• New York City to Get New Documentary-Only Theater

    New York City officials Kate Levin, Scott Stringer, Margaret Chin and Gale Brewer were joined by acclaimed filmmakers Michael Moore (Bowling For Columbine); Matthew O’Neill (China’s Unnatural Disaster, Redemption), and Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) at a ceremony to mark the groundbreaking of Downtown Community Television Center’s new documentary-only theater.  It is expected to open in early 2015.

    The first of its kind in the United States, the 73 seat, fully-interactive, digital cinema will be the state-of-the-art venue specifically for documentaries in New York City, and will provide theatrical runs to non-fiction filmmakers for Academy Award qualification.  The theater, designed by Lee H. Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership will be built on the ground floor of the beautiful 1896 firehouse that DCTV has called home since 1979. 

     DCTV was founded in 1972 by husband and wife filmmakers Jon Alpert and Keiko Tsuno, and has grown into one of the leading documentary film education and production centers in the country, providing resources for thousands of filmmakers and students, including equipment and facility rentals, screenings, master classes, post-production services and educational programs.

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  • “Anumati ” “The Only Real Game” Among Winners of 2013 New York Indian Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_3822" align="alignnone" width="550"]Closing Night presenters and filmmakers. [/caption]

    The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) announced the winning films of the 2013 festival, which ran April 30 – May 4, with top honors awarded to Anumati directed by Gajendra Ahire, for Best Feature Film and the Best Documentary award went to The Only Real Game, directed by Mirra Bank.

    Director Hansal Mehta took home the Best Director of a Feature Film award for his compelling film Shahid, which traces the true story of slain human rights activist lawyer Shahid Azmi. 

    Below is the full list of winners as well as the presenters who honored the recipients with an award: 

    BEST FEATURE FILM (Narrative) – Anumati, directed by Gajendra Ahire.  The award was jointly presented by Consul General of India, Ambassador Mulay and Ambassador Manjeev Puri. 

    BEST DIRECTOR OF A FEATURE FILM (Narrative) – Hansal Mehta for Shahid.  The award was presented to the director by Feroz Khan and Avinash Kumar Singh. 

    BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURE FILM – Vikram Gokhale as Ratnakar in Anumati, winner of Best Feature Film, directed by Gajendra Ahire. The award was presented by Padma Lakshmi.

    BEST ACTRESS IN A FEATURE FILM – Deepti Naval as Leela Krishnamoorthy, a middle aged widow, in debut filmmaker Avinash Kumar Singh’s Listen Amaya. This award was presented by actor Aasif Mandvi & actress Sarita Choudhury 

    BEST YOUNG ACTOR IN A FEATURE FILM –  Suraj Negi in Hansa. The award was presented by Hansal Mehta and Farooque Sheikh. 

    BEST SCREENPLAY – Dr. Biju for Kashathinte Niram (Color of Sky). The award was presented by Monica Dogra.

    BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM – The Only Real Game, directed by Mirra Bank. The award was presented by Sujata Thakur, Incredible India.

    BEST SHORT FILM – Khaana, directed by Cary Sawhney. The award was presented by Sakina Jaffrey. 

    BEST ONE MINUTE CELL PHONE FILM: Bollywood Style directed by Yi Su. The award was presented by Professor Karl Bardosh.

    Closing Night presenters and filmmakers.
    Photo Credit Nydreams.com (Fahim Feroj)

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  • RiverRun International Film Festival Announces 2013 Winning Films; “Remote Area Medical” Wins Best American Indie Award

    [caption id="attachment_3702" align="alignnone" width="550"]Remote Area Medical[/caption]

    The RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, held April 12–21, 2013, announced the jury and audience awards of the 2013 Festival.  Among the winning films, Altered States Audience Award for Best American Indie was presented to Remote Area Medical, directed by Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman. Remote Area Medical documents the program that provided free healthcare to nearly 2000 uninsured Americans on the infield of Bristol’s NASCAR Speedway in April 2012. 

    Audience Awards: 

    The Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature was presented to Picture Day, directed by Kate Melville.  The Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature was presented to Rising From Ashes, directed by T.C. Johnstone.  Altered States Audience Award for Best American Indie was presented to Remote Area Medical, directed by Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman.

    Juried Awards 

    Narrative Features Competition  

    Best Narrative Feature: In the House, directed by François Ozon
    Peter Brunette Award for Best Director:  William Vega, La Sirga 
    Best Actor: Ariello Arena, Reality
    Best Actress: Suzanne Clément, Laurence Anyways 
    Best Cinematography: Sofia Oggioni, La Sirga
    Best Screenplay: François Ozon, In the House 
    Special Jury Prize: Tey, directed by Alain Gomis

     

    Documentary Features Competition

    Best Documentary Feature: I Am Breathing, directed by Emma Davie and Morag McKinnon 
    Best Director: Ilian Metev, Sofia’s Last Ambulance
    Human Rights Award: A River Changes Course, directed by Kalyanee Mam
    Best Cinematography: Sebastián Hofmann, Pedro González Rubio and Fernanda Romandía, Canícula 
    Special Jury Prize: Twenty Feet from Stardom

     

    Shorts Competitions

    Best Narrative Short: Trois Secondes et Demie, directed by Edouard Beaucamp
    Best Student Narrative Short: Trois Secondes et Demie, directed by Edouard Beaucamp
    Best Documentary Short: Slomo, directed by Joshua Izenberg
    Best Student Documentary Short: The Words in the Margins, directed by Sara Mott
    Special Jury Prize (Documentary Short): Unravel, directed by Meghna Gupta
    Best Animated Short: Second Hand, directed by Isaac King
    Best Student Animated Short: Head Over Heels, directed by Timothy Reckart.

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  • “DRAGON GIRLS” “WHEN I WALK” Win Top Documentary Films Awards at 2013 Hot Docs

     

    DRAGON GIRLS directed by Inigo Westmeier took the big prize – the Best International Feature Documentary Award at the 2013 Canadian International Documentary Festval aka Hot Docs. Dragon Girls follows three young female students studying and living at the Shaolin Tagu Kung Fu school, home to over 20,000 students, far away from their homes and families. WHEN I WALK directed by Jason DaSilva received the Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award. In WHEN I WALK, director Jason DaSilva, diagnosed with a severe form of multiple sclerosis at 25, turns the camera on himself to document a seven-year struggle with the disease that has no cure and a world filled with increasing obstacles. 

    Hot Docs ran April 25 – May 5, 2015 in Toronto, Canada.

    The full list of winners

    Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award

    WHEN I WALK (D: Jason DaSilva; P: Jason DaSilva, Alice Cook; USA, Canada)
    Sponsored by the Documentary Organization of Canada, the award includes a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
    An additional screening has been added on Sunday, May 5, at 6:30 pm at the Isabel Bader Theatre.

    Special Jury Prize – Canadian Feature Documentary
    ALPHÉE OF THE STARS (D: Hugo Latulippe; P: Colette Loumède, Éric De Gheldere, Hugo Latulippe; Canada)
    Sponsored by the Directors Guild of Canada and DGC-Ontario, the award includes a $5000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.

    documentary Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Award
    Director Nicolas Renaud for BRAVE NEW RIVER (Canada)
    Awarded to a first- or second-time Canadian filmmaker with a feature film in the Canadian Spectrum program, the award includes a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of documentary.

    Best International Feature Documentary Award
    DRAGON GIRLS (D: Inigo Westmeier; P: Inigo Westmeier, Andreas Simon; Germany)
    Sponsored by A&E, the award includes a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
    An additional screening has been added on Sunday, May 5, at 6:30 pm at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.

    Special Jury Prize – International Feature Documentary
    CLOUDY MOUNTAINS (D: Zhu Yu; P: Han Lei; China)
    Sponsored by the Ontario Media Development Corporation, the award includes a $5000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.

    HBO Documentary Films Emerging Artist Award
    Director Lotfy Nathan for 12 O’CLOCK BOYS (USA)
    Sponsored by HBO Documentary Films, the award includes a $3000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.

    Best Mid-Length Documentary
    THE CIRCLE (D: Bram Conjaerts; P: Kobe Van Steenberghe, Hendrik Verthé; Belgium)
    Sponsored by the Canada Council for the Arts, the award includes a $3000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.

    Best Short Documentary Award
    NOTES ON BLINDNESS: RAINFALL (D: James Spinney, Peter Middleton; P: Peter Middleton, Jen Kerrison; UK, Australia)
    The award includes a $3000 prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
    Hot Docs is an Academy Award® qualifying festival for short documentaries, and as winner of the Best Short Documentary Award NOTES ON BLINDNESS: RAINFALL will qualify for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided it complies with Academy rules.

    Inspirit Foundation Pluralism Prize
    Director Khoa Lê for BÀ NỘI (Canada)
    Selected by the Inspirit Foundation, the award includes a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of the Inspirit Foundation.
    An additional screening of BÀ NỘI has been added on Sunday, May 5, at 7:30 pm at the Hart House Theatre.

    Lindalee Tracey Award
    This award honouring an emerging Canadian filmmaker with a passionate point of view, a strong sense of social justice and a sense of humour, was presented to two recipients:Antoine Bourges and Rocco Barriuso, both of Toronto.
    Each recipient received a $5000 cash prize from Tides/Lindalee Tracey Fund and $5000 in production services from Technicolour Canada.

    2013 Hot Docs Outstanding Achievement Award
    Les Blank
    Having tragically passed away on April 7, 2013, the award was accepted on his behalf by Chris Simon and Maureen Gosling, his longtime friends and collaborators.

    documentary’s Don Haig Award
    Winnipeg-based producer Merit Jensen Carr
    This award includes a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of documentary.

    2013 Doc Mogul Award
    Debra Zimmerman (Executive Director, Women Make Movies)

    This year’s Audience Award winner and the two runners up are:

    1. MUSCLE SHOALS (D: Greg “Freddy” Camalier, USA)
    2. BLOOD BROTHER (D: Steve Hoover, USA)
    3. A WHOLE LOTT MORE (D: Victor Buhler, UK)

    Also during this year’s Hot Docs Festival, attending filmmakers with official selections in the Festival were invited to vote for their favourite film. This year two films tied for the 2013 Filmmakers Award: THE MACHINE WHICH MAKES EVERYTHING DISAPPEAR (D: Tinatin Gurchiani; Georgia, Germany) and THESE BIRDS WALK (D: Bassam Tariq, Omar Mullick; USA).

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  • Animation Block Party’s 10th Annual Animation Festival July 25-28 in Brooklyn, NY

    Animation Block Party’s tenth annual animation festival will be held July 25 thru 28, 2013 in Brooklyn. The festival is currently accepting filmmaker submissions until May 31,2013. ABP 2013 will exhibit nearly 100 short films in competition alongside numerous special programs including a screening of Beavis and Butt-head Do America in 35mm, a rare showing of Secret of NIMH and silent shorts fromTom Stathes’ Cartoons On Film.

    This summer’s ABP Opening Night will take place at The Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday, July 25th. Animation Block Party 2013 Opening Night will feature two amazing bands, standup comedy, studio cartoon highlights and much more…

    ABP festival weekend will continue with an outdoor screening at Rooftop Films on July 26th followed by ten individual animation programs on July 27th and 28th at The Brooklyn Academy of Music. After parties will follow all late evening screenings.

    Image via flickr

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  • Cinematographer BRADFORD YOUNG to co-host Maryland Film Festival’s Closing Night Film “MOTHER OF GEORGE”

    Cinematographer Bradford Young will co-host the 2013 Maryland Film Festival Closing Night screening of Oscilloscope Laboratories’ Mother of George alongside director Andrew Dosunmu. 
     
    Young won the U.S. Dramatic Cinematography award at Sundance 2013 for his work on both Mother of George and David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. His other film credits as cinematographer includes Dee Rees’ Pariah (2011) and Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere (2012), as well as two features screened within Maryland Film Festival: James Spooner’s White Lies, Black Sheep (MFF 2008) and Dosunmu’s earlier feature Restless City (MFF 2011). 

    [caption id="attachment_3772" align="alignnone" width="550"]Mother of George[/caption]

    Mother of George is the story of a Nigerian couple in Brooklyn struggling to make their young marriage work while running a restaurant and navigating a new culture, featuring “gripping central” performances from Danai Gurira (of The Visitor, The Walking Dead, and Treme) and Isaach De Bankolé. 

    Bradford Young image via The Western Front

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  • “Native Boy,” “Nine to Ninety,” “Strange Fruit” Win Short Film & Video Competition at 2013 USA Film Festival in Dallas

    The USA Film Festival announced the Winners of the 35th Annual National Short Film & Video Competition of the 43rd Annual USA Film Festival in Dallas. The festival ran April 24-28, 2013 at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas, Texas.  Native Boy, directed by Henry Roosevelt (pictured above, Read More … for trailer) about “A story about a boy on a quest to capture the sun” was awarded the First Place prize for Fiction. Nine to Ninety directed by Alicia Dwyer, which ” explores delicate moments of aging through the intimate perspectives of three generations of an Italian American family” was awarded the First Place prize for Non-Fiction. Strange Fruit, directed by Neal Sopata “is a short animated film that contrasts pastoral scenes of the Old South with the racial violence that occurred during the Jim Crow era in the United States” was awarded the First Place prize for Animation.

    Chosen from more than 500 U.S. entries, the winners included:

    Native Boy (Trailer) from Native Boy Films on Vimeo.

    FIRST PLACE / FICTION $1,000
    Native Boy, Henry Roosevelt, director 

    FIRST PLACE / NON-FICTION $1,000
    Nine to Ninety, Alicia Dwyer, director

    [caption id="attachment_3812" align="alignnone" width="550"]Strange Fruit[/caption]

    FIRST PLACE / ANIMATION $1,000
    Strange Fruit, Neal Sopata, director

    First Place Winners in the Fiction, Animation and Non-Fiction categories that meet Academy eligibility requirements qualify for consideration from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 

    THE STUDENT AWARD $250
    Josephine and the Roach, Jonathan Langager, director

    SPECIAL JURY AWARDS $250 each
    Ice, Anthony Tarsitano, director
    Ojala, Ryan Velasquez, director
    Cicada Princess, Mauricio Baiocchi, director

    THE TEXAS AWARD $250
    Southmost U.S.A., Trish Dalton, director

    This year marks the 43rd Anniversary of the Academy-qualified festival, which has awarded more than $250,000 in cash prizes, including prizes to many (then) emerging filmmakers, including Jessica Yu (Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien), Todd Haynes (Superstar and Dottie Gets Spanked), Alexander Payne (The Passion of Martin), George Hickenlooper (Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade), Alan Taylor (That Burning Question) and John Lasseter (Tin Toy).

    In addition to the Jury awards, FESTIVAL-AWARDED PRIZES also went to the following short works:

    Best If Used By (fiction), Aemelia Scott, director
    Old Man (animation), Leah Shore, director
    Silk (fiction), Catherine Dent, director
    The Captain (fiction), Nash Edgerton & Spencer Susser, co-directors
    The Procession (fiction), Robert Festinger, director
    Do Not Duplicate (documentary), Jonathan Mann & Sean McGing, co-directors
    A Little Something on the Side (fiction), Stephen Tobolowsky, director 

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  • Los Angeles Film Festival Announces 2013 Official Film Selections and Closing Night Film Steve Carell’s “The Way, Way Back”

    [caption id="attachment_3563" align="alignnone" width="550"]The Way, Way Back[/caption]

    The Los Angeles Film Festival, released its official film selections for 2013, and made some big announcements –  Fox Searchlight Pictures’ The Way, Way Back, will serve as the Closing Night film for the 2013 Festival, the Festival’s Gala screenings, will include Ryan Coogler’s award winning Fruitvale Station from The Weinstein Company and the North American premiere of Nicholas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives from RADiUS-TWC. The festival previously announced that opening the Festival will be the North American premiere of Pedro Almodóvar’s I’m So Excited!.

    The Way, Way Back, written and directed by Oscar® winners Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, and starring Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet and Liam James. The film is the funny and poignant coming-of-age story of 14-year-old Duncan’s (Liam James) summer vacation with his mother, Pam (Toni Collette), her overbearing boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell), and his daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin). Having a rough time fitting in, the introverted Duncan finds an unexpected friend in gregarious Owen (Sam Rockwell), manager of the Water Wizz water park. Through his funny, clandestine friendship with Owen, Duncan slowly opens up to and begins to finally find his place in the world – all during a summer he will never forget. Fox Searchlight Pictures will release the film on July 5.

    [caption id="attachment_3808" align="alignnone" width="550"]Only God Forgives[/caption]

    The Gala screenings at the 2013 Festival include the North American premiere of RADiUS-TWC’s Only God Forgives, which reunites filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn with his Drive star Ryan Gosling for an audacious piece of cinematic bravura about an American expat in Bangkok’s brutal underworld forced to deal with his mother’s obsession for vengeance after his brother’s murder. The film also stars Kristin Scott Thomas and Vithaya Pansringarm. Also, The Weinstein Company’s Fruitvale Station from first-time feature filmmaker Ryan Coogler, who brings cinematic grace and maturity to the tragic true story of Oscar Grant, a young African-American man, on the fateful day he was killed by Oakland’s BART transit police. It stars Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O’Reilly, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray and Octavia Spencer.

    The 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival runs from Thursday, June 13 to Sunday, June 23, in downtown Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE.

    Narrative Competition (12)

    All Together Now, Alexander Mirecki – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    Forev, Molly Green, James Leffler – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    Forty Years From Yesterday, Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    Four Dogs, Joe Burke – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    Goodbye World, Denis Henry Hennelly – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    The House That Jack Built, Henry Barrial – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    I.D., Kamal K M – India – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    Mother, I Love You, Janis Nords – Latvia – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    My Sister’s Quinceañera, Aaron Douglas Johnston – USA – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    Pollywogs, Karl Jacob, T. Arthur Cottam – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    Winter in the Blood, Andrew Smith, Alex Smith – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    Workers, Jose Luis Valle – Mexico/Germany – US PREMIERE

     

    Documentary Competition (10)

    All of Me, Alexandra Lescaze – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, Grace Lee – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    Code Black, Ryan McGarry – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    The Island of Saint Matthews, Kevin Jerome Everson – USA – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    Llyn Foulkes One Man Band, Tamar Halpern, Christopher Quilty – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    My Stolen Revolution, Nahid Persson Sarvestani – Sweden – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    The New Black, Yoruba Richen – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    Rain, Olivia Rochette, Gerard-Jan Claes – Belgium – US PREMIERE
    Tapia, Eddie Alcazar – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    Purgatorio, Rodrigo Reyes – Mexico/USA – US PREMIERE

     

    International Showcase (15)

    The Act of Killing, Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn – Denmark/Norway/UK (Drafthouse Films)
    Black Out, Eva Webber – UK – NORTH AMERCAN PREMIERE
    Boxing Day, Bernard Rose – UK
    Dormant Beauty, Marco Bellocchio – Italy
    Drug War, Johnnie To – China
    Ernest & Celestine, Stéphanie Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner – France (Gkids)
    The Expedition to the End of the World, Daniel Dancik – Denmark
    The Fifth Season, Peter Brosens, Jessica Woodworth – Belgium/Netherlands/France
    House with a Turret, Eva Neymann – Ukraine
    The Moo Man, Andy Heathcote, Heike Bachelier – UK
    Nobody’s Daughter Haewon, Hong Sang-soo – Korea – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    The Patience Stone, Atiq Rahimi – Afghanistan/France/Germany/UK (Sony Pictures Classics)
    Wadjda, Haifaa Al Mansour – Saudi Arabia/United Arab Emirates/Germany (Sony Pictures Classics)
    When I Saw You, Annemarie Jacir – Palestine/Jordan/Greece/United Arab Emirates/USA
    The Women and the Passenger, Valentina Mac-Pherson, Patricia Correra – Chile – US PREMIERE

     

    Summer Showcase (17)

    Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, David Lowery – USA (IFC Films)
    Brothers Hypnotic, Reuben Atlas – Netherlands/USA
    Casting By, Tom Donahue – USA (HBO Films)
    Concussion, Stacie Passon – USA (RADiUS-TWC)
    The Crash Reel, Lucy Walker – USA (HBO Films)
    Crystal Fairy, Sebastián Silva – Chile (IFC Films)
    Europa Report, Sebastián Cordero – USA (Magnolia Pictures/Magnet Releasing) – US PREMIERE
    First Cousin Once Removed, Alan Berliner – USA (HBO Films)
    Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, Sophie Huber – Switzerland
    In a World…, Lake Bell – USA (Roadside Attractions)
    Our Nixon, Penny Lane – USA
    Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton, Jeff Broadway – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    Short Term 12, Destin Daniel Cretton – USA
    The Spectacular Now, James Ponsoldt – USA
    Venus Vs., Ava DuVernay – USA (ESPN) – WORLD PREMIERE

     

    Community Screenings (5)

    Brasslands, Meerkat Media Collective – USA – FIGat7th Screening – WORLD PREMIERE
    Dazed and Confused (1993), Richard Linklater – USA – 20th Anniversary Screening – FIGat7th Screening
    Hairspray (1988), John Waters – USA – Grand Park Dance-A-Long – 25th Anniversary Screening
    Inequality for All, Jacob Kornbluth – USA – Grand Performances Screening
    Life of a King, Jake Goldberger – USA– Project Involve Screening – WORLD PREMIERE

     

    The Beyond (3)

    Delivery, Brian Netto – USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    Lesson of the Evil, Takashi Miike – Japan – US PREMIERE
    You’re Next, Adam Wingard – USA (Lionsgate)

     

    Retro (3):

    Amarcord (1973), Federico Fellini – Italy – 40th Anniversary Screening
    Between Two Worlds (2009), Vimukthi Jayasundara – Sri Lanka/France – LAFCA’s The Film That Got Away
    Two Men in Manhattan (1958), Jean Pierre-Melville – France (Cohen Media Group) – 55th Anniversary Screening

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  • “THIS IS MARTIN BONNER,” “DIRTY WARS” Among Winning Films at 2013 Independent Film Festival Boston

    [caption id="attachment_3546" align="alignnone" width="550"]THIS IS MARTIN BONNER[/caption]

    THIS IS MARTIN BONNER directed by Chad Hartigan, and DIRTY WARS directed by Richard Rowle took the top independent films awards at the 2013 Independent Film Festival Boston (IFFBoston) which  came to a close on Tuesday night, April 30th. THIS IS MARTIN BONNER about ‘two men from different walks of life form a tentative connection that slowly grows into friendship’ received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature, and DIRTY WARS which explores the “… two wars being waged in the Middle East: the one widely covered by the media, and the covert war nobody ever hears about” received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature.

    The jury and audience award prizes are as follows:

    Narrative Feature:
    Grand Jury Prize Winner: THIS IS MARTIN BONNER directed by Chad Hartigan (pictured above)
    Special Jury Prize Winner: HOUSTON directed by Bastian Gunther

    [caption id="attachment_3502" align="alignnone" width="550"]MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING directed by Joss Whedon[/caption]

    Audience Award Winner: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING directed by Joss Whedon

    Documentary Feature:

    [caption id="attachment_3806" align="alignnone" width="550"]DIRTY WARS directed by Richard Rowley[/caption]

    Grand Jury Prize Winner: DIRTY WARS directed by Richard Rowley
    Special Jury Prize Winner: REMOTE AREA MEDICAL directed by Jeff Reichert & Farihah Zaman

    [caption id="attachment_3734" align="alignnone" width="550"]BEST KEPT SECRET directed by Samantha Buck[/caption]

    Audience Award Winner: BEST KEPT SECRET directed by Samantha Buck
    Karen Schmeer Award for Excellence in Documentary Editing: Francisco Bello for OUR NIXON

    Short Film:
    Grand Jury Prize Winner: THE LAST ICE MERCHANT directed by Sandy Patch
    Special Jury Prize Winner: SLOMO directed by Joshua Izenberg
    Audience Award Winner: WORLD FAIR directed by Amanda Murray

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  • Terence Nash Explains His New Film OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF HER BEAUTY

    by DeVon Hyman

    April 26th 2013 marked the official New York City release of Terence Nance’s Dream Hampton, and Jay Z executive produced “Oversimplification” Described as “Happy American Sexiness” (New York Times) the autobiographical nature of the film takes you on a journey of Mr Nance’s inner most thoughts, played out on the big screen, narrated by what would seemingly be the conscious subconscious. After viewing the film, I was left with many a question, as my intrigue was at an all-time high. I sat down with Terence to pick his brain on all things Oversimplified, from the blueprinting of the capture of his ideas, to his co-star selection.

    The Beauty of the film, and his demeanor is his straight-shot approach. Share in this moment, as you are provided insight to the methods, reasons, and strategies behind the film OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF HER BEAUTY, by Terence Nash

    VIMOOZ: Your usage of Animation in the film is very unique and descriptive; in the grand scheme of your blueprinting the film pre-production, where did the inspiration to use such imagery come from?

    Terence Nance: I started with my main objective and place the pieces from there. I was trying to illustrate experiences that were to me un-filmable; things like dreams, and thoughts that go through my mind when reading a letter, or my adolescent years. These images were in the writing, in the text of the script and I created a piece of concept art to guide the aesthetic for each section. I wanted each to be visually distinct because the film is constructed from episodes that are told from a variety of perspectives and jump around in time and space.

    VIMOOZ: The movie is described by the narrator as a two in one of sorts, aptly announced as How Would You Feel being interrupted by Oversimplification Of Her Beauty; were you ever concerned that the message of each individual piece would get lost in the other?

    Terence: I think that the two conjoining and “getting lost in each other” was actually kind of the desired effect. I wanted a kind of formal meta-textual film but I think that dynamic inherently breaks down on itself specifically under the weight of the sincerity of the emotions presented. The films are “different” but they are at their heart coming from the same emotional space of goddess worship and being in love.

    VIMOOZ: Relationships are a big theme in the film, with advice being given, forewarnings, and more. How much of your personal experiences were the subject of content?

    Terence: All of them the film is an attempt to very directly tell the story of my personal experiences without the use of symbol, allegory, or metaphor.

    VIMOOZ: I want to ask about your decision to make a film, and cast yourself as the main actor. Please explain

    Terence: I saw the film as a self-portrait and it felt most natural for me to perform as myself.

    VIMOOZ: What was the experience like working with two iconic individuals the caliber of Jay Z and Dream Hampton.  Were you a fan of their work beforehand?

    Terence: Big fan of both and highly honored that they championed my work. It’s hard for me to talk about it because I’m still sort of in disbelief – pinching myself and what-not.

    VIMOOZ: How did the collaborations come about? How hands on were they in the process of putting this film together?

    Terence: They both saw the film in the wake of our Sundance premiere so they came along to help elevate the films profile.

    VIMOOZ: We spoke earlier about the imagery and use of animation. The content and art can be described as very abstract in a sense; was that your goal, or did you want more of a literal comprehension on the part of the audience? 

    Terence: I wouldn’t dare say what I want the audience to “comprehend” but the animation illustrates emotions which are usually more abstract that representational.

    VIMOOZ: How long did it take to complete Oversimplification of her Beauty?

    Terence: 6 years

    VIMOOZ: When did you realize that you had a passion for videography?

    Terence: I don’t. I’m more into the idea of art making and culture building in the abstract.

     VIMOOZ: Self-Taught, or institution educated?

    Terence: Both! I’m a notorious autodidact but I did go to art school.

    VIMOOZ: What are your 3 favorite movies and why?

    Terence: I don’t have actual favorite movies, but Coming to America is dope because of Semi’s accent; Barry Lyndon has always appealed to me because of the NASA lenses and I recently saw an amazing French film by a really dynamic director, boxer, Author called Rengaine. Maybe my current favorite film is THE LAST CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH

    VIMOOZ: Who were your Directorial influences ?

    Terence: Both Spikes, Kubrick, PTA, Wes, Kahlil Joseph, Charlie Kaufman, Julie Dash, Jeunet, Bergman, Lynch, Charles Burnett, Terrence Malick, Terrence Malik, and Terrence what’s his last name? Malick.

    VIMOOZ: Tell us some of the factors in settling on Namik Minter as co-star?

    Terence: I’m in love with her soooooooo.

    VIMOOZ: Why did you choose to go the route of narration, versus pure character based dialogue?

    Terrence: Didn’t make a conscious decision, impulse is the way to go when making art. I like drawing and most interesting things happen in the head and heart not the voice box.

    http://youtu.be/ycC3sKweQyc

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  • “A House, A Home,” “Commencement” Among Top Winning Films From 2013 Charleston International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_3798" align="alignnone" width="550"]A House A Home[/caption]

    The 2013 Charleston International Film Festival closed on Sunday night with the Awards Gala, where legendary cinematographer Bill Butler received the festival’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.

    A House, A Home took the award for Best Film and William Blake was awarded Best Screenplay for his work Isaiah’s Rest – An Edisto Ghost Story. The Jury Awards were given to Breaking at the Edge for Best Feature in which Rebecca Da Costa and Milo Ventimiglia played the leading roles. The film was directed by Peter Antonijevic, and produced by Peter D. Graves, David A. Jones, and Warren Ostergard. Nissar Modi was the writer. Other Jury Awards included Smile for Best Short, and Solo La Caña for Best Documentary.

    [caption id="attachment_3799" align="alignnone" width="550"]Commencement[/caption]

    On the flip side, the audience picked AKA Doc Pomus for Best Documentary, Commencement for Best Feature, Love Scene for Best Short, Counting Happiness for Best Foreign Film and Green Acres for Best Animation. Counting Happiness was also awarded Best Actor for its leading man Satyam Singh, who’s not even five years old. Best Actress was awarded to Marin Hinkle in Commencement.

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  • 47 Students Selected As Finalists for Student Academy Awards

    There is the Academy Awards, and there is the Student Academy Awards, all supported by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy established the Student Academy Awards in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level; past winners include John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Robert Zemeckis, Trey Parker and Spike Lee. This year thirty-eight students from 17 U.S. colleges and universities as well as nine students from foreign universities have been selected as finalists in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Student Academy Awards competition. 

    The finalists are (listed alphabetically by film title):

    Alternative
    “Beyond the Spheres,” Meghdad Asadi Lari, Rochester Institute of Technology
    “Bottled Up,” Rafael Cortina, Occidental College
    “Bye Hyungjik,” Hyungjik Lee, Florida State University
    “The Compositor,” John Mattiuzzi, School of Visual Arts
    “File Not Found,” Maria Sequeira, University of Southern California
    “The Pirate of Love,” Sara Gunnarsdottir, California Institute of the Arts
    “Zug,” Perry Janes, University of Michigan

    Animation
    “Couch & Potatoes,” Chris Lam and Eunsoo Jeong, San Jose State University
    “Dia de los Muertos,” Lindsey St. Pierre and Ashley Graham, Ringling College of Art and Design
    “Drifters,” Ethan Clarke, California Institute of the Arts
    “Make a Wish,” Heejin Kim, School of Visual Arts
    “Peck Pocketed,” Kevin Herron, Ringling College of Art and Design
    “Runaway,” Emily Buchanan and Esther Parobek, Ringling College of Art and Design
    “Still I Breathe,” Sang Ho Lee, School of Visual Arts
    “Watercolors,” Robert Kornstein, New York University
    “Will,” Eusong Lee, California Institute of the Arts

    Documentary
    “The Battle of the Jazz Guitarist,” Mark Columbus, University of California, Los Angeles
    “Every Tuesday: A Portrait of The New Yorker Cartoonists,” Rachel Loube, School of Visual Arts
    “Everybody’s Business,” Laura Green, Stanford University
    “Graceland Girls,” Jordan Theresa Salvatoriello, Emerson College
    “A Second Chance,” David Aristizabal, University of Southern California
    “Through the Fire,” Eunice Lau, New York University
    “Vultures of Tibet,” Russell O. Bush, University of Texas at Austin
    “Win or Lose,” Daniel Koehler, Elon University
    “Wonder Workshop,” Amitabh Joshi and Erik Spink, School of Visual Arts

    Narrative
    “Caught,” Bruce Li, New York University
    “Cootie Contagion,” Joshua Smooha, Florida State University
    “Footsteps,” Thomas (Hyungkyun) Kim, New York University
    “Josephine and the Roach,” Jonathan Langager, University of Southern California
    “Kalifornija,” Tomas Vengris, American Film Institute
    “The Midwife’s Husband,” Deja Bernhardt, University of Texas at Austin
    “Ol’ Daddy,” Brian Schwarz, University of Texas at Austin
    “Samnang,” Asaph Polonsky, American Film Institute
    “Un Mundo para Raúl (A World for Raúl),” Mauro Mueller, Columbia University

    Foreign Film
    “Erbgut (Liquidation),” Matthias Zuder, Hamburg Media School, Germany
    “För Sverige i Tiden (King of Sweden),” Jonas Westbom, Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts, Sweden
    “Kanyekanye,” Miklas Manneke, AFDA The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and 
    Live Performance, South Africa
    “The Library of Burned Books,” Alasdair Beckett-King, London Film School, United Kingdom
    “Miss Todd,” Kristina Yee, National Film and Television School, United Kingdom
    “MO,” Jakub Kouril, FAMU, Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Czech Republic
    “Parvaneh,”Talkhon Hamzavi, Zurich University of the Arts, Switzerland
    “To Guard a Mountain,” Izer Aliu, The Norwegian Filmschool, Norway
    “Tweesprong (Crossroads),” Wouter Bouvijn, Rits School of Arts, Erasmus College Brussels, Belgium

    The 40th Student Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

    image: credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

    39th Annual Student Academy Awards Winners

    Front row (left to right): Amanda Tasse, Ellen Tripler, Heather Burky, Mark Raso, Thomas Stuber and Justin Tipping.

    Back row (left to right): David Wolter, David Winstone Elmar Imanov, Keiko Wright, Eric Prah, Ryan Prows and Mark Nelson.

     

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