Chavela, directed by Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi, is the captivating portrait of barrier-breaking Mexican ranchera singer Chavela Vargas whose international fame peaked after a triumphant return to the stage at the age of 71. The film will open at Film Forum in New York on Wednesday October 4th and at the Nuart in Los Angeles on October 6. A national release will follow.
Born in Costa Rica in 1919, Chavela Vargas ran away to Mexico City as a teenager to sing in the streets. By the 1950s she had become a darling of the city’s thriving bohemian club scene, delivering her performances with a raw passion and unique voice. Challenging mainstream Mexican morals by dressing in pants, drinking tequila, and smoking cigars while singing love songs intended for men to woo women and refusing to change the pronouns, Chavela was a bold, rebellious, sexual pioneer who defied gender and sexuality stereotypes at a time when being “out” was often dangerous.
Chavela, winner of the Documentary Grand Jury Prize and the Best Documentary Feature Audience Award at Outfest, and winner of the Audience Award at Frameline (San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival), and Official Selection at 2017 Berlin International Film Festival, HotDocs and Seattle International Film Festival, centers around a 1991 interview–the singer’s first public appearance after 12 hard years lost to alcoholism and heartbreak. Her amazing comeback began when Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, who had featured her music in many of his films, played an instrumental role in elevating her career to international acclaim. Whenever he introduced her to the public, he would kneel down to kiss the stage before she performed at renowned venues like New York’s Carnegie Hall, Paris’ L’Olympia Theatre, and Madrid’s Plaza de España.
In her lifetime, Chavela was credited with recording 80 albums, received a Latin Grammy for Lifetime Achievement, and was the second woman to win Spain’s most prestigious artistic award, the Grand Cross of Isabel, the Catholic. She was close to many prominent artists and intellectuals including Juan Rulfo, Agustín Lara, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Dolores Olmedo, José Alfredo Jiménez, Lila Downs, and Joaquin Sabina. Chavela also appeared in the 1967 movie La Soldadera, Werner Herzog’s Scream of the Stone and Julie Taymor’s Frida, and sang “Tú Me Acostumbraste” (“Because of You, I Got Accustomed”) in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Babel. Chavela passed away in 2012 at the age of 93.
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CHAVELA, Award-Winning Documentary about Legendary Lesbian Singer Sets Fall Release Date | Trailer
Chavela, directed by Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi, is the captivating portrait of barrier-breaking Mexican ranchera singer Chavela Vargas whose international fame peaked after a triumphant return to the stage at the age of 71. The film will open at Film Forum in New York on Wednesday October 4th and at the Nuart in Los Angeles on October 6. A national release will follow.
Born in Costa Rica in 1919, Chavela Vargas ran away to Mexico City as a teenager to sing in the streets. By the 1950s she had become a darling of the city’s thriving bohemian club scene, delivering her performances with a raw passion and unique voice. Challenging mainstream Mexican morals by dressing in pants, drinking tequila, and smoking cigars while singing love songs intended for men to woo women and refusing to change the pronouns, Chavela was a bold, rebellious, sexual pioneer who defied gender and sexuality stereotypes at a time when being “out” was often dangerous.
Chavela, winner of the Documentary Grand Jury Prize and the Best Documentary Feature Audience Award at Outfest, and winner of the Audience Award at Frameline (San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival), and Official Selection at 2017 Berlin International Film Festival, HotDocs and Seattle International Film Festival, centers around a 1991 interview–the singer’s first public appearance after 12 hard years lost to alcoholism and heartbreak. Her amazing comeback began when Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, who had featured her music in many of his films, played an instrumental role in elevating her career to international acclaim. Whenever he introduced her to the public, he would kneel down to kiss the stage before she performed at renowned venues like New York’s Carnegie Hall, Paris’ L’Olympia Theatre, and Madrid’s Plaza de España.
In her lifetime, Chavela was credited with recording 80 albums, received a Latin Grammy for Lifetime Achievement, and was the second woman to win Spain’s most prestigious artistic award, the Grand Cross of Isabel, the Catholic. She was close to many prominent artists and intellectuals including Juan Rulfo, Agustín Lara, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Dolores Olmedo, José Alfredo Jiménez, Lila Downs, and Joaquin Sabina. Chavela also appeared in the 1967 movie La Soldadera, Werner Herzog’s Scream of the Stone and Julie Taymor’s Frida, and sang “Tú Me Acostumbraste” (“Because of You, I Got Accustomed”) in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Babel. Chavela passed away in 2012 at the age of 93.
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BAD GENIUS Wins Best Film, Transgender Drama CLOSE-KNIT Wins Audience Award at New York Asian Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_22573" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Bad Genius[/caption]
Thailand’s Bad Genius won the Best Feature award in the Main Competition of the 16th New York Asian Film Festival. The international premiere of the high-school thriller opened the 17-day festival on June 30. Director Nattawut “Baz” Poonpiriya attended the awards ceremony on Saturday, June 15. The festival concluded July 16 with the U.S. Premiere of The Villainess.
Bad Genius was among seven feature films nominated in the festival’s newly launched Main Competition, which was restricted to films by first- and second-time directors; all seven films received their North American Premiere at the festival. The competition’s Special Mention award went to Yoshiyuki Kishi’s A Double Life from Japan, and an Honorable Mention for Most Promising Director went to Le Binh Giang for Vietnam’s Kfc.
The four other films competing in the seven-film competition were Mikhail Red’s Birdshot from the Philippines, Chen Mei-juin’s The Gangster’s Daughter from Taiwan, Cho Hyun-hoon’s Jane from South Korea, and Andrew Wong Kwok-kuen’s With Prisoners from Hong Kong. Red and Chen were among more than 30 directors, actors, producers and screenwriters who attended the festival.
Samuel Jamier, the festival’s executive director said, “The seven films represent the breadth of our lineup. Each title explores pressing ethical issues with protagonists who push back against a staid or corrupt status quo. We hope that the films’ ambition, confidence and bravura can inspire other filmmakers and festival programmers.”
Naoko Ogigami’s transgender drama Close-Knit (Japan) won the audience award. Second- and third placed in the audience vote are Shinobu Yaguchi’s post apocalyptic comedy Survival Family (Japan) and Thai thriller Bad Genius.
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Jane Fonda and Robert Redford to Receive Venice International Film Fest Lifetime Achievement Awards
Actors Jane Fonda and Robert Redford will be awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 74th Venice International Film Festival taking place August 30 to September 9, 2017.
The ceremony to award the Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement will take place on Friday September 1st in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema (Lido di Venezia) before the Out of Competition screening of the Netflix original film, Our Souls at Night by Ritesh Batra, starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford and produced by Mr. Redford and his company Wildwood Enterprises, Inc.
Commenting on these acknowledgments, Director Alberto Barbera stated: “Few Hollywood legends have demonstrated such determination and courage over the course of their professional career as Jane Fonda. Her life has been marked by intense passion in her pursuit of freedom from every type of conformism, with a touching and vulnerable generosity. At times a political and social activist, a sex symbol, a writer, a feminist icon, a producer, and a prophet of physical fitness, but above all an extraordinarily successful and talented actress, Jane Fonda is one of the great protagonists of contemporary International cinema. This Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement is a due tribute to the personal commitment and brilliant qualities of an actress who has brought unforgettable, controversial, and heterogeneous characters to life, demonstrating an unceasing ability to reinvent herself, all the while remaining true to herself, to her values, and to her indisputable artistic talent.”
Says Festival Director Alberto Barbera: “Actor, director, producer, environmentalist, founder and soul of that brilliant experiment in film called Sundance – whether in front or behind the camera, advocating for the cause of independent cinema or the cause of our planet, Robert Redford has led us through almost five decades of compelling filmmaking and advocacy with a combination of rigor, intelligence and grace that is virtually unsurpassed. A slightly reluctant star, since very early in his career Redford has used his onscreen talent and success to make films about issues he cared about and to pave the way for other independent filmmakers like him. A thoughtful, instinctive actor with a keen sense of detail, as an Academy Award-winning director and producer, Redford has proven himself a masterful storyteller. His commitment to characters and story match his commitment and passion for the complex beauty and values of our ever evolving world.”
Based on the novel written by Kent Haruf and adapted for the screen by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (The Fault in Our Stars), the Netflix original film, Our Souls at Night is set in Colorado and begins when Addie Moore (Jane Fonda) pays an unexpected visit to a neighbor, Louis Waters (Robert Redford). Her husband died years ago, as did his wife, and in such a small town they’d been neighbors for decades, but had little contact. The film will launch globally on Netflix later this year.
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RIP: “Ed Wood” Actor Martin Landau Dead at 89
Academy Award-wining actor Martin Landau, who won an Oscar for playing Bela Lugosi in the movie “Ed Wood,” died Saturday. He was 89.
Landau died at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles following “unexpected complications during a short hospitalization,” his publicist Dick Guttman said in a statement.
Landau recently starred opposite Paul Sorvino in The Last Poker Game, which premiered at this year’s 2017 Tribeca Film Festival.
“The Last Poker Game’ follows Dr. Abe Mandelbaum (Martin Landau), who has just moved into a new manor with his ailing wife. After forming an unlikely friendship with a womanizing gambler (Paul Sorvino), their relationship is tested when they each try to convince a mysterious nurse (Maria Dizzia) that they are her long-lost father.”
A documentary about his life, An Actor’s Actor: The Life of Martin Landau, is reportedly in the works.
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RIP: “Night of the Living Dead” Filmmaker George A. Romero Dead at 77
George A. Romero, known for creating the modern zombie genre with his 1968 cult film, “Night of the Living Dead,” died on Sunday in Toronto after “a brief but aggressive battle with lung cancer,”. He was 77.
Romero went on to release “Dawn of the Dead” (1979), “Day of the Dead” (1985) and “Land of the Dead” (2005); and returned to independent filmmaking with “Diary of the Dead” (2008).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS_JQsljVlI
He is survived by his wife, Suzanne Desrocher Romero; his daughter, Tina; and two sons, Andrew and Cameron.
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Official Poster for MARSHALL Starring Chadwick Boseman
Before MLK and Malcom X, there was Thurgood Marshall. Check out the brand new OFFICIAL POSTER for MARSHALL, starring Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, and James Cromwell. MARSHALL hits theaters October 13th.
Long before he sat on the United States Supreme Court or claimed victory in Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark case that desegregated schools, Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) was a young rabble-rousing attorney for the NAACP. The new motion picture, MARSHALL, is the true story of his greatest challenge in those early days – a fight he fought alongside attorney Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), a young lawyer with no experience in criminal law: the case of black chauffeur Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown), accused by his white employer, Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson), of sexual assault and attempted murder.
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DOWNSIZING Starring Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig to Open Venice International Film Festival
Downsizing, directed by Alexander Payne and starring Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau and Kristen Wiig will be the opening film, in Competition, of the 74th Venice International Film Festival taking place August 30 to September 9, 2017.
Downsizing will be shown in its world premiere screening on Wednesday August 30th in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido di Venezia.
Downsizing follows the adventures of Paul Safranek (Matt Damon), an everyman from Omaha who, along with his wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig), dreams of a better life. As the world faces an overpopulation crisis, scientists develop a radical solution that can shrink humans to five inches tall. People soon discover how much further money goes in a smaller world, and with the promise of a lavish lifestyle beyond their wildest imaginations, Paul and Audrey decide to risk the controversial procedure and embark upon an adventure that will change their lives forever.
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Monty Pyton’s John Cleese to be Honored at Sarajevo Film Festival
John Cleese will receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award for his “extraordinary contribution to the art of film” at the 23rd edition of Sarajevo Film Festival.
After the award ceremony, Sarajevo Film Festival’s audience will have the opportunity to see legendary comedy A FISH CALLED WANDA within the Open Air Program.
John Cleese is best known for his involvement in MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS, FAWLTY TOWERS, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN, and A FISH CALLED WANDA.
In addition to his comedic activities, he was a co-founder with Sir Antony Jay of Video Arts, a management and sales training video company. Over a period of 20 years, Video Arts made over 120 training videos, and it was the largest firm of its kind outside the United States.
John Cleese was also a co-author, with the eminent psychiatrist Dr. Robin Skynner of two books ‘Families And How To Survive Them’, and ’Life And How To Survive It’. These books, which explored psychology, psychiatry, and their application to the wider world, both became best sellers.
Currently he is Provost’s Professor at Cornell University.
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Sundance-Winning RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD Gets Summer Release Date | Trailer
RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World, a powerful movie about the role of Native Americans in contemporary music, featuring some of the greatest music stars of our time, will be released in theaters this Summer via Kino Lorber.
The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the festival’s World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Masterful Storytelling.
Following its world premiere, RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World received the Best Music Documentary Film Award at the Boulder International Film Festival and will play at several key film festivals nationwide.
A New York theatrical premiere is set for July 26, 2017, at New York’s Film Forum – before a national expansion during the summer, including a full awards-qualifying release at Landmark’s NUART Theatre in Los Angeles starting August 25, 2017.
Written and directed by Catherine Bainbridge (Reel Injun), written and co-directed by Alfonso Maiorana, and Executive Produced by Stevie Salas and Tim Johnson, RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World exposes a critical missing chapter of Rock history, revealing how Indigenous musicians helped shape the soundtracks of many generations.
The film stars Link Wray, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Robbie Robertson, Jesse Ed Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Randy Castillo, Taboo, Martin Scorsese, Quincy Jones, Steven Tyler, Steven Van Zandt, Iggy Pop, Tony Bennett, George Clinton, Slash, Taylor Hawkins, Robert Trujillo, and many more.
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Telluride Film Festival Unveils 2017 Poster Designed by Lance Rutter
The Telluride Film Festival today unveiled the 2017 poster designed by artist and graphic designer Lance Rutter. Telluride Film Festival’s prestigious annual gathering for film industry insiders, cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and critics takes place every Labor Day weekend in the picturesque town of Telluride, Colorado. The 44th edition of TFF will run September 1-4, 2017.
Lance Rutter has spent the last 30+ years of his career devoted to graphic design, working on projects in his Chicago design studio, teaching design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, serving on the national board of the AIGA, and presiding over the 2008 and 2010 Chicago International Poster Biennials, among other public design advocacy initiatives. Rutter’s own posters have been a part of international exhibitions in the U.S., France, Poland, Mexico, Japan, Hungary, China, the Slovak Republic, Bolivia, Russia, and Iran. He is currently the VP of Design for Quantifind, a tech start-up in Silicon Valley, where he is responsible for everything from the company’s branding and office space design to the design of their data analytics software.
“I don’t think it’s possible to overstate how thrilled I was to be asked to create a poster for the 44th edition of the Telluride Film Festival,” said Rutter. “So many really wonderful artists have become part of this legacy, and it’s an honor to now be associated with them. After speaking with several people who have a deep love of—and long association with—Telluride, I believe there is something uniquely magical that happens there every year. While the foundation of Telluride has rightfully been a celebration of film, the Festival itself is more about the coming together of the lovers of film. From creators to admirers, it is about the people who fill, and then transform the place. The collegial atmosphere, the “realness” and accessibility of the people, their joy and warmth… those are the things that enchant Telluride—and what I hoped to express in the poster.”
“Lance’s design for this year’s poster is simply stunning,” said Telluride Film Festival executive director Julie Huntsinger. “Working with him has been a delight from start to finish. Lance is a true artist, and a true professional.”
Rutter joins a prestigious list of artists who have shared their talents with Telluride Film Festival. Past poster artists include Yann Legendre, Laurent Durieux, Christian Marclay, Dean Tavoularis, Ed Ruscha, John Mansfield, Julian Schnabel, Dottie Attie, Doug and Mike Starn, David Lance Goines, Chuck Jones, David Salle, Alexis Smith, Jim Dine, Seymour Chwast, Frederic Amat, Francesco Clemente, Dave McKean, Gary Larson, Chip Kidd, John Canemaker, Mark Stock, Laurie Anderson, William Wegman, Ralph Eggleston, Maira Kalman and Dave Eggers.
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TRUE TO THE GAME Starring Late Nelsan Ellis, Vivica Fox, Columbus Short Sets Release Date | Trailer + Poster
True To The Game, an adaptation of Teri Woods’ fan favorite and NY Times best-selling novel of the same name, and starring the late Nelsan Ellis, will debut in theaters nationwide on September 8, 2017.
Featuring an all star cast including Vivica Fox, Columbus Short, Andra Fuller, Draya Michele, Nafeesa Williams, newcomer Erica Peeples and the late Nelsan Ellis, True To The Game chronicles the love story of a charismatic drug lord, Quadir (Columbus Short) and Gena, a young woman from the projects of Philadelphia. Set in the 1980s in Harlem, NY, this exciting story comes to life as it shows their journey of love while navigating the nuances of the drug game, and their movement towards positivity when tragedy strikes.
“I am humbled and honored to have partnered with Manny Halley and Imani Motion Pictures to bring the True To The Game vision to life. As my fans have been anticipating this release for years, I am anxious for the loyal readers to view this adaptation on the big screen,” says Teri Woods, Author of True To The Game.
“As a fan of Teri Woods and her creative contributions to depict the reality of urban life, I am excited to have acquired the rights and bring her vision to life. True To The Game is a favorite because it highlights everything that all people want: financial prosperity, love and happiness. However, it also shows that there is a heavy price associated with those things in the street life. The film will highlight the impact of consequences of self motivated actions that that alter the lives of many,” says Manny Halley, CEO of Imani Motion Pictures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JV5dTITBxY
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SPIELBERG, New Documentary on Famous Director to Debut on HBO
Steven Spielberg, one of the most famous filmmakers in the world, will be the subject of a new documentary SPIELBERG that will debut exclusively on HBO on Saturday, October 7, 2017. Directed and produced by award-winning documentarian Susan Lacy, the feature-length documentary examines Spielberg’s filmography in depth, revealing how his experiences fed his work and changed it over time.
Steven Spielberg has built an unrivaled catalogue of groundbreaking films over the course of his nearly 50-year career. Charting the evolution of this iconic figure, Lacy draws on nearly 30 hours of exclusive interviews with the director, who opens up about his bittersweet childhood and lifelong obsession with moviemaking, his precocious early work as a TV “wunderkind,” his rise to fame through an incredible string of blockbusters, his later forays into more serious dramatic films, and the personal and professional relationships he’s cultivated through the years.
SPIELBERG also includes insights from members of Spielberg’s family, as well as friends and colleagues, plus clips and behind-the-scenes footage from many of his milestone films, including “Jaws,” “Raiders of the Lost Arc,” “ET: The Extra-Terrestrial,” “Jurassic Park,” “Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Bridge of Spies” and many more.
Lacy interviewed more than 80 subjects for the film, ranging from A-list celebrities, to directors and producers, to industry insiders, including J.J. Abrams, Christian Bale, Drew Barrymore, Cate Blanchett, Francis Ford Coppola, Daniel Craig, Daniel Day-Lewis, Brian de Palma, Laura Dern, Leonardo DiCaprio, Richard Dreyfuss, Ralph Fiennes, Harrison Ford, David Geffen, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Holly Hunter, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Ben Kingsley, Kathleen Kennedy, George Lucas, Liam Neeson, Martin Scorsese, Oprah Winfrey and Robert Zemeckis.
The result is a remarkably intimate portrait that combines Spielberg’s compelling first-person narrative with an in-depth exploration of the creative process and craftsmanship that have set him apart, highlighting themes such as separation, reconciliation, patriotism, humanity and wonder, which recur throughout his work.
Susan Lacy is the creator and former executive producer of the celebrated WNET series “American Masters,” which is shown on PBS nationwide. She has won countless awards, including ten Primetime Emmys(R) for Outstanding Documentary Series and 12 Peabody Awards. As executive producer of “American Masters,” Lacy produced a library of 250 films exploring the lives of America’s most enduring cultural icons, from Charlie Chaplin to James Baldwin to Bob Dylan. She has also directed films on subjects as diverse as Leonard Bernstein, David Geffen, Joni Mitchell, Judy Garland, Paul Simon, Rod Serling and Lena Horne.