• Watch the Trailer + Poster for Award-Winning MARJORIE PRIME Starring Jon Hamm, Geena Davis

    Marjorie Prime FilmRise has released the poster and official trailer for the Sundance Film Festival award-winning drama Marjorie Prime, starring Jon Hamm, Geena Davis, Tim Robbins and Lois Smith.  The film, written and directed by Michael Almereyda will be released in New York City and Los Angeles on August 18th with national rollout to follow. Marjorie Prime Poster Eighty-six-year-old Marjorie spends her final, ailing days with a computerized version of her deceased husband. With the intent to recount their life together, Marjorie’s “Prime” relies on the information from her and her kin to develop a more complex understanding of his history. As their interactions deepen, the family begins to develop ever diverging recounts of their lives, drawn into the chance to reconstruct the often painful past. Built around exceptional performances from a veteran cast, Marjorie Prime shines a light on an often-obscured corner in the world of artificial intelligence and its interactions with mortality. Bringing us robustly into the future, Michael Almaryeda’s poetic film forces us to face the question—If we had the opportunity, how would we choose to rebuild the past, and what would we decide to forget? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7PtcOLJDco

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  • Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” to Open HollyShorts Film Festival

    Full Metal Jacket Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam war masterpiece “Full Metal Jacket” will open this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival on August 10.  The opening night festivities will coincide with the iconic feature’s thirtieth anniversary — the film first bowed back in June of 1987 — and star Matthew Modine will be on hand to participate in a special post-screening Q&A. Kubrick’s instant classic depiction of Vietnam — and really, war in general — was based on Gutav Hasford’s novel “The Short-Timers,” which Kubrick sparked to after seeking material for a war film for years. The film stars Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Arliss Howard, Kevyn Major Howard, and Ed O’Ross and follows a motley crew of Marines as they train for and eventually go to battle in Vietnam. The film was a lauded success, and earned an Oscar nod for Best Adapted Screenplay. The actor has also offered to display his own personal collection of behind-the-scenes photos from the making of the film, which will be available for viewing at Hollywood’s Chinese Theater during the run of the festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j3_iPskjxk

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  • Michael Jackson-Themed SHEIKH JACKSON will Close Toronto Film Fest Special Presentation Program

    Sheikh Jackson The World Premiere of Sheikh Jackson, written and directed by Amr Salama, will be the Closing Night film of the Special Presentation program of the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.  Sheikh Jackson tells the story of a young imam and former Michael Jackson devotee who falls into a tailspin following the news of the King of Pop’s death. “We couldn’t be happier to have Sheikh Jackson close the Special Presentations program and to welcome Amr Salama to TIFF for its World Premiere,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “With this film he has provided a deeply personal look at one man’s life through the lens of the passing of his larger-than-life hero. Film lovers can expect a tender and moving account of fandom and faith and their influence on the more intimate aspects of our lives.” “I’m thrilled to have this film premiere at such a prestigious festival,” said Amr Salama, writer and director, Sheikh Jackson. “Though this film was a collaborative effort, it’s my most personal film to date. It’s about faith, identity, self-discovery and embracing one’s contradictions.” Sheikh Jackson is produced by Mohamed Hefzy and Hani Osama. The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.

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  • Cinematographer José Luis Alcaine to Receive Vision Award at Locarno Festival

    José Luis Alcaine The Locarno Festival will honor cinematographer José Luis Alcaine with the Vision Award TicinoModa, the prize dedicated to those who have used their talents to trace new perspectives in the world of film. José Luis Alcaine, noted for his strong colors and photography that highlights shade and form while remaining always believable, even at extremely high contrast, has worked with some of the most important and influential auteurs in Spanish and international filmmaking. He made five films with Pedro Almodóvar, from the cult movie Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988) to Átame!(1989), from La mala educacíon (2004) to La piel que habito (2011), as well as Volver (2006). In the 1980s he was involved in many of the films, which hallmarked the originality of Spanish cinema of the decade, from El sur (Victor Erice, 1983) to Tasio(Montxo Armendáriz, 1984), from Los paraísos perdidos (Basilio Martín Patino, 1985) to El viaje a ninguna parte (Fernando Fernán Gómez, 1986). Further fundamental collaborations in his career were those with Vicente Aranda, with whom he made a dozen films, including Amantes (1991), and, again in Spain, with Fernando Trueba (El sueño del mono loco, 1989 and Belle Epoque, 1992), with Carlos Saura (¡Ay, Carmela!, 1990 and Sevillanas, 1992) and Bigas Luna (Jamón Jamón, 1992, Huevos de oro, 1993 and La teta y la luna, 1994). Outside Spain, apart from his various forays in the U.S., Alcaine worked several times with Italian filmmakers, directing photography for Alberto Lattuada (Così come sei, 1978), Fabio Carpi (BarbablùBarbablù, 1987) and Giovanni Veronesi (Il mio West, 1998). He is currently engaged on set for Domino, the new thriller by Brian De Palma, with whom he previously made Passion (2012), and on a new project by Asghar Farhadi, with Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz. Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director: “Cinema as seduction and entertainment, mystery and comedy (of life): the lengthy career of José Luis Alcaine is rich in just the ingredients that we try to encourage at Locarno. Film is not just storytelling but first and foremost a gaze on the world, and that world sees the light thanks to artists like Alcaine who can impress upon film – and now on digital formats – both the tints and shadows of human skin and the extraordinary work of actors and art designers. The Vision Award to Alcaine is not just a tribute to a long and successful career, but also an opportunity to meet with one of the most skilled professionals working today; a man who can both illuminate an erotic film and give a lecture on the rapport between Picasso’s painting Guernica and Frank Borzage’s A Farewell to Arms, revealing his profound awareness of film history.” José Luis Alcaine will receive the Vision Award TicinoModa in Piazza Grande on Thursday August 10. He will also be holding a Master Class on Friday August 11 at the PalaVideo at 3.30 pm. The Festival tribute will include a screening of the films La piel que habito (Pedro Almodovar, 2011), Passion (Brian De Palma, 2012), Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Pedro Almodóvar, 1988) and Belle Epoque (Fernando Trueba, 1992). In previous years the Locarno Festival has conferred the Vision Award, introduced in 2013, on Douglas Trumbull (2013), Garrett Brown (2014), Walter Murch (2015) and Howard Shore (2016). The 70th Locarno Festival will be held from August 2 to 12, 2017.

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  • World Premiere of Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano’s C’EST LA VIE! to Close Toronto International Film Festival

    C’est la vie!, Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano The World Premiere of C’est la vie!, written and directed by award-winning filmmakers Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, will be the Closing Night Gala of the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.  The film starring Gilles Lellouche, Suzanne Clément, Eye Haïdara, and Jean-Pierre Bacri will screen at Roy Thomson Hall on September 16. “We are proud to announce C’est la vie! as this year’s Closing Night film,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “The filmmakers have truly captured the love, laughter, and often chaos that goes into planning our most important milestones, giving audiences a unique point of view to what our lives could look like to people from the outside.” “Nakache and Toledano make films that the whole world has embraced. We’re thrilled to welcome them back with their latest,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “This will be a terrific way for Toronto to close out the Festival.” “We are excited to be back at TIFF to present C’est la vie! for the Closing Night film,” stated Nakache and Toledano. “We loved the experience we had at the Festival with Samba and are looking forward to meeting the audience again.” C’est la vie! tells the story of Max, who has begun to grow tired after running his catering company for 30 years. While planning a large wedding for clients Pierre and Helena, a series of mishaps upends a very tight schedule, and every instant of happiness and emotion could veer into disaster and chaos. From the preparations to daybreak, we get a behind-the-scenes look at a wedding party through the eyes of the people working the event. They will all have to count on their one common quality: knowing how to throw a good party! The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.

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  • Mohamed Diab’s CLASH, Egypt’s Street Protest Drama, to Open in Theaters August 25 | Trailer

    CLASH Mohamed Diab’s CLASH, a film set entirely within the confines of a police van in Cairo, Egypt, two years after the Arab Spring, will get a release in the US beginning late August, 2017. An official selection at Cannes, London, Cairo, and Palm Springs film festivals, among others, CLASH will open at New York’s Village East Cinema on Friday, August 25, 2017, before a national rollout during the fall. CLASH Poster Dramatizing the mass protests and political unrest after the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi by the Egyptian army, CLASH takes viewers inside a society struggling with violent street protests – and in a state of chaotic breakdown. Stuck together in a small moving cell, journalists, elderly men and women, teenagers, and demonstrators from opposing political, ideological and religious affiliations, are forced to work together in order to face police brutality and stifling heat. Furthermore, as the general public grows increasingly angry and threatens to harm the police (and even those arrested by them, often mistaking diverse groups as a single enemy faction), it becomes pressing for them to find a way out. But can the detainees overcome their differences? Can Egypt build a new social order in the face of internal violence and the breakdown of its democratic institutions? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmcXa2MaKw4

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  • Films by Angelina Jolie, George Clooney Among Gala + Special Presentation Films for Toronto Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_23266" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]First They Killed My Father Angelina Jolie First They Killed My Father – Angelina Jolie[/caption] The Toronto International Film Festival today unveiled the first round of titles premiering in the Gala and Special Presentations programs of the 42nd edition of the festival, taking place from September 7 to 17, 2017. Of the 14 Galas and 33 Special Presentations, this first announcement includes 25 World Premieres, eight International Premieres, six North American Premieres and eight Canadian Premieres. “Festival-goers from around the world can anticipate a remarkable lineup of extraordinary stories, voices and cinematic visions from emerging talent and some of our favorite masters,” said Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF. “Today’s announcement offers audiences a glimpse at this year’s rich and robust selection of films, including works from Canada, USA, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, India, Chile, Egypt and Cambodia.” “Every year we set the stage for film lovers of all ages and cultural backgrounds to come together and embrace the universal power of cinema,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “As the Festival enters its fifth decade, we’ve challenged ourselves to adapt and build on our strengths, and we look forward to championing a new selection of films that will captivate and inspire global film audiences.”

    GALAS 2017

    Breathe Andy Serkis, United Kingdom World Premiere The Catcher Was A Spy Ben Lewin, USA World Premiere *Closing Night Film* C’est la vie! Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano, France World Premiere Darkest Hour Joe Wright, United Kingdom Canadian Premiere Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool Paul McGuigan, United Kingdom Canadian Premiere Kings Deniz Gamze Ergüven, France/Belgium World Premiere Long Time Running Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Canada World Premiere Mary Shelley Haifaa Al Mansour, Ireland/United Kingdom/Luxembourg/USA World Premiere The Mountain Between Us Hany Abu-Assad, USA World Premiere Mudbound Dee Rees, USA International Premiere Stronger David Gordon Green, USA World Premiere Untitled Bryan Cranston/Kevin Hart Film Neil Burger, USA World Premiere The Wife Björn Runge, United Kingdom/Sweden World Premiere Woman Walks Ahead Susanna White, USA World Premiere

    SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2017

    Battle of the Sexes Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton, USA International Premiere BPM (Beats Per Minute) Robin Campillo, France North American Premiere The Brawler Anurag Kashyap, India World Premiere The Breadwinner Nora Twomey, Canada/Ireland/Luxembourg World Premiere Call Me By Your Name Luca Guadagnino, Italy/France Canadian Premiere Catch the Wind Gaël Morel, France International Premiere The Children Act Richard Eyre, United Kingdom World Premiere The Current War Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, USA World Premiere Disobedience Sebastián Lelio, United Kingdom World Premiere Downsizing Alexander Payne, USA Canadian Premiere A Fantastic Woman Sebastián Lelio, Chile Canadian Premiere First They Killed My Father Angelina Jolie, Cambodia Canadian Premiere The Guardians Xavier Beauvois, France World Premiere Hostiles Scott Cooper, USA International Premiere The Hungry Bornila Chatterjee, India World Premiere I, Tonya Craig Gillespie, USA World Premiere *Special Presentations Opening Film* Lady Bird Greta Gerwig, USA International Premiere mother! Darren Aronofsky, USA North American Premiere Novitiate Maggie Betts, USA International Premiere Omerta Hansal Mehta, India World Premiere Plonger Mélanie Laurent, France World Premiere The Price of Success Teddy Lussi-Modeste, France International Premiere Professor Marston & the Wonder Women Angela Robinson, USA World Premiere The Rider Chloé Zhao, USA Canadian Premiere A Season in France Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, France World Premiere The Shape of Water Guillermo del Toro, USA Canadian Premiere *Special Presentations Closing Film* Sheikh Jackson Amr Salama, Egypt World Premiere The Square Ruben Östlund, Sweden North American Premiere Submergence Wim Wenders, France/Germany/Spain World Premiere Suburbicon George Clooney, USA North American Premiere Thelma Joachim Trier, Norway/Sweden/France/Denmark International Premiere Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Martin McDonagh, USA North American Premiere Victoria and Abdul Stephen Frears, United Kingdom North American Premiere

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  • Director Barry Jenkins Among Keynotes and Featured Speakers Announced for 2018 SXSW

    [caption id="attachment_18082" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]MOONLIGHT director Barry Jenkins MOONLIGHT director Barry Jenkins[/caption] Academy Award-winning writer and director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, Medicine for Melancholy) is among the Keynotes and Featured Speakers announced today for the 2018 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals, taking place March 9 to 18, 2018. “We are overjoyed to invite Barry Jenkins back to SXSW as a Film Keynote having presented the world premiere of his first feature, Medicine for Melancholy, in 2008,” said Janet Pierson, Director of Film. “Moonlight is a magnificent piece of work, transcendent, and made on his own terms. We couldn’t be happier for his success and to have this remarkable artist with such a generous soul return to SXSW.”

    Keynotes

    Barry Jenkins (Film Keynote) – Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins feature film debut, Medicine for Melancholy (which had its world premiere at SXSW in 2008) was hailed as one of the best films of 2009 by The New York Times. Jenkins received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his second feature Moonlight, which won Best Picture at both the Oscars and the Golden Globes (Drama). His upcoming projects include adaptations of If Beale Street Could Talk and The Underground Railroad. Esther Perel (Interactive Keynote) – Psychotherapist Esther Perel is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern love. Fluent in nine languages, she holds a therapy practice in New York City and serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Her celebrated TED talks have garnered more than 18 million views and her bestseller Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence became a global phenomenon translated into 24 languages. Her recent book, The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity, is another example of her bold synthesis of complex cultural shifts. whurley (Convergence Keynote) – whurley is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and the founder of Honest Dollar, a fintech company Goldman purchased in 2016. He is the Chair of the Quantum Standards Working Group at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). His latest book Endless Impossibilities brings the realities of a quantum future into the present, helping readers understand and prepare for the coming age of quantum computing.

    Featured Speakers

    Bob Richards (Intelligent Future) – Bob Richards is a space entrepreneur and futurist. He is a Co-Founder of the International Space University, Singularity University, SEDS, the Space Generation Foundation, and Moon Express, Inc., a space transportation and lunar resources company located at Cape Canaveral, where he currently serves as President and CEO. Ingrid Vanderveldt (Startup & Tech Sectors) – Ingrid Vanderveldt is the Chairman and CEO of Empowering a Billion Women by 2020 (EBW2020). Previously, she was the first Entrepreneur-in-Residence (“EIR”) for Dell Inc. where she oversaw entrepreneurial initiatives worldwide helping to build a $250 million business segment and founded the $125M Dell Innovators Credit Fund, Dell Founders Club, and the Dell Center for Entrepreneurs during her 3-year term. Cleo Wade (Social Impact) – Cleo Wade, an outspoken artist, speaker, poet, and the author of a forthcoming book, is an inspiring voice in today’s world for gender and race equality. She creates motivating messages, blending simplicity with positivity, femininity and arresting honesty. Her poems, accessible yet empowering, speak to a greater future for all women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community, preaching love, acceptance, justice, and peace. Amy Webb (Startup & Tech Sectors) – Amy Webb is an author, futurist and Founder of the Future Today Institute, a strategic foresight and futures forecasting company that advises the world’s leading businesses and governments. Forbes named Amy one of the world’s preeminent thinkers on the future impacts of technology.

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  • 7 Feature Films to Compete at 2017 Venice International Film Critics’ Week

    [caption id="attachment_23259" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Pin Cushion Pin Cushion[/caption] The 2017 Venice International Film Critics’ Week will screen a selection of seven debut films in competition and two special events out of competition, all presented in world premiere screenings. The Venice International Film Critics’ Week is an independent and parallel section organized by the National Union of Italian Film Critics (SNCCI) during the 74th Venice International Film Festival running August 30th to September 9th, 2017. The selection is curated by the General Delegate of the Venice Critics’ Week Giona A. Nazzaro together with the members of the selection committee Luigi Abiusi, Alberto Anile, Beatrice Fiorentino and Massimo Tria. 2017 Venice International Film Critics' Poster The DC Comics and Marvel Comics illustrator Carmine Di Giandomenico designed the futuristic cinematic muse for the 32nd edition of the independent sidebar dedicated to debut feature films. The 2017 Venice International Film Critics’ Week official selection includes:

    COMPETITION

    IL CRATERE | CRATER by Luca Bellino, Silvia Luzi (Italy) DRIFT by Helena Wittmann (Germany) LES GARÇONS SAUVAGES| THE WILD BOYS by Bertrand Mandico (France) KÖRFEZ | THE GULF by Emre Yeksan (Turkey, Germany, Greece) SARAH JOUE UN LOUP GAROU | SARAH PLAYS A WEREWOLF by Katharina Wyss (Switzerland, Germany) TEAM HURRICANE by Annika Berg (Denmark) TEMPORADA DE CAZA | HUNTING SEASON by Natalia Garagiola (Argentina, USA, Germany, France, Qatar)

    SPECIAL EVENTS – OUT OF COMPETITION

    Opening Film PIN CUSHION by Deborah Haywood (United Kingdom) Closing Film VELENO | POISON – THE LAND OF FIRES by Diego Olivares (Italy)

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  • Fred Hammond and Felonious Munk Among Special Guests at Capital City Black Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_23255" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Fred Hammond Fred Hammond[/caption] Grammy-winning gospel music legend Fred Hammond; and comedian, actor, Felonious Munk are among the special guests appearing at this year’s Capital City Black Film Festival (CCBFF). On Saturday, August, 19th at 4:00pm, CCBFF will present, “A Conversation with Fred Hammond,” including an extended trailer featuring never-before-seen footage of Hammond’s new film, “The Choir.” This is not the first move from stage to screen for the multi-talented artist; Hammond was Executive Producer of the 2005 film, “The Gospel,” starring Boris Kojo, Nona Gaye, Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams, Hezekiah Walker and Martha Munizzi. After the extended trailer screening of “The Choir,” film fans will engage in a talkback session with Hammond about his movie. On Saturday, August, 19th at 8:00pm, the 5th Annual Capital City Black Film Festival Awards will be hosted by celebrated comedian Felonious Munk, whose standup is in demand across the country. This is the first Austin appearance for Munk, who has headlined legendary venues such as Second City, The Laugh Factory and the New York Comedy Club. “To have artists of the caliber of Fred Hammond and Felonious Munk participate in this year’s festival is a tremendous honor,” said Winston G. Williams, Executive Director of the Capital City Black Film Festival. “This is the beauty of CCBFF: whether well known, like Fred and Felonious, or soon to be well known, like the filmmakers who attend, all are welcome as part of the CCBFF family.” The 2017 Capital City Black Film Festival will take place Thursday, August 17th, through Sunday, August 20th, at the Austin Convention Center (4th Floor) in Austin, Texas.

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  • Edgar Wright, Rebecca Hall, John Landis Among Venice International Film Festival Jury

    [caption id="attachment_23250" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Rebecca Hall, Christine Rebecca Hall in Christine[/caption] The Venice International Film Festival has selected the members of the four international Juries (Venezia 74, Orizzonti, “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for Best Debut Film, Venice Virtual Reality) for the upcoming 74th edition taking place August 30 to September 9, 2017. The Presidents of the four Juries are Annette Bening, Gianni Amelio, John Landis and Benoît Jacquot

    Venezia 74

    In addition to the president, actress Annette Bening, the members are: The Hungarian director and screenwriter Ildikó Enyedi; she won the Golden Camera for Best Debut Film at Cannes for MyTwentieth Century; the movie was included on the list of the 12 best Hungarian films of all time. She participated In Competition in Venice in 1994 with Magic Hunter and in Locarno in 1999 with Simon the Magician. Her most recent film, On Body and Soul, won the Golden Bear in Berlin in 2017. The director, producer and screenwriter Michel Franco. Born and raised in Mexico he has made five feature films, four of which were presented in Cannes. Después de Lucía and Las hijas de Abril won Best Film and the Special Jury Prize in Un Certain Regard, respectively. Chronic, presented In Competition, won Best Screenplay. He produced Desde allá by Lorenzo Vigas, which won the Golden Lion in Venice in 2015. The British actress Rebecca Hall; she spends her time between Great Britain and the United States, where she has worked with directors such as Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen, thanks to whom she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. She has also appeared in The Town, A Promise and Iron Man 3. She received critical acclaim and major international awards for her performance in Christine. The actress Anna Mouglalis is an iconic figure of French art house cinema. At a very young age, she appeared in La captive (2000) by Chantal Akerman. She became famous in Italy thanks to her role in Romanzo criminale (2005) by Michele Placido. She spends her time between Italy and France, making art house films with directors such as Arnaud Desplechin, Mario Martone and Philippe Garrel, and she is in the cast of Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque), a protagonist at the 2011 César awards. The Anglo-Australian film critic David Stratton; he directed the Sydney Film Festival for almost twenty years and has been a member of the jury at major film festivals all over the world, including Venice, Cannes and Berlin. Stratton collaborated with Variety for twenty years and he has produced and hosted important television programs about cinema. The actress Jasmine Trinca; she is one of the most important Italian actresses of her generation. She has appeared in films by important directors such as Nanni Moretti, Marco Tullio Giordana, Michele Placido and Taviani brothers. In 2009, she won the Marcello Mastroianni Award in Venice for The Big Dream and in 2017 she was awarded Best Actress in Un Certain Regard at Cannes for Fortunata. She has also won two Silver Ribbons. The English director and screenwriter Edgar Wright; he is the director of the iconic “Three Flavours Cornetto” Trilogy, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, started with Shaun of the Dead (2004), which revitalized genre parodies. In 2010, he directed Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, an original experiment overlapping film and comics. At the moment, his film Baby Driver is receiving acclaim in the American theaters and it will be released in Italy on September 7th. The director, producer and screenwriter Yonfan; world traveler, active across China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, he has written, directed and produced all thirteen of his own movies, including Breaking the Willow (2003) and Prince of Tears (2009), both of which were presented in Venice, the latter film in Competition; he also participated in the project Venezia 70 – Future Reloaded. He has worked with the top Hong Kong stars, including Maggie Cheung, Chow Yung-fat and Daniel Wu, who became well-known for his role in Bishonen. The Jury for the Venezia 74 Competition will award the following official prizes: Golden Lion for Best Film; Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize; Silver Lion for Best Director; Coppa Volpi for Best Actor; Coppa Volpi for Best Actress; Award for Best Screenplay; the Special Jury Prize and “Marcello Mastroianni” Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress.

    Orizzonti

    The members of the International Jury of the Orizzonti section are: The Italian director Gianni Amelio (President of the Jury). He debuted in feature films with Colpire al cuore (1982), which participated In Competition in Venice, where he won the Golden Lion in 1998 with Così ridevano; he returned to Venice three more times. Other films of his include The Stolen Children (Grand Prize of the Jury in Cannes in 1992), Lamerica and The Keys to the House. This year, La tenerezza received the Silver Ribbon for Best Film. Rakhshan Banietemad is one of Iran’s most important filmmakers, the director of numerous documentaries and fiction films such as Under the Skin of the City and Our Times, fundamental works of Iranian cinema. In 1995, The Blue Veiled won the Bronze Leopard in Locarno, while Taleswon Best Screenplay at Venice 71. The American director Ami Canaan Mann. She has directed three feature films. She debuted in 2001 with Morning; in 2011 she presented Texas Killing Fields In Competition in Venice, where she returned three years later with Jackie & Ryan, selected for the Orizzonti section. She has directed episodes for several TV series such as Robbery Homicide Division and, most recently, Shots Fired and Sneaky Pete. The Irish-Scottish director, screenwriter and curator Mark Cousins. He has made many documentaries and is particularly famous for his monumental The Story of Film: An Odyssey, a 930-minute journey through the history of cinema. He has also made short films and experimental works, and is a university professor and essayist. He directed his first fiction film, Stockholm, My Love, in 2016. The Argentine screenwriter, architect and artistic curator Andrés Duprat. He wrote the screenplays of El artista (2008), El hombre de al lado (2010), Querida voy a comprar cigarrillos y vuelvo (2011) and El ciudadano ilustre (2016), all of which were directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat. El ciudadano ilustre allowed Oscar Martínez to winthe Coppa Volpi in Venice. Duprat is the curator of the Pavilion of Argentina at the 57th International Art Exhibition of the Biennale di Venezia. The Belgian director and screenwriter Fien Troch. She debuted in feature films in 2005 with Someone Else’s Happiness, presented in Toronto, where she returned with her next film, Unspoken. Her most recent movie, Home, won Best Director in the Orizzonti section in Venice in 2016. Rebecca Zlotowski is a French screenwriter and the director of three feature films. Her first movie, Belle épine, was presented in 2010 in Cannes, where she returned in 2013 with Grand Central in Un Certain Regard. Planetarium, her 2016 film starring Natalie Portman, was presented Out of Competition in Venice. The Jury of the Orizzonti section will award the following prizes, with no ex-aequo (tie) permitted: Orizzonti Award for Best Film; Orizzonti Award for Best Director; Special Orizzonti Jury Prize; Orizzonti Award for Best Actor; Orizzonti Award for Best Actress; Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay; Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film.

    “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film – Lion of the Future

    The members of the International Jury of the “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film – Lion of the Future are: The French director and screenwriter Benoît Jacquot (President of the Jury). He has participated several times In Competition at the Venice Film Festival, with Le septième ciel in 1997; Pas de scandale in 1999; L’intouchable in 2006, for which the film’s protagonist Isild Le Besco received the Marcello Mastroianni Award; and 3 coeurs in 2014. The British author, professor, interviewer and film programmer Geoff Andrew. He has been the editor and lead writer of Time Out and a regular contributor to Sight & Sound for many years. Andrew was the head programmer at the National Film Theatre (now BFI Southbank) and a programming consultant for the London Film Festival. Albert Lee is one of the most experienced and versatile figures in Hong Kong’s film industry. He has worked as producer with directors such as Herman Yau, Dante Lam, Benny Chan and Jeff Lau. He is well-known for his long-standing collaboration with the Chinese director Jiang Wen, which began in 2007 with The Sun Also Rises, presented In Competition in Venice. The Italian actress Greta Scarano. She starred in the film Senza nessuna pietà by Michele Alhaique, presented in Venice in 2014 in the Orizzonti section. She received the Silver Ribbon and the Golden Ciak as the discovery of the year for her performance in Suburra by Stefano Sollima. Greta Scarano plays Elisa in Sky’s cult TV series In Treatment. Yorgos Zois is a Greek director who has worked as an assistant to Theo Angelopoulos. His first short, Casus Belli, was presented in 2010 in Venice, where he returned two years later with Out of Frame, which was nominated at the 2012 European Film Award and also received several other international awards. His first feature film, Interruption, was presented in the Orizzonti section in 2015. The Jury will award, with no ex-aequo awards (tie) permitted, the Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film to one of the debut feature-length films selected from the various competition sections of the Venice Film Festival (Official Selection and Independent and Parallel Sidebars). The Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film comes with a cash prize of 100,000 USD donated by Filmauro, to be divided equally between the director and the producer.

    Venice Virtual Reality

    The members of the International Jury of the Venice Virtual Reality section are: The director John Landis (President of the Jury), a key figure in American cinema for the past forty years.  Landis has influenced generations of filmmakers with his movies, which include Animal House, The Blues Brothers, An American Werewolf in London, Trading Places. Into the Night, one of his most famous movies, will be screened in its restored version in Venice this year. In 2008 Landis was a jury member for the Competition at the 65th Venice Film Festival. The French screenwriter and director Céline Sciamma. Naissance des pieuvres, her first film, was presented in Cannes in 2007, as was Bande de filles seven years later. She became famous with her second feature film, Tomboy, presented in Berlin and the winner of many awards. Her screenplays include Ma vie de courgette, which received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. The actor and director Ricky Tognazzi. He won a Silver Bear for Best Director with Ultrà, tying with The Silence of the Lambs, and a David di Donatello in the same category, a feat he repeated two years later with La scorta, which participated In Competition in Cannes. In 2011, he presented Tutta colpa della musica in Venice. He has performed in movies such as Una storia semplice and Caruso Pascoski di padre polacco. The Jury of Venice Virtual Reality will award, with no ex-aequo awards (tie) permitted, the following prizes: Best VR Film, Grand VR Jury Prize, Best VR Creativity Award.

    Venezia Classici

    Italian director Giuseppe Piccioni (Not of This World, Light of My Eyes, These Days) will chair the Jury of Cinema History Students which will award the Venezia Classici Award for the Best Restored Film and the Best Documentary On Cinema.

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  • VIDEO: Watch The First 3 Minutes of Flying Lotus’ ‘Weird’ ‘Gross’ KUSO

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    KUSO A Film By Steve (aka Flying Lotus) Check out the first 3 minutes of Kuso, the ‘weird’ ‘gross’ movie that reportedly had audience members walking out of the theater, when it premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. Broadcasting through a makeshift network of discarded televisions, KUSO depicts the aftermath of Los Angeles’s worst earthquake nightmare. Viewers travel between screens and aftershocks into the twisted lives of the survived, experiencing a hallucination that is half-Cronenberg, half-Ren & Stimpy. The debut film from acclaimed producer and rapper Flying Lotus, KUSO is a blistering, fever dream of filmmaking that uses music, special effects and animation to take a unique look at the dark history of America. KUSO marks the feature directorial debut from Steve, the filmmaking alter-ego of Steve Ellison, better known as music producer, DJ and rapper Flying Lotus. Ellison’s name has become synonymous with creative innovation, having released five seminal studio albums, a slew of audio-visual marvels and, in the process, gaining two Grammy nominations including one for his work on Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly”. Produced by Eddie Alcazar, and featuring Hannibal Buress (NEIGHBORS, Broad City), Anders Holm (Workaholics, The Mindy Project), Tim Heidecker (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Eastbound and Down), and iconic Funk musician George Clinton, the film also includes an original score and musical collaborations with Aphex Twin and Akira Yamaoka. The film is now playing in theaters in Los Angeles and on SHUDDER. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yodbDPX0DO0

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