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European Film Academy to Honor Catherine Deneuve

Awards

Catherine Deneuve will be honored with the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD by the European Film Academy for “her outstanding body of work.” Catherine Deneuve will be an honorary guest at the 26th European Film Awards Ceremony on December 7th, 2013, in Berlin.

Catherine Deneuve has starred in over 100 films, among them DANCER IN THE DARK by Lars von Trier, 8 FEMMES (earning her a Silver Bear in Berlin and a European Film Award) and POTICHE by François Ozon, UN CONTE DE NOËL by Arnaud Desplechin and PALAIS ROYAL by Valérie Lemercier. She can currently be seen in Emmanuelle Bercot’s ELLE S’EN VA (On my Way) and is now shooting TROIS COEURS by Benoît Jacquot.
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Australia’s Greek Film Festival Sets 2013 Dates; Early Films Include “THE DAUGHTER” “JOY” “MARJORAM”

Greek Film Festival

Thanos Anastopoulos‘s THE DAUGHTER

The 20th Delphi Bank Greek Film Festival will showcase the best of contemporary Greek cinema for Australian audiences from November 6 to November 24, 2013 at Palace Chauvel Cinema in Sydney and November 7 to November 24, 2013 at Palace Cinema Como in Melbourne. It also tours nationally – from October 31 – November 3 in Brisbane, and November 14 to November 17 in Adelaide.

Early program announcements include Thanos Anastopoulos‘s THE DAUGHTER, which premiered earlier in the year at the 2013 Berlinale and recently featured at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival where Athens was showcased in the City to City program strand. Following the coming-of-age of both a young girl and a country amidst change, it’s a contemporary thriller which explores the moral and financial bankruptcies at the core of one family’s crisis.

In the startling narrative, JOY, director Ilias Yannakakis recounts the story of a middle-aged woman, Joy (played with inexhaustible nuance by Amalia Moutoussi), accused of kidnapping a newborn baby from a maternity ward. What begins as the perfect utopia for new mother and child eventually turns into a bitter tragedy. Shot in striking black and white, with minimal dialogue, Yannakakis allows Joy’s mindset to unfold before the eyes of the viewer, resulting in an intricate and poignant psychological drama.

A.C.A.B. ALL CATS ARE BRILLIANT directed by Constantina Voulgaris, daughter of legendary Greek director Pantelis Voulgaris (With Heart and Soul, GFF ’10 and Brides, GFF ’06) is a more buoyant tale that centres on the relationship between artist/activist Electra (Maria Georgiadou) and the young Petros, who forces her to tackle big questions about how to lead a revolutionary life and still find love and happiness amongst the turbulence of the city.

The GFF will also screen MARJORAM by acclaimed director Olga Malea (First Time Godfather, GFF ’09, Honey and the Pig, GFF ’06). The first thriller-drama from a filmmaker celebrated by Greek audiences for her comedies, Marjoram shines a revealing, psychological light into the dark corners of a mother-daughter relationship.
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SHORT TERM 12, Director Destin Cretton Newest Film Among 14 Projects Selected as Finalists for San Francisco Film Society / Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grant

Industry

Destin Cretton

14 narrative feature films finalists have been selected for the latest round of the (San Francisco Film Society) SFFS/ Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grant. SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grants are awarded twice annually to film projects that will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community.

Recent SFFS / KRF Filmmaking Grant winners include SHORT TERM 12, Destin Cretton’s sophomore feature which won both the Narrative Grand Jury Award and Audience Award at South by Southwest 2013 and is currently in theaters nationwide; Ryan Coogler’s debut feature FRUITVALE STATION, which won the Un Certain Regard Avenir Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the narrative category at Sundance 2013, has had a wildly successful two-month theatrical run and is an Oscar hopeful in multiple categories; and BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, Benh Zeitlin’s debut phenomenon which won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize and Cannes’ Camera d’Or in 2012, earned four Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture) and became an indie box office smash.

FINALISTS

DOCTOR
Musa Syeed, director/producer/writer; Nicholas Bruckman, coproducer — screenwriting
Salim, a disgraced young doctor from India, will do anything to rebuild his former life. But when he starts practicing medicine illegally in New York, he’s drawn into a medical underworld where he risks losing everything.

ESCAPE FROM MORGANTOWN
Peter Nicks, writer/director — screenwriting
A young addict arrives at a federal prison camp with a plan to turn his life around, but is drawn into the intoxicating world of a crew of seasoned inmates.

THE FIXER
Ian Olds, writer/director; Caroline von Kuhn, producer — packaging
An Afghan journalist is exiled from his war-torn country to a small bohemian community in Northern California. When he attempts to turn his menial job on the local police blotter into “Afghan-style” coverage of local crime he gets drawn into the backwoods of this small town-a shadow Northern California where sex is casual, true friendship is hard to come by, and an unfamiliar form of violence burbles up all around him.

G.E.Z.I.
Aslihan Unaldi, writer/director — postproduction
This political and psychological drama is a fictionalized account of the dramatic night when a peaceful demonstration in Istanbul’s Gezi Park turned into a major national uprising. The story follows three main characters: a strong, liberal woman, her idealistic boyfriend and her apolitical ex-lover. As intricate layers of past secrets are revealed, deeper insight is gained into their characters and situation, which is closely intertwined with the political events accelerating around them.

HELLION
Kat Candler, writer/director; Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams, producers — postproduction
When his delinquent behavior forces his little brother to be taken away, a motocross-obsessed teenager and his emotionally absent father must take responsibility for their destructive behavior to bring him home.

KICKS
Justin Tipping, writer/director; Joshua Astrachan, David Kaplan and Adele Romanski, producers — preproduction
Fifteen-year-old Brandon, from a rough part of Richmond, California, has always been picked on. He has survived by running away from trouble all his life. But after getting jumped over a new pair of kicks, Brandon recruits his two best friends to join him on a mission to get his shoes back. The odyssey they embark on is at once the night of their lives and a gamble with life-and-death stakes.

LITTLE ACCIDENTS
Sara Colangelo writer/director; Jason Michael Berman, Anne Carey, Thomas B. Fore and Summer Shelton, producers — postproduction
In a small American coal town, the disappearance of a boy draws a young miner, the lonely wife of a mine executive and a local 14-year-old together in a web of secrets.

LOS VALIENTES / THE BRAVE ONES
Aurora Guerrero, writer/director; Chad Burris, producer — packaging
Felix Lopez is gay, undocumented and living in San Francisco until his family obligations move him across the country to a small Pennsylvania mining town to join his undocumented sister. Once there, alienated by local and family politics, Felix finds unexpected solace in the company of one person: his sister’s husband.

LOVE LAND
Joshua Tate, writer/director/producer; Andrew Richey, producer — postproduction
Love Land follows Ivy, a young woman with a severe traumatic brain injury, as she faces her refusal to be identified as a person with an intellectual disability. When she is placed in an institution for being a danger to herself and others, Ivy will stop at nothing to prove to the world — and to herself — that she is “normal” enough to transcend the label of “special.”

MA
Destin Cretton, writer/director — screenwriting
After being a mom for 30 years, Jan is forced to deal with the fact that her youngest son has finally left the nest. On a road-trip down the Oregon Coast, she begins to learn what it means to live life after motherhood.

MANOS SUCIAS
Josef Wladyka, writer/director; Elena Greenlee and Márcia Nunes, producers — postproduction
A desperate fisherman and a naive young man embark on a dangerous journey trafficking drugs up the Pacific coast of Colombia. Hidden beneath the waves, they tow a narco-torpedo filled with millions of dollars worth of cocaine. Together they must brave the war-torn region while navigating the growing tension between them.

START AT THE END
Jonah Markowitz, writer/director — packaging
Start at The End is a character-driven drama that explores the similarities between the family we are born into and the one that we create. The story begins with a tragic accident that results in a gay couple becoming caretakers of their teenaged niece and nephew. As grief catapults all four onto seemingly individual paths of despair and discovery, the inherent bond of family contains these journeys into one that is shared.

TERRIBLE LOVE
Christopher Thomas, writer/director; Luke Helmer, producer — postproduction
When her wounded husband returns home from Iraq with violent PTSD, a devoted wife must choose between her daughter’s safety and the preservation of her marriage.

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African Films Under The Spotlight at 49th Chicago International Film Festival

Chicago International Film Festival

Black South-Easter

African films will get international exposure at 49th Chicago International Film Festival, thanks to a three-year grant from the Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Spotlight Africa Program, the third year of the World Cinema Spotlight Program will highlight films from across the African continent including MANDELA: A LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, OF GOOD REPORT and the World Premiere of BLACK SOUTH-EASTER. The 49th Chicago International Film Festival runs October 10 to October 24, 2013.

Spotlight Africa Screenings

The Battle of Tabatô Guinea-Bissau/Portugal (Director: João Viana) – After years of European exile, Imatur returns to his native village of Tabatô to attend his daughter’s wedding, his head still saturated with horrific visions of a war he fought long ago. When tragedy strikes on the road to Tabatô, the entire village must come together in this entrancing, surreal film that blends music and magic with the lingering effects of Guinea-Bisseau’s history. US Premiere.

Black South-Easter South Africa (Director: Carey McKenzie) – When a body washes up on a Cape Town beach, ambitious township cop Sizwe seizes the opportunity to prove himself and earn the promotion he desperately needs. But when the investigation leads him to a black market smuggling ring, Sizwe is caught in the middle of a deadly power play orchestrated by an old friend. With no one left to trust, Sizwe must take the law into his own hands in this gritty crime drama. World Premiere.

Burn It Up Djassa Ivory Coast/France (Director: Lonesome Solo) – Shot on a miniscule budget but positively bursting with style and energy, this hugely inventive DIY crime thriller follows Tony, a young cigarette seller in an Abidjan ghetto. Ignoring the pleas of his policeman brother to stay on the right side of the law, Tony gets increasingly mixed up in local gambling and criminal activities until a moment of violence puts him on the run from the law. Chicago Premiere

Comrade President Zimbabwe (Director: Mosco Kamwendo) – An inspiring portrait of Mozambique’s founding president, Comrade President traces the life and legacy of revolutionary leader Samora Moisés Machel. At the forefront of a popular uprising, Machel helped establish a fledgling government and continued fighting for justice until his suspicious death in 1986. With candid interviews from those who knew Machel best – including his opponents – this documentary examines the indelible legacy of a revolutionary hero. US Premiere

Grigris Chad (Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun) – Despite a paralyzed leg that keeps him on the fringes of society, Grigris comes alive at the local nightclub, tearing up the dance floor every night. When a relative’s hospital bills start piling up, Grigris must turn to the black market for work. After double-crossing his new boss in a desperate attempt at fast money, Grigris finds himself on the run in this sensitive depiction of a desperate, marginalized man by one of Africa’s most celebrated directors. Chicago Premiere

Imbabazi: The Pardon Rwanda (Director: Joel Karekezi) – Best friends Manzi and Karemera find themselves on opposing sides in Rwanda’s ethnic civil war, with Tutsi Karemera’s family paying a horrific price for Manzi’s allegiance to his Hutu heritage. When Manzi is released from prison fifteen years later, his return re-opens old wounds. Filmmaker Joel Karekezi draws from his own experience as a survivor of Rwanda’s violence in creating this moving account of two former friends who must contend with the unimaginable horrors in their past. Chicago Premiere

Malak Morocco (Director: Abdeslam Kelai) – When 16-year-old Malak discovers that she’s pregnant, she quickly finds herself alone in a community that marginalizes and mistreats single mothers. Abandoned by the baby’s father, shunned by her family, and in dire need of cash, Malak is forced to take desperate measures. An elegantly-photographed portrait of a young woman’s struggles, Malak garnered major awards at Morocco’s National Film Festival, including the Jury Prize, Best Screenplay, and Best Actress for its young star Chaimae Ben Acha. US Premiere

Mandela: A Long Walk To Freedom UK/South Africa (Director: Justin Chadwick) – Mandela: A Long Walk To Freedom is based on South African President Nelson Mandela’s autobiography of the same name, which chronicles his early life, coming of age, education, and 27 years in prison before becoming President and working to rebuild his country’s once segregated society. Idris Elba (Prometheus) stars as Nelson Mandela, and Naomie Harris (Skyfall) stars as Winnie Mandela, with Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) directing. Chicago Premiere

Of Good Report South Africa (Director: Jahmil X. T. Qubeka) – This modern day film noir tracks Parker, a shy high school teacher arriving at a new school. While he is earnest in his passion for teaching, his extra-curricular attentions are drawn to a gorgeous young woman. When he realizes she is a student at his very school-and forbidden fruit-he grows increasingly obsessed. When the girl goes missing, a female detective comes snooping around, fueling Parker’s unstable, even dangerous, behavior as she gets closer to the shocking truth. US Premiere

Something Necessary Kenya/Germany (Director: Judy Kibinge) – Anne struggles to rebuild her life after Kenya’s civil unrest has killed her husband, gravely injured her son, and left her isolated farm in ruins. Joseph, a quiet and troubled young gang member who took part in the countrywide violence, is drawn to Anne and her farm, seemingly in search of connection and redemption. This powerful story of forgiveness and reconciliation presents an intimate look at the aftermath of violence on both perpetrators and victims. US Premiere

Die Welt Netherlands/Tunisia (Director: Alex Pitstra) – In the summer of 2011, Tunisia is finally free of its dictatorial shackles, but 23-year-old Abdallah is still a slave to his mundane life, dreaming of an escape to Europe -or “die Welt”- to fulfill his dormant ambitions. Following a chance encounter with Dutch tourist Anna, Abdallah’s passion to reach the other side of the Mediterranean burns brighter than ever before, prompting a desperate gamble for escape in this at turns comic and heartbreaking story. Chicago Premiere

Yema Algeria (Director: Djamila Sahraoui) – In an isolated house on a drought-stricken mountainside, Ouardia must bury the body of her son Tarik, a victim of the civil conflict waging between the government and the fundamentalists. She suspects her other son, Ali, a mujahedeen fighter, has had a hand in the killing. And their mutual distrust is evidenced in the young soldier that Ali has sent to guard her. Beautifully capturing the expansive Algerian countryside this minimalist tale of a single family’s tragedy takes on mythic proportions. Chicago Premiere

Shorts 5 Spotlight Africa – From Earth’s Center – These award-winning African short films tell us stories rich with sympathy and symbolism, hailing from across the continent and beyond.

A Ghanaian family, lost in America, travels to a Louisiana church to find a cure for its problem child in Boneshaker(USA). A majestic drag queen descends into a breakdown in Nairobi’s iconic central station in Fluorescent Sin(Kenya). When two best friends photograph a gigantic fish leaping out of the sea, their small town blossoms into a tourist hot spot in Jonah (Tanzania/UK). In a township divided by an age-old feud, a boy falls in love with a girl from the other side of town in KanyeKanye (South Africa). An old man is getting ready to go to an important meeting in Siggil (France/Senegal). When a small boy catches her with her lover, Fatine must pay a terrible price in The Curse (Morocco, UK). Yellow Fever (Kenya/UK) reflects on the effects that globalization is having on the African woman’s understanding of beauty.

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6 Films Selected for “Views From Long Island” section at the 2013 Hamptons International Film Festival

Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF)

BIG SHOT

Three features and three shorts have been selected for the “Views From Long Island” section at the 2013 Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF 2013). The “Views From Long Island” section focuses on local filmmakers, landscapes and issues. The films include “BIG SHOT”, “THE MAID’S ROOM” and “KISS THE WATER”.

BIG SHOT
Feature Documentary
Directed by Kevin Connolly, a native of Patchogue, NY, who starred as ‘E’ on the hit HBO show Entourage, BIG SHOT is a documentary about the rise and fall of the New York Islanders: how did one Texas millionaire dupe all of Long Island, as well as the NHL? Big Shot will premiere on October 22 on ESPN, as part of the network’s 30 for 30 series.

THE MAID’S ROOM
Feature Narrative; World Premiere
Starring Annabella Sciorra and Philip Ettinger, THE MAID’S ROOM is a haunting thriller about a young woman from Colombia who takes a job as a maid in a Hamptons home. Director Michael Walker (Price Check, Chasing Sleep) is a resident of Bellport, and the film takes place in the Hamptons.

KISS THE WATER
Feature Documentary
For decades, on the outskirts of Scotland, the enigmatic Megan Boyd learned and perfected the obscure craft of fly-making for fishermen. Her flies were hailed as some of the best ever made and have even been collected as folk art pieces. In his lyrical documentary KISS THE WATER, director Eric Steel, who grew up in Bridgehampton, captures the beauty and mysticism of Boyd and the art of fly-fishing.

MISS TODD
Director: Kristina Yee
New York Premiere

LOST THOUGHTS
Director: Jeff Scher
World Premiere

FOOL’S DAY
Director: Cody Blue Snider
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“THE IMMIGRANT” Starring Joaquin Phoenix is Opening Night Film of the 49th Chicago International Film Festival

Chicago International Film Festival

THE IMMIGRANT, directed by James Gray, and starring Academy Award-winning actress Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner, has been selected as the Opening Night Film of the 49th Chicago International Film Festival which runs October 10 to October 24, 2013. The Opening Night Gala is dedicated to the late Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert, a long-time supporter and friend of the Festival.

About THE IMMIGRANT. 1921. In search of a new start and the American dream, Ewa Cybulski (Marion Cotillard) and her sister sail to New York from their native Poland. When they reach Ellis Island, doctors discover that Magda is ill, and the two women are separated. Ewa is released onto the mean streets of Manhattan while her sister is quarantined. Alone, with nowhere to turn and desperate to reunite with Magda, Ewa quickly falls prey to Bruno (Joaquin Phoenix), a charming but wicked man who takes her in and forces her into prostitution. The arrival of Orlando (Jeremy Renner) – a dashing stage magician who is also Bruno’s cousin – restores her self-belief and hopes for a brighter future, but she has not reckoned with Bruno’s jealousy.
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Heartland Unveils Film Festival Lineup; Opens With “GIMME SHELTER” Starring Vanessa Hudgens

Heartland International Film Festival

“GIMME SHELTER” starring Vanessa Hudgens

The indie film “GIMME SHELTER” starring Vanessa Hudgens, will kick off the 22nd Heartland Film Festival which runs October 17 to October 26, 2013, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Centering on 16-year-old Agnes “Apple” Bailey, “GIMME SHELTER” uncovers the struggle for survival and the hope of redemption through the harsh realities of life on the streets of New Jersey. As a pregnant teenager, Apple’s journey plummets to perilous struggles until finding salvation in a suburban shelter for homeless pregnant teens. Based on the lives of actual homeless, pregnant young women, writer and director Ronald Krauss lived in the primary shelter one year prior to production writing the “Gimme Shelter” screenplay. In addition to the opening film, the Academy Award-qualifying festival within the Short Films category will feature a lineup including 134 independent films from 76 countries.

The festival will wrap on Saturday, October 26, with the Special Premiere of “THE BOOK THIEF”starring Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush, who will receive the Heartland Pioneering Spirit Award, and Sophie Nélisse who will receive the Heartland Pioneering Spirit: Rising Star Award and directed by Brian Percival, who will be honored with the Heartland Truly Moving Picture Award for the film.

Based on the beloved bestselling book, “The Book Thief” tells the inspirational story of a spirited and courageous young girl who transforms the lives of everyone around her when she is sent to live with a foster family in World War II Germany.

Narrative Feature ($50,000 Grand Prize)
“The Forgotten Kingdom”
“Hide Your Smiling Faces”
“Life Inside Out”
“This is Where We Live”
“When a Wolf Falls in Love with a Sheep”

Documentary Features ($50,000 Grand Prize)
“Barzan”
“Blood Brother”
“The Genius of Marian”
“Life According to Sam”
“The Network”

Narrative Short ($5,000 Grand Prize)
“The Amber Amulet”
“Liquidation”
“Rhino Full Throttle”
“Springtime”
“The Sweatshop”

Documentary Short ($5,000 Grand Prize)
“Atomic Dream”
“The Circle”
“Herd in Iceland”
“How the Light Gets In”
“Wrinkles of the City – La Havana”

Special presentations include:
“The Crash Reel”
“Gideon’s Army”
“Linsanity”
“Valentine Road”

World premiere titles include, but are not limited to:
“The Christmas Candle”
“Life Inside Out”
“Little Hope Was Arson”
“No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie”

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Thirteen Films to Compete in 49th Chicago International Film Festival LGBTQ Program

Chicago International Film Festival

STRANGER BY THE LAKE directed by Alain Guiraudie

Thirteen films will compete for the inaugural Q-Hugo Film Award, the Festival’s recently rebranded LGBTQ program, at the 49th Chicago International Film Festival which runs October 10 to October 24, 2013. Films include the Chicago Premiere of the much buzzed French film STRANGER BY THE LAKE directed by Alain Guiraudie and the World Premiere of the Taiwanese film VOYAGE by director Scud.

OUT-Look Program

American Vagabond Finland/Denmark/USA (Director: Susanna Helke) – Growing up gay in a family and a community that refuse to accept him for who he is, James leaves his hometown for San Francisco. Moving with his boyfriend Tyler, James imagines easily finding a home in the world’s gay Mecca, but without jobs they end up living among the city’s sizable community of homeless queer youth. Both stylized and deeply personal, this moving documentary presents an intimate portrait of its subjects’ joys and struggles. North American Premiere.

Contracted USA (Director: Eric England) – When gorgeous lesbian Samantha has a drunken one night stand with a strange man, she contracts what she thinks is a sexually-transmitted disease. But the truth is far more disturbing. As her horrific condition worsens, her friends begin to fear for her… and themselves. A gory body-horror film in the vein of David Cronenberg, Contracted provides truly gut-wrenching, visceral terror. North American Premiere.

Floating Skyscrapers Poland (Director: Tomasz Wasilewski) – When the self-assured Kuba, a promising swimmer who lives with his gorgeous girlfriend, meets shy young student Michal, he finds himself falling in love. But his family’s overwhelmingly negative response to his new relationship compounds his own deep-seated internal conflicts and insecurities. Kuba attempts to find peace and fulfillment while keeping one foot in the closet in this moving depiction of the psychic turmoil wrought by homophobia. Chicago Premiere.

Illiterate Chile (Director: Moisés Sepúlveda) – For fifty years, Ximena has managed to get by without being able to read. When Jackeline, a young unemployed teacher, comes into her life, Ximena’s isolation is disturbed. Jackeline’s efforts to teach Ximena how to read prove almost Herculean as they clash, but it soon becomes evident that the two women need each other in ways they could never predict. Mesmerizing performances drive this intimate, engrossing chamber drama about learning and acceptance. North American Premiere.

In The Name Of … Poland (Director: Malgoska Szumowska) – Catholic priest Adam works at a home for troubled boys in the isolated Polish countryside. Deeply committed to the Church, Adam’s convictions are thrown into turmoil when his close bond with a young teen named Łukasz forces his repressed homosexuality to the surface. Desperate to keep his secret but increasingly confronted by his desires, Adam must face who he is and who he has chosen to be in this humane, nonjudgmental portrait of an earnest priest in conflict. Chicago Premiere.

It’s All So Quiet Netherlands/Germany (Director: Nanouk Leopold) – Stifled by his ailing father’s oppressive presence, Helmer moves him to the second floor of their isolated rural farmhouse. Free from his father’s judgmental gaze, Helmer finds himself developing increasingly warm relationships with the milk truck driver and an attractive young farmhand who moves into the house. Helmer quietly acquires a newfound self-confidence and openness towards his own sexuality in this gorgeously acted, intricately plotted film. Chicago Premiere.

Kill Your Darlings USA (Director: John Krokidas) – For dutiful son Allen Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe), Columbia University is Mecca-a portal to art, intellect, culture, and freedom-everything hometown Patterson, New Jersey is not. When Allen is accepted into Columbia, his father Louis (David Cross), a working-class poet, urges him to leave his emotionally ill mother Naomi (Jennifer Jason Leigh) behind and head to New York to go pursue his own creative dreams. Chicago Premiere.

The Nun France/Germany/Belgium (Director: Guillaume Nicloux) – Forced to join a convent against her will at 16, Suzanne describes, in a series of letters written in secret, her yearnings for freedom and her persecution and mistreatment at the hands of her fellow nuns – including Isabelle Huppert in an electrifying performance as her Mother Superior. Her tragic life of suffering and her confrontations with hypocritical church authorities are chronicled with raw, powerful emotion in this moving adaptation of Denis Diderot’s treasured novel. Chicago Premiere.

Snails In The Rain Israel (Director: Yariv Mozer) – In the summer of 1989, beautiful yet melancholy linguistics student Boaz finds his quiet life with his devoted girlfriend Noa derailed when he begins receiving amorous letters from a closeted secret male admirer. Both flattered and troubled, Boaz is thrown into a profound internal conflict, questioning his own sexuality and alienating Noa in this tender, affecting drama.

Stockholm Stories Sweden (Director: Karin Fahlén) – The lives of five seemingly unrelated lost souls intertwine in Sweden’s chilly capital in this delicate and wryly funny ensemble film. A precocious yet untalented young writer, a friendless advertising genius, a tight-lipped workaholic, a shy upper-class boy with a secret crush, and a recently dumped young woman all come to realize hard truths about love and life over the course of several days. World Premiere.

Stranger By The Lake France (Director: Alain Guiraudie) – In a secluded cruising spot tucked away on a picturesque lake, Franck notices the muscular Michel and quickly falls for him. Franck’s desire continues to grow even as he witnesses Michel commit a terrible, violent act. Aware of the potential danger, possibly even excited by it, Franck indulges his passion in this brilliantly observed, sharply insightful meditation on sex and desire that was awarded a directing prize at Cannes. Chicago Premiere.

Voyage Hong Kong (Director: Scud) – Young psychiatrist Ryo attempts to find catharsis by ruminating on the stories of his patients who have taken their own lives. While on a lone voyage off the coast of Southeast Asia, he writes about each patient, the film staging each of these vignettes in a beautiful surrealist landscape. As Ryo tries to find solace, he realizes that life and death are both part of the same great journey in this surprisingly playful meditation on depression. World Premiere.

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Taiwan (Director: Arvin Chen) – Introvert Weichung’s measured life as a family man is shaken up when a chance encounter revives feelings from his long suppressed gay past, forcing him to choose between love and security. Meanwhile, his sister, engaged to the nicest of men, begins to question her own desire for conventional family life. Fantastical flourishes and a sunny musical score color this bittersweet romantic comedy that is at once wise and funny in its exploration of formal notions of family, sexuality, and friendship. Chicago Premiere.
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Urbanworld Film Festival Opens With Premiere of BAGGAGE CLAIM

Urbanworld Film Festival

Rickey Smiley, Derek Luke, Jill Scott, Paula Patton and David E. Talbert at the Urbanworld Opening Night screening of Baggage Claim

The 17th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival kicked off last night, Thursday, September 19, 2013, with the premiere of the romantic comedy BAGGAGE CLAIM at the SVA Theater in Manhattan. Director David E. Talbert along with cast members Paula Patton, Derek Luke, Jill Scott, Jenifer Lewis and Rickey Smiley all attended the premiere. Urbanworld runs through Sunday, September 22, 2013.
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ZERO CHARISMA to NY Premiere at New York Comic Con | TRAILER

News

New York Comic Con (NYCC) will host a special premiere of ZERO CHARISMA on opening night of New York Comic Con, which will take place at the Javits Center in New York City, Thursday, October 10 to Sunday October 13, 2013. Directors Katie Graham and Andrew Matthews and star of the film, Sam Eidson, will be in attendance. Zero Charisma world premiered at SXSW Film Festival where it won the Audience Award in the Narrative Spotlight category.

As the strict Game Master of a fantasy role-playing game, Scott (Sam Eidson) leads his friends in a weekly quest through mysterious lands from the safety of his grandmother’s kitchen. But his mastery of his own domain starts to slip — along with everything else in his life — when neo-nerd hipster Miles (Garrett Graham) joins the game, winning over the group with his confident charm and dethroning Scott with an unexpected coup. Caught in delusions of grandeur, Scott must roll the dice and risk everything to expose Miles as the fraud he believes him to be. A darkly comedic fable of epic proportions, Zero Charisma is an ode to nerds from every realm.

“We’re extremely excited to be premiering Zero Charisma at New York Comic Con,” said directors Katie Graham and Andrew Matthews. “It’s hard to believe that this film we shot literally in our backyard last year is about revealed to a wide audience and we any think of a more fitting way to kick it off!”

Beginning September 26, 2013 fans can enter to win limited access tickets to the Zero Charisma screening via this link.

ZERO CHARISMA will be released this Fall beginning October 8, 2013 on cable/telco and satellite video-on-demand platforms, as well as iTunes, Amazon Watch Instantly, VUDU, Xbox, Playstation, and Google Play, followed by a theatrical release on October 11, 2013.

http://youtu.be/2Bun5bJ2nVE
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New Indie Films, Documentaries in Theaters This Weekend Friday September 20

News

It’s a quieter weekend than usual on the indie release scene this weekend (though September in general is always a quiet month at the multiplex), but what is coming out promises to provide plenty of variety. There are documentaries, romantic comedies, dramas, and even a sequel to one of the most controversial horror films in recent years. So even if there isn’t a lot of films coming out, there truly is something for everyone at the art house cinema this weekend.

GENERATION IRON (Documentary)

The 1977 documentary Pumping Iron remains one of the most influential documentaries ever made — and even it wasn’t, it would still be famous for launching the film career of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Generation Iron is a follow up documentary focusing on the world of bodybuilding thirty-five years later as the top competitors prepare for the Mr. Olympia competition. If you are a fan of Pumping Iron, chances are you’ll love this too.

THANKS FOR SHARING

Though Thanks for Sharing debuted way back at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and has seen international release already, this New York-based romantic comedy about sex addiction from Stuart Blumberg (writer of The Girl Next Door and The Kids Are All Right) is finally getting a limited U.S. release. It features a number of big names, including Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim Robbins, Josh Gad and even musician Pink.

A SINGLE SHOT

A Single Shot appeared at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and was soon scooped up for distribution by Tribeca Films. Directed by Janie Jones/Falling Up director David M. Rosenthal, A Single Shot stars Sam Rockwell as a lone gunman pursued by criminals in the woods (including William H. Macy). Though it has been available on VOD for a few weeks, this weekend it will be released in limited theaters.

C.O.G.

The most significant thing about C.O.G. is that author David Sedaris has never allowed his work to be adapted before, but he has allowed filmmaker Kyle Patrick Alvarez (2009’s Easier with Practice) to adapt this autobiographical essay with Jonathan Groff in the lead as a man out of his element as a farmer. Since premiering at Sundance it has garnered generally favorable reviews, and it remains to be seen if Sedaris will allow more of his work to be turned into films.

HAUTE CUISINE

This French film about Danièle Delpeuch, who became first official female head chef for the French President made its debut in its home country last summer, and the U.S. is actually one of its last stops on its international release. Critics have expressed concern that it might not play well with American audiences, but if you are a Francophile you should probably be first in line.

+1

Director Dennis Iliadis is best known for his last movie, the horror film The Last House on the Left, and while +1 is more of a twisted thriller than a horror film it still should satisfy those who enjoyed his previous film. Three college friends go to a huge party that goes “WTF” pretty quickly when the party gets caught in a time loop. Though it premiered at SXSW this year, there hasn’t been much word on the film yet.

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2

When it comes to recent cult classic horror films, few have been as popular — or talked about — as 2010’s I Spit on Your Grave about a woman seeking harsh revenge on her former tormentors. Director Steven R. Monroe (who, believe it or not, used to work the camera on Pee-wee’s Playhouse) returns to direct the sequel from new writers Neil Elman and Thomas Fenton. Though it isn’t directly connected to the original, it follows the same theme and a similar storyline. Though it is only being release theatrically in Los Angeles, it will be available on DVD next week.

ZAYTOUN

In a sort of “can’t we all just get along?” vein, this UK/Israel production that debuted at 2012’s Toronto International Film Festival tells the story of a young soccer-loving Palestinian refugee and his friendship with an Israeli fighter pilot (played by Stephen Dorff) whom he helps escape capture. Some critics have called it a bit sappy, but there’s obviously a good message here that the filmmakers are trying to get across.

OTHER NOTABLE WEEKEND INDIE, FOREIGN & DOCUMENTARY RELEASES:

WEEKENDER

JEWTOPIA

THE SHORT GAME (Documentary)

MEN AT LUNCH (Documentary)

AFTER TILLER (Documentary)

MY LUCKY STAR

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Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Unveils 2013 Lineup; Open with FREE RIDE and Closes with WALKING WITH THE ENEMY

Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival

Mark Schmidt’s WALKING WITH THE ENEMY

Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLiFF) revealed the official line-up of over 175 American Independent films and World Cinema for the 28th annual event, October 18 to November 11, 2013. The festival opens on October 18 with the Southeast Premiere of FREE RIDE.   Actress, Anna Paquin, who won the Oscar® for her role in The Piano and writer/director, Shana Betz, will be in attendance.  Free Ride is Betz directorial debut and is based on her childhood in Fort Lauderdale. October 18 also happens to be her birthday. In Free Ride, Paquin stars as a single mom caught up in the Florida drug trade during the late 1970s while trying to make a better life for her two girls.

FLiFF’s Centerpiece Film (on November 5) is the Florida Premiere of the sophisticated comedy GARIBALDI’S LOVERS, an entry from Italy-Switzerland.  The contemporary love story is a vibrant ride through a magical vision of metropolitan Italy, while at the same time casting a critical eye on modern life in the city. Widowed plumber Leo is struggling to deal with the growing pains of his two adolescent children, when his life intersects with penniless artist Diana and her eccentric landlord Amanzio. Through a hilarious series of coincidences, they give each other new hope for their futures – and for the city itself, so emblematic of our times.

FLiFF’s Closing Night Film on November 10 is the Southeast Premiere of Mark Schmidt’s WALKING WITH THE ENEMY, an unforgettable film of love, war, and sacrifice, which is sure to inspire and touch audiences. Starring Hannah Tointon and Jonas Armstrong, who are expected to attend, Walking with the Enemy is based on a true story and heroic life of a young man swept up in the horrors of WWII. Separated from his family during the German invasion and occupation of Hungary, he is determined to find them and be reunited. Aided by the woman he loves, he disguises himself as a Nazi SS Officer and uncovers the truth of Hitler’s ‘final solution.’ In a race against time to save his family and thousands of others, he embarks on a journey filled with suspense and danger.

FLiFF will honor Anna Paquin, star of Free Ride, and Lea Thompson,star of The Trouble with the Truth, with Career Achievement Awards at the screening of their films. Tab Hunter, Ed Asner and Ann-Margret will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at special events paying tribute to their luminary careers in film. This year the Star on the Horizon Award will be presented to two incredibly talented actors, Hannah Tointon and Jonas Armstrong, who star in FLiFF’s closing night film. The FLiFF 2013 Vision Award will be presented to Ben Stassen, director ofAfrican Safari 3-D.

Some of the highlighted features this year include: John Well’s  August: Osage County featuring an all-star cast including: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Sam Shepard and Misty Upham. From the director of The Devil Wears Prada, Dave Frankel’s British comedy One Chance; The Florida Premieres of Mike Newell’s Great Expectations starring Jeremy Irvine, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter; From the director of Don Juan De Marco, Jeremy Levin, and the producers of the Academy Award winning movie, The Lives of Others, comes this charming and fun-filled romantic comedy Girl On A Bicycle.  John Turteltaub’s Last Vegas starring four legends like you’ve never seen them before. Academy Award®-winners Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline portray childhood friends who relive their glory days when they throw a bachelor party in Las Vegas for their last remaining single. Justin Chadwick’s Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom based on South African President Nelson Mandela’s autobiography; Alexander Payne’s adventure of a father and son traveling Nebraska stars Bruce Dern, Will Forte, Bob Odenkirk and June Squibb; and Jim Hemphill’s feature The Trouble With Truth starring Lea Thompson.

World Premieres include (30): Arthur Luhn’s feature House Across The Street starring Eric Roberts (USA), Matthew White’s documentary The Upside Down Book(U.S./Germany/France), Jon Sumple’s fascinating extraterrestrial doc extraordinary:the stan romanek story, Kenneth Shapiro’s The Making of Great Voices Sing John Denver(USA), Gus Cantavero’s documentary A Drop of Water (Cambodia), Juana M. Frias’ short film 9 Birthdays (USA), Lisa Resnik’s short film 95 Decibels (USA), Marcus Wolf ‘s short film Abduction: A Love Story (USA), Scott Ross’ and Karl Beyer’s short film The Burning House (USA), Brian Bayerl’s short film The Case (USA-Japan), Aneel Ahmad Checkpost (Pakistan), Samuel and Luke Willis’ short film Freefall (USA), Rick Santese’ short film Forever (USA), Larelle Bossi’s short film The Game(Australia), Joe Pisciotta’s short film Human Nature (USA), H.W. Moss’ short film The Injuries to Tim Dale (USA), Maritza De Quesada’s short film I’d Rather Be Crazy Than Boring South Florida director, Jayce Bartok’s short film Jack and Paul (USA), Alyn Darnay’s feature Krissy Belle (USA-Florida), Mike Glier’s thriller The Last Hit(USA-Snshine Celluloid), John Rhee’s short film Letters (USA), Jon Bougher’s short documentary Mozayik (Haiti), Kareem Mortimer’s short film Passage (Bahamas), Thierry de Coster’s short film Prrreüte (Belgium), Chris Shimojima’s short film Pura Vida (Costa Rica), Neil Golin’s feature Run, Stinky, Run (USA-Florida), Amy French’s short film Side Effects of Barry (USA),  Keary T. Cunningham’s short film Sleep: The Movie (Florida), Marcus Wolf’s short film Sock Monkey Stories (USA), Stéphane Everaert’s and Frédéric Mosbeux’s short film Stock Exchange (Belgium).

U.S. Premieres include (18): Ben Stassen’s ride of your life African Safari 3-D, ThierryGaytan’s documentary The Cocaine Route (Columbia/France), Darisha Beresford’s short film The Cutlass (Trinidad and Tobago), Pourya Azarbaijany’s feature Everything is Fine (Iran), Nathaniel Prince Lewis’ short film Frapper Avec Amour (The Bahamas), Andrzej Jakimowski’s feature The Geographer Drank His Globe Away (Poland), Sherese Robinson Lee’s short film If I Were A Bell (USA), Andrzej Jakimowski’sImagine (Poland), Natasha Merkulova’s and Alexey Chupov’s feature Intimate Parts(Russia), Agnes Obadia’s feature Josephine, Single & Fabulous (France), Josh Tanner’s short film The Landing (Australia), Christopher Payne’s feature Love Tomorrow starring English National Ballet Principal Cuban born Arionel Vargas (UK), Momcilo Mrdakovic’s comedy Mamarosh (Serbia/Germany/Hungary), Johnny Vong’s short film The Marvelous Girl (Canada), Charles Wilkinson’s documentary Oil Sands Karaoke (Canada), Mark Lobatto’s short film Silent Treatment (UK), Antonin Svoboda’s docu-drama The Strange Case of Wilhelm Reich (Austria), Laurent Tuel’s feature Tour de Force (France).

East Coast Premieres include (21): Richard E. Stark’s short film 30-Love,   Miranda Bailey’s short film Another Happy Anniversary , Stephen Cone’s feature Black Box(Russia), Alexey Fedorchenko’s feature Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari(Russia), Norry Niven’s enchanting love store Chasing Shakespeare starring Danny Glover (USA) , Zak Forsman ‘s crime-thriller Down and Dangerous  starring Judd Nelson (USA-Mexico), Gabriel Ochoa’s comedy El Amor No Es Lo Que Era (Love’s Not What it Used to Be/Spain), Mary Lambert’s documentary Fishing Pono: Living In Harmony with the Sea (Moloka’i Kaua’i, Hawai’i), Jerod Ra’Del Hollyfield, short film,Goodfriends (USA), Kim Noonan’s short film Heavy, Monty Miranda’s crime mysteryThe Insomniac starring John Heard, and Danny Trejo (USA), Matteo Pellegrini’s comedy Italian Movies (Italy), de la Vega’s short film Left (USA), Ronnie Cramer’s short film Living Legend, Alexandre Castagnetti’s romance feature Love is in The Air(Amour & Turbulences/France), Christina Hadjicharalambous’ & Radoslav Pavkovic’s comedy Loveless Zoritsa (Serbia-Poland-Cyprus-Greece), Ashley Pegg’s short film,Reflections (UK), Caddie Hastings’ & Ben Kopke’s short film Reunion, Akil DuPont’s short film Silhouettes (Florida), Staten Cousins-Roe’s short film, This Way Out (UK), Lydia B. Smith’s documentary Walking The Camino: Six Ways to Santiago (USA-Spain-France).

With Free Ride and Walking With the Enemy, Southeast Premieres include (7): Jerome Bonnell’s feature Just a Sigh starring Emanuelle Devos and Gabriel Byrn (France),  Antonio Piazza’s feature Salvo (Italy), Paolo Virzì’s feature Tutti Santi Giorni (Every Blessed Day/Italy), Anne-Marie Etienne’s feature Under The Fig Tree(Sous le figuier/France), Richard Trank’s docu-drama The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers with voice overs Sandra Bullock as Golda Meir, Michael Douglas as Yitzhak Rabin, Leonard Nimoy as Levi Eshkol, Christoph Waltz as Menachem Begin (Israel).

Documentaries include: Emmy winning Producer/Director, Robyn Symon’s Behind the Blue Veil, is the first exclusive look behind the crisis in the Sahara and exposes the government corruption and neglect of an indigenous people who may be the best hope for defeating Islamic radicals in the region. Tim Phillips’ Lion Ark is a vivid behind the scenes account of the world’s ambitious animal rescue ever undertaken.  Matthew VanDyke’s Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution features the story of the Syrian struggle for freedom. Danny Holguin & Juan Carlos Echeverria’s Interrupted Destinies (Destinos Interrumpidos) after 26 years, two men discover they were switched at birth. Samantha Grant’s A Fragile Trust tells the shocking story of Jayson Blair, the most infamous serial plagiarist of our time. Liam K. Smith’s Ian Harvie Superhero showcases the gender-bending comedian in his first stand-up comedy concert film.

Returning feature filmmakers include: Isaak James with his feature By Way of Homeabout family, friendship, love and the elusive American dream and Paul Osborne with his thriller Favor.

Films with local color include: Brit Primask’s documentary Taking Charge: The Pauly Cohen Story about big band era trumpeter who, at 91, has his own big band in South Florida; Daniel Griffith’s film They Came From The Swamp: The Films Of William Grefé relives the classic drive-in flicks, like Stanley and Mako: The Jaws of Death, by the Miami-born writer/director/producer; George Schellenger’s and marine wildlife artist and conservationist, Guy Harvey’s remarkable adventure documentary Tiger Shark Express.

FLiFF’s last day, November 11, salutes our veterans and active duty service men and women with free admission to screenings, including the Florida Premiere of theUnclaimed. This documentary, about a missing U.S. Serviceman who was discovered living in Vietnam decades after the war, will be preceded by two veteran themed short films, The Case and The Letter.
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