British filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Interstellar, Inception, The Dark Knight, Memento), and Tacita Dean, known for her art work in film, will launch the new series of high profile talks – LFF Connects at the 59th BFI London Film Festival. LFF Connects is described by the festival as a brand new series of thought-provoking high-impact talks intended to stimulate new collaborations and ideas by exploring both the future of film itself and how film engages with other creative industries including television, music, art, games and creative technology.
In the LFF Connects Film conversation moderated by BFI Creative Director Heather Stewart, Nolan and Dean will also explore the importance of seeing films projected on film as an essential part of our cultural experience, as well as the necessity of determining new archival and exhibition standards that secure film’s future, and why the debate around film needs to change. They will also be joined in the discussion by Alexander Horwath, Director of the Austrian Film Museum who has written and spoken extensively about the importance of showing film as film and preservation, asking how can any cultural heritage remain intelligible when handed down to future generations without attention to its medium?
Christopher Nolan is internationally recognized for being one of the most successful and innovative filmmakers working today, creating films that bridge blockbuster and art-house including The Dark Knight trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), The Prestige (2006), Insomnia (2002) and Memento (2000).
A British artist based in Berlin, and recent artist in residence at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, Tacita Dean is internationally renowned for her 16mm and 35mm films, as well as other works in various mediums, most notably her chalkboard drawings. She is a former Turner Prize nominee. In 2011, she made FILM for Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in London and is a founding member of savefilm.org.
Tacita Dean says, “As an artist who makes and exhibits film for reasons indexical to the medium, I have had no choice but to fight to get film re-appreciated for what it is: a beautiful, robust and entirely different way of making and showing images in the gallery and in the cinema. Film has characteristics integral to its chemistry and internal discipline that form my work and I cannot be asked to separate the work from the medium that I used to make it. We need to keep the medium distinct from the technology; we need to keep the choice of film available for artists, filmmakers and audiences.”
Alexander Howath is the Director of the Austrian Film Museum in Vienna, formerly with the Vienna International Film Festival and author of books about Michael Haneke and Josef von Sternberg, Peter Tscherkassky and American Cinema amongst others.-
“Dark Knight” Director Christopher Nolan and Tacita Dean to Launch New Talk Series “LFF Connects” At London Film Festival
British filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Interstellar, Inception, The Dark Knight, Memento), and Tacita Dean, known for her art work in film, will launch the new series of high profile talks – LFF Connects at the 59th BFI London Film Festival. LFF Connects is described by the festival as a brand new series of thought-provoking high-impact talks intended to stimulate new collaborations and ideas by exploring both the future of film itself and how film engages with other creative industries including television, music, art, games and creative technology.
In the LFF Connects Film conversation moderated by BFI Creative Director Heather Stewart, Nolan and Dean will also explore the importance of seeing films projected on film as an essential part of our cultural experience, as well as the necessity of determining new archival and exhibition standards that secure film’s future, and why the debate around film needs to change. They will also be joined in the discussion by Alexander Horwath, Director of the Austrian Film Museum who has written and spoken extensively about the importance of showing film as film and preservation, asking how can any cultural heritage remain intelligible when handed down to future generations without attention to its medium?
Christopher Nolan is internationally recognized for being one of the most successful and innovative filmmakers working today, creating films that bridge blockbuster and art-house including The Dark Knight trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), The Prestige (2006), Insomnia (2002) and Memento (2000).
A British artist based in Berlin, and recent artist in residence at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, Tacita Dean is internationally renowned for her 16mm and 35mm films, as well as other works in various mediums, most notably her chalkboard drawings. She is a former Turner Prize nominee. In 2011, she made FILM for Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in London and is a founding member of savefilm.org.
Tacita Dean says, “As an artist who makes and exhibits film for reasons indexical to the medium, I have had no choice but to fight to get film re-appreciated for what it is: a beautiful, robust and entirely different way of making and showing images in the gallery and in the cinema. Film has characteristics integral to its chemistry and internal discipline that form my work and I cannot be asked to separate the work from the medium that I used to make it. We need to keep the medium distinct from the technology; we need to keep the choice of film available for artists, filmmakers and audiences.”
Alexander Howath is the Director of the Austrian Film Museum in Vienna, formerly with the Vienna International Film Festival and author of books about Michael Haneke and Josef von Sternberg, Peter Tscherkassky and American Cinema amongst others.
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New Films Incl. FREEHELD starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Added to 2015 San Sebastian Film Festival | TRAILER
Three new competing titles have been added to the lineup of the Official Selection at the upcoming 2015 San Sebastian Film Festival taking place September 18 to 26, 2015. The Chinese director Liu Hao returns to San Sebastian with Xiang bei fang / Back to the North, five years after competing in the Official Selection with Addicted to Love; the Belgian moviemaker Joachim Lafosse will present his new film, Les chevaliers blancs / The White Knights; and Peter Sollett will bring to the Festival the film Freeheld, starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Michael Shannon, Josh Charles and Steve Carrell.
The New Directors section also added the Swedish production,Tjuvheder / Thieves Honor directed by Peter Grönlund, .
LES CHEVALIERS BLANCS / THE WHITE KNIGHTS
JOACHIM LAFOSSE (BELGIUM – FRANCE)
Joachim Lafosse brings to the screen the Zoe’s Ark controversy which made headlines in 2007: a story about the limits of the right of interference. Jacques Arnault, head of Sud Secours NGO, is planning a high impact operation: he and his team are going to exfiltrate 300 orphans victims of Chadian civil war and bring them to French adoption applicants. Françoise Dubois, a journalist, is invited to come along with them and handle the media coverage for this operation. Completely immersed in the brutal reality of a country at war, the NGO members start losing their convictions and are faced with the limits of humanitarian intervention.
FREEHELD
PETER SOLLETT (USA)
Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Michael Shannon, Steve Carrell and Josh Charles star in this film based on true events. The true love story of Laurel Hester and Stacie Andree and their fight for justice. A decorated New Jersey police detective, Laurel is diagnosed with cancer and wants to leave her hard earned pension to her domestic partner, Stacie. However the county officials, Freeholders, conspire to prevent Laurel from doing this. Hard-nosed detective Dane Wells, and activist Steven Goldstein, unite in Laurel and Stacie’s defence, rallying police officers and ordinary citizens to support their struggle for equality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blk27Jj9UE8
XIANG BEI FANG / BACK TO THE NORTH
LIU HAO (CHINA)
Xiao Ai is diagnosed with a terminal illness and does not have long to live. She is concerned that her parents will become a “lost family” and have no one to take care of them after her death, so she decides to persuade them to have another child… The latest film by Liu Hao, who competed at San Sebastian in 2010 with Addicted to Love.
New Directors
TJUVHEDER / THIEVES HONOR
PETER GRÖNLUND (SUECIA)
An intense social drama about a woman’s struggle for survival on the margins of society. When street pusher Minna can’t pay her rent she cheats a few young criminals on a drug deal and takes the money. She happens to meet Katja, the mother of a child who has been taken from her by the social authorities.
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Director Mike Leigh To Receive A Tribute to… Award at Zurich Film Festival
Zurich Film Festival will honor British film director Mike Leigh, described as “one of the most significant exponents of New British Cinema” with A Tribute to… award during the Award Night ceremony at the upcoming festival taking place September 24 to October 2, 2015. Screened during the ZFF, a comprehensive retrospective comprising a number of his productions will offer insight into his work. Mike Leigh will also head a ZFF Public Master Class.
Mike Leigh is known to cinema audiences across the globe for films such as HIGH HOPES (1988), LIFE IS SWEET (1990), NAKED (1993), SECRETS AND LIES (1996), VERA DRAKE (2004), HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008), ANOTHER YEAR (2010) and, most recently, MR. TURNER (2014). Often set against the backdrop of a working-class Britain, his sensitive works have garnered a variety of important film awards.
Theatre, Television, Cinema Mike Leigh was born in 1943 in Salford, North West England. He learned his craft and his oft-praised sensitive approach to actors and actresses in the theatre. He began training as an actor and director at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and continued at the London Film School. He worked as an assistant director with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has written and directed more than 20 of his own plays, including his celebrated social comedy “Abigail’s Party”. Leigh developed his first feature in 1971 from the play BLEAK MOMENTS, a film which won him the Golden Leopard at Locarno Film Festival. He worked primarily throughout the 1970s and 80s for television and created during this period numerous films for the BBC, most of which were caustic commentaries on British society and the politics of the time. He completed his second feature film HIGH HOPES in 1988 and continued on a regular basis to create exceptional films that screened at the world’s most important film festivals and garnered countless awards, including seven Oscar nominations. In 1993 his film NAKED won the award for best director at Cannes Film Festival. In 1996, again at Cannes, his SECRETS AND LIES took the coveted Golden Palm. VERA DRAKE won the Golden Lion for Best Film at Venice Film Festival in 2004, and HAPPY-GO-LUCKY won the film’s main actress, Sally Hawkins, the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlinale in 2008. Humour and Wit Star actors such as Tim Roth, Gary Oldman and Stephen Rea cut their teeth in the films of Mike Leigh, and character actors such as Alison Steadman, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall, Sally Hawkins and Lesley Manville appear regularly in his films. Created with humour, wit and extreme sensitivity, Mike Leigh’s films capture the struggle for survival and minor trials and tribulations of Britain’s working class. Leigh is less a social warrior and more a person who takes the weaknesses and psychological idiosyncrasies of his protagonists seriously, and develops them into dialogue-rich stories. Leigh does not write screenplays per se, but develops his films in collaboration with his actors. His productions are usually understated and low budget, exceptions include the historical drama TOPSY-TURVY (1999) and MR. TURNER, which was released last year. A retrospective of his films will be screened during the ZFF.
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Slamdance to Release the Wrestling Doc THE RESURRECTION OF JAKE THE SNAKE | TRAILER
Slamdance will partner with the filmmakers of The Resurrection of Jake the Snake for the multi-city theatrical release of the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival favorite documentary beginning in Portland, Oregon on September 2nd. The Portland Film Festival will host the film’s release with a special event screening of the documentary and a Q&A session moderated by UFC superstar Chael Sonnen with Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Diamond Dallas Page and director Steve Yu. The event format is a key element of the film’s continuing theatrical release with personal appearances by Jake “The Snake” Roberts, filmmakers and special guests.
The theatrical release marks the initiation of Slamdance Presents, a new distribution moniker for Slamdance’s world premier programs dedicated to creating theatrical and other innovative commercial opportunities for independent filmmakers.
The inspiring documentary feature opened the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival and went on to win critical acclaim as well as this unique theatrical distribution partnership with Slamdance Presents. When The Resurrection of Jake the Snake screens at Portland Film Festival, it may very well be the first time two festivals have come together to support a nationwide release of an independent film.
Directed by Steve Yu, The Resurrection of Jake the Snake documents one of the most famous professional wrestlers in the world, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, as he battles his personal demons in a struggle to reclaim his life and the family that had given up on him. The feature-length documentary is also features Diamond Dallas Page and Scott Hall (aka Razor Ramon). Diamond Dallas Page is the film’s producer.
We’re thrilled that Slamdance believes enough in our documentary to pursue this innovative theatrical strategy,” said the film’s director Steve Yu, “As filmmakers we were fortunate to be at the right place at the right time, and capturing Jake’s incredible story was as compelling as any fictional narrative – except this was 100% real.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iwntL5wVWk
Find Tickets Now
Portland Film Festival. Portland, OR.
Wednesday September 2, 2015. 8:15pm.
Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan Portland, OR 97219
Tickets Here
Living Room Theater. Portland, OR.
September 6-11, 2015. 341 SW Tenth Avenue Portland, OR 97205
Tickets Here
Landmark Midtown Art Cinema. Atlanta, GA.
September 18-24, 2015. 931 Monroe Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
Tickets Here
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Hip Hop Fashion Doc FRESH DRESSED to Premiere on CNN | TRAILER
FRESH DRESSED, director Sacha Jenkins’ exuberant chronicle of hip hop and urban fashion – and their global influence on pop culture – will premiere as a CNN Films broadcast with limited commercial interruptions on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 9:00pm Eastern on CNN/U.S., the network announced today.
Produced by Peter Bittenbender, Nasir Jones, and Marcus Clarke for Mass Appeal, FRESH DRESSED traces how fat-laced sneakers, Kangol hats, Cazal sunglasses, and graffiti jackets inspired the style and vibe of rap artists and high fashion designers, through its expression of aspirational swagger that gave voice – and visage – to a culture whose passionate originality and artistry took the world by storm. The music-drenched, fun-to-watch history features interviews with music and fashion entrepreneurs from the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and today, including Dapper Dan, Pharrell Williams, April Walker, Karl Kani, Daymond John, Carl Jones, Jeff Tweedy, Russell Simmons, Sean “Puffy” Combs, Damon Dash, Riccardo Tisci, Guy Wood, and many more.
Deconstructing the evolution of the industry are VOGUE editor-at-large André Leon Talley, Kanye West, designer Marc Eck?, professor Elena Romero of City College of New York, professor Todd Boyd of the University of Southern California, and more. As the industry blossomed from independent, small companies to corporate mass market producers, it spawned a generation of innovative creators with successful brands such as FUBU, Rocawear, Cross Colours, Phat Farm, Karl Kani, and Sean Jean.
The film follows how the most successful brands often leveraged music and acting talent endorsements to generate brand awareness that commanded dedicated floor space inside America’s top department stores, Europe and New York fashion week runway shows, fashion awards, and hundreds of millions of dollars in apparel and accessory sales. Later, market saturation, fickle consumer tastes, and merchandiser resistance changed again in ways that challenged and eventually consolidated “urban market” apparel manufacturers.
FRESH DRESSED premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival where it was acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul for domestic theatrical distribution and, shortly thereafter, by Dogwoof for international theatrical distribution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLCAh_qqrqE
FRESH DRESSED will also be available on Apple TV and will simulcast via CNNgo. The film will encore on CNN on Sept. 3 at 10:45pm, and on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 8:00pm and 10:00pm. All times Eastern.
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Takashi Miike’s Comedic Vampire Action Thriller YAKUZA APOCALYPSE Headed to US Theaters | TRAILER
Samuel Goldwyn Films will release legendary Japanese director Takashi Miike’s comedic vampire action thriller YAKUZA APOCALYPSE in the US. The martial arts extravaganza and end-of-the-world spectacle premiered as part of the Directors’ Fortnight program at the 2015 Cannes International Film Festival. The film will screen in the Midnight Madness program at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival running September 10–20, 2015. Samuel Goldwyn Films is planning an October 9, 2015 release.
In YAKUZA APOCALYPSE, fearsome Yakuza boss Kamiura is also a bloodsucking vampire. One day, men arrive from a competing clan and deliver him an ultimatum: Play nice or die. Kamiura refuses and, during a fierce battle, is torn limb from limb. With his dying breath, he passes on his vampire powers to his loyal lieutenant, Kageyama. His first order of business is to avenge his mentor, setting him on a collision course with the seemingly unstoppable foreign syndicate, and take his place as the new Yakuza boss.
One of Japan’s most prolific, adventurous and successful filmmakers, Takashi Miike has directed nearly 100 films. He has been thrilling audiences worldwide with movies such as “Audition” (1999), “Ichi the Killer” (2001) and “13 Assassins” (2010). Now, Miike returns to the hard-driven style of his early filmmaking career with YAKUZA APOCALYPSE.
According to Peter Goldwyn of Samuel Goldwyn Films: “Taskashi Miike is a master of this genre and we are excited to bring his latest film, a sort of return to his origins, out to North American audiences. The film is an exciting mix of gangster-vampire action that only Miike can deliver.”
Filmmaker Takashi Miike stated: “I wonder if it’s really okay to let this film loose outside of Japan. As it’s not anything anyone can deal with on their own, it’s best to watch with friends.”
YAKUZA APOCALYPSE is directed by Takashi Miike from a screenplay by Yoshitaka Yamaguchi. Film stars Hayato Ichihara, Yayan Ruhian (“The Raid” and “The Raid 2”) and Lily Franky. Film is produced by Yoshinori Chiba, Shinichiro Masuda, Shinjiro Nishimura and Misako Saka.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn1fNww2XG8
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CAROL Starring Cate Blanchett to UK Premiere at 59th BFI London Film Festival Gala | TRAILER
The 59th BFI London Film Festival has selected CAROL, Todd Haynes’ beautiful 1950s set drama, as the Festival’s American Express Gala. The film will receive its UK Premiere on Wednesday October 14 at the Odeon Leicester Square, attended by Academy Award® nominated director Todd Haynes and his stars Academy Award® winner Cate Blanchett and Academy Award® nominee Rooney Mara.
A young woman in her 20s, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) is a clerk working in a Manhattan department store and dreaming of a more fulfilling life when she meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), an alluring woman trapped in a loveless, convenient marriage. As an immediate connection sparks between them, the innocence of their first encounter dims and their connection deepens.
While Carol breaks free from the confines of marriage, her husband (Kyle Chandler) threatens her competence as a mother when Carol’s involvement with Therese and close relationship with her best friend Abby (Sarah Paulson) comes to light. As Carol leaves the comfort of home to travel with Therese, an internal journey of self-discovery coincides with her new sense of space.
Based on Patricia Highsmith’s seminal novel, The Price of Salt, adapted by Emmy nominated screenwriter Phyllis Nagy, directed by Todd Haynes, CAROL stars Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Kyle Chandler, Jake Lacy and Sarah Paulson.
The 59th BFI London Film Festival runs from Wednesday October 7 to Sunday October 18, 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt-WC9xa7qs
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GRAVY Starring Gabourey Sidibe, Sarah Silverman to Hit Theaters on October 6 | TRAILER
The dark comedy film GRAVY, the feature film directorial debut of James Roday, will open in select cities on October 2nd, including NY and LA, and on-demand October 6th. Gravy features an all-star ensemble cast that includes:Michael Weston (State of Play, Garden State), Jimmi Simpson (House of Cards, White House Down),Sutton Foster (Younger, Bunheads),Lily Cole (Snow White and the Huntsman), Molly Ephraim (Last Man Standing),Paul Rodriguez (Ali),Gabriel Luna (True Detective,Wicked City), Lothaire Bluteau (Vikings, The Tudor), Ethan Sandler (The Bourne Supremacy, Crossing Jordan), Duke Hill (Ballers, Psych), with Gabourey Sidibe (Empire, Precious) and Sarah Silverman (Wreck-It Ralph).
It’s Halloween night. A trio of costumed misfits with very special dietary requirements seizes a Mexican cantina and forces the staff to engage in a late night of gluttony. The only caveat is what’s on the menu…and who will survive ‘til morning! This deliriously demented horror-comedy is a true feast for genre fans. Stuffed with an outstanding ensemble cast and perfectly seasoned with laughs and scares, you’ll be sure to ask for seconds on Gravy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAIPyXadmog
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Rory Culkin and Lin Shaye Set to Star in Indie Film JACK GOES HOME
Rory Culkin (Gabriel, Scream 4) (pictured above) and Lin Shaye (Insidious franchise, There’s Something About Mary) will star in writer/director Thomas Dekker’s upcoming feature film Jack Goes Home. The announcement was made today by writer/director Thomas Dekker and producers Jordan Yale Levine and Scott Levenson. Jack Goes Home will commence production this week in Kingston, New York. The film is produced by Jordan Yale Levine/Yale Productions, Scott Levenson, and Thomas Dekker. Co-Producers are Nikki Reed and Jon Keeyes, and Executive Producers include Shaun S. Sanghani/ SSS Entertainment, Jason Rose and Jessica Chang.
Previously confirmed cast members include Britt Robertson (Tomorrowland) and Nikki Reed (Twilight Saga). Rory Culkin will play the title character, with Lin Shaye starring as his mother Teresa. Britt Robertson plays Jack’s pregnant fiancé Cleo, Daveigh Chase plays Jack’s loyal best friend Shanda, Nikki Reed play’s Shanda’s girlfriend Crystal, and Louis Hunter plays Jack’s seductive neighbor Duncan. “Lin Shaye and Rory Culkin are both exceptionally talented actors who are perfectly suited to lead the cast of Jack Goes Home,” commented writer and director Thomas Dekker. “We could not be more thrilled to watch them bring our script to life as the film’s key mother/son duo.” Blending elements of family drama and horror films, JACK GOES HOME follows Jack, an educated and well versed magazine editor living in Los Angeles. He is mid 20s, engaged and expecting his first child. Grappling with the natural release of his childhood and the promise of his forthcoming adulthood, he is hit hard by the news of his father’s death. In a violent and horrific car crash, his father has perished while his mother has survived. He returns to his hometown of Denver, Colorado to nurse his mother through her physical and emotional injuries. During his stay at home, he uncovers long buried secrets and lies within his family history, his parents, his friends and his very identity. Jack’s journey to the truth is fueled by madness, sexuality, hauntings and violence. For Jack, there truly is NO PLACE LIKE HOME. Dekker’s acting credits include TV series Backstrom and The Secret Circle. On the film side, he appeared in 2009’s My Sister’s Keeper and 2010’s A Nightmare on Elm Street and directed the 2008 indie Whore. He’s repped by MGMT Entertainment and Sloane, Offer.
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BELGIAN RHAPSODY by Vincent Bal will close the 39th Montreal World Film Festival | TRAILER
The North American premiere of the comedy film Belgian Rhapsody directed by Vincent Bal will close the 39th Montreal World Film Festival in Out of Competition. Produced by Peter Bouckaert for Eyeworks (Ben X, The Verdict, Marina presented and awarded at the MWFF) this comedy stars Amaryllis Ouitterlinden, Arthur Dupont, Jos Verbist, Marc Weiss, Koen Van Impe, Philippe Résimont.
Two Belgian brass bands, the Flemish “Sint Cecilia” and the Walloon “En Avant”, have both been selected for the great European final. The Walloons are blown into the final by Hugues, their exceptionally talented and handsome trumpet player. When Sint Cecilia’s soloist drops dead on stage, Elke, daughter of the band’s conductor Joseph, has the solution: let’s buy that Walloon super talent out. BELGIAN RHAPSODY is a musical comedy about Belgium where anything goes when the two dominant communities compete: double-crossing, schmaltzy songs and even love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zoUYll9Ft8
Born in Ghent, Belgium in 1971, Vincent Bal began his career at the age of six appearing in musicals, films and television series. However, he quickly realized that he was far more comfortable behind the camera and enrolled at the LUCA School of Art in Brussels, after which he directed a number of film shorts and TV commercials, notably The Bloody Olive (1996), adapted from a graphic novel by Lewis Trondheim. His best known feature, THE ZIGZAG KID (2012), based on David Grossman’s novel, won the European Film Academy’s Young Audience Award. Together with Colette Bothof, he wrote and directed 26 episodes of the animated series Kika & Bob.
The MWFF will take place from August 27th to September 7th
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A WALK IN THE WOODS + Films by Notable Filmmakers on World Greats Program of 2015 Montreal World Film Festival
Twenty-four feature films from a score of countries are being shown in the World Greats (out of competition) section of the 2015 Montreal World Film Festival (MWFF). Notable among the filmmakers included are Majid Majidi whose Muhammad will be getting its world premiere, Jean-Jacques Annaud, who will be showing the North-American premiere of his latest film, Wolf Totem, Cristina Commencini (Latin Lover), Ventura Pons (The Virus of Fear), Ermanno Olmi (Greenery Will Bloom Again), Vincent Bal (Belgian Rhapsody), Ken Kwapis (A Walk in the Woods, with Robert Redford) and Sergio Castellitto (You Can`t Save Yourself Alone), among others.
MWFF will take place from August 27th to September 7th.
A WALK IN THE WOODS by Ken Kwapis. 2015 / Color / 98 min USA (pictured above)
After spending two decades in England, Bill Bryson returns to the US, where he decides the best way to connect with his homeland is to hike the Appalachian Trail with one of his oldest friends.
AN ITALIAN NAME (IL NOME DEL FIGLIO) by Francesca Archibugi. 2015 / Color / 94 min, Italy
Paolo and Simona are expecting. At a dinner with guests one question will lead to an argument that will disturb the entire evening: the name of Paolo and Simonaís son.
BEFORE SPRING (ABL AL RABIE) by Ahmed Atef. 2015 / Color / 92 min, Egypt
A young blogger who lost both eyes during the Egyptian Revolution recounts in flashback the events of the Spring that eventually came to his country.
BELGIAN RHAPSODY (LA BRABANÇONNE) by Vincent Bal. 2014 / Color / 100 min, Belgium – Luxembourg
Two Belgian brass bands, the Flemish ‘St. Cecilia’ and Walloon ‘En Avant’, have both been selected for the great European final. It is a competition with no holds barred.
BLOOD BEAD (AKAI TAMA) by Banmei Takahashi. 2015 / Color / 108 min, Japan
Tokita would rather be making movies than teaching about them in film school. But it pays the bills and thereís always Yui, the pretty school secretary. Then Ritsuko enters his life…
CHRIEG by Simon Jacquemet. 2014 / Color / 106 min, Switzerland
Matteo, a rebellious 15-year old is sent to a remote farm for rehabilitation. But the farm is run by the inmates. Matteo must quickly learn to run with the pack.
CORPSE COLLECTOR (SUBIRACH NA TRUPOVE) by Dimitar Dimitrov. 2015 / Color / 116 min, Bulgaria
Itzo, who drives a morgue wagon, is loved by young, innocent Mimmy, but prefers tough, experienced Katya who mistreats him. Itzo’s assistant, Buddy, tells him he’s got things all wrong.
EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO by Peter Greenaway. 2015 / Color / 105 min, Netherlands – Mexico – Finland – Belgium
In 1931, at the height of his artistic powers, Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein travels to Mexico to shoot a new film to be titled Que Viva Mexico!
GITEL by Robert Mullan. 2014 / Color / 115 min, United Kingdom – Lithuania
September, 5 1969, and Gitel Bargman is about to attend a party to celebrate her 33rd birthday. Racked by guilt simply for being alive, for her it is hardly cause for celebration.
GREENERY WILL BLOOM AGAIN (TORNERANNO I PRATI) by Ermanno Olmi. 2014 / Color / 95 min, ItalyDedicated to his father who told him stories of the Great War, Ermanno Olmiís film is a touching slice of life in the First World War trenches on the Italian front.
IT’S REALLY KIND OF YOU by So Jae-ick. 2015 / Color / 92 min, South Korea
It is late night and raining hard when a strange woman clad only in underwear rushes up to a man who is fishing at the lake, asking for help. Help to do what ?
LATIN LOVER by Cristina Comencini. 2014 / Color / 104 min, Italy
On the 10th anniversary of the death of Saverio Crispo, Italy’s most famous actor, his 5 daughters, born from different mothers and in different countries, are brought together and get to know each other.
MUHAMMAD (Opening Film) by Majid Majidi. 2015 / Color / 171 min, Iran
The film does not depict Muhammad himself but his world, the pagan age with all its tyranny and oppression as seen through the eyes of young Muhammad from birth to the age of 13.
MY SISTER, THE PIG LADY (DWAEJI GATEUN YEOJA) by Jan Moon-il. 2015 / Color / 104 min, South Korea
In a small seaside village where all the young men left for the city, three young women scheme to catch the eye of the only bachelor left in town.
NECKAN by Gonzalo Tapia. 2015 / Color / 92 min, Spain
In 1956, a young Spaniard arrives in Morocco, soon to be independent, to find out what happened years ago to his family. If he discovers the truth, will it be worth the effort ?
SILVER SKIES by Rosemary Rodriguez. 2015 / Color / 96 min, USA
A group of eccentric retirees’ lives are turned upside down when their beloved apartment complex is suddenly sold out from under them. But you can never be too old for new beginnings.
SIMON by Éric Martin, Emmanuel Causse. 2015 / Color / 96 min, France
Simon, a seventeen-year-old boy is diagnosed with cancer — Ewing’s sarcoma. But he’s not about to bow out without leaving his mark on the world.
SISKA DELUXE by Ian Cvitkovic. 2015 / Color / 108 min, Slovenia – Czech Republic – Macedonia Longtime friends and losers, Mile, Fedr and Zekir need to rescue their calamitous professional and personal lives. An innovative pizzeria comes to the rescue.
THE NEXT GENERATION PATLABOR – TOKYO WAR Mamoru Oshii. 2015 / Color / 93 min Japan / Japan In a world where giant robots are built and used for labour, a special police force of robots is created to handle crimes relating to these machines.
THE SECRET OF ITALIA (IL SEGRETO DI ITALIA) by Antonello Belluco. 2014 / Color / 98 min, Italy
Italy, May 1945. The war is over. But for a 15-year-old girl called Italia in a small town in the region of Venice, the tragedy has just begun.
VIRUS OF FEAR (EL VIRUS DE LA POR) by Ventura Pons. 2015 / Color / 76 min, Spain
A small boy is being taught to swim at a Barcelona municipal pool. He he terrified of the water and the swimming instructor tries to calm him with a kiss. He is immediately accused of abuse.
WINTER by Heidi Greensmith. 2015 / Color / 95 min, United Kingdom
Devastated by the death of his beloved wife, Woods, a successful artist can no longer connect with his two sons. Motherless, will they have to take of him as well ?
WOLF TOTEM by Jean-Jacques Annaud. 2015 / Color / 98 min, France – China
The story of young Beijing intellectual’s fascination with the wolves he encounters when he’s sent to teach Mandarin to minority nomadic herders in the majestic, scenic grasslands of Inner Mongolia.
YOU CAN’T SAVE YOURSELF ALONE (NESSUNO SI SALVA DA SOLO) Sergio Castellitto. 2015 / Color / 103 min, Italy
When a separated couple meet to discuss the terms of their children’s holidays, the meal immediately becomes a wide reflection on their past ten years.
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MI AMERICA Film Explores Violence Against Migrant Workers Sets Release Date
As the immigration debate takes center stage in a presidential campaign marked by increasingly divisive and racially charged rhetoric, a new film MI AMERICA offers an on-the-ground look at some of the reality of this conflict.
The film is inspired by true stories from around the country and delivers a harrowing narrative on the conflict between disenfranchised Americans and immigrant workers. MI AMERICA opens in theaters on October 16th and is directed by Robert Fontaine who also stars in the film. The cast also includes Michael Brainard, Brad Lee Wind, Grant Boyd, Michael Derek, Stephen Booth and Annemarie Lawless.
The story explores the circumstances surrounding a brutal hate crime targeting five Hispanic migrant laborers. Rolando Ramirez (Robert Fontaine) has been assigned to this case by chance. This journey will force him to question his own identity, and beliefs, on what it means to be an American, and in turn, attempt to bring those who committed this crime to justice.
A hate-crime has been committed, that has upset the delicate balance of a small, ethnically diverse waterfront city Braxton in upstate New York. The film explores the circumstances around the kidnapping and disappearance of Five Hispanic migrant labors.
Rolando Ramirez (a Hispanic-American Detective, and a longtime resident of the community), has been assigned to this case by chance. Or was it fate? His journey will force him to question his own identity, and beliefs, on what it means to be a North American, and in turn, attempt to bring those who committed this crime to justice…some of whom were close friends from childhood.
Violence against Latinos and the story told in MI AMERICA is not unfamiliar to cities and towns across the U.S. where the conflict of disenfranchised Americans and immigrant workers have resulted in tragedy. The immigration dilemma and debate continues to rage on as we enter the politically charged battlefield of the 2016 election and Latinos continue to be targets.
This gripping murder mystery offers a potent opportunity to take a closer look at this dire issue in the media.
[via release]