Films

25 Independent Short Films in 2017 PBS Online Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_22934" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Black Hills Canyon Skating[/caption] The Webby Award-nominated PBS Online Film Festival will return for a sixth year July 17 – July 28, 2017, featuring 25 short-form independent films. Viewers are encouraged to vote for their favorite film to win the “Most Popular” award. And, for the first time ever, a panel of eight jury members will select their favorite film of the festival for the “Juried Prize”. Short films featured in the PBS Online Film Festival include: CAAM “It Is What It Is” Digging deep into family history for answers to questions about his identity, Cyrus finds some things might be better off left in the past. Detroit Public TV WTVS “Periphery” A woman gets a new lease on life when she meets someone less fortunate. ITVS “Guns on Campus” Fifty years after the first recorded mass shooting in U.S. history took place at the University of Texas in Austin, a new “campus carry” law allows people to carry concealed handguns on all public university campuses in Texas. KLRU “The Secession” A story about two Texas boys, a secession, and egg rolls. “U R a Dial Tone” A sign language interpreter is emotionally and physically sucked into her clients’ lives. KTTZ “Lockbox” A girl receives a mysterious gift that will unravel secrets from the past. Latino Public Broadcasting “Amigas with Benefits” Amigas with Benefits is a short dramedy about an elderly bride-to-be who nearly has her wedding day ruined by an uninvited guest. Louisiana Public Broadcasting “Last Light” On the verge of her mother’s death, Addie returns home to shed light on her dark past. “Si” Si, a temperamental six-year-old, gets a goldfish after begging for a puppy. NALIP “Dad” In the course of a difficult day, Maria, a creative young girl, and her hardworking father must discover a way to mend love and memories while confronting loss. NBPC “Kojo” A short profile piece that showcases the charismatic and talented drummer Kojo Odu Roney. In this exclusive interview Kojo offers his thoughts on Jazz, being home-schooled, traveling and his biggest influence, his father Antoine Roney. “You Can Go” A high school administrator talks down a troubled student. PIC “Maria” When a family crisis strikes, an ailing Polynesian matriarch must find the strength to lead her family one last time. POV “Our Voices Are Rarely Heard” A visceral snapshot of how inmates survive solitary confinement. Reel South “A Thousand Midnights” Chronicles the contemporary manifestation of the economic and social histories of Black Americans who came to the north during the Great Migration in search of economic opportunities. The implications of their migration, and the lack of economic opportunity they encountered, has far reaching consequences for Black America today. South Dakota Public Broadcasting “Black Hills Canyon Skating” While the Black Hills of South Dakota may lack the elevation and snow that makes for skiing, they make up for it with ice-providing intrepid winter explorers with miles of canyon streams on which to ice skate. South Florida PBS “SunGhosts” A mini-documentary about SunGhosts, an up and coming indie rock band from Miami. Twin Cities PBS “Rogue Taxidermy Artist Sarina Brewer” From goats with fishtails to cats with wings, Sarina Brewer celebrates animals in her art. “Syrian Photographer Osama Esid” Photographer Osama Esid seeks connection from his American neighbors to Syrian Refugees. Vermont PBS “The Collinwood Fire” A news reporter and a filmmaker turn a 1908 elementary school fire into a media sensation. “State Trooper” A prisoner acts out his guilt, anger, and fear through dance. Vision Makers Media “Legacy” Nikki Lowe’s journey of being a mother, daughter, sister, and Native warrior. WHRO “Our Nation” An African-American boy in Norfolk, VA in 1915 confronts racism in The Birth of a Nation. Wisconsin Public Television “Little Man” An animated spoken-word piece that tells Steven Rodriguez’s experiences of being an elder brother, son of a drug addicted mother and struggling but dedicated college student. WORLD Channel “Finding America: The Fresh Prince of Anacostia” Kymone Freeman keeps his D.C. neighbors strong by helping them tell their stories.
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VIDEO: Watch Trailer for Netflix Docu Series DAUGHTERS OF DESTINY

Netflix has released the trailer for the documentary series Daughters of Destiny directed by Oscar(R) winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth, set to launch globally on July 28, 2017. Daughters of Destiny is a 4-part Netflix original documentary series that chronicles the lives of five girls from Indian families who are among the so-called “Dalit” caste and most impoverished communities in the world. The series witnesses the girls grow up (ranging in age from 7 to 23 over the course of the 4 episodes) while they are raised at Shanti Bhavan, a unique co-ed residential school in Tamil Nadu. The expectation for these girls and all the children who attend Shanti Bhavan is that they must grow up to support themselves, lift their families and communities out of poverty and contribute to the larger world. Directed by Academy Award(R) winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth (Freeheld, Best Documentary Short, 2007), the series highlights the struggle of students as they strive to define themselves, re-define gender and class and create a new future for the generations that will come after them. The strength and power of the girls’ own storytelling and dramatic experiences over the 7 years of filming from the gates of Shanti Bhav, into their homes brings viewers through their stories of family, love, loss, hard work and courage. An original music score by Academy Award(R) and Emmy winning composer A.R Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire, 2008), punctuates this emotional journey. As we watch them grow up, they travel between home and school, and are forced to navigate the stark contrasts between family traditions and their modern and global views and knowledge. Daughters of Destiny highlights the journey of a generation of children on the precipice of a new life that is inconceivable to their ancestors, and brings into question the notions of fate, free will and the human longing for opportunity, purpose and meaning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b49QEQsNUj0
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LeBron James is Producing NBA Documentary Film Series for Showtime

LeBron James along with Maverick Carter and award-winning filmmaker Gotham Chopra have begun production on a three-part documentary film series on the NBA that is slated to premiere on SHOWTIME in 2018. The project will examine the modern history of the National Basketball Association and the league’s impact on global popular culture. “We are thrilled to be collaborating with LeBron, Maverick and Gotham on what will be a comprehensive look at one of the most influential sports institutions in the world,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “This series of films will join a growing list of must-see documentaries on SHOWTIME, films that reveal the myriad ways sports and culture intersect and influence each other.” “We developed the idea for these films because of the incredible, generational impact some of the NBA’s most successful players have had on every aspect of American culture,” said Maverick Carter, CEO of SpringHill Entertainment. “Gotham is the perfect filmmaker to bring these stories to life, and SHOWTIME is the right platform to showcase how they were able to transcend the game and shape the culture in an unprecedented way.” “Despite the fact that I am a Boston Celtics fan to the bone, collaborating with Maverick and LeBron was an inspired opportunity,” added Chopra (“Kobe Bryant’s Muse”, “Religion of Sports”). “Sports in general and specifically the NBA provide a great backdrop for storytelling. But these films offer us a chance to go beyond that; to weave a broader cultural narrative in our current social climate. With the support of David Nevins and the progressive SHOWTIME team, we have a chance to say something truly resonant. That’s the goal.” The documentary film series is a presentation of SHOWTIME Documentary Films and SHOWTIME Sports. The film project is directed by Gotham Chopra with executive producers LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Rich Paul, Gotham Chopra, Martin Desmond Roe, Chris Uetwiller and Datari Turner.
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PHOTOS: Check out 6 Character Posters for THE LITTLE HOURS Featuring Alison Brie, Kate Mucucci, and More

[caption id="attachment_19933" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Alison Brie, Kate Micucci and Aubrey Plaza appear in The Little Hours by Jeff Baena.[/caption] Check out the six character posters for The Little Hours featuring Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Mucucci, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon. The film directed by Jeff Baena and also starring Fred Armisen, Jemima Kirke, Nick Offerman, Adam Pally, Jon Gabrus, Lauren Weedman will open in theaters on Friday, June 30, 2017. Oh, and check out the new The Little Hours GIFs HERE, created in harmonious partnership by Gunpowder & Sky and GIPHY Medieval nuns Alessandra (Alison Brie), Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), and Ginevra (Kate Micucci) lead a simple life in their convent. Their days are spent chafing at monastic routine, spying on one another, and berating the estate’s day laborer. After a particularly vicious insult session drives the peasant away, Father Tommasso (John C. Reilly) brings on new hired hand Massetto (Dave Franco), a virile young servant forced into hiding by his angry lord. Introduced to the sisters as a deaf-mute to discourage temptation, Massetto struggles to maintain his cover as the repressed nunnery erupts in a whirlwind of pansexual horniness, substance abuse, and wicked revelry.
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Documentary SWIM TEAM on Competitive Swim Team of Teens on Autism Spectrum Sets Release Date | Trailer

The award-winning feature documentary Swim Team, directed by Lara Stolman, chronicles the rise of a competitive swim team in New Jersey made up of diverse teenagers on the autism spectrum. The film will be released in theaters this July, opening in New York on July 7th, 2017 and in Los Angeless on July 21, 2017; and will have its national TV debut during PBS POV’s 30th season on Monday, October 2, 2017. Swim Team is a feature documentary chronicling the rise of a competitive swim team made up of teenagers on the autism spectrum. Based in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the cast of Swim Team is largely Latino and Asian, minorities that are underrepresented in competitive swimming and underserved in autism intervention and education. The film follows three of the team’s star athletes, boys on the cusp of adulthood as they face a future of exclusion and dependence. But everything changes when they come together as a team with parent coaches who train them with high expectations and zero pity. As the team vies for state and national Special Olympics championships, Swim Team captures a moving quest for inclusion, independence and a life that feels winning. “When people ask me how I found the story of Swim Team, I say it found me. Children with developmental disabilities are routinely excluded from community activities, often as early as preschool. Being told “no,” – your child can’t be in the regular class, your child wont keep up in little league, your child isn’t going to college – is something families caring for children with disabilities hear often. Since children on the spectrum are particularly prone to drowning, swimming is a crucial skill but it’s not easy to find appropriate teachers and programs willing to take on a child on the autism spectrum. While exploring swim lessons for my own children, I stumbled upon the Jersey Hammerheads team in formation recruiting children on the autism spectrum and I was immediately struck by the energy and optimism of the families that were coming together to form the team. Some of the kids were teenagers and had never been on a sports team before. And some couldn’t yet swim. With the Hammerheads families, I had found a group of parents who refused to take no for an answer. They were saying YES and as a community, it was galvanizing for them. As a mother, I was so personally inspired by what they hoped to accomplish, I knew I had to share their story. I hope my film provides inspiration for families everywhere raising children with unanticipated challenges.”
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VIDEO: New Poster + Watch Robert Pattinson in New Trailer for GOOD TIME

Good Time starring Robert Pattinson today released a new trailer and poster. The film opens in theaters on August 11. Good Time directed by the Safdie brothers – Josh and Benny Safdie – also stars Benny Safdie, Barkhad Abdi and Jennifer Jason Leigh . The Safdie brothers’ exhilarating New York thriller stars Robert Pattinson in a headlong rush into crime and chaos. The overwhelmingly positive reactions out of the Cannes Film Festival mark a thrilling turn for the filmmakers and a career-defining performance for Pattinson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upsR80YmwWc
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New Trailer + Poster + Images for French Musical Comedy FOOTNOTES

Footnotes, the French whimsical musical comedy has released a new trailer and poster. The film directed by Paul Calori and Kostia Testut, and starring Pauline Etienne, Olivier Chantreau, François Morel, Loïc Corbery and Julie Victor, opens 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.
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ALMOST SUNRISE Award-Winning Documentary on Veterans “Moral Injury” Opens July 14 in NY | Trailer

Almost Sunrise, a feature documentary by the award-winning filmmaking team behind Give Up Tomorrow (a 2013 News & Documentary Emmy nominee) Michael Collins (director) and Marty Syjuco (producer), is a timely and groundbreaking look at what could be a missing piece of the puzzle—the true nature of the psychological wounds of returning soldiers known as “moral injury” and the undeniable potential power of meditation and nature therapy in helping veterans to reclaim their lives. As part of the film’s week-long theatrical release at IFC Center in New York, Collins and Syjuco along with Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson, the subjects of Almost Sunrise, will participate in a Q&A at a special screening on opening night, Friday, July 14 (time TBD), and throughout the film’s opening weekend. Almost Sunrise tells the inspiring story of Voss and Anderson, two Iraq veterans, who, in an attempt to put their haunting combat experience behind, embark on an extraordinary 2,700-mile trek on foot across America. While the physical trek across snowy mountains and vast deserts is punishing, the inner journey proves to be, by far, the most dangerous mission they will ever undertake. Like many of their fellow returned servicemen and women, Tom and Anthony are tackling post traumatic stress, or PTS, but the pair are simultaneously dealing with an unseen battle scar called “moral injury”—often manifested as an extreme brand of guilt and shame that arises when one goes against one’s own moral code. While PTS, characterized by fear, can be treated with drugs, therapists are finding that no amount of medication can treat the pain that comes from carrying a moral burden. Almost Sunrise is the first feature documentary film to introduce the emerging term “moral injury,” what some experts believe may eventually be recognized as the signature war wound of our generation. While the film exposes some of the brutality of war, it does not dwell there. “It’s ultimately a story of hope and potential solutions,” Collins says. Most importantly, the film reveals the promise of holistic practices for healing. When Tom signs up for a special breathing workshop for veterans, he must confront his deepest spiritual identity. He encounters Father Thomas Keating, a renowned Trappist monk who has counseled veterans for decades, who gently illuminates the need to turn inward to achieve true peace, guidance that culminates in a remarkable transformation, rarely depicted on screen. Where the stereotypes of “the broken veteran” and “homecoming hero” leave off, Almost Sunrise continues onward, presenting audiences with an unprecedented portrait of those who return from war; richer, far more complex beings—driven by a universal human aspiration for happiness—who discover life’s soaring possibilities. “One of the main pillars of our Impact Campaign is ‘Connecting Communities,’ and every week we experience this in meaningful ways at screenings across the country,” says Syjuco. “Our vision for the campaign is to walk with veterans on a path towards healing by following these four pillars: 1. Educate on Moral Injury; 2. Promote Wellness; 3. Connect Communities; and 4. Change Legislation.” Since making its World Premiere on Memorial Day 2016 at Telluride Mountainfilm Festival, where it also launched its immersive two-year Impact Campaign, Almost Sunrise has gone on to screen at impressive 125+ festival, community and live-event screenings across the country, including VA Hospitals and a special screening at the Wisconsin State Senate. University and academic screenings have included Harvard, Columbia, Georgetown, NYU, Stanford, Yale and International House NYC. The many awards and accolades for Almost Sunrise include the 2017 Media Award for Best Film from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW)—social workers comprise highest number of staff at VA hospitals. At Telluride Mountainfilm, the film won the “Moving Mountains” Award, a top jury prize, which recognizes a film with a powerful social impact. It was also an official selection of the prestigious Human Rights Watch Film Festival, AFI Docs, and was the Centerpiece Presentation at Milwaukee Film Festival. It also took home the Audience Award at Reelworld Toronto and won Best Thought Provoking Film at Waimea Ocean Hawaii.
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Watch Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall in First Trailer for MARSHALL

[caption id="attachment_22840" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Marshall[/caption] The official trailer has been released for Marshall, the biopic on Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court. The film directed by Reginald Hudlin and starring Chadwick Boseman, Kate Hudson, will open in theaters on October 13, 2017.
Long before he sat on the United States Supreme Court or claimed victory in Brown v. Board of Education, Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) was a young rabble-rousing attorney for the NAACP. The new motion picture, Marshall, is the true story of his greatest challenge in those early days – a fight he fought alongside attorney Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), a young lawyer with no experience in criminal law: the case of black chauffeur Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown), accused by his white employer, Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson), of sexual assault and attempted murder.
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Tribeca Film Festival Award Winning Film THE DIVINE ORDER Gets a Fall Release Date | Trailer

Petra Volpe’s The Divine Order, winner of the Audience Award at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, will open at New York’s Film Forum on October 27, 2017, before a national rollout during the Fall. The Divine Order is the story of Nora, an agreeably submissive and seemingly unremarkable young housewife living in a small village in Switzerland in 1971, as the rest of the world is changing and women there still don’t have the right to vote. After Nora experiences unfamiliar stirrings of dissatisfaction with her place in society, she begins to stand up to the closed minded townsfolk of both sexes in her village. Despite obstacles and backlash (and some amusing sequences including one with a guru who has Nora and her compatriots use a mirror in an unusual way) Nora becomes a hero as she overthrows the status quo. The release of The Divine Order is the first co-acquisition for Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films after announcing their unique strategic alliance yesterday. Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo: “We couldn’t be more excited that THE DIVINE ORDER will be the first collaboration between Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films. We were totally bowled over when we saw it at the Tribeca Film Festival this year, and not at all surprised when it won the Audience Award. It has everything that would entertain viewers — a compelling story, great acting and fine direction — and it’s sexy too!” “We are very proud to be a part of this new power-collaboration between Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films,” wrote Susan Wendt in a prepared statement. “We are sure they will do a great job with The Divine Order.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt5MvyLeq-4
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Gun Violence Drama SHOT Starring Noah Wyle Eyes a Fall Release Date

SHOT, starring Noah Wyle and Sharon Leal, and introducing newcomer Jorge Lendeborg, Jr. in his first leading role, is a gripping drama about three lives irrevocably changed when a gun is accidentally fired on a busy Los Angeles street. The film is a visceral roller coaster ride unflinchingly exploring the consequences of gun violence in America. Directed and produced by veteran filmmaker Jeremy Paul Kagan (The Chosen, Roswell, Conspiracy), SHOT is eying a Fall release, via Paladin. Based on an original story by Kagan and a screenplay by Anneke Campbell and Will Lamborn, SHOT begins as movie sound mixer Mark Newman (Wyle), is pumping up the volume on a bloody shootout in an action film. Hours later, after an argument with his wife Phoebe, Mark is suddenly felled by a real random bullet, and lies bleeding on the pavement with a chest wound. With Phoebe desperately trying to stop the bleeding, they both agonizingly wait for an ambulance to arrive as Mark franticly fights for his life. Meanwhile, hidden behind a fence across the street, a teenager, Miguel (Lendeborg), watches in horror with the still smoking gun in his hand that was just passed to him by his cousin. A gun that was meant to protect him against gang bullies. From the moment the shot rings out, Kagan’s camera in real time daringly follows Mark from street, to stretcher, to gurney, to examining table, as we watch the paramedics and medical teams in full life-saving mode. We share Mark’s shock, pain, anger, fear, gallows humor, guilt, and resignation, and how this all effects his troubled relationship with his estranged wife. We experience the pain in his body from the trauma of a gunshot wound as well as the terrors in his mind via a stream-of-semi-consciousness that conveys his panic and confusion as he wonders if he will survive. Through the imaginative use of split-screen, Kagan juxtaposes Mark’s medical crisis with Miguel’s moral one, as we simultaneously see the frightened young man wrestle with the fact that an innocent man was injured – or worse – as a direct result of his actions. And, in the film’s thrilling climax, the two meet face to face. But now a gun is in Mark’s hands. About the film Paladin president Mark Urman says, “SHOT deals with the urgent social issue of gun violence in a striking and original way. What makes it particularly effective is that it is devoid of polemics and rhetoric—no speeches are made. Rather, through action and character alone, the viewer is drawn into a situation that is emotionally moving and disturbing. Anyone concerned about the lack of sensible gun control in our society, will want to see this film, and will tell others to see it as well.” For Kagan: “This has been a passion project for me.I wanted to make a film where we get intimately involved in what happens when someone gets shot. I want us to care about these people and I didn’t want us to turn away, like we get to do with most movie violence. This isn’t about ‘no guns,’ it is about responsible living. It’s about sanity and gun safety to prevent the staggering loss of lives. They say you save a world when you save a life. Wouldn’t it be amazing if this movie could save a life!” A key component to Paladin’s marketing campaign will be coordinated audience-engagement activity with wide array of gun control advocacy groups, organizations, and activists, both national and regional. John Raatz, an associate producer on SHOT, who coordinated grass roots outreach on Paladin’s highly successful release of Tom Shadyac’s “I AM,” will once again be spearheading this initiative. SHOT is directed by Jeremy Kagan and written by Anneke Campbell and Will Lamborn, based on a story by Kagan. The film stars Noah Wyle, Sharon Leal, and Jorge Lendenborg Jr. Producers are Jeremy Kagan, Dave O’Brien, and Josh Siegel. Cinematography by Jacek Laskus, editing by Norman Hollyn, and original music by Bruce Broughton.
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Watch Trailer for Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine HBO Docu Series THE DEFIANT ONES

Here is the official trailer for The Defiant Ones, the four-part documentary series that tells the stories of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, their improbable partnership and their leading roles in a series of transformative events in contemporary culture. The series debut July 9 on HBO. Set amid many of the defining events of the past four decades, this four-part documentary event tells the stories of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, their improbable partnership and their leading roles in a series of transformative events in contemporary culture. Directed by Allen Hughes, who conducted extensive interviews with both men, the show also includes interviews with such music icons as Bono, David Geffen, Eminem, Nas, Stevie Nicks, Ice Cube, Gwen Stefani, Jon Landau, Tom Petty, Trent Reznor, Snoop Dogg, Bruce Springsteen, Diddy and will.i.am. THE DEFIANT ONES also features never-before-seen footage from a multitude of recording and writing sessions with Eazy-E, JJ Fad, Stevie Nicks, N.W.A., Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and U2, among others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT5FeylUWO0
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