The 2015 Anchorage International Film Festival revealed the lineup of independent films from around the world to screen December 4-13, 2015 at the BearTooth Theatrepub, Alaska Experience Theater, Anchorage Museum and the Snow Goose Performing Arts Theatre.
The festival will begin with the Opening Night screening of “Eadweard,” at the BearTooth Theatrepub, 8 PM on Friday, Dec. 4. Eadweard is the story of a world-famous, turn-of-the-century photographer, Eadweard Muybridge, later to be known as the “Godfather of Cinema.” This psychological thriller follows Muybridge from his work in Alaska shortly after its purchase from Russia. The story portrays an unconventional photographer as he seeks to capture life in “motion,” developing the first body of stop-motion photography–over 100,000 images depicting animals and humans in motion, and nude and deformed subjects. Director Kyle Rideout will be in attendance for the Opening Night screening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VAds0GH_8E
Among the many cinematic highlights anticipated for this festival are some collaborative screenings including the Alaska Moving Image Preservation Association (AMIPA) debut of a rare, thought-to-be-lost, early Sci-Fi film from 1929 called “High Treason,” which has been in the restoration process for ten years, from Alaska to the Library of Congress. Also on the docket is an Indie Lens Pop-up series documentary from Alaska Public Media, “Autism in Love”, screening at Anchorage Museum, directly after the annual “Family Day” program, offered for free to the public.
2015 FILM SELECTIONS:
Narrative Feature Selections at AIFF 2015 are:
And The Circus Leaves Town (d. Mete Sozer, Turkey)
Creditors (d. Ben Cura, United Kingdom)
Death on a Rock (d. Scott Ballard, United States)
Diablo (d. Lawrence Roeck, Canada)
Eadweard (d. Kyle Rideout, Canada)
Jasmine (d. Dax Phelan, Hong Kong)
Living With the Dead (d. Rebekah Nelson, United States)
Magic Utopia ( d. Shoji Toyama, Shuichi Tan, Japan)
Midori in Hawaii (d. John Hill, United States)
Orphans & Kingdoms (d. Paolo Rotondo, New Zealand)
Status:single (d. Pavel Ruminov, Russian Federation)
The David Dance (d. Aprill Winney, United States)
The Descendants (d. Yaser Talebi, Islamic Republic of Iran)
The Incredible Adventures of Jojo (and his annoying little sister Avila) (d. Ann-Marie Schmidt, Brian Schmidt, United States
They Look Like People (d. Perry Blackshear, United States)
Under Construction (d. Rubaiyat Hossain, Bangladesh)
When the Ocean Met the Sky (d. Phillip Thomas, Canada)
Documentary selections at AIFF 2015 are:
A Courtship (d. Amy Kohn, United States)
A Journey to Namie (d. Sulfikar Amir, Singapore)
Above & Below (d. Nicolas Steiner, Switzerland)
Bihttoš (d. Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Canada)
Children of the Arctic (d. Nick Brandestini, Switzerland)
Circus Without Borders (d. Susan Gray, Linda Matchan, United States)
Code: Debugging the Gender Gap (d. Robin Hauser Reynolds, United States)
Dance of the People (d. Marc Menish, United States)
Free Custom Poetry (d. Cory Wilson, United States)
From This Day Forward (d. Sharon Shattuck, United States)
Harry & Snowman (d. Ron Davis, United States)
Janey Makes a Play (d. Jared Callahan, United States)
Keeping Country (d. Andrew Quinn, Australia)
Knit Me Some Happiness (d. Sofia Olins, United Kingdom)
Lost & Found (d. Nicolina Lanni, Canada)
Love Between the Covers (d. Laurie Kahn, Australia, United States)
Madina’s Dream (d. Andrew Berends, United States)
Man in the Can (d. Noessa Higa, United States)
No Greater Love (d. Justin Roberts, United States)
Riding My Way Back (d. Robin Fryday, Peter Rosenbaum, United States)
Right Footed (d. Nick Spark, United States)
Stink! (d. Jon J. Whelan, United States)
Superjednostka (d. Teresa Czepiec, Poland)
The Brainwashing of My Dad (Work in Progress screening)(d. Jen Senko, United States)
The House is Innocent (d. Nicholas Coles, United States)
To Scale (d. Alex Gorosh, United States)
Vanishing Sail (d.Alexis Andrews, Antigua & Barbuda)
Very Semi-Serious (d. Leah Wolchok, United States)
War of Lies (d. Matthias Bittner, Germany)
Short Film Selections at AIFF 2015 are:
20 Meters of Love in Montmartre (d. Pierre Gaffié, France)
Adolescence (d. Daniel Milan, Mexico)
Birthday (d. Chris King, United States)
Hirsit (d. Selcen Yilamzoglu, Turkey)
Joe Will Die (d. David Janove, United States)
Merry X-mas (d. Boman Modine, United States)
Mike (d. Petros Silvestros, United Kingdom)
Moving On (d. Mike Spear, Marcia Fields, United States)
My Heart (d. Yser Talebi, Islamic Republic of Iran)
Nkosi Coiffure (d. Frederike Migom, Belgium)
One-Minute Time Machine (d. Devon Avery, United States)
Scary Larry (d. Greg Ivan Smith, United States)
The Bravest, The Boldest (d. Moon Molson, United States)
The Call (d. Zamo Mkhwanazi, South Africa)
The Poem of a Memory (d. Christhian Andrews, United States)
The Red Thunder (d. Alvaro Ron, United States)
The Story of a Rainy Night (d. Mehdi Fard Ghaderi, Iran)
Unleaded (d. Luke Davies, United Kingdom)
Winter (d. Lina Roessler, Canada)
Zawadi (d. Richard Card, Kenya)
Animation
Chhaya (d. Debanjan Nandy, United Kingdom)
Golden Shot (d. Gokalp Gonen, Turkey)
In the forest (d. Li Xia, United States)
Mr. McBob (d. Pierre Schantz, United States)
Olilo (d. Ao Li, United States)
Ripple (d. Conner Griffith, United States)
Rosso Papavero (d. Martin Smetana, Slovakia)
Scaredy Bat (d. Greg Perkins, United States)
Sleepy Steve (d. Meghann Artes, United States)
Switch Man (d. Hsun-Chun Chuang , Shao-Kuei Tong, Taiwan)
The Apple Tree (d. Scott Storm, United States)
The Looking Planet (d. Eric Law Anderson, United States)
The Present (d. Jacob Frey, Germany)
Untitled (d. Sean McCarthy, United States)
wHole (d. Verena Klinger, Robert Banning, Germany)
Made In Alaska
3022 Ft. (d. Max Romey, United States)
Degrees North (Switzerland) 52 min.
Easy Money (d. Zayn Roohi, United States)
Heart of Alaska (d. Bjørn Olson, United States)
Hunting in Wartime (d. Samantha Farinella, United States)
I Follow Rivers (d. Ellie Schmidt, United States)
Pushing Out Daisy (d. Allison Week, United States)
Seahorse (d. Kamell Allaway, United States)
Storis: The Galloping Ghost of the Alaska Coast (d. Damon Stuebner, United States)
The Muse (d. Christopher Gage Tucker, United States)
The Ruthless Rhymer (d. Quinton Oliver Smith, United States)
Through the Wires (d. Greg Chaney, United States)
We Are All Related Here (d. Brian McDermott, United States)-
AFI FEST 2015 Reveals Films in New Auteurs and American Independent Lineup, Include FIELD NIGGAS, JAMES WHITE, IXCANUL
The 29th AFI FEST taking place November 5 to 12, 2015 in the heart of Hollywood, revealed 20 more films on the lineup – the films that will be featured in the New Auteurs and American Independent programs during AFI FEST 2015.
The American Independents section represents the best of independent filmmaking this year includes 9 films; and the New Auteurs section includes 11 first and second-time narrative feature film directors from around the world, whose films will be eligible for the Grand Jury Prize.
NEW AUTEURS
DESDE ALLÁ – When a middle-aged man is assaulted and robbed by a young criminal, an unlikely relationship develops. DIR Lorenzo Vigas. SCR Lorenzo Vigas. CAST Alfredo Castro and Luis Silva. Venezuela/Mexico. U.S. Premiere
DISORDER – Matthias Schoenaerts plays an ex-soldier who becomes locked in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with ski-masked home invaders at a wealthy estate. DIR Alice Winocour. SCR Alice Winocour. CAST Matthias Schoenaerts, Diane Kruger, Paul Hamy, Zaïd Errougui-Demonsant, Percy Kemp, Victor Pontecorvo, Mickaël Daubert, Franck Torrecillas, Chems Eddine, Philippe Haddad, Jean-Louis Coulloc’h. France/Belgium
EVOLUTION – On an island inhabited only by women and boys, a 10-year-old receiving strange medical treatment investigates the horrific things the women do at night. DIR Lucile Hadžihalilović. SCR Lucile Hadžihalilović, Alanté Kavaïté, Geoff Cox. CAST Max Brebant, Roxane Duran, Julie-Marie Parmentier. France
THE GULLS (CHAIKI) – In winter near the Caspian Sea, a fisherman’s wife becomes free of her suppressed domestic existence after a life-altering event. DIR Ella Manzheeva. SCR Ella Manzheeva. CAST Evgeniya Mandzhieva, Sergey Adianov, Evgeny Sangadzhiev, Lyubov Ubushieva, Dmitry Mukeyev. Russian Federation. North American Premiere
IXCANUL – A young Mayan woman becomes pregnant outside of an impending arranged marriage, throwing her and her family’s future into dire uncertainty. DIR Jayro Bustamante. SCR Jayro Bustamante. CAST María Mercedes Coroy, María Telón, Manuel Antún, Justo Lorenzo, Marvin Coroy. Guatemala/France
LAND AND SHADE (LA TIERRA Y LA SOMBRA) – An aging farmer returns to rural Colombia where the family and land he long ago abandoned have been devastated by industrial progress. DIR César Augusto Acevedo. SCR César Augusto Acevedo. CAST Haimer Leal, Hilda Ruiz, Edison Raigosa, Marleyda Soto, José Felipe Cárdenas, Edison Raigosa. Colombia/France/Netherlands/Chile/Brazil. U.S. Premiere
MEDITERRANEA – In this timely film, a migrant from Burkina Faso makes a perilous journey from North Africa to Europe. DIR Jonas Carpignano. SCR Jonas Carpignano. CAST Koudous Seihon, Alassane Sy, Adam Gnegne, Davide Schipilliti. Italy/France/USA/Germany
MOUNTAIN – To escape her troubles at home, a young Orthodox Jewish woman falls in with a nocturnal community of prostitutes and drug dealers in the ancient cemetery atop Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives. DIR Yaelle Kayam. SCR Yaelle Kayam. CAST Shani Klein, Avshalom Pollak, Haitham Ibrahem Omari. Israel/Denmark. U.S. Premiere
MUSTANG – Five Turkish sisters must fight back against harsh societal restrictions when a seemingly innocent act is blown out of proportion. DIR Deniz Gamze Ergüven. SCR Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Alice Winocour. CAST Günes Sensoy, Doga Zeynep Doguslu, Tugba Sunguroglu, Elit Iscan, Ilayda Akdogan, Ayberk Pekcan. France/Germany/Turkey
SWORN VIRGIN (VERGINE GIURATA) – A young Albanian woman bucks her destiny by appealing to an ancient regional law allowing her to live free as a man if she takes an oath of eternal virginity. DIR Laura Bispuri. SCR Francesca Manieri, Laura Bispuri. CAST Alba Rohrwacher, Flonja Kodheli, Lars Eidinger, Luan Jaha, Bruno Shllaku, Ilire Celaj, Drenica Selimaj, Dajana Selimaj, Emily Ferratello. Italy/Switzerland/Germany/Albania/Republic of Kosovo
UNTIL I LOSE MY BREATH – A Turkish teenager dreams of leaving her abusive home and moving in with her father, a long-distance truck driver. DIR Emine Emel Balcı. SCR Emine Emel Balcı. CAST Esme Madra, Rıza Akın, Sema Keçik, Gizem Denizci, Ece Yüksel, Uğur Uzunel, Yavuz Pekman, Pinar Gök, Yavuz Özata. Turkey/Germany. North American Premiere
AMERICAN INDEPENDENTS
BOB AND THE TREES – A middle-aged logger gambles his personal and professional livelihood on harvesting an unyielding piece of land. DIR Diego Ongaro. SCR Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil. CAST Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Richard Bradley, Winthrop Barrett. USA
FIELD NIGGAS – Khalik Allah’s stylized documentary chronicles summer nights spent at the intersection of 125th Street and Lexington Avenue in Harlem. DIR Khalik Allah. USA
FUNNY BUNNY – A trio of people look to make meaningful connections in this sweet natured comedy. DIR Alison Bagnall. SCR Alison Bagnall. CAST Kentucker Audley, Joslyn Jensen, Olly Alexander, Louis Cancelmi, Josephine Decker, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Grace Gonglewski, Caridad de la Luz, Nicholas Webber. USA (pictured in main image above)
H. – Two different Helens of Troy live parallel lives in this brilliantly unnerving apocalyptic vision. DIR Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia. SCR Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia. CAST Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson. USA/Argentina
JAMES WHITE – A young New Yorker is forced to take control of his self-destructive lifestyle as he navigates his mother’s fight with a serious illness. DIR Josh Mond. SCR Josh Mond. CAST Christopher Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, Ron Livingston. USA
KRISHA – Estranged relative Krisha shows up to a family Thanksgiving to make amends, but as the day unfolds she can’t escape her dark past. DIR Trey Edward Shults. SCR Trey Edward Shults. CAST Krisha Fairchild, Robyn Fairchild, Bill Wise, Trey Edward Shults, Chris Doubek, Olivia Grace Applegate, Alex Dobrenko, Chase Joliet. USA
MEN GO TO BATTLE – In this indie American period piece, two farming brothers in 1861 are torn apart by the encroaching Civil War. DIR Zachary Treitz. SCR Kate Lyn Sheil, Zachary Treitz. CAST David Maloney, Timothy Morton, Kate Lyn Sheil, Rachel Korine. USA
SONGS MY BROTHERS TAUGHT ME – A brother and sister living on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation cope with the loss of their father in very different ways. DIR Chloé Zhao. SCR Chloé Zhao. CAST John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Eleonore Hendricks, Taysha Fuller, Cat Clifford. USA
STINKING HEAVEN – When a new member arrives at a home for sober living, a self-destructive spiral begins. DIR Nathan Silver. SCR Nathan Silver, Jack Dunphy. CAST Deragh Campbell, Keith Poulson, Hannah Gross, Eléonore Hendricks, Tallie Medel, Henri Douvry, Jason Giampietro, Jason Grisell, Eileen Kearney, Larry Novak. USA
-
2015 New York Korean Film Festival to Feature NY Premieres of OFFICE, TRAP, CONFESSION, MADONNA, THE SHAMELESS
The 2015 New York Korean Film Festival will run from November 6 to November 11, 2015, at the Museum of the Moving Image. Korean guests invited to attend include star director Ryoo Seung-Wan and producers Kang Hye-jung and Park Jung (Veteran); directors Shin Suwon (Madonna), Lee Do-yun (Confession), Kang Hyo-jin (Wonderful Nightmare), Oh Seung-uk (The Shameless), and Hong Won-chan (Office); and actress Koh Ah-Sung. The Festival will kick off opening night with the New York Premiere of OFFICE, with director Hong Won-chan and star Ko Ah-sung in attendance.
OPENING NIGHT
Office (오피스) (pictured above)
New York Premiere
With director Hong Won-chan and star Ko Ah-sung in person
Followed by a reception in the Museum lobby and cafe
Dir. Hong Won-chan. 2015, 111 mins. B.R. With: Ko Ah-sung, Park Seong-woong, Bae Seong-woo. After gruesomely murdering his family, a midlevel manager (Bae Seong-woo) dutifully returns to the office, haunting the building like a vengeful ghost and turning the otherwise bland workspace into a house of terror. Legitimately alarmed, his colleagues nonetheless sing his praises to the police—a hint that there’s more to the matter than a disgruntled employee suddenly snapping. Described as “hearty genre entertainment” by Variety, this Cannes “Midnight Madness” selection is a perfect outlet for young leading actress Ko Ah-sung.
“Workplace blues wrought large and crimson red.” — Clarence Tsui, The Hollywood Reporter
“Razor-sharp satire on petty politics in the corporate world […] laced with wickedly bitchy dialogue” — Maggie Lee, Variety
Hong Won-chan was the screenwriter for Confession of Murder (2012), The Yellow Sea (2010), The Scam (2009), and The Chaser (2007—a selection at Cannes), before making his directorial debut with Office.
The youngest of three sisters, Ko Ah-sung started acting at an early age and played the memorable role of the daughter in Bong Joon-ho’s The Host (2006). Her film credits include The Beauty Inside (2015), Thread of Lies (2014), Snowpiercer (2013), Duet (2012), After the Banquet (2009), A Brand New Life (2009), Radio Dayz (2008), and The Happy Life (2007).
Trap (덫, 치명적인 유혹)
International Premiere
Dir. Bong Man-Dae. 2015, 107 mins. DCP. With Yoo Ha-joon, Han Je-in, Kang Yong-gyoo.
Maladjusted screenwriter Jeong-min (Yoo Ha-joon) travels to the countryside to rethink his life and concentrate on his career. But instead of working on his screenwriting, he finds transgressive distraction in the person of temptress Yumi (Han Je-in). The frontier between reality and fantasy blurs as Jeong-min’s mind and body are engulfed in a fatal attraction to the innocent-faced but dangerous Lolita, leading him to increasingly poor life decisions. A standout entry in the filmography of softcore erotic meister “Playboy” Bong Man-Dae.
Confession (좋은 친구들)
With director Lee Do-yun in person
New York Premiere
Dir. Lee Do-yun. 2014, 114 mins. DCP. With Ji Sung, Ju Ji-hoon. Since a tragic mountain incident in high school, Min-soo (Lee Kwang-soo), Hyun-tae (Ji Sung) and In-chul (Ju Ji-hoon) have remained best friends through thick and thin. But when two of them agree to burn down an illegal gambling hall for the insurance payout, the spilt blood of loved ones unearths the bitter ghosts of a dark past. Soon, the group of childhood friends turn on each other in the bleakest of fallouts. Lee Do-yun’s debut feature has been compared with the slow-burning noir of Sidney Lumet’s final film, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.
“The film’s stupendous execution and the compelling characters successfully drive the film forward.” -Jason Bechervaise, Screen International
Lee Do-yun was born in South Korea. He directed the short films We. Trippers and Neighbor. Confession, his first feature, had its international premiere in Toronto last year.
The Shameless (무뢰한)
With director Oh Seung-uk in person
New York Premiere
Dir. Oh Seung-uk. 118 mins. DCP. With Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Nam-gil, Park Sung-Woong. In Oh Seung-uk’s highly anticipated return to the director’s chair since his debut masterpiece Kilimanjaro in 2000, Cannes award-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon plays a bar hostess in love with a suspected murderer. Kim Nam-gil (The Pirates) is outstanding as a detective who plays a game of seduction with a dangerous woman. Selected for the Un Certain Regard program at the Cannes Film Festival, The Shameless is an unforgettably stylish noir.
“A mellow pleasure to be slowly savored, this polished work should be welcomed at festivals” — Maggie Lee, Variety
Oh Seung-uk (b.1963) began his career as an assistant director of Lee Chang-dong, co-writing his debut feature Green Fish. In the late ’90s, he co-wrote the landmark romance Christmas in August and Park Kwang-su’s ambitious historical drama The Uprising. Oh made his debut as a director with the crime thriller Killimanjaro in 2000. The Shameless is his long-awaited second feature.
Assassination (암살)
Dir. Choi Dong-hoon. 2015, 140 mins. B.R. With Jeon Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-hae, Ha Jung-woo. Choi Dong-hoon’s follow-up to his 2012 hit The Thieves was Korea’s biggest box office hit of the year. Drawing inspiration from 1980s Hong Kong action comedies and South Korea’s little-known 1960s Manchurian Westerns, Assassination follows the journey of three resistance fighters as their mission takes them to the Manchurian countryside, pre-war Shanghai, and Japanese-occupied Seoul to assassinate an evil Japanese governor and his Korean acolyte. Boasting an all-star cast led by screen-goddess Jeon Ji-hyun and superstar Lee Jung-jae, Assassination is “a sensationally entertaining mash-up of historical drama, Dirty Dozen style shoot-‘em-up, spaghetti Western-flavored flamboyance, and extended action set pieces that suggest a dream-team collaboration of Sergio Leone, John Woo and Steven Spielberg” according to Variety’s Joe Leydon.
Madonna (마돈나)
With director Shin Su-Won in person
New York Premiere
Dir. Shin Su-won. 2015, 121 mins. DCP. With Seo Young-hee, Kwon So-hyun, Kim Young-min.
After her festival hit Pluto (2012), a critically acclaimed high-school drama about bullying and murder which won a Special Mention at the 2013 Berlinale, director Shin Su-won delivers a shocking, noir-tinged tale of privilege and poverty: a nurse’s aide uncovers and tries to prevent the horrific use of a brain dead pregnant street-walker for a heart transplant to a rich patient.
Director Shin Su-Won was a middle school teacher before she began a directing career. Her short, Circle Line, won the Canal+ Prize for Best Short Film at Cannes 2012, and her debut feature, Passerby #3 (2010), won awards at the Tokyo International Film Festival and Jeonju International Film Festival. Her films include Modern Family (2012) and Pluto (2013).
The Beauty Inside (뷰티 인사이드)
Dir. Baik (Baek Jong-yeol), 2015, 127 mins. B.R. With Han Hyo-joo, Park Seo-jun, Mun Suk, Lee Dong-hwi, Lee Mi-do. Since his 18th birthday, Woo-jin wakes up each morning as a different person in a new body. Sometimes he’s old, sometimes he’s young, sometimes he’s not Korean…or even a man. But inside, he remains the same down-to-earth, honest cabinet maker devoted to his craft. And each day he fights to connect with the woman he loves (Han Hyo-joo, in a luminous, standout performance). Beneath the slick romantic fantasy and the gorgeous cinematography, the film asks real questions about identity and true love.
“Blessed with a MLB roster’s worth of veteran character players (Kim Sang-ho, Kim Min-jae, Jo Dal-hwan), and buzzy young stars”—Elizabeth Kerr, The Hollywood Reporter
Veteran (베테랑)
With director Ryoo Seung-wan in person
U.S. Festival Premiere
Dir. Ryoo Seung-wan. 2015, 123 mins. DCP. With Hwang Jung-min, Yoo Ah-in, Yoo Hae-jin. In this instant action/comedy classic—a massive theatrical hit earlier this summer—hardboiled detective Seo Do-cheol (top actor Hwang Jung-min can throw—and take—a punch) and his misfit team defend the powerless against the vicious scion of a prominent family (played with villainous delight by heartthrob Yoo Ah-in, in a widely acclaimed performance).
Ryoo Seung-wan was born in Onyang, South Korea. His films include The Berlin File (2013), The Unjust (2010), Dachimawa Lee (2008), The City of Violence (2006), Crying Fist (2005), Arahan (2004), No Blood No Tears (2002), and Die Bad (2000). He won “Best Director” at the Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2011.
Wonderful Nightmare (미쓰 와이프)
With director Kang Hyo-jin in person
New York Premiere
Dir. Kang Hyo-jin. 2015, 125 mins. DCP. With Uhm Jung-hwa, Song Seung-heon, Seo Shin-Ae. Heaven makes a clerical error, so ambitious lawyer Yeon-woo (played by superstar Uhm Jung-hwa) returns to Earth to find herself married to a salaryman and mother to a rebellious teenager and know-it-all six-year-old. A sharp, hilarious satire about the shift in gender roles in contemporary Korean society that struck a deep chord with local audiences.
Director Kang Hyo-jin’s independent feature, Kill’em with Bare Hands (2004), won the audience award at the Seoul Independent Film Festival. His films include Dirty Blood (2012), Twilight Gangsters (2010), and Punch Lady (2007).
-
‘Straight’ John Refuses to Marry Transexual Martine Until She Gets a Real Vagina in Trans Documentary TRANSFIXED | TRAILER
Alon Kol’s feature documentary TRANSFIXED will be presented within the FOCUS section at the Festival du nouveau cinema in Montreal, Canada, on October 14th and Octber 17th. In the film Martine Stonehouse and John Gelmon are middle-aged underdogs, living with Asperger Syndrome. Despite their social limitations, both dream of getting married, but straight-identifying John refuses to tie the knot until transsexual Martine gets a real vagina. Will Martine and John find together the happiness that they deserve? Transfixed will be released in Canada in early 2016.
Throughout his life, Martine Stonehouse fought for his rights as transgender. His spouse John Gelmone, Asperger’s syndrome and Tourette’s unconditional support. But the two can not consummate their love Martine must undergo the final sex change operation. Although the director Alon Kol had enough material to trace the route of the activist awarded the Pride Award of Toronto in 2012, he chose instead to present the difficult Martine path toward its complete transformation into a woman. A difficult road since even if it is surrounded by friends that show him gratitude and affection, his weight problem, highlighted by several experts, represents a dangerous obstacle to his surgery and his health. Without compromise or complacency documentary Kol enters the intimacy of this woman and reveals a fragile but an unrivaled determination. Forget the prestige Caitlin Jenner; the portrait offers the filmmaker is that of a woman whose daily lives are much more modest and the economic situation certainly more precarious, but the narrative is no less upsetting. While the transgender community is recognized as never before, Martine Stonehouse itself as a heroine to be welcomed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJrLhGOwqsI
-
Ole Giæver Writes, Directs, and Stars in Norwegian Film OUT OF NATURE | TRAILER
Ole Giæver writes, directs, and stars in OUT OF NATURE, this unique and endearing depiction of middle age and first-world anxieties. Martin (Giæver) is clearly out of place both in his office and at home with his wife and son. As he embarks on a trek, searching for solace in the stunning Norwegian wilderness, he can’t seem to find peace; his incessant stream of thoughts are endlessly commenting and fantasizing about disturbing “what ifs”: what if he got a divorce? What if his wife died? What if he were a cripple? Immersed in the breathtaking beauty of the Norwegian mountains with a stream-of-consciousness narrative that swings toward the witty and likable, OUT OF NATURE is a comically contemplative film about dissatisfaction, the desire for change, and trying to find solace in solitude.
Out of Nature is the second feature film from director Ole Giæver (The Mountain), “I wanted to make a film which alternates between being inside a man, gaining access to his innermost thoughts, daydreams and fantasies; and watching him, without him being aware that he is being watched. The vision of the film is to get closer to the core, the essence of what is recognizable and universal in all people.”
Out of Nature won the Europa Cinemas Label as best European film in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival, and Ole Giaever, was selected by Variety as one of its “10 Europeans to Watch.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgjGCOJpxBM
OUT OF NATURE is being presented as part of the Northwest Film Center’s New Scandinavian Cinema series, running October 23 through November 1 at Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium Portland Art Museum-1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland Oregon.
-
2015 Hawaii International Film Festival Lineup, Opens with Lee Joo-ick’s THE THRONE
Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF), celebrating its 35th anniversary, will take place from November 12 through November 22, primarily all on the island of Oahu. HIFF kicks off with South Korea’s official entry to the Oscar Foreign Language category with award winning director Lee Joo-ick’s THE THRONE. The story at the center of this lush historical drama is the struggle between the long-ruling King Yeongjo (Song Kang-ho from SNOWPIERCER) and his son, Sado (Yoo Ah-in) and the real life incident of the king’s decision to lock up his son in a wooden barrel — in which the royal heir died after eight days.
Set in 1950s New York, two women from very different backgrounds (Rooney Mara as a young shop clerk and Cate Blanchett as a sophisticated, but unhappy housewife) find themselves in the throes of love in CAROL, the Festival’s Centerpiece Film. World premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, where Mara won Best Actress, the Todd Haynes drama will assuredly generate awards buzz this season.
The 2015 Hawaii International Film Festival closes with a romantic drama based on real events, the U.S. premiere of Mabel Cheung’s A TALE OF THREE CITIES, an epic period drama about individuals overwhelmed by the times, their trajectories shaped by rapidly changing circumstances beyond their control. Lau Ching-wan and Tang Wei (LUST, CAUTION) play ill-fated lovebirds who meet during the backdrop of the final days leading into WWII. The film is based on the epic love story of Jackie Chan’s parents.
NARRATIVE FEATURE NOMINEES:
HONOR THY FATHER (Philippines)
Director: Erik Matti
Kaye and Edgar is a pair of married white-collar swindlers, who have cashed in on promoting an investment scheme to their friends and fellow Pentecostal parishioners. But when they run afoul of their latest victims, their devout investors turn on them. When the tension erupts into violence, Edgar decides to seek the aid of his criminally inclined family.
THE KIDS (Taiwan)
Director: Sunny Yu
Bao-Li has just started 8th grade when he comes to the rescue of Jia-Jia, an older girl he immediately falls in love with, and soon enough they are in a relationship. When Jia-Jia becomes pregnant, Bao-Li drops out of school to support his new family and become the breadwinner, sometimes by any means necessary. But when he discovers that his mother has gambled away all of their savings, the young family heads toward a path of self-destruction.
MADONNA (South Korea)
Director: Shin Su-won
Nurse’s aide Hae-rim and Doctor Hyuk-gyu are ordered to keep hospital CEO Chul-ho on life support and wait for a donor match. On one of her daily rounds, Hae-rim discovers a comatose patient named Mi-Na who, miraculously, is a match. The CEO’s cold-blooded son makes a deal with Hae-rim to go find Mi-Na’s family and bribe them to sign the consent form. Through her search, Hae-rim unravels Mi-Na’s tragic life and a dark secret that reflects her own past.
MIDORI IN HAWAII (USA)
Director: John Hill
Midori is a struggling wedding photographer living in Hawaii. When Seiko and Kyo-chan, Midori’s judgmental sister and brother in-law visit from Japan, Midori’s small world is thrown off balance. As the sisters travel the Big Island together, old grudges and long forgotten psychological scars begin to resurface. The tension builds until the true reason for Seiko’s visit is finally revealed, forcing Midori to choose between family responsibilities or continuing to pursue her dream.
PALI ROAD (USA)
Director: Jonathan Lim
A young doctor wakes up from a car accident and discovers she is married to another man and living a life she can’t remember. Her search for the truth to her past life will lead her to question everyone around her and her entire existence. Shot entirely in Hawaii and starring Chinese superstar Michelle Chen, TWILIGHT’s Jackson Rathbone and Sung Kang (FAST FIVE), PALI ROAD is a story for the search for true love between two worlds. A US-China co-production shot entirely on location in Hawaii.
ROBBERY (Hong Kong)
Director: Fire Lee
A twenty-something punk fancies himself a total player, but the best job he can find is overnight clerk at a convenience store. The other clerk is a cute chick and you’re thinking “rom com,” but then there’s a robbery, a gangster, a shoot-out and a night they won’t forget, if they survive it! An anarcho-absurdist blood-soaked grand guignol indie flick with attitude to burn, this is the perfect high paced youth movie from Hong Kong.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE NOMINEES:
AMERICAN EPIC (USA)
Director: Bernard MacMahon
AMERICAN EPIC is the extraordinary story of 1920s record companies that toured America with a recording machine, to capture the emerging and diverse music known as American roots. The filmmakers retrace this journey today, to rediscover the families whose music was recorded long ago; music that would lead to the development of Hopi, Hawaiian slack key, Tejano, Cajun and Delta Blues. These seminal musicians are revealed through previously unseen film footage, unpublished photographs, and exclusive interviews.
CROCODILE GENNADIY (USA)
Director: Steve Hoover
Gennadiy calls himself ‘Pastor Crocodile.’ He’s known throughout Ukraine for his years working to rehabilitate drug-addicted kids. But he’s also a vigilante who uses any force necessary to carry out his moral vision. Gennadiy believes he has made Mariupol a better place, but now, the violence in Ukraine threatens everything.
HEBEI TAIPEI (Taiwan)
Director: Li Nien Hsiu
Born in China, drifting from place to place since childhood, Li Chung-Hsiao has survived war and poverty. War robbed him of him returning to his hometown and his dreams are filled with only scenes of violence in the streets of his youth. With these memories as a guide, his daughter sets out to retrace his tumultuous life. This is the dramatic memoir of a foul-mouthed, insolent, yet somehow lovable man.
IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST (USA)
Director(s): Tony Vainuku, Erika Cohn
A contemporary American story, IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST transports viewers deep inside the tightly-knit and complex Polynesian community in Salt Lake City, Utah, one of the chief sources for the modern influx of Pacific Islander NFLers. With unprecedented access and shot over a four-year time period, the film intimately portrays four young Polynesian men striving to overcome gang violence and near poverty through the promise of American football.
REMAKE REMIX RIP-OFF (Turkey)
Director: Cem Kaya
Turkey in the 1960s and 70s was one of the world’s biggest film producers even though its industry was vastly unknown internationally. In order to keep up with demand, screenwriters and directors were copying scripts and remaking movies from across the globe. Name any Western hit film; there is a Turkish version to it, from THE WIZARD OF OZ to STAR TREK. What they lacked in equipment and budget they compensated for with sheer zeal and excessive use of manpower.
THE SEVENTH FIRE (USA)
Director: Jack Pettibone Riccobono
When Rob Brown, a Native American gang leader on a remote Minnesota reservation, is sentenced to prison for a fifth time, he must confront his role in bringing violent drug culture into his beloved Ojibwe community. As Rob reckons with his past, his seventeen-year-old protégé, Kevin, dreams of the future – becoming the biggest drug dealer on the reservation. Terrence Malick presents this haunting and visually arresting nonfiction film about the gang crisis in Indian Country.
“There’s a wealth of award winning and critically acclaimed films that we are honored to present across a broad cross-section of our festival program, especially in our European Spotlight, Awards Buzz, and Gala Presentations.” says Anna Page, HIFF’s Associate Director of Programming. “As a film festival close to the end of the calendar year, we are fortunate to present the very best films from Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Toronto.”
Awards favorites and the most acclaimed films from the film festival circuit include the following:
45 YEARS (UK)
Director: Andrew Haigh
Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay turn in award winning performances as a couple in trouble. There is just one week until Kate Mercer’s forty-fifth wedding anniversary and planning for the party is going well, until a letter arrives for her husband. The body of his first love has been discovered, frozen and preserved in the icy glaciers of the Swiss Alps. Jealousy and what ifs plague the couple. By the time the party is upon them, there may not be a marriage left to celebrate.
DHEEPAN (UK)
Director: Jacques Audiard
Dheepan is a Sri Lankan Tamil warrior who flees to France, along with a young woman and little girl, as they pose as a family (this allows easier asylum). Soon, the makeshift family is sent to live in a housing block outside Paris, where Dheepan earns a job as the local caretaker. But violence continues to follow him when he realizes the block is territory for a drug gang. Winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes.
JAFAR PANAHI’S TAXI (Iran)
Director: Jafar Panahi
Taxi passengers express their views and opinions as filmmaker Jafar Panahi (currently under house arrest and charged for conspiring to create anti-Islamic propaganda) drives through the streets of Tehran. Thus the stage is set for a series of deft seriocomic episodes that bring Panahi (who exudes a warm presence) into contact with a diverse cross-section of Tehran society, all captured from the fixed p.o.v. of the taxi’s dash-cam.
KRISHA (USA)
Director: Trey Edward Schultz
After years of absence, Krisha (played to the hilt by former Hawaii resident Krisha Fairchild) reunites with her family for a holiday gathering. She sees it as an opportunity to fix her past mistakes, cook the family turkey, and prove to her loved ones that she has changed for the better. Only Krisha’s delirium takes her family on a dizzying holiday that no one will forget. The film won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards at SXSW this year.
MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART (China)
Director: Jia Zhang-ke
Jia Zhang-ke’s latest is an epic tale about Tao and the men who come in and out of her life. We begin in 1999, where Tao finds herself pursued by two young men. We jump to 2014, where Tao is a divorcee and trying to come to make peace with the fact that her young son may be better off with his rich father, who intends to immigrate to Australia. We end in 2025, centering on Tao’s now college-age son.
MUSTANG (France, Germany, Turkey)
Director: Deniz Gamze Ergüven
Early summer. In a village in northern Turkey, Lale and her four sisters are walking home from school, playing innocently with some boys. The immorality of their play sets off a scandal that has unexpected consequences. The family home is progressively transformed into a prison; instruction in homemaking replaces school and marriages start being arranged. The five sisters who share a common passion for freedom, find ways of getting around the constraints imposed on them.
RIGHT NOW WRONG THEN (South Korea)
Director: Hong Sang-soo
The delightful new film from Festival favorite Hong Sang-soo (IN ANOTHER COUNTRY) presents two variations on a potentially fateful romantic encounter between a filmmaker and a painter, tracing each to its own very distinct outcome. The film won the Golden Leopard at this year’s Locarno Film Festival.
SON OF SAUL (Hungary)
Director: László Nemes
Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes, and one of the most talked about films of the year, SON OF SAUL is an excoriating look at evil in Auschwitz. During World War II, a Jewish worker (Géza Röhrig) at the Auschwitz concentration camp tries to find a rabbi to give a child a proper burial. Grim and unyielding, this explosive film is also Hungary’s official entry to the Academy Awards.
YELLOW FLOWERS ON THE GREEN GRASS (Vietnam)
Director: Victor Vu
A coming of age story set in the Vietnamese countryside during the late 1980s — Thieu and Tuong are brothers that share a strong bond. Unbeknownst to Tuong, Thieu is constantly jealous of his younger brother’s personal and academic achievements. This leads to an act of violence, which leaves Tuong paralyzed and bedridden. In coming to terms with his own conscience, Thieu attempts to redeem himself and discovers the true meaning of brotherhood.
YOUTH (Italy, France, Switzerland, UK)
Director: Paulo Sorrentino
Oscar winning actor Michael Caine plays Fred, an acclaimed composer and conductor, who brings along his daughter (Rachel Weisz) and best friend Mick (Harvey Keitel), a renowned filmmaker on holiday. While Mick scrambles to finish the screenplay for what he imagines will be his last important film, Fred has no intention of resuming his musical career. The two men reflect on their past, each finding that some of the most important experiences can come later in life.
The Festival is celebrating the life and legacy of one of the greatest directors of all time and the maestro of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. The HITCHCOCK SPOTLIGHT presented by the Vilcek Foundation will encompass a 70th anniversary presentation of SPELLBOUND starring Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman. After the screening, there will be an extended Q&A session with the late director’s granddaughters, Tere Carubba and Mary Stone, who will discuss their grandfather’s familial legacy and a personal and intimate perspective on one of the most famous film directors of the 20th century, who defined cinema. In addition, HIFF will present the Hawaii premiere of Kent Jones’ documentaryHITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
“In honor of the contributions that so many immigrants have made to American cinema over the years, HIFF 2015 will spotlight one of the most influential immigrant filmmakers, Alfred Hitchcock,” says Robert Lambeth, HIFF’s Executive Director. This spotlight is a special sidebar of the New American Filmmakers program presented by the Vilcek Foundation, which highlights the contributions of gifted immigrant filmmakers to contemporary American cinema. HIFF is proud to once again partner with the Vilcek Foundation to present the 9th annual New American Filmmakers program.
SPELLBOUND (1945) w/ Tere Carubba and Mary Stone (Hitchcock’s granddaughters)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
In this special 70th anniversary screening, SPELLBOUND tells the story of a psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory.
HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT (2015)
Director: Kent Jones
In 1962, Alfred Hitchcock and Francois Truffaut locked themselves away in Hollywood for a week to excavate the secrets behind the mise-en-scène in cinema. Based on the original recordings of this meeting—used to produce the mythical book “Hitchcock/Truffaut”—this film illustrates the greatest cinema lesson of all time. Director Kent Jones also interviews the top filmmakers working today as they discuss how this seminal book influences their work.
-
Thriller PALI ROAD Starring Michelle Chen to World Premiere at Hawaii International Film Festival | TRAILER
The mystery thriller, PALI ROAD directed by Jonathan Lim, will make its world premiere at the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) on November 16, 2015 with an encore screening on November 21, 2015. The film has been nominated for the prestigious Halekulani Golden Orchid Award, which is bestowed upon the narrative and documentary films that best express artistic and technical excellence and promote cross-cultural understanding.
PALI ROAD stars Chinese superstar Michelle Chen, TWILIGHT’s Jackson Rathbone, Sung Kang (FAST FIVE, FAST & FURIOUS) and Hawaii’s own Henry Ian Cusick (The 100, Lost).
PALI ROAD is a mesmerizing and chilling journey into the mystery of the human psyche and the power of love. Lily (Chen), a young doctor, wakes up from a car accident to discover she is now married to her boyfriend’s affluent rival, Dr. Mitch Kayne (Kang), has a five-year-old-son, and an established life she has no recollection of. Everyone around her, including her parents, deny that her boyfriend, Neil (Rathbone), ever existed, sending her on a desperate search for the truth. Determined to reclaim a life everyone insists is nothing more than an illusion, Lily eventually begins to doubt her own sanity. Struggling to overcome her seemingly hopeless situation, Lily endures a series of unexplainable and haunting incidents while bravely making her way to an ultimate mind-bending truth about the power of true love.
Shot entirely in Hawaii PALI ROAD is a story about the search for true love between two different worlds. Her search for the truth to her past life will lead her to question everyone around her and her entire existence. PALI ROAD (aka Highway 61) is an idyllic, winding road through some of the most enchanting parts of Oahu and maintains an important if not infamous place in Hawaiian history. Being at the center of many of Oahu’s supernatural activities, it is said the road is haunted and various mysterious figures can be seen wandering the area at all hours. Numerous otherworldly sightings have been confirmed along Pali Road, both by longtime residents of the area as well as tourists who come from all over the world to visit the region.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-voJPKBpFM
-
THE PROGRAM is Closing Night Film of 2015 Austin Film Festival
The Program has been selected as the Closing Night film of the 2015 Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference (AFF). From Academy Award ®-nominated director Stephen Frears (The Queen, Philomena), comes the true story of the meteoric rise and fall of one of the most celebrated and controversial men in recent history: Lance Armstrong, the world-renowned Tour de France champion. Written by John Hodge (Trainspotting), The Program features Ben Foster, Chris O’Dowd, Guillaume Canet, Dustin Hoffman, and Jesse Plemons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXfp859pcM0
The Festival revealed new marquee titles, including Love the Coopers and The 33, rounding out the slate amongst previously announced films including Carol, Brooklyn, Miss You Already, The Adderall Diaries, By Sidney Lumet, Go With Me, I Saw the Light, Last Days in the Desert, Man Up, Mojave, Remember, Youth, the 2015 Opening Night Film, Legend, and Centerpiece Selection, the world premiere of Burning Bodhi.
Written by Steven Rogers and directed by Jessie Nelson, Love the Coopers stars Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Diane Keaton, Jake Lacy, and Anthony Mackie, and follows the Cooper clan as four generations of extended family come together for the annual Christmas Eve celebration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEZWaK74NHU
The 33 stars Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche in a dramatic thriller based on the true story of the 33 Chilean miners who were buried alive by the catastrophic explosion and collapse of a century-old gold and copper mine for 69 days in 2010.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOoIBOYqHyw
AFF’s Extraordinary Contribution to Film – Actor award recipient, Chris Cooper, will present a retrospective screening of Lone Star, written and directed by John Sayles. The full retrospective series at the Festival will play host to John Singleton presenting Boyz n the Hood, Gary Ross presenting Pleasantville, Angelo Pizzo presenting Rudy, Charles Burnett presenting The Southerner, and Phil Rosenthal and Leon Vitali presenting a Halloween screening of The Shining.
-
ROOM and WHERE TO INVADE NEXT Win Audience Awards at 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival
ROOM (pictured above) and WHERE TO INVADE NEXT were honored with the Audience Awards for Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature, respectively at the just wrapped 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival. ALL-AMERICAN FAMILY won the audience award for best short film.
Adapted from the bestselling novel by author and screenwriter Emma Donoghue, ROOM directed by Lenny Abrahamson, follows Jack (Jacob Tremblay) and his Ma (Brie Larson), who live in a small, locked room. Having never left Room, Jack believes that only the things in the room are real and that everything he sees on TV is make-believe. Right after his fifth birthday, Ma reveals the secret that has kept them confined to the room all these years. A harrowing journey of discovery ensues, and Jack has to come to terms with the fact that there’s more to the world outside Room.
In an unexpected twist, Michael Moore’s (BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, FAHRENHEIT 9/11, ROGER & ME) latest project, WHERE TO INVADE NEXT, does not refer to American imperialism, but rather to Moore himself. Armed with a camera and a flag, the Oscar®-winning documentarian “invades” a slew of European countries in an attempt to learn more about their successful practices and programs. From Norwegian prisons to female-run Icelandic banks, to Italian employee benefits, Moore travels around the world with the intention of bringing these progressive philosophies back to the States.
The festival ran from October 8th through October 12th and played over 134 films from around the world.
HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2015 WINNERS:
HIFF Award Winner for Best Narrative Feature sponsored by The Wall Street Journal
Rams, directed by Grimur Hákonarson
Honorable Mention for Narrative Feature
Embrace of the Serpent, directed by Ciro Guerra
HIFF Award Winner for Best Documentary Feature sponsored by ID Films
Missing People, directed by David Shapiro
Honorable Mention for Documentary Feature
Chuck Norris Vs. Communism, directed by Ilinca Calugareanu
HIFF Award Winner for Best Narrative Short Film sponsored by The Wall Street Journal
Over, directed by Jörn Threlfall
Honorable Mention for Narrative Short Film
Patriot, directed by Eva Riley
HIFF Award Winner for Best Documentary Short Film sponsored by ID Films
Last Day of Freedom, directed by Dee Hibbert-Jones, Nomi Talisman
Victor Rabinowitz and Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice
The Uncondemned, directed by Michele Mitchell, Nick Louvel
Tangerine Entertainment Juice Fund Award
Suffragette, directed by Sarah Gavron
Suffolk County Film Commission Next Exposure Grant
When I Live My Life Over Again, directed by Robert Edwards
The 2015 Brizzolara Family Foundation Award for a Film of Conflict and Resolution
The Uncondemned, directed by Michele Mitchell, Nick Louvel
The Zelda Penzel “Giving Voice to the Voiceless” Award: Dedicated to Those Who Suffer in Silence
The Champions, directed by Darcy Dennett
-
Meryl Streep will be Jury President of 66th Berlin International Film Festival
Three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep will be the Jury President of the 66th Berlin International Film Festival taking place February 11 to 21, 2016.
”Meryl Streep is one of the most creative and multifaceted film artists. To mark our enthusiasm for her extraordinary talent we awarded her the Honorary Golden Bear in 2012 for her lifetime achievement. I am very happy that she is returning to Berlin and with her artistic experience will take on the chairmanship of the International Jury”, says Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick.
Meryl Streep has appeared in over 40 films and is considered one of the world’s most talented and versatile actresses.
She has been a guest at the Berlin International Film Festival on a number of occasions: in 1999, she was awarded the Berlinale Camera, and in 2003, together with Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman she shared the Silver Bear award for their performances in The Hours. In 2006, she could again be seen in the Berlinale Competition in Robert Altman’s ensemble comedy A Prairie Home Companion. In 2012, the Berlinale dedicated a homage to Meryl Streep and awarded her the Honorary Golden Bear for her lifetime achievement.
“It is a thrill to return to the festival under any circumstances, but it is with great relish and anticipation I look forward to jury duty. The responsibility is somewhat daunting, as I have never been President of anything before, and I hope I can come up to the precedent set by the distinguished juries of preceding years. Grateful for the honor”, says Meryl Streep with regard to her jury presidency.

The San Francisco Film Society is launching a new documentary film series,
This on-the-ground document of the Ukrainian civic uprising that resulted in the departure of President Viktor Yanukovych melds startling footage of events as they unfold with subsequent testimonials from witnesses and participants to create a visceral portrait of historic events and some of the individuals who made up a popular movement. Director Evgeny Afineevsky skillfully manages multiple perspectives and stories to create a coherent and vital rendering of history unfolding moment to moment.
Song of Lahore
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (USA/Pakistan 2015, 82 min) Director and special guests in person
Pakistan’s Sachel Studios was founded in 2004 in an attempt to preserve and revive centuries-old musical traditions that faced extinction after the imposition of Sharia law in the ’70s and more current Taliban pressure discouraging musical performance. When a video of the group’s version of Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” performed on traditional Pakistani instruments goes viral online, they get a chance to gain the kind of acclaim that Lahore’s musicians once enjoyed.
What Happened, Miss Simone?
Liz Garbus (USA 2014, 102 min) Director and special guest in person
After its glorious reception at SFIFF58, the Film Society offers another opportunity to see this extraordinary documentary on the big screen. A full biography filled with candid conversations, interviews, letters and performances, this film is the definitive take on Nina Simone’s life. Paying special attention to her career-jeopardizing choices during the Civil Rights movement and her insistence on justice and unflinching when presenting her surprising weaknesses, What Happened, Miss Simone? is a fitting portrait of an inimitable and powerful artist.
Cartel Land
Matthew Heineman (USA/Mexico 2015, 100 min) Director and special guests in person
This bold film gives extraordinary access to dangerous and sometimes deadly skirmishes in the Mexico-US drug wars, following vigilante groups on either side of the border as they empower themselves to take action against drug cartels that they feel are endangering their everyday lives. A vivid and sometimes brutal portrait of citizens motivated to take the law into their own hands, Cartel Land reveals fault lines and grey areas in every aspect of the conflict.
A Conversation with Davis Guggenheim
Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim will participate in an intimate onstage conversation about his documentary work and current film, He Named Me Malala, an intimate portrait of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai and her fight for the rights of girls around the world. Guggenheim has directed some of the most successful documentaries of the last decade and this will be a rare opportunity to hear about his approach to his craft, and thoughts about the documentary form. (70 min)
Field of Vision
Series co-founder AJ Schnack in person
Launched in late September, Field of Vision is a new film unit committed to artistically thoughtful documentaries, rooted in investigative journalism. Created by Oscar winner Laura Poitras (Citizenfour), AJ Schnack (Caucus) and Charlotte Cook, Field of Vision will pair filmmakers with developing and ongoing stories around the globe. Join co-creator AJ Schnack for a selection of original films from the inaugural season and a conversation about the series’ creation and the current state of short-form documentary. (TRT 90 min)
Janis: Little Girl Blue
Amy Berg (USA 2015, 106 min) Director and special guests in person
Most of us are familiar with the iconic Janis Joplin, troubled wild child of the San Francisco music scene of the ’60s who died tragically of an overdose at the age of 27. Amy Berg goes beyond the legend to present an intimate portrait of a complicated artist, weaving archival material-some of it never seen before-with compelling interviews and Joplin’s reflective letters to friends and family, read with a bright sweetness by Chan Marshall (Cat Power).
Profiles in Courage: Short Documentaries from HBO
Filmmakers in person
Ebola in Liberia, LGBT rights in Cuba, a brave Nepalese couple seeking to regain their eyesight. HBO has long been the acknowledged leader in the documentary world, and never more so than now. These inspiring short films-all strong contenders for the Academy’s short list for short documentary films-show the unique global perspective and entertaining storytelling style that make HBO such an important contributor to film culture. (TRT 93 min)
Thank You for Playing
David Osit and Malika Zouhali-Worrall (USA 2015, 82 min) Co-directors in person
When video game developer Ryan Green’s very young son Joel is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, he turns to what he knows best to combat his family’s emotional upheaval-he creates a game. With great emotional power, co-directors David Osit and Malika Zouhali-Worrall create an intimate space for their heart-rending documentary that demonstrates how art and technology can help process grief and combat the various dragons everyone must try to slay.
Hitchcock/Truffaut
Kent Jones (France/USA 2015, 80 min) Director in person
The 2015 DOC NYC documentary festival, running November 12 to 19, will include over 200 films and events. Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton will be in attendance for the Closing Night world premiere of AOL’s MAKERS’ Once and For All, directed by Michael Epstein and Dyllan McGee, about the 1995 Beijing Women’s Conference where then-First Lady Clinton gave a historic address on women’s rights.
Director Amy Berg will present her Janis Joplin portrait, Janis: Little Girl Blue, for the festival’s Centerpiece on November 15.
These two gala screenings join the previously announced Opening Night film Miss Sharon Jones!, directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple.
27 films world premiering at the festival include The Anthropologist, profiling Margaret Mead and Susie Crate; Bluespace, an exploration of water on Earth and Mars; The Sunshine Makers, on psychedelic drug makers; Thank You For Your Service, on veterans coping with PTSD; and the first two episodes of Making a Murderer, a 10-part Netflix series about a high-stakes criminal case in America’s heartland.
Among the 15 U.S. premieres are The Fear of 13, on a prisoner’s gripping story; Frackman, on an Australian activist; Lucha Mexico, on Mexican wrestlers; Noma: My Perfect Storm, on the acclaimed Nordic restaurant; and Speed Sisters, on Arab women race car drivers.