• “Unlucky Plaza” is Opening Film for Singapore International Film Festival + Egyptian Ahmad Abdalla is Filmmaker in Focus

    Unlucky Plaza

    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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  • Tribeca Film to Release “I Am Big Bird” Documentary

    documentary, I Am Big Bird

    The documentary, I Am Big Bird, which had its world premiere at Hot Docs earlier this year and will screen at DOC NYC in November, will be released theatrically and on VOD in early 2015 via Tribeca Film. Directed by Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker, I Am Big Bird focuses on Caroll Spinney, who since1969, is the man behind Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. Now at 80 years old, I Am Big Bird features incredible footage of Spinney’s earliest collaborations with Jim Henson as it traces his journey from bullied child to celebrated performer. 

    I AM BIG BIRD is a feature-length documentary about Caroll Spinney, who has been Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969… and at 80 years old, he has no intention of stopping. Think you know everything there is to know about Sesame Street ? You don’t. You might know that Frank Oz turned down an offer to play Big Bird, but you probably don’t know that until a last minute change of heart by NASA, Big Bird was supposed to go to space aboard the Challenger. Or you may know that Oscar the Grouch got his voice from a cantankerous cabbie, but you’d be surprised to learn that a fire in his trash can almost led to Caroll’s untimely demise. Caroll’s stories are the stuff of legend. He has been a constant presence in our lives for over 40 years, his path weaving through American history like that of Forrest Gump. His time inside the Bird has taught him about the world and about himself.

    I AM BIG BIRD will peel away the instances in Caroll’s life that inspired his creation of characters that influenced generations of children. And, as the yellow feathers give way to grey hair, it is the man, not the puppet, who will steal your heart.

    http://youtu.be/uFTCUF853H0

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  • Watch TRAILER for Orson Welles documentary “Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles”

    Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

    The trailer is released for the Orson Welles documentary Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles from Oscar-winning filmmaker Chuck Workman.  The film which was released at the Telluride Film Festival features interviews with with Richard Linklater, Peter Bogdanovich, Frank Marshall, Anthony Perkins, Martin Scorsese, Sydney Pollack, Steven Spielberg. Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles opens on December 12th.

    Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles looks at the remarkable genius of Orson Welles on the eve of his centenary – the enigma of his career as a Hollywood star, a Hollywood director (for some a Hollywood failure), and a crucially important independent filmmaker. From Oscar-winner Chuck Workman.

    http://youtu.be/VN8L7TsjfDk

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  • AFI FEST 2014 Reveals Remaining Films on World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight, and Cinema’s Legacy Program Lineup

    over your dead bodyOVER YOUR DEAD BODY (KUIME)

    AFI FEST 2014 revealed the remaining films that will screen in the World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight, and Cinema’s Legacy programs.  AFI FEST will take place November 6 through 13 in Hollywood, CA, at the Dolby Theatre®, the TCL Chinese Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. 

    WORLD CINEMA SELECTIONS (29 titles)

    The World Cinema selections showcase some of the most acclaimed international films of the year. 

    ’71 – A rookie British soldier (rising star Jack O’Connell) must survive one night in war-torn Belfast at the height of the Troubles in this taut thriller.  DIR Yann Demange.  SCR Gregory Burke.  CAST Jack O’Connell, Paul Anderson, Richard Dormer, Sean Harris, Barry Keoghan, Martin McCann, Charlie Murphy, Sam Reid.   UK.

    THE ABSENT (LOS AUSENTES) – When an elderly man loses his isolated cabin deep in the Mexican woods, he also loses his grip on reality.  DIR Nicolás Pereda.  SCR Alejandro Mendoza.  CAST Guadalupe Cárdenas, Eduard Fernández, Gabino Rodríguez.  Mexico.  U.S. Premiere.

    AUGUST WINDS (VENTOS DE AGOSTO) – When a young Brazilian couple makes a discovery in the ocean waters off their small village, they must confront the realities of life and death.  DIR Gabriel Mascaro.  SCR Gabriel Mascaro & Rachel Ellis.  CAST Dandara de Morais, Geová Manoel dos Santos, Maria Salvino dos Santos, Gabriel Mascaro.  Brazil.

    BLACK COAL, THIN ICE (BAI RI YAN HUO) – In this Berlin Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, a down-and-out former detective is lured back to an old murder case when the brutal killer re-emerges.  DIR Diao Yinan.  SCR Diao Yinan.  CAST Liao Fan, Gwei Lun Mei, Wang Xuebing, Wang Jingchun, Yu Ailei, Ni Jingyang.  China, Hong Kong.   This screening is co-presented by the China Onscreen Biennial 2014 and is the closing night screening of their Los Angeles series.

    BREATHE (RESPIRE) – High school student Charlie is sent reeling after her intense friendship with Sarah falls apart in Mélanie Laurent’s sophomore feature.  DIR Mélanie Laurent.  SCR Mélanie Laurent & Julien Lambroschini.  CAST Joséphine Japy, Lou de Laâge, Isabelle Carré, Claire Keim.  France.

    THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY – An amateur butterfly collector and her housekeeper can’t get enough of their sadomasochistic games in this phantasmic tale.  DIR Peter Strickland.  SCR Peter Strickland.  CAST Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D’anna.  UK.

    EDEN – Mia Hansen-Løve’s 20-year journey through the electronic dance music scene follows DJ Paul, whose love for the turntables stays strong even after the craze has ended.  DIR Mia Hansen-Løve.  SCR Mia Hansen-Løve & Sven Hansen-Løve.  CAST Felix De Givry, Pauline Etienne, Vincent Macaigne, Greta Gerwig, Golshifteh Farahani, Laura Smet, Vincent Lacoste.  France.

    THE FOOL (DURAK) – A small-town plumber must evacuate a building before its occupants are put in a deadly situation, but citywide corruption makes it nearly impossible to find help.  DIR Yury Bykov.  SCR Yury Bykov.  CAST Artem Bystrov, Natalia Surkova, Dmitry Kulichkov, Ilya Isaev, Maxim Pinsker, Lyubov Rudenko.  Russia.

    FROM WHAT IS BEFORE (MULA SA KUNG ANO ANG NOON) – Filipino arthouse sensation Lav Diaz’s latest epic centers on a coastal village haunted by strange and supernatural occurrences.  DIR Lav Diaz.  SCR Lav Diaz.  CAST Perry Dizon, Roeder Camañag, Hazel Orencio, Karenina Haniel, Joel Saracho, Reynan Abcede, Ching Valdes-Aran, Mailes Kanapi, Ian Lomongo, Noel Sto. Domingo, Evelyn Vargas, Bambi Beltran, Teng Mangansakan.  Philippines.  U.S. Premiere.

    GETT, THE TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSALEM – Unfolding entirely in a small courtroom, this edge-of-your-seat film follows Viviane Amsalem’s tense battle for a divorce in Israel’s strict rabbinical court.  DIR Ronit Elkabetz & Shlomi Elkabetz.  SCR Ronit Elkabetz & Shlomi Elkabetz.  CAST Ronit Elkabetz, Menashe Noy, Simon Abkarian, Sasson Gabay , Eli Gorstein, Rami Danon, Roberto Pollack.  Israel.

    GIRLHOOD (BANDE DE FILLES) – Teenager Marieme drops out of school and finds acceptance with a gang of free-spirited girls, while taking on a new feminine identity.  DIR Céline Sciamma.  SCR Céline Sciamma.  CAST Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré.  France.

    GOODNIGHT MOMMY (ICH SEH, ICH SEH) – Twin boys fear that their mother, whose face is masked with bandages after plastic surgery, has been subsumed by an evil being.  DIR Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala.  SCR Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala.  CAST Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz.  Austria.

    HAEMOO – Amid a shroud of sea fog, the voyage of a South Korean boat smuggling a group of illegal immigrants turns into a catastrophe.  DIR Shim Sung-bo.  SCR Shim Sung-bo & Bong Joon-ho.  CAST Kim Yoon-seok, Park Yu-chun, Han Ye-ri.  South Korea.

    HUMAN CAPITAL (IL CAPITALE UMANO) – The fates of two seemingly unrelated families become increasingly intertwined in this stylish Italian murder mystery.  DIR Paolo Virzì.  SCR Paolo Virzì, Francesco Bruni and Francesco Piccolo.  CAST Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Valeria Golino, Fabrizio Gifuni, Luigi Lo Cascio.  Italy.

    THE IRON MINISTRY – Three years spent on China’s vast train system are distilled into a one-of-a-kind sensory experience in this immersive, formally daring documentary.  DIR J.P. Sniadecki.  China, USA.

    JAUJA – Viggo Mortensen stars as a 19th-century Danish general who must search the unforgiving Patagonian wilderness for his runaway daughter.  DIR Lisandro Alonso.  SCR Lisandro Alonso & Fabián Casas.  CAST Viggo Mortensen, Viilbjork Malling Agger, Ghita Nørby. Argentina, USA, Netherlands, France, Mexico.

    LEVIATHAN – In the latest work from Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev, a small-town auto mechanic becomes embroiled in a property dispute with devastating consequences.  DIR Andrey Zvyagintsev.  SCR Oleg Negin & Andrey Zvyagintsev.  CAST Alexey Serebryakov, Elena Lyadova, Vladimir Vdovitchenkov, Roman Madyanov, Anna Ukolova, Alexey Rozin, Sergey Pokhodaev. Russia.

    MANOS SUCIAS – Brothers Jacobo and Delio agree to transport millions of dollars of cocaine into Panama in this suspenseful portrait of lives forever altered by the drug trade.  DIR Josef Kubota Wladyka.  SCR Alan Blanco & Josef Kubota Wladyka.  CAST Cristian Advincula, Jarlin Martinez, Manuel David Riascos, Hadder Blandon.  Colombia, USA.

    OVER YOUR DEAD BODY (KUIME) – Actors rehearsing a classic play find their violent, double-crossing stage roles seeping into real life in a ghost story from Takashi Miike.  DIR Takashi Miike.  SCR Kikumi Yamagishi.  CAST Ebizo Ichikawa, Ko Shibasaki, Hideaki Ito, Miho Nakanishi, Maiko, Toshie Negishi, Hiroshi Katsuno, Ikko Furuya.  Japan.

    REALITY (RÉALITÉ) – A cameraman for a TV show is offered a chance to direct in this tapestry of dream logic that slides from one brilliantly bizarre situation to the next.  DIR Quentin Dupieux.  SCR Quentin Dupieux.  CAST Alain Chabat, Jonathan Lambert, Elodie Bouchez, Kyla Kenedy, John Glover, Eric Wareheim, Jon Heder.  Belgium, France.  North American Premiere.

    RED ARMY – The Cold War plays out with vivid intensity – on the ice – in this vibrant documentary on the history of the Soviet Union’s Red Army hockey team.  DIR Gabe Polsky.  FEATURING Slava Fetisov, Vladislav Tretiak, Scotty Bowman, Vladimir Pozner.  USA, Russia.

    THE SALT OF THE EARTH – This documentary on Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado, often referred to as the master of black-and-white photojournalism, is co-directed by filmmaker Wim Wenders and Salgado’s son, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado.  DIR Wim Wenders & Juliano Ribeiro Salgado.  SCR Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders and David Rosier.  France.

    SONG OF THE SEA – In this Irish animated film, a brother and sister embark on a magical journey to discover their connection to the mythical selkies.  DIR Tomm Moore.  SCR Will Collins.  CAST Brendan Gleeson, Fionnula Flanagan, Pat Shortt, Jon Kenny, Liam Hourican, Colm Ó’Snodaigh, Lucy O’Connell, Kevin Swierszcz, David Rawle, Lisa Hannigan.  Ireland.  U.S. Premiere.

    STATIONS OF THE CROSS (KREUZWEG) – Fourteen masterfully composed single-shot scenes tell the story of adolescent Maria, a girl caught between a secular world and the strict religious teachings of her church.  DIR Dietrich Brüggemann.  SCR Anna Brüggemann & Dietrich Brüggemann.  CAST Lea van Acken, Franziska Weisz, Florian Stetter.  Germany.

    TIMBUKTU – Mauritania’s official entry for the Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar® centers on the 2012 Islamic jihadist takeover of northern Mali, and its toll on the region’s civilians.  DIR Abderrahmane Sissako.  SCR Abderrahmane Sissako & Kessen Tall.  CAST Ibrahim Ahmed, Toulou Kiki, Abel Jafri, Fatoumata Diawara.  France, Mauritania.

    TITLI – Young Titli must risk everything to escape his life of abject poverty and intergenerational crime in this assured debut feature.  DIR Kanu Behl.  SCR Sharat Katariya & Kanu Behl.  CAST Ranvir Shorey, Amit Sial, Lalit Behl, Shivani Raghuvanshi, Shashank Arora.  India.

    TU DORS NICOLE – Nicole trips aimlessly through her post-college summer in this delightfully light and sublime film.  DIR Stéphane Lafleur.  SCR Stéphane Lafleur.  CAST Julianne Côté, Catherine St-Laurent, Francis La Haye, Simon Larouche, Godefroy Reding, Marc-André Grondin.  Canada.

    VILLA TOUMA – A teenage Palestinian orphan’s life is turned upside down when she goes to live in the secluded home of her three aristocrat aunts.  DIR Suha Arraf.  SCR Suha Arraf.  CAST Nisreen Faour, Ula Tabri , Cherien Dabis , Maria Zriek.

    WILD TALES (RELATOS SALVAJES) – Characters are pushed to delightfully deranged savagery in this anthology of six sublimely absurd short films.  DIR Damián Szifrón.  SCR Damián Szifrón.  CAST Ricardo Darin, Oscar Martinez, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Érica Rivas, Rita Cortese, Julieta Zylberberg, Dario Grandinetti.  Argentina, Spain.

    MIDNIGHT SELECTIONS (4 titles)

    These dark and macabre films from around the world will grip audiences with terror and laughter.

    ALLELUIA – A hustler has the tables turned on him when a besotted con victim becomes his partner in crime in this genre-bending tale of sex and obsession.  DIR Fabrice Du Welz.  SCR Fabrice Du Welz & Vincent Tavier.  CAST Laurent Lucas, Lola Dueñas, Stéphane Bissot, Edith Le Merdy, Anne-Marie Loop, Helena Noguerra, Pili Groyne, David Murgia.  France, Belgium.

    A HARD DAY (KKEUT-KKA-JI GAN-DA) – When corrupt Detective Ko is involved in a hit-and-run, a chain of events is unleashed that pits him against a diabolical nemesis.  DIR Kim Seong-hun.  SCR Kim Seong-hun.  CAST Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Jin-woong.  South Korea.

    IT FOLLOWS – A group of friends is plagued by a nightmarish supernatural threat in this coming-of-age horror film from AFI FEST alum David Robert Mitchell.  DIR David Robert Mitchell.  SCR David Robert Mitchell.  CAST Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe.  USA.

    WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS – In this hilarious mockumentary, the undead lives of five flat-mates are thrown into pandemonium when a recently turned hipster tries to join the party.  DIR Taika Waititi & Jemaine Clement.  SCR Taika Waititi & Jemaine Clement.  CAST Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathan Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Stu Rutherford, Jackie Van Beek, Ben Fransham.  New Zealand. 

    BREAKTHROUGH SELECTIONS (4 titles)

    The Breakthrough section is dedicated to the true discoveries of the programming process. It exists as a platform for artists at a crucial stage in their career to share their innovative work with enthusiastic audiences.

    THE BLUE WAVE (MAVI DALGA) – Deniz and her friends are restless Turkish teenagers, distracted by love interests and ever-changing friendship dynamics, as they await the end of high school.  DIR Zeynep Dadak & Merve Kayan.  SCR Zeynep Dadak & Merve Kayan.  CAST Ayris Alptekin, Onur Saylak, Baris Hacihan.  Turkey, Germany, Netherlands, Greece.

    FISH & CAT – Achieved in one stunning long take, this Iranian arthouse slasher follows a group of students in the woods and the sinister crooks they encounter there.  DIR Shahram Mokri.  SCR Shahram Mokri.  CAST Babak Karimi, Saeed Ebrahimifar, Abed Abest, Ainaz Azarhoush, Mona Ahmadi, Neda Jebraieli, Parinaz Tayeb, Samaneh Vafaiee.  Iran.

    MAY ALLAH BLESS FRANCE! (QU’ALLAH BENISSE LA FRANCE!) – French rapper Abd Al Malik adapts his raw memoir chronicling the way religion and hip-hop saved him from the streets.  DIR Abd Al Malik.  SCR Abd Al Malik.  CAST Marc Zinga, Sabrina Ouazani, Larouci Didi, Mickaël Nagenraft, Matteo Falkone, Stéphane Fayette-Mikano.  France.  U.S. Premiere.

    THE MIDNIGHT SWIM – Three half-sisters try to unlock the mystery of their mother’s deep-water disappearance in this unsettling tale, part ghost story and part family drama.  DIR Sarah Adina Smith.  SCR Sarah Adina Smith.  CAST Lindsay Burdge, Aleksa Palladino, Jennifer Lafleur, Ross Partridge, Beth Grant, Michelle Hutchison, Shirley Venard.  USA.  U.S. Premiere.

    CINEMA’S LEGACY SELECTIONS (4 titles)

    Now in its second year, Cinema’s Legacy is AFI FEST’s celebration of motion picture history, and a special opportunity to screen recent restorations of film classics and films about the history of cinema.

    CINEMA PARADISO (1989) – A famous Italian film director reflects on his childhood friendship with a local theater projectionist in this must-see classic.  DIR Giuseppe Tornatore.  SCR Giuseppe Tornatore. CAST Philippe Noiret, Jacques Perrin, Antonella Attili, Enzo Cannavale, Isa Danieli, Leo Gullotta, Marco Leonardi, Pupella Maggio, Agnese Nano, Leopoldo Trieste, Salvatore Cascio.  Italy.

    LOVE STREAMS  (1984) – Centering on a boozy, hedonistic writer and his beleaguered sister, this latter-era film by the great John Cassavetes celebrates its 30th anniversary.  DIR John Cassavetes. SCR John Cassavetes.  CAST Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes, Diahnne Abbott, Seymour Cassel, Eddy Donno, Tom Badal, Joan Foley, Jakob Shaw, Al Ruban, Margaret Abbott.  USA.

    MAGICIAN: THE ASTONISHING LIFE AND WORK OF ORSON WELLES (2014)– Combining extensive filmmaker interviews and rare archival footage, Chuck Workman’s documentary takes us through the life of one of cinema’s greatest masters: Orson Welles.  DIR Chuck Workman.   USA.

    YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW (IERI, OGGI, DOMANI) (1963) – Vittorio De Sica’s unique, three-part omnibus film features the mega-watt star coupling of international icons Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni.  DIR Vittorio De Sica.  SCR Eduardo De Filippo, Isabella Quarantotti, Cesare Zavattini, Bella Billa and Lorenza Zanuso.  CAST Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Aldo Giuffrè, Agostino Salvietti, Lino Mattera, Tecla Scarano, Silvia Monelli, Carlo Croccolo, Pasquale Cennamo, Armando Trovajoli.  Italy, France.  

     

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  • St Louis-Set Drama “The Makings of You” to Kick off Lineup for 23rd Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival

    st louis intl film festival 2014

    The 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) will be held November 13 to 23, and  will screen 389 films, including 89 narrative features, 76 documentary features, and 224 shorts. The festival will open on Thursday, Nov. 13, with the premiere of “The Makings of You,” a St. Louis-set and -shot drama by Matt Amato. An award-winning director of music videos and commercials, Amato returned to his hometown of St. Louis to shoot his feature debut, which stars Jay R. Ferguson (of “Mad Men”) and Sheryl Lee and Grace Zabriskie (both of “Twin Peaks”). Ferguson and Zabriskie will attend.

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  • Watch TRAILER for Iranian Film “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night”

    a girl walks home alone at night

    Wowser!! Check out the trailer for the Iranian film, “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night” directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, which just snagged a nomination for Breakthrough Director: 2014 Gotham Independent Film Awards. Kino Lorber will release “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night” in New York and Los Angeles on November 21st, with national expansion to follow

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  • GOODBYE TO ALL THAT Starring Paul Schneider Sets December Release Date

    goodbye to all that

    Angus MacLachlan’s GOODBYE TO ALL THAT starring Paul Schneider in his Tribeca Film Festival “Best Actor” Award-winning performance opens December 17th theatrically in NYC and on VOD.

    Otto Wall (Paul Schneider, ALL THE REAL GIRLS) is your typical suburban husband and father, domesticated into a state of placidity. When his wife (Melanie Lynskey, UP IN THE AIR) pulls the rug out from underneath him and announces she is filing for divorce, Otto is thrust into the uncharted territory of single fatherhood and – even more frightening – getting back into the rather unpredictable dating pool.

    Schneider shines in his leading role as Otto, supported by the stellar female supporting cast of Lynskey, Heather Graham, Anna Camp, Heather Lawless, Amy Sedaris, Ashley Hinshaw, and Audrey Scott in a breakout role as his young daughter, Edie.

    Making his directorial debut, JUNEBUG screenwriter Angus MacLachlan returns to North Carolina with GOODBYE TO ALL THAT, crafting a film that is at once sexy, moving, and sharply comedic.

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  • Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Announces 2014 Film Festival Lineup; Opens with “Lucky Stiff” Starring Jason Alexander

    Lucky Stiff

    Actor Jason Alexander of Seinfeld fame, will be honored with the Career Achievement Award on Friday, November 7 at the 29th annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) Opening Night film, the East Coast Premiere of Lucky Stiff, in which he stars with Pamela Shaw (also attending).  Lucky Stiff marks the first time the festival debuts with a musical comedy.  Directed by Christopher Ashley, the zany and fast-paced Lucky Stiff follows a down and out British shoe salesman who, in order to receive his inheritance of $6 million, must fulfill his deceased Uncle’s request of  taking him for the best time of his “life” in Monte Carlo for a week of fun, sun, dancing, and gambling.  Book writer/lyricist, Lynn Ahrens adapted her clever 1988 New York stage hit for the screen with additional songs written by her and composer Stephen Flaherty.

    Selected as the Centerpiece Film, is the Southeast premiere of Frank vs God, a light-hearted, uplifting story of a former lawyer, David Frank. Unable to move past the loss of his wife, he had all but given up…that is until a tornado not only destroys his house but, takes his beloved dog Brutus. When the insurance company deems the loss an “act of God,” David becomes desperate and decides to serve God…with a lawsuit.  In attendance are stars Henry Ian Cusick (TV hit series LOST) and director Stewart Schill.

    FLiFF closes on Sunday, November 23, with the Southeast Premiere of dark comedy, Just Before I Go, the feature film directorial debut of actress Courteney Cox (Friends, Cougar Town).  Seann William Scott (American Pie franchise) stars as Ted Morgan, who’s on the verge of giving up on life.  Before he does, he decides to return to his hometown one last time to confront some old demons.

    FLiFF line-up for the 2014 event will feature over 175 American Independent and World Cinema features, shorts and documentaries will premiere. The Sunshine Celluloid segment will highlight film by Florida talent.  There are 34 World Premieres, 12 U.S Premieres, 27 East Coast and 16 Southeast.

    Feature films on the lineup include the World premieres of Oro Verde (Switzerland) directed by Mohammed Soudani, Foreign Land (USA-Mexico) directed byRafi Girgis, Love Thy Nature ( USA-Brazil-Namibia-British Virgin Islands) directed by Sylvie Rokab , Every Child Counts ( Bahamas-Canada), directed by Wendy Loten.

    U.S Premieres include Arabani (Israel) directed by Adi Adwan, Lost in Karastan (Georgia) directed by Ben Hopkins, La Casa Ausente (The Absent House), (Puerto Rico-USA-Switzerland) directed by Rubén Abruña, Non Present Time (Lithuania) directed by Mykolas Vildziunas and Papita, Mani & Toston (Venzuela) directed by Luis Carlos Hueck.

    East Coast Premieres include Gone Doggy Gone (USA) directed by Kasi Brown & Brandon Walter, Healing (Australia) directed by Craig Monahan, FLiFF’s opener Lucky Stiff (USA) directed by Christopher Ashley, Sombras de Azul (Cuba-Mexico-USA) directed by Kelly Daniela Norris.

    Southeast Premieres include: Centerpiece Film Frank vs God (USA) directed by Stewart Schill,  Amka and the Three Golden Rules (Mongolia) directed by Babar Ahmed, Human Capital (Italy) directed by Paola Virzi, Charlie’s Country (Australia) directed by Rolf de Heer, Inside Out: The People’s Art Project, (France-Israel-Abu Dhabi-USA) directed by Alastair Siddons,  Jersey Shore Massacre (USA) directed by Paul Tarnpool, FLiFF’s closer Just Before I Go (USA) directed by Courtney Cox, Manos Sucias (Colombia) / directed by Josef Kubota Wladyka.  Shunned (Philippines/USA) directed by Janice Villarosa, Two Bit Waltz (USA) directed by Clara Mamet, and Traitors (Morroco) directed by Sean Gullette.

    The Southeast Premiere of director Paulo Virzi’s Human Capital, the Italian Candidate for the Foreign Language Oscar 2015, is a slick, stylish drama about the destinies of two families irrevocably tied together after a cyclist is hit by a jeep the night before Christmas Eve.

    The Florida premiere of The Imitation Game features Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley  in the a historical thriller about Alan Turing, a genius who pioneered modern-day computing and is credited with cracking the German Enigma code. However, Turing was prosecuted for homosexual acts which The U.K deemed illegal in 1952.

    Big In Japan, from director John Jeffcoat, a semi-fictionalized rock ‘n roll road movie, featuring the band Tennis Pro, is based loosely on actual events and told with rollicking humor with a fresh narrative approach and guerrilla production style.

    Director Sean Gullette attends the Southeast Premiere of his film, Traitors. Tangiers is the launching pad for this intoxicating, slick suspense ride into desperation and ambition.

    The Salvation, a Florida Premiere directed by Kristian Levring, stars Mads Mikkelsen (The Hunt) as a peaceful American settler who revenges his family’s murder in this Danish western which is just as compelling as Eastwood’s Unforgiven.

    Under The Same Sun, is the story of two businessmen – one Palestinian and one Israeli – who struggle to set up a solar energy company to communities in the Palestinian territories.  The film was produced by Amir Harel, an Oscar nominated Israeli producer for Paradise Now, and directed by Sameh Zoabi, a leading Palestinian film-maker.

    Directed by Alexandre Coffre, The Volcano, is a fun, fast moving comedy starring Danny Boon and Valerie Bonneton as two divorcees who must swallow their pathological hatred for each other and hit the road together if they are to make it in time to their daughter’s wedding.  The Southeast premiere is an extension of French Week.

    Winter Sleep took the 2014 Cannes Film Festival’s coveted Palme d’Or. The richly engrossing and ravishingly beautiful Turkish drama, directed by Nuri Bilge, is about three people with marital issues whose animosities are fueled when they are inescapably isolated in a small mountain hotel as the snow begins to fall.

    Fascinating Documentaries include: An Honest Liar, directed by Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom, is about deception and the life of world-famous magician, escape artist and master skeptic, James ‘The Amazing’ Randi.

    The South Florida Premiere of Shunned, from Filipino-American director Janice Villarosa, is a no holds barred look into the lives of transsexuals (male to female), in the Philippines. The film documents the rejection and attacks of violence within the society and transition to what it takes to be a woman.

    FLiFF hosts the Florida Premieres of two documentaries with a focus on remarkable women.The Empowerment Project: Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things is the incredible journey of 5 female filmmakers driving across America to encourage, empower, and inspire the next generation of strong women to go after their career ambitions.  Director Sarah Moshman and executive producer will attend.   I know a Woman Like That, directed by Elaine Madsen and produced by daughter/actress Virginia Madsen, features interviews with extraordinary women over the age of sixty-five. 

    Sammy: The Journey is the incredible story of child Holocaust survivor, Sam Harris, the instrumental force behind the building of the 65,000 square foot Illinois Holocaust Museum and Educational Center, of which he is President Emeritus.

    FLiFF premieres several ambitious Florida films.  Among them are: Short film, Tom In America, directed by Flavio Alves stars Oscar nominees, Burt Young and Sally Kirkland. The foundation of a 50 year marriage is rocked when the husband confesses to being gay.    The film marks the first time Burt Young, from the Rocky franchise, has played a gay man in his career.

    City of Memory by local filmmaker, director Robert Adanto and producer Gabriel Tyner, explores the ways in which the cataclysmic events in the wake of Hurricane Katrina became imprinted on the memory of the visual artists who lived through them.  Adanto and Tyner head the Film & TV program at University School of Nova Southeastern University.

    The Art of Community, directed by Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale film professor, Tas Salini, looks at a unique initiative led by the Community Foundation of Broward in bringing people together through civic engagements and by utilizing the arts in solving issues and problems important to the communities.

    The first of two shorts in FLiFF’s Salute To Veteran’s special program is Rudy +Neil Go Fishing, directed by Abigail Tannebaum Sharon, and filmed in the Everglades, Aventura and Davie. The short doc is a touching story about Neil – a hairdresser and tournament fisherman, and Rudy, a U.S. soldier with PTSD who go fishing for therapy. The second short doc, And Great Showers of Tears Came Down, by Miami filmmaker, Dalton Narine, underscores themes about spirituality, suffering and fate, as a Marine’s tough slog in Vietnam attests to horrific experiences.

     

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  • 4th Napa Valley Film Festival Announces Film Lineup; Opens with “The Imitation Game”

    The Imitation GameThe Imitation Game

    The fourth annual Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF)  returns with a five-day festival showcasing the year’s best new independent films in the four postcard-perfect towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga, November 12 to 16, 2014.  The Festival kicks off Opening Night, Wednesday, November 12, with a Red Carpet screening of The Imitation Game. Fresh off winning the audience award at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, The Imitation Game, stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. Director Morten Tyldum is expected to attend. 

    Film highlights include:

    Alex of Venice – – In actor Chris Messina’s directorial debut feature, Alex (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a workaholic environmental attorney is forced to reinvent herself after her husband (Messina) suddenly leaves the family.

     Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me – An intimate, devastating, and inspiring look at the final tour of musical legend Glen Campbell as he faces the end of his career due to Alzheimer’s disease.

    Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon – Mike Myers will attend the festival with Shep Gordon, the original mega talent manager and subject of Mike’s hilarious, touching and award-winning documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon.

    The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her & Him – A special presentation of a unique cinematic achievement: back-to-back screenings of Ned Benson’s two versions of a film about a marriage falling apart, one from the wife’s perspective and one from the husband’s, starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy.

    Additional sneak previews include:

    The Better Angels – Director A.J. Edwards’ debut feature tells the story of Abraham Lincoln’s childhood in the wilderness of Indiana. Starring Jason Clarke, Diane Kruger, Brit Marling and Wes Bently

    The Last 5 Years – Based on the 2002 off-Broadway musical, and adapted by writer/director Richard LaGravenese, The Last 5 Years is the story of a couple’s tumultuous relationship, from entanglement to denouement starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan.

    Match – A Seattle couple (Carla Gugino and Matthew Lillard) travels to New York to interview an acclaimed former ballet star (Patrick Stewart) for a research project on the dance scene in the 1960’s.

    Escobar: Paradise Lost – The debut feature from writer/director Andrea Di Stephano traces the journey of a young Canadian surfer (Josh Hutcherson) who falls under the spell of a beautiful young woman in Columbia. Unfortunately she also who happens to be the niece of international drug kingpin Pablo Escobar (Benicio Del Toro). An edgy crime drama and a soul-searching love story about family ties and loyalty, the film is a look at a dark chapter in the war on drugs and the casualties.

    Documentary Competition:
    #chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes On A Dictator, Director Joe Piscatella (California Premiere)
    American Native, Director Steven Oritt (World Premiere)
    An Honest Liar, Directors Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom (California Premiere)
    Botso, Director Tom Walters (Bay Area Premiere)
    Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank, Directors Sheila
    Canavan and Michael Chandler (West Coast Premiere)
    Flying The Feathered Edge; The Bob Hoover Project, Director Kim Furst (World Premiere)
    Havana Curveball, Directors Ken Schneider and Marcia Jarmel
    States of Grace, Directors Helen S. Cohen and Mark Lipman
    Underwater Dreams, Director Mary Mazzio
    What the F@#- is Cancer and Why Does Everybody Have It?, Director A.W. Gryphon

    Narrative Competition:
    Amira & Sam, Director Sean Mullin (California Premiere)
    East Side Sushi, Director Anthony Lucero (World Premiere)
    Fall To Rise, Director Jayce Bartok (California Premiere)
    Kinderwald, Director Lise Raven
    Like Sunday, Like Rain, Director Frank Whaley
    Little Accidents, Director Sara Colangelo
    Song One, Director Kate Barker-Froyland (West Coast Premiere)
    Sun Belt Express, Director Evan Buxbaum (California Premiere)
    Teacher of the Year, Director Jason Strouse
    Thank You A Lot, Director Matt Muir (California Premiere)
    The Road Within, Director Gren Wells
    WildLike, Director Frank Hall Green (West Coast Premiere)

    Lounge Features:
    All Stars, Director Lance Kinsey (West Coast Premiere)
    Bar America, Director Matthew Jacobs
    Big In Japan, Director John Jeffcoat (California Premiere)
    Cheatin’, Director Bill Plympton
    Gone Doggy Gone, Directors Brandon Walter and Kasi Brown
    Goodbye To All That, Director Angus MacLachlan (West Coast Premiere)
    Growing Up and Other Lies, Directors Danny Jacobs and Darren Grodsky
    Mudbloods, Director Farzad Nikbakht (Bay Area Premiere)
    Time Lapse, Director Bradley King (Northern California Premiere)
    We’ll Never Have Paris, Directors Jocelyn Towne and Simon Helberg (California Premiere)

    Special Presentations:
    #standwithme, Directors Patrick Moreau and Grant Peelle (World Premiere)
    Big Dream, Director Kelly Cox (Special Sneak Preview)
    Buscando A Gaston (Finding Gaston), Director Julia Patricia Perez (US Premiere)
    Food Chains, Director Sanjay Rawal (West Coast Premiere)
    Hairy Who & the Chicago Imagists, Director Leslie Buchbinder (West Coast Premiere)
    Half The Road: The Passion, Pitfalls & Power of Women’s Professional Cycling, Director Kathryn Bertine
    Harlem Street Singer, Directors Trevor Laurence and Simeon Hutner (West Coast Premiere)
    Harmontown, Director Neil Berkeley
    Last Days In Vietnam, Director Rory Kennedy
    Stretch, Director Joe Carnahan (World Premiere)
    True Son, Director Kevin Gordon
    Impossible Light, Director Jeremy Ambers

    2014 Festival Sidebar – Architecture (sponsored by Blue Homes):
    Henry Hornbostel in Architecture and Legacy, Director Mark Fallone (California Premiere)
    Lutah, Director Kum-Kum Bhavnani (Northern California Premiere)
    Paolo Soleri: Beyond Form, Director Aimee Madsen (Northern California  Premiere)
    Robin Boyd: Australian Beauty, Director Kerry Gardner

    Documentary Short Programs:
    A Stroll the Park: An Asbury Symphony, Albie (World Premiere), Cab City (World Premiere),Crooked Candy (California Premiere), David Hockney in the Now: In Six Minutes, Slomo, The Bulletproof Stockings, The Lion’s Mouth Opens, The Ox, White Earth (Bay Area Premiere), The Invisible Peak

    World Cinema Shorts:
    5 Tropoina Pethaneis (5 Ways 2 Die), Bis Gleich, Chronophobe (California Premiere), Into the Silent Sea, Lan Yen, Rez Carz

    Narrative Shorts:
    His Keeper, Horrible Parents (World Premiere), Last Shot (Nor Cal Premiere), Mediation, My New Apartment, Pin It (Nor Cal Premiere), Snail (Nor Cal Premiere), Team Work (World Premiere), The Gunfighter, An Honorable Man (California Premiere), Care, Gift, Immaculate Reception, Looms, Be My Unfinished (World Premiere), New, One Foot In (World Premiere), Plain Clothes, Salvatore (Nor Cal Premiere), Selling Rosario (World Premiere), The Inheritance, Undercover, Bunion, Humpty (California Premiere), Leonard in Slow Motion, Neighbors, Sure Thing (Nor Cal Premiere), The Motion Picture Co. 1914 (Nor Cal Premiere),The Oven

    Animated Shorts:
    Collectors, Silent, Humanexus, John Doe, Prelude, Sticky, The Box, The Duck, The Missing Scarf, The Umbrella Factory

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  • Cairo International Film Festival Features Six Foreign Language Films Submitted for the 2015 Academy Awards

    Charlie's CountryCharlie’s Country

    The 36th Cairo International Film Festival taking place November 9 -18, 2014, will feature 6 international films, submitted for the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 2015 Oscars, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The films include Charlie’s Country (Australia), Eyes of a Thief (Palestine), The Light that Shines Only There (Japan), Rocks in My Pocket (Latvia), Timbuktu (Mauritania) and Little England (Greece).

    Charlie’s Country (Australia – 2013) International Competition: Directed by Rold de Heer, the film tells the story of a warrior named Charlie, who lives in a remote indigenous community within the northern region of Australia. As the government increases its stranglehold over the community’s traditional way of life, Charlie becomes lost between two cultures. The film’s leading star, David Gulpilil, earned the Best Actor Award at Un Certain Regard within Cannes Film Festival in 2014.

    Eyes of a Thief (Palestine, 2014)| International Competition: Directed by Najwa Najjar, the film stars Khaled Abol Naga and Souad Massi. Filmed in the heart of the occupied territories of Palestine over the course of 25 days, Eyes of a Thief is based on a true story during the upheavals of the Palestinian Uprising in 2002, offering a glimpse into the Palestinian society and their options of survival and resistance.

    The Light that Shines Only There (Japan, 2014)| Festival of Festivals: Directed by Mipo Oh, the film follows a young man called Tatsuo, who becomes head over heels with his friend’s sister, who is clearly older than him and strives to make a living to save her poor family.  The film was showcased at the closing of Osaka Asian Film Festival and received the Grand Prix at the Montreal World Film Festival.

    Rocks in My Pocket (USA – Latvia, 2014) | Festival of Festivals: Written, produced and directed by Signe Baumane, the animated picture is set in  the late 1920s Latvia, where a pretty young lady, Anna, falls in love with an adventurous entrepreneur. Following their marriage, the husband’s jealousy drives him to hide Anna away in the forest far from other men, where she bears 8 children. The film earned the FIPRESCI award and a Special Jury Mention from Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

    Timbuktu (Mauritania, 2014)|Prospects of Arab Cinema: Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, the film traces the vivid transformation of the city of Timbuktu, which lies on the Mauritanian borders with Mali. A popular city recognized for its illustrious culture and openness to the world; it’s even said to be the place where African and Arab heritage and civilization were born. Timbuktu has turned into a bloodbath by extremist groups, which banned everything – starting from music to football and cigarettes. Sissako garnered two awards from Cannes Film Festival namely; the Francois Chalais Prize and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury. He also won the Best Feature Film Award at Jerusalem Film Festival.

    Little England (Greece)|Festival Closer: Directed by Pantelis Voulgaris, the film is set during the interwar period in the Greek island of Andros, where two sisters living in the same house fall in love with the same man. The film has also earned the Golden Goblet Award for Best Feature Film at the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival in June, 2014, in addition to Best Actress and Best Director awards.

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  • Documentary ‘THE LAST PATROL’ to Debut on HBO November 10

    THE LAST PATROL THE LAST PATROL  

    A few years ago, Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Sebastian Junger (“Restrepo”) planned a walk from Washington, D.C. to New York City along Amtrak railroad lines with his close friend, acclaimed war reporter Tim Hetherington. After Hetherington was killed covering the Libyan civil war in 2011, Junger decided to take the same trip, joined instead by a Spanish photographer who was at Hetherington’s side when he died and two combat vets they’d known in Afghanistan.

    Chronicling their journey, the moving documentary THE LAST PATROL debuts MONDAY, NOV. 10 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), the day before Veterans Day, exclusively on HBO.

    Other HBO playdates: Nov. 10 (5:15 a.m.), 13 (9:15 a.m., 4:00 p.m.), 16 (1:00 p.m.), 18 (3:00 p.m.) and 22 (8:15 a.m.)

    HBO2 playdates: Nov. 19 (8:15 a.m., 8:30 p.m.), 25 (12:30 a.m.) and 30 (8:15 a.m.), and Dec. 5 (3:00 p.m.) and 8 (10:15 a.m.)

    Junger was accompanied by combat veterans Brendan O’Byrne (previously seen in “Restrepo”) and Dave Roels, as well as acclaimed Spanish photojournalist Guillermo Cervera. Naming their journey The Last Patrol, they walked from D.C. to Philadelphia and then turned west, away from the cluttered Northeast Corridor, and headed for the Allegheny Mountains and Pittsburgh.

    Junger chose railroad lines because, he believes, “they go straight through the middle of everything,” including ghettos, suburbs, farms and woods, and offer the only way to see the country from the inside out. The group decided not to take tents, since brightly-colored nylon attracts too much attention. Instead, they slept under bridges, in abandoned buildings or simply in the woods. This high-speed vagrancy saw them bathing in rivers, getting water out of creeks, cooking over open fires and talking their way past motorcycle gangs, COPS and suspicious homeowners.

    After extensive experience in combat and the loss of good friends, all four men declared they never wanted to go to war again. The goal was to get to know America again after a decade of war, and discuss why combat is so incredibly hard to give up. The Last Patrol recreated the hardship, brotherhood and closeness of combat, without getting fired upon – except once in Pennsylvania.

    In conjunction with the film’s premiere, Manhattan’s Anastasia Photo will present Guillermo Cervera’s first solo exhibition in New York, scheduled to run from Oct. 24 to Jan. 4.  In addition to photos he took during the filming of THE LAST PATROL, the show includes selections from 20 years of documenting armed conflict and social issues around the world.

    Sebastian Junger is a New York-based writer, journalist and filmmaker. THE LAST PATROL concludes his trilogy on war, following 2014’s “Korengal” and “Restrepo,” which he co-directed with Tim Hetherington. “Restrepo” won the 2010 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature the following year. Junger’s accompanying book, “War,” was a New York Times bestseller. His other books include “The Perfect Storm,” which was adapted for the hit feature film of the same name, “Fire” and “A Death in Belmont.”

    Junger’s other credits include the 2013 HBO documentary “Which Way Is The Front Line From Here? The Life And Time Of Tim Hetherington.”

    THE LAST PATROL was directed by Sebastian Junger; producers, Sebastian Junger and Nick Quested; editor, Michael Levine; cinematographer, Rudy Valdez. For HBO: supervising producer, Sara Bernstein; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.

    http://youtu.be/Ddambdna4JU

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  • Cucalorus Film Festival Announces Final 2014 Schedule of 241 Films

    Cucalorus Film Festival

    The Cucalorus Film Festival announced the final film and event line-up for its 20th annual showcase, scheduled for November 12-16, 2014 in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. The five-day event will include 43 narrative features, 21 documentary features, 145 shorts, 34 music videos and 7 works-in-progress along with a deep schedule of multi-disciplinary performances ranging from dance to spoken word and beyond. Among the 241 films being shown at Cucalorus, some notable selections include:

    World Premieres

    Uncensored – a documentary by DC-based director Stephanie Martinez featuring three Colombian journalists recounting the terrifying reality of living through the Escobar cartel and the ongoing struggle to maintain freedom of the press.

    A Better You – From one of the founders of The Upright Citizens Brigade (Matt Walsh from HBO’s “Veep”) comes the story of Dr. Ron (Brian Huskey), a revolutionary Los Angeles hypnotherapist, who could solve everyone’s problems but his own.

    Times Like Dying – a thrilling Western set in the Post-Civil War South involving four brothers facing the loss of their family farm; features actorBill Cody. Shot and produced in Wilmington.

    U.S./Eastern/Southeastern Premieres

    Labyrinthus – an edge of your seat thriller about a 14-year-old boy who must complete a sinister computer game that uses real children from his neighborhood as players; part of the newly launched Kids-a-lorus program and recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2014.

    Hide and Seek – director Joanna Coates’ provocative drama about a group of young, unmoored adults who retreat to the countryside to test intimate boundaries; winner of the Michael Powell award at EdinburghFilm Festival 2014.

    Felix and Meira – a young married woman from Montreal’s Orthodox Jewish community escapes the bonds of her faith when she meets an artist in her neighborhood who is mourning the loss of his father; won best Canadian feature at Toronto International Film Festival 2014.

    Spring – Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s intriguing indie drama blends romance and horror together in this ultimately uplifting film about a young man who flees California to find himself working on a farm in Italy and falling in love with a woman who carries a dark secret.

    The Tribe – a smashing hit at this year’s Cannes film festival, this outstanding Ukranian feature follows a gang of deaf-mute students who spend their nights running a prostitution ring at the local truck stop.

    The Age of Love – a charming documentary that follows the humorous adventures of thirty seniors in Rochester, NY who sign up for a Speed Dating event exclusively for 70- to 90-year-olds.

    Other Noteworthy Films

    Force Majeure – directed by Ruben Ostlund, this award-winning, brilliantly funny psychodrama tells the story of a model Swedish family on a skiing holiday in the French Alps when an avalanche strikes;Sweden’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film for Oscars 2014; winner of Jury Prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2014.

    Wildlike – an unsettling drama about a young girl who tries to make her way back to Seattle after fleeing her uncle’s home in Alaska; recently premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

    The Hip-Hop Fellow – a documentary following Grammy award winning producer 9th Wonder’s tenure at Harvard University where he explores 40 years of hip-hop history and lays out the case for hip-hop as part of the larger evolution of the universal language of music. 

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