• South Korean film MY WAY to to be Centerpiece Gala at the 2012 Dallas International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2552" align="alignnone"]My Way[/caption]

    The Dallas International Film Festival announced today that the South Korean epic, MY WAY (2011) will be featured in one of the coveted Centerpiece screening slots with director, Kang Je-Gyu in attendance.  The Closing Night festivities will be marked by a special cast and crew reunion to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Sci-Fi classic ROBOCOP, which was shot in Dallas.   DIFF also announced that the 2012 Festival will be dedicated to Cinemark’s Lee Roy and Tandy Mitchell.  Additionally, groundbreaking digital initiatives will launch the Festival to a new audience through live streaming and exclusive online content.

    For the 2012 DIFF, artistic director, James Faust is featuring South Korean films and filmmaking as its international spotlight.  As one of the biggest productions in South Korean history, the WWII epic, MY WAY (courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment and CJ Entertainment) will be featured as the Festival’s Tuesday night Centerpiece on April 17.  Famed South Korean director, Kang Je-gyu (TAE GUK GI: THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR (2004); SWIRI (1999)) from Seoul, South Korea will present the film in Dallas for the first time to a Southwest audience.  “There is a very strong Korean community in Dallas and a real interest in its film industry,” said James Faust. “MY WAY and Kang Je-gyu will thrill our audience.  Inspired by a true story, the imagery and cinematography in this film is breathtaking but it’s also a classic story about friendship, dedication and sacrifice.  As MY WAY features the international star power of Dong-gun Jang, Jo Odagiri and Fan BingBing, we have a truly compelling Tuesday night Centerpiece that showcases the breadth of South Korean filmmaking.  This is exactly what I hoped for when creating this International Spotlight category.”

    Wrapping the 2012 Festival on Saturday, April 21 will be the 25th anniversary celebration of ROBOCOP.  Presented in partnership with the Dallas Film Commission, the historic Texas Theatre will host many of the cast and crew that worked on the film for the film’s first official reunion since it was shot in Dallas 25 years ago.

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  • 2012 Florida Film Festival Unveils Florida and Music Films

    PAUL WILLIAMS STILL ALIVE

    The 2012 Florida Film Festival unveiled the Florida Showcase and Music Sidebar programs earlier this week.  Film subjects include about a hurricane, ’70s sensation Paul Williams, songsmith Andrew Bird, Florida’s juvenile justice system, and legendary artist Paul Simon.

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  • 2012 Tribeca Film Festival Announces Film Selected For Spotlight, Cinemania Sections And Special Screenings

    [caption id="attachment_2548" align="alignnone" width="550"]2 Days in New York, directed and written by Julie Delpy.[/caption]

    The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Cinemania sections, as well as Special Screenings and the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival lineup. The 11th edition of the Festival will take place from April 18 to April 29 in New York City.

    The Spotlight section screens 34 films, 22 narratives and 12 documentaries, and the Cinemania section features seven “thrilling narrative films.”

    The sixth annual Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Benji, directed by the duo Coodie and Chike. The documentary looks back at the story of a teenage basketball phenom in 1980s Chicago whose ascension to the upper echelon of the sport tragically ended when he was senselessly murdered.

    The complete list of films selected for Spotlight, Cinemania, and Special Screenings follow, as well as the titles in the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival:

    SPOTLIGHT

    2 Days in New York, directed and written by Julie Delpy. (France) – New York Premiere, Narrative. This deliriously witty follow-up to 2 Days in Paris finds Marion (writer/director Julie Delpy) living a comfortable life in New York with her latest hipster boyfriend, Mingus (Chris Rock, brilliantly playing it straight), and their two young kids from prior relationships. A riotous comedy of cultural errors ensues when Marion’s totally unhinged, gleefully unfiltered family arrives from Paris to meet Mingus for the first time. In English, French with subtitles. A Magnolia Pictures release.

    Any Day Now, directed by Travis Fine, written by Travis Fine and George Arthur Bloom. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. In the late 1970s, when a mentally handicapped teenager is abandoned, a gay couple takes him in and becomes the family he’s never had. But once the unconventional living arrangement is discovered by authorities, the men must fight a biased legal system to adopt the child they have come to love as their own. Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt star in TFF alum Travis Fine’s (The Space Between) touching and occasionally incendiary drama.

    As Luck Would Have It (La Chispa de la Vida), directed by Alex de la Iglesia, written by Randy Feldman. (Spain) – North American Premiere, Narrative. The economy has kept Roberto (José Mota) out of work for a long time. When a freak accident puts him at the center of a media frenzy, the enterprising ad exec hires a snaky agent to help him cash in on his life-or-death situation. It’s up to Roberto’s adoring wife (the vivacious Salma Hayek) to convince him he’s worth more alive than dead. Cult director Alex de la Iglesia takes a fresh new step, combining a darkly comic satire with an emotional drama of a family’s love. In Spanish with subtitles.

    BAM150, directed by Michael Sládek (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Go behind the scenes like never before at BAM, the nation’s oldest performing arts center. Featuring footage of recent BAM performances, interviews with groundbreaking artists like Laurie Anderson and Robert Wilson, and the fascinating history of the creative home to such greats as Pina Bausch, Peter Brook, and Merce Cunningham, TFF alum Michael Sládek’s (Con Artist) doc shows that BAM’s 150 years were not always easy, but are a testament to the power and stamina of the institution that launched Brooklyn as a cultural mecca.

    A Better Life (Une Vie Meilleure), directed by Ceìdric Kahn, written by Ceìdric Kahn and Catherine Pailleì. (France, Canada) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Passionately in love from the moment they meet, idealistic chef Yann and single mother Nadia share big dreams for their future. Life gets complicated when they impulsively buy a secluded restaurant in the woods and take on risky loans, testing the strength of their relationship. Fiercely gritty in its romanticism, this is a story of the lengths one will go for the chance at a better life. In French, English with subtitles.

    Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story, directed by Raymond De Felitta. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. While filming a documentary on racism in Mississippi in 1965, Frank De Felitta forever changed the life of an African-American waiter and his family. More than 40 years later, Frank’s son Raymond (director of City Island) returns to the site of his father’s film to examine the repercussions of their fateful encounter. This intensely personal film about the struggle to understand one’s parents is also a heartbreaking portrait of the legacy of intolerance.

    Broke, directed by Billy Corben. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. More money, more problems. Sucked into bad investments, stalked by freeloaders, saddled with medical issues, and naturally prone to showing off, most pro athletes end up broke within a few years of retirement. Drawing surprisingly vulnerable confessions from retired stars like Marvin Miller, Jamal Mashburn, Bernie Kosar, and Andre Rison, this fascinating documentary digs into the psychology of men whose competitive nature carries them to victory on the field and ruin off it.

    Cheerful Weather for the Wedding, directed by Donald Rice, written by Donald Rice and Mary Henely Magill. (UK) – World Premiere, Narrative. On the morning of her wedding, Dolly (Felicity Jones) is hiding out and dreaming of the idyllic summer before, helped along by a jug of rum. Her scatterbrained mother (Elizabeth McGovern) has perfected all the arrangements, but even she can’t prepare everyone for the arrival of Dolly’s unpredictable best friend, Joseph (Luke Treadaway). Lighthearted humor and a steamy romance add the perfect touch to a dysfunctional wedding whose key players seem anything but cheerful.

    Chicken With Plums (Poulet Aux Prunes), directed and written by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud. (France, Germany, Belgium) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Nasser Ali Khan (Mathieu Amalric) is the most celebrated violin player in 1950s Tehran, but his heart is broken. His true love is long lost, his marriage is passionless, and now his most precious instrument has met its demise. Convinced life without music is intolerable, he resigns to bed and loses himself in reveries from his youth. The Oscar®-nominated directors of Persepolis make magic again with a stylish fairy tale full of humor, whimsy, and melancholy. In French with subtitles. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

    Deadfall, directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, written by Zach Dean. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. In the wintry countryside near Canada, a smooth-talking heist man and his femme fatale sister are on the run with a bag full of cash. With a deadly blizzard swirling around them, they split up to make a desperate dash for the border, but a twist of fate puts them on a collision course with a troubled ex-con and his family. Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde, Sissy Spacek, and Kris Kristofferson highlight the ace cast in this icy thriller. A Magnolia Pictures release.

    Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey, directed by Ramona Diaz. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. It sounds like a dream: A charismatic Filipino singer from the slums of Manila posts videos of his cover band to YouTube, and soon he’s fronting an iconic rock band. Sounds crazy, but it’s the real-life rock-and-roll fairy tale that Arnel Pineda is living as the new lead singer of Journey. The pressure’s on Pineda as this rockin’ doc follows Journey’s dizzying world tour—can a man who has already overcome so many obstacles deal with the demands of his newfound fame? In English, Tagalog with subtitles.

    Elles, directed by Malgoska Szumowska, written by Tine Byrckel and Malgoska Szumowska. (France, Poland, Germany) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Juliette Binoche, exquisite and involved as always, stars in this sophisticated, sexually charged drama as Anne, a journalist getting in too deep with the research for her article on college students working as prostitutes. As the surprising stories of her two candid subjects stir up Anne’s image of femininity, she wonders if life with her workaholic husband and two spacey sons is all that different from her subjects’ lives. A Kino Lorber release.

    Eìvocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie, directed by Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller, and Jeremy Newberger, written by Daniel A. Miller. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Long before the days of Jersey Shore or Glenn Beck, there was one man who gleefully gave those on the fringes of the society a national mouthpiece. Witness Morton Downey Jr.’s meteoric rise and fall as the original shock television emcee, and check your sense of decorum at the door. Here we learn about the man behind the mouth, and how the pursuit of fame and fortune over the airwaves can ultimately destroy your soul.

    Free Samples, directed by Jay Gammill, written by Jim Beggarly. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Jillian is having a bad day. She’s got a raging hangover, she’s starting to think dropping out of Stanford Law to become an artist wasn’t the best career move, and things are weird with her faraway fiancé. Can spending the day parked in an ice cream truck doling out samples—and a good dose of sass—to oddball Angelenos shake her out of her quarter-life crisis? Jess Weixler, Jesse Eisenberg, and Jason Ritter star in this quirky comedy.

    The Giant Mechanical Man, directed and written by Lee Kirk. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Thirtysomethings Janice (Jenna Fischer) and Tim (Chris Messina) haven’t quite learned how to navigate adulthood. Tim is a street performer whose unique talents as a “living statue” don’t exactly pay the bills. Janice is out of work and under pressure by her sister (Malin Akerman) to date an egotistical self-help guru (Topher Grace). In this charming comedic romance, these two strangers help each other to realize that it only takes one person to make you feel important. A Tribeca Film release.

    Headshot (Fon Tok Kuen Fah), directed and written by Pen-ek Ratanaruang. (Thailand, France) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. A return to the crime genre for celebrated Thai auteur Pen-ek Ratanaruang (6ixtynin9, Last Life in the Universe), Headshot is a noir-laced thriller centered on Tul, a hit man who is shot in the head and wakes up to find that he sees everything upside down. Working backwards (and often upside down) to tell a brooding and convoluted tale of underworld double dealings, this is an unexpected and artful take on the action thriller from a genre master. In Thai with subtitles. A Kino Lorber release.

    Hysteria, directed by Tanya Wexler, written by Jonah Lisa Dyer and Stephen Dyer. (USA, UK, Luxembourg, France) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Set in 19th-century London at the peak of Victorian prudishness, this racy romantic comedy tells the surprising story of the birth of the electro-mechanical vibrator. A progressive young doctor (Hugh Dancy, Adam) has his hands full relieving the city’s affluent society women of their melancholy, until an accidental discovery electrifies their lives forever—and sends sparks flying between him and a feminist rabble-rouser (Maggie Gyllenhaal). A Sony Pictures Classics release.

    Keep the Lights On, directed by Ira Sachs, written by Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias. (USA) – New York Premiere, Narrative. For Erik and Paul, what begins as a meaningless late-night hookup evolves into a serious, committed relationship. Acclaimed director Ira Sachs offers an honest, unflinching portrait of a relationship that is by equal measure loving and destructive. Uncompromising in its depiction of drug addiction and the sacrifices we make for the ones we love, Sachs’ film is a heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful look at the way love changes over time.

    Knuckleball!, directed by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, written by Christine Schomer, Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. This classic sports story recounts the trials and triumphs of two of the best known knuckleball pitchers currently playing in the MLB: Tim Wakefield, a Red Sox veteran struggling to clinch his 200th career win, and R.A. Dickey, an up-and-comer with the Mets looking to make a name for himself. This energetic documentary from the directors of Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work deconstructs the controversial and erratic knuckleball style.

    Let Fury Have the Hour, directed and written by Antonino D’Ambrosio. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. A generation of artists used their creativity as a response to the reactionary politics that came to define our culture in the 1980s. This dynamic and exhilarating documentary brings together more than 50 big-name musicians, writers, artists, and thinkers to trace a momentous social history from the cynical heyday of Reagan and Thatcher to today—and impart a message of hope. Featuring Chuck D, John Sayles, Eve Ensler, Tom Morello, Lewis Black, and many others.

    Lola Versus, directed by Daryl Wein, written by Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister-Jones. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Greta Gerwig stars as Lola, a New Yorker who gets dumped by her fiancé mere weeks before their wedding. With the help of her close friends Henry (Hamish Linklater) and Alice (Zoe Lister-Jones), Lola embarks on a series of unexpected encounters in an attempt to find her place in the world as a single woman approaching 30. Daryl Wein (Breaking Upwards) infuses this story of the post-breakup spiral with humor and authenticity. A Fox Searchlight Pictures release.

    Mansome, directed by Morgan Spurlock, written by Jeremy Chilnick and Morgan Spurlock. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. In the age of manscaping, metrosexuals, and grooming products galore—what does it mean to be a man? Oscar® nominee Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and executive producers Ben Silverman, Will Arnett, and Jason Bateman present a delightfully entertaining doc featuring candid interviews from Arnett, Bateman, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, and everyday people weighing in on everything from the obsession with facial hair to body dysmorphic disorder.

    One Nation Under Dog, directed by Jenny Carchman, Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Amanda Micheli. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. This heartfelt documentary explores people’s conflicted relationships with dogs and inspires us to rethink how we treat them. From a man who spends a fortune to defend his dogs in court, to a woman who can’t turn away a stray, to pet loss support groups to rescuers who take on difficult-to-place dogs and save them from death row, this is a film about love, loss, betrayal, and hope.

    The Playroom, directed by Julia Dyer, written by Gretchen Dyer. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. In 1970s suburbia, Maggie and her younger siblings spend the night telling each other stories in the attic. Downstairs, as their parents entertain guests over the course of a gin-soaked evening, truths are unearthed and betrayals come to light. With standout performances from John Hawkes, Molly Parker, and a cast of talented young actors, Julia Dyer’s second feature is an honest and challenging look at the reality behind the façade of a seemingly perfect American family.

    Polisse, directed by Maïwenn, written by Maïwenn and Emmanuelle Bercot. (France) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Confronting abusive parents, child molesters, traumatized kids, and oversexed teens is all part of the daily grind for the motley band of cops in the Juvenile Protection Unit, but so is chatting about their relationships at lunch and laughing uncontrollably. Grounded in documentary research and naturalistic performances, this unforgettable film from TFF alum Maïwenn (All About Actresses) explores the solidarity that helps hardened vice cops face the worst of society every day. In French, Italian, Romanian, Arabic with subtitles. An IFC Films release.

    The Russian Winter, directed by Petter Ringbom. (Russia) – World Premiere, Documentary. Brooklyn-born John Forté was a Grammy-nominated musician in The Fugees at 21 and a federal prison inmate at 26. When his prison sentence was remarkably commuted in 2008, Forté was given a second chance to share his talents with the world. Chronicling his concert tour across Russia, this inspirational documentary takes us on Forté’s personal journey—one that’s as much about having his voice heard as having his music heard. In English, Russian with subtitles.

    [caption id="attachment_2288" align="alignnone"]Searching for Sugar Man, directed and written by Malik Bendjelloul.[/caption]

    Searching for Sugar Man, directed and written by Malik Bendjelloul. (Sweden, UK) – New York Premiere, Documentary. Rodriguez was the greatest ’70s rock icon who never was. Despite critical praise, his albums bombed in the U.S., and he faded into obscurity among rumors of a gruesome death. But when a bootleg copy of his antiestablishment rock made its way to apartheid South Africa, he was an instant hit. Years later, two intrepid fans investigate whatever happened to the mysterious rocker, setting off a wild chain of events that has to be seen to be believed. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

    Side by Side, directed and written by Chris Kenneally. (USA) – North American Premiere, Documentary. Over the past two decades, digital technology has created a groundbreaking evolution in cinema, challenging film as the standard format for motion pictures. Through interviews with masters like Danny Boyle, James Cameron, David Fincher, George Lucas, David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, Steven Soderbergh, Lars Von Trier, and many more, producer Keanu Reeves takes us on a tour of the past and future of the moviemaking process in this in-depth documentary. A Tribeca Film release.

    Struck By Lightning, directed by Brian Dannelly, written by Chris Colfer. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Even being killed by a bolt of lightning won’t keep Carson Phillips quiet. A hyper-ambitious and outspoken high school senior in a small-minded town, Carson (Glee’s Chris Colfer) narrates his own funeral and the last few weeks of his life through a series of sarcastic flashbacks in this upbeat and energetic comedy from Saved! director Brian Dannelly. With Allison Janney, Dermot Mulroney, and Drive’s Christina Hendricks.

    Take This Waltz, directed and written by Sarah Polley. (Canada) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Margot (Michelle Williams) and Lou (Seth Rogen) are happily married. Their life is thrown out of order when Margot falls for another man and is forced to choose between the comfort of the familiar and the excitement of the unknown. Writer-director Sarah Polley’s follow-up to her acclaimed film Away From Here is a quirky, uncommonly heartfelt look at the evolving nature of love and the difficulty of sustaining a relationship over time. A Magnolia Pictures release.

    Trishna, directed and written by Michael Winterbottom. (UK) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Again proving his endless versatility in his fifth film at Tribeca, prolific director Michael Winterbottom (The Road to Guantanamo, last year’s The Trip) adapts Thomas Hardy’s classic Victorian melodrama Tess of the d’Urbervilles to all the beauty and blight of contemporary India, where the budding love between a peasant woman and the son of a wealthy Englishman is strained by old prejudices and class divides. The radiant Freida Pinto stars. In English, Hindi with subtitles. An IFC Films release.

    Whole Lotta Sole, directed by Terry George, written by Terry George and Thomas Gallagher. (UK) – World Premiere, Narrative. In a rowdy little corner of Belfast, hapless young father Jimbo tries to protect his family from the gangster he’s in debt to by robbing the local fish market… which turns out to be a front for the same gangster! On the run, Jimbo holes up in a local antique shop run by a long-lost man from his past. A colorful cast of character actors and a strong turn from Brendan Fraser light up this madcap Irish crime comedy from Terry George (Hotel Rwanda).

    Xingu, directed by Cao Hamburger, written by Helena Soarez, Cao Hamburger, and Anna Muylaert. (Brazil) – North American Premiere, Narrative. Brazil, 1943. Three brothers on an expedition into the feral center of the country encounter a village of Xingu Indians. Allured by the rich indigenous culture, the brothers take a bold stand against corrupt national forces and make protecting the Xingu their lives’ work. With wild, breathtaking visuals and atmospheric music, TFF alum Cao Hamburger conveys a distinct vision of Brazil while finding a universally resonant message in his protagonists’ revolutionary vision. In Portuguese with subtitles.

    Your Sister’s Sister, directed and written by Lynn Shelton. (USA) – New York Premiere, Narrative. Jack (Mark Duplass) hasn’t recovered from his brother’s death. His best friend—and late brother’s ex—Iris (Emily Blunt) sends him to her family’s isolated cabin for some quiet reflection, but complications, rivalries, and surprising revelations arise when both Iris and her heartbroken sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt) end up at the cabin as well. Lynn Shelton’s long-awaited follow-up to Humpday heralds a graceful maturation of the reliably against-the-grain filmmaker. An IFC Films release.


    CINEMANIA

    Eddie – The Sleepwalking Cannibal, directed and written by Boris Rodriguez. (Canada, Denmark) – North American Premiere, Narrative. Onetime art star Lars Olafssen is all washed up. Unable to paint without inspiration, he accepts a teaching stint at a small-time art school in podunk Koda Lake, Canada, and along with it the guardianship of the offbeat town’s neighborhood weirdo, Eddie. As their unlikely friendship evolves, Lars uncovers a dark and violent secret about Eddie’s nocturnal impulses, and finds himself torn between his duty to his friend and his duty to his art.

    Graceland, directed and written by Ron Morales. (Philippines, USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Family man Marlon Villar is the longtime chauffeur of prominent politician Manuel Chango. While he and his daughter accompany his boss’ preteen daughter home, Marlon is ambushed and the wrong girl is kidnapped. Suddenly the unassuming driver is propelled into a horrifying downward spiral and, as events in his life unravel, Marlon, Chango, and their families become entangled in a game of deceit and betrayal that will leave no one innocent. In Tagalog with subtitles.

    Jackpot (Arme Riddere), directed by Magnus Martens, written by Jo Nesbø. (Norway) – International Premiere, Narrative. Terrified, bloodied, and gripping a shotgun, Oscar Svendsen wakes up in what used to be a respectable strip joint, surrounded by eight corpses and with a gun pointed at him by a detective with the National Criminal Investigation Service. Naturally, Oscar is taken into custody, and during his interrogation a bloody and darkly comic story of betrayal, murder, and lottery winnings emerges—but is this the whole story? In Norwegian with subtitles.

    Rat King, directed and written by Petri Kotwica. (Finland) – International Premiere, Narrative. Eighteen-year-old Juri spends his days absorbed in his computer gaming world, to the exclusion of school, friends, and ultimately his exasperated girlfriend. When his internet ally Niki turns up at his door fearing for his life because of a mysterious new online game, Juri eagerly follows him down the rabbit hole. In this taut, violent thriller, the lines between reality and the game blur as Juri and Niki are drawn into its increasingly morbid world. In Finnish with subtitles.

    Replicas, directed by Jeremy Regimbal, written by Josh Close. (Canada) – World Premiere, Narrative. Following the tragic death of their young daughter, the Hughes family decide to escape to their upscale vacation home in the woods. But their attempt to get some quality time together is violently interrupted when a neighboring family with a hidden agenda drops by for dinner. First-time director Jeremy Regimbal builds tension to a calculated and ultimately brutal crescendo in this home-invasion thriller. Starring Selma Blair, Joshua Close, James D’Arcy, and Rachel Miner.

    Revenge for Jolly!, directed by Chadd Harbold, written by Brian Petsos. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Harry (Brian Petsos) will stop at nothing to avenge the death of his beloved dog, Jolly. He and his demented cousin Cecil (Oscar Isaac) follow a series of clues in a frenzied attempt to track down the dog’s murderer, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Elijah Wood, Kristen Wiig, Adam Brody, Ryan Phillippe, Gillian Jacobs, Bobby Moynihan, Kevin Corrigan, David Rasche, Amy Siemetz, and Garret Dillahunt all stand between Harry and revenge for Jolly.

    Sleepless Night (Nuit Blanche), directed by Frederic Jardin, written by Frederic Jardin and Nicolas Saada. (France, Belgium, Luxembourg) – New York Premiere, Narrative. Vincent is a dedicated police officer, or so it seems. After he steals a massive bag of cocaine, his young son winds up being held for ransom by the mob boss it belongs to. When Vincent travels to the outskirts of Paris to trade the drugs for his son, he gets caught in an intense cat-and-mouse game that quickly spirals out of control. This night might not only be the longest of his life—it could be the last. A Tribeca Film release.

     

    SPECIAL SCREENINGS

    Joe Papp in Five Acts, directed by Tracie Holder and Karen Thorsen. (USA) – World Premiere. In Joe Papp’s eyes, art is for everyone, not just a privileged few. This is the story of this indomitable, street-wise champion of the arts who brought more theater to more people than any other producer in history. Co-produced with American Masters and featuring Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Kevin Kline, James Earl Jones, and more, this documentary lets Papp’s great accomplishments and tumultuous personal history be revealed by the artists he helped create—and sometimes tried to destroy.

    Queen: Days Of Our Lives, directed by Matt O’Casey. (UK) – Documentary. Relive the triumphant legacy of Queen in this comprehensive documentary of the band’s career from the late 1960s to today. Packed full of rare archival footage of the band hashing out their signature overdub sound in the recording studio, mind-blowing live performances, and Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon’s candid reflections on their career and the last days of Freddie Mercury, Queen: Days Of Our Lives is any fan’s dream.

    The Zen of Bennett, conceived, created, and produced by Danny Bennett, produced by Jennifer Lebeau, directed by Unjoo Moon. (USA) – World Premiere. At 85, not only does Tony Bennett still have the smoothest pipes in the music business, he’s got the kind of philosophy that has made him one of the most beloved and respected performers of the last six decades. Made with as much class and refinement as Tony himself, this is an insider’s look at the icon as he records his latest duets collection with stars like Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin, and—bittersweetly—Amy Winehouse.

    2012 Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival

    Benji, directed by Coodie and Chike. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. In 1984, 17-year-old Ben Wilson was a symbol of everything promising about Chicago: a sweet-natured youngster from the city’s fabled South Side, and America’s top high school basketball prospect. His senseless murder on the day before his senior season devastated the city of Chicago and sent ripples of anguish nationwide. A stirring portrait of a phenom admired both on the court and off, Benji tells the story of a legend who might’ve been.

    The following Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival titles have been announced in their respective sections as part of the 2012 TFF film program:

    Broke, directed by Billy Corben. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary.

    Knuckleball!, directed by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, written by Christine Schomer, Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary.

    On The Mat, directed and written by Fredric Golding. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary.

    Town of Runners, directed by Jerry Rothwell. (UK) – World Premiere, Documentary.



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  • 11 Finalists Announced for 2012 San Francisco Film Society and Kenneth Rainin Foundation Grants

    [caption id="attachment_2546" align="alignnone" width="550"]Finalist Kat Candler, Hellion,[/caption]

    San Francisco Film Society and Kenneth Rainin Foundation announced the 11 finalists for the seventh round of SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants of up to $300,000, to be given to one or more feature films that through plot, character, theme or setting explore human and civil rights, discrimination, gender and sexual identity and other social issues of our time.

    Winners of the spring 2012 SFFS/KRF Grants will be announced in early May.

    Finalists

    Kat Candler
    Hellion, screenwriting
    Hell-raising twelve-year-old Jacob puts a kid in the hospital as retribution for beating up his kid brother. When he gets out of juvenile hall, his single dad and brother pay the price for his continued delinquent behavior. For more information visit candlerproductions.com.

    Ryan Coogler
    Fruitvale, screenwriting
    Fruitvale is the true story of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008.

    Robinson Devor
    Untitled Sara Jane Moore Project, preproduction
    A fascinating look into the mind and actions of Sara Jane Moore, a former socialite and suburban mother turned San Francisco radical. Drawn into the city’s social upheaval of the early 1970s, Moore became a double agent, working for both the government and several leftist revolutionary groups, until she was publicly exposed as an FBI informant. Suddenly outcast, isolated and fearing for her life, Moore attempted the ultimate act of revenge and self-preservation.

    Lance Edmands, Kyle Martin
    Bluebird, postproduction
    In the frozen woods of an isolated Maine logging town, one woman’s tragic mistake shatters the balance of the community, resulting in profound and unexpected consequences. Told through fragmented and intersecting story lines, Bluebird examines the struggles of regret and redemption at the frontier of modern America.

    Carlton Evans, Matthew Lessner
    Ross, development
    A hardworking young man’s staid, well-established life is upended after he posts an offhand comment to his Facebook profile, drawing the attention of numerous secretive government agencies and setting off a bizarre chain of events.

    Mohammad Gorjestani, Malcolm Pullinger
    Somehow These Days Will Be Missed, screenwriting
    After years of being denied permission, the Etemadi family has finally been granted their visas to leave Iran. Mehdi, his wife Mina and their two kids are excited to start a new life in bustling Silicon Valley. But when they arrive, life is far from what they imagined. With their money quickly running out, Mehdi reluctantly turns to the dark world of illicit drugs, which ultimately proves to be his greatest awakening. For more information visit mkshftcllc.tv.

    Leah Meyerhoff, Heather Rae
    I Believe in Unicorns, postproduction
    Davina is an unusual teenager, resentful about a childhood spent caring for her disabled mother. An older boy breaks through her shell and soon they run away together in a whirlwind of romance and adventure. As their new relationship turns emotionally and then physically abusive, she attempts to escape to a fantasy world but ultimately must learn to face her stark reality and reconnect with the mother she left behind. For more information visit unicornsthemovie.com.

    Judy Phu
    The Lovely Rejects, postproduction
    A film about youth, uncompromising rebellion and love, The Lovely Rejects is the story of two young lovers with chronic illnesses who meet during chemotherapy. Tired of being in debt and of their endless struggle for health insurance and medical treatment, the two decide to go on a crime spree. For more information visit judyphu.com.

    Ben Snyder
    Salvage, development
    Seymour Rubin has a problem. He’s 72 years old and runs an automobile salvage yard. His business is failing, his employees are on the verge of a revolt and his oldest friend and best worker is leading the charge against him. He has alienated his family, attacked his only friend and risks losing his beloved yard. He must embark on a journey of salvation.

    Ray Tintori, Josh Penn
    Untitled Cabal Project, screenwriting
    Young revolutionaries in love take on the world and each other in a kaleidoscopically complicated universe that’s coming apart at the seams. For more information visit court13.com/films/ray-tintori.

    Michael Tully, George Rush
    Ping Pong Summer, production
    It’s the mid-1980s. A shy teenager who lives in Maryland loves two things: rap music and table tennis. When he relocates to the beachside community of Ocean City, the most epic summer of his life begins. In addition to falling in love, he realizes his dream of becoming a ping-pong champion. For more information visit gmrush.com.

     

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  • 2012 Vail Film Festival to Showcase 58 Films

    [caption id="attachment_2544" align="alignnone" width="550"]Blayne Weaver, Patrick J. Adams and Natalie Morales in 6 Month Rule[/caption]

    The 2012 Vail Film Festival announced the complete line-up of 2012 films, taking place March 29th – April 1st, 2012 in Vail, Colorado. This year’s festival will showcase 58 films from around the world, including 20 feature-length films (10 narrative features and 10 documentaries), and 38 shorts, adventure, student, and animated.

    The Vail Film Festival also announced the return of the “Cadillac Short Series” in Solaris Plaza, the only festival “venue” where the public is invited to view festival programming without tickets.

    The 2012 Vail Film Festival will officially open on Thursday evening, March 29th at the Vail Mountain School with the U.S. premiere of ‘The Eye of the Storm.’ Directed by Fred Schepisi (“Roxanne,” “Six Degrees of Separation,”) ‘The Eye of the Storm’ stars Academy Award-winner® Geoffrey Rush, Charlotte Rampling and Judy Davis. ‘The Eye of the Storm’ is a savage exploration of the family relationships – and the sharp undercurrents of love and hate, comedy and tragedy – which define them. ‘The Eye of the Storm’ won The Age Critics’ Award at the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Premiere Special Jury Prize at the Rome Film Festival, and was nominated for twelve Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) awards. The film will be released in the US by Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc.

    The Friday Night featured film will be ‘6 Month Rule.’ Written and directed by Vail Film Festival alum Blayne Weaver, the film stars Blayne Weaver, Martin Starr, Jaime Pressly, and Natalie Morales. Talented indie filmmaker Blayne Weaver gives us a romantic, charming, and poignant look at relationships, seen from the eyes of Tyler (Weaver), who lives by a philosophy that allows him to avoid making any significant connections with women.
    Following the Saturday evening awards ceremony, the Vail Film Festival will present the Closing Night Film,‘L!fe Happens,’ helmed by Vail Film Festival alum and talented new director Kat Coiro, staring Krysten Ritter, Kate Bosworth, and Rachel Bilson. ‘L!fe Happens,’ co-written by Coiro, and lead actor Ritter, is a comedy centered on three young women who all live under the same roof in Los Angeles. When one of Kim’s one-night-stands results in an unexpected pregnancy, things take a sudden turn for the trio.

    The 2012 Vail Film Festival also announced the winners of the Vail Screenplay Contest, part of the festival’s mission to foster independent film and give industry access to aspiring screenwriters. 1st Place Feature, Daniel Turkewitz (The Wright Stuff), 2nd Place Feature, Rachel Shepherd (Let’s Kill Peter) 3rd Place Feature, Jeff Trently & Anthony Stitt (Chances) 1st Place Short, Melissa Sweazy (The Department of Signs and Magical Intervention), 2nd Place Short, David C.C. Erickson (Samantha’s Thief), 3rd Place Short, Phyllis Heltay (Mustang).

    The 2012 Vail Film Festival Film Program Includes:

    Feature Films:
    6 Month Rule, directed by Blayne Weaver
    Downtown Express, directed by David Grubin
    Inuk, directed by Mike Magidson
    Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy, directed by Rob Heydon
    Life Happens, directed by Kat Coiro
    Mariachi Gringo, directed by Tom Gustafson
    The Eye of the Storm, directed by Fred Schepisi
    The Mulberry Tree, directed by Mark Heller
    Shuffle, directed by Kurt Kuenne
    Puncture, directed by Adam Kassen & Mark Kassen

    Documentaries:
    Andrew Bird: Fever Year, directed by Xan Aranda
    Between the Harvest, directed by Scott Drucker
    Last Call at the Oasis, directed by Jessica Yu
    Words of Witness, directed by Mai Iskander
    One Night Stand, directed by Trish Dalton & Elisabeth Sperling
    Oscar, directed by Aoife Naughton
    Sing, directed by Laura Crosta
    With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story, directed by Terry Dougas, Nikki Frakes & Will Hess
    Zero Percent, directed by Tim Skousen
    Singleton: from the earth, directed by Robert A. Reid

    Environmental Showcase Presented by Chipotle:
    High Ground, directed by Michael Brown
    Tipping Point: The End of Oil, directed by Tom Radford & Niobe Thompson

    Adventure Films:
    The Art of Flight, directed by Curt Morgan
    The Movement, directed by Greg I Hamilton & Kurt Miller
    Wyoming Triumph, directed by Chris Kitchen & Sam Pope

    Shorts:
    Free Hugs, directed by Olivia Wilde
    A Morning with Gold in Its Mouth, directed by Samuel Dowe-Sandes
    Arts & Crafts, directed by Jonathan Kesselman
    Cadaver, directed by Jonah D. Ansell
    Deerskin Lake, directed by Joshua Clark
    dik, directed by Christopher Stollery
    Everything is Incredible, directed by Tim Skousen, Trevor Hill, & Tyler Bastian
    Fatakra, directed by Soham Mehta
    I’m Having A Difficult Time Killing My Parents, directed by Jeff Tomsic
    Mouthful, directed by Robert G. Putka
    Protect The Nation, directed by C.R. Reisser
    Queen, directed by Adam Rose
    Souterrain, directed by Erwin Haecker
    The Arm, directed by Brie Larson, Jessie Ennis, and Sarah Ramos
    The Carrier, directed by Scott Schaeffer
    The Jockstrap Raiders, directed by Mark Nelson
    What’s Life Got to Do with It?, directed by Noah Weisberg
    Christmas is Ruined, directed by Andrew Putschoegl
    Lagun Mina, directed by Jose Mari Goenaga
    The Monster Whisperer, directed by Elad Offer

    Student Films:
    Roleplay, directed by Brendan H. Banks
    Happy Ones, The, directed by Brandon Zuck
    Pushing Above the Highpoint, directed by Ben Thomas
    Fixed, directed by Johnny Rutter
    Ad & Subtract, directed by Laura Stephens
    Live Outside the Box, directed by Shu-Hsuan Lin
    Necking, directed by Lindsay Lindenbaum
    My Friend the Thief, directed by Roland Kennedy
    Commerce, directed by Lisa Robertson
    Election Day, directed by Zach Wechter
    Derek, directed by Alex Gray
    X.C., directed by Sam Osborn
    Lines, directed by Joselito Seldera

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  • The Inaugural Sun Valley Film Festival in Sun Valley, Idaho Announced its Film Lineup

    The Sun Valley Film Festival, March 15-18, 2012, in Sun Valley, Idaho, announced its lineup of dramatic and documentary feature films, television series, web series, children’s programming and short films for the inaugural festival.

    “We’re thrilled about the opportunity to spotlight such an inspiring and innovative group of filmmakers in Sun Valley,” said Festival Director Sabina Dana Plasse. “Our lineup is indicative of the spirit and dedication that goes into this collaborative process. We’re looking forward to a great event.”

    DRAMATIC FEATURES

    THE BROOKLYN BROTHERS BEAT THE BEST
    Director/Writer: Ryan O’Nan
    Producers: Jason Michael Berman and Kwesi Collisson
    Cast: Melissa Leo, Andrew McCarthy, Christopher McDonald, Jason Ritter and Wilmer Valderrama

    FRIENDS WITH KIDS
    Director/Producer/Writer: Jennifer Westfeldt
    Cast: Adam Scott, Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox and Edward Burns

    LOST RIVER
    Director: Hugh DiMauro
    Producer: Kieran Donahue
    Writers: Hugh DiMauro and Kieran Donahue
    Cast: Kieran Donahue

    LUV
    Director: Sheldon Candis
    Producers: Jason Michael Berman, W. Michael Jenson, Gordon Bijelonic, Datari Turner
    Writers: Sheldon Candis and Justin Wilson
    Cast: Common, Michael Rainey Jr., Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton and Michael Kenneth Williams

    MAGIC VALLEY
    Director/Writer: Jaffe Zinn
    Producer: Heather Rae
    Cast: Scott Glenn, Kyle Gallner, Alison Elliott, Brad William Henke, Matthew Gray Gubler and Will Estes

    MOSQUITA Y MARI
    Director/Writer: Aurora Guerrero
    Producer: Chad Burris
    Cast: Fenessa Pineda, Venecia Troncoso, Laura Patalano, Joaquin Garrido, Dulce Maria Solis and Omar Leyva

    NOBODY CARES
    Director/Writer: Travis Swartz
    Producers: Travis Swartz and Josie Pusl
    Cast: Chris Thometz, Christina Lang, Joe Golden, Tom Donahoe and Vanessa Hopkins

    OLD GOATS
    Director/Writer: Taylor Guterson
    Producers: Taylor Guterson and Johnathan Boyer
    Cast: Britton Crosley, Bob Burkholder, David VanderWal, Benita Staadecker, Gail Shackel and Steve Stolee

    SMALL, BEAUTIFULLY MOVING PARTS
    Directors/ Writers: Annie J. Howell and Lisa Robinson
    Producers: Annie J. Howell, Lisa Robinson and Jennifer Doughtery
    Cast: Anna Margaret Hollyman, Richard Hoag, Andre Holland, Mary Beth Peil, Sarah Rafferty and Susan Kelechi Watson

    SODA SPRINGS
    Director: Michael Fiefer
    Writers/Producers: Jay Pickett and Michael Fiefer
    Cast: Jay Pickett, Victoria Pratt, Michael Bowen, Patty McCormack and Tom Skerritt

    WINTER’S WIND
    Director/Writer: Matt Herriger
    Producer: William Veve
    Cast: Scot Schmidt, Mike Wilson, Micah Black, Gary Bigham, Dean Decas and Ralph Deslauriers
    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

    7 YEARS UNDERGROUND: A 60s TALE
    Director: Jason M. Solomon
    Producers: Candice Solomon and Elly Solomon

    A NOT SO STILL LIFE: THE GINNY RUFFNER STORY
    Director: Karen Stanton
    Producer: Tom Gorai
    Cast: Ginny Ruffner, Tom Robbins, Graham Nash and Dale Chihuly
    BETWEEN THE EARTH AND SKY / South Sudan
    Director: Karen Day
    Producer: Ujenzi Trust

    CALIFORNIA STATE OF MIND: THE LEGACY OF PAT BROWN
    Director: Sascha Rice
    Producer: Hilary Armstrong, Julia Mintz and Sascha Rice

    CORMAN’S WORLD
    Director: Alex Stapleton
    Producers: Stone Douglass, Mickey Barold, Alex Stapleton, Jeff Frey and Izabela Frank

    FIRST CIRCLE
    Director: Heather Rae
    Producers: Heather Rae, Russell Friedenberg and Randy Redroad

    GATHERING REMNANTS
    Directors/Producers: Kendall Nelson and John Plummer

    GREAT MIGRATIONS: Behind-the-Scenes
    Director/Producer/Writer: James Bryne

    I AM
    Director: Tom Shadyac
    Producer: Dagan Handy

    JERUSALEM: LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF GOD
    Director/Producer: Stephen Crisman

    JÓN OG SÉRA JÓN (JOHN AND REVEREND JOHN) / Iceland
    Director: Steinthor Birgisson
    Producers: Steinthor Birgisson and Sigurbjorn Bui Baldvinsson

    LT. WATADA: A MATTER OF CONSCIENCE
    Director/Producer: Freida Mock

    MARCH OF THE LIVING / Brazil, Germany, Poland and Israel
    Director: Jessica Sanders
    Producer: L.G. Tubaldini Jr.

    THE PHANTOM WOLVES OF SUN VALLEY
    Director/Producer: DeSiree’ Fawn

    PRESERVATION HALL: A LOUISIANA FAIRYTALE
    Director: Danny Clinch
    Producers: Ben Jaffe, Matty Beckerman and Danny Clinch

    SING CHINA!
    Director/Producer/Writer: Freida Mock

    STOLEN SEAS
    Director: Thymaya Payne
    Writer: Mark Monroe
    Producers: Thymaya Payne, Andreas Lascaris, Heather Phenix and Andrew Walker

    THE GREATER GOOD
    Directors: Kendall Nelson and Chris Pilaro
    Producers: Leslie Manookian, Kendall Nelson and Chris Pilaro

    THE MONO LAKE STORY
    Directors: Ryan Christensen and Jonah Matthewson
    Producer: Bristlecone Media

    TULARE – THE PHANTOM LAKE
    Director/Producer: Christopher Beaver

    UNSIGNED
    Director: Edward Payson
    Producers: Jeremy McGovern, Moziko Wind and Edward Payson

    WAR ELEPHANTS
    Director/Writer/Producer: David Hamlin
    Featuring: Bob Poole and Dr. Joyce Poole

    WINTER
    Director: Steve Bellamy
    Producers: Rich Tavtigian and Selma Al-Faqih

    SHORT FILMS

    15 MINUTES OF FLAME
    Director: Gandhi Warhol
    Producer: Jimi Holt

    BRAD & GARY / France
    Art Director: Pierre Coffin
    Producers: Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy

    BURDEN
    Director/Writer: Michael David Lynch
    Producers: Michael David Lynch and John Bosher
    Cast: Michael E. Smith, Mocean Melvin, Grant Weiss and Peter Cullen

    CABBY / China
    Director: Xiaocao Liu
    Producers: Xiaocao Liu and Leon Gao
    Cast: Jun He and Xu Guan

    CRAWL SPACE
    Director: Christian Lybrook
    Producer: Tom Hamilton
    Cast: Austin Howell, Jim Lile, Kristy Leigh Lussier, Mike Wood and Nathan Hackney

    CROSSHAIRS / Australia
    Director: Mike Hoath
    Writer: Peter Templeman
    Cast: Lindsay Farris, Luke Ledger and Michael Muntz

    DINNER WITH FRED
    Director/Writer: Ben Proudfoot
    Producers: Alex Kefalos, Matthew Quandt and Aaron Rabkin
    Cast: Adam Harrington, Austin Highsmith, Scott Lowell and Ron Orbach

    LOW RIDERS
    Director/Writer/Producer: Mark Steffen

    MELTDOWN
    Director/Writer: Dave Green
    Producer: Ryan Hendricks
    Cast: David Cross, Emanuel Borria, Genevieve Jones and Ryan Bradley Heine

    MISERY BUSINESS
    Director: Charles Beale
    Producer: Brian Kung

    NECKING
    Director/Producer: Lindsay Lindenbaum

    NONNA SI DEVE ASCIUGARE (GRANDMA MUST GET DRY) / Italy
    Director/Writer: Alfredo Covelli

    POND SCUM
    Art Directors: Tom Tartaranowicz and Brad Coombs
    Producer: Tom Tartaranowicz

    SOMETIMES THE MOON IS VELVET
    Director/Writer: Tom Phillips
    Producer: Simon Thomas
    Cast: Joseph Mawle and Rachel Bright

    THE APPLICANT
    Director/Producer: Nathalie Antonia
    Writers: Nathalie Antonia and Dixie Perkinson
    Cast: Dixie Perkinson, Nathalie Antonia and Sarah Levy

    THE GREAT HAMBURGER CHALLENGE
    Director/Writer/Producer: Jason Chau
    Cast: Connor McGrady, Harrison Taunton, John Omohundro and Meiko Mitchell

    THE TRACK
    Director/Writer: Brett Caroline Levner
    Producers: Brett Caroline Levner and Matt Christensen
    Cast: Courtney Walsh and Leah Bateman

    WEIGHTLESS
    Director: Sune Blicher
    Producer: Andreas Koefoed
    Featuring: Jakob Bro, Bill Frisell and Jorgen Leth

    WE RULE
    Director/Producer: Catherine Chalmers

    CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING

    ANOTHER WAY TO DIE
    Director/Producer: John Nordstrom
    Writers: John Nordstrom and Jennifer Nordstrom
    Cast: Nordstrom kids and friends

    DO OVER
    Director: David Fabelo
    Producer: Andrew Logan
    Cast: Garrett Jester and Jacobi Alvarez

    POLLUTION
    Director/Producer: Jeffrey Travis
    Writer: Osa Wallander
    Cast: Osa Wallander, Danielle Bessler and Carrie Lazar

    SHARK RIDDLE
    Directors/Producers: Laura Sams and Robert Sams
    Writers: Dave Cain, Laura Sams and Robert Sams
    Featuring: Laura Sams and Robert Sams

    STAR WAITERS
    Director: Mitch Kohler
    Writer: Doug Cole
    Producers: Mitch Kohler, Patty Terrabery, Jesse Cordtz, Rachel Cherny and Ben Shedd

    THE KANGAROO
    Director/Writer: Anna Gutto
    Producers: Anna Gutto and Talking Catfish Productions
    Cast: Megan Doyle, Marisa Pierini and Jimmy Brewer

    THE ROOTS OF HAPPINESS
    Director: Matt Schultz
    Producer: Ryan Abella

    SUNDAY/DIMANCHE
    Director: Patrick Doyon

    THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE
    Directors: William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
    Writer: William Joyce

    LA LUNA
    Director/Writer: Enrico Casaroasa

    A MORNING STROLL
    Directors: Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
    Writer: Grant Orchard

    WILD LIFE
    Directors/Writers: Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

    NULLARBOR
    Director: Alister Lockhart
    Writers: Alister Lockhart and Patrick Sarell

    AMAZONIA
    Director/Writer: Sam Chen

    SKYLIGHT
    Director/Writer: David Baas

    HYBRID UNION
    Director/Writer: Serguei Kouchnerov

    TELEVISION SERIES

    THE STORY
    Director: Steve Bellamy
    Producers: Rich Tavtigian and Steve Bellamy
    Featuring: Bode Miller, Lindsey Vonn, Chris Davenport, Bobby Brown, Mike Douglas, Reggie Crist, Chris Benchetler, Leif Whitaker, Eric Pollard, Erin Pollard, Kristi Leskinen, Lynsey Dyer, Jamie Pierre, Willy Bogner, Stephani Victor, Chelone Miller, Errol Kerr, Mike Tierney, Cade Palmer, Trevor Hiatt, Russell Austin and Robert “The Wizard” Athey

    IMAGINE THIS / Peru
    Director: Rafael Monserrate
    Producers: Eion Bailey, Rafael Monserrate and Gene Miller

    WEB SERIES

    PROSPECTING IDAHO
    Director: Cory Smith
    Producers: Smith Optics’ Mark Oliver and Cory Smith

    IDAHO RIVERS UNITED
    Director/Producer: Skip Armstrong

    SEASONS
    Director/Producer: Skip Armstrong
    Featuring: Kate Wagner, Brian Breal Ward and Jesse Murphy

    The Sun Valley Film Festival also announced a slate of films produced by Idaho filmmakers and films made in Idaho:

    CRAWL SPACE
    FIRST CIRCLE
    GATHERING REMNANTS
    IDAHO RIVERS UNITED
    LOST RIVER
    MAGIC VALLEY
    NOBODY CARES
    PROSPECTING IDAHO
    SODA SPRINGS
    SEASONS
    STAR WAITERS
    THE PHANTOM WOLVES OF SUN VALLEY

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  • The Invisible War, Winner of 2012 Sundance Film Festival Documentary Award To Be Released in The Summer

    “The Invisible War”, winner of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival’s “U.S. Documentary Audience Award.” was just picked up for distribution by Cinedigm Entertainment Group and entertainment distributor New Video, with a summer theatrical release planned.

    “The Invisible War” marks the first acquisition under the partnership between the two companies.

    Described as .. An emotionally powerful investigative documentary, “The Invisible War” reveals the profound personal and social consequences of the rape epidemic in the U.S. military. Directed by Oscar(R) and Emmy(R) Award-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick (“This Film Is Not Yet Rated,” “Twist of Faith”) and produced by Emmy(R) Award-nominated Amy Ziering (“Outrage,” “Derrida”), “The Invisible War” is a groundbreaking documentary that explores alarming facts about America’s shameful secret: today, a female soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. The number of assaults in the last decade alone is believed to be in the hundreds of thousands (according to the “Fiscal Year 2010 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military” issued by the Department of Defense).

    “The Invisible War” is a moving indictment of the systemic cover-up of military sex crimes as well as a chronicle of the women’s struggles to rebuild their lives while seeking justice. “The Invisible War” features hard-hitting interviews with high-ranking military officials and members of Congress that reveal the perfect storm of conditions that exist for rape in the military; its long-hidden history and ongoing cover-up, and what can be done to bring about much-needed change.

    “We are honored that our first New Video/Cinedigm acquisition is ‘The Invisible War,'” said Chris McGurk, Chairman and CEO of Cinedigm. “The film is incredibly powerful and deserves — in fact demands — to be seen by as many people as possible. We very much look forward to working with Kirby, Amy and their team to share this important film with audiences across the nation.”

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  • World Premiere of Jesse Owens to Open 2012 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

    ,

    [caption id="attachment_2539" align="alignnone"]Jesse Owens[/caption]

    The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival announced the World Premiere of Laurens Grant’s “Jesse Owens” as its 2012 Opening Night Film on Thursday, April 12. Produced and written by 2012 Full Frame Tribute honoree Stanley Nelson, the film centers on the African American track and field star, who triumphed at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin amidst the rise of Nazi propaganda.

    Full Frame also announced its lineup of films around its 2012 Tribute honoring Stanley Nelson.  Four titles have been selected, including early work from his Firelight Films banner: “The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords,” “Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple,” “A Place of Our Own,” and “Sweet Honey in the Rock: Raise Your Voice.”

    The 2012 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will be held April 12-15, in Durham, N.C.

    2012 Opening Night Film

    Jesse Owens (Director: Laurens Grant)

    African American track and field star, Jesse Owens, triumphed at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin amidst the rise of Nazi propaganda. Despite winning four gold medals, the iconic athlete found the brilliant start to his career would not be met with easy opportunity. World Premiere

    2012 Full Frame Tribute Films

    The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords (Director: Stanley Nelson)

    The little known history of Black newspapers is highlighted in this film about the pioneering men and women who gave voice to the African American experience across the nation.

    Jonestown: The Life and the Death of Peoples Temple (Director: Stanley Nelson)

    Over 900 people died at the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project in Guyana, the largest mass suicide in history. The film traces the optimistic rise and devastating collapse of this utopian movement.

    A Place of Our Own (Director: Stanley Nelson)

    A personal meditation on the significance of Oak Bluffs, a town on Martha’s Vineyard where generations of upper-middle class black families, including Stanley Nelson’s own, have vacationed undisturbed by the tensions of racial America.

    Sweet Honey in the Rock: Raise Your Voice (Director: Stanley Nelson)

    Unprecedented footage from Sweet Honey in the Rock’s 30th anniversary tour is accented with in-depth interviews exploring the influence of the African American women’s a cappella group.

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  • 14 Films Make Their UK Premieres at inaugural Sundance London festival

    [caption id="attachment_2337" align="alignnone" width="549"]Chasing Ice[/caption]

    Sundance Institute and The O2 announced today the lineup of 14 narrative and documentary feature films that will make their UK premieres at the inaugural Sundance London festival, taking place at The O2 from 26-29 April. These films premiered in January at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah – the premier independent film festival in the United States.

    In addition to film screenings, Sundance London will host live music performances and events each evening, including the Opening Night event An Evening With Robert Redford And T Bone Burnett, Placebo in concert and Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird performing Maxinquaye.

    FILM PROGRAM IN DETAIL

    2 Days in New York (Director: Julie Delpy, Screenwriters: Julie Delpy, Alexia Landeau) — Marion has broken up with Jack and now lives in New York with their child. A visit from her family, the different cultural background of her new boyfriend, an ex-boyfriend who her sister is now dating, and her upcoming photo exhibition make for an explosive mix. Cast: Julie Delpy, Chris Rock, Albert Delpy, Alexia Landeau, Alex Nahon.

    Chasing Ice (Director: Jeff Orlowski) — Science, spectacle and human passion mix in this stunningly cinematic portrait as National Geographic photographer James Balog captures time-lapse photography of glaciers over several years providing tangible visual evidence of climate change. Winner of the Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

    Filly Brown (Directors: Youssef Delara, Michael D. Olmos, Screenwriter: Youssef Delara) — A Hip Hop-driven drama about a Mexican girl who rises to fame and consciousness as she copes with the incarceration of her mother through music. Cast: Lou Diamond Phillips, Gina Rodriguez, Jenni Rivera, Edward James Olmos.

    Finding North (Directors: Kristi Jacobson, Lori Silverbush) — A crisis of hunger looms in America and is not limited to the poverty stricken and uneducated. Can a return to policies of the 1970s save our future? Features interviews with activists including Witness to Hunger’s Mariana Chilton, Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio and Academy Award®-winning actor Jeff Bridges, as well as original music by T Bone Burnett & The Civil Wars.

    For Ellen (Director and screenwriter: So Yong Kim) – A struggling musician takes an overnight long-distance drive in order to fight his estranged wife for custody of their young daughter. Cast: Paul Dano, Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Margarita Levieva, Shay Mandigo.

    The House I Live In (Director: Eugene Jarecki) — For over 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world’s largest jailer and damaged poor communities at home and abroad. Yet, drugs are cheaper, purer and more available today than ever. Where did we go wrong and what is the path toward healing? Winner of the Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival

    Liberal Arts (Director and screenwriter: Josh Radnor) — Bookish and newly single Jesse Fisher returns to his alma mater for his favorite professor’s retirement dinner. A chance meeting with Zibby – a precocious classical music-loving sophomore – awakens in him long-dormant feelings of possibility and connection. Cast: Josh Radnor, Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins, Allison Janney, John Magaro, Elizabeth Reaser.

    LUV (Director: Sheldon Candis, Screenwriters: Sheldon Candis, Justin Wilson) — An orphaned 11-year-old boy is forced to face the unpleasant truth about his beloved uncle during one harrowing day in the streets of Baltimore. Cast: Common, Michael Rainey Jr., Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton.

    Nobody Walks (Director: Ry Russo-Young, Screenwriters: Lena Dunham, Ry Russo-Young) — Martine, a young artist from New York, is invited into the home of a hip, liberal LA family for a week. Her presence unravels the family’s carefully maintained status quo, and a mess of sexual and emotional entanglements ensues. Cast: John Krasinski, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, India Ennenga, Justin Kirk. Winner of the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

    An Oversimplification of Her Beauty (Director and screenwriter: Terence Nance) — A quixotic young man humorously courses live action and various animated landscapes as he tries to understand himself after a mystery girl stands him up. Cast: Terence Nance, Namik Minter, Chanelle Pearson.

    The Queen of Versailles (Director: Lauren Greenfield) — Jackie and David were triumphantly constructing the biggest house in America – a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot palace inspired by Versailles – when their timeshare empire falters due to the economic crisis. Their story reveals the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream. Winner of the Directing Award: U.S. Documentary at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

    Safety Not Guaranteed (Director: Colin Trevorrow, Screenwriter: Derek Connolly) — A trio of magazine employees investigate a classified ad seeking a partner for time travel. One employee develops feelings for the paranoid but compelling loner and seeks to discover what he’s really up to. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni. Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

    SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS (Directors: Dylan Southern, Will Lovelace) — A film that follows LCD Soundsystem front man James Murphy over a crucial 48-hour period, from the day of their final gig at Madison Square Garden to the morning after, the official end of one of the best live bands in the world.

    Under African Skies (Director: Joe Berlinger) — Paul Simon returns to South Africa to explore the incredible journey of his historic Graceland album, including the political backlash he sparked for allegedly breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa, designed to end Apartheid.

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  • San Francisco International Film Festival Announces Films Competing for 2012 New Directors Prize and Documentary Prizes

    [caption id="attachment_2536" align="alignnone"]A scene from Milagros Mumenthaler’s BACK TO STAY, playing at the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival, April 19 – May 3, 2012. [/caption]

    The 55th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 19 – May 3) announced the films in competition for the New Directors Prize and the Golden Gate Awards for documentary features.

    The International will award $70,000 in total prizes this year. The New Directors Prize of $15,000 will be given to a narrative first feature that exhibits a unique artistic sensibility and deserves to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. The GGA documentary feature winner will receive $20,000 and the Bay Area documentary feature winner will receive $15,000.


    Official Selections 2012 New Directors Prize
    (Narrative Feature) Competition

    Back to Stay
    Milagros Mumenthaler, Argentina 2011
    U.S. Premiere
    Buenos Aires at the end of summer. Marina, Sofia and Violeta are alone in the family home after their grandmother, who had brought them up, has died. This strange situation will affect their interactions with one another and with the world.

    Choked
    Jong-hyn Kim, South Korea 2011
    In a recession-battered Seoul, a young man in the dodgy relocation business must deal with loan sharks and aggrieved parties owed large sums by his vanished entrepreneur mother. Director Kim Joong-hyun gradually turns up the heat and watches his characters boil in this intelligent and nuanced feature debut.

    Found Memories
    Júlia Murat, Brazil 2011
    A young photographer drifts into the tiny Brazilian village of Jotuomba, charming the elders with her camera and learning the fine art of baking bread in this disarming meditation on memory, aging and letting go of the past.

    Land of Oblivion
    Michale Boganim, France/Ukraine 2011
    This compelling debut feature tallies up the fragile human cost of one of the first truly global disasters, the cataclysm at the nuclear power facility at Chernobyl. Ukrainian Bond girl Olga Kurylenko plays emotionally damaged Anya, one of many unanchored survivors whose memories and ambitions are impacted by the strangely magnetic pull of a desolate hometown.

    Last Winter
    John Shank, Belgium 2011
    A young farmer in central France tries to sustain his spiritual connection to the land amid the crushing pressures of modern agriculture in this elegiac drama. Vincent Rottiers is the taciturn Johann, who goes it alone in the landscape he loves, a terrain captured in shimmering cinematography.

    Mosquita y Mari
    Aurora Guerrero, USA 2011
    Set in Huntington Park, near downtown Los Angeles, this earnest and beguiling coming-of-age tale follows two Chicana teens in the midst of the delicate dance of self-discovery and sexual awakening as they explore a new friendship and young love.

    Neighboring Sounds
    Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil 2012
    This magnificently sculpted story about life on an upscale street in the bustling city of Recife encompasses an entire city block’s worth of characters, incidents and encounters. The totality becomes symphonic in its structure and power.

    OK, Enough, Goodbye.
    Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia, Lebanon 2010
    A forty-something Lebanese pastry shop owner who looks like an escapee from a film by Judd Apatow and still lives with his mother is the unlikely protagonist of this marvelously crafted deadpan comedy. After his mother skips town, he searches cluelessly for various maternal substitutes.

    Policeman
    Nadav Lapid, Israel 2011
    This fascinating journey into Israel’s changing political landscapes doubles as a formally puzzle-like narrative. Story lines involving a counter-terrorism police unit and class-war guerillas merge into a telling picture of a long-embattled region.

    17 Girls
    Delphine Coulin, Muriel Coulin, France 2011
    A young girl’s decision not to terminate an accidental pregnancy sets off something like an airborne outbreak of teen reproduction, transmitted via loneliness and peer pressure, in this startling debut feature based on real-life events.

    Valley of Saints
    Musa Syeed, India 2012
    Using Kashmir’s picturesque Dal Lake as its backdrop and underpinned by the political unrest in the region, this heartfelt drama explores the relationship between two best friends and the female researcher, studying environmental degradation, who threatens to distract them from their dreams of escape.

    In addition to these 11 first features in competition, the New Directors section of SFIFF55 includes 19 out-of-competition films, which will be announced at the Festival’s press conference Tuesday, March 27.

    Official Selections 2012 Golden Gate Awards
    Documentary Feature Competition

    Golden Slumbers
    Davy Chou, Cambodia 2011
    This exceptional documentary summons the spirits of Cambodian cinema’s golden age, which ended during the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror between 1975 and 1979. Blending interviews with surviving filmmakers, classic songs and poetic examinations of former movie palaces, Golden Slumbers is a testament to the captivating power of art in the face of tragedy.

    In My Mother’s Arms
    Atia Jabarah al-Daradji, Mohamed Jabarah al-Daradji, Iraq 2011
    In violence-ridden Baghdad, one determined man tries to create a safe haven: an independent orphanage with no government support, where 32 Iraqi boys live, eat, play, sleep and go to school together. It is a fragile ecosystem shielding them from a life of suffering and extreme danger.

    Informant
    Jamie Meltzer, USA 2012
    World Premiere
    Brandon Darby, liberal activist turned FBI informant turned FOX news commentator and Tea Party darling, tells his side of the story.

    It’s the Earth Not the Moon
    Gonçalo Tocha, Portugal 2011
    Filming on the remote Azores island of Corvo, director Gonçalo Tocha aims “to be everywhere at the same time and not miss a thing.” The result is a wonderfully poetic take on the anthropological documentary, the travel essay and the armchair adventure, made with almost naïve sincerity.

    The Law in These Parts
    Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, Israel 2011
    This film, winner of the Sundance 2012 World Documentary prize, offers a rare insider’s view of the logic, structure and moral cost of Israel’s parallel military legal system that governs Palestinians under occupation. Interviews with the men who created and uphold these laws, artfully juxtaposed with archival footage, call into question concepts of justice and rule-of-law.

    Meanwhile in Mamelodi
    Benjamin Kahlmeyer, Germany 2011
    U.S. Premiere
    Set against the raucous backdrop of the 2010 World Cup, this beautifully crafted portrait of a place and a family features stunning cinematography and a lively score, as the Mtswenis’ day-to-day struggles and victories echo the promise of a new South Africa.

    Off Label
    Donal Mosher, Michael Palmieri, USA 2011
    An alternatively tragic and bleakly comic road trip through the methods and madness of pharmaceuticals in our culture. Setting personal storytelling against archival and industrial footage, it examines the medicated margins of American life, from the testing, marketing and consumption of pharmaceuticals to the alienation, perseverance and spiritual striving of individuals living in a society that pathologizes our desires for health, happiness and even our sense of identity for profit.

    Patience (After Sebald)
    Grant Gee, England 2012
    This moving tour through the landscape of W.G. Sebald’s genre-bending novel, The Rings of Saturn, presents a multilayered, many-voiced homage to his discursive, elegiac and perfectly illusion-free style by poets, mapmakers, novelists and acquaintances-admirers haunted and inspired by the voice of the German writer, who died in 2001.

    The Source
    Maria Demopolous, Jodi Wille, USA 2012
    An exploration of the controversial Source Family, a ’70s Southern California experiment in communal living whose eccentric leader, Father Yod, championed Eastern mysticism, healthy living and sexual liberation. Using archival footage and interviews with former members, the documentary chronicles the Family from inception through implosion, examining its lasting impressions on pop culture.

    Step Up to the Plate
    Paul Lacoste, France 2011
    Hawkeyed master chef Michel Bras is ready to hand the keys to his Michelin-recognized restaurant in rural southwestern France to his talented son. A sublime, contemplative study of artistry, family and tradition calibrated to the turning of the seasons, this lovely documentary is about much more than food.

    The Waiting Room
    Peter Nicks, USA 2012
    Dire situations are often illuminated by extraordinary acts of compassion in this intimate and intense day-in-the-life documentary portrait of the patients, doctors, nurses and social workers at Oakland’s Highland Hospital — Alameda County’s busiest medical center for trauma cases, the uninsured and indigent.

    Winter Nomads
    Manuel von Stürler, Switzerland 2012
    North American Premiere
    800 sheep, three donkeys, and several dogs are led by two shepherds through Swiss fields and suburbs in a film that combines its beautifully photographed images with a keen ear for sound to situate this vanishing profession and lifestyle within a changing environment.

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  • ROBOT & FRANK to open 2012 Sarasota Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_1952" align="alignnone"]ROBOT & FRANK[/caption]

    Jake Schreier’s ROBOT & FRANK will open the 2012 Sarasota Film Festival on Friday, April 13th.  Frank Langella and Mr. Schreier will attend the festival’s Opening Night.

    Set in the near future, ROBOT & FRANK is the story of Frank (Frank Langella), a retired thief living alone and resigned to longing for the local librarian (Susan Sarandon). Concerned about his father’s health, Frank’s son brings him a new caretaker; a state of the art robot with a perfect memory and an inexhaustible desire to make Frank’s life better. Initially reluctant to accept help, Frank soon recognizes the benefits of his robot, treating his electronic helper like a true friend. So, when Frank decides to get back into the business of theft, who else to turn to but his newfound companion?

    This year’s Centerpiece film is Todd Solondz’s DARK HORSE, the story of Abe (Jordan Gelber), a confident young man who is stuck in a rut. Living at home with his parents (Mia Farrow and Christopher Walken) and working for his father’s company, Abe can’t escape from his family’s expectations. But when he meets a young woman named Miranda (Selma Blair), things temporarily start looking up and Abe can’t help but believe he must be on the road to happiness. Director Todd Solondz will attend.

    Academy Award® Nominee Joe Berlinger’s UNDER AFRICAN SKIES will close the festival.  In 1985, the singer-songwriter Paul Simon set out to South Africa to record with local musicians who could help him emulate the sound of their music, with which he had fallen in love. The result of that collaboration was the 1986 album Graceland, which went on to not only become Simon’s most successful album, but also launched the “world music” genre. But not everyone was happy; Simon was accused of violating the cultural boycott of South Africa, erected in an attempt to help bring down the nation’s racist apartheid regime.

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  • 2012 Full Frame Announces Films in ‘Family Affair’ Thematic Program

    [caption id="attachment_2533" align="alignnone"]The Block family in 1973, from left, Mike, Ellen Doug, Karen and Mina in Doug Block’s film “51 Birch Street” [/caption]

    The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, held April 12-15, in Durham, N.C., announced the lineup for its 2012 Thematic Program, entitled “Family Affairs”. The program curated by filmmaker Ross McElwee features 10 selections that explore the delicate terrain along the fault line of family.

    The program features the work of 9 directors: Steven Ascher, Alan Berliner, Doug Block, Morgan Dews, Alfred Guzzetti, Jeanne Jordan, Ed Pincus, Lucia Small, and Marco Williams, who will attend the festival to take part in the exhibition of their films.

    2012 Thematic Program – “Family Affairs”

    51 Birch Street (Director: Doug Block)          
    Shortly after his mother’s death, Doug Block is stunned to learn that his father is moving in with his secretary from 40 years before—so begins his journey to understand the parents he thought he knew.

    Diaries (Director: Ed Pincus)          
    In this intensely personal memoir, Ed Pincus films his wife, children, and lovers in an effort to faithfully record his, and their, struggle to find and experience intimacy, commitment, and fulfillment.

    Family Portrait Sittings (Director: Alfred Guzzetti)          
    First released in 1975, this introspective and unprecedented film depicts Alfred Guzzetti’s family history through extended and candid interviews and carefully curated home recordings.

    In Search of Our Fathers (Director: Marco Williams)          
    Marco Williams’s quest to discover the father he never knew ultimately reveals more about the women in his family, particularly his mother and her efforts to enrich his upbringing.

    Intimate Stranger (Director: Alan Berliner)          
    This vibrant film is full of the still photographs, celluloid film, and ephemera of a well-traveled life, that of Alan Berliner’s grandfather, whose yearning for success and acclaim took him far away from home.

    Must Read After My Death (Director: Morgan Dews)          
    After uncovering a trove of family movies and audio recordings, Morgan Dews assembles the materials together to present this daring portrait of his grandparents’ strained relationship, and their very different expectations of family life.

    My Father, The Genius (Director: Lucia Small)          
    Architect Glen Small asks his estranged daughter, Lucia, to craft his biography, which ultimately evolves into this documentary that delicately traces the lines of tension between artistic brilliance and familial disappointment.

    Time Exposure (Director: Alfred Guzzetti)
    In this short, Alfred Guzzetti deconstructs a single photograph taken by his father some seven decades earlier.

    TRANSLATING EDWIN HONIG: A Poet’s Alzheimer’s (Director: Alan Berliner)          
    A transfixing portrayal of a poet as he succumbs to a fading memory, and his patterns of speech give way to new kinds of artistic expression.

    TROUBLESOME CREEK: A Midwestern (Directors: Jeanne Jordan, Steven Ascher)          
    Faced with mounting debts, the Jordan family embraces a radical plan to save their Iowa farm. With husband Steven Ascher, Jeanne Jordan poignantly chronicles the emotional and physical landscape of her parents’ attempt to maintain their way of life.

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