
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), which will run February 3rd to February 13th, 2016, announced the line-up for the 31st edition.
‘Youth’ (‘La Giovinezza’) directed and written by Academy Award-winner Paul Sorrentino, and starring Michal Kane, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano and Jane Fonda, won the top award, Best European Film of 2015, at the 28th European Film Awards. ‘Youth’ also won the awards for European Director for Paolo Sorrentino; and European Actor for Michael Caine.
‘Youth’ is the story of a retired orchestra conductor, on holiday in the Alps with his daughter and film director/best friend, who unexpectedly receives an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to perform for Prince Philip’s birthday.
Complete list of winners of 28th European Film Awards
EUROPEAN FILM 2015
YOUTH (LA GIOVINEZZA)
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Paolo Sorrentino
PRODUCED BY: Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima & Carlotta Calori
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T7CM4di_0c
EUROPEAN COMEDY 2015
A PIGEON SAT ON A BRANCH REFLECTING ON EXISTENCE (EN DUVA SATT PÅ EN GREN OCH FUNDERADE PÅ TILLVARON) by Roy Andersson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7pna4laaAk
EUROPEAN DISCOVERY 2015 – Prix FIPRESCI
MUSTANG by Deniz Gamze Ergüven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU9JAN8LtIk
EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2015
AMY by Asif Kapadia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2yCIwmNuLE
EUROPEAN ANIMATED FEATURE FILM 2015
SONG OF THE SEA by Tomm Moore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7erpJFZhvTU
EUROPEAN SHORT FILM 2015
PICNIC (PIKNIK) by Jure Pavlović
EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2015
Paolo Sorrentino for YOUTH (La Giovinezza)
EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2015
Charlotte Rampling in 45 YEARS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg5cpiX18TA
EUROPEAN ACTOR 2015
Michael Caine in YOUTH (La Giovinezza)
EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2015
Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou for THE LOBSTER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z069ldsumxA
EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER 2015 – Prix CARLO DI PALMA
Martin Gschlacht for GOODNIGHT MOMMY (Ich Seh Ich Seh)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kXpUaQpXMA
EUROPEAN EDITOR 2015
Jacek Drosio for BODY (Ciało)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ-3VAxWwnk
EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGNER 2015
Sylvie Olivé for THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT (Le Tout nouveau testament)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5QNKcwe_lM
EUROPEAN COSTUME DESIGNER 2015
Sarah Blenkinsop for THE LOBSTER
EUROPEAN COMPOSER 2015
Cat’s Eyes for THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-xIMBnclyA
EUROPEAN SOUND DESIGNER 2015
Vasco Pimentel & Miguel Martins for ARABIAN NIGHTS – VOL. I-III (As Mil e uma noites – Vol. I-III)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yONovEHyvXo
EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Charlotte Rampling
EUROPEAN ACHIEVEMENT IN WORLD CINEMA
Christoph Waltz
HONORARY AWARD
Sir Michael Caine
EUROPEAN CO-PRODUCTION AWARD 2015 – Prix EURIMAGES
Andrea Occhipinti
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD 2015 for Best European Film
MARSHLAND (LA ISLA MÍNIMA) by Alberto Rodríguez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Fpk3Lnc638
The 51st Chicago International Film Festival announced the sixteen films selected for its International Feature Competition. Films include the world premiere of Majid Barzegar’s A Very Ordinary Citizen (co-written by Jafar Panahi) (pictured above); the critically acclaimed relationship drama 45 Years, starring Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling; Chronic, the latest film by Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco who previously won the Festival’s 2012 Silver Hugo Special Jury Prize for After Lucia; and Naomi Kawase’s delightfully poetic film about life and sweet pastries, Sweet Bean.
“It has been a great year for movies, so far. The sixteen films competing for the Gold Hugo are strong and diverse,” said Chicago International Film Festival Founder & Artistic Director Michael Kutza. “This year’s competition includes some of the most anticipated films of the season as well as new discoveries from around the world and we can’t wait to share them with Chicago.”
The 51st Chicago International Film Festival runs October 15-29, 2015 at the AMC River East.
INTERNATIONAL FEATURES COMPETITION
45 Years
Country: UK
Director: Andrew Haigh
Synopsis: On the eve of their 45th anniversary, a couple’s marital equilibrium is threatened when the husband’s past resurfaces in an unexpected way. Long-frozen secrets begin to thaw in this slow-burning domestic drama. Stars Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling both won top honors at the Berlin Film Festival for their gripping performances.
Body (Cialo)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Poland
Director: Malgorzata Szumowska
Synopsis: Balancing bleakness and mirth in equal measure, Body chronicles three haunted souls in Warsaw: an icy coroner who suspects his dead wife may be trying to contact him; his anorexic, suicidal daughter; and her hospital therapist, who moonlights as a medium. Playing unexplained phenomena for dry laughs, like a hanged man who miraculously regains consciousness, the film is a morbidly funny guide to the Great Beyond.
A Childhood (Une Enfance)
USA PREMIERE
Country: France
Director: Philippe Claudel
Synopsis: In this tender, keenly observed look at growing up in poverty in small town France, 13-year-old Jimmy dreams of a bourgeois life with family vacations and games of tennis. Trapped in an unstable household with a drug-addicted mother and her criminal boyfriend, Jimmy is forced to grow up too quickly. Over the course of a sweltering summer, Jimmy must find moments of hope in a world full of strife.
Chronic
USA PREMIERE
Country: Mexico, France
Director: Michel Franco
A hospice nurse (Tim Roth) has a deeper connection to his patients than their own family members, but his above-and-beyond approach to emotional baggage shields his true problems from the outside world. Carrying traces of Amour, with stripped-down camerawork and naturalist performances, Michel Franco’s restrained medical drama peers into the darkness and wonders about the last person to hold our hands as we step through.
The Club (El Club)
USA PREMERE
Country: Chile
Director: Pablo Larrain
Synopsis: Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival, this unsettling drama from director Pablo Larraín (No) centers on a group of disgraced Catholic priests sequestered in a beach house. The tranquility of their anonymous daily routine is disturbed when a young man materializes with charges of abuse. The priests’ reaction to this unwanted interloper carries echoes of their institution’s shocking past.
Full Contact
USA PREMIERE
Country: Netherlands, Croatia
Director: David Verbeek
Synopsis: Working from an Air Force base in the Nevada desert, halfway across the world from his targets, an emotionally reserved drone operator (Grégoire Colin) grapples with the psychological ramifications of a missile attack gone awry. But then events take an unexpected and surreal turn. This bold, arresting thriller from visionary Dutch filmmaker David Verbeek is a piercing portrait of dehumanization in the age of modern warfare.
Looking For Grace
USA PREMIERE
Country: Australia
Director: Sue Brooks
Synopsis: Grace, a rebellious teenager from a rich family, leaves home to attend a concert several days away. Everyone – from Grace’s mother (Radha Mitchell) to the detective they hire to help track her – has secrets, fissures in seemingly perfect lifestyles. With a perspective-shifting script and gorgeous shots of rural Australia, the film is a surprising mystery about the wealthy and the damned.
Mountains May Depart
Country: China
Director: Jia Zhangke
Synopsis: In this penetrating dissection of modern China from award-winning filmmaker Jia Zhangke (A Touch of Sin), a young woman chooses to marry a wealthy capitalist over a coal miner and names her firstborn son “Dollar.” Across two continents, three chapters, and 25 years reaching into the near future, we watch one scattered family chase a vision of success that remains heartbreakingly out of reach.
My Golden Days (Trois souvenirs de ma jeunesse)
Country: France
Director: Amaud Desplechin
Synopsis: Returning from Tajikistan, Paul faces an interrogation that leads him to retrace three seminal moments from his past: his childhood, an eventful trip to the Soviet Union, and – most significantly – his love affair with the nymph-like Esther. This poetic Cannes award winner from French auteur Arnaud Desplechin unfolds as an intoxicating ode to romance.
Neon Bull (Boi Neon)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Brazil, Uruguay, Netherlands
Director: Gabriel Mascaro
Synopsis: In the rodeos of northeast Brazil, two cowboys try to corral a bull by the tail in a whirlwind of gallops and dust. But behind the scenes, ranch hand Iremar lives a quiet, lonely life, accompanying the bulls from town to town and dreaming of becoming a clothing designer. With a unique blend of lived-in social realism, impressionist imagery, and sweltering eroticism, Neon Bull – filmed almost entirely in static long takes – is a wildly unconventional look at Latin American machismo.
Paulina (La Patota)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Argentina, Brazil, France
Director: Santiago Mitre
Synopsis: Paulina, a young, idealistic lawyer, leaves her cushy job in the city to teach at a rural high school. Her deep-seated beliefs are shaken when some students commit a horrific crime and she is forced to take a stance. Anchored by a complex, nuanced performance from Dolores Fonzi, this blistering drama reconsiders the line between wealth and poverty, chaos and order, victim and survivor. Winner of the best film award in Critics’ Week at Cannes.
Schneider vs. Bax
USA PREMIERE
Country: The Netherlands
Director: Alex Van Warmerdam
Synopsis: In this hilariously deadpan cat-and-mouse game, hitman Schneider tries to finish an assignment in time to celebrate his birthday with his family. But the target, drug-addicted writer Bax (writer-director Alex Van Warmerdam), is packing too. An endless parade of unexpected visitors at Bax’s swamp cabin turns this showdown into an entertaining, intricate puzzle – and, for Schneider, one heck of a headache.
Sweet Bean (An)
USA PREMIERE
Country: Japan
Director: Naomi Kawase
Synopsis: Red bean paste is the filling in this poignant tale of life, compassion, and sweet endings. An uninspired red bean pancake chef is re-energized when a plucky septuagenarian’s irresistible homemade recipe makes his snacks a local hit. Both characters use their creations, photographed in mouth-watering close-up, to rebuild from traumatic pasts. The latest from poetic Japanese auteur Naomi Kawase is a delectable philosophical dish.
Tikkun
Country: Israel
Director: Avishai Sivan
Synopsis: A young Israeli ultra-Orthodox man experiences a crisis of faith in this formally daring black-and-white drama that employs bravura, often shocking imagery. Following a near-death experience, the formerly devout Yeshiva student begins wandering Jerusalem’s empty streets at night without purpose, while his father-a Kosher butcher-experiences terrifying nightmares as retribution for saving his son.
The Treasure (Comoara)
Country: Romania
Director: Comeliu Porumboiu
Synopsis: Armed with a metal detector and boundless determination, two neighbors go on the hunt for rumored buried bounty. Relentless in their search, they refuse to let general ineptitude, petty arguments or bureaucratic red tape stand in their way. Acclaimed Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu’s sharp, deadpan comedy sends up the value of wealth and stature in the new Europe.
A Very Ordinary Citizen (Yek Shahrvand-e Kamelan Maamouli)
WORLD PREMIERE
Country: Iran
Director: Majid Barzegar
Synopsis: Mr. Safari, an 80-year-old pensioner, lives alone and without direction. When his son, living abroad, tries to arrange for his elderly father to visit him, Mr. Safari becomes dangerously obsessed with a local female travel agent who is hired to help. Co-written by acclaimed filmmaker Jafar Panahi (Crimson Gold, Taxi), this provocative story delivers a quietly powerful statement about loneliness and those who get left behind in contemporary Tehran.
The Toronto International Film Festival has added 5 Galas and 19 Special Presentations to its highly anticipated international lineup including the Closing Night Film, Paco Cabezas’s Mr. Right.
Toronto audiences will be among the first to screen films by directors Rob Reiner, Catherine Hardwicke, Pan Nalin, Lorene Scafaria, David Gordon Green, Matthew Cullen, Gaby Dellal, James Vanderbilt and Marc Abraham, and the latest onscreen appearances from Susan Sarandon, Gary Oldman, Drew Barrymore, Tom Hiddleston, Naomi Watts, J.K. Simmons, Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett.
The 40th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10 to 20, 2015.
Disorder (Maryland)
Alice Winocour, France/Belgium North American Premiere
In this masterfully engineered thriller, a young ex-soldier suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder protects a beautiful woman and her child from a brutal home invasion. Starring Matthias Schoenaerts and Diane Kruger.
Man Down
Dito Montiel, USA North American Premiere (pictured in main image)
In a savage post-apocalyptic America, U.S. Marine Gabriel Drummer searches desperately for the whereabouts of his estranged son and wife. Accompanied by his best friend, a hard-nosed Marine whose natural instinct is to shoot first and ask questions later, the two intercept Charles, an apocalyptic survivor carrying vital information about the whereabouts of Gabriel’s family. By revisiting the past,
audiences are guided in unravelling the puzzle of Gabriel’s experience, and what will eventually lead to the origin of this war-torn America. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Kate Mara, Gary Oldman and Jai Courtney.
Miss You Already
Catherine Hardwicke, United Kingdom World Premiere
This honest and powerful story follows two best friends, Milly and Jess, as they navigate life’s highs and lows. Inseparable since they were young girls, they can’t remember a time they didn’t share everything — secrets, clothes, even boyfriends — but nothing prepares them for the day Milly is hit with life-altering news. A story for every modern woman, this film celebrates the bond of true friendship
that ultimately can never be broken, even in life’s toughest moments. Starring Toni Collette, Drew Barrymore, Dominic Cooper, Paddy Considine, Tyson Ritter and Jacqueline Bisset
Mississippi Grind
Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden, USA Canadian Premiere
Gerry is a talented, but struggling poker player about to be swallowed up by his unshakeable gambling habit. But his luck begins to change after he meets the young, charismatic Curtis. Gerry convinces his new lucky charm to hit the road with him, towards a legendary high stakes poker game in New Orleans. The highs and lows unveil the duo’s true characters and motivations, and an undeniable bond forms between them. Starring Ben Mendelsohn, Ryan Reynolds, Sienna Miller, Analeigh Tipton and Alfre Woodard.
Closing Night Film.
Mr. Right
Paco Cabezas, USA World Premiere
Martha is unlucky in love, but when she finally meets her Mr. Right it seems like she’s found her match — even if he’s an international hitman on the run from the crime cartels who employ him. On the bright side, as long as Hopper or Shotgun Steve don’t kill them first, these two may actually have a chance at happily ever after. Starring Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick, Tim Roth, James Ransone, Anson Mount, Michael Eklund and RZA.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
45 Years
Andrew Haigh, United Kingdom Canadian Premiere
While preparing for their 45th anniversary, Kate and Geoff’s marriage is shaken with a discovery that calls into question the life they’ve built together, in this emotional tour-de-force. Starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay.
About Ray
Gaby Dellal, USA World Premiere
The touching story of three generations of a family living under one roof in New York as the life-changing transformation by one ultimately affects them all. Ray is a teenager who realizes that she isn’t meant to be a girl and decides to transition from female to male. His single mother, Maggie, must track down Ray’s biological father to get his legal consent to allow Ray’s transition. Dolly, Ray’s
lesbian grandmother, struggles to accept that she now has a grandson. They must each confront their own identities and learn to embrace change and their strength as a family, in order to ultimately find acceptance and understanding. Starring Naomi Watts, Elle Fanning, Susan Sarandon, Tate Donovan, Linda Emond, Sam Trammell and Maria Dizzia.
Angry Indian Goddesses
Pan Nalin, India World Premiere
A comic drama about a group of Indian women finding their hearts and losing their heads! A wild bunch of girls from all over India descend upon Goa. Their closest friend Frieda has invited them to her family home for a surprise announcement: she’s getting married. Thus begins an impromptu bachelorette. Starring Tannishtha Chatterjee, Sandhya Mridul, Sarah Jane Dias, Pavleen Gujral, Anushka Manchanda, Rajshri Deshpande and Amrit Maghera.
Being Charlie
Rob Reiner, USA World Premiere
Being Charlie is based on a compilation of real-life experiences written by two friends who lived through being stuck in the cycle of rehab. Eighteen-year-old Charlie Mills is a sharp-mouthed addict fighting to get back home, while his father constantly stiff-arms him to limit the distractions during a big election for governor of California. Charlie’s parents are at odds about their son’s return to rehab.
Following a feeble attempt at an intervention, he agrees to work the program at a new adult rehab facility where he meets a handful of misfit personalities; among them is Eva, a beautiful but troubled girl, and Travis, a supportive house manager. Charlie’s internal struggle with his addiction is confronted by the envy for his best friend and his separate addiction with Eva. Starring Nick Robinson,
Morgan Saylor, Devon Bostick, Cary Elwes, Susan Misner, Common and Ricardo Chavira.
Body (Body/Cialo)
Małgorzata Szumowska, Poland North American Premiere
Set in Poland, this absurdist dark comedy follows the intertwined stories of a criminal prosecutor, his anorexic daughter, and her therapist who claims she can communicate with the dead. Starring Janusz Gajos, Maja Ostaszewska and Justyna Suwala.
Equals
Drake Doremus, USA North American Premiere
In a futuristic, utopian society known as the Collective — where inhabitants have been bred to be peaceful and emotionless — a man and a woman discover that they have feelings for one another. Together, they attempt to understand this connection. Starring Kristen Stewart, Nicholas Hoult, Guy Pearce and Jacki Weaver.
I Saw the Light
Marc Abraham, USA World Premiere
This film tells the story of legendary country western singer Hank Williams, who in his brief life created one of the greatest bodies of work in American music. The film chronicles his meteoric rise to fame and its ultimately tragic effect on his health and personal life.
Based on Colin Escott’s award-winning biography. Starring Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Bradley Whitford, David Krumholtz Cherry Jones and Maddie Hasson.
London Fields
Matthew Cullen United Kingdom/USA World Premiere
Set in 1999 London, this noir crime thriller based on Martin Amis’ novel of the same name features a star-studded cast, including Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Cara Delevigne, Theo James, Billy Bob Thorton and Jim Sturgess.
ma ma
Julio Medem, Spain/France International Premiere
This is the story of Magda. Confronted with tragedy, she reacts with a surge of life that flows inside of her, from the imaginable to the unimaginable. Accompanied by her closest circle, she will live the most unexpected situations filled with humor and delicate happiness. Starring Penélope Cruz, Luis Tosar and Asier Etxeandia.
The Meddler
Lorene Scafaria, USA World Premiere
Marnie Minervini, recent widow and eternal optimist, moves from New Jersey to Los Angeles to be closer to her daughter. Armed with an iPhone and a full bank account, Marnie sets out to make friends, find her purpose, and possibly open up to someone new. Starring Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne and J.K. Simmons.
Mr. Six (Lao Pao Er)
Guan Hu, China North American Premiere
With his son captured, Mr. Six and his old pals stand up to the new, younger generation of hooligans, defending their dignity as once respected gangsters in the neighborhood. Starring Feng Xiaogang.
Mustang
Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Turkey/France/Germany North American Premiere
It’s the beginning of the summer in a village in the north of Turkey; Lale and her four sisters come home from school, innocently playing with boys. The supposed debauchery of their games causes a scandal with unintended consequences. The family home slowly turns into a prison, classes on housework and cooking replace school, and marriages begin to be arranged. The five sisters, driven by the same desire for freedom, fight back against the limits imposed on them. Starring Gunes Sensoy, Dogba Doguslu, Tugba
Sunguroglu, Elit Iscan, Ilayda Akdogan, Ayberk Pekcan and Nihal Koldas.
My Mother (Mia Madre)
Nanni Moretti, Italy/France North American Premiere
Margherita is a director shooting a film with the famous American actor, Barry Huggins, who is quite a headache on set. Away from the shoot, Margherita tries to hold her life together, despite her mother’s illness and her daughter’s adolescence. Stars Nanni Moretti, Margherita Buy, John Turturro and Giulia Lazzarini.
Our Brand Is Crisis
David Gordon Green, USA World Premiere
A Bolivian presidential candidate enlists a management team led by damaged but brilliant strategist “Calamity” Jane Bodine, who seizes the chance to beat her professional nemesis Pat Candy, coaching the opposition. But as Pat zeroes in on every vulnerability, Jane faces a personal crisis as intense as the one her team exploits to boost their numbers, in this drama revealing the machinations of political consultants for whom nothing is sacred and winning is all that matters. Starring Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Joaquim de Almeida, Ann Dowd, Scoot McNairy and Zoe Kazan.
A Tale of Love and Darkness
Natalie Portman Israel/USA North American Premiere
Based on Amos Oz’s international best-seller, this is the story of his youth at the end of the British Mandate in Palestine and the early years of the state of Israel. The film details young Amos’s relationship with his mother and his birth as a writer, looking at what happens when the stories we tell become the stories we live. Starring Natalie Portman, Gilad Kahana and Amir Tessler.
A Tale of Three Cities (San Cheng Ji)
Mabel Cheung, China International Premiere
Based on the miraculous true story of Jackie Chan’s parents, this film is about the unbreakable bond of love between an opium peddling widow and a former spy on the run. Together they witness love and humanity in the face of war, famine, and overwhelming danger. Starring Tang Wei and Sean Lau.
Truth
James Vanderbilt, USA World Premiere
In the vein of All the President’s Men and The Insider, this is the incredible true story of Mary Mapes, an award-winning CBS News journalist, and Dan Rather’s producer. The film chronicles the story they uncovered of a sitting U.S. president that may have been AWOL from the United States National Guard for over a year during the Vietnam War. When the story blew up in their face, the ensuing scandal ruined Dan Rather’s career, nearly changed a U.S. presidential election, and almost took down all of CBS News in
the process. Based on Mapes’s book Truth and Duty. Starring Cate Blanchett, Elisabeth Moss, Robert Redford, Topher Grace, Dennis Quaid and Bruce Greenwood.
The Wave
Roar Uthaug, Norway International Premiere
Experienced geologist Kristian Eikfjord accepts a job offer out of town. As he’s getting ready to move from the city of Geiranger with his family, he and his colleagues measure small geological changes in the underground. Kristian worries that his worst nightmare is about to come true, when the alarm goes off and disaster is inevitable. With less than 10 minutes to react, it becomes a race against time in order to save as many people as possible, including his own family. Starring Kristoffer Joner, Ane Dahl Torp and Jonas Oftebro.
The Witch
Robert Eggers, USA/Canada Canadian Premiere
A colonial family leaves plantation life and attempts to reap their harvest on a fledgling farm at the edge of an imposing ancient New England forest. Superstition and dread set in as food grows scarce, a family member goes missing, and the children’s play takes on a frenzied and menacing undercurrent. As they begin to turn on one another, the malevolent machinations of an ethereal presence from within the woods exacerbate the growing corruption of their own nature. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger and Lucas Dawson.