• San Francisco International Film Festival 2015 Dates and Call For Filmmaker Submissions

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    san francisco international film festival

    The 58th San Francisco International Film Festival will take place April 23 through May 7, 2015), and with tens of thousands in cash prizes is inviting filmmakers to submit their films for entry.  Works in all genres, forms and lengths are considered.  Founded in 1957, SFIFF is the longest-running film festival in the Americas. 

    FIlmmaker Deadlines:
      *  Early deadline Monday, October 6
      *  Regular deadline Monday, November 3
      *  Final deadline for short films Monday, December 1
      *  Final deadline for features Monday, December 8 

    HOW TO ENTER  Entry form and information: sffs.org or withoutabox.com.

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  • Sally Kirkland Stars in ARCHAEOLOGY OF A WOMAN Directed by Sharon Greytak

    Archaeology Of A Woman starring Sally Kirkland and Victoria Clarke

    Archaeology Of A Woman, written and directed by renowned indie film director Sharon Greytak, is an intense drama that explores the life of a woman beset by the early stages of dementia. The film stars Oscar nominated/Golden Globe winner Sally Kirkland and Tony-winner Victoria Clark.  

    Archaeology Of A Woman received two Gold Remi Awards at Worldfest-Houston including Lifetime Achievement for Sally Kirkland and Outstanding Independent Films. It was honored with a CINE Golden Eagle Award, and was also an official selection of the Woodstock Film Festival.

    Archaeology Of A Woman starring Sally Kirkland

    Margaret, played superbly and convincingly by Sally Kirkland, is suffering from the early stages of dementia. This is quite evident immediately as the film begins with Margaret at a mall parking lot, where she frantically searches for her car.  She meanders through the sea of cars, totally perplexed at the absence of her means of transport.  Police officers, standing on the sideline, observe her frantic behavior.  The officers approach and offer their assistance.  She is certain she left her mode of transport somewhere in the parking lot, which she emphatically communicates to them.  Eventually, they convince her to accompany them, and they transport her home.  On arrival, the officers spot her car in the driveway.  It is at this juncture that Margaret’s daughter is contacted.  The officers inform the daughter of her mother’s confusion regarding the whereabouts of her vehicle.  Her reaction is one of genuine concern for her mother’s well-being.

    archaeology of a woman Victoria Clark and Sally Kirkland

    Her daughter, Kate, played by the talented Victoria Clarke, is an aspiring chef who resides in the city. She is forced to travel to the suburbs on numerous occasions to deal with her mother’s escapades.   Kate helplessly observes the decline of her mother’s mental acuity. Margaret’s deteriorating health may result in the loss of her home and independent lifestyle.  In her heyday, Margaret (Sally Kirkland) worked as a  newspaper writer.  As a writer, her life was a series of unending words, but today, her life is a series of unending images.

    archaeology of a woman sally kirkland

    As the story unfolds, we are taken on a ride, a ride into the characters mind.  Here, in the recesses of her mind lies the key to unlocking the door to the past. The images on the television have awakened in her a sense of loss, regret and guilt. The guilt is linked to a murder which occurred 30 years ago. We learn of this crime through Margaret’s flashbacks and the news reels that are sporadically humming on the television.  Throughout the film, Margaret tries to communicate her recollection of this crime to Kate. However, Kate thinks her mother isn’t lucid, and doesn’t believe that her mother is somehow entangled in a 30-year- old macabre crime.

    archaeology of a woman Sally Kirkland and James Murtaugh

     Margaret, is the bridge between the past and the present.  She is the link between people and events.  She believes her existence is being threatened and she is being pursued by a police officer.  Is he the officer from her past?   As the character moves through the house she has flashbacks.   Are her recollections accurate? How can we trust the mind of a person plagued with dementia.   She walks into the kitchen, opens the refrigerator, and gently lays her shirt in this locale. How can we trust her mind? Does this murder represent a love she tried to squash by burying it in her subconscious?

    Although the film ending did not live up to my full expectations, considering the amazing and unique storyline that was developed, it is an ingenious exploration of dementia and the effects on a person’s psyche.  It is an original and complex film. The film examines a kaleidoscope of emotions and experiences that are intertwined and interwoven.

    Archaeology Of A Woman is playing at the Village East Cinema, September 12 – 18, 2014. 

    About The Stars:

    Fiercely independent, Oscar-nominated/Golden Globe-winning actress Sally Kirkland is a veteran of over 111 films and 30 years in TV and theatre. It was the film “Anna” directed by Yurek Bogayevicz that brought Kirkland her Oscar nomination, Golden Globe win, the Independent Spirit Award and the Los Angeles Film Critics Circle Award. Kirkland’s first role was in the 1964 Andy Warhol film “13 Most Beautiful Women.” This led to the still controversial film “Coming Apart,” where she starred with Rip Torn, followed by “The Sting” co-starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman, and “The Way We Were” with Barbra Streisand. She starred in “Revenge” with Kevin Costner, “Best of the Best” with Eric Roberts and James Earl Jones, “Cold Feet” with Tom Waits and Keith Carradine, “JFK” with Kevin Costner, “Cheatin Hearts” with James Brolin and Kris Kristofferson, “Ed TV” with Matthew McConnaughey and “Bruce Almighty” with Jim Carrey.

    Broadway star Victoria Clark received the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Awards, as well as a Drama League honor for her luminous portrayal in the critically acclaimed Craig Lucas musical “The Light in the Piazza” on Broadway. Clark has also starred on Broadway in “The Snow Geese” and Rodgers + Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” the Los Angeles revival of “Follies” and starred on Broadway in “Sister Act,” both receiving Tony nominations. She portrayed the role of Gabrielle York in Lincoln Center’s heralded production of “When the Rain Stops Falling,” for which she received a Drama Desk Award Nomination. She also starred opposite Nathan Gunn in the staged production of “The Grapes of Wrath.” Clark was also among the featured performers in “Stephen Sondheim: The Birthday Concert” held at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and televised on PBS. Her selected film credits include “Cradle Will Rock” (Tim Robbins, dir.) and “The Happening” (M. Night Shyamalan, dir.).

    About the Filmmaker:

    Sharon Greytak has written, produced and directed feature-length fiction films, documentaries and experimental shorts. Greytak’s films include the award-winning international documentary “Losing It,” exploring quality of life issues and physical disability shot on three continents.  For “Losing It,” she was the recipient of a Soros/Sundance Documentary Fund grant. Her critically acclaimed narrative feature films include “The Love Lesson,” the story of an unconventional adoption arrangement between two women and their HIV positive heterosexual son, and the award-winning “Hearing Voices,” exploring a model’s private and public identities. Earlier films include the seminal documentary “Weirded Out and Blown Away” and experimental films “Some Pleasure on the Level of the Source” and “Czechoslovakian Woman.”

    In 2012, the UCLA/Sundance Collection acquired three of Greytak’s feature films for their archives. Her work has screened at The Museum of Modern Art, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Village East Cinema, REDCAT Theater, George Eastman House, Margaret Mead Film Festival, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Laemmle Theatres, American Cinemateque at the Egyptian Theatre Hollywood, Film de Femmes Cretail France and numerous international film festivals.

    She is the recipient of two CINE Awards, the 2012 Burton Blatt Insitute Prize for Leadership in the Arts “for her entire body of work and its importance to the international arts community,” and awards from Athens International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, DoubleTake and Black Maria film festivals. She was a participant in the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women, and received fellowships and grants from the New York State Council on the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, Soros Documentary Fund, the Jerome Foundation, the American Film Institute and ArtsLink CEC International Partners. She is also a Yaddo and MacDowell Fellow. Her films are in the collection of MoMA, UCLA/Sundance Collection, the New Museum of Contemporary Art New York and the Open Society Archive Budapest.

    Credits:

    Director/Writer/Producer: Sharon Greytak
    Producers: Idanna Pucci, Terence Ward
    Line Producer: Petra Ahmann
    Cinematographer: Gus Sacks
    Editors: Ulysses Guidotti, Marian Sears Hunter
    Composer: Heather Schmidt
    Casting: Adrienne Stern
    Production Design: Emmeline Wilks-Dupoise

    Social Media:

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archaeologyofawoman
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArchofaWoman  

     

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  • Camden International Film Festival Reveals 2014 Film Lineup

     HAPPY VALLEYHAPPY VALLEY

    The Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) announced its slate of feature and short films in their 10th festival taking place September 25 thru 28, 2014 throughout Camden, Rockport and Rockland, Maine.  CIFF will present over 60 features and short films from all across the globe and from our very own Maine, with filmmakers in attendance at nearly every screening.

    Now entering its tenth year, the Camden International Film Festival presents a snapshot of the cultural landscape through the year’s best non-fiction storytelling.  The festival is recognized as one of the top 12 documentary film festivals in the world, and one of the 12 best small town film festivals in the US. In addition to the festival’s expanded Points North Fellowship, a new partnership with Al Jazeera’s AJ+ to host the first AJ+ live pitch, CIFF announces the main slate of films, which includes Points North Pitch alum In Country and Mateo. In addition to the titles below, CIFF will screen the Cinema Eye Honors’ Nonfiction Short Film Finalists, whose titles will be announced from the festival later this month.

    “We couldn’t be more pleased with this years festival program,” says Ben Fowlie, Founder and Executive Director of the Camden International Film Festival. “Over the past ten years we’ve had the opportunity to share a selection of films that highlight both the creativity and unique ways artists are using to tell stories, and the impact these stories can have on community. This year is no exception.”

    Camden International Film Festival will announce their Points North Documentary Forum line up of films, speakers and panels later this week.

    2014 CAMDEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FEATURES

    A GOAT FOR A VOTE
    Jeroen van Velzen | Netherlands | 2014

    A Goat for a Vote follows three students in Kenya competing to become the next school president. Winning the election will not only earn them power and respect, but guarantees a role within Kenyan society in the future. Magdalene has to prove herself in a boy-dominated school that has never been led by a girl. She has the impossible task of uniting all girls in her fight for equal rights. Harry, from the poor side of town, hopes to win so he will be able to take care of his family in the future. He struggles against the popular Said, who is a natural born leader with a disarming smile.

    ACTRESS
    Robert Greene | United States | 2014

    Brandy Burre had a recurring role on HBO’s “The Wire” when she gave up her career to start a family. When she decides to reclaim her life as an actor, the domestic world she has carefully created crumbles around her. Using elements of melodrama and cinema verité, Actress is both a present tense portrait of a dying relationship and an exploration of a complicated woman, performing the role of herself, in a complex-yet-familiar story.

    ALIVE INSIDE
    Michael Rossato-Bennett | United States | 2014

    Alive Inside is an exploration of music’s capacity to reawaken our souls and uncover the deepest parts of our humanity. Filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett chronicles the astonishing experiences of individuals who have been revitalized through the simple experience of listening to music. His camera reveals the uniquely human connection we find in music and how its healing power can triumph where prescription medication falls short. This documentary follows social worker Dan Cohen, founder of the nonprofit organization Music & Memory, as he fights against a broken healthcare system to demonstrate music’s ability to combat memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it.

     APPROACHING THE ELEPHANT
    Amanda Rose Wilder | United States | 2014

    It is year one for students Lucy and Jiovanni, and school director Alex at the Teddy McArdle Free School in Little Falls, New Jersey, where classes are voluntary and rules are created by democratic vote. Wilder is there from the beginning, observing an indelible cast of outspoken young personalities as they form relationships, explore their surroundings, and intensely debate rule violations until it all comes to a head.

     ART AND CRAFT
    Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman, co-directed by Mark Becker | United States | 2014

    Mark Landis has been called one of the most prolific art forgers in USA history. His impressive body of work spans thirty years, covering a wide range of paintings that could fetch impressive sums on the open market—but Landis isn’t in it for money. Posing as a philanthropic donor, a grieving executor of a family member’s will, and as a Jesuit priest, Landis has given away hundreds of works over the years to a staggering list of institutions. But after duping a tenacious registrar who discovers his ruse and sets out to expose him, Landis must confront his own legacy and a chorus of museum professionals clamoring for him to stop.

    BUGARACH
    Sergi Cameron, Ventura Durall, Salvador Sunyer | Spain, Germany | 2014

    Bugarach is a tiny village in southern France where everyone lives a quiet life, isolated from the world—until the day the international media spreads the news that Bugarach is the only place that will allegedly survive doomsday. The arrival of increasingly outlandish strangers soon begins to disturb the local population and what unfolds is a landscape of existential emptiness.

     DESERT HAZE
    Sofie Benoot | Belgium, Netherlands | 2014

    The American West. A world where human life seems to be impossible. An arid, mythical landscape characterized by the absence of water. But traces start to appear and the film becomes a peculiar portrait of America, between present and past, myth and reality: astronauts preparing for future missions to Mars, Japanese country singers, military archeologists, and many other forms of life.

     E-TEAM
    Katy Chevigny and Ross Kauffman | United States | 2013

    E-Team is driven by the high-stakes investigative work of four intrepid human rights workers and offers a rare look at their lives at home and in the field. Anna, Ole, Fred, and Peter are four members of the Emergencies Team—or E-Team—the boots on the ground division of a respected, international human rights group. Arriving as soon as possible after allegations of human rights abuse surface, the E-Team uncovers crucial evidence to determine if further investigation is warranted and to give voice to thousands whose stories would otherwise never have been told.

     FLORENCE, ARIZONA – Sneak Preview!
    Andrea B. Scott | United States | 2014

    Florence, Arizona is a cowboy town with a prison problem. Founded in 1866, this bastion of the Wild West is home to 8,500 civilians and 17,000 inmates spread over nine prisons. Through an unconventional lens, Florence, Arizona weaves together the stories of four key residents of Florence, whose lives have all been shadowed in some way by the surrounding prison industrial complex. The result is an intricately crafted cinematic tapestry, threaded through with deep strands of Americana, humor, intimacy, and pathos, revealing as much about ourselves as it does about our modern carceral state.

    THE GREAT INVISIBLE
    Margaret Brown | United States | 2014

    On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and causing the worst oil spill in American history. The explosion still haunts the lives of those most intimately affected, though the story has long ago faded from the front page. At once a fascinating corporate thriller, a heartbreaking human drama, and a peek inside the walls of the secretive oil industry, The Great Invisible is the first documentary feature to go beyond the media coverage to examine the crisis in-depth through the eyes of oil executives, survivors, and Gulf Coast residents who experienced it first-hand.

     HAPPINESS
    Thomas Balmes | France, Finland | 2013

    Peyangki is a dreamy and solitary eight-year-old monk living in Laya, a Bhutanese village perched high in the Himalayas. Soon, the world will come to him: the village will be connected to electricity, and the first television will flicker on before Peyangki’s eyes.

     HAPPY VALLEY
    Amir Bar-Lev | United States | 2014

    The town of State College, the home of Penn State University, lies at the heart of an area long known as Happy Valley. Its iconic figure for more than 40 years was Joe Paterno, the head coach of the school’s storied football team, who took on mythic national stature as “Saint Joe.” But then, in November 2011, everything came crashing down. Former Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with 40 counts of child sex abuse. Filmed over the course of the year after Sandusky’s arrest, Happy Valley chronicles the ensuing firestorm of accusations about who failed to protect Happy Valley’s children. Director Amir Bar-Lev creates a parable of guilt, responsibility, and identity for a small town caught in the glare of the national spotlight.

     IN COUNTRY
    Mike Attie, Meghan O’Hara | United States | 2014

    War is Hell. Why would anyone want to spend their weekends there? Few would mistake Oregon’s grassy fields for the jungles of Vietnam, but war re-enactors try. Dressed in fatigues, these men willingly recreate a war most choose to forget. This at times humorous, but ultimately disquieting, trip into the men’s minds and private lives blurs fantasy with trauma, therapy with nostalgia. The effect is purposefully disorienting—is this harmless enthusiasm for a hobby or unhealthy fandom for a brutal war? In Country is a powerful commentary on a culture that venerates a past from which it hasn’t yet recovered.
    Points North Pitch alum!

     THE IRON MINISTRY
    J.P. Sniadecki | United States | 2014

    Filmed over three years on China’s railways, The Iron Ministry traces the vast interiors of a country on the move: flesh and metal, clangs and squeals, light and dark, language and gesture. Scores of rail journeys come together into one, capturing the thrills and anxieties of social and technological transformation. The Iron Ministry immerses audiences in fleeting relationships and uneasy encounters between humans and machines on what will soon be the world’s largest railway network.

    GUIDELINES (LA MARCHE A SUIVRE)
    Jean-Francois Caissy | Canada | 2014

    Guidelines (La marche à suivre) is a series of tableaux illustrating the occasionally trying existence of young people at a rural secondary school. Emphasizing the contrasts between the regulated environment of the classroom and the beckoning freedom of the great outdoors, the film gradually reveals the interior drama of adolescence, with its shifts from fragility to reckless abandon.

     THE LAST SEASON
    Sara Dosa | United States | 2014

    Amid the bustling world of central Oregon’s wild matsutake mushroom hunting camps, the lives of two former soldiers intersect. Roger, a 75-year-old sniper with the U.S. Special Forces in Vietnam, and Kouy, a 46-year-old platoon leader of Cambodia’s Khmer Freedom Fighters who battled the brutal Khmer Rouge, come together each fall to hunt the elusive matsutake mushroom, a rare mushroom prized in Japanese culture and cuisine. In the woods, the pair discovers more than just mushrooms: they find a new life, and livelihood; and a means to slowly heal the scarring wounds of war. Told over the course of one matsutake mushroom season, The Last Season is a journey into the woods, into the memory of war and survival, telling a story of family from an unexpected place.

    MATEO
    Aaron I. Naar | United States | 2014

    Matthew Stoneman dreamed of pop stardom. Instead, he went to jail, learned Spanish, and emerged as “Mateo,” America’s first white mariachi singer. Mateo is on the brink of completing an album of original songs in Havana. But his estrangement from friends and family, his criminal past, and his love for Cuban women could derail him on his quest for fame.
    Points North Pitch alum!

     MR. DYNAMITE: THE RISE OF JAMES BROWN
    Alex Gibney | United States | 2014

    James Brown changed the face of American music. Soul Brother Number One, as he was known, pioneered the journey from rhythm and blues to funk. More than that, this American legend—who willed himself to life after he was stillborn—was a classic embodiment of the American dream. The son of a “turpentine man” from rural South Carolina, Brown became one the greatest live performers ever known, the “hardest working man in show business,” and a self-made millionaire. With unique cooperation of the Brown estate, this is a definitive documentary biography of the James Brown story and legend, 1933–1974.

     NE ME QUITTE PAS
    Sabine Lubbe Bakker, Niels van Koevorden | Netherlands, Belgium | 2013

    Ne Me Quitte Pas is a tragicomic ode to failure. Set in a village on the edge of Belgium, Bob (Flemish) and Marcel (Walloon) share their solitude, sense of humor and craving for alcohol. They have agreed that suicide is the best way out if worse comes to worst. In that case, they have chosen the perfect spot to do so: under the tree of life of Bob, a retired cowboy. Ne Me Quitte Pas is a Belgian drama about life on the brink of society in all its beauty, modesty and irony. The authenticity of the main characters is painful and confronting, yet entertaining and utterly charming. It is a story about mortality in a place where time seems to stand still.

     THE NOTORIOUS MR. BOUT
    Tony Gerber, Maxim Pozdorovkin | Russia, United States | 2014

    Viktor Bout was a Russian entrepreneur, a war profiteer, an aviation magnate, an arms smuggler and, strangest of all, an amateur filmmaker. Until three days prior to his 2008 arrest on charges of conspiring to kill Americans, Bout kept the camera running, documenting a life spent in the gray areas of international law. Dubbed the “merchant of death,” and portrayed by Nicolas Cage in Lord of War, Viktor Bout can justifiably be called the world’s most famous arms dealer. With unprecedented access to Bout’s home movies and DEA surveillance material gathered during the sting operation to bring him down, The Notorious Mr. Bout is a portrait of a life much mythologized but little understood.

    THE OVERNIGHTERS
    Jesse Moss | United States | 2014

    When hydraulic fracturing unlocks a vast oil field in North Dakota’s Bakken shale, tens of thousands of unemployed men descend on the state with dreams of honest work and a big paycheck. In the tiny town of Williston, busloads of newcomers step into the sad reality of slim work prospects and nowhere to sleep. Over at Concordia Lutheran Church, Pastor Jay Reinke is hell-bent on delivering the migrants some dignity. Night after night he converts his church into a makeshift dorm and counseling center, opening the church’s doors to allow the “Overnighters” – as he calls them. The Overnighters engages and dramatizes universal themes: the promise and limits of re-invention, redemption and compassion.

    POINT AND SHOOT
    Marshall Curry | United States | 2014

    In 2006, Matt VanDyke, a timid 26-year-old with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, left home in Baltimore and set off on a self-described “crash course in manhood.” He bought a motorcycle and a video camera and began a three-year, 35,000-mile motorcycle trip through Northern Africa and the Middle East. While traveling, he struck up an unlikely friendship with a Libyan hippie, and when revolution broke out in Libya, Matt joined his friend in the fight against dictator Muammar Gaddafi. With a gun in one hand and a camera in the other, Matt fought in—and filmed—the war until he was captured by Gaddafi forces and held in solitary confinement for six months. Two-time Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker Marshall Curry tells this harrowing and sometimes humorous story of a young man’s struggle for political revolution and personal transformation.

     RICH HILL
    Tracy Droz Tragos, Andrew Droz Palermo | United States | 2014

    Rich Hill, Missouri could be any of the countless small towns that blanket America’s heartland, but to teenagers Andrew, Harley and Appachey, it’s home. As they ride their skateboards, go to football practice, and arm-wrestle their fathers, they are like millions of other boys coming of age the world over. But faced with unfortunate circumstances—an imprisoned mother, isolation, instability, and parental unemployment—adolescence can be a day-to-day struggle just to survive. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, Rich Hill is a moving examination of the challenges, hopes, and dreams of rural America’s youth.

     THE SEARCH FOR GENERAL TSO
    Ian Cheney | United States | 2014

    Who was General Tso? And why are we eating his chicken? The Search for General Tso explores the phenomenon of Chinese American food through the lens of America’s most popular Chinese takeout meal. On a lively journey through restaurants, Chinatowns, and American popular culture, the film unravels the mysterious origins of General Tso’s Chicken—and in the process explores a larger story of immigration and cultural exchange. A quest brimming with mystery and humor ends in a surprisingly poignant visit with the 92-year-old inventor of the chicken that conquered America.!

    SEEDS OF TIME
    Sandy McLeod | United States | 2014

    A perfect storm is brewing as agriculture pioneer Cary Fowler races against time to protect the future of our food. Gene banks of the world are crumbling, crop failures are producing starvation-inspired rioting, and the accelerating effects of climate change are already affecting farmers globally. But Fowler’s journey, and our own, is just beginning: From Rome to Russia and, finally, a remote island under the Arctic Circle, Fowler’s passionate and personal journey may hold the key to saving the one resource we cannot live without: our seeds.

     SILENCED
    James Spione | United States | 2014

    In Silenced, Academy Award nominated documentarian James Spione investigates what really happened inside the USA security establishment after the events of September 11th, 2001 that caused it to radically change course in profound and lasting ways. Exploring the unique courage and character it takes to challenge unethical behavior from within the American national security establishment, Silenced offers a provocative critique of systemic failures of the U.S. government and its draconian over-reactions. The film, through its vivid characters, challenges the national narrative from which our mainstream discourse seldom deviates: of America the victim, of America protecting liberties at home and abroad.

     SONG FROM THE FOREST
    Michael Obert | Germany | 2014

    As a young man, American-born Louis Sarno heard a song on the radio that never let him out of its grasp. He followed the mysterious sounds back to the Central African rainforest, found his music with the Bayaka pygmies, and never came back. Today, 25 years later, Louis is a full member of this community of hunters and gatherers and now has a son, 13-year-old Samedi. Louis travels with his son from the African rainforest to a jungle made of concrete, glass, and asphalt: New York City. Song From the Forest is a modern epic in which the shared journey of father and son steers towards a surprising reversal of roles and gives the viewer an intimation that the African rainforest and urban America, apparently separated worlds, are not all that separate after all.

     TOMORROW WE DISAPPEAR
    Jimmy Goldblum, Adam Webber | United States | 2014

    Tomorrow We Disappear is a documentary about Kathputli, India’s last colony of magicians, acrobats, and puppeteers. Since the 1970s, New Delhi’s magicians, puppeteers, and acrobats have called the tinsel slum, the Kathputli Colony, their home. Last year, the government issued relocation permits to the colony residents; the slum is to be bulldozed, cleared for development. Experience the last remnants of this culture born out of folk art and molded by poverty.

     TWO RAGING GRANNIES
    Havard Bustnes | Norway, Denmark, Italy | 2014

    A combination of curiosity and frustration with the status quo drives Shirley and Hinda, two gutsy, nearly 90-year-old American women, to seek answers to the burning question on everyone’s mind: How do we get out of this economic mess? Two Raging Grannies is a touching and thought-provoking documentary that challenges the idea that we must continue to shop, consume, amass, and keep the economy growing. Armed with courage, humor, a long friendship and a zest for life, Shirley and Hinda take to cities and towns across the USA and demonstrate that it is never too late to make a difference.

     VIRUNGA
    Orlando von Einsiedel | United Kingdom | 2014

    In the forested depths of eastern Congo lies Virunga National Park, one of the most bio-diverse places in the world and home to the last of the mountain gorillas. In this wild, but enchanted environment, a small and embattled team of park rangers—including an ex-child soldier turned ranger, a caretaker of orphan gorillas, and a Belgian conservationist—protect this UNESCO world heritage site from armed militia, poachers, and the dark forces struggling to control Congo’s rich natural resources. When the newly formed M23 rebel group declares war in May 2012, a new conflict threatens the lives and stability of everyone and everything they’ve worked so hard to protect.

     WAITING FOR AUGUST
    Teodora Ana Mihae | Belgium | 2014

    Georgiana Halmac is turning 15 this winter. She lives with her six siblings in a social housing condo on the outskirts of Bacau (Romania), and their mother Liliana, an economic migrant in Torino, will not be back until the summer. During her mother’s absence, Georgiana is catapulted to the role of new head of the family, and her adolescence is brutally cut short, as she is now responsible for her brothers and sisters. Caught between puberty and responsibility, she moves ahead improvising. Intimate scenes from the daily life of Georgiana and her siblings show both their ingenuity and their fragility.

     WALKING UNDER WATER
    Eliza Kubarska | United Kingdom, Germany, Poland | 2014

    Alexan, the last compressor diver on Mabul Island near Borneo, teaches 10-year-old Sari everything he knows, from dangerous fishing techniques and the temptations of the tourist economy to wisdom about the underwater world. Walking Under Water presents the Badjao tribe’s ancient traditions and collective experience as a magical narrative, spinning the urgent pressures and problems they face into a hybrid of fantasy, fiction and fact. The Badjao people once lived like fish, spending the majority of their time in the water, but with the encroachment of modern civilization, that way of life has become nearly extinct. Breathtaking underwater photography emphasizes this loss and the drought of enchantment on dry land.

    WILD HOME
    Jack Schurman, Robert Schurman | United States | 2014

    Alexan, the last compressor diver on Mabul Island near Borneo, teaches 10-year-old Sari everything he knows, from dangerous fishing techniques and the temptations of the tourist economy to wisdom about the underwater world. Walking Under Water presents the Badjao tribe’s ancient traditions and collective experience as a magical narrative, spinning the urgent pressures and problems they face into a hybrid of fantasy, fiction and fact. The Badjao people once lived like fish, spending the majority of their time in the water, but with the encroachment of modern civilization, that way of life has become nearly extinct. Breathtaking underwater photography emphasizes this loss and the drought of enchantment on dry land.
    Dirigo Doc! Made in Maine!

     

    2014 CAMDEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SHORT FILMS

    3 ACRES IN DETROIT
    Nora Mandray | United States, France | 2013

    A MARRIAGE TO REMEMBER
    Banker White and Anna Fitch | United States | 2014

     ADRIFT
    Frederik Jan Depickere | Belgium, Columbia | 2013

     THE ANIMATED LIFE OF A.R. WALLACE
    Flora Lichtman, Sharon Shattuck | United States | 2013

    BRIDGE TENDER
    Hunter Snyder | United States | 2014
    Dirigo Short! Made in Maine!

     

    CATHEDRALS (KATHEDRALEN)

    Konrad Kästner | Germany | 2013

     CHANGING HANDS: Rocky Ridge Organic Dairy
    Bridget Besaw | United States | 2014
    Dirigo Short! Screens as part of GROWING LOCAL

    CROOKED CANDY
    Andrew Rodgers | United States | 2014

     THE DOGWALKER (HUNDVAKTEN)
    Caroline Ingvarsson | Sweden | 2014

    FOUNDRY NIGHT SHIFT
    Steven Bognar | United States | 2014

    HACKED CIRCUIT
    Deborah Stratman | United States | 2014

     THE HERMIT
    Lena Freidrich | United States | 2014
    Dirigo Short! Made in Maine!

    HOME
    Thomas Gleeson | New Zealand | 2012

     KATAH-DIN
    Taylor Dunne | United States | 2014
    Dirigo Short! Made in Maine!

    THE LAST DAYS OF PETER BERGMANN
    Ciaran Cassidy | Ireland | 2014

    LAST REEL
    Steven Bognar | United States | 2014

    THE LION’S MOUTH OPENS
    Lucy Walker | United States | 2014

    THE MURDER BALLAD OF JAMES JONES
    Jesse Kreitzer | United States | 2014

     NO EXIT
    David Redmon, Ashley Sabin | United States | 2014
    Dirigo Short! Made in Maine!

     NOTES ON BLINDNESS
    Peter Middleton, James Spinney | United Kingdom, United States, Australia | 2014

     ONE YEAR LEASE
    Brian Bolster | United States | 2014

     PARTY LINE
    Alan Magee | United States | 2014
    Dirigo Short! Made in Maine!

    PHOEBE’S BIRTHDAY CHEESEBURGER
    Will Lennon | United States | 2013

     PIG NOT PORK: Farmers Gate Market
    Bridget Besaw | United States | 2014
    Dirigo Short! Screens as part of GROWING LOCAL

    PINK HELMET POSSE
    Benjamin Mullinkosson, Kristelle Laroche | United States | 2014

    SANTA CRUZ DEL ISLOTE
    Luke Lorentzen | United States | 2014

     SEEDING A DREAM: Sheepscot General Store & Uncas Farm
    Bridget Besaw | United States | 2014
    Dirigo Short! Screens as part of GROWING LOCAL

    TWENTY EIGHT FEET: LIFE ON A LITTLE WOODEN BOAT
    Kevin A. Fraser | United States | 2013

     UNLOCKING THE TRUTH
    Luke Meyer | United States | 2013

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  • 2014 Milwaukee Film Festival Announces Cinema Hooligante Films

     WetlandsWetlands

    The 6th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival, announced its lineup for Cinema Hooligante. Now in its third year, the popular late-night film program expands to include more science fiction, fantasy, and comedy, alongside its traditional repertoire of horror, gore, and cult films. Embracing the mantra “where grown-ups come out to play,” Milwaukee Film adds variety to the mix through a more balanced offering of genres. 

    Also in the lineup this year are two classic films screening in 35mm. John Axford presents Stanley Kubrick’s satirical comedy, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb in celebration of its 50th anniversary, (Axford presented Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey at MFF 2013). Rob Reiner’s acclaimed rockumentary, This is Spinal Tap, will also screen in celebration of its 30th anniversary. 

    For those Hooligante fans still recovering from the previous night’s midnight screening, the Milwaukee Film Festival and Milwaukee Record present Bloody Sunday at The Hotel Foster–a hangover party filled with specials on Bloody Marys, free cold pizza, and non-stop horror films onSunday, September 28 from 11am to 3pm.

    2014 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL

    CINEMA HOOLIGANTE
    Each of these films will push the boundaries of reality, playing with the rules on fantasy, horror, science fiction, comedy, and the very best of cult cinema. Cinema Hooligante is where the grown-ups come out to play.

    Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
    (USA, United Kingdom / 1964 / Director: Stanley Kubrick)

    http://youtu.be/1gXY3kuDvSU

    Not just a great black comedy, but one of the greatest films of all time, Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove is vicious and hilarious, a political satire that feels no less fresh and relevant now than it did upon its release 50 years ago. With the Soviet Union and U.S. on the verge of nuclear war, it only takes one loony general (Sterling Hayden) who believes that the Commies seek to destroy our “precious bodily fluids,” a Pentagon war room populated by maniacs (including an unhinged George C. Scott, with Peter Sellers playing both the president and a Nazi scientist), and a patriotic B-52 bomber pilot carrying an atomic payload (the iconic Slim Pickens) to assure our mutual destruction.

     

    Mood Indigo (L’ecume des Jours)
    (France / 2013 / Director: Michel Gondry)

    http://youtu.be/dh3V-dFlmyk 

    Visionary director Michel Gondry returns to the visually spectacular surrealistic love story setting wherein he’s found his greatest success (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep) with Mood Indigo. Colin (Romain Duris) engages in a whirlwind love affair with the beautiful Chloe (Audrey Tautou) only to find Chloe afflicted with a strange malady—a water lily growing in her lungs—that challenges both her health and their relationship. No director is capable of marrying the visually poetic with melancholy as effectively as Gondry, who captures the ecstatic highs and manic lows of love through a series of boundlessly creative sequences.

     

    Patema Inverted (Sakasama No Patema)
    (Japan / 2013 / Director: Yasuhiro Yoshiura)

    http://youtu.be/RQZAXLAV63s

    This stunning anime revolves around a botched scientific experiment that has led to two dramatically different societies: the inverts who have lost their gravity and must live deep underground so as not to fall into the sky, and those who live above and are forbidden to look up for fear of these inverts. Underground princess Patema and rebellious surface-dweller Age refuse to believe in the totalitarian government’s status quo and find one another in this dynamic and intelligent sci-fi allegory. Intelligently exploring ideas about fear of the unknown and prejudice, the film follows Patema and Age as they look to bridge these upside-down worlds and discover the beautiful equilibrium that can come from coexistence.

     

    The Raid 2
    (Indonesia / 2013 / Director: Gareth Evans)

    http://youtu.be/MG9uFX3uYq4 

    An unrelenting exercise in bone-crunching action, The Raid 2 is manna from action-lovers heaven. Undercover cop Rama infiltrates a burgeoning gang war between Arab and Japanese crime syndicates by befriending the son of crime boss Bangun while in prison, insinuating himself into an increasingly dangerous game of cat and mouse. The perfect antidote for anyone who thought The Departed could’ve done with more face-kicking, director Gareth Evans’ crime epic is packed with action sequences of exquisite intensity. The symphony of mayhem culminates with a nearly 30-minute finale that is among the best ever filmed—it practically demands to be seen on the big screen.

     

    This Is Spinal Tap
    (USA / 1984 / Director: Rob Reiner)

    http://youtu.be/N63XSUpe-0o

    Turn it up to 11 at this year’s MFF with Rob Reiner’s all-time great rockumentary following the exploits of David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), and an endless succession of deceased percussionists that form Spinal Tap. With the assistance of eerily accurate details supplied by real-life metal bands, we watch the hilarious exploits of this group on the wane as their misfortune begets smaller and smaller venues (including Milwaukee’s then-fictitious Shank Hall) and larger and funnier insults. An inspiration to every comedic mockumentary that has followed in its footsteps, This Is Spinal Tap hasn’t lost an iota of its verve and energy in the 30 years since its release.

     

    Time Lapse
    (USA / 2014 / Director: Bradley King)

    Trailer: http://vimeo.com/88809713

    Three friends (including MFF 2011 alum Matt O’Leary, Natural Selection) discover a remarkable machine that photographs events exactly 24 hours into the future in this twisting science-fiction action thriller. Found inside an abandoned neighboring apartment, this machine opens up a world of possibilities for the trio to cash in on, but their friendship is tested by an unstable criminal looking to exploit the machine for his own gains. In the proud tradition of past (or is it future?) time-traveling indies such as Timecrimes and Primer, Time Lapse is a film as much about ideas as thrills, combining action, humor, and philosophy with aplomb.

     

    Wetlands (Feuchtgebiete)
    (Germany / 2013 / Director: David Wnendt)

    Trailer: http://vimeo.com/72133858

    A film as unapologetic as the main character it portrays, Wetlands is the adaptation of a novel once thought unfilmable. We follow the explicit exploits of Helen, our skateboarding 18-year-old protagonist whose brazen interest in bodily fluids and female sexuality finds her sharing used tampons, masturbating with vegetables, and exploring all other manner of debauchery. An unfortunate shaving mishap lands her in the hospital with an anal fissure, so she whiles away the hours by scheming to reunite her divorced parents and engaging in ribald flirtation with her handsome male nurse. Unashamed and uncompromising, but filled with infectious energy and a showstopping lead performance, Wetlands is an unforgettable film experience.

    Witching and Bitching (Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi)
    (Spain, France / 2013 / Director: Álex de la Iglesia)

    http://youtu.be/ISqG3zjZZVk

    Alex de la Iglesia (The Last Circus, MFF 2011) is back with his latest go-for-broke genre mash-up, following a group of robbers who hide out in the Basque countryside in the aftermath of an audacious daytime robbery. Little do they know they’ve happened upon the infamous village of Zugarramurdi, home to a coven of vengeful witches—and the robbers happen to be just in time for an ancient ceremony that requires the ultimate sacrifice from its unwilling male participants. Iglesia fills his madcap supernatural spectacle with copious amounts of sex, gore, and comedy, living up to his reputation as Spain’s preeminent master of gonzo filmmaking.

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  • 2014 Austin Film Festival Reveals First Slate of Films; Centerpiece Film to feature Kevin Costner’s “Black and White”

    [caption id="attachment_6549" align="aligncenter" width="550"]Black and White Black and White[/caption] Austin Film Festival (AFF), announced  the first slate of films included in the 2014 lineup of Festival screenings October 23 thru 30, 2014. The complete list of programming at the 21st annual AFF, including short films, competition titles, and Conference panels, will be announced in mid-September.  Black and White from Writer/Director Mike Binder has been selected as the Centerpiece Film. Starring Academy Award-winners Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer, Black and White is the story of a widowed grandfather (Costner) who is left to raise his bi-racial granddaughter. When the little girl’s paternal grandmother (Spencer) seeks custody, a bitter legal battle ensues that forces the uneasy family members to have an honest conversation about life, death, anger and America’s racial divide.  Additional selections include The Sound and the Fury, The Imitation Game, The Homesman, and the World Premieres of 21 Years: Richard Linklater and Dawn Patrol. AFF 2014 EARLY FILMS: CENTERPIECE FILM: Black and White  Writer/Director: Mike Binder (In attendance) Cast in attendance: Jillian Estell Starring Academy Award-winners Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer, Black and White is the story of a widowed grandfather (Costner) who is left to raise his bi-racial granddaughter. When the little girl’s paternal grandmother (Spencer) seeks custody, a bitter legal battle ensues that forces the uneasy family members to have an honest conversation about life, death, anger and America’s racial divide. Also starring Anthony Mackie, Jennifer Ehle, Gillian Jacobs, Bill Burr, Andre Holland, and introducing Jillian Estell. 21 Years: Richard Linklater – World Premiere Director: Michael Dunaway, Tara Wood (In attendance) A spirited look at the first 21 years of writer/director Richard Linklater’s remarkable career, featuring interviews with collaborators Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Billy Bob Thornton, Keanu Reeves, Jack Black, and more. 7 Minutes – World Premiere Writer/Director: Jay Martin (In attendance) Cast in attendance: Luke Mitchell, Leven Rambin Three former high-school friends are forced to commit a brazen robbery that quickly goes horribly wrong. Featuring a cast of Kris Kristofferson, Luke Mitchell, Jason Ritter, and Leven Rambin. Dawn Patrol – World Premiere Writer: Rachel Long, Brian Pittman (In attendance) Director: Daniel Petrie Jr. (In attendance) Cast and Crew in attendance: Scott Eastwood, Rita Wilson, Jeff Fahey, Chris Brochu, Kim Matula, Dendrie Taylor, Matt Meola, Rick Dugdale A surfer-turned-Marine (Scott Eastwood) held at gunpoint tells his tragic story of revenge-gone-wrong to stall his execution. With the screenplay originating out of Austin Film Festival’s 2008 Screenplay Competition, Dawn Patrol (formerly Stranded) was acquired by Dan Petrie Jr and Rick Dugdale at Enderby Entertainment and makes its way back to Texas this October for its World Premiere. One-Eyed Girl – World Premiere Writer: Craig Behenna, Nick Matthews (In attendance) Director: Nick Matthews Cast in attendance: Mark Leonard Winter, Tilda Cobham-Hervey A psychiatrist haunted by the death of a former patient stumbles upon a Doomsday cult and battles to save a teenage girl (Cobham-Hervey) from its clutches. The Homesman – Texas Premiere Writer: Tommy Lee Jones, Wesley A. Oliver, Kieran Fitzgerald Director: Tommy Lee Jones When three women living on the edge of the American frontier are driven to the brink, the task of saving them from their surroundings falls to the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank).  Transporting the women by covered wagon to Iowa, she soon realizes just how daunting the journey will be, and employs a feisty low-life drifter, George Biggs (Tommy Lee Jones), to join her.  The unlikely pair and the three women head east, where a waiting minister and his wife (Meryl Streep) have offered to take the women in.  But the group first must traverse the harsh Nebraska Territories marked by stark beauty, psychological peril and constant threat. The Imitation Game – Texas Premiere Writer: Graham Moore Director: Morten Tyldum Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII. Turing went on to assist with the development of computers at the University of Manchester after the war, but was prosecuted by the UK government in 1952 for homosexual acts which the country deemed illegal. The Sound and the Fury – Texas Premiere Writer: Matt Rager, William Faulkner (Novel) Director: James Franco Directed by and starring Academy Award® nominee James Franco, The Sound and The Fury captures the lives and passions of the Compsons, a once proud Southern family caught in a tragic spiral of loss and misfortune. Based on the novel by Noble Prize winner author William Faulkner and considered among the 20th century’s greatest works, The Sound and the Fury encapsulates the universal theme of the death of honor, social injustice and forbidden love. The Texas Promise – World Premiere Director: Vanessa Roth (In attendance) From Academy-Award ® winning documentarian, Vanessa Roth, The Texas Promise is the gripping story of equity, politics, money, and our children as historic decisions are being made about opportunity, the economy, and our democracy. When the Texas legislature cut $5.4 billion from public schools, it affected the daily lives of the 5 million students in Texas public schools and made Texas 49th in the country in per pupil spending.  Texans took to the streets in protest, districts from across Texas sued the state, and ideological battle lines were drawn in Austin.  

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  • 10 Finalists Announced for 2014 MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival

     The Bravest, The BoldestThe Bravest, The Boldest

    MANHATTAN SHORT announced the 10 Finalists for its 17th Annual Short Film Festival, a worldwide event taking place in over 250 cinemas across six continents between September 26 and October 5, 2014.

    This year, MANHATTAN SHORT received 589 short film entries from 47 countries. England, Norway, Australia, Netherlands, France, Mexico, Germany and the USA are the countries represented by the 10 Finalists. These short films will not only entertain a global audience but will be judged by them as well. Cinema goers will become instant film critics as they will be handed a ballot upon entry that allows them to vote for the Best Film and Best Actor. MANHATTAN SHORT offers the ultimate audience award that salutes the creative talents of both directors behind the camera and actors in front of it. Votes will be sent through to MANHATTAN SHORT HQ with the winner announced at ManhattanShort.com on Monday Oct 6, at 10 AM (EST)

    The 10 selected films are set in diverse locales, ranging from outer space to the deserts of Mexico and the mountains of Norway to the streets of New York, Berlin, London and Amsterdam. The MANHATTAN SHORT 2014 line-up is as follows

    97 % (Netherlands), 
    On/Off (France), 
    Crime – The Animated Series (USA), 
    La Carnada (Mexico), 
    On The Bridge ( England), 
    Mend and Make Do (England), 
    Shift (Australia) 
    The Bravest, The Boldest (USA), 
    The Fall (Norway) 
    Rhino Full Throttle (Germany) 

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  • The 5th Annual Chicago South Asian Film Festival Unveils 2014 Film Selections; Opens with Chicago Premiere of LIAR’S DICE

     Liar’s Dice Liar’s Dice

    The Chicago South Asian Film Festival revealed the film lineup for this year’s festival to be held between September 18th and 21st, 2014. The festival will present over 25 films in downtown Chicago, at the Showplace ICON Theater in South Loop,and in Evanston, at The Evanston Public Library.  This year’s Festival will open with the Chicago premiere of Liar’s Dice by director Geethu Mohandas, which was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and includes dynamic performances from Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Geetanjali Thapa and Manya Gupta. Festival circuit favorite, M Cream, will be the Friday night feature. Monsoon Shootout will be the centerpiece film and also includes the audience favorite, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Invigorating performances in Ankhon Dekhi directed by Rajat Kapoor, known for his roles in Dil Chatha Hai, Bheja Fry and Monsoon Wedding, will close out the Festival on Sunday evening.

    A full list of films to be presented in the windy city is provided below.

     A Boy Called Boris (Director: Ashok Vish): Short Film; United States; Max Kolby, Brian Gildea, Jose Amor

    Algorithms (Director: Ian McDonald): U.S. Premiere; Documentary; India

    Blouse (Director: Vijayeta Kumar): Chicago Premiere; Short Film; India; Sumeet Vyas, Imran Rashid, Ronjini Chakraborty, Preeti Sharma

    Brahmin Bulls (Director: Mahesh Pailoor): Chicago Premiere; Feature; India; Sendhil Ramamurthy, Roshan Seth, Cassidy Freeman, Justin Bartha

    Color of War (Director: Sai Pawar): Chicago Premiere; Short Film; United States; Matt Pohlkamp, Tristan Coe, Jon Peterson, Scott E. Myers

    Fandry (Director: Nagraj Manjule): Chicago Premiere; Feature; India; Somnath Avghade, Kishor Kadam, Sanjay Chaudhri, Suraj Pawar Payeshari

    The Fading Valley (Director: Irit Gal): Chicago Premiere; Documentary; Israel

    Give Into the Night (Director: Sonejuhi Sinha): Chicago Premiere; Short Film; United States; Sarita Choudhury, Alisha Nagarsheth, Vijay Bhargava

    Hit the Road (Director: Gor Baghadasharyan, Mushegh Baghdasaryan): Documentary; India; Ric Gazarian, Keith King

    Int. Café- Night (Director: Adhiraj Bose): U.S. Premiere; Short Film; India; Naseeruddin Shah, Shernaz Patel, Shweta BAsu Prasad, Naveen Kasturia

    Jaya (Director: Puja Maewal): Short Film; India; Faimida Shaikh, Anil Rathod, Jaihind Kumar

    It’s About Time (Director: Snehal Patel): Chicago Premiere; Short Film; United States; Omi Vaidya

    Kaphal- Wild Berries (Director: Batul Mukhtier): Feature Film; India; Harish Rana, Pawan Singh Negi

    Katiyabaaz (Director: Deepti Kakkar, Fahad Mustafa): Chicago Premiere; Documentary; India

    M Cream (Director: Agneya Singh, Aban Raza): Chicago Premiere; India; Imaaduddin Shah, Ira Dubey, Auritra Ghosh, Raaghav Chanana, Barry John, Tom Alter

    Mitraa (Director: Ravi Jadhav): U.S. Premiere; Short Film; India; Veena Jamkar, Sandeep Khare, Mrunmayee Deshpande

    Mohammad (Director: Shahnawaz Ali): World Premiere; Short Film; Qatar

    Munnariyippu (Director: Venu): Feature; U.S. Premiere; India; Mammootty, Aparna Gopinath

    Odh- An Odyssey (Director: Naina Panemanglor): Short Film; India; Devashish Boralkar, Priya Bagalkote

    Phoring (Director: Indranil Roychowdhury): Chicago Premiere; Feature; India; Ritwick Chakraborty, Sohini Sarkar, Shankar Debnath, Akash Adhikary

    Present Continuous (Director: Aner Preminger): Chicago Premiere; Feature; Israel; Hagit Dasberg, Eyal Nachmias, Matan Preminger, Tamar Preminger

    Purple Skies (Director: Sridhar Rangayan)- Chicago Premiere; Documentary; India

    Rangzen-Freedom (Director: Gaurav Saxena): U.S. Premiere; Short Film; India; Tenzin Dayoe, Sonam Phunsok

    Tamaash- The Puppet (Director: Satyanshu Singh, Devanshu Singh): Chicago Premiere; Short Film; Kashmir; Zahid Ahmed Mir

    Veil (Director: Sreemoyee Bhattacharya): Chicago Premiere; Short Film; India; Joey Debroy, Daminee Basu

    What Remains (Director: Sarita Khurana): Chicago Premiere; Short Film; United States; Ananya Kumar-Banerjee, Sumitra Rajkumar

    View the full film schedule here: www.csaff.org/film-schedule/

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  • 2014 Milwaukee Film Festival Announces Cream City Cinema Lineup Featuring Local Filmmakers

    HAMLET A.D.DHAMLET A.D.D

    The 6th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival announced its Cream City Cinema lineup. Now in its 6th year, Cream City Cinema showcases the best new work from Milwaukee-based filmmakers and awards one local filmmaker with a yearlong Filmmaker-in-Residence prize along with a $5,000 cash award.

    This year’s Cream City Cinema includes four feature-length fiction films (HAMLET A.D.D, PESTER, THE OTHER ONE, SERIAL DATERS ANONYMOUS), one feature-length documentary (PSYCHOPATH), and three shorts programs: The Milwaukee Youth Show—the festival’s third annual showcase for local filmmakers ages 18 and under as well as two installments of The Milwaukee Show.

    The program culminates with the highly sought-after Filmmaker-in-Residence juried prize which awards a yearlong residency with Milwaukee Film. The residency includes a mentorship program, a $5,000 cash prize, and a production services package, sponsored by Independent, North American Camera, and RDI Stages, valued at more than $20,000 to help the winning filmmaker produce their next film. Past winners include Michael T. Vollman (2013), Chris James Thompson (2012), Michael Hawkins-Burgos (2011), Tate Bunker (2010), and John Roberts (2009).

     2014 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL

    CREAM CITY CINEMA 
    Cream City Cinema is the annual showcase of the best new work from Milwaukee-based filmmakers. One of these local creatives will receive a yearlong Filmmaker-in-Residence prize from the jury that includes a cash award of $5,000!

    Hamlet A.D.D.
    (USA / 2014 / Directors: Bobby Ciraldo, Andrew Swant) 

    http://youtu.be/CMbbk1p9aCM

    From the twisted minds of the men who brought you What What (In the Butt) and William Shatner’s Gonzo Ballet comes this bizarre and comical reimagining of Shakespeare’s work the way it was meant to be seen—chock-full of time travel and featuring Screech from “Saved by the Bell.” Hop-scotching from the 1800s through the 1950s and ‘70s (rest assured there will be disco dancing) before making its way into the distant future, Hamlet A.D.D. remakes Shakespeare for an era of viral videos and memes—a boldly irreverent take on the source material over 10 years in the making.

     

    The Milwaukee Show I
    The first of two installments celebrating our abundance of hometown talent, The Milwaukee Show I brings a diversity of styles and voices to the big screen, a veritable wealth of filmmaking riches. The stories in this program include extraterrestrials searching for one another in the Milwaukee area and a sobering examination of the untimely death of Corey Stingley.

    The Death of Corey Stingley | Spencer Chumbley
    An Evening at Angelo’s | Kara Mulrooney
    Glider | Junehyuck Jeon
    The Harpist | Erica Thompson
    The Kenny Dennis | WC Tank
    Little America | Kurt Raether
    New Planet | James Tindell
    Settlers | Nathaniel Heuer

     

    The Milwaukee Show II
    This second installment of the perennial favorite, The Milwaukee Show II shorts program brings us even more local filmmakers showcasing their immense talent on the festival’s biggest stage, with work spanning several genres and modes of storytelling. The films here range from a live-action narrative short of a young girl that brings happiness and color into the world through balloons to a wacky musical about an amnesiac trapped in a derelict bar adrift in time and space.

    Balloons | Sitora Takanaev
    Geoffrey Broughe Handles Confrontation Poorly | Jon Phillips
    MECCA: The Floor That Made Milwaukee Famous | Chris James Thompson
    One Week Vacation | Brendan T. Jones
    Smoky Places | Michael DiMilo
    This is Jackie. | Anna Sampers
    Tis the Season | Kirsten Stuck
    To Hold In the Heart | Pang Yang Her
    The Waystation in the Stars | Brandon L Morrissey

    The Milwaukee Youth Show
    When you take a look at the remarkable work being created by our area youth (ages 18 and under), you’ll know without a doubt that the kids are all right. Spanning a range of styles, this showcase for the next generation of local filmmakers is a great way to get acquainted with the names you’ll be seeing at future editions of MFF.200,000 | Gavin White, Tyler Matthews, Jeremy LeCleir, Scott Meade

    Assist Bhopal | Megan Sai Dogra
    The Autumn Vignette | Serbata Tarrer
    Counting the Dead | Alexandra Van Den Heuvel
    Dreaming | Felicia McGowan
    Get Real People | Griffin Anderson, Mitch Dykstra, Tanner Dykstra, Ronnie Al-Ramahi
    Iero | Gabriella Avila, Alexia Jaso
    If You Weren’t Here | LaVarnway Boys & Girls Club workshop participants
    La Decisiones de Tu Vida | Alondra Mercado, Ana Ornelas
    Let the Children Live | Clarke Street Boys & Girls Club workshop participants
    Media and Mental Illness | Eden Raduege, Mikayla Bell
    Protect Yourself | Youth from Townsend CLC Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
    Wake Up and Pay Attention | Youth from the Daniels-Mardak Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee

     

    The Other One
    (USA / 2014 / Director: Josef Steiff) 

    http://youtu.be/V4SDEOWmwg4

    Schoolteacher Amber, who survived a school shooting, returns to her rural childhood home to tend to her mother, whose dementia is becoming increasingly unmanageable. As her mother’s mental state deteriorates, family secrets are spilled that throw everything Amber thought she knew about her childhood into question. Family conflict brews as the women deal with the traumatic events of the past that have shaped them in the present. A supernaturally tinged drama about how the past can quite literally come back to haunt us, The Other One asks whether or not some emotional scars can ever heal and if redemption is possible when one struggles to forgive herself.

    Preceded by Years | Director: Rose Curley

    Pester
    (USA / 2014 / Director: Eric Gerber) 

    PesterPester

    Trailer: http://vimeo.com/67927648 

    A family extermination business run by two brothers and their father falls upon economic and ethical hardships in this challenging drama from UWM graduate Eric Gerber. With a cast and crew largely exported from Milwaukee to film in Los Angeles (including co-star Nick Sommer from MFF 2013’s Billy Club), Gerber delves into this unusual portrait of the American dream, as both brothers struggle with issues of identity and very different forms of addiction. Their pest control business hangs in the balance, in danger of being muscled out of the market by bigger corporate entities.Preceded by Give It Up for the Girl | Director: Carol Brandt

     

    Psychopath
    (USA / 2014 / Director: Manny Marquez) 

    PsychopathPsychopath

    Oklahoma garbageman Victor Marquez has held a lifelong dream of creating gruesome makeup effects for Hollywood movies, but life got in the way and Victor deferred his dream to start a family with the love of his life. Twenty-five years later, husband and wife pool their life savings to purchase acreage where Victor will put together a haunted house that showcases his ghoulish talents, a risky business venture in rural Oklahoma where such celebrations of the macabre raise the ire of locals who perpetuate racial stereotypes. A documentary from Victor’s nephew Manny (MFF 2012 Work-in-Progress alum), Psychopath is a portrait of a self-made entrepreneur following the American dream despite long odds.  Preceded by Carnival of the Animals | Director: Sitora Takanaev

     

    Serial Daters Anonymous
    (USA / 2014 / Director: Christopher Carson Emmons) 

    http://youtu.be/J7x76CUJd-g 

    Filmed entirely in Milwaukee, this rom-com features jilted fashion columnist Claire cutting a wide swath through the local dating scene on the heels of being informed by her fiancé of his philandering tendencies at the altar. She blogs about each first date while refusing to go on a second. But this angel of dating vengeance meets her match in Kyle (Milwaukee-born Sam Page, a.k.a. Joan’s hot husband from “Mad Men”), a former flame who threatens to derail her plans for revenge on the entire male populace by introducing feelings back into the equation. A dating comedy with local flavor, Serial Daters Anonymous is a witty tonic for the brokenhearted.  Preceded by Anchovies | Director: Annabelle Attanasio

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  • Harry Belafonte, Jean-Claude Carrière, Hayao Miyazaki And Maureen O’Hara To Receive Academy’s Governors Awards

    Harry Belafonte, Jean-Claude Carrière, Hayao Miyazaki And Maureen O’Hara To Receive Academy’s Governors Awards

    The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted Tuesday night (August 26) to present Honorary Awards to Jean-Claude Carrière, Hayao Miyazaki and Maureen O’Hara, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Harry Belafonte.  All four awards will be presented at the Academy’s 6th Annual Governors Awards on Saturday, November 8, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

    “The Governors Awards allow us to reflect upon not the year in film, but the achievements of a lifetime,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.  “We’re absolutely thrilled to honor these outstanding members of our global filmmaking community and look forward to celebrating with them in November.”

    Carrière, who began his career as a novelist, was introduced to screenwriting by French comedian and filmmaker Pierre Étaix, with whom he shared an Oscar® for the live action short subject “Heureux Anniversaire (Happy Anniversary)” in 1962.  He received two more nominations during his nearly two-decade collaboration with director Luis Buñuel, for the screenplays for “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie” and “That Obscure Object of Desire.”  Carrière also has collaborated notably with such directors as Volker Schlöndorff (“The Tin Drum”), Jean-Luc Godard (“Every Man for Himself”) and Andrzej Wajda (“Danton”).  He earned a fourth Oscar nomination for “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” with director Philip Kaufman.

    Miyazaki is an artist, writer, director, producer and three-time Oscar nominee in the Animated Feature Film category, winning in 2002 for “Spirited Away.”  His other nominations were for “Howl’s Moving Castle” in 2005 and “The Wind Rises” last year.  Miyazaki gained an enormous following in his native Japan for such features as “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,” “Laputa: Castle in the Sky,” “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Kiki’s Delivery Service” before breaking out internationally in the late 1990s with “Princess Mononoke.”  He is the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, a renowned animation studio based in Tokyo.

    O’Hara, a native of Dublin, Ireland, came to Hollywood in 1939 to star opposite Charles Laughton in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”  She went on to appear in a wide range of feature films, including the swashbucklers “The Black Swan” and “Sinbad the Sailor,” the dramas “This Land Is Mine” and “A Woman’s Secret,” the family classics “Miracle on 34th Street” and “The Parent Trap,” the spy comedy “Our Man in Havana” and numerous Westerns.  She was a favorite of director John Ford, who cast her in five of his films, including “How Green Was My Valley,” “Rio Grande” and “The Quiet Man.”

    An actor, producer, singer and lifelong activist, Belafonte began performing in theaters and nightclubs in and around Harlem, where he was born.  From the beginning of his film career, he chose projects that shed needed light on racism and inequality, including “Carmen Jones,” “Odds against Tomorrow” and “The World, the Flesh and the Devil.”  He was an early supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, marching and organizing alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. and often funding initiatives with his entertainment income.  Belafonte was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1987 and currently serves on the boards of the Advancement Project and the Institute for Policy Studies.  His work on behalf of children, education, famine relief, AIDS awareness and civil rights has taken him all over the world.

    The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is given “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

    The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, also an Oscar statuette, is given “to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.”

    images Credit: 
    Harry Belafonte at the Vienna International Film Festival 2011. Taken by Manfred Werner via Wikimedia.
    Screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière giving a lecture on scenario writing at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France during the festival Paris-Cinéma. Taken by Roman Bonnefoy via Wikimedia.
    Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki at the 2008 Venice Film Festival. Taken by Thomas Schulz via Wikimedia.
    O’Hara at the 2014 TCM Film Festival. Taken by Greg Hernandez via Wikimedia.

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  • James Brown Music-Biopic GET ON UP to Open 2014 Zurich Film Festival

     get on up

    Zurich Film Festival kicks off its 10-year jubilee edition on September 25 with the biopic music film GET ON UP from director Tate Taylor. The film tells the life story of James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. Young star Chadwick Boseman plays the charismatic singer. Chadwick Boseman and Tate Taylor will be in Zurich to attend the premiere.

    In 2011, director Tate Taylor presented his Academy Award winning THE HELP as the ZFF’s Closing Film. Now he’s back with GET ON UP. He trod the Green Carpet on that occasion with Octavia Spencer, who plays the aunt of protagonist James Brown in this production. GET ON UP follows the soul & funk musician’s rise from extreme poverty to his status as a superstar of the music industry.

    James Brown (1933-2006), raised in the US state of Georgia, discovered music during a stint behind bars, he joined a gospel group after being released. His distinctive voice soon helped the band secure a recording contract. Their first record „Please, Please, Please“ was released in 1956 and became a bestseller.

    Brown enjoyed further success with such titles as „Try Me“, „I’ll Go Crazy“ and „Lost Someone“. His breakthrough came in 1963 with „Live at the Apollo“. His charismatic stage presence during his live performances was key to his success. Further hits, such as the song „Sex Machine“, made him one of the busiest and soon-to-be most successful artists in show business, appearing at up to 300 concerts per year.

    As a self-confident Afro-American, James Brown emerged as an icon of the USA’s civil rights movement. His song title „Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud“ became one of its slogans. Brown has also appeared in many film and TV productions, the most well-known of these being the film BLUES BROTHERS (1980).

    http://youtu.be/2M4JjXfxqpo

    In addition to Chadwick Boseman and Octavia Spencer, the cast further comprises such acting talent as Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis and Lennie James. GET ON UP was produced, amongst others, by Academy Award winner Brian Grazer and Rolling Stones’ lead singer Mick Jagger. GET ON UP hits cinemas on September 26 in French-speaking Switzerland, October 9 in German-speaking Switzerland and November 6 in Ticino. 

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  • Trailer + Release Dates Announced for Dan Harmon Doc HARMONTOWN

    harmontown

    The trailer has been released for Neil Berkeley’s HARMONTOWN, a documentary chronicling Dan Harmon’s podcast tour following his firing from his cult-like creation, NBC’s “Community.”  Featuring appearances from Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Sarah Silverman, Jason Sudeikis, and Joel McHale, among others, HARMONTOWN provides untapped insight to Harmon’s personal demons and his ever-present talent that is poised to redeem him.  HARMONTOWN will be released by The Orchard on October 3rd in LA and on VOD and on October 10th in NYC.

    http://youtu.be/KisiU9b_2EU

    A kindred spirit to nerds everywhere, writer-comedian Dan Harmon has achieved celebrity via the hit series “Community,” but cut his teeth writing for shows such as “The Sarah Silverman Program” and the Jack Black/Ben Stiller pilot “Heat Vision and Jack.” After being fired from his signature creation, Harmon hits the road with his popular podcast and performs live for his cult-like fan base across the country. Known for his wit, cynicism, and disarming vulnerability, HARMONTOWN finds Harmon bathed in the adoration of his fans as he confronts his personal demons and comes out on the other side.

    From acclaimed filmmaker Neil Berkeley (BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING), and featuring past and present collaborators Sarah Silverman, Jack Black, Allison Brie, Joel McHale and many more, HARMONTOWN tells Harmon’s story with unabashed candor — showing his highs, his lows, and everything in-between.

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  • London’s Doc’n Roll Film Festival Announces Full Film Lineup of Music Documentaries Featuring Kanye West, Jimmy Page, Debbie Harry

     Joe Strummer: The Future is UnwrittenJoe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten

    Doc’n Roll, London’s first and only festival dedicated exclusively to music documentaries, announced its full line up of 12 films, many followed by Q&As, taking place at Hackney Picturehouse. In addition to live sets from Ming City Rockers and The ‘45s as well as DJ sets from Primal Scream’s Simone Marie Butler and photographer and filmmaker Dean Chalkley, the line-up also features an exclusive Julien Temple retrospective on Saturday 27th September, screening Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, LONDON: The Modern Babylon and, following the screening of Oil City Confidential, an on-stage conversation with Julien Temple and Zoe Howe, author and Dr Feelgood expert. Temple will also show a sneak preview, via an exclusive clip, of his upcoming documentary about Wilko Johnson. 

    On Thursday, September 25th, Doc’n Roll opens with the London premiere of A Band Called Death; the extraordinary and little known story of the world’s first black punk band, Death, formed by three brothers from Detroit in 1974. Then the African-American community was grooving to Earth, Wind & Fire, and there was no room for a black, garage band turning out loud, aggressive rock ‘n’ roll – a sound that has since been described by the New York Times as, “punk before punk was punk’ and by Jack White as “ahead of punk, and ahead of their time”. A Q&A will follow the screening of A Band Called Death with band members, Bobby and Dannis Hackney. 

     On Sunday 28th Doc’n Roll will close with Howard S Bergman and Susan Stahman’s A Life in the Death of Joe Meek which, through contributions from a cast of musicians including Jimmy Page, Alex Kapranos, Edwyn Collins and Mike Berry, offers a fascinating insight into the life of Britain’s first independent pop record producer. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Howard Berger, and Mike Berry whose first hit “A Tribute to Buddy Holly’ was produced by Meek in 1961 and chaired by author and Meek enthusiast Travis Elborough.

    Her Aim Is TrueHer Aim Is True

    On Saturday 26th British filmmaker Karen Whitehead will screen the UK premiere of Her Aim Is True which tells the story of rock ‘n’ roll outsider, the wonderful photographer Jini Dellaccio, who recently passed away, aged 97. Dellaccio first found herself taking pictures of rock and pop stars in the 1960s – when she herself was in her 40s – and she is now described as the photographer who visualized punk before it had a name and embodied indie before it was cool. Whitehead, who interviewed Dellaccio for her film, will be at the screening for a Q&A session. 

     Another punk rock pioneer Grant Hart is the subject of Gorman Bechard’s Every Everything: the music, life & times of Grant Hart, an unfiltered, unrestrained look in to the former Hüsker Dü co-songwriter/singer/drummer’s world including his rocky family life, the formation and consequent break-up of his most well-known band and all of the musical projects that followed.

    The Doc‘n Roll line-up also includes portraits of two great talents. Sophie Huber’s Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction is a mesmerizing, impressionistic portrait of the iconic actor which explores his enigmatic outlook on his life, his unexploited talents as a musician, and includes candid scenes with David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Sam Shepard, Kris Kristofferson and Debbie Harry.

    William Hechter’s AKA Doc Pomus tells the story of Brooklyn-born Jerome Felder (1925-1991), who was paralyzed with polio as a child. As a teenager he began performing as a blues singer under the stage name Doc Pomus. By the 1950’s he had become one of the most successful songwriters of the early rock and roll era, penning, “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “A Teenager in Love,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and dozens of other hits. Featuring interviews with Doc’s collaborators and friends, including Dr. John, Ben E. King, Joan Osborne, Shawn Colvin, Dion, Leiber and Stoller, and B.B. King plus passages from his private journals read by his close friend, Lou Reed.

    Our Vinyl Weighs A TonOur Vinyl Weighs A Ton

     Jeff Broadway’s Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton features interviews and footage from some of hip-hop’s finest, discussing the fiercely independent, avant-garde record label, Stones Throw Records. Home to innovative leftfield producers like Madlib and J Dilla, the Stones Throw story is laced with tragedy, yet the label owner’s single-minded pursuit of the music he loves, ensures it continues as a vital force in the digital music era. The film features exclusive interviews with Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Common, Questlove, Talib Kweli, Mike D (Beastie Boys), and many more.

     Also screening are Danny Garcia’s Looking for Johnny, a new documentary on the life of the late New York Dolls and Heartbreakers guitarist Johnny Thunders. Garcia, spoke to the fifty people who were closest to the rocker, about his music, which inspired punk and glam-metal, and his hard lifestyle and explores Johnny’s unique musical style, his personal battle with drugs and theories on his death in a New Orleans hotel in 1991 at age 38, and, last but not least The Punk Syndrome about the Finnish punk band – Pertti Kurikka’s Name Day. 

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