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SXSW Unveils Midnighter Features & Short Films Lineup

SXSW | South by Southwest Film Festival

Adam Wingard’s THE GUEST

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival taking place March 7 to15, 2014, in Austin, Texas, unveiled the films in the Midnighters section, and the short film lineup.This year’s Midnighters sections includes eight world premieres, and one U.S. premiere including STAGE FRIGHT, the feature film debut of writer/director Jerome Sable, and Adam Wingard’s THE GUEST which premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.

SXSW 2014 Midnighters:
13 Sins
Director/Screenwriter: Daniel Stamm, Screenwriter: David Birke
A cryptic phone call sets off a dangerous game of risks for Elliot, a down-on-his luck salesman. The game promises increasing rewards for completing 13 tasks, each more sinister than the last.
Cast: Mark Webber, Rutina Wesley, Devon Graye, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Richard Burgi, Tom Bower, Ron Perlman (World Premiere)

Among The Living (France)
Director/Screenwriter: Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo

After horror favorites Inside and Livid, Maury and Bustillo pair up again for a horror-thriller at the cross roads between Stand by Me and Friday the13th.
Cast: Anne Marivin, Béatrice Dalle, Francis Renaud, Fabien Jegoudez, Nicolas Giraud (World Premiere)

Exists
Director: Eduardo Sánchez, Screenwriter: Jamie Nash

Five friends on a camping weekend in the remote woods of East Texas struggle to survive against a legendary beast that is stronger, smarter and more terrifying than they would have ever believed exists.
Cast: Chris Osborn, Dora Madison Burge, Roger Edwards, Denise Williamson, Samuel Davis (World Premiere)

The Guest
Director: Adam Wingard, Screenwriter: Simon Barrett

A soldier on leave befriends the family of a fallen comrade, only to become a threat to all around him when it’s revealed he’s hiding dangerous secrets from his past.
Cast: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Leland Orser, Lance Reddick, Sheila Kelley

Home
Director/Screenwriter: Nicholas McCarthy

When a realtor is asked to sell a vacant home, she and her sister cross paths with its previous tenant: a teenage girl who sold her soul to the devil.
Cast: Naya Rivera, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ashley Rickards, Wyatt Russell, Ava Acres (World Premiere)

Honeymoon
Director/Screenwriter: Leigh Janiak, Screenwriter: Phil Graziadei

Young newlyweds find their honeymoon spiraling mysteriously into chaos.
Cast: Rose Leslie, Harry Treadaway, Ben Huber, Hanna Brown (World Premiere)

Late Phases
Director: Adrián García Bogliano, Screenwriter: Eric Stolze

When deadly attacks from the forests beset a secluded retirement community, it is up to a grizzled veteran to figure what the residents are hiding.
Cast: Nick Damici, Ethan Embry, Erin Cummings, Tom Noonan, Lance Guest (World Premiere)

Oculus
Director/Screenwriter: Mike Flanagan, Screenwriter: Jeff Howard

As children, two siblings witnessed their parents’ harrowing descent into madness and death. Now, as adults, they reunite to expose and destroy the supernatural entity responsible: the Lasser Glass – a legendary mirror their parents owned.
Cast: Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Rory Cochrane, James Lafferty, Katee Sackhoff (U.S. Premiere)

Stage Fright
Director: Jerome Sable

Stage Fright tells the story of a snobby musical theater camp terrorized by a bloodthirsty masked killer who despises musical theatre. “Scream” meets “Glee” in this genre-bending R-rated horror-musical.
Cast: Allie MacDonald, Douglas Smith, Brandon Uranowitz, Kent Nolan, Melanie Leishman (World Premiere)

Starry Eyes
Directors/Screenwriters: Dennis Widmyer, Kevin Kolsch

In the city of dreams, a desperate actress will do whatever it takes for the role of a lifetime… no matter what the cost.
Cast: Alexandra Essoe, Amanda Fuller, Fabianne Therese, Noah Segan, Shane Coffey (World Premiere)
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Horror Film STAGE FRIGHT Set to Premiere at SXSW, Gets a U.S. Release Date

SXSW | South by Southwest Film Festival

STAGE FRIGHT, described as a horror/comedy/musical about “bloodthirsty gorehounds and musical theatre geeks,” which world premieres in the Midnighters section at March’s SXSW Film Festival, will be released in the U.S. by Magnet Releasing, the genre division of Magnolia Pictures. STAGE FRIGHT is the feature film debut of writer/director Jerome Sable, director of the award-winning, festival favorite short, “The Legend of Beaver Dam” and stars Allie MacDonald and Douglas Smith, with Minnie Driver and Meat Loaf. Magnet is releasing the film in its Ultra VOD program, launching it on iTunes and On Demand on April 3rd, followed by a theatrical release on May 9th.

“Scream” meets “Glee” in this dark comedy musical about a starry-eyed teenager Camilla Swanson who aspires to follow in the footsteps of her Broadway diva mother. Instead she’s stuck working in the kitchen of a snobby performing arts camp. Determined to change her destiny, she sneaks in to audition for the summer showcase and lands a lead role in the play, but just as rehearsals begin, blood starts to spill, and Camilla soon finds herself terrified by the horror of musical theater.

“As a fan of Magnet and the movies they release, I cannot tell you how excited I am that our film is on their roster,” said Sable. “I am honored that they’re helping me with my lifelong dream of bringing bloodthirsty gorehounds and musical theatre geeks a little bit closer together.”
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Magnolia Pictures to Release Roger Ebert Documentary LIFE ITSELF from Sundance Film Festival

Sundance Film Festival

Magnolia Pictures announced today that they have acquired LIFE ITSELF, a documentary about the life of Roger Ebert directed by Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters) which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Magnolia is eyeing a summer release, followed by an exclusive broadcast on CNN later this year, reprising a successful collaboration with CNN Films on the hit documentary Blackfish.

Roger Ebert was a beloved national figure and arguably our best-known and most influential movie critic, and his passing in 2013 was deeply felt across the country. Based on his memoir of the same name, LIFE ITSELF recounts his fascinating and flawed journey—from politicized school newspaperman, to Chicago Sun-Times movie critic, to Pulitzer Prize winner, to television household name, to the miracle of finding love at 50, and finally his “third act” as a major voice on the Internet when he could no longer physically speak.

“Magnolia is the perfect partner for bringing this film on such a seminal figure in film to the big screen,” said Steve James. “Roger’s story deserves it.”
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Rooftop Films Host NY Premiere of Roger Ebert Documentary LIFE ITSELF

Documentary

Director Steve James with Chaz Ebert

One week after its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, close to 200 people braved the inclement weather to attend the Rooftop Films and Piper-Heidsieck hosted sneak preview of the new Roger Ebert documentary, “LIFE ITSELF” at The Paley Center for Media in New York City. On hand to see the screening were the late critic’s wife Chaz Ebert, Director Steve James, Actress Yael Stone (Orange Is The New Black), Director Alex Ross Perry, and indie actress Kate Lyn Shiel along with noted film critic A.O. Scott (The New York Times) who conducted a Q&A with Chaz, Steve and filmmaker Rahmin Bahrani.

Roger Ebert documentary LIFE ITSELF

In 2013, we lost Roger Ebert—arguably the nation’s best-known and most influential movie critic. Based on his memoir of the same name, Life Itself recounts Ebert’s fascinating and flawed journey—from politicized school newspaperman, to Chicago Sun-Times movie critic, to Pulitzer Prize winner, to television household name, to the miracle of finding love at 50, and finally his “third act” as a major voice on the Internet when he could no longer physically speak.

Filmmaker Steve James masterfully uncovers the snags and strains hidden under Ebert’s prominence, including his battle with alcohol; his ongoing, sometimes ruthless, conflict with fellow critic Gene Siskel; and scorching debates among film critics about whether their television show reduced criticism to “consumer advice.” Ebert bridged high and low culture, defending film as a populist medium even as he championed films that challenged mainstream aesthetics and expectations. Insisting on bare honesty, Life Itself is as much a love letter to Ebert as it is an expression of Ebert’s own love—for his family, humanity in general, and, of course, the movies. [ Sundance Film Festival ]

At the Q&A conducted after the Rooftop Films and Piper-Heidsieck-sponsored NYC premiere of LIFE ITSELF, Steve James shared that he originally thought “he’d just rip off the memoir,“ but that ultimately, the film isn’t really an adaption of the memoir – it’s more of a companion piece. While James leaned very heavily on Roger’s book, he also wanted to be sure to get things that weren’t focused on in the book, particularly his relationship to Gene Siskel which, as the film shows, was often competitive, contentious and challenging.

Chaz Ebert

When asked if she hesitated about allowing the cameras into this very intimate time in her life, Chaz explained, “I think that Steve did a beautiful job with the movie. I’m really glad it exists as a maintenance of Roger’s legacy…We are not reality TV people and didn’t want someone following us around all day every day but we trusted Steve.”

indie actress Kate Lyn Shiel

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Michael Tully’s PING PONG SUMMER from Sundance Film Festival to Get a Summer 2014 Release

Sundance Film Festival

Michael Tully’s PING PONG SUMMER, considered one of the Sundance Film Festival’s biggest crowd-pleasers,has landed a deal with Gravitas Ventures. Gravitas plans to release PING PONG SUMMER theatrically and digitally early this summer, with a home video release later in 2014.

Set during the summer of 1985 in Ocean City, Maryland, PING PONG SUMMER follows awkward 13-year-old Rad Miracle as he attempts to live up to that name by becoming a master breakdancer, ping pong player and ladies man all before the end of summer break. Based on his own childhood experiences (poor guy), writer-director Michael Tully’s (SEPTIEN, SILVER JEW) meticulous recreation of the characters, fashions and emotions that populate our teenage years proves that remembering perfectly is the best (and most hilarious) revenge.

PING PONG SUMMER features what is described as a gut-busting and heart-tugging breakthrough performance from Marcello Conte as Rad Miracle, as well as hysterical supporting turns from Amy Sedaris (STRANGERS WITH CANDY), Judah Friedlander (30 ROCK) and Lea Thompson (summer of ’85s own BACK TO THE FUTURE). Rounding out the note-perfect cast is Academy Award winner (and co-owner of the SPiN ping-pong club empire) Susan Sarandon as Randi Jammer, the table tennis Miyagi to Rad’s Daniel-son.

“I’ve been a fan of Gravitas Ventures since its inception, so when I heard the recent news about their venturing into the theatrical sphere I became quite excited,” said Tully. “In this tricky 21st century market, Gravitas has the intelligence, creativity, and enthusiasm to help make sure our 20th century movie gets seen. Not to mention their funky fresh addition of Dusty Smith to the Gravitas team, which further sealed the deal.”

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THE LUNCHBOX Sets Release Date; Opens February 28 in NY and LA

News

THE LUNCHBOX, winner of the Viewer’s Choice Award, Grand Rail d’Or, winner at the 2013 Critics’ Week at Cannes Film Festival will open February 28, 2014 in at the Lincon Plaza and Angelika Cinemas in New York, and also in Los Angeles. Written and directed by Ritesh Batra, the film stars Irrfan Khan (“Life of Pi”), Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

Ila (Nimrat Kaur) is a young middle class Mumbai housewife trying once again to add some spice to her marriage, this time through her cooking. She desperately hopes that this new recipe will finally arouse some kind of reaction from her neglectful husband. She prepares a special lunchbox to be delivered to him at work, but, it is mistakenly delivered to another office worker, Saajan (Irrfan Khan), a lonely man on the verge of retirement. Curious about the lack of reaction from her husband, Ila puts a little note in the following day’s lunchbox, in the hopes of getting to the bottom of the mystery.

This begins a series of lunchbox notes between Saajan and Ila, and the mere comfort of communicating with a stranger anonymously soon evolves into an unexpected friendship. Gradually, their notes become little confessions about their loneliness, memories, regrets, fears, and even small joys. They each discover a new sense of self and find an anchor to hold on to in the big city of Mumbai that so often crushes hopes and dreams. Still strangers physically, Ila and Saajan become lost in a virtual relationship that could jeopardize both their realities.

http://youtu.be/Qdn6nVJHyfM

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PALO ALTO Starring James Franco Sets Release Day

News

PALO ALTO, the debut feature from writer/director Gia Coppola will open exclusively in theaters on Friday, May 9th in New York and Los Angeles. A national release will follow. PALO ALTO screened last year in the Venice, Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals. The film is based on several linked stories in James Franco’s book of the same name, chronicling the complicated ties and heightened emotions among a group of high school students. It stars James Franco, Emma Roberts, Jack Kilmer, Nat Wolff, Zoe Levin, Chris Messina, and Val Kilmer. The film features music from Devonté Hynes of the band Blood Orange and Robert Coppola Schwartzman.

Shy, sensitive April (Emma Roberts) is the class virgin —a popular soccer player and frequent babysitter for her single-dad coach, Mr. B. (James Franco). Teddy (Jack Kilmer) is an introspective artist whose best friend and sidekick Fred (Nat Wolff) is an unpredictable live wire with few filters or boundaries. While April negotiates a dangerous affair with Mr. B., and Teddy performs community service for a DUI — secretly carrying a torch for April, who may or may not share his affection — Fred seduces Emily (Zoe Levin), a promiscuous loner who seeks validation through sexual encounters. One high school party bleeds into another as April and Teddy finally acknowledge their mutual affection, and Fred’s escalating recklessness spirals into chaos.
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“Untitled New York Review Of Books Documentary” directed by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi Added to Berlin International Film Festival

Berlin International Film Festival

“Untitled New York Review Of Books Documentary” directed by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi has been added to the 64th Berlin International Film Festival Berlinale Special, where it will be shown as a work in progress, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and key contributors.

From the outset, the publication has been ahead of the mainstream thinking on political and social currents and upheavals. NYREV has been a source for intelligent and controversial thinking about the issues of our time: human rights, racial discrimination, the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, the woman’s movement, and revolution in Eastern Europe and elsewhere. Making use of rare footage and photographs to provide historical context, the film includes writers like James Baldwin, Susan Sontag, Noam Chomsky and Norman Mailer; along with new footage of Joan Didion, Michael Chabon, Mary Beard, and Timothy Garton Ash; giving us a portrait of a magazine that has been on the vanguard of provocative ideas and commentary for over 50 years.

“For over 50 years, ‘The New York Review of Books’ has been one of the most interesting and sophisticated magazines on culture and politics, with content by outstanding writers and thinkers. In their wonderful documentary, Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi reveal the inner workings of the publication and its legendary editor, from its birth during the 1963 New York Times’ newspaper strike, through its continued relevance in today’s digital universe. We’re very pleased that we’ll be closing this year’s Berlinale Special with this highlight,” says Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick.
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Final Documentary Films Selected for 2014 Berlin International Film Festival

Berlin International Film Festival

CONCERNING VIOLENCE

The Panorama Dokumente section of the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival will present 16 films, including ten world premieres. Panorama Dokumente will open on February 7 with the world premiere of the Dutch co-production LAST HIJACK by Tommy Pallotta and Femke Wolting. The film depicts what motivates piracy in Somalia.

Other films on the lineup with an African focus include the Ethiopian fictional feature DIFRET, and Swedish filmmaker Göran Hugo Olsson CONCERNING VIOLENCE which World Premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. CONCERNING VIOLENCE is described by the festival as a strong commentary on Africa’s decolonization, cites Frantz Fanon’s “The Wretched of the Earth” – and with narration by singer Lauryn Hill. Olsson presented THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975 about the Afro-American civil rights movement in Panorama in 2011. In Thomas Allen Harris’ THROUGH A LENS DARKLY: BLACK PHOTOGRAPHERS AND THE EMERGENCE OF A PEOPLE, the history of photography is shown from an Afro-American perspective.

In IS THE MAN WHO IS TALL HAPPY?, Michel Gondry conveys what the festival describes as terrific ingenuity and loving humor his impressions from a series of talks with American linguist Noam Chomsky.

Panorama also has a tradition of music films, and continues with the British entry 20,000 DAYS ON EARTH by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, a densely poetic portrait of Australian musician, author and actor Nick Cave, whose more than 30-year career still displays a fascinating degree of artistic integrity and authenticity.

Besides Tamara Trampe and Johann Feindt’s MEINE MUTTER, EIN KRIEG UND ICH (MY MOTHER, A WAR AND ME), which traces the Second World War in the Ukraine, Annekatrin Hendel’s ANDERSON takes a look at Germany’s past by focusing on one of the most dubious figures of not-too-distant history. Sascha Anderson, charismatic pop star of the alternative literature scene in East Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg during the 1980s, was a zealous informant for the Stasi: even after more than twenty years, the wounds he inflicted on his former friends and colleagues run deep.

“Unfuck the world!” the slogan from ANOTHER WORLD by US-American filmmakers Rebecca Chaiklin and Fisher Stevens resonates in a number of Panorama fictional features, and captures an attitude towards life related to the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011. This documentary gives an overview of events and how they led to many new initiatives.

With NATURAL RESISTANCE, Jonathan Nossiter takes a different approach to the same purpose: ten years after Mondovino, he provides insights into ecological vineyards, as well as developments in the other direction, the destruction of land caused by industrial wineries in Italy. Nossiter unites film history and wine production into an intelligent analysis.

Several works revolve around emancipation: for instance, Gianni Amelio’s FELICE CHI È DIVERSO (HAPPY TO BE DIFFERENT) delivers a detailed account of queer history in Italy; or Claudia Richarz and Ulrike Zimmermann’s VULVA 3.0 gives a calm analysis and assessment of the current perception of the vulva – from education and censorship, to genital mutilation and intimate surgery.

Panorama Dokumente

20,000 Days on Earth – Great Britain
By Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard
With Nick Cave
EP

Anderson – Germany
By Annekatrin Hendel
WP

Another World – USA
By Rebecca Chaiklin, Fisher Stevens
WP

Concerning Violence – Sweden / USA / Denmark
By Göran Hugo Olsson
EP

Der Anständige (The Decent One) – Israel / Austria / Germany
By Vanessa Lapa
WP

Der Kreis (The Circle) – Switzerland
By Stefan Haupt
With Marianne Sägebrecht, Anatole Taubman, Matthias Hungerbühler, Sven Schelker
WP

Felice chi è diverso (Happy to Be Different) – Italy
By Gianni Amelio
WP

Finding Vivian Maier – USA
By John Maloof, Charlie Siskel
EP

Fucking different XXY – Germany
By Mor Vital, KAy Garnellen, Felix Endara & Sasha Wortzel, J.Jackie Baier, Buck Angel, Jasco Viefhues, Gwen Haworth
WP

Last Hijack – Netherlands / Germany / Ireland / Belgium
By Tommy Pallotta, Femke Wolting
WP

Meine Mutter, ein Krieg und ich (My Mother, a War and Me) – Germany
By Tamara Trampe, Johann Feindt
WP

Natural Resistance – Italy
By Jonathan Nossiter
WP

The Dog – USA
By Frank Keraudren, Allison Berg
EP

Through A Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People – USA
By Thomas Allen Harris
IP

Vulva 3.0 – Germany
By Claudia Richarz, Ulrike Zimmermann
WP

Panorama supporting films

Mario Wirz – Germany
By Rosa von Praunheim
WP

Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? – France
By Michel Gondry
EP

(WP = World Premiere, IP = International Premiere, EP = European Premiere)
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THE SELFISH GIANT, THE ACT OF KILLING, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR Win London Critics’ Circle Film Awards

Awards

THE SELFISH GIANT

The 33rd London Critics’ Circle Film Section held its annual awards on Sunday night and THE SELFISH GIANT was one of the big winners, taking home two awards – British Film and Young British Performer for Conner Chapman – giving filmmakers Clio Barnard and Tracy O’Riordan and actors Chapman, Shaun Thomas and Lorraine Ashbourne a chance to celebrate on stage. Other winners present include Andre Singer, producer of Documentary of the Year THE ACT OF KILLING. The ceremony opened on a solemn note with the announcement of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death, which was confirmed just as the event was starting. Hoffman won Supporting Actor at last year’s CC Film Awards for his role in THE MASTER.

Full list of winners:

Film of the Year
12 YEARS A SLAVE

Foreign-language Film of the Year
BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR

Documentary of the Year
THE ACT OF KILLING

British Film of the Year
THE SELFISH GIANT

Director of the Year
Alfonso Cuarón – GRAVITY

Screenwriter of the Year
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen – INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

Actor of the Year
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 YEARS A SLAVE

Actress of the Year
Cate Blanchett – BLUE JASMINE

Supporting Actor of the Year
Barkhad Abdi – CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

Supporting Actress of the Year
Lupita Nyong’o – 12 YEARS A SLAVE

British Actor of the Year
James McAvoy – FILTH / TRANCE / WELCOME TO THE PUNCH

British Actress of the Year
Judi Dench – PHILOMENA

Young British Performer of the Year
Conner Chapman – THE SELFISH GIANT

Breakthrough British Filmmaker
Jon S Baird – FILTH

Technical Achievement Award
GRAVITY – Tim Webber, special effects

Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film
Gary Oldman
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NEBRASKA by Alexander Payne Wins Audience Award of 2014 International Film Festival Rotterdam

International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)

NEBRASKA by Alexander Payne

The UPC Audience Award of the 43rd International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) was won by NEBRASKA by Alexander Payne, and the Dioraphte Award went to the official opening film, QISSA, by Anup Singh. NEBRASKA tells the tragicomic story of a father and son who travel through economically blighted Nebraska on their way to find a million dollars.

Hans Blom, VP Marketing of UPC the Netherlands, stressed the importance of recognising independent cinema. ”Beautiful, engaging and exceptional films deserve a large audience and, in the case of the Audience Award winner Nebraska, this is most certainly the case”, Blom said.

QISSA by Anup Singh

Eleven festival films were realised thanks to support from the festival’s Hubert Bals Fund, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Director Anup Singh and three of the actresses from the award winner QISSA stressed the importance of the Fund’s support while attending the festival.

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ANATOMY OF A PAPER CLIP, SOMETHING MUST BREAK, HAN GONG-JU Among Winners of 2014 International Film Festival Rotterdam

International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)

ANATOMY OF A PAPER CLIP (Yamamori clip koujo no atari) by Ikeda Akira

The winners of International Film Festival Rotterdam’s 19th Hivos Tiger Awards Competition, as well as of the second Big Screen Award Competition and of the NETPAC, FIPRESCI, KNF, and Moviezone awards were announced at the award ceremony on Friday night. The winners of the three Hivos Tiger Awards 2014 are ANATOMY OF A PAPER CLIP (Yamamori clip koujo no atari) by Ikeda Akira, SOMETHING MUST BREAK (Nånting måste gå sönder) by Ester Martin Bergsmark, and HAN GONG-JU by Lee Su-Jin.

Hivos Tiger Awards

The winners of the three equal Hivos Tiger Awards 2014 are:

ANATOMY OF A PAPER CLIP (Yamamori clip koujo no atari) by Ikeda Akira (Japan, 2013)

”Challenging narrative form with precision and economy, this film elevates observations of the absurd in human behavior, and brings it into the poetic domain.”

Ikeda Akira (1976, Japan) began to make his own short films while studying English literature at Bunkyo University. After being involved in various fields such as theatre, music and dance, he directed his first feature-length film The Blue Monkey in 2006. Anatomy of a Paper Clip is his second feature.

SOMETHING MUST BREAK (Nånting måste gå sönder) by Ester Martin Bergsmark (Sweden, 2014)

Something Must Break (Nånting måste gå sönder) by Ester Martin Bergsmark

”A free-floating personal voyage traces the pains and pleasures of intimacy, recounted in a tender depiction of characters, with a sincere and playful use of cinematographic language.”

Ester Martin Bergsmark (1982, Sweden) trained at the Swedish University College of Arts, Crafts and Design. Together with Mark Hammarberg he made the award-winning documentary Maggie in Wonderland (2008). In 2010, he made Fruitcake as part of the experimental feminist porn suite Dirty Diaries. She Male Snails (2012) won several awards at the Gothenburg International Film Festival.Fifteen first or second films by talented filmmakers from around the globe competed in the 2014 Hivos Tiger Awards Competition

. HAN GONG-JU by Lee Su-Jin (South Korea, 2013)

HAN GONG-JU by Lee Su-Jin

”A skilfully crafted and highly accomplished debut – deviating from classicist structure, this film lures the spectator to participate in the pleasures of storytelling through an extraordinary and intricate narrative puzzle.”

Lee Su-Jin (South-Korea) is a screenwriter and director. He made several award-winning short films in his homeland. His roll of honour continues with his debut feature Han Gong-Ju, which won two awards at Busan, plus the top prize at the film festival of Marrakech.

Hivos director Edwin Huizing: ”Hivos aims to give young filmmakers a voice. To inspire us; to push boundaries. Their work has the potential to break open societies, so thoughts and creativity can flow more freely. The Hivos Tiger Awards give them the recognition they deserve.”

THE BIG SCREEN AWARD

IFFR introduced a new competition in 2013: The Big Screen Award Competition, aimed at supporting the distribution of films in Dutch cinemas. Ten very recent films with no Benelux distributor confirmed were nominated for this prize.

The winner of The Big Screen Award 2014 is:

ANOTHER YEAR (Yeshche odin god) by Oxana Bychkova (Russia, 2014)

ANOTHER YEAR (Yeshche odin god) by Oxana Bychkova

”At a time when Dutch media abound with negative news about Russia, Another Year takes us straight into the daily lives of the young people who will shape its future and makes us open up our hearts to them. More than just a simple love story, it shows us how globalization meets tradition in present-day Russia, how they clash, and how they might be reconciled. Pitch perfect, beautifully acted and choreographed, modest, subtle and utterly convincing.”

Oxana Bychkova (1972, Ukraine) is a screenwriter and director. She studied journalism in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, graduating in 1995. After a career as a radio journalist, Bychkova began studying directing in 2000, focusing on filmmaking. Another Year is her first feature film.

NETPAC Award

The NETPAC Jury (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) awards the best Asian film in the IFFR 2014 Official Selection.

The winner of the NETPAC Award 2014 is:

28 by Prasanna Jayakody (Sri Lanka, 2014)

28 by Prasanna Jayakody

”A well-measured and crafted film that emotionally engages the audience through poetic storytelling of a critical subject.”

Prasanna Jayakody (1968, Sri Lanka) was born into an artistic family strongly rooted in traditional Sinhala values, and grew up in a Buddhist environment. This became a major inspiration for his productions. He made his debut at the age of 21 with the stage drama Shadows and Men, which was a critical success. He then started directing television dramas that were loved by the masses and won him numerous television awards. His earlier films Sankara (2006) and Karma (2010) have also screened at IFFR.

The winner of the Rotterdam FIPRESCI Award 2014 is:

THE SONGS OF RICE (Pleng khong kao) by Uruphong Raksasad (Thailand, 2014)

”Fully relying on its strong cinematography, it creates an immersive sensory experience that makes us part of a vivid community revolving around the cultivation of a tiny grain.”

Uruphong Raksasad (1977, Thailand) studied film and photography at Thammasat University. After graduating in 2004, he worked as an editor and post-production supervisor on several Thai feature films. Since 2004, he has focused on his own career, returning to the region where he was born and shooting his feature debut Stories from the North (2006). The Songs of Rice is his third feature.

KNF Award
For the KNF Award, The Dutch Circle of Film Critics (KNF) Jury chose the winner out of the ten films in The Big Screen Award Competition 2014.

The winner of the KNF Award 2014 is:

TO KILL A MAN (Matar a un hombre) by Alejandro Fernández Almendras (Chile/France, 2013)

To Kill a Man (Matar a un hombre) by Alejandro Fernández Almendras

”A compelling film with great visual style, impressive acting, and exactly the right length. The story is both simple and challenging. We follow the humiliation of the protagonist step by step and are confronted with our own fears in the process. This unremitting psychological thriller deserves to be seen on the big screen.”

Alejandro Fernández Almendras (1971, Chile) has a degree in journalism and worked as a film critic, photographer an

MovieZone Award

The winner of the MovieZone Award 2014 is:

Jacky au royaume des filles (JACKY IN THE KINGDOM OF WOMEN) by Riad Sattouf (France, 2014)

Jacky au royaume des filles (JACKY IN THE KINGDOM OF WOMEN) by Riad Sattouf

”It was like a classical fairytale but with a completely different point of view. The makers of the film created a whole new world with the art direction and costume design and the film had a theme that everyone can relate to. The film was really funny but also had a great message.”

Riad Sattouf (1978, France) is a French writer, comic book artist and director with Syrian roots. He has successfully published various graphic novels and has a weekly comic in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. In 2009, he made his directing debut with the award-winning film Les beaux gosses. Jacky au royaume des filles is his second film.

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