Ghost Hunting

  • 165 Films Documentary Feature Films Submitted for 2018 Oscar Race

    [caption id="attachment_28784" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind[/caption] One hundred sixty-six features have been submitted for consideration in the Documentary Feature category for the 91st Academy Awards®.  Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles and New York qualifying releases. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules in order to advance in the voting process. This year, for the first time, films that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival or have been submitted in the Foreign Language Film category as their country’s official selection, are also eligible in the category. A shortlist of 15 films will be announced on December 17. Films submitted in the Documentary Feature category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture. Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. The 91st Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are: “Above and Beyond: NASA’S Journey to Tomorrow” “Active Measures” “Amazing Grace” “American Chaos” “Andy Irons: Kissed by God” [caption id="attachment_25696" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco[/caption] “Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco” “Avicii: True Stories” “Bali: Beats of Paradise” “Bathtubs over Broadway” “Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché” “Believer” “Better Angels” “Bill Coors: The Will to Live” “Bisbee ’17” “The Bleeding Edge” “Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat” “Breaking Point: The War for Democracy in Ukraine” “Call Her Ganda” “Charm City” “Chef Flynn” “The China Hustle” “Christian Audigier The Vif” “The Cleaners” “Communion” “Crime + Punishment” “Dark Money” “Daughters of the Sexual Revolution: The Untold Story of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” “The Dawn Wall” “The Distant Barking of Dogs” “Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes” “Drug$” “Eating Animals” “Eldorado” “Fahrenheit 11/9” “Fail State” “Family in Transition” “Far from the Tree” “Filmworker” “The First Patient” “Foreign Land” “40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie” “Free Solo” “Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable” “Generation Wealth” “Ghost Hunting” “Ghosthunter” “The Gilligan Manifesto” “The Gospel According to André” “Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” “Graves without a Name” “The Great Buster: A Celebration” “Hal” “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” “Half the Picture” “The Heart of Nuba” “Hillbilly” “The Homeless Chorus Speaks” “Hondros” “Howard” “In Search of Greatness” “In the Land of Pomegranates” “Inventing Tomorrow” “Invisible Hands” “Itzhak” “Jane Fonda in Five Acts” “John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection” “The Judge” “Kangaroo: A Love Hate Story” “Killer Bees” “The King” “King in the Wilderness” “Kusama – Infinity” “The Last Race” “Leaning into the Wind: Andy Goldsworthy” “Letter from Masanjia” “Licu, a Romanian Story” “Living in the Future’s Past” “Liyana” “Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle” “Love & Bananas: An Elephant Story” “Love, Cecil” “Love, Gilda” “Love Is Tolerance – Tolerance Is Love – Make Tolerance Great Again!” “Making The Five Heartbeats” “Maria by Callas” “Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.” “McQueen” “Minding the Gap” “Monrovia, Indiana” “The Most Unknown” “New Moon” “93Queen” “Nossa Chape” “Of Fathers and Sons” “Of Love & Law” “On Her Shoulders” “Opera about Poland” “The Opera House” “The Oslo Diaries” “The Other Side of Everything” “The Panama Papers” “Path of Blood” “People’s Republic of Desire” “Philosopher King – Lee Teng-hui’s Dialogue” “Pick of the Litter” “Piripkura” “Police Killing” “Pope Francis – A Man of His Word” “The Price of Everything” “The Price of Free” “Qiu (Inmates)” “Quincy” “RBG” “The Rachel Divide” “The Raft” “Recovery Boys” “Restoring Tomorrow” “Reversing Roe” “The Road Movie” “Robin Williams: Come inside My Mind” “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name” “Samouni Road” “Saving Brinton” “Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland” “Science Fair” “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood” “Searching for Ingmar Bergman” “Seeing Allred” “The Sentence” “Shirkers” “Shot in the Dark” “The Silence of Others” “Sisters of the Wilderness” “A Son of Man” “Songwriter” “Stan” “Studio 54” “Summer in the Forest” “Tea with the Dames” “That Summer” “That Way Madness Lies…” “They Fight” “They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead” “This Is Congo” “This Is Home: A Refugee Story” “Three Identical Strangers” “To Be Continued” “Transformer” “Travel Ban” “The Trial” “Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace” “Trust Machine” “Under the Wire” “United Skates” “Unknown Distance” “Up Down and Sideways” “The Waldheim Waltz” “We Could Be Heroes” “Weed the People” “What Haunts Us” “What Lies Upstream” “Whitney” “Wonderful Losers: A Different World” “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” “Yellow Is Forbidden” “Yellowing”

    Read more

  • 87 Countries Submit Films in 2018 Oscar Foreign Language Competition

    [caption id="attachment_31248" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]El Angel directed by Luis Ortega El Angel directed by Luis Ortega[/caption] Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 91st Academy Awards. Malawi and Niger are first-time entrants. Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. The 91st Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. The 2018 submissions are: Afghanistan, “Rona Azim’s Mother,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director; Algeria, “Until the End of Time,” Yasmine Chouikh, director; Argentina, “El Ángel,” Luis Ortega, director; Armenia, “Spitak,” Alexander Kott, director; Australia, “Jirga,” Benjamin Gilmour, director; Austria, “The Waldheim Waltz,” Ruth Beckermann, director; Bangladesh, “No Bed of Roses,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director; Belarus, “Crystal Swan,” Darya Zhuk, director; Belgium, “Girl,” Lukas Dhont, director; Bolivia, “The Goalkeeper,” Rodrigo “Gory” Patiño, director; Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Never Leave Me,” Aida Begić, director; Brazil, “The Great Mystical Circus,” Carlos Diegues, director; Bulgaria, “Omnipresent,” Ilian Djevelekov, director; Cambodia, “Graves without a Name,” Rithy Panh, director; Canada, “Family Ties,” Sophie Dupuis, director; Chile, “…And Suddenly the Dawn,” Silvio Caiozzi, director; China, “Hidden Man,” Jiang Wen, director; Colombia, “Birds of Passage,” Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra, directors; Costa Rica, “Medea,” Alexandra Latishev, director; Croatia, “The Eighth Commissioner,” Ivan Salaj, director; Czech Republic, “Winter Flies,” Olmo Omerzu, director; Denmark, “The Guilty,” Gustav Möller, director; Dominican Republic, “Cocote,” Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias, director; Ecuador, “A Son of Man,” Jamaicanoproblem, director; Egypt, “Yomeddine,” A.B. Shawky, director; Estonia, “Take It or Leave It,” Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo, director; Finland, “Euthanizer,” Teemu Nikki, director; France, “Memoir of War,” Emmanuel Finkiel, director; Georgia, “Namme,” Zaza Khalvashi, director; Germany, “Never Look Away,” Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, director; Greece, “Polyxeni,” Dora Masklavanou, director; Hong Kong, “Operation Red Sea,” Dante Lam, director; Hungary, “Sunset,” László Nemes, director; Iceland, “Woman at War,” Benedikt Erlingsson, director; India, “Village Rockstars,” Rima Das, director; Indonesia, “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts,” Mouly Surya, director; Iran, “No Date, No Signature,” Vahid Jalilvand, director; Iraq, “The Journey,” Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji, director; Israel, “The Cakemaker,” Ofir Raul Graizer, director; Italy, “Dogman,” Matteo Garrone, director; Japan, “Shoplifters,” Hirokazu Kore-eda, director; Kazakhstan, “Ayka,” Sergey Dvortsevoy, director; Kenya, “Supa Modo,” Likarion Wainaina, director; Kosovo, “The Marriage,” Blerta Zeqiri, director; Latvia, “To Be Continued,” Ivars Seleckis, director; Lebanon, “Capernaum,” Nadine Labaki, director; Lithuania, “Wonderful Losers: A Different World,” Arunas Matelis, director; Luxembourg, “Gutland,” Govinda Van Maele, director; Macedonia, “Secret Ingredient,” Gjorce Stavreski, director; Malawi, “The Road to Sunrise,” Shemu Joyah, director; Mexico, “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón, director; Montenegro, “Iskra,” Gojko Berkuljan, director; Morocco, “Burnout,” Nour-Eddine Lakhmari, director; Nepal, “Panchayat,” Shivam Adhikari, director; Netherlands, “The Resistance Banker,” Joram Lürsen, director; New Zealand, “Yellow Is Forbidden,” Pietra Brettkelly, director; Niger, “The Wedding Ring,” Rahmatou Keïta, director; Norway, “What Will People Say,” Iram Haq, director; Pakistan, “Cake,” Asim Abbasi, director; Palestine, “Ghost Hunting,” Raed Andoni, director; Panama, “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name,” Abner Benaim, director; Paraguay, “The Heiresses,” Marcelo Martinessi, director; Peru, “Eternity,” Oscar Catacora, director; Philippines, “Signal Rock,” Chito S. Roño, director; Poland, “Cold War,” Pawel Pawlikowski, director; Portugal, “Pilgrimage,” João Botelho, director; Romania, “I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians,” Radu Jude, director; Russia, “Sobibor,” Konstantin Khabensky, director; Serbia, “Offenders,” Dejan Zecevic, director; Singapore, “Buffalo Boys,” Mike Wiluan, director; Slovakia, “The Interpreter,” Martin Šulík, director; Slovenia, “Ivan,” Janez Burger, director; South Africa, “Sew the Winter to My Skin,” Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, director; South Korea, “Burning,” Lee Chang-dong, director; Spain, “Champions,” Javier Fesser, director; Sweden, “Border,” Ali Abbasi, director; Switzerland, “Eldorado,” Markus Imhoof, director; Taiwan, “The Great Buddha+,” Hsin-Yao Huang, director; Thailand, “Malila The Farewell Flower,” Anucha Boonyawatana, director; Tunisia, “Beauty and the Dogs,” Kaouther Ben Hania, director; Turkey, “The Wild Pear Tree,” Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director; Ukraine, “Donbass,” Sergei Loznitsa, director; United Kingdom, “I Am Not a Witch,” Rungano Nyoni, director; Uruguay, “Twelve-Year Night,” Álvaro Brechner, director; Venezuela, “The Family,” Gustavo Rondón Córdova, director; Vietnam, “The Tailor,” Buu Loc Tran, Kay Nguyen, directors; Yemen, “10 Days before the Wedding,” Amr Gamal, director.

    Read more

  • 2017 Seattle International Film Festival Announces Lineup of 400 Films, Closes with THE YOUNG KARL MARX

    [caption id="attachment_18956" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Young Karl Marx (Le jeune Karl Marx) The Young Karl Marx (Le jeune Karl Marx)[/caption] The 43rd Seattle International Film Festival taking place May 18 to June 11, 2017, today unveiled a lineup of 400 films representing 80 countries. Opening night kicks off Friday, May 18 with The Big Sick, starring and written by Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) along with his wife Emily V. Gordon.  Closing this year’s Festival is the North American premiere of The Young Karl Marx, directed by Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro). The story follows 26-year-old Karl Marx (August Diehl) and his wife Jenny in exile in Europe, where they meet a man who provides them with the final piece needed for the foundation of Marxist theory. At the annual Centerpiece Gala, SIFF will travel to 1990s Manhattan in the slice-of-life comedy, Landline. Director Gillian Robespierre brings back actress-comedienne Jenny Slate following their SIFF 2014 run of Obvious Child. The World premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s Trouble will screen at Seattle’s historic SIFF Cinema Egyptian as SIFF honors the film’s executive producer and star, Anjelica Huston, with the Career Achievement in Acting Award. In addition to the award presentation and screening, the acclaimed actress is also slated for an on-stage interview at the Wednesday, June 7 event. Also scheduled is An Afternoon with Sam Elliott, where the festival will pay tribute to the all-American actor. Along with his iconic voice, Elliott makes his way to SIFF on Saturday, May 27th for the Seattle premiere of his newest film The Hero following an onstage discussion that afternoon. Receiving raving reviews following its’ world premiere at SXSW is Seattle native S.J. Chiro’s first full-length feature, Lane 1974. Drawing off of Chiro’s own childhood experiences as well as those described in Clane Hayward’s memoir “The Hypocrisy of Disco”, SIFF is thrilled to present this 1970s coming-of-age narrative. One of several interactive events features Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World, a documentary by Catherine Bainbridge celebrating the achievements and contributions of Native Americans in modern American music. Along with the screening of the film, guests will also enjoy Indigenous Centered Perspectives, an exhibit showcasing works by four indigenous artists at the Paramount Theater. The Friday, May 26 event is hosted by SIFF in collaboration with Amazon Video Direct, STG, and Longhouse Media. “This year’s robust line-up includes a wide variety of programs ranging from heartfelt features from comedy favorites to thought-provoking documentaries, as well as once in a lifetime conversations with Hollywood legends,” says Interim Artistic Director Beth Barrett. “We are thrilled to jump into our 43rd edition and introduce spectacular programming from across the world to over 150,000 film enthusiasts in Seattle over the course of 25 days.”

    GALAS

    Opening Night Gala The Big Sick The hilarious, romantic, and moving true story of the cross-cultural courtship between Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley”) and his wife Emily (Zoe Kazan) comes to life in this utterly delightful comedy from director Michael Showalter and producer Judd Apatow. (d: Michael Showalter c: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher, USA 2017, 119 min) Centerpiece Gala Landline The director and star of Obvious Child reunite for this uproarious slice-of- life story about two sisters (Jenny Slate and breakout star Abby Quinn) in pre-cell-phone 1990s Manhattan who discover that their father is having an affair, and conspire to expose him. (d: Gillian Robespierre c: Jenny Slate, John Turturro, Edie Falco, Abby Quinn, Jay Duplass, Finn Wittrock, USA 2017, 93 min) Closing Night Gala The Young Karl Marx North American Premiere Director Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) presents a lush period drama that joins 26-year- old Karl Marx (August Diehl) and his wife Jenny in exile in Europe, where they meet Friedrich Engels, who provides the final piece needed for the foundation of Marxist theory. (d: Raoul Peck c: August Diehl, Stefan Konarske, Vicky Krieps, Hannah Steele, Olivier Gourmet, France/Germany/ Belgium 2016, 118 min)

    SPECIAL GUESTS

    OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN ACTING AWARD Anjelica Huston Featuring Trouble Plus screenings of The Grifters and The Witches Anjelica Huston is a powerhouse of a woman whose career has spanned over 50 years: through modeling, film, television, and on the page. Born into the family of renowned film director John Huston and legendary grandfather Walter Huston, Anjelica was sure to make a splash in the industry with both her unique beauty and strong presence.  Her penchant for and exquisite skill in portraying tenacious, crafty, emotionally strong women has undoubtedly made her among the greatest actresses of our time. Past honorees of the SIFF Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award include Laura Dern, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Viggo Mortensen, Kyle MacLachlan, Sir Ben Kingsley, Kevin Bacon, Edward Norton, Sissy Spacek, Joan Allen, and Anthony Hopkins amongst others. AN AFTERNOON WITH Sam Elliott Featuring The Hero He of the gruff baritone voice and the luxuriant mustache, Sam Elliott is the quintessential portrait of the American cowboy, a quality he’s drawn on since he first appeared onscreen in the 1969 Oscar® winner Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. From Tombstone to Gettysburg, The Big Lebowski to Mask, Road House to Thank You for Smoking, ad campaigns for Coors and the American Beef Council, and TV work ranging from “Mission: Impossible” to “Justified,” his rugged, commanding presence is an unmistakable gift to American pop culture and any genre lucky enough to have him.

    COMPETITIONS

    Official Competition

    7 Minutes (d. Michele Placido, Italy/France/Switzerland 2016, North American Premiere) Bad Influence (d: Claudia Huaiqimilla, Chile 2016) Beach Rats (d: Eliza Hittman, USA 2016) Have A Nice Day (d: LIU Jian, China/Hong Kong 2017, North American Premiere) Hedi (d: Mohamed Ben Attia, Tunisia/Belgium/France/Qatar/Uae 2016) My Happy Family (d: Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Gross, Georgia/Germany/France 2017) Sami Blood (d: Amanda Kernell, Sweden/Norway/Denmark 2016) Zoology (d: Ivan I. Tverdovsky, Russia/France/Germany 2016)

    New Directors Competition

    Anishoara (d: Ana-Felicia Scutelnicu, Germany 2016) Boundaries (d: Chloé Robichaud, Canada (Québec) 2016) Diamond Island (d: Davy Chou, France 2016) The Inland Road (d: Jackie Van Beek, New Zealand 2017, North American Premiere) I Was A Dreamer (d: Michele Vannucci, Italy 2016, North American Premiere) Kati Kati (d: Mbithi Masya, Kenya 2016) The Man (d: Charlotte Sieling, Denmark 2017) Paris Prestige (d: Hamé Bourokba, Ekoué Labitey, France 2016) Quit Staring at My Plate (d: Hana Jušić, Croatia 2016) Struggle for Life (d: Antonin Peretjatko, Belgium 2016)

    Ibero-American Competition

    Chameleon (d: Jorge Riquelme Serrano, Chile 2016, North American Premiere) Devil’s Freedom (d: Everardo González, Mexico 2017, US Premiere) May God Save Us (d: Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Spain 2016) Pendular (d: Julia Murat, Brazil/Argentina/France 2017) Santa & Andres (d: Carlos Lechuga, Cuba/Colombia/France 2016) Two Irenes (d: Fabio Meira, Brazil 2017, North American Premiere) The Winter (d: Emiliano Torres, Argentina/France 2016) Woodpeckers (d: José María Cabral, Dominican Republic 2017)

    New American Cinema Competition

    American Folk (d: David Heinz, USA 2017) Columbus (d: Kogonada USA 2017) Dara Ju (d: Anthony Onah, USA/Nigeria 2017) The Feels (d: Jenée Lamarque, USA 2017, World Premiere) In The Radiant City (d: Rachel Lambert, USA 2016) The Landing (d: Mark Dodson and David Dodson, USA 2016) Lane 1974 (d: SJ Chiro, USA 2017) Say You Will (d: Nick Naveda, USA 2017, World Premiere)

    Documentary Competition

    Becoming Who I Was (d: Moon Chang-Yong, Jeon Jin, South Korea 2016, US Premiere) Close Relations (d: Vitaly Mansky, Germany/Latvia/Estonia/Ukraine 2016, US Premiere) The Farthest (d: Emer Reynolds, Ireland 2017) Ghost Hunting (d: Raed Andoni, Palestine/France/Switzerland 2016 US Premiere) The Reagan Show (d: Pacho Velez, Sierra Pattengill, USA 2017) Roberto Bolle – The Art Of Dance (d: Francesca Pedroni, Italy 2016, North American Premiere) Those Who Remain (d: Eliane Raheb, Lebanon/Uae 2016, North American Premiere) What Lies Upstream (d: Cullen Hoback, USA 2017) Winnie (d: Pascale Lamche, France/Netherlands/South Africa 2017)

    AFRICAN PICTURES

    Borders (d: Apolline Traoré c: Amelie Mbaye, Naky Sy Savane, Burkina Faso 2017, 90 min, North American Premiere) Hedi (d: Mohamed Ben Attia c: Majd Mastoura, Rym Ben Messaoud, Sabah Bouzouita, Hakim Boumessoudi, Ombia Ben Ghali, Tunisia 2016, 89 min) Investigating Paradise (d: Merzak Allouache c: Salima Abada, Younès Sabeur Chérif, France 2017, 135 min, North American Premiere) Kalushi (d: Mandla Dube c: Thabo Rametsi, Thabo Malema, Welile Nzuza, Jafta Mamabolo, Pearl Thusi, Gcina Mhlophe, South Africa 2016, 107 min) The Nile Hilton Incident (d: Tarik Saleh c: Fares Fares, Mari Malek, Mohamed Yousry, Yasser Ali Maher, Ahmed Selim, Hania Amar, Sweden 2017, 106 min) The Wedding Party (d: Kemi Adetiba c: Adesua Etomi, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Banky Wellington, Nigeria 2016, 110 min) Winnie (d: Pascale Lamche, France 2017, 98 min) Wùlu (d: Daouda Coulibaly c: Ibrahim Koma, Inna Modja, Ismael Ndiaye, Jean-Marie Traore, Dembele Habib, Mariame Ndiaye, Quim Gutierrez, Oliver Rabourdin, France 2016, 95 min)

    CHINA STARS

    The Beautiful Kokonor Lake (d. XING-HAO Shen c: Qin Yi, Jiang Ping, Jennifer Shu Chang. Huang Hong, Tony Rui-Xin, China 2017, 98 min) The Door (d. XING-HAO Shen c: JIANG Wu, JIANG Qingin, ZHU Xu, FU Ying, LI Naiwen, China 2017, 98 min, North American Premiere) Free and Easy (d. JUN Geng c: ZU Gang, ZHANG Zhiyong, XUE Baohe, WANG Xuxu, GU Benbin, ZHANG Xun, YUAN Liguo China 2016, 99 min) God of War (d. Gordon Chan c: Sammo Hung, Vincent Zhao, Regina Wan, Yasuaki Kurata, Keisuke Koide, China 2017, 130 min) Have a Nice Day (d. LIU Jian c: Yang Siming, Cao Kou, Ma Xiaofeng, Zhu Changlong, China 2017, 77 min) Knife in the Clear Water (d. WANG Xuebo c: YANG Shengcang, ZHOU Jinhua, YANG Fan, YANG Xue, China 2016, 93 min, US Premiere) Love and Duty (d. WANCANG Bu c: RUAN Lingyu, JIN Yan, China 1931, 153 min) The Song of Cotton (d. ZHU Yuancheng c: YAN Bingyan, WANG Deshun, China 2016, 90 min) Soul on a String (d. ZHANG Yang c: Kimba, Quni Ciren, Siano Dudiom Zahi, Solange Nima, China 2016, 142 min) Tea Pets (d. Gary Wang v: SHI Lei, YUAN Zeyu, JI Guanlin, China 2017, 93 min) Short films from the Beijing Film Academy: Bloom (d. SUN Yiran and XU Jiyao c: Yiran SUN, Jiyao XU, China 2017, 8 min) Elephant King (d. FU Yan and FU Chao c: Wang Naizhen, Fan Meng, Fu Yan, Fu Yongcha, China 2017, 11 min) Free Throw Line (d. ZHANG Yixin China 2017, 7 min) I Come From Prairie (d. Nuhan Arisbek, China 2017, 8 min) The Sea (d. LI Yifan, China 2017 c: Jinshan Wang Feiyu Chen, Yihao Qian, 7 min)

    CULINARY CINEMA

    Cook Up a Storm (d: Raymond Yip Wai Man c: Alberto Calvet Gonzalez, You Ge, Yong-hwa Jung, Barbora Mottlová, Yan Tang, USA 2017, 97 min) Fermented (d: Jonathan Cianfrani c: Edward Lee, USA 2017, 67 min, World Premiere) Food Evolution (d: Scott Hamilton Kennedy c: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, Michael Pollan, Charles Benbrook, USA 2016, 92 min) Kakehashi: A Portrait of Chef Nobuo Fukuda (d: Andrew Gooi c: Nobuo Fukuda, Sarah Fukuda, Kazuko Fukuda, Japan 2017, 46 min, World Premiere) Lives with Flavor (d: Pablo Gasca Gollas c: Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, Marco Beteta,Martha Ortiz,Israel Ronzon, Alberto Albarran, Patricia Muñoz Zurita, Salomé Freixas, Gonzalo Serrano, Mexico 2017, 52 min, World Premiere) New Chefs on the Block (d: Dustin Harrison-Atlas c: Frank Linn, Aaron Silverman, Kate Diamond, Michel Richard, Danny Meyer, Mike Isabella, Tim Carman, Emily Sprissler, USA 2016, 96 min) The Turkish Way (d: Luis Gonzalez c: Joan Roca, Josep Roca, Jordi Roca, Sabiha Apaydin, Maksut Askar, Mehmet Gurs, Sina Sucuka, Spain 2016, 120 min)

    FACE THE MUSIC

    Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall (d: Katherine Fairfax Wright f: Todrick Hall, Teresa Stanley, Wayne Brady, Chester Lockhart, Jesse Pattison, Brenda Cornish, Vonzell Solomon, Jenni Thomasson, Jazlyn Nicole Miller, USA 2017, 105 min) Bill Frisell, A Portrait (d: Emma Franz f: Bill Frisell, Paul Motian, Jim Hall, Mike Gibbs, Jason Moran, Jim Woodring, Joey Baron, Tony Scherr, Kenny Wollesen, John Zorn, Australia 2017, 114 min) Chavela (d: Catherine Gund f: Chavela Vargas, Pedro Almodóvar, USA 2017, 90 min) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with live soundtrack by The Invincible Czars (d: John S. Robertson c: John Barrymore, Brandon Hurst, Martha Mansfield, Charles Lane, Cecil Clovelly, USA 1920, 79 min) Give Me Future (d: Austin Peters, USA 2017, 85 min) A Life in Waves (d: Brett Whitcomb f: Suzanne Ciani, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, Kitaro, Peter Baumann, Dorit Chrysler, Sarah Davachi, Don Buchla, USA 2016, 75 min) On the Road (d: Michael Winterbottom f: Wolf Alice, James McArdle, Leah Harvey, Swim Deep, Bloody Knees, United Kingdom 2016, 112 min) The Paris Opera (d: Jean-Stéphane Bron f: Stéphane Lissner, Benjamin Millepied, France 2016, 110 min)

    NORTHWEST CONNECTIONS

    The Cage Fighter (d: Jeff Unay f: Callie Carman, Joe Carman, Delanee Carman, Vernon Beach, USA 2017, 83 min) Crazywise (d: Phil Borges, Kevin Tomlinson f: Adam Gentry, Ekhaya Esima, Angeles Arrien, Phil Borges, Carroll Dunham, USA 2017, 82 min, World Premiere) Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey (d: Dave O’Leske, USA 2017, 96 min) Lane 1974 (d: SJ Chiro c: Sophia Mitri Schloss, Katherine Moennig, Annette Toutonghi, Sara Coates, USA 2017, 80 min) Pow Wow (d: Robinson Devor, USA 2016, 75 min) Rocketmen (d: Webster Crowell c: Alycia Delmore, Basil Harris, Christopher Dietz, Ian Fraser, Ben Laurance, USA 2017, 67 min, World Premiere) Wallflower (d: Jagger Gravning c: David Call, Atsuko Okatsuka, Conner Marx, USA 2017, 84 min, World Premiere)

    360˚/VR STORYTELLING POWERED BY WONDERTEK

    360˚/VR STORYTELLING POP-UP, POWERED BY WONDERTEK LABS Weekends from Friday, May 19 – Saturday, June 10 Passholder Happy Hours and Festival Forums times SIFF Lounge, presented by Vulcan Productions While the emerging tech behind-the-scenes of virtual reality and 360˚ have been evolving over the past few years, 360˚ filmmakers and VR content creators have been organically evolving a new language and tools for storytelling in this space. WonderTek Labs has curated a selection of some of the best in 360˚ storytelling from creators from the Seattle region and around the globe, showcased on Google Daydream headsets, that highlight a spectrum of where 360˚ storytelling is today. Selections will include a work-in-progress cut of Seattle-based Mechanical Dreams’ Potato Dreams, the VR companion to SIFF’s short-film selection Little Potato; a reprise presentation of “The Stranger” Genius Award winner Tracy Rector’s Eagle Bone; Madrid-based Future Lighthouse’s groundbreaking branded storytelling piece Beefeater XO (a top-10 finalist for the Tribeca X Prize); an interactive VR episode for Spanish hit television series “El Ministerio Del Tiempo”; a selection of the best work to come out of the four SIXR Cinematic VR Hackathons; and other content TBD. 360˚/VR STORYTELLING PLAYTANK Saturday, June 10 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM SIFF Film Center Are you a filmmaker who wants to learn more about transitioning to 360˚/VR, or a VR dev who wants to connect with filmmakers? Do you have a 360˚ or VR project in mind and want to connect with other folks interested in working on projects? Do you have expertise to share, or things you want to learn? The 360˚/VR Storytelling PlayTank is a hand-on, interactive event intended to bring together the Seattle 360˚/VR and filmmaking communities for a morning of topical small-group breakout conversations, hands-on demos and workshops, and informal opportunities to connect like-minded creatives, show personal projects and demos, and learn about emerging technologies. The PlayTank will kick off with a Geekout Breakout Session Breakfast, where participants will join small, mentor-facilitated, small-group breakout sessions on topics including Spatial Audio, 360˚ Production and Post Production, Branching Narrative in 360˚ Storytelling, 360˚ Documentary Storytelling, and Ethics in Developing 360˚/VR Content. Mettle CEO Chris Bobotis will be on hand to present a hands-on workshop for Mettle’s 360˚ editing plug-ins for Adobe Premiere. Bring your laptop to participate (you must have Adobe Premiere; you can download a free 30-day trial version if you don’t own Premiere). Participants will receive a free temporary license to use Mettle’s products as a part of this workshop. Upstairs in the PlayTank, participants will explore hands-on demos and workshops, and grab another coffee and connect organically with others in the community. The PlayTank is an open and collaborative space. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops and demos to share.

    Read more

  • Berlinale 2017: Complete List of Awards – ON BODY AND SOUL Wins Golden Bear

    [caption id="attachment_20704" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Testről és lélekről On Body and Soul by Ildikó Enyedi On Body and Soul (Testről és lélekről) by Ildikó Enyedi[/caption] A slaughterhouse in Budapest is the setting of a strangely beautiful love story, the Hungarian film On Body and Soul by Ildikó Enyedi, crowned winner of the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival.  The film also is the winner of the Berliner Morgenpost Readers’ Jury Award.

    THE AWARDS OF THE 67th BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

    PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL JURY

    GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST FILM (awarded to the film’s producer) Testről és lélekről On Body and Soul by Ildikó Enyedi SILVER BEAR GRAND JURY PRIZE Félicité by Alain Gomis SILVER BEAR ALFRED BAUER PRIZE for a feature film that opens new perspectives Pokot Spoor by Agnieszka Holland SILVER BEAR FOR BEST DIRECTOR Aki Kaurismäki for Toivon tuolla puolen (The Other Side of Hope/Die andere Seite der Hoffnung) SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTRESS Kim Minhee in Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja (On the Beach at Night Alone) by Hong Sangsoo SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTOR Georg Friedrich in Helle Nächte (Bright Nights) by Thomas Arslan SILVER BEAR FOR BEST SCREENPLAY Sebastián Lelio and Gonzalo Maza for Una mujer fantástica (A Fantastic Woman) by Sebastián Lelio SILVER BEAR FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION in the categories camera, editing, music score, costume or set design Dana Bunescu for the editing in Ana, mon amour by Călin Peter Netzer

    GWFF BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD

    GWFF BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD Estiu 1993 Summer 1993 Sommer 1993 by Carla Simón

    GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY AWARD

    GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY AWARD Istiyad Ashbah Ghost Hunting by Raed Andoni

    PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM JURY

    GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST SHORT FILM Cidade Pequena Small Town Kleine Stadt by Diogo Costa Amarante SILVER BEAR JURY PRIZE (SHORT FILM) Ensueño en la Pradera Reverie in the Meadow Träumerei in der Prärie by Esteban Arrangoiz Julien AUDI SHORT FILM AWARD Street of Death by Karam Ghossein SPECIAL MENTION Centauro Centaur Zentaur by Nicolás Suárez BERLIN SHORT FILM NOMINEE FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS Os Humores Artificiais The Artificial Humors Die Künstlichen Humore by Gabriel Abrantes

    PRIZES OF THE JURIES GENERATION

    Children’s Jury Generation Kplus CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Film Piata loď Little Harbour Das fünfte Schiff by Iveta Grófová SPECIAL MENTION Amelie rennt Mountain Miracle — An Unexpected Friendship by Tobias Wiemann CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Short Film Promise Versprechen by Xie Tian SPECIAL MENTION Hedgehog’s Home Das Haus des Igels by Eva Cvijanovic

    International Jury Generation Kplus

    THE GRAND PRIX OF THE GENERATION KPLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best feature-length film Becoming Who I Was Werden wer ich war by Chang-Yong Moon and Jin Jeon tie Estiu 1993 Summer 1993 Sommer 1993 by Carla Simón THE SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE GENERATION KPLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best short film Aaba Grandfather Großvater by Amar Kaushik SPECIAL MENTION Sabaku by Marlies van der Wel

    Youth Jury Generation 14plus

    CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Film Butterfly Kisses by Rafael Kapelinski SPECIAL MENTION Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n’ont fait que se creuser un tombeau Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves by Mathieu Denis and Simon Lavoie CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Short Film Wolfe by Claire Randall SPECIAL MENTION SNIP by Terril Calder

    International Jury Generation 14plus

    THE GRAND PRIX OF THE GENERATION 14PLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best feature-length film, Shkola nomer 3 School Number 3 by Yelizaveta Smith and Georg Genoux SPECIAL MENTION Ben Niao The Foolish Bird by Huang Ji and Ryuji Otsuka THE SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE GENERATION 14PLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best short film, The Jungle Knows You Better Than You Do by Juanita Onzaga SPECIAL MENTION U Plavetnilo Into the Blue by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović

    PRIZES OF INDEPENDENT JURIES

    PRIZES OF THE ECUMENICAL JURY Competition Testről és lélekről (On Body and Soul) by Ildikó Enyedi Special Mention: Una mujer fantástica (A Fantastic Woman) by Sebastián Lelio Panorama Tahqiq fel djenna (Investigating Paradise) by Merzak Allouache Special Mention: I Am Not Your Negro by Raoul Peck Forum Maman Colonelle (Mama Colonel) by Dieudo Hamadi Special Mention: El mar la mar by Joshua Bonnetta and J.P. Sniadecki PRIZES OF THE FIPRESCI JURY Competition: Testről és lélekről (On Body and Soul) by Ildikó Enyedi Panorama: Pendular by Julia Murat Forum: Shu’our akbar min el hob (A Feeling Greater Than Love) by Mary Jirmanus Saba GUILD FILM PRIZE The Party by Sally Potter CICAE ART CINEMA AWARD Panorama: Centaur by Aktan Arym Kubat Forum: Newton by Amit V Masurkar LABEL EUROPA CINEMAS Insyriated by Philippe Van Leeuw TEDDY AWARD Best Feature Film: Una mujer fantástica (A Fantastic Woman) by Sebastián Lelio Best Documentary/Essay Film: Ri Chang Dui Hua (Small Talk) by Hui-chen Huang Best Short Film: Min Homosyster (My Gay Sister/Meine Homoschwester) by Lia Hietala Special Jury Award: Karera ga Honki de Amu toki wa (Close-Knit) by Naoko Ogigami Special Teddy Award: Monika Treut CALIGARI FILM PRIZE El mar la mar by Joshua Bonnetta and J.P. Sniadecki PEACE FILM PRIZE El Pacto de Adriana (Adriana’s Pact) by Lissette Orozco AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FILM PRIZE La libertad del diablo (Devil’s Freedom) by Everardo González (Berlinale Special) HEINER CAROW PRIZE Fünf Sterne (Five Stars) by Annekatrin Hendel

    READERS’ JURIES AND AUDIENCE AWARD

    PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARD Fiction Film Insyriated by Philippe Van Leeuw PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARD Documentary Film I Am Not Your Negro by Raoul Peck BERLINER MORGENPOST READERS’ JURY AWARD Testről és lélekről (On Body and Soul) by Ildikó Enyedi TAGESSPIEGEL READERS’ JURY AWARD Maman Colonelle (Mama Colonel) by Dieudo Hamadi HARVEY – MÄNNER READERS’ JURY AWARD God’s Own Country by Francis Lee

    DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

    COMPASS-PERSPEKTIVE-AWARD Die beste aller Welten (The Best Of All Worlds) by Adrian Goiginger Special Jury Prize: Final Stage by Nicolaas Schmidt KOMPAGNON-FELLOWSHIP System Crasher (Systemsprenger) by Nora Fingscheidt (Berlinale Talents 2017) Der grüne Wellensittich by Levin Peter and Elsa Kremser (Perspektive Deutsches Kino 2016) ARTE INTERNATIONAL PRIZE Lost Country by Vladimir Perišić (Serbia), produced by KinoElektron (France), MPM Film (France) and Trilema Films (Serbia) EURIMAGES CO-PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT AWARD Razor Film Produktion (Germany) for The Wife of the Pilot (Director: Anne Zohra Berrached) VFF TALENT HIGHLIGHT AWARD Producer Nefes Polat (Turkey) for The Bus to Amerika (Director: Derya Durmaz)

    Read more

  • Berlinale 2017: INSYRIATED and I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO Win Audience Awards

    [caption id="attachment_20697" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Insyriated Insyriated[/caption] The audience at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival has cast its votes, and the Panorama Audience Awards go to Insyriated by Philipp Van Leeuw for best fiction film and I Am Not Your Negro by Raoul Peck for best documentary. Insyriated is a tautly-constructed chamber drama about trying to live a normal life in a war zone. It is the second film starring Hiam Abbass that has won the Panorama Audience Award (she also played the lead in Eran Riklis’s Lemon Tree in 2008). [caption id="attachment_20591" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]I Am Not Your Negro I Am Not Your Negro[/caption] Raoul Peck’s filmic essay I Am Not Your Negro about James Baldwin and his three assassinated friends – civil rights activists Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X – has also been nominated for an Academy Award as  Best Documentary Feature. The Panorama Audience Award has been given since 1999. Since 2011, not only the best fiction film but also the best documentary film have received awards. During the festival, moviegoers are asked to rate the films shown in Panorama on voting cards after the screenings. In 2017 a total of 29,000 votes were cast and counted. This year Panorama presented 50 feature-length films from 43 countries, of which 21 screened in the Panorama Dokumente series. Panorama Audience Award Winner Fiction Film 2017 Insyriated Belgium / France / Lebanon 2017 By Philippe Van Leeuw 2nd place Panorama Audience Award Fiction Film 2017 Close-Knit (Karera ga Honki de Amu toki wa) Japan 2017 By Naoko Ogigami 3rd place Panorama Audience Award Fiction Film 2017 1945 Hungary 2017 By Ferenc Török Panorama Audience Award Winner Panorama Dokumente 2017 I Am Not Your Negro France / USA / Belgium / Switzerland 2016 By Raoul Peck 2nd place Panorama Audience Award Panorama Dokumente 2017 Chavela USA 2017 By Catherine Gund, Daresha Kyi 3rd place Panorama Audience Award Panorama Dokumente 2017 Ghost Hunting (Istiyad Ashbah) France / Palestine / Switzerland / Qatar  2017 By Raed Andoni

    Read more