The Whistler Film Festival will present an unprecedented number of female focused films, talent, events, and awards throughout its 2017 programs.
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Alex de Ronde’s DEAF CHILD Wins IDFA Audience Award
Deaf Child by Alex de Ronde has been voted the winner of the VPRO IDFA Audience Award – the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam’s big audience prize.
Director Alex de Ronde was presented with the VPRO IDFA Audience Award (€ 5,000) by Chairman of the IDFA Board Derk Sauer during the VPRO broadcast Best of IDFA: Audience Award 2017, presented by Marijn Frank.
In Deaf Child, a father looks back over his life, prompted by old photographs, home movies and frank discussions with his two sons, now young adults, and evaluates the choices he has made. Was his fear that his deaf son would live an isolated life justified?
The winner of the VPRO IDFA Audience Award is decided by the audiences voting at the end of each screening, using ballot cards to express their opinion of the film.
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VIDEO: Watch Insane First Trailer for Russian Dash-Cam Documentary THE ROAD MOVIE
Check out the first trailer for Dmitrii Kalashnikov’s The Road Movie – a documentary of footage from dashboard cameras in Russian automobiles. The Road Movie smashes into cinemas January 19th.
A mosaic of asphalt adventures, landscape photography, and some of the craziest shit you’ve ever seen, Dmitrii Kalashnikov’s THE ROAD MOVIE is a stunning compilation of video footage shot exclusively via the deluge of dashboard cameras that populate Russian roads. The epitome of a you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it documentary, THE ROAD MOVIE captures a wide range of spectacles through the windshield — including a comet crashing down to Earth, an epic forest fire, and no shortage of angry motorists taking road rage to wholly new and unexpected levels — all accompanied by bemused commentary from unseen and often stoic drivers and passengers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAW0LcCs35s
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2017 Asia Pacific Screen Awards – SWEET COUNTRY Wins Best Film, LOVELESS Wins 3 Awards
The Russian film Loveless won three awards at the 11th Asia Pacific Screen Awards including Achievement in Directing for Andrey Zvyagintsev.
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Gary Oldman, Sam Rockwell, Timothée Chalamet and Gal Gadot to Receive Awards at Palm Springs International Film Festival
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Gary Oldman, Sam Rockwell, Timothée Chalamet and Gal Gadot[/caption]
Gary Oldman, Sam Rockwell, Timothée Chalamet and Gal Gadot will be honored at the upcoming 29th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards Gala, hosted by Mary Hart, on Tuesday, January 2 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Festival runs January 4-15, 2018.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival will present Gary Oldman with the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor for his performance in Darkest Hour.
“Gary Oldman brings to screen one of the most powerful performances of this year as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Portraying Britain’s steadfast leader during the tumultuous era of World War II, he has already earned rave reviews from critics and is sure to garner awards attention this season” saidFestival Chairman Harold Matzner. “The Palm Springs International Film Festival is honored to present Gary Oldman with this year’s Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor.”
Oldman received the International Star Award at the 2012 Palm Springs International Film festival. Past actor recipients of the Desert Palm Achievement Award include Casey Affleck, Jeff Bridges, Bradley Cooper, Daniel Day-Lewis, Colin Firth, Matthew McConaughey, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt and Eddie Redmayne. In the years they were honored, Affleck, Bridges, Day-Lewis, McConaughey, Penn and Redmayne went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, while Cooper, Firth and Pitt received Oscar nominations.
From Focus Features, Darkest Hour is a thrilling account inspired by the true story of Winston Churchill’s first weeks in office during the early days of the Second World War. Anthony McCarten’s original screenplay takes a revelatory look at the man behind the icon. The film is directed by Joe Wright and stars Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Ronald Pickup, and Ben Mendelsohn.
The Palm Springs International Film Festival will present Sam Rockwell with the Spotlight Award – Actor for his performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
“Sam Rockwell is one of the most dynamic actors of his generation known for creating memorable and diverse characters. Once again he takes on another challenging role as the immature and explosive Officer Dixon in his critically acclaimed performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” saidFestival Chairman Harold Matzner. ” For this outstanding awards-worthy performance, it is an honor to present Sam Rockwell with the Spotlight Award.”
Past recipients of the Spotlight Award include Amy Adams, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, Andrew Garfield, Helen Hunt, Rooney Mara, Julia Roberts and J.K. Simmons. All recipients received Academy Award nominations in the year they were honored, with Simmons receiving the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Fox Searchlight’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a darkly comedic drama from Academy Award winner Martin McDonagh. After months without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message for Ebbing’s revered Chief of Police, William Willoughby. With the involvement of Officer Dixon (Rockwell), his short-tempered second-in- command, the battle between Mildred and the town’s law enforcement is only exacerbated. The film is written and directed by McDonagh, starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, Željko Ivanek, Caleb Landry Jones, Clarke Peters and Samara Weaving, with John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage. Rockwell won the Hollywood Film Awards Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in the film.
Timothée Chalamet will be presented with the Rising Star Award – Actor for his performance in Call Me By Your Name.
“Timothée Chalamet gives a stirring performance as Elio, a 17-year- old on the brink of passion and self-discovery. It’s an intimate and erotic performance that transports the audience to another time and place and stays with us long after we’ve left the theater,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “The Palm Springs International Film Festival is honored to present Timothée Chalamet with this year’s RisingStar Award – Actor.”
Past recipients of the Rising Star Award include Ruth Negga, Alicia Vikander, Jennifer Lawrence, Scarlett Johansson, Anna Kendrick, Dakota Fanning, Terrence Howard and Adam Beach.
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, Call Me By Your Name, the new film by Luca Guadagnino, is asensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman. The film stars Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet and Michael Stuhlbarg.
Timothée Chalamet first attracted attention during the second season of Showtime’s “Homeland” as the Vice President’s son, Finn Walden. He received a Drama League nomination, Clive Barnes Award nomination and received the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Actor for his performance in the lead role of Jim Quinn in the play “Prodigal Son”.
Chalamet can currently be see in Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut Lady Bird opposite Saoirse Ronan. Upcoming films for Chalamet include Scott Cooper’s Hostiles and Elijah Bynum’s coming of age drama Hot Summer Nights. Next fall, he will be seen as the co-lead opposite Steve Carell in Felix VanGroeningen’s Beautiful Boy and the male lead in Woody Allen’s film A Rainy Day in New York opposite Selena Gomez and Elle Fanning. Other film credits include Julia Hart’s Miss Stevens, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, and Jason Reitman’s Men Women & Children.
The festival will present Gal Gadot with the Rising Star Award – Actress for her performance in Wonder Woman.
“Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman showed us a strong, capable, poised, curious and compassionate character, and her performance has been universally praised, resonating with audiences everywhere. Gal plays the immortal warrior so well, and the film’s themes are especially apt for today, empowering all types of people-women and men, young and old-the world over,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “The Palm Springs International Film Festival is honored to present Gal Gadot with this year’s Rising Star Award – Actress.”
Past recipients of the Rising Star Award include Ruth Negga, Alicia Vikander, Jennifer Lawrence, Scarlett Johansson, Anna Kendrick and Dakota Fanning.
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THE DEATH OF STALIN, LADY MACBETH Among First Winners of 2017 British Independent Film Awards
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The Death of Stalin[/caption]
The Death of Stalin, Lady Macbeth and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, got a jump start at the 2017 – British Independent Film Awards, winning much of the the nine newly created craft award categories.
The winners of the 2017 – British Independent Film Awards, will be announced by host Mark Gatiss at the British Independent Film Awards Ceremony on Sunday December 10 at Old Billingsgate.
Best Casting
SARAH CROWE for The Death of Stalin
Best Cinematography
ARI WEGNER for Lady Macbeth
Best Costume Design
HOLLY WADDINGTON for Lady Macbeth
Best Editing
JON GREGORY for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Effects
NICK ALLDER and BEN WHITE for The Ritual
Best Make Up & Hair Design
NICOLE STAFFORD for The Death of Stalin
Best Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group
CARTER BURWELL for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Best Production Design
CRISTINA CASALI for The Death of Stalin
Best Sound
ANNA BERTMARK for God’s Own Country
The nominees in the BIFA 2017 Craft categories were:
Best Casting SHAHEEN BAIG Lady Macbeth SHAHEEN BAIG, LAYLA MERRICK-WOLF God’s Own Country * SARAH CROWE The Death of Stalin SARAH HALLEY FINN Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri DEBBIE McWILLIAMS Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool Best Cinematography sponsored by Blackmagic Design BEN DAVIS Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri DAVID GALLEGO I Am Not a Witch TAT RADCLIFFE Jawbone THOMAS RIEDELSHEIMER Leaning Into the Wind * ARI WEGNER Lady Macbeth Best Costume Design DINAH COLLIN My Cousin Rachel SUZIE HARMAN The Death of Stalin SANDY POWELL How to Talk to Girls at Parties HOLLY REBECCA I Am Not a Witch * HOLLY WADDINGTON Lady Macbeth Best Editing JOHNNY BURKE Williams DAVID CHARAP Jawbone * JON GREGORY Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri PETER LAMBERT The Death of Stalin JOE MARTIN Us and Them Best Effects * NICK ALLDER, BEN WHITE The Ritual LUKE DODD Journeyman RONALD GRAUER, BERNARD NEWTON The Death of Stalin DAN MARTIN Double Date CHRIS REYNOLDS Their Finest Best Make Up & Hair Design JULENE PATON I Am Not a Witch JAN SEWELL, MARK COULIER Breathe NADIA STACEY Journeyman * NICOLE STAFFORD The Death of Stalin SIAN WILSON Lady Macbeth Best Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group * CARTER BURWELL Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri FRED FRITH Leaning into the Wind MATT KELLY I Am Not a Witch PAUL WELLER Jawbone CHRISTOPHER WILLIS The Death of Stalin Best Production Design JACQUELINE ABRAHAMS Lady Macbeth * CRISTINA CASALI The Death of Stalin JAMES MERIFIELD Final Portrait NATHAN PARKER I Am Not a Witch EVE STEWART Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool Best Sound * ANNA BERTMARK God’s Own Country MAIKEN HANSEN I Am Not a Witch ANDY SHELLEY, STEVE GRIFFITHS Jawbone JOAKIM SUNDSTRÖM Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri IAN WILSON, BECKI PONTING Breathe
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Cannes Film Festival Shakes Up Calendar – Announces 2018 Dates
The 71st Cannes Film Festival will take place from Tuesday, May 8th to Saturday, May 19th, 2018. It will start one day earlier than in previous years, but will run for exactly the same length of time.
The opening will therefore take place on the evening of Tuesday, May 8th and the awards ceremony will be on Saturday, May 19th.
“Following 2017’s anniversary edition, the Festival is beginning a new period in its history,” says Festival President Pierre Lescure. “We intend to renew the principles of our organization as much as possible, while continuing to question the cinema of our age and to be present through its upheavals.”
In its announcement the festival notes that the new schedule will allow it to rebalance the two weeks of the event and to bring new energy to the proceedings. Starting on a Tuesday is expected to allow the festival to hold an additional gala evening before the Festival weekend and to organize previews of the opening film throughout France. Finally, bringing forward the announcement of awards by one day, to Saturday evening, will increase its prestige, while at the same time giving the closing film better exposure.
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MEN DON’T CRY and METEORS Win Top Film Prizes at Bratislava IFF
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Men Don’t Cry[/caption]
Men Don’t Cry directed by Alen Drljević won the Prize for Best Fiction Film, andMeteors directed by Gürcan Keltek won the Prize for the Best Documentary Film at the 19th Bratislava IFF 2017.
The Bratislava IFF Award for Artistic Excellence in World Cinema was bestowed upon one of the most distinctive European actors and a unique director Jean-Marc Barr.
The commemorative tile on the Film Walk of Fame for 2017 was dedicated to acclaimed Slovak actress Božidara Turzonovová for his lifelong contribution to Slovak cinema.
Awards of the 19th Bratislava IFF 2017
FICTION COMPETITION
Prize for the Best Fiction Film Men Don’t Cry / Muškarci ne plaču (directed by Alen Drljević, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, 2017) The theme of this year’s edition of the Bratislava International Film Festival was the art of film acting. The jury was unanimous in its choice for Best Film with a film where the ensemble of actors displayed such an intense emotional and inspirational level of acting in dealing with a tragic historical event. We also found it important to emphasize that the film’s main message of reconciliation was so necessary in today’s current political climate. Prize for the Best Director Soleen Yusef for House without Roof / Haus ohne Dach (Germany, Irak, Qatar, 2016) Best Director goes to a new talent, a woman, who had the courage to explore with a sincere sensitivity the men in a very patriarchal society, who also chose to film in a dangerous part of the world, in a nation that has yet to be created, Kurdistan, and who displayed a masterful quality of directing considering that this was her film school graduation debut. Prize for the Best Actress Laetitia Dosch for Montparnasse Bienvenüe / Jeune Femme (directed by Léonor Serraille, France, Belgium, 2017) This actress carried the whole film, from start to finish, with such an honest, authentic and rich performance as she portrayed a woman who in weakness eventually found a strength that inspired all of us in the jury. Prize for the Best Actor Navid Mohammadzadeh for No Date, No Signature / Bedoune Tarikh, Bedoune Emza (directed by Vahid Jalilvand, Iran, 2017) Best Actor goes to a gentleman who displayed such an outstanding range of emotions, who was honest and convincing at every moment of his character’s evolution in dealing with a man who is condemned to tragedy. FIPRESCI Jury Award No Date, No Signature / Bedoune Tarikh, Bedoune Emza (directed by Vahid Jalilvand, Iran, 2017) A convincing example of Iranian cinema dedicated to the ethical labyrinths of modern life. Student Jury Award Montparnasse Bienvenüe /Jeune Femme (directed by Léonor Serraille, France, Belgium, 2017) An authentic and creatively rendered look at the viability of a modern young woman. A convincingly mastered range of her frame of mind during her struggle with herself and the world, performed by Laetitia Dosch.DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Prize for the Best Documentary Film Meteors / Meteorlar (directed by Gürcan Keltek, Netherland, Turkey, 2017) For his strong, sharp, poetic and humanist risk taken. For the intense fragility of his cinematographic choicesSHORTS COMPETITION
Prize for the Best Short Film Islands / Les Iles (directed by Yann Gonzalez, France, 2017) For inviting the audience to an aesthetic orgy where weirdness meets acceptance. Special Mention in Shorts Competition Amateurs / Amateurs (directed by Naveen Padmanabha, India, 2016) A funny space serenade that makes us feel connected in this disconnected world.
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CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Leads Nominations for 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards
Call Me By Your Name Call Me by Your Name leads the nominations for the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards with eight nods including Best Director and Best Feature.
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California Film Institute + Mill Valley Film Festival to Honor I, TONYA Margot Robbie and Allison Janney
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Margot Robbie in I, Tonya[/caption]
The California Film Institute will honor Margot Robbie and Allison Janney with a special Mill Valley Film Festival Spotlight Program.
The evening will feature an onstage conversation with Robbie and Janney, a screening of I, TONYA at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center and presentation of the MVFF Award.
Margot Robbie’s star has been on a steady rise since she first came to the world’s attention as Leonardo DiCaprio’s wife in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. Her impressive supporting turn brought her more featured roles in Focus, Z for Zachariah, Suicide Squad, The Legend of Tarzan, Goodbye Christopher Robin and her current lead role in one of the most buzzed-about films on this year’s international festival circuit: I, Tonya. She has no less than seven upcoming projects announced through 2019. Expect this brilliant star to continue her ascent to the top of Hollywood’s A-List.
Seven-time Primetime Emmy Award winner Allison Janney has awed audiences for decades with her singularly composed, witty and ferociously intelligent performances on stage, screen and, most famously, television as the unflappable C.J. Cregg on The West Wing. Her range spans from hilarious to heartbreaking, zany to stoic, in memorable film roles including American Beauty, Juno, The Hours, The Ice Storm and The Girl on the Train, while maintaining a busy schedule in multiple featured and guest performances on the small screen in Mom, Masters of Sex and Veep, among many others. Janney’s formidable talent continues to impress, most recently, for her work in Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuDQOMICfr0
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THE OTHER SIDE OF EVERYTHING Wins IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary
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The Other Side of Everything[/caption]
The Other Side of Everything wins the Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary at the 30th edition of IDFA in the Stadsschouwburg in Amsterdam. The Deminer by Hogir Hirori and Shinwar Kamal won the IDFA Special Jury Award for Feature-Length Documentary.
At the beginning of the awards ceremony Ester Gould presented the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Documentary Stipend (€ 50,000) to filmmaker Reber Dosky. The festival runs until Sunday.
IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary
Mila Turajlic won the IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary (€ 15,000) for The Other Side of Everything (Serbia, France, Qatar). The prize was presented by the Dutch minister of Education, Culture and Science, Mrs. Ingrid van Engelshoven. The film takes place within the walls of a sub-divided apartment in Belgrade. A family portrait that symbolises the political unrest in the country. From the jury report: An apartment becomes a metaphor for both the former Yugoslavia and the current political climate in the region. Through the filmmaker’s lens, we are introduced to her mother – an enlightened woman who has dedicated her life to political activism. Poetically structured, the beauty of this character resonates. The textured cinematic language artfully blends the historical with the personal. In addition, the jury presented the IDFA Special Jury Award for Feature-Length Documentary (€ 2,500) to The Deminer (Sweden) by Hogir Hirori and Shinwar Kamal. The documentary is a nerve-racking portrait of a Kurdish colonel, who disarmed thousands of roadside bombs and mines armed only with his courage and a pair of wire-cutters. From the jury report: The Deminer is an experiential, universal and global film. It portrays and reflects a part of the world that we rarely encounter in the cinema while capturing the tenacity of a single man confronting impossible odds.IDFA Competition for First Appearance
Simon Lereng Wilmont won the IDFA Award for Best First Appearance (€ 10,000) for The Distant Barking of Dogs (Denmark, Sweden, Finland). Ieva Ozolina won the IDFA Special Jury Award for First Appearance in memory of Peter Wintonick (€ 2,500) for Solving my Mother (Latvia).IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary
IDFA Award for Best Mid-Length Documentary (€ 10,000) was awarded to Martin Benchimol and Pablo Aparo for The Dread (Argentina). The IDFA Special Jury Award for Mid-Length Documentary (€ 2,500) went to Last Days in Shibati (France) by Hendrick Dusollier.IDFA DocLab Competition for Digital Storytelling
Trine Laier won the IDFA DocLab Award for Digital Storytelling (€ 5,000) for Cosmic Top Secret (Denmark).IDFA DocLab Competition for Immersive Non-Fiction
The IDFA DocLab Award for Immersive Non-Fiction (€ 5,000) went to Lauren (United States) by Lauren McCarthy.IDFA Competition for Short Documentary
Zhalanash – Empty Shore (Poland) by Marcin Sauter won the IDFA Award for Best Short Documentary (€ 5,000). The IDFA Special Jury Award for Short Documentary (€ 2,500) went to As We’re Told (Sweden) by Erik Holmström and Fredrik Wenzel.IDFA Competition for Dutch Documentary
The Beeld en Geluid IDFA Award for Dutch Documentary (€ 7,500) went to The Long Season by Leonard Retel Helmrich. Maasja Ooms received the IDFA Special Jury Award for Dutch Documentary (€ 2,500) for Alicia.IDFA Competition for Student Documentary
Klaudiusz Chrostowski won the ARRI IDFA Award for Best Student Documentary for Call Me Tony (Poland). He wins € 5,000 and an Amira camera which ARRI will give on loan for the winner’s next production. The IDFA Special Jury Award for Student Documentary was presented to Denise Kelm Soares for I Am (Cuba, Brazil). The award consists of € 2,500 and an Amira camera which ARRI will give on loan for the winner’s next production.IDFA Competition for Kids & Docs
The IDFA Award for Best Children’s Documentary (€ 5,000) went to Lenno & the Angelfish (the Netherlands) by Shamira Raphaëla. Astrid Bussink received the IDFA Special Jury Award for Children’s Documentary (€ 2,500) for L I S T E N (the Netherlands).Other Awards
At the beginning of the ceremony, Ester Gould presented the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Documentary Stipend (€ 50,000) to filmmaker Reber Dosky (The Sniper of Kobani, Radio Kobanî and Meryem). The first Amsterdam Human Rights Award (€ 25,000) was presented on Monday evening to Piripkura (Brazil) by Renata Terra, Bruno Jorge and Mariana Oliva.
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9 Indie Film Projects Win Fall 2017 SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grants
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Boots Riley – director of ‘Sorry to Bother You’[/caption]
Nine filmmaking teams have been selected to receive a total of $225,000 in funding in the Fall 2017 round of SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grants to help with the next stage of their creative process, from screenwriting to post-production.
SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grants are awarded twice annually to filmmakers whose narrative feature films will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community and/or meaningfully explore pressing social issues. More than $4.5 million has been awarded since the launch of this grant program in 2009, making the SFFILM, in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, the largest grant-maker to independent narrative films in the United States.
Additionally, SFFILM and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation launched a new discretionary loan program for filmmakers in post-production. Open to any previous recipient or alumnus following the first day of production, the first loan in the amount of $25,000 was presented to Sorry to Bother You by writer/director Boots Riley.
Applications are currently being accepted for the Spring 2018 round of SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grants; the deadline to apply is February 2.
SFFILM, in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, is the largest granting body for independent narrative feature films in the United States. The SFFILM / Rainin Filmmaking Grant program has funded more than 70 projects since its inception, including Geremy Jasper’s Sundance breakthrough Patti Cake$, which closed the 2017 Cannes Director’s Fortnight program, ahead of its summer release; Alex and Andrew Smith’s Walking Out starring Matt Bomer and Josh Wiggins, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival; Chloé Zhao’s Songs My Brothers Taught Me, which screened at Sundance and Cannes in 2015; Short Term 12, Destin Cretton’s sophomore feature which won both the Narrative Grand Jury Award and Audience Award at South by Southwest 2013; Ryan Coogler’s debut feature Fruitvale Station, which won the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, the Un Certain Regard Avenir Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the narrative category at Sundance 2013; and Ben Zeitlin’s debut phenomenon Beasts of the Southern Wild, which won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize and Cannes’ Camera d’Or in 2012 and earned four Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture).
FALL 2017 SFFILM / RAININ FILMMAKING GRANT WINNERS
All About Nina Eva Vives, director; Natalie Qasabian, Eric Fleischman, Sean Tabibian, Eva Vives, producers – post-production – $25,000 Just as Nina Geld’s brilliant and angry stand up kicks her career into high gear, her romantic life gets complicated, forcing her to reckon with what it means to be creative, authentic, and a woman in today’s culture. American Babylon Yvan Iturriaga, writer/director – screenwriting – $12,000 A gripping tale of love and revolution set in the gritty streets of Oakland, California in the months leading up to 9/11. Fremont Babak Jalali, writer/director; Marjaneh Moghimi, producer; Carolina Cavalli, co-writer – development – $22,000 Troubled, edgy, unconventional Donya—an Afghani translator formerly working for the US military—now spends her days writing fortunes for a Chinese fortune cookie factory in San Francisco. As she struggles to put her life back in order, in a moment of sudden revelation, she sends out a message, wrapped in a fortune cookie—an act that sends her on an odyssey of deceit, mystery, and redemption. Jules of Light and Dark Daniel Laabs, writer/director; Jeff Walker, Liz Cardenas Franke, Russell Sheaffe, and Judd Myers, producers – post-production – $25,000 A young woman, Maya, struggles to rebuild her life after surviving a devastating car wreck with her girlfriend. The two are found and rescued by an oil worker, Freddy, who forges an unlikely friendship with Maya in this Texas-set drama. The Last Black Man in San Francisco Joe Talbot, writer/director; Khaliah Neal, Producer – production – $50,000 Jimmie Fails dreams of buying back the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Now living in the city’s last, dwindling Black neighborhood with his oddball best friend Prentice, the two misfits search for belonging in the rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind. Me, My Mom and Sharmila Fawzia Mirza, writer/director; Terrie Samundra, producer/cowriter – screenwriting – $22,000 A queer, Pakistani teen, her Muslim immigrant mother, and a Bollywood heroine’s destinies intertwine in this bittersweet coming of age tale. Monsters and Men Reinaldo Marcus Green, director; Josh Penn, Elizabeth Lodge Stepp, Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, and Luca Borghese, producers – post-production – $25,000 Monsters and Men is an interwoven narrative about police violence, racial profiling, and the power of perspective. The story is told in three chapters, each shifting perspective to different protagonists who are from the same Brooklyn neighborhood: a man who captures an act of police violence on his cellphone, an African-American police officer working in the precinct, and a high-school baseball phenom. We follow the unspooling narrative as each is impacted by a violent episode. Mr. Rob Fawaz Al-Matrouk, writer/director – screenwriting – $22,000 The true story of Rob Lawrie, an ex-soldier who left his family in England to help migrants at the infamous Jungle refugee camp in France. Lawrie risked everything to rescue a four-year-old girl, entrusted to him by her father, but was arrested and charged with human smuggling. Raja Deepak Rauniyar, writer/director – screenwriting – $22,000 Raja is a socially-rooted police procedural, a race-against-time thriller, as well as a portrait of Nepal—a complex society on the edge of a new future. A new discretionary loan for filmmakers in post-production open to any previous recipient or alumnus following the first day of production was awarded to: Sorry to Bother You Boots Riley, writer/director; Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker, Charles King, George Rush, Jonathan Duffy and Kelly Williams, producers – post-production – $25,000 LOAN Sorry to Bother You tells the story of Cassius Green, a Black telemarketer who discovers a magical key to telemarketing success, propelling him into a macabre universe where he is selected to lead a species of genetically manipulated horse-people.
