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Films by Ryan Gosling, Tommy Lee Jones, Mike Leigh Among the Official Selections Announced for 2014 Cannes Film Festival

Cannes Film Festival

The Salvation

Cannes Film Festival held a press conference earlier today during which the 2014 Official Selection were announced. In addition to opening night film GRACE DE MONACO which was earlier announced, the lineup includes films from David Cronenberg, Jean-Luc Godard, Tommy Lee Jones, Ken Loach and Ryan Gosling debut as a director.

Also included among the lineup is Kristian Levring’s “The Salvation” described as a large-scale western drama rooted in Scandinavia. The story takes place in America in the 1870s. When settler John kills his family’s murderer, he unleashes the fury of the notorious gang leader Delarue. Betrayed by his corrupt and cowardly community, the peaceful pioneer must turn vengeful hunter, slay the outlaws, and cleanse the town’s black heart. Mads Mikkelsen plays the Danish settler John, and the international cast also includes Eva Green, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mikael Persbrandt and Jonathan Pryce.

IN COMPETITION

Opening Film
Olivier Dahan; GRACE DE MONACO; 1h43

Olivier Assayas; SILS MARIA; 2h03

Bertrand Bonello; SAINT LAURENT; 2h15

Nuri Bilge Ceylan; KIS UYKUSU; 3h16

David Cronenberg; MAPS TO THE STARS; 1h51

Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne; DEUX JOURS, UNE NUIT; 1h35

Xavier Dolan; MOMMY; 2h20

Atom Egoyan; CAPTIVES; 1h53

Jean-Luc Godard; ADIEU AU LANGAGE; 1h10

Michel Hazanavicius; THE SEARCH; 2h40

Tommy Lee Jones; THE HOMESMAN; 2h02

Naomi Kawase; FUTATSUME NO MADO (Still the water); 1h50

Mike Leigh; MR. TURNER; 2h29

Ken Loach; JIMMY’S HALL; 1h46

Bennett Miller; FOXCATCHER; 2h10

Alice Rohrwacher; LE MERAVIGLIE; 1h50

Abderrahmane Sissako; TIMBUKTU; 1h40

Damian Szifron; RELATOS SALVAJES (Wild Tales); 1h55

Andrey Zvyagintsev; LEVIATHAN; 2h20

UN CERTAIN REGARD

Opening Film
Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger, Samuel Theis; PARTY GIRL, 1st film; 1h35

Lisandro Alonso; SIN TITULO; 1h41

Mathieu Amalric; LA CHAMBRE BLEUE; 1h15

Asia Argento; INCOMPRESA; 1h43

Kanu Behl; TITLI, 1st film; 2h04

Ned Benson; ELEANOR RIGBY; 1h59

Pascale Ferran; BIRD PEOPLE; 2h07

Ryan Gosling; LOST RIVER, 1st film; 1h45

Jessica Hausner; AMOUR FOU; 1h36

Rolf de Heer; CHARLIE’S COUNTRY; 1h48

Andrew Hulme; SNOW IN PARADISE, 1st film; 1h28

July Jung; DOHEE-YA (A Girl at my Door), 1st film; 1h59

Panos Koutras; XENIA; 2h03

Philippe Lacôte; RUN, 1st film; 1h40

Ruben öStlund; TURIST; 2h

Jaime Rosales; HERMOSA JUVENTUD; 1h40

Wang Chao; FANTASIA; 1h25

Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado; THE SALT OF THE EARTH; 1h40

Keren Yedaya; HARCHECK MI HEADRO (Away From His Absence); 1h35

OUT OF COMPETITION

Dean Deblois; DRAGONS; 21h45

Zhang Yimou; GUI LAI (Coming Home); 1h51

MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS

Chang; PYO JEOK (The Target); 1h39

Kristian Levring; THE SALVATION; 1h30

David Michod; THE ROVER; 1h40

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Aida Begic, Leonardo Di Costanzo, Jean-Luc Godard, Kamen Kalev, Isild Le Besco, Sergei Loznitsa, Vincenzo Marra, Ursula Meier, Vladimir Perisic, Cristi Puiu, Marc Recha, Angela Schanelec, Teresa Villaverde; LES PONTS DE SARAJEVO
(Bridges of Sarajevo); 1h50

Polsky Gabe; RED ARMY; 1h25

Sergei Loznitsa; MAIDAN; 2h

Mohammed Ossama; EAU ARGENTÉE; 1h50

Stéphanie Valloatto; CARICATURISTES – FANTASSINS DE LA DÉMOCRATIE (Cartoonists – Foot Soldiers Of Democracy); 1h46



70TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF LE MONDE NEWSPAPER:

Yves Jeuland; LES GENS DU MONDE; 1h22
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Cannes Film Festival Unveils Films Selected for Short Films Competition and Cinéfondation Selection in 2014 Fest

Cannes Film Festival

Abbas Kiarostami

The Official Selection of films in the Short Films in Competition and in the Cinéfondation Selection competition sections of the 67th Cannes Film Festival was unveiled earlier today. This year, the Selection Committee received 3,450 short films, representing 128 production countries. Nine films will compete in 2014 for the Short Film Palme d’or. In a last minute minor controversy, the Italian film A PASSO D’UOMO by Giovanni ALOI was removed from the Short Films Competition because he was proven to break the rules and regulation of this Selection. The Cinéfondation Selection selected 16 films (14 fiction films and 2 animation films) among the 1,631 submitted this year by film schools from all around the world. The Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury, will be presided over by Abbas Kiarostami, who will nominate the prize-winners for the Short Film Competition and the Cinéfondation Selection.

SHORT FILMS IN COMPETITION:

Ran HUANG, THE ADMINISTRATION OF GLORY, 15’ China

Dea KULUMBEGASHVILI, UKHILAVI SIVRTSEEBI (Invisible Spaces),10’ Georgia

Sato MASAHIKO, Ohara TAKAYOSHI, Seki YUTARO, Toyota MASAYUKI, Hirase KENTARO, HAPPO-EN, 13’ Japan

Simón MESA, SOTO, LEIDI, 15′ Colombia United-Kingdom

Sergey PIKALOV, SONUNCU (The Last One), 15 ’Azerbaijan

Petra SZŐCS, A KIVEGZES (The Execution),14’ Hungary, Romania

Clément TREHIN-LALANNE, AÏSSA, 8’ France

Laura WANDEL, LES CORPS ÉTRANGERS, 15’ Belgium

Hallvar WITZØ, JA VI ELSKER (Yes we Love), 15’ Norway

THE CINEFONDATION SELECTION:

Max CHAN; OUR BLOOD; 25’ Hampshire College, USA

Pierre CLENET, Alejandro DIAZ , Romain MAZEVET, Stéphane PACCOLAT; HOME SWEET HOME; 10’ Supinfocom Arles, France

Omar EL ZOHAIRY; THE AFTERMATH OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE PUBLIC TOILET AT KILOMETER 375; 18’High Cinema Institute, Academy of Arts, Égypt

Reinaldo Marcus GREEN; STONE CARS; 14’ NYU Tisch School of the Arts, USA

HAN Fengyu; LAST TRIP HOME; 25’ Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore

Meryll HARDT; UNE VIE RADIEUSE (A Radiant Life); 17’ Le Fresnoy, France

Chie HAYAKAWA; NIAGARA; 27’ENBU Seminar Japan

Atsuko HIRAYANAGI; OH LUCY!; 21’ NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Asia, Singapore

Inbar HORESH; THE VISIT; 27’ Minshar for Art, School and Center, Israel

Stefan IVANČIĆ; LETO BEZ MESECA (Moonless Summer); 31′ Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Serbia

Daisy JACOBS; THE BIGGER PICTURE; 7′ National Film and Television School, United Kingdom

György Mór KÁRPÁTI; PROVINCIA; 21′ University of Theatre and Film Arts, Hungary

KWON Hyun-ju; SOOM (Breath); 33’Chung-Ang University, South Korea

Léa MYSIUS; LES OISEAUX-TONNERRE (Thunderbirds); 22′ La Fémis, France

Fulvio RISULEO; LIEVITO MADRE (Sourdough); 17′ Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Italy

Annie SILVERSTEIN; SKUNK; 16′ The University of Texas at Austin, USA
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“A River Changes Course” “The Revolutionary Optimists” “Sleep Dealer” Among 12 Independent Films to Make Digital Debut

News

A River Changes Course

12 independent films will make their digital debut this spring through a variety of platforms and storefronts, via the Sundance Institute’s Artist Services program. Titles began premiering this week, and will roll out through June 3. Among the films making their digital premieres is A River Changes Course, which won the World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and paints an intimate portrait of the lives of three families struggling to maintain their traditions and way of life amidst the rapid changes and hard choices forced by globalization in Cambodia.

Additional documentaries making their digital premieres include two titles (DeNADIE, Rivers of Men) by acclaimed Mexican documentary filmmaker Tin Dirdamal. DeNADIE won the World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

Jack Kerouac: King of the Beats premiered at the first Sundance Film Festival in 1985. The film provides an insightful look into the short but prolific life of the Beat Generation writer. The spring lineup also features another renowned Jack in The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack, which pieces together live performances and documentary footage to paint the life story of American folk performer Jack Elliot, told through the eyes of his daughter.

Narrative films include Sleep Dealer, which was developed with the support of Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, participating in both the 2000 June Screenwriters Lab and the 2001 Directors Lab. The film went on to win both the Alfred P. Sloan Prize and the Waldo Salt Screeningwriting Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

TITLES AVAILABLE APRIL 15

DeNADIE (Director: Tin Dirdamal) — DeNADIE tells the story of Maria, a Central American immigrant who is forced to leave her family in search for a better life. On her way to the United States, she has to cross the border in to Mexico, where she experiences her worst nightmare. (2006 Sundance Film Festival)

The Revolutionary Optimists (Directors: Nicole Newnham and Maren Grainger-Monsen) — Children are saving lives in the slums of Calcutta. Amlan Ganguly doesn’t rescue slum children; he empowers them to become change agents, battling poverty and transforming their neighborhoods with dramatic results.The Revolutionary Optimists follows Amlan and four of the children he works with – Salim, Kajal, Sikha and Priyanka – on an intimate journey through adolescence, as they fight for the better future he encourages them to imagine is deservedly theirs. (2011 Sundance Institute Documentary Edit and Story Lab)

Rivers of Men (Director: Tin Dirdamal) — The legend, the details and the lie surrounding the Bolivian city that went to war over water. (2007 Sundance Institute Documentary Film Grant)

TITLE AVAILABLE MAY 5

A Healthy Baby Girl (Director: Judith Helfand) — A Healthy Baby Girl is an intimate, humorous, yet searing exploration of what happens when science, marketing, and corporate power enter our deepest family relationships. The film is an inter-generational story of one family’s response to an ethical and technological crisis, experienced from their home in Merrick, Long Island. (1997 Sundance Film Festival)

TITLE AVAILABLE MAY 13

A River Changes Course (Director: Kalyanee Mam) — Three families living in contemporary Cambodia face hard choices as forces of radical change transform the country’s landscape and the dreams of its people. (2013 Sundance Film Festival)

TITLES AVAILABLE MAY 20

The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack (Director: Aiyana Elliott) — This fascinating portrait of Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, directed by his daughter, Aiyana Elliott, weaves together live performances, archival footage, and contemporary interviews to create a film that takes us beyond the legend and into the psyche of the man. (2000 Sundance Film Festival)

Beyond the Ocean (Director: Tony Pemberton) — A young pregnant woman arrives in New York City only to have her mind drift back to her past to a time when she was coming of age in a coal-mining town in Russia. (2000 Sundance Film Festival)

The Corndog Man (Director: Andrew Shea) — A boat salesman in small-town South Carolina gets a pivotal sales call, the first of many from what he hopes is a buyer ready to spend tons of money on a vessel. But he soon realizes that the caller’s motivations are personal rather than business-related — and they’re vengeful motivations at that. Fearful for his life, the normally cocky merchant begins to fall apart at the seams, worried for his life. Who wants him dead? (1999 Sundance Film Festival)

Jack Kerouac: King of the Beats (Director: John Antonelli) — Jack Kerouac’s life is examined through fascinating and rare documentary footage and revealing interviews with many of Kerouac’s most famous contemporaries, such as Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. (1985 Sundance Film Festival)

Sleep Dealer (Director: Alex Rivera) — Mexico, the near future. Memo Cruz always dreamed of leaving his village and heading north. But when he does, Memo finds a bizarre new world full of drones, aqua-terrorists, and a woman with a secret. (2008 Sundance Film Festival)

The Woman Chaser (Director: Robinson Devor) — Richard is a shrewd salesman and used-car dealer. Fancying himself an artist, he completes his cherished film project, but forces beyond his control destroy it. A monstrous revenge is exacted on all who have crossed him. (2000 Sundance Film Festival)

TITLE AVAILABLE JUNE 3

The Cold Lands (Director and Screenwriter: Tom Gilroy) — After his mother’s sudden death, a young boy runs away into the deep woods of upstate New York and meets an unpredictable and mysterious drifter. (Released through Artist Services collaboration with Cinereach)
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“Call Girl of Cthulhu” “Fort Tilden” “Evolution of a Criminal” Among 12 More Films Added to Film Lineup for 2014 Maryland Film Festival

Maryland Film Festival

CALL GIRL OF CTHULHU

Maryland Film Festival continued unveiling the lineup for its 16th annual festival, taking place May 7-11, 2014 in downtown Baltimore, announcing 12 more feature films in addition to the 10 announced already. Among the titles announced today are SXSW buzz films Fort Tilden, Evolution of a Criminal, and The Mend; the latest from Oscar-nominated documentarians Joe Berlinger and Marshall Curry; cutting-edge films made in Greece, South Korea, Taiwan, and Nepal; and the premiere of Maryland-made Lovecraftian horror film Call Girl of Cthulhu.

The 12 feature films announced today for MFF 2014 are:

CALL GIRL OF CTHULHU (Chris LaMartina) Baltimore-based D.I.Y. horror helmer Chris LaMartina’s latest tells the Lovecraft-inspired story of a virginal artist who falls in love with a call girl that turns out to be the chosen bride of the alien god Cthulhu.

EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL

EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL (Darius Clark Monroe) In this gripping blend of documentary, true-crime, and personal essay, a filmmaker confronts his past, dissecting the circumstances that led him to commit a bank robbery as a young man, and his journey since that act. Executive-produced by Spike Lee.

FORT TILDEN

FORT TILDEN (Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers) Winner of the grand jury award for narrative feature at SXSW 2014, this satire of Brooklyn hipsters making their way to a day at the beach takes on Samuel Beckett-esque barbs as ordering coffee and locking a bicycle become almost insoluble dilemmas.

THE HIP-HOP FELLOW

THE HIP-HOP FELLOW (Kenneth Price) The points of intersection between hip-hop culture and academia are explored in this documentary following Grammy Award winning producer 9th Wonder’s tenure at Harvard University. Interviewees include Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Kendrick Lamar, Young Guru, Phonte, and DJ Premier.

MANAKAMANA

MANAKAMANA (Stephanie Spray, Pacho Velez) This new feature from Harvard’s Sensory Ethnography Lab (Leviathan, Sweetgrass) offers immersive access to an ancient journey now taken in a modern cable car, as viewers ride along in real-time with pilgrims and tourists bound for Nepal’s Manakamana temple.

THE MEND (John Magary) Shades of Cassavetes’ Husbands and Mike Leigh color this revelatory mix of comedy and drama, as estranged brothers (Josh Lucas and Stephen Plunkett) reconnect at a moment of crisis and embrace increasingly wild and impulsive behavior.

MOEBIUS (Kim Ki-duk) South Korean maverick Kim Ki-duk returns with perhaps his most shocking and darkly humorous exploration yet of the connections between pleasure, penance, spirituality, and the human impulse for violence.

POINT AND SHOOT (Marshall Curry) When Baltimore native Matthew VanDyke traveled to Libya to join the rebels who were taking up arms against Gaddafi, his experiences became international news. His stranger-than-fiction story is told by the director of MFF documentaries Street Fight, Racing Dreams, and If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front.

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER (Penny Panayotopoulou) After a seemingly solitary woman’s beloved dog passes away, she becomes overwhelmed by her loneliness. In her search to ease the pain of losing her best friend, she unexpectedly connects with a sympathetic family that lives in her neighborhood. This expertly crafted and warmly human film from Greek director Penny Panayotopoulou signals her triumphant return after a decade-plus hiatus from filmmaking.

STRAY DOGS

STRAY DOGS (Tsai Ming-liang) The first digitally shot feature from master director Tsai (whose films I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone and Walker screened within the festival) continues his unique 25-year collaboration with lead Lee Kang-sheng, this time situating him as the homeless guardian to two young children in Taipei.

WATER LIKE STONE (Zack Godshall, Michael Pasquier) A documentary portrait of Leeville, Louisiana, a fishing village among the fastest-disappearing wetlands in the United States—and the unforgettable characters who call it home.

WHITEY: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V. JAMES J. BULGER

WHITEY: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA V. JAMES J. BULGER (Joe Berlinger) This documentary dissects legend from fact in investigating the story of Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, uncovering a web of corruption in the process. From the director of Crude and co-director of Brother’s Keeper, Some Kind of Monster, and the Paradise Lost trilogy.

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7th Charleston International Film Festival Wraps; “Grape” Wins Best Film

Charleston International Film Festival

The seventh annual Charleston International Film Festival (Charleston IFF) culminated in an Awards Gala where Grape took home the award for Best Film and Amber Karlins was awarded Best Screenplay for Aurora. 3 Mile Limit, written and directed by Craig Newland, took home the Jury Award for Best Feature, while Harry Grows Up and The Lady in Number 6: Music Changed by Life won Jury Awards for Best Short and Best Documentary, respectively.

The festival attendees chose 120 Days for Best Documentary, Crackerjack for Best Feature, The Armadillo for Best Short, Bittersweet for Best Foreign Film, and Blue for Best Animation. Best Actress went to Alex Lombard for her role in Sophie and Best Actor was awarded to Konstantin Lavysh for Karaganda.

The legendary Gale Anne Hurd was presented an award for Achievement in American Film. Hurd was introduced by actor Bill Paxton (Aliens, Tombstone, Apollo 13) who said, “I hold a dear place in my heart for Charleston, as it was a location for my first major motion picture, The Lords of Discipline. Coming back to visit for the festival to honor my friend and colleague, Gale Anne Hurd, was a pleasure.”

Hurd boasts an illustrious career that includes producing award-winning films and television programs, such as The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Armageddon, The Incredible Hulk, Tremors, Dante’s Peak, and The Walking Dead.

“Having filmed in Charleston early in my career, it was an honor to receive the first Achievement in American Film Award from such a well-curated festival,” said Hurd. “In a sea of film festivals, Charleston IFF is one that is truly magical.”
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“Russian Roulette” “Shadows of Time” Win Sundance London Short Film Competition

Sundance Film Festival: London

Shadows of Time by Sambit Banerjee

Russian Roulette by Ben Aston has won the Official Selection Award and Shadows of Time by Sambit Banerjee has won the Community Choice Award in the Short Film Competition for the third Sundance London film and music festival, taking place April 25 to 27, 2014, at The O2:. Both films will screen at the festival and both filmmakers will receive prizes.

Additional finalists for the competition were: 1 on 1 by Joe Talbot; Making the News by Daniele Baron & Conor OGrady; Red Onions by Nadia Lachman; My City by Robert Ryan; Family Business by Mark Drake; Heaven’s Secret – A Film About Love After Death by Ed Wiles; Brothers by Aleksandra Czenczek; The Elevator Pitch by Simon Ryninks; Redemption by Laura Lisete Roosaar; and Art of Motion by Rhodri Williams. All winning and finalist films are available for immediate viewing at sundance-london.com/short-film-competition.

Sundance London will include 39 films (21 features and 18 shorts), including Fruitvale Station (Director: Ryan Coogler), Blue Ruin (Director: Jeremy Saulnier), Frank(Director: Lenny Abrahamson), Hits (Director: David Cross), They Came Together (Director: David Wain), The Voices (Director: Marjane Satrapi) and The Trip to Italy (Director: Michael Winterbottom). All screenings will take place at Cineworld at The O2.

Russian Roulette by Ben Aston

Russian Roulette (Director : Ben Aston, Screenwriter : Oli Fenton) — London seems a little less lonely when Lucy meets a libidinous cosmonaut on chat roulette…Official Selection Winner

http://vimeo.com/90733535

Shadows of Time (Director and screenwriter: Sambit Banerjee) — 52 people died in the 7/7 terrorist attack on London and hundreds were severely injured. Men, women and children of different nationalities and faith were all equally affected. Shadows of Time is a poignant tale of love, loss and life as seen through the eyes of an ordinary Muslim woman whose husband died in the horrific incident. Community Choice Award Winner

http://vimeo.com/88077091

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Aspen Shortsfest Announces 2014 Winners; “A TROPICAL SUNDAY” “OUR CURSE” Win Top Awards | VIDEOS

Aspen Shortsfest

A TROPICAL SUNDAY, directed by Fabian Ribezzo

Aspen Shortsfest 2014 was held April 8-13, and over 40 filmmakers from around the world plus other special guests attended. A TROPICAL SUNDAY, directed by Fabian Ribezzo, about four begging and scavenging street kids at a Mozambique amusement park, won the award for Best Drama, and director Tomasz Sliwinski’s documentary OUR CURSE, on what it’s like to be the young parents of a critically ill infant, won the award for Best Documentary.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION JURY AWARDS

The 2014 International Competition jury:
Denver Post film and theater critic Lisa Kennedy and screenwriters Peter Blake, Craig Borten and David Pollock. Their awards recognize creative excellence and honor films they found to be the most accomplished in storytelling and distinctive in cinematic voice.
* = Academy Award® qualifying category

BEST ANIMATION* $2,500
ME + HER
(Joseph Oxford, USA)
A tale of grief that is nearly as tender as it is inventive. It’s about the life and love of cardboard boxes but there’s nothing recycled in this puppetry gem.

http://youtu.be/BgZE6mGkzwU

BEST COMEDY* $2,500
THE KÁRMÁN LINE
(Oscar Sharp, UK)
What begins as a raucous and absurdist story of a woman who starts levitating turns into a moving meditation on loss and transcendence.

BEST DOCUMENTARY* $2,500
OUR CURSE
(Tomasz Sliwinski, Poland)
Director Tomasz Sliwinski shares an intimate, at times brutal, always compassionate, sense of what it’s like to be the young parents of a critically ill infant.

http://youtu.be/MPtKvZy5Pjk

BEST DRAMA* $2,500
A TROPICAL SUNDAY
(Fabian Ribezzo, Mozambique)
An engaging portrait of four begging and scavenging street kids at a Mozambique amusement park.

http://youtu.be/T0JqaBaBHlc

BEST STUDENT FILM $2,000
Sponsored by KQED
SPROUT
(Ga-eun Yoon, South Korea)
Lost on an errand in a South Korean city, 7-year-old Bory takes us on an adventure in humanity, touching us in a most endearing way.

http://youtu.be/0RY9M97O8uQ

BEST SHORT SHORT* $1,000
THE GALLANT CAPTAIN
(Katrina Mathers + Graeme Base, Australia)
In just a few minutes of technically brilliant animation, this tells a funny and moving story about friendship and acceptance.

http://youtu.be/5gEALeFbLxI

SPECIAL JURY RECOGNITION

THE APOTHECARY (Helen Hood Scheer, USA)

THE BRUNCHERS (Matt Winn, UK)

LAMBING SEASON (Jeannie Donohoe, USA)

THE LION’S MOUTH OPENS (Lucy Walker, USA)

MR. INVISIBLE (Greg Ash, UK)

AWARDS DETERMINED BY OTHER JURIES

AUDIENCE AWARD $500

PONY PLACE
(Joost Reijmers, The Netherlands)

AUDIENCE SPECIAL RECOGNITION

THE APOTHECARY
(Helen Hood Scheer, USA)

MR. INVISIBLE
(Greg Ash, UK)

THE PHONE CALL
(Mat Kirkby, UK)

UGGS FOR GAZA
(Brooke Berman, USA)

THE ELLEN $2,500

THE KÁRMÁN LINE
(Oscar Sharp, UK)
There are many insightful life metaphors in this year’s winner. On some levels the film can be seen as a comedy – because it is indeed witty and full of the unexpected – but it is ultimately profound and tender. It touches our emotions, all of them, from anger to sadness to love, and it leaves us deeply moved.

YOUTH JURY PRIZE $500

THE PHONE CALL
(Mat Kirkby, UK)
The film we have chosen concerns a subject that has touched many people in our valley, as well as the world. This short changed our perspective on the subject of suicide. It offered an insight into the mental state of someone taking his or her own life. We would recommend that this film be shown at high schools in our valley. Teens are one of the groups most affected by this terrible issue. We would like to thank the filmmakers for broaching an extremely difficult topic with such grace.

ABOUT THE OTHER JURIES

THE ELLEN AWARD Established to honor Aspen Film Founder, Ellen Hunt, this 17th annual award recognizes originality in film.

YOUTH JURY PRIZE For the 16th year, local high school students honor a film that opens a window on their understanding of the world in important, unexpected ways.
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“LIFE INSIDE OUT” ‘FABERGÉ: A LIFE OF ITS OWN” “CATHEDRAL CANYON” “LION ARK” Win Top Awards at 2014 Palm Beach International Film Festival

Palm Beach International Film Festival

LIFE INSIDE OUT

The Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) announced the winners of the 19th edition, which ran April 3 to 10, 2014. The Jury awarded LIFE INSIDE OUT directed by Jill D’Agnencia the prize for Best Feature Film, and FABERGÉ: A LIFE OF ITS OWN directed by Patrick Mark received the award for Best Documentary Feature. The audience voted CATHEDRAL CANYON directed by Paul Davis, winner of Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film and LION ARK directed by Tim Phillips grabbing the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature.

JURIED

Best Feature Film
LIFE INSIDE OUT
Directed by Jill D’Agnencia

Laura is a devoted mother of three teenage boys. The twins are confident and outgoing, while the youngest son, Shane, is the family misfit, and a disappointment to his father. At 15, he is sullen and withdrawn, earbuds perpetually in his ears. When Laura impulsively decides to sing at her first open-mic night, she drags Shane along, and it becomes an experience that opens his eyes and shakes his earbuds loose. Soon, he discovers musical gifts of his own.Together, through the power of music, they are able to make sense of a world they’ve felt so lost in.

Best Documentary Feature
FABERGÉ: A LIFE OF ITS OWN
Directed by Patrick Mark

This feature-doc tells the epic story of the Faberge name, from Imperial Russia until the present-day, spanning one hundred and fifty years of turbulent history, romance, artistic development and commercial exploitation. From the bejewel led Easter eggs of the Romanov Tsarinas to the 1970s allure of ‘Brut by Faberge’ aftershave, and from the Russian revolution to today’s high-fashion glitz in New York and London, the film explores a multi-faceted world that began with one man: the prodigiously talented Peter Carl Faberge, Court Jeweler of St Petersburg. Shot at locations across Russia, Europe and USA (including the collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II), the film features interview contributions from the world’s foremost Faberge authorities, as well as personal reminiscences from Faberge family members.

Best Short Film
BRIGHTON
Directed by Pierre Stefanos

‘Brighton’ follows the journey of Edward as he ventures to the famed English south coastal resort for a day on the town. The reason for his trip is unclear, at first, as we watch him paste photographs of himself as a young boy at famed monuments around Brighton, all the while ignoring phone calls that come in to his mobile throughout the day from his boss and his boyfriend.After breaking up a moment of schoolboy bullying, Edward’s demeanor changes. Upon meeting, and then flirting with, a Canadian tourist named Ben, Edward becomes more resolute to resist the man’s charms, making his way to the Brighton seafront in the dark of night. Ben discovers Edward on the beach at a bonfire, burning items from his duffel bag. Ben uncovers Edward’s mysterious reasons for visiting Brighton, which leads to a physical and emotional confrontation that leads to a mutually life-changing moment for both men.’Brighton’ is the follow-up to the acclaimed short film ‘Bedfellows,’ and the second in a planned trilogy of films called The Shakespeare Trilogy. ‘Bedfellows’ screened at over 140 films festivals in 40 countries during a 23-straight-month festival run, won over 30 jury and audience awards, is commercially available in a dozen North American and European countries. Its trailers have received over 1,000,000 hits on YouTube alone.

Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film
CATHEDRAL CANYON
Directed by Paul Davis

A story set in both sprawling modern Phoenix and the fringe, rural polygamist communities of Northern Arizona, this film presents a hidden connection between these two very different worlds that permits the shocking acts of these cults to continue.

Best Documentary Feature
LION ARK
Directed by Tim Phillips

More action adventure than traditional documentary, Lion Ark follows the world’s most ambitious and daring animal rescue, with a narrative compiled from film, interviews, conversations and reactions as events unfolded. Following a shocking expos” Bolivia bans animal circuses. But the circuses defy the law and the team behind the investigation returns to track them down and save the animals. Stunning cinematography captures the confrontations, heartache and risks, before a joyous finale sees 25 lions airlifted to freedom. A story of bravery, compassion, a country that said ‘no’ to cruelty and how attitudes to animals changed across a continent.

Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film
TOBACCO BURN
Directed by Justin Liberman

Based on an oral history from the W.P.A. Writers, Tobacco Burn is set thirty-five years before the Civil War at the height of American slavery. When two of the enslaved weigh the complexities of killing their overseer, each develop a different understanding towards violence, acting on which could cost all of them their lives.

Honorable Mention
GOD’S SLAVE (ESCLAVO DE DIOS)
Directed by Joel Novoa

Inspired by true events, “God’s Slave” is the story of Ahmed and David, two extremist characters, one Islamic and the other Jewish, who cross their paths while being in the opposite side of the conflict in the A.M.I.A bombings that took place in 1994 in Buenos Aires. Written By Isabel Meneses Motivated by personal tragedies, two obsessive characters on either side of the Arab-Israeli conflict are set on a collision course in GOD”S SLAVE, an adrenaline-rushing drama set against the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentina. Stationed in Caracas and operating undercover as a doctor and family man, Ahmed Al Hassama (Mohammed Al-Khaldi) is a young Kuwaiti Muslim militant who is slated to execute a terrorist attack. Dispatched to Buenos Aires to diffuse the elusive but imminent threat, David Goldberg (Vando Villamil) is a cold-blooded and embittered Israeli Mossad agent who will stop at nothing to terminate the terrorist sleeper cell. In the wake of the AMIA bombing that leaves scores dead, the race is on to prevent another attack in the name of radical Islam. Both men embark on parallel paths of martyrdom, blinded by hatred born of childhood trauma and prepared to sacrifice everything for their beliefs.

Descriptions via Palm Beach International Film Festival
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Official Poster Unveiled for the 67th Cannes Film Festival

Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the official poster for the upcoming festival taking place May 14 to 25, 2014. The poster design for the 67th Cannes Film Festival is based on a image taken from Federico Fellini’s 8½, which was presented in the Official Selection in 1963.

In Marcello Mastroianni and Federico Fellini, we celebrate a cinema that is free and open to the world, acknowledging once again the artistic importance of Italian and European cinema through one of its most stellar figures.

“The way he looks at us above his black glasses draws us right in to a promise of global cinematographic happiness,” explains the poster’s designer. “The happiness of experiencing the Festival de Cannes together.”

In his films, Marcello Mastroianni continued to encapsulate everything that was most innovative, nonconformist and poetic about cinema. On seeing the poster for the first time, Chiara Mastroianni, the actor’s daughter, said simply: “I am very proud and touched that Cannes has chosen to pay tribute to my father with this poster. I find it very beautiful and modern, with a sweet irony and a classy sense of detachment. It’s really him through and through!”

The 2014 Festival poster was designed by Lagency / Taste, Paris.

The graphic charter of the 2014 Festival was designed by Bronx, Paris.

The scene from Federico Fellini’s film 8 1/2 on which the poster is based. (below)

http://youtu.be/Hh6V_BqEUjo
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VIDEO Watch Trailer for Award-Winning Indie Comedy “OBVIOUS CHILD”

News

OBVIOUS CHILD, directed and written by Gillian Robespierre, and will open in theaters on June 6, 2014, has a new trailer. The comedy film which features a breakout performance by comedian Jenny Slate, premiered earlier this year at Sundance Film Festival and went on to win the Varsity Audience Award for Best Feature at Ashland Independent Film Festival.

For aspiring comedian Donna Stern, everyday life as a female twenty-something provides ample material for her incredibly relatable brand of humor. On stage, Donna is unapologetically herself, joking about topics as intimate as her sex life and as crude as her day-old underwear. But when Donna gets dumped, loses her job, and finds herself pregnant just in time for Valentine’s Day, she has to navigate the murky waters of independent adulthood for the first time. As she grapples with an uncertain financial future, an unwanted pregnancy, and a surprising new suitor, Donna begins to discover that the most terrifying thing about adulthood isn’t facing it all on her own. It’s allowing herself to accept the support and love of others. And be truly vulnerable. Never failing to find the comedy and humanity in each awkward situation she encounters, Donna finds out along the way what it means to be as brave in life as she is on stage. Anchored by a breakout performance from Jenny Slate, OBVIOUS CHILD is a winning discovery, packed tight with raw, energetic comedy and moments of poignant human honesty. Writer/Director Gillian Robespierre handles the topic of Donna’s unwanted pregnancy with a refreshing matter-of-factness rarely seen onscreen. And with Donna, Slate and Robespierre have crafted a character for the ages – a female audiences will recognize, cheer for, and love.

http://youtu.be/r2GN3wdfqbA
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Tribeca Film Festival Announces Winners of 2014 #6SecFilms competition

Tribeca Film Festival

The 13th annual Tribeca Film Festival, announced the winners of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival #6SecFilms competition. Jurors Jerome Jarre, Tiffany Shlain, Julie Klausner, James Curleigh and Bethann Hardison selected four winners from a shortlist of 40 Vines curated by TFF programmers and narrowed down from a field of 536 total entries from 24 countries to name individual winners in the categories of “drama,” “comedy,” “animation” and “genre.” A fifth winner was selected by an online voting audience of 6,000 in the first-ever #6SecFilms Audience Choice award, powered by Pitch’d, a platform for brands to curate their audience’s videos and photos across social networks by hashtag and facilitate voting to find the most popular. The winning creators will each receive individual meetings with GrapeStory, the mobile-first marketing agency and production house founded by Gary and AJ Vaynerchuk of VaynerMedia, a social-first digital shop, and Jerome Jarre, #6SecFilms juror and a serial entrepreneur with more than 4.6 million passionate Vine followers. The winning films, viewable on TribecaFilm.com/6secfilms, follow: Animation: Matt Willis, Australia, for “Wrap Dancer” (https://vine.co/v/MAYd1VhQQHO ) Drama: Jessica Harmon, USA, for “Addiction” (https://vine.co/v/Mb3B00tiiEd ) Comedy: Albert Birney, USA, for “Sylvio Let’s Go” (https://vine.co/v/MOeewxJKgin ) Genre: Lawrence Becker, USA, for “The Vortex Finds a Host” (https://vine.co/v/MatD6eVOK2B ) #6SecFilms Audience Award: Evan Hilton, USA, for “Shaking Free” (https://vine.co/v/MqJpVpgelt2 ) “When we launched the #6SecFilms competition at last year’s TFF, Vine was a brand new and many creators were just beginning to get their hands dirty,” said Genna Terranova, TFF’s director of programming. “A year later, there is more mastery of the platform and the increased creativity and quality of stories is apparent. “The winners of Tribeca’s #6SecFilms competition clearly shows how constraints, such as 6-second films, unleash stupendous creativity!” added Tiffany Shlain, TFF juror, filmmaker and founder of the Webby Awards. The #6SecFilms contest debuted at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival with more than 400 U.S.-based entries in the categories of animate, genre, auteur and series. The contest’s visibility has helped to develop some of the young app’s current stars. #6SecFilms Jurors The five TFF jurors who ultimately selected the winners from a shortlist presented by the TFF programmers come to the Festival from a range of backgrounds, from Vine personalities to brand managers. Their names and bios are below: James Curleigh: President of the Levi’s® brand. Responsible for leading the strategic direction and execution of the brand globally with a focus on product creation, marketing concepts, and market solutions. He has more than 20 years of experience building and expanding consumer brands, including KEEN Footwear, Inc. and Salomon Sports North America. Bethann Hardison: Noted former model, manager, fashion advocate, and documentarian. During her modeling career she worked with a wide range of designers. She formed Bethann Management Co., Inc. in 1984, and has led the charge for an increase in diversity within the fashion industry through such initiatives as Black Girls Coalition and Balance Diversity. Jerome Jarre: Vine personality known for his passionate army of 5 million followers and contributions to The Ellen Degeneres Show. He launched GrapeStory in NYC in May 2013, an agency that pairs the best Viners with innovative Fortune 500 brands to tell powerful and engaging short stories. Julie Klausner: Comedy writer, performer, podcaster, and author, whose podcast How Was Your Week was recently called “one of the few essential podcasts” by The New York Times. She is currently a staff writer for the new Fox series, Mulaney. Other writing credits include television shows Billy on the Street and Best Week Ever, the memoir I Don’t Care About Your Band, and the young adult novel, Art Girls Are Easy. Tiffany Shlain: Filmmaker and founder of the Webby Awards who was honored by Newsweek as one of the “Women Shaping the 21st Century.” Her films have garnered her numerous awards including a Disruptive Innovation Award from TFF. Credits include her hit film series for AOL Originals’ The Future Starts Here and her newest “cloud” film, The Science of Character.
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“Hellion” “The Special Need” “Flutter” “Verbatim” “Queens & Cowboys” Among Winners of 2014 Dallas International Film Festival

Dallas International Film Festival

The Special Need

The Dallas International Film Festival announced its 2014 award winners; Hellion, directed by Kat Candler, won the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize and The Special Need directed by Carlo Zoratti, grabbed the Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize. Hellion is the debut feature from writer/director Kat Candler, based on her short film that screened at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, paints the powerful portrait of a family on the brink of dissolution set against the haunting backdrop of the refineries of Southeast Texas. The Special Need is a documentary film about Enea, an autistic man from Italy who is obsessed with finding a girlfriend. The film follows his struggles in interacting with women, and eventually he and his friends take to the road to find someone for Enea to sleep with.

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

Special Jury Prize, Directing: Brazilian Western, directed by René Sampaio

Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Performance: 1982

Hellion

Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize: Hellion

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

evolution of a criminal

Documentary Feature Special Jury Prize, Directorial Vision: Evolution of a Criminal, directed by Darius Clark Monroe

Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize: The Special Need

TEXAS COMPETITION

Special Jury Prize: Tomato Republic

Texas Grand Jury Prize: Flutter

SHORTS COMPETITION

Student Short Special Jury Prize: Ni-Ni

Student Short Grand Jury Prize: A Grand Canal

Short Special Jury Prize: Easy

Short Grand Jury Prize: Afronauts

ANIMATED SHORTS COMPETITION

Animated Short Grand Jury Prize: The Missing Scarf

SILVER HEART AWARDS

Special Jury Prize (will receive $5,000 cash prize): Above All Else

Silver Heart Award (will receive $10,000 cash prize): Private Violence

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Audience Award for Best Short Film: Verbatim

Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: Queens & Cowboys: A Straight Year on the Gay Rodeo

Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: Noble

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