I Tonya

  • THE FLORIDA PROJECT, FACES PLACES, BPM Among 2017 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Winners

    Faces Places
    Faces Places

    THE FLORIDA PROJECT, Sean Baker’s coming-of-age film about little rascals growing up in the shadow of Disney World, was named Best Picture of 2017 by San Francisco Film Critics Circle

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  • Toronto Film Critics Association Names THE FLORIDA PROJECT Best Film of 2017

    [caption id="attachment_23729" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Florida Project THE FLORIDA PROJECT[/caption] The Florida Project, Sean Baker’s drama about kids growing up fast in a welfare motel in the shadow of Disney World, was named the year’s Best Picture winner by the Toronto Film Critics Association. Willem Dafoe was chosen Best Supporting Actor for his role as the empathetic motel manager. Greta Gerwig was named Best Director for her coming-of-age comedic drama, Lady Bird, while the film’s co-star Laurie Metcalf, was chosen Best Supporting Actress. The TFCA chose Frances McDormand as Best Actress for her portrayal of a driven and tormented mother in Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Faces Places, a whimsical journey through France directed by Agnès Varda and muralist JR, was given the Allan King Documentary Film Award. Art-world satire The Square, directed by Ruben Östlund, was chosen Best Foreign-Language film. Nora Twomey’s The Breadwinner, based on Canadian author Deborah Ellis’ award-winning novel about an 11-year-old Afghan girl who provides for her family in difficult times, was named Best Animated Feature. The membership also chose the three finalists for the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award: Hello Destroyer directed by Kevan Funk, Werewolf directed by Ashley McKenzie and Wexford Plaza directed by Joyce Wong. The winner will be named at the 21st TFCA awards gala, to be held in Toronto, on January 9, 2018, hosted by Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival. Other awards include the 2017 recipient of the Technicolor Clyde Gilmour Award is Inuk director, producer and writer Zacharias Kunuk. Kunuk has earned international acclaim for his dramatic work, including winning the prestigious Caméra d’Or for Best First Feature at Cannes 2001 for Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner. He has chosen Montreal-based Inuk filmmaker and visual artist Isabella Weetaluktuk to receive $50,000 worth of services from Technicolor. She will accept the award at the gala. Weetaluktuk, a graduate of NSCAD University in Halifax, premiered her short Three Thousand, her first film with the National Film Board, at the 18th annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in October.

    2017 Toronto Film Critics Association Awards winners and runners-up:

    BEST PICTURE “The Florida Project” (Elevation Pictures) Runners-up “Phantom Thread” (Focus Features) “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (Fox Searchlight) BEST ACTOR Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread” (Focus Features) Runners-up Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me By Your Name” (Mongrel Media) Gary Oldman “Darkest Hour” (Focus Features) BEST ACTRESS Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (Fox Searchlight) Runners-up Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water” (Fox Searchlight) Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird” (Elevation Pictures) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Willem Dafoe “The Florida Project” (Elevation Pictures) Runners-up Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (Fox Searchlight) Michael Stuhlbarg, “Call Me By Your Name” (Mongrel Media) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Laurie Metcalf “Lady Bird” (Elevation Pictures) Runners-up Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” (VVS Films) Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread” (Focus Features) BEST DIRECTOR Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird” (Elevation Pictures) Runners-up Paul Thomas Anderson, “Phantom Thread” (Focus Features) Jordan Peele, “Get Out” (Universal Pictures) BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED OR ORIGINAL “Get Out” by Jordan Peele (Universal Pictures) Runners-up “Lady Bird” by Greta Gerwig (Elevation Pictures) “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” by Martin McDonagh (Fox Searchlight) BEST FIRST FEATURE “Get Out” directed by Jordan Peele (Universal Pictures) Runners-up “Lady Macbeth” directed by William Oldroyd (D Films) “Werewolf,” directed by Ashley McKenzie (grassfire films) BEST ANIMATED FEATURE “The Breadwinner” (Elevation Pictures) Runners-up “Coco” (Disney/Pixar) “Window Horses” (Mongrel Media) BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM “The Square” (The Archive of Film Inc.) Runners-up “Faces Places” (Cohen Media Group) “Loveless” (Mongrel Media) ALLAN KING DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD “Faces Places” (Cohen Media Group) Runners-up “Jane” (National Geographic) “Kedi” (Blue Ice Docs) ROGERS BEST CANADIAN FILM AWARD FINALISTS “Hello Destroyer” directed by Kevan Funk (Northern Banner) “Werewolf” directed by Ashley McKenzie (grassfire films) “Wexford Plaza” directed by Joyce Wong (LevelFILM)

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  • THE SHAPE OF WATER Leads with 14 Nominations for 23rd Critics’ Choice 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] “The Shape of Water” leads the nominations for the 23rd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards with 14 nods including Best Picture, and Best Director for Guillermo del Toro. The winners will be revealed live at the star-studded Critics’ Choice Awards gala on Thursday, January 11, 2018 on the CW Network . “Call Me By Your Name,” “Dunkirk,” “Lady Bird,” and “The Post” impressed with eight nominations each, and are all in the running for Best Picture and Best Director, among others. “Blade Runner 2049” earned seven nominations, followed by “The Big Sick” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” each with six, and “Get Out” and “I, Tonya” with five.

    FILM NOMINATIONS FOR THE 23rd ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS

    BEST PICTURE

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

    BEST ACTOR

    Timothée Chalamet – Call Me by Your Name James Franco – The Disaster Artist Jake Gyllenhaal – Stronger Tom Hanks – The Post Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out Daniel Day-Lewis – Phantom Thread Gary Oldman – Darkest Hour

    BEST ACTRESS

    Jessica Chastain – Molly’s Game Sally Hawkins – The Shape of Water Frances McDormand – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Margot Robbie – I, Tonya Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird Meryl Streep – The Post

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Willem Dafoe – The Florida Project Armie Hammer – Call Me By Your Name 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

    Mary J. Blige – Mudbound Hong Chau – Downsizing Tiffany Haddish – Girls Trip Holly Hunter – The Big Sick Allison Janney – I, Tonya Laurie Metcalf – Lady Bird Octavia Spencer – The Shape of Water

    BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

    Mckenna Grace – Gifted Dafne Keen – Logan Brooklynn Prince – The Florida Project Millicent Simmonds – Wonderstruck Jacob Tremblay – Wonder

    BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

    Dunkirk Lady Bird Mudbound The Post Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

    BEST DIRECTOR

    Guillermo del Toro – The Shape of Water Greta Gerwig – Lady Bird Martin McDonagh – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Christopher Nolan – Dunkirk Luca Guadagnino – Call Me By Your Name Jordan Peele – Get Out Steven Spielberg – The Post

    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor – The Shape of Water Greta Gerwig – Lady Bird Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani – The Big Sick Liz Hannah and Josh Singer – The Post Martin McDonagh – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Jordan Peele – Get Out

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    James Ivory – Call Me by Your Name Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber – The Disaster Artist Dee Rees and Virgil Williams – Mudbound Aaron Sorkin – Molly’s Game Jack Thorne, Steve Conrad, Stephen Chbosky – Wonder

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

    Roger Deakins – Blade Runner 2049 Hoyte van Hoytema – Dunkirk Dan Laustsen – The Shape of Water Rachel Morrison – Mudbound Sayombhu Mukdeeprom – Call Me By Your Name

    BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

    Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau, Jeff Melvin – The Shape of Water Jim Clay, Rebecca Alleway – Murder on the Orient Express Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis – Dunkirk Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola – Blade Runner 2049 Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer – Beauty and the Beast Mark Tildesley, Véronique Melery – Phantom Thread

    BEST EDITING

    Michael Kahn, Sarah Broshar – The Post Paul Machliss, Jonathan Amos – Baby Driver Lee Smith – Dunkirk Joe Walker – Blade Runner 2049 Sidney Wolinsky – The Shape of Water

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN

    Renée April – Blade Runner 2049 Mark Bridges – Phantom Thread Jacqueline Durran – Beauty and the Beast Lindy Hemming – Wonder Woman Luis Sequeira – The Shape of Water

    BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP

    Beauty and the Beast Darkest Hour I, Tonya The Shape of Water Wonder

    BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

    Blade Runner 2049 Dunkirk The Shape of Water Thor: Ragnarok War for the Planet of the Apes Wonder Woman

    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

    The Breadwinner Coco Despicable Me 3 The LEGO Batman Movie Loving Vincent

    BEST ACTION MOVIE

    Baby Driver Logan Thor: Ragnarok War for the Planet of the Apes Wonder Woman

    BEST COMEDY

    The Big Sick The Disaster Artist Girls Trip I, Tonya Lady Bird

    BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

    Steve Carell – Battle of the Sexes James Franco – The Disaster Artist Chris Hemsworth – Thor: Ragnarok Kumail Nanjiani – The Big Sick Adam Sandler – The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)

    BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

    Tiffany Haddish – Girls Trip Zoe Kazan – The Big Sick Margot Robbie – I, Tonya Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird Emma Stone – Battle of the Sexes

    BEST SCI-FI OR HORROR MOVIE

    Blade Runner 2049 Get Out It The Shape of Water

    BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

    BPM (Beats Per Minute) A Fantastic Woman First They Killed My Father In the Fade The Square Thelma

    BEST SONG

    Evermore – Beauty and the Beast Mystery of Love – Call Me By Your Name Remember Me – Coco Stand Up for Something – Marshall This Is Me – The Greatest Showman

    BEST SCORE

    Alexandre Desplat – The Shape of Water Jonny Greenwood – Phantom Thread Dario Marianelli – Darkest Hour Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer – Blade Runner 2049 John Williams – The Post Hans Zimmer – Dunkirk

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  • DARKEST HOUR Starring Gary Oldman Wins Whistler Film Festival’s Audience Award

    [caption id="attachment_25385" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]DARKEST HOUR DARKEST HOUR[/caption] Joe Wright’s DARKEST HOUR, starring Gary Oldman and Lily James is the winner of the 2017 Whistler Film Festival’s Audience Award. Endorsed by Winston Churchill’s estate, the film tells the story of Churchill’s refusal to engage in peace treaty negotiations with Nazi Germany during WWII, and his determination to fight on against incredible odds. The WFF Audience Award runner-ups were the Western Canadian premieres of I, TONYA, directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Margot Robbie, about disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding, followed by TULIPANI: LOVE, HONOUR, AND A BICYCLE, from Oscar Winner Mike Van Diem with the Netherlands, Italy, and Canada co-production. The WFF Audience Award is a non-cash prize presented to the highest-rated film as voted by the audience. “We were very fortunate to open this year’s fest with the Western Canadian premiere of DARKEST HOUR, a film we are convinced will be a major contender in this year’s awards season race,” said Paul Gratton, WFF Director of Programming. “The festival took off from there, with many sold out screenings, packed and newsworthy industry sessions, and almost 400 guests who made a point of trekking out to Whistler to support their films and talk business with the high-level movers and shakers also in attendance. 2017 represented another step forward towards establishing the Whistler Film Festival as the coolest film fest in the world.”

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  • “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME,” “FACES PLACES,” “BPM,” “LOVELESS” Win 2017 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Honors

    [caption id="attachment_19777" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Call Me By Your Name[/caption] The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) voted Call Me By Your Name the Best Picture of 2017, along with Best Actor for Timothée Chalamet, and Best Director for Luca Guadagnino – a tie win with Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water.  Best Documentary went to the Faces Places, and Best Foreign-Language Film was a tie win for BPM AND Loveless.

    2017 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

    BEST PICTURE

    “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” RUNNER-UP: “THE FLORIDA PROJECT”

    BEST DIRECTOR

    GUILLERMO DEL TORO, “THE SHAPE OF WATER” AND LUCA GUADAGNINO, “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” (TIE)

    BEST ACTOR

    TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” RUNNER-UP: JAMES FRANCO (“THE DISASTER ARTIST“)

    BEST ACTRESS

    SALLY HAWKINS “THE SHAPE OF WATER” RUNNER-UP: FRANCES MCDORMAND (“THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI“)

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    WILLEM DAFOE “THE FLORIDA PROJECT” RUNNER-UP: SAM ROCKWELL (“THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI “)

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    LAURIE METCALF “LADY BIRD” RUNNER-UP: MARY J. BLIGE (” MUDBOUND“)

    BEST SCREENPLAY

    JORDAN PEELE “GET OUT” RUNNER-UP: MARTIN MCDONAGH (“THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI“)

    BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

    DENNIS GASSNER “BLADE RUNNER” RUNNER-UP: PAUL D. AUSTERBERRY (“THE SHAPE OF WATER“)

    BEST EDITING

    LEE SMITH “DUNKIRK” RUNNER-UP: TATIANA S. RIEGEL (“I TONYA“)

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

    DAN LAUSTSEN “THE SHAPE OF WATER” RUNNER-UP: ROGER DEAKINS (“BLADE RUNNER“)

    BEST MUSIC SCORE

    JONNY GREENWOOD “PHANTOM THREAD” RUNNER-UP: ALEXANDRE DESPLAT (“THE SHAPE OF WATER“)

    BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM

    “BPM” AND “LOVELESS” (TIE)

    BEST DOCUMENTARY / NON-FICTION FILM

    “FACES PLACES” RUNNER-UP: “JANE”

    BEST ANIMATION

    “THE BREADWINNER” RUNNER-UP: “COCO”

    NEW GENERATION

    GRETA GERWIG

    DOUGLAS EDWARDS INDEPENDENT / EXPERIMENTAL FILM / VIDEO

    LEE ANNE SCHMITT “PURGE THIS LAND”

    CAREER ACHIEVEMENT

    MAX VON SYDOW

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  • I, TONYA Allison Janney to Receive Spotlight Award at Palm Springs International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_25682" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Allison Janney in I, Tonya Allison Janney in I, Tonya[/caption] Allison Janney will receive the Spotlight Award – Actress at the 29th Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards Gala for her performance in I, Tonya. The Film Awards Gala, hosted by Mary Hart, will be held Tuesday, January 2 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Festival runs January 2 to 15, 2018. “Allison Janney delivers a knock-out performance as Tonya Harding’s mother LaVona Golden in I, Tonya. The usually charming Janney takes a compellingly dark turn as Tonya’s abusive, alcoholic mother,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “For this outstanding performance, which is sure to garner awards attention, it is an honor to present Allison Janney with the Spotlight Award.” Past recipients of the Spotlight Award include Amy Adams, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, Andrew Garfield, Helen Hunt, Rooney Mara, Julia Roberts and J.K. Simmons. All recipients received Academy Award® nominations in the year they were honored, with Simmons winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Janney joins previously announced 2018 honorees Timothée Chalamet, Gal Gadot, Gary Oldman and Sam Rockwell. Based on unbelievable yet true events, I, Tonya is a darkly comedic tale of American figure skater Tonya Harding and one of the most sensational scandals in sports history. The first American woman to complete a triple-axel in competition, Harding’s legacy was instead defined by her association with an ill-conceived, crudely executed attack on fellow Olympic competitor Nancy Kerrigan. Featuring an iconic turn by Margot Robbie as the fiery Harding, a mustachioed Sebastian Stan as her impetuous ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, and a tour-de-force performance from Allison Janney as her acid-tongued mother, LaVona, Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya is an absurd, irreverent and piercing portrayal of Harding’s life and career. NEON/30WEST is releasing the film. Her recently released movies include Tallulah, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, The Girl on the Train, Minions and Spy. Other film credits include The Way, Way Back, The Help, Juno, Hairspray, Finding Nemo, The Hours, American Beauty, Nurse Betty, Drop Dead Gorgeous, 10 Things I Hate About You, Primary Colors, The Ice Storm, The Object of My Affection and Big Night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXZQ5DfSAAc

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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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  • California Film Institute + Mill Valley Film Festival to Honor I, TONYA Margot Robbie and Allison Janney

    [caption id="attachment_25611" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]Margot Robbie in I, Tonya Margot Robbie in I, Tonya[/caption] The California Film Institute will honor Margot Robbie and Allison Janney with a special Mill Valley Film Festival Spotlight Program. The evening will feature an onstage conversation with Robbie and Janney, a screening of I, TONYA at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center and presentation of the MVFF Award. Margot Robbie’s star has been on a steady rise since she first came to the world’s attention as Leonardo DiCaprio’s wife in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. Her impressive supporting turn brought her more featured roles in Focus, Z for Zachariah, Suicide Squad, The Legend of Tarzan, Goodbye Christopher Robin and her current lead role in one of the most buzzed-about films on this year’s international festival circuit: I, Tonya. She has no less than seven upcoming projects announced through 2019. Expect this brilliant star to continue her ascent to the top of Hollywood’s A-List. Seven-time Primetime Emmy Award winner Allison Janney has awed audiences for decades with her singularly composed, witty and ferociously intelligent performances on stage, screen and, most famously, television as the unflappable C.J. Cregg on The West Wing. Her range spans from hilarious to heartbreaking, zany to stoic, in memorable film roles including American Beauty, Juno, The Hours, The Ice Storm and The Girl on the Train, while maintaining a busy schedule in multiple featured and guest performances on the small screen in Mom, Masters of Sex and Veep, among many others. Janney’s formidable talent continues to impress, most recently, for her work in Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuDQOMICfr0

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  • Whistler Film Festival Unveils Lineup, Opens with Winston Churchill Biopic DARKEST HOUR

    [caption id="attachment_25385" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]DARKEST HOUR DARKEST HOUR[/caption] The 17th Whistler Film Festival, aka ‘Canada’s Coolest Film Fest’, will take place from November 29 to December 3, 2017, and feature 87 fresh films (46 features and 41 shorts) from over 15 countries. WFF is set to open with Joe Wright’s DARKEST HOUR, starring Gary Oldman and Lily James. Endorsed by Winston Churchill’s estate, the film tells the story of Churchill’s refusal to engage in peace treaty negotiations with Nazi Germany during WWII, and his determination to fight on against incredible odds. Closing the festival is the World Premiere of THE MOMENT. Darcy Hennessey Turenne’s latest documentary feature uncovers the origin of Freeride Mountain Biking and its provenance in British Columbia by following a dedicated group of adventure seekers who changed the course of the sport forever. Oscar-contending films screening at WFF include the Western Canadian premieres of I, TONYA, one of the most pleasant surprises of this year’s festival season about disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding, directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Margot Robbie; THE DISASTER ARTIST, directed and starring James Franco along with Dave Franco, tells the true-life story of Tommy Wiseau, Hollywood outsider and director of the cult-hit THE ROOM, which will also debut as the “From the Vault” selection; and Canada’s entry in this year’s Best Foreign-Language film Oscar competition HOCHELAGA, LAND OF SOULS directed by François Girard. Additional critically acclaimed directors with works premiering in the festival include Richard Linklater, with LAST FLAG FLYING starring Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell and Laurence Fishburne, about three ex-marines who reunite thirty years after the Vietnam War; Émile Gaudreault with FATHER AND GUNS 2 (DE PÉRE EN FLIC 2), Canada’s highest grossing film of the year; Oscar Winner Mike Van Diem with the Netherlands, Italy, Canada co-production TULIPANI: LOVE, HONOUR, AND A BICYCLE; and acclaimed Canadian documentarian Alan Zweig with his latest film THERE IS A HOUSE HERE, about an Inuk rock singer Lucie Idlout. Director of Programming Paul Gratton stated: ”It is gratifying to see that the Whistler Film Festival’s ever growing reputation as a cool film festival in which to showcase original work is growing well beyond our borders. The quality of our American Indie submissions was way up this year, as was the quality of our hundreds of Canadian entries. The Borsos jury will have a particularly challenging time picking the winners this year.” Programming strands include American Indies, Canada 150, Contenders, Doc Bloc, Family Feature, First Features, From Overseas, From The Vault, Mountain Culture, ShortWork, Transgressive Tales, and World Premieres. This year WFF is proud to boast that all five films in its “American Indies” strand will grace Canadian screens for the first time in Whistler. American Indies include STORY OF A GIRL, the directorial debut from Kyra Sedgwick starring Kevin and Sosie Bacon; THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWN starring Bill Pullman directed by Jared Moshe; THE LEARS directed by longtime Whistler Alumnus and Canadian filmmaker Carl Bessai starring Bruce Dern, Sean Astin and Anthony Michael Hall; NEVER HERE directed by Camille Thoman starring the late Sam Shepard in his last performance on screen; and PAINLESS  directed by Jordan Horowitz starring Canadian actor Joey Klein. Other American films include PERMISSION directed by Brian Crano starring Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens and Jason Sudeikis; BERNARD AND HUEY directed by Slamdance Founder Dan Mirvish with the original script written by the legendary Jules Feiffer; and HEAVEN’S FLOOR directed by Lori Stoll based on the true story of a LA photographer who heads to Iqualuit for a shoot. And it’s not just Americans are entrusting WFF with their Canadian premieres. From Hungary, WFF will present Eva Gardos’ Chinatown style film noir set in Budapest during the early years of World War II. BUDAPEST NOIR is the story of an investigator trying to uncover the truth about a prostitute’s murder, though no one around him seems to care.

    This year, 20 Canadian films will compete for Canada’s second largest festival prize -Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature. Borsos titles include eight World Premieres featuring work from WFF Alumni including Pat Kiely with SOMEONE ELSE’S WEDDING starring Jacob Tierney, Jessica Paré, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Kevin Zegers, Kathleen Turner and Wallace Shawn; PRODIGALS directed by Michelle Ouellet starring Sara Canning and David Alpay; Jackie English’s first feature BECOMING BURLESQUE about a Muslim woman who turns to burlesque dancing starring Shiva Negar; Gail Harvey’s crime thriller NEVER SAW IT COMING based on the novel by Linwood Barclay; NOBODY FAMOUS directed by Sarah Rotella; plus three features from Vancouver based directors including 8 MINUTES AHEAD by Ben Hoskyn shot over the course of four years in Vancouver and China; THE PRODIGAL DAD, a home-grown sort of Toni Erdmann directed by Robert Wenzek; and THE CANNON directed by WFF Alumni Marshall Axani, who won the inaugural MPPIA Short Film Award.

    Canadian premieres in the Borsos competition include Hannah Cheesman and Mackenzie Donaldson’s coming of age story, THE DEFINITES, Daniel DiMarco’s atmospheric character study JUGGERNAUT starring Jack Kesy and Amanda Crew, and the family friendly Christmas story SANTA STOLE OUR DOG: A MERRY DOGGONE CHRISTMAS starring Ed Asner from DIY master Bryan Michael Stoller. Western Canadian premieres in the Borsos Competition include Carlos and Jason Sanchez’s first time feature A WORTHY COMPANION starring Evan Rachel Wood and Vancouver’s Julia Sarah Stone produced by the TIFF Canadian producers of the year, Luc Déry and Kim McCraw, ALL YOU CAN EAT BUDDHA the original and rhythmic visual buffet from first time director Ian Lagarde, Grayson Moore and Aidan Shipley’s drama CARDINALS featuring an unforgettable performance from Sheila McCarthy, Vladimir de Fontenay’s Canada/France co-production MOBILE HOMES starring Imogen Poots, Callum Keith Rennie and Callum Turner, TRENCH 11 an unusual WWI dark thriller starring Rossif Sutherland, the comedic drama VENUS about a man transitioning to a woman, and PORCUPINE LAKE, a beloved coming of age story about two best friends directed by DIY queen Ingrid Veninger. Also screening alongside PORCUPINE LAKE is the making of documentary feature THE OTHER SIDE OF PORCUPINE LAKE directed by Julian Papas. Other Canadian films screening at the festival out of competition include ANOTHER WOLFCOP directed by Lowell Dean, the hilarious sex comedy A SWINGERS WEEKEND directed by Jonathan Cohen, and the original crime drama ORDINARY DAYS shot in three segments by three directors Jordan Canning, Kris Booth and Renuka Jeyapalan. In addition to the World Premiere of THE MOMENT which closes the fest, Mountain Culture films include A TO B ROLLERSKI directed by Arnis Aspers about an athlete who “rollerskis” from the Arctic to Baja, DEPTH PERCEPTION the latest brainchild of Travis Rice directed by Chip Taylor and Chris Murphy accompanied by the short series SOMETHING from The Manboys as well as compilation of short mountain based films from some of the industry’s finest athletes and storytellers. This year’s Doc Bloc competition features a very diverse film line-up. In keeping with the theme of emerging talent, WFF is pleased to present the World Premiere of BECOMING ICONIC, Neal Thibedeau’s incisive look at aspiring New York based director Jonathan Barker’s first feature with Nicolas Cage, Gina Gershon and Faye Dunaway, and interviews with such directing legends as Adrian Lyne, John Badham, Jodie Foster and Taylor Hackford about their first time on set as directors. Additional films in this section include WORLD OF DARKNESS, a detailed look at the history and evolution of one the most popular goth lifestyle games of all time, will receive its Canadian Premiere at our fest; and THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ANDRÉ, a probing biodoc of André Leon Talley, former editor of Vogue Magazine, featuring interviews with everyone from Anna Wintour to Tom Ford.

    WFF 2017 COMPLETE FEATURE FILM LISTING BY STRAND:

    American Indies:

    THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWN (United States) Dir. Jared Moshe THE LEARS (Canada, United States) Dir. Carl Bessai NEVER HERE (United States) Dir. Camille Thoman PAINLESS (United States) Dir. Jordan Horowitz STORY OF A GIRL (United States) Dir. Kyra Sedgwick

    Canada 150:

    ANOTHER WOLFCOP (Canada) Dir. Lowell Dean FATHER AND GUNS 2 (DE PÉRE EN FLIC 2) (Canada) Dir. Émile Gaudreault HEAVEN’S FLOOR (Canada, United States) Dir. Lori Stoll JUGGERNAUT (Canada) Dir. Daniel DiMarco MOBILE HOMES (Canada, France) Dir. Vladimir de Fontenay ORDINARY DAYS (Canada) Dir. Jordan Canning, Kris Booth, Renuka Jeyapalan PORCUPINE LAKE (Canada) Dir. Ingrid Veninger TRENCH 11 (Canada) Dir. Leo Scherman

    Contenders:

    THE DARKEST HOUR (United Kingdom) Dir. Joe Wright THE DISASTER ARTIST (United States) Dir. James Franco HOCHELAGA, LAND OF SOULS (HOCHELAGA, TERRE DES ÂMES) (Canada) Dir. François Girard I, TONYA (United States) Dir. Craig Gillespie

    The Doc Bloc:

    BECOMING ICONIC (United States) Dir. Neal Thibedeau THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ANDRE (United States) Dir. Kate Novack THE OTHER SIDE OF PORCUPINE LAKE (Canada) Dir. Julian Papas THERE IS A HOUSE HERE (Canada) Dir. Alan Zweig WORLD OF DARKNESS (Sweden) Dir. Giles Alderson

    Family Feature:

    SANTA STOLE OUR DOG: A MERRY DOGGONE CHRISTMAS! (Canada) Dir. Bryan Michael Stoller

    First Features:

    ALL YOU CAN EAT BUDDHA (Canada) Dir. Ian Lagarde BECOMING BURLESQUE (Canada) Dir. Jackie English CARDINALS (Canada) Dir. Aidan Shipley & Grayson Moore THE DEFINITES (Canada) Dir. Hannah Cheesman & Mackenzie Donaldson

    From Overseas:

    BUDAPEST NOIR (Hungary) Dir Éva Gárdos TULIPANI: LOVE, HONOUR, AND A BICYCLE (Canada, Netherlands, Italy) Dir. Mike Van Diem

    From The Vault:

    THE ROOM (United States) Dir. Tommy Wiseau

    Mountain Culture:

    A TO B ROLLERSKI (Latvia, United States, Canada, Mexico) Dir. Arnis Aspers DEPTH PERCEPTION Dir. Chip Taylor & Chris Murphy

    Transgressive Tales:

    A SWINGER’S WEEKEND (Canada) Dir. Jonathan Cohen A WORTHY COMPANION (Canada) Dir. Carlos Sanchez & Jason Sanchez BERNARD AND HUEY (United States) Dir. Dan Mirvish THE CANNON (Canada) Dir. Marshall Axani PERMISSION (United States) Dir. Brian Crano VENUS (Canada) Dir. Eisha Marjara

    World Premieres:

    8 MINUTES AHEAD (Canada, China) Dir. Ben Hoskyn NEVER SAW IT COMING (Canada) Dir. Gail Harvey NOBODY FAMOUS (Canada) Dir. Sarah Rotella PRODIGALS (Canada) Dir. Michelle Ouellet THE PRODIGAL DAD (Canada) Dir. Robert Wenzek SOMEONE ELSE’S WEDDING (Canada) Dir. Pat Kiely

    WFF 2017 Feature Films Eligible for the Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature:

    A WORTHY COMPANION ALL YOU CAN EAT BUDDHA BECOMING BURLESQUE THE CANNON CARDINALS THE DEFINITES HOCHELAGA, LAND OF SOULS JUGGERNAUT MOBILE HOMES NEVER SAW IT COMING NOBODY FAMOUS PORCUPINE LAKE PRODIGALS THE PRODIGAL DAD SANTA STOLE OUR DOG: A MERRY DOGGONE CHRISTMAS SOMEONE ELSE’S WEDDING TRENCH 11 TULIPANI: LOVE, HONOUR AND A BICYCLE VENUS 8 MINUTES AHEAD  

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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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  • AFI FEST 2017 Announces Special Screenings, Cinema’s Legacy and Shorts Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_25278" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool[/caption] The American Film Institute announced the films that will play in the Special Screenings, Cinema’s Legacy and Shorts sections at AFI FEST 2017 presented by Audi. This year’s Special Screenings section offers an array of engaging stories and intimate portraits of riveting individuals: FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL (DIR Paul McGuigan); I, TONYA (DIR Craig Gillespie); JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND – FEATURING A VERY SPECIAL, CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED MENTION OF TONY CLIFTON (DIR Chris Smith); THE LEISURE SEEKER (DIR Paolo Virzì); MOLLY’S GAME (DIR Aaron Sorkin); SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME (DIR Sam Pollard); and THE SHAPE OF WATER (DIR Guillermo del Toro). Cinema’s Legacy is AFI FEST’s celebration of motion picture history, and a special opportunity to screen recent restorations of classic films.  The Shorts section features filmmakers from around the globe and represents various distinct international viewpoints.  The Grand Jury Award winners for Live-Action and Animated Short, as decided by the Shorts Jury, will be automatically eligible for the Academy Award® shortlists in the Best Live Action Short and Best Animated Short categories.

    SPECIAL SCREENINGS

    FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL – Annette Bening stars as Gloria Grahame and Jamie Bell as her young ex-lover in this visually sumptuous, deeply compassionate romance. DIR Paul McGuigan. SCR Matt Greenhalgh. CAST Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Vanessa Redgrave. USA I, TONYA – Margot Robbie stars as tabloid-bait figure skater Tonya Harding in this unforgettable film that is nothing less than a Shakespearean tale of love, loss and the crushing force of poverty in America. DIR Craig Gillespie. SCR Steven Rogers. CAST Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Paul Walter Hauser, Julianne Nicholson, Bobby Cannavale, Mckenna Grace. USA JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND – FEATURING A VERY SPECIAL, CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED MENTION OF TONY CLIFTON – In this insightful documentary, Jim Carrey reflects on his experience playing legendary comedian Andy Kaufman in 1999’s MAN ON THE MOON. DIR Chris Smith. FEATURING Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Milos Forman, Judd Hirsch, Carol Kane, Paul Giamatti, Bob Zmuda. USA THE LEISURE SEEKER – Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland star in this unforgettable tale of love and memory in an America on the brink of an uncertain new course. DIR Paolo Virzì. SCR Stephen Amidon, Francesca Archibugi, Francesco Piccolo, Paolo Virzì. CAST Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland, Christian McKay, Janel Moloney, Dana Ivey. Italy MOLLY’S GAME – Oscar® nominee Jessica Chastain stars in Oscar®-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut, set in the glamorous world of high-stakes underground poker games. DIR Aaron Sorkin. SCR Aaron Sorkin. CAST Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O’Dowd, Bill Camp. USA SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME – Longtime Spike Lee collaborator Sam Pollard directs this accomplished documentary on the ups and downs of the life and career of trailblazing multi-hyphenate Sammy Davis, Jr. DIR Sam Pollard. SCR Laurence Maslon. FEATURING Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones, Jerry Lewis, Kim Novak, Nancy Sinatra, Norman Lear. USA THE SHAPE OF WATER – Set at the height of the Cold War, Guillermo del Toro’s latest stars Sally Hawkins in an otherworldly love tale between a mute cleaning lady and an Amphibian Man. DIR Guillermo del Toro. SCR Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor. CAST Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer. USA

    CINEMA’S LEGACY

    BAREFOOT IN THE PARK – This classic romantic comedy pairs Robert Redford and Jane Fonda as a young married couple with absolutely nothing in common. DIR Gene Saks. SCR Neil Simon. CAST Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Charles Boyer, Mildred Natwick, Herbert Edelman, James Stone, Ted Hartley, Mabel Albertson. USA BLOW-UP – A fashion photographer accidentally photographs a murder in BLOW-UP, one of Michelangelo Antonioni’s many masterpieces, and his first film in English. Restoration curated by The Criterion Collection, Cineteca di Bologna and Istituto Luce Cinecittà, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Park Circus. DIR Michelangelo Antonioni. SCR Michelangelo Antonioni, Tonino Guerra. CAST Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, David Hemmings, John Castle, Jane Birkin, Gillian Hills, Peter Bowles. Italy LOS CAIFANES – A wealthy couple gets an impromptu tour around Mexico City from an urban gang in this outrageous, ahead-of-its-time Mexican cinema classic. DIR Juan Ibáñez. SCR Carlos Fuentes, Juan Ibáñez. CAST Julissa, Enrique Álvarez Félix, Óscar Chávez, Ernesto Gómez Cruz, Sergio Juménez, Eduardo López Rojas, Tamara Garina, Martha Zabaleta. Mexico LA COLLECTIONNEUSE – The third of Eric Rohmer’s “Six Moral Tales” centers on two men and a rules-breaking woman, rumored to be a “collector” of the opposite sex, staying together on the Riviera. DIR Eric Rohmer. SCR Haydée Politoff, Patrick Bauchau, Daniel Pommereulle, Eric Rohmer. CAST Haydée Politoff, Patrick Bauchau, Daniel Pommereulle, Alain Jouffroy, Mijanou, Annik Morice, Denis Berry, Seymour Hertzberg. France FILMWORKER – The relationship between master Stanley Kubrick and his right-hand-man, actor turned “filmworker” Leon Vitali, is a moving portrait of total dedication to art and genius. DIR Tony Zierra. FEATURING Leon Vitali, Ryan O’Neal, Matthew Modine, Danny Lloyd, Stellan Skarsgård. USA THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (IL BUONO, IL BRUTTO, IL CATTIVO) – Starring Clint Eastwood in a career-defining performance, Sergio Leone’s best-known work follows a band of men during the American Civil War as they hunt down a stolen cache of Confederate gold. DIR Sergio Leone. SCR Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Leone. CAST Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Aldo Giuffrè, Luigi Pistilli, Rada Rassimov, Enzo Petito, Claudio Scarchilli, John Bartha. Italy, Spain, West Germany, USA GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER – Anchored by powerful performances by Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, this Oscar®-winning, groundbreaking masterpiece centers on an interracial romance in the 1960s. DIR Stanley Kramer. SCR William Rose. CAST Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Houghton, Cecil Kellaway, Beah Richards, Roy Glenn. USA RED DESERT (IL DESERTO ROSSO) – Michelangelo Antonioni’s first foray into color centers on a maladjusted woman, played by muse Monica Vitti, searching for her place in a foggy, bleak industrial town. Restoration curated by CSC-Cineteca Nazionale and Istituto Luce Cinecittà, in collaboration with RTI-Mediaset. DIR Michelangelo Antonioni. SCR Michelangelo Antonioni, Tonino Guerra. CAST Monica Vitti, Richard Harris, Carlo Chionetti, Xenia Valderi, Rita Renoir, Aldo Grotti. Italy, France TITICUT FOLLIES – This searing debut documentary by Frederick Wiseman, centering on a facility for the criminally insane in Massachusetts, was banned for general audiences for 23 years. DIR Frederick Wiseman. USA

    SHORTS

    THE 6TH AMENDMENT– A jury decides the fate of one of the Boston Marathon bombers. DIR Elika Portnoy. SCR Mike Harden, Rob Tremblay. CAST Michael Bakkensen, Tony V., Shawn Fitzgibbon, Rose Weaver, Brookes Reeves, Mary Niederkorn, JP Valenti, Debbie Lewis, Melissa Schmidt, Courtland Jones, Tonya Chen, Richard Pacheco, Steve Assad. Bulgaria AFTER SCHOOL KNIFE FIGHT – Laëtitia, Roca, Nico and Naël are in a band that soon will no longer exist. DIR Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel. SCR Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel. CAST Lucas Doméjean, Marylou Mayniel, Pablo Cobo, Nicolas Mias. France ASCRIBED ACHIEVEMENTS – A failed suicide creates a new situation. DIR Samaneh Shojaei. SCR Amin Kafashzadeh. CAST Amin Kafashzadeh. Iran BALLOONFEST – Cleveland attempts to overcome its nickname, “The Mistake by the Lake.” DIR Nathan Truesdell. SCR Nathan Truesdell. USA THE BURDEN – An animated musical with apocalyptic undertones. DIR Niki Lindroth von Bahr. SCR Niki Lindroth von Bahr. CAST Olof Wretling, Sven Björklund, Mattias Fransson, Carl Englén. Sweden CLOWNS – Clowns! Suddenly, they’re everywhere. DIR The Manhattan Company. USA COIN OPERATED – Seventy years pass in the life of one naïve explorer. DIR Nicholas Arioli. SCR Nicholas Arioli. USA COMMODITY CITY – A glimpse at the goods for sale and the humans who sell them in the largest wholesale consumer market in the world. DIR Jessica Kingdon. USA, China COPA-LOCA – Paulina is the girl at the heart of Copa-Loca, an abandoned Greek summer resort. DIR Christos Massalas. SCR Christos Massalas. CAST Elsa Lekakou, Jenny Hiloudaki, Pavlos Iordanopoulos, Talat Iqbal, Stathis Stamoulakatos, Michalis Pitidis, Fotis Stratigos, Nadia Katsoura, Panos Iosifidis, George Ramantanis, Jon Simvonis. Greece CUBS (UNGAR) – A single father fulfills his young daughter’s wish to throw a slumber party. DIR Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir. SCR Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir. CAST Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Agla Bríet Gísladóttir, Anna Bíbí Wium Axelsdóttir, Ragnheiður Ugla Ocares Gautsdóttir. Iceland DADYAA – THE WOODPECKERS OF ROTHA – Atimaley and Devi are faced with a dilemma when a friend leaves without saying goodbye. DIR Pooja Gurung, Bibhusan Basnet. SCR Pooja Gurung, Bibhusan Basnet. CAST Parimal Damai, Chham Kala Damai. Nepal, France THE DIVER – Take a plunge with the man who excavates Mexico City’s sewage system. DIR Esteban Arrangoiz. SCR Esteban Arrangoiz, Mariana Rodríguez. FEATURING Julio César Cú Cámara. Mexico DOLLAR KING – It’s the perfect crime: three friends in pig masks with squirt guns at the dollar store. DIR Drew Pollins. SCR D.M. Brent. CAST Jason Boggs, John Charles Meyer, Ed Mattiuzzi, Susan Berger, John McCool Bowers, Ronnie Clark, Josh Harp. USA EDGE OF ALCHEMY – Mary Pickford and Janet Gaynor are cast into a surreal epic in this handmade film assembled from over 6,000 collages. DIR Stacey Steers. SCR Stacey Steers. USA THE FARE – A young human trafficker must confront his morals when he’s asked to transport a girl from his hometown. DIR Santiago Paladines. SCR Santiago Paladines. CAST Johnny Ortiz, Noemi Pedraza, Eduardo Roman. USA FISH STORY – A search for the truth behind a fishy tale. DIR Charlie Lyne. SCR Charlie Lyne. FEATURING Caspar Salmon. UK GAZE (NEGAH) – A woman witnesses a crime on a bus. DIR Farnoosh Samadi. SCR Farnoosh Samadi, Ali Asgari. CAST Marzieh Vafamehr, Amirreza Ranjbaran, Pedram Ansari, Safoura Kazempour, Gholamreza Rahimi, Mehrdad Mohammadi, Kiana Asadi, Mehran Elhamifar, Babak Karimi. Iran, Italy A GENTLE NIGHT (XIAO CHENG ER YUE) – A mother, with a missing daughter, refuses to stop searching. DIR Qiu Yang. SCR: Qiu Yang. CAST Li Shuxian. China GREAT CHOICE – A woman gets stuck in a looping Red Lobster commercial from hell. DIR Robin Comisar. SCR Robin Comisar. CAST Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector. USA HI STRANGER – It’s time to catch up with an old friend. DIR Kirsten Lepore. SCR Kirsten Lepore. CAST Garrett Davis. USA HOT DOG HANDS – A suburban woman can’t stop growing new fingers. DIR Matt Reynolds. SCR Matt Reynolds. CAST Gillian Wallace Horvat. USA HOUSE OF JXN – A glimpse into the dance clubs and Rainbow families of Jackson, MS. DIR Rosie Haber. USA HOW’S YOUR PROSTATE? – A discussion between two girlfriends. DIR Jeanne Paturle, Cécile Rousset. SCR Jeanne Paturle, Cécile Rousset, Cécile Mille. CAST Cécile Mille. France IFO – Historic UFO sightings over Mansfield, OH, are evoked through memory, report and gesture. DIR Kevin Jerome Everson. FEATURING Albert Thomas, Elijah Bailey Harris, Saveon Moore, Carmenita Higginbotham, Matilda Washington, Tre’Zhan Gamble. USA ISLANDS (LES ÎLES) – Three characters wander through an erotic maze of love and desire. DIR Yann Gonzalez. SCR Yann Gonzalez. CAST Sarah-Megan Allouch, Thomas Ducasse, Alphonse Maitrepierre, Mathilde Mennetrier, Romain Merle, Simon Thiébaut. France JOY JOY NAILS – Under the polish, everyone’s a victim. DIR Joey Ally. SCR Joey Ally. CAST Kahyun Kim, Yi Liu, Tae Song, Esther Moon, Shirley Kwon, Chris Yejin, Sarah Chang, Amber Sealey, Caryn West, Catherine Haena Kim, Jongman Kim. USA LANCE LIZARDI – A young man embarks on a reptilian adventure. DIR Xander Robin, FEATURING Lance Lizardi, James Bears, Robin Robin, Michael Kefeyalew, Valerie Brooks, Michael Casper, Gary Holzapple. USA LIFE BOAT – Six teenagers are led into a game of survival by their guidance counselor. DIR Lorraine Nicholson. SCR Lorraine Nicholson. CAST Elizabeth Gilpin, Stephen Dorff, Moises Arias, Kwame Boateng, Hopper Penn, B.K. Cannon, Chloe Bridges. USA LUPUS – In December 2011, a security guard was killed by a pack of stray dogs prowling in a poor neighborhood in Bogota. DIR Carlos Gomez Salamanca. SCR Carlos Gomez Salamanca. France MARE NOSTRUM – A Syrian father prepares his daughter for a dangerous journey. DIR Rana Kazkaz, Anas Khalaf. SCR Rana Kazkaz. CAST Ziad Bakri, Zayn Khalaf. France, Syrian Arab Republic MR. YELLOW SWEATSHIRT – A man enters the New York City subway. DIR Pacho Velez, Yoni Brook. USA NATIONAL DISINTEGRATIONS – A peek inside Swiss freeports, where many of the world’s art treasures are hidden. DIR Braden King. USA, Switzerland NIGHTHAWK (NOČNA PTICA) – A drunk badger lies motionless on a road. DIR Špela Čadež. SCR Gregor Zorc, Špela Čadež. CAST Andrej Nahtigal, Karin Komljanec, Gregor Zorc. Slovenia, Croatia NUTAG-HOMELAND – A hand-painted visual poem about the tragic mass deportations of the Kalmyk people during WWII. DIR Alisi Telengut. SCR Alisi Telengut. Canada PET RITUALS – The frontwoman of a hardcore punk band struggles to cut ties with her boyfriend. DIR J. Casey Modderno. SCR Jarret Rosenblatt. CAST Sophia Dueñas, Austin Ford, Maynor Alvarado, Casey Mills. USA SHINAAB – A young Anishinaabe man is haunted by thoughts of home. DIR Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr. SRC Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr. CAST Ajuawak Kapashesit, Brian Joyce, Zoe Corbine-Daniels, Anna Stranz, John Edel, Tyson Lietz. USA SILICA – An exploration of territorial constructs and the boundaries of the real and the mediated in an opal mining town in the South Australian desert. DIR Pia Borg. SCR Pia Borg. FEATURING Nicolette Krebitz. Australia, UK STILL DEVOUT – An anxious 23-year-old, still living at home, must choose between romance and the needs of her family. DIR Melissa Perez. SCR Melissa Perez. CAST Valeria Chavez, Gloria Sandoval, J. Eddie Martinez, Antonio Sagastizado, Armando Heredia, Natalie Camunas. USA TAKEOUT NIGHT – An incident with a neighboring mom causes a couple to reevaluate a very big decision. DIR Duncan Birmingham. SCR Duncan Birmingham. CAST Rachel Sondag, Frances Chewning, Duncan Birmingham. USA TEN METER TOWER – A 10-meter diving tower forces people to confront their fears. DIR Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson. SCR Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson. Sweden THE TESLA WORLD LIGHT (TESLA: LUMIÈRE MONDIALE) – Visionary inventor Nikola Tesla makes one last appeal to J.P. Morgan, his onetime benefactor. DIR Matthew Rankin. SCR Matthew Rankin. CAST Robert Vilar. Canada THE TOWN I LIVE IN – Artists and activists clash over the future of a rapidly gentrifying Los Angeles neighborhood. DIR Guadalupe Rosales, Matt Wolf. USA VICTOR & ISOLINA – Victor and Isolina answer questions about their lifelong, complex and arduous relationship. DIR William Caballero. FEATURING Victor Muriel, Isolina Muriel. USA VISIONS OF AN ISLAND – Impressions of an island in the Bering Sea. DIR Sky Hopinka. USA 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, Dolby Cinema at the Vine, the Mark Goodson Screening Room at the American Film Institute and The Hollywood Roosevelt.

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  • I, TONYA is Second Closing Night Film of Austin Film Festival | Trailer

    [caption id="attachment_24703" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]I, TONYA I, TONYA[/caption] I, TONYA, the darkly comedic tale of American figure skater Tonya Harding and one of the most sensational scandals in sports history, will serve as the second Closing Night Film of the 2017 Austin Film Festival. Directed by Craig Gillespie, I TONYA stars Margot Robbie as Harding, Sebastian Stan as her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, and Allison Janney as Harding’s acid-tongued mother. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_weoC3HT6Q AFF’s other Closing Night Film, already announced, is Chappaquiddick, which details the drowning of campaign specialist Mary Jo Kopechne while trapped in a car that Senator Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge and later failed to report. AFF will also be welcoming esteemed multi-hyphenate Robert Townsend, most famous for co-writing, directing, and starring in boundary-pushing comedy Hollywood Shuffle. Townsend will participate in AFF’s Writers Conference, and will also present AFF’s Extraordinary Contribution to Television award to Keenen Ivory Wayans, with whom he co-wrote Hollywood Shuffle. Also slated to attend AFF this year are Jennifer Morrison (House, Once Upon a Time) for her film Sun Dogs, producer Matt Tolmach (The Amazing Spider-Man, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) for Paige Tolmach’s documentary What Haunts Us, and actor/director James Keach (Walk the Line, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me) for his new documentary Augie.

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