• Bahamas International Film Festival Reveals 2013 Film Lineup; “BAHAMIAN SON to Open, THE BLACK MOSES to Close Fest

    BAHAMIAN SONBAHAMIAN SON

    The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), celebrating its 10th anniversary and taking place December 5-13, 2013, revealed the complete lineup of films screening in the festival’s competition and sidebar sections.  This year, the Festival will showcase 108 films from 32 different countries, including four features of which are world premieres and all Bahamian premieres.  Andrew Melby’s and Reggie Henderson’s drama “BAHAMIAN SON” has been selected as this year’s Opening Night Film and will kick off the Festival on December 5th, while Travolta Cooper’s documentary “THE BLACK MOSES” will have the honor of closing the 10th edition of the Festival on December 13th.

    “BAHAMIAN SON” stars Constance Anderson (“Prodigal,” “Profile of a Killer,” “Gods’ Green Earth”), Fatima Cocci (“Gods’ Green Earth”) and Leah Eneas (“Beneath the Blue”). The film is based on true events, from the life of the film’s writer Reggie Henderson. The story follows Kevin as he sets out to find his father, whom he hasn’t seen in more than thirty years. During his journey, Kevin examines his own life and the family he has built for himself, during his childhood, having growns up in the projects of North Minneapolis. After Kevin tracks down his father, he travels to The Bahamas to meet him. What happens in The, opens Kevin’s eyes to a world and a history he never knew existed. It is also another test of Kevin’s beliefs regarding family, loyalty, and what it means to be a son, a father, and a man.

    THE BLACK MOSESTHE BLACK MOSES

    Written and directed by Travolta Cooper (“Founding Fathers: Sir Stafford Sands” “A Miami Trail”), “THE BLACK MOSES” takes a look at Was L.O Pindling, first black Prime Minister of The Bahamas, one of history’s greatest national Liberators, or was he one of history’s greatest national Drug Dealers? The film follows the popular folk ‘moses mythology’ as it was manifested through the life and times of Sir Lynden Pindling. It focuses on L.O Pindling as he sets on a course to bring about social, political, and economic revolution to the British Bahama Islands. The film features Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (“The Unit,” “24,” “Wreck-It Ralph”) as Black Moses and commentary from the 18th Prime Minister of Canada Brian Mulroney, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, and many others.

    The official BIFF feature lineup is comprised of the following films:

    SPIRIT OF FREEDOM (NARRATIVE)
    9 FULL MOONS (USA) / Director: Tomer Algamor
    A PLACE ON EARTH – Une Place Sur La Terre (France) / Director: Fabienne Godet
    BRAHMIN BULLS (India) / Director: Mahesh Pailoor
    HOME (USA) / Director: Jono Oliver
    SIDDHARTH (India) / Director: Richie Mehta
    VIVA BELARUS (Poland) Director: Krzysztof Lukaszewicz
    WHEN I SAW YOU- Lamma Shoftak (Jordan)  Director: Annemarie Jacir

    SPIRIT OF FREEDOM (DOCUMENTARY)
    CAST THE FIRST STONE (USA) / Director: Nicolas Cuellar
    FINDING HILLYWOOD  (Rwanda, USA) / Director: Leah Warshawski
    FLY BY LIGHT (USA) / Director: Ellie Walton
    GARIFUNA IN PERIL (Honduras) / Director: Ali Allie
    ISOLATED (USA, Indonesia) Director: Geoff Clark, Justin Le Pera
    SILENT MUSIC (Antigua, Barbuda, USA) Director: Melissa Gomez
    THE LAST SAFARI (Kenya, USA) Director:  Matt Goldman
    TWO: THE STORY OF ROMAN & NYRO (USA) Director: Heather Winters

    NEW VISIONS
    CALLOUSED HANDS (USA) / Director: Jesse Quinones
    ONE SMALL HITCH (USA) / Director: John Burgess
    SAL (Argentina, Chile) / Director: Diego Rougier 
    SIBERIA, MONAMOUR (Russia) / Director: Slava Ross
    TARIF NA SPASENIE (Russia) / Director: Georgiy Soldatov
    THE LONG DRIVE HOME (USA) / Director: William Tyler
    TRUST, GREED, BULLETS & BOURBON (USA) / Director: Scott Kawczynski
    TUTTI GIU (Switzerland) / Director: Niccolo Castelli

    PANORAMA NARRATIVE
    SOME VELVET MORNING (USA) / Director: Neil LaBute
    I’LL FOLLOW YOU DOWN (Canada) / Director: Richie Mehta
    NEARLYWEDS (USA) / Director: Marc Griffiths
    HANK AND ASHA (USA), / Director: Bryan Pick
    VINO VERITAS (USA) / Director: Sara Knight
    KARAOKE GIRL (Thailand) / Director: Visra Vichit-Vadakan
    LAST LOOK (USA) / Director: Hernando Bansuelo
    MURDER IN THE DARK (USA, Italy) / Director: Dagen Merrill
    NAI RIVER (China) / Director: Bin Luo
    SIDE BY SIDE (UK) / Director: Arthur Landon
    GOLDEN MESH – FIOS DE OVOS (Brazil) / Director: Maíra Bühler, Matias Mariani

    PANORAMA DOCUMENTARY
    BROTHERS HYPNOTIC – MUSIC (USA) / Director: Reuben Atlas
    HAITI THE EARTH (Haiti, Belgium) / Director: Jean-Claude Riga
    SANCTITY OF SANCTUARY (USA) / Director: Blis Hanousek DeVault
    TALES OF THE ORGAN TRADE (Canada) / Director: Ric Esther Bienstock
    WILLIAM AND THE WINDMILL (USA) / Director: Ben Nabors
    ROUGHCUT (Greece) / Director: Eliana Abravanel
    BAYOU MAHARAJAH: JAMES BOOKER (USA) / Director: Lily Keber
    COMEDY WARRIORS – COMEDY (USA) / Director: John Wager
    CONTRARIAN – MR. TEMPLETON  (USA, Bahamas) / Director: Mary Mazzio

    CHINESE SPOTLIGHT
    CAUGHT IN THE WEB (China) / Director: Kaige Chen
    FENG SHUI  (China) / Director: Jing Wang
    PAINTED SKIN: THE RESURRECTION (China)  / Director: Wuershan

    images via Facebook / Facebook

    via bahamaislandsinfo

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  • Film Review: BETTIE PAGE REVEALS ALL

    BETTIE PAGE REVEALS ALL A film by Mark Mori

    Even if you don’t think you know who Bettie Page is, you know her.  What do I mean by that?  At some point of your life you have seen references to Bettie Page, the most popular pin-up model of the 1950s.  That is because her style and persona has been a constant source of inspiration for decades by nearly every facet of pop culture.  For example, just in the last few months pop star Katy Perry heavily referenced Page’s famed “Jungle Bettie” photo shoot in her artwork and video for her hit single “Roar.”  It’s only one of hundreds of reference to Page’s famed pin-up photography that you probably encounter every year, a phenomenon that continues today (Bettie Page is one of the highest-earning deceased celebrities).  In the new documentary Bettie Page Reveals All, the pin-up legend herself narrates her life story, revealing once and for all what the woman behind those photos was like and what happened to her after disappearing from modeling seemingly overnight in 1957.  It’s an absorbing look at the life of an iconic woman, one many of us know little about beyond her photos.  While this is the first film documentary that Mark Mori has directed since 1991’s Building Bombs (which was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar in 1991) and writer Doug Miller is film newcomer, the pair have created a loving in-depth portrait of Page with this documentary.

    Of course, Bettie passed away in 2008 (the documentary opens with scenes from her funeral), but the narration was recorded several years before her death and covers her entire life from her troubled childhood, her early days as a model, becoming an icon, and ultimately what happened to her after she retired from modeling after only seven years as a model.  Though elderly Bettie’s voice is sometimes difficult to understand, her voice is filled with nothing but joy about her pin-up days.

    BETTIE PAGE REVEALS ALL A film by Mark Mori

    Naturally, the most interesting parts of the documentary are the ones that focus on her pin-up modeling, but the additional focus on the controversy surrounding her later bondage photos and films and the mysteries surrounding her disappearance from the public eye – Page made few public appearance after retiring in 1957 – makes this documentary so unique.  It’s also wonderful to hear Page speak with bewildered amazement about her return to popularity in the 1980s and the rediscovery of her existence in the early 1990s.

    The narrative is also expanded with interviews with admirers like Dita Von Teese, friends like Hugh Hefner, and many of Page’s former photographers.  The interviews with the photographers are particularly interesting because they go into detail about the composition of their shots.  To them, they weren’t simply taking pin-up photos of a bikini-clad (or even nude) Page, they were creating art.  It’s hard to argue against them — decades later, Page’s beauty is still remarkable because she was the definition of photogenic. The fact that Page talks so happily about those years makes it clear that she was born to be a pin-up icon.

    Fans of Page will undoubtedly enjoy Bettie Page Reveals All and because it’s told in her own voice even diehards will likely learn something about her that they didn’t know.  There are probably many photos and rare clips from Page’s burlesque movies in the documentary that even devoted fans of Page haven’t seen. However, people who know little about Page and her remarkable career will get the most out of this documentary.  If nothing else, it’s impossible not to enjoy one of the most beautiful women of the twentieth century posing in various states of undress relishing in her contribution to the sexual revolution, even if she didn’t realize it yet.

    Rating: 4 out of 5 : See it …… It’s Very Good

     http://youtu.be/shvYNVlHMm8

     

    OPENING in NYC 11/22 at the Village East Theater

    11/29
    Nuart Theater – LA
    Regal Westpark – Irvine

    12/6
    Chicago, San Francisco
    Berkeley, San Jose
    San Diego, Columbus
    Palm Desert, Portland
    Nashville, Las Vegas
    Santa Barbara, Tucson
    Phoenix, San Rafael
    Hartford, Fort Lauderdale
    Broookline, Minneapolis
    Asbury Park, Richmond

    12/13
    Albuquerque, Salt Lake City
    Washington DC

    12/25 – Atlanta
    1/3 – Seattle
    1/17 – Ft. Worth
    1/31 – Rochester
    2/7 – Lafayette

     

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  • “TIR” “DALLAS BUYERS CLUB” Win Top Awards at 2013 Rome Film Festival

    TIR directed by Alberto FasuloTIR directed by Alberto Fasulo

    The 8th Rome Film Festival announced the winning films of the 2013 festival, with The Croatian film, TIR by Alberto Fasulo winning the Golden Marc’Aurelio Award for Best Film. In TIR, Branko leaves his job as teacher to become a truck driver. A more than understandable given that now earns three times as much compared to his salary as a teacher before. Yet everything has a price, even if not always quantifiable in money. Other noted winning films include DALLAS BUYERS CLUB by Jean-Marc Vallée winning BNL Audience Award for Best Film, and Best Actor Award for Matthew McConaughey. The festival ran November 8 to 17,  2013.

    COMPETITION

    The International Jury, chaired by James Gray and composed of Verónica Chen, Luca Guadagnino, Aleksei Guskov, Noémie Lvovsky, Amir Naderi, and Zhang Yuan, assigned the following awards to the films in competition:

    Golden Marc’Aurelio Award for Best Film: Tir by Alberto Fasulo

    Best Director Award: Kiyoshi Kurosawa for Sebunsu kodo (Seventh Code)

    Special Jury Prize: Quod Erat Demonstrandum by Andrei Gruzsniczk

    Best Actor Award: Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club

    Best Actress Award: Scarlett Johansson for Her

    Award for Emerging Actor or Actress: the entire cast of Gass (Acrid)

    Award for Best Technical Contribution: Koichi Takahashi for Sebunsu kodo (Seventh Code)

    Award for Best Screenplay: Tayfun Pirselimoğlu for Ben o değilim (I Am Not Him)

     

    Special Mention: Cui Jian for Lanse gutou (Blue Sky Bones)

     

    CINEMAXXI

    The CinemaXXI International Jury chaired by Larry Clark and composed of Ashim Ahluwalia, Yuri Ancarani, Laila Pakalnina, and Michael Wahrmann, assigned the following awards to the films in the CinemaXXI competition:

    CinemaXXI Award for Best Film (reserved for feature-length films): Nepal Forever by Aliona Polunina

    CinemaXXI Special Jury Prize (reserved for feature-length films): Birmingemskij ornament 2 (Birmingham Ornament 2) by Andrey Silvestrov and Yury Leiderman

    CinemaXXI Award for Short Films: Der Unfertige (The Incomplete) by Jan Soldat

     

    Special Mention CinemaXXI Short Films: The Buried Alive Videos by Roee Rosen

    PROSPETTIVE DOC ITALIA

    The jury headed by Marco Visalberghi and composed of Christian Carmosino, Gerardo Panichi, Giusi Santoro, and Sabrina Varani, assigned the following awards:

    Premio Doc It – Prospettive Italia Doc for the Best Italian Documentary: Dal profondo by Valentina Pedicini

     

    Special Mention: Fuoristrada by Elisa Amoruso

    AWARD FOR BEST FIRST/SECOND FILM

    The jury headed by Roberto Faenza and composed of Fausto Brizzi, Carlo Freccero, Alessandra Mammì, Valerio Mieli, Camilla Nesbitt, and Andrea Occhipinti assigned the following awards:

    Taodue Golden Camera Award for Best First/Second Film: Out of the Furnace by Scott Cooper

    Taodue Award for the Best Emerging Producer: Jean Denis Le Dinahet and Sébastien Msika for Il sud è niente

    BNL AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST FILM

    Relying on an electronic system, the Festival enabled the participation of the audience in choosing the winner of the BNL Audience Award for Best Film. The films competing for this award were those in Competition. The audience awarded the:

    BNL Audience Award for Best Film: Dallas Buyers Club by Jean-Marc Vallée

     

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  • “THE ROCKET” “THE SELFISH GIANT” Among Winning Films at AFI FEST 2013

    THE ROCKETTHE ROCKET

    AFI FEST 2013 announced the features and short films receiving this year’s Audience and Jury Awards.  THE ROCKET, an Australian film; THE SELFISH GIANT, made in the UK; WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE, an American independent film directed by Zeke Hawkins (AFI Class of 2009) and Simon Hawkins; and B FOR BOY, a Nigerian film, received Audience Awards.  Grand Jury Awards were presented to BUTTER LAMP, in the Live Action Short category, and THE PLACES WHERE WE LIVED, in the Animated Short category.  Special Jury Award winners were BALCONY and SYNDROMEDA.

    COMPLETE LIST OF AWARD WINNERS

    NEW AUTEURS CRITIC’S AWARD

    NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPENNOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN

    New Auteurs Critic’s Award:  NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN. “The true story of a homeless Christian teenager adopted by an abusive family who tests his ability to turn the other cheek.  Many, many bad things happen.  But the blessing is discovering first-time filmmaker Katrin Gebbe and her incredible ensemble who have braved their own tests – boos and walkouts, nothing too bloody – in order to bring us this powerful movie and faith and sacrifice.”

    New Auteur Special Award for Personal Storytelling: IN BLOOM.  The jury wanted to give a Special Award for Personal Storytelling for IN BLOOM.  This film, in its intimate exploration of the lives of two teenage girls in the former Soviet state of Georgia just after the fall of the USSR, is an exemplar of personal history as political history, or fiction filmmaking infused with and bolstered by the truth.

    SELFISH GIANTSELFISH GIANT

    New Auteur Special Award for Direction:  SELFISH GIANT.  The jury has also selected a Special Award for Direction to Clio Barnard, whose film THE SELFISH GIANT underscores the promise of the New Auteurs category.  Drawing stunning performances from her two young leads, Barnard brings the specificity of a Bradford housing estate to a devastating and universally relatable fable. 

    GRAND JURY AWARDS, LIVE ACTION AND ANIMATED SHORT

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST Grand Jury Award winners in the Live Action and Animated Shorts categories as qualifiers for the annual Academy Awards Short Film category.  The Shorts jury featured Alejandro De Leon (producer), Kitao Sakurai (filmmaker), Jordan Vogt-Roberts (filmmaker) and Heidi Zwicker (shorts programmer).

    Grand Jury Award, Live Action Short:  BUTTER LAMP.  DIR Hu Wei.  France, Tibet.

    Grand Jury Award, Animated Short:  THE PLACES WHERE WE LIVED.  DIR Bernardo Britto.  USA.

    Special Jury Award:  BALCONY.  DIR Lendita Zeqiraj.  Kosov.

    Special Jury Award for Outstanding Achievement in Direction:SYNDROMEDA.  DIR Patrik Eklund.  Sweden.

    Special Jury Mention for Best Datamosh: DATAMOSH.  DIR Yung Jake.  USA.

    AUDIENCE AWARDS

    Audience Awards, World Cinema: THE ROCKET.    DIR Kim Mordaunt.  Australia.

    Audience Award, New Auteurs: THE SELFISH GIANT.  DIR Clio Barnard.  UK.

    WE GOTTA GET OUTTA THIS PLACEWE GOTTA GET OUTTA THIS PLACE

    Audience Award, American Independents: WE GOTTA GET OUTTA THIS PLACE.  DIR Zeke Hawkins, Simon Hawkins.  USA. 

    B FOR BOY.B FOR BOY.

    Audience Award, Breakthrough: B FOR BOY.  DIR Chika Anadu.  Nigeria.

     

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  • Basketball Film LENNY COOKE Slam Dunks in Theaters on December 6 | WATCH Trailer

     LENNY COOKE

    The basketball documentary LENNY COOKE which World Premiere earlier this year at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival will open in theaters on December 6th, 2013.   In the documentary, filmmaking brothers Joshua and Benny Safdie take a candid look and track the unfulfilled destiny of a man for whom superstardom was only out of reach.

     In 2001, Lenny Cooke was the most hyped high school basketball player in the country, ranked above future greats LeBron James, Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. In an era when high school stars were forgoing college hoops in favor of the potential multi-million dollar contracts promised in the NBA draft, Lenny was supposed to be the next superstar. He had the world at his fingertips. But over a decade later, while his peers are taking home MVP awards and championship trophies, Lenny has never played a minute in the NBA. What went wrong? 

    LENNY COOKE

    With incredible access to Lenny’s story as it unfolded over the past decade, filmmaking brothers Joshua and Benny Safdie follow Lenny from his run-down home in Bushwick, Brooklyn, to the New Jersey suburbs where he spent his high school career through to the present day, with the friends and family who shared in his dreams and aspirations. Lenny Cooke is a quintessentially American story about dreaming big, the fickle nature of sports celebrity and the unfulfilled destiny of a man for whom superstardom was only just out of reach.  

    LENNY COOKE marks the first feature length documentary by the Safdie brothers, who received the John Cassavetes Award at The Independent Spirit Awards for DADDY LONGLEGS.   DADDY LONGLEGS premiered at the Cannes Film Festival as did their first feature THE PLEASURE OF BEING ROBBED.  

    The film was executive produced by two time NCAA champion and Chicago Bull Joakim Noah.

    http://youtu.be/ne61w4R20QE

     

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  • CANOEJACKED Among Lineup for 2013 LA COMEDY FESTIVAL Taking Place November 14 – 24

     

    CanoejackedCanoejacked

    The LA COMEDY FESTIVAL runs from November 14 to17 and 21 to 24, 2013 at LET LIVE THEATRE showcasing features and Shorts, lots of world premieres and of course comedy acts. Films on the lineup include the USA Premiere of the Canadian film CANOEJACKED, directed by Jonathan Williams and starring Al Sapienza, Mpho Koaho, and Pat Thornton, about two escaped convicts fleeing from a trigger-happy prison guard hijack a getaway canoe owned by a nudist outdoorsman.

    There are 66 short films in competition playing throughout the festival. The shorts offer a tremendous variety and will keep you laughing. Peppered among the short film programs are familiar faces among them CHERYL HINES, RACHAEL HARRIS, ERIC LASALLE, MINDY STERLING, JOEL MURRAY, JEREMY SISTO, ANTONIO SABATO JR., AMY YASBECK, BODHI ELFMAN and ANTHONY HEALD.

    Features from New Zealand and Canada bring international fun to L.A.. Live Comedy Acts will provide laughs, with all new shows from the award winning groups WET THE HIPPO, IDENTITY CRUSH and THINK TANK. Stand ups are peppered throughout the festival with notable acts from SARAH GALLAGHER and ANNABELLE DESISTO. 

     

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  • Marrakech International Film Festival Announces 2013 Lineup

    CLOSING FILM: WE ARE THE BEST! directed by Lukas MoodyssonCLOSING FILM: WE ARE THE BEST! directed by Lukas Moodysson

    The 13th Marrakech International Film Festival taking place from November 29 to December 7, 2013 announced the lineup of official film selections. More than 110 films from 23 nationalities will be screened during the event. As with every year for the past 12 years, the focus will be on films in competition, which comprises 15 films. The section “Cinema at heart” will focus on Moroccan cinema, the out-of-competition films will “distill the perfume of directors in touch with their audiences,” while the Cinécoles program of short films will reveal the filmmakers of tomorrow.

    Competition

    AGAIN – Japan
    1st film by Junichi Kanai starring Yoshikura Aoi and Yagira Yuya

    BAD HAIR – Venezuela, Peru, Argentina and Germany
    by Mariana Rondón starring Samuel Lange and Samantha Castillo

    BLUE RUIN – USA 
    2nd film by Jeremy Saulnier starring Macon Blair

    FEVERS – France and Morocco
    by Hicham Ayouch starring Didier Michon, Slimane Dazi, Farida Amrouche, Lounès Tazairt and Tony Harrisson

    HAN GONG-JU – South Korea 
    1st film by Lee Su-jin starring Chun Woo-hee

    HOTELL – Sweden 
    2nd film by Lisa Langseth starring Alicia Vikander

    HOW I LIVE NOW – UK 
    by Kevin Macdonald starring Saoirse Ronan

    IDA – Poland and Denmark by 
    Pawel Pawlikowski starring Agata Trzebuchowska and Agata Kulesza

    LA MARCHE – France 
    by Nabil Ben Yadir starring Olivier Gourmet, Tewfik Jallab, Lubna Azabal, Hafsia Herzi, Charlotte Le Bon, Vincent Rothiers, M’Barek Belkouk, Nader Boussandel, Philippe Nahon and Jamel Debbouze

    MEDEAS – USA, Italy and Mexico 
    1st film by Andrea Pallaoro starring Catalina Sandino Moreno and Brian F. O’Byrne

    THE GAMBLER – Lithuania and Latvia 
    1st film by Ignas Jonynas starring Vytautas Kaniusonis

    THE SWIMMING POOL – Cuba and Venezuela 
    1st film by Carlos Machado Quintela

    THE WISHFUL THINKERS – Spain 
    2nd film by Jonás Trueba starring Francesco Carril

    TRAITORS – Morocco and USA 
    1st film by Sean Gullette starring Chaimae Ben Acha, Soufia Issami, Nadia Niaza, Driss Roukhe, Mourade Zeguendi and Morjana Alaoui

    VIVA LA LIBERTÀ – Italy 
    by Roberto Andò starring Toni Servillo and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi

     

    CINEMA AT HEART

    DERRIÈRE LES PORTES FERMÉES – Morocco 
    2nd film by Mohammed Ahed Bensouda starring Amal Ayouch, Zoubida Akkif, Abdellah Farkous, Bouchra Ahrich and Omar Azzouzi

    KANYAMAKAN – Morocco 
    1st film by Said C. Naciri starring Afif Ben Badra, Sarah Kazemy, Mohamed El Achi, Anas El Baz, Younes Megri, Mehdi Ouazzani and Diouc Koma

    SARA – Morocco 
    by Said Naciri starring Layla Hadiu, Said Naciri, Iman Nakhad and Aziz Houbaibi

    C’EST EUX LES CHIENS – Morocco 
    2nd film by Hicham Lasri starring Hassan Badida

     

    OUT OF COMPETITION

    OPENING FILM
    RAM-LEELA – India 
    by Sanjay Leela Bhansali starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh

    A THOUSAND TIMES GOOD NIGHT – Norway, Ireland and Sweden 
    by Erik Poppe starring Juliette Binoche

    LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON – Japan
    by Kore-Eda Hirokazu

    ONE CHANCE – UK and USA
    by David Frankel starring James Corden, Julie Walters, Alexandra Roach and Valeria Bilello

    THE IMMIGRANT – USA
    by James Gray starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner

    THE REUNION – Sweden
    by Anna Odell starring Anna Odell

    THE STONE – South Korea
    by Cho Se-rae starring Cho Dong-in and Kim Roi-ha

    THE ZERO THEOREM – UK, USA, France and Romania
    by Terry Gilliam starring Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Thierry and David Thewlis

    THOSE HAPPY YEARS – Italy
    by Daniele Luchetti starring Kim Rossi Stuart and Micaela Ramazzotti

    WALTZ FOR MONICA – Sweden
    by Per Fly starring Edda Magnason

     

    CLOSING FILM
    WE ARE THE BEST! – Sweden
    by Lukas Moodysson

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  • Indie Film ALL THE LIGHT IN THE SKY from Drinking Buddies’ Director Joe Swanberg Gets a December 2013 Release Date | SEE Trailer

    Director Joe Swanberg’s ALL THE LIGHT IN THE SKY

    Director Joe Swanberg’s ALL THE LIGHT IN THE SKY, his next film after the indie-breakthrough hit from earlier this year, “Drinking Buddies” will be released theatrically in NYC on December 20, 2013 and and digitally on December 3, 2013, by Factory 25. “All the Light in the Sky” features what’s described as a leading performance from acclaimed veteran character actor Jane Adams.  

    Adams (Happiness, HBO’s “Hung,” Little Children,Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, among countless others) stars as an actress living in Malibu who faces harsh realities of the industry as her age exempts her from more and more acting opportunities. Amidst this career and life crisis enters the actress’s niece, played by Sophia Takal (Green, Gabi on the Roof in July, V/H/S), who arrives for a weekend stay and ushers in a complex prism of emotional insecurities. Can the actress confront her fears, complicated relationships, and figure out how to navigate mid-life in Hollywood? 

    The film also features some of today’s up-and-coming indie film personalities: Kent Osborne (Uncle Kent), Allison Baar (Bad Fever), Simon Barrett (V/H/S), Lindsay Burdge (A Teacher), Larry Fessenden (The Last Winter), Lawrence Michael Levine (Green), Susan Traylor  (Greenberg) and Ti West (The Sacrament). 

    All the Light in the Sky features original music by Orange Mighty Trio.

    http://youtu.be/JBrYWL16_dE

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  • Director Oliver Stone to be Honored at 2013St. Louis International Film Festival

     oliver stone

    Academy Award winning writer/director Oliver Stone will be honored at the 22nd Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), taking place November 14 to 24, 2013. Stone will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award on Friday, November 22, 2013. Directors who have previously been honored with a SLIFF Lifetime Achievement Award include Paul Schrader, John Sayles, Michael Apted, and Joe Dante.

    Held on the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the program will feature a screening of the director’s cut of Stone’s “JFK.” The evening will begin with a clip reel surveying Stone’s career, the presentation of the award, and a conversation between Stone and St. Louis Post-Dispatch film critic Joe Williams that explores the director’s career generally and “JFK” specifically. At the conclusion of the interview, Stone will introduce a Kennedy-focused segment from his most recent work, “The Untold History of theUnited States,” and “JFK” will screen after the excerpt.

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  • LETTERS TO JACKIE: REMEMBERING PRESIDENT KENNEDY to Air on TLC Sunday November 17th | SEE Trailer

    LETTERS TO JACKIE: REMEMBERING PRESIDENT KENNEDY, directed and written by Bill Couturié

    LETTERS TO JACKIE: REMEMBERING PRESIDENT KENNEDY, the acclaimed documentary about JFK’s presidency which premiered at 2013 AFI DOCS film festival, will air at 9/8c on Sunday, November 17, 2013 on TLC. Directed and written by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Bill Couturié, the film features 18 stars, including Anne Hathaway, Bérénice Bejo, Michelle Williams, Kirsten Dunst and Chris Cooper, reading from letters sent to Jacqueline Kennedy in the days following the loss of John F. Kennedy. 

    LETTERS TO JACKIE: REMEMBERING PRESIDENT KENNEDY is based on the book “Letters to Jackie: Condolences from a Grieving Nation” by Ellen Fitzpatrick. For two months after President Kennedy’s assassination, the White House received more than 800,000 letters for the first lady, who lost her husband and the father of her children. In this special two-hour event, selections from this collection are read by celebrities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination. Readers include: Berenice Bejo, Demian Bichir, Jessica Chastain, Chris Cooper, Viola Davis, Zooey Deschanel, Kirsten Dunst, Anne Hathaway, Allison Janney, John Krasinski, Melissa Leo, Laura Linney, Frances McDormand, Chlo Grace Moretz, Mark Ruffalo, Octavia Spencer, Hailee Steinfeld, Channing Tatum, Betty White, Michelle Williams.

    http://youtu.be/YYeV-F5IMi8

     images via TLC

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  • STARRED UP and THE SELFISH GIANT Lead Nominations for 2013 British Independent Film Awards

     STARRED UPSTARRED UP

    STARRED UP led the nominations for the 16th annual Moët British Independent Film Awards with 8 nods including Best British Independent Film, Best Director for David Mackenzie, Best Screenplay for Jonathan Asser, Best Actor for Jack O’Connell, and two Best Supporting Actor nominations for Rupert Friend and Ben Mendelsohn. THE SELFISH GIANT picked up 7 nominations and Filth, Metro Manila and Le Week-end all picked up 5 nominations each.  The winners will be announced at the 16th awards ceremony which will be hosted by actor and BIFA Patron, James Nesbitt, who returns for his eighth year on Sunday December 8, 2013, at the Old Billingsgate in London.

    The Moët British Independent Film Awards announced the following nominees for this year’s awards:

    BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM

    Metro Manila
    Philomena
    The Selfish Giant
    Starred Up
    Le Week-end

    BEST DIRECTOR

    Jon S Baird – Filth
    Clio Barnard – The Selfish Giant
    Sean Ellis – Metro Manila
    Jonathan Glazer – Under the Skin
    David Mackenzie – Starred Up

    THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]

    Charlie Cattrall – Titus
    Tina Gharavi – I Am Nasrine
    Jeremy Lovering – In Fear
    Omid Nooshin – Last Passenger
    Paul Wright – For Those in Peril

    BEST SCREENPLAY

    Jonathan Asser – Starred Up
    Clio Barnard – The Selfish Giant
    Steven Knight – Locke
    Hanif Kureishi – Le Week-end
    Jeff Pope, Steve Coogan – Philomena 

    BEST ACTRESS

    Judi Dench – Philomena
    Lindsay Duncan – Le Week-end
    Scarlett Johansson – Under the Skin
    Felicity Jones – The Invisible Woman
    Saoirse Ronan – How I Live Now

    BEST ACTOR

    Jim Broadbent – Le Week-end
    Steve Coogan – Philomena
    Tom Hardy – Locke
    Jack O’Connell – Starred Up
    James McAvoy – Filth

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Siobhan Finneran – The Selfish Giant
    Shirley Henderson – Filth
    Imogen Poots – The Look Of Love
    Kristin Scott Thomas – The Invisible Woman
    Mia Wasikowska – The Double

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    John Arcilla – Metro Manila
    Rupert Friend – Starred Up
    Jeff Goldblum – Le Week-end
    Eddie Marsan – Filth
    Ben Mendelsohn – Starred Up

    MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER

    Harley Bird – How I Live Now
    Conner Chapman / Shaun Thomas – The Selfish Giant
    Caity Lotz – The Machine
    Jake Macapagal – Metro Manila
    Chloe Pirrie – Shell

     BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION

    A Field in England
    Filth
    Metro Manila
    The Selfish Giant
    Starred Up 

    BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

    Shaheen Baig – Casting – Starred Up
    Johnnie Burn – Sound Design – Under the Skin
    Amy Hubbard – Casting – The Selfish Giant
    Mica Levi – Music – Under the Skin
    Justine Wright – Editing – Locke

    BEST DOCUMENTARY

    Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer
    The Great Hip Hop Hoax
    The Moo Man
    The Spirit of ’45
    The Stone Roses: Made of Stone

    BEST BRITISH SHORT

    L’Assenza
    Dr Easy
    Dylan’s Room
    Jonah
    Z1

    BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM

    Blue is the Warmest Colour
    Blue Jasmine
    Frances Ha
    The Great Beauty
    Wadjda

    THE RAINDANCE AWARD

    Everyone’s Going to Die
    The Machine
    The Patrol
    Sleeping Dogs
    Titus

    THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)

    To Be Announced

    THE VARIETY AWARD

    To Be Announced

    THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE

    Announced at the Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday December 8th, 2013

     

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  • Irish Film RUN & JUMP in U.S. Theaters in 2014 | WATCH Trailer

    RUN & JUMP

    The Irish film RUN & JUMP which had its world premiere at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival and winner of Best Irish Feature and Best First Irish Feature at the 2013 Galway Film Festival, will be released theatrically and on premium VOD platforms in early 2014 by Sundance Selects. Directed by Steph Green, ‘RUN AND JUMP’ stars Will Forte (’30 Rock’), Maxine Peake (‘Shameless’) and Edward MacLiam (‘Holby City’), and tells the unconventional love story of a happy-go-lucky Irish family and the American neuroscientist who comes to stay with them after the husband suffers a stroke.

    After a stroke leaves her husband mentally disabled and fundamentally changed, spirited Irish housewife Vanetia struggles to keep her family together in the wake of tragedy. A research grant from American doctor Ted Fielding, interested in documenting the family’s recovery process, allows them to get by. Though Vanetia initially resents living under Ted’s microscope, she soon finds comfort in his calming presence, while Ted responds to Vanetia’s dynamic, unpredictable personality. As the two explore their bond within their unique situation, a new family begins to emerge. 

    RUN and JUMP

    Directed by Academy Award®-nominee Steph Green and featuring Saturday Night Live star Will Forte in an impressive dramatic debut, this life-affirming film embraces the healing power of love and family in all of its idiosyncratic forms. Run and Jump is an unexpected, unconventional romance, intimate family portrait and emotional journey of recovery that ultimately uplifts through its heartfelt message of human connection and the power of acceptance. via Tribeca Film Festival

    http://youtu.be/xrM5BfJehfE

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