PARTISAN directed by Ariel Kleiman and starring Vincent Cassel as Gregori, a cult leader, along with Jeremy Chabriel and Florence Mezzara will open in theaters and On Demand October 2, 2015. PARTISAN premiered earlier this year at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Cinematography.
On the edge of a crumbling city, 11-year-old Alexander (Jeremy Chabriel) lives in a sequestered commune alongside other children, their mothers, and charismatic leader, Gregori (Vincent Cassel). Gregori teaches the children how to raise livestock, grow vegetables, work as a community – and how to kill. With the birth of a new baby brother weighing on his mind, Alexander begins to question Gregori’s overpowering influence on the children and their training to become assassins. Threatened by his increasing unwillingness to fall in line, Gregori’s behavior turns erratic and adversarial toward the child he once considered a son. With the two set dangerously at odds and the commune’s way of life disintegrating, the residents fear a violent resolution is at hand in this Sundance award-winning thriller.
Directed with subtle elegance, Ariel Kleiman’s feature length debut, PARTISAN, follows his award winning short, YOUNG LOVE, which received an Honorable Mention in Short Filmmaking at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and DEEPER THAN YESTERDAY, which had its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival’s Critics Week, winning the Kodak Discovery Award for Best Short Film and the Petit Rail d’Or.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mknTeGPP29o-
Australian Film PARTISAN Starring Vincent Cassel as Cult Leader, Sets Release Date of October 2nd | VIDEO
PARTISAN directed by Ariel Kleiman and starring Vincent Cassel as Gregori, a cult leader, along with Jeremy Chabriel and Florence Mezzara will open in theaters and On Demand October 2, 2015. PARTISAN premiered earlier this year at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Cinematography.
On the edge of a crumbling city, 11-year-old Alexander (Jeremy Chabriel) lives in a sequestered commune alongside other children, their mothers, and charismatic leader, Gregori (Vincent Cassel). Gregori teaches the children how to raise livestock, grow vegetables, work as a community – and how to kill. With the birth of a new baby brother weighing on his mind, Alexander begins to question Gregori’s overpowering influence on the children and their training to become assassins. Threatened by his increasing unwillingness to fall in line, Gregori’s behavior turns erratic and adversarial toward the child he once considered a son. With the two set dangerously at odds and the commune’s way of life disintegrating, the residents fear a violent resolution is at hand in this Sundance award-winning thriller.
Directed with subtle elegance, Ariel Kleiman’s feature length debut, PARTISAN, follows his award winning short, YOUNG LOVE, which received an Honorable Mention in Short Filmmaking at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and DEEPER THAN YESTERDAY, which had its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival’s Critics Week, winning the Kodak Discovery Award for Best Short Film and the Petit Rail d’Or.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mknTeGPP29o
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2015 Milwaukee Film Festival Cream City Cinema “Local Filmmakers” Lineup of Features, Shorts, Music Videos
The 2015 Milwaukee Film Festival announced its Cream City Cinema lineup which showcases the best new work from Milwaukee-based filmmakers and awards one local filmmaker with a $5,000 cash award.
This year’s 2015 Milwaukee Film Festival Cream City Cinema includes two feature-length fiction films (Neptune, Take the Dog), three feature-length documentaries (30 Seconds Away: Breaking the Cycle, Clarence, Yoopera!), and four shorts programs: The Milwaukee Youth Show—the festival’s fourth annual showcase for local filmmakers ages 18 and under, two installments of The Milwaukee Show as well as the debut of The Milwaukee Music Video Show.burn
2015 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL
CREAM CITY CINEMA
30 Seconds Away: Breaking the Cycle
(USA / 2015 / Director: Faith Kohler)
Milwaukee’s homelessness problem is examined by no less an authority than former federal prosecutor and Marquette graduate Faith Kohler in 30 Seconds Away, a vital documentary examination of this issue from all sides of the argument. Spending time with those struggling to survive on the streets as well as with the justice system and Milwaukee police stuck between trying to enforce the law and care for these forgotten members of society (through means such as our local Homeless Outreach Team), Kohler paints a powerful and empathetic portrait of an ever-growing problem with no easy solutions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKuEcbEF5Vg
Clarence
(USA / 2014 / Director: Kristin Catalano)
Meet Clarence Garrett, an African-American WWII veteran who had to put his own dreams of a higher education on hold to put his four children through college. But at the ripe age of 85, Clarence decides to enroll in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and finally get the last 52 credits that will earn him his bachelor’s degree. However, medical complications from an earlier cancer scare threaten to derail his graduation dreams from becoming a reality. Clarence is an inspirational portrait of an indomitable spirit, a documentary that proves it’s never too late to finish what you started.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roC08SxNY9Q
The Milwaukee Music Video Show
Calliope – “Casino” (USA / 2014 / Director: Victor Buell IV)
Field Report – “Wings” (USA / 2014 / Director: Blackbox Visuals)
GGOOLLDD – “Boyz” (USA / 2015 / Directors: Ryan Bingham, Tony Hunt)
Greatest Lakes – “Nothing Left” (USA / 2015 / Directors: Brian Steinseifer, Josiah Werning)
Kane Place Record Club – “Sunshine” (USA / 2014 / Director: John Roberts)
Lex Allen – “This is Our Year” (USA / 2015 / Directors: Damien Gram, Cody LaPlant)
Maritime – “Milwaukee” (USA / 2015 / Director: Bob Purvis)
The Midwest Beat – “High Life” (USA / 2014 / Director: Jon Salimes)
Sam & Margot – “Burn It Down” (USA / 2015 / Director: Brendan T. Jones)
Sylvan Esso – “Dreamy Bruises” (USA / 2014 / Directors: Timm Gable, Bob Purvis)
Tigernite – “Witch” (USA / 2015 / Directors: Kyle Arpke, Eric Arsnow)
Uncle Larry – “Pieces” (USA / 2014 / Director: Billy Judge Baldus)
Vic and Gab – “Love of Mine” (USA / 2014 / Director: Betty Allen)
Victor DeLorenzo – “Carry Me” (USA / 2014 / Director: T.C. De Witt)
WebsterX – “Doomsday” (USA / 2015 / Directors: Damien Klaven, Cody LaPlant)
Wooldridge Brothers – “Drive Through Summer” (USA / 2015 / Director: Robb Fischer)
The Milwaukee Show I
Beautiful Orifice Boy (USA / 2015 / Director: Vincent Maslowski)
The Daffy Strut (USA / 2015 / Director: Andrew Megow)
The Death Drive (USA / 2015 / Directors: Michael Bourne, Kyle V. James)
Destiny (USA / 2015 / Director: Rubin Whitmore II)
DOG*WALK (USA / 2015 / Director: Kristin Peterson)
Fast Company (USA / 2015 / Director: Jack Davidson)
It’s Cold Up North (USA / 2015 / Director: James J. Roufus)
The Life and Times of Thomas Thumb Jr. (USA / 2015 / Director: Ryan Fox)
The Sonatina (USA / 2015 / Director: Kate Balsley)
The Milwaukee Show II
Again (USA / 2015 / Director: Natasha Scannell)
Lemon (USA / 2015 / Director: John Roberts)
Mothers For Justice (USA / 2015 / Director: Erik Ljung)
Notes from the Interior (USA / 2015 / Director: Benjamin Balcom)
Parting (USA / 2015 / Director: Sitora Takanaev)
The Sound Man (USA / 2015 / Director: Chip Duncan)
We Interrupt this Broadcast (USA / 2015 / Director: Kurt Raether)
The Milwaukee Youth Show
Awakening (USA / 2015 / Director: Mikayla Bell)
The Brooklyn Bridge (USA / 2015 / Director: Marcelo Quezada)
Crazy He Calls Me (USA / 2015 / Directors: Julia Mutranowski, Eden Raduege)
Fusion (USA / 2015 / Directors: Alex Meeth, Ethan Suhr)
Gettysburg (USA / 2015 / Director: Sam Pike)
Happy Cookers (USA / 2015 / Directors: Youth from the Fitzsimonds Boys & Girls Club)
In the Victim’s Voice (USA / 2015 / Directors: Tasha Kappes, Kirsten Kliebenstein)
A Perilous Poisoning (USA / 2015 / Directors: Sam Pike, Hanxiou Wang, Andrei Conrad)
Scorched Earth: A British Soldier’s Memoir of India’s Partition…. (USA / 2015 / Director: Megan Sai Dogra)
They Never Came Back (USA / 2015 / Director: Alondra Mercado)
Urban Ecology: A History (USA / 2015 / Director: Serbata Tarrer)
What is Milwaukee to Me? (USA / 2015 / Directors: Youth from the Milwaukee Visionaries Project)
A Work in Progress – The Painter (USA / 2015 / Director: Tyler Pelzek)
What is Beauty? (USA / 2015 / Director: Raven Miller)
Neptune
(USA / 2015 / Director: Derek Kimball)
Set on a small island off of Maine’s coast in the late 1980s, Neptune is a coming-of-age story marked by a lush setting and beautiful cinematography. Obsessed by the disappearance of a young boy her age who washed out to sea, young orphan Hannah takes over the boy’s former position on a lobster boat, working alongside his grieving father. Having been a ward of the local church since an early age, Hannah begins to chafe at her limited upbringing, plagued by mysterious dreams that appear to be calling her out to sea.
https://vimeo.com/77970830
Take the Dog
(USA / 2015 / Directors: Carol Brandt, Andrew Tolstedt)
Three punkers pack up their dog and make their way from Milwaukee to California for a brother’s wedding in this freewheeling roadtrip from co-directors Andrew Tolstedt and Carol Brandt. Brothers Tim and Jack (along with Tim’s girlfriend, Leah) make their way to their brother Patrick’s wedding, cutting a booze-soaked swath as they cross the country. Tensions flare and bonds are tested as what it means to be a brother, boyfriend, and responsible adult are all put under the microscope before they reach their final destination, with no guarantee these relationships will last until journey’s end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tLVHapGWjw
Yoopera!
(USA / 2015 / Director: Suzanne Jurva)
What do you get when you combine the cultural heritage of Yoopers — those born and raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula — and the classical tradition of opera (or oopera, if you’re Finnish)? You get Yoopera!, an exuberant documentary about a group of people gathering together to tell their local and family history in a beautifully artistic fashion. We follow the commission and production of a major opera for and of the people, maintaining the legacy of family stories and celebrating the history of people who eked out a living in the beautiful and remote U.P.
https://vimeo.com/97005866
Pre-Features
The following locally-made short films will precede features throughout the festival program.
The 414s: The Original Teenage Hackers (USA / 2015 / Director: Michael T. Vollmann)
Arrowhead (USA / 2014 / Director: Jon Phillips)
Avi, La Petite Ballerina (USA / 2015 / Director: Susan Kerns)
A Boy and His Guns (USA / 2015 / Director: Sean Kafer)
For Carillon No 5 (USA / 2015 / Director: Joe Brown)
The Mule (USA / 2015 / Director: Mike George)
Operation Allie (USA / 2015 / Director: Manny Marquez)
Places (India / 2015 / Director: Kyle Arpke)
Police Shooting Tests New Wisconsin Law (USA / 2015 / Director: Erik Ljung)
Vuriloche (USA / 2015 / Directors: Erik Ljung, Maureen Post)
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SHOK and THE BRAVEST, THE BOLDEST Win Top 2015 HollyShorts Awards | TRAILERS
The 2015 HollyShorts Awards winners are crowned, and Jamie Donoughue took home the Zype Best Short Film Grand Prize and $15,000 Cash Prize for his short film called SHOK (pictured above). SHOK is a short film set in Kosovo during the occupation in the 90’s.
https://vimeo.com/113622429
The Grand Jury Award Presented by Company 3 went to Moon Molson for his short THE BRAVEST, THE BOLDEST. In THE BRAVEST, THE BOLDEST, two Army Casualty Notification Officers arrive at a Harlem housing project to deliver Sayeeda Porter some news about her son serving in the war in the Middle East. But whatever it is they have to say, Sayeeda ain’t trying to hear it.
https://vimeo.com/59462371
Best Director went to Annie Silverstein for SKUNK.
https://vimeo.com/92774906
Best Animation went to THE OCEANMAKER by Lucas Martell
https://vimeo.com/126090217
Best VFX went to DISSONANCE by Till Nowak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDphctG9n_g
Best Film Shot in LA presented by FilmLA went to TOM IN AMERICA by Flavio Alves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eHAtHdCEdc
The Louisiana Film Prize a $10,000 prize for Best Screenplay went to THE IMPORTANCE OF SEX EDUCATION by L. Elizabeth Powers
The Evil Slave $10,000 and Screencraft $2000 Consulting Prize for Best Screenplay Award went to LUNCHBOX BRIGADE by Kyle Thiele
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2015 Chicago International Film Festival Reveals First 24 Films + Events incl. Cannes Winner DHEEPAN
The Chicago International Film Festival, revealed its first 24 films and several events to be featured at the 51st edition of the Festival taking place this October 15 to 29 2015. This initial lineup announcement includes the top prizewinner from the Cannes Film Festival, a look at what it takes to build one of the world’s greatest restaurants, a once-lost Sherlock Holmes film, a Guillermo del Toro-produced buddy movie, and breakout performances from Michael Caine, Cate Blanchett, and Sarah Silverman.
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Patrick Kennelly’s SXSW Psychological Thriller EXCESS FLESH Gets a 2016 Theatrical Release | VIDEO
Patrick Kennelly’s feature film debut, EXCESS FLESH about an obsessive woman who imprisons her new roommate in their apartment in a sick attempt to bring them closer together, will have its U.S. theatrical release early next year via Acort International’s Midnight Releasing. The film premiered earlier this year at 2015 SXSW Film Festival and stars Bethany Orr and Mary Loveless.
In EXCESS FLESH, Jill is obsessed with her new roommate Jennifer, a promiscuous and sexy hotshot in the LA Fashion scene. New to the city and recently single, Jill is unable to keep up as she binges and purges to stay thin; eventually hating herself and everyone around her. Her jealousy and rage spiral out of control — Jennifer has everything, and Jill wants to be just like her. If Jill can’t BE Jennifer, she must destroy her.
“Excess Flesh is an original, next-level, powerhouse film that has proven itself with both mainstream and genre audiences in the festival circuit,” said Acort vice-president of acquisitions Chris Wilembrecht.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgHeUjKaCFM
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ASTHMA, Directorial Debut of Jake Hoffman, Dustin Hofman’s Son, Sets Release Date
ASTHMA the directorial debut of Dustin Hofman’s son, Jake Hoffman, will be released in theaters on October 23 via IFC Films. Asthma which World Premiere at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, stars Benedict Samuel and Krysten Ritter alongside Nick Nolte, Rosanna Arquette, Goran Visnjic, Dov Tiefenbach, Rene Ricard and Iggy Pop.
Gus is suffocating in life (and not just figuratively speaking), and finding a meaningful existence is an almost impossible task. His asthma attacks come at the most inopportune times, and are a constant reminder of his attempts to resolve his uncertain situation in a radical manner. Somewhere between the drugs, the lack of money, and his ongoing sense of alienation, Gus sees a shimmer of light in the form of Ruby, a charming and self-confident rocker whose life is much more certain than his. In his endeavor to escape from himself, the young outsider – who bears a striking resemblance to Mick Jagger – sets out on an unpredictable trip in a stolen convertible. Jake Hoffman’s feature debut is a vibrant and authentic look at New York’s bohemian scene, whose members try to find out who they are to a soundtrack of rock hits. The young acting duo Benedict Samuel and Krysten Ritter are supported in smaller roles by their more experienced colleagues Rosanna Arquette, Iggy Pop and Nick Nolte.
Jake Hoffman (b. 1981, Los Angeles County, California) studied film at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He has been active in the film industry since childhood, appearing in Rain Man (1988) at age seven. His acting career then continued with Hook (1991),Liberty Heights (1999), Click (2006) and Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). Besides acting, he also directs music videos and has written and directed several short films, including Walk into the Bar(2004), Pancho’s Pizza (2005) and Please, Alfonso(2012). asthma (2014) is his feature film debut.
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2015 Woodstock Film Festival Unveils “NEW” World Cinema Competition + Focus on Dutch Cinema Lineup
The Woodstock Film Festival announced its New for 2015 World Cinema Competition, including a special Focus on Dutch Cinema in partnership with the Netherlands Consulate General in New York. The Woodstock Film Festival has programmed three Dutch narratives to showcase the vast range Dutch cinema has to offer: RENDEZ-VOUS, MEET ME IN VENICE, and SUMMER. All Dutch filmmakers will be in attendance.
Sparked by this joint venture with the Netherlands Consulate and the superb selection of other international films at the festival, the 2015 Woodstock Film Festival has launched its inaugural World Cinema Competition Award. Joining the three Dutch films are two additional World Cinema highlights, MOSCOW NEVER SLEEPS (Irish-Russian) and THERE SHOULD BE RULES (Swedish), to forge a strong line-up of international competition.
WORLD CINEMA COMPETITION FILMS:
FOCUS ON DUTCH CINEMA- THE NETHERLANDS
RENDEZ-VOUS, DIRECTED BY ANTIONETTE BEUMER (pictured in main image above)
US PREMIERE
Simone needs a change. Together with her husband Eric and their two children, she buys a decrepit mansion in the south of France, to turn it into a home and B&B. While the chaos of the renovation grows, Simone flees into a thrilling affair with one of the French construction workers, the gorgeous twenty-year-old Michel. She slowly loses control of her life and the French dream turns into her worst nightmare.
MEET ME IN VENICE, DIRECTED BY EDDY TERSTALL
US PREMIERE
Recounted by Lisa through a video she makes for her son, this Dutch father-daughter story of reconciliation unfolds between a woman and the father she first meets in adulthood. When the absentee Mauro invites Lisa to join him in Venice, she decides to go. But the journey doesn’t stop there, and the father-daughter road trip takes them from Italy to Istanbul along the Orient Express route, with breathtaking imagery of the Balkans and heartwarming musical interludes. In getting to know her father, Lisa gets to know herself.
SUMMER (ZOMER), DIRECTED BY COLETTE BOTHOF
NEW YORK PREMIERE
“Zomer” (“Summer”) is sweltering in a Dutch village where everyday life is dominated by the continually droning power plant. Anne, a quiet girl who longs to escape the confines of her small town, often feels like an outsider — until she meets Lena, a new girl in town who rides a motorbike, wears leather and is different from everybody else. With the awkward tenderness of youth and innocence, the two girls quickly form a bond and the audience gets to watch as young love unfolds. Authentic performances and cinematography that captures the languor and heat of summertime create a beautiful story of sexual awakening and a girl daring to be different. For those who have traveled beyond the teenage years, it is a reminder of the possibilities life holds.
MOSCOW NEVER SLEEPS, DIRECTED BY JOHNNY O’REILLY
RUSSIA – US PREMIERE
Moscow Never Sleeps is a multi-narrative drama about the hidden bonds that connects us all. The film dives headlong into the volatile intersections of contemporary Moscow and the intimate lives of five people.
O’Reilly’s short The Terms screened at the 2001 Woodstock Film Fest, winning for Best Short Film.
THERE SHOULD BE RULES, DIRECTED BY LINDA-MARIE BIRBECK
SWEDEN – EAST COAST PREMIERE
Mia and Mirjam, two passionate, free-spirited 14-year-olds, along with Karl, who is inventive and wise beyond his years, are a close knit threesome in a small town in Sweden where nothing ever happens. Mia wishes there were no rules and tempts life again and again. Mirjam, seeking love, finds her road to adulthood in a steamy romance with an older man who claims he loves her. Karl, supporting Mia’s sense of loss as her best friend is pulled away by new love, helps concoct ways to bring Mirjam back to them. While friendship and family bonds are tested and facades eventually crumble, the teens declare, “we are never becoming ordinary.”
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2015 Austin Film Festival Reveals First 10 Films incl. CAROL, I SAW THE LIGHT, YOUTH
Austin Film Festival (AFF) announced the first slate of films included in the 2015 lineup of Festival screenings this October 29-November 5. The complete list of programming at the 22nd Austin Film Festival, including short films, competition titles, and Conference panels, will be announced in mid-September.
2015 Austin Film Festival FIRST 10:
Carol (pictured in main image above)
Texas Premiere
Writer: Phyllis Nagy; Director: Todd Haynes
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler, Jake Lacy, Cory Michael Smith
Casual
New Series from Hulu
In attendance: Creator/Executive Producer Zander Lehmann; Executive Producer/Director Jason Reitman; Executive Producer Helen Estabrook; Executive Producer Liz Tigelaar; Cast Tommy Dewey, Michaela Watkins, Tara Lynne Barr
Fallen Stars
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Brian Jett
In attendance: Writer/Director Brian Jett; Cast Ryan O’Nan, Michelle Ang; Producer Stephanie Marin
I Saw the Light
Texas Premiere
Writer/Director: Marc Abraham
Staring: Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Bradley Whitford
Memoria
World Premiere
Writer/Directors: Vladimir de Fontenay, Nina Ljeti
In attendance: Writers/Directors Vladimir de Fontenay, Nina Ljeti; Cast James Franco, Sam Dillon
Newcomer
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Kai Berry
In attendance: Writer/Director Kai Berry; Cast Anthony LaPaglia
The Night is Young
World Premiere
Writer/Directors: Matt Jones, Dave Hill
In attendance: Writer/Directors/Cast Matt Jones, Dave Hill
Paperback
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Adam Bowers
In attendance: Writer/Director Adam Bowers
The Teller and the Truth
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Andrew Shapter
In attendance: Writer/Director Andrew Shapter; All Cast and Crew
Youth
Texas Premiere
Writer/Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Starring: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano, Jane Fonda
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Former Memphis Fire Fighter Morreco Coleman’s Doc GANGSTA WALKING THE MOVIE to Compete at 16th On Location: Memphis International Film and Music Festival
GANGSTA WALKING THE MOVIE by former Memphis Fire Fighter and independent film producer Morreco Coleman will compete in the Documentary film category at the 16th On Location: Memphis International Film and Music Festival taking place September 3 to 6, 2015.GANGSTA WALKING THE MOVIE will cause delight to fans of the unique music and dance style that originated in Memphis and that some say can only be understood by Memphians. On the other hand, Memphis Rap may cause dismay to those who disparage the music as dark and sinister with frightening lyrics. “I have been working for years on this documentary,” says Coleman. “It’s a collaborative project about the hip hop-rap and dance culture in Memphis which has been underground for over 20 years. Now you get to witness our secrets.”GANGSTA WALKING THE MOVIE is competing in its category with nine other films. The hour-long movie features a who’s who list of 30 Memphis rappers and hip-hop artists, including DJ Squeeky, Drumma Boy, MJG, 8Ball, Soni D, Skinny Pimp, Lord Infamous, Juicy J, Gangsta Boo, and Oscar winners DJ Paul, Juicy J and Frayser Boy of Three 6 Mafia.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRtlqNwTACg
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SUM OF HISTORIES by Lukas Bossuyt to Screen at 2015 Montreal World Film Festival | TRAILER
SUM OF HISTORIES by Lukas Bossuyt will be presented at the 2015 Montreal World Film Festival in the Best First Fiction Feature Film category. The director Lukas Bossuyt, the producer Ivy Vanhaecke and the main actor, Koen de Graeve, will be in attendance.
Despite a tragic accident that occurred during their youth, the famous scientist Viktor lives a happy life with Lena. Along with his enthusiastic assistant, Titus, he has a groundbreaking discovery at the university : they can send e-mails to the past. Viktor’s desire to change Lena and his own past compels him to send an e-mail. But no matter how small the change, tampering with the past comes with certain risk.
Lukas Bossuyt, a graduate of the London Film School, directed two short films Strawberry Flavour and Elizabeth, both got awards for advertising purposes. In addition, he has two scripted television series : Aspe and De Rodenburgs. Sum of histories is his first feature film.
The actor in the role of Viktor, Koen de Graeve, was honored for his work in 2010 in the category Best Actor at the Star of Flemish TV and the Flemish Film Prize.
Sum of stories also stars Matteo Simoni (Safety First – The Movie), Karina Smulders (Bride Flight), Charlotte Anne Bongaerts (De Behandeling) and Robrecht Vanden Thoren (De Laatste Zomer).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39nlqnphK6E
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10 Finalists Selected for Manhattan Short 18th Short Film Festival
Manhattan Short revealed the 10 Finalists for its 18th Short Film Festival, a worldwide event taking place in over 250 cinemas across six continents between September 25 and October 4, 2015. The finalists are Listen (Finland), Dad’s in Mum (France), Bear Story (Chile), Forever Over (Germany), SHOKKosovo, Grounded (France), Sundown (Turkey), Patch (Switzerland), El Camino Solo (USA), and Bis Gleich (Germany).
This year’s Manhattan Short 18th Short Film Festival highlights the continued importance of woman in film. Half of this year’s selections feature actresses ranging in age from children to senior citizens. Audiences from last year’sManhattan Short also will be pleased to see rising star Marleen Lohse once again in Forever Overmaking her the first actor, male or female to appear in consecutive years in Manhattan Short. Two other short films (Bear Story and Patch) are sophisticated animations, as Manhattan Short continues to support this important art form. And as always,Manhattan Short offers short films set in a wide range of locales, from Turkish beaches and Balkan Mountains to the streets of Berlin and the backroads of America’s West Coast.
LISTEN
(Finland/Denmark)
Directed By: Harry Ramezan & Rungano Nyoni (pictured in main image above)
Synopsis: Police interrogate a foreign woman and her son but the translator conducts her own line of inquiry unbeknownst to the authorities.
DAD’S IN MUM
(France)
Directed By: Fabrice Bracq
Synposis: A little girl hilariously explains the complexities of adult sex relationships to her younger precocious sister.
BEAR STORY
(Chile)
Directed By: Gabriel Osorio
Synsopsis: In this animated tale, a bear uses mechanical figures to relate the story of his oppressed life to one cub at a time.
FOREVER OVER
(Germany)
Directed By: Erik Schmitt
Synopsis: A young couple devise a wish list to spice up their lives but its fulfillment leads to unforeseen consequences.
SHOK
(Kosovo/UK)
Directed By: Jamie Donahue
Synopsis:The friendship of two boys is tested to its limits as they battle for survival during the Kosovo war.
GROUNDED
(France)
Directed By: Alexis Michalik
Synopsis: An airline ticketing agent rises to the occasion when faced with an extraordinary situation posed by a pair of passangers.
SUNDOWN
(Turkey)
Directed By: Sinem Cezayirli
Synopsis: A woman’s tranquil day at the beach turns tumultuous when she is forced to confront a sudden, new reality concerning her mother.
PATCH
(Switzerland)
Directed By: Gerd Gockell
Tiles on a wall reveal the elephant in the room, among other things, in this fast-paced animation that plays with perspective.
EL CAMINO SOLO
(USA)
Directed By: Shawn Telford
Synopsis: A modern businessman stands himself on a desert highway only to be saved by rescuers who are more in touch with humanity than he is.
BIS GLEiCH
(Germany)
Directed By: Benjamin Wolff
Synopsis: Two senior citizens view Berlin city life from their respective windows on opposite sides of the street and develop an unusual bond.
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2015 Milwaukee Film Festival Announces Cinema Hooligante Films + Anniversary Screenings of JAWS & THE SHINING
The 2015 Milwaukee Film Festival, revealed the lineup for Cinema Hooligante. Several of this year’s films take viewers beyond the trappings of traditional “horror,” bringing to the screen a wide range of styles and genres from science fiction and fantasy to comedy and animation.
Highlighting the range of styles and films on display are the rare 35mm presentations of Jaws, on its 40th anniversary, and The Shining, on its 35th anniversary.
“I’m incredibly proud and excited to present films of this caliber in what is certainly the coolest program of the festival,” explains Jaclyn O’Grady, Programming Manager and Cinema Hooligante Co-Programmer. “One highlight for me is They Have Escaped (pictured in main image above), a shocking Finnish thriller about a road trip gone awry, which will leave you absolutely reeling when the credits roll.
This year also brings Canadian director Jeffrey St. Jules’ film Bang Bang Baby. With a dreamy allure akin to Little Shop of Horrors, Bang Bang Baby bends the genre toward musical oddity. Beginning with a love story of a teenage singer and a famous popstar, St. Jules’ imagination runs wild and the cinematography magical as a chemical plant leak descends to turn dreams into nightmares. St. Jules is scheduled to appear at the festival.
The series also represents the classics of horror storytelling, as Edgar Allan Poe comes to life in Extraordinary Tales, an animated film anthology featuring five of Poe’s greatest works. The film features “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar” and “The Masque of the Red Death.”
Bang Bang Baby
(Canada / 2014 / Director: Jeffrey St. Jules)
A demented blend of 1950s sci-fi and musicals, Bang Bang Baby is a brazenly original, genre-twisting fever dream of a film. Stepphy (Jane Levy) is a high school girl with dreams of breaking out of her sleepy hometown, and her acceptance into the American Ingénue Singing Competition seems to be the ticket. But her alcoholic father (Peter Stormare) refuses to let her go, and it’s only the arrival of heartthrob singer Bobby Shore into town that gives her a chance — that is, if she can keep Bobby from noticing the freakish mutations and hallucinations being brought forth by a factory leak in the town.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPeVHaOm4AA
Extraordinary Tales
(Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain, USA / 2015 / Director: Raul Garcia)
This ghoulish anthology film celebrating the macabre works of Edgar Allan Poe is broken into five distinct animated segments (including classic works such as “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Pit and the Pendulum”). Aided by narration from some of horror’s most beloved luminaries (Christopher Lee, Bela Lugosi and Guillermo del Toro, to name a few), Poe’s psychological adventures are brought to startling life, each story receiving its own particular animation style uniquely suited to its creepy tone. If your spine is in the market for shivers, this is the choice for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amniFA0UEKc
Jaws
(USA / 1975 / Director: Steven Spielberg)
Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water, Jaws comes to the Milwaukee Film Festival. Often imitated but never replicated, Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-winning cultural phenomenon remains the apex predator of summer blockbuster filmmaking. A story of the small town of Amity (which, as you know, means “friendship”), the great white shark that’s terrorizing it, and the trio of dudes tasked with putting a stop to it hasn’t lost a step over 40 years later. If you’ve only ever seen this classic from the comfort of home, you’re going to need a bigger screen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1fu_sA7XhE
Nina Forever
(United Kingdom / 2015 / Directors: Ben Blaine, Chris Blaine)
We all have baggage; it just so happens that Rob’s returns from the dead, gorily erupting through the bed sheets any time he attempts to sleep with his new girlfriend. Left physically and emotionally wounded after a car accident that robbed him of his beloved Nina, Rob is finally taking timid steps toward re-entering the world with the help of his supermarket co-worker Holly, only to find that Nina has a penchant for violently reappearing with sarcastic words of support mid-coitus. This sly horror-comedy-romance provides a fresh take on the genre, a sexy, blood-drenched ode to the ways our past continues to haunt us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IokJt_05co
The Shining
(USA, United Kingdom / 1980 / Director: Stanley Kubrick)
All digital and no 35 mm screenings make Jack a dull boy, so feast your eyes on this special 35 mm screening of Stanley Kubrick’s legendary horror tale. Snugly nestled away in the mountains, the Overlook Hotel offers plenty of vacancies. And when the Torrance family gets snowed in for the winter, recovering alcoholic father Jack (Jack Nicholson at his most iconic) gets a little stir-crazy. Take a shot of red rum, avoid all elevators and twins, and, whatever you do, don’t go into Room 237. This tale of conspiracy and insanity will lead you into a mental hedge maze you won’t soon escape.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S014oGZiSdI
They Have Escaped (He ovat paenneet)
(Finland, Netherlands / 2014 / Director: J-P Valkeapää)
What begins as a tale of two teenage outcasts finding one another at a halfway house and subsequently running away together slowly morphs into a primal fairy tale that will challenge your senses and expand your mind. Joni and Raisa have run out of chances when they meet and see in one another a kindred chaotic spirit, so of course their intense bond leads to them leaving civilization altogether and embarking on a wild, nightmarish journey of drug use and feral living. Intimate and intense, They Have Escaped defies expectations, a movie that will uproot your sense of reality and leave you reeling.
https://vimeo.com/97110474
Turbo Kid
(Canada, New Zealand / 2015 / Directors: François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell)
In the post-apocalyptic future of 1997, acid rain beats down on the barren landscape while evil warlord Zeus kidnaps people in order to harvest them for their precious water. In steps reluctant hero The Kid, a youngster content to tool around on his BMX bike and read old Turbo Man comic books all day. But when his only friend is taken hostage, he must embrace his destiny and become the hero he’s only ever read about. The retro-futuristic Turbo Kid is a cult classic in the making, combining ’80s movie nostalgia with geysers of blood to make something you’ve never seen before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh23-rQUi5U
White God
(Hungary / 2014 / Director: Kornél Mundruczó)
Imagine The Birds told from the animal’s perspective and you’re only scratching the surface of this remarkable Hungarian thriller, a morally challenging cautionary tale tackling cultural and political tension amid an all-out dog revolt. Lili is forced to abandon her beloved mutt, Hagen, due to the state’s strict breeding protocols, but she refuses to give up hope that they will be reunited. As Lili searches, Hagen is subjected to the cruelties of man and so slowly amasses an army of the unwanted to exact revenge. A remarkable feat of filmmaking, White God suggests instead of going to heaven, all dogs might unleash hell on Earth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIGz2kyo26U