TANGERINE director Sean Baker, cast members James Ransone (TV’s “The Wire”), Mya Taylor, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, along with special surprise guests are all set to celebrate their hit film TANGERINE at the 45th Annual NYC Pride March on Sunday, April 28th. Later that evening, TANGERINE will make its New York debut as the closing night film of BAMcinemaFEST.
TANGERINE premiered at Sundance to critical acclaim and will hit theaters on July 10th
Shot on the iPhone 5s, the stars of the film, Taylor and Rodriguez, are trans actresses playing trans characters.
About the TANGERINE float, Baker says, “We’re excited, honored and ‘proud’ to be part of NYC Pride! Party time!”
At NYC Pride, the cast and crew of TANGERINE will celebrate trans pride, a movement that is getting its overdue public acknowledgment. Spinning on the float will be trans DJ Mursi Layne.
Jere Keys of NYC Pride says of TANGERINE’s participation, “We’re thrilled to have TANGERINE join with over 350 groups who will be marching in this historic year, especially as the film further highlights the amazing diversity of people and issues represented by NYC Pride.”
The first March was held in 1970 and has since become an annual civil rights demonstration. Over the years its purpose has broadened to include recognition of the fight against AIDS and to remember those we have lost to illness, violence and neglect. Magnolia Pictures and cast and crew of TANGERINE are proud to help this tradition endure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALSwWTb88ZU
Image: Actors Mya Taylor, James Ransone and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez; Photo Courtesy of OUT-
Cast & Crew of TANGERINE to Celebrate Trans Pride at NYC Pride March | TRAILER
TANGERINE director Sean Baker, cast members James Ransone (TV’s “The Wire”), Mya Taylor, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, along with special surprise guests are all set to celebrate their hit film TANGERINE at the 45th Annual NYC Pride March on Sunday, April 28th. Later that evening, TANGERINE will make its New York debut as the closing night film of BAMcinemaFEST.
TANGERINE premiered at Sundance to critical acclaim and will hit theaters on July 10th
Shot on the iPhone 5s, the stars of the film, Taylor and Rodriguez, are trans actresses playing trans characters.
About the TANGERINE float, Baker says, “We’re excited, honored and ‘proud’ to be part of NYC Pride! Party time!”
At NYC Pride, the cast and crew of TANGERINE will celebrate trans pride, a movement that is getting its overdue public acknowledgment. Spinning on the float will be trans DJ Mursi Layne.
Jere Keys of NYC Pride says of TANGERINE’s participation, “We’re thrilled to have TANGERINE join with over 350 groups who will be marching in this historic year, especially as the film further highlights the amazing diversity of people and issues represented by NYC Pride.”
The first March was held in 1970 and has since become an annual civil rights demonstration. Over the years its purpose has broadened to include recognition of the fight against AIDS and to remember those we have lost to illness, violence and neglect. Magnolia Pictures and cast and crew of TANGERINE are proud to help this tradition endure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALSwWTb88ZU
Image: Actors Mya Taylor, James Ransone and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez; Photo Courtesy of OUT
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WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? Wins AFI DOCS 2015
WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? directed by Liz Garbus (THE FARM: ANGOLA, USA) won the Audience Award for Best Feature at AFI DOCS 2015 in Washington, DC. This year’s Audience Award for Best Short went to A CONVERSATION WITH MY BLACK SON directed by Blair Foster (TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, co-producer) and Geeta Gandbhir (BY THE PEOPLE: THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA, editor).
WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE?
Nina Simone earned her moniker as the “High Priestess of Soul.” Trained as a classical pianist in North Carolina when racism was open and rampant, Simone drew upon her struggles as she became one of jazz music’s most beloved and complex figures. Director Liz Garbus offers access into Simone’s most intimate thoughts through her own words as the influential chanteuse became a leading voice for the civil rights movement of the late 1960s. Despite her enormous talent, however, Simone battled worsening demons that ultimately drove her into a life of seclusion in Liberia and France.
A CONVERSATION WITH MY BLACK SON
The short film features a group of racially diverse parents discussing the importance of having a conversation with their young black sons about racism and interacting with the police.
AFI DOCS attendees included America’s greatest documentary filmmakers, including Alex Gibney, Barbara Kopple, Stanley Nelson and Morgan Neville.
National leaders in attendance included White House Cabinet Secretary and Chair of MBK Task Force Broderick Johnson, U.S. Representative Steve Cohen, U.S. Representative Ted Lieu, civil rights leader Julian Bond, former U.S. Representative Mary Bono, Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony S. Fauci and former Governor of West Virginia and President of the Alliance for Excellent Education Bob Wise.
Global leaders at AFI DOCS included the Ambassador of Kuwait H.E. Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Ambassador of Jordan Dr. Alia Hatoug Bouran, Ambassador of Lebanon Antoine Chedid and Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Anne Patterson.
Joining the opinion leaders were distinguished journalists: Executive Producer of PBS’s FRONTLINE Raney Aronson-Rath, Margaret Brennan of CBS News, The Atlantic’s Steve Clemons and Ta-Nehisi Coates, former ABC News anchor Sam Donaldson, Bloomberg View’s Al Hunt and PBS NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff.
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LEARNING TO DRIVE Wins Top Award at 2015 Provincetown International Film Festival
LEARNING TO DRIVE directed by Isabel Coixet won the HBO Audience Award / Best Narrative Feature, and PACKED IN A TRUNK: THE LOST ART OF EDITH LAKE WILKINSON directed by Michelle Boyaner won the HBO Audience Award / Best Documentary Feature at the 2015 Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF).
In LEARNING TO DRIVE, starring Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kinsley, a recently divorced book editor, on a path to self-sufficiency, and her driving instructor, a soft-spoken taxi driver from India on the verge of an arranged marriage, connect over their mutual anxieties.
In 1924 artist Edith Lake Wilkinson was committed to an asylum and never heard from again.PACKED IN A TRUNK: THE LOST ART OF EDITH LAKE WILKINSON follows Edith’s great-niece, Emmy Award winning writer and director Jane Anderson, on her journey to find the answers to the mystery of Edith’s buried life.
The complete list of awards and winners of the 2015 Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF)
– HBO Audience Award / Best Narrative Feature: LEARNING TO DRIVE directed by Isabel Coixet
– HBO Audience Award / Best Documentary Feature: PACKED IN A TRUNK: THE LOST ART OF EDITH LAKE WILKINSON directed by Michelle Boyaner
– The John Schlesinger Award, presented to a first time documentary and narrative feature filmmaker: BREATHE, directed by Mélanie Laurent (narrative) and OUTERMOST RADIO directed by Alan Chebot (documentary)
– HBO Short Documentary Award: THE FACE OF UKRAINE: CASTING OKSANA BAIUL directed by Kitty Green
– Jury Award / Best Narrative Short Film: MYRNA THE MONSTER directed by Ian Samuels
– Jury Award / Best Animated Short Film: SYMPHONY NO. 42 directed by Réka Bucsi
– Jury Award / Best New England Short Film: AWESOME_FCK directed by Isaak James
– Jury Award / Student Short Film: SHARE directed by Pippa Bianco
The Short Film Jury consisted of documentary filmmaker Jeff Dupre, producer Laura Heberton and Mark Elijah Rosenberg, founder and artistic director of Rooftop Films.
The festival also announced the dates for next year’s event as June 15-19, 2016.
Bobcat Goldthwait was presented with the 2015 Filmmaker on the Edge Award in conversation with PIFF resident artist John Waters at Town Hall on Saturday night. Jennifer Coolidge received the Faith Hubley Career Achievement Award in conversation with film critic and professor B. Ruby Rich.
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GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME Documentary to Premiere on CNN on June 28 | TRAILER
Glen Campbell’s extraordinary life and musical legacy are explored in a critically-acclaimed film to be exclusively broadcast on CNN/U.S. on Sunday, June 28. CNN Films Presents: GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME will be presented with limited commercial interruptions on the network at 9:00pm, with an encore at 10:48pm Eastern and is sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company.
The film explores Campbell’s brave decision to go public with his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in 2011. After receiving the devastating diagnosis, together with his wife Kim, Campbell decided to complete one last album and say farewell to his fans in a final tour that expanded from the original five-week goodbye to fans, to 151 sold out shows over 18 months.
In association with the CNN Films Presents broadcast, CNN.com has created and curated content related to Alzheimer’s disease and its impact on people and families. There are medical facts about the disease, a digital short film about one man’s ‘cruel journey’ with Alzheimer’s, and a look into Glen Campbell’s experience through excerpts of the film. CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will report for a digital series on the latest progress in Alzheimer’s research. The special content can be found by visiting www.cnn.com/glencampbell. Also preceding the film’s broadcast, Glen Campbell’s wife, Kim Campbell and CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen will answer questions on Facebook at 12:00pm Eastern on Friday, June 26. Facebook users can connect with both of them with their questions about the disease, and the challenges facing families and loved ones with relatives suffering from Alzheimer’s, via www.Facebook.com/CNN.
The film captures this amazing journey that included a stop in Washington, DC, where the Campbell family testified before Congress and lobbied members for more research funding for a cure – meeting with House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, among others.
A custom public service message about advances in Alzheimer’s medical research will follow the presentation of the film. CNN’s Impact Your World will gather resources for families and sufferers of Alzheimer’s online at www.cnn.com/impact.
This portrait of the extraordinary five-time Grammy Award®-winning artist also includes cameos with a wide array of dynamic artists including Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton, Paul McCartney, The Edge, Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea, John Carter Cash, Sheryl Crow, The Band Perry, Keith Urban, Larry Gatlin, and Brad Paisley, as they comment on Campbell’s legacy and how his inspiration for their work. Archival footage in the film captures some of the ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’s’ most remarkable performances and appearances including Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, and the Beach Boys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAQK8FZSLbw
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South Korean Thriller A HARD DAY to Open in US on Friday July 17 | TRAILER
A HARD DAY, the South Korean thriller written and directed by Kim Seong-hun, will open in the US on Friday July 17, 2015 in New York at Village East Cinemas with a national release to follow by KINO LORBER. A HARD DAY, an official selection at Cannes Film Festival 2014 (Director’s Fortnight), Toronto International Film Festival 2014, and London Film Festival 2014, stars Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Jin-woong, Jeong Man-sik, Shin Jung-keun and Jang In-sub.
Homicide detective Geon-soo Go is having a hard day: in less than 24 hours, he receives a divorce notice from his wife, his mother passes away, and along with his coworkers, he becomes the focus of a police investigation over alleged embezzlement. Making things worse, on his way to his mother’s funeral, Geon-soo commits a fatal hit and run and then, desperately tries to hide the accident by hiding the man’s corpse in his deceased mother’s coffin. But when Geon-soo gets a mysterious call from a person claiming to be the sole witness of the crime, he realizes that someone has been watching him all along.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMHH08BRAOg
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The Coffee Documentary CAFFEINATED Opens Nationwide on July 14th | TRAILER
Do you want to learn the story behind your morning Joe? From seed to mug, coffee, and the process by which it is created, has shaped the lives of thousands of individuals worldwide. The feature documentary CAFFEINATED directed by Hanh Nguyen and Vishal Solanki will open nationwide on July 14th.
Working with Geoff Watts, famous green-buyer, the filmmakers travel to America’s most populous coffee-drinking cities and to producing countries, interviewing connoisseurs and farmers alike. With a focus on the social and cultural landscape of coffee, Caffeinated gives the coffee consumer unprecedented access to the farmers responsible for growing that perfect bean, and the producers responsible for brewing that perfect cup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W73LntppUs
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Kimberly Levin’s RUNOFF Starring Joanne Kelly in Theaters June 26 | TRAILER
RUNOFF, the debut narrative feature film from biochemist turned playwright, filmmaker Kimberly Levin, will open in theaters on June 26th from Monterey Media. RUNOFF stars Joanne Kelly (Warehouse 13, Hostages), Alex Shaffer (Win, Win, Lifeguard) , Neal Huff (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, The Wire),Kivlighan De Montebello (A Scientist’s Guide to Living and Dying, Celebrity Ghose Stories), Tom Bower (Independent Spirit Award nominee, Crazy Heart, Die Hard 2),Darlene Hunt (The Big C, Good Morning Miami).
The beauty of the land cannot mask the brutality of a farm town. As harvest draws near, Betty confronts a terrifying new reality and will go to desperate lengths to save her family when they are threatened with being forced from their land. An old friend, struggling to keep his own farm profitable by any means necessary—offers Betty a way out. She refuses to get involved, but as the pressures mount for her family and they are on the brink of eviction, her husband, Frank, reveals that he is seriously ill. How far will one to go to take care of one’s own? Recalling all that is heartland Americana, this film combines an ecological urgency with a compelling yet sensitive story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yZazxohlo0
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African Filmmakers Selected for Talents Durban 2015 at Durban International Film Festival
The 36th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) announced the participants of the 8th edition of Talents Durban, presented in cooperation with the Berlinale Talents an initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival. Talents Durban is a five day development programme made up of workshops and seminars for African filmmakers delivered by film professionals, academics and intellectuals. The Talents, who are selected through a rigorous application process, will also have the opportunity to attend screenings and events at the Festival.
Talents Durban 2015 is one of the 6 Talents International programs formed by Berlinale Talents in Africa and around the world including Talents Beirut in Lebanon, Talents Buenos Aires in Argentina, Talents Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Talents Tokyo in Japan and Talents Guadalajara in Mexico.
40 filmmakers from 10 countries across the continent including South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Zambia and Cameron will be in attendance.
The following are the selected participants of Talents: Oluwakemi Adesoye (Nigeria), Ssenkumba Adnan (Uganda), Lawrence Agbetsise (Ghana), Isabella Akinseye (Nigeria), Kassim Braimah (Nigeria), Bentley Brown (Tunisia), Lucky Nhlanhla Cele (South Africa), Karien Cherry (South Africa), Joanne Corrigall (South Africa), Angeline Dimingo (Zimbabwe), Daniel Ecwalu (Uganda), Daniella Esua (Nigeria), Polani Fourie (South Africa), Mehluli Hikwa (Zimbabwe), Benjamin Johnson (South Africa), Njata Joseph (Rwanda), Andrew Kaggwa (Uganda), Joel Kapungwe (Zambia) Godisamang Khunou (South Africa), Trent Kok (South Africa), Makundi Lambani (South Africa), Sheetal Megan (South Africa), Theoline Maphutha (South Africa), Francisca Meyer (South Africa), Ali Mwangola (Kenya), Samantha Nell (South Africa), Simphiwe Ngcobo (South Africa), John Nyoka (South Africa), Roselidah Obala (Kenya), Agbor Obed (Cameroon), Temotope Ogun (Nigeria), Olawale Oluwadahunsi (Nigeria), Kennedy Omoro (Kenya),Osei Owusu Banahene (Ghana), Davashni Rajoo (South Africa), Charne Simpson (South Africa), Samson Ssenkaaba (Unganda), Tendai Charles Tshuma (South Africa), Amy Van Den Houten (South Africa), Mark Wambui (Kenya).
Presented under the theme Start Motion, Talents Durban 2015 aims to boost the already rising flow of current filmmaking in Africa, and to encourage filmmakers on the continent to share their stories through their own cultured lens. Participants interact with over 600 delegates of DIFF and Durban FilmMart, the co-production and finance forum which takes place from July 17 to 20 at the festival. Selected participants get to be part of numerous project-oriented, hands on skills development programs. Practical development programmes within Talents Durban include Talent Press, Script Station and Doc Station.
Script station is a script development programme for short films which pairs four writers with script editors who assist in clarifying story and getting to an advanced draft of their script. Our participants this year are John Nyoka, Mark Wambui, Quwakemi Adesoye and Polani Fourie. The mentors for the programme are Tracey Dearham-Rainers and Karima Effendi.
Talent Press is presented in cooperation with Fipresci, an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world which lobbies for the promotion and development of film culture. The programme invites four critics to cover the films and events of the Durban International Film festival for online and print publication. Talent press has four participants and they are Andrew Kaggwa, Oluwale Oluwadahunsi, Isabella Akinseye and Kennedy Omoro. They will be mentored by film writers/reviewers Sarah Dawson, Oris Aigbokhaevbolo, Debashine Thangevelo and Shaibu Hussein.
DOC station selects three documentary projects in development for coaching and mentoring towards participation in a public pitch at the DFM’s pitching forum, The African Pitch. Participants are given mentoring prior to the pitching and during preparations at the festival. Doc Station participants are Bentley Brown, Sheetal Megan and Tendayi Tshuma and the producer mentor is Odette Geldenhuys. They will receive additional mentorship from Andy Jones, Jihan El Tahri and Khalo Matabane.
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‘Out of My Hand’ ‘Flocken’ Among Winners of Los Angeles Film Festival
The Los Angeles Film Festival announced the winners of the 2015 Festival at the Awards Cocktail Reception. The Festival hosts juried awards for U.S. Fiction, World Fiction, Documentary, Zeitgeist, LA Muse, and Nightfall, as well as Best Short Fiction and Best Short Documentary. Audience awards are presented to Best Fiction Feature Film, Best Documentary Feature Film, Best Short Film and Best Web Series.
“Our mission includes connecting filmmakers with the industry so we are grateful to our jurists for lending their time and expertise,” said Stephanie Allain, Festival Director. “Congratulations to all the winners!”
The U.S. Fiction Award went to Takeshi Fukunaga for Out of My Hand (pictured above), which made its North American Premiere at the Festival.
The World Fiction Award went to Beata Gårdeler for Flocken, which made its North American Premiere at the Festival.
The Documentary Award went to Mo-Young Jin for My Love, Don’t Cross That River, which made its North American Premiere at the Festival.
The LA Muse Award was given to Delila Vallot for Can You Dig This, which had its World Premiere at the Festival.
The inaugural Nightfall Award went to Viet Nguyen for Crush the Skull, which had its World Premiere at the Festival.
Also newly established this year, the Zeitgeist Award was given to Bradley Kaplan for Stealing Cars, which also had its World Premiere at the Festival.
The Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature Film went to POCHA (Manifest Destiny), directed by Michael Dwyer and co-directed by Kaitlin McLaughlin. The Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature Film was a tie, and was given to two films: I Am Thalente, directed by Natalie Johns, and Be Here Now, directed by Lilibet Foster.
The Award for Best Short Fiction went to Drama, directed by Tian Guan. The Award for Best Short Documentary went to Dolphin Lover, directed by Kareem Tabsch. The Audience Award for Best Short Film went to In Her Place, directed by Kevin Hamedani. The Audience Award for Best Web Series went to The Genderton Project, directed by Anna Martemucci and Victor Quinaz.
A number of Special Awards were also given across categories. The Documentary jury awarded a special mention to The Babushkas of Chernobyl, directed by Holly Morris and Anne Bogart. The World Fiction jury awarded special mentions to White Moss, directed by Vladimir Tumaev, and Ayanda and the Mechanic, directed by Sara Blecher. The Nightfall jury awarded a special mention toCrumbs, directed by Miguel Llansó, and a special jury “high five” to Dude Bro Party Massacre III, directed by Michael Rousselet,Tomm Jacobsen, Jon Salmon and Joey Scoma. The LA Muse jury awarded a special mention to Elsa Biedermann for her role as a supporting actress in French Dirty, directed by Wade Allain-Marcus and Jesse Allain-Marcus. The Zeitgeist jury awarded a special mention to Pocha (Manifest Destiny), directed by Michael Dwyer and co-directed by Kaitlin McLaughlin.
Also announced during the Festival at the Film Independent Fast Track finance market were two Alfred P. Sloan Grants given to films that engage with science and technology themes and characters. The Alfred P. Sloan Fast Track Grant was awarded to writer/director Elena Greenlee and producer Márcia Nunes for their project Dark Forest. The grant includes a $20,000 production grant and year-round support from Film Independent. Film Independent’s inaugural Alfred P. Sloan Distribution Grant was awarded to Michael Almereyda’s Experimenter, produced by Uri Singer, Fabio Golombek, Isen Robbins, and Aimee Schoof. The filmmakers will receive $50,000 in funds to support the release of the film, which will be released by Magnolia Pictures in October.
This year marked the second year of a special collaboration with Funny Or Die for the Make ’em LAFF internet talent competition to discover content creators of color and underrepresented voices who specialize in comedy. The winner was selected by a jury comprised of comedians Jason Mantzoukas (Kroll Show, Parks and Recreation), Beth Stelling (@midnight, Jimmy Kimmel Live!) andRon Funches (Kroll Show, Undateable) as well as Film Independent curator Elvis Mitchell. The winner is Marisha Mukerjee’s Open House. Marisha will have her next video produced by Funny Or Die.
Grants were also awarded to Imani Peterkin and Maya Suchak, winners of the Ed Elias Future Filmmaker Grant for Best Narrative Film for Falling, Grace Hoffman and Michelle Miles, winners of the Ed Elias Future Filmmaker Grant for Best Documentary Filmfor Beatrix, and Katie Speare, winner of the Ed Elias Future Filmmaker Grant for Best Animated or Experimental Film for Mask.Special Mentions were also awarded to Sour Lemonade for Narrative Film, Curt Lowens: A Life of Changes for Documentary Filmand How Do You Pronounce Pho? for Animated or Experimental Film.
The Los Angeles Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday, June 10 with the LA Premiere of Paul Weitz’s Grandma and will close tomorrow with a Live Read of Fast Times at Ridgemont High directed by Eli Roth. Gala Screenings included the World Premiere of the new television series Scream, Todd Strauss-Schulson’s The Final Girls and Benson Lee’s Seoul Searching. The 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival Guest Director was Rodrigo García; the recipient of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award wasGale Anne Hurd, this year’s Spirit of Independence Award was bestowed upon Lily Tomlin. The Los Angeles Film Festival is a qualifying festival in all categories for the Film Independent Spirit Awards and for the Narrative and Animated Short Film categories at the Academy Awards.
Awards were given out in the following categories:
U.S. Fiction Award
Winner: Out of My Hand, directed by Takeshi Fukunaga
Screenwriter: Takeshi Fukunaga, Donari Braxton
Producer: Donari Braxton, Mike Fox
Cast: Bishop Blay, Zenobia Taylor, Duke Murphy Dennis, David Roberts, Shelley Molad
Film Description: A struggling Liberian rubber plantation worker risks everything to begin a new life as a New York City cabbie but is haunted by his wartime past. North American Premiere.
World Fiction Award
Winner: Flocken, directed by Beata Gårdeler
Country: Sweden
Screenwriter: Emma Broström
Producers: Agneta Fagerström Olsson, Annika Hellström
Cast: Fatime Azemi, John Risto, Eva Melander, Malin Levanon, Jacob Öhrman
Film description: Breathtaking cinematography captures the desolation of a tiny Swedish village when a tight-knit community turns against a 14-year-old girl and her family after she reports being sexually assaulted by a popular classmate. North American Premiere
The World Fiction Jury awarded special mentions to:
Ayanda and the Mechanic, directed by Sara Blecher
Country: South Africa
Screenwriters: Trish Malone
Producers: Terry Pheto, Busi Sizani, Robbie Thorpe
Cast: Fulu Moguvhani, OC Ukeje, Nthati Moshesh, Kenneth Nkosi, Jafta Mamabolo, Thomas Gumede, Sihle Xaba, Venessa Cooke
Film description: Within a multi-African Johannesburg community, a young hipster-designer saves her deceased father’s prized garage by refurbishing classic cars – until family secrets and a corrupt legal system threaten her passionate resolve. World Premiere
White Moss (Belyy Yagel), directed by Vladimir Tumaev
Country: Russian Federation
Producers: Svetlana Dalskaya
Cast: Evgeniy Sangadzhiev, Galina Tihonova, Irina Mihaylova, Efim Stepanov, Dolzhin Tangatova
Film description: Love and betrayal in the arctic Russian tundra. A young indigenous man struggles with the obligations of an arranged marriage, while yearning for the love of his life, who has left for the city. International Premiere
Documentary Award, Sponsored by Netflix
Winner: My Love, Don’t Cross That River, directed by Mo-Young Jin
Country: South Korea
Producer: Kyungsoo Han
Featuring: Byong-man Jo, Gye-Yeul Kang
Film Description: A loving, elderly couple who have been married for 76 years face the final moments of their marriage and life. This story of “the 100-year-old lovebirds” broke Korean box office records as the biggest Korean indie film of all time. North American Premiere.
The Documentary Jury awarded a special mention for directing:
The Babushkas of Chernobyl, directed by Holly Morris, Anne Bogart
Producers: Holly Morris, Anne Bogart
Featuring: Valentyna Sochenok, Hanna Zavorotnya, Maria Shovkuta
Film Description: In the radioactive “dead zone” surrounding Chernobyl’s Reactor No. 4, a defiant community of elderly women cultivates an existence on some of the most toxic land on Earth. World Premiere.
LA Muse Award
Winner: Can You Dig This, directed by Delila Vallot
Producers: Rafael Marmor, Christopher Leggett
Cast: Ron Finley, Mychael “Spicey” Evans, Kenya Johnson, Quimonie Lewis, Hosea Smith
Film Description: In South Central Los Angeles, one of the largest food deserts in the US, inspirational stories of new gardeners reveal the beginnings of an urban gardening revolution and the lasting impact of planting seeds for a better life. World Premiere.
The LA Muse Jury awarded a special mention to Elsa Biedermann for her role as a supporting actress in:
French Dirty, directed by Wade and Jesse Allain-Marcus
Screenwriters: Peter K. Hagen, Wade Allain-Marcus
Producers: Jason Wolf, Mel Jones
Cast: Wade Allain-Marcus, Melina Lizette, Arjun Gupta
Film Description: After committing the carnal sin of sleeping with his best friend’s girlfriend, Vincent must deal with the consequences of his betrayal and hope that his bond with his brother-from-another-mother can withstand the blow. World Premiere
Nightfall Award
Winner: Crush the Skull, directed by Viet Nguyen
Screenwriter: Viet Nguyen, Christopher Dinh
Producers: Jimmy Tsai, Aya Tanimura, Viet Nguyen, Christopher Dinh
Cast: Christopher Dinh, Katie Savoy, Chris Riedell, Tim Chiou, Lauren Reeder, Walter Michael Bost
Film Description: A couple of master thieves find themselves trapped within a house they intend to rob, only to discover they’ve wandered into the lair of a deranged serial killer. World Premiere.
The Nightfall Jury awarded special mentions to:
Crumbs, directed and written by Miguel Llansó
Country: Ethiopia/Spain
Producer: Sergio Uguet de Resayre
Cast: Daniel Tadesse, Selam Tesfaye, Tsegaye Abegaz
Film description: An unlikely hero embarks on an epic quest across a surreal, Ethiopian post apocalyptic landscape in search of a hovering spacecraft that has become a landmark in the skies. North American Premiere
Dude Bro Party Massacre III, directed by Michael Rousselet, Tomm Jacobsen, Jon Salmon and Joey Scoma
Screenwriters: Michael E. Peter, Ben Gigli, Tomm Jacobsen, Michael Rousselet, Jon Salmon, Alec Owen, Tim Ciancio, Brian Firenzi,Joey Scoma, Mike James
Cast: Alec Owen, Olivia Dudley, Kelsey Gunn, Brian Firenzi, Jimmy Wong, Jon Salmon, Michael Rousselet, Joey Scoma, Greg Sestero,Mike James, Ben Gigli, Maria del Carmen, Patton Oswalt, Nina Hartley, Andrew W.K., Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney, Larry King
Film description: Deranged serial killer “Motherface” is back for one final, blood-spattered rampage in the most notorious ’80s teen slasher flick that never existed! World Premiere
Zeitgeist Award
Winner: Stealing Cars, directed by Bradley Kaplan
Screenwriter: Will Aldis, Steve Mackall
Producers: Rachel Winter, Dan Keston
Cast: Emory Cohen, John Leguizamo, William H. Macy, Paul Sparks, Mike Epps, Felicity Huffman, Heather Lind, Al Calderon
Film Description: An intelligent, but deeply troubled teenager is sentenced to a juvenile detention center, where attempts at reformation are thwarted by his own nihilistic agenda. World Premiere.
The Zeitgeist Jury awarded a special mention for directing to:
Pocha (Manifest Destiny), directed by Michael Dwyer, co-directed by Kaitlin McLaughlin
Producers: Alicia Dwyer, Kathleen Dwyer
Cast: Veronica Sixtos, Julio César Cedillo, Roberto Urbina, Jorge A. Jimenez, Sandra Santiago, Jessie Garcia, María del Carmen Farías
Film description: When a young woman is deported to Mexico, she must choose between reconciling with her estranged father or partnering with a local smuggler to return to the US. World Premiere
Award for Best Short Film
Winner: Drama, directed byTian Guan. USA.
Film Description: A young couple who are having sex in a car but they realize that there are no more condoms left…
Award for Best Documentary Short
Winner: Dolphin Lover, directed by Kareem Tabsch, USA
Film Description: A true story set in a 1970s Florida roadside amusement park explores Malcolm Brenner’s romantic and sexual love affair with Dolly, a captive dolphin.
Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature Film
Winner: POCHA (Manifest Destiny), directed by Michael Dwyer, co-directed by Kaitlin McLaughlin
Producers: Alicia Dwyer, Kathleen Dwyer
Cast: Veronica Sixtos, Julio César Cedillo, Roberto Urbina, Jorge A. Jimenez, Sandra Santiago, Jessie Garcia, María del Carmen Farías
Film Description: When a young woman is deported to Mexico, she must choose between reconciling with her estranged father or partnering with a local smuggler to return to the US. World Premiere.
This award is given to the fiction feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select fiction feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature: U.S. Fiction, World Fiction, Zeitgeist, LA Muse, Nightfall, and Premieres.
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature Film
Winner: I Am Thalente, directed by Natalie Johns
Producers: Colin Kennedy, Oualid Mouaness, Selema “Sal” Masekela, Jason Bergh, Julia Lebedev
Featuring: Thalente Biyela, Tony Hawk, Kenny Anderson, Guy Mariano, Lance Mountain
Film Description: One of the most promising young skaters in the world, Thalente Biyela, navigates growing up within the demands of professional skateboarding from the skate parks of Durban, South Africa to Venice, California. World Premiere.
Winner: Be Here Now, directed by Lilibet Foster
Producers: Lilibet Foster, Sam Maydew
Featuring: Andy Whitfield, Vashti Whitfield
Film Description: After landing the lead role in Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Andy Whitfield learns he has non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Armed with resilience, courage and the adoration of his family, he prepares for the battle of his life. World Premiere.
This award is given to the documentary feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select documentary feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: Documentary, LA Muse, and Premieres.
Audience Award for Best Short Film
Winner: In Her Place, directed by Kevin Hamedani
Country: USA
Film Description: An Iranian-American man suffering from a mid-life crisis visits his homeland to meet and wed a young Iranian woman.
This award is given to the short film audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Short films screening in the Shorts Programs or before feature films in the Festival were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Short Film.
Audience Award for Best Web-series
Winner: The Genderton Project, directed by Anna Martemucci, Victor Quinaz
Description: A modern group of young gay men head to Palm Springs for a gay wedding weekend, when their story is interrupted by the tale of a 1960’s Pasadena housewife whose life is anything but a piece of cake in this gender-swapped comedy.
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A MURDER IN THE PARK, Wrongful Conviction Doc with Twists and Turns, Set For Release on June 26th | TRAILER
A MURDER IN THE PARK, directed by Shawn Rech and Brandon Kimber, and inspired by the book “A Miscarriage of Justice” by William Crawford will open in theaters June 26th, at the IFC Center in NY and on VOD.
A MURDER IN THE PARK re-examines one of the most pivotal conviction reversals in U.S. history. In 1983, Anthony Porter was sentenced to death for the 1982 murders of teenagers Jerry Hillard and Marilyn Green in Chicago’s Washington Park. In 1998, students from a prestigious University’s Innocence Project re-investigated the case, and seemingly found the real killer, Alstory Simon. Simon “confessed” to the crimes, and Porter was released and pardoned. Once just 48 hours from execution, Porter’s harrowing ordeal shook then-Governor Ryan’s confidence in the justice system, and he vacated the sentences of all Illinois death row inmates.
Soon after his “confession,” Simon accepted a plea bargain, and began serving a 37 year sentence for the killings. He later claimed that the evidence he was presented with to secure his confession and plea was bogus, but left him feeling he had no choice but to confess.
A MURDER IN THE PARK’s investigation provides a fascinating glimpse into a very broken criminal justice system, and questions the motives and tactics of those trying to free the wrongly accused as well as end the death penalty.
Note: The Innocence Project featured in this film is not connected with the original Innocence Project in New York.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cm7OeaUNJg
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North American Premiere of COIN LOCKER GIRL to Close 2015 New York Asian Film Festival | TRAILER
Straight out of Cannes, the Closing Night film of the 2015 New York Asian Film Festival is the North American Premiere of Korean women-with-knives thriller Coin Locker Girl from Director Han Jun-hee who will attend the Festival.
Completing the lineup are the North American Premiere of Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii’s latest live-action film, Nowhere Girl, and the International Premiere of Initiation Love, Yukihiko Tsutsumi’s blockbuster coming-of-age rom-com set in 1980s Japan.
The 2015 New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), will take place from June 26 to July 8 at the Film Society and July 9 to 11 at SVA Theatre (333 W. 23rd Street).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_lBxKoXdew
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BEING EVEL, WELCOME TO HAPPINESS Win Top Awards at 15th deadCENTER Film Festival
A documentary about the complicated legacy of Evel Knievel and a metaphysical drama about a children’s book author won top honors at the 15th deadCENTER Film Festival, held June 10-14 in downtown Oklahoma City.
“Being Evel,” (pictured above) by Academy Award-winning director Daniel Junge was selected as Best Documentary Feature, and Best Narrative Feature was awarded to Director Oliver Thompson’s “Welcome to Happiness.”
A generation of Americans grew up worshipping self-styled hero Evel Knievel – watching him every Saturday on Wide World of Sports and buying his Ideal toys. For producer/subject Johnny Knoxville and so many others, he was the ultimate antidote to the disenchantment of the 70’s. But few knew the incredible and often complex aspects of his epic life, which, like his jumps, was sometimes glorious and sometimes disastrous. With an entire genre of sports ascending from his daring inventiveness, now is the time to look at this extreme man and his complicated legacy.
“Being Evel” producers include Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine, Mat Hoffman, Brendan Kiernan, Justin Moore-Lewy and Daniel Junge.
“Welcome to Happiness” (pictured above) is a metaphysical drama featuring Nick Offerman about a children’s book author who is the gatekeeper to a mysterious door in his closet that only allows certain people to enter. When he learns where the door leads, his life is forever changed.
Best Narrative Short honors went to “This Way Up” by Director Jeremy Cloe, and Christopher André Marks’ “Tiger Hood” won Best Documentary Short.
“Skid,” by Ryan “Staples” Scott, won for Best Oklahoma Feature, and “Course of Food,” directed by Christopher Hunt and produced by Chef Marc Dunham, was chosen as Best Oklahoma Short.
Yoko Okumura’s “Kimi Kabuki” was voted Best Student Film.
Special Jury honors went to “Best of Enemies” in the documentary category, and “The Overnight” for narrative.
2015 deadCENTER Film Festival Award Winners
Best Narrative Feature: “Welcome to Happiness”
Best Documentary Feature: “Being Evel”
Best Narrative Short: “This Way Up”
Best Documentary Short: “Tiger Hood”
Best Oklahoma Feature: “Skid”
Best Oklahoma Short: “Course of Food”
Best Student Film: “Kimi Kabuki”
Special Jury Short: “Nomansland”
Special Jury Documentary: “Best of Enemies”
Special Jury Narrative: “The Overnight”
via deadCENTER Film Festival