Actress Meg Ryan was honored with the Taormina Arte Award Lancia at the 2013 Taormina Film Festival in Italy.
Actress Marisa Tomei Honored at 2013 Taormina Film Festival
Actress Marisa Tomei attended the 2013 Taormina Film Festival in Italy where she was honored with the Taormina City Prize.
Academy Announces Submission Dates For 2013 Oscars
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced category submission deadlines for 86th Academy Awards consideration.
TRAILER: Bobcat Goldthwait’s BigFoot Horror Film “WILLOW CREEK” Releases Trailer
A trailer has been released for horror film WILLOW CREEK which premiered earlier this year at Boston Independent Film Festival. Bobcat Goldthwait, known for his “gruff but high-pitched voice” who has also directed WORLD’S GREATEST DAD, 2009; GOD BLESS AMERICA, 2012, wrote and directed the BIg Foot “found-footage” horror film.
Kathleen Hanna Documentary “THE PUNK SINGER” to Get a Fall 2013 Release
The punk roc documentary THE PUNK SINGER directed by Sini Anderson will be released in the Fall 2013 by Sundance Selects. The Punk Singer: The Documentary about Kathleen Hanna focuses on Kathleen Hanna credited as a founder of the third wave of feminism and Riot Grrrl movement.
French Films “DELICATE GRAVITY” and “STRANGER BROTHERS” Take Top Awards at 2013 Palm Springs International ShortFest
DELICATE GRAVITY
French films took the top prizes at the 2013 Palm Springs International ShortFest – DELICATE GRAVITY (Délicate Gravité) directed by Philippe André was awarded the BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD, and STRANGER BROTHERS (Faux Frères) directed by Lucas Delangle was awarded the BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD. Both films are now eligible to be submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.
“HAVING YOU,” and “HOW TO FOLLOW STRANGERS” Awarded Top Honors at 2013 Lower East Side Film Festival
HAVING YOU
“HAVING YOU,” and “HOW TO FOLLOW STRANGERS” were awarded top honors at the 2013 Lower East Side Film Festival (L.E.S* Film Festiva), which ran June 13 – 23 in New York City.
Prix D’or Winner, “HOW TO FOLLOW STRANGERS” is directed by Chioke Nassor and stars Broad City’s Ilana Glazer. There is a true story of a woman who died in her apartment and it took people a year to find her body decomposing in a crisp Chanel suit. A young man becomes obsessed with this urban tragedy and disappears, wondering if anyone will notice. A young woman who shares his commuting schedule DOES notice…
Best Feature Winner, HAVING YOU, is directed by Sam Hoare and stars Golden Globe Nominated Anna Friel, Golden Globe and BAFTA Nominee Romola Garai, and BAFTA Nominee Phil Davis. Jack has finally managed to propose to his infertile girlfriend when his life is turned upside down by the arrival of an old one-night stand that introduces him to his seven year old son.
Jonathan Demme’s ENZO AVITABILE MUSIC LIFE to Kick Off 2013 Maine International Film Festival
ENZO AVITABILE MUSIC LIFE directed by Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme (Silence Of The Lambs, Philadelphia, Stop Making Sense) will kick off the Opening Night of the 16th Maine International Film Festival (MIFF) on Friday, July 12 at the Waterville Opera House. Jonathan Demme, the MIFF 2002 Midlife Achievement Honoree, will introduce his new film, which centers on Enzo Avitabile, the Neapolitan musician who’s blazing a world music trail in his collaborations with other musicians from around the Mediterranean and around the world, including Buena Vista Social Club’s Eliades Ochoa.
Director Paris Barclay Elected First African American President of the Directors Guild of America
Director Paris Barclay was elected President of the Directors Guild of America by acclamation at the Guild’s National Biennial Convention held over the weekend at DGA National Headquarters in Los Angeles.
“I am profoundly honored to be elected President of the DGA,” said Barclay to the assembled delegates after the vote. “The DGA has worked for more than three-quarters of a century to advance the creative and economic rights of directors and their teams and I look forward to continuing this strong tradition of service. As the son of a glass blower and a tile maker from Chicago, I am extremely humbled to have the honor to serve in the footsteps of the legendary leaders of the DGA like Frank Capra, Robert Wise and Gil Cates.”
2013 LA Film Festival Winners; MOTHER, I LOVE YOU and CODE BLACK Win Top Awards
MOTHER, I LOVE YOU
The Los Angeles Film Festival announced the jury and audience award winners for the 2013 Festival; the top awards – the DIRECTV Narrative Award went to Janis Nords for MOTHER, I LOVE YOU, which made its United States premiere at the Festival; and the DIRECTV Documentary Award went to Ryan McGarry for CODE BLACK, which made its world premiere at the Festival.
The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to SHORT TERM 12 directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature went to AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS, directed by Grace Lee. Wadjda, a Sony Pictures Classics release directed by Haifaa Al Mansour won the Audience Award for Best International Feature.
REVIEW: Unfinished Song
Thank goodness UNFINISHED SONG (titled “Song for Marion” overseas) was made by an English filmmaker. I say that because Hollywood would have completely destroyed this wonderful story by overfilling it with cheesy, contrived moments. Hollywood doesn’t have the guts to make this kind of film without a “star.” Instead of the wonderful performances from Terrence Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave we’d likely get Steve Martin in one of his less-than-great performances and Cher.
11 Artists and Filmmakers Selected for 2013 Sundance Institute | Time Warner Foundation Fellowship Program
11 artists and filmmakers have been selected for the 2013 Sundance Institute | Time Warner Foundation Fellowship Program. The Fellowship program promotes cultural, socio-economic and gender diversity as well as artistic collaboration and innovation among emerging film and theatre storytellers, documentary filmmakers and film composers. Each Fellow was identified by one of the following core programs of the Institute: Documentary Film Program, Feature Film Program, Film Music Program, Native American & Indigenous Film Program and Theatre Program. Time Warner Foundation has supported the Institute since 2007, enabling direct support of 37 film and theatre artists, including Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), Aurora Guerrero (Mosquita y Mari) and Annie Baker (Circle Mirror Transformation).