Films

[caption id="attachment_4112" align="alignnone" width="550"]ENZO AVITABILE MUSIC LIFE[/caption]

ENZO AVITABILE MUSIC LIFE, directed by Jonathan Demme will open theatrically at Lincoln Plaza and a downtown theater in New York on October 18, and at the Royal and other Los Angeles area Laemmle theaters on October 25.  A national release will follow.

Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme (Silence Of The Lambs, Philadelphia, Stop Making Sense), turns his camera on Enzo Avitabile, a renowned Neapolitan saxophonist and singer/songwriter. This project is the fruit of the two artists’ reciprocal esteem for one another. It is also the result of many years spent following the musical artistry of Enzo Avitabile, a well-known figure on the world music scene recognized for his passion for research and experimentation.  

With this documentary, one of the world’s great directors tells us not just about the music of a singular artist in its fusion of Neapolitan world music (and especially Arab music, with performances by Naseer Shamma and Palestinian singer Amal Murkus) and jazz, but also of a city, Naples, with all of its treasures and contradictions.  The film follows Enzo, as he creates amazing new music with collaborators from all over the world, including Eliades Ochoa of Buena Vista Social Club, Naseer Shamma, Daby Touré and Trilok Gurtu. 

Music has always played a decisive role in Demme’s films, which is evident in all his works for the big screen. Over the years, this passion has been expressed in various video clips, and above all, documentaries (The Pretenders, New Order, Talking Heads, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young), which received high critical acclaim by the public, and film and music critics alike.

http://youtu.be/bMY73xNXDJk

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[caption id="attachment_4105" align="alignnone" width="550"]TAPIA[/caption]

Rapper, actor, entertainment mogul Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and boxing promoter Lou DiBella have acquired the rights to TAPIA, the documentary based on the life of five-time world champion boxer, Johnny Tapia. TAPIA is set to world premiere as part of the Documentary Competition at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival on June 15.

TAPIA chronicles the personal and professional life of the boxer, beginning with his poor childhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The film explores the glory of his punishing ring prowess and five world titles in three weight classes, forever mired by personal demons: his mother’s brutal kidnapping and murder when he was 8 years old, and his drug addiction, mental illness and near death experiences. Using first person narration from Tapia himself, archival footage, and personal photos, director Eddie Alcazar paints an intimate picture of the fighter and the man.

TAPIA follows the champ’s winding road through victories, downfalls and redemption. Director Alcazar spent many hours with Tapia filming the biopic, just weeks before the fighter’s tragic death at age 45. Tapia’s last interviews now serve as the heartbeat of Alcazar’s revealing documentary. In it, the soft-spoken champ opens up about his ‘vida loca’ and the unending pain of his mother’s murder, which led to glory in the ring and struggle throughout his life.

http://youtu.be/yB3Oy3cEu_4

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Husband and wife filmmaking team Andy Heathcote and Heike Bachelier have started a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to self-fund the UK cinema release this summer of their documentary THE MOO MAN, a surprise hit at film festivals including this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Utah and London. The Moo Man will also be playing at the Sheffield Doc/Fest on 12, 15 and 16 June.

Steve Hook is a maverick farmer with a small dairy herd of fifty-five cows who is determined to keep his family farm in East Sussex small, organic and sustainable.  To achieve this he sells raw milk directly to the consumer via door-to-door delivery and at farmer’s markets rather than selling to supermarkets at a loss.

The Moo Man follows Steve and his herd as they deal with the hardships and issues faced by many British farmers today at a time where one family farm in the UK is closing everyday.

Charismatic and caring, Steve has a rare relationship with his animals, a bond that most of us have forgotten still exists which makes The Moo Man an endearing, intimate movie that tackles some surprisingly big issues. 

Director Andy Heathcote commented: “As soon as we met Steve Hook we knew we had to share his story.  At a time when we have all learned not to take for granted what we eat every day and where it comes from, we have found a true advocate for organic, healthy and sustainable food production.  Anyone who cares about the quality of the food they eat and provide to their families should see The Moo Man and take comfort that there are farmers like Steve who are working tirelessly every day to make a difference.”

Co-Director Heike Bachlier commented; “Distributing a film into cinemas costs money, and it has to be done properly.  Through Kickstarter, we are hoping to raise £20,000 to make a release campaign possible but we have only until the 12 June to get this in place. Any extra money we raise will go into even more marketing for more screenings and events around the country.”

http://youtu.be/7G6qNG0ZRvA 

via press release

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The hip hop history documentary film “I WANT MY NAME BACK” starring Master Gee & Wonder Mike of The Sugarhill Gang, the rap group behind the mega-hit “Rapper’s Delight,” will be released on DVD and digital platforms on June 11, 2013.

” More than 30 years after the historic recording of the iconic mega-hit “Rapper’s Delight,” Master Gee & Wonder Mike come back to reclaim their identities and rightful place in hip hop history in the documentary film “I WANT MY NAME BACK.” One Village Entertainment, a division of Image Entertainment, and part of Robert Johnson’s RLJ Entertainment will be releasing the film on DVD and digital platforms on June 11, 2013.

“I WANT MY NAME BACK” highlights the rise, fall, and rise again of original members of The Sugarhill Gang, Michael Wright (aka Wonder Mike) and Guy O’Brien (aka Master Gee). One of the most influential songs in the history of the music industry and #2 in Rolling Stone’s Top Hip Hop Songs of all time, “Rapper’s Delight” was the first commercial hip hop release, forever changing the face of the music industry. “Rapper’s Delight” is still, to this day, the number one selling single in hip hop history. The group followed up their first hit with another song still played today called “Apache”.  Their first three albums went platinum.  While this success should have cemented the legacy and careers of the original members, reality tells a much different story–one that most people, including those in the hip hop world, are not even aware of.  A story of unprecedented identity theft, copyright and trademark violations, Master Gee and Wonder Mike fight a more than 30 year battle against their label to get their names and legacy back.  The film also features Grandmaster Caz (The Cold Crush Brothers), Melle Mel (Grandmaster Flash), and Vinnie and Treach (Naughty by Nature).  “I Want My Name Back” is the journey of two men who want what was taken from them: their names, their legacy and their music! “

via press release

http://youtu.be/L-W1muPO8rg

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MUSICWOOD, a feature documentary including special performances and interviews with Yo La Tengo, Steve Earle, The Antlers, Kaki King and Lambchop, will screen at music festivals across the US in advance of the film’s theatrical release.  The tour kicks off at Bonnaroo on June 15 before travelling to Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival and Newport Folk Festival, with additional dates to be added.   MUSICWOOD opens in Portland, Oregon on August 9 and Juneau, Alaska on August 23.  

MUSICWOOD, directed and produced by Maxine Trump, is described as an adventure-filled journey and political thriller with music at its heart.  The film follows a group of the most famous guitar-makers in the world – Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars, Chris Martin of Martin Guitars and Dave Berryman of Gibson Guitars – as they venture into the remote Alaskan rainforest on a mission to protect the Sitka Spruce tree.  Essential for the creation of high-quality acoustic guitars, old-growth Sitka Spruce are disappearing at an alarming rate as Native American loggers are clear-cutting enormous strips of the Tongass National Forest. 

Set against the breathtaking beauty of Southeast Alaska and with a soundtrack featuring acoustic virtuosos including Yo La Tengo, Kaki King, Steve Earle and more, MUSICWOOD reveals a culture clash of staggering proportions.  The film captures Native American loggers, corporate CEOs and the radical environmental group Greenpeace, as they battle over one the world’s last pristine rainforests.  The result is a complex, heartbreaking and sometimes humorous battle over natural resources in which the future of the acoustic guitar hangs in the balance. 

http://youtu.be/RzgN7M6m5Yc

via: MUSICWOOD

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The documentary DESERT RUNNERS will have its world premiere at the 2013 Edinburgh International Film Festival. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Jennifer Steinman (Motherland), Desert Runners follows a diverse cast of non-professional runners as they attempt to complete the four most difficult ultramarathon races on Earth.

Their dramatic journey takes them across the World’s most picturesque yet brutal landscapes, as they push their bodies, hearts and spirits through a myriad of external and internal obstacles.

DESERT RUNNERS is a glimpse into the mindset of ultra-athletes, and the complex ways in which human beings deal with both heartbreak and triumph.

http://youtu.be/es8b86A9_D0

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Magnolia Pictures released a new trailer for the killer whale documentary “BLACKFISH” set to be released July 26, 2013.  CNN is expected to air the documentary sometime in the Fall 2013.  BLACKFISH tells the story of Tilikum, a performing killer whale that killed several people while in captivity including the much publicized incident involving Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old female trainer at SeaWorld Orlando in 2010. Along the way, director-producer Gabriela Cowperthwaite compiles shocking footage and emotional interviews to explore the creature’s extraordinary nature, the species’ cruel treatment in captivity, the lives and losses of the trainers and the pressures brought to bear by the muli-billion dollar sea-park industry.

http://youtu.be/G93beiYiE74

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Matthew Cooke’s documentary, HOW TO MAKE MONEY SELLING DRUGS has a release date. The film produced by Bert Marcus and Adrian Grenier. Adrian, Matthew, Bert, Neil Franklin and Barry Cooper; and featuring Russell Simmons, Susan Sarandon, David Simon (creator of “The Wire”), Bobby Carlton, Brian O’Dea, Freeway Rick Ross, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson will open in NYC at the IFC CENTER on June 26, with other cities to follow.

HOW TO MAKE MONEY SELLING DRUGS is described as a shockingly candid examination of how a street dealer can rise to cartel lord with relative ease; an insider’s guide to the violent but extremely lucrative drug industry. Told from the perspective of former drug dealers, and featuring interviews with rights advocates Russell Simmons, Susan Sarandon, and David Simon (creator of “The Wire”), the film gives you the lessons you need to start your own drug empire while exposing the corruption behind the “war on drugs.”

http://youtu.be/ZSz8emdfYOE

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NICKY’S FAMILY, the award-winning documentary film directed by Matej Minac, will open in New York at the Quad Cinema, JCC Manhattan, Kew Gardens and Malverne; and in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Royal, Town Center and Playhouse 7 in Pasadena on July 19, 2013. A national release is expected to follow. 

NICKY’S FAMILY, which has won over 32 awards at festivals worldwide including 14 audience awards from U.S. film festivals,  is described as a gripping documentary that tells the mostly unknown story of Sir Nicholas Winton, a young Englishman who organized the rescue of 669 Jewish Czech and Slovak children just before the outbreak of World War II.  As a result of his heroic efforts, today there are over 6,000 descendants who live all over the World. 

Winton, now 104 years old, did not speak about these events with anyone for more than half a century. His exploits would have probably been forgotten if his wife, fifty years later, hadn ́t found a suitcase in the attic, full of documents and transport plans. Now, the story of this rescue is beginning to be known outside England, and he was Knighted by the Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his remarkable deed.

The film features reenactments and never before seen archival footage. Rescued children together with Sir Nicholas Winton recount the unique story that even after 70 years continues to inspire people, particularly the youth, to make this world a better place.  Renowned personalities, the Dalai Lama and Nobel Prize winner Elie Weisel, are also featured in the film. 

http://youtu.be/PGEXoXkDgqk

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“DOWNLOADED,” Alex Winter’s documentary about the rise and fall of Napster, will open in New York City on June 21 and Los Angeles on June 28, and will then expand to Albuquerque, Austin, Chicago, Columbus, Grand Rapids, Martha’s Vineyard, San Francisco and Seattle, among other cities.

The film examines the music-business revolution caused by Napster, which allowed users to share music without paying royalties. Rather than embracing the new technology and trying to monetize it (as Apple did with its iTunes Store), the record industry sued Napster and tried to drive the company out of business – but by the time Shawn Fanning’s and Sean Parker’s company folded, the damage had been done to the traditional business model.

Fanning and Parker are among those interviewed for “Downloaded”; Winter also talked to Henry Rollins, the Beastie Boys’ Mike D., Oasis’ Noel Gallagher, record executives Seymour Stein, Don Ienner and Chris Blackwell, and Napster critics that include the Recording Industry Association of America’s former CEO, Hilary Rosen.

“DOWNLOADED” which premiered at SXSW and also screened at Toronto’s Hot Docs festival,  is part of VH1’s rockDocs series, which has also included “Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” “The U.S. Vs. John Lennon” and “Marley.” The film will air on the cable channel in 2014.

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