• New Orleans Film Festival Debuts “Change Makers” Strand – Featuring Stories of Social Activism and Advocacy

    [caption id="attachment_24557" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Small Town Rage by Raydra Hall and David Hylan; Small Town Rage[/caption] The 2017 New Orleans Film Festival will debut a new strand, titled “Change Makers” that brings to the forefront stories of social activism and advocacy. From farm workers’ union activists in the 60s, to the front lines of AIDS activism in the 80s and recent protests against Confederate monuments, Change Makers will feature nine feature-length documentary films and ten documentary short films. Additional strands in the festival include the return of Caribbean Cinema in its third incarnation. This strand of five feature films and ten short films recognizes the historical and cultural ties between the Caribbean and New Orleans—oftentimes called the northernmost Caribbean city—and showcases the vibrant and varied landscapes and cultures of the Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora, featuring stories from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti. Longtime festival-goers will remember previous film strands OUTakes, which spotlighted LGBTQ content, and keeping{SCORE}, which focused on music-themed films. While these strands will not be formally part of this year’s festival, the content reflected in both strands will continue to be folded into the programming in important ways.

    Change-Makers Films

    ACORN and the Firestorm USA | 2017 | 84 mins DIR: Reuben Atlas & Sam Pollard; PRD: Reuben Atlas, Sam Pollard; DP: Natalie Kingston, Frank Larson, Spencer Chumbley, Naiti Gamez; ED: Francisco Bello, Paul Greenhouse Before it was associated with all things wrong with liberalism during the fateful 2008 election, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now wielded more power than just about any anti-poverty community rights group in American history. ACORN and the Firestorm chronicles the dramatic rise and ignominious fall of this agent of social change, as a video smear campaign from a proto-alt-right, Breitbart-backed activist takes down the group and its New Orleans-based founder Wade Rathke. Directors Reuben Atlas and NOFF alum Sam Pollard have created a work that feels like both a time capsule and a warning shot, a potent lesson in the power of media and a harrowing blueprint for our current era of alternative facts and fake news. -NS Small Town Rage USA | 2016 | 98 mins DIR: Raydra Hall & David Hylan; PRD: Raydra Hall, David Hylan; ED: Clint McCommon Narrated by Lance Bass, is an independent documentary examining the work and influence of ACT UP Shreveport in the conservative Deep South. During the early years of the AIDS pandemic, ACT UP Shreveport sought to change the way the government and the medical community handled the crisis through the same attention-grabbing protest tactics that were so successful in cities such as New York and San Francisco. As their individual stories will attest, their actions may not have made them popular, but their courage did lead to changes in the way local hospitals, government agencies, and even the public at large responded to the AIDS epidemic. The Organizer United States, Canada, Honduras, India, UK | 2017 | 101 mins DIR: Nick Taylor; PRD: Joey Carey; WRI: Nick Taylor; DP: Joey Carey; ED: Nick Taylor The Organizer charts the life, times, and philosophy of controversial community organizer Wade Rathke. As the founder and Chief Organizer of ACORN, the largest organization of low and moderate-income people in US history, Rathke grew the organization from a small group of welfare mothers in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1970 to a 500,000 member-strong political force some 30+ years later. With the sweep of an American epic, the film moves from the Vietnam War and Civil Rights movement up to the precarious present day for low-income communities. Sick to Death! USA, Belgium | 2016 | 86 mins DIR: Maggie Hadleigh-West; PRD: Elizabeth Dunnebacke, Catherine Reirson; WRI: Maggie Hadleigh-West; ED: Ilko Davidov, Kim Connell, David Bear One of the most commonly misdiagnosed afflictions for women in the US is thyroid disease. The thyroid has a hand in nearly every major function in the body, making symptoms difficult to pin down, as they are comprised of common issues such as fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, and depression. Through director Maggie Hadleigh-West’s own medical journey, Sick to Death investigates the political and medical reasons thyroid disease is so often looked over and the serious health complications that can occur when left untreated. Using personal video, interviews with medical professionals and women who grapple with thyroid problems every day, Maggie seeks answers that have the potential to better her own life and those of the women around her. -AL Tell Them We Are Rising USA | 2017 | 90 mins DIR: Stanley Nelson; PRD: Cyndee Readdean, Marco Williams, Stacey L. Holman; WRI: Marcia Smith; ED: Kim Miille A haven for Black intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries—and path of promise toward the American dream—Black colleges and universities have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field. They have been unapologetically Black for more than 150 years. For the first time ever, their story is told. Directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson, Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities examines the impact Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have had on American history, culture, and national identity. On Our Watch USA | 2017 | 59 mins DIR: Jonathan Evans; PRD: Bruno Steiner; WRI: Jonathan Evans, Caroline Taylor; DP: Ryan Martin; ED: Jonathan Evans This documentary presents the problem of coastal land loss in Southern Louisiana with honesty, directness, and urgency. The film features interviews with activists, professors, and community leaders who demonstrate how we got here and where we are going. The effects of sea rise and erosion in the wetlands touch down on numerous industries and influence the lives of residents throughout the Delta, including New Orleans. Solutions have been placed on the table, but they are underfunded, and civic engagement on a small scale appears to be the only route to sustainability on a larger one. But even that might be wishful thinking. Nothing Without Us USA | 2016 | 70 mins DIR: Harriet Hirshorn; PRD: Harriet Hirshorn; WRI: Hilary Brougher; DP: Nadia Hallgren; ED: Mary Patierno Since the early 90s, AIDS has largely been painted as affecting mainly white, gay males. Rich with stories, facts, and moments of hope, Nothing Without Us brings light to those who this narrative passes over. Viewers are brought to locations as close as New Orleans, LA and Oakland, CA and as far as Nigeria, Burundi, and Spain to meet the women who stand on the front lines in the fight for equal rights and medical protection against AIDS. These women have banded together in organizations to bring medication, counseling, and—perhaps most importantly—attention to the women of color that are most afflicted by the ongoing crisis. The fight may not be over, but Nothing Without Us is threaded with the hope an end is possible. Quest USA | 2017 | 105 mins DIR: Jonathan Olshefski; PRD: Sabrina Schmidt Gordon; DP: Jonathan Olshefski; ED: Lindsay Utz Christopher and Christine’a Rainey (known as Quest and Ma to their friends and visitors to their recording studio) are an ordinary couple straining under the weight of economic hardship and a violent corner of North Philadelphia. But in the hands of director Jonathan Olshefski, they take on near-mythic status, pulling and loving their family through devastating illness, wrenching violence and the tumultuous Obama years. Intimate but never invasive, Quest is an empathetic look at coming of age, black love, poverty, race and family that takes its place among verité greats of any era. Richly illuminating a decade in the life of an extraordinary family, Quest emerges as a song of determined resilience in a time of deep uncertainty. Dolores USA | 2017 | 95 mins DIR: Peter Bratt; PRD: Brian Benson; WRI: Peter Bratt, Jessica Congdon; DP: Jesse Dana; ED: Jessica Congdon Dolores Huerta is among the most important, yet least known, activists in American history. An equal partner in co-founding the first farm workers unions with Cesar Chavez, her enormous contributions have gone largely unrecognized. Dolores tirelessly led the fight for racial and labor justice alongside Chavez, becoming one of the most defiant feminists of the twentieth century—and she continues the fight to this day, at 87. With intimate and unprecedented access to this intensely private mother to eleven, the film reveals the raw, personal stakes involved in committing one’s life to social change. Our 100 Days Created through a collaboration between Firelight Media and Field of Vision, this collection of seven documentary short films explores threats to U.S. democracy and the stories of its most vulnerable communities in the current highly polarized political climate, all made by filmmakers of color. The Magnifying Glass Funded through a grant from Artless Media, these three documentary short films from Louisiana-based filmmakers look at social injustices within the communities that the filmmakers are part of, with a focus on racial justice. More than Monuments This program of three short documentary films focuses on the removal of Confederate monuments in New Orleans. Films include: Divided City – World Premiere dir. Andrea B. Scott and Katie Mitchell | 2017 | 30 mins New Orleanians see history differently in this short documentary that examines the gap between those who see their city’s legacy of white supremacy and those who choose to ignore it. Interviews with members of the Monumental Task Committee and the Sons of Confederate Silent Parade or the Soul Rebels Vs. Robert E. Lee – North American Premiere dir. William Cordova | 2017 | 10 mins The Soul Rebels, one of New Orleans’ most revered brass bands, confronts the legacy of slavery in a powerful rooftop performance across from Robert E. Lee’s statue in this moving short film. Goodbye Old Glory – World Premiere dir. Jordan Haro | 2017 | 17 mins Mid-City’s statue of Jefferson Davis, former president of the Confederacy, serves as the battleground for the argument over the removal of the Confederate monuments. During the course of one night, those who seek to defend their ancestors’ effigies stand, scream, and salute with flags and rifles. Meeting them with emotional response, protesters denounce them as outsiders and racists whose perspective is outmoded. In this contentious stand-off, Louisianans camp out with hot trays of food and lawn chairs, and while they argue over history, passions intensify and violence looms large.

    Caribbean Films

    Samba’ Dominican Republic | 2017 | 90 mins DIR: Laura Amelia Guzman, Israel Cardenas; PRD: Ettore D’Alessandro, Carolina Encarnación; WIR: Ettore D’Alessandro; DP: Andrei Bowden Schwartz; ED: Andrea Kleinman After doing time in a United States prison, Cisco returns home to the Dominican Republic to find his alcoholic mother is in delicate health conditions. The only way for him to get some money is to fight on the streets. When Nichi, a former Italian boxing promise, sees Cisco during a fight, he decides he is a diamond in the rough to be polished to get out of the debt caused by Nichi’s gambling addiction. During the training process he discovers there is atonement for both of them in the game. They have to make it to the final match and make the dream inside the ring come true. Serenade for Haiti USA | 2016 | 110 mins DIR: Owsley Brown; PRD: Christy McGill; DP: Marcel Cabrera; ED: Gina Leibrecht For his third feature, director Owsley Brown spins a gorgeous and soulful symphony of a city, Port-au-Prince, sprung to life through the performances and words of the students and teachers at Sainte Trinité Music School. Beginning three years before the devastating earthquake of January 2010 that left 300,000 dead and 1.5 million homeless, music’s saving grace takes on new meaning in the aftermath of the horror that leaves the school in ruins. Serenade for Haiti never wallows in sorrow, though: it’s a visual feast and celebration of a musical and cultural heritage whose fingerprints can be found all over New Orleans. -NS Play the Devil Trinidad & Tobago, The Bahamas, USA | 2016 | 89 mins DIR: Maria Govan; PRD: Maria Govan, Abigail Hadeed, Jonathon Grey, Chris Mortimer; WIR: Maria Govan; DP: James Wall; ED: Thomas A. Kreuger Dancing deftly between the confusion and possibilities of youth, Play the Devil offers a story of Gregory, a teenager on the cusp of graduation in the town of Paramin, Trinidad. He is torn between meeting the expectations of his family by studying medicine abroad and his passion to study the world’s beauty through photography. Amid this choice and the return of his father—a recovering addict—his artistic spirit catches the attention of an affluent businessman who attempts to foster Greg’s talent until the relationship goes too far. Tender moments intertwine with the lush cliff sides and vistas of Trinidad and Tobago, toppling one into the next until a choice with dire consequences is made during the year’s Carnival festivities. Coming and Going Haiti and USA | 34 mins | DIR: Annie Huntington & Clay Thomas A young translator from a small Haitian city considers his future.  Should he stay in the community where he grew up, or join the exodus abroad in search of other opportunities? Adolescencia Puerto Rico and USA | 10 mins | DIR: José Fernando Rodriguez Comprised of Hi8 videos, Adolescencia presents a portrait of a teenage boy in 2002 Puerto Rico who films odd and unusual movie vignettes by himself – and tries to get a girl’s attention in the process. Days of Wholesome Joy Cuba | 18 mins | DIR: Claudia Muñiz Zayda has taken care of her grandma afflicted with dementia for a long time, but on the eve of her birthday Zayda tries to get back her previous life. Cuban Shorts Parade DIR: Kira Akerman Jazz students from New Orleans travel to Cuba on a cultural exchange and collaborate on a parade, celebrating open borders. Connection (Conectifai) DIR: Horizoe Garcia A portrait of a park in Havana where, thanks to public Wi-Fi, a new kind of meeting place has arisen. Charlie DIR: Kadri Koop Four decades after hijacking a plane to Cuba to avoid charges of killing a state trooper, a former black power militant reflects on his past in a letter to his nine-year-old Cuban son. Manuel DIR: Gabriela Cavanagh By the train tracks in Havana, Cuba, 87-year-old Manuel brews an aphrodisiac juice called pru. Forever, Comandante (Hasta Siempre, Comandante) DIR: Faisal Attrache Living in the shadow of the revolutionary generation’s unrelenting Cuban ideals, Ernesto, a 14 year old barber, wants to get a tattoo despite his father’s adamant objection to it. Fighting Cuba’s Boxing Ban DIR: Ora DeKornfeld In Cuba, where women are banned from competitive boxing, a thirteen-year-old girl steps into the ring. Prince of Smoke DIR: Matthew Gelb Cuban tobacco farmer and artisanal cigar maker, Hirochi Robaina, follows in his legendary grandfather’s footsteps as he fights to preserve a 171-year old family legacy.

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  • FROST is Lithuania’s Entry for 2018 Oscar Race for Best Foreign Film | TRAILER

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    Frost (Šerkšnas) Frost (Šerkšnas) directed by Sarunas Bartas has been selected as Lithuania’s submission for best foreign-language film at the upcoming 2018 Oscars. The film that premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section at Cannes in 2017, stars young Lithuanian newcomers Mantas Jančiauskas and Lyja Maknavičiūtė. The cast also includes the French star Vanessa Paradis and the famous Polish actor Andrzej Chyra. Filmed during a complicated expedition to the front lines of the Ukraine, Frost tells the story of Inga and Rokas carrying aid from Vilnius to the Ukraine. At the line of engagement in Donetsk, the young couple, raised in the independent Lithuania without the experience of war, quickly realizes the feelings of people in the face of hatred, aggression, violence and ruin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93acrZ2dnqY

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  • SONG OF GRANITE is Ireland’s Entry for 2018 Oscar Race for Best Foreign Film | TRAILER

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    SONG OF GRANITE Song of Granite has been selected by Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) as Ireland’s submission for the Foreign Language category at the 90th Academy Awards.  There were three titles eligible this year, Song of Granite, Rocky Ros Muc and Aithrí (Penance). Directed by Pat Collins (Silence), ‘Song of Granite’ premiered to critical acclaim at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival earlier this year. Acclaimed filmmaker Pat Collins brings the dramatic life story of legendary seannós singer Joe Heaney to the screen, an audacious exploration of the man and his music. With an approach that marries traditional narrative episodes with documentary footage, the film celebrates the music Joe Heaney created while painting an unflinching portrait of Heaney, the man. Enigmatic and complex, Joe Heaney was one of the greats of traditional Irish singing. Shaped by the myths, fables and songs of his upbringing in the west of Ireland, his emergence as a gifted artist came at a personal cost. Featuring performances from Lisa O’Neill, Damien Dempsey, Seamus Begley and sean nós singers Micheál O’Confhaola and Pól Ó Ceannabháin, the film is an intense exploration of music and song. Áine Moriarty – IFTA CEO said: “The Irish Academy is delighted that this hauntingly beautiful and lyrical film from Pat Collins will represent Ireland in the Oscar Foreign Language contest – with Richard Kendrick’s masterful cinematography, Ireland’s picturesque landscape and unique culture of song and story takes centre stage, as the story of legendary singer Joe Heaney is skilfully brought to life – a story that will resonate with many immigrants worldwide from diverse cultural backgrounds.” Pat Collins – Director and co-writer of ‘Song of Granite’ said: “Joe Heaney, the subject of this film, was a great teacher and advocate for the Irish traditional singing and taught singing to students all over America. He remains one of the great traditional singers. I think he would have liked the notion of a film with sean nós singing at its core representing Ireland in an international competition like the Oscars.” Alan Maher and Jessie Fisk of Marcie Films “We are so proud that Song of Granite has been selected as the Irish entry for the Foreign Language Oscar. The film’s journey to date has been a real labour of love and it makes us all so happy to receive this very special recognition”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBbfPpWPuoE

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  • BLACK LIVES MATTER Documentary Tackles South African Miners Working Conditions | Trailer

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    Black Lives Matter Joseph Oesi Black Lives Matter is a documentary on the tens-of-thousands of miners working and living in abysmal conditions across South Africa.  The film has been selected to screen at the Montreal International Black Film Festival, and has been nominated in the Best Documentary Feature Category. The film that screened last year at the Durban International Film Festival puts the Canadian based mining firm Ivanhoe in the spotlight, taking the Marikana Massacre as its starting point, but digging deep into the history of the mining sector as well as the political backstory that led up to the tragedy. Director Joseph Oesi, a South African filmmaker and TV journalist, was moved to produce the film after witnessing the devastating events of August 16th 2012 play out on TV screens across South Africa and the world. He explains his motivation for making the film, “South Africa has certainly set a course, fueled by a betrayal to the original course set by the original struggle heroes and to the Freedom Charter. Mining, at the heart of the country’s economy, has underpinned the course in the interest of big business. In essence the struggles, sufferings from Colonialism and Apartheid still persist in modern day South Africa to the disappointment of the vast majority.” Black Lives Matter, powerfully demonstrates that even since this defining moment, nothing has changed for most miners, and mining communities across South Africa. Oesi explains the message of the film further, ““Black Lives Matter explores how the mineral wealth, rightfully belonging to the people of South Africa, has been sold to capitalist interests for the enrichment of a few elite and at the expense of the country. It also shows how traditional communities have been divided by this process. The corruption at all levels of society impacts not only on the moral fabric of our society, but also on the working class poor.” In South Africa, 22 years ago, the African National Congress came to power. This, many believed, would signify an end to racism and oppression, and our people would prosper. But today inequality and economic disempowerment are still rife. The corruption and power grabbing at all levels of society impacts not only on the moral fabric of our society but, more importantly, on the working class poor. The massacre of 34 striking mineworkers at a mine called Marikana brought these issues into sharp focus. Now, in an area called Mokopane in South Africa’s Limpopo province, tensions between the community and the mining companies, and communities and their traditional leaders, seem set to explode, with equally dire consequences. Black Lives Matter explores how the mineral wealth, rightfully belonging to the people of South Africa, has been sold to capitalist interests for the enrichment of a few elite and at the expense of the country – and how traditional communities have been divided in this process. This film takes us on a journey through three rural communities – the Mogales, the Kekanas, and the Mapelas. What they have in common is that the richest platinum bearing reef in the world runs underneath their land – and that international mining companies have made dubious deals with traditional leaders whose very legitimacy is questioned by the communities they supposedly serve. https://vimeo.com/168244259

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  • Zurich Film Festival Spotlights Home Grown Swiss Films in Special Screenings’ Lineup

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    [caption id="attachment_24540" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]DANIEL HOPE – DER KLANG DES LEBENS DANIEL HOPE – DER KLANG DES LEBENS[/caption] The Zurich Film Festival will spotlight homegrown Swiss films, three documentary films and two feature films in its Special Screenings’ section. The Special Screenings’ section also includes a line-up of eight short films put together by the Swiss Cancer League (Krebsliga). The 39-year-old, Hamburg-born filmmaker Nahuel Lopez accompanies the British violinist Daniel Hope, who was appointed Music Director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra last year, on a cinematic journey through his musical career. DANIEL HOPE – DER KLANG DES LEBENS is the portrait of an extraordinarily talented violinist whose career is as closely linked to Yehudi Menuhin as Yehudi is to Switzerland. She was a muse, model and performer, a dazzling star that shone bright and intensely: Lady Shiva went from street prostitute to muse of such artists as Ursula Rodel, Lou Reed and David Bowie. She lived life in the fast lane and died tragically young. Zurich-born filmmaker Gabriel Baur’s documentary GLOW goes in search of an irrepressible woman with, ultimately, a self-destructive desire for freedom.   Mikhail Gorbachev, former General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of the Soviet Union, is the father of the political reform movements Glasnost and Perestroika. His brave politics earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. US filmmaker Leila Conners’ Swiss co-production THE ARROW OF TIME is the portrait of a Russian politician, who still continues in his tireless quest for global peace. Born in Zurich in 1936, Rolf Lyssy is regarded as the ‘old master’ of Swiss filmmaking. His film DIE SCHWEIZERMACHER, which he made in 1978, remains at the top of Switzerland’s list of greatest box-office successes in the last 50 years. His most recent comedy DIE LETZTE POINTE highlights the less light-hearted subject of assisted suicide. Monica Gubser excels in her role as a life-weary pensioner. 37-year-old, Berne-born Juri Steinhart’s LASST DIE ALTEN STERBEN also falls into the tragicomedy category. His most recent film is the portrait of a present-day generation’s malaise brought on by living in a cotton-candy world – what is there to rebel against when everything is accepted and permitted? Lead actor Max Hubacher plays the wannabe young revolutionary. The Swiss Cancer League (Krebsliga) presents eight short films about cancer. Filmmakers from around the word highlight in five short fiction films, two animation films and a short documentary film what it means to live with cancer. The project was initiated and supported by the Swiss Cancer League. Each director has tackled a different aspect of the illness. Topics raised include dealing with extreme experiences, saying goodbye and the fears a cancer diagnosis can trigger, for example the fear of no longer being able to cope with everyday life or the fear of losing ones own parents. The films also demonstrate how cancer affects a person’s whole social setting. The aim of the Swiss Cancer League’s film programme is to encourage greater understanding and increase public awareness of the plight faced by cancer sufferers and their loved ones. The Swiss Cancer League informs, accompanies and supports people during and after the diagnosis of cancer, and is committed to making sure their concerns are heard both socially and politically. Flavio undergoes a mammography out of solidarity for his wife – with surprising results for both. A Turkish girl loses her grip when her mother is sent home from hospital, (apparently) showing no sign of having healed. Regina’s reoccurring dream sees her battle a mysterious beast – she finally manages to escape its clutches. A young woman refuses to accept that her partner is ill and finds comfort in daydreaming. SIE offers an unembellished peek at the experiences of two men whose partners both suffer from cancer. Béa sees the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly as the symbol of her imminent death. An unusual friendship develops when a stubborn old man and a nervous young girl are forced to share a hospital room. And a mother, who lies dying, gradually says goodbye to her loved one.

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  • PURGE THIS LAND, Docu on Racism in America, Wins London’s Open City Documentary Festival

    [caption id="attachment_24536" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Purge This Land Purge This Land[/caption] Lee Anne Schmitt’s Purge This Land documentary on racism in America is the winner of the Grand Jury Award at London’s Open City Documentary Festival. The film which received its UK Premiere at the Festival, retells the history of racism and slavery in modern America through the prism of John Brown – a white, militant abolitionist – who was sentenced to death in 1859 for a failed attempt to start an armed revolution. The Grand Jury said: “This film is brave in tackling a subject so relevant and poignant. Lee Ann Schmitt is self-aware of her perspective and shows total control in her authorship. Hypnotic narration interlaced with carefully composed shots, archival footage and imagery asks the viewer to address the subject in a new way. The documentary projects the infinite complexities of the subject to the landscape, and so introduces the notion of the landscape itself being guilty. Schmitt centers the narrative around a white abolitionist and her own whiteness in relation to her family, which reveals the dark side of American history as inescapable, and as in need of confrontation as ever.” Lee Anne Schmitt said: “I am thrilled. I would like to thank the Open City jury for this incredible honor. Having worked on the film for 6 years I’m keen to talk about it and share it with the world. As the film begins its journey this is a huge affirmation.” Special Mention went to the film From a Year of Non-Events, by Ann Carolin Renninger & René Frölke The Grand Jury said: “This is a charming film that surprised us with its playful editing. It offers a cinematically sensory experience.” Open City’s Emerging International Filmmaker Award went to Ziad Kalthoum’s Taste Of Cement. An inventively cinematic portrait of exiled Syrian workers trapped in a skyscraper that they are building in Beirut and unable to shake off memories of the shelling of their own homes. The film also received its UK Premiere at the Festival. The Emerging International Filmmaker Jury said: “An ambitious and powerful film with a formalism and distinct cinematic approach which captures the lives of Syrian workers in exile. Offering a meditation on construction and destruction set in modern day Lebanon. Yet presenting a timeless narrative of labour and of longing that resonates the world over. The film underlines the talent and promise of Ziad Kalthoum on the international documentary stage and we hope marks a new era in cinematic storytelling from the Middle East.” Ziad Kalthoum said: “When a war breaks out, it means that language and logic among humans have failed, but what I found is that I can create a new language that speaks to people through cinema during wartime. Thank you to the Open City Documentary Festival to give me this valuable opportunity to present the film Taste of Cement here in London, and special thanks to the jury and festival director Mr. Michael Stewart.” Special Mention went to Memory Exercises by Paz Encina. The Grand Jury said: “A film which connects audiences with the forgotten story of the Paraguayan dictatorship through a multi layered and visceral cinematic language. Merging an intimate, personal story with the history of a region that is still confronting haunting memories from the recent past.” The Best UK Short Award went to Alexithymia by Duncan Cowles.  The Best UK Short Award Jury said: “An engaging and complex non-fiction short film. Well-crafted and edited with a creative approach to the documentary form. The jury is looking forward to watching this filmmaker’s career progress, and consider them an exciting new UK talent to watch.” Duncan Cowles said: “I’m absolutely delighted that the film has been honored in this way. I made the film for absolutely zero money, and everyone who worked on it did so for free, so for it to be as well received as this feels great. Thanks very much to Open City for playing the film, nominating it and to the judges for awarding it.” London’s Open City Documentary Festival hosted 36 UK Premieres and took place over 6 days, from September 5 to 10, 2017, with screenings and events spanning 13 London venues.

    2017 London’s Open City Documentary Festival Award Winners

    GRAND JURY AWARD Winner: Purge This Land, by Lee Anne Schmitt Special Mention: From a Year of Non-Events, by Ann Carolin Renninger & René Frölke EMERGING INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER AWARD Winner: Taste of Cement by Ziad Kalthoum Special Mention: Memory Exercises by Paz Encina BEST UK SHORT AWARD – Supported by the British Council Winner: Alexithymia by Duncan Cowles  

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  • Guillermo del Toro’s THE SHAPE OF WATER Wins Golden Lion at Venice International Film Festival

    Guillermo del Toro 2017-venice international film festival awards Guillermo del Toro fairy tale drama The Shape of Water, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962 won the Golden Lion for Best Film at the 2017 Venice International Film Festival.  The film, starring Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer, also won the Future Film Festival Digital Award, C. Smithers Foundation Award – CICT-UNESCO, and the Soundtrack Stars Award. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFYWazblaUA The Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize went to Foxtrot by Samuel Maoz, and the Silver Lion – Award for Best Director went to Xavier Legrand  for his film Custody (Jusqu’à la Garde).  Custody also won the award for  Lion of The Future “Luigi de Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film.

    2017 Venice International Film Festival Awards

    VENEZIA 74

    GOLDEN LION for Best Film to: THE SHAPE OF WATER by Guillermo del Toro (USA) SILVER LION – GRAND JURY PRIZE to: FOXTROT  by Samuel Maoz (Israel, Germany, France, Switzerland) SILVER LION – AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to: Xavier Legrand  for the film JUSQU’À LA GARDE (France) COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress: Charlotte Rampling in the film HANNAH by Andrea Pallaoro (Italy, Belgium, France) COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor: Kamel El Basha in the film THE INSULT by Ziad Doueiri (Lebanon, France) AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to: Martin McDonagh for the film THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI by Martin McDonagh (Great Britain) SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to: SWEET COUNTRY by Warwick Thornton (Australia) MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best Young Actor or Actress to: Charlie Plummer in the film LEAN ON PETE by Andrew Haigh (Great Britain)

    ORIZZONTI

    ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST FILM to: NICO, 1988 by Susanna Nicchiarelli (Italy, Belgium) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to: Vahid Jalilvand for BEDOUNE TARIKH, BEDOUNE EMZA (NO DATE, NO SIGNATURE) (Iran) SPECIAL ORIZZONTI JURY PRIZE to: CANIBA by Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor (France, USA) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS to: Lyna Khoudri in LES BIENHEUREUX by Sofia Djama (France, Belgium, Qatar) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR to: Navid Mohammadzadeh in BEDOUNE TARIKH, BEDOUNE EMZA (NO DATE, NO SIGNATURE) by Vahid Jalilvand (Iran) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to: Alireza Khatami for LOS VERSOS DEL OLVIDO by Alireza Khatami (France, Germany, Netherlands, Chile) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to: GROS CHAGRIN by Céline Devaux (France) VENICE SHORT FILM NOMINATION FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2017 to: GROS CHAGRIN by Céline Devaux (France)

    VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM

    LION OF THE FUTURE “LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to: JUSQU’À LA GARDE by Xavier Legrand (France) VENEZIA 74

    VENICE CLASSICS

    VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY ON CINEMA to: THE PRINCE AND THE DYBBUK by Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosołowski (Poland, Germany) VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST RESTORED FILM to: IDI I SMOTRI (COME AND SEE) by Elem Klimov (USSR, 1985)

    VENICE VIRTUAL REALITY

    BEST VR AWARD to: ARDEN’S WAKE (EXPANDED) by Eugene YK Chung (USA) BEST VR EXPERIENCE AWARD (FOR INTERACTIVE CONTENT) to: LA CAMERA INSABBIATA by Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang (USA, Taiwan) BEST VR STORY AWARD (FOR LINEAR CONTENT) to: BLOODLESS by Gina Kim (South Korea, USA)

    COLLATERAL AWARDS

    Arca CinemaGiovani Award Venezia 74 Best Film: FOXTROT by Samuel Maoz Best Italian Film: BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Giorgio Ferrero BNL People’s Choice Award – Giornate degli Autori GA’AGUA (LONGING) by Savi Gabizon Brian Award LES BIENHEUREUX by Sofia Djama Circolo del Cinema di Verona Award – 32nd Venice International Film Critics’ Week TEAM HURRICANE by Annika Berg Civitas Vitae Award IL COLORE NASCOSTO DELLE COSE by Silvio Soldini Fair Play Cinema Award EX LIBRIS – THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY by Frederick Wiseman Special Mention: HUMAN FLOW by Ai Weiwei Fedeora Award (Federazione dei Critici Europei e dei Paesi Mediterranei) Best Film: EYE ON JULIET by Kim Nguyen Best Director of a Debut Film: SARA FORESTIER for M Best Actor: REDOUANNE HARJANE for M FEDIC Award LA VITA IN COMUNE by Edoardo Winspeare Special Mention: NICO, 1988 by Susanna Nicchiarelli Mention FEDIC – Il giornale del cibo: LE VISITE by Elio Di Pace FIPRESCI Award EX LIBRIS – THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY by Frederick Wiseman Best Debut Film: LOS VERSOS DEL OLVIDO by Alireza Khatami Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Award GEORGE CLOONEY, MICHAEL CAINE and AI WEIWEI Enrico Fulchignoni – CICT-UNESCO Award HUMAN FLOW by Ai Weiwei Future Film Festival Digital Award THE SHAPE OF WATER by Guillermo del Toro Special Mention: GATTA CENERENTOLA by A. Rak, I. Cappiello, M. Guarnieri, D. Sansone GdA Director’s Award – Giornate degli Autori CANDELARIA by Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza Green Drop Award  FIRST REFORMED by Paul Schrader HRNs Award – Special Prize for Human Rights THE RAPE OF RACY TAYLOR by Nancy Buirski Special Mention: L’ORDINE DELLE COSE by Andrea Segre Special Mention: HUMAN FLOW by Ai Weiwei Interfilm Award LOS VERSOS DEL OLVIDO by Alireza Khatami Label Europa Cinemas Award M by Sara Forestier Lanterna Magica Award (CGS) L’EQUILIBRIO by Vincenzo Marra La Pellicola d’Oro Award Best Production Manager in an Italian Film: DANIELE SPINOZZI for Ammore e Malavita Best Production Manager in an International Film: RICCARDO MARCHEGIANI for Mektoub My Love: Canto Uno Best Stagehand: ROBERTO DI PIETRO for Hannah Leoncino d’Oro Agiscuola Award THE LEISURE SEEKER by Paolo Virzì Cinema for UNICEF Award: HUMAN FLOW by Ai Weiwei Lizzani Award GÉRÔME BOURDEZEAU and DOMINIQUE BATTESTI IL COLORE NASCOSTO DELLE COSE by Silvio Soldini Lina Mangiacapre Award LES BIENHEUREUX by Sofia Djama Mouse d’Oro Award MEKTOUB, MY LOVE: CANTO UNO by Abdellatif Kechiche Mouse d’Argento Award: GATTA CENERENTOLA by A. Rak, I. Cappiello, M. Guarnieri, D. Sansone NuovoImaie Talent Award FEDERICA ROSELLINI for Dove cadono le ombre MIMMO BORRELLI for L’equilibrio Open Award GATTA CENERENTOLA by A. Rak, I. Cappiello, M. Guarnieri, D. Sansone Francesco Pasinetti Award – SNGCI AMMORE E MALAVITA by Manetti Bros. Special Award: GATTA CENERENTOLA by A. Rak, I. Cappiello, M. Guarnieri, D. Sansone Special Award: NICO, 1988 by Susanna Nicchiarelli Gillo Pontecorvo Award – Arcobaleno Latino MIAO XIAOTIAN, CEO of China Film Coproduction Corporation Queer Lion Award MARVIN by Anne Fontaine Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia Award for the Best Technical Contribution – 32nd Venice International Film Critics’ Week LES GARÇONS SAUVAGES by Bertrand Mandico Sfera 1932 Award LA MÉLODIE by Rachid Hami SIAE Audience Award – 32nd Venice International Film Critics’ Week TEMPORADA DE CAZA by Natalia Garagiola SIGNIS Award LA VILLA by Robert Guédiguian Special Mention: FOXTROT by Samuel Maoz C. Smithers Foundation Award – CICT-UNESCO THE SHAPE OF WATER by Guillermo del Toro Sorriso Diverso Venezia 2017 Award – Ass Ucl IL COLORE NASCOSTO DELLE COSE by Silvio Soldini Soundtrack Stars Award ALEXANDRE DESPLAT for The Shape of Water Special Award: AMMORE E MALAVITA by Manetti Bros. Lifetime Achievement Award to ANDREA GUERRA UNIMED Award LA VILLA by Robert Guédiguian Special Mention: BRUTTI E CATTIVI by Cosimo Gomez image via Twitter

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  • HUNTING SEASON, TEAM HURRICANE Win Top Awards at Venice International Film Critics’ Week

    TEAM HURRICANE by Annika Berg Hunting Season (Temporada de Caza) directed by Natalia Garagiola won the SIAE Audience Award, the top prize at the 32nd Venice International Film Critics’ Week.The film tells the story of a respected hunting guide in Patagonia faced with the education of his biological son recently expelled from school. Team Hurricane by Annika Berg about eight teenage girls and their summer at a youth club, was awarded the Verona Film Club Award, and The Wild Boys (Les Garçons Sauvages) by Bertrand Mandico won the Award for the Best Technical Contribution. The Venice International Film Critics’ Week (SIC) is the independent and parallel section organized by the National Union of Italian Film Critics (SNCCI) during the 74th Venice International Film Festival which ran August 30th to  September 9th, 2017. SIAE Audience Award HUNTING SEASON (TEMPORADA DE CAZA) by Natalia Garagiola (Argentina, USA, Germany, France, Qatar) Award realized thanks to the support of SIAE – Italian Society of Authors and Publishers and consisting of a € 5,000 prize. Verona Film Club Award TEAM HURRICANE by Annika Berg (Denmark) Bestowed by a jury composed of the members of the Verona Film Club and awarded to the most innovative film in the section. Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia Award for the Best Technical Contribution THE WILD BOYS (LES GARÇONS SAUVAGES) by Bertrand Mandico (France) The General Delegate Giona A. Nazzaro commented: “An edition marked by women. An edition that celebrated the many diverse forms of talent and of new cinema. An edition embraced with great esteem and affection by the audience. An edition that revealed seven new filmmakers that will be talked about for years to come. This is the work and the mission of the Venice International Film Critics’ Week”.  

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  • SUMMER 1993 is Spain’s Entry for 2018 Oscar Race for Best Foreign Film | TRAILER

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    SUMMER 1993 Summer 1993 (Estiu 1993), the debut feature film of director Carla Simon, has been selected by the Spanish film academy to represent Spain in the best foreign-language film category at the 90th Academy Awards. The story is inspired by the director Carla Simon’s own experiences as a child. Summer 1993 premiered at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival where it won Best First Feature Award. In the summer 1993, following the death of her parents, six years old Frida moves from Barcelona to the Catalan province to live with her aunt and uncle, who are now her new legal guardians. The country life is a challenge for Frida – time passes differently in her new home and the nature that surrounds her is mysterious and estranging. She now has a little sister for whom she has to take care of and has to deal with new feelings, such as jealousy. Often, Frida is naively convinced that running away would be the best solution to her problems. Yet, the family does what it can to achieve a fragile new balance and bring normality to their life. Occasional family outings to a local fiesta or a swimming pool, cooking or listening to jazz in the garden bring them moments of happiness. Slowly, Frida realizes that she is there to stay and has to adapt to the new environment. Before the season is over, she has to cope with her emotions and her parents have to learn to love her as their own daughter.

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  • Rafi Pitts’ Immigration Drama SOY NERO Opens in Theaters on September 29 | Trailer

    Soy Nero Director Rafi Pitts makes his English-language debut with Soy Nero, a timely drama about U.S. immigration policy and war in the Middle East. The film will open in theaters on September 29. Soy Nero features a cast of rising stars including Johnny Ortiz (McFarland, USA, American Crime), Darrell Britt-Gibson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, 20th Century Women) and Aml Ameen (The Maze Running, star of Idris Elba’s upcoming directorial debut Yardie) along with veteran actors Rory Cochrane (Hostiles, Argo) and Michael Harney (Orange is the New Black). After several failed attempts to cross the border without papers, Mexican teenager Nero (Ortiz) finally succeeds in making it back to Los Angeles. He begins to realize the difficulty of leading a regular life as an illegal immigrant so he decides to enlist in the US Army as a “Green Card Soldier”, a short cut to citizenship. Now halfway around the world, Nero guards an Iraqi border for the US Army keeping out those who pose a threat to American interests abroad. Soy Nero is the first film to take on the story of foreign-born soldiers in the Unite States. The US has provided a path to citizenship through the military since the Vietnam War. The program works, however, some 3,000 foreign-born soldiers have been deported. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB0lgADrBb8

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  • Watch Benedict Cumberbatch in Electrifying First Trailer for THE CURRENT WAR

    THE CURRENT WAR The Weinstein Company has released the first trailer for The Current War, in which Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) risk everything in a pitched battle to decide who will light America and usher in the new century. The film directed by Alfonso Gomez‐Rejon will open in theaters on November 24, 2017. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison and Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse, The Current War is the epic story of the cutthroat competition between the greatest inventors of the industrial age over whose electrical system would power the new century. Backed by J.P. Morgan, Edison dazzles the world by lighting Manhattan. But Westinghouse, aided by Nikola Tesla, has seen fatal flaws in Edison’s direct current design. Igniting a war of currents, Westinghouse and Tesla bet everything on risky and dangerous alternating current. Directed by Alfonso Gomez‐Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) and written by playwright Michael Mitnick (Sex Lives of our Parents), The Current War also stars Katherine Waterston, Nicholas Hoult, Tom Holland, Matthew Macfadyen, and Tuppence Middleton.

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  • Aaron Sorkin to Receive Career Achievement Award + Premiere MOLLY’S GAME at Zurich Film Festival

    Aaron Sorkin Aaron Sorkin will receive the Festival’s Career Achievement Award at this year’s Zurich Film Festival (ZFF), which takes place from September 28 to October 8, 2017. The Academy-Award® winning screenwriter and renowned playwright will receive the Award for his life’s work on October 4 at the Corso Cinema. The presentation will be followed by a Gala Premiere screening of his latest film and directorial debut Molly’s Game, which will have it’s European premiere at the ZFF. Molly’s Game stars Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba and Kevin Costner. Molly’s Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe. Said the Festival’s Co-Directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri: “Aaron Sorkin is not only regarded as one of US cinema’s greatest screenwriters, he is also widely acknowledged as the writer of several legendary plays and as the celebrated creator of The West Wing, one of the most acclaimed TV series ever made, which began in 1999 and sees Martin Sheen play the US President. We are immensely proud to welcome Aaron Sorkin to Zurich, screen his directorial debut Molly’s Game and present him with this year’s ZFF Career Achievement Award.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu4UPet8Nyc

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