VIMooZ

THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM Among Winners of 2013 Woodstock Film Festival

Woodstock Film Festival

THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM, directed by Andrew Mudge

The 14th annual Woodstock Film Festival which began Wednesday, October 2nd, and close on Sunday, October 6th, 2013, held its closing Maverick Awards Gala on Saturday night. THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM, directed by Andrew Mudge won the Maverick Award for Best Feature Narrative, and AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS, directed by Grace Lee won the Maverick Award for Best Feature Documentary. The festival also presented director Peter Bogdanovich with the Honorary Maverick Lifetime Achievement Award and the Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award was presented to acclaimed filmmaker and activist Mira Nair.

The Maverick Award for Best Feature Narrative was presented to:
THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM, directed by Andrew Mudge

Atang leaves the hustle of Johannesburg to return to his ancestral land of Lesotho, where he must bury his estranged father in the remote, mountainous village where he was born. Stirred by memories of his youth, he falls in love with his childhood friend, Dineo, now a radiant young school teacher. Through her, Atang is drawn toward the mystical beauty and hardships of the people and land he had forgotten.

Honorable Mention was presented to WINTER IN THE BLOOD, directed by Alex and Andrew Smith

The Maverick Award for Best Feature Documentary was presented to:
AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS, directed by Grace Lee

AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS, directed by Grace Lee

Grace Lee Boggs is a 98-year-old Chinese American woman in Detroit whose vision of revolution may surprise you. A writer, activist, and philosopher rooted for more than 70 years in the African American movement, she has devoted her life to an evolving revolution that encompasses the contradictions of America’s past and its potentially radical future.

Honorable Mention was presented to MAGICAL UNIVERSE, directed by Jeremy Workman

The Maverick Award for Best Animation was presented to:
FERAL, directed by Daniel Sousa

FERAL, directed by Daniel Sousa

Combining the traditional techniques of sand animation with digital processing, A TANGLED TALE, is the story of a wild boy, found in the woods by a solitary hunter and brought back to civilization. Alienated by a strange new environment, the boy tries to adapt by using the same strategies that kept him safe in the forest.

Honorable Mention was presented to A TANGLED TALE, directed by Corrie Francis Parks

The Diane Seligman Award for Best Short Narrative was presented to
THE EARTH, THE WAY I LEFT IT, directed by Jeff Pinilla

The Diane Seligman Award for Best Student Short Film was presented to
ABOVE THE SEA, directed by Keola Racela;
Honorable Mention was presented to LATE SPRING, directed by Zachery Kerschberg

The Diane Seligman Award for Best Short Documentary was presented to
POUSTINIA, directed by Kristian Berg
Honorable Mention was presented to THE BEAST AND THE ANGEL, directed by Shira Piven

The Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography was presented to
THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM, cinematography by Carlos Carvalho

James Lyons Award for Best Editing of a Feature Narrative was presented to
THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM, directed and edited by Andrew Mudge

James Lyons Award for Best Editing of a Feature Documentary was presented to
THE MANOR, directed by Shawney Cohen and edited by Seth Poulin

Honorary Maverick Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to
Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon)

Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award was presented to
Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay!, Monsoon Wedding, Vanity Fair)

Tangerine Entertainment Juice Award for Best Female Feature Director was presented to
Stacie Passon, director of CONCUSSION

Read more
9th Zurich Film Festival Winners; LA JAULA DE ORO, RENT A FAMILY INC., FINSTERWALDE WORLD, NEULAND Wins Golden Eye Awards

Zurich Film Festival

The 9th Zurich Film Festival awarded its main prize, the Golden Eye for Best Film in the International Feature Film Competition to to LA JAULA DE ORO by Diego Quemada-Diez (Mexico); Golden Eye for Best Film at the International Documentary Film Competition to LEJ EN FAMILY A / S (RENT A FAMILY INC.) by Kaspar Astrup Schroeder (Denmark); Golden Eye for Best Film in the German-Language Feature Film Competition to FINSTERWALDE WORLD by Frauke Finsterwalder (Germany), and Golden Eye for Best Film in the Documentary Competition Germany, Austria, Switzerland to NEULAND by Anna Thommen (Switzerland).

The Critics ‘Prize goes to FINSTERWALDE WORLD by Frauke Finsterwalder (Germany), the Audience Award goes to JOURNEY TO JAH by Noël Dernesch and Moritz Springer (Germany), and the first time awarded Audience Award of the Section ZFF for children’ given the young audience to BELIEVE by David Schein man (UK).

The Golden Eye for Best Film in the International Feature Film Competition to:
LA JAULA DE ORO by Diego Quemada-Diez (Mexico)

LA JAULA DE ORO by Diego Quemada-Diez

“Everything is better in the north”. Juan has decided to leave his impoverished home in Guatemala City and set off on the difficult journey to California with Sara and Samuel, two chance acquaintances. Sara not only cuts off her hair for the trip, but also bandages her youthful breasts and changes her name to Osvaldo. While traveling, the teenagers meet the Indio Chauk, who doesn’t speak Spanish. While Sara takes care of the forlorn boy, Juan sees the paperless child as a new threat to their travel plans, but a ride on the perilous “death train” through Mexico soon has the refugees bonding – until their paths suddenly and unexpectedly separate. Director Diego Quemada-Díez’s well-researched debut follows the infamous Central American migratory path with a group of young amateur actors, who were promptly and rightly awarded the A Certain Talent Prize after the world-premiere screening in Cannes.

A special mention goes to:
the actor Michael B. Jordan FRUITVALE STATION Ryan Coogler (USA)

The Golden Eye for Best Film at the International Documentary Film Competition to:
LEJ EN FAMILY A / S by Kaspar Astrup Schroeder (Denmark)

LEJ EN FAMILY A / S by Kaspar Astrup Schroeder

On the surface, Ryuichi Ichinokawa leads an ordinary family life. With his own home in a Tokyo suburb, this mid-forties business man lives together with his wife, two children and a Chihuahua. He has various jobs to help him pay the bills – including one that he created himself. Clients of his company, “I Want to Cheer You Up Ltd”, can rent a husband, friend, father, bridesmaid or relatives by the dozen from him. Be it at a wedding, birthday or funeral, Ryuichi and his employees take on any role in order to cast a better light upon their clients. While he is able to embody the perfect husband or the understanding father in his professional life, his ability to fill these roles at home is somewhat lacking. His family knows nothing of his unusual activities, and while his pubescent son sleeps in the marital bed, Ryuichi spends his nights sleeping on the floor in the children’s room. Will he ever realize that in order to help others, he must first help himself?

A special mention goes to:
THESE BIRDS WALK by Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq (Pakistan)

THESE BIRDS WALK by Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq

Karachi, Pakistan. The Edhi Home takes in homeless children regardless of whether they have run away from home or been driven out by neglect. For the last sixty years, Abdul Sattar Edhi, the founder of this social institution, has personally cared for the weakest members of society. He provides kids such as 9-year-old Omar with shelter, schooling and love, until, with the help of ambulance driver Asad – himself a former street child – he manages to find his way back to his parents. Filmed over three years, the camera follows Omar and other kids torn between a yearning for freedom and a desire to return home.

The Golden Eye for Best Film in the German-Language Feature Film Competition to:
FINSTERWALDE WORLD by Frauke Finsterwalder (Germany)

FINSTERWALDE WORLD by Frauke Finsterwalder

A journey through a surreal Germany: A police officer in a bear costume. A female documentary filmmaker who is unable to find an interesting story. A pedicurist who carefully sets aside the hard skin removed from the feet of his aged female patient. A rich couple that refuses to sit in a German-built car. A history student uninterested in a class visit to a concentration camp. A wild man training a raven in the woods. In this anthology film, all are bound by family ties or a moment of coincidence in a country where the sun always shines and everybody is beautiful, polite, successful or happy. That is until they reveal their darker side, and we discover that the step from idyll to inferno is a short one. FINSTERWORLD is an ironic antithesis of the Heimatfilm and full of malicious observations and sharp-tongued remarks. Not even the name of its director Frauke Finsterwalder remains unscathed. Rarely has German cinema produced so much black humor in one fell swoop.

A special mention goes to:
THE WOMAN, THE DARING by Marc Rensing (Germany)

The Golden Eye for Best Film in the Documentary Competition Germany, Austria, Switzerland to:
NEULAND by Anna Thommen (Switzerland)

NEULAND by Anna Thommen

An unusual scene is witnessed on Basel’s Kasernenareal during the summer of 2010: Dozens of young people are seen standing around in groups trying to follow the talk given by their teacher Mr Zingg. They arrived in Switzerland by plane, train, bus and rubber boat from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Serbia and Venezuela, and today is their first day in an integrated class. Hopes are high that they will connect with their teacher, as it is his job over the next two years to teach them the basics and idiosyncrasies of Swiss culture. Above all, Mr Zingg’s function is to prepare these adolescents, traumatized by the severe turns of fate handed to them, for occupational integration into society. As the end of school draws nearer, each of the young immigrants is faced with the same painful question: Is there a place for me in this country? The filmmaker Anna Thommen followed the students of the Basel Integration Class for two years to create her first feature-length documentary film.

A special mention goes to:
Nan Goldin – I REMEMBER YOUR FACE by Sabine Lidl (Germany)

The critic of the price Swiss Association of Film Journalists and film journalists (SVFJ) to:
FINSTERWALDE WORLD by Frauke Finsterwalder (Germany)

Audience Award
The Audience Award goes to:
JOURNEY TO JAH by Noël Dernesch and Moritz Springer (Germany)

Audience Children’s Movies
The Audience Award goes to children’s films:
BELIEVE by David Schein Man (UK)

Treatment-price competition
The first prize, awarded for the best treatment goes to the British living in Switzerland for the project STÜRM Dave Tucker – TILL I’M DEAD OR FREE.

Read more
2013 Brazilian Film and TV Festival of Toronto to Screen Over 40 Films, Opens with THE INVISIBLE COLLECTION

Brazilian Film and TV Festival of Toronto

THE INVISIBLE COLLECTION by Bernard Attal

The 2013 BRAFFTV – Brazilian Film and TV Festival of Toronto taking place October 16th to October 20th, will feature a line-up of more than 40 films among features, documentaries, animation and shorts with the best recent Brazilian film productions from all genres including drama, comedy, documentary, thriller, children, and ethnographic films. The festival will open on October 16th with the Canadian premiere of the feature THE INVISIBLE COLLECTION by Bernard Attal and the short ENVIRONMENT OF FREEDOM by Pedro Barbosa and Mariana Martins.

The Competitive Program continues from October 17th to October 20th with 32 films (14 features and 18 short/mid-length films) competing for the Golden Maple Award. The Festival closes with the North-American premiere of the documentary MEETING SEBASTIÃO SALGADO directed by Betse de Paula depicting the life and work of one of the most celebrated photographers in the world, Sebastião Salgado.

BRAFFTV’s Schedule

OPENING NIGHT at TIFF Bell Lightbox
October 16th at 7pm

THE INVISIBLE COLLECTION (A COLEÇÃO INVÍSIVEL)
Fiction / 89’ / 2012
Directed by: Bernard Attal

BRAFFTV’s opening film in 2013 is the award-winning drama, The Invisible Collection. It follows a young man named Beto, played by Vladimir Brichta, as he travels to rural Brazil in search of a rare art collection belonging to an eccentric ex-millionaire. During Beto’s travels, he learns about the subjectivity of beauty and the relativity of privilege. In doing so, he undergoes a personal transformation. The film offers the viewer a fresh perspective on life in Brazil and Bernard Attal’s extraordinary cinematography depicts the incredible beauty of the city of Salvador as well as the damaged forests of Brazil’s cocoa region. The themes of this film include the stark contrast between city life and country life, class differences in Brazil and the massive collapse of the country’s cocoa industry in the 1970s. Additionally, this film is the last work of renowned Brazilian actor Walmor Chagas. Director Bernard Attal built this amazing story of richness and decay based on the documentary “The Magnificent”, winner of best documentary at BRAFFTV 2011. Canadian premiere.

ENVIRONMENT OF FREEDOM (ÂMBITO DE LIBERDADE)
screened with THE INVISIBLE COLLECTION
Documentary / 1’10” / 2013
Directed by Pedro Barbosa and Mariana Martins

A drawing teacher teaches that, in reality, the fear is fought with freedom. North American premiere

FILM PROGRAM AT CARLTON CINEMA

All films have English subtitles

FIRST DAY OF ANY YEAR (PRIMEIRO DIA DE UM ANO QUALQUER)
Thursday, October 17th at 7 pm
Fiction / 81’ / 2012
Directed by Domingos Oliveira

First Day of Any Year is a touching and funny comedy, a panoramic film where the many characters are seeking a meaning for life. The movie begins at sunrise and ends with the last ray of sun hiding behind the mountains during the first day of the year in a posh house on the outskirts of Rio. Many characters pass along, all in crisis, facing the most varied finitudes and limitations, ending by realizing: life goes on and the world will not end. The director Domingos de Oliveira is the narrator of the film and remind us Ingmar Bergman and Woody Allen’s films. And, such as these two filmmakers Domingos de Oliveira prolific career as an author, director, actor, producer, singer, thinker – with more than one hundred and thirty titles extends from Theatre to Film and TV. His first film, All the Women of the World (1967) is considered the best Brazilian comedies of all times. North American premiere

THEY KILLED MY BROTHER (MATARAM MEU IRMÃO)
Thursday, October 17th at 9 pm
Documentary / 77’ / 2013
Directed by: Cristiano Burlan

In 2001, on the night of October 5, Rafael Burlan was murdered with 7 shots in his back, in Capao Redondo, neighborhood of Sao Paulo. The documentary seeks to rebuild through reports from relatives and friends what was the murder and its consequences in the tragic fate of this family. North American premiere.

XAPIRI
Friday, October 19th at 5:30 pm
Documentary / Experimental / 54’ / 2012
Directed by Leandro Lima, Gisela Motta, Laymert Garcia dos Santos, Stella Senra and Bruce Albert

Xapiri is a yanomami word for shamans, as well the spiritual men (xapiri thëpë) as the auxiliary spirits (xapiri pë). It is an experimental film on yanomami shamanism recorded in the Watoricki village, Amazon, during two shamans’s meetings at the Watoriki Village in March 2011 and April 2012. The film takes into account two different concepts of image: the yanomami’s and ours. Therefore, it does not set out to explain shamanism, its methods or procedures, but to allow different cultures to visualize and feel the way in which the shamans “embody” the spirits, their bodies and voices. North American premiere

CINE HOLLIÚDY
Friday, October 18th at 7 pm
Fiction / 100’ / 2012
Directed by: Halder Gomes

The massive arrival of television in the countryside of Brazil, in the ’70s, puts in jeopardy the small movie theaters businesses. Francisgleydisson is the owner of Cine Holliudy, and he must be extremely creative to keep his passion for cinema alive. A Brazilian way of showing its passion for the 7Th art, even in the remotes areas. Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso and Fellini’s Amacord are close references to this current success of Brazilian cinema spoken in local slang. So far the film has only been screened in the state of Ceara, and has has more public than Titanic and other Hollywood blockbusters. A box office hit surprise and an homage to cinema lovers of B films. Canadian premiere.

MARGARET MEE AND THE MOONFLOWER (MARGARET MEE E A FLOR DA LUA)
Friday, October 18th at 7:30 pm
Documentary / 78′ / 2012
Directed by: Malu de Martino

Margaret Mee and the Moonflower is a documentary about the life and work of the botanical illustrator, Margaret Mee, a pioneer and a visionary, one of the most important artists of the twentieth century. Through her diaries, interviews and narratives, the film reveals a tireless advocate for the preservation of Brazilian flora, whose love of nature and whose art provide a constant reminder of the need to preserve our environment. Canadian premiere.

A LONG JOURNEY (UMA LONGA VIAGEM)
Friday, October 18th at 9 pm
Documentary / 95’ / 2011
Directed by Lucia Murat

The awarded-winner documentarian Lucia Murat continues in this film to portray her struggles and fights against the military dictatorship in Brazil during the sixties and seventies. However, this time, she follows the long journey of her brother, Heitor, who was sent to London by his family, while she was incarcerated and tortured by the militaries. In London, Heitor dives head on into the “Swinging London” and, just like the European and American youth of the time period, he experiments the mystic allure of India and travels all over the world smuggling drugs and searching for a meaning to his life. Best Documentary in Malaga Festiva and Paulinia Festival, Best Film in Gramado Festival. North American premiere.

TRUST ME (CONFIA EM MIM)
Fiction / 85’ / 2013
Friday, October 18th at 9:30 pm
Directed by: Michel Tikhomiroff

In the thriller Trust Me, Fernanda Machado (Elite Squad) plays Mari, a talented chef, who works hard to save money and open her own restaurant. Until the day she finds Caio, played by famous TV actor Mateus Solano. A charming investor, he comes up with the money for her dreams to come true. However, things are not always what they seem to be and they find themselves in the midst of lies, corruption, and theft. World premiere.

TAINÁ – AN AMAZON LEGEND (TAINÁ – A ORIGEM)
Saturday, October 19th at 3:30pm
Fiction / 83’ / 2011
Directed by: Rosane Svartman

Friendship, adventure and magic are the main ingredients of the feature Taina – an amazon legend. The film is 100% shot in the Amazon Rainforest, with strong and charming images of people and animals in their real environment. It tells the story of Tainá, a 5 years old orphan Indian girl who dreams of becoming a warrior and discovering her true origin. As a girl, Tainá shouldn’t fight. However, she has her mother’s heritage, who was the last of the Amazon’s lady warriors. With the help of Laurinha, a smart city girl, and Gobí, a nerdy indian. They learn to overcome their mutual differences while going through their eventful journey. Taina confronts biopirates ancestral enemy of her family, Jurupari, the incarnation of Evil, who wants to destroy the Forest while revealing her origin’s mystery. Canadian premiere

CHESHIRE CAT – THE MANY LIVES OF JOSÉ LEWGOY (EU EU EU JOSÉ LEWGOY)
Saturday, October 19th at 5pm
Documentary / 94’/ 2011
Directed by: Claudio Kahns

The film depicts the history of one of the most important actors of television and cinema while revealing one of the most egocentric, biting and fascinating characters of Brazilian culture. Jose Lewgoy, who studied drama at Yale, drew a respectful international career filming with the most celebrated filmmakers and actors of this generation. He went from independent French movies in the beginning of his career to Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo, and many other productions for TV and theatres. Lewgoy travelled through decisive moments in the development of the Brazilian cultural movement. Very well documented with footages from all over the world, the narrative is conducted in a non-chronological sequence. His personal recordings unveil the dreams behind the persona, the sweet and sour sides. The movie shows decisive moments with interviews from friends, movie directors and professional colleagues (like Millôr Fernandes, Werner Herzog and Tônia Carrero). Canadian premiere.

HELIO OITICICA
Saturday, October 19th at 5:30pm
Documentary / 94’ / 2012
Directed by: Cesar Oiticica Filho

The film allows a unique immersion in the thoughts, the trajectory and the intimacy of Hélio Oiticica, one of the greatest artists Brazil has ever produced. The narration is made by the artist himself who conducts us through one of Brazilian culture’s most fertile periods of time. Helio Oiticica and the filmmaker Julio Bressane make a docufilm from historic tapes, or as named by Haroldo de Campos, Heliotapes: cassete tapes Oiticica exchanges and sends to his artist and writer friends. The documentary is a collection of these tapes, movies made by Oiticica himself and others who filmed him in his works. All these creating this delirium ambulatorium in which the artist tells us about his life in a kaleidoscope of the 1960’s and 1970’s culture, finally enabling us to be presented to Hélio Oiticica by himself. North American premiere.

ETERNAL AMAZON (AMAZÔNIA ETERNA)
Saturday, October 19th at 7 pm
Documentary / 88′ / 2012
Directed by: Belisario Franca

The Amazon rainforest is a living laboratory for sustainable experiments that unveil new relationships between human beings, corporations and this natural heritage. It is there that new guidelines are being drawn up for a new global economic model: the green economy. But how much are the services really worth? And who should profit from them? At a time when the world is discussing the impact of human actions on the environment, Eternal Amazon presents a critical analysis of how the world’s largest tropical rainforest is understood and appreciated. The documentary reveals successful initiatives, exploring possibilities with specialists and plunging into a sensorial journey through the daily lives of Amazon rainforest dwellers. North American premiere.

BUDDIES (COLEGAS)
Saturday, October 19th at 7:30pm
Fiction / 103’ / 2012
Directed by: Marcelo Galvão

Buddies is a road movie that shows the simple things in life in a poetic light through the eyes of three young people with Down syndrome, who love movies and work at the video library of the institution where they have always lived in. One day, inspired by the movie “Thelma & Louise”, they decide to run away using the gardener’s old car to have a freedom experience. They travel to uncommon places in search for three simple wishes: Stalone wants to see the sea, Aninha looks for a husband and Marcio needs to fly. During this search, they embark on several adventures as if life was just a children’s play. Canadian premiere

WORLD’S WEST END (A OESTE DO FIM DO MUNDO)
Saturday, October 19th at 9 pm
Fiction / 102” / 2013
Directed by: Paulo Nascimento

When nothing else remains, it might not be the end, but the beginning. Argentina. An old gas station lost in the outskirts of the old transcontinental highway is Leon’s haven. A man of few words, gestures and no friends, his solitude is only broken by the occasional truck that stops by to refuel and by the humorous visits made by the sarcastic Silas, a biker who looks like a retired hippie. With the unexpected and mysterious arrival of Ana both men’s routines are thrown off-balance. At the foot of the towering Andes, well-hidden secrets come to light, reopening wounds and changing forever the characters’ lives. North-American premiere

MARCELO YUKA: FOLLOW THE SIGNS (MARCELO YUKA NO CAMINHO DAS SETAS)
Saturday, October 19th at 9:30pm
Documentary / 95’ / 2011
Directed by: Daniela Broitman

A musician with a social message, Yuka was at the height of his success as the songwriter, drummer and leader of O Rappa – one of the lead Brazilian pop-rock bands in the nineties. But in 2000, nine gunshots during a robbery in Rio de Janeiro put him in a wheelchair at age 34. This documentary accompanies Yuka’s transformation since then, revealing his irreverence and complexity as an artist and activist. While searching for physical, mental and spiritual health, Yuka takes risks with new sounds and becomes in one of the main voices of social justice and peace in Brazil. North American premiere.

COMPLETE FEIJOADA (FEIJOADA COMPLETA)
Thursday, October 17th at 7 pm, screened with First Day of Any Year
Fiction / 20’/ 2012
Directed by Angelo Defanti

This story is not about Pedro. Pedro is a good guy, even when asleep, and he is friendly to everybody. This story could be about Pedro, but instead, it is about Carol, his wife, and how she is fed up with so much goodness. Based on the short story by Luis Fernando Verissimo, inspired on the song by Chico Buarque. Canadian premiere

SORRY
Thursday, October 17th at 7pm screened with First Day of Any Year
Fiction / 2’20” / 2013
Directed by: Rodrigo Pesavento and Ian Ruschel

Flesh, Blood & Apologies. This surprisingly and dark humouristic film is a creative collective from the group The Wolfpack. North American premiere

IRON CRIB (BERÇO DE FERRO)
Thursday, October 17th at 9 pm screened with They Killed My Brother
Documentary / 16’12 / 20132
Directed by Rafaela Galindo

The documentary reveals the reality of women living in “Colônia Penal Feminina do Bom Pastor” (a female prison), where mothers and children narrow their bonds for a short period of six months. North American premiere. Director in attendance

MAUÁ SURROUNDINGS (MAUÁ, LUZ AO REDOR)
Thursday, October 18th at 9 pm screened with THEY KILLED MY BROTHER
Documentary / 5’ / 2012
Directed by Juliana Vicente

In downtown of São Paulo, the Mauá Community is now threatened to be evicted. The documentary presents the struggle, arrival, dreams and destination of the people who do not want to return to their homeless condition. North American premiere

SANÃ
Friday, October 18th at 5:30pm screened with XAPIRI
Documentary / 18’ / 2013
Directed by: Marcos Pimentel

In the beautiful scenery of the scorching dunes of Maranhão state, an albino boy and his searches amidst the immense landscape of sand and sea. Best Short Documentary at All is True Festival. North American premiere.

QUINHA
Friday, October 18th at 7pm screened with CINE HOLLIÚDY
Fiction / 19’ / 2012
Directed by: Caroline Oliveira

A little girl, Quinha, and her mother, Rosa, head out through the Northeast region of Brazil to go to Quinha’s baptism. During this journey, both women search for their own miracles: Quinha looks for signs of magic, while Rosa hopes for her estranged husband’s return. Despite a few unexpected bumps in the road, they both manage to find small moments of salvation along the way. North American premiere

INVISIBLE PICTURE (RETRATO INVISÍVEL)
Friday, October 18th at 7:30 pm screened with MARGARET MEE AND THE MOONFLOWER
Fiction / 20’/ 2012
Directed by Denise Soares

Young Monica has a busy day-to-day life taking care of her grandfather, who is in a vegetative state. Her routine is shaken by the unexpected visit of her friend Lara, who will unveil secrets unknown even to Monica. North American premiere

THE STORY OF THE BOYS WHO WALKED AT NIGHT (A HISTÓRIA DOS MENINOS QUE ANDAVAM DE NOITE)
Friday, October 18th at 9 pm screened with A Long Journey
Fiction / 16’ / 2013
Directed by: Flavio Barone

Diego is forced to spend the holiday with his second disabled cousin, Vicente, what seems boring. That changes into a journey of adventure and friendship when he discover the secrets that inhabit the shadows of the farm. North American premiere

SUASSUNA (SUASSUNA, A PELEJA DO SONHO COM A INJUSTIÇA)
Friday, October 18th at 9:30 pm screened with TRUST ME
Documentary / 8’/ 2013
Directed by Filipe Gontijo and O. Silva

The life and thoughts of a libertarian writer, Ariano Suassuna, one of the most popular authors in Brazil. The animation is inspired by the rhymes and illustrations etched into wood a common art form from Brazil’s hinterland, where the writer came from. North American premiere

BOY AT FIVE (MENINO DO CINCO)
Friday, October 18th at 9:30 pm screened with TRUST ME
Fiction / 20′ / 2012
Directed by: Marcelo Matos de Oliveira and Wallace Nogueira

Richard finally finds a friend, but he can’t be of his friend. Best Short Film, Best Actor at Gramado Festival, North American premiere.

THE ADVENTURES OF TECA (AVENTURAS DA TECA)
Saturday, October 18th at 3:30 pm screened with TAINA- AN AMAZON LEGEND
Animation /3’ / 2012
Directed by: Lucia Araujo

Animated skits about friendship and family. North American premiere.

THIS IS KAREN JONZ
Saturday, October 19th at 5 pm screened with CHESHIRE CAT – THE MANY LIVES OF JOSÉ LEWGOY
Documentary / 8´15´´/ 2012
Directed by: Alex Kundera

The life of a Brazilian girl who lives by doing only what she likes. North American premiere

CONFETTI (CONFETE)
Saturday, October 19th at 5:30 pm screened with HELIO OITICICA
Documentary / 18’ / 2011
Directed by: Mariana Kaufman and Jo Serfaty

Confetti follows the wistful path of these tiny specks of paper through Rio de Janeiro’s street carnival: from manufacturing to the celebrations exploding in the streets, and to the trash bins, where it all ends on Ash Wednesday. ‘Confetti’ accompanies the of masses of human bodies, suspended in time by the pulsing colors and sounds one of the world’s largest street carnivals. Canadian premiere

LULLABY (ACALANTO)
Saturday, October 19th at 7 pm screened with ETERNAL AMAZON
Fiction / 23′ / 2013
Directed by: Arturo Saboia

An illiterate lady seeks to soothe the missing of her son asking for a friend to read several times the same unique and old letter sent by her son ten years ago. Through these readings, a great friendship and complicity were born between them. Cannes Court Métrage 2013. North American premiere

PATIO
Saturday, October 19th at 9 pm screened with WORLD’S WEST END
Documentary / 17’ / 2013
Directed by: Ali Muritiba

In a prison yard they play football and talk about freedom. Best Short Film at It’s All True Film Festival. Cannes Critic’s Week 2013. North American premiere

THE PACKAGE (O PACOTE)
Saturday, October 19th at 9:30 pm screened with MARCELO YUKA: FOLLOW THE SIGNS
Fiction / 18’ / 2013
Directed by: Rafael Aidar

In the outskirts of Sao Paulo, the young Leandro starts in a new school. In the classroom, he meets Jefferson who introduces him to his new group of friends. As the days go by, the boys hit it off and grow more intimate until they decide to be together as a couple. Their relationship is at stake when Jefferson informs Leandro that he is HIV-positive. Facing the news, Leandro must decide whether they continue in this romantic relationship or not. Nominated do the Teddy Award: 63º Berlin International Film Festival. Canadian premiere.

Special Program (Non Competitive)

FOREIGN EYES

MOACIR
Sunday, October 20th at 4pm
Argentina / Documentary / 75’ / 2011
Directed by Tomas Lipgot

Moacir is a Brazilian man who has been living in Argentina for 25 years. He is semi-illiterate and, despite his lack of any formal musical education, possesses an amazing talent for singing. At the age of 65 and with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, Moacir seemed to be just another case of a helpless patient. However, after 15 years of being hospitalized, he is granted his freedom and leaves the Borda Psychiatric Hospital. This story follows Moacir’s passionate endeavor to fulfill his greatest desire: to make a record of his songs, which have been lost for more than 25 years. This is a tale riddled with stridency, music, dance, confrontations, chaos, humor and charm. North American premiere

KID’S SESSION

Brazilian films for small kids. In Portuguese.

DETECTIVES OF THE BLUE BUILDING (DETETIVES DO PRÉDIO AZUL)
Saturday, October 19th at 2pm
Fiction / 26’/ 2013
Directed by: André Pellenz

Three friends Tom, Mila and CapimIn live in an old blue building. They are neighbours. Every afternoon they get together and try to solve the problems of the building. North American premiere

HAUNTED TALES (HISTÓRIAS ASSOMBRADAS)
Saturday, October 19th at 2pm
Animation / 15’/ 2005
Directed by: Victor-Hugo Borges

Three short stories your grandma never told you….. because you would have wet your bed…North American premiere

THE OTHER DOLL
Saturday, October 19th at 2pm
Animation / 10’ / 2013
Directed by: Humberto Avelar

An enchanted world where magic creatures live in harmony with real people, this special series is adapted from the fantastic works of Monteiro Lobato, one of Brazil’s greatest writers. North American premiere

BRAH-ZOO-KAH
Three films produced by Brazilians living abroad.

GARIBOUS
Saturday, October 19th at 2:30pm
Burkina Fasso / Documentary / 47’/ 2013
Directed by Denis Franco Goedelt

Recounts the lives of over 1 million children between 5 to 17 years living in West Africa in a situation analogous-slavery. The documentary aims to present this social phenomenon in Burkina Faso, showing the public why these children named Garibous or Talibes live inhumanely, without any right. North American premiere

HEALERS
Saturday, October 19th at 2:30pm
Canada / Documentary / 30’/ 2013
Directed by Gabi Veras

Healers tells the story of a woman known as Dona Josefa who has been a healthcare worker, midwife, and community leader for over 50 years. Director in Attendance

FOOD FOR ALL
Saturday, October 19th at 2:30pm
Canada / Documentary / 23’21” / 2012
Directed by Marcelo Paolinelli

Food for All investigates the alternative food system created by one of Brazil’s largest cities, Belo Horizonte, which in 1993 declared that food was a basic right of citizenship. The film explores captivating stories of people whose lives were transformed by Belo’s inspiring “food with dignity” programs. Director in Attendance

CLOSING SCREENING AND AWARDS CEREMONY

MEETING SEBASTIÃO SALGADO
Sunday, October 20th at 5:30 pm
Documentary / 75’ / 2013
Directed by Betse de Paula

Sebastiao Salgado is one of the world’s most famous photographers. Betse de Paula’s pleasingly informal film about the photographer is very much a family affair–almost a home movie. No photographer in recent years has more selflessly travelled the world in search of beauty and sublimity. North American Premiere
Read more
LABOR DAY and THE SACRAMENT Added to 49th Chicago International Film Festival Lineup

Chicago International Film Festival

Ti West’s THE SACRAMENT starring Amy Seimetz and Joe Swanberg

Jason Reitman’s LABOR DAY starring Kate Winslet, Josh Broslin and Tobey Maguire and Ti West’s THE SACRAMENT starring Amy Seimetz and Joe Swanberg have been added to the the 49th Chicago International Film Festival lineup. The festival runs ths year from October 10 to 24, 2013.

THE SACRAMENT USA (Director: Ti West) – A chilling new thriller from acclaimed genre auteur Ti West (House Of The Devil) and producer Eli Roth, The Sacrament follows three reporters to remote Christian commune Eden Parish, where the residents’ sunny disposition hides dark secrets. When the Parish turns menacing, the reporters find themselves helpless in the middle of nowhere. Brilliantly written and acted by a fantastic cast of indie film all-stars, The Sacrament pushes at the boundaries of the “found-footage” format to create a different kind of horror movie.

LABOR DAY

LABOR DAY USA (Director: Jason Reitman) – Labor Day centers on 13-year-old Henry Wheeler, who struggles to be the man of his house and care for his reclusive mother Adele (Kate Winslet) while confronting all the pangs of adolescence. On a back-to-school shopping trip, Henry and his mother encounter Frank Chambers (Josh Brolin), a man both intimidating and clearly in need of help, who convinces them to take him into their home and later is revealed to be an escaped convict. The events of this long Labor Day weekend will shape them for the rest of their lives.

Read more
WATCH First Trailer for Lance Armstrong Documentary THE ARMSTRONG LIE

Documentary

The first trailer is released for Alex Gibney’s documentary THE ARMSTRONG LIE, which World Premiered at 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and scheduled to be released in limited theaters on November 8th, 2013 by Sony Classics. In THE ARMSTRONG LIE Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney masterfully explores the fall of disgraced cycling champion Lance Armstrong, following the 2009 Tour de France, making use of his extraordinary access to attain rare interviews with former teammates, alleged doping mastermind Dr. Michele Ferrari, and Armstrong himself.

http://youtu.be/vx3KJn8r8y0
Read more
Documentary About Secret World of Doll Collectors to Premiere on Logo TV in November | TRAILER

Documentary

Maureen Judge’s provocative documentary LIVING DOLLS about individuals obsession with dolls, will have its U.S. Broadcast Premiere on November 4, 2013 on LOGO TV channel.

On a sunny day on a Pennsylvania Interstate, a pleasant middle-aged gentleman named David drives towards Hershey, Pa., with his beautiful travel partner, Bianca. An unremarkable outing, except that Bianca isn’t real. She’s a life-size, anatomically-correct “living doll,” made of skin-textured latex.

And David? He’s en route to the 5th Annual Doll Lovers Meet to tell all with 20 or so other literal “doll lovers.” A married man, whose camera-shy wife apparently has come to terms with the “other woman,” David is one of four compelling and unforgettable individuals profiled in Maureen Judge’s documentary Living Dolls.

Their motivations run the gamut from lasciviousness, to loneliness, to devotion to a bizarre esthetic vision. But they share a compulsion to live out a fantasy with representations of the human form collectively known as “dolls” – from Barbies, to sex toys, to sexually-active old-school robots.

“From my previous documentaries that focus on women and their families, I noticed many of my subjects collected dolls and that dolls played an important role in their lives,” says award-winning filmmaker Maureen Judge. “In Living Dolls we see a deep and passionate connection between the collectors and their dolls, and how this relationship offers an outlet for the hidden side of their emotional lives.”

Living Dolls introduces us to individuals whose obsession with dolls mirrors their lives. For Mike – who is gay and lives with his life-partner and parents – his fascination with Barbie dolls is an outgrowth of his sexual identity. Both were forbidden secrets in his childhood, and both were later accepted by Mike’s mother (though not his father).

Debbie is a young British mom who finds herself alone, with children at school and a husband who’d come home from work and immediately dive into X-Box Live with online friends. She began to live a fantasy life with collectible Ellowyne fashion dolls that mirrored her moods and strained the family budget. “Whatever it was she wishes were different about her life, I wish she had it,” says her frustrated husband Colin.

And disheveled “robot collector” Michael, whose work has been featured in the NYC Museum of Sex and the Smithsonian, is perhaps the hardest to categorize. A quirky artist with a sink, both in disrepair and unreachable, he spends his time buying dolls, taking them apart and reassembling them as retro visions of robots. His aim: to complete a stop-motion film about the sex lives of robots.

http://youtu.be/WIaq5g3jXjs

via press release
Read more
Documentary Film SYMPHONY OF THE SOIL to Open in NY on October 11, in LA on November 8 | TRAILER

Documentary

Deborah Koons Garcia’s award-winning film SYMPHONY OF THE SOIL, described as a compelling new documentary that explores the complexity and mystery of soil, will open at Quad Cinemas in NYC on October 11, 2013, and at the Laemmle Music Hall in LA on November 8, 2013.

Filmed on four continents and sharing the voices of some of the world’s most highly esteemed soil scientists, farmers, and activists, the film portrays soil as a protagonist of our planetary story. In a skillful mix of art and science, soil is revealed to be a living organism, the foundation of life on earth. Most people are soil-blind and “treat soil like dirt.” With the knowledge and wisdom revealed in this film, we can come to respect, even revere, this miraculous substance. The film inspires the understanding that treating the soil right can help solve some of our most pressing environmental problems including climate change, dead zones, water scarcity and world hunger.

SYMPHONY OF THE SOIL premiered at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History at the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital in 2012. The film has received an award from The Life Sciences Film Festival in Prague, Czech Republic, the Merit Award for Scientific Information from the Montana CINE International Film Festival, and the Cinema Verde Film Festival Food Award. In January 2013, Deborah Koons Garcia received the John de Graaf Environmental Filmmaking Award at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival.

Deborah Koons Garcia is best known for her film, THE FUTURE OF FOOD, which had a US theatrical release in 2005. It continues to screen all over the world in theaters and film festivals, at food and farming conferences and community screenings. THE FUTURE OF FOOD brought the issues of genetically engineered crops and the corporate control of our food supply to the world stage and helped jumpstart the organic/local food movement.

http://youtu.be/K5QYZ-LRXW4

Read more
GRAVITY to Open 2013 Leeds International Film Festival; Fest Announces Film Lineup

Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF)

GRAVITY, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock

The sci-fi drama GRAVITY, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, will open the 27th Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF27) on Wednesday November 6, 2013. From Alfonso Cuarón, the director of Children of Men, Gravity is described as “a unique and unforgettable cinema experience about a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission with a veteran astronaut. On a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes.” Closing LIFF27 on Thursday November 21, 2013, is a rare screening of Hungarian director Gyórgy Pólfi’s unique FINAL CUT: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, described as “an irresistible celebration of cinema, telling the ultimate love story using tiny excerpts from hundreds of movies ranging across film history.”

LIFF27 runs from Wednesday November 6th until Thursday 21st, and includes 163 feature films, short film programs and events, presented at over 250 screenings. The line-up is arranged across five main program sections: the Official Selection for previews and new discoveries; Retrospectives; Fanomenon for genre cinema; Cinema Versa for documentaries; and Short Film City.

The Official Selection includes some of the most acclaimed films of the year including the winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s 2013 Cannes Film Festival, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR. Other award winners in the Official Selection include Romanian drama CHILD’S POSE, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, Alexander Payne’s NEBRASKA (Best Actor for Bruce Dern) and Alain Guiraudie’s STRANGER BY THE LAKE (Un Certain Regard, Best Director).

The Official Selection also includes new discoveries, including Kazakh director Emir Baigazin’s debut HARMONY LESSONS and THE STRANGE LITTLE CAT from German film student Ramon Zürcher, a minimalist depiction of domestic mayhem over one day in a Berlin flat. Receiving its UK Premiere at Leeds, CONCRETE NIGHT is the latest feature from veteran Finnish filmmaker Pirjo Honkasalo, a drama about a teenage boy’s downfall.

LIFF27 retrospective program ranges from rare opportunities to rediscover forgotten gems to celebrated classics including Walerian Borowczyk, the Polish animator and avant-gardist and Japanese master,Masaki Kobayashi with rare cinema screenings of his samurai classics Hara-Kiri and Samurai Rebellion alongside his milestone Japanese wartime epic, the 579-minute THE HUMAN CONDITION.

The Fanomenon section is the home of cult and fantasy cinema and includes the South Korean action blockbuster COLD EYES, receiving its UK Premiere in Leeds, and a unique cinema presentation for the complete animated BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, screening with a brand new documentary about Frank Miller.

Cinema Versa focuses on documentary films showcases low budget, independent features: alternative music docs, grassroots political activist films and profiles of mavericks and outsiders. The Music on Film lineup ranges from the unconventional new tour film MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS about indie darlings The National made by the singer’s brother to HARLEM STREET SINGER about the legendary ragtime guitarist Reverend Gary Davis, whose history mirrors that of popular music in the twentieth century. Underground Voices ranges in subject matter from everyday life in a war zone as filmed by a group of ordinary Afghans in MY AFGHANISTAN to the history of hand crafted sign painting in the USA in SIGN PAINTERS and a delegation of artists and scientists visiting the melting ice caps of Greenland in EXPEDITION TO THE END OF THE WORLD.
Read more
Award Winning Palestinian Film “OMAR” to Be Released in U.S. in Winter 2013 | TRAILER

Foreign Language Films

Palestinian film “OMAR,” Palestine’s official Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film this year and winner of Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at this year’s 2013 Cannes Film Festial will be released in the US this Winter 2013.

Written and directed by Golden Globe winner, Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad, “OMAR” stars Adam Bakri in the title role, Leem Lubany, Waleed F. Zuaiter, Samer Bisharat and Eyad Hourani. The film ‘achingly captures the emotional struggles of a young Palestinian baker whose loyalty to family and country are complicated by his love for Nadia, a beautiful young student. Following the assassination of an Israeli occupation soldier, Omar, a co-conspirator and friend of the suspected sniper, is arrested. Facing a life sentence, he is coerced by the Israeli authorities and enlisted as a collaborator to find the killer in exchange for his freedom.’

http://youtu.be/jkCnA5UOI94
Read more
CBGB Film Festival Announces 2013 Film Lineup; Kicks off With BROADWAY IDIOT and CBGB Film

CBGB Music & Film Festival

BROADWAY IDIOT

The CBGB Film Festival taking place in New York City from Wednesday, October 9 to Sunday, October 13, 2013, announced the 2013 official film lineup of over 60 feature films and shorts. The fest will kick off with BROADWAY IDIOT, a documentary following Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and the making of his Broadway bound American Idiot; and the US theatrical premiere of the feature film, CBGB.

THE 2013 CBGB FILM FESTIVAL LINE UP

BROADWAY IDIOT
U.S. Theatrical Premiere
Director: Doug Hamilton
Broadway Idiot follows Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong from a punk rock concert at Madison Square Garden to the opening of his musical American Idiot on Broadway – only ten blocks away, but worlds apart. A look behind the curtain into the crazy journey of turning the mega-hit album into a punk rock musical – and ultimately see how the world of theater transformed Billie Joe.

CBGB
U.S. Premiere
Director: Randall Miller
CBGB follows the story of Hilly Kristal’s New York club from its conceit as a venue for Country, Bluegrass and Blues (CBGB) to what it ultimately became: the birthplace of underground rock ‘n roll and punk. When Kristal had difficulty booking country bands in his club on the Bowery he opened his doors to other kinds of rock music. Kristal had one demand of the acts he booked; they could only play original music. No top 40’s, no covers. It was the credo he lived by, support the artist at whatever the cost. Hilly Kristal ironically became known as the godfather of punk giving a chance to such bands as Blondie, Television, Ramones, Talking Heads, Dead Boys and The Police. Cast includes Alan Rickman, Ashley Greene, Malin Akerman, Stana Katic, Rupert Grint, Johnny Galecki, Justin Bartha, Freddy Rodriguez, Ryan Hurst, Richard de Klerk, Ahna O’ Reilly, Donal Logue and Katherine DuBois,

EVERY EVERYTHING: THE MUSIC, LIFE & TIMES OF GRANT HART
World Premiere
Director: Gorman Bechard
A rock & roll “Fog of War” about Hüsker Dü’s legendary singer/songwriter Grant Hart. Director Bechard will be on hand to show clips from this unfinished film and discuss what the factors were that made him so interested in making this movie

THE STARCK PROJECT
World Premiere
Director: Michael Cain
A feature documentary set in 1980s, Bible Belt Dallas at the infamous STARCK Club. This world premiere includes appearances from the late Larry Hagman, Owen Wilson and this year’s CBGB Icon Award Winner Seymour Stein

THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION SHOW
World Premiere
Director: Shaun Pettigrew
A music documentary exploring the turbulent, controversial and often unbelievable 30 year history of British post punk industrial band Killing Joke.

THE ESG STORY
World Premiere
Director: Greg Harding
The E.S.G. Story gives the real story of the legendary post-punk/funk band from their beginnings in the projects of Bronx, New York in the early 80’s as a group of 3 sisters, encouraged by their Mother to make music, to current day where their passion to create genre-bending music still drives them to make albums and tour the world as a family. E.S.G. has been exciting the world with their music for over 33 years, and show no sign of stopping. Being shown as a work in progress with director Greg Harding in attendance.

GEEK USA
World Premiere
Director: Brandon Walz
Phil is a high school senior lacking in popularity. That all changes when his band wins a battle of the bands concert and turns him from an unknown geek to the most eligible bachelor for prom. At first, Phil’s newfound popularity is boost of self-esteem, but problems arise when three very attractive girls want him as their date to the prom. Filled with 90’s nostalgia and alternative rock, Geek USA is a throwback to heartfelt and hilarious teen comedies of a now very distinguished decade.

AUTOLUMINESCENT
US Premiere
Director: Richard Lowenstein
This documentary traces the life of Rowland S Howard, who appeared on the early Melbourne punk scene. A beautifully gaunt and gothic aristocrat, the unique distinctive fury of his guitar style shot him directly into the imagination of a generation. Narrated by Henry Rollinse

DUTCH INFLUENCE
US Premiere
Directors: Samuel Comazzi, Hatib el Khatib
The beat starts to rise, a sea of hands fills the air and the crowd surges. Welcome to the world’s most dynamic new music scene. Buckle up for an energetic ride as Armin van Buuren, Tiësto, Afrojack, Laidback Luke and other leaders in the House Dance movement invite us into their lives. Recognized by few in Holland, but at Miami Music Week they’re superstars who are rapidly redefining a genre and taking over the globe’s hottest clubs.

HEART OF BRUNO WIZARD
US Premiere
Director: Elisabeth Rasmussen
Bruno Wizard is a London punk musician who became an underground legend for his original performances and ‘mystery man’ status in the mid 70’s. He performed at the Roxy club alongside The Jam, Generation X and The Wire, and was part of the ‘Blitz kids’ scene, squatting with the Warren Street mafia. His loathing of the establishment and conventional music industry made him reject record company contracts and follow his own heart and principles at any cost.

LIVIN OUT ROCK N ROLL
US Premiere
Director: Paulo Sedarazzi
Livin out Rock n Roll is about the dirty disregarded history of the London 80s rock scene, the story of the Baby Teenage Idols as told by the people who somehow manage to survive it.

LOCKED IN A GARAGE BAND
US Premiere
Director: Jennifer Westcott
The feuding members of a high school rock band get locked in their garage for a day. With loyalties divided and betrayals revealed, six teens on the brink of adulthood re-examine what they thought living the rock ‘n roll dream was all about. Starring Scott Lyster, Andrew Jenkins, Ella Simon, Katelyn Wallace, Brittney Wilson and Luke Jennings, LOCKED IN A GARAGE BAND is the first feature film from Vancouver Island’s intrepid filmmaking sisters, Jennifer Westcott and Victoria Westcott. “Move over The Breakfast Club, there’s a new teen cult comedy in town.” Views from the Edge

PAUL KELLY, STORIES OF ME
US Premiere
Director: Ian Darling
PAUL KELLY, STORIES OF ME charts the lives, loves and losses of Paul Kelly, Australia’s most gifted contemporary singer-songwriter. Over 40 years, Paul Kelly has seen failure and success. And he has the songs to show for it.

PLEASE TO MEET ME
US Premiere
Director: Archie Borders
The lead singer of a seminal punk band reunites with his former partner to form a band for a single day. Starring Aimee Mann, John Doe, Loudon Wainwright.

ROMEO AND JULIET: A LOVE SONG
US Premiere
Director: Tim Van Dammen
A hip-hop operatic version of the Shakespeare classic comes to life in this brand new version of the timeless and tragic tale.

SVENGALI
US Premiere
Director: John Hardwick
Svengali tells the story of “Dixie” (Johnny Owen), a postman from South Wales, and a music fanatic. All his life he’s dreamed of discovering a great band and then one day, trawling through YouTube, he finds them…’The Premature Congratulations’. He hunts them down and offers them his management services. They are young, arrogant, sexy, and utterly magnificent. Co-starring Martin Freeman

THE MONTREAL UNDERGROUND
US Premiere
Director: Giuliano Bossa
This documentary examines the life and struggles of musicians in the DIY local scene of Montreal following different musicians and bands that are and have been keeping the scene alive for more than 25 years, and through it, the evolution of the city. The rise and fall of venues, of the music industry, of different genres, and the fight to continue making music against all odds.

BABE AND RICKY’S INN
East Coast Premiere
Director: Ramin Niami
The film chronicles the last days of one of the most unique and vibrant blues clubs in the world and based in LA.

BAD BRAINS: A BAND IN DC
East Coast Premiere
Director: Mandy Stein, Benjamin Logan
How four young men from Washington DC changed music forever.

BAYOU MAHARAJAH: THE TRAGIC GENIUS OF JAMES BOOKER
East Coast Premiere
Director: Lily Keber
Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker explores the life, times and music of piano legend James Booker, who Dr. John described as “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.”

BROTHERS HYPNOTIC
East Coast Premiere
Director: Reuben Atlas
Eight brothers, extraordinary brass musicians from Chicago’s South Side, test their brotherhood and their father’s legacy against mounting mainstream success.

CHURCHES, SALONS, BARS
East Coast Premiere
Director: Tyler Casey
Indie rock band Titanmoon makes an album in Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas, along with people from all over the globe.

¡CUATRO!
East Coast Premiere
Director: Tim Wheeler
A look at how Green Day’s three-album collection – ¡Uno!, ¡Dos! and ¡Tre! – came together as the trio went back to its roots.

DAVID BROMBERG UNSUNG TREASURE
East Coast Premiere
Director: Beth Kruvant
A look into the life of David Bromberg who is still playing his tunes in front of audiences around the world.

DON’T ASK ME QUESTIONS
East Coast Premiere
Director: Michael Gramaglia
Don’t Ask Me Questions is about the life and music career of Graham Parker and the Rumor. Featuring Bruce Springsteen, Paul Rudd, Judd Apatow and many others, the film follows the bands short career of international acclaim and their unlikely reunion 30 years after breaking up.

DON’T FOLLOW ME (I’M LOST)
East Coast Premiere
Director: William Miller
An intimate “fly on the wall” documentary about iconoclastic rocker Bobby Bare Jr., son of country music legend Bobby Bare, and his struggles dealing with the repercussions of a perpetual life on the road- the constant separation and the disconnect from loved ones back home.

FILMAGE: THE STORY OF THE DESCENDENTS/ALL
East Coast Premiere
Director: Matt Riggle, Deedee Lacour
The story of the influential punk band and their endless quest for pop, angst, love and coffee.

HOW TO GROW A BAND
East Coast Premiere
Director: Mark Matteo
Chris Thile is at a crossroads. His marriage has ended and his platinum- selling band, Nickel Creek, has gone on hiatus. But Thile, a prodigy who has defied expectations since he picked up the mandolin at age five, has a plan.

JUST LIKE BEING THERE
East Coast Premiere
Director: Scout Shannon
A documentary about cutting-edge poster artists like Daniel Danger and Jay Ryan who have breathed new life into the art form.

LAST FAST RIDE
East Coast Premiere
Director: Lily Scourtis Ayers
She was smart, beautiful and talented, and as lead singer of The Insaints, would-be rock star Marian Anderson reigns as one of the Bay Area’s most provocative and controversial lead singers of the ’90’s punk scene. Narrated by pop-culture icon Henry Rollins.

LOUDER THAN LOVE: THE GRANDE BALLROOM
East Coast Premiere
Director: Tony D’Annunzio
While the rest of the country was listening to the laid back sounds of the West Coast during the “Summer of Love” in 1967, Detroit was creating a sound that was “LOUDER THAN LOVE.” Featuring footage of such rock icons like Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Wayne Kramer, James Williamson, Slash, Don Was, B.B King, Henry Rollins and many more tell the story of the Grande Ballroom and its effect on not only the Detroit Rock scene but on the World of Rock Music.

MY FATHER & THE MAN IN BLACK
East Coast Premiere
Director: Jonathan Holiff
Starring: Johnny Cash, Saul Holiff, June Carter
My Father and The Man In Black tells the inside story of “bad boy” Johnny Cash, his talented but troubled manager, Saul Holiff, and a son searching for his father in the shadow of a legend. Before there was Johnny and June, there was Johnny and Saul.

SACRIFICIAL YOUTH
East Coast Premiere
Director: Joe Losurdo
Sacrificial Youth is a Hardcore Punk musical that tells the story of TJ, a teenager caught at the crossroads of growing up and fight back.

STRUTTER
East Coast Premiere
Director: Allison Anders, Kurt Voss
An aspiring L.A. rocker loses both his band and his girl, but gains the friendship of his own local rock hero in this sweet and humanistic comedy.

THE LIBRARIAN & THE BANJO
East Coast Premiere
Director: Jim Carrier
The inspiring true story of a music librarian Dena Epstein who labored 25 years to document the musical contributions of African Slaves to the New World. Her work, now considered classic, shattered myths and stereotypes, proved that the banjo was a slave instrument, and sparked a remarkable revival of black string band music.

THE SCENE: AN EXPLORATION OF MUSIC IN TORONTO
East Coast Premiere
Director: Josh Jensen
A documentary film project that chronicles the lives of independent musicians as they build their careers in the Canadian music industry.

TROPICALIA
East Coast Premiere
Director: Marcelo Machado
Set Against the turbulent atmosphere of the 1960’s, Tropicalia is a feature length documentary exploring the Brazilian artistic movement known as Tropicalia, and the struggle its artists endured to protect their right to freely express revolutionary thought against the traditional Brazilian music of that time.

VIVA VIVA
East Coast Premiere
Director: Carolina Pfister
Steeped in the riotous music of urban chaos, meet two generations shaping a global culture of dissent. From the slums to the city center of San Paulo, Brazil, the punks invite us to open our eyes. Viva Viva!

LED ZEPPELIN PLAYED HERE
NY Premiere
Director: Jeff Krulik
Is it just an old fable that Led Zeppelin played the Wheaton Youth Center in Wheaton MD during their first historic tour in January 1969? Or did it really happen??????

NEVER RECORDS-YOU’RE NOT LISTENING
NYC Premiere
Director: Jason Wyche
A feature length documentary set in Northern Ireland by Jason Wyche about artist/musician Ted Riederer and his ongoing Never Records project. The documentary explores the power of art and music to unite, educate, and uplift a community.

GREENWICH VILLAGE; THE MUSIC THAT DEFINED A GENERATION
NY Premiere
Director: Laura Archibald
A feature-length documentary about the Greenwich Village music scene and how it sparked everlasting political, social and cultural changes. For the first time, the greatest singer-songwriters, authors and performers from Greenwich Village reflect on how they collectively became the voice of a generation. Through poignant interviews, rare archival footage and new live performances, GREENWICH VILLAGE: MUSIC THAT DEFINED A GENERATION tells a story about community, courage and most importantly – music.

WHO DO I THINK I AM
NY Premiere
Director: Nick Mead
Clarence Clemons goes on a spiritual journey across China. This production is a work in progress and part of the CBGB Film Forum series.
Read more
New Indie Films, Documentaries in Theaters This Weekend Friday October 4, 2013

News

We head into the first weekend of October with the typical annual mix of possible “sleeper” hits, possible contenders for indie awards, and, of course, horror films! Though most of your film-loving friends will likely be at the multiplex seeing Gravity this weekend, don’t forget about the excellent indie releases coming out . Most of them are only opening in New York and/or Los Angeles this weekend, but they have plans to expand to other areas of the country soon. As always, if you can’t catch them at this time make sure you note their titles so you can see them once they hit VOD, Netflix, or other streaming services.

A.C.O.D.

The poster for A.C.O.D. (that would be “Adult Child of Divorce”) is reminiscent of Judd Apatow’s The 40 Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, but this comedy is an indie movie from first-time director Stu Zicherman. Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation, Step Brothers) stars as the adult child of divorced parents whom he has been stuck between them in their feud for fifteen years. The film also features comedy favorites like Amy Poehler, Catherine O’Hara, Clark Duke, Jane Lynch and Scott’s Step Brothers co-star Richard Jenkins.

THE DIRTIES

Presented by Kevin Smith, The Dirties is about two geeky best friends who plan on filming a revenge scheme on the high school bullies who torment them. Although one of the friends takes it as a joke, the other is much more serious about it. Despite Smith’s rep as a comedian, this is a drama written, directed, produced, and starring Matthew Johnson, who stars as one of the leads. It won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at this year’s Slamdance, and critics have generally given it a thumbs up.

BAD MILO!

Many are calling Bad Milo a throwback to horror/comedies like Gremlins, and much of that probably has to do with the basketball-sized demon Milo. Think Gizmo but with a mean streak. The demon just happens to be the cause of a poor guy’s misery, and once it is unleashed he tries to pacify it by treating it like a pet. That definitely has potential, right?

ALL IS BRIGHT

I caught this Paul Giamatti/Paul Rudd dramedy during the Tribeca Film Festival when it was under the title Almost Christmas. It’s about two con men who decide to try and make money by selling Christmas trees in Brooklyn during the holiday season despite having a very awkward relationship. I thought it had some good parts, but certainly isn’t in the same league as director Phil Morrison’s last film, 2005’s Junebug.

NOTHING LEFT TO FEAR

This can’t be the first horror film to use “Let Us Prey” as its tagline, can it? Regardless, this horror movie is about an unstable priest who makes a family’s life a living hell. It’s the first film from both writer Jonathan W.C. Mills and director Anthony Leonardi III, though both have had many other roles in the film industry behind the scenes. If you don’t catch it in theaters, don’t worry too much — it’s set to be released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 8.

ARGENTO’S DRACULA 3D

Though it might be one of the worst-reviewed films of the year, Dracula 3D (from veteran Italian filmmaker Dario Argento) will likely thrill those who love schlocky horror. It’s definitely not the type of indie release that most indie fans are looking for.

CONCUSSION

Getting smacked in the head and developing another personality is usually material for Warner Bros. cartoons and cheesy sitcoms, but Concussion takes a serious look at a woman whose personality changes after suffering a concussion. The drama won awards at the Berlin International Film Festival and the San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival for first-time director Stacie Passon, and buzz has been very positive.

LINSANITY (Documentary)

Fans of professional basketball will probably remember the brief period when Jeremy Lin, a player nobody wanted, became a popular media sensation by becoming an instrumental part in a streak of success in early 2012 with the New York Knicks. Though his subsequent season in Houston hasn’t been the same, there’s no question that this Asian-American athlete tore down stereotypes over ethnicity in the NBA. Though it might be a bit early to start analyzing Lin’s long-term impact on the game, there’s a lot to be said about Lin’s role in sports history.

THE SUMMIT (Documentary)

Not many of us can say we’re mountain climbers, and even fewer can say they’ve climbed the deadliest peaks in the world. But K2 is the world’s toughest climb by many who have. The Summit explores the circumstances surrounding the deadliest day in the history of K2 expeditions, which lead to the deaths of 11 climbers. This harrowing documentary is definitely not for the faint of heart.

BABYGIRL

I saw Babygirl way back at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, and I was pleasantly surprised. While the film certainly fits the title — Babygirl is about fifteen-year old Lena, a Bronx daughter of a single mother, and her struggles with love and friendship — I didn’t expect to be as engrossed by the family drama as I ended up being. It’s especially surprising because though this film is about characters in the Bronx, it was directed by Irish director Macdara Vallely — proving that a good director can make a story work, no matter how foreign. I definitely recommend it if it comes to your area, though this weekend it is only opening at Quad Cinema in New York.

Other notable weekend indie, foreign & documentary releases:

PULLING STRINGS
GRACE UNPLUGGED
FIVE DANCES
VIKINGDOM
MY LAST DAY WITHOUT YOU
A.K.A. DOC POMUS (Documentary)

Read more
Additional VIVRE SA VIE Screening for 2013 New York Film Festival

New York Film Festival

The 51st New York Film Festival which started September 27 and runs through October 13, 2013 has scheduled an additional screening of Jean-Luc Godard’s 1962 masterpiece VIVRE SA VIE on 35MM. The film was previously announced as part of the Jean-Luc Godard – The Spirit of the Forms three-week retrospective taking place from October 9 to October 30, 2013. The additional screening will take place on Friday, October 4, 2013, at 9PM at Alice Tully Hall.

Between 1955 and today, Godard has made 45 shorts, 11 medium-length films, 40 features, three television series, a handful of commercials, and several of his own trailers. Throughout every “period” of his working life—his early heyday with the French New Wave, his explicitly political films made in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Gorin in the aftermath of May ’68 in France, his collaborative television and video work in Switzerland during the 70s with Anne-Marie Miéville, his movement between film and video from the 80s onward—he has always continually ventured into new territory. Godard has never once retreated or backtracked. It’s been almost six decades since his first short, and he’s given us a body of work that is like a multiverse.

Here is Manny Farber’s description of one of Godard’s greatest films, Vivre sa vie, made with, and for, his wife Anna Karina: “The fall, brief rise, and death of a Joan of Sartre, a prostitute determined to be her own woman. The format is a condensed Dreiserian novel: Twelve near-uniform segments with chapter headings, the visual matter used to illustrate the captions and narrator’s comments. This is an extreme documentary, the most biting of his films, with sharp and drastic breaks in the continuity, grim but highly sensitive newsreel photography, a soundtrack taped in real bars and hotels as the film was shot and then left untouched. The unobtrusive acting inches along in little, scuttling steps, always in one direction, achieving a parched, memory-ridden beauty. A film of extraordinary purity.” Print courtesy of Janus Films.
Read more