Nakom

Ghanian Film and Film Independent Spirit Award Nominee NAKOM Sets March 3rd Release Date | Trailer

[caption id="attachment_20737" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Nakom[/caption] Nakom, directed by the female team of TW Pittman and Daniela Norris, and nominated for the John Cassavetes Film Independent Spirit Award for the best new film made for under $500,000, will be released by Corinth Films. The film, starring Jacob Ayanaba, Justina Kulidu, Shetu Mussah, Grace Ayariga, Aziz Abdul, Esther Issaka, Mamudu Asigiri, and Thomas Kulidu, will open Friday March 3rd at New York’s Cinema Village in Manhattan.
Set in present day Ghana, Nakom follows Iddrisu, a talented medical student who is summoned home by his sister after their father’s sudden death. Iddrisu reluctantly returns home to the village of Nakom, buries his father and temporarily assumes the head of the impoverished household and farm, inheriting not only the delicate task of planting a successful crop but also a debt left by the deceased patriarch that could destroy the family. Attempting to maintain part of his studies from the confines of a small hut, Iddrisu becomes increasingly frustrated with the incessant physical and emotional needs of those around him, the demanding toil of the land and lack of rain. A contentious relationship with his uncle Napolean, to whom the sizeable debt is owed, is further complicated by the unplanned pregnancy of Napolean’s granddaughter who was sent to live with Iddrisu’s family. As the new patriarch grapples with tradition and familial duty, he is met with varying shades of contempt by both family and villagers who compare him with his father expecting a resemblance. Iddrisu’s patience and wisdom are tempered by the strange paradox created by his faith in God and desire for control, the latter of which he cannot have so long as he stays in Nakom. As circumstances swell, Iddrisu suddenly begins to realize that no future for him exists in the place where he is needed the most, even despite an offer by the village Chieftain to remain in Nakom to become an elder and marry his daughter. [gallery size="medium" type="rectangular" ids="20737,20738,20746,20745,20744,20743,20742,20741,20740,20739"]
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Complete Lineup for 2016 Seattle International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_13531" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Captain Fantastic[/caption] The 2016 Seattle International Film Festival announced the complete lineup of films, guests, and events for the 42nd annual 25-day Festival taking place May 19 to June 12, 2016. This year, SIFF will screen 421 films representing 85 countries: 181 features (plus 4 secret films), 75 documentaries, 8 archival films, and 153 shorts. The films include 54 World premieres (29 features, 25 shorts), 56 North American premieres (42 features, 14 shorts), and 27 US premieres (15 features, 12 shorts). Both Opening and Closing Nights include period comedies: hearkening to the golden 1930s heyday of Hollywood, Opening Night film Café Society from master filmmaker Woody Allen stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell, and Blake Lively; the 1950s-set Australian revenge comedy-drama The Dressmaker closes SIFF 2016 on Sunday, June 12 with an acclaimed cast including Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, and Hugo Weaving. The emotionally wrenching documentary Gleason, follows Spokane-born NFL star Steve Gleason’s battle with ALS using intimate footage masterfully assembled by director Clay Tweel, and will screen at the Festival’s Centerpiece Gala on Saturday, June 4. The Northwest premiere of Matt Ross’s Captain Fantastic, filmed in Washington, will screen as part of a tribute presentation to Viggo Mortensen on Saturday, June 11, where the acclaimed actor will be presented with the Festival’s Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award and interviewed on stage at the flagship SIFF Cinema Egyptian. Selections from Mortensen’s rich and diverse career are slated during SIFF 2016 in celebration of his work, including A Walk on the Moon, Eastern Promises, and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Among this year’s 53 World premieres is Seattle native Megan Griffiths’s The Night Stalker, a penetrating psychological thriller centered on the spine-chilling character of Richard Ramirez, California’s most notorious serial killer. Griffiths and star Lou Diamond Phillips will be in attendance at the June 4 screening. GALAS Opening Night Gala Café Society Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg star in a sparkling new romantic comedy from Woody Allen about a movie-industry hopeful who arrives in 1930s Hollywood, falls in love, and finds himself swept up in the vibrant café society that defined the age. North American Premiere (d: Woody Allen c: Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg, Blake Lively, Steve Carell, Parker Posey, Judy Davis, USA 2016, 96 min) Centerpiece Gala Gleason Director Clay Tweel delivers a bold and moving portrait of beloved Spokane born, former WSU and New Orleans Saints football player Steve Gleason, who at age 34 was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease and courageously filmed his journey for the public eye. (d: Clay Tweel f: Steve Gleason, Michel Gleason, Rivers Gleason, USA 2016, 110 min) Closing Night Gala The Dressmaker Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, and Judy Davis star in this hysterically madcap adaptation of the beloved novel about a chic 1950s dressmaker who returns from Paris to her small Australian town to right the wrongs of the past and revolutionize the local couture. (d: Jocelyn Moorhouse c: Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Judy Davis, Hugo Weaving, Australia 2015, 118 min) SPECIAL GUESTS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN ACTING AWARD Viggo Mortensen Featuring Captain Fantastic Plus screenings of A Walk on the Moon, Eastern Promises, and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King An actor, painter, poet, photographer, and jazz musician, Viggo Mortensen’s combination of rugged exterior and reflective interior have infused his wide range of film roles with equal parts gravitas and compassion—from criminals to cowboys, lovers to lieutenants, post-apocalyptic survivors to sagacious psychoanalysts, and the rightful king of Gondor. Past honorees of the SIFF Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award include Laura Dern, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kyle MacLachlan, Sir Ben Kingsley, Kevin Bacon, Edward Norton, Sissy Spacek, Joan Allen, and Anthony Hopkins amongst others. AN AFTERNOON WITH Molly Shannon Featuring Other People Plus World Premiere of Miles Molly Shannon’s penchant for theatrical comedy inspired some of “Saturday Night Live”’s most famous characters from 1995-2001, including Mary Catherine Gallagher and Sally O’Malley. Shannon went on to appear in several films such as Superstar, Wet Hot American Summer, Marie Antoinette, last year’s SIFF favorite Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and the TV series “Glee” and “Enlightened.” Her ability to shift seamlessly from comic characters to more nuanced dramatic roles is something not many can match. Tonight, SIFF will welcome her to the stage for an interview featuring film clips from her career, followed by a screening of one of Shannon’s latest films, Other People, directed by Chris Kelly. There will also be an opportunity for audience questions following the screening. COMPETITIONS Official Competition Battle of Sevastopol (d: Sergey Mokritskiy, Ukraine/Russia 2015, North American Premiere) [caption id="attachment_13537" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Burn Burn Burn[/caption] Burn Burn Burn (d: Chanya Button, United Kingdom 2015, North American Premiere) Creepy (d: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan 2016, North American Premiere) Eternal Summer (d: Andreas Öhman, Sweden 2015, North American Premiere) Girl Asleep (d: Rosemary Myers, Australia 2016, North American Premiere) Holding the Man (d: Neil Armfield, Australia 2015, North American Premiere) Moon in the 12th House (d: Dorit Hakim, Israel 2016, World Premiere) News From Planet Mars (d: Dominik Moll, France/Belgium 2016, US Premiere) Radio Dreams (d: Babak Jalali, Iran/USA 2016) The Scent of Mandarin (d: Gilles Legrand, France 2015, North American Premiere) The Sound of Trees (d: François Péloquin, Canada (Québec) 2015, US Premiere) Welcome To Norway! (d: Rune Denstad Langlo, Norway 2016, North American Premiere) New Directors Competition Antonia (d: Ferdinando Cito Filomarino, Italy/Greece 2015, North American Premiere) Before the Streets (d: Chloé Leriche, Canada (Québec) 2016, US Premiere) Coconut Hero (d: Florian Cossen, Germany/Canada 2015, North American Premiere) Family Film (d: Olmo Omerzu, Czech Republic/Germany/Slovenia/France/Slovakia 2015, North American Premiere) The Lure (d: Agnieszka Smoczynska, Poland 2015) Nakom (d: Kelly Daniela Norris, TW Pittman, Ghana/USA 2016) The Paradise Suite (d: Joost van Ginkel, Netherlands/Sweden/Bulgaria 2015) Rara (d: Pepa San Martín, Chile/Argentina 2016, North American Premiere) Sand Storm (d: Elite Zexer, Israel 2016) [caption id="attachment_10404" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Sparrows[/caption] Sparrows (d: Rúnar Rúnarsson, Iceland/Denmark/Croatia 2015) The Violators (d: Helen Walsh, United Kingdom 2015) Where Have All the Good Men Gone (d: René Frelle Petersen, Denmark 2016, World Premiere) Ibero-American Competition Awaiting (d: Daniela Fejerman, Spain/Lithuania 2015, North American Premiere) Deconstructing Dani García (d: Iñigo Ruiz, Alfonso Cortés-Cavanillas, Spain 2015, North American Premiere) How Most Things Work (d: Fernando Salem, Argentina 2015, US Premiere) Nueva Venecia (d: Emiliano Mazza de Luca, Colombia/Mexico/Uruguay 2016, US Premiere) The Pretty Ones (d: Melisa Liebenthal, Argentina 2016, North American Premiere) Red Gringo (d: Miguel Ángel Vidaurre, Chile 2016, North American Premiere) Warehoused (d: Jack Zagha, Mexico 2015, US Premiere) You’ll Never Be Alone (d: Alex Anwandter, Chile 2016, US Premiere) New American Cinema Competition 11:55 (d: Ari Issler, Ben Snyder, USA 2016) All the Birds Have Flown South (d: Joshua H. Miller, Miles B. Miller, USA 2016, World Premiere) Americana (d: Zachary Shedd, USA 2016, World Premiere) The Architect (d: Jonathan Parker, USA 2016, World Premiere) As You Are (d: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, USA 2016) Claire in Motion (d: Lisa Robinson, Annie J. Howell, USA 2016) Free In Deed (d: Jake Mahaffy, USA/New Zealand 2015) Middle Man (d: Ned Crowley, USA 2016, World Premiere) The Night Stalker (d: Megan Griffiths, USA 2016, World Premiere) Transpecos (d: Greg Kwedar, USA 2016) Documentary Competition [caption id="attachment_13536" align="alignnone" width="1000"] The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Maddin[/caption] The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Maddin (d: Yves Montmayeur, France 2015, US Premiere) Action Comandante (d: Nadine Angel Cloete, South Africa/Lesotho 2016, World Premiere) Death By a Thousand Cuts (d: Juan Mejia Botero, Jake Kheel, USA 2016, US Premiere) Death by Design (d: Sue Williams, China/Ireland 2016, World Premiere) Finding Babel (d: David Novack, USA/Ukraine/Russia/France 2015, North American Premiere) The IF Project (d: Kathlyn Horan, USA 2016, World Premiere) Mr. Gaga (d: Tomer Heymann, Israel/Sweden/Germany/Netherlands 2015) Naledi: A Baby Elephant’s Tale (d: Ben Bowie, Geoff Luck, USA/Botswana 2016, World Premiere) The Queen of Ireland (d: Conor Horgan, Ireland 2015, North American Premiere) The Revolution Won’t Be Televised (d: Rama Thiaw, Senegal 2016, US Premiere) Tsukiji Wonderland (d: Naotaro Endo, Japan 2016, World Premiere) We the People 2.0 (d: Leila Conners, USA 2016, World Premiere) Shorts Competition All short films shown at the Festival are eligible for both the Golden Space Needle Audience Award and Jury Award. Jurors will choose winners in the Narrative, Animation, and Documentary categories. Each jury winner will receive $2,500 and winners in any of the three categories may also qualify to enter the respective Short Film category of the Academy Awards® for the concurrent season without the theatrical run. Golden Space Needle Awards For the past 30 years, SIFF has celebrated its most popular films and filmmakers with the Golden Space Needle Audience Award. Awards by Festival audiences are given in five categories: Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Short Film. AFRICAN PICTURES African Pictures showcases the best filmmaking happening in and about Africa today. This program, made possible through the generous support of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, will bring shorts and features, documentaries and fiction films to American audiences who might never have the chance to see them otherwise. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to experience innovative and inspiring filmmaking from across the continent. [caption id="attachment_13534" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Action Comandante[/caption] Action Comandante (d: Nadine Angel Cloete, South Africa/Lesotho 2016, 90 min) Aisha (d: Chande Omar c: Godliver Gordian, Adarusi Walii, Flora Nicholas, Juma Madenge, Tanzania 2015, 112 min) As I Open My Eyes (d: Leyla Bouzid c: Baya Medhaffer, Ghalia Benali, Montassar Ayari, Aymen Omrani, Lassaad Jamoussi, Tunisia/France/ Belgium/ United Arab Emirates 2015, 102 min) Atlantic Heart (d: Robbie McCallum c: Elton Medina, Aurizania Monteiro, Julio Brito, Christian Neves, José ‘Bana’ Delgado, Cape Verde/United Kingdom 2016, 87 min) Checks and Balances (d: Malek Bensmaïl f: Omar Belhouchet, Hacène Ouali, Hassene Moali, Mustapha Benfodil, Ali Benyahia, Algeria/France 2015, 97 min) Eye of the Storm (d: Sékou Traoré c: Maïmouna N’Diaye, Fargass Assandé, Abidine Dioari, Issaka Sawadogo, Burkina Faso/France 2015, 101 min) Lamb (d: Yared Zeleke c: Redial Amare, Kidist Siyum, Welela Assefa, Rahel Teshome, Surafel Teka, Ethiopia/France/Germany/Norway/Qatar 2015, 94 min) Much Loved (d: Nabil Ayouch c: Loubna Abidar, Asma Lazrak, Halima Karaouane, Sara Elmhamdi Elalaoui, Abdellah Didane, Morocco/France 2015, 103 min) Nakom (d: Kelly Daniela Norris, TW Pittman c: Jacob Ayanaba, Grace Ayariga, Justina Kulidu, James Azudago, Felicia Atampuri, Ghana/USA 2016, 90 min Naledi: A Baby Elephant’s Tale (d: Ben Bowie, Geoff Luck, USA/Botswana 2016, 90 min) The Revolution Won’t Be Televised (d: Rama Thiaw, Senegal 2016, 110 min) CHINA STARS SIFF is proud to launch the China Stars Showcase series in Seattle during the 42nd annual Seattle International Film Festival, with support from WASA North America Group and Hainan Airlines. With the purpose of fostering cross-cultural exchange and artistic vision, SIFF has collaborated with WASA North America Group to select five wonderful feature films from mainland China to screen as part of the 2016 showcase series. These films will screen before audiences in Seattle, Renton, Shoreline, and on the Eastside at Bellevue’s Lincoln Square. The Big Road (d: Sun Yu c: Chen Yanyan, Zheng Junli, Li Lili, Liu Qiong, Jin Yan, China 1935, 104 min) Death by Design (d: Sue Williams f: Ted Smith, Ma Jun, Kyle Wiens, Luke Soules, Paul Maher, China/Ireland 2016, 73 min) The Final Master (d: Xu Haofeng c: Liao Fan, Song Jia, Jiang Wenli, Jin Shijie, Song Yang, China 2015, 109 min) Mountains May Depart (d: Jia Zhangke c: Zhao Tao, Zhang Yi, Liang Jin Dong, Dong Zijian, Sylvia Chang, China/Japan/France 2015, 131 min) Paths of the Soul (d: Zhang Yang c: Yang Pei, Nyima Zadui, Tsewang Dolkar, Tsring Chodron, Seba Jiangcuo, China 2015, 115 min) CULINARY CINEMA Popcorn is no longer king as the phenomenon of food culture has exploded into cinema. We’ve selected 9 extraordinary films that explore different aspects of taste and the senses for the cinematically inclined. Ants on a Shrimp (d: Maurice Dekkers f: René Redzepi, Lars Williams, Rosio Sanchez, Thomas Frebel, Dan Giusti, Netherlands 2016, 88 min) Bugs (d: Andreas Johnsen f: Ben Reade, Josh Evans, Roberto Flore, Denmark 2016, 76 min) Ceviche’s DNA (d: Orlando Arriagada f: José Antonio del Castillo, Victor Pimentel, Ulla Holmquist, Valentín Paso Purisaca, Santiago Uceda Castillo, Canada/Peru 2015, 85 min) Deconstructing Dani García (d: Iñigo Ruiz, Alfonso Cortés-Cavanillas, Spain 2015, 72 min) Hummus (d: Oren Rosenfeld f: Eliyahu Shmueli, Suheila Al Hindi, Jalil Dabit, Israel 2016, 70 min) Insatiable: The Homaro Cantu Story (d: Brett A. Schwartz f: Homaro Cantu, Richie Farina, Angela Cantu-Reeder, Trevor Rose-Hamblin, Mark Caro, Scott Trotter, USA 2016, 98 min) Sam Choy’s Poké to the Max screens with Harlem on My Plate (28 minutes) (d: Terrence Jeffrey Santos f: Sam Choy, Geo Quibuyen, Yuji Okumoto, Max Heigh, USA 2016, 40 min) Sustainable (d: Matt Wechsler f: Marty Travis, Greg Wade, Rick Bayless, Mark Bittman, John Ikerd, USA 2016, 96 min) Tsukiji Wonderland (d: Naotaro Endo f: Jiro Ono, Rene Redzepi, Theodore C. Bestor, Japan 2016, 110 min) FACE THE MUSIC Four out of five SIFF programmers agree that regular exposure to music and film are essential to your overall well-being. With that in mind, this year’s Face the Music program has been specifically designed to provide a holistic regimen for your audio-visual health. Taken together, these remedies are guaranteed to expand your visual and sonic parameters, as well as set you on the righteous path to living a more audio-visually conscious lifestyle, with optimal aural performance. [caption id="attachment_13491" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] BANG! The Bert Berns Story[/caption] BANG! The Bert Berns Story (d: Brett Berns, Bob Sarles f: Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, Ronald Isley, Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, USA 2016, 94 min) Concerto – A Beethoven Journey (d: Phil Grabsky f: Leif Ove Andsnes, Gustavo Dudamel, United Kingdom 2015, 92 min) Contemporary Color (d: Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross f: David Byrne, Lucius, Nico Muhly, Ira Glass, Nelly Furtado, St.Vincent, Devonte Hynes, How To Dress Well, Zola Jesus, AD- Rock, Money Mark, tUnE-yArDs, USA 2016, 96 min) The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (d: Morgan Neville f: Yo-Yo Ma, Wu Man, Kinan Azmeh, Kayhan Kalhor, Cristina Pato, USA 2015, 96 min) Presenting Princess Shaw (d: Ido Haar f: Kutiman, Samantha Montgomery, Israel 2015, 80 min) The Prince Sing Along Red Gringo (d: Miguel Ángel Vidaurre f: Dean Reed, José Roman, Gonzalo Planet, Chile 2016, 67 min) A Song For You: The Austin City Limits Story (d: Keith Maitland f: Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Ray Vaughan, Matthew McConaughey, Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Beck, Ray Charles, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Guy, USA 2016, 91 min) We Are X (d: Stephen Kijak f: Yoshiki, Toshi, Pata, Hiroshi, USA/Japan/United Kingdom 2016, 89 min) NORTHWEST CONNECTIONS Seattleites see more films per capita than the residents of any other American city, and a growing number of these selections have their roots in the fertile Pacific Northwest film community. Each year, SIFF honors the many ways in which the Puget Sound region contributes to the world of cinema, whether as an evocative location for outside filmmakers or as inspiration for local filmmakers ready to strut their stuff. The Architect (d: Jonathan Parker c: Parker Posey, Eric McCormack, James Frain, John Carroll Lynch, USA 2016, 95 min) Big Sonia (d: Leah Warshawski, Todd Soliday f: Sonia Warshawski, USA 2016, 90 min) Finding Kim (d: Aaron Bear f: Kim B, Dan Savage, Buck Angel, Carmen Carrera, Calpernia Addams, Jamison Green, Dr. Tony Mangubat, USA 2016, 82 min) Finding October (d: Nick Terry c: Michael Ward, Karin Terry, Nick Terry, Delaney Berreth, Ryan Woodyard, USA 2016, 77 min) Full Court: The Spencer Haywood Story (d: Martin Spirit f: Spencer Haywood, Charles Barkley, Pat Riley, Lenny Wilkens, Chuck D, USA 2016, 90 min) Gold Balls (d: Kate Dandel f: John Powless, Ron Tonidandel, Bob Sherman, George McCabe, Marcus Freeman, Steve Tignor, USA 2016, 85 min) The IF Project (d: Kathlyn Horan f: Kim Bogucki, Renata Abramson, Tiffany Doll, Angela Vargas, LaKeisha “”KeWee”” Hamilton, USA 2016, 88 min) If There’s a Hell Below (d: Nathan Williams c: Carol Roscoe, Conner Marx, Mark Carr, Paul Budraitis, USA 2016, 94 min) The Memory of Fish (d: Jennifer Galvin, Sachi Cunningham Narrated by Lili Taylor, USA 2016, 54 min) A New High (d: Samuel Miron, Stephen Scott Scarpulla USA 2015, 100 min) Paralytic (d: Joey Johnson c: David S. Hogan, Darlene Sellers, Angela DiMarco, D’Angelo Midili, Richard Carmen, USA 2016, 87 min) Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell (d: Martin Bell f: Erin Blackwell, Mary Ellen Mark, USA 2016, 86 min)
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Seattle International Film Festival Unveils African Pictures Program Lineup

Senegalese documentary The Revolution Won’t Be Televised

The Seattle International Film Festival will continue its African Pictures program at the upcoming festival, thanks to a $25,000 FilmWatch grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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Under the Shadow Kicks Off Lineup for 2016 New Directors / New Films

Under the Shadow

The Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art have announced the complete lineup for the 2016 New Directors / New Films (ND/NF), taking place March 16 to 27 in New York City.

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First Films Revealed for Panorama Section of 2016 Berlin Film Festival

The 2016 Berlin Film Festival revealed the first wave of titles that will screen in the Panorama section. By mid January some 32 fiction films and 18 documentaries will have been selected for the Panorama 2016. Films include Rebecca Miller’s Maggie’s Plan (pictured above) starring Julianne Moore, and Ethan Hawke. In Maggie’s Plan, everything revolves around possible relationships, and the compulsions and constraints of pregnancy, as well as a threesome – or maybe not. The fresh ideas the actors bring to their characters make for great fun. In Nakom by Kelly Daniela Norris and TW Pittman, first fiction film from Ghana at the Berlinale, life is just starting for a young medical student, far away from his village in Ghana’s capital, Accra. But suddenly his father dies and, as the oldest son, he is ordered home. There he has his hands full, trying to deal with the wishes of his relatives and getting the farm back on track. A portrait of customs and traditions in rural Ghana, but also of a departure from the limitations that every village community in the world imposes on its children. Dokumente films make up about a third of the Panorama program. So far the festival has selected two: Laura Israel’s Don’t Blink – Robert Frank is an exceptionally lively and organic portrait of this photographer and filmmaker as well as a kaleidoscope of Jewish life in New York. When navigating his later years, Frank is at times grumpy and dissatisfied, at others affable and ironic. William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Ed Lachman, with music by Lou Reed, Patti Smith, the band Bauhaus – Frank’s life and work reveals a cornucopia of inspiration. From Romania comes Hotel Dallas by Livia Ungur and Sherng-Lee Huang: the film investigates the formative influence of a TV series on a society in upheaval. With underlying humour, fun and fantasy, Livia Ungur takes us and Patrick Duffy, the star of TV series Dallas, on a tour through her Romania – a country that still has not stopped dreaming of better days. Additionally, the only official LGBTIQ (in short, queer) film prize at an A-festival in the world is celebrating its 30th anniversary: the Teddy Award. This year’s anniversary program will present a total of 16 films. The Panorama will be presenting a special screening, the world premiere of the restoration of Anders als die Andern (Different from the Others, Germany 1919). This film by Richard Oswald was the first gay film in cinematic history. Its restoration has been carried out by the Outfest Legacy Project / UCLA Film & Television Archive in Los Angeles and underscores the need to archive films on 35mm, at present the only reliable storage medium. Panorama 2016 Já, Olga Hepnarová (I, Olga Hepnarová) – Czech Republic / Poland / Slowak Republic / France By Tomáš Weinreb, Petr Kazda With Michalina Olszanska, Marta Mazurek, Ondrej Malý World premiere Junction 48 – Israel / Germany / USA By Udi Aloni With Tamer Nafar, Samar Qupty, Salwa Nakkara, Sameh Zakout, Ayed Fadel World premiere Les Premiers, les Derniers (The First, the Last) – France / Belgium By Bouli Lanners With Albert Dupontel, Bouli Lanners, Suzanne Clément, Michael Lonsdale, David Murgia International premiere Maggie’s Plan – USA By Rebecca Miller With Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph European premiere Nakom – Ghana / USA By Kelly Daniela Norris, TW Pittman With Jacob Ayanaba, Grace Ayariga, Abdul Aziz, Justina Kulidu, Shetu Musah, Esther Issaka, Thomas Kulidu, James Azudago, Felicia Awinbe, Sumaila Ndaago World premiere Remainder – United Kingdom / Germany By Omer Fast With Tom Sturridge, Cush Jumbo, Ed Speleers, Arsher Ali, Shaun Prendergast International premiere S one strane (On the Other Side) – Croatia / Serbia By Zrinko Ogresta With Ksenija Marinković, Lazar Ristovski World premiere Starve Your Dog – Morocco By Hicham Lasri With Jirari Ben Aissa, Latifa Ahrrare, Fehd Benchemsi European premiere Sufat Chol (Sand Storm) – Israel By Elite Zexer With Lamis Ammar, Ruba Blal-Asfour, Haitham Omari, Khadija Alakel, Jalal Masarwa European premiere – debut feature film Théo et Hugo dans le même bateau (Paris 05:59) – France By Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau With Geoffrey Couët, François Nambot World premiere The Ones Below – United Kingdom By David Farr With Clémence Poésy, David Morrissey, Stephen Campbell Moore, Laura Birn European premiere – debut feature film War on Everyone – United Kingdom By John Michael McDonagh With Michael Peña, Alexander Skarsgård, Theo James World premiere Panorama Dokumente Don’t Blink – Robert Frank – USA / France By Laura Israel International premiere Hotel Dallas – Romania / USA By Livia Ungur, Sherng-Lee Huang With Patrick Duffy World premiere – debut feature film The complete Teddy30 program with short synopses of the films 1 Berlin Harlem – Germany (Federal Republic), 1974 By Lothar Lambert, Wolfram Zobus Legendary film from super-indy filmmaker Lambert, one time most-featured Berlinale director, about the forms of racism in Berlin’s vibrant lifestyle at the time of the film’s making. Brimming with cameos galore: alongside leading actor Conrad Jennings the likes of Ortrud Beginnen, Tally Brown, Ingrid Caven, Peter Chatel, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Günter Kaufmann, Dietmar Kracht, Evelyn Künneke, Lothar Lambert, Y Sa Lo, Bernd Lubowski, Brigitte Mira, Vera Müller can all be seen. Anders als die Andern (Different from the Others) – Germany, 1919 By Richard Oswald A significant world premiere: realised by the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project/UCLA Film & Television Archive, the newly-restored version of this cultural document of immeasurable value is screened for the first time – in a 35mm print, still the only reliable archive medium. Before Stonewall – USA, 1984 By Greta Schiller, Robert Rosenberg Info-Schau (former title of Panorama) 1985 The legendary film from Greta Schiller reveals a lot which is missing from Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall – but nevertheless agrees with him in quite a few details. The world “before Stonewall”, the beginning of the post-war gay rights movement: the German portrait of this dark Adenauer era in which homosexuals were transferred directly from concentration camps to West German correctional facilities and have not been rehabilitated is yet to come. Greta Schiller later gained renown with Paris Was A Woman which she screened together with her partner and screenwriter Andrea Weiß in the 1996 Panorama. Die Betörung der Blauen Matrosen (The Enchantment of the Blue Sailors) – Germany (Federal Republic), 1975 By Ulrike Ottinger Ulrike Ottinger won the Special Teddy Award in 2014 for her incomparable lifetime achievement, of which this enchanting queer film is an early example even before her groundbreaking films Madame X and Bildnis einer Trinkerin (Ticket of No Return). Die Wiese der Sachen (The Meadow of Things) – Germany (Federal Republic), 1974-1987 By Heinz Emigholz Panorama / Teddy Award winner 1988 At a time when New German Cinema still appeared to be elusive, this artist and architect amongst West German filmmakers inspired with strikingly visual collages, associative streams and intellectual juxtapositions. An important work from an important German filmmaker. Gendernauts – Eine Reise durch die Geschlechter (Gendernauts – A Journey Through Shifting Identities) – Germany, 1999 By Monika Treut Panorama / Teddy Award winner 1999 One of the early researchers into the walled-in, gender-dualistic world of female and male, Monika Treut is at once a pioneer and veteran of Queer Cinema – an icon of the emancipation movement. She has screened numerous works in Panorama. I Shot Andy Warhol – USA, 1996 By Mary Harron The attempted assassination of Andy Warhol from the perspective of Factory member, artist, writer and publisher of the S.C.U.M. Manifesto Valerie Solanas. Mary Harron’s debut film was produced by Christine Vachon who, with her Killer Films production company, has produced many works screened at the Berlinale and Teddy Award winners including all of Todd Haynes’ films. Je, tu, il, elle (I, You, He, She) – France / Belgium, 1974 By Chantal Akerman In her boundary-breaking feature debut Chantal Akermann herself plays a young woman who seeks to address her experience of isolation through the study of other individuals. In tribute to Chantal Akerman, Panorama is screening two of her films: alongside Je, tu, il, elle, her Panorama film from 1983, Toute une nuit (A Whole Night). Looking for Langston – United Kingdom, 1989 By Isaac Julien Panorama / Teddy Award winner 1989 Now a star of the video art world, Isaac Julien has always first and foremost been a poetical activist, aesthete and cultural historian in the service of emancipation. This montage of archive material, dramatised scenes and literary texts creates an image of black gay identity exemplified by the life and work of Langston Hughes during the “Harlem Renaissance” in 1930s and 1940s New York City. Machboim (Hide and Seek) – Israel, 1979 By Dan Wolman Info-Schau (former title of Panorama) 1980 Today it is exactly the same as 36 years ago: love between Arabs and Jews is punished, hate and murder are accepted as normality. Dan Wolman casts a brave early look at this never-to-be-accepted situation. Marble Ass – Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 1995 By Želimir Žilnik Panorama / Teddy Award winner 1995 Žilnik counters the homophobia and transphobia of Balkan societies which came to light years after the fall of the Berlin Wall with an early and anarchistic stand in what is still, to this day, one of the most extraordinary films to emerge from the entire region Nitrate Kisses – USA, 1992 By Barbara Hammer Forum 1993 A never seen in this way before, sensitively creative conquest of the female sexual realm, radically beyond the prescriptions of mainstream culture. Barbara Hammer has screened many of her works at the Berlinale. The Watermelon Woman – USA, 1996 By Cheryl Dunye Panorama / Teddy Award winner 1996 Racist tendencies might appear to have been expunged from emancipation and gender discourse – but this is far from being the case. The racism inherent in mainstream culture is not necessarily recognised as such by alternative thinkers. Dunye takes a stance with a reflection on a representative figure of this complex issue. Tongues Untied – USA, 1989 By Marlon Riggs Panorama / Teddy Award winner 1990 An early work of queer black emancipation from the then beacon of hope in the Afro-American gay rights movement – another artist and intellectual who died far too young from AIDS. Toute une nuit (A Whole Night) – France / Belgium, 1982 By Chantal Akerman Info-Schau (former title of Panorama) 1983 The director at the forefront of the post-war gender debate was already present in only the third year of the Info-Schau with this film. Virtuoso atmospheres between people and things, between spirit and world and time and space distinguish the work of this passionate artist who took her own life in October 2015. Panorama is screening two films in tribute to Chantal Akerman: alongside Toute une nuit, her debut from 1974, the radical Je, tu, il, elle (I, You, He, She). Tras el cristal (In a Glass Cage) – Spain, 1987 By Agustí Vilaronga A scandalous film at the time of making: an old Nazi and his young carer in Spain. A truly dark work about dark subject matters, the concealment and unrepentant nature of the post-fascist Spanish world when it had not yet begun to grapple analytically and politically with those grim times. In 2000 Vilaronga won the Manfred Salzgeber Prize with El Mar.
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