Mankiller

Wilma Mankiller rose from poverty to become the first female chief of the Cherokee nation, battling rampant sexism, political rivals and health challenges.

Directed by Valerie Red-Horse Mohl

Genre(s) Documentary Film

BATTLE OF THE SEXES to Open and THE POST to Close 2018 Athena Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_23776" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] BATTLE OF THE SEXES[/caption] Athena Film Festival (AFF) will open their 2018 edition on Thursday, February 22nd with BATTLE OF THE SEXES, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Emma Stone and Steve Carell star in this dramatic retelling of the legendary 1973 tennis match in which tennis star Billie Jean King faced off against 55-year-old former Wimbledon champion, Bobby Riggs who boasted that he could beat any woman player. Billie Jean King will participate in a post-screening conversation. Prior to opening night, the festival will host a special presentation premiering the first episode of Season three of Lifetime’s critically-acclaimed series UnREAL. The Centerpiece film, documentary MANKILLER, directed by Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, will screen on Saturday, February 24th. The documentary tells the tale of a true American legend, Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010), a community organizer who became Chief of the Cherokee Nation and defied all odds to make a difference for her people. The film will be followed by a conversation with director Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, executive producer Gale Anne Hurd, and journalist and activist Gloria Steinem. Ann Hornaday from the Washington Post will moderate. The festival will close on Sunday, February 25th with the Academy Award®-nominated THE POST, directed by Steven Spielberg, and starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. In this thrilling drama, the Washington Post’s Katharine Graham, the first female publisher of a major American newspaper (Meryl Streep) and Post editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) race to catch up with The New York Times’ publication of the Pentagon Papers, which expose a massive cover-up of government secrets about the Vietnam war. Additional films announced include 9 TO 5, directed by Colin Higgins and starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin; PATTI CAKE$, directed by Geremy Jasper and starring Athena’s 2018 Inaugural Breakthrough Award honoree Bridget Everett and Danielle Macdonald ; THELMA, directed and co-written by Joachim Trier and co-written by Eskil Vogt; NORTH COUNTRY, directed by Niki Caro and starring Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Jeremy Renner, Woody Harrelson and Sissy Spacek; and the classic documentary MISS SHARON JONES!, directed by two-time Oscar® winner and 2018 Athena Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree, Barbara Kopple. Additional panels include Master Class: Alexa Junge ’85 and Spotlight on Women and STEM, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which will follow the screening of Bombshell, the Hedy Lamarr Story. This panel of illustrious filmmakers will focus on the stories of powerful women in STEM fields and discuss the challenges of bringing these rich, and sometimes complicated scientific stories to life on the big screen. The festival will feature a program of narrative, documentary and short films, including: WONDER WOMAN, directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot; LADY BIRD, the directorial debut of Greta Gerwig ’06 and AFF ’11 Honoree and starring Saoirse Ronan; MEGAN LEAVEY, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and starring Kate Mara; WAITING FOR HASSANA, directed by Ifunanya Maduka; BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY, directed and written by Alexandra Dean; I AM EVIDENCE, directed by Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir and produced by Mariska Hargitay; the New York City premiere of IT’S CRIMINAL, directed by Signe Taylor ’87; and the international premiere of MY YEAR WITH HELEN, directed by Gaylene Preston; FRONTIER, directed by Jillian Banner; and the New York premieres of AL IMAM, directed by Omar Al Dakheel; BEADS, directed by Rachel Byrd; CON MADRE, directed by Clancy McCarty; THE FAN directed by Mohammad Ghanefard and Ali Delkari, among others. The 2018 Athena Film Festival Awardees include two-time Academy Award®-winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple who will receive the Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award; BAFTA-winning writer and director Amma Asante who will receive the Athena Award; world-renowned cabaret artist and actress Bridget Everett who will receive the inaugural Breakthrough Award; and director, producer and screenwriter J.J. Abrams who will receive the Athena Leading Man Award. Awards will be presented at the Athena Film Festival Awards Ceremony on Friday, February 23rd. The Athena Film Festival showcases films and TV series about strong, bold women leaders in real life and the fictional world; it is a weekend dedicated to elevating female voices and stories that inspire and empower a new generation of filmmakers and individuals. The eighth annual festival, co-founded by Barnard College’s Athena Center for Leadership Studies and Women and Hollywood, will take place February 22 to 25, 2018, at Barnard College in New York City. FULL INFORMATION ON NEWLY ANNOUNCED FILMS AND PROGRAMS: FEATURES 9 to 5 Director: Colin Higgins Writer: Colin Higgins, Patricia Resnick This office satire about three female secretaries—Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin—who decide to get revenge on their tyrannical, sexist boss was an instant classic. Featuring a depiction of women agitators well ahead of their time and a score that doubled as anthem, 9 to 5’s impact has resonated for the thirty-plus years since its release and remains iconic in 2017’s #MeToo era. North Country Director: Niki Caro Writer: Michael Seitzman This classic feature, based on a true story, centers on Josey Aimes who takes a job at a local iron mine in Minnesota in 1975. She and other female miners endure unyielding harassment from male co-workers, ranging from verbal taunts to pornographic graffiti and physical abuse. Ignoring advice from family and friends, Josey files a ground-breaking lawsuit and wins a landmark decision that is still protecting women today. Directed by Niki Caro, North Country’s all-star cast includes Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Jeremy Renner, Woody Harrelson and Sissy Spacek. Battle of the Sexes – OPENING NIGHT FILM Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris Writer: Simon Beaufoy Emma Stone and Steve Carell star in this dramatic retelling of the legendary 1973 tennis match in which women’s tennis star Billie Jean King faced off against 55-year-old former Wimbledon champion, Bobby Riggs who boasted that he could beat any woman player. Riggs hyped the contest with a slew of misogynistic comments, including that “the best way to handle women is to keep them pregnant and barefoot.” In the period leading up to the match, King, a champion athlete and social justice pioneer, found herself beset with both personal and professional challenges as she sought to face her sexuality and fight for pay equity in tennis. Patti Cake$ – Awardee Spotlight Film Director and writer: Geremy Jasper First-time writer/director Geremy Jasper showcases his music chops in this brash and bombastic story of unlikely rapper Patti “Killa P” Dombrowski. Breakout talent Danielle Macdonald plays Patti with the magnetism and stage presence of a seasoned musician, and is matched by the talents of the 2018 Athena Award winner Bridget Everett as Patti’s disillusioned mother, who missed her chance at stardom. Thelma Director: Joachim Trier Writers: Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt Writer/director Joachim Trier crafts a haunting tale of Thelma (Eili Harboe) a shy college student who has just left her religious family in a small town Norway and finds herself intensely drawn to her classmate Anja (Kaya Wilkins). But in a surprising twist to this coming of age tale, first love and self-discovery arrive with uncontrollable seizures and supernatural powers, that forces her to confront the terrifying implications of her powers. The Post – CLOSING NIGHT FILM In this thrilling drama directed by Steven Spielberg, the Washington Post’s Katharine Graham, the first female publisher of a major American newspaper (Meryl Streep) and Post editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) race to catch up with The New York Times’ publication of the Pentagon Papers, which expose a massive cover-up of government secrets about the Vietnam war that spans three decades and four U.S. presidents. This movie shows the importance of the free press to the life of a democracy, but it’s also a very personal story about a woman who was trained to be a wife who becomes the main character in her own story. The Post is a movie about a woman who finds her voice and saves democracy in the process. DOCUMENTARIES MANKILLER – CENTERPIECE FILM Director: Valerie Red-Horse Mohl Executive Producer: Gale Anne Hurd MANKILLER examines the legacy of the formidable Wilma Mankiller, who defied all odds to become one of the most influential leaders in the United States. Mankiller overcame rampant sexism and personal challenges to emerge as the Cherokee Nation’s first woman Principal Chief in 1985. Through rare archival footage and intimate interviews with activists including Gloria Steinem, as well as with Wilma herself, MANKILLER gives us insight into how this remarkable woman successfully navigated through the minefield of bipartisan politics. Miss Sharon Jones! – Awardee Spotlight Film Director: Barbara Kopple This documentary, directed by the two-time Oscar winner and 2018 Athena Honoree, Barbara Kopple, tells the stirring story of Sharon Jones, a true soul survivor who’s been called “the female James Brown”. The film follows Sharon Jones on an emotional journey as she battles cancer, struggles to keep her band together and mount a comeback show at New York’s Beacon Theater. TELEVISION Lifetime’s UnReal Join us for the premiere of the first episode of UnREAL, season 3, Lifetime’s critically-acclaimed series from A+E Studios. UnREAL takes place behind the scenes of the fictional dating competition show Everlasting, as the show’s producers manipulate the contestants to get the footage they need. Caitlin FitzGerald (“Masters of Sex,” “Rectify”) takes the reins in Season 3 as Everlasting’s female “suit PANELS AND SPECIAL EVENTS Master Class on Producing and Writing for Television: Alexa Junge – Sponsored by Stephens College Come learn from Alexa Junge, a 1985 Barnard alumna, and accomplished showrunner, screenwriter, T.V. writer and producer whose credits include Friends, The West Wing, and Grace & Frankie. Spotlight on Women and Stem – Sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Following the screening of Bombshell, the Hedy Lamarr Story, a panel of illustrious filmmakers will focus on the stories of powerful women in STEM fields, and discuss the challenges of bringing these rich, and sometimes complicated scientific stories to life on the big screen.
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2018 Athena Film Festival Announces Lineup, I AM NOT A WITCH, LADY BIRD and More…

[caption id="attachment_25151" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] I AM NOT A WITCH[/caption] The Athena Film Festival (AFF) continues to showcase films about strong and courageous women leaders with its 2018 lineup of narrative, documentary, and short films. Among the feature films included in this year’s lineup are THE BREADWINNER, directed by Nora Twomey and executive produced by Angelina Jolie; the New York premiere of I AM NOT A WITCH, from first-time writer and director Rungano Nyoni; LADY BIRD, the directorial debut of Greta Gerwig (AFF ‘11 Honoree and 2006 Barnard graduate), starring Saoirse Ronan; MEGAN LEAVEY, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and starring Kate Mara; WONDER WOMAN, directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot; and THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE, directed by Niki Caro and starring Jessica Chastain, among others. The documentary category includes BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY, directed and written by Alexandra Dean; I AM EVIDENCE, directed by Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir and produced by Mariska Hargitay; the New York City premiere of IT’S CRIMINAL, directed by Signe Taylor (1987 Barnard graduate); and the international premiere of MY YEAR WITH HELEN, directed by Gaylene Preston, among others. A wide variety of shorts will be featured, including the world premiere of FRONTIER, directed by Jillian Banner; and the New York premieres of AL IMAM, directed by Omar Al Dakheel; BEADS, directed by Rachel Byrd; CON MADRE, directed by Clancy McCarty; THE FAN directed by Mohammad Ghanefard and Ali Delkari; and THE RED THUNDER, directed by Alvaro Ron, among others. In addition, the festival will feature several Virtual Reality experiences including Look But With Love: A Story of Women, Look But With Love: A Story of Dance from Oscar-winning director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Testimony from project creator Zohar Kfir, and Under the Net from director and writer Justin Perkison. The festival will also host entertaining and informative panels including: The Female Gaze, Social Media and Branding For Filmmakers, and Revising the Canon. “We are thrilled to announce an incredible line-up for the 2018 Athena Film Festival which highlights diverse female talent both in front of and behind the camera,” said Melissa Silverstein, co-founder and Artistic Director of the Festival and founder of Women and Hollywood. “Our goal as a festival has always been to highlight and recognize the strong and unique female voices and points of view in the industry by giving them a platform for their stories to be shared and amplified.” “It’s an honor to once again host this inspiring festival that celebrates the stories of courageous and bold women leaders and the filmmakers who create them,” said Kathryn Kolbert, co-founder of the Festival and Constance Hess Williams ‘66 Director of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College. “We are thrilled to recognize the diverse talents of current filmmakers, actors and executives and ignite a spark in the next generation.” The 2018 Athena Film Festival Awardees include two-time Academy Award®-winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple who will receive the Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award; BAFTA-winning writer and director Amma Asante who will receive the Athena Award; world-renowned cabaret artist and actress Bridget Everett who will receive the inaugural Breakthrough Award; and director, producer and screenwriter J.J. Abrams who will receive the Athena Leading Man Award. The 2018 festival co-chairs include Ava DuVernay, Julie Parker Benello, Debra Martin Chase, Geralyn Dreyfous, Paul Feig, Sherry Lansing, Jon Levin, Dylan McDermott, Sheila Nevins, David Oyelowo, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Susan Rovner, Regina K. Scully, and Rachel Weisz. The eighth annual festival, co-founded by the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College and Women and Hollywood, will take place February 22 to 25, 2018, at Barnard College in New York City.
FEATURES
The Breadwinner Director: Nora Twomey Writers: Anita Doron and Deborah Ellis The Breadwinner is the story of Parvana, a young girl living under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, who must disguise herself as a boy to become the breadwinner of the family when her father is unfairly imprisoned. A story of self-empowerment and imagination in the face of oppression, The Breadwinner celebrates the culture, history, and beauty of Afghanistan The Divine Order Director and Writer: Petra Volpe Political and religious leaders in Switzerland cited “Divine Order” as the reason why women still did not have to right to vote as late as 1970. Director Petra Volpe introduces us to Nora, an apolitical housewife, who becomes the unflinching suffragette leader of the village and helps shepherd equality to this European nation. Fanny’s Journey Director: Lola Doillon Writers: Lola Doillon and Anne Peyregne Based on a true story from WWII, this stirring film is an incredible tale of bravery, strength and survival that tells the story of a young Jewish girl in France, who is sent by her parents to a “safe-haven” school in Italy to avoid the Nazi occupation. When the Nazis arrive in Italy, 13-year-old Fanny finds a way to escape, leading her sisters and nine other children across the border to safety in Switzerland. I Am Not a Witch [New York Premiere] Director and Writer: Rungano Nyoni First-time writer/director Rungano Nyoni spins a magical tale where comedy and tragedy are interwoven to virtuosic affect. After a harmless encounter in an African village, the state imprisons the quiet, withdrawn, 8-year-old orphan, Shula, in witch camp — where the witches wear ribbons tied to a tree to ‘keep them from flying’ — and are threatened with a curse if they try to escape. Lady Bird Director and Writer: Greta Gerwig Appearing on many of the 2017 best film lists, Barnard grad and Athena Award winner Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut, loosely based on her teen years in Sacramento, stars Saoirse Ronan as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson who navigates the pressures and constraints of Catholic school with awkward self-assuredness. Longing to break free, she dreams of a future full of east coast skyscrapers, Ivy League universities, and a cosmopolitan culture. The New York Times, A.O. Scott calls this “exceptionally well-written script, full of wordplay and lively argument,”. . . “perfect”. Megan Leavey Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite Writers: Pamela Gray, Annie Mumolo, Tim Lovestedt Based on a true story, Kate Mara plays Marine corporal Megan Leavey whose exceptional skill and unique bond with a military combat dog, Rex, saves countless lives as they search for IEDs during 100+ combat missions in Iraq, proving that heroes come in many forms. After leaving the military with a Purple Heart, Megan fights valiantly to adopt the injured Rex, and bring him home. Moana Director: Ron Clements, John Musker Writer: Jared Bush Moana is a sweeping animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who is inspired to leave the safety and security of her island on a daring journey to save her people. Inexplicably drawn to the ocean, Moana convinces the mighty demigod Maui to join her mission, and he reluctantly helps her become a wayfinder like her ancestors. Together, they voyage across the open ocean and along the way, Moana fulfills her quest and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity. Te Ata Director: Nathan Frankowski Writer: Esther Luttrell, Jeannie Barbour This inspiring film is based on the true story of Mary Thompson Fisher who became one of the greatest Native American performers of all time. Born in Indian Territory, and raised on the songs and stories of her Chickasaw tribe, Te Ata’s journey (played by Q’orianka Kilcher) led her through isolation, discovery, love and a stage career that culminates in performances for a United States President, European royalty and audiences across the world. Yet, of all the stories she shared, none are more dramatic than her own. Their Finest Director: Lone Scherfig Writer: Gaby Chiappe Set in London in 1940, this wry comedy tells the story of Catrin Cole, a young copywriter drafted by the Ministry of Information to add a woman’s touch to its propaganda films that are intended to boost morale in the midst of the Blitz. Gemma Arterton leads a cast of Britain’s top talent, as Catrin and a cynical, witty screenwriter Buckley (Sam Claflin) set out to make an epic feature film based on the Dunkirk rescue starring the gloriously vain, former matinee idol Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy). As bombs are dropping all around them, Catrin, Buckley and their colorful cast and crew work furiously to make a film that will warm the hearts of the nation. Wonder Woman Director: Patty Jenkins Screenplay: Allan Heinberg; Story: Zack Snyder, Allan Heinberg, Jason Fuchs In the 2017 blockbuster of the year, based on the DC comics superhero, Gal Gadot plays Wonder Woman, aka Diana, the Amazonian princess trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Her sheltered island paradise is compromised when an American pilot (Chris Pine) crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world. Diana decides to leave the only world she’s ever known, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting in the war to end all wars, Diana discovers her full powers and her true destiny and inspires young women across the globe. The Zookeeper’s Wife Director: Niki Caro Writer: Angela Workman Academy Award-nominated actress Jessica Chastain stars in this stirring film as Antonina Zabinska, the title character in a true story of husband and wife team that run the Warsaw Zoo during the Nazi occupation. Working secretly with the Resistance throughout the Holocaust, the zookeepers sneak Jews out of the ghetto, and give them refuge in tunnels beneath their home, saving hundreds from extermination.
DOCUMENTARIES
Be Relentless Director Brad Riley Writers: Norma Bastidas, Jessie Marek, Alexis Rhyner, Brady Riley On May 5, 2014, Norma Bastidas, a fearless survivor of human trafficking, sexual violence, abuse and addiction, shattered the Guinness World Record for longest triathlon—running, biking and swimming 3,762 miles from Cancún, Mexico to Washington D.C. Join Norma and her team on their 64-day trek and witness her unrelenting endurance, selflessness, and compassion as she takes a stand against human trafficking. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story Director and Writer: Alexandra Dean Alexandra Dean’s illuminating documentary reveals how Hedy Lamarr, considered by many to be the most beautiful woman in the world was also one of the smartest and most misunderstood. An Austrian Jewish émigré who acted by day and invented by night, Lamarr (1914-2000) developed a radio system to throw Nazi torpedoes off course during WWII, and the concepts underlying today’s cell phone and bluetooth technology. Weaving interviews and clips with never-before-heard audio tapes of Hedy speaking on the record about her incredible life, Bombshell brings to light the story of an unusual and accomplished woman who remains a role model to this day. Chavela Directors: Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi Documentary filmmakers Gund and Kyi unearth previously unpublished material and footage to give us a captivating look at the unconventional life of beloved performer Chavela Vargas, whose passionate renditions of Mexican popular music and triumphant return to the stage late in life brought her international fame. Performing with an intense artistry unmatched by her contemporaries, Chavela was an open lesbian when being out in Mexico was rare and dangerous. By the end of her life, she earned a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, and sold out performances at prestigious concert halls around the world. Dalya’s Other Country Director: Julia Meltzer With their country at war and her parents’ marriage falling apart, 12-year-old Dalya and her mother leave Aleppo, Syria, to join her brother in Los Angeles. Together they navigate life in a new country. Dalya, a smiling, effervescent teenager who is the only girl who wears a headscarf at her all-girls Catholic school, must balance her father’s expectations with her developing ideals. A remarkable story of a family displaced by the Syrian conflict explores how they must grow and change, caught between highly politicized identities. I Am Evidence Directors: Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir Activist and actress Mariska Hargitay investigates the alarming backlog of untested rape kits that have denied justice to survivors of sexual assault for decades. Over 175,000 untested kits have been uncovered to date. As a result, perpetrators remaining free, victims ignored, and the potentially crucial evidence left to languish. Telling the story of four courageous women whose kits went untested for years, I Am Evidence reveals pervasive problems within the U.S. criminal justice system and sends a powerful message that this travesty must be stopped. It’s Criminal [New York City Premiere] Director: Signe Taylor A powerful critique of the economic and social inequities that divide the United States, It’s Criminal follows a group of Dartmouth College students who as part of a college class, work with female inmates in a rural jail to create and perform an original play. Signe Taylor’s camera turns an intimate lens on these interactions and the life-changing experiences had by both the inmates and students, demonstrating that empathy is a powerful force in bridging divides. MANKILLER Director: Valerie Red-Horse Valerie Red-Horse’s documentary tells the tale of a true American legend, Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010), a community organizer turned political leader who defied all odds to make a difference for her people. During a time when American Indians found themselves disenfranchised and undervalued by the United States at large, Wilma emerged as a champion of the Cherokee Nation and became its first female Principal Chief. My Year with Helen [International Premiere] Director: Gaylene Preston By any measure, Helen Clark is an exceptional woman. Her journey from one of four children on a remote New Zealand farm to becoming New Zealand’s first elected female Prime Minister is an inspirational life story. My Year with Helenfollows her in 2016 as she adds a new, ever more ambitious goal: to become the first female Secretary-General of the United Nations. Play Your Gender Director: Stephanie Clattenburg Writers: Stephanie Clattenburg and Sahar Yousefi Canadian musician, Kinnie Starr, goes on a quest to find out why only five percent of music producers are women despite bold advances in other industries. Through conversations with some of the leading talents and voices in the field including Melissa Auf der Maur (Smashing Pumpkins, Hole), Sara Quinn (Tegan and Sara) and others, Play Your Gender asks what it takes for a female producer to make it in the music industry. Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart Director and Writer: Tracy Heather Strain Filmmaker Tracy Heather Strain delivers a moving account of the life of black playwright, communist, feminist, lesbian, and outspoken trailblazer Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965), a pivotal voice among black intellectuals of her time. Her legendary play, A Raisin in the Sun—the first Broadway play produced and written by a black woman—depicted the struggle for dignity of black Americans living under segregation in Chicago with a resonance that persists to the present day. In Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart, Tracy Heather Strain unveils the woman behind the words, revealing what it meant to be young, gifted and black in Hansberry’s world and remembering a light lost way too soon. Soufra Director: Thomas Morgan Writer: Thomas Morgan and Mohammed el Manasterly Soufra follows the unlikely and wildly inspirational story of social entrepreneur and refugee, Mariam Shaar – a stateless refugee who has spent her entire life in a Lebanese refugee camp. The film follows Mariam as she sets out to launch a successful catering company, “Soufra,” and then expand it into a food truck business with a diverse group of women from Syria, Iraq and Palestine—who also call the camp home. Susanne Bartsch: On Top Directors and Writers: Anthony Caronna, Alexander Smith Born and raised in Switzerland, Susanne Bartsch moved to the United States and reinvented herself as a legendary party girl “Queen of the Night” at the height of New York’s 1980s club scene. “Susanne Bartsch picked up where Warhol left off,” says RuPaul. The doyenne of NYC nightlife for decades, and still at it, she’s stirred together the art, fashion, and gay dance-club worlds to create extravagant spectacles. Along the way she married (bodybuilder/gym mogul David Barton) and had a son. The film follows Bartsch’s (now in her early 60’s) unconventional life as she plans a show-stopping party and takes stock of her life.
SHORTS
116 Cameras Director: Davina Pardo A remarkable digital project created by the USC Shoah Foundation enables Auschwitz survivor Eva Schloss to share her story in 3D and interact with an audience for generations to come. Al Imam [New York Premiere] Director: Omar Al Dakheel Despite controversy and threats, Muslim singer/songwriter turned spiritual leader Ani Zonneveld makes a stand for justice and the progressive practice of Islam. Beads [New York Premiere] Director: Rachel Byrd Writers: Cydney Fisher, Lydia Lane A new friendship is tested when it is confronted by racism. Beatrice Director: Lorena Alvarado Beatrice Vio was twelve when she had her four limbs amputated due to complications from meningitis. Yet nothing could stop her from pursuing the sport she loved and becoming a world fencing champion at the age of nineteen. Con Madre [New York Premiere] Director: Clancy McCarty Highlighting the importance of midwifery care in Guatemala, a country with high infant mortality, Erika and Dora Maria are training to be the first university-level midwives in the country, incorporating new skills into their culture’s traditional practices. The Fan [New York Premiere] Directors: Mohammad Ghanefard, Ali Delkari Writers: Ali Dekari When a rural elderly woman’s TV antenna is ruined, she only has a few hours until the national soccer tournament will begin. Will she be able to travel to town and back in time for the big game? Frontier [World Premiere] Director: Jillian Banner The moving story of a retired bull rider, the younger rider she mentors, and the barriers they both face as women in the world of rodeo. Lemonade Mafia Director: Anya Adams Writer: Keith Edie Lemonade Mafia tells the story of a young girl pursuing her dream—to own her own business. But what happens when a rival enters the picture? Lunch Time Director and Writer: Alireza Ghasemi A 16-year-old girl, who has come to the hospital morgue to identify her mother’s body is turned away by hospital attendants because she’s too young. Objector Director: Molly Stuart To protest abuses in the Palestinian territories, 18-year-old Atalya faces imprisonment for her decision to become a conscientious objector and forego enlistment in the Israeli army. Prudence Director and Writer: Angela Jude Stricken by grief and crippling dementia, an aging World War II veteran, dishonorably discharged for loving a woman, seeks out her beloved for one last dance. The Red Thunder [New York Premiere] Director: Alvaro Ron Writer: Valentine Pozzoli, Alvaro Ron, Clara Viola, Rafael Alvarez When Sarah, a nerdy teenager, steals her mom’s new car to go on a date, an unexpected event changes her life forever. Showdown Director: Ashlen Renner Studio owner Cheryl Bellamy takes her dance team from Durham’s inner city to suburban Smithfield, NC where they compete at the first competition of the year—the Showdown. Waiting for Hassana Director and Writer: Ifunanya Maduka In 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 teenage girls in Nigeria. Waiting for Hassana is the harrowing account of one girl’s escape from captivity and a lament for her closest friend, Hassana, who remains missing. Whirlpool Director: Elizabeth Dixon Writers: Elizabeth Dixon and Kate Baxter Helen Keller might be known for being deaf and blind, but she was also an avid civil rights activist who fought to eliminate bias against the disabled within the public, her family, and even herself. Ya Albi Director and Writer: Christine Chen A Syrian refugee, Aya, adapts to life in an unfamiliar country on her own after her husband’s immigration visa is unexpectedly rejected.
VIRTUAL REALITY
Look But With Love: A Story of Women Look But With Love: A Story of Dance Director: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and presented by WITHIN, this nonfiction series follows extraordinary women in Pakistan actively working to change their communities. A Story of Dance features a dancer who has stood up to old community norms to teach children their cultural history through dance and A Story of Women features a community of courageous anti-terrorist officers in Nowshera, the epicenter of the terrorist insurgency. Testimony Project creator: Zohar Kfir Testimony shares the stories of five survivors of sexual assault and their journey to healing. Its goal is to inspire those who have been silenced to speak out, while building courage amongst survivors. Under the Net Director and writer: Justin Perkison In one of the world’s largest refugee camps in Tanzania, where malaria is the number one killer, the lives of an 11-year-old girl named Amisa and her ill-stricken family are changed forever by the simple gift of mosquito bed nets.
PANELS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
The Female Gaze One of the most pressing conversations in Hollywood is how to increase the number of female storytellers. In building on our conversation from last year, we will discuss how vital the female gaze is for progressively depicting the intersectional female narrative. Social Media and Branding For Filmmakers Social Media is a key component in crowdfunding but it also plays a vital role in a film’s promotion. This panel brings together social media experts to introduce filmmakers to the latest tools and strategies integral to creating a successful campaign. Revising the Canon For as long as any of us have been around, the canon – those books, plays, films and TV series – anointed as the most important of their kind has been largely defined as white and male. Join us for a discussion on how we can make the canon more inclusive of women and people of color whose voices and experiences have been historically omitted from the cultural narratives.
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DOC NYC 2017 to Close with NY Premiere of ERIC CLAPTON: LIFE IN 12 BARS + Announces Lineup

[caption id="attachment_23415" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars[/caption] DOC NYC announced the full lineup of over 250 films and events for its eighth edition, running November 9 to 16 at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village and Chelsea’s SVA Theatre and Cinepolis Chelsea. Special Events include Closing Night Film, the NYC premiere of Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, directed by Lili Fini Zanuck, with the acclaimed musician in attendance; Centerpiece Film, the world premiere of Far From the Tree, director Rachel Dretzin’s adaptation of Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book; and the NYC premiere of Wormwood, an ambitious new project from Errol Morris exploring the 1953 death of a CIA agent. The NYC premiere Greg Barker’s The Final Year, accompanied by members of the Obama administration, will open the festival. World premieres at the festival include A Murder in Mansfield, by Barbara Kopple (Miss Sharon Jones!), which explores the impact of a 1989 murder on a family; Maynard, by Sam Pollard (Two Trains Runnin’), about Atlanta’s first black mayor, Maynard Jackson; Naila and the Uprising, by Julia Bacha (Budrus), about the hidden role women played in the First Intifada, a project that won last year’s DOC NYC Pitch Perfect competition; Father’s Kingdom, by Larry Feinberg, exploring the legacy of Father Divine, who attracted over a million followers and claimed to be God; The Iconoclast, by King Adz, about notorious art forger Michel van Rijn; and The Godfathers of Hardcore, by Ian McFarland, on the long-lived NYC hardcore punk band Agnostic Front. Among this year’s U.S. premieres are David Bowie: The Last Five Years, by Francis Whately, an intimate look at the creative final years of the music icon; Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion & Disco, by James Crump, a portrait of the most influential fashion illustrator of 1970s New York and Paris; Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood, by Matt Tyrnauer, about the man who was the secret sexual procurer to the stars; The Stranger, by past DOC NYC award winner Nicole N. Horanyi, about a woman who discovers the man of her dreams has secrets; Armed with Faith, by Geeta Gandbhir and Asad Faruqi, which follows the heroic Pakistani Bomb Disposal Unit; Soufra, by Thomas Morgan, and executive produced by Susan Sarandon, about a woman who starts her own successful catering company in a Lebanese refugee camp; EuroTrump, by Stephen Robert Morse and Nicholas Hampson, on the Dutch Donald Trump, Geert Wilders; and The Beatles, Hippies and Hells Angels: Inside the Crazy World of Apple, by Ben Lewis, a look back at the wild early days of Apple Corps. “Documentary storytellers help us make sense of the tumultuous times we’re living in with artistry, humor and inspiring characters,” said Director of Programming Basil Tsiokos. “This year’s DOC NYC line-up gives audiences fresh insight into high profile figures and shines a light on lesser-known individuals who leave a big impression.” Tsiokos led the program selection in collaboration with Artistic Director Thom Powers and Executive Director Raphaela Neihausen. The festival is curated in 18 sections that include two new strands: New World Order, with 6 films about global issues in the news, including Sky & Ground, which follows an extended family of refugees as they escape Syria; and Spiral, about the alarming rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. Centerstage, an 8-title section focused on performing and performers, presents the world premieres of The Problem with Apu, in which a South Asian-American comedian explores the impact of the character from The Simpsons; and Repeat Attenders, about musical theater superfans. In the festival’s two feature competition sections, 8 films appear under the Viewfinders section for distinct directorial visions. They include the world premiere of Mole Man, about an autistic man who has built a 50-room structure in his backyard; and the U.S. premieres of The Judge, about the first female Shari’a judge in the Middle East, and Silas, about a Liberian environmental activist. In the Metropolis competition section, 7 films are dedicated to stories set in New York City. They include the world premieres of The Iron Triangle, about the resistance to the urban renewal of Queens’ Willets Point; Vigilante: The Incredible True Story of Curtis Sliwa and the Guardian Angels, an unfiltered look at the founder of the controversial group; and Miracle on 42nd Street, about an apartment complex providing housing to performing artists, including past residents Alicia Keys, Terrence Howard and Angela Lansbury. Other returning sections include high-profile Special Events; national and global takes inAmerican Perspectives and International Perspectives; and thematic sections Fight the Power (on activism), Sonic Cinema (on music), True Crime (on crime), Science Nonfiction (on science and technology), Modern Family (on unconventional families),Wild Life (on animals), Art & Design (on artists), and Behind the Scenes (on filmmaking). Short-form content (85 films in total) is represented by the festival’s Shorts Competition and DOC NYC U (showcasing student work). The following is a breakdown of programming by section:
OPENING NIGHT
THE FINAL YEAR Dir: Greg Barker (NYC PREMIERE) Greg Barker gives an unprecedented look at the shaping of US foreign policy by following key members of outgoing US President Barack Obama’s administration.
CLOSING NIGHT
ERIC CLAPTON: LIFE IN 12 BARS Dir: Lili Fini Zanuck (NYC PREMIERE) An intimate, revealing musical odyssey on the life and career of guitar virtuoso Eric Clapton, told by those who have known him best.
CENTERPIECE
FAR FROM THE TREE Dir: Rachel Dretzin (WORLD PREMIERE) An adaptation of Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book examining how parents face their children’s extreme differences, challenging ideas of “normalcy.”
SPECIAL EVENT
WORMWOOD Dir: Errol Morris (NYC PREMIERE) DOC NYC’s Visionaries Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Errol Morris (The Fog of War) investigates the 1953 death of a CIA agent in this innovative new project.
VIEWFINDERS COMPETITION
THE JUDGE Dir: Erika Cohn (US PREMIERE) A vérité legal drama about the first woman appointed to a Shari’a court in the Middle East, providing rare insights into both Islamic law and gendered justice. LOVE, CECIL Dir: Lisa Immordino Vreeland (NYC PREMIERE) An affectionate portrait of Cecil Beaton, a multi-talented photographer, writer and painter who also designed sets and costumes for films like My Fair Lady. LOVE MEANS ZERO Dir: Jason Kohn (NYC PREMIERE) Infamous and influential tennis coach Nick Bollettieri has trained champions that include Andre Agassi and Boris Becker, but greatness comes at a personal price. MOLE MAN Dir: Guy Fiorita (WORLD PREMIERE) An autistic man is faced with the possibility of losing the only home he has ever known—and the remarkable 50-room structure he’s built in the backyard. NAILA AND THE UPRISING Dir: Julia Bacha (WORLD PREMIERE) Filmmaker Julia Bacha (Budrus) reveals the hidden history of the key role women played in the Palestinian uprising known as the First Intifada. SILAS Dirs: Anjali Nayar, Hawa Essuman (US PREMIERE) A rousing profile of Liberian activist Silas Siakor, a tireless crusader against illegal logging and a symbol of resistance for a new generation. THE STRANGER Dir: Nicole N. Horanyi (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) Amanda, a 25-year-old single mother, meets the man of her dreams on Facebook… but she soon discovers that the charming, worldly Casper has secrets. THIS IS CONGO Dir: Daniel McCabe (NYC PREMIERE) Filmmaker Daniel McCabe examines multiple sides of the fractious war in the Democratic Republic of Congo in this stunningly shot film.
METROPOLIS COMPETITION
ANTONIO LOPEZ 1970: SEX FASHION & DISCO Dir: James Crump (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) A portrait of the most influential fashion illustrator of 1970s New York and Paris, known for discovering talents such as Pat Cleveland and Grace Jones. CRADLE OF CHAMPIONS Dir: Bartle Bull (NYC PREMIERE) Three amateur boxers compete for glory and life-changing opportunities in New York City’s legendary Golden Gloves tournament. THE IRON TRIANGLE Dirs: Prudence Katze, William Lehman (WORLD PREMIERE) Workers and owners of auto repair shops in Queens’ Willets Point face off against gentrification and urban renewal for the future of their livelihoods and community. MIRACLE ON 42ND STREET Dir: Alice Elliott (WORLD PREMIERE) The surprising history of Manhattan Plaza and its embrace of the performing arts, featuring famed former residents including Alicia Keys, Terrence Howard and Angela Lansbury. Screening with Lucy Walker’s Oh, What A Beautiful City (A City Symphony). A celebration of summertime in NYC. OH, RICK! Dirs: Dustin Sussman, Aaron Rosenbloom (WORLD PREMIERE) A profile of comedian Rick Crom, long-running emcee at Greenwich Village’s Comedy Cellar, featuring Ray Romano, Colin Quinn, Sarah Silverman and Wanda Sykes. STILL WATERS Dir: Peter Gordon (WORLD PREMIERE) In Bushwick, where rapid gentrification is pushing out Latino families, a unique alternative after-school program serves as a haven for the community. VIGILANTE: THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF CURTIS SLIWA AND THE GUARDIAN ANGELS Dir: David Wexler (WORLD PREMIERE) An unfiltered look back at 1970s and ’80s NYC through the eyes of Curtis Sliwa, founder of the controversial crime prevention patrol the Guardian Angels.
AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES
12TH AND CLAIRMOUNT Dir: Brian Kaufman (NYC PREMIERE) Hundreds of hours of home movies, archival footage, illustrations and new oral histories offer multiple perspectives of the 1967 Detroit uprising. 32 PILLS: MY SISTER’S SUICIDE Dir: Hope Litoff (NYC PREMIERE) Years after the suicide of her sister Ruth, a talented but troubled artist, director Hope Litoff tries to make sense of her loss. FAIL STATE Dir: Alex Shebanow (NYC PREMIERE) Executive produced by Dan Rather, Fail State explores the dark side of higher education in America, focusing on the rise of for-profit colleges. FATHER’S KINGDOM Dir: Lenny Feinberg (WORLD PREMIERE ) In the first half of the 20th century, Father Divine, an African-American spiritual leader, gained over a million followers by claiming to be God. THE GROWING SEASON Dir: Evan Briggs (WORLD PREMIERE) An intimate, bittersweet portrait of growing up and growing old, set in a nursing home that also houses a preschool program. MAYNARD Dir: Sam Pollard (WORLD PREMIERE) Director Sam Pollard constructs a portrait of charismatic trailblazer Maynard Jackson, who became Atlanta’s first black mayor in 1973. METH STORM Dirs: Brent Renaud, Craig Renaud (NYC PREMIERE ) DEA agents face the Sisyphean task of curbing the influx of Mexican ice, a more potent form of meth, into poor, rural communities in Arkansas. SHOT IN THE DARK Dir: Dustin Nakao Haider (NYC PREMIERE) Orr Academy’s high school basketball team is a refuge from the brutal realities of the streets of Chicago’s West Side.
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
ARMED WITH FAITH Dirs: Geeta Gandbhir, Asad Faruqi (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) A suspenseful portrait of the men of the Pakistani Bomb Disposal Unit, who risk their own lives every day to combat homegrown and international terrorism. ASK THE SEXPERT Dir: Vaishali Sinha (NYC PREMIERE) A lighthearted look at India’s Dan Savage, Dr. Mahinder Watsa, a 93-year-old retired gynecologist. Is he a hero of progress or an enemy of traditional values? A BETTER MAN Dirs: Attiya Khan, Lawrence Jackman (US PREMIERE) Twenty years after their break-up, filmmaker Attiya Khan confronts her ex-boyfriend to take responsibility for their abusive relationship. CUBA AND THE CAMERAMAN Dir: Jon Alpert (NYC PREMIERE) For more than 40 years, acclaimed filmmaker Jon Alpert has enjoyed privileged access to Cuba, chronicling its changes from Havana to the countryside. ISLAND SOLDIER Dir: Nathan Fitch (NYC PREMIERE) Residents of the remote islands of Micronesia question whether the benefits of US protection are worth the human costs of fighting its wars. LOVESICK Dirs: Ann S. Kim, Priya Giri Desai (WORLD PREMIERE) In India, where marriage is a must but AIDS carries a stigma, Dr. Suniti Solomon serves as matchmaker for her HIV-positive patients. THE PINK HOUSE Dir: Sascha Ettinger Epstein (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) In a remote Australian gold-mining town, a genteel 70-year-old madam struggles to keep the oldest working brothel afloat in this entertaining portrait. Screening with Sam Ketay’s A Wonderful Place. Octogenarian Norma shares stories while giving a tour of her property atop her John Deere tractor. SOUFRA Dir: Thomas Morgan (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Working with a diverse group of Middle Eastern women, Mariam Shaar attempts to expand her catering company, based in a refugee camp near Beirut.
NEW WORLD ORDER
EUROTRUMP Dirs: Stephen Robert Morse, Nicholas Hampson (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) An in-depth exploration of Geert Wilders, the “Dutch Donald Trump,” as the controversial politician seems poised to become the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. INSHA’ALLAH DEMOCRACY Dir: Mohammed Ali Naqvi (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Following Pakistan’s former dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, as he runs for president, the filmmaker questions if democracy is truly possible in Pakistan. PLAYING GOD Dir: Karin Jurschick (US PREMIERE) A candid, complex portrait of compensation assessor Ken Feinberg, a man tasked with putting a dollar value on human lives in the wake of tragedies like 9/11 and Sandy Hook. RECRUITING FOR JIHAD Dirs: Adil Khan Farooq, Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen (NYC PREMIERE) Over several years, a journalist follows a charismatic, outspoken Norwegian missionary as he recruits young converts to Islam, and to fight for ISIS in Syria. SKY & GROUND Dirs: Talya Tibbon, Joshua Bennett (WORLD PREMIERE) A compelling, ground-level immersion into the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time, accompanying a large, extended family by foot from Syria to asylum in Germany. SPIRAL Dir: Laura Fairrie (US PREMIERE) An urgent, alarming look at the rise of anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial and physical and verbal assaults against Jews throughout Europe, particularly in France.
CENTERSTAGE
BEHIND THE CURTAIN: TODRICK HALL Dir: Katherine Fairfax Wright (NYC PREMIERE) American Idol contestant and RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Todrick Hall races to complete an autobiographical musical and take the live show on the road to his devoted fans. GETTING NAKED: A BURLESQUE STORY Dir: James Lester (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Uncovering New York City’s neo-burlesque subculture, this entertaining film offers a lingering look at several sexy denizens of the nightlife scene. THE PROBLEM WITH APU Dir: Michael Melamedoff (WORLD PREMIERE) South Asian-American comedian Hari Kondabolu confronts his long-standing “nemesis,” Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, better known as the Kwik-E-Mart owner on The Simpsons. REBELS ON POINTE Dir: Bobbi Jo Hart (NYC PREMIERE) A globetrotting profile of NYC’s beloved Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, an all-male dance troupe that fuses camp humor with classical ballet performed in drag. REPEAT ATTENDERS Dir: Mark Dooley (WORLD PREMIERE) An entertaining portrait of musical theatre superfans, for whom shows like Les Miz,Starlight Express and Cats are an obsession, a refuge and a place where they belong. Screening with Ben Kitnick’s Catskills. An 86-year-old dancer remembers the heyday of the upstate resort community. SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME Dir: Sam Pollard (NYC PREMIERE) A star-studded roster of interviewees (including Jerry Lewis, Whoopi Goldberg and Billy Crystal) pay tribute to the legendary, multi-talented song-and-dance man. SIGHTED EYES/FEELING HEART Dir: Tracy Heather Strain (NYC PREMIERE) A moving account of the life of black playwright, communist, feminist, lesbian and outspoken trailblazer Lorraine Hansberry (A Raisin in the Sun). STANDING UP Dir: Jonathan Miller (WORLD PREMIERE) An Egyptian lawyer, a couch-surfing custodian and an Orthodox Jew walk into a comedy club… and end up starring in a film about three unlikely aspiring stand-up comics.
TRUE CRIME
COLD BLOODED: THE CLUTTER FAMILY KILLINGS Dir: Joe Berlinger (SNEAK PREVIEW) Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger reexamines the infamous 1959 murder of a Kansas family that Truman Capote explored in his landmark nonfiction novel In Cold Blood. (USA, 86 min.) THE ICONOCLAST Dir: King Adz (WORLD PREMIERE) A portrait of a Dutch art connoisseur and descendant of Rembrandt – in truth, a con man who made millions trafficking in forged and stolen art and antiquities. A MURDER IN MANSFIELD Dir: Barbara Kopple (WORLD PREMIERE) Oscar®-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple explores the legacy of the 1989 murder of Noreen Boyle in Mansfield, Ohio and its impact on her family. WHAT HAUNTS US Dir: Paige Goldberg Tolmach (NYC PREMIERE) An investigation into a rash of suicides among the men in the filmmaker’s high school graduating class reveals a disturbing cover-up centered around a popular coach. Screening with Elivia Shaw and Paloma Martinez’s The Shift. Spend an overnight shift with the emergency dispatchers for the city of San Francisco. WHITE BOY Dir: Shawn Rech (NYC PREMIERE) The story of “White Boy Rick,” a legend of Detroit’s drug world in the 1980s, still imprisoned for a juvenile offense for the past 30 years.
SCIENCE NONFICTION
THE EXPERIMENTAL CITY Dir: Chad Freidrichs (NYC PREMIERE) A fascinating chronicle of an almost successful attempt to build the city of the future by a visionary scientist and futurist comic strip writer in the 1960s. HAPPENING: A CLEAN ENERGY REVOLUTION Dir: James Redford (NYC PREMIERE) Seeking hope for a sustainable tomorrow, filmmaker James Redford crosses the country to chronicle the clean energy revolution already taking place. HOT GREASE Dirs: Sam Wainwright Douglas, Paul Lovelace, Jessica Wolfson (WORLD PREMIERE) A fascinating look at biodiesel, a growing industry with the potential to undercut the dominance of Big Oil—and it all starts with recycled cooking oil. THE NEW FIRE Dir: David Schumacher (NYC PREMIERE) Innovative young nuclear engineers attempt to develop next-generation reactors to provide clean and safe solutions to the world’s future energy needs.
WILD LIFE
DONKEYOTE Dir: Chico Pereira (NYC PREMIERE) A 73-year-old Spanish man dreams of walking the Trail of Tears with his donkey and his dog—but getting to America from Spain presents a challenge. EATING ANIMALS Dir: Christopher Quinn (NYC PREMIERE) Based on the book by Jonathan Safran Foer and produced and narrated by Natalie Portman, this unflinching exposé looks at the devastating costs of our dietary choices. RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE Dirs: Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer (WORLD PREMIERE) This quirky film follows bounty hunters and other colorful Gulf residents as they try to defend Louisiana from the invasive giant swamp rat known as the nutria. Screening with Olivier Bernier’s A Garbage Story. Over 30 years in the garbage business, Nick has become a bonafide trash connoisseur. SAMANTHA’S AMAZING ACROCATS Dir: Jacob Feiring (NYC PREMIERE) A woman pins her dreams of stardom on a traveling cat circus, but how long can she hold on as debt mounts and success seems elusive? Screening with Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman’s Nobody Loves Me. High in the Andes, a frog with an unusual appearance is threatened with extinction.
ART & DESIGN
44 PAGES Dir: Tony Shaff (NYC PREMIERE) A heartwarming, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the landmark 70th anniversary issue of beloved children’s magazine, Highlights. BIG TIME Dir: Kaspar Astrup Schröder (NYC PREMIERE) A portrait of superstar Danish architect Bjarke Ingels as he takes on his largest project yet, relocating to New York City to create the new 2 World Trade Center. FIVE SEASONS: THE GARDENS OF PIET OUDOLF Dir: Thomas Piper (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) A portrait of visionary landscape designer Piet Oudolf, known for public works like the High Line that redefine our conception of gardens as works of art. LARGER THAN LIFE Dir: Tiffany Bartok (NYC PREMIERE) An intimate look at the life and death of Kevyn Aucoin, who moved from small town Louisiana to become a legendary makeup artist to supermodels and celebrities. MADDMAN: THE STEVE MADDEN STORY Dir: Ben Patterson (NYC PREMIERE) The rags-to-riches story of designer footwear mogul Steve Madden, who nearly lost everything because of his connections to notorious “Wolf of Wall Street,” Jordan Belfort. MORE ART UPSTAIRS Dir: Jody Hassett Sanchez (NYC PREMIERE) Who gets to decide what is good art? A competition touting the biggest cash prize in the art world finds cultural elitism butting up against Midwest populism. MR. FISH: CARTOONING FROM THE DEEP END Dir: Pablo Bryant (NYC PREMIERE) Finding it increasingly challenging to publish his subversive art, will controversial political cartoonist Mr. Fish be forced to sell out in order to sell his art?
MODERN FAMILY
6 WEEKS TO MOTHER’S DAY Dir: Marvin Blunte (WORLD PREMIERE) In a remote jungle in Thailand, a unique democratic school provides orphans with education and empowerment under the watchful eyes of the woman they call Mother Aew. AMAZONA Dir: Clare Weiskopf (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) The director tries to make sense of the elder woman’s decision to leave her children behind to live in the jungle after a family tragedy. ELISH’S NOTEBOOKS Dir: Golan Rise (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) Discovering a secret cache of journals written for them by their late mother, Elisheva’s children confront their complex feelings for their emotionally distant parent. HARMONY Dir: Lidia Sheinin (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) Battle lines are drawn when an elderly Russian woman finds her comfortable apartment invaded by her family. Screening with Laura Checkoway’s Edith+Eddie. The love story of America’s oldest interracial newlyweds is threatened by a family feud. LIFE TO COME Dir: Claudio Capanna (US PREMIERE) Surrounded by the sounds of machines and doctors in white coats, severely premature twins Eden and Léandro fight for their survival. LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY AND A CASTLE Dir: Gustavo Salmerón (NYC PREMIERE) Spanish actor-turned-director Gustavo Salmerón captures his eccentric, extraordinary mother, who had three dreams: having lots of kids, a monkey and a castle. PLOT 35 Dir: Eric Caravaca (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) French actor-turned-director Eric Caravaca unearths personal family history in search of his sister Charlotte, who died as a toddler before he was born. Screening with Matt Sukkar’s Durango. Adolescent brothers cope with loss over a summer in bucolic Colorado. THANK YOU FOR COMING Dir: Sara Lamm (NYC PREMIERE) After learning she was conceived via a sperm donor, Sara becomes a genealogical detective, navigating ancestry databases and DNA tests for clues to his identity.
BEHIND THE SCENES
BLUE VELVET REVISITED Dir: Peter Braatz (NYC PREMIERE) Three decades after documenting the filming of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, the director crafts an unconventional yet accessible meditation on the cult classic film. JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND… Dir: Chris Smith (NYC PREMIERE) Offbeat documentarian Chris Smith (American Movie) reveals just how fully Jim Carrey took on the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of Man on the Moon. KING COHEN Dir: Steve Mitchell (NYC PREMIERE) A look at the heyday of guerrilla filmmaking through a celebration of the work of maverick filmmaker Larry Cohen, known as “the John Cassavetes of exploitation.” SAVING BRINTON Dirs: Andrew Sherburne, Tommy Haines (NYC PREMIERE) An eccentric collector is on a mission to restore and preserve a cache of early films and cinema memorabilia, the legacy of a pioneering but forgotten Iowa showman. SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD Dir: Matt Tyrnauer (US PREMIERE) A deliciously scandalous portrait of unsung Hollywood legend Scotty Bowers, whose bestselling memoir chronicled his decades spent as sexual procurer to the stars.
FIGHT THE POWER
ATOMIC HOMEFRONT Dir: Rebecca Cammisa (NYC PREMIERE) A citizens’ movement confronts government bureaucracy to uncover the atomic secrets of St. Louis, Missouri in order to keep their families safe. BALTIMORE RISING Dir: Sonja Sohn Actress Sonja Sohn (HBO’s The Wire) returns to Baltimore in her directorial debut to chronicle the city in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death. MANKILLER Dir: Valerie Red-Horse Mohl (NYC PREMIERE) Wilma Mankiller rose from poverty to become the first female chief of the Cherokee nation, battling rampant sexism, political rivals and health challenges. NOTHING WITHOUT US Dir: Harriet Hirshorn (NYC PREMIERE) Female activists, scientists and scholars in the US and Africa demonstrates the vital role that women have played—and continue to play—in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. THE OTHER SIDE OF EVERYTHING Dir: Mila Turajlic (NYC PREMIERE) A locked door in her family’s Belgrade home provides the gateway to understanding the filmmaker’s remarkable mother and Serbia’s tumultuous political inheritance. QUEERCORE: HOW TO PUNK A REVOLUTION Dir: Yony Leyser (NYC PREMIERE) Misfits in both the mainstream gay and homophobic punk scenes, Bruce LaBruce and GB Jones invented a radical underground subculture that spread around the world. UNFRACTURED Dir: Chanda Chevannes (INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE) Shot over the last year of the historic grassroots fight against fracking in New York state, a raw, intimate look at biologist and activist Sandra Steingraber. ZERO WEEKS Dir: Ky Dickens (NYC PREMIERE) In most countries, workers have paid leave and job security to care for a newborn or family emergency—but not in the US, costing us all a heavy price.
SONIC CINEMA
THE BEATLES, HIPPIES AND HELLS ANGELS: INSIDE THE CRAZY WORLD OF APPLE Dir: Ben Lewis (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) An entertaining look behind the scenes at Apple Corps, which The Beatles hoped would allow them to spread their countercultural message throughout the world. BILL FRISELL: A PORTRAIT Dir: Emma Franz (NYC PREMIERE) A warm profile of Bill Frisell, a widely inventive guitarist who crosses musical boundaries, featuring Bonnie Raitt, Hal Willner, Paul Simon, Nels Cline, and more. DAVID BOWIE: THE LAST FIVE YEARS Dir: Francis Whately (US PREMIERE) An intimate look at the remarkably creative final years of David Bowie, through the production of his final two albums, and the stage musical, Lazarus. THE GODFATHERS OF HARDCORE Dir: Ian McFarland (WORLD PREMIERE) For over 35 years and still going strong, Agnostic Front’s Vinnie Stigma and Roger Miret have been synonymous with the New York punk scene. HELLO HELLO HELLO : LEE RANALDO : ELECTRIC TRIM Dir: Fred Riedel (NYC PREMIERE) Legendary Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo embarks on the recording of a new experimental concept album with a little help from some friends. ITZHAK Dir: Alison Chernick (NYC PREMIERE) Widely considered the greatest living violinist, Itzhak Perlman takes us on a journey through his music and life. STREETLIGHT HARMONIES Dir: Brent Wilson (WORLD PREMIERE) A who’s who of musicians trace the evolution of doo wop in the 1950s, from street corners to radio stations all across America.
SHORTS
Shorts: Body Language On the limits and potential of the human body, exploring dance, tattoos, pro wrestling, meditation and light sensitivity. Shorts: City Lights The ups and downs of city living, featuring artists, improv, hard work, boxing and table tennis. Shorts: Dream Weavers About fulfilling dreams and reimagining the world, featuring Cuban cigar factory workers, men seeking wives, a mail-order bride and more. Shorts: The Future is Feminine Everyday women and girls who inspire, including a housekeeper turned real estate entrepreneur, children’s rights advocate, unlikely athletes and special birthday girl. Shorts: Justice For All True crime and the criminal justice system, exploring death row, surveillance, juvenile offenders, police corruption, war criminals and capital punishment. Shorts: Mother Earth Protecting the planet, from Standing Rock and anti-fracking activism, to saving orangutans and sea turtles. Shorts: The New Normal America, before and after 11/8/16, exploring the Trump campaign, a divided electorate, immigration anxiety, fake news and disturbing parallels to past regimes. Shorts: Recorded Memory The past looms large in these affecting stories about confronting family relationships, reckoning with career decisions, remembering trauma and more. Shorts: Strange But True Quirky real life stories exploring insomnia, dreams, fetishes, first love, conspiracy theories and psychic abilities. Shorts: Surviving the System Finding oneself in and out of the criminal justice system, in stories about a police traffic stop that escalates into violence and a restaurant offering former prisoners a second chance.
DOC NYC U
DOC NYC U: THE NEW SCHOOL SHOWCASE Selections from The New School’s Documentary Media Studies program, featuring a tap dancer, migratory birds, New York life, selfies and a yodeling punk singer destined for greatness. DOC NYC U: NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY SHOWCASE NYFA selections profile a Hiroshima orphan, a Central Park mainstay, a wolf rescuer, a persecuted journalist and a lost city. DOC NYC U: NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SHOWCASE NYU’s NewsDoc offerings explore a controversial Tibetan boarding school program in China and the growing popularity of taxi driving as a career for women in India. DOC NYC U: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SHOWCASE Work from Columbia Journalism School’s Documentary Project profiles deportation fears under Trump, a drug crisis in the Muslim community and adult illiteracy. DOC NYC U: SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS SHOWCASE SVA’s SocDoc program presents profiles of artists, musicians, designers, a vintage barbershop, broken hearts and Native American activism.
SHORT LIST
ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL Dir: Steve James Steve James (Hoop Dreams) profiles a small, family-run Chinatown bank—the only financial institution indicted following the 2008 financial crisis. Courtesy of PBS Distribution. THE B-SIDE: ELSA DORFMAN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY Dir: Errol Morris DOC NYC’s Visionaries Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Errol Morris (The Fog of War) profiles legendary large-format photographer Elsa Dorfman. Courtesy of NEON/Netflix. CHASING CORAL Dir: Jeff Orlowski Following his acclaimed film Chasing Ice, director Jeff Orlowski sets out to chronicle the environmental devastation happening to the world’s coral reefs. Courtesy of Netflix. CITY OF GHOSTS Dir: Matthew Heineman Anonymous Syrian citizen journalists risk their lives to stand up against ISIS and report the truth about the Syrian conflict. Courtesy of Amazon Studios/A&E IndieFilms/IFC Films. DINA Dirs: Antonio Santini, Dan Sickles An unforgettable couple, both on the autism spectrum, navigate the complexities of sex and romance in this Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning film. Courtesy of The Orchard. FACES PLACES Dirs: Agnès Varda, JR French New Wave legend Agnès Varda and acclaimed photographer JR travel the French countryside, celebrating ordinary people through extraordinary photo murals. Courtesy of Cohen Media Group. THE FINAL YEAR Dir: Greg Barker (NYC PREMIERE) Greg Barker gives an unprecedented look at the shaping of US foreign policy by following key members of outgoing US President Barack Obama’s administration. Courtesy of Motto Pictures/Passion Pictures. THE FORCE Dir: Peter Nicks An immersion into the beleaguered Oakland Police Department as it attempts to reform its scandal-ridden image. Courtesy of Kino Lorber/PBS Independent Lens. ICARUS Dir: Bryan Fogel An unexpected exposé of a complex doping operation at the heart of Russia’s Olympics program. Courtesy of Netflix. JANE Dir: Brett Morgen Brett Morgen (On the Ropes) reconstitutes 50-year-old National Geographic footage into a poetic look at primatologist Jane Goodall. Courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films. KEDI Dir: Ceyda Torun This infectious portrait captures Istanbul through the eyes of its colorful street cats.Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories/YouTube Red. ONE OF US Dirs: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady This year’s Visionaries Tribute honorees Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) penetrate the insular world of New York’s Hasidic community. Courtesy of Netflix. RISK Dir: Laura Poitras Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) creates a complex portrait of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and his team. Courtesy of NEON/Showtime Documentary Films. STEP Dir: Amanda Lipitz The inaugural class of the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women strives for success both academically and through its fierce step dancing team. Courtesy of Fox Searchlight. STRONG ISLAND Dir: Yance Ford Yance Ford explores the long-lasting impact on his African-American family of his brother’s murder, killed by a white man who was never punished for his crime. Courtesy of Netflix.
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MANKILLER will Open and CHARGED: THE EDUARDO GARCIA STORY will Close 2017 Rome International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_24880" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Mankiller[/caption] Two documentaries, Mankiller directed by Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, and Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story will bookend the 2017 Rome International Film Festival (RIFF) taking place November 9 to 12, 2017. To kick-off the fest, RIFF will showcase feature length documentary MANKILLER as the Opening Night Presentation on Thursday, November 9, 2017 at Rome’s historic DeSoto Theatre. From Director/Producer Valerie Red-Horse Mohl (NATURALLY NATIVE) and Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd (THE TERMINATOR, “The Walking Dead”), MANKILLER explores the legacy of the Cherokee Nation’s first woman Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller. On Sunday, November 12, 2017 , RIFF will conclude its 2017 festivities with CHARGED: THE EDUARDO GARCIA STORY. Directed by Phillip Baribeau, CHARGED examines the life and recovery of chef Eduardo Garcia after he was shocked with 2400 volts of electricity while hiking in Montana. CHARGED had its World Premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and has since won several awards, including an Audience Award at the Sidewalk Film Festival. MANKILLER DIRECTED BY VALERIE RED-HORSE MOHL USA, 2017, ENGLISH, 74 MINUTES In 1985, after serving as Deputy Chief under a conservative leader, Wilma Mankiller took office as the Cherokee Nation’s first woman Principal Chief. Having relocated from Oklahoma to San Francisco earlier in her life, Mankiller worked with both the nascent Black Panther and the Alcatraz occupation movements, eventually bringing the passion and experience she gained there back to her people. During her decade-long tenure as Principal Chief and beyond, Mankiller’s leadership enabled the Cherokee Nation to become one of the most economically and culturally successful tribes in America. Through rare archival footage and intimate interviews with activists including Gloria Steinem, as well as with Wilma herself, MANKILLER gives us insight into how this remarkable woman successfully navigated through the minefield of bipartisan politics. Veteran filmmaker Valerie Red-Horse Mohl and Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd present a portrait of a composed and assured leader who persevered through sexism and devastating personal setbacks to become one of the greatest leaders in American history.
CHARGED: THE EDUARDO GARCIA STORY DIRECTED BY PHILLIP BARIBEAU USA, 2017, ENGLISH, 86 MINUTES A successful chef and adventurer, Eduardo Garcia’s life was forever changed after he was shocked with 2400 volts of electricity in a backcountry freak accident while hiking in Montana. Garcia lost his left hand, ribs, muscle mass and nearly his life, but more important than what he lost was what he found. Through the caregiving and patience of his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Jane, he was nursed back to health and learned to embrace his past, his family, and his future. A love story unlike any other, CHARGED is about both a physical recovery and a life newly and fully realized.
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Austin Film Festival Announces 2017 Film Lineup, CHAPPAQUIDDICK to Close Fest

[caption id="attachment_24775" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Chappaquiddick[/caption] The 24th Austin Film Festival (AFF) unveiled its lineup of feature films, and Chappaquiddick, a drama recounting Ted Kennedy’s infamous 1969 car accident resulting in the death of his campaign worker, will close out the Festival. A staple of the Festival, AFF’s retrospective series this year will feature Philip D’Antoni’s 1973 drama The Seven-Ups presented by David Simon and George Pelecanos (The Deuce, The Wire), Jack Fisk’s 1981 film Raggedy Man—a tribute to Sam Shepard—presented by writer William D. Wittliff in partnership with the Wittliff Collections, and seminal 1987 action film Predator presented by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, The Nice Guys) who is currently working on the film’s reboot. Additionally, already announced Extraordinary Contribution to Film awardee Walter Hill will present his cult classic The Warriors. In addition to the slate of 150+ films, AFF will present premieres and retrospectives of television programming, including the season 2 premiere of Hulu’s darkly comedic psychic drama Shut Eye , and the premiere of the Season Finale of HBO’s drama The Deuce. Also confirmed to attend is Dan Rather, who will help present the World Premiere of the documentary Fail State, chronicling the rise of predatory for-profit colleges. Writer/producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator, The Walking Dead) will also be in attendance for AFF’s screening of documentary Mankiller about barrier-breaking female Cherokee leader Wilma Mankiller. Other World Premieres include Wild Honey (Francis Stokes’ comedy about a phone sex operator searching for love), Coming to My Senses (a documentary following a man’s journey to regain his mobility after an accident), and Transformer (chronicling the transition of world-renowned body builder Matt Kroczaelski into Janae after being outed as transgender). Making its US Premiere at AFF is comedy Don’t Talk to Irene, which also won AFF’s Comedy Screenplay Award in 2013. Written and directed by Pat Mills, Irene premiered this month at Toronto International Film Festival to a receptive audience. Austin Film Festival also revealed today their full Screenwriters Conference schedule, which will take place the first four days of the Festival, October 26-29. The Conference features a roster of prominent screenwriters in film and television, including Kenneth Lonergan, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Noah Hawley, Courtney A. Kemp, Lindsay Doran, Misha Green, Michael Arndt, Mark Frost, Michael Green, Sarah Gubbins, Christopher Vogler, Scott Frank, Megan Amram, John August, Eric Heisserer, and many more
Austin Film Festival’s 2017 slate:

Marquee Features:
Lady Bird – Opening Night Film Writer/Director: Greta Gerwig The Current War – Centerpiece Film Writer: Michael Mitnick Director: Alfonso Gomez Chappaquiddick – Closing Night Film Writers: Taylor Allen, Andrew Logan Director: John Curran 24 Hours to Live Writers: Zach Dean, Jim McClain, Ron Mita Director: Brian Smrz 42 Grams Director: Jack C. Newell An Ordinary Man Writer/Director: Brad Silberling The Boy Downstairs Writer/Director: Sophie Brooks Blame Writers: Laurie Shephard, Quinn Shephard Director: Quinn Shephard Call Me By Your Name *REGIONAL PREMIERE Writers: James Ivory, Andre Aciman Director: Luca Guadagnino Darkest Hour *REGIONAL PREMIERE Writer: Anthony McCarten Director: Joe Wright Endings: The Good, the Bad, and the Insanely Great – The Movie Special Presentation by Michael Arndt Into the Night: Portraits of Life and Death Director: Helen Whitney Please Stand By Writer: Michael Golamco Director: Ben Lewin Permanent Writer/Director: Colette Burson Mansfield 66/67 Directors: P. David Ebersole, Todd Hughes Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri **REGIONAL PREMIERE Writer/Director: Martin McDonagh The Upside *REGIONAL PREMIERE Writers: Jon Hartmere Director: Neil Burger
Marquee-TV Programming
HBO’s The Deuce-Season Finale Writers: George Pelecanos, David Simon, Chris Yakaitis Director: Michelle MacLaren YouTube Red’s Do You Want to See a Dead Body? Creator: Rob Huebel Hulu’s Shut Eye Season 2 Premiere Episode: “We’re Not in Kansas Anymore” (Season Premiere) Executive Producer/Showrunner: John Shiban Executive Producers: Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein Writer: Amy Berg New Form Original Premieres Small Talk Creator: Becca Gleason Love Me Do Creator: Gaby Dunn Press Start Creators: Evan Beamer and Dave Childs
Retrospective Programming
Confessions of a Serial Killer (1985) – Presented by Mark Blair Writer/Director: Mark Blair Predator (1987) – Presented by Shane Black Writers: Jim Thomas, John Thomas Director: John McTiernan Raggedy Man (1981) – Presented by William D. Wittliff Writer: William D. Wittliff Director: Jack Fisk The Seven-Ups (1973) – Presented by George Pelecanos and David Simon Writers: Albert Ruben, Alexander Jacobs, Sonny Grosso Director: Philip D’Antoni The Warriors (1979) – Presented by Walter Hill Writers: Walter Hill, David Shaber, Sol Yurick (novel) Director: Walter Hill
Narrative Features:
Amanda and Jack Go Glamping Writer/Director: Brandon Dickerson An American in Texas Writers: Anthony Pedone, Stephen Floyd Director: Anthony Pedone Beauty Mark Writer/Director: Harris Doran Cast: Laura Bell Bundy, Jeff Kober, Madison Iseman Bleed. Scream. Beat! Writers: Aldo Miyashiro, Ãrika Villalobos, Abril CÃ¡rdenas Director: Aldo Miyashiro Boost Writer/Director: Darren Curtis Dabka Writer/Director: Bryan Buckley Flock of Four Writer: Gregory Caruso, Michael Nader Director: Gregory Caruso Here We Are Writer/Director: David Bellarosa High & Outside: a baseball noir Writer: Dan O’Dair Director: Evald Johnson Hollow in the Land Writer/Director: Scooter Corkle In Blue Writers: Jan-Willem den Bok & Jaap van Heusden Director: Jaap van Heusden Kafou Writers: Jasmuel Andri, Bruno Mourral, Gilbert Mirambeau Director: Bruno Mourral Logndagen Writer/Director: Yaghoob Keshavarz Sarkar Meerkat Moonship Writer/Director: Hanneke Schutte Quality Problems Writer/Director: Brooke Purdy Quest Writers: Santiago Rizzo & Darren Anderson Director: Santiago Rizzo Southern Tale Writer/Director: Tel Royal Space & Time Writer/Director: Shawn Gerrard Sun Dogs Writer: Jennifer Morrison Director: Anthony Tambakis Tenn Writer: Stacey Miller Director: James Franco House of Tomorrow Writer/Director: Peter Livolsi Time Trap Writer: Mark Dennis Directors: Mark Dennis, Ben Foster
Comedy Vanguard Features
Chasing the Blues Writer: Scott Smith, Kevin Guilfoile Director: Scott Smith Don’t Talk To Irene *US PREMIERE Writer/Director: Pat Mills Dr. Brinks & Dr. Brinks Writer: Josh Crockett, Jonathan Pappas Director: Josh Crockett The Great Unwashed Writer: Louis Fonseca, Nick Horseman Director: Louis Fonseca The Outdoorsman Writer: Ryan Gilmour Director: David Haskell Shop of Little Pleasures Writer: Julia Frick, Alice Frick Director: Julia Frick Wild Honey Writer/Director: Francis Stokes
Dark Matters Features
Bodies Writer: Joseph Baker Director: Tom Large Bullitt County Writer/Director: David McCracken Freddy/Eddy Writer/Director: Tini Tüllmann Ruin Me Writer: Trysta A. Bissett, Preston DeFrancis Director: Preston DeFrancis The Landing Writers/Directors: David Dodson and Mark Dodson Touched Writer/Director: Karl R. Hearne
Documentary Feature
Augie Director: James Keach Beauty and Ruin Writer/Director: Marc de Guerre Coming to My Senses Director: Dominic Gill Fail State *WORLD PREMIERE Writers: Alexander Shebanow, Regina Sobel, Nicholas Adams Director: Alexander Shebanow Mankiller *REGIONAL PREMIERE Writer: Valerie Red-horse Mohl, Gale Anne Hurd Director: Valerie Red-horse Mohl Mr. Fish: Cartooning From the Deep End Director: Pablo Bryant Shot in the Dark Director: Dustin Nakao Haider Transformer Writer/Director: Michael Del Monte Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace Writers: Rich Gentile, Eli Spielman, Bruce Johnson What Haunts Us Writer: Mark Monroe Director: Paige Goldberg Tolmach
Family Series
Earth: One Amazing Day Writers: Frank Cottrell Boyce, Richard Dale, Geling Yan Directors: Richard Dale, Lixin Fan, Peter Webber Into the Who Knows! Writers: Micah Barber, Tony Faia
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2017 San Diego International Film Festival Unveils Lineup + Sir Patrick Stewart to Receive Award

Actor Sir Patrick Stewart will be the recipient of the Gregory Peck Award for Excellence in Cinema at the 2017 San Diego International Film Festival (SDiFF). The awards will be presented October 5th at The VARIETY Night of the Stars Tribute. “Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences for years with spectacular performances, from Star Trek to his career defining performance in Logan earlier this year, as well as his Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated performance as Captain Ahab in Moby Dick, a role which Mr. Peck made famous more than 40 years earlier. We couldn’t be more excited to honor him this year with the Gregory Peck Award,” said Tonya Mantooth, Executive and Artistic Director of the San Diego International Film Festival. Created in honor of famed actor and San Diego area native Gregory Peck, with the support of his family, this award is given to an individual whose work has made a profound impact on the art of cinema. Launched in 2014, the first recipient of the award was Alan Arkin, with Annette Bening receiving the award last year. The festival, now in its 16th year, will run from October 4th through October 8th in San Diego, California, and feature a lineup of 117 films total, 10 Narrative Spotlight Competition films, 18 Narrative Competition films, 12 Documentary Competition films, 5 Documentary Spotlight Competition films, and 72 Short films.
2017 San Diego International Film Festival Line-up

Narrative Spotlight Films
The Ballad of Lefty Brown, Dir. Jared Moshe, USA, West Coast Premiere Breathe, Dir. Andy Serkis, USA, West Coast Premiere Thelma, Dir. Joachim Trier, Norway, United States Premiere Dismissed, Dir. Benjamin Arfmann, USA, World Premiere Dog Years, Dir. Adam Rifkin, USA, West Coast Premiere The Divine Order, Dir. Petra Volpe, Switzerland, Southern California Premiere Juvenile, Dir. Bradley Buecker, USA, West Coast Premiere The Bachelors, Dir. Kurt Voelker, USA, San Diego Premiere Thumper, Dir. Jordan Ross, USA, California Premiere My Friend Dahmer, Dir. Marc Meyers, USA, San Diego Premiere
Narrative Competition
Selling Isobel, Dir. Rudolf Buitendach, Sweden/USA, World Premiere Butterfly Caught, Dir. Manny Rodriguez Jr., USA, World Premiere The Lonely Italian, Dir. Lee Farber, USA, World Premiere Juggernaut, Dir. Daniel DiMarco, Canada, North American Premiere Otherlife, Dir. Ben C. Lucas, Australia, North American Premiere Storm Letters of Fire, Dir. Dennis Bots, Netherlands, North American Premiere Room for Rent, Dir. Matt Atkinson, Canada, United States Premiere Under the Rose, Dir. Josue Ramos, Spain, United States Premiere A Prominent Patient, Dir. Julius Sevcik, Czech Republic, Slovakia, United States Premiere Life Hack, Dir. Sloan Copeland, USA, West Coast Premiere Heart, Baby!, Dir. Angela Shelton, USA, San Diego Premiere Hard Surfaces, Dir. Zach Brown, USA, San Diego Premiere The Price, Dir. Anthony Onah, USA, West Coast Premiere Scent of Rain and Lightening, Dir. Blake Robbins, USA, California Premiere GUN, Dir. Sam Upton, USA, Southern California Premiere Entanglement, Dir. Jason James, Canada, San Diego Premiere And Then There Was Eve, Dir. Savannah Bloch, USA, San Diego Premiere 20 Weeks, Dir. Leena Pendharkar, USA, San Diego Premiere
Spotlight Documentary Films
The Last Animals, Dir. Kate Brooks, UK/USA, California Premiere Apache Warrior, Dir. David Salzberg & Christian Tureaud, USA, World Premiere WASTED! Story of Food Waste, Dir. Anna Chia & Nari Kye, USA, San Diego Premiere Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall, Dir. Katherine Fairfax Wright, USA, Southern California Premiere Resistance is Life, Dir. Apo W. Bazidi, USA/Turkey, San Diego Premiere
Documentary Competition
Becoming Who I Was, Dir. Moon Chang-Yong & Jeon Jin, South Korea, California Premiere 42 Grams, Dir. Jack C. Newell, USA, California Premiere Herd, Dir. Stefan Morel, Canada, California Premiere Blind Spot; Moments Unseen, Dir. Stefan Morel, Canada, California Premiere Down the Fence, Dir. MJ Isakson, USA, Southern California Premiere Spirit of Discovery, Dir. Eliana Alvarez Martinez, USA, World Premiere RiverBlue: Can Fashion Save the Planet?, Dir. David McIlvride & Roger Williams, Canada, San Diego Premiere Poisoning Paradise, Dir. Keely Shaye Brosnan & Teresa Tico, USA, San Diego Premiere Legion of Brothers, Dir. Greg Barker, USA, California Premiere Mankiller, Dir. Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, USA, San Diego Premiere The Lavender Scare, Dir. Josh Howard, USA, Southern California Premiere Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and Rise of Isis, Dir. Sebastian Junger & Nick Quested, USA, San Diego Premiere
Shorts Competition
Shorts in front of feature films: Lucky Me, Dir. Thomas Morgan, USA, World Premiere The Horse Whisperer, Dir. Richard Mullane, UK, United States Premiere The Velvet Abstract, Dir. James Hughes, UK, San Diego Premiere Shorts: American Indian Stories: Waabooz, Dir. Molly Katagiri, USA, San Diego Premiere Five Dollars, Dir. Ty Coughenour, USA, San Diego Premiere In the Beginning was Water and Sky, Dir. Ryan Ward, USA, San Diego Premiere Lost Face, Dir. Sean Meehan, Australia/Canada, San Diego Premiere Neemkomok’, Dir. Douglas Cushnie, USA, San Diego Premiere The Gift, Joel Edgerton, USA/Australia, California Premiere Shorts: For Shorts & Giggles: The Bouquet, Dir. Julien Segard & Romain Carciofo, France, San Diego Premiere Ostoja Will Move Your Piano, Dir. Sandra Mitrovic, Serbia, West Coast Premiere Annie Waits, Dir. Marnie Paxton-Harris, UK, San Diego Premiere A Ghost Named George, Dir. Harrison Macks, USA, World Premiere Dollar King, Dir. Drew Pollins, USA, Southern California Premiere The Heist, Dir. Luke Harris, USA, Southern California Premiere Love me Madly, Dir. Emre Okten, USA, World Premiere Shorts: A Stranger in Stranger Land: Picture Wheel, Dir. David O’Donnell, USA/Australia, San Diego Premiere Wyrm, Dir. Christopher Winterbauer, USA, North American Premiere Albedo Absolute, Dir. Vlad Marsavin, USA, Southern California Premiere Time Flies When I am Having Fun, Dir. Johan Tappert, Sweden, West Coast Premiere Cautionary Tales, Dir.Christopher Barrett & Luke Taylor, UK, North American Premiere See You Yesterday, Dir. Stefon Bristol, USA, Southern California Premiere Fairy Tales Anonymous, Dir. Jacob Lundgaard Andersen, USA, San Diego Premier Shorts: Illusion: Gridlock, Dir. Ian Hunt Duffy, Ireland, Southern California Premiere Cul-de-sac, Dir. Damon Russell, USA, San Diego Premiere The Obituary, Dir. Jonathan Thompson, USA, Southern California Premiere Standby, Dir. Daumoun Khakpour & Travis Pulchinski, Canada, United States Premiere The Peculiar Abilities of Mr. Mahler, Dir. Paul Philipp, Germany, California Premiere Frederick, Dir. Ty Coughenour, USA, San Diego Premiere Shorts: Independent Animation: The Wall, Dir.Nick Baker & Tristan Klein, Australia, West Coast Premiere Green Light, Dir. Seongmin Kim, South Korea, Southern California Premiere Tanguito Argentino, Dir. Joaquin Braga, Argentina,Southern California Premiere Wishing Box, Dir. Wenli Zhang & Nan Li, USA, San Diego Premiere Hope, Dir. Michael Scherrer, Switzerland, Southern California Premiere First Bloom, Dir. Tingting Liu, China, San Diego Premiere Revelation: City of Haze, Dir. Mao Qichao, China, San Diego Premiere Karma, Dir. Zhaoyu Zhou, USA, World Premiere Shorts: Heart of a Soldier: Orion, Dir. Spencer Currie, USA, San Diego Premiere Corpsman, Dir. Amanda Larsh, USA, World Premiere One Halloween, Dir. Rebecca Murga, USA, World Premiere Tango on the Balcony, Dir. Minos Papas, USA/Cyprus, Southern California Premiere Wandering Soul, Dir. Josh Tanner, Australia, San Diego Premiere Shorts: Twisted Humor: The Dog with the Woman, Dir. Phoebe Arnstein & Stephen Ledger-Lomas, UK, World Premiere A Done Deal, Dir. Pierre-Marc Drouin and Simon Lamarre-Ledoux, Canada, West Coast Premiere Eat and Drink, Dir. Jaime Figueroa, Spain, North American Premiere Nicole’s Cage, Dir. Josef Brandl, Germany, Southern California Premiere Unleaved Bread, Dir. Wilfried Méance, France, Southern California Premiere Shorts: On Pins and Needles: Will Wilson, Dir. David C. Herman, USA, San Diego Premiere Morning Has Broken, Dir. Olga Chajdas, Poland, United States Premiere Icarus, Dir. Tom Teller, USA, Southern California Premiere Warm Springs, Dir. Sean Wang, USA, San Diego Premiere Game, Dir. Joy Webster, Canada, United States Premiere Standby, Dir. Daumoun Khakpour & Travis Pulchinski, Canada, United States Premiere Shorts: When Worlds Collide: Lost Dogs, Dir. Cullan Bruce, USA, San Diego Premiere The Foster Portfolio, Dir. Danielle Katvan, USA, San Diego Premiere The Transfer, Dir. Michael Grudsky, Germany/Israel, San Diego Premiere Pickle, Dir. Grant Moore, USA, San Diego Premiere Brainstorm, Dir. Christophe Clin, Belgium, San Diego Premiere Temporary, Dir. Milena Govich, USA, San Diego Premiere Shorts: Global Consciousness: Shine, Dir. Barrett Lewis, Daniel Andreani & Austin Bousley, USA, World Premiere Witnesses, Dir. David Koch, France, California Premiere All of Us, Dir. Katja Benrath, Germany/ Kenya, United States Premiere Ravage, Dir. Leon Lee, Canada, West Coast Premiere Citizen, Dir. Robert Bracker, USA, West Coast Premiere The Fare, Dir. Santiago Paladines, Equador/USA, San Diego Premiere Shorts: Student Track: I Have to Kill my Professor, Dir. Jonathan Pickett, USA, World Premiere Dated, Dir. Daniel Lachman, USA, California Premiere Uncle Tommy, Dir. Tan Shi Ying, Singapore, World Premiere Hurt People, Dir. Gabriel Gaurano, Jayden Gillespie & Navin Bose, USA, World Premiere Dibashram, Dir. Weilee Yap, Singapore, World Premiere Head Above Water, Dir. Eric Shahinian, USA, West Coast Premiere Chicken Beauty Pageant, Dir. Nurul Amirah, Singapore, World Premiere
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2017 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Announces Film + Video Line-Up of 115 Features + Shorts by Indigenous Artists
[caption id="attachment_24175" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Out of State (d. Ciara Lacy)[/caption] The 2017 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival will present over 100 feature films, documentaries, shorts, and music videos created by Indigenous filmmakers with almost three quarters of the films (72%) made by Indigenous female directors. The festival will include Our People Will Be Healed, the 50th documentary in 50 years from revered filmmaker, Alanis Obomsawin, keeping on the subject of her last four films: children’s rights. Our People Will Be Healed focuses on the Cree community of Norway House, Manitoba, and their innovative approach to educating First Nations students. Documentary features receiving their world premieres at imagineNATIVE include Indictment: The Crimes of Shelly Chartier (d. Shane Belcourt, Lisa Jackson) that peels back the layers of the truecrime story revolving around a captivating reclusive woman from a small northern Manitoba reserve whose catfishing of an NBA superstar made international headlines; and Glwa: Resurgence of the Ocean-Going Canoe (d. Hillary Beattie, Vina Brown) that tells the story of Tribal Canoe Journeys – a decades old gathering on the Northwest Pacific coast. imagineNATIVE will present additional feature length documentaries including the Canadian premiere of Out of State (d. Ciara Lacy) following two Indigenous Hawaiian inmates incarcerated in Arizona; the North American premiere of Rio Verde. El Tiempo de los Yakurunas (d. Alvaro Sarmiento, Diego Sarmiento) which explores the perception of time in three small villages intertwined by the Amazon river; the international premiere of MANKILLER (d. Valerie Red-Horse Mohl) examining the legacy of the formidable Wilma Mankiller, who overcame rampant sexism to emerge as the Cherokee Nation’s first female Principal Chief; and Birth of a Family (d. Tasha Hubbard) about three sisters and a brother separated at birth reconnecting for the first time. imagineNATIVE will also present the world premieres of two dramatic features including Juliana & the Medicine Fish (d. Jeremy Torrie) which follows the story of 12-year old Juliana as she’s forced to repair an awkward relationship with her father (Adam Beach) following her mother’s death; and Kayaking for Beginners (d. Zoe Hopkins) where 14-year old Ella is determined to travel the length of the Inside Passage to testify against a proposed pipeline that would see oil tanker traffic through her beloved homeland waters. imagineNATIVE will also present Sweet Country, from director Warwick Thornton and starring Hamilton Morris and Sam Neill in a period western set on the Northern Territory frontier where justice itself is put on trial. imagineNATIVE will also screen a number of short film programmes with ten varied themes including the anticipated return of The Witching Hour, the annual midnight horror/comedy series; Receptors, a series of experimental, dramatic, and documentary shorts; Ambient Light, shedding a light on the polar region with five shorts from Sweden, Greenland and North America; and Channel 51 Igloolik, celebrating 30 years of Inuit video art with a world premiere screening of Bowhead Whale Hunt by Carol Kunnuk and Zacharias Kunuk – the first episode from the seven-part television series, Hunting with my Ancestors. The 18th Annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival will take place October 18 to 22, 2017 in Toronto, Canada.
imagineNATIVE 2017 Programmed Film + Video
- ᎤᎧᏖᎾ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏴᏓᏆᎶᏍᎩ (Uktena and Thunder), d. Joseph Erb
- 2 Spirit Dreamcatcher Dot Com, d. Thirza Cuthand
- A Prayer for the Lost, d. Natasha Francis
- Amásání (The Grandma), d. Stacy Howard
- Anna Marina, d. Trevor Mack
- Aqtuqsi (My Nightmare), d. Mary Kunuk
- Atte munnje sáni saji (Just Give Me the Word), d. Sara Margrethe Oskal
- Bayline, d. JJ Neepin
- Believer, d. Migizi Pensoneau
- Birth of a Family, d. Tasha Hubbard
- Blight, d. Perun Bonser
- “Bowhead Whale Hunt” Hunting with My Ancestors, d. Carol Kunnuk, Zacharias Kunuk
- Braids, d. Cole Stevens-Goulais
- Brown Lips, d. Nakkiah Lui
- Bzindan (Harmony), d. Nadia McLaren
- CALVING (CAPS), d. Nathan Adler
- Captivity Narrative, d. Jason Asenap
- CARRY THE FLAG, d. Danielle MacLean
- Creatura Dada, d. Caroline Monnet
- Cry Wolf, d. Dianne Ouellette
- Dear Hatetts, d. Kerry Barber
- Demons, d. Morningstar Derosier
- Dislocation Blues, d. Sky Hopinka
- Empire State, d. Govind Deecee, Terry Jones
- Experiments in Light, d. Jaene Castrillon
- Flat Rocks, d. Courtney Montour
- Fox in the Box, d. Travis Shilling
- From Up North, d. Trudy Stewart
- Glwa: Resurgence of the Ocean-Going Canoe, d. Hillary Beattie, Vina Brown
- Gos leat don? (Where Are You?), d. Egil Pedersen
- Guolli (Fish), d. Jouni West
- Holy Angels, d. Jay Cardinal Villeneuve
- I Will Always Love You Kingen, d. Amanda Kernell
- In Moment, d. Samay Arcentales Cajas
- Indictment: The Crimes of Shelly Chartier, d. Shane Belcourt, Lisa Jackson
- Inuk Hunter, d. George Annanack
- Issaituq (Waterproof), d. Bruce Haulli
- J’aime les filles (I Like Girls), d. Diane Obomsawin
- Juliana & The Medicine Fish, d. Jeremy Torrie
- Just One Word, d. Jani Lauzon
- Juuret On (Under Two Skies), d. Anssi Kömi, Suvi West
- Ka Puta Ko Au, d. Amie Batalibasi, Renae Maihi, Kelton Stepanowich
- Kat Waj, d. Teresa Jiménez
- Kayaking For Beginners, d. Zoe Hopkins
- Kchi-Nendizan (Big Pride), d. Lena Recollet, Miles Turner
- Keepers for the Old People, d. Michael Keshane
- Keeping the Legends at Heart, d.
- KEEWAYDAH (Let’s Go Home), d. Terril Calder
- Kéwku, d. Sean Stiller
- Kia Tau (Be at Rest), d. Michelle Latimer, Chris Malloy, Yamin Tun
- Last Drinks at Frida’s, d. Bjorn Stewart
- Laundry, d. Becs Arahanga
- Lelum’ (Home), d. Asia Youngman
- MANKILLER, d. Valerie Red-Horse Mohl
- MARIA, d. Jeremiah Tauamiti
- Meke, d. Tim Worrall
- Metal Road, d. Sarah Del Seronde
- Mikinakay: Trail of the Turtle, d. Erica Daniels
- Morit Elena Morit, d. Inga-Wiktoria Påve
- My Father’s Tools, d. Heather Condo
- MY SOUL REMAINER, d. Nanobah Becker
- NATALIE, d. Qianna Titore
- NDNs on the Airwaves, d. Jackson 2Bears
- Nieiddaš ja guollečikŋa (Girl with a Fish Necklace), d. Egil Pedersen
- No Reservations, d. Trevor Carroll
- North of South, d. Francisco Huichaquo, Casey Koyczan, Alejandro Valbuena
- Nutag-Homeland, d. Alisi Telengut
- Nuuca (Take), d. Michelle Latimer
- Occupation Of Memory, d. Jade Baxter
- Ôtênaw, d. Conor McNally
- Our People will be Healed, d. Alanis Obomsawin
- Our Protection For Our Future Generations, d. Bella Brown, Trinity Hunt, Nathanial Mason-Brown
- Out of State, d. Ciara Lacy
- PaPa, d. Ryan Alexander Lloyd
- People of the Pines, d. Shane Ghostkeeper, Joshua Whitford
- Possum, d. Dave Whitehead
- Qulliq (Oil Lamp), d. Susan Avingaq, Marie-Helene Cousineau, Madeline Ivalu
- Rae, d. Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs
- Raven, d. Razelle Benally
- Ravggon – Goaikkanasat, d. Henry Kestilä
- Red Card World: The Tree, d. Cara Mumford
- Riiji Carver, d. Kimberley West
- Rio Verde. El tiempo de los Yakurunas (Green River. The Time of the Yakurunas), d. Alvaro Sarmiento, Diego Sarmiento
- ROTO (The Lake Within), d. Louise Potiki Bryant
- Shaman, d. Echo Henoche
- Slincraze – Stállu, d. Egil Pedersen
- Snaglines, d. Howard Adler, Charlotte Hoelke
- Snow, d. Nivi Pederse
- STACK, d. Dana Claxton
- Sunday Fun Day, d. Dianna Fuemana
- Sweet Country, d. Warwick Thornton
- The End of the World, d. Clayton Windatt
- The Fire, d. Liselotte Wajstedt
- The Importance of Dreaming, d. Tara Audibert
- The Last Walk, d. Anna Hoover, Pipaluk K. Jørgensen, Mikisoq H. Lynge, Jerri Thrasher
- The Mountain of SGaana, d. Christopher Auchter
- Thirza Cuthand Is an Indian Within the Meaning of the Indian Act, d. Thirza Cuthand
- This Wild Season, d. Jonathan Elliott
- Three Thousand, d. Asinnajaq
- Thunderbird Strike, d. Elizabeth LaPensee
- TRENCH, d. Trevor Solway
- Tsanizid (Wake Up), d. Beric Manywounds
- Twilight Dancers, d. Paola Marino, Theola Ross
- Under Your Always Light, d. Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers
- Unikausiq (Stories), d. Mary Kunuk
- Unintentional Mother, d. Mary Galloway
- [untitled & unlabeled], d. Terry Jones
- Versaearcolonion, d. Chandra Melting Tallow, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers
- Vulkan (Volcano), d. Ann Holmgren
- Walk In Dreams, d. Jonathan Thunder
- Water, d. John Harvey
- Zaasaakwe (Shout with Joy), d. Madison Thomas
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LA Film Festival Unveils 2017 Competition Lineup

[caption id="attachment_22244" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Izzy Gets the Fuck Across Town[/caption] The 2017 LA Film Festival unveiled a diverse slate of 48 feature films, 51 short films, 15 high school short films and 10 short episodic works representing 32 countries in the U.S. Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, LA Muse and Nightfall sections. Across the competition categories 42% of the films are directed by women and 40% are directed by people of color. Previously announced, the Opening Night Film is the World Premiere of Colin Trevorrow’s The Book of Henry. The 2017 LA Film Festival takes place June 14 – June 22, 2017 headquartered at ArcLight Cinemas Culver City, with additional screenings at ArcLight Hollywood, ArcLight Santa Monica and more.
U.S. Fiction Competition
20 Weeks – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Leena Pendharkar PRODUCER Jane Kelly Kosek CAST Anna Margaret Hollyman, Amir Arison, Sujata Day, Michelle Krusiec, Jocelin Donahue, Richard Riehle) – During a routine scan, a young couple navigating their first pregnancy discover a health condition that could gravely impact their baby, forcing them to re-examine their relationship and their future. World Premiere And Then I Go – USA (DIRECTOR Vincent Grashaw WRITERS Brett Haley, Jim Shepard PRODUCERS Laura D. Smith, Rebecca Green CAST Arman Darbo, Sawyer Barth, Melanie Lynskey, Justin Long, Tony Hale, Carrie Preston, Melonie Diaz, Royalty Hightower, Sean Bridgers, Michael Abbott Jr.) – Two teenaged outsiders are demoralized daily at school, until an idea for vengeance offers them a terrifying release in this film that is based on the acclaimed novel Project X by Jim Shepard. World Premiere Beauty Mark – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Harris Doran PRODUCERS Harris Doran, Penny Edmiston, Gill Holland, Kiley Lane Parker CAST Auden Thornton, Catherine Curtin, Laura Bell Bundy, Jeff Kober, Madison Iseman, Deirdre Lovejoy) – Inspired by true events, when a poverty-stricken young mother and her three-year-old son are evicted, she turns to the only person she knows with any money—the man who abused her as a child. World Premiere Becks – USA (DIRECTORS Elizabeth Rohrbaugh, Daniel Powell WRITERS Elizabeth Rohrbaugh, Daniel Powell, Rebecca Drysdale PRODUCERS Alex Bach, Elizabeth Rohrbaugh, Daniel Powell CAST Lena Hall, Mena Suvari, Christine Lahti, Dan Fogler, Rebecca Drysdale, Hayley Kiyoko, Michael Zegen) – After a crushing breakup, an aimless singer-songwriter moves in with her ultra-Catholic mother and strikes up an unexpected friendship with the wife of an old nemesis. World Premiere Don’t Come Back From the Moon – USA (DIRECTOR Bruce Thierry Cheung WRITERS Bruce Thierry Cheung, Dean Bakopoulos PRODUCERS Lauren Hoekstra, Jay Davis CAST Jeffrey Wahlberg, Alyssa Elle Steinacker, Zachary Arthur, James Franco, Rashida Jones) – The men of a small town on the edge of nowhere mysteriously disappear, one by one, leaving women and children behind to fend for themselves in a desolate and dreamlike world. World Premiere Everything Beautiful Is Far Away – USA (DIRECTORS Andrea Sisson, Pete Ohs WRITER Pete Ohs PRODUCERS Saul Germaine, Andrea Sisson, Pete Ohs CAST Julia Garner, Joseph Cross, C.S. Lee) – This arthouse science fiction fable is set on an isolated desert planet, where a man who is looking for parts to repair his robotic companion teams up with a young woman who is searching for an imaginary lake. World Premiere Izzy Gets the Fuck Across Town – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Christian Papierniak PRODUCERS Meghan Lennox, Christian Papierniak, Mackenzie Davis, Melissa Panzer CAST Mackenzie Davis, Alex Russell, Lakeith Stanfield, Carrie Coon, Haley Joel Osment, Alia Shawkat, Annie Potts, Brandon T. Jackson, Rob Huebel, Sheldon Bailey, Meghan Lennox, Dolly Wells) – A hungover riot grrrl discovers that her ex-boyfriend is getting hitched to her ex-best friend and throwing a bougie engagement party across town. With no car and tons of energy, she embarks on a cross-city quest to break that shit up before it’s too late. World Premiere Moss – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Daniel Peddle PRODUCER John Solomon CAST Mitchell Slaggert, Christine Marzano, Billy Ray Suggs, Dorian Cobb) – While roaming around on his eighteenth birthday, an isolated young man encounters a mysterious and beautiful hiker who guides him through a psychedelic rite of passage. World Premiere Never Here – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Camille Thoman PRODUCERS Julian Cautherley, Radium Cheung, Bronwyn Cornelius, Corey Moosa, Camille Thoman, Elizabeth Yng-Wong CAST Mireille Enos, Sam Shepard, Goran Visnjic, Vincent Piazza, Nana Arianda, Ana Nogueira, Desmin Borges) – An installation artist follows and photographs strangers for her art until disturbing events lead her to suspect that someone out there is watching her. World Premiere Village People – USA (DIRECTOR Paul Briganti WRITERS Dan Schoenbrun, Paul Briganti PRODUCER Jon Cohen, Rosie Kaller CAST Aya Cash, George Basil, Brandon Scott, Echo Kellum) – When a man’s wife flakes on a last-ditch effort to save their marriage, his overeager brother-in-law joins him on a trip to a hipster resort in Nicaragua, where they meet a free-spirited American ex-pat and their friendship takes an unexpected turn. World Premiere
Documentary Competition
Abu – CANADA (DIRECTOR Arshad Khan WRITERS Arshad Khan, Matt Jones PRODUCERS Arshad Khan, Sergeo Kirby) – Using family archives and animation, Arshad Khan shares a deeply personal story of migration from Pakistan to Canada, self-discovery and familial reconciliation. World Premiere Dalya’s Other Country – USA (DIRECTOR Julia Meltzer PRODUCERS Julia Meltzer, Mustafa Rony Zeno) – A 12-year-old girl and her mother flee war-torn Aleppo, Syria, and a broken marriage, to begin a new life in Los Angeles. As the only hijabi in her all-girls Catholic school, Dalya navigates Syrian traditions while forging her own identity as an American. World Premiere Liyana – SWAZILAND / USA / QATAR (DIRECTORS Amanda Kopp, Aaron Kopp PRODUCERS Amanda Kopp, Aaron Kopp, Sakheni Dlamini, Daniel Junge, Davis Coombe ANIMATION Shofela Coker EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Thandie Newton) – The epic tale of a young Swazi girl on a dangerous quest to save her twin brothers is brought to life with captivating animation from the imaginations of five talented orphan children in Swaziland. World Premiere Mankiller – USA (DIRECTOR Valerie Red-Horse Mohl PRODUCERS Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, Gale Anne Hurd, Charlie Soap, Stacy Mahoney) – Wilma Mankiller defied all odds to become one of the most influential leaders in the US: advocating for women, organizing and championing American Indians, and becoming the Cherokee Nation’s first female principal chief. World Premiere Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators – USA (DIRECTOR Ema Ryan Yamazaki PRODUCERS Ema Ryan Yamazaki, Emily Harrold) – With rare archival footage and animation, this is the unbelievable true story of a couple who escaped the Nazi encroachment on Paris with few belongings, including a manuscript featuring what would become the beloved children’s character, Curious George. World Premiere Opuntia – USA / MEXICO / SPAIN (DIRECTOR/PRODUCER David Fenster) – Historical fiction and documentary collide in this poetic visual essay based on the diaries of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, a 16th-century Spanish conquistador, written during his treacherous expedition from Florida to Texas to Chihuahua. World Premiere Out of State – USA (DIRECTOR Ciara Lacy PRODUCERS Beau Bassett, Jeff Consiglio) – After a cultural transformation at an Arizona prison, two native Hawaiian men return to Hawaii in the hopes of starting anew. As they wrestle with inner demons and outside pressures, they wonder: Can you ever truly go home again? World Premiere Stella Polaris Ulloriarsuaq – GERMANY / GREENLAND (DIRECTOR Yatri N. Niehaus PRODUCERS Yatri N. Niehaus, Laali Lyberth, Nomi Baumgartl, Sven Nieder) – The Kalaallit people of Greenland have been connected to the ice for millennia. Under the guidance of a shaman, people from all walks of Greenlandic life gather to illuminate glaciers and icebergs on star-lit nights while the foundation of their traditions literally melt beneath their feet. World Premiere Thank You for Coming – USA (DIRECTOR Sara Lamm PRODUCERS Sara Lamm, Kim Bica) – It takes 11 years, 12 DNA tests, five ancestry databases, one potential half-sister and 900 sixth-cousins to (maybe) find filmmaker Sara Lamm’s biological father. World Premiere Two Four Six – RUSSIA / USA / HAITI (DIRECTOR/PRODUCER Leyla Nedorosleva) – These kids are not stars. Not yet. For these extremely tall Haitian teenagers, the stakes involved in coming to the United States for a basketball scholarship are higher than the possibility of a slim shot at the pros. World Premiere
World Fiction Competition
Butterfly Kisses – GREAT BRITAIN (DIRECTOR Rafael Kapelinski WRITER Greer Taylor Ellison PRODUCER Merlin Merton CAST Theo Stevenson, Byron Lyons, Liam Whiting, Rosie Day, Elliot Cowan, Thomas Turgoose) – A teenager harboring a secret tries to fit in and be normal until a betrayal sends him down a path of no return in this moody, black and white portrait that blurs the line between victim and abuser. North American Premiere Catching Feelings – SOUTH AFRICA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Kagiso Lediga PRODUCERS Tamsin Andersson, John Volmink CAST Kagiso Lediga, Pearl Thusi, Akin Omotoso, Andrew Buckland, Precious Makgaretsa, Kate Liquorish, Tessa Jubber, Loyiso Gola) – The lives of a once-celebrated writer and his beautiful wife are turned upside down when they allow a self-indulgent famous author to reside with them temporarily. World Premiere Dark Blue Girl – GERMANY / GREECE (DIRECTOR/WRITER Mascha Schilinski PRODUCERS Anne Schmidt, Ruben Steingrüber CAST Helena Zengel, Karsten Antonio Mielke, Artemis Chalkidou) – When a seven-year-old’s separated parents unexpectedly fall in love again, she uses all her wits and charms to regain her place in her father’s life. International Premiere In This Corner of the World – JAPAN (DIRECTOR/WRITER Sunao Katabuchi PRODUCERS Taro Maki, Masao Maruyama CAST Rena Nounen, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Minori Omi, Natsuki Inaba, Daisuke Ono, Megumi Han, Mayumi Shitani, Shigeru Ushiyama) – Set in the small town of Kure, Hiroshima, this dreamlike anime tells the story of an imaginative and artistic young woman whose life becomes increasingly difficult as World War II escalates. North American Premiere Moko Jumbie – TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO / USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Vashti Anderson PRODUCERS Vashti Anderson, Shlomo Godder, Maite Artieda, Richard Kim, Patricia Ramdeen CAST Vanna Vee Girod, Jeremy Thomas, Dino Maharaj) – A young woman visiting her family’s coconut plantation in Trinidad falls for a fisherman despite political turmoil, mysterious hauntings from ancestral spirits and her family’s disapproval. World Premiere The Night Guard – MEXICO (DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER Diego Ros CAST Leonardo Alonso, Ari Gallegos, Lilia Mendoza, Héctor Holten) – A security guard at a construction site learns about a crime that took place the night before and becomes entangled in a series of mysterious events that unravel over the course of a single night. North American Premiere Nocturne – MEXICO (DIRECTOR/WRITER Luis Ayhllón PRODUCERS Victor Machiavelo CAST Irela de Villers, Juan Carlos Colombo, Ari Brickman, Laura de Ita, Mauricio Isaac, Arturo Vinales) – When a mysterious nurse is hired to take care of an old sick man in his last days, their relationship is awkward and strained, but as they spend more time together it becomes evident that her placement is no accident. North American Premiere On the Beach at Night Alone – SOUTH KOREA (DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER Hong Sangsoo CAST Kim Minhee, Seo Younghwa, Kwon Haehyo, Jung Jaeyoung, Song Seonmi, Moon Sungkeun, Ahn Jaehong, Park Yeaju, Karl Feder, Mark Peranson, Bettina Steinbrügge) – Younghee is an actress who is stressed by a relationship with a married man in Korea. On the beach she wonders: Is he missing me, like I miss him? North American Premiere
LA Muse
And Then There Was Eve – USA (DIRECTOR Savannah Bloch WRITERS Savannah Bloch, Colette Freedman PRODUCERS Jen Prince, Jhennifer Webberley CAST Tania Nolan, Rachel Crowl, Mary Holland, Karan Soni, Anne Gee Byrd, John Kassir) – After the sudden disappearance of her husband, a woman enlists the help of his coworker to fill in the missing pieces. World Premiere Anything – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Timothy McNeil PRODUCRES Louise Runge, Ofrit Peres, Micah Hauptman CAST John Carroll Lynch, Matt Bomer, Maura Tierney, Margot Bingham, Micah Hauptman) – After the death of his wife, a man moves from Mississippi to a run-down Hollywood apartment, where he meets someone new. World Premiere Built to Fail – USA (DIRECTORS Bobby Kim, Alexis Spraic, Scott Weintrob PRODUCERS Samantha Laidlaw, Josh Greenberg, Matti Leshem, Mark Rowen) – The founder of The Hundreds sets out to define and document one of the most elusive fashion phenomena of our times: streetwear. World Premiere The Classic – USA (DIRECTOR Billy McMillin PRODUCERS Christopher Leggett, Rafael Marmor, Timm Oberwelland, Billy McMillin) – Two predominantly Latino high schools square off annually in one of the oldest and most heated football rivalries in the country: the East LA Classic. It doesn’t get more American than this. World Premiere Fat Camp – USA (DIRECTOR Jennifer Arnold WRITER Chuck Hayward PRODUCERS Tatiana Kelly, Jim Young, William B. Macomber, Eleanor Nett CAST Chris Redd, Anabelle Acosta, Michael Cienfuegos, Mel Rodriguez, Vivica A. Fox, Bre-Z) – A foul-mouthed 27-year-old with the maturity of a preteen is forced to take a summer job at his uncle’s fitness camp for youth in Malibu. World Premiere A Midsummer Night’s Dream – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Casey Wilder Mott PRODUCERS Joshua Skurla, Fran Kranz, Casey Wilder Mott, Douglas Matejka CAST Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater, Finn Wittrock, Rachael Leigh Cook, Avan Jogia, Fran Kranz, Ted Levine, Paz De La Huerta, Saul Williams) – This stylish update of Shakespeare’s classic play reimagines the story as a modern Hollywood fairy tale of mistaken identity, unrequited love and supernatural mishaps. World Premiere Mighty Ground – USA (DIRECTOR Delila Vallot PRODUCERS Aimee Schoof, Isen Robbins, Natalie Irby) – A gifted singer who is struggling with addiction on the streets of Skid Row sets out on a journey to transform his life. World Premiere Roller Dreams – USA/AUSTRALIA (DIRECTOR Kate Hickey PRODUCERS Cecilia Ritchie, Diana Ward) – It’s 1984 and Venice Beach is the epicenter of roller dancing, a pop culture sensation that draws massive crowds and influences Hollywood, until gentrification sets in. International Premiere Skid Row Marathon – USA (DIRECTOR Mark Hayes PRODUCER Gabriele Hayes CAST Judge Craig Mitchell, Ben Shirley, Rafael Cabrera, Rebecca Hayes, David Askew) – On LA’s Skid Row, a criminal court judge organizes a running club comprised of homeless, recovering and paroled men and women who seek to rediscover their sense of self-worth and dignity. World Premiere What We Started – USA (DIRECTOR Bert Marcus, Cyrus Saidi PRODUCERS Cassandra Hamar, Bert Marcus, Cyrus Saidi CAST Martin Garrix, Carl Cox, Erick Morillo, Moby, David Guetta, Steve Angello, Afrojack, Tiesto, Paul Oakenfold, Usher, Ed Sheeran, Sasha, Louie Vega, Richie Hawtin, Pasquale Rotella, Russell Faibisch, James Barton, Seth Troxler) – This is the history of electronic dance music—from its beginnings as an underground movement in the 1980’s to its popularization throughout Europe, told through the stories of some of its most revered personalities. World Premiere The Year of Spectacular Men – USA (DIRECTOR Lea Thompson WRITER Madelyn Deutch PRODUCER Damiano Tucci, Daniel Roth, Howard Deutch, Gordon Gilbertson CAST Madelyn Deutch, Zoey Deutch, Melissa Bolona, Lea Thompson, Avan Jogia, Nicholas Braun, Brandon T. Jackson, Cameron Monaghan, Zack Roerig, Jesse Bradford) – A woman struggles to navigate the seemingly incessant failures of post-college adulthood, leaning on her equally complicated mother and sister for support. World Premiere Your Own Road – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Brandon Buczek PRODUCERS Brandon Buczek, Roxy Shih CAST Ashton Moio, Cortney Palm, Kym Jackson, Amir Malaklou) – An idealistic recent film school graduate with few local professional options takes a road trip from Ohio to Los Angeles with his anxious best friend, his troubled high school sweetheart and a hitchhiker hippie, to chase his dream of becoming a filmmaker. World Premiere
Nightfall
Desolation – USA (DIRECTOR Sam Patton WRITERS Matt Anderson, Michael Larson-Kangas PRODUCERS Kim Patton, Lauren Bates, Mara Barr CAST Jaimi Paige, Alyshia Ochse, Claude Duhamel, Toby Nichols) – On a trip into remote wilderness to scatter her late husband’s ashes, a mother, her son, and her best friend must confront their deepest fears when a lone hiker begins following them. World Premiere The Housemaid – USA / VIETNAM (DIRECTOR/WRITER Derek Nguyen PRODUCER Timothy Linh Bui CAST Nhung Kate, Jean-Michel Richaud, Kim Xuan, Rosie Fellner, Phi Phung, Kien An) – After an orphaned Vietnamese girl is hired to be a housemaid at a haunted rubber plantation in 1953 French Indochina, she unexpectedly falls in love with the French landowner and awakens the vengeful ghost of his dead wife. North American Premiere It Stains the Sands Red – USA (DIRECTOR Colin Minihan WRITERS Stuart Ortiz, Colin Minihan PRODUCERS Brandon Christensen, Bic Tran, Stuart Ortiz, Colin Minihan CAST Brittany Allen, Juan Riedinger) – On a lonely, two-lane highway, a young couple have put Las Vegas—and the encroaching zombie apocalypse—in their rearview mirror. But when a lone traveler stumbles into view their troubles are only beginning. North American Premiere Midnighters – USA (DIRECTOR Julius Ramsay WRITER Alston Ramsay PRODUCERS Alston Ramsay, Julius Ramsay CAST Alex Essoe, Perla Haney-Jardine, Dylan McTee, Ward Horton) – A couple’s strained marriage faces the ultimate test after they cover up a terrible crime and find themselves entangled in a Hitchcockian web of deceit and madness on New Year’s Eve – the perfect night to get away with murder. World Premiere The Neighbor – MEXICO (DIRECTOR/WRITER Giancarlo Ruiz PRODUCERS Pablo Llana, Carlos Cortez B, Giancarlo Ruiz, Rodrigo Alvarez Flores, Fernando Guzman CAST Paco Mufote, Isabel Orizaga, Sergio Valdez, Joseph J. Stephen) – A man’s obsession with his downstairs neighbors escalates as he moves from voyeur to tormentor to kidnapper in this intense, experimental character study. World Premiere Replace – GERMANY / CANADA – (DIRECTOR Norbert Keil WRITERS Norbert Keil, Richard Stanley PRODUCER Felix Von Poser CAST Rebecca Forsythe, Lucie Aaron, Barbara Crampton, Sean Knopp) – Afflicted with a dermatological disease, Kira discovers that she can replace her skin with that of another girl, but this short-term solution only leads to more victims. North American Premiere Serpent – SOUTH AFRICA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Amanda Evans PRODUCER Greig Buckle CAST Sarah Dumont, Tom Ainsley) – When a young couple take a getaway aimed at reviving their romance, they find themselves trapped in a tent with a venomous snake and a backlog of secrets, and they come to the realization that only one of them can make it out alive. World Premiere Thread – GREECE (DIRECTOR/WRITER The Boy PRODUCER Eleni Bertes CAST Sofia Kokkali) – This feverish fantasy thriller explores the world of a revolutionary woman and her son, oscillating amongst political aggression, sexual nightmares and violence as protest. North American Premiere
Short Films:
From over 2,700 submissions, the 51 short films selected represent 13 countries, 47% are directed by women and 51% are directed by people of color. Short films are shown before features and as part of six short film programs. Shorts will compete for juried prizes for fiction and documentary shorts, as well as an Audience Award for Best Short Film.
Future Filmmakers Showcase: High School Shorts:
Made by incredibly accomplished high school filmmakers from across the country and globe, 60% of the short films in this diverse slate are directed by young women and 20% are directed by people of color.
Episodes: Indie Series from the Web
BKPI, dir. Hye Yun Park, USA Danny the Manny, dir. Mike Roma, USA High & Mighty, dir. Carlos Lopez Estrada, USA My America, dir. Anna Jones, Asaad Kelada, USA People Of…, dir. lamia Alami, SWITZERLAND The F Word, dir. Nicole Opper, USA The Show about the Show, dir. Caveh Zahedi, USA Two Sentence Horror Stories, dir. J.D. Dillard, USA Very Animated People, dir. Joseph Bennet, USA Steps, dir. Fernando Sanchez, Pascual Sisto, USA
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Mankiller

FEATURES

DOCUMENTARIES

SHORTS

VIRTUAL REALITY

PANELS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

OPENING NIGHT

CLOSING NIGHT

CENTERPIECE

SPECIAL EVENT

VIEWFINDERS COMPETITION

METROPOLIS COMPETITION

AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

NEW WORLD ORDER

CENTERSTAGE

TRUE CRIME

SCIENCE NONFICTION

WILD LIFE

ART & DESIGN

MODERN FAMILY

BEHIND THE SCENES

FIGHT THE POWER

SONIC CINEMA

SHORTS

DOC NYC U

SHORT LIST

Austin Film Festival’s 2017 slate:

Marquee Features:

Marquee-TV Programming

Retrospective Programming

Narrative Features:

Comedy Vanguard Features

Dark Matters Features

Documentary Feature

Family Series

2017 San Diego International Film Festival Line-up

Narrative Spotlight Films

Narrative Competition

Spotlight Documentary Films

Documentary Competition

Shorts Competition

imagineNATIVE 2017 Programmed Film + Video

U.S. Fiction Competition

Documentary Competition

World Fiction Competition

LA Muse

Nightfall

Short Films:

Future Filmmakers Showcase: High School Shorts:

Episodes: Indie Series from the Web