• Hollywood Black Film Festival Unveils 2013 Artwork Designed by Vince Fraser

    Hollywood Black Film Festival 2013 Poster

    The Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF) unveiled its 2013 official artwork designed by London-based visual artist, Vince Fraser. According to the festival, “The design was commissioned to illuminate HBFF’s brand identity and audience appeal.”  Fraser is a first generation British born artist with Jamaican parents who has worked as a digital illustrator and visual artist for 15 years.  “We selected Vince to design our official 2013 artwork  because after one look at his aesthetic, we knew he was the one that would bring the flair and  creativity that represents the Hollywood Black Film Festival,” said Tanya Kersey, Founder and  Executive Director of HBFF.

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  • Woodstock Film Festival Reveals 2013 Films in Competition

    THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOMTHE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM

    The Woodstock Film Festival announced the 2013 films in competition in both feature narrative and feature documentary categories as well as the competition’s jurors. Films include the New York Premieres of “AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS”;  “THE GREAT CHICKEN WING HUNT”, “THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM” and the World Premiere of “HERE COMES THE NIGHT”.

     Official Jury 2013 to include…

    Feature Documentary: Joe Berlinger, Liz Garbus, and Cynthia Kane 

    Editing, Documentary: Sabine Hoffman, Fiona Otway and Michael Levine

    Feature Narrative: Richard Abramowitz, Nancy Schafer and Nancy Savoca

    Editing, Narrative: Sabine Hoffman, Affonso Goncalves, and Kate Sanford

    Cinematography: Haskell Wexler

    Short Film: Shawn Christensen, Jonathan Gray and Lydia Dean Pilcher

    Student Short Film: Isil Bagdadi and Amy Devra Gossel

    Short Documentary: Lisa Gossels, Leon Gast and Paul Rachma

    Animation: Signe Baumane and Bill Plympton

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES IN COMPETITION
    Including Editing Awards

    AMERICAN COMMUNE 
    Directed by Nadine Mundo and Rena Mundo Croshere
    East Coast Premiere

    Rena and Nadine, two documentarian sisters, leave their jobs in reality television to visit their secret rural upbringings at The Farm, America’s largest commune. The film cuts between past and present as the filmmakers explore what is left of their alternative childhood, bridging gaps between their adult metropolitan lifestyles and their off-the-grid rearing. American Commune reveals the rise and fall of The Farm, a 1970s commune that created what appeared to be the ideal self-sufficient community. Members shared everything from child rearing and communal households, to currency, clothing and food. Through unapologetic storytelling and a hint of nostalgia, the Mundo sisters tap into the alternate universe of their pasts and bring to light the undying legacy of true community. 

    AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS
    Directed by Grace Lee
    New York Premiere

    What constitutes revolution? 98-year old writer and radical activist Grace Lee Boggs has no hesitations when it comes to changing the world, one conversation at a time.

    Filmmaker Grace Lee initially sought out Grace Lee Boggs due to their shared name but instead found a breath of rebellious inspiration in Boggs that continues to motivate nonviolent philosophies of civil rights growth, revolution and evolution. Once a 1960s militant, the Detroit-based activist Boggs continues to challenge expectations through her lifelong devotion to the African American movement and fight for individual freedoms. “The time has come for a new dream,” Boggs says, relying on the ever-evolving artistry of conversation to fuel the fire of revolution. American Revolutionary is a story of growth: of Boggs’ lifetime commitment to activism, of filmmaker Grace Lee, and of the viewer as they align with Boggs’ philosophy of positivity and change. 

    THE GREAT CHICKEN WING HUNT
    Directed by Matt Reynolds
    New York Premiere

    Chicken Wings have become a staple of the American culinary experience, but filmmaker, journalist and upstate New Yorker Matt Reynolds takes finding the best wing to an entirely new level. Abandoning his successful career as an overseas reporter Matt returns to the States to embark on a journey across New York State to find the world’s best chicken wing accompanied by his confused Czech girlfriend, Lucie. In an odyssey covering over 2500 miles, Matt and his cabal of chicken wing obsessed friends consume nearly 300 varieties of wings in two weeks. Eventually Matt must decide what is greater: his love for wings or Lucie. The Great Chicken Wing Hunt is more than a foodie’s delight; it’s three parts gastronomic competition, two parts oddball comedy and one part love story. 

    MAGICAL UNIVERSE 
    Directed by Jeremy Workman
    New York Premiere

    Step into the unique and thought-provoking world of lifetime outsider artist Al Carbee, an 88-year old eccentric who spends his days creating outlandish works of art featuring Barbie Dolls. Filmmaker Jeremy Workman has spent over a decade of friendship with Carbee compiling extensive footage and memories to provide audiences with a look into the magical universe of Carbee’s bizarre creative force.

    What began as a simple trip to Maine with his girlfriend became, over time, a life-changing partnership between Workman and Carbee that culminates in this extraordinary bio-pic, a glimpse of an otherwise unknown artist’s lifelong body of work. Workman is able to come full-circle in this documentary and brings his audience along with him, revealing the astoundingly powerful role of companionship and creativity in the human mind while emphasizing the importance of mutual inspiration. Magical Universe provides a priceless look at the immeasurable wonder of creative drive and inspiration. 

    THE MANOR
    Directed by Shawney Cohen
    U.S. Premiere

    For his bar mitzvah, filmmaker Shawney Cohen asked for a set of hockey pads. His father bought him a lap dance instead. Since the family owns a strip club, he surely got a discount.

    In the tradition of Grey Gardens, The Manor is an unblinking yet compassionate portrait of a family and its demons. Father Roger weighs almost 400 pounds. Mother Brenda weighs only 85 pounds. Brother Sammy revels in the strip club culture. Filmmaker Shawney wants to try and figure out where his family lost its way…and what, if anything, they can do about it. The Cohen’s lifestyles are financed by the business of sex steeped with alcohol and drugs. They are corroded by the same forces that sustain them. Is change possible?

    Always honest, and at times sad, funny and surreal, The Manor depicts a unique family that is, somehow, just like the rest of us. 

    MEDORA 
    Directed by Andrew Cohn and Davy Rothbart 
    New York Premiere

    In a small town that seems to have been forgotten, directors Andrew Cohn and Davy Rothbart explore the convoluted lives of the Medora Hornets varsity basketball team. The dynamic of the run down, struggling town of Medora, Indiana directly reflects the disadvantage that their high school basketball team faces each year. The Medora Hornets, a small force stemming from a school of only 72 students, often find themselves competing against consolidated schools up to twenty times their size.

    A once flourishing community teeming with employment opportunities, the termination of surrounding factories and the flooding of farms has stripped Medora of almost all-economic value. The film provides insight into the broken, conflicted homes that pervade the dwindling town and the eminent death of small-town America. The intimate relationship that forms between the players and the audience creates a moving and exciting documentary as we follow Medora’s bittersweet basketball season as they look to create their own Hoosier dreams. 

    PURGATORIO
    Directed by Rodrigo Reyes 
    East Coast Premiere

    A line in the sand is drawn in Purgatorio, where only the desperate and courageous dare cross. Documentary director Rodrigo Reyes questions the role of humanity on planet earth and how the divisions we’ve created between one another have set in motion a millennium of adversities.

    Fast forward to present day, where the border between the United States and Mexico echoes the mistakes of generations past as immigrants are taking great pains to find a better life north of the Rio Grande. They will endure heat exhaustion, dehydration, sexual assault and much worse. All of this to escape a world from where even the most devout must work from dawn until dusk under the baking sun in order to survive. Even then, the fatal whims of a stray bullet can still threaten to cut short a life of perdition, and deliver them to whatever waits beyond. 

    TOWN HALL 
    Directed by Sierra Pettengill and Jamila Wignot 
    New York Premiere

    Town Hall casts an unflinching eye at Katy and John, two Tea Party activists from the battleground state of Pennsylvania during the 2012 Presidential election, who believe America’s salvation lies in a return to true conservative values.
    In Katy, we see a political novice rocketed to media stardom after a sensational confrontation at a town hall meeting with her senator. A young stay-at-home mom turned Tea Party spokesperson, she is gifted a new identity, steeled by the voices of conservative media.
    For John, a retired former businessman and lifelong Republican, the America he knows is slipping away. Heading up a local Tea Party group is his last, best chance at stanching the changes he is witnessing all around him.
    More than a political treatise, Town Hall immerses the viewer in Katy and John’s world, painting a portrait of the fears of those who believe they will be left behind by a nation’s transition. 

    NARRATIVE FEATURES IN COMPETITION
    Including Editing Awards

    DOOMSDAYS
    Directed by Eddie Mullins 
    U.S. Premiere

    Eddie Mullins takes living off of the grid to a whole new level with Doomsdays, a self-proclaimed “pre-apocalyptic comedy” starring Justin Rice and Leo Fitzpatrick as low-budget vandals with little regard for the law. Dirty Fred and Bruho are a tag team of criminal house-hoppers who find themselves with more than they bargained for when a disenchanted teenager and indignant young woman join them in their shenanigans. The pair of newcomers unintentionally reveal to Fred and Bruho that the feeling of family doesn’t necessitate a home and the feeling of home doesn’t necessitate settling, but that both can be found within the company you keep.
    Freeloading through high-end Catskills vacation homes forces the group to acknowledge feelings and morals that they otherwise would have never recognized. Perhaps most importantly, the pair come to recognize that isolating themselves from the death-grip of society does little in the face of compassion and companionship, two side-products of our troubled world that are well worth keeping. 

    THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM 
    Directed by Andrew Mudge 
    New York Premiere 

    Atang has been disconnected from his father for years after being uprooted from his hometown of Lesotho as a child. Currently living in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, Atang is misguided and full of resentment. News of his father’s death comes with a predetermined trip to Lesotho for his burial. Reluctantly, Atang embarks on the visit to his ancestral land where he forms an unexpected connection with his childhood friend, Dineo.
    Director Andrew Mudge wonderfully portrays the mystery and spirit of the land as audiences accompany Atang on his journeys. Atang’s initial trek to bury his deceased father evolves into a voyage to reconnect with Dineo, her stubborn, traditional father and terminally ill sister. Powerful performances delivered by each cast member paired with exceptional cinematography makes The Forgotten Kingdom a compelling story that leaves the audience emotionally moved and wanting more. 

    HERE COMES THE NIGHT
    Directed by Peter Kline and Pete Shanel
    World Premiere

    Leo and Nick, college friends now estranged, meet again after the funeral of their friend James. Seemingly polar opposites, straight laced east-coast family man Leo and flakey would-be Hollywood movie producer Nick embark on a series of outrageous nocturnal adventures. With a knowing nod to the worst of L.A. stereotypes, Nick pulls Leo along on what becomes an homage to debauchery. Ably assisted by Trish and Claire, a pair of drug-loving young beauties they meet along the way and hook up with for a while, Leo and Nick’s journey is both poignant and hilarious. With a wealth of unexpected and thoroughly engaging plot twists and turns, this is one of those rare films that strikes just the right balance between comedy and pathos. Pitch perfect casting, snappy dialogue, sly observations, seamless editing and an evocative score make this a “must see” movie. Sweet, gentle, hilarious and thought provoking. 

    ORENTHAL: THE MUSICAL
    Directed by Jeff Rosenberg
    New York Premiere

    O.J. Simpson may be one of the most recognizable and infamous names of the last 20 years. So when overly eccentric theatre artist Eugene Oliver (Jordan Kenneth Kamp) decides to make Mr. Simpson the subject of his next musical, the results are truly something spectacular. Orenthal: The Musical, the hilarious new film from director Jeff Rosenberg, captures, in outstanding mockumentary style, the process of developing the greatest musical regarding a murder trial ever to be produced. With the help of some loyal childhood friends, a handful of local actors, and a group of producers from a biblical theater company, can Eugene and company overcome the obstacles they face and achieve their goal in creating the next great American musical? Orenthal, reminiscent of the work of Christopher Guest, is sure to have you laughing from Act I.

    THE RETRIEVAL
    Directed by Chris Eska
    East Coast Premiere

    2007 WFF Alum and Maverick Award winner for Best Narrative Feature (August Evening) returns with a powerful period drama set on the outskirts of the Civil War. Teenage Will is a young African-American bounty hunter. Moral boundaries are crossed as Will, along with his uncle Marcus work for a gang recapturing runaway slaves. The two are contracted to cross Union lines and bring back freed slave and accused murderer Nate in an astounding performance by Tishuan Scott. Yasu Tanida’s beautiful cinematography turns the Texas landscapes into another essential character. Eska, meanwhile patiently crafts a brilliantly acted tour de force that foists tough ethical questions upon the viewer.

    WINTER IN THE BLOOD
    Directed by Alex and Andrew Smith
    East Coast Premiere

    Virgil First Raise wakes in a ditch on the plains of Montana, battered and hung-over. His wife has left him and taken his beloved rifle. Virgil embarks on a wild and darkly comic odyssey fueled by alcohol to retrieve the rifle. Ultimately, he finds himself. Adapted from the celebrated novel of the same name, Winter in the Blood is largely a visualization of internal memories and thoughts. The audience is never quite sure what is real and what isn’t because Virgil isn’t so sure either. Filmed on location in Montana, with gorgeous cinematography and a haunting and evocative score, this is a melancholic and surreal depiction of a distraught hero trying to make peace with his past and his identity.

    HASKELL WEXLER AWARD FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

    THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM 
    Directed by Andrew Mudge 
    New York Premiere 

    Atang has been disconnected from his father for years after being uprooted from his hometown of Lesotho as a child. Currently living in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, Atang is misguided and full of resentment. News of his father’s death comes with a predetermined trip to Lesotho for his burial. Reluctantly, Atang embarks on the visit to his ancestral land where he forms an unexpected connection with his childhood friend, Dineo.
    Director Andrew Mudge wonderfully portrays the mystery and spirit of the land as audiences accompany Atang on his journeys. Atang’s initial trek to bury his deceased father evolves into a voyage to reconnect with Dineo, her stubborn, traditional father and terminally ill sister. Powerful performances delivered by each cast member paired with exceptional cinematography makes The Forgotten Kingdom a compelling story that leaves the audience emotionally moved and wanting more. 

    IT FELT LIKE LOVE
    Directed by Eliza Hittman

    During an uneventful summer on the outskirts of Brooklyn, Lila, a lonely fourteen-year-old from Gravesend, turns her attentions to Sammy, an older thug she sees at Rockaway beach. Wanting something to brag about, she weaves a story about him and becomes fixated on seeing it realized. Deluded and awkward in her romantic pursuit, she soon finds herself in a dangerously vulnerable situation. 

    PURGATORIO
    Directed by Rodrigo Reyes 
    East Coast Premiere

    A line in the sand is drawn in Purgatorio, where only the desperate and courageous dare cross. Documentary director Rodrigo Reyes questions the role of humanity on planet earth and how the divisions we’ve created between one another have set in motion a millennium of adversities.
    Fast forward to present day, where the border between the United States and Mexico echoes the mistakes of generations past as immigrants are taking great pains to find a better life north of the Rio Grande. They will endure heat exhaustion, dehydration, sexual assault and much worse. All of this to escape a world from where even the most devout must work from dawn until dusk under the baking sun in order to survive. Even then, the fatal whims of a stray bullet can still threaten to cut short a life of perdition, and deliver them to whatever waits beyond. 

    THE RETRIEVAL 
    Directed by Chris Eska
    East Coast Premiere

    2007 WFF Alum and Maverick Award winner for Best Narrative Feature (August Evening) returns with a powerful period drama set on the outskirts of the Civil War. Teenage Will is a young African-American bounty hunter. Moral boundaries are crossed as Will, along with his uncle Marcus work for a gang recapturing runaway slaves. The two are contracted to cross Union lines and bring back freed slave and accused murderer Nate in an astounding performance by Tishuan Scott. Yasu Tanida’s beautiful cinematography turns the Texas landscapes into another essential character. Eska, meanwhile patiently crafts a brilliantly acted tour de force that foists tough ethical questions upon the viewer. 

     

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  • Shane Black, Jonathan Demme Among Lineup for 2013 Austin Film Festival Conference

    Austin Film Festival Conference 

    Austin Film Festival (AFF) announced the 2013 lineup of Panelists at this year’s Conference and what the festival describes as ” the strongest brain trust of writers and filmmakers ever assembled in the twenty year history of the Festival.” Attendees include Shane Black, Jonathan Demme, Leslie Dixon, Vince Gilligan, Brian Helgeland, Rian Johnson, Richard Kelly, Jenji Kohan, Chris Lowell, David Lowery, Ray McKinnon, Jeff Nichols, Ron Nyswaner, Roberto Orci, Dan Rather, Robert Rodriguez, David Shore, Norman Steinberg, Jim Taylor, Rob Thomas, Beau Willimon, and more.

    AFF will award Callie Khouri the Distinguished Screenwriter Award. Khouri galvanized women and sparked nationwide debate in 1991 with the hit movie Thelma and Louise, her screenwriting debut, which was nominated for six Academy Awards®. She received the Oscar, the Golden Globe, the Writers Guild of America Award and a PEN Literary Award for Best Original Screenplay. Her second picture,Something to Talk About, starred Julia Roberts, Dennis Quaid and Robert Duvall. Her directorial debut, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, starred Sandra Bullock and Ashley Judd, which she also adapted for the screen. In 2006 Khouri collaborated with legendary television producer Steven Bochco and wrote and directed the television drama, Hollis and Rae. She is currently the creator and executive producer of the TV show Nashville starring Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere. Khouri will accept the award at the Festival’s annual Awards Luncheon held on Saturday, October 26, 2013 at the Austin Club. Past Distinguished Screenwriter Honorees include Lawrence Kasdan, David Peoples, Frank Pierson, Eric Roth, Paul Schrader, Caroline Thompson, Bill Wittliff, and Steven Zaillian.

    Scheduled Panelists for the 20th Anniversary Conference are Robert Rodriguez (director/producer Sin City, Machete, Machete Kills) andRoberto Orci (creator Fringe, writer Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness), who will discuss their recent collaboration on El Rey, Rodriguez’s owned and operated cable network, which will host their upcoming original scripted series.

    Jenji Kohan (creator Weeds, Orange is the New Black), joins David Shore (creator House), Terri Edda Miller, and Andrew Marlowe(creators Castle) by way of the Writers Guild Foundation as part of the Scribble-to-Screen panel series, complimented by an extensive exhibit showcasing the Foundation’s renowned traveling script library.

    AFF will feature a staged script reading of Vince Gilligan’s unproduced feature screenplay “2 FACE”, directed by Rian Johnson. The script follows a man with a split personality disorder who finds himself taking opposite sides of the political spectrum

    Dan Rather (journalist, producer, news anchor CBS Evening News) joins writer/director Anne Rapp for a discussion on their upcoming documentary on playwright Horton Foote, using their research and production process as one of the Conference’s many case studies for aspiring filmmakers.

    Additional Conference case studies include:

  • A conversation on launching a television show, and the creator/executive producer relationship using Ray McKinnon and Mark Johnson’s Sundance original series Rectify as a blueprint.

  • An in-depth look at adapting the Veronica Mars television series into a feature film, with creator Rob Thomas and actor Chris Lowell.

  • Script-to-screen panels on the writing and directing processes that went into Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with Shane Black and Brickwith Rian Johnson.

    • AFF’s continuing ‘Conversation in Film’ series will highlight the craft and career of leaders in the film and television industry, includingBeau Willimon (creator House of Cards), Ron Nyswaner (writer Philadelphia, The Painted Veil), Leslie Dixon (writer Overboard, Limitless, The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)), Jim Taylor (writer Sideways, About Schmidt ), and more.

    Indie film favorites, David Lowery (writer/director Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Pioneer), Jeff Nichols (writer/director Mud, Take Shelter), and Richard Kelly (writer/director Donnie Darko, The Box) will speak to the state of independent filmmaking within an ever-changing industry.

    Brian Helgeland (writer/director 42, A Knight’s Tale, writer L.A. Confidential, Mystic River) will present a retrospective screening of Cool Hand Luke. He joins the compilation of special retrospective screenings guest programmed by this year’s Conference panelists. Guest programmers include: Jonathan Demme presenting Greaser’s Palace; Vince Gilligan presenting The French Connection; Shane Blackpresenting My Man Godfrey; Jim Taylor presenting his own Election; and Norman Steinberg presenting Blazing Saddles which he co-wrote with Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor.

     

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  • San Francisco International Film Festival Sets 2014 Dates

    San Francisco International Film Festival

    The San Francisco International Film Festival considered the longest-running film festival in the Americas will be back for its 57th edition, running from April 24 – May 8, 2014.  The festival announced its calls for entries from filmmakers, with works in all genres, forms and lengths being considered.  

    Deadlines:

    Early deadline Monday, October 7
    Regular deadline Monday, November 4
    Final deadline for short films Monday, December 2
    Final deadline for features Monday, December 9 

     

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  • Paul Attanasio and George Tillman Jr. among Milwaukee Film Festival 2013 Tributes

    Paul Attanasio and George Tillman Jr.Paul Attanasio and George Tillman Jr.

    Writer/producer Paul Attanasio (Quiz Show; Donnie Brasco; House, M.D.), writer/director/producer George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food, The Barbershop franchise, The Inevitable Defeat of Mr. and Pete), and brand-new online film site The Dissolve have been announced as the 2013 tributes for the The Milwaukee Film Festival. The 2013 Milwaukee Film Festival runs September 26 – October 10, 2013.

    These annual tributes celebrate the work of individuals who have contributed greatly to film culture through work in differing areas of the film world. Each tribute generally includes both a live appearance from the tribute’s subject(s), as well as a film curated by them for the Milwaukee Film Festival audience. Past honorees include Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney (2012), Academy Award-winning actor Marin Landau (2009), and non-profit documentary powerhouse Kartemquin Films (2011). 

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  • “RETURN TO THE HIDING PLACE” “RUNNING FOR JIM” “YOU WILL LOVE ME” Among Winners of 2013 CenFlo

    RUNNING FOR JIMRUNNING FOR JIM

    CenFlo, Central Florida Film Festival, held over the Labor Day Weekend in Ocoee, Florida, announced the winners of this year’s festival.  The British film, RETURN TO THE HIDING PLACE, co-directed by Josiah Spencer and Peter C. Spencer, won the award for Best Feature.  RETURN TO THE HIDING PLACE is a World War II movie about the Dutch resistance. When the Nazis begin killing Jews in Holland, a group of youth fight to save the lives of the innocent. RUNNING FOR JIM, co-directed by Dan Noyes and Robin Hauser Reynolds, which chronicles the story of Jim Tracy, the most decorated high school cross-country coach in California history, and his battle with fatal Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) – won the award for Best Documentary.The supernatural horror film, YOU WILL LOVE ME, directed by Stephen McKendree was voted Audience Choice. In YOU WILL LOVE ME, a teen girl, after visiting a supposedly haunted forest, comes to believe that a violent poltergeist followed her home and is stalking her.

    Award Winners

    Best Documentary – RUNNING FOR JIM

    Best Foreign Project – SEX ON THE BEACH (United Kingdom)

    Best Animation Project – EMBER

    Best Comedy Short – AMERICA 101

    Best Dramatic Short – IF I WERE A BELL

    Paul Leder Award (Best Student Project) SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL (Miami Dade College)

    Best Feature – RETURN TO THE HIDING PLACE

    Best Florida Project – BLIND PASS

    Audience Choice – YOU WILL LOVE ME

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  • “TALL AS THE BAOBAB TREE” “THE MOSUO SISTERS” “MAGNETIC RECONNECTIONS” Are Winning Films of 2013 Rural Route Festival

    TALL AS THE BAOBAB TREE TALL AS THE BAOBAB TREE

    The Rural Route Festival which ran July 27 – August 4, 2013 at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York City, is calling this year’s festival, ‘one of the best yet.”  The festival announced this year’s winning films which included Best Narrative: “TALL AS THE BAOBAB TREE”;  Best Documentary: “THE MOSUO SISTERS”; and  Best Experimental: “MAGNETIC RECONNECTIONS”

    TALL AS THE BAOBAB TREE directed by Jeremy Teicher is the story of a Senegalese teenage girl who hatches a secret plan to rescue her 11-year-old sister from an arranged marriage. Coumba and her little sister Debo are the first to leave their family’s remote African village, where meals are prepared over open fires and water is drawn from wells, to attend school in the bustling city. But when an accident suddenly threatens their family’s survival, their father decides to sell 11-year-old Debo into an arranged marriage. Torn between loyalty to her elders and her dreams for the future, Coumba hatches a secret plan to rescue her young sister from a fate she did not choose.

    THE MOSUO SISTERSTHE MOSUO SISTERS

    THE MOSUO SISTERS directed by Marlo Poras is the story of Juma and Latso, both are thrust into the worldwide economic downturn when they lose the only jobs they’ve ever known in Beijing. Left with few options, they leave for home, a remote village in the foothills of the Himalayas. But home is no longer what it was, as growing exposure to the modern world is changing the provocative traditions the Mosuo have built around ‘walking marriage,’ in which a couple is not officially unified and does not live together. Determined to keep their mother and siblings out of poverty, Latso sacrifices her dream of an education and stays home to farm, while Juma leaves again to try her luck in Lijiang and Chengdu. Ultimately, though, it’s the sisters’ relationship with one another that hangs in balance as they struggle to navigate the vast cultural and economic divides of contemporary China.

    With an intricate weave of real-time scenes and original interviews, “The Mosuo Sisters” serves as a rare window into a sibling relationship and a one-of-a-kind culture. Marlo Poras is an accomplished documentarian with prior wins at SXSW and critically-acclaimed work for HBO.  “Mosuo Sisters” had its N. American debut last fall at Doc NYC.

    MAGNETIC RECONNECTIONSMAGNETIC RECONNECTIONS

    MAGNETIC RECONNECTIONS by Canadian filmmaker Kyle Armstrong, is described as  a short documentary film contrasting the Northern Lights with decaying manmade debris surrounding the Arctic Canadian town of Churchill, Manitoba. The film touches on the regenerative power of nature and the futility of mankind’s struggle against natural processes of decay. The film features an original score by Jim O’Rourke, a voice-over by Will Oldham and some of the best footage of the aurora borealis ever captured. 

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  • Revelation Perth Sets 2014 Dates and Call For Entries

    Revelation Perth International Film Festival

    Revelation Perth International Film Festival, regarded as one of Australia’s most exciting independent film festivals, returns in 2014, and will screen from July 3-13, 2014 in Perth, Australia.

    Filmmaker submissions are accepted, and may include narrative features, documentary, short film, animation, experimental work and anything in between. Entries for the Revelation Perth International Film Festival close on April 11, 2014.

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  • Documentary on Swedish director Ingmar Bergman to have North American Premiere at Montreal World Film Festival | TRAILER

    TRESPASSING BERGMAN

    TRESPASSING BERGMAN, described as a revealing new documentary on the great Swedish director, will have its North American premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival. The Montreal World Film Festival runs August 22 to September 2, 2013.

    In the mid 1960s Swedish director Ingmar Bergman built a house on the remote island of Fårö in the Baltic Sea. Throughout his life, the exact location of the house was a well-guarded secret. Here Bergman  lived and shot some of his seminal films until his death in 2007. In Trespassing Bergman the audience is taken to the house together with directors such as Alejandro González Iñárritu, Claire Denis, Michael Haneke and others, to tell the story of Bergman, his island and some of his most central films. The documentary includes previously unseen footage from the making of Bergman’s films and interviews with directors and actors shot at Fårö, and around the world. Filmmakers such as Ang Lee, Isabella Rossellini, Harriet Andersson, Zhang Yimou, Woody Allen, Laura Dern, Francis Ford Coppola, Takeshi Kitano, Holly Hunter, Wes Anderson, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Lars von Trier and Ridley Scott offer a fresh and intimate perspective on the life and work of the Swedish master, what his films have meant for them personally and for the history of cinema. Some have been touched, others are in awe, and some are annoyed. Others project personal issues on  Bergman and have fantasies about him. Altogether a portrait of the Swedish master that has not been attempted before.

    http://youtu.be/tgQxPWqargQ

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  • Judi Dench, Steve Coogan and Stephen Frears, stars of PHILOMENA at 70th Venice Film Festival

    Judi Dench, Steve Coogan and Stephen Frears, stars of PHILOMENA, in the Venice Movie Stars Lounge at the 70th Venice Film Festival.

    Judi Dench, Steve Coogan and Stephen Frears, stars of PHILOMENA, in the Venice Movie Stars Lounge at the 70th Venice Film Festival. 

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  • HollyShorts Film Festival Announces 2013 Winners and Sets 2014 – 10th Anniversary Dates

    HOLLYSHORTS BEST SHORT FILM-Tsuyako by Mitsuyo MiyazakiHOLLYSHORTS BEST SHORT FILM-Tsuyako by Mitsuyo Miyazaki

    The 9th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival wrapped after running August 15 – 22, 2013, with the festival’s Awards ceremony celebration at the Roosevelt Hotel Ballroom and lobby hosted by Digital LA’s Kevin Winston. The HollyShorts Best Short Film Grand Prize went to Mitsuyo Miyazaki for her short film Tsuyako, the Best Director prize was awarded to Sacha Feiner for Un Monde Meilleur (A Better World); and the short film Sahasi Chori by Erin Galey took home two HollyShorts Awards, one for Best Producer and the Women in Film Director’s Award. The festival also announced that next year’s festival, it’s 10th Anniversary edition, will take place August 14 – 23, 2014 in Hollywood.

    The 2013 HollyShorts Winners

    HOLLYSHORTS BEST SHORT FILM – Tsuyako by Mitsuyo Miyazaki

    BEST DIRECTOR – Sacha Feiner for Un Monde Meilleur (A Better World)

    METHOD STUDIOS HOLLYSHORTS BEST VFX – Our Lady of Lourdes by Peter Szewczyk

    BEST COMMERICAL – Coca Cola – Happiness in the Air by Hugh Mitton 

    BEST MUSIC VIDEO – Vengeance Rhythm by Christopher Ullens de Schooten

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Brightwood Connor Hair.

    BEST ACTOR – Gabe Fazio for the film Gun

    BEST ACTRESS – Carla Quevedo for the film Side Effects

    BEST ACTION – The Forge by Stephen Reedy

    BEST DRAMA – ROTKOP by Jan Roosens and Raf Roosens

    BEST ANIMATION – Alienation by Silvia Carpizo

    BEST COMEDY – Loveseat by Matthew Richmond

    BEST 3D SHORT – Le Grand Combat by Jean – Nicolas Rivat

    3D SHORT Runner up – Eysian Fields by Ina Conradi

    BEST DOCUMENTARY – Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution by Matthew VanDyke

    BEST EDITING – I’m Right Here – Christopher Soren Kelly

    WOMEN IN FILM DIRECTORS AWARD – Erin Galey for her short Sahasi Chori

    BEST STUDENT – MAGNESIUM by Sam de Jong

    BEST HORROR FEARNET AWARD – Do You Believe in the Devil by Alex Grybauskas

    BEST THRILLER – Lapsus by Karim OUARET

    BEST CROWD FUNDED FILM – And After All by Julian Ungano

    BEST INTERNATIONAL – Tweesprong by Wouter Bouvjin

    BEST NARRATIVE – GUN by Spencer Gillis

    BEST PRODUCER – Sahasi Chori by Erin Galey

    BEST SCI FI – Frost by Jeremy Ball

    BEST TRAILER – Rainbow Bay by Mack Lindon

    BEST SOUND – The Fifth Horseman by Kari Barber

    BEST WEB SERIES – Inside Joke On Gentrification by Brian Neaman and Michael Southworth

    PANAVISION FUTURE FILMMAKER AWARD – Karaoke! By Andrew Renzi

    HOLLYSHORTS SPECIAL JURY AWARD – The River by Sam Handel

    HOLLYSHORTS SPECIAL JURY AWARD – A Great Man by Joshua Dawson

    HOLLYSHORTS SPECIAL JURY AWARD – Death of Shadow by Tom Van Avermaet

    HOLLYSHORTS MENTION – Cootie Contagion by Josh Smooha

    HOLLYSHORTS MENTION – Marla by Nick King

    HOLLYSHORTS MENTION – 8:47 by Nik Kacevski

    Image via HollyShorts Film Festival Facebook

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  • New Indie Films, Documentaries in Theaters This Weekend Friday August 30

    THE LIFEGUARD, PASSION, AFTERNOON DELIGHT, I DECLARE WAR, OUR NIXON, ABIGAIL HARM, WHAT WOULD BEAR DO?, INSTRUCTIONS NOT INCLUDED, APPROACHING MIDNIGHT, AMERICAN MADE MOVIE, SATAN HOLD MY HAND

    Because of the Labor Day holiday there aren’t any notable mainstream movies coming out (unless you happen to be a One Direction fan). So if you’re not planning to spend the weekend standing behind a barbecue, check out one of these films in limited release instead.

    THE LIFEGUARD

    THE LIFEGUARD
    Director: Liz W. Garcia
    Starring: Kristen Bell, Martin Starr, Mamie Gummer, Joshua Harto
    Can you go home again? The first film from television writer Liz W. Garcia (who wrote episodes of Dawson’s Creek, Cold Case, and Memphis Beat), The Lifeguard stars Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) as a twenty-something woman who quits her job in New York to move back to the town she grew up in and takes up her old summer job in an attempt to turn back the clock. Kristen Bell fans will likely enjoy it, but the horrid reviews will likely scare away other viewers.

    PASSION

    PASSION
    Director: Brian De Palma
    Starring: Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace, Paul Anderson, Karoline Herfurth
    Few directors in film history can do thrilling like Brian De Palma, but when I saw Passion (which is a remake of the 2010 French film Love Crime) almost a year ago at the New York Film Festival I wasn’t impressed (most critics have given it so-so reviews). Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace lock horns as businesswomen after the same ideal promotion and the same man. McAdams is unbelievably striking on the screen in her manipulative role, but the film’s “thrilling” plot falls apart rather messily.

    AFTERNOON DELIGHT

    AFTERNOON DELIGHT

    Director: Jill Soloway
    Stars: Kathryn Hahn, Juno Temple, Josh Radnor, Jane Lynch
    Afternoon Delight is the first feature film from television writer/producer Jill Soloway (who has written episodes of Six Feet Under and United States of Tara) and stars longtime funny supporting actress Kathryn Hahn (Step Brothers, Anchorman) in a leading role. Hahn plays an idle suburban housewife who meets a young stripper (Juno Temple) and thinks she can “save” her. I guess everyone has a different way of solving boredom, right? Soloway won the Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival for her work.

    I DECLARE WAR

    I DECLARE WAR
    Director: Jason Lapeyre & Robert Wilson
    Starring: Siam Yu, Kolton Stewart, Gage Munroe. Michael Friend
    Though “kids with guns” is obviously a touchy subject, I Declare War is about the power of imagination when a group of young kids playing Capture the Flag with sticks for guns imagine themselves on vast battlefields full of destruction with real weaponry. As a result, the audience sees the kids at play in both the real world and on their dream-like battlefields. It’s a really clever concept that shows how seriously kids take their playtime.

    OUR NIXON (Documentary)

    OUR NIXON
    Director: Penny Lane
    While President Richard Nixon is mostly vilified by history (and terrible portrayals by John Cusack in The Butler!), his closest friends and advisors — including those who were convicted in the Watergate scandal — had a deep affinity for a man they felt was misunderstood. Our Nixon looks at newly unearthed Super 8 movies of Nixon outside of his office in his private life and gives a more human portrait of a man that many only know from history books.

    ABIGAIL HARM

    ABIGAIL HARM
    Director: Lee Isaac Chung
    Starring: Tetsuo Kuramochi, Will Patton, Amanda Plummer, Burt Young
    Though Abigail Harm is only opening at The Quad in New York City this weekend, interest in the film suggests that it will likely expand soon. Inspired by the Korean folktale “The Woodcutter and the Nymph,” Abigail (Amanda Plummer) is a loner who lives in New York City who has attachment issues. She is given a wish, and though she wishes for love it’s not exactly what she wished for.

    WHAT WOULD BEAR DO?

    WHAT WOULD BEAR DO?
    Director: Fritz Brekeller & Josh Folan
    Starring: Phil Burke, Josh Folan, Rick Montgomery Jr., Molly Fahey, Graci Carli, Avery Pearson
    Here’s a rule about camping: if you’re not an experienced camper, don’t go too far from civilization. What Would Bear Do? is a comedy about two dimwits who decide to make their own survival documentary in the hopes that they will impress their favorite survivalist television star. Of course, bringing their girlfriends along probably makes the situation a lot more difficult to imagine, especially since their knowledge of survival seems entirely drawn from reality shows. Sounds like it could definitely be very funny.

    Other notable weekend indie, foreign & documentary releases:
    INSTRUCTIONS NOT INCLUDED
    APPROACHING MIDNIGHT
    AMERICAN MADE MOVIE (Documentary)
    SATAN, HOLD MY HAND

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