• VIDEO | Watch Trailer for Rapper Nas Documentary TIME IS ILLMATIC

     TIME IS ILLMATIC, the documentary on rapper Nas

    Check out the short trailer for TIME IS ILLMATIC, the documentary on rapper Nas, set to World Premiere as the opening night film of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The film follows the trajectory of Nas’ 1994 landmark debut album, Illmatic– widely considered one of the most important and revolutionary albums in hip-hop.  TIME IS ILLMATIC, is directed by multimedia artist, One9, written by Erik Parker, and produced by One9, Parker, and Anthony Saleh. 

    http://youtu.be/A3e7AwBuqmA

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  • Official Poster Unveiled for the 2014 Florida Documentary Film Festival

    florida documentary film festival 2014 poster 2014 Florida Documentary Film Festival, DocMiami International Film Festival

    DocMiami International Film Festival unveiled the official poster for the Florida Documentary Film Festival, a new series designed to bring the film festival experience to various cities throughout the Sunshine State. The Florida Documentary Film Festival takes place September 12 to 13th, 2014, at the Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton, Florida. Designed by artist David Caines of the U.K., the poster was revealed by DocMiami Director, Monica Rosales and Sugar Sand Park Special Event Coordinator Stacee Lanz.

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  • Formula 1 Documentary “1″ to Screen at 2014 Sedona International Film Festival | VIDEO

    Formula 1 documentary “1,″ directed by Paul Crowder and narrated by Academy Award nominee Michael Fassbender

    The Formula 1 documentary “1,″ directed by Paul Crowder and narrated by Academy Award nominee Michael Fassbender, will have a special screening on opening day of the 20th Anniversary Sedona International Film Festival on Saturday, February. 22,  at the Sedona Performing Arts Center.  Set in the golden era of Grand Prix racing, “1″ tells the story of a generation of charismatic drivers who raced on the edge, risking their lives at every race during Formula 1′s deadliest period. These are the men (Lauda, Hunt, Andretti, Stewart, et. al.) who stood up and changed the sport forever.

    “1″ is described as a must-see for all film-lovers and for anyone with an interest in all things automotive. Unprecedented access to F1 archival footage by the filmmakers provides a human reality aspect to this truly “life and death” time in racing history.

    The screening of “1″ will act as the official announcement of Reels and Wheels: An Automobile Film Experience, scheduled to launch next year at the 2015 Sedona International Film Festival. This experience beginning February 19, 2015, will include all things automobile, including a pavilion with famous movie cars, automobile-themed films, professional drivers and celebrities, and interactive, hands-on displays.

    http://youtu.be/ZHlK2HCh12U

    via sedona.biz

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  • 2014 New York City Independent Film Festival Announces Prizes for Super Short Film Category

    2014 New York City Independent Film Festival

    The 5th Annual New York City Independent Film Festival announces prizes for this year’s Super Short Film Category.

    From October 15th to 19th, this year’s festival is the place to be. During the event, filmmakers have the opportunity to meet several movie professionals and exchange experiences. In addition to screening the best indie films, the festival hosts parties, ceremonies and panel discussions with filmmakers, actors, directors, producers, musicians and crew members. The most important ceremony is the Best of Festival Awards that recognizes the best in 9 categories: director, actress, actor, script, narrative feature, music video, short film, documentary and super short film. A board of movie professionals selects the winners. Also a Mark of Distinction Award is offered to the audience’s choice. We also have the first of the prizes we will be offering this year at the festival.

    In the Super Short Film category the festival is offering three prizes: 

  • First Place wins a copy of Sony Vegas Pro Suite – Retail 899.00
  • Second Place wins a copy of Sony Vegas Pro – Retail 599.00
  • Third Place wins a copy of Sony Vegas Pro Edit – Retail 399.00
    • Filmmakers may submit to the New York City Independent Film Festival using the festival’s website (http://www.nycindieff.com) the deadline for filmmakers to send their films is May 31, 2014.

    This year, plans are to show well over 100 films. The 5th New York City Independent Film Festival will continue to uphold the tradition of promoting new and emerging voices in film, spoken word, music, and art. Dennis Cieri, Executive Director and Founder, says, “The festival is excited to announce the first set of prizes for this year’s festival. The Sony Vegas Pro software is a professional well-balanced set of software for an indie filmmaker. More prizes are coming and the festival will be announcing more prizes soon.”

    The festival takes place in the Producers Club, located in the heart of Manhattan’s theater district. It makes a wonderful home for the international cinematic tradition of the festival, with its spacious theaters, intimate lounge, urban décor and artistic history.

    Submissions 
    Visit the website, http://www.nycindieff.com, to learn more about the festival as well as information about submissions and past years selected films. Join the festival on Twitter @NYCIndieFF, and Facebook at facebook.com/nycindieff. 
    ____________ 
    5th Annual New York City Independent Film Festival 
    What: Selection of over 100 independent movies spanning feature, documentary, short, super short, music videos and art videos. 
    When: October 15-19, 2014 
    Where: 358 West 44th Street New York, NY 
    Learn more at http://www.nycindieff.com or (917) 608-4784.

    via press release

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  • Winners Announced at 2014 Beaufort International Film Festival

    THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU

    The Eighth Annual Beaufort International Film Festival concluded on February 15th with the winners being announced in 9 categories and the presentation of the first ever Behind the Scenes Award. The award for Best Feature went to THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU, directed by Katharyn Grant and the award for Best Documentary went to AKA, DOC POMUS, directed by William Hechter and Peter Miller.  The top award went to Film Editor and two-time Oscar Winner Arthur Schmidt (Forrest Gump and Who Framed Roger Rabbit). He was awarded the prestigious Jean Ribaut Award for Excellence in Film Editing.

    Despite flight delays and reroutes and closed major highways due to a major winter storm hitting the southeast, filmmakers and film lovers still made the effort to get to the festival and once here, enjoyed four fun filled days of filmmaking excellence. “It was a tremendous turnout. We were quite pleased, “ stated Festival Director Ron Tucker. “Even with the adverse weather conditions at the start of the festival, the weather got better and we neared attendance of around 7000 people enjoying some part of festival events,”  Tucker stated.

    The film festival celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of the film Forrest Gump with special activities which included the screening of the film with some of the cast and crew in attendance.  A video tribute to Mr. Schmidt was played on awards night that included video messages from actors Gary Sinise and Tom Hanks and Director Robert Zemeckis.

    James Passanante was presented the inaugural “Behind the Scenes” Award for is more than 30 years of work in the film industry as a Scenic Designer.

    Other Winners include:

    Best Feature:  The One Who Loves You, directed by Katharyn Grant, Denver, CO;

    Best Documentary:   AKA, Doc Pomus, directed by William Hechter and Peter Miller, Ontario, Canada;

    Best Short Film: The Long Wait, directed by Wolfgang Bodison, Los Angeles, CA

    Best Student Film:  Helpless, directed by Christene Hurley, Winston-Salem, NC,  University of North Carolina School of the Arts

    Best Animation:  Death & the Robot, directed by Austin Taylor, Winston-Salem, NC  University of North Carolina School of the Arts

    Best Screenplay:  Pawn, written by Uyen Le and VW Scheich, Los Angeles, CA

    Best Actor:  Elizabeth Yoder, Los Angeles, CA  ( The Long Wait)

    Best Director: Katharyn Grant, Denver, Co  (The One Who Loves You)

    Audience Choice:   AKA, Doc Pomus (Directors, William Hechter and Peter Miller)

    The World Without Purple Award: Special award presented by Alzheimer’s Family Services of Greater Beaufort to filmmaker Barbara Klutinis for her film The Sum Total of Our Memory.

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  • Complete Lineup for 43rd New Directors/New Films; Ana Lily Amirpour’s A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT is the Opening Night Film

    A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHTA GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT

    The complete lineup was unveiled for the 43rd edition of New Directors/New Films taking place March 19 to  March 30, 2014 in New York City and presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art.  This year’s festival will screen 27 international feature films and 13 short films.  The opening night feature is Ana Lily Amirpour’s A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, a Persian, black-and-white, noirish thriller that recently bowed at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim and is based on a graphic novel written by Amirpour about a young female vampire who stalks the streets of a fictional lonely Iranian ghost town. The closing night feature, 20,000 DAYS ON EARTH, by visual artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, also had its premiere at Sundance, where it won directing and editing awards in the World Cinema Documentary category. The film follows a fictitious 24 hours in the life of musical and cultural icon Nick Cave as he is writing his 2013 album “Push the Sky Away.”

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  • Official Trailer and Poster for Eliza Hittman’s Debut Feature IT FELT LIKE LOVE

      IT FELT LIKE LOVE Official Poster

    Check out the official trailer and poster for Eliza Hittman’s debut feature IT FELT LIKE LOVE.  Variance Films will release IT FELT LIKE LOVE in New York on March 21st and Los Angeles on March 28th, 2014.  “Eliza Hittman’s powerful debut feature tells the story of Lila (Gina Piersanti, in a stunning debut), a fourteen year old spending a hot summer in a blue-collar Brooklyn neighborhood far removed from the bustling city.  Awkward, lonely, and often playing the third wheel, Lila is determined to emulate the sexual exploits of her more experienced best friend.  She fixates on Sammy, a tough older guy, when she hears that “he’ll sleep with anyone.”  Deluded in her romantic pursuit, Lila tries desperately to insert herself into Sammy’s gritty world, but in doing so she puts herself into a dangerously vulnerable situation.”

    http://youtu.be/UrqcUMN4s8E

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  • A WORLD NOT OURS, URANIUM DRIVE-IN Lead Winners of 2014 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

    A WORLD NOT OURSA WORLD NOT OURS

    The winners of the 2014 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival’s Feature, Big Sky, Short and Mini-Doc categories were announced before an energized and packed house last night at the Top Hat Lounge in downtown Missoula.  The Best Feature award went to A WORLD NOT OURS, described as an intimate and funny portrait of three generations of exile in the refugee camp of Ain el-Helweh, in southern Lebanon.  “Through his unique sensibility and keenly perceptive eye, filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel gives us a fascinating glimpse into the world of the Palestinian refugee camp where he grew up,” read the judges’ statement. “In so doing, he creates a remarkable cinematic journey that is both highly personal and strikingly universal.”

    The Big Sky Award was earned by URANIUM DRIVE-IN, described as the gripping story of a once-booming Colorado mining town as it grapples with the prospect of a return to the mining industry that offers a conflicting mix of economic prosperity and environmental and health challenges. The film was directed by Susan Beraza.  “We chose URANIUM DRIVE-IN  for the Big Sky Award because of its balanced and raw look at the realities of mining,” said the jury. “The filmmakers took great care with the subject and the characters and the result is a powerful story about life in the west.”  URANIUM DRIVE-IN also took home a cash prize of $1000 sponsored by the Montana Film Office.

    The Best Short award winner was THE RECORD BREAKER, described as the funny and surprisingly heartfelt tale of Ashrita Furman, the man with the most Guinness World Records of all time. The film’s director is Brian McGinn.  “THE RECORD BREAKER is witty, fast-paced and accomplished, with an engaging character who has found his own personal quirky passion in life,” said the judges. “Underneath the fun, the film grapples with deeper, even profound issues such as the nature of obsession and changing relationships between parents and child.”

    And finally, the winner of the Best Mini-Doc award went to EUGENE, directed by Jordan Olshanksy and Jason Stanfield. The 13-minute film, shot over the course of several months, tracks the last days of a homeless man living in the outskirts of San Francisco. The judges’ statement was not available as of press time.

    The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival’s status as a qualifying festival for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the Short and Mini-Doc categories means that THE RECORD BREAKER and EUGENE are now eligible for consideration for next year’s Oscars.

    In addition to the category winners, judges were given the option of presenting an Artistic Vision award in each category. In each case, the jury found a film so deserving. They are: TRUCKER AND THE FOX (Feature), directed by Arash Lahooti; TRANSMORMON (Big Sky), directed by Torben Bernhard; PRISON TERMINAL (Short), directed by Edgar Barens; and ADRIFT (Mini-Doc), directed by Frederik Depickere.

    The award screenings will cap a busy final weekend of the nine-day festival. In addition to Friday evening’s full slate of films, screenings will be held in all four festival venues throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, including a slate of “Movies You Missed” made up of some of the most popular films screened during the previous week. Film schedule and information can be found at bigskyfilmfest.org.

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  • TIME IS ILLMATIC, Documentary on Rapper Nas to Open 2014 Tribeca Film Festival

    documentary TIME IS ILLMATIC

    The world premiere of the documentary TIME IS ILLMATIC, will open the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. The film follows the trajectory of Nas’ 1994 landmark debut album, Illmatic– widely considered one of the most important and revolutionary albums in hip-hop. The premiere, taking place on Wednesday, April 16, will be followed by a special musical performance where Nas will perform the groundbreaking album from front to back. TIME IS ILLMATIC, is directed by multimedia artist, One9, written by Erik Parker, and produced by One9, Parker, and Anthony Saleh. The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, will run through April 27th.

    TIME IS ILLMATIC traces Nas’s influences and the insurmountable odds he faced in creating the greatest work of music from hip-hop’s second golden era. The film tracks the musical legacy of the Jones family — handed down to Nas from his jazz musician father, Olu Dara, the support of his Queensbridge neighborhood crew, and the loyalty of his younger brother Jabari “Jungle” Fret. Twenty years after its release, Illmatic is widely recognized as a hip-hop benchmark that encapsulates the sociopolitical outlook, enduring spirit, and collective angst of a generation of young men searching for their voice in America. Time Is Illmatic is supported by The Ford Foundation’s Just Films and Tribeca Film Institute’s Tribeca All Access program.

    “I want to thank the Tribeca Film Festival for supporting the film with the incredible platform they’ve built over the years,” said Nas. “It’s an honor to premiere this film in my hometown. I also want to thank One9 and Erik Parker for their persistence and hard work. Those guys and I come from the same place and era, which gives the doc an authenticity that is important to me. We wanted this film to represent the real, from the storyline all the way down to the directors and producers.”

    “Like the Festival itself, Time is Illmatic and the groundbreaking body of work it recognizes has roots grounded in New York City, but represents and reaches communities far beyond,” said Jane Rosenthal, CEO and Co-founder of Tribeca Film Festival. “The film spotlights a musical journey with community and family at its core and we look forward to celebrating this pivotal moment in hip hop history as we open our 13th edition.”

    “Throughout the journey, we see the metamorphosis of Nas as a young street poet, full of a rich musical legacy, transforming the pain and isolation of growing up in Queensbridge Houses into raw, honest lyrics, illuminating a spirit that inspired generations from the past, present, and the future. Experiencing the stories, passion, and energy of a modern day alchemist shaping lyrical dust to diamonds was truly an honor and we are extremely proud to premiere the film at Tribeca,” said One9. “I want to thank Nas, Jungle, Olu Dara, The Jones family, the Tribeca Film Institute, and Ford Foundation for allowing Erik Parker and me to create an authentic and unfiltered documentary film.”

    Hip Hop luminary and multi-platinum artist, Nas, released his debut album Illmatic in 1994, and he has gone on to sell over 20 million albums worldwide. The legendary Queens rapper, son of jazz musician Olu Dara, is widely recognized as a visionary and lauded for a seminal body of work that spans a two-decade career. He has released nine solo albums and three compilations, and will release Illmatic XX, a special 20th anniversary edition of the landmark debut, on April 15 by SONY Legacy.

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  • COMING SOON: Sony Pictures Classics to Release Zhang Yimou’s COMING HOME in the U.S.

    Zhang YimouZhang Yimou

    Zhang Yimou’s latest film COMING HOME starring Gong Li, and currently in post-production, has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for release in the U.S. Inspired by Yan Geling’s “THE CRIMINAL LU YANSHI, COMING HOME is described as a romance drama chronicling the journey of a Chinese dissident (Chen Daoming) from the 1920′s to the 1990′s.

    COMING HOME marks the twelfth collaboration between the Sony Pictures Classics team and Zhang Yimou, dating back to the 1991 Orion Classics release of RAISE THE RED LANTERN. Other films include HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, SHANGHAI TRIAD, THE STORY OF QIU JU and CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER. The film will also be SPC’s sixth collaboration with Producer Bill Kong which began in 2000 with Ang Lee’s Academy Award winning CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

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  • THE LAST ONE, a New Documentary about the AIDS Memorial Quilt to Screen at 2014 American Documentary Film Festival

    The Last One directed by Nadine Licostie

    The 2014 American Documentary Film Festival and Film Fund will screen THE LAST ONE – a look at the AIDS quilt and those who wove the panels. In the eighties and nineties, as AIDS ravaged the United States gay community, the AIDS Memorial Quilt was born out of a public battle for treatment and understanding. THE LAST ONE is a feature-length documentary tracing its history as an international art project and the role it continues to play as a response to a disease that still imperils vulnerable communities around the world.

    Through the intensely personal stories of its founders, volunteers, and panel-makers, THE LAST ONE examines how stigma and discrimination exacerbated and still fuel a disease that has already claimed the lives of 30 million people and currently infects 65 million men, women and children around the globe–including 50,000 new infections a year in the US alone. Longtime LGBT Activist and Founder of The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, Cleve Jones, will attend the screening of THE LAST ONE, along with the film’s director, Nadine Licostie.

    The American Documentary Film Festival opens on Thursday, March 27th and continues through Monday, March 31st, 2014.

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  • COMING SOON: Rachel Dratch, Wendy Moniz and Trevor St. John Among Cast of Patrick Wang’s Sophomore Feature Film THE GRIEF OF OTHERS

    Director, Patrick Wang Director, Patrick Wang

    Rachel Dratch, Wendy Moniz and Trevor St. John are among the cast members set for the upcoming feature film THE GRIEF OF OTHERS.  THE GRIEF OF OTHERS is the sophomore film from Patrick Wang whose first film is the critically acclaimed IN THE FAMILY, which he wrote and directed.  Based on the acclaimed novel by Leah Hager Cohen (New York Times notable book, finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize), the film is set to commence production in April 2014 in Nyack, New York.  

    In addition to Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live), Wendy Moniz (Betrayal, The Guardian), and Trevor St. John (One Life to Live, In the Family), additional key cast members include Oona Laurence, who won a Tony Award for her role as Matilda in Matilda the Musical, Jeremy Shinder who appeared in the international tour of The Addams Family, Sonya Harum who appeared in Gossip Girl and Blue Bloods, and Mike Faist who appeared on Broadway in Newsies.

    THE GRIEF OF OTHERS follows the family of Ricky and John Ryrie who suffer a devastating loss: the death of a baby just fifty-seven hours after his birth. Without words to express their grief, the parents try to return to their previous lives and struggle to regain a semblance of normalcy for themselves and their two children Paul and Biscuit.  Yet in the aftermath of the baby’s death, long-suppressed uncertainties about their relationship come roiling to the surface and a dreadful secret emerges with reverberations that reach far into their past and threaten their future.

    Trevor St. John plays John Ryrie, Wendy Moniz plays Ricky Ryrie, and Oona Laurence and Jeremy Shinder play their children Biscuit and Paul.  Sonya Harum appears as Jessica Safransky and Mike Faist plays Gordie Joiner.  In a dramatic turn, Rachel Dratch appears as Madeleine Berkowitz, a colleague of John’s.

    “We could not be more thrilled to secure the strong cast that this project deserves,” commented director Patrick Wang.  “Leah Hager Cohen’s novel is a powerful story of how unexpected generosity and human connections help us navigate loss and grief. The tremendous talent and sensitivities of this cast will breathe life into these characters on the screen with the same gorgeous detail we find on the page.”

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