• 49 Films to Premiere at 2014 Miami International Film Festival

    Family United (La gran familia Española)Family United (La gran familia Española)

    49 films are making their World, International, North American, and U.S. Premieres at the upcoming 31st Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), opening next week.  The Miami International Film Festival, a program of Miami Dade College’s MDCulture, will run March 7 to 16, 2014).

    From this year’s lineup, MIFF will screen seven feature films and 17 short films making their World Premieres, three films will make their International Premieres, 12 films will make their North American Premieres, and six films will be screening for the first time in the U.S. There will also be three North American premiering short films and one U.S. premiering short film.

    7 World Premiere Features

    ASTEROID (ASTEROIDE) (Mexico, directed by Marcelo Tobar)
    After seven years Cristina returns to her childhood home—left to her older brother, Mauricio, by their deceased parents. The siblings, now dysfunctional adults, struggle to find their footing and someone they can each count on.

    DEFAULT (USA / Colombia, directed by Simon Brand)
    Somali pirates led by Atlas (David Oyelowo), hijack a plane chartered by an American news crew in a tension-packed thriller centered around a deadly battle of wits.

    ECTOTHERMS (USA, directed by Monica Peña) 
    An impression of Miami as it is lived, not imagined: a sultry city where family heritage, urban plight, and a unique landscape intersect to create a youth culture like no other in the world.

    KID CANNABIS (USA, directed by John Stockwell)
    True story of two Idaho border-dwellers who built a multimillion-dollar business by illegally running marijuana (that was legally purchased a few miles away in Canada) into the US, in this cross between Stand by Me and Scarface.

    MATEO (Colombia / France, directed by Maria Gamboa)
    At the impressionable age of 16, young Mateo faces a dilemma about the direction his life will take when his corrupt uncle asks him to infiltrate a local Barrancabermeja theatre group to uncover its members’ political activities.

    MEMORIES OF THE DESERT (Romance Political) (Brazil / Chile, directed by Jorge Durán) Antônio, a 28-year-old novelist in Rio, hitchhikes to Chile’s Atacama desert to write an erotic tale, and inadvertently becomes “involved” in a murder.

    ROB THE MOB (USA, directed by Raymond De Felitta)
    Andy Garcia and director Raymond De Felitta (City Island) re-team in this Bonnie & Clyde-style crime caper, involving a cash-strapped couple from Queens who rob a succession of mafia social clubs to cover their debts. Also stars Ray Romano, Michael Pitt, Griffin Dunne, Frank Whaley and Burt Young. (World Festival Premiere)

    17 World Premiere Short Films

    “BLUE” (USA, directed by Justin Malone)

    “CHERRY POP: THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S FANCIEST CAT” (USA, directed by Kareem Tabsch)
    The Chicago Project X Fashion Outlets of Chicago (USA, directed by Bill Bilowit)

    (11 individual short films: “DANIEL ARSHAM”, “BHAKTI BAXTER”, “JIM DRAIN”, “FRIENDSWITHYOU”, “CODY HUDSON”, “ALVARO ILIZARBE”, “ANDREW NIGON”, “KENTON PARKER”, “BERT RODRIGUEZ”, “JEN STARK” and “AUSTYN WEINER”)

    “CHUB” (USA, directed by Samuel Albis)

    “SHIRT OUT, GAME OVER!” (Switzerland, directed by Eric Paternot)

    “STRIKE: THE GREATEST BOWLING STORY EVER TOLD” (USA, directed by Joey Daoud)

    “UNICORN (UNICORNIO)” (Bolivia, directed by Rodrigo Bellott)

    3 International Premiere Features

    CITY OF GOD: 10 YEARS LATER (CIDADE DE DEUS: 10 ANOS DEPOIS) (Brazil, directed by Luciano Vidigal and Cavi Borges)
    Ten years after the release of the Oscar-nominated City of God, this new documentary explores the positive and negative impact the 2002 film has had on the lives of those in the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood.

    FACK JU GÖHTE/SUCK ME SHAKESPEER (Germany, directed by Boar Dagtekin) Zeki, an ex-con who can barely spell, becomes a substitute teacher at Goethe High in order to drill a tunnel below the new gym built on the exact spot where stripper friend Charlie buried his loot. 

    GLOBAL PLAYER (GLOBAL PLAYER – WO WIR SIND ISCH VORNE) (Germany, directed by Hannes Stöhr)
    A family-run textile machine company in a small southern German town is in trouble, and the heir to the business is forced to negotiate with Chinese entrepreneurs behind his caustic 90-year old father’s back, in this intelligent comedy.

    12 North American Premiere Features

    THE ART RUSH (France, directed by Marianne Lamour)
    As the contemporary art market is dominated by speculative billionaire collectors, long-view professionals such as Don & Mera Rubell hold steady to a sense of artistic merit.

    THE DEVIL’S VIOLINIST (DER TEUFELSGEIGER) (Germany / Italy / Austria, directed by Bernard Rose)
    Notorious womanizer and 19th century violin virtuoso at the peak of his career, Niccolò Paganini (David Garrett) is lured to London by his business- savvy agent.

    ELSA & FRED (USA, directed by Michael Radford)
    Elsa (Shirley MacLaine), a vivacious retiree in New Orleans gets straight-laced widower, Fred (Christopher Plummer), as an unwanted next-door neighbor—until he ultimately surrenders to her bold and beautiful madness—and the two soon discover it’s never too late to fulfill a lifetime fantasy, in this rousing re-make of hit Spanish-Argentine film by Il Postino director, Michael Radford. Also stars Marcia Gay Harden, George Segal, Chris Noth.

    FAMILY UNITED (La gran familia Española) (Spain, directed by Daniel Sánchez Arévalo)
    Ephraim’s wedding day coincides with Spain’s appearance in the 2010 World Soccer Championship finals, and nothing goes as planned in this touching comedy, nominated for 12 Goya Awards.

    IN DARKNESS WE FALL (LA CUEVA) (Spain, directed by Alfredo Montero)
    Five friends go on a cave-exploring Mediterranean holiday but get lost in a myriad of passageways, resulting in a diabolic quest for survival.

    LOS POSIBLES (Argentina, directed by Santiago Mitre & Juan Onofri Barbato)
    In a rhapsody of toughened bodies and torn emotions, a group of teenagers seeking refuge from hardship perform in an experimental fusion of film and dance that stretches the boundaries of visual kinetics.

    THE MAN OF THE CROWD (O HOMEM DAS MULTIDÕES) (Brazil, directed by Marcelo Gomes and Cao Guimarães)
    Both Juvenal and Margo live in a state of isolation, despite residing in a bustling urban center. Each manages to find comfort in peculiar ways, in this adaption of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story, updated to contemporary Belo Horizonte.

    NATURAL SCIENCES (CIENCIAS NATURALES) (Argentina, directed by Matias Lucchesi)
    Twelve-year-old Lila enlists her boarding school teacher as a companion on an emotional journey to track down the biological father she has never known.

    SÉPTIMO (Spain / Argentina, directed by Patxi Amexcua)
    Tense kidnapping thriller exposing Buenos Aires’ criminal underbelly. Ricardo Darín and Belen Rueda masterfully portray divorcing couple Sebastian and Delia, as their children disappear on the most important day of Sebastian’s legal career.

    SERRAT & SABINA: TWO FOR THE ROAD (SERRAT Y SABINA: EL SIMBOLO Y EL CUATE) (Spain, directed by Francesc Relea)
    Two celebrated Spanish singer/songwriters—generational icon Joan Manuel Serrat, exiled in Mexico under Franco’s dictatorship, and Joaquín Sabina, whose poetry and rebelliousness seduced audiences by the thousands—embark on a final tour together.

    THREE MANY WEDDINGS (TRES BODAS DE MÁS) (Spain, directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera)
    A fresh, hilarious comedy from the director of Ghost Graduation (MIFF 2013). Three ex-boyfriends invite Ruth (Inma Cuesta) to their weddings, all in one month; the only person Ruth can convince to be her date is the sexy new intern.

    WE ALL WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR HER (TOTS VOLEM EL MILLOR PER A ELLA) (Spain, directed by Mar Coll)
    A car crash leaves Geni (Nora Navas, Black Bread) disillusioned with her domestic and professional world in Catalonia, causing her to re-think everything she thought she wanted from life. 

    3 North American Premiere Short Films

    “GRACE (GRAÇA)” (Brazil, directed by Anna Clara Peltier)

    “SKIN” (France, directed by Cédric Prévost)

    “XENOS” (United Kingdom / Greece / Denmark, directed by Mahdi Fleifel)

    6 U.S Premiere Features

    ALL ABOUT THE FEATHERS (POR LAS PLUMAS) (Costa Rica, directed by Neto Villalobos)
    A loner security guard buys a fighting rooster so he can enter illegal cockfights. Chalo’s feathered pal attracts an assortment of oddball characters in this insightful comedy of fate and friendship.

    BRASSERIE ROMANTIQUE (BRASSERIE ROMANTIEK) (Belgium, directed by Joël Vanhoebrouck)
    Anticipation is high in Pascaline and Angelo’s renowned restaurant for Valentine’s Day, but tension soon rises in the kitchen when Pascaline’s ex-lover of 20 years ago walks in for dinner.

    CRISTO REY (CRISTO REY) (Dominican Republic, directed by Leticia Tonos)
    In a slum barrio of Santo Domingo, a mixed race Haitian-Dominican teen guards the local kingpin’s beautiful young sister, in a retelling of the Romeo & Juliet tragedy.

    HERE’S THE DEAL (SOMOS GENTE HONRADA) (Spain, directed by Alejandro Marzoa)
    Two middle-aged family men, hit hard by Spain’s economic crisis, stumble upon a hefty stash of cocaine while out fishing, but are conflicted and clueless on how to get rid of the haul in this Galician black comedy.

    I’LL FOLLOW YOU DOWN (Canada, directed by Richie Mehta)
    Erol (Haley Joel Osment, now 25) struggles to keep his mother (Gillian Anderson) on an even keel after his father vanishes into thin air.

    STOCKHOLM (ESTOCOLMO) (Spain, directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen)
    A hot-blooded Spaniard wanders the romantic late-night streets of Madrid to woo a pretty yet reluctant girl into his bed. But love’s mor

    1 U.S Premiere Short Film

    “A BIG DEAL (特殊交易)” (China, directed by Yoyo Yao)
    A 10-year-old boy, lonely for his mother who is always working, hires a prostitute to fill in for her when she can’t come to Parent Day at school.

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  • VIDEO: Poster and Trailer for STRIPPED, Documentary Featuring Comic Strips Creators

     documentary Stripped, directed by Dave Kellett and Frederick Schroeder,

    Check out the official poster and trailer for the documentary STRIPPED, directed by Dave Kellett and Frederick Schroeder, and scheduled for release on iTunes and DVD on April 1st.  STRIPPED is described as a love-letter to comic strips. It brings together the world’s best cartoonists to talk about the art form they love, and what happens to it as newspapers die. Over 90 interviews were conducted, including the first-ever audio interview with Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes), as well as Jim Davis (Garfield), Cathy Guisewite(Cathy), Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey), Mike & Jerry (Penny Arcade), Matt Inman (The Oatmeal), Jeff Keane (The Family Circus), Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics), Lynn Johnston (FBOFW), Zach Weiner (SMBC), Scott Kurtz (PvP), Scott McCloud(Understanding Comics), Richard Thompson (Cul de Sac), Jeph Jacques(Questionable Content), Stephan Pastis (Pearls Before Swine), Bill Amend (Foxtrot), Kate Beaton (Hark! A Vagrant) and more. STRIPPED sits down with these creators to talk about how cartooning works, why it’s so loved, and how they’re navigating this dicey period between print and digital options…when neither path works perfectly.

    http://youtu.be/avxHfJAUtCk

    via First Showing

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  • JOE starring Nicolas Cage to Open 2014 Atlanta Film Festival; THE DOUBLE starring Jesse Eisenberg to Close

    JOE starring Nicolas CageJOE starring Nicolas Cage

    The 38th Annual Atlanta Film Festival taking place March 28 to April 6 2014, will open with the feature film “JOE,” starring Nicolas Cage.  This film from Roadside Attractions is centered on Nicolas Cage, who plays the titular role of Joe, an ex-con and unlikely role model, who meets a 15-year-old boy (Tye Sheridan) and is faced with the choice of redemption or ruin. “JOE” is directed by David Gordon Green, director/producer of television’s “Eastbound and Down” and cult classic films “Pineapple Express” and “All the Real Girls.”  

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  • 100 Films on Lineup for 2014 Gasparilla International Film Festival; THERE’S ALWAYS WOODSTOCK is Opening Night Film

    Gasparilla International Film Festival

    The Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) unveiled its list of scheduled films for the eighth annual event held March 19-23, 2014 in Tampa, Florida.  100 films which will be screened at the Tampa Theatre, Cinébistro at Hyde Park and Muvico Centro Ybor 20, Tampa Art Museum and Firehouse Cultural Center.  The World premiere,of THERE’S ALWAYS WOODSTOCK directed by Rita Merson is the opening night film , and the U.S.premiere of CHU AND BLOSSOM directed by Gavin Kelly and Charles Chu is the closing night film.

    Below is a list of some of the films that will be featured at the GIFF 2014

    Opening Night Film

    THERE’S ALWAYS WOODSTOCK: When neurotic, struggling songwriter, Catherine Brown’s life in New York City falls apart, she is forced to confront her past when she spends the summer at her childhood home in Woodstock, New York, learning that becoming successful means becoming your true self first.
    World premiere, opening night film directed by Rita Merson and featuring: Brittany Snow, Katey Sagal, Ryan Guzman, Allison Miller, Jason Ritter, Anna Anissimova, Rumer Willis and James Wolk.

    Centerpiece Films

    THE BOYS OF ABU GHRAIB: An American soldier deployed at Abu Ghraib finds himself behind the walls of the infamous Hard Site, where he develops a secret friendship with an Iraqi detainee.
    World premiere film directed by Luke Moran and starring: Luke Moran, Sean Astin, Sara Paxton and Michael Welch.

    Enemy: Adam Bell is a glum, disheveled history professor, who seems disinterested even in sex with his beautiful girlfriend, Mary. Watching a movie on the recommendation of a colleague, Adam spots his double, an actor named Anthony Clair, in a bit role, and decides to track him down — an adventure he quite relishes. The identical men meet, and their lives become bizarrely and irrevocably intertwined.
    Florida premiere film directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners) and featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Melanie Laurent.

    Obvious Child: 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.
    Florida premiere directed by Gillian Robespierre and starring: Jenny Slate, Gaby Hoffmann, David Cross and Richard Kind. World premiered at Sundance 2014.

    Hank and Asha: An Indian student in Prague and a lonely New Yorker correspond online through video letters.
    Directed by James E. Huff and starring Mahira Kakkar and Andrew Pastides, this Tampa premiere was the Audience Award recipient at Slamdance 2013.

    Narrative Competition Films

    House of Last Things: A mind-bending thriller set in Portland, Oregon about an unspoken tragedy and its effects on a house, its temporary caretakers and the owners, a classical music critic and his wife on a recuperative trip to Italy.
    U.S. premiere directed by Michael Bartlett and starring Lindsey Haun, Blake Berris, and RJ Mitte.

    The Red Robin: A family reunion goes awry when the oldest son makes the accusation that his dying father, a famed psychiatrist who also did work for the CIA, adopted his children for the purposes of psychological experimentation.
    Directed by Michael Z. Wechsler and featuring: Judd Hirsch, Ryan O’Nan, C.S. Lee, Jaime Ray Newman and Caroline Lagerfelt. A Florida premiere film.

    Copenhagen: When the girl of your dreams is half your age, it’s time to grow up.
    Directed by Mark Raso and starring: Gethin Anthony, Frederikke Dahl Hansen and Olivia Grant, this Florida premiere film was the Slamdance 2014 Audience Award Winner.

    In Lieu of Flowers: Most love stories are about losing love or finding it. This is a story about what happens in between.
    Florida premiere film directed by William Savage and cast includes: Josh Pence, Spencer Grammer, Nate Corddry, and Melissa Rauch.

    Winter in the Blood: True to the tough, lyrical, magical spirit of James Welch’s classic novel of Native American life, this hauntingly beautiful movie follows a young Blackfoot Indian’s alcohol-fueled search for his wife, his rifle, his identity—and salvation.
    Directed by Alex Smith and Andrew J. Smith, and featuring: Chaske Spencer, David Morse, Gary Farmer and Julia Jones.

    Teddy Bears: Dark comedy about three couples who head to the desert to help their friend heal after the death of his mother. They would do anything for him – except for the one thing he wants.
    Florida premiere directed by Thomas Beatty and Rebecca Fishman, and cast includes: Gillian Jacobs, Zachary Knighton, David Krumholtz, Melanie Lynskey, Ahna O’Reilly, Jason Ritter, and Ned Beatty.

    Odd Brodsky: Audrey Brodsky is a lovable loser who hates her job. After 11 years, she finally quits the office to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an actress. There’s just one problem – she’s not very good at it.
    Directed by Cindy Baer and starring Tegan Ashton Cohan and Matthew Kevin Anderson, this is a Florida premiere film.

    Closing Night Film

    Chu and Blossom: A coming-of-age comedy that centers on an unlikely brotherhood between a pensive, awkwardly tall Korean foreign exchange student and a militant performance artist, both trapped together in a small town.

    This Florida premiere movie was filmed throughout the Tampa Bay region, including: Tampa, Lakeland, Plant City, Ocala and Pinellas County, over 18 days in summer of 2012. Directed by Gavin Kelly and Charles Chu, the World premiere of this film was at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival earlier this year. Features: Charles Chu, Ryan O’Nan (GIFF 2012 Rising Star Award recipient), Annie Potts, Caitlin Stasey, Alan Cumming, Melanie Lynskey, Richard Kind and Mercedes Ruehl.

    In addition to the above films, GIFF 2014 will include competition films in the following categories: Narrative, World Showcase, Documentary Feature, Focus on Florida and New Visions Competition, sponsored by Indie Pix Distributors.

    There will also be Cuisine Short Films at the Tampa Museum of Art, which celebrates the culinary delights of cinema, a Women Filmmakers panel, and a selection of Cuban documentaries and feature films that explore the vibrant film culture and beautiful landscape of Cuba.

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  • 3 Iconic Films Discovered by the Sundance Film Festival to Screen at 2014 Sundance London

     Winter’s BoneWinter’s Bone

     Three films discovered by the Sundance Film Festival in its 30-year history have been selected to screen at the 2014 edition of the Sundance London film and music festival. Sundance London will take place from April 25-27, 2014, at The O2. The films are: MEMENTO, which launched Christopher Nolan’s directing career after its premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, leading to his work directing Inception and a trilogy of Batmanfilms; RESERVOIR DOGS, which was supported by Sundance Institute during production and premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival, propelling Quentin Tarantino’s directing career; and WINTER’S BONE, from director Debra Granik and featuring Jennifer Lawrence in one of her first film roles, before she appeared in the Hunger Games series and won an Academy Award for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook. 

    Memento (Director: Christopher Nolan, Screenwriters: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan) — A man with a relentless desire to revenge his wife’s brutal murder faces a rare, untreatable form of memory loss that hinders his path. Memento is a complex puzzle in which the outcome is known and the enjoyment comes from piecing together the steps leading up to it. Cast: Harriet Sansom Harris, Mark Boone Junior, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Guy Pearce, Stephen Tobolowsky. Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the2001 Sundance Film Festival.

    Reservoir Dogs (Director and screenwriter: Quentin Tarantino) — Six unacquainted professional criminals are brought together by a veteran thief to execute an elaborate diamond robbery that goes awry. Confused and panicked by their narrow escape, the four surviving jewel thieves regroup at the planned rendezvous spot, where they question trustworthiness and face harrowing confrontations and fierce dissension. Cast: Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Tim Roth, Lawrence Tierney. Premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival.

    Winter’s Bone (Director: Debra Granik, Screenwriters: Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini) — When a teenage girl’s crystal-meth-making father skips bail and goes missing, she and her young siblings and disabled mother face losing their home. In a heroic quest, the girl traverses the county to confront her kin, break their silent collusion, and bring her father home. Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, Garret Dillahunt, Kevin Breznahan. Winner of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

     

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  • Kat Candler’s HELLION from Sundance Film Festival to Get a U.S. Release

     hellion

    Kat Candler’s HELLION which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, will be released in the U.S. by Sundance Selects.  HELLION is written by Candler,  based on her short film that screened at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and stars Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis, and newcomer Josh Wiggins.  Sundance Selects will release the film in theaters and on VOD later this year.

    Writer/director Kat Candler’s HELLION paints the powerful portrait of a family on the brink of dissolution set against the haunting backdrop of the refineries of Southeast Texas.

    Obsessed with heavy metal, dirt bike racing and partaking in the occasional act of vandalism with his band of delinquents, the behavior of 13-year-old Jacob Wilson (Josh Wiggins in his feature film debut) has begun to raise concerns around town, especially when it starts to involve his younger brother Wes (newcomer Deke Garner). While the boys’ father Hollis (two-time Emmy Award-winner Aaron Paul) loves his sons, he is still reeling from the loss of their mother, spending more time drowning his sorrows at the local bar and working on his damaged beach house than being an active parent. 

    When the local authorities catch wind of the increasingly volatile situation, Wes is taken into custody by his Aunt Pam (Academy Award nominee Juliette Lewis), leaving Jacob and Hollis to fend for themselves. In Wes’ absence, Jacob becomes increasingly obsessed with two things: winning a local motocross championship and getting his brother back. via Facebook

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  • FRUITVALE STATION, WAR WITCH Among Winners of the 45th NAACP Image Awards

    FRUITVALE STATIONFRUITVALE STATION

    The winners of the 45th NAACP Image Awards were announced this weekend, and “FRUITVALE STATION” won the award for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture, and “WAR WITCH” won  the Outstanding International Motion Picture award.  “FREE ANGELA AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS” received the award for Outstanding Documentary – (Theatrical), and RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC won the award for Outstanding Documentary – (Television).  

    Motion Picture Categories

    Outstanding Motion Picture
    “12 YEARS A SLAVE” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)

    Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
    Forest Whitaker – “LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER” (The Weinstein Company/Lee Daniels Entertainment,
    Laura Ziskin Productions, Windy Hill Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Pam Williams Productions)

    Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
    Angela Bassett – “BLACK NATIVITY” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/Mavin Pictures/Wonderful Films)

    Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
    David Oyelowo – “LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER” (The Weinstein Company/Lee Daniels Entertainment,
    Laura Ziskin Productions, Windy Hill Pictures, Follow Through Productions, Salamander Pictures, Pam Williams Productions)

    Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
    Lupita Nyong’o – “12 YEARS A SLAVE” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)

    Entertainer of the Year
    Kevin Hart

    Motion Picture Categories
    Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
    “FRUITVALE STATION” (The Weinstein Company/Forest Whitaker’s Significant Productions, OG Project)

    Outstanding International Motion Picture
    “WAR WITCH” (Item 7)

    Documentary Categories
    Outstanding Documentary – (Theatrical)
    “FREE ANGELA AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS” (Codeblack Films/Lionsgate)

    Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
    RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC (Showtime)

    Writing Categories
    Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
    Vincent Brown – “A.N.T. Farm” – InfluANTces (Disney Channel)

    Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series
    Janine Sherman Barrois – “Criminal Minds” – Strange Fruit (CBS)

    Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture – (Theatrical or Television)
    John Ridley – “12 YEARS A SLAVE” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)

    Directing Categories
    Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
    Millicent Shelton – “The Hustle” – Rule 4080 (FUSE)

    Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series
    Regina King – “SouthLAnd” – Off Duty (TNT)

    Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture – (Theatrical or Television)
    Steve McQueen – “12 YEARS A SLAVE” (River Road/Plan B/New Regency/Fox Searchlight Pictures)

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  • Noah Cowan Appointed Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Society

    noah cowan

    Noah Cowan has been appointed Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Society (SFFS), effective March 3. Cowan joins SFFS after five years as Artistic Director of TIFF Bell Lightbox, the landmark cinema museum space in Toronto and home of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

    “The board and staff of the San Francisco Film Society are thrilled to have Noah Cowan join us to lead this organization into the future,” said David Winton, SFFS board president. “His intimate knowledge of the international film scene and his many achievements in Toronto make him the perfect person to continue building on the Film Society’s mission of showcasing the best in world cinema, promoting media literacy in our schools and supporting exceptional independent filmmakers.”

    “I am grateful to the Board of Directors of the Film Society for providing this remarkable opportunity,” said Cowan. “The Bay Area has a storied relationship to cinema’s century-plus history and is currently home to the technology companies that will decisively influence the medium’s future. SFFS is uniquely positioned to work with filmmakers, educators and enthusiastic local audiences to embrace the dynamic and exciting changes taking place within the industry and continue to ensure that great cinema is made, seen and appreciated.”

     

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  • Theatrical Premieres abound this year at American Documentary Film Festival and Film Fund (AMDOCS); Films Redefine the Art of Storytelling

    57º NORTH, ALUMBRONES, RACING HEARTS, 2014 American Documentary Film Festival and Film Fund

    When it opens in Palm Springs, California, on March 27th, 2014, the American Documentary Film Festival and Film Fund will begin a five five day schedule of over 120 documentary films from around the world. That schedule includes a record number of theatrical premieres – fifteen World Premieres, twenty-five North American Premieres and twenty US premieres. 

    “We are fortunate to have secured a large number of documentaries that will be premiering at our festival this year,” says Ted Grouya, Festival Director and Founder. “We have always been proud of the fact that we were on the cutting edge of  screening new documentaries, but this year exceeds all expectations.”

    The documentary genre of filmmaking, powered by a whole new generation of filmmakers, continues to grow in popularity. “These story-driven films are becoming the new keepers of culture,” Grouya said. “They have really redefined the tradition of storytelling, and, in many ways, documentary filmmakers have become the storytellers of the new millennium. Documentaries today are preserving culture, exposing corruption, and capturing events – but they are also capturing daily life – the stories of all our lives.”

    “Take 57º NORTH, one of this year’s World Premiere documentaries from the United Kingdom,” Grouya continued. “It provides a poignant insight into the traditional lifestyle of John Jo MacDonald, a 67-year-old fisherman from The Outer Hebrides, whose entire way of life is under threat from environmental issues outside of his control. Another film, ALUMBRONES,  uses artists to tell the story of the impact Cubans felt when the Soviet Union collapsed, and Cuba lost 90 percent of its trade overnight. RACING HEARTS, a World Premiere short film from the United States, follows the inspiring journey of three heart transplant recipients as they attempt to finish the La Jolla Half Marathon, an arduous race with a daunting hill climb. These films are lasting records of what it was for these people to live their lives, and the things we can learn from them to help us see the bigger picture that exists beyond ourselves. The bonus is that we will be among the first audiences to see them.”

    The American Documentary Film Festival opens on Thursday, March 27th and continues through Monday, March 31st. It is presented in conjunction with The Palm Springs Cultural Center.

    images: (top left to right) 57º NORTH, ALUMBRONES, RACING HEARTS

    via press release

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  • Talking Revolution, Politics in Egypt and Global Uprising with The Square’s Director-Jehane Noujaim

    Jehane Noujaim director of THE SQUARE

     THE SQUARE, a riveting documentary nominated for an Oscar this year, actually takes the audience into the turbulent, vibrant center of the Egyptian Revolution. THE SQUARE, directed by Jehane Noujaim, is an astonishing document of Egypt’s uprising, and a remarkable exercise in the power of witness.

    The film begins in 2011 with the very first protests in the streets of Cairo and in Tahrir Square, and focuses on three unlikely comrades in arms: Khalid Abdalla is an Egyptian movie star, famous both in the US and abroad (he starred in such films as The Kite Runner), who gave up his busy actor’s life in London to join in the Revolution, becoming its unofficial spokesperson in the process; Ahmed Hassan -a smiling, self-deprecating young man- filled with both committed enthusiasm and undisguised joy at being a part of something much larger than himself; and Magdy Ashour , who is both conflicted by and compelled by the Revolution: A man who is “with” the Muslim Brotherhood, only to flip sides in 2011 and siding with those in Tahrir Square. His journey, as he mustmake decisions based on both his faith and the financial care of his family, only highlight the extraordinary complexities which currently plague so muchofMiddle Eastern politics today.

     These truly gripping portraits, along with those of fellow activists Ragia, a human rights lawyer, Ramy Essam, who becomes a popular folksinger throughout the course of the film, and is also badly arrested and brutally beaten during the course of the film;  and Aida, a young woman with a sharply keen sense of  which way the political is blowing, searingly round out what is truly an unprecedented look into what makes a country decide they have simply had enough. Raw, funny and often edge-of-your seat intense and immediate,  The Square is a spectacular, must-see document. We are right in the fray with the Egyptian protestors, through the ousting of both Mubarak and Morsi –Egyptian men and women of all ages, religious and social differences- putting it all aside in the struggle for freedom and a democratic state. We are seeing not political talking heads nor extreme Muslim Brotherhood members-but a courageous group, which by the end of the film has amassed into literally millions, of  brave activists.

    At the stormy center of the film and the Revolution itself were Noujaim and her tiny crew, risking their lives and often the film’s footage itself, (they slept right alongside their subjects right in Tahrir Square, tear gas and all). Charming and confident, born in Cairo and Harvard-educated,Noujaim has already won the TED Prize (in 2006) and directed such documentaries Control Room and Startup.com.I had the great pleasure of sitting down to speak with her a week before the Oscars:

     FM: I just have to ask you: How did you all (your crew) keep yourselves safe during these often-violent protests at Tahrir Square? (both armies and police became considerably more agressive as regimes changed and the demonstrations continued). You are so brave.

    Director Jehane Noujaim: Oh, I don’t think I’m brave. I mean, I may make films about heroes, but, honestly, we learned so much from them. It’s kind of like when you’re standing with people that are putting everything that they have on the line, to fight for what they believe in-they could be arrested, and they could be facing years in prison, you just, I don’t know…You just learn a great deal from them, and there’s a fearlessness that develops. You know, you’re identifying , at least, I do-I end up identifying with and to live the life of- the people I’m filming. And that’s’ why I get so close to them. We were all sleeping in the Square, with the tear gas (being thrown), taking the same kinds of risks. Although, of course, not as much, as I have an American passport, I have people that…If I’m imprisoned, I know that there’s going to be articles written about me, which, in a way, puts me in a much safer situation. I mean, you would think so, anyway. I do have a friend, an Al-Jazeera journalist, who has been in prison for two months now.

     FM: So you felt some level of safety?

     Director Jehane Noujaim: I would say there’s never 100% safety: For yourself, for your crew, for your characters, for your footage…But you can take precautions, and the precautions that I took were, the minute that I knew I had filmed something incredible, I’d immediately take out the video card, go back to the office, and download it. And we’d continue copying drives, and make sure that the drives were in different places, and then any time someone would leave the country, we would send the drives out.So, there was this kind of process. In terms of our personal safety, everyone on the team has at one time been tear gassed, been shot at, jailed…So, there was no such thing as hiring anyone to come onto this project. We all met in the Square. The film came out of The Square. But that’s also the only way that it could have happened, because, as I said, there’s no way I would have asked that of anyone, or taken on that kind of responsibility.(My crew) also felt that they were filming something that is not only a ‘film.’ We were filming this moment in history. People were filming as witnesses, and much of the footage has been used now at news stations, when newscasters were not there on the front lines. Or, it has been used in a court case, as well. This is where the camera really became the weapon…

     FM: I love Ahmed’s line, “If you have a camera, you can have a revolution.”

     Jehane Noujaim: A quarter of the film is his! A quarter of the film is his footage. That section where you really feel like you are about to be shot by the police or the army? All his.

     FM: What have some of the international reactions been like to hear?

     Jehane Noujaim: What has been amazing to see since releasing this online, if you go to #TheSquare (on Twitter), you see people requiting some of the lines, and translating them into many languages. And it’s amazing, because it’s young people seeing even lines in the film that didn’t even stick out for me; but when I see all of this reposting, people are seeing so much of this film in themselves, and their own struggles, which is really exciting to see. Ahmed’s line, “We’re not looking for a leader, as much as we’re looking for a conscious?” That line has been translated into Chinese, Portugese, Spanish, Ukranian…We had a screening of The Square in the Ukraine two weeks ago.

     FM: You’re kidding?! Wow.

     Jehane Noujaim: No, no, no, I’m serious! The protestors organized it, translated the film…Here, I’ll show you pictures.(She handily takes out her phone.) It was amazing. A friend of ours who we were working with-Stuart- he has these traveling, big blow-up screens, he showed the film, and he had to escape afterward! The authorities said, (in a mock rough voice) ‘There is a forbidden movie being shown, and there is an American Spy here showing it.” So, Stuart had to leave, but the protestors continued to show it, and they had Skype sessions with Ahmed! So, it was amazing…Now, the protestors in Venezuela want to do the same thing. There’s this interconnectedness that is happening in the world right now…

    the square documentary

     FM: You spoke on Piers Morgan last night about ‘bearing witness….’ How is Ahmed doing now?

     Jehane Noujaim: He’s good! He is such a strong soul. I had called him because I was sad about a friend of mine being in jail, and he totally cheered me up! The youth have so much hope there. He said: ‘You know, you just don’t understand! There are people that are showing this film in coffee shops downtown, there are Facebook pages where a thousand people have signed up different events!” He said, Jehane, it’s like a football game… That people are talking about issues that have been silenced on the local news there…And so, to be able to see it, and talk about it, is so incredible. And he goes, ‘Send me more pictures of the screening in Mexico on the Plaza!” and “Send me more photos of the Ukraine,” and on and on, because that’s what motivates him, to know that regardless of the ups and downs that he’s going through in Egypt, that this is a global struggle-people trying to change their relationship with the government. And that it’s not just a lonely struggle.

    the square

    Her thoughts on the American perspective of this struggle in Egypt:

    Jehane Noujaim: We come from a country (The U.S.)which just has this legacy of people power, and marches being able to change things, mad how depressing it must have been- because it wasn’t covered anywhere. Imagine how hard it must have been- in the midst of all of that. Now, everything is changing…We have social media, and (the authorities) can no longer act with impunity. It is a different world now.

    Stream The Square right now on Netflix  this week before the Oscars, where Jehane Noujaim may very well pick up that little gold trophy for Best Documentary Feature.

     

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  • Los Angeles Film Festival Unveils 20th Anniversary Commemorative Poster

    The Los Angeles Film Festival unveiled the Festival's 20th Anniversary commemorative poster

    The Los Angeles Film Festival unveiled the Festival’s 20th Anniversary commemorative poster, designed by iconic American artist Ed Ruscha, based on his 1962 painting “Large Trademark With Eight Spotlights.”  The Festival opens Wednesday, June 11, and runs through Thursday, June 19 2014. It will include world premieres of American and international features, documentaries and short subject films as well as conversations, master classes, Music in Film Nights at the GRAMMY Museum, Hollywood studio premieres, and other signature events.

    “I’m pleased to have designed the poster in support of the 20th LA Film Festival and Film Independent, and I hope the image reaches as many people as possible,” said Ruscha. Ruscha’s work is collected by museums worldwide, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Musee National Jeu de Paume, The Getty Center, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.

    “We’re honored that Ed Ruscha created the artwork for the 20th anniversary poster,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “Ruscha’s body of work represents the creative spirit of Los Angeles that is embodied in the Festival.”

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  • VIDEO| Watch Trailer for Rock Star Alice Cooper Documentary SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER

    super duper alice cooper

    The first official trailer for the upcoming documentary “SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER” from Canadian filmmakers Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen of Banger Films was released this week.  “SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER” is described as the twisted tale of a teenage Dr. Jekyll whose rock and roll Mr. Hyde almost kills him. It is the story of Vincent Furnier, preacher’s son, who struck fear into the hearts of parents as Alice Cooper, the ultimate rock star of the bizarre. From the advent of Alice as frontman for a group of Phoenix freaks in the ’60s to the hazy decadence of celebrity in the ’70s to his triumphant comeback as ’80s glam metal godfather, we will watch as Alice and Vincent battle for each other’s souls. The film is the first-ever “doc opera” — a dizzying blend of documentary archive footage, animation and rock opera that will cement forever the legend of Alice Cooper.

    http://youtu.be/65LiL6R9L3I

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