Genesis (Genèse) (2018)

  • Philippe Lesage’s Coming-of-Age Drama GENÈSE (GENESIS) Gets US Premiere at Film at Lincoln Center

    Pier-Luc Funk and Noee Abita in GENESE
    Pier-Luc Funk and Noee Abita in GENESE

    Genèse (Genesis), the second feature film from Canadian documentary filmmaker Philippe Lesage is a coming-of-age drama about three teenagers going through all the ups and downs of first love experiences. The film starring Noée Abita, Théodore Pellerin, Édouard Tremblay-Grenier, Pier-Luc Funk, Émilie Bierre, Maxime Dumontier and Paul Ahmarani, will make its US theatrical premiere on August 23 at at Film at Lincoln Center in New York City.

    Read more


  • 2019 New Directors/New Films Announces Lineup, Opens with CLEMENCY Starring Alfre Woodard

    Alfre Woodard and Alex Castillo appear in Clemency by Chinonye Chokwu
    Alfre Woodard and Alex Castillo appear in Clemency by Chinonye Chokwu

    This year’s lineup for the 48th annual New Directors/New Films (ND/NF), March 27 to April 7, will introduce 24 features and 11 short films to New York audiences, with 15 films directed or co-directed by women, and 11 works by first-time feature filmmakers.

    Read more


  • THE FAVOURITE and ROADS IN FEBRUARY Lead Vancouver Film Critics’ Circles’ Awards Nominations

    Roads in February (Les routes en février)
    Roads in February (Les routes en février)

    Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite leads all films in the Vancouver Film Critics Circle’s international section with six nominations, and Katherine Jerkovic’s Roads in February leads all films in the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circles’ Canadian section with six nominations.

    In the international section, Lanthimos’ delectable bodice ripper shares the Best Picture category with First Reformed, Paul Schrader’s pointed diagnosis of our ill-stricken times, and Alfonso Cuarón’s technically virtuosic and emotionally devastating Roma; Lanthimos, Schrader and Cuarón also assume their respective places in the Best Director category.

    Burning, Roma and Shoplifters are up for Best Foreign Language Film, while Free Solo, Minding the Gap and Won’t You Be my Neighbor? are nominated for Best Documentary.

    In the Canadian section, a wistful story about a young woman returning home to Uruguay after more than a decade away, Roads in February is nominated for Best Picture alongside Fausto, Andrea Bussmann’s loose adaptation of Goethe’s version of the Faust legend, and Edge of the Knife, co-directors Gwaai Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown’s 19th century epic, scripted entirely in two endangered Haida dialects (of which there are only 20-odd fluent speakers remaining). Jerkovic, Bussmann and Edenshaw and Haig-Brown are all nominated for Best Director, where they are joined by Philippe Lesage for Genesis.

    The Best Canadian Documentary nominees are ANTHROPOCENE: The Human Epoch, The Museum of Forgotten Triumphs, and What Is Democracy?

    2018 Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards Nominations – International

    Read more


  • AFI FEST 2018 World Cinema to Showcase 28 Foreign Films

    [caption id="attachment_29049" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]Capernaum by Nadine Labaki Capernaum[/caption] The World Cinema section of AFI FEST 2018 presented by Audi will showcase the most celebrated international films of the year and feature 28 titles from 27 countries.  The section includes seven official Best Foreign Language Film Oscar® submissions: CAPERNAUM (DIR Nadine Labaki), DOGMAN (DIR Matteo Garrone), “I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS” (DIR Radu Jude), NEVER LOOK AWAY (DIR Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck), SHOPLIFTERS (DIR Hirokazu Kore-eda), SUNSET (DIR László Nemes) and THE WILD PEAR TREE (DIR Nuri Bilge Ceylan). AFI FEST will also present the North American premiere of the first two episodes of MY BRILLIANT FRIEND as part of the section. Premiering on HBO November 18, the series is an adaptation of author Elena Ferrante’s celebrated international bestseller centered on the complicated friendship between two women across decades. AFI FEST takes place November 8–15, 2018, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and other events will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.

    WORLD CINEMA

    3 FACES (SE ROKH) – Jafar Panahi and Iranian actress Behnaz Jafari travel to a small village in northwest Iran to investigate the possible suicide of an aspiring young actress. Content to sit in the car while three generations of women examine their dual oppression, Panahi traverses moral and ideological pathways through rural Iran with trademark heart, charm and wit. DIR Jafar Panahi. SCR Jafar Panahi. CAST Behnaz Jafari, Marziyeh Rezaei, Narges Del Aram, Jafar Panahi, Maedeh Erteghaei. Iran AMATEURS (AMATÖRER) – When German investors show interest in building a superstore in the small town of Lafors, community leaders decide to create a promotional video. Turning to students for help, teenagers Aida and Dana begin filming — and the battle for the true image of Lafors is on. Director Gabriela Pichler returns to AFI FEST with a sharp, funny, youthful and complex drama about giving a voice to those most often unheard. DIR Gabriela Pichler. SCR Gabriela Pichler, Jonas Hassen Khemeri. CAST Zahraa Aldoujaili, Yara Aliadotter, Fredrik Dahl. Sweden ANGELS ARE MADE OF LIGHT – Filmed over three years, the latest documentary from James Longley follows students and teachers at a school in an old neighborhood of Kabul that is slowly rebuilding from past conflicts. Interweaving the modern history of Afghanistan with present-day portraits, the film offers an intimate and nuanced vision of a society living in the shadow of war. DIR James Longley. USA, Denmark, Norway ASH IS PUREST WHITE (JIANGHU ER NV) – Jia Zhang-ke returns to AFI FEST with his latest sprawling masterwork. Centering on the struggles of Qiao (played by Zhao Tao), a gangster’s girlfriend who spends five years in prison after getting caught up in a violent attack, ASH IS PUREST WHITE is a haunting, enigmatic portrait of individuals navigating China’s new “capitalism” at the dawn of the millennium. DIR Jia Zhang-ke. SCR Jia Zhang-ke. CAST Zhao Tao, Liao Fan, Xu Zheng. China, France BULBUL CAN SING – In Rima Das’ lyrical and quietly moving third feature, an independent girl, Bulbul, lives a typical teenage life in the Assam region of India. But when a cruel shaming by a group of local men balloons into a tragedy, Bulbul must learn how to deal with her awakening desires in a restrictive culture. DIR Rima Das. SCR Rima Das. CAST Arnali Das, Manoranjan Das, Bonita Thakuria, Pakija Begum. India CAPERNAUM (CAPHARNAÜM) – CAPERNAUM tells the story of Zain, a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the “crime” of giving him life. Zain journeys from gutsy, streetwise child to hardened 12-year-old “adult”: fleeing his abusive, negligent parents, surviving through his wits on the streets, and finally, seeking justice in a courtroom. DIR Nadine Labaki. SCR Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Kesrwany. CAST Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, Kawthar Al Haddad, Fadi Kamel Youssef, Cedra Izam, Alaa Chouchnieh, Nadine Labaki, Nour el Husseini, Elias Khoury. Lebanon DAUGHTER OF MINE (FIGLIA MIA) – 10-year-old Vittoria is a quiet girl whose uneventful Sardinian summer becomes upended when she discovers her birth mother is the town drunk, Angelica (Alba Rohrwacher). As Vittoria begins to split her time between Angelica and the more stable woman who raised her (Valeria Golino), she finds herself struggling with something deep and innate. DIR Laura Bispuri. SCR Francesca Manieri, Laura Bispuri. CAST Valeria Golino, Alba Rohrwacher, Sara Casu, Michele Carboni, Udo Kier. Italy, Germany, Switzerland DIAMANTINO – When Portuguese soccer god Diamantino blows a chance at World Cup glory, the disgraced footballer finds himself unwittingly tied up in conspiracies involving evil twin sisters, gender bending genetic experimentation, lesbian spies and far-right ultra-nationalists in delightfully sharp, future cult classic. DIR Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt. SCR Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt. CAST Carloto Cotta, Cleo Tavares, Anabela Moreira, Margarida Moreira, Carla Maciel, Filipe Vargas, Manuela Moura Guedes, Joana Barrios, Maria Leite. Portugal, France, Brazil DOGMAN – Matteo Garrone’s latest film is a gripping drama about Marcello, a gentle yet cowardly dog groomer who finds himself caught up in Italy’s criminal underworld. Marcello forms a dangerous, one-sided relationship with former boxer and cokehead Simone, who terrorizes the community. Before long, Marcello is part of his reckless antics. DOGMAN will screen at AFI FEST in partnership with Cinema Italian Style, an annual showcase of contemporary Italian cinema in Los Angeles. DOGMAN will be the opening night film of Cinema Italian Style. DIR Matteo Garrone. SCR Ugo Chiti, Maurizio Braucci, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso. CAST Marcello Fonte, Edoardo Pesce, Nunzia Schiano, Adamo Dionisi, Francesco Acquaroli. Italy, France FUGUE (FUGA) – Alicja suffers from memory loss and has rebuilt her own free-spirited way of life. Two years later, she returns to her family and unwillingly resumes her role as wife, mother and daughter. FUGUE evokes the social taboos around motherhood and the pressure on women to accept maternity without hesitation or reflection. DIR Agnieszka Smoczyńska. SCR Gabriela Muskała. CAST Gabriela Muskała, Łukasz Simlat, Iwo RajskiMałgorzata Buczkowska, Zbigniew Waleryś, Halina Rasiakówna, Piotr Skiba. Poland, Czech Republic, Sweden GENESIS (GENÈSE) – While Guillaume, an outwardly confident teenager in a posh boarding school, struggles with surprising new feelings of love and alienation, his older sister Charlotte navigates a thorny path of relationships with disappointing men in Québécois director Philippe Lesage’s detailed, incisive portrait of adolescent yearning. DIR Philippe Lesage. SCR Philippe Lesage. CAST Noée Abita, Théodore Pellerin, Jules Roy-Sicotte, Maxime Dumontier, Edouard Tremblay-Grenier, Emilie Bierre, Pier-Luc Funk, Vassili Schneider, Mylène Mackay. Canada HAPPY AS LAZZARO (LAZZARO FELICE) – In auteur Alice Rohrwacher’s stunning third feature, a simple young man named Lazzaro works with other unpaid laborers on an isolated estate in the Italian countryside. But when Lazzaro suffers an accident, HAPPY AS LAZZARO kicks into high gear as a work of fantastic time-jumping poetry and grounded social critique. DIR Alice Rohrwacher. SCR Alice Rohrwacher. CAST Adriano Tardiolo, Agnese Graziani, Alba Rohrwacher, Luca Chikovani, Tommaso Ragno, Sergi López, Natalino Balasso, Gala Othero Winter, David Bennent, Nicoletta Braschi. Italy HOTEL BY THE RIVER (GANGBYUN HOTEL) – A getaway destination along the frozen Han River is the setting for Hong Sang-soo’s latest, a simmering and melancholic family drama, lensed in stark black and white, about an aging poet facing mortality and his two competing sons who cross paths with a woman nursing the wounds of a scarring breakup. DIR Hong Sang-soo. SCR Hong Sang-soo. CAST Ki Joo-bong, Kim Min-hee, Song Seon-mi, Kwon Hae-hyo, Yu Jun-sang, Park Ran, Shin Seok-ho. South Korea “I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS” (ÎMI ESTE INDIFERENT DACA ÎN ISTORIE VOM INTRA CA BARBARI) – Mariana is a young, defiant artist mounting a theatrical production of the Odessa massacre, in which Romanian soldiers killed thousands of Ukrainian Jews. As she attempts to stage a realistic reenactment, to force her fellow Romanians to confront their sins of the past, she meets with stiff resistance from local powers. Radu Jude’s latest masterpiece is at once funny, uncomfortable and profound. DIR Radu Jude. SCR Radu Jude. CAST Ioana Iacob, Alexandru Dabija, Alex Bogdan. Romania, Czech Republic, France, Bulgaria, Germany MAYA – Mia Hansen-Løve reunites with Roman Kolinka for her sixth feature. As the French protagonist Gabriel, he travels to India after a traumatic stint of forced captivity and encounters the charming Maya. What takes shape is a subtle increase of silent attraction as the two explore his childhood home in this gentle film filled with yearning, wandering and rumination. DIR Mia Hansen-Løve. SCR Mia Hansen-Løve. CAST Roman Kolinka, Aarshi Banerjee, Alex Descas. France MY BRILLIANT FRIEND (L’AMICA GENIALE) – MY BRILLIANT FRIEND adapts the first book in Elena Ferrante’s renowned coming-of-age epic, beginning in 1950s Naples and spanning six decades. An unexpected phone call prompts Elena to reflect on her relationship with her brilliant friend Lila and the complexities of female friendship in a community replete with male violence. DIR Saverio Costanzo. SCR Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo. CAST Valentina Acca, Antonio Buonanno, Gennaro Canonico, Pina Di Gennaro, Sarah Falanga, Luca Gallone. Italy NEVER LOOK AWAY (WERK OHNE AUTOR) – Inspired by real events and spanning three eras of German history, NEVER LOOK AWAY tells the story of an art student Kurt, who falls in love with classmate Ellie. Ellie’s father, Professor Seeband, is dismayed at his daughter’s choice of boyfriend, and will stop at nothing to destroy the relationship. DIR Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. SCR Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. CAST Tom Schilling, Sebastian Koch, Paula Beer, Oliver Masucci Saskia Rosendahl. Germany, Italy NON-FICTION (DOUBLE VIES) – Olivier Assayas’ latest is a delightful, breezy comedy centering on a married couple (Juliette Binoche and Guillaume Canet) as they navigate the swiftly evolving landscape of the modern publishing industry, and the ever-thorny issue of monogamy (or lack thereof) in long-term relationships. DIR Olivier Assayas. SCR Olivier Assayas. CAST Guillaume Canet, Juliette Binoche, Vincent Macaigne. France OF FATHERS AND SONS – Award-winning documentarian Talal Derki gained the trust of a radical Islamist family in Syria and filmed their daily lives for two years. The result is OF FATHERS AND SONS, a jaw-dropping, intensely uninhibited look at young boys training as Jihadi fighters, and their Caliphate-obsessed father. DIR Talal Derki. Germany, Syria, Lebanon OUR TIME (NUESTRO TIEMPO) – Two-time AFI FEST alum Carlos Reygadas returns to the festival with an intensely personal project. OUR TIME tells the story of an upper-middle-class rancher (Reygadas) whose wife (played by Reygadas’ real-life spouse) draws him into a cuckolding fetish. As the emotional stakes rise, life on the idyllic landscape becomes threatened. DIR Carlos Reygadas. SCR Carlos Reygadas. CAST Carlos Reygadas, Natalia López, Eleazar Reygadas, Rut Reygadas, Phil Burgers. Mexico, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden PIG (KHOOK) – Past-his-prime filmmaker Hasan is having a crisis of ego. A serial killer is offing local filmmakers, and Hasan wants to know why he isn’t being targeted. In veteran filmmaker Mani Haghighi’s wonderfully bizarre dark comedy, the satire is heavy and hilarious, and gender stereotypes get smashed right and left. DIR Mani Haghighi. SCR Mani Haghighi. CAST Hasan Majuni, Leila Hatami, Leili Rashidi, Parinaz Izadyar, Mina Jafarzadeh, Aynaz Azarhoosh. Iran PUTIN’S WITNESSES (SVIDETELI PUTINA) – With PUTIN’S WITNESSES, Vitaly Mansky returns to footage he filmed when commissioned — and provided with unnervingly intimate access — on a propaganda film promoting Vladmir Putin’s first presidential election. In this captivating portrait, Mansky both chronicles the alarming ease of the dictator’s rise to power and examines his own complicity in his near two-decade rule. DIR Vitaly Mansky. SCR Vitaly Mansky. Latvia, Switzerland, Czech Republic SHOPLIFTERS (MANBIKI KAZOKU) – The winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, SHOPLIFTERS tells the tender story of a family of misfits and grifters struggling to make ends meet. After taking in a girl off the street, a sudden incident upends their lives and exposes their secrets. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda returns to the screen with a nuanced class critique, and a beautiful portrait of family life. DIR Hirokazu Koreeda. SCR Hirokazu Kore-eda. CAST Lily Franky, Sakura Ando, Jyo Kairi, Miyu Sasaki, Kiki Kirin. Japan SUNSET (NAPSZALLTA) – As World War I approaches, Irisz arrives in Budapest with the dream to work as a milliner at Leiter, a store once owned by her family. Her hopes dashed by the new proprietor, she discovers news that a previously unknown sibling may exist, and sets out to meet them. DIR László Nemes. SCR László Nemes, Clara Royer, Matthieu Taponier. CAST Juli Jakab, Vlad Ivanov, Evelin Dobos, Marcin Czarnik, Judit Bárdos, Benjamin Dino, Balázs Czukor, Christian Harting, Levente Molnár. Hungary, France TOO LATE TO DIE YOUNG (TARDE PARA MORIR JOVEN) – Sixteen-year-old Sofia navigates the usual pitfalls of her age against the unusual backdrop of a burgeoning utopian society in the Chilean jungle of the 1990s. A moody, atmospheric period piece, this third feature firmly establishes Sotomayor as one of today’s most original filmmakers. DIR Dominga Sotomayor. SCR Dominga Sotomayor. CAST Demian Hernández, Antar Machado, Magdalena Tótoro. Chile VISION – Juliette Binoche stars in Naomi Kawase’s latest, a meditative journey into the heart of Japan, and a mysterious portrait of one woman’s search for meaning. When Jeanne (Binoche) seeks a rare medicinal plant in the forested Nara region, her quest is aided by a ranger who helps to reveal painful fragments of her past. DIR Naomi Kawase. SCR Naomi Kawase. CAST Juliette Binoche, Masatoshi Nagase. Japan, France THE WILD PEAR TREE (AHLAT AGACI) – THE WILD PEAR TREE is a portrait of an ambitious young writer returning home after college. At once languid and rhapsodic, Palme d’Or winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s film is a profound and poetic look at a misspent youth grasping at a maturity that, once attained, is revealed to be the ultimate disappointment. DIR Nuri Bilge Ceylan. SCR Akin Aksu, Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan. CAST Aydin Doğu Demirkol, Murat Cemcir, Hazar Ergüçlü, Serkan Keskin, Tamer Levent, Akin Aksu, Öner Erkan, Ahmet Rifat Şungar, Kubilay Tunçer, Kadir Çermik, Özay Fecht, Ercüment Balakoğlu, Asena Keskinci. Turkey YARA – Yara lives alone with her grandmother on a remote Lebanese mountain-side. A farmer brings supplies, a tour guide assists with odd tasks and, lost on a hike, a charismatic young hiker happens upon Yara hanging her underwear. A gently paced romance, Abbas Fahdel’s YARA captures the elation of first love and the crushing pain of its loss. DIR Abbas Fahdel. SCR Abbas Fahdel. CAST Michelle Wehbe, Elias Freifer, Mary Alkady. Lebanon, Iraq, France

    Read more


  • 71st Locarno Festival Announces Complete Film Program Lineup, Jury + Tributes

    [caption id="attachment_30681" align="aligncenter" width="1023"]I FEEL GOOD by Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern I FEEL GOOD by Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern[/caption] The official program of the 71st edition of the Locarno Festival was announced at a press conference today, Wednesday July 11, 2018. The line-up for the official juries was also announced as were tributes to Wolf-Eckart Bühler, Pierre Rissient, Francis Reusser and Claude Lanzmann. The 71st Locarno Festival will take place from August 1 to 11, 2018. In the program introduction, Carlo Chatrian, Artistic director, notes “This year’s program also includes films that, instead of portraying the conflicts raging around the world, concentrate on private stories, while allowing the present to resonate like the echoes of a thunderstorm. Examples are Yara by Abbas Fahdel, who following his epic Homeland (Iraq Year Zero) has left the war zone to plunge into the Lebanese countryside; or the portrait which Ethan Hawke – Excellence Award 2018 – dedicates in the eponymous film to the musician BLAZE, conflicted but charming hero, a rebel against the system and a profoundly free spirit, fated for a tragic end. These are just two films that create a bond between the self and the world, between the details of an individual life and the universal truths revealed by their story. Another of their common traits is also found in many other titles: the courage shown by their protagonists when faced with an insurmountable obstacle. Perhaps that’s why these and so many other films this year simply take a name for their title (Diane, Alice T., M., Menocchio, Sibel, Ray & Liz, Siyabonga). It may well be a sign of renewed trust in film as an art form capable of telling the stories of men and women without filtering them through symbolism, proof that the human face may be back as the be-all and end-all of a film. If so, I should like to present this year’s program as a single, magnificent and very long portrait gallery of unique faces, disarming even when well aware of the artfulness of their fiction. From Stan Laurel to the young Israeli Menahem and his disturbing statements in M.; from Mae West’s opulence to the sublime beauty of Julio Bressane’s muse in Sedução da Carne; from the discreet charm of Ingrid Bergman to the appeal of Noée Abita in Genèse; from the madcap elegance of Irene Dunne to the disenchanted appeal of Mary Kay Place in Diane.”

    Official Juries

    The Jury of the Concorso internazionale

    President: Jia Zhang-ke, Filmmaker (China) Emmanuel Carrère, Writer (France) Sean Baker, Filmmaker (United States of America) Tizza Covi, Filmmaker (Italy/Austria) Isabella Ragonese, Actress (Italy)

    The Jury of the Concorso Cineasti del presente

    President: Andrei Ujică, Filmmaker (Romania) Ben Rivers, Filmmaker (United Kingdom) Lætitia Dosch, Actress (Switzerland/France)

    The Jury of the Pardi di domani

    President: Yann Gonzalez, Filmmaker (France) Deepak Rauniyar, Filmmaker (Nepal) Marta Mateus, Filmmaker (Portugal)

    The Jury of Signs of Life

    Emilie Bujès, Festival Director (Switzerland) Josh Siegel, Curator (United States of America) Tiziana Finzi, Curator (Italy)

    The Jury of the First Feature

    Funa Maduka, Creative and Acquisitions Executive (United States of America) Susan Vahabzadeh, Film Critic (Germany) Kieron Corless, Film Critic (United Kingdom)

    Piazza Grande

    BLACKKKLANSMAN by Spike Lee USA – 2018 – 135’ with John David Washington, Adam Driver, Topher Grace, Corey Hawkins, Laura Harrier, Ryan Eggold, Jaspar Pääkkönen, Ashlie Atkinson Production: Focus Features Swiss distributor: Universal Pictures International Switzerland BLAZE by Ethan Hawke USA – 2017 – 128’ with Ben Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Josh Hamilton, Charlie Sexton Production: Under the Influence Productions, Ansgar Media/Village Studios, Cinetic Media Swiss distributor: Look Now! Film Distribution International Premiere COINCOIN ET LES Z’INHUMAINS by Bruno Dumont France – 2018 – 4×52’ with Alane Delhaye, Bernard Pruvost, Philippe Jore, Julien Bodart, Christophe Verheeck, Alexia Depret, Lucy Caron, Marie-Josée Wlodarczack, Jason Cirot, Nicolas Leclaire, Priscilla Benoist Production: Taos Films Co-production: ARTE France Cinéma World Sales: Doc & Film International Swiss distributor: Praesens-Film World Premiere Closing Film I FEEL GOOD by Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern France – 2018 – 103’ with Jean Dujardin, Yolande Moreau Production: JD PROD, No Money Productions Co-production: ARTE France Cinéma, Hugar Prod World Sales: Wild Bunch Swiss distributor: Praesens-Film World Premiere LE VENT TOURNE by Bettina Oberli Switzerland/France – 2018 – 86’ with Mélanie Thierry, Pierre Deladonchamps, Nuno Lopes, Anastasia Shevtsova Production: Rita Productions Co-production: Silex Films World Sales: Be for Films Swiss distributor: Filmcoopi Zürich World Premiere Opening Film LES BEAUX ESPRITS by Vianney Lebasque France – 2017 – 93’ with Ahmed Sylla, Olivier Barthelemey, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Camélia Jordana Production: Monkey Pack Films, M.E.S Productions World Sales: SND Distribution Swiss distributor: Impuls Pictures World Premiere LIBERTY by Leo McCarey USA – 1929 – 23’ – Intertitles English with Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Tom Kennedy, Sam Lufkin, James Finlayson Production: Hal Roach Studios L’ORDRE DES MÉDECINS by David Roux France – 2018 – 93’ with Jérémie Renier, Marthe Keller, Zita Hanrot Production: ElianeAntoinette, Reboot Films World Sales: Pyramide International World Premiere, First Feature L’OSPITE by Duccio Chiarini Italy/Switzerland/France – 2018 – 94’ with Daniele Parisi, Silvia D’Amico, Anna Bellato, Thony ., Sergio Pierattini, Milvia Marigliano, Daniele Natali, Guglielmo Favilla Production: Mood Film Co-production: House on Fire, Cinédokké, Relief World Sales: Urban Distribution International Swiss distributor: First Hand Films World Premiere MAYNILA SA MGA KUKO NG LIWANAG (Manila in the Claws of Light) by Lino Brocka Philippines – 1975 – 126’ with Hilda Koronel, Bembol Roco, Lou Salvador Jr., Joonee Gamboa Production: Cinema Artists PÁJAROS DE VERANO (Birds of Passage) by Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra Colombia – 2018 – 125’ with Carmina Martinez, José Acosta, John Narváez, José Vicente Cotes, Juan Martinez, Natalia Reyes Production: Ciudad Lunar Bogota World Sales: Films Boutique Swiss distributor: trigon-film RUBEN BRANDT, COLLECTOR by Milorad Krstic Hungary – 2018 – 94’ with Gabriella Hámori Hámori, Iván Kamarás, Csaba “Kor” Márton Production: Ruben Brandt LLC. World Premiere, First Feature SE7EN by David Fincher USA – 1995 – 127’ with Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, John C. McGinley Production: Cecchi Gori Pictures, Juno Pix, New Line Cinema World Sales: Park Circus SEARCHING by Aneesh Chaganty USA – 2018 – 101’ with John Cho, Debra Messing, Joseph Lee, Michelle La, Sara Sohn Swiss distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Switzerland First Feature THE EQUALIZER 2 by Antoine Fuqua USA – 2018 – 121’ Swiss distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Switzerland with Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Jonathan Scarfe UN NEMICO CHE TI VUOLE BENE by Denis Rabaglia Italy/Switzerland – 2018 – 97’ with Denis Rabaglia, Diego Abatantuono, Antonio Folletto, Mirko Trovato, Sandra Milo, Roberto Ciufoli, Annabella Calabrese, Gisella Donadoni Production: Falkor Production Co-production: Turnus Film Swiss distributor: Filmcoopi Zürich World Premiere WAS UNS NICHT UMBRINGT by Sandra Nettelbeck Germany – 2018 – 110’ with August Zirner, Johanna Ter Steege, Barbara Auer, Oliver Broumis, Jenny Schily, Christian Berkel Production: Sommerhaus filmproduktion Co-production: Zdf, Cine Plus Filmpoduktion, RuhrsoundStudios World Sales: Beta Cinema World Premiere

    Concorso internazionale

    A FAMILY TOUR by YING Liang Taiwan/Hong Kong/Singapore/Malaysia – 2018 – 107’ with An Nai, Zhe Gong, Pete Teo, Xin Yue Tham Production: Taiwan Public Television Service, 90 Minutes Film Studio, Potocol, Shine Pictures World Sales: Golden Scene World Premiere A LAND IMAGINED by YEO Siew Hua Singapore/France/Netherlands – 2018 – 95’ with Peter Yu, Xiaoyi Liu, Luna Kwok, Jack Tan, Ishtiaque Zico Production: Akanga Film Asia, mm2 Entertainment, Films de Force Majeure, Volya Films World Premiere ALICE T. by Radu Muntean Romania/France/Sweden – 2018 – 105’ with Andra Guti, Mihaela Sîrbu, Cristine Hămbăşanu, Ela Ionescu, Bogdan Dumitrache Production: Multi Media Est Co-production: Les Film de l’apres-Midi, Chimney, Film i Väst World Sales: Films Boutique World Premiere DIANE by Kent Jones USA – 2018 – 94’ with Mary Kay Place, Jake Lacy, Andrea Martin, Estelle Parsons, Deirdre O’Connell, Joyce van Patten, Phyllis Somerville, Glynnis O’Connor Production: AgX, Sight Unseen Pictures World Sales: Visit Films International Premiere GANGBYUN HOTEL (Hotel by the River) by HONG Sangsoo South Korea – 2018 – 96’ with KI Joobong, KIM Minhee, SONG Seonmi, KWON Haehyo, YU Junsang Production: Jeonwonsa Film World Sales: Finecut World Premiere GENÈSE by Philippe Lesage Canada – 2018 – 130’ with Noée Abita, Théodore Pellerin, Édouard Tremblay-Grenier, Pier-Luc Funk, Émilie Bierre, Maxime Dumontier, Paul Ahmarani, Jules Roy Sicotte, Antoine Marchand-Gagnon Production: Productions l’unité centrale World Sales: Be For Films World Premiere GLAUBENBERG by Thomas Imbach Switzerland – 2018 – 115’ with Zsofia Körös, Francis Meier, Milan Peschel, Bettina Stucky, Morgane Ferru, Nikola Šošić, Ilayda Akdoğan, Gonca De Haas, Erol Afşin Production: Okofilm Productions World Premiere LA FLOR by Mariano Llinás Argentina – 2018 – 815’ with Elisa Carricajo, Pilar Gamboa, Valeria Correa, Laura Paredes Production: El Pampero Cine International Premiere M by Yolande Zauberman France – 2018 – 106’ with Menahem Lang Production: CG Cinema, Phobics World Premiere MENOCCHIO by Alberto Fasulo Italy/Romania – 2018 – 103’ with Marcello Martini Production: Nefertiti Film Co-production: RAI Cinema, Hai Hui Entertainment World Premiere RAY & LIZ by Richard Billingham United Kingdom – 2018 – 108’ with Ella Smith, Justin Salinger, Patrick Romer, Deirdre Kelly, Sam Gittins, Joshua Millard-Lloyd Production: Primitive Film World Sales: Luxbox World Premiere, First Feature SIBEL by Çağla Zencirci, Guillaume Giovanetti Turkey/France/Germany/Luxembourg – 2018 – 95’ Production: Les Films du Tambour Co-production: Riva Filmproduktion, Bidibul Productions, Mars Production, Reborn Production World Sales: Pyramide International World Premiere TARDE PARA MORIR JOVEN by Dominga Sotomayor Chile/Brazil/Argentina/Netherlands/Qatar – 2018 – 110’ with Demian Hernández, Antar Machado, Magdalena Tótoro, Matías Oviedo, Antonia Zegers, Alejandro Goic, Mercedes Mujica, Eyal Meyer, Gabriel Cañas, Andrés Aliaga Production: Cinestación, RT Features Co-production: Ruda Cine, Circe Films World Premiere WINTERMÄRCHEN by Jan Bonny Germany – 2018 – 125’ with Thomas Schubert, Ricarda Seifried, Jean-Luc Bubert Production: Heimatfilm World Premiere YARA by Abbas Fahdel Lebanon/Iraq/France – 2018 – 101’ with Michelle Wehbe, Elias Freifer, Mary Alkady, Elias Alkady, Charbel Alkady Production: Stalker Production World Premier

    Concorso Cineasti del presente

    ALLES IST GUT by Eva Trobisch Germany – 2018 – 93’ with Aenne Schwarz, Andreas Döhler, Hans Löw, Tilo Nest, Lisa Hagmeister, Lina Wendel Production: TRIMAFILM Co-production: Starhaus FilmproduktionInternational International Premiere, First Feature CEUX QUI TRAVAILLENT by Antoine Russbach Switzerland/Belgium – 2018 – 102’ with Olivier Gourmet, Adèle Bochatay, Delphine Bibet, Michel Voïta, Pauline Schneider Production: Box Productions Co-production: Novak Prod World Sales: Be For Films Swiss distributor: Outside the Box World Premiere, First Feature CHAOS by Sara Fattahi Austria/Syria/Lebanon/Qatar – 2018 – 100’ Production: Little Magnet Films World Premiere CLOSING TIME by Nicole Vögele Switzerland/Germany – 2018 – 116’ with KUO Chung-Shu, LIN Li-Jiao Production: Beauvoir Films Co-production: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg World Sales: Taskovski Films Swiss distributor: Xenix Filmdistribution World Premiere FAMILIA SUMERGIDA by María Alché Argentina/Brazil/Germany/Norway – 2018 – 91’ with Mercedes Morán, Marcelo Subiotto, Esteban Bigliardi, Diego Velazquez, Laila Maltz Production: Pasto Cine Co-production: Bubbles Project, Pandora Film Produktion, 4 1/2 World Premiere, First Feature FAUSTO by Andrea Bussmann Mexico/Canada – 2018 – 70’ with Victor Pueyo, Fernando Renjifo, Ziad Chakaroun, Alberto Núñez, Gabino Rodríguez World Premiere, First Feature HATZLILA (The Dive) by Yona Rozenkier Israel – 2018 – 90’ with Yoel Rozenkier, Micha Rozenkier, Yona Rozenkier, Claudia Dulitchi, Miki Marmor, Daniel Sabag, Shmuel Edelman Production: Gaudeamus Productions World Sales: Stray Dogs International Premiere, First Feature JIAO QU DE NIAO (Suburban Birds) by QIU Sheng China – 2018 – 118’ with LEE Mason, HUANG Lu Production: Chan Films Co-production: Flash Forward Entertainment World Sales: Luxbox, Flash Forward Entertainment International Premiere, First Feature L’ÉPOQUE by Matthieu Bareyre France – 2018 – 94’ Production: Artisans du Film Co-production: Alter Ego, ADF L’Atelier World Sales: BAC Films World Premiere, First Feature LIKEMEBACK by Leonardo Guerra Seràgnoli Italy/Croatia – 2018 – 80’ with Angela Fontana, Denise Tantucci, Blu Yoshimi, Goran Marković Production: Nightswim, Essentia, RAI Cinema, Indiana Production Co-production: Antitalent World Sales: Media Luna World Premiere NEBULA (DEAD HORSE NEBULA) by Tarık Aktaş Turkey – 2018 – 73’ with Barış Bilgi, Ali Beyazit, Ömer Bora, Serkan Aydın, Dilara Topuklular, Hasan Türker, Mümin Süren Production: Hay Film World Premiere, First Feature SIYABONGA (We are thankul) by Joshua Magor SouthAfrica/United Kingdom – 2018 – 93’ with Siyabonga Majola, Sabelo Khoza, Xolani Malinga, Percy Zulu, Amanda Ncube, Ntokozo Mkhize, Sibusiso Nzama, Luthando Ngcobo, Mancane Dlomo, Nkanyiso Ndumiso, Nonduh Zuma, Mondli Ndlovu, Joshua Magor Production: Other People World Sales: Other People World Premiere, First Feature SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS by Virgil Vernier France – 2018 – 98’ with Dewi Kunetz, Sandra Poitoux, Hugues Njiba-Mukuna, Bruck , Lilith Grasmug Production: Kazak Productions World Sales: mk2 Films World Premiere TEGNAP (Hier) by Bálint Kenyeres Hungary/Germany/France/Netherlands/Morocco/Sweden – 2018 – 119’ with Vlad Ivanov, Feodor Atkine, Jo Prestia, Rainer Kühn, Djemel Barek, Nadia Niazi, Amine Ennaji, Salah Bensalah, Gamil Ratib, Oussama Oussous, Mohamed Rabiaa, Abdelhamid Ait Abbou Ali, Milhoudia Nassih, Toulou Kiki, Johanna Ter Steege, Issaka Sawadogo, Jacques Weber Production: Mirage Film Co-production: One Two Films, Les Films de l’Après-Midi, Film i Väst, Chimney, La Prod, Saarländischer Rundfunk, Eye-Lite, Travissss Film, Rotterdam Films World Premiere, First Feature TEMPORADA (Long way Home) by André Novais Oliveira Brazil – 2018 – 112’ with Grace Passô, Russo APR, Rejane Faria, Renato Novaes, Juliana Abreu, Hélio Ricardo Production: Filmes de Plástico World Sales: FiGa Films World Premiere TROTE by Xacio Baño Spain/Lithuania – 2018 – 83’ with María Vázquez, Celso Bugallo, Diego Anido, Tamara Canosa Production: Frida Films Co-production: M-Films World Premiere, First Feature

    Pardi di domani

    Concorso internazionale

    3 ANOS DEPOIS by Marco Amaral – Portugal – 2018 – 13’ A COLD SUMMER NIGHT by Yash Sawant – India – 2018 – 21’ D’UN CHÂTEAU L’AUTRE by Emmanuel Marre – Belgium/France – 2018 – 40’ EL LABERINTO by Laura Huertas Millán – France/Colombia/USA – 2018 – 21’ FRASE D’ARME by Federico Di Corato – Italy/France – 2018 – 30’ FUCK YOU by Anette Sidor – Sweden – 2018 – 15’ GRBAVICA by Manel Raga Raga – Portugal/Bosnia and Herzegovina/Spain – 19’ HEART OF HUNGER by Bernardo Zanotta – Netherlands – 2018 – 29’ HI I NEED TO BE LOVED by Marnie Ellen Hertzler – USA – 2018 – 11’ JE SORS ACHETER DES CIGARETTES by Osman Cerfon – France – 2018 – 13’ KAUKAZAS (Caucasus) by Laurynas Bareisa – Lithuania – 2018 – 14’ LA CARTOGRAPHE by Nathan Douglas – Canada – 2018 – 34’ LA MÁXIMA LONGITUD DE UN PUENTE by Simón Vélez – Colombia/Argentina – 2018 – 13’ LAST YEAR WHEN THE TRAIN PASSED BY by HUANG Pang-Chuan – France – 2018 – 17’ LUNAR-ORBIT RENDEZVOUS by Mélanie Charbonneau – Canada – 2018 – 15’ MALO SE SJEĆAM TOG DANA (I Can Barely Remember the Day) by Leon Lučev – Croatia – 2018 – 21’ MY EXPANDED VIEW by Corey Hughes – USA – 2018 – 8’ OUT by Alon Sahar – Israel – 2018 – 27’ PATUL LUI PROCUST (Bed of Procustes) by Andrian Împărățel – Romania – 2018 – 17’ REKONSTRUKCE (Reconstruction) by Jiří Havlíček, Ondřej Novák – Czech Republic – 2017 – 16’ RENEEPOPTOSIS by Renee Zhan – USA/Japan – 2018 – 9’ SARAS INTIME BETROELSER (Sara’s Intimate Confessions) by Emilie Blichfeldt – Norway – 2018 – 22’ SASHLELI (Eraser) by Davit Pirtskhalava – Georgia – 2018 – 18’ SMERT MENYA (The Death of Father Men) by Mikhail Maksimov – Russia – 2018 – 12’ THE SILENCE OF THE DYING FISH by Vasilis Kekatos – Greece/France – 2018 – 19’ TOURNEUR by Yalda Afsah – Germany – 2018 – 14’ VIOLETA + GUILLERMO by Óscar Vincentelli – Spain/Venezuela – 2018 – 6’ WORDS, PLANETS by Laida Lertxundi – USA/Spain – 2018 – 11’ ZHI SHUO YI CI (Dream Speaking) by CHAN Paine – China – 2018 – 19’

    Concorso nazionale

    ABIGAÏL by Magdalena Froger – Switzerland – 2018 – 20’ CIRCUIT by Delia Hess – Switzerland – 2018 – 8’ EVA by Xheni Alushi – Switzerland – 2018 – 15’ FAIT DIVERS by Léon Yersin – Switzerland – 2018 – 17’ HIER by Loïc Kreyden – Switzerland – 2018 – 4’ ICI LE CHEMIN DES ÂNES by Lou Rambert Preiss – Switzerland – 2018 – 22’ IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE FUTURE by Laurence Favre – Switzerland/Germany – 2018 – 8’ LA SOURCE by Yatoni Roy Cantù – Switzerland – 2018 – 16’ LE SENS DE LA MARCHE by Jela Hasler – Switzerland – 2018 – 9’ LES ÎLES DE BRISSOGNE by Juliette Riccaboni – Switzerland – 2018 – 23’ LOS QUE DESEAN by Elena López Riera – Spain/Switzerland – 2018 – 24’ MONTE AMIATA by Tommaso Donati – Switzerland – 2018 – 22’ SELFIES by Claudius Gentinetta – Switzerland – 2018 – 4′

    Signs of Life

    Awards The Jury awards the following prizes: Signs of Life Award ELECTRONIC-ART FOUNDATION to the Best Film 5,ooo CHF to the director. Casa Wabi-Mantarraya Award Fundación Casa Wabi and Mantarraya Productions, in partnership with Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia, will support the Fundación Casa Wabi – Mantarraya Award, consisting in a residence at Casa Wabi – Puerto Escondido (Mexico) lasting between 1 to 1.5 months. These prizes can not be awarded ex aequo. A ROOM WITH A COCONUT VIEW by Tulapop Saenjaroen Thailand – 2018 – 28’ Production: Electric Eel Films World Premiere COMMUNION LOS ANGELES by Adam R. Levine, Peter Bo Rappmund USA – 2018 – 68’ World Premiere COMO FERNANDO PESSOA SALVOU PORTUGAL by Eugène Green Portugal/France/Belgium – 2018 – 27’ with Eugène Green, Carloto Cotta, Manuel Mozos, Diogo Dória, Alexandre Pieroni Calado, Ricardo Gross, Mia Tomé Production: Les Films du Fleuve, Noodles Production, O Som E A Fúria World Sales: Agencia – Portuguese Short Film Agency International Premiere DULCINEA by Luca Ferri Italy – 2018 – 66’ with Vincenzo Turca, Naomi Morello, Dario Bacis Production: ENECE FILM World Premiere GULYABANI by Gürcan Keltek Netherlands/Turkey – 2018 – 32’ with Zeynep Kumral Production: 29P Films BV World Premiere HAI SHANG CHENG SHI (The Fragile House) by LIN Zi China – 2018 – 81’ with ZENG Xiaolian, WOO Hye Kyung, XIAO Jie, SANG Guosheng, REN Yue World Premiere, First Feature JING LI DE REN (Man in the Well) by Hu Bo China – 2017 – 16’ with ZHANG Xiaoqian, QU Yiyi, GAO Tieguang Production: FIRST International Film Festival World Sales: Rediance World Premiere LA CASA DE JULIO IGLESIAS by Natalia Marín Spain – 2018 – 12’ World Premiere LE DISCOURS D’ACCEPTATION GLORIEUX DE NICOLAS CHAUVIN by Benjamin Crotty France – 2018 – 26’ with Ragnar Arni Agustsson, Alexis Manenti, Pauline Jacquard, Caroline Deruas, Antoine Cholet, Rei Yazaki Production: Les Films du Bal World Premiere SEDUÇÃO DA CARNE by Júlio Bressane Brazil – 2018 – 70’ with Mariana Lima Production: TB Produções World Premiere SOBRE TUDO SOBRE NADA by Dídio Pestana Portugal – 2018 – 90’ Production: Kintop World Sales: Kintop World Premiere, First Feature THE GRAND BIZARRE by Jodie Mack USA – 2018 – 60’ World Premiere, First Feature TIRSS, RIHLAT ALSOO’OUD ILA ALMAR’I (Erased, Ascent of the Invisible) by Ghassan Halwani Lebanon – 2018 – 74’ World Sales: mec film World Premiere, First Feature VESLEMØY’S SONG by Sofia Bohdanowicz Canada – 2018 – 9’ with Deragh Campbell, Joan Benac, Steve Benac World Premiere

    Fuori concorso

    AMUR SENZA FIN by Christoph Schaub Switzerland – 2018 – 91’ with Rebecca Indermaur, Bruno Cathomas, Tonia Maria Zindel, Beat Marti, Murali Perumal, Marietta Jemmi, René Schnoz Production: Zodiac Pictures, SRG SSR World Premiere DE CHAQUE INSTANT by Nicolas Philibert France/Japan – 2018 – 105’ Production: France 3 Cinéma, Longride, Archipel 35 World Sales: Doc & Film International World Premiere INSULAIRE by Stéphane Goël Switzerland – 2018 – 92’ Production: Climage World Premiere MUDAR LA PIEL by Ana Schulz, Cristóbal Fernández Spain – 2018 – 89’ with Juan Gutierrez, Frauke Schulz Utermöhl, Ana Schulz, Mingo Rafols Production: Sr. y Sra. Co-production: Labyrinth Films World Premiere, First Feature MY HOME, IN LYBIA by Martina Melilli Italy – 2018 – 66’ with Mahmoud , Antonio Melilli, Narcisa Bertipaglia Production: Stefilm World Sales: Deckert Distribution World Premiere, First Feature NARCISSISTER ORGAN PLAYER by Narcissister USA – 2017 – 92’ with Narcissister , Sarah Lumpkin, Oscar Lumpkin, Bernard Lumpkin, Carmine Boccuzzi Production: Narcissister International Premiere, First Feature ORA E SEMPRE RIPRENDIAMOCI LA VITA by Silvano Agosti Italy – 2018 – 94’ with Bernardo Bertolucci, Dario Fo, Franca Rame, Nuto Revelli, Massimo Cacciari Production: Edizioni l’Immagine World Sales: Edizioni l’Immagine, Istituto Luce Cinecittà World Premiere RŪGŠTUS MIŠKAS (Acid Forest) by Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė Lithuania – 2018 – 63’ Production: neon realism World Sales: neon realism World Premiere, First Feature SEMBRA MIO FIGLIO by Costanza Quatriglio Italy/Croatia/Belgium – 2018 – 103’ with Basir Ahang, Tihana Lazovic, Dawood Yousefi Production: Ascent Film Co-production: Caviar Films, Antitalent World Sales: True Colours World Premiere THE SENTENCE by Rudy Valdez USA – 2018 – 87’ Production: Park Pictures World Sales: Cinetic Media International Premiere, First Feature WALKING ON WATER by Andrey Paounov USA/Italy – 2018 – 100’ with Christo, Vladimir Yavachev Production company: Kotva Films C-production company: Ring Film World Sales: CAA (Creative Artists Agency) World Premiere

    Shorts

    SHORT POLAR COLLECTION CANAL+ / SO FILM 4 “thriller” short films from the Canal+ / So Film genre À NOUS DEUX ! by Marie Loustalot – France – 2018 – 20’ DIVERSION by Mathieu Mégemont – France – 2018 – 23’ LA BELLE AFFAIRE by Constance Meyer – France – 2018 – 23’ TOMATIC by Christophe Saber – France/Switzerland – 2018 – 20

    Open Doors Screenings

    The Open Doors Screenings (1 – 11 August 2018) will present to the Locarno audience a selection of shorts and feature films that are particularly representative of the world of contemporary cinema in a particular area of the South and East world. This year, the section will end its three-year cycle on South Asia, bringing to Locarno films from the contemporary scene of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

    Full-length features

    DEMONS IN PARADISE by Jude Ratnam – Sri Lanka/France – 2017 – 93’ LAILA AT THE BRIDGE by Gulistan Mirzaei, Elizabeth Mirzaei – Canada/Afghanistan – 2018 – 97’ LIVE FROM DHAKA by Abdullah Mohammad Saad – Bangladesh – 2016 – 91’ MUNMO TASHI KHYIDRON (Honeygiver Among the Dogs) by Dechen Roder – Bhutan – 2016 – 132’ SETO SURYA (White Sun) by Deepak Rauniyar – Nepal/USA/Qatar/Netherlands – 2016 – 89’ THE ROAD TO MANDALAY by Midi Z – Taiwan/Myanmar/France/Germany – 2016 – 108’ THUNDENEK (Her. Him. The other) by Asoka Handagama, Vimukthi Jayasundara, Prasanna Vithanage – Sri Lanka – 2018 – 153’ ZINDA BHAAG (Run for your Life) by Meenu Gaur, Farjad Nabi – Pakistan/India – 2013 – 115’

    Short films

    298-C by Nida Mehboob – Pakistan – 2018 – 15’ – World Première A SONG OF SILENCE by Kelzang Dorjee – Bhutan – 2016 – 16’ DADYAA: THE WOODPECKERS OF ROTHA by Pooja Gurung, Bibhusan Basnet – Nepal/France – 2016 – 17’ DEATH OF A READER by Mahde Hasan – Bangladesh – 2017 – 9’ DIA by Hamza Bangash – Pakistan/United Kingdom – 2018 – 24’ – World Première SILVER BANGLES by Roshan Bikram Thakuri – Nepal – 2017 – 15’ SORKHE TIRAH (Dark Red) by Diana Saqeb – Afghanistan – 2017 – 19’ – World Première SUPERMONK by Shenang Gyamjo Tamang – Nepal/Taiwan – 2018 – 19’ – World Première THE LAST POST OFFICE by Aung Rakhine – Bangladesh – 2018 – 20’ – World Première THE OPEN DOOR by Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk – Bhutan/United Kingdom – 2018 – 15’ – World Première TRADITION by Lanka Bandaranayake – Sri Lanka – 2016 – 11’ WITT YONE (The Robe) by WeRa – Myanmar – 2016 – 19’ YAR-THI MOE (Seasonal Rain) by Aung Phyoe – Myanmar – 2016 – 30’

    Read more


  • 2018 Sarasota Film Festival Announces Lineup, ‘1985’ EIGHTH GRADE’ ‘THE RIDER’ and More…

    [caption id="attachment_27753" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]EIGHTH GRADE EIGHTH GRADE[/caption] The 2018 Sarasota Film Festival (SFF) announced its full line-up, including its Centerpiece, Spotlight, Narrative Feature Competition, Independent Visions Competition, Documentary Feature Competition, Narrative, Documentary, and Short Films. The Festival also announced its five SFF Focus Panels – Sports in Cinema, Environment, Science, and Sustainability, Women’s Comedic Voices, Redefining Manhood, and Musings on Musicians. “In honor of our 20th anniversary, we have programmed a lineup that celebrates the past, present, and future of the Sarasota Film Festival that is sure to delight our dedicated and passionate audiences,” said Mark Famiglio, Chairman and President of the Sarasota Film Festival. “The selection includes a diverse group of narratives and voices that will create engaging conversations about today’s most important topics.” In the Festival’s Centerpiece section is 1985, about a closeted gay man, unable to come out to his friends and family during the beginning of the AIDS crisis, staring Academy Award®-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, who will be attendance at the Festival. Also a Centerpiece selection is Bo Burnham’s feature film directorial debut, EIGHTH GRADE, a portrait of young teenagers discovering their identities online and in reality. Bo will be in attendance for a Q&A following the film’s screening during the Festival. The Spotlight section will include narrative films Brett Haley’s HEARTS BEAT LOUD, Silas Howard’s A KID LIKE JAKE, Andrew Haigh’s LEAN ON PETE, Hannah Fidell’s THE LONG DUMB ROAD, Dominic Cooke’s ON CHESIL BEACH, Chloé Zhao’s THE RIDER, and Madeline Olnek’s WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY, and documentary films Eugene Jarecki’s THE KING, Ali Weinstein’s MERMAIDS, Barbara Kopple’s A MURDER IN MANSFIELD, and Morgan Neville’s WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? Each year the Sarasota Film Festival focuses on social issues to highlight throughout its program. The Sports in Cinema Focus returns this year, welcoming Ben and Orson Cummings and their film KILLER BEES, produced by Shaquille O’Neill. Other films in this focus include the Closing Day Film, Jason Kohn’s LOVE MEANS ZERO and Dana Adam Shapiro’s DAUGHTERS OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE DALLAS COWBOY CHEERLEADERS. In consideration of sustainability of communities and the planet, films in the SFF Environment, Science, and Sustainability Focus include Susan Kucera’s LIVING IN THE FUTURE’S PAST, Chad Freidrichs’ EXPERIMENTAL CITY, Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler, and Jeff Springer’s RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE, and Rory Kennedy’s ABOVE AND BEYOND: NASA’S JOURNEY TO TOMORROW. In a groundbreaking year for women, the festival presents SFF Focus: Women’s Comedic Voices, a lineup featuring all female directors. Films in the category include Wendy McColm’s BIRDS WITHOUT FEATHERS, Bridey Elliott’s CLARA’S GHOST, Caroline Golum’s A FEAST OF MAN as well as LONG DUMB ROAD and WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY. The films in the SFF Focus: Redefining Manhood, provide a glimpse at the questions regarding masculine identities, include Bing Liu’s MINDING THE GAP, as well as 1985, THE RIDER, and WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? The final SFF Focus: Musings on Musicians, presents an array of films exploring the relationships between music and film. Films in the category include Laura Parnes’ TOUR WITHOUT END, T.G. Herrington and Danny Clinch’s A TUBA TO CUBA, Derek Ahonen’s THE TRANSCENDENTS, Sophie Fiennes’ GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT AND BAMI, Jake Meginsky and Neil Young’s MILFORD GRAVES FULL MANTIS, Scott Smith’s CHASING THE BLUES, Stephen Loveridge’s MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A, as well as THE KING and HEARTS BEAT LOUD. The Narrative Feature Competition will showcase DON’T LEAVE HOME directed by Michael Tully, I AM NOT A WITCH, directed by Rungano Nyoni, MADELINE’S MADELINE, directed by Josephine Decker, THE QUEEN OF FEAR directed by Valeria Bertuccelli and Fabiana Tiscornia, THE SEEN AND THE UNSEEN directed by Kamila Andini, SUPPORT THE GIRLS directed by Andrew Bujalski as well as CLARA’S GHOST. The Documentary Feature Competition will include GENERATION WEALTH directed by Lauren Greenfield, GENESIS 2.0 directed by Christian Frei and Maxim Arbugaev, HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING directed by RaMell Ross, OF FATHERS AND SONS directed by Talal Derki, THE SENTENCE directed by Rudy Valdez, as well as DAUGHTERS OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE DALLAS COWBOY CHEERLEADERS and MINDING THE GAP. The Independent Visions Competition will feature BLACK MOTHER directed by Khalik Allah, LIFE AND NOTHING MORE directed by Antonio Méndez Esparza, MAISON DU BONHEUR directed by Sofia Bohdanowicz, NOTES ON APPEARANCE directed by Ricky D’Ambrose, as well as BIRDS WITHOUT FEATHERS, A FEAST OF MAN, MILFORD GRAVES FULL MANTIS, and TOUR WITHOUT END. The jury for the competition films will consist of the following individuals: producer Autumn Bailey-Ford, Emmy®-nominated writer and producer Mark Bailey, documentary filmmaker Orson Cummings, New York Magazine film critic David Edelstein, Factory 25 film distributor Matt Grady, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Director – New York Programs and Membership Patrick Harrison, film professor Del Jacobs, Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Penny Lane, actress Penelope Ann Miller, The Hollywood Reporter film writer Tatiana Siegel, founder and publisher of Women and Hollywood Melissa Silverstein, and Sarasota County Circuit court judge and filmmaker Charles Williams. Narrative films include: ALL YOU CAN EAT BUDDHA directed by Ian Lagarde, AMERICAN ANIMALS directed by Bart Layton, AUGUST IN BERLIN directed by Becky Smith, BIKINI MOON directed by Milcho Manchevski, BLACK KITE directed by Tarique Qayumi, CAN HITLER HAPPEN HERE? directed by Saskia Rifkin, COLD SKIN directed by Xavier Gens, COME SUNDAY directed by Joshua Marston, DELENDA directed by Ralph Moffettone, DIMINUENDO directed by Adrian Stewart, EN EL SÉPTIMO DÍA directed by Jim McKay, FIRST REFORMED directed by Paul Schrader, A FRENCHMAN IN FLORIDA directed by Dante Rhev, HOLIDAY directed by Isabella Eklof, LET THE SUNSHINE IN directed by Claire Denis, MAKTUB directed by Oded Raz, SANTA INOCENCIA directed by Maritxell Campos Olivé, SHELTER directed by Eran Riklis, TATTERDEMALION directed by Ramaa Mosley, TINKER directed by Sonny Mahrler, VIRGINIA, MINNESOTA directed by Daniel Stine, VIRUS TROPICAL directed by Santiago Caicedo, WE THE ANIMALS directed by Jeremiah Zagar, WHITE RABBIT directed by Daryl Wein, ZAMA directed by Lucrecia Martel, as well as CHASING THE BLUES and THE TRANSCENDENTS. Documentary films include: 306 HOLLYWOOD directed by Elan Bogarin and Jonathan Bogarin, ANTONIO LOPEZ 1970: SEX FASHION & DISCO directed by James Crump, ASK THE SEXPERT directed by Vaishali Sinha, BISBEE ’17 directed by Robert Greene, CHEF FLYNN directed by Cameron Yates, CRACKING ACES: A WOMAN’S PLACE AT THE TABLE directed by H. James Gilmore, CRIME + PUNISHMENT directed by Stephen Maing, DISTANT CONSTELLATION directed by Shevaun Mizrahi, FATHER’S KINGDOM directed by Lenny Feinberg, FREEDOM FOR THE WOLF directed by Rupert Russell, THE GREAT FLIP-OFF directed by Dafna Yachin, HALF THE PICTURE directed by Amy Adrion, LA FLOR DE LA VIDA directed by Adriana Leoff and Claudia Abend, LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY AND A CASTLE directed by Gustavo Salmerón, MAYNARD directed by Sam Pollard, OLD DOG directed by Sally Rowe, ON HER SHOULDERS directed by Alexandria Bombach, THE PAIN OF OTHERS directed by Penny Lane, RBG directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, SISTERS directed by Justyna Tafel, THAT SUMMER directed by Göran Hugo Olsson, THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS directed by Tim Wardle as well as THE EXPERIMENTAL CITY, GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT AND BAMI, KILLER BEES, LIVING IN THE FUTURE’S PAST, MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A., RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE, and A TUBA TO CUBA. As previously announced Golden Globe®-nominated and Independent Spirit Award®-nominated Eric Stoltz’s coming-of-age comedy CLASS RANK will be the Festival’s Opening Night film and Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy®-winning Rory Kennedy’s ABOVE AND BEYOND: NASA’S JOURNEY TO TOMORROW will serve as Closing Night film. The Festival will also be honoring renowned actor Steve Guttenberg and Academy Award®-nominated actress Virginia Madsen with Career Achievement Awards during the closing weekend.

    Read more


  • 2018 Berlin Film Festival Unveils Full Panorama Lineup, Opens with Wolfgang Fischer’s STYX

    [caption id="attachment_26726" align="aligncenter" width="960"]Styx, Wolfgang Fischer Styx[/caption] The 2018 Berlin International Film Festival has revealed the full lineup of the Panorama program, which will feature a total of 47 films from 40 countries, with 37 world premieres and 16 directorial debuts. 20 films will be screened in the scope of Panorama Dokumente , while 27 fiction features are shown in Panorama Special as well as the main program. The section takes a look at Wolfgang Fischer’s Styx , which will open Panorama Special on February 16 at Zoo Palace. Nearly dialogue-free, the film tells the story of a female doctor on a sailing vacation. A Czech production opens Panorama Dokumente. Jan Gebert’s Až přijde válka ( When the War Comes ) is the global trend of a socially acceptable form of nationalism using the example of the Slovak Slovenski Branci Slovak paramilitary organization. Árpád Bogdán’s feature film Genezis ( Genesis ) takes place on the series of attacks on Roma in Hungary in 2008/2009, exposing their effects on the victimized families and the community as well as casting light on the failures of the Hungarian judicial system pursuit of those guilty of crimes perpetrated under the dictatorial Franco regime is depicted in The Silence of Others, produced by Pedro Almodóvar. Former Brazilian president Dilma Roussef’s impeachment can be witnessed firsthand in O processo ( The Trial ). In Generation Wealth , Lauren Greenfield raises awareness for the self-indulgent quest for luxury and the total surrender to vanity leading to a sort of “ultra-decadence,” while in Lemonade , produced by Cristian Mungiu, the American Dream remains tauntingly out of reach for those who can not afford to buy a piece of it. In the French-German production Game Girls , two women try to escape life on Skid Row, the USA’s “Capital City of the Homeless”. Shakedown immerses the viewer in the Afro-American queer strip club scene of Los Angeles 1990s, relating its protagonists’ search for freedom and self-determination to great immediacy. In the Italian production country, Iranian director Babak Jalali who is defending their cultural identity with dignity. Family dynamics under the microscope: In Al Gami’ya ( What Comes Around ), the residents of one of Cairo’s poorest districts have developed a bank-free financing system for themselves. Two intimate portraits of rural conflict, set in Central China’s Henan province and the German state of Saxony-Anhalt respectively, are drawn in Jordan Schiele’s The Silk and the Flame and Rosa Hannah Ziegler’s family life ( Family Life ). Yang Mingming’s debut film Rou Qing Shi ( Girls Always Happy ) showcases the verbal duels of an odd mother-daughter duo looking for happiness in style or daydreams of getting rich quick. In La enfermedad del domingo ( Sunday’s Illness ), a mother and her daughter return to one another following years of estrangement. In Jibril , her final work for the Babelsberg University of Applied Sciences KONRAD WOLF, Henrika Kull depicts the isolation and love in the interaction between a single mom and a prison inmate. The Argentinian production Marilyn and the Brazilian film Tinta Bruta ( Hard Paint ) both show the isolation and the inherent in their protagonists’ search for their place in the world. In the mafia tale La terra dell ‘abbastanza ( Boys Cry ), two young men discover an ostensibly simple way out of a sticky situation. A complex web of responsibilities is included in the two instalments of the miniseries Ondes de choc ( Shock Waves ), directed by Lionel Baier and Ursula Meier. Three further films serve as reflections on cinema itself: Mes provinciales ( A Paris Education ), which is set in a Parisian millennial student milieu; Depending vois rouge ( I See Red People ), In Which Bojina Payanotova Confronts her parents With Their possible connections to the Bulgarian secret police; and Hotel Jugoslavija , in which director Nicolas Wagnières elevates at abandoned Grand Hotel to the status of contemporary witness to history, acting on his principle of “filming to retain and regain”. Fluid boundaries between reality and fiction are especially present in four productions. Xiao Mei investigates the enigma surrounding the disappearance of a young woman while the dark fairy tale Koly padayut pereva ( When the Trees Fall ) includes the frightening and enchanting experiences of three generations of women. In a hybrid form between fiction and documentary film, Trinta Lumes ( Thirty Souls ) reimagines the Galician backcountry as a mythical place populated by both the living and the dead. Finally, in the deceptively calm flow of horizon ‘s ( Horizon ) images, a man is at risk of losing his footing in life after a separation. The hard reality reflected in two productions from India and the Democratic Republic of the Congo was in stark contrast in this context. In Garbage , a young woman’s endures a nightmare of male violence. Kinshasa Makambo on the other hand provides insight into the brutal everyday existence of Congolese resistance fighters. In addition to their appearance in  Yocho , cinematic dystopias and allegories of reality are featured in Kim Ki-duk’s Inkan, gongkan, sikan grigo inkan ( Human, Space, Time and Human ) , in which of the widely differing backgrounds assembled on a warship develop a bestial need for patriarchal domination. From Iran comes the film Hojoom (Invasion ), which adeptly establishes an oppressive mood with its post-apocalyptic science-fiction world devoid of sunlight. Partisan takes a look back at Frank Castorf’s twenty-five year legacy at Berlin’s Volksbühne theater. Chilly Gonzales, self-proclaimed president of the Berlin Underground, is the subject of Shut Up and Play the Piano . MATANGI / MAYA / MIA The Sri Lankan Resistance artist portrays the controversial star between the labels attached to the music and media industries. In Idris Elba’s directorial debut, Yardie , the score by Dickon Hinchcliffe (“Tindersticks”) accentuates the journey of a young man from Kingston to London . Al Gami’ya ( What Comes Around ) – Lebanon / Egypt / Greece / Qatar / Slovenia By Reem Saleh Documentary World Premiere Až přijde válka ( When the War Comes ) – Czech Republic / Croatia By Jan Gebert Documentary World Premiere La enfermedad del domingo ( Sunday’s Illness ) – Spain By Ramón Salazar With Bárbara Lennie, Susi Sánchez, Greta Fernández, Miguel Ángel Solá, Richard Bohringer World premiere Familienleben ( Family Life ) – Germany By Rosa Hannah Ziegler Documentary World Premiere Game Girls – France / Germany By Alina Skrzeszewska Documentary World Premiere  Garbage – India By Q With Tanmay Dhanania, Trimala Adhikari, Satarupa The World Premiere Generation Wealth – USA By Lauren Greenfield Documentary International Premiere Genezis ( Genesis ) – Hungary By Árpád Bogdán With Anna Marie Cseh, Enikő Anna Illési, Milán Csordá’s World Premiere Hojoom ( Invasion ) – Iran By Shahram Mokri With Abed Abest, Elaheh Bakhshi, Babak Karimi, Pedram Sharifi, Mehdi Etemad Saied International Premiere Horizonti ( Horizon ) – Georgia / Sweden By Tinatin Kajrishvili With George Bochorishvili, Ia Sukhitashvili, Jano Izoria, Soso Gogichaishvili World Premiere Hotel Jugoslavija – Switzerland By Nicolas Wagnières Documentary European Premiere Inkan, gongkan, sikan grigo inkan ( Human, Space, Time and Human ) – Republic of Korea By Kim Ki-dukWith Mina Fujii, Jang Keun-suk, Ahn Sung-ki, Lee Sung-jae, Ryoo Seung-bum, Sung Ki-youn, Joe Odagiri World premiere  Je vois rouge ( I See Red People ) – France / Bulgaria By Bojina Panayotova Documentary World Premiere Jibril – Germany By Henrika Kull With Susana Abdulmajid, Malik Adan, Doua Rahal, Emna El-Aouni World Premiere Kinshasa Makambo – Democratic Republic of the Congo / France / Switzerland / Germany / Qatar / Norway By Dieudo Hamadi Documentary World Premiere Koly padayut dereva ( When the Trees Fall ) – Ukraine / Poland / Macedonia By Marysia Nikitiuk With Anastasiia Pustovit, Sofia Halaimova, Maksym Samchyk, Mariya Svizhynska, Alla Samoilenko World Premiere  Country – Italy / France / Netherlands / Mexico By Babak Jalali With Rod Rondeaux, Florence Klein, James Coleman, Wilma Pelly World Premiere  Lemonade – Romania / Germany / Canada / Sweden By Ioana Uricaru With Mina Manovici, Steve Bacic, Dylan Scott Smith, Milan Hurduc, Ruxandra Maniu World Premiere Marilyn – Argentina / Chile By Martín Rodríguez Redondo With Walter Rodriguez, Catalina Saavedra, Germán de Silva, Ignacio Giménez, Rodolfo Garcia Werner World Premiere MATANGI / MAYA / MIA – USA / United Kingdom / Sri Lanka By Steve Loveridge With Maya Arulpragasam Documentary International Premiere Mes provinciales ( A Paris Education ) – France By Jean Paul Civeyrac With Andranic Manet, Corentin Fila, Gonzague Van Bervesselès, Diane Rouxel, Jenna Thiam, Sophie Verbeeck World Premiere O processo ( The Trial ) – Brazil / Germany / Netherlands By Maria Ramos Documentary World Premiere Ondes de choc – Journal de ma tête ( Shock Waves – Diary of My Mind ) – Switzerland By Ursula Meier With Fanny Ardant, Kacey Mottet-Klein, Jean-Philippe Ecoffey, Carlo Brandt, Stéphanie Blanchoud, Jean-Quentin Châtelain International Premiere Ondes de choc – Prénom: Mathieu ( Shock Waves – First Name: Mathieu ) – Switzerland By Lionel Baier With Maxime Gorbatchevsky, Michel Vuillermoz, Ursina Lardi, Mickael Amman, Adrien Barazzone, Piere-Isaïe Duc, Nastassja Tanner International Premiere Partisan – Germany By Lutz Pehnert, Matthias Ehlert, Adama Ulrich With Frank Castorf, Sophie Rois, Kathrin Angerer, Herbert Fritsch, Henry Hübchen, Alexander Scheer Documentary World Premiere Rou qing shi ( Girls Always Happy ) – People’s Republic of China Yang Mingming With Nai An, Yang Mingming, Zhang Xianmin, Li Qinqin, Huang Wei, Yuan Li World Premiere Shakedown – USA By Leilah Weinraub Documentary World Premiere Shut Up and Play the Piano – Germany / France / United Kingdom By Philip Jedicke With Chilly Gonzales, Peaches, Feist, Sibylle Berg, Jarvis Cocker Documentary World Premiere La terra dell’abbastanza ( Boys Cry ) – Italy By Damiano D’Innocenzo, Fabio D’Innocenzo With Matteo Olivetti, Andrea Carpenzano, Milena Mancini, Max Tortora, Luca Zingaretti World Premiere The Silence of Others – USA / Spain By Almudena Carracedo, Robert Bahar Documentary World Premiere The Silk and the Flame – United States By Jordan Schiele Documentary World Premiere  Styx – Germany / Austria By Wolfgang Fischer With Susanne Wolff, Gedion Oduor World Premiere Tinta bruta ( Hard Paint )- BrazilBy Marcio Reolon, Filipe Matzembacher With Shico Menegat, Bruno Fernandes, Guega Peixoto, Sandra Dani, Frederico Vasque’s World Premiere  Trinta Lumes ( Thirty Souls )- SpainBy Diana Toucedo With Alba Arias, Samuel Vilariño’s World Premiere  Xiao Mei – Taiwan By Maren Hwang With Chen Yi-Wen, Liu Kuan-Ting, Na Dow, Wu Chien-Ho, Yin Shin, Laurence Chiu, Chang Shao-Huai, Samantha Ko, Wu Kang-jen, Jao Cincin World Premiere Yardie – United Kingdom By Idris Elba With Aml Ameen, Shantol Jackson, Stephen Graham, Fraser James, Sheldon Shepherd, Everaldo Creary European Premiere Already featured films: L’Animale – Austria by Katharina Mückstein Bixa Travesty ( Tranny Fag ) – Brazil by Claudia Priscilla, Kiko Goifman Ex Pajé ( Ex Shaman ) – Brazil by Luiz Bolognesi Malambo, el hombre bueno (Malambo, the Good Man) – Argentina by Santiago Loza Obscuro Barroco – France / Greece by Evangelia Kranioti La omisión ( The Omission ) – Argentina / Netherlands / Switzerland by Sebastián Schjaer River’s Edge – Japan by Isao Yukisada Profiles – USA / UK / Cyprus by Timur Bekmambetov That Summer – Sweden / Denmark, USA by Göran Hugo Olsson Yocho (Foreboding) – Japan by Kiyoshi Kurosawa Central Airport THF ( Central Airport THF ) – Germany / France / Brazil by Karim Aïnouz

    Read more