• First Films Revealed for Art of the Real Doc Fest in NY

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    Iec LongIec Long 

    The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced the initial selections for Art of the Real, the second annual documentary-as-art festival, taking place April 10-26. 

    Opening Night will premiere new works by João Pedro Rodrigues & João Rui Guerra da Mata (The Last Time I Saw Macao,Mahjong), Eduardo Williams, and Matt Porterfield (I Used to Be Darker), and all filmmakers will be in attendance. The U.S. Premiere of Rodrigues & Guerra da Mata’s Iec Long, screening this week at the Berlinale, mixes archival footage, photographs, figurine-based reconstructions, and oral testimony in an eclectic depiction of a derelict Macao fireworks factory. Argentinian director Williams’s spellbinding and enigmatic I Forgot, which will also have its U.S. Premiere, follows a group of Vietnamese teenagers as they stave off boredom by leaping from one building to the next. A North American Premiere, Porterfield’s Take What You Can Carry, in competition at the 2015 Berlinale shorts program, is a delicate portrait of a young American woman in Berlin (Hannah Gross) attempting to reconcile her need for a stable sense of identity with her itinerant lifestyle.

    The lineup will also feature The Actualities of Agnès Varda, a retrospective of the filmmaker’s work in the context of her career-long focus on merging fact and fiction. Varda will be in attendance for several screenings, and the spotlight will feature many new digital restorations, including her debut feature, La Pointe Courte, the landmark Vagabond, and all of her “California Films” (Lion’s Love, Documenteur, Mur Murs, Black Panthers, Uncle Yanco). The spotlight will also feature some of Varda’s most celebrated documentaries, such as Daguerrotypes and The Gleaners and I. Varda is a longtime favorite of the New York Film Festival, and several of her works will return to the big screen at the Film Society, including Documenteur(NYFF ’81), The Gleaners and I (NYFF ’00), Lions Love (NYFF ’69), and Mur Murs (NYFF ’80).

    The films in Repeat as Necessary: The Art of Reenactment trace a partial history of reenactment as its own medium, an act of repetition that often leads to revelation. Recent films like The Act of Killing and The Arbor have called attention to its uses, but reenactment has a rich history as an invaluable mode of documentary art, employed as a tool of dramatization, an investigative strategy, and a means of creating art from the archive. The spotlight will feature works by a wide range of artists and filmmakers working today and over the past several decades, from Jean Eustache, Juan Downey, and Harun Farocki to Elisabeth Subrin, Ming Wong, Simon Fujiwara, Jill Godmilow, and many more.

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  • SNL Documentary to Open 2015 Tribeca Film Festival

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    live fom new york documentary The world premiere of the “Saturday Night Live” documentary Live From New York!, will open the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday, April 15.  “Saturday Night Live” has been reflecting and influencing the American story for 40 years. Live From New York! explores the show’s early years, an experiment that began with a young Lorne Michaels and his cast of unknowns, and follows its evolution into a comedy institution. Archival footage is interwoven with stolen moments and exclusive commentary from “SNL” legends, journalists, hosts, crew and others influenced by the comedy giant. Live From New York! captures what has enabled “SNL” to continually refresh itself over nearly 800 episodes and keep America laughing for 40 years.  Live From New York! is directed by Tribeca alum Bao Nguyen and produced by JL Pomeroy and Tom Broecker. Tickets for the TFF 2015 Opening Night Gala go on sale on March 23 at tribecafilm.com/festival. The Tribeca Film Festival runs April 15 to April 26. “’SNL’s’ contribution to the arts and to pop culture has been—and continues to be—groundbreaking, and Live From New York!offers an inside look at the show’s inimitable ability to both reflect and impact American news, history and culture,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “This is the story of a creative journey from pilot to institution and a tribute to the moments that kept us laughing and talking long after the episodes aired. We are excited to welcome Bao Nguyen back to Tribeca to open our 14th Festival with the world premiere of Live From New York!.” “After 40 years, the timing just felt right,” said Lorne Michaels. “The selection of Live from New York! to open the 14th Tribeca Film Festival is personally gratifying to me on several levels. Having hosted SNL three times, and guested on several occasions, I speak from a first-hand experience about “SNL’s” rightful place in our culture as well as a welcome addition to our Festival,” said Robert De Niro, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “’Saturday Night Live’ is such a revered institution and we really wanted to make a film that reflected its significance not just to the American comedic tradition but also to American culture and society,” said director Bao Nguyen. “I want to thank Lorne Michaels for allowing us to film in the storied halls of Studio 8H.   I’d also like to thank JL Pomeroy and Tom Broecker for trusting me with their creative vision. Finally, I can’t thank Tribeca enough for all their support. We couldn’t dream of a better place to world premiere Live From New York! than at New York City’s own Tribeca Film Festival.”

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  • Black Women Film Summit Announces 2015 Festival Finalists

    blackwomenfilmsummit 

    The Black Women Film Network (BWFN) announced the finalists who will screen their films at the Black Women Film Festival taking place during the Black Women Film Summit on March 5-7, 2015 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. 

    The finalists are:

    “The Same Difference” – Nneka Onuorah (New York, NY)
    “Your Love” – Laila Petrone (Los Angeles, CA)
    “Black Girl in Paris” – Kiandra Parks (Wilmington, DE)
    “Queen” – Brittany Fennell (Jersey City, NJ)
    “Hands to the Sky”- Kimberly Townes (Los Angeles, CA)
    “New Heights” (web series) – Jenna Bosco (Jersey City, NJ)
    “Bristol Place” – LaShunda Smith (Buford, GA)
    “Rapunzel Jackson” – Malia Dawkins (Studio City, CA)
    “Untold” – Letia Solomon (Gardena, CA)
    “Grey” –  Janlatae Miller (Marietta, GA)
    “The Productive Live” – Mike Ray (Atlanta, GA)

    The Summit will open on Thursday, March 5 with a screening of the Season 4 premiere episode of Centric TV’s “Single Ladies” and close on Saturday, March 7 with a 40th Anniversary screening of the classic film Mahogany featuring a special performance by recording artist and “Empire” actress V. Bozeman.

    A three-day cultural celebration set during Women’s History Month, the Black Women Film Summit consists of the inspiring “Untold Stories” luncheon, the Black Women Film Festival and various seminars and activities that will connect key industry players with aspiring entertainment professionals.

    During the Summit, several VIPs will be honored at the “Untold Stories” Luncheon for their career achievements and their “untold” secrets to success. The luncheon also serves as a fundraiser for scholarships for students entering the film and television industries. 

    The 2015 Untold Stories Luncheon Honorees are:

    Will Packer – CEO – Will Packer Productions
    Robi Reed – VP, Talent Casting – BET Networks
    Lamman Rucker – Actor – Why Did I Get Married, Too?
    Logan Browning – Actress – VH1’s “Hit the Floor”
    Shante Bacon – CEO/Founder – 135th Street Agency
    Tomika DePriest – BWFN Chair Emeritus
    Tia Powell – Publisher – Georgia Film Source Book

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  • Mo’Nique & Isaiah Washington’s BLACKBIRD Sets Release Date

    blackbird Isaiah Washington MoNique

    The urban coming-of-age film BLACKBIRD starring Academy Award winning actress and comedian Mo’Nique and Isaiah Washington, will open in theaters in the U.S. on April 24, 2015.

    Based on the novel by the same name by Larry Duplechan, the film is directed by Patrik-Ian Polk (Noah’s Arc, The Skinny), which he also co-wrote with Rikki Beadle Blair (Stonewall). The film stars Academy Award winning actress and comedian Mo’Nique (Precious), Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy, Blue Caprice, The 100), Terrell Tilford (Single Ladies, Guiding Light), D. Woods (MTV’s Danity Kane), Gary L. Gray(The Cosby Show, Bring It On: All Or Nothing),Torrey Laamar, Kevin Allesee, Nikki Jane and introduces breakthrough talent Julian Walker.

    BLACKBIRD is described as a personal, controversial, and inspiring story that introduces two up-and coming actors – Julian Walker and Kevin Allesee.  BLACKBIRD tells the story of seventeen-year-old Randy (Julian Walker), a devout Christian who tries very hard to be a good person. Since his father (Isaiah Washington) left, Randy takes care of his emotionally disturbed mother (Mo’Nique), sings lead in the church choir and is the kind of friend all of his classmates can depend on. As strong as he seems on the outside, Randy is hiding a secret inner struggle – a denial of his true self. It is not until he opens himself up to love that he discovers that becoming a man means accepting who you really are.

    In February 2014, ‘Blackbird’ began its very successful film festival run as the closing night gala screening for Los Angeles’ Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) where it won the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature Film. Other notable festival appearances include Newfest at Lincoln Center in New York City, Out On Film in Atlanta, Reeling in Chicago, Outfest Fusion in Los Angeles, The Seattle LGBT Film Festival, ReelQ in Pittsburgh, Outflix in Memphis, Long Beach QFilms, New York’s American Black Film Festival (ABFF) and The Tampa International LGBT Film Festival.  ‘Blackbird’ also sold out the twelve-hundred-seat historic Castro Theatre in San Francisco at Frameline Film Festival, the country’s oldest LGBT film fest.

    Internationally, ‘Blackbird’ had successful screenings at festivals in Barcelona, Melbourne, Copenhagen and Amsterdam with forthcoming appearances in Canada, England and Italy.  Multiple festival juries and audiences have rewarded ‘Blackbird’ with ‘Best Feature’ honors: Outflix Memphis, Atlanta’s Out On Film, Reeling in Chicago and the Crossroads Film Festival in Polk’s native Mississippi. Additionally, the film received honors for Best Ensemble Cast, Best Director & Best Actor (Julian Walker) at Atlanta’s Out On Film and the Diversity Award at the Barcelona LGTIB Film Festival.

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ-HwLGkz2E

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  • Award Winning Indie Film THE WIDOWERS on VOD February 18th

    Richard Lovejoy in THE WIDOWERS, courtesy of Candy Factory Films

    Jonathan Scott Chinn’s directorial debut, THE WIDOWERS, described as a powerful and hilarious film about grief, loneliness, and loss, will be available on VOD February 18.

    A true independent film, THE WIDOWERS was self-financed from personal savings and depended on the contributions of its actors, crew, and craftsmen.  Its core film team, along with a 60% female crew, tell a personal story of loss and explore what happens after the dramatic impact of death has subsided, and the loss has become a new norm.

    As Jake (Richard Lovejoy) finds himself unable to put his life back together after the death of his wife, his best friend signs the two of them up for a grief counseling retreat in upstate New York. There they meet an odd ensemble of fellow mourners. Desperate to feel something again, Jake pushes back against the charade of group therapy sessions and useless bonding exercises. However, he soon discovers that the last remnants of his old life are beginning to crumble, and a new beginning is on the horizon.

    THE WIDOWERS is the winner of Best Narrative Feature, Best Director, Best Ensemble at Chain NYC Film Festival.

    {vimeo}46152726{/vimeo}

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  • Full Frame Doc Film Fest Reveals 2015 Tribute Award Honoree

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     full frame documentary film festival

    The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will honor Marshall Curry with the 2015 Tribute Award, presenting a retrospective of his work; and this year’s Thematic Program will be curated by filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal. 

    Curry is a two-time Academy Award®–nominated documentary director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. His first film, Street Fight, won the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, AFI/Discovery SilverDocs Festival, and Hot Docs Film Festival. It also received the Jury Prize at Hot Docs and was nominated for a Writer’s Guild of America Award, an Oscar®, and an Emmy. Curry’s next film, Racing Dreams, won the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival Jury Prize for Best Documentary. His film If a Tree Falls: The Story of the Earth Liberation Front won the Sundance Film Festival award for Best Documentary Editing and was nominated for an Academy Award®. Curry’s most recent film, Point and Shoot, won Best Documentary at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and was nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award, an IDA Award, and a Cinema Eye Honors Award. Curry’s films have been broadcast nationally on PBS, and have played around the world on the BBC, HBO Latin America, and others. Curry also served as executive producer of Mistaken for Strangers, which opened the Tribeca Film Festival in 2013.

    For this year’s Thematic Program, Full Frame will focus on the complex moral questions around documentation, tapping filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal to curate.

    Jennifer Baichwal has been directing and producing documentaries for 20 years. Her films include Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles, about enigmatic expatriate novelist Paul Bowles; The True Meaning of Pictures,about the work of Appalachian photographer Shelby Lee Adams; Manufactured Landscapes, about the work of artist Edward Burtynsky; Act of God, about the metaphysical effects of being struck by lightning; Payback, a documentary adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth; and Watermark(co-directed by Edward Burtynsky), about human interaction with water around the world. Her films have screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Hot Docs Film Festival, and Sundance Film Festival, and have won an International Emmy Award for Best Arts Documentary, the Toronto Film Critic’s Association prize for Best Canadian Film, the Canadian Media Awards prize for Best Documentary, and numerous other awards.

    “The ethics and politics of representation have preoccupied me since I started making films two decades ago,” said Baichwal. “It came to a head in 2003 with The True Meaning of Pictures. I realized that by showing the photographs of Shelby Lee Adams in our film, we were subject to exactly the same criticism leveled against him for taking them. And I knew we had to address this in some way beyond having people argue about whether the representation was ethical or not. I also realized that there is no overall rule for tackling these issues: each context, each situation, demands its own complex, delicate, honest, ethical approach.”

    The 18th Annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will be held April 9-12, 2015, in Durham, N.C., with Duke University as the presenting sponsor. 

     

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  • THE SURFACE Starring Sean Astin to Open Gasparilla Film Fest

    the surface

    The Florida Premiere of the film “The Surface“, starring Mimi Rogers, Chris Mulkey and Sean Astin will open the 2015 Suncoast Credit Union Gasparilla International Film Festival, taking place March 24 – 29, 2015.

    Directed by Gil Cates, Jr., the movie tells the story of two strangers, both at the end of their rope, who suddenly meet in the middle of the unpredictable waters of Lake Michigan.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1gHRRzIqiU

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  • Rendez-Vous with French Cinema to Showcase French Films in NYC

    3 Hearts / 3 Coeurs3 Hearts / 3 Coeurs

    The 20th Anniversary of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, the Film Society of Lincoln Center and UniFrance films’ annual showcase of the best in contemporary French film, will run March 6-15, 2015, in New York City.

    The Opening Night selection features the return of master filmmaker Benoît Jacquot and the U.S. premiere of 3 Hearts, a touching and tense drama about destiny, connections, and passion surrounding a classic love triangle between Benoît Poelvoorde (Man Bites Dog), Charlotte Gainsbourg (Nymphomaniac, Melancholia), and Chiara Mastroianni (Persepolis). Director Quentin Dupieux (Rubber) will close the festival with his latest film, Reality, a comedy shot in Los Angeles that stars the hilarious French veteran Alain Chabat with Eric Wareheim and Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), and features Philip Glass’s Music with Changing Parts. The film weaves together the journeys of an 8-year-old girl who finds a mysterious VHS tape, a failed filmmaker shooting his first horror movie, and a culinary TV host who loses his self-confidence because of an imaginary skin disease.

    The 20th Anniversary edition of the festival will also introduce audiences to new voices, including the debut feature from Stéphane Demoustier, 40-Love, starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi; Young Tiger marks the inaugural feature of Cyprien Vial, having written and directed four short subjects (including Cannes prizewinner In Range); actress Lucie Borleteau makes her feature directing debut with Fidelio, Alice’s Odyssey, with Greek actress Ariane Labed (Attenberg, Before Midnight), who won Best Actress at Locarno, starring opposite Melvil Poupoud (Time to Leave, Broken English) and Anders Danielsen Lie (Oslo, August 31st); celebrated rapper and spoken word artist Abd Al Malik makes his directorial debut with May Allah Bless France!, a candid account of his early life and artistic awakening, shot in black and white, that earned him the FIPRESCI Discovery Prize at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and two Cesar nominations; and SK1, director Frédéric Tellier’s suspenseful feature debut starring frequent Dardennes collaborator Olivier Gourmet, Christa Théret (star of Rendez-Vous 2013’s Renoir), Raphaël Personnaz (star of Rendez-Vous 2014’s The French Minister), and four-time César winner Nathalie Baye.

    Award winners are well represented throughout the lineup, including Hippocrates, the second feature from director Thomas Lilti, which received seven César nominations; the gritty Party Girl, which took home two awards at Cannes (including the Camera d’Or) and was a standout in Un Certain Regard; the debut feature from Thomas Cailley, Love at First Fight, a triple winner at last year’s Cannes, where it played in the Directors’ Fortnight and also just received nine César nominations; and Wild Life, directed by Cédric Kahn (Red Lights), which received a special jury prize at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

    FILMS & DESCRIPTIONS

    Opening Night
    3 Hearts / 3 Coeurs
    Benoît Jacquot, France/Germany/Belgium, 2014, DCP, 106m
    French with English subtitles
    While traveling through a small provincial town, reserved and melancholic Parisian Marc (Benoît Poelvoorde, Man Bites Dog) meets by chance Sylvie (Charlotte Gainsbourg), a mysterious and beautiful stranger. The two spend a magical night together and fall madly in love. Without exchanging names or information, they agree to meet by a fountain in Paris, à la An Affair to Remember—but as in that classic tearjerker, fate conspires against them. Thinking herself jilted, Sylvie returns to her past life, whereupon Marc meets and woos Sophie (Chiara Mastroianni)—blissfully unaware that she’s Sylvie’s sister. Benoît Jacquot, whose Farewell, My Queen was a highlight of Rendez-Vous 2012, directs this romantic and tragic roundelay, co-starring the luminous Catherine Deneuve (Mastroianni’s mother on-screen and off-). A Cohen Media Group release. U.S. Premiere

    Closing Night
    Reality / Réalité
    Quentin Dupieux, France/Belgium, 2014, DCP, 102m
    French and English with English subtitles
    Quentin Dupieux, the architect of Rubber (which, in case you missed it, was about a sentient, murderous tire), lets his imagination take flight again, resulting in a multi-threaded Lynchian house of mirrors. The only “reality” on view here is a little girl by that name (Kyla Kenedy) who finds a VHS tape inside the carcass of a boar her father is planning to stuff. Meanwhile, the cameraman (Alain Chabat) of a show hosted by a man in a bear suit (Jon Heder, Napoleon Dynamite himself) needs to record the perfect scream for his pet project, a film about killer TVs. You won’t want to miss this unique and hilarious reverie—much more than the sum of its quirks—featuring Philip Glass’s Music with Changing Parts, a perfect sonic analog to Dupieux’s ineffable vision. An IFC Midnight release.
     

    40-Love / Terre battue
    Stéphane Demoustier, France/Belgium, 2014, DCP, 95m
    French with English subtitles
    When Jérôme (Olivier Gourmet), a fiftyish department-store sales manager, loses his job, and his wife Laura (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) leaves him for another man, all he has left are his pipe dreams and his son Ugo (first-time actor Charles Mérienne). Though only 11 years old, Ugo already shows great promise as a tennis pro, with a trainer eager to recruit him. Jerome cares for Ugo’s auspicious career only grudgingly until a startling development forces him to rethink his priorities. Playing another of his harried “ordinary men,” Gourmet brings trademark authenticity to a role that (like the film’s tennis-entendre English title) skirts both silliness and melancholy. Thanks to his efforts and the preternaturally confident young Mérienne, this first feature by Stéphane Demoustier clears the net on every serve.

    Breathe / Respire
    Mélanie Laurent, 2014, France, DCP, 91m
    French with English subtitles
    Internationally acclaimed actress Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) follows up her 2011 feature directorial debut, The Adopted, with a perceptive account of high-school angst and obsession. Shy 17-year-old Charlie (Joséphine Japy) becomes fast friends with Sarah (Lou de Laâge), a new arrival in their school. The outgoing Sarah coaxes Charlie out of her shell and becomes a fixture in her home, but when the two go on holiday together their relationship turns sour. Laurent trusts her gifted young stars with challenging long takes and they reward her faith in abundance. Featuring César winner Isabelle Carré (Beautiful Memories) as Charlie’s dysfunctional mother, Breathe echoes Blue Is the Warmest Color in broad strokes but paints its own striking portrait of youthful ardor and codependency. Nominated for two César Awards.

    The Connection / La French
    Cédric Jimenez, France, 2014, DCP, 135m
    French with English subtitles
    Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin (The Artist) plays radically against type in this gripping thriller from the files of the same criminal ring that inspired William Friedkin’s classic The French Connection. Dujardin is Pierre Michel, a Marseilles magistrate who dedicates himself to apprehending fearsome heroin czar Gaetano Zampa (Gilles Lellouche, Little White Lies). As in the policiers by Jean-Pierre Melville that it evokes, the principled antagonists of The Connection are two sides of a coin, more like one another than the rats in their respective organizations. Director Cédric Jimenez uses late-70s music and fashion to resurrect the disco-age backdrop against which their vendetta played out. Though highlighted by Dujardin’s Delon-esque turn, the all-star French cast includes Benoît Magimel (Isabelle Huppert’s pupil/pursuer in The Piano Teacher), and the luminous Céline Sallette (House of Pleasures) as Pierre Michel’s wife. Nominated for two César Awards. A Drafthouse Films release. U.S. Premiere

    Eat Your Bones / Mange tes morts
    Jean-Charles Hue, France, 2014, DCP, 94m
    French with English subtitles
    After his documentary/fiction hybrid debut The Lord’s Ride, which portrayed the gypsy communities of northern France, director Jean-Charles Hue reunited several of that film’s nonprofessional stars to tell the story of another Romani family. Eighteen-year-old Jason (Jason François), on the verge of baptism, finds his values tested when half-brother Fred (Frédéric Dorkel) returns from a 15-year prison stint anything but rehabilitated. The two, along with a third brother and a cousin, team up to steal a truckload of copper, but they prove to be inept criminals and unstable partners. For this dynamic and absorbing glimpse at an underrepresented culture, Hue received the 2014 Prix Jean Vigo, awarded annually to one director by the Cinema of France “for their spirit of independence and extraordinary style.” U.S. Premiere

    Fidelio, Alice’s Odyssey / Fidelio, l’odyssée d’Alice
    Lucie Borleteau, France, 2014, DCP, 97m
    French, Romanian, Tagalog, Norwegian, and English with English subtitles
    Actress Lucie Borleteau makes her feature directing debut with this insightful study of a woman situated in an almost exclusively male milieu. Sailor Alice (Ariane Labed) joins the freighter Fidelio as a replacement engineer, soon discovering that the captain, Gaël (Melvil Poupaud), is a man with whom she was once romantically involved. Though she leaves behind a fiancé on land (Anders Danielsen Lie, Oslo, August 31st), she finds her feelings for Gaël have not abated. Buttressed by a remarkable international cast, Fidelio, Alice’s Odyssey presents a rounded portrait of a passionate woman faced with difficult choices. Greek actress Labed won Best Actress at Locarno for her memorable performance. Nominated for two César Awards including Best Debut Feature.

    Gaby Baby Doll
    Sophie Letourneur, France, 2014, DCP, 88m
    French with English subtitles
    As the awkward, insecure bubbly Gaby, Lolita Chammah (Farewell, My Queen) suggests a Gallic Greta Gerwig in one of her not-quite-formed-adult roles. Upon arriving in the country, she’s promptly discarded by her boyfriend, and as solitude is not an option, the companionship-starved Gaby seeks out a replacement. She finds it in Nicolas (Benjamin Biolay), a seemingly hirsute vagabond whose shack she invites herself to share. Director Sophie Letourneur’s follow-up to 2012’s Les coquillettesis a tentative pastoral romance filled with endearing neuroses and an organically unpredictable plot, charming and moving in its investigation of why it is that some simply cannot bear to be alone. North American Premiere

    Hippocrates / Hippocrate
    Thomas Lilti, France, 2014, DCP, 102m
    French with English subtitles
    Following up his debut feature, 2007’s Les yeux bandés, Thomas Lilti takes us inside a Paris hospital—an environment he knows well, being a practicing doctor himself. Novice doctor Benjamin (Vincent Lacoste), interning in his father’s ward, makes a rookie mistake that costs a patient his life. The administration quickly covers up his wrongdoing, but the dead man’s wife begins asking questions and Benjamin’s overworked colleagues resent his nepotism. Reda Kateb (A Prophet, Zero Dark Thirty) provides the film’s moral center as Abdel, a skilled physician forced to work as an intern due to his immigrant status, struggling mightily and alone to place patient welfare ahead of staff impunity. Recalling both Arthur Hiller’sThe Hospital in its cynical view of the profession and Maïwenn’s Polisse in its tough depiction of state institutions, Lilti’s biting dramedy posits that “Hippocratic” and “hypocrite” share more than linguistic affinities. Nominated for seven César Awards including Best Film. A Distrib Films release. North American Premiere

    In the Courtyard / Dans la cour
    Pierre Salvadori, France, 2014, DCP, 97m
    French with English subtitles
    National treasure Catherine Deneuve sinks her teeth into the role of Mathilde, a former social worker inhabiting an upscale apartment with her husband Serge (Féodor Atkine). When slovenly musician Antoine (Gustave Kervern) applies by chance for a caretaker job in their building, Mathilde insists Serge hire him, despite his rough manners and lack of qualifications. An unlikely friendship develops between the depressed custodian and the elegant retiree, whose dependence on Antoine increases as her grasp on reality begins to slip. Best known for light comedies like Après Vous, director Pierre Salvadori handles the shifts in tone adroitly, abetted by nuanced turns from Kervern (himself a director) and the always masterful Deneuve in a César Award-nominated performance. A Cohen Media Group release. North American Premiere

    In the Name of My Daughter / L’Homme qu’on aimait trop
    André Téchiné, France, 2014, DCP, 116m
    French with English subtitles
    André Téchiné, whose previous film Unforgivable was a Rendez-Vous 2012 selection, returns with another penetrating psychological drama. In 1976 Nice, young divorcee Agnès Le Roux (Adèle Haenel) falls for shady lawyer Maurice Agnelet (Tell No One director Guillaume Canet), allowing him to manipulate her into handing the casino run by her mother, Renée (Catherine Deneuve), over to the mob. The subsequent disappearance of Agnès and Maurice’s emigration to Panama with her money convinces Renée that he has murdered her, and so she swears to see justice served. Téchiné’s atmospheric recounting of the real-life Affaire Le Roux features a regal turn from Deneuve and further evidence of Haenel’s immense versatility and remarkable talent. A Cohen Media Group release. North American Premiere

    Love at First Fight / Les Combattants
    Thomas Cailley, 2014, France, DCP, 98m
    French with English subtitles
    A triple winner at last year’s Cannes, where it played in the Directors’ Fortnight, Love at First Fight offers a warm and refreshing coming-of-age story. Easygoing and naïve Arnaud (Kévin Azaïs) plans to spend the summer helping his brother in the family carpentry business. But when he meets Madeleine (Adèle Haenel), a steely young woman determined on the harshest military service and preoccupied with visions of the apocalypse, he adoringly follows her to boot camp. Thomas Cailley’s first feature may feel unmistakably familiar, yet it offers two alluring and empathetic protagonists (portrayed by equally likable actors), well-wrought humor, and gorgeous cinematography by David Cailley (the director’s brother). Nominated for nine César Awards including Best Film. A Strand Releasing release.

    May Allah Bless France! / Qu’Allah bénisse la France!
    Abd Al Malik, France, 2014, DCP, 95m
    French with English subtitles
    Celebrated rapper and spoken word artist Abd Al Malik makes his directorial debut with May Allah Bless France!, a candid account of his early life and artistic awakening that earned him the FIPRESCI Discovery Prize at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. Born Régis Fayette-Mikano to Congolese immigrants, he grew up in Strasbourg’s housing projects, participating in petty crimes that cost the lives of his friends. He found release in writing and performance, converting to Sufism at age 24 and penning the memoir that informed this adaptation. Marc Zinga ably inhabits the role of young Régis, movingly limning his journey to redemption. Shot in black and white, the film visually and thematically recalls Mathieu Kassovitz’s seminal urban crime drama La Haine. Nominated for two César Awards including Best Debut Feature.

    Métamorphoses
    Christophe Honoré, France, 2014, DCP, 102m
    French with English subtitles
    Perhaps the most ambitious undertaking in this year’s Rendez-Vous, Métamorphoses brings to the screen reimagined tales from Ovid’s magnum opus. The narrative poem, which interweaves mythology with a history of Roman civilization, is transplanted to present-day France, where Jupiter (Sébastien Hirel) absconds with schoolgirl Europa (newcomer Amira Akili). Nestled within their courtship are interludes with Narcissus, Orpheus, and Bacchus, and humans repeatedly changed into animals. Stylist Christophe Honoré (director of the musical melodrama Love Songs, a Rendez-Vous 2008 selection) renders scenes of breathtaking natural beauty and, as befits the gods’ dalliances with mortals, near-constant eroticism. A cinematic experience like no other. North American Premiere

    My Friend Victoria / Mon amie Victoria
    Jean-Paul Civeyrac, France, 2014, DCP, 95m
    French with English subtitles
    Based on the story “Victoria and the Staveneys” by Nobel laureate (and oft-filmed author) Doris Lessing, My Friend Victoriarelocates its black London heroine to contemporary Paris while retaining her essential, puppet-like passivity. As an 8-year-old orphan, Victoria (Keylia Achie Beguie) is taken into the home of a white bourgeois family for a single night, fueling her dreams of comfort and privilege for the rest of her life. As an adult (now beautifully played by Guslagie Malanda), she reconnects with the youngest son of her host family, bearing his child after a brief affair. All the while she drifts from job to job, independent yet lacking focus—except for that one night from her childhood and its revelations. Director Jean-Paul Civeyrac manages a treatise on race and class that’s subtle, moving, and refreshingly non-didactic, refusing to reduce the characters to symbols or dilute the richness of Lessing’s prose. North American Premiere

    Next Time I’ll Aim for the Heart / La Prochaine fois je viserai le coeur
    Cédric Anger, France, 2014, DCP, 111m
    French with English subtitles
    Cédric Anger, once a critic for Cahiers du Cinéma, wrote and directed this chilling chronicle of notorious serial killer Alain Lamare (here renamed Franck Neuhart and played by Guillaume Canet). In a truly mordant twist, while Lamare was terrorizing France in the winter of 1978-79, he was also an outstanding gendarme tasked with apprehending the killer. His victims were all helpless young women, whom he stalked and shot while trying to start a love affair with his pretty cleaning lady (Ana Girardot). Anger follows in the footsteps of Friedkin and Fincher in divesting all glamour from crime, instead showing the dead ends that vex the crime fighters and the dark souls that plague the criminals. The evocative period soundtrack includes Johnny Thunders and The Velvet Underground. Nominated for two César Awards.

    Party Girl
    Marie Amachoukeli-Barsacq, Claire Burger & Samuel Theis, France, 2014, DCP, 96m
    French with English subtitles
    Angélique (Angélique Litzenburger) is a sixtyish eccentric hostess living in a small room above a bar in Lorraine. For decades she’s worked for drinks and tips but she clearly loves this flamboyant unconventional way of life. One night, smitten customer Michel (Joseph Bour) proposes marriage. This could be a way out of her unsustainable lifestyle—but is she suited to domesticity? Moreover, is she prepared to reunite with her four children, all from past relationships, including a 16-year-old daughter who grew up in foster care? Inspired by the sudden wedding of actress Litzenburger, mother to co-director Theis, the gritty slice-of-life Party Girl took home two awards at Cannes (including the Camera d’Or), where it was a standout in Un Certain Regard. Nominated for two César Awards including Best Debut Feature. U.S. Premiere

    Portrait of the Artist / Le dos rouge
    Antoine Barraud, France, 2014, DCP, 127m
    French with English subtitles
    Renowned director Bertrand Bonello (House of Pleasures and Saint Laurent, as well as the subject of a retrospective at the Film Society this May) stars as “Bertrand,” a filmmaker approaching his next project with a peculiar obsession—monstrosity. Convinced it should be the central theme of his film, he fixates on the notion of monstrous imagery, visiting museums and even hiring a mysterious art historian (played simultaneously by Jeanne Balibar and Géraldine Pailhas) to help him find the painting that best embodies the idea (considering works by Francis Bacon, Caravaggio, and others). But to his shock, the mania consuming his mind begins to manifest itself in his body as a monstrous red stain takes shape on his back. A disquieting yet fascinating (and funny!) mixture of body horror and character study, co-starring Barbet Schroeder as a physician and Joana Preiss as Bertrand’s wife Barbe. North American Premiere

    SK1 / L’Affaire SK1
    Frédéric Tellier, France, 2014, DCP, 120m
    French with English subtitles
    The multi-year hunt, arrest, and trial of serial killer Guy Georges is the subject of director Frédéric Tellier’s suspenseful feature debut, based on Patricia Tourancheau’s harrowing work of nonfiction, Guy Georges: La Traque. Sentenced to life imprisonment in 2001 for the murder of seven women, Georges (Adama Niane) was described by psychiatrists as “a narcissistic psychopath” and nicknamed The Beast of the Bastille. With great sophistication, Tellier renders the police’s dogged (though often clumsy) pursuit of Georges in all of its shocking twists and menacing turns. Featuring frequent Dardennes collaborator Olivier Gourmet, Christa Théret (star of Rendez-Vous 2013’s Renoir), Raphaël Personnaz (star of Rendez-Vous 2014’s The French Minister), and four-time César winner Nathalie Baye. U.S. Premiere

    Stubborn / Une histoire américaine
    Armel Hostiou, France, 2015, DCP, 85m
    French and English with English subtitles
    Experimental filmmaker and video artist Armel Hostiou expands his 2013 short Kingston Avenue into his second feature film (after 2011’s Day), a story about the steps we’ll take and the lies we tell ourselves in the name of love. Artist Barbara (Kate Moran) tires of her (very) brief relationship with Vincent (Vincent Macaigne) and leaves him behind in Paris. But the resolute Vincent follows her to America, determined to win back her affections. Shot in New York in wintertime and featuring daytime soap veteran and star of HBO’s Looking Murray Bartlett as Barbara’s new love interest, Stubborn, like its hero, is unabashedly romantic, utterly captivating, and often uncomfortably hilarious. North American Premiere

    Wild Life / Vie sauvage
    Cédric Kahn, Belgium/France, 2014, DCP, 102m
    French with English subtitles
    Carole and Philippe (Céline Sallette and Mathieu Kassovitz), tired of propriety and consumerism, opt to renounce civilization and live off the land. Calling themselves Nora and Paco, they lead a nomadic life in their caravan, gradually adding children to the mix. But when Nora tires of their itinerant lifestyle and gains custody of their sons, Philippe refuses to allow his progeny to be raised according to the societal codes he abhors. What follows is the riveting true story (based on the case of Xavier Fortin) of a father’s reckless but all-consuming love, directed by Cédric Kahn, whose underrated thriller Red Lightsalso portrayed a husband driven to extremes. Kassovitz gives the performance of his career while Sallette is extraordinary as the desperate mother fighting to reunite with her sons. The film received a special jury prize at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. North American Premiere

    Young Tiger / Bébé tigre
    Cyprien Vial, France, 2014, DCP, 87m
    French with English subtitles
    Young Tiger marks the inaugural feature of Cyprien Vial, having written and directed four short subjects (including Cannes prizewinner In Range). Here he relates the experiences of eager and touching Punjabi teenager Many (Harmandeep Palminder), in France to pursue his education, torn between his desire to establish a life in his new country and the pressure to send money back home. Skipping school and forced to take illegal and dangerous jobs that pay him under the table, he finds himself on a slippery slope into criminal activity, while deceiving his girlfriend, Elisabeth (Elisabeth Lando), and his foster family. Basing his film on first- and secondhand experiences, Vial tells a story both particular to the Indian diaspora and universal to the plight of immigrants being pulled in all directions.
     

    Shorts Program

    The Smallest Apartment in Paris / Le Plus petit appartement de Paris
    Hélèna Villovitch, France, 2014, DCP, 15m
    French with English subtitles
    Carla and François are forced to share a 16 square meter studio in this whimsical sketch addressing the housing crisis that all urban dwellers are sure to identify with. North American Premiere

    Back Alley / Le Contre-allée
    Cécile Ducrocq, France, 2014, DCP, 29m
    French with English subtitles
    A streetwalker since the age of 15, Suzanne finds her livelihood threatened by the arrival of African prostitutes on her turf in this heartbreaking winner of the Small Golden Rail prize at Cannes.

    The Space / Espace
    Eléonor Gilbert, France, 2014, DCP, 14m
    French with English subtitles
    A young girl wants to play soccer at recess but schoolyard sexism prevents it. So, with pencil and paper, she charts her grievances, urging her peers to take back the playground. U.S. Premiere

    Extrasystole
    Alice Douard, France, 2013, DCP, 35m
    French with English subtitles
    When student Raphaëlle, subject to cardiac contractions, meets enigmatic teacher Adèle, it’s not just her condition that makes her heart skip a beat.

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  • Trailer Released for WILD CANARIES Starring Jason Ritter

    WILD CANARIES, written and directed by Lawrence Michael Levine

    The trailer is released for WILD CANARIES, written and directed by Lawrence Michael Levine, about a newly engaged couple who investigates signs of foul play, when their elderly neighbor suddenly drops dead.

    Starring Jason Ritter,Alia Shawkat, Sophia Takal, Lawrence Michael Levine, Kevin Corrigan, and Annie Parisse, WILD CANARIES will open in theaters on  February 25th.

    Barri and Noah, a newly engaged Brooklyn couple, are disheartened by the death of their elderly downstairs neighbor, Sylvia. Though Noah sees nothing unusual about the old woman’s death, Barri suspects foul play and sets out to investigate, enlisting her roommate Jean to join her on a reconnaissance mission to trail a possible suspect. Tensions mount, however, when the investigation uncovers unsettling secrets throughout the building—including in their own apartment — and suddenly everyone seems like a reasonable suspect. A freshly comedic take on classic film noir, WILD CANARIES brings a unique sensibility to a high-stakes murder mystery.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c-MlUFppKA

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  • “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” Win Top Awards at Sundance

    Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,

    Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is the Winner of the U. S. Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic and the Audience Award – U.S. Dramatic at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

    Accepting the award, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon said “I want to thank entire cast and crew actors, Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler, Connie Britton, Nick Offerman and Molly Shannon. This movie was about processing the loss and celebrate the life of a beautiful man, my father. So thanks again for this opportunity.”

    The winners and awards of 2015 Sundance Film Festival

    Winner of the Directing Award: U.S. Documentary:
    Cartel Land    , directed by Matthew Heinema

    Winner of the Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic:
    The Witch    , directed by Robert Eggers

    Winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary:
    The Wolfpack    , directed by Crystal Moselle

    Winner of the U. S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic:
    Me and Earl and the Dying Girl    , directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

    Winner of the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact:
    3 ½ Minutes,     directed by Marc Silver

    Winner for U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Collaborate Vision:
    Advantageous, directd by Jennifer Phang

    Winner for U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Excellence in Editing:
    Dope    , edited by Lee Haugen

    Winner of the Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic:
    The Diary of a Teenage Girl    , cinematography by Brandon Trost

    Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic:
    The Stanford Prison Experiment    , screenplay by Tim Talbott

    Winner of Audience Award: U.S. Documentary:
    Meru    , directed by Jimmy Chin and E. Chai Vasarhelyi

    Winner of the Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic:
    Me and Earl and the Dying Girl    , directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

    Winner of the Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary:
    Cartel Land    , by Matthew Heineman

    Winner of the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Break Out First Feature:
    (T)error    , directed by Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe

    Winner for U. S. Documentary Special Jury award for Verité Filmmaking:
    Western,     directed by Bill Ross and Turner Ross

    Winner of the Audience Award: Best Of Next
    James White    , directed by Josh Mond

    Winner of the Audience Award for World Cinema Dramatic:
    Umrika, directed by Prashant Nair

    Winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting:
    The Second Mother    , Regina Casé and Camila Márdila

    Winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting:
    Glassland    , Jack Reynor

    Winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Cinematography:
    Partisan    , Germain McMicking

    Winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award:
    The Summer of Sangaile    , directed by Alanté Kavaïté

    Winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize:
    Slow West    , directed by John Maclean

    Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Editing Award:
    How to Change the World,     edited by Jim Scott

    Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Impact:
    Pervert Park    , directed by Frida Barkfors and Lasse Barkfors

    Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Unparalleled Access:
    The Chinese Mayor,     directed by Hao Zhou

    Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award:
    Dreamcatcher,     directed by Kim Longinotto

    Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize:
    Russian Woodpecker,     directed by Chad Gracia

    Winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize:
    The Stanford Prison Experiment,     directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez

     

     

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  • Winners and Awards of 2015 Slamdance Film Festival

     ACROSS THE SEAACROSS THE SEA

    The 21st Slamdance Film Festival announced the feature and short film recipients of this year’s awards in the Audience, Jury, and Sponsored Categories. 

    “Congratulations to the winners of Slamdance and indeed to all of the filmmakers this year. The 2015 festival has shown us once again that if you want to see the best of real independent film, Slamdance is the place to be,” stated Peter Baxter, Slamdance President and Co-founder. 

    AUDIENCE AWARDS

    Audience Award for Narrative Feature: ACROSS THE SEA, dir. by Nisan Dağ & Esra Saydam
    Damla is a Turkish immigrant estranged from her homeland; she lives in New York City with her husband, Kevin, and they’re expecting their first child. But Damla is still haunted by memories of her first love and when she returns to Turkey with Kevin she has to confront a troubling secret from her past.

    Audience Award for Documentary Feature: SWEET MICKY FOR PRESIDENT, dir. by Ben Patterson
    Music and politics collide when international music star Pras Michel of the Fugees returns to his homeland of Haiti, following the devastating earthquake of 2010, to mobilize a presidential campaign for Haiti’s most controversial musician: Michel Martelly aka Sweet Micky. The politically inexperienced pair set out against a corrupt government, civil unrest, and a fixed election.

    JURY AWARDS – NARRATIVE

    This year’s Slamdance Narrative Jury Prizes were selected by the esteemed panel of industry members Richard Lorber, Todd Looby and Emilie Upczak. 

    Jury Award for Narrative Feature: TIRED MOONLIGHT, dir. by Britni West
    “A masterful fusion of cinematic vision and poetic narrative, Tired Moonlight effortlessly transports you from the prosaic surroundings of its poignant characters’ lives into a realm of unexpected beauty and spiritual authenticity with an unforced craftsmanship.”
    The award winner was granted $3,500 in legal services from Pierce Law Group.

    Jury Honorable Mention for Narrative Feature: THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE, dir. by Perry Blackshear
    “With rare filmmaking skill, brains, precision and outstanding performances, Perry Blackshear and his cast and crew silence critics who claim very small and contained films like this can’t be riveting and brilliant.”

    Jury Honorable Mention for Narrative Feature: ACROSS THE SEA, dir. by Nisan Dağ & Esra Saydam
    “Through transcendent cinematography trained on the mystical Mediterranean setting and wonderful minute of uncertain love, directors Nisan Dağ and Esra Saydam provide a beautiful, intense and honest look at a relationship in peril.”

    JURY AWARDS – DOCUMENTARY

    This year’s Slamdance Documentary Jury Prizes were selected by the esteemed panel of industry members Paige Williams, Josh Leake and Bryan Storkel.

    Jury Award for Documentary Feature: SWEET MICKY FOR PRESIDENT, dir. by Ben Patterson
    “Sweet Micky For President takes the audience on an unbelievable, wild ride through difficult Haitian politics, in a story that is both entertaining and educational. The film is an enormous accomplishment for first-time director Ben Patterson and is a great example of why Slamdance exists – to celebrate new works by new directors whose films can help change our perspective on the world – one story at a time.”
    The award winner was granted $3,500 in legal services from Pierce Law Group.

    Jury Honorable Mention for Documentary Feature: 20 YEARS OF MADNESS, dir. by Jeremy Royce
    “Reminding us that it’s never too late to chase your dreams, 20 Years of Madness is brimming with stunning cinematography, eccentric characters and a heartfelt story about the desire to do something great while confronting the reality of failure.”

    Jury Award for Documentary Short: THE SOLITUDE OF MEMORY, dir. by Juan Pablo González
    “Juan Pablo González paints a vivid and eloquent portrait of a devoted father and the love for his son, drawing deep emotions from the viewer through his use of gorgeous cinematography, moving music and an incredibly honest, trusting main subject.”
    The award winner qualifies for the Annual Academy Awards®.

    Jury Honorable Mention for Documentary Short: DOLPHIN LOVER, dir. by Kareem Tabsch
    “Storytelling is an art form, and this film is a prime example of using this medium in a beautiful way to tell a seriously fucked-up, but very true and engaging story.”

    JURY AWARDS – SHORT FILMS

    The below Short Film Jury Prizes were selected by the esteemed panel of industry members Sarah Cornell, Rory Haines and Elle Schneider. 

    Jury Award for Narrative Short: STAY AWAKE, dir. by Jamie Sisley
    “Stay Awake exhibits a remarkable empathy for characters who find themselves trapped in an unenviable moral dilemma. The cast’s stand-out performances convey a depth of emotion few short films are able to achieve.”
    The award winner qualifies for the Annual Academy Awards®.

    Jury Honorable Mention for Narrative Short: 09:55 – 11:05, INGRID EKMAN, BERGSGATAN 4B, dir. by Christine Berglund & Sophie Vukovic
    “A complex, captivating and thoughtful slice of humanity. Delicately shot, with beautiful performances from both women, the film sears itself into your emotional core and remains there for days.”

    Jury Award for Animation Short: THE PRIDE OF STRATHMOOR, dir. by Einar Baldvin
    “The Pride of Strathmoor is akin to a short, unpleasant trip to the insane asylum. The Poe-esque rendering of madness is perfectly complemented by the inventively textured animation.”
    The award winner qualifies for the Annual Academy Awards®.

    Jury Honorable Mention for Animation Short: HIPOPOTAMY, dir. by Piotr Dumala
    “An outstanding display of technical craft, the authentic animation style of Hipopotamy accentuates the uncomfortable story.”

    The below Short Film Jury Prizes were selected by esteemed industry members Eve Cohen and Dan Brawley. 

    Jury Award for Experimental Short: RED LUCK dir. by Mike Olenick
    “If anything represents the experimental spirit of Slamdance, it’s this tin-foiled caper – an original and striking film full of layered and unexpected images. The film manages to offer a million different narrative paths – from dark and funny to weird and sparkly. A perfect example of a singular experimental work that is easy to watch again and again.”

    Jury Award for Anarchy Short: DEVIANCE, dir. by Aron Kantor
    “Deviance is the kind of raunchy nonsense that Slamdance embraces. A perverse pleasure diving in and out of reality that left us half-boned and just slightly numb from laughing. If anarchy at Slamdance is an anti-genre, then Deviance is the battle cry of ‘fuck the system.”

    Jury Honorable Mention for Anarchy Short: SEA DEVIL, dir. by Dean C. Marcial & Brett Potter
    “A mythological tale without true beginning or end, this cinematic anarchy short pushes the edges of traditional storytelling, weaving three stories into one, and leaves you hanging. A bold work full of questions, puzzles and refreshing choices – another blazing Borscht experiment.”

    SPECIAL AWARDS

    Spirit of Slamdance Award: THINK INK, dir. by Wally Chung
    The Spirit of Slamdance is awarded by the filmmakers of Slamdance 2015. It goes to the filmmaker who best embodies the spirit of the festival, creatively promoting their film, joyfully participating in screenings and events, and generally putting good energy into the festival. 

    The Digital Bolex Fearless Filmmaking awards were selected by the esteemed panel of industry members Amber Benson, Todd Berger, Kent Osborne, and Damon Russell. 

    Digital Bolex Fearless Filmmaking Grand Prize: COMING TO, dir. by Lindsey Haun, DP Spencer Rollins, starring Jacob Demonte-Finn
    “A film that includes a little bit of everything in a very short time. Mystery, laughs, an impressive performance, and some mighty fine camerawork and cinematography. And like any great short film, it has you desperately wanting to know what happens next.”
    The award winner was granted a 512gb Digital Bolex D16 Camera.

    Digital Bolex Fearless Filmmaking Honorable Mention: THE CHARACTER STUDY, dir.& DP Luke Pelizzari
    “Creating tension in any film is hard, but to do it so effectively and gracefully with a very simple premise is truly an achievement of storytelling.”

    Digital Bolex Fearless Filmmaking Honorable Mention: ISOBEL, dir. by Marie Jamora, DP Jason McLagan
    “Perfectly capturing the theme of filmmaking on your own terms, this short highlights the magic and wonder of childhood when anything is creatively possible.”

    Kodak Director’s Prize: DETRITUS, dir. by T.J. Misny
    Given on behalf of Kodak to a promising new filmmaker making bold, film-worthy directorial choices. The filmmaker was awarded a $10,000 credit for Kodak film stock to be used on their next proj

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  • Miami International Film Festival Reveals 2015 Film Lineup

    Sidetracked (Las ovejas no pierden el tren)Sidetracked (Las ovejas no pierden el tren)

    Miami International Film Festival released the full roster of films selected to screen during its 32nd edition, taking place March 6 – 15, 2015.

    This year’s Festival showcases 125 films, including 94 feature films and documentaries, 18 short films, 11 student films and 2 works-in-progress, produced and directed by both renowned and emerging talent from 40 countries. 

    The Festival opens with the Florida premiere of Director Damián Szifron’s Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes) from Argentina, boasting an all-star cast of Argentina’s biggest stars in an epic comedy of unfettered, delicious revenge. 

    The Festival closes with the International Premiere screening of Sidetracked (Las ovejas no pierden el tren) from Spain, directed by Álvaro Fernández Armero and starring Spanish box office sensations Inma Cuesta and Raúl Arévalo. This hilarious film follows a comically rudderless couple in mid-thirties life crisis, with stalled careers, an adorable lonesome son, and dysfunctional siblings who nearly steal the show.

     The 11 films selected for the Knight competition are:

    Aurora (Chile, directed by Rodrigo Sepúlveda) *North American Premiere
    Blue Blood (Sangue azul) (Brazil, directed by Lírio Ferreira) *North American Premiere
    Butterfly (Mariposas) (Argentina, directed by Marco Berger) *North American Premiere
    Invasion (Invasión) (Panama, directed by Abner Benahim) *North American Premiere
    Life is Sacred (Denmark / Ireland / Norway / Colombia, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, Viviana Gómez & Nicolás Servide) *North American Premiere
    Los Hongos (Colombia / France, directed by Oscar Ruiz Navia) *US Premiere
    The Obscure Spring (Las oscuras primaveras) (Mexico, directed by Ernesto Contreras) *US Premiere
    The Project of the Century (La obra del siglo) (Cuba, Argentina, Germany directed by Carlos Machado Quintela) *North American Premiere
    The Strongest Man (USA, directed by Kenny Riches)
    Sunstrokes (Las insoladas) (Argentina, directed by Gustavo Taretto) *North American Premiere
    Voice Over (La voz en off) (Chile, directed by Cristián Jiménez) *US Premiere Co-Presented with Film Comment Selects 2015 at the NYC’s Film Society of Lincoln Center.

    Jordan Alexander Ressler Foundation Screenwriting Prize

    3 Beauties (3 Bellezas) (Venezuela, screenplay by Carlos Caridad Montero) *North American Premiere
    Ben’s at Home (Canada, screenplay by Dan Abramovici and Mars Horodyski)
    Cut Snake (Australia, screenplay by Blake Ayshford)
    East Side Sushi (USA, screenplay by Anthony Lucero)
    A Girl at my Door (Dohee-ya) (Korea, screenplay by Jung July)
    Innocent Killers (Asesinos inocentes) (Spain, screenplay by J.M. Asensio and Gonzalo Bendala)*World Premiere
    Love at First Fight (Les combattants) (France, screenplay by Thomas Cailley and Claude Le Pape)
    On the Road, Somewhere (Algun lugar) (Dominican Republic, screenplay by Wendy Muniz and Guillermo Zouain) *World Premiere
    Posthumous (USA, screenplay by Lulu Wang) *North American Premiere
    Preggoland (Canada, screenplay by Sonja Bennett)
    Set Fire to the Stars (UK, screenplay by Andy Goddard and Celyn Jones) *International Premiere
    Someone Else (USA, screenplay by Nelson Kim) *World Premiere
    Tango Glories (Fermin  glorias del tango) (Argentina, screenplay by Oliver Kolker)
    Theeb (Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UK, screenplay by Naji Abu Nawar)
    They are All Dead (Todos están muertos) (Spain, Germany, Mexico, screenplay by Beatriz Sanchís) *US Premiere
    Tour de Force (Hin und weg) (Germany, screenplay by Ariane Schröder) *US Premiere

    Knight Documentary Achievement Award. 
    Films eligible for this Award are:

    13 Million Voices (USA, directed by Janelle Gueits) *World Premiere
    Being Evel (USA, directed by Daniel Junge)
    Before We are Forgotten (Antes de que nos olviden) (Mexico, directed by Matías Gueilburt) *US Premiere
    Best of Enemies (USA, directed by Robert Gordon & Morgan Neville)
    City of Gold (USA, directed by Laura Gabbert)
    Dawg Fight (USA, directed by Billy Corben) *World Premiere
    Finding Gastón (Buscando a Gastón) (Peru, directed by Patricia Perez)
    The Holders (USA, directed by Carla Forte) *World Premiere
    Hot Girls Wanted (USA, directed by Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus)
    Invasion (Invasión) (Panama, Argentina, directed by Abner Benahim) *North American Premiere
    Iris (USA, directed by Albert Maysles)
    Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (USA, directed by Brett Morgan)
    The Land of Many Palaces (China, UK, directed by Ting Song, Adam James Smith)
    Life is Sacred (Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Colombia, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, Viviana Gomez, Nicolas Servide) *North American Premiere
    The Lost Aviator (Australia, directed by Andrew Lancaster) *North American Premiere
    The Muses of Bashevis Singer (Israel, directed by Shaul Betser, Asaf Galay)
    Paco de Lucía: A Journey (Paco de Lucia: la búsqueda) (Spain, directed by Curro Sánchez Varela)*North American Premiere
    Playing Lecuona (Spain, Colombia, directed by Pavel Giroud, Juan Manuel Villar) *North American Premiere
    The Record Man (USA, directed by Mark Moorman) *World Premiere
    The Salt of the Earth (La sel de la terre) (Brazil / Italy / France, directed by Juliano Ribeiro Salgado & Wim Wenders) *2015 Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature
    Sweet Micky for President (USA, Haiti, Canada, directed by Ben Patterson)
    Tea Time (La once) (Chile, USA, directed by Maite Alberdi) *North American Premiere
    This Is My Land (France, Israel, Palestine, Poland, directed by Tamara Erde)
    This Is What It Is (Esto es lo que hay) (France, directed by Léa Rinaldi) *World Premiere

    Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Competition: A distinguished jury will select from the following five first-time feature filmmakers from Latin America, Spain and/or Portugal for a $10,000 cash award presented by Lexus:

    3 Beauties (3 Bellezas) (Venezuela, directed by Carlos Caridad Montero) *North American Premiere
    Easy Sex, Sad Movies (Sexo fácil, películas tristes) (Argentina / Spain, directed by Alejo Flah)*International Premiere
    In the Grayscale (En las gamas de gris) (Chile, directed by Claudio Marcone) *World Premiere
    On the Road, Somewhere (Algun lugar) (Dominican Republic, directed by Guillermo Zouain)*World Premiere
    They are All Dead (Todos están muertos) (Spain, Germany, Mexico, directed by Beatriz Sanchís)*US Premiere

    Park Grove Shorts Competition:

    60 Candles (Uruguay, directed by Ana Guevara and Letícia Jorge) *World Premiere (Screens with Voice Over program)
    The Bigger Picture (U.K. directed by Daisy Jacobs) *2015 Oscar-nominee (Screens with A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Contemplating Existence program)
     Distance (USA, directed by Ismael Gomez III) (Screened as part of From A Distance Shortsprogram)
    Freddie of Wynwood (USA, directed by Fabian Cardenas) *World Premiere (Screens with The Holders program)  
    Maalu (Australia, Sri Lanka, directed by Sanjay De Silva) *World Premiere (Screens with The Land of Many Palaces program)
    Miami (Portugal, directed by Simão Cayatte) *North American Premiere (Screens with From A Distance Shorts program)
    Old Bay (USA, directed by Lena Rudnick) (Screened with Ghost Stories Shorts program)
    She Bought it in Zarautz
     (Zarautzen erosi zuen) (Spain, directed by Aitor Arregui) *North American Premiere (Screens with Flowers program)
    Thread (Malaysia, directed by Virginia Kennedy) *North American Premiere (Screens with From A Distance Shorts program)
    A Tree in the Sea (United Arab Emirates, directed by Shahir Zag) *World Premiere (Screens withFrom A Distance Shorts program)
    Young Lions of Gypsy (A ciambra) (Italy, directed by Jonas Carpignano) (Screens with Ghost Stories Shorts program)

    FESTIVAL NON-COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

    CINEDWNTWN GALAS Presented By Miami Downtown Development Authority

    Everybody Leaves (Todos se van) (Colombia, directed by Sergio Cabrera) *North American Premiere
    Kamikaze (Spain, directed by Álex Pina) *North American Premiere
    The Pilgrim – Paulo Coehlo’s Best Story (Não pare na pista) (Brazil, Spain, directed by Daniel Augusto) *International Premiere
    Playing Lecuona (Spain, directed by Pavel Giroud & Juan Manuel Villar) *North American Premiere

    FLORIDA FOCUS: Nine films by Sunshine State filmmakers and directors.

    Dawg Fight (USA, directed by Billy Corben) *World Premiere
    Distance (USA, directed by Ismael Gomez III) (Screens as part of From a Distance Shorts program)
    Freddie of Wynwood (USA, directed by Fabian Cardenas) *World Premiere (Screens with The Holders program)  
    The Holders (USA, directed by Carla Forte) *World Premiere
    Papa Machete (USA, directed by Jonathan David Kane) (Screens with The Architecture of Color program)
    Posthumous (USA, directed by Noah DeBonis) (Screened with Ghost Stories Shorts program)
    The Record Man  (USA, directed by Mark Moorman) *World Premiere
    The Sun Like A Big Dark Animal (USA, directed by Christina Felisgrau & Ronnie Rivera) (Screens with The Architecture of Color program)
    The Wizard (El mago) (USA, directed by David Liz) *US Premiere (Screens with Ghost Stories Shorts program)

    CINEMASLAM features the best works of some of Miami’s most brilliant student filmmakers. This year’s 5th annual competition includes work from students Zachary Burgh, Frederick Criswell, Carlos Cuervo, Melissa Gomez, Patricia Joaquim & Karina Rey, Rita Pereyra, and Timothy Wilcox of Miami Dade College; Luis Galvis and Tyler Huyser from University of Miami, Adonis Lugo from Miami International University; and Ransey Padilla from Center of Cinematography, Arts and TV Miami. The Audience Award winner will be voted on during the screening and announced at the Patrón Opening Night Party at the Freedom Tower of Miami Dade College.

    MIAMI MANIFESTO: Film experiences that engage the audience with political headlines beyond your average daily read.  The films in this special section, debuting at the Festival this year, will feature extended post-screening conversations with the filmmakers, and lively debates about the extended issues presented in their films.  Inbetween the two screenings, a reception hosted by SundanceNow DocClub will take place at Coral Gables Art Cinema.

    Best of Enemies (USA, directed by Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville)
    Life is Sacred (Denmark / Ireland / Norway / Colombia, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, Viviana Gomez & Nicolas Servide) *North American Premiere

    SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:

    Tough Ain’t Enough: Conversations with Albert S. Ruddy (USA, directed by Gregory J. Bradley)
    Habana (Cuba, directed by Edouard Salier) (Screens with From A Distance Shorts program)
    The Last Flight of Hubert Le Blon (Hubert le blonen azken hegaldia) (Spain, directed by Koldo Almandoz) *North American Premiere (Screens with The Lost Aviator program)
    The Windows(Las ventanas) (Cuba, directed by Maryulis Alfonso Yero) *North American Premiere. (Screens with Venice program)

    AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: Three cinematic love letters to the strong independent character of the United States.

    Posthumous (USA, directed by Lulu Wang) *North American Premiere
    Someone Else (USA, directed by Nelson Kim) *World Premiere
    Spring (USA, directed by Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead)

    VISIONS: Provocative and stirring three feature-length visual experiences guaranteed to test the limits and take viewers to the extreme.

    A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (En duva satt pa en gren och funderade pa tillvaron) (Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, directed by Roy Andersson)
    Magical Girl (Spain, directed by Carlos Vermut)
    White God (Fehér isten) (Hungary / Germany / Sweden, directed by Kornél Mundruczó)

    REEL MUSIC: Five documentaries emanating the global power of music.

    13 Million Voices (USA, directed by Janelle Gueits) *World Premiere
    This Is What It Is (Esto es lo que hay) (France, directed by Léa Rinaldi) *World Premiere
    Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (USA, directed by Brett Morgan)
    Paco de Lucía: A Journey (Paco de Lucía: la busqúeda) (Spain, directed by Curro Sánchez Varela)*North American Premiere
    Sweet Micky For President (USA / Haiti / Canada, directed by Bob Patterson)

    CINEMA 360° Presented by ViendoMovies: A vibrant and dynamic selection of eight narrative works, from both accomplished and emerging filmmakers, including an international selection of dramas, comedies, suspense thrillers, neo-westerns, and innovative docudramas.

    The Architecture of Color (A arquitetura da cor) (Brazil, directed by José Henrique Fonseca and Priscila Lopes) *World Premiere
    Beautiful Youth (Hermosa juventud) (Spain, directed by Jaime Rosales) *US Premiere
    Ben’s at Home (Canada, directed by Mars Horodyski)
    Black Souls (Anime nere) (Italy, directed by Francesco Munzi)
    Ciudad Delirio (Colombia, Spain, directed by Chus Gutiérrez)
    Cut Snake (Australia, directed by Tony Ayres)
    The Dinner (I nostri ragazzi) (Italy, directed by Ivano de Matteo)
    The Farewell Party (Mita tova) (Israel, Germany, directed by Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit)
    Felix and Meira (Félix et Meira) (Canada, directed by Maxime Giroux)
    Flowers (Loreak) (Spain, directed by Jon Garaño, Jose Mari Goenaga)
    The Fool (Durak) (Russia, directed by Yuri Bykov)
    Guidance (Canada, directed by Pat Mills) *US Premiere
    Innocent Killers (Asesinos inocentes) (Spain, directed by Gonzalo Bendala) *World Premiere
    Panama Canal Stories (Historias del canal) (Panama, directed by Carolina Borrero, Pinky Mon, Luis Franco, Abner Benaim and Pituka Ortega Heilbron) *International Premiere
    Phoenix (Germany, directed by Christian Petzold)
    Preggoland (Canada, directed by Jacob Tierney)
    Sand Dollars (Dólares de arena) (Dominican Republic, Argentina, Mexico, directed by Laura Amelia Guzmán, Israel Cárdenas)
    A Second Chance (En chance til) (Denmark, directed by Susanne Bier) *US Premiere
    Set Fire to the Stars (UK, directed by Andy Goddard) *International Premiere
    Shrew’s Nest (Musarañas) (Spain, France, directed by Juanfer Andrés, Esteban Roel)
    Tango Glories (Fermín: glorias del tango) (Argentina, directed by Hernán Findling, Oliver Kolker)
    Theeb (Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UK, directed by Naji Abu Nawar)
    Tour de Force (Hin und weg) (Germany, directed by Christian Zübert) *US Premiere
    Venice (Venecia) (Cuba, Colombia, directed by Kiki Álvarez) *US Premiere
    Warsaw 44 (Miasto 44) (Poland, directed by Jan Kosama)

    SPOTLIGHT ON ASIAN CINEMA Presented by TV5MONDE: A collection of seven feature length films by both acclaimed and emerging French filmmakers. Zhang Meng’s Uncle Victory is the opening night film of the program.

    In the Name of My Daughter (L’homme quón aimait trop) (France, directed by André Téchiné)
    Ladygrey (France, Belgium, South Africa, directed by Alain Choquart) *International Premiere
    Love at First Fight (Les combattants) (France, directed by Thomas Cailley)
    Saint Laurent (France, directed by Bertrand Bonello)
    The Price of Fame (La rançon de la gloire) (France, directed by Xavier Beauvois) *US Premiere
    Three Hearts (3 coeurs) (France, directed by Benoît Jacquot)
    Weekends in Normandy (Week-ends) (France, directed by Anne Villacèque)

    SPOTLIGHT ON ASIAN CINEMA: A collection of seven films from both Asian and Asian American directors. Zhang Meng’s Uncle Victory is the opening night film of the program.

    A Girl at my Door (Dohee-ya) (Korea, directed by Jung July)
    A Hard Day (kkeut-kka-ji-gan-da) (Korea, directed by Seong-hun Kim)
    The Land of Many Palaces (China, directed by Ting Song, Adam Smith)
    The Liar (Geojinmal) (Korea, directed by Kim Dong-myung) *North American Premiere
    Partners in Crime (Kong heng) (Taiwan/China, directed by Chang Jung-Chi)
    Scarlet Innocence (Madam Ppang-Deok) (Korea, directed by Yim Pil-sung)
    Uncle Victory (Shengli) (China, directed by Zhang Meng)

    CULINARY CINEMA:  Returning for a third mouthwatering year, a playful pairing of Foodie Films with fantastic Local Restaurants, Sponsored by Frederick Wildman & Sons

    The Culinary Cinema category schedule is comprised of five distinct film & restaurant pairings:

     City of Gold (USA, directed by Laura Gabbert) – Saturday, March 7 at 3:30 p.m. / Screening paired with 1:00 p.m. lunch at Juvia Miami Beach (1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach)
    East Side Sushi (USA, directed by Anthony Lucero) – Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m. / Screening paired with 9:00 p.m. dinner at SUSHISAMBA Coral Gables in The Westin Hotel on Ponce de Leon (180 Aragon Avenue Coral Gables)
    Finding Gastón (Buscando a Gastón) (Peru, directed by Patricia Pérez) – Monday, March 9 at 6:50 p.m. / Screening paired with 8:30 p.m. dinner at La Mar by Gastón Acurio at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (500 Brickell Key Drive, Miami)
    Natural Resistance (Italy / France, directed by Jonathan Nossiter) – Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. / Screening paired with 8:45 p.m. dinner at Quattro Gastronomia Italiana (1014 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach)
    Rewined (Vinodentro) (Italy, directed by Ferdinando Vicentini Orniani) – Thursday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m. / Screening paired with 9:00 p.m. dinner at Macchialina Taverna Rustica (820 Alton Road, Miami Beach) *North American Premiere 

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