Films

German Filmmakers Celebrated in NYC at MoMA

Six films have been selected by the Museum of Modern Art for their 35^th annual exhibition, Kino!, MoMA’s long-running survey of young German filmmakers.

The films include the award winning tragicomedy OH BOY by Jan Ole Gerster, which had its US-premiere at AFI Fest in November and was shown at Miami International Film Festival in March. OH BOY is nominated in eight categories for the German Film Prize, whose winners are announced on April 26.

The documentary FORGET ME NOT (VERGISS MEIN NICHT by David Sieveking won the Critics’ Week Grand Prize following its world premiere in Locarno, one of Europe’s leading film festivals. FORGET ME NOT is currently nominated for the German Film Prize for Best Feature-length Documentary.

KINO! PROGRAM

MoMA, April 18-24, 2013

FREE FALL (FREIER FALL) by Stephan Lacant – North American premiere

[caption id="attachment_3444" align="alignnone" width="550"]Freier Fall [/caption]

Fiction, color, 100 min, DCP, 2013

Police officer Marc is shaken to the core when he meets a new colleague, Kay, on a training course and begins to develop feelings for him. Torn between his love for his pregnant girlfriend Bettina and the rush of a completely new experience, his life spins increasingly out of control. Opening night film of the Perspective Deutsches Kino program at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Screenings:

Thursday, April 18, 2013, 7:00 p.m., Theater 1 (in the presence of the director)

Friday, April 19, 2013, 7:00 p.m., Theater 2 (in the presence of the director)

OH BOY by Jan Ole Gerstner – East Coast premiere

Fiction, black and white, 88 min, DCP, 2012

A humorous, self-deprecating tale about college drop-out Niko. Drifting through Berliin, he prefers to be an observer. But life has a way of catching up with him, as he finds himself losing his girlfriend and his father’s financial support. Everything would be so much easier if he could only find a ‘normal’ cup of coffee.

Screenings:

Saturday, April 20, 2013, 7:30 p.m., Theater 2 (in the presence of the director)

Sunday, April 21, 2013, 4:00 p.m., Theater 2 (in the presence of the director)

SILVI by Nico Sommer – North American premiere

Fiction, 97 min, DCP, 2013

Deserted by her husband, Silvi finally realizes that her rather dull marriage has failed. Driven by loneliness, the 47-year-old woman decides to start over again! Anonymous sex, endearments in the dark and deranged lovers push her into emotional chaos of affection, pleasure and borderline experiences. She discovers that finding the right partner poses quite a challenge.

Screenings:

Friday, April 19, 2013, 4:00 p.m., Theater 2 (in the presence of the director)

Sunday, April 21, 2013, 1:00 p.m., Theater 2 (in the presence of the director)

FORGET ME NOT (VERGISS MEIN NICHT) by David Sieveking

Documentary, color, 88 min, DCP, 2012

This feature-length documentary centers on the director’s mother succumbing to Alzheimer’s. Created with humor and astonishing candor, this is remarkably unsentimental film, which bravely tackles the fundamental question: will we grow old together? Grand Jury Prize winner at the Locarno Film Festival.

Screenings:

Saturday, April 20, 2013, 1:30 p.m., Theater 2,

Wednesday, April 24, 2013, 7:00 p.m., Theater 2

KALIFORNIA by Laura Mahlberg – North American premiere

Fiction, color 27 min, DCP, 2013

The pale grey surrounding Pavel’s caravan resembles the life inside of it: the 71-old Russian spends his evenings in a dismal and monotonous way. But then Pavel makes a decision: He picks up the telephone, calls his old friend Jack and starts walking – straight-ahead to California. Kalifornia describes the late effort of an old man to turn his life around and find happiness in the distance.

THE REVENANTS (DIE WIEDERGÄNGER) by Andreas Bolm – International premiere

Fiction, color, 62 min, HD Cam, 2013

An ageing hippie couple endures an isolated, ghostly existence in an old country house.  A boy wanders aimlessly through a forest, building a lair for himself. A ghost story about a never-ending escape from catastrophe, The Revenants is a film about desire, loss and endlessly returning.

Screenings (both films):

Saturday, April 20, 2013, 4:00 p.m., Theater 2, (in the presence of the directors)

Wednesday, April 24, 2013, 4:00 p.m., Theater 2 (in the presence of the directors)

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Biopic on German-Jewish Philosopher and Political Theorist Hannah Arendt opens in NYC on May 29 and in LA on June 7

[caption id="attachment_3678" align="alignnone" width="550"]Barbara Sukowa as Hannah Arendt in HANNAH ARENDT a film by Margarethe von Trotta. [/caption]

The German biopic film HANNAH ARENDT, directed by Margarethe von Trotta will open at Film Forum in NYC on May 29 and at The Royal in West LA, Playhouse 7 in Pasadena and Town Center in Encino on June 7, with a national release to follow.

HANNAH ARENDT, an Official Selection at the Toronto International and New York Jewish Film Festivals, Hannah Arendt stars Barbara Sukowa as Hannah Arendt, with co-stars Klaus Pohl as philosopher Martin Heidegger, Nicolas Woodeson as New Yorker editor William Shawn, and two-time Oscar Nominee Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) as novelist Mary McCarthy.

The film is described as a biopic of influential German-Jewish philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt. Arendt’s reporting on the 1961 trial of ex-Nazi Adolf Eichmann in The New Yorker—controversial both for her portrayal of Eichmann and the Jewish councils—introduced her now-famous concept of the “Banality of Evil.” Using footage from the actual Eichmann trial and weaving a narrative that spans three countries, von Trotta beautifully turns the often invisible passion for thought into immersive, dramatic cinema.

http://youtu.be/iIUbQR9b1P8
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Documentary RELEASED to Open in NYC on May 10, 2013

The documentary RELEASED will have its world premiere on Friday, May 10th, 2013 at New York’s QUAD Cinema. Directed by Philip Messina, RELEASED introduces three men and one woman, Vilma Ortiz Donovan, Kenneth Harrigan, Casimiro Torres and Angel Ramos, each a convicted felon, who, attempt to overcome a past and defy the grim statistic that two out of every three prisoners released in the United States today will be back in prison within three years.

As described by the filmmakers:

Casimiro Torres, grew up in Hell’s Kitchen. “As a kid, I was forced to fight my brother until one of us was bloody — I was bet on like a dog.” Fatherless, with an alcoholic mother he was placed in juvenile facilities where he was abused by a sadistic and sexually deviant staff. Casimiro started using drugs at age 10, becoming a hardened crack-head criminal–burglaries, armed robberies, whatever it took. He was arrested sixty-seven times and did sixteen years in prison.

Vilma Ortiz, a vibrantly intelligent woman from a solid Puerto Rican family, became addicted to cocaine and eventually dealt drugs becoming one of the few women to break into this malicious fraternity where her “status” gave her the illusion of power and confidence, masking profound insecurity and indecisiveness. Finally arrested and convicted, she spent six years in prison.

Kenneth Harrigan, an “A” student from a stable African-American family, started to use recreational drugs and was soon addicted to crack. Burglary sustained his habit–he served 16 years in prison.

Angel Ramos, Puerto Rican, grew up brutally poor with an abusive mother. At seventeen, a friend made an offhanded remark that offended him. Releasing a suppressed reservoir of rage, Angel murdered his friend. He served 30 years in prison.

From these deep deficits, Casimiro, Vilma, Kenneth, and Angel struggled and ultimately triumphed. Drawing on long overlooked personal strengths and a radical shift in attitude they all shared something in common and understood that the will to live productive lives was in their control.

They also shared something else. After leaving prison with no homes to go to and no jobs for support, they found a unique program known as “The Castle”, a 62-bed re-entry facility run by former prisoners in New York City. This haven was created by The Fortune Society, founded by Broadway Press Agent, Producer and activist, David Rothenberg, after years of engagement with former prisoners through talk backs after the performances of his hit play, Fortune and Men’s Eyes.

As part of their rehabilitation Caz, Vilma, Kenneth and Angel collaborated with Rothenberg to tell their own stories. Originally conceived as an exercise in self-awareness, the project developed under Rothenberg into the play, The Castle, and was produced by Eric Krebs, a highly regarded theater producer and social justice advocate, for a 14-month Off-Broadway run in 2008. To date, more than 30,000 people have seen the production in over 200 performances at prisons, colleges, community centers, and other organizations, including the New York State Legislature.

http://youtu.be/QaFxFpXxyyg
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Documentary ‘Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay’ Opens in NY on April 17 and in LA on May 17

The documentary ‘Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay’, directed by Molly Bernstein and Alan Edelstein, and an official selection of the 2012 New York Film Festival, opens in NYC at Film Forum on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 and at the Nuart in Los Angeles on May 17, 2013.

What happens when documentary filmmakers, whose mission is to probe, explore, reveal, take as their subject one of the world’s greatest living magicians, whose life and art are basically off limits to probing, exploration, and revelation? More than a decade in the making, Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay is the captivating result of this curious conundrum: a mesmerizing journey into the world of modern magic and the small circle of eccentric geniuses who mastered it.

At its center is the multitalented Ricky Jay, a best-selling author and historian, an acclaimed actor, a leading collector of antiquarian books and artifacts, but above all a conjurer capable of creating a profound sense of wonder and disbelief in even the most jaded of audiences. Told largely in Ricky’s own inimitable voice, Deceptive Practice the story of his achievement, from his early apprenticeship, beginning at age 4, with his grandfather Max Katz, an accomplished amateur magician, as well as Al Flosso, Slydini, Cardini, Francis Carlyle, and Roy Benson, all of who were among the best magicians of the 20th century. The film weaves together stunning performance footage from his one-man shows and classic TV appearances, and also includes friends and collaborators such as Steve Martin (who joins him in a hilarious turn on a ’70s vintage Dinah Shore TV show) and David

http://youtu.be/Mky39dDsjtw
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Pedro Almodovar’s I’M SO EXCITED! Opens June 28, 2013

I’M SO EXCITED!, written and directed by famed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar opens in the US on June 28, 2013 two weeks after premiering at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival.

In the new comedy by Pedro Almodóvar, and starring Antonio de la Torre, Hugo Silva, Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Laya Martí, Javier Cámara, Carlos Areces, Raul Arevalo, José María Yazpik, Guillermo Toledo, José Luis Torrijo, Lola Dueñas, Cecilia Roth, Blanca Suárez, a very mixed group of travelers are in a life-threatening situation on board a plane flying to Mexico City.

A technical failure has endangered the lives of the people on board Peninsula Flight 2549. The pilots are striving, along with their colleagues in the Control Center, to find a solution. The flight attendants and the chief steward are atypical, baroque characters who, in the face of danger, try to forget their own personal problems and devote themselves body and soul to the task of making the flight as enjoyable as possible for the passengers, while they wait for a solution. Life in the clouds is as complicated as it is at ground level, and for the same reasons, which could be summarized in two: sex and death.

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Love Is All You Need Starring Pierce Brosnan, Opens in NY on May 3rd

Love Is All You Need diirected by Oscar Winner Susanne Bier opens May 3, 2013 at Lincoln Plaza and Landmark Sunshine Cinemas in NY

The film, an official selection at Toronto International Film Festival 2012 and Venice International Film Festival 2012, stars Pierce Brosnan, Trine Dyrholm, Molly Blixt Egelind, Sebastian Jessen, Paprika Steen, Kim Bodnia, Christiane Schaumburg-Müller, Micky Skeel Hansen.

In the film, Philip (Brosnan), a well-off Englishman living in Denmark, is a long-time bachelor and single father. Ida (Dyrholm) is an attractive, middle-aged Danish hairdresser who has just conquered cancer only to find her husband in bed with his secretary, Thilde. Their two fates collide at the airport as they embark upon a trip to Italy to attend the wedding of Patrick and Astrid, Phillip’s son and Ida’s daughter.

With warmth, affection and confidence, Susanne Bier has shaken a cocktail of love, loss,absurdity, humor, and delicately drawn characters that will leave only the hardest heart untouched. It is a film about the simple yet profound pains and joys of moving on – and forward – with your life.

In Danish, English and Italian with English subtitles.

http://youtu.be/v4B02wHam_U
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DVD: Canadian Sci-Fi Horror Film The Corrupted Gets A Summer Release Date

The Canadian sci-fi horror film The Corrupted will be released this summer on DVD, VOD,by Eagle One Media. Directed by John Klappstein and Knighten Richman, The Corrupted, features Keltie Squires, Shaun Tisdale (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil), Ashley Tallas, Jeremy Hook, and Anuj Saraswat.

Shot in Alberta, Canada, The Corrupted was nominated for six (Alberta Media Production Industry Association) AMPIAS Awards including Best Feature, Best Special Effects, and Best Screenplay.

The Corrupted is described as “Spring Break meets HP Lovecraft. Where it’s all fun and games…until someone gets infected.”

A man quietly strums his guitar at the edge of a tranquil lake in the middle of the night. Through the darkness a beautiful young woman emerges along the shoreline, silent and mysterious. She approaches and whispers
something into his ear. When she beckons, he has no choice but to follow. When his friends arrive for a weekend of partying, its obvious…something in him has changed. What did the woman tell him? Why does he seem so
distant? Where did she take him? The Corrupted is an intellectual sci-fi horror thriller feature film produced in Canada and directed by John Klappstein and Knighten Richman.

http://youtu.be/g011KyNH4JY
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Marijuana Documentary California 90420 Headed to Netflix for 420 Day

Feature documentary CALIFORNIA, 90420 that focuses on the rapidly growing marijuana trade in California and profiles leaders of California’s marijuana legalization efforts, will expand to meet the anticipated increased demand prior to National Weed Day, April 20, 2013, aka 420 day.

Recently available on DVD, Amazon VOD, iTunes and Free on Hulu, CALIFORNIA 90420 will be released on Netflix around 4/20/2013, a date celebrated as a holiday each year in the marijuana community.

California’s Proposition 19 campaign to legalize recreational marijuana was narrowly defeated, but is widely regarded as paving the way for the passage of Washington and Colorado’s recreational marijuana laws. Dale Sky Jones, the current president of Oaksterdam University and newly elected chair of California’s 2016 legalization campaign, is prominently featured in the film.

Directed by Dean Shull, CALIFORNIA, 90420 offers viewers an in-depth look into Oaksterdam University, the nation’s first college preparing students for careers in the medical marijuana industry and the epicenter of California’s legalization efforts.

http://youtu.be/eIYShFZcWuc
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Baltimore’s 12 O’Clock Boys Biker Film to be Released in the US

Fresh off its world premiere at SXSW, Oscilloscope Laboratories announced that it will release Lotfy Nathan’s debut feature, 12 O’Clock Boys, in the US. The film is is next scheduled to screen at the Hot Docs and Full Frame Documentary Festivals, among others. O-Scope will continue to roll the film out to more festivals prior to its theatrical, DVD, and digital releases.

The 12 O’Clock Boys are a notorious urban dirt bike pack in Baltimore. Converging in groups and invading the streets, they dangerously–yet magnificently–make their presence known as they pop wheelies and weave in and out of traffic at excessive speeds, all the while taunting the police who must obey a self-imposed “no chase” rule for fear of endangering the public. Nathan frames the three-years-in-the-making narrative through the eyes of the adolescent Pug – a kid from the Westside eager to join the 12 O’Clock Boys’ ranks. Pug reveres the Boys’ every move, and Nathan follows this young man through some of the most pivotal years of his life, providing a compelling and intimate personal story within the broader depiction of the wild, dynamic world of the 12 O’Clock Boys.

Filmmaker Lotfy Nathan said, “Oscilloscope’s great. I really hope they don’t f*&k this up.”

http://youtu.be/5oU0fiFn_IM
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Documentary “American Meat” Premieres in New York City

[caption id="attachment_3333" align="alignnone" width="550"]Farmer Joel Salatin in American Meat[/caption]

The pro-farmer documentary American Meat will open on Friday, April 12, 2013 at New York City’s Cinema Village for its first theatrical screening. The Friday, April 12th opening of American Meat will include a grass carpet entrance, and one of the farmers featured in the film, Joel Salatin, will be dropped off on a tractor.

American Meat is described as a solutions-oriented, macroscopic, “pro-farmer” documentary surveying the current state of the U.S. meat industry. Featuring Fred Kirschenmann, Joel Salatin, Steve Ells, Chuck Wirtz, Paul Willis, and other farmers across America, the film takes an even-handed look at the past and future of animal husbandry and meat production in America. The film explains how America arrived at its current industrial system and introduces the charismatic industry leaders who are working hard to create practical and tangible solutions to change it for the better.

“The ‘celebrities’ featured in American Meat are the hard-working farmers that feed America and the ones that are doing so in a way that’s better for the planet and the animals,” said Graham Meriwether, director of American Meat. “This premiere isn’t about glitz and glamour; it’s about paying tribute to these small-town heroes and educating the public about these important issues.”

The film’s New York City premiere concludes a 10-state tour of the film at universities and high schools as part of the film’s yearlong Young Farmer Screening Series.

http://youtu.be/knNLZvphhfs

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DVD Indie: Cult Horror Indie Film “Skew”

Independent horror feature film SKEW is now available on DVD on Redbox in the U.S.A. and will be available on iTunes April 2nd, 2013. SKEW will be released on DVD in Japan on April 5th, 2013.

SKEW follows three close friends who head out on an eagerly anticipated road trip with video camera in hand to record their journey. What starts out as a carefree adventure slowly becomes a descent into the ominous as unexplained events threaten to disrupt the balance between them. One by one they must struggle with personal demons and paranoia as friendships are tested and gruesome realities are revealed…and recorded.

Within the same vein as The Blair Witch Project, writer/director Sevé Schelenz creates a first-person account in psychological horror that will keep audiences on edge until its revealing conclusion.

The filmmakers announced that SKEW has been accepted in over 50 festivals, won several awards including “Best Feature” (Nevada Film Festival), “Best Director” (Late Night Horror Film Festival) and “Indy Spirit Award” (Horrorfest). The film has received great reviews and found distribution in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Russia and Japan.

http://youtu.be/IjwBwuKD8mI
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Unmasking The Takeover of Brooklyn in New Documentary “My Brooklyn”

[caption id="attachment_3328" align="alignnone" width="550"]Fulton Mall in the 1980′s, photo by Jamel Shabazz[/caption]

by Cecily Witcher

My Brooklyn is a documentary by Kelly Anderson and Allison Lirish Dean that touches on the gentrification of the Brooklyn borough and how it affects the local Brooklyn residents. A large portion of My Brooklyn explores the downtown area know as Fulton Street that was once home to the famous Albee Square Mall which had a major influence on the community as well as the hip hop world internationally. The Fulton Mall was once the 3rd most profitable shopping district in New York but now that local experience that drew people from all over the world to the Fulton Mall has been stripped with the closing of the Albe Square Mall as well as the local owned stores have been replaced with major chains.

[caption id="attachment_3329" align="alignnone" width="550"]Arnold cuts hair at Jack’s Barbershop in Downtown Brooklyn[/caption]

The documentary also touches on the high rises that have been built-in the downtown Brooklyn area that provide enormous tax breaks for the already healthy. The film My Brooklyn is an eye opener with facts that explain why the “gentrification” of Brooklyn is happening with little regards to the community residents that have built up the Fulton Mall area.

Cecily Witcher Interviews Kelly Anderson

http://youtu.be/t3s-DjjA3LI

Trailer – My Brooklyn

http://youtu.be/rD_t-OMy3dM

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