• Meet SORRY TO BOTHER YOU’s Writer and Director Boots Riley [Video]

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    Meet SORRY TO BOTHER YOU’s Writer and Director Boots Riley [Video] SORRY TO BOTHER YOU written and directed by Boots Riley opens in select theaters on Friday, July 6th and everywhere July 13th. The film features an all star cast including Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer, Terry Crews, Steven Yeun, Omari Hardwick, Jermaine Fowler, and Danny Glover. What is the film about? In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enH3xA4mYcY Now get to know SORRY TO BOTHER YOU’S writer and director Boots Riley before the film debuts in theaters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hesissxRP8

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  • Film Society of Lincoln Center to Spotlight Female Cinematographers in ‘The Female Gaze’

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    [caption id="attachment_26747" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane and Chloë Grace Moretz appear in The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Desiree Akhavan, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2018 Sundance FIlm Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Jeong Park. Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane and Chloë Grace Moretz appear in The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Desiree Akhavan.
    Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Jeong Park.[/caption] The Film Society of Lincoln Center will host The Female Gaze (July 26 – August 9), spotlighting the amazing work of such accomplished international female cinematographers as Agnès Godard, Natasha Braier, Kirsten Johnson, Joan Churchill, Maryse Alberti, Ellen Kuras, Babette Mangolte, and Rachel Morrison. Laura Mulvey’s landmark 1975 essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” suggested an imbalance of power in film dominated by the male gaze and heterosexual male pleasure; this series poses the question: is there such a thing as the “Female Gaze”? This year, Morrison made history as the first woman nominated for the Best Cinematography Oscar for Mudbound, a triumph that also underscored the troubling issue of gender inequality in the film industry. Few jobs on a movie set have been as historically closed to women as that of cinematographer—the persistence of the term “cameraman” says it all. Despite this lack of representation, trailblazing women have left their mark on the field through extraordinary artistry and profound vision. As seen through their eyes, films by directors like Claire Denis, Jacques Rivette, Chantal Akerman, Ryan Coogler, and Lucrecia Martel are immeasurably richer, deeper, and more wondrous. The Female Gaze opens with a double feature of unforgettable collaborations between Agnès Godard and Claire Denis—from the sensual gaze on male bodies in Beau travail to that of familial love in 35 Shots of Rum—launching the series’ central dialogue with Godard in person. Then on July 28, cinematographers Natasha Braier, Ashley Connor, Agnès Godard, and Joan Churchill join Film Society audiences to discuss their careers, experiences in the film industry, and their interpretations of the Female Gaze in a free talk, sponsored by HBO®. “We’re showcasing amazing cinematography in a variety of styles, from women who have worked with directors of all genders, and contemplating what a female gaze might mean,” said Florence Almozini, FSLC Associate Director of Programming. “Some have built long careers with their directors, such as Godard with Denis, while others like Alberti or Louvart have worked with a range of filmmakers from around the world. There’s also a distinctive emerging class of female DPs innovating in the field, and our series reveals how this ‘gaze’ evolves with each new partnership and generation.” Featuring 36 films shot by 23 women, the program includes blockbusters (Creed), independent American fare (Swoon, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), selections from the canon (Jeanne Dielman…), contemporary international arthouse titles (Tokyo Sonata, The Headless Woman, Holy Motors), rarities ripe for rediscovery (La Captive), and two sneak previews: The Miseducation of Cameron Post and I Think We’re Alone Now, both prizewinners at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The complete lineup is below, arranged by DP. FILMS AND DESCRIPTIONS All screenings held at the Walter Reade Theater (165 West 65th Street) unless otherwise noted.

    Maryse Alberti

    Creed Ryan Coogler, USA, 2015, 133m The legend of Rocky lives on as Michael B. Jordan’s gutsy Adonis Johnson—son of Apollo Creed—sets out to prove he’s got what it takes to be the next champ, leaving his luxe L.A. life behind to train in the hard-knock gyms of Philadelphia with the Italian Stallion himself. After the breakout success of Fruitvale Station, director Ryan Coogler shows his facility for major budget spectacle, balancing a rousing underdog sports story with a poignant portrait of intergenerational friendship. The virtuoso lensing of Maryse Alberti astonishes in a dazzling four-and-a-half minute fight sequence that unfolds in one bruising, breathless take. Velvet Goldmine Todd Haynes, UK/USA, 1998, 35mm, 124m The birth of Oscar Wilde; the staged death of a flamboyant rock star modeled closely after David Bowie; the delirious inebriation of London at the height of the glam era: Haynes’s discourse on celebrity culture is as sprawling and multi-tracked as his previous film, Safe, had been clinically restrained. Much of Velvet Goldmine, the story of a journalist who tries to reconstruct the sordid life story of the failed glam rock star he’d idolized as a young man, was shot in London, and the move gave Haynes a chance to abandon the cloister-like suburbs of his earlier films for a much more colorful, Dionysian milieu. Haynes and cinematographer Maryse Alberti crafted one of the most visually thrilling music movies of the 1990s. An NYFF36 Selection.

    Barbara Alvarez

    The Headless Woman / La mujer sin cabeza Lucrecia Martel, Argentina/France/Italy/Spain, 2008, 35mm, 87m Spanish with English subtitles DP Barbara Alvarez imparts a restrained—and very strange—spatial texture to Lucrecia Martel’s excitingly splintered third feature, about a woman (a stunning María Onetto) in a state of phenomenological distress following a mysterious road accident. Martel’s rare gift for building social melodrama from sonic and spatial textures, behavioral nuances, and an unerringly brilliant sense of the joys, tensions, and endless reserves of suppressed emotion lurking within the familial structure is here pushed to another level of creative daring. An NYFF46 selection. 35mm print courtesy of UCLA Film & Television Archive.

    Akiko Ashizawa

    Tokyo Sonata Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan, 2008, 120m Japanese with English subtitles What strange deceptions lurk beneath the placid veneer of the average Japanese family? Horror maestro Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s unexpected—but wholly rewarding—foray into family melodrama-cum-black comedy quivers with an undercurrent of dread as salaryman dad (Teruyuki Kagawa) loses his job and desperately attempts to maintain the illusion that he’s still employed; his grade-school son (Kai Inowaki) rebels by secretly taking (gasp!) piano lessons; and mom (Kyōko Koizumi) finds what she’s been looking for with her own kidnapper. The elegant long shots of Akiko Ashizawa toy with the meticulous framings of Ozu as Kurosawa guides the film through a series of increasingly audacious tonal shifts. An NYFF46 selection.

    Diane Baratier

    The Romance of Astrea and Celadon / Les amours d’Astrée et de Céladon Éric Rohmer, France, 2007, 35mm, 109m At the age of 88, Éric Rohmer bid adieu to cinema with this enchanting mythological idyll, which brims with all the vitality and freshness of youth. Frequent Rohmer cinematographer Diane Baratier conjures a sun-dappled bucolic dream vision of fifth-century Gaul, where a beguiling fable of romantic misunderstanding plays out when a band of druids and nymphs intervene in the lovers’ quarrel between androgynously beautiful shepherd Celadon (Andy Gillet) and his jealous paramour Astrea (Stéphanie Crayencour). Introducing hitherto untapped themes of gender and sexual fluidity into his work, Rohmer crafts an exalted paean to love both spiritual and carnal. An NYFF45 selection.

    Céline Bozon

    La France Serge Bozon, France, 2007, 35mm, 102m French with English subtitles In the fall of 1917, as World War I rages, a lovelorn soldier’s wife (Sylvie Testud) disguises herself as a man and sets off for the front in search of her missing husband. Along the way, she meets up with a company of soldiers under the command of a gruff lieutenant (Pascal Greggory), who reluctantly allows Camille to join their ranks. From time to time, these surprisingly sensitive, introspective men break out an assortment of homemade instruments and perform original songs written for the film by Benjamin Esdraffo and the artist known as Fugu, styled after the American “sunshine pop” of The Beach Boys and The Mamas and the Papas. Exquisitely shot by Céline Bozon (the director’s sister), this unclassifiable hybrid of war movie and movie musical is truly unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Print courtesy of the Institut Français.

    Natasha Braier

    The Milk of Sorrow / La teta asustada Claudia Llosa, Spain/Peru, 2009, 35mm, 94m Spanish and Quechua with English subtitles Fausta, the only daughter of an aged indigenous Peruvian mother, is said to have been nursed on “the milk of sorrow.” This accursed designation is bestowed on the children of victims of the former terrorist regime. Fausta has learned of her mother’s past and her own presupposed fate through invented song, which is both an art form and oral history tradition. Upon her mother’s death, she must venture beyond the safety of her uncle’s home and choose whether or not to lend her gift of song so that she can pay for a proper burial. Llosa and DP Natasha Braier capture the striking beauty of Lima’s outskirts, as well as a revelatory performance by Magaly Solier, with dignity and grace. Winner of the Golden Bear at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival. A New Directors/New Films 2009 selection. The Neon Demon Nicolas Winding Refn, Denmark/France/USA/UK, 2016, 118m Like a 21st-century Showgirls meets Suspiria, Nicolas Winding Refn’s delirious plunge into the fake plastic horror of the image-obsessed fashion industry trafficks in both high-camp excess and kaleidoscopically stylized splatter. Elle Fanning is the guileless recent L.A. transplant whose fresh-faced youth and beauty almost instantly land her a high-profile modeling contract. Whatever “it” is, she has it. And a coterie of monstrously jealous, flavor-of-last-month Hollyweird burnouts will stop at nothing to get it. Working in a supersaturated, electric day-glo palette, DP Natasha Braier fashions a sleek, freaky-seductive vision of L.A.’s dark side.

    Caroline Champetier

    The Gang of Four / La bande des quatre Jacques Rivette, France/Switzerland, 1989, 160m French and Portuguese with English subtitles Four women, a shadowy conspiracy, and a whole lot of acting exercises: we’re firmly in Rivette territory in one of the director’s most spellbinding explorations of the sometimes terrifyingly thin line between everyday life and the strangeness beneath it. A quartet of aspiring actresses live together while studying with a demanding coach (Bulle Ogier). As they rehearse Pierre Marivaux’s La Double inconstance, offstage drama creeps into their lives in the form of a menacing mystery man (Benoît Régent) with a sinister story to tell. Caroline Champetier’s moody lensing—muted reds, golds, and browns—creates the feeling of an all-enveloping universe operating according to its own paranoid logic.

    Holy Motors

    Leos Carax, France, 2012, 116m French and English with English subtitles Cinematographers Caroline Champetier and Yves Cape both lensed this unclassifiable, expansive movie from Leos Carax about a man named Oscar (longtime collaborator Denis Lavant) who inhabits 11 different characters over the course of a single day. This shape-shifter is shuttled from appointment to appointment in Paris in a white-stretch limo driven by the soignée Edith Scob (Eyes Without a Face); not on the itinerary is an unplanned reunion with Kylie Minogue. To summarize the film any further would be to take away some of its magic; the most accurate précis comes from its own creator, who aptly described Holy Motors after its world premiere in Cannes as “a film about a man and the experience of being alive.” An NYFF50 selection. Le Pont du Nord Jacques Rivette, France, 1982, 129m French with English subtitles Paris becomes a labyrinthine life-size game board in one of the most elaborate of Jacques Rivette’s sprawling, down-the-rabbit-hole cine-puzzles. Bulle Ogier and her daughter Pascale star, respectively, as a hitchhiking ex-con and a leather-clad tough girl who meet by chance on the city streets, come into possession of a curious map, and find themselves caught in a sinister cobweb of underworld conspiracy. Shooting seemingly on the fly, almost documentary-style on the streets of Paris, cinematographers Caroline Champetier and William Lubtchansky telegraph a freewheeling, anything-goes sense of play, as well as a creeping surveillance paranoia. An NYFF19 selection. 4K restoration from the 16mm negative, supervised by Véronique Rivette and Caroline Champetier at Digimage Classic, with the help of the CNC.

    Joan Churchill

    Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer Nick Broomfield & Joan Churchill, UK/USA, 2004, 93m Just months after Monster made Aileen Wuornos a household name—and Charlize Theron an Oscar darling—documentarian Nick Broomfield and co-director/cinematographer Joan Churchill unleashed this riveting portrait of the real-life serial killer. Of the two films, it remains the more chilling experience, an unflinching face-to-face encounter with a deeply damaged soul who, as she prepares for her imminent execution, is at once eager to set the record straight, angrily defiant, and increasingly delusional. Daring to find the humanity in one of the most vilified criminals of the century, Broomfield and Churchill—whose camera remains ever-alert and skillfully unobtrusive—craft a haunting, complex look at a life gone wrong.

    Ashley Connor

    Sneak Preview! The Miseducation of Cameron Post Desiree Akhavan, USA, 2018, 90m Based on the celebrated novel by Emily M. Danforth, Desiree Akhavan’s second feature follows the titular character (Chloë Grace Moretz) in 1993 as she is sent to a gay conversion therapy center after getting caught with another girl on prom night. In the face of intolerance and denial, Cameron meets a group of fellow sinners, including amputee stoner Jane (Sasha Lane) and her friend Adam (Forrest Goodluck), a Lakota Two-Spirit. Together, this group forms an unlikely family with a will to fight. Akhavan and DP Ashley Connor evoke the emotional layers of Danforth’s novel with an effortless yet considered attention to the spirit of the ’90s and the audacious, moving performances of the ensemble cast. A FilmRise release.

    Josée Deshaies

    House of Tolerance / L’Apollonide: Souvenirs de la maison close Bertrand Bonello, France, 2011, 35mm, 122m French with English subtitles “I could sleep for a thousand years,” drawls a 19th-century prostitute—paraphrasing Lou Reed—at the start of Bonello’s hushed, opium-soaked fever dream of life in a Parisian brothel at the turn of the century. House of Tolerance is, among other things, Bonello’s most gorgeous and complete application of musical techniques to film grammar, his most rigorous attempt to sculpt cinematic space, his most probing reflection on the origins of capitalist society, and his most sophisticated study of the movement of bodies under immense constraint. A shocking mutilation, a funeral staged to The Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin,” a progression of ritualized, drugged assignations and encounters: Bonello and frequent collaborator Josée Deshaies capture it all with a mixture of casual detachment and needlepoint precision.

    Crystel Fournier

    Tomboy Céline Sciamma, France, 2011, 35mm, 82m French with English subtitles A sensitive, heartrending portrait of what it feels like to grow up different, Céline Sciamma’s beautifully observed coming-of-age tale aches tenderly with the tangled confusion of childhood. When ten-year-old Laure’s family moves to a new neighborhood during the summer, the gender-nonconforming preteen (played by the impressively naturalistic Zoé Héran) takes the opportunity to present as Mickäel to the neighborhood kids—testing the waters of a new identity that neither friends nor family quite understand. Sciamma’s warmly empathetic tone is perfectly complemented by the soft-lit impressionism of Crystel Fournier’s glowing cinematography. Print courtesy of the Institut Français.

    Agnès Godard

    Beau Travail Claire Denis, France, 1999, 35mm, 92m French, Italian, and Russian with English subtitles Denis’s loose retelling of Billy Budd, set among a troop of Foreign Legionnaires stationed in the Gulf of Djibouti, is one of her finest films, an elemental story of misplaced longing and frustrated desire. Beneath a scorching sun, shirtless young men exercise to the strains of Benjamin Britten, under the watchful eye of Denis Lavant’s stone-faced officer Galoup, their obsessively ritualized movements simmering with barely suppressed violence. When a handsome recruit wins the favor of the regiment’s commander, cracks start to appear in Galoup’s fragile composure. In the tense, tightly disciplined atmosphere of military life, Denis found an ideal outlet for two career-long concerns: the quiet agony of repressing one’s emotions and the terror of finally letting loose. An NYFF37 selection. Print courtesy of the Institut Français. 35 Shots of Rum / 35 rhums Claire Denis, France/Germany, 2008, 35mm, 100m French and German with English subtitles When is a rice cooker more than just a rice cooker? When it’s in the masterful hands of Claire Denis, who somehow transforms it into a moving metaphor for the evolving relationship between a Parisian train conductor (Alex Descas) and his devoted twenty-something daughter (Mati Diop) as he gently nudges her out of the nest and each tests the waters of new relationships. Warmed by the ember-glow of Agnès Godard’s beautifully burnished cinematography, Denis’s delicately bittersweet take on the Ozu-style family drama conveys worlds of meaning and emotion—attraction, heartache, loss, hope—in a mere glance, a gesture, and, yes, a kitchen appliance. The Intruder / L’intrus Claire Denis, France, 2005, 35mm, 130m French, English, Korean, Russian, and Polynesian with English subtitles Rich, strange, and tantalizingly enigmatic, Denis’s crypto-odyssey is a mesmeric sensory experience that haunts like a half-remembered dream. Inspired by a book by philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy, The Intruder skips across time and continents—from the Alpine wilds to a neon-lit Korea to a tropical Tahiti suffused with languorous melancholy—as it traces the journey of an inscrutable, ailing loner (Michel Subor) seeking a black market heart transplant and his long-lost son. An impressionist wash of hallucinations, memories, and dreams are borne along on the lush textures of Agnès Godard’s shimmering cinematography. Print courtesy of the Institut Français.

    Kristen Johnson

    Cameraperson Kirsten Johnson, USA, 2016, 102m How much of one’s self can be captured in the images shot of and for others? Kirsten Johnson’s work as a director of photography and camera operator has helped earn her documentary collaborators (Laura Poitras, Michael Moore, Kirby Dick, Barbara Kopple) nearly every accolade and award possible. Recontextualizing the stunning images inside, around, and beyond the works she has shot, Johnson constructs a visceral and vibrant self-portrait of an artist who has traveled the globe, venturing into landscapes and lives that bear the scars of trauma both active and historic. Rigorous yet nimble in its ability to move from heartache to humor, Cameraperson provides an essential lens on the things that make us human. A 2016 New Directors/New Films selection. Derrida Kirby Dick & Amy Ziering, USA, 2002, 35mm, 84m Postmodern intellectual rockstar Jacques Derrida receives an appropriately self-reflexive portrait in this playful, probing documentary. Framed by the French philosopher’s statements about the inherent unreliability of biography, it finds co-director Amy Ziering attempting to tease out the links between Derrida’s radically influential thinking (he expounds on everything from forgiveness to Seinfeld) and his own life. Even as the alternately witty and reflective Derrida remains cagey about personal matters, Kirsten Johnson’s attentive camera captures revealing flashes of the man behind the ideas. What emerges is a fascinating interrogation of filmic truth: a documentary that relentlessly deconstructs itself.

    Ellen Kuras

    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Michel Gondry, USA, 2004, 35mm, 108m The feverish imaginations of DIY surrealist Michel Gondry and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman kick into overdrive for the great gonzo sci-fi romance of the early 2000s. When nice guy dweeb Joel (Jim Carrey) encounters blue-haired spitfire Clementine (Kate Winslet) on the LIRR, there’s a spark of attraction, but also something familiar—almost as if they’ve met before… Cue a ping-ponging, time- and space-collapsing journey through memory and a star-crossed love gone sour. The high-contrast handheld camerawork of Ellen Kuras enhances the whiplash sense of disorientation in what is, ultimately, a heart-wounding parable about the ways in which we inevitably hurt those we love most. Swoon Tom Kalin, USA, 1992, 35mm, 93m One of the most daring works to emerge from the New Queer Cinema movement of the early 1990s, Swoon offers a radical, revisionist perspective on the infamous Leopold and Loeb murder case. Channeling the spirits of Dreyer, Bresson, and Jean Genet, director Tom Kalin challenges viewers to identify with two of the most notorious killers of the 20th century, their crime—the Nietzsche-influenced thrill killing of a schoolboy in 1920s Chicago—and punishment recounted in ghostly black and white by Ellen Kuras. Throughout, Kalin cannily deconstructs the ways in which Leopold and Loeb’s homosexuality has been historically sensationalized and demonized—a provocative analogy for queer persecution in the AIDS era.

    Sabine Lancelin

    La captive Chantal Akerman, France/Belgium, 2000, 35mm, 118m French with English subtitles Chantal Akerman’s hypnotic exploration of erotic obsession plays like Vertigo filtered through the director’s visionary feminist formalism. Loosely inspired by the fifth volume of Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, it circles around the very-strange-indeed relationship between the seemingly pliant Ariane (Sylvie Testud) and the disturbingly jealous Simon (Stanislas Merhar), whose need to possess her completely in turn renders him hostage to his own destructive desires. The coolly contemplative camera style of Sabine Lancelin imparts an unbroken, trance-like tension, which finds release only in the thunderous roil of the operatic score. Print courtesy of Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique. The Strange Case of Angelica / O Estranho Caso de Angélica Manoel de Oliveira, Portugal, 2010, 35mm, 97m Manoel de Oliveira’s sly, metaphysical romance—made when the famously resilient director was a mere 102 years old—is a mesmerizing, beyond-the-grave rumination on love, mortality, and the power of images. On a rain-slicked night, village photographer Isaac (Ricardo Trêpa) is summoned by a wealthy family to take a picture of their beautiful, recently deceased daughter Angelica (Pilar López de Ayala). What ensues is a ghostly tale of romantic obsession as Isaac finds his dreams—and his photographs—haunted by the spirit of the bewitching young woman. The crisp chiaroscuro compositions of cinematographer Sabine Lancelin enhance the film’s otherworldly, unstuck-in-time aura. An NYFF48 selection. Eastern Boys Robin Campillo, France, 2013, 128m French with English subtitles Jeanne Lapoirie’s surveillance-style camera, looking from above, masterfully follows the men who loiter around the Gare du Nord train station in Paris as they scrape by however they can, forming gangs for support and protection, ever fearful of being caught by the police and deported. When the middle-aged, bourgeois Daniel (Olivier Rabourdin) approaches a boyishly handsome Ukrainian who calls himself Marek for a date, he learns the young man is willing to do anything for some cash. What Daniel intends only as sex-for-hire begets a home invasion and then an unexpectedly profound relationship. The drastically different circumstances of the two men’s lives reveal hidden facets of the city they share. Presented in four parts, this absorbing, continually surprising film by Robin Campillo (BPM: Beats Per Minute) is centered around relationships that defy easy categorization, in which motivations and desires are poorly understood even by those to whom they belong.

    Rain Li

    Paranoid Park Gus Van Sant, USA, 2007, 35mm, 85m At once a dreamlike portrait of teen alienation and a boldly experimental work of film narrative, Paranoid Park finds Gus Van Sant at the height of his powers. A withdrawn high-school skateboarder (Gabe Nevins) struggles to make sense of his involvement in an accidental death. He recalls past events across tides of memory, and expresses his feelings in a diary—which is, in effect, the movie we are watching. The extraordinary skating scenes, filmed by cinematographers Rain Li and Christopher Doyle in a lyrical mixture of Super 8 and 35mm, depict their subjects soaring in space, momentarily free of the earthly troubles of adolescence. An NYFF45 selection.

    Hélène Louvart

    Beach Rats Eliza Hittman, USA, 2017, 95m Hittman follows up her acclaimed debut, It Felt Like Love, with this sensitive chronicle of sexual becoming. Frankie (a breakout Harris Dickinson), a bored teenager living in South Brooklyn, regularly haunts the Coney Island boardwalk with his boys—trying to score weed, flirting with girls, killing time. But he spends his late nights dipping his toes into the world of online cruising, connecting with older men and exploring the desires he harbors but doesn’t yet fully understand. Sensuously lensed on 16mm by cinematographer Hélène Louvart, Beach Rats presents a colorful and textured world roiling with secret appetites and youthful self-discovery. A 2017 New Directors/New Films selection. A Neon release. Pina [in 3D] Wim Wenders, Germany/France, 2011, 106m German, English, and French with English subtitles Wim Wenders began planning this project with legendary choreographer Pina Bausch in the months before her untimely death, selecting the pieces to be filmed and discussing the filmmaking strategy. Impressed by recent innovations in 3D, Wenders decided to experiment with the format for this tribute to Bausch and her Tanztheater Wuppertal; the result sets the standard against which all future uses of 3D to record performance will be measured. Not only are the beauty and sheer exhilaration of the dance s and dancers powerfully rendered by Hélène Louvart and Jörg Widmer’s lensing, but the film also captures the sense of the world that Bausch so brilliantly expressed in all her pieces. Longtime members of the Tanztheater recreate many of their original roles in such seminal works as “Café Müller,” “Le Sacre du Printemps,” and “Kontakthof.” An NYFF49 selection. The Wonders Alice Rohrwacher, Italy/Switzerland/Germany, 2014, 110m French with English subtitles Winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, Alice Rohrwacher’s vivid story of teenage yearning and confusion revolves around a beekeeping family in rural central Italy: German-speaking father, Italian mother, four girls. Two unexpected arrivals prove disruptive, especially for the pensive oldest daughter, Gelsomina. The father takes in a troubled teenage boy as part of a welfare program, and a television crew shows up to enlist local farmers in a kitschy celebration of Etruscan culinary traditions (a slyly self-mocking Monica Bellucci plays the bewigged host). Hélène Louvart’s lensing combines a documentary attention to daily ritual with an evocative atmosphere of mystery to conjure a richly concrete world that is subject to the magical thinking of adolescence. An NYFF52 selection.

    Irina Lubtchansky

    Around a Small Mountain / 36 vues du Pic Saint Loup Jacques Rivette, France/Italy, 2009, 35mm, 84m French with English subtitles The final film from arch gamesman Jacques Rivette is a captivating variation on one of the themes that most obsessed him: the ineffable interplay between life and performance. Luminously photographed by Irina Lubtchansky in the open-air splendor of the south of France, it revolves around an Italian flaneur (Sergio Castellitto) who finds himself drawn into the world of a humble traveling circus led by the elusive Kate (Jane Birkin), whose enigmatic past becomes a tantalizing mystery he is determined to solve. In a career studded with sprawling shaggy dog epics, Rivette’s swan song is a deceptively slight grace note that contains multitudes. An NYFF47 selection. Preceded by: Sarah Winchester, Ghost Opera / Sarah Winchester, Opera Fantôme Bertrand Bonello, France, 2016, 24m North American Premiere A film to stand in for an opera unmade: Bonello’s moody, baroque meditation on the heiress to the Winchester rifle fortune plays like a ballet-cum-horror film, an ornate tapestry of enigmatic images, chilling synths, and traces of a tragic and eccentric life. An NYFF54 selection. A Grasshopper Film release.

    Babette Mangolte

    The Camera: Je or La Camera: I Babette Mangolte, USA, 1977, 88m Though perhaps best known as the cinematographer for Chantal Akerman’s groundbreaking 1970s work—as well as for her collaborations with avant-garde icons like Yvonne Rainer, Trisha Brown, and Marina Abramović—Babette Mangolte is a singular cinematic visionary in her own right. In this structuralist auto-portrait, Mangolte allows viewers to peer through the lens of her camera as she produces a series of still photographs, first of models, then of the streetscapes of downtown Manhattan. As we experience the act of image-making through her eyes, what emerges is a heady consideration of the art and act of seeing and of the complex relationship between photographer, subject, and viewer. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles Chantal Akerman, Belgium/France, 1976, 35mm, 201m French with English subtitles A landmark of feminist art, Chantal Akerman’s minimalist masterpiece is both a monumental and microscopic view of three days in the life of a fastidious Belgian single mother (a sphinx-like Delphine Seyrig) as she goes about her housework, peeling potatoes and washing dishes with the same clinical detachment with which she makes love to the occasional john. And then slowly, almost imperceptibly, things begin to go awry… The rigorous, relentlessly impassive gaze of Babette Mangolte’s camera is transfixing but, in the words of the director, “never voyeuristic”; it’s a uniquely feminine way of seeing made manifest by one of the most sui generis filmmaker-cinematographer partnerships in history.

    Claire Mathon

    Stranger by the Lake / L’inconnu du lac Alain Guiraudie, France, 2013, 97m French with English subtitles Alain Guiraudie’s Cannes-awarded exploration of death and desire unfolds entirely in the vicinity of a gay cruising ground that becomes a crime scene. Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps) is a regular at a lakeside pickup spot, where he finds companionship both platonic and carnal. But his new paramour Michel (Christophe Paou) turns out to be a love-’em-and-leave-’em type, in the deadliest sense… Guiraudie has long been a singular voice in French cinema: anti-bourgeois, at ease in nature, a true regionalist and outsider. Here he and DP Claire Mathon capture naked bodies and hardcore sex with the same matter-of-fact sensuousness they bring to ripples on the water and the fading light of dusk. An NYFF51 selection.

    Reed Morano

    Sneak Preview! I Think We’re Alone Now Reed Morano, USA, 2018, 93m Pulling double duty as director and cinematographer, Reed Morano finds the melancholic beauty in the end of the world with this gorgeous and strange drama starring Peter Dinklage and Elle Fanning as the last people on Earth. When the film opens in a desolate upstate New York, the misanthropic Del (Dinklage) is performing rote, custodial tasks to clean up the chaos left around his hometown—and relishing his newfound solitude—until another, sprightly survivor (Fanning) arrives. Winner of the Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Filmmaking at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, I Think We’re Alone Now is a visually audacious entry in the postapocalyptic genre and an idiosyncratic take on loneliness and grief.

    Rachel Morrison

    Fruitvale Station Ryan Coogler, USA, 2013, 85m Coogler’s remarkable debut feature explores the life and harrowing death of Oscar Grant (played by Michael B. Jordan), a 22-year-old African-American man killed by police in the early hours of January 1, 2009. Six months after sweeping both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, Fruitvale Station opened on the same weekend that jurors in Florida acquitted George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin. Rachel Morrison’s gripping, exploratory Super 16 on-location camerawork dramatizes the unseen complexities and personal relationships of Grant’s inner circle with a startling sense of urgency, emotion, and the unflagging awareness of a preventable tragedy too often seen in the news cycle. Sunday, August 5, 7:00pm Free Talk: The Female Gaze Join us for an hour-long conversation with cinematographers Natasha Braier, Ashley Connor, Agnès Godard, and Joan Churchill as they discuss the series and reflect on their careers and influences, and how they approach their craft. Sponsored by HBO®. Saturday, July 28, 6:30pm* Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, Amphitheater, 144 W 65th Street  

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  • Watch Official Trailer for Documentary Series AMERICA TO ME Set to Debut August 26 on Starz

    America To Me The new unscripted 10-part documentary series “America To Me” which provides a first look into an academic year at Chicagoland’s elite Oak Park and River Forest High School, released the official trailer.  The insightful documentary series created by Emmy Award(R)-winning and Oscar(R)-nominated filmmaker Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters, Life Itself, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail) will premiere on Starz on Sunday, August 26, 2018 at 9 PM ET/PT. “America To Me” follows students, TEACHERS and administrators in suburban Chicago’s Oak Park and River Forest High School, one of the country’s highest performing and diverse public schools, over the course of a year, as they grapple with decades-long racial and educational inequities – in addition to the challenges that today’s teenagers face. Digging deep into the experiences of a racially diverse student population, “America To Me” sparks candid conversations about what has succeeded and what has failed in the quest to achieve racial equity and overcome obstacles in our education system. In this part observational character story and part high-school confessional, James captures critical moments within this vibrant high-school ecosystem. “America to Me” made its world premiere with the first five episodes at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in the new “Indie Episodic” category. Episodes were also previewed at Full Frame and AFI DOCS. To inspire action on the educational equity issues highlighted in “America To Me,” Participant Media and Starz are partnering to launch a social impact campaign. The campaign is designed to encourage candid conversations about racism through a downloadable Community Conversation Toolkit and elevate student voices through a national spoken-word poetry contest. Alongside the release of each new episode, the campaign will host a high-profile screening event in one city across the country. Over the course of the ten weeks, these ten events will SEED a timely national dialogue anchored by the series, and kick off activities across the country to inspire students, teachers, parents and community leaders to develop local initiatives that address inequities in their own communities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uNhmWJ4l5k

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  • World Premiere of Tanzanian Film BAHASHA to Open 2018 Zanzibar International Film Festival [Trailer]

    Bahasha The 2018, Zanzibar International Film Festival will open with the World Premiere of the Tanzanian film Bahasha, continuing the tradition of featuring a new and noteworthy African film on opening night.  ZIFF 2018 will take place from July 7th to 15th 2018 in venues in and around Stone Town. The film is directed by Jordan Riber and features some of Tanzania’s most talented actors including Ayoub Bombwe, Godliver Gordian, Omary Mrisho and Catherine Credo. “I am very excited and honored that Bahasha has been selected as the opening film for one of Africa’s most important film festivals. I am proud to be a part of the Tanzanian film industry at such an exciting time. The talent of Tanzanian actors and film crew has been so well showcased over the last few years, and I see a bright future in filmmaking for Tanzania. Ayoub, Godliver, Catherine and Omary are all world-class actors and their work in Bahasha is something that will no doubt make Tanzania proud.” Bahasha is the story of an elected public official who betrays his family, friends and community when he takes an easy bribe. He learns the hard way and must now find the road to redemption. https://vimeo.com/276651586   With the theme of ZIFF 2018 being Speak Up and Be Heard, there could not be a better film to open the festival with in order to inspire and encourage constructive and open dialogue. The origins of Bahasha can be traced to the premiere screening of Media for Development International’s (MFDI) popular TV series, Siri ya Mtungi, on the eve of December 2, 2014. Following that screening, the Swiss Ambassador for Tanzania at the time, Olivier Chave, impressed by the series challenged MFDI to develop a film that confronted the issue of corruption, considered one of the most serious underlying challenge facing social and economic development of Tanzania. This exchange led to the Embassies of Switzerland and the Netherlands providing seed funding for MFDI to develop the script for a feature film that would help to encourage social dialogue around the theme of corruption. To make the project inclusive, MFDI created a number of partnerships with Tanzania’s major anti-corruption stakeholders from government, civil society and the private sector. The key partner in this project was the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB). With generous support from the Swiss Development Corporation and The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, BAHASHA was filmed on location in and around Arusha, during November and December 2017. image via screengrab

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  • Fantasia Completes 22nd Edition Lineup, Closes with MANDY Starring Nicolas Cage

    [caption id="attachment_30555" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Mandy starring Nicolas Cage Mandy[/caption] Fantasia International Film Festival dropped the final wave of 2018 announcements including the North American Premieres of Takashi Miike’s LAPLACE’S WITCH and Erick Zonca’s BLACK TIDE, the International Premiere of Joel Potrykus’ RELAXER, and the Canadian Premiere of Nicolas Pesce’s PIERCING. With the final wave of programming, the 2018 edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival has now released its full lineup of over 125 features and 220 shorts, featuring the premieres of more than 100 cutting-edge visions from across the world. Fantasia’s 22nd edition will close with the Canadian Premiere of the thunderously-acclaimed MANDY (Official Closing Film), Panos Cosmatos’ long awaited sophomore feature following the stunning BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW. The film makes its first screening in the country after transfixing audiences at Sundance and Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight. Starring an especially strong Nicolas Cage in a performance that seethes with internalized rage, MANDY also features a shredding experimental electronic score from the late Jóhann Jóhannsson that works hypnotically with the film’s pacing and imagery to create a dreamy mood of near-death intoxication. MANDY is a pounding, bleeding act of cinema that’s as singular as it is sensational.

    BIG BROTHER (World Premiere)

    Mixed martial arts meet high-school intrigue, with Hong Kong superhero Donnie Yen (ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY) at the blackboard! The closing night festivities of Fantasia 2018 will begin with the World Premiere of BIG BROTHER, which sees Yen reuniting with action director Kenji Tanigaki (GOD OF WAR, Fantasia 2017) and delivering an exhilarating, scholastic twist on the martial arts film. Having collaborated on the fight scenes in WU XIA (aka DRAGON, Fantasia 2011) and LEGEND OF THE FIST: RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN, Yen and Tanigaki once again land a bone-breaking bull’s-eye with BIG BROTHER.

    NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF LAPLACE’S WITCH

    Everyone knows the tight bond that has united Takashi Miike and Fantasia for over two decades, and the festival is honoured to continue the tradition with the North American Premiere of his spellbinding new murder mystery LAPLACE’S WITCH! Of course, in Miike’s hands, things quickly veer into the unexpected when a geochemistry professor investigating a double murder case meets a young mathematics genius with an almost supernatural level of knowledge. Crafting gorgeous imagery, stunning locations, and stellar special effects, Miike and his star-studded cast bring us down an unexpected path where the mystic and reality collide. Long-time Miike fans, as well as those just now learning of his work, will not be disappointed!

    A MASTER CLASS WITH TIMUR BEKMAMBETOV – AND THE CANADIAN PREMIERE OF PROFILE

    Fantasia audiences were the first in the world to see UNFRIENDED when it launched at the festival under its original title, CYBERNATURAL. Producer Timur Bekmambetov pioneered its innovative, immersive storytelling approach – dubbed “Screenlife” – which brilliantly captures the way we communicate online. This year, Fantasia will showcase a trio of Screenlife features, each landing with an uncommon impact that’s wholly unique, and tells a very different kind of story. In addition to the previously-announced SEARCHING (Canadian Premiere) and UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB (International Premiere), the festival is proud to showcase the Canadian launch of PROFILE, a riveting award-winner at Berlinale and SXSW, about a journalist catfishing an ISIS recruiter, based on the non-fiction bestseller “In the Skin of a Jihadist”. On July 17, Bekmambetov will conduct a multimedia master class event specifically centered around the inception and production methodologies of this brilliant storytelling approach.

    PUNK SAMURAI SLASH DOWN SLICES ITS WAY TO A NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE!

    Japanese punk rocker Ko Machida’s 2004 maniacally meta novel rips up the silver screen in Gakuryu Ishii’s PUNK SAMURAI SLASH DOWN (North American Premiere). Loaded with loopy weirdness and jolts of anachronistic rock ’n’ roll energy, the cinematic adaptation by Ishii (formerly Sogo) is just as colourful, anarchic, and irreverent as you’d expect, given his bona fides as a key instigator of Japan’s punk film eruption of the 1980s. Collaborating here with screenwriter Kankuro Kudo (of TOO YOUNG TO DIE! fame), the film’s all-star cast includes Go Ayano (AJIN: DEMI HUMAN), Shota Sometani (PARASYTE), Jun Kunimura (ATTACK ON TITAN), Etsushi Toyokawa (20TH CENTURY BOYS), and Tadanobu Asano (KASANE).

    SWIM OUT TO THE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF BLACK TIDE

    Adapted from Dror Mishani’s novel “The Missing File”, BLACK TIDE is a taut, methodical crime thriller told with quasi-Fincheresque precision by co-writer/director Erick Zonca (JULIA). Actor Romain Duris is fascinating and Sandrine Kiberlain is heartbreaking, but it’s Vincent Cassel who blows us away with his electrifying performance as an alcoholic cop, whose unkempt hair and beard reflect his tormented, equally-tousled soul. Obsessed with his case like a beast gnawing on a bone, this man-on-the-edge is determined to uncover the truth, no matter how horrible it ends up being.

    A HELLISHLY SPECIAL SCREENING OF L’INFERNO (1911), LIVE-SCORED BY GOBLIN’S MAURIZIO GUARINI

    Fantasia presents a special screening of Italy’s first genre film (which also happens to be the world’s oldest surviving feature), the spectacularly surreal 1911 masterpiece L’INFERNO. Loosely based on Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy and influenced by Gustave Doré’s illustrations, the film was directed by Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan, and Giuseppe de Liguoro, working with more than 150 cast and crew members over a period of three years. For the film’s 107th anniversary, Fantasia will present a special screening of L’INFERNO with a live-score performance by none other than Maurizio Guarini of Goblin – the legendary band responsible for of some of Italian horror cinema’s most cherished musical scores!

    GET LAZY WITH RELAXER’S INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE!

    Y2K is right around the corner, and Cam (David Dastmalchian) has just given his younger brother Abbie (Joshua Burge) the dopest challenge ever: to beat Johnny Mitchell’s infamous Pac-Man high score without ever getting off the couch! Not once! Not even to pee, eat, or drink! SLACKER by way of THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (with a hint of BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD), Joel Potrykus’ (BUZZARD, THE ALCHEMIST COOKBOOK) latest is a closed-room, mise-en-scène tour-de-force that transforms a gamer’s crummy apartment into a space of unlimited potential. A true punk film, RELAXER is at once indescribable, demanding, and completely insolent, encapsulating the best (and the worst) of ’90s pop culture in one experiential trip.

    BRING THE BEST MEMORIES OF YOUR FAVORITE PETS – AND PLENTY OF TISSUES – FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE TRAVELING CAT CHRONICLES

    Kind-hearted Satoru (BLEACH’s Sota Fukushi) has been living happily with his cat Nana after rescuing it from a car accident. Despite the bond that unites them, Satoru’s new engagement forces them go on a road trip across Japan to find Nana a new owner. Following the Fantasia 2016 hit IF CATS DISAPPEARED FROM THE WORLD, Japan has provided a new, extremely efficient tear-jerker about man’s other best friend… with just a hint of fantasy. In THE TRAVELING CAT CHRONICLES (World Premiere), we can hear animals talk, which brings on great humour, heart, and a whole lot of tears. A beautiful tale of friendship and faithfulness, THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES provides a heartfelt lesson in life for the whole family.

    THE WORLD PREMIERE OF LIFECHANGER

    Drew has the ability to transport from body to body, and his desire to reconnect with the woman he loves will ultimately prove to be the undoing of many – perhaps even Drew himself. The latest from Canadian genre vet Justin McConnell, LIFECHANGER is exactly the kind of smart and efficient genre piece that Fantasia takes pride in introducing to audiences. It’s a film that’s fresh, surprising, and alive, anchored by terrific performances from Lora Burke (POOR AGNES) and Jack Foley. LIFECHANGER is an excellent reminder that all great horror is also one part tragedy, and it’s that element that will help audiences remember this one long after they’ve left the theatre.

    CANADIAN PREMIERE OF TERRIFIED

    Gifted Argentinean filmmaker Demián Rugna has single-handedly transformed his nation’s cinema with this genuinely terrifying paranormal nightmare that starts with a bloody bang and never lets go. Electric with the pure, raw kind of intense horror that makes your entire body ache with fear and adrenaline, TERRIFIED won accolades at Mar del Plata and has been, well, terrifying audiences everywhere from Sitges and Brussels to Brazil’s Fantaspoa. Prepare yourself, because Fantasia’s Canadian premiere is sure to elicit screams that will be heard a continent away.

    MEET AN ALTOGETHER NEW KIND OF EXORCIST IN ROOM LAUNDERING

    In Japan, law requires landlords to divulge tragic passings to their next tenants – but that same law fails to specify just how many subsequent renters one needs to inform! Thus, Miko Yagumo (Elaiza Ikeda, of THE MANY FACES OF ITO), a shy and antisocial young girl, is a “room launderer”: a transitory occupant, with the ability to see the spirits of the deceased. With ROOM LAUNDERING (North American Premiere), first-time filmmaker Kenji Katagiri proves himself to be one to watch out for – perfectly juggling quirky comedy and supernatural drama. This gem co-stars veteran, fan-favourite actor Joe Odagiri (ADRIFT IN TOKYO, MR. GO, AIR DOLL) and Kiyohiko Shibukawa (LOWLIFE LOVE and PUNK SAMURAI SLASH DOWN),

    THE CAMERA LUCIDA SECTION UNVEILS ITS FINAL THREE TITLES!

    Fantasia’s Camera Lucida section, dedicated to experimental, boundary-pushing and auteur-driven works on the borders of genre cinema, unveils its final three Canadian premieres: Blue is the colour of Mia, a 15-year-old with an odd new thirst. With BLUE MY MIND, Swiss filmmaker Lisa Brühlmann offers a masterful, fresh take on the horrific degeneration of a teenager’s anatomy, cleverly entwined with classic fairytale storytelling pitched somewhere between recent genre hits such as THE LURE and RAW. When the price of cigarettes goes up, thirty-something Miso embraces homelessness and sees it as an occasion to reconnect with old friends. MICROHABITAT, Jeon Go-woon’s surprising first feature, subtly reinvents the conventions of slacker cinema. From one social environment to the next, a complex, tragi-comic portrait of South Korean society emerges – its class consciousness, the ambitions that drive it, and the characters that populate it. When Reed (Christopher Abbott) meets Jackie (Mia Wasikowska), he realizes his meticulous night of murder isn’t going to go as planned. A cruel cat-and-mouse game is turned on its head, as writer-director Nicolas Pesce returns to Fantasia with PIERCING, a dark, twisted comedy about death and desire, adapted from Ryu Murakami’s novel (AUDITION).

    Full Camera Lucida line-up:

    Being Natural, dir. Tadashi Nagayama (International Premiere); Blue My Mind, dir. Lisa Brülhmann (Canadian Premiere); Chained for Life, dir. Aaron Schimberg (International Premiere); Hanagatami, dir. Nobuhiko Obayashi (Québec Premiere); Luz, dir. Tilman Singer (North American Premiere); Madeline’s Madeline, dir. Josephine Decker (Canadian Premiere); Microhabitat, dir. Jeon Go-woon (Canadian Premiere); Piercing, dir. Nicolas Pesce (Canadian Premiere); Under the Silver Lake, dir. David Robert Mitchell (North American Premiere) All titles will compete for the AQCC-Camera Lucida prize, awarded by a jury of critics from the Québec’s Critics Association (AQCC), member of the FIPRESCI.

    CHINA’S ANIMATED DA HU FA IS A RAMBUNCTIOUS, REBELLIOUS FIND!

    A formidable fighter discovers a hidden town where dread, violence, and corruption pervade in Chinese animator Busifan’s DA HU FA (North American Premiere), presented in eye-popping 3D at Fantasia. A wonderfully unusual and defiant work of rambunctious, rebellious fantasy animation, this beautifully-animated adventure has been largely unseen outside of China until now.

    IT’S A LITERAL FACE-OFF AS KASANE COMES TO NORTH AMERICA

    Kasane must live with a face deformed by a giant scar, even though she is blessed with impressive performing skills. Nina is an arrogant actress who looks divine but is completely talentless. With the power of a magic tube of lipstick, they will change faces to create the ultimate actress. An adaptation of the popular manga, KASANE is a remarkably effective psychological thriller mixed with dark fantasy that forces us to confront our own superficiality regarding appearances – all without stuffing the lesson down our throat. A brilliant adaptation of mangaka Daruma Matsuura’s unique work, KASANE stars Kyoko Yoshine (the PRINCESS JELLYFISH series) and Tao Tsuchiya (RUROUNI KENSHIN: KYOTO INFERNO), while Tadanobu Asano (THOR) shines as the Machiavellian architect of their pact.

    NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF TORNADO GIRL

    After vowing to copy the coolest man he knows – real-life grungy hipster pop star Tamio Okuda – Koroki wins the admiration of his colleagues, but attracts the attention of Akari (Kiko Mizuhara), the publicist for a fashion brand who’s turned her sex appeal into a weapon of mass-distraction. Director Hitoshi One (BAKUMAN), who already amazed audiences in the rom-com genre with the MTV style musical hybrid LOVE STRIKES!, hits a bullseye again with TORNADO GIRL (North American Premiere), a cutting-edge romance that’s actually romantic, paired with surreal comedy that’s actually funny! With an amazing cast lead by the convincing duo Satoshi Tsumabuki (FOR LOVE’S SAKE) and Kiko Mizuhara (ATTACK ON TITAN), this one is sure to win audiences’ hearts.

    ADDITIONAL TITLES IN FANTASIA 2018’S FINAL WAVE INCLUDE:

    1987: WHEN THE DAY COMES South Korea – Dir: Jang Joon-hwan Based on true events leading to the establishment of South Korea’s democracy, 1987: WHEN THE DAY COMES is the logical follow-up to the impactful A TAXI DRIVER. With its enthralling narrative, masterful performances, the colossal power of its subject matter and the masterful approach to its direction, 1987 qualifies as one of the best features of the year. Black Dragon Audience Award, Udine Far East Film Festival 2018. AJIN: DEMI-HUMAN Japan – Dir: Katsuyuki Motohiro AJIN: DEMI-HUMAN marks the first live-action adaptation of Gamon Sakurai’s popular manga series. Director Katsuyuki Motohiro (BAYSIDE SHAKEDOWN) gives us a rock solid adaptation that delivers on wild action but doesn’t forget to put its likeable characters in the forefront and give them something to fight for. Action fans will find much to like, while aficionados of the manga and anime it’s based upon will come out smiling. Official Selection: SXSW 2018. Canadian Premiere. ARIZONA USA – Dir: Jonathan Watson Sonny (Danny McBride) lives in Arizona, and he’s a totally cool guy. He’s definitely NOT a murderer. Set against the middle-class destruction of the 2009 housing crisis, Jonathan Watson’s feature debut co-stars Rosemarie DeWitt and Luke Wilson, and plays out like the pitch black comedy we always wanted John Carpenter to make but never got. Official Selection: Sundance 2018. Canadian Premiere. BELIEVER South Korea – Dir: Lee Hae-young Six years ago, Johnnie To gave us the impressive DRUG WAR. Now, Korean filmmaker Lee Hae-young (FOXY FESTIVAL) delivers a tense and effective remake, teaming up with the woman behind many of Park Chan-wook’s recent works, Chung Seo-kyung (THIRST). Together, they approach this re-imagining from a different angle, and manage to surpass the original material. The biggest difference between the two films is the way they develop their characters, allowing some of the strongest Korean actors to sink their teeth into the film’s deliciously over-the-top roles. BELIEVER is remarkable and entertaining, beginning to end. Quebec Premiere. BODIED USA – Dir: Joseph Kahn Produced by Eminem, written by popular Toronto battle rapper Kid Twist, and directed by music video icon Joseph Kahn (TORQUE; the unforgettable DETENTION, seen at Fantasia 2011), BODIED is a triumphant satire of today’s social and political climate, in which nothing and everything can be perceived offensively if that’s what one is looking for. Deftly walking on such eggshells, Kahn has assembled an outrageously hilarious ideological rollercoaster that grapples with race, cultural appropriation, and academia, forcing its spectators to confront their own assumptions with the ferocity of a rapper slinging insults in an opponent’s face. Official Selection: TIFF 2017, Sundance 2018, Paris International Fantastic Film Festival 2018. Quebec Premiere. BODY MELT (New 2K Restoration from Vinegar Syndrome) Australia – Dir: Philip Brophy In the sleepy suburban community of Pebbles Court, residents have been receiving free samples of a new diet pill, which has been developed to help the body achieve ultimate health. However, as the townspeople eagerly gobble them down, they begin to experience some unexpected side effects. It turns out these pills transform their users into hallucinating mutants, and their bodies disintegrate, grow tentacles, explode, and melt! A gore-and-slime-filled gross-out classic from the final days of the Ozsploitation era, Philip Brophy’s BODY MELT is a truly outrageous and satirical horror comedy, proudly presented in a brand new 2K restoration! CHAMPION South Korea – Dir: Kim Yong-wan Mark, a Korean raised in the U.S, is a former arm-wrestling champion. When a friend with tendencies for scams brings him back to Korea for a tournament, he’s confronted with the family who gave him in adoption. Anyone thinking that producing an arm-wrestling sports drama is not a genius idea should wait until they experience funny, exciting, and poignant film. CHAMPION succeeds at everything it does – and the phenomenal performance by Don Lee (TRAIN TO BUSAN) is the reason it wins at every level! Quebec Premiere. CINDERELLA THE CAT Italy – Dirs: Alessandro Rak, Ivan Cappiello, Marino Guarnieri, and Dario Sansone Murder, mayhem, melodrama, and musical numbers make fine bedfellows in Studio Rai’s CINDERELLA THE CAT, an animated noir-stained revisiting of the famous fairy tale, executed with flair and enhanced by a soundtrack of Neapolitan cabaret cool. Official Selection: Annecy 2018. Canadian Premiere. COLD SKIN France/UK – Dir: Xavier Gens Struggling for survival in the Antarctic, a weather surveyor (Ray Stevenson) must choose between a madman and a legion of creatures he does not fully understand. COLD SKIN feels fresh from the pages of H.P. Lovecraft in its portrayal of the period, the monsters that populate it, and the paranoia and tension between its characters. The film’s creatures are both terrifying and astoundingly dynamic in their realism – but what less would one expect from the director of THE DIVIDE, FRONTIERE(S), and HITMAN?! Official Selection: Frightfest Glasgow 2018, Morbido 2018. Canadian Premiere. DESTINY: THE TALE OF KAMAKURA Japan – Dir: Takashi Yamazaki Ghosts, goblins… even a charming local death god? For newlywed Akiko, the town of Kamakura will take some time getting used to. DESTINY is an enchanting, romantic fantasy adventure from director and visual effects wizard Takashi Yamazaki (PARASYTE). Don’t miss the otherworldly night market that’s a treat tailor-made for fans of Guillermo del Toro! Official Selection: Hawaii International Film Festival. Quebec Premiere. DETECTIVE DEE: THE FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS China/Hong Kong – Dir: Tsui Hark Pop cinema potentate and HK master Tsui Hark returns with latest installment of the ever-popular Detective Dee series. Set in China’s Tang Dynasty era – a time of worldliness and wonders – THE FOUR HEAVENLY KINGS explodes with action, innovation, inspiration, and utter delirium. A series of mysterious incidents have disrupted the city and China’s most famous detective must prove his innocence from Empress Wu – played by award winning actress Carina Lau (2046, ASHES OF TIME). Quebec Premiere. FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH – Restored 35mm Print Hong Kong – Dir: Walter Chung FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH (aka KING BOXER) is the classic action masterpiece that kick-started the kung fu craze in the West months before ENTER THE DRAGON. A shameless favourite among aficionados (most notably Quentin Tarantino, who used one of the film’s most iconic musical cues in KILL BILL), this lovable, ridiculous actioner about two competing kung fu schools has been beautifully restored as a 35mm print just in time to celebrate its 45th anniversary! THE FORTRESS South Korea – Dir: Hwang Dong-hyuk Versatile award-winning director Hwang Dong-hyuk (MISS GRANNY) now tackles the epic tragedy, revisiting a major episode in Korean history. Flawlessly photographed and informed by rigorous attention to historical detail, Hwang’s THE FORTRESS boasts numerous high-profile names, notably Kim Yoon-seok (THE CHASER) and Lee Byung-hun (I SAW THE DEVIL). Winner of the Best Screenplay, Blue Dragon Film Awards 2017. GASTON LAGAFFE France – Dir: Pierre-François Martin-Laval Bringing André Franquin’s iconic, episodic comic book to the screen has long proved to be quite the challenge, but Pierre-François Martin-Laval has skillfully adapted the material to the screen. Transposing the beloved books into the world of online commerce, the film still features Gaston, Prunelle, and Mr. de Mesmaeker, as well as favorites Mademoiselle Jeanne, Officer Longtarin, Yves Lebrac, Jules-de-chez-Smith-en-face, Bertrand Labévue, the crazy cat, and the laughing seagull. Martin-Laval’s wild visuals have delivered a delightful, unpretentious film that’s only goal is to make the entire family laugh. North American Premiere. GONJIAM: HAUNTED ASYLUM South Korea – Dir: Jeong Beom-sik When a YouTuber brings a group of young volunteers in for a livestream at Gonjiam‘s Namyang Mental Hospital (a real-life location, selected by CNN as “One of the Freakiest Places on the Planet”), they get way more than what his ad-based revenue stream was worth. The second-highest-grossing Korean horror movie of all time (right after A TALE OF TWO SISTERS), this found-footage scare fest lives up to its immense hype! Quebec Premiere. HEAVY TRIP Finland/Norway/Belgium – Dirs: Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren Crack out the corpse paint and make an offering to Odin, because here comes the funny-as-hellfire Finnish rock ’n’ road saga that made its SXSW crowd shriek like damned souls! Rock video and TV veterans Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren’s debut feature is the feel-good, follow-that-dream, underdog rock comedy for the blast-beat bunch. Being Scandinavian, the humour in HEAVY TRIP is dry and sharp – and the black metal riffage absolutely shreds. Official Selection: Cinepocalypse 2018. Canadian Premiere. LAUGHING UNDER THE CLOUDS Japan – Dir: Katsuyuki Motohiro In Restoration-era Japan, the three Kumo brothers stand guard against the return of the mythical dragon Orochi. Whirlwind thrills, eye-popping art direction, poignant drama, and swashbuckling adventure abound in this manga adaptation! Audiences who adored RUROUNI KENSHIN won’t want to miss out this one! Quebec Premiere. MY SON France – Dir: Christian Carion Writer-director Christian Carion (JOYEUX NOËL) and cowriter Laure Irrmann offer up an intense thriller in the vein of PRISONERS, featuring a desperate protagonist who is ready to do anything – including torturing people and risking his own life – to get his boy back. Frenetically shot and edited, MY SON keeps its audience breathless until its final frame. Canadian Premiere. NEOMANILA The Philippines – Dir. Mikhail Red Following the award-winning BIRDSHOT, director Mikhail Red unveils a neo-noir that brilliantly combines social realism and a dystopian reality to better comprehend the phenomenon of extrajudicial killings. Winner: Audience Choice Award and Best Artistic Achievement, Quezon City International Film Festival. Canadian Premiere. THE NIGHT EATS THE WORLD France – Dir: Dominique Rocher Sam wakes up to discover that Paris has been overrun by a zombified populace. This alt-zombie entry explores what it means to be human, and how to salvage it when all around you are no longer living. A project born from Frontières, Fantasia’s International Co-Production Market, THE NIGHT EATS THE WORLD has been devouring fest audiences from Rotterdam to Tribeca. Canadian Premiere. RIVER’S EDGE Japan – Dir. Isao Yukisada Adapted from Kyoko Okazaki’s (HELTER SKELTER) cult manga of the same name, director Yukisada’s latest is a chilling 1990s-set coming-of-age drama, forged in the darkness of Tokyo’s industrial suburbs. Official Selection: Berlin International Film Festival. Canadian Premiere. A ROUGH DRAFT Russia – Dir: Sergey Mokritskiy Kirill has watched his life vanish. A mysterious cabal has enlisted him as an inter-dimensional gatekeeper, opening the doors to a myriad of possible Moscows. With director Sergey Mokritskiy (BATTLE FOR SEVASTOPOL) at the helm and the writer behind NIGHT WATCH cleverly penning, it’s a given that every frame is an eyeful and every turn more twisted than the last. Canadian Premiere. THE SAINT BERNARD SYNDICATE Denmark – Dir: Mads Brügger After making his mark with satirical documentaries RED CHAPEL and THE AMBASSADOR (Fantasia 2011), Mads Brügger returns with his first scripted feature, the very droll and very wry THE SAINT BERNARD SYNDICATE – one part travelogue, and another part nightmare for anyone looking to make their mark in a country they know next to nothing about. Winner: Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Tribeca Film Festival 2018. Canadian Premiere. THE SCYTHIAN Russia – Dir: Rustam Mosafir A Christian Russian and his pagan captive/guide journey into ever more mysterious lands, and come face-to-face strange and sinister sights, and sudden, savage violence. THE SCYTHIAN is an epic historical action-fantasy that’s as beautiful as it is brutal. Official Selection: Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival 2018. North American Premiere. TOKYO VAMPIRE HOTEL Japan – Dir: Sion Sono Two vampire clans battle over mortal human livestock. Swerving from massive gun orgies to gaudy scenes of baroque excess, TOKYO VAMPIRE HOTEL is a confetti cannon full of blood squibs aimed at your face, courtesy of Fantasia fave Sion Sono. Imagine Sono in the style of Yoshihiro Nishimura, with massive bloodshed, wild colors, and sumptuous art direction. Are you in? Official Selection: Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival 2017, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2017. Quebec Premiere. TRUE FICTION South Korea – Dir: Kim Jin-mook An arrogant aspiring mayor visits the second home of his in-laws to hide his corrupt congressman stepfather’s secret funds. Unfortunately, his encounter with wise locals – and the digging of his own hole – might just ruin his career. Starting like a hilarious black comedy and turning into a dark psychological thriller, TRUE FICTION is a true gem filled with sharp dialogue delivered with surgical precision. With this impressive debut feature, writer/director Kim Jin-mook establishes himself as one of the most interesting new voices in Korean Cinema. Best Screenplay Award, Directors’ Week Program, Fantasporto International Film Festival 2018. Canadian Premiere. UNITY OF HEROES China/Hong Kong – Dir: Lin Zhen-Hao Legendary Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-Hung strikes back with a vengeance after a 20-year hiatus – and is played once again by mainstay Vincent Zhao (TRUE LEGEND)! UNITY OF HEROES keeps its action and plot moving at breakneck speed, all while retaining an irreverent humour in the spirit of the original ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA films. North American Premiere. V.I.P South Korea – Dir: Park Hoon-jung After directing the swaggering gangster epic NEW WORLD and the swaggering man-vs-beast epic THE TIGER, the screenwriter behind Ryoo Seung-wan’s THE UNJUST and Kim Jee-woon’s I SAW THE DEVIL abandons his swagger to go very, very dark. V.I.P. will keep audiences on the edge of their seats and on the tips of their toes! Official Selection: AFI Fest 2017 – Midnight London East Asia Film Festival 2017, Filmasia Film Festival 2017. Quebec Premiere. WHAT A MAN WANTS South Korea – Dir: Lee Byeong-heon From the get-go, the stellar jazz score of this edgy yet lively romantic comedy about cheating calls to mind the mood of Woody Allen. Throughout, the film delights in witty dialogue, unexpected plot twists and playful touches. With its stellar cast including Shin Ha-kyun (THE VILLAINESS), Lee Sung-min (THE SPY GONE NORTH), and Jang Young-nam (I HAVE A DATE WITH SPRING), WHAT A MAN WANTS is a wonderful adult dramedy about eternal children. Official Selection: New York Asian Film Festival 2018. Quebec Premiere. WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE Canada – Dir: Colin Minihan An intensely smart, ferocity-fueled LGBT survival thriller that smashes conventions while dropping its audience off unexpected cliffs, WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE is built upon an eviscerating pair of performances from Brittany Allen and Hannah Emily Anderson. Writer/Director Colin Minihan (IT STAINS THE SANDS RED) has made one of the most gripping thrillers of the year, one that asks the unsettling question of what you would do if the person you trusted most unconditionally suddenly turned against you. Official Selection: Overlook Film Festival 2018, SXSW 2018, Sydney Film Festival 2018. Quebec Premiere.

    SPECIAL LIVE EVENTS AT FANTASIA 2018

    Mick Garris’ POST MORTEM Live Podcast Event – The NIGHTMARE CINEMA Special In celebration of NIGHTMARE CINEMA’s World Premiere at Fantasia, celebrated filmmaker Mick Garris (THE STAND, SLEEPWALKERS) will host a special live recording of his popular podcast, Post Mortem, dedicated to the highly-anticipated anthology and its directors – of which he is one. Joining him onstage will be Joe Dante (THE HOWLING, GREMLINS), Ryûhei Kitamura (VERSUS, DOWNRANGE), Alejandro Brugués (JUAN OF THE DEAD, ABCs OF DEATH 2) and Fantasia programmer/former Fangoria magazine editor Tony Timpone The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies in association with Fantasia and Frontières Presents MICHAEL IRONSIDE: LIVE IN CONVERSATION Moderated by Heather Buckley In recognition of Fantasia’s screening of KNUCKLEBALL, a project birthed from its Frontières International Co-Production Market, The Miskatonic Institute is proud to present a career talk with one of the most iconic character actors of our time, and a true legend of the genre film world. Over the course of an hour-long illustrated discussion of key films, directors, and collaborators in his life, Ironside will discuss his many film roles – which include work with David Cronenberg, Claude Jutra, Jean-Claude Lord, Tony Scott, Walter Hill, James Glickenhaus, Paul Verhoeven, RKSS, and more – his origins and approach to acting, how he captures his characters, and his command of voice and physicality. Michael Gingold’s AD NAUSEAM: Newsprint Nightmares from the 1980’s Film critic Michael Gingold has been writing about genre cinema for over 30 years. Growing up in New York in the 1980s, his obsession with scary movies led him to take scissors to local newspapers to cut out and collect ads for just about every horror film he came across: mainstream, indie, arthouse, or grindhouse. Ad Nauseam: Newsprint Nightmares From the 1980s is a year-by-year deep dive into the critic’s personal collection. Within its pages you’ll see rare alternate art for Gremlins, Child’s Play, The Blob remake and entries in the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises. You’ll be taken back to the era of the double bill, with notices for Aliens, The Fly, Drive-in Massacre, Driller Killer, Night of the Living Dead, and The Three Stooges (!?!). For this special Fantasia book launch event, Michael Gingold will be conducting a slideshow presentation illustrating highlights from his collection, highlighted with his own personal recollections and commentary.

    FANTASIA 2018’s JURIES

    CHEVAL NOIR COMPETITION Fantasia’s flagship juried competition, a 14-film global selection of varied genre works from new and established, groundbreaking and unconventional auteurs. Fantasia’s 2018 Cheval Noir jury is comprised of: Jury President: Tim Matheson Actor, Director, Producer Abraham Castillo Flores Head Programmer, Morbido Film Festival E.L. Katz Filmmaker, Screenwriter Phil Nobile Jr. Editor-in-Chief, Fangoria magazine Victoria Sanchez Mandryk Actor, Screenwriter, Producer Stéphanie Trépanier Producer; Distribution Director, Métropole Films Distribution 2018 CHEVAL NOIR COMPETITION TITLES BIG BROTHER – Hong Kong / China – Dir: Kam Ka-Wai BLEACH – Japan – Dir: Shinsuke Sato CAM – USA – Dir: Daniel Goldhaber DANS LA BRUME (Just a Breath Away) – France/Canada – Dir: Daniel Roby FLEUVE NOIR (Black Tide) – France – Dir: Erick Zonca INUYASHIKI – Japan – Dir: Shinsuke Sato LAPLACE’S WITCH – Japan – Dir: Takashi Miike LOUDER! CAN’T HEAR WHAT YOU’RE SINGIN’, WIMP! – Japan – Dir: Satoshi Miki THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT – USA – Dir: Robert Krzykowski NUMBER 37 – South Africa – Dir: Nosipho Dumisa THE NIGHTSHIFTER – Brazil – Dir: Dennison Ramalho RELAXER – USA – Dir: Joel Potrykus SATAN’S SLAVES – Indonesia – Dir: Joko Anwar WITCH PART 1: THE SUBVERSION – South Korea – Dir: Park Hoon-jung FIRST FEATURE JURY FOR NEW FLESH AWARD Jury President: Ségolène Roederer General Manager, Québec Cinéma; Former Executive Director of the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois Neil Calderone Founder, Chicago Cinema Society Liane Cunje Co-Founder, INIODYMUS, International Programming Associate, TIFF; Former Production Coordinator, Arrow Video Ezra Winton Co-Founder and Director of Programming, Cinema Politica Joe Yanick Co-President, Yellow Veil Pictures; Assistant Director of Festival and Non-Theatrical Bookings, Visit Films INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION JURY Jury President: Jacqueline Castel Filmmaker, Curator, Archivist Kalyn Corrigan Critic, Collider, Bloody Disgusting, Birth. Movies. Death, ComingSoon James Fler Managing Partner, Raven Banner Entertainment 2018 International Short Film Competition Titles AURORE – France – Dir: Mael Le Mée BE MY GUEST – Canada – Dir: David Jermyn BEURRE NOIR – Canada – Dir: Jimmy G. Pettigrew BLOOM – Australia – Dir: Kieran Wheeler CLEAN BLOOD – USA – Dir: Jordan Michael Blake CRYING BITCH – Japan – Dir: Reiki Tsuno THE DAY MY MOTHER BECAME A MONSTER – France – Dir: Josephine Darcy Hopkins END TIMES – USA – Dir: Bobby Miller EXIT STRATEGY – USA – Dir: Travis Bible FAUVE – Canada – Dir: Jérémy Comte THE FLAPPING OF THE HUMMINGBIRD – Spain – Dir: Meritxell A. Valls HELLO, RAIN – Nigeria – Dir: C.J. “Fiery” Obasi THE INVADERS – Spain – Dir: Mateo Márquez LUCY’S TALE – USA – Dir: Chelsea Lupkin MILK – Canada – Dir: Santiago Menghini NOSE NOSE NOSE EYES! – South Korea – Dir: Jiwon Moon THE OLD WOMAN WHO HID HER FEAR UNDER THE STAIRS – UK – Dir: Faye Jackson PETITE AVARIE – France – Dir: Manon Alirol and Léo Hardt PUPPET MASTER – Finland – Dir: Hannah Bergholm RILEY WAS HERE – USA – Dir: Mike Marrero and Jonathan Rhoads SPIN – France – Dir: Léticia Belliccini THEY WAIT FOR US – UK – Dir: George Thomson and Lukas Schrank AXIS ANIMATION JURY FOR SATOSHI KON AWARD Jury President: Torill Kove Animation Director, Illustrator Lorraine Carpentier Artist, Teacher Marc Tessier Publisher, Writer, Photographer, Teacher Sarah Mercey Animator, Actress THE BARRY CONVEX AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE Administered by SPECTACULAR OPTICAL, with support from the Paul A. Ray Memorial Fund 2018 Barry Convex Jury Kier-La Janisse Author, Critic, Founder of Spectacular Optical Shelagh Rowan-Legg Critic, filmmaker, Festival Programmer (FrightFest) Michael Kronish Executive Producer Nora McHenny Arrow Video, technical advisor for INIODYMUS VR JURY Patrick Senécal Author, Screenwriter Patrick Boivin Filmmaker Gerard Lewis Screenwriter SÉQUENCE JURY Donato Totaro Critic, Teacher Pascal Grenier Critic Jules Couturier Critic

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  • Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival Releases 2018 Lineup, Opens with RBD, Documentary on Ruth Bader Ginsburg

    [caption id="attachment_27452" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Ruth Bader Ginsburg in RBG by Betsy West and Julie Cohen Ruth Bader Ginsburg in RBG by Betsy West and Julie Cohen[/caption] RBG, a revealing and exciting portrayal of the Notorious RBG herself, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, will open this year’s 2018 Traverse City Film Festival (TCFF 2018). Festival founder, president, and programmer Michael Moore unveiled the full 2018 program lineup, including  Centerpiece Film: HEARTS BEAT LOUD, and Closing Night Film: BURDEN. Other festival highlights include  the North American premiere of Mark Cousins’ Cannes film The Eyes of Orson Welles, the U.S. premiere of Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver, starring Shirley MaClaine, Michigan films include The Sentence and The Russian Five; along with a Tribute to Jonathan Demme. In-Attendance at TCFF 2018: Dick Cavett (Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes), Tribeca-winning director Kent Jones (Diane), two-time Oscar® winning director Barbara Kopple (A Murder in Mansfield), comedian Doug Benson presents his film pick of the festival as well as his live audience podcast, and dozens of filmmakers, cast members, and other notables! https://vimeo.com/277515966

    OPENING NIGHT

    RBG Directed by Julie Cohen, Betsy West If you’re suffering from superhero fatigue, then we have the movie for you—2018’s actual best superhero flick, a revealing and exciting portrayal of the Notorious RBG herself, Ruth Bader Ginsburg! Since Justice Ginsburg joined the Supreme Court in 1993, she’s become famous for two things: her fierce dissenting opinions and the constant push-up workouts that sustain her vitality. And yes, you’ll see both of those here. But RBG also presents a compelling story of a woman who has fought a tireless, six-decade crusade for gender equality, and how her successes in that arena have made her a cult superstar to generations of people pining for progress. Plus, you just haven’t known real delight until you see Justice Ginsburg watch and giggle along to Kate McKinnon portraying her on Saturday Night Live. In Person: Director Betsy West and other guests TBA.

    CENTERPIECE

    HEARTS BEAT LOUD Directed by Brett Haley Let’s be honest: starting a band with your dad sounds pretty lame. At least that’s what Sam (Kiersey Clemons) thinks when her hipster dad, Frank (Nick Offerman), suggests she join his weekly “jam seshes.” A one-time musician with lingering dreams of stardom and a failing record store, Frank just wants to stay connected with Sam before she flies from Brooklyn to study pre-med at UCLA. When he secretly uploads one of their songs to a streaming service, it becomes an unexpected hit and this unlikely father-daughter duo kick-start a musical journey of discovery, growing up, and letting go. Everyone’s favorite woodworker, Nick Offerman, gives a truly heartfelt performance, and Kiersey Clemons shows she’s a damn rock star in this endearingly sweet comedy that is the perfect summer bop. Scheduled to Appear via Skype: Director Brett Haley.

    CLOSING NIGHT

    BURDEN Directed by Andrew Heckler We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring you Sundance 2018’s US Dramatic Audience Award winner, joining such esteemed company as all-time TCFF faves The Sessions and Fruitvale Station. This unbelievably powerful true story stars Garrett Hedlund (Mudbound, TRON: Legacy) as Mike Burden, a man raised within the disgusting indoctrination of the South Carolina KKK, but moved to purge the hatred from his life when he falls in love with a single mom (Andrea Riseborough, also at TCFF 2018 with Nancy). The incredible supporting cast features Tom Wilkinson as the menacing father figure of the local Klan group, Forest Whitaker as the preacher that takes Mike in, and Usher—yes, that Usher—as one of Mike’s coworkers. Burden is not only one of the best acted films you’ll see this year, but it’s a film that looks straight into the heart of our darkness and offers a beacon of hope and inspiration at a time we sorely need it. In Person: Director Andrew Heckler.

    FRIENDS SCREENINGS

    AMATEURS Directed by Gabriela Pichler Times are tough in the quaint Swedish hamlet of Lafors. The main industries of the once prosperous town are barely hanging on and in need of a serious economic boost. Enter the Wal-Mart-esque chain Superbilly and their plans to open a new location, maybe in Lafors. The cash-strapped town council’s big idea to set them apart? Inviting local high schoolers armed with selfie sticks to make a promotional video. When they realize the teens may not be quite up to the task, plans are scrapped. But two participants from very different immigrant families, Aida and Dana, take the mission to heart and continue to capture the reality of their changing multicultural community and its underrepresented voices to hilarious and poignant effect. With an effortless charm and infectious DIY spirit, this irresistible social comedy is a warm reminder of the wonderful things that happen when people tell their own stories. SKID ROW MARATHON Directed by Mark Hayes Judge Craig Mitchell is the definition of inspirational. By day he presides over a criminal court for Los Angeles County, but by early morning (like 4 am early)—he trades his judicial garb for tennis shoes and running shorts as he jogs the darkened streets of L.A. among the people who call Skid Row home. He’s not running alone, however, because each morning he is joined by a group of addicts, ex-cons, and criminals as they all train to run marathons. Skid Row Marathon follows the individual stories of four runners as they fight against poverty and addiction to run marathons around the world. This film is about more than just running marathons, though, it’s about the comradeship of a group of people who receive a second chance. Ultimately, it’s a tear-inducing, hopeful, and illuminating film that asks its audience to look at the world from a different angle.

    US FICTION

    BLAZE Directed by Ethan Hawke Written and directed by Ethan Hawke, Blaze is inspired by the legend of Blaze Foley, a Texas outlaw country singer who tragically died in 1989 before ever hittin’ the big time. Moving seamlessly between three different periods, the film explores his love affair with Sybil Rosen (who co-wrote the screenplay), the days leading up to his death, and the reminiscences of his closest friends after he is gone. Featuring incredible acting and musical performance by Benjamin Dickey (remember his name) and a star-studded supporting cast (Alia Shakwat, Josh Hamilton, Charlie Sexton, Sam Rock-well, Steve Zahn, Kris Kristofferson, and more), Blaze is a profoundly bittersweet and beautiful country music tragedy that will leave tears in your eyes and hope in your heart. DIANE Directed by Kent Jones Making his narrative feature debut, legendary film critic and cinephile Kent Jones delivers a richly atmospheric drama you won’t soon forget. Diane is the story of a widowed baby-boomer who faithfully devotes her life to serving the needs of others. She spends her days serving soup at a food kitchen, consoling her ailing friends, and desperately attempting to forge a meaningful relationship with her opioid-addicted son (Jake Lacy). As her friends pass away, Diane’s altruistic world begins to crumble, forcing her to reconcile her current life with past regrets, and ultimately come to grips with her own mortality. Taking home Tribeca’s top prize for US Narrative Feature, Dianeis filled with warmth and humanity, anchored by a quietly phenomenal performance from Mary Kay Place that makes Diane’s struggles all the more relatable and profound. In Person: Director Kent Jones (Wed). HOSTILES Directed by Scott Cooper It’s been a while since we had a great revisionist western, but the wait is over—Christian Bale’s entry into the genre has arrived, and it’s one that will stay with you. Bale plays a racist US Officer ordered against his will to safely escort a Cheyenne chief (Wes Studi) and his family back to their home in Montana. Their travel through hostile territory is beset by numerous problems, including the arrival of a beautiful woman whose family was just slaughtered (Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl). Director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart) brings together an impressive cast that also includes Ben Foster and Timothée Chalamet for this stark, powerful look at how shared histories of divisive hatred make reconciliation so difficult to achieve. HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES Directed by John Cameron Mitchell From master of fantasy Neil Gaiman (Coraline, American Gods) and glam-rock legend John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus), this delightfully quirky punk rock spectacle is an instant cult classic. Enn (Alex Sharp) is an awkward suburban teenager in 1977 London, sneaking into underground punk parties hosted by Queen Boadicea (Nicole Kidman). One night he and his friends crash a kinky house party that feels a little too much like a latex-laden alien cult gathering. Blissfully ignorant of his hosts’ inhumanity, Enn falls for Zan, a beautiful teen eager to rebel against her colony’s strict rules. Together, the galaxy-crossed lovers embark on a glorious punk rampage. But Zan’s love-struck foray into non-conformity may have interstellar consequences, and leads to an ultimate battle of punks vs. aliens, loyalty vs. true love. LEAVE NO TRACE Directed by Debra Granik If reading the news these days provokes fantasies of leaving civilization behind, this heartfelt—and uncompromising—father/daughter story might be just what you need. Ben Foster (in the best performance of his career) plays Will, a man living off the grid in the wilds of Oregon and raising his teenage daughter, Tom, with total self-sufficiency. But when authorities are alerted to their unlawful presence, they’re taken into the custody of social services. As Tom adjusts to her new surroundings, Will can only think of escape, and conflicting ideas about how to find happiness develop between the two. Director Debra Granik made one of the most memorable indies of the decade with Winter’s Bone, which introduced Jennifer Lawrence to the world; Leave No Trace, with its vivid and true sense of grace, proves that lightning sometimes really does strike twice. THE LONG DUMB ROAD Directed by Hannah Fidell The biggest mistake Nathan (Tony Revolori, The Grand Budapest Hotel) could make is starting college without a clear direction in life. At least, that’s what the random guy in his car says. Nathan was making the drive from Texas to California for his first year of art school when his car broke down, and Richard, a small-town mechanic, said he could fix it in exchange for taking him along for the ride. But in this hilarious comedy, Richard—played by Jason Mantzoukas of The League and the How Did This Get Made? podcast, in a true breakout role—is both more (and kinda less) than he seems; try to imagine a stoner Yoda that never shuts up and you’re just about there. The Long Dumb Road deftly combines buddy comedy, road movie, and a coming of age story, recontextualizing them in a way that breathes fresh air into all three. And you better believe plenty of hijinks do ensue. THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST Directed by Desiree Akhavan One of the great, under-reported human rights tragedies of modern America is the existence of gay conversion therapy, which has only been outlawed for minors in 13 states. (Sadly, Michigan isn’t one of them.) Based on the modern classic novel, this Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner brings this ongoing atrocity powerfully to life. Chloë Grace Moretz plays the titular Cameron, a teenager caught with another girl in the backseat of a car on prom night. When her guardians pull her out of school and send her to a gay conversion therapy camp, Cameron’s world is sent into upheaval. But Cameron also realizes that, for the first time, she’s surrounded by other LGBTQ teens, and suddenly feels part of a support group that’s committed to resist the oppressive ideology the camp preaches. NANCY Directed by Christina Choe As a failed, socially awkward 35-year-old writer, Nancy (played by rising star Andrea Riseborough, see also TCFF 2018’s Closing Night film Burden) has always had problems with her elaborate fictions distorting her sense of reality. But when her mother dies, distinguishing fact from fiction becomes an even more perilous endeavor. After seeing a story on the news about a couple (Steve Buscemi and Ann Dowd) whose 5-year-old daughter went missing 30 years earlier, Nancy becomes convinced that she might actually be their missing daughter, and that she had been stolen away as a child. With Nancy, first-time feature director Christina Choe has given us the perfect female anti-hero for our times—one whose duplicity is presented with the ambiguity that our present-day world is increasingly attaching to notions of truth. NEVER GOIN’ BACK Directed by Augustine Frizzell High school dropout besties Angela and Jessie (Maia Mitchell and Camila Morrone) have serious problems: they’re only a few shifts at their scuzzy diner job away from a dream beach vacation, but, like, they can’t make rent after a botched drug deal, getting robbed, and a bogus trip to juvie. Now they might get evicted, fired, or both. But it’s all totally not their fault and ugghh, like, why is the universe giving such harsh vibes? But our heroes make a pact—they’re getting to that beach, no matter how many schemes they have to spring on the idiot boys crushing on them (including the hilarious Kyle Mooney, of TCFF 2017’s Brigsby Bear). The latest film from the leading purveyors of indie cool, A24, this lady stoner comedy showcases an exciting new voice in the sisterhood of female filmmakers, and it’s destined to be a future cult classic. NIGHT COMES ON Directed by Jordana Spiro Balancing anger with hope. Attitude with innocence. Tough with tender. Dominique Fishback establishes herself as a name to remember in this Sun-dance-breakout about a bruised 18-year-old with her mind set on retribution. After serving time for unlawful possession of a weapon, Angel (Fishback) is thrown back onto the streets with nothing but a dead cellphone and drive for revenge. Her sister, Abby, is stuck in foster care, while her father killed their mother, but now walks free. Looking to reconcile the demons of her past, An-gel leaves with her 10-year-old sister on a course that could forever change their future. Bringing a refreshing female gaze, Jordana Spiro etches a compassion and humor onto an intimately bleak world in this quietly compelling coming of age story. PUZZLE Directed by Marc Turtletaub Prepare to be charmed by this sweetly endearing character study of an unassuming housewife who finds meaning in the simple and unexpected pleasure of putting all the pieces together. Agnes (Kelly Macdonald) has spent her adult life quietly catering to the needs of her family. It’s not that her husband and kids don’t appreciate her, it’s just that her only worth seems to be tied to them, and Agnes has found herself drowning in contentment. When she unwraps a present of a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle, she discovers the great satisfaction of being good at something, and a sudden desire to do more. Venturing to a specialty puzzle store in the city leads her to a champion puzzler looking for a new partner, and for the first time Agnes begins to fight for what she wants. With standout performances by Irfan Khan (The Lunchbox, TCFF 2014) and David Denman (The Office), this heartfelt and poignant gem is what’s missing from your TCFF experience. RELAXER Directed by Joel Potrykus Cult Michigan auteur Joel Potrykus brings us this bonkers (and kinda gross) burst of 90s nostalgia: one guy, on a couch on the eve of Y2K, mandated by his overlord brother to beat the impossible Level 256 of Pac-Man without getting up, before the apocalypse arrives. The result is like a more absurdist—and even more claustrophobic—version of Darren Aronofsky’s allegory-laden mother!, but with video games. Strange characters come in and out, a supernatural pair of 3D glasses gets involved, and this stunted male archetype is taken to its ultimate, explosive conclusion. Prepare yourself, because Relaxer brilliantly imprisons its audience along with its hero; you’re on that couch, the game is on, and there’s no such thing as getting up for bathroom breaks. THE SEAGULL Directed by Michael Mayer Tony Award–winning Broadway heavyweights Stephen Karam and Michael Mayer (American Idiot, Michael Moore on Broadway) team up for this splendid screen adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s classic tragicomedy of incredibly complicated love triangles. Famed Russian actress Irina brings her son Konstantin (a budding playwright) out to her brother’s estate to enjoy a pleasant holiday in the country. Konstantin becomes infatuated with Nina (a neighbor), much to the dismay of young Masha (the farmer’s daughter). But Nina is in love with Boris, while Boris is currently dating Irina—you get the idea; it’s a swooning lovesick mess. Featuring a divinely lush setting and an absolutely perfectly-cast ensemble of stars (Annette Bening, Corey Stoll, Saoirse Ronan, Elisabeth Moss, and more), The Seagull is a hilarious and heart wrenching saga that poetically explores the nature of family, fame, art, and love. SUPPORT THE GIRLS Directed by Andrew Bujalski Middle-aged mom Lisa Conroy (the amazingly brilliant Regina Hall) does not look like someone you’d find at a roadside Texas breastaurant with scantily clad waitresses and greasy bar food. But the hardworking manager of the crudely named Double Whammies has an affection for her job, and more importantly–her girls. A fierce den mother, Lisa protects her short-short wearing staff from rude customers and sexist management in a thoughtful and truly remarkable ensemble comedy for the modern workforce that owes a debt to another TCFF 2018 film, 9 to 5. Over the course of a trying day involving an attempted robbery, a broken satellite, and an unauthorized car wash, Lisa’s optimistic resolve is tested more than ever. With outstanding supporting turns by James LeGros and Haley Lu Richardson, director Andrew Bujalski delivers a punchy feminist message of solidarity in the most unlikely of places. WOMAN WALKS AHEAD Directed by Susanna White The always stellar Jessica Chastain stars as the head-strong Catherine Weldon, a happily widowed woman in the late 19th century who defies society’s expectations to become a noted painter. She travels to the Dakotas determined to paint a portrait of the legendary Sitting Bull, and while the “New York liberal” is initially met with hostility by the famed Sioux warrior, things take an unexpected turn when they begin to form a strange but powerful friendship. Welcomed into their world, Catherine is awakened to the injustices around her and becomes an advocate in the tribe’s struggle to retain their land as a showdown with hostile soldiers (including Sam Rockwell) mounts. Handsomely directed with vistas that make you ache, what sets this earnest and moving historical drama apart is how it’s aware of the tiresome White Savior trope and skillfully turns the stale cliche upside down. In English, Sioux with subtitles.

    US DOCS

    ALI & CAVETT: THE TALE OF THE TAPES Directed by Robert S. Bader Sports, politics, and entertainment collide in this captivating documentary that centers on the relationship between two legends who struck up an unlikely friendship and deep admiration for each other. Over the course of the 13 years that The Dick Cavett Show was on the air, boxer and activist Muhammad Ali made over a dozen appearances, sparring with the host about his career, his decision to join the Nation of Islam, his refusal to serve in the Vietnam War, and his often controversial statements on race relations in America. Co-written by Cavett himself, the film delves into a time when late night talk shows were more than monologues and viral videos, but built around insightful conversations. Part biography, part nostalgic tribute, and part history lesson on social and political issues that are still relevant today (see the NFL’s taking a knee), this superb film is also an important reminder of what progress can be made when respect dominates the discourse. Scheduled to Appear: Director Robert S. Bader and Dick Cavett. ARTHUR MILLER: WRITER Directed by Rebecca Miller This highly personal and lovingly crafted film shines new light on the celebrated American playwright and U-M alumnus Arthur Miller from someone who knew him best—his daughter, Rebecca Miller (Maggie’s Plan, TCFF 2016). Assembled from over twenty years of archival footage and interviews, Miller delivers an engaging portrait of a complicated man who used his personal struggles to create timeless works of art, and yet found himself suddenly out of favor in the last years of his career. Weaving in interviews from famed writers including director Mike Nichols and playwright Tony Kushner, Millers serves up in-depth perspectives on the importance of Miller’s seminal works Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, while also exploring the vulnerabilities of the man she knew as her father—a man with plenty of regrets, including the institutionalization of his youngest son who was born with Down syndrome. This rich and heartfelt documentary will captivate you from start to finish, with a narrative that is just as compelling as Miller’s own work. BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY Directed by Dava Whisenant While researching unusual vinyl albums for David Letterman, comedy writer Steve Young never expected to stumble across anything quite like the long-hidden and forgotten world of industrial musicals. And little did he know that this quirky discovery would yield such a nerdy mystery and fascinating documentary. An obscure corner of show business that was meant to entertain and energize the sales forces of corporate America, these musicals were full scale productions with budgets often toppling their Broadway counterparts. Sure, the featured songs with titles like “Everything’s coming Up Citgo” (for Citgo Petroleum Corporation) and “Detroit Diesel Dazzle” (for General Motors) are easy to laugh at, but there’s also something truly beautiful at work here. Young’s giddy enthusiasm for these oddities turns insightful and meaningful, forming a community of collectors who uncover not only the well known people who got their start in the field (the film features interviews with the likes of Martin Short and Florence Henderson), but also the unknown craftsmen thrilled to finally have their work recognized. Told with such warmth, charm, and unabashed nostalgia, Young’s love for this slice of Americana cheese is infectious. It’s a film that works its delightful magic so thoroughly you’re sure to leave humming tunes about bathroom fixtures (“The Bathrooms are Coming!”). Scheduled to Appear: Director Dava Whisenant and Steve Young. BISBEE ’17 Directed by Robert Greene In 1917, the border town of Bisbee, Arizona, did something absolutely horrific: 1,200 striking copper miners—many of them immigrant migrant workers—were rounded up at gun point, forced onto cattle cars, driven out to the middle of the desert, and left to die. A century later, current Bisbee residents prepare to commemorate the anniversary of the now infamous “Bisbee’s Deportation” by staging dramatic reenactments of the strike and its aftermath. These dramatizations, crafted by the area’s locals with conflicting accounts handed down as family lore for generations, reveal a town in firm denial of its dark past. In Bisbee ’17, innovative nonfiction artist Robert Greene perfects his signature style of blending documentary and drama, artfully examining the complex issues of immigration, corporate corruption, and environmental protection. It’s a cautionary tale for modern America that in light of recent ICE policies involving children and families, makes what happened in Bisbee 100 years ago seem less unimaginable than ever before. BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY Directed by Alexandra Dean File this under “stories” so fascinating Hollywood couldn’t have even made it up. Remembered for her sizzling screen presence and stunning looks that inspired Snow White’s face, there was so much more to Austrian born actress Hedy Lamarr than meets the eye. Being “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World” meant that she wasn’t always taken seriously, even though behind the ravishing beauty was an incredibly inventive mind that left an indelible mark on the world, eventually changing the course of history. A Jewish immigrant who escaped a marriage to a munitions tycoon with ties to Mussolini and Hitler, Lamarr was so eager to join the war effort she helped invent a wireless form of communication designed to aid allies during WWII. Although Lamarr’s contributions were dismissed, and she was never compensated, her concepts eventually became the basis for Wifi, GPS, and Bluetooth technology. Using interviews from her children, friends, colleagues, and newly discovered audio tapes of Lamarr herself, this marvelous—and often infuriating documentary— unveils a complex woman of undeniable intelligence and chutzpah who finally gets her due. THE COLD BLUE Directed by Erik Nelson In the summer of 1943, legendary Hollywood director William Wyler (Ben-Hur, Roman Holiday, Funny Girl) traveled to Europe with a film crew to document and recognize the airmen risking their lives in WWII. The resulting film, Memphis Belle, focused on the eponymous B-17 bomber that survived 25 near suicide missions practically unscathed. Miraculously, the raw color footage from Wyler’s shoot was recently unearthed in the National Archives and given new life by director Erik Nelson. This gorgeous and moving documentary pays tribute to both filmmaker and its subjects, and includes rich and penetrating narration from nine surviving veterans. As the voices of the Greatest Generation carry over the images of their youth, they take us through a meditative journey of war, sacrifice, and what it means to be truly brave. Don’t miss this breathtaking work of historical significance as it was meant to be experienced: on the big screen. Scheduled to Appear: Director Erik Nelson.

    WORK IN PROGRESS:

    CRACKED UP: THE DARRELL HAMMOND STORY Directed by Michelle Esrick You probably know Darrell Hammond as Saturday Night Live’s man of impeccable impressions. From Bill Clinton to Donald Trump to a raunchy Sean Connery, Hammond’s seemingly limitless range of impersonations made him SNL’s go-to opener for a record 14 seasons. What you probably don’t know is that his facility for mimicry was honed from a very young age to distract and defend against his horribly abusive mother. Cracked Up is an incredibly courageous and intimate portrait of a man coming to terms with the lasting effects of his childhood trauma. Even at the peak of his SNL career, Hammond’s mental health was rapidly deteriorating. Thankfully, as compassionately captured by director Michelle Esrick (Saint Misbehavin’, TCFF 2009), one doctor is able to isolate the key to unlocking Hammond’s past, ultimately leading him toward a path of redemption. This is a special “work in progress” screening exclusive to the Traverse City Film Festival. Be the first to see the film and provide valuable feedback to the filmmakers. Scheduled to Appear: Director Michelle Esrick and Darrell Hammond. CRIME + PUNISHMENT Directed by Stephen Maing Absolutely essential and completely daring, this sprawling look at corruption in the NYPD, with remarkable access to whistleblowers, will flood you with the kind of righteous anger you didn’t think possible. While the state of New York officially banned policing quotas in 2010, the corrupt practice endures at the NYPD as a cash-grabbing method helping pad its annual budget. These quotas are met by cops patrolling “high crime” areas (read: communities of color), making arrests that only seem to get dismissed in court. It’s only due to the courage of whistleblowers like the NYPD12, a group of minority officers who’ve filed a class-action lawsuit against the force, and the hard-nose investigations of private detectives like ex-cop Manual Gomez, that light is shed on the continued injustice and its dehumanizing practices. Up-close and unnerving, Stephen Maing’s explosive documentary masterfully weaves firsthand accounts, private documents, and secret recordings to give unparalleled insight into these institutional practices of racial discrimination, while revealing the bravery of police officers willing to do anything to serve and protect their community. As citizens, it’s practically our duty to see. FILMWORKER Directed by Tony Zierra Two great men—one a filmmaking giant whose name has practically become an adjective, and one a “filmworker” whose name you’ve probably never heard of—have their inspired works and relationship examined in this illuminating documentary. After starring as the memorable Lord Bullingdon in Stanley Kubrick’s 1975 film Barry Lyndon, Leon Vitali abandoned his burgeoning acting career to be in service of the reclusive filmmaker. The Igor to Kubrick’s Dr. Frankenstein, Leon took on roles from gofer to casting director to sound design to acting coach, writing copious notes for Kubrick on every aspect of production, and working tirelessly at all hours of the day and night. In Filmworker, Vitale finally receives long overdue recognition for his efforts; he not only found Danny Lloyd to play the young boy in The Shining, but also discovered the iconic twins who weren’t even in the original script. Even after Kubrick’s death Vitali continued his efforts to preserve the filmmaker’s high standards for his theatrical and video releases, at excessive cost to both his health and personal life. With unprece-dented insight into Kubrick’s creative process, including previously unseen footage and photographs, this riveting exploration of obsession is both a cinephile’s dream and a universally riveting portrait of a man’s devotion . FREAKS & GEEKS: THE DOCUMENTARY Directed by Brent Hodge Fans of this short-lived but much beloved TV series will revel in this retrospective behind-the-scenes look at the show that started the careers of Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, James Franco, and Linda Cardellini, and cemented both Paul Feig (TCFF Michigan Filmmaker Honoree) and Judd Apatow as talented writer/directors. For those who have somehow still missed the critically acclaimed show—you’re about to be schooled. How is it that in one season a show exploring the nerds, druggies, and weirdos of a Detroit-suburb school (the kind of kids ignored in all the glossy high school TV shows up until that point) had such significant influence over the cultural landscape of popular entertainment even up until today? From recognizing the raw talent of the cast and bringing them together, to the groundbreaking cinematic shooting style and soundtrack, and the zits-and-all narratives exploring the universal experience of adolescence, Freaks and Geeks was much more than just a show. With new interviews from the cast and crew (including friend of the fest Samm Levine), we promise this nostalgic trip back from director Brent Hodge (Pistol Shrimps, TCFF 2016) will be way more enjoyable than any other high school reunion. Scheduled to Appear: Samm Levine. HAL Directed by Amy Scott When we think of the iconic filmmaking style of 1970s New Hollywood, our minds often go to the marquee names of Coppola or Scorsese. But perhaps no one was more emblematic of that legendary era than Hal Ashby, maverick director of zeitgeist classics like Harold and Maude, Shampoo, Coming Home (also at TCFF 2018!), and Being There. Sadly, Ashby’s subsequent battles with studios in the 1980s, his own personal demons, and untimely death from cancer has obscured his name from history. Hal succeeds not just as a lovingly detailed portrayal, but also as an important reclamation and redemption project, emphasizing not the controversies, but rather the stunning body of socially conscious work left behind. Through interviews with Ashby collaborators like Jane Fonda and Dustin Hoffman—and with those he influenced, like Judd Apatow, Alexander Payne, and David O. Russell—an all-time great vividly emerges. HILLBILLY Directed by Sally Rubin, Ashley York Appalachia is possibly the most stereotyped and dismissed region in America. Its inhabitants are allpoor, opioid-addicted coal miners, right? In an increasingly divided nation, where coal country is ridiculed regularly and blamed for all political ills by coastal elites, directors Ashley York and Sally Rubin attempt to challenge the stereotypes—are they really all toothless and uneducated? Spoiler alert: they’re not! Hear from Tennessee-local Dolly Parton, activist-author bell hooks, Ashley Judd, Jennifer Garner, queer activists, and “Affrilachian” poets, who help dismantle a more than 100-year legacy of negative media representations. There is more to rural identity than the infamous hillbilly, after all. This film is a refreshing—and much needed—call for dialogue. HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT Directed by Kent Jones One of the most important and legendary conversations in the history of film took place over several days in 1962, when the French New Wave auteur François Truffaut interviewed Alfred Hitchock about the breadth of his landmark career. The ensuing book that Truffaut wrote has been taught in film schools ever since, and now it’s finally been lovingly brought to life as a movie. Film historian and director Kent Jones (also at TCFF 2018 with Diane)—along with a truly epic collection of tour guides including Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, and Michigan native Paul Schrader—takes us on a deep dive into Hitchcock’s unrivaled catalog that will do nothing less than change the way you view film. JANE FONDA IN FIVE ACTS Directed by Susan Lacy Like many women, Jane Fonda spent much of her life labeled by the way others saw her—girl next door, activist, feminist, sex kitten, daughter, wife—before finally emerging as the fierce and determined actress who, now in her 80s, is creating some of her best work. This is the compelling trajectory of Susan Lacy’s insightful and timely biography of a talented woman as celebrated as she is underestimated, and a story that resonates even more so in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Told with the first four acts tethered to the major men in her life, from her father Henry Fonda to her three husbands, the film dissects how these charismatic figures captivated and inspired her and yet kept her often locked firmly in their control. Through intimate glimpses of home movies and interviews, the film explores Fonda’s darkest moments, including her decades-long battle with bulimia, as well as her biggest triumphs, and culminates in a final act centered on the bold and brilliant Jane she finally becomes. A not-to-be-missed film that will no doubt inspire another generation of girls to fight the patriarchy and seize control of their own lives. Scheduled to Appear: Jane Fonda (Wed), Director Susan Lacy, Producer Emma Pildes. MINDING THE GAP Directed by Bing Liu Some films evoke so much, getting so close to the core of the human condition, that they defy description. Minding the Gap, which won a Breakthrough Filmmaking Award at Sundance, is just such a film. In Rockford, Illinois—a Rust Belt town that may feel hauntingly familiar to some Michiganders—three friends grow up bonded by their mutual love of skateboarding, each of them using it as a much-needed escape from their poor and troubled home lives. But circumstances eventually separate Zack, Keire, and Bing. Following his graduation from film school, Bing (the film’s director) sets his camera on the enduring friendship of the three young men, taking an honest, unvarnished look at how they’ve given each other invaluable help in getting through the seemingly mundane, dead-end existences the world set up for them. It’s a film you won’t want to let go. Scheduled to Appear: Director Bing Liu and Producer Diane Quon. A MURDER IN MANSFIELD Directed by Barbara Kopple A horrific murder. A pre-teen son accuses his respected physician father. A life sentence and… denial. Collier Boyle, the son at the center of his family’s much-publicized tragedy, returns to visit his father in prison nearly three decades after the murder. He’s looking to exorcise the ghosts of his past and, hopefully, to get some closure. Two-time Academy Award–winning director and TCFF Mid-Life Achievement Honoree Barbara Kopple (Harlan County, USA) masterfully and sensitively tells this story of an unthinkable act, avoiding the pitfalls of sensationalism. A gripping true-crime exposé that takes eerie and artful turns as it thoughtfully explores the aftermath of tragedy; the film’s climax—the meeting between father and son—is equally frustrating, mesmerizing, and cathartic. In Person: Director Barbara Kopple. ONE OF US Directed by Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady What is the price of claiming your own identity? Imagine if standing up for yourself meant breaking with everything and everyone you knew, meant being thwarted and intimidated every step of the way. And your reward? Entering a world you are unequipped for, and left feeling nostalgic for the community you’ve left behind. One of Us is the touching and dramatic story of Luzer, Etty, and Ari—three young people who are at various stages of leaving the most closed-off community in North America—the New York Hasidim. Oscar-nominated directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Detropia TCFF 2012, Jesus Camp 2006), manage to capture this, sometimes life-threatening process, over the course of three years. Regardless of the film’s almost thriller-like segments, or insights into the ultra- secretive community, it is first and foremost a portrait of strength and courage. ROLL RED ROLL Directed by Nancy Schwartzman A small town. A beloved high school football team. A “boys will be boys” mentality. In Nancy Schwartzman’s pointed Roll Red Roll, rape culture is examined through the lens of the infamous case in Steubenville, Ohio. In 2012, an underaged teenage girl was sexually assaulted at a pre-season party. The news swept the nation, but the town stayed silent on the suspects. It wasn’t until amateur true crime blogger Alex Goddard scoured through the students’ social media that the police made their arrests. And it wasn’t until the hacktivist group Anonymous got involved that there was anything close to justice. In unearthing the disturbing and extensive evidence of the crime, Goddard reveals the apathetic attitudes that shepherded the bystander culture of complicity and silence. Utterly impactful and harrowing, this is a must-see of the #MeToo era we dare not turn away from. THE RUSSIAN FIVE Directed by Joshua Riehl When Jim Devellano was hired as the new general manager of the struggling Detroit “Dead” Wings in 1982, his mission appeared impossible: restore the flailing franchise to its former glory by winning a Stanley Cup. He devised a radical, dangerous plan—draft superstars from the USSR’s Red Army team, then extract them from behind the iron curtain. Through covert dealings straight out of a spy novel, Devellano and his scouts persuade three celebrated Soviets—Federov, Konstantinov, and Koslov—to defect to Detroit. Years later they add veteran legends Fetisov and Larionov to form the NHL’s first all-Russian line, culminating in back-to-back Stanley Cup victories for the city of Detroit. More than mere nostalgic reminiscing, The Russian Five demonstrates the power of sports to change culture and politics by smashing stereotypes and forging bonds across borders. SAY HER NAME: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF SANDRA BLAND Directed by Kate Davis, David Heilbroner Three days after being pulled over for failing to signal during a lane change, 28-year-old Sandra Bland was found dead in her jail cell, her death quickly ruled a suicide. As if these circumstances weren’t suspect enough, the fact that she was an outspoken Black Lives Matter activist, and the murky evidence provided by the Waller County, Texas law officials, spurred nationwide public outcry on social media and protests in the streets. Following her family’s two year investigation and court case, this gripping documentary by Academy Award–nominated filmmakers Kate Davis and David Heilbroner (The Newburgh Sting, TCFF 2014) delves into the multitude of difficult questions surrounding her arrest and death, giving voice to the victim herself by weaving in video of Bland from her web series, “Sandra Speaks.” Don’t miss this deftly crafted film which is essential viewing as part of the continuing conversation of racial injustice in America. THE SENTENCE Directed by Rudy Valdez This Sundance Audience Award Winner with Michigan roots is a deeply personal portrait about the consequences of mass incarceration and mandatory minimums on a Lansing family. Cindy Shank was a happily married mother of three little girls when her family’s life is turned upside down. For her tangential relationship to a drug dealing ex-boyfriend from a lifetime ago, Cindy is convicted of conspiracy through a little-known law known as “The Girlfriend Problem.” The minimum sentence? 15 excruciating years. Enter Cindy’s filmmaker brother Rudy Valdez, on hand to document every moment of his nieces new lives. From the morning goodbyes to Halloween costumes and birthday wishes and everything in between, as years pass, their mother’s absence feels more and more permanent. Drawing upon hundreds of hours of footage, The Sentence was born out of Rudy’s very human desire to capture every moment for his sister as she tries to be a mother to her children against insurmountable odds. The result is an impossibly moving and beautiful film that won’t leave a dry eye in the house. Bring tissues. Scheduled to Appear: Director Rudy Valdez, other guests TBA. TIME FOR ILHAN Directed by Norah Shapiro In a time fogged up by fake news and cynicism, breaths of fresh air in the news cycle are few and far between. Norah Shapiro’s wonderful documentary, depicting Minnesota politician Ilhan Omar’s run for state legislator, however, provides a big refreshing gulp of feel-good optimism. Community organizer Ilhan, a black, Muslim, hijab-wearing, immigrant mother-of-three, describes herself as the “extreme other.” Plus, no one of Somali descent has ever been elected to legislative office in the US. Could this scrappy political outsider’s odds be any more daunting? Oh yeah, we forgot to mention she’s trying to unseat a 43-year incumbent. While watching the exciting campaign drama, it’s impossible not to fall in love with Ilhan’s unapologetic hopefulness and tenacity—watching her on the campaign is an extraordinary thing to behold. Time for Ilhanis an inspirational strike for feminism, diversity, and grass-roots idealism, and is exactly what we so desperately need to see right now. WATER & POWER: A CALIFORNIA HEIST Directed by Marina Zenovich In the classic film Chinatown, Jack Nicholson’s character, Jake Gittes, confronts the millionaire Noah Cross, and asks him why he’s trying to steal the Los Angeles water supply. Gittes asks, “How much better can you eat? What could you buy that you can’t already afford?” And Cross famously replies, “The future, Mr. Gittes! The future.” Water & Power: A California Heist is that interaction writ large, And made startlingly real. The top levels of corruption are laid bare in this incredible work of investigative journalism, showing how the trickle-down effects of California’s water crisis are both devastating local agriculture and causing massive environmental problems with tragic human costs. Trust us, the real-life villains are even worse than the ones of Hollywood yore, and the connections to our beautiful Great Lakes state are all too easy to draw. WHITE TIDE: THE LEGEND OF CUELBRA Directed by Theo Love Guys, we guarantee you’ve never seen a movie quite like White Tide. And promise that you’ve never met anyone quite like Rodney Hyden. Rodney was living the American dream—successful construction business, wonderful family, plenty of Florida sunshine—until the Great Recession crashed down on him and sent him into despair. Deep in debt and living in a trailer, Rodney hears a story from his hippie neighbor about a buried treasure on an island, and suddenly begins to see his dream rekindled. But this time the dream means digging up $2 million in cocaine, figuring out how to sell it, and basically becoming some sort of modern day Scarface, all for the sake of his wife and daughter. Though it sounds like the plot of the next incarnation of Breaking Bad, the story is 100% true, and told with unbelievable charm and wit in this documentary that defies all traditional definitions. Mixing real life interviews with the outlandish characters themselves and cleverly produced reenactments of the events featuring the real-life players, Theo Love’s complete laugh riot will astound you with its masterful telling of an amazing story. A wild and wacky ride that will make you wonder: if you knew where to dig up potential millions, would you do it, too? Scheduled to Appear: Director Theo Love and Producer Bryan Storkel. WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? Directed by Morgan Neville A man. A legacy. A cardigan. Who else could it be, but Mr. Rogers? In an era where young people are increasingly standing up and speaking out, it feels timely to revisit such a beloved television personality who placed so much trust in his young viewers, never shying away from difficult topics, acknowledging their fears and feelings, and offering simple kindness in return. “I like you just the way you are.” Who doesn’t want to hear that? Funny how that can sound so radical now. Morgan Neville’s (Best of Enemies, TCFF 2015) enchanting portrait is more of a hug than a film—it’s also more of a plea for understanding and respect than mere nostalgic trip down memory lane. So let’s all try and remember to be a little more like Mr. Rogers—kind, gentle, in touch with our emotions, and accepting. WRESTLE Directed by Suzannah Herbert From wrestling on the mat, to grappling with life’s big problems, Wrestle follows an underdog highschool team in Hunstville, Alabama, over the course of one tumultuous season. We meet four boys—Teague, Jailen, Jamario, and Jaquan—who look to their wrestling coach for much more than just feedback on their holds. At practice, Coach Scribner is passionate and unrelenting, pushing the boys in hopes of making the state championships. He also steps in as dad, taxi, and teacher. Facing a difficult uphill battle in the face of school underfunding, broken homes, and teenage pregnancy, we get to see not only how they grow in the sport, but how it keeps them in control of their lives. Told with such unsentimental empathy, Suzannah Herbert and co-director Lauren Belfer’s investment in the athlete’s lives makes the heartrending question of what their prospects are after high school just as suspenseful as the outcome of each match.

    FOREIGN FICTION

    1945 Directed by Ferenc Török On a hot summer day in 1945, the villagers in a Hungarian town prepare for the wedding of the clerk’s son. It’s a chance for celebration and a welcomed return to normalcy following the trauma of WWII. On that same summer day in 1945, two Orthodox men arrive. Soon this previously bright occasion is shadowed with a sense of foreboding as their presence springboards unwelcome tension and fear. Who are these men? What do they carry? Do they know the town’s dark secrets and, if so, what are they planning to do about them? Using mesmerizing simplicity, this official selection of the prestigious Berlinale tells a beautifully nuanced and strangely uplifting story that reveals the inescapable moral costs of doing wrong, or of doing nothing. In Hungarian, Russian with subtitles AND BREATHE NORMALLY Directed by Ísold Uggadottir For Lara, life on a small peninsula in Iceland is a constant struggle: she’s unemployed, in debt, she abuses drugs—yet she’s determined to be a loving and responsible mother to her son, Eldar. Aiming to get her life back on track, she takes a seemingly simple job as a border patrol agent at the regional airport. While still in training, Lara flags a suspicious passport, leading to the arrest of Adja, a refugee from Guinea-Bissau traveling on forged documents. For days Adja lingers in limbo awaiting her trial, causing the two women to continually cross paths in the small town. A stunning debut from writer/director Ísold Uggadóttir, and winner of a Sundance directing award, And Breathe Normally confronts issues of immigration and human rights through the intimate story of two seemingly dissimilar women destined to change each other’s lives forever. THE CAPTAIN Directed by Robert Schwentke They say the clothes make the man, but is that really true? An unlikely answer comes in the form of Herold, a young German soldier wanted for desertion during the final days of the Third Reich. But when he finds and dons a Nazi Captain’s uniform, everything changes. Suddenly Herold is ordering—and performing—sadistic acts of cruelty, and he finds a perverse attraction to the authoritarian power. Hollywood veteran Robert Schwentke (Red, The Time Traveler’s Wife) revisits his German roots with this true story, which is stunningly shot, darkly evocative, and universally resonant. We won’t lie to you, The Captain can be a rough watch, but also a rewarding one, finding a haunting way into the Nazi psyche without asking us for any sympathies. THE DEATH OF STALIN Directed by Armando Iannucci In HBO’s hit show Veep, writer/creator Armando Iannucci brilliantly skewered our present-day American political system by spotlighting the absurd inanities inherent in it. With The Death of Stalin, Iannucci turns his talents to one of the 20th century’s defining geopolitical moments. When Stalin died in 1953, the Soviet Union’s other highest ranking officials all tried to seize total control for themselves, setting off a ludicrous chain of desperate power grabs and backstabbing schemes, many of which had lethal consequences. Using an all-star cast of beloved character actors—including Steve Buscemi, Jason Isaacs, and Michael Palin—Iannucci hilariously reveals the depraved stupidity of these infamous political “strategists.” And if you look closely enough, you just might find some parallels to another, more current regime of incompetent authoritarians. DISOBEDIENCE Directed by Sebastián Lelio A gorgeously acted, tremendously feeling, tenderly written tale of forbidden love, Disobedience is elegantly old-fashioned melodrama with a few key updates. Ronit (Rachel Weisz) is a New York photographer who has long since left her conservative Orthodox community. But when her estranged father, a reverend rabbi, passes away, Ronit reluctantly returns to London to pay her respects and liquidate his inheritance. Though the stiff greeting from the community is expected, Ronit is genuinely surprised when she finds her childhood friend Dovid has married Esti (Rachel McAdams), her best friend and old flame. The two reconnect and hidden desires come back to the surface. Sebastian Lelio’s follow up to his Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman cements him as a complexly empathetic filmmaker in this beautifully directed film of love, faith, and freedom. A FANTASTIC WOMAN Directed by Sebastián Lelio Marina, the young transgender woman at the center of A Fantastic Woman, lives up the title in more ways than one. When her older lover, Orlando, dies after suffering an aneurysm, Marina must work with his family to settle his affairs. But because of Marina’s age difference and gender identity, Orlando’s family suspects foul play, cruelly exiling her from any remembrance of her lover and even getting the police involved. A Fantastic Woman both grounds us in a beautifully detailed character portrait while also dazzling us with occasional forays into magical realism that lovingly evoke its Latin American setting and tradition. Chilean actress Daniela Vega went from total obscurity to presenting at the Academy Awards for her powerful and sympathetic performance in this newly crowned Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film. In Spanish with subtitles FAMILY HEIST Directed by Pascal Bourdiaux The family that thieves together brings all the laughs in this delightfully madcap caper comedy. Introverted computer scientist Carole and charming con artist Caroline could not be more different, but these half sisters are bonded through their father, Patrick—a man they’ve never met due to the fact that he’s an international art thief at the top of Interpol’s lists. But after Patrick is betrayed by his partner in crime (pun intended) and nearly killed, he decides to bring his daughters together to pull off one final heist: steal a Stradivarius violin worth 15 million euros. French superstar Jean Reno (Leon: The Professional) makes use of both his stellar comedy and action chops, bringing deadpan humor and flexible forcefulness as he discovers this job may not be so easy to pull off amidst his bickering daughters, especially when his double-crossing ex-partner starts to fall for one of them. Totally entertaining and completely effervescent, Family Heist’s witty repartee, plethora of pratfalls, and romantic hijinks captures the slapstick spirit and scintillating style of the classic French comedies of yesteryear. In French with subtitles THE GUILTY Directed by Gustav Möller This razor-sharp thriller follows police officer Asger Holm, newly demoted and desk-bound, when he gets a panicked phone call from a woman claiming to be kidnapped. When the call is abruptly cut off, Holm must try to piece together what little evidence he has using only his wit and the few resources at hand to find her before the clock runs out. What’s remarkable about this gripping and tightly wound mystery is its beautifully streamlined simplicity. Stripped of the usual gimmicks of car chases and long fight sequences, the film takes place pretty much exclusively in one location with a story that unfolds in real time and rests almost solely on the simmering performance by Jakob Cedergren as Holm. A treat for any suspense fan, this clever and impressive debut feature by Danish filmmaker Gustav Möller is an edge-of-your-seat, heart-racing puzzle that will keep you guessing, and a film that makes those overly-gruesome and over-plotted primetime cop shows look like rookies. In Danish with subtitles THE INSULT Directed by Ziad Doueiri It’s a typical summer afternoon in Beirut when the simple issue of a broken drainpipe causes an argument between two men: hot-headed Tony, who’s Christian, and construction foreman Yasser, who happens to be a Palestinian refugee. During the dispute one of them utters an unforgivable insult, the catalyst that leads first to injury and eventually to an explosive courtroom case that gains national attention and fuels a much larger political fire. This complex and riveting drama is at once a layered exploration of the history of the Lebanese Civil War and a timely examination of the continued conflicts in the region. With faultless filmmaking by Lebanese-born Ziad Doueiri, this extraordinary film is a relevant reminder that no matter our politics or where we live, our tendency to hold on tight to the past can prevent us from moving into a better future. In Arabic with subtitles IN THE FADE Directed by Fatih Akin It’s no surprise that Diane Kruger (National Treasure) won Best Actress at Cannes for her career-best performance as Katja, a German woman who loses her Middle-Eastern immigrant husband and young son to a horrific act of white supremacist terrorism. We see Katja traverse stages of grief from crippling immobility to drug addiction to plots of revenge in ways that feel hauntingly authentic. At a time when both white nationalism and the failures of the justice system are in the news seemingly every day, In the Fade couldn’t possibly feel more timely. And just like current news headlines, we realize this film won’t exactly add any pep to your step, but what this 2018 Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Language Film will do is wrench your heart and powerfully challenge your notions of forgiveness. One of the best films of the year! In German with subtitles. MARY GOES ROUND Directed by Molly McGlynn Molly McGlynn’s feature debut isn’t just a smart and touching film about the ways we cope with tragedy, it’s also a darkly comic look at failure. Mary is an addiction counselor whose whole world comes crashing down when she (ironically enough) gets a DUI. Not surprisingly, she loses her job, loses her boyfriend, and realizes her tenuous binge-and-lie lifestyle just isn’t going to cut it anymore. With nothing left she decides it’s time to answer the pleas of her estranged father, moving back home to Niagara Falls to finally meet the half sister she’s never known. Aya Cash (FX’s You’re the Worst )delivers a top-notch performance as Mary, who slowly discovers that it might just be in helping others that she can finally start to help herself. Loosely based on McGlynn’s own family, the film perfectly balances dark and light, delivering a poignant coming of age story about healing irreparable wounds, and learning that sometimes “it’s okay for things not to be okay.” THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE Directed by Aki Kaurismäki Acclaimed auteur Aki Kaurismäki is like the Finnish Wes Anderson, and if you’ve never experienced his work, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself to a master. In this winner of Berlinale’s prestigious Silver Bear, Kaurismäki turns his quirky eye to Europe’s migrant crisis, following a Syrian refugee searching for his lost sister while hiding out in a restaurant storeroom. The Other Side of Hope deftly toes the line of keeping things light-hearted and comedic without sugarcoating the issues (such as the far-right nationalist threat spreading throughout Europe). Like Kaurismäki’s other films, this one is populated with colorful and sympathetic outcasts—people who lack autonomy over their own lives. But also like his other films, this one never loses track of the uplifting silver lining that unceasingly shines through. In Finnish, Arabic with subtitles. LOVING VINCENT Directed by Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman Some of the most visually dazzling sights you’ll see on a movie screen this year are the gorgeous hand-painted frames of Loving Vincent that each lovingly recreate the colorful, painterly style of Vincent van Gogh. As both an homage to the famed artist and an investigation into the final days of his life, the world’s first fully oil painted feature film tells the story of a young man trying to deliver van Gogh’s final letter, and learning far more about the painter than he bargained for. Featuring a voice cast that includes stars like Chris O’Dowd and Saoirse Ronan (also at TCFF 2018 with The Seagull), this Oscar nominee will astonish you with the way every frame moves and swirls with the beauty of an impressionist masterpiece. SMUGGLING HENDRIX Directed by Marios Piperides Your dog getting loose on a walk is already a distressing situation, but imagine if it were to trigger an international incident. Well, that’s exactly what happens to Yiannis, when just a few days before he’s set to leave his home in Cyprus and get on a plane for a new life, his beloved canine companion Jimi gets caught in the no man’s land that separates “Greek South” and “Turkish North.” With no legal recourse, he enlists the help of a ragtag crew, including a shady smuggler, a bitter enemy, and an old flame to get Jimi back. Set against a complex geopolitical situation, this charming comedy mixes a heartfelt ode to man’s best friend with exciting prison break intrigue, it deservedly went home as Top Dog at the Tribeca Film Festival, winning Best Narrative International Feature. In English, Greek, Turkish with subtitles. THE SQUARE Directed by Ruben Östlund What is art? What is the meaning of life? Are humans responsible, selfless beings with highly refined tastes, or are we merely monkey-people? Ponder these and other light questions in Ruben Östlund’s (Force Majeure, TCFF 2014) coldly witty film, The Square. The title refers to a work of art that curator Christian has commissioned for his museum. Christian delights in the piece’s altruistic message, but finds it increasingly hard to live up to the same ideals in his private life. After the theft of his phone, he goes on a rambling journey, during which everything he imagined about himself is gradually stripped away. The film holds nothing sacred in its painfully slow and deliberate deconstruction of masculinity, the art world, class, and liberal politics. This Palme d’O winner is an equally fascinating, funny, and uncomfortable watch and also just very Swedish. In Swedish with subtitles ZAMA Directed by Lucrecia Martel For nine long years fans have been wondering when renowned Argentine director Lucrecia Martel would release another film, and it’s been well worth the wait. Zama is an epic masterpiece and hypnotic satire detailing the life of Don Diego de Zama: an 18th century Spanish magistrate who’s been languishing in a remote, disease-ridden colony in Paraguay for years—possibly decades—hoping to be transferred to a better post and gradually losing his mind. Desperate to escape, he volunteers on an expedition to hunt down legendary outlaw Vicuña Porto, though no one is certain he even exists. So much more than a period piece, this is a sumptuous, mesmerizing colonial nightmare filled with breathtaking juxtapositions of violence and natural beauty that will drawn you in with its exhilarating strangeness. In Spanish with subtitles. STREAKER Directed by Peter Luisi Meticulous Swiss schoolteacher Balz Näf has been setting aside school funds for decades, hoping to dedicate a museum to an unsung local author with special meaning to he and his now-deceased wife. So when the money is diverted to build a sports stadium instead, the normally reserved man breaks—gambling all the money on a soccer match he knows has been fixed. But his sure-fire plan falls to shambles when a supercilious streaker charges the field and disrupts the game. In desperate need of quick cash, Balz hatches a scheme with his bookie barber: create an underground syndicate of professional streakers, then take bets on how long they can last naked on the field. The new (illegal) sport is so popular that the police form a streaker task force helmed by his new girlfriend, ultimately forcing Balz to bare all for what he believes. Hilariously outrageous and also incredibly sweet, this heartwarming romp is on a real winning streak. In German with subtitles.

    FOREIGN DOCS

    THE EYES OF ORSON WELLES Directed by Mark Cousins If you thought there was nothing else to add to the Orson Welles mythos, prepare to be astonished by TCFF Board Member Mark Cousins’ (Stockholm My Love, TCFF 2016; I Am Belfast, TCFF 2015) latest work. Granted unlimited access to the entirety of Welles’ little known collection of personal artwork “a daily practice of sketching and painting that began in childhood and followed him throughout his life” Cousins turns his own visionary cinematic eye to exploring the film legend from this untapped perspective of Orson Welles himself. Part love-letter, part feast of visual art, Cousins traces Welles™ path across continents and throughout time, examining how these sketches were an essential part of his artistic process and even help to illuminate how he saw the world. At once a look back on Welles’ ongoing filmmaking legacy as well as a lyrical musing on his work’s hyper-relevance in today’s political climate. Meditative and poetic, The Eyes of Orson Welles premiered at Cannes this past spring is making its North American premiere right here at the TCFF. In Person: Director Mark Cousins. FACES PLACES Directed by JR, Agnès Varda What do you get when you take a French filmmaking legend in her 80s and a secretive graffiti artist in his 30s, then have them drive around France and engage villages in making street art? The answer is unforgettably unique, and the team-up of Agnès Varda and JR turns out to be more joyful than anyone could have guessed. As they explore the back roads of France, they find beauty in the everyday faces of the people (and goats!) that inhabit the countryside. This unlikely pairing could have easily devolved to schtick, but Faces Places—which was nominated for Best Documentary at the Oscars—somehow goes in the other direction; it’s simply one of the most beautiful stories of art, collaboration, and community that you’ll ever see. In French with subtitles HITLER’S HOLLYWOOD Directed by Rüdiger Suchsland Joseph Goebbels was an evil genius. As Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda, he understood that art and cinema could be powerful tools to bolster the German war effort. Between 1933-1945 his Reich Film Chamber produced and censored over 1,000 features aimed at furthering the Nazi agenda. But these weren’t all obvious propaganda pieces—they were big-budget blockbusters rivaling anything in contemporary Hollywood. From situational comedies and intimate family melodramas to lavish musical spectaculars, Goebbels carefully curated an image of jubilant German supremacy broadcast to both fraüleins and fighter pilots. Hitler’s Hollywood is a fascinating, seductive (if stomach-turning) collage of rarely seen Third Reich cinema. Director Rüdiger Suchsland offers an unflinching glimpse into Goebbels’ opus, exploring the many forms of propaganda and cautioning us to recognize political agendas masquerading as mass entertainment. In German with subtitles LAST MEN IN ALEPPO Directed by Feras Fayyad If you see nothing else this festival, you must see this heartbreaking but essential documentary about some of the bravest and most compassionate souls in the world. The White Helmets are the ones who stay behind, digging through the rubble in hopes of finding survivors after the bombs drop on Syria. They are just regular folks, not militants or rebel fighters, but civilians who push politics and religion aside until only humanity remains. They risk their lives to save children, to pull bodies from wreckage in order to give them burial, and worry about the safety of their own families, rejoicing in a few minutes of cease-fire so the kids can play a quick game of soccer. Horrifying and beautiful, harrowing and inspiring, this astonishing feat of filmmaking will entrench you in the visceral tragedy of this ongoing war and yet all at once reveal the sheer light of hope and grace that can exist in humankind. In Arabic with subtitles MCQUEEN Directed by Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui You don’t have to be a fashion expert to get drawn into this spellbinding documentary which gives an unprecedented look into the life of famed British designer Alexander McQueen. Known for his emotional and often controversial runway shows, and for defying all the rules to do things his way, McQueen’s story is an authentic rags-to-riches journey of an artist struggling with his own demons and putting it all into his work; one all the more resonant when we consider the recent deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. Weaving together personal testimonials from close friends and family, home movies, archival interviews from McQueen himself, and behind-the-scenes and front-row looks at his provocative work, the film is as layered and engrossing as McQueen was himself. Topped with an exquisitely dramatic musical score, intricate animated transitions, and the singular fashions almost too exquisite to behold on the big screen, this ravishing documentary is a riveting cinematic tribute to an extraordinary soul. OUR NEW PRESIDENT Directed by Maxin Pozdorovkin Hey, did you ever hear about the curse placed on Hillary Clinton by the mummy tomb she visited in the ‘90s, which has directly led to her epidemic of coughing fits and fainting spells? No? Well, clearly you weren’t watching Russia’s most popular news shows during the 2016 US Presidential campaign. Our New President is brilliantly assembled solely from Russian State TV and other Putin-led propaganda sources, which spread stories like that mummy curse across the globe with startling efficiency and utter shamelessness. You may think you’ve seen the worst that “fake news” has to offer if you’ve ever clicked on a Breitbart link or—dear God—watched any Sean Hannity, but the outlandish fictions spread by Russian State TV about Trump and Clinton are truly beyond your wildest imaginations and director Maxim Pozdorovkin’s dive inside the Russian media’s funhouse mirror of American politics is simply too important to miss. In English, Russian with subtitles THE PERFECT BID: THE CONTESTANT WHO KNEW TOO MUCH Directed by C.J. Wallis How did Ted Slauson go from Price is Right superfan to banned from the show for life? It’s all a simple equation, something that this Texas math teacher had figured out long before the 2008 scandal where Slauson was said to have cheated, resulting in a perfect bid on the Showcase Showdown. This fun and lively documentary, finally gives Slauson a chance to tell his side. A viewer since 1972, his memorization skills helped him notice patterns in the products and prices, and compulsion took over. Appearing at 37 tapings over 16 years, Slauson used this information both on the floor and in the audience, becoming a favorite of host Bob Barker. With interviews from Barker and Drew Carey, “Come on Down” for this fascinating look into America’s favorite home-sick-from-school game show. POPE FRANCIS: A MAN OF HIS WORD Directed by Wim Wenders Director Wim Wenders is one of the world’s most lauded living filmmakers, and as the 2012 recipient of the TCFF Visionary Award, he’s already a legend at the fest. Now he’s back with the perfect antidote for the 2018 blues: an unforgettable and completely nondenominational portrait of one of the world’s greatest humanitarians. Since being elected as Pontiff a little over five years ago, Pope Francis has shown himself to be unafraid of weighing in on world issues that the Catholic Church had previously been mum about, such as climate change. If you want to feel truly inspired to better walk your walk, there could be no better teacher than his holiness Pope Francis. In English, German, Italian, Spanish with subtitles THE SILENCE OF OTHERS Directed by Robert Bahar, Almudena Carracedo It’s hard to come to terms with your past. But in modern Spain, it can be excruciating. In 1977, the Spanish parliament passed the controversial “Amnesty Law,” which pardoned members of General Franco’s regime—a regime that tortured and killed nearly 100,000 Spaniards. And while forty years may have passed, the victims of Spain’s dictatorship continue to fight a state-imposed amnesia and for long overdue justice in this still-divided country. While a woman battles to exhume her father’s bones from a mass grave, the men responsible for those unmarked graves walk the street with impunity. Produced by the acclaimed auteur Pedro Almodóvar, this expertly researched film that took home an audience award at the prestigious Berlinale film festival, chronicles the struggles of a movement that strives for the small victories in a torn democracy. In Spanish with subtitles. SEA SORROW Directed by Vanessa Redgrave The European refugee crisis has been much cited by President Trump in his calls for a border wall. But what’s really happening across the Atlantic? Renowned Academy Award-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave makes her directorial debut (at 80 years young no less!) with the harrowing and emotional documentary Sea Sorrow. Redgrave was inspired to take action after a Syrian child tragically drowned while seeking asylum with his family.Redgrave’s own experience as a child being sent away to the country during the WWII Blitz gives her extra empathy for the children who are currently displaced. She travels to the Calais Jungle tent city on France’s north coast where refugees spend months with no water or sanitation while waiting for passage to England. The film’s title comes from a scene in William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” which is compellingly performed by Ralph Fiennes.

    SPECIAL SCREENINGS – JANE FONDA TRIBUTE

    ALSO IN THIS PROGRAM: 9 to 5, Hal, Jane Fonda In Five Acts JULIA This classic masterpiece about female friendship and courage garnered 11 Oscar nominations, including one for Jane Fonda’s portrayal of real life dramatist Lillian Hellman. The story centers around Hellman’s friendship with Julia, played by Vanessa Redgrave (winner, Best Supporting Actress), careening through time as it traces their childhood beginnings, Hellman’s struggles as a young writer and relationship with Dashiell Hammett (Jason Robards), and Julia’s anti-fascist efforts in late 1930s Germany. A tribute to the tenacity of the human spirit, it portrays one of the most edge-of-your seat sequences ever as Hellman smuggles $50,000 to Berlin to help save Jewish lives. Whether you are seeing it for the first time or for the first time in a long time, don’t miss this moving film that features a powerhouse performance by TCFF’s guest of honor. COMING HOME Directed by Hal Ashby Jane Fonda conceived this shattering film about a nation and a marriage splitting apart after working with veterans and servicemen, shepherding the project through development and finding a director she knew would do the story justice (the incredible Hal Ashby, see also TCFF 2018’s Hal). The result is a quiet masterpiece filled with moments so tender and uncompromising, it’s the kind of moving work that is the most precious of cinematic miracles. Fonda received an Oscar for her performance as Sally Hyde, a military wife who embarks on a transformative affair with a war-weary paraplegic vet (Jon Voight) while her Marine captain husband (Bruce Dern) is deployed overseas. One of the first Hollywood films to openly and honestly confront the aftermath of the Vietnam War, we revisit this landmark work on the occasion of its 40th Anniversary.

    TRIBUTE TO JONATHAN DEMME

    SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA Directed by Jonathan Demme Spalding Gray was an icon of American theater, known for his innovative style of autobiographical monologues that effortlessly blend personal storytelling with comedy, history, and investigative journalism. Swimming to Cambodia was his first masterwork, an exhilarating tour de force recounting his time as a supporting actor on the movie The Killing Fields (itself an Academy Award–winning film about the Cambodian genocide). Jonathan Demme skillfully transfers Gray’s thrilling performance from stage to screen with precision and simplicity. It’s minimalist, functional storytelling—just a man, a map, a microphone—but don’t let that fool you. This is a tale you won’t soon forget. Gray’s electrifying monologue spans the entire spectrum of human emotion as he searches for truth and meaning in man’s darkest moments. SOMETHING WILD Directed by Jonathan Demme It’s the rare movie that can endure both as a piece of high-art, auteurist cinema and also as a delightfully populist relic of its cultural moment, but Jonathan Demme’s 1986 gem Something Wild is just such a flick. Melanie Griffith seized her big star moment by playing Audrey, a Madonna-styled girl who just wants to have fun (and an early prototype for the manic pixie dream girl fad to come). Audrey happens upon Charlie (Jeff Daniels), an uptight stock broker, and she steals him away for a wild few days of adventure that most prominently involve running from her psychotic ex-boyfriend, Ray (Ray Liotta, in his first major film role). Everything Demme excelled at is on full display—memorable characters, great tunes, and a movie that exists wholly on its own terms while still feeling just right.

    SPECIAL SCREENINGS: NATIVE AMERICAN MATINEE

    WARRIOR WOMEN Directed by Elizabeth A. Castle, Christina D. King Centered on the life and work of Lakota community organizer Madonna Thunder Hawk, Warrior Women reveals the largely untold story of women’s activism in the Red Power movement. Directors Christina D. King (Up Heartbreak Hill, TCFF 2011) and Elizabeth A. Castle’s inspiring documentary not only captures her involvement in the American Indian Movement (AIM) using interviews and rare archival footage—including AIM’s occupation of Wounded Knee—it also powerfully explores how she instilled the fight for Native rights in her daughter Marcy. Today, both women continue to lead their movement as they take arms against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. And with Marcy now a mother herself, the question of how a commitment to change is passed down from one generation to another makes the magnitude of Thunder Hawk’s legacy all the more clear.

    SPECIAL SCREENINGS: NATIVE AMERICAN SHORT

    MINO BIMAADIZIWIN Directed by Shane McSauby Directed by Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians member Shane McSauby and supported by the Sundance Institute Native American and Indigenous Program, Mino Bimaadiziwin follows Jim, a trans Anishinaabe man, who has lost all connection to his Native culture until he has a chance meeting with a mysterious Anishinaabe woman.

    PLAYS BEFORE WARRIOR WOMEN

    MIKE’S SURPRISE ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? Directed by ??? Each year, our most popular event is the one no one knows anything about. Not the stage manager. Not the projectionist. No one. Festival founder and president Michael Moore personally presents “Mike’s Surprise” at each year’s fest. He may show up with a sneak preview of a big upcoming movie from one of his filmmaker friends, a buried treasure, or just some of his home movies. One time he just talked for two hours. That was interesting. Another year he got the whole audience up and took them for a walk. After a year being away, Mike is bringing back his surprises in a big way, hosting not one, but two different events with entirely different surprises in store for the audience. What can we say except the man has lots of surprises up his sleeve for everyone this year and you’ll want to be able to say that you were there when…

    SPECIAL SCREENINGS

    DOUG LOVES MOVIES PODCAST Program Length: 90 min. Join TCFF fixture Doug Benson (Super High Me, You’re the Worst), visiting comedian friends including Samm Levine (Freaks and Geeks), and surprise guests as they record a nationally-renowned podcast featuring imaginatively titled games and spirited discussion, all about movies. Perhaps against our better judgment, we’re welcoming back Traverse City’s adopted son for an evening of outrageous hilarity and uproarious riffing. What exactly can you expect? You never really know, and that’s the best part.

    4K RESTORATION REISSUE:

    THE ATOMIC CAFE Directed by Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty, Pierce Rafferty Ah, the 1950s, a simpler time, when children dressed up nicely for school and the nuclear family was king. But then FLASH. What’s that in the sky? An atomic explosion? A catchy tune begins and cartoon character Bert the Turtle waddles on screen to remind us all to “Duck and Cover.” The children duck under their school desks, the family of four dive underneath a picnic blanket, and magically they all survive the fallout in time for the baseball game. This clever and satirical documentary edited entirely from original material to recreate the fear and insanity of Cold War culture is as relevant now as when it was released amid the Reagan-era nuclear tensions of 1982. Skillfully weaving together military propaganda, historical footage, and pop culture iconography to give a startling and darkly humorous look back on the Atomic Age, it was a major influence on our founder and president Michael Moore’s own body of work, showing him how a doc about a deadly serious subject could be funny. Which reminds us how easily political media can lull us into a false sense of security, this new 4K restoration of the National Film Registry inductee is a must-see.

    FOOD ON FILM

    BACK TO BURGUNDY Directed by Cédric Klapisch Wine lovers will raise their glass to this delicious and full-bodied French drama about a struggling vineyard and the family that must come together to nurture it back to life. When prodigal son Jean returns home to the picturesque landscape of Burgundy, he’s met with some sour notes from his two estranged siblings, who’ve been taking care of the vineyard while Jean was away. As the three come to face the imminent death of their father, they begin to realize that saving the legacy of their vineyard will mean not only hard labor but also hard truths, and they’ll have to cultivate more than just grapes in order to get past the pain they all have buried. With its striking cinematography, this tender film vividly captures the authentic experience of harvesting wine (director Cédric Klapisch worked a season as research) and will remind you of the important connection to the earth that feeds both body and soul. BREWMASTER Directed by Douglas Tirola Grains, water, hops, yeast. It takes just four ingredients to make beer, a commodity as old as human history and, more recently, the center of a booming craft industry. In 1998, there were just 1,500 breweries in the United States; today, over 7,000. Creativity and innovation are at the heart of this industry, and for many, brewing has become an unshakable passion. Peeking behind the grain mill, Brewmaster takes the audience to the center of America’s new favorite business venture as we get behind the scenes with the men and women who engulf themselves in this suds-soaked world. From amateur brewers taking their first sips to the most notable names in beer, crack open a cold one and enjoy. This film’s for you. CHEF FLYNN Directed by Cameron Yates You may not think a celebrity chef documentary could also be a classic coming-of-age tale, but Chef Flynn is no ordinary movie. Like so many of us, Flynn McGarry grew up with dreams that might have seemed a tad outsized. But Flynn started a hot-ticket dining club when he was 12, appeared on the cover of New York Times Magazine at 15, and virtually defined the word “prodigy.” Things weren’t, however, as easy as they looked. Flynn had to weather enormous backlash (“Chef Doogie Howser”), the weight of expectation, and living with his helicopter mom (the horror!) on his climb to respect. You may come to Chef Flynn ready to salivate over the beautiful culinary creations—and believe us, you will—but you’ll leave talking about the immensely talented and charismatic kid that you can’t stop rooting for. THE HEAT: A KITCHEN (R)EVOLUTION Directed by Maya Gallus Top Chef, Chopped, you name it—we are in the golden age of the celebrity chef and the pressure has never been higher to break out in this cutting industry. High stress and grueling hours are enough to turn up the burner in any kitchen. But in recent years, the tolerance for macho celebrity chef showboating has boiled over. As more women rise up, a long-simmering cultural shift is demanded. Documentary filmmaker Maya Gallus brings the audience to the front lines of the food industry to meet the pioneers who have kicked through the glass ceiling. These apron-donning culinary crafts – women are taking the toxic industry by storm and watch out. Because if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen. In Person: Director Maya Gallus. THE QUEST OF A LAIN DUCASSE Directed by Gilles de Maistre This fascinating (and mouth-watering) doc offers a glimpse into the life of a true icon. For over 45 years Alain Ducasse has worked tirelessly to become the most respected chef and culinary mentor in the world. Today, at age 61, he’s amassed a staggering 21 Michelin stars across his 23 restaurants—and he shows no signs of slowing down. So what drives Ducasse to continue? What’s left for him to accomplish? For two years this famously private man allowed director Gilles de Maistre to document his life. De Maistre follows him all across the globe as the godfather of French cuisine plans a new restaurant and checks in on his others. Between meetings Ducasse ventures to remote farms and hole-in-the wall restaurants alike, perpetually searching for unique flavors and foods, firm in his conviction that sustainable, humanist cuisine just might save the world.

    #TWEEN

    SUPA MODO Directed by Likarion Wainaina Prepare to be moved and inspired by the most unexpected superhero movie you will see all summer. Jo is just like any other nine-year-old: she adores her family, loves to play, and daydreams about being a superhero. But unlike the other kids in her Kenyan village, Jo is stricken by a terminal illness and on strict orders to rest. When her older sister, Mwix, recognizes that Jo’s fiery spirit is also at risk, she begins to play into Jo’s greatest fantasy—that she does indeed have super powers—and despite her mother’s worries, soon the whole village is helping make Jo’s dream come true. With stunning cinematography and an incredible performance by youngster Stycie Waweru, this debut feature by writer/director Likarion Wainaina is a genuine, heart-tugging drama about the strongest superpowers of all: imagination and love. In English, Kikuyu, Swahili with subtitles. YOUTH UNSTOPPABLE Directed by Slater Jewell-Kemker Slater Jewell-Kemker didn’t set out to spend her teenage years making a film meant to inspire others to act on climate change, yet 10 years later, it’s making its world premiere right here at TCFF. Slater was just 15 years old when she started questioning her local politicians about their inability to pass laws to protect the environment. Soon she began to connect with other young activists doing their part to save the planet, and she took it upon herself to document their eco efforts and growing movement on camera. Traveling around the globe on the front lines of climate change, Slater captures the inspiring voices and fierce tenacity of those too young to vote to have a say in the direction of the planet they will inherit and you can feel the passion in every frame. Produced by TC’s very own Amy Smart, Youth Unstoppable takes us on a journey that lets us connect with the activists of the next generation and instills hope to know that the future is in their capable hands.

    MIDNIGHT

    ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE Directed by John McPhail There have been hundreds of musicals over the years, and it feels like just as many zombie flicks. But how many musical zombie films can you count? Anna and the Apocalypse is not only blazing that new trail, it’s also got the hilarious, clever, and compelling chops to make it stick. With songs as catchy as the violence is gory, join Anna and her angsty friends as they fight, sing, and dance their way through the descending hordes of the undead and try to make it out of high school alive (there’s a metaphor in there, I’m sure). If you loved Shaun of the Dead but thought it needed more show-tunes (and weapons made out of giant candy canes), this fellow British import is the entertaining mayhem you seek. SHORTS AF Program Length: TBD What do racing sushi-rolls, a dude with an extraterrestrial sex fetish, and retired Star Trek actors have in common? They’re all part of this mishmash of bizzare-o short films coming to the State Theatre at midnight. You’ll laugh, scream, squirm in your seat, and you’ll even get to see a haunted glass of milk. These films are so wonderfully wacky that you’ll leave the theater feeling like you’re trapped in a Red Lobster commercial or something! RUIN ME Directed by Preston DeFrancis Hulking masked figures wielding weapons? Suspicious strangers who are a little too helpful? Unrealistically attractive twenty-somethings in a remote location? An epic conclusion of final girl realness? Sounds like a classic TCFF midnight to me! Ruin Me, shot in the secluded woodlands of Muskegon using some local cast and crew, tells the story of Alex, a reluctant tag-along for a slasher-film-themed campout (cleverly named Slasher Sleepout). Marketed as a camping trip, haunted house, and escape room all wrapped into one 36-hour event, it’s meant to be the ultimate horror movie experience. Alex and her friends are blind folded, dropped in an unfamiliar location, and asked to solve potentially fatal and unnerving tasks. But one by one, her friends meet their violent ends, and Alex must unravel the mystery of who’s responsible if she wants to make it out alive. DOUG BENSON MOVIE INTERRUPTION TWISTER Directed by Jan de Bont This 90s to the x-treme disasterpiece for action master Jan de Bont (Speed,a previous Benson interruption) is the perfect storm of a choice for Doug Benson (Super High Me, Doug Loves Movies) and buddies to watch while they hail their pellets of comedic genius at the screen. You know the film—a ragtag team led by Bill Pullman and Helen Hunt risk their lives in the pursuit of science with a cyclone (and an equally stormy romance) at their heels—and you love its over-the-top windblown adventure. But you’ve never experienced it like this. So strap in for the next best thing to actual storm chasing, and ride out the tornado of jokes that will descend upon Traverse City Friday night at the State. We’re gonna laugh until the flying cows come home.

    STUDENT SCREENINGS

    MSU PRESENTS: CRANDIES Directed by Hannah Byrd, Tyler Clifton, Ali Obermeyer, Shanice Pinson, Bryan Susalla, Stefan Lindhal A feature length comedy, with a touch of romance, Crandies was 100% written, produced, directed and acted by students from Michigan State University. A young, star chef from a four-star Manhattan restaurant has mysteriously left her job in the big city and returned to East Lansing where she is hired to run the kitchen of a down-on-its-luck diner. She begins to turn the restaurant around and the humble eatery is featured on an important food blog which leads to the diner’s appearance on a very popular food show. But the show’s producer is a former Manhattan colleague and friend who is now the chef’s arch enemy and she holds the secret to the chef’s unfortunate departure from New York. This program is free. SHORTS BY MSU STUDENTS Program Length: 67 min. Michigan State University’s talented student filmmakers return to TCFF with eight fantastic short films. In Kyle Brow’s Anya’s Greencard, Bobby moves to India to work in a tech company where he experiences reverse brain-drain. Detritus, by Tyler Vetier, follows a mysterious forest man as he runs for his life, only to be caught in an ongoing cycle of violence. Over the course of a single night, a young man finds connections with people whose lives are as complex as his own in Carlos Mario Mendoza’s SONDER. In his timely and relatable film Almost Human, Ian Hall tells the story of technophobe, Vincent, who struggles to connect with two women dependent on their cellphones. Created by Bradley Coster as a pilot for a web-series, in Rebel Rebel Ep. 1, a lonely geek, nostalgic for the 80s, uses a night out as a means for music, escapism, and violence. Juice by Zoe Kissel is a short neo-noir science fiction film following a young addict’s growing withdrawal and the fatal decision she makes to get high once more. And finally, in All Over (Again), by Bradley Coster, a hopeless romantic gets lost in her eccentric aspirations. This program is free. SHORTS BY CMU STUDENTS Program Length: 92 min. Young filmmakers from Central Michigan University make their TCFF shorts debut with a collection of music videos, short films, and a special animation reel. In Logan Bartrand’s Song Bird, two sisters must learn to deal with their unfortunate situation through their mutual love of music. In Analogous by Mike Torrento and Jesse Mathieson, two strangers, living worlds apart, search for peace. And a man struggling to find his way finds something in the woods in Dependence by Mat Legato. This program is free. SHORTS BY U-M STUDENTS Program Length: 61 min. The University of Michigan Department of Screen Arts & Cultures returns to the festival with their annual program of two shorts, showcasing some of the top filmmaking ability in the state. In a city where everyone is guaranteed a soulmate, Verena’s younger sister goes missing. In order to find her, Verena must uncover the truth behind the “Lifematch” system, and what that means for her future with her own soulmate, in Gillian Greenbaum’s timely and thoughtful film, Lifematch. And in Yevheniia Tanako’s, The Oracle of Delta Phi, the “Greek” Presidents of sororities and fraternities at Olympia University have the power of Gods, and Cassandra is cursed with prophetic visions that no one believes. This program is free.

    SHORTS PROGRAMS

    SHORTS SAVE AMERICA Program Length: 120 min. The current political climate of our nation has many marginalized communities fearing for their future as America becomes increasingly divided. This collection of short films shines a light on these people as they examine the way their lives have changed since November 9th, 2016. In Los Lecheros, the fates of undocumented immigrant workers and Wisconsin’s $43 billion dairy industry are inexplicably linked— both uncertain of their future, as the threat of deportation under the Cheeto administration Rise. Notes From Dunblane: Lessons From a School Shooting offers a sensitive look into the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Massacre and a critique of America’s irresponsible relationship with the 2nd Amendment. 50 years after the Voting Rights Act of 1965, people of color across the US are still having to fight for their right to vote. Dynamic documentary filmmaker, Dawn Porter, is on the case in You Have The Right To Vote. Gavin Grimm vs. offers insight into the life of transgender teen Gavin Grimm after he sued his local school board when its members refused to let him use the bathroom of his choice. He was ready to take his case all the way to the Supreme Court—then the election happened. And finally, Lifeboat takes us to the frontlines of a refugee rescue mission in the Mediterranean. THE FUTURE IS SHORTS Program Length: 90 min. The future is female in this shorts program! Featuring films both starring and directed by women, this stellar slate of documentary and narrative stories highlights the power and strength of women from all walks of life. In Salam, a female Lyft driver navigates the streets of New York City while waiting to hear news from her family in Syria. Period. End of Sentence. focuses on a group of women in Northern India who set out to destigmatize menstruation in their community. A 97 year-old lady auditions for America’s Got Talent In Death Metal Grandma. We learn about the mother of animation and inventor of the multiplane camera in Lotte, That Silhouette Girl. And in Counterfeit Kunkoo, a woman’s single-status makes renting an apartment virtually impossible. SHORTS ON SHUFFLE I Program Length: 110 min. Like the ultimate mixtape your bff put together for you back in the day, we’ve put together a collection of our favorite fiction and nonfiction shorts we’ve found over the year. Take a terrifying look into a tragic accident on the world’s tallest water slide With The Water Slide. Get a whimsical and imaginary glimpse into the drama that can unfold behind the scenes of a major film production like Barry Lyndon in Kubrick by Candlelight. Stand in awe of the powerful visual examination of a young man’s struggle dealing with questions of race and family identity after he moves into a small English village run by racists that is Black Sheep. Filmmaker Charlie Tyrell seeks to better understand his reclusive and isolated late father through personal items he left behind, including a collection of dirty VHS tapes, in My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes. The thrilling Échappé finds a Soviet ballerina on tour in NYC learning of her brother’s plan to defect. While in Community Patrol, an inspiring Detroit minister encourages his community to shut down a drug house in a hopeful example of collective action. Running the full gamut of emotions—from joy to pain and inspiration to strife—this is Shorts on Shuffle. SHORTS ON SHUFFLE II Program Length: 120 min. Shorts on Shuffle comes back for more with a second program that lets you marvel at the variety of filmmaking voices and styles that makes the short film an art form all its own. Reflect on a historical and urban garden in Rio de Janeiro as a place where the cultural identity of Brazil collides with the pressures of modern globalization in A Singular Garden. The Velvet Underground Played at My High School is an enchanting animated short about the Velvet Underground’s first gig in front of a crowd of dumbstruck students at a New Jersey High School. Saul’s 108th Story is the irresistible story of how a young Saul Moroz got roped into a perilous new job: cleaning the windows of skyscrapers. Deeply question the ethics of who deserves a burial and who doesn’t, as funeral director Peter Stefan oversees the burial of Tamerlan Tszrnaev, the dead suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, in Everything is Stories. Follow controversial spy Rita Katz on her quest to stop internet terrorism in The Terrorist Hunter. The suspenseful thought-experiment, Emergency, involving a group of black and Latino teens who stumble onto a crime scene and weigh the pros and cons of calling the police will unnerve you. And finally in the gorgeously shot Sundance Film Festival-winner Fauve, two boys play in a surface mine with an unexpected finale.

    KIDS FEST

    JIM BUTTON AND LUKE THE ENGINE DRIVER Directed by Dennis Gansel When an orphaned baby is mysteriously delivered to the island of Morrowland, the four inhabitants decide to raise him as their own and name him Jim. When he turns ten and learns of how he came to the island, he yearns to un-cover his true origins. Tagging along with his friend Luke, Jim sets out on the adventure of a lifetime in an unstoppable train engine—across seas, deserts, forests, mountains, and even volcanoes. In the magical town of Mandala they learn that the Emperor’s daughter, Princess Li Si, has been captured by pirates, and the two decide to risk it all and travel to the treacherous Dragon City to save her. Based on the book by Michael Ende (The Neverending Story), this visual feast with breathtaking special effects is an entertaining epic about friendship and self-discovery and will make its North American premiere here at TCFF. Dubbed in English. MAYA THE BEE: THE HONEY GAMES Directed by Noel Cleary, Sergio Delfino After a slow harvest season, Maya, the bee with the big heart, and her friend Willy travel to vibrant landscape of Buzztropolis where the Empress of the bee kingdom invites them to participate in the Honey Games. But the catch is that if they lose, the hive will have to give the Empress all of their summer honey! Paired up with a zany cast of characters (none particularly enthusiastic nor athletic)—a dark and twisty spider girl, a gaggle of loud nonsensical militarized ants, and a few insecure beetles —Maya rallys the team to bee-lieve they can use their different talents to bring the honey home. A charming, cheerful, and whimsical tale of friendship and teamwork, this kiddie send up of the Hunger Games has all the buzz. In English. SHORTS FOR ALL KIDS Program Length: 85 min. This year’s lineup of Shorts For All Kids features a basketful of imaginative shorts featuring characters and critters of all sizes, species, and colors. Watch a painting playfully come to life in the enchanting Watercolors; meet a girl who loves making dioramas for her guinea pig in the impossibly sweet Sherbert Rozencrantz, You’re Beautiful; or travel to the bottom of the sea to discover Barry the Blobfish—take your family on a journey possible only through the magic of the movies. Mischievous, playful, profound, and lovely, this collection of shorts is equally suited to children just starting out on their cinematic journeys, and to the young at heart. In English or nonverbal. SHORTS FOR KIDS 6+ Program Length: 90 min. These stories of growth, change, and transformation show that there are no limits to what kids can achieve, and that being yourself is worth celebrating. Two girls learn a lesson after showing up in the same Halloween costume in Two Medusas; the much-loved, Caldecott-winning tale of Mirette is lovingly brought to the screen; and a Chinese American girl dreams of becoming an astronaut in the inspiring One Small Step. Highlighting the strength and determination of young people, these short tales of friendship, individuality, and community are presented in the service of entertaining the young cinephiles in your family with positive messages and strong role models. In English or nonverbal.

    OPEN SPACE

    STOP MAKING SENSE (Directed by Jonathan Demme) Mesmerizing. Beautiful. Awe-inspiring. Impossibly moving. The best dang concert movie of all time. We could fill an encyclopedia with the things that make this classic from the Talking Heads the collective favorite movie of TCFF staff, but when it comes down to it, it’s as simple as this: Stop Making Sense is joy incarnate—pure exhilaration in cinematic form. It’s a film so good that even if you’re not familiar with the band or the music being played, you’ll still be compelled to dance and marvel at a man (the brilliant David Byrne) who seems to have been transported to a state of bliss. So that’s why This Must (Always) Be the Movie for our special Monday night public test screening (no concessions, no frills) as we don our big suits and Burn Down the House for the ultimate dance party in Open Space. Does anybody have any questions? JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE A brilliant reinvention of Chris Van Allsberg’s classic story, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle takes the premise of kids working together to defeat a magical board game and goes digital. Four very different high schoolers find themselves trapped in a video game and in the comically mismatched bodies of some new avatars (played by Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan). The results are a breezy body-swapping hoot as they bond Breakfast Clubstyle while facing stampeding rhinos and poisonous snakes on a quest to locate a stolen jewel. And if the involvement of THE ROCK isn’t enough to suck you in, how about that Jack Black has never been better? Or that it’s just so gosh darn fun and charming? Combining sharp comedy, imaginative adventure, thrilling action, and a sweet message into the perfect family movie, it’ll be a night of fun and games at the Open Space. COCO One of the most colorful, stunning, and touching films yet from Pixar, the world’s gold standard in animation, Coco will delight everyone with its sublime storytelling. Earnest, one-dimpled chatterbox Miguel yearns above all else to become a musician, but he comes from a music-hating family that has banned anyone playing it. After a family quarrel, he finds himself in limbo in the Land of the Dead, and must work with a goofy hairless dog and a streetwise trickster (Gael García Bernal) to get an ancestor’s blessing in order to return to the Land of the Living. While it may be set in the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead, it’s altogether rare to find a film teeming with this much life. So imaginative, so heartrending, there’s so much to love here – the vibrant culture, the dazzling animation, the splendid music, the reverence for la familia—and it all works together to remind us that when it comes to the cinema, no walls can separate us. Make no bones about it, you’re gonna go loco for BLACK PANTHER This isn’t just a movie. And this isn’t just another superhero movie. This is an important watershed moment. This is powerful work of cinema that is as joyously entertaining as it is revolutionary. This is escapism as art. This is a beautiful celebration of pride and identity unlike anything you’ve ever seen. This is the movies at their most delightful and meaningful. This is the film that changed everything. Thirty one-year-old filmmaking prodigy Ryan Coogler (Creed) and an outstanding cast of Oscar winners and actors extraordinaire (Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Forrest Whitaker) lead a Shakespearean epic about a king coming into his own that is not just the best Marvel movie ever, but one of the best movies of the year. Wakanda Forever! FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF Get Cameron out of bed and pull Sloane out of school, because your 2018 People’s Choice winner is the beloved teen comedy classic about the coolest high schooler there ever was. Poet laureate of adolescence, John Hughes’, “love letter to Chicago,” follows the titular fourth wall-breaking, shades-wearing Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) as he and his hypochondriac best friend (Alan Ruck, star of TCFF 2018’s Twister) and original “cool girl” girlfriend (Mia Sara) have the ultimate day playing hooky in the Second City. A stolen Ferrari, the Sausage King of Chicago, a Cubs game (go, Cubs, go), a parade, a jealous sister, a near-comatose teacher (Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?), and a spiteful Dean of Students—truancy has never been more exhilarating or unforgettable. Life moves pretty fast, so make your plans to join us at the Open Space now! THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Striking a powerful chord with audiences, this smash hit musical details the life of entertainment entrepreneur P.T. Barnum. As a young man growing up on the streets of NYC, Barnum (perennial triple threat Hugh Jackman) used old fashioned gumption to parlay his museum into The Greatest Show on Earth with the help of a playwright (Zac Efron) and his supportive wife (4-time Oscar Nominee Michelle Williams). An underdog story that exudes positivity and gives us hope (don’t give up on dreams, find your people, fall in love), and featuring songs by the Oscar-winning team behind La La Land, for almost two hours The Greatest Showman makes you feel like you can fly on the trapeze. And even if you’ve already seen it, fans of the film know once is “Never Enough,” so consider us born suckers for watching Jackman and Efron sing and dance and come “Rewrite the Stars” under the stars. This is Open Space!

    A TRIBUTE TO JANE FONDA: TCFF LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER

    9 to 5 Radical at the time, and sadly still all too relevant today, this cult screwball comedy takes aim at sexism in outrageous and inspiring fashion. Starring a holy trinity of badass ladies (Dolly Parton, TCFF 2018 Lifetime Achievement Honoree Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin) and conceived by Fonda herself, the genius of 9 to 5 is how it so shrewdly manages to use hilarity to confront the painful reality of sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Sassy and savage, exuberant and euphoric, the satisfying wish fulfillment of getting revenge on their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” of a sleazy boss (Dabney Coleman) has become a feminist rallying cry and its infections theme song remains the anthem of working girls everywhere. So pour yourself a cup of ambition and come smash the patriarchy with us at this special Jane Fonda Tribute screening because TIME’S UP!

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  • Influential Rock Doc KILL YOUR IDOLS to be Re-Released in October 2018

    [caption id="attachment_30510" align="aligncenter" width="1066"]Kill Your Idols - Yeah Yeah Yeahs Kill Your Idols – Yeah Yeah Yeahs[/caption] Scott Crary’s influential rock documentary, Kill Your Idols will be re-released with special event theatrical screenings and 2xDVD set by Submarine Deluxe. The roc doc will be available on VOD for the first time ever with a rollout across multiple platforms planned for October 2018. A chronicle of New York City’s diverse art punk and no wave music scenes across three decades, the documentary includes original interviews and performances with bands and artists like Suicide, Lydia Lunch, the late Glenn Branca, Sonic Youth, Swans, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The 2xDVD expanded edition will include over 90 minutes of bonus content, including 20 minutes of never-before-seen footage from the original production, commentaries and two brand new featurettes, produced exclusively for the reissue. Produced by Crary and executive produced by Submarine’s own Dan Braun and Josh Braun, Kill Your Idols was distributed in 2006 by Palm Pictures and Showtime/Sundance Channel. The film won the award for Best Documentary at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival and also screened at SXSW, the BFI London Times Film Festival, among others. The doc has been called “iconic” by Black Book, “still shocking” by Uncut and, in 2013, was included in the permanent archives of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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  • SHOWTIME Sets Premiere Date for Concert Documentary JEFF LYNNE’S ELO: WEMBLEY OR BUST [Trailer]

    [caption id="attachment_30505" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]JEFF LYNNE'S ELO: WEMBLEY OR BUST JEFF LYNNE’S ELO: WEMBLEY OR BUST[/caption] The concert documentary, JEFF LYNNE’S ELO: WEMBLEY OR BUST, will make its U.S. television premiere on SHOWTIME on Friday, July 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on-air, on demand and over the internet. Celebrating Lynne’s enduring and ongoing musical legacy, director Paul Dugdale documents Lynne’s ELO performance in England’s famed Wembley Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd of 60,000 fans. JEFF LYNNE’S ELO: WEMBLEY OR BUST gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look into the concert of recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Lynne – one of the most successful recording artists, songwriters and producers of all-time. The film is complete with bells, whistles and spaceships, and most importantly, many of the most beloved songs of all time, from vintage ELO classics like “Mr. Blue Sky,” “Livin’ Thing” and “Evil Woman” to “Do Ya” from his days with The Move, “Handle With Care” which he recorded with the Traveling Wilburys, right through “When I Was A Boy” from his latest ELO album, Alone In The Universe. “I love it,” says Lynne. “This might be my favorite gig ever, so it’s a very good one to get to share.” JEFF LYNNE’S ELO: WEMBLEY OR BUST is directed by Paul Dugdale and produced by Simon Fisher. Julie Jakobek and Craig Fruin serve as executive producers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDL54-Euqg8 image via screengrab

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  • CALIBRE, THOSE WHO ARE FINE, WHITNEY and NEVADA Win Top Awards at 2018 Edinburgh International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_30501" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]CALIBRE CALIBRE[/caption] After screening 121 new features, including 20 world premieres, from 48 countries across the globe, the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) announced the Award Winners for this year’s 72nd edition.   Commenting on the incredibly high standard of entries at this year’s Festival and the outstanding quality of the submissions they were judging, the juries stressed that they had some tough decisions to make in choosing one winner in each category, giving Special Mentions to several films.

    AWARDS WINNERS

    THE MICHAEL POWELL AWARD FOR BEST BRITISH FEATURE FILM

    The winner of the prestigious Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film, which honors imagination and creativity in British filmmaking, went to British filmmaker Matt Palmer’s debut feature, CALIBRE, which received its World Premiere at the Festival. The winner was chosen by the Michael Powell Jury comprised of Ana Ularu, Jason Connery and Iain de Caestecker. The Michael Powell Jury said: “Being part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival through the lens of serving on the Michael Powell Award jury has been an extraordinary experience. Art should not leave its reviewers unimpressed or passive, and we hope these awards named after a titan of the industry will have a far-reaching effect. A particular theme that featured in the films in competition this year was of children carrying the burden of adulthood. It has been fantastic to see a range of diverse films acknowledging the wealth of talent and craft in British filmmaking. We present the Michael Powell Award to CALIBRE, which unanimously made the biggest impact on us. Beautifully shot, technically accomplished, with a fantastic ensemble performance, director and screenwriter Matt Palmer pitches the tension and emotional journey flawlessly. We are fully invested in the characters and their dilemmas as the choices they make lead to a shattering conclusion.” Director Matt Palmer said: “We’re so honoured for CALIBRE to win this prestigious award, particularly considering the incredible list of previous winners. We’ve been completely thrilled by the amazing response from Edinburgh International Film Festival audiences and had a fantastic experience at the Festival, which has been the perfect lead up to CALIBRE’S global release on Netflix today.”

    THE AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE IN A BRITISH FEATURE FILM

    The award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film went jointly to actresses Liv Hill and Sinead Matthews for their roles in JELLYFISH and was also selected by the Michael Powell jurors. The jury said: “In the category of Best Performance in a British Feature Film, the Michael Powell jury recognises an actress who carries their character in every bone of their body and on whose shoulders rests the ultimate success of the film. Liv Hill’s performance in JELLYFISH encompasses a wide range of superbly delivered emotion, from acute comedy to the depths of despair. As her story unfolds, we see a 15-year old girl dealing with so much that we are completely invested, and the intensity, intelligence and nuance of her portrayal made us shed a tear. The award also goes to Sinead Matthews who creates a visceral character of abysmal highs and lows with assured powerful and elegant touches. In less capable hands, the character could have been detrimental to the movie but her thoughtful and complex portrayal of a woman in the grip of mental health issues was extraordinary.” Liv Hill said: “”I am absolutely thrilled to receive this award and even more delighted to be sharing it with the extraordinary Sinead Matthews. JELLYFISH was a very special experience for me and I still feel so lucky to have worked with James Gardner on his first feature – and mine! Thank you to the jury and Edinburgh International Film Festival for supporting the film.” Sinead Matthews said: “I am so completely thrilled and honoured to be given a prestigious award like this and to share it with Liv Hill makes it all the more special.”

    THE AWARD FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

    The award for Best International Feature Film went to Cyril Shäublin’s THOSE WHO ARE FINE, which received its UK Premiere at this year’s Festival. The winner was chosen by the International Jury comprised of Gráinne Humphreys, Simin Motamed-Arya and Yung Kha. The International Jury said: “The international jury were united in their decision to award best film to THOSE WHO ARE FINE. We agreed that the film was a playful and engaging commentary on contemporary society; elements and ideas were unified with a minimalist elegance by the director and cinematographer. A fresh and vital new talent.” Cyril Shäublin said: “Edinburgh welcomed us and our film warmly, both the people and the sun were beaming. It was great how people from the audience started talking to us about our film, after the screenings outside the cinema, questioning the movie and sharing with us their own ways of looking at things. That’s the best we can ask for. To get this award on top of that all is just wonderful. Thank you so much EIFF for all the support, from the heart!” The International Jury also gave a Special Mention to Likarion Wainaina’s SUPA MODO for its “excellent portrait of community and family.”

    THE AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

    The award for Best Documentary Feature Film went to Kevin Macdonald’s much-anticipated WHITNEY. This year’s jury was comprised of Gaston J-M Kaboré, Nada Cirjanic and Kate Muir. The Documentary Jury said: “An assured film which delivers on every count, from narrative momentum to superb journalism and flawless editing, exposing a story which has timely and timeless resonance.” Director Kevin Macdonald said: “It’s great to win Best Documentary at Edinburgh particularly as I started my life in documentaries at the Festival 20 years ago working as a documentary programmer. It means a lot to me.” A Special Mention went to ISLAND OF THE HUNGRY GHOSTS with the jury saying: “Our special jury mention goes to ISLAND OF THE HUNGRY GHOSTS, directed by Gabrielle Brady. We wanted to recognise this new voice and Brady’s fresh, radical, visually stunning take on the refugee crisis.”

    THE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM

    The award for Best Short Feature Film went to Emily Ann Hoffman’s NEVADA. Special Mentions were also given to SOULS OF TOTALITY and COSMIC KALEIDOSCOPE. The Short Film Jury said: “This stop-motion animation was commended for its originality and in particular for its depiction of intimacy. It tackled an interesting and important subject in a unique and charming way.” Emily Ann Hoffman said: “Thank you so much to the film festival and the jury for this honour. I truly wish I could be there to celebrate with you all in person. NEVADA is about intimacy and vulnerability, but more importantly, it is about a woman exercising her right to govern her own body. I’m so happy to have this message be received and celebrated internationally. Cheers to all the other filmmakers and thank you again!”

    THE EIFF WORKS IN PROGRESS WINNER

    The winner of this year’s EIFF Works in Progress and recipient of the £2,500 prize is RIDING THE WAVE by Martyn Robertson. Martyn Robertson said “Pitching amongst so many other strong fiction and non-fiction projects was daunting but a very worthwhile experience. The chance to meet sales agents and distributors along with potential financiers was great too. This award means I can continue following Ben & Marti’s story in the immediate future. This award solves the problem of continuing filming a time sensitive documentary while we piece together completion financing. It’s also welcome recognition for a project that I’ve been working on for nearly two years now and gives me added confidence in my story and quest to complete this film. Thanks to everyone in the Industry & Talent Development team at EIFF for the opportunity to participate and for selecting my project to receive this year’s award!” The aforementioned Award winners were announced today ahead of Sunday’s Closing Night Gala, which concludes the 12-day Festival with the UK Premiere of SWIMMING WITH MEN. The winner of the Festival’s Audience Award will be announced at the Closing Night Gala.

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  • WIDE TIDE: THE LEGEND OF CULEBRA to Open 20th Sidewalk Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_30496" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Wide Tide: The Legend of Culebra Wide Tide: The Legend of Culebra[/caption] Wide Tide: The Legend of Culebra, directed by Theo Love, will open the 20th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival, on Friday, August 24 at the beautiful Alabama Theatre. White Tide tells the larger-than-life story of a desperate Florida familyman who goes on a wild treasure hunt for $2 million worth of cocaine. The fast-paced, stylish, fun and poignant rollercoaster ride of a documentary is the perfect kickoff to Birmingham’s best weekend of the year. Director Theo Love is a Sidewalk Film Festival alum and Producer Bryan Storkel, a regular attendee since 2007, has screened 6 films at Sidewalk. The festival revealed the first feature film selections – Support the Girls directed by Andrew Bujalski, If I Leave Here Tomorrow: A Film About Lynyrd Skynard directed by Stephen Kijak and Damsel directed by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner. Support the Girls Director: Andrew Bujalski Narrative / Run Time: 90 Minutes / USA Starring: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, Dylan Gelula, James Le Gros The general manager at a highway-side ”sports bar with curves” has her incurable optimism and faith, in her girls, her customers, and herself, tested over the course of a long, strange day. If I Leave Here Tomorrow:A Film About Lynyrd Skynard Director: Stephen Kijak Documentary / Run Time: 95 Minutes / USA The authorized documentary explores the music and backstory of the legendary American band. Damsel Directors: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner Narrative / Run Time: 113 Minutes / USA Starring: Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska and David Zellner It’s the Wild West, circa 1870. Samuel Alabaster, an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope. As his group traverses the west, the once-simple journey grows treacherous, blurring the lines between hero, villain and damsel.

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  • Rasmus Kloster Bro’s Claustrophobic Thriller CUTTERHEAD to World Premiere at Neuchâtel Fantastic Film Festival [Trailer]

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    Cutterhead Rasmus Kloster Bro’s ‘Cutterhead’ will be making its world premiere in the International Feature Film Competition at the 18th Neuchâtel Fantastic Film Festival, the Swiss festival dedicated to fantasy and related genres. The story in Rasmus Kloster Bro’s feature debut follows Rie, a PR-coordinator visiting a tunnel boring machine to portray the well-oiled European cooperation in the Copenhagen Metro construction. When an accident occurs, she is unable to escape and takes refuge in an airlock with Croatian miner Ivo and Bharan, a worker from Eritrea. They put their lives and bodies in each other’s hands to survive the heat, pressure and mud in the claustrophobic cutterhead. ‘Cutterhead’ is written by the director in collaboration with Mikkel Bak Sørensen, producer is Amalie Lyngbo Quist for Beo Starling, and the cast includes Christine Sønderris, Samson Semere and Krešimir Mikic. Director Rasmus Kloster Bro graduated from the alternative Danish film school Super16. His work includes radio fiction, music videos, video installation and short films, of which ‘Kiss My Brother’ (2010) and ‘Barvalo’ (2012) have won a number of awards. https://vimeo.com/277629882

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  • Watch Official Trailer + Poster for JULIET, NAKED Starring Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke, Chris O’Dowd

    [caption id="attachment_30487" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke in JULIET NAKED Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke in JULIET NAKED[/caption] Roadside Attractions today released the official trailer and poster for Juliet, Naked directed by Jesse Peretz and starring Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke, Chris O’Dowd.  Juliet, Naked will open in theaters on August 17, 2018. JULIET, NAKED Poster Annie (Rose Byrne) is stuck in a long-term relationship with Duncan (Chris O’Dowd) – an obsessive fan of obscure rocker Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke). When the acoustic demo of Tucker’s hit record from 25 years ago surfaces, its release leads to a life-changing encounter with the elusive rocker himself. Based on the novel by Nick Hornby, Juliet, Naked is a comic account of life’s second chances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMjSNkAaABs

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