The TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival, launched in 2016, in partnership with Instagram to discover and celebrate emerging, diverse, and creative voices from the global film community is back for a third year. This year, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is committed to meeting gender parity within its final selection with the addition of the new Share Her Journey Prize.
TIFF’s Share Her Journey campaign is a five-year commitment to championing women, both in front of and behind the camera, by investing in their skill development. The TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is supporting this initiative by enlisting an all-woman jury made up of some of the industry’s most creative, knowledgeable, and experienced experts.
This year’s jury features award-winning UK writer, director, and Share Her Journey Ambassador Amma Asante (@iammasante); leading arts-marketing guru and #oscarssowhite creator April Reign (@reignofapril); TCM and FilmStruck host, author Alicia Malone (@aliciamalone), rapper, comedian, and Ocean’s 8 star Awkwafina (@awkwafina), and activist, artist, and actor Sarain Fox (@sarainfox).
Since the launch of TIFFxInstagram Shorts Film Festival, jury members have included Isabelle Huppert, Lake Bell, Ava DuVernay, Xavier Dolan, Ashton Sanders, Director X, and Priyanka Chopra. The Share Her Journey Prize recipient will be selected by Amma Asante. Eligibility for the prize is based solely on a film’s direction by an individual who identifies as a woman. Additional jury members will be revealed in the coming weeks.
“In many ways, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is reflective of the ever-evolving nature of storytelling and digital media. The film industry is going through a period of change, and the addition of the new Share Her Journey Prize reinforces our commitment to achieving gender parity,” said Malcolm Gilderdale, Director of Content, Creative, and Digital at TIFF. “With the support of our amazing partners at Instagram and the generous participation of our jury, we are grateful to have the opportunity to champion the brilliant work that we know will be presented during this year’s edition of the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival.”
Last year saw entrants from regions all over the world — including submissions from America, Europe, Asia, and Africa — whose films reached more than 64 million users on the social platform. The 2017 TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival featured the Fan Favourite Award winner, Canadian-born, Paris-based filmmaker Justin Wu for Overtime, and Jury’s Choice Award winner Confession, by Russia’s Natalia Gurkina. In early 2018, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival was nominated for a Webby Award in the category of Social: Promotions & Contests.
“We’re thrilled to once again collaborate with TIFF to celebrate the craft of short filmmaking through the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival.” said Claudine Cazian, Head of Entertainment Partnerships at Instagram. “More than 800 million people come to Instagram to engage with a positive, highly engaged community where they can express their creativity around shared interests. The TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is just another way in which creators can showcase their inspiring work and connect with new fans all over the world.”
To enter, filmmakers may submit a 60-second-or-less film on Instagram using the hashtag #TIFFxInstagram and complete the submission form at tiff.net/shortsfestival. The deadline for submissions is June 18. Entries must be submitted from a public Instagram account that must remain open until August 21. Winners will receive a round-trip flight to Toronto and three nights’ accommodation to attend the Toronto International Film Festival this September, and get a chance to network with the film community at the popular Industry Conference and see a selection of exciting film premieres. The winning short films will also be showcased on TIFF and Instagram’s digital channels.-
TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival Unveils 2018 Jury + New Share Her Journey Prize
The TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival, launched in 2016, in partnership with Instagram to discover and celebrate emerging, diverse, and creative voices from the global film community is back for a third year. This year, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is committed to meeting gender parity within its final selection with the addition of the new Share Her Journey Prize.
TIFF’s Share Her Journey campaign is a five-year commitment to championing women, both in front of and behind the camera, by investing in their skill development. The TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is supporting this initiative by enlisting an all-woman jury made up of some of the industry’s most creative, knowledgeable, and experienced experts.
This year’s jury features award-winning UK writer, director, and Share Her Journey Ambassador Amma Asante (@iammasante); leading arts-marketing guru and #oscarssowhite creator April Reign (@reignofapril); TCM and FilmStruck host, author Alicia Malone (@aliciamalone), rapper, comedian, and Ocean’s 8 star Awkwafina (@awkwafina), and activist, artist, and actor Sarain Fox (@sarainfox).
Since the launch of TIFFxInstagram Shorts Film Festival, jury members have included Isabelle Huppert, Lake Bell, Ava DuVernay, Xavier Dolan, Ashton Sanders, Director X, and Priyanka Chopra. The Share Her Journey Prize recipient will be selected by Amma Asante. Eligibility for the prize is based solely on a film’s direction by an individual who identifies as a woman. Additional jury members will be revealed in the coming weeks.
“In many ways, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is reflective of the ever-evolving nature of storytelling and digital media. The film industry is going through a period of change, and the addition of the new Share Her Journey Prize reinforces our commitment to achieving gender parity,” said Malcolm Gilderdale, Director of Content, Creative, and Digital at TIFF. “With the support of our amazing partners at Instagram and the generous participation of our jury, we are grateful to have the opportunity to champion the brilliant work that we know will be presented during this year’s edition of the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival.”
Last year saw entrants from regions all over the world — including submissions from America, Europe, Asia, and Africa — whose films reached more than 64 million users on the social platform. The 2017 TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival featured the Fan Favourite Award winner, Canadian-born, Paris-based filmmaker Justin Wu for Overtime, and Jury’s Choice Award winner Confession, by Russia’s Natalia Gurkina. In early 2018, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival was nominated for a Webby Award in the category of Social: Promotions & Contests.
“We’re thrilled to once again collaborate with TIFF to celebrate the craft of short filmmaking through the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival.” said Claudine Cazian, Head of Entertainment Partnerships at Instagram. “More than 800 million people come to Instagram to engage with a positive, highly engaged community where they can express their creativity around shared interests. The TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is just another way in which creators can showcase their inspiring work and connect with new fans all over the world.”
To enter, filmmakers may submit a 60-second-or-less film on Instagram using the hashtag #TIFFxInstagram and complete the submission form at tiff.net/shortsfestival. The deadline for submissions is June 18. Entries must be submitted from a public Instagram account that must remain open until August 21. Winners will receive a round-trip flight to Toronto and three nights’ accommodation to attend the Toronto International Film Festival this September, and get a chance to network with the film community at the popular Industry Conference and see a selection of exciting film premieres. The winning short films will also be showcased on TIFF and Instagram’s digital channels.
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Rose McGowan: We need to have a conversation about suicide. Blame is not that conversation.
Rose McGowan today released a very important timely message, in the wake of the recent suicides, including that of Anthony Bourdain, who was in a relationship with her close pal Asia Argento. If you are considering suicide, please find information below.
Sitting across from me is the remarkable human and brave survivor, Asia Argento, who has been through more than most could stand, and yet stand she does. She stood up to her monster rapist and now she has to stand up to yet another monster, suicide. The suicide of her beloved lover and ally, Anthony Bourdain. I write these truths because I have been asked to. I know so many around the world thought of Anthony Bourdain as a friend and when a friend dies, it hurts. Many of these people who lost their ‘friend’ are wanting to lash out and blame. You must not sink to that level. Suicide is a horrible choice, but it is that person’s choice.
When Anthony met Asia, it was instant chemistry. They laughed, they loved and he was her rock during the hardships of this last year. Anthony was open with his demons, he even wrote a book about them. In the beginning of their relationship, Anthony told a mutual friend, “He’s never met anyone who wanted to die more than him.” And through a lot of this last year, Asia did want the pain to stop. But here’s the thing, over their time together, thankfully, she did the work to get help, so she could stay alive and live another day for her and her children. Anthony’s depression didn’t let him, he put down his armor, and that was very much his choice. His decision, not hers. His depression won. Anthony and Asia had a free relationship, they loved without borders of traditional relationships, and they established the parameters of their relationship early on. Asia is a free bird, and so was Anthony. Was. Such a terrible word to write. I’ve heard from many that the past two years they were together were some of his happiest and that should give us all solace.
Anthony was 61, the same age my father was when he died. My father also suffered from intermittent deep depression, and like Anthony, was part of a “pull up your bootstraps and march on” generation. The a “strong man doesn’t ask for help” generation. I know before Anthony died he reached out for help, and yet he did not take the doctor’s advice. And that has led us here, to this tragedy, to this loss, to this world of hurt. Do NOT do the sexist thing and burn a woman on the pyre of misplaced blame. Anthony’s internal war was his war, but now she’s been left on the battlefield to take the bullets. It is in no way fair or acceptable to blame her or anyone else, not even Anthony. We are asking you to be better, to look deeper, to read and learn about mental illness, suicide and depression before you make it worse for survivors by judging that which we do not understand, that which can never fully be understood. Sometimes we are stuck in the unknowable, and that is where we are now, a massive wave of darkness that threatens to swallow everyone in its wake.
As I watch Asia do her job on set today, I see a pillar of strength who continues to work to put food on her children’s table. I see Elizabeth Taylor carrying on filming Cat on a Hot Tin Roof despite her love, her husband, dying in a plane crash. I see all of us who have carried on. Please join me in sending healing energy to Anthony on his journey, and to all who’ve been left behind to journey on without him. There is no one to blame but the stigma of loneliness, the stigma of asking for help, the stigma of mental illness, the stigma of being famous and hurting.
We must do more and be better. Anthony, our friend, would want it that way.
To the media and to the random commenter, Anthony would never have wanted Asia to be hurt, I’d like to think he would want us to have the collective conversation that needs to be had about depression. Blame is NOT a conversation, it is the shutting down of our collective growth. Which is where we are now. We have a choice as humans, shrink to our smaller, uglier selves, or be better and grow as only true Phoenixes can. I urge you to be that Phoenix.
With great sadness and even greater hope, I remain,
Rose McGowan
cc: Asia Argento
If you are considering suicide, reach out. We need you here. You matter. You exist. You count. There is help a phone call away, reach out.
Suicide Prevention Hotlines:
Argentina: +5402234930430
Australia: 131114
Austria: 017133374
Belgium: 106
Bosnia & Herzegovina: 080 05 03 05
Botswana: 3911270
Brazil: 212339191
Canada: 5147234000 (Montreal); 18662773553 (outside Montreal)
Croatia: 014833888
Denmark: +4570201201
Egypt: 7621602
Finland: 010 195 202
France: 0145394000
Germany: 08001810771
Holland: 09000767
Hong Kong: +852 2382 0000
Hungary: 116123
India: 8888817666
Ireland: +4408457909090
Israel: 1201 or 972-889-1333 from abroad
Italy: 800860022
Japan: +810352869090
Mexico: 5255102550
New Zealand: 045861048
Norway: +4781533300
Pakistan: 15 / 115 (Emergency)
Philippines: 028969191
Poland: 5270000
Russia: 0078202577577
Spain: 914590050
South Africa: 0514445691
Sweden: 46317112400
Switzerland: 143
United Kingdom: 08457909090
USA: 18002738255
For a USA Crisis Text Line, please text CONNECT to 741741 from anywhere in the USA, anytime, about any type of crisis.
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BREACH, NOSOTROS, and AFGHAN CYCLES Win Top Awards at 21st Brooklyn Film Festival
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Breach directed by Lorenzo Monti[/caption]
Breach directed by Lorenzo Monti picked up the coveted best of the fest Grand Chameleon Award, as well as Best Experimental Film at the Brooklyn Film Festival’s 21st edition: THRESHOLD, which wrapped on Sunday. Felipe Vara de Rey’s Nosotros won Best Narrative Feature and Sarah Menzies’ Afghan Cycles took home the award for Best Feature Documentary.
“It has been a wonderful festival. Everything we were hoping would happen, actually did,” said Marco Ursino, Brooklyn Film Festival Executive Director. “We envisioned this edition as a sanctuary where people of different backgrounds and cultures could have an honest and civilized conversation stimulated by 119 projects which, I feel, did bring back interest in politics and in the social condition of people who live so far away and yet experience the same things we are going through here in the U.S.”
This year’s festival was comprised of 119 features and shorts from 30 countries spread over six continents. The lineup included 19 world premieres, 21 USA bows, 37 east coast debuts and 30 first-time screenings in NYC.
2018 Brooklyn Film Festival Winners
GRAND CHAMELEON AWARD – BREACH by LORENZO MONTI [caption id="attachment_30004" align="aligncenter" width="1249"]
Nosotros[/caption]
Best Narrative Feature – NOSOTROS by FELIPE VARA DE REY
Best Documentary Feature – AFGHAN CYCLES by SARAH MENZIES
Best Short Documentary – GIVE by DAVID DE ROZAS
Best Narrative Short – COUNTERFEIT KUNKOO by REEMA SENGUPTA
Best Animation – LA MORT, PERE & FILS by PARONNAUD VINCENT and WALTGENWITZ DENIS
Best Experimental – BREACH by LORENZO MONTI
Best New Director – BROTHERS by BRAM SCHOUW
Best Brooklyn Project – ONE BEDROOM by DARIEN SILLS-EVANS
Spirit Awards
Feature Narrative – ICE CREAM by SABA RIAZI Feature Documentary – STREET FIGHTING MEN by ANDREW JAMES Short Documentary – CHRISANTO STREET by PALOMA MARTINEZ Short Narrative – BONOBO by ZOEL AESCHBACHER Experimental – GENESIS by ABTIN MOZAFARI Animation – LES ANIMAUX DOMESTIQUES by JEAN LECOINTREAudience Awards
Feature Narrative – ARE YOU GLAD I’M HERE by NOOR FAY GHARZEDDINE Feature Documentary – MY NAME IS PEDRO by LILLIAN LASALLE Short Documentary – DAVID’S VOICE by GRAHAM HILL Short Narrative – CASUALTIES by HOLLY VOGES Experimental – DUPPY by JUSTIN MORRIS Animation – HI-FIVE THE CACTUS by CHRISTOPHER THOMASCertificates of Outstanding Achievement
Producer – MICHAEL ANGELO ZERVOS & LUKE SHIROCK for TOMMY BATTLES THE SILVER SEA DRAGON Screenplay – Director/Writer MARINA MICHELSON for BIOPHILIA Cinematography – VLADIMIR EGOROV for FAITH Editing – ROMANY MALCO, JR. for PRISON LOGIC Style – WENDY MCCOLM for BIRDS WITHOUT FEATHERS Original Score – Composer SIMON TAUFIQUE for ARE YOU GLAD I’M HERE Actor Female – LAURA ESTERMAN for CAN HITLER HAPPEN HERE? Actor Male – ROMANY MALCO for PRISON LOGIC
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‘Eighth Grade’ ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ Among Winners at 2018 Seattle International Film Festival
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EIGHTH GRADE[/caption]
The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) today announced the winners of the 2018 Golden Space Needle Audience and Competition Awards. Eighth Grade received the Golden Space Needle Audience Award for Best Film and a Best Actress Award for Elise Fisher. Won’t You Be My Neighbor won Best Documentary and Grand Jury prizes went to The Reports on Sarah and Saleem, Dead Pigs, Rust, Inventing Tomorrow, and Thunder Road.
Artistic Director Beth Barrett said, “Executive Director Sarah Wilke and I were thrilled to present Ethan Hawke with the Festival’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Cinema before a screening of Blaze, his latest directing effort, as well as welcoming Melanie Lynskey back to the Festival for a special screening of Seattle based local film, Sadie. We also had an incredible lineup of local films, and our documentary film selection continues to be among the best in the country. Back for the second year was SIFF’s New Works-in-Progress Forum, where we screened two narrative and two documentary features in the midst of their creative process to the Seattle audience of industry and festival attendees, as well as continuing our exploration of the intersections between cinema and Virtual Reality at our first Pop-up event, SIFF VR Zone at Pacific Place.”
2018 GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD WINNERS
The 2018 Golden Space Needle Awards are created by Seattle Artist, Piper O’Neill. GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST FILM Eighth Grade, directed by Bo Burnham (USA 2018) First runner-up: The Last Suit, directed by Pablo Solarz (Argentina/Poland/Spain/France/Germany 2017) Second runner-up: Champions, directed by Javier Fesser (Spain 2018) Third runner-up: C’est la vie!, directed by Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano (France/Canada/Belgium 2017) Fourth runner-up: Supa Modo, directed by Likarion Wainaina (Kenya/Germany 2018) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST DOCUMENTARY Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, directed by Morgan Neville (USA 2018) First runner-up: Pick of the Litter, directed by Don Hardy Jr., Dana Nachman (USA 2017) Second runner-up: Return to Mount Kennedy, directed by Eric Becker (USA 2018) Third runner-up: The Most Dangerous Year, directed by Vlada Knowlton (USA 2018) Fourth runner-up: The Russian Five, directed by Joshua Riehl (USA 2018) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST DIRECTOR Gustav Möller, The Guilty (Denmark 2018) First runner-up: Pablo Solarz, The Last Suit (Argentina/Poland/Spain/France/Germany 2017) Second runner-up: Megan Griffiths, Sadie (USA 2018) Third runner-up: Debra Granik, Leave No Trace (USA 2018) Fourth runner-up: Albert Dupontel, See You Up There (France 2017) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST ACTOR Miguel Ángel Solá, The Last Suit (Argentina/Poland/Spain/France/Germany 2017) First runner-up: Jakob Cedergren, The Guilty (Denmark 2018) Second runner-up: Ethan Hawke, First Reformed (USA 2017) Third runner-up: Jim Cummings, Thunder Road (USA 2018) Fourth runner-up: Ben Foster, Leave No Trace (USA 2018) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST ACTRESS Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade (USA 2018) First runner-up: Rhaechyl Walker, My Name is Myeisha (USA 2018) Second runner-up: Sophia Mitri Schloss, Sadie (USA 2018) Third runner-up: Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, Leave No Trace (USA 2018) Fourth runner-up: Ana Brun, The Heiresses (Paraguay/Uruguay/Germany/Brazil/Norway/France 2018) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST SHORT FILM Emergency, directed by Carey Williams (USA 2017) First runner-up: About the Birds and the Bees, directed by J.J. Vanhanen (Finland 2017) Second runner-up: Wishing Box, directed by Wenli Zhang, Nan Li (USA 2017) Third runner-up: Cats Cradle, directed by Jonathan Napolitano (USA 2018) Fourth runner-up: Wave, directed by Benjamin Cleary, TJ O’Grady Peyton (Ireland 2017) LENA SHARPE AWARD FOR PERSISTENCE OF VISION Presented by Women in Film – Seattle Dana Nachman, Pick of the Litter (USA 2017) This award is given to the female director’s film that receives the most votes in public balloting at the Festival. Lena Sharpe was co-founder and managing director of Seattle’s Festival of Films by Women Directors and a KCTS-TV associate who died in a plane crash while on assignment. As a tribute to her efforts in bringing the work of women filmmakers to prominence, SIFF created this special award and asked Women in Film – Seattle to bestow it.SIFF 2018 COMPETITION AWARDS
SIFF 2018 OFFICIAL COMPETITION WINNER
GRAND JURY PRIZE The Reports on Sarah and Saleem (d: Muayad Alayan, Palestine/Netherlands/Germany/Mexico 2018) JURY STATEMENT: The Official Competition Jury Award goes to a work that through its complex and multi-dimensional characters tells a familiar story of infidelity in an original and wholly disarming way. We were struck by the unexpected journey taken by the two female leads towards empowerment, particularly given the political and social climate of a modern day divided Jerusalem. The Official Competition Jury Award goes to The Reports on Sarah and Seleem. SPECIAL JURY MENTION The Heiresses (d: Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay/Uruguay/Germany/Brazil/Norway/France 2018) JURY STATEMENT: We would like acknowledge The Heiresses, a remarkable first feature from Paraguay by Marcelo Martinessi. 2018 Entries: The Devil’s Doorway (d: Aislinn Clarke, United Kingdom 2018, World Premiere) Garbage (d: Qaushiq Mukherjee, India 2018, North American Premiere) The Heiresses (d: Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay/Uruguay/Germany/Brazil/Norway/France 2018, US Premiere) Leave No Trace (d: Debra Granik, USA 2018) Luna (d: Elsa Diringer, France 2017) Pig (d: Mani Haghighi, Iran 2018, North American Premiere) Team Hurricane (d: Annika Berg, Denmark 2017) The Reports on Sarah and Saleem (d: Muayad Alayan, Palestine/Netherlands/Germany/Mexico 2018, North American Premiere) Something Useful (d: Pelin Esmer, Turkey/France/Netherlands/Germany 2017, North American Premiere)SIFF 2018 IBERO-AMERICAN COMPETITION
GRAND JURY PRIZE Rust (d: Aly Muritiba, Brazil 2018) JURY STATEMENT: For highlighting a very important social issue, through an inventive structure and phenomenal performances, we present the Ibero-American Competition Jury Award to Aly Muritiba’s Rust. SPECIAL JURY MENTION Rush Hour (d: Luciana Kaplan, Mexico 2017) JURY STATEMENT: The Jury wants to also recognize a wonderful discovery, told with a subtle, unique point of view. For her examination of suffering and humanity inside of an increasingly automotive environment, the Ibero-American Competition Jury awards a special mention to Luciana Kaplan’s Rush Hour. 2018 Entries: Champions (d: Javier Fesser, Spain 2018) Giant (d: John Garaño, Aitor Arregi, Spain 2017) Gold Seekers (d: Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schémbori, Paraguay 2017) The Heiresses (d: Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay/Uruguay/Germany/Brazil/Norway/France 2018, US Premiere) Killing Jesus (d: Laura Mora Ortega, Colombia/Argentina 2017) Lots of Kids, A Monkey and a Castle (d: Gustavo Salmerón, Spain 2017) Marilyn (d: Martin Rodriguez, Argentina/Chile 2018, North American Premiere) Retablo (d: Peru/Germany/Norway 2017, North American Premiere) Rush Hour (d: Luciana Kaplan, Mexico 2017) Rust (d: Aly Muritiba, Brazil 2018) Virus Tropical (d: Santiago Calcedo, Colombia/Ecuador 2017)SIFF 2018 NEW DIRECTORS COMPETITION
GRAND JURY PRIZE Dead Pigs (d: Cathy Yan, China/USA 2018) JURY STATEMENT: For building an epic world, grounded in humanity, purposefully depicting the intricacies of the characters who exemplify the changes of a modernizing China, the New Directors Competition Jury award goes to Cathy Yan for Dead Pigs. SPECIAL JURY MENTION Scary Mother (d: Ana Urushadze, Georgia/Estonia 2017) JURY STATEMENT: Using striking and haunting visuals, this filmmaker confidently creates intimate and empathetic characters while depicting the struggle for artistic expression in a society that does not allow the full breadth of it. The jury would like to recognize Ana Urushadze with a special mention for her filmScary Mother. 2018 Entries: After the War (d: Annarita Zambrano, Italy/Belgium/Switzerland 2017) Amateurs (d: Gabriela Pichler, Sweden 2018) The Blessed (d: Sofia Djama, Algeria/France/Belgium/Qatar 2017) The Charmer (d: Milad Alami, Denmark/Sweden 2017) Dead Pigs (d: Cathy Yan, China/USA 2018) Sashinka (d: Kristina Wagenbauer, Canada (Québec) 2017, US Premiere) Scary Mother (d: Ana Urushadze, Georgia/Estonia 2017) Shuttle Life (d: Tan Seng Klat, Malaysia 2017, US Premiere) Supa Modo (d: Likarion Wainaina, Kenya/Germany 2018) Retablo (d: Alvaro L. Delgado-Aparicio, Peru/Germany/Norway 2017, North American Premiere)SIFF 2018 NEW AMERICAN CINEMA COMPETITION
Thunder Road (d: Jim Cummings, USA 2018) JURY STATEMENT: For the bold and unpredictable lead performance and commitment to telling a hilarious and ultimately heartbreaking story of shifting family relations in the face of personal adversity and tragedy, the New American Cinema Competition Jury award goes to Thunder Road by Jim Cummings. 2018 Entries: Jinn (d: Nijla Mu’min, USA 2018) My Name is Myeisha (d: Gus Krieger, USA 2018) Noble Earth (d: Ursula Grisham, USA 2017, US Premiere) Prospect (d: Zeek Earl, Chris Caldwell, USA 2018) Sadie (d: Megan Griffiths, USA 2018) Thunder Road (d: Jim Cummings, USA 2018) Tyrel (d: Sebastián Silva, USA 2018) Wild Nights with Emily (d: Madeleine Olnek, USA 2018)SIFF 2018 DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
GRAND JURY PRIZE Inventing Tomorrow (d: Laura Nix, USA 2018) JURY STATEMENT: For it’s compelling cast of young visionaries from around the globe who are engaged and looking for solutions to the world’s environmental problems, Inventing Tomorrow offers us a sense of optimism and the certainty that science matters. SPECIAL JURY MENTION Afghan Cycles (d: Sarah Menzies, USA/France/Afghanistan 2018) JURY STATEMENT: For portraying a side of Afghanistan that we don’t usually see and the self confidence and bravery of the young women, we would like to acknowledge Afghan Cycles with a Documentary Competition Special Jury Mention. 2018 Entries: Afghan Cycles (d: Sarah Menzies, USA/France/Afghanistan 2018, US Premiere Inventing Tomorrow (d: Laura Nix, USA 2018) MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. (d: Stephen Loveridge, United Kingdom/USA 2018) People’s Republic of Desire (d: Hao Wu, China 2018) Queerama (d: Daisy Asquith, United Kingdom 2017) The Return (d: Malene Choi, Denmark 2018, US Premiere) Unarmed Verses (d: Charles Officer, Canada 2017, US Premiere) Warrior Women (d: Elizabeth A. Castle, Christina D. King, USA 2018, US Premiere)SIFF 2018 YOUTH JURY FEATURES & FUTUREWAVE SHORTS AWARDS
YOUTH JURY PRIZE FOR BEST FILMS4FAMILIES FEATURE Zoo (d: Colin McIvor, Ireland 2017) JURY STATEMENT: For its well-developed, heartwarming plot, spectacular scenery, and believable acting. YOUTH JURY PRIZE FOR BEST FUTUREWAVE FEATURE My Name is Myeisha (d: Gus Krieger, USA 2018) JURY STATEMENT: For its creative and non-linear storytelling that incorporates multiple art forms, including poetry, rap, beat-boxing, and dance, and its holistic portrayal of victims of police brutality. In addition, SIFF presents FutureWave Shorts during ShortsFest Weekend. These inspiring original short films represent some of the best short filmmaking from around the world. WAVEMAKER AWARD (GRAND PRIZE) iRony (d: Radheya Jegatheva, Australia 2017) JURY STATEMENT: We found that the animation was excellent, smart, and gorgeous. This film was paired with emotional and poignant prose about technology in this new world, sustaining our curiosity and interest throughout. PRODIGY CAMP SCHOLARSHIP The winner will be awarded a $1000 partial scholarship to the Prodigy Camp. Roommate (d: Jinho Rhee, USA 2017) FUTUREWAVE SHORTS AUDIENCE AWARD iRony (d: Radheya Jegatheva, Australia 2017)SIFF 2018 SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS
LIVE ACTION GRAND JURY PRIZE Caroline (d: Celine Held, Logan George, USA 2017) JURY STATEMENT: “Perfect” and “flawless” were two words our team used multiple times to describe this intense drama. A searing portrait of motherhood, it sent our blood pressure through the roof and arrested our attention until the very last second with its clever and powerful ending. The winner of the 2018 Live Action Short Jury Award goes to Caroline by Celine Held and Logan George. SPECIAL JURY MENTION Creme de Menthe (d: Jean-Marc E. Roy & Philippe David Gagné, Canada 2017) JURY STATEMENT: Unlike the liqueur for which it is titled, this film is bittersweet and complex, a poignant reminder of every grown child’s desire for parental validation, even posthumously. What the captivating lead finds instead are small victories amidst her “rush” to judgement and the rubble of her father’s later life. Our special mention award goes to the understated and masterful Creme de Menthe by Jean-Marc E. Roy and Philippe David Gagné. SPECIAL JURY MENTION The Victory of Charity (d: Albert Meisl, Austria 2017) JURY STATEMENT: This Austrian farce manages to create comedic gold with a mismatched pair of music professors: turning an act of charity–however maliciously motivated–into a hilarious treasure hunt around Vienna. For its endlessly humorous crafting of two endearingly ridiculous characters, on an earnest and equally ridiculous quest, we award a Special Mention to the short that left us in stitches, The Victory of Charity by Albert Meisl. DOCUMENTARY GRAND JURY PRIZE Juck [Thrust] (d: Olivia Kastebring, Julia Gumpert, Ulrika Bandeira, Sweden 2018) JURY STATEMENT: An unapologetic, empowering, and affecting call to action that demands attention. SPECIAL JURY MENTION The Driver is Red (d: Randall Christopher, USA 2017) JURY STATEMENT: An invigorating revelation of an important, lesser known part of history, full of inventive visuals and tension-filled storytelling ANIMATION GRAND JURY PRIZE Between the Lines (d: Maria Koneva, Russia 2017) JURY STATEMENT: A delightful and whimsical story from a skilled, emerging new voice in animation. SPECIAL JURY MENTION The Driver is Red (d: Randall Christopher, USA 2017) JURY STATEMENT: An invigorating revelation of an important, lesser known part of history, full of inventive visuals and tension-filled storytelling.SIFF 2018 CHINA STARS AWARDS
CHINA STARS BEST FILM AWARD The Taste of Betel Nut (d: Jia Hu, p: Wei Sun, China 2017) CHINA STARS BEST FIRST FILM Dead Pigs (d: Cathy Yan, China/USA 2018) CHINA STARS BEST NEW TALENT Girls Always Happy (d: Mingming Yang, China 2018)SIFF 2018 DOCUMENTARY FILM GRANT PROGRAM
The 2018 Clark Family Legacy Film Grant in the amount of $50,000 was awarded to Jordan Schiele for his film The Silk and the Flame and the Áegis Living Film Grant in the amount of $25,000 was awarded to Sarah Menzies for her film Afghan Cycles. These grants are given to documentary filmmakers who are working with excellence and integrity to bring important human stories to life. Both films were screened at this year’s Festival.SIFF 2018 SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
GRAND PRIZE WINNER Youth Decay by Brandon Hall FINALISTS Anh Sang by Barry Brennessel Kibou by Cassie Hayasaka and Keith Hayasaka Plan B by Paige Gresty SEMI-FINALISTS Amelia Was Here! by Millie West Kelley’s Coffin by Jon Hartz Pale Souls by Michael Lavine The Rodeo King of Brooklyn by Paul Longo Seattle ‘94 by Charles Freeman Strange Trails by Jordan Short
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RIP: First ‘Bond Girl’ Eunice Gayson Dies at 90
Eunice Gayson, the very first ‘Bond girl’ who played Sylvia Trench in Dr. No and From Russia With Love died on Friday, June 8. She was 90. The news was tweeted by the official James Bond account.
https://twitter.com/007/status/1005441780995837952
https://twitter.com/EuniceGayson/status/1005404262480990208
Originally, Eunice Gayson was to be cast as Miss Moneypenny, but that part went to Lois Maxwell instead. She was the first official Bond girl. Gayson also played a major role in the Hammer horror film The Revenge of Frankenstein.
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NEVER STEADY, NEVER STILL Starring Shirley Henderson to Open in NYC in Late June
Never Steady, Never Still, the feature film debut of writer/director Kathleen Hepburn, and starring Shirley Henderson & Théodore Pellerin will open in NYC on June 22nd at AMC Empire 25.
Never Steady, Never Still is a tender and heartbreaking story of a physically disabled mother and discontent son – each alienated from their world and struggling to manage in the face of grief, guilt and chronic disease. The film is set in the rugged and unforgiving rural north of British Columbia, Canada and the story spans an entire year in the lives of the characters. Having lived with Parkinson’s disease for almost two decades, Judy (Shirley Henderson) is faced with the heightened challenges of daily life when her husband and caregiver dies of a sudden heart attack on their isolated property on the shores of Stuart Lake. Meanwhile, her teenage son Jamie (Théodore Pellerin), pushed by his father to get a job on the oil fields, is terrified by the idea of filling his shoes at too young an age, and grappling with the daunting task of becoming a man in world that has no apparent room for weakness.
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FOX Sports Films Acquires Boxing Documentary THEY FIGHT Produced by Common
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Common at 2017 Tribeca Talk: Storytellers, Tribeca Film Festival[/caption]
FOX Sports Films has acquired the boxing documentary “They Fight,” directed by Andrew Renzi and produced by actor/rapper Common. The documentary follows Coach Walt Manigan’s Lyfe Style Boxing, an after-school program in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8 – a community rife with inequity. Walt mentors young boxers, “Peanut” Bartee and Quincey Williams on the path to the 2017 Junior Olympics, while he also fights to find a permanent home for his program to help young fighters avoid the troubles he found in his own youth.
“It is important to share Coach Walt’s story and seeing how he overcame extreme hardships and now serves as a mentor to the youth in Ward 8,” said Common. “It is a true example as to how we can take the most challenging of situations and turn them into a positive, not only for ourselves but for others. Boxing is more than just a sport to these kids, it empowers and unifies them to fight for a better life.”
This project is the newest in the Sports Emmy(R)-nominated “MAGNIFY” series from FOX Sports Films. The series leverages sports as a lens for exploring important cultural stories and investigates the challenges, change, and unity they bring to communities. Since its November 2017 launch, the MAGNIFY series’ roster of influential contributors includes: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chance the Rapper; and, most recently, Kevin Durant.
“From the opening minutes of this powerful film, we knew it was a perfect fit for our ‘Magnify’ series,” said Gabe Spitzer, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer, FOX Sports Films. “The power of sports as a community builder is visible throughout the documentary.”
“They Fight” will premiere this fall as a FOX Sports broadcast. Other “MAGNIFY” films, past and future:
2018 Sports Emmy(R)-nominated “89 Blocks,” executive produced by James and Carter for Uninterrupted, along with Sports Illustrated (November 2017)
“Shot in the Dark,” executive produced by Wade and Chance the Rapper (February 2018)
“Nossa Chape,” from award-winning directors Jeffrey Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist (The Two Escobars, Pele: Birth of a Legend) focuses on the 2016 plane crash involving Brazilian soccer club Chapecoense. It premieres June 23rd at 4:15 pm ET on FOX immediately following 2018 FIFA(TM) World Cup coverage.
The recently announced, “Q Ball,” from Executive Producer Golden State Warriors All-Star Durant, follows the lives of the San Quentin Warriors — teammates and inmates at “The Q”, California’s San Quentin State Prison. Set to premiere in early 2019
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GIANT to Open and NY Premiere of OUT OF STATE to Close CCNY 5th The Americas Film Festival of NY
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Giant (Handia)[/caption]
Giant (Handia) will open the fifth annual The Americas Film Festival of New York (TAFFNY) – a cultural project of The City College of New York’s Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education (CWE) – which runs from June 7 to 15, 2018.
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Out of State (d. Ciara Lacy)[/caption]
TAFFNY closes on Friday, June 15 at 6 p.m. with the Awards Ceremony of The Americas Short Films Competition at the National Museum of the American Indian, which is followed by the New York premiere of Out of State by Native Hawaiian filmmaker Ciara Lacy. “Out of State” is a character-driven documentary that chronicles the experience of two men who find their cultural identity while housed in a private prison, thousands of miles from their island home of Hawaii.
“TAFFNY is in its fifth edition and through the years it has been growing,” said Dr. Juan Carlos Mercado, dean of the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. “This year, we wanted to honor the students and faculty of City College’s MFA program in film, one of the oldest film schools in the U.S. and the only public institution in New York City to offer a BFA in film.
The film school was founded in 1941 by Dada artist and filmmaker Hans Richter and was originally the Institute for Film Techniques. Among the list of people who studied or took classes at CCNY’s film program are Woody Allen, Judd Hirsch, Stanley Kubrick, Jackie Mason, Richard Schiff, Eli Wallach and Ben Gazzara.
TAFFNY aims to create a new culture of cinematography appreciation by providing a dynamic space for the public and artists to meet, reflect on multiculturalism and diversity in our society, while promoting the work of new and emerging filmmakers. TAFFNY presents feature-length films, documentaries and shorts and animations that represent the rich diversity of cultures, languages and stories of the Americas.
The festival will also offer workshops, debates and lectures. It will host The Americas Short Film Competition, exclusively dedicated to the promotion and exhibition of short-length audiovisual works by emerging filmmakers.
The Americas Short Film Competition is exclusively dedicated to the promotion and exhibition of short-length audiovisual works by emerging filmmakers. The festival’s competition will showcase films with a maximum length of 20 minutes that portray contemporary concerns of filmmakers living in the region. This year, TAFFNY screens 40 short films in competition for The Americas Award in the categories of animation, documentary, experimental and fiction.
The Americas Panorama is an exciting program that will bring the richness of the cultures of The Americas through eight award winning, feature-length films in fiction and documentary. The films reflect the multiplicity of stories and identities that form the “American” experience, ranging from documentaries that explore the complexities of community in a globalized world to stories, both personal and social, of perseverance, memory and love.
via CCNY
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Horror Sequel 14 CAMERAS Sets July 27 Release Date [Trailer]
14 Cameras, the highly-anticipated sequel to the critically-acclaimed horror title 13 Cameras, will be released in theaters and on demand nationwide on July 27th by Gravitas Ventures
When a family of four rent a beautiful house for their summer vacation, the price seems too good to be true. Unbeknownst to them, the lascivious owner (Archambault) has set up a series of spy cams throughout the house, documenting their most intimate moments and live-streaming them to the dark web.
The horror-thriller 14 Cameras is directed by Scott Hussion and Seth Fuller; and stars Neville Archambault (13 Cameras), Amber Midthunder (“Legion”), Chelsea Edmundson (Thunder Road) along with Brianne Moncrief (13 Cameras). The film was written by Victor Zarcoff; and produced by Fuller and Hussion, with Andrew van den Houten (The Ranger), Jordan Rudman (Funeral Kings) and The McManus Bros. (writers of Netflix’s “American Vandal”) executive producing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HqBKYe0DqA image via screenshot
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Watch First Trailer for HBO Documentary ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND
HBO has released the first trailer for the documentary Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind, described as “an intimate look into the life and work of Robin Williams, the master of stage and comedy.” The film directed by Marina Zenovich and produced by Alex Gibney and Shirel Kozak, will premiere on HBO on July 16, 2018.
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind explores his extraordinary life and career, revealing what drove him to give voice to the characters in his mind. With previously unheard and unseen glimpses into his creative process through interviews with Williams, as well as home movies and onstage footage, this insightful tribute features in-depth interviews with those who knew and loved him, including Billy Crystal, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Pam Dawber and his son, Zak Williams.
The documentary underscores what made Williams so unique, ranging from his youthful days in the San Francisco Bay area, to his time in New York at The Juilliard School, åto his rocket-propelled fame on TV’s “Mork & Mindy,” to his profound impact on the American cultural landscape. Such career high points as his landmark comedy show at the Metropolitan Opera, his Broadway debut in “Waiting for Godot,” his Academy Award(R)-winning performance in “Good Will Hunting” and his classic confessional bits about his alcohol and drug issues and 2009 heart surgery capture the spark that made him stand out across four decades in entertainment. Williams’ tragic death in 2014, which revealed he had been suffering from the disease Lewy Body Dementia, left fans around the world heartbroken.
The genius of Robin Williams lay in his ability to make a room, a comedy club, a concert hall or the whole world laugh. Family, friends and film crews often saw a man who wasn’t happy unless everyone else was having a good time? – ?but the dualities Williams embodied were present inside him at all times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caIFNg_JRL4
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47th Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival Awards: THE SAINT Wins Grand-Prix
The Festival Jury of the 47th Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival in Kyiv, Ukraine awarded the winners in 6 categories, along with the festival‘s Shoot&Play competition. The Grand-Prix of the festival for the best first full-length film, the Scythian Deer was awarded to Andrius Blaževičius for his film The Saint (Lithuania, Poland, 2016).
Prize for best full-length film is awarded to Hlynur Pálmason for his film Winter Brothers (Denmark, Iceland, 2017).
Special Jury Diploma of Full-Length Competition is awarded to The Load by Ognjen Glavonić (Serbia, France, Croatia, Iran, Qatar, 2018).
Prize for Best Short Film is awarded to The Blissful Accidental Death by Sergiu Negulici (Romania, 2017).
Prize for Best Student Film is awarded to Close Ties by Zofia Kowalewska (Poland, 2016).
Special Jury Diploma of Student Films Competition is awarded to Ocean Swells by Sverre Matias Glenne (Norway, 2016).
Teen Screen Competition Jury has awarded its prize to Half Ticket by Samit Kakkad (India, 2016).
Special Jury Diplomas of Teen Screen Competition are awarded to Supa Modo by Likarion Wainaina (Kenya, Germany, 2018) and Behind the Blue Door by Mariusz Palej (Poland, 2016).
Prize for Best Film in National Competition is awarded to Weightlifter by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk (Ukraine, Poland, 2018) – for virtuosic directing and impressive imagery.
Special Jury Diplomas of National Competition are awarded to Unavailable by Nikon Romanchenko (Ukraine, 2017) – for delicate view and particular tone. And to The Wonderful Years by Svitlana Shymko and Galina Yarmanova (Ukraine, 2018) – for subtle display of an unknown world.
Audience Award of the 47th Molodist KIFF went to the film Silent Night by Piotr Domalewski (Poland, 2016).
The best film of Shoot&Play competition is Your Choice Will Benefit You by Anastasiia Khomenko.
Prize for Best LGBTQ Film of Sunny Bunny competition program is awarded to The Heiresses by Marcelo Martinessi.
Special Jury Diplomas of Sunny Bunny Competition Jury are awarded to The Cakemaker by Ofir Raul Graizer and Hard Paint by Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon.
The Scythian Deer for the contribution to world cinematography was awarded to the German actor Jürgen Prochnow.
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NATHAN’S KINGDOM, Coming-of-Age Film on Autism, Premieres at Dances With Films Festival [Trailer]
Nathan’s Kingdom, a dramatic motion picture about one young man’s battle with autism and the fantasy world to which he and his sister escape, premieres on the West Coast at this year’s acclaimed Dances With Films Festival on Wednesday, June 13, 7:15 PM at TCL Chinese Theatres, Auditorium 1, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. Actors from the film, including writer-director Olicer Muñoz, will be in attendance.
Jacob Lince, 24, takes away any preconceived notion of what an actor on the spectrum should “act” like, as his character, Nathan, leads the audience into a dark fantasy while he struggles with his teenage opiate-addict sister, Laura, (played by Madison Ford), his sole and loving caregiver.
Rather than surrender to social services, Nathan and Laura risk it all to find “Nathan’s Kingdom” — as they battle monsters, endure mythical wars, and confront an underground civilization of ghouls — in hope of finding a fictitious kingdom with the potential to transform their lives forever.
”I was adamant that the title role of Nathan be played by an actor on the autism spectrum,” says the film’s writer-director-producer Olicer J. Muñoz, 38, who contacted the Performing Arts Studio West (PASW), a one of a kind non-profit and state-funded training facility for adults with developmental disabilities. Through the organization, Muñoz auditioned dozens of actors and discovered his lead actor, Lince.
Muñoz began writing the script upon graduating with an M.F.A. from the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI). Earlier in his career, the bi-lingual (Spanish) filmmaker worked with Academy Award winner (“Scared Straight”), Emmy and Peabody Award winning producer Arnold Shapiro who instilled in Muñoz the golden rules of filmmaking. “Shapiro taught me how to master a story and allow the narrative to take on a life of its own. It was under his watch that I began writing and developing Nathan’s Kingdom,” says Muñoz, whose family hails from Mexico. Muñoz counts Oscar-winning directors Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu as his directing role models.
Nathan’s Kingdom was co-produced by Michelle Opitz who received her B.F.A. from Chapman University where she met Muñoz and later studied at the American Film Institute (AFI). Emily Beach (Brown Eyed Girls Productions) is also co-producer under Opitz’s and Beach’s banner. Visual effects, CGI animation, combined with live action and unique sound design enhance the highly stylized fantasy film sequences that reflect the inner workings of Nathan’s imagination.
Nathan’s Kingdom had its world premiere in March 2018 at the Sedona International Film Festival where it won its prestigious “Director’s Choice – Heart of The Film Festival Award.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuDbF42I5l8