The Day I Lost My Shadow (Yom Adaatou Zouli)

  • 2019 Florida Film Critics Winners – PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE Awarded Best Picture

    Portrait of a Lady On Fire (PORTRAIT DE LA JEUNE FILLE EN FEU)
    Portrait of a Lady On Fire (PORTRAIT DE LA JEUNE FILLE EN FEU)

    The Florida Film Critics Circle awarded the French language period piece Portrait of a Lady on Fire its Best Picture prize. Portrait of a Lady on Fire tied with Marriage Story for the most wins but received some of the highest honors including Best Director for director Céline Sciamma, and Best Foreign Language film.

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  • Cuban Dancer Carlos Acosta Biopic YULI to Open 2019 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival

    Yuli directed by Icíar Bollaín
    Yuli directed by Icíar Bollaín

    Yuli, a dazzling dramatization of the early life and work of legendary Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta will be the Opening Night Film of this year’s 38th Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, which runs April 4 to 20, 2019.

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  • International Film Festival Rotterdam Reveals 47 Films in 2019 Bright Future

    The Yellow Night (A Noite Amarela)
    The Yellow Night (A Noite Amarela)

    International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) revealed the complete selection of 47 feature films from all over the world in its Bright Future section, the festival’s home for upcoming filmmakers with their own style and vision. All feature film debuts that have their world or international premiere in Bright Future are selected for the Bright Future Competition and vie for a €10,000 award.

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  • International Film Festival Rotterdam Reveals First Films in 2019 Bright Future Program

    [caption id="attachment_33089" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Thirty (Dreissig) by Simona Kostova Thirty (Dreissig) by Simona Kostova[/caption] International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) revealed the first films for in the 2019 Bright Future program that spotlights upcoming filmmakers with their own style and vision. The Bright Future section comprises features, mid-lengths and shorts, and includes the feature film debuts competing for the Bright Future Award worth €10,000. Among the films selected so far are the world premieres of Viktor van der Valk’s neo-noir Nocturne (the Netherlands); Argentinian actress Romina Paula’s directing debut De nuevo otra vez; Ico Costa’s debut feature Alva (from the producers of Djon África, which was in IFFR 2018’s Tiger Competition); and Dreissig by Berlin-based filmmaker Simona Kostova. The international premiere of Fabiana, Brunna Laboissière’s portrait of a transgender truck driver, also screens in the Bright Future Competition. In addition to feature films, IFFR’s Bright Future section devotes plenty of space to mid-length and short films. Titles confirmed for Bright Future Mid-length include Derrière les volets by Messaline Raverdy and the world premiere of L’inconnu de Collegno by Maïder Fortuné. Stefano Canapa’s The Sound Drifts and Lawrence Abu Hamdan’s Walled Unwalled will both world premiere in Bright Future Short. The full Bright Future line-up will consist of approximately 50 feature films. The eight films in Tiger Competition, which is also part of the Bright Future section, will be announced early January 2019.

    Bright Future Competition

    Algiers By Night, Yanis Koussim, 2019, Algeria/France/Norway/Qatar, world premiere. As the sun sets over Algiers, a young photographer and various creatures of the night start to emerge. Alva, Ico Costa, 2019, Portugal/France/Argentina, world premiere. After his children are taken away by social services, a troubled loner seeks revenge and flees into the inhospitable forest. De nuevo otra vez/Again Once Again, Romina Paula, 2019, Argentina, world premiere. A delicate self-portrait about aging, maternity and sexuality. Romina Paula fictionalizes reality and explores being a daughter and new mother. Dreissig/Thirty, Simona Kostova, 2019, Germany, world premiere. Twenty-four hours in the lives of a group of colorful Berliners in their late twenties/early thirties, oscillating between a carefree existence and emptiness. Fabiana, Brunna Laboissière, 2018, Brazil, international premiere. As she approaches retirement, a transgender truck driver looks back on her life on the road, with a different sweetheart in every town Nocturne, Viktor van der Valk, 2019, Netherlands, world premiere. Lyrical film noir about two producers, an investor, a deadline, a woman, a gun and a hopelessly romantic boy. A volta ao mundo quando tinhas 30 anos/Around the World When You Were My Age, Aya Koretzky, 2018, Portugal, international premiere. Loving, captivating portrait of the director’s father based on the latter’s 1970 round the world journey.

    Bright Future

    Black Mother, Khalik Allah, 2018, Jamaica/USA Life’s key elements come together in this visual film symphony and ode to today’s colorful Jamaica. Core of the World, Natalya Meshchaninova, 2018, Russia/Lithuania Compassion and cruelty are not far apart in the work of a shy vet at a Russian stock farm. The Day I Lost My Shadow, Soudade Kaadan, 2018, Lebanon A young Syrian mother’s search for bottled gas ends in a panic-stricken journey. Awarded Best Debut in Venice. Introduzione all’oscuro, Gastón Solnicki, 2018, Argentina/Austria A personal, cinematic gesture born of sadness over the death of a friend. It’s also a unique guide to Viennese culture. The Load, Ognjen Glavonić, 2018, Serbia/France/Croatia/Iran/Qatar During the NATO bombardments of 1999, a truck driver has to take a mysterious load to Belgrade. Subtle narrative bursting with menace. Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Bi Gan, 2018, China/France Past and present intertwine in this visually stunning, partially 3D second film by Chinese talent Bi Gan. The Man Who Surprised Everyone, Aleksey Chupov/Natasha Merkulova, 2018, Russia/Estonia/France A terminally ill forest ranger wants to live out his final months as a woman. In a remote Siberian community he pays dearly. Nona. If They Soak Me, I’ll Burn Them, Camila José Donoso, 2019, Chile, world premiere.  A hybrid fiction featuring the director’s intriguing grandmother as an anarchist warrior in a Chilean town ravaged by forest fires. The Proposal, Jill Magid, 2018, USA Strange things happen in the struggle to make the hidden archives of architect Luis Barragán public again. The Seven Last Words, Kaveh Nabatian/Ariane Lorrain/Sophie Goyette/Juan Andrés Arango/Sophie Deraspe/Karl Lemieux/Caroline Monnet, 2019, Canada, world premiere.  Challenging and varied omnibus film by seven Canadian filmmakers, inspired by Joseph Haydn’s composition around the last words of Jesus. Sophia Antipolis, Virgil Vernier, 2018, France In southern France, mysterious links appear in the fortunes of five people connected to an elusive young woman called Sophia. Tarde para morir joven/Too Late to Die Young, Dominga Sotomayor, 2018, Chile/Brazil/Argentina/Netherlands/Qatar Coming-of-age story about three Chilean teenagers reflects the growing pains of Chile’s new democracy in the early 1990s.

    Bright Future Mid-length

    Derrière les volets, Messaline Raverdy, 2018, Belgium Poetic research into the Raverdy coffee plant as a record for the next generation. The filmmaker searches for her past and the women in the factory. L’inconnu de Collegno, Maïder Fortuné, 2019, France, world premiere.  In an attempt to reveal his past, a man is interrogated in an empty room. Several characters are brought in to solve the mystery.

    Bright Future Short

    Fog, Inger Lise Hansen, 2018, Norway The spectacle of fog appearing in Oslo, the Azores, Beijing and Newfoundland, beautifully captured in various film formats. The Sound Drifts, Stefano Canapa, 2019, France, world premiere.  Hypnotizing audio tracks dance to the soundtrack of Canapa’s previous film about Jérôme Noetinger, Metamkine’s sound artist. Cinema for your ears! Van ver staat het stil/Still from afar, Eva van Tongeren, 2018, Belgium, international premiere.  An exchange of letters between the filmmaker and a pedophile evokes powerful emotions. But she wants to understand his motives. Walled Unwalled, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, 2019, Lebanon, world premiere.  A monologue staged inside a trio of Cold War Era sound effect studios in East Berlin unfolding a narrative derived from legal cases that revolve around evidence heard or experienced through walls. what remains, belit sağ, 2019, Netherlands, world premiere Many people in the Kurdish city of Cizre are trapped between life and death. belit sağ conjures up apparitions in her images.

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  • First Films Confirmed for 2019 International Film Festival Rotterdam

    [caption id="attachment_32564" align="aligncenter" width="2048"]The Day I Lost My Shadow The Day I Lost My Shadow[/caption] As the 48th edition of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) fast approaches, the festival is announcing the first 26 confirmed titles, including new films by Claire Denis, Jia Zhangke and Garin Nugroho.  IFFR 2019 will take place from January23 to February 3, 2019. The confirmed titles include the world premiere of Simona Kostova’s Dreissig and the international premiere of Fabienne Godet’s Nos vies formidables. Other filmmakers on the selection list so far are Nadine Labaki with her new film Capernaum and Khalik Allah with his Black Mother, a piercing reflection on Jamaican identity which won the Yellow Robin Award at Curaçao IFFR in April 2018. BNK48: Girls Don’t Cry, a European premiere, is a remarkable documentary feature by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit chronicling the intense lives of a group of pop singers living together in Bangkok. And with I diari di Angela – Noi due cineasti Yervant Gianikian has created a moving portrait of his partner in cinema Angela Ricci Lucchi, who passed away in 2018. Three of the films selected so far received support from IFFR’s Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) in previous years: The Day I Lost My Shadow by Soudade Kaadan and Rafiki by Wanuri Kahiu in 2016, The Load by Ognjen Glavonić in 2013. IFFR celebrates film art from all over the world and presents its program within four sections, each with its own distinct character: Bright Future (including the Tiger Competition and the Ammodo Tiger Short Competition), Voices, Deep Focus and Perspectives. Short films are strongly represented throughout all sections. Festival director Bero Beyer: “We’re delighted to present an appealing and rich first selection of titles to screen at our upcoming festival. There are names we’ve seen before in Rotterdam, and ones that are brand new. Together they exemplify the type of bold and daring cinema we like to celebrate at IFFR.”

    Bright Future

    Black Mother, Khalik Allah, 2018, Jamaica/USA Core of the World, Natalia Meshchaninova, 2018, Russia/Lithuania The Day I Lost My Shadow, Soudade Kaadan, 2018, Lebanon (supported by HBF in 2016) Dreissig/Thirty, Simona Kostova, 2019, Germany, world premiere The Load, Ognjen Glavonić, 2018, Serbia/France/Croatia/Iran/Qatar (supported by HBF in 2013) Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Bi Gan, 2018, China/France The Proposal, Jill Magid, 2018, USA

    Voices

    BNK48: Girls Don’t Cry, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, 2018, Thailand, European premiere Knife + Heart, Yann Gonzalez, 2018, France/Mexico Memories of My Body, Garin Nugroho, 2018, Indonesia The Mountain, Rick Alverson, 2018, USA Nos vies formidables/Our Wonderful Lives, Fabienne Godet, 2018, France, international premiere Tel Aviv on Fire, Sameh Zoabi, 2018, Israel/France/Luxembourg/Belgium

    Voices: Limelight

    Ash Is Purest White, Jia Zhangke, 2018, China/France De Camino – Een feature-length selfie, Martin de Vries, 2019, Netherlands, world premiere Capernaum, Nadine Labaki, 2018, Lebanon Leto/Summer, Kirill Serebrennikov, 2018, Russia/France Rafiki, Wanuri Kahiu, 2018, Kenya/South Africa (supported by HBF in 2016)

    Deep focus

    High Life, Claire Denis, 2018, Germany/France/USA/United Kingdom/Poland I diari di Angela – Noi due cineasti, Yervant Gianikian, 2018, Italy

    Short films

    Anteu, João Vladimiro, 2018, Portugal/France Lost Tune, Reetu Sattar, 2019, Bangladesh, world premiere Primeiro ato/First Act, Matheus Parizi, 2019, Brazil, world premiere Pwdre Ser (the rot of stars), Charlotte Pryce, 2019, USA, world premiere Salt, Pepper to Taste, Teymur Hajiyev, 2019, Azerbaijan, world premiere Van ver staat het stil/Still from afar, Eva van Tongeren, 2018, Belgium, international premiere

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  • LA Film Festival Announces 2018 Award Winners, BRIAN BANKS, STUNTMAN, THIS TEACHER, BORDER

    [caption id="attachment_31925" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Brian Banks Brian Banks[/caption] The LA Film Festival, announced the winners of the 2018 Festival, with the top awards going to Brian Banks by Tom Shadyac winning the Audience Award for Fiction Feature Film and Stuntman by Kurt Mattila winning the Audience Award for Documentary Feature Film.   Other awards include This Teacher by Mark Jackson winning the U.S. Fiction Award, and the Swedish film Border by Ali Abbasi winning the World Fiction Award. “We congratulate all of the filmmakers that shared their work with the LA Film Festival,” said Festival Director, Jennifer Cochis. “These awards honor the wide range of exceptional storytelling we’ve been sincerely delighted to present. All of us are looking forward to wider audiences discovering these stories in the year ahead.” Festival Guest Director, Emmy-award-winning, Lauren Greenfield (Generation Wealth, Queen of Versailles) was awarded the Spirit of Independence Award at the event for her work advancing the cause of independent film and championing creative freedom as a celebrated documentarian, famed photographer and artist. The Festival’s juried awards include: the U.S. Fiction Award, World Fiction Award, Documentary Award, LA Muse Awards, Nightfall Award, Music Video Award, Episodic Award, well as the Short Fiction Award and the Short Documentary Award. Audience awards are presented for Fiction Feature Film, Documentary Feature Film, Episodic Story, Episodic Pilot, Short Film, Music Video and Series from the Web. Additionally the 25th anniversary of Film Independent’s diversity mentorship initiative Project Involve honored Effie T. Brown (Real Women Have Curves, Dear White People), Jon M. Chu (GI Joe: Retaliation, Crazy Rich Asians), Cherien Dabis (Amreeka, Empire) and MACRO’s Founder & CEO Charles D. King (Mudbound, Fences) at the home of Catharine and Jeffrey Soros during the Festival and the inaugural New Wave brunch celebrated the work of Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine Nine), Jay Ellis (Insecure), Dominique Fishback (The Hate U Give), Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Bumblebee), Leonardo Nam (Westworld) and Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place).

    2018 LA Film Festival Awards Winners

    The U.S. Fiction Award Winner: This Teacher, dir. Mark Jackson, World Premiere Screenwriters: Mark Jackson, Dana Thompson Producers: Mark Jackson, Dana Thompson, Gigi Graff, Josh Mandel, Javier Gonzalez Cast: Hafsia Herzi, Sarah Kazemy, Lucy Walters, Kevin Kane, Lev Gorn Film Description: A young Arab-French woman on an introspective journey visits her childhood friend in New York City before heading to the woods upstate. U.S. Fiction Special Mention Winner: In Reality, dir. Ann Lupo, California Premiere Screenwriters: Ann Lupo, Esteban Pedraza, Aaron Pryka Producers: Ann Lupo, Nadine Martinez, Holly Meehl Cast: Ann Lupo, Miles G. Jackson, Kimiko Glenn, Jill Eikenberry, Olivia Washington, Esteban Pedraza, Lauren E. Banks Film Description: A young woman takes a journey through her own fantastic mind as she investigates her relationship to unrequited love. World Fiction Award Winner: Border, dir. Ali Abbasi, California Premiere Country: Sweden Screenwriters: Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf, John Ajvide Lindqvis Producers: Nina Bisgaard, Peter Gustafsson, Petra Jönsson Cast: Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff, Jörgen Thorsson Film Description: Despite having the remarkable gift of being able to smell emotions, a border agent leads a mundane existence until she meets a stranger who shares her unique abilities and upends her life. World Fiction Special Jury Prize, Directing Winner: The Day I Lost My Shadow, dir. Soudade Kaadan, US Premiere Country: France/Lebanon/Qatar/Syrian Arab Republic Screenwriters: Soudade Kaadan Producers: Amira Kaadan Cast: Sawsan Arshid, Reham Al Kasar, Samer Ismail, Ahmad Ali Film Description: In the midst of a gas crisis during the early days of the Syrian Arab Spring, a young mother takes the day off work and strays far from home with only one objective in mind: finding a working cylinder so that she may cook a meal for her son. Documentary Award Winner: hillbilly, dir. Sally Rubin & Ashley York, LA Premiere Country: USA Producers: Sally Rubin & Ashley York Featuring: bell hooks, Billy Redden, Ronny Cox, Frank X Walker, Crystal Good, Silas Howard Film Description: Two filmmakers visit rural Kentucky, one returning home to Appalachian to unpack the stereotype of “hillbilly” and explore the personal and painful experiences fueling our polarizing political climate. Documentary Special Jury Award for Excellence in Social Justice Storytelling Winner: False Confessions, dir. Katrine Philp, North American Premiere Country: Denmark Producers: Katrine A. Sahlstrøm Film Description: “Would you confess to a crime you did not commit?” A defense attorney fights against the complex and manipulative tactics of US police interrogations, focusing on victims of coerced confessions as she helps exonerate her incarcerated clients. LA Muse Award Winner: Staycation, dir. Tanuj Chopra, World Premiere Country: USA Screenwriters: Tanuj Chopra, Anthony Ma, Grace Su Producer: Lalithra Fernando Cast: Anthony Ma, Grace Su Film Description: A modern millennial codependent couple in DTLA have their relationship thrown for a loop when he discovers a photo from an ex on her phone. LA Muse Documentary Award Winner: Fire on the Hill dir. Brett Fallentine, World Premiere Country: USA Producers: Brett Fallentine, Jordana Glick-Franzheim, Steven Amato Film Description: Three black cowboys in South Central share their stories following a mysterious fire that burnt down the community’s stables, leaving the fate of the culture in question. Jury Members: Tamar Halpern (filmmaker, Llyn Foulkes One Man Band), Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (actor, Bumblebee), Jamil Walker Smith (director, The American Dream, actor, Code Black) LA Muse Special Mention, Best Ensemble Cast Winner: Solace, dir. Tchaiko Omawale, World Premiere Country: USA Screenwriter: Tchaiko Omawale Producers: Tchaiko Omawale, Maya Emelle, Hope Olaide Wilson, Sabine Hoffman, Sascha Brown Rice Cast: Hope Olaide Wilson, Lynn Whitfield, Chelsea Tavares, Glynn Turman, Luke Rampersad, Sydney Bennett Film Description: A teenage orphan moves to LA to live with her estranged grandmother and works to win a performance art grant while secretly struggling with binge eating. Nightfall Award Winner: The Dead Center, dir. Billy Senese, World Premiere Country: USA Screenwriters: Billy Senese Producers: Billy Senese, Denis Deck, Jonathan Rogers, Shane Carruth Cast: Shane Carruth, Poorna Jagannathan, Jeremy Childs, Billy Feehely Film Description: When a mysterious John Doe wakes up in a morgue and wanders into a psychiatric ward, a devoted doctor and curious medical examiner must slowly uncover dark and sinister secrets about the man that reveal a more horrifying truth than they could have ever imagined. Nightfall Special Jury Prize, Lead Actor Actor: Ashleigh Morghan Film: Head Count, dir. Elle Callahan, World Premiere Country: USA Screenwriters: Michael Nader Producers: Samuel Sandweiss, Brandon Somerhalder Film Description: During a weekend getaway to Joshua Tree, a group of teenagers find themselves under mental and physical assault from a supernatural entity that mimics their appearances as it completes an ancient ritual. Nightfall Special Jury Prize, Ensemble Cast Cast: Barak Hardley, Jackie Tohn, Magnús Jónsson, Birna Rún Eiriksdóttir, Tom Wright, Stacey Moseley, Michael Nanfria, Michole Briana White, Bryndís Haraldsdíttir Film: Spell, dir. Brendan Walter, World Premiere Screenwriter: Barak Hardley Producers: Brendan Walter, Jon Lullo, Barak Hardley, Katy Stoll, Eleanor WIlson Film Description: Following the unexpected death of his fiancé an American illustrator travels to the Icelandic countryside to seek solace. What he finds instead is a blurred line between reality and fantasy as magical things begin to shake his very foundation — unless it’s all in his head. Award for Short Fiction Winner: The Passage, dir. Kitao Sakurai Country: USA Film Description: Fleeing a pair of mysterious agents sends a dim-witted mute on a series of absurd misadventures. Jury Members: Missy Laney (Director of Development, Adult Swim), Caleb Spencer (Managing Director, Nashville Film Festival), Garth Trinidad (DJ, KCRW) Award for Documentary Short Winner: One Leg In, One Leg Out, dir. Lisa Rideout Country: Canada Film Description: A lively, strong-willed sex worker struggles to move from the streets and into a career as a social worker, hoping to help fellow trans sex workers find acceptance. Web Episodes Jury Award Winner: Psusy, dir. Anna Duckworth Country: New Zealand Film Description: Two close friends drag us through their controversial, inappropriate, but always playful feminist world. Jury Members: Missy Laney (Director of Development, Adult Swim), Caleb Spencer (Managing Director, Nashville Film Festival), Garth Trinidad (DJ, KCRW) Audience Award for Fiction Feature Film Winner: Brian Banks, dir. Tom Shadyac, World Premiere Country: USA Screenwriter: Doug Atchison Producers: Amy Baer, Monica Levinson, Shivani Rawat Cast: Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, Sherri Shepherd, Tiffany Dupont, Xosha Roquemore Film Description: Based on a true story, a young football player’s dreams to play in the NFL are halted when he is falsely accused of rape and sent to prison. This award is given to the fiction feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select fiction feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature: U.S. Fiction, World Fiction, LA Muse, Nightfall and Premieres. Audience Award for Documentary Feature Film Winner: Stuntman, dir. Kurt Mattila, World Premiere Country: USA Producers: Steven Golebiowski, Kurt Mattila, Eddie Braun Featuring: Eddie Braun, Gary Davis, Conrad E. Palmisano, Buddy Joe Hooker, Scott Truax, Meg Braun Film Description: A veteran Stuntman sets out to complete the jump that bested his idol Evel Knievel: clearing the Snake River Canyon in a rocket-powered craft. This award is given to the documentary feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select documentary feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Documentary Feature: Documentary LA Muse and Premieres. Audience Award for Music Video Winner: Clutch, dir. Christopher Ripley Country: USA Film Description: A professional athlete’s rise and fall from grace. This award is given to the music video audiences liked most as voted by tabulated rating system. Audience Award for Short Film Winner: Weekends, dir. Trevor Jimenez Country: USA Film Description: A young boy shuffles between the homes of his recently divorced parents in this surreal hand-animated film set in 1980s Toronto. This award is given to the short film audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Short films screening in the Shorts Programs or before feature films in the Festival were eligible for the Audience Award for Short Film. Audience Award for Episodic Story Winner: Revenge Tour, dir. Andrew Carter Country: USA Film Description: He’s been cheated on, living in a friend’s living room and stuck at a dead-end job. But one night he finds an unlikely stress-reliever—rapping. This award is given to the web-series audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Audience Award for Episodic Pilot Winner: 40 & Single, dir. Leila Djansi, World Premiere Country: Ghana Film Description: A single, bisexual, mixed race bridal fashion designer maneuvers life and business in post-colonial Africa. This award is given to the web-series audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Seattle Story Award Winner: I’m Sorry Happy Birthday, dir. Claire Buss, World Premiere Film Description: A playful showcase of everyday life in Seattle’s neighborhoods through whimsical vignettes that border on the fantastical – complete with a little bit of Pacific Northwest quirkiness. Selected by special committee assembled by Film Independent and funded by Visit Seattle. TikTok Real Short Award Winner: dir. Ann Lupo TikTok gave Festival filmmakers the chance to win a $10,000 unrestricted cash grant. Ann’s video addressed the “Why I’m a Filmmaker” prompt with exceptional storytelling through the lens of TikTok, utilizing creator tools to enhance the narrative. Her innovative short, along with all of the submissions, can be found on the Film Independent (@filmindependent) TikTok account. Selected by special committee assembled by the LA Film Festival programming team.

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  • 2018 Venice Film Festival Awards – Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA Wins Golden Lion for Best Film

    [caption id="attachment_30917" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]ROMA ROMA[/caption] The Jury of the 2018 Venice Film Festival chaired by Guillermo del Toro awarded the top prize, Golden Lion for Best Film to ROMA by Alfonso Cuarón. The Favourite by Yorgos Lanthimos was awarded the Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize, along with the award for Best Actress to Olivia Colman.

    VENEZIA 75

    GOLDEN LION for Best Film to: ROMA by Alfonso Cuarón (Mexico) SILVER LION – GRAND JURY PRIZE to: THE FAVOURITE by Yorgos Lanthimos (UK, Ireland, USA) SILVER LION – AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to: Jacques Audiard for the film THE SISTERS BROTHERS (France, Belgium, Romania, Spain) COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress: Olivia Colman in the film THE FAVOURITE by Yorgos Lanthimos (UK, Ireland, USA) COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor: Willem Dafoe in the film AT ETERNITY’S GATE by Julian Schnabel (USA, France) AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for the film THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (USA) SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to: THE NIGHTINGALE by Jennifer Kent (Australia) MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best Young Actor or Actress to: Baykali Ganambarr in the film THE NIGHTINGALE by Jennifer Kent (Australia)

    VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM

    LION OF THE FUTURE “LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to: YOM ADAATOU ZOULI (THE DAY I LOST MY SHADOW)  by Soudade Kaadan (Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon, France, Qatar) ORIZZONTI

    ORIZZONTI

    ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST FILM to: KRABEN RAHU (MANTA RAY) by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Thailand, France, China) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to: Emir Baigazin for the film OZEN (THE RIVER) (Kazakhstan, Poland, Norway) SPECIAL ORIZZONTI JURY PRIZE to: ANONS (THE ANNOUNCEMENT) by Mahmut Fazıl Coşkun (Turkey, Bulgaria) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS to: Natalya Kudryashova in TCHELOVEK KOTORIJ UDIVIL VSEH (THE MAN WHO SURPRISED EVERYONE) by Natasha Merkulova e Aleksey Chupov  (Russia, Estonia, France) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR to: Kais Nashif in TEL AVIV ON FIRE by Sameh Zoabi (Luxembourg, France, Israel, Belgium) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to: Pema Tseden   for JINPA by Pema Tseden (China) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to: KADO  by Aditya Ahmad (Indonesia) VENICE SHORT FILM NOMINATION FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2018 to: GLI ANNI by Sara Fgaier (Italy, France)

    VENICE CLASSICS

    VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY ON CINEMA to: THE GREAT BUSTER: A CELEBRATION by Peter Bogdanovich (USA) VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST RESTORED FILM to: LA NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (Italy, 1982)

    VENICE VIRTUAL REALITY

    BEST VR AWARD (IMMERSIVE STORY) to: SPHERES  di Eliza McNitt (USA, France) BEST VR EXPERIENCE AWARD (FOR INTERACTIVE CONTENT) to: BUDDY VR  by Chuck Chae (South Korea) BEST VR STORY AWARD (FOR LINEAR CONTENT) to: L’ÎLE DES MORTS by Benjamin Nuel (France)

    COLLATERAL AWARDS

    HFPA Award – HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Press Association) Presented to three filmmakers (director, producer) from the Orizzonti category awarded for Best Film, Best Director and Special Jury Prize

    Casa Wabi – Mantarraya Award (Fundación Casa Wabi – Mantarraya Group) To the director winner of the Award for a Debut Film of the 75th Venice Film Festival

    FIPRESCI Award (International Federation of Film Critics) Napszállta (Sunset) by László Nemes Best Film from Orizzonti and from the parallel sections: Lissa Ammetsajjel (Still Recording) by Saeed Al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    SIGNIS Award (International World Catholic Association for Communication) ROMA by Alfonso Cuarón Special Mention: 22 JULY by Paul Greengrass

    Leoncino d’Oro Award (Agiscuola) WERK OHNE AUTOR by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Cinema for UNICEF: What you gonna do when the world’s on fire? by Roberto Minervini Francesco Pasinetti Award (Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani) CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone Special Pasinetti Award: SULLA MIA PELLE by Alessio Cremonini ALESSANDRO BORGHI and JASMINE TRINCA Brian Award (UAAR, Unione degli Atei e degli Agnostici Razionalisti) SULLA MIA PELLE by Alessio Cremonini

    Queer Lion Award (Associazione di Promozione Sociale Queer Lion) JOSÉ by Li Cheng

    ARCA Cinemagiovani Award Best Italian Film in Venice: CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone Best Film of Venezia 75: WERK OHNE AUTOR by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

    CICT – UNESCO “Enrico Fulchignoni” Award (Conseil International du Cinema et de la Télévision) EL PEPE, UNA VIDA SUPREMA by Emir Kusturica

    FEDIC Award (Federazione Italiana dei Cineclub) SULLA MIA PELLE by Alessio Cremonini Special Mention FEDIC: RICORDI? by Valerio Mieli Mention FEDIC Il Giornale del Cibo: I VILLANI by Daniele De Michele

    Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Award JULIAN SCHNABEL and WILLEM DAFOE

    Lanterna Magica Award (Associazione Nazionale C.G.S.) AMANDA by Mikhael Hers

    Gillo Pontecorvo Award (Istituto Internazionale per il cinema e l’audiovisivo dei paesi latini) Best co-production for a debut film: THE ROAD NOT TAKEN by Tang Gaopeng

    Smithers Foundation Award (International Council of Film and Television at UNESCO and the Observatory on Cultural Communication at U.N.) A STAR IS BORN by Bradley Cooper Special Mention: THE MOUNTAIN by Rick Alverson

    Interfilm Award for Promoting Interreligious Dialogue (International Interchurch Film Organisation) TEL AVIV ON FIRE by Sameh Zoabi

    Green Drop Award (Green Cross Italia) AT ETERNITY’S GATE by Julian Schnabel WILLEM DAFOE

    Premio Soundtrack Stars (Free Event and SNGCI) Best Soundtrack: CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone, music by Sacha Ring and Philipp Thimm Best original song: A SUSPIRIUM by Thom Yorke for the film Suspiria by Luca Guadagnino Special Mention: JUDY HILL for the film What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire by Roberto Minervini

    Sun Film Group Audience Award (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) LISSA AMMETSAJJEL (STILL RECORDING) by Saeed Al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    Circolo del Cinema di Verona Award (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) BETES BLONDES (BLONDE ANIMALS) by Maxime Matray and Alexia Walther

    Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia & International Award for the Best Technical Contribution (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) LISSA AMMETSAJJEL (STILL RECORDING) by Saeed Al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    Award for Best Short Film SIC@SIC 2018 (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) MALO TEMPO by Tommaso Perfetti

    Award for Best Director SIC@SIC 2018 (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) GAGARIN, MI MANCHERAI by Domenico De Orsi

    Award for Best Technical Contribution SIC@SIC 2018 (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) QUELLE BRUTTE COSE by Loris Giuseppe Nese

    Label Europa Cinemas Award (Giornate degli Autori) JOY by Sudabeh Mortezai

    BNL People’s Choice Award (Giornate degli Autori) RICORDI? by Valerio Mieli

    GdA Director’s Award (Giornate degli Autori) C’EST ÇA L’AMOUR by Claire Burge

    HRNs Award (Human Rights Nights Association) A Letter to a Friend in Gaza by Amos Gitai Special Mention: PETERLOO by Mike Leigh Special Mention: 1938 DIVERSI by Giorgio Treves

    Sorriso diverso Award (Ass. studentesca “L’università cerca lavoro”, UCL) Best Film: UN GIORNO ALL’IMPROVVISO by Cirio D’Emilio

    NuovoImaie Award (Artists’ Rights in collaboration with SNGCI and SNCCI) Linda Caridi and Giampiero De Concilio

    Sfera 1932 Award (Consorzio Venezia e il suo Lido with Seguso Vetri d’Arte – Murano dal 1397) CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone

    UNIMED Award (Mediterranean Universities Union) A TRAMWAY IN JERUSALEM by Amos Gitai

    La Pellicola d’Oro Award (Association “Articolo 9 Cultura & Spettacolo” and “S.A.S. Cinema”) FRANCO RAGUSA Special effects for the film Suspiria KATIA SCHWEIGGL Best tailor for the film Capri-Revolution SARTORIA ATELIER NICOLAO DI STEFANO NICOLAO Lifetime Achievement

    Lizzani Award – ANAC (Associazione Nazionale Autori Cinematografici) CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone

    Premio Vivere da Sportivi, Fair play al cinema (Vivere da sportivi: a scuola di fair play Assoc.) What you gonna do when the world’s on fire? by Roberto Minervini Special Mention: ZEN SUL GHIACCIO SOTTILE by Margherita Ferri Special Mention: Lissa ammetsajjel (Still Recording) by Saeed al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    Edipo Re Award (Università degli Studi di Padova e ResInt Rete dell’Economia Sociale Internazionale) LISSA AMMETSAJJEL (STILL RECORDING) by Saeed Al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

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  • 46 Breakout Films Selected for 2018 Toronto International Film Festival Discovery Program

    [caption id="attachment_31512" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Screwdriver Screwdriver[/caption] The Toronto International Film Festival revealed the 46 breakout films from 50 international storytellers that will screen in its 2018 Discovery lineup,  marking a record year for the program. Hailing from 37 different countries, these promising new filmmakers present works that explore identity, complex portraits of women, and youth as they struggle to navigate a fragile world. Twenty-nine of the films will make their World Premieres at the Festival. The lineup stands out for the impressive number of Asian and Eastern European films — accounting for 26% of the Discovery program — and the number of films directed by women. Opening this year’s Discovery program will be Bai Xue’s The Crossing, a captivating Chinese film following the journey of an ordinary teenage girl who becomes entangled in illicit activities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVd56lm-8Cs The program’s highlights include: Adina Pintilie’s innovative Touch Me Not, winner of the Golden Bear and Best First Feature in Berlin; Syrian director Soudade Kaadan’s The Day I Lost My Shadow, a bewitching film on the Syrian conflict; Nino Zhvania’s Parade, the only Georgian feature in the selection; Lithuanian director Marija Kavtaradze’s touching Summer Survivors; Han Ka-ram’s charming Our Body; and renowned Nigerian actor Genevieve Nnaji’s exciting directorial debut, Lionheart. This year’s lineup also stands out for the strong portrayals of sensitive and witty women within it. Among them are Arturo Infante’s sci-fi comedy The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste García , starring popular actor María Isabel Díaz; Mexican director Lila Avilés’ The Chambermaid; Arash Lahooti’s Orange Days; Nikos Labôt’s Her Job; and Woman at War by Icelandic director Benedikt Erlingsson, which has already earned critical praise. Putting the struggles of young characters front and centre, the Discovery program includes UK actor-director Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s Farming, which tells the story of a Nigerian immigrant facing a racist skinhead gang in 1980s England; Carmel Winters’ beautiful Float Like a Butterfly; Lukas Dhont’s Girl; Daniel Sawka’s Icebox; Rosanne Pel’s Light as Feathers; Darko Štante’s Consequences; Ash Mayfair’s The Third Wife; Imogen Thomas’ poetic Emu Runner; Ethiopian–Israeli filmmaker Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian’s Fig Tree; and Joël Karekezi’s The Mercy of the Jungle, showcasing the breakthrough performance of TIFF International Rising Star Stéphane Bak. Risk-takers and daring artists also stand out in this year’s slate, as in Wanuri Kahiu’s Rafiki, an electric female LGBTQ+ love story set in Kenya, where homosexuality is illegal; Sameh Zoabi’s border-crossing dark comedy Tel Aviv on Fire; Ognjen Glavonić’s The Load; and Irish brothers Andy and Ryan Tohill’s suspenseful thriller The Dig. Bold Australian filmmaker Benjamin Gilmour will present the groundbreaking Jirga . To close this bright selection, Palestinian director Bassam Jarbawi will introduce North American audiences to his exceptional first feature film, Screwdriver, a gripping drama that examines the psychological impact of the Palestinian–Israeli conflict. The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018

    2018 Toronto International Film Festival Discovery Program

    aKasha hajooj kuka | Sudan/South Africa/Qatar/Germany North American Premiere ANIARA Pella Kågerman, Hugo Lilja | Sweden World Premiere Blind Spot (Blindsone) Tuva Novotny | Norway International Premiere The Chambermaid (La Camarista) Lila Avilés | Mexico World Premiere Complicity (Kazenoki Wa Koto No Youni) Kei Chikaura | Japan/China World Premiere Consequences (Posledice) Darko Štante | Slovenia/Austria World Premiere Discovery Opening Film The Crossing (Guo Chun Tian) Bai Xue | China World Premiere The Day I Lost My Shadow (Yom Adaatou Zouli) Soudade Kaadan | Syria/France/Qatar/Lebanon North American Premiere The Dig Andy Tohill, Ryan Tohill | United Kingdom North American Premiere An Elephant Sitting Still (Da Xiang Xi Di Er Zuo) Hu Bo | China Canadian Premiere Emu Runner Imogen Thomas | Australia World Premiere ENDZEIT – EVER AFTER (ENDZEIT) Carolina Hellsgård | Germany World Premiere The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste García (El Viaje Extraordinario de Celeste García) Arturo Infante | Cuba/Germany World Premiere Farming Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje | United Kingdom World Premiere Fig Tree Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian | Israel/Germany/France/Ethiopia World Premiere Float Like a Butterfly Carmel Winters | Ireland World Premiere Girl Lukas Dhont | Belgium Canadian Premiere Gwen William McGregor | United Kingdom World Premiere Helmet Heads (Cascos Indomables) Neto Villalobos | Costa Rica/Chile World Premiere Her Job Nikos Labôt | Greece/France/Serbia World Premiere Icebox Daniel Sawka | USA World Premiere Jirga Benjamin Gilmour | Australia North American Premiere Light as Feathers Rosanne Pel | Netherlands World Premiere Lionheart Genevieve Nnaji | Nigeria World Premiere The Load (Teret) Ognjen Glavonic | Serbia/France/Croatia/Iran/Qatar North American Premiere Manta Ray (Kraben Rahu) Phuttiphong Aroonpheng | Thailand/France/China North American Premiere The Mercy of the Jungle Joël Karekezi | Belgium/France/Germany North American Premiere Orange Days (Rooz-haye Narenji) Arash Lahooti | Iran World Premiere Our Body (A-wol Ba-di) Han Ka-ram | South Korea World Premiere Parade (Aglumi) Nino Zhvania | Georgia/Russia World Premiere Phoenix (Føniks) Camilla Strøm Henriksen | Norway/Sweden World Premiere Rafiki Wanuri Kahiu | Kenya/South Africa/France/Lebanon/Norway/Netherlands/Germany/USA North American Premiere Saf Ali Vatansever | Turkey/Germany/Romania World Premiere Discovery Closing Film Screwdriver (Mafak) Bassam Jarbawi | Palestine/USA/Qatar North American Premiere Summer Survivors Marija Kavtaradze | Lithuania World Premiere Tel Aviv on Fire Sameh Zoabi | Luxembourg/France/Israel/Belgium North American Premiere The Third Wife Ash Mayfair | Vietnam World Premiere Tito and the Birds (Tito e os Pássaros) Gustavo Steinberg, Gabriel Bitar, André Catoto | Brazil North American Premiere Too Late to Die Young (Tarde para morir joven) Dominga Sotomayor | Chile/Brazil/Argentina/Netherlands/Qatar North American Premiere Touch Me Not Adina Pintilie | Romania/Germany/Czech Republic/Bulgaria/France North American Premiere Twin Flower (Fiore Gemello) Laura Luchetti | Italy World Premiere Woman at War (Kona fer í stríð) Benedikt Erlingsson | Iceland/France/Ukraine North American Premiere Previously announced Canadian titles in the Discovery programme include Akash Sherman’s Clara , Gwaai Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown’s Edge of the Knife, Jasmin Mozaffari’s Firecrackers, and Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein’s Freaks.

    TIFF DOCS

    Reason (Vivek) Anand Patwardhan | India World Premiere

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  • 2018 LA Film Festival Unveils Diverse Competition Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_31196" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Banana Split[/caption] The 2018 LA Film Festival taking place September 20 to 28, 2018. unveiled a diverse slate of 40 feature films, 41 short films, and 10 short episodic works in the U.S. Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, LA Muse and Nightfall sections. Across the competition categories 42% of the films are directed by women and 39% are directed by people of color. “Our mission of finding fresh new voices from different geographical and cultural axes remains true,” said LA Film Festival Director Jennifer Cochis. “These storytellers are united by their ability to transport, impact and inspire audiences with the power of their craft.” Venues for the 2018 Festival include the ArcLight Cinemas in Culver City, Hollywood and Santa Monica, as well as the new LMU Playa Vista Campus (opening this fall), the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and the Writers Guild Theater.

    U.S. Fiction Competition

    Banana Split – USA (DIRECTOR Benjamin Francis Kasulke WRITERS Hannah Marks, Joey Power PRODUCERS Jeremy Garelick, Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon, Will Phelps, Glen Trotiner, Sam Slater CAST Hannah Marks, Dylan Sprouse, Liana Liberato, Luke Spencer Roberts, Haley Ramm, Meagan Kimberly Smith) – Over the course of a summer, two teenage girls develop the perfect kindred spirit friendship, with one big problem: one of them is dating the other’s ex. World Premiere In Reality – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Ann Lupo CO-DIRECTOR/CO-WRITER Esteban Pedraza & Aaron Pryka PRODUCERS Ann Lupo, Nadine Martinez, Holly Meehl CAST Ann Lupo, Miles G. Jackson, Kimiko Glenn, Jill Eikenberry, Olivia Washington, Esteban Pedraza, Lauren E. Banks) – A young woman takes a journey through her own fantastic mind as she investigates her relationship to unrequited love. LA Premiere Olympia – USA (DIRECTOR Gregory Dixon WRITER McKenzie Chinn PRODUCERS Gregory Dixon, McKenzie Chinn, Elliott Lonsdale, Lucy Lola Manda, Sarah Sharp CAST McKenzie Chinn, Charles Gardner, Ericka Ratcliff, LaNisa Renee Frederick, Penelope Walker, Sadieh Rifai) – A struggling Chicago artist finds herself at a crossroads in life, overwhelmed by changes and needing to make a critical decision in her relationship. World Premiere Simple Wedding – USA (DIRECTOR Sara Zandieh WRITERS Sara Zandieh, Stephanie Wu PRODUCERS Ray Moheet, Norman Aladjem, Sara Zandieh CAST Tara Grammy, Christopher O’Shea, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Rita Wilson, Maz Jobrani, Houshang Touzie, Jaleh Modjallal, Peter Mackenzie, James Eckhouse, Rebecca Henderson, Aleque Reid) – A romantic comedy about a young Iranian-American woman and the lengths she goes to in order to appease her parents and their need to see her settled down. World Premiere Softness of Bodies – USA/Germany (DIRECTOR/WRITER Jordan Blady PRODUCERS Jordan Blady, Catherine Morawitz CAST Dasha Nekrasova, Morgan Krantz) – An American poet living in Berlin hopes to win a prestigious grant while dealing with her former relationships, a rival poet and her own penchant for stealing things. World Premiere This Teacher – USA (DIRECTOR Mark Jackson WRITERS Mark Jackson, Dana Thompson PRODUCERS Mark Jackson, Dana Thompson, Gigi Graff, Josh Mandel, Javier Gonzalez CAST Hafsia Herzi, Sarah Kazemy, Lucy Walters, Kevin Kane, Lev Gorn) – A young Arab-French woman on an introspective journey visits her childhood friend in New York City before heading to the woods upstate. World Premiere The Wrong Todd – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Rob Schulbaum PRODUCERS Ric Murray, Anthony Ambrosino CAST Jesse Rosen, Anna Rizzo, Sean Carmichael, Derek K. Moore, Erin Rose) – A sci-fi comedy about a man who gets caught up in extraordinary events, and the bizarre lengths he goes through to get back to his reality. World Premiere

    Documentary Competition

    Behind the Curve – USA (DIRECTOR Daniel J. Clark PRODUCERS Caroline Clark, Nick Andert, Daniel J. Clark) – The internet breathed new life into an old conspiracy theory: that the earth is flat instead of spherical. America’s flat-Earth movement appears to be growing, in spite of its detractors in the scientific community. US Premiere Facing the Dragon – USA/Afghanistan (DIRECTOR Sedika Mojadidi PRODUCER Jenny Raskin) – After international withdrawal from Afghanistan, two remarkable Afghan women working within the government and media struggle to maintain their hard-won rights while balancing what’s best for their families. World Premiere False Confessions – Denmark (DIRECTOR Katrine Philp PRODUCER Katrine A. Sahlstrøm) – “Would you confess to a crime you did not commit?” A defense attorney fights against the complex and manipulative tactics of US police interrogations, focusing on victims of coerced confessions as she helps exonerate her incarcerated clients. North American Premiere hillbilly – USA (DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS Sally Rubin, Ashley York SUBJECTS bell hooks, Billy Reddon, Ronny Cox, Frank X Walker, Crystal Good, Silas House) – Two filmmakers visit rural Kentucky, one returning home to Appalachia, to unpack the stereotype of “hillbilly” and explore the personal and painful experiences fueling our polarizing political climate. LA Premiere Mamacita – Germany/Mexico (DIRECTOR José Pablo Estrada Torrescano PRODUCERS José Pablo Estrada Torrescano, Arne Birkenstock) – A filmmaker fulfills his promise to make a film about his 95-year-old grandmother, showcasing her big personality and along the way uncovering the source of deep familial wounds. US Premiere Moroni for President – USA (DIRECTORS Saila Huusko, Jasper Rischen PRODUCERS Saila Huusko, Jasper Rischen, Sara Goldblatt) – Determined to shake up the status quo and bring positive change to his people, a young, gay college professor begins a grass-roots campaign to become the next President of the Navajo Nation. LA Premiere Same God – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER Linda Midgett) – It started out simply: a demonstration of solidarity. What followed? Life-changing events violating university and ethical codes and a public attack on a tenured professor’s ideals, faith, racial and religious identity. World Premiere The Silence of Others – Spain (DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS Almudena Carracedo, Robert Bahar) – In a country with streets that still bear his name, a group of resolute Spanish citizens seek justice for crimes committed during the brutal dictatorship of Francisco Franco by organizing a groundbreaking international lawsuit. West Coast Premiere Stammering Ballad – China (DIRECTOR/WRITER Nan Zhang PRODUCERS Ruby Chen, Yong Zhang, Sinae Ha) – The visual and musical journey of a Chinese folk musician torn between his desire for fame and his love for singing rural folk songs that are on the verge of being lost. North American Premiere Wrestling Ghosts — USA (DIRECTOR Ana Joanes PRODUCERS Ana Joanes, Toni Nagy) — Unable to understand why parenting seems like a constant uphill battle, an emotionally exhausted mother who can’t connect with her two young sons courageously confronts the events of her own traumatic childhood. World Premiere

    World Fiction Competition

    Border – Sweden (DIRECTOR Ali Abbasi WRITERS Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf, John Ajvide Lindqvist PRODUCERS Nina Bisgaard, Peter Gustafsson, Petra Jönsson CAST Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff, Jörgen Thorsson) – Despite having the remarkable gift of being able to smell emotions, a border agent leads a mundane existence until she meets a stranger who shares her unique abilities and upends her life. California Premiere The Cotton Wool War – Brazil (DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCERS Cláudio Marques, Marilia Hughes CAST Dora Goritzki, Thaia Perez, Thaila Lima) – Dora is a German-raised teenager visiting her enigmatic Brazilian grandmother for the first time. While trying to return to Germany at all costs, she discovers the incredible history behind the women of her family. US Premiere The Day I Lost My Shadow – France/Lebanon/Qatar/Syrian Arab Republic (DIRECTOR/WRITER Soudade Kaadan PRODUCER Amira Kaadan CAST Sawsan Arshid, Reham Al Kasar, Samer Ismail, Ahmad Ali) – In the midst of a gas crisis during the early days of the Syrian Arab Spring, a young mother takes the day off work and strays far from home with only one objective in mind: finding a working cylinder so that she may cook a meal for her son. US Premiere Heaven Without People – Lebanon (DIRECTOR/WRITER Lucien Bourjeily PRODUCERS Lucien Bourjeily, Farah Shaer CAST Ghassan Chemali, Hussein Hijazi, Jean Paul Hage, Jenny Gebara, Laeticia Semaan, Nadim Abou Samra, Samira Sarkis) – When a large family comes together for the first time in two years over Easter lunch, tensions bubble to the surface in surprising ways as they navigate an unforeseen conflict that threatens to derail their reunion. LA Premiere Microhabitat – South Korea (DIRECTOR/WRITER Jeon Go-Woon PRODUCER Kim Soon-Mo CAST Som Lee, Jae-hong Ahn) – An increase in the price of cigarettes destabilizes the economy of Miso, a young housekeeper who prefers to stop paying the rent rather than give up on the little pleasures of life. While she enjoys her smokes, Miso starts a couch-surfing journey that reconnects her with family and friends. West Coast Premiere Socrates – Brazil (DIRECTOR Alex Moratto WRITERS Alex Moratto, Thayná Mantesso PRODUCERS Tammy Weiss, Ramin Bahrani, Alex Moratto, Jefferson Paulino CAST Christian Malheiros, Tales Ordakji, Rosane Paulo, Caio Martinez Pacheco, Jayme Rodrigues) – A 15-year-old boy in São Paulo is forced to live on his own after his mother’s death. The search for a job, and dealing with his own sexual awakening, proves to be a lot to handle. World Premiere Tower. A Bright Day. – Poland/Czech Republic (DIRECTOR/WRITER Jagoda Szelc PRODUCERS Marcin Malatyński, Agata Golanska, Agnieszka Janowska, Kacper Habisiak, Andrzej Jędrzejewski, Maciej Ostoja-Chyżyński, Rafał Bubnicki CAST Anna Krotoska, Małgorzata Szczerbowska, Rafał Cieluch, Dorota Łukasiewicz-Kwietniewska, Laila Hennessy) – A protective mother has taken care of her young niece for years, raising her in the countryside as her own daughter. Her sister’s sudden return triggers a sense that she may be back to reclaim her offspring or to implement even more ominous plans. LA Premiere

    Nightfall

    The Dead Center – USA (DIRECTOR Billy Senese WRITER Billy Senese PRODUCERS Billy Senese, Denis Deck, Jonathan Rogers, Shane Carruth CAST Shane Carruth, Poorna Jagannathan, Jeremy Childs, Bill Feehely) – When a mysterious John Doe wakes up in a morgue and wanders into a psychiatric ward, a devoted doctor and curious medical examiner must slowly uncover dark and sinister secrets about the man that reveal a more horrifying truth than they could have ever imagined. World Premiere Deep Murder – USA (DIRECTOR Nick Corirossi WRITERS Josh Margolin, Quinn Beswick, Benjamin Smolen, Nikolai von Keller PRODUCERS Eric B. Fleischman, Andrew Swett, Drew Foster, Jesse Berger, Brent Johnson, Pat McErlean CAST Quinn Beswick, Katie Aselton, Christopher McDonald, Jerry O’Connell, Jessica Kennedy, Chris Redd, Stephanie Drake, Josh Margolin) – Set in an alternate reality in which everyone is a cliché from a tacky soft-core porn film, a group of increasingly self-aware stock characters are up against a mysterious killer offing them one by one. World Premiere Ghost Light – USA (DIRECTOR John Stimpson WRITERS/PRODUCERS Geoffrey Taylor, John Stimpson CAST Roger Bart, Tom Riley, Shannyn Sossamon, Danielle Campbell, Carol Kane, Cary Elwes) – The story of an unfortunate Shakespearean acting troupe that unleashes the infamous curse of Macbeth with horrifying results. World Premiere Head Count – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Elizabeth Callahan PRODUCERS Samuel Sandweiss, Brandon Somerhalder CAST Isaac W. Jay, Ashleigh Morghan, Bevin Bru, Billy Meade, Hunter Peterson, Chelcie May, Tory Freeth, Michael Herman, Amaka Obiechie, Sam Marra, Cooper Rowe) – During a weekend getaway to Joshua Tree, a group of teenagers find themselves under mental and physical assault from a supernatural entity that mimics their appearances as it completes an ancient ritual. World Premiere Spell – USA (DIRECTOR Brendan Walter WRITER Barak Hardley PRODUCERS Brendan Walter, Jon Lullo, Barak Hardley, Katy Stoll, Eleanor Wilson CAST Barak Hardley, Jackie Tohn, Magnús Jónsson, Birna Rún Eiriksdóttir, Tom Wright, Stacey Moseley, Michael Nanfria, Michole Briana White, Bryndís Haraldsdóttir) – Following the unexpected death of his fiancé, an American illustrator travels to the Icelandic countryside to seek solace. What he finds instead is a blurred line between reality and fantasy as magical things begin to shake his very foundation—unless it’s all in his head. World Premiere Thriller – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Dallas Jackson PRODUCERS Greg Gilreath, Adam Hendricks, John Lang, Dallas Jackson CAST Mykelti Williamson, RZA, Jessica Allain, Luke Tennie, Tequan Richmond, Paige Hurd, Chelsea Rendon, Mitchell Edwards, Pepi Sonuga, Jason Woods, Maestro Harrell, Michael Ocampo)– Years after a childhood prank goes horribly wrong, a clique of South Central LA teens find themselves terrorized during Homecoming weekend by a killer hell-bent on revenge. World Premiere

    LA Muse

    The Advocates – USA (DIRECTOR Rémi Kessler PRODUCERS Rémi Kessler, Robert McFalls) – A sweeping look at the homeless crisis in Los Angeles and an intimate view of the tireless advocates who strive to create better lives for their clients. World Premiere El Chicano – USA (DIRECTOR Ben Hernandez Bray WRITERS Ben Hernandez Bray, Joe Carnahan PRODUCERS Joe Carnahan, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Frank Grillo CAST Raúl Castillo, George Lopez, Aimee Garcia, Emilio Rivera, David Castañeda, Marlene Forte, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Sal Lopez) – A cop is drawn into his ex-con brother’s death while investigating the crime-fighting exploits of a mysterious vigilante known as “El Chicano.” World Premiere Fire on the Hill – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Brett Fallentine PRODUCERS Brett Fallentine, Jordana Glick-Franzheim) – Three Black cowboys in South Central share their stories following a mysterious fire that burnt down the community’s stables, leaving the fate of the culture in question. World Premiere Funke – (DIRECTOR Gabriel Taraboulsy PRODUCERS Gabriel Taraboulsy, Alex Emanuele, Jay Holzer, Cecile Murias) – A prodigious chef mounts his culinary comeback, eyeing the most competitive street in America as a stage for his ode to the dying art of handmade pasta. World Premiere Making Montgomery Clift – (DIRECTORS/WRITERS/PRODUCERS Robert A. Clift, Hillary Demmon) – Classic film star Montgomery Clift’s legacy has been a story of tragedy and self-destruction, but a more complicated picture emerges when his nephew dives into the family archives. World Premiere Saint Judy – USA (DIRECTOR Sean Hanish WRITER Dmitry Portnoy PRODUCERS Sean Hanish, Paul Jaconi-Biery CAST Michelle Monaghan, Leem Lubany, Common, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Mykelti Williamson) – The true story of LA immigration attorney Judy Wood, who single-handedly changed the United States Law of Asylum, saving countless lives in the process. World Premiere Solace – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Tchaiko Omawale PRODUCERS Tchaiko Omawale, Maya Emelle, Hope Olaide Wilson, Sabine Hoffman, Sascha Brown Rice CAST Hope Olaide Wilson, Lynn Whitfield, Chelsea Tavares, Glynn Turman, Luke Rampersad, Sydney Bennett) – A teenage orphan moves to LA to live with her estranged grandmother and works to win a performance art grant while secretly struggling with binge eating. California Premiere Staycation – USA (DIRECTOR Tanuj Chopra WRITERS Tanuj Chopra, Anthony Ma, Grace Su PRODUCER Lalithra Fernando CAST Anthony Ma, Grace Su) – A modern millennial codependent couple in DTLA have their relationship thrown for a loop when he discovers a photo from an ex on her phone. World Premiere Stuntman – USA (DIRECTOR Kurt Mattila PRODUCERS Steven Golebiowski, Kurt Mattila, Eddie Braun CAST Eddie Braun, Gary Davis, Conrad E. Palmisano, Buddy Joe Hooker, Scott Truax) – A veteran stuntman sets out to complete the jump that bested his idol Evel Knievel: clearing the Snake River Canyon in a rocket-powered craft. World Premiere We the Coyotes – USA (DIRECTORS/WRITERS Hanna Ladoul, Marco La Via PRODUCERS Raphael Gindre, Kevin Van Der Meiren, Julius Schultheib CAST Morgan Saylor, McCaul Lombardi, Betsy Brandt, Khleo Thomas, Lorelei Linklater) – A young couple moves to LA from the Midwest to start a new life together, but things don’t go exactly as planned. North American Premiere

    Shorts (41)

    Agua Viva – USA (DIRECTOR Alexa Lim Haas) – A Chinese manicurist in Miami attempts to describe feelings she doesn’t have the words for. Audition – USA (DIRECTOR Richard Van) – Unable to find a sitter, an aspiring actress has no choice but to drag her three-year-old son to her audition. Beastly Things – USA (DIRECTOR Zev Chevat) – A young artist encounters a vicious group of local schoolchildren and learns what beastly behavior truly means. Black 14 – USA (DIRECTOR Darius Clark Monroe) – An archival social study examining the media coverage of a 1969 racial protest at the University of Wyoming. Burn Bridge – USA/England (DIRECTOR Rhys Jones) – Hopelessly infatuated with his clueless best friend, an adolescent boy in North Yorkshire explores his sexuality and acts out with destructive behavior. Caroline – USA (DIRECTORS Celine Held, Logan George) – A precocious six-year-old is faced with a big responsibility on a hot Texas day. Cheer Up, Baby – USA (DIRECTOR Adinah Dancyger) – A young woman who has been sexually assaulted by a stranger on the subway is rendered with psychological menace and sensory dislocation in this elliptical tale. Counterfeit Kunkoo – India (DIRECTOR Reema Sengupta) – In a city that houses millions, Smita fights a stubborn cultural bias while trying to rent a house in middle-class Mumbai. Coyote – Switzerland (DIRECTOR Lorenz Wunderle) – After wolves attack his family, a coyote goes on a vision quest of revenge. Cross My Heart – Jamaica/USA (DIRECTOR Sontenish Myers) – An American teenage girl visits her family in Jamaica and uncovers a secret that changes the way she sees the people she loves. Delay – Iran/Italy (DIRECTOR Ali Asgari) – A man and his two children miss their flight and while waiting for the next flight, undergo a transformative moment. The Earth is Humming – USA (DIRECTOR Garrett Bradley) – In Japan earthquake preparedness is a way of life, and a full-blown industry. Falling – France (DIRECTOR Benjamin Vu) – In 1994 France, a clever, gay, much-bullied young esthete and his naïve, athletic classmate develop an unexpected intimacy when they’re paired up for a high school presentation. Hair Wolf – USA (DIRECTOR Mariama Diallo) – In a black hair salon in gentrifying Brooklyn, the residents fend off a strange new horror: white women sucking the lifeblood from black culture. Hierophany – USA (DIRECTOR Kevin Contento) – A Florida boy comes in contact with the sacred while living in the margins of the South. Intercourse – Sweden (DIRECTOR Jonatan Etzan) – A passing joke between a couple blurs the lines and brings them to terms with how it has changed their relationship. Jeom – USA (DIRECTOR Kangmin Kim) – A father and son, who share the same big birthmark on their butt wage war against this genetic blemish. Kevlar – Sweden (DIRECTOR Tuna Özer) – A young man from the projects outside of Stockholm borrows his friend’s jacket to impress a hip city girl and winds up at a party in a strange land. Ladders – USA (DIRECTOR Andrew Stephen Lee) – The bright future facing a smart, ambitious Dominican teen becomes clouded with doubt following a pointed interaction at a fundraising gala. Libre – USA (DIRECTOR Anna Barsan) – Undocumented immigrants forced to spend months in detention turn to private companies to secure their release on bond in this gripping documentary. Lotus – Iran (DIRECTOR Mohammadreza Vatandoust) – After a controlled flood an old woman is left to gaze from her window at the island she’s forbidden to visit, longing for the object of her affection. Mud – USA (DIRECTOR Shaandiin Tome) – On her last day of life, a woman faces the inescapable remnants of alcoholism, family and culture. Nevada – USA (DIRECTOR Emily Ann Hoffman) – A young couple’s romantic weekend getaway is interrupted by a birth control mishap in this stop-motion animated comedy. One Leg In, One Leg Out – Canada (DIRECTOR Lisa Rideout) – A lively, strong-willed sex worker struggles to move from the streets and into a career as a social worker, hoping to help fellow trans sex workers find acceptance. The Passage – USA (DIRECTOR Kitao Sakurai) – Fleeing a pair of mysterious agents sends a dim-witted mute on a series of absurd misadventures. Room 140 – USA (DIRECTOR Priscilla Gonzalez Sainz) – Immigrants just released from detention centers spend their first night in Oakland at a motel paid for by a local pastor. Roya – USA (DIRECTOR Shaina Pakravan) – On the night of a relative’s engagement party, an image conscious Iranian-American mother clashes with her free-spirited teenage daughter. Scratch – Spain (DIRECTOR David Valero) – A young DJ with a cognitive disability has trouble understanding the violent word around him; his actions subvert societal concepts of perpetrator and victim, apology and forgiveness. Shadow Animals – Sweden (DIRECTOR Jerry Carlsson) – A young girl follows her parents to a party where the adults’ behavior becomes increasingly strange. The Shift – USA (DIRECTOR Elivia Genny Shaw) – For San Francisco’s 911 dispatchers, the city is hard to escape. Sin Cielo – USA (DIRECTOR Jianna Maarten) – Two teenagers pursue young love in the borderlands where life under cartel violence may be inescapable. Skip Day – USA (DIRECTORS Ivete Lucas, Patrick Bresnan) – With graduation approaching, a group of high school seniors take a day at the beach to revel in the joys of being young in an increasingly unsteady world. Swedi – Sweden (DIRECTOR Sosi Chamoun) – A woman in a grocery store contends with a clerk who won’t leave her alone in this one-take shot. This Magnificent Cake! – Belgium/France/Netherlands (DIRECTORS Emma De Swaef, Marc James Roels) – Set in colonial Africa in the late 19th century, this breathtaking stop-motion epic examines colonialism through five different stories. This, My Favorite Mural – USA (DIRECTOR Michael Arcos) – The Latinx immigrant experience in Louisiana is explored through the eyes of a German woman who becomes obsessed with finding the artist who painted a tire shop mural. The Things You Think I’m Thinking – Canada (DIRECTOR Sherren Lee) – On his first date since a devastating accident, a burn victim throws himself back into the world of relationships and the fear of allowing love back into his life. True Love in Pueblo Textil – USA (DIRECTOR Horatio Baltz) – A young girl living in the Cuban countryside describes how it feels to be stricken with the world’s oldest infliction: love. War Paint – USA (DIRECTOR Katrelle Kindred) – For a bright South LA teen, what should be a happy 4th of July weekend becomes an unexpected lesson in the stark realities of power and racism. Weekends – USA (DIRECTOR Trevor Jimenez) – A young boy shuffles between the homes of his recently divorced parents in this surreal hand-animated film set in 1980s Toronto. While I Yet Live – USA (DIRECTOR Maris Curran) – African-American quilters from Alabama talk about love, religion and the fight for civil rights as they continue the tradition of quilting that originally brought them together. Wild Wild West: A Beautiful Rant By Mark Bradford – USA (DIRECTOR Dime Davis) – The origin of artists is explored through paper, percussion and one provocative creative.

    Episodes: Indie Series from the Web

    Avant-Guardians, dir. Clarence Williams II, USA Flatbush Misdemeanors, dirs. Dan Perlman, Kevin Iso, USA Fresh, dir. Grant Scicluna, Australia Kiki and Kitty, dir. Catriona Mackenzie, Australia Otis, dir. Alexander Etseyatse, USA Petal & Paint, dir. Bradley Smith, USA Psusy, dirs. Duckworth, Jaya Beach-Robertson, New Zealand Revenge Tour, dir. Andrew Carter, USA Robits, dir. Christopher Parks, USA Tracy Buckles, dir. Robin Nystrom, USA

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