The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) running from January 1-11, 2016 in Palm Springs, California, announced its line-up of Premieres, New Voices/New Visions competition and Modern Masters.
“I am thrilled at the breadth and depth of this year’s program,” said Festival Artistic Director Helen du Toit. “While Modern Masters showcases such widely acclaimed filmmakers as as Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Barbara Kopple and Terence Davies, our New Voices/New Visions program is evidence that new masters are emerging around the world. The range of approaches is extraordinary. Highlights include Raam Reddy’s Thithi (India), which skillfully juggles myriad characters in a delightful low key comedy; Yorgos Zois’ Interruption (Greece), which challenges the audience with a complex and highly compelling narrative; and Maris Curran’s Five Nights in Maine (USA), featuring David Oyelowo’s nuanced and heartbreaking performance as a widower reconnecting with his estranged mother-in-law.”
Showcasing the diversity of international cinema, Festival premieres will include:
World premieres: 50 Days in the Desert (Luxembourg) directed by Fabrizio Maltese, Agnes (Germany/Belgium), the documentary Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age (US) featuring Alec Baldwin, Carol Channing, Dick Van Dyke, Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, The Carer (Hungary/UK), Going Going Gone (UK), Searchdog (US) and Set the Thames on Fire (UK).
North American premieres: Banat (Italy/Romania/Bulgaria/Macedonia), Death By Death (Belgium/France), A Decent Man (Switzerland), Departure (France/UK), Fly Away Solo (India/France), Interruption (Greece/Croatia), A Korean in Paris (South Korea/France), The Memory of Water (Chile/Spain/Argentina/Germany), Moor (Pakistan), On My Mother’s Side (Canada), Paradise Trips (Belgium/Croatia), Rosita (Denmark), Spy Time (Spain), Tanna (Australia/Vanuatu), Thithi (India/US/Canada), Utopians (Hong Kong) and When a Tree Falls (Spain).
U.S. premieres: 1944 (Estonia/Finland), 3000 Nights (Palestine/France/Jordan/Lebanon), Atomic Falafel (Israel/Germany/New Zealand), Belgian Rhapsody (Belgium), Beyond My Grandfather Allende (Chile/Mexico), Born to Dance (New Zealand), Closet Monster (Canada), Enclave (Serbia/Germany), The Endless River (South Africa/France), Endorphine (Canada), Exotica, Erotica, Etc. (France), Fire Song (Canada), Five Nights in Maine (US), A Heavy Heart (Germany), Home Care (Czech Republic/Slovakia), Let Them Come (Algeria/France), My Big Night (Spain), My Internship in Canada (Canada), The Other Side (Italy/France), Our Everyday Life (Bosnia, Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia), The Paradise Suite (Netherlands/Sweden/Bulgaria), Parched (India/US/UK), Parisienne (France), Sabali (Canada), Sleeping Giant (Canada), Summer Solstice (Poland/Germany), Trap (Philippines), The Violin Teacher (Brazil), Wedding Doll (Israel) and Zubaan (India).
The New Voices/New Visions competition showcases 12 US premieres from top emerging international directors marking their feature film debut at the Festival, with the additional criteria that the films selected are currently without U.S. distribution.
Films selected for this year include:
Banat (Italy/Romania/Bulgaria/Macedonia), Director Adriano Valerio
Death By Death (Belgium/France), Director Xavier Seron
Departure (UK/France), Director Andrew Steggall
Five Nights in Maine (US), Director Maris Curran and starring David Oyelowo
A Heavy Heart (Germany), Director Thomas Stuber
Home Care (Czech Republic/Slovakia), Director Slávek Horák
Interruption (Greece/Croatia), Director Yorgos Zois
Let Them Come (Algeria/France), Director Salem Brahimi
Our Everyday Life (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia), Director Ines Tanovic
Paradise Trips (Belgium/Croatia), Director Raf Reyntjens
Sleeping Giant (Canada), Director Andrew Cividino
Thithi (India/US), Director Raam Reddy
The Modern Masters section features 10 films from international directors who set the standards for contemporary cinema. Films selected for this year include:
Cemetery Of Splendour (Thailand/UK), Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Dheepan (France), Director Jacques Audiard
Miss Sharon Jones! (US), Director Barbara Kopple
Mountains May Depart (China/France/Japan), Director Jia Zhangke
My Golden Days (France), Director Arnaud Desplechin
My Mother (Italy/France), Director Nanni Moretti
Our Little Sister (Japan), Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
Sunset Song (UK/Luxembourg), Director Terence Davies
Sweet Bean (Japan), Director Naomi Kawase
Women He’s Undressed (Australia), Director Gillian Armstrong
Other Festival films with notable talent and directors include:
45 Years (UK) directed by Andrew Haigh and starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay,
Anomalisa (US) directed by Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman with the voices of David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh,
Chronic (Mexico/France) starring Tim Roth,
Closet Monster (Canada) with Connor Jessup and Isabella Rossellini,
Eisenstein in Guanajuato (Netherlands/Mexico/Finland/Belgium/France) directed by Peter Greenaway, February (US/Canada) starring Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts,
Hello, My Name is Doris (US) starring Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs and Stephen Root,
Hitchcock/Truffaut (France/US) directed by Kent Jones and featuring Peter Bogdanovich, David Fincher and Richard Linklater,
The Invitation (US) starring Logan Marshall-Green and Michiel Huisman,
The Lady in the Van (UK) directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent and James Corden, (pictured above)
Louder Than Bombs (USA) starring Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Byrne and Isabelle Huppert,
Men & Chicken (Denmark) starring Mads Mikkelsen,
Papa (Cuba) directed by Bob Yari and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Joely Richardson and Minka Kelly,
A Perfect Day (Spain) starring Benicio del Toro, Tim Robbins and Olga Kurylenko,
The Seventh Fire (US) executive produced by Terrence Malick, Natalie Portman and Chris Eyre, and
Where to Invade Next (US) directed by Michael Moore.EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO
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Palm Springs International Film Festival Announces Complete Line-up of Premieres, New Voices/New Visions Competition and Modern Masters
The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) running from January 1-11, 2016 in Palm Springs, California, announced its line-up of Premieres, New Voices/New Visions competition and Modern Masters.
“I am thrilled at the breadth and depth of this year’s program,” said Festival Artistic Director Helen du Toit. “While Modern Masters showcases such widely acclaimed filmmakers as as Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Barbara Kopple and Terence Davies, our New Voices/New Visions program is evidence that new masters are emerging around the world. The range of approaches is extraordinary. Highlights include Raam Reddy’s Thithi (India), which skillfully juggles myriad characters in a delightful low key comedy; Yorgos Zois’ Interruption (Greece), which challenges the audience with a complex and highly compelling narrative; and Maris Curran’s Five Nights in Maine (USA), featuring David Oyelowo’s nuanced and heartbreaking performance as a widower reconnecting with his estranged mother-in-law.”
Showcasing the diversity of international cinema, Festival premieres will include:
World premieres: 50 Days in the Desert (Luxembourg) directed by Fabrizio Maltese, Agnes (Germany/Belgium), the documentary Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age (US) featuring Alec Baldwin, Carol Channing, Dick Van Dyke, Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, The Carer (Hungary/UK), Going Going Gone (UK), Searchdog (US) and Set the Thames on Fire (UK).
North American premieres: Banat (Italy/Romania/Bulgaria/Macedonia), Death By Death (Belgium/France), A Decent Man (Switzerland), Departure (France/UK), Fly Away Solo (India/France), Interruption (Greece/Croatia), A Korean in Paris (South Korea/France), The Memory of Water (Chile/Spain/Argentina/Germany), Moor (Pakistan), On My Mother’s Side (Canada), Paradise Trips (Belgium/Croatia), Rosita (Denmark), Spy Time (Spain), Tanna (Australia/Vanuatu), Thithi (India/US/Canada), Utopians (Hong Kong) and When a Tree Falls (Spain).
U.S. premieres: 1944 (Estonia/Finland), 3000 Nights (Palestine/France/Jordan/Lebanon), Atomic Falafel (Israel/Germany/New Zealand), Belgian Rhapsody (Belgium), Beyond My Grandfather Allende (Chile/Mexico), Born to Dance (New Zealand), Closet Monster (Canada), Enclave (Serbia/Germany), The Endless River (South Africa/France), Endorphine (Canada), Exotica, Erotica, Etc. (France), Fire Song (Canada), Five Nights in Maine (US), A Heavy Heart (Germany), Home Care (Czech Republic/Slovakia), Let Them Come (Algeria/France), My Big Night (Spain), My Internship in Canada (Canada), The Other Side (Italy/France), Our Everyday Life (Bosnia, Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia), The Paradise Suite (Netherlands/Sweden/Bulgaria), Parched (India/US/UK), Parisienne (France), Sabali (Canada), Sleeping Giant (Canada), Summer Solstice (Poland/Germany), Trap (Philippines), The Violin Teacher (Brazil), Wedding Doll (Israel) and Zubaan (India).
The New Voices/New Visions competition showcases 12 US premieres from top emerging international directors marking their feature film debut at the Festival, with the additional criteria that the films selected are currently without U.S. distribution.
Films selected for this year include:
Banat (Italy/Romania/Bulgaria/Macedonia), Director Adriano Valerio
Death By Death (Belgium/France), Director Xavier Seron
Departure (UK/France), Director Andrew Steggall
Five Nights in Maine (US), Director Maris Curran and starring David Oyelowo
A Heavy Heart (Germany), Director Thomas Stuber
Home Care (Czech Republic/Slovakia), Director Slávek Horák
Interruption (Greece/Croatia), Director Yorgos Zois
Let Them Come (Algeria/France), Director Salem Brahimi
Our Everyday Life (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia), Director Ines Tanovic
Paradise Trips (Belgium/Croatia), Director Raf Reyntjens
Sleeping Giant (Canada), Director Andrew Cividino
Thithi (India/US), Director Raam Reddy
The Modern Masters section features 10 films from international directors who set the standards for contemporary cinema. Films selected for this year include:
Cemetery Of Splendour (Thailand/UK), Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Dheepan (France), Director Jacques Audiard
Miss Sharon Jones! (US), Director Barbara Kopple
Mountains May Depart (China/France/Japan), Director Jia Zhangke
My Golden Days (France), Director Arnaud Desplechin
My Mother (Italy/France), Director Nanni Moretti
Our Little Sister (Japan), Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
Sunset Song (UK/Luxembourg), Director Terence Davies
Sweet Bean (Japan), Director Naomi Kawase
Women He’s Undressed (Australia), Director Gillian Armstrong
Other Festival films with notable talent and directors include:
45 Years (UK) directed by Andrew Haigh and starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay,
Anomalisa (US) directed by Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman with the voices of David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh,
Chronic (Mexico/France) starring Tim Roth,
Closet Monster (Canada) with Connor Jessup and Isabella Rossellini,
Eisenstein in Guanajuato (Netherlands/Mexico/Finland/Belgium/France) directed by Peter Greenaway, February (US/Canada) starring Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts,
Hello, My Name is Doris (US) starring Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs and Stephen Root,
Hitchcock/Truffaut (France/US) directed by Kent Jones and featuring Peter Bogdanovich, David Fincher and Richard Linklater,
The Invitation (US) starring Logan Marshall-Green and Michiel Huisman,
The Lady in the Van (UK) directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent and James Corden, (pictured above)
Louder Than Bombs (USA) starring Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Byrne and Isabelle Huppert,
Men & Chicken (Denmark) starring Mads Mikkelsen,
Papa (Cuba) directed by Bob Yari and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Joely Richardson and Minka Kelly,
A Perfect Day (Spain) starring Benicio del Toro, Tim Robbins and Olga Kurylenko,
The Seventh Fire (US) executive produced by Terrence Malick, Natalie Portman and Chris Eyre, and
Where to Invade Next (US) directed by Michael Moore.
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2015 Virginia Film Festival Unveils Lineup, to Open with Hank Williams Film I SAW THE LIGHT

The Virginia Film Festival returns to Charlottesville for its 28th year from November 5 to 8, 2015. Opening the 2015 Virginia Film Festival will be I Saw the Light, the Hank Williams film from director Marc Abraham that chronicles the country music legend’s meteoric rise to fame and its tragic consequences on a life cut short at the age of only 29.
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27th NewFest Unveils Lineup, Opens with EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO
The 27th NewFest will run October 22 to 27 at the newly renovated Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas, and today announced the lineup of nearly 100 LGBT films around the world. Opening night is the New York premiere of legendary filmmaker Peter Greenaway’s EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO (pictured above), a visually stunning, sexually explicit celebration of pioneering Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein’s gay coming of age during a trip to Mexico in the 1930s. The cinematic masterpiece, which had its world premiere to wide acclaim at the Berlinale this year, has been hailed as one of the finest films of Greenaway’s long, illustrious career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb364B6u1XE
Closing out the NewFest festival on the 27th is Alexandra-Therese Keining’s GIRLS LOST, a thrilling story about three bullied girls who are drawn into a wild and chaotic journey when they find a magical plant whose nectar temporarily transforms them into boys. Fresh off its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim, Kreining’s bold and stylish coming-of-age tale is a fascinating exploration of sexuality, identity and desire across the LGBT spectrum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-eU4B-fnc4
This year also features Centerpiece film CAROL, Todd Haynes’ highly-anticipated and award-winning lesbian romance starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara which won the 2015 Cannes Best Actress award for Blanchett, as well as the Queer Palm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4z7Px68ywk
Other narrative highlights this year include the New York premiere of Matt Sobel’s chilling and suspenseful thriller TAKE ME TO THE RIVER, starring Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Richard Schiff and Josh Hamilton; the New York premiere of Mika Kaurismäki’s sumptuous period piece THE GIRL KING, about the rise and fall of Sweden’s lesbian Queen Christina; the 2015 Sundance World-Cinema Directing Award-winner THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE; and FOURTH MAN OUT, a hilarious and heartwarming twist on the coming-out genre starring Evan Todd, Chord Overstreet (GLEE) and Kate Flannery (THE OFFICE) that won the Audience Award for Dramatic Feature Film at this year’s Outfest Los Angeles.
Another major highlight of this year’s event is the world premiere of Executive Producer Eve Ensler and Katherine Fishers’ upcoming HER STORY, a web series written by transgender activist Jen Richards (I AM CAIT) and writer/actor Laura Zak (#HASHTAG) and directed by Sydney Freeland (DRUNKTOWN’S FINEST), focusing on the dating lives of Trans women in Los Angeles, followed by a panel about the series. Also featured is a SAG-AFTRA panel discussion on the evolution of transgender representation in film and television, to be moderated by trans activist Tiq Milan.
While the mainstream media seemingly embraced trans identities and lives this year, NewFest has set out to dig deeper, looking for fresh stories and unique characters. Highlights include LA VISITA (THE GUEST), a beautiful Chilean drama featuring a breakout lead performance by trans actress Daniela Vega; the documentary PEACE OF MIND about well-known transmale artist and activist Flo McGarrell’s untimely death during the 2010 Haiti Earthquake; and a TRANS SHORTS program featuring the acclaimed shorts A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE and Cheryl Dunye’s BLACK IS BLUE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d4RmIL1uMs
Two additional trans documentary programs, TREASURE: FROM TRAGEDY TO TRANS JUSTICE, MAPPING A DETROIT STORY, and the 25th anniversary screening of the rarely-seen documentaries THE SALT MINES and THE TRANSFORMATION offer a chance for audiences to reflect on how much work still needs to be done to protect and empower trans people of color.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYdx6SH-mSc
Other special events include a can’t-miss Master Class with acclaimed filmmaker Ira Sachs (LOVE IS STRANGE, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON) who will sit for an illuminating discussion about the joys and challenges of being a queer filmmaker, as well as a panel on “The Renaissance of Women In Entertainment,” moderated by New York Women In Film & Television’s Executive Director Terry Lawler.
And because NewFest lands one week before Halloween this year, the festival will present its first ever Queer Horror Night aimed at LGBT horror fanatics, featuring three terrifying tales: Jorge Torres-Torres’ SISTERS OF THE PLAGUE, Jim Hansen’s YOU’RE KILLING ME, and Marçal Forés’ EVERLASTING LOVE, which won the Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature at Outfest LA this year.
Olympic champion Greg Louganis will be on hand for a special screening and discussion of HBO’s BACK ON BOARD: GREG LOUGANIS, while other notable faces and names in this year’s festival films include: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler, Bette Davis, Mae West, Chord Overstreet, Kate Flannery, John Waters, Rose Troche, Stacie Passon, Harmony Santana, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Clea Duvall, Josephine Decker, Drew Droege, Jack Plotnick, Chi Chi La Rue, Jeff Stryker, Amanda Lepore, Michael Musto, Zachary Quinto, Mike McCreedy, Carrie Brownstein, Patty Schemel, Macklemore, Shirley Manson, Janet Mock, Irm Hermann, Harry Baer, Lea DeLaria, Felicia “Snoop” Pearson, Casey Legler, Jen Richards and many more!
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2015 Chicago International Film Festival Reveals First 24 Films + Events incl. Cannes Winner DHEEPAN

The Chicago International Film Festival, revealed its first 24 films and several events to be featured at the 51st edition of the Festival taking place this October 15 to 29 2015. This initial lineup announcement includes the top prizewinner from the Cannes Film Festival, a look at what it takes to build one of the world’s greatest restaurants, a once-lost Sherlock Holmes film, a Guillermo del Toro-produced buddy movie, and breakout performances from Michael Caine, Cate Blanchett, and Sarah Silverman.


