The 39th edition of Santa Barbara International Film will run February 7 to 17, 2024 showcasing 45 world premieres and 77 U.S. premieres from 48 countries.
BROTHERS (2023)
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World Premieres of ‘Madu’ and ‘Chosen Family’ Headline 39th Santa Barbara Film Festival Lineup
Madu (courtesy SBIFF)
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Academy Announces Feature Films Eligible for Oscars for Animated, Documentary and International Feature Films
Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson present at the 95th Oscars®. ©A.M.P.A.S. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced feature films eligible for consideration in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature Film and International Feature Film categories for the 96th Academy Awards®.
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Thea Sharock’s Wicked Little Letters to Open 35th Palm Springs International Film Festival Lineup
Wicked Little Letters directed by Thea Sharock (courtesy Palm Springs International Film Festival) The U.S. Premiere of Wicked Little Letters directed by Thea Sharock will open the 35th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF).
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BREACH, NOSOTROS, and AFGHAN CYCLES Win Top Awards at 21st Brooklyn Film Festival
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Breach directed by Lorenzo Monti[/caption]
Breach directed by Lorenzo Monti picked up the coveted best of the fest Grand Chameleon Award, as well as Best Experimental Film at the Brooklyn Film Festival’s 21st edition: THRESHOLD, which wrapped on Sunday. Felipe Vara de Rey’s Nosotros won Best Narrative Feature and Sarah Menzies’ Afghan Cycles took home the award for Best Feature Documentary.
“It has been a wonderful festival. Everything we were hoping would happen, actually did,” said Marco Ursino, Brooklyn Film Festival Executive Director. “We envisioned this edition as a sanctuary where people of different backgrounds and cultures could have an honest and civilized conversation stimulated by 119 projects which, I feel, did bring back interest in politics and in the social condition of people who live so far away and yet experience the same things we are going through here in the U.S.”
This year’s festival was comprised of 119 features and shorts from 30 countries spread over six continents. The lineup included 19 world premieres, 21 USA bows, 37 east coast debuts and 30 first-time screenings in NYC.
2018 Brooklyn Film Festival Winners
GRAND CHAMELEON AWARD – BREACH by LORENZO MONTI [caption id="attachment_30004" align="aligncenter" width="1249"]
Nosotros[/caption]
Best Narrative Feature – NOSOTROS by FELIPE VARA DE REY
Best Documentary Feature – AFGHAN CYCLES by SARAH MENZIES
Best Short Documentary – GIVE by DAVID DE ROZAS
Best Narrative Short – COUNTERFEIT KUNKOO by REEMA SENGUPTA
Best Animation – LA MORT, PERE & FILS by PARONNAUD VINCENT and WALTGENWITZ DENIS
Best Experimental – BREACH by LORENZO MONTI
Best New Director – BROTHERS by BRAM SCHOUW
Best Brooklyn Project – ONE BEDROOM by DARIEN SILLS-EVANS
Spirit Awards
Feature Narrative – ICE CREAM by SABA RIAZI Feature Documentary – STREET FIGHTING MEN by ANDREW JAMES Short Documentary – CHRISANTO STREET by PALOMA MARTINEZ Short Narrative – BONOBO by ZOEL AESCHBACHER Experimental – GENESIS by ABTIN MOZAFARI Animation – LES ANIMAUX DOMESTIQUES by JEAN LECOINTREAudience Awards
Feature Narrative – ARE YOU GLAD I’M HERE by NOOR FAY GHARZEDDINE Feature Documentary – MY NAME IS PEDRO by LILLIAN LASALLE Short Documentary – DAVID’S VOICE by GRAHAM HILL Short Narrative – CASUALTIES by HOLLY VOGES Experimental – DUPPY by JUSTIN MORRIS Animation – HI-FIVE THE CACTUS by CHRISTOPHER THOMASCertificates of Outstanding Achievement
Producer – MICHAEL ANGELO ZERVOS & LUKE SHIROCK for TOMMY BATTLES THE SILVER SEA DRAGON Screenplay – Director/Writer MARINA MICHELSON for BIOPHILIA Cinematography – VLADIMIR EGOROV for FAITH Editing – ROMANY MALCO, JR. for PRISON LOGIC Style – WENDY MCCOLM for BIRDS WITHOUT FEATHERS Original Score – Composer SIMON TAUFIQUE for ARE YOU GLAD I’M HERE Actor Female – LAURA ESTERMAN for CAN HITLER HAPPEN HERE? Actor Male – ROMANY MALCO for PRISON LOGIC
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53rd Karlovy Vary IFF Announces Line-Up
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I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians[/caption]
Ten world and two international premieres will compete at this year’s 53rd Karlovy Vary IFF including the latest by leading Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude “I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians”, an original exploration of the subject of nationality and a nation coming to terms with the traumatic moments of its own past. Respected Argentinian director Ana Katz presents a mixture of subtle melancholy with light humor in her family drama Sueño Florianópolis, and we find a no less complex look at the question of male-female relationships in The Fireflies Are Gone, the story of a rebellious yet charismatic teenager directed by Canadian filmmaker Sébastien Pilote.
A harrowing performance by actor Caleb Landry Jones dominates Peter Brunner’s dark Austro-American drama To the Night. Two other filmmakers previously recognized at KVIFF present equally original though noticeably more poetic new films: the Russian director of the popular Zoology, Ivan Tverdovsky, presents Jumpman, while Israeli director Joseph Madmony is presenting his third premiere at KVIFF, the subtly moving drama Redemption, co-directed by cinematographer Boaz Y. Yakov.
Domestic cinema will be represented by Olmo Omerzu’s road movie about the force of boyhood friendship Winter Flies and by debut filmmaker Adam Sedlák’s claustrophobic minimalist study of the slow decline of body and mind, Domestique. Other debuts are from the Dominican Republic and Spain (Natalia Cabral and Oriol Estrada’s nuanced story of an adolescent girl, Miriam Lies), Poland (Paweł Maślona’s dark comedy Panic Attack) and Turkey (Ömür Atay’s moving drama Brothers). The selection, which spans a wide range of styles and genres, is rounded out by talented Slovenian director Sonja Prosenc’s poetic tale of female coming-of-age History of Love.
OFFICIAL SELECTION – COMPETITION
“Îmi este indiferent dacă în istorie vom intra ca barbari” / “I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians” / „Je mi jedno, že se zapíšeme do dějin jako barbaři“ Director: Radu Jude Romania, Czech Republic, France, Bulgaria, Germany, 2018, 140 min, World premiere A young artist is planning to reconstruct a historical event from 1941, during which the Romanian Army carried out ethnic cleansing on the Eastern Front. One of contemporary Europe’s most distinctive creators has come out with an ingeniously conceived film that – although the topic unfolds slowly and in detail – hits the viewer with a singular emotional punch. Atak paniki / Panic Attack / Panický záchvat Director: Paweł Maślona Poland, 2017, 100 min, International premiere In his blackly humorous debut, talented director Paweł Maślona has submitted a consummate answer to the question whether or not a panic attack can be translated into film language. Dramatic moments in the lives of several unfortunates living in contemporary Warsaw are here presented with refreshing playfulness and a singular knack for mixing the tragic and the comic. La disparition des lucioles / The Fireflies Are Gone / Mizející světlušky Director: Sébastien Pilote Canada, 2018, 96 min, World premiere The sleepy town where Léo lives doesn’t offer her much chance of self-fulfillment. Extricating herself from her mother’s influence and her constricting environment isn’t easy for the frustrated young woman, yet happiness might be close at hand. A stylistically precise, pop-impressionistic film about a girl’s quest to find out who she really is, featuring the captivating Karelle Tremblay in the lead role. Domestik / Domestique / Domestik Director: Adam Sedlák Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, 2018, 116 min, World premiere Top cyclist Roman has had enough of serving as a domestique, a bicycle racer who sacrifices for the team. And since strenuous training and a strict regimen don’t lead to the type of performance he longs for, he sets up an oxygen tent at home. His obsession with having a sports career, however, renders him oblivious to his wife Šarlota’s desire to have a baby. A claustrophobic drama on the utter breakdown of a marriage almost suffocated by a machine that oxygenates the blood. Geula / Redemption / Geula Director: Joseph Madmony, Boaz Yehonatan Yaakov Israel, 2018, 100 min, World premiere Being able to care for a gravely ill daughter is of the utmost importance to a loving father. The treatment which is to give the child a new chance at life is something the poorly paid widower simply can’t afford. The idea to start performing again with a rock band from his early days, however, sees the devout man confronting not only those around him but – above all – himself as well. Kardeşler / Brothers / Bratři Director: Ömür Atay Turkey, Germany, Bulgaria, 2017, 103 min, World premiere Seventeen-year-old Yusuf comes home after spending four years at a detention center. His return to the family circle freshly recalls the act that his loved ones, bound by rigid tradition, forced Yusuf to commit. Directed with an assured hand, this intimate debut concerns guilt and punishment and how difficult it is to choose between blood ties and tradition on the one hand, and what is morally right on the other. Miriam miente / Miriam Lies / Miriam lže Director: Oriol Estrada, Natalia Cabral Dominican Republic, Spain, 2018, 90 min, World premiere Shy girl Miriam is waiting to celebrate her 15th birthday and she wants to invite her guy. So far they’ve only chatted online, and the anticipated blind date only complicates things. A gentle picture about the uncertainties of growing up, girls’ competitiveness, and the demands of others, which can be confusing when you’re young. Podbrosy / Jumpman / Skokan Director: Ivan I. Tverdovskiy Russia, 2018, 86 min, International premiere Young Oksana put Denis in a baby box when he was an infant. Sixteen years later she steals him away from a children’s home, intent on making amends for her neglect. Denis, however, has no idea of the heavy price to be paid for his mother’s favour: the fragile boy has one unusual quality which Oksana has no qualms about exploiting. Sueño Florianópolis / Sueño Florianópolis / Cesta do Florianópolisu Director: Ana Katz Argentina, Brazil, France, 2018, 103 min, World premiere Lucrecia, Pedro, and their teenage kids Julian and Florencia set out from Buenos Aires one sweltering day in a rattletrap Renault to vacation in the Brazilian summer resort of Florianópolis. Renowned Argentinian director Ana Katz draws upon gentle humor and light melancholy to relate a tale of first love, past lovers, fateful encounters, and fleeting joys. To the Night / To the Night / Do noci Director: Peter Brunner Austria, USA, 2018, 102 min, World premiere As a child Norman survived a fire that took the rest of his family. As an adult he is still struggling with the resulting trauma, and he finds it difficult to start a new life with his girlfriend and little boy. An oppressive atmosphere, subtle hints, and spectacular images playing upon the subconscious – these are the primary attributes of this brutally intimate study of a wounded individual. Captivating Caleb Landry Jones excels in the main role. Všechno bude / Winter Flies / Všechno bude Director: Olmo Omerzu Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, Slovak Republic, 2018, 85 min, World premiere Mischievously self-assured Mára and somewhat eccentric Heduš set out into the frozen wastes in search of adventure – by car, naturally. After all, Mára’s turning fifteen soon. A road movie about the flies that occasionally buzz around even in winter, and a story – before it ends at the police station – that tells of the elusive bond of boyhood friendship and the irrepressible desire to experience something, even if you don’t exactly know what. Zgodovina ljubezni / History of Love / Příběh lásky Director: Sonja Prosenc Slovenia, Italy, Norway, 2018, 105 min, World premiere Seventeen-year-old Iva is in the process of coming to terms with the death of her mother. Influenced by this deep personal loss and by the discovery that she didn’t know everything about her mom, the girl slowly immerses herself into a strange, almost dreamlike world. Sonja Prosenc’s movie is dominated by a distinctive poetic that attacks the viewer’s senses, as well as by a narratively loose style and an ability to construct a story with the aid of the subtlest of suggestions.
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Brooklyn Film Festival Announces Lineup of Over 100 Films for 2018 Edition: THRESHOLD
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Birds Without Feathers[/caption]
The Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) today announced the film lineup for its 21st edition: THRESHOLD which kicks off on Friday, June 1st at returning venue: Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg. This year’s festival is comprised of approximately 125 features and shorts from 30 countries spread over all continents, except Antarctica. The lineup includes 19 world premieres, 21 USA bows, 37 east coast debuts and 30 first-time screenings in NYC. In addition to the feature narratives and documentary films highlighted in this release, the festival will present 36 short narrative films, 16 short documentary films, 25 animated films and 20 experimental films.
“Division, bigotry, the wall, Trump. WTF? But luckily, some great things usually come from bad times,” said Brooklyn Film Festival Executive Director Marco Ursino. “The Spanish Civil War gave us the Guernica; the NYC defaults in the 70’s gave us the best graffiti in the world. Even the Great Depression gave us swing dancing. It doesn’t matter how bad it looks, art always wins. In the middle of this undeniably appalling time in American history, Brooklyn Film Festival aims to amplify the voices of its films and filmmakers by shedding light, spreading love and celebrating diversity.”
https://vimeo.com/268424122
The festival will run from June 1 through June 10 at two main venues: Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg and Windmill Studios in Greenpoint. Additional programming will be presented on June 5 at Syndicated in Bushwick and on June 8 at UnionDocs in Williamsburg. On June 6 and 9, BFF will present a total of five shows at Made in NY Media Center by IFP in Dumbo, where it will also present the 14th annual kidsfilmfest on June 2.
https://vimeo.com/268439683
On June 4, BFF welcomes CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism with a block of short documentaries at the Alamo Theater in downtown Brooklyn. The evening starts at 6pm with a special presentation and mixer on the Alamo’s rooftop deck for filmmakers and audience members interested in learning more about the documentary program at CUNY. Showtime starts at 8:30 pm with a special screening of student work from CUNY followed by the block of short documentaries curated by BFF Short Doc Programmer Brandon Harrison. Stick around after the screening for the presentation of the inaugural CUNY Best Short Doc Award.
On June 9, the 7th annual BFF Exchange (BFFX) program will be hosted at Kickstarter in Greenpoint. Join us for an afternoon of informative and interesting panels of, by and for filmmakers. This year, the festival will host two discussion panels, Women Working “Below the Line” and Film Finance in the US and Latin America. BFF will continue the “Lunching with Lawyers” session and the ever-popular BFFX documentary pitch session. And in an effort to bridge the city of Brooklyn with Mexico, BFFX will feature as special guest Mexico City’s film commissioner Mauricio Aguinaco. All BFFX events are free of charge, but require an RSVP.
Below is a partial line-up of films from the Narrative and Documentary Features sections. To view the full film line up.
NARRATIVE FEATURES:
“Are You Glad I’m Here” – NEW YORK PREMIERE Dir. Noor Gharzeddine, Lebanon, 85 min. A millennial American girl befriends a Lebanese housewife and disrupts her ordered life; one night they become accidental partners-in crime. “Birds Without Feathers” – NEW YORK PREMIERE 2018 Slamdance Film Festival, Spirit Award Winner Dir. Wendy McColm, USA, 92 min. Unable to make a human connection, six broken individuals will give everything away in an attempt to receive love. “Brothers” – USA PREMIERE Dir. Bram Schouw, The Netherlands, 106 min. When Alexander suddenly leaves on a road trip to France, Lukas decides to join him as he’s been trailing his charismatic brother for his entire life. But during this journey he discovers that he finally has to go his own way, not knowing this decision would be so all-encompassing. “Can Hitler Happen Here?” Dir. Saskia Rifkin, USA, 74 min. Meddling neighbors, ambitious social-workers and real-estate vultures conspire to torment an eccentric old lady. Or maybe they’re just trying to help. “Golnesa” – EAST COAST PREMIERE Dir. Sattar Chamani Gol, Iran, 94 min. Golmammad and Golnesa, a young Afghan couple, are illegal immigrants who are working in a traditional brick making kiln in Iran. Following the events happening to them, their lives undergo changes. “Ice Cream” – WORLD PREMIERE Dir. Saba Riazi, Iran, 63 min. Maryam, a 30-year-old woman in Tehran, having lost her job and apartment, is forced to move in with her grandmother. She is trying hard to make things work and in doing so, she faces herself, eating ice-cream. This funny, semi-autobiographical film seamlessly combines animation and live action into a poetic meditation about identity and belonging. “Life is Fare” – WORLD PREMIERE Dir. Sephora Woldu, USA, 61 min. An experimental Tigrinya/English musical movie exploring three wildly different perspectives on the East African nation of Eritrea. “My Country” – EAST COAST PREMIERE 2017 Route 66 Film Festival Audience Award Winner Dir. Giancarlo Iannotta, USA/Italy, 78 min. Two brothers – one American, one Italian who’ve never met – take a road trip from Rome to the unknown picturesque region of Molise on a journey to spread the ashes of their late father in the small town where he was born. “Nosotros” Dir. Felipe Vara de Rey, Spain, 93 min. “Nosotros” follows a group of five friends during the weekend of the Spanish presidential election held in December 2015, probably the most important one in Spain’s recent history due to the deep political and financial crisis in Southern Europe. “One Bedroom” Dir. Darien Sills-Evans, USA, 83 min. Writer-director Darien Sills-Evans combines humor and drama to create a portrait of a relationship at the end of its journey. Set in a gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood, and told through vivid flashbacks, the audience is taken through the whirlwind tale of Melissa and Nate’s courtship. Melissa and Nate have been through a lot together, but sometimes Black Love gets broken. “Prison Logic” – NEW YORK PREMIERE Dir. Romany Malco, USA, 91 min. Released from prison and placed on probation, Tijuana Jackson sets out to fulfill his dream of becoming a world renowned motivational speaker but fails to comply with strict orders from his no-nonsense probation officer. “Room For Rent” – EAST COAST PREMIERE Chicago Comedy Film Festival, Best Feature Winner Dir. Matt Atkinson, Canada, 89 min. When a broke thirty-two year old ex-lottery winner (Mark Little, “Space Riders: Division Earth”) convinces his parents to rent their spare room to save from downsizing, a creepy stranger (Brett Gelman, “Lemon,” “Stranger Things”) with a hidden agenda moves in. Co-stars Mark McKinney (“Superstore”) and Stephnie Weir (“My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”). “Tommy Battles the Silver Sea Dragon” – EAST COAST PREMIERE 2018 Toronto International Spring of Horror and Fantasy Film Festival, Best Feature & Performance Winner Dir. Luke Shirock, USA, 110 min. When a man finds himself on trial in a courtroom haunted by his own demons, he must reckon with the guilt of his mother’s death before it destroys him and the one he loves. A musical film directed by and starring Luke Shirock.DOCUMENTARY FEATURES:
“Active Measures” – USA PREMIERE Fresh off its World Premiere at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival Dir. Jack Bryan, USA, 100 min. Relying on expert testimony and existing footage, “Active Measures” documents the surprisingly interconnected rise of two men, Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Features unprecedented access with interviews including Hillary Clinton, John McCain, James Woolsey, Michael McFaul and more. “Afghan Cycles” – EAST COAST PREMIERE Dir. Sarah Menzies, USA, 90 min. Following a new generation of young Afghan women cyclists, “Afghan Cycles” uses the bicycle to tell a story of women’s rights – human rights – and the struggles faced by Afghan women on a daily basis, from discrimination to abuse, to the oppressive silencing of their voices in all aspects of contemporary society. “My Name is Pedro” Dir. Lillian LaSalle, USA, 96 min. This film explores what public education meant to South Bronx Latino maverick educator, Pedro Santana, and what he, in turn, meant to public education. Infectious in his optimism, Santana becomes one of the most influential public school teachers and then administrators in the New York public school system after turning his troubled Bronx middle school, MS 391, around. “Nos Llaman Guerreras”/“They Call Us Warriors” – NEW YORK PREMIERE Dirs. Jennifer Socorro, Edwin Corona Ramos & David Alonso, Venezuela, 81 min. After becoming undefeated champions of the South American Women Under-17 Championship and overcoming one of the worst social and economic environments for sports practicing, the Venezuelan team takes a chance to win the first World Cup for their country, having the chance to give a voice to women football in their country and perhaps in all of South America. “Street Fighting Men” – NEW YORK PREMIERE Dir. Andrew James, USA, 104 min. Facing dwindling public services, growing inequality and escalating violence, three Detroit men must fight to build something lasting for themselves and future generations. “The New Man” – INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Dir. Josh Appignanesi and Devorah Baum, United Kingdom, 96 min. A creative documentary about becoming a parent…and how to reconceive yourself. Fiction director Josh Appignanesi turns the camera on himself and his wife as they undergo the ordeal of becoming parents in the era of man-children and assisted reproduction. “Working in Protest” – NEW YORK PREMIERE Dir. Michael Galinsky & Suki Hawley, USA, 74 min. BFF alums Michael Hawley and Suki Galinsky (“Battle for Brooklyn”) have documented protests for over 30 years as observers rather than journalists or activists. Starting in North Carolina in 1987 and ending in DC in 2017, the film captures the discourse of modern political protest.