The Toronto International Film Festival added Shane Salerno’s SALINGER to the lineup of films screening at this year’s festival. The documentary follows elusive author and literary legend J.D. Salinger, one of the most fascinating figures of the twentieth century, who brought the world The Catcher in the Rye.
Totally detached from society, as a matter of personal choice Abigail Harm is as anti-social and introverted as they come. Her only human interaction from day to day is that of her commitment to the service of reading to clients whom she sees at their home, as she reads from their favorite novels or other materials of choice. As the famous Korean folktale would have it, one which tells of love, true love, the ever lasting kind which results from the taming of a deer, who is appears robe-less in need of consolation. One most unexpected evening a gentleman in need of food and temporary shelter appears in Abigail’s home. Over a meal she prepares, the man questions Abigail’s understanding of love, to which she admits her only experience with it was through her parents, as an infant. His one wish for Abigail becomes that she truly gets to feel what love is. He enlightens her to the myth of ‘The Woodcutter and the Nymph’ impressing upon her the importance of keeping her eyes open to her true love which is forthcoming. In a matter of days, Abigails entire existence is revamped via this revelation, and literal appearance of a man in need of her as she is in need of he.
COSTA DA MORTE by Lois Patiño
The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today the complete lineup for the 17th edition of Views from the Avant-Garde (VIEWS), taking place from October 3-7, 2013, during the New York Film Festival (NYFF). The popular yearly touchstone for experimental film returns with curator Mark McElhatten at the helm, and will contain 35+ programs in glorious Super-8, 16 mm and 35mm film and HD formats. Many familiar faces will return, and VIEWS will also feature 45 new artists and several mini-retrospectives of several of these artists including, Aura Satz, Lois Patiño, Sandro Aguilar, and Jean-Paul Kelly. Views will also offer special tributes to the late Stom Sogo and Anne Robertson whose work is a testimony to the power of a Cinema that is fearless, confidential and inextinguishable.
The Selfish Giant
The full program for the 57th BFI London Film Festival which runs from October 9-20, 2013, was revealed today. The Festival will screen a total of 234 fiction and documentary features, including 22 World Premieres, 16 International Premieres, 29 European Premieres and 20 Archive films. As previously announced, the Festival opens with the European Premiere of Paul Greengrass’ CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, a high-stakes thriller based on true story of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates with Tom Hanks playing the eponymous lead role; and the European Premiere of Disney’s SAVING MR. BANKS will close the festival, the film which tells the untold story of how Mary Poppins was brought to the big screen stars Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers, author of Mary Poppins and Tom Hanks as Walt Disney.
EAT SPIRIT EAT, by James Bird
FirstGlance Film Festival, Philadelphia’s Independent Film Festival, announced the schedule for their 16th annual event which runs Friday, September 20th through Sunday, September 22nd, 2013, at Franklin Theater in The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The festival opens on Friday, September 20th with the feature film, EAT SPIRIT EAT, by James Bird. Starring Kristin Minter from the TV series ER, it’s described as an absurdist comedy about Oliver and a pack of misfit orphans growing up in a foster home and their attempt to do the impossible. Closing the festival on Sunday Night September 22nd, is the feature film, WET BEHIND THE EARS, by Sloan Copeland. WET BEHIND THE EARS takes a comical look at joblessness and adjusting to the real world in a way that will resonate with an underemployed generation.
The Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF) unveiled its 2013 official artwork designed by London-based visual artist, Vince Fraser. According to the festival, “The design was commissioned to illuminate HBFF’s brand identity and audience appeal.” Fraser is a first generation British born artist with Jamaican parents who has worked as a digital illustrator and visual artist for 15 years. “We selected Vince to design our official 2013 artwork because after one look at his aesthetic, we knew […]
THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM
The Woodstock Film Festival announced the 2013 films in competition in both feature narrative and feature documentary categories as well as the competition’s jurors. Films include the New York Premieres of “AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS”; “THE GREAT CHICKEN WING HUNT”, “THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM” and the World Premiere of “HERE COMES THE NIGHT”.
Austin Film Festival (AFF) announced the 2013 lineup of Panelists at this year’s Conference and what the festival describes as ” the strongest brain trust of writers and filmmakers ever assembled in the twenty year history of the Festival.” Attendees include Shane Black, Jonathan Demme, Leslie Dixon, Vince Gilligan, Brian Helgeland, Rian Johnson, Richard Kelly, Jenji Kohan, Chris Lowell, David Lowery, Ray McKinnon, Jeff Nichols, Ron Nyswaner, Roberto Orci, Dan Rather, Robert Rodriguez, David Shore, Norman Steinberg, Jim Taylor, Rob Thomas, Beau Willimon, and more.
The San Francisco International Film Festival considered the longest-running film festival in the Americas will be back for its 57th edition, running from April 24 – May 8, 2014. The festival announced its calls for entries from filmmakers, with works in all genres, forms and lengths being considered.
Paul Attanasio and George Tillman Jr.
Writer/producer Paul Attanasio (Quiz Show; Donnie Brasco; House, M.D.), writer/director/producer George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food, The Barbershop franchise, The Inevitable Defeat of Mr. and Pete), and brand-new online film site The Dissolve have been announced as the 2013 tributes for the The Milwaukee Film Festival. The 2013 Milwaukee Film Festival runs September 26 – October 10, 2013.
RUNNING FOR JIM
CenFlo, Central Florida Film Festival, held over the Labor Day Weekend in Ocoee, Florida, announced the winners of this year’s festival. The British film, RETURN TO THE HIDING PLACE, co-directed by Josiah Spencer and Peter C. Spencer, won the award for Best Feature. RETURN TO THE HIDING PLACE is a World War II movie about the Dutch resistance. When the Nazis begin killing Jews in Holland, a group of youth fight to save the lives of the innocent. RUNNING FOR JIM, co-directed by Dan Noyes and Robin Hauser Reynolds, which chronicles the story of Jim Tracy, the most decorated high school cross-country coach in California history, and his battle with fatal Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) – won the award for Best Documentary.The supernatural horror film, YOU WILL LOVE ME, directed by Stephen McKendree was voted Audience Choice. In YOU WILL LOVE ME, a teen girl, after visiting a supposedly haunted forest, comes to believe that a violent poltergeist followed her home and is stalking her.
TALL AS THE BAOBAB TREE
The Rural Route Festival which ran July 27 – August 4, 2013 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York City, is calling this year’s festival, ‘one of the best yet.” The festival announced this year’s winning films which included Best Narrative: “TALL AS THE BAOBAB TREE”; Best Documentary: “THE MOSUO SISTERS”; and Best Experimental: “MAGNETIC RECONNECTIONS”