• WHITE SUN is Nepal’s Entry for 2018 Oscar Race for Best Foreign Film | TRAILER

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    White Sun (Seto Surya) The award-winning film White Sun (Seto Surya), directed by Deepak Rauniyar has been selected by Nepal as the country’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 90th Academy Awards. In the film a former Maoist rebel struggles to reintegrate with his unwelcoming community and move beyond a painful past. When his father dies, anti-regime partisan Chandra must travel to his remote mountain village after nearly a decade away. Little Pooja is anxiously awaiting the man she thinks is her father, but she’s confused when Chandra arrives with Badri, a young street orphan rumored to be his son. Chandra must face his brother Suraj, who was on the opposing side during the Nepali civil war. The two brothers cannot put aside political feelings while carrying their father’s body down the steep mountain path to the river for cremation. Suraj storms off in a rage, leaving Chandra with no other men strong enough to help. Under pressure from the village elders, Chandra must seek help from outside the village to obey the rigid caste and discriminatory gender traditions he fought to eliminate during the war. Chandra searches for a solution in neighboring villages, among the police, guests at a local wedding, and rebel guerrillas… White Sun, executive produced by Danny Glover, had it’s world premiere at the 2016 Venice Film Festival, where it won the INTERFILM Award, and went on to win numerous awards at other film festivals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMiGofqtfFg

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  • Restorations of Andrei Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice, and More Among 2017 New York Film Festival Revivals Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_23957" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Andrei Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice Andrei Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice[/caption] New restorations of Andrei Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice, Jean Vigo’s L’Atalante, Kenji Mizoguchi’s Sansho the Bailiff and A Story from Chikamatsu, Humberto Solás’s Lucía, are among the 2017 New York Film Festival Revivals lineup.The Revivals section showcases important works from renowned filmmakers that have been digitally remastered, restored, and preserved with the assistance of generous partners. Two venerated filmmakers from the festival’s 2017 Main Slate lineup also have works featured in this year’s Revivals section. Agnès Varda, who is returning to the festival alongside co-director JR with their new film Faces Places, will present her 1977 feminist musical One Sings, the Other Doesn’t, which was the Opening Night selection of the fifteenth edition of NYFF forty years ago. And two works by Philippe Garrel—1968’s black-and-white, silent film Le Révélateur and 1979’s devastatingly personal L’Enfant secret—accompany his Main Slate selection Lover for a Day. Other works making their return in brilliant new restorations are Hou Hsiao-hsien’s often overlooked Daughter of the Nile (NYFF26), on its 30th anniversary, Andrei Tarkovsky’s Bergman-influenced final work, The Sacrifice (NYFF24), and Adolfas Mekas’s Hallelujah the Hills, which premiered in the first New York Film Festival in 1963. The Revivals section also celebrates Jean Vigo’s legendary last film, L’Atalante, which was originally released just before the young filmmaker’s death in a cruelly edited, 65-minute version. Reconstituted painstakingly over time, the film is now is the closest we may ever come to Vigo’s original cut. Completing the lineup are two masterworks by Kenji Mizoguchi, both released in the same year—Sansho the Bailiff and A Story from Chikamatsu; long-thought-lost gothic tale The Old Dark House, by James Whale; Humberto Solás’s vivid first feature Lucía, a key work of Cuban cinema; Jean-Luc Godard’s made-for-TV chase movie Grandeur and Decadence, starring Jean-Pierre Léaud; Pedro Costa’s rarely seen second feature, Casa de Lava; Jean Renoir’s beautiful The Crime of Monsieur Lange; and Hallelujah the Hills, Adolf Mekas’s landmark work of New American Cinema.

    2017 New York Film Festival Revivals Lineup

    L’Atalante Dir. Jean Vigo, France, 1934, 89m Jean Vigo’s legendary last film, about a barge captain (Jean Dasté) and his new bride (Dita Parlo), who begin their turbulent marriage aboard his riverboat accompanied by an eccentric first mate (Michel Simon), was filmed in the winter of 1933 while the director was suffering from tuberculosis. Gaumont started hacking away at Vigo’s cut and released a 65-minute version to poor reviews. One month later, Vigo died at age 29. Since then, the film has not only been seen and loved but painstakingly reconstituted over time to be as close as we will ever come to Vigo’s original cut. A Janus Films release. Restored by Gaumont in association with The Film Foundation and La Cinémathèque française with the support of Centre National de la Cinématographie. Restoration performed at L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna and Paris. Bob le flambeur Dir. Jean-Pierre Melville, France, 1956, 102m The 1981 screening of Bob le flambeur at the 19th New York Film Festival marked many American filmgoers’ first exposure to Jean-Pierre Melville. His fourth feature, starring Roger Duchesne as a thief with a code of honor who envisions and executes a perfect plan to rob the casino in Deauville, marks the real beginning of what we have now come to think of as Melville’s world: a drily elegant network of interlocking movements and gestures between laconic gangsters, at once powered and haunted by American cinema. A Rialto Pictures release. 4K restoration from the interpositive, under the supervision of Studiocanal, with the support of the CNC. Casa de Lava Dir. Pedro Costa, Portugal, 1994, 105m The colonial histories and displaced emigrants of Cape Verde have taken a central role in many of Costa’s films, but his rarely seen second feature is the only one of his movies thus far to have actually been shot on the archipelago. Leão (Isaach de Bankolé), the comatose laborer whose removal to his home at Fogo jump-starts the film, is a clear precursor to Costa’s now iconic character Ventura, with whom he shares a profession and a past. But the amount of fierce, unblinking attention the film gives to the colonists themselves is the real revelation: Edith Scob as an aging Portuguese woman who has made the island her ill-fitting home; Pedro Hestnes as her son; and Inês de Medeiros as the Lisbon nurse who accompanies Leão with a mixture of brashness and fear. Casa de Lava, inspired by Tourneur’s I Walked with a Zombie, is one of the director’s most direct reckonings with Portugal’s colonial legacy. A Grasshopper Film release. The Crime of Monsieur Lange Dir. Jean Renoir, France, 1936, 77m A publishing company’s members form a collective after its charming and thoroughly evil owner (Jules Berry) disappears in the dead of night in Jean Renoir and writer Jacques Prévert’s beautiful film, made under the sign of Prévert’s socialist theater collective, Le Groupe Octobre. “Of all Renoir’s films,” wrote François Truffaut, “M. Lange is the most spontaneous, the richest in miracles of camerawork, the most full of pure beauty and truth. In short, it is a film touched by divine grace.” With René Lefèvre as the guileless dreamer M. Lange and singer and actress Florelle as his beloved. A Rialto Pictures release. 4K restoration from nitrate and safety elements, the internegative and a 35mm print, under the supervision of Studiocanal, with the support of the CNC. Daughter of the Nile Dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien, Taiwan, 1987, 91m Often overlooked, Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Daughter of the Nile (Ni luo he nu er), a fascinating attempt to portray the anomie felt by Taiwanese youth of the mid-1980s (based in part on incidents in the life of screenwriter Chu T’ien-wen), came between the period pieces that established the director on his home ground and around the world. Even Hou himself has been hard on the film and its main actress, pop star Yang Lin, in the role of a teenager trying to make a living, care for her volatile older brother (Jack Kao), find love, and define herself all at once. Nevertheless, Daughter of the Nile is a rich experience from a formidable filmmaker. A Cohen Media Group release. L’Enfant secret Dir. Philippe Garrel, France, 1979, 92m After the generational upheaval of May ’68 and its aftermath, and the personal upheavals of drug addiction, depression, and shock therapy, Garrel made the conscious decision to turn away from the increasingly private poetry of his earlier work, at the center of which was his great love Nico. He turned to the great screenwriter Annette Wadamant, who helped him to organize his thoughts into a narrative of “things that happened to me,” and the result was this spare, elemental, devastating film about two damaged souls (Henri de Maublanc and Anne Wiazemsky) trying to build a life together as her child (Xuan Lindenmeyer) is taken away. As Serge Daney wrote, “It’s as if this autobiographical film has succeeded in holding its bearings without forgetting the trace of each stage of the journey it’s passed through.” Grandeur and Decadence/Grandeur et Décadence Dir. Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1986, 91m Godard took a French network television commission to create a TV movie for the Série noire TV anthology based on James Hadley Chase’s 1964 novel The Soft Centre, and turned in this funny, melancholy video piece about a director (Jean-Pierre Léaud) and producer (comic filmmaker Jean-Pierre Mocky) who are trying to make a movie out of the Chase novel—sort of—in the old style: on the run, with a low budget, and with an eye toward sublimity. A Capricci Films release. Hallelujah the Hills Dir. Adolfas Mekas, USA, 1963 Inspired as much by Hollywood comedies and romances of the silent era as by the French New Wave, Adolfas Mekas’s debut feature remains, 54 years after its American premiere in the first New York Film Festival, an irreverent delight, a semi-slapstick vision of true love, and a valentine to cinema itself. Two madly impulsive young men are in love with the same woman, who happens to be played by two different actresses. The snow-covered fields and trees of Vermont still gleam as beautifully in this new digital restoration as in the original 35mm. Lucía Dir. Humberto Solás, Cuba, 1968, 160m A key work of Cuban cinema, the first feature from director Humberto Solás is a trio of stories about women named Lucía, each in a different register: “Lucía 1895” (featuring Raquel Revuelta, the “Voice of Cuba” in I Am Cuba) is inspired by Visconti’s Senso; “Lucía 1933” (with Eslinda Núñez, from Memories of Underdevelopment) is closer to Hollywood melodrama of the forties; and “Lucía 196_”, made in the spirit of the revolutionary moment, is a broadly drawn tale of a woman (Adela Legrá) under the thumb of her domineering husband. “One of the few films, Left or Right, to deal with women on the same plane and in the same breath as major historical events,” wrote Molly Haskell in 1974. Lucía is also a vivid visual experience, shot in glorious black and white by Jorge Herrero. Restored by Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in association with Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC). Restoration funded by Turner Classic Movies and The Foundation’s World Cinema Project. The Old Dark House Dir. James Whale, USA, 1932, 71m Cast from the mold of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and the many gothic tales in its wake, J. B. Priestley’s 1927 novel Benighted was one of the most popular among the dozens of stories of the late 1920s and early 1930s for the page, stage, and screen about stranded travelers wandering through gloomy, secluded mansions at night. In their film adaptation, James Whale and his writers Benn Levy and R. C. Sherriff gave the novel a comic spin, bringing the film closer in spirit to the director’s later Bride of Frankenstein. The Old Dark House was thought to be lost in the years after Universal lost the rights, and it was filmmaker Curtis Harrington who rescued it from oblivion. A Cohen Media Group release. One Sings, the Other Doesn’t Dir. Agnès Varda, France, 1977, 107m The opening night selection of the 1977 New York Film Festival, Agnès Varda’s singular One Sings, the Other Doesn’t (L’une chante, l’autre pas) is a feminist musical—with lyrics by the director—about the bond of sisterhood felt by Pomme (Valérie Mairesse) and Suzanne (Thérèse Liotard) throughout years of changes and fraught relationships with men. “If I put myself on the screen—very natural and feminist—maybe I’d get ten people in the audience,” Varda explained to Gerald Peary at the time of the film’s release. “Instead, I put two nice young females on the screen, and not too much of my own leftist conscience. By not being too radical but truly feminist, my film has been seen by 350,000 people in France.” A Janus Films release. Le Révélateur Dir. Philippe Garrel, France, 1968, 67m This astonishingly beautiful black-and-white silent film was shot in the Black Forest of Germany with a cast of three (Bernadette Lafont, Laurent Zerzieff, and Stanlislas Robiolle), and is a primal response to the events of May ’68 as they were still unfolding. Lafont synopsized the film perfectly: “A couple and their child flee in the face of an unknown but still considerable menace… In a desolate landscape, full of humidity and humiliation, we see the weakest of beings stage his revolt: a child.” According to the cinematographer Michel Fournier, Garrel allowed him “the greatest liberty to improvise and to invent, with voluntarily minimal lighting in order to stimulate our imagination, and an extremely sensitive film stock in order to capture the faintest glimmers or the strongest apparitions.” The Sacrifice Dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, Sweden, 1986, 142m The sacrifice in Andrei Tarkovsky’s final film, completed only months before his death from cancer at the age of 54, is performed by Alexander, an aging professor who strikes a deal with God in order to avert humankind’s self-obliteration after the sudden outbreak of World War III. The Sacrifice is a work made under the sign of one of Tarkovsky’s masters, Ingmar Bergman: the film was shot in Swedish with several of Bergman’s principal actors, including Erland Josephson in the lead, and his DP Sven Nykvist. It is, most certainly, a final testament. But it is also, like every Tarkovsky film, a plunge into the uncanny and the uncharted. A Kino Lorber release. Sansho the Bailiff Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan, 1954, 124m One of the greatest of Kenji Mizoguchi’s films, Sansho the Bailiff (Sanshô Dayû) is also one of the greatest works of the cinema. The story of a family’s quiet endurance as it is split up and its members are sold into slavery and prostitution in 11th-century Japan is very delicately balanced between tenderness and remove. Sansho the Bailiff “moves from easy poetry to difficult poetry,” wrote Roger Greenspun when the film had its belated New York premiere in 1969. “Its impulses, which are profound but not transcendental, follow an aesthetic program that is also a moral progression, and that emerges, with superb lucidity, only from the greatest art.” A Janus Films release. Restored by KADOKAWA Corporation and The Film Foundation at Cineric, Inc. in New York with sound by Audio Mechanics, with the cooperation of The Japan Foundation. Special thanks to Masahiro Miyajima and Martin Scorsese for their consultation. A Story from Chikamatsu Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan, 1954, 102m Kenji Mizoguchi’s adaptation of Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s 17th-century jōruri play about an apprentice scroll-maker (Kazuo Hasegawa) who runs away with his master’s young wife (Kyōko Kagawa) is, like Sansho the Bailiff (released earlier in the same year) and Ugetsu before them, a film of extraordinary beauty and force. Per Akira Kurosawa, A Story from Chikamatsu (Chikamatsu monogatari) is “a great masterpiece that could only have been made by Mizoguchi.” Screenwriter Yoshikata Yoda remembered the director giving him the following instructions: “Be stronger, dig more deeply. You have to seize man, not in some of his superficial aspects, but in his totality.” In other words, a quest, and one that was at the heart of Mizoguchi’s greatest works. A Janus Films release. Restored by KADOKAWA Corporation and The Film Foundation at Cineric, Inc. in New York with sound by Audio Mechanics, with the cooperation of The Japan Foundation. Special thanks to Masahiro Miyajima and Martin Scorsese for their consultation.

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  • Acclaimed Music Biopics DALIDA and DJANGO to be Released in US | Trailer

    [caption id="attachment_19318" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Dalida Dalida[/caption] The award-winning music biopics Dalida and Django, have been acquired by Under The Milky Way for theatrical releases commencing in Fall 2017 and Early 2018 respectively. Accomplished filmmaker Lisa Azuelos’ much-anticipated Dalida biopic goes backstage with the enchanting Egyptian-born Italian singer who became France’s reigning pop star from the 1950s to the 1980s. On the acquisition of Dalida, company co-founder Alexis Derendinger commented: “Quite simply, we were blown away by Sveva Alviti’s performance in Dalida. In her time, Dalida sold more records than Madonna and inspired generations of music lovers around the world. We are thrilled to bring Lisa Azuelos’s masterful interpretation of her story to US audiences.” Recording in more than five languages, Dalida sold a record-breaking 170 million albums during her lifetime, with chart-topping hits spanning Edith Piaf-esque classics to emotional disco numbers. Following Dalida’s extraordinary rise from beauty pageant contestant to cabaret artist to international superstar, this visually stunning new film tells a captivating story of professional success and personal tragedy in exquisite period detail. Italian-model-turned actress Sveva Alviti paints a nuanced portrait of the star in her breakthrough role. Dalida is directed by Lisa Azuelos (LOL, Quantom Love) and stars Sveva Alviti, Riccardo Scamarcio, Jean-Paul Rouve and Nicolas Duvauchelle. Opening Film of the 2017 Berlin Film Festival and an official selection of Rendez-vous With French Cinema, Django is a powerful biopic which will immerse viewers in a tumultuous chapter in the life of one of the 20th century’s greatest musical geniuses: the legendary Romani jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGgtO0WP9KU Derendinger continued: “We were also astonished by first time filmmaker Etienne Comar’s Django, with Reta Kateb giving a powerhouse performance as the beloved musician and exceptional artist Django Reinhardt, fighting against Nazi-occupied France and the treatment of his community. In this time of political uncertainty worldwide, we believe the film will strike a chord with a wide audience domestically.” Django is the much anticipated wartime biopic of the world-famous jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, elegantly interpreted by Reda Kateb (A Prophet, Zero Dark Thirty). As the toast of 1943 Paris, Django thrilled audiences with his distinctive brand of “hot jazz” and charmed a league of admirers including his muse “Chinese Puzzle,” played by Cécile de France. But even as the rise of Nazism forces Reinhardt- whose music is considered degenerate under the Third Reich- to make a daring escape from Paris, he refuses to be silenced, using his music as a form of protest. Kateb’s powerful performance leads this spirited biopic that will keep audiences on their tapping toes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw5DvTAVomA Django is directed by writer/producer of “Of God and Men” Etienne Comar and stars Reda Kateb (“A Prophet”) and Cecile de France (“Hereafter”).

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  • 2017 Woods Hole Film Festival Awards: ‘Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story’ Wins Best of Fest

    2017 Woods Hole Film Festival Awards The 2017 Woods Hole Film Festival wrapped this month after screening 52 narrative and documentary features and 81 narrative, documentary, and animated shorts. “Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story”, a documentary directed by Phillip Baribeau that chronicles the journey of chef and outdoorsman, Eduardo Garcia and his recovery after being electrocuted by 2400 volts of electricity, was awarded the Best of the Festival prize.

    2017 Woods Hole Film Festival Audience Awards

    Best of the Festival Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story by Phillip Baribeau Best Feature Drama Blur Circle by Christopher J. Hansen 1st Runner Up: The Sounding by Catherine Eaton 2nd Runner Up: Holding Patterns by Jake Goldberger Best Feature Comedy Quaker Oaths by Louisiana Kreutz 1st Runner Up: Quality Problems by Brooke Purdy & Doug Purdy 2nd Runner Up: Diani & Divine Meet The Apocalypse by Gabriel Diani & Etta Devine Best Feature Documentary Dateline-Saigon by Thomas D. Herman 1st Runner Up: California Typewriter by Doug Nichol 2nd Runner Up: City of Joy by Madeleine Gavin Best Short Documentary Blind Sushi by Eric Heimbold 1st Runner-Up: Patagonia Azul: the interconnection of life by Daniel Casado 2nd Runner-Up: Tick Days by Marnie Crawford Samuelson Best Short Animation Stars by Han Zhang 1st Runner-Up: A Little Grey by Simon Hewitt 2nd Runner-Up: Fox and the Whale by Robin Joseph Best Short Drama Game by Jeannie Donohoe 1st Runner-Up: House of Teeth by Susanna Styron 2nd Runner-Up: The 6th Amendment by Elika Portnoy Best Short Comedy The Final Show by Dana Nachman 1st Runner-Up: Shy Guys by Fredric Lehne 2nd Runner-Up: Rhonna & Donna by Daina O. Pusic

    2017 Woods Hole Film Festival Jury Awards

    Best Feature Drama Jagveld (Hunting Emma) by Byron Davis Best Feature Comedy What Children Do by Dean Peterson Best Feature Documentary City of Joy by Madeleine Gavin Best Short Documentary Patagonia Azul: the interconnection of life by Daniel Casado Best Short Animation A Little Grey by Simon Hewitt Best Short Drama Promise by Tian Xie Best Short Comedy Rhonna & Donna by Daina O. Pusic

    2017 Woods Hole Film Festival Directors Awards

    Emerging New England Filmmaker (Sponsored by TALAMAS) Jeannie Donohoe Fortitude in Filmmaking Ryan Killackey – Yasuni Man Best Cinematography Frederic Fasano – Can Hitler Happen Here? (Narrative Feature) Georgia Pantazopoulos – The Crest (Documentary Feature) Ricardo Prates – A Beautiful Mess (Narrative Short) Todd Bell – A Doll’s Eyes (Documentary Short) Best Actor Madeleine Cooke – SEAT 25 (Feature Film) Lance Reddick – Spoken Word (Short Film)

    2017 Woods Hole Film Festival Screenwriting Awards

    COMEDY FEATURE Winner: Go Catch the Devil by Martin Blinder, USA 1st Runner-Up: The Best Version of You by Mark Ward and Shannon Meehan, USA DRAMATIC FEATURE Winner: Don’t Call Me Sir! by Bo Svenson, USA 1st Runner-Up Den of Wolves by Fabian Martin, USA COMEDY SHORT Winner: That Sound by Steve Spremo, USA 1st Runner-Up: In Shadows by Cooper Justus, USA DRAMATIC SHORT Winner: The Street Photographer by Jim Norman, USA 1st Runner-Up: Lunch Lady by Colleen Asbury, USA image via Facebook

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  • Busan International Film Festival Announces the New Currents Jury Headed by Director Oliver Stone

    [caption id="attachment_23951" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]2017 Busan International Film Festival New Currents Jury Clockwise (l to r) Oliver STONE, Bahman GHOBADI, Agnès GODARD, Lav DIAZ, JANG Sun-woo[/caption] The 22nd Busan International Film Festival has selected five jurors headed by director Oliver Stone to judge the New Currents, a competitive section, that introduces the works of up-and-coming Asian directors. The New Currents section has been a place to meet young Asian directors’ films with broad genres and themes wrapped up with uniqueness and passion. Oliver Stone will serve as the head juror for BIFF’s New Currents this year. His film Platoon (1986), earned him Best Director at the Academy Awards, a Golden Globe and a Silver Bear from the Berlin International Film Festival. Another film Born on the Fourth of July (1989) also brought him the honor of winning Best Director at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes. Stone’s films have constantly examined modern history with critical insight and significant cultural impact. These films include Salvador (1986), deeply critical of the U.S. Government’s involvement in Central America; Wall Street (1987), an exposé of America’s new capitalism; W. (2008), a satirical view of former U.S. President, George W. Bush; Snowden (2016), a feature film that follows American whistleblower Edward Snowden. He recently produced documentaries on recent world historical events and political issues; Oliver Stone remains a preeminent and globally influential director. His attendance and role as chief juror will draw more attention to the winners of New Currents 2017. In addition, Bahman Ghobadi – a world-famous director representing Iran, Agnès Godard – a preeminent cinematographer who has consistently built her career in France for 30 years, Lav Diaz – a multi-artist and an ideological father of the New Philippine Cinema, and Jang Sun-woo – a leader of New Wave in Korean films through A Short Love Affair (1990), A Petal (1996) and Lies (1999) showing his freewheeling style, are also commissioned as jurors for the New Currents at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival.

    2017Busan International Film Festival New Currents Jurors

    Oliver StoneㅣHead Juror Director / USA Oliver Stone, praised as one of the most significant world-directors, completed his undergraduate studies at New York University Film School and made his debut with Seizure (1974). His film Platoon (1986), won Best Director at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and a Silver Bear from the Berlin International Film Festival, and made Stone into a world-renowned director. Born on the Fourth of July (1989) gave him more glory in winning Best Director at Academy Awards and Golden Globes. Not only in directing, Stone also shows his talent in screenwriting through Midnight Express (1978) and Scarface (1983). His films have contributed to critical examinations of modern history with a passionate and keen cinematic perspective that extends into his latest Snowden (2016) and The Putin Interviews (2017). Bahman Ghobadi Director / Iran Bahman Ghobadi is regarded as a prominent Kurdish movie director. His first feature film, A Time for Drunken Horses (2000), which is the first Kurd film, was invited to the Cannes Film Festival Directors’ Fortnight and received a Golden Camera Award and FIPRESCI Award. His second feature was Marooned in Iraq (2002), which earned him the Gold Plaque from the Chicago International Film Festival. His third feature, Turtles Can Fly (2004), won the Glass Bear and Peace Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Golden Shell at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. Ghobadi’s Half Moon (2006) also won the Golden Shell at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. In 2009, his film No One Knows About Persian Cats won the Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize Ex-aequo when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. His film includes Rhino Season (2012), Words with Gods (2014), and A Flag without a Country (2015). Agnès Godard Cinematographer / France Agnès Godard began her career as a director of photography and 1990. Having graduated from the Institut des Hautes Etudes Cinématographiques, Paris, she has collaborated with world-renowned directors like Claire Denis, Wim Wenders, Claude Berry, and Emmanuelle Bercot. For Beau travail (1999) by director Claire Denis, Godard received César Award for Best Photography and Best Cinematographer at National Society of Film Critics, USA. She is highly acclaimed as a photography director and won the Lumières Award and ADF Cinematography Award at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival with director Ursula Meier’s Home (2008). Her film includes The Dreamlife of Angels (1998), Friday Night (2002), The Golden Door (2006) and Bastards (2013). Bright Sunshine In, the opening film of Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2017, is a reunion with Claire Denis that proved her remarkable works. Lav Diaz Director / The Philippines As well as a filmmaker from the Philippines, Lav Diaz works as cinematographer, editor, writer, producer, actor, poet, composer, and production designer. His films are notable for a constant and sophisticate approach to social and political struggles of his motherland. Diaz is known as a multi-artist as he is in charge of all of responsibilities needed for filmmaking. Evolution of a Filipino Family (2005) gained attention for its lengthy running time up to eleven hours. Another film Melancholia (2008), a story about victims of summary executions, won the Orizzonti Grand Prize at the 65th Venice International Film Festival and From What Is Before (2014) gave him the Golden Leopard from the Locarno International Film Festival. In 2016, he received the Alfred Bauer Award at Berlin with A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery and also won the Golden Lion in Venice with The Woman Who Left. With two high-profile awards at the same year, Diaz named himself as the most acknowledged Filipino director. Jang Sun-woo Director / Korea Jang Sun-woo started to work in the field of film-making, working as an assistant director of the film directed by Lee Jang-ho. After then, he co-directed Seoul Emperor (1986) with Sunwoo Wan, making his debut as a film director. Through The Age of Success (1988) and A Short Love Affair (1990), he has emerged as the director of ‘New Wave of Korean film’. Hwa-Om-Kyung (1993) won the Alfred Bauer Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, A Petal (1996) being in competition at Asia-Pacific International Film Festival, and Timeless, Bottomless (1997) won the Asian Film Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival. He received international attention through his exceptional films that include To You from Me (1994), which was controversial for its preposterous sexual expression, Timeless, Bottomless (1997) and Resurrection of the Little Match Girl (2002) that show his freewheeling style.

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  • 2017 Reeling LGBTQ Film Festival Unveils Lineup, Opens with HELLO AGAIN, Closes with SATURDAY CHURCH

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    [caption id="attachment_23941" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]HELLO AGAIN, Tom Gustafson Nolan Gerard Funk in Hello Again[/caption] Reeling, the second-oldest LGBTQ film festival in the world, celebrates its 35th anniversary edition from September 21 to 28 at Landmark Theatres’ Century Centre Cinema in Chicago.  The 2017 Reeling will present 30 feature films and 10 programs of shorts, coming from 22 countries. The festival kicks off Thursday, September 21 at Music Box Theatre with the Chicago premiere of Northwestern alum Tom Gustafson’s HELLO AGAIN. The sex-fueled all-star screen adaptation of the 1994 Off-Broadway musical stars Cheyenne Jackson, Audra McDonald, Martha Plimpton, Tyler Blackburn and Rumer Willis. Reeling 2017 closes Thursday, September 28 with SATURDAY CHURCH, the coming-of-age story of a young Black teen exploring gender expression and finding acceptance in the Harlem Ball scene, which stars Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated actor and Goodman Theatre playwright Regina Taylor. From Trudie Styler’s hotly anticipated directorial debut, the outrageous dramedy FREAK SHOW, about the fictional high school “transvisionary” Billy Bloom, starring Alex Lawther ( The Imitation Game ), Bette Midler and Laverne Cox; and writer-director Vincent Gagliostro’s intergenerational gay romantic drama AFTER LOUIE, starring Alan Cumming in a career-defining performance; to the crackling energy and entertaining story of the rise of YouTube musical superstar Todrick Hall in the documentary BEHIND THE CURTAIN; to the inspiring story of the long road to acceptance for Brooke Guinan, New York’s first out transgender firefighter in WOMAN ON FIRE; to Looking actor Russell Tovey’s stunning performance in THE PASS, the story of two football players whose reactions to the homoerotic tension between them as young men shape their divergent futures; the 35th edition of Reeling Film Festival has something to satisfy every film taste! Reeling launches its eight-day festival with the Opening Night Gala presentation of the sensual musical HELLO AGAIN, Northwestern alumni Tom Gustafson’s ( Were the World Mine, Mariachi Gringo ) red hot film adaptation of Michael John LaChiusa’s acclaimed 1994 Off-Broadway musical. The film follows ten lovestruck souls who pair off in an erotic daisy chain of sex and song, looking for meaning beyond their steamy hookups. Jack ( Tyler Blackburn, Pretty Little Liars ) sexes up Robert ( Cheyenne Jackson, American Horror Story ) who pleasures Sally ( six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald ) who revels in her tryst with Ruth ( Martha Plimpton, The Real O’Neals ). Along for the sexy hijinks are T.R. Knight ( Grey’s Anatomy ), Rumer Willis ( Empire, Dancing with the Stars ), Jenna Ushkowitz ( Glee ), Sam Underwood ( Fear the Walking Dead ), vocalist Al Calderon and Nolan Gerard Funk ( Glee and former Calvin Klein model ). The musical numbers — everything from pop to operetta to Broadway to swing to searing torch ballads — are as fluid as the sexual proclivities of the characters. Prepare to indulge your senses with this visually stylish, ultra-sensual musical extravaganza. [caption id="attachment_23942" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Saturday Church Saturday Church[/caption] Reeling closes on Thursday, September 28 with an advance screening of SATURDAY CHURCH. This audacious hybrid — part drama, part comedy, part musical — is pulled off with aplomb by debuting writer-director Damon Cardasis and his young cast of newcomers. After the recent death of his father, Ulysses ( Luka Kain ) has begun experimenting with his sexuality and gender expression; his nights are full of stolen nylons and high heels. But Aunt Rose — played by acclaimed actor, playwright and Chicago resident Regina Taylor — is having none of this, so Ulysses flees the Bronx, finding himself enthralled by a new group of colorful, streetwise friends who introduce him to the Ball community. This thrilling, genre-busting film, soulful and heartfelt, has received raves on the film festival circuit and is a superlative and tender, coming-of-age story. Reeling will present the premieres of two locally made features: Chicago based writer-director Wendell Etherly’s MARKET VALUE is a compelling child custody courtroom drama focused on a lesbian couple fighting to keep their adopted son; and On the Down Low writer-director Tadeo Garcia returns to Reeling with EN ALGUN LUGAR, a gay romantic drama set against the backdrop of the controversial U.S. immigration system. Other festival highlights include the World Premiere of writer-director Rob Williams’ ( Role/Play, Shared Rooms, Make the Yuletide Gay ) ninth feature film, HAPPINESS ADJACENT, a bisexual love triangle set aboard a cruise ship; the critically acclaimed Sundance hit, I DREAM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE, Mexican director Ernest Contreras’ drama about two elderly men who are the last living people able to speak a dying language but who refuse to talk to each other; SEBASTIAN, writer-director-actor James Fanizza’s romantic drama about a fling between two men living in different countries who unexpectedly fall in love; the eccentric Scottish film SEAT IN SHADOW, director Henry Coombes’ film about an aging free-spirited artist who plays therapist for the young gay grandson of a friend; APRICOT GROVES, Pouria Heidary Oureh’s beautifully realized story about an Iranian Armenian transman living in the U.S. who visits Armenia to ask his girlfriend’s father for her hand in marriage; THE RING THING, about a lesbian couple facing the pressures of getting married now that it’s legal, directed by William Sullivan, whose That’s Not Us screened at Reeling 2015; and EASTSIDERS SEASON 3: GO WEST, all new episodes from the Emmy-nominated gay web series that went viral on YouTube and was later picked up by Netflix. Young love is explored in UK director Daniel Grasskamp’s CAT SKIN, in which a shy photography student captures the attention of a popular girl whose boyfriend refuses to leave the picture; David Berry’s SOMETHING LIKE SUMMER, a film adaptation of a popular novel series focusing on a young gay couple that includes Glee-like musical numbers; and Jakob M. Erwa’s CENTER OF MY WORLD, a gay coming of age romance from Germany. Thrills, excitement, mayhem and various kinds of trouble can be found in two British and two Australian films. In the British crime thriller B&B, two men who successfully sued a small inn for gay discrimination return to gloat and find their triumph is short-lived, and in PALACE OF FUN, a rich young British woman’s calculating gay brother plays sinister games with her love interest. The Australian BOYS IN THE TREES is an eerie surrealist coming of age drama that takes place on Halloween night; and in BAD GIRL, a rebellious teenager is single-white-femaled by a doe-eyed beauty whom her parents are convinced is a good role model for her. Comic relief is offered by SENSITIVITY TRAINING, in which an abrasive microbiologist finds herself attracted to the woman hired by her company to be her sensitivity coach; DATING MY MOTHER, about an aimless recent college graduate who moves back in with his widowed mom and finds that they are both trying to find Mr. Right; and PROM KING, 2010, which chronicles the failed attempts of an awkward 20-year-old college freshman in New York to find the man of his dreams. The lives of women of color are explored in two web series: 195 LEWIS, set in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn; and the locally produced, Emmy nominated BROWN GIRLS, set in Chicago. The latter series was funded in part by Chicago Filmmakers’ Chicago Digital Media Production Fund, and creators Samantha Bailey and Fatimah Asghar were recently signed to a development deal to adapt the series for HBO. Documentaries, as always, are an important part of the Reeling lineup. Documentaries include CHAVELA, an affectionate portrait of the legendary lesbian Costa Rican Ranchera singer who counted Pedro Almodóvar among her friends and Frida Kahlo among her lovers; THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON, Oscar nominated David France’s follow-up to How to Survive a Plague which focuses on the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the trans activist as well as her close friendship with Sylvia Rivera; BONES OF CONTENTION, an historical documentary focusing on the repression of gays and lesbians under the Franco regime during the Spanish Civil War which weaves in the life of murdered queer poet Federico Garcia Lorca; and AGAINST THE LAW, a docudrama about the punitive life for gay men in conservative England in the 1950s.

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  • VIDEO: Watch Trailer for HUMAN FLOW, Artist Ai Weiwei’s Documentary on Global Refugee Crisis

    Human Flow, Ai Weiwei Amazon has released the trailer for Human Flow, a documentary directed by world-renowned artist Ai Weiwei, that looks at the global refugee crisis. The film will be released in theaters on October 13. Captured over the course of an eventful year in 23 countries, the film follows a chain of urgent human stories that stretches across the globe in countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, France, Greece, Germany, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, and Turkey. Human Flow is a witness to its subjects and their desperate search for safety, shelter and justice: from teeming refugee camps to perilous ocean crossings to barbed-wire borders; from dislocation and disillusionment to courage, endurance and adaptation; from the haunting lure of lives left behind to the unknown potential of the future. This visceral work of cinema is a testament to the unassailable human spirit and poses one of the questions that will define this century: Will our global society emerge from fear, isolation, and self-interest and choose a path of openness, freedom, and respect for humanity? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVZGyTdk_BY

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  • RIP: Comedian, Star of MAX ROSE, Jerry Lewis Dead at 91

    [caption id="attachment_23933" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Jerry Lewis in Max Rose Jerry Lewis in Max Rose[/caption] Jerry Lewis, the comedian, actor and filmmaker, died on Sunday morning at his home in Las Vegas. He was 91. Jerry Lewis as last seen in the independent film Max Rose, his first movie in almost 20 years, playing jazz pianist Max Rose who makes a discovery days before the death of his wife and embarks on an exploration of his own past.

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  • Alen Drljevic’s MEN DON’T CRY is Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Entry for 2018 Oscar Race for Best Foreign Film | TRAILER

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    Men Don’t Cry (Muskarci koji ne placu) Bosnia-Herzegovina has selected Alen Drljevic’s Men Don’t Cry (Muskarci koji ne placu) as the country’s official entry in the Foreign Language Film category of the 90th Academy Awards. Men Don’t Cry, which won the Special Jury Prize at the 2017 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival last month,  tells the story of a group therapy workshop, set in a hotel in the Bosnian mountains. A group of war-scarred veterans from different sides in the Yugoslavian conflict are brought together by a peace group to share their wartime experiences, and to try to establish a degree of trust and faith between them. Emotions are highly charged as old enmities and hostilities emerge, but the participants gradually learn to overcome their divisions and achieve a kind of understanding and respect for each other, or at least a tolerance, despite all the bloodshed that has flowed between them in the past. The film features an all-star team of Balkan actors including Croatia’s Leon Lučev (The Black Pin, Circles) and Ivo Gregurević (Ungiven, The Reaper), Serbia’s Boris Isaković (Requiem for Mrs. J., A Good Wife), Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Emir Hadžihafizbegović (These Are the Rules, Death of a Man in the Balkans), Boris Ler (Circus Columbia) and Ermin Bravo (Love Island), as well as Slovenia’s Sebastian Cavazza (Nika, On the Path). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dgSSQGJSe4

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  • 2017 Sarajevo Film Festival Awards: SCARY MOTHER Wins Heart of Sarajevo for Best Film

    [caption id="attachment_23921" align="aligncenter" width="960"]HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST FEATURE FILM SCARY MOTHER, 2017 SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST FEATURE FILM SCARY MOTHER, 2017 SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL[/caption] The Georgia film Scary Mother directed by Ani Urushadze, was awarded the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Film at the 2017 Sarajevo Film Festival. In the film, Manana, a 50-year-old housewife, struggles with a dilemma – she has to choose between her family life and her passion for writing, which she has repressed for years. She decides to follow her passion and plunges herself into writing, sacrificing everything to it, both mentally and physically. The award for Best Documentary went to City of the Sun, directed by Rati Oneli.  City of the Sun portrays a few of the remaining inhabitants of the mining city of  Chiatura, in western Georgia. Up to 50 percent of the world’s manganese, a vital metal across the globe, used to be mined here, but today, it resembles an apocalyptic ghost town. Music teacher Zurab dismantles ramshackle concrete buildings by hand and sells the iron girders to make some money on the side. Archil still works in the mine, but his real passion is the local amateur theatre group. Despite being malnourished, two young female athletes train stoically for the next Olympic Games. Actor and comedian John Cleese, best known as a member of the famous comedy team Monty Python’s Flying Circus, received the honorary lifetime achievement award. “I accept it not as a film person, but more as a comedian because I think at this time in world history, we’ve never needed comedians more,” Cleese said.

    2017 Sarajevo Film Festival Awards

    COMPETITION PROGRAM – FEATURE FILM

    HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST FEATURE FILM SCARY MOTHER / SASHISHI DEDA Georgia, Estonia Director: Ana Urushadze Producer: Lasha Khalvashi HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DIRECTOR EMANUEL PÂRVU MEDA OR THE NOT SO BRIGHT SIDE OF THINGS / MEDA SAU PARTEA NU PREA FERICITĂ A LUCRURILOR Romania SPECIAL JURY MENTION DIRECTIONS / POSOKI Bulgaria, Germany, Macedonia Director: Stephan Komandarev HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTRESS Ornela Kapetani, DAYBREAK / DITA ZË FILL HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST ACTOR Şerban Pavlu, MEDA OR THE NOT SO BRIGHT SIDE OF THINGS / MEDA SAU PARTEA NU PREA FERICITĂ A LUCRURILOR 

    COMPETITION PROGRAM – SHORT FILM

    HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST SHORT FILM INTO THE BLUE / U PLAVETNILO Croatia, Slovenia Director: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović Financial Award, in the amount of 2.500 €. SPECIAL JURY MENTION SOA Montenegro Director: Dušan Kasalica SPECIAL JURY MENTION COPA – LOCA Greece Director: Christos Massalas

    COMPETITION PROGRAM – STUDENT FILM

    HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST STUDENT FILM CLEAN / ČISTOĆA Bosnia and Herzegovina Director: Neven Samardžić SPECIAL JURY MENTION LJUBLJANA – MÜNCHEN 15:27 / LJUBLJANA – MUNICH 15:27 Slovenia Director: Katarina Morano

    COMPETITION PROGRAM – DOCUMENTARY FILM

    HEART OF SARAJEVO FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM CITY OF THE SUN / MZIS QALAQI Georgia, USA, Qatar, Netherlands Director: Rati Oneli SPECIAL JURY PRIZE FOR COMPETITION PROGRAM DOCUMENTARY FILM KINDERS Austria Directors: Arash T. Riahi, Arman T. Riahi SPECIAL JURY MENTION HOME / DOM Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina Director: Zdenko Jurilj HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD MR. GAY SYRIA Turkey, France, Germany Director: Ayse Toprak Best film of the Competition Programme – Documentary Film dealing with the subject of human rights.

    HONORARY HEART OF SARAJEVO

    John Cleese, Actor Oliver Stone, Director

    CINELINK AWARDS

    CINELINK CO-PRODUCTION MARKET AWARDS EURIMAGES COPRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT AWARD HALF-SISTER Director: Damjan Kozole Writers: Damjan Kozole, Urša Menart Producer: Danijel Hočevar Production company: Vertigo Slovenia MACEDONIAN FILM AGENCY CINELINK AWARD HOLY EMY Director: Araceli Lemos Writers: Araceli Lemos, Gulia Caruso Producers: Elina Psykou, Giulia Caruso, Konstantinos Vassilaros Production company: StudioBauhaus Greece ARTE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS CINELINK AWARD CAT IN THE WALL Directors: Mina Mileva, Vesela Kazakova Writer: Mina Mileva Producers: Mina Mileva, Vesela Kazakova Production company: Activist38 Bulgaria SPECIAL MENTION THE GREAT TRAM ROBBERY Director: Slobodan Šijan Writers: Slobodan Šijan, Biljana Maksić, Vladimir Mančić Producer: Marko Paljić Production company: Gargantua Films Serbia MDM EAVE SCHOLARSHIP Konstantinos Vassilaros / HOLY EMY

    WORK IN PROGRESS AWARDS

    TRT AWARD  HONEYLAND Directors: Ljubo Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska Producers: Ljubo Stefanov, Atanas Georgiev Production company: Apollo Media, Trice Films Macedonia POST REPUBLIC AWARD THE DAY AFTER I’M GONE Director: Nimrod Eldar Producer: Eitan Mansuri Production company: Spiro Films Ltd Israel RESTART AWARD WHAT COMES AROUND Director: Reem Saleh Producers: Reem Saleh, Konstantina Stavrianou Production company: Mazameer Productions Lebanon / Egypt / Qatar

    CINELINK DRAMA AWARD

    FILM CENTER SERBIA CINELINK DRAMA AWARD ALL PANTHERS ARE PINK / SVI PANTERI SU PINK Creators: Titus Kreyenberg, Miroslav Mogorović Writer: Dimitrije Vojnov Director: TBC Producers: Titus Kreyenberg, Miroslav Mogorović Production company: Unafilm, Art & Popcorn Germany, Serbia SPECIAL MENTION GLYCERIN / GLICERIN Creators: Ivan Knežević, Miloš Pušić Writers: Ivan Knežević, Miloš Pušić Director: Miloš Pušić Producers: Ivan Knežević, Miloš Pušić Production company: Altertise Serbia

    23rd SARAJEVO FILM FESTIVAL PARTNER’S AWARDS

    AWARDS OF ASSOCIATION OF BOSNIAN FILMMAKERS

    Ivica Matić Award Redžinald Šimek Ivica Matić Award Tomislav Topić Ivica Matić Award Action Group of the Association of Bosnian Filmmakers for copyrights (Pjer Žalica, Jovan Marjanović, Elma Tataragić and Amar Nović) CINEUROPA NAGRADA SCARY MOTHER / SASHISHI DEDA Director: Ana Urushadze CICAE NAGRADA SON OF SOFIA / O GIOS TIS SOFIAS Director: Elina Psykou THE EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY NETWORK – TALENT GRANT WHEN PIGS COME Director: Biljana Tutorov SARAJEVO SHORT FILM NOMINEE FOR EUROPAN FIOM AWARDS 2017 COPA-LOCA Director: Christos Massalas BEST PACK & PITCH AWARD (TALENTS SARAJEVO PACK & PITCH) SIRIN Senad Šahmanović – invitation for participation in the co-production market CineLink PINKLER Patricia D’Intino The postproduction of sound services in the amount of 4.000 EUR (studio Chelia)

    BH FILM STUDENT PROGRAMME AWARD

    Best B&H Student Film Award TO OUTLIVE A TURTLE / NADŽIVETI KORNJAČU Director: Katarina Živanović Fakultet dramskih i filmskih umjetnosti Bijeljina Special Jury Award CLEAN / ČISTOĆA Director: Neven Samardžić Akademija scenskih umjetnosti Sarajevo Special Mention WINTER SUN / ZIMSKO SUNCE Director: Pilar Palomero Sarajevo Film Academy image via Facebook

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  • 2017 Raindance Film Festival Unveils Lineup, Opens with OH LUCY! Starring Josh Hartnett

    [caption id="attachment_23914" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Oh Lucy! starring Josh Hartnett Oh Lucy! starring Josh Hartnett[/caption] The 25th Raindance Film Festival will take place in London’s West End from September 20th to October 1st, 2017. The International Premiere of Atsuko Hirayanagi’s Oh Lucy! (USA), starring Josh Hartnett, will open the festival. The film is a drama-comedy and tells the story of Setsuko Kawashima, a lonely, chain-smoking office lady in Tokyo who is past her prime and adopts an American alter ego.

    The Feature Films

    In Competition

    Maya Dardel Directed by Zachary Cotler and Magdalena Zyzak (USA) A famous writer claims on NPR that she intends to end her life and male writers may compete to become executor of her estate. Men drive up the mountain and are challenged intellectually and erotically until one discovers Maya’s end game. Cast: Lena Olin, Rosanna Arquette, Nathan Keyes Mukoku Directed by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (Japan) -UK Premiere Kengo Yatabe’s mother dies and his father is in a coma. He, like his father, was good at kendo. Those days are long gone and he now lofts around as a security guard and generally wastes time. Meeting the young Tooru, Kengo is inspired and decides to shape up. Cast: Atsuko Maeda, Jun Fubuki, Kaoru Kobayashi Noise Directed by Koichiro Miki (Japan) – European Premiere Eight years after the indiscriminate killing spree committed in Akihabara, two girls search for their role in life. Cast: Ayami Nakajo, Jun Shison, Yuta Koseki, Yosuke Sugino The Constitution Directed by Rajko Grlc (Croatia) – UK Premiere The story follows four people who live in the same building, but avoid each other because of the differences in their assets, sexual habits, nationality and religion. Cast: Nebojsa Glogovac, Dejan Acimovic, Ksenija Marinkovic Hello Again Directed by Tom Gustafson (USA) – UK Premiere Inspired by Arthur Schnitzler’s controversial 1896 play Der Reigen and the classic 1950 Max Ophuls film LA Ronde, in the early ’90s the Lincoln Center commissioned Broadway composer Michael John LaChiusa to create the musical Hello Again. This film adaptation explores 10 fleeting love affairs across 10 periods of time in New York City history, through 10 lust-fueled episodes. The Traveller Directed by Hadi Ghandour (France, Lebanon) – UK Premiere A travel agent who has never travelled is sent on a business trip to Paris, only to find himself confronted by temptations that he cannot handle. Swaying Mariko Directed by Koji Segawa (Japan) – International Premiere Mariko, a seemingly normal housewife, has been with her younger husband, Tomoharu, for six years but is dissatisfied daily. Despite having a son together, Tomoharu is often absent from home and she suspects that he might be having an affair. High & Outside: A Baseball Noir Directed by Evald Johnson (USA) – World Premiere In the streets of Los Angeles, a minor league baseball player recklessly claws to keep his dreams alive. Geoffrey Lewis, Phil Donlon, David Yow, Ernie Hudson, Jason Richter and Lindsey Haun star in this dark drama that explores the dangerous nature of living in someone else’s shadow. Black Hollow Cage Directed by Sadrac González-Perellón (Spain) – UK Premiere A girl who lives secluded in a house in the woods with only the company of her father and a wolfhound finds among the trees a mysterious cubic device with the ability to change the past. Djam Directed by Tony Gatlif (France) An emotionally charged storytelling style that spread from poor urban communities in Greece and Turkey to the islands of the Aegean.

    Best Documentary Feature

    The Family I Had Directed by Katie Green and Carlyle Rubin (USA) – UK Premiere In The Family I Had, a mother recalls how her brilliant teenage son came to shatter their idyllic family through one horribly violent and shocking act. Now left to pick up the pieces, the survivors test the boundaries of their newly defined reality in the moving true crime exploration of the nature and limits of familial love. Cast: Charity, Paris, Ella, Kyla RiverBlue: Can Fashion Save the Planet? Directed by David McIlvride and Roger Williams (Canada) – UK Premiere RiverBlue follows internationally celebrated river conservationist Mark Angelo on an around-the-world journey by river that uncovers the dark side of the fashion industry. Infiltrating one of the world’s most pollutive industries, and speaking with fashion designers and water protectors world-wide, RiverBlue reveals stunning and shocking images that will forever change the way we look at the clothes we wear. Cast: Jason Priestley On Yoga The Architecture of Peace Directed by Heitor Dhalia (Brazil, USA) – UK Premiere On Yoga: The Architecture of Peace is based on Michael O’Neill’s book of the same name. This project tells the story of the 10 years the author spent photographing Yoga’s great masters. By posing very human questions from our current perspective, and mixing it with elements of movement and experiential sound, the film results in a new view of the art of Yoga. Michael O’Neill, Edie Stern, Deepak Chopra, Mooji, Elena Brower Bluefin Directed by John Hopkins (Canada) – European Premiere Endangered giant bluefin tuna have returned to Prince Edward Island, Canada in surprising abundance after a disappearance from overfishing. But something strange is going on. With stunning cinematography, filmmaker John Hopkins’s acclaimed documentary explores the mystery of why normally wary bluefin tuna no longer fear humans and turning into pets. Cast: Dr. Carl Safina, Brian Skerry, Dr. Boris Worm, Capt. Jamie Bruce, Capt.Jeff MacNeill Speak Up Directed by Stéphane de Freitas and Ladj Ly (France) – UK Premiere Every year, at the University of Saint-Denis, a competition is held to decide “The Best Orator in the 93”. Any student can participate and many prepare with the help of professional advisors. Armed with new-found knowledge, Leïla, Elhadj, Eddy and the others face off in a bid to become the best orator in the 93. Cast: Leïla Alaouf, Souleïla Mahiddin, Eddy Moniot, Elhadj Touré

    The Discovery Award – Best Debut Feature

    A Trip to the Moon Directed by Joaquin Cambre, Argentina, UK Premiere Tomas is an outcast young teenager trying to pass an exam. His family is constantly pressing him and his mother forces him to take antipsychotic drugs. In his need to escape, Tomas plans an intriguing trip to the moon. In this particular journey where reality and fiction mingles, he will disentangle an old family secret. Cast: Ángelo Mutti Spinetta, Leticia Brédice, Germán Palacios, Ángela Torres, Luis Machín I Still Hide To Smoke Directed by Rayhana Obermeyer, France Fatima, a strong-minded woman, is the lead masseuse of a hammam in Algiers. This is 1995 and the situation is tense in the capital. The day ahead promises to be hectic for all, and for Fatima in particular. Already, while walking to her place of work, she is the distant witness of a terrorist attack. At the hammam, Fatima should feel better, but the atmosphere proves electric in her small enclosed world, she has great difficulty in maintaining order. Scaffolding Directed by Matan Yair (Israel, Poland) – UK Premiere 17-year-old Asher has always been the wild troublemaker at school. While his oppressive father sees him as a natural successor to his scaffolding business, Asher forges a special connection with Rami, his new literature teacher, and begins to glimpse new possibilities for himself. That is, until an unexpected tragedy occurs, and changes everything. Cast: Asher Lax, Ami Smolartchik, Jacob Chen Children of the Night Directed by Andrea De Sica (Italy) – UK Premiere Giulio, a seventeen-year-old from a well-to-do family, is sent to a boarding school. In this isolated place in the Alps, where iron-clad rules limit all contact with the outside, he makes friends with Edoardo, who is rather odd. Their friendship is sealed by frequent escapes at night, when the surveillance of the students seems to lapse. The Story of a Satellite Directed by Sonia Albert-Sobrinoa and Miriam Albert-Sobrino (Spain) – European Premiere Almost 20 years after losing his father to a freak satellite-related accident, Rafael, an undertaker, realizes that his whole life has been orbiting in the wrong direction. With the help of his own “Sancho Panza”, Melito, Rafael will begin a transformational journey that he could never have anticipated.

    Best UK Feature

    In Another Life Directed by Jason Wingard – World Premiere Our once beautiful homeland has become uninhabitable. Too dangerous to walk the streets, drive a car, visit friends. Many have already left Syria, risking their lives on the open water. Giving all we had to the ruthless opportunists who trade in the currency of human misery. Europe was meant to offer us hope. Cast: Mudar Abbara, Elie Haddad, Yousef Hayyan Jubeh, Toyah Frantzen Stooge Directed by Madeleine Farley – World Premiere Stooge is a feature documentary about Robert Pargiter, Iggy Pop’s No1 fan. It covers the three years leading up to his 50th birthday when he tries to track his hero down in a final absolution. His journey has taken him all over the world in search of redemption after years of struggling with addiction, and of celebrating the communal lust that is Rock’n Roll. Cast: Rober Pargiter, Pete Thellusson, Iggy Pop, Scott Asheton, Steve Mackay The Dark Mile Gary Love – UK Premiere “Deliverance” meets “Rosemary’s Baby” – The Dark Mile is a psychological thriller built around a strong central relationship of two very different yet sympathetic characters. A tense psychological horror-thriller, The Dark Mile blends The Wicker Man, Deliverance and Duel, to come up with a film rich in atmosphere and tension. London couple Louise and Clare (Rebecca Calder and Deirdre Mullins) book a sailing trip in the Highlands to recover from a personal tragedy. The location may be idyllic but soon they are tormented by a black industrial barge that follows them, and by the dysfunctional folk on board… Hints of the occult and paganism point to dark times ahead as tension mounts. Cast: Rebecca Calder, Deirdre Mullins, Finlay MacMillan, Paul Brannigan, Sheila Hancock Edie Directed by Simon Hunter Edith Moore (Edie) is a bitter, gruff woman in her eighties. Following her husband’s death, she decides to take herself off to the Highlands on a climbing trip that her father had planned for them many years before. Cast: Sheila Hancock, Kevin Guthrie, Amy Manson, Paul Brannigan Isolani Directed by R. Paul Wilson – World Premiere After witnessing a brutal murder, a young single mother becomes a pawn in a deadly game of deception. To protect her son and start a new life she must outwit an ambitious prosecutor, a corrupt detective and a desperate killer. Cast: Kate McLaughlin, Catriona Evans, Jim Sweeney, Gianni Capaldi, Atta Yaqub

    The Shorts

    Best International Short Film

    Game Directed by Jeannie Donohoe (USA) – UK Premiere A new kid in town shows up at the high school boys’ basketball tryouts and instantly makes an impression. Will talent and drive be enough to make the team? Cast: Rick Fox, Nicole Williams, Tye White, Jamie McShane, Charles Parnell Goddess Directed by Karishma Dube (India, USA) The film explores the reality of being a closeted lesbian in contemporary India. Tara, a feisty teenager begins to risks family and tradition as she pursues her attraction towards her housemaid, Devi. When they are caught together at a dinner party, Tara must suddenly define who she really is. Cast: Priyanka Bose, Aditi Vasudev, Tanvi Azmi Lethe Directed by Dea Kulumbegahsvili (France, Georgia) A lonely horseman wanders past the river of forgetfulness and through a rural Georgian village, where both children and adults explore life’s more instinctual pleasures. Cast: Dato Gogoladze, Vika Chocheva, Mikheil Gomiahsvili Mixtape Marauders Directed by Peter Edlund (USA) – International Premiere A nine-song visual mixtape following two young stoners into a world of mindless day jobs, petty drug deals and obsessive mixtape curation. Cast: Peter McNally, Ian Edlund, Emily Chisholm, Madeline Anderson Viola, Franca Directed by Marta Savina (Italy) – UK Premiere In 1965 Sicily, a 17 year-old girl single-handedly alters the course of Italian history with an unexpected act of defiance that causes a short circuit in her traditionalist community. Cast: Claudia Gusmano, Carlo Calderone, Ninni Bruschetta, Maurizio Puglisi

    Best UK Short Film

    Work Directed by Aneil Karia Jess is an 18 year-old from London balancing her responsibilities as a daughter with her ambitions of a career in dance. When she is confronted with just how cold and unjust life can be during a journey to work, her perspective of the world around her begins to shift. Cast: Jasmine Breinburg, Taurean Steele, Carl Prekopp Diagnosis Directed by Eva Riley – European Premiere Sally’s secretive evening job as a medical roleplay actress forces her to face up to feelings she thought she had under control. Cast: Charlotte Spencer CLA’AM Directed by Nathaniel Martello-White – European Premiere A dark, surreal comedy about a local man who becomes convinced that a vast conspiracy is behind the impossibly rapid gentrification in his London area. But is it all in his head, or is the truth even darker than he imagines? Cast: Joel Fry, Ivanno Jeremiah, Brian Bovell Wild Horses Directed by Rory Alexander Stewart Joan has been housebound with M.E. for most of her adolescence. Now in slow recovery, her urge for independence is causing friction with her mother. When Joan’s tutor encourages her to push herself she throws caution to the wind, leaving home in search of new experiences. And a horse. Cast: Emma Curtis, Emma Cater, Ainslie Henderson, Stephanie Compton 46.0 Directed by Joseph A. Adesunloye, World Premiere Friends Adam and Luke are the life of the party. When they decide that Luke should host a party at his house, what was meant to be a night of fun without responsibilities turns out to be a nightmare for Adam. Cast: Adam Strawford, Guetan Calvin-Elito, Michelle Tiwo, Amy Lynch

    The Virtual Reality

    Best Interactive Narrative VR Experience

    Life Of Us Directed by Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin (USA) Breathe fire, swim underwater, survive the Ice Age, and soar over volcanoes as you evolve through different creatures and a billion years of evolution in this action packed, multi-person VR adventure! Experience new voices, bodies, and special abilities before joining a post-singularity intergalactic dance party set to original music by Pharrell Williams. Created by Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin, with music by Pharrell Williams. A Within Original, produced by Chris Milk, Megan Ellison through her Annapurna Pictures, and Made with Unity. Manifest 99 Directed by Adam Volker and Bohdon Sayre (USA) – World Premiere Created by Flight School Studio, Manifest 99 is an eerie story about finding redemption in the afterlife. Set on a mysterious train, rambling through an unknown void, you assist four travel companions on their journey to their final destination. Using character engagement as a method of movement, Manifest 99 explores scale and navigation unlike any other interactive VR experience. Ray Directed by Rafael Pavón (Spain) – World Premiere Ray is a VR fairy tale created by Future Lighthouse. It combines 360º stereoscopic video, impressive visual effects and arresting soundtrack. Immerse yourself in Lucy’s room the night when Ray, a nosy beam of light, comes to play on her dreams. Ray is also an interactive experience where Ray is alive, and you can play with it using voice recognition and gestures. Cast: Laia Manzanares Treehugger: Wawona Directed by Robin McNicholas, Barney Steel and Ersin Han Ersin (UK) Treehugger: Wawona, the latest virtual reality installation from Marshmallow Laser Feast, reveals the secret life of the giant sequoia and never-before-seen inner workings of the world’s largest tree. Treehugger uniquely illustrates the sequoia’s immense scale and questions our relationship with the natural world at a time of crisis and change.

    Best Mobile Interactive VR Experience

    Horizons Directed by Yuli Levtov (UK) Horizons is a series of interactive VR music journeys where you control the music, and the music controls the world. Make an otherworldly jungle come alive with sound, or travel at breakneck speed through colourful hyperspace. Featuring music from Bonobo, Reuben Cainer and My Panda Shall Fly. In the Eyes of the Animal Directed by Robin McNicholas, Barney Steel and Ersin Han Ersin (UK) In the Eyes of the Animal allows you to explore the forest through the eyes of four woodland species. It is an artistic interpretation of how animals view the world and their living environment. The Unfinished Directed by Balthazar Auxietre (France) – International Premiere In the museum, at night, the statues come alive. Through flashbacks, the viewer is told the love story behind the unfinished statue in the center of the room, and gets to interact with it to finish the unfinished, and free the sculptures within. This majestic ballet in VR unfolds to the score of The Planets by Gustav Holst. Cast: Raphaelle Boitel, Pauline Journe, Tarek Aitmeddour Virtual Virtual Reality Directed by Samantha Gorman and Adam Veal (USA) – UK Premiere Created by Tender Claws, Virtual Virtual Reality is a meta-satire about VR in VR. Welcome to “Activitude”: Real Labor Like You’re Really There! Cater to the whims of A.I. clients, or put on VR headsets in VR to escape into Activitude’s layers of reality as Chaz, the A.I overlord, attempts to boot you out PERMANENTLY. Cast: Ted Evans, Jared Ramirez, Skip Pippo, Alice Winslow, Hugh Kennedy

    Best Cinematic Narrative VR Experience

    Alteration Directed by Jérome Blanquet (France) – UK Premiere Alexandro volunteers for an experiment carried out to study dreams in this poetic trip into the future. He can’t imagine that he will be subjected to the intrusion of Elsa, a form of Artificial Intelligence who desires to digitize his subconscious in order to feed off of it. Cast: Bill Skarsgard, Pom Klementieff, Lizzie Brocheré, Amira Casar Broken Night Directed by Alon Benari and Tal Zubalsky (USA) – UK Premiere A woman and her husband return home one evening to discover an intruder. As she recounts the events of that evening to a police detective, the viewer chooses which of her memories to follow. Exploring the nature of memory itself, Broken Night takes the viewer on a psychological journey to uncover the truth of what transpired. Cast: Emily Mortimer, Alessandro Nivola, Michael Nathanson, Josh Green The Tragic Story of Betty Corrigall Directed by Peter Boyd Maclean (UK) – European Premiere Abandoned by her whaler lover and left pregnant, Betty Corrigall drowned herself to escape her shame in the 1770s. Gather round the smoky peat fire to hear storyteller Tom Muir recall her tragic fate as Virtual Reality meets the centuries old tradition of oral storytelling. Cast: Betty Corrigall, Tom Muir, Barbara Scollay, Willy Sinclair, James Watson UTURN Directed by Nathalie Mathe and Ryan Lynch (USA) – European Premiere What happens when a young female coder joins a male-dominated floundering startup that’s deep in an identity crisis? UTURN is an immersive live-action VR comedy where viewers get to experience both sides of the gender divide. Cast: Sophia DiPaola, Steve Goldbloom, Marc Fong Jr., Wynton Odd, Shruti Tewari

    Best Documentary VR Experience

    First Impressions Directed by Francesca Panetta and Nicole Jackson (UK) Created by the Guardian VR team using the latest research in neural development and colour vision in infants, this 360º film allows you to experience and interact with the world from the point of view of a baby. It’s a period that none of us remember but is the most crucial stage of our development. Cast: Chetna Pandya, Natascha McElhone Iranian Kurdish Female Fighters Directed by Namak Khoshnaw (Iraq, UK) – World Premiere 17-year-old Aso Saqzi ran away from home in Iran to join the battle against the Islamic State. She is not alone. Hundreds of Iranian Kurds, many of them young women, have volunteered to defeat IS – and to fight for a Kurdish homeland. Songs of the Vine Directed by Maira Clancy and Blake Montgomery (USA, Peru) – European Premiere Songs of the Vine’ focuses on the healing modalities and medicine songs of the Shipibo, an indigenous group well-known for its tradition of plant-spirit shamanism and mastery of the visionary ayahuasca medicine. Through the immersion of VR, the film illustrates an ancient but increasingly relevant dynamic between humans and nature. Cast: Ynes Sanchez Gonzalez, Jose Lopez Sanchez, Lila Lopez Sanchez, Laura Lopez Sanchez, Damian Pacaya Rodriguez ¡Viva La Evolución! Directed by Fifer Garbesi (Cuba) – UK Premiere As American culture streams into Cuba for the first time in 50 years, DJ Joyvan Guevara struggles between the new opportunity for global success and a responsibility to the culture he helped build in the face of commercialization. Cast: Joyvan Guevara

    Best Animation VR Experience

    Arden’s Wake Directed by Eugene Chung (USA) – UK Premiere A young woman lives with her father in a lighthouse perched atop an Endless Sea. When he goes missing, she must descend deep into the post-apocalyptic waters previously forbidden to her, embarking on a thrilling journey of family history and self-discovery. From the creators of the magnificent Allumette, Arden’s Wake continues the elegant evolution of storytelling from Penrose Studios. Dear Angelica Directed by Wesley Allsbrook and Saschka Unseld (USA) -UK Premiere From Emmy Award winning Oculus Story Studio comes Dear Angelica, a journey through the magical and dreamlike ways we remember our loved ones. Entirely painted by hand inside of VR by artist Wesley Allsbrook, Dear Angelica plays out in a series of memories that unfold around you. An immersive, illustrative short story starring Geena Davis and Mae Whitman. Cast: Geena Davis, Mae Whitman Rain or Shine Directed by Felix Massie (UK) Rain or Shine is Nexus’ interactive 360° mobile VR short film made for Google Spotlight Stories. Directed by Felix Massie, Rain or Shine follows Ella, a charismatic young girl who loves being outside in the sunshine, but whenever she puts her sunglasses on all loveliness disappears – her very own raincloud appears above her head. Song of the Sea Directed by Jerrica Cleland and Tomm Moore (Ireland, UK, Denmark) – International Premiere The Song of the Sea Virtual Reality experience is inspired by our Oscar-nominated hand-drawn animated feature film Song of the Sea by Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon. Cast: Jon Kenny

    Best Music VR Experience

    Beethoven’s Fifth Directed by Jessica Brillhart (USA) A journey into interstellar space with a performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, First Movement by the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. Cast: Esa-Pekka Salonen Chapita: Mind Enterprises Directed by Eran Amir (UK) Chapita is brought to life in this VR experience combining an ambitious 360º storytelling experience with cinemagraphs and clonemotion technology. The result is an immersive narrative in which the dancer leads us into a multi-coloured world of choreographed dance loops, set against a backdrop of stark contrast that lends a sense of infinite space. Cast: Mimi Jeong Floating Points: Peroration Six Directed by Fabien Coupez (USA) – World Premiere Get blown away by the force of elements inside this stunning VR experience! Set in the middle of the iconic Utah desert, this mesmerizing live performance will take you on an incredible journey that will unleash the natural and supernatural elements. Cast: Sam Shepherd, David Okumu, Alex Reeve, Leo Taylor, Phillip Granell, Paloma Deike, Anisa Arslanagic, Magda Pietraszewska Reeps One: Does Not Exist Directed by John Hendicott and Gawain Liddiard (UK, USA) – UK Premiere Does Not Exist drops you into the centre of Reeps One’s first virtual reality beatbox performance – exploring the latest technology for VR and head-tracked 3D spatial audio. Working in 360º from the ground up, the track was composed to fully utilise the 360º sonic and visual space, creating a totally new style of music video. Cast: Reeps One  

    Best Branded VR Experience

    Manchester City – Match Day Directed by Adam May (UK) – World Premiere Get closer to the matchday action at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium in a new 360º fan experience. From the tunnel to the player, changing rooms to the grass being cut, experience a behind the scenes view of Etihad Stadium in full matchday action. A can’t-miss for football and sports fans across the world. Snatch VR Heist Experience Directed by Rafael Pavón and Nicolás Alcalá (Spain, USA) – UK Premiere Inspired by a real-life heist in London, Crackle’s new series, Snatch, centers on a group of twenty-something, up-and-coming hustlers who are suddenly thrust into the high-stakes world of organized crime. Cast: Rupert Grint, Phoebe Dynevor, Luke Pasqualino, Lucien Laviscount The Chainsmokers Paris VR Directed by Brynley Gibson and Russell Harding (UK) – European Premiere Go on an epic journey with Grammy-winning DJ Duo and The Chainsmokers as you travel through dreamlike environments. Influence new remixes of the hit song Paris based on the choices you make. Choose a new path each time you enter the experience, let the music engulf you as you lean into it, or simply lean back and enjoy the daydream. Cast: Drew Taggart, Alex Pall Welcome To Laphroaig Directed by Darren Emerson (UK) – World Premiere Created by VR City, this 360º film takes you on an epic journey into the heart of the historic Laphroaig whiskey distillery on the beautiful island of Islay.

    Best Sensual VR Experience

    Come! (Viens!) Directed by Michel Reilhac (France) Three women and four men, all naked, appear out of nowhere in the white, sunny space of a bright room outside of time. They meet, touch, share their energy, and are transformed spiritually, letting themselves become one with the world. Cast: Amador Jojo, Ayoti, Christophe De La Pointe, De La Fouquette, Flozif, Yumie Volupté, Fox In My Shoes: Intimacy Directed by Jane Gauntlett and Andrew Somerville (UK) In My Shoes: Intimacy is a 360º experience which explores the power of human connection. Put aside your inhibitions, let these strangers guide you through their impromptu, unconventional and intense moments of intimacy. Intimacy is a first-person documentary designed for two people to experience three encounters from six very different perspectives. Cast: Sarah Cowan, George Collie, Daniel James, Ellie Stamp, Neil Connolly, 
Stella Taylor Second Date Directed by Jennifer Lyon Bell, Netherlands (USA) – World Premiere Set on an Amsterdam houseboat, Second Date is a lighthearted, unscripted Virtual Reality portrait of two young people fumbling towards ecstasy. Trying to find common ground, their conversation veers from clumsy to joyous and back again – until they finally start connecting for real. Cast: Anne De Winter, Bishop Black Through You Directed by Saschka Unseld and Lily Baldwin (USA) Using dance to inhabit a common mortal story of love born, lived, lost, burned and seemingly gone forever, Through You is a live-action VR richly infused with an atmosphere of raw passion. Cast: Joanna Kotze, Amari Cheatom, Marni Thomas Wood

    Best Social Impact VR Experience

    42 Days Directed by Animal Equality (USA, Spain) Imagine you’ve just been born, but you have no mother to keep you warm. You are afraid. Just one chick among billions. And your life will only last until you’re big enough to slaughter. This is the stark reality for billions of young chickens around the world. Cast: Amanda Abbington Aftershock: Nepal’s Untold Water Story Directed by Catherine Feltham (UK) Two earthquakes. One lifeline. One man’s remarkable journey. This VR film follows Krishna, the only plumber in his district, as he works tirelessly to help repair his community’s vital water system which was damaged during the 2015 Nepal earthquakes. Cast: Krishna Sunuwar Munduruku: The Fight to Defend the Heart of the Amazon Directed by James Manisty and Grace Boyle (UK, Brazil) Combining cutting-edge Virtual Reality filmmaking and multisensory storytelling, Munduruku opens a window into the lives, stories and struggle of the Munduruku Indigenous People in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. You Are There. On the road to ending Polio Directed by Peter Collis and Vanessa Moussa (UK, USA, France, Switzerland) You Are There takes us to a Kenyan village to meet a nine-year-old boy, Job, infected with polio and Sabina, a dedicated vaccinator, on her travels to do whatever it takes to spare other children his fate. Cast: Ewan McGregor  

    Best Sound Design VR Experience

    Life Of Us Directed by Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin (USA) Breathe fire, swim underwater, survive the Ice Age, and soar over volcanoes as you evolve through different creatures and a billion years of evolution in this action packed, multi-person VR adventure! Experience new voices, bodies, and special abilities before joining a post-singularity intergalactic dance party set to original music by Pharrell Williams. Created by Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin, with music by Pharrell Williams. A Within Original, produced by Chris Milk, Megan Ellison through her Annapurna Pictures, and Made with Unity. Reeps One: Does Not Exist Directed by John Hendicott and Gawain Liddiard (UK, USA) – UK Premiere Does Not Exist drops you into the centre of Reeps One’s first virtual reality beatbox performance – exploring the latest technology for VR and head-tracked 3D spatial audio. Working in 360º from the ground up, the track was composed to fully utilise the 360º sonic and visual space, creating a totally new style of music video. Cast: Reeps One The Resistance of Honey Directed by Peter Boyd Maclean (UK) – UK Premiere Step inside the world of Bioni Samp, an urban beekeeper who makes honey–and music–from his bees. A fascinating, mind-expanding glimpse into the extraordinary world inside the beehive. Cast: Bioni Samp The Tragic Story of Betty Corrigall Directed by Peter Boyd Maclean (UK) – European Premiere Abandoned by her whaler lover and left pregnant, Betty Corrigall drowned herself to escape her shame in the 1770s. Gather round the smoky peat fire to hear storyteller Tom Muir recall her tragic fate as Virtual Reality meets the centuries old tradition of oral storytelling. Cast: Betty Corrigall, Tom Muir, Barbara Scollay, Willy Sinclair, James Watson

    The Web Series

    Best International Web Series

    The Adventures of A Broken Heart Directed by Ariel Martínez Herrera (Argentina) If the heart could talk, this would be its first television show. With the special appearances of Rabid Penis, Drunk Liver and Operated Kidney High Life Directed by Glen Dolman and Luke Eve (Australia) Genevieve, a very sensible, creative and overachieving 17-year-old student in a respectable, middle class family, seems to be having the perfect ride, until her sanity spectacularly unravels in her manic episode of Bipolar Disorder. Cast: Lily Hatwell, Ezekiel Simat, Di Adams The Break Up List Directed by Aaron Khoo (Singapore) When Luke Wong gets dumped by his girlfriend of 6 years, his whole world crumbles around him. Joe, his best buddy, is also abandoned by his girlfriend on the same day, leading the two set off on a journey to rebuild their lives and survive singlehood. Cast: Benjamin Kheng, Elliot Lucas Marcell Tan Jezebel Directed by Julien Bittner, France A mute musician in search of new inspiration after getting famous on the internet Cast: Hélène Kuhn, Martin Nissen Save Me Directed by Fab Filippo and Dylan Pearce (Canada) Save Me drops us into random lives, mid-sentence. We get to know people through storylines that unravel with humour and pathos and a built-in ticking time bomb – that one of them at some point will be blindsided by a medical emergency Cast: Fab Filippo, Amy Matysio, Suresh John Clash of the Narratives Directed by Robin Forestier-Walker Exploring what its like to be on two opposing sides of a narrative. Cast: Irma Inashvili, Tamara Chergoleishvili

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  • Pinoy HipHop Film RESPETO Wins 7 Awards at Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival

    2017 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival winners Alberto Monteras II’s RESPETO, an exploration of the Pinoy hiphop underground world where a young aspiring rapper and a Martial Law poet cross paths, won seven awards at the 13th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. Respeto won Best Film, Best Supporting Actor for Dido de La Paz, Best Sound, Best Editing, the 2017 NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) Award and the Audience Choice Award. The film shared the Best Cinematography Award with another full length feature Joseph Israel Laban’s film Baconaua. Baconaua, based on an actual story of how one morning after a particularly strong squall, a sleepy fishing village woke up to the astonishing sight of the sea that had turned red, won the Special Jury Prize and Best Direction awards. Angeli Bayani won Best Actress for her role in Bagahe by Zig Dulay while Noel Comia Jr. and Yayo Aguila landed the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress awards respectively for their work in Kiko Boksingero by Thop Nazareno. Bayani was hailed for her role as an OFW suspected of dumping a newborn child in the trash bin of an airplane toilet; Comia for his heartrending performance of a boy grieving for his mother while trying to win the love of his estranged father; and Aguila for her endearing portrayal of the nanny who tries to soothe her ward’s loneliness. Bagahe also won the Best Screenplay award for Zig Dulay while Kiko Boksingero bagged Best Musical Score for Pepe Manikan. Nabubulok won Best Production Design for Marxie Maolen Fadul. In the short feature category, the Best Film award went to Hilom by P.R. Patindol while Fatima Marie Torres and the Invasion of Space Shuttle Pinas 25 by Carlo Francisco Manatad won the Special Jury Prize. Aliens Ata by Karl Glenn Barit scooped up the 2017 NETPAC Award; Best Direction went to E Del Mundo for her Manong ng Pa-Aling and Duwi Monteagudo won Best Screenplay for Bawod. The Audience Choice Award was given to Marvin Cabangunay and Jaynus Olaivar’s Nakauwi Na. Best Short Film winner Hilom won Php150,000 cash award and the Cinemalaya Balanghai trophy. In this year’s Cinemalaya, nine films competed in the Full Length Feature category. These were: Ang Guro Kong Di Marunong Magbasa (My Teacher Who Doesn’t Know How To Read) by Perry Escaño; Ang Pamilyang Hindi Lumuluha (The Family That Doesn’t Weep) by Mes de Guzman;Baconaua by Joseph Israel Laban; Bagahe (The Baggage) by Zig Dulay; Nabubulok (The Decaying) by Sonny Calvento; Kiko Boksingero by Thop Nazareno; Requited by Nerissa Picadizo; Respeto by Alberto Monteras II; and, Sa Gabing Nanahimik ang mga Kuliglig (Clouds of Plague) by Iar Lionel Benjamin Arondaing. For the first time in Cinemalaya history, there were 12 short films, instead of the usual 10, that competed. These were: Aliens Ata (Maybe Aliens) by Karl Glenn Barit; Bawod (Bent) by TM Malones; Fatima Marie Torres and the Invasion of Space Shuttle Pinas 25 by Carlo Francisco Manatad; Hilom (Still) by P.R. Patindol; Islabodan (Free Men) by Juan Carlo Tarobal; Juana and the Sacred Shores by Antonne Santiago; Lola Loleng (Grandma Loleng) by Jean Cheryl Tagyamon;Manong ng Pa-Aling (Man of Pa-Aling) by E del Mundo; Maria by JP Habac Jr.; Nakauwi Na by Marvin Cabangunay and Jaynus Olaivar; Nakaw by Arvin Belarmino and Noel Escondo; and Sorry For The Inconvenience by Carl Adrian Chavez.

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