• Australia’s Revelation Perth International Film Festival Announce 2013 Dates And Invites Filmmakers to Submit Films

    Revelation Perth International Film Festival will run from July 4-14, 2013 in Perth, Australia and filmmakers from across the globe are invited to enter their films.

    Regarded as one of Australia’s most exciting independent film festivals, the festival’s search is on for unique, signature-driven works from both emerging and established filmmakers.

    Each year, REVELATION sees Australian filmmakers converging on Western Australia to present their works and meet with screenwriters, producers, directors, distributors, and other industry representatives.

    Founded in 1997, REVELATION has developed into an internationally renowned film festival, screening stand-out works and giving a platform for distinctive approaches to production, distribution and exhibition. REVELATION is an outstanding networking opportunity for the Australian and international film community.

    The event’s reputation as a leading light of the Australian screen industry has resulted in an impressive number of Australian and world premieres and growing attendance by the film industry’s brightest and best.

    Submissions may include narrative features, documentary, short film, animation, experimental work and anything in between.

    Entries for the Revelation Perth International Film Festival close on 5 April 2013.

    For the first time, Revelation also offers an online entry option. 

    REVELATION is proudly supported by the West Australian government. 

    source: Revelation Perth International Film Festival

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  • Short Term 12 and The Short Game Among Audience Award-winners at 2013 SXSW

    The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival announced Audience Award-winners from the Narrative Feature Competition, Documentary Feature Competition, Narrative Spotlight, Documentary Spotlight, Emerging Visions, Midnighters, 24 Beats Per Second, SXGlobal, Festival Favorites and Design Award categories.

    The Audience Awards follow the previously announced 2013 Jury Awards, which included Grand Jury Winners Destin Daniel Cretton’s Short Term 12 for Narrative Feature, and Ben Nabors’ WILLIAM AND THE WINDMILL for Documentary Feature.

    2013 SXSW Film Festival Audience Award Winners:

    NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
    Winner: Short Term 12
    Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
    Winner: The Short Game
    Director: Josh Greenbaum

    DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT
    Winner: An Unreal Dream: The Michael Morton Story
    Director: Al Reinert

    NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT 
    Winner: Zero Charisma
    Directors: Katie Graham & Andrew Matthews

    VISIONS
    Winner: Maidentrip
    Director: Jillian Schlesinger

    MIDNIGHTERS
    Winner: Cheap Thrills
    Director: E.L. Katz

    24 BEATS PER SECOND
    Winner: A Band Called Death
    Directors: Mark Christopher Covino & Jeff Howlett

    SXGLOBAL
    Winner: The Punk Syndrome
    Directors: Jukka Kärkkäinen & J-P Passi

    FESTIVAL FAVORITES
    Winner: The Crash Reel
    Director: Lucy Walker

    SXSW Film Design Awards 

    EXCELLENCE IN POSTER DESIGN
    Audience Award Winner: Kiss of the Damned
    Designer: Akiko Stehrenberger, Gravillis Inc

    EXCELLENCE IN TITLE DESIGN 
    Audience Award Winner: Chasing Shakespeare
    Designer: Lucky Post

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  • William And The Windmill Leads Award-winners of the 2013 South by Southwest Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_3337" align="alignnone" width="550"]William And The Windmill[/caption]

    William And The Windmill directed by Ben Nabors took the top prize when the Jury and Special Award-winners of the 2013 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival were announced at the Festival’s Awards Ceremony, hosted by comedian Jerrod Carmichael. SXSW also announced the Jury Award-winners in Shorts Filmmaking and winners of the SXSW Film Design Awards, as well as Special Awards, including the Louis Black “Lone Star” Award and the SXSW Chicken & Egg Emergent Narrative Woman Director Award.

    SXSW FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2013 JURY & SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS

    The 2013 SXSW Film Festival Award Winners:

    Feature Film Jury Awards

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

    Grand Jury Winner: WILLIAM AND THE WINDMILL
    Director: Ben Nabors

    Special Jury Recognition for Cinematography: Touba
    Director of Photography: Scott Duncan

    Special Jury Recognition for Directing: We Always Lie To Strangers
    Directors: AJ Schnack & David Wilson

    NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

    Grand Jury Winner: Short Term 12
    Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

    Special Jury Recognition for Ensemble Cast: Burma
    Christopher Abbott, Gaby Hoffmann, Christopher McCann, Dan Bittner, Emily Fleischer, Jacinta Puga, Matt McCarthy, Kelly Aucoin

    Short Film Jury Awards

    NARRATIVE SHORTS

    Winner: Ellen is Leaving
    Director: Michelle Savill

    Honorable Mention: Sequin Raze
    Director: Sarah Gertrude Shapiro

    Honorable Mention: SKIN
    Director: Jordana Spiro

    DOCUMENTARY SHORTS 

    Winner: SLOMO
    Director: Josh Izenberg

    Special Jury Recognition for Acting: Tishuan Scott, The Retrieval

    MIDNIGHT SHORTS

    Winner: The Apocalypse
    Directors: Andrew Zuchero

    ANIMATED SHORTS 

    Winner: Oh Willy…
    Director: Emma De Swaef & Marc James Roels

    MUSIC VIDEOS

    Winner: Vitalic, “Stamina”
    Director: Saman Keshavarz

    TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS

    Winner: The Benfactress
    Director: Alina Vega

    SXSW Film Design Awards

    EXCELLENCE IN POSTER DESIGN

    Winner: Kiss of the Damned
    Designer: Akiko Stehrenberger, Gravillis Inc

    Special Jury Recognition: We Always Lie To Strangers
    Designer: Erik Buckham, PALACEWORKS

    EXCELLENCE IN TITLE DESIGN 

    Winner: Joven & Alocada
    Designer: Pablo González, Fabula

    Special Jury Recognition: Crave
    Designer: Raleigh Stewart, Iron Helmet

    SXSW Special Awards

    SXSW CHICKEN & EGG EMERGENT NARRATIVE WOMAN DIRECTOR AWARD
    Winner: Hannah Fidell, A Teacher
    Special Mention: Katie Graham. Zero Charisma

    LOUIS BLACK “LONE STAR” AWARD
    Winner: Loves Her Gun
    Director: Geoff Marslett

    KAREN SCHMEER FILM EDITING FELLOWSHIP
    Presented to: Jim Hession

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  • Documentary “American Meat” Premieres in New York City

    [caption id="attachment_3333" align="alignnone" width="550"]Farmer Joel Salatin in American Meat[/caption]

    The pro-farmer documentary American Meat will open on Friday, April 12, 2013 at New York City’s Cinema Village for its first theatrical screening. The Friday, April 12th opening of American Meat will include a grass carpet entrance, and one of the farmers featured in the film, Joel Salatin, will be dropped off on a tractor.

    American Meat is described as a solutions-oriented, macroscopic, “pro-farmer” documentary surveying the current state of the U.S. meat industry. Featuring Fred Kirschenmann, Joel Salatin, Steve Ells, Chuck Wirtz, Paul Willis, and other farmers across America, the film takes an even-handed look at the past and future of animal husbandry and meat production in America. The film explains how America arrived at its current industrial system and introduces the charismatic industry leaders who are working hard to create practical and tangible solutions to change it for the better.

    “The ‘celebrities’ featured in American Meat are the hard-working farmers that feed America and the ones that are doing so in a way that’s better for the planet and the animals,” said Graham Meriwether, director of American Meat. “This premiere isn’t about glitz and glamour; it’s about paying tribute to these small-town heroes and educating the public about these important issues.”

    The film’s New York City premiere concludes a 10-state tour of the film at universities and high schools as part of the film’s yearlong Young Farmer Screening Series.

    http://youtu.be/knNLZvphhfs

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  • DVD Indie: Cult Horror Indie Film “Skew”

    Independent horror feature film SKEW is now available on DVD on Redbox in the U.S.A. and will be available on iTunes April 2nd, 2013. SKEW will be released on DVD in Japan on April 5th, 2013.

    SKEW follows three close friends who head out on an eagerly anticipated road trip with video camera in hand to record their journey.  What starts out as a carefree adventure slowly becomes a descent into the ominous as unexplained events threaten to disrupt the balance between them.  One by one they must struggle with personal demons and paranoia as friendships are tested and gruesome realities are revealed…and recorded.

    Within the same vein as The Blair Witch Project, writer/director Sevé Schelenz creates a first-person account in psychological horror that will keep audiences on edge until its revealing conclusion. 

    The filmmakers announced that SKEW has been accepted in over 50 festivals, won several awards including “Best Feature” (Nevada Film Festival), “Best Director” (Late Night Horror Film Festival) and “Indy Spirit Award” (Horrorfest).  The film has received great reviews and found distribution in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Russia and Japan.

    http://youtu.be/IjwBwuKD8mI

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  • Unmasking The Takeover of Brooklyn in New Documentary “My Brooklyn”

    [caption id="attachment_3328" align="alignnone" width="550"]Fulton Mall in the 1980′s, photo by Jamel Shabazz[/caption]

    by Cecily Witcher

    My Brooklyn is a documentary by Kelly Anderson and Allison Lirish Dean that touches on the gentrification of the Brooklyn borough and how it affects the local Brooklyn residents. A large portion of My Brooklyn explores the downtown area know as Fulton Street that was once home to the famous Albee Square Mall which had a major influence on the community as well as the hip hop world internationally. The Fulton Mall was once the 3rd most profitable shopping district in New York but now that local experience that drew people from all over the world to the Fulton Mall has been stripped with the closing of the Albe Square Mall as well as the local owned stores have been replaced with major chains.

    [caption id="attachment_3329" align="alignnone" width="550"]Arnold cuts hair at Jack’s Barbershop in Downtown Brooklyn[/caption]

    The documentary also touches on the high rises that have been built-in the downtown Brooklyn area that provide enormous tax breaks for the already healthy. The film My Brooklyn is an eye opener with facts that explain why the “gentrification” of Brooklyn is happening with little regards to the community residents that have built up the Fulton Mall area. 

    Cecily Witcher Interviews Kelly Anderson

    http://youtu.be/t3s-DjjA3LI

    Trailer – My Brooklyn

    http://youtu.be/rD_t-OMy3dM

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  • The Best Bike Movies from Around the World at 2013 Filmed by Bike in Portland, Oregon

    The 11th Annual Filmed by Bike is a film festival that features the best bicycle movies from around the world. The festival takes place at the Clinton Street Theater, 2516 SE Clinton Street, Portland, Oregon, on April 20-23, 2013. Love is born, victories are achieved and fantastic feats are accomplished as stories of two-wheeled adventures cycle across the silver screen in eight minutes or less.

    [caption id="attachment_3326" align="alignnone" width="550"]Sandy On Bikes[/caption]

    * Filmed by Bike was started in 2003.

    * 40% of the submissions come form Portland, the rest come from around the world.

    * The festival features an array of film genres including documentary, animation, drama and comedy.

    * The festival is only shown in Portland, Oregon

    * Festival attendees come from all over the region. In 2008, Amtrak reportedly sold out of space for bicycles on the Cascades line because of the number of bike-enthusiasts traveling from Seattle to Portland for the festival.

    * 120 movies are submitted. 40 movies are shown.

    The opening day is Saturday, April 20 and features the New Belgium Street Fest in the middle of Clinton Street. The event is all ages and features a Speed Raffle presented by Sock Dreams, live entertainment, a beer garden, a video storytelling booth, a photo booth and a gigantic bike parking arena.

    source: Filmed by Bike

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  • DVD Indie: Bizarre Modern Noir Dark Comedy “Dark Arc”

    Dan Zukovic’s Dark Arc, described as “a bizarre modern noir dark comedy” was recently released on DVD and Netflix through Vanguard Cinema, and is currently debuting on Cable Video On Demand. The film which had it’s World Premiere at the Montreal Festival, and it’s US Premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival stars Sarah Strange (“White Noise”), Kurt Max Runte (“X-Men”, “Battlestar Gallactica”,) and Dan Zukovic (director and star of the cult comedy “The Last Big Thing”). Featuring the glam/punk tunes “Dark Fruition”, “Ire and Angst” and “F.ByronFitzBaudelaire”, and a dark orchestral score by Neil Burnett.

    The synopsis describes the film … “From the director of the 90’s cult hit “The Last Big Thing” a modern comedy noir about love, lust, art and the power of the image in today’s culture. “Dark Arc” tells the story of Viscount Laris, an eccentric modern-day dandy obsessed by the power of art and visual imagery to mold the behavior and psychology of the individual. With his complicit female muse Juxta, he orchestrates an elaborate series of staged visual events for the sole purpose of subliminally influencing the life of a harmless, down-to-earth graphic designer. As Viscount’s visual manipulations escalate his experiments begin to take on the cruel and sinister overtones that will lead the film to its shocking conclusion.”

    http://youtu.be/mPeG4EFZ4ZM

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  • Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children to Help Kick Off 2013 New York Indian Film Festival

    The 13th Annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) announced an exclusive kick-off screening of MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN followed by a special Q&A on April 10, 2013. In attendance will be the film’s acclaimed director Deepa Mehta, award-winning writer of the novel Salman Rushdie who also adapted the screenplay, producer David Hamilton, cast members Sarita Choudhury and Samrat Chakrabarti, plus other special guests. Paladin and 108 Media will be officially releasing MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN in major U.S. cities starting in New York City on April 26. 

    [caption id="attachment_3321" align="alignnone" width="550"](L-R) Author and Screenwriter Salman Rushdie and Director Deepa Mehta[/caption]

    Deepa Mehta returns to NYIFF after her Oscar-nominated film WATER opened the film festival in 2005. “We have had a very long and creatively fruitful relationship with NYIFF. FIRE, the very first film in the elemental Trilogy was shown there and almost every film I have made since,” says Mehta. “Aroon Shivdasani was in fact responsible for the creation of MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN. She brought Salman to the premiere screening of WATER in New York and that began a close relationship with Salman, which culminated in the very first film adaptation of any of his novels. It is enormously pleasing for me to be once again collaborating with NYIFF and bringing to their extremely discerning audience MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN, a film that I have been dreaming of doing since I first read the book over 30 years ago.”

    With this latest masterpiece, MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN, Mehta tantalizes audiences with lush visuals and a magical, wide-spanning story. Two babies, born within moments of India proclaiming Independence from Britain, are switched at birth and are forever marked by history.

    Long-time supporter of NYIFF, Salman Rushdie also narrates the film. “I’m delighted the film of MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN is to be given this preview screening in New York by my old friends at NYIFF,” says Rushdie. “I look forward to a great evening with you all!”

    MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN has played at festivals worldwide to much critical acclaim. This star-studded event is open only to press and members of the film festival’s presenting organization, the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC). Widely recognized as the premiere showcase of groundbreaking Indian cinema globally, IAAC’s NYIFF will announce the full line-up of screenings and events for the festival by March 22.

    Celebrating its 13th year, NYIFF will run April 30 to May 4.

    About the film:

     

    Paladin and 108 Media present

    MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN

    148 minutes

    Director: Deepa Mehta

    Writer: Salman Rushdie

    Executive Producers: Deepa Mehta, Dilip Mehta, Salman Rushdie, Doug Mankoff, Andrew Spaulding, Steven Silver, Neil Tabatznik, Elizabeth Karlsen, David Hamilton, Stephen Woolley

    Producer: David Hamilton

    Cast: Satya Bhabha, Shahana Goswami, Rajat Kapoor, Seema Biswas, Shriya Saran, Siddharth, Ronit Roy, Rahul Bose, Anita Majumdar, Zaib Shaikh, Anupam Kher

    Logline: Born in the hour of India’s freedom. Handcuffed to history. 

    Release Date: April 26 in NY, additional cities in May

    English and Urdu with English subtitles

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXgx6C8PHd4

    source: New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF)

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  • HollyShorts takes over NYC and LA March 29th

    HollyShorts, considered “the premier festival showcasing the top short films” is coming to New York City on Friday March 29th. 

    For the first time in the festival’s history, HollyShorts will be have a New York City screening series at the Showbiz store located at 19 W 21st St. New York, NY 10010 and on the same night there will be a separate program screening celebration at the Showbiz store LA located at 500 S Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90049.

    Audiences at each screening get to choose their favorite film and the film with the most votes gets entered into the prestigious august festival held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, August 15th-25th.

    HollyShorts New York March Screening

    Movies Screening Include

    Rockaway – Directed by  Melanie Schiele
    Periods – Directed by Victor Quinaz and Anna Martemucci
    The Man at the Counter – Directed by Brian McAllister
    Tu & Eu – Directed by Edward Shieh
    Truth About Lies – Directed by Shalako Gordon
    Harry Grows Up – Directed by Mark Nickelsburg
    5 Second Films

    HollyShorts Los Angeles March Screening

    Movies Screening Include:

    Drunk History – Directed by Derek Waters
    Mantle – Directed by Luke Dejoras
    Real Girls Guide – Directed by Heather De Michele
    Butterfly – Directed by J.R. Curry
    Loop Holes – Directed by Erin Granat 
    Goodbye, Simon – Directed by Dylan Stern 
    5 Second Films

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  • Sydney’s Horror, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festivals are less than 1 month away!

    Australia’s two leading fantastic genre film festivals are screening simultaneously at Dendy Cinema Newtown from April 11 – 21, 2013. 

    The 7th annual A Night of Horror Film Festival will be taking place in conjunction with the 4thedition of Fantastic Planet Film Festival. Combined, the festivals will screen over 125 films: 25 features, and 100 plus shorts, animations, and music videos. In the weeks to come, the festivals will be announcing their complete schedules (which are loaded with World, Australian, and Sydney premieres), international filmmaker guests, and exciting new components of each festival.

    A Night of Horror and Fantastic Planet retain their own separate and independent programs. Together the festivals are dedicated to presenting Sydney audiences with a stunning showcase of the latest in horror, sci-fi, fantasy and cult cinema.

    More details are available on the festivals’ official websites:

    www.anightofhorror.com

    www.fantasticplanetfilmfestival.com

    SOURCE: A Night of Horror and Fantastic Planet

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  • Sydney’s Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival less than 1 month away

    Australia’s two leading fantastic genre film festivals are screening simultaneously at Dendy Cinema Newtown from April 11 – 21, 2013. 

    The 7th annual A Night of Horror Film Festival will be taking place in conjunction with the 4thedition of Fantastic Planet Film Festival. Combined, the festivals will screen over 125 films: 25 features, and 100 plus shorts, animations, and music videos. In the weeks to come, the festivals will be announcing their complete schedules (which are loaded with World, Australian, and Sydney premieres), international filmmaker guests, and exciting new components of each festival.

    A Night of Horror and Fantastic Planet retain their own separate and independent programs. Together the festivals are dedicated to presenting Sydney audiences with a stunning showcase of the latest in horror, sci-fi, fantasy and cult cinema.

    More details are available on the festivals’ official websites:

    www.anightofhorror.com

    www.fantasticplanetfilmfestival.com

    SOURCE: A Night of Horror and Fantastic Planet

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