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  • Tribeca Film to release Ed Burns Toronto bound The Fitzgerald Family Christmas

    Tribeca Film will release writer/director/star Edward Burns’ new film, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, a family drama that reunites Burns with cast members Connie Britton and Michael McGlone from Burns’ award-winning debut film The Brothers McMullen.

    The film will have its world premiere on Sept. 9 as an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival. Tribeca Film plans a late-November day and date release across multiple platforms timed to the holiday season.

    The Fitzgerald Family Christmas follows Burns’ 2011 release Newlyweds, which was a breakout success for the two-year-old Tribeca Film distribution label, ranking as one of last year’s top-selling VOD titles.

     

    With The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, Burns returns to the working-class, Irish-American roots of The Brothers McMullen. Reuniting with McMullen co-stars Connie Britton (“Friday Night Lights”), and Michael McGlone, along with Noah Emmerich (Little Children, Beautiful Girls), Kerry Bishé (Argo, Red State) and Caitlin FitzGerald (Damsels in Distress, Newlyweds) Burns seamlessly weaves an ensemble story of adult siblings dealing with the desire of their estranged father (Ed Lauter, The Artist, The Longest Yard) to return home for Christmas for the first time since he walked out on his family 20 years ago. Family rifts emerge, and like with any family, Christmas brings a mixed bag of complicated emotions and dynamics. Alliances form, old wounds are reopened or glossed over, and the possibility for a new hope and forgiveness emerges.

    “Having returned to my own filmmaking backyard with my most personal work, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, I’m thrilled to partner with my old friends at Tribeca,” said Edward Burns. “We’ve been working closely together for over a decade and I’m happy to have their support to launch the film this holiday season.”

    “Family dynamics around the holiday are a rich vein, brought to life on screen by Ed Burns’ unique ability to create relatable, intimate and affecting moments,” said Geoffrey Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. “Deeply felt performances from a strong ensemble cast make the Fitzgeralds a family that recalls the McMullens but with a fresh and wry perspective all its own.”

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  • Chicago Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron to Produce 85th Academy Awards

     

    Craig Zadan and Neil Meron who produced the 2002 Academy Award Best Picture winner “Chicago,” will produce the 85th Academy Awards, Academy President Hawk Koch announced this week. The 85th Academy Awards will air live on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, 2013.

    “Craig and Neil have great talent relationships and bring an infectious energy to the production,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.” They are creative producers in the best sense of the word.”

    Zadan and Meron served as executive producers on the 2002 Best Picture winner “Chicago,” which won Oscars® in 6 of the 13 categories in which it was nominated. Their credits also include the features “Footloose” (2011), “Hairspray” and “The Bucket List.”  Zadan also produced the original “Footloose” (1984).

    Zadan and Meron’s work in television includes the series “SMASH” and such movies as “A Raisin in the Sun” and the upcoming “Steel Magnolias.”

    For Broadway, they recently produced the Tony Award® winning revivals of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and “Promises, Promises.”

    Their work has amassed 73 Emmy® nominations; 12 Tony nominations; and seven Grammy® nominations.

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  • Dick Van Dyke to receive SAG-AFTRA’s highest honor – the SAG Life Achievement Award

    Actor, singer, dancer, writer and comedian Dick Van Dyke will receive SAG-AFTRA’s highest honor – the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Van Dyke will be presented the performers union’s most prestigious accolade, given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, which premieres live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT, 6 p.m. MT and 5 p.m. PT.

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  • Film director Tony Scott jumps to his death from Los Angeles bridge

    Film director Tony Scott jumped to his death Sunday from the the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles, California; a suicide note was found inside his black Toyota Prius. Scott, 68, younger brother of mega film producer Ridley Scott, was married to his third and current wife, actress Donna Scott and the couple have twin boys.

    Scott, known for his trademark red baseball cap, directed Tom Cruise in “Top Gun” and “Days of Thunder,” Eddie Murphy in “Beverly Hills Cop II,” Will Smith and Gene Hackman in “Enemy of the State,” and Denzel Washington and John Travolta in “The Taking of Pelham 123.”

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  • 7 Scientific Achievements in Competition for 85th Academy Awards

    The Scientific and Technical Awards Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that seven scientific and technical achievements have been selected for further awards consideration.

    The list is made public to allow individuals and companies with similar devices or claims of prior art the opportunity to submit their achievements for review. The deadline to submit additional entries is Tuesday, August 28, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

    The committee has selected the following methods or devices for further consideration:

    Tissue: A Physically-Based Character Simulation Framework (Weta Digital)
    Zviz: Previsualization System (Lucasfilm)
    Light: Lighting Tool (PDI Dreamworks)
    Wavelet Turbulence for Fluid Simulation (University of California, Santa Barbara)
    Planar Tracking: mocha and Enabling Technology (Imagineer Systems Ltd.)
    Cine VCLX Portable Power System (Anton/Bauer)
    Matthews MAX Menace Arm (Matthews Studio Equipment)

    After thorough investigations are conducted on each of the entries, the committee will meet in early December to vote on recommendations to the Academy’s Board of Governors, which will make the final awards decisions.

    The 2012 Scientific and Technical Awards will be presented at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills on February 9, 2013.

    [via press release]

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  • Four Films Awarded Grants from San Francisco Film Society Documentary Film Fund

    The San Francisco Film Society today announced the four winning projects in the second round of SFFS Documentary Film Fund grants,.

    The 2012 winners include Mike Plunkett, director; Anna Rose Holmer, producer, Charge – $20,000; David Sampliner, director/producer, My Own Man – $40,000; Shaul Schwarz, director; Lars Knudsen, producer; Jay Van Hoy, producer, Narco Cultura – $20,000; and Johanna Hamilton, director/producer, Untitled 1971 – $20,000

    2012 Winners
    Mike Plunkett, director; Anna Rose Holmer, producer, Charge – $20,000
    Charge is a character-driven story about Bolivians’ relentless fight to control their country’s abundant natural resources.

    David Sampliner, director/producer, My Own Man – $40,000
    As Sampliner turns 40 and faces marriage and fatherhood, he finds himself in an identity crisis. Stalled in his career and feeling alienated from other men, the filmmaker decides to get in better touch with his manhood. He explores a range of manly pursuits and seeks out a broad spectrum of men to explore the complex world of contemporary masculinity. For more information visit myownmanthemovie.com.

    Shaul Schwarz, director; Lars Knudsen, producer; Jay Van Hoy, producer, Narco Cultura – $20,000
    Narco Cultura explores the phenomenon of narcotics culture in North America through the personal stories of those entangled in the drug wars, from cartel-sponsored musicians and filmmakers to a crime scene investigator.

    Johanna Hamilton, director/producer, Untitled 1971 – $20,000
    Hamilton continues her exploration of social movements and the limits of dissent, this time turning her lens to domestic contradictions in North America.

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  • Tribeca Film to Release Indie Film Resolution from 2012 Tribeca Film Fest

    The “genre-defying tour-de-force” film Resolution which captivated audiences and critics at its Tribeca Film Festival and Fantasia International Film Festival premieres earlier this year will finally get a release. Tribeca Films will release the directing duo Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson’s “naturalistic-yet-otherworldly thriller” with a planned early 2013 theatrical release day

    Moorhead and Benson brilliantly straddle the line between raw thrills and honest emotion as complex characters and powerful performances drive this ambitious, unconventional narrative about two friends, one a junkie forced to go cold turkey in an isolated cabin. But what begins as an attempt to save his friend’s life quickly takes an unexpected turn “sure to please even the most seasoned horror fans” (Sound on Sight). “Much of Resolution’s fear factor happens in your head,” the Montreal Gazette raved, due to its “constantly shifting tone, from male-bonding buddy movie to occult thriller, psychodrama, horror and more.”


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  • “Ricky on Leacock,” “We Women Warriors,” and “Holy Man” are Shining Lights at IDA’s Docuweeks Fest in NYC and LA this Month

    by Francesca McCaffery

    There are some really nice doc films at IDA’s continuing DocuWeeks Festival (in New York and Los Angeles) this week…Here were a few genuine stand-outs:

    In Ricky on Leacock, director Jane Weiner shares with us nearly forty years of friendship and footage on the creator of cinéma vérité, the legendary filmmaker Richard Leacock. Ricky is one of those great artist depictions which allow the viewer to feel and create their own assumptions and thoughts about both the upbringing and family background of the subject, but this absence works wonderfully here: We witness what an elegant, generous spirit really was, and through wonderful interviews and clips from the likes of D.A. Pennebaker, Robert Drew, Ed Pincus, Jonas Mekas, Dušan Makavejev, and others, we see what an astounding influence Leacock had on certainly not only cinema and how it was conceived for the new generation, but television, TV journalism and live news.

    Always searching to make the camera and sound equipment as unobtrusive and invisible as possible, one only wonders how much work the man could have created in the wholly digital age. “My life has been about cooking and making film, and it’s been wonderful,” Leacock joyfully intones at the end of the film. Who could ask for anything more, from an artist or the truly great and inspiring film about his still important legacy? A must-see doc this season- one that will really lift both your heart and soul.

    Holy Man-The USA Vs. Douglas White, directed by Jennifer Jessum and narrated by Martin Sheen, tell s the story of Douglas White, one of the last living medicine men of the Lakota Sioux from Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. White, who has since passed away. White spent 17 years in the federal pen for a crime, the film very persuasively posits, he did not commit. Coupled with amazing interviews of former leaders of AIM (American Indian Movement) and other prominent lawyers and Sixties figureheads, the film truly breaks your heart as it tells the story of how the US has coupled the American Indian population oppressed and disenfranchised. (The Pine Ridge Reservation is located in one of the desperately poor counties of the United States.) Activist Russell Means ends with this very scary, sentient premonition: “It’s happening to the Americans,” he says “but they just don’t see it yet. But it’s happening. Welcome to the reservation.”

    We Women Warriors is director Nicole Karsin’s seven year-in-the-making doc that tells the story of three women, leaders of their different indigenous tribes in Colombia. Colombia has 102 aboriginal groups, one-third of which face extinction because of the conflict between the government and the rebel FARC groups over land, cocoa plantations and rampant drug smuggling. These women show astonishing courage and grace, choosing the path of non-violence to resist and deal with both the army and the guerillas that have killed many of their friends, husbands and brothers. Karsin also shows us that these women are taking up their time-honored tradition of weaving to galvanize their voices as well as make a living for themselves and their respective tribes. (She now sells the beautiful bags with her staff outside all of the screenings, and has links to websites to help.)

    Other stand-outs at the Docuweeks Festival are Patrick Shen’s searing La Source, narrated by Don Cheadle, which tells the tale of Josue Lajuenesse, a Haitian Princeton janitor who returns to his country after the devastating 2010 earthquake to revive his lifelong dream to bring what is most fundamental to his village’s survival-clean water; Nelson Cheng’s The Magic Life, about three struggling magicians trying to go “legit” as working artists, Macky Alston’s Love Free or Die, about the first openly gay bishop in “Christendom.” Don’t miss Docuweeks-which just began in LA last week (at the Laemmle NoHo 7) and two more weeks in NYC (at the wonderful IFC Center.)

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  • The 2012 Docuweeks Festival starts in LA & Continues in NYC-Interview with brave “We Woman Warriors” Director Nicole Karsin

    Please don’t forget to check out the remaining two weeks of the  Docuweeks 2012, the incredible film festival of the International Documentary Association, playing at NYC’s IFC Center through August 30th. There are some great, new, Oscar-worthy documentary films playing there now, and VIMOOZ will be giving you capsule reviews throughout the festival. (Docuweeks started in Los Angeles today, August 10th, at the Laemmle Noho 7 Theater.

    One wonderful documentary is We Women Warriors, which “follows three native women caught in the crossfire of Colombia’s warfare who use nonviolent resistance to defend their peoples’ survival. Colombia has 102 aboriginal groups, one-third of which face extinction because of the conflict. Trapped in a protracted predicament financed by the drug trade, indigenous women are resourcefully leading and creating transformation imbued with hope. We Women Warriors bears witness to neglected human rights catastrophes and interweaves character-driven stories about female empowerment, unshakable courage, and faith in the endurance of indigenous culture.” 

    Nicole Karsin, the director the doc of We Women Warriors, speaks with VIMOOZ:

     

    [caption id="attachment_2804" align="alignnone" width="382"]We Women Warriors Director Nicole Karsin[/caption]

    We Women Warriors director Nicole Karsin

     

    Vimooz: One of things that I love about We Women Warriors is your incredible dedication to the film and its mission. Can you outline briefly, from start to finish, how you became first involved in the film?

     

    Nicole Karsin: I lived in Colombia for seven years and shot this film mostly during 2006-2009. Using my hard-earned access as a journalist, I traveled between several villages during three years to chronicle a few exceptional native women using the wisdom of words and the tribal tradition of collective actions to defend themselves amid ongoing combat. Fluent in Spanish, and savvy about traveling in Colombia’s conflict zones, I sometimes became a one-person production team, shooting alone in the Colombian countryside. At other times, I traveled and worked with a small, committed Colombian crew.

     

    I moved to Los Angeles in 2009 with my film’s first rough-cut in hand. The following three years were dedicated to post production: re-editing, seeking funding and feedback. I participated in fellowships offered by Film Independent and the National Association for Latino Independent Producers, both of which were tremendous sources of support and helped me craft my film to the best of my ability. In May, I completed a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $50,000 and enabled me to complete the film. From June until present I have been securing archival footage and music rights and undergoing final post.

     

    Vimooz: Can you tell us a bit of your background? Was it primarily academic, or always film/media-based?

     

    NK: I never studied film, but I got my Masters in Journalism, which was a great training for reporting and interviewing, very important skills for docs.

     

    Vimooz: What kept you going back to Colombia? I know you have a few heavy stories to tell! It wasn’t the safest of areas you were shooting in, is that correct?

     

    NK: I actually lived there for seven years, so it wasn’t a case of returning. Though I did return to do a couple pick up interviews after I returned to LA in 2009. But yes, it was difficult. In a three-month period in 2005, I covered the brutal massacre of someone I knew and respected, as well as intense combat that ravaged northern Cauca forcing entire communities to evacuate. I also was affected at the time by assassination attempts against Colombian journalists, who were colleagues and friends.

     

    Vimooz: Two part question: What would be the dream result of this film getting distribution in the theatres, or a venue like HBO: For the film’s mission itself, and for your own career as a doc director?

     

    I’m delighted that my film is participating in DocuWeeks, which I’ve attended over the past couple years. It’s been a showcase of incredible documentaries and a source of inspiration. I did not expect my world premiere to be an Oscar-qualifying screening, but I’m grateful for this opportunity. Currently, I’m focusing on these two weeks of screenings. But the film will screen in Mexico in November, which thrills me because it’s a critical audience to reach.

     

    Of course I would love to secure distribution in all territories, theatrical releases worldwide and to have HBO pick up my film along with my post tab. But right now the film’s life is just about to begin, and I’m excited to see how it unfolds. We’ll see what the distribution gods have in mind. In terms of my own career – I want to make more documentaries, and I’ll be appreciative to have graduated from the first-time filmmaker status.

     

    Vimooz: Did you self-fund a majority of the film yourself? Was Kickstarter a huge help?

     

    NK: I did. I got several grants, a couple large anonymous donations, and did years of funding appeals & events using my fiscal sponsor to offer tax-deductible donations. My Kickstarter campaign was to secure finishing funds and it succeeded.

     

    Vimooz: For the fledging documentarian, where can they go with the seed of an idea? Should they try getting grants for their project? Or is going through Kickstarter and their friends the best bet?

     

    NK: They should submit to all grants and funding opportunities, as well as conducting their own fundraising campaign, which includes but should not be limited to Kickstarter. Also, it’s important to actively seek out feedback and support, attend workshops & discussions like those organized by the International Documentary Association and apply for fellowships like those offered by Film Independent and the National Association for Latino Independent Producers, all of which were tremendous sources of support and helped me craft my film to the best of my ability.

     

    Vimooz: What are some of your favorite docs and directors?

     

    NK: WHEN THE MOUNTAINS TREMBLE directed by Pamela Yates was the film I most tried to emulate while making my film. I also love Yate’s subsequent GRANITO: HOW TO NAIL A DICTATOR. Other films I love include Jennifer Fox’s REINCARNATION, Bernardo Ruiz’s El REPORTERO, and THE LIGHT IN HER EYES by Julia Meltzer and Laura Nix. Yes, I am citing most of POV’s 25th season because it’s amazing and fresh in my mind. There are so many fabulous films that move and inspire me, perhaps too many to name. Ah, Lucy Walker’s WASTELAND was wonderful, as was CALL ME KUCHU by Katherine Fairfax Write and Malika Zouhali-Worrall.

     

    Vimooz: Can you tell us about your next, upcoming project? We can’t wait to hear!

     

    NK: I have another short documentary I shot in Colombia and a short I shot In Chiapas, Mexico, both of which require post funding to complete. I have a strong desire to shoot a documentary in a region other than Latin America. Southeast Asia really enthralls me. For the moment, I am going to enjoy the premiere and life of my first film, deal with distribution and develop the film’s engagement campaign so it can be used as a tool for social change. But I will definitely continue to make films, and I’m happy to keep Vimooz in the loop.

     

    Thank you so much, Nicole, and great luck with the film!

     

    You can hear Nicole speak at a Q&A TONIGHT, August 10th,  at the IFC Center in New York after the 9:45 pm showing of We Women Warriors, or please be sure to catch it this weekend and all next week at IFC NYC for Docuweeks.

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  • Fall in Love with Conrad Jackson’s “Falling Overnight” and its star-Emilia Zoryan- This Week

    [caption id="attachment_2806" align="alignnone" width="853"]Falling Overnight[/caption]

    Falling Overnight- opening today in NYC at Cinema Village West

    Review written by Francesca McCaffery

    Directed by Conrad Jackson, Falling Overnight is those rarest of indie gems- genuinely heart-felt and a pleasure to watch. Young photographer Chloe (Emilia Zoryan) and skinny, appealing Elliot (Parker Croft) meet uber- cute in a café in LA, the audience having learned only moments before that he is scheduling a rather profound surgery for the very next day, without the help or support of any noticeable friends, or family, around him. We are immediately drawn in…

    Elliot is young, but one of those rare early 20-somethings- he appears to be completely financially independent, somewhat of an internet start-up wunderkind who wisely cashed out early. Not one to dwell, or feel sorry for himself,  Elliot spontaneously decides to go to Chloe’s art show, where she has casually invited him along. After an awkward start, with Chloe having to actively let him know, more than once, that she is in fact interested in hanging out with him, their big evening begins…

     

    Like another pretty, self-aware couple I remember from another sweet micro-budget gem filmed in Los Angeles, Chad Hartigan’s Luke and Brie Are On a First Date, their chemistry and attraction is almost unbearably awkward, cloying, reticent, adorable, all at once, and finally, truly undeniable.

    I simply cannot think of a more instantly reflective little film that makes one really wonder not what they should be doing with their lives, but what they really want to be doing, at this very moment in time. “I always wanted to go Spain…” Elliot gently weeps, near the end of the film. We wish the both of them the happiest of futures together, if possible- while- at the same time, longing for the very same promise ourselves.

    The two leads are, quite simply terrific, in performances that are highly naturalistic yet minimal in the nicest of ways. VIMOOZ had the pleasure of catching up with one of Falling Overnight’s lovely stars, Emilia Zoryan, who has a preternatural self-possession on screen that manages to be innocent, knowing and sultry at the same time. She isabsolutely someone to watch. Here, she tells us here about filmingFalling Overnight, the director’s process, and how she came to be cast:

    Vimooz: You were so wonderful in Falling Overnight! How did you first get involved with the film?

    Emilia Zoryan: Thank you very much! The audition process was very competitive, actually. Everything was riding on my performances in those rooms. Funny thing was, there was an error, and I didn’t get my sides until 10 minutes before I went in that first time! Thankfully, I memorize lines very quickly. Each time going in, I became aware of the fact that the stakes got higher and higher. Luckily, my final audition stole the role. I am told now that I was the “dark horse.” I like that. But honestly, I feel fate got me involved in this film.

    Vimooz: Your performance is incredibly natural. How long have you been acting?

    Emilia: I have been acting ever since Falling Overnight, so, a bit over two years now. I was studying Economics at UCLA while filmingFalling Overnight. I realized how miserable I was at University. Now that I have graduated, I will seriously pursue a career in acting. I have modeled, acted in commercials, and danced most of my life, but acting in film is a totally different animal.

    Vimooz: Did Conrad let you and Parker improvise a lot? Parker Croft, your co-star, co-wrote the script, is that right?

    Emilia: Parker, Aaron, and Conrad wrote the script and laid a very firm foundation for the film as a whole. I was given the freedom to change things or add to their work. Sometimes, Parker would play with his lines and I would follow his lead. The only improvised scene is probably the dialogue for the biking scene.

    Vimooz: How did the director (Conrad Jackson) rehearse with both of you?

    Emilia: We took the rehearsals scene by scene, tackling the heavy stuff early on. Conrad would tape rehearsals to see what worked, and what didn’t. I loved that he would whisper directions in our ears so the other wouldn’t see what change was coming. Filming out of chronological order is very difficult, but rehearsals allowed me to learn the arc of my character to the point where I understood where Chloe was, emotionally, every time in every separate moment. Rehearsals were also where I got to know the gang, and we messed around a lot and bonded. It was hard work, but also, a very exciting time in my life.

    Vimooz: The subject matter is extremely heavy, yet is handled with such a wonderful lightness and truth. The ending of the film is particularly poignant. Can you can encapsulate what the entire experience felt like, briefly, for us?

    Emilia: I knew I had to “approach with caution” from the very beginning, because it was immediately evident that this story, this subject matter in general, was very sensitive for the filmmakers. I have seen loss all around me, but thankfully have never experienced losing a close one. So I really had to figure out how to put myself in the mind of a girl who is a free spirit, but, simultaneously, wants to protect her heart from loss. At the time, I had never been in an acting class, so I invented my own method of acting. Later, I studied film theory at UCLA, and discovered that the method I thought I came up with on my own had already existed and that “The Magic If,” and “Substitution” were tools that were very popular. Imagine how hard I laughed at myself!

    Vimooz: Tell us about some of your favorite films, and who you would like to work with next….?

    Emilia: My favorite performance in film is, without a doubt, Sean Penn’s in She’s So Lovely. Robin Wright was phenomenal in that film, as well. I am a big fan Darren Aronofsky’s work: Black Swan,Requiem for a Dream, and The Fountain. It would be an honor to work with him. The Fountain is one of my favorite films showing death in a new light- “Death frees every soul.”

    I think that is a beautiful idea.

    Pllease check out Falling Overnight, opening today, July 27th, in NYC at Cinema Village West. Vimooz recommends you grab a friend and GO. This film will seriously lift your heart…

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  • KAUWBOY by Boudewijn Koole is the winner of the first European Film Academy Young Audience Award

    10-13-year-old audiences in Amsterdam, Belgrade, Copenhagen, Erfurt, Norrköping and Turin have elected KAUWBOY by Boudewijn Koole as the winner of the first European Film Academy Young Audience Award. The German jury speakers Marie-Louis und Carl (both 12 years old) presented the award to co-author Jolein Laarman who thanked the children for their votes and stated, “it’s so important that the European Film Academy gives all the children a voice!”

    The European Film Academy Young Audience Award is organised and presented by the European Film Academy and EFA Productions with the support of the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM). 

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  • Tribeca Film to Release Berlin Film Fest and Tribeca Film Fest Prize Winner War Witch

    Tribeca Film acquired U.S. rights to Kim Nguyen’s award winning War Witch (Rebelle), described as “a powerfully poignant film shot in the Congo with an exceptional lead performance by Rachel Mwanza, a newcomer who was discovered on the streets of Kinshasa.” In her very first acting role, Mwanza has already garnered critical acclaim for her astounding performance winning the Silver Bear- Best actress award at the Berlin Film Festival, where the film made its world premiere in competition, as well as the Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film Award at the Tribeca Film Festival.  The film took home the “Founders Award” for best narrative feature at Tribeca, where it made its North American premiere. 

    The film, with a screenplay by Nguyen, stars Mwanza, Alain Bastien, Serge Kanyianda, Ralph Prosper and Mizinga Mwinga. The film was produced by Pierre Even and Marie-Claude Poulin of Montreal-based ITEM 7. Tribeca Film plans a release across multiple platforms in the first quarter of 2013.

     

    War Witch tells the story of Komona, a young girl whose life is anything but normal.  Kidnapped by African rebels at the age of 12, Komona was forced at gunpoint to slaughter her own parents and fight as a child soldier against the government in the jungles.  But Komona was no ordinary solider.  Due to her ability to see gray ghosts in the trees that warn her of approaching enemies, she was deemed a sorceress and bestowed the title of War Witch by the supreme leader of the rebels, Great Tiger. War Witch exudes visceral energy and emotional power as Komona’s journey ultimately finds her in love with a fellow child soldier named Magician (Serge Kanyinda), but pregnant with another man’s child. Saddled with the reality that a life of normalcy is forever beyond her grasp, Komona must find a way to resolve the actions of her past. 

    “This film has spectacular resonance at a time when the world has been awakened to the situation of children being conditioned to wage war in Africa,” said Geoff Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. “Director Kim Nguyen balances heartbreakingly emphatic scenes of conflict, romantic yearning, and lyrical and dreamlike storytelling.  We are so proud to be bringing this award winning film to wider audiences and look forward to taking this exhilarating journey with the filmmakers.”

    “I am thrilled to have Tribeca Film distribute War Witch. Hearing the team talk about the film is a true inspiration and I am incredibly thrilled to be working closely with them for the release in the U.S.”, said writer-director Kim Nguyen. “We are confident that Tribeca Film’s passionate team can bring this special film to a wide audience in the U.S. and are very pleased to have them as U.S. distributor,” added Marie-Claude Poulin and Pierre Even for Item 7. 

     

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