Glasgow Film Festival 2018 will open on February 21 with the UK premiere of Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs. The animated adventure Isle of Dogs tells the story of Atari Kobayashi, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by Executive Decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies to Trash Island in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.
The all-star voice cast includes Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, Kunichi Nomura, Tilda Swinton, Ken Watanabe, Akira Ito, Greta Gerwig, Akira Takayama, Frances McDormand, F. Murray Abraham, Courtney B. Vance, Yojiro Noda, Fisher Stevens, Mari Natsuki, Nijiro Murakami, Yoko Ono, Harvey Keitel and Frank Wood.
Allan Hunter, Festival Co-director said: “Wes Anderson is one of the most imaginative, beguiling filmmakers working in world cinema and we are thrilled to open GFF 2018 with the UK premiere of his brand new film. Four years ago we opened the Festival by booking into The Grand Budapest Hotel. This year we invite audiences to set sail for the Isle Of Dogs. It will be a night to remember and the best possible start to a great Festival.”
Fox Searchlight Pictures will release Isle of Dogs in UK cinemas on March 30, 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt__kig8PVU-
UK Premiere of Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs to Open Glasgow Film Festival 2018
Glasgow Film Festival 2018 will open on February 21 with the UK premiere of Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs. The animated adventure Isle of Dogs tells the story of Atari Kobayashi, 12-year-old ward to corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by Executive Decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump, Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies to Trash Island in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.
The all-star voice cast includes Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, Kunichi Nomura, Tilda Swinton, Ken Watanabe, Akira Ito, Greta Gerwig, Akira Takayama, Frances McDormand, F. Murray Abraham, Courtney B. Vance, Yojiro Noda, Fisher Stevens, Mari Natsuki, Nijiro Murakami, Yoko Ono, Harvey Keitel and Frank Wood.
Allan Hunter, Festival Co-director said: “Wes Anderson is one of the most imaginative, beguiling filmmakers working in world cinema and we are thrilled to open GFF 2018 with the UK premiere of his brand new film. Four years ago we opened the Festival by booking into The Grand Budapest Hotel. This year we invite audiences to set sail for the Isle Of Dogs. It will be a night to remember and the best possible start to a great Festival.”
Fox Searchlight Pictures will release Isle of Dogs in UK cinemas on March 30, 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt__kig8PVU
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BELIEVER, Documentary on Mormon Church Treatment of LGBTQ Members, Heads to HBO
The powerful documentary Believer, directed by Don Argott, follows Mormon Dan Reynolds, frontman for the Grammy Award-winning band Imagine Dragons, as he takes on a new mission to explore how the Mormon Church treats its LGBTQ members. With the rising suicide rate amongst teens in the state of Utah, his concern with the church’s policies sends him on an unexpected path of acceptance and change.
Believer, from Live Nation Productions, will have its world premiere in the Documentary Premieres section of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and will debut this summer on HBO.
The film documents this past year of Reynolds’ life during the process of organizing the first-ever LoveLoud Festival concert in Orem, Utah, to benefit such gay rights organizations as GLAAD and the Trevor Project, among others. While Believer takes a broader look at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ treatment of LGBTQ members, it also focuses on the suicide rate in the community, which has skyrocketed in the last decade.
Reynolds hopes Believer will continue to force discussion of gay rights within Mormonism on a larger scale. “LoveLoud reached 20,000 people in Utah, which is really small compared to the number of people who need to be reached,” he notes. “I think the reason the film needs to happen is because I feel like this is a way that nobody can turn their heads away.”
Believer centers on Reynolds, Aja Volkman, his wife and fellow musician, and Tyler Glenn, frontman for Neon Trees, among others.
Hans Zimmer composed the score for Believer and contributed to one of the two original songs Reynolds wrote for the film, giving music an integral role in the documentary.
Image: Dan Reynolds appears in Believer by Don Argott, an official selection of the Documentary Premieres program at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Don Argott.
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“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” “Get Out” and “Darkest Hour” Win Top Awards At Capri, Hollywood International Film Festival
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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MissouriThree Billboards Outside Ebbing,[/caption]
Get Out won the top prize for best picture at the Capri, Hollywood International Film Festival. Indie favorite Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was also a big winner bagging three awards including best actress for Frances McDormand, best supporting actor for Sam Rockwell and best original screenplay for Martin McDonagh. Darkest Hour also won three awards including best film editing, best original score, and best makeup and hairstyling.
Best foreign film went to Samuel Maoz’s Foxtrot and Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives won the prize for best documentary film.
2017 Capri, Hollywood International Film Festival Awards
Best Picture – Get Out Best Director – Christopher Nolan – Dunkirk Best Actor – James Franco – The Disaster Artist Best Actress – Frances McDormand – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Supporting Actor – Sam Rockwell – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Supporting Actress – Melissa Leo – Novitiate Best Adapted Screenplay – The Disaster Artist Best Original Screenplay – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Animated Movie – Coco Best Documentary Feature – Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives Best Foreign Language Film – Foxtrot (Israel) Best Cinematography – Hostiles Best Film Editing – Darkest Hour Best Make-up and Hairstyling – Darkest Hour Best Production Design – Blade Runner 2049 Best Original Song – “Remember Me” – Coco Best Original Score – Darkest Hour Best Sound Editing / Best Sound Mixing – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Best Visual Effects – War for the Planet of the Apes Best Ensemble Cast – The Leisure Seeker Career Achievement Award – James Ivory
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BEUYS, Documentary on Controversial Arrtist Joseph Beuys, Sets January Theatrical Release Date | Trailer
BEUYS, a documentary portrait of Joseph Beuys, one of the 20th century’s most influential and controversial artists, directed by Andres Veiel, will have it’s U.S. theatrical premiere with an exclusive theatrical engagement at Film Forum in New York City, starting Wednesday, January 17. The film expands to other national markets in February and March, 2018.
Charismatic and controversial German artist Joseph Beuys (1921-1986) was a messianic figure, alternately considered a shaman, a kook, a radical political activist, and a breakthrough artistic genius. Filmmaker Andres Veiel mines a rich trove of never-before-seen archival footage, showing how Beuys’s teachings (at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf), installations (using felt and fat), ‘happenings’ (covering himself in honey and gold leaf in How to Explain Paintings to a Dead Hare or locking himself in a room with a coyote in I Like America and America Likes Me), and lectures (“money shouldn’t be a commodity”) argued for a more expansive view of the role of art in our lives.
Always recognizable in his trademark fedora, Beuys was a visionary who, 30 years after his death, continues to influence artists as well as confound and entertain the rest of us. BEUYS will have a two-week engagement, from January 17 to January 30, at Film Forum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn2VSGwzMsE
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World Premiere of JIMMIE by Jesper Ganslandt to Open + THE DEATH OF STALIN to Close International Film Festival Rotterdam
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Jimmie[/caption]
The world premiere of Jimmie by Swedish filmmaker Jesper Ganslandt, a road movie with a truly original twist about a father and son on the run, will open the 47th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) on January 24, 2018. The festival will close on February 3, 2018 with The Death of Stalin by Armando Iannucci.
In Jimmie, the cast lends the film an interesting extra dimension: Ganslandt himself plays the father, with Ganslandt’s own son Hunter playing four-year-old Jimmie. Together, they embark on a journey through Europe that challenges our preconceptions in an unexpected way. According to producer Hedvig Lundgren: “the film shows that a child’s universe is both very small and bigger than an adult can imagine.”
Festival Director Bero Beyer: “Ganslandt offers a truly new perspective in an intense cinematic experience that makes us view the world anew. The film is an honest and subtly executed take on one of the more pressing issues we face in today’s society, as seen through the eyes of a striking protagonist, a four-year-old boy. Jimmie is a remarkable, emotional and thought-provoking story and we’re proud it will open our 47th edition.”
Ganslandt is one of the bold new voices in Scandinavian cinema. In his dreamy first feature Falkenberg Farewell (2006), five friends spend their last summer together in their hometown, Falkenberg. For his claustrophobic second feature The Ape, screened at IFFR 2010, Ganslandt did not let his lead actor Olle Sarri read the full script in advance. Ganslandt’s first English-language film is to be released later in 2018 – a thriller entitled Beast of Burden starring Daniel Radcliffe.
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The Death of Stalin[/caption]
The closing film of IFFR 2018, The Death of Stalin, is also part of the festival’s theme program A History of Shadows, which investigates cinema’s powers to reevaluate and revisit the past. In his new film, Armando Iannucci – best known for his television series The Thick of It and Veep – employs his knack for lampooning the self-serving attitudes of authority figures to zoom in on the Kremlin power struggles that ensued following the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953. The result is a stylish, salient black comedy starring among others Michael Palin and Steve Buscemi.
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Actor Trevor Jamieson is Revelation Perth International Film Festival Ambassador + 3 Films Win City of Vincent Film Project
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Trevor Jamieson[/caption]
Actor Trevor Jamieson, soon to be seen in the upcoming remake of the classic Australian film Storm Boy playing the iconic character Fingerbone Bill, has been appointed the permanent ambassador of the Revelation Perth International Film Festival.
As ambassador to the Revelation Perth International Film Festival, Trevor will become one Revelation’s most prominent supporters, lending his profile and his passion to promote the festival regarded by media, industry and audiences alike as the most individual and innovative screen culture events in the country.
Revelation Film Festival director Richard Sowada says it’s a terrific collaboration.
“Trevor is proudly West Australian with an international outlook, just like Rev,” said Richard.
“We can’t think of a better person to help spread the word about what we do and what we are all about.
“As an actor he’s of course deeply involved in the screen business, but he also brings a message of the place of the arts in our broader culture.”
Trevor Jamieson says he’s humbled at the opportunity.
“As someone who grew up in the arts industry and spent most of my life in Western Australia, I’ve gained witness to skills of strength and weakness within our state that have always given me experiences to share of stories and places, nationwide and internationally,” Trevor said.
“I’m excited to celebrate the most simple viewpoints that can reveal great strengths within the awareness of our mindset for independent works and allowing for amazing collaboratives between national and international themes to understand the human common aspects of social justice.
“Plus I’m looking forward to being back home again and becoming involved with a lot of well known and emerging artists.
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Revelation Perth International Film Festival – City of Vincent Film Project[/caption]
Revelation Perth International Film Festival partnered with the City of Vincent for a film project which offered an opportunity for filmmakers to tell stories in and about the City of Vincent, with $15,000 being allocated to fund three short documentaries.
Revelation Film Festival Director Richard Sowada said the grass-roots project has been enormously rewarding.
“It’s about having a real creative impact at a community level and brings many of these emerging filmmakers into the international fold,” said Richard.
The winning films are:
The Beeman
The buzz around local Beeman, Carl Maxwell, isn’t for nothing – he’s the best in the business – and that’s because he can communicate with the local honeybee population. The Beeman follows one man’s crusade to save the honeybees, one hive at a time.
Producer Cody Greenwood, Directors Samantha Marlowe and Frances Elliott
Neon
Neon signs are everywhere in cities around the world. They liven the sky and streets with colour and atmosphere. In Perth, neon bending is a dying art. But one young man is taking on an apprenticeship that could change that.
Producer Rachael Karotkin, Director Matt Sav
Ghosts Of Vincent
An expository-participatory documentary that looks at historical people and venues within the area of the City of Vincent. The film investigates the legend of ‘Kanga’ the ghost who haunts the newly renovated Leederville hotel, but also focuses on other venues and locations of interest in the Vincent area.
Producer Paul Van Lieshout, Director Kimberly McGivern and Ellen Broadhurst
Project Coordinator Ashleigh Nicolau said that the films were as eclectic as the City of Vincent itself.
“A mixed bag of environmental, artistic and supernatural stories, I can’t wait to see these short documentaries take off!,” Ashleigh said.
“The City is also keen to work closely with the filmmakers to create events surrounding the film subjects such as art exhibitions and ghost tours.”
The record number of submissions received were considered by a panel of industry professionals, and representatives of the City of Vincent and the Revelation Perth International Film Festival.
Successful applicants will commence production in January, and the three completed films will screen as part of the 2018 Revelation Perth International Film Festival in July.
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VIDEO: Watch Nollywood Romantic Comedy THE ROYAL HIBISCUS HOTEL Trailer
The Royal Hibiscus Hotel, one of the three African films featured at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, released a new official trailer on New Years Day.
In the Nollywood romantic comedy, directed by Ishaya Bako, a chef returns to her home in Lagos, Nigeria to reinvigorate the food and hospitality at her family’s hotel, only to find that her parents are planning on selling out to a rich, attractive buyer.
The Royal Hibiscus Hotel stars Zainab Balogun, Kenneth Okolie, Deyemi Okanlawon, Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju, O.C. Ukeje, Rachel Oniga, Jide Kosoko, Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RfZ4gqdKiE
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Inaugural Mammoth Film Festival Unveils First Round of Official Selections Lineup
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Sun Dogs[/caption]
The inaugural Mammoth Film Festival unveiled the first Round 1 of their star-studded Official Selections lineup for the upcoming festival taking place February 8 to 11, 2018. Officially Selected feature films include: Jennifer Morrison’s Directorial feature film debut Sun Dogs, Tim Newfang’s Sons of St. Clair, a ground-breaking documentary highlighting the legendary members of Hip Hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s Krayzie Bone & Bizzy Bone (World Premiere) and Frederick Cipoletti’s solo directorial debut with the drama Desolate (World Premiere).
The Mammoth Film Festival will also screen a number of Star-studded short films including; feature high level panels and think tanks; and host it’s first-ever Celebrity Charity Bowling Tournament benefitting the Mammoth Media Institute, Inc.
Round 1 Officially selected feature films for the Inaugural Mammoth Film Festival
A VIOLENT MAN/U.S.A (Director: Matthew Berkowitz. Screenwriters: Matthew Berkowitz and Justin Steele). A struggling mixed martial arts fighter finds himself in a fight for his life after his one night stand is found dead in her home. Cast: Anthony Bonaventura, Cheyenne Buchanan, Tyler Conklin. WORLD PREMIERE MIDNIGHT FILM. DESOLATE/U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Frederick Cipoletti). While trying to survive the worst drought in history, a family of farmers force their youngest brother down a path of destruction; betrayed and left for dead in an unfamiliar land, he must survive, endure and seek the revenge he deserves. Cast: Will Brittain, Callan Mulvey, Tyson Ritter. JOSIE/U.S.A (Director: Eric England. Screenwriter: Anthony Ragnone II). The residents of a small, southern town are forever changed when the tattooed, sweet-talking stranger Josie (Sophie Turner) struts into town. Striking up relationships with a local young punk Marcus (Jack Kilmer) and her loner neighbor Hank (Dylan McDermott), she quickly becomes a hot topic of local gossip. But her true intentions for arriving in town are far more sinister when her dark past comes to light. Cast: Sophie Turner, Dylan McDermott, Jack Kilmer. WORLD PREMIERE OPENING NIGHT FILM. KHALI THE KILLER/Germany (Director and Screenwriter: Jon Matthews). After deciding to retire, an East L.A. hit man decides to take one last job to help support his ailing grandmother’s end of life care. But everything falls apart, when he develops empathy for the targets of his hit, and he’s forced to make the toughest decision of his life. Cast: Ryan Dorsey, Richard Cabral, Corina Calderon. MULLY/U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Scott Haze) A homeless orphan in Kenya becomes a lucrative businessman, only to give it all up and open an orphanage that today serves over 2000 Kenyan children. Cast: Charles Mully, Esther Mully, Isaac Mulli. SONS OF ST. CLAIR/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Tim Newfang (World Premiere) Thrilling Documentary chronicling the legendary Hip Hop group Bone Thugs & Harmony’s Krazie Bone & Bizzy Bone. WORLD PREMIERE. SYLVIO/U.S.A (Directors and Screenwriters: Kentucker). A small town gorilla joins a local TV program where a series of on-air mishaps send him on a journey of self-discovery. Cast: Sylvio Bernardi, Kentucker Audley, Steve Bauer. SUN DOGS/U.S.A (Director: Jennifer Morrison. Screenwriter: Anthony Tambakis). Intellectually limited from an accident at birth, Ned Chipley has failed time and time again at achieving his dream of ‘saving lives’. After a fourth thwarted attempt to join the marines, he pairs up with a young run away, Tally Peterson. Together they surveil a group of young men who they mistake as terrorists. Ned and Tally accidentally make the most improbable and unfortunate homeland security team. Their misadventures and misunderstandings lead to the unexpected discovery that sometimes the greatest purpose in life can present itself in the most unlikely of places. Cast: Mellisa Benoist, Allison Janney, Jennifer Morrison. CLOSING FILM GALA PRESENTATION. TIME TRAP/U.S.A (Directed by Mark Dennis and Ben Foster. Screenwriter: Mark Dennis). A group of students become trapped inside a mysterious cave where they discover time passes differently underground than on the surface. Cast: Andrew Wilson, Cassidy Gifford, Brianne Howey. TRUTH OR DARE/U.S.A-(Director: Nick Simon. Screenwriters: Thommy Hutson, Ethan Lawrence). Eight college friends head to a “Haunted Rental” for Halloween. But when they replay the game that made the house infamous, they awaken an evil spirit intent on stealing their souls. Cast: Cassandra Scerbo, Brytni Sarpy, Mason Dye. MIDNIGHT FILM.Round 1 Short Film Official Selections Inaugural Mammoth Film Festival
APE by Josh Hutcherson The Circle by Sheldon Schwartz Euphoria – Indescribable Adventure by Linda Sanders and Alessandro Beltrame Companion by Matt Ferrucci Reckless Juliets by Skyler Barrett I Know Jake Gyllenhaal is Going to Fuck My Girlfriend by Nino Mancuso Scarlett-Angelina by Lorette Bayle The Visit by Romina Schwedler The Accomplice by John F. Beach & Jon Hoeg The Long Walk Home by Jarod Einsohn Zero-Zero by Randall Whittinghill Lunch Ladies by Clarissa Jacobson and JM Logan Girl Power by Ada Gorn Niles Canyon by Sallyanne Massimini Making it on Time by Sophia Banks LPM, Likes Per Minute by Alexandra Chando PRINCE OF SMOKE by Matthew Gelb Indigo Valley by Jaclyn Bethany Autopsy by Adam Long The Only People Who Have Ever Seen Rob’s Penis by Christian Cerezo Nano by Mike Manning The Last Birthday by Jaclyn Bethany Madaran by Rayka Zehtabchi Vagabonds by Magaajyia Silberfeld Cops: Gotham by Tyler Shields The Gnome by Jason Neese
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James Baldwin Documentary I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO Premieres on PBS’ Independent Lens on January 15
In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, to be called Remember This House. The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends — Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. But at the time of Baldwin’s death in 1987, he left behind only 30 completed pages of his manuscript.
Now, in his incendiary documentary, I Am Not Your Negro, master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin’s original words, spoken by Samuel L. Jackson, and a flood of rich archival material. I Am Not Your Negro is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. And, ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of these three leaders, Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for.
The box office hit and nominee for the Academy Award for Best Documentary, Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro premieres on Independent Lens on Monday, January 15, 2018, 10:00-11:30 PM ET on PBS.
“For a project like this one, a lot of patience, time and risks are involved,” said Peck. “And at the early stage it’s almost impossible to convince anyone about the film to come. And then after a lot of research, writing and editing, in that order, there comes a time when what you really, really need above all is: trust. In this case, it was ITVS and executive producer of Independent Lens Lois Vossen who came at the right time, with courage and conviction. This is rare today among funders.”
“Working with Raoul for four years on I Am Not Your Negro has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,” said Vossen. “Baldwin’s writing has been a touchstone in my own life and I couldn’t imagine a filmmaker more perfectly suited to make a film on Baldwin than Raoul. Funding this project was a no-brainer. His masterpiece captures Baldwin’s extraordinary clarion voice in a film that will continue to illuminate for generations.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNUYdgIyaPM
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GET OUT, FACES PLACES, BPM Win 2017 Online Film Critics Society Awards
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BPM (Beats Per Minute),[/caption]
The Online Film Critics Society announced its 2017 awards and named Get Out by Jordan Peele the Best Picture of 2017. Other top winners include Faces Places for Best Documentary and BPM (Beats Per Minute) for Best Foregin Language Film.
The Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) is a professional association for online film journalists, historians and scholars.
2017 Online Film Critics Society Awards
Best Picture Get Out Best Actor in a Motion Picture Gary Oldman, “The Darkest Hour” Best Actress in a Motion Picture Sally Hawkins, “The Shape Of Water” Best Director of a Motion Picture Christopher Nolan, “Dunkirk” Best Original Screenplay Jordan Peele, “Get Out” Best Adapted Screenplay James Ivory, “Call Me By Your Name” Best Documentary Faces Places Best Foregin Language Film BPM (Beats Per Minute) Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird” Best Animated Feature Coco Best Editing in a Motion Picture Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos, “Baby Driver” Best Cinematography in a Motion Picture Roger Deakins, “Blade Runner 2049” Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Breakout Star of the Year Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me By Your Name”
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VIDEO: Watch Trudie Styler’s FREAK SHOW Trailer Starring Bette Midler, Laverne Cox
Here is the trailer for Trudie Styler’s debut film Freak Show featuring an electric ensemble cast. The film opens January 12th, 2018 in New York City, and January 19th, 2018 in Los Angeles from IFC FILMS.
Freak Show stars Alex Lawther (Billy Bloom), Abigail Breslin (Lynette), AnnaSophia Robb (Blah Blah Blah), Ian Nelson (Flip), Celia Weston (Florence), Willa Fitzgerald (Tiffany), Laverne Cox (Felicia Watts), John McEnroe (Coach Carter), Charlotte Ubben (Sesame), Mickey Sumner (Dr. Veronica Vickers), Michael Park (Principal Onnigan), Daniel Bellomy (Bo-Bo), Christopher Dylan White (Bernard), Walden Bryan Hudson (Bib), Larry Pine (William), and Bette Midler (Muv).
Billy Bloom (Alex Lawther, The Imitation Game) is one-of-a-kind: a fabulous, glitter-bedecked, gender-bending teenager whose razor-sharp wit is matched only his by his outrageous, anything-goes fashion sense. When his glamorous mother (Bette Midler) is forced to send him to live with his straight-laced father (Larry Pine), Billy finds himself a diva-out-of-water at his new ultra-conservative high school. Undaunted by the bullies who don’t understand him, the fearless Billy sets out to make a big statement in his own inimitable way: challenging the school’s reigning mean girl (Abigail Breslin) for the title of homecoming queen. This proudly offbeat comedy is an irresistible ode to outsiders and nonconformists of all stripes. With Laverne Cox.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drg74wOy8z8
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International Ocean Film Festival Opens on International Women’s Day with KIM SWIMS
Question: what would you do if your doctor told you your leg would be amputated in half an hour? For Kim Chambers the answer was this: swim 30 miles through shark infested waters. With exquisite timing, on International Women’s Day – March 8, 2018 – the San Francisco based International Ocean Film Festival opens its 15th anniversary year with Kim Swims – the stirring documentary based on Chamber’s epic journey.
A special preview of the film will be shown on Saturday, February 10 during the Festival’s “Off the Reef” gala fundraiser at The Pearl (601 9th Street, San Francisco). The evening will feature food, fine wine and a silent auction: 5:30pm – 7pm cocktail reception; 7pm-9pm dinner and program; 9pm ’til 10:30pm music by DJ Bryce and remarks by this year’s “Ocean Champion” honoree, Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Louie Psihoyos. Individual tickets are $ 250 and can be purchased online.
“It would be hard to find a greater example of personal heroism matched with a love of the ocean than the story of Kim Chambers,” said Ana Blanco, Executive Director for the International Ocean Film Festival. “As told on the screen by Kate Webber and David Orr alongside Oscar-and-Emmy-winner Brad Herschberger, it is the perfect film to open our 15th anniversary season.”
Kim Swims is a documentary about the inspiring story of Chambers, once facing a radical amputation following a freak accident, and her attempt to become the first woman to complete a solo swim from the Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge – a 30-mile stretch of water known for frigid temperatures, swirling currents and the world’s largest Great White sharks. Many consider it to be the hardest marathon swim in the world, and rightfully so, as only four other men have completed the swim. Through the physically and emotionally challenging lead-up to the swim, the swim itself, and the candid interviews with her and others, we present a look into what propels Kim to conquer her fear, pursue her passion and achieve her greatest potential, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.
Since its launch in 2004, the San Francisco-based International Ocean Film Festival has attracted thousands of spectators of all ages from around the world, including film enthusiasts, sea athletes, educators, and environmental supporters. Since then, the Festival has presented over 50 films from 15 different countries and featured post-film Q&A sessions with visiting filmmakers, special panel discussions with content experts, and the 11th Annual Free Student Education Program. It was the first event of its kind in North America, inspired by the well-established ocean festival in Toulon, France, which has continued to draw large audiences for more than 40 years.
The full slate of films for the 15th Anniversary International Ocean Film Festival will be announced January 19.
The 15th Annual International Ocean Film Festival will take place March 8 to 11, 2018 at San Francisco’s Cowell Theatre at Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture.