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Doc About Notorious Irish Gangster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger Acquired by Magnolia for a June Release in US

Documentary

Academy Award nominated director Joe Berlinger’s “WHITEY: The United States of America V. James J Bulger,” the documentary about the notorious Irish gangster James “Whitey” Bulger, that premiered earlier this year at Sundance Film Festival, has been acquired by Magnolia Pictures for release in the US. Magnolia will be giving the film a day and date theatrical and on demand release this June, followed by a broadcast on CNN later this year.

Infamous gangster James “Whitey” Bulger wielded a mystique as the Robin Hood of South Boston. Fabricated in his hometown, Bulger’s legend captured the imagination of the entire country. Separating the man from the myth, this riveting documentary challenges conventional wisdom by detailing shocking new allegations.

With unprecedented access, filmmaker Joe Berlinger utilizes this past summer’s sensational trial against Bulger as a springboard to explore corruption within the highest levels of law enforcement. Embedded for months with retired FBI agents, Massachusetts state police, victims, lawyers, gangsters, journalists, and federal prosecutors, Berlinger scrutinizes Bulger’s relationship with the FBI and Department of Justice—an interaction that allowed him to reign over a criminal empire for decades.Sundance Film Festival

“The filmmaking team worked very hard to gain unprecedented access, including to Bulger himself who has never before agreed to appear in any media, so we are especially delighted to be partnering with the two companies — Magnolia and CNN — that know how to reach the widest possible audience,” said filmmaker Joe Berlinger.

Joe Berlinger interviews Pat Donahue in “WHITEY: The United States of America V. James J Bulger”

Bulger extortion victim Stephen Rakes in “WHITEY: The United States of America V. James J Bulger”

Joe Berlinger and Hank Brennan in “WHITEY: The United States of America V. James J Bulger”

Steve Davis brother of murder victim Debra Davis in “WHITEY: The United States of America V. James J Bulger”

Joe Berlinger and Robert Fitzpatrick in “WHITEY: The United States of America V. James J Bulger”

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ART AND CRAFT Doc Set to Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival is Acquired by Oscilloscope for Release in US

Documentary

Mark Landis at home, showing off recent works in ART AND CRAFT

ART AND CRAFT, Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman’s “deft, richly entertaining art caper doc” which will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival next month has already been snapped up by Oscilloscope Laboratories for release in the US. O-scope is planning a theatrical release in late summer/early fall.

Mark Landis at home and at work on a “Picasso” in ART AND CRAFT

ART AND CRAFT is the story of the charismatic, complex Mark Landis, perhaps the most prolific art forger in US history. For over 30 years, he’s duped curators throughout the country with precise imitations of a vast range of works, from fifteenth century masterpieces to Picasso. His actions are mysterious to many — while he could fetch millions on the open market, he donates his counterfeits for free, going so far as to pose in such guises as a Jesuit priest or a philanthropic donor. Enter Matthew Leininger, a registrar from Cincinnati who was conned by Landis years ago and who has been pursuing him obsessively ever since. What begins as a game of cat-and-mouse between Leininger and Landis eventually turns into something more surprising and complicated, proving once again that truth can be stranger than fiction.

Mark Landis on a “philanthropic” visit in ART AND CRAFT

About the acquisition, O-scope’s Dan Berger and David Laub said, “We’ve been discussing Art and Craft for some time and as excited as we were to see it, nothing could have prepared us for how blown away we’d be. Sam and Jennifer, along with co-director Mark Becker, capture these amazing characters with the perfect mixture of humor and heart, resulting in one of the most entertaining and moving documentaries we’ve seen in years. We’re honored that they have chosen to work with us on it.”

Jennifer Grausman

Filmmakers Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman said, “We couldn’t have dreamed of a better home for this film. O-Scope embodies the perfect mix of mensch and mischievous; like our main subject — they are art and craft.”

Sam Cullman

Cullman previously co-directed the Academy Award® nominated documentary If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, which was also released by O-Scope. Grausman is the director of the acclaimed documentary Pressure Cooker, which won awards at several film festivals and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. Rounding out the filmmaking team is co-director Mark Becker, the director of Romantico (nominated for two independent Spirit Awards), Executive Producers Lisa Kleiner Chanoff and Bonni Cohen of Catapult Film Fund and Christopher Clements, Julie Goldman and Carolyn Hepburn of Motto Pictures. Marc H.

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10 Revelations from Muammar Gaddafi’s Documentary Premiering April 11 on Showtime

Documentary

Mad Dog: Inside the Secret World of Muammar Gaddafi

Mad Dog: Inside the Secret World of Muammar Gaddafi premieres April 11th on Showtime. The film pulls back the curtain on the eccentricities and horrors of Muammar Gaddafi which will undoubtedly be back in the news as the trials of his sons and his intelligence chief begins. Among Gaddafi’s top henchmen being tried in Tripoli are his two sons – Saif and Saadi – who are seen in MAD DOG. According to Middle East Online, the trials begin on April 14.

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Jason Priestley’s “Cas & Dylan” and Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine” Win Film Circuit People’s Choice Awards

Awards

Cas & Dylan

Jason Priestley’s Cas & Dylan and Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine are the winners of Toronto International Film Festival’s 10th annual Film Circuit People’s Choice Awards. Cas & Dylan was named Best Canadian Film and Blue Jasmine was selected as the Best International Film.

“It is an unbelievable thrill and honour for us to be chosen as Best Canadian Film by the 2013 Film Circuit audiences,” said Priestley. “For our film to receive such accolades is an unexpected pleasure. Thank you.”

In Priestley’s directorial debut, Cas & Dylan, screen legend Richard Dreyfuss stars as Dr. Cas Pepper, a curmudgeonly surgeon who makes the abrupt decision to leave Winnipeg and drive west to British Columbia—and to an uncertain future. Before departing, he meets an aspiring young writer named Dylan (TIFF Rising Star Tatiana Maslany; Canadian Screen Award winner for Orphan Black) who possesses a life-altering secret of her own. The two unlikely companions hit the road, encountering a series of bizarre twists and turns along their cross-country journey.Cas & Dylan has screened in over 40 communities across Canada with Film Circuit and has been seen by over 5,500 people to date.

Blue Jasmine

Blue Jasmine follows a high-society New York housewife forced to deal with the economic and emotional consequences of her husband’s crooked financial dealings. Jasmine (Cate Blanchett, in an Oscar-winning role) is used to a life of wealth and privilege, but when her husband (Alec Baldwin) is jailed for a Madoff-like Ponzi scheme, she loses everything and is forced to move in with her blue-collar sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco. As she struggles to build a new life for herself, Jasmine must learn to accept her new reality and face up to the past.

Now in its tenth year, the annual Film Circuit People’s Choice Awards are decided by audiences across the country who vote for their favourite film shown at a Film Circuit screening.

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Film Featuring Sophia Grace and Rosie from Ellen Show Among Lineup for 9th Big Island Film Festival

Big Island Film Festival

Sophia Grace and Rosie’s Royal Adventure

The 9th Big Island Film Festival at The Fairmont Orchid, Hawai‘i (BIFF) has announced its 48 Official Selections, to be screened May 22-26, 2014. On Thursday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m., BIFF’s Grand Opening will include a free sampler of short films.

On Friday, May 23, the festival will present Warner Brothers, “Sophia Grace and Rosie’s Royal Adventure.” The brand-new film stars British cousins, Sophia Grace Brownlee and Rosie McClelland, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award Winners and frequent guests of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In the movie, to be released May 20 on DVD, the girls are Ellen’s special correspondents, sent to cover the coronation of a new queen.

http://youtu.be/odhUPMYXpX4

Other notable BIFF Official Selections include the time-travel mystery-thriller “Time Lapse,” the intense and intimate portrait of homelessness, “3:13,” drama “Pretty Rosebud,” about an ambitious career woman whose unorthodox choices unravel her carefully constructed world, and comedy “Welcome to the Lucky Country” a laughable look at an Australian reality show.

The Haumana

Contenders from Hawai‘i include Leo Woolford’s acclaimed “The Haumana,” which chronicles the journey of a new Kumu Hula and his high school men’s hālau, with choreography by Robert Cazimero, Lanakila Casupang, Maelia Loebenstein-Carter and Kaipo Hale. From the Big Island, “Bullitt and the Curse of the Blood Ring” is the next chapter of the continuing island action-adventure, produced, acted, and directed by Kona filmmakers Richard Gonzalez and Rockwood.

The Official Selections for BIFF 2014 are:

3:13
BULLITT and the Curse of the Blood Ring
Butterfly Dreams
Courting Chaos
Day For Night
Druid Peak
Great
Helen Alone
Horse for Sale
If We Were Adults
Light Me Up
Limit
Little Girl’s War Cry
Lost Island of the Firewalkers
Makua Charley
Meet Anna
Mirror
Missing Child
No More Aloha
One Weekend
Poison Apple
Posey
Pretty Rosebud
Prinsesa
Ravi & Jane
Rise Again
Rose, Mary and Time
Shadow
Sheltered Love
Solace
Sophia Grace and Rosie’s Royal Adventure
Suka
Suriname Gold
Take a Deep Breath
The Bathroom Attendant
The End
The Haumana
The Haunting of Heather
The Honey Maple Morgan
The Maury Island Incident
The New Neighbors
The Pimp & The Rose
Time Lapse
Tuesday Morning
We Are Enemies
Welcome to the Lucky Country
Wolf Summer
Zone 7

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French actor Lambert Wilson to be Master of ceremonies for the 67th Festival de Cannes

Cannes Film Festival

Lambert Wilson

French actor Lambert Wilson has been announced as the Master of Ceremony for 67th Festival de Cannes. Lambert Wilson will have the honor of launching the festival on Wednesday 14th, in addition to welcoming the President Jane Campion and her jury on to the stage at the Palais des Festivals, and hosting the prize-giving ceremony on Saturday 24th May.

Previous master/mistress of ceremony include Audrey TAUTOU, who was given the honor last year, Vincent CASSEL (2006) and Edouard BAER (2008 and 2009).

Who is Lambert Wilson? He has worked with some of the great names in French cinema, from André Téchiné to Benoît Jacquot, and from Bertrand Tavernier to Alain Resnais.

His numerous collaborations with Resnais, including Same Old Song, Not on the Lips, Private Fears in Public Places and You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet which enabled him to combine two of his passions: the stage and the screen, in a cinematographic genre that was one of a kind, and unique to Resnais.

He made his first appearance in Cannes in 1985, with Rendez-vous, by André Téchiné, in which he acted alongside a young débutante named Juliette Binoche. He then returned on several occasions to the Selection, both as an actor and as President of the Jury of Un Certain Regard (1999).

On the international scene, he distinguished himself with his portrayal of the “Merovingian” in the The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions in 2003.

In 2010, during the 63rd Festival de Cannes, the cinema world was deeply moved by his performance in Xavier Beauvois’ Of Gods and Men, which picked up that year’s Grand Prix du Jury and for which, a few months later, he would be nominated at the César for Best Actor.
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“Copenhagen” “Boys of Abu Ghraib” Among Winners of 2014 Gasparilla International Film Festival

Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF)

Copenhagen

Mark Raso’s “Copenhagen” won the jury prize for best narrative feature, and “Boys of Abu Ghraib,” directed by Luke Moran, won the audience award for narrative feature at the 2014 Gasparilla International Film Festival, held last month in Tampa, Florida. In the documentary genre, “The Longest Game,” directed by Camille Thoman won the jury prize and “Ride with Larry,” directed by Ricardo Villarreal and Andrew Rubin won the the audience award for best documentary.

“Melaza,” directed by Carlos Lechuga won the World Showcase award.

GIFF 2014 Grand Jury Award Winners:

Narrative: “Copenhagen” directed by Mark Raso
College Showcase: “The Bright Side,” directed by Sarah Wilson Thacker
Documentary: “The Longest Game,” directed by Camille Thoman
New Visions Presented by Indie Pix: “Sand Castles,” directed by Clenet Verdi-Rose
Screenwriting: SJ Thompson, “A Long Way From Paris”
Short Film: “God’s Got His Head in the Clouds,” directed by Gianluca Sodaro
Special Jury for Acting: Frederikke Dahl Hansen, “Copenhagen”
Special Jury for Filmmaking: Michael Wechsley, “The Red Robin”

GIFF 2014 Audience Award Winners:

Narrative: “Boys of Abu Ghraib,” directed by Luke Moran
Best Florida Production: “…And a Bag of Chips,” directed by Sabyn Mayfield
College Showcase: “Tobacco Burn,” directed by Justin Liberman
Documentary: “Ride with Larry,” directed by Ricardo Villarreal and Andrew Rubin
High School Showcase: “Pendemonium,” directed by Wesley Hayes
Narrative Short Film: “CHUB,” directed by Sam Albis

via tbo
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Sophie Desmarais, Tyler James Williams and Tye Sheridan to Receive Sparkle Award at RiverRun Film Festival

RiverRun International Film Festival

RiverRun, which kicked off last night April 4 and runs through April 13, 2014 in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina, will honor Sophie Desmarais (Sarah Prefers to Run), Tyler James Williams (Joe) and Tye Sheridan (Dear White People) with the Festival’s annual Spark Award. RiverRun’s Spark Awards recognize up-and-coming talents in the film industry.

We’re really excited about this year’s Spark Award recipients,” said RiverRun Executive Director Andrew Rodgers. “These three emerging talents have each really impressed us over the past couple years and are well on their way to even bigger roles and greater recognition.”

Sophie Desmarais is a blossoming young Canadian actress and the star of Sarah Prefers to Run, which is screening in this year’s Narrative Features Competition program at RiverRun. Desmarais plays Sarah, an avid runner with a chance to join the track team at a top Quebec university despite her sheltering mother’s refusal of any financial support. Her lovelorn roommate suggests they get married instead to secure a grant and she agrees, only to discover that her true heart lies elsewhere. She recently won Best Actress in a Canadian Film at the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards for her role in this film.

At 26 years old, Desmarais is still a relative newcomer, and her first brush with international visibility came with a role in Xavier Dolan’s Heartbeats, which premiered at Cannes in 2010. Desmarais’ other film credits include Head in the Clouds (2004), where she was featured alongside Penelope Cruz and Charlize Theron, and a memorable supporting role in Denis Côté’s Curling, which premiered at the 2010 Locarno Film Festival and was a RiverRun selection in 2011. In 2009 she appeared in the Théâtre du Nouveau-Monde’s production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Indiewire recently named her one of the 10 actors to watch this year at the Cannes Film Festival.

At just 17 years old, Tye Sheridan is our youngest Spark Award honoree. Before his debut film he had acted in only a handful of school plays before being chosen out of 10,000 boys to play the youngest son of Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt in the peerless Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life (2011). RiverRun fans will recognize Sheridan from his role in the 2013 Festival pick Mud, playing the role of Ellis opposite Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon. Sheridan plays Gary Jones in our 2014 special screening film Joe, alongside Nicolas Cage. For this role he received the Marcello Mastroianni Award for best upcoming young actor at the 70th Venice International Film Festival.

In 2013 he joined the cast of Grass Stains, a new film written and directed by Kyle Wilamowski.His upcoming roles include a spot in Dark Places, alongside Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz and Nicholas Hoult as well as a part in The Forger, starring John Travolta and based on a script by Richard D’Ovidio.

Tyler James Williams is best known for his starring role on the Emmy Award-winning series Everybody Hates Chris, for which he won the 2007 NAACP Image Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. Williams made his return to primetime network television last year co-starring in the NBC comedy Go On alongside Matthew Perry. Last summer, Williams was seen on the big screen in the Tyler Perry comedy Peeples with Kerry Washington and Craig Robinson. He also starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Let It Shine as Cyrus DeBarge, a gifted rapper full of self-doubt, and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for his performance. He began acting at the age of four on Sesame Street and later co-starred in the animated series Little Bill. Additional television credits include Law & Order: SVU and numerous appearances in sketches on Saturday Night Live. His most recent film, Dear White People, had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Born in New York, Williams currently resides in Los Angeles with his mom, dad, brothers Tylen and Tyrel, and their silky terrier, Benny “Ruff-Neck” Williams.

Past recipients of RiverRun’s Spark Award include Anna Margaret Hollyman (White Reindeer, Small Beautifully Moving Parts), Madeleine Martin (The Discoverers, Californication), Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty) David Oyelowo (Jack Reacher, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Help), Brady Corbet (Melancholia,Martha Marcy May Marlene) and Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color, The Off Hours).

descriptions via RiverRun film festival
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Feature Films, Special Events, Short Films and Panels Announced for 2014 Sundance London

Sundance Film Festival: London

The program lineup of feature films, short films and panel discussions is unveiled for the third Sundance London film and music festival, taking place April 25 to 27, 2014, at The O2 in London. Twenty-four films will make their world, international, European or UK premieres at Sundance London. Ten are by female filmmakers and seven are by first-time feature filmmakers. The films collectively received 12 awards when they premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Among the filmmakers expected to attend are Ryan Coogler, David Cross, Rose McGowan and Marjane Satrapi. All screenings will take place at Cineworld at The O2.

FEATURE FILM PROGRAMME

American independent narrative and documentary films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A.

Blue Ruin

Blue Ruin (Director and screenwriter: Jeremy Saulnier) — A mysterious outsider’s quiet life turns upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving to be an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family. Cast: Macon Blair, Amy Hargreaves, Sidné Anderson, Devin Ratray, Kevin Kolack.

The Case Against 8

The Case Against 8 (Directors: Ben Cotner, Ryan White) — A behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court. (Documentary) Winner of the Directing Award: U.S. Documentary at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.International Premiere

Dinosaur 13

Dinosaur 13 (Director: Todd Miller) — An unprecedented saga in human history unfurls in this true tale of the world’s greatest dinosaur discovery and the ensuing battle to possess a 65-million-year-old treasure. (Documentary) International Premiere

Drunktown’s Finest

Drunktown’s Finest (Director and screenwriter: Sydney Freeland) — Three young Native Americans—a rebellious father-to-be, a devout Christian woman, and a promiscuous transsexual—come of age on an Indian reservation. Cast: Jeremiah Bitsui, Carmen Moore, Morningstar Angeline, Kiowa Gordon, Shauna Baker, Elizabeth Francis. International Premiere

Finding Fela

Finding Fela (Director: Alex Gibney) — Fela Anikulapo Kuti created the musical movement Afrobeat and used it as a political forum to oppose the Nigerian dictatorship and advocate for the rights of oppressed people. This is the story of his life, music, and political importance, from the award-winning director of Taxi to the Dark Sideand We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks. (Documentary) European Premiere

Fruitvale Station

Fruitvale Station (Director and screenwriter: Ryan Coogler) — The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O’Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray. Winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic and the Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic presented by Acura at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. UK Premiere

Hits

Hits (Director and screenwriter: David Cross) — A small town in upstate New York is populated by people who wallow in unrealistic expectations. There, fame, delusion, earnestness and recklessness meet, shake hands and disrupt the lives around them. Hits is the directorial debut of writer, comedian and actor David Cross, best known for his work on Arrested Development. Cast: Michael Cera, Meredith Hagner, Matt Walsh, James Adomian, Jake Cherry, Derek Waters, Wyatt Cenac, Jason Ritter. International Premiere

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (Director: David Zellner, Screenwriters: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner) — A lonely Japanese woman becomes convinced that a satchel of money buried in a fictional film is, in fact, real. Abandoning her structured life in Tokyo for the frozen Minnesota wilderness, she embarks on an impulsive quest to search for her lost mythical fortune. Cast: Rinko Kikuchi. Winner of a U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Musical Score at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. UK Premiere

LAMBERT & STAMP

LAMBERT & STAMP (Director: James D. Cooper) — In this crazy, chaotic gospel of chance, aspiring filmmakers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert set out to search for a subject for their underground movie, leading them to discover, mentor, and manage the iconic band known as The Who and create rock ‘n’ roll history. (Documentary) UK Premiere

Little Accidents

Little Accidents (Director and screenwriter: Sara Colangelo) — In a small American coal town living in the shadow of a recent mining accident, the disappearance of a teenage boy draws three people together—a surviving miner, the lonely wife of a mine executive, and a local boy—in a web of secrets. Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Boyd Holbrook, Chloë Sevigny, Jacob Lofland, Josh Lucas. International Premiere

Memphis

Memphis (Director and screenwriter: Tim Sutton) — A strange singer drifts through the mythic city of Memphis, surrounded by beautiful women, legendary musicians, a stone-cold hustler, a righteous preacher, and a wolf pack of kids. Under a canopy of ancient oak trees and burning spirituality, his doomed journey breaks from conformity and reaches out for glory. Cast: Willis Earl Beal, Lopaka Thomas, Constance Brantley, Devonte Hull, John Gary Williams, Larry Dodson. International Premiere

Obvious Child

Obvious Child (Director and screenwriter: Gillian Robespierre) — An honest comedy about what happens when Brooklyn comedian Donna Stern gets dumped, fired, and pregnant, just in time for the worst/best Valentine’s Day of her life. Cast: Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann, David Cross, Gabe Liedman, Richard Kind. UK Premiere

They Came Together

They Came Together (Director: David Wain, Screenwriters: Michael Showalter, David Wain) — This subversion/spoof/deconstruction of the romantic comedy genre has a vaguely, but not overtly, Jewish leading man, a klutzy, but adorable, leading lady, and New York City itself as another character in the story. They Came Together reunites director Wain with many of the stars from his 2001 cult teen classic, Wet Hot American Summer. Cast: Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Ed Helms, Cobie Smulders, Max Greenfield, Christopher Meloni. International Premiere

Under the Electric Sky EDC2013

Under the Electric Sky (EDC 2013) (Directors: Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz) — This 3-D film chronicles the love, community, and life of festivalgoers during Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, the largest music festival in the U.S. Behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews with Insomniac’s Pasquale Rotella reveal the magic that makes this three-night, 345,000-person event a global phenomenon. (Documentary) UK Premiere

The Voices

The Voices (Director: Marjane Satrapi, Screenwriter: Michael R. Perry) — This genre-bending tale centers around Jerry Hickfang, a lovable but disturbed factory worker who yearns for attention from a woman in accounting. When their relationship takes a sudden, murderous turn, Jerry’s evil talking cat and benevolent talking dog lead him down a fantastical path where he ultimately finds salvation. Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver. International Premiere

SPECIAL EVENT PROGRAM

On-screen stories complemented by extraordinary off-screen experiences.

Axiom

Axiom (Director: NYSU, Screenwriters: David Gambero & NYSU) — Axiom is an island in the middle of nowhere, steep cliffs on all sides. On the island there is an underground city dominated by a bell, the bell decides the fate of the city’s inhabitants. Cast: Jonathan David Mellor, Santi Senso, Cova de Alfonso, Silvia Vacas, Pablo Menasanch, Julia Llerena. World Premiere

UK SPOTLIGHT

Drawing on the Sundance Film Festival’s rich legacy of premiering outstanding films produced in the UK – including An Education, Four Weddings and a Funeral, In Bruges, In the Loop, Kinky Boots, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels – this showcase presents two UK films that premiered in Park City, Utah, U.S.A. this year.

Frank

Frank (Director: Lenny Abrahamson, Screenwriters: Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan) — Frank is an offbeat comedy about a wannabe musician who finds himself out of his depth when he joins an avant garde rock band led by the enigmatic Frank—a musical genius who hides himself inside a large fake head. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy. UK Premiere

The Trip to Italy

The Trip to Italy (Director: Michael Winterbottom, Screenwriters: Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan, Michael Winterbottom) — Michael Winterbottom reunites Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon for more delectable food, some sharp-elbowed rivalry, and plenty of laughs.Cast: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon. European Premiere

SHORT FILM PROGRAM

Two wide-ranging collections of short films that screened in January at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

Short Film Programme 1

Cruising Electric (1980) / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Brumby Boylston) — The marketing department green-lights a red-light tie-in: 60 lost seconds of modern movie merchandising. International Premiere

Dawn / U.S.A. (Director: Rose McGowan, Screenwriters: M.A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller) — Dawn is a quiet young teenager who longs for something or someone to free her from her sheltered life. Dawnis the directorial debut of actress Rose McGowan (Planet Terror). International Premiere

Exchange & Mart / United Kingdom (Directors: Cara Connolly, Martin Clark, Screenwriter: Cara Connolly) — Reg is a lonely girl at a remote Scottish boarding school where paranoia about rape is rife. Her unorthodox self-defense class provides the human touch she craves so deeply. When she is attacked in the woods, she knows what she has to do…

Love. Love. Love. / Russia (Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram) — Every year, through the endless winters, her love takes new shapes and forms. Winner of a Short Film Special Jury Award for Non-fiction at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

Marilyn Myller / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Mikey Please) — Marilyn maketh. Marilyn taketh awayeth. Marilyn is trying really hard to create something good. For once, her expectation and reality are going to align. It will be epic. It will be tear-jerkingly profound. It will be perfect. Nothing can go wrong.

Notes on Blindness / United Kingdom, U.S.A., Australia (Directors: Peter Middleton, James Spinney) — In 1983, writer and theologian John Hull became blind. To help make sense of his loss, he began keeping an audio diary. Encompassing dreams, memories, and his imaginative life, Notes on Blindness immerses the viewer in Hull’s experience of blindness.

Of God and Dogs / Syrian Arab Republic (Director: Abounaddara Collective) — A young, free Syrian soldier confesses to killing a man he knew was innocent. He promises to take vengeance on the God who led him to commit the murder. Winner of the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. European Premiere

Phantom Limb / United Kingdom, Australia (Director and screenwriter: Alex Grigg) — James and Martha narrowly survive a motorcycle accident. During the aftermath, however, James begins to experience Martha’s phantom pains.

Short Film Programme 2

Afronauts / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Frances Bodomo) — On July 16th 1969, America prepares to launch Apollo 11. Thousands of miles away, the Zambia Space Academy hopes to beat America to the moon. Inspired by true events. UK Premiere

Burger / United Kingdom, Norway (Director and screenwriter: Magnus Mork) — It’s late night in a burger bar in Wales… Winner of a Short Film Special Jury Award for Direction and Ensemble Actingat the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

The Cut / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Geneviève Dulude-Decelles) — The Cut tells the story of a father and a daughter, whose relationship fluctuates between proximity and detachment, at the moment of a haircut. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

I Think This Is the Closest to How the Footage Looked / Israel (Directors: Yuval Hameiri) — A man with poor means recreates a lost memory of the last day with his mom. Objects come to life in a desperate struggle to produce a single moment that is gone. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award: Non-fiction at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

The Last Days of Peter Bergmann / Ireland (Director: Ciaran Cassidy) — In 2009, a man claiming to be from Austria arrived in the town of Sligo, Ireland. During his final days, Peter Bergmann went to great lengths to ensure no one ever discovered who he was and where he came from. UK Premiere

Life’s a Bitch / Canada (Director: François Jaros, Screenwriter: Guillaume Lambert) — Love. Grief. Choc. Denial. Sleeplessness. Bubble bath. Mucus. Masturbation. Pop tart. Pigeons. Toothpaste. Hospital. F__k. Bye. Hair. Sports. Chicken. Bootie. Kids. Rejection. Squirrels. Cries. Awkward—95 scenes, five minutes: life’s a bitch. UK Premiere

MeTube: August Sings Carmen “Habanera” / Austria (Director and screenwriter: Daniel Moshel) — George Bizet`s “Habanera” from Carmen has been reinterpreted and enhanced with electronic sounds for MeTube, an homage to thousands of ambitious YouTube users and video bloggers, and gifted and less gifted self-promoters on the Internet.

The Obvious Child / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stephen Irwin) — Somebody broke the girl’s parents. The rabbit was there when it happened. It was an awful mess.

Yearbook / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Bernardo Britto) — A man is hired to compile the definitive history of human existence before the planet blows up. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award: Animation at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. International Premiere

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VIDEO | Watch Trailer for MARAVILLA, Documentary on Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez

Documentary

Check out the new trailer for MARAVILLA, the documentary, based on the struggle of Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez to reclaim his crown in boxing, that will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival (TFF). Shot over two years by first time director Juan Cadaveira, the film features interviews and testimonials by international boxing personalities such as Mike Tyson, Don King, Oscar De La Hoya, Bob Arum, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Director Juan Cadaveira gained access to the closed doors of boxing – actual negotiations, the politics of championship organizations, TV network issues and the vulnerable physical condition of an aging champion. The 80-minute character-driven documentary is a true insider look that follows Sergio in every step of his battles inside and outside the ring.

Along with thrilling footage of Sergio’s mastery inside the ring and the persistent efforts by his team to keep him at the top, the film goes beyond the guts and glory of a common boxing tale. “MARAVILLA” reveals an unforgettable man who uses ambition, adaptability, relentless determination and integrity to navigate through a business that is attempting to control his fate.

The documentary captures the grueling physical and mental demands on Sergio. Viewers are invited into his dressing room, his physical therapy sessions, and into his inner circle. The road to his achievements is shown to be isolating at times and requires a vision far beyond what is considered possible for a man who didn’t picked up boxing gloves until he was over twenty.

“MARAVILLA” sheds light on Sergio’s childhood growing up in poverty in Buenos Aires, with personal stories from family members and archival footage and photos from his youth. Sergio reveals his inner self and his approaches to successfully overcoming disappointment, adversity and neglect.

The film features interviews and testimonials by international boxing personalities such as Mike Tyson, Don King, Oscar De La Hoya, Bob Arum, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Dan Rafael, the late WBC president Jose Sulaiman. Those closest to Sergio figure prominently in the film, including his long-time promoter Lou DiBella, advisor Sampson Lewkowicz, trainers and family members, including his mother.

Director Juan Pablo Cadaveira, MARAVILLA

First time director Cadaveira, shot the film over two years in four countries: Argentina, Spain, Mexico and the United States, and in many different cities, from Quilmes to Las Vegas, via New York, Atlantic City, Los Angeles, and Mexico DF.

http://youtu.be/m5UfkYbMkRQ

via eastsideboxing

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Award-Winning Doc THE OVERNIGHTERS to Get a Late 2014 Release

Documentary

Another award-winning film from this year’s Sundance Film Festival is set for release in theaters. Jesse Moss’ documentary TheOvernighters which made its World Premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and received a “Special Jury Award for Intuitive Filmmaking” has been acquired by Drafthouse Films for release later this year. The New York Premiere is set to take place at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival. The film chronicles the plight of desperate men as they chase their dreams and run from their demons in the North Dakota oil fields while a devoted Pastor risks everything to help them.

Filmmaker Jesse Moss spent 18 months in North Dakota as a one-man-documentary-crew intimately capturing extraordinary portraits of broken men and examining the tension between the moral imperative to “love thy neighbor,” and the response of one small town congregation and community when confronted by an influx of desperate strangers.

In the midst of the struggling economic climate of the United States, the oil business in small town Williston, North Dakota is booming. Thousands of desperate men and women are flocking to the region in search of work with little more than the clothes on their backs or the cars they arrived in. The great demand for housing has overwhelmed the community with many of those who have found employment without a place to live. Pastor Jay Reinke of Concordia Lutheran Church is under fire from the City Council, his community and the local newspapers for his heartfelt desire to open the church’s doors to allow the “overnighters” – as he calls them – to stay for a night, a week or sometimes even longer, sleeping on the floor, in the pews and in their cars in the Church parking lot. When the town learns that Reinke is housing men with criminal records, and a mounting controversy peaks within the pastor’s personal life, even his diehard quest for humanity can’t stop things from spiraling vastly out of control.

via comingsoon
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Actress Lea Thompson Among Stars Headed to 2014 Phoenix Film Festival; Thompson to Screen Her Latest Film at Fest

Phoenix Film Festival

Actress Lea Thompson in THE TROUBLE WITH THE TRUTH

Actress Lea Thompson is among a long list of Hollywood stars headed to the 14th annual Phoenix Film Festival taking place Thursday, April 3rd through Thursday, April 10th, 2014, at the Harkins Scottsdale 101. Lea Thompson will be present to screen her latest film, THE TROUBLE WITH THE TRUTH on Monday, April 7th.

http://youtu.be/nftNSEexUXU

Academy Award® nominated Director, Steven Knight (Eastern Promises, Dirty Pretty Things) will attend the April 3rd opening night party and screening of his new film, LOCKE. Director Richard Shepard (The Hunting Party), will also attend for a special showing his new film, DOM HEMINGWAY, on Sunday, April 6th at 7 pm.

Appearing at this year’s International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival as part of the Phoenix Film Festival, is actress Dee Wallace (E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, The Howling). Dee Wallace will participate in a post-screening Q&A on Friday, April 4th following a 7:30 pmscreening of the 1983 classic horror film, CUJO.

BOYHOOD

Academy Award® nominated Director and Writer Richard Linklater’s (Dazed and Confused, Before Midnight) critically acclaimed hit from this year’s Sundance Film Festival and SXSW Film Festival, BOYHOOD, will be a treat for festival goers as the closing night film on Thursday, April 10th at 7:30 pm. The star of the film, Ellar Coltrane, and Producer Cathleen Sutherland will both be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.

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Short Film Programme 1

Short Film Programme 2