Buckout Road, Danny Glover[/caption]
The Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) will feature several renowned special guests, including actor, producer and humanitarian, Danny Glover. Glover stars in the festival’s 2018 Closing Night film, Buckout Road, a horror thriller directed by Matthew Currie Holmes. The film also stars Henry Czerny, Evan Ross, and Dominque Provost-Chalkey. A special discussion will take place with Glover directly following the film’s screening which will be Sunday, April 29th at 5:15pm at the Byrd Theatre. Glover will also be presented with RIFF’s 2018 Legacy Award.
The 2018 festival will also welcome special guest Lee Aronsohn. Aronsohn is one of America’s most successful television writers and producers. He co-created the sitcom Two and a Half Men and wrote the original music for the series. Aronsohn also served as an executive producer, writer and director for The Big Bang Theory and has written for many other notable television shows, including The Love Boat, Who’s the Boss?, Murphy Brown, Grace Under Fire and Cybill.
On Thursday, April 26th at Bowtie Movieland from 6:30-8pm, Aronsohn will present his feature documentary film, 40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Band. This will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker about his experience making the film, his music and television background and a discussion on how the film and television industries have evolved into what they are today.
The Colorado-based legends, Magic Music Band, was started in 1969 and is dubbed as the state’s first “jam band.” Hailing from various cities around the United States, the group began as a merry troop of renegades whose brotherhood was eternally forged in the music they made that spread throughout the country. RIFF patrons are invited to wear 1970’s hippie attire to the film’s screening in celebration of the band and the unforgettable magic they brought to the 1970’s era.
RIFF brings London-based live music collective Ibibio Sound Machine to Richmond, Virginia in honor of the festival’s spirit to celebrate diverse perspectives, cultures and international music. The group will be performing at The National on Thursday, April 26th at 7:30pm with Rodney the Soul Singer Stith to open.
Ibibio Sound Machine was started by producers Max Grunhard, Leon Brichard and Benji Bouton, who were all enthusiasts of African grooves from the 1970s and ’80s. This trio began creating drum’n’bass tracks around the voice of the electrifying frontwoman Eno Williams. Their sound is inspired in equal measure by the golden era of West African funk and disco, post-punk, and modern electro.BUCKOUT ROAD
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Danny Glover, Lee Aronsohn Among Special Guests Featured at 2018 Richmond International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_27850" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Buckout Road, Danny Glover[/caption]
The Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) will feature several renowned special guests, including actor, producer and humanitarian, Danny Glover. Glover stars in the festival’s 2018 Closing Night film, Buckout Road, a horror thriller directed by Matthew Currie Holmes. The film also stars Henry Czerny, Evan Ross, and Dominque Provost-Chalkey. A special discussion will take place with Glover directly following the film’s screening which will be Sunday, April 29th at 5:15pm at the Byrd Theatre. Glover will also be presented with RIFF’s 2018 Legacy Award.
The 2018 festival will also welcome special guest Lee Aronsohn. Aronsohn is one of America’s most successful television writers and producers. He co-created the sitcom Two and a Half Men and wrote the original music for the series. Aronsohn also served as an executive producer, writer and director for The Big Bang Theory and has written for many other notable television shows, including The Love Boat, Who’s the Boss?, Murphy Brown, Grace Under Fire and Cybill.
On Thursday, April 26th at Bowtie Movieland from 6:30-8pm, Aronsohn will present his feature documentary film, 40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Band. This will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker about his experience making the film, his music and television background and a discussion on how the film and television industries have evolved into what they are today.
The Colorado-based legends, Magic Music Band, was started in 1969 and is dubbed as the state’s first “jam band.” Hailing from various cities around the United States, the group began as a merry troop of renegades whose brotherhood was eternally forged in the music they made that spread throughout the country. RIFF patrons are invited to wear 1970’s hippie attire to the film’s screening in celebration of the band and the unforgettable magic they brought to the 1970’s era.
RIFF brings London-based live music collective Ibibio Sound Machine to Richmond, Virginia in honor of the festival’s spirit to celebrate diverse perspectives, cultures and international music. The group will be performing at The National on Thursday, April 26th at 7:30pm with Rodney the Soul Singer Stith to open.
Ibibio Sound Machine was started by producers Max Grunhard, Leon Brichard and Benji Bouton, who were all enthusiasts of African grooves from the 1970s and ’80s. This trio began creating drum’n’bass tracks around the voice of the electrifying frontwoman Eno Williams. Their sound is inspired in equal measure by the golden era of West African funk and disco, post-punk, and modern electro.
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2018 Richmond International Film & Music Festival Unveils Lineup of Over 150 Films + Music + Panels
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ABOVE THE DROWNING SEA,[/caption]
The 2018 Richmond International Film & Music Festival brings a seven-day fest of more than 150 cutting edge award-winning films, plus up to 50 bands, panels, and daily events at various venues across Richmond, Virginia.
The seventh edition of the festival kicks off Monday, April 23rd with the Opening Night film, NONA. and concludes Sunday, April 29th with the annual Red Carpet Awards where prizes selected by the Grand Jury and audience will be awarded in various categories for all film, music, and writing categories.
NONA is a compelling narrative feature film written and directed by Michael Polish, which stars Kate Bosworth (also the Producer/Executive Producer), Sulem Calderon, and Jesy McKinney. NONA follows the harrowing path of a young Honduran girl from her home in San Pedro Sula, across four countries, into a living hell of servitude in a world of modern day sex slavery. Kate Bosworth and Michael Polish will be in attendance, and Bosworth will receive this year’s esteemed Founder’s Award for her work as a producer on the film. The Founder’s Award is given to the film and filmmaker that captures the heart and spirit of the festival – stories that reveal truths that are often untold or overlooked, and to those artists on the frontlines of creating necessary yet artful dialogue in their work.
Also in the spotlight are BUCKOUT ROAD, a horror thriller directed by Matthew Currie Holmes starring Danny Glover, Henry Czerny, Evan Ross, and Dominque Provost-Chalkey. The feature is a story of how a college class project on the creation and destruction of modern myth turns terrifying when a trio of young people come to realize the many evil urban legends surrounding New York State’s famed Buckout Road may, in fact be real.
ABOVE THE DROWNING SEA, a documentary feature about the dramatic escape of tens of thousands of Jewish refugees’ escape to Shanghai featuring Julianna Margulies, Tony Goldwyn, and Nick Mancuso. The film is directed by Rene Balcer who is also writer, executive producer, and co-creator of Law & Order. Balcer will present the film alongside co-executive producer Carolyn Balcer with an extensive Q&A discussion to follow.
DOUBLE TAKE directed by Jay Gard and a short crime mystery in the vein of HEAT, MEMENTO, and TRUE DETECTIVE. With a swiss-clock style plot, DOUBLE TAKE threads together two diamond heists with multiple twists and an intense interrogation between old enemies. The film stars Adrian Pasdar and David James Elliott.
THE BLACK GHIANDOLA, a narrative short starring J.K. Simmons, Johnny Depp, David Lynch, and Laura Dern. The film is produced by Tamika Lamison and the Make a Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization that grants children suffering with cancer their final wish to make a film. The film and foundation will receive a special honor at the 2018 festival.
DADDY, a documentary short that tells the story of youth basketball coach and drug trafficker, Curtis Malone. In 1993 Curtis founded the DC Assault, an AAU basketball team whose mission was to keep inner city boys off the streets by helping them earn college scholarships, and it included a hundred Division I student athletes and several NBA players. But on August 9th 2013, Curtis’ double life caught up with him. In addition to Curtis, the film includes interviews with the NBA players he raised, the DEA agents who investigated him, and the U.S. Attorney who prosecuted him.
DIMINUENDO, a sci-fi romance starring James Deen, Richard Hatch, Chloe Dykstra, Leah Cairns, Walter Koenig, Bryn Pryor, and more. When asked to direct the biopic of Cello Shea about his actress girlfriend who killed herself a decade ago, the has-been filmmaker Haskell Edwards becomes obsessed with the lifelike robot created to mimic her.
Also in the lineup is PERFECT BID: THE CONTESTANT WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, a feature documentary starring Ted Slauson, Bob Barker, Kevin Pollak, Drew Carey, and Holly Hallstrom. The film details Ted Slauson, a math teacher from Texas who spent the majority of his life memorizing the prize amounts on The Price Is Right. The documentary explores how Ted went from bidding to banned, and was involved in a Perfect Bid scandal that was covered in Esquire, Time Magazine & others. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of Ted’s most famous appearance on the show.
AYLA THE DAUGHTER OF WAR, this Turkish feature film set in 1950, is a story about the ravages of the Korean War as Sergeant Süleyman stumbles upon a a half-frozen little girl, with no parents and no help in sight. Frantic, scared and on the verge of death, this little girl captures the heart of Süleyman, who risks his own life to save her, smuggling her into his Army base and out of harms way. Ayla, almost effortlessly, brings an uncanny joy to the Turkish brigade in the grip of war.
THE RIBBON ON THE KITE, a narrative short by filmmaker Gianlorenzo Albertini that features a compelling look at PTSD through the eyes of Daerik, an army veteran who returns to his hometown after being discharged from the military. Now homeless and suffering from severe PTSD, he tries to drown out the painful memories of a mission in Afghanistan where his men were killed. In the meantime, Rebecca, a very young girl, attempts to find her brother who suddenly disappears after the war later finding that the homeless man living on the river bank nearby is her lost brother.
Music Performances
Bands to receive early acceptances to perform at the 2018 festival range from every major music genre and include: Marcaux (Brooklyn, NY), Sparky Quano (Japan), Giant Squids (Washington, D.C.), Zaxai (Brooklyn, NY), Ezra Vancil (Dallas, TX), Mariana Bell (Charlottesville, VA), The Fury MCs (Woodbridge, VA), Gabriel Mayers (Brooklyn, NY), The Jacks (Newport Beach, CA), Friendly Mosquito (Tbilisi), Justin Gambino (Angleton, TX), Tahj Ace (Brooklyn, NY), Lucille Fris (Chicago, IL), Kendra Black (New York, NY). More acts and the full programming schedule to be announced mid-March. Music showcases take place nightly at various venues across Richmond.Additional Festival Honors
In 2018, RIFF celebrates the theme, “RISE.” In conjunction with the theme, the festival will honor some of the film and music industry’s rising female and African American talent through special spotlights and tributes during festival week.
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6 Films on Calgary International Film Festival Late Shows Series Lineup, ‘BITCH’ and More
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BITCH – Directed by Marianna Palka[/caption]
The Late Shows Series, known for presenting the darker, creepier side of Calgary International Film Festival will feature six films at this year’s festival.
“This year’s lineup is a mix of genres,” said Brenda Lieberman, the Calgary International Film Festival’s Programming Manager and Late Shows Programmer. “We’ll be screening everything from comedy to horror, crime, thriller, docu-drama, and just different levels of fun. These films all push boundaries in different ways, and we’re looking forward to unleashing them on our audience. Keep an eye on calgaryfilm.com for late additions too!”
2017 Calgary International Film Festival Late Shows Series
BITCH – Directed by Marianna Palka Lonely housewife Jill is transformed by her monotonous lifestyle in this strange tragic comedy from the United States. Actor Jason Ritter stars alongside Marianna Palka, who multitasks as screenwriter and director. BUCKOUT ROAD – Directed by Matthew Currie Holmes (previously featured in our Alberta announcement) The first feature for this Calgarian director pays homage to the midnight movies of the ’80s while still freshening up its genre. FAKE BLOOD – Directed by Rob Grant Co-produced by local Calgary Film alumnus Mike Peterson (director of the 2017 short film selection CONSUME) and directed by Vancouver’s Rob Grant FAKE BLOOD is a compelling film that blurs the line between fiction and reality. LOWLIFE – Directed by Ryan Prows Three unlikely criminal allies must unite to save a pregnant woman in this wacky violent dark comedy. This first time feature took home the Silver Prize Audience Award and a special jury mention from the 2017 Fantasia Film Festival. THE MISANDRISTS – Directed by Bruce LaBruce Directed by Canadian filmmaker Bruce LaBruce (GERONTOPHILIA) this dark comedy was nominated for a Teddy for Best Feature Film at Berlinale and stars a cast of dynamic women, led by Susanne Sachße, Kita Updike, and Olivia Kundisch. TRAGEDY GIRLS – Directed by Tyler MacIntyre (previously featured in our Alberta announcement) In this dark satire from Alberta’s Tyler MacIntyre, two teen girls with a popular blog manipulate a local serial killer into doing their bidding.
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13 Films + Television Series with an Alberta Connection on 2017 Calgary International Film Festival Lineup
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SUCK IT UP[/caption]
The Calgary International Film Festival announced a full slate of 13 films and television series with an Alberta connection coming to the 2017 festival this fall.
Executive Director Steve Schroeder said, “One of the biggest goals of our festival is to celebrate local filmmaking talent. This year, the opportunities to do so were more abundant than ever. Approximately 25% of our programmed Canadian feature content is Albertan, representing 7% of our overall lineup. We want to showcase as much local content as possible.”
Several of the titles are part of special presentations and galas showcasing the local industry talent.
Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre will host a special presentation of NO ROADS IN on Wednesday, September 27, followed by a performance from the documentary subject, singer-songwriter Blake Reid and the Blake Reid Band.
The final Saturday of the festival will be a busy day, with a Showcase Alberta event featuring an interactive Q&A panel with the cast of the locally created WYNONNA EARP.
Meanwhile, SUCK IT UP, shot in Calgary and Invermere with local cast and crew, will be the Closing Gala film. In this locally funded feature, Ronnie (Grace Glowicki) lost her brother, and Faye (Erin Carter) lost her true love. These two best friends take a raucous mountain journey to cope with the loss of the man they both adored. A special three-course dinner is available before the film, which will be followed by a party at Workshop Kitchen + Culture.
GALAS & SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
SUCK IT UP Closing Gala at Theatre Junction GRAND Ronnie lost her brother, and Faye lost her true love. Ronnie turns to drinking, and when that escalates to dangerous levels, Faye decides to intervene and spirits them both away from their Calgary home to the family’s isolated mountain cottage in Invermere. A look at the bonds of friendship and the struggles that can test, stretch, and ultimately break them – or strengthen them. Director Jordan Canning and lead actor Erin Carter in attendance! NO ROADS IN Special Music on Screen Presentation at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre A musical journey through Alberta that celebrates music’s imperfections, and explores what is really important in music and life. Following the film, singer-songwriter Blake Reid and The Blake Reid Band will perform songs from the documentary in an immersive musical performance. SHOWCASE ALBERTA: UP CLOSE & INTERACTIVE WITH WYNONNA EARP Special Alberta Scene Presentation at Cineplex Eau Claire Are you an Earper? Get behind the scenes of Alberta’s hit series WYNONNA EARP at this special fan event. Show Runner Emily Andras, S24 Producer Jordy Randall and cast members Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna Earp), Tim Rozon (Doc Holliday), Katherine Barrell (Officer Haught) and Greg Lawson (Sheriff Nedley) in attendance!FEATURE FILMS & TV WITH ALBERTA CONNECTIONS
BIRTH OF A FAMILY Mary Jane, a survivor of the residential school system, lost four children during the 1960s – and in 2015, the siblings reunite for the first time, just outside of Calgary against the backdrop of Banff National Park. BUCKOUT ROAD A project about myths turns terrifying when a trio of students realizes that many of the legends around New York’s Buckout Road may be real. Calgarian Matthew Currie Holmes’ first feature pays homage to the midnight movies of the ’80s while still freshening up its genre. ENTANGLEMENT After an attempted suicide, Ben uncovers a family secret that leads him to Hanna – a woman who was once his adopted sister. ENTANGLEMENT is a dark comedy from the mind of Calgary screenwriter Jason Filiatrault. EVERFALL Eva Saint, a fallen figure skating phenom, skates for her life in this supernatural thriller from Calgary director John Kissack. EVERFALL was shot in and around Calgary with local cast and crew including writer Shaun Crawford, producer Jayson Therrien and actor Joe Perry. GREGOIRE Four young adults in Fort McMurray, AB, struggle to deal with the consequences of their actions and how it affects their friends and families. Shot in Fort McMurray before the 2016 wildfires, the first feature-length film from Alberta filmmaker Cody Bown is a dark coming-of-age story. ICE BLUE In this locally made thriller, a teenage girl’s life is turned upside down when her long-estranged mother returns to the family farm. The tense psychological thriller shot against the sweeping backdrop of Alberta’s foothills is the debut feature by local filmmaker Sandi Somers with a script by Calgarian Jason Long. MADE IN VIETNAM Follow along with Vietnamese-Calgarian director Thi Vo as he tries to track down his father, left behind long ago in Asia. At times breathtaking, at others emotionally staggering, Vo tells a story that transcends borders, generations, and cultures. TIN STAR EPISODE RELEASE Set in the majestic Canadian Rockies and starring Tim Roth and Christina Hendricks, TIN STAR tells the story of Jim Worth, a former British detective turned small town police chief. Filmed in and around Calgary with plenty of local cast and crew, the series holds the distinction of being the first series to use the Calgary Film Centre as a shooting location. TRAGEDY GIRLS In this dark satire from Alberta’s Tyler MacIntyre, two teen girls with a popular blog manipulate a local serial killer into doing their bidding. WALL Separation fence or apartheid wall? Calgary director Cam Christiansen and Sir David Hare experience life along the Israel/Palestine border in the world premiere of the first animated feature documentary produced by the National Film Board of Canada.