VIMooZ

“Produce” “Becoming Bulletproof” Among Audience Choice Award Winners of 2014 Heartland Film Festival

Heartland International Film Festival

In the final awards of the 2014 Heartland Film Festival, Produce directed by Chris Dowling is the Audience Choice Award Winner, Narrative Feature, and Becoming Bulletproof, directed by Michael Barnett is the Audience Choice Award Winner, Documentary Feature. The 23rd annual Heartland Film Festival ran October 16 to 25, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

2014 Heartland Film Festival Audience Choice Award Winners

Produce – 2014 Heartland Film Festival Audience Choice Award Winner, Narrative Feature

In St. Matthews, Kentucky, Calvin, a professional baseball player sent to an early retirement due to his panic attacks at the plate, is struggling with the curveball life has thrown him. With his two best friends, he sleepwalks through his days and the challenge of raising his teenager daughter. His life is awakened and invigorated by the most unlikely person – a kid with Down syndrome named Produce who works at the local grocery store.

Calvin slowly loses the chip on his shoulder as he begins to see the world through Produce’s eyes. Family, faith and purpose work their way back into Calvin’s life as their friendship develops. The unlikely pair becomes intertwined in a way that gives Calvin meaning and purpose, ultimately leading to tragedy due to a single decision echoed from Calvin’s past.

Becoming Bulletproof – 2014 Heartland Film Festival Audience Choice Award Winner, Documentary Feature

A.J. Murray, 29, has cerebral palsy and lives with his mother, Cynthia, who takes care of him full-time in their Atlanta home. To their great surprise, A.J., who has always dreamed of acting in films, is invited to participate in a camp designed to help build a community (rather than paid “staff and clients”) to support friendships between people with and without disabilities.

Weaving between 1890s period drama and behind-thescenes realities, this documentary follows A.J. mastering lines, pushing through take after take and showing up in costume on time. As A.J. grapples with these high expectations and grows and gains in spirit, he becomes part of a vibrant community of friends working together to produce a lasting artwork. Through his story we gain a moving vision of what a more inclusive, creative, desegregated world might look like.

Showfolk – 2014 Heartland Film Festival Audience Choice Award Winner, Documentary Short

Till Then – 2014 Heartland Film Festival Audience Choice Award Winner, Narrative Short

2014 Heartland Film Festival Best Premiere Award Winners

Highway to Dhampus – 2014 Heartland Film Festival Best Premiere Award Winner, Narrative Feature

Elizabeth James is in trouble in the tabloids again, and her parents (and publicist) have had enough. In an attempt to turn her image around, she has been sent to Ghandruk, Nepal to do charity work at an isolated orphanage with jaded photographer Colt Morgan in tow. The fastest way to reach Ghandruk is by air, and they are flown by young but accomplished mountain pilot Ajit Thapa, who bristles at Elizabeth’s caustic demeanor. When they reach Ghandruk they meet Laxmi, the beaming head matron of the village’s orphanage, which lies in the shadow of the majestic Mount Machhapuchchhre, or “Fish Tail” mountain.

These four individuals from four different worlds will learn what it means to be charitable, to give and to love, but what unfolds will change their lives forever.

Dukale’s Dream – 2014 Heartland Film Festival Best Premiere Award Winner, Documentary Feature

Actor Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness traveled to Ethiopia in their role as ambassadors for World Vision Australia in 2009. During that visit, they met Dukale, a coffee farmer. Growing up, poverty had deprived Dukale of an education, but he saw an opportunity to create a new future for his family when World Vision offered access to a new kind of economic empowerment. Jackman was so inspired by Dukale’s story, that he made – and kept – a promise to him that is revealed in the film.

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“THE IMITATION GAME” “RED ARMY” Among Winners of Audience Choice Awards at Chicago International Film Festival

Chicago International Film Festival

THE IMITATION GAME

The 50th Chicago International Film Festival announced the winners of the Audience Choice Awards, THE IMITATION GAME (UK/USA), directed by Morten Tyldum won the Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative English-Language Feature, THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED (SWEDEN), directed by Felix Herngren won the Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Foreign-Language Feature, and RED ARMY (USA), directed by Gabe Polsky won the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature.

And the winners are:

Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative English-Language Feature:
THE IMITATION GAME (UK/USA), Director: Morten Tyldum
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII. Turing went on to assist with the development of computers at the University of Manchester after the war, but was prosecuted in 1952 by the UK government for homosexual acts which the country deemed illegal at the time.

THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED

Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Foreign-Language Feature:
THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED (SWEDEN), Director: Felix Herngren
Hilarity ensues when an elderly man discovers a suitcase full of money and embarks on a fantastic adventure, involving a frozen corpse, a circus elephant, and a biker gang. Meanwhile, episodes from his past reveal his decades-long proclivity for changing the course of history. Based on the bestselling novel by Jonas Jonasson, this crowd-pleasing Swedish take on “Forrest Gump” combines sidesplitting comedy with genuine tenderness.

RED ARMY

Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature:
RED ARMY (USA), Director: Gabe Polsky
From Emmy award-winning Chicago filmmaker Gabe Polsky, “Red Army” is a documentary about the Soviet Union and the most successful dynasty in sports history: the Red Army hockey team. Told from the perspective of its captain Slava Fetisov, the story portrays his transformation from national hero to political enemy. An inspiring Cold War drama played out on the ice rink, “Red Army” follows a man who stood up to a powerful system and paved the way for change.

ON BEAUTY

Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film:
ON BEAUTY (USA), Director: Joanna Rudnick
From Emmy-nominated filmmaker Joanna Rudnick (“In the Family”), “On Beauty” follows former fashion photographer Rick Guidotti as he focuses his lens on people who are often excluded or misrepresented in popular media. Highlighting vibrant individuals with genetic conditions, Rick’s work challenges conventional visions and helps redefine notions of beauty.

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LEVIATHAN Wins Top Award at 2014 Abu Dhabi Film Festival

Abu Dhabi Film Festival

The winners of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival’s Black Pearl Awards in the three feature film competition categories, Narrative Features, New Horizons and Documentary Competition, were revealed by the festival at their awards ceremony, and LEVIATHAN directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev won the top prize. The awards ceremony marked the grand finale of the eighth edition of ADFF. Additionally, juries announced the winners of the Child Protection Award, the Fipresci and Netpac Award, as well as the Audience Award.

Narrative Competition Winners 2014

Black Pearl Award
LEVIATHAN
directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev

Special Jury Awards
TEST
directed by Alexander Kott

Best Actor
ALEXEY SEREBRYAKOV
from the film LEVIATHAN directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev

Best Actress
MARIA BONNEVIE
from the film A SECOND CHANCE directed by Susanne Bier

Best Film from the Arab World
MEMORIES ON STONE
directed by Shawkat Amin Korki

Best Director from the Arab World
GHASSAN SALHAB
director of The Valley

Special Mention ~ Narrative Competition
TIMBUKTU
directed by Abderrahmane Sissako

New Horizons Competition Winners 2014

Black Pearl Award
THE WONDERS
directed by Alice Rohrwacher

Special Jury Awards
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
directed by Dietrich Brüggemann

Best Actor
Doğan Ïzci
from the film SIVAS directed by Kaan Müjdeci

Best Actress
Yoon Da-kyung
from the film IN HER PLACE directed by Albert Shin

Best Film from the Arab World
THEEB
directed by Naji Abu Nowar

Best Director from the Arab World
LYÈS SALEM
director of THE MAN FROM ORAN

Special Mention ~ New Horizons Competition
LABOUR OF LOVE
directed by Aditya Vikram Sengupta

Documentary Competition Winners 2014

Black Pearl Award
VIRUNGA
directed by Orlando Von Einsiedel

Special Jury Award
NEXT GOAL WINS
directed by Mike Brett & Steve Jamison

Best Documentary from the Arab World
THE WANTED 18
directed by Amer Shomali & Paul Cowan

Best Director from the Arab World
YASMIN FEDDA
director of QUEENS OF SYRIA

Special Mention ~ Documentary Competition
RETURN TO HOMS
directed by Talal Derki

Child Protection Award Winners 2014

Best Film
IN HER PLACE
directed by Albert Shin

Best Script
SIVAS
directed by Kaan Müjdeci

Special Mention
Actor DENIS MURIC
in the film NO ONE’S CHILD directed by Vuk Ršumović

FIPRESCI AWARD for Best Narrative Film

THEEB
directed by Naji Abu Nowar

FIPRESCI AWARD for Best Documentary

UM GHAYEB (MOTHER OF THE UNBORN)
directed by Nadine Salib

NETPAC AWARD for Best Asian Film

IRAQI ODYSSEY
directed by Samir

Audience Choice Award Winner 2014
THE SALT OF THE EARTH
directed by Wim Wenders & Juliano Ribeiro Salgado
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134 Documentary Features Submitted For 2014 Oscar® Race

Awards

Pelican Dreams

One hundred thirty-four features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 87th Academy Awards®.

The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:

“Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq”
“Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case”
“Algorithms”
“Alive Inside”
“All You Need Is Love”
“Altina”
“America: Imagine the World without Her”
“American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs”
“Anita”
“Antarctica: A Year on Ice”
“Art and Craft”
“Awake: The Life of Yogananda”
“The Barefoot Artist”
“The Battered Bastards of Baseball”
“Before You Know It”
“Bitter Honey”
“Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity”
“Botso The Teacher from Tbilisi”
“Captivated The Trials of Pamela Smart”
“The Case against 8”
“Cesar’s Last Fast”
“Citizen Koch”
“CitizenFour”
“Code Black”
“Concerning Violence”
“The Culture High”
“Cyber-Seniors”
“DamNation”
“Dancing in Jaffa”
“Death Metal Angola”
“The Decent One”
“Dinosaur 13”
“Do You Know What My Name Is?”
“Documented”
“The Dog”
“E-Team”
“Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me”
“Elena”
“Evolution of a Criminal”
“Fed Up”
“Finding Fela”
“Finding Vivian Maier”
“Food Chains”
“The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden”
“Getting to the Nutcracker”
“Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me”
“Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia”
“The Great Flood”
“The Great Invisible”
“The Green Prince”
“The Hacker Wars”
“The Hadza: Last of the First”
“Hanna Ranch”
“Happy Valley”
“The Hornet’s Nest”
“I Am Ali”
“If You Build It”
“The Immortalists”
“The Internet’s Own Boy”
“Ivory Tower”
“James Cameron’s Deepsea Challenge”
“Jodorowsky’s Dune”
“Journey of a Female Comic”
“Keep On Keepin’ On”
“Kids for Cash”
“The Kill Team”
“Korengal”
“La Bare”
“Last Days in Vietnam”
“Last Hijack”
“The Last Patrol”
“Levitated Mass”
“Life Itself”
“Little White Lie”
“Llyn Foulkes One Man Band”
“Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles”
“Manakamana”
“Merchants of Doubt”
“Mission Blue”
“Mistaken for Strangers”
“Mitt”
“Monk with a Camera”
“Nas: Time Is Illmatic”
“National Gallery”
“Next Goal Wins”
“Next Year Jerusalem”
“Night Will Fall”
“No Cameras Allowed”
“Now: In the Wings on a World Stage”
“Occupy the Farm”
“The Only Real Game”
“The Overnighters”
“Particle Fever”
“Pay 2 Play: Democracy’s High Stakes”
“Pelican Dreams”
“The Pleasures of Being Out of Step”
“Plot for Peace”
“Point and Shoot”
“Poverty Inc.”
“Print the Legend”
“Private Violence”
“Pump”
“Rabindranath Tagore – The Poet of Eternity”
“Red Army”
“Remote Area Medical”
“Rich Hill”
“The Rule”
“The Salt of the Earth”
“Shadows from My Past”
“She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry”
“A Small Section of the World”
“Smiling through the Apocalypse – Esquire in the 60s”
“Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon”
“The Supreme Price”
“Tales of the Grim Sleeper”
“Tanzania: A Journey Within”
“This Is Not a Ball”
“Thomas Keating: A Rising Tide of Silence”
“Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People”
“True Son”
“20,000 Days on Earth”
“Unclaimed”
“Under the Electric Sky”
“Underwater Dreams”
“Virunga”
“Waiting for August”
“Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago”
“Warsaw Uprising”
“Watchers of the Sky”
“Watermark”
“We Are the Giant”
“We Could Be King”
“Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger”
“A World Not Ours”

Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced in December.

Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.

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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Abu Dhabi Film Festival Announces Winners of Emirates Film Competition and International Short Film Competition

Abu Dhabi Film Festival

The Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF) announced the 2014 winners of the Emirates Film Competition and the International Short Film Competition. Below is the full list of winners.

SHORT NARRATIVE COMPETITION:

1st Prize Short Narrative Competition
EYE & MERMAID
directed by Shahad Ameen

2nd Prize Short Narrative Competition
KOSHK
directed by Abdullah Al Kaabi

Special Jury Award Short Narrative Competition
GIRL & IT
directed by Mohammed Fikree

STUDENT SHORT NARRATIVE COMPETITION:

1st Prize Student Short Narrative Competition
SHATTERED
directed by Alya Al Shamsi

2nd Prize Student Short Narrative Competition
LEVEL
directed by Al Hamza Alsadr & Ibrahim Mohammed

3rd Prize Student Short Narrative Competition
BELONGING
directed by Joud Al Amry

SHORT DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION:

1st Prize Short Documentary Competition
MARWAN THE BOXER
directed by Hassan Kiyani

STUDENT SHORT DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION:

1st Prize Student Short Documentary Competition
ICE FLOWER
directed by Sheren Abououf

2nd Prize Student Short Documentary Competition
LULU: A PEARL’S STORY
directed by Shaikha Al Ameri & Mariam Suleiman

3rd Prize Student Short Documentary Competition
BEHIND SCHOOL WALLS
directed by Asma Hinawi

OTHER EFC AWARDS:

Best Cinematography
EYE & MERMAID
Shot by Thomas Hines

Best Script
CHOLO
Written by Muzna Al Musafer

Best Emirati Film
THE NEIGHBOUR
directed by Nayla Al Khaja

SPECIAL MENTIONS:

RAINBOW
directed by Mahmood Al Shaikh
Short Narrative Competition

ZAINAB
directed by Mohammed Al Ibrahim
Short Narrative Competition

DON’T LEAVE ME
directed by Khalid Al Mahmood
Short Narrative Competition

NOW SHOWING
directed by Abdullah Al-Daihani
Short Narrative Competition

FEMALE SCREAM
directed by Nasser Al Tamimi
Short Narrative Competition

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY ABU DHABI “ASPIRING FILMMAKER AWARDS”:

NYFA Abu Dhabi Aspiring Filmmaker Award
HIDDEN SONGS OF THE PAST
directed by Hind Al Ali

NYFA Abu Dhabi Aspiring Filmmaker Award
YOUSSEF
directed by Hamed Al Harthy

International Short Film Competition Winners 2014

Best Narrative Short Film

THE MAN WITH A DOG
directed by Kamal Lazraq

Best Documentary:

LOVE IN THE TIME OF MARCH MADNESS
directed by Melissa Johnson and Robertino Zambrano.

Best Animated Short Film

ME+HER
directed by Joseph Oxford

Best Film from the Arab World

FATHER
directed by Lotfi Achour

Best Producer Award

Jérémy Rochigneux
with the short film THE BIONIC GIRL
directed by Stéphanie Cabdevila

Best Producer from the Arab World

Abdulla Al Kaabi
with the short film KOSHK
directed by Abdulla Al Kaabi
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WILD Starring Reese Witherspoon Added to Lineup for 2014 Lone Star Film Festival

Lone Star Film Festival

WILD directed by Jean-Marc Vallée

WILD directed by Jean-Marc Vallée has been added to the lineup for 2014 Lone Star Film Festival. WILD was written by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Nick Hornby (ABOUT A BOY, AN EDUCATION), directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (DALLAS BUYERS CLUB) and stars Academy Award-winner Reese Witherspoon. It world-premiered earlier this year at the Telluride Film Festival.

A self-destructive woman (Reese Witherspoon) attempts to leave behind her years of drug abuse and reckless sex with a solo, 1,000-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, in this adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling memoir from director Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club).

Reese Witherspoon delivers one of the year’s best performances in Wild. Adapted by writer Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy, An Education) from Cheryl Strayed’s bestselling 2012 memoir, director Jean-Marc Vallée’s follow-up to his Oscar-winningDallas Buyers Club is an extraordinary odyssey of loss and self-discovery, powered by Witherspoon’s award-worthy characterization. A dramatization of Strayed’s solo 1,100-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, Wild is at once an epic cinematic experience and a profoundly intimate personal narrative.

Devastated by the death of her mother from cancer in 1991, the twenty-two-year-old Strayed soon spirals into a deeply self-destructive decline that destroys her marriage and leaves her addicted to heroin. Four years later, in a bid to leave her demons behind, she embarks on a life-changing journey. Wild tells the story of that journey, alternating remarkable moments from the novice hiker’s unaccompanied trek with powerful flashbacks of the traumas that triggered her inspiring feat.

Vallée, who is rapidly becoming one of Hollywood’s foremost filmmakers, relates these parallel narratives with a dexterous touch, balancing vivid depictions of Strayed’s gruelling exertions with instances of heartfelt introspection. Hornby’s screenplay, meanwhile, retains the compelling blend of humour and pathos that won Strayed’s book such wide acclaim.

And, then, of course, there’s Witherspoon — a triple threat at this year’s Festival, also appearing in Philippe Falardeau’s The Good Lie and joining us for a live onstage Mavericks conversation. Her portrayal of Cheryl Strayed in Wild is every bit as rich as this astonishing true story deserves. – Toronto International Film Festival –

The LSFF also announced that THE IMITATION GAME will screen with the film’s screenwriter, Graham Moore, in attendance on Wednesday, November 5. THE IMITATION GAME was originally scheduled to screen on Friday, November 7, but has been replaced in that time slot with WILD. These additions complete the Modern Cinema section of the festival.
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European Film Academy to Honor Writer/Director, Agnès Varda

Awards

The European Film Academy will present Agnès Varda with the Lifetime Achievement Award for what they describe as her outstanding body of work. As a writer and director, Agnès Varda continues to be an important voice in French and European cinema as well as in the world of art. Her first film, LA POINTE COURTE (1954), was hardly shown but it already gave a glimpse of her very personal style and earned her the title of «grandmother of the French New Wave». Her film CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 (Cléo de 5 à 7, 1961) was selected at Cannes Festival and won the French Critics’ Award.

Among her many films are LIONS LOVE (… and LIES) (1968), DOCUMENTEUR (1981), shot in Los Angeles, ONE SINGS THE OTHER DOESN’T (L’une chante, l’autre pas, 1976), JACQUOT (de NANTES) (1990)… All her films often combine the fictional with the documentary.

She has won virtually every award there is, among them a Silver Bear in Berlin for HAPPINESS (Le Bonheur, 1965), a Golden Lion in Venice for VAGABOND (Sans toit ni loi, 1985), a European Film Award for THE GLEANERS AND I (Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse, 2000), and a French César for THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS (Les Plages d’Agnès, 2008).
Her work has been honoured with a Carosse d’Or at the Cannes Festival, an honorary César and a Pardo d’onore in Locarno.

Agnès Varda has created more than 30 short, documentary and fiction films for both TV and cinema, and exhibitions of photographs and art installations: PATATUTOPIA, created at the Venice Art Biennale 2003, THE WIDOWS OF NOIRMOUTIER in a big exhibition at La Fondation Cartier in Paris (2006), A SHACK OF CINEMA shown at LACMA in Los Angeles (2013) and a solo exhibition, TRIPTYQUES ATYPIQUES at Obadia Gallery in Paris (2014).

Agnès Varda will be an honorary guest at the 27th European Film Awards Ceremony on December 13, 2014.
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Philadelphia Film Festival is a Wrap; “The Duke of Burgundy” “The Overnighters” Win Top Awards

Philadelphia Film Festival

The Duke of Burgundy

The 23rd Philadelphia Film Festival, which ran from October 16-26, ended with a sold-out closing night screening of Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. In the award ceremony preceding the closing night festivities, the festival presented a series of awards to this year’s festival stand-outs. The Award for Best Narrative Feature went to The Duke of Burgundy directed by Peter Strickland, and the Award for Best Documentary Feature went to The Overnighters directed by Jesse Moss.

Archie Award: Myroslav Slabosphytsky, director of The Tribe. The Archie Award is a juried award presented in honor of the late Archie Perlmutter to a first-time director.

Narrative Award: Grand Jury Prize // The Duke of Burgundy // Director Peter Strickland
Special Jury Prize // Girlhood // Director Céline Sciamma
Best Director Prize // ‘71 // Director Yann Demange

Documentary Award: Best Documentary Feature // The Overnighters // Director Jesse Moss

Pinkenson Award for Best Local Film: Best Feature // Crescendo! The Power of Music // Director Jamie Bernstein
Honorable Mention for Innovation in Storytelling // Listen Up Philip // Director Alex Ross Perry
Honorable Mention for World Vision // Tomorrow We Disappear // Director Adam Weber and Jimmy Goldblum

Short Award: Best Short // Port Nasty // Director Rob Zywietz
Honorable Mention for Best Live Action Short // The Cut // Director Geneviève Dulude-De Celles

Audience Award: Crescendo! The Power of Music, directed by Jamie Bernstein.
Audience Award Honorable Mention // I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story // Directors Chad Walker and David LaMattina
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New Official Poster for A MOST VIOLENT YEAR Starring Oscar Isaac, and Jessica Chastain

News

Here is the new OFFICIAL poster for A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, starring Oscar Isaac, and Jessica Chastain. A MOST VIOLENT YEAR will be open in NY and LA on December 31, 2014 and will expand in January 2015.

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR is a searing crime drama set in New York City during the winter of 1981, statistically the most dangerous year in the city’s history. From acclaimed writer/director J.C. Chandor, and starring Oscar Isaac (INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS) and Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY), this gripping story plays out within a maze of rampant political and industry corruption plaguing the streets of a city in decay.

J.C. Chandor’s third feature examines one immigrant’s determined climb up a morally crooked ladder, where simmering rivalries and unprovoked attacks threaten his business, family, and – above all – his own unwavering belief in the righteousness of his path. With A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, Chandor journeys in a bold new direction, toward the place where best intentions yield to raw instinct, and where we are most vulnerable to compromise what we know to be right.
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Arpa International Film Festival Announces 2014 Film Lineup

Arpa International Film Festival

I Believe in Unicorns

The 17th annual Arpa International Film Festival will be held November 14-16th, 2014 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. For the 17th year, the lineup includes award winning films including: As it Used to Be and Sombras de Azul, along with SXSW nominated, I Believe in Unicorns.

“We’re thrilled about this years festival line-up, which includes both domestic and international films and filmmakers, ready to showcase their work,” said Festival Director, Michael Ashjian. “It’s our goal to stay true to our mission in cultivating awareness of important topics that affect our society through the medium of film. We can’t wait to share these films with everyone!”

SHORT FILMS

Arena (2013)
Country: Poland
Director: Martin Rath
Writer: Martin Rath
Producer: Marcin Malatynski

As It Used to Be (2013)
Country: France
Director: Clément Gonzalez
Writer: Clément Gonzalez
Producer: Clément Gonzalez

Atrophy (2014)
Country: USA
Director: Hovig Kazandjian
Writer: Hovig Kazandjian
Producer: Danny Simonzad, Shervin Youssefian

Cassandra (2014)
Country: France, USA
Director: Guy-Roger Duvert
Writer: Guy-Roger Duvert
Producer: Guy-Roger Duvert, Rudolph Falaise

Distance (2014)
Country: USA
Director: Ismael Gomez III
Writer: Ismael Gomez III
Producer: Tyler Munyon, Yassel Iglesias

Eclipse (2013)
Country: Armenia
Director: Ara Yernjakyan
Writer: Ara Yernjakyan
Producer: None Listed

The Eulogy of Ivy O’Connor (2013)
Country: USA
Director: Shervin Youssefian
Writer: Sophie Jordan
Producer: Shervin Youssefian, Danny Simonzad

Families Are Forever (2013)
Country: USA
Director: Vivian Kleiman
Writer: None Listed
Producer: Vivian Kleiman
Duration: 00:20:39

L’Homme du Passé (2013)
Country: France
Director: Matt Beurois
Writer: Matt Beurois
Producer: Matt Beurois

Martin (2014)
Country: USA
Director: Justin Lee
Writer: Justin Lee
Producer: Ik-Tong Ryo

Najes (2014)
Country: Iran
Director: Bahram & Bahman Hajaboloo
Writer: Bahram & Bahman Hajaboloo
Producer: None Listed

No Love Lost (2013)
Country: United Kingdom
Director: Skekhar Bassi
Writer: Skekhar Bassi, Shalinder Bassi
Producer: Gemma Lloyd, Helen Silver, Skekhar Bassi, Shalinder Bassi

One Step Forward (2011)
Country: USA
Director: Joel Marsh, Benjamin Crowell
Writer: Joel Marsh, Benjamin Crowell
Producer: Joel Marsh, Benjamin Crowell

Return of the Tyke (2014)
Country: United Kingdom
Director: Garo Berberian
Writer: Garo Berberian, Ben Hodgson
Producer: Garo Berberian, Paul Hellard

We Are Enemies (2014)
Country: USA
Director: Ilya Rozhkov
Writer: Ilya Rozhkov
Producer: Egor Povolotskiy, Janek Ambros

Zugzwang (2013)
Country: Spain, USA
Director: Yolanda Centeno
Writer: Yolanda Centeno
Producer: Yolanda Centeno, Lavinia Barsotti

Snail
Country: USA
Director: Deborah Attoinese
Writer: Deborah Attoinese
Producer: Deborah Attoinese, Clara Ronk

Fly
Country: USA
Director: Joel Marsh
Writer: Joel Marsh, Gray Cusack
Producer: Joel Marsh, Gray Cusack

Just Be Yourself
Country: USA
Director: Stuart Davis
Writer: Stuart Davis
Producer: Sebastian Segal

FEATURE FILMS

I Believe in Unicorns (2014)
Country: USA
Director: Leah Meyerhoff
Writer: Leah Meyerhoff
Producer: Heather Rae

Sombras de Azul (2013)
Country: Cuba, Mexico, USA
Director: Kelly Daniela Norris
Writer: Kelly Daniela Norris
Producer: Kelly Daniela Norris, Travis Pittman

Toastmaster (2013)
Country: Spain, USA
Director: Eric Boadella
Writer: Eric Boadella
Producer: Eric Boadella, Hermes Marco, Martin Yernazian,

37: A Final Compromise
Country: USA
Director: Randall Batinkoff
Writer: Randall Batinkoff, Jesse Stratton
Producer: Randall Batinkoff, Guy Blews, Leila Djansi

Odd Brodsky
Country: USA
Director: Cindy Baer
Writer: Matthew Irving and Cindy Baer
Producer: Cindy Baer and Thomat Hatsios

Neutral Zone
Country: Armenia
Director: Artak Zilfimyan
Writer: Artak Zilfimyan
Producer: Tiran Hayrapetyan
Duration: 01:3:00
Language: English

DOCUMENTARIES

The Amazing Mr. Ash (2014)
Country: USA
Director: Brian Gersten
Writer: None Listed
Producer: Brian Gersten

Born in Adana (2014)
Country: Canada
Director: David Hovan
Writer: David Hovan
Producer: David Hovan

Hannah: Buddhism’s Untold Journey (2014)
Country: United Kingdom
Director: Adam Penny
Writer: Adam Penny, Marta György-Kessler
Producer: None Listed

Music is a Universal Language (2014)
Country: Serbia and Montenegro
Director: Milos Drobnjakovic
Writer: Milos Drobnjakovic
Producer: Milos Drobnjakovic, Natasa Pajovic

Music to Madness – the Story of Komitas (2014)
Country: Canada, USA
Director: David Deranian
Writer: David Deranian
Producer: David Deranian

The No Name Painting Association (2013)
Country: China, USA
Director: Joe Griffin
Writer: Rene Balcer
Producer: Rene Balcer

Oracles of Pennsylvania Avenue (2013)
Country: Egypt, USA
Director: Tim Wilkerson
Writer: Tim Wilkerson
Producer: Tim Wilkerson

Party Line (2014)
Country: USA
Director: Alan Magee
Writer: Alan Magee
Producer: Alan Magee

You Have His Eyes (2014)
Country: USA
Director: Christopher Wilson
Writer: Not Listed
Producer: Christopher Wilson

Still in Memory of the Quake
Country: Armenia
Director: Anzhela Frangyan
Writer: Anzhela Frangyan
Producer: Arax Tadevosyan, Gohar Mkitaryan

Apricot, Blessed Tree of Armenia
Country: Armenia
Director: Shirak Khojayan
Writer: Shirak Khojayan
Producer: Shirak Khojayan
When My Sorrow Died

Country: USA
Director: Robert Nazar Arjoyan
Producer: Matt Huffman
Duration: 01:25:00
Language: English

MUSIC VIDEOS

Dasha Hara (2013)
Country: Australia, Canada
Director: Bryn Oh

Pis’ma vojny (2014)
Country: Russian Federation
Director: Vera Tomilova
Writer: Vadim Gassanov
Producer: Alexander Zhukov

Too Soon (2013)
Country: United Kingdom
Director: Jeremy Harvey
Writer: Jeremy Harvey
Producer: None Listed

Shohare Pooldar
Country: USA
Director: Shervin Youssefian
Writer: Shervin Youssefian
Producer: Erwin Khatchikian
Duration: 00:03:30
Language: Farsi w/ English Subtitles
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Whistler Film Festival Unveils Unprecedented Canadian Slate of 22 Films

Whistler Film Festival

BANG BANG BABY

22 Canadian feature films, including 13 by first-time feature film directors and six directed by women, will screen at the upcoming 14th Annual Whistler Film Festival (WFF) taking place December 3 to 7, 2014 in Whistler, British Columba, Canada. 6 films will compete in the 11th annual Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature Film including AFTER THE BALL, BANG BANG BABY, FÉLIX AND MEIRA (Félix et Meira), MOUNTAIN MEN, RELATIVE HAPPINESS, and WOLVES (Les Loups).

Following is the list of eleven Canadian features having their World Premiere at this year’s Whistler Film Festival:

AFTER FILM SCHOOL Joel Ashton McCarthy, Canada World Premiere
A hilarious mockumentary made by, and about, film school graduates who can’t raise financing for their first feature. Over 100 Vancouver area filmmakers and musicians devoted their time and talent to this chance-taking comedy that will have you rolling in the aisles. Get ready for High School Murders – The Musical, a film within a film that you won’t believe.

AFTER THE BALL Sean Garrity, Canada World Premiere
This charming Cinderella story is set in the world of fashion design, a daughter must disguise herself in order to win the approval of her rejecting father who owns a fashion design shop. One of this year’s Borsos competitors, it is written by Borsos Winner Kate Melville (PICTURE DAY, WFF 2012). Starring Portia Doubleday, Chris Noth, Lauren Holly and Marc-André Grondin.

BAD CITY Carl Bessai, Canada World Premiere
Canada’s most prolific filmmaker, Carl Bessai, returns to Whistler after last year’s triumphant genre bender No Clue, with another film homage, but this one to blaxploitation flicks from the 70s and the reverence that certain film intellectuals maintain for Canucksploitation films of the same era. So, dust off your Afro wigs and come out and play. Can you dig it? Right on! Starring Dustin Milligan and Amanda Crew.

ELSEWHERE, N .Y. Jeffrey P. Nesker, Canada World Premiere
A first feature directed by Canadian Jeffrey P. Nesker, entirely shot on the streets of New York with a cast of four and a crew of two. The style will evoke the work of Amos Kollek or the street grit of ONCE. The film follows the romances and yearnings of a small group of young adults trying to connect in the big city. Starring Andrew Leland Rogers, Fiona Graham and Andrew Ruth.

THE COCKSURE LADS Murray Foster, Canada World Premiere
A toe-tapping musical comedy that looks at the split-up of a British boy band when they land in Toronto for a gig. This is a first feature directed by Murray Foster, the bassist with Moxy Fruvous and Great Big Sea, and it has the joyous feeling of Cliff Richard or Dave Clark Five movies from the 60s. With Lyndon Ogbourne and Luke Marty, and great original songs.

LES LOUPS (WOLVES) Sophie Deraspe, Canada World Premiere
A haunting new drama from the director of previous Borsos winner Vital Signs, about an attractive Montreal woman who arrives on a North Atlantic island during whale hunting season for no apparent reason. The locals are a rough and tumble group living a harsh life off the land, but they become very curious about why the young lady has chosen to join them. Starring Evelyne Brochu, Gilbert Sicotte and Louise Portal.

MOUNTAIN MEN Cameron Labine, Canada World Premiere
Whistler provides the perfect setting for the World Premiere of this Borsos entry of hilarious banter, nail-biting suspense and charismatic leads in Chace Crawford and Tyler Labine as estranged brothers forced to reconcile when a fire leaves them no choice but to descend a dangerous wintery mountain landscape and fight for their lives.

PRETEND WE’RE KISSING Matt Sadowski, Canada World Premiere
A first feature from director Matt Sadowski, this is a charming comic romance between a classic uber-nerd played by Dov Tiefenbach, whose character personifies neurotic self-doubt, and a dream girl played by Zoe Kravitz who shows some interest in him. Reminding you of early Woody Allen, the sex scenes are laugh out loud awkward.

SNOWMAN Mike Douglas, Canada World Premiere
Whistler filmmaker and ‘Godfather of free skiing’ Mike Douglas returns to WFF with his documentary feature debut, SNOWMAN, which pays tribute to mountain culture lifestyle and to living in Whistler in particular. It doesn’t sugarcoat the dangers of living life on the edge of a mountain, as a helicopter crash during a routine inducement of a controlled avalanche provides the film with some real-life jeopardy.

STAY AWHILE Jessica Edwards, Canada World Premiere
Anyone over a certain age may not necessarily remember the name The Bells, but they will certainly recognize the signature theme song that was a worldwide monster hit back in the early 70s before the era of radio quotas for Canadian content. Canada’s first super-group, The Bells appeared on US television, toured extensively andmade the rounds of Canadian variety and musical shows of the time. Other hits included ‘Little White Dove’ and ‘Moody Manitoba Morning’. An intimate insider’s look at the group The Bells, as told by the daughter of two of its principals, Jessica Edwards.

WHAT AN IDIOT Peter Benson, Canada World Premiere
Borrowing a plot line from the Rock Hudson/Doris Day movie SEND ME NO FLOWERS, a man (played by first-time director Peter Benson) pretends to be gay in order to befriend his gorgeous new boss at work, who seems to have a real soft spot for gay men, while treating all others with disdain. Julia Benson plays the boss, and in real life, Peter and Julia are a Vancouver based couple, which explains the genuine romantic connection between the two leads in this classic romantic comedy.

Following is a list of the many other fine Canadian films being showcased at this year’s Whistler Film Festival:

ALLY WAS SCREAMING: Jeremy Thomas, Canada BC Premiere
A tense but darkly funny exploration of the thin line between greed and morality, follows two buddies who find a dead friend’s winning lottery ticket, but her do-gooder sister stands in the way of redemption. Nice Canadian boys would never think of knocking her off, now would they? Starring Charlie Carrick, Giacomo Baessato and Camille Sullivan.

BANG BANG BABY Jeffery St. Jules, Canada Western Canadian Premiere
A wildly unique and original take on the musical genre is a first feature from Jeffrey St. Jules. The Borsos entry tells the story of a 60s teenager who dreams of making it big as a singer, if only that pesky nearby chemical plant leak wasn’t turning the townsfolks into genetic mutants. Starring Jane Levy, Justin Chatwin and Peter Stormare.

BACKCOUNTRY Adam MacDonald, Canada Western Canadian Premiere
An extremely well made true story of two ill-prepared campers who were attacked in their tent by a ferocious black bear. The bear footage was shot in Squamish BC, because that’s where the producers found the most ferocious (trained) bear, who could roar and bare his fangs on cue. This true-life horror movie is a remarkable first feature by Adam MacDonald and starring Eric Balfour, Missy Peregrym and Nicholas Campbell.

THE BACKWARD CLASS Madeleine Grant, Canada Western Canadian Premiere
Cheer-out-loud documentary filmmaking and winner of the Audience Award at this year’s Hot Docs, this is a remarkable look at the link between education and class. The film focuses on the first graduating class of low-caste individuals plucked from their impoverished families in India and given a European style education for the last thirteen years. They are about to write their first college entrance exams. How will they do as individuals, and how will this reflect on this privately funded project that has nearly bankrupted its chief proponents? A first feature directed by Vancouver-based Madeleine Grant.

BIG MUDDY Jefferson Moneo, Canada Western Canadian PremiereFirst feature from director Jefferson Moneo, this is a visually stylish look at a crime spree set in the prairies. A Saskatchewan mother gets by performing low-level cons, but must go into hiding when an escaped murderer comes looking for her and her son. This is a film that could best be described as Prairie Noir, and may remind you of Terrence Malick’s classic Badlands. Starring Nadia Litz, Stephen McHattie and Rossif Sutherland.

FÉLIX AND MEIRA: Maxime Giroux, Canada Western Canadian PremiereVoted the Best Canadian Film at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, this is a delicate, quiet study of a forbidden romance between a depressive francophone Montrealer, and the married Hasidic mother that attracts his romantic attention. The conflict between desire and duty has never come into sharper focus. Directed by former Borsos competitor Maxime Giroux (JO FOR JONATHAN, WFF 2010) with Martin Dubreuil and Hadas Yaron.

I PUT A HIT ON YOU: Dane Clark, Linsey Stewart Western Canadian PremiereDirected by first-timers Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart, this very funny thriller follows a jilted fiancée who drunkenly offers her engagement ring online to anyone who wants to kill her boyfriend for her. Someone takes her up on the offer, and in the sober light of the next morning’s hangover, what do you do when your would-be assassin is anonymous and can’t be called off? Starring Sara Canning and Aaron Ashmore

IN HER PLACE Albert Shin, Canada/South Korea Western Canadian PremiereA second film from Canadian director Albert Shin, this is a meticulously authentic South Korean shot film, with Korean actors, and a distinctly Korean storyline, about a rich city woman who comes to live with some poor country bumpkins, a woman and her teenage daughter, for reasons that are not immediately apparent. With Yoon-Da-Kyung and Ahn Ji Hye.

THE OUTLAW LEAGUE (LA GANG DES HORS-LA-LOI) Jean Beaudry, Canada Western Canadian PremiereDirected by Jean Beaudry, this is veteran family film producer Rock Demers’ 24th entry in the Tales for All series. A rare film to be shot in French in New Brunswick, it tells the story of some local kids who fight for the right to clear a lot full of junk, so that they can have a baseball diamond to play on. City planners oppose them, of course. Starring Guy Thauvette and André Kasper Kolstad.

RELATIVE HAPPINESS Deanne Foley, Canada Western Canadian PremiereThis previously announced Borsos entry follows a pleasingly plump and plucky Nova Scotia bed and breakfast operator who needs to find a date for her gorgeous sister’s wedding. In walks the hunk of her dreams… A second film directed by Deanne Foley, starring Melissa Bergland and Aaron Poole

WE WERE WOLVES Jordan Canning, Canada Western Canadian PremiereA first feature directed by Jordan Canning, this is another perfect Whistler film as two estranged brothers reconcile in a cabin in the Kawartha Lakes region following the death of their father. They discover secrets of their father’s life that they never suspected, and must reconcile with their memories and each other. Starring Lynda Boyd, Steve Cochrane and Peter Mooney.
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“Unlucky Plaza” is Opening Film for Singapore International Film Festival + Egyptian Ahmad Abdalla is Filmmaker in Focus

Singapore International Film Festival

Unlucky Plaza

After a two-year hiatus, the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) is back and will open December 4th with Ken Kwek’s Unlucky Plaza, a first for a Singaporean film. Unlucky Plaza is a story about one man’s financial woes that spiral into a harrowing crisis. When he is further outdone by a financial scam, he takes a group of people hostage in a millionaire’s bungalow and the crisis, captured on video, sparks an international outcry. A multi-character thriller from one of Asia’s most exciting young filmmakers, Unlucky Plaza navigates among three narrative threads in order to create a dramatic statement about the things we do for money.

It stars Filipino actor Epy Quizon in the lead role. The other parts are taken by local veteran stage and screen actors Adrian Pang, Judee Tan, Shane Mardjuki, Janice Koh, Pamela Oei, who is Kwek’s wife, and television host and actor Guo Liang. The film’s title is a play on Lucky Plaza, the Orchard Road mall known for its businesses serving Filipino residents.Ken Kwek was born in Singapore and attended Cambridge University. He has written and directed the shorts anthology Sex.Violence.FamilyValues. Unlucky Plaza is his first feature, which debuted in the Discovery section at the recent Toronto International Film Festival.

The festival which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, will screen over 100 feature and short films, of all genres. Audiences can look forward to Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s (Turkey) Winter Sleep (2014), a story set in Anatolia that examines the significant divide between the rich and poor, as well as the powerful and powerless in Turkey. At the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, the film won the Palme d’Or and the FIPRESCI Prize. The film has also been selected as the Turkish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards.

Also in the line-up are Red Amnesia (2014) by acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Wang Xiaoshuai (China) (Beijing Bicycle, In Love We Trust), and From What Is Before (2014) by SGIFF regular Lav Diaz (Philippines).

Red Amnesia is a disturbing thriller about a retired widow, who has her daily routine disrupted when she starts receiving mysterious, anonymous phone calls. It is set in the ever-changing world of contemporary China, and brings powerful political urgency to the telling of its suspenseful tale. A renowned auteur, Wang is regarded as one of China’s “Sixth Generation” filmmakers, along with names like Zhang Yuan and Jia Zhangke.

Meanwhile, From What Is Before follows a remote town in the Philippines under Marcos’ dictatorship in the 1970s. The film had its world premiere in the Philippines in July this year, and won the Golden Leopard at the 2014 Locarno International Film Festival. It recently had its North American premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, under the Wavelengths section.

36-year-old Ahmad Abdalla El Sayed Abdelkader, an Egyptian film director, editor and screenwriter, has been confirmed as this year’s Filmmaker in Focus.

SGIFF will feature his latest film Décor (2014), a psychological drama set in Cairo about a woman struggling to know what she wants, and have her own choices in life. The main character is obsessed with old Egyptian films, which she keeps playing on VHS. In keeping with the classic theme, the entire film is played out in black and white, the first Egyptian film to use this format since Mohamed Fadel’s 1996 drama Nasser 56, about the late Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser.
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