British actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson will receive the 2018 CineMerit Award at Munich International Film festival. In Munich, Emma Thompson will not only present her latest film, “The Children Act“, but will also meet the audience up close at the Filmmakers Live discussion in the Black Box at the Gasteig cultural center. In further homage to Emma Thompson, Munich International Film festival will also be showing three fantastic films in which she has previously starred: “Howards End”, “Sense and Sensibility”, and “Nanny McPhee”.
Witty, charming, profound: Emma Thompson is multitalented. In some 80 films, adapting everything from the works of Shakespeare to Harry Potter, the British actress has portrayed a wide variety of characters alongside Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep, Helena Bonham Carter, Anthony Hopkins, Alan Rickman, Tom Hanks, and many others. Thompson has succeeded in doing what no one else had done before: she received an Academy Award for best actress for her leading role in “Howards End” as well as one for best writing for her screenplay adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility”.
“In Emma Thompson, we welcome to the film festival a terrific actress who not only has an incredible sense of humor but who is also very modern and emancipated. The entire festival team is thrilled,” says festival director Diana Iljine. “Honoring Emma Thompson with the CineMerit Award makes an important statement at a time when the film industry is undergoing change. For many years, she has campaigned for equal rights as well as for prudent feminism. This makes her a wonderful example to young women.”
For the film festival, Emma Thompson is bringing her latest film, “The Children Act”, to Munich. In this film adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel of the same title, Thompson plays Fiona Maye, a High Court judge specializing in family law. The case of a 17-year-old Jehovah’s Witness affects Fiona and her ailing marriage more than she could have imagined. In accordance with his religious beliefs, the teenage leukemia patient refuses a blood transfusion that could save his life. Is his young life more valuable than his religious devotion? Dealing with the boy causes Judge Fiona Maye to experience emotions that she has long suppressed.
Thompson’s acting career began with brief sketches as a member of the Cambridge Footlights, the university theatrical club that produced such comedy greats as Monty Python and Fry & Laurie. The London native soon stood out for her tragic roles, as with only the slightest of facial expressions, she is able to make her characters deeply human — something that few others have mastered. Time and again, her parts have included those of women who dissent with the norms and rules of society and their position in it. The three other films that Munich International Film festival is showing in homage to Emma Thompson have this in common:
In 1993, for “Howards End”, Emma Thompson received the Academy Award for best actress as well as Britain’s renowned BAFTA award. E. M. Foster’s novel was the basis for the story of two young women who find themselves in the world of an extremely affluent family. The estate Howards End comes to symbolize freedom and independence to the Victorian petty bourgeois. Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Thompson play two sisters caught up in a conflict between their youthful attempts at independence and the restraints that the customs of their time impose on them.
Emma Thompson’s love of literature and language is evident not only in the many film adaptations in which she’s acted, but also in her work as a screenwriter. In 1995, she adapted “Sense and Sensibility” for the screen, which earned her a second Academy Award. Munich International Film festival proudly presents this masterpiece by Ang Lee, starring Kate Winslet in one of her earliest roles.
In “Nanny McPhee”, however, the author is a little less benign. As the quirky, homely and strict governess of the title, she magically transforms Mr. Brown’s unruly children into well-behaved little angels. Here, too, Thompson demonstrated her literary talent as screenwriter and combined this with her precise acting.-
Actress Emma Thompson to Receive 2018 CineMerit Award at Munich Filmfest
British actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson will receive the 2018 CineMerit Award at Munich International Film festival. In Munich, Emma Thompson will not only present her latest film, “The Children Act“, but will also meet the audience up close at the Filmmakers Live discussion in the Black Box at the Gasteig cultural center. In further homage to Emma Thompson, Munich International Film festival will also be showing three fantastic films in which she has previously starred: “Howards End”, “Sense and Sensibility”, and “Nanny McPhee”.
Witty, charming, profound: Emma Thompson is multitalented. In some 80 films, adapting everything from the works of Shakespeare to Harry Potter, the British actress has portrayed a wide variety of characters alongside Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep, Helena Bonham Carter, Anthony Hopkins, Alan Rickman, Tom Hanks, and many others. Thompson has succeeded in doing what no one else had done before: she received an Academy Award for best actress for her leading role in “Howards End” as well as one for best writing for her screenplay adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility”.
“In Emma Thompson, we welcome to the film festival a terrific actress who not only has an incredible sense of humor but who is also very modern and emancipated. The entire festival team is thrilled,” says festival director Diana Iljine. “Honoring Emma Thompson with the CineMerit Award makes an important statement at a time when the film industry is undergoing change. For many years, she has campaigned for equal rights as well as for prudent feminism. This makes her a wonderful example to young women.”
For the film festival, Emma Thompson is bringing her latest film, “The Children Act”, to Munich. In this film adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel of the same title, Thompson plays Fiona Maye, a High Court judge specializing in family law. The case of a 17-year-old Jehovah’s Witness affects Fiona and her ailing marriage more than she could have imagined. In accordance with his religious beliefs, the teenage leukemia patient refuses a blood transfusion that could save his life. Is his young life more valuable than his religious devotion? Dealing with the boy causes Judge Fiona Maye to experience emotions that she has long suppressed.
Thompson’s acting career began with brief sketches as a member of the Cambridge Footlights, the university theatrical club that produced such comedy greats as Monty Python and Fry & Laurie. The London native soon stood out for her tragic roles, as with only the slightest of facial expressions, she is able to make her characters deeply human — something that few others have mastered. Time and again, her parts have included those of women who dissent with the norms and rules of society and their position in it. The three other films that Munich International Film festival is showing in homage to Emma Thompson have this in common:
In 1993, for “Howards End”, Emma Thompson received the Academy Award for best actress as well as Britain’s renowned BAFTA award. E. M. Foster’s novel was the basis for the story of two young women who find themselves in the world of an extremely affluent family. The estate Howards End comes to symbolize freedom and independence to the Victorian petty bourgeois. Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Thompson play two sisters caught up in a conflict between their youthful attempts at independence and the restraints that the customs of their time impose on them.
Emma Thompson’s love of literature and language is evident not only in the many film adaptations in which she’s acted, but also in her work as a screenwriter. In 1995, she adapted “Sense and Sensibility” for the screen, which earned her a second Academy Award. Munich International Film festival proudly presents this masterpiece by Ang Lee, starring Kate Winslet in one of her earliest roles.
In “Nanny McPhee”, however, the author is a little less benign. As the quirky, homely and strict governess of the title, she magically transforms Mr. Brown’s unruly children into well-behaved little angels. Here, too, Thompson demonstrated her literary talent as screenwriter and combined this with her precise acting.
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Karlovy Vary’s People Next Door Section Will Present Oscar-Winning Short Film THE SILENT CHILD [Trailer]
For the third time the Karlovy Vary IFF will present the People Next Door program section, focusing on films with hearing-impaired protagonists.
One of the motion pictures presented in People Next Door will be The Silent Child (2017), which took this year’s Academy Award® for Best Live Action Short Film. This emotive movie will be presented by actress and screenwriter Rachel Shenton and director Chris Overton.
The Silent Child tells the story of a four-year-old profoundly deaf girl who, thanks to a social worker played by Rachel Shenton, emerges from a world of silence by means of sign language. The script was inspired by the personal experiences of the British actress and writer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxwBd9OMOC4
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LOVE, CECIL, Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s Portrait of Style Icon Cecil Beaton, Sets Release Date [Trailer]
[caption id="attachment_29432" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Cecil Beaton Selfies Late 1910’s[/caption]
Zeitgeist Films, in association with Kino Lorber, will release LOVE, CECIL, a documentary portrait of the legendary Cecil Beaton directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland (Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel, Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict).
Winner of the Hamptons International Film Festival’s Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, the film premiered at the 2017 Telluride Film Festival and went on to screen at a number of festivals including DOC NYC and Palm Springs. LOVE, CECIL will open in New York on Friday, June 29 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center with a national rollout to follow.
Photographer, Oscar-winning set and costume designer (My Fair Lady, Gigi), writer, painter, and self-professed dandy Cecil Beaton was not only a dazzling chronicler, but an arbiter of his time. From the Bright Young Things to the front lines of war to the international belle monde and the pages of Vogue, and then onto the Queen’s official photographer—Beaton embodied the cultural and political changes of the twentieth century. In this tender portrait, director Lisa Immordino Vreeland blends evocative archival footage and photographs with excerpts from his diaries—wittily narrated by Rupert Everett—to capture his legacy as a complex and unique creative force. Dynamic and lyrical, LOVE, CECIL is an examination of Beaton’s singular sense of the visual, which dictated a style that set standards of creativity that continue to resonate and inspire today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xznzK0EOwfs
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“To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Windsor” Shines Spotlight on LGBTQ Icon Edie Windsor [Trailer]
Filmmaker Donna Zaccaro’s illuminating new documentary “To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Windsor” shines a powerful light on historic LGBTQ civil rights figure Edie Windsor. CineLife Entertainment will bring the Ferrodonna Features Inc. acclaimed documentary to more than 150 screens nationwide beginning on June 7, 2018 with Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, D.C., Denver, Atlanta, Austin, Palm Springs, San Diego, etc. timed to the anniversary of this landmark Supreme Court decision.
The film features interviews with notable voices in this civil rights battle, including: Roberta Kaplan (Windsor Attorney), Pam Karlan (Windsor Legal Team & Co-Director, Stanford Supreme Court Litigation Clinic), Rosie O’Donnell (Comedian, Actor & Activist), Frank Rich (Writer-At-Large, NY Magazine), Hilary Rosen (Communications Advisor & LGBT Activist), Richard Socarides (White House Special Assistant & Advisor to President Clinton), Matt Staver (Founder & Chairman of Liberty Counsel), Jeff Toobin (CNN Legal Analyst & New Yorker Staff Writer), Nina Totenberg (Legal Affairs Correspondent for National Public Radio), Tony West (Former Associate U.S. Attorney General), Edie Windsor (Plaintiff), Evan Wolfson (Founder & President of Freedom to Marry), among others.
“It is a true privilege to be working with Donna and the Ferrodonna team on this brilliant and important film” said CineLife Entertainment’s Managing Director Mark Rupp. “We look forward to bringing Edith Windsor’s story to a discerning audience on big screens across the US for Pride Month.”
“To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Windsor” shares a rich tapestry of love, marriage, and a fight for equality. The film chronicles unlikely heroes — octogenarian Edie Windsor and her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, on their quest for justice. Upon the death of her spouse Thea Spyer, Windsor was forced to pay a huge estate tax bill because the government denied federal benefits to same-sex couples. Windsor became a renowned LGBTQ civil rights advocate when she chose to sue the United States government to recognize her more than 40 year union– and won. Windsor and Kaplan’s legal and personal journeys go beyond the story of this pivotal case in the marriage equality movement as Zaccaro tells the story of our journey as a culture, and as a country that promises its citizens equal rights for all.
“To A More Perfect Union: U.S. V. Windsor” Director/Producer Donna Zaccaro is the Founder & President of Ferrodonna Features Inc., a non-profit film production company with a mission of producing films about women, women’s issues, and social justice issues. Previously, Zaccaro Directed/Produced “Geraldine Ferraro: Paving the Way,” the critically acclaimed documentary about the trailblazer who made history as the first woman to run for national office on a major party ticket, which debuted on Showtime. Prior to founding her media production company, Zaccaro was an award-winning producer for the “Today” show at NBC News.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W4CfhlA_6c
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Director Barry Levinson to Receive Award at Karlovy Vary Festival
Screenwriter-producer-director Barry Levinson, who won an Academy Award for Rain Man, will accept the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema at this year’s Karlovy Vary festival.
The Karlovy Vary festival continues its tradition of recognizing the most important personalities of world cinema, the likes of which include directors William Friedkin, Jerry Schatzberg, and Ken Loach, and screenwriter Paul Laverty. In his writing and directing capacity, Academy Award winner and five-time nominee Barry Levinson deftly combines personal stories with an often satirical look at society, and his movies have fundamentally influenced numerous young filmmakers.
Barry Levinson established himself as a writer of successful television shows. With his onetime wife, Valerie Curtin, he then wrote the movie script for Norman Jewison’s courtroom drama …and justice for all (1979), which brought them an Oscar nomination. He debuted as a director with the comedy-drama Diner (1982), receiving his second Oscar nomination for the script. Ivan Král, a Czech musician based in the US, co-wrote the film music.
Subsequent titles confirmed his reputation with critics and audiences: The Natural (1984) with Robert Redford, Tin Men (1987) with Richard Dreyfuss and Danny DeVito, and Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) with Robin Williams.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the legendary picture Rain Man (1988), awarded four Oscars (e.g. Best Director for Barry Levinson) and numerous other honors, including the Golden Bear at the Berlinale and the David di Donatello for Best Foreign Film. Under Levinson’s guidance, Dustin Hoffman turned in one of his most memorable performances and Tom Cruise extended his star status while paired up with onscreen girlfriend Valeria Golino. His next movie, the drama Avalon (1991), earned Levinson another Oscar nomination, this time for Best Original Screenplay. The Warren Beatty vehicle Bugsy (1991), based on the life of the well-known gangster, brought Levinson another two Academy Award nominations – for best director and picture.
Recently turned 20, Levinson’s movie Wag the Dog is a behind-the-scenes political parody (once again) starring Dustin Hoffman in an Oscar-nominated role. The film earned Barry Levinson a Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize at Berlinale in 1998.
Similar to his work with Hoffman, with whom he also shot the drama Sleepers (1996) and the sci-fi picture Sphere (1998), he teams up with other Hollywood stars for multiple productions, including Robert De Niro (Wag the Dog, What Just Happened, 2008) and Robin Williams (Toys, 1992; Man of the Year, 2006).
Levinson produces the majority of his movies and has backed a number of ambitious project by other directors, among others Mike Newell’s crime drama Donnie Brasco (1997) and Neil LaBute’s romantic drama Possession (2002).
Barry Levinson will present his latest directorial effort at KVIFF, the HBO-produced drama Paterno, and will introduce Rain Man and the timeless satire Wag the Dog.
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Molly Shannon To Receive Excellence In Acting Award at Provincetown International Film Festival
Actress Molly Shannon will receive the festival’s Excellence in Acting Award at the upcoming 2018 Provincetown International Film Festival on Saturday, June 16, in conversation with author and film scholar B. Ruby Rich at Provincetown Town Hall.
Shannon spent six seasons as a member of the repertory company on “Saturday Night Live,” during which she created iconic characters such as Mary Katherine Gallagher and Sally O’Malley. In 2000, she received an Emmy nomination on behalf of her work on the show.
On television, Shannon was most recently seen starring in the second season of the hit HBO series, “Divorce,” in addition to making guest appearances on NBC’s revival of “Will & Grace,” the “Wet Hot American Summer” miniseries for Netflix, which served as a prequel to the cult comedy classic film of the same name (which Shannon also starred in), “Enlightened” for which she received her second Emmy nomination, “Raising Hope,” among many others.
In 2016, Molly received critical acclaim and an Independent Spirit Award for “Best Supporting Actress” for her emotional performance in Chris Kelly’s film, OTHER PEOPLE. This year, Shannon is earning praise for her leading role of Emily Dickinson in Madeleine Olnek’s dramatic comedy, WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY. The film will open the festival. Other on-screen film credits include the independent dark comedy THE LITTLE HOURS; Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner ME, EARL AND THE DYING GIRL; Sofia Coppola’s MARIE ANTOINETTE; Ron Howard’s HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS; and the cult classic WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER.
“Comedy, drama, film, television, Broadway… you name it, Molly Shannon can do it. We’ve been enormous fans for years and are thrilled to honor the singular talents of Molly Shannon at our 20th anniversary festival,” said Andrew Peterson, PIFF’s Director of Programming.
Additionally, the festival announced that editor, author and radio host Kim Masters will give the keynote address at this year’s Evan Lawson Filmmakers’ Brunch. Masters is editor-at-Large of The Hollywood Reporter and host of KCRW’s The Business. A former correspondent for NPR and “Entertainment Journalist of the Year,” she has also served as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, Time and Esquire, and was a staff reporter for the Washington Post. Masters will speak on her experience in the film industry, being a voice in the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, and what will come next for gender equity after the revelations of abuse in Hollywood.
Held each Sunday of the festival, the fifth annual breakfast supports the Gabrielle A. Hanna Film Institute and its mission of supporting underrepresented filmmakers and artists.
“Kim Masters’ extensive reporting and insider knowledge of Hollywood puts her in the unique position to provide context and meaning at a critical juncture for race and gender equity in U.S. entertainment media,” said Christine Walker, Executive Director of PIFF and CEO of the Provincetown Film Society. “For those who believe that the Weinstein story is only relevant to a rarefied group of individuals, Masters’ insight will help dispel that notion.”
MODERN LOVE LIVE, presented by WBUR and The New York Times
Friday, June 15, 6:30pm at Town Hall
Join WBUR and The New York Times in this very special event at the Provincetown Film Festival, where the joys and tribulations of love come to life during Modern Love Live, a live recording of their hit podcast based on the popular New York Times column. This exceptional evening will include Modern Love essay readings by Chloë Grace Moretz (THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, KICK-ASS), Cory Michael Smith (Gotham, CAROL, WONDERSTRUCK, 1985) and Amy Seimetz (WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY, The Girlfriend Experience), hosted by WBUR’s Meghna Chakrabarti, and accompanied by live sound recording. Live music by will also be featured.
*Hosted by WBUR’s Meghna Chakrabarti
PIFFtalks: ALL ABOUT EMILY: REIMAGINING A LIFE
Thursday, June 14, 10:00am at Provincetown Theater
Join the WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY creative team, including director Madeleine Olnek and actress Amy Seimetz, for a lively conversation about adapting the life and loves of Emily Dickinson into a raucous and unexpected comedy. With extensive research, Olnek pieced together a thoroughly original story from the poet’s writings and scholarship on Dickinson. After seeing WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY and hearing the stories about the film’s creation you’ll never look at Emily Dickinson the same again!
*Moderated by Janice Page, Film Editor, The Boston Globe
PIFFtalks: CONVERSATION WITH CHLOË GRACE MORETZ, NEXT WAVE HONOREE
Friday, June 15, 12:00pm at The Pilgrim House
Sundance Film Festival Director John Cooper returns to Provincetown to be in conversation with 2018 Provincetown Next Wave Honoree Chloë Grace Moretz as they discuss her career, including her leading role in the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning film THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST. Given the amazing directors with whom Chloë’s collaborated (Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton, Kimberly Pierce, Neil Jordan and Luca Guadagnino, among many others), there should be a lot to discuss. Come hear and meet one of the best young actors working in Hollywood. Tickets include a post-conversation reception.
*Chloë Grace Moretz will be in conversation with Sundance Film Festival Director John Cooper
PIFFtalks: CONVERSATION WITH CHRISTINE VACHON
Saturday, June 16, 10:00am at Provincetown Theater
Christine Vachon was our second ever Filmmaker on the Edge honoree (in 2000) and she was already a major force in the independent film scene. The industry has changed immensely since then, yet Christine’s passion for producing groundbreaking films and her ability to shepherd fiercely independent projects has only flourished. Christine Vachon, returns to Provincetown to share tales of her illustrious career over the past two decades with no sign of letting up. Her extensive credits include: POISON, BOY’S DON’T CRY, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, FAR FROM HEAVEN, STILL ALICE, and CAROL.
*Christine Vachon will be in conversation with journalist and author Mark Harris
PIFFtalks: AN ARTIST’S PERSPECTIVE
Sunday, June 17, 10:30am at Waters Edge 2
Director Ondi Timoner brings her narrative debut MAPPLETHORPE to Provincetown for Closing Night and we want to hear her perspective on creating a film about a seminal figure in the art world. Jo Hay is a celebrated artist working in Provincetown and the subject of a new short film by Lois Norman. We welcome these filmmakers and artists to discuss their work, their inspiration, and their challenges, as they find a way to tell their fascinating stories.
*Moderated by Steven Raphael, Founder/President, Required Viewing
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ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND to Kickoff Hamptons International Film Festival 10th SummerDocs series
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Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind[/caption]
The Hamptons International Film Festival will kick off the 10th Anniversary SummerDocs series with HBO’s ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND on Friday, June 29, at 7pm, followed by a conversation with director Marina Zenovich. On Saturday, July 21, at 7pm, director Dava Whisenant’s BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY will screen. The series will conclude with CHEF FLYNN on Saturday, August 25, at 7pm, with director Cameron Yates and celebrated chef Flynn McGarry scheduled to attend.
“We are excited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our SummerDocs series with three dynamic films covering a variety of topics, including a legendary actor, forgotten Broadway musicals and a culinary prodigy. Over the last decade we have captivated audiences with some of the most incredible storytelling and know that our 10th anniversary continues that tradition,” said HIFF Co-Chairman and SummerDocs series presenter Alec Baldwin.
SummerDocs host (and HIFF Co-Chair) Alec Baldwin will once again lead conversations with filmmakers and guests, presenting new and groundbreaking documentary filmmaking and thought-provoking stories to the East End at Guild Hall of East Hampton.
ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND
Director: Marina Zenovich
A funny, intimate and heartbreaking portrait of one of the world’s most beloved and inventive comedians, ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND takes us through his extraordinary life and career and reveals what drove him to give voice to the characters in his mind. Told largely by Robin himself, with a wealth of never-before-seen footage, and informed by in-depth interviews with those who loved and knew him, the film features Billy Crystal, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Pam Dawber, Zak Williams and many others. Directed by Marina Zenovich. Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind will premiere on HBO on Monday, July 16th. In conversation: director Marina Zenovich
[caption id="attachment_29400" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY[/caption]
BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY
Director: Dava Whisenant
When he started as a comedy writer for the LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, Steve Young had few interests outside of his day job. But while gathering material for a segment on the show, Steve stumbled onto a few vintage record albums that would change his life forever. Bizarre cast recordings—marked “internal use only”—revealed full-throated Broadway-style musical shows about some of the most recognizable corporations in America: General Electric, McDonald’s, Ford, DuPont, Xerox. Steve didn’t know much about musical theater, but these recordings delighted him in a way that nothing ever had. BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY follows Steve Young on his quest to find all he can about this hidden world. While tracking down rare albums, unseen footage, composers and performers, Steve forms unlikely friendships and discovers how this discarded musical genre starring tractors and bathtubs was bigger than Broadway. With David Letterman, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, Florence Henderson, Susan Stroman, Jello Biafra and more. In conversation: director Dava Whisenant
[caption id="attachment_26690" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Flynn McGarry appears in Chef Flynn by Cameron Yates[/caption]
CHEF FLYNN
Director: Cameron Yates
While many of young Flynn McGarry’s peers were playing video games, he was creating remarkable gastronomic delights far beyond his years at his home in Studio City, California. Flynn’s family encouraged him to pursue his creative passion, and his unique journey was thoroughly documented by his artist mother. He loved to prepare elaborate dinners for friends and family and soon became known as the “Teen Chef,” establishing his own supper club at age 12 and being featured in a New York Times Magazine cover story at age 15. Before he was 16, he had staged in top restaurants in Los Angeles, New York, and Europe. Trying to stay focused on his dream, Flynn had to weather the critics who challenged his rapid ascent in the culinary world. With access to a trove of personal archival footage and including new, intimate vérité footage, director Cameron Yates creates a collage of Flynn’s singular focus and distinctive path through childhood. CHEF FLYNN shares a rare view of a young man’s successful rise from the inside. In conversation: director Cameron Yates and celebrated chef Flynn McGarry
Past SummerDocs selections, including ICARUS (2017), TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM (2013), LAST DAYS OF VIETNAM (2014), THE COVE (2009), SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN (2012) and HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE (2012), have gone on to receive Academy Award® wins and nominations. What will audiences discover this year?
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Documentary LOVE MEANS ZERO on Controversial Tennis Coach Nick Bollettieri to Premiere on Showtime [Trailer]
The documentary Love Means Zero, which tells the story of celebrated yet controversial tennis coach Nick Bollettieri and explores the cost of his all-consuming drive for greatness, will make its television premiere on SHOWTIME on Saturday, June 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Love Means Zero features interviews with his former students and tennis prodigies, including Jim Courier, Kathleen Horvath, Carling Bassett and Boris Becker. The documentary made its world premiere to critical acclaim at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.
Now 86, Bollettieri is a living legend. At his academy in Florida, he raised a generation of champions: Courier, Monica Seles, Andre Agassi and many more. No other coach has matched his success, his dominance or his fame. His greatness, though, came at a price. Eight marriages, financial upheaval and a dramatic break with his surrogate son and cherished student, Andre Agassi. Love Means Zero tells the intimate and complex story of how Bollettieri became arguably the most famous tennis coach of all time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz5xyeSFODE
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Edinburgh International Film Festival Reveals Full 2018 Program incl. World Premiere of THE PARTING GLASS
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THE PARTING GLASS[/caption]
Artistic Director Mark Adams today unveiled details of the program for the upcoming Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), taking place next month between 20 June to 1 July. This year the Festival will screen around 121 new features, including 21 world premieres, from 48 countries across the globe.
Highlights include the long-anticipated Disney-Pixar animation INCREDIBLES 2, Q&A and IN PERSON events with guests including the award-winning English writer and director David Hare, the much-loved Welsh comedian Rob Brydon and star of the compelling Gothic drama THE SECRET OF MARROWBONE, actor George MacKay, as well as the Opening and Closing Gala premieres of the previously announced PUZZLE and SWIMMING WITH MEN. This year’s People’s Gala will be the World Premiere of Stephen Moyer’s directorial debut, THE PARTING GLASS, starring Melissa Leo, Cynthia Nixon, Denis O’Hare, Anna Paquin (who also produces), Rhys Ifans and Ed Asner.
Mark Adams, EIFF Artistic Director, said: “EIFF prides itself on offering films and events that entertain, challenge, provoke, illuminate and excite and 2018 is no exception! From the best of up-and-coming British filmmakers to striking new cinema from around the world, we offer something for everyone: from rare access to filmmakers, live events to experience and the opportunity to see films that may never appear in the country again. We remain one of the world’s most venerable and acclaimed film festivals and are delighted to be able to offer audiences the chance to see some of the most exciting and innovative new film talent, in a setting steeped in history.”
This year’s BEST OF BRITISH strand includes exclusive world premieres of Simon Fellows’ thriller STEEL COUNTRY, featuring a captivating performance from Andrew Scott as Donald, a truck driver turned detective; comedy classic OLD BOYS starring Alex Lawther; the debut feature of writer-director Tom Beard, TWO FOR JOY, a powerful coming-of-age drama starring Samantha Morton and Billie Piper; oddball comedy-drama EATEN BY LIONS; striking debut from writer and director Adam Morse, LUCID, starring Billy Zane and Sadie Frost; Jamie Adams’ British comedy SONGBIRD, featuring Cobie Smulders and Haifaa al-Mansour’s MARY SHELLEY, with Elle Fanning taking on the role of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin. Audiences can also look forward to a special screening of Mandie Fletcher’s delightfully fun rom-com PATRICK.
This year the AMERICAN DREAMS strand will offer audiences the chance to delve deep into some of the very best new films from American independent cinema including: UNICORN STORE, the directorial debut of Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson in which she stars alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Joan Cusack; the heart-warming HEARTS BEAT LOUD starring Nick Offerman; glossy noir thriller, TERMINAL, starring and produced by Margot Robbie; the engaging comedy HUMOR ME from Sam Hoffman, starring Jemaine Clement and Elliott Gould; IDEAL HOME in which Paul Rudd and Steve Coogan play a bickering gay couple who find themselves thrust into parenthood; 1980s set spy thriller starring Jon Hamm, THE NEGOTIATOR; and PAPILLON, starring Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek.
The EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVES strand, supported by James and Morag Anderson, will feature a wonderful selection of new films that are powerfully visionary and passionate about storytelling. Notable features include touching drama NEVER LEAVE ME highlighting how young Syrian lives have been affected by war; freewheeling Euro romp TULIPANI: LOVE, HONOUR AND A BICYCLE; actor-turned-director Mélanie Laurent’s fourth feature DIVING, the thought-provoking WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY by writer-director Iram Haq; the wonderfully weird CHARLIE AND HANNAH’S GRAND NIGHT OUT; French ensemble comedy C’EST LA VIE! and the brooding and atmospheric drama THE SECRET OF MARROWBONE starring George MacKay, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Mia Goth and Matthew Stagg.
This year’s WORLD PERSPECTIVES strand offers audiences a fascinating snapshot of developing world-cinema themes and styles from talented filmmakers from around the world. Highlights include acclaimed epic Chinese drama AN ELEPHANT SITTING STILL; award-winning South American drama THE HEIRESSES; powerful political drama NO. 1 CHUNG YING STREET; GIRLS ALWAYS HAPPY, an unflinching but darkly funny tale of a Chinese mother and daughter and Brazilian comedy LOVELING. For lovers of the land down under there’s also raucous Aussie comedy FLAMMABLE CHILDREN (SWINGING SAFARI) starring native icons Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce; THE BUTTERFLY TREE starring Melissa George and Ben Elton’s THREE SUMMERS starring Robert Sheehan and set at an Australian folk music festival.
This year’s EIFF program features a diverse selection of new DOCUMENTARIES which reflect the ability of documentary film to inspire and challenge audiences. There is a strong musical theme that runs through this year’s films from WHITNEY, the much-anticipated documentary about the life and times of superstar Whitney Houston; GEORGE MICHAEL: FREEDOM – THE DIRECTOR’S CUT narrated by George Michael himself and ALMOST FASHIONABLE: A FILM ABOUT TRAVIS directed by Scottish lead-singer Fran Healy. Audiences will be inspired by the creativity of Orson Welles in Mark Cousins’ THE EYES OF ORSON WELLES; HAL, a film portrait of the acclaimed 1970s director Hal Ashby; LIFE AFTER FLASH, a fascinating exploration into the life of actor Sam J. Jones the topical POSTCARDS FROM THE 48% will also screen followed by a Q&A with director David Wilkinson, who travelled the UK to meet people from all sides of the BREXIT debate.
As the sun sets, audiences will be able to journey into the dark and often downright strange side of cinema, with a selection of genre-busting edge-of-your-seat gems including: the gloriously grisly psychosexual romp PIERCING starring Mia Wasikowska; the world premieres of Matthew Holness’ POSSUM and SOLIS staring Steven Ogg as an astronaut who finds himself trapped in an escape pod heading toward the sun; dark and bloody period drama THE MOST ASSASSINATED WOMAN IN THE WORLD and the futuristic WHITE CHAMBER starring Shauna Macdonald.
The country focus for the Festival’s 72nd edition will be Canada and is supported by Telefilm Canada. FOCUS ON CANADA will allow audiences to take a cinematic tour of the country and its culture, offering insight as well as entertainment, from filmmakers new and already established. Selected by EIFF’s 2018 Young programrs are also a range of titles that explore the experiences of First Nations youth including INDIAN HORSE in which a young boy becomes a star ice-hockey player and KAYAK TO KLEMTU where a determined young girl, played by the charismatic Ta’kaiya Blaney, sets off to kayak the Inside Passage in British Colombia. The strand will also showcase a number of shorts in SPOTLIGHT ON CONTEMPORARY CANADIAN SHORT FILMS, a powerful combination of short fiction, documentary and animated films that focus on the central social, political and ethical issues prevalent within contemporary Canada.
Audiences are also invited to attend a number of talks in the Festival’s free lecture stand, Reel Talk, including: INTRODUCTION TO FILM STUDIES: FEMALE DIRECTORS IN AMERICAN CINEMA that will shine a spotlight on the acclaimed and ground-breaking female directors who shaped American cinema; Frank Cogliano and David Silkenat of the University of Edinburgh will record a live episode of their show Whiskey Rebellion, offering context for the history of paranoia in American politics and film, before answering questions from the audience in PARANOIA AND POLITICS IN AMERICAN FILM and FROM ROMERO TO GET OUT, OR: HOW HORROR HELPED WAKE ME UP TO THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE which will explore the power and importance of the horror genre.
Audiences can look forward to four programs of short animation as part of the Festival’s dedicated ANIMATION strand, supported by Emperor and the Culture & Business Fund Scotland. The McLaren Award for Best New British Animation will return once again with two varied programs showcasing some of the most highly-anticipated new short animations from the UK and there will also be a special retrospective of unique talent Elizabeth Hobbs, the award-winning indie animator running as part of Anim18, a celebration of British animation taking place across the UK.
The world of experimental film is once again uncovered in the Festival’s ever-popular BLACK BOX strand. A selection of short and feature-length films that push the boundaries of visual communication will screen including the world premiere of PIG FILM, taking a look at the future of film, and a range of experimental short films from Canada that foreground the material properties of 16mm. Also, as part of this year’s FOCUS ON CANADA, the BLACK BOX strand will feature a special screening of short films by Joyce Wieland.
This year’s EIFF SHORTS will offer a thrilling showcase of the finest brand-new short films from across the globe including DREAM IMAGES; OPTICS; RESISTANT BODIES; SPECTRES; FIRECRACKER, celebrating the vibrant state of UK shorts; KALEIDOSCOPE drawn from the thriving Scottish short film scene and THE YOUNG & THE WILD, handpicked by the EIFF Young programrs. New in 2018 will be the inaugural NEW VISIONS program, introducing glowing new voices aged 14-25 from across Scotland to submit their newest works to EIFF’s newly developed short film competition for young people.
A number of special events will take place throughout the Festival including JAWS in Concert, a screening of Steven Spielberg’s seminal blockbuster with John Williams’ iconic score played live by the RSNO,a screening of the much-loved LOCAL HERO followed by a Q&A with writer director Bill Forsyth in conversation with Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh’s Artistic Director, David Greig as well as an early preview of the upcoming season of the popular BBC Alba series BANNAN. Prior to the Festival on 27 May audiences will also have the chance to experience the vampire underworld in EIFF PLAY: BLADE, an immersive cinema experience built around a screening of the trailblazing comic-book adaptation of BLADE, in partnership with Hidden Door andThe List, in collaboration with New Media Scotland, and supported by Sir Ewan and Lady Brown. Continuing RETROSPECTIVE LIVE! – MONTEREY POP, DA Pennebaker’s brilliant concert film, will be played as if it were a real live gig as part of Summerhall’s brand new 10-day series, Southern Exposure.
Specially selected to showcase the very best in world cinema for younger audiences and the young at heart, FILM FEST JUNIOR boasts two UK Premieres, VITELLO and ZOMBILLENIUM as well as an exclusive preview of PRINCESS EMMY. As previously announced, the Festival’s expanded youth strand, The Young & the Wild will offer a range of masterclasses offering careers advice for filmmakers aged 15-25 years old, along with events and screenings for schools, as part of Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018 celebrations and supported by Baillie Gifford. The 2018 EIFF Young programrs, a group of 15-19 year olds who have curated their own shorts strand, The Young & the Wild, have also selected a number of films within this year’s program which are badged accordingly in the Festival brochure.
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13 Indie Feature Film Projects Selected to Attend Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Labs 2018
Thirteen new independent feature projects from the U.S., Cuba, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, and Palestine have been selected for the 2018 Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Labs.
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Watch New Trailer for Lea Thompson’s THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN Starring Zoey Deutch and Madelyn Deutch
MarVista Entertainment has released the new trailer for The Year of Spectacular Men directed by Lea Thompson. The film starring Madelyn Deutch, Zoey Deutch, Lea Thompson, Avan Jogia, Melissa Bolona, Jesse Bradford, Brandon T. Jackson, Cameron Monaghan, Zach Roerig, and Nicholas Braun, opens in theaters on June 15th.
Izzy Klein has (barely) graduated from college, broken up (sorta) with her boyfriend, and is stranded in New York City with a bad case of pre-real-world millennial-itis. Unsure of what the next step is, her movie star little sister Sabrina convinces her to move back home to Los Angeles and into her shared apartment with movie star boyfriend Sebastian, where they can keep an eye on rudderless Izzy. Emotionally unable to deal with the loss of her father, and slightly distracted by her mother Deb’s newfound love affair with loopy yogi Amythyst, Izzy funnels her energy into dating a colorful bouquet of five complicated and spectacular men: Aaron, Ross, Logan, Mikey, and Charlie, over the course of the next year. Coping just barely with the help of her trusty notebook, she falls in and out of some not so romantic romances, and figures out that when it totally feels like the end of your story, it’s often just the beginning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SWHlI8JSbU
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2018 Lighthouse International Film Festival to Open with WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY + Screen Over 100 Films
Wild Nights With Emily Madeleine Olnek’s acclaimed Wild Nights With Emily, a rousing Emily Dickenson comedy starring Molly Shannon, will open this year’s tenth annual Lighthouse International Film Festival (LIFF), taking place June 7-10, 2018 on Long Beach Island, New Jersey.