Band Aid

  • 141 Scores in Contention for Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards

    [caption id="attachment_23776" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]Battle Of The Sexes BATTLE OF THE SEXES[/caption] 141 scores from eligible feature-length films released in 2017 have qualified to be nominated in the Original Score category for the 90th Academy Awards. To be eligible, the original score must be a substantial body of music that serves as original dramatic underscoring, and must be written specifically for the motion picture by the submitting composer. Scores diluted by the use of preexisting music, diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs or any music not composed specifically for the film by the submitting composer, or assembled from the music of more than one composer shall not be eligible. Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title: “Alien: Covenant,” Jed Kurzel, composer “All I See Is You,” Marc Streitenfeld, composer “All the Money in the World,” Daniel Pemberton, composer “Annabelle: Creation,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer “Band Aid,” Lucius, composer “Battle of the Sexes,” Nicholas Britell, composer “Baywatch,” Christopher Lennertz, composer “Beauty and the Beast,” Alan Menken, composer “The Big Sick,” Michael Andrews, composer “Blade Runner 2049,” Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer, composers “The Book of Henry,” Michael Giacchino, composer “Born in China,” Barnaby Taylor, composer “The Boss Baby,” Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro, composers “Boston,” Jeff Beal, composer “Brad’s Status,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer “Brawl in Cell Block 99,” Jeff Herriott and S. Craig Zahler, composers “The Breadwinner,” Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna, composers “Breathe,” Nitin Sawhney, composer “Brigsby Bear,” David Wingo, composer “Brimstone & Glory,” Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin, composers “Captain Underpants The First Epic Movie,” Theodore Shapiro, composer “Cars 3,” Randy Newman, composer “The Circle,” Danny Elfman, composer “Coco,” Michael Giacchino, composer “Cries from Syria,” Martin Tillman, composer “A Cure for Wellness,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer “Darkest Hour,” Dario Marianelli, composer “Despicable Me 3,” Heitor Pereira, composer “The Disaster Artist,” Dave Porter, composer “A Dog’s Purpose,” Rachel Portman, composer “Downsizing,” Rolfe Kent, composer “Drawing Home,” Ben Holiday, composer “Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer, composer “Earth: One Amazing Day,” Alex Heffes, composer “A Fantastic Woman,” Matthew Herbert, composer “The Fate of the Furious,” Brian Tyler, composer “Father Figures,” Rob Simonsen, composer “Ferdinand,” John Powell, composer “Fifty Shades Darker,” Danny Elfman, composer “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool,” J. Ralph, composer “First They Killed My Father,” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers “Get Out,” Michael Abels, composer “A Ghost Story,” Daniel Hart, composer “Gifted,” Rob Simonsen, composer “The Glass Castle,” Joel P. West, composer “Going in Style,” Rob Simonsen, composer “Good Time,” Daniel Lopatin, composer “Goodbye Christopher Robin,” Carter Burwell, composer “Gook,” Roger Suen, composer “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Tyler Bates, composer “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” Atli Ӧrvarsson, composer “Hostiles,” Max Richter, composer “Human Flow,” Karsten Fundal, composer “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” Jeff Beal, composer “It,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer “Jane,” Philip Glass, composer “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” Henry Jackman, composer “Justice League,” Danny Elfman, composer “Kepler’s Dream,” Patrick Neil Doyle, composer “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,” Daniel Pemberton, composer “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson, composers “Kong: Skull Island,” Henry Jackman, composer “LA 92,” Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans, composers “LBJ,” Marc Shaiman, composer “Lady Bird,” Jon Brion, composer “Lake of Fire,” Qutub-E-Kripa, composer “Last Flag Flying,” Graham Reynolds, composer “The Lego Batman Movie,” Lorne Balfe, composer “The Lego Ninjago Movie,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer “The Leisure Seeker,” Carlo Virzì, composer “Let It Fall,” Mark Isham, composer “Life,” Jon Ekstrand, composer “Logan,” Marco Beltrami, composer “The Lost City of Z,” Christopher Spelman, composer “Loveless,” Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine, composers “Loving Vincent,” Clint Mansell, composer “The Man Who Invented Christmas,” Mychael Danna, composer “Mark Felt – The Man Who Brought Down the White House,” Daniel Pemberton, composer “Marshall,” Marcus Miller, composer “Mary and the Witch’s Flower,” Takatsugu Muramatsu, composer “Maudie,” Michael Timmins, composer “Molly’s Game,” Daniel Pemberton, composer “Moomins and the Winter Wonderland,” Łukasz Targosz, composer “The Mountain between Us,” Ramin Djawadi, composer “Mudbound,” Tamar-kali, composer “The Mummy,” Brian Tyler, composer “Murder on the Orient Express,” Patrick Doyle, composer “My Cousin Rachel,” Rael Jones, composer “Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer,” Jun Miyake, composer “Okja,” Jaeil Jung, composer “Oklahoma City,” David Cieri, composer “The Only Living Boy in New York,” Rob Simonsen, composer “Only the Brave,” Joseph Trapanese, composer “Our Souls at Night,” Elliot Goldenthal, composer “Paris Can Wait,” Laura Karpman, composer “Patti Cake$,” Geremy Jasper and Jason Binnick, composers “Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood, composer “The Pirates of Somalia,” Andrew Feltenstein and John Nau, composers “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” Geoff Zanelli, composer “The Post,” John Williams, composer “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women,” Tom Howe, composer “The Promise,” Gabriel Yared, composer “Pulimurugan,” Gopi Sundar, composer “Raw,” Jim Williams, composer “Roman J. Israel, Esq.,” James Newton Howard, composer “Saban’s Power Rangers,” Brian Tyler, composer “Same Kind of Different as Me,” John Paesano, composer “The Second Coming of Christ,” Navid Hejazi, Ramin Kousha and Silvia Leonetti, composers “Served Like a Girl,” Michael A. Levine, composer “The Shack,” Aaron Zigman, composer “The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat, composer “Slipaway,” Tao Liu, composer “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” Christopher Lennertz, composer “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” Michael Giacchino, composer “Split,” West Dylan Thordson, composer “The Star,” John Paesano, composer “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams, composer “Step,” Laura Karpman and Raphael Saadiq, composers “Stronger,” Michael Brook, composer “Suburbicon,” Alexandre Desplat, composer “Swing Away,” Tao Zervas, composer “Thank You for Your Service,” Thomas Newman, composer “Their Finest,” Rachel Portman, composer “Thelma,” Ola Fløttum, composer “Thor: Ragnarok,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell, composer “Tickling Giants,” Paul Tyan, composer “Tommy’s Honour,” Christian Henson, composer “Trafficked,” David Das, composer “Transformers: The Last Knight,” Steve Jablonsky, composer “XXX: Return of Xander Cage,” Brian Tyler and Robert Lydecker, composers “Victoria & Abdul,” Thomas Newman, composer “Voice from the Stone,” Michael Wandmacher, composer “Wakefield,” Aaron Zigman, composer “War for the Planet of the Apes,” Michael Giacchino, composer “Wilson,” Jon Brion, composer “Wind River,” Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, composers “Wonder,” Marcelo Zarvos, composer “Wonder Woman,” Rupert Gregson-Williams, composer “Wonderstruck,” Carter Burwell, composer “Year by the Sea,” Alexander Janko, composer

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  • 70 Original Songs Qualify to Compete in 90th Academy Awards

    [caption id="attachment_19920" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Patti Cake$ Patti Cake$[/caption] 70 songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2017 qualify for nomination in the Original Song category for the 90th Academy Awards. To be eligible, a song must consist of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the film. A clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody must be used in the body of the film or as the first music cue in the end credits. Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. The 90th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film title and song title: “U.N.I (You And I)” from “And the Winner Isn’t” “Love And Lies” from “Band Aid” “If I Dare” from “Battle of the Sexes” “Evermore” from “Beauty and the Beast” “How Does A Moment Last Forever” from “Beauty and the Beast” “Now Or Never” from “Bloodline: Now or Never” “She” from “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” “Your Hand I Will Never Let It Go” from “The Book of Henry” “Buddy’s Business” from “Brawl in Cell Block 99” “The Crown Sleeps” from “The Breadwinner” “World Gone Mad” from “Bright” “Mystery Of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name” “Visions Of Gideon” from “Call Me by Your Name” “Captain Underpants Theme Song” from “Captain Underpants The First Epic Movie” “Ride” from “Cars 3” “Run That Race” from “Cars 3” “Tell Me How Long” from “Chasing Coral” “Broken Wings” from “City of Ghosts” “Remember Me” from “Coco” “Prayers For This World” from “Cries from Syria” “There’s Something Special” from “Despicable Me 3” “It Ain’t Fair” from “Detroit” “A Little Change In The Weather” from “Downsizing” “Stars In My Eyes (Theme From Drawing Home)” from “Drawing Home” “All In My Head” from “Elizabeth Blue” “Dying For Ya” from “Elizabeth Blue” “Green” from “Elizabeth Blue” “Can’t Hold Out On Love” from “Father Figures” “Home” from “Ferdinand” “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” from “Fifty Shades Darker” “You Shouldn’t Look At Me That Way” from “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool” “This Is How You Walk On” from “Gifted” “Summer Storm” from “The Glass Castle” “The Pure And The Damned” from “Good Time” “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman” “The Hero” from “The Hero” “How Shall A Sparrow Fly” from “Hostiles” “Just Getting Started” from “If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast” “Truth To Power” from “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” “Next Stop, The Stars” from “Kepler’s Dream” “The Devil & The Huntsman” from “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” “Have You Ever Wondered” from “Lake of Fire” “I’ll Be Gone” from “Lake of Fire” “We’ll Party All Night” from “Lake of Fire” “Friends Are Family” from “The Lego Batman Movie” “Found My Place” from “The Lego Ninjago Movie” “Stand Up For Something” from “Marshall” “Rain” from “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” “Myron/Byron” from “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)” “Longing For Summer” from “Moomins and the Winter Wonderland” “Mighty River” from “Mudbound” “Never Forget” from “Murder on the Orient Express” “Hold The Light” from “Only the Brave” “PBNJ” from “Patti Cake$” “Tuff Love (Finale)” from “Patti Cake$” “Lost Souls” from “The Pirates of Somalia” “How A Heart Unbreaks” from “Pitch Perfect 3” “The Promise” from “The Promise” “Kaadanayum Kaalchilambe” from “Pulimurugan” “Maanathe Maarikurumbe” from “Pulimurugan” “Stubborn Angel” from “Same Kind of Different as Me” “Dancing Through The Wreckage” from “Served Like a Girl” “Keep Your Eyes On Me” from “The Shack” “On The Music Goes” from “Slipaway” “The Star” from “The Star” “Jump” from “Step” “Tickling Giants” from “Tickling Giants” “Fly Away” from “Trafficked” “Speak To Me” from “Voice from the Stone” “Walk On Faith” from “Year by the Sea”

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  • 28th Stockholm International Film Festival Announces Lineup, THE SHAPE OF WATER, DOWNSIZING and More

    [caption id="attachment_25167" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Shape Of Water Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER.[/caption] 150 films from 60 different countries have been selected to be screened at the 28th Stockholm International Film Festival that takes place from the November 8th to the 19th. A third of the films in this year’s festival program are directed by first-time filmmakers, the festival is also joined by legends such as this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Vanessa Redgrave. After a long and successful Hollywood-career 80 year old Vanessa Redgrave makes her debut as a director with the documentary Sea Sorrow. The film focuses on the global refugee crisis and is a part of this years Spotlight – Change. This years Visionary Award recipient is the director Pablo Larraín. Larraín is the director behind the Academy Award-nominated Jackie (2016); he is now attending the Stockholm Film festival with his latest film Neruda. The premiere movie of this year’s film festival is the critically acclaimed film The Shape Of Water by the director behind the Academy Award-winning Pan’s Labyrinth Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro also won the Gold Lion at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year. A selection of other films that will be screened are: Thelma by Joachim Trier, Call Me By Your Name by Luca Guadagnino, The Party by Sally Porter, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri by Martin McDonagh and last but not least Downsizing by Alexander Payne.

    Stockholm International Film Festival – Program 2017

    Stockholm XXVIII Competition

    A Ciambra by Jonas Carpignano (Italy, France, USA, Germany, 120 min) Ava by Léa Mysius (France, 106 min) Beach Rats by Eliza Hittman Co (USA, 95 min) Beast by Michael Pearce (Great Britain, 107 min) Falling by Marina Stepanska (Ukraine, 105 min) Gabriel And The Mountain by Fellipe Gamarano Barbosa (Brazil, France, 127min) God’s Own Country by Francis Lee (Great Britain, 104 min) I Am Not A Witch by Rungano Nyoni (Great Britain, France, 92 min) Insyriated by Philippe Van Leeuw (Belgium, France, Liban, 85 min) Jeune Femme by Léonor Serraille (France, 97 min) King Of Peking by Sam Voutas (USA, Australia, China, 88 min) La familia by Gustavo Rondón Córdova (Venezuela, Chili, Norway, 82 min) Los Perros by Marcela Said (Chile, France, 94 min) No Date, No Signature by Vahid Jalilvand (Iran, 100 min) One Thousand Ropes by Tusi Tamasese (New Zealand, 98 min) The Rider by Chloé Zhao (USA, 105 min) Son of Sofia by Elina Psikou (Bulgaria, France, Greece, 105 min) Where The Shadows Fall by Valentina Pedicini (Italy, 95 min)

    Stockholm XXVIII Documentary Competition

    A Gray State by Erik Nelson (USA, 93 min) Copwatch by Camilla Hall (USA, 99 min) For Ahkeem by Jeremy S. Levine and Landon Van Soest (USA, 89 min) The Force by Peter Nicks (USA, 93 min) Lots of Kids, A Monkey, And A Castle by Gustavo Salmerón (Spain, 90 min) The New Radical by Adam Bhala Lough (USA, 120 min) Step by Amanda Lipitz (USA, 83 min) Tarzan’s Testicles by Alexandru Solomon (Romania, France, 107 min) This is Congo by Daniel McCabe (Democratic Republic of Congo, USA, Canada, 91 min) This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous by Barbara Kopple (USA, 91 min) True Conviction by Jamie Meltzer (USA, 84 min) The Venerable W by Barbet Schroeder (France, Switzerland, 100 min)

    Stockholm Impact

    Cardinals by Grayson Moore and Aidan Shipley (Canada, 84 min) The Last Verse by Ying`Ting Tseng (Taiwan, 100 min) My Pure Land by Sarmad Masud (Great Britain, 92 min) Searing Summer by Ebrahim Irajzad (Iran, 83 min) Wild Roses by Anna Jadowska (Poland, 89 min)

    Open Zone

    A Fantastic Woman by Sebastián Lelio (Chile, USA, Germany, Spain, 104 min) A Man Of Integrity by Mohammad Rasoulof (Iran, 117 min) Amant Double by François Ozon (France, 110 min) April’s Daughter by Michel Franco (Mexico, 102 min) Based On A True Story by Roman Polanski (France, 110 min) Call Me By Your Name by Luca Guadagnino (Italy, France, 130 min) Free And Easy by Jun Geng (Honk Kong, 97 minutes) Gisslan by Rezo Gigineishvili (Russian Federation, Georgia, Poland, 103 min) Have A Nice Day by Liu Jian (China, 75 min) Ice Mother by Bohdan Sláma (Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, 105 min) Mr. Long by Sabu (Japan, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Germany, 129 min) On The Beach At Night Alone by Hong Sang`Soo (South Korea, 101 min) Our Time Will Come by Ann Hui (Honk Kong, 130 min) Radiance by Naomi Kawase (Japan, France, 101 min) Thelma by Joachin Trier (Norway, France, 109 min) The Shape Of Water by Guillermo del Toro (USA, 119 min) The Wandering Soap Opera by Raúl Ruiz and Valeria Sarmiento (Chile, 80 min) The Workshop by Laurent Cantet (France, 113 min)

    American Independents

    Band Aid by Zoe Lister`Jones (USA, 94 min) The Boy Downstairs by Sophie Brooks (USA, 91 min) Brigsby Bear by Dave McCary (USA, 100 min) Crown Heights by Matt Ruskin (USA, 99 min) The Endless by Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson ( USA, 111 min) The Florida Project by Sean Baker (USA, 115 min) Gemini by Aaron Katz (USA, 93 min) Ingrid Goes West by Matt Spicer (USA, 97 min) Kings by Deniz Gamze Ergüven (France, Belgium, 86 min Life And Nothing More by Antonio Méndez Esparza (USA, 113 min) The Lovers by Azazel Jacobs (USA, 98 min) Keep The Change by Rachel Israel (USA, 94 min) Most Beautiful Island by Ana Asensio (USA, Spain, 80 min) Permanent by Colette Burson (USA, 97 min) Sollers Point by Matthew Porterfield (USA, France, 101 min) Who We Are Now by Matthew Newton (USA, 99 min)

    Icons

    Battle Of The Sexes by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Great Britain, USA, 121 min) Breathe by Andy Serkis (Great Britain, 117 min) Downsizing by Alexander Payne (USA, 135 min) The Final Journey by Nick Baker`Monteys (Germany, 100 min) Final Portrait by Stanley Tucci (USA, 90 min) Hannah by Andrea Pallaoro (France, 80 min) The Hero by Brett Haley (USA, 96 min) Let The Sunshine In by Claire Denis (France, 94 min) The Party by Sally Potter (Great Britain, 71 min) Reinventing Marvin by Anne Fontaine (France, 115 min) Rodin by Jacques Doillon (France, 119 min) Suburbicon by George Clooney (USA, 105 min) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri by Martin McDonagh (USA, UK, 115 min) You disappear by Peter Schønau Fog (Denmark, 118 min) Wonder Wheel by Woody Allen (USA, 101 min)

    Discovery

    Axolotl Overkill by Helene Hegemann (Germany, 94 min) Daybreak by Gentian Koçi (Albania, Greece, 85 min) Disappearance by Ali Asgari (Iran, Qatar, 88 min) Don’t Swallow My Heart, Alligator Girl! by Felipe Bragança (Brazil, Netherlands, France, Paraguay, 108 min) If You Saw His Heart by Joan Chemla (France, 86 min) Killing Jesus by Laura Mora (Colombia, Argentina, 100 min) Menashe by Joshua Z Weinstein (USA, 82 min) Oh Lucy! by Atsuko Hirayanagi (Japan, USA, 97 min) The Testament by Amichai Greenberg (Israel, 88 min) Vazante by Daniela Thomas (Brazil, Portugal, 116 min)

    Documania

    Chavela by Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi (USA, 90 min) Dina by Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini (USA, 101 min) Hondros directed by Greg Campbell (USA, 93 min) The Paris Opera by Jean`Stéphane Bron (France, 110 min) Return Of A President – After The Coup In Madagascar by Lotte Mik`Meyer (Denmark, South Africa, France, Madagascar, 78 min) Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World by Catherine Bainbridge and Alfonso Maiorana (Canada, 103 min) Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda by Stephen Nomura Schible (USA, 102 min) Served Like A Girl by Lysa Heslov (USA, 93 min) Shadowman by Oren Jacoby (USA, 83 min) Take Every Wave: The Life Of Laird Hamilton by Rory Kennedy (USA, 118 min) Walk with me by Max Pugh and Marc J. Francis (Great Britain, 94 min)

    Twilight Zone

    A Day by Sun`Ho Cho (South Korea, 90 min) Blade Of The Immortal by Takashi Miike (Japan, 140 min) The Cured by David Freyne (Ireland, Great Britain, France, 95 min) Double Date by Benjamin Barfoot (Great Britain, 90 min) Les Affamés by Robin Aubert (Canada, 100 min) Jailbreak by Jimmy Henderson (Cambodia, 92 min) Lowlife by Ryan Prows (USA, 98 min) The Merciless by Sung`Hyun Byun (South Korea, 120 min) Ugly Nasty People by Cosimo Gomez (Italy, France, 87 min) The Villainess by Byung`Gil Jung (South Korea, 129 min)

    Spotlight

    An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk (USA, 99 min) Human Flow by Ai Wei Wei (Germany, 140 min) More by Onur Saylak (Turkey, 115 min) This Is Our Land by Lucas Belvaux (France, Belgium, 118 min) Wasted! The Story Of Food Waste by Anna Chai and Nari Kye (USA, 85 min) Zagros by Sahim Omar Kalifa (Belgium, 100 min)

    Stockholm XXVIII Short Film Competition

    A Gentle Night by Qui Yang (China, 15 min) Aria by Myrsini Aristidou (Cyprus, France, 14 min) Atelier by Elsa María Jakobsdóttir (Denmark, 30 min) Bonboné by Rakan Mayasi (Lebanon, Palestine, 15 min) Hombre by Juan Pablo Arias Muñoz (Chile, 21 min) Into the Blue by Antoneta Kusijanovic (Croatia, Slovenia, 22 min) Kudzu by Connor Simpson (USA, 15 min) Lost Property Office by Daniel Agdag (Australia, 10 min) Marlon by Jessica Palud (France, Belgium, 19 min) The Ogre by Laurène Braibant (France, 10 min) Retouch by Kaveh Mazaheri (Iran, 20 min) Signature by Kei Chikaura (Japan, 13 min) Superpower Girl by Soo`Young Kim (South Korea, 24 min) Time To Go by Grzegorz Mołda (Poland, 15 min) You Will Be Fine by Céline Devaux (France, 15 min)

    Special Event

    Neruda by Pablo Larraín (Chile, Argentina, France, Spain, USA, 107 min) Varg by Frida Kempff and Erik Andersson (Sverige, 11 min) Sea Sorrow by Vanessa Redgrave (Great Britain, 74 min) Surprise film

    1 Km Film

    Förebilder by Elin Övergaard (Sweden,13 min) In Love by Ville Gideon Sörman (Denmark, 29 min) Intercourse by Jonatan Etzler (Sweden, 10 min) Mephobia by Mika Gustafsson (Sweden, 24 min) Min Homosyster by Lia Hietala (Sweden,15 min) Push It by Julia Thelin (Sweden, 8 min) Skuggdjur by Jerry Carlsson (Sweden, 21 min) Stay Ups by Joanna Rytel (Sweden, 11 min) Stranded by Viktor Johansson (Sweden, 11 min) Turkkiosken by Bahar Pars (Sweden, 7 min) Image: Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

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  • Rooftop Films Announces 2017 Summer Series Lineup, BAND AID, THE BAD BATCH and More

    [caption id="attachment_19867" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Band Aid Adam Pally, Fred Armisen and Zoe Lister-Jones appear in Band Aid by Zoe Lister-Jones[/caption] The Rooftop Films 2017 Summer Series will take place May 19th to August 19th, featuring more than 45 outdoor screenings in more than 10 venues. The series will kick off on Friday, May 19th, with “This is What We Mean by Short Films,” a collection of some of the most innovative, new short films of the past year. The screening will take place on the roof of The Old American Can Factory, in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The following night, Saturday, May 20th Rooftop will present a sneak preview screening of Zoe Lister-Jones’ 2017 Sundance indie hit, Band Aid, free and outdoors at House of Vans in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Starring Lister-Jones, Adam Pally (“The Mindy Project”), and Fred Armisen (“Portlandia”), Band Aid tells the story of a couple attempting to piece their marriage back together by turning their fights into indie rock lyrics.  Band Aid opens in theaters June 2nd, courtesy of IFC Films. Lister-Jones’ film is but one of many of this year’s best independent comedies playing at Rooftop this summer. In addition Rooftop films will present a sneak preview screening of Michael Showalter’s acclaimed new comedy, The Big Sick, starring and co-written by Kumail Nanjiani, prior to its June 23rd theatrical release by Lionsgate and Amazon Studios. Additional high-profile comedies include Rough Night, Lucia Aniello’s bachelorette-party-gone-wrong comedy starring Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, and Zoë Kravitz; Writer, director, and star Noël Wells’ Austin-based feature film debut Mr. Roosevelt; Jessica Williams’ big screen breakout role in Jim Strouse’s The Incredible Jessica James; and Dave McCary’s magical feature film, Brigsby Bear. The 2017 Summer Series also brings with it the triumphant return of Rooftop Films Alumni and Filmmakers’ Fund Grantees. The festival, in partnership with NEON, welcomes back Rooftop Films Piper-Heidsieck Feature Film Grant winner, Ana Lily Amirpour, for a night of complete dystopian debauchery with an exclusive screening of her new film, The Bad Batch, at the House of Vans in Greenpoint. Also returning is Joshua Z Weinstein with his Brooklyn-based, Rooftop/Brigade Festival Publicity Grant winning Menashe and Lauren Wolkstein and Christopher Radcliffe with The Strange Ones, an enigmatic and lush story, adapted into a feature film with the help of the Rooftop Films Eastern Effects Equipment Grant. Rooftop will also present special screenings of some of the most exciting documentaries of the year, including the US premiere of Vanessa Stockley’s fascinating Grey Gardens-in-Manhattan tale, The Genius and the Opera Singer; the NY premiere of Jeff Unay’s much-lauded MMA doc, The Cage Fighter; The US premiere of Maple J. Razsa and Milton Guillén’s The Maribor Uprising: A Live Participatory Film; Jairus McLeary and Gethin Aldous’ powerful SXSW-winning The Work; the gorgeous and sensitive Sundance-winning Dina; and the most entertaining found footage film of the year, Dmitry Kalashnikov’s Russian dash-cam doc, The Road Movie. It wouldn’t be Rooftop Films without cutting-edge evenings of short films. 2017 programming features the return of Summer Series staples, including the romantic short films of “Love is Short,” the innovative animation of “Dark Toons,” the uncanny short films of “Trapped,” the best of this year’s “New York Nonfiction,” and “The New American Paradise,” an evening of WTF short stories from outside the liberal bubble.

    ROOFTOP FILMS 2017 SUMMER SERIES OPENING WEEKEND

    Friday, May 19, 2017 This is What We Mean by Short Films On the roof of The Old American Can Factory. 232 Third St. Brooklyn Rooftop turns 21 this year. We’re legal, but not playing it safe. On opening night, we’re celebrating with our favorite stories from moral grey zones and uncharted territories: a mushroom of colorful balloons kills two before escaping to Canada, an unnatural presence enters tickle fight, a subversive dance number takes down the patriarchy, and a Russian circus meltdown is played in reverse. Saturday, May 20, 2017 Band Aid (Zoe Lister-Jones) Outdoors at House of Vans. 25 Franklin St. Brooklyn Band Aid, the refreshingly raw, real, and hilarious feature debut from Zoe Lister-Jones, is the story of a couple, Anna (Zoe Lister-Jones) and Ben (Adam Pally), who can’t stop fighting. Advised by their therapist to try and work through their grief unconventionally, they are reminded of their shared love of music. In a last-ditch effort to save their marriage, they decide to turn all their fights into song, and with the help of their neighbor Dave (Fred Armisen), they start a band. A story of love, loss, and rock and roll, Band Aid is a witty and perceptive view of modern love, with some seriously catchy pop hooks to boot. An IFC Films release.

    FEATURE FILMS

    The Bad Batch (Ana Lily Amirpour) The Bad Batch follows Arlen (Suki Waterhouse) after she’s left in a Texas wasteland fenced off from civilization. While trying to navigate the unforgiving landscape, Arlen is captured by a savage band of cannibals led by the mysterious Miami Man (Jason Momoa). With her life on the line, she makes her way to The Dream (Keanu Reeves). As she adjusts to life in ‘the bad batch’ Arlen discovers that being good or bad mostly depends on who’s standing next to you. Winner of the Rooftop Films Piper-Heidsieck Feature Film Grant. A NEON release. Beach Rats (Eliza Hittman) Frankie, an aimless teenager on the outer edges of Brooklyn, is having a miserable summer. With his father dying and his mother wanting him to find a girlfriend, Frankie escapes the bleakness of his home life by causing trouble with his delinquent friends and flirting with older men online. When his chatting and webcamming intensify, he finally starts hooking up with guys at a nearby cruising beach while simultaneously entering into a cautious relationship with a young woman. As Frankie struggles to reconcile his competing desires, his decisions leave him hurtling toward irreparable consequences. A NEON release. The Big Sick (Michael Showalter) Based on the real-life courtship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick tells the story of Pakistan-born aspiring comedian Kumail (Nanjiani), who connects with grad student Emily (Kazan) after one of his standup sets. However, what they thought would be just a one-night stand blossoms into the real thing, which complicates the life that is expected of Kumail by his traditional Muslim parents. When Emily is beset with a mystery illness, it forces Kumail to navigate the medical crisis with her parents, Beth and Terry (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) who he’s never met, while dealing with the emotional tug-of war between his family and his heart. The Big Sick is directed by Michael Showalter (Hello My Name Is Doris) and produced by Judd Apatow (Trainwreck, This Is 40) and Barry Mendel (Trainwreck, The Royal Tenenbaums). A Lionsgate and Amazon Studios release. Friday, June 30, 2017 Brigsby Bear (Dave McCary) On the roof of New Design High School. 350 Grand St. Manhattan After 25 years of secluded existence with his protective parents in their isolated, off-the-grid home, James (Kyle Mooney) is tossed out into a new life in relatively daunting Cedar Hills, Utah. As his world upends, the most shocking revelation to James is that he’s the only person who has ever watched his favorite television program, Brigsby Bear Adventures. Struggling to adjust to the show’s abrupt end, he begins to see Brigsby’s lessons as his only way to make sense of a big, scary new world, and James decides to make a movie to end Brigsby’s story—and re-begin his own. A Sony Pictures Classics release. Friday, June 23, 2017 The Cage Fighter (Jeff Unay) On the roof of The Old American Can Factory. 232 Third St. Brooklyn A blue-collar family man breaks the promise he’d made years ago to never fight again. Now 40 years old, with a wife and four children who need him, Joe Carman risks everything—his marriage, his family, his financial security— to go back into the fighting cage and come to terms with his past. After party presented by Visit Seattle. California Dreams (Mike Ott) From acclaimed director Mike Ott (Lake Los Angeles, Actor Martinez) comes the new comedy documentary feature California Dreams, presenting five unique individuals in pursuit of a big life change. Through auditions set up in small towns across Southern California, the film shows genuine characters with big Hollywood aspirations who, for various reasons, have never had the opportunity to pursue their dreams. With subjects including celebrity impersonators, aspiring writers, and a former nurse, this bitingly funny film reveals the strange and entrancing hypnotic grip that Hollywood has, in some way or form, on everyone. Wednesday, August 2, 2017 The Challenge (Yuri Ancarani) Outdoors at Socrates Sculpture Park. 32-01 Vernon Blvd. Queens. If you have it, spend it: Italian artist Yuri Ancarani’s visually striking documentary enters the surreal world of wealthy Qatari sheikhs who moonlight as amateur falconers, with no expenses spared along the way. The Challenge follows these men through the rituals that define their lives: perilously racing blacked-out SUVs up and down sand dunes; sharing communal meals; taking their Ferraris out for a spin with their pet cheetahs riding shotgun; and much more. Ancarani’s film is a sly meditation on the collective pursuit of idiosyncratic desires. A Kino Lorber Release. Dayveon (Amman Abbasi) In the wake of his older brother’s death, 13-year-old Dayveon spends the sweltering summer days roaming his rural Arkansas town. When he falls in with a local gang, he becomes drawn to the camaraderie and violence of their world. A FilmRise release. Dina (Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini) Dina, an outspoken and eccentric 49-year-old in suburban Philadelphia, invites her fiancé Scott, a Walmart door greeter, to move in with her. Having grown up neurologically diverse in a world blind to the value of their experience, the two are head-over-heels for one another, but shacking up poses a new challenge. Scott freezes when it comes to physical intimacy, and Dina, a Kardashians fanatic, wants nothing more than to share with Scott all she’s learned about sensual desire from books, TV shows, and her previous marriage. Her increasingly creative forays to draw Scott close keep hitting roadblocks—exposing anxieties, insecurities, and communication snafus while they strive to reconcile their conflicting approaches to romance and intimacy. An Orchard release. Saturday, May 27, 2017 The Genius and the Opera Singer (Vanessa Stockley) On the roof of New Design High School. 350 Grand St. Manhattan A 92-year-old former opera singer and her volatile daughter have inhabited a rent-controlled Manhattan penthouse for the last fifty-five years – along with their obese chihuahua, Angelina Jolie. An unsettling portrait of a mother-daughter relationship, The Genius and the Opera Singer explores their intense emotional states and the knotted riddle of their past. US Premiere. Tuesday, July 25, 2017 The Incredible Jessica James (Jim Strouse) On the roof of The William Vale. 111 N 12th St. Brooklyn Jessica Williams (“The Daily Show”) stars as a young, aspiring playwright in New York City who is struggling to get over a recent breakup. She is forced to go on a date with the recently divorced Boone, played by Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids) and the unlikely duo discover how to make it through the tough times in a social media obsessed post-relationship universe. Lakeith Stanfield (FX’s “Atlanta”, Straight Outta Compton) and Noël Wells (Netflix’s “Master of None”) co-star. The film was written and directed by Jim Strouse and produced by Michael B. Clark and Alex Turtletaub of Beachside. Jessica Williams and Kerri Hundley serve as executive producers. A Netflix release. L.A. Times (Michelle Morgan) Annette (Michelle Morgan) and Elliot (Jorma Taccone) are a mostly-happy, moderately-neurotic LA couple. Maybe Annette doesn’t enjoy game nights or taco stands as much as Elliot does, but no relationship is perfect, right? Rather than embracing their differences, Annette can only compare their relationship to their happy couple friends. This cannot be endorsed by Annette’s beautiful but romantically troubled best friend, Baker (Dree Hemingway), who is very well-versed on the bleakness of the LA dating scene. Taking its cues from classic mid-20th Century comedies with a stylish and contemporary spin, L.A. Times is an irreverent tale of life and the search for elusive love in the 21st Century. Friday, June 16, 2017 The Maribor Uprisings: A Live Participatory Documentary (Maple J. Rasza, Milton Guillén) Outdoors at Metrotech Commons. 5 Metrotech Center. Brooklyn In the once prosperous industrial city of Maribor, Slovenia, anger over political corruption became unruly revolt. In The Maribor Uprisings–part film, part conversation and part interactive experiment–you are invited to participate in the protests. Drawing on the dramatic frontline footage from a video activist collective embedded within the uprisings, you begin in Maribor as crowds surround and ransack City Hall under a hailstorm of tear gas canisters. As a group, you must choose which cameras you will follow and therefore how the events will unfold. Like those who joined the actual uprisings, you will decide between joining non-violent protests or following rowdy crowds towards City Hall and greater conflict. These events stand as an example for any number of ideological stand-offs today. What sparks outrage? How are participants swept up in—and changed by—confrontations with police? Could something like this happen in your city? What would you do? US Premiere. Menashe (Joshua Z Weinstein) Set within the New York Hasidic community in Borough Park, Brooklyn, Menashe follows a kind but hapless grocery store clerk trying to maintain custody of his son Rieven after his wife, Lea, passes away. Since they live in a tradition-bound culture that requires a mother present in every home, Rieven is supposed to be adopted by the boy’s strict, married uncle, but Menashe’s Rabbi decides to grant him one week to spend with Rieven prior to Lea’s memorial. Their time together creates an emotional moment of father/son bonding as well as offers Menashe a final chance to prove to his skeptical community that he can be a capable parent. Winner of the Rooftop Films Brigade Festival Publicity Grant. An A24 release. Tuesday, August 8, 2017 Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators (Ema Ryan Yamazaki) On the roof of the JCC in Manhattan. 334 Amsterdam Ave. Manhattan Featuring a narrow escape from the Nazis on makeshift bicycles, Monkey Business explores the extraordinary lives of Hans and Margret Rey, the authors of the beloved Curious George children’s books. New York Premiere. An Orchard release. Saturday, June 17, 2017 Mr. Roosevelt (Noël Wells) On the roof of New Design High School. 350 Grand St. Manhattan Emily Martin (Noël Wells) is a struggling 20-something who moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy after graduating college in Austin, Texas. When a loved one falls sick, she returns to Austin and runs into her ex-boyfriend, as well as his amazing and intimidating new girlfriend. Low on funds and stuck in Texas for the weekend, Emily stays with the two of them in her old, but miraculously remodeled house. She quickly finds her way into the circle of a local female badass who shows Emily a good time and tries to keep her from spinning out as she goes toe-to-toe with the new girlfriend, all the ways her ex has changed, and ultimately, her own choices and guilt about leaving the past behind. Quest (Jonathan Olshefski) Filmed with vérité intimacy for close to a decade, Quest is a portrait of a family in North Philadelphia. Christopher “Quest” Rainey, along with his wife Christine’a (aka “Ma Quest”), open the door to their home music studio, which serves as a creative sanctuary from the strife that grips their neighborhood. Over the years, the family evolves as everyday life brings a mix of joy and unexpected crisis. Set against the backdrop of a country now in turmoil, the film is a tender depiction of an American family whose journey is a profound testament to love, healing and hope. Friday, June 2, 2017 Rat Film (Theo Anthony) On the roof of The Old American Can Factory. 232 Third St. Brooklyn Across walls, fences, and alleys, rats not only expose our boundaries of separation but make homes in them. Rat Film is a feature-length documentary that uses the rat—as well as the humans that love them, live with them, and kill them–to explore the history of Baltimore. “There’s never been a rat problem in Baltimore, it’s always been a people problem.” A Cinema Guild release. The Road Movie (Dmitrii Kalashnikov) A fascinating mosaic of asphalt adventures, landscape photography, and some of the craziest shit you’ve ever seen, Kalashnikov’s THE ROAD MOVIE is a stunning compilation of video footage shot exclusively via dashboard cameras in Russian automobiles. The dash-cam phenomenon permeates Russian roads thoroughly, capturing a vivid range of spectacles through the windshield, including a comet crashing down to Earth, an epic forest fire, and no shortage of angry motorists taking road rage to wholly new and unexpected levels. All the while, accompanied by bemused commentary from unseen and often stoic drivers and passengers. An Oscilloscope Laboratories release. Wednesday, June 14, 2017 Rough Night (Lucia Aniello) On the roof of The William Vale. 111 N 12th St. Brooklyn In Rough Night, an edgy R-rated comedy, five best friends from college (played by Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, and Zoë Kravitz) reunite 10 years later for a wild bachelorette weekend in Miami. Their hard partying takes a hilariously dark turn when they accidentally kill a male stripper. Amidst the craziness of trying to cover it up, they’re ultimately brought closer together when it matters most. A Columbia Pictures release. The Strange Ones (Lauren Wolkstein, Christopher Radcliff) Mysterious events surround two travelers, seemingly brothers, as they make their way across a remote American landscape. On the surface all seems normal, but what appears to be a simple vacation soon gives way to a dark and complex web of secrets. Winner of the Rooftop Films Eastern Effects Equipment Grant. Friday, July 7, 2017 Whose Streets? (Sabaah Folayan, Damon Davis) On the roof of New Design High School. 350 Grand St. Manhattan Told by the activists and leaders who live and breathe this movement for justice, Whose Streets? is an unflinching look at the Ferguson uprising. When unarmed teenager Michael Brown is killed by police and left lying in the street for hours, it marks a breaking point for the residents of St. Louis, Missouri. Grief, long-standing racial tensions and renewed anger bring residents together to hold vigil and protest this latest tragedy. Empowered parents, artists, and teachers from around the country come together as freedom fighters. As the National Guard descends on Ferguson with military grade weaponry, these young community members become the torchbearers of a new resistance. A Magnolia Pictures release. The Work (Jairus McLeary, Gethin Aldous) Set inside a single room in Folsom Prison, The Work follows three men from outside as they participate in a four-day group therapy retreat with level-four convicts. Over the four days, each man in the room takes his turn at delving deep into his past. The raw and revealing process that the incarcerated men undertake exceeds the expectations of the free men, ripping them out of their comfort zones and forcing them to see themselves and the prisoners in unexpected ways. An Orchard release.

    SHORT FILM PROGRAMS

    Thursday, July 27, 2017 Animation Block Party In the courtyard of Industry City. 274 36 St. Brooklyn Experience the year’s best animated short films at the incomparable Animation Block Party! Saturday, June 3, 2017 Dark Toons: Animated Short Films On the roof of New Design High School. 350 Grand St. Manhattan These toons are chocked full of furry animals and imaginative creatures but they are not for Sunday morning. The twisted and perverse landscapes of our annual Dark Toons program provide a unique backdrop for stories of life askew. From a true story of forced labor at communist-era prison that kept megastores in the West fully-stocked to a beautifully-animated and probably-alcoholic badger which has a run-in with the law and a woman who can’t stop growing fingers, these tales remind us that animation is the ideal medium to glimpse the darker side of life. Tuesday, May 30, 2017 Love is Short: Romantic Short Films On the roofs of The William Vale. 111 N 12th St. Brooklyn “Love is so short, forgetting is so long.” Neruda wrote it, but these protagonists live it. In this program of short films, animated birds, sultry nights-in, and dismembered zombie heads are all members of love’s seductive cult. Come relish in these stories of the beautifully imagined and harshly-real consequences of love’s choices. Thursday, May 25, 2017 The New American Paradise: Short Films Outdoors at Metrotech Commons. 5 Metrotech Center. Brooklyn Pop your New York bubble on a journey to the more peculiar corners of the modern U.S of A. In the land of drive-in churches, carnival boardwalks, border walls, and get-rich-quick schemes, any one of us could end up on the downside of the American dream: another desperado with a mask melted onto our face, searching for a nugget at the bottom of a dirty tin can. Friday, June 9, 2017 New York Nonfiction On the roof of New Design High School. 350 Grand St. Manhattan You see them every day. They’re on the train with you. They’re in your bodega. They’re your neighbors. But after this program of short films, we guarantee you’ll see them in a new light. Ours is a city full of record-holding record holders, spousal adoptions, trash havens, civil rights pioneers, lapsed goth kids, sexting teens, rambles full of leathermen, and unending change; and we like it that way… for the most part. Saturday, August 20, 2017 Rooftop Shots In the courtyard of Industry City. 274 36 St. Brooklyn CLOSING NIGHT! It’s hard to say goodbye. These short films will ease the pain. After-party presented by Visit Seattle. Seattle Shorts Presented by Visit Seattle Sundance Short Films Highlights from Sundance 2017 include these wild, weird and wonderful short films. Saturday, July 10, 2017 Trapped: Uncanny Short Films In the courtyard of Industry City. 274 36 St. Brooklyn Join us for a program of stories most unusual: the meeting of a spaceman and a cave man; an encounter with an alien phenomenon via public access television; and the imagined experiences of the forgotten subject of a famous photograph. These amusing and disquieting short films offer mix-tape portraits, analytic tragicomedies of infinite human desire and potentially-killer workplace procedurals. Experience startling cinematic spectacles you won’t soon forget.

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  • Bentonville Film Festival to Open with Transgender Drama “3 GENERATIONS + Announces Competition Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_21743" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]3 Generations THREE GENERATIONS[/caption] The 2017 Bentonville Film Festival will open on May 2 with The Weinstein Company’s transgender drama “3 Generations” starring Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts and Susan Sarandon. Directed by Gaby Dellal, “3 Generations” shares the story of a family dealing with a life-changing transformation by one that ultimately affects them all. Festival co-founder Geena Davis said, “ I’m so excited to be heading into our third annual BFF. The Festival has become an important catalyst for change and we look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of the past year and setting the stage for years to come.” The Festival today announced an exciting slate of films across the following categories: Narrative and Documentary Feature Competition, Short Film Competition, Episodic Content Competition, and Spotlight Narrative and Documentary Feature Competition. Today’s announcement includes 46 of the feature length titles with Showcase films and more titles coming soon. Competing for the Distribution Prize are 19 narratives. Competing for the Documentary Jury Award are 14 documentaries. Currently, there are 12 narrative and documentaries in the Spotlight Competition, 4 in the Episodic Competition, and 18 films in the Short Film Competition.

    Narrative and Documentary Competition

    Documentary Features

    An Acquired Taste, directed and written by Vanessa LeMaire. (USA). Why kill your own food? A new mindful generation of teens defy factory farming and turn to hunting as a way of connecting with the source of their sustenance. To make a humane kill, these animal lovers confront tormenting ethics and their worst nightmares, partly to eat dinner, and partly to carve out their own identities in a world increasingly at odds with reality and nature. Bogalusa Charm, directed by Stephen Richardson and written by Jennifer Harrington. (USA). A loving portrait of a small Louisiana town created at the site of the world’s largest lumber mill that we examine through the lens of a 27 year-old charm school for girls run by Miss Dixie Gallaspy. Blood Road, directed by Nicholas Schrunk and written by Mark Anders. (USA, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam). Although she’s used to pushing her body to its limit, nothing could prepare ultra-endurance mountain biker Rebecca Rusch for the emotional journey she took in 2015 when she pedaled 1,200 miles of the Ho Chi Minh trail in search of the crash site that claimed the life of her father, a US Air Force pilot shot down during the Vietnam War. Cinemability, directed by Jenni Gold, written by Jenni Gold and Sam Reed. (USA). This star-studded documentary takes us on a thought provoking and humorous journey to explore the evolution of disability portrayals in film and television. Late Blossom Blues, directed by Wolfgang Pfoser-Almer and Stefan Wolner, written by Wolfgang Pfoser-Almer. (USA). A 1932-born hard-working poor black man from the Mississippi backwoods becomes an internationally acclaimed Blues star after he releases his debut album at age 81. Letters From Baghdad, directed by Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum. (USA/UK/France). Gertrude Bell, the most powerful woman in the British Empire in her day, shaped the modern Middle East after World War I in ways that still reverberate today. More influential than her friend and colleague Lawrence of Arabia, Bell helped draw the borders of Iraq and established the Iraq Museum. Why has she been written out of history? Looking at the Stars, directed by Alexandre Peralta, written by Alexandre Peralta and Melissa Rebelo Kerezsi. (Brazil/Nicaragua/USA). “Looking at the Stars” is an intimate glimpse into the lives of the extraordinary ballerinas at the world’s only ballet school for the blind – the Fernanda Bianchini Ballet Association for the Blind. Mothers in the Middle, directed by Lauren Hollingsworth and written by Kaitlin McLaughlin, Inbal B. Lessner and Lauren Hollingsworth. (USA) World Premiere. Five middle-class working mothers juggle parenting and demanding jobs while contemplating major life decisions. Served like a Girl, directed by Lysa Heslov, written by Lysa Heslov and Tchavdar Georgiev. (USA). Five women veterans who have endured unimaginable trauma in service create a shared sisterhood to help the rising number of stranded homeless women veterans by entering into a competition that unexpectedly catalyzes moving events in their own lives to bring them full circle in a quest for healing and hope The Gateway Bug, directed by Johanna B Kelly, written by Johanna B Kelly and Cameron Marshad. (USA). Over 2 billion people on earth eat insects for protein. “The Gateway Bug” explores how changing daily eating habits can feed humanity in an uncertain age, one meal at a time. Unrest, directed and written by Jennifer Brea. (USA). Jennifer Brea is an active Harvard PhD student about to marry the love of her life when suddenly her body starts failing her. Hoping to shed light on her strange symptoms, Jennifer grabs a camera and films the darkest moments unfolding before her eyes as she is derailed by M.E. (commonly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), a mysterious illness some still believe is “all in your head.” Vegas Baby, directed and written by Amanda Micheli. (USA). Some think an in vitro fertilization contest sounds crazy, but countless Americans desperate to start a family believe this social media experiment is their only hope. Woman On Fire, directed and written by Julie Sokolow. (USA). Brooke Guinan is the first openly transgender firefighter in New York City. As a third-generation firefighter, Brooke has a passion for heroism that runs in her blood. Women of the Silk Road, directed and written by Yassamin Maleknasr. (Iran/Oman/Turkey/Tajikistan) World Premiere. Four women. Four countries. Four stories. Stories of love, struggle and art portraying the unknown faces of the East. “Women of the Silk Road” explores the diversity of individual lives under the broad banner of the Middle East and Central Asia; and the simple truth that all lives are about love.

    Narrative Features

    A Different Sun, directed and written by Reed Tang. (USA). A Chinese family moves from their native land to a town in Germany and struggle to adjust to the different culture. Marriage hangs in the balance. Cast: Chin Han, Jing Xu, Tessa Keimes, Ashley Gerasimovich and Catherine Jiang A Witches’ Ball, directed by Justin G. Dyck and written by Keith Cooper. (USA) World Premiere. A young witch is ready to jump in feet first to the Witching World but not before overcoming some magical hurdles. Cast: Morgan Neundorf, Karen Slater, Loukia Ioannou and Will Ennis Axis, directed by Aisha Tyler and written by Emmett Hughes. (USA). On the day he is set to star in a career-changing blockbuster, an Irish actor with a rocky past confronts a series of devastating events that threaten his sobriety, his loved ones, and possibly his life. Cast: Emmett Hughes, Thomas Gibson, Ciáran Hinds, Paula Malcomson, Bronagh Waugh, Jerry Ferrara, Aisha Tyler and Sam Rockwell Bloodstripe, directed by Remy Auberjonois, written by Kate Nowlin and Remy Auberjonois. (USA). A dramatic psychological thriller about a female Marine veteran and the struggle to come home. Cast: Kate Nowlin, Chris Sullivan, Tom Lipinski, Rusty Schwimmer, Ashlie Atkinson, Ken Marks and Rene Auberjonois Girl Flu, directed and written by Dorie Barton. (USA). Bird, 12, has to become a woman whether she wants to or not when – in the worst week of her life – she gets her first period, is ditched by her impulsive, free spirited mom, and learns that you can never really go back to The Valley. Cast: Katee Sackhoff, Jade Pettyjohn, Jeremy Sisto, Heather Matarazzo, Judy Reyes and Diego Josef H.O.M.E., directed by Daniel Maldonado, written by Daniel Maldonado and Hector Carosso. (USA). A ‘love letter’ to New York City woven of two stories through its subways and ethnic enclaves. Cast: Jeremy Ray Valdez, Jesús Ochoa, Angela Lin and Carlo Alban Homestate, directed by David Hickey, written by Blaise Miller and David Hickey. (USA). A truly homemade film about a down and out brother that shows up unannounced, altering the routine of his sister’s family. Cast: Blaise Miller, Grace Love, Shaneye Ferrell and David Hickey Imperfections, directed and written by David Singer. (USA). A struggling actress working as a diamond courier conspires to stage a fake robbery, setting up her ex-boyfriend as the fall guy. Cast: Virginia Kull, Marilu Henner, Ed Begley, Jr., Zach McGowan, Ashton Holmes, Chelcie Ross and Jerry Mackinnon Let Me Go, directed and written by Polly Steele. (UK) World Premiere. The film is set in the year 2000 following not only Helga and Traudi’s journeys but the next two generations and how Beth, Helga’s daughter and Emily her granddaughter are confronted with the unraveling of the darkest of family secrets. Cast: Juliet Stevenson, Jodhi May, Lucy Boynton, Karin Bertling and Stanley Weber Little Pink House, directed and written by Courtney Moorehead Balaker. (USA/Canada). A small-town nurse named Susette Kelo emerges as the reluctant leader of her working-class neighbors in their struggle to save their homes from political and corporate interests bent on seizing the land and handing it over to Pfizer Corporation. Cast: Catherine Keener, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Callum Keith Rennie, Colin Cunningham and Aaron Douglas Parkers Anchor, directed by Marc Hampson, written by Ryan and Jennica Schwartzman. (USA) World Premiere. When her plans for marriage and a family fall apart, Krystal finds herself back in her hometown, re-evaluating her life. Krystal soon discovers that you’re never starting over, every step of the journey seems destined in hindsight. Cast: Jennica Schwartzman, Amy Argyle, Christopher Marquette, Ryan Schwartzman, Penny Johnson Jerald, Michael Beach, Sarah Colonna, Brandon Keener, Claire Donald, Peter Weidman and Deborah Smith Quality Problems, directed by Brooke Purdy and Doug Purdy, written by Brooke Purdy. (USA). Family To-Do-List: throw perfect eight-year-old’s birthday party, find wandering grandpa and deal with cancer in the left boob. Cast: Brooke Purdy, Doug Purdy, Max Purdy, Scout Purdy, Mo Gaffney, Chris Mulkey, Jenica Bergere, Ryan Bollman and Michael Patrick McGill Saving Sally, directed by Avid Liongoren and written by Charlene Sawit-Esguerra, Carlo Ledesma and Avid Liongoren. (Philippines/France). A teenage comic book artist who secretly sees unpleasant people as cartoon-like monsters struggles to save his eccentric best friend (and love of his life) from her abusive foster parents—but she becomes involved with an older man who happens to be a monster too. Cast: Rhian Ramos, Enzo Marcos, TJ Trinidad and Peejo Pillar The Archer, directed by Valerie Weiss and written by Casey Schroen. (USA). High school archery champion Lauren has just landed in Paradise Trails, a brutal juvenile correctional facility in the wilderness, after hospitalizing a boy in self-defense. But when Lauren learns how deep corruption runs at Paradise Trails under the pernicious rule of warden and bow-hunter, Bob, she plots her escape, with the aid of rebellious inmate Rebecca. Cast: Bailey Noble, Jeanine Mason, Michael Grant Terry and Bill Sage The Relationtrip, directed by Renée Felice Smith and C. A. Gabriel, written by Renée Felice Smith, C. A. Gabriel and Dana Scanlon. (USA). At an age when everyone around them is settling down and finding love, Beck and Liam are self-proclaimed loners. After bonding over their mutual disinterest in relationships, they decide to go away together on a ‘friend’ trip. That’s when things get weird. Really, surreally weird. Cast: Renée Felice Smith, Matt Bush, Eric Christian Olsen, Linda Hunt, Nelson Franklin, Brandon Kyle Goodman, Sally Struthers, Georgia Mischak and Owain Rhys Davies The Space Between, directed and written by Amy Jo Johnson. (Canada). A new father discovers his child is not his own and sets out on a journey to find answers. Cast: Michael Cram, Sonya Salomaa, Michael Ironside, Julia Sarah Stone, Amy Jo Johnson, David Paetkau, Jayne Eastwood and Kristian Bruun The Sun at Midnight, directed and written by Kirsten Carthew. (Canada) US Premiere. Shot at the Arctic Circle, “The Sun At Midnight” tells the story of an unusual friendship between a hunter obsessed with finding a missing caribou herd and a teenage rebel who gets lost while on the run. Cast: Devery Jacobs, Duane Howard, Mark Anderako, Sarah Charlie Jerome, William Greenland, Shayla Snowshow and Jaclynn Robert Unbridled, directed by John David Ware and written by Bonne Bartron. (USA). Inspired by a healing ranch for troubled girls in North Carolina, “Unbridled” tells a tremendous story of redemption and triumph, exposing the atrocities of abuse, neglect and sex trafficking and the healing and redemption experienced by girls and horses who have suffered the same types of abuse. Cast: Eric Roberts, T.C. Stallings, Tea Mckay, Jenn Gotzon, Dey Young, Rachel Hendrix, David Topp and Rusty Martin, Sr. Wexford Plaza, directed and written by Joyce Wong. (Canada). A misunderstood sexual encounter unravels the life of a lonely female security guard and her deadbeat paramour in this slice-of-life comedy set in a dilapidated Scarborough strip mall. Cast: Reid Asselstine, Darrel Gamotin, Francis Melling and Mirko Miljevic

    Spotlight Narrative and Documentary Competition

    A Happening of Monumental Proportions, directed by Judy Greer and written by Gary Lundy. (USA). During the course of one day, a group of students at a school in Los Angeles find themselves caught up in a plot of sex, lies and dead bodies. Band Aid, directed and written by Zoe Lister-Jones. (USA). A couple who can’t stop fighting embark on a last-ditch effort to save their marriage: turning their fights into songs and starting a band. In Search of Fellini, directed by Taron Lexton and written by Nancy Cartwright and Peter Kjenaas. (USA). A shy small-town Ohio girl who loves movies but dislikes reality, discovers the delightfully bizarre films of Federico Fellini, and sets off on a strange, beautiful journey across Italy to find him. Cast: Maria Bello, Ksenia Solo, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Beth Riesgraf Krystal, directed by William H. Macy and written by Will Aldis. (USA) World Premiere. A young man living a sheltered life develops a crush on a stripper and joins her Alcoholics Anonymous group just so he can be in the same room with her. Losing Sight of Shore, directed by Sarah Moshman, written by Sarah Moshman and Peter Saroufim. (USA/UK/Samoa/Australia) World Premiere. Four brave women set out to row across the Pacific Ocean from America to Australia. Mully, directed and written by Scott Haze. (USA) “Mully” depicts the extraordinary rags-to-riches story of Charles Mully, whose meteoric rise from orphaned poverty in Kenya leads him on an unimaginable journey of selflessness. Pray for Rain, directed by Alex Ranarivelo, written by Christina Moore and Gloria Musca. (USA) World Premiere. When Emma Gardner learns of her father’s untimely death, she returns to her home town to find that the idyllic farming community of her childhood has been ravaged by drought and is now a place tormented by gangs and the ill effects of extreme poverty. She quickly figures out that her dad’s accidental death was not accidental at all and the lists of possible suspects is very long. Cast: Jane Seymour, Annabelle Stephenson, Nicholas Gonzalez, James Morrison and Paul Rodriguez Pure Country: Pure Heart, directed by Damon Santostefano and written by Holly Goldberg Sloan. (USA) World Premiere. When Ada and her sister, Piper, discover a letter about their late father, a Marine who died in Iraq, they embark on a secret quest beyond their life in rural Tennessee to discover the truth about the man they never knew. As they uncover his remarkable past as a musician, the sisters find their own voice, beginning their journey as singers/songwriters. Cast: Kaitlyn Bausch, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Amanda Detmer, Laura Bell Bundy, Willie Nelson, Shawn Michaels and Ronny Cox Sanctuary, directed by Len Collin and written by Christian O’Reilly. (Ireland). Larry has Down’s, Sophie has epilepsy, in a world that conspires to keep them apart, will love triumph? Cast: Kieran Coppinger, Charlene Kelly, Robert Doherty, Emer Macken, Michael Hayes and Valerie Egan The Black Prince, directed and written by Kavi Raz. (UK/India) World Premiere. The tragic yet fascinating true story about the last King of the mighty Kingdom of Punjab. Cast: Satinder Sartaaj, Jason Flemyng, Shabana Azmi, Amanda Root, Keith Duffy, David Essex and Sophie Stevens

    Short Film Competition

    Bombing, directed and written by Gloria Mercer. (Canada). A comedian struggles to adjust to taking care of her estranged daughter. Cast: Lauren McGibbon, Annabel Maclean, Daniel Jeffery, Sarah Faye Bernstein, Penelope Good, Michael Bean, Derek Trowell, Steve Waldman and Tyson Storozinski Code Red, directed and written by Sabrina Doyle. (USA) US Premiere. What’s a girl to do when she gets an unwelcome visit from Aunt Flo? A self-conscious teenager uses technology to combat the stigma around menstruation. Inspired by a real-life story. Cast: Elle Winter, Kylee Russell, Sam Evans, Emily Johnson and Carson Boatman Deep Storage, directed and written by Susan Earl. (Australia) US Premiere. Two loners find love in the most unromantic of places. Cast: Miles O’Neil, Alice Ansara, James Lawson and Dawn Klingberg Flip the Record, directed and written by Marie Jamora. (USA). In this 1980s coming-of-age story set to pulsing hip-hop music, a Filipino-American teen discovers her identity through a budding talent for turntablism. Cast: Michael Rosete, Courtney Bandeko, Jon Viktor Corpuz, Sammay Dizon, JD Charisma, Olga Natividad and Derek Basco Free to Laugh, directed by Lara Everly. (USA). A comedy workshop in Los Angeles teaches improv and stand up to women recently released from prison, culminating in a show for friends and family. Healing River, directed by Hollie Noble, written by Megan Bannon and Jessica Marcy. (USA) World Premiere. Six years after a tragic accident, 26-year-old Andy and his family struggle to find their footing again. As Andy faces addiction and post traumatic stress, another deeper trauma emerges to threaten his course to recovery. Jonah Stands Up, directed and written by Hannah Engelson. (USA). New Orleans artist and rabble-rouser Jonah Bascle faces his mortality. He leaves behind a legacy of comedy, visual art, and disability advocacy. Kate and Lily, directed and written by Grey Cusack. (USA). Kate seems cursed to make a fool of herself every time she bumps into Lily, an old friend from college. But little does Kate know, not everything is what it seems. Cast: Lindsey Naves, Claudia Crook, Noël Wells, Joey Scoma and Shane Browne Little Hero, directed and written by Marcus A McDougald and Jennifer Medvin. (USA). “Little Hero” is a documentary about a six-year-old boy’s autism as seen through his twin sister’s eyes. Lunch in Lima, directed and written by Gail Gilbert. (USA). An elegant ladies lunch in Peru reveals the dark side of privilege with no conscience. Cast: Rengin Altay, Adrianne Cury, Julie Greenberg, Susannah Kavanaugh, Amelia Lopez, Daniela Lopez and Isabel Quintero Marc Chung Protects His Address, directed by Michael Chan and written by Drew Pollins. (USA). Marc Chung buys a gun to protect his address in this comedic and highly stylized student short film. Cast: Robert M. Lee, Corban Cloward, Christopher Carrillo, Austin Kress, Dante Smith and Scarlett the Corgi Momo, directed and written by Avid Liongoren. (Philippines) US Premiere. A little girl searches for her missing dog, Momo. Nacido de Nuevo, directed by Evan Kaufmann, written by Rick del Castillo and A. Taylor. (USA) On the anniversary of his young son’s death, border patrol agent Ramon Nunez finds redemption at the hands of an illegal alien in a single polarizing and life-altering night. Cast: Juan Pablo Raba, Grace Santos, Johan Luis and Anthony Escobar Pool, directed and written by Leandro Goddinho. (Brazil). On a quest to understand her grandmother’s past, Claudia meets Marlene, an old woman who’s created an homage to her memories inside an empty pool. Cast: Luciana Paes, Sandra Dani, Carolina Bianchi, Marcela Feter, Ester Laccava, Mawusi Tulani and Jane Eyre The Final Show, directed and written by Dana Nachman. (USA). A woman who has lived a long life full of love and loss has to decide, based on all that she has learned, who to take along to eternity. Cast: Marion Ross, Peter Mark Richman, Nancy Dussault, Jerry Douglas, Murphy Dunne, Roger Rose, Elizabeth Hayden, Kay Benjamin and Loren Lester They Charge for the Sun, directed by Terence Nance and written by Eugene Ramos, story by Terence Nance. (USA). In a dystopian future where people live nocturnally to avoid the harmful rays of the sun, a young girl unravels the lie that has kept her and her sister in the dark. Cast: Rylee Nykhol and Jontille Gerard Three Fingers, directed and written by Paul D. Hart. (USA). A young female Marine war veteran navigates her disintegrating life until there is nothing left but to make a choice. Cast: Virginia Newcomb, Benjamin Keepers, Kim Kendall, Jon Winscher and Kinsley Carter Episodic Content Competition Each piece of episodic content contains a progressive perspective that asks viewers to revisit the inviting worlds these filmmakers have created, on a recurring basis. Entertaining voices, settings not often seen, and conflicts centered on the causes near and dear to our hearts, compel all who watch to stay true and stay tuned. Au Pair, directed and written by Enid Zentelis. (USA) World Premiere. A Chinese au pair, Min, is in America “to be the woman she can’t be in China”- a radical, outspoken feminist. But her host mother, newly divorced Cindy, intends to use Min as dating bait. Cast: Wei-Yi Lin, Maeve Fogarty, Naomi Fogarty, Ann Carr, Scott Vicari, Jamie Harold and Mary Kay Place Lost & Found, directed and written by Haroula Rose. (USA). When Stella and Ian host their “unwedding”, all kinds of uncomfortable truths are unearthed for this group of friends. What is intended to be a healthy way of breaking up in fact raises all kinds of issues for this group of thirty-somethings in their own relationships, especially when Stella’s unruly mother Lourdes appears unexpectedly. Cast: Melonie Diaz, William Janowitz, Jennifer Lafleur, Terence Nance, Avi Rothman, Peter Thomson, Laura Lee Botsacos, Nick Thurston, Ethan Gold and Haroula Rose Nosh: Bite-Size Adventures, directed by Dream Kasestatad and written by Jan Epstein Schwaid. (USA) World Premiere. In this smart and funny educational series, two pint-sized cooking show hosts and their hapless young producer prepare their favorite foods, then go on fantastic adventures through time and space to learn more about the recipes’ origins. Cast: Liberty Hayes, Holden Jahn, Ann Zavelson and Sean Callawy Wild Kitchen, directed by Caroline Cox. (Canada) US Premiere. “Wild Kitchen” is a 22-minute documentary TV series about wild food, the people who harvest it, their unique stories that compel them to live off the land. Cast: Tiffany Ayalik, Lawrence Nayalle and Liz Nayalle

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  • Amanda Lipitz’s STEP to Open and Zoe Lister-Jones’ BAND AID to Close 2017 Montclair Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_19944" align="alignnone" width="1200"]Step by Amanda Lipitz STEP[/caption] The 6th Montclair Film Festival, taking place April 28 to May 7, 2017, will open with Amanda Lipitz’s STEP on Friday, April 28 and close with Zoe Lister-Jones’ BAND AID on Saturday, May 6.  In addition, the fiction centerpiece film, Geremy Jasper’s PATTI CAKE$, will be presented on Friday, May 5 and the documentary centerpiece film, Stanley Nelson’s TELL THEM WE ARE RISING: AMERICA’S BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES will be presented on Saturday, May 6. Montclair Film is teaming up with the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) on a partnership that helps build meaningful opportunity for African American professionals in the film and television industry, and which celebrates the work of established artists in the field. This year’s partnership includes a new program, Emerging Black Voices, which will offer opportunity to filmmakers and producers at both the MFF and ABFF, as well as multiple panel discussions, screenings, and the House Party, a celebration of African American filmmakers held each year at the MFF. The festival will welcome Retro Report as the partner for a two-part series at this year’s festival that examines the state of news, reporting, and media consumption. The partnership features a program of films, curated by the Retro Report team and including the premiere of their latest film ZAPRUDER , that examines the way in which media stories can shape the public conversation, as well as a conversation entitled TRUE OR FALSE?: REPORTING IN THE AGE OF “FAKE NEWS” which will feature a panel of distinguished journalists and offer a look inside the job of reporting the facts when audiences are more inclined than ever to challenge them. Two special restorations – George Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and Andrei Tarkovsky’s STALKER will be presented at this year’s festival. First, George Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD will screen in a stunning new 4K restoration and will be presented on April 29 at the Wellmont Theater. Featured special guests will include Producer Russ Streiner, who also played Johnny in the film and delivered the now-famous line “They’re coming to get you, Barbara,” actress Kyra Schon, who portrayed the 11 year-old Karen Cooper in the film and provided one of the film’s most unforgettable moments, and investor and the film’s sound recordist Gary Streiner, who oversaw the film’s restoration on behalf of Image Ten. Next, the Festival will present Mosfilm’s beautiful new 2K restoration of Andrei Tarkovsky’s STALKER, screening Saturday, April 29. This restoration will be the first film ever screened in Cinema505, Montclair Film’s own cinema located in their new home at the Investors Bank Film and Media Center at 505 Bloomfield Avenue in downtown Montclair.

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