• Fantasia Celebrates Its 18th Birthday With Over 160 Feature Films

    WHEN ANIMALS DREAMWHEN ANIMALS DREAM

    Fantasia International Film Festival celebrates 18th birthday and will screen over 160 features and something in the neighborhood of 300 shorts.  In addition to being stacked with a multitude of breathtaking debut filmmaker discoveries, the 2014 lineup includes new works from such extraordinary talents as Abel Ferrara, Terry Gilliam, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Jim Mickle, Jang Joon-hwan, Gregg Araki, Yoshihiro Nakamura, John McNaughton, Richard Linklater, Hideo Nakata, Eli Roth, Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury, Benny Chan, Ricardo Trogi, Nacho Vigalondo, Bill Plympton, Noboru Iguchi, Hans Petter Moland, Richard Bates Jr, Riad Sattouf, Toshiaki Toyoda, Adrián García Bogliano, Takashi Miike, Mike Cahill, Won Shin-yeon, James Gunn, Nicholas McCarthy, Dante Lam, Steffen Haars, Flip Van der Kuil, Hisayasu Sato, the Mo Brothers, the Spierig Brothers, the Zellner Brothers, and the list goes on.

    Fantasia’s 2014 Camera Lucida section features:

    THE DESERT
    Argentina  Dir: Christoph Behl
    This Argentine addition to the post-apocalyptic genre is a stunning, suggestive huis-clos of unprecedented emotional charge. A beautiful look at human impulses that are wholly inescapable, even at the end of the world. Official Selection: Sitges 2013, Stockholm International Film Festival 2014. Canadian Premiere.

    RED FAMILY
    South Korea Dir: Lee Ju-hyoung
    North Korean spies undercover as a “family” must contend with their unruly neighbours in this hard yet empathic drama packed with moral dilemmas and moments of ironic black humour, written and produced by Kim Ki-duk.. North American Premiere.

    SEVENTH CODE 
    Japan Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
    A young Japanese woman finds herself lost and alone in Russia, leading her into a sinister universe of international espionage. In SEVENTH CODE is Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s unexpected detour into the thriller genre.  Canadian Premiere.

    THOU WAST MILD AND LOVELY
    USA Dir: Josephine Decker
    Described by its gifted maker as “an intimate magical realist erotic thriller… a horror film, a farm drama, a comedy, a sexual romp, and a deep character study,” THOU WAST is indeed all these things rolled into one hallucinatory and unique journey. Stars Joe Swanberg and Sophie Traub. Official Selection: Berlin Film Festival 2014, Sarasota Film Festival 2014. On the same bill, we will be presenting Decker’s other feature film, BUTTER ON THE LATCH. Both will be Canadian Premieres.

    WHEN ANIMALS DREAM
    Denmark  Dir: Jonas Alexander Amby
    Marie, a young girl in an isolated fishing village, harbours a family secret — strange hairs, sharp teeth, remarkable strength when enraged. More than a simple chiller, the magnificent WHEN ANIMALS DREAM is a work of rare power and a stunning drama about adolescence. Official Selection: Semaine de la critique, Cannes 2014. North American Premiere.

    Previously announced titles from our 2014 Camera Lucida lineup: BOYHOOD (Quebec Premiere), JELLYFISH EYES (Canadian Premiere), THE MAN IN THE ORANGE JACKET (World Premiere), THE MIDNIGHT SWIM (World Premiere), PUZZLE (North American Premiere), SUMMER OF BLOOD (Canadian Premiere)

    The Return of AXIS: Fantasia’s Animation Showcase
    Axis, Fantasia’s international; animation showcase, returns with features hailing from Belgium, France, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the USA.

    Aside from the previous announced Axis titles (see below), our 2014 lineup features:

    APPLESEED ALPHA
    Japan  Dir: Shinji Aramaki
    Super-soldier Deunan and her hulking cyborg companion Briareos stalk the shattered husk of New York City. A tour-de-force of digital design, APPLESSED ALPHA is essential kick-ass cyberpunk animation. North American Premiere

    BAYONETTA: BLOODY FATE
    Japan  Dir: Fuminori Kizaki
    Bayonetta, a lithe, powerful witch and mistress of the Bullet Arts, dispatches a host of bloodthirsty angels in a church. But what she cannot dispel are the mysteries of her own origin and purpose… Canadian Premiere.

    THE FAKE
    South Korea Dir: Yeon Sang-ho
    The latest from Yeon Sang-ho, winner of Fantasia’s first Satoshi Kon Award with KING OF PIGS, targets corruption, Korean displacement policies that favour progress over the individual’s welfare, and the dark side of religion. Official Selection: AFI Fest 2013 Quebec Premiere.

    HAL
    Japan Dir: Ryotaro Makihara
    An android assigned to console a grieving girl learns what being human means in this short, self-contained gem of emotionally resonant science fiction anime. North American Premiere.

    HEAVENLY SWORD
    USA  Dir: Gun Ho Jang
    Fierce redhead Nariko is the divinely ordained wielder of a legendary weapon in an exquisitely realized fantasy realm. The most anticipated game-to-film adaptation of the year has arrived, and you’ll find it at Fantasia first! Scripted by Todd Farmer and featuring the voices of Anna Torv, Alfred Molina and Thomas Jane. World Premiere.

    HUNTER X HUNTER : PHANTOM ROUGE 
    Japan Dir: Yuzo Sato
    The stage is set for secrets and conspiracies, fantastic wonders and furious action, as Yoshihiro Togashi’s hugely popular manga series HUNTER X HUNTER makes its big-screen anime debut. Canadian Premiere.

    JACK ET LA MÉCANIQUE DU COEUR (Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart)
    France-Belgium  Dirs: Stéphane Berla, Mathias Malzieu
    A graciously Gallic surrealist fairy-tale musical with a dash of Gothic macabre and a streak of steampunk tech, the Luc Besson-produced JACK ET LA MÉCANIQUE DU COEUR is a CG-animated cabinet of curiosities that kids and grown-ups alike can rummage through with delight. Official selection, Berlin Film Festival 2014, Gérardmer International Fantasic Film Festival 2014

    KOO! KIN DZA-DZA
    Russia  Dir: Georgiy Daneliya, Tatiana Ilyina
    Veteran Russian filmmaker Georgiy Daneliya reboots his own late-Soviet-era cult classic as a super-cool cartoon with contemporary upgrades. Rustbucket steampunk gizmos and Kafkaesque conundrums abound!

    THE SATTELITE GIRL AND MILK COW
    South Korea Dir: Chang Hyung-yun
    A familiar trope of Asian animation — fantastical romance between misfits — is turned upside down and inside out in this charmingly surrealist robo-rom-com from South Korea. North American Premiere.

    Previously announced Axis titles: CHEATIN’ (Canadian Premiere), GIOVANNI’S ISLAND (Canadian Premiere),HUNTER X HUNTER: THE LAST MISSION (Canadian Premiere), and a special screening of the new HD master for Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 classic GHOST IN THE SHELL, before which the filmmaker will be presented a lifetime achievement award. 

    DOCUMENTARIES FROM THE EDGE
    Fantasia’s esteemed doc section returns with a six-feature lineup. Aside from the previous announced section titles (see below), our 2014 Documentaries from the Edge lineup features:

    BOLD & BRASH: FILMMAKING BOISVERT STYLE
    Canada  Dir: Simon Boisvert
    A cult subject of interest in Quebecois psychotronic fan circles, the controversial auteur of VÉNUS DE MILO turns the camera on himself to reflect on his own history in film. World Premiere.

    KUNG FU ELLIOT
    Canada  Dir: Matthew Bauckman, Jaret Belliveau
    Making micro-budget martial arts films in small-town Nova Scotia, Elliot “White Lightning” Scott is determined to become Canada’s first big-screen action hero. Winner: Best Documentary Feature, Slamdance 2014. Quebec Premiere

    TO BE TAKEI
    USA Dir: Jennifer M. Kroot, Bill Weber
    A triumphant documentary chronicling his humble beginnings through the unmistakable cultural icon George Takei has become today, TO BE TAKEI charmingly chronicles the life, love, and mission of a true American hero who makes us all say, “Oh my…”. Official Selection: Sundance 2014. Hot Docs 2014. Quebec Premiere.

    Previously announced Documentaries from the Edge titles: THE CREEPING GARDEN (World Premiere), FIGHT CHURCH (International Premiere), SEARCH FOR WENG WENG (North American Premiere). 

    AND NOW, FOR THE REST OF THE PACK!

    1987
    Canada  Dir: Ricardo Trogi
    From first job and first love to final exam and end of school, Ricardo Trogi’s autobiographical 1987, following his earlier 1981, vividly revisits the ups and downs of everyone’s teenage years. Montreal Premiere,

    ANIMOSITY
    USA  Dir: Brendan Steere
    Brandan Steere’s ghastly yet character-driven nightmare is one of those rare works of which it’s best to say as little as possible. It’s up to the viewer to discover what lurks in this profoundly cruel tale in which masks are lifted to expose an unspeakable horror. A brilliant debut. Produced by Roy Frumkes (STREET TRASH, DOCUMENT OF THE DEAD). WINNER: Best Actress and Best Horror Film, Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival. International Premiere.

    BLACK BUTLER
    Japan Dir: Kentaro Otani, Keiichi Sato
    Shiori sold her soul to avenge her parents’ murder. She and her diabolical butler Sebastian are on a mission… The hit manga’s action-packed big-screen adaptation will thrill diehard fans and newbies alike. Quebec Premiere.

    BLACK MOUNTAIN SIDE
    Canada Dir: Nick Szostakiwskyj
    Scientists in Canada’s remote wilderness uncover an ancient stone structure and unleash an inexplicable evil. A calculating and claustrophobic snowbound shocker that casts a spell of quiet madness, this powerful feature debut from Calgary-born Nick Szostakiwskyj is evocative of Larry Fessenden. World Premiere.

    COLD EYES
    South Korea Dir: Cho Ui-seok, Kim Byung-seo
    One of South Korea’s absolute blockbuster hits of 2013, a fast-paced, relentless roller-coaster ride into the high-stakes world of criminal surveillance that will leave you absolutely breathless. Quebec Premiere.

    THE CREEP BEHIND THE CAMERA
    USA  Dir: Pete Schuermann
    A tumultuous portrait of a talentless artist with disproportionate ambition, THE CREEP BEHIND THE CAMERA pays vibrant tribute to an inglorious chapter in the history of genre cinema detailing the life of decadent hoodlum filmmaker Vic Savage and the disastrous making of THE CREEPING TERROR. Official Selection: Imagine Film Festival, Amsterdam, 2014. North American Premiere.

    DAYS OF WRATH
    South Korea  Dir: Shin Dong-yeop
    Fifteen years after the torments of his teenage days, Joon-seok seeks vengeance on his erstwhile tormentor, Chang-sik. A Korean revenge film that stands out starkly from its predecessors, bringing in a new perspective for which the genre thirsted. International Premiere.

    DEAD SNOW: RED VS DEAD
    Norway  Dir: Tommy Wirkola
    The bigger, bloodier sequel to the 2009 Nazi zombie cult hit from Norway,  DEAD SNOW: RED VS DEAD sees the lone survivor of the first massacre teaming up with the Zombie Squad to confront the legions of living-dead SS soldiers… with their Soviet counterparts! Official Selection: Sundance 2014, Seattle International Film Festival 2014. Canadian Premiere

    THE DEMON WITHIN
    Hong Kong  Dir: Dante Lam
    Beware of the Festival of Hungry Ghosts! The Demon King Gang is creating havoc once again! Lock and load for some high-octane action and horror in a film-noir setting, from Dante Lam (BEAST STALKER, STOOL PIGEON). Quebec Premiere

    DOCTOR PROCTOR’S FART POWDER
    Norway  Dir: Arild Fröhlich
    Nilly and Lisa encounter the eccentric Dr. Proctor, whose new anti-baldness powder won’t put hairs on your head, but will put the wind in your sails! Pure and potent giggle-inducing goofiness, an over-the-top tale with a visual aesthetic to match, from the director of 2008’s beloved FATSO! International Premiere.

    DYS-
    Canada  Dir: Maude Michaud
    With their marriage in decline, a couple hole up in their condo as a virus sweeps through society outside. Can they survive the epidemic… and each other? A familiar theme, approached from an effective new angle. World Premiere.

    EJECTA
    Canada  Dirs: Chad Archibald, Matt Wiele
    Written by acclaimed author/screenwriter Tony Burgess (PONTYPOOL), this original concept for an alien-themed horror film stars the great Julian Richings and is half nail-biting found-footage terror and half suspense-laden conspiracy thriller. From the team behind this year’s THE DROWNSMAN. World Premiere.

    THE FATAL ENCOUNTER
    South Korea Dir: Lee Jae-kyoo
    This powerful, tragic political thriller retells an oft-told tale of true history, of an attack on the so-called “King of Misfortune” in 1777 Korea. A superior slice of silks-and-swordplay, sultry, sumptuous, sophisticated — and savage. Quebec Premiere.

    FAULTS
    USA  Dir: Riley Stearns
    A washed-up, cash-strapped former “deprogrammer” of cult victims (Leland Orser) is asked to do an intervention on a young woman (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who’s deeply ensnared in a cult that calls itself “Faults”.  A slow-burning, thoroughly engaging huis clos, a smart and assured essay on the creation and breakdown of faith, a gripping meditation on the manipulation of certainty and doubt. Official Selection: SXSW 2014. International Premiere.

    THE FIVES
    South Korea Dir: Jeong Yeon-shik
    Wheelchair-bound Eun-a seeks vengeance on the serial killer who slew her family, and assembles a group of desperate misfits to execute her plan. A gripping, fast-moving team spin on the familiar Korean revenge-thriller formula. Canadian Premiere.

    FOUR CORNERS
    South Africa  Dir: Ian Gabriel
    Recalling CITY OF GOD, this South African gang-related crime drama — shot in locations where the media or even the authorities aren’t allowed to tread — is a magnificently staged motion picture filled with breathtaking realism. Official Selection: Sydney Film Festival 2014. Quebec Premiere.

    GOAL OF THE DEAD
    France  Dir: Benjamin Rocher, Thierry Poiraud
    Experimental steroids turn a surly football fan into a mutant zombie hooligan, whose vomit spreads the infection on the eve of a major stadium game. Divided in two segments, the first directed by Benjamin Rocher (LA HORDE) and the second by Thierry Poiraud (ATOMIK CIRCUS), you better have your umbrella handy when the spraying starts. North American Premiere.

    THE GREEN INFERNO
    USA  Dir: Eli Roth
    HOSTEL creator Eli Roth’s return to the director’s chair is a cannibal nightmare in the Amazonian jungle, in the classic Italian style, true to the form both in terms of graphic content and the themes of civility vs. civilization. Official Selection: Toronto International Film Festival 2013, Edinburgh International Film Festival 2014. Quebec Premiere.

    GUARDIAN 
    Indonesia  Dir: Helfi Kardit
    After THE RAID: REDEMPTION (2011) and THE RAID 2 (2014), Indonesia serves up GUARDIAN, an old-school action flick is which a mother pressures her daughter to master the martial arts following the murder of her father. International Premiere.

    GUN WOMAN
    Japan  Dir: Kurando Mitsutake
    Japanese actress Asami is a  junkie hooker transformed into a ruthless assassin in this ultraviolent action flick.  If you’re into gunfights, hand-to-hand combat and floods of blood, set your sights on GUN WOMAN. Canadian Premiere.

    HASEE TOH PHASEE
    India  Dir: Vinil Mathew
    As his wedding approaches, Nikhil must take care of his fiancé’s younger sister in this romantic comedy from India — a solid piece of entertainment filled with funny moments, rich dialogue, fantastic performances and delicious tunes!

    HONEYMOON
    USA  Dir: Leigh Janiak
    For all of the strange places HONEYMOON is willing to go, its success lies in its scariest moments being entirely human. Bubbling just underneath the distressing question of, “How well do I know who I married?” is another dreadful prospect: “Am I enough for this stranger?”.  Official Selection: Tribeca 2014. Canadian Premiere.

    THE HOOLIGAN FACTORY
    UK  Dir: Nick Nevern
    A dynamic, parodist plunge into that particularly male, regional and unique tradition of disturbing the peace, the football hooligan. A hell of a good time for sports fans and aficionados of British comedy alike. North American Premiere.

    THE HOUSE AT THE END OF TIME
    Venezuela  Dir: Alejandro Hidalgo
    Creepy, touching and truly extraordinary, Venezuela’s first full-on genre film production plays like Latin American Richard Matheson story told through the prism of del Toro and Amenábar. Winner: Audience Award, Best Film, Mérida Venezuela Film Festival 2013, Official Selection: Fantasporto 2014. North American Premiere.

    HWAYI: A MONSTER BOY 
    South Korea  Dir: Jang Joon-hwan
    Kidnapped by five criminals in his infancy, Hwayi has spent the last decade shacked up in the woods, learning how to be a cold-blooded killing machine. An exploration of evil from the creator of the cult classic SAVE THE GREEN PLANET! North American Premiere.

    KABISERA 
    Philippines  Dir : Alfonso Torre III
    Following a haunting dream, a felon-turned-fisherman finds a shipment of methamphetamine — and soon finds himself trapped in a nightmare. One of the most powerful, lasting genre films to come out of the Phillipines in recent year. Quebec Premiere.

    KRRISH 3
    India  Dir: Rakesh Roshan
    Hrithik Roshan once again jumps into his superhero costume to deliver the long-awaited KRRISH 3. Rakesh Roshan hasn’t changed a thing in the delicious recipe that has turned India’s Krrish into a planetary hero.

    LATE PHASES
    USA  Dir: Adrián García Bogliano
    The tight-knit retirement community of Crescent Bay is harbouring something truly sinister in its midst… From the director of HERE COMES THE DEVIL comes a true love letter to ’80s monster-movie buffs and all those hankering for a good old-fashioned werewolf picture. Official Selection: SXSW 2014, Stanley Film Festival 2014

    LEROY THE SPACE COWBOY
    USA  Dir: LeRoy McCoy
    An unclassifiable, oddball DIY outsider epic, shot over a period of 15 years in the filmmaker’s backyard, starring its mad creator LeRoy McCoy-  as virtually every character in the film! World Premiere.

    METALHEAD
    Iceland  Dir: Ragnar Bragason
    Director Ragnar Bragason, one of Iceland’s most acclaimed directors (CHILDREN, PARENTS, TV’s NIGHTSHIFT), and award-winning lead actress Thorbjörg Helga Dyrfjörd (THE DEEP) join forces to produce a fascinating, nuanced portrait of familial grief, rural life, and religion that ultimately subverts the concept of the stereotypical macho metalhead and celebrates the subculture of alienation that defines the genre. Quebec Premiere.

    THE MOLE SONG – UNDERCOVER AGENT REIJI 
    Japan  Dir: Takashi Miike
    Disgraced cop Reiji Kikukawa is sent undercover to infiltrate the most powerful yakuza clan in Japan. With its marvellously absurd humour and contagious energy, THE MOLE SONG marks Miike’s magnificent return to comedy! Quebec Premiere.

    MR. GO
    South Korea/China  Dir: Kim Yong-hwa
    Teenage Weiwei brings her gorilla with a powerhouse swing to the Asian baseball scene, to save her family’s debt-ridden circus. Korea’s first 3D blockbuster, an ambitious pan-Asian production, hits a home run! Canadian Premiere.

    NUIGULUMAR Z (Gothic Lolita Battle Bear)
    Japan  Dir: Noboru Iguchi
    Get ready for sugar and spice and everything nice — set on maximum slice and dice! Cosplay and kawaii collide with Japanese sci-fi superheroics and zombie gore in GOTHIC LOLITA BATTLE BEAR! Canadian Premiere.

    THE ONE I LOVE
    USA  Dir: Charlie McDowell
    Mark Duplass and Elizabeth Moss are an unhappy married couple at a therapeutic retreat who make a startling discovery that catapults them into the realm of the bizarre. A delightful rom-com huis-clos of the most unexpected kind. Official Selection: Sundance 2014

    PATCH TOWN
    Canada  Dir: Craig Goodwill
    A couple flee a sinister living-doll factory in this riotous Canadian musical overflowing with wry humour and striking dystopian visuals in the vein of Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Quebec Premiere

    PREMATURE
    USA  Dir: Dan Beers
    GROUNDHOG DAY’s déja-vu meets AMERICAN PIE’s dirty jokes in Dan Beers’s debut teen-comedy feature. The variations on the premise are ingenious and the narrative arc absolutely delirious! Official Selection: SXSW 2014. Canadian Premiere.

    PRESERVATION
    USA  Dir: Christopher Denham
    Three people drive out to the woods for an isolated camping trip. The game changes and, stripped of their wireless lifelines, they must pull together against an unseen, ruthless and heavily armed threat. A visceral white-knuckle thriller from Christopher Denham, whose phenomenal 2008 debut HOME MOVIE World Premiered here. Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival 2014. International Premiere.

    PROM NIGHT
    Canada Dir: Paul Lynch
    Special unveiling of Synapse Films’ stunning 2K restoration of the 1980 disco slasher cult classic starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielson.

    REAL 
    Japan Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
    The Escher-like subconscious mindscape of a loved one becomes a spirit-laden underworld to explore in this bizarre, surreal, supremely beautiful sci-fi melodrama from Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Quebec Premiere.

    RUROUNI KENSHIN – KYOTO INFERNO
    Japan  Dir: Keishi Otomo
    Long awaited sequel of the live action movie RUROUNI KENSHIN (2012) has finally arrived! Based on the best-selling manga series of the same title, this two-part film revolves around Kenshin’s desperate struggle to protect the nation and the people he loves from the conspiracy of Shishio, a former government assassin and Kenshin’s notorious successor, to overthrow the government. International Premiere.

    THE SNOW WHITE MURDER CASE 
    Japan Dir: Yoshihiro Nakamura
    Playing out like an endlessly fragmented retelling of RASHOMON for the digital age, the latest from Yoshihiro Nakamura (FISH STORY, GOLDEN SLUMBER) is a strikingly modern whodunit. Quebec Premiere.

    SPACE STATION ‘76
    USA Dir: Jack Plotnick
    Can the crew of Omega 76 handle their emotional baggage and dysfunctional relationships as a deadly asteroid hurtles towards them? Retro-kitsch comedy and straightfaced soap opera collide in this stellar pastiche the 1970s space-base genre, starring Patrick Wilson and Liv Tyler. Official Selection: SXSW 2014 International Premiere.

    THE SPY: UNDERCOVER OPERATION
    South Korea Dir: Lee Seung-jun
    Elite operative Agent Kim must keep a second Korean War from breaking out — and his marriage from breaking apart! Equal parts zany rom-com and intense thriller, THE SPY is a mirthful mash-up of gritty gunplay and goofball gags. Canadian Premiere.

    THE SUSPECT
    South Korea Dir: Won Shin-yeon
    A North Korean super-soldier turned defector is drawn into a morally murky maelstrom of secrets, lies and sudden, furious yet precise violence. A tough, tight political action thriller with a soul. Canadian Premiere.

    THERMAE ROMAE II
    Japan  Dir: Hideaki Takeuchi
    Time-travelling Roman bathhouse architect Lucius returns! Funnier, more grandiose and irreverent, this second journey from Ancient Rome to modern Japan, care of director Hideaki Takeuchi, is frankly spectacular. International Premiere.

    TIME LAPSE
    USA Dir: Bradley King
    A janitor stumbles across a machine that takes photos of the future, 24 hours ahead. A captivating sci-fi thriller evoking the golden days of Hitchcock and THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Winner: Best International Feature, London Independent Film Festival 2014, Official Selection: Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival 2014. Canadian Premiere.

    UZUMASA LIMELIGHT 
    Japan Dir: Ken Ochiai
    Old Kamiyama the swordfight-death specialist is a legend around Kyoto’s Uzumasa Studios, but his star, however small it ever was, has dimmed. A journey into the inner workings of Japanese pop entertainment, in its golden era and today. Canadian Premiere.

    WETLANDS
    Germany  Dir: David Wnendt
    Bursting with kinetic energy, WETLANDS has become a festival underdog across the world. It’s a bold, great time, an in-your-face eccentric romp that smartly challenges social taboos with punk rock zeal and a whole lot of heart. Official Selection: Locarno 2013, Sundance 2014.

    WOLFCOP
    Canada  Dir: Lowell Dean
    No one is above the claw when WolfCop’s on duty! A high-flying, hard-drinking, blood-spraying burst of Canuxploitation awesome, capturing the off-the-rails energy of the classic VHS era that spawned it. Quebec Premiere.

    THE ZERO THEOREM
    UK-Romania  Dir: Terry Gilliam
    Qohen Leth is determined to crack the Zero Theorem and discover the reason for all existence, provided he can work without distraction. But those distractions keep coming. Terry Gilliam’s latest will finally be lighting up a Canadian screen! Official Selection: Venice Film Festival 2013, Fantastic Fest 2013, Glasgow Film Festival 2014. Canadian Premiere.

    ZOMBEAVERS
    USA  Dir: Jordan Rubin
    A siege on a secluded cabin pits sexy coeds and frat-boy bros — and a few eccentric older characters — against the ugly, furry, glowing-red-eyed hordes that emerge from their dam to feast on human flesh. Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival 2014. International Premiere.

    ZOMBIE TV
    Japan  Dir: Maelie Makuno, Naoya Tashiro, Yoshihiro Nishimura
    Ever dreamed of zombie-only cable TV, broadcasting all things putrefied, decomposing and brain-hungry, 24 hours a day, all year round? A severed-tongue-firmly-planted- in-rotten-cheek, all-you-can-eat zombie-party anthology from Yoshihiro Nishimura and co. Canadian Premiere.

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  • Winners Announced for 2014 Roxbury International Film Festival. ‘The Life & Crimes of Doris Payne’ Wins Top Award

     The Life & Crimes of Doris PayneThe Life & Crimes of Doris Payne

    The Roxbury International Film Festival (RIFF) which ran from Wednesday, June 25 to Sunday June 29 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, announced the jury and audience award winners.

    “This year the Roxbury International Film Festival broke new ground with 30 stellar, high quality films and great audience participation for the record number of filmmakers present to discuss their films,” said festival director Lisa Simmons.  “It was so difficult to name the awardees because of the incredible work that was screened over the five days. Congratulations to all the filmmakers!”

    The Festival’s top honor The Audience Favorite Award was given to filmmakers Matthew Pond and Kirk Marcolina for their film The Life & Crimes of Doris Payne, a riveting story of an 83 year old African American international jewel thief.

    The juried awards are the Narrative Feature and Narrative Short Award, the Documentary Feature and Documentary Short Award, and The Henry Hampton Award for Documentary Filmmaking.  The award is based on the award winning filmmaker Henry Hampton who created the Eyes on the Prize series among many others before his untimely death in 1998, and The Kay Bourne Emerging Filmmaker Award for a local filmmaker who has shown great promise in the film presented.

    The Narrative Feature Award recognizes the top narrative film in competition at the Festival and went to Darius Britt for his film Unsound, which made its New England premiere at the Festival and screened at the American Black Film Festival prior to screening at RIFF.   Narrative Short Award was bestowed upon Moon Molsen for his film The Bravest, The Boldest which screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014.

    The Documentary Feature Award recognizes the top documentary film in competition at the Festival and went to Raouf J. Jacob and Lara Moreno for A Culture of Silence.  An honorable mention was also bestowed upon Chris Wilson and Stephen Witte for their film, You Have His Eyes, which also made its world premiere at the Festival.

    The Documentary Short Award recognizes the film that like the feature informs audiences of an unknown and compelling story. This award went to Coy Poiter for Cowboys of Color:  A Multi-Cultural Legacy, which made its world premiere at the festival.  An honorable mention was bestowed upon Gabriela Lozada Pozo for La Marea, a touching story about love and life on a small island.

    The Henry Hampton Award for Documentary Filmmaking was given to Noube Rateau for his film The Culture.  The award is named after the award winning filmmaker Henry Hampton who produced such films as Eyes on The Prize and I’ll Make Me A World.

    The Kay Bourne Emerging Filmmaker Award was given to Sam Powell and Peter Neudel for their film Good Fences, (also a world premiere at RIFF).  The award is named on behalf of Kay Bourne, a beloved writer who has been covering arts and entertainment in Boston for over 45 years.

    Just completing its 16th year, the Roxbury International Film Festival showcases films that incite action, educate, and share distinct and diverse images of people of color from across the world. Touted as a filmmaker’s festival, the festival prides itself on providing the best filmmaker experience with state of the art screening venues and a deeply dedicated audience base. 

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  • Film Line-up with Trailers for 2014 Rural Route Festival

    Butter on the LatchButter on the Latch

    The lineup was announced earlier this week for the 10th annual edition for the Rural Route Festival taking place August 8 to 10 at Museum of the Moving Image in New York City.  Some of the highlights of this year’s festival include a 50th anniversary presentation on restored 35mm of Parajanov’s legendary Ukraine/Carpathian-set Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, plus a new DCP Director’s Cut restoration of the British cult classic, Wicker Man, and a rare 16mm print of the great ethnomusicologist, Alan Lomax’s film on British May Day celebrations, Oss Oss Wee Oss.  

    Cutting-edge new films include Josephine Decker’s Butter on the Latch, alongside the North American Premiere of Ukrainian documentary, Krasna Malanka, the one-of-a-kind mythological fiction about one of the most unique ethnic groups within Russia, Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari, the World Premiere of renowned fashion casting director, Daniel Peddle’s Sunset Edge, and the new documentary on Yugoslavian Black Wave director, Karpo Godina, Karpotrotter.

    Full Program available at http://ruralroutefilms.com/2014-festival/

    Trailers

    http://youtu.be/eTs4JCS_TnQ

     

    http://youtu.be/yXFYU3v-wL4

     

    http://youtu.be/GA_e3LV6z0E

     

    http://youtu.be/Qee4IEZ-ErY

     

    http://youtu.be/oafgQWJ0nNM

     

    http://youtu.be/Tj3naQeuTcg

     

    http://youtu.be/z6A5Cd1Wn5U

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  • See 10 Images from Animated Feature Film ROCKS IN MY POCKETS

    rocks in my pockets poster

    Check out 10 images from ROCKS IN MY POCKETS, the debut animated feature by Signe Baumane. In the animated gem ROCKS IN MY POCKETS Latvian-born artist and filmmaker Signe Baumane tells five fantastical tales based on the courageous women in her family and their battles with madness. 

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  • Animated Feature Film ROCKS IN MY POCKETS Sets Release Date (Release Date UPDATE)

    rocks in my pockets 

    Zeitgeist Films will release ROCKS IN MY POCKETS, the debut animated feature by Signe Baumane. ROCKS IN MY POCKETS had its World Premiere at the 2014 Karlovy Vary Film Festival where it was the first animated feature ever to take part in the Karlovy Vary International Competition. The film will open at the IFC Center in New York on September 3rd, NOT 5th, and at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles on September 12. A national release will follow.

    In the animated gem ROCKS IN MY POCKETS Latvian-born artist and filmmaker Signe Baumane tells five fantastical tales based on the courageous women in her family and their battles with madness. With boundless imagination and a twisted sense of humor, she has created daring stories of art, romance, marriage, nature, business, and Eastern European upheaval—all in the fight for her own sanity.

    Employing a unique, beautifully textured combination of papier-mâché stop-motion and classic hand-drawn animation (with inspiration from Jan Svankmajer and Bill Plympton), Baumane has produced a poignant and often hilarious tale of mystery, mental health, redemption and survival. 

    http://youtu.be/gJcVnFripdc

    Director’s statement:

    The idea for ROCKS IN MY POCKETS came from my stream of consciousness. Like most people I think about a wide variety of things, some fantastical, some mundane, but my mind keeps coming back to thoughts of “ending it all” and the ways I could go about doing it. Why? Why do I think this way? And why I am still alive despite such thoughts? I find the fragility of our minds fascinating. Life is strange, unpredictable, sometimes absurd and I try to see the humor in it all. 

    While I was studying at Moscow State University, I got pregnant and married the father of my future child, a Russian artist. After my son was born, I started having dark obsessive thoughts. I sought council with a local psychiatrist to whom I confessed that, at 18, I had tried to commit suicide by taking an excessive amount of Dimedrol. I was immediately sent to a Soviet mental hospital and locked away for four months. The official diagnosis was schizophrenia, but this was downgraded to the “lesser” one of manic-depression after my parents bribed medical officials.

    Despite the diagnosis, I returned to the university, graduated successfully, and started my career as an animator. It turned out that I was not the only one in my extended family having dark, obsessive thoughts. In fact, I had plenty of company. Unfortunately, not all of the sufferers were able to fend their demons off.

    ROCKS IN MY POCKETS is dedicated to my family members who did not survive, and to my surviving family, who still live in the aftermath. The film is dedicated to the hope that we sustain in our darkest moments.

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  • A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake Documentary about South African Actors to World Premiere at 2014 Durban International Film Festival

    Sibulele Gcilitshana, Quanita Adams, Sandile Matsheni & Jenny Stead, performing Truth in TranslationSibulele Gcilitshana, Quanita Adams, Sandile Matsheni & Jenny Stead, performing Truth in Translation

    A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake, the documentary debut of television/film/theatre director Michael Lessac, will World Premiere at the Durban International Film Festival taking place in venues in and around Durban,  South Africa from July 17 to 27, 2014.  The gala screening is on July 20, 2014.

    A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake follows a diverse group of South African actors as they tour global war-torn regions to share their country’s experience of reconciliation. As they ignite dialogue among people with raw memories of atrocity, the actors find they must confront once again their homeland’s complicated and violent past – and question their own capacity for healing and forgiveness.

    A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake was edited by Joel Plotch (In the Company of Men; Nurse Betty; Gone). It was produced by Jacqueline Bertrand Lessac and Emma Tammi and Executive Produced by Jonathan Gray, and Robert Lear.  It features never-before-heard original music by jazz legend Hugh Masekela, with lyrics taken from TRC personal testimonies. 

    “Can we forgive the past, to survive the future?” This profound question, posed by Nelson Mandela, become a mandate by which other nations could live.  Lessac wanted to better understand the subtleties of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and in so doing, bring the story of the TRC to a wider audience while exploring the possibility of the TRC as a concept which could successfully be exported to other post-conflict zones.

    In 2001, Lessac returned to the Colonnades Theatre Laboratory, which he had founded 25 years before in New York City, to find a way of telling the story of the South African TRC as theatre’s way of prompting others to drop their masks and tell the truth.

    He wanted to look beyond the presentations of victim and perpetrator and instead examine the role of the interpreters who translated the TRC proceedings into SA’s 11 official languages.  Lessac was intrigued by the fact that the interpreters, simultaneously translating in the first person, could never turn away from atrocity. He was fascinated with what the TRC looked like through the eyes of people who, for two and a half years, verbalised every moment of the hearings.  He met with actual TRC interpreters as they relived their stories and memories for the first time. Their experiences became the starting point for the journey ahead.

    In 2003, after interviewing over 350 actors in SA, Lessac held a three-week workshop with the core of chosen actors who developed script material out of their own life-experiences intertwined with the lives of the interpreters.

    The theatrical vehicle for these conversations was a production entitled Truth in Translation, a hard-edged, multi-award winning theatrical production, with accompanying workshops, created between 2003 and 2006. It opened in Rwanda and toured to three continents; 11 countries and 26 cities. It has played to more than 55 000 people and facilitated conflict transformation workshops for more than 10 000 participants.

    The documentary A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake is the result of this journey – a glimpse into the lives and minds of a group of South African performers who shared and listened; facilitated and responded to the heartbreaking real-life personal stories of the human casualties of global conflict. As South Africans representing various facets of South African society, they were forced to look at whether they themselves had even successfully “reconciled” their own individual pasts, and realised just how complex and challenging it is to engage with the multifaceted concept of forgiveness.

    “For me, this film pays homage to a very special group of South African actors and interpreters who were warriors of the most special kind.  They allowed themselves to travel through worlds that were often more painful than their own worst nightmares,” considers Lessac.

    The documentary’s intriguing title refers to a question which often appears in conflict situations when asked why perpetrators killed young babies. The answer, irrespective of culture is always, one way or another, “A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake.”

    “The film was originally titled Truth in Translation, just like the play. We changed it to A Snake Gives Birth to a Snake because no matter how true that might be, when revenge is celebrated as heroism, it is a poor excuse for killing.” 

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  • FIFI HOWLS FROM HAPPINESS – a documentary about a gay Iranian artist – opens in NYC August 8; in LA August 15

     Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh and Bahman Mohassess in FIFI HOWLS FROM HAPPINESS. Courtesy of Music Box FilmsRamin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh and Bahman Mohassess in FIFI HOWLS FROM HAPPINESS. Courtesy of Music Box Films

    Music Box Films will release FIFI HOWLS FROM HAPPINESS, the award-winning documentary film by Mitra Farahani in the U.S. The film had its World premiere as the Official Selection at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival and screened at numerous film festivals including New York, Telluride, and Seattle. FIFI HOWLS FROM HAPPINESS will open at the Lincoln Plaza in New York on August 8, and at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles on August 15. A national release will follow.

    Mitra Farahani’s lyrical documentary explores the enigma of provocative artist Bahman Mohassess, the so-called “Persian Picasso,” whose acclaimed paintings and sculptures dominated pre-revolutionary Iran.  Irreverent and uncompromising, a gay man in a hostile world, Mohassess had a conflicted relationship with his homeland—revered by elites in the art scene and praised as a national icon, only to be censored later by an oppressive regime.  Known for his iconoclastic art as well as his scathing declarations, Mohasses abandoned the country over 30 years ago for a simple, secluded life in Italy.

    Bahman Mohassess in FIFI HOWLS FROM HAPPINESS. Courtesy of Music Box FilmsBahman Mohassess in FIFI HOWLS FROM HAPPINESS. Courtesy of Music Box Films

    While the new Iranian government destroyed many of his works, Mohasses himself obliterated even more– in rage at man’s inhumanity to man, environmental destruction, and the futility of idealism.  Ranging from tender to playful to haunting to grotesque, these unforgettable pieces were as mercurial as the man himself, a chain-smoking recluse with the mouth of a sailor and the soul of a poet, touched by a mischievous spark and as likely to lapse into a political rant as a burst of eccentric laughter.

    Determined to interview Mohassess, fine artist/filmmaker Farahani discovers him living alone in a hotel room in Rome and begins to craft the perfect final biography, in his own words and on his terms.  Along the way, the inimitable spirit of the man behind the image is laid bare—both painfully sensitive and crudely comical, “condemned to paint,” but unable to compel himself to leave anything behind as a legacy.   When a pair of artist brothers and ardent fans of Mohassess commission him for an ambitious project, the elderly man is inspired with a renewed sense of purpose and returns to painting after decades of dormancy.  A lasting tribute to an elusive artistic genius, FIFI HOWLS FROM HAPPINESS affirms the power of creative freedom, the right of the artist to create and to destroy, and above all, to have no regrets.

    http://youtu.be/50Isgf9j9Dw

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  • Morelia Film Festival Unveils Official 2014 Poster

     morelia film festival 2014

    The Morelia International Film Festival unveiled the poster for the festival’s 12th edition taking place October 17-26, 2014, which celebrates the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

    Throughout the year, FICM will gradually reveals the festival details that will characterize its next edition, beginning with the date of publication of the call, the announcement of the Official Selection, programming and, of course, the release of its image.

    In an interview, Rodrigo Toledo, designer of the FICM image, shared his creative process of each year: “It’s re-interpreting the same theme. Re-inventing the black thread again and again and reconvening the basic elements, which are even in the title: festival, film, Morelia. I start with that and then try to go on a tangent and create an abstract feeling, but you start with the basic building blocks.”

    In relation to the poster of the 12th FICM, Toledo said that his first source of inspiration was Mexican nationalist art of the period of Lázaro Cárdenas and also the graphic design of the Spanish Republic. “In the end, the image is inspired by the posters of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema which, curiously, were designed by the same artists of the Republican posters – exiles who came to Mexico.”

    For Toledo, the image of the 12th FICM “represents film, first, by means of nostalgia, by means of nationalism, but not as nationalism is understood today, but by way of exalting that which is Mexican.” Choosing an iconic diva as protagonist was influenced by the amount of beautiful pictures that exist of Mexican actresses of that time. Furthermore, according to Toledo: “This is the third time that we use a female character, and indirectly I tell myself – she is Morelia.”

    The publication of the festival poster is one of the first signs that the next FICM is near. On August 8, the results of the call, in which more than 750 Mexican films enrolled, will be announced.

     

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  • French director Claude Lelouch Latest Film “We Love You, You Bastard” to Open 2014 Montreal World Film Festival

    alaud, on t’aime, (We Love You, You Bastard)  

    Salaud, on t’aime, (We Love You, You Bastard) the latest film by celebrated French director Claude Lelouch, will open the 38th edition of the Montreal World Film Festival on August 21, it was announced by the MWFF’s president Serge Losique and director-general Danièle Cauchard. “I am faithful to this great festival and I am very happy to return to Montreal to show Salaud, on t’aime,” declared Lelouch. “The Montreal World Film Festival has been an excellent platform for my films and I wish its 38th edition the greatest success.”

    We Love You, You Bastard tells the story of Jacques Kaminsky (Johnny Hallyday), a war photographer and absent father who spends more time with his camera than his four daughters (played by Irène Jacob, Pauline Lefebvre, Sarah Kazemy and Jenna Thiam), lives happily in the Alps with his new girlfriend (Sandrine Bonnaire). This all changes the day his best friend Frederick (Eddy Mitchell) attempts to reconcile with his family by telling them a big lie.

    The film’s Eddy Mitchell-Johnny Hallyday duo reflects the friendship the two have maintained off-screen for many years. As usual, Claude Lelouch, has painted a warm family portrait, surrounding himself with a host of actresses and actors who evoke the complexity of human relationships. Alongside the two principal male protagonists and the actresses impersonating Johnny Hallyday’s daughters, the cast includes Isabelle de Hertogh (whom Lelouch discovered at the MWFF in the film Hasta la Vista!, winner of the 2011 Grand Prize of the Americas as well as the festival’s Audience Award), Valerie Kaprisky, Rufus, Agnes Soral and, in her screen debut, Stella Lelouch, Claude’s daughter.

    The 38th MWFF will be held August 21 to September 1, 2014.

     

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  • Rome Film Festival Reveals Big Changes for 2014 Festival

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    The Artistic Director of the Rome Film Festival, Marco Müller, announced some of the new features of the Festival’s ninth edition, which will take place from October 16 to 25, 2014 at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, produced by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma. The audience will be the star of the event and will choose the award-winners in each section of the programme: the most important acknowledgments will therefore be awarded on the basis of the votes cast by the audience after the screenings.

    Further changes will involve the Official Selection and its different sections, which have all changed name and focus, and are all competitive. In this sense, the structure of the 2014 Festival will be “slimmer” than in the past, based on a total of 40 feature-length films: Cinema d’Oggiwill present films by both young and well-known authors, Gala will select the season’s great “popular but original” films, Mondo Genere will be a collection of films from various film genres, while Prospettive Italia will present a survey of the latest trends in Italian fiction films and documentaries (the new regulations do not include medium-length and short films). At the end of each screening, the audience will give their vote and assign: the BNL People’s Choice Award  | Gala, in collaboration with the Festival Main Partner BNL Gruppo BNP Paribas, thePeople’s Choice Award  | Cinema d’Oggi, the People’s Choice Award | Mondo Genere, the People’s Choice Award  |  Cinema Italia (Fiction)and the People’s Choice Award  | Cinema Italia (Documentary). On Sunday, October 26 all the winning films will be screened.

    The 2014 Festival will pay particular attention to emerging cinema: the debut and second feature-length films included in all the sections (including both the Official Selection and the Independent and Parallel Sidebars) will compete for the TAODUE Camera d’Oro Prize for best debut or second work, awarded by a specific and prestigious jury.

    The Artistic Director will also suggest to the Board of Directors the names of the recipients for the following Prizes: the Marc’Aurelio Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating the work of a master of the art of cinema; the Maverick Director Award, for a filmmaker who has consistently broken new ground in cinema;  the Marc’Aurelio Acting Awards, for actors and actresses who have raised acting technique to the highest levels; the Marc’Aurelio of the Future Award, to spotlight the international value of a young director.

    Furthermore the DOC.IT association will award a prize to the Best Italian Documentary.

    In addition to the Official Selection, the Festival will also feature Alice nella Città, an independent and parallel sidebar with its own organization and regulations, directed by Gianluca Giannelli and Fabia Bettini. Alice nella Città will present a selection of youth-oriented films awarded by a jury composed of youngsters between the age of 14 and 18, to be selected on the national territory.

    The team of the selection committee and consultants that ensured the success of the Festival’s 2013 edition has been confirmed. The selection committee consists of Laura Buffoni, Marie-Pierre Duhamel, Massimo Galimberti, Manlio Gomarasca, Sandra Hebron, Giona A. Nazzaro, and Mario Sesti. The consultants are Chen Zhiheng (Chinese area), Deepti D’Cunha (India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka), Babak Karimi (Iran), Diego Lerer (Central and South America), Aliona Shumakova (Russia and CIS – Commonwealth of Independent States), Tomita Mikiko (Japan).

    From October 17 to 21, the International Film Market (TBS – The Business Street and NCN – New Cinema Network) will open the doors of the historic Hotel Bernini Bristol once again to the representatives of the international industry. Many events are currently being planned for the TBS Market with the support of long-term partners such as ICE, ANICA, and Rai Trade. They include a Focus on Brazil and Argentina, completed by a series of screenings addressed to the professionals of the film industry and by a conference to present guidelines and experiences in the cooperation between Italy and the two South American countries; the third edition of China Day, dedicated to the promotion of the Italian cinema system on the Chinese market and to the development of trade and co-production between the two countries; Remake it!, a project dedicated to remakes of hit films, to discover and select particularly appealing stories that can communicate with audiences all over the world.

    Finally the New Cinema Network, the international market for projects, will present a special focus entitled “The Great Beauties”, offering a selection of projects by foreign directors – both auteur and genre films – to be shot on location in Italy. The purpose is to encourage international co-productions, from both an artistic and a financial point of view, to promote Italy as an ideal territory for setting and shooting films.

    via Press Release / Image via Facebook 

     

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  • Cancer Documentary SECOND OPINION: Laetrile at Sloan-Kettering – opens Aug. 29 in NYC; Sept. 5 in LA

     SECOND OPINION: Laetrile at Sloan-Kettering

    SECOND OPINION: Laetrile at Sloan-Kettering, a documentary film by Eric Merola, will open at Cinema Village in NYC on August 29, and at Laemmle Music Hall in LA on September 5. A national release will follow.  SECOND OPINION: Laetrile at Sloan-Kettering is the remarkable true story of a young science-writer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, who risked everything by blowing the whistle on a massive cover-up involving a promising cancer therapy.

    The War On Cancer, launched in the early 1970s, set the stage for a massive influx of new ideas in fighting the disease of cancer. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, America’s leading cancer research center at the time, was assigned the task of testing an unconventional therapy called “Laetrile” in an effort to curb the public’s “false hope” in the alleged “quack” therapy. Ralph W. Moss PhD, a young and eager science writer, was hired by Sloan-Kettering’s public relations department in 1974 to help brief the American public on the center’s contribution to the War On Cancer. One of his first assignments was to write a biography about Dr. Kanematsu Sugiura, one of the Center’s oldest and leading research scientists as well as the original co-inventor of chemotherapy.

    While meeting with this iconic scientist to pen a biography on his 60-year career at Sloan-Kettering, Moss discovered that Sugiura had been studying this “quack remedy”
in laboratory mice, and with unexpectedly positive results. Shocked and bewildered, Moss reported back to his superiors what he had discovered, only to be met with backlash and denial from Sloan-Kettering’s leaders on what their own leading scientist had found. Fueled by respect and admiration for Sugiura—Ralph W. Moss attempted to publicize the truth about Sugiura’s findings. And after all diplomatic approaches failed, Moss started living a double life, working as a loyal employee at Sloan-Kettering while also recruiting fellow employees to help anonymously leak this information to the American public—
through a newly formed underground organization they called—“Second Opinion”.

    http://youtu.be/GcCyawsaWZQ

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  • Full Program Announced for 2014 Durban International Film Festival

    durban film film festival 2014

    2014 sees the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) return for its 35th year to celebrate the wonder and diversity of global cinema. From 17 to 27 July, Durban will be lit by the glow of the silver screen, with over 250 screenings in 9 venues across the city. Alongside this smorgasbord of the best of contemporary cinema from around the planet, including 69 feature films, 60 documentaries, 57 short films and 19 surf films, the festival offers a comprehensive workshop and seminar programme that facilitates the sharing of knowledge and skills by film industry experts. 

    This year’s diverse line-up of world-class cinema includes a key focus on 20 years of freedom and democracy in South Africa, as well as a snapshot of contemporary British film and various focus areas. DIFF 2014 includes a generous selection of feature films, cutting edge documentaries, eight packages of short films and a selection of thrilling surf films in the Wavescape Film Festival. This year also sees the return of Durban Wild Talk Africa, which includes a selection of the best environmentally themed films from around the world, as well as the second edition of ‘The Films That Made Me’, in which an acclaimed director introduces five films that have been important to their growth as a filmmaker . 

    South African Focus

    The ever-expanding African film industry will once more be represented at DIFF 2014, although South African film retains its key focus, with 40 feature-length films and 38 short films – most of them receiving their world premieres on Durban screens, and collectively representing by far the largest number of South African films in DIFF’s history.

    This year’s opening night film see the world premiere of Hard to Get, the electrifying feature debut from South African filmmaker Zee Ntuli, who has already received critical acclaim for his short films. The story of the mercurial relationship between a handsome young womaniser and a beautiful, reckless petty criminal, Hard to Get is fuelled by a bewitching visual poetry. Other high-profile South African films being showcased include the engaging thriller Cold Harbour, Between Friends, which recounts a reunion between old varsity friends, Hear Me Move, a locally flavoured dance movie, and Love the One you Love, which explores a constellation of relationships between young South Africans.

    Then there’s the Tyler Perry-flavoured Two Choices, The Two of Us which tells of a relationship between two siblings, and Icehorse, a surreal mystery drama set in the Netherlands from South African director Elan Gamaker. Young Ones is a dystopian down-beat sci-fi flick directed by Jake Paltrow, produced by Spier Films and shot in South Africa, while the French/South African co-production Zulu explores the unhealed wounds of the new South Africa. Finally, DIFF is very proud to present the 1973 film Joe Bullet, the first work to benefit from the Gravel Road legacy project, which aims to restore films lost in the dusty archives of apartheid.

    African Focus

    The rich programme of films from elsewhere on the continent includes a number of artistically and politically brave directorial voices that are unafraid to experiment with form or content. The bewitching and high experimental Bloody Beans recounts the Algerian revolution using a band of young children as its medium of expression, while the utterly charming and super-low-budget Beti and Amare is an Ethiopian vampire film with a difference. 

    DIFF 2014 also acknowledges the political reality of contemporary Africa with films such as Timbuktu from Malian master Abderrahmane Sissako, which recounts Timbuktu’s brief occupation by militant Islamic rebels. The mockumentary hybrid They Are the Dogs is set in Morocco in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, while the engagingly authentic semi-autographical film Die Welt is set in Tunisia shortly after the recent Jasmine Revolution. Imbabazi: The Pardon explores the possibilities of reconciliation in the wake of the Rwandan genocide, and Difret examines the potentially destructive role of patriarchal traditions in contemporary Ethiopia.

    Set in Tanzania, the disturbing but visually powerful White Shadow tells the story of a young albino boy named Alias who is targeted for body parts by muti traders. Veve, the latest film from the producers of the award-winning crime drama Nairobi Half Life, documents the double-crossing lives of those trading in khat or ‘veve’, a mildly narcotic local crop. From Moroccan director Abdellah Taia comes Salvation Army, which tells of a young Arab man grappling with notions of family and sexuality. Then there is the highly anticipated film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun, set against the difficulties of post-independence Nigeria.

    Coz Ov Moni II: FOKN Revenge, billed as ‘the world’s second first pidgin musical’ is a Ghanaian hop-hop opera from rap duo the FOKN Bois, while B for Boy tells the story of how a Nigerian woman’s life is corrupted by the forces of patriarchy and tradition. 

    SPECIAL FOCUS: 20 Years of Freedom and Democracy

    2014 is the 20th anniversary of the advent of a free and non-racial democracy in South Africa. This year’s programme includes a generous spread of documentaries, both from home and abroad, which celebrates, explores and interrogates the progress that South Africa has made as a country over the last two decades. The 20 Years of Freedom and Democracy programme features an expanded South African documentary programme in response to the large number of high quality doccies currently being produced in the country.  

    The result is a rich and diverse slate of films, including Khalo Matabane’s Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me and Miners Shot Down, Rehad Desai’s devastating account of Marikana. They are joined by many other films that chronicle lesser known but no less significant stories behind the end of apartheid and the rebirth of South Africa into a new country. 

    Word Down the Line with Poet Lesego Rampolokeng speaking to Gift (Makahafula Vilakazi) RamashiaWord Down the Line with Poet Lesego Rampolokeng speaking to Gift (Makahafula Vilakazi) Ramashia

    The full selection of the 20 Years of Freedom and Democracy programme are 1994 The Bloody Miracle,  Concerning Violence, Fatherland, Freedom Mixtape (1994-2014), Future Sounds Of Mzansi, Gangster Backstage, I,Afrikaner, Letters To Zohra, Miners Shot Down, My Hood, Nelson Mandela: The Myth & Me, One Humanity , The Other Man, Plot For Peace, Rainbow Makers: Tribute To The Frontline States, Shield And Spear, A Snake Gives Birth To A Snake, Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs And The New South Africa and Word Down The Line. 

    UK Focus

    This year’s UK focus is part a UK-South African cultural season taking place over the next two years. In recognition of this season, DIFF presents a diverse snapshot of contemporary British cinema – including the strangely compelling Lilting which tells the story of the triangular relationship between two gay men and one of their mothers, ’71 which is set in Belfast at the beginning of The Troubles and the highly endearing Frank, which chronicles the misadventures of a band of outsider musicians.

    How I Live Now is a post-apocalyptic tale set in rural England in the wake of a nuclear bomb. The Selfish Giant is a Dickensian tale of two working class boys who live on the knife’s edge of poverty and adolescence. Gone Too Far offers a nuanced look at race in contemporary Britain, while Only Lovers Left Alive is the UK-produced downbeat vampire masterpiece from Jim Jarmusch.

    British Documentaries include InRealLife, which explores our relationship with the internet and social networking technology, the real-life heist drama Smash and Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers, 20 000 Days On Earth, which documents a fictitious day in the life of much-loved musician Nick Cave, Coach Zoran And His African Tigers which tells of the birth of the South Sudan national soccer team, and the UK/SA coproduction One Humanity, which documents the global anti-apartheid movement from the perspective of the two tribute concerts to Nelson Mandela that took place in London in 1988 and 1990.

    In addition to this focus area in DIFF’s programing, the DIFF UK Focus also includes free public screenings of British films, preceded by a programme of short films from South African filmmakers, courtesy of the South African National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF). These screenings will take place on Friday 18 July, Saturday 19 July, Friday 25 July and Saturday 26 July.

    The UK Focus is supported by the British Council, while the beach screenings form part of the British Council’s Connect ZA programme in partnership with the NFVF.

    World Cinema

    Beyond its strong focus on Africa and South Africa, DIFF is a festival of world cinema and, as is the case every year, this year’s edition is filled with a richly diverse selection of films from around the world. From Sweden comes The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared based on the popular novel by Jonas Jonasson. Amazonia (France/ Brazil) follows the epiphanic journey of Sai, a tame capuchin monkey unaware of the wider natural world until the plane on which he is being transported crashes in the Amazon basin. An Episode In The Life Of An Iron Picker (Bosnia and Herzegovina/France/Slovenia) follows a Roma couple as they eke out a tenuous existence, and Arwad (Canada) tells the story of Ali, who, after the death of his mother, escapes to the island of Arwad, off the coast of Syria.

    Then there is the Chinese noir film Black Coal, Thin Ice which follows a dissolute former detective who falls under the spell of a widow with a dark secret. Concrete Clouds (Thailand, Hong Kong SAR China) is a complex story about identity and belonging set against the 1997 Asian economic crisis. The Congress (Israel/ Germany/Poland/ Luxembourg/France/Belgium) is the latest left-field masterpiece from Israeli animator Ari Folman (Waltz with Bashir), while The Lunchbox (France/Germany/ India) is a luminous tale of an isolated housewife who attempts to reignite her relationship with her husband through her delectably prepared meals. In Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy from Thailand, cinema meets social media in an innovative film that is constructed around 410 consecutive Twitter updates. The Austrian film My Blind Heart follows a young man suffering from a rare genetic disorder as he lives a marginal life in the city of Vienna, and Nuoc 2030 from Vietnam is set in a near-futuristic landscape flooded as a result of global warming.

    Nymphomaniac (Denmark/Germany/ France/Belgium/Sweden), from controversial filmmaker Lars von Trier, is an ambitiously explicit sexual epic while Omar (Palestinian Territories) is a tense political thriller set in the West Bank. Papilio Buddha (India/United States) tells of the university-educated son of a Dalit activist who is politically apathetic until he receives bad treatment at the hands of the state. The Rocket (Australia/Laos/ Thailand) is set in the lush mountain countryside of Laos and chronicles the attempts of a young outsider to overcome his fate. The Rover (Australia/United States) is the latest film from Australian filmmaker David Michôd, director of the 2010 DIFF hit Animal Kingdom, while the American film Wish I Was Here is a sequel of sorts to Zach Braff’s 2004 hit debut Garden State.

    Gender and Sexuality

    As is usually the case, this edition of DIFF has a strong selection of films exploring sexuality and gender issues. 52 Tuesdays chronicles the female-to-male gender transition of a woman from the perspective of her daughter, who visits her mother once a week during the year-long process. The frank yet mercurial Love is Strange tells of two gay New Yorkers who decide to get married after 40 years of living together, and suddenly find themselves separated from each other. The Indian film Qissa blurs the boundaries of gender and genre in its story of girl who is brought up as a boy, while Something Must Break introduces us to the apparently straight Andreas, who finds himself drawn to Sebastian, who is wrestling with the emerging strength of Ellie, the women he feels he must become. 

    Peaches Does Herself is an instant concert film classic and also a neo-queer, post-punk camp extravaganza, with the Canadian electroclash artist directing herself. Eastern Boys follows the shifting relationship between the between a mild-mannered, middle-aged Parisian named Daniel and Marek, a young Eastern European boy who he picks up in a train station. Finally, Salvation Army is an unflinching, poetic study of a young Arab man grappling with notions of family and sexuality. Rendered in filmmaking styles as diverse as the sexuality they document, this is a fascinating selection of films about the edges of sexuality.

    Documentaries

    This year’s selection of documentaries is the largest yet in DIFF’s 35 year history. As well as the rich selection of doccies presented in the 20 Years of Freedom special focus area, there are a number of other local offerings included in the Wild Talk stream. Then there is a stellar selection of documentaries from around the world, collectively presenting a global snapshot of life on earth. We Come as Friends explores the human cost of neo-colonialism in newly independent South Sudan, A World Not Ours provides a deeply compassionate but acerbic glimpse into life in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, and Cairo Drive looks at life in contemporary Cairo from the perspective of its anarchic traffic system. 

    These Birds Walk tells the heart-breaking and cinematically astounding story of a Pakistani orphanage and ambulance service, while The Kill Team is a dark catalogue of illicit killings of civilians by American soldiers in Afghanistan. The King and the People documents the repressive rule of Swaziland’s King Mswati III, Africa’s last remaining absolute monarch, and Life Itself chronicles the life of Roger Ebert, the much loved film critic who died last year. Finally, Prophecy. Pasolini’s Africa and How Strange to be Named Federico present two very different tributes to two of the greatest names in Italian cinema.

    The Encounters-DIFF Connection

    This year DIFF presents several films in association with Encounters Film Festival. These films include Annalet Steenkamp’s I, Afrikaner, Rehad Desai’s Miners Shot Down, Jolynn Minnaar’s Unearthed, Marion Edmund’s The Vula Connection and Abby Ginzberg’ Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa.

    Wavescape Film Festival

    For the ninth year, DIFF partners with Wavescape to bring you a feast of surfing cinema, including 8 features and 11 shorts.  Inspired by such films as Rattle and Hum and Endless Summer, Fading West follows Grammy-winning alternative-rock band Switchfoot as they hunt for surf around the globe. In Land of Patagones two brothers trek to the guano-infested solitude of Patagonia, the far southern home of toothfish and uncharted surf. In Out in the Line Up two gay surfers unite to uncover the taboo of homosexuality in surfing, while Stephanie in the Water tells the story of Stephanie Gilmore who won her first world surfing championship event at the age of 17 on a day off from high school.

    Other Wavescape films include Tidelines, in which a South African crew circumnavigates the world to find waves but also to document how badly plastic debris has impacted our oceans, while McConkey is a tribute to Shane McConkey, the extreme skier.

    Wavescape opens with a free outdoor screening at the Bay of Plenty Lawns on Sunday 20 July, before locating at Ster-Kinekor Musgrave Monday 21 July to Friday 25 July.

    The Films That Made Me 

    This year, for the second time, DIFF presents a repertory section in which film lovers and filmmakers have the opportunity to access a slice of film history. In ‘The Films That Made Me’ section, acclaimed South African director Khalo Matabane presents five films that have been influential in his growth as a filmmaker. The five films that Matabane will present are Krzysztof Kieślowski’s A Short Film About Killing (1988), Denys Arcand’s The Decline Of The American Empire (1986), Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull (1980), Alfred Hitchcock‘s Rear Window (1954) and Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing (1989). After each screening, Matabane will lead a discussion regarding the importance of the film. These screenings will be part of the Talents Durban programme but will also be open to the public

    Wild Talk

    For the second year running, DIFF is host to the Durban Wild Talk Africa showcase of local and international environmentally and wildlife-focused films. The Durban Wild Talk Africa Film Festival and Conference, now in its 9th year, brings a world-class television market and natural history conference to South Africa every two years. After the success of last year’s conference at DIFF, Durban Wild Talk Africa will again present a programme of nature films. The full Wild Talk conference will be back in Durban next year.

    This year, the Wild Talk strand offers entertaining and enlightening viewing for nature enthusiasts, animal-lovers, adrenalin junkies and environmentalists alike. Some not-to-be-missed films include Unearthed, a shocking insight into the world of hydraulic fracking and the dark underbelly of America’s gas industry, Black Mamba: Kiss of Death, in which we witness an hour in the life of the most feared snake in Africa, and Birdman Chronicles, which launches head-first into the adrenaline-charged world of wing-suit flying. DamNation explores the changing attitudes towards dams and the devastating effect of these man-made structures while Expedition to the End of the World is an account of a visit by a group of artists and scientists to the rapidly melting massifs of North-East Greenland.

    Other Wild Talk films include the award-winning Iranian astronaut-inspired Sepideh, The Ghosts in our Machines, Liz Marshall’s photographic exploration into the commodification of animals, an artistic voyage into water with Watermark, and the world premiere of Lady Baboon, which chronicles the life of the woman who single-handedly started the controversial baboon conservation movement in South Africa.

    Architecture Film

    The week after DIFF ends, Durban will be hosting the World Congress of Architects at UIA2014. In acknowledgement of this fact, the festival presents a small stream of films which explore various aspects of architecture. Cathedrals of Culture begins with the question “If buildings could talk, what would they say about us?”, and offers six startling responses from six filmmakers from around the world. Great Expectations presents the grand architectural visions of our time, from the functionalist cities of Le Corbusier to the light-weight structures of Buckminster Fuller to Paolo Soleri’s crystalline villages in the desert. The Human Scale documents how modern cities tend to leave us each alone in an almost infinitely large crowd and suggests that we can build cities in ways that takes human needs for inclusion and intimacy into account. Lastly, Microtopia  investigates various ways in which architects, artists and ordinary problem-solvers are pushing the limits to find answers to the dream of portable, flexible and sustainable housing.

    The architecture stream of programming is presented in partnership with the Architect Africa Film Festival and UIA2014.

     

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