• The Atomic States of America Among 48 Films Selected for 2013 International Uranium Film Festival Rio de Janeiro

    [caption id="attachment_1890" align="alignnone" width="552"]THE ATOMIC STATES OF AMERICA, USA[/caption]

    The 3rd International Uranium Film Festival Rio de Janeiro selected 48 films from 16 countries as finalists for this year’s festival at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) Cinema. The films will compete for 3 Yellow Oscar Awards: Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Animated Film

    Uranium Film Festival 2013 Finalists (Title / Country/ Director)

    FEATURE
    ATOMIC BOMB HOME – Japan, 2012, Katsumi Sakaguchi , 65 min – world premiere ATOMIC IVAN – Russia, 2012, Vasily Barkhatov , 91min
    ATOMIC MOM – Japan/USA, 2010, M. T. Silvia, 80 min
    CHILDREN OF URANIUM – Romania, 2009, Adina Popescu, 64 min
    CESIUM IBLODET – Sweden, 2009, Lars Westman, 70 min
    DER BAUCH VON TOKYO (Tokyo’s Belly) – Germany, 2013, Reinhild Dettmer-Finke, 70 min – world premiere DOUBLE HAPPINESS URANIUM – Australia, 2012, Cole Larsen, 87 min – world premiere
    FORBIDDEN GROUND FUKUSHIMA – Japan, 2012, Kazunori Kurimoto, 57 min – world premiere
    FRIEDLICH IN DIE KATASTROPHE (Quietly into the Disaster) – Germany, 2012, Marcin El, 120 min
    HIROSHIMA NAGASAKI DOWNLOAD – Mexico/Japan, 2010, Shinpei Takeda, 73 min
    IRAK: LES ENFANTS SACRIFIÉS DE FALLUJA (Falluja: A lost generation?) – France, 2011, Feurat Alani, 48 min NUCLEAR SAVAGE: The Islands of Secret Project – USA, 2012, Adam Jonas Horowitz, 87 min
    THE ATOMIC STATES OF AMERICA – USA, 2011, Don Argett, Sheena M. Joyce, 92 min
    THE ULTIMATE WISH: ENDING THE NUCLEAR AGE – USA, 2012, Robert Richter, 40 min
    THE FOUR CORNERS: A NATIONAL SACRIFICE AREA? – USA, 1983, Christopher McLeod, 58 min
    U 4 URANIUM – Australia, 2011, Astral Jester, 72 min
    UNDER CONTROL (Unter Kontrolle) – Germany, 2011, Volker Sattel, 98 min
    URANIUM – TO DIE FOR (HaZman Hatzahov) – Israel, 2012, Shany Haziza, 54 min – world premiere URANIUM PROJECT – Italy, 2011, Alan Gard e Stefania Prandi, 43 min

    SHORT
    ACOUPHENES (White Noise) – France, 2004, François-Xavier Drouet , 17 min
    ANATOMIA DI UNA BOMBA – Italy, 2006, Flaviano Masella, Angelo Saso, Maurizio Torrealta, 22 min ATOMIC FOOTPRINTS – Australia, 2006, Pip Starr, 14 min
    BLACKWATER – Spain, 2012, Karlos Alastruey, 4 min
    CAETITÉ – Brasil, 2013, Laura Pires, 35 min
    CURIOSITY KILLS – Estonia, 2012, Sander Maran, 14 min
    ENOLA – Germany, 1986, Christoph Boekel, 28 min
    EXCLUSION ZONE – Spain, Omar Kardoudi , 13 min
    FUOCO AMICO: RITORNO NEI BALCANI – Italy, 2010, Terra Project Photographers, 10 min GET UP STAND UP – India, Sreemith, 34 min
    HALBWERTSZEIT (Half Life) – Germany, 2012, Anne-Katrin Kiewitt, Alice von Gewinner, 20 min HIGH POWER – India, 2013, Pradeep Indulkar, 27 min – world premiere
    KINTYRE – Australia, 2012, Curtis Tylor, 15 min
    NO TO A NUCLEAR JORDAN – Jordan, 2012, Solenne Tadros, 7 min NUCLEAR WASTE – Ukraine, 2012, Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, 25 min RETORN OF NAVAJAO BOY EPILOGUE – USA, 2008, Jeff Spitz, 15 min TAILINGS – USA, 2012, Sam Price-Waldman, 12 min
    WAR ́S DUST – URANIUM BEIRUT – Italy, 2007, Flaviano Masella, Angelo Saso, Maurizio Torrealta, 23 min WOMEN OF FUKUSHIMA – Japan/Australia, 2012, Paul Johannessen, 27 min
    YURI’S OMEN – Spain, 2012, Jordi Montornés, 14 min

    ANIMATION
    ABITA – Germany, 2012, Shoko Hara, Paul Brenner, 4 min
    FAIRLIGHTS – Germany, 2013, Ilinca Höpfner, Helge Henning , 10 min, world premiere
    HERR HOPPE AND THE NUCLEAR WASTE – Germany, 2011, Jan Lachauer & Thorsten Löffler , 4 min HIBAKUSHA – USA, 2012, Steve Nguyen, Choz Belen, 54 min
    MOAB – Israel, 2012, Keren Zaltz, 3 min
    SLOUCHING TOWARDS YUCCA MOUNTAIN – USA, 2011, Eve-Andrée Laramée, 17 min
    THE LAST FLOWER – Iran, 2013, Sima Baghery, 6 min

    Further selected films – not part of the Competition

    BUDDHA WEEPS IN JADUGODA – India, 1999, Shriprakash, 55 min
    WHEN THE DUST SETTLES – UK, 2011, 7 min 

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  • Beaufort International International Film Festival Announces 2014 Festival Dates

    The 8th annual Beaufort International International Film Festival (BIFF) will be held February 12 – 16, 2014, in Beaufort, SC.  The festival is now accepting entries from filmmakers; Categories for competition are: Features , Documentaries, Short Films, Student Films, Animation, and Screenplays.  The Early Bird deadline for submissions is July 31, 2013 with the final deadline being October 31, 2013. 

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  • Academy Selects Show Dates for 2014 And 2015 Oscars

     

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the ABC Television Network today announced the dates for the 86th and 87th Oscar® presentations. The 86th and 87th Academy Awards® will air live on ABC on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, and February 22, 2015, respectively.

    Key dates for the Awards season are: 

    Saturday, November 16, 2013: The Governors Awards

    Monday, December 2, 2013: Official Screen Credits due

    Friday, December 27, 2013: Nominations voting begins

    Wednesday, January 8, 2014: Nominations voting ends 5 p.m. PT

    Thursday, January 16, 2014: Oscar nominations announced

    Monday, February 10, 2014: Nominees Luncheon

    Friday, February 14, 2014: Final voting begins

    Saturday, February 15, 2014: Scientific and Technical Awards

    Tuesday, February 25, 2014: Final voting ends 5 p.m. PT

    Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014: 86th Academy Awards

    Oscar Sunday, February 22, 2015: 87th Academy Awards

    The 86th and 87th Academy Awards ceremonies will be held at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network.

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  • Ashland Independent Film Festival Unveils 2013 Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_3375" align="alignnone" width="550"]The Forgotten Kingdom[/caption]

    The full schedule, film descriptions and program are now all set for the Ashland Independent Film Festival (AIFF) scheduled to be held in the heart of historic downtown Ashland, Oregon, April 4-8, 2013. 

    —————-

    Ashland, Ore. The nationally acclaimed Ashland Independent Film Festival (AIFF) today unveiled its complete program for the twelfth annual festival, to be held in the heart of historic downtown Ashland, Oregon, April 4-8. Over 7,500 film lovers are expected to gather with filmmakers from around the world for the five-day showcase of independent film at the Varsity Theatre, the Historic Ashland Armory, the Ashland Springs Hotel, and the festival’s newest venue, the Ashland Street Cinemas. The festival’s full schedule, film descriptions and program are available now at www.ashlandfilm.org. Tickets go on sale to members beginning March 12 and to the general public on March 18.

    SPECIAL GUEST

    Each year, the AIFF presents its Rogue Award to a filmmaker of unique talent who is making a mark in the world of independent film. This year the festival honors celebrated director and AIFF alumni Lucy Walker. Walker has been nominated twice for an Academy Award® — in 2010 for Waste Land (AIFF 2011), and in 2012 for The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (AIFF 2012). Walker will screen her latest documentary, The Crash Reel — about champion snowboarder Kevin Pearce and his ongoing fight to recover from a massive brain injury incurred while training for the 2010 Winter Olympics — as well as Going for Gold: Olympic Shorts, a selection of short films that follow four athletes from around the world as they meet the challenges of preparing for the Olympics. Walker will receive the Rogue Award at the festival’s Awards Celebration on Sunday, April 7.

    WORLD PREMIERES

    This year’s festival lineup features seven World Premieres, including the narrative features The Forgotten Kingdom about a young man’s return to his African homeland directed by Andrew Mudge, and the locally produced Redwood Highway starring Shirley Knight and directed by Gary Lundgren (Wow and Flutter, AIFF 2005, Calvin Marshall, AIFF 2010). Also premiering at the AIFF are films from a number of festival alumni: the feature length documentaries Before the Spring After the Fall, about four members of a heavy metal band in Egypt before, during and since the Arab Spring from Jed Rothstein (Killing in the Name, AIFF 2011), and the short films The Caretaker and The Mayor directed by Theo Rigby (Close to Home, AIFF 2010, Sin País, AIFF 2011), Like a Dance from director Jill Orschel (Sister Wife, AIFF 2010), and An Act of Revenge from returning filmmakers Sam Roden and Nick Hartanto (The Lonely Pair, AIFF 2012).  

    WORLD-CLASS DOCUMENTARIES

    Among the documentaries featured at the 12th annual AIFF are a candid portrait of one of the most influential – and controversial — political leaders our nation has ever known, in The World According to Dick Cheney; a profile of the Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso, Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings; an indelible portrait of the complex relationship between Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright/actor Sam Shepard and his close friend Johnny Dark in Shepard & Dark, and Joe Papp in Five Acts about the legendary theatre producer who nurtured a generation of American actors and playwrights and spent a lifetime expanding access to public arts. Academy Award®-winning director Roger Ross Williams (Music By Prudence, AIFF 2010) also returns to Ashland with God Loves Uganda, a powerful examination of the impact of the evangelical movement.

    OSCAR® WINNERS AND NOMINEES

    Other festival highlights include the Oscar®-winning short film, Inocente, a documentary about a homeless teen who transforms her life through her art, which is paired with the Oscar®-nominated Open Heart in the festival’s Oscar® Short Docs 2 program. Also screening is the Academy Award® winning narrative film Curfew, the story of a young man coerced into spending an evening with his nine-year-old niece, which appears in the Short Stories program. This year, the festival also presents Oscar Short Docs 1,which includes nominees Redemption, about New York City’s burgeoning bottle and can collectors, and Mondays at Racine, about a beauty salon that opens its doors each week to women undergoing chemotherapy.  

    FEATURE FILMS

    The AIFF again presents some of the best new feature film work available on the festival circuit. Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes is a coming-of-age story about a teenager who becomes preoccupied with her mysterious new neighbor, Linda (Jessica Biel), who bears a striking resemblance to her dead mother. The Story of Luke is about an autistic young man, Luke (Lou Taylor Pucci) who sets off on a quest to find a job and true love. The Kings of Summer, which plays at the Ashland Street Cinemas, is the tale of three unhappy teenage boys who flee to the wilderness to live off the land as masters of their own destiny. Aquí y Allá (Here and There) offers an unexpected take on the traditional immigrant story, as a young father abandons an uncertain future in the United States and returns to his homeland to try to make a living.

    FAMILY PROGRAMS

    The festival again offers a special program of independent film geared toward younger audiences. The program and Q&A with visiting filmmakers will screen five times throughout the festival weekend at the Ashland Street Cinemas, providing increased capacity, access and scheduling flexibility for local families. The program offers a selection of ten short films that are geared for kids, but whose creativity will engage and delight audiences of all ages. Among the selections are animation from around the world, films from Rogue Valley students, and a new documentary by AIFF 2008 Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Albert Maysles. The AIFF and Coming Attractions Theatres will donate $1.00 to the non-profit Ashland Schools Foundation for each Family Film ticket purchased.

    FREE PROGRAMS

    The AIFF features the work of local filmmakers in a free Locals Only program, which plays at the Ashland Street Cinema and the Varsity Theatre. Among the eight films to be screened are The Michael Maag Story: You Don’t Have to Be Able to Stand to Walk Tall, Jim Long’s tribute to a local hero who finds the courage to live life in a new way following a severe spinal cord injury, and Breath: in Three Verses, Katherine Roselli’s carefully composed visual and auditory journey on the impact of breath.  The Locals Only program on Saturday, April 6 will include the winners of The Launch, the festival’s Siskiyou region student competition, and will be followed by an Award Ceremony for the winning students with prizes made possible by a grant from the Fred W. Fields Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation.

    Three free TalkBack panel discussions will be held with filmmakers of all genres discussing their craft at the Ashland Springs Hotel on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10am. Guest moderators will lead the discussions and field audience questions on such topics as No Borders, which tackles the complexities of international short- and long-form narrative and documentary filmmaking; Close-Up and Personal, about the art and craft of translating private and public personalities to film, and Transmedia 101: The Future of Storytelling, which pairs filmmakers and technologists in a lively discussion about the evolution of storytelling in the digital age.

    This year, the festival introduces a new form of programming with eMerge, a showcase of digital and interactive storytelling that crosses genres and platforms. The program, developed in collaboration with SOU’s Emerging Media and Digital Arts program and sponsored in part by the Governor’s Office of Film and Project A, includes Follow the Food, a series of short videos profiling local artisan food providers; a live community storytelling event, Immigrant Nation, which includes a gallery installation at Houston’s Custom Framing and Fine Art and a two-day hackathon at SOU’s Digital Media Center, and a TalkBack panel.

    Many of the screenings features question-and-answer sessions with visiting filmmakers and film subjects. Audiences also have the opportunity to rub elbows with filmmakers over a late-night drink at the AfterLounge, hosted by a different restaurant every night.

    Tickets for festival films and events, as well as more information about films, special events and parties and the festival’s complete program are available online at ashlandfilm.org and at the festival Box Office located at Ashland Hardwired, 340 A Street, and at the Varsity Theatre April 4 – 8.

    source: AIFF

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  • “The Spectacular Now” to Open and Lake Bell’s “In a World …” to Close 2013 Independent Film Festival Boston

    The Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston) taking place April 24 – April 30, 2013, announced the films that will be featured at the eleventh annual festival.  

    The festival will take place at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, and new venues UMass Boston and Theatre 1 at Revere Hotel in Boston. 

    The Independent Film Festival Boston earlier this year revealed that actor Casey Affleck, will be the new Creative Advisor for the 2013 edition of the festival. Casey Affleck will serve a multi-faceted role which includes outreach to talent, connecting the festival with local charities, and advising on festival growth. 

    THE SPECTACULAR NOW directed by James Ponsoldt will open the 11th annual festival on April 24th at the Somerville Theatre, and “IN A WORLD…” written, directed, and starring Lake Bell, will close the festival on Tuesday April 30th.

    Other notable films screening at the festival include:

    – The World Premiere of WILLOW CREEK, with director Bobcat Goldthwait in attendance
    – The World Premiere of BEST KEPT SECRET, with director Samantha Buck and special guests in attendance
    – The World Premiere of SECUNDARIA, with director Mary Jane Doherty in attendance
    – The World Premiere of THE ELDERS, with director Nathaniel Hansen in attendance
    – MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, directed by Joss Whedon
    – FRANCES HA, starring Greta Gerwig and directed by Noah Bumbauch
    – COMPUTER CHESS, with director Andrew Bujalski in attendance
    – STORIES WE TELL, directed by Sarah Polley
    – DOWNLOADED, with director Alex Winter in attendance
    – PRINCE AVALANCHE, starring Paul Rudd and directed by David Gordon Green
    – THE EAST, starring Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page, and Patricia Clarkson and directed by Zal Batmanglij
    – TOUCHY FEELY, starring Alison Janney, Ellen Page, Josh Pais, Rosemarie DeWitt and directed by Lynn Shelton

    INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL OF BOSTON 2013 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

    Narrative Features

    BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO directed by Peter Strickland
    COMPUTER CHESS directed by Andrew Bujalski
    CONCUSSION directed by Stacie Passon
    CRYSTAL FAIRY directed by Sebastian Silva
    THE DIRTIES directed by Matt Johnson
    THE EAST directed by Zal Batmanglij
    EXIT ELENA directed by Nathan Silver
    FRANCES HA directed by Noah Bumbauch
    A HIJACKING directed by Tobias Lindholm
    HOUSTON directed by Bastian Gunther
    THE HUNT directed by Thomas Vinterberg
    IN A WORLD… directed by Lake Bell
    THE LAND OF EB directed by Andrew Williamson
    THE LAST DAY OF AUGUST directed by Craig DiFolco
    LAURENCE ANYWAYS directed by Xavier Dolan
    LONELY BOY directed by Dale Fabrigar
    MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING directed by Joss Whedon
    PRINCE AVALANCHE directed by David Gordon Green
    SIGHTSEERS directed by Ben Wheatley
    SOFT IN THE HEAD directed by Nathan Silver
    SOME GIRL(S) directed by Daisy Von Scherler Mayer
    THE SPECTACULAR NOW directed by James Ponsoldt
    THIS IS MARTIN BONNER directed by Chad Hartigan
    TOUCHY FEELY directed by Lynn Shelton
    V/H/S 2 directed by Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Huw Evans, and Jason Eisener
    WASTELAND directed by Rowan Athale
    WILLOW CREEK directed by Bobcat Goldthwait

    Documentary Features

    12 O’CLOCK BOYS directed by Lotfy Nathan
    THE ACT OF KILLING directed by Joshua Oppenheimer
    THE BEAUTIFUL GAME directed by Victor Buhler
    BEFORE YOU KNOW IT… directed by PJ Raval
    BEST KEPT SECRET directed by Samantha Buck
    BLACKFISH directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite
    BLOOD BROTHER directed by Steve Hoover
    CASTING BY directed by Tom Donahue
    THE DEFECTOR: ESCAPE FROM NORTH KOREA directed by Ann Shin
    DIRTY WARS directed by Richard Rowley
    DOWNLOADED directed by Alex Winter
    THE ELDERS directed by Nathaniel Hansen
    THE FINAL MEMBER directed by Jonah Bekhor & Zach Math
    FUTURE MY LOVE directed by Maja Borg
    THE GARDEN OF EDEN directed by Ran Tal
    THE GENIUS OF MARIAN directed by Banker White & Anna Fitch
    GIDEON’S ARMY directed by Dawn Porter
    GOLD FEVER directed by JT Haines, Tommy Haines, & Andrew Sherburne
    GOOD ‘OL FREDA directed by Ryan White & Jessica Lawson
    GORE VIDAL: THE UNITED STATES OF AMNESIA directed by Nicholas Wrathall
    HERE ONE DAY directed by Kathy Leichter
    MUSCLE SHOALS directed by Greg Camalier
    NARCO CULTURA directed by Shaul Schwarz
    NIGHT LABOR directed by David Redmon
    OUR NIXON directed by Penny Lane
    OXYANA directed by Sean Dunne
    PERSISTENCE OF VISION directed by Kevin Schreck
    THE PLEASURES OF BEING OUT OF STEP directed by David Lewis
    THE PUNK SINGER directed by Sini Anderson
    REMOTE AREA MEDICAL directed by Farihah Zaman & Jeff Reichert
    REWIND THIS! directed by Josh Johnson
    SECUNDARIA directed by Mary Jane Doherty
    STORIES WE TELL directed by Sarah Polley
    SUITCASE OF LOVE AND SHAME directed by Jane Gillooly
    TINY: A STORY ABOUT LIVING SMALL directed by Merete Mueller & Christopher Smith
    TOKYO WAKA: A CITY POEM directed by John Haptas & Kristine Samuelson
    TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM directed by Morgan Neville

    Short Films

    AFTER YOU directed by Damien O’Connor
    THE ATTENDANT directed by Ian Beattie
    BEN: IN THE MIND’S EYE directed by Iva Radivojevic
    BETTER PEOPLE directed by Mark O’Brien
    THE BIRDMAN directed by Jessie Auritt
    BLACK METAL directed by Kat Candler
    DEAR VALUED GUESTS directed by Jarred Alterman
    DIE LIKE AN EGYPTIAN directed by Matt Mamula
    THE END OF THE COUNTER directed by Laura McGann
    FERAL directed by Dan Sousa
    THE GAMBLING MAN directed by Aron Gaudet
    GOLD PARTY directed by Nellie Kluz
    HOME directed by Aoife Kelleher
    INSTALL: LIGHT, SOUND, & CRAIG COLORUSSO directed by Kevin Belli
    IRISH FOLK FURNITURE directed by Tony Donoghue
    JESUS FISH directed by Bryce James McGuire
    THE LAST ICE MERCHANT directed by Sandy Patch
    MAGNESIUM directed by Sam De Jong
    MARCEL, KING OF TERVUREN directed by Tom Schroeder
    OH WILLY… directed by Marc James Roels & Emma De Swaef
    PARADISE directed by Nadav Kurtz
    POUTERS directed by Paul Fegan
    THE PROFESSOR directed by Alison Maclean
    THE RANCHER directed by Kelly Lynn Sears
    REBORNING directed by Helen Hood Scheer & Yael Bridge
    REINDEER directed by Eva Weber
    SEE THE DIRT directed by Chelsea Hernandez & Erik Mauck
    SKIN directed by Jordana Spiro
    SLOMO directed by Josh Izenberg
    SOCIAL BUTTERLFY directed by Lauren Wolkenstein
    A STORY OF THE MODLINS directed by Sergio Oksman
    TRACK BY TRACK directed by Anna Moot-Levin
    TWO HEARTS directed by Darren Thornton
    TWO WHEELS, GOOD directed by Barry Gene Murphy
    VLADMIR PUTIN IN DEEP CONCENTRATION directed by Dana O’Keefe & Sasha Kliment
    WE WILL LIVE AGAIN directed by Josh Koury & Myles Kane
    WHEN THE ZOMBIES COME directed by Jon Hurst
    WORLD FAIR directed by Amanda Murray

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  • The Great Gatsby Starring Leonardo DiCaprio to Open 2013 Cannes Film Festival

    The Great Gatsby by Australian director Baz Luhrmann, will open the 66th Festival de Cannes, on Wednesday 15th May, 2013, in the Grand Théâtre Lumière of the Palais des Festivals, out of Competition in the Official Selection.

    Adapted from the famous novel by American author Francis Scott Fitzgerald and set against the roaring twenties on the East Coast of the United States, the film depicts the romantic and tragic figure of Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), as narrated by his friend Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire). Carey Mulligan is Daisy Buchanan, whose husband is played by Joel Edgerton.

    http://youtu.be/IkxxfjAh2Bc

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  • Cannes Film Festival Unveils 2013 Poster Featuring Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman

    For its 66th edition poster, the Festival de Cannes has chosen the image of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, photographed during the shooting of  A New Kind of Love, by Melville Shavelson (1963). 

    The Festival describes its choice as a chance both to pay tribute to the memory of Paul Newman, who passed away in 2008, and to mark its undying admiration for Joanne Woodward, his wife and most favoured co-star.

    They were honoured at the Festival de Cannes in 1958 – the year of their marriage – with the selection In Competition of Martin Ritt’s The Long Hot Summer, the first film in which they appeared together. 

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  • A.C.O.D., Mud and Metro Manila Added to 2013 Sundance London

    [caption id="attachment_3363" align="alignnone" width="550"]A.C.O.D.[/caption]

    Three feature films have been added to the programme for the second Sundance London film and music festival, 25-28 April at The O2. They are: A.C.O.D. (Director: Stuart Zicherman, Screenwriters: Ben Karlin, Stuart Zicherman), Mud (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Nichols) and Metro Manila(Director: Sean Ellis, Screenwriters: Sean Ellis, Frank E. Flowers). 

    FEATURE FILM PROGRAMME

    The international and UK premieres of American independent narrative and documentary films that premiered in January at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A.

    A.C.O.D. (Director: Stuart Zicherman, Screenwriters: Ben Karlin, Stuart Zicherman) — Carter is a well-adjusted Adult Child of Divorce. So he thinks.  When he discovers he was part of a divorce study as a child, it wreaks havoc on his family and forces him to face his chaotic past. Cast: Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Catherine O’Hara, Amy Poehler, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clark Duke. (Narrative) International Premiere

    [caption id="attachment_3364" align="alignnone" width="550"]Mud[/caption]

    Mud (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Nichols) — Two teenage boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the bounty hunters on his trail and reunite him with his true love. Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon. (Narrative) UK Premiere

    UK SPOTLIGHT

    Drawing on the Sundance Film Festival’s rich legacy of premiering outstanding films produced in the UK – including An Education, Four Weddings and a Funeral, In Bruges, In the Loop, Kinky Boots, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels – this new showcase presents a selection of UK films that premiered in Park City, Utah.

    [caption id="attachment_3365" align="alignnone" width="550"]Metro Manila[/caption]

    Metro Manila (Director: Sean Ellis, Screenwriters: Sean Ellis, Frank E. Flowers) — Seeking a better life, Oscar and his family move from the poverty-stricken rice fields to the big city of Manila, where they fall victim to various inhabitants whose manipulative ways are a daily part of city survival. Cast: Jake Macapagal, John Arcilla, Althea Vega. Winner of the Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. (Narrative) International Premiere

    These additions join the following previously announced titles:

    FEATURE FILM PROGRAMME
    Blackfish Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
    Blood Brother Director: Steve Hoover
    Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes Director: Francesca Gregorini
    God Loves Uganda Director: Roger Ross Williams
    In a World… Director: Lake Bell
    The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete Director: George Tillman Jr. 
    The Kings of Summer Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
    Muscle Shoals Director: Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier
    Running from Crazy Director: Barbara Kopple
    Touchy Feely Director: Lynn Shelton 
    Upstream Color Director: Shane Carruth

    SPECIAL EVENT PROGRAMME
    History of the Eagles Part One Director: Alison Ellwood 
    Peaches Does Herself Director: Peaches 
    Sleepwalk With Me Director: Mike Birbiglia 

    UK SPOTLIGHT
    In Fear Director: Jeremy Lovering 
    The Look of Love Director: Michael Winterbottom 
    The Moo Man Director: Andy Heathcote 
    The Summit Director: Nick Ryan 

    SHORT FILM PROGRAMME
    The Apocalypse Director: Andrew Zuchero 
    Black Metal Director: Kat Candler 
    The Date Director: Jenni Toivoniemi
    Irish Folk Furniture Director: Tony Donoghue
    Jonah Director: Kibwe Tavares
    Reindeer Director: Eva Weber
    Until the Quiet Comes Director: Kahil Joseph
    Whiplash Director: Damien Chazelle
    The Whistle Director: Grzegorz Zariczny

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  • DEKH TAMASHA DEKH to Open and FILMISTAAN to Close 2013 New York Indian Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_3361" align="alignnone" width="550"]DEKH TAMASHA DEKH [/caption]

    Feroz Abbas Khan’s DEKH TAMASHA DEKH will open the 2013 New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) while Nitin Kakkar’s FILMISTAAN will screen as the closing night film. Now celebrating its 13th year, the festival is considered the oldest, most prestigious Indian film festival in the United States and runs April 30 to May 4, 2013.

    Lyrically interwoven, DEKH TAMASHA DEKH is a social and political satire that cuts deep to the heart of many current issues, a true story based off true events. Written by renowned marathi playwright Shafaat Khan, who creates finely nuanced characters with depth and dimensions and sets them against a lush visual backdrop of a small village in India. Director Feroz Abbas Khan has directed some of India’s finest acting talent during his career of over two decades and he is at the forefront of Indian theatre today. His debut Film “Gandhi My Father” received rave reviews and won several national and international awards. He now showcases his new cinematic vision as the opening night film for the festival.  

    For the closing night of NYIFF, debut director Nitin Kakkar brings his cinematic work of art, FILMISTAAN, exploring Indo-Pak relationships with subtle brilliance.  The protagonist, aspiring actor Sharib Hashmi, is assisting an American film crew shooting a documentary in the Indo-Pak border when one night he is kidnapped and held hostage in a small village in Pakistan. When the terrorist group realizes they have kidnapped an Indian and not an American, Hashmi is kept hostage until the mix-up is corrected, and he begins a burgeoning friendship with a young Pakistani. 

    http://youtu.be/6kGSjrW7rb8

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  • 2013 Tribeca Film Festival Tribeca Talks® Series Lineup to Feature Conversations With Clint Eastwood, Whoopi Goldberg, Darren Aronofsky, Ben Stiller, Jay Roach And More

    The 2013 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) announced its lineup for the 2013 Tribeca Talks® panel series. This year’s programs include the “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series”; “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie;” “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie, Beyond the Screens: The Artist’s Angle,”; “Tribeca Talks: Industry;” and “Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper, hosted by Barnes & Noble.” Tribeca Talks will featurqe conversations with some of the most influential and creative minds in the film industry.  Those participating in the “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series” events include Academy Award®-winner Clint Eastwood with Academy Award®-nominee Darren Aronofsky, Academy Award®-nominee Richard Linklater with fellow nominees Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, director Mira Nair with actress Bryce Dallas Howard, and Emmy Award®-winner Jay Roach with actor Ben Stiller.  Among the “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” event panelists are Academy Award®-winner Whoopi Goldberg, Academy Award®-nominee Ellen Page, legendary author and activist Gloria Steinem and actor Adrian Grenier. The Tribeca Talks panel series is open to the public and will take place throughout TFF, which will run from April 17 to April 28, 2013, at locations around New York City. Each year we seek to provide audiences with diverse opportunities to connect with some the most accomplished and innovative minds in film with the Tribeca Talks series, ” said Geoff Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. “We are excited to present this year’s lineup, featuring visionary industry leaders who are sure to engage audiences with thoughtful discussions on topics inspired by films and filmmakers participating in the Festival.” TFF also unveiled four new titles that will screen at this year’s Festival, all followed by conversations with the respective filmmakers and topical experts.  Paul Verhoeven’s groundbreaking film Tricked, whose script was crowd-sourced, will screen as part of the “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” series, as will documentaries How to Make Money Selling Drugsand Out of Print, along with the world premiere screening of footage from the highly anticipatedBeyond: Two Souls, a new interactive videogame currently in development by Quantic Dream and scheduled for release in October on PlayStation 3.  Further, TFF announced that the world premiere of Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story will be followed by a conversation with legendary director Clint Eastwood as part of the “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series,” which features intimate discussions with acclaimed directors. Also part of “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” is the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s 20th anniversary retrospective screening and discussion of the internationally acclaimed made-for-television filmAnd the Band Played On from director Roger Spottiswoode. TFF’s conversation series is rounded out by the “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie, Beyond the Screens: The Artist’s Angle” program which gives viewers an inside look at the lives of iconic artists and those they impact; the free “Tribeca Talks: Industry” panels designed for industry professionals to explore the evolving film business; and finally, the free “Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper” panels, hosted by Barnes & Noble, which focus on the creative writers and re-writers in the filmmaking industry. “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series,” sponsored by OppenheimerFunds, will include intimate conversations with:
    • Academy Award®-winning director Clint Eastwood in conversation with Academy Award®-nominee Darren Aronofsky following the world premiere of Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story.
    • Director and Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter Richard Linklater in conversation with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy about their Before Sunrise series collaboration and most recent installment, Before Midnight.
    • Emmy Award®-winning director Jay Roach (“Game Change”) in conversation with actor Ben Stiller.
    • Acclaimed writer, director and producer Mira Nair (The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding), in conversation with actress Bryce Dallas Howard.
    “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” will include:
    • The North American premiere of Tricked, the revolutionary film whose narrative was created by crowd sourcing; followed by a conversation with director Paul Verhoeven who will discuss the process of making an audience-created film.
    • The US premiere of How to Make Money Selling Drugs, a shockingly candid examination of the entrenched, corrupt and violent drug industry, from street dealer to kingpin; followed by a conversation with director Matthew Cooke, producers Adrian Grenier and Bert Marcus, executive director of Law Enforcement Against ProhibitionNeill Franklin, president of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation Eric Sterling and author of HIGH: Confessions of an International Drug Smuggler Brian O’Dea in a conversation about the grim underbelly of the oft-glamorized drug trade. Moderated by Huffington Post contributor Keith Rushing.
    • Out of Print, an exploration of the future of the publishing industry in a digital age; followed by a conservation with director Vivienne Roumani, president and CEO of the New York Public Library Tony Marx, CEO and co-founder of Open Road Integrated Media Jane Friedman and science writer Annie Murphy Paul who will discuss our shifting relationship with books and a glimpse into our future learning.  Moderated by The New Yorker’s Ken Auletta.
    • Inequality for All, follows Clinton-era Labor secretary Robert Reich as he examines the consolidation of wealth, the stagnation in wages and elasticity of the American economy; followed by a conversation with producers Jen Chaiken and Sebastian Dungan and political economist, professor and author Robert Reich who will discuss the widening income gap and deterioration of the USA’s economic health.
    • The world premiere screening of footage from Beyond: Two Souls, a new interactive videogame developed by Quantic Dream that examines the supernatural and afterlife; followed by a conversation with actress Ellen Page and game creator David Cage exploring the cinematic elements of filmmaking that have crossed over into interactive entertainment.
    • The world premiere of I Got Somethin’ to Tell You, Whoopi Goldberg’s directorial debut about comedic legend and pioneer Moms Mabley; followed by a conversation with Whoopi Goldberg and The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney.
    • The US premiere of Wadjda, the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first by a female Saudi filmmaker which follows a determined young girl who refuses to submit to her surrounding social norms. The premiere will be followed by a conversation with filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour and founder of Women for Women International Zainab Salbi who will discuss the individuals and movements that are breaking gender boundaries. Moderated by journalist and social and political activistGloria Steinem.
    • A 20th anniversary retrospective screening sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a long standing partner of Tribeca Film Festival and Tribeca Film Institute, of the internationally acclaimed made-for-TV film And the Band Played On. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode, the film examines the scientific facts and myths surrounding AIDS during the early stages of the epidemic. The screening will be followed by a conversation with industry leaders in film and science about the science of AIDS and the social politics surrounding the AIDS epidemic from the 1980s to the present.  The panel includes will be moderated by filmmaker Tom Kalin.
    “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie, Beyond the Screens: The Artist’s Angle,” sponsored by OppenheimerFunds, will feature:
    • The world premiere of Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me, a documentary that blends archival footage and cinema vérité to reach beyond Broadway legend Elaine Stritch’s brassy exterior, revealing a multi-dimensional portrait of a complex woman and inspiring artist; followed by a conversation with filmmaker Chiemi Karasawa andElaine Stritch who will share her stories and tricks of the trade from her illustrious career.  Moderated by The New York Times’ Charles Isherwood.
    • The world premiere of Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic, a documentary that chronicles legendary comedian Richard Pryor’s meteoric rise as well as his personal struggles; followed by a conversation with Emmy Award®-winning director Marina Zenovich, author Walter Mosley and comedian Wyatt Cenac about the making of the film and the impact of one of Hollywood’s most controversial comedians.
    “Tribeca Talks: Industry” are free events and will feature:
    • Look Who’s Talking, a conversation with film industry professionals about race, authorship and authenticity in today’s filmmaking scene. The panelists will explore the marked lack of diversity behind the camera in major box office hits and how the ethnicity of film artists and filmmakers play into public perception of a movie about people of color.  Panelists include critic and filmmaker Nelson George, actor and playwright Anna Deavere Smith, Indiewire’s Shadow & Act Chief Editor TambayObenson, producer and Braven Films President and CEO Frida Torresblanco and filmmaker Terence Nance.  Moderated by Executive Director of the Tribeca Film Institute Beth Janson.
    • Brand New Studios, a discussion about partnerships and projects that are stretching the traditional sponsor role and creating new opportunities for filmmakers. Meet successful brands producing original shorts, feature-length films and episodic series. Panelists include ESPN Films Director of Development Dan Silver, GE Executive Director of Global Digital Marketing Linda Boff, VICE Media, Inc. Executive Creative Director Danny Gabai and Red Bull Media House Head of Distribution Greg Jacobs  Moderated by strategic consultant Nancy Schafer.
    • The Business of Entertainment: Truth, Persuasion and Bias in Documentaries, sponsored by Bloomberg, a conversation with documentarians about navigating the choices filmmakers make between journalistic precision and creative nonfiction, including how the business of entertainment shapes those decisions.  Panelists include Executive Vice President American Documentary | POV Cynthia López and leading documentary filmmakers Dan Krauss (The Kill Team), Morgan Spurlock, Kristi Jacobson and Shola Lynch. Moderated by Bloomberg Chief Content Officer Norman Pearlstine.
    • Big Data and the Movies, sponsored by SAP, a conversation with industry experts to consider the effect and implications of strategically developed content and social sentiment to explore the latest ways audience data analysts and distributors are retooling the what, when and how of filmgoing. Panelists include Rentrak CEO Bill Livek, FilmTrack Co-Founder and CEO Jason Kassin, MoviePass Co-Founder and CEOStacy Spikes, Mashable’s Senior Tech Analyst Christina Warren and Director of Digital Strategy at Film Society of Lincoln Center Eugene Hernandez. Moderated by SAP Labs SVP/GM of Media Industry Solutions Richard Whittington.
    • New Filmmakers in the Digital Age, sponsored by Panavision, is a discussion among new filmmakers about how they navigated the world of digital filmmaking to grow a festival feature.  Panelists include director Lance Edmands (Bluebird), filmmaker/actor Alex Karpovsky, director Jenée LaMarque (The Pretty One), directorRob Meyer (A Birder’s Guide to Everything) and producer Tamara Anghie (Run and Jump).  Moderated by Panavision’s Peter Brogna.
    “Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper hosted by Barnes & Noble” are free events and will include:
    • New Chick Flicks, a discussion exploring how and why being a female in the film industry requires rewriting the typecast model and how our panelists are challenging traditional associations of what makes a movie by or for women.  Panelists include producer of the ESPN Nine for IX series Libby Geist, director Rachel Boynton (Big Men), producer Tanya Ager Meillier (Alias Ruby Blade) and writer/producer Laura Goode (Farah Goes Bang).  Moderated by producer Abigail Disney.
    • Putting the “I” in “Film,” a conversation with filmmakers who reflect on their very personal experiences writing themselves into the filmmaking process.  Panelists include director Banker White (The Genius of Marian), director Tom Berninger(Mistaken for Strangers), writer /actress Amy Grantham (Lily) and director Josh Fox(Gasland Part II).  Moderated by Screen International’s Mark Adams.
    • Whose Credit Is It Anyway? A group of filmmakers debate the emergence of the controversial writing credit in documentary films.  Panelists include writer/directorFahad Mustafa (Powerless), writer/director Warwick Ross (Red Obsession), directorJason Osder (Let the Fire Burn), editor Nels Bangerter (Let the Fire Burn) and director Sean Dunne (Oxyana).  Moderated by director Julia Bacha (Budrus).
    The full schedule for the 2013 Tribeca Talks series follows: “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series” Sponsored by OppenheimerFunds Mira Nair with Bryce Dallas Howard Acclaimed writer, director and producer Mira Nair (The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding) in conversation with actress Bryce Dallas Howard. DATE: Saturday, April 20 TIME: 3:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 Jay Roach with Ben Stiller Emmy Award®-winning director Jay Roach (“Game Change”) in conversation with actor Ben Stiller. DATE: Sunday, April 21 TIME: 3:00 PM LOCATION: BMCC Richard Linklater with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy Director and Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter Richard Linklater in conversation with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy about their Before Sunrise series collaboration and most recent installment, Before Midnight. DATE: Monday, April 22 TIME: 3:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 Clint Eastwood Academy Award®-winning director Clint Eastwood will be in conversation with Academy Award®-nominee Darren Aronofsky following the world premiere of Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story. Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story Directed by Richard Schickel. (USA) – World Premiere. This unprecedented new film focuses on Eastwood’s directorial method thanks to producing partners and fellow actors sharing never-before-told stories of working with Clint.  It explores Eastwood’s signature style, dissecting the skills that have ensured his four decades of success.  Bringing together the insights of Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and many others, the film creates the complete picture of the man, the colleague, the creator.  Courtesy of Warner Bros. © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. DATE: Saturday, April 27 TIME: 2:30 PM LOCATION: BMCC “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” Wadjda Directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour.  (Saudi Arabia, Germany) – US Premiere. Meet Wadjda (Waad Mohammed), a feisty, funny and wholly unconventional ten-year-old girl determined to scrounge up enough money to buy a bicycle, despite the societal repercussions sure to follow.  The groundbreaking first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first by a female Saudi filmmaker, Wadjda offers a moving, rarely seen picture of everyday life in Riyadh: through the eyes of a girl unwilling to surrender what she wants. After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour and founder of Women for Women International Zainab Salbi to discuss the brave individuals and grassroots movements that are breaking gender boundaries and creating lasting change. Moderated by journalist and social and political activist Gloria Steinem. DATE: Sunday, April 21 TIME: 5:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 I Got Somethin’ to Tell You Directed by Whoopi Goldberg. (USA) – World Premiere. Having broken racial and sexual boundaries as a pioneering comic talent, the late Moms Mabley has long been an icon in the comedy world. Now Whoopi Goldberg takes a deep dive into Mabley’s legacy via recently unearthed photography, rediscovered performance footage and the words of numerous celebrated comedians. A true passion project for Goldberg, I Got Somethin’ to Tell You shows Mabley’s profound influence as a performer vastly ahead of her time. After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with Whoopi Goldberg, who will discuss her directorial debut.  She will explain, through the work of comedian Moms Mabley, why we laugh, who we think is funny and what comedy is really all about.  Moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney. SPECIAL EVENT exclusively for American Express® Cardmembers DATE: Monday, April 22 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 Tricked Directed by Paul Verhoeven. (Netherlands) – North American Premiere. Join acclaimed director Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall, Basic Instinct) as he steps into the creative unknown to test a brand new style and structure of crowd-sourced filmmaking. Having established only the first four minutes of the script for a new feature, Verhoeven asks the public to complete the story. Tricked follows Verhoeven as he gathers ideas, hunts for an intriguing narrative and turns his craft into one of the more unlikely experiments in democratic art. After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with director Paul Verhoeven as he takes us through the uncharted process of making an audience-created film – his ups, his downs and his unexpected creative breakthroughs. DATE: Tuesday, April 23 TIME: 6:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 How to Make Money Selling Drugs Directed by Matthew Cooke. (USA) – US Premiere. Moving from desperate street dealers to millionaire kingpins, from well-funded DEA agents to politicians who ensure reelection through egregious drug laws, Matthew Cooke’s debut feature is a captivating, shockingly candid guide to the entrenched, corrupt and violent drug industry in which these players each inhabit a vital role. 50 Cent, Eminem, Susan Sarandon, Woody Harrelson and a wealth of inside voices color this outstanding, detailed documentary. After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with director Matthew Cooke, producers Adrian Grenier and Bert Marcus, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Neill Franklin, president of the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation Eric Sterling and the author ofHIGH: Confessions of an International Drug Smuggler Brian O’Dea to discuss the grim underbelly of the oft-glamorized drug trade.. Moderated by Huffington Post contributor Keith Rushing. DATE: Thursday, April 25 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 And the Band Played On Directed by Roger Spottiswoode. (USA). Celebrating its twentieth anniversary, And the Band Played On aired at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the early ‘90s, examining the facts surrounding the deadly disease and debunking many of its myths.  The film won three Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Made for Television Movie. Topping the incredible ensemble cast is Matthew Modine, who received Emmy and Golden Globe-nominations for his poignant portrayal of a doctor who heads an American research team.  Sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. After the Movie: Exploring the Science of AIDS and the Arts.  Join us for a panel conversation featuring leading figures from film and science about the science of AIDS and the social politics surrounding the AIDS epidemic from the 1980s until now. The panel will explore how the AIDS crisis has activated a cross section of storytelling amongst scientists, artists and politicians. Moderated by filmmaker Tom Kalin. DATE: Saturday, April 27 TIME: 3:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 Beyond: Two Souls Directed by David Cage. (USA) – World Premiere. From Quantic Dream and David Cage, visionary director of Heavy Rain, comes an emotionally charged interactive thriller starring Academy Award®-nominees Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe.  Jodie Holmes (Page) has always been a little different.  Aided by scientist Nathan Dawkins (Dafoe), she discovers a connection to a mysterious entity, setting off a thrilling, globe-spanning journey to discover the truth about who she is.  Join us for an exclusive look at this breathtaking gaming experience fused with a classical film style.  Beyond: Two Souls releases on October 8, 2013 and is made exclusively for the PlayStation 3® System. After the Screening: Join game creator David Cage and actress Ellen Page for a behind-the-scenes look at this breakthrough in interactive storytelling.  Moderated by video game journalistHarold Goldberg. DATE: Saturday, April 27 TIME: 7:00 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 Out of Print Directed by Vivienne Roumani. (USA) – World Premiere. Dive into the riveting debate over the future of ideas, as documentarian Vivienne Roumani tackles the questions confronting the modern word industry and proves that more is at stake than how quickly we can access the latest bestseller. Featuring interviews with Scott Turow, Ray Bradbury, Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos and many more, Out of Print is a fascinating, in-depth look at publishing’s milestones and what it means to adapt that history to the information age.  Narrated by Meryl Streep. After the Movie: Join president and CEO of the New York Public Library Tony Marx, CEO of Open Road Integrated Media Jane Friedman, filmmaker Vivienne Roumani and science writerAnnie Murphy Paul for an exploration of our shifting relationship with books and a glimpse into our future learning. Moderated by The New Yorker’s Ken Auletta. DATE: Sunday, April 28 TIME: 1:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 Inequality for All Directed by Jacob Kornbluth. (USA) – New York Premiere. Robert Reich is your guide in this no-holds-barred assessment of the U.S. economy.  With winningly approachable finesse, the Clinton-era Labor secretary and current Berkeley professor covers the consolidation of wealth, the stagnation in wages and the elasticity of our economy.  Director Jacob Kornbluth builds a rigorous and engaging overview of where the economy stands and the risks that will become reality if we fail to act. After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with producers Jen Chaiken and Sebastian Dunganas well as political economist, professor and author Robert Reich who will discuss the widening income gap and deterioration of the USA’s economic health. DATE: Sunday, April 28 TIME: 4:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie, Beyond the Screens: The Artist’s Angle” Sponsored by OppenheimerFunds Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me Directed by Chiemi Karasawa. (USA) – World Premiere. Broadway legend Elaine Stritch remains in the spotlight at eighty-seven years old. Join the uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award-winner both on and off stage in this revealing documentary. With interviews from Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, Alec Baldwin and others, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me blends rare archival footage and intimate cinema vérité to reach beyond Stritch’s brassy exterior, revealing a multi-dimensional portrait of a complex woman and an inspiring artist. After the Movie: Stay for a fun and lively conversation with filmmaker Chiemi Karasawa and the high-kicking Elaine Stritch, who shares her stories, tricks of the trade and the industry dish that you just won’t want to miss.  Moderated by The New York Times’ Charles Isherwood. DATE: Monday, April 22 TIME: 5:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic Directed by Marina Zenovich. (USA) – World Premiere. This moving portrait of legendary comedian Richard Pryor chronicles his life from his troubled youth in Peoria, Illinois, to his meteoric rise as one of the most respected comic actors of the 20th century. Often misunderstood during the height of his celebrity, the late superstar has never been profiled this extensively. Marina Zenovich’s revealing and entertaining film lays bare the demons with which he struggled and reminds us just how daring and dangerous artistic freedom can be. After the Movie: Stay for a conversation with Emmy Award®-winning director Marina Zenovich, author Walter Mosley and comedian Wyatt Cenac to discuss the making of the documentary and the impact of one of Hollywood’s most controversial comedians. DATE: Wednesday, April 24 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 1 “Tribeca Talks: Industry” (Free event: Reserve tickets in advance at www.tribecafilm.com/film guide) Look Who’s Talking Now celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Tribeca Film Institute’s Tribeca All Access® program has supported several projects whose crews included at least one writer or director from a community statistically underrepresented in the film industry. When it comes to major box office hits, narratives featuring a diversity of characters on screen are finding increased success despite a marked lack of diversity behind the camera. Join our film industry professionals for a dynamic debate on race, authorship and authenticity in today’s filmmaking scene.  Panelists include author, critic and filmmaker Nelson George, actor and playwright Anna Deavere Smith, Indiewire’s Shadow & Act Chief Editor Tambay Obenson, producer and Braven Films President and CEO Frida Torresblanco and filmmaker Terence Nance.  Moderated by Tribeca Film Institute Executive Director Beth Janson. DATE: Friday, April 19 TIME: 2:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 Brand New Studios What happens to film when brands become producers? Filmmakers and brand managers are uniting like never before to make everything from shorts to feature-length films to episodic series.  The results of these partnerships are stretching the traditional sponsor role and creating new opportunities for filmmakers.  Hear from successful brands that are vying to take on the role of producer.  Panelists include ESPN Films Director of Development Dan Silver; GE Executive Director of Global Digital Marketing Linda Boff; VICE Media, Inc. Executive Creative Director Danny Gabai and Red Bull Media House Head of Distribution Greg Jacobs.  Moderated by strategic consultant Nancy Schafer. DATE: Sunday, April 21 TIME: 2:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 The Business of Entertainment: Truth, Persuasion and Bias in Documentaries Sponsored by Bloomberg. Documentarians, like journalists, make use of a full range of storytelling conventions. Some prefer to observe and report events as they happen, while others gravitate more toward opinion, commentary or in-depth personal narrative. How do filmmakers navigate between journalistic precision and creative nonfiction – and are these choices shaped by financial demands in the business of entertainment? Hear from leading voices in the documentary world to examine choices of style and approach to telling their stories. Panelists include Executive Vice President American Documentary | POV Cynthia López and leading documentary filmmakers Dan Krauss (The Kill Team) Morgan Spurlock, Kristi Jacobson andShola Lynch. Moderated by Bloomberg Chief Content Officer Norman Pearlstine. DATE: Monday, April 22 TIME: 2:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 Big Data and the Movies Sponsored by SAP. Big Data presents new methods for testing the production and distribution of films both big and small.  Join our panel of industry experts to consider the effect and implications of strategically developed content and social sentiment to explore the latest ways audience data analysts and distributors are retooling the what, when and how of filmgoing.  Whether you are creating or consuming film on small screens or in IMAX theaters, learn what Big Data will mean to you.  Panelists include Rentrak CEO Bill Livek, FilmTrack Co-Founder and CEO Jason Kassin, MoviePass Co-Founder and CEO Stacy Spikes, Mashable’s Senior Tech Analyst Christina Warren and Director of Digital Strategy at Film Society of Lincoln CenterEugene Hernandez.  Moderated by SAP Labs SVP/GM of Media Industry Solutions Richard Whittington. DATE: Tuesday, April 23 TIME: 2:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 New Filmmakers in the Digital Age Sponsored by Panavision.  Learn from doing.  With expanding options in digital cameras and lens combinations, along with a transparency of production workflow strategies and processes, directors, producers and cinematographers are learning more from each other than ever before.  Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program supports filmmakers by providing grants for camera packages.  Come and hear from new filmmakers on how they navigated the world of digital filmmaking.  Panelists include director Lance Edmands (Bluebird), filmmaker/actor Alex Karpovsky, director Jenée LaMarque (The Pretty One), director Rob Meyer (A Birder’s Guide to Everything) and producer Tamara Anghie (Run and Jump).  Moderated by Panavision’s Peter Brogna. DATE: Thursday, April 25 TIME: 2:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 “Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper” (Free) Hosted by Barnes & Noble New Chick Flicks From sports films to comedies, action flicks to war documentaries, female filmmakers, writers and actors are challenging traditional associations of what makes a movie for or by women. Join us for this dynamic exploration why being a female in the film industry requires re-writing the typecast model.  Panelists include producer of the ESPN Nine for IX series Libby Geist, directorRachel Boynton (Big Men), producer Tanya Ager Meillier (Alias Ruby Blade) andwriter/producer Laura Goode (Farah Goes Bang). Moderated by producer Abigail Disney. DATE: Friday, April 19 TIME: 1:00 PM LOCATION: Barnes & Noble 33 E 17th Street at Union Square Putting the “I” in “Film” “Write what you know” has always been a mantra, but “film what you know”? How can direct personal experiences translate to audience-friendly, relatable pieces on screen? How much of our “all” should we bare? Hear from filmmakers, writers and actors who have written more than a piece of themselves into the filmmaking process.  Panelists include director Banker White (The Genius of Marian), director Tom Berninger (Mistaken for Strangers), writer/actressAmy Grantham (Lily), director Josh Fox (Gasland Part II).  Moderated by Screen International’sMark Adams. DATE: Saturday, April 20 TIME: 1:00 PM LOCATION: Barnes & Noble 33 E 17th Street at Union Square Whose Credit is it Anyway? Documentaries continue to evolve over the years into ever more complex, multi-format storytelling features. One recent development is a new credit: the writer. As filmmakers embrace or fight this controversial title, our panelists discuss when taking the credit is appropriate. Panelists include writer/director Fahad Mustafa (Powerless), writer/directorWarwick Ross (Red Obsession), director Jason Osder (Let the Fire Burn), editor Nels Bangerter(Let the Fire Burn) and director Sean Dunne (Oxyana).  Moderated by director Julia Bacha(Budrus). DATE: Sunday, April 21 TIME: 1:00 PM LOCATION: Barnes & Noble 33 E 17th Street at Union Square Special “Tribeca Talks” Events A Special Shorts Event: The Battle of amfAR Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.  (USA) – New York Premiere. In the darkest days of the AIDS pandemic, two women from very different walks of life unite to take a stand.  Two-time Academy Award®-winner Rob Epstein and his longtime collaborator Jeffrey Friedman, the creative forces behind The Celluloid Closet, tell the story of the extraordinary moment when Dr. Mathilde Krim and Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor launched the country’s first AIDS research foundation.  The fight against HIV/AIDS would never be the same.  An HBO Documentary Films release. After the Screening: Stay for a conversation with special guests Dr. Mathilde Krim, global health consultant and activist Regan Hofmann and amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost to discuss the new strides medicine has taken in AIDS research development.  Moderated by amfAR chairman Kenneth Cole. DATE: Wednesday, April 24 TIME: 5:30 PM LOCATION: SVA Theater 2 source: Tribeca Film Festival

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  • REVIEW: The Sapphires

    by Lauren McBride

    As an African-American woman, I have seen my fair share of films about the Civil Rights Movement. The America of the 1960s, torn apart by racism, sexism and a violent war, is well documented in film. The names, faces and perspectives that populate these films are rarely unique, but always poignant. It’s a history that America, white and black, constantly re-lives — perhaps in an effort to come to terms with its horrors or to prematurely congratulate ourselves on how far we’ve come. Either way, it’s rare to see a film that frames the Civil Rights Movement in a global perspective — that reminds its viewers that the message of the movement’s leaders reached far beyond the molehills of Mississippi and the slopes of California. For some, it reached all the way to shores of Melbourne, Australia.

    The Sapphires tells the true story of three Aboriginal sisters and their fairer-skinned cousin who venture to Vietnam in 1968 to perform soul music for African-American troops. The film was powerful and dramatic at times, and hilarious and exciting at others. It brilliantly bears the weight of its place in history. Watching The Sapphires and seeing a similar struggle happen thousands of miles away at the very same moment makes it difficult to divorce the two histories: the struggle of African-Americans in the US, and that of Aborigines in Australia. As the film plays out it’s clear that the blending of histories and depiction of a shared experience is precisely what Wayne Blair intends. In some ways, it’s where the film succeeds the most.

    It also shines is in the development of its characters and the performance of its stars. Gail (Deborah Mailman), Cynthia (Miranda Tapsell), Julie (Jessica Mauboy) and Kay (Shari Sebbens) master the sisterly dynamic — with its complex mix of love, jealousy, and a deep sense of responsibility. Chris O’Dowd’s Dave is completely flawless. O’Dowd, known to American audiences from his turns in Bridesmaids and a 5-episode arc in HBO’s Girls, is both hilariously tragic and totally transfixing.

    While The Sapphires does have its occasional trite moments, it remains a must-see. Audiences will walk away with the songs of Marvin Gaye and James Brown swimming in their heads, and the words of Dr. Martin Luther King echoing in their hearts.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywAGVfuFzxA

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  • 2013 San Francisco International Film Festival Announces Big Nights Opening, Centerpiece and Closing Night Films

    The 56th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 25 – May 9) announced the films in its Big Nights series. Things kick off with the Opening Night presentation of returning Bay Area duo Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s drama What Maisie Knew (USA 2012) starring Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan and Alexander Skarsgård. The celebration continues on May 4 with the Centerpiece screening of Jacob Kornbluth’s Inequality For All (USA 2013), featuring local economist Robert Reich. The festival then comes to a close with Richard Linklater’s (Bernie, SFIFF 2012) Before Midnight (USA 2013), the third film in the director’s romantic trilogy starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. 

    Opening Night: What Maisie Knew
    Thursday April 25, 7:00 pm, Castro Theatre
    Codirectors Scott McGehee and David Siegel and actor Onata Aprile expected
    In a loose adaptation of Henry James’ novel of the same name, Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s What Maisie Knew focuses on the effects of a marriage unraveling as viewed through the eyes of a couple’s six-year-old daughter (played by remarkable newcomer Onata Aprile). Shuffling between narcissistic parents-her rock star mother (Julianne Moore) and distracted art dealer father (Steve Coogan)-or foisted off on parental stand-ins (Alexander Skarsgård and Joanna Vanderham), young Maisie comes face to face with the mercurial world of grown-ups who are anything but.

    The Opening Night celebration continues at the Temple Nightclub (540 Harrison Street) at 9:00 pm with a lavish party featuring hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants, sophisticated cocktails and, of course, dancing. 

    Centerpiece: Inequality For All


    Saturday May 4, 6:30 pm, Sundance Kabuki Cinemas
    Director Jacob Kornbluth and subject Robert Reich expected
    In this Inconvenient Truth for the economy, the Sundance Special Jury Award-winning Inequality For All introduces former Secretary of Labor (and current UC Berkeley professor) Robert Reich as an inspirational and humorous guide in exploring the causes and consequences of the widening income gap in America and asks what is means for the future of our economy and nation. Passionate and insightful, Reich connects the dots for viewers by providing a comprehensive and significantly deeper understanding of what’s at stake if we don’t act. 

    At 8:30 pm guests will party at Roe (651 Howard Street), San Francisco’s premier boutique nightclub and lounge destination. They will indulge in cool cocktails, delicious hors d’oeuvres and the latest beats.

    Closing Night: Before Midnight


    Thursday May 9, 7:00 pm, Castro Theatre
    Director Richard Linklater expected
    They’re still the same romantic, articulate and gorgeous couple that met on a train in Linklater’s Before Sunrise (1995), but now, nearly 20 years on, Jesse and Celine (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) are approaching middle age and facing questions of commitment, family and, as ever, the staying power of love.Before Midnight, with a funny and touching screenplay cowritten by Linklater and his two lead actors, is that rare sequel (rarer still: a sequel to a sequel) that not only delivers the charm and energy of its antecedents but adds layers of poignancy, standing firmly on its own as a mature observation of love’s pleasures and discontents.

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