• HAVE YOU SEEN LUPITA? to Open 2012 Cine Las Americas International Film Festival in Austin Texas

    [caption id="attachment_2663" align="alignnone" width="550"]Gonzalo Justiniano’s ¿ALGUIEN HA VISTO A LUPITA? (HAVE YOU SEEN LUPITA?)[/caption]

    Gonzalo Justiniano’s ¿ALGUIEN HA VISTO A LUPITA? (HAVE YOU SEEN LUPITA?) will open the 15th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival on Tuesday, April 24 at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin. Partially shot in Austin, the film stars Dulce María, Carmen Salinas, and Cristián de la Fuente. Scheduled to attend the opening night screening are actress Carmen Salinas, Director Gonzalo Justiniano, and Producer Daniel de la Vega.

    Closing the festival is Selton Mello’s O PALHAÇO (THE CLOWN) on Sunday, April 29 also at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. Actor and director Selton Mello’s sophomore feature brings to the screen the magic and enchantment of a family circus traveling through the dirt roads of the Brazilian inlands. Scheduled to attend the screening is Producer Fernanda Kalume.

    ¿ALGUIEN HA VISTO A LUPITA? (HAVE YOU SEEN LUPITA?) stars Dulce María, of RBD fame, as a young mexican girl who runs away from her family when they try to send her to a mental hospital, starting a journey through which she will take us to discover a world that seems much crazier than she is. With her sensuality, innocence and romanticism, Lupita invites us to believe that life can be experiencedin different ways.

    [caption id="attachment_2664" align="alignnone" width="550"]Selton Mello’s O PALHAÇO (THE CLOWN)[/caption]

    O PALHAÇO (THE CLOWN) follows the life of Benjamim (Selton Mello), who along with his father Waldemar (Paulo José) form the clown duo Thoroughbred and Mongrel, the main attraction of Circo Esperanza, a 15 people circus that travels through the dirt roads in the Brazilian inlands. Father and son share the ring and, supposedly, the same vocation, yet in spite of making the audience burst into laughter, Benjamim lives a personal crisis and tries to find his own identity. 

    The 15th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival runs April 24-29, 2012 and will take place at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, the Violet Crown, and at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC), with additional screenings at St. Edward’s University in Austin Texas.

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  • San Francisco International Film Festival Completes 2012 Lineup, Rock Band Journey Documentary to Close Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2292" align="alignnone" width="549"]A scene from Lynn Shelton’s YOUR SISTER’S SISTER, playing at the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival, April 19 – May 3, 2012. [/caption]

    The 55th San Francisco International Film Festival announced the complete schedule of films and events for the festival running April 19 – May 3, 2012, at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, SF Film Society Cinema, the Castro Theatre and SFMOMA in San Francisco and the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley.

    The Centerpiece screening will be Lynn Shelton’s relationship comedy Your Sister’s Sister, starring Emily Blunt, Mark Duplass and Rosemarie DeWitt.

    Still grief-stricken a year after his brother’s death, Jack (Mark Duplass) travels to a remote cabin on Puget Sound at the suggestion of his best friend, Iris (Emily Blunt), who thinks that he’ll benefit from the isolation. He arrives to find Iris’s sister, Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt), recovering from a bad breakup, and they quickly bond over their shared misery. When Iris turns up to surprise Jack, she notes a new connection between him and her sister. What begins as a happy reunion soon deteriorates into a fractious encounter, the trio caroming off one another amid misunderstandings, betrayals and secret affections. Improvising much of the dialogue, the three actors are terrific, imbuing their complex, sometimes maddening characters with genuine heart. Shelton and her cast develop an idea initially conceived by Duplass into a funny, truthful story about sibling bonds, friendship, love and miscommunication.
    [caption id="attachment_2660" align="alignnone" width="550"]A scene from Ramona Diaz’s DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ EVERYMAN’S JOURNEY, playing at the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival, April 19 – May 3, 2012. [/caption]

    The festival will close with Ramona Diaz’s (Spirits Rising, SFIFF 1996) Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey (USA 2012). Described as ‘Diaz follows the iconic, quintessentially American rock band Journey and new lead vocalist Arnel Pineda on their 2008 Revelation tour of the U.S. and Pineda’s homecoming in Manila.‘

    [caption id="attachment_2661" align="alignnone" width="550"]David Webb Peoples, recipient of the Kanbar Award for excellence in screenwriting at the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival, April 19 – May 3, 2012. [/caption]

    The 2012 Kanbar Award for excellence in screenwriting will go to David Webb Peoples, who will be honored with an onstage tribute and a screening of his ‘acclaimed neo-Western’ film Unforgiven.

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  • 2012 Tribeca Film Festival Tribeca Talks Series to Feature Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, and Premiere of Six New Films

    [caption id="attachment_2657" align="alignnone"]Freaky Deaky[/caption]

    The 2012 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) unveiled six new titles world premiering at the Festival. Narrative films Freaky Deaky and Future Weather and documentaries Portrait of Wally and Once in a Lullaby: The PS22 Chorus Story will screen as part of the “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” series, the documentary Wagner’s Dream will premiere as part of the new “Beyond the Screens: Globalize Your Thinking” series, and the narrative Knife Fight will have a special screening with an extended Q&A. Finally, TFF celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Avant-Garde Masters grants, created by the National Film Preservation Foundation and The Film Foundation to help preserve American avant-garde cinema, with a special screening and “Tribeca Talks” panel.

    The lineup for the 2012 Tribeca Talks® panel series include the “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series,” “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie,” “Tribeca Talks: Industry,” “Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper, hosted by Barnes & Noble” and the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival panel. New to the Festival is the “Beyond the Screens: Globalize Your Thinking” program.

    “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series” will include one-on-one conversations with:

    Academy Award®-winning filmmaker and activist Michael Moore, interviewed by Academy Award®-winning actor Susan Sarandon.
    Academy Award®-nominated director Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father), interviewed by his daughter, Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter Naomi Sheridan (In America). 

    “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” will include:

    Academy Award®-nominated film WarGames from director John Badham, which uses advances in national security and the vulnerabilities of new technology as the backdrop for a coming-of-age thriller; followed by a conversation with director John Badham, actress Ally Sheedy, Bitcoin Technical Lead Gavin Andresen, William D. Casebeer, PhD, Program Manager, Defense Sciences Office at DARPA (USAF, retired), and others about the historical relationship between military strategy and technical innovation, storytelling with gaming and simulation tools, and the challenges of depicting cutting-edge technology on the big screen.  

    The world premiere of Freaky Deaky, a throwback to the decadent Los Angeles of the 1970s, where a disgraced cop gets a shot at a comeback when a young actress needs help taking down a powerful movie producer; followed by a conversation with novelist Elmore Leonard, director/ screenwriter Charles Matthau, and Freaky Deaky stars Christian Slater, Crispin Glover, Michael Jai White, and Andy Dick.

    The documentary The Virgin, the Copts and Me, where filmmaker Namir Abdel Messeeh sets out to investigate the phenomenon of supposedly miraculous Virgin Mary apparitions in Egypt’s Coptic Christian community. Facing opposition from producers and his family, he reimagines his film as a touching, hilarious portrait of family and heritage; followed by a discussion with director Namir Abdel Messeeh and other notable guests on cultural identity and the prevalence of contemporary international filmmakers who delve into what it truly means to go “home.” Hosted by the Doha Film Institute.

    The world premiere of Portrait of Wally, a documentary that follows Lea Bondi’s ancestors as they take on the Austrian government, billionaire art collectors, MoMA and NPR in their attempt to reclaim Bondi’s Egon Schiele painting “Portrait of Wally,” which was seized by Nazis in 1939; followed by a conversation with director Andrew Shea, critic and journalist David D’Arcy, Jane Kallir of Galerie St. Etienne, historian and attorney Willi Korte, and Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York Sharon Cohen Levin about the issues of provenance and the global sharing of art in museums.

    [caption id="attachment_2658" align="alignnone"]Once in a Lullaby: The PS22 Chorus Story[/caption]

    The world premiere of Once in a Lullaby: The PS22 Chorus Story, a documentary that follows the now world-famous YouTube sensation elementary school chorus as they travel to perform the closing number of the 2011 Academy Awards®; followed by a conversation with director Jonathan Kalafer, PS22 chorus teacher Gregg Breinberg, Executive Director of the Office of the Arts and Special Projects at the New York City Department of Education Paul King, and more on how new media and technology in the classroom can breathe new life into students’ curricula, capture their attention, and spark eagerness to learn. Moderated by Tribeca Film Institute Education Program Developer Caitlin Meisner.

    The world premiere of Future Weather, inspired by a New Yorker article on global warming, which follows a teenage loner who becomes obsessed with ecological disaster, forcing her alcoholic grandmother to rethink their futures; followed by a discussion with writer/director Jenny Deller, producer Kristin Fairweather, Future Weather actress Lili Taylor, and more on how an article about a scientific and environmental issue planted the seed for an intimate fiction film and inspired an environmentally sensitive production.

    A collection of American avant-garde classics by Abigail Child, Larry Gottheim, George Kuchar, Carolee Schneemann, and more—specially curated with TFF to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Avant-Garde Masters grants, which were created in 2003 by the National Film Preservation Foundation and The Film Foundation; followed by a panel discussion with filmmakers Carolee Schneemann, Abigail Child, Larry Gottheim, and TFF experimental film programmer Jon Gartenberg. Moderated by Assistant Director of the National Film Preservation Foundation Jeff Lambert

    “Beyond the Screens: Globalize Your Thinking” will feature:

    The world premiere of Wagner’s Dream, a documentary that follows perhaps the most ambitious project in the Metropolitan Opera’s famed history, the new staged production of opera’s most formidable masterpiece: Richard Wagner’s four-part Ring Cycle; followed by a conversation about this incredible artistic journey with filmmakers Susan Froemke and Bob Eisenhardt, the Met’s General Manager Peter Gelb, opera soprano Deborah Voigt and tenor Jay Hunter Morris. Moderated by “the Voice of the Met” Margaret Juntwait.

    Let Fury Have the Hour, a documentary that brings together more than 50 big-name artists, musicians, writers, and thinkers who used their creativity as a response to the reactionary politics that came to define our culture in the 1980s, tracing a momentous social history from the 1980s to the present and imparting a message of hope; followed by a conversation with director Antonino D’Ambrosio, film collaborator and artist Shepard Fairey, the MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer, playwright and activist Eve Ensler, and more as they discuss the power of artistic expression.

    The List, a documentary that follows Kirk Johnson, who recently returned from rebuilding teams in war-torn cities in Iraq as he advocates for a growing number of Iraqi citizens now targeted by radical militias because they aided the U.S. in the reconstruction effort; followed by a conversation with director Beth Murphy, film subject Kirk Johnson, Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) Paul Rieckhoff, and others about the current state of Iraqis seeking asylum and issues surrounding post-traumatic stress disorder in soldiers and refugees. Moderated by The New Yorker’s George Packer. 
    “Tribeca Talks: Industry” will feature:

    Film and Brands, a conversation with filmmakers and strategic communications professionals about how brands and filmmakers are increasingly collaborating on film projects to achieve a range of objectives, from marketing and public relations to corporate storytelling and philanthropy. As the number of projects as well as the platforms for distribution increase, the bar has been raised for how to make these projects effective corporate storytelling pieces as well as quality filmmaking. Panelists include producer and director Brett Ratner, American Express’ Vice President of Global Media, Sponsorship and Experiential Marketing Rich Lehrfeld, GE’s Global Executive Director of Advertising and Branding Judy Hu, the Norman Lear Center’s Managing Director and Director of Research Johanna Blakley, Chief Marketing Officer of Chipotle Mexican Grill Mark Crumpacker and select filmmakers for a conversation about how they are collaborating and where this increasingly complex and sophisticated world is heading. Moderated by Jon Patricof, President and Chief Operating Officer of Tribeca Enterprises.

    Imagine More, sponsored by Canon, after a screening of Ron Howard’s production when you find me—the first Hollywood film inspired by a photo contest—Canon representatives and filmmakers will discuss the versatility of shooting with Canon cameras and creating films through collaborative storytelling. Panelists include Canon USA Technical’s Chuck Westfall, The Russian Winter director Petter Ringbom, CatCam director Seth Keal, and others.

    The Business of Entertainment, sponsored by Bloomberg, focusing on the recent rise of international co-production, exploring the benefits and obstacles of this often complex but rewarding strategy. Bloomberg convenes major producers, financiers, and other key industry decision-makers who play leading roles in financing today’s film and entertainment industries. Panelists include co-producer of The Girl and CEO of Bonita Films Tania Zarak, Chairman and CEO of Endgame Entertainment James D. Stern, and Director of European Film and TV Group, Exclusive Media, Ben Holden. Moderated by Bloomberg News entertainment reporter Michael White.

    The Future is Short: Storytelling in the Digital Age, sponsored by GE / FOCUS FORWARD – Short Films, Big Ideas, a conversation with CINELAN, filmmakers and distributors on the power, art and business of short film storytelling at a time when platforms like Hulu, Netflix, Yahoo!, and the New York Times become commercially viable distribution outlets. Panelists include CINELAN co-founder and filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, filmmaker Annie Sundberg, Jason Spingarn-Koff of the New York Times Op-Docs series, and others. Moderated by the Director of Film and Video at TED, Jason Wishnow.

    Does the Cloud have a Silver (Screen) Lining, sponsored by SAP, a conversation examining the best model for independent films to reach audiences and make money out of new distribution opportunities in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Panelists include Executive Vice President and CMO at Time Warner Cable Jeffrey A. Hirsch and filmmakers for a discussion about navigating today’s digital marketplace. Moderated by Senior Vice President of Media and Entertainment at SAP Richard Whittington.

    New Filmmakers on Film, sponsored by Panavision, a discussion about Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program, which provides grants to artists that gives them the opportunity to shoot on film, instead of turning to digital technology. Panelists include Una Noche director Lucy Mulloy, Kodak’s US Account Manager of Features and Post-Production Bob Mastronardi, cinematographer Guy Godfree, and other film artists as they discuss the program and new opportunities for emerging talent. Moderated by Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program Manager, Mike Dallatorre.

    “Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper hosted by Barnes & Noble” will include:

    Biography on Film, a discussion with writers and filmmakers who create biographical documentaries and must transform life events into film. Panelists include TFF filmmakers Ramona S. Diaz (Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey), Petter Ringbom (The Russian Winter), Andreas Koefoed (Ballroom Dancer), and Daniel A. Miller (Eìvocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie).

    The Pen Versus the Sword, a conversation examining how creative methods can cause social change. Panelists include TFF filmmakers Antonino D’Ambrosio (Let Fury Have the Hour), Raymond De Felitta (Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story), and Stephen Maing (High Tech, Low Life). Moderated by film and culture critic Caryn James.

    Based on the Book, a conversation exploring adapting a book into a film that will examine the elements that best translate from the page to the screen and whether it is possible to create a version of the story that is better than the book. Panelists include TFF filmmakers Pen-ek Ratanaruang (Headshot), Charles Matthau (Freaky Deaky), Donald Rice (Cheerful Weather for the Wedding), and others.

    In addition, the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival will include:

    Beyond the Playing Field, sponsored by Time Warner Cable, a conversation exploring the evolution of women’s sports inspired by the 40th anniversary of Title IX. Panelists include director Amy Berg, ESPN Films’ Libby Geist, producer and TFF co-founder Jane Rosenthal, and filmmakers from upcoming ESPN Films. Moderated by ESPN’s Chris Connelly.

    Special Tribeca Talks events:

    100 Years of Universal, available exclusively for American Express Cardmembers, a conversation celebrating 100 years of Universal Pictures. Panelists include Academy Award®-winning actor and TFF co-founder Robert De Niro, Academy Award®-winning actor Meryl Streep, and writer-director-producer Judd Apatow. Moderated by Film Editor for Deadline Hollywood Mike Fleming.

    The world premiere of Knife Fight, a political satire that follows a campaign strategist who struggles to keep his wayward clients in office and out of the press; followed by an extended Q&A about presidential campaigns and how politics are spun with writer/director Bill Guttentag, writer and co-producer Chris Lehane, actor Rob Lowe, and campaign strategist Steve Schmidt. Moderated by MSNBC senior political analyst and co-author of Game Change Mark Halperin.

    With Illicit Networks: Portrayals through Film, Tribeca Enterprises and Google Ideas team up for a conversation addressing Hollywood’s portrayals of illicit networks that traffic everything from narcotics and weapons to body parts and human beings. Experts, law enforcement participants, and survivors will use what we learn from film to examine the mysterious and misunderstood world of illicit trafficking. Moderated by Director of Google Ideas Jared Cohen.

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  • Weinstein Company Rejects MPAA R Rating and Will Release BULLY as Unrated

    The Weinstein Company announced that they will release the controversial documentary ‘Bully’ as unrated, basically, disregarding the ‘R” rating assigned by the MPAA. Weinstein had mounted a very public campaign in an effort to get the MPAA to change it’s mind with over half a million people signing an online petition and support from celebrities like Meryl Streep.

    See press release from The Weinstein Company:

    After a recent plea to the MPAA by BULLY teen Alex Libby and The Weinstein Company (TWC) Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein failed – by one vote – to get the film its deserved PG-13 rating, TWC is choosing to move forward with releasing the film unrated by the MPAA on March 30.

    Furthering proof that the R rating for some language is inappropriate for a film that’s meant to educate and help parents, teachers, school officials and children with what’s become an epidemic in schools around the country, the fight against the rating continues on. The outpour of support by politicians, schools, parents, celebrities and activists for the film’s mission to be seen by those it was made for – children – has been overwhelming. Nearly half a million people have signed Michigan high school student and former bullying victim Katy Butler’s petition on Change.org to urge the MPAA to lower the rating.

    Said BULLY Director Lee Hirsch, “The small amount of language in the film that’s responsible for the R rating is there because it’s real. It’s what the children who are victims of bullying face on most days. All of our supporters see that, and we’re grateful for the support we’ve received across the board. I know the kids will come, so it’s up to the theaters to let them in.”

    “The kids and families in this film are true heroes, and we believe theater owners everywhere will step up and do what’s right for the benefit of all of the children out there who have been bullied or may have otherwise become bullies themselves. We’re working to do everything we can to make this film available to as many parents, teachers and students across the country,” said TWC President of Marketing Stephen Bruno.

    For parents or teachers who are looking for more information or who may have concerns about showing children a movie unrated by the MPAA, please read Common Sense Media’s rating details of the film here: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/bully.

    “While it’s often heartbreaking and deals with tough issues like suicide, the movie addresses bullying in a frank and relatable way that is age appropriate for teens and relevant for middle schoolers if an adult is present to guide the discussion,” said James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO, Common Sense Media. “The MPAA’s ratings system is inadequate when it comes looking at a movie’s content through the lens of its larger thematic issues. Common Sense Media provides alternative ratings for parents who are looking for more guidance and context than the MPAA provides.”

    BULLY will be released in theaters on Friday, March 30th in New York at the Angelika Film Center and AMC Lincoln Square and in Los Angeles at The Landmark, ArcLight Hollywood and AMC Century City.

    BULLY is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of America’s bullying crisis. Filmed over the course of the 2009/2010 school year, BULLY opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders. It documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviors that defy “kids will be kids” clichés, and it captures a growing movement among parents and youths to change how bullying is handled in schools, in communities and in society as a whole.

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  • Whole Foods Market annual Do Something Reel Film Festival returns online for 2012, Opens With Edward Norton’s The Apple Pushers

    [caption id="attachment_2652" align="alignnone"]The Apple Pushers[/caption]

    Whole Foods Market annual Do Something Reel Film Festival returns online this year with its usual collection of films about food and environmental issues.

    The festival opens April 22, with a live screening of “The Apple Pushers,” narrated by Academy Award nominee Edward Norton, and follows five immigrant street-cart vendors who are offering fruits and vegetables in New York neighborhoods where fresh produce isn’t widely available. The vendors, who take part in a unique urban experiment called The NYC Green Cart Initiative, personify what it means to be an American entrepreneur, and their stories shed new light on the nation’s food crisis and skyrocketing obesity rates.

    “The film chronicles first-generation immigrant micro-entrepreneurs who are infusing low income communities with fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Mazzio. “Whole Foods Market’s emphasis on providing access to healthy and nutritious foods makes them an ideal partner in helping us to expand the message of the film.”

    Each month the festival will showcase a different film online that will be available for purchase. The films slated through August are:

    “Watershed” – Directed by Mark Decena, executive produced by Robert Redford and produced by his son, James Redford, the film follows Rocky Mountain National Park fly fishing guide, Jeff Ehlert, and six others living and working in the Colorado River basin. The film illustrates the river’s struggle to support thirty million people across the western U.S. and Mexico as the peace-keeping agreement known as the Colorado River Pact is reaching its limits. (May)

    “Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us?”– A profound, alternative look at the bee crisis from Taggart Siegel, award-winning director of “The Real Dirt on Farmer John.” On a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, the film weaves together a story of the heart-felt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world and uncovers the long-term causes that could create one of our most urgent food crises. (June)

    Ian Cheney Retrospective: “King Corn” and “Truck Farm” – Each of the films Cheney has created or co-created spotlights an important environmental or food issue, from mobile gardens to the subsidized crops fueling our fast-food nation. Cheney was last year’s Whole Foods Market and AFI-Silverdocs grant recipient for his new work-in-progress, “Bluespace.” (July)

    [caption id="attachment_2653" align="alignnone"]Lunch Line[/caption]

    “Lunch Line” – Co-directed by Ernie Park and Michael Graziano, this film offers a fresh perspective on the politics of food and child-nutrition through an examination of the surprising past, uncertain present, and possible future of the National School Lunch Program. The film reframes the school lunch debate through archival footage, expert interviews, and the uplifting story of six kids from one of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago who set out to fix school lunches — and end up at the White House. (August)

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  • 2012 Vail Film Festival to Honor Director Fred Schepisi and Actress Krysten Ritter

    [caption id="attachment_2649" align="alignnone" width="549"]Fred Schepisi | The Eye of the Storm[/caption]

    The 2012 Vail Film Festival taking place from March 29 through April 1 will honor Golden Globe winning Writer/Director Fred Schepisi with the 2012 Vanguard Award and Krysten Ritter with the Excellence in Acting Award.

    [caption id="attachment_2650" align="alignnone" width="550"]Fred Schepisi[/caption]

    With a career in the industry spanning more than 36 years, Mr. Schepisi’s credits include Six Degrees of Separation, Last Orders, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Roxanne, Evil Angels and mini-series ‘Empire Falls’ for which he gained an Emmy nomination for best director and won a Golden Globe for Best Mini-Series. Past Vail Film Festival Vanguard award recipients include Josh Lucas, Harold Ramis, and Edward Pressman.

    Mr. Schepisi’s latest film, The Eye of the Storm starring Academy Award-winner® Geoffrey Rush, Charlotte Rampling and Judy Davis will make its U.S. Premiere as the 2012 Vail Film Festival’s Opening Night Film.

    Krysten Ritter will receive this year’s Excellence in Acting Award, joining past winners Kate Bosworth, Michelle Monaghan, and Jane Seymour.
    [caption id="attachment_2521" align="alignnone" width="552"]Krysten Ritter and Kate Bosworth in L!fe Happens[/caption]

    Ritter’s most recent film, L!fe Happens, in which she stars and co-wrote alongside talented new filmmaker and Vail Film Festival Alum, Kat Coiro, will be screened as the 2012 Vail Film Festival’s Official Closing Night Film.

     

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  • Marcia Gay Harden to Receive Tribute Award at 2012 Phoenix Film Festival, and Premiere film If I Were You

    [caption id="attachment_2647" align="alignnone" width="550"]Leonor Watling and Marcia Gay Harden (right) in a scene from If I Were You[/caption]

    Academy Award® and Tony Award ® winning actress Marcia Gay Harden will be in Phoenix Arizona on Saturday, March 31 to receive the coveted Copper Wing Tribute Award at the 12th Annual Phoenix Film Festival.

    “Searing,” “heartbreaking,” “inventive,” “pure and profane simultaneously,”  “astonishing,” “authentic,” and “sensuous;” as a chameleon changes from role to role, so has Marcia Gay Harden in her body of work.   Known for her signature style of “becoming the character, she has forged a remarkable resumé that has touched fans and critics alike.  Starring in roles ranging from the glamorous Ava Gardner in Sinatra, to the artist Lee Krasner in Pollock (for which she won Best Supporting Actress Oscar®), to the down and out Celeste in Mystic River (another Academy Award® nomination), Harden has truly created a unique identity based largely in character transformation. Her roles in films Millers Crossing, The First Wives Club, Meet Joe Black, Mona Lisa Smile, The Hoax, and Used People have all been praised for their versatility and wide-range on-screen.

    Harden will also attend the Arizona premiere of her new film, If I Were You, at the festival; in which she plays Madelyn, a successful, self-possessed, middle-aged businesswoman who discovers her husband is having an affair.  Her attempts to stalk his young mistress take a surprising turn and the two wind up forming a rather unconventional pact.  If I Were You is described as a charming, very funny look at the unexpected places life can take us.  It co-stars Leonor Watling and Aidan Quinn.

    Previous winners of the Copper Wing Tribute Award, considered the Festival’s most prestigious award, include Laurence Fishburne, Kevin Bacon, Peter Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr., Robert Forster, and Virginia Madsen.

    The 12th Annual Phoenix film Festival takes place at Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theaters located at 7000 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85054. 

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  • Concert Documentary Andrew Bird: Fever Year to have its Arizona Premiere at the Phoenix Film Festival

    The multi-award winning concert documentary, Andrew Bird: Fever Year, which had its World Premiere at Lincoln Center last October as part of the prestigious New York Film Festival will screen its Arizona Premiere with the Phoenix Film Festival on Friday, March 30, with an encore on Saturday, March 31.

    Filmed during culminating months of the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s most rigorous year of touring, Andrew Bird crosses the December finish line in his hometown of Chicago – feverish and on crutches from an onstage injury. Is he suffering hazards from chasing the ghost of inspiration? Or merely transforming into a different kind of animal “perfectly adapted to the music hall?”

    Fever Year is described as the first to capture Mr. Bird’s precarious multi-instrumental looping technique and features live performances at Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater with collaborators Martin Dosh, Jeremy Ylvisaker, Michael Lewis, and Annie Clark of St. Vincent.

    Andrew Bird: Fever Year recently received the Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Omaha Film Festival and the Audience Award from San Francisco’s 20th Anniversary Noise Pop Film Festival, as well as strong reviews from Variety, RogerEbert.com, indieWIRE, and others.

    Fever Year will only be released in festivals – by choice of Andrew Bird, who owns and commissioned the film.

    This  80-minute film is the directorial debut from Xan Aranda, a long-time Bird collaborator and producer with Chicago’s acclaimed documentary powerhouse Kartemquin Films (Hoop Dreams.)

    Ms. Aranda is directing her newest project, Mormons Make Movies, inspired by religious educational films her mother starred in while a student at Brigham Young University during the 1960s.

    Andrew Bird: Fever Year screens Friday, March 30, 2012 at 4:35 PM and Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 7:25 PM.

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  • Tribeca Film Festival Brings Back its Free Community Events for 2012, Knuckleball to Premiere at FREE Tribeca Drive-In

    [caption id="attachment_2643" align="alignnone" width="550"]Kuckleball[/caption]

    The 2012 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) will bring back its signature free community events: the Tribeca Drive-In (April 19-21), Family Festival Street Fair (April 28), Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day (April 28) and the second annual Tribeca/NYFEST Soccer Day (April 21).

    The ‘classic summer thriller” Jaws, the “swashbuckling adventure-comedy” The Goonies, and the premiere of the baseball documentary Knuckleball! have all been selected to screen at Tribeca Drive-In.

    “Since its inception, the Tribeca Film Festival has strived to give back to the neighborhood and the city with free community events for New Yorkers and visitors of all ages,” said Nancy Schafer, Tribeca Film Festival Executive Director. “We are thrilled to continue the tradition with Festival favorites like the Drive-In, Family Festival Street Fair and Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day, and to challenge our industry colleagues, young athletes and soccer fans with the Tribeca/NYFEST Soccer Day tournament.”

    The following films will be featured at the Tribeca Drive-In, TFF’s outdoor screening series for film enthusiasts of all ages. The free evening of cinema under the stars is open to the public, and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 6 p.m. The programs will also begin at 6 p.m., with live music at 7 p.m., and screenings starting at dusk (approximately 8:15 p.m.).

    Jaws—Thursday, April 19 Steven Spielberg’s classic returns to the big screen! See the movie that thrilled a generation, launched the summer blockbuster and has become one of the most enduring action-suspense films of all time. Come early to celebrate Universal Studios’ 100th Anniversary with trivia contests, live music from local artists and surprise special guests, courtesy of the upcoming New York Downtown Jazz Festival. Later this year, fans can own Jaws for the first time ever on Blu-rayTM featuring an all-new, fully restored and digitally remastered picture from original 35MM film elements. Fans of John Williams’ iconic score will also love the Blu-ray’sTM Dolby surround 7.1 sound which optimizes the film for the home screening environment.

    With the summer beach season in full swing, a bloodthirsty great white shark begins terrorizing the small island community of Amity. A police chief, a marine biologist, and a grizzled sailor set out to hunt it down… but they’re going to need a bigger boat. Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw lead the cast of this groundbreaking Academy Award®-winning thriller. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

    The Goonies—Friday, April 20 Relive the adventure with Mikey, Mouth, Stef, Data, Chunk, and all the unforgettable characters in this beloved classic. Come early to take part in the “truffle shuffle” contest and win prizes in the first-ever Tribeca Treasure Hunt. Live music from afro-jazz pioneers NOMO, courtesy of the upcoming New York Downtown Jazz Festival.

    When their Oregon neighborhood—affectionately dubbed “the Goon Docks”—is threatened by real estate developers, a group of pre-teen friends needs to find enough money to halt the demolition. Lucky for them, they’ve discovered an old treasure map, sparking an adventure to unearth the long-lost fortune of 17th-century pirate One-Eyed Willie. Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Josh Brolin, and Joe Pantoliano star in the movie that captured a generation’s imagination. Directed by Richard Donner.

    Knuckleball!—Saturday, April 21 Take me out to the ball game! Bring the kids early for live music, giveaways, baseball trivia contests and pitching clinics with pro knuckleballers R.A. Dickey of the New York Mets, Tim Wakefield formerly of the Boston Red Sox, and former New York Yankee Jim Bouton, then see the world premiere of this action-packed TFF documentary about their controversial pitching style.

    This classic sports story recounts the trials and triumphs of two of the best known knuckleball pitchers in the MLB: Tim Wakefield, a Red Sox veteran who recently announced his retirement after 19 years, and R.A. Dickey, an up-and-comer with the Mets looking to make a name for himself. This energetic documentary from Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, the directors of Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, deconstructs the controversial and erratic knuckleball style. – World Premiere, Documentary.


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  • Pierre Rissient to be honored with 2012 Mel Novikoff Award at 55th San Francisco International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2641" align="alignnone" width="550"]Pierre Rissient, recipient of the Mel Novikoff Award at the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival April 19 – May 3, 2012, alongside filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. [/caption]

    The 55th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 19 – May 3) will present the 2012 Mel Novikoff Award to “the little known yet enormously influential Pierre Rissient for his tireless work behind the scenes on behalf of international cinema.”

    Rissient is described as being revered by filmmakers of all ages around the world, from Clint Eastwood, who frequently shows him the rough cut of his work, to Werner Herzog, who calls him “the yeast in the dough,” to Quentin Tarantino, who dubs him “a samurai warrior” because he has devoted his life to supporting filmmakers from around the globe.

    In the early 1950s Rissient began his film career as a programmer at the Cinéma Mac-Mahon in Paris. He and his fellow programmers, including Bertrand Tavernier, introduced American film noir and other genre films, by Fritz Lang, Joseph Losey, Otto Preminger, Raoul Walsh and others, to the new French directors including Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut. He worked as assistant director for Chabrol and Godard, directed several short films, and eventually two features. In the 1960s he again partnered with Tavernier to promote the films of John Ford, Sam Fuller, Abraham Polonsky and Jacques Tourneur in French theaters. Over nearly five decades his most significant contribution to international cinema has been as a consultant and scout — official and clandestine — for the Cannes Film Festival, with a focus on discovering new talent in Asia and North America. The careers of directors Jane Campion, Clint Eastwood, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, King Hu, Abbas Kiarostami, Im Kwon-Taek, Sydney Pollack, Jerry Schatzberg and Quentin Tarantino have all benefited from his advocacy.

    The award, named for the pioneering San Francisco art and repertory film exhibitor Mel Novikoff (1922 – 1987), acknowledges an individual or institution whose work has enhanced the filmgoing public’s knowledge and appreciation of world cinema.

    Previous recipients of the Mel Novikoff Award are Serge Bromberg (2011), Roger Ebert (2010), Bruce Goldstein (2009), Jim Hoberman (2008), Kevin Brownlow (2007), Anita Monga (2005), Paolo Cherchi Usai (2004), Manny Farber (2003), David Francis (2002), Cahiers du Cinéma (2001), San Francisco Cinematheque (2001), Donald Krim (2000), David Shepard (2000), Enno Patalas (1999), Adrienne Mancia (1998), Judy Stone (1997), Film Arts Foundation (1997), David Robinson (1996), Institut Lumière (1995), Naum Kleiman (1994), Andrew Sarris (1993), Jonas Mekas (1992), Pauline Kael (1991), Donald Richie (1990), USSR Filmmakers Association (1989) and Dan Talbot (1988).

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  • ELENA, Winner of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize, Opens in NY on May 16

    [caption id="attachment_2638" align="alignnone" width="550"]Nadezhda Markina as Elena and Andrey Smirnov as Vladimir in ELENA, a film by Andrei Zvyagintsev. A Zeitgeist Films release.[/caption]

    ELENA, a film by by award-winning Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev (Golden Globe nominee “The Return”) will open at Film Forum in New York City on May 16 and at the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles on May 25; a national release will follow.

    Winner of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize and Grand Prize for Best Film at Ghent Film Festival, ELENA is described as a gripping, modern twist on the classic noir thriller. Sixty-ish spouses Vladimir (Andrey Smirnov) and Elena (Nadezhda Markina – winner of Best Actress Award at Festival Nouveau Cinema Montreal; Seville and Durban film festivals, and Best Actress Nominee at the European Film Awards) uneasily share his palatial Moscow apartment—he’s a still-virile, wealthy businessman; she’s his dowdy former nurse who has clearly “married up.” Estranged from his own wild-child daughter, Vladimir openly despises his wife’s freeloading son and family. But when a sudden illness and an unexpected reunion threaten the dutiful housewife’s potential inheritance, she must hatch a desperate plan…

    [caption id="attachment_2639" align="alignnone" width="550"]Alexey Rozin as Sergey, Evgenia Konushkina as Tatyana and Nadezhda Markina as Elena in ELENA, a film by Andrei Zvyagintsev. A Zeitgeist Films release.[/caption]

    in addition to  award-winning Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev, ELENA also features what is being described as “Hitchcockian” music by Philip Glass.

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  • Heather Cochran and Bill Kramer Promoted to Senior Positions at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Museum Project

    Heather Cochran and Bill Kramer have been named to two newly created senior positions as part of the continuing progress of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, it was announced today by Dawn Hudson, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Cochran has been elevated to Managing Director, Academy Museum Project, and Kramer will serve as Managing Director, Development. Both will report directly to Hudson.

    “With Heather and Bill in place, the Academy is poised to move the museum to the next phase and beyond,” said Hudson. “Each brings a wealth of experience that will be critical as the museum project continues to gather momentum.”

    In her new position, Cochran, who has been involved with the project since its inception, will help manage and execute the overall vision for the museum, which will be built into the historic May Company building, currently known as LACMA West. Kramer will oversee the museum’s capital campaign and future fundraising efforts for the Academy.

    Cochran joined the Academy staff in 2004 as Museum Project Administrator. In that capacity, she served as the Academy’s liaison with city officials and has been involved in master planning, strategic communications and other facets of the project. She also has shepherded the development of the Academy’s Hollywood properties, supervising the design and construction of its new outdoor amphitheater. Previously, she held the post of director of online development for Communications Development Incorporated, where she spearheaded digital initiatives for a number of foundations, nonprofits, and multilateral agencies, including the United Nations, the World Bank, National Geographic Society, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

    Kramer began his fundraising career in 1999 at the Sundance Institute. Most recently, he served as the chief advancement officer for the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), the independent architecture and design school located in downtown Los Angeles. At SCI-Arc, Kramer established the school’s first external affairs office, which included development, public relations and alumni outreach functions. He also developed multiyear fundraising partnerships with major foundations and individuals. Kramer has also served as director of development at Columbia University School of the Arts, as senior director of development for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, and as executive director of development for the Campaign for Cal Arts, which raised $150 million for the school.

    [via press release]

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