Coming to My Senses[/caption]
Miami Film Festival (MFF) unveiled seven new films nominated for the Festival’s second annual Zeno Mountain Award, and also featured in the Festival’s upcoming 35th anniversary edition to be held March 9 to 18, 2018.
The Zeno Mountain Award is a $5,000 cash prize established at Miami Film Festival’s 2017 edition and is funded by Miami-based Fringe Partners. The jury-selected award celebrates the diversity of abilities and disabilities, and seeks to reward a film of any length or genre in the Festival’s Official Selection which helps break down barriers to our understanding of people living with disabilities. The award is named after the non-profit Zeno Mountain Farm in Lincoln, Vermont and is inspired by the actors and filmmakers in the acclaimed 2016 documentary Becoming Bulletproof.
“The universal distinction of the three features and four short films that make up this year’s Zeno Mountain Award candidates is that they are all illuminating, wonderful films,’” said Festival director Jaie Laplante. “And all of them showcase unique characters who surprise and delight us with their zest for life.”
The seven films competing for this year’s Zeno Mountain Award are:
“Carry That Weight: A Rockumentary” (USA, directed by Brian J. Leitten). Documentary Short. Miami Beach Senior High professor Doug Burris lived with multiple sclerosis for 46 years and created the school’s renowned Rock Ensemble, which rocks on to this day.
Coming to My Senses (USA, directed by Dominic Gill). Documentary Feature. In 1999, Aaron Baker broke his neck in a motocross accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, but now fights against the odds for some mobility as he pursues a dream of returning to some of the athletic endeavors that he has loved all his life.
High Expectations (Brazil, directed by Alvaro Campos and Pedro Antonio). Narrative Feature. Decio, a horse trainer at the Rio de Janeiro Jockey Club, falls in love with Lena, a café owner/artist. Decio’s dwarfism may work to his advantage as a jockey, but his no-limits romantic expectations create a more challenging situation. A hilarious romantic comedy, loosely based on the real life story of Brazilian stand-up comedian Gigante Leo, who plays Decio.
September (Guatemala/Mexico, directed by Kenneth Müller). Narrative Feature. Josue’s family was ripped apart by Guatemala’s brutal civil war when a terrorist attack on September 5, 1980 left his wife dead and his 3-month-old daughter Theresa deaf for life. As Theresa grows up and faces the challenges of connecting with the world around her while dealing with her adolescent hormones, she finds strength in her father’s unwavering love.
“Sexual Being” (Canada, directed by Paul Stavropoulos). Documentary Short. Two young adults with cerebral palsy reject societal notions of sexual desirability that exclude them. Toronto college business student Chandler stars in adult movies, and Los Angeles empath Meaghan makes experimental art films.
“Share The Same Madness” (USA, directed by Tim Richardson). Documentary Short. Dennis Hudson, an autistic Detroit teenager home-schooled in an orthodox Catholic household, discovers electronic dance music. EDM provides Dennis with a means to transcend isolation and find the community he needs to survive.
“Spoon Fed” (UK, directed by Nick Hatton Jones). Narrative Short. Restaurant critic Ellie (played by Lesley Sharp) joins a support group after she’s diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. As her condition worsens, hope arrives from an unexpected place.Coming to My Senses
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7 Films Nominated for Zeno Mountain Award at 2018 Miami Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_25474" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Coming to My Senses[/caption]
Miami Film Festival (MFF) unveiled seven new films nominated for the Festival’s second annual Zeno Mountain Award, and also featured in the Festival’s upcoming 35th anniversary edition to be held March 9 to 18, 2018.
The Zeno Mountain Award is a $5,000 cash prize established at Miami Film Festival’s 2017 edition and is funded by Miami-based Fringe Partners. The jury-selected award celebrates the diversity of abilities and disabilities, and seeks to reward a film of any length or genre in the Festival’s Official Selection which helps break down barriers to our understanding of people living with disabilities. The award is named after the non-profit Zeno Mountain Farm in Lincoln, Vermont and is inspired by the actors and filmmakers in the acclaimed 2016 documentary Becoming Bulletproof.
“The universal distinction of the three features and four short films that make up this year’s Zeno Mountain Award candidates is that they are all illuminating, wonderful films,’” said Festival director Jaie Laplante. “And all of them showcase unique characters who surprise and delight us with their zest for life.”
The seven films competing for this year’s Zeno Mountain Award are:
“Carry That Weight: A Rockumentary” (USA, directed by Brian J. Leitten). Documentary Short. Miami Beach Senior High professor Doug Burris lived with multiple sclerosis for 46 years and created the school’s renowned Rock Ensemble, which rocks on to this day.
Coming to My Senses (USA, directed by Dominic Gill). Documentary Feature. In 1999, Aaron Baker broke his neck in a motocross accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, but now fights against the odds for some mobility as he pursues a dream of returning to some of the athletic endeavors that he has loved all his life.
High Expectations (Brazil, directed by Alvaro Campos and Pedro Antonio). Narrative Feature. Decio, a horse trainer at the Rio de Janeiro Jockey Club, falls in love with Lena, a café owner/artist. Decio’s dwarfism may work to his advantage as a jockey, but his no-limits romantic expectations create a more challenging situation. A hilarious romantic comedy, loosely based on the real life story of Brazilian stand-up comedian Gigante Leo, who plays Decio.
September (Guatemala/Mexico, directed by Kenneth Müller). Narrative Feature. Josue’s family was ripped apart by Guatemala’s brutal civil war when a terrorist attack on September 5, 1980 left his wife dead and his 3-month-old daughter Theresa deaf for life. As Theresa grows up and faces the challenges of connecting with the world around her while dealing with her adolescent hormones, she finds strength in her father’s unwavering love.
“Sexual Being” (Canada, directed by Paul Stavropoulos). Documentary Short. Two young adults with cerebral palsy reject societal notions of sexual desirability that exclude them. Toronto college business student Chandler stars in adult movies, and Los Angeles empath Meaghan makes experimental art films.
“Share The Same Madness” (USA, directed by Tim Richardson). Documentary Short. Dennis Hudson, an autistic Detroit teenager home-schooled in an orthodox Catholic household, discovers electronic dance music. EDM provides Dennis with a means to transcend isolation and find the community he needs to survive.
“Spoon Fed” (UK, directed by Nick Hatton Jones). Narrative Short. Restaurant critic Ellie (played by Lesley Sharp) joins a support group after she’s diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. As her condition worsens, hope arrives from an unexpected place.
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Austin Film Festival Announces 2017 Audience Award Winners . COMING TO MY SENSES Wins Courage Award
[caption id="attachment_25474" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Coming to My Senses[/caption]
The Austin Film Festival announced its 2017 Hiscox Audience and Courage Award Winners. The 2017 Hiscox Courage Award went to Coming to My Senses, directed by Dominic Gill. Coming to My Senses is a documentary feature that follows Aaron Baker, a man who faces insurmountable odds and learns to walk again after breaking his neck in a motocross accident, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. Voted on by the audience, the Hiscox Courage Award is presented to the work that best embodies the virtue of courage and to the filmmaker who best embraced the risk to share the story.
2017 Austin Film Festival Hiscox Audience Award winners
Narrative Feature: Beauty Mark, written by Harris Doran Documentary Feature (tie): Transformer, directed by Michael Del Monte Documentary Feature (tie): Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End, directed by Pablo Bryant Dark Matters Feature: The Landing, written by David Dodson and Mark Dodson Comedy Vanguard Feature: Don’t Talk to Irene, written by Pat Mills Narrative Short: So Much Yellow, written by Erica Milsom Documentary Short: So Damn Glad, directed by Justin Lubke Animated Short: Negative Space, written by Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata Narrative Student Short: Towards the Sun, written by Elie Choufany and Monica Santis Scripted Digital Series: Cleaner Daze, created by Tess Sweet and Daniel Gambelin Marquee Feature: Mudbound, written by Dee Rees and Virgil Williams Marquee Television: The Deuce (S1E08: “My Name is Ruby”), written by George Pelecanos and David Simon
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Austin Film Festival Announces 2017 Film Lineup, CHAPPAQUIDDICK to Close Fest
[caption id="attachment_24775" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Chappaquiddick[/caption]
The 24th Austin Film Festival (AFF) unveiled its lineup of feature films, and Chappaquiddick, a drama recounting Ted Kennedy’s infamous 1969 car accident resulting in the death of his campaign worker, will close out the Festival.
A staple of the Festival, AFF’s retrospective series this year will feature Philip D’Antoni’s 1973 drama The Seven-Ups presented by David Simon and George Pelecanos (The Deuce, The Wire), Jack Fisk’s 1981 film Raggedy Man—a tribute to Sam Shepard—presented by writer William D. Wittliff in partnership with the Wittliff Collections, and seminal 1987 action film Predator presented by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, The Nice Guys) who is currently working on the film’s reboot. Additionally, already announced Extraordinary Contribution to Film awardee Walter Hill will present his cult classic The Warriors.
In addition to the slate of 150+ films, AFF will present premieres and retrospectives of television programming, including the season 2 premiere of Hulu’s darkly comedic psychic drama Shut Eye , and the premiere of the Season Finale of HBO’s drama The Deuce.
Also confirmed to attend is Dan Rather, who will help present the World Premiere of the documentary Fail State, chronicling the rise of predatory for-profit colleges. Writer/producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, The Walking Dead) will also be in attendance for AFF’s screening of documentary Mankiller about barrier-breaking female Cherokee leader Wilma Mankiller.
Other World Premieres include Wild Honey (Francis Stokes’ comedy about a phone sex operator searching for love), Coming to My Senses (a documentary following a man’s journey to regain his mobility after an accident), and Transformer (chronicling the transition of world-renowned body builder Matt Kroczaelski into Janae after being outed as transgender). Making its US Premiere at AFF is comedy Don’t Talk to Irene, which also won AFF’s Comedy Screenplay Award in 2013. Written and directed by Pat Mills, Irene premiered this month at Toronto International Film Festival to a receptive audience.
Austin Film Festival also revealed today their full Screenwriters Conference schedule, which will take place the first four days of the Festival, October 26-29. The Conference features a roster of prominent screenwriters in film and television, including Kenneth Lonergan, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Noah Hawley, Courtney A. Kemp, Lindsay Doran, Misha Green, Michael Arndt, Mark Frost, Michael Green, Sarah Gubbins, Christopher Vogler, Scott Frank, Megan Amram, John August, Eric Heisserer, and many more
Austin Film Festival’s 2017 slate:
Marquee Features:
Lady Bird – Opening Night Film Writer/Director: Greta Gerwig The Current War – Centerpiece Film Writer: Michael Mitnick Director: Alfonso Gomez Chappaquiddick – Closing Night Film Writers: Taylor Allen, Andrew Logan Director: John Curran 24 Hours to Live Writers: Zach Dean, Jim McClain, Ron Mita Director: Brian Smrz 42 Grams Director: Jack C. Newell An Ordinary Man Writer/Director: Brad Silberling The Boy Downstairs Writer/Director: Sophie Brooks Blame Writers: Laurie Shephard, Quinn Shephard Director: Quinn Shephard Call Me By Your Name *REGIONAL PREMIERE Writers: James Ivory, Andre Aciman Director: Luca Guadagnino Darkest Hour *REGIONAL PREMIERE Writer: Anthony McCarten Director: Joe Wright Endings: The Good, the Bad, and the Insanely Great – The Movie Special Presentation by Michael Arndt Into the Night: Portraits of Life and Death Director: Helen Whitney Please Stand By Writer: Michael Golamco Director: Ben Lewin Permanent Writer/Director: Colette Burson Mansfield 66/67 Directors: P. David Ebersole, Todd Hughes Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri **REGIONAL PREMIERE Writer/Director: Martin McDonagh The Upside *REGIONAL PREMIERE Writers: Jon Hartmere Director: Neil BurgerMarquee-TV Programming
HBO’s The Deuce-Season Finale Writers: George Pelecanos, David Simon, Chris Yakaitis Director: Michelle MacLaren YouTube Red’s Do You Want to See a Dead Body? Creator: Rob Huebel Hulu’s Shut Eye Season 2 Premiere Episode: “We’re Not in Kansas Anymore” (Season Premiere) Executive Producer/Showrunner: John Shiban Executive Producers: Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein Writer: Amy Berg New Form Original Premieres Small Talk Creator: Becca Gleason Love Me Do Creator: Gaby Dunn Press Start Creators: Evan Beamer and Dave ChildsRetrospective Programming
Confessions of a Serial Killer (1985) – Presented by Mark Blair Writer/Director: Mark Blair Predator (1987) – Presented by Shane Black Writers: Jim Thomas, John Thomas Director: John McTiernan Raggedy Man (1981) – Presented by William D. Wittliff Writer: William D. Wittliff Director: Jack Fisk The Seven-Ups (1973) – Presented by George Pelecanos and David Simon Writers: Albert Ruben, Alexander Jacobs, Sonny Grosso Director: Philip D’Antoni The Warriors (1979) – Presented by Walter Hill Writers: Walter Hill, David Shaber, Sol Yurick (novel) Director: Walter HillNarrative Features:
Amanda and Jack Go Glamping Writer/Director: Brandon Dickerson An American in Texas Writers: Anthony Pedone, Stephen Floyd Director: Anthony Pedone Beauty Mark Writer/Director: Harris Doran Cast: Laura Bell Bundy, Jeff Kober, Madison Iseman Bleed. Scream. Beat! Writers: Aldo Miyashiro, Ãrika Villalobos, Abril Cárdenas Director: Aldo Miyashiro Boost Writer/Director: Darren Curtis Dabka Writer/Director: Bryan Buckley Flock of Four Writer: Gregory Caruso, Michael Nader Director: Gregory Caruso Here We Are Writer/Director: David Bellarosa High & Outside: a baseball noir Writer: Dan O’Dair Director: Evald Johnson Hollow in the Land Writer/Director: Scooter Corkle In Blue Writers: Jan-Willem den Bok & Jaap van Heusden Director: Jaap van Heusden Kafou Writers: Jasmuel Andri, Bruno Mourral, Gilbert Mirambeau Director: Bruno Mourral Logndagen Writer/Director: Yaghoob Keshavarz Sarkar Meerkat Moonship Writer/Director: Hanneke Schutte Quality Problems Writer/Director: Brooke Purdy Quest Writers: Santiago Rizzo & Darren Anderson Director: Santiago Rizzo Southern Tale Writer/Director: Tel Royal Space & Time Writer/Director: Shawn Gerrard Sun Dogs Writer: Jennifer Morrison Director: Anthony Tambakis Tenn Writer: Stacey Miller Director: James Franco House of Tomorrow Writer/Director: Peter Livolsi Time Trap Writer: Mark Dennis Directors: Mark Dennis, Ben FosterComedy Vanguard Features
Chasing the Blues Writer: Scott Smith, Kevin Guilfoile Director: Scott Smith Don’t Talk To Irene *US PREMIERE Writer/Director: Pat Mills Dr. Brinks & Dr. Brinks Writer: Josh Crockett, Jonathan Pappas Director: Josh Crockett The Great Unwashed Writer: Louis Fonseca, Nick Horseman Director: Louis Fonseca The Outdoorsman Writer: Ryan Gilmour Director: David Haskell Shop of Little Pleasures Writer: Julia Frick, Alice Frick Director: Julia Frick Wild Honey Writer/Director: Francis StokesDark Matters Features
Bodies Writer: Joseph Baker Director: Tom Large Bullitt County Writer/Director: David McCracken Freddy/Eddy Writer/Director: Tini Tüllmann Ruin Me Writer: Trysta A. Bissett, Preston DeFrancis Director: Preston DeFrancis The Landing Writers/Directors: David Dodson and Mark Dodson Touched Writer/Director: Karl R. HearneDocumentary Feature
Augie Director: James Keach Beauty and Ruin Writer/Director: Marc de Guerre Coming to My Senses Director: Dominic Gill Fail State *WORLD PREMIERE Writers: Alexander Shebanow, Regina Sobel, Nicholas Adams Director: Alexander Shebanow Mankiller *REGIONAL PREMIERE Writer: Valerie Red-horse Mohl, Gale Anne Hurd Director: Valerie Red-horse Mohl Mr. Fish: Cartooning From the Deep End Director: Pablo Bryant Shot in the Dark Director: Dustin Nakao Haider Transformer Writer/Director: Michael Del Monte Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace Writers: Rich Gentile, Eli Spielman, Bruce Johnson What Haunts Us Writer: Mark Monroe Director: Paige Goldberg TolmachFamily Series
Earth: One Amazing Day Writers: Frank Cottrell Boyce, Richard Dale, Geling Yan Directors: Richard Dale, Lixin Fan, Peter Webber Into the Who Knows! Writers: Micah Barber, Tony Faia