The 54th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 21 – May 5) today announced its Documentaries in Competition for the esteemed Golden Gate Awards. The International will award close to $100,000 in total prizes this year. Sixty thousand dollars will be awarded to winners in three categories: investigative documentary feature ($25,000), documentary feature ($20,000) and Bay Area documentary feature ($15,000). Winners will be announced at the Golden Gate Awards, Wednesday, May 4.
The 54th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 21 – May 5) will award close to $100,000 in total prizes this year. The New Directors Prize of $15,000 is given to a narrative first feature that exhibits a unique artistic sensibility and deserves to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. Seventeen countries contributed to the production of the 11 films in this year’s competition. An independent jury will select the New Directors Prize winner, to be announced at the Golden Gate Awards Wednesday, May 4.
Sherry Hormann’s film Desert Flower is the true story of the life of supermodel Waris Dirie, and a very important one to be told. The film is based on her autobiography and brings us through the amazing journey from her life in Somalia as a child to her shift into modeling stardom in London and eventual women’s rights activism. The execution of this story, however, is less than impressive. It follows pretty conventional modes of narrative, with some obvious and sentimental scenes and plot devices. But it is saved from being a predictable made-for-TV type of film by a very strong cast and moments of poignancy.
Major award winners from both the 2010 Cannes and 2011 Sundance Film Festivals will headline the World Cinema and competition lineups for the 2011 Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) presented by Nissan when it takes place April 14-21 at the Regal Green Hills Cinemas in Nashville, Tennessee.
Indie Memphis will hold its 14th annual Indie Memphis Film Festival this year from November 3 to November 6, 2011. Screenings and events will once again take place in the heart of Midtown Memphis at the new Playhouse on the Square, Malco Theatre’s Studio on the Square, and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.
The Fargo Film Festival named David Filipi as the recipient of the Ted M. Larson Award. Filipi will accept the award on Saturday, March 5 during the closing session of the Fargo Film Festival. The 2011 Fargo Film Festival also announced the best-in-show awards.
Billy Bob Thornton’s The King of Luck, a documentary about Willie Nelson, was announced as the Closing Night Film of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival, scheduled to be screened on Saturday, March 19,. SXSW also announced additional features and shorts for the 2011 event, including a work-in-progress screening of Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids, starring (and co-written by) Kristen Wiig and produced by Judd Apatow, Umshini Wam, a short film from Harmony Korine featuring South African act Die Antwoord, and Hit So Hard, P. David Ebersole’s documentary on HOLE drummer Patty Schemel, among others. SXSW runs March 11 – 19, 2011 in Austin, Texas.
‘The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls’ a documentary by Leanne Pooley will open in New York at Cinema Village on May 13. Winner of numerous awards, including Best Feature Documentary at New York’s NewFest 2010 and the Cadillac People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival 2009 ‘The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls’ tells the story of the world’s only comedic, singing, yodeling lesbian twin sisters, Lynda and Jools Topp.
The inaugural Santa Catalina Film Festival will be held May 6-8, 2011, in Avalon, Santa Catalina Island. The Santa Catalina Film Festival (SCFF) is a three day festival celebrating independent film with screenings all weekend in addition to discussion panels with top film industry executives.
The world premiere of Cameron Crowe’s documentary The Union will open the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express. A performance by the film’s subject – Elton John – will follow the free, outdoor screening to kick off the Festival’s 10th edition and thank the New York City community for its ongoing support. The Union will premiere on Wednesday, April 20 at the North Cove at the World Financial Plaza. The 10th annual Tribeca Film Festival will take place from April 20 through May 1, 2011.
Gary Winick, a pioneering producer and director of independent digital films who found mainstream success with such movies as “13 Going on 30” and “Letters to Juliet,” has died. He was 49.
One World International Film Festival running in Prague from March 8 to 17, 2011 will use an “Empty Chair” to draw attention to imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. The Chinese dissident had been sentenced to 11 years in jail. During the One World festival viewers will come across an empty chair with the poster ofLiu in screening halls.