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=-X94ZaE7psoFilms
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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.
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Tribeca Film Festival Announces Short Film Lineup Featuring Kobe Byrant, Jim Sheridan, Elisabeth Moss, and More
[caption id="attachment_21369" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]
“Young Kobe.” Film still from DEAR BASKETBALL.[/caption]
The Tribeca Film Festival announced its lineup of 57 short films in competition, including 40% of which are directed by women. The festival will also feature the Sports Shorts program as part of the 11th annual Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.
Tribeca Film Festival has several first-time documentary shorts programs this year including S.O.S., which focuses on kindness to each other and planet Earth, and Surf’s Up!, which will have an extended Q&A following the premiere with the filmmakers and their subjects. The always popular New York program this year is aptly called Group Therapy and includes performances by Bobby Cannavale, Kieran Culkin, Salma Hayek, John Turturro, and real New York firefighters.
The program features some of the industry’s finest creative talent, in front and behind the camera, including Jim Sheridan (The Boxer, Get Rich or Die Tryin’), marine life artist Wyland, visual artist Chris Burkard, two-time Academy Award Winner for Visual Effects Paul Franklin (Interstellar and Inception), Elisabeth Moss, and Mae Whitman.
Special Screenings include the premiere of Disney animator Glen Keane’s short film, Dear Basketball, staring Kobe Bryant as himself, and featuring a talk with Bryant about the project and process; and the World Premiere of Blues Planet: Triptych, directed and written by Wyland and featuring a performance by Taj Mahal and the Wyland Blues Planet Band
Several Tribeca alumni are returning for the 2017 festival, including: Emmy Award-winning Geeta Gandbhir with Love The Sinner, Academy Award®-winning writer Shawn Christensen (Curfew) with Cul-De-Sac, David Darg (four time Tribeca alumnus) screens The Rugby Boys of Memphis, and Rubika Shah (Let’s Dance: David Bowie Down Under) returns with White Riot: London. Other returning festival alumni include James Burns, Evan Ari Kelman, Seth Kramer, Zoe McIntosh, Daniel Miller, Jeremy Newberger, Michael Premo, and Jim Sheridan.
Recipients of the Tribeca Film Festival awards for Best Narrative Short and Best Documentary Short will qualify for consideration in the Academy Awards’ Short Films category, provided the film complies with Academy rules. Since 2004 (with the exception of 2007), Tribeca’s program has included a short that has been nominated and/or won in one of these two categories. From last year’s Festival selection, three shorts that world premiered at Tribeca were nominated for Oscars: Joe’s Violin, Pearl, and Extremis, which was the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival Award winner for Best Documentary Short.
Tribeca Film festival also bestows a Student Visionary Award, and this year for the first time, a Best Animated Short Award.
Tribeca Film Festival Shorts Program includes:
Animated Shorts Curated by Whoopi G
The Animated shorts program showcases imaginative storytelling and captivating craft. This program is suggested for those 14 and older. Curpigeon, directed and written by Dmitry Milkin. (USA) – New York Premiere. A heartwarming story about the power of community support during a time of grief, this action-oriented CG-animated short film centers around a group of park pigeons and their old men pals who come together to help one of their own get through a great loss. Summer Camp Island, directed and written by Julia Pott. (USA) – New York Premiere. Oscar has to accept that his totally normal sleepover with Hedgehog isn’t going to be totally normal. Odd is an Egg (Odd er et egg), directed by Kristin Ulseth, written by Maria Avramova, Kristin Ulseth. (Norway) – North American Premiere. Odd is terrified of his head – until one day he falls in love with Gunn and his life is turned upside down, freeing him from his worries in the most expected way. In Norwegian with subtitles. Angel (Mon Ange), directed and written by Gregory Casares. (Switzerland) – International Premiere. Eva and Mr. Corbeau have long felt a reciprocal affection and attraction, but the world of humans and the world of animals don’t mix – until one autumn evening, at the masked ball organized by Eva’s father in honour of his daughter. The Talk: True Stories About The Birds & The Bees, directed and written by Alain Delannoy. (Canada) – New York Premiere. There are things in life you never forget. One of them, like it or not, is “The Talk.” Second to None, directed and written by Vincent Gallagher. (Ireland) – New York Premiere. Second to None is a black comedy in stop motion about the world’s second-oldest man who learns that ambition can be a killer. Escape, directed by Limbert Fabian, Brandon Oldenburg, written by Limbert Fabian, Brandon Oldenburg, Angus McGilpin. (USA) – World Premiere. A euphoric vision of the future is presented through this cinematic poem about the challenging yet world-changing power of invention as a lone space explorer crash-lands on a desolate planet and must find a way to make her new home habitable. Dear Basketball, directed by Glen Keane, written by Kobe Bryant. (USA) – World Premiere. Kobe Bryant’s inspiring poem Dear Basketball is stunningly drawn to life by veteran animation director Glen Keane and set to the music of legendary composer John Williams.Shorts: Disconnected
Communication is key in the struggle to be heard Wave, directed by Benjamin Cleary, TJ O’Grady-Peyton, written by Benjamin Cleary. (Ireland) – World Premiere. A sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking story of a very isolated person, Wave tells the story of Gaspar Rubicon, who wakes up from a coma speaking a fully formed but unrecognizable language, baffling linguistics experts from around the globe. Big City, directed by Jordan Bond, Lachlan Ryan, written by Jordan Bond. (Australia) – New York Premiere. Vijay, a lonely taxi driver who recently moved to Melbourne, picks up Chris, a stray drunk who befriends him, and over the course of the night, Chris experiences some of Vijay’s troubles and Vijay learns to see the city in a new light. Big Sister (Ahotcha), directed and written by Michal Gassner. (Israel) – International Premiere. Gili has a clear and violent agenda towards male sexual offenders, and finds it difficult to comprehend the limits of her power to repair the world when she discovers her younger brother is suspended from school for a similar violation. In Hebrew with subtitles. Life Boat, directed and written by Lorraine Nicholson. (USA) – World Premiere. Six teenagers are led into an intriguing game of survival by their guidance counselor. The Navigator (Kartleseren), directed and written by Mikal Hovland. (Norway) – World Premiere. A film about trust, human vulnerability, and the fragility of power, The Navigator focuses on Jon, who gets the chance of his lifetime reading the pacenotes for his big brother in the upcoming rally championship, but is distracted by a new girl in town. In Norwegian with subtitles. The Suitcase, directed and written by Abi Damaris Corbin. (USA) – World Premiere. The ordinary life of a Boston bred baggage handler is turned upside down when he steals a suitcase that contains terrorist plans. Inspired by true events on 9/11.Shorts: Human Condition
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness Shooting War, directed by Aeyliya Husain. (Canada) – World Premiere. TIME magazine photographer Franco Pagetti tells the stories behind three photographs as a metaphor for the Iraq War to reveal the impact the conflict has had on a country, a region, and the world. Skull + Bone, directed by Victoria Rivera. (USA) – World Premiere. For 200 years every Mardi Gras has started the same way: Dressed as skeletons, armed with bones, the Northside Skull and Bone Gang wake the city before dawn with drums, chants and ceremonial knocking on doors to warn people against violence, gunplay and other negative influences on the streets. Revolving Doors, directed and written by James Burns. (USA) – World Premiere. A portrait of American recidivism produced over a span of two years, Revolving Doors follows Jason, who, despite attempts to retain meaningful employment, fails and returns to prison, devastating his family. White Riot: London, directed by Rubika Shah, written by Ed Gibbs, Rubika Shah. (U.K.) – New York Premiere. This experimental music documentary explores how a generation united against the neo-Nazi National Front in 1970s Britain through a punk fanzine, with black and white coming together through popular culture at a terrifying time of turmoil and division. Water Warriors, directed by Michael Premo. (Canada, USA) – New York Premiere. When an energy company begins searching for natural gas in New Brunswick, Canada, indigenous and white families unite to drive out the company in a campaign to protect their water and way of life.Shorts: Last Exit
On the road of life there is no turning back Oh Damn, directed and written by Pat Bishop and Matt Ingebretson. (USA) – World Premiere. After smoking too much weed on his way to meet a friend at the movie theater, Matt’s altered perception hurls him into a dark, surreal series of events that unfold across the theater. Don’t Mess With Julie Whitfield, directed and written by Amy Barham. (USA) – New York Premiere. Julie Whitfield ALWAYS heads the Oak Tree Elementary School Fall Fantasy Fundraiser planning committee, so when new parent Rachel attempts a coup, it leads to a bloody battle that only one woman can survive. Cul-De-Sac, directed by Damon Russell, written by Shawn Christensen. (USA) – New York Premiere. Parents living at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac discover a listening device inside their son’s teddy bear. Retouch, directed and written by Kaveh Mazaheri. (Iran) – International Premiere. Maryam’s husband has an accident at home and, rather than saving him, she stops helping and watches him die. In Persian with subtitles. Buckets, directed and written by Julia Jones. (USA) – North American Premiere. A girl learns the brutal sacrifices it takes to satisfy her love. Baraka, directed by Néstor Ruiz Medina, written by Néstor Ruiz Medina, Juan Luis Cordero. (Spain) – US Premiere. In the months before the war in Iraq, two close brothers are forced to separate, soon meeting again when the war is in full swing, but neither is the same. In Arabic, English, Spanish with subtitles.Shorts: New York – Group Therapy
Everyone wants to share. Hair, directed by John Turturro, written by Bobby Cannavale and John Turturro. (USA) – World Premiere. An unscripted dialogue between John Turturro and Bobby Cannavale about a man’s particularness about his hair. Lemon, directed and written by Timothy Michael Cooper. (USA) – World Premiere. Seconds after the wedding, a bride is stunned to learn that her new husband fudged nearly everything about his past, his family, and his accomplishments—but his revelations force her to come clean about a few shocking secrets of her own. Approaching a Breakthrough, directed and written by Noah Pritzker. (USA) – World Premiere. Back in New York after a stint in Los Angeles, Norman Kaminsky has a terrible argument with his girlfriend just before running into a string of characters from his past – and despite his best efforts, Norman can’t seem to run away from his problems. Joy Joy Nails, directed and written by Joey Ally. (USA) – World Premiere. Sarah manages Joy Joy Nails with a cheerful iron fist – but she gets her manicured claws out when Chinese Mia, a manicurist trainee, looks to be stealing the boss’s son’s affections, soon discovering that under the varnish, everyone’s a victim. In English, Korean, Mandarin with subtitles. The Beehive, directed and written by Jacobie Gray. (Australia) – World Premiere. A superstar socialite seeks revenge when the artist who made her famous finds a younger muse. Where There’s Smoke, directed by Evan Ari Kelman, written by Evan Ari Kelman, Parker Hill. (USA) – World Premiere. After a tragic accident, a firefighter must convince the city commissioner he’s able to return to the line of duty. 11th Hour, directed by Jim Sheridan, written by Jim Sheridan, Oskar Slingerland. (Ireland, Mexico) – International Premiere. Based on a true story, 11th Hour recounts how, on the evening of 9/11, Maria José’s bar is heaving with locals united in grief and a building rage; a cop pulls his gun and when a surprise visitor enters Maria has to seize the moment to take back control. In English, Spanish with subtitles.Shorts: Postcards
Five female-centric stories where the past meets the present Viola, Franca, directed by Marta Savina, written by Marta Savina, Andrea Brusa. (Italy) – World Premiere. It’s Sicily in 1965, and Franca is forced to marry her rapist to avoid becoming a pariah in her traditionalist community, but she rebels against the established custom and sets a precedent that alters the course of Italian history, paving the way for women’s rights. In Italian, Sicilian with subtitles. Fry Day, directed by Laura Moss, written by Laura Moss, Brendan O’Brien. (USA) – New York Premiere. A teenage girl comes of age against the backdrop of Ted Bundy’s execution in 1989. Dive (Salta), directed by Marianne Amelinckx. (Venezuela) – World Premiere. Julia goes back to the pool and remembers that, sometimes, life challenges ourselves to keep going and make decisions. In Spanish with subtitles. Tokyo Project, directed and written by Richard Shepard. (USA) – World Premiere. On a business trip to Tokyo, Sebastian explores the city with a mysterious woman he keeps running into wherever he goes, discovering heartbreakingly that the truth, and the past, are as elusive as love. Little Bird, directed by Georgia Oakley, written by Emily Taaffe. (U.K.) – World Premiere. Against the backdrop of 1941 London, Little Bird explores how far one young woman will go to create a new life for herself when the women of Great Britain are called upon to aid the war effort.Shorts: S.O.S.
Helping each other and our planet in these troubled times Mother’s Day, directed by Elizabeth Lo, co-directed by R.J. Lozada. (USA) – World Premiere. The impact of mass incarceration on a generation of youth is explored through an annual Mother’s Day charity bus journey that takes children from across California to visit their mothers in prison. The Good Fight, directed and written by Ben Holman, written by Ben Holman. (Brazil, U.K., USA) – World Premiere. Following a personal tragedy, Alan Duarte opens his own boxing gym to offer salvation and hope to others in the notorious gun violence- ridden favela in Rio de Janeiro where he was born and lives. In Portuguese with subtitles. Silo: Edge of the Real World, directed by Marshall Burnette. (USA) – World Premiere. In this meditation on life in one of the small towns that feeds America, a young farmer and a high school senior each grapple with the dangers of farm life. The Rugby Boys of Memphis, directed by David Darg. (USA) – New York Premiere. Follow the rise of an inner-city Memphis high school’s first rugby team and see the ways in which, for these boys, the unlikely sport is much more than a game. For Flint, directed by Brian Schulz, written by Brian Schulz, Sharika Ajaikumar, Katharina Stroh. (USA) – World Premiere. In the face of a federal emergency deeming its drinking water unsafe for consumption, Flint’s resilient citizens rally together to forge a new narrative that is hopeful and optimistic. Blues Planet: Triptych, directed and written by Wyland. (USA) – World Premiere. Blues Planet: Triptych explores the Gulf Oil Spill disaster and its aftermath through environmental artist Wyland who, along with 30 of today’s pre-eminent artists, recorded a new genre of global blues on the catastrophe’s anniversary.Shorts: Surf’s Up!
Be it surfing for solace or in one of the coldest places on earth, catch the waves Resurface, directed by Josh Izenberg, Wynn Padula. (USA) – New York Premiere. Struggling with trauma and depression after his military service, Iraq war veteran Bobby Lane wants to cross surfing off his bucket list before taking his life. Under an Arctic Sky, directed by Chris Burkard, written by Ben Weiland, Chris Burkard. (USA) – World Premiere. A group of surfers along with photographer Chris Burkard journey to Iceland’s north coast in search of perfect waves during the largest storm to make landfall in 25 years.Shorts: Viewfinder
Framing personal impressions of the past Hilda, directed and written by Kiira Benzing. (USA) – World Premiere. Hilda is a realist tribute to octogenarian New Yorker artist Hilda O’Connell who lived shoulder-to-shoulder with the great Abstract Expressionist painters in the ’50s and became a member of the Aegis Gallery in the ’60s. The Spring, directed by Delaney Buffett, written by Chloe Corner, Delaney Buffett, Katie Corwin. (USA) – World Premiere. In August 2016, seven female filmmakers, all under the age of 25, traveled to Central Florida to film the women of Weeki Wachee Springs, for whom performing daily mermaid shows is more than a job – it’s a craft. The Godfather of Fitness, directed by Rade Popović, written by Zoran Amar, Rade Popović. (USA, Serbia) – World Premiere. The Godfather of Fitness tells the improbable story of how an ambitious boy from California, obsessed with grueling workouts and good nutrition, became one of the most respected men in the world of fitness. Love the Sinner, directed by Jessica Devaney, Geeta Gandbhir, written by Jessica Devaney. (USA) – World Premiere. Love the Sinner explores the Evangelical roots of homophobia in the wake of the Pulse shooting. Watched, directed by Katie Mitchell. (USA) – World Premiere. An intimate and moving exploration of the experience of coming of age – under the gaze of state surveillance. Woody’s Order!, directed by Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller, Jeremy Newberger, written by Daniel A. Miller, Ann Talman. (USA) – World Premiere. Actress Ann Talman finally performs the solo show she wrote for her muse: her brother with cerebral palsy.Shorts: Your Heart’s Desire (Narrative)
The things you want most are often deeply hidden Alive, directed and written by Sung Hwan Kim. (South Korea) – International Premiere. A 100-meter sprinter faces challenges around the end of his career and his life. In Korean with subtitles. Again, directed by Alexis Jacknow, written by Bekah Brunstetter. (USA) – World Premiere. A man watches Groundhog Day over and over and over again. The World In Your Window, directed and written by Zoe McIntosh. (New Zealand) – North American Premiere. Squeezed into a tiny caravan, eight-year-old Jesse and his grief-stricken father are in limbo, existing more than living – until an accidental friendship with a V8-driving transsexual unlocks the means for Jesse to liberate his father and himself. Iron Hands (铁手), directed and written by Johnson Cheng. (USA, China) – World Premiere. As a 12-year-old girl prepares for her final test trying out for the traditionally all-boys Chinese youth Olympic weightlifting team, she makes an unlikely connection with the gym’s reclusive groundskeeper. In Chinese with subtitles. The Escape, directed and written by Paul Franklin. (U.K.) – World Premiere. The Escape asks whether one day we’ll all dream of ordinary lives via the story of Lambert, a normal man who, out of his element in a dangerous part of town, negotiates with the mysterious Kellan for the chance to escape into a fantasy of his own choosing. The Foster Portfolio, directed and written by Danielle Katvan, written by Danielle Katvan. (USA) – World Premiere. Based on the original short story by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., The Foster Portfolio is an offbeat mid-century tale about a rookie investment counselor who discovers that his penniless client is hiding a million-dollar inheritance in order to conceal a strange double life.Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival: Sports Shorts
A spectrum of stories, styles, and sports, this collection of athletically-minded short films will take audiences on a decades-spanning journey through some of the most unexpected and entertaining tales from sports legends and amateurs alike. The Amazing Adventures of Wally and the Worm, directed by Colin Hanks. (USA) – New York Premiere. When Dennis Rodman hurts his knee with four weeks to go in the Chicago Bulls ’96-’97 NBA championship season, young assistant trainer Wally Blasé is assigned to oversee his rehab, and the two forge a close friendship over 10 wild days of fast living recounted by director Colin Hanks through animation and first-person confessions. Bump & Spike, directed by Michael Jacobs. (USA) – World Premiere. The spectacular rise and fall of the International Professional Volleyball Association, which existed between 1975–1980 complete with “party lifestyle,” rocking arena matches and stars on the court and in the stands, is chronicled in this Michael Jacobs-directed film. The Counterfeiter, directed by Brian Biegel. (USA) – World Premiere. Featuring actual wiretapped phone calls and surveillance video, this film explores how the FBI brought down the largest counterfeit operation in U.S. history during the summer of 1998, thanks to the help of some major league baseball players. Revolution in the Ring, directed by Jason Sklaver. (USA) – World Premiere. The story of Cuban boxer Teofilo Stevenson, who in 1962 chose to stay in his home country rather than defect, this film examines through the lens of Cuban-American politics how his life and the life of the Cuban people were dramatically altered by the embargo. In English, Spanish with subtitles. Run Mama Run, directed by Daniele Anastasion. (USA) – World Premiere. Run Mama Run is an examination of motherhood and athleticism through the eyes of Sarah Brown, an elite track athlete who will continue to train through pregnancy and postpartum with help of her trainer and husband Darren Brown.
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SXSW 2017: Watch Trailer for DISGRACED Chronicling the 2003 Murder of Baylor University Men’s Basketball Star Patrick Dennehy
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DISGRACED[/caption]
The official trailer was released yesterday for the upcoming documentary film Disgraced, that chronicles the 2003 murder of Baylor University men’s basketball star Patrick Dennehy. Disgraced will world premiere at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival on Sunday, March 12, and on Showtime on Friday, March 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
The revealing documentary chronicles the 2003 murder of Baylor University men’s basketball star Patrick Dennehy, to which fellow teammate and friend Carlton Dotson pled guilty in the only known instance in the history of the NCAA where one student-athlete was convicted of murdering another. Through first-hand accounts from students, investigators, family and friends,Disgraced calls into question the plea and conviction of Dotson.
The film also includes exclusive and revealing interviews with former head coach Dave Bliss, who directly addresses the attempted cover-up and secretly recorded statements he made in 2003 that implicated him in NCAA rule violations. The violations, revealed in part by whistle blower and then assistant coach Abar Rouse, ultimately led to Bliss’ resignation and a partial ban on NCAA play for the Baylor Bears basketball team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5s_wI5RehI
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Watch at your own risk!! Justine Experiences Side Effects of Eating Raw Meat in New Clip from RAW | Video
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RAW (Julia Ducournau)[/caption]
Watch at your own risk. Focus World has released a brand new clip from Raw in which Justine (Garance Miller) begins to experience the side effects of a hazing ritual in which she was forced to eat raw meat. What started out as harmless fun begins to affect her in ways she couldn’t have possibly imagined, both mentally and…physically.
Raw, from first-time director Julia Ducournau – named one of Variety’s ‘10 Directors to Watch for 2017’ – and starring newcomers Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, and Rabah Nait Oufella, hits select theaters March 10, 2017 and expands worldwide this Spring.
Everyone in Justine’s family is a vet. And a vegetarian. At sixteen she’s a brilliant student starting out at veterinary school where she experiences a decadent, merciless and dangerously seductive world. Desperate to fit in, she strays from her family principles and eats RAW meat for the first time. Justine will soon face the terrible and unexpected consequences as her true self begins to emerge…
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Pat Healy’s TAKE ME, Starring Taylor Schilling to World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, and in Theaters on May 5th
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Pat Healy as Ray Moody and Taylor Schilling as Anna St. Blair in TAKE ME. Photographer: Nathan M. Miller.[/caption]
Pat Healy’s feature debut Take Me, starring Taylor Schilling opposite Healy will world premiere at the upcoming 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, followed by a theatrical and digital release via The Orchard on May 5th.
In Take Me, Ray is in the boutique simulated abduction business. An understandably threadbare market, he jumps at the chance when a mysterious call contracts him for a weekend kidnapping with a handsome payday at the end. But the job isn’t all that it seems. A black comedy that threads the needle between crime thriller and slapstick farce, Take Me is as twisty as it is funny.
The filmmaking team of Take Me recently set up a website promoting the faux-company “Kidnap Solutions LLC” which claims to be a fully immersive exposure therapy that has been known to cure alcoholism, drug addiction, overeating, nicotine addiction, sex/love addiction and bad habits.
Actor, writer and director, Pat Healy began his career on stage at Chicago’s famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and went on to appear in over forty feature films and dozens of television series. As a writer, he has authored a dozen feature film screenplays including Snow Ponies, currently in pre-production starring Gerard Butler and directed by Darrin Prescott. He also wrote several episodes of HBO’s critically acclaimed drama series In Treatment. His first short film Mullitt, which he wrote, directed and starred in, premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.
Pat Healy commented “I was too lazy and/or afraid to direct a feature film for years until I read Mike Makowsky’s inspired script. I knew I had to do it. Thankfully Jay, Mark & Taylor agreed and gave me the chance to make this crazy thing. It’s the weird/funny movie I hope audiences would expect I’d unleash on the world.”
The script for Take Me was penned by Mike Makowsky, with the Duplass Brothers serving as executive producers, and while Mel Eslyn along with Sev Ohanian serving as producers of the film