Borg/McEnroe

  • Polish Drama COLD WAR Leads Nominations for 31st European Film Awards

    [caption id="attachment_29874" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]COLD WAR by Pawel Pawlikowski COLD WAR by Pawel Pawlikowski[/caption] The Polish drama Cold War (Zimna wojna) directed by Ali Abbasi leads the nominations for the 31st European Film Awards with 5 nods including Best European Film, Best Director, European Screenwriter along with Best Actress for Joanna Kulig as Zula, and Best Actor for Tomasz Kot as Wiktor. The more than 3,500 EFA Members will now vote for the winners who will be presented during the awards ceremony on December 15 in Seville.

    31st European Film Awards Nominations

    EUROPEAN FILM 2018

    BORDER GRÄNS Sweden, Denmark DIRECTED BY Ali Abbasi WRITTEN BY Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf & John Ajvide Lindqvist PRODUCED BY Nina Bisgaard, Piodor Gustafsson & Petra Jönsson COLD WAR ZIMNA WOJNA Poland, UK, France WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Pawel Pawlikowski PRODUCED BY Ewa Puszczynska & Tanya Seghatchian DOGMAN Italy, France DIRECTED BY Matteo Garrone WRITTEN BY Matteo Garrone, Ugo Chiti & Massimo Gaudioso PRODUCED BY Matteo Garrone, Jean Labadie, Jeremy Thomas & Paolo Del Brocco GIRL Belgium, Netherlands DIRECTED BY Lukas Dhont WRITTEN BY Lukas Dhont & Angelo Tijssens PRODUCED BY Dirk Impens [caption id="attachment_30997" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]HAPPY AS LAZARRO HAPPY AS LAZARRO[/caption] HAPPY AS LAZZARO LAZZARO FELICE Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Alice Rohrwacher PRODUCED BY Carlo Cresto-Dina, Tiziana Soudani, Alexandra Henochsberg, Grégory Gajos, Arthur Hallereau, Pierre-François Piet, Michel Merkt, Michael Weber & Viola Fügen

    EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2018

    A WOMAN CAPTURED Hungary, Germany DIRECTED BY Bernadett Tuza-Ritter PRODUCED BY Julianna Ugrin & Viki Réka Kiss BERGMAN – A YEAR IN A LIFE BERGMAN – ETT ÅR, ETT LIV Sweden, Germany DIRECTED BY Jane Magnusson PRODUCED BY Cecilia Nessen, Fredrik Heinig & Mattias Nohrborg OF FATHERS AND SONS Germany, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar DIRECTED BY Talal Derki PRODUCED BY Tobias Siebert, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme & Hans Robert Eisenhauer THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS Denmark, Finland, Sweden DIRECTED BY Simon Lereng Wilmont PRODUCED BY Monica Hellström, Tobias Janson & Sami Jahnukainen THE SILENCE OF OTHERS Spain, USA DIRECTED & PRODUCED BY Almudena Carracedo & Robert Bahar

    EUROPEAN DIRECTOR 2018

    Ali Abbasi for BORDER Matteo Garrone for DOGMAN Samuel Maoz for FOXTROT Pawel Pawlikowski for COLD WAR Alice Rohrwacher for HAPPY AS LAZZARO

    EUROPEAN ACTRESS 2018

    Marie Bäumer as Romy Schneider in 3 DAYS IN QUIBERON Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir as Halla / Ása in WOMAN AT WAR Joanna Kulig as Zula in COLD WAR Bárbara Lennie as Petra in PETRA Eva Melander as Tina in BORDER Alba Rohrwacher as Antonia old in HAPPY AS LAZZARO

    EUROPEAN ACTOR 2018

    Jakob Cedergren as Asger in THE GUILTY Rupert Everett as Oscar Wilde in THE HAPPY PRINCE Marcello Fonte as Marcello in DOGMAN Sverrir Gudnason as Björn Borg in BORG/MCENROE Tomasz Kot as Wiktor in COLD WAR Victor Polster as Lara in GIRL

    EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER 2018

    [caption id="attachment_29152" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Border directed by Ali Abbasi GRÄNS (BORDER) by Ali Abbasi[/caption] Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf & John Ajvide Lindqvist for BORDER Matteo Garrone, Ugo Chiti & Massimo Gaudioso for DOGMAN Gustav Möller & Emil Nygaard Albertsen for THE GUILTY Pawel Pawlikowski for COLD WAR Alice Rohrwacher for HAPPY AS LAZZARO

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  • 49 Feature Films Eligible for European Film Awards 2018

    Borg/McEnroe
    BORG/McENROE

    49 films have been named by the European Film Academy for this year’s EFA Feature Film Selection,

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  • Ashland Independent Film Festival Rolls Out 2018 Program | ‘First Reformed’, ‘On Chesil Beach’, ‘Hearts Beat Loud’ and More ..

    [caption id="attachment_27690" align="aligncenter" width="1080"]On Chesil Beach On Chesil Beach[/caption] The Ashland Independent Film Festival announced its lineup for the five-day festival taking place April 12 to 16, 2018, and featuring over 120 films chosen from nearly a thousand films submitted to the festival, or specially selected by AIFF Artistic and Executive Director Richard Herskowitz. Special screenings include the upcoming features First Reformed (directed by Paul Schrader and starring Ethan Hawke), On Chesil Beach with Saoirse Ronan, Brett Haley’s Hearts Beat Loud with Nick Offerman, Andrew Haigh’s Oregon-filmed Lean on Pete, and Borg vs. McEnroe, starring Shia LeBoeuf, plus 2018 Sundance Film Festival award-winning documentaries Minding the Gap, On Her Shoulders, and Crime + Punishment.

    Award Recipients

    AIFF will present Rogue Awards to two special guests, Academy Award®-winning actor Chris Cooper and Seattle-based director Lynn Shelton. Cooper launched his film acting career with his role as a union organizer in Matewan, the first of five films he appeared in directed by John Sayles, and won the Academy Award in 2002 for his supporting role in Adaptation. In addition to participating in the TalkBack panel “Talking Acting with Chris Cooper,” Cooper will present on Opening Night the world premiere of a film he narrated and executive produced, Intelligent Lives, accompanied by director Dan Habib and executive producer Marianne Leone Cooper. Cooper met Marianne Leone in 1979 at an acting class in New York City. Their son, Jesse Lanier Cooper, was born three months prematurely in October 1987 and developed cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Chris and Marianne became advocates for inclusive education and champions of kids with special needs. Jesse was a mainstreamed student at Silver Lake Regional High School where he was an honor student. In 2005, Jesse died suddenly from a seizure at age 17. Intelligent Lives explores how our society’s narrow views of intelligence have led to the segregation of people with intellectual disabilities. AIFF will also present a Rogue Award to Lynn Shelton, who will present her sixth feature film, Outside In, starring Edie Falco and Jay Duplass and released by The Orchard. Shelton, proudly based in Seattle, has had a stellar career as an independent film director since winning the Grand Jury Award at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival with her debut feature, We Go Way Back. Since then, Shelton’s films, including Humpday (2009), Your Sister’s Sister (AIFF2012), and Laggies (2012) have garnered awards and acclaim at Sundance, the Film Independent Spirit Awards, and the Gotham Independent Film Awards, as well as theatrical distribution from Magnolia and A24. Beginning with Mad Men in 2010, Lynn has directed over 25 episodes of television series including New Girl, Fresh Off the Boat, Master of None, Maron, and GLOW. The recipient of AIFF’s 2018 Pride Award, honoring filmmakers who have made significant contributions to LGBTQ media, is Zackary Drucker, an independent media artist and trans woman whose work crosses boundaries between the art world and popular culture. Drucker has performed and exhibited her work internationally in museums, galleries, and film festivals including the 2014 Whitney Biennial, MoMA PS1, Hammer Museum, and SF MoMA, among others. She is also a producer on the Golden Globe® and Emmy®-winning Amazon series Transparent. She will screen an episode of this series and two films featuring her late friend and mentor, Flawless Sabrina: Drucker’s video, She Gone Rogue and The Queen, Frank Simon’s rarely screened documentary of the 1967 Miss All-American Camp Beauty Pageant. Other special guests attending this year’s Festival include James Ivory, recipient of AIFF2017’s Lifetime Achievement Award and a 2018 Academy Award for his screenplay of Call Me By Your Name. Ivory will return to present the restored classic Shakespeare Wallah and join in a conversation after the screening with Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Artistic Director Bill Rauch. AIFF is reaffirming its mission to promote independent filmmaking by honoring companies that have built the infrastructure of the independent film movement and challenged Hollywood’s dominance. This year, tribute will be paid to Milestone Films, which has gained an international reputation for releasing classic cinema masterpieces, groundbreaking documentaries, and American independent features. Since 2007, Milestone has concentrated on the restoration and worldwide distribution of films outside the Hollywood mainstream featuring “lost” films by and about African Americans, Native Americans, LGBTQ, and women. Milestone co-founders Dennis Doros and Amy Heller will present their recent restoration of No Maps on My Taps, accompanied by its director, George Nierenberg. The screening will be followed by a live performance and “tap-in” (with all audience members who bring tap shoes) led by dancer Suzanne Seiber. The second “Indie Institution” honoree will be the Independent Documentary Association (IDA). IDA’s educational, advocacy, production support, and exhibition programs, including the Pare Lorentz and Enterprise Documentary Funds and Documentary Magazine, provide resources, create community and defend rights and freedom for documentary artists, activists, and journalists. IDA’s Director of Programming and Policy, Claire Aguilar, joined by the films’ directors and subjects, will present The Blessing (an IDA Pare Lorentz Fund grantee) and Crime + Punishment (Enterprise Documentary Fund grantee, and winner of a jury prize at Sundance). Aguilar will also moderate the TalkBack panel “Seeking Justice in Documentary.” According to Festival director Richard Herskowitz, “The tribute to Milestone Films’ restoration and distribution is part of a larger programming focus this year on classic cinema that includes Shakespeare Wallah and No Maps on My Taps. Exposure to classic films, I believe, inspires indie film audiences and filmmakers (from James Ivory to Lynn Shelton) to question and reinvent filmmaking conventions.” The emphasis on classic film is highlighted in this year’s festival posters, based on images from the animated films of Stacey Steers. Steers’ sculptural media installations will be on view at the Schneider Museum of Art as part of an exhibition, The Animated Image ( April 12 – May 12) co-curated by Herskowitz and Schneider Museum director Scott Malbaurn. Also in this exhibition are animated media installations by Chris Doyle, Rick Silva, and Matt Bollinger. Steers’ trilogy of animated films featuring collages of silent film actresses in magical settings will be presented with new scores composed by Ashland-based composers Terry Longshore and Tessa Brinckman, which they will perform live on Saturday, April 14 at SOU Music Recital Hall. Also on that program will be a live performance accompanying the Russian silent film The Dying Swan, a Milestone Films release, with a score created by Ashland-based international opera and film score composer Joby Talbot. Talbot will perform on piano, joined by cellist Michal Palzewicz and violinist Jessica Lambert. Other classic film-themed screenings include Love, Cecil, the documentary on Academy Award-winning costume and set designer and photographer Cecil Beaton that will be accompanied by its director Lisa Immordino Vreeland. Film archivist Michael Zahs, the charismatic film archivist and subject of the documentary feature film Saving Brinton, will demonstrate an early Magic Lantern, a progenitor of the film projector, following Saving Brinton’s screening at the Historic Ashland Armory. Zahs will also demonstrate the Magic Lantern to kids during AIFF’s Family Day of film presentations and hands-on filmmaking activities at ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum on Saturday, April 14.

    2018Ashland Independent Film Festival Program Summary

    2018 Documentary Feature Selections

    América The Blessing Citizen Blue & The March Crime + Punishment Dark Money Five Seasons The Foreigner’s Home The Gospel of Eureka I Am Maris: Portrait of a Young Yogi Intelligent Lives Itzhak The King Liyana Love, Cecil Minding the Gap Modified Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End No Maps on My Taps On Her Shoulders One October The Queen The Reluctant Radical & Symphony for Nature: The Britt Orchestra at Crater Lake A River Below Saving Brinton Skid Row Marathon Sky and Ground A Tuba to Cuba Two Trains Runnin’

    2018 Narrative Feature Selections

    Back at the Staircase Borg v. McEnroe The Dying Swan First Reformed For Izzy Fort Maria Hearts Beat Loud The Last Hot Lick Lean on Pete On Chesil Beach Outside In People People The Rainbow Experiment Shakespeare Wallah Wild Honey

    SHORTS PROGRAMS

    Curated Programs CineSpace KidFlix: Best of the New York Children’s International Film Festival Animated Worlds: Stop-Motion Classics with Mark Shapiro Zackary Drucker: Trans Film Television Competition Program Short Stories 1: In the Light of Day Short Stories 2: After Hours Short Docs 1: About Work Short Docs 2: About Community Short Stories and Docs: About Family Locals Only Locals Only 1: Family Friendly – Launch Student Film Competition Locals Only 2: Ashland Roots Locals Only 3: On the River, On the Land

    PERFORMANCES

    Silent Scores: The Dying Swan and Stacey Steers’ Trilogy with Tessa Brinckman, Terry Longshore, and Joby Talbot Live Tap-in with Suzanne Seiber following No Maps on My Taps

    FAMILY DAY AT SCIENCEWORKS

    Saturday, April 14, 10am-5pm: Hands-on film activities and presentations by NASA’s Ralph Grau, archivist Michael Zahs, and LAIKA’s Mark Shapiro

    AIFF MEDFORD

    4 shows at Collaborative Theatre Project on March 21, April 14 and 16, and a special screening at Kids Unlimited of Dolores with Peter Bratt and Dolores Huerta (May 3)

    EXHIBITION AT SCHNEIDER MUSEUM OF ART: THE ANIMATED IMAGE

    Media installations by Stacey Steers, Chris Doyle, Matt Bollinger, and Rick Silva on view April 12 – May 12.

    TALKBACKS

    Talking Acting with Chris Cooper Seeking Justice in Documentary Composing Scores for Classic and Contemporary Films

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  • 2018 Florida Film Festival Announces Lineup, Opens with “American Animals”

    Jared Abrahamson, Evan Peters, Blake Jenner and Barry Keoghan appear in American Animals by Bart Layton, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. Today the Florida Film Festival announced the program lineup of 183 films representing 38 countries, for the 27th Annual Festival, taking place April 6 to 15, 2018, in Maitland and Winter Park, Florida. The festival will open with American Animals directed by Bart Layton, and close with the 75th Anniversary Screening of  Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt. “This is going to be a banner year in every aspect,” commented Matthew Curtis, Florida Film Festival Programming Director. “With a greater number of films making their Florida debut than ever before, we could not be more excited about introducing these talented filmmakers and presenting such an extraordinary and diverse group of films to our audience. We are proud that this year’s lineup includes 82 women filmmakers–the most ever and more than 45% of our total programming! Their voices will be represented everywhere in the Festival, including our first-ever experimental shorts program (“Sunspots: New Visions of the Avant Garde”), and our first-ever “X Real” Doc shorts program completely directed by women. Let the story-gazing begin!” The 21 features and 59 short films in the American Independent Competition will be eligible for up to three awards each: a Grand Jury Award for best film in that category, a Special Jury Award given at the jury’s discretion for exceptional achievements, and an Audience Award determined by audience votes for Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, and Best Short Film. International films are also eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature and Best International Short, and an Audience Award will be given for the Best Midnight Short as well.

    2018 Florida Film Festival OFFICIAL SELECTION:

    OPENING NIGHT FILM:

    American Animals – Directed by Bart Layton, USA, 2018, 116 MIN, East Coast Premiere Star Blake Jenner will be in attendance for the Opening Night Film and Party, and will participate in a post-film Q&A with the audience

    SPOTLIGHT FILMS:

    Borg McEnroe – Directed by Janus Metz, Sweden/Denmark/Finland, 2017, 107 MIN, Rated R, In English and Swedish with English subtitles The Guilty – Directed by Gustav Möller, Denmark, 2018, 85 MIN, In English and Danish with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Hearts Beat Loud – Directed by Brett Haley, USA, 2018, 97 MIN, East Coast Premiere A Kid Like Jake – Directed by Silas Howard, USA, 2018, 92 MIN, Florida Premiere Lean on Pete – Directed by Andrew Haigh, UK, 2017, 121 MIN, Southeast Premiere RBG – Directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West, USA, 2018, 97 MIN Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood – Directed by Matt Tyrnauer, USA, 2017, 98 MIN, Southeast Premiere Three Identical Strangers – Directed by Tim Wardle, UK, 2018, 96 MIN Tully – Directed by Jason Reitman, USA, 2018, 94 MIN, Rated R We the Animals – Directed by Jeremiah Zagar, USA, 2018, 94 MIN, East Coast Premiere Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – Directed by Morgan Neville, USA, 2018, 94 MIN

    NARRATIVE FEATURES COMPETITION:

    Call Me Brother – Directed by David Howe, USA, 2018, 77 MIN, World Premiere Cold November – Directed by Karl Jacob, USA, 2017, 92 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Feels – Directed by Jenée LaMarque, USA, 2017, 90 MIN Locating Silver Lake – Directed by Eric Bilitch, USA, 2018, 110 MINS, East Coast Premiere Prison Logic – Directed by Romany Malco Jr., USA, 2018, 95 MINS, Florida Premiere Quality Problems – Directed by Brooke & Doug Purdy, USA, 2017, 107 MIN, Southeast Premiere Savage Youth – Directed by Michael Curtis Johnson, USA, 2018, 97 MIN, Southeast Premiere Say You Will – Directed by Nick Naveda, USA, 2017, 98 MIN, Southeast Premiere Tatterdemalion – Directed by Ramaa Mosley, USA, 2017, 101 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing White Rabbit –  Directed by Daryl Wein, USA, 2018, 71 MIN, East Coast Premiere

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES COMPETITION:

    Ask the Sexpert – Directed by Vaishali Sinha, USA/India, 2017, 83 MIN, Southeast Premiere Dark Money – Directed by Kimberly Reed, USA, 2018, 98 MIN, Florida Premiere Getting Naked: A Burlesque Story – Directed by James Lester, USA, 2017, 86 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Last Race – Directed by Michael Dweck, USA, 2018, 74 MIN, Florida Premiere Mole Man – Directed by Guy Fiorita, USA, 2017, 87 MIN, Southeast Premiere Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End – Directed by Pablo Bryant, USA, 2017, 70 MIN, Southeast Premiere My Indiana Muse – Directed by Ric & Jen Serena, USA, 2018, 44 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Power of Glove – Directed by Andrew Austin and Adam Ward, USA, 2017, 65 MIN, Southeast Premiere Samantha’s Amazing Acro-Cats – Directed by Jacob Feiring, USA, 2017, 58 MIN, Southeast Premiere This is Home – Directed by Alexandra Shiva, USA/Jordan, 2018, 91 MIN, Southeast Premiere TransMilitary – Directed by Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson, USA, 2018, 92 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing

    DOCUMENTARY SHORTS COMPETITION:

    Alaska DGAF – Directed by David Freid, USA, 2018, 11 MIN, World Premiere Curious Kaleo – Directed by Judie Muhrez, Shana Kheradyar, Dylan McGale, and Tara Salveson, USA, 2018, 11 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing A Few Things About Robert Irwin. – Directed by Lisanne Skyler, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Footprint – Directed by Sara Newens, USA, 2018, 17 MIN, World Premiere The Forger – Directed by Alexandra Garcia, Samantha Stark, and Pamela Druckerman, USA, 2017, 16 MIN, In French with English subtitles, Florida Premiere JessZilla – Directed by Emily Sheskin, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Florida Premiere Let My People Vote – Directed by Gilda Ann Brasch, USA, 2018, 17 MIN, World Premiere Little Fiel – Directed by Irina Patkanian, USA/Mozambique, 2017, 16 MIN, Southeast Premiere Lotte That Silhouette Girl – Directed by Elizabeth Beecherl and Carla Patullo, USA, 2018, 10 MIN, East Coast Premiere Nueva Vida – Directed by Jonathan Seligson, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Please – Directed by Erica Rose, USA, 2018, 7 MIN, World Premiere The Shift – Directed by Elivia Shaw and Paloma Martinez, USA, 2017, 8 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Tables – Directed by Jon Bunning, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Florida Premiere Taobao – Directed by Noah Sheldon, USA/China, 2018, 4 MIN, In Mandarin with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Used: A Documentary – Directed by Rolando Nieves, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Southeast Premiere Winter’s Watch – Directed by Brian Bolster, USA, 2017, 14 MIN, Florida Premiere

    NARRATIVE SHORTS COMPETITION:

    The Accomplice – Directed by Jonathan Hoeg and John F. Beach, USA, 2017, 8 MIN, Florida Premiere After Her – Directed by Aly Migliori, USA, 2018, 15 MIN, World Premiere An Alien Walks Into A Bar – Directed by Eli Bildner, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Florida Premiere/2nd US Showing Anna & the Asteroid – Directed by Scott Sherman, USA, 2017, 25 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing Artifice – Directed by Kevin Byrnes, USA, 2018, 4 MIN, World Premiere Caroline – Directed by Celine Held and Logan George, USA, 2018, 12 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing Control – Directed by Kimmy Gatewood, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Florida Premiere El Afilador (The Sharpener) – Directed by James Casey, USA/MEXICO, 2018, 9 MIN, North American Premiere, In Spanish with English subtitles Emergency – Directed by Carey Williams, USA, 2017, 12 MIN, Southeast Premiere End Times – Directed by Bobby Miller, USA, 2018, 9 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing everything’s gonna be okay – Directed by Matt Soson, USA, 2018, 15 MIN, World Premiere Falling – Directed by Ewen Wright, USA, 2018, 19 MIN, East Coast Premiere Five Minutes – Directed by Justine Bateman, USA, 2017, 10 MIN, Southeast Premiere Flatbush Misdemeanors – Directed by Dan Perlman and Kevin Iso, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Southeast Premiere Fran This Summer – Directed by Mary Evangelista, USA, 2018, 9 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Haircut – Directed by David Brundige, USA, 2018, 7 MIN, World Premiere Home Shopper – Directed by Dev Patel, USA/Singapore, 2018, 16 MIN, East Coast Premiere I Got This – Directed by Erik Bork, USA, 2018, 22 MIN, World Premiere Iron Hands – Directed by Johnson Cheng, USA/China, 2017, 11 MIN, In Mandarin with English Subtitles, Florida Premiere Life After – Directed by Ria Tobaccowala, USA, 2018, 12 MIN, Florida Premiere Life Boat – Directed by Lorraine Nicholson, USA, 2017, 18 MIN, Southeast Premiere Magic Bullet – Directed by Amanda Lovejoy Street, USA, 2018, 19 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Mama Jane – Directed by Lisa Maria Hall, USA, 2018, 12 MIN, World Premiere Men Don’t Whisper – Directed by Jordan Firstman, USA, 2017, 22 MIN, Florida Premiere My Loyal Audience – Directed by Megan Seely, USA, 2017, 12 MIN Painting with Joan – Directed by Jack Henry Robbins, USA, 2018, 4 MIN, East Coast Premiere Sweet & Lo – Directed by Clay Liford, USA, 2018, 14 MIN, World Premiere Valentina – Directed by Mary Angélica Molina, USA, 2017, 8 MIN, Florida Premiere , In English and Spanish with English subtitles Wyrm – Directed by Christopher Winterbauer, USA, 2017, 20 MIN, East Coast Premiere

    ANIMATED SHORTS COMPETITION:

    Abnie Oberfork: A Tale of Self-Preservation – Directed by Shannon Fleming, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Florida Premiere Aquacade – Directed by Caroline Voagen Nelson, USA, 2017, 3 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Driver is Red – Directed by Randall Christopher, USA, 2017, 15 MIN Fired Up – Directed by Elyse Kelly and Dan Fipphen, USA/Colombia/Israel, 2017, 3 MIN, Florida Premiere For Educational Purposes Only – Directed by David Nessl, USA, 2018, 3 MIN, US Premiere Fundamental – Directed by Shih-Chieh Chiu, USA/Taiwan, 2017, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Jeom – Directed by Kangmin Kim, USA/South Korea, 2018, 4 MIN, In Korean with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Nevada – Directed by Emily Ann Hoffman, USA, 2017, 12 MIN, Southeast Premiere Phototaxis – Directed by Melissa Ferrari, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Seahorse Man – Directed by Diana Carter, USA, 2018, 3 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Shahkboy – Directed by Jake Peckar, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing Undiscovered – Directed by Sara Litzenberger, USA, 2017, 3 MIN The Velvet Underground Played At My High School – Directed by Robert Pietri and Tony Jannelli, USA, 2018, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Weekends – Directed by Trevor Jimenez, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Florida Premiere

    INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE:

    The Cakemaker – Directed by Ofir Raul Graizer, Israel/Germany, 2017, 104 MIN, In English, Hebrew and German with English subtitles Euthanizer – Directed by Teemu Nikki, Finland, 2017, 85 MIN, In Finnish with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Mama – Directed by Nicholas Brennan, USA/Uganda, 2017, 7 MIN, In Luganda with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts – Directed by Mouly Surya, Indonesia/France/Malaysia/Thailand, 2017, 93 MIN, In Indonesian with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Soufra – Directed by Thomas Morgan, USA/Lebanon, 2017, 73 MIN, In Arabic with English subtitles, Florida Premiere

    INTERNATIONAL SHORTS:

    The App – Directed by Julián Merino, Spain, 2017, 15 MIN, In Spanish with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Beatrice – Directed by Lorena Alvarado, Italy, 2017, 9 MIN, In Italian with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Daughter – Directed by Mara Tamkovich, Poland, 2018, 29 MIN, In Polish with English subtitles, World Premiere Do I Have Boobs Now? – Directed by Milena Salazar and Joella Cabalu, Canada, 2017, 7 MIN, East Coast Premiere Fern – Directed by Johnny Kelly, UK, 2017, 6 MIN, East Coast Premiere Gaze – Directed by Farnoosh Samadi, Iran/Italy, 2017, 14 MIN, In Persian with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Iris – Directed by Gabrielle Demers, Canada, 2017, 10 MIN, In French with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Limit – Directed by Javad Daraei, Iran, 2017, 8 MIN, In Persian with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere The Log (Halko) – Directed by Teemu Nikki, Finland, 2016, 7 MIN, In Finnish with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Merry-Go-Round – Directed by Ruslan Bratov, Russian Federation, 2017, 13 MIN, In Russian with English subtitles, North American Premiere My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes – Directed by Charlie Tyrell, Canada, 2018, 14 MIN, East Coast Premiere The Old Woman Who Hid Her Fear Under the Stairs – Directed by Faye Jackson, UK, 2018, 16 MIN, World Premiere Shadow Animals – Directed by Jerry Carlsson, Sweden, 2017, 22 MIN, In Swedish with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Slap Happy – Directed by Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli, Canada, 2017, 11 MIN, East Coast Premiere State of Emergency Motherfucker – Directed by Sébastien Petretti, Belgium, 2017, 6 MIN, In French with English subtitles Thursday Night – Directed by Gonçalo Almeida, Portugal, 2017, 8 MIN, Southeast Premiere True Love in Pueblo Textil – Directed by Horatio Baltz, Cuba/USA, 2017, 5 MIN, In Spanish with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Wren Boys – Directed by Harry Lighton, UK, 2017, 11 MIN, East Coast Premiere

    INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED SHORTS:

    The Burden – Directed by Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Sweden, 2017, 14 MIN, In Swedish with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Catherine – Directed by Britt Raes, Belgium, 2017, 12 MIN Dead Horses – Directed by Marc Riba and Anna Solanas, Spain, 2016, 6 MIN, In Catalan with English subtitles, Florida Premiere The Death, Dad & Son – Directed by Denis Walgenwitz and Winshluss, France, 2017, 14 MIN, East Coast Premiere Intimity – Directed by Elodie Dermange, Switzerland, 2017, 5 MIN, East Coast Premiere The Laughing Spider – Directed by Keiichi Tanaami, Japan, 2016, 7 MIN, Florida Premiere Life Before Life – Directed by Rao Heidmets, Estonia, 2017, 7 MIN, In English and Estonian with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Negative Space – Directed by Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata, France, 2017, 6 MIN The Noise of Licking – Directed by Nadja Andrasev, Hungary, 2016, 9 MIN, Southeast Premiere Perfect Town – Directed by Anaïs Voirol, Switzerland, 2017, 4 MIN, Florida Premiere Wicked Girl – Directed by Ayce Kartal. France/Turkey, 2017, 8 MIN, In Turkish with English subtitles

    SUNSPOTS: NEW VISIONS OF THE AVANT GARDE:

    Animal Cinema – Directed by Emilio Vavarella, USA, 2017, 12 MIN, East Coast Premiere Blot – Directed by Benjamin Rouse, USA, 2017, 2 MIN, Florida Premiere A Diptych to Educate Birds – Directed by Noah Engel, USA, 2017, 1 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Dot Matrix – Directed by Lauren Cook, USA, 2017, 4 MIN, Southeast Premiere Edge of Alchemy – Directed by Stacey Steers, USA, 2017, 19 MIN, Florida Premiere The Garden of Delight – Directed by Michael Fleming, Netherlands/USA, 2017, 12 MIN, East Coast Premiere Growing Girl – Directed by Marnie Ellen Hertzler, USA, 2017, 12 MIN Holy Pink: Fragrant – Directed by Clementine Leger and Benjamin Whatley, USA, 2018, 2 MIN, World Premiere The Knits – Directed by Lisa Birke, Canada, 2017, 10 MIN, Florida Premiere Mountain Castle Mountain Flower Plastic – Directed by Annapurna Kumar, USA, 2017, 3 MIN, Southeast Premiere OK, Call Me Back – Directed by Emily Ann Hoffman, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Southeast Premiere

    MIDNIGHT FEATURES:

    Ghost Stories – Directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, UK, 2017, 98 MIN, Florida Premiere King Cohen – Directed by Steve Mitchell, USA/Canada, 2017, 109 MIN Revenge – Directed by Coralie Fargeat, France, 2017, 108 MIN, In English and French with English Subtitles, East Coast Premiere Summer of 84 – Directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell, USA/Canada, 2018, 105 MIN, East Coast Premiere

    MIDNIGHT SHORTS:

    BFF Girls – Directed by Brian Lonano, USA, 2018, 13 MIN, In English and Japanese with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing Bigfoot’s Love Slave – Directed by Heather Tom, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Southeast Premiere Cee Cee’s Bedtime Stories #3 Cee Cee and the Ex-Calibahhh – Directed by Joy Buran and Noelle Melody, USA, 2017, 1 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing DaemonRunner – Directed by Kiah Roache-Turner, Australia, 2017, 5 MIN, East Coast Premiere Empire of Dirt – Directed by Adam Mason, USA, 2018, 8 MIN, US Premiere Hair Wolf – Directed by Mariama Diallo, USA, 2018, 12 MIN, East Coast Premiere The Jerry Show – Directed by Stephen Stull, USA, 2017, 9 MIN Little Donnie (The Ten Inch Terror) – Directed by Chel White, USA, 2018, 4 MIN, North American Premiere Little Wonder – Directed by Jordan Carlman, USA, 2018, 3 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Master Blaster – Directed by Sawako Kabuki, Japan, 2016, 4 MIN, In Japanese with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere The Order of the Orchid – Directed by Alex Italics, USA, 2018, 7 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Peen Zine – Directed by Simeon Kondev, USA, 2017, 3 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing We Love You, Stephanie! – Directed by Sara Ambra, USA, 2018, 6 MIN, World Premiere We Summoned a Demon – Directed by Chris McInroy, USA, 2017, 6 MIN, Florida Premiere Zablah – Directed by Rachel Nakawatase and Ryan Betschart, USA, 2018, 4 MIN, World Premiere

    SPECIAL SCREENINGS:

    FAMILY FILMS:

    The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales… – Directed by Benjamin Renner and Patrick Imbert, France/Belgium, 2017, 83 MIN, Rated G, In French with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Lu Over the Wall – Directed by Masaaki Yuasa, Japan, 2017, 112 MIN, Southeast Premiere

    FOOD FILMS:

    Back to Burgundy – Directed by Cédric Klapisch, France, 2017, 113 MIN, In English, French, and Spanish with English subtitles Ramen Heads – Directed by Koki Shigeno, Japan, 2017, 93 MIN, In Japanese with English subtitles, Florida Premiere

    MUSIC FILMS:

    40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie – Directed by Lee Aronsohn, USA, 2017, 99 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Godfathers of Hardcore – Directed by Ian McFarland, USA/Belgium/Cuba/France/Germany/Italy/Netherlands/Switzerland, 2017, 95 MIN, Florida Premiere Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami – Directed by Sophie Fiennes, Ireland/UK, 2017, 115 MIN, East Coast Premiere

    FLORIDA FILMS:

    FLORIDA SHORTS: THE BEST OF BROUHAHA:

    Barely There – Directed by Hannah Lee, USA, 2017, 2 MIN Blood for Blood – Directed by Jared Bolhuis, USA, 2017, 8 MIN The Day Comedy Died – Directed by Nick Pletcher and Angelo Guevara-Malavé, USA, 2017, 6 MIN Extinguished – Directed by Ashley Anderson and Jacob Mann, USA, 2017, 4 MIN Flicker – Directed by Amanda Belawski, USA, 2018, 3 MIN, World Premiere A Grave Matter – Directed by Dylan Thompson, USA, 2017, 6 MIN, World Premiere If – Directed by Gabriel Valbuena, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Florida Premiere In a Heartbeat – Directed by Esteban Bravo and Beth David, USA, 2017, 4 MIN Mama I Wanna March – Directed by Malcolm Baity, USA, 2017, 15 MIN Peacekeeper – Directed by Tyler Knutt and Nicholas Markart, USA, 2017, 13 MIN The Stranger – Directed by Katherine Oostman, USA, 2018, 13 MIN, World Premiere Thump – Directed by Ben Roth, USA, 2017, 2 MIN Tom in Couchland – Directed by James Just, USA, 2017, 2 MIN

    FLORIDA FILMS:

    A Greater Society – Directed by Craig A. Colton and Stacy Goldate, USA, 2018, 87 MIN, World Premiere Long Time Coming – Directed by Jon Strong, USA, 2018, 90 MIN, World Premiere A Mediocre Documentary with Tom and Dan – Directed by Kirk Murray, USA, 2018, 77 MIN, World Premiere

    CLOSING NIGHT RETRO FILM:

    Shadow of a Doubt – Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1943, 108 minutes, 75th Anniversary Screening!

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  • THE DRUMMER AND THE KEEPER to Open, BORG VS. MCENROE to Close 2018 Cleveland International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_27286" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]THE DRUMMER AND THE KEEPER THE DRUMMER AND THE KEEPER[/caption] The 42nd Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF42) is kicking-off its 12-day run with a story of new-formed friendship, and closing with a look at an epic rivalry that took the tennis world by storm.  CIFF42 will be held April 4 to 15, 2018 at Tower City Cinemas and select neighborhood screening locations. The CIFF42 will open on Wednesday, April 4th, with THE DRUMMER AND THE KEEPER. Directed by Nick Kelly, the film tells the story of the unlikely friendship formed between two young men: Gabriel, a reckless young drummer with bipolar disorder; and, Christopher, a 17-year-old with Asperger’s Syndrome, who yearns to fit in. This heartwarming story shows the strength of the human bond in the face of adversity. The film stars a collection of talented Irish actors including Dermot Murphy, Jacob McCarthy, and Peter Coonan. Special Guests expected to be in attendance on Opening Night include director Nick Kelly, producer Kate McColgan, as well as actors Dermot Murphy and Jacob McCarthy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ExhyLIdEHs On Sunday, April 15th at 7:00 p.m. the Festival will close with BORG VS. MCENROE. Directed by Janus Metz, the film tells the story of the rivalry between two tennis champs: the calm and cool Björn Borg, played by Sverrir Gudnason, and his fiercest competitor, the brash John McEnroe, played by Shia LaBeouf. The story culminates with a legendary meeting on the court at the 1980 Wimbledon Championships. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgfFdEOGUqE

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  • 42nd Hong Kong International Film Festival Announces Lineup, Opens With Taiwanese Films “Omotenashi” and “Xiao Mei”

    [caption id="attachment_27270" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Omotenashi Omotenashi[/caption] The upcoming 42nd edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival announced their lineup. The festival will run for 18 days from March 19th until April 5th, 2018. The opening night on March 19th will feature two gorgeous films from two promising Taiwanese directors – Omotenashi, directed by Jay Chern and Xiao Mei, directed by Maren Hwang. Closing film will be the World Premiere of What a Wonderful family! 3: My Wife, My Life, the latest work from the acclaimed comedy series by the Japanese master Yamada Yoji. Omotenashi is a co-production of Japan and Taiwan with up-and-coming Taiwanese director Jay Chern, which offers a heartwarming portrayal of the younger generation learning to appreciate the cultural differences and traditional values through love and respect; whereas Maren Hwang’s Xiao Mei brilliantly juggles elements of film noir and suspense in exploring the riddle of identity and truth through the mystic tale of a vanished girl. Directors and casts of both opening films will join HKIFF42 Grand Opening on 19 March. Veteran director Yamada Yoji continues his success inWhat a Wonderful Family! 3: My Wife, My Life, the third installment of his amusing series that playfully exposes the changing values and behavior within contemporary Japanese society. The world premiere of this much anticipated film will bring a delightful conclusion to this year’s Festival. The “Filmmaker in Focus” this year is Brigitte Lin Ching-Hsia, one of the most distinguished actresses in Chinese language cinema. To celebrate the 45th anniversary of her career since her screen debut, HKIFF42 will showcase 14 of her films including the new restoration of her first film Outside the Window. Lin will share her insights on film and life in the “Face to Face” seminar. Werner Herzog, one of cinema’s most celebrated filmmakers, will attend HKIFF42 and conduct a Master Class. His first visit to the Festival will be honored by a retrospective of his films, giving local audiences a rare opportunity to watch his classics, including four of his greatest cinematic achievements and his latest documentary Into the Inferno, which reflect his frantic imagination and poetic stylization. HKIFF will also present the Hong Kong premiere of HTC’s first virtual reality (VR) Chinese language film, The Deserted. This groundbreaking work is directed by Taiwanese master Tsai Ming-Liang, with the support of HTC VIVE, ZOTAC Computer, and the Hong Kong Baptist University’s Academy of Film. TSAI and Golden Horse Award winner Lee Kang-Sheng will lead the Hong Kong audience through an unparalleled eye-opening VR experience, and share their visions of this cinematic innovation in a Master Class. In addition to the two masters, the Japanese documentarian Hara Kazuo, known for his highly original and controversial films, will bring his latest work Sennan Asbestos Disaster and meet the audience in a Master Class. Several world-renowned directors will also visit Hong Kong for screenings of their films. Acclaimed American independent filmmaker Sean Baker, with his celebrated new film The Florida Project, will share his filmmaking experience. Kagawa Kyoko, the legendary Japanese actress of the Mizoguchi Kenji masterpiece A Story from Chikamatsu, and Ozu Yasujiro’s classic Tokyo Story will share her collaborations with the giants of Japanese cinema following the screening of the newly restored classic. The late Filipino master, Ishmael Bernal, will be featured in the Restored Classics section, and his longtime screenwriter, Ricky Lee, will also meet the audience to share his insights. Cinephiles can enjoy a number of internationally award-winning films firsthand at the HKIFF. These include In the Fade, winner of the Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes and Cannes Best Actress Award for Diane Kruger’s powerhouse performance; Joaquin Phoenix took home the Cannes Best Actor Award with You Were Never Really Here, which won the Cannes Best Screenplay Award alongside  The Killing of a Sacred Deer; as well as Cannes Jury Prize winner and Oscar-nominated  Loveless. Award winners from the Venice Film Festival include Grand Jury Prize winner Foxtrot, Special Jury Prize winner  Sweet Country, Best Director award winner Custody, Best Actress Award for Charlotte Rampling in  Hannah, and Best Actor Award for Kamel El Basha in The Insult. The Berlinale award winners include Grand Jury Prize for Mug, Outstanding Artistic Contribution Award for Dovlatov, winners of FIPRESCI Jury Prizes for River’s Edge andAn Elephant Sitting Still, the latter also won Special Mention for Best First Feature Award. Multifaceted Argentine and Danish films open up new frontiers in the international scene. HKIFF42 will celebrate the achievement of Lucrecia Martel, a major auteur and forceful leading light of New Argentine Cinema, by showcasing four of her acclaimed works, including Zama, her latest and multiple award-winning film. In the New Danish Cinema section, six outstanding films will be showcased, including Thelma, a chilling psychological thriller from director Joachim Trier, the topical Borg/McEnroe, and Winter Brothers, winner of four major awards at the Locarno International Film Festival. The Awards Gala Night will feature the international premiere of Transit, directed by acclaimed German auteur Christian Petzold. The French Night will feature Custody, helmed by the Venice Best Director winner Xavier Legrand, who will come to Hong Kong to greet the audience. HKIFF will also present the Canadian film Ava, a feature debut about women’s fight for independence by Sadaf Foroyghi, who will meet the audience at the screenings. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Polish independence, HKIFF42 will present a prelude program “70 years of Polish Animation: Live Animation x Music”. The program will feature celebrated Polish filmmaker-animator Mariusz Wilczyński with live hand-drawn animation while the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra will present fabulous music under the baton of Polish conductor Sebastian Periowski. In response to what the festival describes as “overwhelming response” HKIFF has decided to continue with the “Audience Choice Award”, which was first launched last year.

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  • 2018 Boulder International Film Festival will Open with BORG VS. MCENROE, Starring Shia LaBeouf

    Borg/McEnroe Borg/McEnroe, starring Shia LaBeouf as John McEnroe and Sverrir Gudnason as Bjorn Borg will kick off the 2018 Boulder International Film Festival. The 14th edition of the festival runs February 22 through 25, 2018 and brings films, filmmakers and fans together from around the world to beautiful downtown Boulder for a four-day celebration of the fine art of filmmaking. “We’re very excited to present this year’s opening night film Borg/McEnroe,” says Robin Beeck, Executive Director. “The film is electrifying and full of energy, and Shia LaBeouf and Sverrir Gudnason are superb as John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg. The film offers a fascinating look at the personalities of one of the greatest tennis rivalries of all time, and features a thrilling final. We’re proud to showcase this incredible film in Boulder!” Borg/McEnroe received notable accolades as the Opening Night Film at the Toronto International Film Festival and was the People’s Choice Award Winner at the Rome Film Festival. The film tells the ‘true’ story of the epic rivalry between Swedish tennis legend Björn Borg and his greatest adversary, the brash American John McEnroe. At the 1980 Wimbledon Championships, both men bring their immense talents – and inner demons – to the court as they finally face off in one of the most suspenseful events in tennis history.  As the fierce matchup between these legends in tennis is finally settled on the court, Borg/McEnroe recounts the thrilling game that had the world at the edge of its seat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdIGOV9IR5k

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  • BORG/MCENROE Wins Rome Film Fest People’s Choice Award

    Borg/McEnroe Borg McEnroe by Janus Metz Pedersen is the winner of the “BNL People’s Choice Award” at the 12th Rome Film Fest. The film starring starring Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf and Stellan Skarsgård, is about one of the world’s greatest icons Björn Borg and his biggest rival, the young and talented John McEnroe and their legendary duel during the 1980’s Wimbledon tournament. On one side of the net, the cool and composed Björn Borg; on the other, the hot-headed, quick-tempered John McEnroe. The former anxious to hold on to his title as the top-ranked tennis ace; the latter determined to dethrone him. Revealing their lives on and off the court, Borg McEnroe is an intimate, stirring, and fascinating portrait of two indisputable icons of the history of tennis, with an epic account of the legendary 1980 Wimbledon final. Janus Metz Pedersen, director of Borg McEnroe rose to international fame with Armadillo, which won the Grand Prix of the International Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival. In Denmark, he had made a name for himself in 2008, with two films, Love on Delivery and Ticket to Paradise. In 2015, he directed the third episode of the second season of the celebrated HBO series True Detective starring Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams. Over the course of his career, he has also directed shorts, commercials, and art and music videos. In his Director Statement, Pedersen said, “To me, Borg McEnroe is the tennis version of Raging Bull. It’s about two young men, each out to prove he’s number one, to feel important. To be somebody. Trapped in their own rivalry – one of the more spectacular cases in the history of the sport – they eventually had to come to terms with themselves and their own private demons. To explore Björn and John’s inner turmoil, the film relies on crude camerawork, frequently using handheld cameras and Steadicams to convey a sense of immediacy and realism. A counterpoint to this are the sequences designed to create a rich atmosphere, with almost symbolic images that were meant to suggest the historical significance of the events. The film looks at a clash of titans, and this requires putting things in proportion. We put the audience in Björn and John’s shoes, but then we back out of this saturated and often claustrophobic environment to reclaim a broader perspective that underlines the importance of the match and the existential dimension of the whole story. As a biopic inspired by the two rivals’ lives, particularly the legendary Wimbledon showdown in 1980, Borg McEnroe evokes an age when tennis players were “rock stars” and John and Björn came out on top. This wasn’t just two men playing tennis. This was a clash between two continents. Two ways of behaving, two opposite characters facing off. Two different ways of being men. Borg McEnroe is a marvelous demonstration of all of the above”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgfFdEOGUqE

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  • 12th Rome Film Fest Unveils Official Selections, ‘HOSTILES’, ‘THE PLACE’, ‘I,TONYA’ and More…

    [caption id="attachment_24801" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Hostiles by Scott Cooper Hostiles[/caption] The 12th Rome Film Fest has unveiled its Official Selection Lineup, which includes some of the most buzzed about films.  The festival will open with Hostiles directed by Scott Cooper and starring Christian Bale; and close with The Place directed by Paolo Genovese. Set in 1892, Hostiles tells the story of a legendary army captain (Christian Bale) who reluctantly accepts escorting a Cheyenne warlord leader (Wes Studi) and his family to their lands. During the trip they will meet a young widow (Rosamund Pike) whose dear ones have been assassinated in those plains, and together they will have to survive that ruthless landscape and hostile Comanche tribes. In The Place, a mysterious man always sits at the same table as a restaurant, ready to meet the greatest wishes of eight visitors in exchange for tasks to be performed. How will they be willing to push the protagonists to achieve their desires?

    2017 Rome Film Fest Official Selection

    ABRACADABRA by Pablo Berger, Spain, France, Belgium, 2017, 96’ Cast: Maribel Verdú, Antonio de la Torre, José Mota, José María Pou, Quim Gutiérrez, Priscilla Delgado, Julián Villagrán, Javivi LOS ADIOSES | THE ETERNAL FEMININE by Natalia Beristain, Mexico, 2017, 85’ Cast: Karina Gidi, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Tessa Ia, Pedro de Tavira Egurrola IN BLUE by Jaap van Heusden, Netherlands, 2017, 102’ Cast: Maria Kraakman, Bogdan Iancu, Ellis van den Brink, Maria Rainea, Ada Gales, Patrick Vervueren BORG MCENROE by Janus Metz, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, 2017, 100’ Cast: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny, Ian Blackman, Robert Emms, Scott Arthur CABROS DE MIERDA | THE YOUNG SHEPHERD by Gonzalo Justiniano, Chile, 2017, 118’ Cast: Nathalia Aragonese, Daniel Contesse, Elías Collado, Corina Posada de Gregorio, Luis Dubbó, Nicolás Rojas, Sara Becker Rodríguez C’EST LA VIE! (LE SENS DE LA FÊTE) by Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache, France, 2017, 117’ Cast: Jean-Pierre Bacri, Gilles Lellouche, Jean-Paul Rouve, Vincent Macaigne, Alban Ivanov, Eye Haidara, Suzanne Clément, Hélène Vincent, Benjamin Lavernhe CUERNAVACA by Alejandro Andrade Pease, Mexico, 2017, 90’ Cast: Carmen Maura, Emilio Puente, Moisés Arizmendi, Mariana Gajá, Diego Álvarez García, Dulce Domínguez, Aranza Beltrán DETROIT by Kathryn Bigelow, United States, 2017, 142’ Cast: John Boyega, Will Poulter, Anthony Mackie, Hannah Murray, Jack Reynor FERRARI: RACE TO IMMORTALITY by Daryl Goodrich, United Kingdom, 2017, 91’ | Doc | O FILME DA MINHA VIDA | THE MOVIE OF MY LIFE by Selton Mello, Brazil, 2017, 113’ Cast: Johnny Massaro, Vincent Cassel, Bruna Linzmeyer, Selton Mello, Ondina Clais, Bia Arantes, Martha Nowill, Rolando Boldrin, João Pedro Prates HIKARI | AND THEN THERE WAS LIGHT by Tatsushi Omori, Japan, 2017, 138’ Cast: Arata Iura, Eita, Kyoko Hasegawa, Manami Hashimoto, Kaho Minami, Mitsuru Hirata, Masayo Umezawa, Nayuta Fukuzaki, Ama Gu, Atsuya Okada, Hirara Hayasaka OPENING FILM HOSTILES by Scott Cooper, United States, 2017, 127’ Cast: Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Wes Studi, Jesse Plemons, Adam Beach, Rory Cochrane, Ben Foster THE HUNGRY by Bornila Chatterjee, India, United Kingdom, 2017, 100’ Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Tisca Chopra, Neeraj Kabi, Arjun Gupta, Sayani, Antonio Aakeel, Suraj Sharma I, TONYA by Craig Gillespie, United States, 2017, 121’ Cast: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Julianne Nicholson, Paul Walter Hauser, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney KANOJO GA SONO NA WO SHIRANAI TORITACHI | BIRDS WITHOUT NAMES by Kazuya Shiraishi, Japan, 2017, 123’ Cast: Yu Aoi, Sadawo Abe, Tori Matsuzaka, Eri Murakawa, Masaaki Akahori, Muck Akazawa, Shû Nakajima, Yutaka Takenouchi KŘIŽÁČEK | LITTLE CRUSADER by Václav Kadrnka, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, 2017, 90’ Cast: Karel Roden, Aleš Bílík, Matouš John, Jana Semerádová, Jiří Soukup, Michal Legíň, Jana Ol’hová, Ivan Krúpa, Eliška Křenková, Jan Bednář, Tomáš Bambušek LAST FLAG FLYING by Richard Linklater, United States, 2017, 125’ Cast: Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne LOGAN LUCKY by Steven Soderbergh, United States, 2017, 119’ Cast: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Hilary Swank, Daniel Craig, Seth MacFarlane, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, Katherine Waterston, Dwight Yoakam, Sebastian Stan, Brian Gleeson, Jack Quaid LOVE MEANS ZERO by Jason Kohn, United States, 2017, 90’ | Doc | MADEMOISELLE PARADIS by Barbara Albert, Austria, Germany, 2017, 97’ Cast: Maria Dragus, Devid Striesow, Lukas Miko, Katja Kolm, Maresi Riegner, Johanna Orsini-Rosenberg, Stefanie Reinsperger, Susanne Wuest, Christoph Luser MARIA BY CALLAS, IN HER OWN WORDS by Tom Volf, France, 2017, 95’ | Doc | MON GARÇON | MY SON by Christian Carion, France, 2017, 84’ Cast: Guillame Canet, Mélanie Laurent, Olivier De Benoist, Antoine Hamel, Mohamed Brikat, Lino Papa, Marc Robert, Pierre Langlois, Tristan Pagès, Christophe Rossignon, Pierre Desmaret MUDBOUND by Dee Rees, United States, 2017, 134’ Cast: Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, Jonathan Banks, Garrett Hedlund NADIE NOS MIRA | NOBODY’S WATCHING by Julia Solomonoff, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, United States, 2017, 102’ Cast: Guillermo Pfening, Elena Roger, Rafael Ferro, Cristina Morrison, Kerry Sohn, Pascal Yen-P­ster, Paola Baldion, Marco Antonio Caponi, Mayte Montero, Petra Costa, Mirella Pascual, Moro Anghileri, Javana Mundi ONE OF THESE DAYS by Nadim Tabet, Lebanon, 2017, 80’ Cast: Manal Issa, Yumna Marwan, Reine Salameh, Panos Aprahamian, Nicolas Cardahi, Julien Farhat, Walid Feghali THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK by Marc Webb, United States, 2017, 89’ Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Jeff Bridges, Pierce Brosnan, Kiersey Clemons, Tate Donovan, Cynthia Nixon, Callum Turner PRENDRE LE LARGE | CATCH THE WIND by Gaël Morel, France, 2017, 103’ Cast: Sandrine Bonnaire, Mouna Fettou, Kamal El Amri, Ilian Bergala, Lubna Azabal UNA QUESTIONE PRIVATA | RAINBOW: A PRIVATE AFFAIR by Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani, Italy, France, 2017, 84’ Cast: Luca Marinelli, Valentina Bellè, Lorenzo Richelmy SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD by Matt Tyrnauer, United States, 2017, 98’ | Doc | SKYGGENES DAL | VALLEY OF SHADOWS by Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen, Norway, 2017, 91’ Cast: Adam Ekeli, Katherine Fagerland, John Olav Nilsen STRONGER by David Gordon Green, United States, 2017, 119’ Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Tatiana Maslany, Miranda Richardson, Clancy Brown, Carlos Sanz, Frankie Shaw, Danny McCarthy, Lenny Clarke TORMENTERO by Rubén Imaz, Mexico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, 2017, 80’ Cast: José Carlos Ruiz, Gabino Rodríguez, Mónica Jiménez, Rosa Márquez, Waldo Facco, Nelly Valencia, Ausencio Valencia, Leonardo Verdejo TOUT NOUS SÉPARE by Thierry Klifa, France, 2017, 98’ Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Diane Kruger, Nekfeu, Nicolas Duvauchelle TROUBLE NO MORE by Jennifer Lebeau, United States, 2017, 59’ | Doc | LA VIDA Y NADA MÁS | LIFE & NOTHING MORE by Antonio Méndez Esparza, Spain, United States, 2017, 110’ Cast: Andrew Bleechington, Regina Williams, Robert Williams, Ry’nesia Chambers WHO WE ARE NOW by Matthew Newton, United States, 2017, 99’ Cast: Julianne Nicholson, Emma Roberts, Zachary Quinto, Jimmy Smits, Jess Weixler, Jason Biggs

    IN COLLABORATION WITH ALICE NELLA CITTÀ

    THE BREADWINNER by Nora Twomey, Ireland, Canada, Luxemburg, 2017, 93’ | Animation | MAZINGER Z INFINITY by Junji Shimizu, Japan, 2017, 95’ | Animation | SATURDAY CHURCH by Damon Cardasis, United States, 2017, 82’ Cast: Luka Kain, Margot Bingham, Regina Taylor, Marquis Rodriguez, MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Alexia Garcia, Kate Bornstein, Jaylin Fletcher

    EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT IT

    This section includes a selection of films to be screened at the Rome Film Fest after a remarkable international debut. BABYLON BERLIN by Tom Tykwer, Henk Handloegten, Achim von Borries, Germany, Episodes 1 and 2, 2×45’ | TV Series | Cast: Liv Lisa Fries, Volker Bruch, Peter Kurth, Leonie Benesch, Severija Janušauskaitė, Matthias Brandt, Lars Eidinger, Fritzi Haberlandt, Mišel Matičević INSYRIATED by Philippe Van Leeuw, Belgium, France, Lebanon, 2017, 85’ Cast: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Abou Abboud, Juliette Navis MZEVLEBI | HOSTAGES by Rezo Gigineishvili, Georgia, Poland, Russia, 2017, 104’ Cast: Irakli Kvirikadze, Tina Dalakishvili, Merab Ninidze, Darejan Kharshiladze, Avtandil Makharadze THE PARTY by Sally Potter, United Kingdom, 2017, 71’ Cast: Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, Cherry Jones, Emily Mortimer, Cillian Murphy, Kristin Scott Thomas, Timothy Spall UNE PRIÈRE AVANT L’AUBE | A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, France, United Kingdom, 2017, 117’ Cast: Joe Cole, Vithaya Pansringarm, Nicolas Shake PROMISED LAND by Eugene Jarecki, United States, Germany, 2017, 117’ | Doc |

    SPECIAL EVENTS

    CLOSING FILM THE PLACE by Paolo Genovese, Italy, 2017, 105’ Cast: Valerio Mastandrea, Marco Giallini, Sabrina Ferilli, Vinicio Marchioni, Silvia D’Amico, Giulia BETWEEN CINEMA AND MUSIC NYSFERATU – SYMPHONY OF A CENTURY by Andrea Mastrovito, United States, 2017, 67’ | Animation | SELECTED BY… BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI DA’WAH by Italo Spinelli, Indonesia, 2017, 64’ Cast: Wahyu Rafli, Muhammad Hasan Masduqi, Ahmad Yazid, Muhammad Shofi A TIMELESS DIRECTOR SPIELBERG by Susan Lacy, United States, 2017, 147’ | Doc |

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  • BORG/McENROE Starring Shia LaBeouf, Sverrir Gudnason to Open Zurich Film Festival

    Borg/McEnroe Danish director Janus Metz Pedersen’s tennis drama Borg/McEnroe starring Shia LaBeouf and Sverrir Gudnason will open the 13th Zurich Film Festival on September 28, 2017. Director Janus Metz Pedersen and Björn Borg-actor Sverrir Gudnason will attend as the Zurich Film Festival’s honorary guests. Wimbledon, July 5, 1980: tennis pros Björn Borg and John McEnroe square up at the Wimbledon final for one of sporting history’s most legendary duels. The 24-year-old Swede and world’s number one ranked tennis player (Sverrir Gudnason) is feeling exhausted and burned out. The 20-year-old New Yorker (Shia LaBeouf) is determined to beat him. The two opponents go on to deliver a nerve-racking and grinding battle in one of the most suspense-packed matches in tennis history. Said ZFF Co-Directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri: „We are extremely proud to be opening the ZFF for the first time with a Swedish production. Borg/McEnroe is one of the year’s most hotly anticipated movies and is sure to delight cinemagoers around the globe.” They continued: “Borg/McEnroe is most definitely not a film just for tennis fans, but a thrilling cinema experience for everybody.” Legends of the tennis world The Swede Björn Borg and US American John McEnroe are two of the tennis world’s greatest legends – and their on-court rivalry is just as legendary. Borg/McEnroe depicts the two tennis icons as they prepare for the Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon. Borg is desperate to leave his mark as the winner of five titles in a row. His opponent is the ambitious young McEnroe, who is only driven by the thought of finally knocking Borg off his throne. While Borg prepares for the duel aided by his trainer Lennart Bergelin (Stellan Skarsgård), McEnroe continues to hit newspaper headlines. But despite the difference in their personalities, the two men come to realise that they have more in common than they could possibly have imagined. Björn Borg and John McEnroe played each other a total of 14 times between 1978 and 1981. Their on-court rivalry was famous the world over and compounded by the competitors’ conflicting personalities: while Borg remained cool and placid, McEnroe was famous for his fits of temper. Sverrir Gudnason and Shia LaBeouf undertook two months of intensive tennis training in order to lend their characters more authenticity. The movie was shot in Borg’s hometown of Södertälje near Stockholm in Sweden, and further in Gothenburg, Stockholm, Prague, London and Monaco. Borg/McEnroe hits cinemas in Switzerland on October 12, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgfFdEOGUqE

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  • 10 New Films from Darren Aronofsky, Sean Baker and More Complete San Sebastian Festival Pearls Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_24073" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Mother!, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem and Michelle Pfeiffer Mother!, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem[/caption] Ten new films including the latest from Darren Aronofsky, Sean Baker, Michael Haneke, Martin McDonagh, will complete the Pearls section of the 2017 San Sebastian Festival.  All will compete for the City of Donostia / San Sebastian Audience Awards. Mother!, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem and Michelle Pfeiffer, is the latest film from Darren Aronofsky (New York, 1969), the maker of Pi (1998), Best Director Award at Sundance; the cult movie Requiem for a Dream (2000); The Wrestler (2008), Golden Lion in Venice; and Black Swan, Academy Award for Best Actress (Natalie Portman). His latest production is a psychological thriller that will compete at the coming Venice Festival. The Florida Project was one of the most applauded films at the last Cannes Festival, where it participated in the Directors’ Fortnight. Here, Sean Baker (Summit, United States, 1971) tells us about the summer holidays spent by a six year-old girl and her friends, while the adults around them struggle through hard times, after presenting at Sundance 2015 Tangerine, his fourth feature and the first to be completely shot with an iPhone, which harvested around twenty awards. The author of Marius et Jeannette / Marius and Jeanette (1997), Best Actress César for Ariane Ascaride; Marie-Jo et ses 2 amours / Marie-Jo and Her Two Lovers (2002), which competed at Cannes; and Les neiges du Kilimandjaro / The Snows of Kilimanjaro (2012), selected for Un Certain Regard, congregates his regular accomplices on the cast of La villa / The House by the Sea. Robert Guédiguian (Marseille, France, 1953) brings a tale of three siblings who reunite at their father’s house in a small cove near Marseille at the height of winter, and which will compete in Venice. In 1998 Guédiguian won the Special Jury Prize for À la place du Coeur / Where the Heart Is in San Sebastian, to which he returned in 2004 with Mon père est ingenieur / My Father is an Engineer. Michael Haneke (Munich, Germany, 1942), one of the essential directors of today’s cinema, will present Happy End. The author of Funny Games (1997), La pianiste / The Piano Teacher (2001), Das Weisse Band /The White Ribbon (2009) and Amour / Love (2012) has been acclaimed throughout his career with around a hundred awards coming from festivals and international accolades. Happy End, his snapshot from the life of a bourgeois European family, was selected for the Cannes Official Selection. Hirokazu Koreeda (Tokyo, 1962), who has competed four times for the Golden Shell -Wandafuru raifu / After Life (1998), Hana yori mo naho / Hana (2006), Aruitemo, aruitemo / Still Walking (2008) and Kiseki / I Wish (2011), winner of the Best Screenplay Award – has won San Sebastian’s Audience Award twice: in 2013 with Soshite chichi ni naru / Like Father Like Son and in 2015 with Umimachi Diary / Our Little Sister. In Sando-me no satsujin / The Third Murder, to compete at Venice, he follows a lawyer who doubts his client’s guilt. Xavier Legrand, whose short Avant que de tout perdre won the César, four awards at Clermont-Ferrand and landed an Academy Award nomination, debuts in feature films with the story of a son of divorced parents with his shared custody. Jusqu’à la garde / Custody has been selected for the official selection in Venice. Martin McDonagh (Camberwell, United Kingdom, 1970) won, with Six Shooter (2004), the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. His first feature film, In Bruges (2008), won the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay and an Oscar nomination in the same category, and his second, Seven Psychopaths (2012) received the Audience Award in Toronto’s Midnight Madness section. In Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, to compete at Venice, he narrates the confrontation between a woman (Frances McDormand), whose daughter was murdered months ago without the culprit being arrested, and the local police, headed by two officers played by Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell. After placing his camera in a Danish regiment in Afghanistan (Armadillo) and shooting an episode of the series True Detective, Janus Metz (Denmark, 1974) presents Borg/McEnroe. The film, to open Toronto Festival, recreates the 1980 Wimbledon final between the Swedish and North American tennis players. Lynne Ramsay (Glasgow, United Kingdom,1969) competed at Cannes with her previous film We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), winner of Best Director at the British Independent Film Awards and Best European Actress Award (Tilda Swinton). You Were Never Really Here, written and directed by the Scottish filmmaker, was acknowledged with the Best Screenplay and Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix) Awards at the last Cannes Festival. Paolo Virzì (Livorno, Italy, 1964) is one of today’s most important Italian directors. Some of his most remarkable films are Il capitale umano / Human Capital (2013), winner of the David di Donatello Awards for Best Screenplay, Director and Actress, and his penultimate work, La pazza gioia / Like Crazy (2016), winner of the David for Best Film and, once again, Best Director and Best Actress. The Leisure Seeker, starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland, is his first film shot in the USA and will compete at Cannes. These titles join the others already announced: Teströl és lékekröl / On Body and Soul by Ilkidó Eneydi; Nelyubov / Loveless by Andrey Zvyagintsev; 120 battements par minute (120 BPM) / 120 Beats Per Minute, by Robin Campillo; Wonderstruck, by Todd Haynes; The Big Sick, by Michael Showalter; Call Me By Your Name, by Luca Guadagnino; and Loving Pablo, by Fernando León de Aranoa, which will close the section out of competition. The City of Donostia / San Sebastian Audience Award is split into two accolades: the Best Film Award, with 50,000 euros, and the Best European Film, with 20,000 euros. BORG/MCENROE JANUS METZ (SWEDEN – DENMARK – FINLAND) Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Sverrir Gudnason, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny Biopic about the rivalry between two of world tennis’s biggest icons: the imperturbable Björn Borg and the temperamental North American John McEnroe, through their legendary confrontation at Wimbledon 1980. Two sportsmen completely different from one another who became legends and the price they had to pay for it. Fire and ice on the court. HAPPY END MICHAEL HANEKE (FRANCE – AUSTRIA – GERMANY) Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Mathieu Kassovitz All around us, the world, and we, in its midst, blind. A snapshot from the life of a bourgeois European family. JUSQU’À LA GARDE / CUSTODY XAVIER LEGRAND (FRANCE) Cast: Denis Ménochet, Léa Drucker, Thomas Gioria, Mathilde Auneveux, Saadia Bentaïeb, Sophie Pincemaille, Emilie Incerti-Formentini Myriam and Antoine are divorced. She asks for exclusive guardianship to protect her young son from her violent husband, but the judge decides to award both spouses shared custody. The victim of a jealous father, in the endeavour to protect his abused mother, Julien will do everything he can to stop the worst from happening. LA VILLA / THE HOUSE BY THE SEA ROBERT GUÉDIGUIAN (FRANCE) Cast: Ariane Ascaride, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Gérard Meylan, Anaïs Demoustier, Robinson Stevenin In a little cove near Marseille, at the height of winter, Angèle, Joseph and Armand return to their elderly father’s home. Angèle is an actress living in Paris and Joseph has just fallen in love with a girl half his age. Armand is the only one who had stayed behind in Marseille to run his father’s small restaurant. It’s time for them to weigh up what they have inherited of their patriarch’s ideals and the community spirit he created in this magical place around a restaurant for workers. But the arrival of a group of boat people will change their reflections… MOTHER! DARREN ARONOFSKY (USA) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Harris A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. A riveting psychological thriller about love, devotion and sacrifice. SANDO-ME NO SATSUJIN / THE THIRD MURDER HIROKAZU KOREEDA (JAPAN) Cast: Kasaharu Fukuyama, Kôji Yakuso, Suzu Hirose Attorney Shigemori takes on the defence of murder-robbery suspect Misumi who served jail time for another murder 30 years ago. Shigemori’s chances of winning the case seem low – his client freely admits his guilt, despite facing the death penalty if he is convicted. But as he digs deeper into the case and hears the testimonies of Mishumi and his family, Shigemori begins to doubt whether his client is the murderer after all. THE FLORIDA PROJECT SEAN BAKER (USA) Cast: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Valeria Cotto, Bria Vinaite, Caleb Landry Jones The Florida Project tells the story of Moonee, a precocious six-year-old and her ragtag group of friends whose summer break is filled with childhood wonder, possibility and a sense of adventure, while the adults around them struggle with hard times. All over the United States, cheap motels have become the last refuge for those unable to secure a permanent home. These invisible destitute people are increasingly greater in number, and 41% are families who struggle every day to keep a roof over their heads. This story is set in the suburbs of Orlando, holiday capital par excellence, home to “the most magical place on earth”. All along the road wending through the land of theme parks and resorts, the cheap hotels that in their day attracted tourists, exploiting the mysticism of Disney, now house homeless families. Moonee and her mother Halley, 22, live in one of these places: the Magic Castle Motel. THE LEISURE SEEKER PAOLO VIRZÌ (ITALY ) Cast: Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland Ella and John are fleeing the suffocating care of their doctors and grown children. He is distracted but strong. She is frail but sharp. The journey aboard their faithful old camper takes them from Boston to Key West in the USA. Sharing moments of exhilaration and anguish, they recapture their passion for life and their love for others, seeing differently and with perspective the things they’ve left behind. And this means that the way they see each other too will change during their adventure. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI MARTIN MCDONAGH (UK) Cast: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Peter Dinklage, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, Caleb Landry Jones After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby, the town’s revered chief of police. When his second-in-command officer, Dixon, an immature mother’s boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing’s law enforcement is only exacerbated. YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE LYNNE RAMSAY (USA – FRANCE) Cast: Joaquin Phoenix. Ekaterina Samsonov, Alessandro Nivola, Alex Manette, John Doman, Judith Roberts A missing teenage girl. A brutal and tormented enforcer on a rescue mission. Corrupt power and vengeance unleash a storm of violence that may lead to his awakening.

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  • First Wave of Films Announced for 2017 Calgary International Film Festival, BORG/MCENROE and More

    [caption id="attachment_23378" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]Borg/McEnroe BORG/MCENROE[/caption] The Calgary International Film Festival (Calgary Film) announced the First Wave of Films playing at the 2017 festival.   The first 10 films include BORG/MCENROE which opens the Toronto International Film Festival just weeks before Calgary Film begins. Based on a true story, this film recounts the legendary 1980 Wimbledon match between fierce rivals Björn Borg and John McEnroe. “We’re always looking for standout films that are buzzing on the circuit, but we handpick for Calgary, with themes that do particularly well with our audiences,” said Brenda Lieberman, Programming Manager of the Calgary International Film Festival. “It’s one of the best parts of our job when we find the perfect combination of titles that excite our festival fans.”  

    FIRST WAVE FILMS – 2017 Calgary International Film Festival

    BORG/MCENROE – Directed by Janus Metz This highly-anticipated biopic about one of the world’s greatest sports rivalries will have its world premiere as the Opening Night Film of the Toronto International Film Festival, mere weeks before it’s on screen in Calgary. THE DIVINE ORDER – Directed by Petra Biondina Volpe Even though this Swiss suffrage story takes place in the 1970s, it still feels relevant today. Lighthearted with a powerful message, women’s voices are at the centre of the narrative and behind the lens. A FANTASTIC WOMAN – Directed by Sebastián Lelio When Marina’s much older boyfriend dies, she must confront the taboo of their relationship to his family and society. Just announced as part of TIFF’s Galas & Special Presentations, this Spanish film was nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear for Best Picture and took home the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Screenplay at the Berlin International Film Festival. FÉLICITÉ – Directed by Alain Gomis With a mesmerizing soundtrack featuring the Kinshasa Symphonic Orchestra, the Congo-set film won the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival. THE LIGHT OF THE MOON – Directed by Jessica Thompson A woman struggles to regain control of her life after being sexually assaulted. Audience Award Winner for at SXSW, this first-time feature filmmaker casts BROOKLYN NINE-NINE’s Stephanie Beatriz in a revelatory performance. LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA – Directed by AlanKrita Shrivastava This narrative feature from India, packed with humour and plenty of heart, features four women united in their yearning for freedom from society’s restrictive framework. NOBODY’S WATCHING – Directed by Julia Solomonoff An Argentine actor’s failure to establish himself in New York City mirrors the struggle of many immigrants who stumble in their new setting. Star Guillermo Pfening won the Best Actor at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival in the International Narrative Feature category. SCORE: A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY – Directed by Matt Schrader Some of Hollywood’s greatest film score composers come together to give viewers an unparalleled, behind the scenes look at the creative process, resulting in this fascinating celebration of some of the most iconic scores of all time. SMALL TOWN CRIME – Directed by Ian Nelms This critically-acclaimed, noir-ish thriller features a powerful cast, including Academy Award Nominee John Hawkes (WINTER’S BONE, DEADWOOD), Academy Award Winner Octavia Spencer (THE HELP, HIDDEN FIGURES) and Academy Award Nominee Robert Forster (JACKIE BROWN). A SWINGERS WEEKEND – Directed by Jonathan Cohen Packed with recognizable Canadian actors, including Erin Karpluk from Calgary and Jonas Chernick from previous Calgary Film Selections including MY AWKWARD SEXUAL ADVENTURE and HOW TO PLAN AN ORGY IN A SMALL TOWN, this sex comedy explores the relationships and kinks of three couples, who are all swinging for different reasons. What could possibly go wrong?

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