• Antonio Morabito’s “The Medicine” Seller Wins the NICE City of Florence Award

    Antonio Morabito's The Medicine Seller (Il venditore di medicine)

    Antonio Morabito’s The Medicine Seller (Il venditore di medicine) was selected as the winner of the NICE City of Florence Award at San Francisco Film Society’s New Italian Cinema.  The five-day New Italian Cinema festival is dedicated to celebrating the rich cinematic tradition of Italy and bringing the country’s newest directors and films to audiences in San Francisco. The NICE City of Florence Award was decided by audience ballots from San Francisco screenings of films in competition.

    Antonio Morabito's The Medicine Seller (Il venditore di medicine)  

    A scathing indictment of the pharmaceutical industry, Antonio Morabito’s powerful drama depicts a stressed-out salesman using increasingly scurrilous means to sell his company’s product. At the start, Bruno (Claudio Santamaria) is the Zafer corporation’s golden boy, wheedling doctors and administrators to select his firm’s treatments through various perks and his own charms. When he’s told to push a controversial new medicine, he meets with resistance and is given an ultimatum—get a notoriously difficult hospital administrator to prescribe the drug or lose his job. Compounding the problem is his girlfriend’s desire to have a child and his own increasing substance abuse. The Medicine Seller fearlessly indicts the whole pharmaceutical chain from the companies pushing the pills to the medical establishment’s capitulation toward an increasingly narcotized society to suffering consumers who are ill-informed and often ill-advised about the potentially harmful drugs they are being prescribed. [San Francisco Film Society’s New Italian Cinema]

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  • American Promise, Blackfish, Granito, The House I Live In and No Fire Zone win 2014 BRITDOC Impact Award

    THE HOUSE I LIVE INTHE HOUSE I LIVE IN

    The documentary films AMERICAN PROMISE, directed by Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster, BLACKFISH, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, GRANITO: HOW TO NAIL A DICTATOR, directed by Pamela Yates, THE HOUSE I LIVE IN, directed by Eugene Jarecki and NO FIRE ZONE, directed by Callum Macrae have been selected as the winners of the 4th BRITDOC Impact Award.  The BRITDOC Impact Award celebrates the documentary films that have made the greatest impact on society. Each film receives $15,000 to reward their extraordinary commitment, passion and achievements in using storytelling to provoke change.

    The winning films and their champions:

    AMERICAN PROMISE, Dir. Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster (@PromiseFilm)
    The journey of two African American families pursuing the promise of opportunity through the education of their sons. A vital contribution in bridging the educational achievement gap in America.

    “These filmmakers gave 13 years, and their childrens school years to this film. And it pays off. American Promise has made an invaluable contribution to closing the racial achievement gap” – Russell Simmons, co-founder Def Jam Records

    BLACKFISH, Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite (@blackfishmovie)
    Blackfish is an expose of the controversial captivity of orcas, and its dangers for both humans and whales. From protests to petitions, the film provoked a huge backlash against SeaWorld known as the ‘Blackfish Effect’.

    “Seeing the work that Blackfish has done by shining a light on the treatment of orcas in captivity gives me incredible faith for the part that documentaries can play in addressing social and environmental injustice in the future.” – Susan Sarandon, actor and activist

    GRANITO: HOW TO NAIL A DICTATOR, Dir. Pamela Yates (@skylightpix)
    Telling the extraordinary story of how a film, aiding a new generation of human rights activists, helped tip the scales of justice in Guatemala. In the conviction of a dictator, Granito is a testament to the power of documentary film

    “Granito serves as a vital reminder that courageous documentary filmmakers can profoundly impact the cause of justice in the world. This film helped the Maya people of Guatemala hold the perpetrators of their genocide accountable. It poignantly portrays their suffering, their resistance and their hope for the future.” – Amy Goodman, Host & Executive Producer, Democracy Now!

    THE HOUSE I LIVE IN, Dir. Eugene Jarecki (@drugwarmovie)
    Exploring the human rights implications of the War on Drugs – the longest conflict in US history, and the least winnable. Could this be the beginning of the end for the ‘war on drugs’?

    “The team continues to seek ways the film can help more fundamentally shift the national conversation away from seeing drug control as a criminal justice issue to seeing it as a matter of public health” – Danny Glover, actor and activist

    NO FIRE ZONE, Dir. Callum Macrae (@nofirezonemovie)
    The shocking proof of secret war crimes committed during the final bloody months of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Holding the Sri Lankan government accountable for human rights violations on an epic scale.

    “This film is the only film that gives me faith in journalism. It’s not only the most important account of what happened to the Tamils, it’s actually become part of the fabric of their history” – M.I.A, musician and artist

    This year sees the introduction of the #NetflixHi5 Award; recognising the winning film that receives the highest number of support tweets in the days following the announcement.

    Twitter followers of #britdocimpact are invited to participate in deciding which of the five winners receive an additional $5,000 prize. It will be awarded to the film team that gets the most support tweets in the days following the announcement. Tweets with #NetflixHi5 and the films twitter handle will be counted up until Midnight PST on Monday 24th November.

    The #NetflixHi5 will be announced on on Tuesday 25th November.

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  • 10 Live Action Shorts Advance in 2014 Oscar® Race

    Boogaloo and GrahamBoogaloo and Graham

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 87th Academy Awards®.  One hundred forty-one pictures had originally qualified in the category.

    The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

    “Aya,” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis, directors (Chasis Films)

    “Baghdad Messi,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Kobe Van Steenberghe, producer (a team productions)

    “Boogaloo and Graham,” Michael Lennox, director, and Ronan Blaney, writer (Out of Orbit)

    “Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” Hu Wei, director, and Julien Féret, producer (AMA Productions)

    “Carry On,” Yatao Li, director (Rochester Institute of Technology)

    “My Father’s Truck,” Maurício Osaki, director (Lupi Filmes)

    “Parvaneh,” Talkhon Hamzavi, director, and Stefan Eichenberger, producer (Zurich University of Arts)

    “The Phone Call,” Mat Kirkby, director, and James Lucas, writer (RSA Films)

    “SLR,” Stephen Fingleton, director, and Matthew James Wilkinson, producer (Stigma Films)

    “Summer Vacation (Chofesh Gadol),” Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon, directors (GREENproductions)

    The Academy’s Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting at screenings held in Los Angeles.

    Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist.  Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.

    The 87th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

    The Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, 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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  • “What We Do in the Shadows” Wins Leeds International Film Festival’s Audience Award

    what we do in the shadowsWhat We Do in the Shadows

    What We Do in the Shadows was voted by 28th Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF28) audiences as overall favorite and X+Y, starring Asa Butterfield and Sally Hawkins, came second. In What We Do in the Shadows, Viago, Deacon, Vladislav and Peter are four vampires sharing a house in Wellington, trying to balance being undead with everyday problems like whose turn it is to wash up, where to find virgin blood and how to dress for a night out when you don’t have a reflection. As a documentary film crew follows them round we learn about each of their histories and what it means to be hundreds of years old in the 21st century. Co-written and starring Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows balances comedy, horror and social commentary perfectly in this hilarious film.

    Overall the vote was incredibly close for the top 5 films, and the top 20 winners in the LIFF28 Audience Award for Best Film are: 1) What We Do in the Shadows 2) X+Y 3) Song of the Sea 4) The Possibilities are Endless 5) The Imitation Game 6) Heaven Adores You 7) Giovanni’s Island 8) Seventh Heaven 9) Housebound 10)  Birdman 11) Poverty Inc 12) Brasil Bam Bam Bam 13) Testament of Youth 14) Everybody Street 15) Kingdom of Dreams and Madness 16) Vessel 17) No One’s Child 18) Rurouni Kenshin 2 19) The House at the End of Time 20) #chicagoGirl – The Social Network

    28th Leeds International Film Festival also announced its winning short films

    Louis le Prince International Short Film Competition 2014

    Winner: Art (Arta) (Dir. Adrian Sitaru, Romania)
    Special Mentions:  Chorus (Dir. Tiago Guedes, Portugal) + Greenland (Dir. Oren Garner, Israel)

    Jury statement on Art:
    ‘An engaging, accomplished and technically superb film about manipulation.’

    World Animation Award 2014

    Winner: Walk the Dog (Dir. Sonja Rohleder, Germany)
    Special Mentions: Zepo (Dir. César Díaz Meléndez, Spain) + Baths (Lanzi) (Dir. Tomek Ducki, Poland + UK)

    Jury statement on Walk the Dog:
    ‘Immersive, cinematic and a graphic joy.’

    British Short Film Competition 2014

    Winner: Exchange and Mart (Dir. Cara Connolly, Martin Clark, UK)
    Special Mentions: Goes to the actor Oliver Woolford for A Generation of Vipers + Alice (Thomas McNaught, UK)

     Jury statement on Exchange and Mart: 
    ‘A beautifully executed coming of age film.’

    Yorkshire Short Film Competition 

    Winner: Cushy (Dir. Fliss Buckles, Cat Jones, UK)
    Special Mention: Rare (Dir. Jim Morgan, UK)

    Jury Statement on Cushy: 
    ‘Cushy featured a demanding lead performance that was excellently portrayed by James Cooney. Superb writing of spoken word by Cat Jones and slick camera direction by Fliss Buckles provided the audience with a unique insight into the world of modern day imprisonment.’

    Leeds International Screendance Competition

     Winning Film: Amauros (Dir. Nicole Seiler, Switzerland)
    Special Mentions: Black Tape (Michelle and Uri Kranot, Denmark, 2014) + Memorias (Ponciano Almeida & Bertie, Brazil+ UK, 2014)

    Jury Statement on Amouros: 
    ‘The film creates the visualization of a dance in detail without ever featuring a moving body on screen. The medium of film provides the perfect vehicle to create new dialogues about memory and perception which are present in the original stage piece, Pina Bausch’s Cafe Müller. A work which mines the potentials and conventions of screendance making.’

    Short Film Audience Award
    For films under ten minutes in length, voted for by the audience.

     Winner: Carpark (Dir: Anthony Blades, UK)
    Special Mentions: Voluntario (Javier Marco, Spain) + Manny Gets Censored (Graeme Robertson, Australia)

    The Silver Méliès Short Film Competition 2014

     The European Fantastic Film Festivals’ Federation exists to raise the profile of European fantastic films through its Méliès competition, which is hosted by numerous film festivals across Europe. Leeds International Film Festival has been a member since 2005 and this year has allowed the audience to pick which film should win the Leeds Méliès d’Argent and go forward to compete for the coveted Méliès d’Or at Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival next year.

     Winner: Wind (Dir. Robert Löbel, Germany)
    Special Mentions: Ghost Train (Dir. Lee Cronin, Finland + Ireland)

    Dead Short Competition 2014

     Winner: Cannibals and Carpet Fitters (James Bushe, UK)
    Special Mentions: Safari Heat (Antti Lassko, Simo Ruotsalainen, Finland) + Liquid (Kaichi Sato, Japan)

    Sci-Fi Shorts

     Winner: The Nostalgist (Giacomo Cimini, UK)
    Special Mentions: Metamorphosis (Rob Nevitt, UK) + Enfilade (David Coyle, Australia)

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  • Official Poster + Trailer for Carmen Electra’s LAP DANCE

    LAP DANCE, directed by Greg Carter and starring Carmen Electra

    Here is the the official poster and trailer for LAP DANCE, directed by Greg Carter and starring Carmen Electra, Mariel Hemingway, James Remar and Stacey Dash.   The film is based on the true story of director Greg Carter and his girlfriend, actress Junie Hoang  prior to their move to Los Angeles in 2005.  Struggling to pay her bills, Monica takes a job as an exotic dancer and is instantly captivated by the provocative world of sex, drugs and money.  But once she gets a taste of the enchanting lifestyle, she has no desire to turn back.  Suddenly, Monica’s life quickly spirals out of control as betrayals and power struggles emerge.  This once seductive reality now threatens everything Monica cares about. LAP DANCE will be in theaters in NY, LA and Houston on December 5, 2014 and VOD December 9, 2014

    Kevin, a promising screenwriter and Monica, an aspiring actress are recent college graduates driving across country to Los Angeles where they plan to make a home and follow their Hollywood dreams together. The newly engaged couple’s plan is derailed when a pit stop in Houston reveals that Monica’s father has cancer. Taking on the financial burden of her father’s medical bills, their savings are soon depleted. Strapped for cash, the couple make a pact so Monica can take a high paying job as an exotic dancer in order to pay her cancer stricken father’s expenses.  But can any relationship withstand the club’s seduction and temptations? Once the pact is broken, their lives are changed forever. 

    http://youtu.be/QQrA3vyJzDk

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  • Documentary “SEX AND BROADCASTING” Tells History of WFMU

    sex and broadcasting

    Despite pop culture relentlessly promoting the idea of individuality, there is little in our current culture that actually is independent and free. Even “indie” music and film aren’t what they used to be as major corporations commandeer what once was independent and use “indie” as a marketing buzzword. In that sense, the Jersey City radio station WFMU should not exist in the 21st century – it is a commercial-free, all-volunteer, 100% listener-supported radio station sitting on the edge of the largest media market in the United States.

    SEX AND BROADCASTING tells the history of WFMU since the mid-1980s and particularly focuses on both the longtime station manager Ken Freedman and Freedman’s response to WFMU’s funding crisis in the wake of the 2008 recession. Despite the station gaining scores of new fans because of internet streaming, during the recession WFMU faced a multitude of problems, including a reduced signal, a crumbling headquarters, record companies being less willing to provide music for free airplay, and general financial issues brought on by the recession. On top of that, despite immense costs Freedman sees his long term goal of building a signal booster in Midtown Manhattan within the station’s grasp.

    A generation of people who can access any music they want via the internet may not understand the importance of a station like WFMU, and SEX AND BROADCASTING will reveal to the uninitiated just how much of an impact a fiercely independent renegade radio station can have. As Freedman says early in the documentary, “WFMU is radio for the people who were picked last for the basketball team.” WFMU has no set format and disc jockeys can host any type of show they would like. WFMU fills its airwaves with offbeat humor, avant-garde musicians, and counts celebrity fans such as Matt Groening, Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo, Patton Oswalt, and Beastie Boy Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz (whom all appear in this documentary). More importantly, many of the volunteers who see WFMU as “home” see the station as the only place they fit in.

    Nonetheless, despite the increased profile the internet has given WFMU it remains a fringe media outlet, something that is obvious from the station’s troubled fundraising efforts. Also, while Freedman arguably singlehandedly kept the station alive for nearly three decades, in other ways he can be viewed as a heavy-handed visionary. Both of those issues breed a level of frustration and resentment throughout the station’s operations, including with comedian Tom Scharpling, who hosted the most popular show on the station. There is an extremely telling sequence in which an annoyed Scharpling suffers through a bevy of awful listener calls that just sums up the frustration that WMFU and its staff faces on a daily basis in trying to remain a fringe media outlet.

    First time director Tim K. Smith has hit pay dirt by finding one of those unique subjects that is ripe for a documentary. Perhaps the biggest flaw is that at only 76 minutes it feels like we’re only glimpsing the beautiful chaos that is WFMU with SEX AND BROADCASTING. Only the surface is being scratched here, so you won’t be alone if you are left feeling like much more could be said about one of the most influential radio stations of the last three decades. That marks SEX AND BROADCASTING as an excellent exploration of its subject, albeit one that feels incomplete.

    Still, anybody who has any interest in broadcasting, indie music, or just the idea of surviving as an independent entity in an increasingly corporate-driven world will discover an immediate connection with SEX AND BROADCASTING. More importantly, they may also discover their new favorite radio station.

    Review Rating: 4 out of 5 : See it …… It’s Very Good

    SEX AND BROADCASTING made its world premiere at the DOC NYC Film Festival. The final festival screening will be on Monday, November 17 at 3:15 at the IFC Center.

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  • Ukranian Sign Language Film “The Tribe” Wins Top Award at Cork Film Festival

    The TribeThe Tribe

    The closing gala and awards ceremony of the 59th Cork Film Festival took place on Sunday night and the Gradam Spiorad na Féile (Spirit of the Festival Award), which was inaugurated at the Festival this year, was won by The Tribe, by Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy (Ukraine).  The Tribe is a powerful dramatic thriller, entirely in Ukrainian Sign Language, with no subtitles, yet made for a hearing audience.

    The Festival Award Features Jury was comprised of filmmaker and photographer Conor Horgan (Ireland), the Cork Film Festival 2013 Grand Prix International Award winning filmmaker Martin Rath (Poland) and the Festival Director of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival Gráinne Humphreys (Ireland), who chaired the jury.

    The Spirit of the Festival Award honors films which take risks and push boundaries, and the first year of it saw The Tribe beat a very strong group of fellow nominees: Cherry Pie by Lorenz Merz (Switzerland), Hide and Seek by Joanna Coates (UK), El Futuro by Luis Lopez Carrasco (Spain), Yximalloo by Tadhg O’Sullivan and Feargal Ward (Ireland), and Manakamana by Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez (UK, Nepal).

    Speaking about Gradam Spiorad na Féile, Mr Mullighan said: “The Cork Film Festival prides itself in celebrating filmmakers who find new and brave ways to tell great stories, and this award is the first of its kind at the Cork Film Festival to recognise exactly that. The calibre of films in this category was exceptional, and The Tribe is a well deserving winner.”

    The Irish Shorts Jury comprised Ana David (Portugal), Julie Kelleher (Ireland, jury chair) and Niall McKay (USA), who chose the Grand Prix Irish Award and also the winner of the CorkShorts Award,Tadhg McSweeney, Painter – A Film Portrait, by Dónal Ó Céilleachair. Speaking of the winning CorkShorts film, the jury commented “We are delighted to award filmmaker Dónal Ó Céilleachair for the outstanding way in which he captures the talent and spirit of this artist.”

    The International Shorts Jury comprised Frank Berry (Ireland), Fanny Corcelle (France) and John Kelleher (Ireland, jury chair), who chose the Cork Film Festival Nomination for the 2015 European Film Academy Awards, Field Study, and the Grand Prix International Award, More Than Two Hours. Speaking of More Than Two Hours, the jury commented: “The strength of this compelling film is its simplicity. The director skillfully builds tension as we share in the turmoil of a young couple caught in a human crisis.”

    The winning films of the Grand Prix Irish Award and Grand Prix International Award at the Cork Film Festival will be eligible for consideration in the Live Action Short Film or Animated Short Film categories of the Academy Awards®, it was announced at the closing gala, as the festival has this very week achieved the status of Academy Awards® qualifying festival.

    The Cork Film Festival Youth Jury Award was presented to 52 Tuesdays by Australian filmmaker Sophie Hyde.

    The winner of the Audience Award was Patrick’s Day, directed by Terry McMahon.

    Closing the festival, James Mullighan said: “The 59th Cork Film Festival displayed a previously unsurpassed depth of creativity and talent. It covered more than 180 films and events in just 10 days, bringing to Cork films of every genre, style and era. It has been a very successful festival, culminating in the announcement that it is now recognised as an Academy Awards® qualifying festival for the Live Action Short Film and Animated Short Film categories.”

    “We look forward to welcoming everyone back next year to celebrate the great occasion of the 60th year of the Cork Film Festival,” he added.

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  • Watch EXCLUSIVE Clip from “Delusions of Guinevere”

    delusions of guinevere

    Here is an an exclusive clip from the upcoming film Delusions of Guinevere, directed by Joanna Bowzer (producer, co-writer), and starring Ariana Bernstein (producer, co-writer). In the clip, former child star, Guinevere James, who now at 29, is washed up, overweight, attempting numerous times to make a YouTube video for her “fans.” Delusions of Guinevere opens theatrically in Los Angeles on November 14th at the Arena Cinemas and in New York on December 5th at the Cinema Village.

    http://youtu.be/BPrqc6bca1s

    Former child star, Guinevere James, is 29, overweight and washed up. She spends night after lonely night on social media sites like Facebook, in a vain attempt to make her life bigger than it seems. She also spends time “FaceStalking” her former co-star, Cadence Stone, who has blossomed into a modelesque A-lister at the top of the game.

    When Guinevere receives an invitation to a 20th-anniversary special for her signature Gelee commercials, she heads to the event ready for her big comeback only to have her hopes dashed when no one shows up. Guinevere doesn’t stick around to the end of the event but when she gets home she learns that Suzy Hazelwood, another former co-star turned drug addict has died from an overdose, prompting Guinevere to question ‘What if I don’t get to do what I set out to do.”

    With that, Guinevere chooses to take any means necessary to get back on top. Finally, after uploading a series of Youtube videos in an attempt to gain new fans, Guinevere becomes a social media darling when one of her videos goes viral and starts an Internet sensation nicknamed by Bloggers: Breakfast at Guinevere’s.

    However, when her new celebrity reaches a new ceiling she begins to push the limits of her desire for fame, consequently destroying her familial relationships and friendships in her quest to regain the success she thinks she deserves.

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  • Full Program Announced for the 2014 African-American Women In Cinema Film Festival

    SEASONS OF LOVESEASONS OF LOVE

    The full program line-up is released for this year’s 17th Annual African-American Women In Cinema Film Festival taking place November 19th to 22nd in New York City. The Opening Night selection is the New York premiere of Princess Monique’s SEASONS OF LOVE. Starring Gladys Knight, Taraji P. Henson, Method Man and LeToya Luckett, the film follows one couple’s romantic ups and downs, as they struggle to determine the things that matter most in life. The film also features Ana Isabella, a rising star from Puerto Rico. The film is a Lifetime Studios production and will premiere on Lifetime on November 23rd.  The festival will close with an awards VIP reception that will take place at the United Nations and the Nigerian Embassy, respectively. 

    AAWIC also announced the premiere event entitled International Day presented by UNESCO NYS and African Women for Good Governance on November 22nd. There will be a panel discussion called Discussing the African Film Industry moderated by Winsome Sinclair (prominent casting director). Following the discussion there will be a special presentation organized by African Women for Good Governance and later a film screening hosted by producer Mohamed Dione.

    Below are the full program details:

    The 17th Annual AAWIC Film Festival Premiere Screenings

    Opening Night Selection

    SEASONS OF LOVE
    Director: Princess Monique

    Closing Night Selection 1 

    THE GRAND GESTURE
    Director: Dana Verde

    Closing Night Selection 2 

    Strings Attached
    Director: Nelcie Souffrant

    Closing Night Selection 3 

    On My Own
    Director: Rachel Miller-Bradshaw

    Afraid of Dark
    Director: Mya B.

    Christmas Wedding Baby
    Director: Kiara Jones

    Naturally Native
    Director: Valerie Red-Horse

    Hate Crimes in the Heartland
    Director: Rachel Lyon

    Special Short Film Screening Program

    The Bully
    Director: Jamie Burton-Oare

    Synopsis: Two kids, who grew up in the same neighborhood where one bullied the other, have children later in life. Their children are now in the same situation as their parents, but the outcome is different.

    Mani-Pedi
    Director: Sandra Nixon

    Synopsis: Have you ever wonder what the nail technicians are talking about, while you were getting your manicure & pedicure? This short comedy shows how a normal day at a nail salon turns out to be an amusing experience….when you get past the language barrier.

    Lift Every Voice
    Director: Monet Gray

    Synopsis: This film examines how one teacher’s unconventional method of incorporating RAP and HIP-HOP music into her lessons was able to get her public school students motivated and interested in their education.

    Buenos Aires Rap
    Director: Diane Ghogomu

    Synopsis: In a cosmopolitan city where class and color segregation are the norms, a group of minority kids are brought together through a shared love of music transcending that of political and economical deviations.

    Greenhouse
    Director: Ah-Keisha McCants

    Synopsis: The short film follows eight-year-old twin boys from the New Jersey suburbs, who appear to be raising themselves in the absence of their parents. They both yearn for an escape, but it soon becomes apparent that “nobody and nothing is what it seems”.

    Field Goal
    Director: Tanesa Kassa

    Synopsis: Monica Jones, a secretary at a law firm attending law school, is dedicated to her relationship with blue-collared and workaholic boyfriend, Darius Smith. The same can’t be said of Darius whose busy schedule has turned the relationship dull. This is their commitment story.

    Fixed
    Director: Ashley Ellis

    Synopsis: After the funeral of Eric Ross, family and friends gather at the home of his mother to find comfort and answers. When a devious yet familiar face from the past shows up with details regarding Ross’s mysterious death, it may be more than his mother can handle.

    Each year, AAWIC invites key industry players to participate in provocative panel discussions on the nature of the business and the course of African-American cinema in mainstream media. This year, no less, AAWIC offers an array of stimulating film conversations that make up the Panels Program.         

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  • 15 Films in 2014 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam Feature-Length Documentary Competition

    Those Who Feel the Fire Burning by Morgan KnibbeThose Who Feel the Fire Burning by Morgan Knibbe

    15 films have been selected for the competition program for feature-length documentary in the upcoming IDFA, the 27th edition of which takes place from November 19 to 30, in Amsterdam. Two of these competitors are local Dutch productions: Around The World in 50 Concerts by Heddy Honigmann and Those Who Feel the Fire Burning by Morgan Knibbe. The jury, made up of Anne Aghion (USA), Talal Derki (Syria), Sandra den Hamer (the Netherlands), Joshua Oppenheimer (Denmark) and Alina Rudnitskaya (Russia) will present the VPRO IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary, with a cash prize of € 12,500.

    35 Cows and a Kalashnikov by Oswald Richthofen (Germany)
    Beautifully made triptych about warrior-farmers, colourful dandies and voodoo wrestlers in Ethiopia, Congo-Brazzaville and Congo-Kinshasa.

    Around The World in 50 Concerts by Heddy Honigmann (the Netherlands)
    Honigmann toured the world with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, speaking to music lovers about the role of music in their lives. 

    Chameleon by Ryan Mullins (Canada)
    Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ appearance and unorthodox methods of bringing crimes to light are simultaneously famous and infamous. 

    Democrats by Camilla Nielsson (Denmark)
    Intriguing look at an authoritarian state on the verge of democratization: how Zimbabwe got a new constitution. 

    The Forecaster by Marcus Vetter (Germany)
    The extraordinary story of Martin Armstrong, who amazed friend and foe alike with highly accurate forecasts of the global economy based on a model he designed. 

    Franco’s Promise by Marc Weymuller (France/Spain)
    The ruins of Belchite are a symbol of the collective amnesia that gripped Spain after the Civil War (1936-1939). Can you simply turn your back on the past? 

    Of Men and War by Laurent Bécue-Renard (France/Switzerland)
    The stories of a group of American Iraq veterans with PTSS grow into a powerful anti-war protest. 

    The Queen of Silence by Agnieszka Zwiefka (Germany/Poland)
    As a deaf mute Roma unwelcome in Poland, ten-year-old Denisa is excluded everywhere. She expresses her feelings by dancing like a Bollywood princess. 

    Somboon by Krisda Tipchaimeta (Thailand) 
    Love is not expressed through big words, but in the day-to-day care – shown in minute detail – of grandpa Somboon for his beloved, ailing wife. 

    Something Better to Come by Hanna Polak (Denmark/Poland)
    For ten years, award-winning documentary maker Hanna Polak followed teenage girl Yula and her companions, who live on the biggest refuse tip in Europe. 

    That Sugar Film by Damon Gameau (UK/Australia)
    Damon Gameau wants to experience first-hand the effects of sugar, so for sixty days he takes the amount consumed daily by the average Australian: forty teaspoons. 

    Those Who Feel the Fire Burning by Morgan Knibbe (the Netherlands)
    Experimental, poetic documentary about a serious social problem: the many refugees who reach the borders of Europe in a hopeless situation.

    Those Who Said No by Nima Sarvestani (Sweden) 
    From Sweden, a survivor of Iranian state terror follows the Iran Tribunal. He dreams of confronting the perpetrators with their crimes.

    Uyghurs, Prisoners of the Absurd by Patricio Henriquez (Canada) 
    The shocking story of a group of Uyghurs, who spent years in Guantánamo Bay despite being innocent. How could this happen?

    Wind on the Moon by Seung-Jun Yi (South Korea)
    Yeji (19) was born deaf and blind. She has a deep bond with her mother, who helps her make the most of life.

     

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  • LIKE SUNDAY LIKE RAIN and BIG IN JAPAN Bookend Lineup for 2014 Bahamas International Film Festival

    big in japanBIG IN JAPAN

    The 11th edition of the Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), which takes place December 4-9, 2014 in Nassau and December 10-14, in Harbour Island, Eleuthera will showcase 95 films from 30 different countries, including 48 features and 47 short films of which several are international premieres and all are Bahamian premieres. “LIKE SUNDAY LIKE RAIN” starring, Starring Leighton Meester (Gossip Girls) and Debra Messing (Will And Grace) and Billy Joe Armstrong, will open the festival with a red carpet screening at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island on Thursday, December 4th. American Comedy “BIG IN JAPAN” starring Phillip Peterson, Sean Lowry, David Drury, Alex Vincent, Adam Powers as Mans will close the festival with an evening screening on Sunday, December 7th – also at the Atlantis Theater.

    The official BIFF lineup is comprised of the following films:

    SPIRIT OF FREEDOM (NARRATIVE)

    Come to my voice  (Turkey) Director: Ray Meirovitz
    The Gift, An Bronntanas (Ireland) Director: Tom Collins
    Four Corners (South Africa) Director: Ian Gabriel
    Lake Los Angeles (US) Director: Mike Ott
    Sombras De Azul (Mexico/Cuba) Director: Travis Pittman
    Tu Seras Un Homme (France) Director: Benoit Cohen
    Wheels (US) Director: Donavon Thomas
    Love Me “Mehe”(Turkey/Ukraine) Director: Maryna Er Gorbach & Mehmet Bahadir 

    SPIRIT OF FREEDOM (DOCUMENTARY)

    Chimeras (China) Director: Mika Mattila
    Mala Mala (USA) Director: Dan Sickles
    N’Kisi Concorde (USA) Director: Nikki Sass
    Obama Mama (USA) Director: Vivian Norris
    Poverty Inc. (USA) Director: Mark Weber
    Spit’ in Anger: Venom Of a Fatherless Son (USA) Director: Kenneth Braswell 
    Surviving Cliff Side (USA) Director: John Matthews
    Vessel (USA) Director: Diana Whitten

    NEW VISIONS

    Beti and Amare (Ethiopia. Spain Canada, Germany, Romania USA) Andy Siege
    Battered (USA) Director: Robert Madero
    Copenhagen (USA) Director: Mark Raso
    Cru (USA) Director: Alton Glass
    Five Star (USA) Director: Luisa Conlon 
    Lawrence & Holloman – (Canada) Director: Matthew Kowalchuk
    Leave To Remain (UK) Director: Bruce Goodison
    Marussia (USA / France) Director: Eva Pervolvici
    Mom Murder and Me (USA) Director: Heather Donnell 
    Still (UK) Director: Simon Blake
    Sun Belt Express (USA) Director:  Evan Buxbaum
    The Boys Castaway (Australia) Director: Michael Kantor

    CARIBBEAN SPOTLIGHT 

    Abo So (Aruba) Director: Juan Francisco 
    De Pez En Cuando (Dominican Republic) Director: Francisco Adolfo Valdez
    Ring Di Alarm (Jamaica) Director: Storm Saulter, Michelle Serieux
    The Current (Bahamas, Mexico Tonga, USA) Director: Kurt Miller, Hans Rosenwinkel
    You Have His Eyes (US/Jamaica) Director: Chris Wilson

    SPECIAL SCREENING

    Like Sunday Like Rain (USA) Director: Frank Whaley
    Night Of The Living Dead (USA) Director: Zebediah De Soto

    WORLD CINEMA

    Boundaries Of The Heart (China)
    Free Fall (USA) 
    I Believe In Unicorns (USA) Director: Leah Meyerhoff
    Sleepwalkers (USA) Director: Ryan Lightbourn)
    Jingle Bell Rocks!! (USA) Director: Michael Kezin
    Art Of Darkness (Canada) Director: David Parker
    The Barefoot Bandit (USA, Bahamas) Director: Carly Bodmer
    Oil & Water (USA) Director: Francine Strickwerda & Laurel Spellman Smith
    Sand Wars (USA) Director: Denis Delestrac
    Ice Bear (UK, Canada) Director: Oliver Parker
    The Widowers (USA) Director: Katie Irish
    Under the Same Sun (Israel) Director: Yelena Gyulkhanda

    SHORT FILMS

    37/0 4 S (France) Director: Adriano Valerio 
    A Spring Has Passed By (Syria) Director: Eva Daoud
    Animal Cookies (USA) Director: Matthew Temple
    Bis Gleich (Till Then) Director: Benjamin Wolff
    Bodies Of Irreversible Detriment (USA) Director: Ben Lazarus
    Butterfly Fluttering (Russia) Director: Roman Kayumov
    Choongshim, Soso (Korea) Director:  Kim Jung in
    Con Quein Suena Berta (Spain) Director:  Francisco Javier Gomez Pinteno
    Danny And The Wild Bunch –(USA) Director: Robert Rugan
    Distance (US/ Spain) Director: Danny Langa
    Dove On The Roof   Голубь на крыше (Kazakhstan) Director: Olga Korotko
    El Bostan El Saeed Street (Egypt) Director: Maysoon El Massry
    El Tiempo Del Agua (Argent
    na, Canada) Director: Shahriar Adham El Kosht
    En Las Nubes (In The Clouds) (Argentina) Dir
    ctor: Marcelo Mitnik
    Festus (USA) Director: Shawn Snyder
    Frank and Azalee Austin (USA) Director: Zachary Kerschberg 
    Forget Me Not (USA) Director: Christopher McKee
    Helium (Denmark) Director: Andres Walter
    Hotel Y (Argentina) Director: Geraldine Baron Visher
    I Know You (Italy, UK) Director:  Colin Gerrard
    I’m In The Corner With Bluebells (UK) Ako Mitchell
    Idyllwild 牧歌 (China) Director: Zenas Cao, Aisha Porter-Christie
    Indian Summer (UK) Director: Toby Lomas
    Into The Silent Sea  (USA) Director: Andrej Landin 
    La Donna (Spain) Director: Nicolas Dolensky
    La Gallina (Spain) Director: Manel Raga 
    Last Days Of Summer (Netherlands) Director: Feike Santbergen
    Le Train Bleu (France) Director: Stephanie Assimacopoulo 
    Leave Keys In Car (USA) Director: Tessa Blake
    Long Con (USA) Director: Kreimild Saunders
    Love Me Haiti (Haiti, Poland, Sweden, USA) Director: Hugues Gentillion
    Man Since Long Time (Egypt) Director: Mahmoud Yossry
    Mr. Invisible (UK) Director: Greg Ash
    Muted (USA) Director: Rachel Goldberg
    One Armed Man (USA) Director: Tim Guinee
    One night Only (USA) Direcor: Che Grant
    Perfect day (USA) Director: Derrick L. Sanders
    Salvatore (USA) Director: William Shermer
    Second Act (USA) Director: Francesca De Sola 
    Somos Amigos (Spain) Director: Carlos Solano Perez
    The Smut Locker (USA) Director: Harry Tarre
    Tobacco Burn (USA) Director: Justin Liberman
    Tribute (USA) Director: Neil Evans
    Washingtonia (Greece) Director: Konstantina Kotzamani
    When Pigs Swim (Bahamas) Director: Charlie Smith
    Where Do We Go From Here (USA) Director: Matthew Szewczyk

     

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  • Mexican Film “Perpetual Sadness” Wins Top Prize at 2014 Thessaloniki International Film Festival

    Perpetual SadnessPerpetual Sadness

    The Mexican film Perpetual Sadness directed by Jorge Perez Solano, took the top prize Best Feature Film Award – Golden Alexander Theo Angelopoulos at the 55th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. Perpetual Sadness tells the story of women in a remote Mexican village in the desert, where they experience solitude and the sorrow of being abandoned. The film “Next to Her,” directed by Israeli Asaf Korman, won the “Silver Alexander.”

    THE AWARDS 

    Best Feature Film Award – Golden Alexander Theo Angelopoulos
    LA TIRISIA (PERPETUAL SADNESS) By JORGE PEREZ SOLANO, Producer César Gutiérrez Miranda, Screenwriter Jorge Pérez Solano, Mexico, 2014

    Special Jury Award – Silver Alexander
    AT LI LAYLA (NEXT TO HER) By ASAF KORMAN, Producers Haim Mecklberg, Estee Yacov-Mecklberg, Screenwriter Liron Ben Shlush, Israel, 2014

     Special Jury Award for Originality and Innovation – Bronze Alexander
    UROK (THE LESSON) By KRISTINA GROZEVA, PETAR VALCHANOV, Producers Magdalena Ilieva, Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Konstantina Stavrianou, Rena Vougioukalou, Screenwriter Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Bulgaria-Greece, 2014

    Best Director Award
    MYROSLAV SLABOSHPYTSKIY For PLEMYA (THE TRIBE), Producers Valentyn Vasyanovych, Iya Myslytska Screenwriter Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine, 2014

    Best Screenplay Award
    KRISTINA GROZEVA, PETAR VALCHANOV For UROK (THE LESSON), Directors Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Producers Magdalena Ilieva, Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov, Konstantina Stavrianou, Rena Vougioukalou, Bulgaria-Greece, 2014

    Best Actress Award
    BROOKE BLOOM For SHE’S LOST CONTROL, Director & Screenwriter Anja Marquardt, Producers Kiara C. Jones, Mollye Asher, Anja Marquardt, USA, 2014

    Best Actor Award
    SVERRIR GUDNASON For FLUGPARKEN (BLOWFLY PARK), Director & screenwriter Jens Östberg, Producers Rebecka Lafrenz, Mimmi Späng, Sweden, 2014

    Artistic Achievement Award
    RISTTUULES (IN THE CROSSWIND) By MARTTI HELDE Producers Pille Rünk, Piret Tibbo-Hudgins, Screenwriter Martti Helde Estonia, 2014

     FIPRESCI AWARDS 

    For a film in the International Competition to:
    ICH SEH, ICH SEH (GOODNIGHT MOMMY) By VERONIKA FRANZ & SEVERIN FIALA, Producer Ulrich Seidl, Screenwriter Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, Austria, 2014

    For a film in the Greek Films 2014 section to:
    NORVIYIA (NORWAY) By YIANNIS VESLEMES, Producers Yorgos Tsourgiannis, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Screenwriter Yiannis Veslemes, Greece, 2014

    Special mention to:
    POLK By NIKOS NIKOLOPOULOS, VLADIMIROS NIKOLOUZOS, Producers & Screenwriters Nikos Nikolopoulos, Vladimiros Nikolouzos, Greece, 2014

    HUMAN VALUES AWARD

    The Hellenic Parliament TV Channel bestows its award to the film:
    KLASS KORREKZII (CORRECTIONS CLASS) By IVAN I. TVERDOVSKY, Producers Natasha Mokritskaya, Uliana Savelieva, Mila Rozanova, Michael Kaczmarek, Markus Boehm Screenwriters Dmitry Lanchikhin, Ivan I. Tverdovsky, Russia-Germany, 2014

    FISCHER AUDIENCE AWARDS

    For a film in the International Competition section
    KLASS KORREKZII (CORRECTIONS CLASS) By IVAN I. TVERDOVSKY, Producers Natasha Mokritskaya, Uliana Savelieva, Mila Rozanova, Michael Kaczmarek, Markus Boehm Screenwriters Dmitry Lanchikhin, Ivan I. Tverdovsky, Russia-Germany, 2014

     For a film in the Greek Films section – MICHAEL CACOYANNIS AWARD
    DARK ILLUSION By MANOS KARYSTINOS, Producer Maria Paschalidou (President of Thessaloniki European Youth Capital 2014), Screenwriter Anastasia Kozimba, Greece, 2014

    For a film in the Balkan Survey section
    TRI DRITARE DHE NJË VARJE (THREE WINDOWS AND A HANGING) By ISA QOSJA, Producer Shkumbin Istrefi, Mentor Shala, Screenwriter Zymber Kelmendi, UNMI Kosovo – Germany, 2013

     For a film in the Open Horizons section
    THE LITTLE DEATH By JOSH LAWSON, Producers Jamie Hilton, Matt Reeder, Michael Petroni, Screenwriter Josh Lawson, Australia, 2014

    AGORA AWARDS

    I. The jury of the 10th Crossroads Co-production Forum, consisted of Ewa Puszczynska, (producer, Opus Film, Poland), Elise Jalladeau, (producer/Audiovisual Attachée of the Embassy of France in Greece, France), Thania Dimitrakopoulou, (sales agent, Match Factory, Germany) grants the Two Thirty Five co-production award (full post production image and sound) to the project: KIDS FROM THE EAST, Directed by: Aramisova, Produced by: Michal Kračmer, Cinedix, Czech Republic/Slovak Republic

    The producer of the winning project will also be granted a free accreditation for the PRODUCERS NETWORK, Cannes Film Festival 2015 edition.

    II. The jury also grants the French CNC (CENTRE NATIONAL DU CINEMA ET DE L’ IMAGE ANIMÉE) Development award of 7.000 euro to the project: TAILOR, Directed by: Sonia Liza Kenterman, Produced by: Fenia Cossovitsa, Greece

    III. Annamaria Lodato grants the ARTE International Prize to the project of 6.000 euro to the project: TRAMONTANE, Directed by: Vatche Boulghourjian, Produced by: Georges Schoucair, Abbout Productions, Lebanon

    IV. SCRIPT 2 FILM WORKSHOPS of the Mediterranean Film Institute (MFI) awards a scholarship to the film project KIDS FROM THE EAST, Director: Aramisova, Producer: Michal Kračmer, Cinedix, Czech Republic/Slovak Republic

    V. For the fourth year, the consulting company in audiovisual development Initiative Film represented by Isabelle Fauvel will offer its services to a Greek project. The selected project is: ARK, Director: Aristotelis Marangos, Production: Vasilis Chrysanthopoulos, plays2place productions, Greece.

    In addition she will offer one consultancy session to the Greek project: PACK OF SHEEP, Director: Dimitris Kanellopoulos, Production: Elina Psykou, Konstantina Stavrianou, Graal Films, Greece

    VI. The AGORA WORKS IN PROGRESS jury consisted of Arnaud Gourmelen, (Festival Programmer – Directors’ Fortnight, France), Gabor Greiner, (Sales Agent – Films Boutique, Germany), Konstantina Vonorta, (Producer – Graal, Greece) grants the GRAAL co-production award with in kind services in image post-production up to 70.000 euro to the film: SUNTAN, Directed by Argyris Papadimitropoulos, Produced by Phaedra Vokali, Marni Films, Argyris Papadimitropoulos Greece

     THE GREEK FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION (PEKK) AWARD

    TO MIKRO PSARI (STRATOS) By YANNIS ECONOMIDES, Producers Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Panos Papachatzis, Michael Weber, Yannis Economides Screenwriters Yannis Economides, Thanos Xiros, Vangelis Mourikis, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Haris Lagousis, Greece-Germany-Cyprus, 2014

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