THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION directed by Stanley Nelson took home the Audience Award “Best of Fest” at the 17th annual RiverRun International Film Festival which ran April 16 to 26, 2015. In the film, Stanley Nelson weaves together voices from varied perspectives who lived the story of the Black Panther Party, including police, FBI informants, journalists, white supporters, and detractors, those who remained loyal to the party and those who left it.
AUDIENCE AWARDS
The Audience Award “Best of Fest” was presented to: THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION / USA (Director: Stanley Nelson) — Whether they were right or wrong, the Black Panther Party and its leadership remain powerful and enduring figures in our popular imagination even today. Stanley Nelson’s film weaves together voices from varied perspectives who lived this story– police, FBI informants, journalists, white supporters, and detractors, those who remained loyal to the party and those who left it.
The Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature was presented to: ANYWHERE ELSE / Israel / Germany (Director: Ester Amrami) — Noa, an Israeli grad student working on her thesis in Berlin about untranslatable words, returns home to find her family less than enamored with her life choices and struggles to define her connections to both place and family.
The Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature was presented to: 3 ½ MINUTES / USA (Director: Marc Silver) — This gripping documentary dissects the shooting death of 17-year-old Jordan Davis, the aftermath of this systemic tragedy and contradictions within the American criminal justice system.
The Altered States Audience Award for Best Indie was presented to: PROUD CITIZEN / USA (Director: Thomas Southerland) — After winning second place in a play writing contest, a Bulgarian woman travels to small town Kentucky for the premiere of her play. Expecting southern hospitality, she instead finds an America full of dichotomy in this funny, heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking meditation on the comfort (and discomfort) of strangers.
NARRATIVE COMPETITION
The Best Narrative Feature Award was presented to: MEMORIES ON STONE / Iraq / Germany (Director: Shawkat Amin Korki) — Kurdish childhood friends Hussein and Alan naively resolve to produce a film about the genocide of Kurdish people in Iraq, specifically the Anfal campaign of 1988. They learn that in order to will the film into existence they must put everything on the line–even their own lives.
The Peter Brunette Award for Best Director was presented to: Naomi Kawase, STILL THE WATER / Japan / Spain / France
Best Actor was presented to:
Hussein Hassan MEMORIES ON STONE / Iraq / Germany (Director: Shawkat Amin Korki)
Best Actress was presented to:
Julieta Diaz, REFUGIADO / Argentina / France / Columbia / Poland (Director: Diego Lerman)
Best Cinematography – Narrative Feature was presented to:
Yutaka Yamazuki, STILL THE WATER / Japan / Spain / France (Director: Naomi Kawase
Best Screenplay was presented to:
THE SECOND MOTHER / Brazil (Director: Anna Muylaert)
Special Jury Prize for Editing:
Ebrahim Saeedi, MEMORIES ON STONE / Iraq / Germany (Director: Shawkat Amin Korki)
Honorable Mention for Cinematography:
Sara Mishara, FELIX AND MEIRA / Canada (Director: Maxime Giroux)
Honorable Mention for Actress:
Hadas Yaron, FELIX AND MEIRA / Canada (Director: Maxime Giroux)
Honorable Mention for Actor:
James ‘Primo’ Grant, FIVE STAR / USA (Director: Keith Miller)
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Best Documentary Feature : THE CHINESE MAYOR / China (Director: Hao Zhou) — Controversial Chinese politician Geng Yanbo demolished 140,000 households and relocated half a million people in order to restore ancient relic walls for the sake of the region’s tourism industry. The film investigates one mayor’s mission to save his city and uncovers the secret workings of China’s Communist Party.
Jury statement: “We chose “The Chinese Mayor” as Best Documentary Feature for its incredible level of access, the ambiguity of its story arc, the complexity of Mayor Geng, and its ability to give the audience an inside look at a culture we might not be familiar with.”
Best Director — Documentary Feature was presented to: Joshua Oppenheimer for THE LOOK OF SILENCE / Denmark / Finland / Indonesia / Norway / UK — Through Joshua Oppenheimer’s work filming perpetrators of the Indonesian genocide, a family of survivors discovers the identities of the men who killed their son. The youngest brother is determined to break the spell of silence, and so confronts the men responsible for his brother’s murder–something unimaginable in a country where killers remain in power.
Jury statement: “We recognize this film for his bold clarity of vision and unflinching commitment to the material. “The Look of Silence” is a remarkable film that bears Oppenheimer’s unmistakable stamp with every choice he makes as a filmmaker.”
Special Jury Prize: WELCOME TO LEITH / USA (Co-directors: Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher Walker) — In the tiny town of Leith, North Dakota, notorious white supremacist Craig Cobb is attempting a hostile takeover. Filmed in the days leading up to Cobb’s arrest for terrorizing the townspeople, the film is an eerie document of American DIY ideals.
SHORTS COMPETITION
Best Documentary Short was presented to: CAILLEACH / UK (Director: Rosie Reed Hillman) — Morag is 86. She lives alone at the end of a track looking out to sea on her croft on the Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, with her three cats and twelve sheep. Morag was born in this house and has lived here her whole life, following five generations of the family who came before her. Cailleach is a portrait of Morag and her simple and peaceful life as she contemplates her next chapter, shares her unique sense of independence and the connection she has to her wild island home. As the winner of the jury award for Best Documentary Short, ‘Cailleach’ is now eligible to be considered for a 2016 Academy Award®.
Jury statement: “Cailleach” was selected“for its reflective and cinematic portrait of an 86-year-old woman getting on with life no matter the circumstances.”
Honorable Mention to the documentary short: NOTES FROM LIBERIA / USA / Liberia (Co-Directors: Ryo Murakami and Judd Ehrlich) — Crafted from footage shot by the late Japanese cinematographer Ryo Murakami on the Firestone Tire and Rubber Plantation in Liberia, the film traces Ryo’s journey from Monrovia, where the traumas of a brutal fifteen-year civil war still simmer beneath the surface, to the remote plantation village of Harbel.
Jury statement: “For its poignant investigation of the Firestone rubber plantation in Liberia, the Short Documentary honorable mention goes to “Notes from Liberia” by Judd Ehrlich and the late Ryo Murakami.” Accepting the award is the film’s producer, Takeshi Fukunaga.
Best Narrative Short was presented to: THE KÁRMÁN LINE / UK / (Director: Oscar Sharp) — When a mother acquires a rare condition that sees her lift off the ground at a slow but ever increasing rate, her husband and daughter are forced to come to terms with losing her.
Jury statement: “Seamlessly transitioning between levity and pathos, we award “The Kármán Line” for its moving and original take on impending loss as seen through the eyes of an ordinary family in an extraordinary situation.”
Special Jury Prize was presented to: ÁRTÚN / Iceland / Denmark / (Director: Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson) — A small town boy in Iceland decides to travel to the big city with his friends in search of his first romantic encounter. The city holds more in store for them than they anticipated.
Best Student Short: ROTA / USA (Director: Jean-Jacques Martinod) — An abandoned warehouse becomes a surreal theater where men are challenged to risk their lives on stage to a game of chance. Jury statement: “For making us complicit in a bizarre underground world we never asked to be a part of, we award best student short to ‘Rota.’”
Best Animated Short was presented to: BEAR STORY / Chile (Director: Gabriel Osorio Vargas) — An old bear goes out every day to a busy street corner. Through a tin marionette theater of his own making, he reveals his extraordinary life story. As the winner of the jury award for Best Animated Short, ‘Bear Story’ is now eligible to be considered for a 2016 Academy Award®.
Jury Statement: “With its mechanical tin toy aesthetic and clever take on narrative vs. reality, we and the audience enjoyed the film’s tale of a bears tragic and ultimately heroic life story.”
Best Student Animated Short: THE PRESENT / Germany (Director: Jacob Frey) — Jake spends most of his time playing video games indoors, until his mom decides to give him an unexpected present.News
All the News.
All the News.
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BLACK PANTHERS Film Wins Best of Fest at 2015 RiverRun International Film Festival
THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION directed by Stanley Nelson took home the Audience Award “Best of Fest” at the 17th annual RiverRun International Film Festival which ran April 16 to 26, 2015. In the film, Stanley Nelson weaves together voices from varied perspectives who lived the story of the Black Panther Party, including police, FBI informants, journalists, white supporters, and detractors, those who remained loyal to the party and those who left it.
AUDIENCE AWARDS
The Audience Award “Best of Fest” was presented to: THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION / USA (Director: Stanley Nelson) — Whether they were right or wrong, the Black Panther Party and its leadership remain powerful and enduring figures in our popular imagination even today. Stanley Nelson’s film weaves together voices from varied perspectives who lived this story– police, FBI informants, journalists, white supporters, and detractors, those who remained loyal to the party and those who left it.
The Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature was presented to: ANYWHERE ELSE / Israel / Germany (Director: Ester Amrami) — Noa, an Israeli grad student working on her thesis in Berlin about untranslatable words, returns home to find her family less than enamored with her life choices and struggles to define her connections to both place and family.
The Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature was presented to: 3 ½ MINUTES / USA (Director: Marc Silver) — This gripping documentary dissects the shooting death of 17-year-old Jordan Davis, the aftermath of this systemic tragedy and contradictions within the American criminal justice system.
The Altered States Audience Award for Best Indie was presented to: PROUD CITIZEN / USA (Director: Thomas Southerland) — After winning second place in a play writing contest, a Bulgarian woman travels to small town Kentucky for the premiere of her play. Expecting southern hospitality, she instead finds an America full of dichotomy in this funny, heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking meditation on the comfort (and discomfort) of strangers.
NARRATIVE COMPETITION
The Best Narrative Feature Award was presented to: MEMORIES ON STONE / Iraq / Germany (Director: Shawkat Amin Korki) — Kurdish childhood friends Hussein and Alan naively resolve to produce a film about the genocide of Kurdish people in Iraq, specifically the Anfal campaign of 1988. They learn that in order to will the film into existence they must put everything on the line–even their own lives.
The Peter Brunette Award for Best Director was presented to: Naomi Kawase, STILL THE WATER / Japan / Spain / France
Best Actor was presented to:
Hussein Hassan MEMORIES ON STONE / Iraq / Germany (Director: Shawkat Amin Korki)
Best Actress was presented to:
Julieta Diaz, REFUGIADO / Argentina / France / Columbia / Poland (Director: Diego Lerman)
Best Cinematography – Narrative Feature was presented to:
Yutaka Yamazuki, STILL THE WATER / Japan / Spain / France (Director: Naomi Kawase
Best Screenplay was presented to:
THE SECOND MOTHER / Brazil (Director: Anna Muylaert)
Special Jury Prize for Editing:
Ebrahim Saeedi, MEMORIES ON STONE / Iraq / Germany (Director: Shawkat Amin Korki)
Honorable Mention for Cinematography:
Sara Mishara, FELIX AND MEIRA / Canada (Director: Maxime Giroux)
Honorable Mention for Actress:
Hadas Yaron, FELIX AND MEIRA / Canada (Director: Maxime Giroux)
Honorable Mention for Actor:
James ‘Primo’ Grant, FIVE STAR / USA (Director: Keith Miller)
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Best Documentary Feature : THE CHINESE MAYOR / China (Director: Hao Zhou) — Controversial Chinese politician Geng Yanbo demolished 140,000 households and relocated half a million people in order to restore ancient relic walls for the sake of the region’s tourism industry. The film investigates one mayor’s mission to save his city and uncovers the secret workings of China’s Communist Party.
Jury statement: “We chose “The Chinese Mayor” as Best Documentary Feature for its incredible level of access, the ambiguity of its story arc, the complexity of Mayor Geng, and its ability to give the audience an inside look at a culture we might not be familiar with.”
Best Director — Documentary Feature was presented to: Joshua Oppenheimer for THE LOOK OF SILENCE / Denmark / Finland / Indonesia / Norway / UK — Through Joshua Oppenheimer’s work filming perpetrators of the Indonesian genocide, a family of survivors discovers the identities of the men who killed their son. The youngest brother is determined to break the spell of silence, and so confronts the men responsible for his brother’s murder–something unimaginable in a country where killers remain in power.
Jury statement: “We recognize this film for his bold clarity of vision and unflinching commitment to the material. “The Look of Silence” is a remarkable film that bears Oppenheimer’s unmistakable stamp with every choice he makes as a filmmaker.”
Special Jury Prize: WELCOME TO LEITH / USA (Co-directors: Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher Walker) — In the tiny town of Leith, North Dakota, notorious white supremacist Craig Cobb is attempting a hostile takeover. Filmed in the days leading up to Cobb’s arrest for terrorizing the townspeople, the film is an eerie document of American DIY ideals.
SHORTS COMPETITION
Best Documentary Short was presented to: CAILLEACH / UK (Director: Rosie Reed Hillman) — Morag is 86. She lives alone at the end of a track looking out to sea on her croft on the Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, with her three cats and twelve sheep. Morag was born in this house and has lived here her whole life, following five generations of the family who came before her. Cailleach is a portrait of Morag and her simple and peaceful life as she contemplates her next chapter, shares her unique sense of independence and the connection she has to her wild island home. As the winner of the jury award for Best Documentary Short, ‘Cailleach’ is now eligible to be considered for a 2016 Academy Award®.
Jury statement: “Cailleach” was selected“for its reflective and cinematic portrait of an 86-year-old woman getting on with life no matter the circumstances.”
Honorable Mention to the documentary short: NOTES FROM LIBERIA / USA / Liberia (Co-Directors: Ryo Murakami and Judd Ehrlich) — Crafted from footage shot by the late Japanese cinematographer Ryo Murakami on the Firestone Tire and Rubber Plantation in Liberia, the film traces Ryo’s journey from Monrovia, where the traumas of a brutal fifteen-year civil war still simmer beneath the surface, to the remote plantation village of Harbel.
Jury statement: “For its poignant investigation of the Firestone rubber plantation in Liberia, the Short Documentary honorable mention goes to “Notes from Liberia” by Judd Ehrlich and the late Ryo Murakami.” Accepting the award is the film’s producer, Takeshi Fukunaga.
Best Narrative Short was presented to: THE KÁRMÁN LINE / UK / (Director: Oscar Sharp) — When a mother acquires a rare condition that sees her lift off the ground at a slow but ever increasing rate, her husband and daughter are forced to come to terms with losing her.
Jury statement: “Seamlessly transitioning between levity and pathos, we award “The Kármán Line” for its moving and original take on impending loss as seen through the eyes of an ordinary family in an extraordinary situation.”
Special Jury Prize was presented to: ÁRTÚN / Iceland / Denmark / (Director: Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson) — A small town boy in Iceland decides to travel to the big city with his friends in search of his first romantic encounter. The city holds more in store for them than they anticipated.
Best Student Short: ROTA / USA (Director: Jean-Jacques Martinod) — An abandoned warehouse becomes a surreal theater where men are challenged to risk their lives on stage to a game of chance. Jury statement: “For making us complicit in a bizarre underground world we never asked to be a part of, we award best student short to ‘Rota.’”
Best Animated Short was presented to: BEAR STORY / Chile (Director: Gabriel Osorio Vargas) — An old bear goes out every day to a busy street corner. Through a tin marionette theater of his own making, he reveals his extraordinary life story. As the winner of the jury award for Best Animated Short, ‘Bear Story’ is now eligible to be considered for a 2016 Academy Award®.
Jury Statement: “With its mechanical tin toy aesthetic and clever take on narrative vs. reality, we and the audience enjoyed the film’s tale of a bears tragic and ultimately heroic life story.”
Best Student Animated Short: THE PRESENT / Germany (Director: Jacob Frey) — Jake spends most of his time playing video games indoors, until his mom decides to give him an unexpected present.
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Winners of 2015 London Independent Film Festival; THE MILKY WAY Wins No-Budget Feature Prize
Director Tor Mian took the No-Budget Feature Prize for his film THE MILKY WAY (pictured above) at the 12th London Independent Film Festival LIFF. The British dark comedy tells the story of a man whose life unravels just when everything seemed to finally be going his way. The comedy is Mian’s second feature and was shot for only £6000.
Actress Pearl Chanda won the festival’s Best Actor award for her feature film debut in THE FINAL HAUNTING, Flaminia Graziadei’s haunted house story.
The Best International Film prize went to Steven Savage for VERTICAL, the story of an all-female rock climbing team. Also, American filmmaker Sasha Krane won Best UK Feature for SOLITARY which follows a young woman facing her personal demons.
Director Russell England won Best Horror Film for his teen chiller UNHALLOWED GROUND, a paranormal mystery set in a British private school.
Jonathan Howells’ documentary ALFRED AND JAKOBINE — a love story set around the world-wide adventures of a London taxi — won the festival’s Best Feature Documentary. While James Kibbey won Best Micro-Budget Film for his THE LAST SPARKS OF SUNDOWN (pictured above), a comedy about two American brothers who inherit an English manor house.
Festival Director Erich Schultz said: “Another year of absolutely fantastic low-budget films from around the world. I’m certain we’ll be seeing many great things from these filmmakers in the very near future”
Hosted at annually at the Shortwave and Genesis cinemas, the 2015 London Independent Film Festival screened over 60 films. The festival highlights the best in low & micro-budget filmmaking every April.
A full list of LIFF winners:
No-Budget Feature — THE MILKY WAY by Tor Mian
UK Feature — SOLITARY by Sasha Krane
Best Actor – Pearl Chanda in THE FINAL HAUNTING
Best Director – Simon Blake for STILL
International Feature – VERTICAL by Steven Savage
Sci-Fi/ Horror — UNHALLOWED GROUND by Russell England
Micro-Budget Feature — THE LAST SPARKS OF SUNDOWN by James Kibbey
Documentary — ALFRED AND JAKOBINE by Jonathan Howells
Short Documentary — Jordanne by Zak Razvi
UK Short — BEVERLEY by Alexander Thomas
International Short — THE WHEEL OF TIME by Kagan Kerimoglu
Horror Short — THE HERD by Melanie Light
Sci-Fi Short — AIR by Emma E. Maclennan
LGBT Film — PLAYING THE GAME by Jeremy Timings
Experimental Short — PEEP DISH by Darragh Mortell
Short Short — KILLER ROAD by Marco Clay
Animated Short — MY STUFFED GRANNY by Effie Pappa
UK Music Video — ALL IN THE VALUE by Geej Ower
International Music Video — STEAMPUNK Girl by Joshua Westbury
Best UK Screenplay — THE COMPETITORS by Ruth Greenberg
Best International Screenplay — Shimmy by P.A Flanders
Best Short Screenplay — DREAMS OF TOMORROW by Cindy Walters
Best Screenplay Pitch — ZOG THE MAGNIFICENT by Prahib Sukoro
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SELMA Director Ava DuVernay Honored by Barbie with Her Own Doll
Director Ava DuVernay is among six Sheroes, female heroes who inspire girls by breaking boundaries and expanding possibilities for women everywhere, honored by Barbie at the Variety Power of Women Luncheon in New York City with a one-of-a-kind doll created in their likeness. The doll features Ava DuVernay with her trademark braids and sitting in the director’s chair.
I always played w/ my sisters Jina + Tera. For hours making stories + scenarios. So this is special. Thanks, @Barbie. pic.twitter.com/aL8KGBx3XF — Ava DuVernay (@AVAETC) April 24, 2015
“Barbie has always represented that girls have choices, and this Spring we are proud to honor six Sheroes who through their trade and philanthropic efforts are an inspiration to girls,” said Evelyn Mazzocco, General Manager Barbie. “Started by a female entrepreneur and mother, this brand has a responsibility to continue to honor and encourage powerful female role models who are leaving a legacy for the next generation of glass ceiling breakers.” The complete list of Barbie 2015 Sheroes are: Ava DuVernay: Director of the Academy Award Best Picture nominee, SELMA, and founder of African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement, which provides opportunities and resources to underrepresented filmmakers. Emmy Rossum: Golden Globe® nominated actress and spokesperson for Best Friends Animal Society, the only national animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters and a leader in the no-kill movement. Eva Chen: Breaking boundaries by bringing inspiration to print as the youngest appointed female Editor-in-Chief of a national fashion magazine, Lucky. Kristin Chenoweth: An inspiration on Broadway and beyond, the Emmy® and Tony Award® nominee and winner also founded the Kristin Chenoweth Art & Education Fund volunteering with young talent in the arts. Sydney “Mayhem” Keiser: Five year-old fashion designer with work appearing in Vogue and signed on with major national fashion brand, J.Crew, for the collection ‘Little Mayhem for J.Crew’ launching in June. Trisha Yearwood: A woman with many super powers, succeeding as an award-winning Country artist, best-selling author, Food Network host and entrepreneur. Following the awards ceremony, each Shero auctioned off their doll to benefit a charity of her choice.
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KING JACK, TRANSFATTY LIVES Win Audience Awards of 2015 Tribeca Film Festival
King Jack, directed by Felix Thompson, won the Audience Award for Best Narrative, and TransFatty Lives, directed by Patrick O’Brien, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary award at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF).
“The awards go to two powerful and charming stories of young men facing their deepest fears and overcoming their own challenges,” said Genna Terranova, Festival Director, Tribeca Film Festival. “These fiction and non-fiction stories of triumph and resilience clearly resonated with audiences this year.”
King Jack, directed and written by Felix Thompson. (USA) (pictured above) – World Premiere, Narrative. Growing up in a rural town filled with violent delinquents, Jack has learned to do what it takes to survive, despite having an oblivious mother and no father. After his aunt falls ill and a younger cousin comes to stay with him, the hardened 15-year-old discovers the importance of friendship, family, and looking for happiness even in the most desolate of circumstances.
TransFatty Lives, directed by Patrick O’Brien, co-written by Patrick O’Brien, Scott Crowningshield, Lasse Jarvi, Doug Pray. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Director Patrick O’Brien is TransFatty, the onetime NYC deejay and Internet meme-making superstar. In 2005, O’Brien began to document his life after being diagnosed with ALS and given only two to five years to live. TransFatty Lives is a brazen and illustrative account of what it’s like to live when you find out you are going to die.
The runners-up were Song of Lahore, directed by Andy Schocken and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, for the documentary audience award and Sleeping With Other People, directed by Leslye Headland, for the narrative audience award. Throughout the Festival, which kicked off on April 15, audiences were able to vote by completing nomination ballots upon exiting screenings of TFF films. Films in the World Narrative Competition, World Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Spotlight, and Midnight sections were eligible.
Song of Lahore, directed by Andy Schocken and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. (USA, Pakistan) – World Premiere, Documentary. Until the late 1970s, the Pakistani city of Lahore was world-renowned for its music. Following the Islamization of Pakistan, many artists struggled to continue their life’s work. Song of Lahore turns the spotlight on a group of stalwart musicians that kept playing and ultimately attracted listeners from around the world. In English, Punjabi, and Urdu with subtitles.
Sleeping With Other People, directed and written by Leslye Headland. (USA) – New York Premiere, Narrative. Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie star as two romantic failures whose years of serial infidelity and self-sabotage have led them to swear that their relationship will remain strictly platonic. But can love still bloom while you’re sleeping with other people? Writer/director Leslye Headland’s (Bachelorette) sexy romantic comedy co-stars Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, and Natasha Lyonne. An IFC Films Release
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Sarah Polley’s STORIES WE TELL Among 4th All-Time Top Ten List of Canadian Films
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) today announced the results of its fourth Canada’s All-Time Top Ten List, an international poll of industry and academics on the most memorable Canadian films. This is the fourth edition of TIFF’s All-Time Top Ten List; previous lists were released in 1984, 1993 and 2004.
“In our 40th year we are celebrating our national cinema by revisiting the list of top Canadian films, with help from our esteemed colleagues in the industry and academia,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO, TIFF. “It is encouraging to see new filmmakers and films establishing themselves on the list alongside the classics.”
“With more than a decade since our last survey, much has changed in Canadian cinema, and in the results of the survey,” said Steve Gravestock, Senior Programmer, TIFF. “Atanarjuat has dethroned the long-standing No. 1 film, Mon once Antoine, and we welcome filmmakers including Guy Maddin, Jean-Claude Lauzon, Sarah Polley and Jean-Marc Vallée to the list for the first time. It’s an exciting group of films indicative of our rich cinematic tradition.”
Canada’s All-Time Top Ten List of Canadian films:
1. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, Zacharias Kunuk (2001)
2. Mon oncle Antoine, Claude Jutra (1971)
3. The Sweet Hereafter, Atom Egoyan (1997)
4. Jésus de Montréal, Denys Arcand (1989)
5. Léolo, Jean-Claude Lauzon (1992)
6. Goin’ Down the Road, Don Shebib (1970)
7. Dead Ringers, David Cronenberg (1988)
8. C.R.A.Z.Y., Jean-Marc Vallée (2005)
9. My Winnipeg, Guy Maddin (2007)
10. Stories We Tell, Sarah Polley (2012) (pictured above)/Les Ordres, Michel Brault (1974)
“The Directors Guild of Canada takes pride in shining the spotlight on our national cinema at every opportunity,” said Tim Southam, National President, DGC. “The filmmakers featured here have contributed much to our country’s cultural voice and history. It is inspiring to be able to experience them again with a new generation of viewers.”
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Abby Ginzberg’s Documentary Film SOFT VENGEANCE wins a Peabody Award
Abby Ginzberg’s feature documentary film SOFT VENGEANCE: ALBIE SACHS AND THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA will be honored at the 74th annual Peabody Awards ceremony it was announced today by the Peabody program at the University of Georgia. The critically acclaimed film will receive the coveted Peabody Award at a gala ceremony in New York City on May 31st.
“We hope this incredible award will help increase the visibility of Albie Sachs and inspire others to fight for human rights around the world,” commented the film’s director Abby Ginzberg. “Albie Sachs is one of the key champions for equality of our time and we are honored to be entrusted with his legacy on film,” she concluded.
SOFT VENGEANCE is set against the dramatic events leading to the overthrow of the apartheid regime in South Africa and focusses on the lawyer, writer, art lover and freedom fighter Albie Sachs. The human rights activist was imprisoned in solitary confinement in Cape Town, tortured through sleep deprivation and forced into exile. In 1988, he was blown up by a car bomb set by the South African security forces in Maputo, Mozambique, which cost him his right arm and the sight of one eye, but miraculously he survived and after a long year of rehabilitation in England, he recovered. Returning to South Africa following the release of Nelson Mandela, Albie helped write the new Constitution and was then appointed as one of the first 11 judges to the new Constitutional Court.
SOFT VENGEANCE has been screening at film festivals around the world and has won the audience award for Best International Documentary at the Encounters Film Festival and the Vancouver South African Film Festival. It has also received the Grand Prize Humanitarian Award from the Accolade Film Awards. After premiering at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, it also screened at AFI Docs; DOCNYC, Movies that Matter and the Durban Film Festival in South Africa. The film also screened at key international Jewish film festivals.
https://vimeo.com/70589131
The film is executive produced by Alfre Woodard, who also serves as narrator. Abby Ginzberg is the producer and director, Ken Schneider is the Editor and Co-Producer and Rick Goldsmith is the Consulting Producer.
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Nikole Beckwith, Jennifer Phang, Stewart Thorndike Win Inaugural SFFS Women Filmmaker Fellowships
The San Francisco Film Society yesterday announced the inaugural recipients of its SFFS Women Filmmaker Fellowships, a brand new suite of services designed to support female writer/directors working on their second or third narrative feature through a combination of financial backing, innovative programs and events, mentorship services, industry connections and a growing community of fellow filmmakers.
Supported by the Kenneth Rainin Foundation and facilitated by Filmmaker360, the Film Society’s filmmaker services department, these fellowships provide direct assistance to an under-served group of storytellers and help to build sustainable careers for women filmmakers all over the world.
Participants in the SFFS Women Filmmaker Fellowship must be working on a second or third English-language narrative feature screenplay. They must have had a previous film premiere at a major international festival and priority is given to women working in the genres of science fiction, comedy, action, thriller and horror, which are traditionally under-represented for women filmmakers.
“We’re thrilled to be kicking off this new initiative with such talented individuals, and to help bridge the support gap we have seen for many women in finding the resources they need, especially on their second or third feature film projects,” said Michele Turnure-Salleo, director of Filmmaker360. “It’s also very satisfying to support kick-ass women making edgy sci-fi, horror and comedies, and we hope this initiative contributes to leveling the playing field in those areas. Like our SFFS Producers Initiative, this program focuses on backing people rather than individual projects, and we are committed to helping these amazing folks realize their creative visions.”
In 2013 and 2014, academic institutions such as the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California and the Center for Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State produced substantive reports on the state of women in the film industry, revealing startling statistics that point to drastic gender inequality. The latter group, for example, reports that in 2013, women accounted for just 6% of directors, 10% of writers, 15% of executive producers, 17% of editors and 3% of cinematographers. Additionally, women were found more likely to be working on romantic comedies, dramas or documentaries than the top-grossing genres of animation, sci-fi, action and horror.
“We all benefit from a more accurate and diverse portrayal of society on film,” said Jennifer Rainin, CEO of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. “As more than 50% of the population, it’s imperative that women have opportunities to share their stories on screen and that we see female characters valued as much as males, yet there’s a lack of progress on these issues and little funding for female filmmakers working in narrative. Recognizing this gap, we’ve created the Women Filmmaker Fellowships as a way to build a critical mass of female filmmakers enjoying sustainable and thriving careers. I hope it inspires other film organizations and philanthropists to join us in building out this initiative, and to replicate this model.”
Designed to grow organically over time to include additional programs and events, the SFFS Women Filmmaker Fellowship is currently seeking additional funding partners. For more information, visit sffs.org/filmmaker360.
2015 SFFS WOMEN FILMMAKER FELLOWS
Nikole Beckwith
Nikole Beckwith is from Newburyport, Massachusetts. Her plays have been developed and performed with the Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Clubbed Thumb, HERE Arts Center, Colt Coeur, Lesser America, 3LD and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater among others. Her newest play Untitled Matriarch Play (or Seven Sisters) was written at the National Theatre of London’s Studio and premiered in rep at the Royal Court under the direction of Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone. Also a pen and ink artist, Beckwith’s comics have been featured on NPR, WNYC, the Huffington Post and the Hairpin, among others. Her first film Stockholm, Pennsylvania (2012 Nicholl Fellowship, 2012 Black List, 2013 Sundance Screenwriters Lab), which was adapted from her stage play of the same name, premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in the US Dramatic Competition. She lives in Brooklyn.
Jennifer Phang
Jennifer Phang’s sophomore feature Advantageous (pictured above) won the US Dramatic Competition Special Jury Prize in Collaborative Vision at Sundance 2015. The film will play at the San Francisco International Film Festival and BAM Cinemafest, and is expected to see a release in June. Her award-winning debut feature Half-Life premiered in 2008 at the Tokyo International and Sundance film festivals. It screened at SXSW and was distributed by Sundance Channel. She was invited to Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab and was awarded a SFFS FilmHouse Residency and Sundance Institute Feature Film Grants in support of Advantageous. Phang was originally commissioned to create Advantageous as a short film for the ITVS Futurestates Program. A Berkeley-born daughter of a Chinese-Malaysian father and Vietnamese mother, Phang graduated from the MFA directing program at the American Film Institute.
Stewart Thorndike
Stewart Thorndike is a writer/director from Tacoma, Washington. She makes female-driven genre films and her first film, Lyle, was hailed as a “lesbianRosemary’s Baby” after its premiere at Outfest, where star Gaby Hoffmann won the Grand Jury Award for Best Actress. Thorndike attended NYU’s graduate film program and her thesis short film, Tess and Nana, premiered at SXSW. Stewart’s next film, The Stay, is about a group of women at a hotel who are told to do bad things by a haunted TED Talk, with Chloe Sevigny attached to star in the 2015 production. She is currently developing her second horror feature, Daughter, about a love triangle between a single mother, her troubled teenage daughter and the witch who moves in next door. Thorndike plans to shoot Daughter in 2016.
SFFS Women Filmmaker Fellowships will take place from April to October each year, overlapping with the Film Society’s previously announced Producers Fellowship programs and the San Francisco International Film Festival (April 23 – May 7). Program support includes:
* A $25,000 – $40,000 cash grant, which must be used for living expenses. Individual amounts depend on place of residence and estimated travel costs to participate in Bay Area fellowship components.
* Placement in FilmHouse Residency program and access to all FilmHouse programs and activities.
* One-on-one consultation with film industry experts from the Bay Area and beyond regarding casting, financing, budgeting, legal issues, distribution and other relevant topics.
* Weekly one-on-one consultation services provided by Filmmaker360 staff, with feedback on screenplays, verbal pitch strategies and written materials such as synopsis and treatment.
* Presentations and networking opportunities with Bay Area narrative filmmakers.
* Expenses covered for one 3-day networking trip with a Filmmaker360 staff member from San Francisco to Los Angeles, for meetings with established industry professionals.
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THE GRAND SEDUCTION and THE LUNCHBOX Win Toronto Intl FIlm Fest’s Film Circuit People’s Choice Awards
Don McKellar’s The Grand Seduction and Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox are winners of the 11th annual Film Circuit People’s Choice Awards. The Grand Seduction (pictured above) was named Best Canadian Film and The Lunchbox was selected as the Best International Film.
Now in its 11th year, the annual Film Circuit People’s Choice Awards are decided by audiences across the country who vote for their favorite film shown at a Film Circuit screening. Film Circuit is Toronto International Film Festival’s national film outreach program.
In 2014, guests travelled to communities across Canada to introduce their films and participate in 95 Q&A sessions. Guests included Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club), Don McKellar (The Grand Seduction), Sturla Gunnarsson (Monsoon), Jody Shapiro (Burt’s Buzz), Elizabeth Klinck (Arctic Defenders), Richie Mehta (Siddharth), Maxime Giroux (Felix and Meira), Katie Boland (Gerontophilia), Daniel Perlmutter (Big News From Grand Rock), and Peter Keleghan and Leah Pinsent (Big News From Grand Rock).
The Grand Seduction follows the residents of a small Newfoundland fishing village who, in order to secure a vital factory contract, conspire to charm a big-city doctor into becoming the town’s full-time physician. This sparkling comedy from director Don McKellar (Last Night) and screenwriter Michael Dowse (Goon, The F Word) has screened in 63 Film Circuit communities and was seen by over 10,700 people.
In The Lunchbox, a misdelivered lunchbox brings together two very different people — a neglected housewife (Nimrat Kaur) and a grumpy, solitary widower on the verge of retirement (Bollywood star Irrfan Khan) — in this funny and touching comedy-drama from first-time writer-director Ritesh Batra. The Lunchbox has screened in 80 Film Circuit communities and was seen by over 14,300 people.
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Call for Entries for 2015 Telluride Film Festival
Telluride Film Festival, to be held September 4-7, 2015, announces its Call for Entries in all categories including student, short and feature length films.
Submission period begins April 15, 2015. Film Entry Form is available for download at www.telluridefilmfestival.org.
Shorts and student film submissions must be received no later than 5:00 pm, July 1, 2015. Feature film submissions must be received no later than 5:00 pm, July 15, 2015. All submissions must have been completed after July 15, 2014 and no works in progress will be accepted. Feature-length films (60 minutes or longer) will only be considered if they are to have their first North American screening at Telluride Film Festival. Final program determinations will be made by August 1, 2015. No early or late entries will be accepted.
Professional and amateur filmmakers working in all aesthetic disciplines and genres including narrative, documentary, animation and experimental are welcome.
Each year Telluride Film Festival plays host to an average of 25 feature films and 25 shorts and student films. Films selected to screen at Telluride Film Festival will be shown out-of-competition. TFF is not a competitive festival.
For more information visit www.telluridefilmfestival.org
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Call for Entries for 2015 Cucalorus Film Festival
Cucalorus announces its call for entries!! Cucalorus seeks submissions for features, documentaries, shorts, music videos, media installations and performances ranging from slam poetry to dance for the 21st annual Cucalorus Film Festival, to be held November 11-15, 2015. The festival takes place in a walkable nine-block radius of historic downtown Wilmington, North Carolina.
During the five-day celebration, film freaks and community members choose from a diverse lineup buoyed by cleverly crafted special programs, including the opening night live performance Dance-a-lorus and an interactive installation inspired by David Lynch’s Blue Velvet called “The Bus to Lumberton”.
Cucalorus is organized into a slate of thematic programs dedicated to social justice, emerging artists, works-in-progress, shorts, dance, festival hits, international cinema, music videos, and North Carolina. New programmatic focuses specifically support American female directors (the Vanguard program), directors from the US South (Southern Voices), and African American directors (Works-in-Progress). CIO Dan Brawley notes, “I’m on the circuit all year and I continue to notice that festivals are trying to embrace diverse voices, but the aesthetic is always the same. So we have to push aesthetic boundaries and create a strong space for exploring new cultures and new stories.”
Cucalorus’ general call for entries extends through late July, with separate deadlines for Dance-a-lorus performance pieces and Works-in-Progress.
All film submissions must include an entry form, submission fee and a poetic recipe for the perfect 21st birthday (drawings encouraged). Filmmakers living in the City of Wilmington are FREE and do not have to pay entry fees. www.cucalorus.org/submit_a_film.asp Cucalorus is also currently accepting applications for the Artist Residency program’s fall session, Surfalorus and 10×10.Submission Deadline Date Fee Early June 3 $25 Regular June 24 $35 Late July 15 $45 Extended July 29 $55
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Academy Announces Dates for 2016, 2017, 2018 Oscar Show
The Academy and the ABC Television Network announced the dates for the 88th, 89th and 90th Oscar® presentations. The Academy Awards® will air live on ABC on Oscar Sunday, February 28, 2016,February 26, 2017, and March 4, 2018, respectively.
Academy key dates for the 2015 Awards season are:
Saturday, November 14, 2015: The Governors Awards
Wednesday, December 30, 2015: Nominations voting opens 8 a.m. PT
Friday, January 8, 2016: Nominations voting closes 5 p.m. PT
Thursday, January 14, 2016: Oscar Nominations Announcement
Monday, February 8, 2016: Oscar Nominees Luncheon
Friday, February 12, 2016: Final voting opens 8 a.m. PT
Saturday, February 13, 2016: Scientific and Technical Awards
Tuesday, February 23, 2016: Final voting closes 5 p.m. PT
Oscar Sunday, February 28, 2016: 88th Academy Awards begins 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT
The 88th Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
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Finalists Announced for Spring 2015 San Francisco Film Society/Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants
The San Francisco Film Society (SFFS) and Kenneth Rainin Foundation (KRF) have selected 15 finalists for the latest round of SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grants; up to $300,000 will be awarded to one or more narrative feature film projects at various stages of production. SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grants are awarded twice annually to narrative feature films that will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community. More than $2.8 million has been awarded since the launch of the Film Society’s flagship grant program in 2009. Winners of the spring 2015 SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grants will be announced in May.
The San Francisco Film Society, in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, is the largest granting body for independent narrative feature films in the United States. The SFFS / KRF program has funded more than 50 projects since its inception, including such success stories as Kat Candler’sHellion and Ira Sachs’ Love Is Strange, both of which premiered to strong reviews at Sundance 2014; Short Term 12, Destin Cretton’s sophomore feature which won both the Narrative Grand Jury Award and Audience Award at South by Southwest 2013; Ryan Coogler’s debut feature Fruitvale Station, which won the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, the Un Certain Regard Avenir Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the narrative category at Sundance 2013; and Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin’s debut phenomenon which won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize and Cannes’ Camera d’Or in 2012 and earned four Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture).
“This was a bitterly fought review round, and we encountered so many excellent projects deserving of funding that it really put into focus the importance of support initiatives like the SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grant and the need for more,” said Michele Turnure-Salleo, director of Filmmaker360. “We wish we could fund every single project on this list, and we have a difficult task ahead of us in selecting winners. From the filmmakers we’ve worked with before, to the exciting newcomers to the Film Society family, we can’t wait to see these all of these films take their next steps towards completion.”
SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grants are made possible by the vision and generosity of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. In addition to being awarded funds from the country’s leading granting organization, recipients will receive various benefits through Filmmaker360, the San Francisco Film Society’s comprehensive and dynamic filmmaker services program. These benefits, customized to every individual production, can include one-on-one project consultations and project feedback, additional fundraising assistance, resource and service recommendations, and networking opportunities, among many others. For more information visit sffs.org/Filmmaker360/Grants.
SPRING 2015 SFFS / KRF FILMMAKING GRANT FINALISTS
Blustar
Stella Kyriakopoulos, cowriter/director and Margaret Shin, cowriter — screenwriting
Two lovelorn cleaning ladies become friends and find hope while working on the Blue Star Ithaki, one of the fleet of ferries that shuttle myth-seeking tourists to the Greek islands. When the friends learn their Blue Star will be sold to Canada, they are forced to confront their own myths about Greece and each other.
Chickenshit
Jessica dela Merced, writer/director — screenwriting
11-year-old Phoe enlists the help of a group of neighborhood boys to track down the culprits behind a recent string of fires in Detroit, including the one that claimed her father’s life. jessdelamerced.com
The Fixer
Ian Olds, writer/director and Caroline von Kuhn, producer — production
An Afghan journalist is exiled from his war-torn country to a small bohemian community in Northern California. When he attempts to turn his menial job on the local police blotter into “Afghan-style” coverage of local crime he gets drawn into the backwoods of this small town-a shadow Northern California where sex is casual, true friendship is hard to come by, and an unfamiliar form of violence burbles up all around him.
Freeland
Mario Furloni and Kate McLean, co-writer/directors — screenwriting
In the last season of black market marijuana growing before legalization, a mother and a daughter must reconcile their differences in order to survive in an increasingly inhospitable world.
Jones
Sally El Hosaini, writer/director — screenwriting
When his father abandons him deep in the Guyanese jungle, the rebellious son of a narcissistic church leader discovers a new life of freedom. His utopia is soon shattered when “Dad” arrives with hundreds of followers. Driven by the universal need for a father’s love he becomes complicit in the depravity he previously rejected. Based on Stephan Jones’s true-life story.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Joseph Talbot, writer/director and Rolla Selbak, producer — preproduction
Jimmie Fails is a young African American who dreams of buying back the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Now living in the city’s last, dwindling black neighborhood with his oddball best friend, Prentice, they search for belonging in the rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind. vimeo.com/97971791
The Last Prairie
Chloé Zhao, writer/director — screenwriting
A young ecologist moves to the Sandhills of Nebraska trying to stop the building of the Keystone Pipeline XL and soon finds herself caught between a small town’s fight for survival and the debate over the future habitability of our planet.
Mustang
Laure de Clermont Tonnerre, writer/director — screenwriting
Roman Coleman is halfway through serving an 11-year sentence for attempted murder when he is offered the chance to participate in an ongoing rehabilitation therapy program involving the training of recently captured wild mustangs. Through his struggle to communicate with the animals, trainers, and other inmates he is forced to face his past and must learn confront his inner demons.
Oscillate Wildly
Travis Mathews, writer/director — production
When a first love challenges his guarded sense of what’s possible, a hot-headed young gay man with mild cerebral palsy is forced to confront the disability he’s let consume and define him. travisdmathews.com
Patti Cake$
Geremy Jasper, writer/director and Michael Gottwald, producer — preproduction
Patti Dombrowski, a heavy-set white girl, struggles to break out of her blue collar New Jersey town and become a legitimate rap superstar, all on her own terms. welcometolegs.com
Reza and the Refugee
Aaron Douglas Johnston, writer/director — screenwriting
A ragtag team of Middle Eastern political refugees in Holland enters the Eurovision song contest in an effort to save their friend from deportation and certain death.
Sorry To Bother You
Boots Riley, writer/director and George Rush, producer — screenwriting
A Black telemarketer discovers a magical way to make his voice overdubbed by a White actor, propelling him into the upper echelon of a macabre universe where he is selected to lead a species of genetically manipulated horse-people, called the Equisapiens. thisisthecoup.com
Staring at the Sun
Ryan Piers Williams, writer/director — screenwriting
After a massive solar event knocks out the world’s technological infrastructure, healthcare becomes a vital commodity. An elite group of United Nations aid workers given access to the best healthcare are tasked to isolate the sick from the healthy and privileged. When a young aid worker finds himself in a forbidden love, he must choose between a life of solitude or an uncertain fate with the woman he loves.
Untitled Whaling Project
Jesse Moss, writer/director — screenwriting
A feature-length fiction film, based on a true story, about America’s last commercial whaling vessel and its final, fateful voyage in 1971.
What Waits For Them In Darkness
Stephen Dunn, writer/director — screenwriting
11-year-old Skipper gets separated from her family during the Newfoundland resettlement and stranded alone in her floating house on the high seas of the Atlantic where reality mixes with the rich folklore of Newfoundland for a dark fantasy adventure.