National Geographic will make the two-hour documentary GENDER REVOLUTION: A JOURNEY WITH KATIE COURIC available to stream for free, beginning today, Tuesday, February 14, for one week.
GENDER REVOLUTION: A JOURNEY WITH KATIE COURIC explores the rapidly evolving complexities of gender — from the moment we are born through our twilight years. To better understand this complex social and scientific issue, Couric crisscrossed the U.S. to talk with scientists, researchers, activists, authors and families to learn more about the role of genetics, brain chemistry and modern culture on gender fluidity. Her wide-ranging interviews included a conversation with Gavin Grimm, the transgender Virginia teen whose lawsuit seeking equal bathroom access is headed to the Supreme Court on March 28. With discussions that range from the scientifically enlightening to the deeply personal, Couric’s unflinching search for truth sheds light on countless untold stories of struggle, understanding, ignorance, hurt and love.
“I’ve always hoped this documentary would be a spark to ignite conversations in every corner of the country around the evolving landscape of gender,” said host and executive producer Katie Couric. “National Geographic is helping to push that goal forward by making it so broadly available to audiences.”
The stream will be available on National Geographic’s website, YouTube channel, Facebook page, Apple TV app and TV Everywhere mobile apps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y93MsRaC6Zw-
Watch GENDER REVOLUTION: A JOURNEY WITH KATIE COURIC Online for Free
National Geographic will make the two-hour documentary GENDER REVOLUTION: A JOURNEY WITH KATIE COURIC available to stream for free, beginning today, Tuesday, February 14, for one week.
GENDER REVOLUTION: A JOURNEY WITH KATIE COURIC explores the rapidly evolving complexities of gender — from the moment we are born through our twilight years. To better understand this complex social and scientific issue, Couric crisscrossed the U.S. to talk with scientists, researchers, activists, authors and families to learn more about the role of genetics, brain chemistry and modern culture on gender fluidity. Her wide-ranging interviews included a conversation with Gavin Grimm, the transgender Virginia teen whose lawsuit seeking equal bathroom access is headed to the Supreme Court on March 28. With discussions that range from the scientifically enlightening to the deeply personal, Couric’s unflinching search for truth sheds light on countless untold stories of struggle, understanding, ignorance, hurt and love.
“I’ve always hoped this documentary would be a spark to ignite conversations in every corner of the country around the evolving landscape of gender,” said host and executive producer Katie Couric. “National Geographic is helping to push that goal forward by making it so broadly available to audiences.”
The stream will be available on National Geographic’s website, YouTube channel, Facebook page, Apple TV app and TV Everywhere mobile apps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y93MsRaC6Zw
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Documentary GINA’S JOURNEY: THE SEARCH FOR WILLIAM GRIMES to World Premiere At Pan African Film Festival | TRAILER
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Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes[/caption]
Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes, narrated by Keith David, follows the quest of one woman, Regina Mason, in tracing the steps of her ancestor, who traveled along the Underground Railroad to freedom and authored the first fugitive slave narrative in U.S. history. The film will world premiere at the 2017 Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles February 17-18, 2017.
Produced by Your Media 2, the film is based on the Afterword of the authoritative edition of the book, Life of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave, written by Regina Mason and published in 2008 by Oxford University Press. The Afterword, “My Long Road Back to William Grimes” reveals Mason’s 15-year path to authenticate her ancestor’s story and the intense personal sacrifices that made editing and publishing a new edition of the Grimes narrative possible.
In making the film, Director and Producer Sean Durant sought to convey not only Mason’s long road to uncover her past, but also the unimaginable conditions that faced William Grimes as he struggled to free himself from slavery. To this end, Durant chose to use artfully-crafted re-enactments combined with current-day Mason reflecting on her own story and a masterful narration by Keith David. The result is a compelling and provocative documentary film from first time feature filmmaker Durant.
“Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes” is an Official Selection of the 2017 Pan African Film Festival, which runs February 9th through 20th.
https://vimeo.com/119890622
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THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS: YO-YO MA AND THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE Wins a Grammy + Sets HBO Release Date | TRAILER
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The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble[/caption]
HBO has released the trailer for The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, directed by Morgan Neville, that follows members of the international ensemble as they gather in locations across the world, exploring the ways art can preserve traditions and shape cultural evolution. On Sunday night, the Silk Road Ensemble won the Grammy award for Best World Music Album for the film’s companion album Sing Me Home. The film will debut March 6 on HBO.
Over the past 17 years, an extraordinary group of artists from around the world has come together to celebrate the universal power of music. Named for the ancient trade route linking Asia, Africa and Europe, the Silk Road Ensemble was conceived by renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and consists of a diverse, rotating lineup of instrumentalists, vocalists, composers and storytellers. The collective exemplifies music’s ability to blur geographical boundaries, blend disparate cultures and inspire hope.
Directed by Morgan Neville (the Oscar(R)-winning “20 Feet from Stardom”), The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble follows members of the international ensemble as they gather in locations across the world, exploring the ways art can preserve traditions and shape cultural evolution. A vivid portrait of a bold musical experiment and a global search for the ties that bind, the Grammy-nominated film debuts Monday, March 6 (8:00-9:35 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO.
Blending performance footage, interviews, behind-the-scenes film and archival clips, The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble focuses on a few of the ensemble’s mainstays, and their moving personal stories of passion, talent and sacrifice.
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma founded Silkroad in 1998. Since 2000, the Silk Road Ensemble has been at the center of the organization’s work, recording six albums and performing for nearly two million people in 33 countries. The Music of Strangers explores Ma’s storied life and career, and profiles some of the collective’s members, including: Kinan Azmeh, a Syrian clarinet player and composer; Wu Man, a pipa player and composer from China; Kayhan Kalhor, an Iranian kamancheh player and composer; and Cristina Pato, a bagpiper, pianist and composer from Spain.
A family of people from vastly different backgrounds who explore and celebrate their commonality, the Silk Road Ensemble has evolved into an organization of musicians and artists exploring themes of cultural connectivity, history and tradition. “In the process, they model for us a way to understanding the Other,” says director Morgan Neville. “If there’s anything we should be doing today, it’s that, because so many forces in our world want us to be scared of the Other.”
These accomplished artists tell stories of exile due to war or political revolution, of being silenced, marginalized or jailed, of being caught between their home cultures and life in the U.S. (where their instruments may not even be recognized) and of their transformative experiences in the Silk Road Ensemble. They explain the struggles that motivate them and the creative relationships that sustain them. The documentary highlights the musicians’ connections to their homes and their efforts to extend Ma’s vision of art connecting disparate people as they learn from others and share their own experience and expertise.
The Music of Strangers spotlights gatherings across the globe, and performances spanning more than a decade, both large and small, public and private. The film also includes extensive interviews with Yo-Yo Ma and his son, Nicholas, offering insights into Ma’s desire to create an ensemble that would bridge cultural divides and how that vision has come to life since its launch in Tanglewood, Mass. in 2000. Notes Ma, “We started as a group of musicians getting together and seeing what might happen when strangers meet.”
The viability of the group was challenged in the wake of 9/11, but the mission was more relevant than ever. It becomes clear that by forming and performing with the Silk Road Ensemble, Yo-Yo Ma has found himself. In addition, Ma says, “This is not just a story about what each of the musicians has done. It is also about the meaning behind what they do. It’s about our responsibility to one another. That’s a huge part of our story.”
The film was nominated for a 2017 Grammy Award in the category of Best Music Film; the film’s companion album, “Sing Me Home,” received the Grammy for Best World Music Album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvFjOw9K8eo&feature=youtu.be
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble was directed by Morgan Neville; executive producers, Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Laura Freid, Julie Goldman, William Ackman, Hyun-Sang Cho, Nancy Stephens, Rick Rosenthal; co-executive producer, Cristin Canterbury Bagnall; produced by Caitrin Rogers, Morgan Neville; associate producer, Caryn Capotosto; edited by Jason Zeldes, Helen Kearns. For HBO: senior producer, Nancy Abraham; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.
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First 11 Films Revealed for 2017 Dallas International Film Festival
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Strad Style[/caption]
The Dallas International Film Festival revealed the first eleven official selections for the upcoming 11th edition of the festival. Led by Stefon Avalos’s Slamdance Film Festival award-winner, STRAD STYLE, the list of titles include François Ozon’s FRANTZ , Sarah Adina Smith’s BUSTER’S MAL HEART, and James Gray’s THE LOST CITY OF Z (NYFF).
This year’s Texas Competition, which promotes the state’s impressive home-grown filmmaking talent by focusing on films produced and shot in Texas, includes the world premiere of Jameson Brooks’s drama BOMB CITY, about a controversial hate-crime that took place in a small, conservative Texas town. Also competing in the category is Jason Headley’s comedy A BAD IDEA GONE WRONG about two would-be thieves that bungle their way into a hostage situation during a poorly-planned break-in.
The second announced world premiere selection, Micah Barber’s INTO THE WHO KNOWS! about a boy and his best friend, Felix the Fox, that escape summer camp to embark on a big mystical adventure, will make its debut as part of DIFF’s Family Friendly section. Also screening will be Tony Shaff’s documentary 44 PAGES, which tells the surprising story of Highlights Magazine, and screens at DIFF immediately following its debut at SXSWedu in March.
DIFF’s Premiere Series will include; Smith’s mind-bender BUSTER’S MAL HEART, which stars Mr. Robot’s Rami Malek as a mountain man drifter who had a life-changing run-in with a stranger obsessed with a conspiracy theory; Ozon’s drama FRANTZ, about a woman coming to terms with the death of her fiancé in World War I; and Gray’s true-life epic THE LOST CITY OF Z, which follows the tale of British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett, who disappeared in the Amazon in the 1920s.
Avalos’s STRAD STYLE, which won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the recently concluded Slamdance Film Festival, and Matt Schrader’s SCORE: A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY, are the first two selections announced from DIFF’s beloved Deep Ellum Sounds section. The music-themed documentary section hails back to the film festival’s roots in the colorful music-infused neighborhood with the Deep Ellum Film Festival, which was the precursor to the Dallas International Film Festival. STRAD STYLE follows the efforts of a man in Ohio, who decides he can build a classic Stradivarius violin, and SCORE: A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY, looks at the art of film scoring via interviews with nearly every prominent film composer on the scene today.
Rounding out the first selections revealed to the public are Steve James’s ABACUS: TOO SMALL TO JAIL, about the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, and Alejandro Molina’s THE PRESENT ONES (Los Presentes), about an actress having identity issues after returning to play a character that gets under her skin just as she faces a relationship crisis. ABACUS: TOO SMALL TO JAIL will screen as part of DIFF’s Documentary Showcase, and marks the fourth of James’s films to be a part of the festival. THE PRESENT ONES is part of DIFF’s Latino Cinema Showcase.
The film festival will present the Studio Movie Grill Silver Heart Award to the film that best addresses Human Rights issues. A $5,000 cash prize will be presented by the Schultz Family during the Dallas Film Society Honors event presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation on Friday, April 7, as DIFF continues its decade-long tradition of looking beyond the artistic value of film to the impact on the community, either via environmental, or in this case, human rights issues, as well. The Silver Heart Award is bestowed on an individual or film for their dedication to fighting injustices and/or creating social change for the improvement of humanity.
The eleven official selections include:
ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL
Director: Steve James
Country: USA, Running Time: 88min
ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL tells the incredible saga of the Chinese immigrant Sung family, owners of Abacus Federal Savings of Chinatown, New York. Accused of mortgage fraud by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., Abacus becomes the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The indictment and subsequent trial forces the Sung family to defend themselves – and their bank’s legacy in the Chinatown community – over the course of a five-year legal battle.
A BAD IDEA GONE WRONG
Director: Jason Headley
Country: USA, Running Time: 85min
A BAD IDEA GONE WRONG is a comedy about two would-be thieves who accidentally arm the alarm system and have to break out of the house they just broke into. When they discover an unexpected house sitter, they suddenly have to deal with a hostage situation, double crosses, sexual tensions, and discoveries that make their difficult escape even more dubious.
BOMB CITY
Director: Jameson Brooks
Country: USA, Running Time: 93min
BOMB CITY is a gritty-drama, about the hatred and oppression of a group of punk revolutionaries in a conservative Texas town. Their ongoing battle with a rival clique leads to one of the most controversial hate crimes the U.S. has ever seen. Based on the true story of Brian Deneke.
BUSTER’S MAL HEART
Director: Sarah Adina Smith
Country: USA, Running Time: 96min
In this bold thriller spiked with dark humor, Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) is Buster, a family man whose chance encounter with a conspiracy-obsessed drifter leaves him on the run from the police and an impending event known as The Inversion.
44 PAGES
Director: Tony Shaff
Country: USA, Running Time: 97min
44 PAGES is a portrait of Highlights Magazine following the creation of the cultural phenomenon’s 70th Anniversary issue, from the first editorial meeting to its arrival in homes, and introducing the quirky people who passionately produce the monthly publication for “the world’s most important people,”…children. Along the way, a rich and tragic history is revealed, the state of childhood, technology, and education is explored, and the future of print media is questioned.
FRANTZ
Director: François Ozon
Country: France/Germany, Running Time: 113min
A haunting tale of love and reconciliation begins in a small town in Germany in the immediate aftermath of World War I when a young woman mourning the death of her fiancé encounters a mysterious Frenchman laying flowers on her beloved’s grave.
INTO THE WHO KNOWS!
Director: Micah Barber
Country: USA, Running Time: 72min
Ten-year old Thomas has a best friend: Felix the Fox. But his parents want him to make “real friends”, so they send him to summer camp. However, he hates it, so he and Felix make a midnight escape. Deep in the forest of the Who Knows they pursue a mythical being called the Totem, and decide to catch it.
THE LOST CITY OF Z
Director: James Gray
Country: USA, Running Time: 141min
A true-life drama, centering on British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett, who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s.
THE PRESENT ONES (LOS PRESENTES)
Director: Alejandro Molina
Country: Mexico, Running Time: 90min
Ana, a former actress, gets the chance to reunite herself with Ophelia, a character she played years ago on the stage, when she met and fell for the man who is her husband now. However, at this point in her life, her marriage is facing a difficult time, tenuously kept together is their 6-year old son. By playing the character, and “becoming” Ophelia once again, and under stressful circumstances, Ana suffers a personality split which leads her to an extreme and life changing juncture, something she has never faced before.
SCORE: A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Director: Matt Schrader
Country: USA, Running Time: 93min
SCORE: A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY brings Hollywood’s premiere composers together to give viewers a privileged look inside the musical challenges and creative secrecy of the world’s most widely known music genre: the film score.
STRAD STYLE
Director: Stefan Avalos
Country: USA, Running Time: 104min
STRAD STYLE follows a backwoods dreamer from Ohio with an obsession for ‘Stradivari’ and all things violin, who, through the magic of social-media, convinces a famous European concert violinist that he can make a copy of the most famous and valuable violin in the world. Fighting time, poverty, and most of all – himself – Danny Houck puts everything on the line for one shot at glory.
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Berlinale 2017: Three Films Awarded Prizes at the Berlinale Co-Production Market
Three monetary prizes were awarded to selected narrative film projects at the 2017 Berlinale Co-Production Market which runs February 12 to 15.
The Eurimages Co-Production Development Award, with an endowment of 20,000 euros, was awarded to The Wife of the Pilot (director: Anne Zohra Berrached), which Razor Film Produktion from Germany presented here. The prize money is intended as a development grant from the European film fund Eurimages.
The three members of this year’s jury were renowned industry professionals Pablo Pérez de Lema (Spain), Leontine Petit (The Netherlands) and Manfred Schmidt (Germany).
Two additional prestige prizes were also awarded. The VFF – Verwertungsgesellschaft der Film und Fernsehproduzenten from Munich awarded its VFF Talent Highlight Award, with an endowment of 10,000 euros, to the project The Bus to Amerika, presented at the market by producer Nefes Polat from Turkey and director Derya Durmaz. Since 2004, the VFF has each year honored a promising project by up-and-coming filmmakers from the “Talent Project Market”, organized by the Berlinale Co-Production Market in cooperation with Berlinale Talents. Nominated for the VFF Talent Highlight Award this year in addition to Nefes Polat were Cuban producer Maria Carla del Rio, with her project Shock Labor, and producer Jeremy Chua from Singapore, with Tomorrow is a Long Time. Each project received a recognition of 1,000 euros as well as the opportunity to pitch their projects to participants of the Berlinale Co-Production Market.
This year, the renowned ARTE International Prize, which has been presented since 2011, was awarded to the project Lost Country by Serbian director Vladimir Perišić, which is represented by KinoElektron (France), MPM Film (France) and Trilema Films (Serbia). ARTE bestows the 6,000 euro prize on an artistically outstanding project drawn from the entire Berlinale Co-Production Market.
The 14th Berlinale Co-Production Market, which runs until February 15, is a place where the producers of the 36 selected narrative film projects can also meet with potential co-producers and funding partners. Over the four days, some 600 participants take a total of more than 1,200 individual meetings. More than 240 films that came to the market looking for partners have since become completed films, and seven of those are screening this year alone in the film festival programme.
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MOONLIGHT and 13TH Among Winners of 48th NAACP Image Awards
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Moonlight[/caption]
With some of the biggest names in film, television and music in attendance, the winners of the 48th NAACP Image Awards were announced over the weekend. Moonlight was one of the night’s biggest winners, taking home the awards for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture along with Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Mahershala Ali. 13TH directed by Ava Duvernay won the award for Outstanding Documentary.
The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film, and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.
Below are all of the winners for the 48th NAACP Image Awards.
Motion Picture Categories
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Mahershala Ali – “Moonlight” (A24)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Viola Davis – “Fences” (Paramount Pictures)
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
“Moonlight” (A24)
Outstanding Motion Picture
“Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Denzel Washington – “Fences” (Paramount Pictures)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Taraji P. Henson – “Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox)
Entertainer of the Year
Dwayne Johnson
Documentary Categories
Outstanding Documentary – (Film)
“13TH” (Netflix)
Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
“Roots: A New Vision” (History)
Writing Categories
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Kenya Barris – “`black-ish” – Hope (ABC)
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Ava DuVernay – “Queen Sugar” – First Things First (OWN)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Charles Murray – “Roots” – Night 3 (History)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Barry Jenkins – “Moonlight” (A24)
Directing Categories
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Donald Glover – “Atlanta” – Value (FX)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
John Singleton – “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” – The Race Card (FX)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Rick Famuyiwa – “Confirmation” (HBO)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Barry Jenkins – “Moonlight” (A24)
Animated or Computer Generated Image (CGI) Category
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television or Film)
Idris Elba – “The Jungle Book” (Walt Disney Studios)
Television Categories
Outstanding Comedy Series
“`black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson – “`black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Tracee Ellis Ross – “`black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Drama Series
“Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown – “This Is Us” (NBC)
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Taraji P. Henson – “Empire” (FOX)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Laurence Fishburne – “`black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Tichina Arnold – “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jussie Smollett – “Empire” (FOX)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Naturi Naughton – “Power” (Starz)
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series, or Dramatic Special
“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX)
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series, or Dramatic Special
Courtney B. Vance – “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX)
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series, or Dramatic Special
Regina King – “American Crime” (ABC)
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
“BET Love and Happiness White House Special” (BET)
Outstanding Talk Series
“Steve Harvey” (Syndicated)
Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series
“Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN)
Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)
“2016 Black Girls Rock” (BET)
Outstanding Children’s Program
“An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win”(Amazon)
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series)
Marsai Martin – “`black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Host in a News, Talk, Reality, or Variety Program (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Roland S. Martin – “NewsOne Now with Roland S. Martin”(TV One)
Recording Categories
Outstanding New Artist
Chance the Rapper (Chance the Rapper)
Outstanding Male Artist
Maxwell (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
“Freedom” – Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment)
Outstanding Jazz Album
“Latin American Songbook” – Edward Simon (Sunnyside)
Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)
“One Way” – Tamela Mann (Tillymann, Inc.)
Outstanding Music Video
“Formation” – Beyoncé (Columbia Records/ParkwoodEntertainment)
Outstanding Song – Traditional
“I See A Victory” – Kim Burrell and Pharrell Williams (I Am Other/Columbia Records)
Outstanding Album
“Lemonade” – Beyoncé (Columbia Records/ParkwoodEntertainment)
Outstanding Song – Contemporary
“Freedom” – Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment)
Literature Categories
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“The Book of Harlan” – Bernice L. McFadden (AkashicBooks)
Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction
“Hidden Figures” – Margot Lee Shetterly (HarperCollinsPublishers/William Morrow)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” –Trevor Noah (Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
“Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” –Trevor Noah (Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage” – Daymond John (Author), Daniel Paisner (With), (Crown Business/The Crown Publishing Group)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
“Collected Poems: 1974-2004” – Rita Dove (W. W. Norton & Company)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas” – Gwendolyn Hooks (Author), Colin Bootman(Illustrator) (Lee & Low Books)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
“As Brave As You” – Jason Reynolds (Simon & Schuster (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books))
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Alice Lowe’s Pregnancy Horror Comedy PREVENGE to be Released in The U.S. | TRAILER
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Prevenge by Alice Lowe[/caption]
Alice Lowe’s pregnancy horror comedy PREVENGE will be released in the U.S. by Shudder, and will open theatrically in New York and Los Angeles from March 24th, shortly after screening at the South By Southwest Film Festival.
PREVENGE marks the directorial debut from Lowe (star and writer of Ben Wheatley’s “Sightseers”), who is a true triple threat, writing, directing, and acting in the film during her own real-life pregnancy. The film received praise from critics and audiences alike at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals, as well as a British Independent Film Award nomination for Best Directorial Debut.
A pitch black, wryly British horror comedy from the mind of Alice Lowe (“Sightseers,” “Hot Fuzz,” “Paddington”), PREVENGE follows Ruth, a pregnant woman on a killing spree, that’s as funny as it is vicious. It’s her misanthropic unborn baby dictating Ruth’s actions, holding society responsible for the absence of a father. The child speaks to Ruth from the womb, coaching her to lure and ultimately kill her unsuspecting victims. Struggling with her conscience, loneliness, and a strange strain of prepartum madness, Ruth must ultimately choose between redemption and destruction at the moment of motherhood.
Also featuring a remarkable ‘70s-throwback synth score by Toydrum and starring Gemma Whelan (“Game of Thrones”), Kate Dickie (“The Witch”) and Jo Hartley (“Eddie the Eagle”), PREVENGE was called “Uniquely frightening and funny” by Variety , adding “Lowe’s performance is a marvel.”The Guardian praised it as “gruesomely successful,” saying it “provides a nightmarish satirical twist on post- and antenatal depression.” The Hollywood Reporter said Lowe evokes “a kind of deadpan, British kitchen-sink Dario Argento” and praised the film’s “exhilarating disregard for conventional morality.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bEPU_58akI
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Australia’s Monster Fest Announces 2017 Dates + Call For Submissions
Monster Fest, Australia’s premier genre film festival celebrating cult, horror and the fantastic, returns for its seventh edition November 22 to 26, 2017 at the Lido Cinemas in Melbourne.
These dates include the festival’s industry component, The Swinburne University Media and Communication Monster Academy, which will kick off the festival November 22 and 23.
Submissions are now open for Features, Short Films and Expanded Cinema Projects, with an Early Bird Deadline of April 21, a Regular Deadline of June 16 and a final, Extended Deadline of August 4, 2017.
“We had a huge increase in submissions in 2016,” says Festival Director Kier-La Janisse. “And it really diversified our approach to programming. In addition to horror, which is always a staple at Monster Fest, we brought in more crime films, westerns, documentary and animation than ever before, and our audience really went with it – we ended up having our most successful year to date.”
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SHOT! THE PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL MANTRA OF ROCK Sets Release Date
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SHOT! THE PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL MANTRA OF ROCK[/caption]
SHOT! THE PSYCHO-SPIRITUAL MANTRA OF ROCK, an odyssey into the colorful and bohemian tales of rock ‘n’ roll’s history, will open April 7, 2017 at Metrograph in NY, in LA and on VOD.
Directed by Barnaby Clay, the documentary is described as ‘a cinematic adventure that delves deep into the mind of one of rock’s greatest living photographers: Mick Rock.’
Through the poignant lens of rock ‘n’ roll mythology; icon-maker, psychedelic explorer, poet, and custodian of dreams Mick Rock navigates his story from the glam rock shimmer of London to the snarl of NYC punk, and deep into the new millennium. Mick turns inward to face himself and the experiences as the visual record-keeper of myths and legends that propelled him into a living icon in this rock n’ roll comeback story. Mick’s now infamous images of the likes of David Bowie, Queen, Syd Barrett (Founding member of Pink Floyd), Blondie, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop are now imprinted on our collective psyche forever and generations to come.
Presented in his own words, juxtaposed with spellbinding images and exclusive never-seen or heard archival film footage, audio recordings and original material, this film reveals an enigmatic Rock and his adventurous life both behind the camera and as an integral member of the artist’s entourage working with and shaping some of the most outrageous, recognized and accomplished musicians and personalities of the past forty years. An icon-maker, and icon in his own right, Rock is among a very few photographers who himself is photographed walking red carpets in Los Angeles, London, New York and around the globe.
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Berlinale 2017: Protest for Arrested Director Oleg Sentsov
Agnieszka Holland, Volker Schlöndorff, the European Film Academy, and Amnesty International staged a protest against the incarceration of the Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov at a Berlin International Film Festival screening of THE TRIAL – THE STATE OF RUSSIA VS. OLEG SENTSOV by Askold Kurov,
Presented by the Berlinale and the European film Academy as part of the Berlinale Special section, the Berlinale premiere had filmmakers team up with with the 650 spectators holding up signs demanding the release of the director.
Moderated by EFA Deputy Chairman Mike Downey, the discussion saw director Askold Kurov point out: “The story of making this film is a story of solidarity,” adding his hope that the film makes Oleg less of an abstract person. While the filmmaker’s cousin had no optimistic news to report, his lawyer Dmitrii Dinze stated that if an international campaign continues, “it will push the legal regime in Russia.” To much applause, EFA Chairwoman Agnieszka Holland said: “Oleg needs us but we also need Oleg. His courage is very relevant in times like these, maybe more so than two years ago!”
In May 2014, the Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who was involved in supporting the Euro Maidan protests in Kiev and who has opposed the annexation of Crimea by Russia, was arrested by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) in his house in Simferopol (Crimea). Eventually, at the end of what Amnesty International describes as “an unfair trial in a military court”, Oleg Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in jail for having committed “crimes of a terrorist nature”. In his documentary Askold Kurov investigates the truth behind this political show trial. He was joined in a conversation after the screening by EFA Chairwoman Agnieszka Holland, Oleg Sentsov’s cousin Natalya Kaplan and his lawyer Dmitrii Dinze.
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2017 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Awards: MY HERO BROTHER Wins Audience Award and Best Documentary
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My Hero Brother[/caption]
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced the 2017 winners -MY HERO BROTHER won both the The Audience Choice Award and Best Documentary Award. The documentary follows a group of young people with Down syndrome as they embark on a demanding trip through the Himalayas, accompanied by their “normal” brothers and sisters.
The Nueva Vision Award for Spanish / Latin American Cinema went to Elia Schneider’s TAMARA, chosen by jury members for being so bold and straightforward with such an important and relevant issue as transitioning genders, and for electrifying filmmaking with powerful and emotional performances.
Paul Shoulberg’s THE GOOD CATHOLIC took home the Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema. Jury members Joanna Kerns and Richard Harris commented that “”Every once in awhile you get the privilege to watch a film that pulls you in emotionally from the opening moment, THE GOOD CATHOLIC is that movie. Economically written, flawlessly directed, cast and performed, this intimate film about a young priest’s crisis of faith after meeting a woman in confessional, takes you on that journey.”
The Social Justice Award for Documentary Film went to ANGRY INUK, directed by Althea Arnaquq-Baril. Jury members chose the controversial film for its deep dive into the central role of seal hunting in the lives of the Inuit, and the negative impact that international campaigns against the seal hunt have had on them.
Jury members chose THE CONSTITUTION as the recipient of the Jeffrey C. Barbakow Award for Best International Film. Jury members praised the performances of the actors and applauded the film as a richly conceived and ambitious look at multiple characters that live in the same building but avoid each other because of their differences in assets, sexual habits, nationality, and religion.
The ADL Stand Up Award went to Wiktor Ericsson’s STRAWBERRY DAYS. The purpose of the ADL Stand Up Award is to recognize and celebrate the impact that storytelling can have in fostering mutual understanding and respect. “Strawberry Days” was chosen for its brave portrayal of the exploitation of foreign workers, and its depiction of the touching bond that forms between a 15-year-old worker and The Farmer’s daughter.
The Valhalla Award for Best Nordic Film was awarded to SÁMI BLOOD, directed by Amanda Kernell. The film was selected for its powerful and vivid representation of racism in the 1930s and compelling story of a 14-year-old girl determined to leave her life behind.
Winners of the 2017 Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Audience Choice Award MY HERO BROTHER Directed by Yonatan Nir Best Documentary Award MY HERO BROTHER Directed by Yonatan Nir Jeffrey C. Barbakow Award – Best International Feature Film THE CONSTITUTION Directed by Rajko Grlić Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema THE GOOD CATHOLIC Directed by Paul Shoulberg Nueva Vision Award for Spain/Latin America Cinema TAMARA Directed by Elia K. Schneider Social Justice Award for Documentary Film ANGRY INUK Directed by Althea Arnaquq-Baril ADL Stand Up Award STRAWBERRY DAYS Directed by Wiktor Ericsson Valhalla Award for Best Nordic Film SÁMI BLOOD Directed by Amanda Kernell Best Documentary Short Film Award REFUGE Directed by Matthew K. Firpo Best Documentary Short Film Award REFUGEE Directed by Joyce Chen and Emily Moore Bruce Corwin Award – Best Live Action Short Film IT’S BEEN LIKE A YEAR Directed by Cameron Fay Bruce Corwin Award – Best Animated Short Film CONFINO Directed by Nico Bonomolo
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2017 BAFTA Awards: LA LA Land Wins Best Film, 13TH Wins Best Documentary
La La Land was named Best Film at the EE British Academy Film Awards aka 2017 BAFTA Awards, with Damien Chazelle winning Director and Emma Stone receiving the award for Leading Actress. Linus Sandgren won for Cinematography and Justin Hurwitz won Original Music.
Ava DuVernay’s film, exploring race in the US criminal justice system, 13th, won the award for Documentary. Kubo and the Two Strings took the award for Animated Film, and Film Not in the English Language was won by Hungarian holocaust drama, Son of Saul.
Outstanding British Film was won by I, Daniel Blake, directed by Ken Loach.
Writer/director Babak Anvari and producers Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill and Lucan Toh received the award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for Under the Shadow.
Home won the British Short Film award, while the BAFTA for British Short Animation was won by A Love Story.
The EE Rising Star Award, voted for by the public, went to Tom Holland.
The Special Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema was presented to film distributor and exhibitor Curzon for its work in bringing art house and foreign language cinema to British audiences.
Nathan Lane, Simon Pegg and HRH The Duke of Cambridge, President of BAFTA, presented the Academy’s highest honour, the Fellowship, to writer, director, actor and producer Mel Brooks.
The winners of the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2017
2016 NOMINATIONS AND WINNERS
(presented in 2017)
FELLOWSHIP
MEL BROOKS
OUTSTANDING BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA
CURZON
BEST FILM
ARRIVAL Dan Levine, Shawn Levy, David Linde, Aaron Ryder
I, DANIEL BLAKE Rebecca O’Brien
LA LA LAND Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz, Marc Platt
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Lauren Beck, Matt Damon, Chris Moore, Kimberly Steward, Kevin J. Walsh
MOONLIGHT Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
AMERICAN HONEY Andrea Arnold, Lars Knudsen, Pouya Shahbazian, Jay Van Hoy
DENIAL Mick Jackson, Gary Foster, Russ Krasnoff, David Hare
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM David Yates, David Heyman, Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowling, Lionel Wigram
I, DANIEL BLAKE Ken Loach, Rebecca O’Brien, Paul Laverty
NOTES ON BLINDNESS Peter Middleton, James Spinney, Mike Brett, Jo-Jo Ellison, Steve Jamison
UNDER THE SHADOW Babak Anvari, Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill, Lucan Toh
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
The Girl With All the Gifts: MIKE CAREY (Writer), CAMILLE GATIN (Producer)
The Hard Stop: GEORGE AMPONSAH (Writer/Director/Producer), DIONNE WALKER (Writer/Producer)
Notes on Blindness: PETER MIDDLETON (Writer/Director/Producer), JAMES SPINNEY (Writer/Director/Producer), JO-JO ELLISON (Producer)
The Pass: JOHN DONNELLY (Writer), BEN A. WILLIAMS (Director)
Under the Shadow: BABAK ANVARI (Writer/Director), EMILY LEO, OLIVER ROSKILL, LUCAN TOH (Producers)
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
DHEEPAN Jacques Audiard, Pascal Caucheteux
JULIETA Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar
MUSTANG Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Charles Gillibert
SON OF SAUL László Nemes, Gábor Sipos
TONI ERDMANN Maren Ade, Janine Jackowski
DOCUMENTARY
13th Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Howard Barish
THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK- THE TOURING YEARS Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Scott Pascucci, Nigel Sinclair
THE EAGLE HUNTRESS Otto Bell, Stacey Reiss
NOTES ON BLINDNESS Peter Middleton, James Spinney
WEINER Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg
ANIMATED FILM
FINDING DORY Andrew Stanton
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS Travis Knight
MOANA Ron Clements, John Musker
ZOOTROPOLIS Byron Howard, Rich Moore
DIRECTOR
ARRIVAL Denis Villeneuve
I, DANIEL BLAKE Ken Loach
LA LA LAND Damien Chazelle
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Kenneth Lonergan
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Tom Ford
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
HELL OR HIGH WATER Taylor Sheridan
I, DANIEL BLAKE Paul Laverty
LA LA LAND Damien Chazelle
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Kenneth Lonergan
MOONLIGHT Barry Jenkins
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ARRIVAL Eric Heisserer
HACKSAW RIDGE Andrew Knight, Robert Schenkkan
HIDDEN FIGURES Theodore Melfi, Allison Schroeder
LION Luke Davies
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Tom Ford
LEADING ACTOR
ANDREW GARFIELD Hacksaw Ridge
CASEY AFFLECK Manchester by the Sea
JAKE GYLLENHAAL Nocturnal Animals
RYAN GOSLING La La Land
VIGGO MORTENSEN Captain Fantastic
LEADING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS Arrival
EMILY BLUNT The Girl on the Train
EMMA STONE La La Land
MERYL STREEP Florence Foster Jenkins
NATALIE PORTMAN Jackie
SUPPORTING ACTOR
AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON Nocturnal Animals
DEV PATEL Lion
HUGH GRANT Florence Foster Jenkins
JEFF BRIDGES Hell or High Water
MAHERSHALA ALI Moonlight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
HAYLEY SQUIRES I, Daniel Blake
MICHELLE WILLIAMS Manchester by the Sea
NAOMIE HARRIS Moonlight
NICOLE KIDMAN Lion
VIOLA DAVIS Fences
ORIGINAL MUSIC
ARRIVAL Jóhann Jóhannsson
JACKIE Mica Levi
LA LA LAND Justin Hurwitz
LION Dustin O’Halloran, Hauschka
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Abel Korzeniowski
CINEMATOGRAPHY
ARRIVAL Bradford Young
HELL OR HIGH WATER Giles Nuttgens
LA LA LAND Linus Sandgren
LION Greig Fraser
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Seamus McGarvey
EDITING
ARRIVAL Joe Walker
HACKSAW RIDGE John Gilbert
LA LA LAND Tom Cross
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Jennifer Lame
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Joan Sobel
PRODUCTION DESIGN
DOCTOR STRANGE Charles Wood, John Bush
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Stuart Craig, Anna Pinnock
HAIL, CAESAR! Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh
LA LA LAND David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds-Wasco
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Shane Valentino, Meg Everist
COSTUME DESIGN
ALLIED Joanna Johnston
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Colleen Atwood
FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS Consolata Boyle
JACKIE Madeline Fontaine
LA LA LAND Mary Zophres
MAKE UP & HAIR
DOCTOR STRANGE Jeremy Woodhead
FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS J. Roy Helland, Daniel Phillips
HACKSAW RIDGE Shane Thomas
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Donald Mowat, Yolanda Toussieng
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY Amanda Knight, Neal Scanlan, Lisa Tomblin
SOUND
ARRIVAL Sylvain Bellemare, Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariépy Strobl
DEEPWATER HORIZON Dror Mohar, Mike Prestwood Smith, Wylie Stateman, Renee Tondelli, David Wyman
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Niv Adiri, Glenn Freemantle, Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, Ian Tapp
HACKSAW RIDGE Peter Grace, Robert Mackenzie, Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright
LA LA LAND Mildred Iatrou Morgan, Ai-Ling Lee, Steve A. Morrow, Andy Nelson
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
ARRIVAL Louis Morin
DOCTOR STRANGE Richard Bluff, Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Tim Burke, Pablo Grillo, Christian Manz, David Watkins
THE JUNGLE BOOK Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY Neil Corbould, Hal Hickel, Mohen Leo, John Knoll, Nigel Sumner
BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
THE ALAN DIMENSION Jac Clinch, Jonathan Harbottle, Millie Marsh
A LOVE STORY Khaled Gad, Anushka Kishani Naanayakkara, Elena Ruscombe-King
TOUGH Jennifer Zheng
BRITISH SHORT FILM
CONSUMED Richard John Seymour
HOME Shpat Deda, Afolabi Kuti, Daniel Mulloy, Scott O’Donnell
MOUTH OF HELL Bart Gavigan, Samir Mehanovic, Ailie Smith, Michael Wilson
THE PARTY Farah Abushwesha, Emmet Fleming, Andrea Harkin, Conor MacNeill
STANDBY Jack Hannon, Charlotte Regan
EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
ANYA TAYLOR-JOY
LAIA COSTA
LUCAS HEDGES
RUTH NEGGA
TOM HOLLAND