Shakedown (2018)

  • Pornhub to Release SHAKEDOWN, First Non-Adult Themed Documentary on Lesbian Strip Club

    Shakedown, the critically-acclaimed documentary art film by filmmaker and vanguard artist Leilah Weinraub
    Shakedown, the critically-acclaimed documentary art film by filmmaker and vanguard artist Leilah Weinraub

    Pornhub known primarily for adult entertainment will debut its first non-adult themed content, Shakedown, the critically-acclaimed documentary art film by filmmaker and vanguard artist Leilah Weinraub. The film will screen for the month of March on the streaming network.

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  • ZAMA, BURNING, and FIRST REFORMED Top Film Comment 2018 Best Films

    First Reformed, directed by Paul Schrader
    First Reformed

    Lucrecia Martel’s Zama, Lee Chang-dong’s Burning, and Paul Schrader’s First Reformed took the top spots among films released in 2018 on Film Comment’s annual end-of-year survey. Of the films that screened at festivals worldwide but have not announced stateside distribution, Roberto Minervini’s What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?, Mariano Llinás’s La Flor, and Khalik Allah’s Black Mother received the top rankings.

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  • CLARA’S GHOST, MR. SOUL!, NEW MONEY, WAITING: THE VAN DUREN STORY Win at 2018 Indie Memphis Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_32555" align="aligncenter" width="994"]Cinematography Award Winner James Laxton (Photo Courtesy of Indie Memphis) Cinematography Award Winner James Laxton (Photo Courtesy of Indie Memphis)[/caption] Indie Memphis Film Festival held its annual awards ceremony on Saturday, November 3rd announcing awards for all competition films.  For the Narrative Competition, the winner was CLARA’S GHOST by Bridey Elliott and the Duncan Williams Script Writing Award went to JINN by Nijla Mu’min; for Sounds (music-centric films), the winner was the feature documentary MR. SOUL! by Melissa Haizlip and Samuel D. Pollard, as well as the short “Gomenaki” by Someone Who Isn’t Me (directed by Alkis Papastathopoulos); for Hometowner (Memphis-centric films), the feature winner was RUKUS by Brett Hanover, with Hometowner music video “I’m Yours” by Faith Evans Ruch (directed by Melissa Anderson, Sweazy), as well as Departures Hometowner short “Windows” by Jason Allen Lee; the Documentary Competition Feature winner was SHAKEDOWN by Leilah Weinraub, along with an Indie Grant for the short doc “Getting By” by Jordan Danelz. Special Jury Awards went to Graham L. Carter’s SHOOT THE MOON RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES and HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING by RaMell Ross. For the Shorts Competition, the winner for Hometowner Narrative Short was “Minority” by Will Robbins and the winner for Hometowner Documentary Short “Bonfire” by Kevin Brooks; the winner of the Documentary Short was “Black 14” by Darius Clark Monroe; and the winner of the Narrative Short was “Magic Bullet” by Amanda Lovejoy Street. On the festival’s Closing Night, the Audience Awards were announced at Downtown Memphis’ Halloran Centre by Executive Director Ryan Watt. The Narrative Feature winner was NEW MONEY by Jason Kohl; the Hometowner Feature winner was WAITING: THE VAN DUREN STORY by Greg Carey and Wade Jackson; the Sounds Feature winner was MR. SOUL! by Melissa Haizlip and Samuel D. Pollard; the Doc Feature winner was WRESTLE by Suzannah Herber and Lauren Belfer; and the Departures Feature winner was THE WASHING SOCIETY by Lynne Sachs. The Documentary Short winner was “Life on the Line” by Lea Suzuki; the Music Video winner was “Faithful” by King Kwofi (directed by Benjamin Stark); the After Dark Short winner was “Hair Wolf” by Marima Diallo; the Hometowner Narrative Short winner was “Best Wedding Gift” by Mark Jones; the Narrative Short winner was “Under Mom’s Skirt” by Sarah Heitz De Chabaneix; and the Hometowner Doc Short winner was “You Must Believe” by Lauren Squires Ready. In addition, The Black Filmmakers Pitch Rally (presented with crowdfunding partner Seed&Spark) took place on Friday, November 2nd, when twelve selected black filmmakers pitched their prospective film projects in hopes of receiving prizes including a $10K Bounty Prize provided by Epicenter Memphis, high-end color package from Apache, and much more, if they were to begin production on their film in Memphis by August 1st, 2018. Local Memphis filmmaker Dave Godbout was named the winner of the first Indie Memphis Film Festival Black Filmmakers Pitch Rally, as well as its $10K Bounty Prize, for his surreal comedy CHARMAINE. The coming-of-age sex comedy by Amanda Willoughby and Jessica Chaney, HOW TO MAKE LOVE TO A MAN, will receive a $1,000 donation to its crowdfunding campaign via Seed&Spark, and BLACK CHERRY by Amanda Layne Miller received an honorable mention. This year, Oscar-nominated cinematographer James Laxton (MOONLIGHT, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK) was honored with Indie Memphis’ inaugural “Indie Memphis Cinematography Award,” presented to him by Miriam Bale, Indie Memphis’ Artistic Director (newly promoted from Senior Programmer). His frequent collaborator Barry Jenkins congratulated him via a heartfelt video message at the ceremony; the two have been friends since they were students at Florida State University, where they became fast friends and kindred spirits. Jenkins said, “In these modern times that we live in, the work of the cinematographer goes unappreciated. I remember [Laxton and I] fusing in this way that we both had this visual idea of what the film was going to be. Sometimes I don’t know what I want, but I want it to be beautiful. And James understands what I want.” This award kicks off the awards season buzz for Laxton, whose work in Jenkins’ IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK (Indie Memphis’ Centerpiece Presentation) is highly lauded. Laxton also appeared at the “New Ways of Seeing: Cinematography Workshop” alongside MADELINE’S MADELINE and THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST rising star cinematographer Ashley Connor. Laxton said of his award, “To be here in Memphis and accept this is very special. Memphis has clearly been an influence on Barry and me for a long time.” Actor/rapper Shayna McHayle (aka Junglepussy) was awarded with the “Indie Memphis Actor of the Year” award for her work in Andrew Bujalski’s SUPPORT THE GIRLS, Indie Memphis’ Closing Night selection, a comedy that portrays the pratfalls of women working at a female-run “sports bar with curves.” Bujalski presented McHayle with the award while singing her praises, saying, “From her first take on her first day, I knew we had something special.” McHayle’s award also puts her into the awards conversation, in a critically-acclaimed performance that garnered praise such as The New York Times describing her as delivering a “delightful, contrapuntal comic performance.” McHayle was overwhelmed with thanks for her win and dedicated her award to the women in her life. She said, “I want to give a special shout out to all the women in my family who have overcome adversity.”

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  • Indie Memphis Film Festival Announces 2018 Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_31953" align="aligncenter" width="1170"] MR. SOUL![/caption] This year’s 2018 Indie Memphis Film Festival is promising to be a very exciting and wildly varied one, with a lineup featuring five World Premiere screenings and one U.S. Premiere screening, as well as Special Presentations such as CABIN BOY with Chris Elliott in attendance and Barbara Loden’s feminist masterpiece WANDA presented by Amy Seimetz (Showtime’s “The Girlfriend Experience”), as well as a retrospective of the recent films of filmmaker Hong Sangsoo. The Opening Night film is Melissa Haizlip and Samuel D. Pollard’s MR. SOUL!, a documentary chronicling Ellis Haizlip, the host of a groundbreaking weekly TV show called SOUL! that aired from 1968-1973, Barry Jenkins’ IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK as the Centerpiece Presentation, and Andrew Bujaski’s SUPPORT THE GIRLS as the Closing Night selection, followed by Bujalski presenting the “Indie Memphis Actor of the Year” award for an unforgettable role by a promising new performer to one of the film’s stars, Shayna McHayle (aka Junglepussy). As previously announced, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU filmmaker Boots Riley will be the festival’s keynote speaker for the Black Creatives Forum as well as presenting BRAZIL (1985, Terry Gilliam). The festival also includes 165 short films and over 50 music videos. This year’s festival should prove to be a very diverse one, as fifty percent of the films in the Narrative Competition are directed by female-identifying filmmakers and fifty percent are directed by people of color; in the Documentary Competition, forty-three percent are directed by women and seventy-one percent by people of color. In addition to films from the United States, the festival also boasts titles from Spain, France, South Korea, Israel, Germany, Australia, Zambia, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    2018 Indie Memphis Film Festival Slate

    OPENING NIGHT

    MR. SOUL! (Dirs. Melissa Haizlip, Samuel D. Pollard) Before Oprah – Before Arsenio – there was Mr. SOUL! Ellis Haizlip makes television broadcast history with SOUL!, America’s first “black Tonight Show.” Featuring archive footage of Sidney Poitier, Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Harry Belafonte, among others. Filmmaker Melissa Haizlip in attendance. 2018, 90 min, Documentary

    CENTERPIECE

    IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK (Dir. Barry Jenkins) After her fiancé is falsely imprisoned, a pregnant young woman in Harlem sets out to clear his name and prove his innocence. 2018, 117 min, Drama

    CLOSING NIGHT

    SUPPORT THE GIRLS (Dir. Andrew Bujalski) The general manager at a highway-side ”sports bar with curves” has her incurable optimism and faith, in her girls, her customers, and herself, tested over the course of a long, strange day. Filmmaker Andrew Bujalski will present “Indie Memphis Actor of the Year” award to Shayna McHayle (aka Junglepussy). 2018, 94 min, Comedy

    NARRATIVE COMPETITION

    CLARA’S GHOST (Dir. Bridey Elliott) Set over the course of a single evening in the Reynolds family home in suburban Connecticut, Clara’s Ghost tells the story of Clara Reynolds who, fed up with constant ribbing from her self-absorbed showbiz family, finds solace in and guidance from the supernatural force she believes is haunting her. Filmmaker Bridey Elliott in attendance. Actors Abby Elliott, Chris Elliott, and Paula Niedert Elliott in attendance. 2018, 98 min, Comedy/Drama JINN (Dir. Nijla Mumin) A shape-shifting, pepperoni-loving, black teenage Instagram celebrity explores her identity and sexuality in the midst of her mother’s conversion to Islam. Filmmaker Nijla Mumin in attendance. 2018, 92 min, Drama JOBE’Z WORLD (Dir. Michael Bilandic) – World Premiere Jobe is a roller-blading delivery dude in NYC who, one endless night, delivers drugs to his favorite actor, Royce David Leslie. Filmmaker Michael Bilandic in attendance. 2018, 67 min, Comedy NEW MONEY (Dir. Jason B. Kohl) A struggling woman abducts her estranged father after he cuts her out of his will. 2018, 85 min, Drama/Thriller SEPULVEDA (Dirs. Jena English, Brandon Wilson) An existential urban road movie about three best friends who decide to drive L.A.’ s longest street. Filmmaker Brandon Wilson in attendance. 2016, 82 min, Comedy/Drama SHOOT THE MOON BETWEEN THE EYES (Dir. Graham Carter) – World Premiere Jerry and Carl have conned their way from one small Texas town to another. The plan for their final con goes haywire when one of them falls in love with Maureen, all while there’s a bumbling P.I. out for vengeance and hot on their trail. Filmmaker Graham Carter in attendance. 2018, 73 min, Comedy/ Drama /Musical/Romance SOLACE (Dir. Tchaiko Omawale) A 17-year-old orphan named Sole is shipped off to her estranged grandmother (Lynn Whitfield from EVE’S BAYOU) in Ladera Heights, Los Angeles. Sole plots her escape to New York while navigating a foreign environment, new friendships and a hidden eating disorder. Filmmaker Tchaiko Omawale in attendance. 2018, 127 min, Drama

    DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

    ENTRIALGO (Dir. Diego Llorente) – World Premiere A beautiful and meditative study of rural Asturias, Spain. Life goes on with a different pace in Entrialgo. Rubén and Aitor grow with this rhythm. Their life swifts between the solitude of the courtyards of their house, the games mixed with the work of the adults and the school where they interact with their equals. Game, solitude and animals are witnesses and companions of a year in the life of these children. Filmmaker Diego Llorente in attendance. 2018, 65 min, Documentary HALE COUNTY: THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING (Dir. Ramell Ross) Composed of intimate and unencumbered moments of people in a community, HALE COUNTY: THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING allows the viewer an emotive impression of the Historic South — trumpeting the beauty of life and consequences of the social construction of race, while simultaneously a testament to dreaming — despite the odds. Filmmaker RaMell Ross in attendance. 2018, 76 min, Documentary KINSHASA MAKAMBO (Dir. Dieudo Hamadi) Christian, Ben and Jean-Marie are fighting for political change of power and free elections in their country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But the incumbent President refuses to relinquish power. Kinshasa Makambo immerses us in the combat these three activists are engaged in, a combat that neither bullets, nor prison, nor exile seem able to stop. 2018, 74 min, Documentary SHAKEDOWN (Dir. Leilah Weinraub) From 2002 to 2015, filmmaker Leilah Weinraub documents explicit performances in an underground black-lesbian club in Los Angeles. Filmmaker Leilah Weinraub in attendance. 2018, 82 min, Documentary/LGBTQ SPEAK UP! (Dir. Amandine Gay) – US Premiere An exploration of the intersections of discrimination, art and blackness, featuring interviews with black women in France and Belgium. Filmmaker Amandine Gay in attendance; this screening in collaboration with “Blackness in French and Francophone Film” at Columbia University. 2018, 122 min, Documentary THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES (Dir. Gene Graham) The Dojo, which is a children’s karate school by day, becomes a male strip joint on Thursday nights where hundreds of women convene for a potluck fundraiser, a sense of community, and the opportunity to throw singles at the New Jersey Nasty Boyz. Filmmaker Gene Graham in attendance. 2018, 82 min, Documentary WRESTLE (Dir. Suzannah Herbert) An intimate and nuanced documentary that follows the wrestling team at J.O. Johnson High School in Huntsville, which has been on Alabama’s failing schools list for decades. Filmmaker Suzannah Herbert in attendance. 2018, 99 min, Documentary

    SPOTLIGHT

    Narrative: DIAMANTINO (Dirs. Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt) Diamantino, the world’s premiere soccer star loses his special touch and ends his career in disgrace. Searching for a new purpose, the international icon sets on a delirious odyssey where he confronts neo-fascism, the refugee crisis, genetic modification, and the hunt for the source of genius. 2018, 92 min, Comedy/Drama/Fantasy I AM NOT A WITCH (Dir. Rungano Nyoni) Shula is the first child taken to a traveling witch camp, where she is told that should she cut the ribbon and attempt to escape, she will be cursed and transformed into a goat. 2017, 93 min, Drama MADELINE’S MADELINE (Dir. Josephine Decker) A theater director’s latest project takes on a life of its own when her young star takes her performance too seriously. 2018, 93 min, Drama/Thriller NOTES ON AN APPEARANCE (Dir. Ricky D’ambrose) A young man leaves behind an obscure cache of letters, postcards, and notebooks when he disappears. Actor Keith Poulson in attendance. 2018, 60 min, Drama SORRY ANGEL (Dir. Christophe Honoré) Jacques is an older writer from Paris. Arthur is a young student in Rennes. They instantly fall in love. But they’ll have to face rejection and sickness to keep it that way. 2018, 133 min, Drama/LGBTQ TYREL (Dir. Sebastián Silva) Tyler goes to an isolated cabin in the Catskills for a raucous all-dude weekend birthday party for a friend. He finds he is the sole black person there and grows increasingly uncomfortable. 2018, 86 min, Comedy/Thriller WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY (Dir. Madeleine Olnek) Dramatization of the little known side of the writer Emily Dickinson’s life, in particular her relationship with another woman. Actor Amy Seimetz in attendance. 2018, 84 min, Comedy Documentary: A BETTER MAN (Dirs. Attiya Khan, Lawrence Jackman) Filmmaker Attiya Khan documents her meetings with an abusive ex-boyfriend to show the healing and revelation that can happen for everyone involved when men take responsibility for their abuse. A fascinating and necessary exploration into restorative justice. 2017, 79 min, Documentary DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES (Dir. Alexis Bloom) Director Alexis Bloom charts the rise and fall of the late Republican Party booster and controversial Fox News mogul who went down in flames amid multiple sexual harassment allegations. 2018, 107 min, Documentary THE GOSPEL OF EUREKA (Dirs. Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher) Love, faith, and civil rights collide in the south as evangelical Christians and drag queens step into the spotlight to explore the meaning of belief. Gospel drag shows and passion plays intermix in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. 2018, 75 min, Documentary MATANGI / MAYA /M.I.A (Dir. Stephen Loveridge) Drawn from a never before seen cache of personal footage spanning decades, Stephen Loveridge creates an intimate portrait of the Sri Lankan artist and musician known as M.I.A. 2018, 96 min, Documentary MINDING THE GAP (Dir. Bing Liu) Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship. 2018, 93 min, Documentary

    DEPARTURES

    AUGUST AT AKIKO’S (Dir. Christopher Makoto Yogi) Armed with just his suitcase and a sax, cosmopolitan musician Alex Zhang Hungtai (DIRTY BEACHES) returns home to the Big Island of Hawai‘i having been away for nearly a decade. 2018, 75 min, Experimental Drama BLACK MOTHER (Dir. Khalik Allah) Filmmaker Khalik Allah offers a portrait of Jamaica, the home of his maternal grandparents. He interviews people and edits the audio as if it were music (as much for rhythm as content), exploring various themes while accompanied by his unique visual style. Filmmaker Khalik Allah in attendance. 2018, 77 min, Experimental Documentary LIFE IS FARE (Dir. Sephora Woldu) An experimental musical film exploring wildly different perspectives on the East African nation of Eritrea. Filmmaker Sephora Woldu in attendance. 2018, 62 min, Experimental/Musical THE WASHING SOCIETY (Dir. Lynne Sachs) Filmmaker Lynne Sachs and playwright Lizzie Olesker document the disappearing neighborhood laundromats and the labor that is associated with them. Filmmaker Lynne Sachs in attendance. 2018, 44 min, 2018, Documentary Screening with: “I Am Somebody” (Dir. Madeline Anderson) A short political documentary by Madeline Anderson about black hospital workers on strike in Charleston South Carolina. 1970, 30 min, Documentary

    SOUNDS

    BETTY: THEY SAY I’M DIFFERENT (Dir. Philip Cox) A creative documentary exploring the extraordinary story of Betty Davis (former wife of Miles Davis) as legendary funk pioneer and a woman who championed the road for all independent female artists who followed. 2017, 54 min, Documentary THE DREAMER’S FIELD (Dir. Noam Stolerman) The heartfelt journey of three childhood friends who wish to escape their boring life in the kibbutz and become London’s hottest rock band. THE DREAMER’S FIELD is a bitter-sweet journey of three misplaced and misguided individuals coming to terms with the real world. 2017, 65 min, Documentary MILFORD GRAVES FULL MANTHIS (Dir. Jake Meginsky) The first ever feature-length portrait of renowned percussionist Milford Graves, exploring his kaleidoscopic creativity and relentless curiosity. 2018, 95 min, Documentary MR. SOUL! (Dirs. Melissa Haizlip, Samuel D. Pollard) Before Oprah, Before Arsenio, there was Mr. SOUL! Ellis Haizlip makes television broadcast history with SOUL!, America’s first “black Tonight Show.” Featuring archival footage of James Baldwin, Nikki Giovanni, Sidney Poitier, Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Harry Belafonte, among others. Filmmaker Melissa Haizlip in attendance. 2018, 90 min, Documentary

    HOMETOWNER

    MEMPHIS MAJIC (Dir. Eddie Bailey) A riveting in-depth look at the city of Memphis through the lens of a 30 year old Memphis-born street dance called “Jookin’.” Filmmaker Eddie Bailey in attendance. 2018, 72 min, Documentary NEGRO TERROR: THE VOICE OF MEMPHIS (Dir. John Rash) – World Premiere A cinematic and musical portrait of a punk band’s role in the vibrant and eclectic underground music community of Memphis, TN. Filmmaker John Rash in attendance; Negro Terror to play live score during the film. 2018, 54 min, Documentary WAITING: THE VAN DUREN STORY (Dir. Greg Carey, Wade Jackson) – World Premiere In the 1970’s, out of the Memphis-Big Star scene came Van Duren, who was tipped to be the next Paul McCartney but instead faded into obscurity. Forty years later, two Australian friends come across his record and set out to discover what went wrong. Filmmakers Greg Carey and Wade Jackson and subject Van Duren in attendance. 2018, 80 min, Documentary RUKUS (Dir. Brett Hanover) A hybrid of documentary and fiction, RUKUS is a queer coming-of-age story set in the liminal spaces of furry conventions, southern punk houses, and virtual worlds. Filmmaker Brett Hanover in attendance. 2018, 87 min, Drama/LGBTQ

    SPECIAL EVENTS

    CABIN BOY with Chris Elliott (Dir. Adam Resnick) A fancy lad (Chris Elliott) en route to Hawaii meets unfriendly fishermen when he mistakenly boards their boat The Filthy Whore instead of a cruise ship to Hawaii. Star Chris Elliott in attendance. 1994, 81 min, Comedy Classic Picks with Boots Riley: BRAZIL (Dir. Terry Gilliam) Low-level bureaucrat Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) investigates a case that led to the wrongful arrest and eventual death of an innocent man instead of wanted terrorist Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro), and gets caught in a web of mistaken identities, mindless bureaucracy and lies. Introduced by filmmaker Boots Riley (“Sorry to Bother You”). 1985, 143 min, Science Fiction

    Hong Sang-soo Recent Retro:

    Grass (2018, 66 min) In a small Café, Min-hee Kim plays a guest who prefers to observe but not interact with the other guests herself. The Day After (2017, 92 min) When a woman discovers a love poem that was written for her husband, she mistakenly believes that the author is her husband’s new secretary. On the Beach at Night Alone (2017, 101 min) After a publicized affair with her director, an actress leaves South Korea and goes to Hamburg, where she gains insight into the meanings of love and identity. My First Film: Live Cinema w/ Zia Anger Anger will offer live-commentary on previously unseen work, by way of a split screen and text edit, as she attempts to recount the stories behind her lost and abandoned work–including her first feature–and her struggles in an industry often hostile to women filmmakers. Southern Documentary Fund Presents Fresh Docs: Black Genius A free, work-in-progress screening of film by Memphis native Kalimah Abioto, who explores the brilliance of Memphis’ people while also confronting gentrification. This portrait of various Memphis black leaders will be presented by the director, and will be followed by a discussion. Southern Food & Music (Dir. Les Blank + Southern Foodways Shorts) From a Labor Day barbeque in Northern Mississippi with drummer Otha Turner to farm cooking with Texas musician Mance Lipscomb, from Louisiana Cajun cuisine to an award winning pastry chef in Alabama, and even a factory farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, this collection of short films by legendary documentarian Les Blank and Ava Lowrey (Southern Foodways) explores the intersection of music and food in the South. Blues Legend Otha Turner’s Truly Southern Barbecue (Ava Lowrey, 2016, 6 min) A Well Spent Life (Les Blank, 1971, 44 min) Yum! Yum! Yum! A Taste of Cajun and Creole Cooking of Louisiana (Les Blank, 1990, 31 min) Dol (Ava Lowrey, 2018, 6 min) Chicken Real (Les Blank, 1970, 23 min) WANDA (Dir. Barbara Loden) This 1970 independent film was written and directed by actress Barbara Loden, who also plays the title role. Wanda is an abused woman who turns to a life of crime, where she finds more abuse from men. Loden stated she was inspired to write it after reading a newspaper report that a woman had thanked a judge after he sentenced her to prison. Introduced by filmmaker and actress Amy Seimetz (Showtime’s “The Girlfriend Experience”). 1970, 102 min, Drama

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  • 2018 Durban International Film Festival Announces Films in Competition and Jury

    [caption id="attachment_30652" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Spell Reel Spell Reel[/caption] The Durban International Film Festival today announced the films and jury members for competition at this year’s 39th edition of the festival, which takes place from July 19 to 29, 2018. Award categories are Best Feature Film, Best South African Feature Film, Best Documentary, Best SA Documentary, Best Short Film, Best African Short Film, Best South African Short Film, Best Actor Award, Best Actress, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Artistic Bravery, Audience Choice Award, Wavescape Audience Choice Award and the Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award. Feature films in competition are Clint (India) directed by Harikumar Ramakrishna Pilla, Farewell Ella Bella (SA) directed by Lwazi Mvusi, The Foolish Bird (Ben Niao) (China) directed by Ji Huang, Otsuka Ryuji, High Fantasy (SA) directed by Jenna Bass, Mayfair (SA), directed by Sara Blecher, The Movie Of My Life (O Filme Da Minha Vida) (Brazil) directed by Selton Mello, Pororoca (Romania, France) directed by Constantin Popescu, Rafiki (Kenya, South Africa) directed by Wanuri Kahiu, The Recce (SA) directed by Ferdinand Van Zyl, The Reports on Sarah and Saleem (Palestine, Netherlands, Germany, Mexico) directed by Muayad Muayad, Supa Modo (Germany, Kenya), directed by Likarion Wainaina, The Tale (USA) directed by Jennifer Fox, A Trip To The Moon (Un Viaje A La Luna) (Argentina) directed by Joaquín Cambre. [caption id="attachment_30651" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Silas Silas[/caption] Documentary films in competition are We could be Heroes (Denmark, Morocco, Tunisa, Brazil) directed by Hind Bensari, Silas (Canada/South Africa/Kenya) directed by Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman, Whispering Truth To Power (South Africa/Netherlands) directed by Shameela Seedat, New Moon directed by Philippa Ndisi-Herrmann, Kinshasa Makambo (Democratic Republic Of The Congo/France/Switzerland/Germany/Norway) directed by Dieudo Hamadi, Amal (Egypt/Lebanon/Germany) directed by Mohamed Siam, Spell Reel, (Germany/Portugal/France/Guinea-Bissau) directed by Filipa César, Shakedown (Usa) directed by Leilah Weinraub, The Silk and the Flame (Fei’e Pu Huo) (United States) directed by Jordan Schiele, The State Against Nelson Mandela and the Others (France) directed by Nicolas Champeaux and Gilles Porte. All SA documentaries and features are also eligible for the SA Best Documentary and SA Best Feature awards. Fiction section jurors are Bongiwe Selane, the award-winning SA producer with a string of credits behind her including her debut SA block buster feature Happiness is a Four-Letter- Word; Hakeem Kae Kazim, the well-known British-Nigerian actor who has gained international acclaim for his performance in the Oscar nominated film Hotel Rwanda. He has countless credits in major international films such as The Triangle with Sam Neill, Pirates of the Caribbean III, X-Men Origins: Wolverine with Hugh Jackman and many more. Nse Ikpe-Etim Nigerian is a multiple award-winning actress who DIFF audiences will remember from her role in the celebrated Meg Rickards’ film Tess. The documentary film jury includes Uzanenkosi on of the SA’s busiest and most prolific producers, who created InterSEXions the award-winning first of its kind, world over drama series that won an unprecedented 11 SAFTA awards. Nakai Matema, a veteran Zimbabwean Producer who has produced several ground-breaking documentaries including Rehad, Desai’s My Land, My Life and Leo Phiri’s A Fighting Spirit from the STEPS for the Future series. Nigerian filmmaker Mahmood Ali-Balogun who has directed numerous films including multiple award-winning film Tango With Me, and has been on the juries of numerous festivals such as Cairo International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Abuja International Film Festival and African International Film Festival (AFRIFF). Dorothee Wenner is a Berlin-based freelance filmmaker, writer and curator who has been on the selection committee of Berlin’s International Forum since 1990 and serves as the Berlinale’s Delegate for India and sub- Saharan Africa. The Shorts Jury includes Alicia Price, Head of the Film Department at SAE Cape Town and Leon Van Der Merwe, a founding member, Chief Operating Officer, board member and director of the Cape Town International Film Market and Festival (CTIFMF). The Amnesty International Durban jury is convened by its chair Coral Vinsen with members Professor Margaret Daymond, Lazola Kati , Betty Rawheath and Nelvia Rawheath.

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  • Baby Mamas, The Tale, Rafiki Among Durban International Film Festival 2018 Program Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_30442" align="aligncenter" width="1474"]Baby Mamas Baby Mamas[/caption] This year’s 2018 Durban International Film Festival will offer a focused fare of 180 features films, documentaries, and shorts, along with an insightful industry program that includes Isisphethu for emerging and micro-budget filmmakers, the 11th Talents Durban, in partnership with Berlinale Talents, for pre-selected, semi-established filmmakers as well as the co-production and finance forum the 9th Durban FilmMart, the festival’s partner program with the Durban Film Office. Opening the festival is the first feature film from South African director Jerome Pikwane, the horror flick The Tokoloshe. The LGTBI love-story Rafiki, directed by Kenyan Wanuri Kahiu, will close the festival. Manager of DIFF Chipo Zhou, explains the choice of these two diverse films that have women as their focus. “We wanted to book-end DIFF with films that tell stories about women, their strength and their resilience. We also want to showcase the fact that there are many ways to tell these stories from a cinematic point of view,” said Zhou. “We are in a time of diversity, where women, racial minorities and LGBTI communities who have traditionally been underrepresented in film are having their voices brought to the fore,” says Zhou. “Referencing this global narrative, the films in this year’s festival will reflect these new voices as much as possible.” Among the features in competition this year are South African films Farewell Ella Bella directed by Lwazi Mvusi, which follows a young woman on a journey to bury her father; High Fantasy directed by Jenna Bass, in which a group of young South Africans have to navigate a personal-political labyrinth when they wake up to discover they have swapped bodies; Sara Blecher’s Mayfair, a gangster film about a father and son; and The Recce by Ferdinand van Zyl, which explores the pain and suffering families endured during and after South Africa’s 20-year border war. International features in competition include The Tale (USA) directed by Jennifer Fox, which chronicles one woman’s powerful investigation into her own childhood memories as she is forced to re-examine her first sexual experience; Clint (India) by Hari Kumar, which tells the story of prodigious artist child who died before his seventh birthday, leaving behind 25000 pictures; and the closing film Rafiki (Kenya), directed by Wanuri Kahiu, which is set in Nairobi and tells the touching tale of two very different girls who fall in love. Competition titles in the documentary section include the South African film Silas, a global tale directed by Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman which warns of the power of politics and celebrates the capacity of individuals to fight back, and Whispering Truth to Power, directed by human rights lawyer Shameela Seedat, which tracks Thuli Madonsela, South Africa’s first female Public Protector, as she builds her second case against President Jacob Zuma. International documentaries in competition include New Moon (Kenya), directed by Phillippa Ndisi-Herrmann, who explores her journey to Sufi Islam; Amal (Lebanon, Egypt, France, Germany, Norway, Denmark), directed by Mohamed Siam, which follows a teenager as she comes to terms with her identity and sexuality in a post-revolutionary police state;  Shakedown (USA) directed by Leilah Weinraub, which chronicles explicit performances in an underground queer club in Los Angeles; and The State Against Nelson Mandela and the Others (France) by Nicolas Champeaux and Gilles Porte, which offers archival recordings that include Mandela’s co-accused at the Rivonia Treason Trial hearings, and which transports the audience back into the courtroom battles. Other South African films on the billing include Durban filmmaker Michael Cross’ award-winning The Fun’s Not Over, about the life of musician James Philips, and Eubulus Timothy’s warm, coming-of-age surf love story Deepend.  Sisters of the Wilderness is Karin Slater’s inspiring film which is set in the iMfolozi Wilderness and follows five young Zulu women on a journey of self-discovery. Then there is Oscar-nominated director Darrel Roodt’s horror Siembamba, Stephina Zwane’s comedy Baby Mamas, which revolves around the daily lives and loves of four women and their own real-life baby mama drama, Leli Maki’s comedy Table Manners, in which  a wife and mother finds solace and hope in cooking, learning that all she needs is life’s three courses – family, food and love. Prior to each screening, public service announcements will be shown. These are themed around an industry campaign #thatsnotok created by SWIFT (Sisters Working in Film and Television), the SA-based non-profit that works to protect and advance the cause of women in the industry. In 2018 DIFF continues its endeavours to grow cinema audiences and this year free community-based screenings will take place at Solomon Mahlangu Hall (New Germany/Clermont), KwaMashu Fan Park, Umlazi W Section Library and The Workshop Amphitheatre. Other screenings take place at Community ZA (formerly Artspace Gallery in Umgeni) and KZNSA Gallery, Musgrave Ster Kinekor, Suncoast Cine Centre and Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, as well as Ushaka Marine World, where the popular free ocean-focused film festival Wavescapeswill take place in the public area. “With about 400 film-makers in attendance, the public can look forward to a feast of film and some fascinating insights into the world of cinema,” concludes Zhou. The DIFF is organised by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts in partnership with the eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, National Film and Video Foundation, Durban Film Office and other valuable partners. DIFF opens at The Playhouse on July 19 and runs until July 29. The closing film will be screened on July 28, after the competition awards.

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  • Damn These Heels, Utah’s LGBTQ Film Festival Unveils Lineup – 1985, THE MISANDRISTS, TRANNY FAG and More

    [caption id="attachment_30361" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]THE MISANDRISTS THE MISANDRISTS[/caption] Damn These Heels, the longest running LGBTQ Film Festival in the Mountain West,  returns for the 15th edition from July 20 to 22, 2018 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.  The festival explores LGBTQ issues, ideas, and art through independent, documentary, and foreign films from around the world. New this year, filmmakers of all experience levels are invited to participate in the 48 Hour Film OUT project. On July 13-15, participating film teams are tasked with creating an LGBTQ themed short film in just 48 hours. All films that meet the requirements will be screened during the Festival on Saturday, July 21. The winning film will be screened at Filmapalooza in Paris in 2019 for a chance at the grand prize of screening at the Cannes Film Festival 2019 Short Film Corner. Patrick Hubley, Director of Programming for Utah Film Center, said, “Damn These Heels is a festival that uses the powerful art of film to celebrate inclusivity, community and individual expression. This year’s line up is full of personality and complexity, we are honored to commemorate the Festival’s 15th year with such a strong range of stories that will provoke thought, spark crucial dialogue and shift our perspective.” The films selected to screen in the 2018 Damn These Heels Festival are: 1985 Directed by Yen Tan 85 min | 2018 | USA A closeted young man goes home for the holidays and struggles to reveal his dire circumstances to his conservative family. Official Selection: 2018 SXSW Film Festival Cast: Cory Michael Smith, Aidan Langford, Jamie Chung, Virginia Madsen, and Michael Chiklis ALASKA IS A DRAG Directed by Shaz Bennett 89 min | 2018 | USA Fabulous Leo, an aspiring drag superstar who can throw a punch, is stuck working in a fish cannery in Alaska. Official Selection: 2018 Frameline Film Festival, 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2018 Cast: Martin L. Washington Jr., Maya Washington, Matt Dallas, Christopher O’Shea, Jason Scott Lee, and Margaret Cho ANCHOR AND HOPE (Tierra Firme) Directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet 113 min | 2017 | Spain Two women and their best friend living on a canal boat ask: Can we balance love, family, and life and stay united? Winner: Best Film-2017 Seville European Film Festival; Official Selection: 2018 Guadalajara International Film Festival Cast: Oona Chaplin, Natalia Tena, and Geraldine Chaplin CLOSE KNIT (Karera ga honki de amu toki wa) Directed by Naoko Ogigami 127 | 2017 | Japan A neglected daughter, a gentle uncle, and his transgender lover knitted together into an unconventional family. Winner: Teddy Award-2017 Berlin Film Festival, Chromie Audience Award-2017 Filmfest Homochrom Cast: Toma Ikuta, Kenta Kiritani, Rinka Kakihara FREELANCERS ANONYMOUS Directed by Sonia Sebastián 81 min | 2018 | USA Billie quits her job right before getting married, launching her into a rag-tag world of unemployed women and tech startups. Official Selection: 2018 FilmOut San Diego, 2018 Frameline Film Festival Cast: Jennifer Bartels, Megan Cavanagh, Alexandra Billings, and Grace Rex THE GOSPEL OF EUREKA Directed by Donal Mosher & Michael Palmieri 75 min | 2018 | USA Love, faith, and civil rights collide in the south as evangelical Christians and drag queens explore the meaning of belief. Official Selection: 2018 SXSW Film Festival, 2018 Sheffield International Documentary Festival Preceded by the short film FAITHFUL directed by Dane Christensen IDEAL HOME Directed by Andrew Fleming 91 | 2018 | USA A bickering gay couple must now deal with the unexpected task of raising a ten-year-old boy. Cast: Paul Rudd, Steve Coogan, Kate Walsh, Alison Pill, Jake McDorman, and Jack Gore JUST CHARLIE Directed by Rebekah Fortune 97 min | 2017 | UK Trapped in the body of a boy, soccer star Charlie is torn between placating her father and shedding this ill-fitting skin. Winner: Best Feature Film for Youth-2017 Zlin Film Festival; Official Selection: 2017 Edinburgh International Film Festival, 2017 Frameline Film Festival Cast: Patricia Potter, Scot Williams, HARRY Gilby, and Karen Bryson LEITIS IN WAITING Directed by Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson 72 min | 2018 | USA/Tonga The story of the Tonga Leitis, a group of transgender women fighting intolerance in the South Pacific Kingdom. Official Selection: 2017 Frameline Film Festival, 2018 Festival International Du Film Documentaire Oceanien, 2017 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival MAN MADE Directed by T Cooper 93 min | 2018 | USA A trans men bodybuilding competition reveals unexpected truths about gender, masculinity, humanity and love. Official Selection: 2018 Outfest Los Angeles, 2018 Frameline Film Festival THE MISANDRISTS Directed by Bruce LaBruce 91 min | 2017 | USA Salacious hell breaks loose within the FLA — a feminist terrorist group — when an injured man appears in their midst. Official Selection: 2017 Berlin International Film Festival Cast: Susanne Sachße, Viva Ruiz, Kembra Pfahler MY BIG GAY ITALIAN WEDDING (Matrimonio italiano) Directed by Alessandro Genovesi 90 min | 2018 | Italy In this merry movie of matrimony, Antonio brings his fiancé Paulo to meet his headstrong parents and reveal his sexuality. Official Selection: 2018 Seattle International Film Festival Cast: Diego Abatantuono, Monica Guerritore, Salvatore Esposito, Cristiano Caccamo, Dino Abbrescia, and Diana Del Bufalo MY LIFE WITH JAMES DEAN (Ma vie avec James Dean) Directed by Dominique Choisy 108 min l 2017 I France Young director Géraud Champreux goes on a wild and woeful film tour that changes his life. Official Selection: 2018 Brussels Pink Screens, 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival Cast: Johnny Rasse, Mickaël Pelissier, and Nathalie Richard QUIET HEROES Opening Night Film Directed by Jenny Mackenzie, Amanda Stoddard, & Jared Ruga 68 min | 2017 | USA One doctor’s fight against stigma, shame, and ignorance at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis against a conservative religious monoculture. Official Selection: 2018 Sundance Film Festival, 2018 QDoc SHAKEDOWN Directed by Leilah Weinraub 72 min | 2018 | USA | Not Rated The chronicle of Los Angeles’ black lesbian strip club scene, an underground, illegal, and legendary moment. Mature audiences only. Official Selection: 2018 Berlin Film Festival, 2017 The Whitney Museum Biennial SHORT FILM PROGRAM: Reverent 89 min | Various A short film program featuring serious, heartfelt, and touching LGBTQ+ films from around the globe. Films include Top 10 Places to Visit in Sao Paulo, Beauty, A Kitchen Can Take You Back, Sunset, Spark, Crook – “Lavender,” and Something About Alex. SHORT FILM PROGRAM: Irreverent 78 min | Various A short film program featuring hilarious, goofy, crass, but still hard-hitting films from around the globe. Films include Magic H8 Ball, Dropping Penny, I Live Here, Scary Lucy, and Femme. SISTERHOOD Directed by Tracy Choi 97 min | 2017 | Macau/Hong Kong/Taiwan Upon seeing a missing person ad for a friend from her past, Sei decides to revisit Macau and makes a startling discovery. Nominated: Best Supporting Actress Nomination Fish Liew & Best New Performer Nomination Jennifer Yu-36th Hong Kong Film Award Cast: Gigi Leung, Fish Liew, and Jennifer Yu TRANNY FAG (Bixa Travesty) Directed by Kiko Goifman & Claudia Priscilla 75 min | 2018 | Brazil Mc Linn Da Quebrada’s electrifying performances (with plenty of nudity) brazenly take on Brazil’s hetero-normative machismo. Official Selection: 2018 Berlin Film Festival, 2018 Sheffield International Documentary Film Festival Preceded the short film MY PRICE directed by Fabricio Santiago TRANSMILITARY Directed by Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson 93 min | 2018 | USA Four transgender individuals put their careers on the line by coming out in hopes of attaining the equal right to serve. Winner: Documentary Competition Audience Award-2018 SXSW; Official Selection: 2018 Frameline Film Festival WE THE ANIMALS Directed by Jeremiah Zagar 94 min | 2018 | USA Manny, Joel, and Jonah tear their way through childhood and push against the volatile love of their parents. Winner: Next Innovator Award-2018 Sundance Film Festival, Future/Now Award-2018 Montclair Film Festival Cast: Raúl Castillo, Josiah Gabriel, Isaiah Kristian, Evan Rosado, and Sheila Vand THE WILD BOYS (Les garçons sauvages) Directed by Bertrand Mandico 110 min | 2018 | France Surrealist, adolescent gender-bending sex fueled fantasy nightmare. A maritime adventure. Winner: Best Director-2018 Vilnius International Film Festival Cast: Pauline Lorillard, Vimala Pons, and Diane Rouxe

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  • Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival Announces Complete 2018 Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_26747" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane and Chloë Grace Moretz appear in The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Desiree Akhavan, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2018 Sundance FIlm Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Jeong Park. Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane and Chloë Grace Moretz appear in The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Desiree Akhavan.[/caption] The 2018 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, taking place July 12-22, 2018, announce the complete programming lineup, with two thirds of this year’s content directed by women, people of color and trans filmmakers. As previously announced, the 2018 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival opens at the Orpheum Theatre with Kino Lorber’s “Studio 54,” Matt Tyrnauer’s vibrantly nostalgic documentary; and closes with FilmRise’s “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” Desiree Akhavan’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner starring Chloë Grace Moretz. The festival features five world premieres including the deeply felt film from Taiwan, “Bao Bao”; “Bright Colors and Bold Patterns” directed by Michael Urie with a hilarious performance from Drew Droege; Laura Madalinski’s “Two in the Bush: A Love Story” a polyamorous love story; Jamie Patterson’s new feature film “Tucked” about two drag performers connecting across generations; and “Room to Grow” a documentary looking at the lives of queer teenagers today. As well as North American and US Premieres, “Eva & Candela,” “Sodom,” “Canary,” “Cola De Mono,” and “Daddy Issues.” Outfest Los Angeles’ documentary section shines a light on UNSUNG communities, including Alina Skrzesewska’s “Game Girls” which follows a couple as they struggle to navigate life in Los Angeles’ Skid Row, to the much anticipated SXSW Audience Award winner “Transmilitary” about those fighting for an equal chance to service their country. The proactive experimental film section, Platinum, continues to highlight boundary-pushing work with Myyki Blanco and SSION teaming up to create a new short film “No Leash” and a feature documentary by performance artist, Narcissister, in “Narcissister Organ Player.” The infamous Alchemy Party returns, this year at Navel, with 13 performers including Dorian Electra, Saturn Rising, and Slather Factory’s Bebe Huxley, and The Uhuruverse who will stretch your musical imagination. The 2018 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival will also return to The Ford Theatres. These screenings will kick off on July 18 with a screening of “Bad Reputation,” a documentary about Joan Jett; then Documentary Centerpiece, “When the Beat Drops,” followed by “Postcards from London” and concluding with “Wild Nights with Emily” featuring Molly Shannon. The Closing Night Gala “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” will screen at The Theatre at Ace Hotel. Special events include the 2nd Annual Trans Summit with Oscar nominated and Emmy Award-winning director and producer Yance Ford as the keynote speaker; the Focus On Taiwan event showcasing a collection of Taiwanese films including “Bao Bao” and “Alifu, The Prince/ss”; free screenings of films “Believer,” a documentary from Imagine Dragons frontman, Dan Reynolds, “They,” a family drama from director Anahita Ghazvinizadeh and Showtime’s “Beyond The Opposite Sex”, the long-awaited sequel to groundbreaking film, “The Opposite Sex.” Lastly, OutSet: The Young Filmmakers Project from Los Angeles LGBT Center and Outfest, will be premiering five new shorts on Sunday, July 22nd. Now in its sixth year, the OutSet program empowers youth ages 16-24 to share their stories though film.

    2018 OUTFEST LOS ANGELES LGBT FILM FESTIVAL LINE-UP

    GALA FILMS:

    STUDIO 54 – Opening Night Gala Dir: Matt Tyrnauer, USA, 2018, 98 min OUR FUTURE ENDS – Platinum Centerpiece, Co-Presented by Some Serious Business Dir: Clement Hil Goldberg, USA, 2018, 50 min WE THE ANIMALS – U.S. Centerpiece Dir: Jeremiah Zagar, USA, 2018, 93 min REINVENTING MARVIN – International Centerpiece Dir: Anne Fontaine, France, 2017, 115 min WHEN THE BEAT DROPS – Documentary Centerpiece Dir: Jamal Sims, USA, 2018, 87 min THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST – Closing Night Gala Dir: Desiree Akhavan, USA, 2018, 90 min

    DRAMATIC FEATURES

    1985 Dir: Yen Tan, USA, 2018, 85 min ANCHOR AND HOPE Dir: Carlos Marques-Marcet, Spain, 2017, 113 min BITTER MELON Dir: H.P. Mendoza, USA, 2018, 100 min BRIGHT COLORS AND BOLD PATTERNS – World Premiere Dir: Michael Urie (For the Stage) & David Horn (For the Screen), USA, 2018, 89 min CANARY (KANARIE) – North American Premiere Dir: Christiaan Olwagen, South Africa, 2018, 120 min COLA DE MONO – US Premiere Dir: Alberto Fuguet, Chile, 2017, 102 min CUERNAVACA Dir: Alejandro Andrade Pease, Mexico, 2017, 89 min DADDY ISSUES – US Premiere Dir: Amara Cash, USA, 2018, 88 min EVA & CANDELA (¿CÓMO TE LLAMAS?) – North American Premiere Dir: Ruth Caudeli, Colombia, 2018, 90 min EVENING SHADOWS Dir: Sridhar Rangayan, India, 2018, 102 min HARD PAINT (TINTA BRUTA) Dir: Filipe Matzembacher & Marcio Reolon, Brazil, 2018, 118 min I MISS YOU WHEN I SEE YOU Dir: Simon Chung, Hong Kong, 2018, 93 min MALILA: THE FAREWELL FLOWER Dir: Anucha Boonyawatana, Thailand, 2017, 96 min MAPPLETHORPE Dir: Ondi Timoner, USA, 2018, 102 min MONTANA Dir: Limor Shmila, Israel, 2017, 79 min PORCUPINE LAKE Dir: Ingrid Veninger, Canada, 2017, 84 min POSTCARDS FROM LONDON Dir: Steve McLean, United Kingdom, 2018, 87 min RIOT Dir: Jeffrey Walker, Australia, 2017, 106 min SKATE KITCHEN Dir: Crystal Moselle, USA, 2018, 105 min SODOM – North American Premiere Dir: Mark Wilshin, United Kingdom, 2017, 94 min THAT NIGHT OF NOVEMBER (NOVE DE NOVEMBRO) Dir: Lázaro Louzao, Spain, 2018, 84 min TUCKED – World Premiere Dir: Jamie Patterson, United Kingdom, 2017, 80 min TWO IN THE BUSH: A LOVE STORY – World Premiere Dir: Laura Madalinski, USA, 2017, 97 min WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY Dir: Madeleine Olnek, USA, 2018, 84 min

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

    BAD REPUTATION Dir: Kevin Kerslake, USA, 2018, 98 min CALL HER GANDA Dir: PJ Raval, Philippines/USA, 2018, 93 min CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS: KERBY LAUDERDALE Dir: David Weissman, USA, 2017, 69 min DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! Dir: Caroline Berler, USA, 2018, 58 min EVERY ACT OF LIFE Dir: Jeff Kaufman, USA, 2017, 92 min GAME GIRLS Dir: Alina Skrzeszewska, France/Germany, 2018, 90 min GOSPEL OF EUREKA Dir: Michael Palmieri & Donal Mosher, USA, 2018, 75 min THE ICE KING Dir: James Erskine, United Kingdom, 2018, 89 min LEITIS IN WAITING Dir: Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson & Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Tonga/USA, 2018, 72 min LOOKING FOR? Dir: Tung-Yen Chou, Taiwan, 2017, 60 min MAN MADE Dir: T Cooper, USA, 2018, 97 min MR. GAY SYRIA Dir: Ay?e Toprak, Turkey/France/Germany, 2017, 87 min ROOM TO GROW (World Premiere) Dir: Matt Alber & Jon Garcia, USA, 2018, 89 min SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD Dir: Matt Tyrnauer, USA, 2017, 98 min SHAKEDOWN Dir: Leilah Weinraub, USA, 2018, 82 min TRANSMILITARY Dir: Gabriel Silverman & Fiona Dawson, USA, 2018, 93 min

    EPISODIC PROGRAMS

    BONDING Created by: Rightor Doyle, USA, 2018, 108 min Two high school BFFS reunite and find they’re different as adults: he’s a newly-out gay man and she’s a dominatrix who’s going to tie him into her UNDERGROUND world of BDSM. VIDA Created by: Tanya Saracho, USA, 2018, 30 min “Vida” is a new Starz Original series about two Mexican-American sisters from the Eastside of Los Angeles who couldn’t be more different or distanced from each other. Circumstances force them to return to their old neighborhood, where they are confronted by the past and surprising truth about their mother’s identity. STRANGERS & FÉMININ/FÉMININ Created by: Mia Lidofsky (Strangers), USA, 2017, 52 min Created by: Chloé Robichaud & Florence Gagnon (Féminin/Féminin), Canada, 2017, 43 min Queer women are finding love and themselves in the second seasons of two of our favorite series from either side of the US/Canada border.

    EPISODIC SHOWCASE

    From the gay mafia to polyamory to queer and trans realities, this sampler of seven new independent series contemplates where our LGBTQ identities intersect, and how we can move forward together as a movement. RILEY PARRA Created by: Christin Baker, USA, 2018, 48 min Lesbian detective Riley discovers the city’s mean streets are actually a centuries-old battleground between angels and demons. THE FINDING HOME SERIES: LGBT IMMIGRANTS & ASYLUM SEEKERS Dir. Abraham Troen, USA, 2017, 63 min Explore the journeys of three queer immigrants in L.A. who have escaped persecution and violence in their native countries.

    PLATINUM SECTION: EXPERIMENTAL FILMS & LIVE EVENTS

    THE WILD BOYS (LES GARÇONS SAUVAGES) Dir: Bertrand Mandico, France, 2017, 110 min NARCISSISTER ORGAN PLAYER Dir: Narcissister, USA, 2017, 91 min BIXA TRAVESTY Dir: Claudia Priscilla & Kiko Goifman, Brazil, 2018, 75 min

    SHORTS SHOWCASE

    Dir: Multiple, UK, USA, Mexico, Canada, 2018, 100 min ALCHEMY PARTY Bae Bae, Bebe Huxley, Dorian Electra, London Jade, Lulo, Luna Lovebad, Mood Killer, Weston Allen, The Uhuruverse, Narcissister, Nebulae Cult, Saturn Rising

    SPECIAL EVENTS

    THEY Dir. Anahita Ghazvinizadeh, USA, 2017, 81 min After two years of taking hormone blockers to postpone puberty, a non-binary 14-year-old considers whether to transition and where to find their place in the world. BEYOND THE OPPOSITE SEX sponsored by Showtime Networks Dir. Emily Abt & Bruce Hensel, USA, 2018, 89 min In this sequel to Showtime’s The Opposite Sex, Rene and Jamie find that LIFE AFTER gender confirmation surgery comes with its own set of challenges. THE CARMILLA MOVIE sponsored by Shaftesbury Dir. Spencer Maybee, Canada, 2018, 94 min Laura and Carmilla’s domestic bliss is threatened by an unknown evil forcing the “Scooby gang” to team up once more to save their humanity. PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN sponsored by Annapurna Pictures Dir: Angela Robinson, USA, 2017, 108 min Angela Robinson introduces her latest feature about what inspired Harvard psychologist Dr. Marston (Luke Evans) to create the iconic Wonder Woman character. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: THE DARE PROJECT & CLAY FARMERS Dir: Adam Salky, USA, 2005 & 2018, 33 min Revisit two Outfest classics, including the story of a gay theatre kid and a curious jock reconnecting as adults, and the 30-year anniversary of a moving rural drama reminiscent of Brokeback Mountain. THE ADVOCATE CELEBRATES 50 YEARS: A LONG ROAD TO FREEDOM sponsored by here TV & The Advocate Dir: William Clift, USA, 2018, 105 min Over the course of five decades, The Advocate has reported the breaking news and ongoing challenges of the LGBTQ community. BELIEVER sponsored by HBO Dir. Don Argott, USA, 2018, 101 min Imagine Dragons’ frontman Dan Reynolds makes it his mission to foster acceptance toward LGBTQ members of the Mormon Church by crafting an unforgettable rock festival. ALONE IN THE GAME sponsored by AT&T Entertainment Group Dir. Natalie Metzger & Michael Rohrbaugh, USA, 2018, 95 min This documentary chronicles the challenges and triumphs of LGBTQ athletes in sports today, featuring Robbie Rogers, Gus Kenworthy, Layana White and Megan Rapinoe. BAO BAO – World Premiere – sponsored by Taiwan Academy & Taiwan Ministry of Culture Dir. Guang-cheng Shie, Taiwan, 2018, 97 min A married lesbian couple’s relationship is challenged after one of the women promises their unborn child to another couple. ALIFU, THE PRINCE/SS sponsored by Taiwan Academy & Taiwan Ministry of Culture Dir. Wang Yu-Lin, Taiwan, 2017, 91 min The intersection of several individuals in present-day Taiwan creates a colorful tapestry of LGBTQ lives, including Alifu, a young hairdresser who longs for a sex-change operation. QUEEROES Jill Soloway, Lena Waithe and Tanya Saracho introduce an innovative new mentorship model to elevate queer, trans and POC storytelling. ONE MINUTE MOVIE CONTEST A selection of the work submitted to this year’s Outfest Fusion One Minute Movie Contest, on the topic of Keeping Silent / Speaking Truth. AIDS DIVA: THE LEGEND OF CONNIE NORMAN (Sneak Preview) Dir. Dante Alencastre, USA, 2018, 45 min Seizing her power as she confronts her mortality, trailblazing trans activist Connie Norman evolves as an irrepressible, challenging and soulful voice for the AIDS and queer communities of early 90’s Los Angeles.

    Panels & Workshops:

    MAKE THEM HEAR YOU: THE TRUTH ABOUT CONTENT BY & FOR LGBTQ+ WOMEN Sponsored by AT&T Hello Lab LGBTQ+ women have been at the forefront of many movements throughout history. However, in Hollywood, queer women remain the least represented community in front of and behind the camera. This discussion will explore the past, present, and future LGBTQ+ women in entertainment, bringing together trailblazers who are leading the charge for a more inclusive and multi-dimensional landscape. TRANS SUMMIT Whether you’re an actor, artist, activist or academic, you’re welcomed here. The afternoon will begin with our Academy Award-nominated keynote speaker Yance Ford (Strong Island), followed by three compelling case studies focused on specific areas of need in media representation. THE ROOM will then come together for an unedited, organic, and dynamic conversation about issues relating to the trans and non-binary experience, moderated by the LA Times’ award-winning reporter Tre’vell Anderson. BI IN THE BIZ sponsored by SAG-AFTRA and SAGIndie While the L, G and T communities have made great strides toward visibility in the culture, the B’s still remain relatively hidden, even in the entertainment industry. This panel will feature out bisexual actors and entertainment industry professionals discussing the specific challenges and opportunities for film, TV and online performers who identify as such. Break out of the bi closet as we explore the politics and the pragmatism of actors living out in the open. THE NEW AIDS NARRATIVE PANEL Nearly 30 years since the first films about the HIV/AIDS epidemic hit the big screen, a new wave of scripted dramas is emerging. Join Outfest and GLAAD for a discussion of the history of HIV/AIDS representation in cinema, and what the arrival of films like BPM (Beats Per Minute), 1985 and Bohemian Rhapsodymeans with regards to telling HIV/AIDS stories to a new generation.

    OUTFEST FORWARD

    SCREENWRITING LAB: LIVE READING Outfest’s annual live reading of scenes from the five scripts chosen for the 2018 Outfest Screenwriting Lab.

    OUTSET SHORTS SCREENING

    VICTORY BOULEVARD Dir/Scr: Jonny Alvarez, Producer: Ash Lavacca, Production Designers: Tristin Brown & Juliet Delgado, Mentor: Henry Alberto BLESS THE USA Dir/Scr: Sebastian Vergara, Co-Dir/Producer: Anthony Rizo, Production Design Mentor: Haharhel Valencia, Mentor: Marcos Davalos SIGNOURNEY WEAVER Dir/Scr: Andrea Ngeleka, Producer: Tiffany Patterson, Production Designer: Hesed Kim, Mentors: Doendray Gossfield & Quincy LeNear Gossfield THE CURSE Dir/Scr: Dave Berenato, Producer: Moira McFadden, Production Designer: Juliet Delgado, Mentors: Coley Sohn & Leanna Creel FLAMERS:BOTTOMS IN A BRUSHFIRE Dir/Scr: Capucine Berney, Producer: Alfredo Hernandez, Production Designer: Tristin Brown, Mentor: Assaad Yacoub.

    OUTFEST UCLA LEGACY PROJECT

    BUDDIES Dir: Arthur J. Bressan Jr., USA, 1985, 81 min DUCK SEASON (TEMPORADA DE PATOS) Dir: Fernando Eimbcke, Mexico, 2004, 90 min SHOPPING FOR FANGS Dir: Quentin Lee & Justin Lin, USA, 1997, 90 min SHOW ME LOVE (FUCKING ÅMÅL) Dir. Lukas Moodysson, Sweden, 1998, 89 min

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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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  • Berlinale 2018 Awards: TOUCH ME NOT Wins Golden Bear | Complete List

    [caption id="attachment_27237" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Touch Me Not by Adina Pintilie Touch Me Not by Adina Pintilie[/caption] It’s awards time at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, and Touch Me Not by Romanian artist and director, Adina Pintilie, won the top prize, the Golden Bear for Best Film.  Touch Me Not follows a filmmaker and her protagonists in a personal research project on intimacy. The film takes us on a journey of discovery through the emotional worlds of Laura, Tómas and Christian, blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality, and providing profoundly insightful insights into their lives.

    Winners of 68th Berlin International Film Festival Awards

    PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL JURY

    GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST FILM (awarded to the film’s producer) Touch Me Not by Adina Pintilie SILVER BEAR GRAND JURY PRIZE Twarz Mug by Małgorzata Szumowska SILVER BEAR ALFRED BAUER PRIZE for a feature film that opens new perspectives Las herederas The Heiresses by Marcelo Martinessi SILVER BEAR FOR BEST DIRECTOR Wes Anderson for Isle of Dogs (Isle of Dogs — Ataris Reise) SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTRESS Ana Brun in Las herederas (The Heiresses) by Marcelo Martinessi SILVER BEAR FOR BEST ACTOR Anthony Bajon in La prière (The Prayer) by Cédric Kahn SILVER BEAR FOR BEST SCREENPLAY Manuel Alcalá and Alonso Ruizpalacios for Museo (Museum) by Alonso Ruizpalacios SILVER BEAR FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION Elena Okopnaya for costume and production design in Dovlatov by Alexey German Jr.

    GWFF BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD

    GWFF BEST FIRST FEATURE AWARD endowed with € 50,000, funded by GWFF Touch Me Not by Adina Pintilie SPECIAL MENTION An Elephant Sitting Still by Hu Bo

    GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL — DOCUMENTARY AWARD

    GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL — DOCUMENTARY AWARD endowed with € 50,000, funded by Glashütte Original Waldheims Walzer The Waldheim Waltz by Ruth Beckermann LOBENDE ERWÄHNUNG Ex Pajé Ex Shaman by Luiz Bolognesi

    PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM JURY

    GOLDEN BEAR FOR BEST SHORT FILM The Men Behind the Wall by Ines Moldavsky SILVER BEAR JURY PRIZE (SHORT FILM) Imfura by Samuel Ishimwe AUDI SHORT FILM AWARD endowed with € 20,000, enabled by Audi Solar Walk by Réka Bucsi BERLIN SHORT FILM NOMINEE FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS Burkina Brandenburg Komplex by Ulu Braun

    PRIZES OF THE JURIES GENERATION

    Children’s Jury Generation Kplus CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Film Les rois mongols Cross My Heart Hand auf’s Herz by Luc Picard SPECIAL MENTION Supa Modo by Likarion Wainaina CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Short Film A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year-Old Girl Handbuch einer 12-Jährigen by Tilda Cobham-Hervey SPECIAL MENTION Snijeg za Vodu Snow for Water Schnee für Wasser by Christopher Villiers

    International Jury Generation Kplus

    THE GRAND PRIX OF THE GENERATION KPLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best feature-length film, endowed with € 7,500 by the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Sekala Niskala The Seen and Unseen Sichtbar und unsichtbar by Kamila Andini SPECIAL MENTION Allons enfants Cléo & Paul by Stéphane Demoustier THE SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE GENERATION KPLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best short film, endowed with € 2,500 by the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Jaalgedi A Curious Girl Ein neugieriges Mädchen by Rajesh Prasad Khatri SPECIAL MENTION Cena d’aragoste Lobster Dinner Hummer zum Abendbrot by Gregorio Franchetti

    Youth Jury Generation 14plus

    CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Film Fortuna by Germinal Roaux SPECIAL MENTION Retablo by Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio L. CRYSTAL BEAR for the Best Short Film Kiem Holijanda by Sarah Veltmeyer SPECIAL MENTION Je fais où tu me dis Dressed for Pleasure by Marie de Maricourt

    International Jury Generation 14plus

    THE GRAND PRIX OF THE GENERATION 14PLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best feature-length film, endowed with € 7,500 by the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education) Fortuna by Germinal Roaux SPECIAL MENTION Dressage by Pooya Badkoobeh THE SPECIAL PRIZE OF THE GENERATION 14PLUS INTERNATIONAL JURY for the best short film, endowed with € 2,500 by the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education) Juck by Olivia Kastebring, Julia Gumpert and Ulrika Bandeira SPECIAL MENTION Na zdrowie! Bless You! by Paulina Ziolkowska

    PRIZES OF THE INDEPENDENT JURIES

    PRIZES OF THE ECUMENICAL JURY

    Competition In den Gängen (In the Aisles) by Thomas Stuber Special Mention: Utøya 22. juli (U – July 22) by Erik Poppe Panorama Styx by Wolfgang Fischer endowed with € 2,500 Forum Teatro de guerra (Theatre of War) by Lola Arias endowed with € 2,500

    PRIZES OF THE FIPRESCI JURY

    Competition Las herederas (The Heiresses) by Marcelo Martinessi Panorama River’s Edge by Isao Yukisada Forum An Elephant Sitting Still by Hu Bo GUILD FILM PRIZE In den Gängen (In the Aisles) by Thomas Stuber

    CICAE ART CINEMA AWARD

    Panorama Tinta Bruta (Hard Paint) by Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher Forum Teatro de guerra (Theatre of War) by Lola Arias LABEL EUROPA CINEMAS Styx by Wolfgang Fischer

    TEDDY AWARD

    Best Feature Film Tinta Bruta (Hard Paint) by Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher Nominated: Las herederas (The Heiresses) by Marcelo Martinessi and Touch Me Not by Adina Pintilie Best Documentary/Essay Film Bixa Travesty (Tranny Fag) by Claudia Priscilla and Kiko Goifman Nominated: Yours in Sisterhood by Irene Lusztig and Shakedown by Leilah Weinraub Best Short Film Three Centimetres by Lara Zeidan Nominated: T.R.A.P by Manque La Banca and Je fais où tu me dis (Dressed for Pleasure) by Marie de Maricourt Special Jury Award Obscuro Barroco by Evangelia Kranioti L’Oréal Paris TEDDY NEWCOMER AWARD Retablo by Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio L. CALIGARI FILM PRIZE La casa lobo (The Wolf House) by Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña PEACE FILM PRIZE The Silence of Others by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FILM PRIZE Zentralflughafen THF (Central Airport THF) by Karim Aïnouz Special Mention: Eldorado by Markus Imhoof HEINER CAROW PRIZE Styx by Wolfgang Fischer

    READERS’ JURIES AND AUDIENCE AWARDS

    PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARD Fiction Film Profile by Timur Bekmambetov PANORAMA AUDIENCE AWARD Documentary Film The Silence of Others by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar BERLINER MORGENPOST READERS’ JURY AWARD Dovlatov by Alexey German Jr. TAGESSPIEGEL READERS’ JURY AWARD L’empire de la perfection (In the Realm of Perfection) by Julien Faraut TEDDY READERS’ AWARD POWERED BY MANNSCHAFT Las herederas (The Heiresses) by Marcelo Martiness

    DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

    COMPASS-PERSPEKTIVE-AWARD Überall wo wir sind (Everywhere We Are) by Veronika Kaserer KOMPAGNON-FELLOWSHIP Blutsauger by Julian Radlmaier (Perspektive Deutsches Kino 2017) When a farm goes aflame, the flakes fly home to bear the tale by Jide Tom Akinleminu (Berlinale Talents 2018) ARTE INTERNATIONAL PRIZE The War Has Ended by Hagar Ben Asher, produced by Madants (Poland), Match Factory Productions (Germany) and Transfax Film Productions (Israel) EURIMAGES CO-PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT AWARD Madants (Poland), Match Factory Productions (Germany) and Transfax Film Productions (Israel) for The War Has Ended (Director: Hagar Ben Asher) VFF TALENT HIGHLIGHT AWARD Producer Jing Wang (China) for Tropical Memories (Director: Shipei Wen)

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  • 2018 Berlin Film Festival Unveils Full Panorama Lineup, Opens with Wolfgang Fischer’s STYX

    [caption id="attachment_26726" align="aligncenter" width="960"]Styx, Wolfgang Fischer Styx[/caption] The 2018 Berlin International Film Festival has revealed the full lineup of the Panorama program, which will feature a total of 47 films from 40 countries, with 37 world premieres and 16 directorial debuts. 20 films will be screened in the scope of Panorama Dokumente , while 27 fiction features are shown in Panorama Special as well as the main program. The section takes a look at Wolfgang Fischer’s Styx , which will open Panorama Special on February 16 at Zoo Palace. Nearly dialogue-free, the film tells the story of a female doctor on a sailing vacation. A Czech production opens Panorama Dokumente. Jan Gebert’s Až přijde válka ( When the War Comes ) is the global trend of a socially acceptable form of nationalism using the example of the Slovak Slovenski Branci Slovak paramilitary organization. Árpád Bogdán’s feature film Genezis ( Genesis ) takes place on the series of attacks on Roma in Hungary in 2008/2009, exposing their effects on the victimized families and the community as well as casting light on the failures of the Hungarian judicial system pursuit of those guilty of crimes perpetrated under the dictatorial Franco regime is depicted in The Silence of Others, produced by Pedro Almodóvar. Former Brazilian president Dilma Roussef’s impeachment can be witnessed firsthand in O processo ( The Trial ). In Generation Wealth , Lauren Greenfield raises awareness for the self-indulgent quest for luxury and the total surrender to vanity leading to a sort of “ultra-decadence,” while in Lemonade , produced by Cristian Mungiu, the American Dream remains tauntingly out of reach for those who can not afford to buy a piece of it. In the French-German production Game Girls , two women try to escape life on Skid Row, the USA’s “Capital City of the Homeless”. Shakedown immerses the viewer in the Afro-American queer strip club scene of Los Angeles 1990s, relating its protagonists’ search for freedom and self-determination to great immediacy. In the Italian production country, Iranian director Babak Jalali who is defending their cultural identity with dignity. Family dynamics under the microscope: In Al Gami’ya ( What Comes Around ), the residents of one of Cairo’s poorest districts have developed a bank-free financing system for themselves. Two intimate portraits of rural conflict, set in Central China’s Henan province and the German state of Saxony-Anhalt respectively, are drawn in Jordan Schiele’s The Silk and the Flame and Rosa Hannah Ziegler’s family life ( Family Life ). Yang Mingming’s debut film Rou Qing Shi ( Girls Always Happy ) showcases the verbal duels of an odd mother-daughter duo looking for happiness in style or daydreams of getting rich quick. In La enfermedad del domingo ( Sunday’s Illness ), a mother and her daughter return to one another following years of estrangement. In Jibril , her final work for the Babelsberg University of Applied Sciences KONRAD WOLF, Henrika Kull depicts the isolation and love in the interaction between a single mom and a prison inmate. The Argentinian production Marilyn and the Brazilian film Tinta Bruta ( Hard Paint ) both show the isolation and the inherent in their protagonists’ search for their place in the world. In the mafia tale La terra dell ‘abbastanza ( Boys Cry ), two young men discover an ostensibly simple way out of a sticky situation. A complex web of responsibilities is included in the two instalments of the miniseries Ondes de choc ( Shock Waves ), directed by Lionel Baier and Ursula Meier. Three further films serve as reflections on cinema itself: Mes provinciales ( A Paris Education ), which is set in a Parisian millennial student milieu; Depending vois rouge ( I See Red People ), In Which Bojina Payanotova Confronts her parents With Their possible connections to the Bulgarian secret police; and Hotel Jugoslavija , in which director Nicolas Wagnières elevates at abandoned Grand Hotel to the status of contemporary witness to history, acting on his principle of “filming to retain and regain”. Fluid boundaries between reality and fiction are especially present in four productions. Xiao Mei investigates the enigma surrounding the disappearance of a young woman while the dark fairy tale Koly padayut pereva ( When the Trees Fall ) includes the frightening and enchanting experiences of three generations of women. In a hybrid form between fiction and documentary film, Trinta Lumes ( Thirty Souls ) reimagines the Galician backcountry as a mythical place populated by both the living and the dead. Finally, in the deceptively calm flow of horizon ‘s ( Horizon ) images, a man is at risk of losing his footing in life after a separation. The hard reality reflected in two productions from India and the Democratic Republic of the Congo was in stark contrast in this context. In Garbage , a young woman’s endures a nightmare of male violence. Kinshasa Makambo on the other hand provides insight into the brutal everyday existence of Congolese resistance fighters. In addition to their appearance in  Yocho , cinematic dystopias and allegories of reality are featured in Kim Ki-duk’s Inkan, gongkan, sikan grigo inkan ( Human, Space, Time and Human ) , in which of the widely differing backgrounds assembled on a warship develop a bestial need for patriarchal domination. From Iran comes the film Hojoom (Invasion ), which adeptly establishes an oppressive mood with its post-apocalyptic science-fiction world devoid of sunlight. Partisan takes a look back at Frank Castorf’s twenty-five year legacy at Berlin’s Volksbühne theater. Chilly Gonzales, self-proclaimed president of the Berlin Underground, is the subject of Shut Up and Play the Piano . MATANGI / MAYA / MIA The Sri Lankan Resistance artist portrays the controversial star between the labels attached to the music and media industries. In Idris Elba’s directorial debut, Yardie , the score by Dickon Hinchcliffe (“Tindersticks”) accentuates the journey of a young man from Kingston to London . Al Gami’ya ( What Comes Around ) – Lebanon / Egypt / Greece / Qatar / Slovenia By Reem Saleh Documentary World Premiere Až přijde válka ( When the War Comes ) – Czech Republic / Croatia By Jan Gebert Documentary World Premiere La enfermedad del domingo ( Sunday’s Illness ) – Spain By Ramón Salazar With Bárbara Lennie, Susi Sánchez, Greta Fernández, Miguel Ángel Solá, Richard Bohringer World premiere Familienleben ( Family Life ) – Germany By Rosa Hannah Ziegler Documentary World Premiere Game Girls – France / Germany By Alina Skrzeszewska Documentary World Premiere  Garbage – India By Q With Tanmay Dhanania, Trimala Adhikari, Satarupa The World Premiere Generation Wealth – USA By Lauren Greenfield Documentary International Premiere Genezis ( Genesis ) – Hungary By Árpád Bogdán With Anna Marie Cseh, Enikő Anna Illési, Milán Csordá’s World Premiere Hojoom ( Invasion ) – Iran By Shahram Mokri With Abed Abest, Elaheh Bakhshi, Babak Karimi, Pedram Sharifi, Mehdi Etemad Saied International Premiere Horizonti ( Horizon ) – Georgia / Sweden By Tinatin Kajrishvili With George Bochorishvili, Ia Sukhitashvili, Jano Izoria, Soso Gogichaishvili World Premiere Hotel Jugoslavija – Switzerland By Nicolas Wagnières Documentary European Premiere Inkan, gongkan, sikan grigo inkan ( Human, Space, Time and Human ) – Republic of Korea By Kim Ki-dukWith Mina Fujii, Jang Keun-suk, Ahn Sung-ki, Lee Sung-jae, Ryoo Seung-bum, Sung Ki-youn, Joe Odagiri World premiere  Je vois rouge ( I See Red People ) – France / Bulgaria By Bojina Panayotova Documentary World Premiere Jibril – Germany By Henrika Kull With Susana Abdulmajid, Malik Adan, Doua Rahal, Emna El-Aouni World Premiere Kinshasa Makambo – Democratic Republic of the Congo / France / Switzerland / Germany / Qatar / Norway By Dieudo Hamadi Documentary World Premiere Koly padayut dereva ( When the Trees Fall ) – Ukraine / Poland / Macedonia By Marysia Nikitiuk With Anastasiia Pustovit, Sofia Halaimova, Maksym Samchyk, Mariya Svizhynska, Alla Samoilenko World Premiere  Country – Italy / France / Netherlands / Mexico By Babak Jalali With Rod Rondeaux, Florence Klein, James Coleman, Wilma Pelly World Premiere  Lemonade – Romania / Germany / Canada / Sweden By Ioana Uricaru With Mina Manovici, Steve Bacic, Dylan Scott Smith, Milan Hurduc, Ruxandra Maniu World Premiere Marilyn – Argentina / Chile By Martín Rodríguez Redondo With Walter Rodriguez, Catalina Saavedra, Germán de Silva, Ignacio Giménez, Rodolfo Garcia Werner World Premiere MATANGI / MAYA / MIA – USA / United Kingdom / Sri Lanka By Steve Loveridge With Maya Arulpragasam Documentary International Premiere Mes provinciales ( A Paris Education ) – France By Jean Paul Civeyrac With Andranic Manet, Corentin Fila, Gonzague Van Bervesselès, Diane Rouxel, Jenna Thiam, Sophie Verbeeck World Premiere O processo ( The Trial ) – Brazil / Germany / Netherlands By Maria Ramos Documentary World Premiere Ondes de choc – Journal de ma tête ( Shock Waves – Diary of My Mind ) – Switzerland By Ursula Meier With Fanny Ardant, Kacey Mottet-Klein, Jean-Philippe Ecoffey, Carlo Brandt, Stéphanie Blanchoud, Jean-Quentin Châtelain International Premiere Ondes de choc – Prénom: Mathieu ( Shock Waves – First Name: Mathieu ) – Switzerland By Lionel Baier With Maxime Gorbatchevsky, Michel Vuillermoz, Ursina Lardi, Mickael Amman, Adrien Barazzone, Piere-Isaïe Duc, Nastassja Tanner International Premiere Partisan – Germany By Lutz Pehnert, Matthias Ehlert, Adama Ulrich With Frank Castorf, Sophie Rois, Kathrin Angerer, Herbert Fritsch, Henry Hübchen, Alexander Scheer Documentary World Premiere Rou qing shi ( Girls Always Happy ) – People’s Republic of China Yang Mingming With Nai An, Yang Mingming, Zhang Xianmin, Li Qinqin, Huang Wei, Yuan Li World Premiere Shakedown – USA By Leilah Weinraub Documentary World Premiere Shut Up and Play the Piano – Germany / France / United Kingdom By Philip Jedicke With Chilly Gonzales, Peaches, Feist, Sibylle Berg, Jarvis Cocker Documentary World Premiere La terra dell’abbastanza ( Boys Cry ) – Italy By Damiano D’Innocenzo, Fabio D’Innocenzo With Matteo Olivetti, Andrea Carpenzano, Milena Mancini, Max Tortora, Luca Zingaretti World Premiere The Silence of Others – USA / Spain By Almudena Carracedo, Robert Bahar Documentary World Premiere The Silk and the Flame – United States By Jordan Schiele Documentary World Premiere  Styx – Germany / Austria By Wolfgang Fischer With Susanne Wolff, Gedion Oduor World Premiere Tinta bruta ( Hard Paint )- BrazilBy Marcio Reolon, Filipe Matzembacher With Shico Menegat, Bruno Fernandes, Guega Peixoto, Sandra Dani, Frederico Vasque’s World Premiere  Trinta Lumes ( Thirty Souls )- SpainBy Diana Toucedo With Alba Arias, Samuel Vilariño’s World Premiere  Xiao Mei – Taiwan By Maren Hwang With Chen Yi-Wen, Liu Kuan-Ting, Na Dow, Wu Chien-Ho, Yin Shin, Laurence Chiu, Chang Shao-Huai, Samantha Ko, Wu Kang-jen, Jao Cincin World Premiere Yardie – United Kingdom By Idris Elba With Aml Ameen, Shantol Jackson, Stephen Graham, Fraser James, Sheldon Shepherd, Everaldo Creary European Premiere Already featured films: L’Animale – Austria by Katharina Mückstein Bixa Travesty ( Tranny Fag ) – Brazil by Claudia Priscilla, Kiko Goifman Ex Pajé ( Ex Shaman ) – Brazil by Luiz Bolognesi Malambo, el hombre bueno (Malambo, the Good Man) – Argentina by Santiago Loza Obscuro Barroco – France / Greece by Evangelia Kranioti La omisión ( The Omission ) – Argentina / Netherlands / Switzerland by Sebastián Schjaer River’s Edge – Japan by Isao Yukisada Profiles – USA / UK / Cyprus by Timur Bekmambetov That Summer – Sweden / Denmark, USA by Göran Hugo Olsson Yocho (Foreboding) – Japan by Kiyoshi Kurosawa Central Airport THF ( Central Airport THF ) – Germany / France / Brazil by Karim Aïnouz

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