The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards®. Sixty pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Bear Story (Historia De Un Oso),” Gabriel Osorio, director, and Pato Escala, producer (Punkrobot Animation Studio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sUYg7WZSqc
“Carface (Autos Portraits),” Claude Cloutier, director (National Film Board of Canada)(pictured in main image above)
“If I Was God…,” Cordell Barker, director (National Film Board of Canada)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAEQIK4pDvw
“Love in the Time of March Madness,” Melissa Johnson and Robertino Zambrano, directors (High Hip Productions and KAPWA Studioworks)
https://vimeo.com/89993508
“My Home,” Phuong Mai Nguyen, director (Papy3D Productions)
https://vimeo.com/110398088
“An Object at Rest,” Seth Boyden, director (California Institute of the Arts)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmfk1Sz0gS4
“Prologue,” Richard Williams, director, and Imogen Sutton, producer (Animation Masterclass)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G78qA9oreNE
“Sanjay’s Super Team,” Sanjay Patel, director, and Nicole Grindle, producer (Pixar Animation Studios)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bJKwsTKFrY
“We Can’t Live without Cosmos,” Konstantin Bronzit, director (Melnitsa Animation Studio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KQKYzgusFI
“World of Tomorrow,” Don Hertzfeldt, director (Bitter Films)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdV1uFwtCpo
Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting.
Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist.
Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.
The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland
Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.-
10 Animated Short Films Advance in 2015 Oscar Race | TRAILERS
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards®. Sixty pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Bear Story (Historia De Un Oso),” Gabriel Osorio, director, and Pato Escala, producer (Punkrobot Animation Studio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sUYg7WZSqc
“Carface (Autos Portraits),” Claude Cloutier, director (National Film Board of Canada)(pictured in main image above)
“If I Was God…,” Cordell Barker, director (National Film Board of Canada)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAEQIK4pDvw
“Love in the Time of March Madness,” Melissa Johnson and Robertino Zambrano, directors (High Hip Productions and KAPWA Studioworks)
https://vimeo.com/89993508
“My Home,” Phuong Mai Nguyen, director (Papy3D Productions)
https://vimeo.com/110398088
“An Object at Rest,” Seth Boyden, director (California Institute of the Arts)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmfk1Sz0gS4
“Prologue,” Richard Williams, director, and Imogen Sutton, producer (Animation Masterclass)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G78qA9oreNE
“Sanjay’s Super Team,” Sanjay Patel, director, and Nicole Grindle, producer (Pixar Animation Studios)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bJKwsTKFrY
“We Can’t Live without Cosmos,” Konstantin Bronzit, director (Melnitsa Animation Studio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KQKYzgusFI
“World of Tomorrow,” Don Hertzfeldt, director (Bitter Films)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdV1uFwtCpo
Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting.
Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist.
Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.
The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland
Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
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Films Starring Idris Elba, Anthony Mackie, Jennifer Connelly Among Lineup for African Diaspora International Film Festival
Idris Elba, Anthony Mackie, Geraldine Chaplin, Epatha Merkerson, Jennifer Connelly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Sonia Sanchez, Rusty Cundieff, Stanley Nelson, and Thierry Michel are some of the names that lead the 23rd African Diaspora International Film Festival.
ADIFF 2015 has selected a total of 57 films from 27 countries. The lineup is rich in topics and themes presenting from different perspectives the human experience of people of color. Chelsea Bow Tie Cinemas, Teachers College, Columbia University and Mist Harlem will host this event from November 27 through December 13. With a world premiere, 9 US premieres and 16 NY premieres, ADIFF is more independent than ever with its rich and eclectic selection of films that cover many parts of the world.
Making their world and US debut in ADIFF 2015 are Opening Night film “The Man Who Mends Women, The Wrath of Hippocrates” by Thierry Michel which tells the story of Dr. Denis Mukwege, a man who has dedicated his life to assist women subjected to rape in his native DRC and World Premiere “Julien’s Bed” by Kirk Shannon-Butts, a visually imaginative film with a poetic story line about an African-American in Paris trying to reconnect with his lover. “Julien’s Bed” will screen in the first ever ADIFF LGBT Evening program with the South-African film “While You Were Not Looking” by Catherine Stewart. This beautifully shot drama explores gay life in South Africa with courage and imagination as the issue of class and the building of the New South Africa are very much at the center of the story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3v_E75-T2M
The Black British program highlight will be the NY Premiere presentation of TIFF’s official selection “Second Coming” by Debbie Tucker Green starring Idris Elba as a man who enjoys a peaceful life in a marriage that is about to change due to unexpected circumstances.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qp1_Ay41-A
The Talking about Chicago program will feature the two NY Premieres “70 Acres in Chicago: Cabrini Green” by Ronit Bezale and “Takin’ Place” by Cyrus Dowlatshahi, two documentaries about Chicago’s South Side and its inhabitants that expose an alternative reality to that traditionally presented in the media.
Among the films that explore historical themes will be the US Premiere of “If Only I Were That Warrior” by Valerio Ciriaci – ADIFF 2015 Gala Screening – which moves in and out of Ethiopia, Italy and the United States to tell us a story of unpunished war crimes, colonial wars and African history. “Invisible Heroes: African Americans In The Spanish Civil War,” by Alfonso Domingo and Jordi Torrent that introduces us to the remarkable story of African Americans who fought as volunteers in Spain for democracy and for civil rights that were denied to them in their own country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaNg8QnN2rY
Twenty one of the films in ADIFF 2015 are directed by women including “White Lies” by Dana Rotberg – New Zealand’s entry in the 2014 Oscar competition for best foreign-language- and “Asni: Courage & Glamour in Ethiopia” by Rachel Samuel to be presented in the Ethiopia: Past & Present program.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prcx70v-H6w
Two films will explore the role of women in the armed forces: the drama “Stand Down Soldier” by Jeryl Prescott Sale, the story of Sergeant Stacy Armstrong who returns home from three deployments suffering with PTSD, which undermines her 20 year marriage and the stability of her family life. The documentary “A Journey Of A Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers” by Geeta Gandbhir and Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy follows three women in an all female, predominantly Muslim unit of police officers sent to post-earthquake Haiti as UN Peacekeepers for one year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAR3SXSme6c
The Urban experience is global. “Fevers/Fièvres” by Hicham Ayouch – one of leading films in ADIFF’s Urban film selection and winner of the Golden Stallion of Yennenga, FESPACO 2015 – is a French drama with a strong social commentary that follows Benjamin , a young boy who is at war with the world and himself. Canadian thriller “Noir/Black /Nwa” by Yves Christian Fournier depicts stories of young people living in a Montreal ghetto fighting to survive like Dickens, a 16 year-old Haitian who wants to be part of the street gang controlled by his older brother. Other urban films are “Honeytrap” from the UK by Rebecca Johnson, “Impunity” from South Africa by Jyoti Mistry, “License to Operate” from the USA by James Lipetzky, and “Hear Me Move” from South Africa by Scottnes L. Smith.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YUJsgnVOzI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tffnzrVga3U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIkzA4U7UbE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM9mLW7lv2c
Two North African films will have their US premiere in ADIFF: comedy-drama “The Blind Orchestra” by Mohamed Mouftakir, a humorous yet critical look at the life of a group of musicians in Morocco during the early years of the reign of Hassan II and “Private Revolutions” by Alexandra Schneider, a documentary that is a reflection on the life of young Egyptian women after the Spring revolution presented in the Egypt: Before & After the Spring Revolution program to be hosted by Egyptian journalist Barbara Nimri Aziz.
ADIFF 2015 has some delightful encores to offer including titles that had a very short theatrical release and keep audiences talking like “Shelter” – starring Anthony Mackie and Jennifer Connelly- by Paul Bettany, “Tango Negro: The African Roots of Tango” by Dom Pedro, “The Pirogue” by Drissa Touré, “Sand Dollars” -Dominican Republic submission to the Oscars in the Foreign Language category- by Israel Cárdenas and Laura Amelia Guzmán and “Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution” -Oscar contender in the Best Documentary Feature category- by Stanley Nelson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwB0-YGivtc
Other important films that will premiere in the festival are “We, Strking” by Denis Gheerbrant about African women on strike against a hotel chain in Paris, Slamdance fest favorite “Dennis Rodman’s Big Bang In Pyongyang” by Colin Offland, and family friendly comedy-drama “White Water” by Rusty Cundieff about a black child obsessed with the idea of drinking water from the Whites Only fountain during the days of Segregation in the South.
ADIFF’s New York Premiere Centerpiece screening of “Cu-Bop: Cuba – New York Music Documentary” by Shinichi Takahashi will be followed with a live concert performance with Afro-Cuban pianist Axel Tosca and his band (U)NITY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVOO4ag_4EU
ADIFF will have the honor to host writer/poet/activist/professor Sonia Sanchez for ADIFF’s Closing Night screening of the new documentary celebrating her life and legacy: “BaddDDD Sonia Sanchez” (pictured above) by Barbara Attie, Janet Goldwater and Schmidt Gordon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7cP6g6VBAY
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Actor Sami Bouajila to Receive Arab Lifetime Achievement Award at 2015 Dubai International Film Festival
Sami Bouajila, the award-winning French-Tunisian actor, will be the recipient of this year’s prestigious Arab Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). Bouajila is an internationally acclaimed actor whose impressive filmography spans three decades and boasts an incredible forty titles. The actor is set to receive the accolade amongst the Arab and international film community at the 12th edition of DIFF, taking place December 9 to 16, 2015.
Sami Bouajila is renowned for his eclectic range of starring roles and is best known for his award-winning performances in ‘Les Temoins’ for which he won the Cesar Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2008, and ‘Indigenes’ where he received the award for Best Male Interpretation at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. His award-winning legacy dates back to 2000 when he was named Best Young Actor for ‘Drole de Felix’ at Festival du film romantique de Cabourg. The 49 year-old has come a long way since his first acting role, working his way into the leading role for the 2011 French crime-drama ‘’Omar Killed Me’, where he plays a falsely accused gardener convicted of murdering his elderly employer.
DIFF’s Chairman, Abdulhamid Juma remarked on the importance of recognizing those who have dedicated their lives to cinema: “Sami Bouajila’s film career is a testament to the medium of film, he is admired by audiences around the world for his diverse and compelling choices in film roles throughout his extraordinary career. We are delighted to honour his talents with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival this December.”
Sami Bouajila expressed his happiness upon receiving the news of winning the Lifetime Achievement Award from Dubai International Film Festival, and said: “I am thrilled and honored to receive the Dubai International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award and very much looking forward to meeting film industry members of the region.”
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Turkish Film LOST BIRDS is Big Winner of 2015 Arpa International Film Festival
The Turkish film LOST BIRDS directed by Ela Alyamac and Aren Perdeci is the big winner of the 2015 Arpa International Film Festival, taking the awards for Best Feature Film, Best Director for Ela Alyamac and Aren Perdeci, and Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Awards. MY LIFE IN CHINA directed by Kenneth Eng is the winner of the Best Documentary Award.
Lost Birds is set in 1915 in an Armenian village in Anatolia. Bedo and Maryam return from their secret dovecote only to find an empty house and a ghost village. The children embark on a journey to search for their mother, along with their bird ‘Bacik’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URtvPLTQO4c
My Life in China is a personal film that takes viewers on a journey to rural China where an emotional revelation takes place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKP9UiWcawU
The complete list of winners of 2015 Arpa International Film Festival
Best Feature Film
Lost Birds (2015) | Turkey | Director: Ela Alyamac, Aren Perdeci | Writers: Ela Alyamac, Aren Perdeci | Language: Turkish, Armenian
Best Documentary
My Life in China (2014) | U.S.A. | Director: Kenneth Eng | Writer: Ehren Parks | Language: Chinese
Best Short Film
The Loyalist (2015) | South Korea, USA | Director: Minji Kang | Writer: Willem Lee | Language: Korean
Best Director
Ela Alyamac and Aren Perdeci, Lost Birds
Best Screenplay
Zymber Kelmendi, Three Windows and a Hanging (2014) | Kosovo | Language: Albanian
Lifetime Achievement
Esai Morales
Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian
Lost Birds, Ela Alyamac and Aren Perdeci (writers-directors-producers)
Rising Star
David Dastmalchian
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Elizabeth Banks, Joel Edgerton, Paul Dano, Jacob Tremblay to Receive 2016 Virtuosos Award at Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy), Joel Edgerton (Black Mass), Paul Dano (Youth, Love & Mercy) and Jacob Tremblay (Room) will receive the 2016 Virtuosos Award at the 2016 Santa Barbara International Film Festival which runs February 3 to February 13, 2016.
“These performers have used their craft and respective roles to transport us through the varied lives of their characters,” stated Durling, “We have followed them along their artistic pursuits and are excited to join them in next steps of their journeys.”
After a turn behind the camera directing the mega-hit Pitch Perfect 2, Elizabeth Banks returned to the front of the camera in her role as Brian Wilson’s wife, Melinda Ledbetter, in the Beach Boy’s biopic Love & Mercy.
Following his directorial debut in The Gift, which he wrote and starred in, Joel Egerton mesmerized audiences in his transformative performance in Black Mass as John Connolly, the childhood friend-turned-FBI agent to notorious gangster Whitey Bulger.
Paul Dano’s breathtaking performance in the Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy as the Beach Boy’s founder has garnered critical acclaim as well in his supporting role in Paolo Sorrentino’s upcoming dramedy Youth.
Breaking onto the scene in a raw and stripped down performance, Jacob Tremblay portrays a boy born and raised in confinement in Room.
Past recipients for this award include Chadwick Boseman, Ellar Coltrane, Logan Lerman, David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, J.K. Simmons, Jenny Slate, Ann Dowd, Elle Fanning, Ezra Miller, Eddie Redmayne, Omar Sy, Quvenzhane Wallis, Demian Bichir, Rooney Mara, Melissa McCarthy, Shailene Woodley, Andy Serkis, Patton Oswalt, Andrew Garfield, John Hawkes, Lesley Manville, Hailee Steinfeld, Jacki Weaver, Emily Blunt, Carey Mulligan, Saoirse Ronan, Gabourey Sidibe, Michael Stuhlbarg, Casey Affleck, Marion Cotillard, Viola Davis, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sally Hawkins, Richard Jenkins, Melissa Leo, James McAvoy, Ellen Page, Amy Ryan, Michael Shannon, Michael B. Jordan, Brie Larson, Jared Leto, and June Squibb.
The festival will also honor Jane Fonda (Youth) with its Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film, Johnny Depp (Black Mass) with its Maltin Modern Master Award and Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams (Spotlight) as an ensemble with its American Riviera Award.
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World Premiere of Richard Linklater’s EVERYBODY WANTS SOME to Open 2016 SXSW
The world premiere of Everybody Wants Some has been selected as the Opening Night film of the 23rd edition of the South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Film Conference and Festival on March 11, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Set in the world of 1980s college life, Everybody Wants Some is a comedy, directed and written by Richard Linklater, that follows a group of college baseball players as they navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood. Get ready for the best weekend ever.
“We are so thrilled to premiere Richard’s latest work, which is really funny, instantly quotable, and filled will great new talent,” said Janet Pierson, head of SXSW Film. “Audiences are going to love this paean to competition and coming of age in the 80s.”
Everybody Wants Some features an ensemble cast of Will Brittain, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Anthony Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Blake Jenner, Glen Powell and Wyatt Russell. The film is written and directed by Richard Linklater and produced by and produced by Megan Ellison of Annapurna Pictures, Richard Linklater and Ginger Sledge. Paramount Pictures will release the film on April 15, 2016.
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Guy Édoin’s “Ville-Marie” Starring Monica Bellucci at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | TRAILER
Ville-Marie directed by Guy Édoin is screening in the Panorama section of the 19th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival running November 13 to 29, 2015.
Ville-Marie starring Monica Bellucci, Aliocha Schneider, Patrick Hivon and Pascale Bussières, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, an international premiere at the Rome Film Festival on October 20, and in addition to Tallinn will screen at the Windsor International Film Festival (3-8 November 2015) and the Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie (12-20 November 2015).
While filming in Montreal, a European actress (Monica Bellucci) tries to reconcile with her son (Aliocha
Schneider), who is a student in the city. But he witnesses a disturbing incident, reigniting his desire to learn who his father is. On his birthday, he is determined to get answers by confronting his mother. What he doesn’t know is that the film his mother is making was specifically designed to answer his questions. Meanwhile, a paramedic haunted by his past (Patrick Hivon) tries to hold himself together as a kindhearted nurse (Pascale Bussières) watches over him from a distance, while keeping a chaotic emergency room running. At Ville-Marie Hospital, these four lives will collide and change forever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB2WPgCyKlQ
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“Brooklyn” “The Champions” “Hitchcock/Truffaut” “Rams” “Krisha” Win Awards at 2015 Denver Film Festival
Brooklyn directed by John Crowley won the People’s Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature, and The Champions directed by Darcy Dennett won the People’s Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2015 Denver Film Festival (DFF) which ran from November 4-15 in Denver.
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MADONNA, CROCODILE GENNADIY, AHI KA Win Awards at 2015 Hawaii International Film Festival
The 2015 Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) announced their Jury winners; the Halekulani Golden Orchid for Best Narrative Feature was awarded to director Shin Su-won (South Korea) for the film, MADONNA, and the Best Documentary Feature Award was awarded to CROCODILE GENNADIY, directed by Steve Hoover.
“Storytelling from a woman’s perspective, marginalized individuals given a voice, revealing the harsh and violent reality in contemporary society’s in a well-written script with beautiful execution. Aesthetics and cinematography lends itself to quality filmmaking, with a solid cast. Even though the film reflects one particular society, the theme was universal and impactful. The winner go the Halekulani Golden Orchid Award for Best Narrative Feature goes to MADONNA directed by Shin Su-won.” – HIFF 2015 Narrative Feature Jury.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNKWhslzt8Y
“CROCODILE GENNADIY is extraordinary: it tells a story with a compelling protagonist, a Ukranian pastor who rehabilitates drug addicted teens against a backdrop of a country in crisis. The film is a wonderful example of dramatic storytelling using all the cinematic tools – superb cinematography, inspired editing, provocative score – to tell a story of a man of uncommon moral conviction. We congratulate director Steve Hooper and his team for this outstanding achievement.” – HIFF 2015 Documentary Jury.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCQ9Uw3Paug
The Best Short Film Award was won by AHI KA, directed by Richard Curtis (New Zealand). “AHI KA exhibits breathtaking imagery that instilled nostalgia and complex emotion. Its main actress delivers a haunting performance, portraying a kind of beauty that invokes the ghosts of our past. Lastly, the film makes a powerful statement and sheds light on a story we feel needs to be shared. Like fire that passes from generation to generation, the film has the power to perpetuate dialogue about sensitive topics that no place on earth is exempt from.” – HIFF 2015 Short Film Jury
The festival honored actress Ryoko Hirosue with the Career Achievement Award. Her current film, HANA’S MISO SOUP had its world premiere at this year’s festival. Actor Tadanobu Asano was honored with the Maverick Award for his bold performances on screen, working with the top directors around the world for over twenty years. Actor Ha Jung Woo, from South Korea, was honored with the Renaissance Award for his profound career as an actor as director.
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New York Films to Shine at 2015 African Diaspora International Film Festival
The 2015 African Diaspora International Film Festival is to be held in Manhattan, New York City from November 27 to December 13 at MIST Harlem, Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas and Teachers College, Columbia University with the presentation of more than 50 films, including 26 US and NY Premieres. As part of its 23rd edition, the festival will screen a selection of films Made in New York and/or directed by New York based filmmakers.
ADIFF 2015 FILMS MADE IN NEW YORK
“The Bicycle” by James Richards is a Queens set family film that takes a child and an adult on a journey through the many worlds that make up their community thus connecting them in a way neither could have imagined.
“Cu-Bop: Cuba – New York Music Documentary” by Shinichi Takahashi follows the gifted young Cuban pianist Axel Tosca who lives in New York City, and performs as the leader of (U)NITY, a band which fuses Afro-Cuban culture with modern jazz and hip-hop.
“Shelter” by Paul Bettany and starring Jennifer Connelly and Anthony McKie tackles drug addiction and homelessness in the streets of Manhattan.
“The Challenger” by Kent Moran, featuring Michael Clarke Duncan in his last role, is a boxing drama set in the Bronx.
“Lift Every Voice” by Dallas Alexis is about a teacher who was able to get her students motivated and interested into the New York State/City High School Regents Exams by incorporating RAP and HIP-HOP into her lectures.
ADIFF 2015 FILMS MADE BY NEW YORK BASED FILMMAKERS
Stanley Nelson will present his latest documentary “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” (pictured above) about the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party during the 1960s and beyond
Sabrina Schmidt Gordon will present her documentary “BaddDDD Sonia Sanchez” about the legendary poet, playwright, activist and seminal figure in the 1960s Black Arts Movement
Carol Bash will present her documentary “Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings The Band” about the pianist and composer who helped shape the sound of 20th century America with her innovative style.
Jordi Torrens will present “Invisible Heroes: African American in the Spanish Civil War” which tells the remarkable story of African Americans who fought as volunteers in Spain for democracy and for civil rights that were denied to them in their own country
Melissa Lefkowitz and Dorian Carli-Jones will present their film “China Remix” a short documentary that explores the Chinese city Guangzhou’s burgeoning African entertainment industry.
Geeta Gandbhir will present her documentary ”A Journey Of A Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers” which follows three women in an all female, predominantly Muslim unit of police officers sent to post-earthquake Haiti as UN Peacekeepers for one year.
James Richards, director of “The Bicycle” and Dallas Alexis, director of “Lift Every Voice” are also New York based filmmakers.
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Jonas Carpignano’s Mediterranea is Winner of NICE City of Florence Award at New Italian Cinema
Jonas Carpignano’s Mediterranea was voted by the audience, the winner of the NICE City of Florence Award at the New Italian Cinema, presented by the San Francisco Film Society in partnership with the New Italian Cinema Events of Florence, Italy; the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco; and the Consulate General of Italy, San Francisco.
“This is a real honor and I am happy that the film resonated so much with the audience in San Francisco,” said Carpignano. “I’m looking forward to sharing it in Florence. And of course, thanks so much to the San Francisco Film Society for their support of this film throughout its development.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaALVBbde_A
Director/Regia: Jonas Carpignano
Cast: Koudous Seihon, Alassane Sy, Adam Gnene, Vincenzina Siciliano, Ernest Zire, Mary Elisabeth Innocence, Mimma Papasergio, Annalisa Pagano, Joy Odundia, Davide Schipilliti, Zakaria Kbiri, Norina Ventre, Serigne “Chico” Baity Kane, Annalisa Spirli, Francesco Papasergio
Ayiva (Koudous Seihon) left his native Burkina Faso in search of a job that would allow him to provide for the needs of his daughter and sister. Taking advantage of his position in an organization smuggling with immigrants, he finds a way to leave behind the African continent. Ayiva tries to adapt to his new life in Italy, but the tension in the local community continues to grow and things get more dangerous for him. Determined not to give up, he tries to resist, but at a price…
The NICE City of Florence Award was decided by audience ballots from San Francisco screenings of films in competition. The festival also gave special recognition to Matteo Bini and Giorgio Pasotti’s I, Harlequin, to acknowledge the film’s extraordinary audience support and immense cultural value.
This year’s New Italian Cinema opened on November 11 with sold-out screenings of the Taviani brothers’ Wondrous Boccaccio and Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth, and closed on Sunday with Nanni Moretti’s Mia Madre. Notable filmmaker appearances included Matteo Bini, co-director of I, Harlequin (Io, Arlecchino); Marco Pontecorvo, director of Partly Cloudy with Sunny Spells (Tempo instabile con probabili schiarite); and Alessia Scarso, director of Italo (Italo barocco).
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4 FIlmmakers Win 2015 Lexus Short Films Series at Napa Valley Film Festival
Four filmmakers, Alexis Michalik, Byoung-Gon Moon, Damian Walshe-Howling and Pippa Bianco, are winners of the 2015 Lexus Short Films series, sponsored by Lexus and The Weinstein Company, at the Napa Valley Film Festival.
The four finalists will also receive promotional theatrical distribution for their short films, participate in a tour of top film festivals around the world and receive an at-home filmmaking and editing suite.
The Weinstein Company co-chairman Harvey Weinstein said, “The Lexus Short Films series has been a fantastic partnership to help discover young filmmakers while shining a light on the short film format. This year’s Lexus Short Films series provided an opportunity to reach aspiring filmmakers around the world looking to gain exposure and experience through the chance to work with Lexus and The Weinstein Company. We have been truly impressed by the number and quality of submissions received with more than 4,000 submissions from over 100 countries. We look forward to helping the finalists turn their visions into truly great films.”
Lexus Short Films Season 3 Winners
1. Alexis Michalik (France, Europe)
Alexis is an actor and filmmaker who has starred in several television movies and series, such as Petits meurtres en famille, Terre de lumière and Kaboul Kitchen and feature films directed by Billy Zane, Diane Kurys, Safy Nebou, Yann Samuel, Fernando Colomo, Danièle Thompson and Alexandre Arcady. Alexis is also known for acting successfully in theater in the comedy Le Dindon, staged by Thomas Le Douarec, and Ibsen and Strindberg’s Les Fleurs Gelées. He is the founder of the theater company Los Figaros and after directing two short films, Au Sol, in 2013 and Pim-Poum le petit Panda, in 2014, Alexis continues to pursue his writing career and will direct his first feature film Escort Boys.
2. Byoung-Gon Moon (South Korea, Asia)
Moon is a filmmaker who graduated from Chung-Ang University in Seoul and is known for directing the short film No More Coffee Break, which was selected for the short film competition at the 2008 International College Peace Film Festival. Moon’s short film, Finis Operis, was a part of the short film competition of the critic’s week at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and in 2013, he directed his short film Safe, which was awarded the Palme d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.
3. Damian Walshe-Howling (Australia, Oceania)
Damian is an acclaimed actor and filmmaker best known for his latest short film, Suspended, which recently screened in the official competition at international film festivals including St Kilda, Flickerfest, Nashville and Locarno in Switzerland. He is also known for his 2007 debut short film The Bloody Sweet Hit. Damian has a passion for storytelling which has taken him all over the world in pursuit of culturally diverse stories and roles. He received an AFI Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2008 for his performance of Melbourne’s “Most Loved Murderer”, Andrew Benji Veniamin, in the original Underbelly series.
4. Pippa Bianco (United States of America, North America)
Pippa is a filmmaker who studied photography at Yale University and is currently writing and producing at Beyoncè’s Parkwood Entertainment, directing a commission for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and a writing credit on the upcoming film Bleed For This. Pippa started her career by working in independent film – assisting on Braden King’s Here (Sundance 2011) and Leslye Headland’s Bachelorette (Sundance 2012). Since then, Pippa’s films have been selected and won awards at numerous festivals including Telluride and SXSW. Pippa was also chosen as one of nine filmmakers for the American Film Institute’s Women’s Directors Program fellowship in 2014, where her short film submission, Share, won the 1st Prize in the Cinéfondation category at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Continuing her success with AFI, she is a Yaddo Filmmaker-in-Residence for the 2015-2016 term.