• 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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  • Political Energy Satire Cape Spin! An American Power Struggle Gets A Release Date

    “Cape Spin! An American Power Struggle” described as a “political/energy satire ” has a theatrical release date – the film will open in New York City at Lincoln Center Cinemas on Friday, May 17th, 2013.

    “Cape Spin! An American Power Struggle,” five years in the making, is further described as the surreal, fascinating, tragicomic tale of the battle over America’s largest clean energy project. When energy entrepreneur Jim Gordon first proposed putting 130 wind turbines in fabled Nantucket Sound, he had no idea that a firestorm would erupt. Cape Spin! tells the incredible tale of how America’s first proposed offshore wind farm triggered a schism in this idyllic coastal region, pitting neighbor against neighbor and environmentalist against environmentalist.  Revealing the root causes of their furor, the filmmakers enjoyed unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the key players on both sides of the controversy. The tale frames the battle over Nantucket Sound as a microcosm of America’s struggle towards energy sustainability. After 10 years, $70 million and 8,000 pages of analysis the Federal Government approved the wind farm project on April 28, 2010. 

    http://youtu.be/RfboOuuml3Y

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  • “Blind Pass” ”Joe Papp in V Acts” Among Winners of 2013 Fort Myers Beach Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_3791" align="alignnone" width="550"]Blind Pass, directed by Steve Tatone[/caption]

    The Fort Myers Beach Film Festival honored the winning filmmakers and actors with awards for their work on independent films screened during the 7th edition of the festival which ran April 24 – 28, 2013 in Fort Myers, Florida. The winning filmmaker of the Best Documentary is Joe Papp in Five Acts, directed by Tracie Holder and Karen Thorsen. Best Feature Film Award went to Blind Pass, directed by Steve Tatone.

    The festival also honored local residents who submitted films to the festival with the Islander Award going to Love Letter, directed by Taylor Hill and Best Local Film went to Stuck, directed by Mitch Glass. Best Student Film is Red Tide, directed by Dino Gallina.

    2013 AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED:

    Islander Award: “Love Letter” directed by Taylor Hill
    Best Local Film: “Stuck” directed by Mitch Glass
    Best Student Film: “Red Tide” directed by Dino Gallina
    Best Short Film: “The Last Session” directed by Chad Gurdgiel
    Best Documentary: ”Joe Papp in V Acts” directed by Tracie Holder and Karen THorsen
    Best Feature Film: “Blind Pass” directed by Steve Tatone
    Best Actor: Sally Kirkland for her work in the film “Posey”
    Rising Star Award: Danielle White
    Star Achievement Award winner: Billy DaMota, Director, Producer, Writer and Casting Director of “Posey”.
    People’s Choice Award (selected by the audience): “The Gift of the Game”, written and directed by novelist Randy Wayne White.

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  • “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” Director David Lowery to Host Opening Night of 2013 Maryland Film Festival

    David Lowery, director of Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, starring Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, and Rooney Mara, has been picked to host the 2013 Opening Night of the Maryland Film Festival taking place the evening of May 8, 2013, in downtown Baltimore. Lowery, a multi-year participant in MFF and an alumnus of the festival’s signature Opening Night shorts program, has received widespread acclaim for his forthcoming feature, the Cannes-bound Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. Lowery has also made waves in recent months with a series of profile-raising announced projects, ranging from a reinvention of Disney’s Pete’s Dragon to a crime drama with Robert Redford attached as star and producer, The Old Man and the Gun. 

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  • LA Premiere of “Putzel” to Open 2013 Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival

    The 8th Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival (LAJFF) will kick off its week long film festival with the star studded red carpet LA premiere of the comedy film “Putzel”on June 1, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. 

    In addition to “Putzel,” the LAJFF will hold LA Premiere screening events for Jonathan Holiff’s “My Father and the Man in Black” about Johnny Cash and his Jewish manager Sid Holiff, and “Roman Polanski, A Memoir” the documentary that screened at Cannes;  the US premiere of the BBC documentary, “Neil Diamond:Solitary Man” ; and the closing night film –  the World premiere of “When Comedy Went To School”  When Comedy Went To School is a documentary about the Jewish stand up comics well known around the world who got their start in the Catskills. The documentary directed by Ron Frank features interviews with Jerry Lewis, Mort Sahl, Jerry Stiller, Jackie Mason and Robert Klein and many others.

    Here are the highlighted films

    Putzel 
    LA Premiere
 Directed by Jason Chaet 
USA / 90 mins / 2012
    
Stars Melanie Lynskey, Susie Essman, John Pankow and Jack Carpenter. For some, life is an adventure filled with opportunities to excel and places to explore. For Walter Himmelstein, a young man, endearingly known as Putzel, life literally doesn’t go beyond his family’s fish store and his community on the upper west side of Manhattan. In this heartwarming comedy, Walter’s aspirations of taking over his uncle’s smoked fish emporium are disrupted by the arrival of Sally, who becomes romantically involved with his about-to-retire and very-married uncle. While Walter tries to thwart their romance in order to ensure his taking over the business, he finds his circumscribed life thrown off kilter, and, after years of being undermined by his family and friends, he finally starts to realize his full potential. With Sally’s help, Walter confronts his fears and proves he is more than a Putzel. 

    The Last White Knight   

    [caption id="attachment_3781" align="alignnone" width="550"]The Last White Knight [/caption]

    LA Premiere 
    Directed by Paul Saltzman 
Canada / 78 mins / 2012
    In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the murder of Medgar Evers
    In 1965, 21-year-old Torontonian, Paul Saltzman drove to Mississippi, volunteering as a civil rights worker with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. He was arrested, spending 10 days in jail. He smuggled letters out of jail to the Toronto Star. Canadian Foreign Affairs requested his release but Saltzman declined. Posted to one of the toughest segregationist towns, Greenwood, he helped disadvantaged sharecroppers register to vote. He was assaulted by a young Klansman. In 2007, Saltzman returned to find the KKK member who had punched him in the head, to explore if individual reconciliation was possible. He found him and a 5 year dialogue has ensued. His assailant was, Byron de la Beckwith Jr., whose father, Byron de la Beckwith Sr. murdered NAACP Field Secretary Medgar Evers.

    Road Angel
    Directed by Steve Lainer 
Israel / 15 mins / 2012
    On his way to a village to find those responsible for the murder of his son, Moshik encounters an abandoned baby and simultaneously meets Manar, a troubled young Arabic woman. Could this chance meeting change their lives forever? 

    Beyond Right and Wrong: Stories of Justice and Forgiveness

    [caption id="attachment_3782" align="alignnone" width="550"]Beyond Right and Wrong: Stories of Justice and Forgiveness[/caption]

    Directed by Roger Spottiswoode and Lekha Singh
    USA/81 mins/2012
    ‘Beyond Right and Wrong’ explores the journeys of the daughter of a man killed in a terrorist bombing in Great Britain, a mother whose five children were murdered in the genocide in Rwanda, and a father whose daughter is killed by a suicide bomber in Israel.

    Sonny Boy 

    [caption id="attachment_3783" align="alignnone" width="550"]Sonny Boy [/caption]

    LA Premiere Directed by Maria Peters
    The Netherlands /132 mins / 2011 Dutch with English Subtitles
    Official Selection to the 2012 Academy Awards.
    From the Netherlands comes an emotional drama about forbidden romance, Nazi brutality, and wartime courage. Adapted by director Maria Peters from a bestseller by Annejet van der Zihl, this is the unlikely tale of Rika (Ricky Koole), a middle-class Dutch wife and mother of four, and Waldemar (Sergio Hasselbaink), a black immigrant from Surinam who’s 17 years her junior. Against all the odds—and under the pitiless gaze of stern, prewar Dutch society—they fall in love, have a child out of wedlock (the titular Sonny Boy), and try to navigate the terrors of World War II in occupied Holland.

    Neil Diamond: Solitary Man   
    
Directed by Mark Cooper, Produced by Samantha Peters 
UK / 60 mins / 2011
    A 60-minute documentary including an interview and exclusive location filming with Neil Diamond in New York and Los Angeles. Interviews with Robbie Robertson, Neil Sedaka, Jeff Barry, Mickey Dolenz and other contributors track Neil from his childhood in Brooklyn to his early days in the Brill Building, his nascent solo career and superstardom in the early 70s, the lean years of the 80s, his career reboot via Rick Rubin in the nineties and his Glastonbury success.

    Nono, the Zigzag Kid 

    [caption id="attachment_3784" align="alignnone" width="550"]Nono, the Zigzag Kid [/caption]

    The Netherlands/Belgium / 90 mins
    Dutch/French with English Subtitles
    The journey from childhood to adulthood is fraught with highs and lows, and it’s no different for thirteen-year-old Amnon Feierberg (or “Nono,” as he’s nicknamed), despite the fact that he’s the son of the world’s greatest police inspector. Adapting the beloved book by acclaimed Israeli writer David Grossman, Flemish writer-director Vincent Bal has created a witty, spirited and action-packed adventure.

    My Father and the Man in Black 

    [caption id="attachment_3785" align="alignnone" width="550"]My Father and the Man in Black [/caption]

    LA Premiere 
    Directed by Jonathan Holiff 
Canada / 90 mins / 2012
    An intense personal adventure with universal themes that just happens to feature on of 20th-century music’s greatest icons, ‘My Father and The Man In Black’ presents the untold story of ‘bad boy’ Johnny Cash, his talented but troubled manager, Saul Holiff, and a son searching for clues to his father’s suicide in the shadow of a legend.


    http://youtu.be/jtovAxxPo2Q

    “Lunch”
    Directed by Donna Kantor
 USA /78 mins /2012
    For the past 40 years, a group of writers and directors has been meeting for lunch every other Wednesday. The members and their meeting places have changed over the years, but their appetites for the ties that nourish their friendships have remained. Lunch goes beyond a single meal, and into the lives and successes of each comedy legend. Starring: Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Monty Hall, Arthur Hiller, Rocky Kalish, Hal Kanter, Arthur Marx, Gary Owens, John Rappaport, Matty Simmons and Ben Starr.

    All In 

    [caption id="attachment_3786" align="alignnone" width="550"]All In Directed by Daniel Burman[/caption]

    Directed by Daniel Burman
    Comedy / Argentina / 113 mins /2012
    Spanish with English Subtitles
    Starring Norma Alendro, Luis Brandoni, Valeria Bertuccelli, Jorge Drexler and Silvina Bosco.
    Drexler plays Uriel, a divorced dad who enters the picture in his doctor’s office, declaring it’s time to get a vasectomy so he can enjoy his bachelorhood with peace of mind. A hustler who’s always looking for special deals (and cheerfully lies to get them), he’s disconcertingly dishonest with his children as well, despite appearing to love them. While on a gambling vacation, poker fan Uriel stumbles across his world weary ex-girlfriend Gloria (Valeria Bertuccelli), newly single and ready to be convinced she should give him another chance. 

    Reporting on the NY Times 
    Directed by Emily Harrold 
USA / 17 mins / 2012
    Inspired by Laurel Leff’s award winning book Buried by The Times, this film explores how The New York Times handled reports of The Holocaust during World War II. It also explores why The Times, a Jewish owned newspaper, buried more than one thousand articles in its back pages. Was it simply an oversight? Or did the publishers and editors fear an American Antisemitic backlash? Though interviews and testimony of a Holocaust survivor, historians, journalists, and American citizens who lived through World War II, Reporting on The Times encourages audiences to reevaluate America’s place at The Great Liberator. The film also asks viewers to consider the power of the press in creating change.

    Two Who Dared: The Sharp’s War 

    [caption id="attachment_3787" align="alignnone" width="550"]Two Who Dared: The Sharp’s War [/caption]

    West Coast Premiere
    Directed by Artemis Joukowsky
    USA / 76 mins / 2012
    TWO WHO DARED: THE SHARPS’ WAR is the never before told story of Waitstill and Martha Sharp, an American minister and his wife who boldly committed to a life-threatening mission in Europe to help save imperiled Jews and refugees at the onset of World War II.

    Becoming Henry
    LA Premiere 
    Produced by Stephanie Silverman Houser 
USA / 9 mins / 2012
    A short film based on a true story from the book, An Unbroken Chain: My Journey though the Nazi Holocaust by Henry A. Oertelt. A German immigrant is questioned during a cocktail party in Minnesota regarding his whereabouts during World War II…and discovers that the world can be a very small place.

    Roman Polanski: A Memoir 
    Directed by Laurent Bouzereau
 United Kingdom / 90 mins / 2012 
Actor, director, Krakow Ghetto survivor, American fugitive — filmmaker Roman Polanski addresses every aspect of his celebrated, tragic and scandalous life in this intimate documentary. Interviewed by a long-time friend, Polanski sets the record straight on the 1968 murder of his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, by the Manson cult, and his 1977 sexual encounter with a 13-year-old girl that led to his exile and, 30 years later, arrest in Switzerland. Clips from such Polanski classics as ROSEMARY’S BABY, CHINATOWN and THE PIANIST connect the Oscar-winner’s anguished past with his artistic achievements, making for the definitive picture of this complex artist.

    When Comedy Went to School 
    US Premere
    Directed by Ron Frank
    USA/85 mins /2013
    The birth of modern stand-up comedy began in the Catskill Mountains – a boot camp for the greatest generation of Jewish-American Comedians. Narrated by Robert Klein; stars Sid Caesar, Larry King, Jerry Lewis, Jerry Stiller, Mort Sahl and others.
    When Comedy Went to School is an entertaining portrait of this country’s greatest generation of comedians – the generation that includes the likes of Jerry Lewis, Sid Caesar, Jackie Mason, Mort Sahl, and Jerry Stiller, all of whom make appearances in the film, telling jokes and telling their stories. The film also asks the question:  Why are so many comedians Jewish?  The answer is found in New York State’s Catskill Mountains, where Jewish immigrants transformed lush farmland into the world’s largest resort complex of the 20th century.  Those Catskill resorts not only offered a burgeoning Jewish middle class a place to vacation with other Jews, it also provided the setting for a remarkable group of young Jewish-American comedians to hone their craft and become worldwide legends. It was truly When Comedy Went to School.

    Film information via LAJFF 

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  • “The Rocket,” “Bridegroom” Win Audience Awards at 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

    The 12th Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) announced the winners of the two Heineken Audience Awards — one for narrative and one for documentary. The Rocket, directed by Kim Mordaunt, was chosen by the audience to receive the Narrative award; the film also took top honors at the Festival jury awards where it received both The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature and Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film for Sitthiphon Disamoe’s performance as Ahlo. Bridegroom, directed by Linda Bloodworth Thomason, was chosen for the Documentary award. Each award comes with a cash prize of $25,000.

    Set against the lush backdrop of rural Laos, The Rocket tells the story of scrappy ten-year-old Ahlo, who yearns to break free from his ill-fated destiny. After his village is displaced to make way for a massive dam, Ahlo escapes with his father and grandmother through the Laotian outback in search of a new home. Along the way, they come across a rocket festival that offers a lucrative—but dangerous—chance for a new beginning. With the help of his new friend Kia and her eccentric, James Brown-loving uncle, Ahlo sets out to build his own rocket, enter the contest and prove his worth to his family. The Rocket’s characters, mostly played by non-professional actors, embody the spirit of resilience and hope born out of a country affected by a legacy of war and undergoing a great economic change. 

    Bridegroom chronicles the emotional journey of Shane and Tom, two young men in a loving and committed relationship. Unfortunately, their love is cut short by Tom’s accidental death, and his partner finds himself facing the failure of same sex marriage protections that leave him completely shut out and ostracized. Bloodworth Thomason sheds light on the often-overlooked struggles that same sex couples face as a result of marriage inequality. As this issue heads to the United States Supreme Court for deliberation, Bridegroom is poised as a timely and moving documentary about love and perseverance through loss.

    http://youtu.be/uN1F49l8DDc

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