Cassidy Red[/caption]
“Cassidy Red,” a Western ballad of love and hate, written and directed by Matt Knudsen, a UCLA MFA student, will World Premiere as an Official Selection in Competition Features at Dances With Films on Friday, June 2, 2017, at 7:15 p.m., at the TCL Chinese Theatres (6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, California).
Set against the backdrop of the 19th century American Southwest, the story follows “Josephine Cassidy,” the headstrong daughter of a prostitute and gunslinger, who returns to her hometown seeking vengeance against the corrupt lawman she believes murdered her lover.
Director Matt Knudsen says, “I wanted to acknowledge all of the iconic ingredients that made us fall in love with Westerns in the first place. But I conceived of the character Josephine Cassidy to represent the kind of progressive heroine that could help push the genre into a more interesting, contemporary place.”
The 92-minute film from Cassidy Red, LLC was shot at Old Tucson Studios (a historic location home to dozens of John Wayne classics) in Southern Arizona. Knudsen’s inspiration was the Spaghetti Westerns of his personal hero, the famed Sergio Leone, and the result owes much to the Italian classics he grew up watching. With the recent successes of Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight,” Antoine Fuqua’s remake of “The Magnificent Seven”, and HBO’s “Westworld,” Knudsen has tapped into a nostalgic desire for the genre at a key moment.
Knudsen adds, “Like Leone often did for his films, I examined the genre and saw that there were stories, characters and themes not being represented. The superstructure of ‘Cassidy Red’ is forged from familiar elements we associate with the Western: the untamed frontier, the constant threat of violence, outlaws, betrayal, corruption, saloons, jail cells, livestock, prostitution, bloodshed… But, at its core, the film examines elements underrepresented in classic Westerns: strong, complex, proactive female characters, familial ties, heartbreak, sacrifice, choice, and star-crossed love.”
This love letter by Knudsen to the Western takes the audience on a journey through the American Southwest where two brothers fall for the same woman, resulting in a deadly love triangle.
-
Matt Knudsen’s Western CASSIDY RED to World Premiere at Dances With Films | Trailer
[caption id="attachment_22541" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Cassidy Red[/caption]
“Cassidy Red,” a Western ballad of love and hate, written and directed by Matt Knudsen, a UCLA MFA student, will World Premiere as an Official Selection in Competition Features at Dances With Films on Friday, June 2, 2017, at 7:15 p.m., at the TCL Chinese Theatres (6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, California).
Set against the backdrop of the 19th century American Southwest, the story follows “Josephine Cassidy,” the headstrong daughter of a prostitute and gunslinger, who returns to her hometown seeking vengeance against the corrupt lawman she believes murdered her lover.
Director Matt Knudsen says, “I wanted to acknowledge all of the iconic ingredients that made us fall in love with Westerns in the first place. But I conceived of the character Josephine Cassidy to represent the kind of progressive heroine that could help push the genre into a more interesting, contemporary place.”
The 92-minute film from Cassidy Red, LLC was shot at Old Tucson Studios (a historic location home to dozens of John Wayne classics) in Southern Arizona. Knudsen’s inspiration was the Spaghetti Westerns of his personal hero, the famed Sergio Leone, and the result owes much to the Italian classics he grew up watching. With the recent successes of Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight,” Antoine Fuqua’s remake of “The Magnificent Seven”, and HBO’s “Westworld,” Knudsen has tapped into a nostalgic desire for the genre at a key moment.
Knudsen adds, “Like Leone often did for his films, I examined the genre and saw that there were stories, characters and themes not being represented. The superstructure of ‘Cassidy Red’ is forged from familiar elements we associate with the Western: the untamed frontier, the constant threat of violence, outlaws, betrayal, corruption, saloons, jail cells, livestock, prostitution, bloodshed… But, at its core, the film examines elements underrepresented in classic Westerns: strong, complex, proactive female characters, familial ties, heartbreak, sacrifice, choice, and star-crossed love.”
This love letter by Knudsen to the Western takes the audience on a journey through the American Southwest where two brothers fall for the same woman, resulting in a deadly love triangle.
-
WELCOME TO GERMANY to Open, TEXT FOR YOU to Close 2017 Stony Brook Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_22536" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Text for You[/caption]
A highly selective slate of new independent films will screen at the 22nd Annual Stony Brook Film Festival taking place July 20 to 29, at Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University. Many filmmakers are expected to attend throughout the Festival to represent their films at screenings and Q&As.
Alan Inkles, Stony Brook’s founder and director, notes, “U.S. Premieres from Germany open and close the Festival. Both are entertaining and timely, and were chosen for their ability to bring in the widest possible audience since they are definite crowd pleasers. The Opening Night feature, Welcome to Germany, (Willkommen bei den Hartmanns), from Picture Tree International, is a delightful comedy about politics, cultural identity, xenophobia and family issues. Closing Night’s feature, Text for You (SMS für Dich) is a romantic comedy directed, co-written and starring Karoline Herfurth, (Berlin ‘36, The Reader). From Beta Cinema, Text for You is about loss and finding love again. It’s the perfect film to end our ten day run.”
In addition to Karoline Herfurth’s Text for You, a notable number of films in the Stony Brook line up are by women filmmakers. Catherine Eaton of The Sounding is director, co-writer, producer, and the central actor in the drama from Corsetless Productions. The Sounding is a unique story about a woman who has chosen to remain silent for years and who suddenly begins to speak using only the words of Shakespeare.
Other women filmmakers whose work will be screened include Love is Thicker Than Water from Mulholland Pictures, co-directed by Emily Harris (with Ate de Jong), Menemsha Films’ Fanny’s Journey by Lola Doillon, director and co-writer, based on a true story of children escaping Nazis. Tonio is directed by Paula van der Oest, and was the Netherlands’ foreign-language Oscar submission this year. Others from women filmmakers are Media Luna Films Little Wing by Selma Vilhunen, and From the Land of the Moon, directed and co-written by Nicole Garcia from IFC Films. The documentary Purple Dreams by director Joanne Hock, along with producer, Robin Gray, a 1977 Stony Brook University alum, explores the story of the first high school permitted to perform the musical The Color Purple.
Shorts by female filmmakers include Speak by director, writer, actress Laura Seay. Game by Jeannie Donohoe; Snowgirl by Ilina Perianova; Who Sank Your Ships? by Ella Kohn; Oma by Daniella Rabbani, Real Artists by Cameo Wood, and Interrogation by YueCheng Liu are all films by women.
[caption id="attachment_22537" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
To the Edge of the Sky[/caption]
The Stony Brook Film Festival is presenting the World Premiere of To the Edge of the Sky, a riveting U.S. documentary directed by Long Island brothers Todd Wider and Jedd Wider known for their docs Client 9, and God Knows Where I Am. Todd and Jedd Wider were producers of the Academy Award winning film, Taxi to the Dark Side.
To the Edge of the Sky follows four families as they fight the FDA to gain access to a potentially lifesaving drug for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a fatal disease the families’ sons suffer from and the number one genetic killer of boys in the world. The film focuses on the transformation of the mothers of four boys into “the rogue moms” as they become political activists during their righteous battle against time and the FDA. A Wider Film Projects film, it screens on Sunday, July 23 at 4:00 pm. To the Edge of the Sky will be preceded by a World Premiere of the short film Brothers by Zachary Fuhrer, also a Long Island filmmaker with roots in the community.
Stony Brook Film Festival is also presenting the U.S. Premiere of the documentary, The Second Act of Elliott Murphy. Originally from Rockville Centre, Murphy was an up-and- coming singer/songwriter who left for Paris three decades ago and who has become one of the most well known American rockers to tour regularly throughout Europe. The Second Act of Elliott Murphy follows his life on the road and includes interviews with Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen, who both count themselves among his fans.
In addition to coming to the Stony Brook Film Festival and representing the documentary about his life and career, Elliott Murphy plans on playing a few tunes after his Q&A.
In addition to films from 19 foreign countries, the 22nd Annual Stony Brook Film Festival presented by Island Federal Credit Union has more American Independent features and shorts this year than ever before. 15,000 tickets are expected to be sold this summer.
-
WOMEN & WINE, REFUGEE and PUSSY Win Seattle International Film Festival ShortsFest Jury Awards
[caption id="attachment_22532" align="aligncenter" width="1158"]
WOMEN & WINE[/caption]
ShortsFest Weekend, Seattle International Film Festival’s celebration of short films, that takes place every year over Memorial Day Weekend, announced this year’s Jury Award winners. This year’s Festival which runs May 18 to June 11, features 163 short films, including 22 World, 12 North American, and 19 US premieres.
2017 SIFF SHORTSFEST AWARD WINNERS
LIVE-ACTION
GRAND JURY PRIZE WOMEN & WINE (NORWAY), directed by Liv Karin Dahlstrøm JURY STATEMENT: For its honest depiction of friendship that, over a short period of time, authentically runs the spectrum from silly and beautiful to awkward and heartbreaking, we give the Jury Award for Best Live Action Short to Women&Wine, directed by Liv Karin Dahlstrom. SPECIAL JURY MENTION NOTHING EVER REALLY ENDS (NORWAY), directed by Jakob Rørvik JURY STATEMENT: For its exceptional craftsmanship in all areas of the filmmaking process we decided that Nothing Ever Really Ends could not go unmentioned. From the writing and directing to the editing and acting this film unfolds effortlessly. And all in the service of an incredibly entertaining and relatable story. SPECIAL JURY MENTION FANNY (NORWAY), directed by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel JURY STATEMENT: We’d also like to recognize a filmmaker who impressed us with an intimate and frank film about sexuality and loneliness. For his unique vision, heartbreaking honesty, and nuanced direction in the film Fanny, we’d like to award Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel a special jury award for emerging director.DOCUMENTARY
GRAND JURY PRIZE REFUGEE (USA), directed by Joyce Chen and Emily Moore JURY STATEMENT: For many refugees, getting to the United States is only the first step of a decades-long journey. Refugee is the moving and powerful story of a mother of five, Aicha Diop, whose journey to obtain asylum encapsulates the hope of life in America, as well as its harsh political realities. SPECIAL JURY MENTION WAITING FOR HASSANA (NIGERIA), directed by Ifunanya Maduka JURY STATEMENT: By bringing to light one young girl’s traumatic experience, this important documentary gives a voice to all 276 teenage girls whose lives were violently interrupted by Boko Haram in 2014. This film is a necessary reminder that an issue doesn’t vanish when its hashtag stops trending.ANIMATION
GRAND JURY PRIZE PUSSY (POLAND), directed by Renata Gasiorowska JURY STATEMENT: A witty and whimsical animated short about a girl and her body, Pussy quickly takes the audience on a wild ride through female sex positivity. SPECIAL JURY MENTION THE HEAD VANISHES (FRANCE), directed by Franck Dion JURY STATEMENT: Through its beautiful animation and unique perspective, The Head Vanishes poignantly captures the exceptional challenges, the hopeful glimmers, the peaceful moments, and the continual struggles of dealing with a mentally ill parent.FUTUREWAVE SHORTS AWARDS
WAVEMAKER AWARD (GRAND PRIZE) $1000 prize supported by Amazon Battles (CANADA, QUEBEC), directed by Karen Pinette Fontaine JURY STATEMENT: For its richly composed visuals and poetic journey of self that takes the viewer from a hollow party atmosphere to a seemingly empty space that becomes filled with the narrator’s culture that is thriving within her. PRODIGY CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS Each winner will be awarded a $1250 scholarship to the Prodigy Camp. The Petition (USA), directed by Riley Goodwin and Kibiriti Majuto
-
Provincetown International Film Festival to Honor INGRID GOES WEST’s Aubrey Plaza
[caption id="attachment_22529" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Aubrey Plaza as Ingrid Thorburn in INGRID GOES WEST[/caption]
The Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) will honor actress Aubrey Plaza, with the festival’s inaugural Next Wave Award, which recognizes those who have exciting and distinctive voices, take artistic risks, and have a passionate commitment to independent film.
Plaza, who stars in and produced the festival’s Closing Night Film, INGRID GOES WEST, will receive the honor at a ceremony on Sunday, June 18 at Fishermen Hall in Provincetown. She will also star in THE LITTLE HOURS which she produced and has recently received critical acclaim for her role on the FX series, “Legion.”
Additionally, the festival will host a special presentation with Julie Klausner and Scott King, the creators of Hulu’s hit original series “Difficult People” and a special screening of a new documentary from acclaimed filmmakers Sebastian Junger and Nick Quested (with Junger in attendance), as well as daily breakfast panels and more.
Other additional programing includes
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
EPISODIC TV SPECIAL PRESENTATION: THE CREATIVE GENIUSES BEHIND “DIFFICULT PEOPLE,” PRESENTED BY HULU – Saturday, June 17, 2:30pm, Art House 2 Join Julie Klausner (creator, executive producer, writer, star) and Scott King (executive producer, showrunner) as they share clips from the upcoming third season and talk about their hilarious and wildly irreverent comedy series “Difficult People,” about two aspiring NYC comedians in their mid-30s (Klausner and “Billy on the Street” star Billy Eichner) who aren’t living up to their potential, hate just about everything and everyone – except for each other. Learn how the project caught the attention of executive producer Amy Poehler and is the stopping-place for a broad swath of guest stars from Nathan Lane to Kathie Lee Gifford to Seth Meyers and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Moderated by Kyle Turner, a freelance writer and editor based in Brooklyn, New York. His work has been featured in Paste Magazine, The Village Voice, Playboy, Slate, Vice, Brooklyn Magazine, and Indiewire’s /Bent. HELL ON EARTH: THE FALL OF SYRIA AND THE RISE OF ISIS (directed by Sebastian Junger and Nick Quested) – Sunday, June 18, 2pm, Art House 1 Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and best-selling author Sebastian Junger and his Emmy-winning filmmaking partner, Nick Quested, chronicle Syria’s descent into the unbridled chaos that allowed the rise of the Islamic State, better known as ISIS. This documentary delves into the real stories and persons in the conflict, giving a human face on the ground to what are just headlines and news clips to the rest of the world. Discovering the motivations, consequences and human toll from the war raises questions of how outside forces have influenced the situation, including the West. *Sebastian Junger will be in attendance.PIFFtalks
PIFFtalks: SCREEN ADAPTATIONS: FROM BOOKS AND FILMS – Thursday, June 15, 3pm, Harbor Lounge, 359 Commercial Street Join writer/producer Mark Protosevich (OLD BOY, I AM LEGEND, POSEIDON) and author Casey Sherman (Boston Strong, The Finest Hours) in a discussion about the challenges of adapting films from other original source material. Sherman’s telling of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings was most recently adapted to the screen in the 2017 film PATRIOT’S DAY directed by Peter Berg. Protosevich will speak to the creative undertaking of adapting among other classic films, the 2003 South Korean classic film OLD BOY, directed by auteur filmmaker Park Chan-wook, for Spike Lee and his current project FLASH GORDON with director Matthew Vaughn. Moderated by award-winning journalist Ari Karpel. PIFFtalks: WOMEN IN FILM AT PIFF – Friday, June 16, 10am, Provincetown Theater, 238 Bradford Street It wasn’t long ago that women directors only accounted for 7% of the selections at the Cannes Film Festival. Meanwhile, 50% of PIFF’s 2017 narrative feature selections are directed by women, continuing the Festival’s long tradition of support. Join us for a conversation about being filmmakers, by directors and producers who just happen to be women. Panelists include: Noël Wells (MR. ROOSEVELT) and Katherine Dieckmann (STRANGE WEATHER). Moderated by Loren King, Boston Globe correspondent. PIFFtalks: SEBASTIAN JUNGER – Saturday, June 17, 10am, Provincetown Theater, 238 Bradford Street Join us for a special conversation with award-winning writer, director, journalist Sebastian Junger. Known for his wide range of best-selling books, The Perfect Storm, Fire, A Death in Belmont, and War. His documentary films include the Academy-Award nominated RESTREPO, WHICH WAY TO THE FRONT LINE FROM HERE?, and KORENGAL. His new film, HELL ON EARTH: THE FALL OF SYRIA AND THE RISE OF ISIS, is screening at this year’s festival. Moderated by journalist and author Mark Harris, former executive editor of Entertainment Weekly and author of Five Came Back. PIFFtalks: CAPTURING A TRUE STORY – Sunday, June 18, 10am, Provincetown Theater, 238 Bradford Street Every documentary has a huge responsibility to its viewers – to tell the truth. Join us to discuss the magic and pitfalls of capturing real events in order to tell a true story with respect to the people who lived it. How does the camera, direction editing and other filmmaking tools affect reality? Panelists include festival directors: Hope Litoff (32 PILLS: MY SISTER’S SUICIDE), Trish Adlesic (I AM EVIDENCE), and Andrew Rossi (BRONX GOTHIC). Moderated by Steven Raphael, Founder/President, Required Viewing.PIFFplus
ANCHOR AWARD: JOHN AND GUI YINGLING – Wednesday, June 14, 6:30pm presentation before Opening Night Screening, Fishermen Hall, 12 Winslow Street Each year, we recognize one of our generous community business partners who provides extraordinary support for the festival and our other year-round programs. Through his services as a longtime member of the Provincetown Film Society board, John Yingling along with his son Gui with whom he operates several local establishments including Bubula’s, Local 186, Enzo’s, and Spiritus Pizza, represent a vital part of the Provincetown community and have a steadfast commitment to giving back in time and resources. John and Gui win special kudos from our staff and volunteers by providing free pizza from Spiritus and an annual thank you party for our amazing volunteers. BOOK SIGNING – MAKE TROUBLE: JOHN WATERS – Thursday, June15, 5pm-7pm, MAP, 220 Commercial Street Pop culture icon, New York Times bestselling author and renowned filmmaker of such cult masterpieces as HAIRSPRAY, PINK FLAMINGOS and SERIAL MOM advises the graduating class of the Rhode Island School of Design to ‘get busy and make trouble’ in his new graphic book Make Trouble. In the book, Waters uses his sly wisdom and wealth of experience to encourage the younger generation to embrace chaos, be nosy, and challenge the status quo, while simultaneously urging anyone embarking on a creative path to be both pragmatic and disciplined. Notable quotes include: “Remember, a ‘no’ is free. Ask for the world and pay no mind if you are initially turned down.” “Don’t hate all rich people. They’re not all awful. Believe me. I know some evil poor people, too.” “Use technology for transgression, not lazy social living.” Meet John Waters… EVAN LAWSON FILMMAKERS’ BRUNCH – CELEBRATING FILMMAKERS ON THE FRONT LINE – Sunday, June 18, 12pm, Sage at the Pilgrim House, 336 Commercial Street Recipient of the 2016 Freedom Award from the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund for his HBO film SUITED, director Jason Benjamin will share his experiences working with the transgender community and with veterans for his upcoming film RETURNING. A screening of the film will take place at AMP Gallery, 432 Commercial Street on Sunday, June 18 at 4:30pm. The Evan Lawson Filmmakers’ Benefit Brunch honors the legacy of former board president Evan Law- son, who was a longtime advocate for Provincetown and its artists. Tax-deductible tickets are $250 at the box office and online. SHORT FILM SCREENING: “RETURNING” (directed by Jason Benjamin) – Sunday, June 18, 4:30pm, AMP Gallery, 432 Commercial Street After studying technique and theory of documentary filmmaking, four Florida veterans apply what they’ve learned to examine the Sarasota County Veterans Treatment Court system. This short documentary illustrates how the judicial system works with, and not against, local veterans. Through the treatment court, veterans are provided mentoring, counseling and other tools that focus on rehabilitation instead of incarceration. The veterans court is led by a compassionate circuit court judge who takes on each case with considerate justice. Meet the filmmakers: director Jason Benjamin, executive producer John Secor, and the veterans featured in the film. 2017 HBO AWARDS PRESENTATION – HBO PRESENTS THE AUDIENCE AWARDS – presentation during Closing Night Party, Sunday, June 18, 9pm, The Waterford Inn – Spindler’s, 386 Commercial Street HBO has long been known for connecting audiences around the world to compelling content that is both groundbreaking and popular. Likewise, they are uniquely poised to present our discerning audiences picks for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best Short Film. The 2016 Audience Awards went to: THE INNOCENTS directed by Anne Fontaine for Best Narrative Feature; THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS: YO-YO MA AND THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE by Morgan Neville, and POLITICAL ANIMALS by Jonah Markowitz and Tracy Wares (tie) for Best Documentary Feature; and TERRITORY directed by Eleanor Mortimer for Short Documentary Award. JOHN SCHLESINGER AWARD FOR FIRST TIME DIRECTOR – presentation during Closing Night Party, Sunday, June 18, 9pm, The Waterford Inn – Spindler’s, 386 Commercial Street In memory of John Schlesinger, this special award is given to first-time doc/narrative feature film directors at our Closing Night Awards presentation. John Schlesinger’s (1926-2003) work includes such highly acclaimed films as MIDNIGHT COWBOY, MARATHON MAN, THE DAY OF THE LOCUST, SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY and COLD COMFORT FARM. Mr. Schlesinger’s films reveal a keen social awareness, a fascination with love’s complexities, and a penchant for drawing out big performances. An actor himself, he helped to make stars out of such performers as Julie Chris- tie, Dustin Ho man and John Voight, and has the distinction of directing eight different actors in Academy Award-nominated performances. 2016 winners include BLOOD STRIPE directed by Remy Auberjonois for Best Narrative Feature; OFF THE RAILS by Adam Irving for Best Documentary Feature. HERE MEDIA PRESENTS: QUEER SHORTS AWARD – presentation during Closing Night Party, Sunday, June 18, 9pm, The Waterford Inn – Spindler’s, 386 Commercial Street Debuting a new award for 2016, HERE MEDIA presented the Jury Award for Best QUEER SHORT, which was chosen from those shorts presented in our QUEER SHORTS program. Awarding it again in 2017, this award comes with recognition and distribution by HERE MEDIA, including streaming of the winning short across HERE MEDIA properties. JURIED SHORTS AWARDS – presentation during Closing Night Party, Sunday, June 18, 9pm, The Waterford Inn – Spindler’s, 386 Commercial Street A team of film industry professionals will also present awards for Best Narrative Short Film; Best Animated Short Film; Best New England Short Film; and Best Student Short Film. 2016 winners include THUNDER ROAD directed by Jim Cummings for Best Narrative Short Film; GLOVE directed by Alexa Haas and Bernardo Britto for Best Animated Short Film; BLACK CANARIES directed by Jesse Kreitzer for Best New England Short Film; THE MINK CATCHER directed by Samantha Buck for Best Student Short Film; and MAIS DURO! directed by Camila Saldarriaga. The 2017 jurors are: Dilcia Barrera, Sundance Film Festival Short Film Programmer; Bernardo Britto, director (PIFF 2016 Best Animated Short Film, GLOVE), and director Lauren Wolkstein (THE STRANGE ONES, PIFF 2017).
-
THE REAGAN SHOW, A Doc Look at the First TV President, Opens June 30 in NY & LA | Trailer
[caption id="attachment_22526" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
THE REAGAN SHOW[/caption]
Pacho Velez’s and Sierra Pettengill’s THE REAGAN SHOW is an all-archival documentary about the original performer-president’s role of a lifetime: Leader of the Free World. A hit at the recent Tribeca Film Festival, the movie will open in New York at the Metrograph Theater and in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Monica Film Center on Friday, June 30, with a national rollout to immediately follow. It will also become available on VOD on July 4.
Teasing apart the spectacle at the heart of finger-on-the-button global diplomacy, THE REAGAN SHOW follows Ronald Reagan’s rivalry with charismatic Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, tracing how the Communicator-in-Chief uses his public relations chops to overcome Soviet mistrust, the objections of a skeptical press corps and the looming threat of WW III. Chock full of wit and political irony, and told solely through 1980s network news and videotapes created by the Reagan administration itself, the film explores Reagan’s made-for-TV approach to politics as he faced down the United States’ greatest rival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07BHVGm-Y6s
-
Las Vegas Film Festival Opens and Closes with Sundance Hits LEMON and LANDLINE
[caption id="attachment_19433" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Lemon[/caption]
The 10th Las Vegas Film Festival kicks off on Tuesday, June 6 with “Lemon,” which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
In Lemon, Isaac Lachmann has seen better days. His acting career is tanking, while his colleagues succeed; his blind girlfriend of 10 years plans to leave him; and his own family singles him out as a constant disappointment at their latest reunion. Even as he takes a chance on new romance, Isaac struggles to define his place in a world that has seemingly turned against him. Director Janicza Bravo’s (the 2014 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award winner for “Gregory Go Boom”) description-defying debut feature promises to delight and unsettle audiences in equal measure with its unique brand of discomforting humor. Bravo unflinchingly strips down her stellar lead and co-writer, Brett Gelman, to appalling levels of vulnerability, emphasized by idiosyncratic supporting turns from Michael Cera, Judy Greer, Nia Long, Martin Starr and Gillian Jacobs. Bursting with meticulous unease and loving contempt, Bravo questions what it means to truly unravel.
[caption id="attachment_20052" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Jenny Slate and Abby Quinn appear in Landline by Gillian Robespierre[/caption]
Closing out the Festival on Sunday, June 11 is another Sundance Film Festival 2017 premiere, “Landline,” starting Jenny Slate, John Turturro, Edie Falco, Abby Quinn, Jay Duplass and Finn Wittrock. The Manhattan of 1995: a land without cell phones, but abundant in CD listening stations, bar smoke, and family dysfunction. Enter the Jacobs. Eldest daughter Dana’s looming marriage to straight-laced Ben prompts a willful dive into her wild side, while her younger sister, Ali, is still in high school but leads a covert life of sex, drugs, and clubbing. After discovering love letters penned by their father, the sisters try to expose his apparent affair while keeping it from their all-too-composed mother. Director Gillian Robespierre’s follow-up to “Obvious Child” reprises her talent for subversive comedy and explores how family bonds grow sturdier through lying, cheating, and strife. Compelled by the emotional snarl of people’s poor choices, “Landline” relishes in the dark humor of life’s low points while basking in ’90s nostalgia. An honest, observant portrait of sibling rivalry stumbling awkwardly toward friendship, and of children realizing that parents are people too, there’s no attempt at concealing the indulgences and insecurities of its characters—all of which make them endearing and human.
Additional special screenings include:
Person to Person (part of CINEVEGAS PRESENTS AT LVFF) Friday, June 9 at 8 p.m. Director: Dustin Guy Defa During a single day in New York City, a variety of characters grapple with the mundane, the unexpected, and the larger questions permeating their lives. An investigative reporter struggles with her first day on the job, despite help from her misguided boss; a rebellious teen attempts to balance her feminist ideals with other desires; and a young man seeks to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend, even as her brother threatens revenge. Meanwhile, an avid music lover traverses the city in search of a rare record for his vinyl collection. Director Dustin Guy Defa’s hotly-anticipated second feature (his first, “Bad Fever,” was named one of the best films of 2012 by The New Yorker), is a playful ode to the analog, the unassuming, and to New York itself. Shot entirely in 16mm, “Person to Person” effortlessly humanizes its characters, invoking an earnest realism in the performances of its ensemble cast: Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson, Tavi Gevinson, Philip Baker Hall, George Sample III, and Bene Coopersmith. Are You Really My Friend? The Movie Saturday, June 10 at 2 p.m. Director: Robin Greenspun In 2011, photographer Tanja Hollander decided to visit each one of her Facebook “friends” (all 626 of them) in their homes and make formal portraits of each of them. Armed with her cameras and iPhone, Tanja traveled throughout the U.S. and around the world for 5 years, meticulously documenting her experiences in real time and creating a historical narrative, both visual and written, along the way. Her project is an exploration of friendships, the effects of social networks, the intimate places we call home and the communities in which we live. “Are You Really My Friend? The Movie” is part of Tanja Hollander’s current exhibition at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art which documents her entire project through photographs, portraits and ephemera The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Robin Greenspun and Tanja Hollander. Bright Lights Sunday, June 11 at 2 p.m. Directors: Fisher Stevens and Alexis Bloom The festival will also feature a special screening of the HBO documentary, “Bright Lights,” starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. The story of a family’s complicated love, this hilarious and heart-rending film is an intimate portrait of a unique mother/daughter relationship and Hollywood royalty in all its eccentricity. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Todd Fisher.FESTIVAL PANELS AND COMMUNITY FORUMS
LVFF Panels give movie-goers the opportunity to hear behind-the-scenes stories and invaluable insider insight from industry professionals. Stop by Festival HQ, located inside the Lounge at Palms Casino Resort, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday for panels paired with Festival mixers. Storytellers Panel and Mixer Wednesday, June 7 at 2 p.m. Prior to the 3 p.m. UNLV showcase screening, join screenwriter Marc May (former UNLV professor and current Towson University professor), producer and UNLV alumni Thomas Mahoney and Francisco Menendez (Artistic Director for the UNLV Department of Film) for a conversation focusing on inspiration, creativity and developing. Then, after the UNLV showcase screening, there will be an additional panel at 5 p.m. with UNLV professor David Waldman and Damien Stanford. Community Spark Panel and Mixer Thursday, June 8 at 3 p.m. A few rowdy filmmakers born in Las Vegas will share their filmmaking adventures in this panel with an emphasis on being a rebel and making films in Sin City. Panelists include Branden Christensen (director of the feature film “Still/Born” and director of the Music Video Lab), local producer Chuck Aiken, Brian Merrick (UNLV alumni and producer of the feature film “10 Days”) and Constanza Castro (producer of the short films “Joy Joy Nails” and “Cuddle Buddy”). Culture Panel and Mixer Saturday, June 10 at 2 p.m. Jury members from the 2013 LVFF will share their stories about filmmaking and the Festival mission. Panelists include director J.T. Gurzi, screenwriter Marika Cahn and producer Thomas Mahoney.PARTIES AND CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS
What would a film festival in Las Vegas be without some parties? On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the official Festival parties will be held inside Ghostbar at the Palms Casino Resort from 10 p.m. until close. All parties are open to the public, with a special VIP section for all passholders. Kick Off Mixer Tuesday, June 6; 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Festival HQ at “The Lounge” inside Palms Casino Resort Music Video Lab Party Friday, June 9; Doors open 9 p.m., with the Music Video Labs premiere at 10 p.m. “Moon” inside Palms Casino Resort Hard ticket is required (available for purchase for $10 at lvff.com/box-office) Closing Night Festival Party and Awards Ceremony Saturday, June 11; 9 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Palms Casino Resort Pool
-
Four Friends Confront Turning Thirty in KATE CAN’T SWIM to East Coast Premiere at Brooklyn Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_22519" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Kate Can’t Swim[/caption]
Kate Can’t Swim, winner of the Jury’s Honorable Mention award at 2017 Slamdance Film Festival, and the Audience Award at the 2017 Sunscreen Film Festival will make its East Coast Premiere at the Brooklyn Film Festival.
Kate Can’t Swim starring Celeste Arias, Grayson DeJesus, Jennifer Allcott, and Josh Helman; is directed by Josh Helman, and written by Jennifer Allcott and Josh Helman.
The film features four compelling young actors as a group of friends struggling to come to terms with themselves as they move into their thirties.
KATE (Celeste Arias) is almost thirty, almost engaged, almost settled in her career as a writer—but is deeply dissatisfied. When Kate’s best friend EM (Jennifer Allcott) returns from Paris with a surprising new lover in tow (Josh Helman), Kate and her boyfriend PETE (Grayson DeJesus) spend a weekend in upstate New York with the new couple. As Kate struggles with her suspicions about Em’s new lover, dormant feelings about her own life arise, forcing her to decide whether to stay on her current life path or to burn it down and forge a new one.
Kate Can’t Swim Screenings at the 2017 Brooklyn Film Festival
showtime: 6:00 pm | Sunday June 4 | Windmill Studios
showtime: 9:30 pm | Thursday June 8 | Wythe Hotel
-
Kerry Film Festival Announces 2017 Dates, Now Accepting Filmmaker Submissions
[caption id="attachment_22513" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Maeve McGrath at Kerry Film Festival with Sundance winner, Jim Cummings and Oscar nominated Michael Creagh[/caption]
The 18th Kerry Film Festival will take place from October 19th to 22nd, 2017, and is now inviting filmmaker entries for short films in categories such as Best Irish Narrative, Best International Narrative, Best Original Score, Best Documentary, Best Student, Best Animated Film and Best Kerry Connection. For the first time, the Kerry Film Festival is accepting submissions for Feature Films to screen at the festival in 2017.
KFF has previously featured successful shorts such as the Oscar® short-listed “Head over Heels” and Oscar® winner “Mr Hublot” and 2016 Oscar® winner “STUTTERER”. Four short films that screened at KFF in 2016 were nominated for the IFTA awards in 2017.
Filmmakers will have the chance for their work to be seen by a prestigious panel of adjudicators which has in recent years included Academy Award winner Benjamin Cleary, Directors Lenny Abrahamson and Paul Greengrass and Producer Finola Dwyer.
KFF 2016 saw the introduction of the Short Film Market in Killarney which brought industry speakers and guests including Sundance Grand Jury prize winner, Jim Cummings to the festival.
Closing date for submissions to the 2017 competition is July 14th 2017.
Artistic Director of the Kerry Film Festival, Maeve McGrath said, “We are now accepting short film submissions under 20 minutes long and for the first time, KFF are accepting feature film submissions. The festival has recognized the increased production of feature films by national and international independent filmmakers and we are keen to provide a platform for screening these films”
-
Award-winning LGBT Documentary POLITICAL ANIMALS will be Released on DVD and VOD on June 6th | Trailer
[caption id="attachment_14305" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Political Animals[/caption]
The award-winning LGBT documentary Political Animals, directed by Jonah Markowitz (Shelter), and co-directed by Tracy Wares (DP: Bomb It, Gay Republicans), will be released on DVD and VOD on June 6th in the U.S. and Canada via Gravitas Ventures.
Documentary Political Animals is an inspiring portrait of four defiant California politicians – all out women – who bravely fought hatred and homophobia through pioneering legislative efforts in California to make political history, paving the way for success in the fight for Equality, and to create lasting and significant social change.
Political Animals celebrates the legendary civil rights victories of the first four openly gay elected California state politicians – who were all women: Carole Migden, Sheila Kuehl, Jackie Goldberg, and Christine Kehoe. An inspiring portrait of four defiant politicians who refused to let hatred and homophobia stop them from making history and achieving legal recognition for LGBT people throughout California and the United States.
Political Animals documents the tough struggles they endured together, and celebrates their pioneering success in the fight for Equality and the sweet victories these unforgettable women created to pave the way for lasting and significant social change.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ9jikA5Ip4
-
Watch the Green Band ‘Clean’ Trailer for THE LITTLE HOURS
[caption id="attachment_19933" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Alison Brie, Kate Micucci and Aubrey Plaza appear in The Little Hours by Jeff Baena.[/caption]
The Little Hours directed by Jeff Baena which debuted at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, has released the new green band trailer.
The film starring Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Mucucci, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Fred Armisen, Jemima Kirke, Nick Offerman, Adam Pally, Jon Gabrus, Lauren Weedman will open in New York and Los Angeles on June 30th.
Medieval nuns Alessandra (Alison Brie), Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), and Ginevra (Kate Micucci) lead a simple life in their convent. Their days are spent chafing at monastic routine, spying on one another, and berating the estate’s day laborer. After a particularly vicious insult session drives the peasant away, Father Tommasso (John C. Reilly) brings on new hired hand Massetto (Dave Franco), a virile young servant forced into hiding by his angry lord. Introduced to the sisters as a deaf-mute to discourage temptation, Massetto struggles to maintain his cover as the repressed nunnery erupts in a whirlwind of pansexual horniness, substance abuse, and wicked revelry.
-
FilmRise to Release Ramona S. Diaz’s Sundance Winning Documentary MOTHERLAND | Trailer
[caption id="attachment_22502" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Motherland[/caption]
Ramona S. Diaz’s documentary Motherland which world premiered earlier this year at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, will be released in the Summer by FilmRise.
Motherland, which won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Commanding Vision at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, takes us into the heart of the planet’s busiest maternity hospital in one of the world’s poorest and most populous countries: the Philippines. The film’s viewer, like an unseen outsider dropped unobtrusively into the hospital’s stream of activity, passes through hallways, enters rooms and listens in on conversations. At first, the surrounding people are strangers. But as the film continues, it’s absorbingly intimate, rendering the women at the heart of the story increasingly familiar. Three women—Lea, Aira and Lerma—emerge to share their stories with other mothers, their families, doctors and social workers. While each of them faces daunting odds at home, their optimism, honesty and humor suggest a strength that they will certainly have to summon in the years ahead.
Diaz said: “I’m very much looking forward to partnering with FilmRise on the release of our film after successful premieres at festivals both in the U.S. and abroad. We feel strongly that the film will strike a chord with viewers, all the more so in today’s political and cultural climate.”
-
AMERIKA SQUARE to Open, SON OF SOFIA to Close 2017 Los Angeles Greek Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_17461" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Amerika Square[/caption]
The West coast premiere of Yannis Sakaridis’ award-winning Amerika Square (Plateia Amerikis) will open the 11th Annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival on Wednesday, June 7. Nakos, a banal racist, had enough of the thousands of refugees in his neighborhood, Amerika Square in the center of Athens. Tarek, a Syrian ex-Military doctor, is looking for a deal to smuggle out of Greece with his daughter. Billy, a tattoo artist, falls in love with Tereza, an African singer who is also looking for an escape by the sea. The three stories merge, while time is running out for everyone. Amerika Square took the FIPRESCI award at the 2016 Thessaloniki Film Festival.
Thursday, June 8, has several films and documentaries including the world premiere of Anastasios Papapostolou’s short documentary The Greek that follows the story of one-armed Greek boxer Vaggelis ‘Cobra’ Chatzis.
Nikos Koundouros’ The Ogre of Athens (Oh Drakos) also screens on Thursday. The film, marked a departure role for comic actor Dinos Iliopoulos. Iliopoulos plays a mousy, timid man who, due to mistaken identity, becomes embroiled in a high crime life and death situation. THE OGRE OF ATHENS has been consistently voted the number one Greek film of all time by the Hellenic Film Critics’ Association. The screening is LAGFF’s homage to the director and his works following his passing this February at age 90. This screening is free to the public to attend.
Late night spot on Thursday belongs to the west coast premiere of Petros Charalambous’ Boy On The Bridge (To Agori Sti Gefyra”). The drama is based on a novel by the British-Cypriot Eve Makis who penned the script with Stavros Pamballis. The film is the true story of a boy whose idyllic life in a Mediterranean village is disturbed by a crime that claims his innocence.
Friday’s schedule includes the screening of – Michele Poulos’ documentary and Los Angeles premiere A Late Style Of Fire: Larry Levis, American Poet which chronicles the writer’s childhood, three marriages, friendships with other famous poets and self-destructive behavior.
Babis Tsokas’ documentary and west coast premiere Our Own Maria Callas, a voyage into the mythical world of the famous soprano, will also be shown, in a tribute to Callas’ passing away 40 years ago. Our Own Maria Callas is free and open to the public.
Saturday’s program includes a screening and Los Angeles premiere of writer-director Clio Fanouraki’s uplifting first feature Xamou. This second coming of age story finds Georges Corraface (A Touch Of Spice) an aging hotel promoter recently out of work and job prospects, fighting depression until his wife lures him outside of his self-imposed exile. He discovers a renewed life and career as his family and neighbors reintroduce him to the wonders and beauty of his home island of Crete. This spectacularly visual film is edited by Yorgos Mavropsaridis (The Lobster, Dogtooth).
Swing Away John O’Hurley, Shannon Elizabeth star in Michael A. Nickles drama about a professional golfer who travels to her grandparents in Greece to avoid the harsh spotlight and Sofia Exarchou’s new Greek Cinema feature PARK about Athens Olympic Village, ten years after the Games, where wilding youths, injured retired athletes and stray dogs roam among ruins and decaying sports venues.
Before each feature and throughout the festival is an array of short narratives and documentaries from up and coming as well as established filmmakers.
Shorts include Daphne Matziaraki’s Academy Award ® nominated 4.1 Miles which will play before Amerika Square opening night. Friday Giannis Ziogkase’s Ethnophobia will play with Boy On The Bridge. The west coast premiere of Phedon Papamichael’s dramatic short A Beautiful Day, written by Angeliki Giannakopoulos and starring James Brolin and Francis Fisher will screen with the U.S. premiere of Sotiris Tsafoulias’ feature crime thriller The Other Me.
Sunday ushers in a new documentary slot from 12:00 – 4:00 P.M. including well known sports filmmaker Constantine Papanicolaou’s U.S. premiere of Frozen Ambrosia about his skiing adventure on Greece’s Mount Olympus and about the little-known winter tourism in Greece and the world premiere of George Lagdaris’ With The Hoes And The Terrarium Forks chronicling evolution of the village of Zagora which developed cooperatively over the last 100 years and passes on this tradition from generation to generation.
[caption id="attachment_21925" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
The family (Thanasis Papageorgiou, Valery Tscheplanow, Victor Khomut) watches TV in SON OF SOFIA. Photo credit: Dionysis Eftimiopoulos.[/caption]
Closing the Festival is the west coast premiere of Elina Psykou’s drama Son Of Sofia. In April, the film took Best Picture in the International Narrative Feature Competition at the Tribeca Film Festival. Psykou, known for The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas, has created a dark fairy tale featuring 11-year-old Misha, a young Russian boy who is brought to Athens by his mother to live and is surprised to learn she has remarried. Misha’s imagination soon takes over to protect him from his new life, and he creates a journey that puts make believe against stark reality.
The festival will finally wrap with the Orpheus Awards that honor the best of the Festival’s feature, short and documentary films as voted by the 2017 Jury with one film receiving the Orpheus Audience Award honor. Also, the festival selects one filmmaker or actor whose contributions to the entertainment industry have exceeded those of their peers. This year, the festival honoree is Oscar-winning writer/producer/director Alexander Payne. Payne will receive the Orpheus for his contributions to worldwide entertainment and the preservation of film itself.