Luc Jacquet, director of the Oscar-winning March of the Penguins, will present his fourth feature film, Ice and the Sky, as Closing Film of the 68th Cannes Film Festival, Sunday, May 24 in the Grand Théâtre Lumière of the Palais des Festivals.
In this documentary Luc Jacquet discusses the scientific discoveries of Claude Lorius who left in 1957 to study the Antarctic ice. In 1965 he was the first to be concerned by global warming and its consequences for the planet. Today, aged 82, he continues to look at the future with hope: “I believe that men will still up. Men will find the solidarity that will lead the people living on this planet to another type of behavior.”
“Cannes is a huge opportunity for this film and for what it says,” said Luc Jacquet. “I am pleased and impressed, much like The Fifer from the tales that is welcomed at the palace. Showing this film in the world’s largest film festival is contributing to this huge challenge facing humanity as quickly as possible to secure its future and the future of the planet. My language is cinema. In different times, I would have made other films. But I make fierce cinema, political cinema, cinema that has no choice.”
Luc Jacquet has dedicated all his work to environment and nature issues: March of the Penguins (2005), Le Renard et l’enfant (2007) et Il était une forêt (2013). He has created an NGO, Wild Touch, to educate more young people to respect and preserve the planet.
Echoing and supporting the fighting of those who have been alerting for a long time, the Festival de Cannes is pleased to get also engaged by programming Ice and the Sky to close its 68th edition. Programming such a film is sending it to the future and to make an appointment for a successful Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris from November, 30th to December, 11th, 2015.
Ice and the Sky has been written and directed by Luc Jacquet. It has been produced by Eskwad and will be distributed by Pathé. Wild Bunch will handle international sales and Le Public Système will be in charge of the French media and Martin Marquet of the international media.
The 2015 Cannes Film Festival will run May 13-24, 2015. The Jury is chaired by Joel and Ethan Coen whom will hand out the prizes to the winners of the Competition before the screening of Luc Jacquet’s film.-
ICE AND THE SKY by Luc Jacquet is Closing Night Film of 2015 Cannes Film Festival
Luc Jacquet, director of the Oscar-winning March of the Penguins, will present his fourth feature film, Ice and the Sky, as Closing Film of the 68th Cannes Film Festival, Sunday, May 24 in the Grand Théâtre Lumière of the Palais des Festivals.
In this documentary Luc Jacquet discusses the scientific discoveries of Claude Lorius who left in 1957 to study the Antarctic ice. In 1965 he was the first to be concerned by global warming and its consequences for the planet. Today, aged 82, he continues to look at the future with hope: “I believe that men will still up. Men will find the solidarity that will lead the people living on this planet to another type of behavior.”
“Cannes is a huge opportunity for this film and for what it says,” said Luc Jacquet. “I am pleased and impressed, much like The Fifer from the tales that is welcomed at the palace. Showing this film in the world’s largest film festival is contributing to this huge challenge facing humanity as quickly as possible to secure its future and the future of the planet. My language is cinema. In different times, I would have made other films. But I make fierce cinema, political cinema, cinema that has no choice.”
Luc Jacquet has dedicated all his work to environment and nature issues: March of the Penguins (2005), Le Renard et l’enfant (2007) et Il était une forêt (2013). He has created an NGO, Wild Touch, to educate more young people to respect and preserve the planet.
Echoing and supporting the fighting of those who have been alerting for a long time, the Festival de Cannes is pleased to get also engaged by programming Ice and the Sky to close its 68th edition. Programming such a film is sending it to the future and to make an appointment for a successful Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris from November, 30th to December, 11th, 2015.
Ice and the Sky has been written and directed by Luc Jacquet. It has been produced by Eskwad and will be distributed by Pathé. Wild Bunch will handle international sales and Le Public Système will be in charge of the French media and Martin Marquet of the international media.
The 2015 Cannes Film Festival will run May 13-24, 2015. The Jury is chaired by Joel and Ethan Coen whom will hand out the prizes to the winners of the Competition before the screening of Luc Jacquet’s film.
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Pharrell Williams Reveals DOPE Movie Official Poster on Instagram
DOPE’s executive producer, Pharrell Williams revealed the film’s official poster on Instagram.
DOPE, a break out hit from this year’s Sundance Film Festival,directed by Rick Famuyiwa, tells the story of Malcolm (Shameik Moore) who is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself.
DOPE, also produced by Forest Whitaker and Co-Executive Produced by Sean Combs, stars SHAMEIK MOORE, TONY REVOLORI, KIERSEY CLEMONS, KIMBERLY ELISE, A$AP ROCKY, BLAKE ANDERSON, KEITH STANFIELD, CHANEL IMAN, QUINCY BROWN with ZOE KRAVITZ, opens in theaters on June 19, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=strEm9amZuo
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CLIMAS, POWER AND IMPOTENCE: A DRAMA IN 3 ACTS Win Top Awards at 2015 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival
The 2015 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival wrapped on Sunday, April 26th with the screening of the closing night film Mr. Kaplan directed by Alvaro Brechner of Uruguay, and the awards ceremony. The festival awarded CLIMAS directed by Enrica Pérez of Peru (pictured above) the winner of the Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature, and POWER AND IMPOTENCE: A DRAMA IN 3 ACTS (PODER E IMPOTENCIA, UN DRAMA EN 3 ACTOS) directed by Anna Recalde Miranda, won the Jury Award for Best Documentar y Feature. “It is always such a pleasure to wrap the festival with a celebration of jury and audience honorees. As awards are announced, it allows all of us to reflect on the past days of the festival–all the films we viewed both in and out of competition–and what has really stuck with us. I’m especially proud of the diversity and artistic excellence represented by this year’s program, which is exemplified by this year’s competition winners” stated Festival Director Jean Lauer. Narrative Feature Competition Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature CLIMAS Directed by Enrica Pérez, Peru Documentary Feature Competition Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature PODER E IMPOTENCIA, UN DRAMA EN 3 ACTOS (POWER AND IMPOTENCE: A DRAMA IN 3 ACTS) Director: Anna Recalde Miranda, Paraguay/France/Italy Special Jury Prize in Cinematography HOTEL NUEVA ISLA Directed by Irene Gutiérrez, Javier Labrador, Cuba/Spain Narrative Short Film Competition Jury Award for Best Narrative Short INDIGO Directed by Amanda Strong, Canada Honorable Mention for Acting EL SERMÓN DE LA MONTAÑA (Sermon on the Mount) Directed by Pepe Puertas Piñero, Spain Documentary Short Competition Jury Award for Best Documentary Short FLOR DE LA MAR (Flower of the Sea) Directed by Jorge Thielen Armand, Venezuela Hecho en Tejas Competion Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) Award POR QUÉ EL RECUERDO (THE SOLITUDE OF MEMORY) Directed by Juan Pablo González, Mexico/USA Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) Honorable Mention EL FUEGO DETRÁS (THE FIRE BEHIND) Directed by Leo Aguirre, USA Audience Award for Narrative Feature (Tie) O ÚLTIMO CINE DRIVE-IN (THE LAST DRIVE-IN THEATER) Directed by Iberê Carvalho, Brazil VIENTO APARTE (A SEPARATE WIND) Directed by Alejandro Gerber Bicecci, Mexico Audience Award for Documentary Feature TRES MUJERES GUERRERAS (THREE WOMEN WARRIORS) Directed by Alexander Preuss, Germany/Colombia Audience Award for Best Music Video EL MARINERO Y LA SIRENA (THE SAILOR AND THE MERMAID) Directed by Patricia Vonne, USA Audience Award for Best “Emergencia” Youth Film THE LONELY BAKER Directed by Cyntheara Tham, Allison McInerney, Ayanna Marte RAW Art Works, Lynn, MA, USA
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2015 Maryland Film Festival Completes Film Lineup, Fest to Close with THE WOLFPACK
Maryland Film Festival completed its 2015 lineup today, unveiling its Closing Night film, the titles for its annual Opening Night Shorts Program, and a few late-breaking features. The 2015 Festival runs May 6 to 10 in downtown Baltimore.
Maryland Film Festival’s Closing Night film will be Crystal Moselle’s The Wolfpack (pictured above), the mind-blowing buzz documentary that took home the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. MFF also announced 5 additional emerging features for its lineup, including new work from Joe Swanberg, Rick Alverson, and Andrew Bujalski; and two repertory screenings guest-curated by key figures in Baltimore’s cultural scene: musician Abdu Ali introducing Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing, and Wham City’s Alan Resnick and Dina Kelberman introducing Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls.
Maryland Film Festival first devoted its Opening Night to celebrating shorts filmmakers in 2002, and has done so each year since 2004. Opening Night will take place in the Maryland Institute College of Art’s Falvey Hall the evening of Wednesday, May 6th. Each Opening Night short will be hosted by its filmmaker. MFF 2015’s Opening Night shorts are:
BAD BOY OF BOWLING (Bryan Storkel) From the co-director of Fight Church, a high-octane portrait of a bowling star with a plus-sized personality.
CHARLOTTE (Angel Kristi Williams) A coming-of-age story from the director of MFF 2012’s The Christmas Tree, a Baltimore native.
MELVILLE (James M. Johnston) A rapper struggling with personal pain finds release in music. Directed by the producer of Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.
PINK GRAPEFRUIT (Michael Mohan) A couple sets up two friends for a romantic weekend. Winner of the narrative shorts jury award at SXSW.
SHARE (Pippa Bianco) A young woman returns to high school after being shamed by an explicit video. Winner of a special jury prize at SXSW.
Feature films announced for MFF 2015 today:
Best of Enemies (Robert Gordon, Morgan Neville) In 1968, a ratings-starved ABC coordinated a series of debates between conservative journalist William F. Buckley, Jr. and liberal novelist and thinker Gore Vidal. The network garnered huge audiences—and perhaps a bit more than they bargained for, as high-level political discourse collided with name-calling and meltdowns. This Sundance-premiered documentary comes courtesy of Twenty Feet From Stardom director Morgan Neville, and author/filmmaker Robert Gordon (of MFF 2012’s Very Extremely Dangerous).
Digging For Fire (Joe Swanberg) When young parents Tim (Jake Johnson) and Lee (Rosemarie DeWitt) agree to house-sit for a wealthy acquaintance, Tim finds something suspicious on the grounds—and an initial spark of intrigue becomes a consuming obsession. Joe Swanberg continues to take his unique working methods to the next level, with an amazing cast that includes Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick, Jane Adams, Sam Elliott, and Mike Birbiglia, all working together to deliver an infectious mix of comedy, drama, romance, and thrills.
Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989) Spike Lee’s modern classic, detailing racial tensions and police brutality on the hottest day of summer in Bedford-Stuyvesant, has never been more crucial and relevant. With the sounds of Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” blasting from boomboxes, this seminal film boasts cinematography from Ernest Dickerson, and an Academy Award-nominated screenplay (not to mention an iconic performance) from Lee; his phenomenal ensemble cast includes Ossie Davis, Danny Aiello, Ruby Dee, Rosie Perez, Joie Lee, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackson. Selected and guest-hosted by musician, DJ, and curator Abdu Ali.
Entertainment (Rick Alverson) Gregg Turkington, perhaps best known for his persona Neil Hamburger, stars as The Comedian, a beleaguered, Hamburger-ian performer who endlessly tours Grade-Z clubs and non-venues across America, shocking and dismaying audiences with his lewd and convoluted punchlines. At turns bleak, poignant, disturbing, and darkly hilarious, this fascinating and beautifully composed provocation from the director of The Comedy also features Amy Seimetz, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Lotte Verbeek, and Michael Cera.
People, Places, Things (Jim Strouse) In this thoughtful and hilarious rom-com, Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords and What We Do in the Shadows stars as a graphic novelist whose comfortable life is shaken after walking in on his wife with another man. Downgraded to a tiny apartment and weekends-only status with his twin daughters, a bright spot appears when a student in a college art course he teaches challenges him to be more social and adventurous.
Results (Andrew Bujalski) High-octane personal trainer Kat (Cobie Smulders) works for her friend, fitness guru and entrepreneur Trevor (Guy Pearce)—both of whom have their lives turned upside-down when nouveau-riche couch potato Danny (Kevin Corrigan) arrives at their gym. The director of MFF 2013’s Computer Chess follows up that highly experimental work with something different: a romantic comedy with a stellar cast and a massive heart.
Showgirls (Paul Verhoeven, 1995) Intentional camp? Brilliant social commentary? A noble failure? Irredeemable trash? Books have been written exploring what Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Starship Troopers, The Fourth Man) was going for with this follow-up to mega-hit Basic Instinct. Starring Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon, this seedy, Vegas-set film was derided upon its release but has lived on as a midnight movie and cult favorite. Selected and guest-hosted by Alan Resnick and Dina Kelberman of Wham City.
The Wolfpack (Crystal Moselle) CLOSING NIGHT This extraordinary documentary brings us into the lives of the Angulo brothers, who grew up homeschooled and in extreme isolation from the outside world in a Lower East Side apartment. Home video became their only window into the outside world, and they took to recreating their favorite scenes and styling themselves after films such as Reservoir Dogs. But when one of the brothers escapes the confines of their apartment, all of their lives are forever changed. A sensation at Sundance, where it won the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize, this is a documentary that delivers on the buzz, built on amazing access to a truly incredible story and unforgettable characters.
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Monument to Michael Jackson, Frame by Frame, Wins Grand Jury Prizes at 2015 Nashville Film Festival
The Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) 2015 announced the 46th Annual Competition Award winners, including Grand Jury Prizes to Monument to Michael Jackson (pictured above), Orion: The Man Who Would Be King and other notable films. Best Original Song went to Brian Wilson for “One Kind of Love” fromLove & Mercy.
According to the jury, its palpable portrayal of a child torn between two worlds earned Daytimer the Live Action Short Grand Jury Prize. Bear Storyset itself a very high bar both stylistically and narratively and delivered across the board, which garnered it the Grand Jury Prize for Animated Short. La Vie en rose comme dans les films provided a humble glimpse into the complicated world of memory; the short received the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Short. Each of these three shorts will be automatically qualified for Academy Award® consideration.
Bridgestone Narrative Competition
Grand Jury Prize – Monument to Michael Jackson, directed by Darko Lungolov
Honorable Mention – WildLike, directed by Frank Hall Green
The Bridgestone Narrative Competition Grand Jury Prize went to Monument to Michael Jackson. The film was, “at times a political farce, a relationship drama and an inspiring tale of tenacity in the face of adversity.”The jury also awarded Geraldine Chaplin from Sand Dollars the Best Actress award, while Boris Milivojevic from Monument to Michael Jackson received the Best Actor award. Best Screenplay went to Shonali Bose for Margarita, with a Straw, and the Film Musicians Secondary Market Fund Award for Best Music in a Feature Film went to Ramon Cordero, Benjamin De Menil and Edilio Paredes for Sand Dollars. The Special Jury Prize for Cinematography was awarded to Tony Mirza for Eadweard.Gibson Music Films/Music City Competition Grand Jury Prize – Orion: The Man Who Would Be King, directed by Jeanie Finlay Honorable Mention – Sweet Micky for President, directed by Ben PattersonThe jury said Orion, “hits every note… and then some. It was a completely unpredictable yet always entertaining and moving documentary.”The jury awarded the Special Jury Prize for Best Import to Tomi Fujiyama in Made in Japan.Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize – Frame by Frame, directed by Mo Scarpelli and Alexandra Bombach Honorable Mention – Welcome to Leith, directed by Michael Beach and Christopher K. Walker“Frame by Frame is a fascinating look into life in Afghanistan that celebrates its growing photography culture, with unprecedented access and interviews,” the jury said. “The film is beautifully crafted and we’re so honored to present these first time filmmakers with the Documentary Grand Jury Prize, and hope that they will continue to make inspiring films.”The Special Jury Prize for Direction went to Jimmy Chin and E. Chai Vasahelyi forMeru.New Directors Competition Grand Jury Prize – Songs She Wrote About People She Knows, directed by Kris Elgstrand Honorable Mention – Naz & Maalik, directed by Jay DockendorfSongs She Wrote About People She Knows received the Grand Jury Prize, “for its quirky plot, high production values, and unique yet relatable characters, the New Directors Jury awarded its Grand Jury Prize to Songs She Wrote About People She Knows. Lead actress Arabella Bushnell delivers a particularly strong performance as an aspiring pop singer, complete with highly original and hilarious songs. Writer/director Kris Elgstrand is a strong new voice in independent cinema and we are excited to see what he comes up with next. “ The jury awarded Krisha Fairchild with Best Actress for Krisha and Daniel Cerqueira with Best Actor for Radiator. The Special Jury Prize for Direction went to Sarah Adina Smith for The Midnight Swim.Best Original Song Winner – “One Kind of Love,” from Love & Mercy, written and performed by Brian Wilson Honorable Mention – “Found You,” from In My Father’s House, written and performed by RhymefestGraveyard Shift CompetitionGrand Jury Prize (tie) – Alléluia, directed by Fabrice du Welz Grand Jury Prize (tie) — They Look Like People, directed by Perry Blackshear“The jury found itself unable to determine a hierarchy between exquisite works of passion, madness, human bonds and inhuman horror.”The jury awarded for Best Actress to Amy Everson in Felt and Best Actor to MacLeod Andrews in They Look Like People. The Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Use of Music went to Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It.Ground Zero Tennessee First CompetitionGrand Jury Prize – The Keepers, directed by Joann Self Selvidge and Sara Kaye LarsonSouthwest Airlines Audience Award Overall Winner In My Father’s House, Ricki Stern & Annie Sundberg, scored 4.99 out of 5 Southwest Airlines Audience Award Winners Narrative Competition – Eadweard, Kyle Rideout, director Documentary Competition – In My Father’s House, Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, directors Special Presentations – Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, director Spectrum – The Waiting Country Woman, Li Yangiu, director Music Films/Music City – Revival: The Sam Bush Story, Kris Wheeler and Wayne Franklin Tennessee First – Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw, Rick Goldsmith, director New Directors Competition – The Challenger, Kent Moran, director Graveyard Shift – They Look Like People, Perry Blackshear, director Southwest Airlines Audience Awards – Documentaries – Top Five- In My Father’s House, Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, directors
- Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw, Rick Goldsmith, director
- The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young, Annika Iltis and Timothy Kane, directors
- Revival: The Sam Bush Story, Kris Wheeler and Wayne Franklin, directors
- Imba Means Sing, Danielle Bernstein, director
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, director
- The Challenger, Kent Moran, director
- Love & Mercy, Bill Pohlad, director
- Ain’t It Nowhere, Scott Murphy, director
- I’ll See You in My Dreams, Brett Haley, director
Tennessee Horizon Audience Award for Best ShortsPresented by TN Film, Music & Entertainment Commission and Native Magazine Winner (tie) – Daddy’s Little Girl, directed by Chad McClarnon Winner (tie) – Usetocould, directed by Drew MaynardSponsored AwardsNPT Human Spirit Award – My Voice, My Life, directed by Ruby Yang Women in Film & Television Award – Yosemite, directed by Gabrielle Demeestere Outstanding LGBT Film – Naz & Maalik, directed by Jay Dockendorf Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Award – Alfonso Gomez-Rejon for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Lipscomb University Prize of the Ecumenical Jury – Rosenwald, directed by Aviva Kempner.Complete List of Short Film Award Winners Live Action Short – Grand Jury Prize: Daytimer, directed by Riz Ahmed (United Kingdom) Live Action Short – Honorable Mention: Tzniut, directed by David Formentin (USA) Live Action Short – Honorable Mention: Saturday, directed by Mike Forshaw (United Kingdom) Special Jury Prize for Visual Storytelling: The Aftermath of the Inauguration of the Public Toilet at Kilometer 375, directed by Omar El Zohairy (Egypt) Animated Short – Grand Jury Prize: Bear Story, directed by Gabriel Osorio (Chile) Animated Short – Honorable Mention: Man on the Chair, directed by Dahee Jeong (France) Special Jury Prize for Achievement in Animation: Pineapple Calamari, directed by Kasia Nalewajka (United Kingdom) Documentary Short – Grand Jury Prize: La Vie en rose comme dans les films, directed by Christophe M. Saber (Switzerland) Documentary Short – Honorable Mention: Autofocus, directed by Boris Poljak (Croatia) Special Jury Prize for Bridging the Gap Between Experimental and Documentary Filmmaking: Object, directed by Paulina Skibinska (Poland) Experimental Short – Grand Jury Prize: (null), directed by Michael Lange, David Gesslbauer (Germany) Experimental Short – Honorable Mention: Play Within a Play, directed by Yasmijn Karhof (Netherlands) Student Short – Grand Jury Prize: Wire Cutters, directed by Jack Anderson (USA) Student Short – Honorable Mention: The Aftermath of the Inauguration of the Public Toilet at Kilometer 375, directed by Omar El Zohairy (Egypt) Watkins Young Filmmaker Award: Poet Against Prejudice, directed by Faiza Almontaser (USA) Web Series Grand Jury Prize: 24 Hour Records, directed by Brad Cash (USA) Web Series Honorable Mention: HelLA, directed by Rory Uphold (USA) Graveyard Shift Grand Jury Prize for Short Film: Alone, directed by Didier Philippe (France) Graveyard Shift Honorable Mention for Short Film: Primrose Lane, directed by Nick Phillips (USA) Ground Zero Tennessee First Shorts Documentary Award: Muddy Pond, directed by Tyler Jones Ground Zero Tennessee First Short Narrative Award: Trying Not to Explode, directed by Dave Dorsey Tennessee Horizon Audience Award for Best Shorts presented by TN Film, Music & Entertainment Commission and Native Magazine (Nominees – winner announced Thursday, April 23) Contrary to Likeness, directed by Motke Dapp Daddy’s Little Girl, directed by Chad McClarnon Futureman, directed by Patrick Sheehan How I Got Made, directed by Tracy S. Facelli Nashville in Harmony: Ten Years of Using Music to Build Community, directed by Steven C. Knapp Usetocould, directed by Drew Maynard Steven Goldmann Visionary Award: World of Tomorrow, directed by Don Hertzfeldt (USA)
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BLACK PANTHERS Film Wins Best of Fest at 2015 RiverRun International Film Festival
THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION directed by Stanley Nelson took home the Audience Award “Best of Fest” at the 17th annual RiverRun International Film Festival which ran April 16 to 26, 2015. In the film, Stanley Nelson weaves together voices from varied perspectives who lived the story of the Black Panther Party, including police, FBI informants, journalists, white supporters, and detractors, those who remained loyal to the party and those who left it.
AUDIENCE AWARDS
The Audience Award “Best of Fest” was presented to: THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION / USA (Director: Stanley Nelson) — Whether they were right or wrong, the Black Panther Party and its leadership remain powerful and enduring figures in our popular imagination even today. Stanley Nelson’s film weaves together voices from varied perspectives who lived this story– police, FBI informants, journalists, white supporters, and detractors, those who remained loyal to the party and those who left it.
The Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature was presented to: ANYWHERE ELSE / Israel / Germany (Director: Ester Amrami) — Noa, an Israeli grad student working on her thesis in Berlin about untranslatable words, returns home to find her family less than enamored with her life choices and struggles to define her connections to both place and family.
The Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature was presented to: 3 ½ MINUTES / USA (Director: Marc Silver) — This gripping documentary dissects the shooting death of 17-year-old Jordan Davis, the aftermath of this systemic tragedy and contradictions within the American criminal justice system.
The Altered States Audience Award for Best Indie was presented to: PROUD CITIZEN / USA (Director: Thomas Southerland) — After winning second place in a play writing contest, a Bulgarian woman travels to small town Kentucky for the premiere of her play. Expecting southern hospitality, she instead finds an America full of dichotomy in this funny, heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking meditation on the comfort (and discomfort) of strangers.
NARRATIVE COMPETITION
The Best Narrative Feature Award was presented to: MEMORIES ON STONE / Iraq / Germany (Director: Shawkat Amin Korki) — Kurdish childhood friends Hussein and Alan naively resolve to produce a film about the genocide of Kurdish people in Iraq, specifically the Anfal campaign of 1988. They learn that in order to will the film into existence they must put everything on the line–even their own lives.
The Peter Brunette Award for Best Director was presented to: Naomi Kawase, STILL THE WATER / Japan / Spain / France
Best Actor was presented to:
Hussein Hassan MEMORIES ON STONE / Iraq / Germany (Director: Shawkat Amin Korki)
Best Actress was presented to:
Julieta Diaz, REFUGIADO / Argentina / France / Columbia / Poland (Director: Diego Lerman)
Best Cinematography – Narrative Feature was presented to:
Yutaka Yamazuki, STILL THE WATER / Japan / Spain / France (Director: Naomi Kawase
Best Screenplay was presented to:
THE SECOND MOTHER / Brazil (Director: Anna Muylaert)
Special Jury Prize for Editing:
Ebrahim Saeedi, MEMORIES ON STONE / Iraq / Germany (Director: Shawkat Amin Korki)
Honorable Mention for Cinematography:
Sara Mishara, FELIX AND MEIRA / Canada (Director: Maxime Giroux)
Honorable Mention for Actress:
Hadas Yaron, FELIX AND MEIRA / Canada (Director: Maxime Giroux)
Honorable Mention for Actor:
James ‘Primo’ Grant, FIVE STAR / USA (Director: Keith Miller)
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Best Documentary Feature : THE CHINESE MAYOR / China (Director: Hao Zhou) — Controversial Chinese politician Geng Yanbo demolished 140,000 households and relocated half a million people in order to restore ancient relic walls for the sake of the region’s tourism industry. The film investigates one mayor’s mission to save his city and uncovers the secret workings of China’s Communist Party.
Jury statement: “We chose “The Chinese Mayor” as Best Documentary Feature for its incredible level of access, the ambiguity of its story arc, the complexity of Mayor Geng, and its ability to give the audience an inside look at a culture we might not be familiar with.”
Best Director — Documentary Feature was presented to: Joshua Oppenheimer for THE LOOK OF SILENCE / Denmark / Finland / Indonesia / Norway / UK — Through Joshua Oppenheimer’s work filming perpetrators of the Indonesian genocide, a family of survivors discovers the identities of the men who killed their son. The youngest brother is determined to break the spell of silence, and so confronts the men responsible for his brother’s murder–something unimaginable in a country where killers remain in power.
Jury statement: “We recognize this film for his bold clarity of vision and unflinching commitment to the material. “The Look of Silence” is a remarkable film that bears Oppenheimer’s unmistakable stamp with every choice he makes as a filmmaker.”
Special Jury Prize: WELCOME TO LEITH / USA (Co-directors: Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher Walker) — In the tiny town of Leith, North Dakota, notorious white supremacist Craig Cobb is attempting a hostile takeover. Filmed in the days leading up to Cobb’s arrest for terrorizing the townspeople, the film is an eerie document of American DIY ideals.
SHORTS COMPETITION
Best Documentary Short was presented to: CAILLEACH / UK (Director: Rosie Reed Hillman) — Morag is 86. She lives alone at the end of a track looking out to sea on her croft on the Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, with her three cats and twelve sheep. Morag was born in this house and has lived here her whole life, following five generations of the family who came before her. Cailleach is a portrait of Morag and her simple and peaceful life as she contemplates her next chapter, shares her unique sense of independence and the connection she has to her wild island home. As the winner of the jury award for Best Documentary Short, ‘Cailleach’ is now eligible to be considered for a 2016 Academy Award®.
Jury statement: “Cailleach” was selected“for its reflective and cinematic portrait of an 86-year-old woman getting on with life no matter the circumstances.”
Honorable Mention to the documentary short: NOTES FROM LIBERIA / USA / Liberia (Co-Directors: Ryo Murakami and Judd Ehrlich) — Crafted from footage shot by the late Japanese cinematographer Ryo Murakami on the Firestone Tire and Rubber Plantation in Liberia, the film traces Ryo’s journey from Monrovia, where the traumas of a brutal fifteen-year civil war still simmer beneath the surface, to the remote plantation village of Harbel.
Jury statement: “For its poignant investigation of the Firestone rubber plantation in Liberia, the Short Documentary honorable mention goes to “Notes from Liberia” by Judd Ehrlich and the late Ryo Murakami.” Accepting the award is the film’s producer, Takeshi Fukunaga.
Best Narrative Short was presented to: THE KÁRMÁN LINE / UK / (Director: Oscar Sharp) — When a mother acquires a rare condition that sees her lift off the ground at a slow but ever increasing rate, her husband and daughter are forced to come to terms with losing her.
Jury statement: “Seamlessly transitioning between levity and pathos, we award “The Kármán Line” for its moving and original take on impending loss as seen through the eyes of an ordinary family in an extraordinary situation.”
Special Jury Prize was presented to: ÁRTÚN / Iceland / Denmark / (Director: Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson) — A small town boy in Iceland decides to travel to the big city with his friends in search of his first romantic encounter. The city holds more in store for them than they anticipated.
Best Student Short: ROTA / USA (Director: Jean-Jacques Martinod) — An abandoned warehouse becomes a surreal theater where men are challenged to risk their lives on stage to a game of chance. Jury statement: “For making us complicit in a bizarre underground world we never asked to be a part of, we award best student short to ‘Rota.’”
Best Animated Short was presented to: BEAR STORY / Chile (Director: Gabriel Osorio Vargas) — An old bear goes out every day to a busy street corner. Through a tin marionette theater of his own making, he reveals his extraordinary life story. As the winner of the jury award for Best Animated Short, ‘Bear Story’ is now eligible to be considered for a 2016 Academy Award®.
Jury Statement: “With its mechanical tin toy aesthetic and clever take on narrative vs. reality, we and the audience enjoyed the film’s tale of a bears tragic and ultimately heroic life story.”
Best Student Animated Short: THE PRESENT / Germany (Director: Jacob Frey) — Jake spends most of his time playing video games indoors, until his mom decides to give him an unexpected present.
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Winners of 2015 London Independent Film Festival; THE MILKY WAY Wins No-Budget Feature Prize
Director Tor Mian took the No-Budget Feature Prize for his film THE MILKY WAY (pictured above) at the 12th London Independent Film Festival LIFF. The British dark comedy tells the story of a man whose life unravels just when everything seemed to finally be going his way. The comedy is Mian’s second feature and was shot for only £6000.
Actress Pearl Chanda won the festival’s Best Actor award for her feature film debut in THE FINAL HAUNTING, Flaminia Graziadei’s haunted house story.
The Best International Film prize went to Steven Savage for VERTICAL, the story of an all-female rock climbing team. Also, American filmmaker Sasha Krane won Best UK Feature for SOLITARY which follows a young woman facing her personal demons.
Director Russell England won Best Horror Film for his teen chiller UNHALLOWED GROUND, a paranormal mystery set in a British private school.
Jonathan Howells’ documentary ALFRED AND JAKOBINE — a love story set around the world-wide adventures of a London taxi — won the festival’s Best Feature Documentary. While James Kibbey won Best Micro-Budget Film for his THE LAST SPARKS OF SUNDOWN (pictured above), a comedy about two American brothers who inherit an English manor house.
Festival Director Erich Schultz said: “Another year of absolutely fantastic low-budget films from around the world. I’m certain we’ll be seeing many great things from these filmmakers in the very near future”
Hosted at annually at the Shortwave and Genesis cinemas, the 2015 London Independent Film Festival screened over 60 films. The festival highlights the best in low & micro-budget filmmaking every April.
A full list of LIFF winners:
No-Budget Feature — THE MILKY WAY by Tor Mian
UK Feature — SOLITARY by Sasha Krane
Best Actor – Pearl Chanda in THE FINAL HAUNTING
Best Director – Simon Blake for STILL
International Feature – VERTICAL by Steven Savage
Sci-Fi/ Horror — UNHALLOWED GROUND by Russell England
Micro-Budget Feature — THE LAST SPARKS OF SUNDOWN by James Kibbey
Documentary — ALFRED AND JAKOBINE by Jonathan Howells
Short Documentary — Jordanne by Zak Razvi
UK Short — BEVERLEY by Alexander Thomas
International Short — THE WHEEL OF TIME by Kagan Kerimoglu
Horror Short — THE HERD by Melanie Light
Sci-Fi Short — AIR by Emma E. Maclennan
LGBT Film — PLAYING THE GAME by Jeremy Timings
Experimental Short — PEEP DISH by Darragh Mortell
Short Short — KILLER ROAD by Marco Clay
Animated Short — MY STUFFED GRANNY by Effie Pappa
UK Music Video — ALL IN THE VALUE by Geej Ower
International Music Video — STEAMPUNK Girl by Joshua Westbury
Best UK Screenplay — THE COMPETITORS by Ruth Greenberg
Best International Screenplay — Shimmy by P.A Flanders
Best Short Screenplay — DREAMS OF TOMORROW by Cindy Walters
Best Screenplay Pitch — ZOG THE MAGNIFICENT by Prahib Sukoro
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SELMA Director Ava DuVernay Honored by Barbie with Her Own Doll
Director Ava DuVernay is among six Sheroes, female heroes who inspire girls by breaking boundaries and expanding possibilities for women everywhere, honored by Barbie at the Variety Power of Women Luncheon in New York City with a one-of-a-kind doll created in their likeness. The doll features Ava DuVernay with her trademark braids and sitting in the director’s chair.
I always played w/ my sisters Jina + Tera. For hours making stories + scenarios. So this is special. Thanks, @Barbie. pic.twitter.com/aL8KGBx3XF — Ava DuVernay (@AVAETC) April 24, 2015
“Barbie has always represented that girls have choices, and this Spring we are proud to honor six Sheroes who through their trade and philanthropic efforts are an inspiration to girls,” said Evelyn Mazzocco, General Manager Barbie. “Started by a female entrepreneur and mother, this brand has a responsibility to continue to honor and encourage powerful female role models who are leaving a legacy for the next generation of glass ceiling breakers.” The complete list of Barbie 2015 Sheroes are: Ava DuVernay: Director of the Academy Award Best Picture nominee, SELMA, and founder of African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement, which provides opportunities and resources to underrepresented filmmakers. Emmy Rossum: Golden Globe® nominated actress and spokesperson for Best Friends Animal Society, the only national animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters and a leader in the no-kill movement. Eva Chen: Breaking boundaries by bringing inspiration to print as the youngest appointed female Editor-in-Chief of a national fashion magazine, Lucky. Kristin Chenoweth: An inspiration on Broadway and beyond, the Emmy® and Tony Award® nominee and winner also founded the Kristin Chenoweth Art & Education Fund volunteering with young talent in the arts. Sydney “Mayhem” Keiser: Five year-old fashion designer with work appearing in Vogue and signed on with major national fashion brand, J.Crew, for the collection ‘Little Mayhem for J.Crew’ launching in June. Trisha Yearwood: A woman with many super powers, succeeding as an award-winning Country artist, best-selling author, Food Network host and entrepreneur. Following the awards ceremony, each Shero auctioned off their doll to benefit a charity of her choice.
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KING JACK, TRANSFATTY LIVES Win Audience Awards of 2015 Tribeca Film Festival
King Jack, directed by Felix Thompson, won the Audience Award for Best Narrative, and TransFatty Lives, directed by Patrick O’Brien, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary award at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF).
“The awards go to two powerful and charming stories of young men facing their deepest fears and overcoming their own challenges,” said Genna Terranova, Festival Director, Tribeca Film Festival. “These fiction and non-fiction stories of triumph and resilience clearly resonated with audiences this year.”
King Jack, directed and written by Felix Thompson. (USA) (pictured above) – World Premiere, Narrative. Growing up in a rural town filled with violent delinquents, Jack has learned to do what it takes to survive, despite having an oblivious mother and no father. After his aunt falls ill and a younger cousin comes to stay with him, the hardened 15-year-old discovers the importance of friendship, family, and looking for happiness even in the most desolate of circumstances.
TransFatty Lives, directed by Patrick O’Brien, co-written by Patrick O’Brien, Scott Crowningshield, Lasse Jarvi, Doug Pray. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Director Patrick O’Brien is TransFatty, the onetime NYC deejay and Internet meme-making superstar. In 2005, O’Brien began to document his life after being diagnosed with ALS and given only two to five years to live. TransFatty Lives is a brazen and illustrative account of what it’s like to live when you find out you are going to die.
The runners-up were Song of Lahore, directed by Andy Schocken and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, for the documentary audience award and Sleeping With Other People, directed by Leslye Headland, for the narrative audience award. Throughout the Festival, which kicked off on April 15, audiences were able to vote by completing nomination ballots upon exiting screenings of TFF films. Films in the World Narrative Competition, World Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Spotlight, and Midnight sections were eligible.
Song of Lahore, directed by Andy Schocken and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. (USA, Pakistan) – World Premiere, Documentary. Until the late 1970s, the Pakistani city of Lahore was world-renowned for its music. Following the Islamization of Pakistan, many artists struggled to continue their life’s work. Song of Lahore turns the spotlight on a group of stalwart musicians that kept playing and ultimately attracted listeners from around the world. In English, Punjabi, and Urdu with subtitles.
Sleeping With Other People, directed and written by Leslye Headland. (USA) – New York Premiere, Narrative. Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie star as two romantic failures whose years of serial infidelity and self-sabotage have led them to swear that their relationship will remain strictly platonic. But can love still bloom while you’re sleeping with other people? Writer/director Leslye Headland’s (Bachelorette) sexy romantic comedy co-stars Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, and Natasha Lyonne. An IFC Films Release
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Sundance Film Festival to Return to London + Expands to Hong Kong
Sundance Institute revealed this week that it will continue its film festivals in Hong Kong this year and London next year, with selections for each largely drawn from the Institute’s renowned Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A.
Robert Redford, President and Founder of Sundance Institute, said, “We’ve nurtured filmmakers around the globe for many years now and these experiences have brought a rich perspective to all we do. Exploring international opportunities for the diverse landscape of American independent storytelling is an exciting proposition, and something to which we are equally committed.”
The Sundance Film Festival: Hong Kong will take place September 17-27, 2015, covering Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for two consecutive weekends at The Metroplex, a newly opened state-of-the-art cineplex in Kowloon Bay in Hong Kong. Ten independent films will premiere as part of the screening series, marking its second year. The first year’s program featured the Hong Kong premieres of films including Whiplash, The Skeleton Twins, Life After Beth and The Case Against 8.
The Sundance Film Festival: London will take place in 2016 at the new Picturehouse Central. The festival will build on the success of Sundance London, hosted in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and which featured the international and UK premieres of films including Fruitvale Station, Obvious Child, Frank, The Trip to Italy, The Queen of Versailles, Blackfish, Upstream Color and The Look of Love and was attended by filmmakers, artists and supporters including HRH The Prince of Wales, Michael Fassbender, Gemma Arterton, Ryan Reynolds, Gina Rodriguez, Lake Bell, Jimmy Carr, the Eagles, Peaches, David Cross, Rose McGowan, Minnie Driver and Rufus Wainwright.
In advance of this 2016 festival, the Institute will host a few private screenings and events for London’s independent film community at the new Picturehouse Central in June of this year.
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Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Opens with Robin Williams’ BOULEVARD + Gets New Name
After 17 years as the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (MGLFF) and six years as the Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (FLGLFF), the organization behind both events will unveil a new name tonight during the Opening Night festivities of MGLFF: “MiFo.” The new name takes its “Mi” from “Miami” and “Fo” from Fort Lauderdale and is intended to convey the strength of the two festivals on the international LGBTQ film circuit, announced Mark Gilbert, President and Interim Director of the festivals.
“Just as SoBe has become synonymous with South Beach and WeHo indicates West Hollywood, we believe that MiFo will become the moniker for one of the hippest, strongest and most important film festival duos in the world,” Gilbert said. “This new evolution of the name brings our two festivals into the 21st Century and implies the vibrancy and relevancy of the films we present to our audiences.”
The new name will be announced tonight at “Boulevard,” starring Robin Williams, the Opening Night film of the 17th Annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, now MiFo, with a special video trailer, Gilbert added.
In Boulevard, the opening night film, Nolan Mack (Robin Williams) has worked quietly at the same bank branch for decades, sharing a home (but not a bedroom) with his wife, Joy (Kathy Baker.) But when he begins an unsettling relationship with young hustler, Leo (Roberto Aguire), Nolan’s safe existence is rocked to its foundation. Director, Dito Montiel, explores a middle-aged man’s sexual awakening with grace and dignity, anchored by a poignantly understated performance by Williams, as the enlightened but unraveling Nolan. Montiel’s seasoned direction builds just the right amount of tension between the players and their now questionable relationship.
The 17th Annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival – MiFo — will feature 75 films from 26 different countries including feature-length movies, documentaries and short films that chronicle the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender experience. Included in the line-up will be five world premieres, one international premiere, 11 North American premieres, one U.S. premiere, seven East Coast premieres, and 12 Southeast premieres.
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Colin Hanks’ Directorial Debut ALL THINGS MUST PASS to Open First Greenwich International Film Festival
The Greenwich International Film Festival (GIFF), taking place June 4 to 7, 2015, in Greenwich, Connecticut, will kick off their inaugural year with the Opening Night premiere screening of Colin Hanks’ directorial debut ALL THINGS MUST PASS.
ALL THING MUST PASS is an inside look at the rise and fall of the once ubiquitous Tower Records. How could a business go from a net worth of 1 billion dollars to complete bankruptcy in just 5 years? Colin Hanks’ directorial debut examines this question and more, tracking the meteoric rise and tragic fall of the Tower Records empire and its tight-knit staff whose bond proved stronger than its fate. This sentimental and richly woven documentary is equal parts nostalgia and powerful, weaving stories of the employees who started the first store in Sacramento with the failures that led to its crash. The film features interviews with Russ Solomon, Stan Goman, Heidi Cotler, Mark Viducich, Dave Grohl, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and David Geffen.
“The Greenwich International Film Festival is thrilled to be presenting Colin Hanks’ film, ALL THINGS MUST PASS, as our Opening Night Film. It is an incredibly moving documentary that has impact for people of all ages. Colin’s skillful direction makes the incredible story of Tower Records come to life,” said GIFF founders Carina Crain, Colleen deVeer and Wendy Reyes.
“I am so honored to have ALL THINGS MUST PASS screen Opening Night at the Greenwich International Film Festival. This night marks a significant beginning for GIFF and I am excited to be a part of it,” said Colin Hanks.