
https://youtu.be/le7fv_9TfcE
Additionally, a new video for The Putin Interviews was released that features a behind-the-scenes look and interview with Stone, about the making of the television special.
https://youtu.be/FvNo0jRj7is
In one of multiple interviews over the course of two years, Oliver Stone interviews Russian President Vladimir Putin while he is driving, where Putin discusses his point of view on Edward Snowden.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD4eIM-8Vrc
Granted intimate access to both Putin’s professional and personal worlds, Oscar(R)-winning writer and director Oliver Stone (Platoon, Snowden), with the help of his longtime documentary producer Fernando Sulichin, interviewed the Russian leader more than a dozen times over the course of two years. Since first becoming the president of Russia in 2000, Putin has never before spoken at such length or in such detail to a Western interviewer, leaving no topic off limits. In scope and depth, The Putin Interviews recalls The Nixon Interviews, the series of conversations between David Frost and Richard Nixon that aired in the spring of 1977, 40 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2cJXEWkt60
The Putin Interviews will have its world television premiere on Showtime over four consecutive nights starting on Monday, June 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
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CHASING CORAL Releases New Trailer for World Oceans Day
Today, on World Oceans Day, a new trailer was released for the documentary Chasing Coral, set to debut globally July 14 on Netflix.
Chasing Coral taps into the collective will and wisdom of an ad man, a self-proclaimed coral nerd, top-notch camera designers, and renowned marine biologists as they reveal a phenomenon called “coral bleaching.” With its breathtaking photography and nail-biting suspense, Chasing Coral is a dramatic revelation that won’t have audiences sitting idle for long.
“Our oceans are dramatically changing and we are losing coral reefs on a global scale,” said Jeff Orlowski, director of Chasing Coral. “We spent three years with divers, underwater photographers, and experts to reveal the majesty of our oceans, and the rapidly changing reality we’re facing. We are excited to launch this trailer on World Oceans Day and help heighten awareness of the connection between humanity and our ocean.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6fHA9R2cKI
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Bill Duke Directed Indie Thriller CREATED EQUAL to World Premiere at American Black Film Festival | Trailer
[caption id="attachment_22655" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Created Equal[/caption]
Six years after stunning audiences with his shocking documentary, Dark Girls, actor/director Bill Duke returns to directing with the legal thriller Created Equal. Created Equal, based on the novel, Created Equal written by Roger A. Brown, will World Premiere at the 2017 American Black Film Festival on Thursday, June 15, 4pm, at the Miami Beach Cinematheque (1130 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL).
In a world where gender equality remains a critical issue, this controversial film, doesn’t set out to challenge the Catholic Church doctrine, but asks a very modern question… Should women be allowed into seminaries to study for the priesthood? “Created Equal is a film that gives you a voyeur experience into the stained glass ceiling that exists in the Catholic Church and asks the question about women being allowed into seminaries without actually taking sides,” shares Bill Duke. “We are so excited that the American Black Film Festival has officially selected our film as a world premiere and look forward to the conversation that is created around this highly debated topic.”
The film stars Broadway actor and singer Aaron Tveit (Grease Live!) Latina actress Edy Ganem (Devious Maids), Yohance Myles (Shots Fired), veteran actors Lou Diamond Phillips (Longmire) and GregAlan Williams (Greenleaf).
Desperate to become a priest in the Catholic Church, Alejandra “Allie” Batista (Edy Ganem) turns to Thomas Reilly (Aaron Tveit), a successful lawyer who files suit against the Archdiocese of New Orleans for sex discrimination without justifiable cause. As Allie’s case starts to make national headlines, both she and Tommy face serious backlash from the people in their lives. The trial unfolds and an extremist concocts a plot to stop the heresy against the church by attacking Alejandra and attempting to kill her if she doesn’t back off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Bw2UFlonM
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Sundance Selects to Release Jeff Unay’s THE CAGE FIGHTER Documentary
[caption id="attachment_22652" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
The Cage Fighter[/caption]
Jeff Unay’s documentary and directorial feature debut The Cage Fighter that premiered earlier this year at the 2017 San Francisco International Film Festival has been acquired by Sundance Selects for release in the US. It was written, directed and photographed by Jeff Unay.
The Cage Fighter is the story of a man in the fight of his life. Joe Carman is a blue-collar Washington State boilermaker and master plumber, a loving father and husband. Unable to cope with stresses at home, reeling from his wife’s recent illness and an ongoing custody battle, Joe escapes back into the fighting cage — the one place he’d promised never to set foot again. By trading his inner pain for physical blows, Joe struggles to heal himself and come to terms with his past. In the fighting cage, life’s problems are as simple as they are acute; but there, unlike in the real world, an old fighter can at least go down swinging.
“I am very excited that we are partnering with Sundance Selects to bring The Cage Fighter to the public,” said Jeff Unay, director. “Their prestigious label/brand of films coupled together with their penchant to distribute their films to the widest possible audience is extremely promising and very important to our film. We are proud to be part of the Sundance Selects family.”
“Jeff Unay’s impressive and beautiful debut unfolds like a narrative film in which the story of Joe Carman and his journey is portrayed with empathy and universal accessibility. We can’t wait to share his story with audiences across the country,” said Arianna Bocco, EVP of Acquisitions and Productions.
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French Musical Comedy FOOTNOTES to Open in New York on July 14
[caption id="attachment_22647" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]
Footnotes[/caption]
The French musical comedy Footnotes directed by Paul Calori and Kostia Testut will open in New York on Friday, July 14th at the Village East Cinema with a national release to follow.
Inspired by the films of Jacques Demy and Stanley Donen,Footnotes is a whimsical and original musical comedy about Julie, a young woman struggling to make ends meet in France’s radically changing economy. Living out of a backpack, Julie spends her days jumping from job to job until she’s finally offered a temporary stockroom position at a women’s luxury shoe factory. After making friends with the boss’s spunky receptionist Sophie and the ever-charming factory truck driver Samy, Julie thinks the hard times are behind her. But Julie’s dreams of stability collapse when management threatens to close down the factory. As her intrepid group of female colleagues get together to go on strike, Samy and the other truck drivers decide to side with the company’s scheming CEO. Julie must choose whether to keep a low profile (and a shot at permanent employment) or to resist and fight back on the picket line.
Footnotes stars Pauline Etienne, Olivier Chantreau, François Morel, Loïc Corbery and Julie Victor; and was an Official Selection of Palm Springs International Film Festival, Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, Filmfest DC and many more.
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Watch Chilling First Trailer for Australian Indie Thriller LOST GULLY ROAD
[caption id="attachment_22639" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Lost Gully Trailer[/caption]
Here is the first trailer for the Australian thriller Lost Gully Trailer directed by Donna McRae. The film tells the story of Lucy, a directionless young woman who travels to a secluded cottage in the forest to wait for her sister. With no television and little communication with the outside world she spends her days alone and drinking to pass the time. That is, until her unexpected host decides to keep her company…
Lucy is played by Adele Perovic (The Code), with supporting cast Eloise Mignon (The Cherry Orchard), John Brumpton (The Loved Ones), and Jane Clifton (Prisoner, Cell Block H).
Lost Gully Trailer is directed by Donna McRae, who’s debut film Johnny Ghost (2012) was hailed as “Stylistically removed from your average gore film and just as chilling as some of the best “ by Fangoria, called an “immediate classic” by Hellnotes, and given 5 stars from Filmthreat.
The film features beautiful cinematography from Laszlo Baranyai (HSC, ACS), exquisite production design from visual artist Michael Vale, and a haunting score by Dave Graney and Clare Moore.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates and soon to be announced festival dates.
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French Film AFTER LOVE Starring Bérénice Bejo (The Artist) Opens in NYC on August 9 | Trailer
[caption id="attachment_22630" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
After Love[/caption]
The French film, After Love, (L’économie du couple) directed by Joachim Lafosse and starring Bérénice Bejo (The Artist), and Cédric Kahn will open theatrically at The Quad in NYC on Wednesday, August 9, with a national release to follow.
From the director of Our Children, Joachim Fosse, comes the story of Boris (Cédric Kahn) and Marie (Bérénice Bejo), a couple who have decided to separate after 15 years together. They have two girls that they adore, but tensions rise as cash-strapped Boris continues to live in the family home. Neither of the two is willing to compromise, making their apartment a war zone.
After Love captures with great magnitude, the painfully intimate, harrowingly drama, emotional and financial complexities of a separation, at the end of a long love story.
The film was an official selection at Directors Fortnight – Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, London Film Festival, AFI Fest and many more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDpmIYR6kmY
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Watch Trailer for Country Music Film FOREVER MY GIRL, in Theaters on January 19
[caption id="attachment_22627" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Forever My Girl[/caption]
If you like country music or just music in general, definitely watch the official trailer for Forever My Girl. The film written and directed by Bethany Ashton Wolf, and based on the novel by Heidi McLaughlin, will be released in theaters January 19, 2018. (updated)
Forever My Girl tells the story of country music super-star Liam Page (Alex Roe) who left his bride, Josie (Jessica Rothe), at the altar choosing fame and fortune instead. However, Liam never got over Josie, his one true love, nor did he ever forget his Southern roots in the small community where he was born and raised. When he unexpectedly returns to his hometown for the funeral of his high school best friend, Liam is suddenly faced with the consequences of all that he left behind.
In addition to Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, the film stars Abby Ryder Fortson, Travis Tritt, Judith Hoag and John Benjamin Hickey.
The film features Original Songs:
“Don’t Water Down My Whiskey”
Written by Brett Boyett and Jackson Odell
Performed by Alex Roe
“Enough”
Written by Brett Boyett and Jackson Odell
Performed by Alex Roe
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Emmy Winner Cady McClain’s SEEING IS BELIEVING: WOMEN DIRECT to East Coast Premiere at SOHO International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_22616" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Seeing is Believing: Women Direct[/caption]
Emmy winning actress-turned-director Cady McClain’s Seeing is Believing: Women Direct will make its East Coast Premiere and is an Official Selection of the 2017 SOHO International Film Festival, screening Monday, June 19 at Village East Cinemas.
Seeing is Believing: Women Direct is a documentary series directed, executive produced, written and edited by Cady McClain about women directors who are on the front lines of the field: from major award winners and those in the vanguard of television and feature films, to graduate students and frustrated auteurs. The first episode recently made its World Premiere at Newport Beach Film Festival, where it won an Honorable Mention for Best Documentary Short. Now, McClain will debut a feature-length version at SOHO International Film Festival.
McClain has spent the past year traveling the globe, speaking to female directors of film and television and documenting their stories. The outcome is a feature film and a serialized documentary, providing insider access to the skills and tools needed to succeed as a woman in the directing field.
When only 1.9% of the top 100 films are directed by women, it is a symptom of a larger problem: an ingrained cultural bias against women’s ability to lead. McClain believes the best way to create change is to show proof that the bias is based on outdated and false ideas. Considering all aspects of the directing experience, the series will show how these women drive through obstacles creative, cultural and professional. The series is also intended to serve as peer-to-peer mentorship for anyone of any gender looking for guidance and real world experience as they pursue their dreams of becoming a visual storyteller.
Last fall, McClain started an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign for the project’s post-production, which successfully met and then surpassed its $50,000 goal by 16%. Donations were fully tax-deductible due to not-for-profit sponsorship from The Film Collaborative. The series also received a micro grant and social media support from Awesome Without Borders via the Harnisch Foundation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k67qp3vjIGU
“We are so excited to be sharing our feature-length version of this documentary with the SOHO International Film Festival this June,” said Cady McClain. “My husband (who is a producer on this doc) and I are both veterans of the festival having screened his narrative feature (I was his AP) and my short (he was my PA!) in 2013 and 2015. We’ve found the audiences at SOHO to be full of savvy film lovers and caring filmmakers. The personal support from the festival of our work is truly meaningful to us both.”
The 50 interviewees include: Sarah Gavron (Suffragette, Brick Lane), Meera Menon (Equity), Oscar winner Lee Grant (Down and out in America), Lesli Linka Glatter (EP/Director, Homeland), Betty Thomas (highest grossing female director: The Brady Bunch Movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeekquel) Bethany Rooney (200+ hours primetime TV & co-author of Directors Tell the Story), Lizzie Borden (Born In Flames, Working Girls (Sundance Jury Prize), two-time Oscar-winner Sarah Kernochan (documentaries: Marjoe, Thoth), Emmy-winner Anne Makepeace (I. M. Pei: Building China Modern, Robert Capa in Love and War), Rusudan Glurdijdze (Karlovy Vary winner: House of Others), Marianna Palka (Sundance: Good Dick, Bitch), Nicole Conn (lesbian genre films: A Perfect Ending, Elena Undone), producer Deborah Del Prete (Ender’s Game, The Spirit), plus John Wells (ER, West Wing), Mike Robin (Major Crimes), Deborah Riley Draper (Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, Versailles ‘73: American Runway Revolution) and many more.
The producing team: Lead Producer: Kate Super (Director/Producer: Women on the Edge), Additional Producers: Amanda Quinn Olivar (Board member, The Chimaera Project), Kimberly McCullough (Director: Pretty Little Liars), Jon Lindstrom (Director: How We Got Away With It) and Li Lu (Director: There Is a New World Somewhere).
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The Orchard to Release Jordan Ross’ Directorial Debut THUMPER from 2017 Tribeca | Video Clip
[caption id="attachment_22607" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Thumper[/caption]
Jordan Ross’s directorial debut Thumper, starring Pablo Schreiber (Orange is the New Black) has been acquired by The Orchard for release this year. The gritty crime thriller, which debuted at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, was written and directed by Ross (Emmy Award-winner for True Life) and also stars Eliza Taylor (The 100), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Ben Feldman (Mad Men), Grant Harvey (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) and Daniel Webber (11.22.63).
Set in a town of low-income and fractured families, Thumper is centered around a group of teens that are lured into working for a dangerous drug dealer. A new girl arrives into town hiding a dangerous secret that will impact everybody and change their lives forever.
“Thumper is a movie so real, so authentic in its direction and performances, we were floored this was Jordan’s directorial debut,” said Paul Davidson, The Orchard’s EVP Film and Television. “There’s no doubt that this affecting drama will engage audiences, and we’re thrilled to be working with the entire team on its release.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnQvgIwHTKw
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Flying Lotus’ Psychedelic Nightmare KUSO from 2017 Sundance to Open in Theaters on July 21 | Trailer
[caption id="attachment_19996" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
A film still from Kuso by Steven Ellison.[/caption]
Flying Lotus’ psych-out nightmare Kuso which made a buzzy debut at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, will open theatrically in New York and Los Angeles from July 21, and be available on Shudder.
Kuso marks the feature directorial debut from Steve, the filmmaking alter-ego of Steve Ellison, better known as music producer, DJ and rapper Flying Lotus. Ellison’s name has become synonymous with creative innovation, having released five seminal studio albums, a slew of audio-visual marvels and, in the process, gaining two Grammy nominations including one for his work on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly.
Broadcasting through a makeshift network of discarded televisions, Kuso depicts the aftermath of Los Angeles’s worst earthquake nightmare. Viewers travel between screens and aftershocks into the twisted lives of the survived, experiencing a hallucination that is Cronenberg meets Ren & Stimpy .
Using music, special effects and animation to take a unique look at the dark history of America, KUSO brings different characters and stories to the screen, and features a predominantly black cast. As an artist, renaissance man and auteur in the making, Steve’s work has been compared to the work of David Lynch and Matthew Barney.
The film features Hannibal Buress (NEIGHBORS, Broad City ), Anders Holm (Workaholics, The Mindy Project), Tim Heidecker (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Eastbound and Down), and iconic Funk musician George Clinton, the film also includes an original score and musical collaborations with Aphex Twin and Akira Yamaoka.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDRYASntddo