• KOCH Documentary Opens in LA March 1

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    KOCH, a documentary by Neil Barsky will open in Los Angeles on March 1 at The Royal, Town Center and Playhouse 7.  Film opens in Palm Springs on March 8.

    Former Mayor Ed Koch is described as “the quintessential New Yorker.” Ferocious, charismatic, and hilariously blunt, Koch ruled New York from 1978 to 1989—a down-and-dirty decade of grit, graffiti, near-bankruptcy and rampant crime. Ed Koch passed away at at the of 88 on February 1, 2013 – the day KOCH documentary opened in NYC.”

    With KOCH, first-time filmmaker (and former Wall Street Journal reporter) Neil Barsky crafts an intimate and revealing portrait of this intensely private man, his legacy as a political titan, and the town he helped transform. The tumult of his three terms included a fiercely competitive 1977 election; an infamous 1980 transit strike; the burgeoning AIDS epidemic; landmark housing renewal initiatives; and an irreparable municipal corruption scandal. Through candid interviews and rare archival footage, KOCH thrillingly chronicles the personal and political toll of running the world’s most wondrous city in a time of upheaval and reinvention. 

    KOCH is a beautiful documentary examining one man’s fascinating journey into rehabilitating the very unhealthy city of New York in the 1980s.  Sometime stubborn and unapologetic, Koch also opens the door to his much-speculated-about private life, which he doesn’t mind being asked about, so long you don’t mind being told to mind your own business. With his trademark greeting “How I’m Doin, ’’ his combative energy and his charming wit, Ed Koch makes for the perfect documentary subject. Says director Neil Barsky: “Making a documentary about Ed Koch was an easy call. I cannot think of a New Yorker

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  • 2013 Miami International Film Festival Sizzles with New Category Lee Brian Schrager’s Culinary Cinema

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    [caption id="attachment_3190" align="alignnone" width="550"]WHY DID YOU LEAVE? (POR QUE VOCÊ PARTIU?)[/caption]

    2013 Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) announced the complete line-up for new category addition Lee Brian Schrager’s Culinary Cinema, featuring films with a culinary twist.

    Lee Brian Schrager’s Culinary Cinema will open on Sunday, March 3rd, with the North American premiere of Eric Belhassem’s Why Did You Leave?. The documentary features Jacquin and Suaudeau, as well as their French contemporaries, Roland Villard, Alain Uzan and Emmanuel Bassoleil. The film highlights a group exceptional French gastronomic chefs and their decision to leave their homes and rebuild their lives in Brazil, meshing their continental sensibilities with the rhythms of their new home. 

    The other two films which will screen as part of Lee Brian Schrager’s Culinary Cinema category are Meat Hooked and Oma & Bella.

    Meat Hooked is directed by Suzanne Wasserman. The documentary won the Best Feature Film at the NYC Food Film Festival and highlights the comeback of butchers and butcher shops. 

    Oma & Bella is directed by Alexa Karolinski. Oma & Bella, two elderly Jewish women in Berlin, pour the decades of their lives into expressions of character that come out of their sumptuous cooking. The film will show on Monday, March 4 at 7:00 p.m. at Miami Beach Cinematheque.

    The 30th edition of Miami International Film Festival runs March 1-10, 2013. 

     

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  • The East to Close 2013 South by Southwest Film Festival

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    [caption id="attachment_3188" align="alignnone" width="550"]The East[/caption]

    Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling new film, The East, will close the 2013 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival. In addition to The East. SXSW also announced an additional 15 features and 3 shorts films to screen at this year’s festival. SXSW Film will open on Friday, March 8, 2013 with the world premiere of Don Scardino’s The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, and run through Saturday, March 16 in Austin, Texas. 

    HEADLINERS

    The East
    Director: Zal Batmanglij, Screenwriters: Zal Batmanglij, Brit Marling
    An operative for a private intelligence firm goes undercover to infiltrate a mysterious anarchist collective attacking major corporations. Bent on apprehending these fugitives, her loyalty is tested as her feelings grow for their charismatic leader. Cast: Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Ellen Page, Toby Kebbell, Shiloh Fernandez, Julia Ormond, Patricia Clarkson

    DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT

    Fall and Winter
    Director: Matt Anderson
    FALL AND WINTER is a voyage into the heart of our global crisis. Epic and stunningly photographed, the film draws on past wisdom and uncovers new, ingenious strategies for the future. It is a psycho-spiritual survival guide for the 21st century. (World Premiere)

    Xmas Without China
    Director: Alicia Dwyer
    A documentary comedy about serious issues we have with our stuff, Xmas Without China follows Chinese immigrant Tom Xia as he challenges his American neighbors to survive the Christmas season without any Chinese products. (World Premiere)

    24 BEATS PER SECOND

    Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker
    Director: Lily Keber
    “Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker” explores the life, times and music of James Booker, the legendary New Orleans performer who Dr. John proclaimed “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.” (World Premiere)

    GIMME THE POWER
    Director: Olallo Rubio
    A rockumentary about the Mexican band Molotov and the political, social and financial context where the band was born and developed.

    The Great Hip Hop Hoax (UK)
    Director: Jeanie Finlay
    Californian hip-hop duo Silibil n’ Brains were going to be massive. No one knew the pair were really Scottish, with fake American accents and made up identities. A film about truth, lies and the legacy of faking everything in the pursuit of fame. (World Premiere)

    In Your Dreams – Stevie Nicks
    Directors: Stevie Nicks, Dave Stewart
    In 2010 Stevie Nicks embarked on the recording of a new solo album, In Your Dreams, produced by former Eurythmics mastermind Dave Stewart. With cameras in tow, the two set up shop in her home studio to reveal their collaborative creative process.

    Muscle Shoals
    Director: Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier
    Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals became the unlikely breeding ground for some of America’s most creative and defiant music inspiring and luring artists as diverse as Keith Richards and Alicia Keys.

    Pete and Toshi got a Camera
    Director: William Eigen
    In 1963, blacklisted by the McCarthy hearings and under surveillance by the FBI, Pete Seeger buys a movie camera and takes his family on an adventure of a lifetime, filming gifted musicians in exotic locations around the world. (World Premiere)

    FESTIVAL FAVORITES

    At Any Price
    Director: Ramin Bahrani, Screenwriters: Hallie Elizabeth Newton, Ramin Bahrani
    In the competitive world of modern agriculture, ambitious HENRY WHIPPLE (Dennis Quaid) wants his rebellious son DEAN (Zac Efron) to help expand his family’s farming empire. However, Dean has his sights set on becoming a professional race car driver. When a high-stakes investigation into their business is exposed, father and son are pushed into an unexpected crisis that threatens the family’s entire livelihood. Cast: Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Kim Dickens, Heather Graham, Clancy Brown, Chelchie Ross, Maika Monroe, Red West, Ben Marten, Dan Waller

    The Crash Reel
    Director: Lucy Walker
    The dramatic story of one unforgettable athlete, Kevin Pearce; one eye-popping sport, snowboarding; and one explosive issue, Traumatic Brain Injury. A comeback story with a difference.

    Linsanity
    Director: Evan Jackson Leong
    Jeremy Lin came from a humble background to make an unbelievable run in the NBA. State high school champion, all-Ivy League at Harvard, undrafted by the NBA and unwanted there: his story started long before he landed on Broadway.

    Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer (UK)
    Directors: Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin
    Three young women face seven years in a Russian prison for a satirical performance in a Moscow cathedral. But who is really on trial in a case that has gripped the nation and the world beyond, three young artists or the society they live in?

    The Spectacular Now
    Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
    A high school romance between an alcoholic, party boy and a more reserved, shy, girl. Cast: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kyle Chandler

    SPECIAL EVENTS

    Asleep at the Wheel Then and Now (Short)
    Director: Dan Karlok
    Ray Benson’s whirlwind romp through the four-decade history of the post-modern kings of western swing.

    Mabon “Teenie” Hodges – A Portrait of a Memphis Soul Original (Short)
    Director: Susanna Vapnek
    You may know such famous songs as “Take Me To The River” and “Love and Happiness”, but you probably do not know Mabon “Teenie” Hodges – the legendary Memphis guitarist who co-wrote these songs with Al Green. (World Premiere)

    A Year in the Life of Wayne’s Phone
    Director: Wayne Coyne
    Compiled from over 28 hours of personal videos shot by The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne on his iPhone, A Year in the Life of Wayne’s Phone, is the world’s first vertical iPhone movie. (World Premiere)

    ANIMATED SHORTS

    SCI-FLY
    Director: Joey Shanks
    Surrender to the Cosmos 

     

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  • RIP: Producer and director Chris Brinker Dies Suddenly

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    Producer and director Chris Brinker, best known for producing The Boondock Saints died suddenly Friday morning in Los Angeles California. According to reports, the 42-year-old producer was rushed to a Marina Del Rey hospital late Thursday night after experiencing a sharp pain in his chest and then later transferred to Kaiser’s Los Angeles Medical Center where his 4 a.m. surgery was unable to fix an aortic aneurysm he’d suffered. Chris is survived by his family and longtime fiancee, Erika Bruun-Anderson.

    Chris Brinker will still be honored at this week’s Beaufort International Film Festival with the first ever Robert Smalls Indie Vision Award. The 7th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival runs February 13 – 17 in Beaufort, South Carolina.

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  • What Richard Did and Argo Win at Irish Film and Television Awards

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    [caption id="attachment_3182" align="alignnone" width="550"]What Richard Did[/caption]

    The winners of the 2013 Irish Film and Television Awards were revealed on Saturday, and winning big in the film categories, What Richard Did picked up five awards throughout the night including the award for Best Film. Jack Reynor picked up the award for Actor Lead Film whilst Lenny Abrahamson and Malcolm Campbell picked up IFTAs for Best Director and Script with their fifth IFTA going to Nathan Nugent for Editing Film.

    Argo won the IFTA for Best International Film while Daniel Day-Lewis was voted Best International Actor for Lincoln and Marion Cotillard for Best International Actress for her role inRust and Bone.

    WINNERS OF THE 10TH ANNUAL IRISH FILM & TELEVISION AWARDS

    FILM

    What Richard Did (Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Element Pictures)

    Death of a Superhero (Michael Garland, Astrid Kahmke, Bavaria Pictures, Grand Pictures)

    Good Vibrations (Chris Martin, Andrew Eaton, Canderblinks Films)

    Grabbers (David Collins, Martina Niland, Forward Films, High Treason Productions, Samson Films)

    Shadow Dancer (Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Element Pictures)

     

    DIRECTOR FILM

    Lenny Abrahamson, What Richard Did (Element Pictures)

    Pat Collins,Silence (South Wind Blows and Harvest Films)

    Ian Fitzgibbon,Death of a Superhero (Bavaria Pictures, Grand Pictures)

    Martin McDonagh,Seven Psychopaths (MomentumPictures)

     

    SCRIPT FILM

    Malcolm Campbell, What Richard Did (Element Pictures)

    Kevin Lehane,Grabbers (Forward Films, High Treason Productions, Samson Films)

    Martin McDonagh,Seven Psychopaths (MomentumPictures)

    Kieron J Walsh, Steve Brookes, based on the stage playJumpby Lisa McGee,Jump (Hotshot Films)

     

    ACTOR FILM

    Jack Reynor, What Richard Did (Element Pictures)

    Richard Dormer,Good Vibrations (Canderblinks Films)

    Colin Farrell,Seven Psychopaths (MomentumPictures)

    Martin McCann,Jump (Hotshot Films)

    Jack Reynor,What Richard Did (Element Pictures)

     

    ACTRESS FILM

    Ruth Bradley, Grabbers  (Forward Films, High Treason Productions, Samson Films)

    Anne Marie Duff,Sanctuary  (Venom Films, Wajda Studio)

    Roisin Murphy,What Richard Did (Element Pictures)

    Seana Kerslake,Dollhouse (The Factory)

     

    SUPPORTING ACTOR FILM

    Domhnall Gleeson, Anna Karenina (Universal Pictures)

    Ciaran Hinds,The Woman in Black (Momentum Pictures)

    Michael McElhatton,Death of a Superhero (Bavaria Pictures, Grand Pictures)

    David Wilmot,Shadow Dancer (Element Pictures)

     

    SUPPORTING ACTRESS FILM

    Bríd Brennan, Shadow Dancer (Element Pictures)

    Bronagh Gallagher,Grabbers (Forward Films, High Treason Productions, Samson Films)

    Charlene McKenna, Jump (Hotshot Films)

    Gabrielle Reidy,What Richard Did (Element Pictures)

     

    SPECIAL IRISH LANGUAGE

    Lón sa Spéir – Men at Lunch (Sean & Eamonn Ó’Cualáin, Sónta)

    Bernard Dunne’s Bród Club (Production Team, Independent Pictures)

    Congo 1961 (Akajava Films)

    Rásaí na Gaillimhe (Great Western Films)

     

    GEORGE MORRISON FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

    Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (Trevor Birney, Eimhear O’Neill, Ruth O’Reilly, Below The Radar)

    Barbaric Genius (Paul Duane, Screenworks)

    John Ford: Dreaming the Quiet Man(Sé Merry Doyle, Loopline Films)

    Skin in the Game (Donald Taylor Black, Poolbeg Productions)

     

    SHORT FILM

    Morning (Cathy Brady)

    The Girl with the Mechanical Maiden (Andrew Legge)

    Fear of Flying (Conor Finnegan, Lovely Productions)

    Rhinos (Shimmy Marcus)

     

    ANIMATION

    Macropolis (Flickerpix Animations)

    After You (Damien O’Connor, Cell Division)

    Fear of Flying (Conor Finnegan, Lovely Productions)

    Peter Rabbit’s Christmas Tale (Brown Bag Films / Silvergate)

     

    INTERNATIONAL FILM

    Argo (Warner Bro)

    Amour (Artifical Eye)

    Life of Pi (20th Century Fox)

    Lincoln (20th Century Fox)

     

    INTERNATIONAL ACTOR

    Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln, 20th Century Fox

    Ben Affleck,Argo, Warner Bros

    Bradley Cooper,Silver Linings Playbook, Canal Entertainment Film

    Joaquin Phoenix,The Master, Entertainment Film

     

    INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS

    Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone, Studio Canal

    Jennifer Lawrence,Silver Linings Playbook, Entertainment Film

    Andrea Riseborough,Shadow Dancer, Paramount Pictures

    Emmanuelle Riva,Amour, Artificial Eye

     

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  • 45 Films To Premiere at Miami International Film Festival

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     [caption id="attachment_3180" align="alignnone" width="1024"]A Gun In Each Hand (Una Pistola En Cada Mano)[/caption]

    Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) will feature 45 films making their World, International, North American, and U.S. premieres. From this year’s lineup, MIFF will screen 10 feature films making their World premiere, five films will make their International premiere, nine films will make their North American premiere, and 16 films will be screening for the first time in the U.S. 

    Premiering films will be shown at Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, Regal South Beach, MDC’s Tower Theater, Coral Gables Art Cinema, Miami Beach Cinematheque, and O Cinema in Miami, Florida. The 30th edition of Miami International Film Festival runs March 1-10, 2013. 

    10 World Premiere Features

    The Boy Who Smells Like Fish (Canada/Mexico, directed by Analeine Cal y Mayor)
    A lonely young boy with an odd medical condition is befriended by a new girl (Zoe Kravitz) who is the only one not put off by his strange circumstances. 

    Calloused Hands (USA, directed by Jesse Quiñones)
    A Miami boy’s journey into manhood over the most important summer of his life as he must learn to escape the influence of his mother’s alcoholic boyfriend (Andre Royo of “The Wire”).

    Cinco De Mayo: The Battle (Mexico, directed by Rafa Lara)
    An epic and emotional history of the Battle of Puebla, immortalized 150 years ago on May 5, 1862, when the small, poorly equipped Mexican army stunned its French occupiers with a decisive victory.

     Eenie Meenie Miney Moe (USA, directed by Jokes Yanes)
    From the creative team of MIFF11’s massive hit Magic City Memoirs, a visionary new look at Miami’s mean streets.

    The Go Doc Project (USA, directed by Cory James Krueckeberg)
    Too shy to make a proper introduction, a recent college grad devises to shoot a documentary about the NYC nightlife scene in order to meet the go-go guy he’s cyber-obsessed with.

    Marriage (Matrimonio) (Argentina, directed by Carlos Jaureguialzo)
    Cecilia Roth and Dario Grandinetti star in this drama about a married couple struggling to keep their union afloat; based loosely on James Joyce’s “Ulysses.”

    The Midnight Game (USA, directed by Alejandro Calvo)
    A group of teenagers get together at an old house to enact a ritual called “The Midnight Game;” will they live to tell about it?

    Sanitarium (USA, directed Bryan Ramirez)
    Malcom McDowell, Lou Diamond Phillips and Robert Englund star in three separate stories set in an eerie mental asylum.

    Solo (Uruguay/Argentina/Netherlands/France, directed by Guillermo Rocamora)
    A trumpeter for the Uruguayan Air Force Band finds an opportunity to make his dreams come true after enrolling in a music contest.

    Viva Cuba Libre: Rap Is War (USA, directed by Jesse Acevedo)
    Risking his freedom, director Jesse Acevedo documents the extraordinary underground rap music that is helping brew a new counterrevolution within Cuba.

    3 World Premiere Short Films

    “Eleven: Twelve” (USA/Portugal, directed by JC Barros)
    “Red Wine” (Vino Tinto) (USA, directed by Carlos Gutierrez)
    “Yasuni” (Ecuador, directed by Nicolas Entel)

    5 International Premiere Features

    Miguel, San Miguel (Chile, directed by Matías Cruz)
    Music bio-pic tracing the beginnings of rebel Chilean band Los Prisioneros, in the midst of that country’s dictatorship.

    The Moving Creatures (O Que Se Move) (Brazil, directed by Caetano Gotardo)
    Three mothers cope with their worst nightmare, the loss of a child, in separate tales that astonish with narrative innovation and stylistic surprises.

    Rio 2096: A Story Of Love And Fury (Uma História De Amor E Fúria) (Brazil, directed by Luiz Bolognesi)
    A futuristic animated fantasy that charts 600 years of Brazilian culture’s evolution to present day, and beyond.

    The Trip 2 (El Paseo 2) (Colombia, directed by Harold Trompetero)
    John Leguizamo and Karen Martinez star as a married couple who embark on an increasingly disastrous vacation in this Colombian box office mega-hit.

    Vinyl Days (Días De Vinilo) (Argentina/Colombia, directed by Gabriel Nesci)
    Childhood friends who have grown up together sharing a fascination for classic rock on vinyl run aground in various ways when adulthood strikes.

    1 International Premiere Short Film

     Of Other Carnivals (De Outros Carnavais) (Brazil, directed by Paulo Miranda)

    9 North American Premiere Features

    Dark Blood (Netherlands, directed by George Sluizer, music by Florencia di Concilio)
    River Phoenix’s final movie has its US premiere, 20 years after his tragic death.

    My German Friend (El Amigo Alemán) (Germany/Argentina, directed by Jeanine Meerapfel)
    A young Jewish woman falls in love with the son of German Nazis hiding in Buenos Aires after the war.

    A Gun In Each Hand (Una Pistola En Cada Mano) (Spain, directed by Cesc Gay)
    An all-star mostly male cast (including Ricardo Darín and Luis Tosar) field the melancholic, comedic, erotic and dramatic mysteries of women.

    Measuring The World (Die Vermessung Der Welt) (Germany, directed by Detlev Buck
    Mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss and geographer/explorer Alexander von Humboldt’s achievements and adventures come to life in amazing 3D.

    Molasses (Melaza) (Cuba/France/Panama, directed by Carlos Días Lechuga)
    Monica and Aldo cling to hope after the sugar mill is shut down and the social order begins to disintegrate in Melaza, Cuba.

    No Autumn, No Spring (Sin Otoño Sin Primavera) (Ecuador/France, directed by Iván Mora)
    Punk ballad that portrays the life of good-student-turned-rebel Lucas living in Guayaquil, while Martin returns from wandering abroad to visit ex-girlfriend Antonia, who has a wild proposal.

    A Perfect Plan (Un Plan Parfait) (France, directed by Pascal Chaumeil)
    From the producers of the French hit The Intouchables, Diane Kruger stars in this uproarious farce about a woman who goes to the ends of the earth to avoid her family’s ages-old marriage curse.

    So Much Water (Tanta Agua) (Uruguay/Mexico/Netherlands, directed by Ana Guevara & Leticia Jorge)
    A family vacation is bogged down by unrelenting rain, as a teenage girl and her divorced father try to find common ground.

    Why Did You Leave? (Por Que Vocȇ Partiu?) (Brazil, directed by Eric Belhassem)
    Five exceptional French gastronomic chefs decide to leave their homes and rebuild their lives in Brazil and mesh their continental sensibilities, in different ways, with the rhythms of their new home.

    16 U.S Premiere Features

    The Artist and the Model (El Artista y la Modelo) (Spain, directed by Fernando Trueba)
    Fernando Trueba marks a record 10th appearance at MIFF with his latest masterpiece, an elegiac drama of the passions of an elderly sculptor (the legendary Jean Rochefort) and his young muse. Claudia Cardinale also stars.

    Blondie (Sweden, directed by Jesper Ganslandt)
    Three sisters bring secrets and addictions home to their mother for her 70th birthday.

    Dust (Polvo) (Guatemala, directed by Julio Hernández Cordón)
    Juan is desperate to find the person responsible for his father’s disappearance, and his obsession will lead to fatal consequences.

    Capadocia 3 (Mexico/USA, directed by Pedro Pablo Ibarra, Javier Patrón, Moises Urquidi & Carlos Carrera)
    The powerful Capadocia dramatizes the lives of various women imprisoned in a Mexico City jail.

    Comrade Kim Goes Flying (Belgium/United Kingdom/D.P.R of Korea, directed by Anja Daelemans, Nicholas Bonner & Kim Gwang-hun)
    Comrade Kim works as a coal miner in a small town but has big dreams of becoming an acrobat and performing at a circus in this unexpectedly wacky film from North Korea.

    Day Of The Flowers (United Kingdom, directed by John Roberts)
    Ballet superstar Carlos Acosta stars in this side-splitting tale of two Scottish sisters’ misadventures on a trip to Cuba.

    Dead Europe (Australia/United Kingdom, directed by Tony Krawitz)
    An Australian photographer finds shocking truths about his ancestry after he travels to Greece to reconnect with his family’s native land.

    Edificio Royale (Colombia/Venezuela/Germany, directed by Iván Wild)
    The tenants of a Colombian high-rise apartment crisscross with darkly comic misunderstandings, involving tarot cards, embalmed bodies, TV psychics, and Tom Cruise.

    Gone Fishing (Días De Pesca) (Argentina, directed by Carlos Sorín)
    Marco looks for redemption and reconciliation on a fishing trip in the beautiful countryside of Patagonia.

    Good Luck Sweetheart (Boa Sorte, Meu Amor) (Brazil, directed by Daniel Aragão)
    Upper-class playboy Dirceu falls in love with Maria, a beautiful music student from a blue-collar background, but when she disappears Dirceu falls into a downward spiral.

    Hand In Hand (France, directed by Valérie Donzelli)
    Hélène share a deep passion for contemporary dance, but Véro will soon realize she may lose Hélène … to Joakim, Véro’s husband.

    It Was the Son (É Stato il giglio) (Italy, directed by Daniele Cipri)
    The accidental killing of a young girl results in her family applying for compensation from the state for those affected by the Mafia, and the money begins to change family dynamics.

    L’Affaire Dumont (Canada, directed by Daniel Grou)
    Riveting true story about a convenience store clerk falsely accused and sentenced for rape, and his struggle to set himself free.

    Sagrada: The Mystery Of Creation (Sagrada: El Misteri De La Creasio) (Switzerland, directed by Stefan Haupt)
    In Barcelona, a crew of modern artisans reach deep within themselves to complete Gaudi’s vision for his masterwork Sagrada Familia cathedral

    Three Kids (Twa Timoun) (Belgium/Haiti, directed by Jonas D’Adesky)
    After Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake destroys their orphanage home, three boys wander the streets of Port-au-Prince, lost in the confusion and chaos that grips their nation.

    Villegas (Argentina/Netherlands/France, directed by Gonzalo Tobal)
    Two Argentine cousins are thrown together when they are forced to leave Buenos Aires for an unexpected, touching road trip to their childhood home.

    1 U.S Premiere Short Film

    “Ebb & Flow” (A Onda Traz, O Vento Leva) (Brazil/Spain, directed by Gabriel Mascaro)

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  • SXSW Reveals Midnighters and Shorts Lineup

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     [caption id="attachment_3178" align="alignnone" width="480"]Big Ass Spider[/caption]

    SXSW 2013 today revealed the film lineup for the Midnighters and Shorts sections. Highlights of this year’s Midnighters include Vincenzo “Cube” Natali’s terrifyingHaunter, the U.S. Premiere of Rob Zombie’s The Lords of Salem, and the the Big Ass Spider.  The Shorts section includes106 films in the lineup, and the winner of the Grand Jury Award in this Narrative Shorts category is eligible for a 2014 Academy Award nomination for Best Narrative Short.

    The complete lineup of films in the Mignights and Shorts sections include:

     

    MIDNIGHTERS

    Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.

    Big Ass Spider! 
    Director: Mike Mendez, Screenwriter: Gregory Gieras

    When a giant alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages across the city of Los Angeles, it is up to one clever exterminator and his security guard sidekick to kill the creature before the city is destroyed. 
    Cast: Greg Grunberg, Lombardo Boyar, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Patrick Bauchau
    (World Premiere)

    Cheap Thrills 
    Director: E.L. Katz, Screenwriters: Trent Haaga, David Chirchirillo

    Recently fired and facing eviction, the married father of a newborn has his life turned upside down when he meets a wealthy couple who offer a path to financial security…but at a price. 
    Cast: Pat Healy, Ethan Embry, Sara Paxton, David Koechner, Amanda Fuller
    (World Premiere)

    Haunter (Canada) 
    Director: Vincenzo Natali, Screenwriter: Brian King

    Lisa Johnson is one day shy of her 16th birthday and will be forever. She and her family are doomed to repeat the fateful day before they were all killed in 1985. 
    Cast: Abigail Breslin, Stephen McHattie, Peter Outerbridge, Michelle Nolden, David Hewlett
    (World Premiere)

    Kiss of the Damned 
    Director/Screenwriter: Xan Cassavetes

    Beautiful vampire Djuna tries to resist the advances of human screenwriter Paolo, but eventually gives in to their passion. When her sister Mimi comes to visit, Djuna’s love story is threatened, and the whole vampire community becomes endangered… 
    Cast: Joséphine de la Baume, Milo Ventimiglia, Roxane Mesquida, Anna Mouglalis, Michael Rapaport, Riley Keough, Ching Valdes-Aran 
    (U.S. Premiere)

    The Lords of Salem 
    Director/Screenwriter: Rob Zombie

    From the singular mind of horror maestro Rob Zombie comes a chilling plunge into a nightmare world where evil runs in the blood. 
    Cast: Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Ken Foree, Patricia Quinn 
    (U.S. Premiere)

    Plus One 
    Director: Dennis Iliadis, Screenwriter: Bill Gullo

    When the party of the decade is disrupted by a supernatural phenomenon, the night soon descends in to chaos. 
    Cast: Rhys Wakefield, Logan Miller, Ashley Hinshaw, Natalie Hall 
    (World Premiere)

    The Rambler 
    Director/Screenwriter: Calvin Lee Reeder

    After being released from prison, a man known as The Rambler stumbles upon a strange mystery as he attempts a dangerous journey through treacherous back roads and small towns en route to reconnecting with his long lost brother. 
    Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Lindsay Pulsipher, Natasha Lyonne, James Cady, Scott Sharot

    V/H/S/2 
    Directors: Adam Wingard, Gareth Evans, Screenwriters: Simon Barrett, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Evans, Jamie Nash, Jason Eisener, John Davies

    Searching for a missing student, two private investigators break into his abandoned house and find another collection of mysterious VHS tapes. In viewing the horrific contents of each cassette, they realize there may be terrifying motives behind the student’s disappearance. 
    Cast: Adam Wingard, Lawrence Levine, L. C. Holt, Kelsy Abbott, Hannah Hughes

    You’re Next 
    Director: Adam Wingard, Screenwriter: Simon Barrett

    A fresh twist on home-invasion horror. A gang of masked murderers descend upon a family reunion, and the victims seem trapped…until an unlikely guest proves to be the most talented killer of all. 
    Cast: Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, AJ Bowen, Joe Swanberg

     

    NARRATIVE SHORTS

     

    A selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short form and exemplify distinctive and genuine storytelling. The winner of our Grand Jury Award in this category is eligible for a 2014 Academy Award nomination for Best Narrative Short.

    THE AUDITION 
    Director: Celia Rowlson-Hall

    A young woman auditions for the role of “Clipboard Woman”

    Black Metal 
    Director: Kat Candler

    After a career spent mining his music from the shadows, the actions of one fan creates a chain reaction for the lead singer of a black metal band.

    Boneshaker 
    Director: Frances Bodomo

    An African family, lost in America, travels to a Louisiana church to find a cure for its problem child.

    Cavalier 
    Director: Steven Schardt

     

    An alcoholic father, recently served restrictive custody papers, kidnaps his son to go on a road trip.

    Chiralia (Germany) 
    Director: Santiago Gil

    Around an isolated lake, the experience of a tragedy travels like a wave through space and time, from person to person, from memory to imagination.

    Dotty (New Zealand) 
    Directors: Mick Andrews, Brett O’Gorman

    A stubborn old lady struggles to send a text message to her daughter.

    Ellen Is Leaving (New Zealand) 
    Director: Michelle Savill

    On the eve of departing overseas, Ellen makes the fateful decision to gift her boyfriend a new girlfriend.

    Indoor (UK) 
    Directors: Simon Atkinson, Adam Townley

    An eleven year old boy, unable to fly his kite alone, befriends a peculiar girl who can not leave her caravan.

    It’s Not You, It’s Me 
    Director: Matt Spicer

    A young woman’s relationship takes a dark turn when every sound her boyfriend makes starts to annoy her.

    Kelly 
    Directors: Nathan Honnold, Alex Zhuravlov

    Kelly, a female entrepreneur, gives personal advice and insight into business and beauty. She finds inspiration in her personal experiences and in her role model Mary Kay.

    LaDonna 
    Directors: Nathan Honnold, Alex Zhuravlov

    An elderly couple finds excitement in breaking and entering.

    MOBILE HOMES (USA/France) 
    Director: Vladimir de Fontenay

    MOBILE HOMES tells the story of a young woman, trapped in sex trafficking, and her son who explores an unlikely way out.

    MOUSSE (Sweden) 
    Director: John Hellberg

    What could be easier than robbing a small bookie place on the outskirts of town?

    Natives 
    Director: Jeremy Hersh

    Rachel, a young Manhattanite, is so in love with her girlfriend’s Native American roots that she begin to lose sight of their relationship.

    Necronomica 
    Directors: Kyle Bogart, Cliff Bogart

    A friendship is tested as two Black Metal bandmates lose hope that they will ever achieve their ultimate goal: To be the most evil band in the world.

    #PostModem 
    Directors: Jillian Mayer, Lucas Leyva

    /#PostModem is a comedic satirical sci-fi pop-musical based on the theories of Ray Kurzweil and other futurists. It’s the story of two Miami girls and how they deal with the technological singularity, told in a series of cinematic tweets.

    SEQUIN RAZE 
    Director: Sarah Gertrude Shapiro

    Behind the scenes of a hit reality TV show, a jaded producer and a spurned beauty queen face off in mental mortal combat. One driven by cash rewards and ambition, the other clinging to her last shred of dignity. Only one can leave victorious.

    Shale 
    Director: Jed Cowley

    John, a stubborn shale pit owner, and his once dutiful wife, Sheila, have a grave confrontation after months of separation.

    Si Nos Dejan 
    Director: Celia Rowlson-Hall

    If they let us, we will love each other all our lives.

    SKIN 
    Director: Jordana Spiro

    A child taxidermist, an outsider in his small town, is entranced by a girl who finds his work beautiful. But just as their relationship begins to progress, he does something that drastically changes everything.

    The Slaughter 
    Director: Jason B. Kohl

    A pig farmer tests his unemployed son’s resolve to join the family business.

    Social Butterfly (France/USA) 
    Director: Lauren Wolkstein

    A 30-year-old American woman enters a teenage party in the South of France. Some of the guests wonder who she is and what she is doing there.

    Top Floor 
    Director: Aaron David DeFazio

    When Ron, a high powered hedge fund manager, finds out that his biggest investor may be pulling out of the fund, his world begins to collapse on him, as he juggles fatherhood, his ex-wife, and one very big secret.

    Weighting 
    Directors: Dustin Bowser, Brie Larson

    A relationship ends.

    When We Lived in Miami 
    Director: Amy Seimetz

    Filmed in Miami during Hurricane Isaac, When We Lived in Miami is a hypnotic short about the lengths one woman will go to keep her family from falling apart.

    DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

    Unfiltered slices of life, from across the documentary spectrum.

     

    After (UK) 
    Director: Lukasz Konopa

    ‘After’ is a film about contemporary life in Auschwitz. In an observation from dusk till dawn, it portrays the theatre of everyday life around the grim confines and captures the energies and activities of a world fascinated by this former concentration camp.

    Contents of C______’s Box, in no particular order 
    Director: Ian Berry

    An exploration of a failed relationship through a box of mementos.

    Endless Day (Germany) 
    Director: Anna Frances Ewert

    This film is about an insomniac’s inner journey through a sleepless night.

    Flutter (USA/Canada) 
    Director: Dara Bratt

    Flutter is a short observational documentary about an ordinary man obsessed with the extraordinary.

    I Kill 
    Directors: David White, Paul Wedel

    The kindest slaughter: a short documentary about one man’s bloody job.

    In Hanford 
    Director: Chris Mars

    In Hanford is artist Chris Mars’s fantastic exploration of real incidents in Hanford, Washington, where the local environment was poisoned as a result of cold war era nuclear arms manufacture.

    Introducing: Bobby. 
    Director: Roger Hayn

    A character portrait of a debt-ridden man with a violent past in pursuit of a fresh start.

    The Knife Maker 
    Director: Keith “keef” Ehrlich

    Writer turned knife maker Joel Bukiewicz discusses the human element of craft–the potential for a skill to mature into an art. In sharing his story, he alights on the real meaning of handmade—a movement whose riches are measured in people, not cash.

    KRS ONE: Brooklyn to the Bronx 
    Director: Brimstone, Joshua Moise

    Hip Hop pioneer, KRS-One, takes us through his years as a homeless teenager in New York City. Traveling from Brooklyn to the Bronx, he begins to visualize his steps to becoming an MC.

    Magnetic Reconnection (Canada) 
    Director: Kyle Armstrong

    A short documentary film contrasting the Northern Lights with the harsh landscapes and decaying manmade debris littered throughout the northern Canadian town of Churchill, Manitoba.

    The Other Dave 
    Director: Pasquale Greco

    Life changes people; especially when it involves 1 billion volts of electricity. “Super Dave” Manning, was on his way to a pro golf career when lightning struck and permanently changed his perception of reality.  

    Recollections (Japan) 
    Director: Nathanael Carton

    A community of tsunami survivors hold onto their existence through pictures recovered from the debris.

    The Roper 
    Directors: Ewan McNicol, Anna Sandilands

    A black man with hip-hop and zydeco roots hard-grafts through the local, all-white rodeo circuits in the Deep South as he dreams of competing in the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

    SLOMO 
    Director: Josh Izenberg

    Depressed and frustrated with his life, Dr. John Kitchin abandons his career as a neurologist and undergoes a radical transformation into SLOMO, trading his lab coat for a pair of rollerblades and his IRA for a taste of divinity.

    The Village (Brazil) 
    Director: Liliana Sulzbach

    The daily life of the dwellers of a microtown in the the south of Brazil which is about to vanish.

    Vladimir Putin In Deep Concentration 
    Directors: Dana O’Keefe, Sasha Kliment

    Vladimir Putin is the most powerful man in the world

    ANIMATED SHORTS

     

    An assortment of stories told using a mix of traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stop-motion, and everything in-between. The winner of our Grand Jury Award in this category is eligible for a 2014 Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short.

    The Blue Umbrella 
    Director: Saschka Unseld

    It is just another evening commute until the rain starts to fall, and the city comes alive to the sound of dripping rain pipes, whistling awnings and gurgling gutters. And in the midst, two umbrellas—one blue, one not—fall eternally in love.

    Cicada Princess 
    Director: Mauricio Baiocchi

    Cicadas spend a long time planning…

    The Event (USA/UK) 
    Director: Julia Pott

    Love and a severed foot, at the end of the world.

    The Gold Sparrow 
    Director: Daniel Stessen

    In a black and white world artists must defend their color.

    Kishi Bashi – ”I Am The Antichrist To You” 
    Director: Kishi Bashi

    A surreal stop motion collaboration between avante-pop/violinist Kishi Bashi and acclaimed animator Anthony Scott (Coraline, Paranorman). An abandoned puppy awakes in a post-apocalyptic world with vivid memories of his love and all that he lost.

    Marcel, King of Tervuren 
    Director: Tom Schroeder

    Greek tragedy enacted by Belgian roosters.

    Oh Willy…(Belgium/France/ Netherlands/Luxembourg) 
    Directors: Emma De Swaef, Marc James Roels

    Forced to return to his naturist roots, Willy bungles his way into noble savagery.

    Old Man 
    Director: Leah Shore

    For more than 20 years Charles Manson has refused to communicate directly with the outside world. Until Now.

    The Places Where We Lived 
    Director: Bernardo Britto

    A man wakes up with a weird feeling. His parents are selling his childhood home.

    Shelved (New Zealand) 
    Director: James Cunningham

    Two loser robots discover they are being replaced… by humans

     

    MIDNIGHT SHORTS

     

    Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, genre, and hilarity needs.

    The Apocalypse 
    Director: Andrew Zuchero

    Four uninspired friends try to come up with a terrific idea of how to spend their Saturday afternoon. The Apocalypse.

    BOY FRIENDS 
    Director: Hugo Vargas-Zesati

    A man disturbed by a dream awakens to realize his unconscious has called his self-awareness into question. When confronting himself, misfortune brings the temporal world into perspective.

    Cats 
    Director: Michael Reich

    A master groomer explains the sensual methods of dog grooming to his young and beautiful apprentice. Her mind begins to wander into a profane dream that melds the grossness of dog bathing with voyeuristic and domineering sexuality.

    Child Eater (USA/Iceland) 
    Director: Erlingur Thoroddsen

    A simple night of babysitting takes a horrifying turn when Helen realizes the boogeyman really is in little Lucas’ closet.

    Dance Till You Drop 
    Directors: Eric M. Levy, Juan Cardarelli

    She thought the house was safe, but under the right circumstances, anything can be dangerous. Even a dance montage.

    Follow 
    Director: Owen Egerton

    Follow is a dark thriller centered on a young couple’s dangerous bedroom games.

    Hell No 
    Director: Joe Nicolosi

    Hell No is a new type of terror, a reality-based horror film that pits real smart people in terrifying horror situations…

    Play House 
    Director: Brandon LaGanke

    Harold’s crumbling family is bound only by his unconditional love for them.

    Root 
    Director: Caleb Johnson

    A young woman has an affair that leaves a hideous mark. Her attempts to remove it only make it worse.

    Two Fingers – ‘Vengeance Rhythm’ (UK) 
    Director: Chris Ullens

    This is the story of a very angry teddy bear.

    Under the Lion Crotch(Hong Kong) 
    Director: Wong Ping

    Daily life living in Hong Kong.

     

    TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS

    Texas High School students offer a glimpse of a bright future for Texas filmmaking.

    Adam Mosley – Who I Am 
    Director: Jake Wangner

    Adam Mosley is an amateur Fort Worth skateboarder. He spends his days rolling across the pavement learning new tricks. Take a quick look into his daily life.

    Again 
    Director: Jade Basinski, Pearl Basinski

    A sweet lullaby.

    The Benefactress 
    Director: Alina Vega

    Everything’s coming apart at the seams.

    CaNnibal 
    Directors: Sophia Haid, Ivan Kumamoto

    The can man can.

    Charlie Hughes 
    Directors: Kyle Matthew, Hirsh Elhence

    What did you do to mom?

    The Cigarette Burns Slowly 
    Director: Connor Clift

    Two individuals who work the night shift together decide to take a cigarette break. Chemistry unfolds.

    Don’t Be Afraid Ashley 
    Director: Makena Buchanan

    Don’t be afraid Ashley, It’s just a dark empty theater, there’s no one here but your friends.

    Drop 
    Director: Zenzele Ojore

    “Drop” is an experimental narrative that tells the story of a young drowning victim, her journey through the “in-between” and the many memories of her past to reach her alternate peace.  

    Dropoff 
    Director: Conner Miller

    A man on the run—but from what?

    THE EXCHANGE 
    Director: Louis J. Zylka

    One night, a robbery took place at a museum and someone got murdered. It’s up to Detective Bones to solve this crime.

    Gas Giant 
    Director: Andrew Haworth

    Gas Giant is a stop motion animated short about a man who wakes up on his lawn and realizes he’s 50 feet tall.

    GBFF 
    Director: Atheena Frizzell

    More than anything else in the world, Reese wants a gay best friend. She sets out to get one but her plan goes terribly awry.

    The Magic Lasso 
    Director: Amy Harvie

    The Magic Lasso is a thriller about a young girl who wakes up from a coma in a post-apocalyptic hospital and the abandoned characters she discovers there.

    Obsession 
    Director: Stephen Mendoza

    Obsession is a thriller about a disturbed young woman who finally has the evening she has been dreaming of with the object of her affection.

    Outbreak 
    Director: Maddison Lopez

    What would the average high school student do to survive a zombie apocalpyse?

    Partner 
    Directors: James Bradford, Max Montoya

    Girl, you’ll be a woman soon.

    Robert Cossman, Deceased 
    Director: Alexander Marking

    The story around a mysterious briefcase

    Sir Gawain & the Green Knight 
    Directors: Callan Harrison, Aidan Anders

    Sir Gawain & the Green Knight is a hand cut paper animation chronicling the adventures of Sir Gawain and his attempts to uphold the code of chivalry.

    Skin To Bone 
    Directors: Taha Dawoodbhoy, Brandon Torio

    Skin To Bone is a fan made music video to the song “Skin To Bone” by Linkin Park. The video delves into the dark meeting behind the song.

    TRAPPED (A Slenderman Short Film) 
    Directors: Jonathan Munoz, Kyle Curtis

    An adaptation to the Slenderman urban legend. Inspired by the hit PC game SLENDER

    True Story 
    Director: Miles Andres

    Based on a true story.

    Zipper 
    Director: Rachel Davis

    A girl find a body and a zipper catches her attention….

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • Eight Filmmakers Selected For 2013 Film Independent Directing Lab

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    Film Independent selected eight filmmakers and projects for its 12th annual Directing Lab. This year’s Lab Mentors include Karen Moncreiff (The Trials of Cate McCall, The Dead Girl), James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now, Smashed) and Angela Robinson (True Blood, The L Word). 

    Starting today and continuing through mid-April, the Directing Lab is an intensive program in Los Angeles, designed to assist directors with strong, original voices develop new narrative feature films, improve their craft, and advance their filmmaking careers in a nurturing yet challenging creative environment. 

    The 2013 Film Independent Directing Lab filmmakers and their projects are:

    A Death in the Andes – In a desperate attempt to save his mother from a rare disease, Carlos, a fiery campesino from the Bolivian highlands, ventures to the city and attempts to abduct an American doctor. As they are caught up in a world of urban criminals and a violent local protest, he is forced to confront both his distrust of foreigners and his fear of death.

    Nicholas Greene is a British filmmaker based in New York. His short film, Salar, made in Bolivia with the country’s only film school, won the 2011 Austin Film Festival Jury Award and was shortlisted for the Oscars. He was selected for the Cine Qua Non screenwriters lab in Mexico and the Berlin Talent Campus in 2011. As a producer, he works with Jolyon Symonds, and has two projects in development with the BFI: Travels with My Aunt, based on the novel by Graham Greene, and The White Tiger, based on the Booker prize winning novel by Aravind Adiga. He previously worked for Paramount Pictures and holds an MFA in film from Columbia University. He works as an editor for non-profit documentary projects.

    Carolina Highway Killer – A truck stop hustling party girl faces off against one very bad trucker.

    Jacob Hatley is a writer/director whose first feature, Ainʼt in It for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm, premiered at SXSW and won the top music award at the Nashville Film Festival. He has directed several internationally screened short films, including China, which won the First Lookʼs Gold Medal atthe Directorʼs Guild of America. In addition, he has helmed music videos for artists such as Shawn Mullins, Levon Helm, Marty Stuart and Yonder Mountain String Band. He splits his time between North Carolina and Los Angeles.

    Folsom Street – A lesbian couple, in early 1990s San Francisco, undergoes shock waves of changing perception and identity when one of them changes sex while their neighborhood is pillaged by the Dot Com boom.

    Krisy Gosney is writer/director and native Californian. Her script Folsom Street (formerly Manhandled) has won a screenwriting grant from the San Francisco Film Society/KRF; and participated in the 2010 IFP IFW Emerging Narrative program. The script was also a semi-finalist in the 2010 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. Gosney has made several award-winning shorts (“Gator Armstrong Plays With Dolls”, “Wanted”) and has written several shorts for award-winning directors (“Peeling”, “Between You and Me”). Her stage-plays include Are These Your Panties? (Bay Area Criticʼs Pick) andTake It Like A Man. Gosney has a MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA. And, sheʼs been awarded a James A. Michener Fellowship, Carl David Memorial Fellowship and an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Screenwriting Fellowship. Last year, Gosney was a Film Independent Screenwriting Lab fellow with her feature film project Folsom Street. Currently, she is an executive producer on Dead History Project a web series featuring paranormal investigation and historical research. Gosney currently splits her time between Hollywood and Oakland, California.

    God Love Stu – The incredible true story of Stu Rasmussen, who convinced his conservative hometown in Oregon to elect him as the first transgender mayor in history.

    Aldo Velasco is a filmmaker and playwright born in Guadalajara, Mexico. His short films have screened at the Sundance, SXSW, and Los Angeles Film Festivals, among others. In 2009, he received a grant from ITVS (Independent Television Service) to write and direct the short film “Tent City” for the first season of the online Futurestates series. Aldo is also an editor of feature films. Recently, he edited Chittagong, the epic Indian historical drama directed by Bedabrata Pain. He also edited Grace Leeʼs political mock documentary Janeane From Des Moines, which recently premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. Velascoʼs play The True History of Coca-Cola in Mexico has been produced in several theatres around the country, including the San Diego Repertory Theatre, the Empty Space in Seattle, and most recently the GALA Hispanic Theater in Washington, D.C.. His short film “INFITD” was selected by UCLA Professor Chon Noriega as one of the 100 Best Chicano Films of all time. Aldo has worked as a private investigator in Los Angeles. His investigation of the Mario Rocha case was featured in the film Marioʼs Story, which won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2006.

    New Mexican Rain – Itʼs 1983 and 11-year-old Rain wants sex. With her parents just divorced, sheʼs about to understand what that really means.

    Amber Sealey is a Los Angeles based filmmaker and performer who was born in England and raised in Santa Fe. Her second feature as writer, director and actor, How to Cheat (Winner Best Performance Award LAFF 2011, Winner Best Narrative Film & best Acting BendFilm 2011) was called “amazing…laugh-out-loud hilarious” and “one of the most relevant and eloquent portraits of modern marriage to date.” How to Cheat premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival and has gone on the screen at the Montreal World, BendFilm, Indie Memphis, Cinequest, Oxford Film Festival, and Cucalorus; it is being distributed by FilmBuff. Her first film, A Plus D (available on IndiePixfilms.com) premiered at Montreal World, where critics said, “Fact and fiction are obliterated…edgy, anguished, funny… The acting is astonishing. I thought of Cassavetes, Winterbottom.” It went on to screen at Indie Memphis, Filmstock UK and San Francisco Indie. Amber was shortlisted for the 2012 Film Independent “Someone to Watch” Spirit Award and featured in the “Futures” section of IndieWire. Sealey has worked predominantly as an actor in theater, voice over, television and film (both in the US and the UK). She is the voice of many audio books including the Meg Cabot Princess Diaries Series. Schooling includes: The University of California, Santa Cruz; The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and The Central School of Speech and Drama (both in London). As an actor, her films have screened at various festivals including Sundance (The Good Night with Gwyneth Paltrow and Penelope Cruz), Santa Fe International, Seattle Underground, Austin and Ashland Independent. As a performer and devisor she worked in London for 6 years with the award-winning physical theatre company, SHUNT. As a performance artist, her work has been shown at the Edinburgh Fringe Festval, Hoxton Hall, Battersea Arts Centre, 291 Gallery, Bongo Club in Edinburgh, Croydon Film Festival, the Museum Of and the Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theatre. She likes to show off by telling people her husband is a rocket scientist who just helped land the Rover, Curiosity, on the planet Mars (he really did) and by showing people photos of her adorable daughter (she really is).

    Straight Edge – Vick, a lonely and sickly sixteen-year-old, changes forever when he falls into the rebellious, tumultuous and sometimes violent world of straight edge punk culture.

    Daniel Casey is a writer/director and native of Detroit, Michigan. He made his indie debut in 2007 with a shoe-string budgeted feature titled The Death of Michael Smith. That film, which premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival and received a special jury award, continued on to play festivals across the states and internationally. In 2009, one of Caseyʼs follow-up screenplays, Jimmy Six, made the Hollywood Blacklist, and was purchased by Whitewater Films. Since that time, Casey has been making his living via screenwriting work for various studios and production companies, including 20th Century Fox, Imagine Entertainment and Universal. Casey is also remained active in directing where possible, premiering narrative shorts ʻWonderboyʼ and ʻCargoʼ at the Cinequest and Slamdance film festivals in 2011. Presently, Casey is eagerly anticipating a return to feature directing, having recently completed the screenplay for Straight Edge, a project he hopes to shoot in late 2013. Additionally, Casey received an MFA in film directing from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, a BFA in digital cinema from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, and is an alumni of the Sundance Screenwriting and Directing Labs. In 2007 Casey was also awarded a Tom Yoda Scholarship, and in 2008 was the recipient of an Annenberg Foundation Grant.

    Sunday Billy Sunday – In an unholy collision of religious fervor and psycho-pathology, Father Billy Acosta, desperate to talk to God, sets out to kill 99 teen campers in East Texas, hoping to spark Divine Intervention.

    Morna Ciraki is a film director and producer. She began her directing career in music videos. Music video work includes “One of These Days” for Japanese pop star Seiko Matsuda, featuring Quincy Jones and shot by Academy Award-winner Janusz Kaminski. She has also produced dozens of music videos. Ciraki has worked as a producer and production executive for former Universal Studios President and producer Thom Mount (Natural Born Killers, Bull Durham, among many). She has developed screenplays for directors Stephen Frears and Oliver Stone, and produced a feature film Have Dreams, Will Travel, starring AnnaSophia Robb, Val Kilmer and Heather Graham. Ciraki served as the London based production executive for Reliant Pictures on Stephen Frearsʼs Cheri, starring Michele Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates. Born in Zagreb Croatia, Ciraki has the distinction of obtaining two law degrees on two continents (one from the University of Zagreb in Croatia and one from Pepperdine University), and serving as part of a criminal defense team at the International War Crimes Tribunal at The Hague. Last year, Ciraki wrote and directed a short film “Grace Paine: The Bombay Beach Incident.” She has co-written with Mark Wheaton (Friday the 13th, The Messengers) the Euro-centric political thriller Panthers. Morna is working on her feature debut, a teen horror/thriller Sunday Billy Sunday, written by Wheaton, adapted from his Amazon bestseller. Ciraki lives in Los Angeles.

    Untitled Amazon Project – When armed loggers threaten to evict their family from their rural home in the Amazon, two brothers smuggle rare lumber in hopes of selling it on the black market for money to save their land.

    Alex Moratto is a Brazilian-American filmmaker. He is a graduate of the UNC School of the Arts, School of Filmmaking where he was a Kenan Scholar and studied film directing under Peter Bogdanovich. His thesis film The Other Side won the 2010 Jury Award from the Directorʼs Guild of America for Latino filmmaker. Moratto attended Werner Herzogʼs 2010 Rogue Film School Seminar and was the recipient of the 2012 North Carolina Arts Council Artist Fellowship for Screenwriting.

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  • 2013 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Announce Winners, Babygirl Wins Independent Cinema Award

    [caption id="attachment_3174" align="alignnone" width="1280"]BABYGIRL[/caption]

    The 28th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, announced the winners of the 2013 festival competition.  The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema, given to a unique independent feature that has been made outside mainstream Hollywood, went to BABYGIRL, directed by Macdara Vallely. A Puerto Rican girl in the Bronx sets a trap to expose her mother’s boyfriend as the creep she thinks he is. 

    The other winning films of the 2013 Santa Barbara International Film Festival include

    The Best International Film Award went to COMING OF AGE (Anfang 80), directed by Gerhard Ertl and Sabine Hiebler. At age 80, two people prove beyond all doubt that nobody is too old for young love.

    The Nueva Vision Award for the best Spanish/Latin American film was awarded to 7 BOXES (7 Cajas), directed by Juan Carlos Maneglia and Tana Schembori. A teenage delivery boy working in a Paraguayan market must dodge thieves, rival gangs and the police when he agrees to transport seven mysterious — and highly sought-after — crates to the edge of town.

    Best Documentary Film Award went to MORE THAN HONEY, directed by Markus Imhoof. With dazzling nature photography, Academy Award®-nominated director Markus Imhoof makes a global examination of endangered honeybees — spanning California, Switzerland, China and Australia.

    The Bruce Corwin Award for Best Live Action Short Film Under 30 Minutes went to BARRIERS, directed by Golan Rise. Uri and two soldiers are manning a checkpoint in the territories. Two women from the “watch” organization try to interfere. Amidst the women’s screaming, Uri receives an order to close the checkpoint because of a bomb threat.

    Bruce Corwin Award for Best Animation Short Film went to SLEIGHT OF HAND, directed by Michael Cusack. Sleight of Hand: techniques used to manipulate objects to deceive. In this stop-motion film about illusions, a man sculpts a clay image of himself.

    The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award Sponsored by The Fund for Santa Barbara for a documentary film that addresses social justice issues also went to REVOLUTION, directed by Rob Stewart and executive produced by Gus Van Sant. This outstanding documentary makes an impassioned, angry and enduringly hopeful call to arms against our destruction of our planet’s precious marine life. 

    The Audience Choice Award, sponsored by The Santa Barbara Independent, went to SPINNING PLATES, directed by Joseph Levy. This documentary features three restaurants (including French Laundry and Chicago’s Alinea), extraordinary for what they are today as well as for the challenges they have overcome.

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  • Ben Affleck, Malik Bendjelloul Win Directors Guild of America’s Award

    Ben Affleck won the Directors Guild of America’s Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Argo at the 65th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday night in Los Angeles. Malik Bendjelloul won the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for Searching for Sugar Man.  This is Ben Affleck and Malik Bendjelloul’s first win.

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  • MATTERHORN by Diederik Ebbinge Wins Audience Award at 2013 International Film Festival Rotterdam

    [caption id="attachment_3170" align="alignnone" width="550"]MATTERHORN[/caption]

    MATTERHORN by Diederik Ebbinge took the UPC Audience Award and Haifaa Al Mansour’s WADJDA was awarded with the Dioraphte Award for best Hubert Bals Fund-supported film at the 2013 International Film Festival Rotterdam. Both awards come with 10,000 Euro prize money.

    MATTERHORN tells the tragicomical story of widower Fred (Ton Kas) who leads a lonely life after his wife passed away. His life takes an unexpected turn when a stranger (René van ’t Hof) calls at his doorstep.  MATTERHORN is the feature film debut of director Dutch director, Diederik Ebbinge.

    The film WADJDA is the story of Wadjda who is 10 years old, lives in Saudi Arabia and wants a green bicycle. Her conservative surroundings think that a girl should not be on a bicycle, but she perseveres. Wadjda stands for many girls and women from Saudi Arabia. The drama offers a glimpse of a society that is otherwise closed, with universal and familiar themes such as hope, courage and perseverance. WADJDA is directed by “taboo-breaking” Haifaa Al Mansour, regarded as the first female filmmaker from Saudi Arabia. 

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  • Mira Fornay, Daniel Hoesl and Mohammad Shirvani Win Hivos Tiger Awards at 2013 International Film Festival Rotterdam

    My Dog Killer (Môj pes Killer) by Mira Fornay, Soldier Jane (Soldate Jeannette) by Daniel Hoesl, and Fat Shaker (Larzanandeye charbi) by Mohammad Shirvani were announced as the three-way winners of the Hivos Tiger Awards at the 2013 International Film Festival Rotterdam, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The directors win a prize of €15.000.

    My Dog Killer (Môj pes Killer) by Mira Fornay (Slovakia/Czech Republic, 2013). An unflinching study of a troubled teen in small-town Slovakia, the film was praised by its jury for ‘showing a very strong subject from the inside’

    Soldier Jane (Soldate Jeannette) by Daniel Hoesl (Austria, 2012). A provocative portrait of two women from different ends of the social spectrum, Hoesl’s debut feature was commended for it ‘strong imagery and visual power.’

    Fat Shaker (Larzanandeye charbi) by Mohammad Shirvani (Iran, 2013). Shirvani’s drama about a stern patriarch was, the jury stated, ‘a fascinating story with superb characters.’

    What They Don’t Talk About When They Talk About Love (Indonesia, 2013) is the winner of NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) Award 2013.

    The other winners of 2013 International Film Festival Rotterdam.

    The winner of the Rotterdam FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique) Award 2013 is The Fifth Gospel of Kaspar Hauser by Alberto Gracia (Spain, 2013).

    Pretty Butterflies (Bellas mariposas) by Salvatore Mereu (Italy, 2012) is the winner of the festival’s new Big Screen Award Competition. The film follows a day in the life of a young Sardinian girl. 

    The Dutch Circle of Film Critics (KNF) Jury award – chosen from the ten films in The Big Screen Award Competition – went to The Future (Il futuro) by Alicia Scherson (Chile/Germany/Italy/Spain, 2013).

    Canon Tiger Awards for Short Films:
    THE TIGER’S MIND by Beatrice Gibson, UK, 2012
    UNSUPPORTED TRANSIT by Zachary Formwalt, Netherlands, 2011
    JANUS by Erik van Lieshout, Netherlands, 2012

    Rotterdam Short Film Nominee European Film Awards 2013:
    THOUGH I KNOW THE RIVER IS DRY by Omar Robert Hamilton, Egypt/Palestine/UK, 2013

    Moviezone Award of the young people’s jury:
    LES CHEVAUX DE DIEU (GOD’S HORSES) by Nabil Ayouch (Morocco/France/Belgium, 2012)

    Lions Film Award of the Rotterdam Lions Club L’Esprit du Temps:
    PENUMBRA by Eduardo Villanueva (Mexico), Hubert Bals Fund-supported film

    Eurimages Award, best European CineMart Project 2013:
    JÄTTEN (THE GIANT) by Johannes Nyholm (Sweden)

    ARTE International Prize for best CineMart Project 2013:
    THE LOBSTER by Yorgos Lanthimos (Ireland/UK/Greece)

    WorldView New Genres Fund Development Award, best CineMart Project 2013:
    ZAMA by Lucrecia Martel (Argentina/Spain)

    The 42nd International Film Festival Rotterdam runs January 23 thru February 3, 2013.

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