Milford Graves Full Mantis

  • Oak Cliff Film Festival Announces 2018 Feature Film Lineup, Opens with Joan Jett’s Documentary BAD REPUTATION

    [caption id="attachment_29262" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]BAD REPUTATION BAD REPUTATION[/caption] Oak Cliff Film Festival yesterday announced the Feature Program lineup for the 7th annual edition of the festival, taking place June 14-17, 2018 at the historic Texas Theatre, Bishop Arts Theatre Center, Kessler Theater, and numerous other venues around Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood. The schedule is comprised of twenty-five feature-length films, with ten of the films having their Texas premiere at this year’s festival. The festival also includes 40 short films, as well as filmmaking workshops, live music and parties. Kicking off proceedings with this year’s opening night film are director Kevin Kerslake and writer/editor Joel Marcus in attendance to present the Texas Premiere of BAD REPUTATION, their hard-rocking documentary on legendary rock-n-roll icon Joan Jett. The screening will be followed by a karaoke party behind the screen! The festival closes with NEVER GOIN’ BACK, a raunchy party comedy filmed and set in DFW, from Dallas filmmaker Augustine Frizzell and produced by Sailor Bear. Additional festival highlights include: MEOW WOLF: ORIGIN STORY, a documentary on the Santa Fe based artist collective famous for their unique and immersive multimedia art installations; a screening of the newly restored 1928 silent film classic THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, featuring a live score accompaniment composed by indie electronic artist George Sarah and performed by Curtis Heath and his Orchestra; The Zellner Bros’ new comedy western DAMSEL with the film’s composers, Austin-based indietronica band The Octopus Project, playing a live concert at The Texas Theatre; and director Penelope Spheeris in attendance for a new digital theatrical presentation of her rescued-from-obscurity and newly-restored 1987 punk rock western DUDES.

    Oak Cliff Film Festival 2018 Feature Program Lineup.

    OPENING NIGHT SELECTION

    BAD REPUTATION (USA, 95 mins) Dir. Kevin Kerslake TEXAS PREMIERE – Director Kevin Kerslake and writer/editor Joel Marcus in attendance Joan Jett is so much more than “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll.” It’s true, she became mega-famous from the number-one hit, and that fame intensified with its endless play on MTV. But that staple of popularity can’t properly define a musician. Jett put her hard work in long before the fame, ripping it up onstage as the backbone of the hard-rock legends The Runaways, influencing many musicians—both her cohort of punk rockers and generations of younger bands—with her no-nonsense style.

    CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION

    NEVER GOIN’ BACK (USA, 85 mins) Dir. Augustine Frizzell DFW PREMIERE – Producers Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, Liz Cardenas in attendance w/ a special Skype-in from director Augustine Frizzell BFFs Angela (Maia Mitchell) and Jessie (Cami Morrone) are high school dropouts working dead-end waitressing jobs in the same shitty diner. Their dream vacation to sunny Galveston, Texas, is only a few shifts away. But after a drug deal goes bad and their home is invaded—and they have to serve a short stint in juvenile detention—their beach trip is in serious jeopardy. They’ll have to use every bit of guile their perpetually buzzed teenage brains can muster as they try to get (relatively) rich quick while wandering suburban Dallas.

    NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

    BIRDS WITHOUT FEATHERS (USA, 84 mins) Dir. Wendy McColm DFW PREMIERE – Director Wendy McColm in attendance Desperate for human interaction, six emotionally damaged individuals put self respect on the line, shedding their disillusionment in a last grasp for happiness. Birds Without Feathers is a cruel-world dark comedy populated by struggling Instagram stars, Russian cowboys, Self-help gurus and more, as their lives crash and collide in astounding and awkward ways. DON’T LEAVE HOME (USA, 86 mins) Dir. Michael Tully DFW PREMIERE – Director Michael Tully in attendance Melanie Thomas is an American artist whose latest show recounts the infamous Irish urban legend of Father Alistair Burke, who painted a portrait of 8-year-old Siobhan Callahan in 1986. Days later, Siobhan went missing on the very morning that her figure miraculously vanished from the painting as well. Though absolved of any wrongdoing, Burke abandoned the priesthood and went into self-exile. After receiving a bad review before her opening, Melanie is contacted by the reclusive Burke, who offers to fly her to Ireland to create a new sculpture that he will help her to sell while she’s there. Telling no one where she’s going, Melanie never stops to consider that some urban legends are real. I AM NOT A WITCH (UK, ZAMBIA, 93 mins) Dir. Rungano Nyoni TEXAS PREMIERE When eight-year-old Shula turns up alone and unannounced in a rural Zambian village, the locals are suspicious. A minor incident escalates to a full-blown witch trial, where she is found guilty and sentenced to life on a state-run witch camp. There, she is tethered to a long white ribbon and told that if she ever tries to run away, she will be transformed into a goat. As the days pass, Shula begins to settle into her new community, but a threat looms on the horizon. Soon she is forced to make a difficult decision – whether to resign herself to life on the camp, or take a risk for freedom. TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID (Mexico, 83 mins) Dir. Issa López DFW PREMIERE Estrella (Paola Lara), a ten-year-old girl living in Mexico, finds herself the owner of three wishes soon after her mother disappears. After her wish first – the bring her mother back wish – has some unexpectedly frightening repercussions, she finds herself on the streets. Before too long, Estrella partners up with a young boy, El Shine (Juan Ramón López), and his band of orphaned boys. The newly formed group find themselves at war with the local cartel, witnessing and enduring things that no child should ever have to. VIRUS TROPICAL (Colombia, 96 mins) Dir. Santiago Caicedo DFW PREMIERE Born in a not-so-conventional family, Paola grows up between Ecuador and Colombia and finds herself unable to fit in any mold. With a unique feminine vision of the world, she will have to fight against prejudice and struggle for her independence while her universe is struck by a series of crises. Based on the graphic novel by Powerpaola. WINTER BROTHERS (Denmark, Iceland, 94 mins) Dir. Hlynur Pálmason TEXAS PREMIERE We follow two brothers working in the harsh environment of a rural chalk-mining community during a cold winter. Younger brother Emil, who distills moonshine made from stolen chemicals from the factory, is an outsider, an oddball, who made a conscious choice for loneliness and is only accepted by the mining community due to his older brother Johan. When a fellow worker becomes sick, the moonshine and Emil are prime suspects. Gradually a violent feud erupts between him and the tightly-knit mining community. Revenge, loneliness, and lack of love pervade this modern brother odyssey.

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

    BLACK MOTHER (USA, 77 mins) Dir. Khalik Allah TEXAS PREMIERE Part film, part baptism, director Khalik Allah mixes film formats from Super 8mm to HD, while experimenting with voice over audio techniques that cast his view between the prostitutes and churches of Jamaica. Black Mother creates a visual prayer of indelible portraits and an intimate polyphonic symphony. GOSPEL OF EUREKA (USA, 79 mins) Dir. Donal Mosher and Michael Palmieri DFW PREMIERE Love, faith and civil rights collide in a southern town as evangelical Christians and drag queens step into the spotlight to dismantle stereotypes. The film takes a personal, and often comical look at negotiating differences between religion and belief through performance, political action, and partnership. Gospel drag shows and passion plays set the stage for one hell of a show.3-4 sentence summary here. INGRID (USA, 52 mins) Dir. Morrisa Maltz TEXAS PREMIERE – Filmmaker Morrisa Maltz in attendance Ingrid tells the story of a prominent Dallas fashion designer in the 80s–who dropped her life and ran off to the woods in order to pursue a personal and creative one. She has since become a total hermit and spends her time, creating clay sculptures and art out of rocks from the nearby creek. Ingrid peels off the layers of this woman’s persona, questioning what would drive a successful Texas fashion designer to immerse herself in nature to create and become an entirely self sufficient woman of the woods. MAISON DU BONHEUR (Canada, 62 mins) Dir. Sofia Bohdanowicz TEXAS PREMIERE Maison du bonheur is a documentary that studies the day-to-day life of a Parisian astrologer, Juliane Sellam, who has been residing in the same Montmartre apartment for over 50 years. As we listen to her muse about her life as an astrologer, Sellam moves through her daily routine: making her morning coffee, watering plants, putting on makeup. Each segment is narrated by Sellam or the filmmaker herself, slowly constructing a dual portrait of two very different but equally charming women. MILFORD GRAVES FULL MANTIS (USA, 91 mins) Dir. Jake Meginsky and Neil Young DFW PREMIERE – Filmmaker Jake Meginsky in attendance This is the first ever feature-length portrait of renowned percussionist Milford Graves, exploring his kaleidoscopic creativity and relentless curiosity.Graves tells stories of discovery, struggle and survival, ruminates on the essence of ‘swing,’ activates electronic stethoscopes in his basement lab to process the sound of his heart, and travels to Japan where he performs at a school for children with autism, igniting the student body into an ecstatic display of spontaneous collective energy. Oscillating from present to past and weaving intimate glimpses of the artist’s complex cosmology with blistering performances from around the globe, MILFORD GRAVES FULL MANTIS is cinema full of fluidity, polyrhythm and intensity, embodying the essence of Graves’ music itself. OPUNTIA (Mexico/USA, 60 mins) Dir. David Fenster DFW PREMIERE – Filmmaker David Fenster in attendance In 1528 Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca crossed the Gulf of Mexico on a raft made of melted armor and slaughtered horses. Over the next eight years, experiences with various Native American groups transformed him from conquistador to shamanic healer. When he returned to Spain he wrote La Relación, a chronicle of his experiences in the “New World”. Using these writings and with help from a psychic medium, David Fenster (director) attempts to communicate with Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca through a prickly pear cactus, also known as Opuntia, the plant that saved him from starvation.

    SPOTLIGHT FEATURES

    BISBEE ‘17 (USA, 112 mins) Dir. Robert Greene TEXAS PREMIERE An old mining town on the Arizona-Mexico border finally reckons with its darkest day: the deportation of 1200 immigrant miners exactly 100 years ago. Townspeople confront this violent, misunderstood past by staging dramatic recreations of these devastating events. Directed by the Townspeople themselves, these recreations show the personal history of the families affected by the deporations on the 100th anniversary of their occurence. DAMSEL (USA, 112 mins) Dir. David Zellner and Nathan Zellner DFW PREMIERE – Film producers and composers The Octopus Project in attendance It’s the age of The Wild West, circa 1870. An affluent pioneer, Samuel Alabaster (Robert Pattinson) ventures deep into the American wilderness to reunite with and marry the love of his life, Penelope (Mia Wasikowska). For his journey he brings Butterscotch, a miniature horse intended as a wedding present for his bride, and enlists drunkard Parson Henry (David Zellner) to conduct the ceremony. As they traverse the lawless frontier their once simple journey grows treacherous, and the lines between hero, villain, and damsel are blurred. HAL (USA, 90 mins) Dir. Amy Scott TEXAS PREMIERE In the 1970’s Hal Ashby spent 9 years pushing Hollywood norms directing an unconventional, uncompromising string of remarkable films — including The Landlord (1970), Harold and Maude (1971), The Last Detail (1973) and Being There (1979) — that influenced generations of filmmakers to follow. His everlasting legacy on cinema is evident by the group of talented interview subjects including David O. Russell, Judd Apatow, Allison Andres and Jeff and Beau Bridges. However he failed to sustain success fighting for the importance of art and socially consciousness stories against the looming weight of Hollywood’s profit driven machine. HAL is a celebration of his lifework. HALF THE PICTURE (USA, 94 mins) Dir. Amy Adrion DFWPREMIERE – Penelope Spheeris in attendance for Q/A with Seed & Spark Founder Emily Best HALF THE PICTURE consists of interviews with high profile women directors, including Ava DuVernay, Jill Soloway, Lena Dunham, Catherine Hardwicke, Miranda July, Penelope Spheeris and many more. These artists discuss how they made their first features, how they transitioned to studio films or television, how they balance a demanding directing career with family, and the challenges and joys along the way. In addition, experts on gender inequality in Hollywood, including the ACLU’s Melissa Goodman, Vanity Fair’s Rebecca Keegan, and USC’s Dr. Stacy Smith, weigh in on the magnitude of this issue as women are shut out, across the board, of an industry that systemically denies women’s expression and point of view. MEOW WOLF: ORIGIN STORY (USA, 100 mins) Dir. Jilann Spitzmiller and Morgan Capps DFW PREMIERE – Filmmakers Morgan Capps and Jilann Spitzmiller in attendance A group of artists in Santa Fe, NM become a DIY collective called Meow Wolf. Their immersive, large-scale exhibitions crack open a profitable niche in the arts industry, even as their social mission is challenged by the demands of rapid success. The group’s members navigate fracture and loss for years in pursuit of their idealistic vision. When they spark the interest of George R. R. Martin and receive his support to take over an old bowling alley, Meow Wolf builds a massive exhibition with over 140 artists working at a breakneck pace. With the wild success of the House of Eternal Return, Meow Wolf now faces its own internal turmoil as it begins to change the lives of creatives everywhere. PITY (Greece, 97 mins) Dir. Babis Makridis TEXAS PREMIERE A miserable middle aged man enjoys only one thing in life, the sorrow from others. After his wife re-emerges from a long coma he’s willing to do anything to continue to evoke this emotion from those around him. Addicted to misery, this man seeks to maintain the only feeling to give him pleasure, pity. RELAXER (USA, 91 mins) Dir. Joel Potrykus DFW PREMIERE – Director Joel Potrykus, Cinematographer Adam J. Minnick and actor Andre Hyland in attendance Doom and gloom are on the way. The Y2K apocalypse can’t be stopped. Abbie’s older brother issues him the ultimate challenge before it goes down: stay on the couch until he beats the infamous Billy Mitchell record on Pac-Man by getting past level 256. No getting up, no matter what. No quitting. Abbie must survive inside a rotten living room with no food or water, and numbnut friends and toxic gas getting in his face. Luckily, Abbie’s secret 3D glasses begin to give him new abilities, controlling the powers of his tiny universe. SKATE KITCHEN (USA, 100 mins) Dir. Crystal Moselle TEXAS PREMIERE – Members of the filmmaking team in attendance Introverted skateboarder Camille befriends “The Skate Kitchen,” an all-girl skateboarding crew in New York City. She finds the home she never had with her mother in Long Island as she becomes part of the in-crowd. They quickly accept her into this wild new world of trick-shot videos and their own mania filled, underground, New York subculture. However this new friendship becomes tricky to navigate when she falls for a boy skateboarder from a rival group.

    REPERTORY

    BEING THERE (USA, 1979, 130 mins) Dir. Hal Ashby In one of his most finely tuned performances, Peter Sellers plays the pure-hearted, childlike Chance, a gardener who is forced into the wilds of Washington, D.C., when his wealthy guardian dies. Shocked to discover that the real world doesn’t respond to the click of a remote, Chance stumbles into celebrity after being taken under the wing of a tycoon (Melvyn Douglas, in an Oscar-winning performance), who mistakes his protégé’s horticultural mumblings for sagacious pronouncements on life and politics, and whose wife (Shirley MacLaine) targets Chance as the object of her desire. Being There is both deeply melancholic and hilarious; a the culmination of Hal Ashby’s remarkable string of films in the 1970s, and a carefully modulated examination of the ideals, anxieties, and media-fueled delusions that shaped American culture during that decade and still ring true today in 2018. DUDES (USA, 1987, 90 mins) Dir. Penelope Spheeris New DCP with Director Penelope Spheeris in attendance Penelope Spheeris’s 5th feature film which came after her punk soap SUBURBIA and was “released” the year before her magnum opus DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION PART II; DUDES, was never given much of a proper release. Distributors and exhibitors were confused on how to market the punk rock western and it quickly excited theaters. The home video VHS was its last available version until this years HD remaster by SHOUT FACTORY. The film, which features early Cinematography from future three time Oscar winner Robert Richardson and a fantastic punk / metal soundtrack featuring The VANDALS, JANES ADDICTION and MEGADETH exists in a late 80’s ahead of its time capsule. THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC with Live Score Accompaniment (France, 1928, 81 mins) Dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer New Restoration with live score accompaniment composed by indie electronic artist George Sarah, performed by Curtis Heath and his orchestra Spiritual rapture and institutional hypocrisy are brought to stark, vivid life in one of the most transcendent achievements of the silent era. Chronicling the trial of Joan of Arc in the final hours leading up to her execution, Danish master Carl Theodor Dreyer depicts her torment with startling immediacy, employing an array of techniques—including expressionistic lighting, interconnected sets, and painfully intimate close-ups— to immerse viewers in her subjective experience. Anchoring Dreyer’s audacious formal experimentation is a legendary performance by Renée Falconetti, whose haunted face channels both the agony and the ecstasy of martyrdom. Thought to have been lost to fire, the film’s original version was miraculously found in perfect condition in 1981 in a Norwegian mental institution, heightening the mythic status of this widely revered masterwork.

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  • 2018 Sheffield Doc/Fest film Unveils Lineup of ‘bold and innovative non-fiction films’

    [caption id="attachment_29118" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Before Father Gets Back Before Father Gets Back[/caption] The 2018 Sheffield Doc/Fest film program lineup presents bold and innovative non-fiction films made by some of the most authentic international filmmakers working today. 2018 audiences will be treated to 37 World, 18 International, 24 European and 70 UK film premieres. The works are selected across the main program Doc/Adventure, Doc/Expose, Doc/Think, Doc/Love, Doc/Rhythm, Doc/Visions, and focus Retro/Electric Avenues, New/UK, New/Lebanon program strands and accompanying Special Live events. Doc/Fest 2018 film program includes one special Preview screening, a late-night offering as Docs ‘Til Dawn and a selection of outdoor screenings Free Screen. The festival opens on Thursday 7 June with the world premiere of Sean McAllister’s A Northern Soul.

    OPENING NIGHT

    A Northern Soul (World premiere; UK, 2018, 80 min, dir. Sean McAllister) – Following A Syrian Love Story’s Doc/Fest Grand Jury Award win in 2015, Sean McAllister returns to Sheffield to open the Festival’s 25th Edition with the World Premiere of A Northern Soul. With his signature vision and sense of rapport, Sean reflects on changes to his Yorkshire hometown: a city divided by Brexit that is simultaneously celebrated as UK City of Culture and hit by austerity. Drawn to the fringes of town, Sean encounters Steve, a struggling warehouse worker by day and hip-hop performer by night, with a dream…

    SPECIAL PREVIEW

    McQueen (UK/USA, 2017, 111 min, dir. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui) – Archival footage and personal testimonials present an intimate portrait of revolutionary British fashion designer ‘Lee’ Alexander McQueen, the working-class boy who became a global one-man fashion brand.THE FULL FILM program LINE-UP – BY STRAND:

    DOC/ADVENTURE

    Before Father Gets Back (World premiere; dir. Mari Gulbiani, 80 min) – In a Georgian village, from which many men have left for Syria, two girls escape a shared longing for their fathers through the magic of cinema. Bruce Lee & the Outlaw (World premiere; dir. Joost Vandebrug, 85 min) – Nicu, a young homeless boy, is adopted by Bruce Lee, the notorious “King of the Underworld” and goes to live with him in the tunnels underneath Bucharest. Central Bus Station (World premiere; dir. Tomáš Elšík, 78 min) – Central Bus Station, a building which has turned from great gift to a place for immigrants. Yonathan has learnt that it can reveal the essence of the society as well as one’s soul. Ghosthunter films in competition Into The Okavango films in competition Love Means Zero (UK premiere; dir. Jason Kohn, 89 min) – At eighty-six, famed tennis coach Nick Bollettieri is a living legend. At his academy in Florida, he raised a generation of champions. Too Beautiful: Our Right to Fight (World premiere, dir. Maceo Frost, 77 min) – Cuba ranks highly at Olympic boxing, but women can’t compete. This immersive film follows Havana boxer Namibia, who’s hoping the ban is lifted before she ages out of eligibility. Over the Limit Phantom Cowboys (International premiere; dir. Daniel Patrick Carbone, 93 min) – Three boys in small town America find their hopes and dreams tempered by their circumstances. Moving back and forth over eight years, this is a moving, skilful exploration of adolescence. Tanzania Transit (European premiere; dir. Jeroen van Velzen, 75 min) – On a train crossing Tanzania, a riding microcosm of East African society, we follow three main characters, reflecting on the strength to survive. The Game The Insufferable Groo (World premiere, 98 min, dir. Scott Christopherson) – Having directed nearly 200 low-budget movies, Utah filmmaker Stephen Groo seeks Jack Black for his latest human/elf fantasy drama. This hilarious yet sincere portrait depicts an uphill production battle. The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid (UK premiere; dir. Feargal Ward, 77 min) – Thomas Reid lives a solitary life. But beside his 17th century farm looms a vast American factory. When the Irish State tries to take his farm, he vows to resist. The Man Who Stole Banksy (European premiere; 91 min, dir. Marco Proserpio) – A Palestinian taxi driver attempts to sell a Banksy mural on eBay. As we follow the artwork, we uncover a secret art market of stolen walls from around the world. Three Identical Strangers (European premiere; 96 min, dir. Tim Wardle) – In 1980, three New York identical triplets, separated at birth, discovered each other. But behind the remarkable story lurked a dark secret that questioned the notion of who we are. Time Trial Vienna Calling (World premiere; dir. Petr Šprincl, 67 min) – In this docufiction road movie, a grave robbing artist and his sidekicks journey to Vienna in a horse drawn caravan of death to return some famous teeth.

    Shorts

    Zion – see Short Doc Award Cheer From Parts Unknown Hands Up, Chin Down Skip Day Skywards To Be a Torero Taking the Waters The Water Slide

    DOC/EXPOSE

    A Thousand Girls Like Me (European premiere; dir. Sahra Mosawi, 76 min) – A young Afghan woman confronts the will of her family and the traditions of her country to seek justice for years of sexual abuse from her father. A Woman Captured Commander Arian I, Dolours (European premiere; dir. Maurice Sweeney, 82 min) – Dolours Price, bred to violent republicanism, yet ultimately haunted by her actions, gave a filmed interview not to be broadcast until after her death. This is her shocking story. Kinshasa Makambo Laila At The Bridge Lost Warrior Of Fathers and Sons On Her Shoulders One or Two Questions (UK premiere; dir. Kristina Konrad, 237 min) – In 1986, Uruguay passed a law granting amnesty for human rights violations committed by the military and police during the dictatorship (1973-85). One or Two Questions uses footage of interviews recorded on the streets between 1987 and 1989, to present a multifaceted reflection of the country and its inhabitants, in which the values of democracy – such as peace, justice – are continually questioned. The Ballymurphy Precedent (World premiere; dir. Callum Macrae, 106 min) – The little known story about the death of eleven innocent people at the hands of the British Army in a Catholic estate in Belfast in 1971. This is a massacre that few have heard of, yet it was one of the most significant events in the Troubles. The British army continues to cover it up because they cannot afford to admit the truth. The relatives of those who died are fighting for justice – and our investigation shows why. This secret massacre led directly to the Bloody Sunday killings by the same Parachute regiment just five months later. The Congo Tribunal (UK premiere; dir. Milo Rau, 100 min) – Staged as a tribunal on-location in Bukavu and Berlin, director Milo Rau creates an unshrouded portrait of one of the biggest and bloodiest economic wars in human history. The Distant Barking of Dogs The Silence of Others The Trade (European premiere; dir. Matthew Heineman, 125 min) – Addicts and their families struggle in Atlanta, drug lords and poppy-seed farmers toil in Mexico, and narcotics units and dealers clash in Columbus. Under The Wire (World premiere; dir. Chris Martin, 93 min) – A powerful film that tells the story of celebrated Sunday Times journalist Marie Colvin and photographer Paul Conroy’s ill-fated trip to Syria in February 2012. Based on Conroy’s book of the same title. When the War Comes (UK premiere; dir. Jan Gebert, 76 min) – A paramilitary group in Slovakia is recruiting hundreds of young men, aiming to create a model community based on military drill, obedience and fear. Whispering Truth to Power (European premiere; dir. Shameela Seedat, 87 min) – With exclusive, behind-the-scenes access, this film charts the final year in office of South African anti-corruption champion Thuli Madonsela as she attempts to seek justice for ordinary people. After successfully challenging President Jacob Zuma for illegal use of state funds, she faces the biggest challenge of her career: exposing the systematic takeover of government by a private family in cahoots with the President.

    Shorts

    Black Sheep – see Short Doc award Ebrahim Fake News Fairytale Las Nubes The Holiday Inn-Side Watching the Detectives Doc/Dispatch – showcase for short documentary journalism from citizen reporters, investigative filmmakers and responsive news units; projects TBA

    DOC/LOVE

    Amal América Ashore (UK premiere; dir. Leonor Teles, 82 min) – Ashore portrays the life of a singular fisherman in an ancient riverfront community near Lisbon as he drifts between ocean solitude and family anchors. For The Birds Game Girls (UK premiere; dir. Alina Skrzeszewska, 90 min) -This compassionate observational documentary charts the relationship between two homeless women in Los Angeles’ sprawling Skid Row. Tiahna seems resigned to street life, but girlfriend Teri wants to escape. Have You Seen The Listers? (UK premiere; dir. Eddie Martin, 86 min) – From the director of All This Mayhem, a candid and personal family portrait as young father Anthony Lister embarks on the rocky road to become the world’s greatest street artist. Home Games (World premiere; dir. Alisa Kovalenko, 86 min) – A season in the life of Alina, a poor 20-year-old girl from Kyiv who has a chance to be saved by football. A Northern Soul (World premiere) – see OPENING NIGHT Minding the Gap Out (UK premiere; dir. Denis Parrot, 70 min) – The first documentary to address LGBTQ+ coming out stories exclusively through social media footage. People’s Republic of Desire (European premiere; dir. Hao Wu, 95 min) – In China’s popular live streaming showrooms, two internet celebrities seek fame, fortune and human connection, ultimately finding the same promises and perils online as in their real lives. The Eyes of Orson Welles (UK premiere; dir. Mark Cousins, 110 min) – Filmmaker Mark Cousins dives deep into the visual world of this legendary director and actor, to reveal a portrait of the artist as he’s never been seen before. Turning 18 (World premiere; dir. Ho Chao-ti, 87 min) – Two young girls meet at a vocational training program after which their lives move in completely different directions. Both from broken homes, Pei searches for hope in love, while Chen struggles to avoid her parents’ fate. As they approach 18, the undercurrents of their lives surface, nearly overwhelming them. How can an unloved life find a strength of her own? Young Solitude

    Shorts

    Baby Brother Black I Am Confessions of an Angry Mother Landline Last Man Standing Lotus Lovers of the Night Mountain – see Short Doc award Pumpkin Movie

    RETRO/ELECTRIC AVENUES

    Cocorico Monsieur Poulet Disorder

    Shorts program

    Black Film City of Contrasts Horse of Mud + Sad Song of Touha + The Sandwich IFO In Order Not To Be Here Liberty City Crawl (Superman II) Many Thousands Gone Mobile Men Moor Mother Live in London My White Baby Secrets From the Street: No Disclosure Sto Lat Strolling – also see Free Screen on page xx The Strike

    DOC/RHYTHM

    Antigone (UK premiere; dir. Pedro González Rubio, 73 min) – In the biggest public university in Latin America a group of theatre students and their teacher prepare Antigone, a Greek tragedy that addresses the conflict between the rules of power and the will of a young woman to do the right thing. Life, theatre and fiction are interwoven following the rehearsals in classrooms, in their homes, in public spaces and surrealist landscapes of the city. Ashes and Embers (UK premiere; dir. Manon Ott, 71 min) – A poetic and political portrait of a working-class suburb in the process of change, “Ashes and Embers” invite us to meet its inhabitants: a journey from dusk to dawn where, while speaking of their lives, they also express their revolt and their quest for freedom. Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes (European premiere; dir. Sophie Huber, 85 min) – The film explores the vision behind the iconic American jazz record label. Through current recording sessions, rare archive and conversations with iconic Blue Note artists, the film reveals an intimate perspective of a legacy that continues to be vital in today’s political climate. Legendary artists Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter come together with today’s generation of ground-breaking Blue Note artists such as Robert Glasper and Ambrose Akinmusire to record an All-Stars album. Desolation Center (UK premiere; dir. Stuart Swezey, 92 min) – followed by live performance from Thurston Moore – The film vividly portrays the untold story of a series of guerrilla desert gatherings now recognised as the inspiration for Burning Man and Coachella, with performances by Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Swans, and more. Generation Wealth (dir. Lauren Greenfield, 108 min) – Lauren Greenfield’s postcard from the edge of the American Empire captures a portrait of a materialistic, image-obsessed culture. Simultaneously personal journey and historical essay, the film bears witness to the global boom-bust economy, the corrupted American Dream, and the human costs of late stage capitalism, narcissism, and greed Harmony (UK premiere; dir. Frederick Paxton, 71 min) – Bold city symphony reveals the terrible beauty in Siberia’s polluted Chelyabinsk. A mesmerizing mix of sound and image highlight the often punishing rituals inflicted on young Russian boys and girls. Milford Graves Full Mantis (UK premiere; dir. Jake Meginsky, Neil Young (Co-Director), 91 min) – Celebrating the creativity of legendary American percussionist Milford Graves, this film is itself a kaleidoscope ode to the creative process, and a unique homage to the free jazz pioneer. Parallel Planes (International premiere; dir. Nicole Wegner, 100 min) – This film pays homage to the American DIY spirit and the diversity of the US musical landscape outside the commercial music industry. Nicole Wegner maintains eye level with her twelve subjects, including Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi), Michael Gira (Swans) and Valentine Falcon (Get Hustle), who gleefully hack the music industry and play by their own rules. Punk Voyage (dir. JP Passi, Jukka Kärkkäinen, 97 min) – PKN, a band of four mentally disabled men, is Europe’s no 1 punk-rock act. When the band’s leader decides to retire, Punk Voyage shows all the quarrels, tears and laughter. Shakedown (UK premiere; dir. Leilah Weinraub, 72 min) – “If you straight, you don’t need to be in the front.” Former drag show host Teresa and Ronnie-Ron co-founded Shakedown in the 90s, establishing a thriving underground scene. Dancers including Egypt, Miss Mahogany, I-Dallas and Slow-Wine entertain the throng. This strip club was a space for LA’s African-American queer community to explore identity, sexuality and have an incredible time. Silvana (UK premiere; dir. Mika Gustafson, Olivia Kastebring, Christina Tsiobanelis, 91 min) – Silvana Imam is a fierce force of nature. We witness the Swedish rap artist’s career soar, and the genesis of her relationship with pop artist, Beatrice Eli. The pair become Sweden’s Beyoncé and Jay-Z; a power-couple of phenomenal talent and influence. As the pressures of her iconic status begin to spiral, Silvana is forced to confront her inner conflicts. This One’s For The Ladies (International premiere; dir. Gene Graham, 83 min) – Race, class and sexuality intersect at Newark strip club the Dojo: a karate school by day, home to the New Jersey Nasty Boyz by night. In addition to spotlighting the exotic dancers who work there – both male and lesbian – Gene Graham’s affectionate portrait celebrates the community of women who sustain this microcosm of black American society. Tranny Fag Yellow Is Forbidden (European premiere; dir. Pietra Brettkelly, 94 min) – Haute couture is the most exclusive club in the world: Mostly men. Exclusively European. Largely conglomerate-funded. Yet, Guo Pei, an independent Chinese designer has been invited to present a collection.

    Shorts

    Artificial Things Arr. for a Scene Mini Miss To The Front: Scenes From a Women’s Rock Camp Weltschmerz – see Short Doc award

    DOC/THINK

    A Journey to the Fumigated Towns Boys Who Like Girls (World premiere; dir. Inka Achte, 68 min) – Two years have passed since the infamous Delhi gang rape, and India is ablaze with talk of men’s role in gendered violence. Teenager Ved joins a boys’ club run by ‘Men Against Violence and Abuse’ and realises there may be a healthier path for him than the one paved by his abusive father. Will his be the first generation of boys that actually likes girls? Central Airport THF Ex-Shaman Flow (World premiere; dir. Nicolás Molina, 82 min) – FLOW observes the human connection between two rivers: Ganges in India and Biobío in Chile. It proposes a poetic journey blending both civilizations through the flow of one great river. German Class (World premiere; dir. Florian Heinzen-Ziob, 89 min) – Over the course of six months the film closely follows the daily ups and downs of a group of children from abroad as they take their first steps in the German school system. Infinite Football (World premiere; dir. Corneliu Porumboiu, 70 min) – Romanian filmmaker Porumboiu focuses on Laurentiu Ginghina, a bureaucrat who dreams of revolutionizing football. Yet when the director makes Ginghina’s alternative game reality, the bureaucrat can’t stop reworking his theories. Esta Todo Bien (World premiere; dir. Tuki Jencquel, 70 min) -“That’s the drama. You can’t get sick.” These sadly apt words are spoken by Francisco, an activist who delivers badly needed medicines in Venezuela where salaries peak at twelve dollars a month and 16,000 doctors have left the country. Our New President Radio Atlas: A Lunkhead Among The Stars (dir. Gyrid Listuen, 47 min) – Radio Atlas presents Gyrid Listuen’s Prix Europa-winning radio documentary from the nineties — exploring the internal world of a young man with Down’s Syndrome. The Cleaners (UK premiere; dir. Hans Block, Moritz Riesewieck, 88 min) – Digital scavengers’ are outsourced to delete inappropriate content from the net, while at the same time the lives of people around the globe are dramatically affected by online censorship. A ‘cleaner’ rates thousands of disturbing images every day, with lasting psychological impact. From the shared global village to fake news and radicalization, the film charts the rise and fall of social media’s utopian ideology. The Dread The Gospel of Eureka The Pain of Others The Proposal The Trial (UK premiere; dir. Maria Ramos, 139 min) – The Trial offers a behind-the-scenes look at the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s first female President. The film portrays the “judicial political” trial first at the House of Representatives and then, at the Senate focusing on the President’s Defence Team: her lawyer José Eduardo Cardoso and two senators who struggle to prove the President’s innocence against a majority vote by a Congress riddled with corruption. The Waldheim Waltz What Is Democracy? When Lambs Become Lions

    Shorts

    90 Seconds in North Korea Girlhood Give I Am Bisha I Signed The Petition The River of the Kukamas

    DOC/VISIONS

    Arboretum Cycle (UK premiere; dir. Nathaniel Dorsky, 137 min) – A magical collection of seven 16mm films by Nathaniel Dorsky, explores the beauty of Californian nature in Spring light. Each silent film celebrates qualities of energy, joy, fullness, and rebirth. Black Mother Doel Female Human Animal (European premiere; dir. Josh Appignanesi, 74 min) – Shot in the real-life contemporary art world, Female Human Animal is a psycho-thriller about a creative woman disenchanted with what modern life and “modern men” have to offer her. When writer Chloe Aridjis curates an inspiring retrospective of the surrealist Leonora Carrington, an elusive, brooding man appears, seeming to offer more. A darkly romantic docufiction that puts on screen the lurid unconscious of our new sexual politics. Going South (UK premiere; dir. Dominic Gagnon, 104 min) – Going South is the second part of a tetralogy in which Dominic Gagnon intends to explore the cardinal points of the Internet in the post-truth era. Hale County This Morning, This Evening La Commune (Paris, 1871) Last Year in Utopia (UK premiere; dir. Jana Magdalena Keuchel, Katharina Knust, 72 min) – In this revealing and playful Brechtian recreation of events, six cast members from a cancelled German reality television program make an emotional return to their show’s isolated forest location. Margaret Tait: A Century (64 min, dir. Margaret Tait) – Marking both the centenary of the 1918 suffrage act and her birthday, pioneering British filmmaker Margaret Tait is the center of Margaret Tait: A Century -a mini retrospective collection of her titles: Colour Poems, A Portrait of Ga, Tailpiece, Aerial, Where I am is Here. McQueen Music When The Lights Go Out Obscuro Barroco Shirkers Sleep Has Her House (UK premiere; dir. Scott Barley, 90 min) – A hypnotic reverie in a dark forest, underneath waterfalls and shifting shapes in the night. Captured on an iPhone, this is a symphonic and haunting science fiction of nature. The Task Turtle Rock Victory Day (UK premiere; dir. Sergei Loznitsa, 94 min) – Once a year, crowds gather in Berlin’s Treptower Park to mark the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Master of sustained observation, Sergei Loznitsa, captures the medal bedecked veterans and burly biker gangs assembling for this spring day of patriotic songs and speeches. Loznitsa’s carefully framed compositions become a meditation on the nationalistic myths still gripping Europe. Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin (World premiere; dir. Arwen Curry, 65 min) – A trailblazing rebel who shook the world of literature, defying gender norms, societal expectations and patriarchal gatekeeping. Ursula K Guin remains a peerless lightning bolt of imagination and political insight.

    Shorts

    A God’s Shadow Cops Are Actors Fluid Frontiers Here There Is No Earth House Maskirovka Rebirth is Necessary – see Short Doc award Song for Europe With history in a room filled with people with funny names 4

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  • I AM NOT A WITCH and MINDING THE GAP Win Top Awards at 20th Sarasota Film Festival [Complete List of Winners]

    [caption id="attachment_25151" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]I AM NOT A WITCH I AM NOT A WITCH[/caption] The 20th Anniversary edition of the Sarasota Film Festival celebrated its Closing Night on Saturday with a screening of Rory Kennedy’s new film from Discovery, ABOVE AND BEYOND: NASA’S JOURNEY TO TOMORROW, along with the presentation of this year’s jury and audience award winners. I AM NOT A WITCH directed by Rungano Nyoni took home this year’s Narrative Feature Jury prize, and MINDING THE GAP directed by Bing Liu was the Documentary Feature Jury Prize winner. During the Closing Night, actor Steve Guttenberg and Academy Award©-nominated actress Virginia Madsen received Career Achievement Awards. The festival’s Independent Visions Jury Prize, which includes a distribution deal from FACTORY 25, went to MILFORD GRAVES: FULL MANTIS directed by Jake Meginsky and Neil Young. The Terry Porter Visionary Award presented by The Huisking Foundation went to THE RIDER directed by Chloé Zhao for its spirit of independence and experimentation. The jury awarded a special recognition award for Breakthough Performance to Helena Howard in MADELINE’S MADELINE; a special mention for Visionary Storytelling to NOTES ON AN APPEARANCE; and a Special Jury Prize for Social Commentary to THE SENTENCE. This year’s Animated Shorts Jury Prize winner is THE BURDEN, directed by Niki Lindroth von Bahr. The jury awarded LUNCH TIME, directed by Alireza Ghasemi, best Narrative Short and the Documentary Short award winner is SAND MEN, directed by Tal Amiran. This year’s Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature was HEARTS BEAT LOUD directed by Brett Haley. The Audience Award for Best Documentary was presented to RBG, director Betsy West and Julie Cohen. The Best In World Cinema Audience Award went to MAKTUB, directed by Oded Raz. MR. CONNOLLY HAS ALS, directed by Dan Habib won the Audience Award for Best Short Film. During the Closing Night, actor Steve Guttenberg and Academy Award-nominated actress Virginia Madsen received Career Achievement Awards. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the 20th Anniversary of the Sarasota Film Festival, which brought together groundbreaking films and important conversations for our audiences,” said President of the Sarasota Film Festival, Mark Famiglio. “Congratulations to this year’s winners, the esteemed Festival Jury and our audiences have thoroughly enjoyed your engaging and inspiring films, and we thank you for letting us showcase them here in Sarasota.”

    2018 winners of The Sarasota Film Festival Awards:

    Jury Awards

    Narrative Feature Competition Winner I Am Not A Witch Director – Rungano Nyoni Documentary Feature Competition Winner Minding the Gap Director – Bing Liu Independent Vision Competition Winner Milford Graves: Full Mantis Director – Jake Meginsky and Neil Young Animated Shorts Competition Winner The Burden Niki Lindroth von Bahr Narrative Short Competition Winner Lunch Time Alireza Ghasemi Documentary Short Competition Winner Sand Men Tal Amiran

    Audience Awards

    Best Narrative Feature Hearts Beat Loud Director – Brett Haley Best Documentary Feature RBG Director – Betsy West and Julie Cohen Best Short Film Mr. Connolly Has ALS Director – Dan Habib Best In World Cinema Maktub Director – Oded Raz

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

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

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  • FSLC Announces 5th Art of the Real Lineup, Opens with Premiere of ‘John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection’

    John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection
    John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection

    The Film Society of Lincoln Center today announced the fifth edition of Art of the Real, an essential showcase for the most vital and innovative voices in nonfiction and hybrid filmmaking, taking place April 26 to May 6. The 2018 lineup features a host of brilliant new works and exciting artist spotlights, including one world premiere, eight North American premieres, and seven U.S. premieres, with many of the filmmakers in person.

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  • SXSW Film Festival Announces 2018 Features Film Lineup, Opens with John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place”

    A Quiet Place by John Krasinski
    A Quiet Place (Credit: Paramount Pictures © 2017 Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.)

    The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals announced the features lineup and opening night film for the 25th edition of the Film Festival, running March 9 to 18, 2018 in Austin, Texas. During the nine days of SXSW 132 features will be shown.

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