• Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy Stars in Indie Movie ST. VINCENT

    indie movie St. Vincent

    I will see just about any movie that stars Bill Murray not only because he’s one of my all-time favorite actors, but also because Murray has a tendency to pick great projects to star in. The new indie movie St. Vincent has received a lot of praise in the lead-up to its release based on Murray’s performance, and it’s all warranted. Though Murray has spent the last decade mostly starring in little-seen indie films and Wes Anderson movies, St. Vincent will remind general audiences just how great of an actor he is.

    Vin (Bill Murray) is a Brooklyn-born, politically incorrect man on the cusp of seventy with a thick New York accent. He smokes and drinks too much, gambles with money he doesn’t have, eats all bad food, and has a weekly appointment with a Daka (Naomi Watts with a comically thick accent), a stripper/prostitute who is pregnant with a baby that may or may not be Vin’s. On the surface he seems to be little more than a nasty drunk who is looking to put himself into a grave as soon as possible. He wakes up from a drunken stupor to find out that single mother Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) have moved next door. Though their initial meeting is less than cordial, Vin inadvertently ends up the precocious boy’s after-school babysitter. Oliver and Vin bond as the old man teaches Oliver his wicked ways, but he also reveals his softer side to the kid, like when he makes his weekly visits to a nursing home.

    One of the great revelations of the film is McCarthy, who (for once) isn’t playing “Melissa McCarthy” in this film. McCarthy has been typecast in her big screen roles since her breakthrough performance in 2011’s Bridesmaids, and I am sure she had to pass up yet another Identity Thief/The Heat/Tammy type comedy to this movie. Her character in this film is a supporting one, but there is a lot of depth to Maggie. As Vin points out, she’s woefully unprepared to be a mother since she never questions where Vin takes her son or how they spend their time together. She is also miserable from how her ex-husband treated her and defines her life by letting everyone know how miserable she is (including Oliver’s teacher, a priest played by the hilarious Chris O’Dowd).

    Of course, the real star here is Murray, who can make an audience laugh by the way he walks around in a bank. While his character is purely a stock one (the “cranky old man with a heart of gold” type), what makes St. Vincent unique is that it isn’t one of those movies where Vin is a bad person who is miraculously changed by the presence of Oliver in his life. Vin always was a good person, just one who doesn’t feel the need to broadcast his good deeds – in other words, he does kind things because he wants to, not because he wants other people to know (shocking concept, right?). An interesting contrast between Oliver’s two “parental” figures in the film that isn’t really explored is how Vin plays his cards close to the vest (more than once he expresses that other characters don’t really know him) while Maggie broadcasts her misery to the world. Nobody’s perfect, and St. Vincent has no intention to present its characters in any other way.

    Writer/director Theodore Melfi has never directed a feature before (he’s directed short films and producers several indie films, but none of this size), and parts of his inexperience show in how mainstream the film is – in a lot of ways it’s Murray’s most mainstream role since his Lost in Translation breakthrough. However, that’s not completely a knock against the film. Is St. Vincent melodramatic? Absolutely. Is it predictable? No question. It might not be a completely original story and the film might not be particularly unique that doesn’t mean it’s not a really enjoyable movie.

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

    http://youtu.be/r5BVn-eyAxA

    Directed by: Theodore Melfi
    Written by: Theodore Melfi
    Cast: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts,Chris O’Dowd, Terrence Howard

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  • FOXCATCHER to Close AFI FEST 2014

    foxcatcher

    FOXCATCHER, directed by Academy Award® nominee Bennett Miller and starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Academy Award® nominee Mark Ruffalo, Academy Award® winner Vanessa Redgrave and Sienna Miller, will be the Closing Night Gala of AFI FEST on Thursday, November 13 at the Dolby Theatre®.

    FOXCATCHER tells the story of Olympic Gold Medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Tatum), who sees a way out from the shadow of his more celebrated wrestling brother Dave (Ruffalo) and a life of poverty when he is summoned by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont (Carell) to move onto his estate and train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics.  Desperate to gain the respect of his disapproving mother, du Pont begins “coaching” a world-class athletic team and begins to lure Mark into an unhealthy lifestyle and erodes the athlete’s already shaky self-esteem.  Fueled by du Pont’s mercurial personality, increasing paranoia and alienation from the brothers, the trio is propelled towards a tragedy no one could have foreseen.  Based on actual events, FOXCATCHER, directed by Bennett Miller, is a gripping and profoundly American story of brotherly love, misguided loyalty, and the corruption and emotional bankruptcy that can accompany great power and wealth. 

    ”Bennett Miller and the film’s incredible cast are going to close the festival and our last night at the iconic Dolby Theatre with an enthralling psychological drama that is one of the highlights of American independent filmmaking this year,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Director, AFI FEST.

    AFI FEST will take place November 6 through 13 in Hollywood, CA, at the Dolby Theatre, the TCL Chinese Theatre, the Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  As previously announced, the Opening Night Gala will be the world premiere of A MOST VIOLENT YEAR (DIR J.C. Chandor) on Thursday, November 6 and Sophia Loren will be honored with a special Tribute on Wednesday, November 12. 

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  • Documentary MONK WITH A CAMERA: The Life and Journey of Nicholas Vreeland Sets Release Dates

    MONK WITH A CAMERA: The Life and Journey of Nicholas Vreeland

    MONK WITH A CAMERA: The Life and Journey of Nicholas Vreeland, the latest documentary by Guido Santi and Tina Mascara (Chris & Don: A Love Story), will open on November 21 at The Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center in New York City, and the Laemmle Royal in Los Angeles on December 12, and expanding to other national markets in the following weeks.  

    Nicholas (Nicky) Vreeland, the grandson of legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, walked away from a worldly life of privilege to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk in 1972.  He moved to India, cut his ties with his pleasure-filled world, and began living in a monastery with no running water or electricity. There, he would spend the next 14 years studying to become a monk.

    Featuring up-close conversations with actor Richard Gere, his Holiness the Dalai Llama, and Vreeland’s Buddhist teacher Khylongla Rinpoche, among many others, MONK WITH A CAMERA gracefully chronicles Nicky Vreeland’s cultural and spiritual journey, as well as his lifelong (and often conflicting) relationship with photography.

    Trained early on by famed American photographer Irving Penn, Nicky Vreeland developed a sophisticated aesthetic and was on a path to become a world-class photographer himself. But once a monk, he abandoned his cameras to focus on his studies and devote himself to a monastic life.  

    Yet, in an ironic twist of fate, Nicky went back to photography in part to help rebuild the monastery after the 2008 economic crisis left them without much-needed financial assistance. Recently, the Dalai Lama appointed Nicky as Abbot of the monastery, making him the first Westerner in Tibetan Buddhist history to attain such a highly regarded position. MONK WITH A CAMERA: The Life and Journey of Nicholas Vreeland chronicles Nicky’s journey from playboy to monk to artist.

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  • SUPREMACY Starring Danny Glover, to Open 2014 African Diaspora International Film Festival

    supremacy

    The racially charged psychological thriller, Supremacy, starring Joe Anderson (Across the Universe) and Danny Glover will open the 2014 African Diaspora International Film Festival in New York City on Friday, November 28, 2014.  Supremacy, which made its world premiere in June 2014 at the LA Film Festival, also stars Dawn Olivieri, Derek Luke, Evan Ross, Lela Rochon, Robin Bobeau, and Anson Mount.

    Supremacy follows a high-ranking white supremacist (Anderson) who murders a cop and hides out with his accomplice by taking a black family hostage. Glover plays the patriarch of the house, an ex-con who must rely on his wits and understanding of the supremacist’s racist mind to keep his family safe.

    http://youtu.be/4mkj4oJorNM

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  • “Xenia” “Tie and Red Nail” “52 Tuesdays” Honored as Best LGBT Films of the Year at Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival

    XeniaXenia

    The Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival presented its first awards dedicated to gay-themed cinema – the Felix Awards. The winners, selected from 43 films in this year’s Festival do Rio that in some way represent LGBT culture, were named as: Best Fiction Film: Xenia, directed by Panos H. Koutras (Greece/ Françe/ Belgium, 2014); Best Documentary: Tie and Red Nail (De Gravata e Unha Vermelha), directed by Miriam Chnaiderman (Brasil, 2014)  and Special Jury Prize: 52 Tuesdays, directed by Sophie Hyde (Australia, 2014).

    Xenia, an official selection in Un Certain Regard section at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, is a coming of age film that tells the story of two brothers, Dany and Ody, as they journey across Greece, prompted by the death of their mother to go in search of the father they have never known.  

    Tie and Red NailTie and Red Nail

     The documentary Tie and Red Nail, creates a vertigo from the ways that each one finds of respecting themselves in the construction of their own body. Dudu Bertholini, who defines himself as genderfucker with his kaftans, guides us towards infinite possibilities of existence.  The interviewees in the movies include Rogéria, Ney Matogrosso, Laertes, Bayard, Leticia Lanz, Johnny Luxo, Walério Araújo, Mel (Banda Uó) and many others.

    52 Tuesdays52 Tuesdays

    In 52 Tuesdays, which won the Directing Award, World Cinema Dramatic at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, sixteen-year-old Billie is blindsided by the news that her mother is planning to transition from female to male and that, during this time, Billie will live at her father’s house. Billie and her mother have always been extremely close, so the two make an agreement they will meet every Tuesday during their year apart. As her mother transitions and becomes less emotionally available, Billie covertly explores her own identity and sexuality with two older schoolmates, testing the limits of her own power, desire, and independence.

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  • The Tribe and New Planet Win Top Jury Awards at 2014 Milwaukee Film Festival

    The TribeThe Tribe 

    The 6th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival, announced its 2014 Jury Award Winners on Sunday. The Tribe directed by Miroslav Slaboshpitsky won the Herzfeld Competition Award along with $10,000 cash, and New Planet directed by James Tindell won the Cream City Cinema: Filmmaker-in-Residence along with $5,000 cash and $20,000 production package.

    Described as “An unforgettably daring cinematic act, ‘The Tribe’ immerses you in the world of a Ukrainian school for the deaf, creating a spellbinding effect unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. When Sergey arrives at school, he is immediately thrust into a teenaged cyclone of gang violence and prostitution where the only way to fit in is to become part of this debauched hierarchy. Told only through unsubtitled Ukrainian sign language, this audacious film has absolutely dazzled the festival circuit with its unsparing style and challenging subject matter, making it sure to be one of the most talked-about films of this year’s MFF.”

    http://youtu.be/ZeYO_EoHP0k

     

    In New Planet, two alien pilots attempt to reconnect after a crash landing on planet Earth.

    “The quality of the films presented at this year’s festival was the strongest ever,” shared Artistic and Executive Director Jonathan Jackson. “Our juries faced some incredibly tough choices and ultimately recognized additional films beyond the four official awards.”

    2014 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL JURY AWARDS

    Abele Catalyst Award
    Marianne Lubar 

    Herzfeld Competition Award ($10,000 cash)
    The Tribe (dir. Miroslav Slaboshpitsky)

    Cream City Cinema: Filmmaker-in-Residence ($5,000 cash and $20,000 production package)
    New Planet (dir. James Tindell)

    Cream City Cinema Special Jury Prize
    An Evening at Angelo’s (dir. Kara Mulrooney) 

    Shorter Is Better Award ($1,000 cash)
    Love. Love. Love. (dir. Sandhya Daisy Sundaram)

    Shorter Is Better Special Jury Prizes
    Through the Hawthorne (dirs. Anna Benner, Pia Borg, Gemma Burditt)
    ​The Last Days of Peter Bergmann (dir. Ciaran Cassid)

    Kids Choice Short Film Award
    Sweet Love (dir. Albert Jan van Rees)

    Kids Choice Special Jury Awards
    Wombo (dir. Daniel Acht)
    The Numberlys (dirs. William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg)

    Pitch Us Your Doc! Contest Winner
    King of Strings (dir. Joel Van Haren)

    2014 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL JURY MEMBERS

    Herzfeld Competition Jury
    David Fear, Rolling Stone
    Theresa Scandiffio, Toronto International Film Festival
    Mike Maggiore, Film Forum

    Cream City Cinema Jury
    Sam Adams, IndieWire
    Justine Nagan, Kartemquin Films
    Jim Brunzell III, Twin Cities Daily Planet

    Shorter Is Better Jury
    Dan Doody, Seattle International Film Festival
    Jessica Farrell, Filmmaker
    Spencer Gillis, Filmmaker

    Rated K: For Kids Jury
    Octavia Grimes
    Piper Grimes
    Quinn Hammerlund
    Julian Singh
    Tommy Stehr
    Anna Weiss

    Pitch Us Your Doc! Contest Judges
    Kim Nguyen, War Witch
    Michael Raisler, Cinereach, Beasts of the Southern Wild
    Laurie Scheer, The Writer’s Advantage: A Toolkit for Mastering Your Genre

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  • The Little Tin Man is a “Warmhearted Film”

    the little tin man movie

    Herman (Aaron Beelner) is a dwarf actor who only gets gigs playing elves in Christmas commercials. In his day job, Herman works alongside his brother Gregg (Jeff Hiller) at an upscale New York City restaurant owned by their mother. However, when their mother dies she leaves the restaurant to Gregg – the only thing she gives to Herman is a directive that he must start taking his acting career more seriously. Frustrated by being cut out of his mother’s will and tired of playing roles that are solely defined by his stature, Herman is less than enthused when his agent calls him with news that has gotten Herman an audition for the role of the Mayor of Munchkinville in Martin Scorsese’s remake of the Wizard of Oz. Herman is convinced by his friend Miller (Kay Cannon), who is also a struggling actor and a waitress at the restaurant, to go on the audition but ask to read for the Tin Man instead. Because Herman wants to transcend stereotypes – and because he harbors an unrequited crush on Miller – Herman decides to go for it. What follows is Herman’s journey towards gaining respect as an actor for his talent rather than his size.

    The film itself seems to be against Herman, as evidenced by its calliope-heavy soundtrack that recalls circus music and an opening song that makes every “bigger man” and “little person” pun you can think of. Naturally, there are plenty of characters who are disrespectful and condescending toward Herman, so it isn’t a surprise when Herman becomes irritable with others, which Beelner plays off very well. Director Matthew Perkins effectively establishes how tough it can be to live at Herman’s size, demonstrating his real-life issues like trying to reach things on high supermarket shelves, and, from a more emotional standpoint, finding love.

    As interested as I was in Herman’s struggle, I was pulled out of the film a bit by some of the over-the-top supporting characters. Some of these smaller roles are played by actors who are really hamming it up (Eddie Dunn, who plays Herman’s agent Tyrone Valentine, really lays it on thick). The one exception is seeing Ed Burns favorite Michael McGlone show up in a small role as a lawyer, essentially reprising his slick character from the GEICO commercials he stars in, which was hilarious. It’s almost as if Perkins and co-writer Dugan Bridges weren’t confident with the material and thought the zaniness needed to be amped up. But instead of creating supporting characters, they’ve created supporting caricatures — but the story of The Little Tin Man is interesting enough so the film really doesn’t need these caricatures.

    I was waiting for a scene that really proved that Herman (the character, not actor Aaron Beelner) is a great actor, but it never really comes. It would’ve been an excellent addition to let audiences know what we’re missing out on when talented actors are denied roles based on the way they look. It’s particularly interesting to view The Little Tin Man in light of the recent career accomplishments of Emmy and Golden Globe award-winner Peter Dinklage (he’d be at home in just about any role in any Scorsese movie). I’m not sure if that informed the film in any way, but the real-life circumstances relate to the narrative.

    The Little Tin Man is a warmhearted film about an actor who tries his hardest to improve his place in the world despite his physical limitations. Even if some of the sillier supporting characters distract from that, it still fits the definition of an inspiring, character-driven comedy gem. If there’s hope for Herman, there’s hope for all of us.

    Film Review Rating 3 out of 5 : See it … It’s Good

    http://youtu.be/sZmwJ-RE_eM

    The Little Tin Man opens in NYC on October 3rd at Williamsburg Cinema in Brooklyn

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  • “VIRUNGA” “THE IRON MINISTRY” Among Camden International Film Festival and Points North 2014 winners

    VIRUNGAVIRUNGA

    The Camden International Film Festival announced the award winning films from its tenth edition, which marked the end of a four-day weekend that included the screening of over 70 films from dozens of countries, as well as the 6th Points North Documentary Forum.  This year’s Harrell Award for Best Documentary Feature went to CIFF’s Opening Night film VIRUNGA directed by Orlando von Einsiedel, who attended the festival to present his film and went on to accept the award via Skype. 

    The Jury, consisting of Susan Margolin (President, Docurama), Banker White (Filmmaker, THE GENIUS OF MARIAN) and Cecily Pingree(Filmmaker, BETTING THE FARM) awarded their Special Jury Mention to J.P. Sniadecki’s THE IRON MINISTRY which had its US Premiere at CIFF and continues on to play the New York Film Festival later this week.

    This year’s Emerging Cinematic Vision Award sponsored by Vimeo went to APPROACHING THE ELEPHANT directed by Amanda Rose Wilder. Wilder, along with producer Caitlin Mae Burke and subject Alex Khost were in attendance to accept the award. The Jury, consisting of Gabriele Caroti (Director, BAMCinematek), Lyda Kuth (Executive Director, LEF Foundation) and Sam Morrill (Creative Relations Lead, Vimeo) awarded the Special Jury Mention to Jean-Francois Caissy’s GUIDELINES.

    Maine-made WILD HOME directed by Jack Schurman and co-directed by Robert Schurman received not only a standing ovation at their World Premiere screening but also received the 2014 Audience Award and increased cash prize. Filmmakers were in attendance to accept this award.

    The Camden Cartel Award was given to Ciaran Cassidy’s THE LAST DAYS OF PETER BERGMANN and Honorable Mention went to Luke Lorentzen’s SANTA CRUZ DEL ISLOTE.

    Al Jazeera’s AJ+ channel  held their first ever AJ+ Pitch at CIFF, a Live Pitch offering five filmmakers the chance to pitch their short documentary concepts and works-in-progress to a panel of filmmakers and industry leaders for up to $10,000 cash and a commission from the AJ+ channel. The Jury included AJ+’s Jeff Seelbach, Tribeca Film Institute’s Ryan Harrington and filmmakers Margaret Brown and Rebecca Richman Cohen.

    Finalists included Jillian Schlesinger (EMOTIONAL ROBOT), Sierra Pettengill (HALL OF THE EVENING STAR), Ben Kalina (PLAN C FOR CIVILIZATION), Jayisha Patel (POWER GIRLS) and Jon Bougher (THAILAND’S FLOATING CITIES). AJ+commissioned three of these projects, awarding up to $10,000 each to Schlesinger’s EMOTIONAL ROBOT, Pettengill’s HALL OF THE EVENING STAR and Jayisha Patel’s POWER GIRLS.

    Last but not least, CIFF announced the winner of their expanded Points North Fellowship, with a day of training at Maine Media Workshop prior to the festival and the Pitch event to a panel of funders, broadcasters, on Saturday, September 27 at the Camden Opera House. 2014 documentary works-in-progress included Tony Gerber’s AMERICAN WARLORD, Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip’s DAWNLAND, Amy Benson, Ramyata Limbu and Scott Squire’s THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, Pacho Velez’s THE REAGAN YEARS, Cassidy Friedman’s SOLEDAD, and Elisa Haradon and Gabriel Miller’s SWEETHEART DEAL. The 2014 Points North Pitch Award and Modulus Funishing Fund was granted to THE REAGAN YEARS, with director Pacho Velez and producer Sierra Pettengill receiving $1,000 cash prize from Documentary Educational Resources, three consultations with the Tribeca Film Institute and a discounted post-production package from Modulus Studios.

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  • “The Last 5 Years” and “The Humbling” to Open, and Jon Stewart’s “Rosewater” to Close 2014 Austin Film Festival

    The HumblingThe Humbling The US Premiere of Barry Levinson’s The Humbling will be the Opening Night Film of the 2014 Austin Film Festival on Thursday, October 23rd. Based on the Philip Roth novel, The Humbling follows an aged and addled actor (Al Pacino) and his affair with a much younger woman (Greta Gerwig).  Also kicking off AFF’s 21st anniversary, writer/director Richard LaGravenese will present the Jason Robert Brown musical adaptation of The Last 5 Years starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. Jon Stewart and Maziar Bahari will present Stewart’s directorial debut, Rosewater, as the Closing Night Selection on October 30th. Rosewater is based on the New York Times best-selling memoir Then They Came for Me: A Family’s Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival, written by the BBC journalist Maziar Bahari. Edward Zwick will accept the Extraordinary Contribution to Film Award at the 2014 Austin Film Festival Awards Luncheon, held at the Austin Club on Saturday, October 25th. Previous honorees have included Jonathan Demme, Ron Howard, Danny Boyle, Oliver Stone, Sydney Pollack, John Lasseter, Frank Darabont, and Robert Rodriguez. Zwick’s directorial credits feature About Last Night, Courage Under Fire, The Siege, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, Defiance and Love & Other Drugs, and the Academy® Award winning films Glory and Legends of the Fall. Along with Marshall Herskovitz, Zwick created The Bedford Falls Company, and produced the critically acclaimed television series My So-Called Life, Relativity, the Emmy Award winning television series, thirtysomething, and the Emmy Award and Golden Globe award winning series Once and Again. Other producing credits include I Am Sam, Traffic, and Shakespeare in Love.Zwick most recently directed and produced Pawn Sacrifice starring Tobey Maguire, Liev Schreiber, and Peter Sarsgaard.Zwick will also be joined by frequent collaborator Winnie Holzman (creator of My So-Called Life) for a conversation on their work in television on Sunday, October 26th. Luke Wilson joins the 2014 Retrospective series, presenting The Pope of Greenwich Village. Austin Film Festival’s Retrospective series allow guest programmers to present works that have inspired their careers.  The Pope of Greenwich Village will be programmed alongside Wilson’s short film Satellite Beach, which he wrote, directed, and starred in, with producers also in attendance. Scott Haze will present The Sound and the Fury, James Franco’s adaptation of the William Faulkner novel. Austin Film Festival’s annual staged script-reading will feature the comedy Flarsky, by Dan Sterling (writer The Office, Girls, The Interview) in a live event co-presented by The Black List on Sunday, October 26th.

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  • Tallgrass Film Festival Reveals 2014 Official Feature Film Selections

    tallgrass film festival 2014

    In addition to the previously announced Gala films, the 12th annual Tallgrass Film Festival has revealed its entire feature film lineup of 48 feature films, selected from over 1400 submissions. More than 30 visiting filmmakers and industry guests will attend the festival. The 12th annual Tallgrass Film Festival will take place October 15 through 19, 2004 in and around Wichita, Kansas.

    In Competition: Narrative Features

    Domestic Narratives:
    A IS FOR ALEX d. Alex Orr (USA, 2014, 74m)
    CHILD OF GOD d. James Franco (USA, 2013, 104m)
    THE DAVID DANCE d. Aprill Winney (USA, 2014, 108m)
    FIVE STAR d Keith Miller (USA, 2014, 83m)
    GONE DOGGY GONE d. Kasi Brown (USA, 2014, 89m)
    HALF BROTHER d. Anthony Grippa (USA, 2014, 75m
    KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER d. David Zellner (USA, 2014, 105m)
    THE LADIES OF THE HOUSE d. John Stuart Wildman (USA, 2014, 93m)
    LOVE LAND d. Joshua Tate (USA, 2014, 93m)
    MAN FROM RENO d. Dave Boyle (USA, 2014, 111m)
    PRETTY ROSEBUD d. Oscar Torre (USA, 2014, 82m)
    RUDDERLESS d. William H. Macy (USA, 2014, 105m)
    SUN BELT EXPRESS d. Evan Buxbaum (USA, 2014, 91m)

    World Narratives:
    THE DARK VALLEY (Das finstere Tal) d. Andreas Prochaska (Austria/Germany, 2014, 115m)
    LONGWAVE (Les grades ondes) d. Lionel Baler (Switzerland/France/Portugal, 2013, 85m)
    METRO MANILA d. Sean Ellis (UK/Philippines, 2013, 115m)
    MOOD INDIGO (L’ecume des jours) d. Michel Gondry (France/Belgium, 2013, 94m)
    THE SALVATION d. Kristian Levering (Denmark/UK/South Africa, 2014, 89m)
    TRAITORS d. Sean Gullette (Morocco/USA, 2013, 83m)
    WETLANDS (Feuchtgebiete) d. David Wnendt (Germany, 2013, 105m)

    In Competition: Documentary Features

    U.S. Documentaries:  
    ART AND CRAFT d. Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grossman (USA, 2014, 89m)
    BRAVE NEW WILD d. Oakley Anderson-Moore (USA, 2014, 76m)
    FIGHT CHURCH d. Daniel Judge, Brian Storkel (USA, 2014, 84m)
    GROWING CITIES d. Daniel Sussman (USA, 2013, 97m)
    JOHNNY WINTER: DOWN & DIRTY d. Greg Oliver (USA, 2014, 95m)
    THE KILL TEAM d. Dan Krauss (USA, 2013, 79m)
    THE LIFE AND MIND OF MARK DEFRIEST d. Gabriel London (USA, 2014, 92m)
    LIMITED PARTNERSHIP d. Thomas G. Miller (USA/Australia, 2014, 74m)
    LITTLE HOPE WAS ARSON d. Theo Love (USA, 2013, 71m)
    MAD AS HELL d. Andrew Napier (USA, 2014, 80m) – US Festival Premiere
    OIL & WATER d. Alan Robert Davis (USA, 2014, 76m)
    THE OVERNIGHTERS d. Jesse Moss (USA, 2014, 90m)
    QUEENS AND COWBOYS: A STRAIGHT YEAR ON THE GAY RODEO d. Matt Livadary (USA, 2014, 92m)
    SELF MEDICATED: A FILM ABOUT ART* d. Ethan H. Minsker (USA, 2014, 98m)
    SILENCED d. James Spione (USA, 2014, 95m)
    STRAY DOG d. Debra Granik (USA, 2014, 98m)

    World Documentaries:

    A LIFE IN DIRTY MOVIES d Wiktor Ericcson (Sweden, 2013, 80m)
    LIGHT FLY, FLY HIGH d. Beathe Hofseth, Susann Ostigaard (Netherlands/Norway/India, 2013, 80m)
    THE SUPREME PRICE d. Joanna Lipper (Nigeria/USA, 2014, 75m)

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  • MAGICAL GIRL Wins Top Awards for Best Film and Best Director at 2014 San Sebastian Festival

    MAGICAL GIRLMAGICAL GIRL

    MAGICAL GIRL, the new film from Carlos Vermut (Diamond Flash), won the GOLDEN SHELL FOR BEST FILM at the 62 San Sebastian Festival.  Director Carlos Vermut also took the award SILVER SHELL FOR BEST DIRECTOR.  MAGICAL GIRL is described as a tale of crossed destinies starring José Sacristán, Bárbara Lennie and Luis Bermejo. Alicia, an ailing child who dreams of the dress in the Japanese series Magical Girl Yukiko; Luis, her father, who will do anything he can to make her dream come true; Bárbara, a pretty young girl with psychological issues; and Damián, a teacher who has retired from everything except his stormy past. All will be trapped in a net of obscure blackmailing where instincts and reason spar with one another in a tragic struggle.

    62 San Sebastian Festival awards list 

    GOLDEN SHELL FOR BEST FILM
    MAGICAL GIRL
    CARLOS VERMUT (SPAIN – FRANCE)

    The new film from Carlos Vermut (Diamond Flash) is a tale of crossed destinies starring José Sacristán, Bárbara Lennie and Luis Bermejo. Alicia, an ailing child who dreams of the dress in the Japanese series Magical Girl Yukiko; Luis, her father, who will do anything he can to make her dream come true; Bárbara, a pretty young girl with psycholgical issues; and Damián, a teacher who has retired from everything except his stormy past. All will be trapped in a net of obscure blackmailing where instincts and reason spar with one another in a tragic struggle.

    SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
    VIE SAUVAGE / WILD LIFE
    CÉDRIC KAHN (FRANCE)

    The new film by French director Cédric Kahn focusses on Philippe Fournier, a man who lives with his 2 sons, having decided not to give them back to their mother after she won custody of the children. The children Okyesa and Tsali must grow up in the shadow, hunted by the police but always free and on the move.

    SILVER SHELL FOR BEST DIRECTOR – CARLOS VERMUT
    MAGICAL GIRL
    CARLOS VERMUT (SPAIN – FRANCE)

    The new film from Carlos Vermut (Diamond Flash) is a tale of crossed destinies starring José Sacristán, Bárbara Lennie and Luis Bermejo. Alicia, an ailing child who dreams of the dress in the Japanese series Magical Girl Yukiko; Luis, her father, who will do anything he can to make her dream come true; Bárbara, a pretty young girl with psycholgical issues; and Damián, a teacher who has retired from everything except his stormy past. All will be trapped in a net of obscure blackmailing where instincts and reason spar with one another in a tragic struggle.

    SILVER SHELL FOR BEST ACTRESS – PAPRIKA STEEN
    STILLE HJERTE / SILENT HEART
    BILLE AUGUST (DENMARK)

    The prestigious Danish filmmaker Bille August, winner of an Academy Award and two Palme d’Or in Cannes, returns with a highly personal drama. Three generations of a family gather over a weekend. The sisters Sanne and Heidi have accepted their terminally-ill mother’s desire to die before her disease worsens; but, as the weekend progresses, their mother’s decision becomes harder and harder to deal with, and old conflicts come to the surface.

    SILVER SHELL FOR BEST ACTOR – JAVIER GUTIÉRREZ
    LA ISLA MÍNIMA (MARSHLAND)
    ALBERTO RODRÍGUEZ (SPAIN)

    Alberto Rodríguez (Grupo 7) returns to film noir with this thriller starring Raúl Arévalo, Javier Gutiérrez and Antonio de la Torre. Two cops, ideologically miles apart, are reprimanded and sent as punishment to a remote town in the swamps to investigate the disappearance of two teenagers. There they will measure their wits against a savage killer in a community anchored to the past.

    JURY PRIZE FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – ALEX CATALÁN
    LA ISLA MÍNIMA (MARSHLAND)
    ALBERTO RODRÍGUEZ (SPAIN)

    Alberto Rodríguez (Grupo 7) returns to film noir with this thriller starring Raúl Arévalo, Javier Gutiérrez and Antonio de la Torre. Two cops, ideologically miles apart, are reprimanded and sent as punishment to a remote town in the swamps to investigate the disappearance of two teenagers. There they will measure their wits against a savage killer in a community anchored to the past.

    JURY PRIZE FOR BEST SCREENPLAY – DENNIS LEHANE
    THE DROP
    MICHAËL R. ROSKAM (USA)

    In his Hollywood debut, Belgian filmmaker Michaël R. Roskam (Bullhead) adapts a novel by Dennis Lehane in a film starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and James Gandolfini in his last role for the cinema.The Drop takes an inside look at organized crime’s use of local New York City bars as money-laundering “drops”. When lonely Brooklyn bartender Bob Saginowski uncovers a drop of a different sort in the form of a battered pit bull puppy that he rescues from certain death, he comes into contact with Nadia, a mysterious woman hiding a dark past. 

    KUTXA-NEW DIRECTORS AWARD
    UROK / THE LESSON
    KRISTINA GROZEVA, PETAR VALCHANOV (BULGARIA – GREECE)

    In a small Bulgarian town, Nadezhda, a young teacher, tries to find out which of her students is stealing in class, so that she can teach them the difference between right and wrong. But when she finds herself in debt to moneylenders, will she know the right road to take? What happens when an honest person turns into a criminal?

    SPECIAL MENTION
    MODRIS
    JURIS KURSIETIS (LATVIA – GREECE – GERMANY)

     Unable to deal with her teenage son, the boy’s mother turns him in for a small crime. But a teenager’s life cannot handle police probation. Based on true events.

    HORIZONTES AWARD
    GÜEROS
    ALONSO RUIZPALACIOS (MEXICO)

    A road movie and coming of age comedy which pays homage to the French new wave, winner of Panorama’s First Feature Award in Berlin Film Festival and of Best Cinematography Award and Special Jury Mention in Tribeca Festival. Since the teenager Tomás is clearly too much of a handful for his mother, she packs him off to stay with his big brother who is studying in Mexico City.Tomás has brought a cassette along with him; the tape is part of his father’s legacy and contains the music of Epigmenio Cruz. When the trio learns that their idol is in hospital fading fast and alone, they set off in their rusty heap of a car to pay their last respects to this one-time rock star.

    SPECIAL MENTION
    CIENCIAS NATURALES (NATURAL SCIENCES)
    MATÍAS LUCCHESI (ARGENTINA – FRANCE)

    Presented in the Generation section of the Berlin Festival and winner of the Award for Best Ibero-American Film at the Guadalajara Festival, the first film by Matías Luchesi revolves around a girl who, starting to become a woman, feels the profound need to discover her true identity. She does not know who her father is and she is determined to find him.

    GENTE DE BIEN
    FRANCO LOLLI (FRANCE – COLOMBIA)

    The feature film debut of Franco Lolli, following several short films to have won awards at several festivals, was presented in the Critics’ Week at Cannes. Ten year-old Eric finds himself almost overnight living with Gabriel, his father, who he barely knows. Maria Isabel, the woman Gabriel works for as a carpenter, decides to help and invites them both to the country to spend Christmas with her and her family. However, she fails to foresee all the consequences of taking the child under her wing.

    IRIZAR BASQUE FILM AWARD
    NEGOCIADOR (NEGOTIATOR)
    BORJA COBEAGA (SPAIN)

    Borja Cobeaga’s new comedy stars Manu Aranguren, a Basque politician who acts as a mediator for the Spanish government in its negotiations with ETA. Far from being a solemn, calculated occasion, unexpected occurrences, slip-ups or misunderstandings soon kick in to influence the dialogue. Ramón Barea, Carlos Areces and Josean Bengoetxea headline the cast. 

    TVE – ANOTHER LOOK AWARD
    BANDE DE FILLES (GIRLHOOD)
    CÉLINE SCIAMMA (FRANCE)

    Céline Sciamma (Tomboy) presented this film at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. Oppressed by her family setting, dead-end school prospects and the boys law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of 3 free-spirited girls. She changes her name, her dress code, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping that this will be a way to freedom.

    SPECIAL MENTION
    GETT, THE TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSALEM
    RONIT ELKABETZ, SHLOMI ELKABETZ (ISRAEL – FRANCE – GERMANY)

    Civil marriages don’t exist in Israel; only religious law is legitimate, under which divorce is only possible with the husband’s full consent. A film about a woman’s struggle to obtain what she considers to be a right. Presented at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes.

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  • World Premiere of A MOST VIOLENT YEAR Starring Jessica Chastain to Open 2014 AFI Fest

    A MOST VIOLENT YEAR

     A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, distributed by A24, will have its World Premiere on Thursday, November 6, as the Opening Night Gala of AFI FEST 2014.  The film is written and directed by Academy Award® nominee J.C. Chandor and stars Oscar Isaac, Academy Award® nominees Jessica Chastain and Albert Brooks as well as David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola, Elyes Gabel and Catalina Sandino Moreno.

    Set in 1981, during one of the most crime-ridden winters in New York City’s history, A MOST VIOLENT YEAR follows the lives of Abel and Anna Morales (Isaac and Chastain) as they attempt to capitalize on the American Dream, while the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built.

    ”J.C. Chandor has put together a remarkable crime drama, which is also an immersive period piece and morality tale that resonates on an emotional level.  Chandor is a talented director who takes risks with every film that he makes and A MOST VIOLENT YEAR is no exception.  It is a great film with which to open the festival and begin the audience’s eight-day journey through a landscape of extraordinary contemporary cinema,” said Jacqueline Lyanga, Director, AFI FEST.

    AFI FEST will take place November 6 through 13 in Hollywood, California, at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  

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