• DOC NYC To Run November 14-21; Opens with NYC Premiere of THE UNKNOWN KNOWN

    THE UNKNOWN KNOWNTHE UNKNOWN KNOWN

    DOC NYC documentary festival returns for its fourth year to the IFC Center in Greenwich Village and Chelsea’s SVA Theatre in New York City from November 14 to 21, 2013.  DOC NYC will showcase 131 films and events, including screenings of 72 feature-length films and 39 shorts as well as 20 doc-related panel discussions and masterclasses. The festival opens on November 14th with the NYC premiere of THE UNKNOWN KNOWN, presented by director Errol Morris, in which he engages in a verbal duel with former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld over recent history.

    GALAS – Opening Night (Nov. 14): the NYC premiere of The Unknown Known, presented by director Errol Morris, in which he engages in a verbal duel with former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld over recent history. Centerpiece (Nov. 17): the US premiere of Finding Vivian Maier (dirs. John Maloof & Charlie Siskel), which uncovers one of the 20th century’s greatest photographers who kept her work secret.Closing Night (Nov. 21): the world premiere of Is the Man Who is Tall Happy? An Animated Conversation with Noam Chomsky, presented by director Michel Gondry and Noam Chomsky, in which Gondry interviews the esteemed linguist and brings his ideas to life with drawings. Also playing as a gala: the NYC premiere of Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did for Love (Nov. 17, dir. Dori Berinstein) about the hit-making songwriter behind “The Way We Were,” “A Chorus Line” and more, presented by the director along with Broadway star Donna McKechnie and songwriter Rupert Holmes.


    SPECIAL EVENTS     – Five standout films coupled with high-profile conversations with the directors and special guests. Oliver Stone presents the never-broadcast prologue to his epic Showtime series The Untold History of the United States, which looks at events leading up to World War II. Two world premiere events: White Gold is a frontline exposé of the modern-day ivory trade, presented with an extended conversation with director Simon Trevor and producer Arne Glimcher (founder of Pace Gallery); and Inside the Mind of Leonardo 3D (dir. Julian Jones) is a hybrid documentary featuring the actor Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who) performing passages from the notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci. Two NYC premieres: Emptying the Skies(dir. Douglas Kass) chronicles the rampant poaching of migratory birds in Europe, based on the New Yorker essay by Jonathan Franzen who will participate in a Q&A; and What is Cinema? (dir. Chuck Workman) creates a visual essay from film clips of boundary-pushing cinema combined with eclectic interviews. In addition to the above special events, four free panels will be announced in the days to come.

    VIEWFINDERS COMPETITION – Seven films notable for their distinct directorial visions including the world premiere of WEB (dir. Michael Kleiman), which follows Peruvian children in remote regions who participate in the One Laptop per Child program. US premiere: The Dark Matter of Love (dir. Sarah McCarthy) looks at an American family that adopts Russian children prior to Vladimir Putin’s ban. Five NYC premieres: Sole Survivor (dir. Ky Dickens) profiles four people who were the only survivors of major airline crashes. Uranium Drive-In (dir. Suzan Beraza) focuses on a Colorado town with its economic hopes pinned on a new uranium mine. A Will for the Woods (dirs. Amy Browne, Jeremy Kaplan, Tony Hale & Brian Wilson) highlights the green burial movement. We Always Lie to Strangers (dirs. AJ Schnack & David Wilson) portrays the lives of performers in the popular family tourist destination of Branson, Missouri. A World Not Ours (dir. Mahdi Fleifel) brings a humorous and personal perspective on a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. 

    METROPOLIS COMPETITION     – Nine films rooted in New York City including the world premiere of Patrolman P (dir. Ido Mizrahy), which re-opens a controversial NYPD corruption case from the 1970s. Two US premieres: Exposed (dir. Beth B) delves into the world of modern burlesque performers; and The Sarnos: A Life in Dirty Movies(dir. Wiktor Ericsson) profiles Joe Sarno who flourished making softcore porn in the 1960s and ‘70s. Six NYC premieres: A Fragile Trust: Plagiarism, Power and Jason Blair at The New York Times (dir. Samantha Grant) interviews the main players behind the 2003 newspaper scandal. Here One Day (dir. Kathy Leichter) uncovers a box of hidden audiotapes by the director’s mother, the wife of a New York State Senator, illuminating a troubled history. I Learn America (dirs. Jean-Michel Dissard & Gitte Peng) goes inside a Brooklyn public high school dedicated to newly arrived immigrants. Lucky (dir. Laura Checkoway) follows a homeless single mother who dreams of bettering her life. Misfire: The Rise and Fall of the Shooting Gallery(dir. Whitney Ransick) examines the history of the New York film company responsible for Sling Blade and other indie hits. The Pleasures of Being Out of Step(dir. David L. Lewis) profiles Nat Hentoff, the renowned jazz critic and free speech advocate.

    AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES     – Eleven films that represent the country’s diversity including the world premiere of Kids for Cash (dir. Robert May), which uncovers the shocking story of a Pennsylvania judge who incarcerated young people at an alarming rate; and the US premiere of How to Lose Your Virginity (dir. Therese Shechter), a humorous look at ideas around virginity in modern culture. Eight NYC premieres:Breastmilk (dir. Dana Ben-Ari), presented by executive producer Ricki Lake in person, uses humor and candor to explore misconceptions around mother’s milk.American Commune (dirs. Rena Mundo Croshere & Nadine Mundo) follows the filmmaker siblings back to the counterculture commune, The Farm, where they were born. American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs (dir. Grace Lee) profiles the 98-year-old social activist from Detroit who will attend in person. Citizen Koch (dirs. Carl Deal & Tia Lessin) examines the Wisconsin standoff between state employees and Governor Scott Walker who was bankrolled by rightwing billionaires David and Charles Koch. Geraldine Ferraro: Paving the Way (dir. Donna Zaccaro) traces the history of the first-ever female vice-presidential candidate. HBO’s Toxic Hot Seat (dirs. James Redford & Kirby Walker) uncovers disturbing claims about products containing flame retardants that have become commonplace. Unorthodox (dir. Anna Wexler & Nadja Oertelt) examines three diverse Modern Orthodox American Jews who spend a year studying at a Yeshiva in Israel. Town Hall (dir. Sierra Pettengill & Jamila Wignot) looks at two Pennsylvania Tea Party activists in the lead-up to the 2012 election. The final title is Rebuilding the World Trade Center(dir. Marcus Robinson), which captures the six-year task of construction at Ground Zero.

    INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES – Doubling in size from last year, this section has eight titles that take us around the globe, including the US premieres of Things Left Behind (dir. Linda Hoaglund), which focuses on a Japanese art exhibit about the atomic bomb; and The Traces of Dr. Ernesto Guevara (dir. Jorge Denti), which draws from Che Guevara’s personal journals to trace his second journey across Latin America in 1952-53. Six NYC premieres: The Abominable Crime (dir. Micah Fink) examines violent homophobia in Jamaica. Brave Miss World (dir. Cecilia Peck) follows an Israeli former Miss World campaigning against sexual violence. The Manor(dir. Shawney Cohen) looks at a dysfunctional family that runs a Canadian strip club.The Road to Fame (dir. Hao Wu) captures Beijing students adapting the Broadway musical Fame. Touba (dir. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi) uses breathtaking cinematography to document a Senegalese pilgrimage. The Stuart Hall Project (dir. John Akomfrah) blends Miles Davis music and eclectic archival footage to profile the British cultural theorist. 

    SONIC CINEMA – Seven films that explore a wide range of music, including three world premieres: Revenge of the Mekons (dir. Joe Angio) explores the endurance of the punk band the Mekons over four decades; We Don’t Wanna Make You Dance(dir. Lucy Kostelanetz) captures a white funk band over a long span of time, like a rock version of Michael Apted’s 7 Up; and Harlem Street Singer (dirs. Trevor Laurence & Simeon Hutner) profiles the blind guitar player Reverend Gary Davis who influenced a generation of folk and blues musicians. NYC premieres: The Punk Singer (dir. Sini Anderson) focuses on Kathleen Hanna, a leader of the Riot Grrrl movement with bands like Bikini Kill and Le Tigre; and Mercedes Sosa: The Voice of Latin America (dir. Rodrigo H. Vila) goes deep into the history of the singer who became a 20th century icon. Death Metal Angola (dir. Jeremy Xido) journeys to the African country of Angola where a couple holds the first-ever rock concert to raise funds for an orphanage. Folk (dir. Sara Terry) crafts a love letter to a musical genre and an intimate portrait of contemporary musicians.

    ART + DESIGN – In this new section, we present seven films engaging with artists, including the world premiere of Men of the Cloth (dir. Vicki Vasilopoulos), which looks at master tailors whose craft is in danger of vanishing; and the US premiere ofGrey City (Cidade Cinza) (dirs. Marcelo Mesquita & Guilherme Valiengo), which explores the work of renowned graffiti artists Os Gêmeos, Nunca, and Nina. Three NYC premieres: Magical Universe (dir. Jeremy Workman) takes us inside the world of an outsider artist who builds Barbie doll dioramas. Levitated Mass: The Story of Michael Heizer’s Monolithic Sculpture (dir. Doug Pray) chronicles the artist Michael Heizer’s attempt to transport a 340-ton boulder for an installation. In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons in Life with Saul Leiter (dir. Tomas Leach) profiles one of the pioneers of the New York school of photography from the ‘40s and ‘50s. If You Build It (dir. Patrick Creadon) documents the impact of a design class in an impoverished North Carolina town. Tiny: A Story About Living Small (dirs. Merete Mueller & Christopher Smith) tracks a couple building a small house as part of an environmentally conscious movement.

    MIDNIGHT DOCS – Four films selected to keep you awake late. Kink (dir. Christina Voros) goes behind the scenes of the world’s most popular sexual fetish site in a film produced by James Franco. The Final Member (dirs. Jonah Bekhor & Zach Math) takes a funny and bizarre look at the Icelandic Phallological Museum. Hungry (dirs. Jeff Cerulli & Barry Rothbart) delves into the world of competitive eating and one of its controversial stars, Takeru Kobayashi. Shooting Bigfoot (dir. Morgan Matthews) follows attempts by cryptozoologists to track down the legendary man-beast.

    SHORTS PROGRAMS – Six thematic groupings of short documentaries will be presented in the programs “Blood is Thicker,” on the bonds of family; “The Kids are All Right,” on the honesty and wisdom of youth; “Man & Beast,” on people and animals; “Obsessions,” on collectors, curiosity seekers and compulsives; “People & Places,” on unexpected environments; “Then & Now,” on nostalgia and changing times.

    DOC-A-THON PANELS – Sixteen masterclasses and panels with esteemed filmmakers and industry leaders are organized into four thematic days. Shoot Your Doc day (Nov. 18) has masterclasses on “Cinematography,” “Producing,” “Filming Outside Your Turf,” plus “Cara Mertes In Conversation” with the head of the Ford Foundation JustFilms program. Finish Your Doc day (Nov. 19) has masterclasses on “Editing,” “Dig Into Archives,” “Your Subjects at Risk,” and “Graphics & Animation.”Fund Your Doc day (Nov. 20) has panels entitled “Lessons in Crowd-Funding,” “Tap Into TV,” plus masterclasses on “Get Funded & Stay in Control,” and “Advice From the Experts.” Reach Your Audience day (Nov. 21) features the panels “Meet the Distributors,” “How to Maximize Digital Distribution,” “Leveraging Your Press” and “Making the Most of Festivals.”

    SHORT LIST – Ten films selected by DOC NYC programmers as ones to watch this awards season (* indicates director in person): 20 Feet From Stardom (dir. Morgan Neville*); The Act of Killing (dir. Joshua Oppenheimer*); Blackfish (dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite); The Crash Reel (dir. Lucy Walker*); Dirty Wars (dir. Richard Rowley*); First Cousin Once Removed (dir. Alan Berliner*); Gideon’s Army (dir. Dawn Porter*); God Loves Uganda (dir. Roger Ross Williams*); The Square (dir. Jehane Noujaim*); Stories We Tell (dir. Sarah Polley*).

     

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  • Bobcat Goldthwait’s WILLOW CREEK Added to Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Horror Fest ‘Scary Movies 7’ | TRAILER

    Bobcat Goldthwait’s WILLOW CREEKBobcat Goldthwait’s WILLOW CREEK

    A special screening of Bobcat Goldthwait’s WILLOW CREEK has been added to the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s upcoming horror series Scary Movies 7. WILLOW CREEK will screen on Tuesday, November 5, 2013, preceded by a screening of the horror classic THE NANNY, starring Bette Davis.

    Goldthwait’s latest film, WILLOW CREEK, marks his debut in the horror genre. A comedy/thriller hybrid, Goldthwait plays with the found footage conceit, as we watch a super-likable couple (Bryce Johnson and Alexie Gilmore) while they embark on a Northern California Bigfoot tour, documenting it every step of the way. He’s a believer and she’s accommodating enough, but when they get deeper into their journey (into their tent, more specifically) things start to get truly hairy. And that’s also when the film transforms into an experience that’s as nerve-wracking as it is comedic.

    Directed by Seth Holt, THE NANNY (1965) is a Hammer Films psycho-thriller starring Bette Davis in the title role in a story about a young boy who returns home after being institutionalized for two years upon receiving the blame for the drowning death of his little sister. Placed under the care of his devoted nanny, he is soon accused of trying to poison his own mother. But was it the boy or his caregiver who is actually the disturbed killer? Goldthwait will introduce the film.

    http://youtu.be/QPlc9UY2iuQ

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  • New Indie Films, Documentaries in Theaters This Weekend Friday October 18, 2013

    New indie films, documentaries in theaters weekend of Friday October 18, 2013.

    There’s a pretty eclectic selection of films coming to art house cinemas this weekend, but most of them received really positive reviews. So there is good stuff out there for everyone this weekend, including at least one that is expected to factor into the awards race fever, All Is Lost.  Some are only being released in a handful of theaters, but they’re all expected to expand to either more theaters or VOD in the upcoming weeks.

    ALL IS LOST

    ALL IS LOST

    Though it’s gotten rave reviews, All Is Lost, which stars Robert Redford, is not for everyone.  That because it is the story of a man struggling to survive in the ocean after his boat is damaged and, because Redford is the only actor in the entire film, it is almost dialogue-free.  Nonetheless, for those who appreciate acting by expression and body language this film, which was written and directed by Margin Call filmmaker J.C. Chandor, is a masterpiece.  I loved it, although at the same time it’s probably not a film I’ll ever revisit because it won’t be the same experiencing it again.  I hope that makes sense!

    HAUNTER

    HAUNTER

    It’s October, so that means more indie horror films!  Haunter was directed by Vincenzo Natali, who has directed a number of other notable horror/thrillers like 2009’s Splice and 1997’s Cube. It’s about the ghost of Lisa Johnson, a teenager (Little Miss Sunshine’s Abigail Breslin) who tries to contact the living in order to save the life of another teenage girl.  It debuted at this year’s SXSW Festival and received generally positive reviews.

    PARADISE

    PARADISE

    Diablo Cody made a name for herself as a screenwriter with Juno and Young Adult, and with Paradise she takes her first try at directing a feature.  Starring Julianne Hough as a young conservative woman named Lamb (oh, symbolism!) who survives a plane crash and begins to question her faith, the cast also includes Nick Offerman, Russell Brand, Octavia Spencer, Holly Hunter.  It was actually first released way back in August on DirecTV and the reviews since then haven’t been favorable, especially in comparison to Cody’s previous successes.

    CUT TO BLACK

    CUT TO BLACK

    A noir-inspired mystery filmed in black and white, CUT TO BLACK was written, directed, and stars Brooklyn-based filmmaker Dan Eberle as a disgraced cop who is hired to investigate the stalker of a former friend’s daughter.  It won the Audience Award at this year’s Brooklyn Film Festival.  I saw it a few weeks ago, and if you enjoy films that involve layers of mysteries — some of which intertwine and some of which are never revealed in full — you’ll definitely like it.  The movie is opening in New York this weekend, but we’ll have a feature on Cut to Black closer to its December VOD release in all areas.

    TWO JACKS

    TWO JACKS

    The Huston family remains one of the most famous in cinema history, boasting three Oscar winners (Walter, John, and Anjelica). Two Jacks features two Hustons, Danny (son of John) and real-life nephew Jack (star of Boardwalk Empire) as father and son who are both named Jack Hussar.  Jack Sr. is a famous film director, and Jack Jr. hopes to follow in his footsteps.  It is actually a loose adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s short story Two Hussars with a comedic spin, involving both Hussars falling for the same woman, Diana (Sienna Miller).  Two Jacks was adapted and directed by Bernard Rose (Candyman).

    ADVENTURES IN THE SIN BIN

    ADVENTURES IN THE SIN BIN

    In what sounds to me like a modern spin on the classic 1960 film The Apartment, Adventures in the Sin Bin is about a teenager named Brian who lends his van out to more popular classmates for the sexual exploits.  However, the inexperienced Brian gains a friend who wants him to snap his personal unlucky streak.  The movie was directed by first-time director Billy Federighi and written by first-time feature writer Christopher Storer, and gets a VOD release this weekend as well.

    AMERICAN PROMISE (Documentary)

    AMERICAN PROMISE

    This documentary looks at the fourteen-year experience of two African American families headed by filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson after they enrolled their son in an exclusive Upper East Side Manhattan private school.  It follows their son Idris and best friend Seun from kindergarten through high school graduation in a school that is predominantly white and made up of children whose families are better educated and better connected.  It captured the Special Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and has had strong positive reviews despite some reviewers pointing out a lack of a central statement.

    Other notable weekend indie, foreign & documentary releases:

    I’M IN LOVE WITH A CHURCH GIRL

    BIG ASS SPIDER!

    THE SNITCH CARTEL

    FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM

    THE STREAM

    THE HUMAN SCALE

    HELLBENDERS

    SHAHID

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  • 2013 Program for San Francisco’s Cinema by the Bay Festival to run Nov 22 – 24 at the Roxie

    Mitchell Altieri's tense thriller HOLY GHOST PEOPLEMitchell Altieri’s tense thriller HOLY GHOST PEOPLE

    The San Francisco Film Society announced the program for the fifth annual Cinema by the Bay festival, taking place November 22 to 24, 2013, at the Roxie Theater. CBTB celebrates the local film scene by presenting interesting new works made in or about the Bay Area, providing an opportunity for audiences to engage with local filmmakers, and honoring the cinematic luminaries who make San Francisco such a wonderful place to love movies.  The 2013 edition of Cinema by the Bay opens on Friday November 22nd, with Mitchell Altieri’s tense thriller HOLY GHOST PEOPLE.

    FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22    OPENING NIGHT
    7:00 pm HOLY GHOST PEOPLE
    Mitchell Altieri (USA 2013)    
    Mitch Altieri, one half of directing duo the Butcher Brothers, presents this unnerving descent into a cult tucked away in the Appalachian mountains. Charlotte is bent on finding her missing sister and believes that she has joined a church that includes snake handling ceremonies and speaking in tongues. She receives the help of alcoholic veteran Wayne in infiltrating the group, as they pose as initiates in order to gain information on Charlotte’s sister’s possible whereabouts. As they sink deeper into the social structure of the church, stakes, dangers and suspicions are continuously ratcheted up, making for exquisitely tension-filled viewing. Written by Kevin Artigue, Joe Egender, Mitchell Altieri, Phil Flores. Cinematography by Amanda Treyz. With Emma Greenwell, Joe Egender, Brendan McCarthy,. 89 min. Found & Lost Productions, Indie Entertainment, San Francisco Independent Cinema.
    9:30 pm Opening Night Party Celebrate the Opening of CBTB at The Lab (2948 16th Street) with hors d’oeuvres and sponsored wine.
    9:30 pm Holy Ghost People

    SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23
    12:00 pm THE GENIUS OF MARIAN
    Banker White, Anna Fitch (USA 2013)    
    In this personal ode to familial ties and legacy, Banker White (Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars) chronicles his mother Pam’s struggle with progressive dementia, and the result is a moving portrait of memory and loss. When Pam is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and it becomes too difficult to continue writing a memoir about her artist mother — Marian Williams Steele, who herself suffered from Alzheimer’s — White films her remembrances as a way to keep her working on the project. Working with codirector Anna Fitch, White has crafted an intimate documentary that is an exploration not only of the devastating effects of illness, but also of two influential and compelling women. Cinematography by Banker White. 84 min. Mirabel Pictures.

    2:15 pm REDEMPTION TRAIL
    Britta Sjogren (USA 2013)    
    In this new film by local filmmaker Britta Sjogren, two powerful yet troubled women flee a past that haunts them. The daughter of a murdered Black Panther revolutionary, Tess (LisaGay Hamilton) lives off the grid on a Sonoma vineyard, fiercely detached from all connections. Her hermetic life cracks when she gives reluctant shelter to a desperate young woman, Anna (Lily Rabe). An unlikely alliance forms between the two, where other close relationships have failed — David (Hamish Linklater), Anna’s husband, and John (Jake Weber), Tess’ employer, cannot break through their walls. But the very difference between the two women opens them up to a new vision of themselves and their future. Written by Britta Sjogren. Cinematography by Bradley Sellers. With Lily Rabe, LisaGay Hamilton, Jake Weber, Hamish Linklater. 92 min. Dire Wolf.

    4:30 pm AMERICAN VAGABOND
    Susanna Helke (Finland/Denmark 2013)    
    The burgeoning community of homeless gay youths in San Francisco is dramatically brought to life in Susanna Helke’s poetic and evocative documentary. James and his boyfriend Tyler are desperate to escape the oppressive confines of Chico, CA and James’s disapproving parents. They head westward to the promised land of San Francisco looking for refuge and acceptance, but instead find themselves stranded among other homeless youths struggling to find a community they yearn for. With bewitching shots of San Francisco and poignant voiceover, Finnish director Susanna Helke creates a heartbreaking depiction of the tragic consequences that result when dreams and illusion collide with reality. Cinematography by Marko Luukkonen, Editor Niels Pagh Andersen, Music Samuli Kosminen. 86 min. Finnish Film Foundation.

    6:45 pm ALONG THE ROADSIDE
    Zoran Lisinac (Pored Puta, USA/Serbia 2013)    
    In a moment of panic, Varnie, a San Francisco-based graphic designer, flees his stable life and career when his girlfriend reveals to him that she is pregnant. As he makes his way out of town towards southern California, he crosses paths with Nena, an untethered German tourist who has just missed seeing her favorite band live. When she learns that their next show will be down south, Nena convinces Varnie that she needs his help, and he grudgingly takes her along. As they interact on the road, their initial facades — Nena, the carefree, hippy-ish tourist; Varnie, the emotionally closed-off careerist — give way to deeper reflections on their complicated personalities and differences. Written by Zoran Lisinac. Cinematography by John Honoré. With Angelina Häntsch, Iman Crosson, Lazar Ristovski, Michael Madsen. 108 min. In English, Serbian, Spanish and German with subtitles. Metakwon Filmworks.

    9:30 pm Street Smarts: YAK Films’ Dance Then and Now
    YAK Films is an international media production team whose work with urban dance began with the legendary Turf Feinz crew in Oakland, CA, innovators of the Turf dancing style. Today, YAK is synonymous with a unique style of street-based documentation of the global dance movement, and is one of the most important teams in the world dedicated to giving voice and representation to alternate forms of expression through video, music and dance. This shorts program will trace YAK’s origins in the Bay Area and present some of their newest, unseen international works. With YAK and dance crew members in person to present their work, this program promises to inspire. TRT 75 min.

    SUNDAY NOVEMBER 24
    12:00 pm The SF State of Cinema: Shorts from SFSU Alumni
    Dating back nearly half a century, the Cinema Department at San Francisco State University is an enduring educational institution that has played a critical role in defining both the history and the future of cinema in the Bay Area. Founded in the 1960s during a time of great political activism and artistic experimentation, the SFSU film program has spawned several generations of filmmakers — undergrads and grad students alike — who form the very backbone of the local film community, as nationally renowned filmmakers, curators, and professors. This program of short films made by SFSU alumni barely scratches the surface of the great work — and great artists — being fostered amidst the fog at the end of 19th Avenue. TRT 81 min.

    2:15 pm THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN
    In Hak Jang (North Korea/USA 2012)
    The first U.S./North Korea coproduction ever, this film is a dazzling, epic melodrama depicting the relationship between a South Korean man and a North Korean woman separated by political conflict. During the Korean War, a young nurse in a small town in North Korea saves a wounded Southern soldier abandoned by his platoon. Forced to hide his identity, the two gradually form a furtive attachment until he is forced to return to his home in South Korea. Featuring opulent set design and punctuated with glorious musical numbers, this is a startlingly original feature debut from director In Hak Jang and local writer/producer Joon Bai. Written by Joon Bai. Cinematography by Ryong Su Han. With Hyang Suk Kim, Ryung Min Kim, Jung Taik Park. 106 min. In Korean with subtitles, Transwestern Pictures.

    5:00 pm Essential SF
    Essential SF is the San Francisco Film Society’s ongoing compendium of the Bay Area film community’s most vital figures and institutions. This year’s inductees — Richard Beggs, Joan Chen, Nathaniel Dorsky, David Hegarty, Anita Monga and film collective Kontent Films — will be feted at this short ceremony. A key event in the Film Society’s year-round appreciation of local talent, this event shines a light on the region’s legendary idiosyncratic and multifaceted contributions to the filmmaking world. Past Essential SF honorees include Les Blank, Judy Stone, Joshua Grannell (aka Peaches Christ), Rick Prelinger and H.P. Mendoza, among others.

    7:00 pm THE ILLNESS AND THE ODYSSEY
    Berry Minott (USA, 2013)    
    Local filmmaker Berry Minott takes us on an epic journey to find the cause — and perhaps the cure — of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and other neurological disorders. Her investigation begins on the Pacific island of Guam, where following the end of WWII, the indigenous Chamorro people were afflicted with Alzheimer’s-like symptoms from a disease called Lytico-Bodig. For years renowned scientists descended on this small village to detect the source of this mysterious illness — was it hereditary, environmental or dietary? This engaging and edifying documentary features rare archival footage and candid interviews with author/neurologist Oliver Sacks, New Yorker columnist Jonathan Weiner and many other noted scientists. Cinematography by Burt Sardoma. 75 min. Berry Minott Productions.

    9:15 pm DEAR SIDEWALK
    Jake Oelman (USA 2013)    
    Gardner, a 24-year old mailman, fantasizes about life beyond the tedium of the sidewalks beneath his feet. We see this play out in comic interludes — about finding the perfect woman, achieving the perfect life or becoming the hero of his own epic tale. But, paralyzed by possibility and fear, he adheres to the comfort of his routine, rigidly cultivating obsessions that keep him in his small-but-safe world. This all changes when Gardner meets Paige, a newly relocated divorcee on his route, and Gardner’s quarter-life crisis collides with Paige’s mid-life one. Written by Jake Limbert. Cinematography by Tom Lembcke. With Joseph Mazzello, Michelle Forbes, Josh Fadem. 87 min. NHO Entertainment-Barcode Films.

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  • 10th Big Apple Film Festival Kicks Off on November 6; Announces 2013 Lineup

    JAKE SQUARED, starring Elias Koteas, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Virginia Madsen, Jane Seymour and Mike Vogel, JAKE SQUARED, starring Elias Koteas, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Virginia Madsen, Jane Seymour and Mike Vogel,

    The Big Apple Film Festival (BAFF) announced its lineup of 184 feature-length and short films for its 10th anniversary edition, taking place  November 6 – 10, 2013, at the Tribeca Cinemas. The Big Apple Film Festival will commence with the opening night film JAKE SQUARED, starring Elias Koteas, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Virginia Madsen, Jane Seymour and Mike Vogel, on Wednesday, November 6 at 8 pm.  Following the screening, Mike Vogel, star of CBS’s hit series Under the Dome, will accept the festival’s prestigious “Emerging Talent” award.  Previous winners include Jesse Eisenberg, Louisa Krause and Aaron Stanford.

    Other highlights of this year’s festival include a special screening of LIFE OF A KING on Saturday, November 9 at 7:15 pm, followed by a Q&A with the film’s star Cuba Gooding Jr.  The festival will then present NYC native Gooding Jr. with an honorary “Golden Apple Award”.  Previous “Golden Apple Award” winners include Morgan Spurlock, Anthony Bregman and Alan Cumming. 

    Highlights of this year’s 10th anniversary festival include:

    “LIFE OF A KING” directed by Jake Goldbergerg and starring Cuba Gooding Jr.

    SYNOPSIS: After eighteen years of incarceration, Eugene Brown established a chess club for high school students of color in Washington D.C. as part of his resolve to “always think before you move.” Cuba Gooding Jr. leads a remarkable cast in this inspiring true story.

    “JAKE SQUARED”, directed by Howard Goldberg and Starring Elias Koteas, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Virginia Madsen, Jane Seymour and Mike Vogel.

    SYNOPSIS: Elias Koteas, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Virginia Madsen, Jane Seymour and Mike Vogel star in this mind-bending comedy! Jake Klein, 50, sets out to make a movie. He hires an actor to play himself and throws a big party. His idea is to shoot the heck out of it and see what he gets. But, everything spins out of control as different, unexpected people show up. Old loves are there. New loves are there. His dead father, his mother when she was young, his kids, his ex-wife. Even his younger selves, Jake at 40, Jake at 30 and Jake at 17, are there, too! And every one of them has tons of advice on how to fix his screwed up life. Jake’s head reels as he staggers through what’s either a mystical experience, a nervous breakdown… or both!

    ALL THAT I AM, directed by Carlos Puga and starring Christopher Abbott(HBO’s Girls). Special  Recognition Jury Award 2013 SXSW Film Festival.

    SYNOPSIS: On the eve of a looming family reunion, Christian’s estranged father unexpectedly shows up at his door asking for help. Despite abandoning the family at the onset of his wife’s terminal illness , Dr. Lynn claims he can justify his nine-year absence. Christian reluctantly agrees to escort his father into a hostile family environment, but his grief-fueled drug addiction sends an already tense family dynamic reeling.

    MY NAME IS FAITH, directed by Jason Banker and Tiffany Sudela Junker. Audience Award winner 2013 Slamdance Film Festival.

    SYNOPSIS: This is the story of a 12-year-old girl working hard to overcome a troubling past and accept and embrace the love and possibility that now surround her. Born as Brianna to a drug-addicted mother, she and her baby brother lived in harrowing conditions before being adopted by a young couple fully invested in raising their children to be whole, happy and strong.

    Additionally, this year’s festival will include an array of short film programs as well, including “THE MAGIC BRACELET” starring James Van Der Beek, JK Simmons and Bailee Madison, “37” (2013 Slamdance Film Festival), “THE WORST THINGS I’VE EVER DONE” starring Campbell Scott, and “NATE AND VINNIE” starring Matthew Stadelmann and Gaetano Iacono, as well as a total of 20 short film blocks, animation, experimental and our annual Student Film Section.

     

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  • More Films, Centerpiece Galas and Special Screenings, Added to AFIFEST 2013

      AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

    Additional Centerpiece Galas and Special Screenings are now on the lineup for AFI FEST 2013 taking place November 7 through 14 in Hollywood, California.  There will be a red carpet Gala each night of the festival. The additional Centerpiece Galas are AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY (Director: John Wells) on Friday, November 8; THE LAST EMPEROR 3D (Director: Bernardo Bertolucci) on Sunday, November 10; and the World Premiere of LONE SURVIVOR (Director: Peter Berg) on Tuesday, November 12. All Galas will be presented in the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. AFI FEST’s Special Screenings are HER (Director: Spike Jonze); THE INVISIBLE WOMAN (Director: Ralph Fiennes); JODOROWSKY’S DUNE (Director: Frank Pavich); MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM (Director: Justin Chadwick); THE PAST (LE PASSÉ) (Director: Asghar Farhadi); PHILOMENA (Director: Stephen Frears); and THE UNKNOWN KNOWN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DONALD RUMSFELD (Director: Errol Morris).

    As previously announced, Agnès Varda, considered “the Mother of French New Wave cinema,” will serve as Guest Artistic Director. The North American Premiere of SAVING MR. BANKS (Director: John Lee Hancock) is the Opening Night Gala on Thursday, November 7 and INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen) is the Closing Night Gala on Thursday, November 14. Previously announced Centerpiece Galas include the World Premiere of OUT OF THE FURNACE (Director: Scott Cooper) on Saturday, November 9, NEBRASKA (Director: Alexander Payne) featuring a Tribute to Bruce Dern on Monday, November 11, and THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (Director: Ben Stiller) on Wednesday, November 13.

    AFI FEST 2013 Galas and Special Screenings

    GALAS

    Opening Night

    SAVING MR. BANKS – The extraordinary, untold story of how Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) and author P. L. Travers (Emma Thompson) proceed to turn her novel into the film MARY POPPINS. DIR John Lee Hancock. SCR Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith. CAST Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Emma Thompson, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman, B.J. Novak. USA. North American Premiere.
    Thursday, November 7, 2013.

    Centerpiece Galas

    AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY – In this dramatic comedy with an all-star cast, a crisis reunites the women of an Oklahoma family and reignites their dysfunction. DIR John Wells. SCR Tracy Letts. CAST Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Julianne Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Dermot Mulroney, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Margo Martindale, Sam Shepard. USA.
    Friday, November 8, 2013.

    OUT OF THE FURNACE – In this all-star, griping drama, a steel mill worker (Christian Bale) searches for his brother (Casey Affleck) in one of the most ruthless crime rings in the Northeast. DIR Scott Cooper. SCR Scott Cooper, Brad Ingelsby. CAST Christian Bale, Zoe Saldana, Woody Harrelson, Willem Dafoe. USA. World Premiere.
    Saturday, November 9, 2013.

    THE LAST EMPEROR 3D – Winner of nine Oscars®, this visually sumptuous drama has been transformed into 3-D by director Bernardo Bertolucci and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. This presentation will be the North American Premiere of the 3D version of the film. DIR Bernardo Bertolucci. SCR Mark Peploe, Bernardo Bertolucci. CAST John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole. China, Italy, UK, France.
    Sunday, November 10, 2013.

    NEBRASKA (featuring a Tribute to Bruce Dern) – Bruce Dern stars as a stubborn elderly man who travels to Nebraska with his son (Will Forte) to collect sweepstakes money in this elegant, black-and-white bittersweet journey. DIR Alexander Payne. SCR Bob Nelson. CAST Bruce Dern, Will Forte, Bob Odenkirk, Stacy Keach, June Squibb. USA.
    Monday, November 11, 2013.

    LONE SURVIVOR – Based on The New York Times bestselling true story of heroism, courage and survival, the film tells the incredible tale of four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level al-Qaeda operative who are ambushed by the enemy in the mountains of Afghanistan. Faced with an impossible moral decision, the small band is isolated from help and surrounded by a much larger force of Taliban ready for war. As they confront unthinkable odds together, the four men find reserves of strength and resilience as they stay in the fight to the finish. DIR/SCR Peter Berg. CAST Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Ali Suliman, Alexander Ludwig, Eric Bana. USA. World Premiere. 
    Tuesday, November 12, 2013.

    THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY – Director/actor Ben Stiller adapts James Thurber’s classic story – about a daydreamer who escapes his anonymous life through his fantasies – with sweeping scope and stirring intimacy. DIR Ben Stiller. SCR Steve Conrad. CAST Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, Patton Oswalt, Shirley MacLaine, Kathryn Hahn. USA.
    Wednesday, November 13, 2013.

    Closing Night

    INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS – This epic on an intimate scale by the Coen brothers portrays a week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. DIR Joel Coen, Ethan Coen. SCR Joel Coen, Ethan Coen. CAST Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, F. Murray Abraham, Justin Timberlake. USA.
    Thursday, November 14, 2013.

    SPECIAL SCREENINGS

    HER – From the singular perspective of Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Spike Jonze (BEING JOHN MALKOVICH) comes HER, an original love story that explores the evolving nature—and the risks—of intimacy in the modern world. Set in Los Angeles in the near future, the film follows Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive and unique entity in its own right. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet “Samantha,” a bright, female voice (Scarlett Johansson) who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other. DIR/SCR Spike Jonze. CAST Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde. USA.

    THE INVISIBLE WOMAN – Nelly (Felicity Jones), a happily married mother and schoolteacher, is haunted by her past. Her memories, provoked by remorse and guilt, take us back in time to follow the story of her relationship with Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes) with whom she discovered an exciting but fragile complicity. DIR Ralph Fiennes. SCR Abi Morgan. CAST Ralph Fiennes, Felicity Jones, Kristin Scott Thomas. United Kingdom.

    JODOROWSKY’S DUNE – The story of legendary cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s staggeringly ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel DUNE. DIR Frank Pavich. USA.

    MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM – Based on South African President Nelson Mandela’s autobiography of the same name, which chronicles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison before becoming President and working to rebuild the country’s once segregated society. DIR Justin Chadwick. SCR William Nicholson. CAST Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge, Riaad Moosa, Jamie Bartlett, Lindiwe Matshikiza, Terry Pheto, Deon Lotz. South Africa.

    THE PAST (LE PASSÉ) – Following a four year separation, Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) returns to Paris from Tehran, upon his estranged French wife Marie (Bérénice Bejo)’s request, in order to finalize their divorce procedure so she can marry her new boyfriend Samir (Tahar Rahim). During his tense brief stay, Ahmad discovers the conflicting nature of Marie’s relationship with her teenage daughter Lucie (Pauline Burlet). Ahmad’s efforts to improve this relationship soon unveil a secret from their past. DIR/SCR Asghar Farhadi. CAST Bérénice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, Ali Mosaffa, Pauline Burlet. France, Iran, Italy.

    PHILOMENA – Based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee,” PHILOMENA focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee (Dench), mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock, something her Irish-Catholic community didn’t have the highest opinion of, and given away for adoption in the United States. In following church doctrine, she was forced to sign a contract that wouldn’t allow for any sort of inquiry into the son’s whereabouts. After starting a family years later in England and, for the most part, moving on with her life, Lee meets Sixsmith (Coogan), a BBC reporter with whom she decides to discover her long-lost son. DIR Stephen Frears. SCR Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope. CAST Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Michelle Fairley, Barbara Jefford, Anna Maxwell Martin, Mare Winningham, Sophie Kennedy Clark. United Kingdom.

    THE UNKNOWN KNOWN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DONALD RUMSFELD – The latest from Errol Morris focuses on former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Probing and insightful, Morris is the unequalled master of unpacking and contextualizing our recent shared history. DIR Errol Morris. USA.

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  • AFI FEST Reveals 2013 Auteurs and Shorts Films

    HARMONY LESSONS directed by Emir BaigazinHARMONY LESSONS directed by Emir Baigazin

    AFI FEST 2013 announced the films that will be featured in the New Auteurs and Shorts sections at this year’s festival taking place November 7 through 14 in Hollywood, California, at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre, the Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  The New Auteurs section highlights first and second-time feature film directors from around the world and the Shorts selections present wildly diverse points of view from a variety of countries around the world. 

    NEW AUTEURS SELECTIONS (10 titles)

    THE FAKE – In this controversial animated drama from South Korea, a rural village in danger of a flood turns to a church that promises salvation. DIR Yeon Sang-ho. SCR Yeon Sang-ho. CAST Yang Ikjune, Oh Jungse, Kwon Haehyo, Park Heevon. South Korea.

    HARMONY LESSONS – This captivating Kazakh drama follows an adolescent boy who faces schoolyard bullying – part of a hierarchy of village corruption – who resolves to plot revenge. DIR Emir Baigazin. SCR Emir Baigazin. CAST Timur Aidarbekov, Aslan Anarbayev, Mukhtar Anadassov, Anelya Adilbekova. Kazakhstan, Germany, France.

    IN BLOOM – A powerful story about two 14-year-old girls who challenge patriarchal expectations in 1992 Tbilisi, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. DIR Nana Ekvtimishvili & Simon Gross. SCR Nana Ekvtimishvili. CAST Lika Babluani, Mariam Bokeria, Zurab Gogaladze. Georgia, Germany, France.

    MY DOG KILLER – This simmering drama follows a lonely young adult living in rural Slovakia, where bubbling ethnic tensions and inner turmoil lead to dark consequences. DIR Mira Fornay. SCR Mira Fornay. CAST Adam Mihal, Marian Kuruc, Irena Bendova, Libor Filo. Slovakia, Czech Republic.

    NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN – A new member of a fundamentalist Christian group moves in with a family, but soon descends into a vortex of dogmatism, heresy and violence. DIR Katrin Gebbe. SCR Katrin Gebbe. CAST Julius Feldmeier, Sascha Gersak, Swantje Kohlhof, Annika Kuhl. Germany.

    THE OWNERS – A comic look at class struggle, this Argentine tale of estate workers and their employers makes full use of its ensemble cast to explore the difficulty of sustaining a lie. DIR Agustín Toscano & Ezequiel Radusky. SCR Agustín Toscano & Ezequiel Radusky. CAST Rosario Blefari, Germán De Silva, Sergio Prina, Cynthia Avellaneda. Argentina.

    THE SELFISH GIANT – In this memorable example of British realism, feisty menace Arbor and his friend Swifty are expelled from school and turn to illegal means of making money. DIR Clio Barnard. SCR Clio Barnard. CAST Connor Chapman, Shaun Thomas, Sean Gilder, Rebecca Manley. United Kingdom.

    A SPELL TO WARD OFF THE DARKNESS – Filmmakers Ben Russell and Ben Rivers team up for the first time to create this experimental triptych of stories revolving around a silent protagonist. DIR Ben Rivers & Ben Russell. SCR Ben Rivers & Ben Russell. CAST Robert A.A Lowe, Taraka Larson, Nimai Larson, Nick Turvey. France, Estoria.

    THE STRANGE LITTLE CAT – A whimsical exploration of the tensions and pleasures of everyday life is made in a cramped Berlin apartment overflowing with adults, children and pets. DIR Ramon Zürcher. SCR Ramon Zürcher. Jenny Schily, Anjorka Strechel, Mia Kasalo, Luk Pfaff. Germany.

    WE ARE MARI PEPA – This comic love letter to the loss of innocence follows a Guadalajara teenager with fun summer expectations who must come to terms with growing responsibilities. DIR Samuel Isamu Kishi Leopo. SCR Samuel Isamu Kishi Leopo & Sofía Gómez Córdova. CAST Alejandro Gallardo, Arnold Ramírez, Jaime Miranda, Moisés Galindo. Mexico.

    SHORTS SELECTIONS (36 titles)

    BALCONY – An entire village reacts to a boy dangling from a balcony in this one-shot tour de force. DIR Lendita Zeqiraj. SCR Lendita Zeqiraj. CAST Arben Bajraktaraj, Sevdai Radogoshi, Osman Ahmeti, Edona Reshitaj. Kosovo.

    BUTTER LAMP – This travelogue of culture and context told through the eyes of two Tibetan photographers and their clients is an inventive and heartfelt exploration of the relationship among reality, dreams and memory. DIR Hu Wei. SCR Genden Punstock & Hu Wei. CAST Genden Punstock. France.

    CARLOTA – He will be in love with her very soon. He is sure of this. DIR Nacho Vigalondo. Spain.

    CATHERINE – Catherine is ready to come back to work. DIR Dean Fleischer-Camp. SCR Dean Fleischer-Camp & Jenny Slate. CAST Jenny Slate, Brandi Austin. USA.

    DATAMOSH – Yung Jake raps about tweet culture, data-moshing, hashtags and memes as he merges with Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr and Instagram. He’s not on PhotoBooth. DIR Yung Jake. USA.

    THE DATE – Tino’s manhood is put to the test when he hosts a date for the family’s stud cat. DIR Jenni Toivoniemi. SCR Jenni Toivoniemi. CAST Oskari Joutsen, Anna Paavilainen, Päivi Mäkinen. Finland.

    DECLARATION OF WAR – A mesmerizing montage of audiences reacting to George W. Bush’s announcement of Operation Enduring Freedom told entirely through footage captured during the speech. DIR Dustin Guy Defa. USA.

    DEMOCRACY – Please gather in the conference room. The boss has a life-changing announcement guaranteed to boost morale. DIR Borja Cobeaga. SCR Alberto Gonzalez Vazquez. CAST Oscar Ladoire, Luis Bermejo, Alejandro Tejeria, Raquel Guerrero. Spain.

    THE EVENT – Love and a severed foot, at the end of the world. DIR Julia Pott. SCR Tom Chivers. CAST Alex Britton, Laura Free. USA, United Kingdom.

    FAMILY IN THE PARK – On a Sunday afternoon in the park, happiness exists but it comes at a price. DIR Pedro “Zulu” González. SCR Pedro “Zulu” González. Mexico.

    I KILL – A gruesome, honest portrait of the man who kills your food. DIR David White & Paul Wedel. CAST Beatie Tarrant. New Zealand.

    K.I.T. – A guilt-ridden yuppie goes to great lengths to prove she is a decent human being. DIR Michelle Morgan. SCR Michelle Morgan. CAST John Beach, Stephanie Allyne, Ryan Harrison. USA.

    KARAOKE! – On a night out in New York City, a young man avoids his problems. DIR Andrew Renzi. SCR Andrew Renzi. CAST Brady Corbet, Clemence Poesy. USA.

    MACHSOM – A 19-year-old Israeli soldier stationed at one of the most dangerous checkpoints along the West Bank must contend with pressures on all sides in the face of a high-stakes incident. DIR Joel Novoa. SCR Joel Novoa & Frederic Richter. USA.

    MAGNESIUM – A talented young gymnast makes a life-changing discovery as she prepares for an important tournament, and her last chance to reach the top. DIR Sam de Jong. SCR Shady El-Hamus. CAST Denise Tan, Samira Maas, Vanja Rukavina. Netherlands.

    MARILYN MYLLER – Marilyn maketh, Marilyn taketh away. It will be epic. It will be tear-jerkingly profound. It will be perfect. DIR Michael Please. SCR Michael Please. USA, United Kingdom.

    THE MASQUE – The Masque was L.A.’s first punk rock club. This is all that’s left. DIR Mike Plante. CAST Rudy Garcia. USA.

    MISTERIO: They say that if you put your ear to the back of his neck you can hear the Virgin talk. DIR Chema García Ibarra. SCR Chema García Ibarra. CAST Jose Manuel Ibarra. Spain.

    MOVIES MADE FROM HOME #15 – Robert has big plans. He’s going to live as long as he can. DIR Robert Machoian. SCR Robert Machoian. CAST Bruce Graham. USA.

    NOAH – Noah’s relationship takes a rapid turn for the worse in this fascinating study of romance in the digital age set entirely on a teenager’s computer screen. DIR Patrick Cederberg & Walter Woodman. SCR Patrick Cederberg & Walter Woodman. CAST Sam Kantor, Caitlin McConkey-Pirie, Nina Iordanova. Canada.

    ON SUFFOCATION – This dialogue-free film about an execution describes what happens when the system becomes more important than human life. DIR Jenifer Malmqvist. SCR Jenifer Malmqvist. CAST Ali Dawoud, Poyan Karimi, Peshang Rad, Zana Penjweni. Sweden.

    PLACES WHERE WE LIVED – His parents are selling his childhood home. What a terrible, terrible feeling. DIR Bernardo Britto. SCR Bernardo Britto. USA.

    #POSTMODEM – A pop musical that predicts technological singularity in the form of a series of cinematic tweets. DIR Jillian Mayer & Lucas Leyva. SCR Jillian Mayer & Lucas Leyva. CAST Jillian Mayer, Kayla DeLacerda. USA.

    THE RANCHER – A series of terrible dreams unhinge a man in power. DIR Kelly Sears. USA.

    THE ROPER – A black man – and young calf roper – works through the all-white rodeo circuits in the Deep South as he dreams of competing in the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. DIR Ewan McNicol & Anna Sandilands. USA.

    RPGOKC – In a world on the brink of war, two video game characters find love on a dating website. DIR Emily Carmichael. USA.

    THE RUNAWAY – A social worker at a detention center for juvenile offenders must bring one of the girls to court for sentencing. It’s going to be a hard day. DIR Jean-Bernard Marlin. SCR Jean-Bernard Marlin. CAST Adel Bencherif, Médina Yalaoui. France.

    SAFE: A college student works at the illegal exchange booth attached to the pachinko. She’s fed up with people addicted to gambling, but the more she tries to escape, the deeper she’s stuck. DIR Byounggon Moon. SCR O Kwang Gwon. CAST Min Ji Lee, Tae Young Kang. South Korea.

    SHADOW OF A CLOUD: On a sweltering summer day in Bucharest, a priest is called to a dying woman’s side to say a final prayer. DIR Radu Jude. SCR Florin Lazarescu. CAST Alexandru Dabija, Serban Pavlu. Romania.

    SKIN: A young taxidermist and loner resorts to drastic measures when an entrancing girl finds his work beautiful. DIR Jordana Spiro. CAST Albert Flood, Sara Clark, Vickie Peterman, Patrick Graham. USA.

    SOCIAL BUTTERFLY: In the south of France, a 30-year-old American woman wanders into a teenage party. Nobody seems to know what she’s doing there. DIR Lauren Wolkstein. SCR Lauren Wolkstein. CAST Anna Margaret Hollyman, Camille Claris, Ulysse Grosjean. France, USA.

    SYNDROMEDA: No one believes that Leif was abducted by aliens. But then why did he wake up naked and bloody on the side of the road? Aliens, that’s why. DIR Patrik Eklund. SCR Patrik Eklund. CAST Jacob Nordenson, Svante Grundberg, Anki Larsson. Sweden.

    THIS MUST BE THE ONLY FANTASY – A magical and lyrical ode to fantasy role-playing games from fashion house Rodarte and their collaborators. DIR Todd Cole and Rodarte. SCR Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski. CAST Sidney Williams with Guinevere Van Seenus and Elijah Wood. USA.

    TOKYO GIANTS – Using footage captured by hidden cameras on the streets of Tokyo, the always subversive Nicolas Provost constructs a narrative set to the conventions of Hollywood mysteries in the thrilling conclusion to his PLOT POINT trilogy. DIR Nicolas Provost. SCR Nicolas Provost. CAST Johan Rooms, Miet Warlop. Japan, Belgium.

    WHALE VALLEY – Two young brothers living in a remote Icelandic fjord come to terms with the hard truths that make kids grow up before they’re ready. DIR Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson. SCR Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson. CAST Ágúst Örn B. Wigum og Einar Jóhann Valsson. Denmark, Iceland.

    WILD HORSES – They captured her heart. She captured their story. DIR Stephanie Martin. SCR Stephanie Martin & Jessica Walsh. CAST Mireille Enos, Brooke Shields, Barbara Tarbuck and Tuff. USA.

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  • Wes Anderson’s GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Gets A Release Date, Poster and Trailer

     wes anderson's the grand budapest hotel poster

    Fox Searchlight has set a theatrical release date of March 7, 2014 for Wes Anderson’s THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL. Starring Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Owen Wilson, Ed Norton, Adrien Brody, Saoirse Ronan, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Tom Wilkinson,  THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.  The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune — all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.

    http://youtu.be/1Fg5iWmQjwk

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  • “HARD TIME BUS” “TAKE US HOME” Win Top Awards at 2013 Hollywood Black Film Festival

    Hollywood Black Film Festival 2013 Winners Hollywood Black Film Festival 2013 Winners

    HARD TIME BUS,
 directed by Dean Charles, won the award for Best Feature; and TAKE US HOME
, directed by Aileen LeBlanc and Orly Malessa won the award for Best Documentary, at the Hollywood Black Film Festival which took place October 6 to 6, 2013.  IF I WERE A BELL written and directed by Sherese Robinson Lee won the award for Best Short.

    Starring Neil Reidman, Naomi Ryan and Roger Griffiths, HARD TIME BUS follows Mark Bishop, who after a rude awakening, his carefree and complacent lifestyle comes crashing back to reality, forcing him to make hasty plans to marry devoted girlfriend, Denise. His decision opens his eyes to the life he led and the friends he thought he knew, but will the years of complacency finally catch up with him before he makes it to the alter.

    In the documentary TAKE US HOME
, Fekadu and his family of eight have been waiting in Gondar for ten years. They are hoping to among those who are chosen to go to Israel but, though they are of Jewish heritage, they had been practicing Christianity since their grandparents converted many years ago. Do they fit the criteria as to who is Jewish and deserving of acceptance at “home” in the state of Israel?

    FEATURE WINNER


    HARD TIME BUS
    Written by: Owen Mowatt

    Directed by: Dean Charles

    SHORT WINNER

    IF I WERE A BELL

    Written/Directed by: Sherese Robinson Lee

     Shorts HONORABLE MENTION


    SUNDAY’S AT NOON
    Written by: Lyric Anderson & Tami Roman
    
Directed by: Ka’ramuu Kush 

    STUDENT WINNER


    JUMP
    Written by: Anthony Harper

    Directed by: Not Provided

    Students HONORABLE MENTION


    BEYOND THE ECHO OF THE DRUM
    Written by: Not Provided
    Directed by: Lori Webster


     DOCUMENTARY WINNER


    TAKE US HOME
    Written by: Aileen LeBlanc

    Directed by: Aileen LeBlanc & Orly Malessa

    DOCUMENTARY HONORABLE MENTION


    IN SEARCH OF THE BLACK KNIGHT
    Written/Directed by: Tamarat Makonnen

    WEB SERIES WINNER


    MOMMY UNCENSORED: CONFESSIONS
OF A REAL MOM
    Written by: 
Shannon Byrd, 
Adrian Dukes, 
Kellana Franklin, 
Charity Jordan
, Nell Maxwell, 
Zoie Sykes, 
Sonya Tate-Smith
    Directed by: 
Christine Horn, 
Justin Jordan, 
David Kote, 
Sharell Luckett, 
Nik Mynyan

    FILM DIASPORA

    MALAGASY MANKANY (LEGENDS OF MADAGASCAR)
    Writer-director: Haminiaina Ratovarivony

    PROJECT STARGAZER

    The finalists will begin Project Stargazer Lab in January 2014, where they will be paired with mentors from the entertainment industry and NASA while they further develop their Sci-Fi ideas into a feature length screenplay at Writers Boot Camp over the course of nine months.

    BEYOND HEAVEN
    by: Ronald Taylor, Los Angeles, CA


    BROUGHT UP
    by: Rashim Cannad and Tarina Pouncy, Los Angeles, CA


    MIRA BANE
    by: Arvel Chappell III and Michael J. Martinez, Los Angeles, CA

    STORYTELLER COMPETITION

    1st place Winner:  ESTEEM LADIES OF HOPE – Shington Lamy, Tallahassee, FL
    
2nd place: THE PACK – BOND OF BLOOD, Devvin Mattison, Arlington, TX

    3rd place:  MADAME CHARLIE – Nadria Tucker, Los Angeles, CA

    TWINKIE BYRD’S MONOLOGUE SLAM

    Kyla Garcia, Los Angeles, CA

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  • Cine Las Americas International Sets 2014 Dates

    Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, to take place from April 22 to 27, 2014 in Austin, Texas

    Cine Las Americas announced the 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, to take place from April 22 to 27, 2014 in Austin, Texas. The festival brings a selection of the newest Ibero-American cinema and American Indigenous films, showcasing films and filmmakers through its world-renowned programs. The deadline for filmmakers to submit entries is December 13, 2013.

    Cine Las Americas invites filmmakers, producers and distributors to participate in the Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, now in its seventeenth consecutive year. The festival showcases contemporary films from Latin America (North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean) and the Iberian Peninsula. Films made by or about Latinos in the U.S. or the rest of the world, and films by or about indigenous groups of the Americas, are also invited to participate.   

    To be submitted for consideration, projects must have been completed after January 1, 2012. For all works where the spoken language is not English, English subtitles and/or narration are required. Preference is given to regional or national premieres, as well as to films that have not screened theatrically in Austin or on national television in the USA prior to the festival.

     

    Deadline: December 13, 2013 at 5:00pm (Non-refundable entry fee US$25)
    Late Deadline: January 17, 2014 at 5:00pm (Late entry fee US$50)
    Emergencia Youth Films Deadline: January 17, 2014 at 5:00PM (Youth Films pay no entry fee)

     

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  • Bollywood Action-Comedy BOSS Opens in Theaters on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | TRAILER

    Bollywood action-comedy BOSS

    The new Bollywood action-comedy BOSS directed by Anthony D’Souza, and starring Akshay Kumar, Aditi Rao Hydari, Shiv Pandit, and Mithun Chakraborty opens in 100 theaters across top North American markets today, Wednesday, October 16, 2013.

    BOSS is just as colorful as his actions. He travels with a massive entourage of trucks that follow him. He has his personal cheerleaders who ‘cheer’ him during his endeavors. He has a penchant for playing loud music when he’s beating up the bad guys. That’s BOSS.
When his father approaches him for help, BOSS leaves everything aside and makes his family his first priority.
Now BOSS will travel to Delhi to accomplish his mission. His adversaries are powerful people with top connections. But BOSS is a one-man-army. He will demolish everything that comes in the way of his family – be it a dangerous cop or a corrupt Minister. However, he will take his revenge in his own way. There will be loads of action, loads of fun and loads of excitement in this entire journey. The journey that will lead to the ultimate combat in the historic war ground of Kurukshetra where once again, after centuries, good and evil will battle one another. And once again, evil will be vanquished from the face of the Earth. But this time, it will all be – BOSS style.

    http://youtu.be/zaoDtl0GL2E

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  • First La Costa Film Festival Announces Lineup; Opens With THE SHORT GAME

    THE SHORT GAMETHE SHORT GAME

    The first La Costa Film Festival will run October 24 to October 27, 2013, at the world famous Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California.  The festival will open with the award winning documentary THE SHORT GAME executive produced by Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel;  the film follows the lives of eight of the best seven-year-old golfers in the world as they train for and compete in the World Championships of Junior Golf.  Closing the festival will be AT MIDDLETON, which stars Andy Garcia, Vera Farmiga, and Taissa Farmiga in the story of two wildly different parents who meet and discover they have an irresistible chemistry while taking their kids on a college tour.

    The juried sports competition includes a variety of compelling documentary features: THE CRASH REEL follows snowboarder Kevin Pearce and the traumatic brain injury that kept him from competing for Gold in 2010; MAIDENTRIP reveals the journey of Laura Dekker, the youngest person to ever sail around the world alone; MCCONKEY is about Shane McConkey, a revered pioneer of free-skiing and ski-BASE jumping; and the story of two young surfers who battle nature in a remote, arctic island in Northern Norway in order to catch the perfect wave is the focus of NORTH OF THE SUN.  The opening night film, THE SHORT GAME, will also compete.

    Shorts in competition include: SLOMO, THE RED PILL, CROOKED LINES, and MAGNESIUM.  

    The winner of the local high school competition is the short film ROUTINES, which will premiere at the festival.  ROUTINES was co-directed by Canyon Crest Academy senior Jason Lee Phillips and former CCA student Jason Lee Segal, who is now at Chapman University.  Canyon Crest Academy will receive a cash prize from the La Costa Film Festival for its distinguished Envision Cinema program.

    The Narrative spotlight section features favorites from this year’s festival circuit: the Belgian drama BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN is flavored with American-style bluegrass and was awarded the Panorama Audience Award at the Berlin Film Festival, as well as Best Actress and Best Screenplay awards at Tribeca; based on a true story of one woman’s fight against breast cancer, DECODING ANNIE PARKER stars Helen Hunt and, winner of the Best Actress award at the recent Seattle International Film Festival, Samantha Morton; French dramedy JUST A SIGH premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival this year; and winner of a Special Jury Prize at Tribeca, STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS.

    The Documentary Showcase also has its share of acclaimed titles: an intimate portrait exploring the tragedy of Alzheimer’s, THE GENIUS OF MARIAN premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival; WALKING THE CAMINO is a festival audience favorite about the experience of walking the ancient 500-mile pilgrimage across Northern Spain known as “The Camino de Santiago;” and winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s SXSW, WILLIAM AND THE WINDMILL follows a young Malawian who rescued his family from famine by building a power-generating windmill from scrap parts.

    There will also be a special outdoor retrospective screening of the 1989 Kevin Costner classic, FIELD OF DREAMS, in which an Iowa farmer is inspired by a voice he can’t ignore to pursue a dream he can hardly believe.

    In another nod to the area, two films will screen as part of the festival’s Surf Spotlight: ISOLATED and H2INDO.

    The festival’s family film will be KHUMBA, an animated comedy from South Africa, which recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and features the voices of Steve Buscemi and Laurence Fishburne.

    “We’re very proud to welcome so many talented filmmakers from around the world and present their work to our community,” said festival founders, Mike and Ruby Callihan. “In turn, once they experience the beauty, hospitality, and wonder of Carlsbad, we believe it will leave a lasting impression, and they’ll want to return often.”

     

    OPENING NIGHT GALA

    THE SHORT GAME
    USA / 2013 / 90min
    Director: Josh Greenbaum
    Cast: Edd Hall, Jennifer Van Horn, Allan Kournikova, Zamokuhle Nxasana, Alexa Pano, Yang Kuan, Jed Dy, Augustin Valery, Sky Sudberry, Amari Avery

    The best seven-year-old golfers from around the world descend on the world famous Pinehurst Golf course in North Carolina to determine the next world champion and who might become golf’s next phenomenon. Most of these young prodigies have been holding clubs since before they could walk and are better by the time they are six than most people will be in their lifetime. This is the breeding ground for the PGA and the stakes are huge. THE SHORT GAME follows nine young golfers vying for the title of ‘world champion’.

    CLOSING NIGHT GALA

    AT MIDDLETON
    USA / 2013 / 100min
    Director: Adam Rodgers
    Writers: Glenn German, Adam Rodgers
    Cast: Vera Farmiga, Taissa Farmiga, Andy Garcia, Tom Skerritt, Peter Riegert, Nicholas Braun, Daniella Garcia, Tony Doupe, Spencer Lofranco, Sean Cook, D.R. Anderson, Stephen Borello IV, Kent Kimball, Kenny Parks Jr.

    It’s not only teenagers who find themselves when they go off to college. Two brilliant actors best known for dramatic roles join forces in a romantic romp, and they have a ball. Vera Farmiga and Andy Garcia play strangers who meet while escorting their teen children to campus-tour day at a mythical college named Middleton (the film is in part a hilarious parody of American college life).

    SPECIAL “UNDER THE STARS” RETROSPECTIVE SCREENING

    FIELD OF DREAMS
    USA / 1989 / 107min
    Director: Phil Alden Robinson
    Screenplay: Phil Alden Robinson
    Cast: Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, Gaby Hoffman, Ray Liotta, Timothy Busfield, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster, Frank Whaley, Dwier Brown

    An Iowa corn farmer, hearing voices, interprets them as a command to build a baseball diamond in his fields; he does, and the Chicago Black Sox come.

    SPORTS COMPETITION

    THE CRASH REEL
    USA / 2013 / 90 min
    Director: Lucy Walker
    Cast: Kevin Pearce, Shaun White, Mason Aguirre, Jake Burton, Danny Davis, Scotty Lago, Jack Mitrani, Luke Mitrani

    Fifteen years of vérité footage show the epic rivalry between half-pipe legends Shaun White and Kevin Pearce, childhood friends who become number one and two in the world leading up to the Vancouver Winter Olympics, pushing one another to ever more dangerous tricks, until Kevin crashes on a Park City half-pipe, barely surviving. As Kevin recovers from his injury, Shaun wins Gold. Now all Kevin wants to do is get on his snowboard again, even though medics and family fear this could kill him.

    MAIDENTRIP
    USA / 2013 / 75 min
    Director: Jillian Schlesinger
    Writers: Laura Dekker, Penelope Falk, Jillian Schlesinger
    Cast: Laura Dekker

    14-year-old Laura Dekker sets out on a two-year voyage in pursuit of her dream to become the youngest person ever to sail around the world alone.

    MCCONKEY
    USA / 2013 / 109 min
    Director: Murray Wais
    Writers: Rob Bruce, Scott Gaffney, Murray Wais, Steve Winter, David Zeiff
    Cast: Shane McConkey, Sherry McConkey, J.T. Holmes, Glenn McConkey, Jim McConkey, Jonny Moseley, Miles Daisher, Travis Pastrana, Bob Burnquist, Mike Douglas, Kent Kreitler, Scot Schmidt

    A heartfelt examination of the legacy one athlete left to the progression of his sports, and the path he paved to conquer his dreams. Shane McConkey is revered as a pioneer of freeskiing and ski-BASE jumping, and through his talent and ability to use his trademark irreverent humor he’s an inspiration to countless lives.

    NORTH OF THE SUN
    Norway / 2012 / 46 min
    Director: Jorn Nyseth Ranum, Inge Wegge
    Writers: Jorn Nyseth Ranum, Inge Wegge
    Cast: Jorn Nyseth Ranum, Inge Wegge

    Inge Wegge (25) and Jorn Ranum (22) spent nine months of cold, Norwegian winter in the isolated and uninhabited bay of a remote, arctic island by the coast of Northern-Norway, facing nothing but the vast Atlantic Ocean. There they built a cabin out of driftwood and other cast-off materials that washed up on shore, and ate expired food the local stores would otherwise have thrown away. But the boys brought with them two items of utmost importance: their surfboards – perhaps their biggest motivation for the arctic adventure. Because the remote bay holds a well kept secret; some of the world’s finest waves.

    THE SHORT GAME
    USA / 2013 / 90min
    Director: Josh Greenbaum
    Cast: Edd Hall, Jennifer Van Horn, Allan Kournikova, Zamokuhle Nxasana, Alexa Pano, Yang Kuan, Jed Dy, Augustin Valery, Sky Sudberry, Amari Avery

    The best seven-year-old golfers from around the world descend on the world famous Pinehurst Golf course in North Carolina to determine the next world champion and who might become golf’s next phenomenon. Most of these young prodigies have been holding clubs since before they could walk and are better by the time they are six than most people will be in their lifetime. This is the breeding ground for the PGA and the stakes are huge. THE SHORT GAME follows nine young golfers vying for the title of ‘world champion’.

    COMPETITION SPORTS SHORTS
    CROOKED LINES
    USA / 2013 / 19 min
    Director: Lucy Walker
    Cast: Denise Tan, Samira Maas, Vanja Rukavina

    Ailson Eraclito Da Silva is the best rower in Brazilian history, the Michael Phelps of his sport. Growing up in a leper colony on the banks of the Amazon River, he’s constantly discriminated against. But his dream to win Gold for Brazil at the Olympics is within his grasp. He’s got the talent. But there’s a twist, and this gets more interesting than any Olympics featurette. Because Ailson has an achilles heel — he’s heavy for the lightweight category he competes in. Usually, he makes his weight by not drinking ahead of regattas. This time, his plan fails: he’s disqualified from the Olympic trials. Everyone plays the blame game, until Ailson goes home and faces up to the real reason he can’t control his weight

    MAGNESIUM
    Netherlands/ 2013 / 20 min
    Director: Sam de Jong
    Cast: Denise Tan, Samira Maas, Vanja Rukavina

    A talented gymnast makes a life-changing discovery as she prepares for an important tournament, which is her last chance to reach the top.

    THE RED PILL
    USA / 2013 / 14 min
    Director: Lucy Walker
    Cast: Anjali Forber-Pratt, Jean Driscoll

    Illinois-based Paralympian Anjali Forber-Pratt was adopted from India as an infant and became paralyzed shortly after arriving in the US. Despite daunting obstacles – told by teachers she couldn’t go to college, having to sue her school district – Anjali is now a PhD graduate and world record holder in 200m wheelchair racing. And she says if she could do it all over, she’d pick being disabled.

    SLOMO
    USA / 2013 / 17 min
    Director: Joshua Izenberg
    Cast: John Kitchin
    SXSW ’13 (Best Short Doc), Big Sky Documentary FF ’13 (Best Short Doc)

    Depressed and frustrated with his life, Dr. John Kitchin abandons his career as a neurologist and moves to Pacific Beach. There, he undergoes a radical transformation into SLOMO, trading his lab coat for a pair of rollerblades and his IRA for a taste of divinity.

    NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT

    BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN
    Belgium / 2012 / 111min
    Director: Felix Van Groeningen
    Writer: Johan Heldenbergh, Mieke Dobbels, Carl Joos, Felix Van Groeningen
    Cast: Veerle Baetens, Johan Heldenbergh, Nell Cattryse, Geert Van Rampelberg, Nils De Caster, Robbie Cleiren, Bert Huysentruyt, Jan Bijvoet, Blanka Heirman, George W Bush

    Elise and Didier fall in love at first sight, in spite of their differences. He talks, she listens. He’s a romantic atheist, she’s a religious realist. When their daughter becomes seriously ill, their love is put on trial.

    DECODING ANNIE PARKER
    USA / 2013 / 91min
    Director: Steven Bernstein
    Writer: Adam Bernstein, Steven Bernstein, Michael Moss
    Cast: Samantha Morton, Helen Hunt

    Love, science, sex, infidelity, disease, and comedy.  The wild, mostly true, story of the irrepressible Annie Parker and the almost discovery of a cure for cancer.

    JUST A SIGH
    France, Belgium, Ireland / 2013 / 104min
    Director: Jérôme Bonnell
    Writer: Jérôme Bonnell
    Cast: Emmanuelle Devos, Gabriel Byrne, Gilles Privat, Aurélia Petit, Laurent Capelluto

    Alix and Doug were not supposed to meet, but they did. They did because Alix, whose relationship with her husband was at a crossroads, fancied this handsome serious-looking gentleman on the Paris-bound train. They did because Doug, although not in the mood for love, quickly fell for her. They were not supposed to meet but their brief encounter would prove to be overwhelming.

    STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS
    USA/ 2013/ 102min
    Director: Sam Fleischner
    Writer: Rose Lichter-Marck, Micah Bloomberg
    Cast: Andrea Suarez Paz, Jesus Sanchez-Velez, Azul Zorrilla, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Kevin Bewersdorf

    The story of an autistic youth named Ricky who, after a particularly difficult day at school, escapes into the subways. It’s here that he starts his real journey, on a days-long voyage of discovery while, above ground, his mom frantically searches for him.

    DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE

    THE GENIUS OF MARIAN
    USA / 2013 / 85min
    Director: Anna Fitch, Banker White
    Cast: Pam White, Marian Steele, Banker White

    The Genius of Marian follows Pam White in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Her son, the filmmaker, works with her as she attempts to write a book that tributes her mother, the artist Marian Steele. As Pam’s family comes together to support her, they must also prepare for the new reality that Alzheimer’s brings. Both an intimate look at a much-feared illness and a loving portrait of the meaning of family.

    WALKING THE CAMINO
    USA / 2013 / 76min
    Director: Lydia B. Smith

    The story of walking the ancient 500-mile pilgrimage across Northern Spain known as ‘The Camino de Santiago’. The documentary follows six strangers from incredibly diverse walks of life as they attempt to cross an entire country on foot with only a backpack, a pair of boots, and an open mind. Each pilgrim throws themselves heart-and-soul into their physical trek to Santiago de Compostela, and their personal journey to themselves. As you watch, you will learn the rich history of this honored tradition, as well as witness the Camino’s remarkable ability to change lives and provide those who choose to walk its paths with a greater sense of self and spiritual knowledge.

    WILLIAM AND THE WINDMILL
    USA, Malawi, South Africa / 2013 / 95min
    Director & Producer: Ben Nabors
    Cast: William Kamkwamba,Tom Rielly

    Fourteen-year-old Malawian William Kamkwamba teaches himself to build a power-generating windmill from junk parts, successfully rescuing his family from poverty and famine. He becomes an energy icon for the developing world and meets American entrepreneur and mentor Tom Rielly, who helps him imagine a new future. Fame, opportunity, stress, and isolation follow his invention, and his life is transformed. As William struggles with the potential of his promising future, he privately yearns to distance himself from the windmill that made him famous. This is a story about a complex young man straddling two cultures, carrying the burdens of his past achievements, while boldly pursuing a bright future.

    SURF SPOTLIGHT

    ISOLATED
    USA, Indonesia / 2013 / 106 min
    Director: Justin Le Pera
    Writer: Justin Le Pera
    Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Travis Potter, Jenny Useldinger, Jimmy Rotherham, Josh Fuller, Andrew Mooney

    Five world-class surfers travel to New Guinea in search of undiscovered waves, but end up discovering so much more.

    H2INDO
    USA / 2013 / 76 min
    Director: Brent Deal
    Writer: Brent Deal
    Cast: Dave Kalama, Connor Baxter, Chuck Patterson, Slater Trout, Talia Gangini, Dave Boehne, Jamie Mitchell

    Seven of the world’s greatest surfers, Dave Kalama, Connor Baxter, Slater Trout, Talia Gangini, Chuck Patterson, Dave Boehne, and Jamie Mitchell, travel to Indonesia to Stand Up Paddle Indo’s most famous surf breaks. The result is the compelling story of these athletes and the World’s fastest growing sport. The surfing images as well as the underwater scenes are breathtaking.

    FAMILY FILM

    KHUMBA
    South Africa / 2013 / 85 min
    Director: Anthony Silverstein
    Writers: Anthony Silverstein, Raffaella Delle Donne
    Cast: Steve Buscemi, Liam Neeson

    Rejected by his superstitious herd, a half-striped zebra embarks on a daring quest to earn his stripes but finds the courage and self-acceptance to save all the animals of the Great Karoo.

    SHORTS PROGRAM

    ROUTINES – High School Student Short Winner
    USA / 2012/ 11min
    Directors: Jason Phillips, Jason Segal
    Writers: Jason Phillips, Jason Segal
    Cast: Jerrin Padre, Jason Phillips, Helen Segal

    ROUTINES begins with a boy who is trying to cover up his loneliness by using routines. He creates these routines to hide from real life and so that he will be protected by the spontaneity that the world has to offer.

    ANNA ET JEROME
    France / 2013 / 21min
    Director: Melanie Delloye
    Writer: Melanie Delloye
    Cast: Elodie Bouchez, Malo Blondel, Jarome Boyer, Laurent Cyr

    Anna hasn’t always done things right, but she wants to change. She dreams of taking Jerome far away and starting over somewhere else. They could be happy, just the two of them.

    ANNIVERSARIO
    USA/ 2013 / 11min
    Director: Jeffrey DeChausse
    Writer: Jeffrey DeChausse
    Cast: Astrid Carranza, Osvaldo Andersson

    Carmela visits the beauty salon in preparation for an evening out on her 45th wedding anniversary. She’s greeted by her two favorite hairdressers, Chu Chi and Pepe. But in a tragic twist, Carmela becomes the most important makeover of their lives.

    DEATH, TAXES AND APPLE JUICE
    USA/2013/ 8min
    Director: Tamar Halpern
    Writer: Tamar Halpern, George Roth III
    Cast: Aymeric Dauge-Roth, Claire Dauge-Roth, Hannah Perrault

    A little girl ponders the meaning of life as her friend helps her file taxes.

    THE MAKING OF LONGBIRD
    UK/2012/16min
    Director: Will Anderson
    Writer: Will Anderson, Ainslie Henderson, Vitalij Sicinava
    Cast: Will Anderson, Tobias Feltus, Vitalij Sicinava

    A ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at an Animator/Filmmaker as he struggles with his character.

    BIRD FOOD
    Ireland/ 2012/ 5min
    Director: Richard Keane
    Writer: Richard Keane

    A man plans to eat his lunch in the park, but the local pigeons have other ideas.

    THE FEAR OF FLYING
    Ireland / 2012/ 9min
    Director: Conor Finnigan
    Writer: Conor Finnigan
    Cast: Mark Doherty, Aoife Duffin, Steven Courtney

    A small bird with a fear of flying tries to avoid heading south for the winter.

    CHOPPER
    Belgium / Netherlands / 2012 / 2min
    Director: Lars Damoiseaux, Frederik Palmaers
    Writer: Lars Damoiseaux, Michael Palmaers
    Cast: Ruud Lammers, Duncan Meijering

    The circle of life. A mantis gets eaten by a frog, the frog has been swallowed by a stork while the stork itself is eaten by a crocodile before the crocodile gets shot by a hunter.

    CAFÉ REGULAR, CAIRO
    Egypt / 2012 / 11min
    Director: Ritesh Batra
    Writer: Ritesh Batra
    Cast: Mai Abozeed, Alaa Ezzat

    In a regular cafe in Cairo a relationship goes through its first big test.

     

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