• American Film Institute Announces AFI AWARDS 2017 – Top 10 Films of 2017

    [caption id="attachment_24746" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Florida Project The Florida Project[/caption] The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the Official Selections of AFI AWARDS 2017, celebrating the year’s most outstanding 10 films and 10 television programsdeemed culturally and artistically significant. In addition to the 20 honorees, AFI also recognizes THE VIETNAM WAR with an AFI Special Award. AFI AWARDS is a coveted honor for its noncompetitive celebration of collaboration. Honorees are selected based on works that advance the art of the moving image, enhance the rich cultural heritage of America’s art form, inspire audiences and artists alike and make a mark on American society. “At a time when the world seems defined by division, storytellers bring us together as one,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “AFI AWARDS is honored to celebrate this community of artists who challenge and inspire us, entertain and enlighten us — ultimately reminding us of our common heartbeat.” Honorees will gather on January 5, 2018, for recognition at the annual AFI AWARDS private luncheon in Los Angeles, CA.

    AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR

    THE BIG SICK CALL ME BY YOUR NAME DUNKIRK THE FLORIDA PROJECT GET OUT LADY BIRD THE POST THE SHAPE OF WATER THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI WONDER WOMAN

    AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR

    BIG LITTLE LIES THE CROWN FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN GAME OF THRONES THE GOOD PLACE THE HANDMAID’S TALE INSECURE MASTER OF NONE STRANGER THINGS 2 THIS IS US

    AFI SPECIAL AWARD

    THE VIETNAM WAR

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  • ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS – 16 Animated Shorts From Around The World Opens in Theaters on December 29th

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    [caption id="attachment_25815" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Gokurosama Gokurosama[/caption] The ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS returns to theaters across North America and will open at the Quad Cinema in New York on December 29th (with many other cities to follow), presenting 16 exceptional and inspiring animated shorts from around the world. “Because animation is such a natural medium for dealing with abstract ideas and existential concerns, the ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS has always included a number of thoughtful and engaging films,” says founder and curator Ron Diamond. “However, more than in previous years, I believe that this year’s program really offers contemporary animation that expresses deeply felt issues in our own country and around the world.” These films include Niki Lindroth von Bahr’s Annecy Grand Prix-winning “The Burden,” a melancholy, funny and moving film that explores the tribulations, hopes and dreams of a group of night-shift employees, uniquely capturing the zeitgeist of our time. At the other end of the spectrum, David OReilly’s playful and profound “Everything,” based on the work of the late philosopher Alan Watts, explores the interconnectedness of the universe and the multiplicity of perspectives that underlie reality. Perhaps the most relevant film in the show is a 50-year-old short that was restored by The ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS with grants from ASIFA-Hollywood and The National Film Preservation Foundation. “Hangman,” by Paul Julian and Les Goldman, and based on a poem by Maurice Ogden, explores themes of injustice and personal responsibility in its tale of a town whose residents, afraid to speak up, are methodically executed by the title character. Other program highlights include “Dear Basketball,” Disney veteran Glen Keane’s animation of a poem by Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, written on the occasion of his imminent retirement; Academy Award-winning Pixar director Pete Docter’s 1990 CalArts student film “Next Door”; and “Casino,” the latest film from director Steven Woloshen, who, for some 30 years, has been creating award-winning experimental films by drawing directly on film stock. The 19th ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS represents the work of artists from eight countries, including nine women. 16 animated short films presented in order of appearance – Total Running Time: 93 minutes Can You Do It – Quentin Baillieux, France Tiny Big – Lia Bertels, Belgium Next Door – Pete Docter, U.S. The Alan Dimension – Jac Clinch, UK Beautiful Like Elsewhere – Elise Simard, Canada Hangman – Paul Julian and Les Goldman, U.S. The Battle of San Romano – Georges Schwizgebel, Switzerland Gokurosama – Clémentine Frère, Aurore Gal, Yukiko Meignien, Anna Mertz, Robin Migliorelli, Romain Salvini, France Dear Basketball – Glen Keane, U.S. Island – Max Mörtl and Robert Löbel, Germany Unsatisfying – Parallel Studio, France My Burden – Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Sweden Les Abeilles Domestiques (Domestic Bees) Alexanne Desrosiers, Canada Our Wonderful Nature: The Common Chameleon – Tomer Eshed, Germany Casino – Steven Woloshen, Canada Everything – David OReilly, U.S https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQH9zrb6V9Q

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  • 15 Documentary Feature Films Advance in Oscar Race

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    [caption id="attachment_23408" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Human Flow, Ai Weiwei Human Flow[/caption] The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected 15 films in the Documentary Feature category that will advance in the voting process for the 90th Academy Awards. One hundred seventy films were originally submitted in the category. The Academy’s Documentary Branch will now select the five nominees from among the 15 titles. Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The 15 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies: “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Mitten Media, Motto Pictures, Kartemquin Educational Films and WGBH/FRONTLINE “Chasing Coral,” Exposure Labs in partnership with The Ocean Agency & View Into the Blue in association with Argent Pictures & The Kendeda Fund “City of Ghosts,” Our Time Projects and Jigsaw Productions “Ex Libris – The New York Public Library,” Ex Libris Films “Faces Places,” Ciné Tamaris “Human Flow,” Participant Media and AC Films “Icarus,” Netflix Documentary in association with Impact Partners, Diamond Docs, Chicago Media Project and Alex Productions “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” Paramount Pictures and Participant Media “Jane,” National Geographic Studios in association with Public Road Productions “LA 92,” Lightbox “Last Men in Aleppo,” Larm Film “Long Strange Trip,” Double E Pictures, AOMA Sunshine Films and Sikelia “One of Us,” Loki Films “Strong Island,” Yanceville Films and Louverture Films “Unrest,” Shella Films and Little by Little Films  

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  • THE SHAPE OF WATER Leads with 14 Nominations for 23rd Critics’ Choice Awards

    [caption id="attachment_25167" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Shape Of Water Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER.[/caption] “The Shape of Water” leads the nominations for the 23rd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards with 14 nods including Best Picture, and Best Director for Guillermo del Toro. The winners will be revealed live at the star-studded Critics’ Choice Awards gala on Thursday, January 11, 2018 on the CW Network . “Call Me By Your Name,” “Dunkirk,” “Lady Bird,” and “The Post” impressed with eight nominations each, and are all in the running for Best Picture and Best Director, among others. “Blade Runner 2049” earned seven nominations, followed by “The Big Sick” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” each with six, and “Get Out” and “I, Tonya” with five.

    FILM NOMINATIONS FOR THE 23rd ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS

    BEST PICTURE

    The Big Sick Call Me by Your Name Darkest Hour Dunkirk The Florida Project Get Out Lady Bird The Post The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

    BEST ACTOR

    Timothée Chalamet – Call Me by Your Name James Franco – The Disaster Artist Jake Gyllenhaal – Stronger Tom Hanks – The Post Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out Daniel Day-Lewis – Phantom Thread Gary Oldman – Darkest Hour

    BEST ACTRESS

    Jessica Chastain – Molly’s Game Sally Hawkins – The Shape of Water Frances McDormand – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Margot Robbie – I, Tonya Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird Meryl Streep – The Post

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Willem Dafoe – The Florida Project Armie Hammer – Call Me By Your Name Richard Jenkins – The Shape of Water Sam Rockwell – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Patrick Stewart – Logan Michael Stuhlbarg – Call Me by Your Name

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    Mary J. Blige – Mudbound Hong Chau – Downsizing Tiffany Haddish – Girls Trip Holly Hunter – The Big Sick Allison Janney – I, Tonya Laurie Metcalf – Lady Bird Octavia Spencer – The Shape of Water

    BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

    Mckenna Grace – Gifted Dafne Keen – Logan Brooklynn Prince – The Florida Project Millicent Simmonds – Wonderstruck Jacob Tremblay – Wonder

    BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

    Dunkirk Lady Bird Mudbound The Post Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

    BEST DIRECTOR

    Guillermo del Toro – The Shape of Water Greta Gerwig – Lady Bird Martin McDonagh – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Christopher Nolan – Dunkirk Luca Guadagnino – Call Me By Your Name Jordan Peele – Get Out Steven Spielberg – The Post

    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor – The Shape of Water Greta Gerwig – Lady Bird Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani – The Big Sick Liz Hannah and Josh Singer – The Post Martin McDonagh – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Jordan Peele – Get Out

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    James Ivory – Call Me by Your Name Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber – The Disaster Artist Dee Rees and Virgil Williams – Mudbound Aaron Sorkin – Molly’s Game Jack Thorne, Steve Conrad, Stephen Chbosky – Wonder

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

    Roger Deakins – Blade Runner 2049 Hoyte van Hoytema – Dunkirk Dan Laustsen – The Shape of Water Rachel Morrison – Mudbound Sayombhu Mukdeeprom – Call Me By Your Name

    BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

    Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau, Jeff Melvin – The Shape of Water Jim Clay, Rebecca Alleway – Murder on the Orient Express Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis – Dunkirk Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola – Blade Runner 2049 Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer – Beauty and the Beast Mark Tildesley, Véronique Melery – Phantom Thread

    BEST EDITING

    Michael Kahn, Sarah Broshar – The Post Paul Machliss, Jonathan Amos – Baby Driver Lee Smith – Dunkirk Joe Walker – Blade Runner 2049 Sidney Wolinsky – The Shape of Water

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN

    Renée April – Blade Runner 2049 Mark Bridges – Phantom Thread Jacqueline Durran – Beauty and the Beast Lindy Hemming – Wonder Woman Luis Sequeira – The Shape of Water

    BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP

    Beauty and the Beast Darkest Hour I, Tonya The Shape of Water Wonder

    BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

    Blade Runner 2049 Dunkirk The Shape of Water Thor: Ragnarok War for the Planet of the Apes Wonder Woman

    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

    The Breadwinner Coco Despicable Me 3 The LEGO Batman Movie Loving Vincent

    BEST ACTION MOVIE

    Baby Driver Logan Thor: Ragnarok War for the Planet of the Apes Wonder Woman

    BEST COMEDY

    The Big Sick The Disaster Artist Girls Trip I, Tonya Lady Bird

    BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

    Steve Carell – Battle of the Sexes James Franco – The Disaster Artist Chris Hemsworth – Thor: Ragnarok Kumail Nanjiani – The Big Sick Adam Sandler – The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)

    BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

    Tiffany Haddish – Girls Trip Zoe Kazan – The Big Sick Margot Robbie – I, Tonya Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird Emma Stone – Battle of the Sexes

    BEST SCI-FI OR HORROR MOVIE

    Blade Runner 2049 Get Out It The Shape of Water

    BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

    BPM (Beats Per Minute) A Fantastic Woman First They Killed My Father In the Fade The Square Thelma

    BEST SONG

    Evermore – Beauty and the Beast Mystery of Love – Call Me By Your Name Remember Me – Coco Stand Up for Something – Marshall This Is Me – The Greatest Showman

    BEST SCORE

    Alexandre Desplat – The Shape of Water Jonny Greenwood – Phantom Thread Dario Marianelli – Darkest Hour Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer – Blade Runner 2049 John Williams – The Post Hans Zimmer – Dunkirk

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  • Sundance Film Festival Unveils 2018 New Frontier Lineup of VR, AR, MR and AI

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    [caption id="attachment_25803" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Sun Ladies VR The Sun Ladies VR[/caption] The 2018 edition of New Frontier at the Sundance Film Festival will showcase a curated collection of cutting-edge independent experimental media works by creators who are pushing the artistic development of the new mediums of VR, AR, mixed reality (MR) and AI. Robert Redford, President and Founder of Sundance Institute, said, “Technology-enabled storytelling continues to develop into a thriving industry. It’s essential to protect the creative spaces where creators can develop work and reach audiences independent of commercial pressures. The work that we showcase at New Frontier sets the agenda for the year in creative cross-media storytelling.”

    FILMS AND PERFORMANCE

    ★ / Austria (Lead Artist: Johann Lurf)  —  This film, compiling shots of clear night-time skies from throughout film history in chronological order, reveals that what humans may regard as an absolute image is actually quite unstable. This instability occurs not only of evolving technological parameters, but also as a result of period-specific trends in culture. A Thousand Thoughts / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Sam Green, Joe Bini, Producers: Janet Cowperthwaite, Sam Green, Josh Penn) — A live cinema portrait of the legendary classical music group the Kronos Quartet. Green narrates the film and Kronos performs the soundtrack live. A meditation on music itself – the act of listening closely to music, the experience of feeling music deeply, and the power of music to change the world. Cast: David Harrington, John Sherba, Hank Dutt, Sunny Yang. Deep Astronomy and the Romantic Sciences / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Cory McAbee, Producers: Cory McAbee, Daryle Conners, Steve Holmgren, Richard Cole) — A live sci-fi event, presented in the form of two master’s classes, featuring music, animation and artwork. Topics include the colonization of other planets, sentimentality reform, transdimensional drifting, the proper way to view the universe and the reason that humans exist. Cast: Cory McAbee. Organ Player / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Narcissister) — This hybrid performance/documentary film explores how ancestral data is stored in our bodies, impacting the lives we lead. On the personal level, the film investigates how the artist’s complex family history compelled them to create the masked, erotic performance character Narcissister. Cast: Narcissister, Sarah Lumpkin, Oscar Lumpkin, Bernard Lumpkin, Carmine Boccuzzi.

    NEW TECHNOLOGIES

    Experience Realistic Touch in Virtual Reality / U.S.A. (Lead Artists: Andrew Mitrak, Greg Bilsland, Joe Michaels, Jake Rubin, Key Collaborator: Dr. Bob Crockett) — HaptX brings realistic touch to virtual reality for the first time. The innovative technology lets VR users feel the shape, movement, texture and temperature of digital objects. By providing advanced haptic feedback and natural interaction, HaptX enables unprecedented levels of realism in virtual experiences. Awavena / U.S.A, Australia, Brazil (Lead Artist: Lynette Wallworth, Key Collaborators: Nicole Newnham, Tashka Yawanawa, Laura Soriano de Yawanawa) The Yawanawa, an indigenous Amazonian people, see immersive technologies as tools they can co-opt to share their connected worldview.  Inviting artist Lynette Wallworth to their community,  the Yawanawa share the visions of Hushahu, their first woman Shaman, and our technology renders visible the luminous world they have always known. Cast: Hushahu Yawanawa, Tata Yawanawa, Mutum Community.

    ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

    Frankenstein AI: A Monster Made by Many / U.S.A. (Lead Artists: Lance Weiler, Nick Fortugno, Rachel Ginsberg, Key Collaborators: Nick Childs, Hunter Owens, Brandon Powers) — By challenging dystopian perspectives around Artificial Intelligence, this immersive experience reimagines Shelley’s seminal work to examine the cultural ramifications of pervasive, ubiquitous technology. Participants interact with an artificial intelligence, co-creating a shared narrative around the implications of unleashing this naive, intelligent “monster,” both mythical and imminent, into the world. TendAR / U.S.A. (Lead Artists: Samantha Gorman, Danny Cannizzaro) — A humorous and provocative installation that combines interactive storytelling, AR and emotion/face recognition technology to promote discussion about current topics in biometric data and artificial intelligence. Your guide: a fish-like creature who amusingly analyzes the partners collaborating in the experience, their emotions and the world around them.

    VIRTUAL/MIXED REALITY INSTALLATIONS

    Zikr: A Sufi Revival / U.S.A. (Lead Artists: Gabo Arora, John Fitzgerald, Matthew Niederhauser, Key Collaborators: Selim Bensedrine, Igal Nassima, Jennifer Tiexiera, Wilson Brown) — This interactive social VR experience uses song and dance to transport four participants into ecstatic Sufi rituals, while also exploring the motivations behind followers of this mystical Islamic tradition, still observed by millions around the world. Elastic Time / Switzerland (Lead Artist: Mark Boulos, Key Collaborators: Robin Mange, Javier Bello Ruiz) — A mixed reality interactive documentary about space-time, narrated by astronomer Tony Stark (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics). A real-time hologram of your body is integrated into the observatory room; using the controllers, you bend space and time to your will, creating black holes, wormholes and time portals. Cast: Tony Stark. Hero / U.S.A. (Lead Artists: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari, Key Collaborators: Brooks Brown, Mark Harwood, Sinclair Fleming) — An immersive, large-scale installation that explores humanity in our modern era of civilian warfare. In this vérité VR experience with multi-sensory engagement, participants embark upon their own primal journey. When everyday life is disrupted by profound crisis only human connection can inspire hope. Cast: Masoume Khonsari, Perla Daoud, Samer Sakka, Sam Sako, Said Faraj, Sue Shaheen. VR_I / Switzerland (Lead Artists: Gilles Jobin, Caecilia Charbonnier, Sylvain Chagué, Key Collaborators: Jean-Paul Lespagnard, Carla Scaletti, Camilo De Martino) — Blending art with technology, VR_I resulted from the encounter between Swiss choreographer Gilles Jobin and the founders of Artanim, Caecilia Charbonnier and Sylvain Chagué. In this contemplative virtual dance piece, five spectators, immersed together and in real time, use avatars to investigate a performance among surprising effects of scale. Cast: Susana Panadés Diaz, Victoria Chiu, Diya Naidu, Gilles Jobin, Tidiani N’Diaye. BattleScar / U.S.A., France (Lead Artists: Martin Allais, Nico Casavecchia, Key Collaborators: Arnaud Colinart, Raphael Penasa, Andrew Geller, René Pinell) — New York City, 1978: When Lupe, a Puerto Rican-American teen, meets fellow runaway Debbie, the Bowery’s punk scene and the Lower East Side are their playground. This coming-of-age narrative explores identity through animation and immersive environments as Lupe’s handwritten journals guide users through her year. Cast: Rosario Dawson. DICKGIRL 3D(X) / United Kingdom (Lead Artist: Sidsel Meineche Hansen, Key Collaborator: James B Stringer) — DICKGIRL 3D(X) is the non-binary version of EVA v3.0, an avatar purchased online and appropriated by the artist. Through DICKGIRL 3D(X), the viewer becomes a post-human pleasure-seeker in an encounter with a submissive clay-like sculpture. SPHERES: Songs of Spacetime / U.S.A. (Lead Artist: Eliza McNitt, Key Collaborators: Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel, Jess Engel, Arnaud Colinart) — Dive into the heart of a black hole and uncover the hidden songs of the cosmos. In this interactive VR experience, the breakthrough discovery of gravitational waves transforms how we see the Universe. Fall into the darkness, and you will find the light. Wolves in the Walls (Chapter 1) / U.S.A. (Lead Artists: Pete Billington, Jessica Shamash, Key Collaborators: Edward Saatchi, Saschka Unseld, Jennine Willett, Zach Morris) — All is not as it seems when 8-year-old Lucy’s imagination proves to be reality. Help her discover what’s hiding inside the walls of her house in this immersive fable, based on the work by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, and choreographed by acclaimed immersive-theater company, Third Rail. Cast: Elisa Davis, Elizabeth Carena, Cadence Goblirsch Chorus / U.S.A. (Lead Artist: Tyler Hurd, Key Collaborators: Chris Milk, Megan Ellison, Justice) — Crystals, lasers, monsters, heroines. Transform into fantastical female warriors in this social virtual reality experience. Six people can band together to battle evil in this epic journey of empowerment, all orchestrated to the song “Chorus” by Justice.

    MOBILE VR LINEUP

    Dinner Party / U.S.A. (Lead Artists: Charlotte Stoudt, Laura Wexler, Angel Manuel Soto, Key Collaborators: Rachel Skidmore, Bryn Mooser, Erik Donley) — A short virtual reality thriller that dramatizes the incredible story of Betty and Barney Hill, who in the 1960’s reported the first nationally known UFO abduction case in America. Cast: Malcolm Barrett, Sarah Sokolovic. Dispatch / U.S.A. (Lead Artist: Edward Robles) — A small-town police dispatcher faces the greatest challenge of his career during an all-night crime spree. Cast: Martin Starr, Julianna Guill, Graham Shiels, Beth Grant, Samuel Stricklen, Kelly Jenrette. Eyes in the Red Wind / South Korea (Lead Artists: Sngmoo Lee, Jongmin kim, Youngsam Jung, Key Collaborators: Jaehyun Park, Myuonggoo Ji, Youngsik Yu) — Friends and family members gather to throw a ‘soul scooping’ ritual, to pacify the soul of a drowned man. When a possessed shaman reveals the murderous truth behind the death on the table, lust and secrets come to the fore. Cast: Sungmi Kim, Jaehyun Kim, Jeongmi Lee, Nara Kim. Masters of the Sun / U.S.A. (Lead Artists: will.i.am, apl de ap, Taboo, Key Collaborators: Pasha Shapiro, Ernst Weber, Sara Ramaker, Eddie Axley) — In 1983, Los Angeles was spared from utter destruction driven by an ancient evil. The ghetto became ground zero for drug epidemic that transformed citizens into soul-sucking zombies through Z-Drops, until a ragtag crew used one weapon to take their city back: hip-hop. Cast: Rakim, Queen Latifah, Jason Isaacs, Stan Lee, KRS-One, Slick Rick. Micro Giants / China (Lead Artist: Yifu Zhou, Key Collaborators: Teng Wang, Shuyi Qiao, Jia Zhang) — A computer-generated VR experience that gives an unprecedented and highly engaging perspective of insect life. When participants enter into the micro world, tiny flowers and insects in normal life now become mighty trees and beasts. Cast: Pantawit Kiangsiri. On My Way / U.S.A. (Lead Artist: Yung Jake, Key Collaborators: Mike Rosenstien, Ari Kuschnir, Andrew Schwartz) — In a Tesla, multiple Yung Jakes rap about money, cars, drugs and things of that nature, among interactive elements. Cast: Yung Jake. Space Explorers: A New Dawn / Canada, U.S.A. (Lead Artists: Paul Raphaël, Felix Lajeunesse, Key Collaborators: Morgan Spurlock, Ryan Horrigan, Stéphane Rituit) Experience the journey of NASA astronauts as they navigate the trials and sacrifices of their training and missions. An immersive VR experience that shines a light on mankind’s most ambitious endeavor to understand our planet, our universe and our origins. Cast: Jessica Chastain, Jeanette Epps, Jessica Meir, Victor Glover, Michael Gernhardt. The Sun Ladies VR / U.S.A. (Lead Artists: Maria Bello, Celine Tricart, Christian Stephen, Key Collaborators: Wesley Allsbrook, Tim Gedemer, Mark Simpson) An in-depth look at the personal journey of Xate Singali: from her roots as a famous singer in Kurdistan, through ISIS sex slavery, and to her new life as a soldier on the front lines as she starts a female-only Iraqi fighting unit called the Sun Ladies. Cast: Maria Bello. The Summation of Force / Australia (Lead Artists: Narelle Autio, Trent Parke, Matthew Bate, Key Collaborator: Anton Andreacchio) — In a moonlit suburban yard, two brothers battle one another in a mythic game of cricket. A study of the motion, physics and psychology of elite sport; a cosmic, dreamlike and darkly beautiful metaphor for life. Cast: Jem Autio Parke, Dash Autio Parke. Your Spiritual Temple Sucks / Taiwan (Lead Artist: John Hsu) — Mr. Chang arrives to his “Spiritual Temple,” a place that represents one’s destiny. To solve his marital crisis and financial problems, he summons his guardian – The Thunder God. They attempt to tidy his life, which turns out to be a big mistake…with hilarious consequences. Cast: Ctwo, Sun Ke-Fang, Han Chang, Andy Tsai, Wei Hao Tseng, Liu Kuan-Ting. Image: A still image from The Sun Ladies VR by Celine Tricart, Christian Stephen and Maria Bello, an official selection of the New Frontier VR Experiences program at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Lucid Dreams Productions.

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  • DARKEST HOUR Starring Gary Oldman Wins Whistler Film Festival’s Audience Award

    [caption id="attachment_25385" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]DARKEST HOUR DARKEST HOUR[/caption] Joe Wright’s DARKEST HOUR, starring Gary Oldman and Lily James is the winner of the 2017 Whistler Film Festival’s Audience Award. Endorsed by Winston Churchill’s estate, the film tells the story of Churchill’s refusal to engage in peace treaty negotiations with Nazi Germany during WWII, and his determination to fight on against incredible odds. The WFF Audience Award runner-ups were the Western Canadian premieres of I, TONYA, directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Margot Robbie, about disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding, followed by TULIPANI: LOVE, HONOUR, AND A BICYCLE, from Oscar Winner Mike Van Diem with the Netherlands, Italy, and Canada co-production. The WFF Audience Award is a non-cash prize presented to the highest-rated film as voted by the audience. “We were very fortunate to open this year’s fest with the Western Canadian premiere of DARKEST HOUR, a film we are convinced will be a major contender in this year’s awards season race,” said Paul Gratton, WFF Director of Programming. “The festival took off from there, with many sold out screenings, packed and newsworthy industry sessions, and almost 400 guests who made a point of trekking out to Whistler to support their films and talk business with the high-level movers and shakers also in attendance. 2017 represented another step forward towards establishing the Whistler Film Festival as the coolest film fest in the world.”

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  • TIFF Unveils Top Ten Canadian Films of 2017 + Top Ten Film Festival Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_25450" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Adventures in Public School Public Schooled Adventures in Public School[/caption] TIFF is toasting the end of Canada’s sesquicentennial with its list of 2017’s best Canadian films for the 17th Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival.  The stellar lineup champions emerging directors, including Sadaf Foroughi for her award-winning, Tehran-set drama Ava; Wayne Wapeemukwa’s City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film at TIFF, Luk’Luk’I; Kathleen Hepburn’s heartbreaking Never Steady, Never Still; Simon Lavoie’s striking The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond Of Matches; Kyle Rideout’s charming comedy Adventures in Public School; and, in another example Canada’s genre chops, Les Affamés, Robin Aubert’s unique take on the zombie allegory, which won the Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film at TIFF. Social issues are also dealt with directly in Charles Officer’s lyrical documentary Unarmed Verses, winner of Hot Docs’ Best Canadian Feature Documentary prize, and Catherine Bainbridge’s electrifying crowd-pleaser RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World. The festival’s popular In Conversation With… series will feature intimate onstage discussions with remarkable talent, including master filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin, who is also part of this year’s lineup with her latest feature, Our People Will Be Healed, a luminous, hopeful ode to the power of action-driven decolonization. The revered filmmaker, musician, and revolutionary artist has been a tireless advocate for Indigenous resistance and she continues to reinvigorate Canada’s Indigenous identities while advocating for truth and reconciliation in her latest feature. In Conversation With… Alanis Obomsawin is co-presented by The Directors Guild of Canada. In addition, award-winning actor Evan Rachel Wood will discuss her career and role in the psychological thriller Allure, the highly anticipated feature debut from Montreal-based photographers Carlos and Jason Sanchez. Wood began her career as a child in the 1990s and went on to give acclaimed performances in Thirteen (2003) and The Wrestler (2008), before reaching new heights with HBO’s hit series Westworld (2016– ). She is a leading voice in the drive to create lasting change in the film industry, and her brilliant work in such Canadian independent features as Patricia Rozema’s Into the Forest (Canada’s Top Ten 2015) and this year’s Canada’s Top Ten selection Allure has cemented her status as one of the most versatile and adventurous actors working today. The festival also offers audiences two special screenings: Phillip Borsos’ 1990 political saga Bethune: The Making of a Hero — starring Donald Sutherland as beloved Canadian hero Dr. Norman Bethune — as well as a Canadian Open Vault free screening of Daniel Cockburn’s TFCA Jay Scott Prize winner You Are Here (2010). Filmgoers in Toronto will once again vote to crown the People’s Choice Award winner. The Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival is complemented by the 2018 TIFF Industry Forum, a full day of programming on Friday, January 12 tailored exclusively for film professionals. The Forum opens with a special edition of Breakfast at TIFF that explores programming ethics. In light of recent harassment allegations against prominent industry creatives, panellists will debate whether the art can ever truly be separated from the artist. Another session will celebrate the outstanding work of break-out feature directors and examine how the industry can best support them as they develop their second and third features. The Forum closes with a live onstage recording of the award-winning podcast TIFF Long Take, featuring Canadian film and television director Jeremy Podeswa. He is best known for directing the films The Five Senses (1999) and Fugitive Pieces (2007), and for his Emmy-nominated work on the HBO series Game of Thrones. Established in 2001, the festival is one of the largest and longest-running showcases of Canadian film. From January 12 to 21, 2018 at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, the 10-day event boasts a rich offering of public screenings, Q&A sessions and a special Industry Forum, followed by a nationwide tour stopping in Vancouver, Montreal, Regina, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Saskatoon. The festival will tour select films to major cities across the country including stops at Vancouver’s The Cinematheque (January 12 to 21), Montreal’s PHI Centre (January 12 to 21), Winnipeg Film Group’s Cinematheque (January 12 to February 24), Edmonton’s Metro Cinema (January 26 to February 4), Ottawa’s National Gallery of Canada (March 15 to 17), Regina’s RPL Film Theatre (April 12 to 15) and Saskatoon’s PAVED Arts in collaboration with the Roxy Theatre (dates TBC).

    Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival features

    Adventures in Public School, Kyle Rideout* .Opening Night Film. Allure Carlos Sanchez, Jason Sanchez Ava Sadaf Foroughi Les Affamés Robin Aubert The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches Simon Lavoie Luk’Luk’I Wayne Wapeemukwa Never Steady, Never Still Kathleen Hepburn Our People Will Be Healed Alanis Obomsawin RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World Catherine Bainbridge Unarmed Verses Charles Officer

    Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival shorts

    The Argument (with annotations) Daniel Cockburn The Botanist Maude Plante-Husaruk, Maxime Lacoste-Lebuis The Crying Conch Vincent Toi The Drop In Naledi Jackson Flood Amanda Strong Milk Heather Young Pre-Drink Marc-Antoine Lemire Rupture Yassmina Karajah The Tesla World Light Matthew Rankin Threads Torill Kove

    Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival student shorts

    Away Home Jana Stackhouse (Ryerson) Blindsided Flytrap Productions (Sheridan College) Hold My Hand Alexandre Lefebvre (Cinéma à l’Université du Québec à Montréal) If You Fall Tisha Deb Pillai (Emily Carr University of Art + Design: Animation) Leila Aziz Zoromba (Concordia University) Meddy Ted Sakowsky (York University) Mustard Seed Lina Roessler (York University) Nana Ali Kellner (Sheridan College) Quarters FIG House (Sheridan College) Waiting for Lou Katerine Martineau (Concordia University)

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  • Digitally Restored Version of THE ANCIENT LAW to World Premiere at 2018 Berlin International Film Festival

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    Das alte Gesetz (The Ancient Law) As part of the Berlinale Classics program, the 68th Berlin International Film Festival will be presenting Ewald André Dupont’s silent Das alte Gesetz (The Ancient Law, Germany, 1923) as a special screening with live music. The film, digitally restored under the auspices of the Deutsche Kinemathek, and accompanied by new music by French composer Philippe Schoeller, will have its world premiere on February 16, 2018 in the Friedrichstadt-Palast. Das alte Gesetz (The Ancient Law) is an important piece of German-Jewish cinematic history; it contrasts the closed world of an Eastern European shtetl with the liberal mores of 1860s Vienna, and tackles the issue of the assimilation of Jews in 19th century Europe. The Deutsche Kinemathek undertook the first efforts at reconstructing the film in 1984, trying to get as close to the original version as possible, as far as the sources available at the time allowed. When the original censor’s certificate was later uncovered, containing the text of the title cards, it would eventually provide the impetus for renewed research efforts world-wide and finally for a new, digital restoration. “With its authentic set design and an excellent ensemble of actors, all captured magnificently by cinematographer Theodor Sparkuhl, The Ancient Law is an outstanding example of the creativity of Jewish filmmakers in 1920s Germany”, says Rainer Rother, head of the Retrospective section and artistic director of the Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen. The new music by Philippe Schoeller was commissioned by the broadcasters ZDF/ARTE. Schoeller gets to the heart of the film with meticulously composed ensemble music that employs all the techniques of a modern soundtrack. It consciously establishes some historical distance to the film itself and uses a tapestry of translucid sounds to emphasise the visual excellence of the silent classic. The composition will be performed by the Orchester Jakobsplatz München, with Daniel Grossmann at the podium. The orchestra, founded in 2005, focuses on the work of Jewish composers, as well as 20th and 21st century music, making an important contribution to contemporary German-Jewish culture. Its most recent guest appearance at the Berlinale was in 2013. The new restoration drew upon nitrate prints in five different languages found in archives in Europe and the US. The text of the original German title cards was long thought lost. It was not until the censor’s certificate listing the intertitles was unearthed that the restoration team from the Deutsche Kinemathek could accurately reconstruct them, as well as correcting and finalising the editing. The colour concept was based primarily on two found prints nearly identical in their colourisation. So this is the first time that a version corresponding to the 1920s German theatrical release will be shown, both in its original length, and with the colourisation digitally restored. The Berlinale screening marks the start of the film’s tour to several cities, mainly in Eastern Europe, that were once hubs of Jewish life, including Vilnius, Budapest, Warsaw, and Vienna. It will also be shown at the Silent Film Festival in San Francisco.

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  • 10 Documentary Short Films Make Oscar Shortlist

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    [caption id="attachment_25786" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Edith+Eddie Edith+Eddie[/caption] The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences narrowed the field of Documentary Short Subject contenders for the 90th Academy Awards to 10 films, of which 5 will earn Oscar nominations. Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies: “Alone,” The New York Times “Edith+Eddie,” Heart is Red and Kartemquin Films “Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405,” Stiefel & Co. “Heroin(e),” A Netflix Original Documentary in association with The Center for Investigative Reporting, A Requisite Media Production “Kayayo – The Living Shopping Baskets,” Integral Film “Knife Skills,” TFL Films “116 Cameras,” Birdling Films “Ram Dass, Going Home,” Further Pictures “Ten Meter Tower,” Plattform Produktion “Traffic Stop,” Q-Ball Productions

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  • VIDEO: Watch LGBTQ Musical Drama SATURDAY CHURCH Trailer, Opens in Theaters on Jan. 12

    Saturday Church Here is the new trailer for LGBTQ musical drama Saturday Church, about a 14-year-old shy and effeminate boy, who finds himself becoming  the“man of the house” after the death of his father. The film starring Luka Kain, winner-Best Actor at OUTFEST 2017 will open in theaters, on demand and on all digital platforms on January 12th, 2018. Saturday Church, written and directed by Damon Cardasis, tells the story of 14-year-old Ulysses, a shy and effeminate boy, who finds himself coping with new responsibilities as “man of the house” after the death of his father. Living alongside his mother, younger brother, and conservative aunt, Ulysses is also struggling with questions about his gender identity. He finds an escape by creating a world of fantasy filled with dance and music. Ulysses’ journey takes a turn for the better when he encounters a vibrant transgender community, who take him to “Saturday Church,” a program for LGBTQ youth. Ulysses manages to keep his two worlds apart; appeasing his aunt and discovering his passion for the NYC ball scene, and voguing, until his double life is revealed. Ulysses must find the courage to be who he truly is, all while risking losing those he cares about most. The film stars Luka Kain, Margot Bingham, Regina Taylor, Marquis Rodriguez, MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Alexia Garcia, Kate Bornstein, and Jaylin Fletcher. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAra4mxDRYs

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  • 20 Films Advance in Visual Effects Competition for 90th Academy Awards

    [caption id="attachment_25167" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Shape Of Water Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER.[/caption] The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the 20 films that are still in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 90th Academy Awards. The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the preliminary shortlist. Later this month, the committee will select the 10 films that will advance to nominations voting. Nominations for the 90th Oscars will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. The 90th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/ 3:30 p.m. PT. The films are listed below in alphabetical order: “Alien: Covenant” “Beauty and the Beast” “Blade Runner 2049 “Dunkirk” ‘‘Ghost in the Shell” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” “Justice League” “Kong: Skull Island” “Life” “Logan” “Ojka” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” “The Shape of Water” “Spider-Man Homecoming” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” “Thor: Ragnarok” “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” “War for the Planet of the Apes” “Wonder Woman”  

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  • 2018 Sundance Film Festival Announces New Indie Episodic, Shorts and Special Events Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_25774" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]War Paint War Paint[/caption] The lineup for the new Indie Episodic, Shorts and Special Events sections of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival were announced today.  69 short films will screen at the Festival. New this year is the Indie Episodic section, designed as a dedicated showcase for emerging independent voices and their work. In recent years, the Festival has screened episodic content in the Special Events section, which includes new independent works that add to the unique Festival experience. This evolution reflects Sundance Institute’s ongoing support of the developing episodic format, which includes the Episodic Lab, where creators develop original projects under the guidance of veteran industry advisors. Works from the new Indie Episodic section premiere at the Festival beginning Monday, January 22 and continuing through Wednesday, January 24. The works selected in these sections are:

    INDIE EPISODIC

    America To Me / U.S.A. (Director: Steve James, Segment Directors: Bing Liu, Rebecca Parrish, Kevin Shaw)  — This limited series captures a year-long look at one of Chicago’s most progressive and diverse public schools, located in suburban Oak Park. Unprecedented in scope, the series is both intimate and epic in its storytelling as it explores America’s charged state of race, culture and education today. World Premiere The Adulterers / U.S.A. (Creators and screenwriters:: Tonya Glanz, Chris Roberti) — Two co-workers engaged in an extramarital affair discover an unexpected but limited intimacy which unlocks a secret world of creativity and freedom. Cast: Tonya Glanz, Chris Roberti. World Premiere Cherries / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Diaz Jacobs) — After a long separation, two sisters are forced to come together. When the man that once got between them reappears, a triangle emerges and they find themselves in a similar place after many years: suffocating, infuriating and incredibly familiar. Home. Cast: Shannon Plumb, Melora Walters, Robert Maffia, Lora Witty. World Premiere Franchesca / U.S.A. (Executive Producers: Topic Studios, Franchesca Ramsey, Kara Welker, Director: Kaitlin Fontana) — Comedian Franchesca Ramsey finds communion and culture in this digital series which explores beauty and fashion. The pilot episode finds Franchesca escaping ubiquitous internet trolls as she spends the day with friend Michelle Buteau getting an ornate Japanese gel manicure. Cast: Franchesca Ramsey. World Premiere Halfway There / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Rosenthal, Screenwriter: Nick Morton) — When recovering addict Jimmy Bishop finds his sober living facility teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, he is forced to take in his wealthy alcoholic mother as a client. Her arrival solves his immediate financial crisis but also unleashes every other problem he has struggled his whole life to contain. Cast: Matthew Lillard, Blythe Danner, Esai Morales, Sarah Shahi, Nishi Munshi, Paige Hurd. World Premiere High & Mighty / U.S.A. (Director: Carlos Lopez Estrada, Screenwriter: Cesar Mazariegos)  — After getting shot multiple times by a mysterious flower delivery man and surviving without a scratch, Chelo discovers he has superhuman powers. But only when he’s drunk or high. With the help of his homies, Chelo will decide whether to use his powers for good…or social media. Cast: Jorge Diaz, J.R. Villarreal, Adam Zastrow, James Eckhouse, Shakira Barrera, Chelsea Rendon. I’m Poppy / U.S.A. (Director and writer: Titanic Sinclair) — Join Internet sensation Poppy as she enters the real world for the very first time and quickly realizes that fame and fortune comes at a price, with secret societies, dangerous fanatics and a very envious mannequin named Charlotte.Cast: Poppy Chan, Samm Levine, Dan Hildebrand, Brad Carter, Kofi Boakye, Madison Lawlor. World Premiere Leimert Park / U.S.A. (Director: Mel Jones, Screenwriters: Davita Scarlett, Mel Jones, Kady Kamakate) — Things get complicated when three friends share a house in South LA’s Leimert Park. Despite being married, beats-maker Mickey hasn’t had an orgasm in three months, Bridget mistakes sex for love while assisting a visiting artist and Kendra shoots videos of her numerous sexual encounters, hoping for her own art show. Cast: Ashley Blaine Featherson, Ashlí Haynes, Asia’h Epperson, Wade Allain-Marcus, Franz Latten, Ikenna Okoye. World Premiere The Mortified Guide / U.S.A. (Director: Michael Mayer, Executive Producers: David Nadelberg, Neil Katcher) — A comedic look at the biggest issues of adolescence – from first loves to fitting in – as adults share their childhood writings and art in front of total strangers. Based on the Mortified stage shows, books, podcast and film, this docuseries celebrates the awkward insecurities that shaped us all. Cast: Robert Woo, Katie Westerfield, Adam Ruben. World Premiere Mr. Inbetween / Australia (Director: Nash Edgerton, Screenwriter: Scott Ryan) — Father, ex-husband, boyfriend: tough roles to juggle in the modern age. Even harder when you’re a hitman. Cast: Scott Ryan, Justin Rosniak, Brooke Satchwell, Damon Herriman, Jackson Tozer, Chika Yasumura. World Premiere Paint / U.S.A. (Creator and director: Michael Walker) — A 30 minute comedy/drama about three young artists, living in Brooklyn, and their adventures trying to make it in the art world and in life. Cast: Joshua Caras, Olivia Luccardi, Paul Cooper, Amy Hargreaves, David Patrick Kelley. World Premiere The Passage / U.S.A. (Director: Kitao Sakurai, Writers: Phillip Burgers, Kitao Sakurai) — Phil, wide-eyed and mute, is on the run from a pagan cult. Phil’s scatterbrained ineptitude keeps getting him into trouble, however, and agents who’ve been hired to recapture him are always one step behind. The result is a series of misadventures that take the trio around the globe. Cast: Philip Burgers, Chad Damiani, Krystel Roche, Juzo Yoshida. World Premiere The Show About The Show (Season 2) / U.S.A. (Director: Caveh Zahedi, Producer: Aziz Isham) — In Season 2, Caveh and Mandy break up over the Show. Caveh gets involved with a fan but the pressure of having every aspect of their relationship made public begins to erode that relationship as well. The Show becomes a runaway train that Caveh struggles to keep from being derailed.Cast: Amanda Field, Ashley Foy, Emmy Harrington, Peter Rinaldi, Karley Sciortino, Caveh Zahedi. World Premiere susaneLand / U.S.A. (Creators: Susane Lee and Andrew Olsen, Director: Andrew Olsen) — Dark, comedic vignettes from one young woman’s life. Cast: Susane Lee, Robert David Hall, Ken Takemoto, Mimi Cozzens, Travis Coles, Caitlin Kim. World Premiere Tammy’s Tiny Tea Time / U.S.A. (Creator: Peter Gulsvig, Screenwriters: Daniel Shepard, Diana McCorry) — An animated comedy about a maladjusted 42-year-old woman with the emotional capacity of a child who shrinks to the size of her toys and forces them to entertain her before introducing several unrelated animated shorts. Cast: Rachel Butera, Nate Corddry, Peter Gulsvig, Jeremy Bent, Diana McCorry. World Premiere This Close / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Ahn, Creators: Josh Feldman, Shoshannah Stern) — Best friends Kate and Michael, who are deaf, try to balance their personal and professional lives. She’s newly engaged and struggles to grow at work, while he battles self-destructive writer’s block after having his heart broken. As they tackle their own issues, their friendship is put to the test. Cast: Shoshannah Stern, Josh Feldman, Zach Gilford, Colt Prattes, Marlee Matlin, Cheryl Hines. World Premiere Tropical Cop Tales / U.S.A (Director: Jim Hosking, Writers: Jim Hosking, Toby Harvard) — Two burned-out city cops — Keymarion “Primetime” Weeyums and Demetrius “Meechie” Franks — relocate to a tropical paradise for a relaxing twilight to their careers. It ends up being the most vicious, menacing place on earth, not even slightly relaxing. Cast: Wayne DeHart, Charles Noland, Carl Solomon, Nicole Crump, Brian Russell. World Premiere

    SPECIAL EVENTS

    One-of-a-kind moments highlighting new independent works that add to the unique Festival experience. An evolving section, this year includes episodic work, short films and live post-screening discussions. THE KING / U.S.A., Germany, France (Director: Eugene Jarecki, Executive Producer: Steven Soderbergh)  —  Forty years after the death of Elvis Presley, a musical road trip across America in his 1963 Rolls Royce explores how a country boy lost his authenticity and became a king while his country lost her democracy and became an empire. Cast: Alec Baldwin, Chuck D, Emmylou Harris, Ethan Hawke, Van Jones, Mike Myers. North American Premiere Pass Over / U.S.A (Director: Spike Lee, Playwright/Screenwriter: Antoinette Nwandu) — A provocative riff on Waiting for Godot, capturing the poetry, humor and humanity of this urgent and timely play about two young black men talking shit, passing the time and dreaming of the promised land. Cast: Jon Michael Hill, Julian Parker, Ryan Hallahan, Blake Delong. World Premiere The Trade / U.S.A. (Director: Matthew Heineman, Executive Producers: Morgan Spurlock, Jeremy Chilnick, Pagan Harleman, Matthew Galkin)  — A character-driven vérité docu-series which explores the opioid epidemic from the intimate perspectives of growers, addicts and law enforcement on both sides of the border. This interwoven narrative transcends the headlines to convey, with humanity and nuance, the scope and gravity of the crisis. World Premiere Wild Wild Country / U.S.A. (Directors: Chapman Way, Maclain Way, Producer: Juliana Lembi) — When a mysterious guru and his disciples purchase a 64,000 acre ranch in desolate, rural Oregon – and build a $125 million utopian society – a war erupts with neighboring ranchers, pitting one way of life against the other and forcing both sides to take actions neither thought imaginable. Cast: Ma Anand Sheela, Jane Stork, Swami Prem Niren, John Silvertooth. World Premiere

    U.S. NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

    Agua Viva / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Alexa Lim Haas) — A Chinese manicurist in Miami attempts to describe feelings she doesn’t have the words for. The Blazing World / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Carlson Young) — Margaret has been plagued with dreams of a strange world since she was a little girl. After a mysterious man with a map visits her one night, she decides to give in to the incessant calls of The Blazing World. Blue Christmas / United Kingdom, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Charlotte Wells) — On Christmas Eve, 1968, in a Scottish coastal town, a debt collector goes to work to avoid confronting his wife’s worsening psychosis at home. Cheer Up Baby / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Adinah Dancyger) — A young woman who has been sexually assaulted by a stranger on the subway is rendered with psychological menace and sensory dislocation in this elliptical tale. The Climb / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Covino) — Kyle is depressed and a weekend bike ride with his best friend, Mike, should help. Fresh air. Camaraderie. Exercise. But Mike has something to say that might ruin the ride. Don’t Be a Hero / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Pete Lee) — A middle-aged woman battles loneliness and boredom by robbing banks on her lunch break. But after the adrenaline rush wears off, she still has to deal with her deeply unhappy life. Inspired by a true story. DAY ONE Emergency / U.S.A. (Director: Carey Williams, Screenwriter: K.D. Dávila) — Faced with an emergency situation, a group of young Black and Latino friends carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police. End of the Line / U.S.A. (Director: Jessica Sanders, Screenwriter: Joanne Giger) — A lonely man goes to the pet store and buys a tiny man in a cage. EVE / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Susan Bay Nimoy) — Eve, a 74 year old widow after 30 years of marriage, journeys through grief, sexual passion, and renewal. GREAT CHOICE / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Robin Comisar) — A woman gets stuck in a Red Lobster commercial. Hair Wolf / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Mariama Diallo) — In a black hair salon in gentrifying Brooklyn, the local residents fend off a strange new monster: white women intent on sucking the lifeblood from black culture. Home Shopper / Singapore, U.S.A. (Director: Dev Patel, Screenwriter: Ryan Farhoudi) — In a loveless marriage, Penny finds solace in the hypnotic escape of the home shopping channel. When things take an unexpected turn with her husband, the channel proves to be her saving grace…or was it the problem all along? LaZercism / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Shaka King) — Ask your doctor if LaZercism is right for you. Maude / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Anna Margaret Hollyman) — Teeny thought it was just another routine babysitting job – until she’s shocked to meet the client. As the day goes on, Teeny decides to become the woman she had no idea she always wanted to be…until she gets caught. Men Don’t Whisper / U.S.A. (Director: Jordan Firstman, Screenwriters: Jordan Firstman, Charles Rogers) — After being emasculated at a sales conference, gay couple Reese and Peyton set out to do the most masculine thing they can think of – sleep with some women.  DAY ONE Mud (Hashtł’ishnii) / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Shaandiin Tome) — On her last day, Ruby faces the inescapable remnants of alcoholism, family and culture. Painting with Joan / U.S.A. (Director: Jack Henry Robbins, Screenwriters: Jack Henry Robbins, Nunzio Randazzo) — Today on “Painting with Joan”: a mixture of fun, learning and cobalt blue. ULTRAVIOLET / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marc Johnson) — A woman named Kanchana and several scorpions explore collaborative survival approaches in a posthuman future in which all living beings are considered equal. Inter-species sociability, the Anthropocene and speculative Fabulations unfold in a futuristic and enchanted world. War Paint / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Katrelle N. Kindred) — A young black girl in South L.A. experiences a series of events at the convergence of racism and sexism during the 4th of July holiday. Wyrm / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Christopher Winterbauer) — Wyrm has two days to get his first kiss or he’ll be held back as part of the school district’s No Child Left Alone program and forced to wear his My.E.Q. Remote Monitoring collar through high school.

    INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

    ARIA / Cyprus, France (Director and screenwriter: Myrsini Aristidou) — Athens, present day. Seventeen-year-old Aria, who is working at Jimmy’s kebab place, is waiting for a driving lesson with her father. DAY ONE Careful How You Go / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Emerald Fennell) — A darkly comic three-part short film about malevolent women. Counterfeit Kunkoo / India (Director and screenwriter: Reema Sengupta) — In a city that houses millions, Smita discovers a strange pre-requisite to renting a house in middle-class Mumbai. She would make an ideal tenant,  except for one glaring flaw – she is an Indian woman without a husband. Deer Boy / Poland, Belgium, Croatia (Director and screenwriter: Katarzyna Gondek) — A hunter’s son is born with antlers; a reflection on how each man kills the thing he loves. Fauve / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Jérémy Comte) — Set in a surface mine, two boys sink into a seemingly innocent power game, with Mother Nature as the sole observer. The Fisherman / Cuba, Netherlands, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ana Alpizar) — A humble Cuban fisherman is having a harsh winter on the open sea. For the sake of his family and against all odds, he needs to capture a fish tonight. For Nonna Anna / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Luis De Filippis) — A trans girl cares for her Italian grandmother. She assumes that her Nonna disapproves of her – but instead discovers a tender bond in their shared vulnerability. Fry-Up / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Charlotte Regan) — An intimate portrayal of what could be a family’s last day together, set against the urban backdrop of North London. Garfield / United Kingdom (Director: Georgi Banks-Davies, Screenwriter: Myra Appannah) — Krishna wakes up in a strange place, with a strange guy. As she pieces together how she got there, she realizes that the reasons may be bigger than just the night before. DAY ONE Matria / Spain (Director and screenwriter: Álvaro Gago) — Faced with a challenging daily routine, Ramona tries to take refuge in her relationships with her daughter and granddaughter. The Right Choice / United Kingdom (Director: Tomisin Adepeju, Screenwriter: Vijay Varman) — With the help of an adviser, a husband and wife must answer three seemingly harmless questions to create their perfect designer baby. Set me as a Seal Upon Thine Heart / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Omer Tobi) — A gay sauna encounter between a young man and an older man becomes an unexpected lesson about love. SWAMP / Colombia (Director and screenwriter: Juan Sebastián Mesa) — Oscar and his family live in a humble country house threatened by a massive hydroelectric project. In the face of uncertainty and sorrow that means leaving the land where they were born, his grandparents decide to end it all. THURSDAY NIGHT / Portugal (Director and screenwriter: Gonçalo Almeida) — An elusive stranger pays Bimbo a visit in the middle of the night to deliver a vital message. The Turk Shop / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Bahar Pars) — A comedy about structural racism at the workplace. Would You Look at Her / Macedonia (Director and screenwriter: Goran Stolevski) — A hard-headed tomboy spots the unlikely solution to all her problems in an all-male religious ritual. Wren Boys / United Kingdom (Director: Harry Lighton, Screenwriters: Harry Lighton, John Fitzpatrick) — On the day after Christmas, a Catholic priest from Cork drives his nephew to prison.

    DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

    Baby Brother / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kamau Bilal) — The director’s baby brother moves back in with his parents. The Driver Is Red / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Randall Christopher) — Argentina, 1960: a true crime story of how secret agent Zvi Aharoni hunts down one of the highest-ranking Nazi war criminals on the run. End Game / U.S.A. (Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman) — Filmed and edited in intimate vérité style, this work follows visionary medical practitioners who are working on the cutting edge of life and death — and dedicated to changing our thinking about both. I Like Girls / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Diane Obomsawin) — Charlotte, Mathilde, Marie, and Diane reveal the nitty-gritty about their first loves, sharing funny and intimate tales of one-sided infatuation, mutual attraction, erotic moments and fumbling attempts at sexual expression. Intimity / Switzerland (Director and screenwriter: Elodie Dermange) — As she is showering, dressing, putting on her make-up, a woman bares her soul. Judith Loves Martha / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Anna Gaskell) — A wily 87-year-old New Yorker, Judith Godwin is one of very few women of the Abstract Expressionist Movement. A creative awakening in college led her to produce the brilliant, gestural paintings for which she is renowned. Julius Caesar Was Buried in a Pet Cemetery / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sam Green) — A short documentary portrait of the greatest pet cemetery in the world. My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes / Canada (Director: Charlie Tyrell, Screenwriters: Josef Beeby, Charlie Tyrell) — Filmmaker Charlie Tyrell seeks to better understand his emotionally distant late-father through the personal belongings he left behind…including a stack of VHS dirty movies. Narrated by David Wain. A Night at The Garden / U.S.A. (Director: Marshall Curry) — Months before the start of World War II, 22,000 Americans gathered in New York’s Madison Square Garden to rally in support of Nazism. Nuuca / U.S.A., Canada (Director: Michelle Latimer) — The oil boom in North Dakota has brought tens of thousands of new people to the region and with that has come an influx of drugs, crime and sex trafficking. RX EARLY DETECTION A Cancer Journey with Sandra Lee / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Cathy Chermol Schrijver) — The intense journey of a woman stunned when her routine annual mammogram delivers a cancer diagnosis. This film is unafraid to battle cancer directly, projecting a power to inspire, educate, destigmatize and effect change. SYMPHONY OF A SAD SEA / Mexico (Director and screenwriter: Carlos Morales) — Hugo, a Mexican child and victim of the violence, flees his hometown with one single dream: crossing to the United States to meet his father and leave his past behind. THE TRADER (SOVDAGARI) / Georgia (Director and screenwriter: Tamta Gabrichidze) — Gela sells secondhand clothes and household items in places where money is potatoes. The Violence of a Civilization without Secrets / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Adam Khalil, Zack Khalil, Jackson Polys) — An urgent reflection on indigenous sovereignty, the undead violence of museum archives and post-mortem justice through the case of the “Kennewick Man,” a prehistoric Paleoamerican man whose remains were found in Kennewick, Washington State in 1996. Volte / Poland (Directors and screenwriters: Monika Kotecka, Karolina Poryzala) — Zuzia, 12, has been training for two years and has extraordinary role topping the acrobatic pyramid. At the start of a new season, it’s clear that she’s lost some grace and lightness. A growth spurt may be the culprit. Wild Wild West: A Beautiful Rant by Mark Bradford / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Dime Davis) — Where do artists come from? An answer explored through paper, percussion, and one pissed off artist. ZION / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Floyd Russ) — A portrait of Zion Clark, a young wrestler who was born without legs and grew up in foster care. DAY ONE

    ANIMATED SHORT FILMS

    BLACK / Poland, Japan (Director and screenwriter: Tomasz Popakul) — A pair of astronauts are trapped on an orbital space station due to unexpected nuclear war on Earth. They lost contact with Earth and all attempts to communicate with their base or anybody else have failed. A Brief Spark Bookended by Darkness / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Brent Green) — A hand-drawn animated tale about love in an increasingly dark world. The Burden / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Niki Lindroth von Bahr) — A dark musical enacted in a modern shopping center, situated next to a large freeway. The employees of the various commercial venues deal with boredom and existential anxiety by performing cheerful musical turns. The apocalypse is a tempting liberator. Eye Bags / Hong Kong (Director and screenwriter: Waikwan Ho) — Through monologue, Talia describes her chronic insomnia. She does not know its cause, and spends many painful nights awake. When Talia meets Ah Gum, a goldfish who lives in her eye bags, they develop an interesting relationship. GLUCOSE / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeron Braxton) — Sugar was the engine of the slave trade that brought millions of Africans to America. Glucose is sweet, marketable and easy to consume, but its surface satisfaction is a thin coating on the pain of many disenfranchised people. Hedgehog’s Home / Canada, Croatia (Director and screenwriter: Eva Cvijanović) — In a lush and lively forest lives a hedgehog. Though he’s respected by the other animals, Hedgehog’s devotion to his home annoys a quartet of beasts, who decide to confront him. JEOM / U.S.A., South Korea (Director and screenwriter: Kangmin Kim) — A father and a son both have the same big birthmark on their butt. Believing that the two birthmarks are connected, the son scrubs his father’s birthmark to remove it – but he just can’t get rid of it. Manivald / Estonia, Croatia, Canada (Director: Chintis Lundgren, Screenwriters: Chintis Lundgren, Draško Ivezić) — Manivald is still living at home with his retired mother. The day before his 33rd birthday a hot young wolf named Toomas comes to fix their washing machine. A love triangle develops, which leaves Manivald increasingly frustrated. Marfa / United Kingdom (Directors and screenwriters: Greg McLeod, Myles McLeod) — An isolated town in the Texas borderlands. A place out of time. A shrine to minimalist art. Home to a remote festival. A place where unexplained lights tremble in the night sky. And then there’s the giant lemon. Nevada / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Emily Ann Hoffman) — A young couple’s romantic weekend getaway is interrupted by a birth control mishap in this stop-motion animated comedy. [O] / United Kingdom (Directors and screenwriters: Mario Radev, Chiara Sgatti) — A film that imitates nature in its manner of operation, depicting animated cycles in a world entirely based on sound frequency and vibration. PLUR / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Julie Fliegenspan) — A claymation adaptation of a series of actual voicemails received after making out with someone at a rave. The Shivering Truth / U.S.A. (Directors: Vernon Chatman, Cat Solen, Screenwriter: Vernon Chatman) — An omnibus of painfully riotous daymares, dripping with dream logic; a slate of emotional parables from the deepest caverns of your unconscious, lovingly animated in stop-motion. In other words: it is the Truth. Vox Lipoma / Sweden (Directors and screenwriters: Jane Magnusson, Liv Strömquist) — A short about Ingmar Bergman’s power, sexuality and facial lipoma that gives him no rest. World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People’s Thoughts / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Don Hertzfeldt) — Written entirely around candid audio recordings of Don Hertzfeldt’s five-year-old niece, “Episode Two” finds Emily Prime swept inside the brain of an incomplete backup clone of her future self, who’s on a mission to reboot her broken mind. DAY ONE Image: Sasha Matthews and Aston Synder Jr. appear in War Paint by Katrelle N. Kindred, an official selection of the Shorts Programs at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. 

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