• Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Chosen as an Academy Award Qualifying Festival

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    Congratulations are in order for the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences notified the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival last week that it has been chosen as an Academy Award® qualifying festival in the Documentary Short Subject category.

    “This announcement today has energized the entire Full Frame community,” said Deirdre Haj, Full Frame’s Executive Director. “We view this as a recognition of the strength of the festival, the quality of its programming and a commitment to including film festivals in the process of discovering new filmmakers and films and helping them qualify for one of the industry’s highest honors.”

    Last August, the Producers Guild of America announced that Full Frame has been added to its select list of qualifying events.

    This next Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is scheduled for April 4-7, 2013.

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  • REVIEW: Rubber Neck

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    Reeling from a weekend tryst gone awry, wanting more from his co-worker, Boston research scientist Paul (Alex Karpovsky) fantasizes daily about what could be, he uses their ocassional greetings and pleasantries at work as a means to hope that their by-chance encounter will turn into a relationship. However, on the mind of Danielle (Jaime Ray Newman) is the opposite. With a new day comes a new interest, in the form of a new hire. Much to the ire of Paul, Danielle’s interaction with the newbe leaves Paul green with envy. As Paul becomes more obsessive by the day, the elephant in the room (Danielle’s lust, his anguish, their weekend turned nothing) wiill ultimately be addressed.

    Life is a continuation, with potential to pass you by, if by chance you are caught in the distraction of watching the other side of the highway. “Rubber-Necking” as they call it, the symbolism in this feature film is glaring as Paul, the victim and culprit simultaneously has been stagnated by tragedy; an occurrence which rendered him powerless in pursuit of normalcy, Paul exists. Separation Anxiety notwithstanding he is at the mercy of anyone, or thing which he deems appropriate for commitment.

    The monotonous Nature of Rubber Neck, set in suburban Boston may be hard to overlook, however there is a silver lining. What is to be learned is the ill of judgment of a book by its cover, or furthermore the consequence of forgetting the damage done by empty advances. Momentary satisfaction can do a world of hurt, as evidence by the climactic peak. Time cannot be regained, neither can a life. This 1:24:11 is fruitful in some aspects if sought.  To the true independent film buff, you are served.

    With no expectation, I took to Rubber Neck as anyone would an abstract offering, requiring your attention through and through. No glitz, no glam, no ringing bells, just content; a gift with minimal wrapping. Open to interpretation, there seems to be no right or wrong answer.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmzD5LKu8js

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  • 13th Annual New York Indian Film Festival Announces 2013 Dates

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    [caption id="attachment_3223" align="alignnone" width="550"]Shabana Azmi and Aroon Shivdasani at NYIFF[/caption]

    The 13th Annual New York Indian Film Festival, described as “the oldest and most prestigious film festival for Indian cinema in North America”, will be held Tuesday, April 30 to Saturday, May 4, 2013 in New York City.  

    The New York Indian Film Festival will kick off its week-long festivities with a star-studded Opening Night red carpet premiere, at the the Skirball Center for Performing Arts. Festival screenings will take place throughout the week at Tribeca Cinemas, with the Closing Night selection to be followed by the annual awards ceremony and after-party at the Skirball Center for Performing Arts.

    The New York Indian Film Festival (originally the IAAC Film Festival) started in 2001 following the devastation of the September 11 attacks on New York City. 

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  • Lotus Eaters Scheduled for April 2013 Release Date

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    Lotus Eaters which premiered at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival followed by the BFI London Film Festival, will open in New York City on April 5, 2013, before expanding to Los Angeles, and additional markets on April 12th, 2013.

    Lotus Eaters, filmed in London and the Irish countryside, and featuring a “pulsing” indie soundtrack,stars a cast of young up-and-comers lead by Antonia Campbell-Hughes, a former fashion model; Johnny Flynn, lead singer of the popular English folk-rock band Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit and Benn Northover, who appeared in a number of acclaimed films including Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows.

    The film is the directorial debut of Alexandra McGuinness, and follows a group of young Londoners as they struggle to find meaning in their lives while masking their discontent with sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll.  The story centers on ex-model and aspiring actress Alice (Antonia Campbell-Hughes) as she struggles with her relationship with Charlie (Johnny Flynn), her drug-addicted ex-boyfriend.  The fashionable group of friends epitomizes a new modern “lost generation” reminiscent of Ernest Hemmingway and his cohorts.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rACt1o5Uzmk

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  • Narrative and Documentary Feature Films Announced for 2013 Florida Film Festival

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     [caption id="attachment_3219" align="alignnone" width="550"]BIG JOY – THE ADVENTURES OF JAMES BROUGHTON[/caption]

    The 2013 Florida Film Festival, sponsored by Full Sail University, will screen a record-breaking 170 films representing 23 countries selected from over 1500 entries. This year’s Festival runs April 5-14, 2013 and is located in Central Florida.

    Among them, Director Jorge Hinojosa, who grew up in Oviedo, FL, unveils his documentary about the legendary Chicago pimp and author, Iceberg Slim. Benjamin Fuqua (Producer), a Full Sail graduate, and FSU graduates Cherie Saulter (Producer) and Julio Perez (Editor) have films competing in the Narrative Feature competition. Among the recognizable faces on screen this year are Jane Adams (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Jason Ritter (TV’s Parenthood), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Tippi Hedren (The Birds), and Melanie Lynskey (Up In the Air).

    The films include: 

    AMERICAN INDEPENDENT COMPETITION

    Competition Documentaries

    BIG JOY: THE ADVENTURES OF JAMES BROUGHTON/USA (Director: Eric Slade, Stephen Silha, Dawn Logsdon) EAST COAST PREMIERE
    Long before Ginsberg and The Beats arrived, San Francisco boasted a vibrant bohemian arts scene that included poet/filmmaker James Broughton, a man who blurred the lines between gay, straight, profound, and silly and crafted a mantra—Follow your own weird—which he embodied for decades. Packed with Broughton’s quirky poetry and provocative films, BIG JOY serves as a fascinating remembrance of a creative life well-lived and perhaps a roadmap of how to discover joy in our own lives.

    DOWNEAST/USA (Director: David Redmon, Ashley Sabin) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
    A man with a vision to create jobs arrives in a tiny Maine town in tough economic times—this sounds like a dream come true for unemployed workers, but there’s a wicked financial storm swirling controversy around the man’s efforts to get a seafood processing plant up and running. DOWNEAST is the latest masterwork from the accomplished filmmaking team that brought us Mardi Gras: Made in China (FFF 2005 Grand Jury Award for Best Doc Feature), Kamp Katrina (FFF 2007), Intimidad(FFF 2008), and last year’s disturbing Girl Model (FFF 2012).

    FAR OUT ISN’T FAR ENOUGH: THE TOMI UNGERER STORY/USA (Director: Brad Bernstein)
    Tomi Ungerer was once an icon for a whole generation of revolutionary children’s book illustrators, including Maurice Sendak.  This film (featuring one of Sendak’s last interviews) takes us into the hidden world of an artist whose career defies easy description and was filled with fearless creativity, absolute outspokenness, and fierce independence. 

    FIRST COMES LOVE/USA (Director: Nina Davenport) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
    When the biological clock of filmmaker Nina Davenport (Operation Filmmaker, FFF 2008) starts pounding, she opts for husband-free procreation, assisted by a village of urban sophisticates who seem to know pregnancy and parenting about as well as they do farming. Davenport fearlessly puts her dreams, doubts, swollen stomach, and disheveled life in front of the camera for our viewing pleasure and captures an unflinching, often hilarious, and unusually moving portrait of single parenthood in the 21st century.

    ICEBERG SLIM: PORTRAIT OF A PIMP/USA (Director: Jorge Hinojosa) FLORIDA PREMIERE
    Quincy Jones, Chris Rock, Ice-T, Henry Rollins, and Snoop Dogg explore the rich layers that make up the legacy of Robert Beck, aka “Iceberg Slim,” a pimp and reformed convict who became one of the most influential African-American authors of our time.  Director Jorge Hinojosa, who grew up in Central Florida, has been Ice-T’s manager for the last 28 years and has a unique insight into the process of creating art out of street life.

    INFORMANT/USA (Director: Jamie Meltzer) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
    Brandon Darby developed a reputation as a bold and effective activist in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but everything changed in 2008 when two youths were arrested for attempting to disrupt the Republican National Convention and Darby, working as an informant for the FBI, was largely responsible for their arrest. Filmmaker Jamie Meltzer reveals the bigger truths behind Darby’s actions through engaging interviews with all the major players and stylized reenactments (featuring Darby playing himself) in this spellbinding and provocative work.

    MAGICAL UNIVERSE/USA (Director: Jeremy Workman) WORLD PREMIERE
    Al Carbee is a reclusive 80-something eccentric and outsider artist living in Maine whose primary medium is Barbie doll photography, and when a documentary filmmaker from New York stumbles upon Al, he’s not sure if he’s dealing with a genius or a geriatric psycho with bodies hanging in the basement. Yet, as their friendship deepens over 12 years, discomfort is transformed into wonder and some amazing things happen.

    SEEKING ASIAN FEMALE/USA (Director: Debbie Lum) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
    Steven, twice-divorced and over 60, trolls the Internet seeking an Asian woman to call his own when he finds “Sandy” and flies her to San Francisco—only to realize that rather than a submissive yellow rose, he got a pint-size firecracker with a secret agenda. The twist is the presence of filmmaker Debbie Lum, an Asian-American female who intended to make an exposé of Yellow Fever and instead becomes a translator, couples counselor, and the only one who actually knows what they are both thinking.

    SHEPARD & DARK/USA (Director: Treva Wurmfield) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
    During the 40-year span of their friendship, Sam Shepard became a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and an Academy Award-nominated actor, and Johnny Dark lived a quieter life as a homebody who floated through a serious of odd jobs. The two men are brought together over an 18-month period to sift through their 40-plus years of correspondence for a book project, and the result is an intimate exploration of a male friendship as it heads into its fifth decade. 

    YEAR OF THE LIVING DEAD/USA (Director: Rob Kuhns) EAST COAST PREMIERE
    Initially misunderstood by some critics and criticized for its use of gore, Night of the Living Dead has since been recognized as a groundbreaking independent film of the counterculture and its influence is still being felt nearly 45 years after it was released. YEAR OF THE LIVING DEAD is the definitive documentary on the historical, social, and cinematic importance of George A. Romero’s film, and features interviews with Romero, Gale Anne Hurd, Mark Harris, Larry Fessenden, and Elvis Mitchell.

    AMERICAN INDEPENDENT COMPETITION

    Narrative Features

    ALL THE LIGHT IN THE SKY/USA (Director: Joe Swanberg) EAST COAST PREMIERE
    Jane Adams (Happiness, HBO’s Hung) stars as Marie, an aging, well-known independent film actress living at the beach who begins taking on roles for free after consistently losing out to upcoming and younger actresses. Director/writer Joe Swanberg (Uncle Kent, Hannah Takes the Stairs) reveals a quasi-autobiographical take on Adams that also reflects on aging in Hollywood, relationships with men, and—just for good measure—the future of the planet.

    BE GOOD/USA (Director: Todd Looby) EAST COAST PREMIERE
    In a perfect storm of writing, performance, and direction, Todd Looby’s autobiographically-inspired BE GOOD provides a vivid glimpse at a couple being tested by shifting priorities and the compromises they have to live with. Amy Seimetz, one of Indiewire’s “Top 25 Actors of 2011,” plays a mom who returns to work, leaving her struggling filmmaker hubby (Thomas Madden of Looby’s last film Lefty) in charge of their adorable baby while he tries to bang out a screenplay.

    THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM/USA/South Africa/Lesotho (Director: Andrew Mudge) WORLD PREMIERE
    When Young Johannesburg gangster Atang reluctantly embarks on a journey to his ancestral land of Lesothoto to bury his estranged father, what begins as an inconvenience quickly becomes a magical rite of passage charged with humor and self-discovery. Stirred by memories of his youth, Atang’s journey takes an unexpected turn as he falls in love with his childhood friend, now a radiant young schoolteacher, and befriends a precocious eleven-year-old orphan.

    FREE SAMPLES/USA (Director: Jay Gammill) FLORIDA PREMIERE
    Jillian (Jess Weixler, Teeth), a hung over, acerbic law school drop-out who is holding out for the return of her boyfriend, has been roped into dispensing free samples of soft-serve ice cream from her friend’s food truck. This delightfully wry script with many side plots gives actor, director, and a fine supporting cast (including Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, James Duval, Halley Feiffer, and Matt Walsh) much to work with, and to top it off, the great Tippi Hedren (yep!) appears like a visiting angel who seems to bring everything back to normal.

    THE HISTORY OF FUTURE FOLK/USA (Director: J.Anderson Mitchell, Jeremy Kipp Walker) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
    “I come from the planet Hondo, and I was sent to enact a doomsday device to destroy the human race forever,” General Trius explains to his audience in a little dive bar in Brooklyn. Soon, however, Trius discovers music for the first time and abandons his mission by becoming a one-man bluegrass band—that is, until the Hondonians send Kevin to Earth to complete their mission and the two form a partnership called Future Folk. This hysterical Sci-Fi musical comedy is sure to be a crowd pleaser at this year’s festival!

    NANCY, PLEASE/USA (Director: Andrew Semans) FLORIDA PREMIERE
    NANCY, PLEASE tells the story of gifted Yale Ph.D. candidate Paul, who moves in with his girlfriend while struggling to complete his dissertation and realizes that he’s left an important book with his difficult former roommate, Nancy. In order to retrieve it, he proceeds to drive himself and Nancy crazy, and his relationship, career, and sanity begin to unravel.

    PUTZEL/USA (Director: Jason Chaet) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
    For Walter Himmelstein (Jack Carpenter), a young man endearingly known as “Putzel,” life doesn’t go beyond his family’s deli—which he hopes to inherit—and his community on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Walter’s aspirations are disrupted when Sally (Melanie Lynskey) becomes romantically involved with his about-to-retire and very-married uncle (John Pankow).

    THE TAIWAN OYSTER/USA (Director: Mark Jarrett) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
    Ex-pat Simon, along with his friend and fellow kindergarten teacher Darin, steal the corpse of a fellow American and set off across Taiwan to give him the burial they believe he deserves. Before they even escape with the body, the morgue receptionist joins them and she becomes a guide, an observer, and a participant in the adventure.

    THIS IS MARTIN BONNER/USA (Director: Chad Hartigan) EAST COAST PREMIERE
    Martin Bonner (Paul Eenhoorn) has just declared bankruptcy, is a divorced father of two grown kids, an antique seller on eBay in his spare time, a soccer referee, and now is trying speed dating for the first time. He finds work at a church-based prison rehab program that aids recently released convicts, and develops an unlikely friendship with former criminal Travis Holloway (Richmond Arquette) in this 2013 Best of NEXT Sundance award-winner.

    THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE/USA (Director: Josh Barrett, Marc Menchaca) EAST COAST PREMIERE
    Noah, a man haunted by his past, enters the world of a rural Texas family as a caretaker for August, an intelligent young man who suffers from cerebral palsy, and discovers that these are people for whom love is a matter of fact and life remains a gift. Josh Barrett and Marc Menchaca’s insightful co-direction leads the accomplished cast (including Menchaca himself and Barry Corbin) to extraordinary and subtle performances.

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  • Phoenix Film Festival Reveals Its 2013 Film Lineup

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    [caption id="attachment_3217" align="alignnone" width="550"]UPRISING[/caption]

    The 2013 Phoenix Film Festival runs this year from Thursday, April 4th to Thursday, April 11th, announced its films scheduled to be included in this Festival’s film lineup. The week-long Festival will be held once again at Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theaters located at 7000 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85054.

     “We’re very excited about how this year’s lineup is shaping up,” says Jason Carney, Executive Director of the Phoenix Film Foundation. “Having three world premieres is a great start and we’re excited about other potential films joining our lineup.”

    Some of the highlighted film titles include:

    LOS WILD ONES, the Wild Records Documentary directed by Elise Salomon making its debut at SXSW, who produced the 2009 hit PAPER HEART.

    UPRISING, directed by Fredrik Stanton, which tells the inside story of the Egyptian revolution from the perspective of its principal leaders and organizers, including four Nobel Peace Prize nominees.

    WALKING, directed by Ben Shelton, about an engaged man on the verge of success, who meets a beautiful woman who he can connect with in his dreams.

    THE STORY OF LUKE, directed by Alonso Mayo, a comedy about Luke, a young man with autism who is on a quest for a job and a girlfriend. 

    THE RETRIEVAL, the Civil War era film, directed by Chris Eska, about a boy is sent north by a bounty hunter gang to retrieve a wanted man, which will also be debuting at SWSW.

    PUTZEL, directed by Jason Chaet, which is about a young man named Walter Himmelstein endearingly known as Putzel, whose life literally doesn’t go beyond his family’s fish store and his community on the upper west side of Manhattan.

    LONELY BOY, directed by Dale Fabrigar, about the romantic misadventures of a schizophrenic bachelor.

    FAVOR directed by Paul Osborne, a film about true friends and the things they do for each other, which will be having its World Premiere at the Festival

    DOWN AND DANGEROUS, directed by Zak Forsman, an action crime thriller, also having its World Premiere at the Festival.

    MUSIC CITY USA, directed by Chris McDaniel, which is a documentary about Nashville, and is also having its World Premiere at the Festival.

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  • 30th Miami International Film Festival Announces Its Miami Encuentros Selections

    2013 Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) announced the five film selections for its VeoMiami industry initiative, the 10th MiamiEncuentros. Miami Encuentros aims to facilitate and support the completion of Latin American and U.S. Hispanic feature film projects in post-production and propel them towards their debuts on the international stage, via a post-production prize of USD$10,000 for one winning project as selected by a jury of industry professionals.  

    The five selected projects for Miami Encuentros 2013 are:

    All About the Feathers (Por las plumas), directed by Neto Villalobosm
    Produced by La Sucia Centroamericana Producciones, Costa Rica.
     
    Darwin’s Corner (El rincón de Darwin), directed by Diego Fernández Pujol
    Co-produced by Transparente Films, Uruguay and O som e a furia, Portugal
     
    En la caliente – The Cuban Music Revolution, directed by Fabien Pisani
    Produced by Mokongo Films, France.

    Gypsy River (Rio Cigano), directed by Julia Zakia
    Co-produced by Cinematográfica Superfilmes Ltda and Gato do Parque, Brazil

    Liz in September (Liz en septiembre), directed by Fina Torres
    Produced by Ararare Films C.A., Venezuela

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  • 2013 Berlin International Film Festival Anounces Winners, Romanian Film Child’s Pose Wins Golden Bear

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    [caption id="attachment_3214" align="alignnone" width="1200"]Poziţia Copilului Child’s Pose by Călin Peter Netzer[/caption]

    The 63rd Berlin International Film Festival came to a close with the presentation of the awards.  The Romanian film Poziţia Copilului, (Child’s Pose) by Călin Peter Netzer took the top prize, GOLDEN BEAR for the Best Film. The Bosnian film Epizoda u životu berača željeza, (An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker) by Danis Tanović was awarded the JURY GRAND PRIX (Silver Bear).

    In Poziţia Copilului, (Child’s Pose), Călin Peter Netzer portrays a mother consumed by self-love in her struggle to save her lost son and her own, long since riven family, after he son is arrested. One cold evening in March, Barbu is tearing down the streets 50 kilometres per hour over the speed limit when he knocks down a child. The boy dies shortly after the accident. A prison sentence of between three and fifteen years awaits. High time for his mother, Cornelia, to intervene. A trained architect and member of Romania’s upper class, who graces her bookshelves with unread Herta Müller novels and is fond of flashing her purse full of credit cards, she commences her campaign to save her lethargic, languishing son. Bribes, she hopes, will persuade the witnesses to give false statements. Even the parents of the dead child might be appeased by some cash. In quasi-documentary style, the film meticulously reconstructs the events of one night and the days that follow, providing insights into the moral malaise of Romania’s bourgeoisie and throwing into sharp relief the state of societal institutions such as the police and the judiciary.

    Danis Tanović weaves dramatic events, including economic hardship and fear of death into a wintery tale in Epizoda u životu berača željeza, (An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker). Featuring a non-professional cast re-enacting an episode from their own lives contributes greatly to the film’s sense of authenticity and social realism. 

    THE AWARDS OF THE 63rd BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

    GOLDEN BEAR for the Best Film
    Poziţia Copilului 
    Child’s Pose by Călin Peter Netzer 

    JURY GRAND PRIX (Silver Bear) 
    Epizoda u životu berača željeza 
    An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker by Danis Tanović 

     ALFRED BAUER PRIZE (Silver Bear) – in memory of the Festival Founder – for a feature film that opens new perspectives 
    Vic+Flo ont vu un ours 
    Vic+Flo Saw a Bear by Denis Côté 

    AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR (Silver Bear) 
    David Gordon Green for Prince Avalanche (Prince Avalanche)

    AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS (Silver Bear) 
    Paulina García in Gloria (Gloria) by Sebastián Lelio 

    AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR (Silver Bear) Nazif Mujić in 
    Epizoda u životu berača željeza (An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker) by Danis Tanović

    AWARD FOR BEST SCRIPT (Silver Bear)
    Jafar Panahi for 
    Pardé  (Closed Curtain) by Jafar Panahi, Kamboziya Partovi  

    AWARD FOR AN OUTSTANDINGARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION IN THE CATEGORIES CAMERA, EDITING, 

    MUSIC SCORE, COSTUME DESIGN OR SET DESIGN (Silver Bear)
    Aziz Zhambakiyev for the camera in Uroki Garmonii (Harmony Lessons) by Emir Baigazin 

    SPECIAL MENTION
    Promised Land 
    Promised Land by Gus Van Sant 

    SPECIAL MENTION
    Layla Fourie 
    Layla Fourie by Pia Marais

    BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD 

    BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD, endowed with 50,000 Euros, funded by GWFF
    The Rocket 
    The Rocket by Kim Mordaunt

    SPECIAL MENTION
    A batalha de Tabatô 
    The Battle of Tabatô by João Viana

    PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM JURY 

    GOLDEN BEAR for the Best Short FilmLa Fugue 
    The Runaway by Jean-Bernard Marlin 

    THE JURY PRIZE (Silver Bear)
    die ruhe bleibt 
    remains quiet by Stefan Kriekhaus 

    BERLIN SHORT FILM NOMINEE FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 
    Misterio 
    Mystery by Chema García Ibarra 

    DAAD SHORT FILM AWARD 
    Aşura 
    Ashura by Köken Ergun

    PRIZES OF THE JURIES GENERATION 

    Children’s Jury Generation Kplus 

    CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Film  
    The Rocket 
    The Rocket by Kim Mordaunt 

    SPECIAL MENTION 
    Satellite Boy 
    Satellite Boy by Catriona McKenzie 

    CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Short Film
    The Amber Amulet 
    The Amber Amulet by Matthew Moore 

    SPECIAL MENTION 
    Ezi un lielpilseta 
    Hedgehogs and the City by Ēvalds Lācis 

    International Jury Generation Kplus 

    THE GRAND PRIX OF THE GENERATION KPLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best feature film, endowed with € 7,500 by the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk
    Mammu, es Tevi mīlu 
    Mother, I Love You by Jānis Nords 

    SPECIAL MENTION 
    Satellite Boy 
    Satellite Boy by Catriona McKenzie 

    THE GRAND PRIX OF THE GENERATION KPLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best short film, endowed with € 2,500 by the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk
    Cheong 
    Cheong by Kim Jung-in 

    SPECIAL MENTION 
    Ezi un lielpilseta 
    Hedgehogs and the City by Ēvalds Lācis 

    Youth Jury Generation 14plus 

    CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Film  
    Baby Blues 
    Baby Blues by Kasia Rosłaniec

    SPECIAL MENTION 
    Pluto 
    Pluto by Shin Su-won 

    CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Short Film  
    Rabbitland 
    Rabbitland by Ana Nedeljković, Nikola Majdak 

    SPECIAL MENTION 
    Treffit 
    The Date by Jenni Toivoniemi

    International Jury Generation 14plus 

    THE GRAND PRIX OF THE GENERATION 14PLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best feature film, endowed with € 7,500 by the Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education)
    Shopping 
    Shopping by Mark Albiston, Louis Sutherland 

    SPECIAL MENTION 
    Baby Blues 
    Baby Blues by Kasia Rosłaniec 

    THE GRAND PRIX OF THE GENERATION 14PLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best short film, endowed with € 2,500 by the Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education)
    Första gången 
    The First Time by Anders Hazelius 

    SPECIAL MENTION 
    Barefoot 
    Barefoot by Danis Goulet

    INDEPENDENT JURIES 

    PRIZES OF THE ECUMENICAL JURY  

    Competition    Gloria (Gloria), by Sebastián Lelio 
    Special Mention    Epizoda u životu berača željeza (An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker), by Danis Tanović 

    Panorama    The Act of Killing (The Act of Killing), by Joshua Oppenheimer
    Special Mention    Inch’Allah (Inch’Allah), by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette 

    Forum     Krugovi (Circles), by Srdan Golubović 
    Special Mention    Senzo ni naru (Roots), by Kaoru Ikeya 

    PRIZES OF THE FIPRESCI JURY 

    Competition  Poziţia Copilului (Child’s Pose), by Călin Peter Netzer 
    Panorama  Inch’Allah (Inch’Allah), by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette
    Forum  Hélio Oiticica (Hélio Oiticica), by Cesar Oiticica Filho

    PRIZE OF THE GUILD OF GERMAN ART HOUSE CINEMAS 
    Gloria (Gloria), by Sebastián Lelio 

    C.I.C.A.E. PRIZES 

    Panorama Rock the Casbah (Rock the Casbah), by Yariv Horowitz 
    Forum Grzeli nateli dgeebi (In Bloom), by Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Groß 

    LABEL EUROPA CINEMAS 

    The Broken Circle Breakdown (The Broken Circle Breakdown), by Felix Van Groeningen 

    TEDDY AWARD 

    Best Feature Film  W imie… (In the Name of), by Małgośka Szumowska 
    Best Documentary/Essay Film  Bambi (Bambi), by Sébastien Lifshitz 
    Best Short Film  Ta av mig (Undress Me), by Victor Lindgren 
    Teddy Jury Award   Concussion (Concussion), by Stacie Passon

    MADE IN GERMANY – PERSPEKTIVE FELLOWSHIP, endowed with 15,000 Euros, funded by Glashütte Original 

    Jan Speckenbach for Das Klopfen der Steine (The sound of stones) 

    FGYO-AWARD DIALOGUE EN PERSPECTIVE, endowed with 5,000 Euros, funded by the French-German Youth Office 

    Zwei Mütter (Two Mothers), by Anne Zohra Berrached 
    Special Mention Chiralia (Chiralia), by Santiago Gil 

    CALIGARI FILM PRIZE 
    Hélio Oiticica (Hélio Oiticica), by Cesar Oiticica Filho 

    NETPAC PRIZE 
    Lamma shoftak (When I Saw You), by Annemarie Jacir

    PEACE FILM PRIZE 
    A World Not Ours (A World Not Ours), by Mahdi Fleifel  

    AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FILM PRIZE 
    The Rocket (The Rocket), by Kim Mordaunt 

    CINEMA FAIRBINDET PRIZE 
    Art/Violence (Art/Violence), by Udi Aloni, Batoul Taleb, Miriam Abu-Khaled

    HEINER CAROW PRIZE 
    Naked Opera (Naked Opera), by Angela Christlieb 

    READERS’ JURIES AND AUDIENCE AWARDS

    PanoramaAudienceAward PPP – fiction film 
    The Broken Circle Breakdown (The Broken Circle Breakdown), by Felix Van Groeningen 

    PanoramaAudienceAward PPP – documentary film 
    The Act of Killing (The Act of Killing), by Joshua Oppenheimer

    BERLINER MORGENPOST READERS’ PRIZE 
    Uroki Garmonii (Harmony Lessons), by Emir Baigazin

    TAGESSPIEGEL READERS’ PRIZE 
    Vaters Garten – Die Liebe meiner Eltern (Father’s Garden – The Love of My Parents), by Peter Liechti 

    SIEGESSÄULE READERS’ AWARD 
    W imie… (In the Name of), by Małgośka Szumowska 

    PRIZES OF THE BERLINALE TALENT CAMPUS

    VFF TALENT HIGHLIGHT PITCH AWARD, endowed with 10,000 Euros
    Geordie Sabbagh (Canada) for Two Guys Who Sold the World (Two Guys Who Sold the World)

    ARTE INTERNATIONAL PRIZE, endowed with 6,000 Euros
    Petar Valchanov (Bulgaria) for Urok (The Lesson)

    DOLBY® SOUND MARK AWARD 
    Rutger Reinders (Netherlands)

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  • Baby Blues and Shopping Win Crystal Bear in Generation 14plus Sections at 2013 Berlin International Film Festival

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    [caption id="attachment_3006" align="alignnone" width="550"]Baby Blues by Kasia Rosłaniec[/caption]

    Baby Blues by Kasia Rosłaniec, Poland 2012, was awarded the Crystal Bear for the Best Film by the the members of the Youth Jury in Generation 14plus at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.  The jury commented, “In this film we were completely unprepared for the extreme way the story unfolds. Its bold editing style, colorful cinematography and innovative direction gave the film great dynamism. The film showed us strong and complex characters who often behaved in contradictory ways. These teenagers seem to be unable to acknowledge their mistakes and take responsibility for them. They are caught between the desire for freedom and the duties of being a young parent.”

    The members of the new International Jury Generation 14plus awarded The Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the best feature film, to Shopping by Mark Albiston, Louis Sutherland, New Zealand 2013. The Jury described the film as ” An extremely compelling first film with a fantastic lead actor. We loved watching him on screen and felt a deep empathy with him. Sharp editing, strong visual choices and a complex, painful and loving portrayal of family. We appreciated the specificity of the world you brought us into. Your dedication to your vision is palpable.”

    Other winners (with Jury comments) include:

    The members of the Youth Jury in Generation 14plus give the following awards:

    Crystal Bear for the Best Film: Special Mention: Pluto
    by Shin Su-won, Republic of Korea 2012
    Jury commented “Our special mention goes to a film that critiques the educational structures and more broadly society in an original way, reflecting its deep injustices. The characters in this film draw us into a universe of isolation and powerlessness in the face of brutal peer pressure to conform. We felt the cosmic dimensions of the story and the protagonist’s sense that, although being alone in school is harsh, being alone in the universe is devastating.”

    Crystal Bear for the Best Short Film: Rabbitland
    by Ana Nedeljković, Nikola Majdak, Serbia 2012
    Jury commented: “This year’s winner conveyed a thought-provoking theme to us combined with ironic merit and dark humor. Simply and effectively, it critiques the political structures we live under and makes us feel slightly uncomfortable about our everyday lives. The film is of worldwide relevance and was presented to us in a highly skilled and original fashion.”

    Special Mention: Treffit
    by Jenni Toivoniemi, Finland 2012
    Jury commented: “Two young people cross paths in an unusual situation. Before you know it, a common procedure develops into an unconventional date. We were convinced by the film’s ability to tell us far more than it showed. It presented us with a humorous interaction that didn’t immediately reveal the complexity of its themes. The multi-layered meanings of the film stayed with us long after we left the cinema.”

    The members of the new International Jury Generation 14plus give the following awards:

    The Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the best feature film
    Special Mention: Baby Blues
    by Kasia Rosłaniec, Poland 2012
    Jury commented: “We celebrate a fantastic, strong cinematic voice that confronts harsh realities with unexpected humour and style. Your strong imagery, compelling characters and a hard-hitting narrative captivated us.”

    The Special Prize of the Generation 14plus International Jury for the best short film
    by Anders Hazelius, Sweden 2013
    Jury commented: “For Best Short Film we would like to recognize a funny and surprising film that defies expectations. Insecurity and social pressure force two awkward people together to share a moment of beautiful and genuine honesty. This film displays a strong visual style and is the work of an insightful and relevant filmmaker.”

    Special Mention: Barefoot
    by Danis Goulet, Canada 2012
    Jury commented: “In the short film category the jury would like to thank this filmmaker for taking us into a fascinating world seldom shown on screen. This is a sensitive portrayal of a girl going to extreme and painful lengths to fit in. Your storytelling is important and has strong emotional impact. We are very much looking forward to seeing your future work.”

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  • REVIEW: The Jeffrey Dahmer Files

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    Hmmm. How can I start this review? Well, I have always been intrigued with the way people think and how it contributes to their actions, so naturally I would be curious with the way a serial killer thinks and looks – they all seem to have a certain look. Don’t they? So, when “The Jeffrey Dahmer Files” was put on my desk, I of course jumped at the opportunity to write this review and couldn’t wait to get home to watch the DVD.

    The movie was not what I expected; it is far from gory and maybe slow at times. The film is an independent film, but aside from that it still looked VERY low budget, but that may be the look the director was going for. I enjoyed watching neighbor Pamela Bass and Detective Patrick Kennedy, they are very interesting and kept me glued to the movie; however the same could not be said for Andrew Swant, the actor portraying Dahmer. Swant, playing Dahmer, basically kept running around, never saying too much – but always paying for stuff with checks. This made me curious was there a connection with Dahmer only using checks or maybe I was trying to pull more from this creepy re-enactment. Jeffrey Jentzen, the medical examiner assigned to the case is a subject also interviewed in the film.

    If you’re looking to learn about the gory details, or see pics of his victims, this is not the movie for you. Director Chris James Thompson leaves the victims at peace and with dignity by not exploiting them again, instead he focuses on the community and how Dahmer took advantage of the community and used it as an opportunity to feed his desire to kill and go undetected while he worked on creating a zombie that he could use for sex.

    In this film you will feel terrible for the community after the authorities decided to demolish the apartment buildings where Dahmer lived and also murdered his victims. As a result the neighbors lost their homes and they had to leave. My stomach curled as neighbor Pam spoke about how she would sit with Jeff and drink beers and share a sandwich with him, only to find out she too may have eaten some of his victims. While in jail he requested to see Pam but she refused, she said she felt used and violated; however the night she heard of his death and as everyone around her were cheering, she actually cried.

    Detective Kennedy made a connection with Dahmer and even dressed him for his hearing. The relationship the Detective Kennedy built with Dahmer was really interesting, but at the same time I wondered if Detective Kennedy used Dahmer to catapult his career.

    All being said, on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest, I would give “The Dahmer Files” a 2.5, mainly for its sometimes slow pace.

    The Jeffrey Dahmer Files opened February 15th, 2013 at the IFC Center, NY,  available nationwide on VOD on February 15th, 2013, and opening in LA at the Downtown Independent February 22nd, 2013

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc5ufsgrtW8

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  • REVIEW: Big Words

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    BIG WORDS – 2012, Neil Drumming, USA, 97 min.

    A tree grew in the Bronx, which branched out and transcended lines of color, lines of geographic limitation, and language barrier.

    It’s branches as a collective spawn a culture;  root word, cult. The assembly of a devoted faithful. Its passionists, its offspring, its advocates, its lovers. The symbolism in Big Words is glaring. Satiable for the abstract thinkers, the descendants of poor righteous teachers, of B-Boys and Girls, Backpackers alike. The essence of hip hop and its impact on the lives of so many including Mr Big Words himself, James, is evident scripturally; figuratively, from something came something. Life, Art, Progress, Finance; unified by the culture stands so many, yet divided on principles. An ode to the hip hop of old. Refute it if you will, embrace if it you must. Hip Hop- the only thing that matters.

    To a trio of lifelong friends, who for many years shared a dream, only to see it erased by a moment of indecision. A burden to one by way of the literal consequence from a pivotal act, but shared by the rest through the transition their lives have taken subsequently. Holding on subconsciously, perpetuating the rift matter of factly. What once was golden, is now tainted, according to opion- like Hip Hop.  Trying for years to erase the memories, the good times if you will for it is “easier to forget, then figure out what it is supposed to be today” (Mr Big Words). No matter how tried and true that may be, it remains, in life and on screen.. What will take years of work, is displayed in moments ofThree minutes and 50 seconds, or one hour and 33 ticks; the rhyme, the reason, the audience, the characters. Big Words, DJs, artists, the fans.

    Their growth, their wonderment, their hurdles, or secrets. That which is not always in song but must be shared. The closet that hides them. Is Hip Hop all-inclusive? That is a question for you to answer. All of these things and more, are a muse; are a plot. Big Words, wisely spoken.

    The opening night film of the 2013 New Voices in Black Cinema festival, Big Words (2012, 97 min. – Friday, February 16) directed by journalist-turned-director Neil Drumming makes its New York premiere fresh off of its run at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival.

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  • After Tiller, and Teacher from 2013 Sundance Fest Scheduled for Released This Year

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    [caption id="attachment_3207" align="alignnone" width="550"]After Tiller[/caption]

    Oscilloscope Laboratories will release Martha Shane’s and Lana Wilson’s directorial debut After Tiller and Hannah Fidell’s feature directorial debut A Teacher. After Tiller premiered last month at the Sundance Film Festival and is scheduled to screen next at True/False Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri. A Teacher also premiered last month at the Sundance Film Festival and is headed to Austin next month where it will play South By Southwest. 

    After Tiller intimately explores the highly controversial subject of third-trimester abortions in the wake of the 2009 assassination of practitioner Dr. George Tiller. The procedure is now performed by only four doctors in the United States, all former colleagues of Dr. Tiller, who risk their lives every day in the name of their unwavering commitment toward their patients.

    Part psychological thriller and part provocative character study, A Teacher explores the unraveling of a young high school teacher, Diana (Lindsay Burdge), after she begins an affair with one of her teenage students, Eric (Will Brittain). What starts as a seemingly innocent fling becomes increasingly complex—and dangerous—as the beautiful and confident Diana gets fully consumed by her emotions, crossing boundaries and acting out in progressively startling ways. Lindsay Burdge delivers a deeply compelling and seamlessly naturalistic performance that brings us into the mind of an adult driven to taboo against her better judgment.

    O-Scope plans a theatrical, video-on-demand and digital release later this year for both films.

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