El Angel directed by Luis Ortega[/caption]
Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 91st Academy Awards. Malawi and Niger are first-time entrants.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.
The 91st Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
The 2018 submissions are:
Afghanistan, “Rona Azim’s Mother,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director;
Algeria, “Until the End of Time,” Yasmine Chouikh, director;
Argentina, “El Ángel,” Luis Ortega, director;
Armenia, “Spitak,” Alexander Kott, director;
Australia, “Jirga,” Benjamin Gilmour, director;
Austria, “The Waldheim Waltz,” Ruth Beckermann, director;
Bangladesh, “No Bed of Roses,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director;
Belarus, “Crystal Swan,” Darya Zhuk, director;
Belgium, “Girl,” Lukas Dhont, director;
Bolivia, “The Goalkeeper,” Rodrigo “Gory” Patiño, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Never Leave Me,” Aida Begić, director;
Brazil, “The Great Mystical Circus,” Carlos Diegues, director;
Bulgaria, “Omnipresent,” Ilian Djevelekov, director;
Cambodia, “Graves without a Name,” Rithy Panh, director;
Canada, “Family Ties,” Sophie Dupuis, director;
Chile, “…And Suddenly the Dawn,” Silvio Caiozzi, director;
China, “Hidden Man,” Jiang Wen, director;
Colombia, “Birds of Passage,” Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra, directors;
Costa Rica, “Medea,” Alexandra Latishev, director;
Croatia, “The Eighth Commissioner,” Ivan Salaj, director;
Czech Republic, “Winter Flies,” Olmo Omerzu, director;
Denmark, “The Guilty,” Gustav Möller, director;
Dominican Republic, “Cocote,” Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias, director;
Ecuador, “A Son of Man,” Jamaicanoproblem, director;
Egypt, “Yomeddine,” A.B. Shawky, director;
Estonia, “Take It or Leave It,” Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo, director;
Finland, “Euthanizer,” Teemu Nikki, director;
France, “Memoir of War,” Emmanuel Finkiel, director;
Georgia, “Namme,” Zaza Khalvashi, director;
Germany, “Never Look Away,” Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, director;
Greece, “Polyxeni,” Dora Masklavanou, director;
Hong Kong, “Operation Red Sea,” Dante Lam, director;
Hungary, “Sunset,” László Nemes, director;
Iceland, “Woman at War,” Benedikt Erlingsson, director;
India, “Village Rockstars,” Rima Das, director;
Indonesia, “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts,” Mouly Surya, director;
Iran, “No Date, No Signature,” Vahid Jalilvand, director;
Iraq, “The Journey,” Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji, director;
Israel, “The Cakemaker,” Ofir Raul Graizer, director;
Italy, “Dogman,” Matteo Garrone, director;
Japan, “Shoplifters,” Hirokazu Kore-eda, director;
Kazakhstan, “Ayka,” Sergey Dvortsevoy, director;
Kenya, “Supa Modo,” Likarion Wainaina, director;
Kosovo, “The Marriage,” Blerta Zeqiri, director;
Latvia, “To Be Continued,” Ivars Seleckis, director;
Lebanon, “Capernaum,” Nadine Labaki, director;
Lithuania, “Wonderful Losers: A Different World,” Arunas Matelis, director;
Luxembourg, “Gutland,” Govinda Van Maele, director;
Macedonia, “Secret Ingredient,” Gjorce Stavreski, director;
Malawi, “The Road to Sunrise,” Shemu Joyah, director;
Mexico, “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón, director;
Montenegro, “Iskra,” Gojko Berkuljan, director;
Morocco, “Burnout,” Nour-Eddine Lakhmari, director;
Nepal, “Panchayat,” Shivam Adhikari, director;
Netherlands, “The Resistance Banker,” Joram Lürsen, director;
New Zealand, “Yellow Is Forbidden,” Pietra Brettkelly, director;
Niger, “The Wedding Ring,” Rahmatou Keïta, director;
Norway, “What Will People Say,” Iram Haq, director;
Pakistan, “Cake,” Asim Abbasi, director;
Palestine, “Ghost Hunting,” Raed Andoni, director;
Panama, “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name,” Abner Benaim, director;
Paraguay, “The Heiresses,” Marcelo Martinessi, director;
Peru, “Eternity,” Oscar Catacora, director;
Philippines, “Signal Rock,” Chito S. Roño, director;
Poland, “Cold War,” Pawel Pawlikowski, director;
Portugal, “Pilgrimage,” João Botelho, director;
Romania, “I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians,” Radu Jude, director;
Russia, “Sobibor,” Konstantin Khabensky, director;
Serbia, “Offenders,” Dejan Zecevic, director;
Singapore, “Buffalo Boys,” Mike Wiluan, director;
Slovakia, “The Interpreter,” Martin Šulík, director;
Slovenia, “Ivan,” Janez Burger, director;
South Africa, “Sew the Winter to My Skin,” Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, director;
South Korea, “Burning,” Lee Chang-dong, director;
Spain, “Champions,” Javier Fesser, director;
Sweden, “Border,” Ali Abbasi, director;
Switzerland, “Eldorado,” Markus Imhoof, director;
Taiwan, “The Great Buddha+,” Hsin-Yao Huang, director;
Thailand, “Malila The Farewell Flower,” Anucha Boonyawatana, director;
Tunisia, “Beauty and the Dogs,” Kaouther Ben Hania, director;
Turkey, “The Wild Pear Tree,” Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director;
Ukraine, “Donbass,” Sergei Loznitsa, director;
United Kingdom, “I Am Not a Witch,” Rungano Nyoni, director;
Uruguay, “Twelve-Year Night,” Álvaro Brechner, director;
Venezuela, “The Family,” Gustavo Rondón Córdova, director;
Vietnam, “The Tailor,” Buu Loc Tran, Kay Nguyen, directors;
Yemen, “10 Days before the Wedding,” Amr Gamal, director.The Cakemaker (2017)
-
87 Countries Submit Films in 2018 Oscar Foreign Language Competition
[caption id="attachment_31248" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] El Angel directed by Luis Ortega[/caption]
Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 91st Academy Awards. Malawi and Niger are first-time entrants.
Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.
The 91st Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
The 2018 submissions are:
Afghanistan, “Rona Azim’s Mother,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director;
Algeria, “Until the End of Time,” Yasmine Chouikh, director;
Argentina, “El Ángel,” Luis Ortega, director;
Armenia, “Spitak,” Alexander Kott, director;
Australia, “Jirga,” Benjamin Gilmour, director;
Austria, “The Waldheim Waltz,” Ruth Beckermann, director;
Bangladesh, “No Bed of Roses,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director;
Belarus, “Crystal Swan,” Darya Zhuk, director;
Belgium, “Girl,” Lukas Dhont, director;
Bolivia, “The Goalkeeper,” Rodrigo “Gory” Patiño, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Never Leave Me,” Aida Begić, director;
Brazil, “The Great Mystical Circus,” Carlos Diegues, director;
Bulgaria, “Omnipresent,” Ilian Djevelekov, director;
Cambodia, “Graves without a Name,” Rithy Panh, director;
Canada, “Family Ties,” Sophie Dupuis, director;
Chile, “…And Suddenly the Dawn,” Silvio Caiozzi, director;
China, “Hidden Man,” Jiang Wen, director;
Colombia, “Birds of Passage,” Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra, directors;
Costa Rica, “Medea,” Alexandra Latishev, director;
Croatia, “The Eighth Commissioner,” Ivan Salaj, director;
Czech Republic, “Winter Flies,” Olmo Omerzu, director;
Denmark, “The Guilty,” Gustav Möller, director;
Dominican Republic, “Cocote,” Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias, director;
Ecuador, “A Son of Man,” Jamaicanoproblem, director;
Egypt, “Yomeddine,” A.B. Shawky, director;
Estonia, “Take It or Leave It,” Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo, director;
Finland, “Euthanizer,” Teemu Nikki, director;
France, “Memoir of War,” Emmanuel Finkiel, director;
Georgia, “Namme,” Zaza Khalvashi, director;
Germany, “Never Look Away,” Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, director;
Greece, “Polyxeni,” Dora Masklavanou, director;
Hong Kong, “Operation Red Sea,” Dante Lam, director;
Hungary, “Sunset,” László Nemes, director;
Iceland, “Woman at War,” Benedikt Erlingsson, director;
India, “Village Rockstars,” Rima Das, director;
Indonesia, “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts,” Mouly Surya, director;
Iran, “No Date, No Signature,” Vahid Jalilvand, director;
Iraq, “The Journey,” Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji, director;
Israel, “The Cakemaker,” Ofir Raul Graizer, director;
Italy, “Dogman,” Matteo Garrone, director;
Japan, “Shoplifters,” Hirokazu Kore-eda, director;
Kazakhstan, “Ayka,” Sergey Dvortsevoy, director;
Kenya, “Supa Modo,” Likarion Wainaina, director;
Kosovo, “The Marriage,” Blerta Zeqiri, director;
Latvia, “To Be Continued,” Ivars Seleckis, director;
Lebanon, “Capernaum,” Nadine Labaki, director;
Lithuania, “Wonderful Losers: A Different World,” Arunas Matelis, director;
Luxembourg, “Gutland,” Govinda Van Maele, director;
Macedonia, “Secret Ingredient,” Gjorce Stavreski, director;
Malawi, “The Road to Sunrise,” Shemu Joyah, director;
Mexico, “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón, director;
Montenegro, “Iskra,” Gojko Berkuljan, director;
Morocco, “Burnout,” Nour-Eddine Lakhmari, director;
Nepal, “Panchayat,” Shivam Adhikari, director;
Netherlands, “The Resistance Banker,” Joram Lürsen, director;
New Zealand, “Yellow Is Forbidden,” Pietra Brettkelly, director;
Niger, “The Wedding Ring,” Rahmatou Keïta, director;
Norway, “What Will People Say,” Iram Haq, director;
Pakistan, “Cake,” Asim Abbasi, director;
Palestine, “Ghost Hunting,” Raed Andoni, director;
Panama, “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name,” Abner Benaim, director;
Paraguay, “The Heiresses,” Marcelo Martinessi, director;
Peru, “Eternity,” Oscar Catacora, director;
Philippines, “Signal Rock,” Chito S. Roño, director;
Poland, “Cold War,” Pawel Pawlikowski, director;
Portugal, “Pilgrimage,” João Botelho, director;
Romania, “I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians,” Radu Jude, director;
Russia, “Sobibor,” Konstantin Khabensky, director;
Serbia, “Offenders,” Dejan Zecevic, director;
Singapore, “Buffalo Boys,” Mike Wiluan, director;
Slovakia, “The Interpreter,” Martin Šulík, director;
Slovenia, “Ivan,” Janez Burger, director;
South Africa, “Sew the Winter to My Skin,” Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, director;
South Korea, “Burning,” Lee Chang-dong, director;
Spain, “Champions,” Javier Fesser, director;
Sweden, “Border,” Ali Abbasi, director;
Switzerland, “Eldorado,” Markus Imhoof, director;
Taiwan, “The Great Buddha+,” Hsin-Yao Huang, director;
Thailand, “Malila The Farewell Flower,” Anucha Boonyawatana, director;
Tunisia, “Beauty and the Dogs,” Kaouther Ben Hania, director;
Turkey, “The Wild Pear Tree,” Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director;
Ukraine, “Donbass,” Sergei Loznitsa, director;
United Kingdom, “I Am Not a Witch,” Rungano Nyoni, director;
Uruguay, “Twelve-Year Night,” Álvaro Brechner, director;
Venezuela, “The Family,” Gustavo Rondón Córdova, director;
Vietnam, “The Tailor,” Buu Loc Tran, Kay Nguyen, directors;
Yemen, “10 Days before the Wedding,” Amr Gamal, director.
-
47th Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival Awards: THE SAINT Wins Grand-Prix
The Festival Jury of the 47th Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival in Kyiv, Ukraine awarded the winners in 6 categories, along with the festival‘s Shoot&Play competition. The Grand-Prix of the festival for the best first full-length film, the Scythian Deer was awarded to Andrius Blaževičius for his film The Saint (Lithuania, Poland, 2016).
Prize for best full-length film is awarded to Hlynur Pálmason for his film Winter Brothers (Denmark, Iceland, 2017).
Special Jury Diploma of Full-Length Competition is awarded to The Load by Ognjen Glavonić (Serbia, France, Croatia, Iran, Qatar, 2018).
Prize for Best Short Film is awarded to The Blissful Accidental Death by Sergiu Negulici (Romania, 2017).
Prize for Best Student Film is awarded to Close Ties by Zofia Kowalewska (Poland, 2016).
Special Jury Diploma of Student Films Competition is awarded to Ocean Swells by Sverre Matias Glenne (Norway, 2016).
Teen Screen Competition Jury has awarded its prize to Half Ticket by Samit Kakkad (India, 2016).
Special Jury Diplomas of Teen Screen Competition are awarded to Supa Modo by Likarion Wainaina (Kenya, Germany, 2018) and Behind the Blue Door by Mariusz Palej (Poland, 2016).
Prize for Best Film in National Competition is awarded to Weightlifter by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk (Ukraine, Poland, 2018) – for virtuosic directing and impressive imagery.
Special Jury Diplomas of National Competition are awarded to Unavailable by Nikon Romanchenko (Ukraine, 2017) – for delicate view and particular tone. And to The Wonderful Years by Svitlana Shymko and Galina Yarmanova (Ukraine, 2018) – for subtle display of an unknown world.
Audience Award of the 47th Molodist KIFF went to the film Silent Night by Piotr Domalewski (Poland, 2016).
The best film of Shoot&Play competition is Your Choice Will Benefit You by Anastasiia Khomenko.
Prize for Best LGBTQ Film of Sunny Bunny competition program is awarded to The Heiresses by Marcelo Martinessi.
Special Jury Diplomas of Sunny Bunny Competition Jury are awarded to The Cakemaker by Ofir Raul Graizer and Hard Paint by Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon.
The Scythian Deer for the contribution to world cinematography was awarded to the German actor Jürgen Prochnow.
-
Watch Official Trailer for Ofir Raul Graizer’s THE CAKEMAKER
Strand Releasing has debut the official US trailer for the The Cakemaker, by Israeli filmmaker Ofir Raul Graizer. The Cakemaker which had its World Premiere at the 2017 Karlovy Vary Film Festival will open in select US theaters on June 29th.
Thomas, a young and talented German baker, is having an affair with Oren, an Israeli married man who dies in a car crash. Thomas travels to Jerusalem seeking answers. Keeping his secret for himself, he starts working for Anat, his lover’s widow, who owns a small café. Although not fully kosher and despised by the religious, his delicious cakes turn the place into a city attraction. Finding himself involved in Anat’s life in a way far beyond his anticipation, Thomas will stretch his lie to a point of no return. The Cakemaker is both written and directed by Israeli filmmaker/artist Ofir Raul Graizer, making his feature directorial debut after a number of short films previously.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XxLHyzsB_Q
-
Provincetown International Film Festival Announces 2018 Lineup, Closes with MAPPLETHORPE
[caption id="attachment_28780" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
MAPPLETHORPE[/caption]
The Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) announced their complete lineup of narrative, documentary and short films for the 20th anniversary edition. The festival will kick off with the New England premiere of WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY, starring Molly Shannon. Written and directed by Madeleine Olnek, the film is a dramatic comedy about the secret life of Emily Dickinson. Ondi Timoner’s MAPPLETHORPE, starring Matt Smith, has been selected as the Closing Night film.
Additionally, acclaimed director Sean Baker will receive the “Filmmaker on the Edge” Award in conversation with John Waters, and actress Chloë Grace Moretz will be on hand to receive the festival’s Next Wave Award; Moretz’s latest film, THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, is a Spotlight selection.
Said Artistic Director Lisa Viola, “For our 20th anniversary festival, we are absolutely thrilled to present a lineup featuring new work by a group of extraordinarily talented filmmakers, and we are especially proud that all five of our Spotlight films are directed by women!”
The Provincetown International Film Festival runs June 13 to 17, 2018 in Provincetown, MA.
2018 Provincetown International Film Festival Lineup
OPENING NIGHT
WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY – directed by Madeleine Olnek (Wednesday, June 13)CLOSING NIGHT
MAPPLETHORPE – directed by Ondi Timoner (Sunday, June 17)SPOTLIGHT SELECTIONS
THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST – directed by Desiree Akhavan (Thursday, June 14) AND BREATHE NORMALLY – directed by Ísold Ugadóttir (Friday, June 15) LEAVE NO TRACE – directed by Debra Granik (Saturday, June 16)SPECIAL SCREENINGS/EVENTS
JOHN WATERS PRESENTS: I, OLGA – directed by Petr Kazda, Tomás Weinreb MODERN LOVE LIVE, presented by WBUR and The New York Times at the Provincetown Film Festival (Friday, June 15) FEMALE TROUBLE – directed by John Waters MIDNIGHT COWBOY – directed by John Schlesinger TANGERINE – directed by Sean BakerNARRATIVE FEATURES
1985 – directed by Yen Tan BLINDSPOTTING– directed by Carlos López Estrada THE CAKEMAKER – directed by Ofir Raul Graizer THE CHILDREN ACT – directed by Richard Eyre DON’T WORRY, HE WON’T GET FAR ON FOOT – directed by Gus Van Sant EIGHTH GRADE – directed by Bo Burnham THE GUILTY – directed by Gustav Möller HEARTS BEAT LOUD– directed by Brett Haley A KID LIKE JAKE – directed by Silas Howard LEMONADE – directed by Ioana Uricaru LOVELING – directed by Gustavo Pizzi MADELINE’S MADELINE – directed by Josephine Decker MARIO – directed by Marcel Gisler NIGHT COMES ON – directed by Jordana Spiro PUZZLE – directed by Marc Turtletaub WE THE ANIMALS – directed by Jeremiah ZagarDOCUMENTARY FEATURES
CHEF FLYNN – directed by Cameron Yates DAWNLAND – directed by Adam Mazo, Ben Pender-Cudlip EVERY ACT OF LIFE – directed by Jeff Kaufman A FINE LINE – directed by Joanna James GENERATION WEALTH – directed by Lauren Greenfield THE GOSPEL OF EUREKA – directed by Donal Mosher, Michael Palmieri JOHN McENROE: IN THE REALM OF PERFECTION – directed by Julien Faraut LIFE IN THE DOGHOUSE – directed by Ron Davis McQUEEN – directed by Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING – directed by Nathaniel Kahn ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND – directed by Marina Zenovich SCIENCE FAIR – directed by Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD – directed by Matt Tyrnauer THE SENTENCE – directed by Rudy Valdez STUDIO 54 – directed by Matt Tyrnauer THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS – directed by Tim Wardle TIME FOR ILHAN – directed by Norah Shapiro WESTWOOD: PUNK, ICON, ACTIVIST – directed by Lorna Tucker WYETH – directed by Glenn HolstenSHORTS
AFTER PROM – directed by Nona Schamus BABS – directed by Celine Held & Logan George BECAUSE YOU’RE HERE – directed by Mike Syers BRAINWORM BILLY – directed by Emily Hubley THE DARE PROJECT – directed by Adam Salky, written by David Brind EDWARD HOPPER & MARSHALL’S HOUSE – directed by Bob Burnett FEVAH – directed by Randall Dottin GIRL FRIEND – directed by Chloe Sarbib HEATHER HAS FOUR MOMS – directed by Jeanette L. Buck JUDITH LOVES MARTHA – directed by Anna Gaskell KEEPER – directed by Marnie Crawford Samuelson & Shane Hofeldt KHOL (OPEN) – directed by Faroukh Virani LANDLINE – directed by Matt Houghton THE LAYOVER – directed by Joe Stankus LONESOME WILLCOX – directed by Ryan Maxey & Zack Wright MARGUERITE – directed by Maria Gracia Turgeon MAUDE – directed by Anna Margaret Hollyman MEN DON’T WHISPER – directed by Jordan Firstman MOTHER MOTHER – directed by Robert Machoian & Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck NEGATIVE SPACE – directed by Ru Kuwahata & Max Porter NEUTRAL – directed by Nathan Barnatt PAID FOR BY – EPISODE 2 – DIANE BUSCH’S WOMEN’S ISSUE AD – directed by Dawn Smith SET ME AS A SEAL UPON THINE HEART – directed by Omer Tobi SHE IS JUICED: SLICE ONE – JO HAY – directed by Lois Norman SLEEPOVER – directed by Jimi Vall Peterson SUPER 8 DAZE – directed by Rob Hampton & John Morgan WOULD YOU LOOK AT HER – directed by Goran Stolevski WORLD OF TOMORROW EPISODE 2: THE BURDEN OF OTHER PEOPLE’S THOUGHTS –directed by Don Herzfeldt WREN BOYS – directed by Harry Lighton
-
2018 Florida Film Festival Announces Lineup, Opens with “American Animals”
Today the Florida Film Festival announced the program lineup of 183 films representing 38 countries, for the 27th Annual Festival, taking place April 6 to 15, 2018, in Maitland and Winter Park, Florida. The festival will open with American Animals directed by Bart Layton, and close with the 75th Anniversary Screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt.
“This is going to be a banner year in every aspect,” commented Matthew Curtis, Florida Film Festival Programming Director. “With a greater number of films making their Florida debut than ever before, we could not be more excited about introducing these talented filmmakers and presenting such an extraordinary and diverse group of films to our audience. We are proud that this year’s lineup includes 82 women filmmakers–the most ever and more than 45% of our total programming! Their voices will be represented everywhere in the Festival, including our first-ever experimental shorts program (“Sunspots: New Visions of the Avant Garde”), and our first-ever “X Real” Doc shorts program completely directed by women. Let the story-gazing begin!”
The 21 features and 59 short films in the American Independent Competition will be eligible for up to three awards each: a Grand Jury Award for best film in that category, a Special Jury Award given at the jury’s discretion for exceptional achievements, and an Audience Award determined by audience votes for Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, and Best Short Film. International films are also eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature and Best International Short, and an Audience Award will be given for the Best Midnight Short as well.
2018 Florida Film Festival OFFICIAL SELECTION:
OPENING NIGHT FILM:
American Animals – Directed by Bart Layton, USA, 2018, 116 MIN, East Coast Premiere Star Blake Jenner will be in attendance for the Opening Night Film and Party, and will participate in a post-film Q&A with the audience
SPOTLIGHT FILMS:
Borg McEnroe – Directed by Janus Metz, Sweden/Denmark/Finland, 2017, 107 MIN, Rated R, In English and Swedish with English subtitles The Guilty – Directed by Gustav Möller, Denmark, 2018, 85 MIN, In English and Danish with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Hearts Beat Loud – Directed by Brett Haley, USA, 2018, 97 MIN, East Coast Premiere A Kid Like Jake – Directed by Silas Howard, USA, 2018, 92 MIN, Florida Premiere Lean on Pete – Directed by Andrew Haigh, UK, 2017, 121 MIN, Southeast Premiere RBG – Directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West, USA, 2018, 97 MIN Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood – Directed by Matt Tyrnauer, USA, 2017, 98 MIN, Southeast Premiere Three Identical Strangers – Directed by Tim Wardle, UK, 2018, 96 MIN Tully – Directed by Jason Reitman, USA, 2018, 94 MIN, Rated R We the Animals – Directed by Jeremiah Zagar, USA, 2018, 94 MIN, East Coast Premiere Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – Directed by Morgan Neville, USA, 2018, 94 MIN
NARRATIVE FEATURES COMPETITION:
Call Me Brother – Directed by David Howe, USA, 2018, 77 MIN, World Premiere Cold November – Directed by Karl Jacob, USA, 2017, 92 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Feels – Directed by Jenée LaMarque, USA, 2017, 90 MIN Locating Silver Lake – Directed by Eric Bilitch, USA, 2018, 110 MINS, East Coast Premiere Prison Logic – Directed by Romany Malco Jr., USA, 2018, 95 MINS, Florida Premiere Quality Problems – Directed by Brooke & Doug Purdy, USA, 2017, 107 MIN, Southeast Premiere Savage Youth – Directed by Michael Curtis Johnson, USA, 2018, 97 MIN, Southeast Premiere Say You Will – Directed by Nick Naveda, USA, 2017, 98 MIN, Southeast Premiere Tatterdemalion – Directed by Ramaa Mosley, USA, 2017, 101 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing White Rabbit – Directed by Daryl Wein, USA, 2018, 71 MIN, East Coast PremiereDOCUMENTARY FEATURES COMPETITION:
Ask the Sexpert – Directed by Vaishali Sinha, USA/India, 2017, 83 MIN, Southeast Premiere Dark Money – Directed by Kimberly Reed, USA, 2018, 98 MIN, Florida Premiere Getting Naked: A Burlesque Story – Directed by James Lester, USA, 2017, 86 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Last Race – Directed by Michael Dweck, USA, 2018, 74 MIN, Florida Premiere Mole Man – Directed by Guy Fiorita, USA, 2017, 87 MIN, Southeast Premiere Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End – Directed by Pablo Bryant, USA, 2017, 70 MIN, Southeast Premiere My Indiana Muse – Directed by Ric & Jen Serena, USA, 2018, 44 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Power of Glove – Directed by Andrew Austin and Adam Ward, USA, 2017, 65 MIN, Southeast Premiere Samantha’s Amazing Acro-Cats – Directed by Jacob Feiring, USA, 2017, 58 MIN, Southeast Premiere This is Home – Directed by Alexandra Shiva, USA/Jordan, 2018, 91 MIN, Southeast Premiere TransMilitary – Directed by Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson, USA, 2018, 92 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US ShowingDOCUMENTARY SHORTS COMPETITION:
Alaska DGAF – Directed by David Freid, USA, 2018, 11 MIN, World Premiere Curious Kaleo – Directed by Judie Muhrez, Shana Kheradyar, Dylan McGale, and Tara Salveson, USA, 2018, 11 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing A Few Things About Robert Irwin. – Directed by Lisanne Skyler, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Footprint – Directed by Sara Newens, USA, 2018, 17 MIN, World Premiere The Forger – Directed by Alexandra Garcia, Samantha Stark, and Pamela Druckerman, USA, 2017, 16 MIN, In French with English subtitles, Florida Premiere JessZilla – Directed by Emily Sheskin, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Florida Premiere Let My People Vote – Directed by Gilda Ann Brasch, USA, 2018, 17 MIN, World Premiere Little Fiel – Directed by Irina Patkanian, USA/Mozambique, 2017, 16 MIN, Southeast Premiere Lotte That Silhouette Girl – Directed by Elizabeth Beecherl and Carla Patullo, USA, 2018, 10 MIN, East Coast Premiere Nueva Vida – Directed by Jonathan Seligson, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Please – Directed by Erica Rose, USA, 2018, 7 MIN, World Premiere The Shift – Directed by Elivia Shaw and Paloma Martinez, USA, 2017, 8 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Tables – Directed by Jon Bunning, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Florida Premiere Taobao – Directed by Noah Sheldon, USA/China, 2018, 4 MIN, In Mandarin with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Used: A Documentary – Directed by Rolando Nieves, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Southeast Premiere Winter’s Watch – Directed by Brian Bolster, USA, 2017, 14 MIN, Florida PremiereNARRATIVE SHORTS COMPETITION:
The Accomplice – Directed by Jonathan Hoeg and John F. Beach, USA, 2017, 8 MIN, Florida Premiere After Her – Directed by Aly Migliori, USA, 2018, 15 MIN, World Premiere An Alien Walks Into A Bar – Directed by Eli Bildner, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Florida Premiere/2nd US Showing Anna & the Asteroid – Directed by Scott Sherman, USA, 2017, 25 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing Artifice – Directed by Kevin Byrnes, USA, 2018, 4 MIN, World Premiere Caroline – Directed by Celine Held and Logan George, USA, 2018, 12 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing Control – Directed by Kimmy Gatewood, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Florida Premiere El Afilador (The Sharpener) – Directed by James Casey, USA/MEXICO, 2018, 9 MIN, North American Premiere, In Spanish with English subtitles Emergency – Directed by Carey Williams, USA, 2017, 12 MIN, Southeast Premiere End Times – Directed by Bobby Miller, USA, 2018, 9 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing everything’s gonna be okay – Directed by Matt Soson, USA, 2018, 15 MIN, World Premiere Falling – Directed by Ewen Wright, USA, 2018, 19 MIN, East Coast Premiere Five Minutes – Directed by Justine Bateman, USA, 2017, 10 MIN, Southeast Premiere Flatbush Misdemeanors – Directed by Dan Perlman and Kevin Iso, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Southeast Premiere Fran This Summer – Directed by Mary Evangelista, USA, 2018, 9 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Haircut – Directed by David Brundige, USA, 2018, 7 MIN, World Premiere Home Shopper – Directed by Dev Patel, USA/Singapore, 2018, 16 MIN, East Coast Premiere I Got This – Directed by Erik Bork, USA, 2018, 22 MIN, World Premiere Iron Hands – Directed by Johnson Cheng, USA/China, 2017, 11 MIN, In Mandarin with English Subtitles, Florida Premiere Life After – Directed by Ria Tobaccowala, USA, 2018, 12 MIN, Florida Premiere Life Boat – Directed by Lorraine Nicholson, USA, 2017, 18 MIN, Southeast Premiere Magic Bullet – Directed by Amanda Lovejoy Street, USA, 2018, 19 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Mama Jane – Directed by Lisa Maria Hall, USA, 2018, 12 MIN, World Premiere Men Don’t Whisper – Directed by Jordan Firstman, USA, 2017, 22 MIN, Florida Premiere My Loyal Audience – Directed by Megan Seely, USA, 2017, 12 MIN Painting with Joan – Directed by Jack Henry Robbins, USA, 2018, 4 MIN, East Coast Premiere Sweet & Lo – Directed by Clay Liford, USA, 2018, 14 MIN, World Premiere Valentina – Directed by Mary Angélica Molina, USA, 2017, 8 MIN, Florida Premiere , In English and Spanish with English subtitles Wyrm – Directed by Christopher Winterbauer, USA, 2017, 20 MIN, East Coast PremiereANIMATED SHORTS COMPETITION:
Abnie Oberfork: A Tale of Self-Preservation – Directed by Shannon Fleming, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Florida Premiere Aquacade – Directed by Caroline Voagen Nelson, USA, 2017, 3 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Driver is Red – Directed by Randall Christopher, USA, 2017, 15 MIN Fired Up – Directed by Elyse Kelly and Dan Fipphen, USA/Colombia/Israel, 2017, 3 MIN, Florida Premiere For Educational Purposes Only – Directed by David Nessl, USA, 2018, 3 MIN, US Premiere Fundamental – Directed by Shih-Chieh Chiu, USA/Taiwan, 2017, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Jeom – Directed by Kangmin Kim, USA/South Korea, 2018, 4 MIN, In Korean with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Nevada – Directed by Emily Ann Hoffman, USA, 2017, 12 MIN, Southeast Premiere Phototaxis – Directed by Melissa Ferrari, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Seahorse Man – Directed by Diana Carter, USA, 2018, 3 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Shahkboy – Directed by Jake Peckar, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing Undiscovered – Directed by Sara Litzenberger, USA, 2017, 3 MIN The Velvet Underground Played At My High School – Directed by Robert Pietri and Tony Jannelli, USA, 2018, 7 MIN, Southeast Premiere Weekends – Directed by Trevor Jimenez, USA, 2017, 15 MIN, Florida PremiereINTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE:
The Cakemaker – Directed by Ofir Raul Graizer, Israel/Germany, 2017, 104 MIN, In English, Hebrew and German with English subtitles Euthanizer – Directed by Teemu Nikki, Finland, 2017, 85 MIN, In Finnish with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Mama – Directed by Nicholas Brennan, USA/Uganda, 2017, 7 MIN, In Luganda with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts – Directed by Mouly Surya, Indonesia/France/Malaysia/Thailand, 2017, 93 MIN, In Indonesian with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Soufra – Directed by Thomas Morgan, USA/Lebanon, 2017, 73 MIN, In Arabic with English subtitles, Florida PremiereINTERNATIONAL SHORTS:
The App – Directed by Julián Merino, Spain, 2017, 15 MIN, In Spanish with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Beatrice – Directed by Lorena Alvarado, Italy, 2017, 9 MIN, In Italian with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Daughter – Directed by Mara Tamkovich, Poland, 2018, 29 MIN, In Polish with English subtitles, World Premiere Do I Have Boobs Now? – Directed by Milena Salazar and Joella Cabalu, Canada, 2017, 7 MIN, East Coast Premiere Fern – Directed by Johnny Kelly, UK, 2017, 6 MIN, East Coast Premiere Gaze – Directed by Farnoosh Samadi, Iran/Italy, 2017, 14 MIN, In Persian with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Iris – Directed by Gabrielle Demers, Canada, 2017, 10 MIN, In French with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Limit – Directed by Javad Daraei, Iran, 2017, 8 MIN, In Persian with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere The Log (Halko) – Directed by Teemu Nikki, Finland, 2016, 7 MIN, In Finnish with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Merry-Go-Round – Directed by Ruslan Bratov, Russian Federation, 2017, 13 MIN, In Russian with English subtitles, North American Premiere My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes – Directed by Charlie Tyrell, Canada, 2018, 14 MIN, East Coast Premiere The Old Woman Who Hid Her Fear Under the Stairs – Directed by Faye Jackson, UK, 2018, 16 MIN, World Premiere Shadow Animals – Directed by Jerry Carlsson, Sweden, 2017, 22 MIN, In Swedish with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere Slap Happy – Directed by Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli, Canada, 2017, 11 MIN, East Coast Premiere State of Emergency Motherfucker – Directed by Sébastien Petretti, Belgium, 2017, 6 MIN, In French with English subtitles Thursday Night – Directed by Gonçalo Almeida, Portugal, 2017, 8 MIN, Southeast Premiere True Love in Pueblo Textil – Directed by Horatio Baltz, Cuba/USA, 2017, 5 MIN, In Spanish with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Wren Boys – Directed by Harry Lighton, UK, 2017, 11 MIN, East Coast PremiereINTERNATIONAL ANIMATED SHORTS:
The Burden – Directed by Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Sweden, 2017, 14 MIN, In Swedish with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Catherine – Directed by Britt Raes, Belgium, 2017, 12 MIN Dead Horses – Directed by Marc Riba and Anna Solanas, Spain, 2016, 6 MIN, In Catalan with English subtitles, Florida Premiere The Death, Dad & Son – Directed by Denis Walgenwitz and Winshluss, France, 2017, 14 MIN, East Coast Premiere Intimity – Directed by Elodie Dermange, Switzerland, 2017, 5 MIN, East Coast Premiere The Laughing Spider – Directed by Keiichi Tanaami, Japan, 2016, 7 MIN, Florida Premiere Life Before Life – Directed by Rao Heidmets, Estonia, 2017, 7 MIN, In English and Estonian with English subtitles, Florida Premiere Negative Space – Directed by Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata, France, 2017, 6 MIN The Noise of Licking – Directed by Nadja Andrasev, Hungary, 2016, 9 MIN, Southeast Premiere Perfect Town – Directed by Anaïs Voirol, Switzerland, 2017, 4 MIN, Florida Premiere Wicked Girl – Directed by Ayce Kartal. France/Turkey, 2017, 8 MIN, In Turkish with English subtitlesSUNSPOTS: NEW VISIONS OF THE AVANT GARDE:
Animal Cinema – Directed by Emilio Vavarella, USA, 2017, 12 MIN, East Coast Premiere Blot – Directed by Benjamin Rouse, USA, 2017, 2 MIN, Florida Premiere A Diptych to Educate Birds – Directed by Noah Engel, USA, 2017, 1 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Dot Matrix – Directed by Lauren Cook, USA, 2017, 4 MIN, Southeast Premiere Edge of Alchemy – Directed by Stacey Steers, USA, 2017, 19 MIN, Florida Premiere The Garden of Delight – Directed by Michael Fleming, Netherlands/USA, 2017, 12 MIN, East Coast Premiere Growing Girl – Directed by Marnie Ellen Hertzler, USA, 2017, 12 MIN Holy Pink: Fragrant – Directed by Clementine Leger and Benjamin Whatley, USA, 2018, 2 MIN, World Premiere The Knits – Directed by Lisa Birke, Canada, 2017, 10 MIN, Florida Premiere Mountain Castle Mountain Flower Plastic – Directed by Annapurna Kumar, USA, 2017, 3 MIN, Southeast Premiere OK, Call Me Back – Directed by Emily Ann Hoffman, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Southeast PremiereMIDNIGHT FEATURES:
Ghost Stories – Directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, UK, 2017, 98 MIN, Florida Premiere King Cohen – Directed by Steve Mitchell, USA/Canada, 2017, 109 MIN Revenge – Directed by Coralie Fargeat, France, 2017, 108 MIN, In English and French with English Subtitles, East Coast Premiere Summer of 84 – Directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell, USA/Canada, 2018, 105 MIN, East Coast PremiereMIDNIGHT SHORTS:
BFF Girls – Directed by Brian Lonano, USA, 2018, 13 MIN, In English and Japanese with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing Bigfoot’s Love Slave – Directed by Heather Tom, USA, 2017, 5 MIN, Southeast Premiere Cee Cee’s Bedtime Stories #3 Cee Cee and the Ex-Calibahhh – Directed by Joy Buran and Noelle Melody, USA, 2017, 1 MIN, Southeast Premiere/2nd US Showing DaemonRunner – Directed by Kiah Roache-Turner, Australia, 2017, 5 MIN, East Coast Premiere Empire of Dirt – Directed by Adam Mason, USA, 2018, 8 MIN, US Premiere Hair Wolf – Directed by Mariama Diallo, USA, 2018, 12 MIN, East Coast Premiere The Jerry Show – Directed by Stephen Stull, USA, 2017, 9 MIN Little Donnie (The Ten Inch Terror) – Directed by Chel White, USA, 2018, 4 MIN, North American Premiere Little Wonder – Directed by Jordan Carlman, USA, 2018, 3 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Master Blaster – Directed by Sawako Kabuki, Japan, 2016, 4 MIN, In Japanese with English subtitles, East Coast Premiere The Order of the Orchid – Directed by Alex Italics, USA, 2018, 7 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing Peen Zine – Directed by Simeon Kondev, USA, 2017, 3 MIN, East Coast Premiere/2nd US Showing We Love You, Stephanie! – Directed by Sara Ambra, USA, 2018, 6 MIN, World Premiere We Summoned a Demon – Directed by Chris McInroy, USA, 2017, 6 MIN, Florida Premiere Zablah – Directed by Rachel Nakawatase and Ryan Betschart, USA, 2018, 4 MIN, World PremiereSPECIAL SCREENINGS:
FAMILY FILMS:
The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales… – Directed by Benjamin Renner and Patrick Imbert, France/Belgium, 2017, 83 MIN, Rated G, In French with English subtitles, Southeast Premiere Lu Over the Wall – Directed by Masaaki Yuasa, Japan, 2017, 112 MIN, Southeast PremiereFOOD FILMS:
Back to Burgundy – Directed by Cédric Klapisch, France, 2017, 113 MIN, In English, French, and Spanish with English subtitles Ramen Heads – Directed by Koki Shigeno, Japan, 2017, 93 MIN, In Japanese with English subtitles, Florida PremiereMUSIC FILMS:
40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie – Directed by Lee Aronsohn, USA, 2017, 99 MIN, Southeast Premiere The Godfathers of Hardcore – Directed by Ian McFarland, USA/Belgium/Cuba/France/Germany/Italy/Netherlands/Switzerland, 2017, 95 MIN, Florida Premiere Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami – Directed by Sophie Fiennes, Ireland/UK, 2017, 115 MIN, East Coast PremiereFLORIDA FILMS:
FLORIDA SHORTS: THE BEST OF BROUHAHA:
Barely There – Directed by Hannah Lee, USA, 2017, 2 MIN Blood for Blood – Directed by Jared Bolhuis, USA, 2017, 8 MIN The Day Comedy Died – Directed by Nick Pletcher and Angelo Guevara-Malavé, USA, 2017, 6 MIN Extinguished – Directed by Ashley Anderson and Jacob Mann, USA, 2017, 4 MIN Flicker – Directed by Amanda Belawski, USA, 2018, 3 MIN, World Premiere A Grave Matter – Directed by Dylan Thompson, USA, 2017, 6 MIN, World Premiere If – Directed by Gabriel Valbuena, USA, 2017, 7 MIN, Florida Premiere In a Heartbeat – Directed by Esteban Bravo and Beth David, USA, 2017, 4 MIN Mama I Wanna March – Directed by Malcolm Baity, USA, 2017, 15 MIN Peacekeeper – Directed by Tyler Knutt and Nicholas Markart, USA, 2017, 13 MIN The Stranger – Directed by Katherine Oostman, USA, 2018, 13 MIN, World Premiere Thump – Directed by Ben Roth, USA, 2017, 2 MIN Tom in Couchland – Directed by James Just, USA, 2017, 2 MINFLORIDA FILMS:
A Greater Society – Directed by Craig A. Colton and Stacy Goldate, USA, 2018, 87 MIN, World Premiere Long Time Coming – Directed by Jon Strong, USA, 2018, 90 MIN, World Premiere A Mediocre Documentary with Tom and Dan – Directed by Kirk Murray, USA, 2018, 77 MIN, World PremiereCLOSING NIGHT RETRO FILM:
Shadow of a Doubt – Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1943, 108 minutes, 75th Anniversary Screening!
-
2018 Seattle Jewish Film Festival Salutes Israel’s 70th Birthday, Announces Lineup. Opens with Mob Caper MAKTUB
[caption id="attachment_27182" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Maktub[/caption]
Under the theme “isREEL Life,” this year’s 2018 Seattle Jewish Film Festival is particularly special, as the Festival salutes Israel’s 70th birthday. The 23rd edition of the Seattle Jewish Film Festival will run from March 8 to March 18 at venues around Seattle and on Mercer Island with a special Eastside Expansion on April 14 to April 15 at Regal’s Cinebarre Issaquah 8, showcasing four additional films. This festival is an important part of Seattle’s cultural mosaic, offering a diverse spectrum of films that celebrate Jewish and Israeli life, culture, history, and cinema.
Oded Raz, Isreaeli director, will feature the funny and touching mob caper Maktub on Seattle’s Opening Night, and SJFF’s new Eastside Opening Night kicks off with the illuminating and entertaining documentary Shalom Bollywood, about Indian-Jewish screen legends. The final Eastside film will be Across the Waters: a gripping story of survival and rescue.
SJFF 2018 SCREENINGS AND PROGRAMS
Opening Night Film Maktub | Director: Oded Raz | Comedy/Drama | Israel Two Jerusalem mob enforcers turn into unlikely secret angels after surviving a bombing at a resaurant they were shaking down. They fulfill writers’ wishes in purloined notes from the Western Wall while evading their suspicious boss in this funny and touching caper. Land of Milk and Funny | Director: Avi Liberman | Documentary | USA/Israel LA funnyman Avi Liberman takes fellow stand-up comedians on tours of Israel, capturing their keen and comical insights onstage and off. Guest (and stand-up performer): Comedian Dwight Slade. Trezoros: The Jews of Kastoria | Directors: Lawrence Russo & Larry Confino | Documentary | Greece A coastal city renowned for its idyllic beauty, Kastoria was once home to a harmonious and vibrant population of Greek Jews and Christians. Never-before-seen archival footage and interviews stitch together a compelling portrait of this unique and dynamic Jewish community. Guests: Director Lawrence Russo and Professor Devin Naar, UW Sephardic Studies. Keep the Change | Director: Rachel Israel | Romantic Comedy | USA Winner of Best Narrative Feature at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, this romantic comedy about people with autism navigating the difficulties of a relationship is charming, authentic and is “as funny as it is sweet” (Variety). Preceded by short film: The Gravedigger’s Daughter. Recommended for ages 15+; $5 tickets for TeenTix Members. Itzhak | Director: Alison Chernick | Documentary | USA Widely considered one of the world’s greatest living violinists, Itzhak Perlman’s mastery of the violin catapulted a child with polio from Tel Aviv and the son of Polish survivors onto the world’s most prominent stages. The Cakemaker | Director: Ophir Raul Graizer | Drama | Gemany/Israel Devastated by the sudden death of his Israeli boyfriend, shy Berlin baker Thomas journeys to Jerusalem, where he secretly infiltrates the lives of his lover’s widow and son, and helps revive her fledgling café with his tantalizing German confections. How long can he keep this secret as the pair becomes deeply enmeshed? Guest: Sara Michelle Fetters, Lead Film Critic for Seattle Gay News. Mandala Beats | Director: Rebekah Reiko | Documentary | Canada/India/Israel Known as the Jimi Hendrix of Israeli, musician Yossi Fine has collaborated with artists across the globe including Lou Reed, David Bowie, and Madonna. The son of a European Jew and a black Parisian mom, he learns that his grandfather was Indian, and departs on an “instrumental” journey of rediscovery. Guest: Director Rebekah Reiko. Longing | Director: Savi Gabizon | Drama | Israel Director Savi Gabizon (Nina’s Tragedies, SJFF 2005) muses on aging and second chances in this tale of a father haunted by a son he never knew existed. Preceded by short film: Holes. Praise the Lard | Director: Chen Shelach | Documentary | Israel The untold story of the pork industry in Israel, from Zionist movement and kibbutz pig farms to current identity struggles, freedoms, and new immigrant penchants, in spite of fierce resistance from religious Jews. Preceded by short film: Our Brothers. An Act of Defiance | Director: Jean van de Velde | Drama | South Africa Ten men in Nelson Mandela’s inner circle—some black, some Jewish—are arrested for conspiring to commit sabotage against the South African apartheid state. Their courageous lawyer risks career and freedom to defend them and conceal his own sedition in this nail-biting political thriller and spectacular courtroom drama. 1945 | Director: Ferenc Török | Drama | Hungary In the immediate aftermath of WWII, the arrival of an elderly Orthodox Jew and his son in a small Hungarian town triggers the townsfolk’s collective fear and guilt. Shelter | Director: Eran Riklis | Drama/Thriller | Germany/Israel/France In this suspenseful, neo-noir drama and psychological thriller, Mossad agent Naomi is sent to protect Mona, a Lebanese collaborator, in a German safe house. Their uneasy relationship develops into an unexpected bond, while threat levels outside rise. Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me | Director: Sam Pollard | Documentary | USA A toe-tapping, star-studded homage to the immensely-talented Black-Jewish entertainer and Rat Pack legend who navigated the shifting tides of civil rights and racial progress in mid-20th century America. The Testament | Director: Amichai Greenberg | Drama/Thriller | Austria/Israel Yoel, a meticulous historian leading a significant debate against Holocaust deniers, discovers that his mother carries a false identity. Is he willing to risk everything to discover the truth? Guest: Actor Ori Pfeffer. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story | Director: Alexandra Dean | Documentary | USA Alert, hipsters: Hedy Lamarr is the new Nikolai Tesla. Watch this film about her stranger-than-fiction life and amazing inventions so you can be into her before everyone else catches on. $5 tickets for Seniors 65+. Refreshments will be served at this screening. The History of Love | Director: Radu Mihaileanu | Drama | France/Belgium/Canada/Romania Two lives intersect in New York City in this masterful adaptation of Nicole Krauss’s bestselling novel starring Elliot Gould and Sir Derek Jacobi. An Israeli Love Story | Director: Dan Wolman | Drama | Israel Aspiring young actress Margalit falls for dashing fighter Eli in pre-independence Palestine, setting the stage for a true love story that mixes idealism, romance, sacrifice, and tragedy during a turbulent and momentous period. A cash bar at The J Cafe accompanies this screening. Vitch | Director: Sigal Bujman | Documentary | USA/Australia/France/Germany/Israel/Poland This documentary illuminates the moral conundrum of Eddie Vitch, a Polish Jewish caricaturist, mime and comedian, who stayed alive by entertaining Nazi elite and Gestapo officers. The film traces his daughter’s efforts to uncover the truth about his activities and motives. Guests: Director Sigal Bujman and Director of Photography Marc Pingry; Producers Yaffa and Paul Maritz. A special Event in the J Café accompanies this film, featuring a Brown Derby Eddie Vitch caricature exhibit and cake reception Cuba’s Forgotten Jewels | Directors: Robin Truesdale and Judy Kreith | Documentary | USA For a few short years in the 1940s, Jewish refugees from war-torn Europe turned the tropical island of Cuba into a global diamond center. This little-known, colorful, and uplifting story is set to an original soundtrack of Jewish melodies and pulsating Cuban music, featuring Seattle’s own Clave Gringa who will perform after the screening. Guests: Directors Robin Truesdale and Judy Kreith; Ann Reynolds, and Clave Gringa Latin jazz band. There will also be a a performance by Seattle’s Clave Gringa, who is featured on the film’s soundtrack. Closing Night Centerpiece Tiffany Shlain’s “Spoken Cinema” | Director Tiffany Shlain | Documentary Shorts Program | USA This year’s SJFF REEL Difference Award recipient is Emmy-nominated filmmaker, author, public speaker, and internet pioneer, Tiffany Shlain, whose Let it Ripple film studio makes impactful films and creates global social initiatives (Character Day, 50/50 Day) that explore the intersection of technology, (Jewish) identity, and connection that shape our lives. She will take us on an exhilarating tour of her acclaimed films and present a new, interactive, documentary art form she calls “Spoken Cinema”—a live narration of her film as the soundtrack plays in the background. Guest: Filmmaker and SJFF 2018 REEL Difference Award recipient Tiffany Shlain. Eastside Opening Night Shalom Bollywood | Director: Danny Ben-Moshe | Documentary | Australia Who knew that Jews—specifically Jewish women—dominated Bollywood for the first half of its 100-year history? This entertaining documentary, featuring rich and rare archival clips, profiles six legends of the Indian silver screen who made Bollywood what it is today: the largest and one of the most progressive, cutting-edge film industries in the world. This screening will include free popcorn and a beverage for ticket holders. Ben-Gurion, Epilogue | Director: Yariv Mozer | Documentary | Israel Two filmmakers scoured the globe for the last David Ben-Gurion interview, before finding it in the Israeli desert—a rivetingly intimate documentary that captures both the vision and humility of Israel’s founding father. Your Honor | Director: Roni Ninio | TV Drama/Thriller (4 episodes) | Israel Binge watch Israel’s new, award-winning Breaking Bad-esque television drama, Your Honor, about a rising-star judge and his well-meaning family who become ensnared in Israel’s underworld. (Four episodes shown, with the rest of season one coming at a later date.) Across the Waters | Director: Nicolo Donato | Drama | Denmark Unsure of whom they can trust, a Jewish musician and his family make a frantic escape from Nazi-occupied Denmark. A gripping story of survival and rescue.
-
U.S. Premiere of RAZZIA to Open 2018 New York Jewish Film Festival + Complete Lineup
[caption id="attachment_25983" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Razzia[/caption]
The 27th annual New York Jewish Film Festival (NYJFF) returns January 10 to 23, 2018 featuring the finest documentary, narrative, and short films from around the world that explore the diverse Jewish experience. The festival’s 2018 lineup includes 37 wide-ranging and exciting features and shorts from the iconic to the iconoclastic, of which 25 are screening in their world, U.S., and New York premieres.
The NYJFF opens on Wednesday, January 10, with the U.S. premiere of Nabil Ayouch’s mesmerizing Razzia, which follows five Moroccans pushed to the fringes in Casablanca by their extremist government. Closing Night is the U.S. premiere of Amos Gitai’s latest documentary, West of the Jordan River, a powerful look at West Bank citizens, both Israeli and Palestinian, who have risen to act in the name of civic consciousness and peace. The Centerpiece selection is Ofir Raul Graizer’s tender debut feature The Cakemaker, about the relationship that forms between a gay German baker and the Israeli widow of the man whom they both loved.
This year’s edition of the festival features an array of enlightening and challenging documentaries, including Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me, Sam Pollard’s exhilarating tribute to the legendary entertainer; the U.S. premiere of Chen Shelach’s Praise the Lard, an exploration of the Israeli pork industry; NYJFF alum Radu Jude’s haunting The Dead Nation, which consists entirely of photographs from Romanian photographer Costica Acsinte and audio of diary excerpts from Jewish doctor Emil Dorian, which both span the period from 1937 to 1944; the U.S. premiere of Daniel Najenson’s The Impure, which investigates institutionalization of Jewish prostitution in Argentina in the early 20th century. The festival also includes fiction works like Tzahi Grad’s morally complex, darkly comic The Cousin, about a progressive Israeli actor who comes to the defense of his Palestinian handyman when he’s accused of assault; and Francesco Amato’s comedy Let Yourself Go, about a detached psychoanalyst who finds his life recharged by the presence of a young, attractive, and undisciplined personal trainer.
NYJFF special programs include the world premiere of a new restoration of Alexander Rodnyanskiy’s The Mission of Raoul Wallenberg, 27 years after it premiered in the first NYJFF; a tribute screening of Amos Gitai’s One Day You’ll Understand in memory of Jeanne Moreau; Drawing the Iron Curtain, a special program of Soviet animated shorts, followed by a conversation with author/professor Maya Balakirsky Katz and film critic J. Hoberman; the U.S. premieres of restorations of Renen Schorr’s Late Summer Blues and Gilbert Tofano’s Siege; and a brand new world premiere restoration of Michał Waszyński’s 1937 classic The Dybbuk, one of the finest films ever produced in the Yiddish language, presented in conjunction with the U.S. premiere of main slate title The Prince and the Dybbuk, a documentary about Waszyński’s life.
2018 New York Jewish Film Festival Lineup
OPENING NIGHT
Razzia Nabil Ayouch, France/Morocco/Belgium, 2017, 120 min French/Arabic/Berber with English subtitles A kaleidoscopic drama, Razzia tells the story of five Moroccans pushed to the fringes in Casablanca by the extremist government. Director Nabil Ayouch contrasts the mythic romance of the classic 1942 film Casablanca with an honest and deeply humanistic portrait of contemporary Moroccans yearning for connection amidst political crisis. Ayouch and co-writer Maryam Touzani—who also stars in the film—paint a mesmerizing portrait of a city and a meditation on desire and love. U.S. PremiereCENTERPIECE
The Cakemaker Ofir Raul Graizer, Germany/Israel, 2017, 104 min English/Hebrew/German with English subtitles In this tender and moving debut, Ofir Raul Graizer explores the connection formed by a gay German baker, Thomas (Tim Kalkhof), and Anat (Sarah Adler), the Israeli widow of the man whom they both loved, Oren (Roy Miller). When Oren is killed in a car accident, Thomas moves to Jerusalem and takes a job in Anat’s café. As their relationship deepens, and pressure from Oren’s religious family rises for Anat, Graizer delicately and gracefully traces the fluidity of desire and sexuality, the bonds forged by shared grief, and the challenges those can present to faith and family. As food is one way cultures can bridge such divides, so too can it be a way to mark separation. NY PremiereCLOSING NIGHT
West of the Jordan River Amos Gitai, Israel/France, 2017, 87 min Hebrew/Arabic/English with English subtitles Building on work he set forth in Rabin, the Last Day and Shalom Rabin, Amos Gitai returns to the West Bank to better understand the efforts of the citizens, both Israelis and Palestinians, to try to overcome the consequences of the 50-year occupation. Interspersing footage of his interviews with Yitzhak Rabin from the 1990s with the contemporary interviews of everyday citizens, Gitai emphasizes the lasting side effects of Rabin’s assassination on the twenty years since: peace was so close, and now it seems so far. Searching for hope amidst the rubble of the occupied territories, Gitai shows the many local Israelis and Palestinians who have risen to act in the name of civic consciousness and peace. West of the Jordan River is a powerful and moving film from a most important filmmaker. U.S. PremiereMAIN SLATE FILMS
Across the Waters Nicolo Donato, Denmark, 2016, 95 min Danish with English subtitles In this white-knuckled Danish drama based on a true story, a Jewish guitarist and his family barely escape Copenhagen after the Nazis seize control, and they set off to a remote fishing village in the north of the country where they’ve heard local fishermen are ferrying runaway Jews to Sweden. When the Gestapo starts to close in on the refugees, the family is forced to put their lives in the hands of strangers. Director Nicolo Donato, whose grandfather was one of the ferrymen in the underground, masterfully ratchets up the tension, heightening the suspense until the very last frame. NY Premiere An Act of Defiance Jean van de Velde Netherlands/South Africa, 2017, 123 min English/Afrikaans with English subtitles Based on the true story of the Rivonia Trial in apartheid South Africa, which led to the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela and nine of his black and Jewish compatriots, An Act of Defiance is the story of Bram Fischer, the lawyer who chose to put his life and freedom at risk to defend Mandela. Peter Paul Muller’s performance as Fischer is exceptional, and captures both his sympathetic and idealistic nature and his more conflicted, practical humanity, afraid that he’ll be implicated with the Rivonia Ten for his membership in the Communist Party. Jean van de Velde has crafted a film that is both a moving and powerful meditation on the sacrifices necessary to stand against injustice, and an exciting political thriller. NY Premiere The Cousin Tzahi Grad, Israel/USA, 2017, 92 min Hebrew/Arabic with English subtitles In this darkly comic thriller, a progressive-minded Israeli actor Naftali (writer-director Tzahi Grad) hires a Palestinian handyman Fahed (Ala Fakka), to do some work in his home. When a young girl is assaulted nearby, the neighbors immediately begin to suspect Fahed, and so Naftali steps up as the lone voice in Fahed’s defense. Grad cleverly evokes the moral complexities through Naftali, who is no Atticus Finch. Grad portrays him as a comically stubborn and self-righteous actor—one who, in the film, is developing a reality show about bridging the gap between Israelis and Palestinians—who must reckon with the uncomfortable realization that he, too, might be letting his politics cloud his reason. NY Premiere Preceded by: The Law of Averages Elizabeth Rose, Canada/USA, 2016, 13 min A young woman must sort out her relationship with her mother while they await the death of her grandmother. The Dead Nation (Tara Moarta) Radu Jude, Romania, 2017, 83 min Romanian with English subtitles With echoes of Chris Marker, Susan Sontag, and W.G. Sebald, Radu Jude’s The Dead Nation consists entirely of photographs from Romanian photographer Costica Acsinte and audio of diary excerpts from Jewish doctor Emil Dorian, which both span the period from 1937 to 1944. A study in contrasts, The Dead Nation presents idyllic images of pastoral life, while Dorian’s diary excerpts portray a surging wave of anti-Semitism and brutality. How do our memories hide the truth of our actions, or lack thereof? How can we measure our individual experiences against the enormity of historical experience? How do we make sense of what we have not—and cannot—witness? Radu Jude’s (Aferim!) hauntingly relevant documentary is, in the words of its narrator, “torn between reality and poetry.” The Impure Daniel Najenson, Israel/Argentina, 2017, 69 min Spanish/Hebrew/Yiddish with English subtitles Daniel Najenson’s personal and trenchant documentary The Impure investigates the institutionalization of Jewish prostitution in Argentina in the early 20th century. During the wave of Eastern European Jewish emigration, thousands of Jewish women were lured with promises of wealth to Argentinian brothels. The prostitutes and their pimps—in some cases the husbands of the prostitutes—were also newly-emigrated Jewish men, who quickly developed an expansive, flourishing underworld in Buenos Aires. They were seen as “the impure,” provoking the shame of the Argentinian Jewish community. But, as Najenson illustrates by digging up revelations of his own family’s history, “the impure” were inextricably woven into the social and political fabric of Argentinian-Jewish life. U.S. Premiere Preceded by: Compartments Daniella Koffler & Uli Seis, Germany, Israel, 15m; 2017 U.S. Premiere Netta, a young Israeli woman, wishes to immigrate to Berlin. Her father, the son of Holocaust survivors, is horrified. Based on Daniella Koffler’s personal story, Compartments is the first German-Israeli animation to explore collective memories of the Holocaust in the third generation. The Invisibles Claus Raefle, Germany, 2017, 116 min German with English subtitles In June 1943, the German government famously declared Berlin “judenfrei”—free of Jews. But, there were still about 7,000 Jews living in hiding in the German capital. In this extraordinary film, Claus Raefle tells the story of four of the 1,700 survivors who hid in plain sight throughout the war. The Invisibles brings suspense to a remarkable true story by using a hybrid of documentary and highly accomplished dramatizations (gorgeously photographed by Joerg Widmer, whose previous credits include Terence Malick’s The Tree of Life and Wim Wenders’s Pina), which render the harrowing story even more astonishing. NY Premiere Iom Romi (A Day in Rome) Valerio Ciriaci, Italy/USA 2017, 30 min Italian with English subtitles In this intoxicating short documentary, Valerio Ciriaci chronicles a day in the life of the contemporary Roman Jewish community. The only cultural group that has lived in Rome uninterrupted since the days of the empire, Roman Jews have fostered their own unique set of traditions. Taking place over the course of one day, Iom Romi (A Day in Rome) provides a view into a way of life that is at once distinctly Roman and distinctly Jewish. Followed by: Della Seta Home Movies Italy, 10 min In these beautiful home movies, recently unearthed by the Centro Primo Levi, an Italian family gets acquainted with film. Heartwarming and mesmerizing, these home movies are sure to captivate. Followed by: Counterlight Maya Zack, Israel, 2016, 24 min German with English subtitles Inspired by the writings of the poet Paul Celan, Israeli visual artist Maya Zack crafts a hypnotic story of an archivist who becomes part of her own work. Weaving together images of death and rebirth with the map of Czernowitz, Celan’s hometown, the archivist creates a “memory golem,” blurring the boundaries between past and present, reality and document. NY Premiere The Last Goldfish Su Goldfish, Australia, 2017, 81 min As director Su Goldfish notes early in her autobiographical documentary The Last Goldfish, “my father told me stories, not always the truth.” When she discovers as an adult that she has siblings she’s never met, Goldfish burrows through her parents’ pasts to uncover the truth in her father’s tales. Spanning the globe from Australia, to Trinidad, and to Germany, The Last Goldfish is an astounding revelation not only of one woman’s discovery of her family history before and after Nazism, but also of her reconnection to her Jewish heritage. Introspective and self-aware, Goldfish confronts such universal questions as whether it is possible to separate oneself from one’s past—and what it means to try. NY Premiere Let Yourself Go Francesco Amato, Italy, 2017, 98 min Italian with English subtitles In this delirious Italian spin on Jewish comedy, a detached psychoanalyst, Elia (Toni Servillo, wearing his misanthropy with glee), is warned by his doctor that his health is at risk, so he enlists the young, attractive, and undisciplined Claudia (Veronice Echegui) as his new personal trainer. But—despite Elia’s resistance—their relationship deepens and they come to depend on each other, as Claudia’s lack of inhibition helps Elia reignite the passion in his marriage, and Elia’s unwavering sense of propriety inspires Claudia to bring focus to her frenetic lifestyle. As the comedy veers from the intellectual to the delightfully slapstick, director Francesco Amato deftly maintains the odd couple’s emotional grounding to hilarious effect. NY Premiere Preceded by: The Backseat Joe Stankus & Ashley Connor USA, 2016, 8 min In this charming documentary-fiction hybrid, two elderly parents rush to save the day when their adult daughter’s car breaks down. Mr. and Mrs. Adelman Nicolas Bedos, France, 2017, 120 min French with English subtitles Mr. and Mrs. Adelman follows Sarah Adelman (Doria Tiller) as she tries to convince Victor (Nicolas Bedos) she’s the right woman for him. Tracking their courtship from his early years as a non-committal aspiring writer through his later years as an egotistical, fame-obsessed one, this film toes the line between biting cynicism and aching romanticism. First-time director and co-writer (with Doria Tiller) Nicolas Bedos uses the changing face of Paris over the years to evoke the changing nature of the relationship. Mr. and Mrs. Adelman is a hilarious and absurd take on the romantic comedy that slyly toys with the cliché of writer and muse. Praise the Lard Chen Shelach, Israel, 2016, 60 min Hebrew with English subtitles The documentary Praise the Lard explores one of the biggest taboos in Judaism—pork—and how the existence of Israel’s pork industry came to exemplify much of the tension inherent in Zionism: the struggle to create a new, secular Jewish identity that exists apart from religious tradition, and whether it will be possible for this secular identity to survive in the face of mounting pressure from observant Jews. Praise the Lard presents an incisive, engaging take on how the unsuspecting pig took on such an outsized role in the land of Israel. U.S. Premiere Preceded by: The Red House Tamar Tal, Israel, 2016, 20 min Hebrew with English subtitles In this beautifully animated short documentary, the history of one unique building in Tel Aviv becomes a reflection for the ever-changing face of Israeli society. U.S. Premiere The Prince and the Dybbuk Piotr Rosolowski & Elwira Niewiera, Poland/Germany, 2017, 82 min English, Italian, Spanish, Polish, German with English subtitles He is remembered as a Polish aristocrat, Hollywood producer, a reprobate and liar, an open homosexual and husband to an Italian countess, and director of The Dybbuk, one of the most important Jewish films of all time. But who, really, was Michał Waszyński? Piotr Rosolowski and Elwira Niewiera portray Waszyński, né Moshe Waks, as a fabulist, a man of constantly shifting identity, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. A perpetually restless filmmaker, Waszyński became obsessed with his adaptation of The Dybbuk and its mythical imagery of the shtetl. A modern take on the archetype of the Wandering Jew, The Prince and the Dybbuk asks whether it is ever possible to cut oneself off from one’s roots, and at what cost. Presented in conjunction with The Dybbuk (1937) – see special programs. U.S. Premiere Preceded by: A Hunger Artist Daria Martin, UK, 2017, 17 min Based on the 1924 short story by Franz Kafka, A Hunger Artist is the kaleidoscopic tale of an entertainer acclaimed for his ability to fast. But his act soon falls out of fashion and, left to himself with neither sta ge nor audience, he dies of hunger. Daria Martin’s lush adaptation understands the delicate tone of Kafka’s work: fiercely anti-authoritarian, constantly self-effacing, and toeing the line between hilarious and heartbreaking. Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me Sam Pollard, USA, 2017, 100 min What didn’t Sammy Davis, Jr. do? In this exhilarating documentary, long-time Spike Lee collaborator Sam Pollard pays tribute to the multi-talented, multi-racial entertainer by scrutinizing the political complexities and contradictions that defined his career. Amidst the violence and tensions of the Civil Rights era and after, as the political winds shifted, Sammy Davis, Jr. struggled to maintain his identity, while embracing his Judaism. An electric portrait spanning the Depression to the 1980s, and featuring new interviews with Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, Jerry Lewis, Norman Lear, and more, I’ve Gotta Be Me embraces the unique complexity of an iconic American entertainer. Tracking Edith Peter Stephan Jungk, Austria/Germany/Russia/UK 2016, 91 min English/German/Russian/French with English subtitles A documentary about the Austro-British photographer Edith Tutor-Hart, Tracking Edith follows filmmaker Peter Stephan Jungk’s journey to understand the motivations of his great aunt who, while living a double life as a spy for the KGB, recruited Kim Philby and created the Cambridge Five, the Soviet Union’s most successful spy ring in the United Kingdom, which infiltrated the very top of British intelligence (and inspired John le Carre’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). As Jungk learns more about his aunt and her work, his film demands the question: why is she not recognized alongside Kim Philby and the Cambridge Five as one of the spies that change the world? U.S. PremiereSHORTS PROGRAM
107 min Various languages The Story of Jon Burgerman Bas Berkhout, USA/UK, 2017, 6 min Whimsical artist Jon Burgerman explores how his family history affects his creative inspiration. El Becerro Pintado David Pantaléon, Spain, 2017, 10 min In this experimental short, the biblical story of the golden calf is transported to rural Spain. U.S. Premiere El Hara Margaux Fitoussi, Tunisia/France, 2017, 16 min El Hara is a vivid, mesmerizing portrait of the old Jewish ghetto in Tunis. NY Premiere Summer Pearl Gluck, USA, 2017, 18 min Young, Orthodox Jewish girls explore their burgeoning sexuality amidst the strict rules of their sleep-away camp. World Premiere Shlomi & Mazy Leonhard Hofmann, Germany, 2016, 17 min In this tender documentary portrait, an Israeli opera singer living in Berlin struggles to balance his career with his true passion: performing in drag as his alter ego, Mazy Mazeltov. U.S. Premiere Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405 Frank Stiefel, USA, 2016, 40 min This warm portrait explores sculptor and visual artist Mindy Alper’s journey through extreme depression to a place of love and openness via her creative process and transformative relationship with her art teachers and therapist. NY PremiereSPECIAL PROGRAMS
FROM THE VAULTS
Avanti Popolo Rafi Bukai, Israel, 1986, 84 min Hebrew/Arabic/English with English subtitles In the aftermath of the Six-Day War, as the ceasefire is beginning, two Egyptian soldiers stranded in the Sinai Desert try to make their way back to safety across the Suez Canal. As they cautiously make their way west, the dangerously dehydrated Haled and Gassan stumble across a dead UN peacekeeper and help themselves to his cargo—two bottles of scotch. Instilled with liquid courage, they hitch a ride with a British journalist and a small platoon of Israeli soldiers who, they hope, can help them get home. In this absurd comedy—made all the more poignant by Salim Daw’s performance as Haled, a Shakespearean actor with aspirations to play Shylock—Rafi Bukai paints a humanistic, antiwar picture of both Israelis and Egyptians caught amidst the violent and ever-shifting winds of Middle Eastern politics. New York Premiere of the Restoration The Dybbuk Michał Waszyński, Poland, 1937, 125 min Yiddish with English subtitles Filmed just before the outbreak of World War II, The Dybbuk weaves a mystical story of the Hasidic shtetls of the late 19th century with the story of two close friends, Sender and Nisn, who vow to marry their first-born children. But when Sender reneges on the vow to marry his daughter to a wealthier son-in-law, the spirit of Nisn’s son arrives to haunt Lea’s wedding. A rich, ethnographic tapestry of Jewish legend, The Dybbuk, based on S. Ansky’s seminal Yiddish play, is one of the finest films ever produced in the Yiddish language, presented here in a brand-new restoration. World Premiere of the Restoration Presented in conjunction with The Prince and the Dybbuk Late Summer Blues Renen Schorr, Israel, 1988, 103 min Hebrew with English subtitles Set just after the Six-Day War, in the shadow of the War of Attrition with Egypt, Late Summer Blues follows a group of high school graduates during the summer before they’re conscripted into the army. Restored after thirty years, this Israeli classic portrays the paradox of Israeli adolescence in raw, deeply human terms: the uncertainty, confusion, and playful embrace of the present are constantly tainted by the shadow of military service and the razor’s edge of anxiety, only somewhat tempered by days at the beach and rock music. Drawing from his own experiences, director Renen Schorr and writer Doron Nesher create a powerful and bitterly funny anti-war message by drawing on the restlessness of the young men and women as they cope with their growing fatalism. U.S. Premiere of the Restoration The Mission of Raoul Wallenberg Alexander Rodnyanskiy, Soviet Union, 1990, 72 min Russian/English/German/Swedish with English subtitles Twenty-five years after it premiered in the first NYJFF, Alexander Rodnyanskiy’s The Mission of Raoul Wallenberg returns to the festival in a brand new restoration. The film investigates the mysterious circumstances surrounding the disappearance and death of Raoul Wallenberg in the Soviet Union following the end of WWII. Wallenberg had saved tens of thousands of Jews from the Holocaust in his role as Sweden’s special envoy in Budapest. Tireless filmmaker Rodnyanskiy searched across the globe for traces of Wallenberg, from Moscow and St. Petersburg, to the Russian interior, to Hungary, Israel, and Sweden. Featuring interviews from subjects as far-ranging as Ronald Reagan, Simon Wiesenthal, and Yelena Bonner, the film passionately confronts the shadowy circumstances of Wallenberg’s fate. World Premiere of the Restoration Siege (Matzor) Gilbert Tofano, Israel, 1969, 89 min Hebrew with English subtitles Israel’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970, Siege is the story of the widowed Tamar (legendary Gila Almagor) whose husband was killed in the Six-Day War who wants to begin to put her grief behind her. But her late husband’s friends and family have other ideas—they expect her to remain in mourning for the rest of her life. Through Almagor’s haunting performance, Siege presents a humanizing look at a country and people struggling with a visceral, existential anxiety hiding just below the surface of the ecstatic outpouring following the victory of the Six-Day War. U.S. Premiere of the RestorationTRIBUTE SCREENING
In memory of Jeanne Moreau One Day You’ll Understand Amos Gitai, France/Germany/Israel, 2008, 89 min French/German with English subtitles When Victor (Hippolyte Girardot), a middle-aged French businessman, discovers a trove of wartime letters from his late father, he discovers his mother’s (the late Jeanne Moreau) hidden past as a Jew. When he presses her about it, she demurs, leaving Victor to uncover the secrets behind his mother’s past. Moreau inhabits the role with a stunningly reflective grace, as Amos Gitai crafts a haunting and finally optimistic tale of memory, denial, and reconciliation. With the trial of Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie taking place, One Day You’ll Understand presents a poignant meditation on what it means to be a witness, and the weight of such a burden.SOVIET SHORTS
Drawing the Iron Curtain Maya Balakirsky Katz with J. Hoberman Maya Balakirsky Katz, professor and chair of the art history department at Touro College and author of Drawing the Iron Curtain: Jews and the Golden Age of Soviet Animation, will screen shorts from the Soviet Union’s animation studio Soyuzmultfilm, which was as pervasive and influential in the Soviet imagination as Disney was in America’s. Katz and film critic J. Hoberman will discuss how the studio brought together Jewish artists from all over the USSR and served as a haven for dissident artists, allowing them to explore distinctive elements of their identity as Jews and Russians.MASTER CLASS
Sam Pollard Join Sam Pollard, director of NYJFF Main Slate selection Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me, for a behind-the-scenes master class on documentary filmmaking. An Emmy- and Peabody-winning director, Sam Pollard has directed and produced numerous documentary films. *Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center Amphitheater
-
Michael Winterbottom’s THE TRIP TO SPAIN to Close San Sebastian Film Festival Culinary Zinema Program
[caption id="attachment_24291" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
THE TRIP TO SPAIN[/caption]
Culinary Zinema, the San Sebastian Film Festival section combining food and film will feature seven films, and close with The Trip to Spain directed by Michael Winterbottom.
The opening film, Michelin Stars – Tales from the Kitchen, looks at the highs and lows of the Michelin Guide in this golden age of gastronomy. It is directed by Rasmus Dinesen, author of the films Det forbudte landshold (The Forbidden Team), about the first Tibetan national football team; Verdens bedste kok (World’s Finest Chef), about the victory of Danish chef Rasmus Kofoed at the Bocuse d’Or championship; and the documentary TV series Star Chefs about Michelin-starred restaurants.
Laura Collado collaborated with Justin Webster (Muerte en León and El fin de ETA / The Demise of ETA, Zinemira 2016) on the Al Jazeera series People & Power. Jim Loomis has worked as a cinematographer and editor for productions by BBC, ARTE and CNN. Together they helm the feature film Constructing Albert, about the “most underrated chef in the world”, Albert Adrià, brother of the man who created El Bulli.
In her first feature film, E il cibo va / Food on the Go, Mercedes Córdova, director of the prize-winning short Acá nunca está nublado, looks at the tradition of Italian food in the diaspora a hundred years after millions of Italians immigrated to Argentina.
Another first work is The Cakemaker, by Ofir Raul Graizer, whose short film La discotheque screened in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in 2015. The film, a co-production between Germany and Israel which competed at Karlovy Vary, tells the tale of a young German pastry chef who heads for Jerusalem in search of answers when his lover dies.
Koki Shigeno, a veteran director of TV documentaries, has now made his first feature-length film, Ramen Heads, selected for Hot Docs (Canadian International Documentary Film Festival). The film follows Osamu Tomita, today’s king of the ramen in Japan, on a 15-month tour of the lives of the masters of this dish and its legions of followers.
Masakazu Fukatsu debuts in feature films with Papa no obento wa sekaiichi / Dad’s Lunch Box, the true story of a father and his daughter -which went viral on social media- brought together by the bento box in which people carry their packed lunches in Japan.
Michael Winterbottom, to whom the Festival dedicated a retrospective in 2003, formerly competed in the Official Selection with Nine Songs (2004), winner of the Best Cinematography Award, Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (2005) and Genova (2008), recognized with the Silver Shell for Best Director. The Trip to Spain, selected for Tribeca, is his first incursion to Culinary Zinema. After The Trip and The Trip to Italy, Winterbottom renews his collaboration with actors Steve Coogan (Philomena) and Rob Brydon (Would I Lie to You?) to analyze six meals in six places on a road trip through Spain, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean coast.
To complete the experience, the screenings will be followed by meals linked to the content of the films.
2017 San Sebastian Film Festival – Culinary Zinema – Films
MICHELIN STARS – TALES FROM THE KITCHEN RASMUS DINESEN (DENMARK) OPENING NIGHT FILM At a moment in time when humanity is obsessed with food –photographing every dish, worshipping cooks and flaunting trophy meals on social media–, this documentary goes under the surface and offers an in-depth, honest and relevant view into the world and day-to-day of Michelin chefs and restaurants. Telling tales from a grand menu of culinary temples as well as digging into the greatness and flaws of the Michelin Guide in this golden age of gastronomy. THE CAKEMAKER OFIR RAUL GRAIZER (GERMANY – ISRAEL) Cast: Tim Kalkhof, Sarah Adler, Zohar Strauss, Sandra Sade, Roy Miller Thomas, a young German pastry maker, is having an affair with Oren, a married Israeli man who makes frequent business trips to Berlin. When Oren dies in a car accident in Israel, Thomas heads for Jerusalem in search of answers to his death. Using a false name, Thomas worms himself into the life of Anat, his lover’s recently widowed wife, to the point of becoming assistant chef in her bar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ7144Mc2lw RAMEN HEADS KOKI SHIGENO (JAPAN) Osamu Tomita, Japan’s reigning king of ramen, takes us deep into his world, revealing every single step of his obsessive approach to creating the perfect soup and noodles, and his relentless search for the highest-quality ingredients. This is a documentary record of 15 months in the lives of Japan’s top ramen masters and their legions of devoted fans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3E9MGOK4LY E IL CIBO VA / FOOD ON THE GO MERCEDES CÓRDOVA (ARGENTINA – ITALY – USA) Gastronomic culture is the result of man’s travels in search of new things to eat. For proof, we only have to look at how Italian food journeyed to America with the mass migrations. Almost a hundred years later, retracing the steps of food and its voyage to New York and Buenos Aires, we now find the foundation of a new tradition of Italian food in exile. What relationship does it bear to its country of origin? Can we talk about Italian food outside of Italy? PAPA NO OBENTO WA SEKAIICHI / DAD’S LUNCH BOX MASAKAZU FUKATSU (JAPAN) Cast: Toshimi Watanabe, Reina Takeda This is a heart-warming true story of the father and daughter connected by bento, the Japanese packed lunch in a box. Throughout her three years at high school, the young girl would eat the bento made for her every day by her father. On her last day she found that her lunchbox contained a picture of the very first bento that her father had made for her with a handwritten message from him. The girl tweeted the occurrence, making 350,000 people cry on Twitter. The message was retweeted more than 80,000 times and got 260,000 ‘likes’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftIP00C0Uu0 CONSTRUCTING ALBERT LAURA COLLADO, JIM LOOMIS (SPAIN – ESTONIA) At the dawn of the 21st century, El Bulli restaurant revolutionized the world of gastronomy, making chef Ferran Adrià the king of haute cuisine. Behind such a success, was an unrecognized creative genius: Ferran’s younger brother, Albert. In 2013, Albert Adrià was considered the world’s most underrated chef. Enigma, the crown of his gastronomic empire opens with a clear goal: to become one of the best restaurants in the world. This is Albert’s attempt to escape the shadow of legendary El Bulli and enter the Pantheon of great chefs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdFwpOAR-o4 THE TRIP TO SPAIN MICHAEL WINTERBOTTOM (UK) Cast: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon CLOSING NIGHT FILM Michael Winterbottom is on the road for the third time with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, after their success with The Trip and The Trip to Italy. Six meals in six different places on a road trip through Spain from the North Atlantic to the Mediterranean coast – visiting Cantabria, the Basque Country, Aragon, Rioja, Castile La Mancha and ending in Andalucia. Steve, now turned 50, is still chasing love – he wants to get back together with his ex-girlfriend Mischa, but she is with another man. Rob’s acting career is going from strength to strength, his family life is fulfilling – he has had another child since Steve last saw him. Steve has just starred as a chef in a US TV series and is asked to do a set of restaurant reviews in Spain to publicise the show. As usual Rob will write the newspaper articles, this time using Don Quixote as inspiration. Meanwhile Steve is hoping to write a more ambitious book based on this trip and his earlier experiences in Spain. He imagines himself in the tradition of writers such as Orwell, Hemingway, and Laurie Lee. After all, Steve is now an Oscar nominated writer… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTvy8ab1NSo
-
2017 London Film Festival Unveils Lineup of 242 Feature Films + 128 Shorts
[caption id="attachment_24242" align="aligncenter" width="1144"]
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)[/caption]
The 61st BFI London Film Festival today announced its full program, featuring a diverse selection of 242 feature films including 46 documentaries, 6 animations, 14 archive restorations and 16 artists’ moving image features. The program also includes 128 short films, and 67 countries are represented across short film and features.
Alongside the Galas, Special Presentations and films in Competitions, the Festival will show a range of new cinema in sections aka strands titled Love, Debate, Laugh, Dare, Thrill, Cult, Journey, Experimenta and Family. In 2017, the LFF debuts a new strand, Create, featuring films that celebrate artistic practice in all its channels and forms the electricity of the creative process, reflecting London’s position as one of the world’s leading creative cities.
Audiences will have the opportunity to hear some of the world’s creative leaders through the Festival’s acclaimed talks’ series LFF Connects, which features artists working at the intersection of film and other creative industries, and Screen Talks, a series of in-depth interviews with leaders in contemporary cinema. Participants this year include Julian Rosefeldt & Cate Blanchett, David Fincher, Demis Hassabis, Nitin Sawhney, Johan Knattrup Jensen, Ian McEwan and Takashi Miike.
OFFICIAL COMPETITION
Robin Campillo, 120 BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE) Vivian Qu, ANGELS WEAR WHITE Majid Majidi, BEYOND THE CLOUDS (World Premiere) Nora Twomey, THE BREADWINNER (European Premiere) Juliana Rojas, Marco Dutra, GOOD MANNERS Xavier Beauvois, THE GUARDIANS (European Premiere) Andrew Haigh, LEAN ON PETE Andrey Zvyagintsev, LOVELESS Azazel Jacobs, THE LOVERS (European Premiere) Warwick Thornton, SWEET COUNTRY Cory Finley, THOROUGHBRED (International Premiere) Annemarie Jacir, WAJIBFIRST FEATURE COMPETITION
Daniel Kokotajlo, APOSTASY Léa Mysius, AVA Michael Pearce, BEAST (European Premiere) Ofir Raul Graizer, THE CAKEMAKER Gilles Coulier, CARGO Kogonada, COLUMBUS Rungano Nyoni, I AM NOT A WITCH Léonor Serraille, JEUNE FEMME Ana Asensio, MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND Carla Simón, SUMMER 1993 Hlynur Pálmason, WINTER BROTHERS John Trengove, THE WOUNDDOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Maryam Goormaghtigh, BEFORE SUMMER ENDS Elvira Lind, BOBBI JENE Arash Kamali Sarvestani, Behrouz Boochani, CHAUKA, PLEASE TELL US THE TIME (International Premiere) Radu Jude, THE DEAD NATION Shevaun Mizrahi, DISTANT CONSTELLATION Frederick Wiseman, EX LIBRIS – THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY Agnès Varda, JR, FACES PLACES Austin Lynch, Matthew Booth, GRAY HOUSE Brett Morgen, JANE (European Premiere) Lucy Cohen, KINGDOM OF US (World Premiere) Emmanuel Gras, MAKALA Sonia Kronlund, THE PRINCE OF NOTHINGWOODSHORT FILM AWARD
Gabriel Abrantes, THE ARTIFICIAL HUMORS Phil Collins, DELETE BEACH Billie Pleffer, FYSH (International Premiere) Anna Cazenave Cambet, GABBER LOVER Karishma Dube, GODDESS Aegina Brahim, LAWS OF THE GAME Jonathan Vinel, MARTIN CRIES Patrick Bresnan THE RABBIT HUNT Moin Hussain, REAL GODS REQUIRE BLOOD Kibwe Tavares, ROBOT & SCARECROW Kazik Radwanski, SCAFFOLD Harry Lighton, WREN BOYS (World Premiere) The Festival program is organized in strands: Love, Debate, Laugh, Dare, Thrill, Cult, Journey, Create, Family, Treasures and Experimenta.LOVE
The Love Gala is the European Premiere of Dominic Cooke’s quietly heart-breaking film debut ON CHESIL BEACH. Saoirse Ronan and rising actor Billy Howle star as a young couple in the early 1960s struggling to physically connect on their honeymoon, impeccably adapted for the big screen by Ian McEwan from his own Man Booker-shortlisted novela. Other highlights in this section include: CLOSE-KNIT, Naoko Ogigami’s quietly subversive and emotionally rich portrait of a transwoman whose maternal feelings are stirred by the arrival of her boyfriend’s 11-year-old niece; THE GROWN-UPS, Maïte Alberdi’s tender and bittersweet documentary portrait of Chileans Anita and Andres, who have Down’s syndrome and are very much in love; the World Premiere of Carlos Marques Marcet’s ANCHOR AND HOPE, a London-set story about modern love and family featuring Oona Chaplin; John Cameron Mitchell’s cosmic ride HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES, sees aliens have landed in 1970s Croydon in a funny, energetic love story starring Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp and Nicole Kidman; the World Premiere of JOURNEYMAN, features Paddy Considine following up his acclaimed debut Tyrannosaur with the story of a boxer who must rebuild his life after a near-fatal injury; GOING WEST, a World Premiere from Norwegian newcomer Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken who delivers a sweetly delicious road movie; LET THE SUNSHINE IN, Claire Denis’ darkly witty drama starring Juliette Binoche as an artist caught up in a series of unsatisfying affairs, and David Gordon Green’s rousing yet devastating true-story drama STRONGER featuring a remarkable performance by Jake Gyllenhaal as a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing.DEBATE
This year’s Debate Gala is Samuel Maoz’s FOXTROT, a film that combines thrilling cinematography with superb performances, and highlights the absurdities of conscripted service. Debate also includes: BIRDS ARE SINGING IN KIGALI, Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze’s hard-hitting drama about the intertwined lives of two refugee survivors reeling from the impact of the Rwandan genocide and containing powerful central performances; the World Premiere of THE CLIMB, Michael Woodward’s debut documentary that charts Greenpeace’s daring all-female team that illegally ascended The Shard in protest against petroleum giant Shell’s plans to dig for oil in the Arctic; the World Premiere of THE FORGIVEN, Roland Joffé’s political drama starring Forest Whitaker as Desmond Tutu and Eric Bana as Piet Blomfeld, asking how far we can go in forgiving past crimes; the World Premiere of ISLAND, Steven Eastwood’s haunting and deeply moving documentary combining observational footage with contemplative shots of the costal landscapes of the Isle of Wight, and set among terminally ill cancer patients, and THE VENERABLE W., Barbet Schroeder’s disturbingly illuminating portrait of Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu, who was known for espousing anti-Muslim hatred.LAUGH
This year’s Laugh Gala is Noah Baumbach’s THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED). A stellar cast give uniformly excellent performances, including Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Elizabeth Marvel and Emma Thompson. Through the madcap antics of a neurotic, failure-obsessed clan, Baumbach surfaces bigger questions about how to value family and the meaning of success. Laugh also includes: the World Premiere of Adrian Shergold’s FUNNY COW, which contains a formidable performance from Maxine Peake as an aspiring stand-up comic confronting her violent husband and the sexist Northern England club circuit; INGRID GOES WEST, Matt Spicer’s jet-black stalker comedy brilliantly skewers dangerous obsession and the sham of Instagrammed perfection with wicked and fearless performances from Elizabeth Olsen and Aubrey Plaza; joy and grace flow out of Dustin Guy Defa’s observational comedy drama PERSON TO PERSON, starring Michael Cera as a reporter keen on quoting (his own) heavy metal lyrics; Daan Bakker’s QUALITY TIME is perfect for lovers of experimental and irreverent cinema offering a portmanteau selection of stories of male arrested development; and Henrik Ruben Genz’s WORD OF GOD is set months after the Chernobyl disaster and provides dark and dirty humour where pretty much nothing is off limits.DARE
The Dare Gala is François Ozon’s frisky new thriller, AMANT DOUBLE, a deliciously duplicitous tale of psychoanalysis and seduction that channels the spirits of Hitchcock and De Palma at their naughtiest and stars Jérémie Renier, Marine Vacth and Jacqueline Bisset. Other highlights in the strand include: Eliza Hittman’s BEACH RATS, a gripping investigation of repressed sexual desire in a hyper-masculine environment; Jon Garaño and Aitor Arregi’s touching drama GIANT, set in 19th century Spain and based on the true story of Mikel Jokin Eleizegi, allegedly the tallest man of his time; Semih Kaplanoğlu’s spellbinding dystopian sci-fi, GRAIN in which climate change has caused the nearextinction of human life; Liu Jian’s adult animé HAVE A NICE DAY, a biting, bone-dry satire on contemporary Chinese social mores and featuring plenty of bloodthirsty Tarantino-esque genre thrills; the European Premiere of Bornila Chatterjee’s THE HUNGRY, which reworks Shakespeare’s bloody Titus Andronicus into a macabre modern tragedy set in Northern India; Barbara Albert’s resplendent drama MADEMOISELLE PARADIS, based on the true story of Maria Theresia ‘Resi’ von Paradis, a gifted blind musician and contemporary of Mozart, paraded through Vienna’s courts to perform; Jean Libon and Yves Hinant’s jawdropping and extraordinary documentary SO HELP ME GOD, which details the work of an unorthodox Belgian judge Anne Gruwez as she tackles gruesome crimes, domestic violence and other sordid cases; and WESTERN, director Valeska Grisebach’s contemporary western in which tensions mount between German construction workers and Bulgarian villagers in a small rural town.THRILL
This year’s Thrill Gala is Takashi Miike’s savage and inventive action thriller, BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL, based on the famous manga series by Hiroaki Samurai about a samurai cursed with immortal life and has the distinction of being Miike’s 100th feature film. Thrill also features: the European Premiere of Nattawut Poonpiriya’s Thai teen thriller BAD GENIUS, in which young brainiac Lynn uses a very special set of skills to cheat on behalf of her classmates in the high-stakes world of entrance exams for elite international universities; the European Premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s THE BRAWLER in which a young and talented Indian boxer dreams of being champion, but is knocked sideways when he falls for the niece of the man blocking his road to success; Aaron Katz’s GEMINI in which a heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant, Jill played by Lola Kirke and her Hollywood movie star boss Heather played by Zoë Kravitz; the Safdie brothers’ latest film GOOD TIME features Robert Pattinson as a small-time New York criminal, who after a bank robbery goes seriously wrong, devises a plan to spring his injured accomplice from police custody; Jennifer Peedom’s spectacular documentary MOUNTAIN, is a mind-blowing symphony of images and sound chronicling the powerful attraction mountains hold over us; love, crime and action combine in a taut and twisty thriller-cum-romance in Michaël R. Roskam’s RACER AND THE JAILBIRD starring Adèle Exarchopoulos as Bibi, a young racing driver and Matthias Schoenaerts as Gigi the Jailbird, a dashing playboy with, it seems, time and money to burn; Ian Nelms and Eshom Nelms’ blackly comic, crime noir, SMALL TOWN CRIME (European Premiere) stars John Hawkes as alcoholic former cop Mike, channelling a drunk Columbo who embarks on his own unofficial crime investigation while Octavia Spencer plays his supportive sister Kelly who is starting to lose patience with Mike’s lying, drifting and drinking; and the International Premiere of Xin Yukun’s sophisticated arthouse thriller, WRATH OF SILENCE featuring martial arts maestro Song Yang, as a mute bruiser who returns to his home, a remote farming village, following the disappearance of his son. With tight plotting, memorable characters and an unforgettable climax, director Xin Yukun establishes himself as a new international filmmaker you need to know.CULT
The Cult Gala is Joachim Trier’s subtle shocker THELMA, a supernaturally-tinged tale of a young woman’s macabre coming of age. Other titles in the strand include: S. Craig Zahler’s genre-bending, bone-crunching exercise in slow-burn suspense, BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99, starring Vince Vaughn as a former boxer-turned mechanic involved in a drug deal that goes wrong that sees him behind bars; the walking dead get a second chance at life in David Freyne’s debut THE CURED starring Ellen Page in an inventive and surprising post-zombie era drama where a cure has been found for the infected and the rehabilitated are transitioned back into society; the World Premiere of Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s GHOST STORIES in which they bring their hit London stage play to the big screen, with suitably chilling results. Nyman plays Phillip Goodman, an academic and professional sceptic out to debunk claims of the supernatural , but when he stumbles across a long lost file containing three unsolved cases of the Occult, his whole belief system – not to mention his sanity – is thrown into question; LET THE CORPSES TAN is directing duo Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s adaptation of JeanPatrick Manchette’s influential 1971 crime novel and the result is a sun-drenched Western-tinged, crimecaper; MY FRIEND DAHMER is director Marc Meyers’ adaptation of John Backderf’s revered graphic novel and is an unnerving portrait of one of America’s most prolific murderers, Jeffrey Dahmer; and Paco Plaza’s much-anticipated new horror film, VERONICA, inspired by an actual unsolved case in Spain and a no-holds barred supernatural shocker.JOURNEY
This year’s Journey Gala is Todd Haynes’ new film WONDERSTRUCK, an enthralling adaptation of Brian Selznick’s acclaimed young adult novel. Featuring Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams in supporting roles alongside a gifted young cast, Oakes Fegley and newcomer Millicent Simmonds, a deaf actress making her film debut, it is both a whimsical children’s film for adults and a refreshingly grown-up film for children. Other Journey titles include: Arshad Khan’s ABU, a compelling documentary about a young Pakistani man’s difficulties in coping with migration and the resultant cultural change, his emerging sexuality and an increasingly orthodox father; Iraqi filmmaker Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji’s THE JOURNEY, a taut, thoughtprovoking thriller that tackles what might just be the final moments of a potential suicide bomber’s life; David Batty’s stylish documentary MY GENERATION, presented and narrated by Michael Caine, playfully explores the impact of Britain’s working class cultural revolution in the 1960s and features a wealth of archive footage and a spot-on soundtrack from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Who, which makes for an exhilarating journey back in time; the European Premiere of Egyptian director Amr Salama’s SHEIKH JACKSON, a bittersweet and poignant tale of an Islamist preacher experiencing a crisis of faith following the death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson; Marc J. Francis and Max Pugh’s fascinating and immersive exploration of mindfulness, WALK WITH ME, featuring narration by Benedict Cumberbatch, follows the daily rituals and routine of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and offers a rare insight into life within a monastic community; and the World Premiere of THE WHITE GIRL, where debut director Jenny Suen collaborates with legendary cinematographer Christopher Doyle on an intoxicating and textually rich film.CREATE
The brand new Create strand channels the electricity of the act of creation, celebrating artistic expression in all its forms. The inaugural Create Gala is Michel Hazanavicius’ REDOUBTABLE, an audacious, multi-layered biopic of French cinema’s most notorious director, Jean-Luc Godard. Also in Create: Greg Kohs’ ALPHAGO the story of how Google’s DeepMind team took on Go world champion Lee Sedol, posing questions about whether computers can think creatively and whether there is an algorithm for intuition; the World Premiere of THE BALLAD OF SHIRLEY COLLINS, Rob Curry and Tim Plester’s portrait of one of the great British folks singers who mysteriously lost her voice in 1980; G-FUNK tells the story of how three childhood friends from East Long Beach Warren G, Snoop Dogg and the late great Nate Dogg, transformed hip-hop into a global phenomenon and changed the world; the World Premiere of William Badgely’s HERE TO BE HEARD: THE STORY OF THE SLITS is a riveting film about the game-changing and largely female feminist punk band; Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman’s LOVING VINCENT is a stunning, fully painted animated feature created in the style of Van Gogh’s paintings matching extraordinary style with richly satisfying storytelling, broadcast live from the National Gallery to cinemas nationwide; and Julian Rosefeldt’s MANIFESTO starring Cate Blanchett as thirteen different characters in this energetic tribute to artistic troublemakers.FAMILY
Showcasing films for the young, as well as the young at heart the Family Gala is THE BIG BAD FOX AND OTHER TALES, an outstanding, laugh-a-minute animation from Benjamin Renner and Patrick Imbert, the team behind Ernest & Celestine (LFF 2012, Family Gala) and is guaranteed to appeal to adults as much as it will to children. Other highlights include Chang-yong Moon and Jin Jeon’s beautifully made documentary BECOMING WHO I WAS about a young monk Padma Angdu, who is said to be the latest incarnation of a religious teacher, known as a Rinpoche, and his attempts to reach the home he had in a former life; Xuan Liang and Chun Zhang’s visually breath-taking Chinese animated fantasy, BIG FISH & BEGONIA is as near to the best of Studio Ghibli as you’re likely to find anywhere; Meikeminne Clinckspoor’s family adventure CLOUDBOY is about 12- year-old Niilas who is sent away against his wishes to spend the summer with his estranged mother in Swedish Lapland, among the indigenous reindeer herding Sami people; and winner of the top prize at this year’s Annecy Animation Film Festival, Masaaki Yuasa’s anime LU OVER THE WALL brings human and merfolk together with surprising outcomes. This funky, upbeat tale is full of energy, features cute ‘merdogs’, musical mermaids and a giant humanoid shark and has a really cool soundtrack. This section also includes a program of animated shorts for younger audiences which bring together eclectic, exciting and colourful films from all around the globe.TREASURES
The Treasures selection brings recently restored cinematic classics from archives around the world to the Festival in London. The Archive Gala is the World Premiere of the BFI National Archive restoration of the silent film SHIRAZ: A ROMANCE OF INDIA (1928), a ravishing, romantic tale based on the story of the 17th century Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, his queen and the building of the world’s most beautiful monument to love, the Taj Mahal. Directed by Franz Osten, based on a play by Niranjan Pal and starring and produced by Himansu Rai, the film was shot entirely in India and performed by an all-Indian cast. Other highlights include the World Premieres of the 4K restoration by Sony Pictures Entertainment of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946); the digitally remastered experimental documentary FRANTZ FANON: BLACK SKIN WHITE MASK (1996), directed by artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien, as well as the new 4K restoration, by The BFI National Archive and The Film Foundation, with funding provided by the George Lucas Family Foundation, of Terry Gilliam’s first feature as a solo director, JABBERWOCKY (1977). The Festival will also screen the 4K restoration of Toshio Matsumoto’s FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSES (1969), a wild, kaleidoscopic vision of the underground scene in 1960s Japan and a significant influence on Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange and Italian genre-master Dario Argento’s eye-popping slice of technicolour terror, SUSPIRIA (1977) with stunning 4K restoration.EXPERIMENTA
Experimenta features films and videos by artists who transform our experience of seeing moving images. Highlights include: the World Premiere of Benedict Seymour’s DEAD THE ENDS, a politically urgent retelling of Chris Marker’s La Jetée bookended by the 2011 London riots; ERASE AND FORGET, Andrea Luka Zimmerman’s film is an excavation of the influence of fiction on truth in the American imagination of warfare and gun culture; the World Premiere of LEK AND THE DOGS, Andrew Kötting’s account of the ultimate outsider uses a range of visual styles derived from avant garde and genre cinema, and Kevin Jerome Everson’s TONSLER PARK uses an unobtrusive observational style to divulge the mechanisms behind the operation of Election Day at polling stations in Charlottesville, Virginia.
-
LITTLE CRUSADER Wins Best Film at 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_23047" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Director Václav Kadrnka, 52nd Karlovy Vary IFF[/caption]
The awards were presented at the closing ceremony of the 52nd Karlovy Vary IFF, and the fatherhood drama Little Crusader by Václav Kadrnka was awarded the Grand Prize – Crystal Globe and $25,000.
The directing prize was won by Slovak filmmaker Peter Bebjak, who was presenting his film The Line at the festival. In the competition East of the West, the road movie How Viktor “the Garlic” took Alexey “the Stud” to the Nursing Home by Russian director Alexander Hant won that award.
The award for best feature-length documentary went to the Spanish film Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle. And the Právo Audience Award was awarded to the American crime drama taking place on a Native American reservation Wind River starring Jeremy Renner.
The 53rd Karlovy Vary IFF will be held from June 29th to July 7th, 2018.
OFFICIAL SELECTION – COMPETITION
GRAND PRIX – CRYSTAL GLOBE (25 000 USD) The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film. Little Crusader Directed by: Václav Kadrnka Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Italy, 2017 SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (15 000 USD) The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film. Men Don’t Cry Directed by: Alen Drljević Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, 2017 BEST DIRECTOR AWARD Peter Bebjak for the film The Line Slovak Republic, Ukraine, 2017 BEST ACTRESS AWARD Jowita Budnik and Eliane Umuhire ex-aequo for their roles in the film Birds Are Singing in Kigali Directed by: Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze Poland, 2017 BEST ACTOR AWARD Alexander Yatsenko for his role in the film Arrhythmia Directed by: Boris Khlebnikov Russia, Finland, Germany, 2017 SPECIAL JURY MENTION For the best First Feature Film Keep the Change Directed by: Rachel Israel USA, 2017 SPECIAL JURY MENTION For the Best Newcomer Voica Oltean, actress Breaking News Directed by: Iulia Rugin Romania, 2017 EAST OF THE WEST – COMPETITION EAST OF THE WEST GRAND PRIX (15 000 USD) The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film. How Viktor “the Garlic” Took Alexey “the Stud” to the Nursing Home Directed by: Alexander Hant Russia, 2017 EAST OF THE WEST SPECIAL JURY PRIZE (10 000 USD) The financial award is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film. Dede Directed by: Mariam Khatchvani Georgia, Qatar, Ireland, Netherlands, Croatia, 2017 DOCUMENTARY FILMS – COMPETITION GRAND PRIX FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM (5 000 USD) The financial award goes to the director of the award-winning film. Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle Directed by: Gustavo Salmerón Spain, 2017 DOCUMENTARY SPECIAL JURY PRIZE Atelier de conversation Directed by: Bernhard Braunstein Austria, France, Liechtenstein, 2017 PRзVO AUDIENCE AWARD Wind River Directed by: Taylor Sheridan USA, 2016 CRYSTAL GLOBE FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD CINEMA Ken Loach, United Kingdom CRYSTAL GLOBE FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD CINEMA Paul Laverty, United Kingdom CRYSTAL GLOBE FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD CINEMA James Newton Howard, USA FESTIVAL PRESIDENT’S AWARD Uma Thurman, USA FESTIVAL PRESIDENT’S AWARD Casey Affleck, USA FESTIVAL PRESIDENT’S AWARD Jeremy Renner, USA FESTIVAL PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO CZECH CINEMATOGRAPHY Václav Vorlíček, Czech Republic NON-STATUTORY AWARDS AWARD OF INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS (FIPRESCI) Awarded by The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). Keep the Change Directed by: Rachel Israel USA, 2017 THE ECUMENICAL JURY AWARD The Cakemaker Directed by: Ofir Raul Graizer Israel, Germany, 2017 FEDEORA AWARD Awarded by the Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean (FEDEORA) to the best film from the East of the West – Competition Mariţa Directed by: Cristi Iftime Romania, 2017 Special Mention Blue Silence Directed by: Bülent Öztürk Turkey, Belgium, 2017 EUROPA CINEMAS LABEL AWARD For the best European film in the Official Selection – Competition and in the East of the West – Competition. Men Don’t Cry Directed by: Alen Drljević Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, 2017 THE WINNERS OF WORKS IN PROGRESS AWARD AND EURIMAGES LAB PROJECT AWARD @ KVIFF WORKS IN PROGRESS AWARD @ KVIFF At the 14th edition of Works in Progress @KVIFF, eight selected projects (plus one out of competition) were presented from a total of 77 submissions from Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, Greece and post-Soviet territories. The 2017 award, with a total value of EUR 100,000, includes post-production services at UPP and Soundsquare and a EUR 10,000 cash award from Barrandov Studio. Censor 80 min, Slovak Republic Directed by: Peter Kerekes Cast: Irina Alexandrovna, Jura Car, Ljubov Vassilina EURIMAGES LAB PROJECT AWARD @ KVIFF The Karlovy Vary IFF is one of four international festivals to present this award. The final eight projects were selected from 45 submitted projects from Eurimages countries that are currently in production or post-production, are being made outside the traditional filmmaking framework, and involve international co-operation. The best project receives an award of EUR 50,000. The Stand-In 70 min, Italy, France, Morocco Directed by: RК di Martino Scriptwriter: RК di Martino Producer: Marco Alessi Camera: Gianclaudio Giacomini, Giulio Squillacciotti, Hasnae el Ouarga Cast: Valeria Gollino, Filippo Timi, Corrado Sassi, Younes Bouad, Nadia Kounda, Nisrine Adam Image: Director Václav Kadrnka, photo credit: Jan Handrejch
-
KEEP THE CHANGE, THE CAKEMAKER Among Winners of Karlovy Vary IFF Non-Statutory Awards
The non-statutory awards of the 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival were announced today, with the international film critics prize FIPRESCI award going to Keep the Change by Rachel Israel.
Other awards included the Ecumenical Jury award going to The Cakemaker, by Ofir Raul Graizer; FEDEORA award by Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean going to Romanian film Mariţa by Cristi Iftime; and Men Don’t Cry by Alen Drljević won the Europa Cinemas Label award for the best European film in the Main Competition or the East of the West Competition.
AWARD OF INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS
Awarded by The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI).
Keep the Change
Directed by: Rachel Israel
USA, 2017
For a glorious first feature which tells the story of a colorful group of New Yorkers, who in any other film would be labelled as ‘outsiders’. Instead Israel lets us experience their world from the inside, and it’s a wondrous place to be.
It is a tender film with a simple narrative, driven by complex emotions. By letting herself be inspired by her magnificent actors’ personal experiences of life on the autism spectrum, writer/director Rachel Israel has created a work that is inclusive, fresh and thoroughly engaging.
It also has one of the funniest scripts we have ever come across, with a sense of humor that ranges from the crude jokes of conflicted protagonist David, to the no-nonsense cut-offs by its leading lady Sarah – a female character with a personal brand of vivaciousness never before seen on the cinema screen.
We were deeply affected by this heartfelt story of coming of age and finding love, proving there is nothing wrong with being weird.
THE ECUMENICAL JURY AWARD
The Cakemaker
Directed by: Ofir Raul Graizer
Israel, Germany, 2017
With a gentle approach, the film portrays a journey towards acceptance and the pursuit of love. The unique bond formed between the characters strengthens a healing process that brings them a new life. It allows the viewer to connect to the most important of human values, something that overcomes all prejudices: love.
FEDEORA AWARD
Federation of Film Critics of Europe and the Mediterranean for the best film from
East of the West – Competition section
Mariţa
Directed by: Cristi Iftime
Romania, 2017
For the simplicity in directing his debut feature film, focused on the everyday life of a family, whose members, no matter that the family is separated after the divorce of the parents, at their reunion, celebrate the meeting and enjoy it in a spontaneous and friendly way that brings positive energy into their lives.
Special Mention
Blue Silence
Directed by: Bülent Öztürk
Turkey, Belgium, 2017
To Bulent Özturk for “Blue Silence” for its strong, courageous take both in visuals, sounds and silences on how violence and war eats the soul.
EUROPA CINEMAS LABEL AWARD
For the best European film in the Official Selection – Competition and in the East of the West – Competition.
Men Don’t Cry / Muškarci ne plaču
Directed by: Alen Drljević
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, 2017
Europe has learned throughout its difficult history that wars, particularly those that have seen neighbor fight against neighbor, do not end when the violence stops. There are difficulties to be faced in healing a divided society, when bitterness and anger must be set aside in favor of compromise and forgiveness in the name of reconciliation. In Alen Drljević’s powerful Men Don’t Cry a disparate group of former combatants representing all factions of the Balkan War of the 1990s gather in a deserted hotel to begin this process. Common ground is found, but hard-gained trust is easily and quickly lost when old resentments come to the surface. The jury was struck by the film’s nonjudgemental stance on the characters’ different perspectives, brought to vivid life by its fine cast, the universality of its theme of the value of forgiveness not just of others, but of ourselves, for past actions, its relevance to Europe’s future as a community, and its subtle commentary on the negative aspects of masculinity.
Image: Brandon Polansky as David Cohen and Samantha Elisofon as Sarah Silverstein in KEEP THE CHANGE. Photographer: Giacomo Belletti.
-
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Announces 2017 Competition Lineup
[caption id="attachment_22496" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Birds Are Singing in Kigali[/caption]
The 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival today announced the lineup for the competition sections: Official Selection – Competition, East of the West – Competition and Documentary Films – Competition.
The films in the festival’s main section will include Birds Are Singing in Kigali. The last film of the deceased Krzysztof Krauze is depicting painful consequences of the Rwandan genocide and was completed by his co-director and wife Joanna Kos-Krauze. Three years after receiving the KVIFF‘s Crystal Globe for Corn Island George Ovashvili is returning to Karlovy Vary with no less unmistakably directed Khibula, an archetypal story inspired by journey of the newly independent Georgia’s first president. Competition will also present Boris Khlebnikov’s new drama Arrhythmia, Václav Kadrnka’s medieval cinematic pilgrimage Little Crusader, Peter Bebjak’s criminal thriller The Line, American unconventional romantic comedy about (ab)normality in love Keep the Change, remarkable debuts Ralang Road from India and Israeli-German Cakemaker, and More, the first directorial attempt by Turkish actor Onur Saylak.
This year, the East of the West – Competition will open with remarkable Azerbaijani drama Pomegranate Orchard by Ilgar Najaf. Eight of the dozen of premieres are debut films, including two strong films by female directors – Marina Stepanska will bring to Karlovy Vary Falling, fragile love story and a strong statement of the current young Ukrainian generation, while Mariam Khatchvani in Dede will take the audience to the rough Svanetia, region from which she comes from. Juraj Lehotský will return to KV after successful fiction debut Miracle with Slovak-Czech intimate drama Nina.
Three World premieres – The White World According to Daliborek by Vít Klusák, Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle by Gustavo Salmerón and Another News Story by Orban Wallace – will be presented to Karlovy Vary audience in the Documentary Films – Competition. Tarzan’s Testicles, a Romanian essay about a decrepit institute in Abchazia is also included among eleven selected films.
Official Selection – Competition
Arrhythmia / Arrhythmia / Arytmie Director: Boris Khlebnikov Russia, Finland, Germany, 2017, 90 min, International premiere Oleg is heading for his thirties. He works as a paramedic and, after a hard shift, he likes to take a few swigs. His wife Katya is also a doctor, working in the hospital’s emergency department. But her patience with Oleg is running thin, so she announces one day that she wants a divorce… One of the most intriguing filmmakers on the Russian scene today, Boris Khlebnikov returns to the big screen with a meticulous piece of direction. Along with precise performances from the cast, the film examines a relationship experiencing an arrhythmia similar to that affecting the hearts of the patients Oleg treats in his job as a paramedic. Breaking News / Breaking News / Breaking News Director: Iulia Rugină Romania, 2017, 81 min, International premiere A difficult assignment awaits TV reporter Alex. He must film a memorial portrait for a coworker who died in a tragic accident they both experienced but that only he survived. His colleague’s daughter becomes his guide, although her relationship to her father was more than complicated. Alex becomes an involuntary witness to the girl’s handling of her father’s death, and he also comes to believe that chronicling a person’s life involves more than just a short news report… The Cakemaker / The Cakemaker / Cukrář Director: Ofir Raul Graizer Israel, Germany, 2017, 104 min, World premiere After the death of his lover, Thomas heads to Israel – the birthplace of the man he adored. Despite prejudice at his German origins he becomes the pastry chef at a local café owned by the widow of the deceased Oran. Yet she hardly suspects that the unnamed sorrow that connects her to the stranger is for one and the same man. Čiara / The Line / Čára Director: Peter Bebjak Slovak Republic, Ukraine, 2017, 108 min, World premiere Adam Krajňák is head of the family and also boss of a gang of criminals smuggling cigarettes across the Slovak-Ukrainian border. The failure of one of the transports triggers an avalanche of consequences that compels him to question his own boundaries, none of which he had planned on crossing until now. Corporate / Corporate / Korporace Director: Nicolas Silhol France, 2016, 95 min, International premiere The life of an uncompromising HR manager named Emilie changes the instant she witnesses the suicide of one of the staff. The investigation of the case becomes a moral test for a woman whose actions, although motivated by her unlimited devotion to work, have caused grief for many an employee. Daha / More / Ještě víc Director: Onur Saylak Turkey, 2017, 115 min, World premiere Fourteen-year-old Gaza lives with his father Ahad on the shores of the Aegean Sea. The intelligent kid would like to continue his studies, but Ahad sees his son’s future differently. He gets Gaza to help with his side business – smuggling refugees from the Mideast. A directing tour de force, this disturbing psychological study of an adolescent boy’s transformation under the influence of those around him bears dark tidings about the contemporary world. Keep The Change / Keep The Change / Drobné si nechte Director: Rachel Israel USA, 2017, 94 min, International premiere Stylish but apathetic, David meets bundle of energy Sarah at a support group. While he’s just fulfilling a court-ordered obligation, she is thrilled to be there. But as they move past their initial conflicts, they become participants in an uncommon romance that won’t yield to convention. Keep the Change is a different kind of romantic comedy about people who are not the same – like most of us. Khibula / Khibula / Chibula Director: George Ovashvili Georgia, Germany, France, 2017, 98 min, World premiere Shortly after the first democratically elected president of Georgia came to power he was ousted in a military coup. He sets out for the mountains with a group of loyalists to regroup with his supporters. Set against an imposing Caucasus backdrop, we witness a man fighting for power while waging an internal struggle as he heads to meet his fate. The winner of KVIFF 2014 returns with an archetypal story told with light melancholy and an unmistakable visual poetic. Křižáček / Little Crusader / Křižáček Director: Václav Kadrnka Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Italy, 2017, 90 min, World premiere Little Jan, the only descendant of the knight Bořek (Karel Roden), has run away from home. His anxious father sets out to find him but his despair at the fruitless search gradually starts to overpower him. Václav Kadrnka has turned out a stylistically well-contoured adaptation of the poem by Jaroslav Vrchlický, where he employs a taciturn film form in order to encourage our imagination to engage in a poetic, cinematic pilgrimage. Muškarci ne plaču / Men Don’t Cry / Chlapi nepláčou Director: Alen Drljević Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, 2017, 98 min, World premiere When a diverse group of veterans gathers at a remote mountain hotel to undergo days of therapy less than two decades since the war ended in Yugoslavia, it’s hard to expect absolute harmony. This brilliantly directed drama, about the ability to forgive others only after we have forgiven ourselves, presents the pinnacle of the Balkan male acting scene. Ptaki śpiewają w Kigali / Birds Are Singing in Kigali / Ptáci zpívaji v Kigali Director: Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze Poland, 2017, 120 min, World premiere We meet ornithologist Anne in 1994 just as genocide is raging in Rwanda, perpetrated by the majority Hutus against the Tutsis. Anne manages to save the daughter of a colleague whose family has been murdered, and she takes her to Poland. But the woman returns to Rwanda to visit the graves of her loved ones. The director originally worked on the movie with her husband Krzysztof Krauze (My Nikifor – Crystal Globe, KVIFF 2004), but after his death in 2014 she eventually finished this challenging picture alone. Ralang Road / Ralang Road / Cesta do Ralangu Director: Karma Takapa India, 2017, 112 min, World premiere The stories of four individuals intertwine in a maze of Himalayan countryside, village buildings, and the local social microcosm. With a captivating internal rhythm and the stylistic elements taken firmly in hand, the film presents a narratively courageous look at the region’s social web and the influence of cultural immigration on local life.East of the West – Competition
Absence blízkosti / Absence of Closeness / Absence blízkosti Director: Josef Tuka Czech Republic, 2017, 65 min, World premiere After another failed relationship Hedvika takes her three-month-old daughter Adélka and her dog to stay with her mother and her mum’s boyfriend. Hedvika doesn’t get on all that well with her mother, nor are her feelings towards Adélka as maternal as they could be. One day she finds some diaries that her late father left behind… This small-scale psychological drama by debutant Josef Tuka is shored up by its realistic characters, an understated performance from Jana Plodková, and perceptive, discreet lensing. Blue Silence / Blue Silence / Modré ticho Director: Bülent Öztürk Turkey, Belgium, 2017, 93 min, International premiere After his release from the military hospital where he was receiving treatment for a past trauma, Hakan tries to resume a normal life and form a proper relationship with his daughter. Excelling for its mature performances and its stylisation of image and sound, the film foregrounds Hakan’s wounded soul and underlines his vehement efforts to break free from his own private prison. Dede / Dede / Dede Director: Mariam Khatchvani Georgia, United Kingdom, 2017, 97 min, World premiere It’s 1992. Young Dina lives in a remote mountain village where life is strictly governed by centuries of tradition. Is it possible to defy the firmly established order? And, if it is, what price must a person pay for doing so? Debut director Mariam Khatchvani set her first film in Svaneti, the stark mountainous region in northwestern Georgia where she herself was born, and she presents us with an authentic portrayal of a number of customs and traditions associated with this province. Kak Vitka Chesnok vez Lecha Shtyrya v dom invalidov / How Viktor “the Garlic” took Alexey “the Stud” to the Nursing Home / Jak Víťa Česnek vezl Ljochu Vrtáka do důchoďáku Director: Alexander Hant Russia, 2017, 90 min, World premiere This inventive road movie about a son and father finding their way to one another has none of the sentiment normally associated with this kind of subject matter. The film introduces an ensemble of wild characters from the lowest social strata, viewed through a lens that finds a balance between the work’s profoundly human dimension and its stylishly ironic commentary on contemporary society. Keti lõpp / The End of The Chain / Konec řetězce Director: Priit Pääsuke Estonia, 2017, 81 min, World premiere Have you ever had a bad day? Well, it would be difficult to top the catastrophe facing a waitress at a fast-food outlet, where people come not for a quick meal but simply to have a good cry. This high-spirited comedy, about the worst that can happen when you’re slaving from dawn to dusk, also examines existential dilemmas, unconcealed selfishness, and the essential desire for compassion. Mariţa / Mariţa / Mariţa Director: Cristi Iftime Romania, 2017, 100 min, World premiere Thirty-year-old Costi decides to spend a few days with his family. His parents have long since divorced, but Costi thinks it would be a great idea to arrange a surprise reunion, and he persuades his father to travel with him to meet up with his mother and siblings. Taking the old family car, affectionately known as Mariţa, they head out on a journey that will ultimately help to heal past wounds and allow Costi to finally understand not only his parents, but also himself. Minu näoga onu / The Man Who Looks Like Me / Muž, který vypadá jako já Director: Katrin Maimik, Andres Maimik Estonia, 2017, 100 min, World premiere Music critic Hugo is going through a post-divorce crisis and just wants some peace to finish writing his book. When his bohemian father suddenly appears on his doorstep, it becomes clear that the new life he has chosen for himself is about to go in quite a different direction. A tragicomic tale about parents and children and their shared mistakes and complexes. Nar baği / Pomegranate Orchard / Sad granátovníků Director: Ilgar Najaf Azerbaijan, 2017, 90 min, World premiere Gabil returns home to the humble family farmstead, surrounded by an orchard of venerable pomegranate trees; since his sudden departure twelve years ago he was never once in contact. However, the deep emotional scars he left behind cannot be erased from one day to the next. A private drama set in a picturesque landscape which tells of wrongdoings simmering below the surface of seeming innocence. Nina / Nina / Nina Director: Juraj Lehotský Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2017, 86 min, World premiere Nina is twelve years old and her world has just been shattered to smithereens: Her parents’ marriage has broken down and they are getting a divorce. After his internationally successful debut Miracle Juraj Lehotský now brings us an intimate drama in which the viewer looks upon the world and the selfish, visionless behaviour of adults through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl. A girl who is resilient and belligerent, but also vulnerable and just as fragile as the miniature world she creates for herself in the garden shed. Strimholov / Falling / Střemhlav Director: Marina Stepanska Ukraine, 2017, 105 min, World premiere Anton and Katia happen upon one another in night-time Kiev. Both are trying to find their bearings in life, and their encounter changes everything… This psychological drama by debuting Marina Stepanska offers up both a fragile love story and a strong statement on the current young generation as it searches for its place in post-revolutionary Ukraine. T’padashtun / Unwanted / Nechtění Director: Edon Rizvanolli Kosovo, Netherlands, 2017, 85 min, World premiere Teenager Alban lives in Amsterdam with his mother Zana, who left Kosovo during the war in the Balkans. When he starts going out with the sensitive Ana, neither of them has any idea that unresolved injustices and shadows from the past will make their way to the surface. This insightful, mature debut by a Kosovan director reminds us how difficult forgiveness and reconciliation can be. Taş / The Stone / Kámen Director: Orhan Eskiköy Turkey, 2017, 96 min, International premiere Emete would swear that the young man seeking refuge in her home is the son she lost long ago. But in her isolated, wasteland village it’s almost impossible to differentiate real hope from self-delusion. Especially since the only way to survive is to throw in with the collective myths and seek comfort in cold stone.DOCUMENTARY FILMS – COMPETITION
Another News Story / Another News Story / Další čerstvá zpráva Director: Orban Wallace United Kingdom, 2017, 90 min, World premiere In today’s chaotic era, what is the “who, how, and why” of news spewed forth on world conflicts and crises? A young British director turns his camera lens on the journalists sent by their employers to the Mediterranean to cover the unfolding humanitarian tragedy. When faced with immeasurable suffering, do they maintain a fundamental sensitivity or do they fall back on sensationalized treatments of human misfortune? Atelier de conversation / Atelier de conversation / Lekce francouzské konverzace Director: Bernhard Braunstein Austria, France, Lichtenstein, 2017, 72 min, International premiere One room, twelve red chairs, and a common language. Foreigners from all corners of the world meet each week for free lessons to hone their French. This formally minimalist documentary captures the fleeting moments in which grammatical fumblings or the painstaking search for the right word inadvertently open a window into the human soul. Avant la fin de l’été / Before Summer Ends / Než skončí léto Director: Maryam Goormaghtigh Switzerland, France, 2017, 80 min, International premiere Even after studying in France for five years, Arash hasn’t completely gotten used to the place, so he decides to return home to Iran. But friends Hossein and Ashkan are determined not to accept the loss of their closest pal. This documentary comedy, about a goodbye road trip across France, boasts beer chugging and French girls, but it’s also about cultural differences and the natural need to find and hold onto kindred spirits when living in a foreign land. A Campaign of Their Own / A Campaign of Their Own / Kampaň Director: Lionel Rupp Switzerland, 2017, 74 min, International premiere Partaking of the Direct Cinema documentary style, A Campaign of Their Own tells the story of the loyal supporters of democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, who lost to Clinton in the Democratic primaries. Subtly engagé and skillfully incorporated into a stylistic frame, the film lifts the lid on a newly-inflamed radical skepticism towards political representation in the United States and the general frustration at the breakdown of representative democracy itself. Land of the Free / Land of the Free / Země svobodných Director: Camilla Magid Denmark, Finland, 2017, 95 min, International premiere In the economically depressed neighborhoods of South Central Los Angeles it’s far too easy to get on the wrong side of the law. One fateful day 42-year-old Brian, who has just been released from serving a long prison sentence, experiences it firsthand. The vicious cycle of social determination, however, also begins to effect the lives of teenager Juan and seven-year-old Gianni. The debuting director immerses herself in the depths of human vulnerability in order to draw out fragments of hope. A Memory in Khaki / A Memory in Khaki / Vzpomínky v barvě khaki Director: Alfoz Tanjour Qatar, 2016, 108 min, European premiere A Syrian director dusts off memories of the past, when people were persecuted for their political beliefs. A poetic portrait of people whose homes have been turned to rubble, and a story that tells us that a free life can never be monochromatic, let alone khaki. Moj život bez zraka / My Life without Air / Život bez vzduchu Director: Bojana Burnać Croatia, 2017, 72 min, European premiere The most important moments in the life of Goran, a Croatian free diving record-holder, take place exclusively underwater. This portrait of an extreme athlete features intentional dramatic minimalism in order to guide the viewer toward a shared physical experience of performances that push the boundaries of what is humanly possible. Between each inhalation and exhalation we experience an endless emotional fall into the depths of the deep blue sea. Muchos hijos, un mono y un castillo / Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle / Spousta dětí, opice a zámek Director: Gustavo Salmerón Spain, 2017, 90 min, World premiere Julita always wanted lots of kids, a monkey, and a castle. After finally realizing these wishes, however, her family loses their property in the economic crisis. But they have not lost the disarming ease and kindheartedness that mark their domestic squabbling. A film chronicle with elements of absurd humor that serves as a madcap allegory for the contemporary situation in Spain. Ouăle lui Tarzan / Tarzan’s Testicles / Tarzanova varlata Director: Alexandru Solomon Romania, France, 2017, 105 min, International premiere A research center in Sukhumi, the capital of today’s Abkhazia. Legend has it that it was built at the end of the 1920s to create a hybrid between man and monkey. The hypothetical creature never saw the light of day, but people and primates, like sad relics of the past, live together in the derelict wings of the medical institute to this very day. Richard Müller: Nespoznaný / Richard Müller: Unknown / Richard Müller: Nepoznaný Director: Miro Remo Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2016, 90 min, International premiere This uncompromising, sometimes painfully revealing but always deeply insightful portrait presents the life of Richard Müller from a fresh perspective. We get to know the famous Slovak singer as a still uncommonly charismatic man who has become exhausted by his struggles with addiction, mental illness, and the demands of show business. Svět podle Daliborka / The White World According to Daliborek / Svět podle Daliborka Director: Vít Klusák Czech Republic, Poland, Slovak Republic, United Kingdom, 2017, 105 min, World premiere A stylized portrait of an authentic Czech neo-Nazi, who hates his life but doesn’t know what to change. Corrosively absurd and starkly chilling in equal measure, this tragicomedy investigates the radical worldview of “decent, ordinary people.” And just when it seems that its message can’t get any more urgent, the film culminates in a totally uncompromising way.