• Revelation Perth International Film Festival Opens Today With Australian Road Movie LAST CAB TO DARWIN | TRAILER

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    Last Cab To Darwin Revelation Perth International Film Festival kicks off its eighteenth edition tonight at the Luna Cinema in Leederville, Perth, Western Australia with the Australian road movie Last Cab To Darwin. Film Director Jeremy Sims, along with stars Michael Caton, Nigali Lawford and Mark Coles Smith will be in attendance. Last Cab To Darwin World Premiered last month at the 2015 Sydney Film Festival. In Last Cab to Darwin, Rex (Michael Caton) is a cab driver from Broken Hill. On the surface he appears as a simple man whose days are spent driving miners to the airport, whose evenings are spent drinking a beer with a handful of old mates and whose mornings pass by as he has tea with his neighbour Polly (Ningali Lawford). But underneath the apparent simplicity of his daily life Rex is in poor health. Now, facing bad news he understands that he wants to control his final moments, meanwhile in Darwin Dr Farmer (Jacki Weaver) may have the perfect solution. Rex just needs to drive there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n5Y2y_fNCA

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  • First Four Documentary Films Selected for 2015 Tallgrass Film Festival | TRAILERS

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    DOUBLE DIGITS: THE STORY OF A NEIGHBORHOOD MOVIE STAR The first four official films are revealed for the 2015 Tallgrass Film Festival whose subjects truly embody the Stubbornly Independent spirit. These acclaimed documentaries recount engaging stories from around the world, and in Wichita. The first three feature humanitarians, adventurists and innovators in the compelling stories of their trials, tribulations and the up-hill battles they face. The fourth is a sweet and surprising gem that speaks volumes to the talent and perseverance of a local filmmaker with an unconventional and unbending will for the craft of moviemaking. The 13th annual Tallgrass Film Festival takes place in and around downtown Wichita this October 14-18th. DOUBLE DIGITS: THE STORY OF A NEIGHBORHOOD MOVIE STAR, USA, 2015, Dir. Justin Johnson (pictured above) In his tiny “studio” apartment in Wichita, Kansas, inspiring 50-year-old filmmaker Richard ‘R.G.’ Miller directs his cast of dolls and action figures in the weirdest “blockbuster”-style feature films you’ve never seen. His dream audience? More than 9 people.  Double Digits explores what it means to be a DIY artist in the 21st century, while delving into the life and creative process of a gifted and truly unique talent.  (Johnson and Miller scheduled to attend.) This film will screen as part of the Wichita State University Thursday Night Spotlight and will include the World Premiere of Mr. Miller’s newest short film commissioned for the Tallgrass Film Festival. https://vimeo.com/128304036 ANGEL OF NANJING, USA/China, 2015, Dir. Jordan Horowitz and Frank L. Ferendo The Yangtze River Bridge in Nanjing is one of the most famous bridges in China. It is also the most popular place in the world to commit suicide. For the past 11 years Chen Si has been patrolling this bridge, looking to provide aid for those who have gone there to end their lives. Incredibly, he has saved over 300 people since he began – nearly one every two weeks.  Winner, Best Documentary at Phoenix Film Festival (Filmmaker(s) scheduled to attend.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA93svbHgok UNBRANDED, USA, 2015, Dir. Phillip Baribeau Four young men take an unprecedented journey on adopted wild mustangs from the Mexican to the Canadian borders through the backccountry of deserts and mountains. Their goal: To prove the worth of the iconic horses that are the subject of often bitter controversy, as well as their own ability to complete the challenge. As they cover the 3000 miles of often unforgiving landscapes, the riders succumb to the contradictory tensions of camaraderie and rivalry. Winner, Audience Award at 2015 HotDocs Film Festival and 2015 Telluride MountainFilm Festival. Director scheduled to attend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQmmaiWHYHQ THE ARMOR OF LIGHT, USA, 2015, Dir. Abigail E. Disney and Kathleen Hughes Abigail Disney’s directorial debut, THE ARMOR OF LIGHT, follows the journey of an Evangelical minister trying to find the courage to preach about the growing toll of gun violence in America. The film tracks Reverend Rob Schenck, anti-abortion activist and fixture on the political far right, who breaks with orthodoxy by questioning whether being pro-gun is consistent with being pro-life. A courageous look at our fractured political culture, and an assertion that it is, indeed, possible for people to come together across deep party lines to find common ground. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSP0Soy8ACk

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  • Robin Williams Last Film BOULEVARD to Open 2015 Ischia Global Film & Music Fest

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    boulevard robin williams 2015 Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Dito Montiel’s “Boulevard” – the last film starring Robin Williams – will enjoy its European premiere on July 12, opening the 13th Annual Ischia Global Film & Music Fest. “We are proud to inaugurate the festival with a long awaited work where, according to Us critics, the actors delivers one of his best performances,” announced Pascal Vicedomini, fouder and producer of the Summer’s hottest International Film Fest, “and to be able to do it almost simultaneously with the movie’s Us release (July 10, 2015). The first trailer of this movie – recently launched on the web – has touched the hearts of millions of fans who will soon commemorate the first anniversary of Williams’ passing, occurred on August 11, 2014. “Boulevard,” acclaimed at Tribeca Festival, is the fourth and last of Robin Williams’ films which were released after his death. “However,” observes festival’s producer Pascal Vicedomini, “‘Boulevard’ is certainly the most touching of them all, a true testament to the actor’s talent, and we’ll have the pleasure of sharing this heart-felt moment together with such celebrities as Antonio Banderas, Helen Mirren, Taylor Hackford, Matteo Garrone, Jimmy Kimmel, Bille August, Sandy Powell, Paul Haggis, Eli Roth, as well as with the Academy’s President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.” The drama, directed by brilliant New York director, writer and musician Dito Montiel (“A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints”), features Robin Williams as a bank employee who seems quite contented with his life next to his endearing wife (Kathy Baker), until a fatal encounter with a young prostitute who will force him to come to terms with his repressed homosexuality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCdUubr70i8 Ischia Global Fest 2015 will honor “Leoardi”, Italian Movie of the Year, with a special screening on July 17. Mario Martone’s movie revolving around the life of Italian 19th century poet Giacomo Leopardi, is regarded as a true Italian phenomenon, able to give new impulse to the Italian cinema and culture, often screened for students and scholars. The festival, which will unfold until July 19, will also present the European premieres of “Ten Thousand Saints”, written and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini; the movie, which was already awarded at the Sundance Film Festival, is based on a novel by Eleanor Henderson and is interpreted by Asa Butterfield and Jude Keffy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTa0dNK25Mw Italian premieres include: Doug Ellin’s “Entourage” with Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon (Warner Bros), based on the well-known HBO series; Paul Feig’s comedy “SPY”, with Jason Statham, Jude Law, Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne (FOX), which marks the third collaboration between Feig and McCarthy after “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat”; James Kent’s First World War drama “Testament of Youth”, with Alicia Vikander, Emily Watson, Kit Harington; Rob Cohen’s thriller “The Boy next door”, with Jennifer Lopez (Universal). The Truth About Emanuel Other special screenings will include: Sundance-acclaimed “The Truth About Emanuel,” (pictured above) by Francesca Gregorini, with Jessica Biel; Alessandro Capone’s “Maid for you,” with Giulio Berruti, Antonio Cupo, and science fiction “Ex Machina” by Alex Garland with Alicia Vikander Oscar Isaacs (Universal). Denmark will be the celebrated country at the Festival which will host the screening of “My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn”, directed by Liv Corfixen, wife to Winding Refn.

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  • Premiere of Documentary GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME is Most Watched CNN Film

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    GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME The documentary GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME premiered Sunday night on CNN to stellar ratings, with the network noting that the film was the highest-rated in both adults 25 to 54 and total viewers, and the second highest-rated among adults 18 to 34 (after CNN Films Blackfish). GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME easily won first place in cable news for its time period on Sunday night for all three demos.  The broadcast had 2.76M total viewers and 510k viewers aged 25 to 54 for its 9:00pm to 10:45pm premiere.  These ratings beat the cable news competition: MSNBC placed third with 463k total viewers and 251k viewers aged 25 to 54, while Fox News straggled in at fourth with 139k viewers aged 25 to 54, and second place with 593k among total viewers. With 125k viewers aged 18 to 34, CNN also won the evening’s cable news competition in its time period.  This figure easily topped MSNBC, which had 48k viewers 18 to 34 years old, and Fox News, with 33k viewers aged 18 to 34. The encore broadcast at 10:45pm delivered big numbers as well, CNN came in first place among total viewers and viewers 25 to 54, with 1.26M and 268k respectively.  Fox News placed second among total viewers with 482k and last for the demo with 89k.  MSNBC was last among total viewers with 403k and second among viewers 25 to 54 with 219k. Glen Campbell’s extraordinary life, musical legacy, and brave battle against Alzheimer’s disease are the focus of the film, which was sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company, and presented back-to-back on CNN/U.S. with limited commercial interruptions.  The award-winning film was directed by James Keach and produced by Trevor Albert and James Keach.  Sister network, HLN, will encore GLEN CAMPBELL… I’LL BE ME on Friday, July 3, at 8:00pm Eastern.  The film will encore on CNN/U.S. on Saturday, July 4 at 9:00pm Eastern. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xFPqYyjmv4

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  • Watch Official TRAILER for Documentary I Am Chris Farley

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    Watch Official TRAILER for Documentary I Am Chris Farley The documentary, I Am Chris Farley, described as the definitive biographical film about the late comedy star, has released the official trailer. Farley died in 1997, at the age of 33, from a drug overdose. The film, from the directors of I Am Evel Knievel, A Brony Tale, and the upcoming Johnny Cash – American Rebel, tells Chris Farley’s story from his early days in Madison, Wisconsin and at Marquette University, through his work at the legendary club Second City, to his rapid rise to the top of the comedy world on “Saturday Night Live” and in hit films like Tommy Boy and Black Sheep. Sharing insights into the beloved funnyman are such co-stars and colleagues as Christina Applegate, Tom Arnold, Dan Aykroyd, Bo Derek, Pat Finn, Jon Lovitz, Lorne Michaels, Jay Mohr, Mike Myers, Bob Odenkirk, Bob Saget, Adam Sandler, Will Sasso, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Brian Stack and Fred Wolf. The filmmakers also speak to Farley’s four siblings, including his brother Kevin, a comedian and actor, and his brother Tom Jr., who wrote the biography “The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts.” I Am Chris Farley opens in  theaters in select cities on July 31; and will debut on Spike on Monday, August 10 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT,  followed by Video-On-Demand the next day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aofacg_Gy0E  

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  • Richard Gere to be Honored, TIME OUT OF MIND to Open, SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE to Close 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

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    Time Out of Mind directed by Oren Moverman Time Out of Mind directed by Oren Moverman and starring Richard Gere and Jena Malone, will open the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.  Richard Gere will also be presented with festival’s highest award, the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema. In the film, Richard Gere plays a homeless man, who is thrown out of his ramshackle apartment and on to the street, with everything he owns in two plastic bags. This powerful story from the life of a homeless person in today’s New York offers a soulful character study of a man whose only hope in an otherwise desperate existence is to try to find reconciliation with his long estranged daughter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6Vvn6aPJus   In addition to Time Out of Mind (2014), The Karlovy Vary IFF will showcase Richard Gere’s other new film – the drama Franny (2015), the story of a philanthropist who gets involved in the lives of a young married couple in the attempt to compensate for traumas of the past. Born in Philadelphia, Gere devoted himself to music from an early age. Beginning in the 1970s he performed in various theaters and gradually began getting film roles. Richard Gere has also been acknowledged around the world for his clear stances on social issues. He is a personal friend of the Dalai Lama and a steadfast defender of human rights and independence in Tibet. He has also actively stood up for the need to combat AIDS, and is an important donor benefactor and supporter of numerous charity organizations. Sleeping With Other People, directed and written by Leslye Headland. Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will close with a screening of one of the hits of this year’s Sundance festival, Sleeping with Other People, directed by Leslye Headland (pictured above). The romantic comedy is a wink across a quarter of a century to Rob Reiner’s cult film When Harry Met Sally, with all its sparkling dialogue and disarming humour. Jake and Lainey spend one crazy night together in a college dorm room, the first such affair for both of them. When they run into each other in New York twelve years later, they find out that in the meantime both of their love-lives have been dogged by problems with infidelity. They make a deal to form a strictly platonic friendship in spite of a strong mutual attraction for the sake of helping each other find a healthy relationship. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG3Q2ua5izw

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  • Nicolas Steiner’s Documentary ABOVE AND BELOW To be Released in US | TRAILER

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    Above and Below, Nicolas Steiner The documentary “Above and Below,”  the debut film from Swiss director Nicolas Steiner will reportedly be released in the US via Oscilloscope Laboratories. Above and Below is a rough and rhythmic roller coaster ride seating five survivors in their daily hustle through an apocalyptic world. Far, far away and out of sight, that’s where April, Dave, Cindy, Rick and the Godfather are creating life on their own terms. From the depths of the flood channels under Sin City, to a reclaimed military bunker in the middle of the dusty, heated Californian nowhere land to beyond the stratosphere where Mars now lives on earth. Each individual has been flung into periling circumstances on this rollercoaster ride called life. Through the hustle, pain, and laughter, we are whisked away to an unfamiliar world where we discover its inhabitants to be souls not unlike our very own. Oscilloscope plans to release the film theatrically followed by a release on digital and other ancillary platforms. Interview with director Nicolas Steiner via official film site
    “Above and Below” combines  Mars, Earth and the subterranean. How did you come up with this unusual idea? I’m principally inspired by pictures. My imagination functions better that way, rather than when I take my lead from formulated premises. In this case it was above all pictures by Joel Sternfeld; photographs of deserts and water parks taken in massive long shots yet with an air of the unnatural to them. They contain an element of the absurd. I also studied for a year at San Francisco Art Institute as[NS3]  a Fulbright scholarship holder, where I gave much attention to ghost towns. This was during the same period when the earthquake hit Japan. While surfing in Santa Cruz a presumably contaminated streetlight bearing Japanese characters floated towards us. This experience was decisive for the broader context of “Above and Below” In what way? As a director I consider myself something of a hunter-gatherer. My concepts and ideas initially overflow. Then I set about filtering them. I search for contexts that are only visible at second glance. At the same time, simple processes fascinate me. The more archaic the better. It was from such jigsaw pieces that the journey in the film, one from Mars to Earth and beneath its surface, finally emerged. The so-called tunnel-people play a central role in the film. How did you hear of them? I often made trips from San Francisco to the surrounding areas. I wanted to leave the city for a few days and visited Las Vegas. I had meant to relax, but the stay made me feel as if I were on steroids. It was all a garish sensual-overload. I walked numbly through the streets and saw in a water tunnel a guy in a nightgown with a chessboard. The idea for the film immediately became more tangible. How did you come across your tunnel-people? I made a five-week research trip to Las Vegas. I was initially with a journalist who had written about the tunnel-dwellers. I also studied old city plans of the tunnels and went off on my own to look for possible protagonists. How dangerous was that? Let’s put it this way, I wouldn’t necessarily rush off to do it again. Inflamed by my idea I recklessly entered situations that might have turned out differently. Lots of the tunnel-people are very nice but also heavily addicted to crystal meth, which makes them unpredictable. I met my protagonist Lalo, for example, in one of the tunnels in which neither the journalist nor a city social worker had entered. I could hear Lalo growling “Who is it?” in the distance. Later, when filming, he told me that he was a former electrician and cage-fighter who was responsible for the death of two people “because of a stupid accident”. My cameraman and I had a €80,000 camera with us. So of course there was a certain uneasiness, particularly when Lalo wanted to know how expensive such a device might be. I think, however, that this recklessness was taken as bravery and won us respect. The research phase and shooting were intense. I hope this is apparent in the film. It’s important for me to share experiences so viewers feel they experienced them, too. Did the police always just let you be? We were arrested once. Of course the possibility had crossed my mind, since during research and filming I was perpetually entering fenced-off territory. And I was aware, too, that trespassing is a serious offence in America. How did this come about? We parked our transporter next to a tunnel and lugged a camera crane in black bags down into it. Somebody observed us and assumed that we were smuggling dynamite and weapons since under the tunnel there was a second one running between two banks. The police, once summoned, pushed us up against a wall and searched us. The interesting thing was the police officer shouted at me irritatedly, why don’t you shoot your film in Berlin? There are homeless there, too! Fortunately the officers were informed at that very moment of an ongoing armed robbery and headed out. That was more important than our case. How important then is the topic of homelessness in the film? Of course “Above and Below” does deal with poverty and homelessness. If my last film, “Battle of the Queens”, can be seen as a film about the homeland, then I have now made a film about “not having a home”. But nothing could be further from my actual aim than explaining America and its society to Americans. I didn’t approach the film thematically, but rather conceptually, although the focus is definitely on individuals. To me it was about cowboys, ghosts and aliens. The idea was to make a film leading viewers from Mars down to Earth, and thence into its bowels. The film might equally have played out in the desert of Dubai. Or in China. But try telling that to a furious police officer! Could the film have been shot in Switzerland, too? Was that ever considered? No, the film could not have been made in Switzerland. There is always something adventuresome about filmmaking. And I shot my last two films in my homeland, Valais in the Southern alps of Switzerland[NS6] . It was time to move on and leave my garden behind me. Furthermore there is a keyword for this film, an important one: DESERT. Aridity. The visual beauty of death and destruction. I found optimal conditions in America to deal with the themes, circumstances and socio-political views that interest me. After all, the film lives from these people and their bleak biographies, and these led me through its making. How are your protagonists now? I intend to show them the film at the given locations. I’m still in contact with Rick and Cindy, they are both clean now. Among the Mars-crew I’m most frequently in contact with April. She finished her geology studies and is continuing in research. Dave vanished a year ago but I’m still in contact with his daughter. He once called me after having swapped his[NS7]  old camper for a mobile phone. I’ll find him again. Things aren’t looking so good with Lalo. I don’t know if he’s still alive, he had potentially fatal abscesses back then and was in beaten-up shape. How did you come upon the peculiar Mars-Society? At San Francisco Art Institute I saw a picture in a magazine of a lonely astronaut in a red desert. I was confused since I knew that no one could be there. When I looked more closely I saw a garden hose, and that was how I met the Mars-Society, a non-profit organisation working towards exploring and colonising the red planet. Scientists, fans of space travel, James Cameron and a couple of millionaires founded the society in the 90s. I was interested by the science behind it, but the real attraction was the trashy-cum-absurd look of the Mars people and their equipment. And at the same time the terrain on which they simulate Mars expeditions is of a poetically wistful abandonment. You rejected the classic talking-heads structure in your documentary. Why? My intention and aim was to keep my protagonists un-coerced and at their ease in conversation. I don’t like classical interviews or Q and As. I prefer conversations. Which doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate well-lit faces and spaces, but I try not to employ them at any cost. I tell my team approximately where I want to arrive, but spontaneity and flexibility are important for me, too. I think talking-heads are a matter of taste and don’t suit every content. In “Above and Below” the audiovisual level was more important to me than just precise statements. The film uses a conspicuously large amount of music There are almost 50 minutes of composed music in total. The soundtrack leads the way through the film. It was created in part before shooting, using photos that I brought back from my research-trips. This meant that we could already use music while shooting. It was apparent to me during research that music plays a very important role, since some of the protagonists do play instruments – Dave, say, with his drum set in the middle of the desert wastes. Lots of people know your abundantly prize-doted short, “It’s me.. Helmut”. What parallels, if any, do you see to “Above and Below”? The short was a twelve-minute fictional project and “Above and Below” a two-hour cinema documentary. But both films are about life and death and transience. Everything is beautiful yet, equally, destroyed. Both films feel a little tragicomic and play by-and-large outside, in nature. In the one, it’s the mountains, in the other, the desert. And in both films I attempted to use sound and image to make cinema into adventure. In “Helmut” the backdrop vanishes, with “Above and Below” it’s swept away. “Above and Below” is your film school graduation film. Will you remain faithful to documentary-making? I very much enjoy documentary-making. It broadens the horizons. And the extremely intensive research periods are something I don’t want to do without. But as for fiction, I’m certainly not excluding it. Because at a formal level, feature films generally inspire me more than documentaries. And theoretically I’m now geared up to make a great thriller or drama about the tunnel-people. Particularly since the series “True Detective”, which features existential themes in a bare landscape and pleased me well.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omnPDGcGXJ8

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  • COP CAR to Kick Off 2015 Sundance NEXT FEST in LA

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    Cop Car 2015 Sundance NEXT FEST will present the Los Angeles premieres of six films from the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah at The Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles August 7-9. Five films screen at the Theatre at Ace Hotel, paired with either a special music performance that embodies a shared artistic sensibility or with a special conversation between the filmmakers and the luminaries who inspired them and who will be announced later this summer. On August 2, the weekend before the festival, things kick off with the Los Angeles premiere of Cop Car (pictured above) with Cinespia at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. In Cop Car, Kevin Bacon plays a small-town Sheriff setting out to find the boys who have taken his car on a dangerous joyride. The outdoor screening under the stars will feature food trucks and a themed Cinespia Photo Booth. All ticket proceeds go to the non-profit Sundance Institute. TANGERINE Sean Baker To celebrate the announcement of the lineup, Sundance NEXT FEST is co-hosting a special screening tonight of Tangerine (pictured above) at the Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, cohosted by Magnolia Pictures, Outfest and Ace Hotel DTLA. Tangerine, a breakout at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, is a rip-roaring comedy that follows a working girl tearing through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. The screening will be followed by a special DJ set by Little Boots. Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Jon Watts, Christopher D. Ford) — A small-town Sheriff sets out to find the boys who have taken his car on a dangerous joyride. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim. LOS ANGELES PREMIERE Mistress America / U.S.A. (Director: Noah Baumbach, Screenwriters: Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig) — Tracy is a lonely college freshman in New York, having neither the exciting university experience nor the glamorous metropolitan lifestyle she envisioned. But when she is taken in by her soon-to-be stepsister, Brooke – a resident of Times Square and adventurous gal about town – she is rescued from her disappointment and seduced by Brooke’s alluringly mad schemes. Cast: Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke. LOS ANGELES PREMIERE Sky Ferreira —Sky Ferreira has quickly established herself as one of today’s most exciting new faces in music, film and fashion. She first signed to Capitol Records at the early age of 15 where she eventually wrote & executive produced her critically acclaimed debut album, Night Time, My Time. As an actress, she has worked with many independent filmmakers including Eli Roth, Liza Johnson & Matthew Porterfield. Sky is currently recording her highly anticipated new album,Masochism. Finders Keepers / U.S.A. (Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel) — Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it, therefore, to be his rightful property. LOS ANGELES PREMIERE Entertainment / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington, Tim Heidecker) — In an attempt to revive his dwindling career and reunite with his estranged daughter, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the California desert.Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Amy Seimetz, Lotte Verbeek.LOS ANGELES PREMIERE Sharon Van Etten — Singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten writes from free-flowing emotional honesty and vulnerability, creating a bond with the listener that few contemporary musicians can match. Following her 2012 break-through Tramp, last year’s follow up Are We There and her new EP I Don’t Want to Let You Down, Van Etten finds herself in full stride, writing, producing and performing. Cronies / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael J. Larnell) — Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn’t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. Cast: George Sample III, Zurich Buckner, Brian Kowalski. LOS ANGELES PREMIERE Turbo Kid / Canada, New Zealand (Directors and screenwriters: Anouk Whissell, François Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell) — Set in a post apocalyptic year of 1997, this nostalgic tribute to ’80s action-adventure films follows an orphaned teenager who goes on an adventure to save his female-robot companion from the hands of the evil warlord who controls the only water supply. Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Aaron Jeffery, Edwin Wright. LOS ANGELES PREMIERE Neon Indian vs. Toro Y Moi ’80s-inspired DJ battle — Neon Indian, the brainchild of Alan Palomo, is defined by a unique electro-mangled sound which has attracted fans and opening slots before acts like Massive Attack, The Flaming Lips, Phoenix and Chromeo. Toro Y Moi, the guise of Chaz Bundick, channels a wide swath of stylistic influences into his electronics-incorporating music and cites Big Star, Talking Heads and Todd Rundgren as some of his inspirations.

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  • 332 Invited to Join Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Finish Director Pirjo Honkasalo Rejects Invitation

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    Pirjo Honkasalo The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 322 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures.  Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2015. “It’s gratifying to acknowledge the extraordinary range of talent in our industry,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.  “This year, our branches have recognized a more diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before, and we look forward to adding their creativity, ideas and experience to our organization.” Update:  Finnish film director Pirjo Honkasalo (pictured above) has reportedly dismissed an invitation to become a member of the  Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reports thenewage.
    Honkasalo told the biggest Finnish language daily that she would rather belong to organizations where she can influence decisions. She criticized the position of foreign films in the Oscar nominations. Honkasalo said that lobbyists and personal relations have too great a role in the Oscar process.
    The 2015 invitees are: Actors Elizabeth Banks – “Love & Mercy,” “The Hunger Games” Choi Min-sik– “Lucy,” “Oldboy” Benedict Cumberbatch – “The Imitation Game,” “Star Trek Into Darkness” Martin Freeman – “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Hot Fuzz” Heather Graham – “The Hangover,” “Boogie Nights” Tom Hardy – “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Inception” Kevin Hart – “The Wedding Ringer,” “Ride Along” Felicity Jones – “The Theory of Everything,” “Like Crazy” Stephen Lang – “Avatar,” “The Men Who Stare at Goats” Jodi Long – “A Picture of You,” “Beginners” John Carroll Lynch – “Shutter Island,” “Zodiac” Gugu Mbatha-Raw – “Beyond the Lights,” “Belle” Denis O’Hare – “Milk,” “Michael Clayton” Michael O’Neill – “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Transformers” David Oyelowo – “Selma,” “A Most Violent Year” Dev Patel – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Slumdog Millionaire” Rosamund Pike – “Gone Girl,” “Pride & Prejudice” Chris Pine – “Into the Woods,” “Star Trek” Daniel Radcliffe – “Kill Your Darlings,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” Eddie Redmayne – “The Theory of Everything,” “Les Misérables” Jason Segel – “The Five-Year Engagement,” “The Muppets” J.K. Simmons – “Whiplash,” “Juno” Sonny Skyhawk – “Geronimo: An American Legend,” “Young Guns II” Song Kang-ho – “Snowpiercer,” “The Host” Emma Stone – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “The Help” Casting Directors Lucy Bevan – “Cinderella,” “The Hundred-Foot Journey” Victoria Burrows – “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “King Kong” Aisha Coley – “Selma,” “Beyond the Lights” Patricia DiCerto – “Blue Jasmine,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” Mary Hidalgo – “The Lego Movie,” “The Incredibles” Roger Mussenden – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Get Smart” Lucie Robitaille – “Incendies,” “The Barbarian Invasions” Luis San Narciso – “The Skin I Live In,” “The Sea Inside” April Webster – “Tomorrowland,” “Star Trek” Tricia Wood – “Woman in Gold,” “The Lincoln Lawyer” Cinematographers Christopher Blauvelt – “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” “The Bling Ring” Adriano Goldman – “August: Osage County,” “Jane Eyre” Ben Kasulke – “Laggies,” “Safety Not Guaranteed” Ryszard Lenczewski – “Ida,” “Margaret” Jody Lee Lipes – “Ballet 422,” “Martha Marcy May Marlene” Sharone Meir – “Whiplash,” “Mean Creek” Rachel Morrison – “Cake,” “Fruitvale Station” Tristan Oliver – “ParaNorman,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Hoyte Van Hoytema – “Interstellar,” “Her” Roman Vasyanov – “Fury,” “End of Watch” Łukasz Żal – “Ida,” “Joanna” Costume Designers Kasia Walicka Maimone – “Foxcatcher,” “Moonrise Kingdom” Francesca Livia Sartori – “Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy,” “When the Night” Jany Temime – “Gravity,” “Skyfall” Designers Ramsey Avery – “Tomorrowland,” “Star Trek Into Darkness” Gae Buckley – “The Book of Eli,” “He’s Just Not That into You” Keith Brian Burns – “The Best Man Holiday,” “2 Fast 2 Furious” Lester W. Cohen – “Fading Gigolo,” “Cop Land” Suzie Davies – “Mr. Turner,” “The Children” John F. Fenner – “The Phantom of the Opera,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley” Darren Gilford – “Oblivion,” “Tron: Legacy” Derek R. Hill – “Southpaw,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” Bryn Imagire – “Cars 2,” “Up” Dina Lipton – “Baggage Claim,” “Love Hurts” Tatiana Macdonald – “The Imitation Game,” “The Invisible Woman” Dominic Masters – “Woman in Gold,” “Casino Royale” Doug Meerdink – “Jurassic World,” “Ocean’s Thirteen” Chris Spellman – “Paper Towns,” “This Is the End” Patrick Tatopoulos – “300: Rise of an Empire,” “Total Recall” Charlotte Watts – “Mr. Holmes,” “Mr. Turner” Directors Michael Binder – “Black or White,” “Reign over Me” Bong Joon-ho – “Snowpiercer,” “Mother” Niki Caro – “North Country,” “Whale Rider” Damien Chazelle* – “Whiplash,” “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench” Simon Curtis – “Woman in Gold,” “My Week with Marilyn” François Girard – “Silk,” “The Red Violin” F. Gary Gray – “The Italian Job,” “Friday” James Gunn – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Super” Im Kwon-taek – “Chi-Hwa-Seon (Painted Fire),” “Chunhyang” Stan Lathan – “Beat Street,” “Amazing Grace” Malcolm D. Lee* – “The Best Man Holiday,” “The Best Man” Justin Lin – “Fast & Furious 6,” “Better Luck Tomorrow” François Ozon – “Young & Beautiful,” “Swimming Pool” Paweł Pawlikowski* – “Ida,” “My Summer of Love” Kelly Reichardt – “Meek’s Cutoff,” “Wendy and Lucy” Ira Sachs – “Love Is Strange,” “Keep the Lights On” Lynn Shelton – “Laggies,” “Your Sister’s Sister” Abderrahmane Sissako* – “Timbuktu,” “Bamako” Damián Szifron* – “Wild Tales,” “On Probation” Fernando Trueba – “Chico & Rita,” “Belle Epoque” Morten Tyldum – “The Imitation Game,” “Headhunters” Zaza Urushadze – “Tangerines,” “The Guardian” Wayne Wang – “Anywhere but Here,” “The Joy Luck Club” Edgar Wright – “The World’s End,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” Joe Wright – “Anna Karenina,” “Atonement” Andrey Zvyagintsev* – “Leviathan,” “Elena” Documentary Richard Berge – “The Island President,” “The Rape of Europa” Mathilde Bonnefoy* – “CitizenFour,” “The Invisibles” Emad Burnat – “5 Broken Cameras” Guy Davidi – “5 Broken Cameras,” “Interrupted Streams” Geralyn Dreyfous – “The Square,” “The Invisible War” Lewis Erskine – “Free Angela: And All Political Prisoners,” “Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple” Shana Hagan – “Misconception,” “This Film Is Not Yet Rated” Tony Hardmon – “Detropia,” “Semper Fi: Always Faithful” Leonard Retel Helmrich – “Position among the Stars,” “Shape of the Moon” Pirjo Honkasalo – “The 3 Rooms of Melancholia,” “Atman” Judy Irving – “Pelican Dreams,” “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill” Robert Kenner – “Merchants of Doubt,” “Food, Inc.” Marc Levin – “Mr. Untouchable,” “The Last Party” Jesse Moss – “The Overnighters,” “Full Battle Rattle” Pratibha Parmar – “Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth,” “A Place of Rage” Paula DuPre’ Pesmen – “Keep On Keepin’ On,” “The Cove” Gordon Quinn – “Life Itself,” “Hoop Dreams” Kim Roberts – “Waiting for ‘Superman’,” “Lost Boys of Sudan” Richard Rowley – “Dirty Wars,” “The Fourth World War” João Moreira Salles – “Santiago,” “Entreatos (Intermissions)” Ondi Timoner – “We Live in Public,” “Dig!” Executives Carolyn Blackwood Robbie Brenner Lia Buman Steve Burke David Fenkel Mellody Hobson Brian Keane Steven Paul O’Dell Jim Orr Mark Rachesky Ted Sarandos Jeff Shell Film Editors Craig Alpert – “Pitch Perfect 2,” “Pineapple Express” Mick Audsley – “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” “Dirty Pretty Things” Pablo Barbieri – “Wild Tales,” “La Antena (The Aerial)” Nadia Ben Rachid – “Timbuktu,” “Bamako” Kristina Boden – “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” “Cake” Mathilde Bonnefoy* – “CitizenFour,” “Run Lola Run” Julian Clarke – “Chappie,” “District 9” Douglas Crise – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Babel” Tom Cross – “Whiplash,” “Any Day Now” Jinx Godfrey – “The Theory of Everything,” “Man on Wire” Robert Grahamjones – “Brave,” “Ratatouille” Masahiro Hirakubo – “Virunga,” “The Duchess” Jarosław Kamiński – “Ida,” “Aftermath (Pokłosie)” William Kerr – “Bridesmaids,” “I Love You, Man” Nico Leunen – “Lost River,” “The Broken Circle Breakdown” Mike McCusker – “Get On Up,” “3:10 to Yuma” Tim Mertens – “Big Hero 6,” “Wreck-It Ralph” Barney Pilling – “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “An Education” David Rennie – “22 Jump Street,” “Office Space” Gary D. Roach – “American Sniper,” “Prisoners” Michael L. Sale – “We’re the Millers,” “Bridesmaids” Stephen Schaffer – “Cars 2,” “WALL-E” Job ter Burg – “Borgman,” “Winter in Wartime” Peter Teschner – “St. Vincent,” “Horrible Bosses” Tara Timpone – “Friends with Kids,” “Bad Teacher” Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Frida S. Aradottir – “August: Osage County,” “A Serious Man” Victoria Down – “Big Eyes,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Frances Hannon – “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The King’s Speech” Todd Kleitsch – “Run All Night,” “Black Swan” Dennis Liddiard – “Foxcatcher,” “Jobs” Jerry Popolis – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Noah” Janine Rath-Thompson – “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Bridesmaids” Johnny Villanueva – “The Gambler,” “The Fighter” David White – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “La Vie en Rose” Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “An Education” Members-at-Large Andy Armstrong Wayne Billheimer Kevin Brownlow Simon Crane Debbie Denise Jeff Habberstad Andy Hendrickson Elissa M. Rashkin Loparco Guido Quaroni Nicole Scalise Steven J. Scott Leon D. Silverman Gregg Smrz Lynda Ellenshaw Thompson Steve Venezia Music Tyler Bates – “John Wick,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” Alex Gibson – “Interstellar,” “The Dark Knight” Jonny Greenwood – “Inherent Vice,” “The Master” Dave Grusin – “Skating to New York,” “The Firm” Alex Heffes – “Love and Honor,” “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” Lisa Jaime – “Annie,” “Rock of Ages” Jóhann Jóhannsson – “The Theory of Everything,” “Prisoners” Laura Karpman – “States of Grace,” “Black Nativity” Christopher Lennertz – “The Wedding Ringer,” “Horrible Bosses” Lonnie Lynn – “Selma,” “Freedom Writers” Chris McGeary – “Jersey Boys,” “RoboCop” Sergio Mendes – “Rio 2,” “Rio” Daniel Pinder – “Big Hero 6,” “Captain Phillips” Trent Reznor – “Gone Girl,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Atticus Ross – “Love & Mercy,” “The Social Network” John Stephens – “Selma,” “Django Unchained” Marc Streitenfeld – “Poltergeist,” “Prometheus” Erica Weis – “Spy,” “The Heat” Gary Yershon – “Mr. Turner,” “Another Year” Producers Caroline Baron – “Capote,” “Monsoon Wedding” Effie T. Brown – “Dear White People,” “Real Women Have Curves” Terence Chang – “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale,” “Face/Off” Wyck Godfrey – “The Fault in Our Stars,” “Twilight” Jeremy Kleiner – “Selma,” “12 Years a Slave” Pamela Koffler – “Still Alice,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” Gina Kwon – “Camp X-Ray,” “Me and You and Everyone We Know” Dan Lin – “The Lego Movie,” “Sherlock Holmes” Eric Newman – “RoboCop,” “Children of Men” Bruna Papandrea – “Wild,” “All Good Things” Lydia Dean Pilcher – “Cutie and the Boxer,” “The Darjeeling Limited” Rebecca Yeldham – “On the Road,” “The Kite Runner” Public Relations Jennifer Allen Asad Ayaz Dawn Baillie Andrew Bernstein Liz Biber Mara Buxbaum Lee Ginsberg R. Jeff Hill Michelle Hooper Chris Libby Susan Norget Lewis Oberlander Gordon Paddison Elias Plishner David Pollick Weiman Seid LeeAnne Stables Ryan Stankevich Bonnie Voland Short Films and Feature Animation Alan Barillaro – “Brave,” “WALL-E” Kristine Belson – “The Croods,” “How to Train Your Dragon” Darlie Brewster – “Curious George,” “The Prince of Egypt” Roy Conli – “Big Hero 6,” “Tangled” Ronnie Del Carmen – “Up,” “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” Paul A. Felix – “Big Hero 6,” “Lilo & Stitch” Michael Fukushima – “Me and My Moulton,” “Dimanche/Sunday” Don Hall – “Big Hero 6,” “Winnie the Pooh” Talkhon Hamzavi – “Parvaneh,” “Taub” Hu Wei – “Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” “Le Propriétaire” Jin Kim – “Big Hero 6,” “Bolt” Mat Kirkby – “The Phone Call,” “Hard to Swallow” David Kneupper – “Alex and Sylvia,” “The Civil War in 4 Minutes” Michael Lennox – “Boogaloo and Graham,” “The Back of Beyond” Fabio Lignini – “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” “Puss in Boots” James Lucas – “The Phone Call” Patrick Osborne – “Feast,” “Paperman” Jerome Ranft – “Toy Story 3,” “Ratatouille” Jim Reardon – “Wreck-It Ralph,” “WALL-E” Kristina Reed – “Feast,” “Paperman” Jason Reisig – “Home,” “Shrek Forever After” Nicolas Schmerkin – “Habana,” “Logorama” Anthony Stacchi – “The Boxtrolls,” “Open Season” Isao Takahata – “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” “Grave of the Fireflies” Michael Thurmeier – “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” “No Time for Nuts” Marlon West – “Frozen,” “The Princess and the Frog” Sound Ray Beckett – “Zero Dark Thirty,” “The Hurt Locker” Odin Benitez – “Frozen,” “Silver Linings Playbook” Ron Bochar – “Mortdecai,” “Moneyball” Jason Canovas – “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” “World War Z” Thomas Curley – “Whiplash,” “The Spectacular Now” Michael Dressel – “American Sniper,” “Interstellar” Mary H. Ellis – “Vacation,” “Prisoners” Stephanie Flack – “Jupiter Ascending,” “Ender’s Game” Martín Hernández – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful” Dean Humphreys – “Taken 3,” “The Pianist” William Johnston – Vice President of Engineering, Formosa Group Shawn Jones – “Iron Man 3,” “Drive” Daniel Laurie – “Inside Out,” “Big Hero 6” David Lee – “Unbroken,” “The Matrix” Craig Mann – “Dope,” “Whiplash” Kyrsten Mate – “Tomorrowland,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” Shannon J. Mills – “Inside Out,” “Big Hero 6” Bryan K. Pennington – “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Promised Land” Juan P. Peralta – “Tomorrowland,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” John Ross – “Danny Collins,” “American Hustle” Peter Staubli – “San Andreas,” “Skyfall” Mark Taylor – “Edge of Tomorrow,” “Captain Phillips” Addison Teague – “Big Hero 6,” “The Amazing Spider-Man” Jon Title – “San Andreas,” “The Divergent Series: Insurgent” Thomas Varga – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “The Immigrant” Ben Wilkins – “Whiplash,” “Star Trek” Visual Effects Nicolas Aithadi – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “X-Men: First Class” Daniel Barrett – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” Stephane Ceretti – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Cloud Atlas” Paul Corbould – “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” Tim Crosbie – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “The Wolverine” Dan DeLeeuw – “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Iron Man 3” Sean Faden – “Fast & Furious 6,” “Let Me In” Joe Farrell – “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Hereafter” Scott R. Fisher – “Interstellar,” “The Dark Knight Rises” Chris Harvey – “Chappie,” “Fast & Furious 6” Alex Jaeger – “Tomorrowland,” “Marvel’s The Avengers” Matt Kutcher – “Focus,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” Andrew Lockley – “Interstellar,” “Inception” Gray Marshall – “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” Carl Miller – “Jurassic World,” “Elysium” David Nakabayashi – “Tomorrowland,” “Avatar” Rocco Passionino – “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Spider-Man 2” Lou Pecora – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Cary Phillips – “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Ellen Poon – “Frozen,” “Inception” Edwin Rivera – “22 Jump Street,” “Moneyball” Cameron Waldbauer – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Elysium” Erik Winquist – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “Avatar” Writers Armando Bo – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful” Damien Chazelle* – “Whiplash,” “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench” Álex de la Iglesia – “El Crimen Perfecto,” “The Day of the Beast” Rick Famuyiwa – “Dope,” “The Wood” Maya Forbes – “Infinitely Polar Bear,” “Monsters vs Aliens” E. Max Frye – “Foxcatcher,” “Something Wild” Nicolás Giacobone – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful” Dan Gilroy – “Nightcrawler,” “The Bourne Legacy” Jorge Guerricaechevarría – “Cell 211,” “The Day of the Beast” Rita Hsiao – “Toy Story 2,” “Mulan” Simon Kinberg – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Sherlock Holmes” Malcolm D. Lee* – “The Best Man Holiday,” “The Best Man” Christopher Markus – “Thor: The Dark World,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” Stephen McFeely – “Thor: The Dark World,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” Graham Moore – “The Imitation Game” Paweł Pawlikowski* – “Ida,” “My Summer of Love” Abderrahmane Sissako* – “Timbuktu,” “Bamako” Damián Szifron* – “Wild Tales,” “On Probation” Kessen Tall – “Timbuktu” Tyger Williams – “The Perfect Guy,” “Menace II Society” Andrey Zvyagintsev* – “Leviathan,” “Elena” Associates Victoria Belfrage Josh Braun Wayne Fitterman Sharon Jackson Patricia Keighley Cliff Roberts Elyse Scherz James Toth Bart Walker Seven individuals (noted above by an asterisk) have been invited to join the Academy by multiple branches.  These individuals must select one branch upon accepting membership. Each year, each Academy member may sponsor one candidate for membership within their branch.  New member application reviews take place in the spring.  Applications for the coming year must be received by March 24, 2016. New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception in September.  

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  • Harry Potter Star Tom Felton to be Honored at 45th Giffoni Film Festival

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    Harry Potter Star Tom Felton to be Honored at 45th Giffoni Film Festival Tom Felton, the British actor, best known for his portrayal of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series, will receive the “Giffoni Experience Award” at the 45th Giffoni Film Festival, which runs July 17 – 26 in Giffoni Valle Piana (Sa). The star began acting when he was eight years old and his early film roles included playing Peagreen Clock in Peter Hewitt’s The Borrowers (1997) and playing Jodie Foster’s son in Andy Tennant’s Anna and the King (1999). In 2001 he landed the role of Draco Malfoy, the enemy of Harry Potter, in the highly successful Harry Potter saga (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire(2005), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)). His work as Draco earned him Best Villain Awards at the 2010 and 2011 MTV Movie Awards and a Best Cast Award, along with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards. Felton’s additional credits include Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) by Rupert Wyatt, From the Rough (2013) by Pierre Bagley, Belle (2013) by Amma Asante, and Against the Sun (2014) by Brian Falk. In 2016, he will return to the big screen in Risen helmed by Kevin Reynolds and co-starring Joseph Fiennes, Peter Firth, and Cliff Curtis.

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  • “Big Gold Dream: Scottish Post-Punk and Infiltrating the Mainstream” Wins Audience Award at 2015 Edinburgh International Film Festival

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    2015 Edinburgh International Film Festival  Big Gold Dream: Scottish Post-Punk and Infiltrating the Mainstream The music documentary, “Big Gold Dream: Scottish Post-Punk and Infiltrating the Mainstream” directed by Grant McPhee won the Audience Award at the 2015 Edinburgh International Film Festival. In the late 1970s, from a tenement flat in Edinburgh, Bob Last and Hilary Morrison operated their record label Fast Product. A predecessor to Rough Trade and Factory Records, Fast Product quickly became the hub for a group of ground-breakingly talented musicians. This documentary is the previously untold story of a post-punk/indie music scene that reverberated from Edinburgh, throughout the UK and beyond. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnIABfda40o The Top Five films, as voted by the public were:
    1. Big Gold Dream: Scottish Post-Punk and Infiltrating the Mainstream (Grant McPhee)
    2. Desert Dancer (Richard Raymond)
    3. The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Marielle Heller)
    4. Love & Mercy (Bill Pohlad)
    5. Amy (Asif Kapadia)
    https://vimeo.com/128064710 Image: Big Gold Dream: Vic Godard, Malcolm Ross, Douglas MacIntyre, Ken McCluskey, Grant McPhee, Erik Sandberg, Innes Reekie, June 19, EIFF 2015. by Rob O’Donnell, © EIFF

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  • ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL and HARRY & SNOWMAN Win Awards at 20th Nantucket Film Festival

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    ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, and Ron Davis’ HARRY & SNOWMAN won for Best Documentary Feature at the 20th Nantucket Film Festival (NFF).  Eric Rockey’s PINK BOY won the Audience Award for Best Short. The Audience Award Best Film runner up was animated comedy SHAUN THE SHEEP THE MOVIE, written & directed by Richard Starzak & Mark Burton. Kristen Dávila’s COUNTERINTELLIGENCE received the top prize as the winner of the Feature Screenplay Competition. The Television Pilot nods went to Estella Gabriel for ICE and to Jonathan Schwartz for SOLD. Kristen Dávila’s COUNTERINTELLIGENCE, a political satire set in Pakistan involving the CIA, a budding jihadist group, and an indebted gambler who plays the two off one another in an attempt to save his own neck. Dávila receives $5000 cash prize and one of only four coveted spots to participate in partner organization the Screenwriters Colony month-long writing retreat in October. NFF recognizes the remarkable renaissance on the small screen through two Television Pilot Competitions, one for Hour-Long Pilots and the other for Half-Hour Pilots. Both winners receive a $1000 cash prize, as well as a consultation with a Showtime executive. The Half-Hour Television Pilot winner is SOLD by Jonathan Schwartz, which is set in a fine-arts auction house. The Hour-Long Television Pilot winner is ICE by Estella Gabriel, which details the conflicts and violence faced by a border patrol agent. The Short Screenplay Competition winner is MORE COW BELL by Andy Nellis, a dark portrait of a farm family. Nellis receives a $500 cash prize. The winner of the Best Screenwriting in a Short Film Award, given to an exceptional short film featured in this year’s festival, went to writer/director Shaka King and writer Kristan Sprague for MULIGNANS. The Festival’s Teen View Jury Award, selected by a group of Nantucket junior high school students, went to BIRTHDAY, written & directed by Chris King. Earlier this weekend, the winner of the ninth annual Adrienne Shelly Foundation Excellence in Filmmaking Award was announced, which bestows a cash prize to a female filmmaker in honor of the late director. The award went to director Crystal Moselle for her acclaimed debut documentary, THE WOLFPACK.

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