Good Time (2017)

  • JUST MERCY to Close 2019 Indie Memphis Film Festival

    JUST MERCY by Destin Daniel Cretton, starring Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx,
    JUST MERCY by Destin Daniel Cretton, starring Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx,

    Indie Memphis Film Festival will close this year’s edition with JUST MERCY by Destin Daniel Cretton, in which he reunites with his SHORT TERM 12 leading lady Brie Larson; the film also stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, and Rafe Spall and tells the powerful true story of Walter McMillian, who with the help of young defense attorney Bryan Stevenson appeals his murder conviction.

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  • 141 Scores in Contention for Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards

    [caption id="attachment_23776" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]Battle Of The Sexes BATTLE OF THE SEXES[/caption] 141 scores from eligible feature-length films released in 2017 have qualified to be nominated in the Original Score category for the 90th Academy Awards. To be eligible, the original score must be a substantial body of music that serves as original dramatic underscoring, and must be written specifically for the motion picture by the submitting composer. Scores diluted by the use of preexisting music, diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs or any music not composed specifically for the film by the submitting composer, or assembled from the music of more than one composer shall not be eligible. Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title: “Alien: Covenant,” Jed Kurzel, composer “All I See Is You,” Marc Streitenfeld, composer “All the Money in the World,” Daniel Pemberton, composer “Annabelle: Creation,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer “Band Aid,” Lucius, composer “Battle of the Sexes,” Nicholas Britell, composer “Baywatch,” Christopher Lennertz, composer “Beauty and the Beast,” Alan Menken, composer “The Big Sick,” Michael Andrews, composer “Blade Runner 2049,” Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer, composers “The Book of Henry,” Michael Giacchino, composer “Born in China,” Barnaby Taylor, composer “The Boss Baby,” Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro, composers “Boston,” Jeff Beal, composer “Brad’s Status,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer “Brawl in Cell Block 99,” Jeff Herriott and S. Craig Zahler, composers “The Breadwinner,” Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna, composers “Breathe,” Nitin Sawhney, composer “Brigsby Bear,” David Wingo, composer “Brimstone & Glory,” Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin, composers “Captain Underpants The First Epic Movie,” Theodore Shapiro, composer “Cars 3,” Randy Newman, composer “The Circle,” Danny Elfman, composer “Coco,” Michael Giacchino, composer “Cries from Syria,” Martin Tillman, composer “A Cure for Wellness,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer “Darkest Hour,” Dario Marianelli, composer “Despicable Me 3,” Heitor Pereira, composer “The Disaster Artist,” Dave Porter, composer “A Dog’s Purpose,” Rachel Portman, composer “Downsizing,” Rolfe Kent, composer “Drawing Home,” Ben Holiday, composer “Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer, composer “Earth: One Amazing Day,” Alex Heffes, composer “A Fantastic Woman,” Matthew Herbert, composer “The Fate of the Furious,” Brian Tyler, composer “Father Figures,” Rob Simonsen, composer “Ferdinand,” John Powell, composer “Fifty Shades Darker,” Danny Elfman, composer “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool,” J. Ralph, composer “First They Killed My Father,” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers “Get Out,” Michael Abels, composer “A Ghost Story,” Daniel Hart, composer “Gifted,” Rob Simonsen, composer “The Glass Castle,” Joel P. West, composer “Going in Style,” Rob Simonsen, composer “Good Time,” Daniel Lopatin, composer “Goodbye Christopher Robin,” Carter Burwell, composer “Gook,” Roger Suen, composer “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Tyler Bates, composer “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” Atli Ӧrvarsson, composer “Hostiles,” Max Richter, composer “Human Flow,” Karsten Fundal, composer “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” Jeff Beal, composer “It,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer “Jane,” Philip Glass, composer “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” Henry Jackman, composer “Justice League,” Danny Elfman, composer “Kepler’s Dream,” Patrick Neil Doyle, composer “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,” Daniel Pemberton, composer “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson, composers “Kong: Skull Island,” Henry Jackman, composer “LA 92,” Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans, composers “LBJ,” Marc Shaiman, composer “Lady Bird,” Jon Brion, composer “Lake of Fire,” Qutub-E-Kripa, composer “Last Flag Flying,” Graham Reynolds, composer “The Lego Batman Movie,” Lorne Balfe, composer “The Lego Ninjago Movie,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer “The Leisure Seeker,” Carlo Virzì, composer “Let It Fall,” Mark Isham, composer “Life,” Jon Ekstrand, composer “Logan,” Marco Beltrami, composer “The Lost City of Z,” Christopher Spelman, composer “Loveless,” Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine, composers “Loving Vincent,” Clint Mansell, composer “The Man Who Invented Christmas,” Mychael Danna, composer “Mark Felt – The Man Who Brought Down the White House,” Daniel Pemberton, composer “Marshall,” Marcus Miller, composer “Mary and the Witch’s Flower,” Takatsugu Muramatsu, composer “Maudie,” Michael Timmins, composer “Molly’s Game,” Daniel Pemberton, composer “Moomins and the Winter Wonderland,” Łukasz Targosz, composer “The Mountain between Us,” Ramin Djawadi, composer “Mudbound,” Tamar-kali, composer “The Mummy,” Brian Tyler, composer “Murder on the Orient Express,” Patrick Doyle, composer “My Cousin Rachel,” Rael Jones, composer “Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer,” Jun Miyake, composer “Okja,” Jaeil Jung, composer “Oklahoma City,” David Cieri, composer “The Only Living Boy in New York,” Rob Simonsen, composer “Only the Brave,” Joseph Trapanese, composer “Our Souls at Night,” Elliot Goldenthal, composer “Paris Can Wait,” Laura Karpman, composer “Patti Cake$,” Geremy Jasper and Jason Binnick, composers “Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood, composer “The Pirates of Somalia,” Andrew Feltenstein and John Nau, composers “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” Geoff Zanelli, composer “The Post,” John Williams, composer “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women,” Tom Howe, composer “The Promise,” Gabriel Yared, composer “Pulimurugan,” Gopi Sundar, composer “Raw,” Jim Williams, composer “Roman J. Israel, Esq.,” James Newton Howard, composer “Saban’s Power Rangers,” Brian Tyler, composer “Same Kind of Different as Me,” John Paesano, composer “The Second Coming of Christ,” Navid Hejazi, Ramin Kousha and Silvia Leonetti, composers “Served Like a Girl,” Michael A. Levine, composer “The Shack,” Aaron Zigman, composer “The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat, composer “Slipaway,” Tao Liu, composer “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” Christopher Lennertz, composer “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” Michael Giacchino, composer “Split,” West Dylan Thordson, composer “The Star,” John Paesano, composer “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams, composer “Step,” Laura Karpman and Raphael Saadiq, composers “Stronger,” Michael Brook, composer “Suburbicon,” Alexandre Desplat, composer “Swing Away,” Tao Zervas, composer “Thank You for Your Service,” Thomas Newman, composer “Their Finest,” Rachel Portman, composer “Thelma,” Ola Fløttum, composer “Thor: Ragnarok,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell, composer “Tickling Giants,” Paul Tyan, composer “Tommy’s Honour,” Christian Henson, composer “Trafficked,” David Das, composer “Transformers: The Last Knight,” Steve Jablonsky, composer “XXX: Return of Xander Cage,” Brian Tyler and Robert Lydecker, composers “Victoria & Abdul,” Thomas Newman, composer “Voice from the Stone,” Michael Wandmacher, composer “Wakefield,” Aaron Zigman, composer “War for the Planet of the Apes,” Michael Giacchino, composer “Wilson,” Jon Brion, composer “Wind River,” Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, composers “Wonder,” Marcelo Zarvos, composer “Wonder Woman,” Rupert Gregson-Williams, composer “Wonderstruck,” Carter Burwell, composer “Year by the Sea,” Alexander Janko, composer

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  • 70 Original Songs Qualify to Compete in 90th Academy Awards

    [caption id="attachment_19920" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Patti Cake$ Patti Cake$[/caption] 70 songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2017 qualify for nomination in the Original Song category for the 90th Academy Awards. To be eligible, a song must consist of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the film. A clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody must be used in the body of the film or as the first music cue in the end credits. Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. The 90th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film title and song title: “U.N.I (You And I)” from “And the Winner Isn’t” “Love And Lies” from “Band Aid” “If I Dare” from “Battle of the Sexes” “Evermore” from “Beauty and the Beast” “How Does A Moment Last Forever” from “Beauty and the Beast” “Now Or Never” from “Bloodline: Now or Never” “She” from “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” “Your Hand I Will Never Let It Go” from “The Book of Henry” “Buddy’s Business” from “Brawl in Cell Block 99” “The Crown Sleeps” from “The Breadwinner” “World Gone Mad” from “Bright” “Mystery Of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name” “Visions Of Gideon” from “Call Me by Your Name” “Captain Underpants Theme Song” from “Captain Underpants The First Epic Movie” “Ride” from “Cars 3” “Run That Race” from “Cars 3” “Tell Me How Long” from “Chasing Coral” “Broken Wings” from “City of Ghosts” “Remember Me” from “Coco” “Prayers For This World” from “Cries from Syria” “There’s Something Special” from “Despicable Me 3” “It Ain’t Fair” from “Detroit” “A Little Change In The Weather” from “Downsizing” “Stars In My Eyes (Theme From Drawing Home)” from “Drawing Home” “All In My Head” from “Elizabeth Blue” “Dying For Ya” from “Elizabeth Blue” “Green” from “Elizabeth Blue” “Can’t Hold Out On Love” from “Father Figures” “Home” from “Ferdinand” “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” from “Fifty Shades Darker” “You Shouldn’t Look At Me That Way” from “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool” “This Is How You Walk On” from “Gifted” “Summer Storm” from “The Glass Castle” “The Pure And The Damned” from “Good Time” “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman” “The Hero” from “The Hero” “How Shall A Sparrow Fly” from “Hostiles” “Just Getting Started” from “If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast” “Truth To Power” from “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” “Next Stop, The Stars” from “Kepler’s Dream” “The Devil & The Huntsman” from “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” “Have You Ever Wondered” from “Lake of Fire” “I’ll Be Gone” from “Lake of Fire” “We’ll Party All Night” from “Lake of Fire” “Friends Are Family” from “The Lego Batman Movie” “Found My Place” from “The Lego Ninjago Movie” “Stand Up For Something” from “Marshall” “Rain” from “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” “Myron/Byron” from “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)” “Longing For Summer” from “Moomins and the Winter Wonderland” “Mighty River” from “Mudbound” “Never Forget” from “Murder on the Orient Express” “Hold The Light” from “Only the Brave” “PBNJ” from “Patti Cake$” “Tuff Love (Finale)” from “Patti Cake$” “Lost Souls” from “The Pirates of Somalia” “How A Heart Unbreaks” from “Pitch Perfect 3” “The Promise” from “The Promise” “Kaadanayum Kaalchilambe” from “Pulimurugan” “Maanathe Maarikurumbe” from “Pulimurugan” “Stubborn Angel” from “Same Kind of Different as Me” “Dancing Through The Wreckage” from “Served Like a Girl” “Keep Your Eyes On Me” from “The Shack” “On The Music Goes” from “Slipaway” “The Star” from “The Star” “Jump” from “Step” “Tickling Giants” from “Tickling Giants” “Fly Away” from “Trafficked” “Speak To Me” from “Voice from the Stone” “Walk On Faith” from “Year by the Sea”

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  • THE SHAPE OF WATER Leads Nominations for 2017 Houston Film Critics Society Awards

    [caption id="attachment_25167" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Shape Of Water Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER.[/caption] Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water, leads the nominations for the 2017 Houston Film Critics Society Awards with 11 nominations, including best picture and best director for Guillermo del Toro. Winners will be announced at the award ceremony on January 6, 2018.

    2017 Houston Film Critics Society Awards Nominations

    Best Picture:

    The Big Sick Call Me By Your Name Dunkirk The Florida Project Get Out Lady Bird Logan The Post The Shape of Water Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

    Best Director:

    Guillermo del Toro, “The Shape of Water” Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird” Christopher Nolan, “Dunkirk” Jordan Peele, “Get Out” Steven Spielberg, “The Post”

    Best Actor:

    Timothee Chalamet, “Call Me By Your Name” James Franco, “The Disaster Artist” Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out” Robert Pattinson, “Good Time” Andy Serkis, “War for the Planet of the Apes”

    Best Actress:

    Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water” Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Brooklyn Prince, “The Florida Project” Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya” Saiorse Ronan, “Lady Bird”

    Best Supporting Actor:

    Willem Defoe, “The Florida Project” Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water” Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Patrick Stewart, “Logan” Michael Stuhlbarg, “Call Me By Your Name”

    Best Supporting Actress:

    Holly Hunter, “The Big Sick” Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” Dafne Keen, “Logan” Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird” Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

    Best Screenplay:

    “The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani “Get Out,” Jordan Peele “Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig “The Post,” Elizabeth Hanna and Josh Singer “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh

    Best Cinematography:

    “Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins “Call Me By Your Name,” Sayombhu Mukdeeprom “Dunkirk,” Hoyte van Hoytema “The Shape of Water,” Dan Laustsen “Wonder Wheel,” Vittoria Storaro

    Best Animated Film:

    “The Breadwinner” “Coco” “Despicable Me 3” “The Lego Batman Movie” “Loving Vincent”

    Best Original Score:

    “Blade Runner 2049,” Ben Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer “Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer “The Post,” John Williams “The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat “War for the Planet of the Apes,” Michael Giacchino

    Best Original Song:

    “Evermore” (“Beauty and the Beast”) “I Get Overwhelmed” (“A Ghost Story”) “Never Forget” (“Murder on the Orient Express”) “Remember Me” (“Coco”) “Visions of Gideon” (“Call Me By Your Name”)

    Best Foreign Language Film:

    “BPM” “Blade of the Immortal” “First They Killed My Father” “The Square” “Thelma”

    Best Documentary Feature:

    “Faces Places” “Jane” “Kedi” “Step” “The Work”

    Best Visual Effects:

    “Blade Runner 2049” “The Shape of Water” “War for the Planet of the Apes”

    Best Poster:

    “Baby Driver” “It” “Logan Lucky” “Mother” “The Shape of Water”

    Best Texas Independent Film Award:

    “A Ghost Story” “Mr. Roosevelt” “Mustang Island” “The Secret Life of Lance Letscher” “Song to Song”

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  • GOOD TIME Tops Film Comment Magazine’s 2017 Best-of-Year LISTS

    [caption id="attachment_22877" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Good Time Good Time[/caption] Josh and Benny Safdie’s Good Time took the top spot among films released in 2017 on Film Comment magazine’s annual end-of-year list. Other top ranking films include Terence Davies’s A Quiet Passion, and Olivier Assayas’s Personal Shopper. Of the films that screened at festivals worldwide but have not announced stateside distribution, Pedro Pinho’s The Nothing Factory, Sergei Loznitsa’s A Gentle Creature, and Heinz Emigholz’s Streetscapes [Dialogue] received the top rankings. Published since 1962, Film Comment magazine features in-depth reviews, critical analysis, and feature coverage of mainstream, art-house, and avant-garde filmmaking from around the world.

    Film Comment’s Top 10 Films Released in 2017:

    1. Good Time Josh and Benny Safdie, USA 2. A Quiet Passion Terence Davies, U.K./Belgium 3. Personal Shopper Olivier Assayas, France 4. Get Out Jordan Peele, USA 5. Nocturama Bertrand Bonello, France 6. Ex Libris: The New York Public Library Frederick Wiseman, USA 7. The Death of Louis XIV Albert Serra, France/Portugal/Spain 8. Faces Places Agnès Varda and JR, France 9. The Lost City of Z James Gray, USA 10. Lady Bird Greta Gerwig, USA Film Comment’s survey also ranks films that have screened and made notable appearances at festivals throughout the year, but remain without U.S. distribution at press time.

    Film Comment’s Top 10 Unreleased Films of 2017:

    1. The Nothing Factory Pedro Pinho, Portugal 2. A Gentle Creature Sergei Loznitsa, France/Germany/Lithuania/The Netherlands 3. Streetscapes [Dialogue] Heinz Emigholz, Germany 4. Milla Valérie Massadian, France 5. Tonsler Park Kevin Jerome Everson, USA 6. Mrs. Fang Wang Bing, France/China/Germany 7. Spoor Agnieszka Holland and Kasia Adamik, Poland/Germany/Czech Republic 8. Le Fort des fous Narimane Mari, France/Algeria/Greece/Germany/Qatar 9. 3/4 Ilian Metev, Bulgaria 10. The Venerable W. Barbet Schroeder, France/Switzerland “Out of the hundreds of movies released in 2017, our esteemed contributors have distilled the year into an energized and energizing lineup of essential films,” said Editor-in-Chief Nicolas Rapold. “This selection reflects Film Comment’s love for the art and craft of cinema in its many forms, ranging from first-time filmmakers to 43rd-timers. Not to mention film’s many seasons: the top five all opened before the traditional fall frenzy of releases. Read all about it in Film Comment.”

    THE FILM COMMENT BEST OF 2017: THE COMPLETE LIST OF TOP 20 TITLES

    RELEASED IN 2017

    1. Good Time Josh and Benny Safdie, USA 2. A Quiet Passion Terence Davies, U.K./Belgium 3. Personal Shopper Olivier Assayas, France 4. Get Out Jordan Peele, USA 5. Nocturama Bertrand Bonello, France 6. Ex Libris: The New York Public Library Frederick Wiseman, USA 7. The Death of Louis XIV Albert Serra, France/Portugal/Spain 8. Faces Places Agnès Varda and JR, France 9. The Lost City of Z James Gray, USA 10. Lady Bird Greta Gerwig, USA Rankings #11-20 11. The Human Surge Eduardo Williams, Argentina 12. The Other Side of Hope Aki Kaurismäki, Finland 13. The Florida Project Sean Baker, USA 14. Dawson City: Frozen Time Bill Morrison, USA 15. Phantom Thread Paul Thomas Anderson, USA 16. On the Beach at Night Alone Hong Sangsoo, South Korea 17. Wonderstruck Todd Haynes, USA 18. Mudbound Dee Rees, USA 19. BPM: Beats Per Minute Robin Campillo, France 20. The Square Ruben Östlund, Sweden

    FILMS WITHOUT DISTRIBUTION IN 2017

    1. The Nothing Factory Pedro Pinho, Portugal 2. A Gentle Creature Sergei Loznitsa, France/Germany/Lithuania/The Netherlands 3. Streetscapes [Dialogue] Heinz Emigholz, Germany 4. Milla Valérie Massadian, France 5. Tonsler Park Kevin Jerome Everson, USA 6. Mrs. Fang Wang Bing, France/China/Germany 7. Spoor Agnieszka Holland and Kasia Adamik, Poland/Germany/Czech Republic 8. Le Fort des fous Narimane Mari, France/Algeria/Greece/Germany/Qatar 9. 3/4 Ilian Metev, Bulgaria 10. The Venerable W. Barbet Schroeder, France/Switzerland Rankings #11-20 11. Golden Exits Alex Ross Perry, USA 12. Mrs. Hyde Serge Bozon, France 13. The Wandering Soap Opera Raúl Ruiz & Valeria Sarmiento, Chile 14. Life and Nothing More Antonio Méndez Esparza, Spain/USA 15. Until the Birds Return Karim Moussaoui, France/Algeria/Germany 16. Good Luck Ben Russell, France/Germany 17. Distant Constellation Shevaun Mizrahi, Turkey/USA 18. The Quartet (Elohim, Abaton, Coda, Ode) Nathaniel Dorsky, USA 19. Drift Helena Wittmann, Germany 20. Untitled Matthew Glawogger & Monika Willi, Austria

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  • CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Leads Nominations for 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards

    Call Me By Your Name
    Call Me By Your Name

    Call Me by Your Name leads the nominations for the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards with eight nods including Best Director and Best Feature. 

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  • AFI FEST 2017 Presentations and Conversations Lineups Feature Christopher Nolan, Angelina Jolie and More

    [caption id="attachment_25378" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Angelina Jolie, FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER Angelina Jolie, FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER[/caption] Conversations on directing with Christopher Nolan and on storytelling with Angelina Jolie and Loung Ung are among the events on the Presentations and Conversations lineups for AFI FEST 2017 presented by Audi. Other events include a roundtable of documentary filmmakers presented by the Los Angeles Times; The Hollywood Reporter’s Indie Contenders Roundtable with eight standout artists; an in-depth conversation with director Patty Jenkins; a conversation with filmmaker Agnès Varda; and a conversation with Martin McDonagh and Sam Rockwell about THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, presented by Variety. AFI FEST takes place November 9 to 16, 2017, 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.

    PRESENTATIONS

    CINEMATIC STORYTELLING: A CONVERSATION WTH CHRISTOPHER NOLAN Director/writer/producer Christopher Nolan discusses his latest film, Dunkirk, centering on the British maneuvers from the land, sea and air as the military and civilians attempt to save 400,000 soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, during World War II. A special 70mm film presentation of Dunkirk will precede the discussion. WORLD CINEMA MASTER IN CONVERSATION: AGNÈS VARDA French auteur and AFI FEST 2013 Guest Artistic Director Agnès Varda sits down for a discussion of her career and her new film Faces Places (co-directed with French installation artist JR). The event begins with a screening of Faces Places. The event will be moderated by Serge Toubiana, President of UniFrance.

    CONVERSATIONS

    INDIE CONTENDERS ROUNDTABLE Hear from a diverse panel of artists who have done standout work in independent film this year. Presented by The Hollywood Reporter and moderated by columnist and blogger Scott Feinberg, the panel will feature a 90-minute discussion with the artists about their careers and influences, as well as the challenges and rewards of working on indies. Panelists include Sean Baker (THE FLORIDA PROJECT), Richard Gere (NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER), Salma Hayek (BEATRIZ AT DINNER), Diane Kruger (IN THE FADE), Kumail Nanjiani (THE BIG SICK), Robert Pattinson (GOOD TIME), Margot Robbie (I, TONYA) and Lois Smith (MARJORIE PRIME). The roundtable is presented by The Hollywood Reporter and will be moderated by Scott Feinberg their lead awards analyst. DOC ROUNDTABLE Los Angeles Times film critic Justin Chang sits down with a panel of distinguished directors behind some of the most talked-about and acclaimed documentaries of the year. The panelists will include Evgeny Afineevsky (CRIES FROM SYRIA), Greg Barker (THE FINAL YEAR), Kasper Collin (I CALLED HIM MORGAN), Feras Fayyad (LAST MEN IN ALEPPO), Yance Ford (STRONG ISLAND), Bryan Fogel (ICARUS), Steve James (ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL), Amanda Lipitz (STEP) and Brett Morgen (JANE). The roundtable it presented by the Los Angeles Times. ON DIRECTING: PATTY JENKINS WONDER WOMAN director and AFI Conservatory alumna Patty Jenkins sits down for a moderated, in-depth discussion. ON DIRECTING: SOFIA COPPOLA Director/writer Sofia Coppola sits down to discuss her latest film, THE BEGUILED, set during the American Civil War and centering on an all-female Southern boarding school that takes in a wounded Union soldier, with unsettling results. ON ACTING: BRINGING APES TO LIFE – ANDY SERKIS, TERRY NOTARY, MATT REEVES, JOE LETTERI Actors Andy Serkis and Terry Notary, director Matt Reeves and Senior Visual Effects Supervisor Joe Letteri of the critically acclaimed and visually stunning WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES sit down for a panel discussion on how performance capture and visual effects bring complex and emotional characters to life. ON COLLABORATIVE STORYTELLING: ANGELINA JOLIE AND LOUNG UNG Director Angelina Jolie and writer Loung Ung discuss the artistic and cross-cultural collaboration that brought FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER to the screen. Based on Ung’s autobiography, the film centers on a young girl who must embark on a harrowing quest for survival amid the sudden rise and terrifying reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER is Cambodia’s official Best Foreign Language Film Oscar® submission. CINEMA’S LEGACY: A CONVERSATION WITH JORDAN PEELE GET OUT director/writer Jordan Peele sits down for an in-depth conversation about his film and the impact and legacy of GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER (1967), the groundbreaking, Oscar® winner about an interracial romance starring Sidney Poitier that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER will screen following the conversation. IN CONVERSATION: MARTIN MCDONAGH AND SAM ROCKWELL Director/writer/producer Martin McDonagh and actor Sam Rockwell, who have a long relationship working together for both the stage and screen, sit down for a moderated discussion with Jenelle Riley of Variety on THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, a darkly comedic drama centering on a mother (Frances McDormand) who makes a bold move to find her daughter’s murderer, riling local law enforcement. The conversation is presented by Variety.

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  • 2017 Gotham Awards Nominations – ‘Get Out’, ‘The Florida Project’, ‘Lady Bird’ Among Nominees

    2017 Gotham Awards Nominations - Get Out, Call Me By Your Name, The Florida Project, Lady Bird The nominations for the 27th Annual IFP Gotham Awards are out, and Jordan Peele’s Get Out lead with four nods including Best Feature, Breakthrough Director and Screenplay and Best Actor for Daniel Kaluuya.  Next up with three nominations each were Call Me By Your Name, The Florida Project, and Lady Bird. Mudbound scored an early win for the special Gotham Jury Award for ensemble performance (actors Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, and Jonathan Banks). The Gotham Awards signals the kick-off to the film awards season. As the first major awards ceremony on the calendar, the IFP Awards provide critical early recognition and media attention to worthy independent films. “This year offered a bountiful array of diverse, creative work that represents the very best from this community. We’re thrilled to celebrate these achievements,” said Joana Vicente, executive director of IFP and the Made in NY Media Center. In addition to the film awards, Gotham Award Tributes will be given to actors Nicole Kidman and Dustin Hoffman, director Sofia Coppola, producer Jason Blum, cinematographer Ed Lachman, and a Gotham Humanitarian Tribute to Al Gore. The Gotham Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, November 27th at Cipriani Wall Street.

    2017 IFP Gotham Independent Film Award nominations

    Best Feature

    Call Me by Your Name Luca Guadagnino, director; Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges, Rodrigo Teixeira, Marco Morabito, James Ivory, Howard Rosenman, producers (Sony Pictures Classics) The Florida Project Sean Baker, director; Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch, Kevin Chinoy, Andrew Duncan, Alex Saks, Francesca Silvestri, Shih-Ching Tsou, producers (A24) Get Out Jordan Peele, director; Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm, Jr., Jordan Peele, producers (Universal Pictures) Good Time Josh and Benny Safdie, directors; Paris Kasidokostas-Latsis, Terry Dougas, Sebastian Bear-McClard, Oscar Boyson, producers (A24) I, Tonya Craig Gillespie, director; Bryan Unkeless, Steven Rogers, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, producers (NEON)

    Best Documentary

    Ex Libris – The New York Public Library Frederick Wiseman, director and producer (Zipporah Films) Rat Film Theo Anthony, director; Riel Roch-Decter, Sebastian Pardo, producers (MEMORY and Cinema Guild) Strong Island Yance Ford, director; Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes, producers (Netflix) Whose Streets? Sabaah Folayan, Damon Davis, directors; Sabaah Folayan, Damon Davis, Jennifer MacArthur, Flannery Miller, producers (Magnolia Pictures) The Work Jairus McLeary, director; Gethin Aldous, co-director; Alice Henty, Eon McLeary, Jairus McLeary, Miles McLeary, producers (The Orchard and First Look Media)

    Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award

    Maggie Betts for Novitiate (Sony Pictures Classics) Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird (A24) Kogonada for Columbus (Superlative Films/Depth of Field) Jordan Peele for Get Out (Universal Pictures) Joshua Z Weinstein for Menashe (A24)

    Best Screenplay

    The Big Sick, Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani (Amazon Studios) Brad’s Status, Mike White (Amazon Studios) Call Me by Your Name, James Ivory (Sony Pictures Classics) Columbus, Kogonada (Superlative Films/Depth of Field) Get Out, Jordan Peele (Universal Pictures) Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig (A24)

    Best Actor*

    Willem Dafoe in The Florida Project (A24) James Franco in The Disaster Artist (A24) Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out (Universal Pictures) Robert Pattinson in Good Time (A24) Adam Sandler in The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (Netflix) Harry Dean Stanton in Lucky (Magnolia Pictures)

    Best Actress*

    Melanie Lynskey in I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (Netflix) Haley Lu Richardson in Columbus (Superlative Films/Depth of Field) Margot Robbie in I, Tonya (NEON) Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird (A24) Lois Smith in Marjorie Prime (FilmRise)

    Breakthrough Actor

    Mary J. Blige in Mudbound (Netflix) Timothée Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name (Sony Pictures Classics) Harris Dickinson in Beach Rats (NEON) Kelvin Harrison, Jr. in It Comes at Night (A24) Brooklynn Prince in The Florida Project (A24) * The 2017 Best Actor/Best Actress nominating committee also voted to award a special Gotham Jury Award for ensemble performance to Mudbound, The award will go to actors Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, and Jonathan Banks.

    Breakthrough Series – Long Form

    Atlanta, Donald Glover, creator; Donald Glover, Dianne McGunigle, Paul Simms, executive producers (FX Networks) Better Things, Pamela Adlon, Louis C.K., creators; Dave Becky, M. Blair Breard, Louis C.K., Pamela Adlon, executive producers (FX Networks) Dear White People, Justin Simien, creator; Yvette Lee Bowser, Justin Simien, Stephanie Allain, Julia Lebedev, executive producers (Netflix) Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, creator; Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Harry Williams, Jack Williams, executive producers (Amazon) Search Party, Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, Michael Showalter, creators; Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, Michael Showalter, Tony Hernandez, Lilly Burns, executive producers (TBS)

    Breakthrough Series – Short Form

    555, Kate Berlant, Andrew DeYoung and John Early, creators (Vimeo) Inconceivable, Joel Ashton McCarthy, creator (YouTube) Junior, Zoe Cassavetes, creator (Blackpills and VICE) Let Me Die a Nun, Sarah Salovaara, creator (Vimeo) The Strange Eyes of Dr. Myes, Nancy Andrews, creator (YouTube) (Additional credits to be determined.)  

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  • 20th Savannah Film Festival to Honor Salma Hayek, Holly Hunter, Aaron Sorkin + Unveils Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_24944" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba in MOLLY'S GAME MOLLY’S GAME[/caption] The 2017 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, celebrating it’s 20th anniversary, will run October 28 to November 4, and feature over 131 films.  The festival will open with Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut Molly’s Game, and the Centerpiece Gala film is Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. This year, SCAD will honor Richard Gere (Lifetime Achievement Award), Zoey Deutch (Rising Star Award), Mariska Hargitay (Humanitarian Award), Ashley Judd (Virtuoso Award), Kyra Sedgwick (Spotlight Award), Andrea Riseborough (Outstanding Supporting Actress Award for “Battle of the Sexes”), Willow Shields (Rising Star Award), Salma Hayek Pinault (Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award), John Boyega (Vanguard Award), Holly Hunter (Icon Award), Robert Pattinson (Maverick Award), Aaron Sorkin (Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award) and Sir Patrick Stewart (Legends of Cinema Award).

    2017 Savannah Film Festival Film Lineup

    GALA SCREENINGS

    Call Me Be Your Name (Director: Luca Guadagino. Cast: Armie Hammer, Timothee Chalamet, and Michael Stuhlbarg) Darkest Hour (Director: Joe Wright. Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane and Ben Mendelsohn) Downsizing (Director: Alexander Payne. Cast: Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, and Kristin Wiig) Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (Director: Paul McGuigan. Cast: Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, and Vanessa Redgrave) The Florida Project (Director: Sean Baker. Cast: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, and Valeria Cotto) I, Tonya (Director: Craig Gillespie. Cast: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, and Allison Janney) Into the Rainbow (Director: Norman Stone, Gary Wing-Lun Mak. Cast: Willow Shields, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Wu Lei Leo and Jacqueline Joe) U.S. Premiere Lady Bird (Director: Greta Gerwig. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Lois Smith, and Stephen McKinley Henderson) Last Flag Flying (Director Richard Linklater. Cast: Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne) LBJ (Director: Rob Reiner. Cast: Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Stahl-David, Rich Sommer, Bill Pullman, C. Thomas Howell, Jeffrey Donovan and Richard Jenkins) The Leisure Seeker (Director: Paolo Virzi. Cast: Helen Mirren, and Donald Sutherland) Molly’s Game (Writer and Director: Aaron Sorkin. Cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, and Kevin Costner) Mudbound (Director: Dee Rees. Cast: Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Jason Clarke, Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige and Rob Morgan) The Shape of Water (Director: Guillermo del Toro. Cast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, and Octavia Spencer) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Director: Martin McDonagh. Cast: Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Abbie Cornish, Peter Dinklage, Lucas Hedges, Caleb Landry Jones, Clarke Peters, Samara Weaving, John Hawkes, and Zeljko Ivankek) The Upside (Director: Neil Burger. Cast: Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, and Nicole Kidman) Wonderstruck (Director: Todd Haynes. Cast: Oakes Fegley, Julianne Moore, and Millicent Simmonds)

    DOCS TO WATCH

    Expected to attend this year are directors Evgeny Afineevsky (Cries from Syria); Greg Barker (The Final Year); Bryan Fogel (Icarus); Yance Ford (Strong Island); Amanda Lipitz (Step); Brett Morgen (Jane); Jeff Orlowski (Chasing Coral); Laura Poitras (Risk); John Ridley (Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992) Ceyda Torun (Kedi).

    SIGNATURE SERIES

    Beatriz at Dinner (Director: Miguel Arteta. Cast: Salma Hayek, John Lithgow, Chloë Sevigny, Connie Britton, David Warshofksy, Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass, and John Early) The Ballad of Lefty Brown (Director: Jared Moshe. Cast: Bill Pullman) Battle of the Sexes (Director: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Cast: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman, Alan Cumming, Bill Pullman, Elisabeth Shue, Austin Stowell, and Natalie Morales) The Big Sick (Director: Michael Showalter. Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoey Kazan, Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) Detroit (Director: Kathryn Bigelow. Cast: John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith, Will Poulter, and Jacob Latimore) Flower (Director: Max Winkler. Cast: Zoey Deutch, Adam Scott, and Kathryn Hahn) Gifted (Director: Marc Webb. Cast: Chris Evans, McKenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, and Octavia Spencer) Good Time (Director: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie. Cast: Robert Pattinson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Benny Safdie, Buddy Duress, and Barkhad Abdi) I Am Evidence (Producer Mariska Hargitay. Director: Trish Adelsic, Geeta Gandhbir) Logan (Director: James Mangold. Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, and Dafne Keen) Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer (Director: Joseph Cedar. Cast: Richard Gere, Michael Sheen, and Steve Buscemi) Ruby in Paradise (Director: Victor Nuñez. Cast: Ashley Judd, Todd Field, and Bentley Mitchum) Served Like a Girl (Director: Lysa Heslov. Cast: Nichole Alred, Jas Boothe, and Rachel Engler) Story of a Girl (Director: Kyra Sedgwick. Cast: Kevin Bacon, Sosie Bacon, and Ryann Shane) Strange Weather (Director: Katherine Diekmann. Cast: Holly Hunter, Carrie Coon, and Ransom Ashley) Tulip Fever (Director: Justin Chadwick. Cast: Alicia Vikander, Dane DeHaan, Jack O’Connell, and Holliday Grainger) The Year of Spectacular Men (Director: Lea Thompson. Cast: Madelyn Deutch, Zoey Deutch, Lea Thompson, and Avan Jorgia)

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  • 2017 London Film Festival Unveils Lineup of 242 Feature Films + 128 Shorts

    [caption id="attachment_24242" align="aligncenter" width="1144"]The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)[/caption] The 61st BFI London Film Festival today announced its full program, featuring a diverse selection of 242 feature films including 46 documentaries, 6 animations, 14 archive restorations and 16 artists’ moving image features. The program also includes 128 short films, and 67 countries are represented across short film and features. Alongside the Galas, Special Presentations and films in Competitions, the Festival will show a range of new cinema in sections aka strands titled Love, Debate, Laugh, Dare, Thrill, Cult, Journey, Experimenta and Family. In 2017, the LFF debuts a new strand, Create, featuring films that celebrate artistic practice in all its channels and forms the electricity of the creative process, reflecting London’s position as one of the world’s leading creative cities. Audiences will have the opportunity to hear some of the world’s creative leaders through the Festival’s acclaimed talks’ series LFF Connects, which features artists working at the intersection of film and other creative industries, and Screen Talks, a series of in-depth interviews with leaders in contemporary cinema. Participants this year include Julian Rosefeldt & Cate Blanchett, David Fincher, Demis Hassabis, Nitin Sawhney, Johan Knattrup Jensen, Ian McEwan and Takashi Miike.

    OFFICIAL COMPETITION

    Robin Campillo, 120 BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE) Vivian Qu, ANGELS WEAR WHITE Majid Majidi, BEYOND THE CLOUDS (World Premiere) Nora Twomey, THE BREADWINNER (European Premiere) Juliana Rojas, Marco Dutra, GOOD MANNERS Xavier Beauvois, THE GUARDIANS (European Premiere) Andrew Haigh, LEAN ON PETE Andrey Zvyagintsev, LOVELESS Azazel Jacobs, THE LOVERS (European Premiere) Warwick Thornton, SWEET COUNTRY Cory Finley, THOROUGHBRED (International Premiere) Annemarie Jacir, WAJIB

    FIRST FEATURE COMPETITION

    Daniel Kokotajlo, APOSTASY Léa Mysius, AVA Michael Pearce, BEAST (European Premiere) Ofir Raul Graizer, THE CAKEMAKER Gilles Coulier, CARGO Kogonada, COLUMBUS Rungano Nyoni, I AM NOT A WITCH Léonor Serraille, JEUNE FEMME Ana Asensio, MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND Carla Simón, SUMMER 1993 Hlynur Pálmason, WINTER BROTHERS John Trengove, THE WOUND

    DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

    Maryam Goormaghtigh, BEFORE SUMMER ENDS Elvira Lind, BOBBI JENE Arash Kamali Sarvestani, Behrouz Boochani, CHAUKA, PLEASE TELL US THE TIME (International Premiere) Radu Jude, THE DEAD NATION Shevaun Mizrahi, DISTANT CONSTELLATION Frederick Wiseman, EX LIBRIS – THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY Agnès Varda, JR, FACES PLACES Austin Lynch, Matthew Booth, GRAY HOUSE Brett Morgen, JANE (European Premiere) Lucy Cohen, KINGDOM OF US (World Premiere) Emmanuel Gras, MAKALA Sonia Kronlund, THE PRINCE OF NOTHINGWOOD

    SHORT FILM AWARD

    Gabriel Abrantes, THE ARTIFICIAL HUMORS Phil Collins, DELETE BEACH Billie Pleffer, FYSH (International Premiere) Anna Cazenave Cambet, GABBER LOVER Karishma Dube, GODDESS Aegina Brahim, LAWS OF THE GAME Jonathan Vinel, MARTIN CRIES Patrick Bresnan THE RABBIT HUNT Moin Hussain, REAL GODS REQUIRE BLOOD Kibwe Tavares, ROBOT & SCARECROW Kazik Radwanski, SCAFFOLD Harry Lighton, WREN BOYS (World Premiere) The Festival program is organized in strands: Love, Debate, Laugh, Dare, Thrill, Cult, Journey, Create, Family, Treasures and Experimenta.

    LOVE

    The Love Gala is the European Premiere of Dominic Cooke’s quietly heart-breaking film debut ON CHESIL BEACH. Saoirse Ronan and rising actor Billy Howle star as a young couple in the early 1960s struggling to physically connect on their honeymoon, impeccably adapted for the big screen by Ian McEwan from his own Man Booker-shortlisted novela. Other highlights in this section include: CLOSE-KNIT, Naoko Ogigami’s quietly subversive and emotionally rich portrait of a transwoman whose maternal feelings are stirred by the arrival of her boyfriend’s 11-year-old niece; THE GROWN-UPS, Maïte Alberdi’s tender and bittersweet documentary portrait of Chileans Anita and Andres, who have Down’s syndrome and are very much in love; the World Premiere of Carlos Marques Marcet’s ANCHOR AND HOPE, a London-set story about modern love and family featuring Oona Chaplin; John Cameron Mitchell’s cosmic ride HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES, sees aliens have landed in 1970s Croydon in a funny, energetic love story starring Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp and Nicole Kidman; the World Premiere of JOURNEYMAN, features Paddy Considine following up his acclaimed debut Tyrannosaur with the story of a boxer who must rebuild his life after a near-fatal injury; GOING WEST, a World Premiere from Norwegian newcomer Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken who delivers a sweetly delicious road movie; LET THE SUNSHINE IN, Claire Denis’ darkly witty drama starring Juliette Binoche as an artist caught up in a series of unsatisfying affairs, and David Gordon Green’s rousing yet devastating true-story drama STRONGER featuring a remarkable performance by Jake Gyllenhaal as a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing.

    DEBATE

    This year’s Debate Gala is Samuel Maoz’s FOXTROT, a film that combines thrilling cinematography with superb performances, and highlights the absurdities of conscripted service. Debate also includes: BIRDS ARE SINGING IN KIGALI, Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze’s hard-hitting drama about the intertwined lives of two refugee survivors reeling from the impact of the Rwandan genocide and containing powerful central performances; the World Premiere of THE CLIMB, Michael Woodward’s debut documentary that charts Greenpeace’s daring all-female team that illegally ascended The Shard in protest against petroleum giant Shell’s plans to dig for oil in the Arctic; the World Premiere of THE FORGIVEN, Roland Joffé’s political drama starring Forest Whitaker as Desmond Tutu and Eric Bana as Piet Blomfeld, asking how far we can go in forgiving past crimes; the World Premiere of ISLAND, Steven Eastwood’s haunting and deeply moving documentary combining observational footage with contemplative shots of the costal landscapes of the Isle of Wight, and set among terminally ill cancer patients, and THE VENERABLE W., Barbet Schroeder’s disturbingly illuminating portrait of Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu, who was known for espousing anti-Muslim hatred.

    LAUGH

    This year’s Laugh Gala is Noah Baumbach’s THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED). A stellar cast give uniformly excellent performances, including Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Elizabeth Marvel and Emma Thompson. Through the madcap antics of a neurotic, failure-obsessed clan, Baumbach surfaces bigger questions about how to value family and the meaning of success. Laugh also includes: the World Premiere of Adrian Shergold’s FUNNY COW, which contains a formidable performance from Maxine Peake as an aspiring stand-up comic confronting her violent husband and the sexist Northern England club circuit; INGRID GOES WEST, Matt Spicer’s jet-black stalker comedy brilliantly skewers dangerous obsession and the sham of Instagrammed perfection with wicked and fearless performances from Elizabeth Olsen and Aubrey Plaza; joy and grace flow out of Dustin Guy Defa’s observational comedy drama PERSON TO PERSON, starring Michael Cera as a reporter keen on quoting (his own) heavy metal lyrics; Daan Bakker’s QUALITY TIME is perfect for lovers of experimental and irreverent cinema offering a portmanteau selection of stories of male arrested development; and Henrik Ruben Genz’s WORD OF GOD is set months after the Chernobyl disaster and provides dark and dirty humour where pretty much nothing is off limits.

    DARE

    The Dare Gala is François Ozon’s frisky new thriller, AMANT DOUBLE, a deliciously duplicitous tale of psychoanalysis and seduction that channels the spirits of Hitchcock and De Palma at their naughtiest and stars Jérémie Renier, Marine Vacth and Jacqueline Bisset. Other highlights in the strand include: Eliza Hittman’s BEACH RATS, a gripping investigation of repressed sexual desire in a hyper-masculine environment; Jon Garaño and Aitor Arregi’s touching drama GIANT, set in 19th century Spain and based on the true story of Mikel Jokin Eleizegi, allegedly the tallest man of his time; Semih Kaplanoğlu’s spellbinding dystopian sci-fi, GRAIN in which climate change has caused the nearextinction of human life; Liu Jian’s adult animé HAVE A NICE DAY, a biting, bone-dry satire on contemporary Chinese social mores and featuring plenty of bloodthirsty Tarantino-esque genre thrills; the European Premiere of Bornila Chatterjee’s THE HUNGRY, which reworks Shakespeare’s bloody Titus Andronicus into a macabre modern tragedy set in Northern India; Barbara Albert’s resplendent drama MADEMOISELLE PARADIS, based on the true story of Maria Theresia ‘Resi’ von Paradis, a gifted blind musician and contemporary of Mozart, paraded through Vienna’s courts to perform; Jean Libon and Yves Hinant’s jawdropping and extraordinary documentary SO HELP ME GOD, which details the work of an unorthodox Belgian judge Anne Gruwez as she tackles gruesome crimes, domestic violence and other sordid cases; and WESTERN, director Valeska Grisebach’s contemporary western in which tensions mount between German construction workers and Bulgarian villagers in a small rural town.

    THRILL

    This year’s Thrill Gala is Takashi Miike’s savage and inventive action thriller, BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL, based on the famous manga series by Hiroaki Samurai about a samurai cursed with immortal life and has the distinction of being Miike’s 100th feature film. Thrill also features: the European Premiere of Nattawut Poonpiriya’s Thai teen thriller BAD GENIUS, in which young brainiac Lynn uses a very special set of skills to cheat on behalf of her classmates in the high-stakes world of entrance exams for elite international universities; the European Premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s THE BRAWLER in which a young and talented Indian boxer dreams of being champion, but is knocked sideways when he falls for the niece of the man blocking his road to success; Aaron Katz’s GEMINI in which a heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant, Jill played by Lola Kirke and her Hollywood movie star boss Heather played by Zoë Kravitz; the Safdie brothers’ latest film GOOD TIME features Robert Pattinson as a small-time New York criminal, who after a bank robbery goes seriously wrong, devises a plan to spring his injured accomplice from police custody; Jennifer Peedom’s spectacular documentary MOUNTAIN, is a mind-blowing symphony of images and sound chronicling the powerful attraction mountains hold over us; love, crime and action combine in a taut and twisty thriller-cum-romance in Michaël R. Roskam’s RACER AND THE JAILBIRD starring Adèle Exarchopoulos as Bibi, a young racing driver and Matthias Schoenaerts as Gigi the Jailbird, a dashing playboy with, it seems, time and money to burn; Ian Nelms and Eshom Nelms’ blackly comic, crime noir, SMALL TOWN CRIME (European Premiere) stars John Hawkes as alcoholic former cop Mike, channelling a drunk Columbo who embarks on his own unofficial crime investigation while Octavia Spencer plays his supportive sister Kelly who is starting to lose patience with Mike’s lying, drifting and drinking; and the International Premiere of Xin Yukun’s sophisticated arthouse thriller, WRATH OF SILENCE featuring martial arts maestro Song Yang, as a mute bruiser who returns to his home, a remote farming village, following the disappearance of his son. With tight plotting, memorable characters and an unforgettable climax, director Xin Yukun establishes himself as a new international filmmaker you need to know.

    CULT

    The Cult Gala is Joachim Trier’s subtle shocker THELMA, a supernaturally-tinged tale of a young woman’s macabre coming of age. Other titles in the strand include: S. Craig Zahler’s genre-bending, bone-crunching exercise in slow-burn suspense, BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99, starring Vince Vaughn as a former boxer-turned mechanic involved in a drug deal that goes wrong that sees him behind bars; the walking dead get a second chance at life in David Freyne’s debut THE CURED starring Ellen Page in an inventive and surprising post-zombie era drama where a cure has been found for the infected and the rehabilitated are transitioned back into society; the World Premiere of Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s GHOST STORIES in which they bring their hit London stage play to the big screen, with suitably chilling results. Nyman plays Phillip Goodman, an academic and professional sceptic out to debunk claims of the supernatural , but when he stumbles across a long lost file containing three unsolved cases of the Occult, his whole belief system – not to mention his sanity – is thrown into question; LET THE CORPSES TAN is directing duo Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s adaptation of JeanPatrick Manchette’s influential 1971 crime novel and the result is a sun-drenched Western-tinged, crimecaper; MY FRIEND DAHMER is director Marc Meyers’ adaptation of John Backderf’s revered graphic novel and is an unnerving portrait of one of America’s most prolific murderers, Jeffrey Dahmer; and Paco Plaza’s much-anticipated new horror film, VERONICA, inspired by an actual unsolved case in Spain and a no-holds barred supernatural shocker.

    JOURNEY

    This year’s Journey Gala is Todd Haynes’ new film WONDERSTRUCK, an enthralling adaptation of Brian Selznick’s acclaimed young adult novel. Featuring Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams in supporting roles alongside a gifted young cast, Oakes Fegley and newcomer Millicent Simmonds, a deaf actress making her film debut, it is both a whimsical children’s film for adults and a refreshingly grown-up film for children. Other Journey titles include: Arshad Khan’s ABU, a compelling documentary about a young Pakistani man’s difficulties in coping with migration and the resultant cultural change, his emerging sexuality and an increasingly orthodox father; Iraqi filmmaker Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji’s THE JOURNEY, a taut, thoughtprovoking thriller that tackles what might just be the final moments of a potential suicide bomber’s life; David Batty’s stylish documentary MY GENERATION, presented and narrated by Michael Caine, playfully explores the impact of Britain’s working class cultural revolution in the 1960s and features a wealth of archive footage and a spot-on soundtrack from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Who, which makes for an exhilarating journey back in time; the European Premiere of Egyptian director Amr Salama’s SHEIKH JACKSON, a bittersweet and poignant tale of an Islamist preacher experiencing a crisis of faith following the death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson; Marc J. Francis and Max Pugh’s fascinating and immersive exploration of mindfulness, WALK WITH ME, featuring narration by Benedict Cumberbatch, follows the daily rituals and routine of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and offers a rare insight into life within a monastic community; and the World Premiere of THE WHITE GIRL, where debut director Jenny Suen collaborates with legendary cinematographer Christopher Doyle on an intoxicating and textually rich film.

    CREATE

    The brand new Create strand channels the electricity of the act of creation, celebrating artistic expression in all its forms. The inaugural Create Gala is Michel Hazanavicius’ REDOUBTABLE, an audacious, multi-layered biopic of French cinema’s most notorious director, Jean-Luc Godard. Also in Create: Greg Kohs’ ALPHAGO the story of how Google’s DeepMind team took on Go world champion Lee Sedol, posing questions about whether computers can think creatively and whether there is an algorithm for intuition; the World Premiere of THE BALLAD OF SHIRLEY COLLINS, Rob Curry and Tim Plester’s portrait of one of the great British folks singers who mysteriously lost her voice in 1980; G-FUNK tells the story of how three childhood friends from East Long Beach Warren G, Snoop Dogg and the late great Nate Dogg, transformed hip-hop into a global phenomenon and changed the world; the World Premiere of William Badgely’s HERE TO BE HEARD: THE STORY OF THE SLITS is a riveting film about the game-changing and largely female feminist punk band; Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman’s LOVING VINCENT is a stunning, fully painted animated feature created in the style of Van Gogh’s paintings matching extraordinary style with richly satisfying storytelling, broadcast live from the National Gallery to cinemas nationwide; and Julian Rosefeldt’s MANIFESTO starring Cate Blanchett as thirteen different characters in this energetic tribute to artistic troublemakers.

    FAMILY

    Showcasing films for the young, as well as the young at heart the Family Gala is THE BIG BAD FOX AND OTHER TALES, an outstanding, laugh-a-minute animation from Benjamin Renner and Patrick Imbert, the team behind Ernest & Celestine (LFF 2012, Family Gala) and is guaranteed to appeal to adults as much as it will to children. Other highlights include Chang-yong Moon and Jin Jeon’s beautifully made documentary BECOMING WHO I WAS about a young monk Padma Angdu, who is said to be the latest incarnation of a religious teacher, known as a Rinpoche, and his attempts to reach the home he had in a former life; Xuan Liang and Chun Zhang’s visually breath-taking Chinese animated fantasy, BIG FISH & BEGONIA is as near to the best of Studio Ghibli as you’re likely to find anywhere; Meikeminne Clinckspoor’s family adventure CLOUDBOY is about 12- year-old Niilas who is sent away against his wishes to spend the summer with his estranged mother in Swedish Lapland, among the indigenous reindeer herding Sami people; and winner of the top prize at this year’s Annecy Animation Film Festival, Masaaki Yuasa’s anime LU OVER THE WALL brings human and merfolk together with surprising outcomes. This funky, upbeat tale is full of energy, features cute ‘merdogs’, musical mermaids and a giant humanoid shark and has a really cool soundtrack. This section also includes a program of animated shorts for younger audiences which bring together eclectic, exciting and colourful films from all around the globe.

    TREASURES

    The Treasures selection brings recently restored cinematic classics from archives around the world to the Festival in London. The Archive Gala is the World Premiere of the BFI National Archive restoration of the silent film SHIRAZ: A ROMANCE OF INDIA (1928), a ravishing, romantic tale based on the story of the 17th century Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, his queen and the building of the world’s most beautiful monument to love, the Taj Mahal. Directed by Franz Osten, based on a play by Niranjan Pal and starring and produced by Himansu Rai, the film was shot entirely in India and performed by an all-Indian cast. Other highlights include the World Premieres of the 4K restoration by Sony Pictures Entertainment of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946); the digitally remastered experimental documentary FRANTZ FANON: BLACK SKIN WHITE MASK (1996), directed by artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien, as well as the new 4K restoration, by The BFI National Archive and The Film Foundation, with funding provided by the George Lucas Family Foundation, of Terry Gilliam’s first feature as a solo director, JABBERWOCKY (1977). The Festival will also screen the 4K restoration of Toshio Matsumoto’s FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSES (1969), a wild, kaleidoscopic vision of the underground scene in 1960s Japan and a significant influence on Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange and Italian genre-master Dario Argento’s eye-popping slice of technicolour terror, SUSPIRIA (1977) with stunning 4K restoration.

    EXPERIMENTA

    Experimenta features films and videos by artists who transform our experience of seeing moving images. Highlights include: the World Premiere of Benedict Seymour’s DEAD THE ENDS, a politically urgent retelling of Chris Marker’s La Jetée bookended by the 2011 London riots; ERASE AND FORGET, Andrea Luka Zimmerman’s film is an excavation of the influence of fiction on truth in the American imagination of warfare and gun culture; the World Premiere of LEK AND THE DOGS, Andrew Kötting’s account of the ultimate outsider uses a range of visual styles derived from avant garde and genre cinema, and Kevin Jerome Everson’s TONSLER PARK uses an unobtrusive observational style to divulge the mechanisms behind the operation of Election Day at polling stations in Charlottesville, Virginia.  

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  • Fantasia Film Festival Announces Final Lineup, Closes with Jang Hoon’s A TAXI DRIVER

    [caption id="attachment_22990" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]A TAXI DRIVER A TAXI DRIVER[/caption] Fantasia will close its 2017 edition with the International Premiere of A TAXI DRIVER, by director Jang Hoon. On May 18th, 1980, one of the darkest chapters in South Korea’s recent history began. Protesting against Chun Doo-hwan’s dictatorship, hundreds of citizens of Gwangju, particularly students, were beaten, arrested or killed by the army who was hiding behind a well-orchestrated propaganda campaign blinding the entire nation. So when struggling single-father Man-seob decides to take a German journalist from Seoul to Gwangju in his taxi to clear off his debts, he has no idea how dangerous their journey will be. Director Jang Hoon has established himself as one of the most talented and versatile Korean filmmakers with award winning films like ROUGH CUT and THE FRONT LINE. Reteaming with Hoon after the action thriller THE SECRET REUNION, legendary actor Song Kang-ho (THE HOST, SNOWPIERCER) delivers one of the strongest performances of his career in this unforgettable historical drama. The Fantasia Film Festival announced the remainder of its mammoth 2017 film lineup, in addition to its juries and special events. A tense, nocturnal odyssey of poor decision-making that escalates to a nearly unbearable pitch, the Safdie brothers’ Cannes Competition sensation GOOD TIME is a high-wire exercise in intensity, starring Robert Pattinson in a career-best performance. Tipping their hats to ’70s thrillers, the Safdies’ new film also builds beautifully on their previous effort, HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT – here’s another maddeningly bleak vision of New York City’s underbelly, nonetheless beaming with humanity and authenticity. North American Premiere. Directors in Attendance. Directed by David Leitch (JOHN WICK, the upcoming DEADPOOL 2), ATOMIC BLONDE, screening in the Action! section, is a blistering blend of sleek action, gritty sexuality, and dazzling neon-drenched style with a cast that includes Charlize Theron, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, and Sofia Boutella. The film boasts one thrilling fight sequence in particular – set in a stairwell and with no cuts – that has already entered the annals of action film history. Official Selection: SXSW 2017. Special Screening. Fantasia’s Camera Lucida section is back! Dedicated to the most original and singular visions, at the outer edges of genre cinema, it will close this year’s selection with the World Premiere of Robert Morin’s LE PROBLÈME D’INFILTRATION (INFILTRATION), also screening during the festival’s closing night on August 2, 2017. An experimental film and formal experiment only Morin could have made, LE PROBLÈME D’INFILTRATION (INFILTRATION) is a unique, angst-ridden portrait composed of a series of distinctive, surrealistic long takes, that brilliantly convey the existential crisis and downward spiral of Dr. Louis Richard (Christian Bégin), a plastic surgeon specializing in burn victims. A bold film that simultaneously evokes German Expressionist art and avant-garde video. See below for the rest of the Camera Lucida line-up. Director, Cast, and Crew in Attendance. The big-screen return of one of Polish Cinema’s national treasures, Agnieszka Holland (EUROPA EUROPA, THE SECRET GARDEN), still such a vibrant filmmaker at nearly 70 years of age, SPOOR took home a richly deserved award at the Berlinale earlier this year. Unconventional, poetic and beguiling, it is a genuinely radical film – some have even called it dangerous – that is one part fantastical murder mystery, one part eco-thriller. A retired teacher who speaks truth to power to protect the region’s wildlife finds herself at the center of a surreal series of happenings, with hunters and authority figures found murdered, various animal tracks near the bodies. Could the animals be having their revenge? One of the most subversive genre works we’ve seen in years. North American Premiere. Following the 2015 International Premiere of Sion Sono’s Red Light District-set yakuza/talent agency action-drama film SHINJUKU SWAN, Fantasia will unveil the International Premiere of its sequel, SHINJUKU SWAN II! Reuniting maverick filmmaker Sion Sono (TAG, LOVE EXPOSURE, the upcoming Amazon series TOKYO VAMPIRE HOTEL) with superstar Go Ayano (RAGE, LUPIN THE THIRD), this sequel adapts the arc “Yokohama Kingdom” from Ken Wakui’s popular seinen manga series of the same name, and finds the titular, energetic talent scout going head-to-head with a rival Yokohama agency, led by boss Taki (the one and only Tadanobu Asano of SURVIVE STYLE 5+, JOURNEY TO THE SHORE, and ICHI THE KILLER)! International Premiere. Fantasia audiences may best remember him from THE MAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD (aka TURKISH STAR WARS), but to international audiences, Cüneyt Arkın is a legendary icon whose career spanned 50 glorious years and nearly 300 films. He’s done every conceivable genre from grand historical epics and martial arts to romantic comedies, westerns, and hard-boiled crime flicks. He’s played an Ottoman warrior, cop, heartbreaker, pirate, and even a Turkish Davy Crockett. Over his five decades in cinema, the incredible Arkın was his country’s Jackie Chan – acting, writing, directing, and performing his own stunts! Fantasia will present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr Arkın, and will celebrate his extraordinary career with special repertory screenings of THE MAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD, Çetin İnanç’s WILD BLOOD (aka the Turkish FIRST BLOOD!), and the ninjasploitation head-exploder DEATH WARRIOR. These events, in addition to the World Premiere screening of Emir Mavitan’s NOMAD and a free outdoor projection of Ceyda Torun’s documentary sensation KEDI are presented with the support of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Luchador films hold a special place in Fantasia-goers hearts. In the early editions of the festival, screenings of numerous luchador films were held in front of sold out crowds at the 900-seat Imperial Theater. This year marks a very special occasion, as the fest will be graced by one of lucha libre’s most famous heroes, the legendary Mil Máscaras. With Blue Demon and El Santo, this legendary masked wrestler was part of a trio of athletes who, in the 60’s and early 70’s, turned this unique brand of Mexican superhero film into a worldwide phenomenon. Mil Máscaras will be awarded a Fantasia Lifetime Achievement Award for his extraordinary career as a Mexican film icon and one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. The award will be presented before the presentation of a double bill of two features starring Mil Máscaras: 1972’s LAS MOMIAS DE GUANAJUATO, arguably the most famous luchador film of all time (co-starring El Santo and Blue Demon), and AZTEC REVENGE, Aaron Crozier’s recently-produced American feature from writer Jeffrey Uhlmann, who will be in attendance. A sensation on the 2017 festival circuit – first unveiled at Sundance, then swerving by SXSW, and recently closing the prestigious Director’s Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) section of the Cannes Film Festival – PATTI CAKE$ now stops at Fantasia for its Canadian Premiere! Starring the amazing newcomer Danielle Macdonald in the lead role of Patricia Dumbrowski, a.k.a. Killa P, a.k.a. Patti Cake$, this is a first feature film from acclaimed music video director Geremy Jasper. Reminiscent of films like LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, 8 MILE, and 2016 Fantasia discovery SOME FREAKS, PATTI CAKE$ is a brilliant cult classic in the making; an empowering outsider story told with unparalleled heart and conviction. Canadian Premiere. Following a mysterious car crash, a man with no memory of his past becomes inexplicably lethal to anyone in his path. His bizarre death force only appears to be neutralized when in the very close vicinity of Jane, a woman who suffers a similarly clouded memory. Together, they’ll try to recall their past and understand the tie that that seems to bind them. But they can’t ever be more than 50 feet apart or people will die. Directed by SANS DESSEIN filmmakers Caroline Labrèche and Steeve Léonard, RADIUS is the latest project seeing the light because of Frontières, Fantasia’s international co-production market. It’s our pleasure to present the World Premiere of this unique Quebec-made genre work. Directors in Attendance. Beloved director Takashi Miike (AUDITION, ICHI THE KILLER) may have received a Lifetime Achievement Award at last year’s edition of Fantasia, but he won’t stop delivering over the top crowd pleasers! Reteaming with screenwriter Kankuro Kudo, who also directed last year’s Audience Award winner TOO YOUNG TO DIE!, Miike delivers a crazier and funnier sequel to THE MOLE SONG: SECRET AGENT REIJI loaded with unambiguous sex jokes, strange action scenes, crotch injuries and gorgeous set pieces. Actor Toma Ikuta (THE TOP SECRET: MURDER IN MIND) delivers an incredible physical performance in the role of the libidinous mole Reiji who is now tracked down by the police, the yakuza boss he work for, and a lethal Chinese gang. Miike is back in all his mischievous glory with the Canadian Premiere of THE MOLE SONG: HONG KONG CAPRICCIO! During one of his many Asian adventures, Patrick (François Arnaud), a visual artist who specializes in Chinese art, encounters a mysterious man who makes him discover his latent gift for time travel. Stunningly directed and compellingly intimate, ORIGAMI is a UFO on the landscape of Quebec cinema that succeeds in applying sci-fi genre markers to a primarily human story. World Premiere. Directors in Attendance. Fantasia will be presenting the World Premieres of Jenna Cavelle’s BLOOD HEIST – about DIY filmmakers who simultaneously commit a star-crossed armed robbery and shoot a vérité film of it – and Melanie Aitkenhead’s BLOOD RIDE – which depicts the violence and avenging of a ferocious female biker gang lead by Pollyanna McIntosh – as a special rip-roaring indie double bill. Both femme-made, revivalist – nay, revisionist – exploitation films were spearheaded by producer/co-star James Franco and producers Vince Jolivette (SPRING BREAKERS) and Jay Davis. Get ready for blood… and more blood! World Premieres. After slaying Sundance at its debut and knocking out Cannes (where it had its European Premiere in Director’s Fortnight), BUSHWICK will be making its first Canadian stand at Fantasia 2017! The couldn’t-be-more-timely sophomore feature from directors Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott (Fantasia 2015’s COOTIES) sees Bushwick, New York erupt into a war zone as Southern nationalist militia forces attack the city. Starring Dave Bautista and Brittany Snow, BUSHWICK almost never stops moving, as Murnion and Milott employ long, fluid takes (shot on real Brooklyn locations) that follow its characters from one hoped-for sanctuary to the next, punctuated by bursts of startling, caught-on-the-fly violence. Canadian Premiere. To reward himself for his new teaching gig in Sapporo, 29-year-old Manabu decides to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a little treat at a local sex club. On the verge of… climaxing, he’s struck by a brain hemorrhage and ends up buck naked at the hospital surrounded by his worried family who want to know how this happened. Based on the autobiographical manga from Manabu Nakagawa, ALMOST COMING, ALMOST DYING is a funny and endearing independent film from first time filmmaker Toshimasa Kobayashi. With its witty dialogues delivering family interactions worthy of WHAT A WONDERFUL FAMILY! and its creepy bat-wielding giant teddy bear (?!?), Kobayashi perfectly transposes the blend of everyday life situations and weird creativity that made Nakagawa’s manga so popular. International Premiere. As part of the closing night events, Fantasia will be showcasing the first public screening of Synapse Films’ long anticipated 4K restoration of Dario Argento’s SUSPIRIA, just in time for its 40th anniversary. A Grand Guignol fairy tale from the darkest recesses of creative brilliance, SUSPIRIA remains one of the most visually and sonically breathtaking genre works in the history of film, its complex aesthetics all but impossible to reproduce with accuracy on any non-Technicolor – let alone non-photochemical – medium to date. For the past three years, Synapse Films have been working on the definitive restoration of Argento’s masterpiece, with the full cooperation, supervision and approval of its celebrated cinematographer Luciano Tovoli, who spared no effort to accurately reproduce the film’s original IB Technicolor visuals. With all the love and obsession that this extraordinary film commands, SUSPIRIA has been restored from the fully uncut, original 35mm Italian camera negative and will be presented with the legendary 4.0 discrete sound mix not heard since its 1977 theatrical release.

    ACTION!

    Also, for the first time in its long-running history, the films in the Action! section will be competitive, with an esteemed debut jury comprised of Quebec director Érik Canuel, Midnight Madness programmer Peter Kuplowsky, and producer Hugues Barbier! BOYKA: UNDISPUTED Bulgaria – Dir. Todor Chapkanov Martial arts fans have waited a long time for the return of their champion, and with BOYKA: UNDISPUTED, Scott Adkins takes his beloved character to new heights, pushing the limits of action cinema. Boyka is back – and his punches connect! Canadian Premiere. Actor Scott Adkins in Attendance. BROKEN SWORD HERO Thailand – Dir. Bin Bunluerit Like Tony Jaa before him, Bua Khaw Bunchamek makes an unmissable, intense impact with his first appearance on the big screen. This jaw-dropping historical epic showcases all of the four-time Muy Thai champion’s talents in an action-packed and highly entertaining adventure set in1700s Thailand. North American Premiere. CONFIDENTIAL ASSIGNMENT South Korea – Dir. Kim Sung-hoon For years, Fantasia has presented the latest in exciting Korean action, and each time they raise the bar another notch. This wild Cold War thriller is no exception, featuring spectacular fights, tight urban chases, puzzling intrigue, and a stunning action turn from k-drama star Hyun Bin! Quebec Premiere. DARKLAND Denmark – Dir. Fenar Ahmad Dar Salim (EXODUS, GAME OF THRONES) plays a prosperous Copenhagen surgeon who, when pushed too far, decides to avenge his murdered brother and take down the gangs that have overrun his city. A blockbuster in its native Denmark, Fenar Ahmad’s DARKLAND is both a brilliant action thriller and a thoughtful commentary on the challenges of immigration. North American Premiere. DOUBLE BARREL India – Dir. Jose Pellissery Featuring the brothers Prithviraj and Indrajith Sukumaran, two noted Indian stars, Lijo Jose Pellissery’s DOUBLE BARREL is an action-comedy that veers wildly off the beaten track, with an ultra-inspired screenplay and visual presentation bursting with panache. One of the most delectable Indian films of recent vintage. Canadian Premiere. OVERDRIVE France – Dir. Antonio Negret From the writers of WANTED and 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS comes an utterly bombastic actioner that runs on blood, sweat, and rocket fuel! Scott Eastwood and Ana de Armas (of the upcoming BLADE RUNNER 2049) star in this stunt-filled, explosive thriller set under the scorching sun of southern France. Director Antonio Negret has crafted a smart, sexy tale of car thieves on the run – and stuck its throttle at 4000 rpm! North American Premiere. PLAN B Germany – Dir. Ufuk Genc and Micheal Popescu A trio of aspiring martial artists are blackmailed into criminal activity for the Berlin mob in this near-perfect actioner featuring spectacular fights, loads of laughs, and great chemistry from its hilarious stars. With PLAN B, Germany’s Ufuk Genc and Micheal Popescu prove they have the cinematic chops to stand alongside the world’s finest action directors. North American Premiere. Directors in Attendance. SAVAGE DOG USA – Dir. Jesse V. Johnson In this whirlwind of fists and feet that piles one relentless action sequence after another, an ass-kicking ex-con is forced back into the ring to save his new friends’ bar – and possibly their lives! Action legends Scott Adkins, Marko Zaror, and Cung Le each give 110%, and deliver 90 minutes of pure, face-smashing thrills. Canadian Premiere. Writer/Director Jesse V. Johnson and Actor Scott Adkins in Attendance. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY 3D USA – Dir. James Cameron He said he’d be back, and he kept his word. Twenty-six years after revolutionizing action cinema, James Cameron presents a newly-restored 3D version of his classic, era-defining science fiction masterpiece about a mother, son, and cyborg attempting to stop a visage-changing robot from bringing on a nuclear apocalypse. Not in Competition. North American Premiere. Previously announced Action! titles: ATOMIC BLONDE, JAILBREAK, and YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE.

    CAMERA LUCIDA

    Probabilistic Gothic horror; a metaphysical ghost story; a Beckettian Chinese crime farce; an experimental film-poem set in Tokyo; a surrealistic, horror-infused coming-of-age; a chilling Estonian folktale; a cosmic subversion of the crime thriller, and more… Fantasia’s Camera Lucida section brings you to the outer limits of genre cinema. ANIMALS Switzerland-Poland-Austria – Dir. Greg Sglinski A hybrid of black comedy, marital melodrama and surrealist horror, chronicling a couple’s disintegration and potential reunion during a retreat in the Swiss Alps. Official Selection: Berlinale 2017, Istanbul International Film Festival 2017, BAFICI 2017. Canadian Premiere. THE HONOR FARM USA – Dir. Karen Skloss At the vanguard of young adult cinema, Karen Skloss’ fiction film debut is a dreamlike trip that masterfully subverts and manipulates the tropes of coming-of-age cinema, horror and psychedelic thrillers. Official Selection: SXSW 2017 (Midnighters). International Premiere. Director in Attendance. MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND USA – Dir. Ana Asensio An unbearably gripping drama that slowly transforms into a thriller depicting a dangerous, and unbearably tense 24-hour span in the life of an undocumented immigrant woman struggling in New York City. Winner: Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature, SXSW 2017. Official Selection: BAMCinemaFest 2017, Sydney Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere. Director in Attendance. NOVEMBER Estonia – Dir. Rainer Sarnet A deep dive into Estonian folklore, and a harsh, fascinating look at 19th-century pagan life, where spirits roam free, werewolves lurk, and souls are a valuable currency. Winner: Best Cinematography in an International Narrative Feature Film, Tribeca Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere. TOWN IN A LAKE Philippines – Dir. Jet Leyco Two 16-year-old girls vanish, shocking the quiet seaside town of Matangtubig in the Philippines. In this third feature, Jet Leyco unveils a magical realist subversion of the crime thriller. Official Selection: New York Asian Film Festival 2017, International Film Festival Rotterdam 2017, Taipei Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere. Previously announced Camera Lucida titles: LE PROBLÈME D’INFILTRATION (above), THE LAPLACE’S DEMON, A GHOST STORY, FREE AND EASY, and THE TOKYO NIGHT SKY IS ALWAYS THE DENSEST SHADE OF BLUE.

    AXIS 2017

    The accent is on Asia this year in the Axis section, assembling some truly exceptional animated films – from high-standard anime to highly unexpected twists on stop-motion. JAPAN’S JUNK HEAD (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) IS A SINGULAR WORK OF STOP-MOTION CYBER-HORROR Artist, designer, sculptor and stop-motion animator Takahide Hori expands his 2103 cyber-horror short film into a full, independent feature, a biomechanical nightmare tempered with unexpected twists and deft wit – imagine Fraggle Rock through the eyes of H.R. Giger and Hieronymus Bosch. The Axis section’s strangest discovery of 2017! EXPERIENCE CLAYMATION HORROR BY BRITAIN’S LEE HARDCASTLE Independent UK clay animator Lee Hardcastle has made over a hundred shorts, music videos, and commercials – and won a place in the feature film omnibus THE ABCS OF DEATH through their hugely-competitive public contest. CLAYMATION HORROR BY LEE HARDCASTLE is a showcase of some of his coolest creations which will also screen a segment of his long-awaited feature debut, SPOOK TRAIN (A HORROR ANTHOLOGY), an epic stop-motion animation that is scheduled to be completed by 2020. Director in Attendance. A TRIPLE BILL OF RISING ANIMATION TALENT FROM A TRIO OF ASIAN COUNTRIES Axis presents a trio of thematically harmonious short films from Japan, South Korea, and China – compelling visions of life in the aftermath, from indie animators to keep an eye on. • COCOLORS (Japan, 45 min, Dir. Toshihisa Yokoshima) International Premiere. Director in Attendance. • SCARECROW ISLAND (South Korea, 18 min, Dir. Park Hyemi) World Premiere. Director in Attendance. • VALLEY OF WHITE BIRDS (China, 14 min, Dir. Cloud Yang) North American Premiere. THE SENIOR CLASS South Korea – Dir. Hong Deok-pyo Raw in its emotional honesty, explicit in its exploration of sexuality among South Korean college kids, an animated drama written and produced by Yeon Sang-ho (SEOUL STATION, TRAIN TO BUSAN). International Premiere. Director in Attendance. GENOCIDAL ORGAN Japan – Dir. Shukou Murase An elite intelligence agent pursues a mysterious figure who may be at the heart of the genocidal fury engulfing the world. The third techno-thriller in the Project Itoh anime trilogy. Canadian Premiere. Previously announced Axis titles: HAVE A NICE DAY, LU OVER THE WALL, NAPPING PRINCESS, and NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL.

    DOCUMENTARIES FROM THE EDGE 2017!

    Fantasia’s annual doc section returns, with nine features ranging the gamut of subjects from rock band Laibach’s stranger-than-fiction gigging experience in North Korea to exorcism practices in modern Italy and nuclear fusion as a renewable energy source! 78/52 USA – Dir. Alexandre Philippe An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO (1960) and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema. Featuring Guillermo del Toro, Jamie Lee Curtis, Karyn Kusama, Richard Stanley, and Peter Bogdanovich, among many others. 78/52 was born out of Fantasia’s Frontières Co-Production Market and World Premiered to major acclaim at Sundance earlier this year. Quebec Premiere. ABU Canada – Dir. Arshad Khan As a gay man, Montreal Filmmaker Arshad Khan examines his troubled relationship with his devout, Muslim father. Using family archives, pictures and Bollywood movies, Khan presents his struggle with his identity and compares it to his parent’s attempts to fit into Canada. Official Selection: L.A. Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere. Director in Attendance. DELIVER US Italy – Dir. Federica Di Giacomo Every year, in Italy, in Europe and in the world, a higher and higher number of people affirm to feel possessed by Satan. The Catholic Church responds to this emergency training more and more exorcist priests. The contrasts between ancient traditions and modern habits, between the sacred and profane, meet in this astonishing and rather disturbing documentary. Winner: Award for Best Film (Horizons section), Venice International Film Festival 2016. Quebec Premiere. DRIB Norway – Dir. Kristoffer Borgli Between fact and fiction, a no-holds-barred satire of L.A. advertising culture: the story of an energy drink campaign gone wrong, told by Amir Asgharnejad, the performance artist and comedian who lived it all. An outlandishly fun film with a sharp head on its shoulders. Official Selection: SXSW 2017, CPH:DOX 2017, Sheffield Doc/Fest 2017. Canadian Premiere. GEEK GIRLS Canada – Dir. Gina Hara Women inhabit a relatively hidden half of nerd culture; a world of cute dresses, professional gamers, fake names and death threats. Filmmaker Gina Hara struggles through unexpected resistance to discover and show their experiences. Official Selection: Sheffield Doc/Fest 2017. North America Premiere. Director in Attendance. LET THERE BE LIGHT Canada – Dir. Mila Aung-Thwin and Van Royko What if we told you there is a way to build an artificial star on Earth? LET THERE BE LIGHT takes you to the outer limits of renewable energy, and the future of mankind: nuclear fusion. A must-see for the “sci-” and the “sci-fi” minded alike. Official Selection: SXSW 2017, Hot Docs 2017. Quebec Premiere. Directors in Attendance. LIBERATION DAY Latvia-Norway-Slovenia – Dir. Ugis Olte and Morten Traavik A chronicle of a surreal, subversive prank on a geopolitical scale as Slovenian industrial provocateurs Laibach become the first Western rock band to gig in the fortress state of North Korea. LIBERATION DAY captures many perfect moments of dark mirth and discomforting tension. But it also challenges our media-fed misconceptions with rare insights into North Korea. Official Slection: Trieste Film Festival 2017, Göteborg Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere. TOKYO IDOLS UK-Canada– Dir. Kyoko Miyake Idols and their pop music permeate every moment of Japanese life. Following an aspiring pop singer and her fans, TOKYO IDOLS explores a cultural phenomenon driven by an obsession with young female sexuality, and the growing disconnect between men and women in hyper-modern societies. Official Selection: Sundance 2017, DOXA 2017. Quebec Premiere. Director in Attendance. Previously announced Documentaries from the Edge title: KING COHEN

    FANTASIA UNDERGROUND 2017

    A heartbreaking supernatural drama from the American Midwest, the latest hand grenade of inspiration from Wakaliwood, a gross-out indie comedy built on interpersonal pain, and a female serial killer’s unconventional approach to relationships. Welcome to the 2017 lineup of Fantasia Underground, dedicated to super independent outsider works that possess a purity of vision and are wholly unafraid to take risks. ASSHOLES USA – Dir. Peter Vack Adah and Aaron are recovering addicts who are struggling to stay sober. After meeting in their psychoanalyst’s waiting room, they fall in love, relapse on poppers, and become the biggest assholes in New York City. Described by one reviewer as “Salò and The Squid and the Whale”, ASSHOLES literally explodes with bodily fluids and extreme behaviour as the couple explore and magnify each other’s impulses. The feature directorial debut of actor Peter Vack (M.F.A., CBGB, LACE CRATOR), ASSHOLES stars the filmmaker’s own sister, their parents, even his therapist, and it takes absolutely no prisoners. Winner: Adam Yauch Hörnblowér Award, SXSW 2017. Director in Attendance. BAD BLACK Uganda – Dir. IGG Nabwana Fantasia’s 2015 screening of I.G.G. Nabwana’s WHO KILLED CAPTAIN ALEX? marked the first time a Wakaliwood film had ever been shown at a film festival. Nabwana’s follow-up, BAD BLACK, a whiplashing ride between social realism and pure DIY brain-melting entertainment, has been tearing up the fest circuit over the past 10 months, and we’re extremely excited to be bringing it to Canada. Wakaliwood filmmaking is an experience like no other. A return to the origin of cinema, like watching a film for the very first time. Winner: Audience Award (Best Film) + Jury Award (Best Action Director), Fantastic Fest 2016. Canadian Premiere. INDIANA USA – Dir. Toni Comas The feature debut of BAG BOY, LOVER BOY co-writer Toni Comas, this superb supernatural drama about spirit doctors in the American Midwest haunts with a seemingly simple story that unwinds with skilful complexity and compelling characters. Harkening back to a time when independent cinema meant regional cinema, the film makes Indiana itself its focus – the people who live there, the quiet lives they inhabit and the beliefs that drive them. Canadian Premiere. Director in Attendance. POOR AGNES Canada – Dir. Navin Ramaswaran Ambitious, cunning, and narcissistic, Agnes (Lora Burke) is a serial killer, hiding in plain sight within a rural town while defining her own systems of sport and romance. A uniquely peculiar suspense film with slow, thoughtful dialogue that moves between victimization and control as it delves into the subjective experience of a probable sociopath. POOR AGNES is a driven and endearing effort that doesn’t pander to audiences, and both Agnes and plot alike are utterly unpredictable. World Premiere. Director in Attendance.

    FREE FANTASIA EVENTS!

    GRADY HENDRIX: PAPERBACKS FROM HELL (Live multimedia event) In the early Seventies, three books changed horror forever: Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, and The Other. The first horror novels to hit bestseller lists since 1940, they opened the floodgates for an avalanche of horror paperbacks to flood supermarket and drug store shelves throughout the Seventies and Eighties before The Silence of the Lambs slit the genre’s throat in the early Nineties. Fresh off last year’s one-man show, SUMMERLAND LOST, Grady Hendrix delivers a mind-melting oral history of this wild and woolly world of Nazi leprechauns, skeleton doctors, killer crabs, killer jellyfish, and killer fetuses, featuring hair-raising readings, a William W. Johnstone quote-off, and more tales of terrifying tots, tricycles, clowns, puppets, and heavy metal bands than should be strictly legal. Prepare yourself for a tour of this long-lost universe of terror that lurked behind the lurid, foil-embossed, die-cut covers of… The Paperbacks from Hell!!! LOST GIRLS: THE PHANTASMAGORICAL CINEMA OF JEAN ROLLIN (Book launch event) Fantasia is proud to host the World Premiere launch of the new book from Spectacular Optical, Lost Girls: The Phantasmagorical Cinema of Jean Rollin, edited by Samm Deighan and penned by all women critics, scholars and film historians. This collection of essays covers the wide range of Rollin’s career from 1968’s LE VIOL DU VAMPIRE through his 2010 swansong, LE MASQUE DE LA MÉDUSE, touching upon his horror, fantasy, crime, and sex films – including many lesser-seen titles. The book closely examines Rollin’s core themes: his focus on overwhelmingly female protagonists, his use of horror genre and exploitation tropes, his reinterpretations of the fairy tale and fantastique, the influence of crime serials, Gothic literature, the occult and more. The launch will feature an illustrated talk on July 19th with the book’s editor Samm Deighan, contributor Virginie Selavy and publisher Kier-La Janisse, and will be complemented by a rare 35mm screening at the Cinematheque quebecoise on July 27 of Rollin’s LE VIOL DU VAMPIRE, playing in its original two-part form. SPECTRUMFEST: FILMS FROM THE AUTISM SPECTRUM Montreal’s Spectrum Productions sets out to empower young people on the autism spectrum through film, and the result is a truly unique experience that’s both endearing and inspiring. This collection of shorts produced through the organization gives viewers a glimpse into the creativity, talent, and originality of these incredible filmmaking youths – who are especially interested in genre storytelling! UNTOLD HORROR LIVE: GENRE REBELS IN DEVELOPMENT HELL (Live multimedia event) Remakes of WITCHFINDER GENERAL and THE ORPHANAGE. The MANIAC COP sequel you were supposed to see. A Tarantino collaboration that almost was. A stillborn post-apocalyptic rock opera centered around a “Breeding Festival.” Hear these and other jaw-dropping tales from the cinematic trenches in UNTOLD HORROR LIVE: GENRE REBELS IN DEVELOPMENT HELL. Presented by Untold Horror – an in-development series born at Fantasia’s Frontières market dedicated to exploring the greatest genre movies never made – and hosted by co-creator Dave Alexander (former Editor-in-Chief of Rue Morgue magazine), this round-table discussion – with accompanying A/V presentation – will delve into unrealized projects by our favorite genre filmmakers. William Lustig (MANIAC, MANIAC COP), Richard Stanley (HARDWARE, DUST DEVIL), Gary Sherman (DEATHLINE, DEAD & BURIED), Larry Fessenden (WENDIGO, THE LAST WINTER), and Buddy Giovinazzo (COMBAT SHOCK, LIFE IS HOT IN CRACKTOWN) will reveal their fascinating projects that failed to launch, the reasons why, and what it taught them about the often-volatile film business. Plus, a sneak peek at Untold Horror!

    ADDITIONAL NEWLY-ANNOUNCED TITLES:

    ANOTHER WOLFCOP Canada – Dir. Lowell Dean The question of ANOTHER WOLFCOP making its way to Fantasia 2017 was never in doubt, and we’re proud to be hosting the Canadian Premiere of this most Canadian of movies. ANOTHER WOLFCOP takes everything that was fun about the first movie and amps it up big time, making this a rare sequel that outdoes the original. The laughs are bigger, the violence is bloodier, and the tone is more outrageous. Official Selection: Absurde Seance Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere. Director and Cast in Attendance. BETTER WATCH OUT Australia – Dir. Chris Peckover Dreaming of a red Christmas? Like the idea of a homicidal HOME ALONE? Enjoy both plots and knives that twist? Of course, you do, which is why you’re gonna love BETTER WATCH OUT (aka SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD), the latest from Chris Peckover (writer-director of UNDOCUMENTED). Official Selection: Fantastic Fest 2016. Quebec Premiere. Director in Attendance. DEATH LINE (New 2K Restoration of the Original Director’s Cut) UK – Dir. Gary Sherman A clear precursor to Tobe Hooper’s TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, DEATH LINE sports a solid performance by the great Donald Pleasence and a cameo by Christopher Lee. Celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, Sherman’s masterpiece hasn’t lost an ounce of its power. It’s a strange, gory, socially aware and often blackly funny tale of the fringe-dwelling “have-nots” rising up to feast on the “haves” and it’s ready for a new generation of thoughtful fright fans to discover. Our screening will be hosted by Director Gary Sherman and legendary exploitation filmmaker/Blue Underground CEO William Lustig, who shepherded the film’s restoration. DEATH NOTE: LIGHT UP THE NEW WORLD Japan – Dir. Shinsuke Sato The pen is mightier than the sword. At least, when you have a Death Note at hand. The wry and philosophical Japanese horror-thriller series returns under the masterful direction of Shinsuke Sato (GANTZ, I AM A HERO)! Ten years after Light Yagami’s death, the book is back in an edition of six copies this time, courtesy of the Shinigami King himself. Bodies will pile up! Official Selection, Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival. Canadian Premiere. EXTRAORDINARY MISSION Hong Kong-China – Dir. Alan Mak and Anthony Pun Undercover agents and gangsters collide in a roaring rush of intense twists and turns deep in the drug world of the Golden Triangle. From the creative team of the INFERNAL AFFAIRS trilogy. Official Selection: Udine Far East Film Festival 2017, East Wind Film Festival 2017. Quebec Premiere. FABRICATED CITY South Korea – Dir. Park Kwang-hyun In the virtual world, Kwon Yu is a fearless leader, but IRL he’s an unemployed loser. When framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the gamer must rise to the task and prove his innocence. A high-budget, action-packed techno-thriller. Official Selection: Udine Far East Film Festival 2017, New York Asian Film Festival 2017. Québec Premiere. FASHIONISTA USA-UK – Dir. Simon Rumley At long last it’s the return of one of Fantasia’s favourite sons, British provocateur Simon Rumley (THE LIVING AND THE DEAD, RED WHITE & BLUE), and it’s been worth the wait. Taking his inspiration from the work of another British master, Nicholas Roeg, Rumley spins a psychologically thrilling exercise in the loss of the mind and the soul in favour of the latest thing. He’s aided in no small part by star Amanda Fuller, re-uniting with Rumley and delivering one of the best performances you’ll see this year. A vivid and mind-altering experience in bravura filmmaking. Official Selection: Fantastic Fest 2016, Sydney International Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere. Director in Attendance. THE FINAL MASTER China – Dir. Xu Haofeng Director Xu Haofeng astonished Fantasia audiences with THE SWORD IDENTITY and last year’s JUDGE ARCHER. Xu is a truly unique martial arts auteur who returns to freshly shake up the kung fu genre again about kung fu masters in the tragicomedy THE FINAL MASTER. Winner of Best Action Choreography-Golden Horse Awards. FRITZ LANG Germany – Dir. Gordian Maugg Far from the conventional biopic, FRITZ LANG is part fan-fiction, speculation, and biography: what if Lang was the hero of one of his own films? This is a whirlwind of images where past and present collide, exploring the myth, rather than the man – a composite image of an elusive director, in the days leading to the creation of the masterpiece, M. Winner: Best Feature Film, Hessen Film and Cinema Awards 2016. Canadian Premiere. GOD OF WAR Hong Kong-China – Dir. Gordon Chan A brilliant young general confronts an army of wily Japanese pirates in Ming-Dynasty China – an extra-large-scale battlefield epic with a cast of martial arts titans including the legendary Sammo Hung. From Gordon Chan, the director of many Hong Kong cinema classics including FIST OF LEGEND and BEAST COP! Quebec Premiere. GOING TO BRAZIL France-Brazil – Dir. Patrick Mille Four childhood friends are reunited at a wedding in Rio. But when they accidentally kill a young man during a party that gets out of hand, they are forced to flee the city in a crazy adventure. GOING TO BRAZIL is a corrosively energetic film that stands out from your typical French comedies. Official Selection: SXSW 2017. Canadian Premiere. GURGAON India – Dir. Shanker Raman An ominous noir crime thriller, Shankar Raman’s debut film GURGAON explores corruption, jealousy, and toxic sibling rivalry within a wealthy family living in the titular city in Northern India. Through clashes between blood relations and bloodshed, the film is a story of having it all and wanting none of it. Quebec Premiere. THE H-MAN Japan – Dir. Ishiro Honda Jellylike atomic goblins haunt the rainy Tokyo streets involving gangsters and cops! Director Ishiro Honda (GODZILLA) steps out of his comfort zone to yield a unique genre blending gem. Presented in glorious 35mm and preceded by a special career overview of the extraordinary cinematic master Ishiro Honda by Ed Godziszewski (co-author of Ishiro Honda – A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa). HOUSE OF THE DISAPPEARED South Korea – Dir. Lim Dae-woong On loud stormy night, Mi-hee wakes up to find her dying husband in the basement and see her son disappear before her eyes. Many years later, she returns to this house to solve the mystery. International star Kim Yujin (the LOST series) shines in this creepy atmospheric remake of THE HOUSE AT THE END OF TIME (which Fantasia helped launch in 2015). Official Selection: Udine Far East Film Festival. North American Premiere. INNOCENT CURSE Japan – Dir. Takashi Shimizu A child’s scream pierces the quietude of a Japanese suburb – and the nightmare begins. A funhouse too atmospheric and scary to resist, from Japan’s living legend of horror, Takashi Shimizu (JU-ON, MAREBITO)! Official Selection: Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival 2017, Shanghai International Film Festival 2017. North American Premiere. JAPANESE GIRLS NEVER DIE Japan – Dir. Daigo Matsui One day, Haruko Azumi (Yu Aoi) disappears and becomes a legend. A proudly experimental, kaleidoscopic and pop-art portrait of the female condition in Japan. Official Selection: Tokyo International Film Festival 2017, Rotterdam 2017, TIFF Next Wave Festival 2017. Quebec Premiere. KILLS ON WHEELS Hungary – Dir. Attila Till A wheelchair-bound hitman is assisted by a pair of disabled teenage aspiring comic artists. One part crime genre piece, one part absorbing character study, and one part total original. It’s movies like this that Fantasia was created for. Winner: Roger Ebert Award, Chicago International Film Festival 2016; Best Feature and Best Actors, Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2016. Canadian Premiere. LOVE AND OTHER CULTS Japan – Dir. Eiji Uchida An unexpected love story, and exploration of the seedy, unexplored corners of Japanese society and youthful regional reality – from cults to gangs to idols! Official Selection: Udine Far East Film Festival 2017, New York Asian Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere. MADE IN HONG KONG (4K Restoration) Hong Kong – Dir. Fruit Chan A gorgeous and essential 4K restoration of Fruit Chan’s youthful gangster classic, commissioned by the Udine Far East Film Festival to commemorate the 20 years of the Hong Kong handover. Winner: Best Picture Award, Hong Kong Film Awards 1998. Official Selection: Locarno International Film Festival 1997. Quebec Premiere. LE MANOIR France – Dir. Tony T. Datis A bunch of friends, live wires and web addicts, decide to celebrate the New Year in an isolated manor house with no coverage: a big first for them! But as soon as they arrive, strange occurrences disturb the festive atmosphere, and the party turns into a murderous nightmare. The feature debut from celebrated music video director Datis (Skrillex’s “Bangarang” and Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake”), LE MANOIR is a well-crafted horror/comedy that isn’t afraid of opening up incendiary floodgates, and is sure to leave no viewer indifferent. Plus, in a risky feat that completely works, Datis cast his film with YouTube stars. Come discover the immense talents of its web-based stars, who are fast on their way to conquering the big screen. International Premiere. MUMON: THE LAND OF STEALTH Japan – Dir. Yoshihiro Nakamura Despite his playful attitude, Mumon is the most dangerous ninja of his ruthless clan of assassins, but when his actions triggers an all out war with the samurais of Ise, he might finally meet his match. With an incredible cast led by J-pop band Arashi’s frontman Satoshi Ohno and the masterful direction of Fantasia favorite Yoshihiro Nakamura (FISH STORY), this breathtaking over the top action comedy will make you stealthily sneak back for more! Official Selection: Shanghai International Film Festival. Quebec Premiere. THE NIGHT WATCHMEN USA – Dir. Mitchell Altieri Three inept night watchmen, aided by a young rookie and a fearless tabloid journalist, fight an epic battle to save their lives. A mistaken warehouse delivery unleashes a horde of hungry vampires, and these unlikely heroes must not only save themselves but also stop the scourge that threatens to take over the city of Baltimore. Winner: Best Horror Film, Garden State Film Festival 2017, Best Feature, New Jersey HorrorCon 2017. Canadian Premiere. Director and Cast in Attendance. PREY Netherlands – Dir. Dick Maas From the legendary Dutch horror iconoclast who brought you THE LIFT, AMSTERDAMNED, DOWN, and SAINT comes this jaw-dropping horror thriller about a bloodthirsty lion stalking the streets (and metro trains!) of Amsterdam. Official Selection: Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival 2017, Overlook Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere. Director in Attendance. RAGE Japan – Dir. Lee Sang-il A double homicide shakes the nation, and its perpetrator has eluded capture. Meanwhile, three strangers make an appearance. A phenomenal crime thriller about isolation and how we perceive others. Official Selection: Toronto International Film Festival 2016, San Sebastian Film Festival 2016, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2016. Quebec Premiere. THE SHERIFF IN TOWN South Korea – Dir. Kim Hyung-joo When former hardboiled big-city cop Dae-ho (BIG MATCH’s Lee Sung-min) appoint himself the “sheriff” of the coastal village where he owns a humble restaurant, he has no idea how deep in troubles this is going to get him. Laughs, suspense and excitement are on the menu of this entertaining crime comedy where civic pride becomes wildly uncivil! North American Premiere. SHOCK WAVE Hong Kong – Dir. Herman Yau One of HK’s most prolific yet controversial filmmakers Herman Yau (THE UNTOLD STORY, EBOLA SYNDROME, IP MAN:THE FINAL FIGHT) reunites with the award winning Andy Lau playing a bomb specialist in this high-octane thriller wired with enough explosive twists ready to detonate at every turn. Official Selection: Udine Far East Film Festival 2017. Quebec Premiere. S.U.M.1 Germany – Dir. Christian Pasquariello A solitary soldier (Iwan Rheon of GAME OF THRONES) mans a watchtower, guarding against mysterious aliens in this eerie exercise in high-tech tension and primeval paranoia. Produced by Christian Alvart (PANDORUM, ANTIBODIES). Official Selection: Shanghai International Film Festival 2017 (Panorama). North American Premiere. A THOUSAND JUNKIES USA – Dir. Tommy Swerdlow A “drug” movie with no drugs, and a “road” movie that goes nowhere, A THOUSAND JUNKIES is a dark, visceral comedy about the 9 to 5 job of being a junkie, and the strange bonds that are formed between addicts. Screenwriter of COOL RUNNINGS, SNOW DOGS, and LITTLE GIANTS, Tommy Swerdlow makes his directorial debut with a personal story, something miles away from his family-oriented comedies past, based on the three leads’ own experiences with addiction. Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival 2016. Canadian Premiere. TIGER GIRL Germany – Dir. Jakob Lass Escalating criminal mischief convinces wild girl Tiger that she’s made the wrong friend in seemingly straight-laced Vanilla, but will she survive long enough to learn her lesson? An unpredictable ride through modern-day Berlin, TIGER GIRL showcases brilliant rising talents in leads Maria Dragus (GRADUATION) and Ella Rumpf (cementing her place as a major new star after her acclaimed work in RAW), who deliver a pair of unforgettable performances that make TIGER GIRL incredibly fresh and exciting. Official Selection: Berlinale 2017. North American Premiere. TILT USA – Dir. Kasra Farahani A filmmaker becomes unhinged and erratic, and begins to give in to madness. A spellbinding psychological horror film made for a time when love, sadly, does not trump fear or hate. TILT explores how quickly the most familiar person in your life can become the most terrifying. How quickly we can become terrifying to ourselves. Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere. TOKYO GHOUL Japan – Dir. Kentaro Hagiwara Ghouls live among us, look like us, talk like us… and eat us. TOKYO GHOUL is the live-action adaptation of the immensely popular urban-horror manga by Sui Ishida, a gruesome yet pensive dark fantasy in the same sinister zone as DEATH NOTE and PARASYTE. Official Selection: Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. Canadian Premiere.

    JURIES AND COMPETITIONS

    Fantasia is proud to announce the following competitions and their jurors. CHEVAL NOIR Fantasia’s flagship juried competition, a global selection of varied genre works from new and established, groundbreaking, and unconventional auteurs. Bad Genius (Thailand) Dir. Nattawut Poonpiriya Bitch (USA) Dir. Marianna Palka Cold Hell (Germany) Dir. Stefan Ruzowitzky Dan Dream (Denmark) Dir. Jesper Rofelt A Day (South Korea) Dir. Cho Sun-ho Friendly Beast (Brazil) Dir. Gabriela Amaral Almeida Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable (Japan) Dir. Takashi Miike Lowlife (USA) Dir. Ryan Prows mon mon mon MONSTERS! (Taiwan) Dir. Giddens Ko Money’s Money (France) Dir. Gela Babluani Origami (Canada-Quebec) Dir. Patrick Demers Spoor (Poland-Czech Republic) Dir. Agnieszka Holland A Taxi Driver (South Korea) Dir. Jang Hoon Teiichi: Battle of the Supreme High (Japan) Dir. Akira Nagai The Villainess (South Korea) Dir. Jung Byung-gil What A Wonderful Family! 2 (Japan) Dir. Yôji Yamada CHEVAL NOIR JURY President of the Jury: Richard Stanley, Filmmaker, Anthropologist, Journalist Chris Bumbray, Critic Eli Castiel, Critic, editor-in-Chief of Séquences magazine, Paul Kazee, Critic, Co-Founder of New York Asian Film Festival Shelagh Rowan-Legg, Filmmaker, Critic, Academic, Programmer at FrightFest UK NEW FLESH COMPETITION FOR BEST FIRST FEATURE JURY President of the Jury: William Lustig, Filmmaker, CEO of Blue Underground Katarina Gligorijevic, Writer, Producer Jason Gorber, Journalist, Critic Joshua Sobel, Producer Antoine Zeind, Distributor, Founder of A-Z Films INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION JURY President of the Jury: Gary Sherman, Filmmaker Aisling Chin-Yee , Filmmaker Ina Pira, Vimeo Curator ACTION! JURY Hughes Barbier, Producer, Co-Founder of the Ithaca Fantastic Film Festival Érik Canuel, Filmmaker, Co-Founder of Kino Films Peter Kuplowsky, Writer, Producer, TIFF Programmer (Midnight Madness) AXIS ANIMATION JURY (Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation) Greg Bailey, Director Dave Cooper, Graphic Novelist, Painter, Animator Nadja Cozic, Director, Animator, Teacher Jean Lacombe, Cartoonist, Animator, Author BARRY CONVEX AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE JURY Kier-la Janisse, Critic, Founder of Spectacular Optical Publications Douglas Buck, Filmmaker, Editor George Mihalka, Filmmaker AQCC-CAMERA LUCIDA JURY The Association québécoise des critiques de cinema (AQCC) President of the Jury: Donato Totaro, editor-in-chief of Offscreen, Journalist, Professor of Film Studies at Concordia University Paul Landriau, founder of the film blog Point de vues and program director of the film festival Plein(s) Écran(s) Jean-Marie Lanlo, vice-president of AQCC, editor-in-chief of Cinéfilic.com JURY FANTASTIQUES WEEK-ENDS Jason Béliveau, Programming Director of Antitube, Critic Pierre-Marc Drouin, Filmmaker, Writer Isabelle Giroux, Filmmaker, Actor, Singer PRIX SEQUENCES JURY President of the Jury: Pascal Grenier, Critic Mathieu Houle-Beausoleil, Critic, Filmmaker Maxime Labrecque, Critic, lecturer in the Department of Cinematographic Studies at the Université de Montréal

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  • Melbourne International Film Festival to Feature 35 Films From Cannes

    [caption id="attachment_22898" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Square Ruben Ostlunds The Square[/caption] The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) will present big award winners from this year’s Cannes Film Festival, including the 2017 Palme d’Or winning The Square, a deliriously strange detonation of art and imagination from Swedish director Ruben Öslund (Force Majeure, MIFF 14), featuring a riveting performance from Danish actor Claes Bang and scene stealing performances from Elizabeth Moss (also appearing in Top of the Lake: China Girl, MIFF 17) and Dominic West. Other films include Loveless, the must-see winner of the Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes – a razor-sharp portrayal of a marriage in the state of collapse from one of the greatest Russian filmmakers working today, Andrey Zvyagintsev (Leviathan, Elena, MIFF 11); and BPM, from French director Robin Campillo, (Eastern Boys, MIFF 14; They Came Back, MIFF 05) winner of this year’s Cannes Grand Jury Prize and Queer Palm winner, which dives headfirst into the passions, protests and politics of ‘90s AIDS activism. International purveyor of the bizarre and MIFF favourite Yorgos Lanthimos is back with regular co-writer Efthymis Filippou (The Lobster, MIFF 15; Alps MIFF 12) for The Killing of a Sacred Deer – bringing Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman together in a darkly comic modern rendering of an ancient Greek morality play; and Julianne Moore reunites with Todd Haynes for the enchanting Wonderstruck, an intoxicating, visually ravishing adaptation of Brian Selznick’s (writer of Hugo) illustrated tale of two deaf runaways and the glimmering, redemptive magic of cinema. Thrillers that packed a punch include Good Time, where Robert Pattinson electrifies in the pulse-quickening heist thriller from American indie stars Josh and Benny Safdie who were subjects of a MIFF focus in 2015, with an electronic score by Oneohtrix Point End; and In the Fade, from Germany’s Faith Akin where Diane Kruger delivers her Best Actress-winning performance as a mother dealing with the aftermath of her Kurdish husband and young son’s death in a neo-Nazi hate crime. Films from European directors that set Cannes ablaze include master auteur Michael Haneke’s (Amour, MIFF 12, The White Ribbon, MIFF 09) Happy End, which sees the director reunite with the great Isabelle Huppert and Jean-Louis Trintignant in a cutting portrait of bourgeois European Life; Let the Sunshine In, the Directors’ Fortnight award-winning new film from iconic French director Claire Denis (Bastards, MIFF 13), with Juliette Binoche delivering a shining performance in the starring role; and veteran French director Philippe Garrel’s (In the Shadow of Women, MIFF 15) Lover for a Day, shot in lyrical monochrome and starring his daughter Esther in her first major role, which once again brings a poetic touch to his perennial themes of fidelity and sexual freedom. Also from France, the grande dame of the French New Wave Agnès Varda revives the spirit of The Gleaners and I (MIFF 01) with Faces Places, a picaresque romp through rural France, where she is joined in her travel by the artist JR; and The Venerable W, which sees Barbet Schroeder complete his “trilogy of evil” with a stunning portrayal of xenophobic demagogy in an unexpected quarter: Buddhist monks in the Republic of Myanmar. Films exploring corruption and injustice include the winner of the prestigious Un Certain Regard prize A Man of Integrity, from acclaimed Iranian writer/director Mohammed Rasoulof (Manuscripts Don’t Burn, MIFF 13; Iron Island, MIFF 05), which is a potent thriller that captures one man’s desperate battle to stand up to a corrupt system; and Tehran Taboo, the boundary-pushing new animation from Iranian-born first-time feature director Ali Soozandeh, which tackles the sexual taboos of Islamic society and reveals a world of hypocrisy and political corruption. Works of distinct individuality from exciting new voices in the cinematic landscape include the satirical and witty I Am Not a Witch, inspired by real-life rural witch camps in Africa and directed by first-time feature director Ryngano Nyoni, with cinematography by David Gallego (Embrace of the Serpent); Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts, a “feminist Indonesian Spaghetti Western” (The Irish Times) directed by a shining star of the blossoming Indonesian film industry, Mouly Surya; and Michael Franco’s (Chronic, MIFF 15) Un Certain Regard Jury Prize winner April’s Daughter, a gripping depiction of maternal devotion gone wrong, with Emma Suárez (Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, MIFF 16) mesmerising as the ruthlessly calculating mother. Continuing to uncover and capture the bizarre and bold, the festival is proud to present Nothingwood, first-time documentarian Sonia Krunlund’s rousing portrait of Afghani writer/actor/director Salim Shaheen that captures the auteur using the resources available to him to make cheap, fast, out-of-nothing films starring himself, his friends and his family, which bring hope to his adoring fans in Afghanistan’s climate of violence; co-produced by Toni’s Erdmann’s Maren Ade, Western is the acclaimed Cannes hit from German writer/director Valeska Grisebach (Longing, MIFF 05) that uses non-actors in a European standoff to evoke the spirit of the titular American genre; starring and co-written by Saturday Night Live’s Kyle Mooney, helmed by frequent collaborator Dave McCary and produced by Andy Samberg, Brigsby Bear is the latest thigh-slapping comedic effort to double as an SNL “Where Are They Now?” reunion special; and hope springs from Josh Hartnett, a blonde wig and a Tokyo-to-California jaunt in Oh Lucy!, Atsuko Hirayangi’s affectionate expansion of her MIFF 2014 short of the same name. [caption id="attachment_19920" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Patti Cake$ Patti Cake$[/caption] The festival will feature the Australian premiere of the entire second season of Top of the Lake: China Girl, directed by Jane Campion and MIFF Accelerator alumnus Ariel Kleiman, and offering a unique opportunity to see the series before its television premiere on BBC First on Foxtel; and Patti Cake$, music video director Jeremy Gasper’s feature debut about an aspiring rapper, starring Australian actress Danielle McDonald in her sensational breakout performance. Slower, more meditative works centered around image, exploration and self-reflexivity include Claire’s Camera, in which Isabelle Huppert reunites with director Hong Sang-soo to present an uncomplicated and refreshing meditation on the joy of chance encounters and the power of art; 24 Frames, a minimalist hymn to the capturing of images and the final work by the late Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami; and Naomi Kawase’s (Still the Water, MIFF 14) Radiance, which explores the complexity of cinematic images through description alone, as protagonist Misako writes voiceovers for vision impaired film viewers. Scoring an award at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, Jonas Carpignano’s (Mediterranea, MIFF 15) latest, A Ciambra, explores the European refugee crisis in a heart-wrenching, ultra-realist tour of the outcast and refugee communities of Italy’s south; and in Hungarian phenomenon Kornél Mundruczó’s (White God, MIFF 14) Jupiter’s Moon, the superhero genre collides with the rolling tragedy of that same crisis in an action-packed assault on tribalism, human indecency of the basic laws of gravity. Set to screen at MIFF as part of Night Shift, A Prayer Before Dawn is a claustrophobic, face-pulping mash of growling sound, kinetic editing and so-real-you-have-to-flinch fight scenes from French provocateur Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire (Johnny Mad Dog, MIFF 08); and Blade of the Immortal is samurai, swords and Takashi Miike – celebrating his 100th feature with the tale of an immortal swordsman looking to reclaim his soul. Hot from the Un Certain Regard section, Closeness explores family relations intermingled with ethnic tensions in a stunning, disturbing debut from young Russian filmmaker Kantemir Balagov; shot in nine parts, each in sweeping unbroken takes, Beauty and the Dogs is based on a real incident of a young Tunisian student plunged into an infuriating and intimidating bureaucratic nightmare; and Until the Birds Return, a film of three stunningly rendered dispatches from the still-scarred people and landscapes of modern Algeria, by young gun of North African cinema Karim Moussaoui. And finally, Chilean filmmaker Marcela Said’s sophomore feature Los Perros explodes class privilege when a wealthy woman – the dynamite Antonia Zeger – falls for her older riding instructor, a man accused of war crimes; and A Gentle Creature, the latest film by Sergei Loznitsa (The Event MIFF 16; In the Fog, MIFF 12) that shifts from rusted realism to dreamy fantasy as it follows a woman (Vasilina Makovtseva) on a voyage through multiple layers of violence, indignity and human cruelty.

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