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KINGS OF NOWHERE and (T)ERROR Win Top Prize at 2015 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, VIMOOZ

The 2015 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Award winners were announced on Sunday afternoon at the festival’s annual Awards Barbecue. The top prize, Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award was won by Kings of Nowhere (pictured above), directed by Betzabé Garcia, and (T)ERROR, directed by Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe. One of the nation’s premier documentary film festivals, Full Frame is celebrating its 18th annual festival. Full Frame is a qualifying event for consideration for nominations for both the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject and The Producers Guild of America Awards. The 19th annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will take place April 7–10, 2016. 2015 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Award Winners
The Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award Sponsored by the Reva and David Logan Foundation
The Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award was presented to Kings of Nowhere, directed by Betzabé Garcia, and (T)ERROR, directed by Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe. Thanks to the generosity of the Reva and David Logan Foundation, each film will receive the full award amount of $10,000. In the poetically and patiently photographed Kings of Nowhere, a handful of residents stay their ground after a flood leaves their Mexican village semi-submerged. In (T)ERROR, FBI informant “Shariff” grants filmmakers unprecedented access as he engages in a counterterrorism sting against a white Muslim man, illuminating the controversial methods employed in the government’s war on terror. The Jury, Marilyn Ness, Sam Pollard, and Bernardo Ruiz, stated, “We are very pleased to honor two important films deserving of greater attention on an international stage, both of which speak to the heart of documentary storytelling in unique and compelling ways. With remarkably assured direction, especially from a first-time filmmaker, Kings of Nowhere delivers artful and thoughtfully paced storytelling. ThoughKings of Nowhere on its face appears to be a local story, in fact it speaks to universal themes confronting humanity worldwide: people abandoned by their governments, facing unimaginable violence, and enduring neglect. Kings of Nowhere represents its characters with dignity and depth and it does so at the highest levels of our craft. But we also wanted to acknowledge the different ways in which films can take risks. With exceptional access, the two filmmakers of (T)ERROR took great personal risks to highlight an urgent issue in the United States while navigating complex journalistic and ethical terrain.”
The Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short Provided by Drs. Andrew and Barbra Rothschild
The Full Frame Jury Award for Best Short was given to Last Day of Freedom, directed by Nomi Talisman and Dee Hibbert-Jones. Beautiful animation accompanies poignant testimony in this haunting short about a man who discovers his brother has committed a serious crime. The Jury, J. Christian Jensen, Yael Melamede, and Nicole Triche, stated, “This film demonstrates and reminds us of the simple power and intimacy of the human voice. It interweaves different visual styles of animation and engages the audience fully in an increasingly fraught tale that ultimately presents the supreme cost of doing the right thing.”
Full Frame Audience Award – Feature Sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina
How to Dance in Ohio, directed by Alexandra Shiva, received the Full Frame Audience Award Feature. Three young women on the autism spectrum attempt to navigate social rules and the impending challenges of adulthood as they prepare for their first formal dance.
Full Frame Audience Award – Short
The Full Frame Audience Award Short was given to Giovanni and the Water Ballet, directed by Astrid Bussink. In this film, Giovanni dreams of becoming the first boy to compete in the Dutch synchronized swimming championship. With the support of his girlfriend, Kim, can he pass one final exam?
The Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award Provided by the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University
The Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award was presented to Last Day of Freedom, directed by Nomi Talisman and Dee Hibbert-Jones. Beautiful animation accompanies poignant testimony in this haunting short about a man who discovers his brother has committed a serious crime. This award honors a documentary artist whose work is a potential catalyst for education and change. Representatives from the Center for Documentary Studies juried the prize: Randy Benson, Morgan Capps, Wesley Hogan, Katie Hyde, Lynn McKnight, Dan Partridge, Teka Selman, Brooke Darrah Shuman, and April Walton.
The Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award Provided by the Charles E. Guggenheim Family
Tocando la Luz (Touch the Light), directed by Jennifer Redfearn, received the Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award. In this quietly arresting film, three blind women in Havana, Cuba, share their heartbreaks and hopes, and navigate their profound desire for independence. Provided by the Charles E. Guggenheim family, this prize honors a first-time documentary feature director. Matthew Hamachek, Bari Pearlman, and Maxim Pozdorovkin participated on the Jury.
Full Frame Inspiration Award Sponsored by the Hartley Film Foundation
The Full Frame Inspiration Award was awarded to The Storm Makers, directed by Guillaume Suon. This film is a heartbreaking exposé of Cambodia’s human trafficking system, revealed through the stories of two guiltless “recruiters” and a young woman who was sold into slavery and escaped. This award is presented to the film that best exemplifies the value and relevance of world religions and spirituality. Ross Kauffman, Sarah Masters, and Ryan White participated on the Jury.
Full Frame President’s Award Sponsored by Duke University
The Farewell, directed by Alejandro Alonso, was given the Full Frame President’s Award. Long retired from the local mine, Pablo Fabelo spends his days smoking cigars, playing cards, and quietly reminiscing in this languid, lushly photographed short. Representatives on behalf of the President’s Office of Duke University juried the prize.
The Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights Sponsored by the Julian Price Family Foundation in memory of Melanie Taylor
The Kathleen Bryan Edwards Award for Human Rights was awarded to Peace Officer, directed by Brad Barber and Scott Christopherson. After a former sheriff sees his son-in-law killed in a controversial police standoff, he dives into an obsessive investigation of the militarization of American law enforcement. Provided by the Julian Price Family Foundation, this award is presented to a film that addresses a significant human rights issue in the United States. Representatives from the Kathleen Bryan Edwards family juried the prize: Anne Arwood, Laura Edwards, Clay Farland, Margaret Griffin, and Pricey Harrison.
The Nicholas School Environmental Award Sponsored by the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University
Good Things Await, directed by Phie Ambo, received the Nicholas School Environmental Award. In this film, an aging farmer runs a biodynamic farm in the Danish countryside, prioritizing spiritual methods over contemporary standards. Will new regulations threaten his way of life? Overburden, directed by Chad A. Stevens, received an Honorable Mention from the Nicholas School Environmental Award Jury. In this film, an environmentalist and a former pro-coal activist in the heart of Appalachia join forces to protect their home from the industry that’s divided their community for decades. The Nicholas School Environmental Award honors the film that best depicts the conflict between our drive to improve living standards through development and modernization, and the imperative to preserve both the natural environment that sustains us and the heritages that define us. Daniel Junge, Sam Cullman, and Farihah Zaman participated on the Jury.
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Imperial Dreams Win Top Awards at 2015 Ashland Independent Film Festival

Ashland Independent Film Festival

The Ashland Independent Film Festival announced the 2015 juried and audience award winning films at an Awards Celebration gala at the Historic Ashland Armory. Imperial Dreams (pictured above), directed by Malik Vitthal was the big winner of this year’s festival, taking home both the Jury Award and Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature film. In Imperial Dreams, 21-year-old Bambi returns home to Los Angeles and his old stomping grounds in Watts, fresh off a 28-month stint in prison for gang activity, Now educated and eager to pursue his dream of becoming a published writer, he must first come to terms with his role as the sole caretaker of his 3-year-old son. To have any hope of reaching his goal and giving his son the upbringing he deserves, he needs to get a job and get off parole. Bambi’s dreams of a legitimate life are challenged by both the red tape of government bureaucracy and the pressure to return to his old gangster life. Even so, he finds hope where it is scarce, and learns what it really means to be a father. In total, twelve awards were presented to attending filmmakers, honoring their work screened at the 14th annual festival. The AIFF presented the 2015 Rogue Award to Olympic Champion Greg Louganis. In 1988, Louganis became the first man to sweep the diving events in consecutive Olympic games. His legendary grace, beauty, and courage sparked a worldwide fascination with diving. Louganis shared his story in the documentary Back on Board: Greg Louganis, directed by Cheryl Furjanic, which screened Saturday evening. The film reveals the complicated life of the pioneering, openly gay athlete who revealed his HIV-positive status, at great risk to his career. Earlier in the week, the AIFF presented Award-winning Director Ondi Timoner with the inaugural AIFF “No Limits” Award in recognition of her fearless filmmaking and unique storytelling style in her latest film, BRAND: A Second Coming. The film follows comedian, author, and activist Russell Brand’s (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) evolution from a superficial Hollywood star and addict to a political disrupter and unexpected hero to the underserved. BRAND: A Second Coming screened Opening Night. Western, directed by Bill and Turner Ross, took home the Les Blank Award for Best Feature Length Documentary, bestowed by the festival’s jurors. This real-life western is a dazzling vérité portrait that puts a human face on an uncertain new reality of two border towns. Barge and Cartel Land received Honorable Mentions. It was a tie for The Rogue Creamery Audience Award for Best Documentary. Sharing the honor are FRAME BY FRAME and Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World. Imperial Dreams, directed by Malik Vitthal, received the festival’s jury award for Best Narrative Feature film and won the Varsity Audience Award for Best Feature. Another double winner was One Year Lease, taking home the Juried Best Short Documentary prize and the Audience Award for Best Short Documentary. Birthday took home the Jim Teece “Local Hero” Audience Award for Best Short Film. The Audience Family Choice Award went to The Dam Keeper. The jury award for Best Editing: Feature Length Documentary went to Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, directed by Brett Morgan. The juried award for Best Short Film went to SKUNK. Stop received an Honorable Mention. Wildlike won The Jim Giancarlo Award for Best Acting Ensemble and received the Gerald Hirschfeld A.S.C. Award for Best Cinematography. Proud Citizen received an Honorable Mention. Hirschfeld was the 2007 A.S.C President’s Award Honoree and Director of Photography for films such as Young Frankenstein and My Favorite Year. Most Juried and Audience Award-winning documentary, feature and short films will receive encore presentations, Monday April 13 at the Varsity Theatre in downtown Ashland.
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Maryland Film Festival Unveils First 10 Films on 2015 Lineup

Maryland Film Festival, VIMOOZ

Maryland Film Festival revealed the first 10 films on the lineup for the upcoming 17th annual festival, which will take place May 6 to 10, 2015, in downtown Baltimore. The first ten feature films announced for MFF 2015 include Stanley Nelson’s Black Panthers documentary, The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution; Kris Swanberg’s Unexpected; Olivia Wyatt’s look at Moken culture, Sailing a Sinking Sea; and Eugene Kotlyarenko’s rom-com, A Wonderful Cloud. Also announced for MFF 2015 is the world premiere of Stephen Cone’s coming-of-age drama Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party. THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION (Stanley Nelson) Master documentarian Stanley Nelson has demonstrated an unparalleled ability to bring history to life with films such as Freedom Summer; The Murder of Emmett Till; andJonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple. Here he turns his lens on the revolutionary Black Panther Party and the various cultural forces that worked to support or destroy the group, creating an essential portrait of a singular radical moment in the American experience. BREAKING A MONSTER (Luke Meyer) Viral-video sensation Unlocking the Truth, a teenage metal buzz-band from Brooklyn, navigate the bizarre current state of the record industry in this fascinating, fist-pumping, and often hilarious documentary. Fresh from its premiere at SXSW, this exceptional rock doc follows the band as they sign a major-label record deal and are suddenly caught up in an adult-driven world of contracts, tours, interviews, and branding. From Luke Meyer, co-director of MFF 2006 hit Darkon. FUNNY BUNNY (Alison Bagnall) The writer/director of The Dish & the Spoon returns with this offbeat, infectious mix of comedy and drama. Kentucker Audley stars as an obesity-awareness canvasser who strikes up a friendship with a wealthy, emancipated 19-year-old named Titty (Olly Alexander) and the animal-rights-activist object of Titty’s desire, Ginger (Joslyn Jensen). Co-starring Josephine Decker, Louis Cancelmi, and Anna Margaret Hollyman. HENRY GAMBLE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY (Stephen Cone) A pool party celebrating the seventeenth birthday of Henry Gamble (Cole Doman), the son of a megachurch preacher (Pat Healy), sets the stage for this expertly observed ensemble drama. As sunny skies fade into moonlight, director Stephen Cone (The Wise Kids, Black Box) offers a subtle and insightful portrait of a community full of pressures and secrets —exploring identity, sexuality, and organized religion in the process. World premiere. SAILING A SINKING SEA (Olivia Wyatt) This experimental documentary, which premiered at SXSW, looks at the traditional lifestyle of the Moken people, a seafaring community of Burma and Thailand. Olivia Wyatt’s gorgeous and immersive film transports viewers deep into the turquoise sea and onto thirteen different islands, giving us intimate access to a culture where shamans, mermaids, and sea gods collide with present-day practices. Executive-produced by Will Oldham. STINKING HEAVEN (Nathan Silver) This ultra-dark comedy looks at a communal home for sober living in 1990s suburban New Jersey, which spirals into dysfunctional decline when an outsider arrives on the scene. Director Nathan Silver’s film boasts an uncompromising visual aesthetic that goes against the grain of contemporary indie filmmaking—not to mention a fantastic cast that includes Deragh Campbell, Hannah Gross, Keith Poulson, and Eleonore Hendricks. TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL (Jeffrey Schwarz) Top-notch documentary biographer Jeffrey Schwarz has captivated MFF audiences with definitive looks at iconic personalities William Castle, Vito Russo, and Divine. Now he delivers the warm and intimate story of 1950s Hollywood heartthrob Tab Hunter, who simultaneously balanced a stratospheric career on the silver screen with a secret life as a gay man. From his rise to stardom to his reinvention as a cult-film star with John Waters—and a number of fascinating surprises—it’s all here. UNEXPECTED (Kris Swanberg) High-school science teacher Samantha (Cobie Smulders), already dealing with stress and uncertainty as her low-income school prepares to close, finds out she’s pregnant. When she discovers her favorite student Jasmine (Gail Bean) is also with child, the two form a tight and unconventional bond. From Kris Swanberg (whose earlier features Empire Builder and It was great, but I was ready to come home. both screened within MFF) comes this refreshing character study that mines honest emotions and the quiet battlefields of love and friendship for real beauty and insight. WELCOME TO LEITH (pictured above) (Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) This edge-of-your-seat documentary follows the arrival of notorious white supremacist Craig Cobb to a small town in North Dakota, where he promptly buys up land for like-minded collaborators and disrupts town council meetings, leading to fears that he plans a neo-Nazi takeover. As his behavior escalates further into the outrageous and threatens to get violent, a once-placid community must decide how to react. A WONDERFUL CLOUD (Eugene Kotlyarenko) When his ex-girlfriend visits him in Los Angeles to resolve some lingering business entanglements, Eugene seeks to revisit old feelings, and introduces her to an LA populated by a wild cast of artists, scenesters, and eccentrics. Variety called this gleefully anarchic romantic comedy “a raucous, wholly improvised 21st-century Annie Hall.” Starring director Kotlyarenko (whose 0s & 1s had its world premiere at MFF 2010) and Kate Lyn Sheil (Sun Don’t Shine, House of Cards).
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Norman Lear to Receive “Outstanding TV Writer” Award at 2015 Austin Film Festival

Austin Film Festival

Austin Film Festival (AFF), will honor Norman Lear with the “Outstanding Television Writer” Award at the 22nd Annual Austin Film Festival, taking place October 29-November 5, 2015. Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in television and film, and as a political and social activist and philanthropist. Mr. Lear began his television writing career in 1950 when he and his partner, Ed Simmons, were signed to write forThe Ford Star Revue, starring Jack Haley. After only four shows, they were hired away by Jerry Lewis to write for him and Dean Martin on The Colgate Comedy Hour, where they worked until the end of 1953. They then spent two years on The Martha Raye Show, after which Mr. Lear worked on his own for The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show and The George Gobel Show. In 1958, Mr. Lear teamed with director Bud Yorkin to form Tandem Productions. Together they produced several feature films, with Mr. Lear taking on roles as executive producer, writer, and director. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1967 for his script for Divorce American Style. In 1970, CBS signed with Tandem to produce All in the Family, which first aired on January 12, 1971 and ran for nine seasons. It earned four Emmy Awards for Best Comedy series as well as the Peabody Award in 1977. All in the Family was followed by a succession of other television hit shows including Maude, Sanford and Son, Good Times, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Mr. Lear’s memoir, Even This I Get to Experience, was published in October 2014 by The Penguin Press. Austin Film Festival annually recognizes an Outstanding Television Writer for their collective body of work that has elevated and heavily contributed to the culture of television. Previous Award recipients have been Chris Carter, David Chase, Vince Gilligan, Mitch Hurwitz, Mike Judge, David Milch, Garry Shandling, David Simon, and Matthew Weiner, among others. Lear joins a strong roundup of Panelists confirmed to speak at the 22nd Annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference, including: Andrea Berloff, writer World Trade Center Shane Black, writer/director Iron Man 3, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang; writer Lethal Weapon, Last Action Hero Michael Botti, Manager at Industry Entertainment VJ Boyd, writer/producer Justified Jack Burditt, creator Last Man Standing; writer/executive producer The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Mindy Project, 30 Rock; writer/co-producer Fraiser Katie Dippold, writer The Heat, Parks and Recreation, MADtv Seth Grahame-Smith, writer Dark Shadows, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Matthew Gross, President, EuropaCorp TV Studios; producer Sons of Liberty, Body of Proof, Across the Universe James V. Hart, writer Hook, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Contact, Muppet Treasure Island, August Rush, Epic Jason Headley, writer/director It’s Not About the Nail, At The Bar, To Say Goodbye Barry Josephson, Josephson Entertainment; producer Enchanted, Hide and Seek, The Last Boy Scout, Someone Marry Barry; executive producer Turn, Bones Aaron Kaplan, Manager at Kapital Entertainment, Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment Casper Kelly, creator/writer/director Too Many Cooks, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell; writer Squidbillies Todd Kessler, co-creator Bloodline Craig Kestel, Agent at WME Entertainment Adam Kolbrenner, Co-founder Madhouse Entertainment Gary Lennon, producer Black Box, Orange is the New Black, Justified, The Shield David Lowery, writer/director Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Pioneer, Pete’s Dragon (2016), writer Pit Stop Jenny Lumet, writer Rachel Getting Married Maggie Malone, Head of Creative Affairs at Disney Animation Studios Kelly Marcel, writer Saving Mr. Banks, Fifty Shades of Grey; writer/executive producer Terra Nova George Pelecanos, writer/producer Treme, The Pacific, The Wire, novelist Nicole Perlman, writer Guardians of the Galaxy Chris Provenzano, co-executive producer/writer Justified; writer Mad Men Pamela Ribon, writer at Walt Disney Animation Studios; writer Romantically Challenged, Samantha Who? Phil Rosenthal, creator Everybody Loves Raymond; writer/director Exporting Raymond Terry Rossio, writer Shrek, Aladdin, The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, The Mask of Zorro John Swetnam, writer Step Up: All In, Evidence, Into the Storm, Breaking Through David Wain, creator Stella, Wainy Days; writer/director Wet Hot American Summer; director Role Models Ron Yerxa, producer Bona Fide Productions, Nebraska, Little Miss Sunshine, Ruby Sparks, Election, Cold Mountain, The Ice Harvest, executive producer The Leftovers The 2015 Austin Film Festival and Screenwriters Conference will once again present over 150 panels on the art and craft of storytelling featuring a slate comprised entirely of working film, television, and new media industry professionals. In addition to over a dozen parties and nearly 200 film premieres, AFF is adding more networking opportunities this year, including a “Screenwriters Lounge” which will serve as a dedicated space to set meetings and write. The 22nd Annual Austin Film Festival and Conference takes place October 29th through November 5th, 2015.
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Cine Las Americas International Film Festival Announces 2015 Film Lineup

Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, VIMOOZ

Cine Las Americas International Film Festival announced its 2015 program, including the Hecho en Tejas showcases. All films are presented in English or with English subtitles (if English is not the original language). The 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival is scheduled for April 22-26, 2015, in Austin, Texas. The full festival lineup includes 41 feature films, 49 short films, and 5 music videos, in representation of 18 countries’ participation in production and co-production of the films. Hecho en Tejas films are shot and/or produced in Texas and showcase the wide variety of work by filmmakers with varied backgrounds and experience. This year, the Hecho en Tejas program includes two feature films, six short films, and two music videos. About the Hecho en Tejas Films Features Agave is Life (pictured above) Dir. David Brown, Meredith Dreiss Historical/Cultural Documentary, 2014 AGAVE IS LIFE is the story of mankind’s alliance with the agave plant, from which tequila is derived. Told through the lens of archaeological and historical investigations, and narrated by Edward James Olmos, the film explores ten thousand years of the human-agave relationship. Once a critical resource for hunter-gatherers, agave was a source of food, drink, textiles, fuel, and medicines. We learn that this unique desert plant, once embedded in cultural identity, mythology, art, and rituals, faces an uncertain future. Today, ancient folkways, from fiber craftsmanship to traditional pulque and mescal productions, are rapidly disappearing. While entrepreneurs and scientists work to turn the tide, a loss of diversity of both cultivated and wild species may be the ultimate arbitrator. What’s the Use? Dir. Nicole Elmer Alternative/Comedy/Drama, 2014 Seventeen year-old Sara defends her pride from a career oriented greasy-spoon waitress and her potty mouth. In the gymnastics of her self-defense, she recalls the night when she moved home to live with her father Tony, a skinny loser fresh out of rehab. Determined to start their lives over, he throws her a birthday party, only to have it wrecked by Shy, a dangerous loan shark. Pissed by her father’s passive retreat into his bedroom, Sara sets off to find Shy and take care of her father’s debt on her own. On her journey through the 4th of July heat of Austin, Texas, she meets a love-starved perfectionist, a professional Love Guru, and an eccentric who is planning a painless suicide. Finally reaching Shy, he pushes her fragile ego to the edge, where she is forced to finally see her family’s dark secret and realize she might be her own greatest enemy. Shorts ¿Por qué el recuerdo? (The Solitude of Memory), Dir. Juan Pablo González El fuego detrás (The Fire Behind), Dir. Leo Aguirre Jornaleras (Women Workers), Dir. Marcela Moran Morgan Robyn Collado, Dir. Danea Johnson Sunrise, Dir. Diego Rico Yo soy Juan (I am Juan), Dir. Patrick Rangel Music Videos El marinero y la sirena (The Sailor and the Mermaid), Dir. Patricia Vonne Whispers and Dreams, Dir. Sharon Arteaga Film Titles from Full Program, by Program Section New Releases OPENING NIGHT: The Martini Shot, Dir. Demetrius Navarro, USA CLOSING NIGHT: Mr. Kaplan, Dir. Álvaro Brechner, Spain/Uruguay/Germany ADDITIONAL TITLES: Buscando a Gastón (Finding Gaston), Dir. Patricia Perez, USA/Peru Castanha, Dir. Davi Pretto, Brazil Dólares de arena (Sand Dollars), Dir. Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán, Argentina/Mexico/Dominican Republic Feriado (Holiday), Dir. Diego Araujo, Ecuador/Argentina La isla minima (Marshland), Dir. Alberto Rodríguez, Spain La voz en off (Voice Over), Dir. Cristián Jiménez, Chile/France/Canada The Lodge, Dir. Terril Calder, Canada This May Be the Last Time, Dir. Sterlin Harjo, USA Tres D (Three D), Dir. Rosendo Ruíz, Argentina Viejos amigos (Good Old Boys), Dir. Fernando Villarán, Peru Narrative Feature Competition Climas, Dir. Enrica Pérez, Peru El futuro (The Future), Dir. Luis López Carrasco, Spain Los enemigos del dolor (The Enemies of Pain), Dir. Arauco Hernandez, Uruguay O Último Cine Drive-in (The Last Drive-in Theater), Dir. Iberê Carvalho, Brazil Viento aparte (A Separate Wind), Dir. Alejandro Gerber Bicecci, Mexico Documentary Feature Competition Gazelle – The Love Issue, Dir. Cesar Terranova, Brazil/French Polynesia/USA Hotel Nueva Isla, Dir. Irene Gutierrez, Javier Labrador, Cuba/Spain La Violencia: The Untold Truths of Guatemala, Dir. Pia Janning, Til Frohlich, Ireland/Guatemala Poder e impotencia, Un drama en 3 actos (Power and Impotence: A Drama in 3 Acts), Dir. Anna Recalde Miranda, Paraguay/France/Italy Tres mujeres guerreras (Three Women Warriors), Dir. Alexander Preuss, Germany/Colombia Ambulante Showcase El hogar al revés (Upside Down Home), Dir. Itzel Martínez del Cañizo, Mexico H20mx, Dir. José Cohen, Mexico Retratos de una búsqueda (Portraits of a Search), Dir. Alicia Calderón, Mexico Panorama Features Algún lugar (On the Road, Somewhere), Dir. Guillermo Zouain, Dominican Republic Anatomía de un vestido (Anatomy of a Dress), Dir. Flora Pérez Garay, Puerto Rico Asolagados (Flooded), Dir. David Vázquez Vázquez, Spain Ati y Mindhiva (As the Tree Under the Hurricane), Dir. Claudia Fischer, Colombia BKLYN 11211, Dir. Zac73dragon, Spain/Bolivia/USA Chuy, El hombre lobo (Chuy, The Wolf Man), Dir. Eva Aridjis, Mexico Dos Aguas (Two Waters), Dir. Patricia Velásquez, Costa Rica/Colombia Flory’s Flame, Dir. Curt Fissel, USA Genoveva, Dir. Paola Castillo Villagran, Chile Icaros, Dir. Georgina Barreiro, Argentina/Peru Les indiens, l’aigle et le dindon (The Indians, the Eagle and the Turkey), Dir. Iphigénie Marcoux-Fortier, Karine van Ameringen, Canada Movimientos espectaculares (Spectacular Movements), Dir. Mateo Hinojosa, Bolivia/USA/Venezuela Oil & Water, Dir. Francine Strickwerda, Laurel Spellman Smith, USA Salgán & Salgán: A Father-Son Tango, Dir. Caroline Neal, Argentina Narrative Shorts Competition Bolero para surfear en Moravia (Bolero for Surfing in Moravia), Dir. Valerio Mendoza Guillén, Venezuela/Czech Republic El sermón de la montaña (Sermon on the Mount), Dir. Pepe Puertas Piñero, Spain Indigo, Dir. Amanda Strong, Canada La carta (The Letter), Dir. Mara Soler, Mexico Leonard Peres, Dir. Missy Hernandez, USA Documentary Shorts Competition Dona Rosa, Dir. Mathias Mangin, Lucas Mandacaru, Brazil Elena Asins – Génesis, Dir. Álvaro Giménez Sarmiento, Spain Flor de la mar (Flower of the Sea), Dir. Jorge Thielen Armand, Venezuela I Was Born in Mexico, But…, Dir. Corey Ohama, USA Nuestro hogar (Our Home), Dir. Detsy “Mara” Barrigon, Iván Jaripio, Panama Music Videos C.T.R.L, Dir. Mariana Conde, United Kingdom El marinero y la sirena (The Sailor and the Mermaid), Dir. Patricia Vonne, USA (Hecho en Tejas) La ciudad (The City), Dir. Javier Orman, Tom Farrell, USA Nitahkôtân (I Have Arrived), Dir. Moe Clark, Canada Whispers and Dreams, Dir. Sharon Arteaga, USA (Hecho en Tejas) Indigenous Shorts Program – Retrospective Día 2 (Day 2), Dir. Dante Cerano Bautista, Mexico Late, Dir. Christi Bertelsen, USA Mohawk Midnight Runners, Dir. Zoe Leigh Hopkins, Canada Poi Dogs, Dir. Joel Moffett, USA Roberta, Dir. Caroline Monnet, Canada Search for the World’s Best Indian Taco, Dir. Steven Judd, USA Smoke Break, Dir. Sally Kewayosh, USA Panorama Shorts 2 and 2, are 4, Dir. Pedro Sena Nunes, Portugal Aceito (I Do), Dir. Felipe Cabral, Brazil Beyond Recognition, Dir. Michelle Grace Steinberg, USA Bloodlines, Dir. Christopher Cegielski, USA Caballo de mar (Knight of the Seas), Dir. Fernando Alcántara, Iñaki Gaztañaga, Spain Deseo (Desire), Dir. Carolina Cortella, Argentina En la orilla (At the Edge), Dir. Liza Hoos, Xavier Basurto, Mexico Inch’ Allah, Dir. Angélica Romanini, Mexico Nudo (Knot), Dir. Juliana Gómez Castañeda, Cuba Soberano papeleo (Sovereign Paperwork), Dir. Lala Severi, Uruguay Una pared (A Wall), Dir. Javier Ferreiro, Cuba YO, la PEOR de TODAS (I, the WORST of ALL), Dir. Francisco Lupini, USA Emergencia “Youth Film” Special Presentation Cine Joven Latinitas Showcase, Various Directors, USA Emergencia “Youth Film” Competition Lineup A Harmonious Cacophony, Dir. Marielle Boland, Isabela Reid, USA A Pirate’s Life, Dir. Isabella Olaguera, Nick Haaf, USA Can I Help You?, Dir. Pedro Salles Leite, Brazil Ella (Elle), Dir. David Hebrero, Spain Growing, Dir. Allison Coon-Come, Canada Háblame (Talk to Me), Dir. Alba Linares, Spain Kayna Wawaiki Jamuni (Now I Come as Your Son), Dir. Nicolas Page, Chile La boda de las calaveras, Dir. Ricardo Miguel Salazar, USA Little Red, Dir. Wynter Rhys, USA Never Comes Easy, Dir. Naate, Canada Pleasant, Dir. Miranda Whitus, USA Sin madre (Without A Mother), Dir. Buffy Almendares, USA The Lonely Baker, Dir. Cyntheara Tham, Allison McInerney, Ayanna Marte, USA The Only Road, Dir. Sergio Valencia, Nathan Miguel, Alan Bagh, USA For the 18th consecutive year, Austin will serve as host to a wide range of international films and filmmakers as the festival creates networking opportunities for industry professionals, and provides a rich cultural experience for statewide audiences. The festival will showcase contemporary films from the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Iberian Peninsula. All films are presented in English and/or subtitled.
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Academy Announces Dates for 2016, 2017, 2018 Oscar Show

Awards, VIMOOZ

The Academy and the ABC Television Network announced the dates for the 88th, 89th and 90th Oscar® presentations. The Academy Awards® will air live on ABC on Oscar Sunday, February 28, 2016,February 26, 2017, and March 4, 2018, respectively. Academy key dates for the 2015 Awards season are: Saturday, November 14, 2015: The Governors Awards Wednesday, December 30, 2015: Nominations voting opens 8 a.m. PT Friday, January 8, 2016: Nominations voting closes 5 p.m. PT Thursday, January 14, 2016: Oscar Nominations Announcement Monday, February 8, 2016: Oscar Nominees Luncheon Friday, February 12, 2016: Final voting opens 8 a.m. PT Saturday, February 13, 2016: Scientific and Technical Awards Tuesday, February 23, 2016: Final voting closes 5 p.m. PT Oscar Sunday, February 28, 2016: 88th Academy Awards begins 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT The 88th Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
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Mo’Nique and Cast Attends ‘BLACKBIRD’ Screening in Atlanta

Independent Film, VIMOOZ

On Wednesday night in Atlanta, RLJ Entertainment and Urban Movie Channel (UMC) hosted a private screening of the upcoming film ‘BLACKBIRD,’ directed by Patrik-Ian Polk and starring Academy Award winner Mo’Nique, Isaiah Washington and Julian Walker. A mix of VIP’s, press and influencers, including pictured above, Sidney Hicks, MoNique Hicks, Torrey Laamar, D. Woods, and Nikki Jane, packed the theater at Midtown Art Cinema to preview the much talked about film and sit in on a Q&A with executive producers Mo’Nique. V103 personality Ramona Debreaux moderated the discussion. ‘BLACKBIRD’ opens in select theaters on April 24. Visit www.blackbirdthemovie.com for theater locations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHe0ukjp0-M
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Finalists Announced for Spring 2015 San Francisco Film Society/Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants

Filmmaking, VIMOOZ

The San Francisco Film Society (SFFS) and Kenneth Rainin Foundation (KRF) have selected 15 finalists for the latest round of SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grants; up to $300,000 will be awarded to one or more narrative feature film projects at various stages of production. SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grants are awarded twice annually to narrative feature films that will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community. More than $2.8 million has been awarded since the launch of the Film Society’s flagship grant program in 2009. Winners of the spring 2015 SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grants will be announced in May. The San Francisco Film Society, in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, is the largest granting body for independent narrative feature films in the United States. The SFFS / KRF program has funded more than 50 projects since its inception, including such success stories as Kat Candler’sHellion and Ira Sachs’ Love Is Strange, both of which premiered to strong reviews at Sundance 2014; Short Term 12, Destin Cretton’s sophomore feature which won both the Narrative Grand Jury Award and Audience Award at South by Southwest 2013; Ryan Coogler’s debut feature Fruitvale Station, which won the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, the Un Certain Regard Avenir Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the narrative category at Sundance 2013; and Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin’s debut phenomenon which won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize and Cannes’ Camera d’Or in 2012 and earned four Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture). “This was a bitterly fought review round, and we encountered so many excellent projects deserving of funding that it really put into focus the importance of support initiatives like the SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grant and the need for more,” said Michele Turnure-Salleo, director of Filmmaker360. “We wish we could fund every single project on this list, and we have a difficult task ahead of us in selecting winners. From the filmmakers we’ve worked with before, to the exciting newcomers to the Film Society family, we can’t wait to see these all of these films take their next steps towards completion.” SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grants are made possible by the vision and generosity of the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. In addition to being awarded funds from the country’s leading granting organization, recipients will receive various benefits through Filmmaker360, the San Francisco Film Society’s comprehensive and dynamic filmmaker services program. These benefits, customized to every individual production, can include one-on-one project consultations and project feedback, additional fundraising assistance, resource and service recommendations, and networking opportunities, among many others. For more information visit sffs.org/Filmmaker360/Grants. SPRING 2015 SFFS / KRF FILMMAKING GRANT FINALISTS Blustar Stella Kyriakopoulos, cowriter/director and Margaret Shin, cowriter — screenwriting Two lovelorn cleaning ladies become friends and find hope while working on the Blue Star Ithaki, one of the fleet of ferries that shuttle myth-seeking tourists to the Greek islands. When the friends learn their Blue Star will be sold to Canada, they are forced to confront their own myths about Greece and each other. Chickenshit Jessica dela Merced, writer/director — screenwriting 11-year-old Phoe enlists the help of a group of neighborhood boys to track down the culprits behind a recent string of fires in Detroit, including the one that claimed her father’s life. jessdelamerced.com The Fixer Ian Olds, writer/director and Caroline von Kuhn, producer — production An Afghan journalist is exiled from his war-torn country to a small bohemian community in Northern California. When he attempts to turn his menial job on the local police blotter into “Afghan-style” coverage of local crime he gets drawn into the backwoods of this small town-a shadow Northern California where sex is casual, true friendship is hard to come by, and an unfamiliar form of violence burbles up all around him. Freeland Mario Furloni and Kate McLean, co-writer/directors — screenwriting In the last season of black market marijuana growing before legalization, a mother and a daughter must reconcile their differences in order to survive in an increasingly inhospitable world. Jones Sally El Hosaini, writer/director — screenwriting When his father abandons him deep in the Guyanese jungle, the rebellious son of a narcissistic church leader discovers a new life of freedom. His utopia is soon shattered when “Dad” arrives with hundreds of followers. Driven by the universal need for a father’s love he becomes complicit in the depravity he previously rejected. Based on Stephan Jones’s true-life story. The Last Black Man in San Francisco Joseph Talbot, writer/director and Rolla Selbak, producer — preproduction Jimmie Fails is a young African American who dreams of buying back the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Now living in the city’s last, dwindling black neighborhood with his oddball best friend, Prentice, they search for belonging in the rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind. vimeo.com/97971791 The Last Prairie Chloé Zhao, writer/director — screenwriting A young ecologist moves to the Sandhills of Nebraska trying to stop the building of the Keystone Pipeline XL and soon finds herself caught between a small town’s fight for survival and the debate over the future habitability of our planet. Mustang Laure de Clermont Tonnerre, writer/director — screenwriting Roman Coleman is halfway through serving an 11-year sentence for attempted murder when he is offered the chance to participate in an ongoing rehabilitation therapy program involving the training of recently captured wild mustangs. Through his struggle to communicate with the animals, trainers, and other inmates he is forced to face his past and must learn confront his inner demons. Oscillate Wildly Travis Mathews, writer/director — production When a first love challenges his guarded sense of what’s possible, a hot-headed young gay man with mild cerebral palsy is forced to confront the disability he’s let consume and define him. travisdmathews.com Patti Cake$ Geremy Jasper, writer/director and Michael Gottwald, producer — preproduction Patti Dombrowski, a heavy-set white girl, struggles to break out of her blue collar New Jersey town and become a legitimate rap superstar, all on her own terms. welcometolegs.com Reza and the Refugee Aaron Douglas Johnston, writer/director — screenwriting A ragtag team of Middle Eastern political refugees in Holland enters the Eurovision song contest in an effort to save their friend from deportation and certain death. Sorry To Bother You Boots Riley, writer/director and George Rush, producer — screenwriting A Black telemarketer discovers a magical way to make his voice overdubbed by a White actor, propelling him into the upper echelon of a macabre universe where he is selected to lead a species of genetically manipulated horse-people, called the Equisapiens. thisisthecoup.com Staring at the Sun Ryan Piers Williams, writer/director — screenwriting After a massive solar event knocks out the world’s technological infrastructure, healthcare becomes a vital commodity. An elite group of United Nations aid workers given access to the best healthcare are tasked to isolate the sick from the healthy and privileged. When a young aid worker finds himself in a forbidden love, he must choose between a life of solitude or an uncertain fate with the woman he loves. Untitled Whaling Project Jesse Moss, writer/director — screenwriting A feature-length fiction film, based on a true story, about America’s last commercial whaling vessel and its final, fateful voyage in 1971. What Waits For Them In Darkness Stephen Dunn, writer/director — screenwriting 11-year-old Skipper gets separated from her family during the Newfoundland resettlement and stranded alone in her floating house on the high seas of the Atlantic where reality mixes with the rich folklore of Newfoundland for a dark fantasy adventure.
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Actress Isabella Rossellini to Preside over Un Certain Regard Jury at 2015 Cannes Film Festival

Cannes Film Festival, VIMOOZ

Italian-American actress and director Isabella Rossellini will preside over the Un Certain Regard Jury, the Official Selection of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. The lineup of the twenty films comprising the Official Selection along with the films In Competition, will be announced on April 16th.
The daughter of Italian director Roberto Rossellini and Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman, to whom this year’s Festival de Cannes is to pay tribute, Isabella began her cinematic career alongside her father as a dresser, before becoming acting for the Taviani Brothers – family friends who gave her a role in The Meadow (1979). Her career quickly took an international turn, with White Nights by Taylor Hackford (1985), Tough Guys Don’t Dance by Norman Mailer (1987), Les Yeux noirs (1987) by Nikita Mikhalkov, Blue Velvet (1986) and then Wild at Heart (1990) by David Lynch, for whom she played a number of mysterious and tortured female roles. She went on to star in a wider variety of guises for both television and film in Italy and America but returned to arthouse cinema with Abel Ferrara’s The Funeral (1996), and Two Lovers by James Gray (2008), in which she played a role of remarkable intensity. In 2010 she appeared in The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Saverio Costanzo. In 2008 following a request from Robert Redford, she threw herself into directing a miniseries devoted to the reproduction, seduction techniques and maternal behaviour of animals. Green Porno, Seduce me and Mammas– all produced by SundanceTV – revealed her irresistible comic talent and off-beat sense of humour. Isabella Rossellini and Jean-Claude Carrière then made a scenic version entitled Animals Distracted Me, which toured the world to great acclaim. At the Festival de Cannes, Isabella Rossellini will take part in the tribute to her mother by attending the screening of Ingrid Bergman, in Her Own Words‏, a documentary by Stig Björkman being shown as part of the Cannes Classics. She will also launch her own ‘Ingrid Bergman Tribute’ to celebrate the centenary of her mother’s birth. The show, directed by Guido Torlonia and Ludovica Damiani, will be based on both her autobiography and her correspondence with Roberto Rossellini and will play on some at the world’s major theatres. With the help of a soon-to-be-announced Jury made up of artists, journalists and festival directors, Isabella Rossellini will award the Un Certain Regard Prize and meet the winners on Saturday 23rd of May, on the eve of the closing ceremony. The 2014 Un Certain Regard was awarded by President of the Jury Pablo Trapero to White God directed byKornél Mundruczó.
image via flickr: Isabella Rossellini and Guy Maddin in Conversation | Aug 24, 2013 Isabella Rossellini and Guy Maddin in Conversation Aug 24, 2013 Wexner Center for the Arts The Ohio State University
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Ambulante to Showcase Mexican Documentary Films at 2015 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, VIMOOZ

[caption id="attachment_7862" align="alignnone" width="1180"] EL HOGAR AL REVÉS / UPSIDE DOWN HOME[/caption] Cine Las Americas is partnering with Ambulante to present a special series of three documentary films at the 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, taking place April 22-26, 2015. The Ambulante Showcase screenings will take place at 8pm on three consecutive evenings, Thursday April 23rd, Friday April 24th, and Saturday April 25th, in the Jones Auditorium at the Ragsdale Center, located on the campus of St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX. The screenings are free and open to the public. Ambulante was founded in 2005 by Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Pablo Cruz and Elena Fortes,and is a Mexico based non-profit organization that annually organizes an international documentary film festival, touring Mexico for three months. Through the presentation of films, workshops, talks, seminars, networking panels, and documentary theater, Ambulante opens up different ways of experiencing and understanding documentary film. The Ambulante festival is currently holding its 10th edition, which will be closing in the state of Oaxaca next May 3 after 92 days on tour. “For Cine Las Americas, this partnership with Ambulante represents an opportunity to share with our festival audience a series of films in line with both organizations’ missions,” said Cine Las Americas Festival Director Jean Lauer. “Ambulante’s mission to ‘cultivate new forms of expression and encourage debate’ compliments Cine’s objective of ‘promote cross-cultural understanding … through film and media arts.’ We are confident that this is the beginning of a long-term collaboration in support of documentary films and discourse around important contemporary issues.” The Ambulante showcase during the 18th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival will be hosted by special guest Christine Davila, Director of Ambulante California. The showcase consists of three documentary films from Mexico, exploring contemporary issues that resonate across the border. EL HOGAR AL REVÉS / UPSIDE DOWN HOME (2014), a moving portrait directed by Itzel Martínez del Cañizo, presents the lives of women looking forward and chasing their dreams, while working day and night, and shines a light on their children, who learn to survive without their mother’s available daily presence. RETRATOS DE UNA BÚQUEDA / PORTRAITS OF A SEARCH (2014), directed by Alicia Calderón, is a window into the impact of the Mexican drug war and specifically how thousands of mothers search for their missing daughters and sons as a result of the war. H2OMX (2014), directed by José Cohen and Lorenzo Hagerman, examines the question of whether Mexico City, with over 20 million residents, can avert disaster and become water-sustainable.
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Italian Mafia film BLACK SOULS Sets April 2015 Release Date in US

Foreign Language Films, VIMOOZ

The Italian Mafia film BLACK SOULS (ANIME NERE) which wowed audiences at the 2014 Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, opens in NYC on April 10, and Los Angeles on April 23, with a nationwide release to follow. BLACK SOULS (“Anime Nere”) is described as a gripping morality tale of violence begetting violence in rural Calabria, that takes us on a journey into the dark and sinister world of the real-life mafia (‘Ndrangheta) in Southern Italy. Based upon the actual events described in Gioacchino Criaco’s novel of the same name, Black Souls vividly brings to life the inevitable tragic consequences when never-ending revenge and vendetta is passed down from generation to generation. The film focuses in on the Carbone family that consists of three brothers, Luigi (Marco Leonardi) & Rocco (Peppino Mazzotta) who are engaged in the family business of international drug trade, and Luciano (Fabrizio Ferracane) who has remained behind herding goats in their ancestral town of Africo in the remote Aspromonte mountains on the Ionic coast. Luciano’s 20-year old son Leo (Giuseppe Fumo) has little respect for his father’s simple ways and instead idealizes his two Mafioso uncles and their urban lifestyle. When Leo shoots up a local bar owned by a rival family, his reckless actions reignites a longstanding blood feud and sets off a tragic chain of events that violently grinds toward an inevitable bloody showdown for all involved. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1LlGKQ92aU
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Cannes Film Festival Pays Tribute to Ingrid Bergman with 2015 Official Poster

Cannes Film Festival, VIMOOZ

The 68th Festival de Cannes taking place May 13 to 24, 2015, has chosen to pay tribute to Ingrid Bergman with this year’s poster. This year’s poster captures the actress, who worked with Alfred Hitchcock, Roberto Rossellini and Ingmar Bergman, and starred opposite Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and Gregory Peck, in all her beauty, her face lit up by a calm serenity that seems to herald a promising future. Liberty, audacity, modernity – values also shared by the Festival, year after year, through the artists and films it showcases. Ingrid Bergman, who was President of the Jury in 1973, encouraged this journey… “My family and I are deeply moved that the Festival de Cannes has chosen to feature our magnificent mother on the official poster to mark the centenary of her birth,” said Isabella Rossellini. “Her outstanding career covered so many countries, from the smallest European independent films to the greatest Hollywood productions. Mum adored working as an actress: for her acting was not a profession but vocation. As she put it, ‘I didn’t choose acting, acting chose me.’ ” Based on a photograph by David Seymour, co-founder of Magnum Agency, Hervé Chigioni, who also created for last year’s remarkable Festival poster, was once again behind this year’s image, with his graphic designer Gilles Frappier. He has also produced an animated film based on the visual, featuring a remix of the Festival’s theme music, “The Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns, arranged by two Swedish musicians, Patrik Andersson and Andreas Söderström. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoLzAj0WmO0
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