• REVIEW: Octubre is an enjoyable film, careful and deliberate

    Octubre is a lauded new Peruvian film that was recently at New Directors/New Films and has been at multiple other international festivals; it is the first feature of a team of brothers—writers/directors Daniel and Diego Vega Vidal. It’s a film of few words, so to speak, simple, with not too much fuss made. The film begins with Clemente (Bruno Odar), a moneylender who’s trusted and known in Lima as the pawnbroker’s son. He lives alone, visits prostitutes often, and leads a quiet, austere life. That life is disrupted when he finds a baby in a basket has been left in his home. We learn that it’s the baby of a hooker and that he is presumably the father. While he searches for the mother, he hires Sofia (Gabriela Velasquez), his lonely and kind-hearted neighbor, to look after the baby. Thrown into the mix is Don Fico (Carlos Gasols), an old man getting by on the street s of Lima and trying to save his money (he uses Clemente as his bank). A makeshift and unusual family is created in Clemente’s house, but he seems quite unaware of it, unfamiliar as he is with real human connection, beyond cold business interactions.

    Framing the narrative is the Procession of the Lord of Miracles, a religious tradition that takes place in Lima through the month of October. Faith and religion are represented strongly—Sofia marches in the Procession and calls the baby Milagritos (little miracle), and the Virgin Mary is on a significant piece of money paid to Clemente. But the filmmakers treat religion as a fact of life and an important tradition in Peru, a realistic aspect of the society, rather than making a specific statement about it. The film has great humour, subtle and natural comedic moments that enrich the somber environment, as well as a strong attention to sex and desire, also portrayed in a simple and matter-of-fact way.

    There is a certain economy about this film; nothing is shown unnecessarily, every shot has a reason. But that reason may not have anything to do with the plot, nor is every shot rigidly structured, some of the best seem to have been captured almost accidentally. This style of film making creates a great nuance that enriches the characters—the well-framed and bare cinematography often reveals something about the characters and lends itself to the overall feeling of the film. The audience is often not shown things they may expect to see, rather we hear something off-screen, or deduce what has just happened without actually seeing it. Again, the filmmakers do not waste time with unnecessary images, only images that have relevance to the overall statements of the film.

    Do not expect too much from this film in terms of action or even plot, it is focused on character and place more than story. Nor do we get a particularly satisfying ending, it’s rather abrupt. But if one takes it as it is, Octubre is an enjoyable film, careful and deliberate, a small yet poignant portrayal of people coming together, moving beyond basic survival towards a greater hope, perhaps with some help from little miracles.

    Opens May 6th in NYC

    In Spanish with English subtitles

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  • Showtime to release MIxed Martial Arts documentary ‘Fightville’

    Showtime Networks Inc. has acquired their latest documentary, FIGHTVILLE, for release in the US. The premium network closed a deal on the film, directed by Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker, shortly after its rousing world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, TX last month.

    FIGHTVILLE chronicles the story of a minor league Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion run by Gil “The Thrill” Guillory in Lafayette, Louisiana—a place where, for many, fighting is as much ritual as it is sport. In FIGHTVILLE, life is a contest, and the area around Lafayette, which includes a neighborhood that is the namesake of the film, has no shortage of up-and-coming fighters willing to fight their way out of the dusty rodeo arenas of Louisiana to the big lights of Las Vegas. Many of them train with veteran UFC fighter “Crazy” Tim Credeur at his Gladiators Academy, where he seeks to “build better men,” while developing champion fighters.

    One of those fighters, Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier, quickly became the focus of the film after a series of dramatic victories.  His story forms the backbone of the film.  “The first time we saw Dustin fight, we were immediately taken with him,” states co-director Michael Tucker.  “You could tell that the kid was going places.”  “More than just fighting, FIGHTVILLE is about what it takes to be the best at anything,” adds Tucker. “We hope that FIGHTVILLE will introduce a wider audience to the beauty and passion of MMA while elevating the mainstream perception of the sport.”

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  • Britta Wauer’s In Heaven, Underground: The Jewish Cemetery in Berlin-Weissensee, Berlin Film Fest Winner to be released in the US

    7th Art Releasing will release Britta Wauer’s In Heaven, Underground: The Jewish Cemetery in Berlin-Weissensee in the US, reports The Hollwyood Reporter. In Heaven, Underground: The Jewish Cemetery in Berlin-Weissensee had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Panorama Audience Award; and is currently at the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival in Toronto.

    North of Berlin’s noisy city centre, tucked away in a residential area and surrounded by a jungle of trees and lush foliage, lies the peaceful and secluded 130-year-old Weißensee Jewish Cemetery, the oldest Jewish cemetery still in use in Europe. One hundred acres hold 115,000 graves and a meticulous archive record. The cemetery has never been closed, and was one of the few institutions to remain in Jewish hands under the Nazi regime. Award-winning director Britta Wauer’s charming portrait creates a serene experience navigating the cemetery, and follows a delightful array of characters from around the world: mourners, tourists, a young family residing at the cemetery, a third-generation gravedigger and an ornithologist studying rare birds of prey. Winner of an audience award at the Berlinale, In Heaven Underground is an enchanting journey into history that celebrates life and the immortality of memories. [ Hot Docs ]

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  • Jack Osbourne does NOT like Variety review of dad’s new film “God Bless Ozzy Osbourne”

    Jack Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne’s son, reportedly slammed Variety writer John Anderson over Anderson’s review of the documentary film “God Bless Ozzy Osbourne.”

    Anderson described the film as “…rather affectionate and candid portrait of a singer/TV personality whose continuing respiration is regarded as a marvel of human achievement. Fans will respond enthusiastically; nonfans will grow restless as Osbourne’s late-inning sobriety is dwelt upon at length. Theatrical play seems a long shot, but VOD’s a no-brainer. “

    Not sure what part of the review ticked off Jack Osbourne, but blabbermouth.net reported that he took to Twitter and tweeted, “Dear Variety magazine, your review of my film is absolute bollocks. Your journalist obviously had his head up his arse the entire time.”

    Directed by Mike Fleiss and Mike Piscitelli,  “God Bless Ozzy Osbourne”, a feature-length documentary that pulls the curtain open on the man known as the Prince of Darkness premiered at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

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  • Sony Pictures Classics to Release 2011 Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear Winner “Nader and Simin, a Separation” in the US

    Sony Pictures Classics acquired Asghar Farhadi’s NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION for release in the US.  The film won the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.

    Farhadi was awarded Best Director for his previous film, ABOUT ELLY at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival.

    Set in Contemporary Iran, NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION is a compelling drama about the dissolution of a marriage.  Simin wants to leave Iran with her husband Nader and daughter Termeh. Simin sues for divorce when Nader refuses to leave behind his Alzheimer-suffering father. Her request having failed, Simin goes back to her parents’, but Termeh decides to stay with Nader…

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  • RIP: Yvette Vickers; B-Movie Actress and Playboy Playmate

    Yvette Vickers, an actress best known as the femme fatale in two late 1950s cult horror films, “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman” and “Attack of the Giant Leeches,” was found dead Wednesday at her Benedict Canyon home. She was 82.

    The body’s mummified state suggests that she could have been dead for close to a year, police said.

    Read more in the LA Times

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  • 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival announces the first round of US and international selections

    [caption id="attachment_1276" align="alignnone" width="560"]You Hurt My Feelings[/caption]

    The 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries.  Returning to downtown Los Angeles, with its central hub at L.A. LIVE, the Festival will run from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday, June 26.

    The festival announced the first round of official US and international selections.

     

    Narrative Competition (10): The Narrative Competition is comprised of films made by talented emerging filmmakers that compete for the Filmmaker Award.  The winner is determined by a panel of jurors, and films in this section are also eligible for the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature.

    • The Bad Intentions, Rosario Garcia-Montero – Argentina/Germany/Peru – US PREMIERE
    • The Dynamiter, Matthew Gordon – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    • Familiar Grounds, Stephane Lefleur – Canada – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    • The Fatherless, Marie Kreutzer – Austria – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    • How to Cheat, Amber Sealey – WORLD PREMIERE
    • Mamitas, Nicholas Ozeki – WORLD PREMIERE
    • An Ordinary Family, Mike Akel – WORLD PREMIERE
    • Please Do Not Disturb, Mohsen Abdolvahab – Iran – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    • Sawdust City, David Nordstrom – WORLD PREMIERE
    • You Hurt My Feelings, Steve Collins – WORLD PREMIERE

     

    Documentary Competition (9): The Documentary Competition is comprised of films made by talented emerging filmmakers that compete for the Documentary Award.  The winner is determined by a panel of jurors, and films in this section are also eligible for the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature.

    • Cheonggyecheon Medley: A Dream of Iron, Kelvin Kyung Kun Park – South Korea – US PREMIERE
    • Family Instinct, Andris Gauja – Latvia – US PREMIERE
    • Once I Was a Champion, Gerard Roxburgh – WORLD PREMIERE
    • Paraiso For Sale, Anayansi Prado – WORLD PREMIERE
    • Salaam Dunk, David Fine – Iraq/USA – WORLD PREMIERE
    • Somewhere Between, Linda Goldstein Knowlton – US PREMIERE
    • Unfinished Spaces, Alysa Nahimas, Ben Murray  – WORLD PREMIERE
    • Unraveled, Marc H. Simon – US PREMIERE
    • Wish Me Away, Bobbie Birleffi, Beverly Kopf – WORLD PREMIERE

     

    International Showcase (18): The International Showcase highlights innovative independent narrative and documentary features from outside of the United States. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature, Best Narrative Feature, or Best Documentary Feature.

    • 108, Renate Costa – Spain/Paraguay
    • Christopher and His Kind, Geoffrey Sax – United Kingdom – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    • Come Rain, Come Shine, Lee Yoon-ki – South Korea – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    • Curling, Denis Côté – Canada
    • The Destiny of Lesser Animals, Deron Albright – Ghana/USA
    • Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within, Jose Padilha – Brazil (New Video)
    • Eternity, Sivaroj Kongsakul – Thailand
    • Family Portrait in Black and White, Julia Ivanova – Canada
    • Kawasaki’s Rose, Jan Hrebejk – Czech Republic (Menemsha Films)
    • Love Crime, Alain Corneau – France (IFC Films)
    • Medianeras, Gustavo Taretto – Argentina/Germany/Spain (IFC Films) – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    • Mysteries of Lisbon, Raúl Ruiz – Portugal (Music Box Films)
    • Ocaso, Theo Court – Chile – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    • Position Among the Stars, Leonard Retel Helmrich – Netherlands
    • The Salesman, Sébastien Pilote – Canada
    • Self Made, Gillian Wearing – England
    • Senna, Asif Kapadia – England (PDA)
    • Tomboy, Céline Sciamma – France (Rocket Releasing) – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

     

    Summer Showcase (18): The Summer Showcase section offers an advance look at this summer’s most talked about independent film releases from the festival circuit. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature, Best Narrative Feature, or Best Documentary Feature.

    • Another Earth, Mike Cahill (Fox Searchlight)
    • Elevate, Anne Buford
    • The Future, Miranda July (Roadside Attractions)
    • The Guard, John Michael McDonagh – Ireland (Sony Pictures Classics)
    • Higher Ground, Vera Farmiga (Sony Pictures Classics)
    • Leave It on the Floor, Sheldon Larry – WORLD PREMIERE
    • Letters From the Big Man, Christopher Munch
    • L!fe Happens, Kat Coiro – WORLD PREMIERE
    • Natural Selection, Robbie Pickering
    • Page One: Inside the New York Times, Andrew Rossi (Magnolia Pictures/Participant Media)
    • The Pruitt-lgoe Myth, Chad Freidrichs
    • Renée, Eric Drath (ESPN Films)
    • Sex Crimes Unit, Lisa F. Jackson (HBO Films)
    • Skateistan: Four Wheels and a Board in Kabul, Kai Sehr
    • Terri, Azazel Jacobs (ATO)
    • Tyrannosaur, Paddy Considine – England (Strand Releasing)
    • Where Soldiers Come From, Heather Courtney
    • Winnie the Pooh, Stephen J. Anderson, Don Hall (Disney)

     

    Outdoor Screenings at the Ford Amphitheatre (3): These official Los Angeles Film Festival selections, sponsored by Brand X, are included as part of the 2011 Ford Amphitheatre Summer Season; a multi-disciplinary arts series produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County-based arts organizations. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature, Best Narrative Feature, or Best Documentary Feature.

    • Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, Michael Rapaport
    • Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, Tsui Hark – Hong Kong
    • The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman, Ron & Russell Mael aka Sparks and Guy Maddin – WORLD MUSICAL PREMIERE

     

    International Spotlight – Cuba (4): This year, our International Spotlight focuses on Cuba, whose films rarely find distribution in the U.S.  We’re proud to showcase the best of the new and recent Cuban cinema.  Sponsored by the Department of Cultural Affairs and UCLA Latin American Institute.

    • · Habana Eva, Fina Torres – Cuba/France/Venezuela
    • · Operation Peter Pan: Flying Back to Cuba, Estela Bravo – Cuba
    • · Suite Habana (2003), Fernando Pérez – Cuba
    • · Ticket to Paradise, Gerardo Chijona Valdes – Cuba

     

    Documenting Mexico (2): Inspired by the efforts of the Ambulante Film Festival, a traveling film event designed to promote a documentary culture across Mexico, we are pleased to highlight two outstanding documentaries from Mexico’s vibrant documentary filmmaking culture.  Sponsored by HOY.

    • · The Night Watchman, Natalia Almada – Mexico
    • · The Tiniest Place, Tatiana Huezo – Mexico

     

    Community Screenings (7): These films will be presented free to the public. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature or Best Documentary Feature.

    • The Bully Project, Lee Hirsch (The Weinstein Company)
    • Choose Your Own Movie – vote at LAFilmFest.com for this free outdoor screening
    • Crime After Crime, Yoav Potash – Grand Performances Screening
      • Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), John Hughes – 25th Anniversary Screening
      • Hot Coffee, Susan Saladoff (HBO Films)
      • On the Ice, Andrew Okpeaha MacLean – Project:Involve Screening
      • Project Nim, James Marsh – United Kingdom (Roadside Attractions)
        • Stand By Me (1986), Rob Reiner – 25th Anniversary Screening

     

    The Beyond (5): The Beyond offers films that dare to be different. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature, Best Narrative Feature, or Best Documentary Feature.

    • Entrance, Dallas Hallam, Patrick Horvath
    • Haunters, Kim Min-suk – South Korea – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
    • The Innkeepers, Ti West
    • Karate-Robo Zaborgar, Iguchi Noboru – Japan
    • The Yellow Sea, Na Hong-jin – South Korea

     

    Retro (2):

    • Boyz n the Hood (1991), John Singleton – 20th Anniversary Digitally Re-Mastered Screening with a Cast & Crew Reunion
    • Das Boot (1981), Wolfgang Peterson – Germany – 30th Anniversary Digitally Re-Mastered Screening

     

    The Film Foundation Screening Program (1):

    • Wild River (1960), Elia Kazan

     

    Short Films (41): Shorts are shown before features and as part of five short film programs. With their diverse and complex content, these films shine brilliantly. Most short films, domestic and international, will compete for prizes in Narrative, Documentary, and Animation/Experimental categories. The winner is determined by a panel of jurors. An Audience Award for Best Short Film is also presented.

    • Shorts Program 1-5

     

    Future Filmmakers Showcase: High School Shorts (33): These two programs of shorts are made by high school students from around the country, featuring work by the next generation of filmmakers.

    • Programs 1-2

     

    Music Videos (48): The Music Video Showcase consists of three programs. Our two Eclectic Mix programs are a visual mix tape of this year’s best independent music videos, with a few innovative major label artists thrown in for good measure. Music videos will compete for an Audience Award.

    • Eclectic Mix 1-2
    • Kewl Vids by Eric Wareheim

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  • 10th Annual Tribeca Film Festival Announces Attendance Numbers

    The 2011 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) numbers are in, and they reveal that more than 430,000 people attended screenings, panels, talks and free community events – including the opening night world premiere of Cameron Crowe’s The Union, the Tribeca Drive-In series, Street Fair and Family Festival, Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day, Tribeca Disruptive Innovation awards, and NYFest – during  the Festival’s 10th edition.

    Of all the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Facts, Figures and anecdotes, the most interesting – On the day that World Narrative Competition entry Jesus Henry Christ had its world premiere, star Toni Collette gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The audience made a short video to congratulate the star and new mom.

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  • Maryland Film Festival 2011 Feature Local Docs THE LEARNING and CAFETERIA MAN

    [caption id="attachment_1272" align="alignnone" width="550"]THE LEARNING[/caption]

    Maryland Film Festival 2011 opens tomorrow, and among the many documentaries screening are two honing in on fascinating stories within the Baltimore school system.

    Imelda director Ramona Diaz’s THE LEARNING documents a year in the lives of four Filipino women recruited to work as teachers in the Baltimore school system; Richard Chisolm’s CAFETERIA MAN follows Tony Geraci as he attempts to revamp Baltimore’s school lunch program with an emphasis on fresh, healthy, local, and even student-grown ingredients.

    All of MFF’s 2011 features are now announced, including Closing Night (Sing Your Song, with Harry Belafonte attending!), Palme d’Or winner UNCLE BOONMEE, John Waters presenting DOMAINE, Kelly Reichardt’s MEEK’S CUTOFF, and Opening Night Shorts hosted by Ann Hornaday.

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  • ‘Queen of the Sun’ documentary opens in NY on June 10 and in LA on June 17

    QUEEN OF THE SUN: What Are the Bees Telling Us?, the award winning documentary by Taggart Siegel, (director of “The Real Dirt on Farmer John”).  QUEEN OF THE SUN will open at Cinema Village in New York on Friday, June 10, and at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles on Friday, June 17.  Many other cities will follow.

    QUEEN OF THE SUN is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis. Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk and Vandana Shiva. Together they reveal both the problems and solutions in restoring humanity’s age-long relationship with bees.

    Bees are the engines that keep the earth in bloom. In 1923, Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian scientist, philosopher and social innovator, predicted that in 80 to 100 years honeybees would collapse. Now, beekeepers around the United States and around the world are reporting an incredible loss of honeybees, a phenomenon deemed “Colony Collapse Disorder.” Bees are disappearing in mass numbers from their hives with no clear single explanation. The queen is there, honey is there, but the bees are gone.

    QUEEN OF THE SUN presents the bee crisis as a global wake-up call and illuminates a growing movement of beekeepers, community activists and scientists who are committed to renewing a culture in balance with nature.


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  • Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal’s new documentary opens to lukewarm Box Office

    Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal’s new documentary Exporting Raymond opened over the weekend and grossed an estimated $36,010 from 13 theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and other markets for a location average of $2,770 reports THR.

    Directed by, written by and starring Phil Rosenthal, the synopsis: Phil Rosenthal created one of the most successful sitcoms of all-time, “Everybody Loves Raymond.” He was a bona-fide expert in his craft. And then…. the Russians called.

    In the hilarious EXPORTING RAYMOND, a genuine fish-out-of-water comedy that could only exist in real life, Phil travels to Russia to help adapt his beloved sitcom for Russian television. The Russians don’t share his tastes. They don’t seem to share his sense of humor. But what Phil did discover was a real comedy, filled with unique characters and situations that have to be seen to be believed. An audience award winner at multiple film festivals across the country, EXPORTING RAYMOND proves that even if you’ve never seen “Everybody Loves Raymond”, you’ll still enjoy this wildly entertaining film.

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  • Focus Features Grabs Wes Anderson’s new film ‘Moonrise Kingdom’

    Focus Features has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Moonrise Kingdom, the new feature from two-time Academy Award nominee Wes Anderson. Filming has begun, and Mr. Anderson is directing from an original screenplay that he wrote with Roman Coppola.

    Set on an island off the coast of New England in the 1960s, Moonrise Kingdom follows a young boy and girl falling in love. When they are moved to run away together, various factions of the town mobilize to search for them and the town is turned upside down – which might not be such a bad thing. Bruce Willis plays the town sheriff; two-time Academy Award nominee Edward Norton is cast as a camp leader; Academy Award nominee Bill Murray and Academy Award winner Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents; the cast also includes Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman. The young boy and girl are played by Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward.

     

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