Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson appear in Sorry to Bother You by Boots Riley[/caption]
Sorry to Bother You, the Sundance hit and Bay Area production, will have its hometown special screening in dual locations, in both Oakland and San Francisco, as a special Centerpiece event at the 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival. Director and screenwriter Boots Riley and cast are expected to participate in intros and Q&As.
On Thursday, April 12, the film will screen at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco at 6:30 pm, and also screen that same night at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland at 8:00 pm.
“Boots Riley is family to us,” said SFFILM’s Executive Director Noah Cowan. “He was a resident of SFFILM FilmHouse when he developed this project, he is a four-time recipient of our SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grant; and he has been a huge booster of the Bay Area film community. And so this year’s Centerpiece is an especially joyous celebration, as Boots continues to expand our horizons by inspiring the Festival to expand its footprint into Oakland for the first time with this and several other screenings.”
The wait is over—Bay Area icon Boots Riley’s outrageous and orginal, breakout sensation of this year’s Sundance film festival, Sorry To Bother You marks the feature debut of this visionary director. In an alterate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe. Starring Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out), Tessa Thompson (Creed and Dear White People), and Armie Hammer (Call Me by Your Name), Sorry To Bother You is unlike anything you have ever seen. It is a searing social satire about greed, racial dynamics and capitalism in a universe not unlike our own. The film received funding and creative support through SFFILM artist development programs, FilmHouse Residency and SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grant.
Activist, filmmaker, and musician, Boots Riley studied film at San Francisco State University before rising to prominence as the front man of hip hop groups The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club. He previously directed The Coup music videos “Eating Forever” and “Me and Jesus the Pimp in a ’79 Granada Last Night.”-
Boots Riley’s Sundance Hit “Sorry to Bother You” is Centerpiece Event of 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_27436" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson appear in Sorry to Bother You by Boots Riley[/caption]
Sorry to Bother You, the Sundance hit and Bay Area production, will have its hometown special screening in dual locations, in both Oakland and San Francisco, as a special Centerpiece event at the 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival. Director and screenwriter Boots Riley and cast are expected to participate in intros and Q&As.
On Thursday, April 12, the film will screen at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco at 6:30 pm, and also screen that same night at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland at 8:00 pm.
“Boots Riley is family to us,” said SFFILM’s Executive Director Noah Cowan. “He was a resident of SFFILM FilmHouse when he developed this project, he is a four-time recipient of our SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grant; and he has been a huge booster of the Bay Area film community. And so this year’s Centerpiece is an especially joyous celebration, as Boots continues to expand our horizons by inspiring the Festival to expand its footprint into Oakland for the first time with this and several other screenings.”
The wait is over—Bay Area icon Boots Riley’s outrageous and orginal, breakout sensation of this year’s Sundance film festival, Sorry To Bother You marks the feature debut of this visionary director. In an alterate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe. Starring Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out), Tessa Thompson (Creed and Dear White People), and Armie Hammer (Call Me by Your Name), Sorry To Bother You is unlike anything you have ever seen. It is a searing social satire about greed, racial dynamics and capitalism in a universe not unlike our own. The film received funding and creative support through SFFILM artist development programs, FilmHouse Residency and SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grant.
Activist, filmmaker, and musician, Boots Riley studied film at San Francisco State University before rising to prominence as the front man of hip hop groups The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club. He previously directed The Coup music videos “Eating Forever” and “Me and Jesus the Pimp in a ’79 Granada Last Night.”
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2018 Tribeca Film Festival Announces Immersive Program Featuring Lupita Nyong’o, Alicia Vikander and More..
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My Africa[/caption]
The Tribeca Immersive program at the upcoming 2018 Tribeca Film Festival showcases works by artists who are pushing boundaries, using technology to tell stories and create new experiences. The Virtual Arcade lineup includes 21 world premiere VR/AR exhibits as well as five Storyscapes experiences in competition. The program takes place at the Tribeca Festival Hub from April 20 to 28. A new addition to Tribeca Immersive is Tribeca Cinema360, a VR theater featuring four curated screening programs of 360° mobile content, running April 21-28. The 17th annual Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 18 to 29, 2018.
As one of the first festivals to champion VR as a dynamic form of storytelling, this year’s offerings include 33 virtual reality (VR) innovative exhibitions and experiences from top creators such as Jeremy Bailenson, Chris Milk, Eliza McNitt, Eugene YK Chung, Gabo Arora, and Saschka Unseld, and emerging artists Asad J. Malik, Gabriela Arp, and Lucas Rizzotto. Other acclaimed creators include: Angel Manuel Soto, Lindsay Branham, and Navid Khonsari. Established directors, actors, and musicians with projects this year include: directors Terrence Malick (Together), Laurie Anderson (Chalkroom); actors Rosario Dawson (BattleScar), Lupita Nyong’o (My Africa), Alicia Vikander (Arden’s Wake: Tide’s Fall); and GRAMMY® award winning band OK Go (Untitled OK Go & WITHIN Project).
Several Immersive projects featured in the program tackle timely cultural issues, including racism (1,000 Cut Journey), climate change (This is Climate Change), immigration and xenophobia (Terminal 3), nuclear war (The Day The World Changed) and HIV/AIDS (Queerskins: a love story). In addition, the lineup includes programming that allows visitors to become active participants in astonishing experiences, such as swimming with sharks (Into the Now), caring for a baby elephant (My Africa), being caught in the bombing raid of a town square (Hero), and participating in a groundbreaking collaboration of AR and Immersive Theater from creators Graham Sack, Sensorium Works and NY Theater Workshop (objects in mirror AR closer than they appear).
Tribeca Cinema360 spotlights four immersive screening programs: VR for Good Creators Lab, This is Climate Change, horror themed It’s Right Behind You, and the breathtaking experimental visions of Horizons.
VIRTUAL ARCADE
20 projects from five countries, with 17 world premieres, make up this dynamic program. #WarGames VR (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Sam Barlow, Eko Key Collaborators: MGM, m ss ng p eces Kelly, an ex-military brat-turned-hacker activist, teams up with international hackers in an attempt to bring about peace. But, as events escalate, it begins to appear that they may have done more harm than good. #WarGames puts viewers in the middle of the convergence of hacktivism, modern-day espionage, and military intrigue. 1000 Cut Journey (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Courtney Cogburn, Elise Ogle, Jeremy Bailenson, Tobin Asher, Teff Nichols Key Collaborators: Virtual Human Interaction Lab, Cogburn Research Group In this immersive virtual-reality experience, the viewer becomes Michael Sterling, a black man, encountering racism as a young child, adolescent, and young adult. 1,000 Cut Journey highlights the social realities of racism, for understanding racism is the essential first step in promoting effective, collective social action and achieving racial justice. Arden’s Wake: Tide’s Fall (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Eugene YK Chung, Jimmy Maidens Key Collaborators: Devon Penney, Annmarie Koenig, Bruna Berford, Christina Tasooji, Adrian Ochoa, Jessica Douglas, Terry Kaleas, Kinga Vasicsek Tide’s Fall continues the journey of Meena, a young woman living in a post-apocalyptic world and searching for her father in the depths of the ocean after his unexpected disappearance. Featuring the voice of Academy Award-winner Alicia Vikander, this expansion of Penrose Studios’ award winning Arden’s Wake embraces the art of long-form storytelling in virtual reality. Cast: Alicia Vikander (narrator) BattleScar (New York Premiere) – USA, France Project Creator: Nico Casavecchia, Martin Allais Key Collaborators: Arnaud Colinart, Andrew Geller, Raphael Penasa, René Pinnell After Lupe, a Puerto Rican runaway, meets Debbie in the cell of a juvenile detention center, she is introduced to the punk scene of the Lower East Side and the secret world of Alphabet City. BattleScar is a coming of age drama set in 1978 New York that explores identity and empowerment through stunning animation and immersive environments. Cast: Rosario Dawson (narrator) Campfire Creepers: Midnight March (World Premiere) – France, USA Project Creator: Alexandre Aja Key Collaborators: Casey Cooper Johnson, Martin Andersen When the kids at Camp Coyote are forced on a brutal midnight march by their sadistic counselors, one boy reaches his breaking point. He turns the tables on the bullies, revealing a surprising secret about himself in the process. Master of horror Alexandre Aja invites viewers on a thrilling ride that will leave them gasping. Cast: Archie Lewis, Chloe Hawthorne, Kai Czuplak, Lara Karbritz, Lola Martin Chalkroom (New York Premiere) – Taiwan R.O.C., USA Project Creator: Laurie Anderson, Hsin-Chien Huang Chalkroom is a virtual reality work by celebrated artist Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang in which the reader—the viewer—flies through an enormous structure made of words, drawings, and stories. Inside the experience, the reader is free to roam and fly, while words sail through the air like emails, fall into dust, and form and reform. Coral Compass: Fighting Climate Change in Palau (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Tobin Asher, Elise Ogle, Jeremy Bailenson Key Collaborators: Rob Dunbar, Bob Richmond Palau, like many other small countries, is powerless to curb global carbon dioxide emissions. Nevertheless, the tiny island nation is adapting to climate change: In its clear, warm waters exist resilient coral reefs safeguarded by a strong-willed people fighting to keep them alive. The Day the World Changed (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Gabo Arora, Saschka Unseld Key Collaborators: Nathan Brown, Tom Lofthouse, Jennifer Tiexiera, Nate Robinson, Igal Nassima This virtual-reality experience situates participants in the ruins of Hiroshima after the bomb, allowing them to witness testimony from survivors and survey the nuclear arms race through immersive, interactive data visualization. The Day the World Changed, from acclaimed creators Gabo Arora & Sachka Unseld, brings the harrowing impressions of the victims of atomic bombings and nuclear tests to viewers through innovative use of 3-D scanning and photogrammetry. Dinner Party (New York Premiere) – Puerto Rico, USA Project Creator: Angel Manuel Soto, Charlotte Stoudt, Laura Wexler Key Collaborators: Rachel Skidmore, Bryn Mooser, Erik Donley Dinner Party tells the incredible story of Betty and Barney Hill, an interracial couple who made the first report of a UFO abduction in America in 1961. Having sought hypnosis to recover memories of their inexplicable experience, the Hills decide to listen to the recording of their session during a dinner party—and what they hear could change their lives forever. Cast: Malcolm Barrett, Sarah Sokolovic Firebird: The Unfinished (World Premiere) – France Project Creator: Balthazar Auxietre Key Collaborators: Hadrien Lanvin The curator of a museum dedicated to the famous sculptor Auguste is making a last inspection the night before the grand opening when a storm breaks out. Suddenly, the statues populating the grounds are not quite as still as one might expect—but it’s not clear whether the storm outside is playing mind games, or whether, perhaps, the ghost of Auguste has appeared to ask for help finishing his masterpiece. Cast: Tarek Aitmeddour, Raphaelle Boitel, Augustin Jacob, Pauline Journe, Myriam Kerkour, David Negroni Fire Escape (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Vassiliki Khonsari, Navid Khonsari, Andres Perez-Duarte, Sam Butin Key Collaborators: Lulu LaMer, Maria Essig, iNK Stories This innovative, interactive thriller invites the participant to peer into the private lives of eight diverse New Yorkers from the vantage of a fire escape, where suspicion and deception unfold in real time. Set against the shadowy backdrop of gentrification in contemporary Brooklyn, Fire Escape depicts a contingent of disenfranchised tenants who soon become entangled in a string of dark mysteries and murder. Cast: ASMR Darling, Ethan Rains, Edward Jackson, Michelle Lukes, Olivia Preciado, Tanya Henderson, Giselle Gilbert The Hidden (World Premiere) – India, USA Project Creator: Lindsay Branham Key Collaborators: International Justice Mission, Oculus VR for Good There are currently more people living in slavery than at any other time in human history. One such family has been enslaved in a rock quarry in southern India for 10 years—over a paltry debt of $70 USD. Indian government representatives, supported by the human rights group International Justice Mission, plot a daring raid to free the family. Also playing as a part of Cinema360: VR For Good Creators Lab Into the Now (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Michael Muller Key Collaborators: Michael Smith, Morne Hardenberg Director and legendary shark photographer Michael Muller’s lifelong fear of sharks eventually led him to discover the tranquility and peace of mind that is possible underwater, engaged with these curious and intimidating creatures. This stunning documentary, a revolutionary, stereoscopic virtual-reality experience, explores marine life and ocean conservation via Muller’s own internal journey. My Africa (World Premiere) – USA, UK Project Creator: Conservation International, Passion Planet, Vision3 In Northern Kenya, the futures of wildlife and people are intertwined. Stand in the midst of a thundering wildebeest migration, witness a lioness snatch her prey—and meet a community dedicated to saving Africa’s wildlife in My Africa. The mixed-reality, companion experience puts paticipants in the shoes of a Reteti Elephant Sanctuary keeper caring for the newest arrival, a baby elephant named Dudu. Cast: Lupita Nyong’o (narrator), Naltwasha Leripe SPHERES: Pale Blue Dot (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Eliza McNitt Key Collaborators: Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel, Jess Engel, Arnaud Colinart, Dylan Golden In this cosmic journey from the edges of the universe to our “pale blue dot,” the viewer uncovers echoes of the Big Bang; gazes back in time; traces the history of sound across the cosmos, uncovering the strangest song of all; and traverses the universe, ultimately finding a path home. Star Child (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Paul Bettner Key Collaborators: Mia Goodwin This cinematic platforming adventure follows the journey of Spectra and her companion on an important mission to an alien planet. After they are stranded, they uncover a hostile, overwhelming force that threatens to destroy everything. Inspired by countless science fiction adventure classics—games, books, and movies alike—Star Child is, at its heart, both a mystery and a journey of self-discovery. Untitled OK Go & WITHIN Project (World Premiere) – USA, UK Project Creator: Chris Milk, Damian Kulash Key Collaborators: WITHIN, OK Go, Oculus Innovative creators Chris Milk and OK Go’s Damian Kulash invite pairs of participants into a wondrous environment where they can experience the joy of creating music through collaboration. In this virtual world, replete with magical music-making contraptions, friendly animals, robots, and audience members work together to create an original song. Vacation Simulator (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Owlchemy Labs Key Collaborators: The follow-up to the wildly popular virtual-reality game Job Simulator, Vacation Simulator returns participants to the world of Owlchemy Labs, where they can visit Vacation Island and experience “recreation,” optimal “relaxation,” and classic human pastimes like “sunburn.” Vacation Island offers all this and more, helping visitors rediscover the lost art of “time off.” Vestige (World Premiere) – UK, USA, France Project Creator: Aaron Bradbury Key Collaborators: Paul Mowbray, Antoine Cayrol, Jill Klekas Basmajian This creative nonfiction experience uses multi-narrative and volumetric capture to journey through the mind of Lisa as she remembers her lost love, Erik. Fragments of memories of their life together appear inside a void and, over time, become entangled with a haunting vision, culminating in the shocking moment of Erik’s death. Cast: Lisa Elin Where Thoughts Go : Prologue (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Lucas Rizzotto Key Collaborators: Tarik Merzouk, Steven Hodgson An intimate social virtual-reality experience, Where Thoughts Go is set in a world where all human thoughts exist as sleeping creatures, each holding a voice message left by a previous visitor. As they awake, they reveal the dreams, experiences and fears of other people—and give the participant the opportunity to leave their own for others to find.STORYSCAPES
The competition includes four world premieres and one New York premiere. One Storyscapes nominee will be selected by a jury to receive the Storyscapes Award, presented by AT&T, which recognizes groundbreaking approaches in storytelling and technology. The five projects come from Canada, Pakistan and USA. Biidaaban: First Light (World Premiere) – Canada Project Creator: Lisa Jackson, Mathew Borrett, Jam3 and the National Film Board of Canada Key Collaborators: Rob McLaughlin, Dana Dansereau The town square has flooded, buildings and subways have merged with local flora, and indigenous languages and knowledge are thriving in a radically different future Toronto. Here, in the future, people have found a connection to the past. As a work of indigenous futurism, Biidaaban explores how the languages of native peoples can provide a framework for understanding our place in the world and open up a space for new imaginings of the future. Hero (New York Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari, Brooks Brown Key Collaborators: Mark Harwood, Sinclair Fleming, Andres Perez-Duarte, Sam Butin, iNK Stories, Starbreeze Studios This powerfully immersive, large-scale, multi-sensory installation explores humanity in our modern era of civilian warfare. When everyday life is disrupted by a barrel bomb falling from the sky, provoking a profound crisis in this vérité virtual-reality experience, only connection among humans can inspire hope, and participants must embark on a visceral hero’s journey. Cast: Masoume Khonsari, Perla Daoud, Samer Sakka, Sam Sako, Said Faraj, Sue Shaheen [caption id="attachment_27428" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
objects in mirror AR closer than they appear[/caption]
objects in mirror AR closer than they appear (World Premiere) – USA
Project Creator: Graham Sack, Geoff Sobelle, John Fitzgerald, Matthew Niederhauser
Key Collaborators: Sarah Hughes, Steven Dufala, Steve Cuiffo, Jecca Barry, The Molecule, New York Theatre Workshop, SilVR
Based on the critically acclaimed theatrical performance The Object Lesson, objects in mirror AR closer than they appear fuses augmented reality technology with an immersive theater installation, inviting audiences to reflect on the relationship between new media and archaic objects; 21st-century technology and 19th-century magic; and memory and optical illusion. The piece creates a philosophical playground to explore the shifting relationship between images, memories, and things.
Cast: Geoff Sobelle
Queerskins: a love story (World Premiere) – USA
Project Creator: Illya Szilak, Cyril Tsiboulski
In Missouri in the early ’90s, a diary and a box of belongings offers a devoutly Catholic mother—and participants of this haptic virtual-reality experience—a chance to know Sebastian, the estranged son she has lost to AIDS. Sitting in the back seat of a car, behind Sebastian’s parents, you take an emotionally charged journey down a country road, a memory lane populated with scrapbook artifacts that present an archive of Sebastian’s life.
Cast: Hadley Boyd, Drew Moore, Michael DeBartolo
Terminal 3 (World Premiere) – USA, Pakistan
Project Creator: Asad J. Malik
Key Collaborators: Kaleidoscope VR, Anita Gou, RYOT, Philipp Schaeffer, Viva Wittman, Jack Daniel Gerrard, Musa Ghaznavi
Terminal 3 is an interactive, augmented-reality documentary that explores contemporary Muslim identities in the U.S. through the lens of an airport interrogation. As viewers put on the Hololens, they step into the uncanny to directly interrogate, and determine the fate of, the hologram passenger before them. These interrogations become strikingly personal encounters that only end when the participant decides if the hologram should be let into the country or not—but there is a twist.
Cast: Aisha Yousaf, Ahmad Cory Jubran, Fereydoun Vakhshoury, Ani Zonneveld, Helya Salarvand
TRIBECA CINEMA360
The Cinema360 includes four programs that play twice daily, including:Horizons:
02:09 (World Premiere) – Sweden, China Project Creator: Svante Fjaestad In three minutes, the world will end. The rich have already left Earth for the New Colonies; those who couldn’t afford private shuttles into orbit remain stranded, like the now-worthless banknotes on the streets. A couple wait together on a rooftop, contemplating their fate, while, in front of them, the last human refugees leave the planet before it is too late. Cast: Chen Dong Hong, Xie Hong Together (New York Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Terrence Malick, The Factory at Facebook, Movement Art Is Together fuses storytelling, dance and technology, placing the viewer in the center of a stirring, emotional narrative that explores the power of human connection. Working with Movement Art Is co-founders Jon Boogz and Lil Buck, Palme d’Or winning director Terrence Malick has crafted an immersive experience about breaking down barriers that is brilliantly brought to life through choreography.It’s Right Behind You:
Campfire Creepers: The Skull of Sam (North American Premiere) – Spain, USA Project Creator: Alexandre Aja Key Collaborators: Casey Cooper Johnson, Martin Andersen French horror auteur Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes, High Tension) directs this creepy tale of a couple who encounters a vicious stranger in the woods, who has plans to add them to his rather unique collection. But by injecting humor into this horrific scenario, the experience invites audiences to laugh between the screams. Cast: Robert Englund [caption id="attachment_27430" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
The Caretaker[/caption]
The Caretaker (World Premiere) – USA
Project Creator: Jacob Wasserman, Nicolas Pesce, Adam Donald
Key Collaborators: Hidden Content, RealMotion VFX
After their car breaks down on the side of the road on a cold winter night, a couple checks into a strange hotel while they wait for a mechanic to arrive. When the woman’s boyfriend suddenly goes missing—the latest in a series of unsettling occurrences within the hotel—she begins to suspect that something more sinister is at work.
An Obituary (boogo) (US Premiere) – South Korea
Project Creator: Jean Yoon
Key Collaborators: Kuk- seok Yang, Jin-hee Kim
A young man travels alone deep into the countryside to pay his respects after hearing of a friend’s untimely death. Upon his arrival, he finds himself to be the sole mourner at the funeral. Alone in the country, save for the elderly mother of his deceased friend, he begins to wonder why they seem to be the only two people left in the village.
Cast: Tae-kyung Oh, Yong-nyeo Lee.
This is Climate Change:
This is Climate Change (World Premiere) – Åland Islands, Brazil, Greenland, Somalia, USA Project Creator: Eric Strauss, Danfung Dennis Key Collaborators: Diana El-Osta (Producer), Catherine Yrisarri (Producer), Jeff Skoll (Executive Producer), Elise Pearlstein (Executive Producer), Kathy Davidov (Executive Producer), Casey Brown (Executive Producer) In this expansive new four-part virtual reality docu-series from Participant Media and Condition One, journey to the far corners of the earth to discover the people and places being hit hardest by climate change. This Is Climate Change offers an immersive look into our new reality of catastrophic weather events that are displacing communities and transforming landscapes with alarming speed.VR For Good Creators Lab:
Meeting a Monster (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Gabriela Arp Key Collaborators: Oculus VR for Good, Life After Hate Through audio recordings and re-enactments, former white supremacist Angela King relives the memories of, and motivations behind, the eight years she spent inside the white power movement—and the path she took to get out. While the monsters of Angela’s past define the years she spent mired in hate, she finds redemption only after acknowledging the ultimate monster: herself. Cast: Belle Emilie Gold, Jerry Edwards, Diana Mitchell, Skye Waller, Aidan Shields, Toia Johnson She Flies by Her Own Wings (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Jesse (Jesus) Ayala Key Collaborators: Oculus VR for Good, Pride Foundation, Fovrth Studios, Flight School She Flies by Her Own Wings depicts the inspiring story of Shannon Scott, who chose to stand up when her community, the U.S. armed services’ proud transgender service members and veterans, was under attack by President Donald Trump. Having enlisted before she could vote, Shannon has dedicated her entire adult life to defending and safeguarding American citizens at home and abroad. Cast: Shannon Scott The Hidden (World Premiere) – India, USA Project Creator: Lindsay Branham Key Collaborators: International Justice Mission, Oculus VR for Good There are currently more people living in slavery than at any other time in human history. One such family has been enslaved in a rock quarry in southern India for 10 years—over a paltry debt of $70 USD. Indian government representatives, supported by the human rights group International Justice Mission, plot a daring raid to free the family.
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2018 Richmond International Film & Music Festival Unveils Lineup of Over 150 Films + Music + Panels
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ABOVE THE DROWNING SEA,[/caption]
The 2018 Richmond International Film & Music Festival brings a seven-day fest of more than 150 cutting edge award-winning films, plus up to 50 bands, panels, and daily events at various venues across Richmond, Virginia.
The seventh edition of the festival kicks off Monday, April 23rd with the Opening Night film, NONA. and concludes Sunday, April 29th with the annual Red Carpet Awards where prizes selected by the Grand Jury and audience will be awarded in various categories for all film, music, and writing categories.
NONA is a compelling narrative feature film written and directed by Michael Polish, which stars Kate Bosworth (also the Producer/Executive Producer), Sulem Calderon, and Jesy McKinney. NONA follows the harrowing path of a young Honduran girl from her home in San Pedro Sula, across four countries, into a living hell of servitude in a world of modern day sex slavery. Kate Bosworth and Michael Polish will be in attendance, and Bosworth will receive this year’s esteemed Founder’s Award for her work as a producer on the film. The Founder’s Award is given to the film and filmmaker that captures the heart and spirit of the festival – stories that reveal truths that are often untold or overlooked, and to those artists on the frontlines of creating necessary yet artful dialogue in their work.
Also in the spotlight are BUCKOUT ROAD, a horror thriller directed by Matthew Currie Holmes starring Danny Glover, Henry Czerny, Evan Ross, and Dominque Provost-Chalkey. The feature is a story of how a college class project on the creation and destruction of modern myth turns terrifying when a trio of young people come to realize the many evil urban legends surrounding New York State’s famed Buckout Road may, in fact be real.
ABOVE THE DROWNING SEA, a documentary feature about the dramatic escape of tens of thousands of Jewish refugees’ escape to Shanghai featuring Julianna Margulies, Tony Goldwyn, and Nick Mancuso. The film is directed by Rene Balcer who is also writer, executive producer, and co-creator of Law & Order. Balcer will present the film alongside co-executive producer Carolyn Balcer with an extensive Q&A discussion to follow.
DOUBLE TAKE directed by Jay Gard and a short crime mystery in the vein of HEAT, MEMENTO, and TRUE DETECTIVE. With a swiss-clock style plot, DOUBLE TAKE threads together two diamond heists with multiple twists and an intense interrogation between old enemies. The film stars Adrian Pasdar and David James Elliott.
THE BLACK GHIANDOLA, a narrative short starring J.K. Simmons, Johnny Depp, David Lynch, and Laura Dern. The film is produced by Tamika Lamison and the Make a Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization that grants children suffering with cancer their final wish to make a film. The film and foundation will receive a special honor at the 2018 festival.
DADDY, a documentary short that tells the story of youth basketball coach and drug trafficker, Curtis Malone. In 1993 Curtis founded the DC Assault, an AAU basketball team whose mission was to keep inner city boys off the streets by helping them earn college scholarships, and it included a hundred Division I student athletes and several NBA players. But on August 9th 2013, Curtis’ double life caught up with him. In addition to Curtis, the film includes interviews with the NBA players he raised, the DEA agents who investigated him, and the U.S. Attorney who prosecuted him.
DIMINUENDO, a sci-fi romance starring James Deen, Richard Hatch, Chloe Dykstra, Leah Cairns, Walter Koenig, Bryn Pryor, and more. When asked to direct the biopic of Cello Shea about his actress girlfriend who killed herself a decade ago, the has-been filmmaker Haskell Edwards becomes obsessed with the lifelike robot created to mimic her.
Also in the lineup is PERFECT BID: THE CONTESTANT WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, a feature documentary starring Ted Slauson, Bob Barker, Kevin Pollak, Drew Carey, and Holly Hallstrom. The film details Ted Slauson, a math teacher from Texas who spent the majority of his life memorizing the prize amounts on The Price Is Right. The documentary explores how Ted went from bidding to banned, and was involved in a Perfect Bid scandal that was covered in Esquire, Time Magazine & others. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of Ted’s most famous appearance on the show.
AYLA THE DAUGHTER OF WAR, this Turkish feature film set in 1950, is a story about the ravages of the Korean War as Sergeant Süleyman stumbles upon a a half-frozen little girl, with no parents and no help in sight. Frantic, scared and on the verge of death, this little girl captures the heart of Süleyman, who risks his own life to save her, smuggling her into his Army base and out of harms way. Ayla, almost effortlessly, brings an uncanny joy to the Turkish brigade in the grip of war.
THE RIBBON ON THE KITE, a narrative short by filmmaker Gianlorenzo Albertini that features a compelling look at PTSD through the eyes of Daerik, an army veteran who returns to his hometown after being discharged from the military. Now homeless and suffering from severe PTSD, he tries to drown out the painful memories of a mission in Afghanistan where his men were killed. In the meantime, Rebecca, a very young girl, attempts to find her brother who suddenly disappears after the war later finding that the homeless man living on the river bank nearby is her lost brother.
Music Performances
Bands to receive early acceptances to perform at the 2018 festival range from every major music genre and include: Marcaux (Brooklyn, NY), Sparky Quano (Japan), Giant Squids (Washington, D.C.), Zaxai (Brooklyn, NY), Ezra Vancil (Dallas, TX), Mariana Bell (Charlottesville, VA), The Fury MCs (Woodbridge, VA), Gabriel Mayers (Brooklyn, NY), The Jacks (Newport Beach, CA), Friendly Mosquito (Tbilisi), Justin Gambino (Angleton, TX), Tahj Ace (Brooklyn, NY), Lucille Fris (Chicago, IL), Kendra Black (New York, NY). More acts and the full programming schedule to be announced mid-March. Music showcases take place nightly at various venues across Richmond.Additional Festival Honors
In 2018, RIFF celebrates the theme, “RISE.” In conjunction with the theme, the festival will honor some of the film and music industry’s rising female and African American talent through special spotlights and tributes during festival week.
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7th International Film Music Competition to Score Steve Cutts’ Short Film ‘Happiness’ | Video
This year, the 7th International Film Music Competition asks entrants to score HAPPINESS. This short animation film by the renowned London-based illustrator Steve Cutts which has garnered over 1.2 million plays on Vimeo in just three months and has been selected to receive its ‘Best of the Year’ accolade.
Steve Cutts’ animation short HAPPINESS tells the story of a rodent’s relentless search for happiness and fulfilment in a consumer-driven society. His hitherto most popular short film MAN received nearly 26 million views on YouTube in 2012, and his Miami-Vice-homage as a guest animator for the ‘Simpsons’ has received more than 14 million clicks to date. More recently, the British illustrator has attracted attention with his music video ‘In This Cold Place’, which he created for Moby and The Void Pacific Choir.
The Zurich Film Festival and the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich collaborates with the Forum Filmmusik for 7th annual International Film Music Competition, where an international jury of experts comprising composers, music specialists and filmmakers will choose five talented musical composers nominees from around the globe.
Composers from around the world who have not scored or orchestrated more than three films of more than 60 minutes duration are eligible to enter. The five successful compositions will be world-premiered during the Zurich Film Festival by the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich under the musical direction of Frank Strobel on October 4, 2018 at the Tonhalle Maag in the presence of the nominees and the jury of experts. The winner will receive the Golden Eye for ‘Best International Film Music 2018’ endowed with a CHF 10’000 cash prize.
https://vimeo.com/244405542
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Warwick Thornton’s Award Winning Drama SWEET COUNTRY Sets April 2018 Release Date
Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country draws on the conventions of the American Western to explore the genesis of contemporary Australian racism and the generational neglect of Aboriginal people. The film stars Bryan Brown (Australia), Hamilton Morris (“Gideon”), Thomas M. Wright (Everest), Ewen Leslie (The Daughter), Natassia Gorey-Furber, Gibson John, Matt Day (“Rake”), Anni Finsterer (Teenage Kicks), Treymayne Doolan, Trevon Doolan, and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park).
It’s 1929 on the vast, desert-like Eastern Arrernte Nation lands that are now known as the Central Australian outback. Sam Kelly (Hamilton Morris), a middle-aged Aboriginal man, works the land of a kind preacher, Fred Smith (Sam Neill). After an ill-tempered bully arrives in town and Kelly kills him in self-defense, he and his wife, Lizzie, go on the run as a posse gathers to hunt him down.
The film will open in theaters on April 6, 2018 in New York (IFC Center) and Los Angeles (The Landmark).
Directed by Warwick Thornton and written by Steven McGregor and David Tranter, Sweet Country had its world premiere at the 2017 Venice Film Festival where Warwick won a Special Jury Prize. The film then went on to win the coveted Platform prize at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival as well as winning Best Film at the Adelaide Film Festival and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The film was previously screened at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
Sam, a middle-aged Aboriginal man, works for a preacher in the outback of Australia’s Northern Territory. When Harry, a bitter war veteran, moves into a neighbouring outpost, the preacher sends Sam and his family to help Harry renovate his cattle yards. But Sam’s relationship with the cruel and ill-tempered Harry quickly deteriorates, culminating in a violent shootout in which Sam kills Harry in self-defence. As a result, Sam becomes a wanted criminal for the murder of a white man, and is forced to flee with his wife across the deadly outback, through glorious but harsh desert country. A hunting party led by the local lawman Sergeant Fletcher is formed to track Sam down. But as the true details of the killing start to surface, the community begins to question whether justice is really being served.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfFYmtPegOI
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2018 Vail Film Festival to Celebrate Female Filmmakers + Reveals Lineup
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Leave No Trace[/caption]
The 15th Vail Film Festival will run from Thursday, April 5, to Sunday, April 8, 2018; the festival will celebrate women filmmakers and screen a diverse slate of almost 50 films. Films include the world premiere of Diane Bell’s narrative feature, Of Dust and Bones; the Sundance hit Leave No Trace, directed by Debra Granik; Mary Goes Round, written and directed by Molly McGlynn, starring Aya Cash; Write When You Get Work written and directed by Stacy Cohran; and the U.S. premiere of Kerry David’s documentary Bill Coors: The Will to Live.
VAIL FILM FESTIVAL NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION:
‘Alaska is a Drag’ – Shaz Bennett (Colorado premier) ‘Heaven’s Floor’ – Lori Stoll (Colorado premier) ‘Leave No Trace’ – Debra Granik ‘Mary Goes Round’ – Molly McGlynn (Colorado premier) ‘Of Dust and Bones’ – Diane Bell (Colorado premier) ‘Sun Dogs’ – Jennifer Morrison (Colorado premier) ‘The Long Dumb Road’ – Hannah Fidell ‘Write When You Get Work’ – Stacy Cochran (Colorado premier)DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION:
‘Bill Coors: The Will to Live’ – Kerry David (U.S. premiere) ‘De Colores’ – Luz Marina Zamora (Colorado premier) ‘Dragtivists’ – Savannah Rodgers, Alex Robinson (Colorado premier) ‘Love Wins’ – Robin Camp (Colorado premier) ‘My Tourette’s’ – Alessandro Molatore (Colorado premier) ‘Strike a Rock’ – Aliki Saragas (Colorado premier) ‘Surviving Home’ – Jillian Moul, Matthew Moul (Colorado premier) ‘The Faces of PHACS’ – Claire Berman, Megan Reznick, Staffan Hildebrand (world premier) ‘Top Row’ – Karin Argoud ‘Tribal Justice’ – Anne Makepeace ‘To a More Perfect Union: US v. Windsor’ – Donna Zaccaro (Colorado premier)SHORTS COMPETITION:
‘Bedtime Story’ – Kevin Alejandro (Colorado premier) ‘Bigfoot’s Love Slave’ – Heather Tom (Colorado premier) ‘Cuddle Buddy’ – Max Barbakow (Colorado premier) ‘Fevah’ – Randall Dottin ‘Game’ – Jeannie Donohoe (Colorado premier) ‘Girl of the Sky’ – Ariel Martin (Colorado premier) ‘In Wonderland’ – Christopher Haydon (World premier) ‘Internet Gangsters’ – Sam Friedlander (Colorado premier) ‘Love on the Line’ – Nicole McKinnon (Colorado premier) ‘Night Dancing’ – Barney Cokeliss ‘Ovum, Luciano Blotta’ (Colorado premier) ‘Pushing Night Away’ – Jade Hærem Aksnes (Colorado premier) Santa Claus’ – Jeff Man (Colorado premier) ‘The Duel’ – Amanda Barnes, David Speck (Colorado premier) ‘The Invaders’ – Mateo Márquez (World premier) ‘The Killing Game’ – Andrej iliev (Colorado premier) ‘The Language of Ball’ – Ramón Rodríguez ‘The Obituary’ – Jonathan Thompson (Colorado premier) ‘The Real Thing’ – Brandon Kelley (Colorado premier) ‘Uncle Silas’ – Sayra Player, Rebecca Billhart (Colorado premier) ‘Unnatural Selection’ – Geneviève Delouche (Colorado premier) ‘Who Decides’ – Mylissa Fitzsimmons (Colorado premier)STUDENT FILM COMPETITION:
‘Aaron’ – Aviva Neuman (Colorado premier) ‘Bier & Calippo’ – Paul Ploberger (U.S. premier) ‘Night Call’ – Amanda Renee Knox ‘Phototaxis’ – Melissa Ferrari (Colorado premier) ‘Snowplow’ – Mia Niebruegge (Colorado premier) ‘Sputnik: The Shock of the Century’ – Summer Royal (world premier) ‘Vows’ – Mark McKinsey (Colorado premier)SCREENPLAY COMPETITION, 1ST PLACE WINNERS:
Animated: ‘Doodle’ – Jonathan Medici Comedy: ‘New Reality’ – Carolyn Kras Drama: ‘News Gals’– David Dalessandro Faith: ‘Showdown at Damascus’ – Don Driscoll Science Fiction: ‘Pull’ – Marc Messenger Thriller: ‘Phantom’ – Andrea Gibson TV Series: ‘The Biggest Little’ – Craig Page
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Watch Trailer for Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead’s Mind-Bending Thriller THE ENDLESS
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Justin Benson as Justin and Aaron Moorhead as Aaron in THE ENDLESS. [/caption]
Here is the new trailer for Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s mind-bending thriller The Endless. The film also starring Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, along with Callie Hernandez, Emily Montague, Lew Temple, Tate Ellington, and James Jordan will open in New York on April 6th and in Los Angeles on April 13th.
Following their Lovecraftian modern cult classic Spring, acclaimed filmmakers Moorhead and Benson return with this mind-bending thriller that follows two brothers who receive a cryptic video message inspiring them to revisit the UFO death cult they escaped a decade earlier. Hoping to find the closure that they couldn’t as young men, they’re forced to reconsider the cult’s beliefs when confronted with unexplainable phenomena surrounding the camp. As the members prepare for the coming of a mysterious event, the brothers race to unravel the seemingly impossible truth before their lives become permanently entangled with the cult.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMHpWCN0byw
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See the Official Poster for William Friedkin’s Exorcist Documentary “The Devil And Father Amorth”
The Orchard has released the official poster for “The Devil And Father Amorth” directed by William Friedkin. The film will be released in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on April 20th, 2018.

In his latest, William Friedkin returns not only to his documentary roots but to the subject of one of his most towering works, 1973’s THE EXORCIST. Friedkin, a legendary raconteur, leads a tour that moves from the infamous Exorcist steps in Georgetown to Italy, where he meets with the 91-year-old Father Gabriele Amorth, official exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, and accompanies Amorth on one of his harrowing house calls. A sprightly, at times gonzo-style investigation into the long history of demonic lore, and a one-of-a-kind insight into the persistence of medieval belief in the supposedly modern world.
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2018 Audi Dublin International Film Festival Winners – Xavier Legrand’s “Custody” Wins Best Film
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CUSTODY (Jusqu’à la garde)[/caption]
The Audi Dublin International Film Festival 2018 announced the award winners, with Xavier Legrand’s Custody winning DFCC Best Film, and key Irish awards included DFCC Best Irish Film for Feargal Ward’s The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid, DFCC Best Irish Director for Rebecca Daly (Good Favour) and The George Byrne Maverick Award for Stephen Rea (Black 47). The Fantastic Flix Children’s Jury awarded Best Feature to Room 213 and Best Short to Earthy Encounters.
The three joint winners of the ADIFF Discovery Award were announced as Mia Mullarkey (Mother & Baby), Rua Meegan & Trevor Whelan (Bordalo II: A Life of Waste), and TJ O’Grady Peyton (Wave). The winner of the Jury Prize for Best Irish Short Film was Mia Mullarkey for Mother & Baby. Best International Short Film was awarded to Iranian director Kaveh Mazaheri’s Retouch. The winner of the AUDIence Short Film Award was Steve Kenny’s Time Traveller.
Dublin Film Critics Awards
DFCC BEST FILM – Custody DFCC BEST DIRECTOR – Chloé Zhao, The Rider DFCC BEST IRISH DIRECTOR – Rebecca Daly, Good Favour DFCC BEST SCREENPLAY – Lynne Ramsay, You Were Never Really Here DFCC BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Monika Lenczewska, Under the Tree DFCC BEST ACTOR – Charlie Plummer, Lean on Pete DFCC BEST ACTRESS – Charlotte Rampling, Hannah DFCC BEST DOCUMENTARY – So Help Me God DFCC BEST IRISH FILM – The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid DFCC MICHAEL DWYER DISCOVERY AWARD – Coralie Fargeat, Revenge DFCC GEORGE BYRNE MAVERICK AWARD – Stephen Rea – Black 47 DFCC EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT – Bill Morrison, Dawson City: Frozen Time DFCC JURY PRIZE – Warwick Davis, Sweet Country DFCC JURY PRIZE – Kathleen Hepburn, Never Steady, Never Still DFCC JURY PRIZE – Jian Liu, Have a Nice Day DFCC JURY PRIZE – Ryan Killackey, Yasuni ManADIFF Discovery Award Winners
Mia Mullarkey (Mother & Baby), Rua Meegan & Trevor Whelan (Bordalo II: A Life of Waste), and TJ O’Grady Peyton (Wave). Special Mention: Jessie Buckley.ADIFF Short Film Awards
Best Irish Short Film: Mother & Baby Special Mention Irish Short Film: Time Traveller Best International Short Film: Retouch Special Mention International Short Film: Mary Mother AUDI-ence Short Film Award: Time Traveller.Fantastic Flix Children’s Jury Awards
Best Feature – Room 213 Best Short – Earthy Encounters

REVENGE[/caption]
What the Fest!?, a four-day showcase of outrageous content — horror, sci-fi, documentary, thrillers, and beyond — will run from March 29th through April 1st, 2018, at the IFC Center in NYC.
The Fourth Estate[/caption]
The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival revealed its feature film lineup championing the discovery of emerging voices and celebrating new work from established filmmaking talent. To close the Festival, Tribeca will World Premiere
Tre Maison Dasan[/caption]
The San Francisco International Film Festival announced the feature film in competitions for the 2018 Golden Gate Awards. The upcoming festival will run from April 4th to 17th, 2018, and the Golden Gate Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, April 15th.
The Golden Gate Awards will distribute nearly $40,000 in total prizes this year in various narrative and documentary categories. The McBaine Bay Area Documentary Feature winner will receive $5,000 while the New Directors Prize & the McBaine Documentary Feature winners will receive a cash prize of $10,000.
In addition to the narrative and documentary features in contention, the Golden Gate Awards will include competitors in six short film categories.