THE LEISURE SEEKER

Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland star in this unforgettable tale of love and memory in an America on the brink of an uncertain new course.

Directed by Paolo Virzì

Starring Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland, Christian McKay, Janel Moloney, Dana Ivey

Genre(s) Foreign Film

Actor Donald Sutherland to Receive Zurich Film Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Actor Donald Sutherland, a veteran of the silver screen, with credits spanning six decades will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 Zurich Film Festival. Sutherland will also personally present his recent film ELLA & JOHN: THE LEISURE SEEKER, Paolo Virzì’s English language debut, in which Sutherland stars with Helen Mirren. The film is presented within the Festival’s retrospective of Sutherland’s work, which includes the following titles: THE DIRTY DOZEN, Robert Aldrich (1967) KELLY’S HEROES, Brian G. Hutton (1970) START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME, Bud Yorkin (1970) MAS*H, Robert Altman (1970) KLUTE, Alan Pakula (1971) DON’T LOOK NOW, Nicolas Roeg (1973) FELLINI’S CASANOVA, Federico Fellini (1976) 1900, Bernardo Bertolucci (1976) INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, Philip Kaufman (1978) ORDINARY PEOPLE, Robert Redford (1980) ELLA & JOHN: THE LEISURE SEEKER, Paolo Virzì (2017) The Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the Festival’s most esteemed and is awarded across a range of fields within international filmmaking. Sutherland will receive his award on September 30, 2018. ZFF Co-Directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Donald Sutherland to Zurich and to present him with our Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Festival. Sutherland is an icon of, not just Hollywood but also international cinema, bringing his extraordinary presence to countless iconic roles over a truly formidable career. Sutherland’s body of work includes films that are broadly considered as classics, and re-defining, so we are extra pleased to be able to present this retrospective, including some of his best loved roles.” Donald Sutherland is one of the most respected, prolific and versatile of actors, with a resume of well over one hundred and fifty films, including such classics as Robert Aldrich’s THE DIRTY DOZEN; Robert Altman’s MAS*H; John Schlesinger’s THE DAY OF THE LOCUST; Robert Redford’s ORDINARY PEOPLE; Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900; Philip Kaufman’s INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS; Nicolas Roeg’s DON’T LOOK NOW with Julie Christie; Alan Pakula’s KLUTE with Jane Fonda; Federico Fellini’s FELLINI’S CASANOVA and in Brian Hutton’s KELLY’S HEROES with Clint Eastwood, who later directed him in SPACE COWBOYS. Sutherland stars as J. Paul Getty in director Danny Boyle’s current series TRUST. THE LEISURE SEEKER had its world premiere at the 2017 Venice Film Festival. He will next be seen on film in AD ASTRA, co-starring with Brad Pitt for director James Gray. Sutherland was producer, screenwriter and star, voicing the lead character, of PIRATE’S PASSAGE, an animated movie based on William Gilkerson’s acclaimed novel, which won the 2016 international Kidscreen Award for Best Special or TV Movie. Sutherland was President Snow in the THE HUNGER GAMES series. He has appeared as Nicole Kidman’s father in Anthony Minghella’s COLD MOUNTAIN; as Charlize Theron’s father in F. Gary Gray’s THE ITALIAN JOB and as Mr. Bennett, Keira Knightley’s father, in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. For the latter he received a Chicago Film Critics nomination. He starred in FORSAKEN, a period Canadian Western, which premiered at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival. His extensive film credits include Paul Mazursky’s ALEX IN WONDERLAND; Dalton Trumbo’s JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN; Bud Yorkin’s START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME; John Sturges’ THE EAGLE HAS LANDED; Herbert Ross’ MAX DUGAN RETURNS; Louis Malle’s CRACKERS; Phillip Borsos’ BETHUNE; Oliver Stone’s JFK; Ron Howard’s BACKDRAFT; Richard Marquand’s EYE OF THE NEEDLE; Euzhan Palcy’s A DRY WHITE SEASON with Marlon Brando; Richard Pearce’s THRESHOLD, for which he won the 1983 Genie Award as Best Actor; Fred Schepisi’s film adaptation of John Guare’s SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION; Robert Towne’s WITHOUT LIMITS; and a memorable cameo in John Landis’ National LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE. He has starred as a voice in the animated feature ASTRO BOY; in Andy Tennant’s FOOL’S GOLD Gold; in Griffin Dunne’s FIERCE PEOPLE with Diane Lane; in Robert Towne’s ASK THE DUST with Salma Hayek and Colin Farrell; in AMERICAN GUN with Forrest Whitaker; in AN AMERICAN HAUNTING with Sissy Spacek; in LAND OF THE BLIND with Ralph Fiennes; in AURORA BOREALIS with Louise Fletcher and Juliette Lewis; in THE EAGLE, opposite Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell for director Kevin Macdonald; in Simon West’s THE MECHANIC with Jason Statham and Ben Foster; in Seth Gordon’s HORRIBLE BOSSES with Colin Farrell; in Mary McGuckian’s MAN ON THE TRAIN; children’s book adaptation, MILTON’S SECRET; and YA novel adaptation, MEASURE OF A MAN. Donald Sutherland, who is Canadian born, was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 1978 and a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres in France in 1983. In 2012, he was awarded the highest French honor, the Officier des Arts et Lettres.
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“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” “Get Out” and “Darkest Hour” Win Top Awards At Capri, Hollywood International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_23572" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MissouriThree Billboards Outside Ebbing,[/caption] Get Out won the top prize for best picture at the Capri, Hollywood International Film Festival. Indie favorite Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was also a big winner bagging three awards including best actress for Frances McDormand, best supporting actor for Sam Rockwell and best original screenplay for Martin McDonagh. Darkest Hour also won three awards including best film editing, best original score, and best makeup and hairstyling. Best foreign film went to Samuel Maoz’s Foxtrot and Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives won the prize for best documentary film.
2017 Capri, Hollywood International Film Festival Awards
Best Picture – Get Out Best Director – Christopher Nolan – Dunkirk Best Actor – James Franco – The Disaster Artist Best Actress – Frances McDormand – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Supporting Actor – Sam Rockwell – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Supporting Actress – Melissa Leo – Novitiate Best Adapted Screenplay – The Disaster Artist Best Original Screenplay – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Best Animated Movie – Coco Best Documentary Feature – Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives Best Foreign Language Film – Foxtrot (Israel) Best Cinematography – Hostiles Best Film Editing – Darkest Hour Best Make-up and Hairstyling – Darkest Hour Best Production Design – Blade Runner 2049 Best Original Song – “Remember Me” – Coco Best Original Score – Darkest Hour Best Sound Editing / Best Sound Mixing – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Best Visual Effects – War for the Planet of the Apes Best Ensemble Cast – The Leisure Seeker Career Achievement Award – James Ivory
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141 Scores in Contention for Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards

[caption id="attachment_23776" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] BATTLE OF THE SEXES[/caption] 141 scores from eligible feature-length films released in 2017 have qualified to be nominated in the Original Score category for the 90th Academy Awards. To be eligible, the original score must be a substantial body of music that serves as original dramatic underscoring, and must be written specifically for the motion picture by the submitting composer. Scores diluted by the use of preexisting music, diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs or any music not composed specifically for the film by the submitting composer, or assembled from the music of more than one composer shall not be eligible. Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title: “Alien: Covenant,” Jed Kurzel, composer “All I See Is You,” Marc Streitenfeld, composer “All the Money in the World,” Daniel Pemberton, composer “Annabelle: Creation,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer “Band Aid,” Lucius, composer “Battle of the Sexes,” Nicholas Britell, composer “Baywatch,” Christopher Lennertz, composer “Beauty and the Beast,” Alan Menken, composer “The Big Sick,” Michael Andrews, composer “Blade Runner 2049,” Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer, composers “The Book of Henry,” Michael Giacchino, composer “Born in China,” Barnaby Taylor, composer “The Boss Baby,” Hans Zimmer and Steve Mazzaro, composers “Boston,” Jeff Beal, composer “Brad’s Status,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer “Brawl in Cell Block 99,” Jeff Herriott and S. Craig Zahler, composers “The Breadwinner,” Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna, composers “Breathe,” Nitin Sawhney, composer “Brigsby Bear,” David Wingo, composer “Brimstone & Glory,” Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin, composers “Captain Underpants The First Epic Movie,” Theodore Shapiro, composer “Cars 3,” Randy Newman, composer “The Circle,” Danny Elfman, composer “Coco,” Michael Giacchino, composer “Cries from Syria,” Martin Tillman, composer “A Cure for Wellness,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer “Darkest Hour,” Dario Marianelli, composer “Despicable Me 3,” Heitor Pereira, composer “The Disaster Artist,” Dave Porter, composer “A Dog’s Purpose,” Rachel Portman, composer “Downsizing,” Rolfe Kent, composer “Drawing Home,” Ben Holiday, composer “Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer, composer “Earth: One Amazing Day,” Alex Heffes, composer “A Fantastic Woman,” Matthew Herbert, composer “The Fate of the Furious,” Brian Tyler, composer “Father Figures,” Rob Simonsen, composer “Ferdinand,” John Powell, composer “Fifty Shades Darker,” Danny Elfman, composer “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool,” J. Ralph, composer “First They Killed My Father,” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers “Get Out,” Michael Abels, composer “A Ghost Story,” Daniel Hart, composer “Gifted,” Rob Simonsen, composer “The Glass Castle,” Joel P. West, composer “Going in Style,” Rob Simonsen, composer “Good Time,” Daniel Lopatin, composer “Goodbye Christopher Robin,” Carter Burwell, composer “Gook,” Roger Suen, composer “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Tyler Bates, composer “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” Atli Ӧrvarsson, composer “Hostiles,” Max Richter, composer “Human Flow,” Karsten Fundal, composer “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” Jeff Beal, composer “It,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer “Jane,” Philip Glass, composer “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” Henry Jackman, composer “Justice League,” Danny Elfman, composer “Kepler’s Dream,” Patrick Neil Doyle, composer “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,” Daniel Pemberton, composer “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson, composers “Kong: Skull Island,” Henry Jackman, composer “LA 92,” Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans, composers “LBJ,” Marc Shaiman, composer “Lady Bird,” Jon Brion, composer “Lake of Fire,” Qutub-E-Kripa, composer “Last Flag Flying,” Graham Reynolds, composer “The Lego Batman Movie,” Lorne Balfe, composer “The Lego Ninjago Movie,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer “The Leisure Seeker,” Carlo Virzì, composer “Let It Fall,” Mark Isham, composer “Life,” Jon Ekstrand, composer “Logan,” Marco Beltrami, composer “The Lost City of Z,” Christopher Spelman, composer “Loveless,” Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine, composers “Loving Vincent,” Clint Mansell, composer “The Man Who Invented Christmas,” Mychael Danna, composer “Mark Felt – The Man Who Brought Down the White House,” Daniel Pemberton, composer “Marshall,” Marcus Miller, composer “Mary and the Witch’s Flower,” Takatsugu Muramatsu, composer “Maudie,” Michael Timmins, composer “Molly’s Game,” Daniel Pemberton, composer “Moomins and the Winter Wonderland,” Łukasz Targosz, composer “The Mountain between Us,” Ramin Djawadi, composer “Mudbound,” Tamar-kali, composer “The Mummy,” Brian Tyler, composer “Murder on the Orient Express,” Patrick Doyle, composer “My Cousin Rachel,” Rael Jones, composer “Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer,” Jun Miyake, composer “Okja,” Jaeil Jung, composer “Oklahoma City,” David Cieri, composer “The Only Living Boy in New York,” Rob Simonsen, composer “Only the Brave,” Joseph Trapanese, composer “Our Souls at Night,” Elliot Goldenthal, composer “Paris Can Wait,” Laura Karpman, composer “Patti Cake$,” Geremy Jasper and Jason Binnick, composers “Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood, composer “The Pirates of Somalia,” Andrew Feltenstein and John Nau, composers “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” Geoff Zanelli, composer “The Post,” John Williams, composer “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women,” Tom Howe, composer “The Promise,” Gabriel Yared, composer “Pulimurugan,” Gopi Sundar, composer “Raw,” Jim Williams, composer “Roman J. Israel, Esq.,” James Newton Howard, composer “Saban’s Power Rangers,” Brian Tyler, composer “Same Kind of Different as Me,” John Paesano, composer “The Second Coming of Christ,” Navid Hejazi, Ramin Kousha and Silvia Leonetti, composers “Served Like a Girl,” Michael A. Levine, composer “The Shack,” Aaron Zigman, composer “The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat, composer “Slipaway,” Tao Liu, composer “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” Christopher Lennertz, composer “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” Michael Giacchino, composer “Split,” West Dylan Thordson, composer “The Star,” John Paesano, composer “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams, composer “Step,” Laura Karpman and Raphael Saadiq, composers “Stronger,” Michael Brook, composer “Suburbicon,” Alexandre Desplat, composer “Swing Away,” Tao Zervas, composer “Thank You for Your Service,” Thomas Newman, composer “Their Finest,” Rachel Portman, composer “Thelma,” Ola Fløttum, composer “Thor: Ragnarok,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell, composer “Tickling Giants,” Paul Tyan, composer “Tommy’s Honour,” Christian Henson, composer “Trafficked,” David Das, composer “Transformers: The Last Knight,” Steve Jablonsky, composer “XXX: Return of Xander Cage,” Brian Tyler and Robert Lydecker, composers “Victoria & Abdul,” Thomas Newman, composer “Voice from the Stone,” Michael Wandmacher, composer “Wakefield,” Aaron Zigman, composer “War for the Planet of the Apes,” Michael Giacchino, composer “Wilson,” Jon Brion, composer “Wind River,” Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, composers “Wonder,” Marcelo Zarvos, composer “Wonder Woman,” Rupert Gregson-Williams, composer “Wonderstruck,” Carter Burwell, composer “Year by the Sea,” Alexander Janko, composer
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THE SHAPE OF WATER Tops 75th Golden Globe Awards Nominations with 7 Nods | Complete List

[caption id="attachment_25167" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER.[/caption] The Shape of Water leads the nominations for the 75th Golden Globe Awards announced live this morning with 7 nods including Best Motion Picture – Drama, and Best Director for Guillermo Del Toro. Other big winners include Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri with 6 nominations and Lady Bird with 4 nominations. The 75th Annual Golden Globe® Awards will air LIVE coast-to-coast on NBC Sunday, January 7, 2018, from 5-8PM PT/8-11PM ET from the Beverly Hilton Hotel with host Seth Meyers.
75th Golden Globe Awards Nominations
BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA a. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME b. DUNKIRK c. THE POST d. THE SHAPE OF WATER e. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA a. JESSICA CHASTAIN – MOLLY’S GAME b. SALLY HAWKINS – THE SHAPE OF WATER c. FRANCES MCDORMAND – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI d. MERYL STREEP – THE POST e. MICHELLE WILLIAMS – ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA a. TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET – CALL ME BY YOUR NAME b. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – PHANTOM THREAD c. TOM HANKS – THE POST d. GARY OLDMAN – DARKEST HOUR e. DENZEL WASHINGTON – ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY a. THE DISASTER ARTIST b. GET OUT c. THE GREATEST SHOWMAN d. I, TONYA e. LADY BIRD BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY a. JUDI DENCH – VICTORIA & ABDUL b. HELEN MIRREN – THE LEISURE SEEKER c. MARGOT ROBBIE – I, TONYA d. SAOIRSE RONAN – LADY BIRD e. EMMA STONE – BATTLE OF THE SEXES BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY a. STEVE CARELL – BATTLE OF THE SEXES b. ANSEL ELGORT – BABY DRIVER c. JAMES FRANCO – THE DISASTER ARTIST d. HUGH JACKMAN – THE GREATEST SHOWMAN e. DANIEL KALUUYA – GET OUT BEST MOTION PICTURE – ANIMATED a. THE BOSS BABY b. THE BREADWINNER c. COCO d. FERDINAND e. LOVING VINCENT BEST MOTION PICTURE – FOREIGN LANGUAGE a. A FANTASTIC WOMAN (CHILE) b. FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER (CAMBODIA) c. IN THE FADE (GERMANY / FRANCE) d. LOVELESS (RUSSIA) e. THE SQUARE (SWEDEN / GERMANY / FRANCE) BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE a. MARY J. BLIGE – MUDBOUND b. HONG CHAU – DOWNSIZING c. ALLISON JANNEY – I, TONYA d. LAURIE METCALF – LADY BIRD e. OCTAVIA SPENCER – THE SHAPE OF WATER BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE a. WILLEM DAFOE – THE FLORIDA PROJECT b. ARMIE HAMMER – CALL ME BY YOUR NAME c. RICHARD JENKINS – THE SHAPE OF WATER d. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER – ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD e. SAM ROCKWELL – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE a. GUILLERMO DEL TORO – THE SHAPE OF WATER b. MARTIN MCDONAGH – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI c. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN – DUNKIRK d. RIDLEY SCOTT – ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD e. STEVEN SPIELBERG – THE POST BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE a. GUILLERMO DEL TORO, VANESSA TAYLOR – THE SHAPE OF WATER b. GRETA GERWIG – LADY BIRD c. LIZ HANNAH, JOSH SINGER – THE POST d. MARTIN MCDONAGH – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI e. AARON SORKIN – MOLLY’S GAME BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE a. CARTER BURWELL – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI b. ALEXANDRE DESPLAT – THE SHAPE OF WATER c. JONNY GREENWOOD – PHANTOM THREAD d. JOHN WILLIAMS – THE POST e. HANS ZIMMER – DUNKIRK BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE a. “HOME” — FERDINAND Music by: Nick Jonas, Justin Tranter, Nick Monson Lyrics by: Nick Jonas, Justin Tranter b. “MIGHTY RIVER” — MUDBOUND Music by: Raphael Saadiq Lyrics by: Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq, Taura Stinson c. “REMEMBER ME” — COCO Music by: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez Lyrics by: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez d. “THE STAR” — THE STAR Music by: Mariah Carey, Marc Shaiman Lyrics by: Mariah Carey, Marc Shaiman e. “THIS IS ME” — THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Music by: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul Lyrics by: Benj Pasek, Justin Paul BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA a. THE CROWN – NETFLIX b. GAME OF THRONES – HBO c. THE HANDMAID’S TALE – HULU d. STRANGER THINGS – NETFLIX e. THIS IS US – NBC BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA a. CAITRIONA BALFE – OUTLANDER b. CLAIRE FOY – THE CROWN c. MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL – THE DEUCE d. KATHERINE LANGFORD – 13 REASONS WHY e. ELISABETH MOSS – THE HANDMAID’S TALE BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA a. JASON BATEMAN – OZARK b. STERLING K. BROWN – THIS IS US c. FREDDIE HIGHMORE – THE GOOD DOCTOR d. BOB ODENKIRK – BETTER CALL SAUL e. LIEV SCHREIBER – RAY DONOVAN BEST TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY a. BLACK-ISH ABC b. THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL AMAZON c. MASTER OF NONE NETFLIX d. SMILF SHOWTIME e. WILL & GRACE NBC BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –MUSICAL OR COMEDY a. PAMELA ADLON – BETTER THINGS b. ALISON BRIE – GLOW c. RACHEL BROSNAHAN – THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL d. ISSA RAE – INSECURE e. FRANKIE SHAW – SMILF BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY a. ANTHONY ANDERSON – BLACK-ISH b. AZIZ ANSARI – MASTER OF NONE c. KEVIN BACON – I LOVE DICK d. WILLIAM H. MACY – SHAMELESS e. ERIC MCCORMACK – WILL & GRACE BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION a. BIG LITTLE LIES – HBO b. FARGO – FX c. FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN – FX d. THE SINNER – USA NETWORK e. TOP OF THE LAKE: CHINA GIRL – SUNDANCETV BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION a. JESSICA BIEL – THE SINNER b. NICOLE KIDMAN – BIG LITTLE LIES c. JESSICA LANGE – FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN d. SUSAN SARANDON – FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN e. REESE WITHERSPOON – BIG LITTLE LIES BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION a. ROBERT DE NIRO – THE WIZARD OF LIES b. JUDE LAW – THE YOUNG POPE c. KYLE MACLACHLAN – TWIN PEAKS d. EWAN MCGREGOR – FARGO e. GEOFFREY RUSH – GENIUS BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION a. LAURA DERN – BIG LITTLE LIES b. ANN DOWD – THE HANDMAID’S TALE c. CHRISSY METZ – THIS IS US d. MICHELLE PFEIFFER – THE WIZARD OF LIES e. SHAILENE WOODLEY – BIG LITTLE LIES BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION a. DAVID HARBOUR – STRANGER THINGS b. ALFRED MOLINA – FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN c. CHRISTIAN SLATER – MR. ROBOT d. ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD – BIG LITTLE LIES e. DAVID THEWLIS – FARGO
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AFI FEST 2017 Announces Special Screenings, Cinema’s Legacy and Shorts Lineup

[caption id="attachment_25278" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool[/caption] The American Film Institute announced the films that will play in the Special Screenings, Cinema’s Legacy and Shorts sections at AFI FEST 2017 presented by Audi. This year’s Special Screenings section offers an array of engaging stories and intimate portraits of riveting individuals: FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL (DIR Paul McGuigan); I, TONYA (DIR Craig Gillespie); JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND – FEATURING A VERY SPECIAL, CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED MENTION OF TONY CLIFTON (DIR Chris Smith); THE LEISURE SEEKER (DIR Paolo Virzì); MOLLY’S GAME (DIR Aaron Sorkin); SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME (DIR Sam Pollard); and THE SHAPE OF WATER (DIR Guillermo del Toro). Cinema’s Legacy is AFI FEST’s celebration of motion picture history, and a special opportunity to screen recent restorations of classic films. The Shorts section features filmmakers from around the globe and represents various distinct international viewpoints. The Grand Jury Award winners for Live-Action and Animated Short, as decided by the Shorts Jury, will be automatically eligible for the Academy Award® shortlists in the Best Live Action Short and Best Animated Short categories.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL – Annette Bening stars as Gloria Grahame and Jamie Bell as her young ex-lover in this visually sumptuous, deeply compassionate romance. DIR Paul McGuigan. SCR Matt Greenhalgh. CAST Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Vanessa Redgrave. USA I, TONYA – Margot Robbie stars as tabloid-bait figure skater Tonya Harding in this unforgettable film that is nothing less than a Shakespearean tale of love, loss and the crushing force of poverty in America. DIR Craig Gillespie. SCR Steven Rogers. CAST Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Paul Walter Hauser, Julianne Nicholson, Bobby Cannavale, Mckenna Grace. USA JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND – FEATURING A VERY SPECIAL, CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED MENTION OF TONY CLIFTON – In this insightful documentary, Jim Carrey reflects on his experience playing legendary comedian Andy Kaufman in 1999’s MAN ON THE MOON. DIR Chris Smith. FEATURING Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Milos Forman, Judd Hirsch, Carol Kane, Paul Giamatti, Bob Zmuda. USA THE LEISURE SEEKER – Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland star in this unforgettable tale of love and memory in an America on the brink of an uncertain new course. DIR Paolo Virzì. SCR Stephen Amidon, Francesca Archibugi, Francesco Piccolo, Paolo Virzì. CAST Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland, Christian McKay, Janel Moloney, Dana Ivey. Italy MOLLY’S GAME – Oscar® nominee Jessica Chastain stars in Oscar®-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut, set in the glamorous world of high-stakes underground poker games. DIR Aaron Sorkin. SCR Aaron Sorkin. CAST Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O’Dowd, Bill Camp. USA SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME – Longtime Spike Lee collaborator Sam Pollard directs this accomplished documentary on the ups and downs of the life and career of trailblazing multi-hyphenate Sammy Davis, Jr. DIR Sam Pollard. SCR Laurence Maslon. FEATURING Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones, Jerry Lewis, Kim Novak, Nancy Sinatra, Norman Lear. USA THE SHAPE OF WATER – Set at the height of the Cold War, Guillermo del Toro’s latest stars Sally Hawkins in an otherworldly love tale between a mute cleaning lady and an Amphibian Man. DIR Guillermo del Toro. SCR Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor. CAST Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer. USA
CINEMA’S LEGACY
BAREFOOT IN THE PARK – This classic romantic comedy pairs Robert Redford and Jane Fonda as a young married couple with absolutely nothing in common. DIR Gene Saks. SCR Neil Simon. CAST Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Charles Boyer, Mildred Natwick, Herbert Edelman, James Stone, Ted Hartley, Mabel Albertson. USA BLOW-UP – A fashion photographer accidentally photographs a murder in BLOW-UP, one of Michelangelo Antonioni’s many masterpieces, and his first film in English. Restoration curated by The Criterion Collection, Cineteca di Bologna and Istituto Luce Cinecittà, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Park Circus. DIR Michelangelo Antonioni. SCR Michelangelo Antonioni, Tonino Guerra. CAST Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, David Hemmings, John Castle, Jane Birkin, Gillian Hills, Peter Bowles. Italy LOS CAIFANES – A wealthy couple gets an impromptu tour around Mexico City from an urban gang in this outrageous, ahead-of-its-time Mexican cinema classic. DIR Juan Ibáñez. SCR Carlos Fuentes, Juan Ibáñez. CAST Julissa, Enrique Álvarez Félix, Óscar Chávez, Ernesto Gómez Cruz, Sergio Juménez, Eduardo López Rojas, Tamara Garina, Martha Zabaleta. Mexico LA COLLECTIONNEUSE – The third of Eric Rohmer’s “Six Moral Tales” centers on two men and a rules-breaking woman, rumored to be a “collector” of the opposite sex, staying together on the Riviera. DIR Eric Rohmer. SCR Haydée Politoff, Patrick Bauchau, Daniel Pommereulle, Eric Rohmer. CAST Haydée Politoff, Patrick Bauchau, Daniel Pommereulle, Alain Jouffroy, Mijanou, Annik Morice, Denis Berry, Seymour Hertzberg. France FILMWORKER – The relationship between master Stanley Kubrick and his right-hand-man, actor turned “filmworker” Leon Vitali, is a moving portrait of total dedication to art and genius. DIR Tony Zierra. FEATURING Leon Vitali, Ryan O’Neal, Matthew Modine, Danny Lloyd, Stellan Skarsgård. USA THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (IL BUONO, IL BRUTTO, IL CATTIVO) – Starring Clint Eastwood in a career-defining performance, Sergio Leone’s best-known work follows a band of men during the American Civil War as they hunt down a stolen cache of Confederate gold. DIR Sergio Leone. SCR Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Leone. CAST Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Aldo Giuffrè, Luigi Pistilli, Rada Rassimov, Enzo Petito, Claudio Scarchilli, John Bartha. Italy, Spain, West Germany, USA GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER – Anchored by powerful performances by Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, this Oscar®-winning, groundbreaking masterpiece centers on an interracial romance in the 1960s. DIR Stanley Kramer. SCR William Rose. CAST Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, Katharine Houghton, Cecil Kellaway, Beah Richards, Roy Glenn. USA RED DESERT (IL DESERTO ROSSO) – Michelangelo Antonioni’s first foray into color centers on a maladjusted woman, played by muse Monica Vitti, searching for her place in a foggy, bleak industrial town. Restoration curated by CSC-Cineteca Nazionale and Istituto Luce Cinecittà, in collaboration with RTI-Mediaset. DIR Michelangelo Antonioni. SCR Michelangelo Antonioni, Tonino Guerra. CAST Monica Vitti, Richard Harris, Carlo Chionetti, Xenia Valderi, Rita Renoir, Aldo Grotti. Italy, France TITICUT FOLLIES – This searing debut documentary by Frederick Wiseman, centering on a facility for the criminally insane in Massachusetts, was banned for general audiences for 23 years. DIR Frederick Wiseman. USA
SHORTS
THE 6TH AMENDMENT– A jury decides the fate of one of the Boston Marathon bombers. DIR Elika Portnoy. SCR Mike Harden, Rob Tremblay. CAST Michael Bakkensen, Tony V., Shawn Fitzgibbon, Rose Weaver, Brookes Reeves, Mary Niederkorn, JP Valenti, Debbie Lewis, Melissa Schmidt, Courtland Jones, Tonya Chen, Richard Pacheco, Steve Assad. Bulgaria AFTER SCHOOL KNIFE FIGHT – Laëtitia, Roca, Nico and Naël are in a band that soon will no longer exist. DIR Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel. SCR Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel. CAST Lucas Doméjean, Marylou Mayniel, Pablo Cobo, Nicolas Mias. France ASCRIBED ACHIEVEMENTS – A failed suicide creates a new situation. DIR Samaneh Shojaei. SCR Amin Kafashzadeh. CAST Amin Kafashzadeh. Iran BALLOONFEST – Cleveland attempts to overcome its nickname, “The Mistake by the Lake.” DIR Nathan Truesdell. SCR Nathan Truesdell. USA THE BURDEN – An animated musical with apocalyptic undertones. DIR Niki Lindroth von Bahr. SCR Niki Lindroth von Bahr. CAST Olof Wretling, Sven Björklund, Mattias Fransson, Carl Englén. Sweden CLOWNS – Clowns! Suddenly, they’re everywhere. DIR The Manhattan Company. USA COIN OPERATED – Seventy years pass in the life of one naïve explorer. DIR Nicholas Arioli. SCR Nicholas Arioli. USA COMMODITY CITY – A glimpse at the goods for sale and the humans who sell them in the largest wholesale consumer market in the world. DIR Jessica Kingdon. USA, China COPA-LOCA – Paulina is the girl at the heart of Copa-Loca, an abandoned Greek summer resort. DIR Christos Massalas. SCR Christos Massalas. CAST Elsa Lekakou, Jenny Hiloudaki, Pavlos Iordanopoulos, Talat Iqbal, Stathis Stamoulakatos, Michalis Pitidis, Fotis Stratigos, Nadia Katsoura, Panos Iosifidis, George Ramantanis, Jon Simvonis. Greece CUBS (UNGAR) – A single father fulfills his young daughter’s wish to throw a slumber party. DIR Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir. SCR Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir. CAST Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Agla Bríet Gísladóttir, Anna Bíbí Wium Axelsdóttir, Ragnheiður Ugla Ocares Gautsdóttir. Iceland DADYAA – THE WOODPECKERS OF ROTHA – Atimaley and Devi are faced with a dilemma when a friend leaves without saying goodbye. DIR Pooja Gurung, Bibhusan Basnet. SCR Pooja Gurung, Bibhusan Basnet. CAST Parimal Damai, Chham Kala Damai. Nepal, France THE DIVER – Take a plunge with the man who excavates Mexico City’s sewage system. DIR Esteban Arrangoiz. SCR Esteban Arrangoiz, Mariana Rodríguez. FEATURING Julio César Cú Cámara. Mexico DOLLAR KING – It’s the perfect crime: three friends in pig masks with squirt guns at the dollar store. DIR Drew Pollins. SCR D.M. Brent. CAST Jason Boggs, John Charles Meyer, Ed Mattiuzzi, Susan Berger, John McCool Bowers, Ronnie Clark, Josh Harp. USA EDGE OF ALCHEMY – Mary Pickford and Janet Gaynor are cast into a surreal epic in this handmade film assembled from over 6,000 collages. DIR Stacey Steers. SCR Stacey Steers. USA THE FARE – A young human trafficker must confront his morals when he’s asked to transport a girl from his hometown. DIR Santiago Paladines. SCR Santiago Paladines. CAST Johnny Ortiz, Noemi Pedraza, Eduardo Roman. USA FISH STORY – A search for the truth behind a fishy tale. DIR Charlie Lyne. SCR Charlie Lyne. FEATURING Caspar Salmon. UK GAZE (NEGAH) – A woman witnesses a crime on a bus. DIR Farnoosh Samadi. SCR Farnoosh Samadi, Ali Asgari. CAST Marzieh Vafamehr, Amirreza Ranjbaran, Pedram Ansari, Safoura Kazempour, Gholamreza Rahimi, Mehrdad Mohammadi, Kiana Asadi, Mehran Elhamifar, Babak Karimi. Iran, Italy A GENTLE NIGHT (XIAO CHENG ER YUE) – A mother, with a missing daughter, refuses to stop searching. DIR Qiu Yang. SCR: Qiu Yang. CAST Li Shuxian. China GREAT CHOICE – A woman gets stuck in a looping Red Lobster commercial from hell. DIR Robin Comisar. SCR Robin Comisar. CAST Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector. USA HI STRANGER – It’s time to catch up with an old friend. DIR Kirsten Lepore. SCR Kirsten Lepore. CAST Garrett Davis. USA HOT DOG HANDS – A suburban woman can’t stop growing new fingers. DIR Matt Reynolds. SCR Matt Reynolds. CAST Gillian Wallace Horvat. USA HOUSE OF JXN – A glimpse into the dance clubs and Rainbow families of Jackson, MS. DIR Rosie Haber. USA HOW’S YOUR PROSTATE? – A discussion between two girlfriends. DIR Jeanne Paturle, Cécile Rousset. SCR Jeanne Paturle, Cécile Rousset, Cécile Mille. CAST Cécile Mille. France IFO – Historic UFO sightings over Mansfield, OH, are evoked through memory, report and gesture. DIR Kevin Jerome Everson. FEATURING Albert Thomas, Elijah Bailey Harris, Saveon Moore, Carmenita Higginbotham, Matilda Washington, Tre’Zhan Gamble. USA ISLANDS (LES ÎLES) – Three characters wander through an erotic maze of love and desire. DIR Yann Gonzalez. SCR Yann Gonzalez. CAST Sarah-Megan Allouch, Thomas Ducasse, Alphonse Maitrepierre, Mathilde Mennetrier, Romain Merle, Simon Thiébaut. France JOY JOY NAILS – Under the polish, everyone’s a victim. DIR Joey Ally. SCR Joey Ally. CAST Kahyun Kim, Yi Liu, Tae Song, Esther Moon, Shirley Kwon, Chris Yejin, Sarah Chang, Amber Sealey, Caryn West, Catherine Haena Kim, Jongman Kim. USA LANCE LIZARDI – A young man embarks on a reptilian adventure. DIR Xander Robin, FEATURING Lance Lizardi, James Bears, Robin Robin, Michael Kefeyalew, Valerie Brooks, Michael Casper, Gary Holzapple. USA LIFE BOAT – Six teenagers are led into a game of survival by their guidance counselor. DIR Lorraine Nicholson. SCR Lorraine Nicholson. CAST Elizabeth Gilpin, Stephen Dorff, Moises Arias, Kwame Boateng, Hopper Penn, B.K. Cannon, Chloe Bridges. USA LUPUS – In December 2011, a security guard was killed by a pack of stray dogs prowling in a poor neighborhood in Bogota. DIR Carlos Gomez Salamanca. SCR Carlos Gomez Salamanca. France MARE NOSTRUM – A Syrian father prepares his daughter for a dangerous journey. DIR Rana Kazkaz, Anas Khalaf. SCR Rana Kazkaz. CAST Ziad Bakri, Zayn Khalaf. France, Syrian Arab Republic MR. YELLOW SWEATSHIRT – A man enters the New York City subway. DIR Pacho Velez, Yoni Brook. USA NATIONAL DISINTEGRATIONS – A peek inside Swiss freeports, where many of the world’s art treasures are hidden. DIR Braden King. USA, Switzerland NIGHTHAWK (NOČNA PTICA) – A drunk badger lies motionless on a road. DIR Špela Čadež. SCR Gregor Zorc, Špela Čadež. CAST Andrej Nahtigal, Karin Komljanec, Gregor Zorc. Slovenia, Croatia NUTAG-HOMELAND – A hand-painted visual poem about the tragic mass deportations of the Kalmyk people during WWII. DIR Alisi Telengut. SCR Alisi Telengut. Canada PET RITUALS – The frontwoman of a hardcore punk band struggles to cut ties with her boyfriend. DIR J. Casey Modderno. SCR Jarret Rosenblatt. CAST Sophia Dueñas, Austin Ford, Maynor Alvarado, Casey Mills. USA SHINAAB – A young Anishinaabe man is haunted by thoughts of home. DIR Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr. SRC Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Jr. CAST Ajuawak Kapashesit, Brian Joyce, Zoe Corbine-Daniels, Anna Stranz, John Edel, Tyson Lietz. USA SILICA – An exploration of territorial constructs and the boundaries of the real and the mediated in an opal mining town in the South Australian desert. DIR Pia Borg. SCR Pia Borg. FEATURING Nicolette Krebitz. Australia, UK STILL DEVOUT – An anxious 23-year-old, still living at home, must choose between romance and the needs of her family. DIR Melissa Perez. SCR Melissa Perez. CAST Valeria Chavez, Gloria Sandoval, J. Eddie Martinez, Antonio Sagastizado, Armando Heredia, Natalie Camunas. USA TAKEOUT NIGHT – An incident with a neighboring mom causes a couple to reevaluate a very big decision. DIR Duncan Birmingham. SCR Duncan Birmingham. CAST Rachel Sondag, Frances Chewning, Duncan Birmingham. USA TEN METER TOWER – A 10-meter diving tower forces people to confront their fears. DIR Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson. SCR Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson. Sweden THE TESLA WORLD LIGHT (TESLA: LUMIÈRE MONDIALE) – Visionary inventor Nikola Tesla makes one last appeal to J.P. Morgan, his onetime benefactor. DIR Matthew Rankin. SCR Matthew Rankin. CAST Robert Vilar. Canada THE TOWN I LIVE IN – Artists and activists clash over the future of a rapidly gentrifying Los Angeles neighborhood. DIR Guadalupe Rosales, Matt Wolf. USA VICTOR & ISOLINA – Victor and Isolina answer questions about their lifelong, complex and arduous relationship. DIR William Caballero. FEATURING Victor Muriel, Isolina Muriel. USA VISIONS OF AN ISLAND – Impressions of an island in the Bering Sea. DIR Sky Hopinka. USA AFI FEST takes place November 9 to 16, 2017, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and other events will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre, Dolby Cinema at the Vine, the Mark Goodson Screening Room at the American Film Institute and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
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40th Denver Film Festival to Spotlight ‘LADY BIRD’, ‘I, TONYA’, ‘MOLLY’S GAME’

[caption id="attachment_24371" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Lady Bird[/caption] Actress Greta Gerwig directorial debut Lady Bird starring Saoirse Ronan will kickoff the 40th Denver Film Festival which takes place November 1 to 12, 2017. I, Tonya, the Tonya Harding biopic, directed by Craig Gillespie, and starring Margot Robbie, will close out the festival on Saturday, November 11. Other spotlight films include Submission directed by Richard Levine, starring Stanley Tucci and Kyra Sedgwick screening on Friday, November 3; and The Ballad of Lefty Brown directed by Jared Moshe, starring Bill Pullman and Peter Fonda will have a special “spotlight” screening on Wednesday, November 8. Molly’s Game starring Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba in the directorial debut from writer Aaron Sorkin, is featured on the “Big Night” of the festival on Thursday, November 9. And, on closing night, there will also be a red carpet matinee of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri by writer/director Martin McDonagh, starring Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson on Saturday, November 11.
Special Presentations
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME – Italy/France/Brazil/USA / Director: Luca Guadagnino Based on an acclaimed novel, the screenplay for this sensual and transcendent tale of first love from Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino was penned by none other than that master of exquisite longing, James Ivory CHAPPAQUIDDICK – USA / Director: John Curran How did one of the most powerful political dynasties in US history preserve its legacy in the aftermath of a tragic scandal? Directed by John Curran, this historical drama centers on the media maelstrom surrounding Chappaquiddick, as the 1969 car accident involving US Senator Ted Kennedy (Jason Clarke) and a young campaign worker (Kate Mara) came to be known. Ed Helms and Jim Gaffigan co-star. DARKEST HOUR – UK / Director: Joe Wright Gary Oldman stars in director Joe Wright’s thrilling fictionalized account of Winston Churchill’s first weeks in office during the early days of World War II. With the support of his wife of 31 years, Clemmie (Kristin Scott Thomas), the witty and brilliant Prime Minister must rally a nation to fight against incredible odds and change the course of world history forever. HUMAN FLOW – Germany / Director: Ai Weiwei In recent years, over 65 million people around the world have fled their homes to escape famine, climate change and war. This epic documentary journey through 23 countries by the internationally renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei gives powerful visual expression to both the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact. IN THE FADE (Aus dem nichts) – Germany/France / Director: Fatih Akin When her husband Nuri and young son Rocco are killed in a bomb attack, Katja begins a search for answers that makes the mourning process all the more painful and difficult. The trial of two neo-Nazi suspects pushes her to the edge, but there’s simply no alternative for the pursuit of justice. Diane Kruger won Best Actress at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival for her role in this raw, gripping drama. ISMAEL’S GHOSTS (Les fantomes d’smael) – France / Director: Arnaud Desplechin Mathieu Amalric, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Marion Cotillard star in this meta-romantic thriller from France about a filmmaker caught in a triangle between his current love and a woman from his past—who happens to have been presumed dead for 20 years. LAST FLAG FLYING – USA / Director: Richard Linklater Thirty years after they served together in Vietnam, three military vets (Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne) reunite for a different type of mission: to bury Doc’s son, a young Marine killed in Iraq. In this thoughtful and moving road movie, director Richard Linklater’s characters wrestle with the impact war has had on their lives. THE LEISURE SEEKER – Italy/France / Director: Paolo Virzì From acclaimed Italian filmmaker Paolo Virzì, this new take on an old genre—the road movie—stars Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland as a runaway couple on an unforgettable journey to recapture their passion for life and their love for each other in the faithful old RV they call the Leisure Seeker. NOVITIATE – USA / Director: Margaret Betts Melissa Leo (The Fighter, The Big Short) leads a strong cast of rising stars in this Vatican II–era drama about a rural Tennessean girl’s first true love—which just so happens to be for God. Granted a scholarship to Catholic school, young Cathleen is quickly drawn into the mysterious romanticism—eroticism, even—of a life devoted to worship and servitude. THE PARTY – UK / Director: Sally Potter The more is anything but the merrier in this brutally funny satire on the British upper crust. Politico Janet (Kristin Scott Thomas) throws an insufferable dinner party whose every guest (Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer and Cillian Murphy among them) is worse than the last—all the better for the audience to bask in writer-director Sally Potter’s zinger-rich dialogue. SOLLERS POINT – USA / Director: Matthew Porterfield This gritty drama follows small-time drug dealer Keith from the confines of house arrest back onto the racially tense streets of Baltimore. Although he wants to make a new start, his father (Jim Belushi), a retired steelworker, has little patience with his unemployed son—and the allure of criminal life in his depressed neighborhood may be impossible to withstand. VIGILANTE: THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF CURTIS SLIWA AND THE GUARDIAN ANGELS – USA / Director: David Wexler A forceful tribute to community self-defense, this documentary tells the remarkable story of Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who vividly narrates his initiation into a life of vigilantism in the crime-ridden New York City of the ’70s and ’80s, touching on everything from the crack epidemic to his defense of infamous subway gunman Bernard Goetz.
KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE FILM FINALISTS
THE HAPPINESS OF THE WORLD – Poland / Director: Michał Rosa This period drama from Polish filmmaker Michał Rosa is set in 1939 in a village on the German-Polish border, where the residents of a tenement house endure the rising tension of the coming war. When a Warsaw journalist embeds himself in their building in search of an anonymous author, their secrets begin to surface, intertwined with a mysterious Jewish beauty named Róża. IN THE FADE– Germany/France / Director: Fatih Akin When her husband Nuri and young son Rocco are killed in a bomb attack, Katja begins a search for answers that makes the mourning process all the more painful and difficult. The trial of two neo-Nazi suspects pushes her to the edge, but there’s simply no alternative for the pursuit of justice. Diane Kruger won Best Actress at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival for her role in this raw, gripping drama. QUALITY TIME – Netherland/Norway / Director: Daan Bakker Dutch filmmaker Daan Bakker’s sly, strange tragicomedy about a quintet of 30-something misfits is told in five distinct parts—all employing their own inventive visual and narrative styles to convey a sense of the dislocation, dysfunction and absurdity dictating the lives of Koen, Stefaan, Kjell, Karel and Jef. RADIANCE – Japan/France / Director: Naomi Kawase In this heartfelt drama from Japan, Misako is a passionate translator of films for the visually impaired. At a screening, she meets Nakamori, an older photographer who is slowly losing his eyesight—but who can teach her to see what’s right in front of her, provided she’s open to the possibilities. THELMA – Norway/France/Denmark/Sweden / Director: Joachim Trier When shy, religious young Thelma goes to study at a university in Oslo, she begins to experience violent seizures that lead to an encounter with beautiful classmate Anja—while also revealing supernatural abilities. As the girls’ friendship deepens, both the terrifying implications of Thelma’s powers and tragic secrets from her past come to light in this paranormal thriller from Norway. UNDER THE TREE – Iceland / Director: Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson When Baldwin and Inga’s next door neighbours complain that a tree in their backyard casts a shadow over their sundeck, what starts off as a typical spat between neighbours in the suburbs unexpectedly and violently spirals out of control.
MAYSLES BROTHERS AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY FINALISTS
32 PILLS: MY SISTER’S SUICIDE – USA / Director: Hope Litoff She’s beautiful, artistic, beloved—and she can’t stand to be alive. Documentary filmmaker Hope Litoff seeks to piece together the life and death of her sister Ruth; in the process, she gives a devastating account of the toll her investigation takes on her own mental health. ALPHAGO – USA / Director: Greg Kohs The ancient Chinese game called Go is said to have more board configurations than there are atoms in the universe. This fascinating documentary takes viewers from the coding terminals of Google DeepMind in London to a tournament in Seoul, where a legendary Go master is set to compete against a computer program in an epic battle of wits: can the human brain outsmart artificial intelligence? DID YOU WONDER WHO FIRED THE GUN? – USA / Director: Travis Wilkerson Filmmaker Travis Wilkerson turns the camera on his own family to expose a dark secret in this unflinching personal documentary. Returning to his hometown of Dothan, Alabama, he discovers that his great-grandfather, a white supremacist, once shot and killed a black man but was never charged with the murder—and that any historical trace of his victim is gone. FACES PLACES – France / Director: JR, Agnès Varda At 89 years old, Agnès Varda, one of the leading figures of the French New Wave, teamed up with acclaimed 33-year-old French photographer JR to co-direct this enchanting documentary-meets-road movie. As they travel around France in JR’s truck producing large-scale photographic portraits of the locals they meet along the way, they reveal the humanity in their subjects—and themselves. NO MAN’S LAND– USA / Director: David Byars Director-cinematographer David Byars had remarkable access to the protesters occupying Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge during their 41-day armed standoff with federal authorities in 2016. This gripping documentary reveals the inner workings of the insurrection as it examines what draws Americans to the concept of revolution. STRAD STYLE – USA / Director: Stefan Avalos Meet Danny Houck—a down-on-his-luck, Stradivarius-obsessed recluse in rural Ohio who has somehow convinced a famous European concert violinist that he can make a copy of one of the world’s rarest and most valuable violins. A hilariously poignant and suspenseful documentary about the true meaning of chutzpah.
AMERICAN INDEPENDENT NARRATIVE AWARD FINALISTS
DISCREET – USA/Brazil / Director: Travis Mathews After years in hiding and struggling to control his demons, an eccentric drifter returns home and discovers that his childhood abuser, the center of his pain, is still alive. GOLDEN EXITS – USA / Director: Alex Ross Perry Writer-director Alex Ross Perry (The Color Wheel, SDFF34) explores the torment of modern domestic life, with a fabulous ensemble cast—including Mary-Louise Parker, Jason Schwartzman, Chloë Sevigny, Keith Poulson and the Beastie Boys’ Adam Horovitz—on hand to embrace both the dramatic and darkly comedic sides of despair. THE MISOGYNISTS – USA / Director: Onur Tukel This dark, claustrophobic satire stars Dylan Baker (Happiness) as Cameron, a lonely businessman celebrating Trump’s election in a hotel room after a bitter separation from his wife of 35 years. As the night progresses, friends, colleagues and strangers come and go, debating politics and what it means to be an American—among them a pair of prostitutes facing an existential crisis of their own. MR. ROOSEVELT – USA / Director: Noël Wells Comedian Noël Wells (Saturday Night Live, Master of None) wrote, directed and stars in this charming comedy. Like Wells, Emily has racked up millions of YouTube hits for her video sketches. But unlike Wells, she can’t quite make it in Los Angeles. When she receives news of a death in the family, she rushes back to Austin to find her ex-boyfriend—and everything else—has changed. THE STRANGE ONES – USA / Directors: Christopher Radcliff, Lauren Wolkstein A young man and a boy travel by car through a wooded American landscape. Who are they? Where are they going? Are they on the run? The boy seems disturbed, haunted by memories of nameless violence, and the mood is one of foreboding—but the more we learn, the less we understand in this artful coming-of-age mystery. THIRST STREET – France/USA / Director: Nathan Silver While on layover in Paris, a lonely American flight attendant has a rendezvous with a seedy nightclub bartender and becomes tangled in a web of misunderstandings, masochistic tendencies, & unrequited amour fou in this homage to the erotic dramas of 1970s Europe from returning fest guest Nathan Silver (Actor Martinez, DFF39).
TRUE GRIT BEST COLORADO FEATURE FILM AWARD FINALISTS

COLORADO FEATURE FILMS
AMY & SOPHIA – UK/USA / Director: Adam Lipsius An unlikely friendship forms when two troubled girls, haunted by their past, forge a shared future by using art as an escape from the present in this magical-realist drama. GNAW – USA / Director: Haylar Garcia Jennifer Conrad is a small-town girl starting over in the big city. Fleeing an abusive relationship, all she wants is a chance to become whole again. But that’s hard to do when something is eating at you while you sleep—literally. This horror flick by Colorado filmmaker Haylar Garcia delves with equal gusto into paranormal and psychological phenomena. HOME TRUTH – USA / Directors: Katia Maguire, April Hayes In 1999, Colorado mother Jessica Gonzales experienced every parent’s worst nightmare when her three young daughters were killed after being abducted by their father. Determined to make sure their deaths were not in vain, Gonzales became an advocate for domestic-violence victims, taking her case to the US Supreme Court and beyond. At once troubling and inspiring, this documentary tells her story. HONDROS – USA/Iraq/Liberia/Libya / Director: Greg Campbell Pulitzer Prize-finalist photographer Chris Hondros spent a decade documenting wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Liberia and Libya, until he was killed while on assignment for Getty Images in 2011. Directed by fellow journalist and lifelong friend Greg Campbell, this eloquent documentary pays tribute to the late photojournalist’s courageous and compassionate career. JONBENET’S TRICYCLE – USA / Director: Andrew Novick Andrew Novick is a Mile High legend as (among other things) an obsessive collector. He reveals some of his strangest acquisitions—including JonBenet Ramsey’s tricycle—in this quirky autobiographical documentary, which is also an investigation of the human urge to possess what we value and of the impact pop culture and the media have on our experience of tragedy. LIYANA – Swaziland/USA/Qatar / Directors: Aaron Kopp, Amanda Kopp The lives and extraordinary imaginations of five orphans at a storytelling workshop in Swaziland are captured in this enchanting, moving and highly acclaimed documentary from Colorado filmmakers Aaron and Amanda Kopp. MOVING PARTS – Trinidad and Tobago/USA / Director: Emilie Upczak In this unique personal drama of human trafficking—written and directed by Boulder native Emilie Upczak—Zhenzhen follows her brother to Trinidad and Tobago with the help of a smuggler. When her new restaurant job proves dangerously unpleasant, a local art gallery owner helps her fight to secure her future. WALDEN: LIFE IN THE WOODS – USA / Director: Alex Harvey Shot on location in Colorado, this radical Western re-imagining of Thoreau’s eponymous classic interlaces three narratives that take place over 24 hours to consider the trappings of modern life and the unlikely heroes who dream of escape.
COLORADO SHORT FILMS
CHOCOLATE SPOKES – USA / Directors: Brendan Leonard CHOWDER – USA / Director: Justin Tyrrell, Travis Lindner THE DAY BEFORE – USA / Directors: Geoff Marslett DIVING MONKEYS – USA / Director: Elizabeth Henry DREAMSPOOK – FEAR IN LOVE – USA / Directors: Joseph Kolean FED TO FIRE – USA / Director: Joseph Dasteel FINAL FOUR – USA / Directors: Dario Ortega MRS. DRAKE – USA / Director: Caitlin FitzGerald OH, OPHELIA – USA / Directors: Dakota Nanton THE OUTSIDER – USA / Director: Scott Takeda THE ROMANTIC METHOD – USA / Directors: Maggie Hart UNSEEN – USA / Director: Kaleb Kohart
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20th Savannah Film Festival to Honor Salma Hayek, Holly Hunter, Aaron Sorkin + Unveils Lineup

[caption id="attachment_24944" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] MOLLY’S GAME[/caption] The 2017 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, celebrating it’s 20th anniversary, will run October 28 to November 4, and feature over 131 films. The festival will open with Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut Molly’s Game, and the Centerpiece Gala film is Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. This year, SCAD will honor Richard Gere (Lifetime Achievement Award), Zoey Deutch (Rising Star Award), Mariska Hargitay (Humanitarian Award), Ashley Judd (Virtuoso Award), Kyra Sedgwick (Spotlight Award), Andrea Riseborough (Outstanding Supporting Actress Award for “Battle of the Sexes”), Willow Shields (Rising Star Award), Salma Hayek Pinault (Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award), John Boyega (Vanguard Award), Holly Hunter (Icon Award), Robert Pattinson (Maverick Award), Aaron Sorkin (Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award) and Sir Patrick Stewart (Legends of Cinema Award).
2017 Savannah Film Festival Film Lineup

GALA SCREENINGS
Call Me Be Your Name (Director: Luca Guadagino. Cast: Armie Hammer, Timothee Chalamet, and Michael Stuhlbarg) Darkest Hour (Director: Joe Wright. Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane and Ben Mendelsohn) Downsizing (Director: Alexander Payne. Cast: Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, and Kristin Wiig) Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (Director: Paul McGuigan. Cast: Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, and Vanessa Redgrave) The Florida Project (Director: Sean Baker. Cast: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, and Valeria Cotto) I, Tonya (Director: Craig Gillespie. Cast: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, and Allison Janney) Into the Rainbow (Director: Norman Stone, Gary Wing-Lun Mak. Cast: Willow Shields, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Wu Lei Leo and Jacqueline Joe) U.S. Premiere Lady Bird (Director: Greta Gerwig. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Lois Smith, and Stephen McKinley Henderson) Last Flag Flying (Director Richard Linklater. Cast: Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne) LBJ (Director: Rob Reiner. Cast: Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Stahl-David, Rich Sommer, Bill Pullman, C. Thomas Howell, Jeffrey Donovan and Richard Jenkins) The Leisure Seeker (Director: Paolo Virzi. Cast: Helen Mirren, and Donald Sutherland) Molly’s Game (Writer and Director: Aaron Sorkin. Cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, and Kevin Costner) Mudbound (Director: Dee Rees. Cast: Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Jason Clarke, Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige and Rob Morgan) The Shape of Water (Director: Guillermo del Toro. Cast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, and Octavia Spencer) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Director: Martin McDonagh. Cast: Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Abbie Cornish, Peter Dinklage, Lucas Hedges, Caleb Landry Jones, Clarke Peters, Samara Weaving, John Hawkes, and Zeljko Ivankek) The Upside (Director: Neil Burger. Cast: Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, and Nicole Kidman) Wonderstruck (Director: Todd Haynes. Cast: Oakes Fegley, Julianne Moore, and Millicent Simmonds)
DOCS TO WATCH
Expected to attend this year are directors Evgeny Afineevsky (Cries from Syria); Greg Barker (The Final Year); Bryan Fogel (Icarus); Yance Ford (Strong Island); Amanda Lipitz (Step); Brett Morgen (Jane); Jeff Orlowski (Chasing Coral); Laura Poitras (Risk); John Ridley (Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992) Ceyda Torun (Kedi).
SIGNATURE SERIES
Beatriz at Dinner (Director: Miguel Arteta. Cast: Salma Hayek, John Lithgow, Chloë Sevigny, Connie Britton, David Warshofksy, Amy Landecker, Jay Duplass, and John Early) The Ballad of Lefty Brown (Director: Jared Moshe. Cast: Bill Pullman) Battle of the Sexes (Director: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Cast: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman, Alan Cumming, Bill Pullman, Elisabeth Shue, Austin Stowell, and Natalie Morales) The Big Sick (Director: Michael Showalter. Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoey Kazan, Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) Detroit (Director: Kathryn Bigelow. Cast: John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith, Will Poulter, and Jacob Latimore) Flower (Director: Max Winkler. Cast: Zoey Deutch, Adam Scott, and Kathryn Hahn) Gifted (Director: Marc Webb. Cast: Chris Evans, McKenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, and Octavia Spencer) Good Time (Director: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie. Cast: Robert Pattinson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Benny Safdie, Buddy Duress, and Barkhad Abdi) I Am Evidence (Producer Mariska Hargitay. Director: Trish Adelsic, Geeta Gandhbir) Logan (Director: James Mangold. Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, and Dafne Keen) Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer (Director: Joseph Cedar. Cast: Richard Gere, Michael Sheen, and Steve Buscemi) Ruby in Paradise (Director: Victor Nuñez. Cast: Ashley Judd, Todd Field, and Bentley Mitchum) Served Like a Girl (Director: Lysa Heslov. Cast: Nichole Alred, Jas Boothe, and Rachel Engler) Story of a Girl (Director: Kyra Sedgwick. Cast: Kevin Bacon, Sosie Bacon, and Ryann Shane) Strange Weather (Director: Katherine Diekmann. Cast: Holly Hunter, Carrie Coon, and Ransom Ashley) Tulip Fever (Director: Justin Chadwick. Cast: Alicia Vikander, Dane DeHaan, Jack O’Connell, and Holliday Grainger) The Year of Spectacular Men (Director: Lea Thompson. Cast: Madelyn Deutch, Zoey Deutch, Lea Thompson, and Avan Jorgia)
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Napa Valley Film Festival Unveils 2017 Lineup, Opens with THE UPSIDE

[caption id="attachment_24918" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Upside[/caption] The seventh annual Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) returns this fall with its five-day festival showcasing the year’s best new independent films from November 8 to 12, 2017. The festival’s official opening night film is The Weinstein Company’s The Upside, directed by Neil Berger and starring Bryan Cranston, Nicole Kidman and Kevin Hart. Closing the festival will be the Molly’s Game, directed by Aaron Sorkin and starring Jessica Chastain, Kevin Costner and Idris Elba in the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target. This year’s line-up of Celebrity Tributes that salute the highest levels of cinematic achievement includes Charles Krug Legendary Filmmaker Nancy Meyers (It’s Complicated, The Intern), Raymond Vineyards Trailblazer Michael Shannon (The Current War, The Shape of Water), and Spotlight Tribute honoree Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me By Your Name; The Shape of Water). New this year, The Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch Humanitarian Tribute will be presented to Nikki Reed (Twilight, Ian Somerhalder Foundation) and Ian Somerhalder (The Vampire Diaries, Ian Somerhalder Foundation). The Celebrity Tributes program will take place on Thursday, November 9 at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville and will include video highlight reels and intimate on-stage conversations with Access Hollywood’s Natalie Morales. In addition to the Celebrity Tributes program, Will Ferrell (Anchorman; Daddy’s Home 2) will be honored with the Caldwell Vineyards Maverick Tribute on Friday, November 10, and the first annual Rising Star Showcase at Materra | Cunat Vineyards on Saturday, November 11 will honor a handful of young talent including Ana de Armas (War Dogs; Blade Runner 2049), Odeya Rush, (Lady Bird, Goosebumps), Austin Stowell (Battle of the Sexes, Bridge of Spies), Gregg Sulkin (Runaways, Faking It) and Alex Wolff (My Friend Dahmer; Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle). NVFF will kick off with their Sneak Preview Night on Tuesday, November 7 with a special presentation of Fox Searchlight Pictures’ The Shape of Water. The film, directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer and Michael Stuhlbarg, is an other-worldly tale of Elisa whose life is changed forever when she and a co-worker Zelda discover a secret classified experiment at the hidden high-security government laboratory where they work. The festival will also play host to an incredible selection of films, including many of this year’s award-contenders, such as: 78/52 – (IFC) An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), the “man behind the curtain,” and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema. Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe. Call Me By Your Name – (Sony Pictures Classics) In 1983, the son of an American professor is enamored by the graduate student who comes to study and live with his family in their northern Italian home. Together, they share an unforgettable summer full of music, food, and romance that will forever change them. Directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer and Michael Stuhlbarg. Michael Stuhlbarg is expected to attend. Chappaquiddick – (Entertainment Studios) Ted Kennedy’s life and political career become derailed in the aftermath of a fatal car accident in 1969 that claims the life of a young campaign strategist, Mary Jo Kopechne. Directed by John Curran and starring Jason Clarke, Bruce Dern, Ed Helms and Kate Mara. Crown Heights – (Amazon Studios) When Colin Warner is wrongfully convicted of murder, his best friend Carl King devotes his life to proving Colin’s innocence. Directed by Matt Ruskin and starring Nnamdi Asomugha and Lakeith Stanfield. Nnamdi Asomugha is expected to attend. The Current War – (The Weinstein Company) The dramatic story of the cutthroat race between electricity titans Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to determine whose electrical system would power the modern world. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Nicholas Hoult, Michael Shannon and Katherine Waterston. Michael Shannon is expected to attend. Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool – (Sony Pictures Classics) A romance sparks between a young actor and a Hollywood leading lady. Directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Jamie Bell and Annette Bening. I, Tonya – (Neon) Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises among the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the sport is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes. Directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Allison Janney, Margot Robbie and Sebastian Stan. LA 92 – (NatGeo) A look at the events that led up to the 1992 uprising in Los Angeles following the Rodney King beating by the police. Directed by Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin. The Leisure Seeker – (Sony Pictures Classics) A runaway couple go on an unforgettable journey in the faithful old RV they call The Leisure Seeker, traveling from Boston to The Ernest Hemingway Home in Key West. They recapture their passion for life and their love for each other on a road trip that provides revelation and surprise right up to the very end. Directed by Paolo Virzì and starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland. The rest of the NVFF film line-up is as follows:
Core Competitions

Narrative Features:
American Folk, Directed by David Heinz The Boy Downstairs, Directed by Sophie Brooks The House of Tomorrow, Directed by Peter Livolsi I Can I Will I Did, Directed by Nadine Truong People You May Know, Directed by Shewin Shilati The Sounding, Directed by Catherine Eaton Stuck, Directed by Michael Berry Tater Tot & Patton, Directed by Andrew Kightlinger The Year of Spectacular Men, Directed by Lea Thompson
Documentary Features:
ACORN and the Firestorm, Directed by Reuben Atlas and Samuel D. Pollard Catching Sight of Thelma & Louise, Directed by Jennifer Townsend Coyote, Directed by Thomas Simmons A Fine Line, Directed by Joanna James The Gateway Bug, Directed by Johanna B. Kelly Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies, Directed by Amanda Ladd-Jones Mighty Ground, Directed by Delila Vallot Skid Row Marathon, Directed by Mark Hayes The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, Directed by Jennifer M. Kroot
The Lounge

Features:
Amanda & Jack Go Glamping, Directed by Brandon Dickerson Class Rank, Directed by Eric Stoltz Coup d’etat, Directed by Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse Entanglement, Directed by Jason James A Happening of Monumental Proportions, Directed by Judy Greer Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town, Directed by Christian Papierniak Life Hack, Directed by Sloan Copeland Quest, Directed by Santiago Rizzo The Relationtrip, Directed by Renée Felice Smith and C.A. Gabriel
Special Presentations
40 Years in the Making – The Magic Music Movie, Directed by Lee Aronsohn The Ataxian, Directed by Zack Bennett and Kevin Schlanser Back to Burgundy, Directed by Cédric Klapisch Bernard and Huey, Directed by Dan Mirvish Breakable You, Directed by Andrew Wagner California Typewriter, Directed by Doug Nichol Constructing Albert, Directed by Laura Collado and Jim Loomis Dog Years, Directed by Adam Rifkin Don’t Shoot the Zebra Pony, Directed by Kathryn Lauritzen Ella Brennan: Commanding the Table, Directed by Leslie Iwerks Fermented, Directed by Jon Cianfrani Food Evolution, Directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution, Directed by Jamie Redford Liyana, Directed by Aaron Kopp and Amanda Kopp Man In Red Bandana, Directed by Matthew Weiss Michelin Stars: Tales from the Kitchen, Directed by Rasmus Dinesen New Chefs on the Block, Directed by Dustin Harrison-Atlas Poisoning Paradise, Directed by Keely Shaye Brosnan Rebels On Pointe, Directed by Bobbi Jo Hart Served Like a Girl, Directed by Lysa Heslov Taming Wild: A Girl and a Mustang, Directed by Elsa Sinclair To the Edge of the Sky, Directed by Todd Wider and Jedd Wider Wasted! The Story of Food Waste, Directed by Anna Chai, Nari Kye
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30th Virginia Film Festival Reveals Lineup, Opens with DOWNSIZING + Spotlights Race and Charlottesville

[caption id="attachment_24425" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Downsizing[/caption] The Virginia Film Festival will celebrate its 30th year from November 9 to 12, 2017, with a stellar lineup of more than 150 films and an outstanding array of special guests. VFF Director and UVA Vice Provost for the Arts Jody Kielbasa announced the first wave of programming and special guests for the 2017 Festival. “We are incredibly excited to share this first announcement regarding our 2017 program,” Kielbasa said, “which we believe captures the things that set us apart, and that contribute to our rising profile on the national and international festival scene. Once again, our audiences will be able to choose from a program of extraordinary depth and breadth, including some of the hottest titles on the current festival circuit, fascinating documentaries that address and comment on the most important topics of our time, the latest work from some of the newest and most exciting voices on the filmmaking scene, and the best of filmmaking from around the world and right here in the Commonwealth of Virginia.” The 2017 Virginia Film Festival will open with Alexander Payne’s Downsizing, a science fiction flavored dramedy about a group of people exploring the possibility of dramatically reducing their footprints on the world through miniaturization. The film stars Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz, and Hong Chau in a breakout role that is already garnering her significant Oscar buzz. The Centerpiece Film will be Hostiles directed by Scott Cooper. In 1892, Army Captain Joseph J. Blocker (Christian Bale) is ordered to escort an ailing long-time prisoner, Chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi), and his family across hostile territory back to his Cheyenne homeland to die in this gritty and powerful new Western from director Scott Cooper (Black Mass) that also stars Rosamund Pike, Ben Foster and Jesse Plemons. William H. Macy comes to the Virginia Film Festival for the first time to present his new film Krystal. The film, which Macy directed and stars in, is about a young man who, despite having never had a drink in his life, joins Alcoholics Anonymous in an attempt to woo the woman of his dreams, an ex-stripper who is dealing with alcoholism and drug addiction, played by Rosario Dawson. The tragic events surrounding the domestic terrorist incidents in Charlottesville on August 11 and 12 captivated the world and with that in mind, the Virginia Film Festival reached out to a variety of local filmmakers and encouraged them to create a documentary that captures the harrowing events that happened in Charlottesville, as seen by local filmmakers and residents. The result is Charlottesville: Our Streets, which is directed by Brian Wimer and written by Jackson Landers. This year the Virginia Film Festival is partnering with James Madison’s Montpelier for Race in America – a special series of films and discussions inspired by and built around Montpelier’s acclaimed Mere Distinction of Colour exhibition and its ongoing commitment to exploring its own legacy of slavery, including the recreation of slave dwellings on its historic property. This year’s special guests will include the previously-announced Spike Lee, who will be on hand in Charlottesville as part of “Race in America,” to present his Oscar-nominated documentary 4 Little Girls, about one of America’s most despicable hate crimes – the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Church in Birmingham, Alabama that took the lives of four African American girls, Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robinson, and Cynthia Wesley. He will also present I Can’t Breathe, a short video piece that combines footage of the chokehold death of Eric Garner at the hands of the New York City Police Department with footage of the similar death of the Radio Raheem character in Lee’s iconic 1989 film Do The Right Thing. In addition to 4 Little Girls, the films in the series will include:
Race In America
An Outrage – This documentary by Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren about lynching in the American South was filmed on location at lynching sites in six states, and is bolstered by the memories and perspectives of descendants, community activists, and scholars, creating a hub for action to remember and reflect upon a long-hidden past. Birth of a Movement – This powerful story is based on William Monroe Trotter, the nearly-forgotten editor of a Black Boston newspaper and his 1915 campaign to ban D.W. Griffith’s deeply divisive Birth of a Nation – highlighting the early stages of still-raging battles over media representation, freedom of speech, and the influence of Hollywood. The Confession Tapes – The VFF will present an episode from Netflix’s true crime documentary series called “8th and H” about a notorious 1984 murder case in Washington, D.C. in which a group of eight teens were unjustly convicted, and remain in prison to this day largely due to a connection to a “gang” that never actually existed. Hidden Figures – Noted author and UVA alumna Margot Lee Shetterly will be at the Festival to present the widely-acclaimed 2016 film based on her celebrated book about the three brilliant African-American women at NASA — Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) — who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn (Glen Powell) into orbit. O.J.: Made in America – Ezra Edelman’s Emmy and Academy Award-winning five-part documentarychronicles the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation. Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities – Co-directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson and Marco Williams, this film examines the impact Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have had on American history, culture, and national identity.
Spotlight Screenings
The Ballad of Lefty Brown – Director Jared Moshe’s American Western tells the story of Lefty Brown (Bill Pullman), a 65-year-old cowboy who, after a lifetime of riding in the shadows of Western legend Eddie Johnson (Peter Fonda), is forced by tragedy to emerge from the shadows and face the harsh realities of frontier justice. Breath – Set on the coast of Australia in the mid 1970’s, Simon Baker’s (The Mentalist) directorial debut tells the story of two teenage boys who forge a friendship with an older, elusive pro surfer who introduces them to the thrill of riding the waves and living in the moment. Call Me by Your Name – Based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman, Luca Guadagnino’s transcendent coming-of-age film follows two young men who fall for each other in northern Italy during the early 1980s. With a screenplay by the legendary James Ivory, the film features a masterful turn by actor Armie Hammer. Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool – Annette Bening and Jamie Bell star in Paul McGuigan’s adaptation of the memoir by British actor Peter Turner about his romance with the legendary and famously eccentric Hollywood star Gloria Grahame during the last years of her life. The Leisure Seeker – Embracing the iconic Americana of road trips and campgrounds, a runaway couple (played by Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren) goes on an unforgettable trip in the faithful old RV they call the Leisure Seeker. Permanent – Based on the writer, director, and UVA alumna Colette Burson’s own experience while attending E.B. Stanley Middle School in Virginia, Permanent is a coming-of-age story featuring Rainn Wilson and Patricia Arquette about an idiosyncratic family set in 1983 that involves hairstyles, social awkwardness, and poorly made toupees.
Documentaries
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail – From award-winning director Steve James comes this incredible saga of the Chinese immigrant Sung family, owners of the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The Challenge – Desert landscapes dotted with private jets, pet cheetahs, and souped-up Ferraris provide the backdrop of Italian visual artist Yuri Ancarani’s documentary about the surreal world of wealthy Qatari sheikhs with a passion for amateur falconry. Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies – Amanda Ladd Jones presents the untold story of her father, Alan Ladd, Jr., the former 20th Century Fox Chairman who greenlit Star Wars, Blade Runner, Alien, and many more of the biggest films in movie history. Featuring interviews with Mel Brooks, Ben Affleck, Richard Donner, Ron Howard, Ridley Scott, and numerous others. The Road Movie – Dimitri Kalashnikov’s inventive documentary literally puts viewers in the driver’s seat by offering a windshield-eye view of life in Russia made up entirely of dashcam videos posted on YouTube. Serenade For Haiti – Following Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake, Father David Cesar works tirelessly to continue Sainte Trinité Music School’s more than 60-year legacy of bringing classical music to thousands of Haitians in this testament to resilience, hope, and the power of music. Director Owsley Brown will lead a discussion of his film. Word is Bond – Director Sacha Jenkins will be on hand to present his acclaimed documentary that tells the never-before-told story about the writers and journalists that created and shaped the language for hip-hop culture.
Health and Wellbeing Documentaries
Ask the Sexpert – Director Vishali Sinha presents a story of popular 93-year-old Mumbai sex-ed columnist Dr. Watsa, whose brand of non-moralistic advice and humor has emboldened many to write in questions against the backdrop of a comprehensive sex education ban in schools that has been adopted by approximately one third of India’s states. Bending the Arc – An extraordinary team of doctors and activists work to save lives in a rural Haitian village. Through interviews and on-the-ground footage shot in the midst of a deadly epidemic, directors Kief Davidson and Pedro Kos are immersed in the thirty-year struggle of these fiercely dedicated people as they fight ancient diseases. My Kid is Not Crazy – Revealing the nightmare of a medical system heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical industry, this documentary unpacks the fierce disagreement that occurs among families in addressing youth mental illness. Treated with antipsychotic medication, behavioral therapy, and even hospitalization, years of misdiagnosis leave these children with irrecoverable consequences for the rest of their lives. Requiem for a Running Back – When she gets the shocking news that her former NFL star father Lewis Carpenter has been diagnosed postmortem as the 18th confirmed case of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), documentarian Rebecca Carpenter embarks on a three-year odyssey across America to explore the unfolding controversy surrounding the degenerative brain disease, which is caused by repeated blunt force trauma to the brain. Starfish – Writer Tom Ray’s picture perfect life falls apart in a single moment when he succumbs to a devastating illness and loses his hands, lower legs, and part of his face after contracting sepsis. This true and moving story chronicles the efforts of Tom and his wife Nicola to keep their family together against impossibly long odds. Twinning Reaction – Told from the perspective of identical twins and triplets who were secretly split up in infancy and studied by psychoanalysts for decades, the documentary examines the traumatic, long-term effects of the separations – and continuing deception – on the twins and their adoptive families. What Lies Upstream – Cullen Hoback travels to West Virginia after an MCHM chemical spill poisoned the water supply of 300,000 Americans. When a similar crisis emerges in Flint, Michigan, he follows the guidance of whistleblowers to discover corruption at the highest levels of federal regulatory agencies.
Spotlight on Virginia Filmmaking
Afrikana Film Festival – The VFF is proud to partner with the Richmond-based Afrikana Film Festival for a special program of films dedicated to showcasing cinematic works of people of color from around the world, with a special focus on the global Black narrative. Best of Film at Mason and Best of VCUarts – As the official film festival of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the VFF will salute some of Virginia’s finest young filmmakers from both George Mason University and Virginia Commonwealth University in a special program that captures and celebrates the diversity of cinematic storytelling found at these institutions. Double Dummy – Producer and bridge enthusiast John McAllister offers an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at the competitive world of bridge, and the incredible relationships forged by the game around the world. The Ruination of Lovell Coleman – This short documentary from Ross McDermott tells the story of a Charlottesville-based 93-year-old fiddle player. Combining footage of his performances with animation and interviews about his unique musical career, the film puts special focus on his many years of service playing at local nursing homes. Scenes with Ivan – Local filmmakers Doug and Judy Bari chronicle their son Ivan’s life from his birth in 1985 to the present. They spent two years sifting through hundreds of hours of footage they had shot, but never before looked at before. In the process, they discovered forgotten moments of what makes a life, and how things come full circle.
International Films
A Fantastic Woman (Chile) – Director Sebastián Lelio’s devastating portrait of grief about a young transgender waitress who faces scorn and discrimination after the sudden death of her older boyfriend. Happy End (Austria) – The latest from noted Austrian director and two-time Palme D’Or-winner Michael Haneke highlights the cultural blindness and savage indifference of a bourgeois European family in Calais consumed by its own “struggles” as the the migrant crisis rages all around them. Loveless (Russia) – A couple in the midst of a vicious divorce must come together to lead the search for their missing son in this eerie thriller from Andre Zviagintsev (Leviathan) that highlights a single harrowing story as well as the corruption and moral desolation of modern-day Russia. November (Estonia) – A mixture of magic, black humor, and romantic love, November is the story of pagan villagers raging against bitter winter, werewolves, the plague, and evil spirits. Song of Granite (Ireland) – This life story of renowned traditional Irish folk singer Joe Heaney from director Pat Collins combines documentary footage of the singer with masterful performances and gorgeous cinematography that highlights the gorgeous Irish countryside to tell a story that celebrates cultural diversity. Summer 1993 (Spain) – Director Carla Simon’s feature debut is a poignant look at a six-year-old girl who has to leave all she knows behind following her mother’s death as she moves to the countryside and struggles to adjust to a new life with her uncle and his family. Tom of Finland (Finland) – Director Dome Karukoski brings to life the story of Touko Laaksonen, a decorated WWII officer who returns home after serving his country only to find that country rife with homophobic persecution. He finds refuge in liberating and inhibition-free art that makes him one of the most celebrated and influential figures in 20th Century gay culture. White Sun (Nepal) – This gripping portrait of post-civil war Nepal during the fragile deadlocked peace process follows an anti-regime partisan who confronts physical, social, and political obstacles related to his father’s funeral. His search for solutions takes him to neighboring mountain villages and results in encounters with police and rebel guerrillas. Woodpeckers (Dominican Republic) – Julián finds love and a purpose to living in the last place he imagined: Najayo prison in the Dominican Republic. Through sign languages from one prison to another, he encounters Yanelly, separated by 150 meters and dozens of guards, and has to win her love while keeping it a secret.
Emerging Artist Series
With support from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, the VFF will continue its focus on highlighting and sharing some of the most talented new voices on the filmmaking scene today. In addition to Confession Tapes, Double Dummy, and The Ruination of Lovell Coleman, the series will include producer Han West’s Oh Lucy!, a charming character study following an emotionally unfulfilled woman as she tentatively emerges from her shell, and director Kevin Elliott’s first feature Magnum Opus, a timely conspiracy thriller centered around a principled Desert Storm vet turned reclusive artist.
LGBTQIA+ Focus
The Lavender Scare – The first documentary to tell the little-known story of “the longest witch hunt in American history”- an unrelenting federal campaign launched by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953 to identify and fire all employees suspected of being homosexual because they were deemed to be a threat to national security. Rebels on Pointe – Award-winning filmmaker Bobbi Jo Hart presents the first-ever behind-the-scenes look at Les Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the all-male drag ballet company founded 40 years after the Stonewall riots. Other LGBTQIA+ films include Call Me by Your Name, A Fantastic Woman (Chile), and Tom of Finland(Finland).
Jewish and Israeli Series
1945 – In August 1945, a rural town in Hungary is preparing for the wedding of the town clerk’s son when two Orthodox Jewish men arrive at the railway station with mysterious wooden boxes. In Between – Three Palestinian women attempt to balance faith and tradition with their modern lives while living in the heart of Tel Aviv. Shelter – When Naomi Rimon, a Mossad agent, is sent on a mission to protect Mona, a Lebanese collaborator, the two women find themselves in a compromised safehouse in Hamburg. In this suspense-laden psychological thriller, beliefs are questioned and devastating decisions are forced. Surviving Skokie – An intensely personal documentary that explores the effects of a late 1970’s threatened neo-Nazi march in Skokie, IL on its large Holocaust survivor population, following producer Eli Adler on a moving trip with his father to his ancestral home in Poland. The Miller Center This year the Virginia Film Festival is again partnering with The Miller Center, a nonpartisan affiliate of the University of Virginia that specializes in presidential scholarship, public policy, and political history, and strives to apply the lessons of history and civil discourse to the nation’s most pressing contemporary governance challenges. The series will include a 30th anniversary screening of Broadcast News, the 1987 romantic comedy that took a clear-eyed, satirical look at the concept of “fake news” long before the phrase was vaulted into the American lexicon in the 2016 election. The screening will be followed by a conversation with legendary news reporter and anchor Jim Lehrer and longtime CBS News correspondent and now UVA Media Studies professor Wyatt Andrews about the concepts of truth and veracity in our rapidly-changing news landscape. This year’s Miller Center series will also feature a screening of an episode from The Vietnam War, the highly-acclaimed 18-part PBS documentary series from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick that tells the epic story of one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history as it has never before been told on film. The VFF is proud to welcome Lynn Novick to the Festival for a special post-screening discussion with Marc Selverstone, associate professor and chair of the Miller Center’s Presidential Recordings Program. Homeland This year the Virginia Film Office added another impressive title to its growing resume when Showtime announced that its award-winning series Homeland would film its upcoming seventh season in the Commonwealth. The Virginia Film Festival will screen an episode of the show from its sixth season, followed by a conversation with its director, Lesli Linka Glatter. Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership The VFF and the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership are launching a new partnership this year with a special screening of the 1972 Michael Ritchie film The Candidate, starring Robert Redford. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion that will include political consultant and longtime CNN contributor Paul Begala, who returns to the VFF after his 2016 post-screening discussion of the D.A. Pennebaker classic documentary The War Room. The VFF and the Library of Congress Celebrate the National Film Registry This year the Virginia FIlm Festival continues its unique partnership with the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Virginia, presenting a series of films that celebrate the National Film Registry and the Campus’ dedication to film preservation. This year’s lineup will include the Mike Nichols 1967 coming-of-age classic The Graduate, Hal Ashby’s 1971 romantic black comedy Harold & Maude, and Charlie Chaplin’s 1917 silent film The Immigrant. Silent Films The VFF will revisit its longstanding tradition of presenting silent films with live musical accompaniment with a pair of programs featuring the music of Matthew Marshall and the Reel Music Trio. A special 100th Anniversary screening of Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant, which features Chaplin in one of his most famous roles – as an immigrant who endures a challenging voyage only to face even more trouble when he gets to America, a story all-too-relevant in today’s world. This program will also feature two more of Chaplin’s most beloved two-reelers Easy Street and The Adventurer, also celebrating their 100th Anniversary. Additionally, the Festival will present a rare treat with a late-night Paramount Theater screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1927 film The Lodger, about a Jack The Ripper style killing spree in London, with a chilling original score performed by Marshall. Ben Mankiewicz Longtime Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz returns to the VFF, where he will host discussions around a number of screenings including The Candidate, The Graduate, The Immigrant, The Lodger, and more. The Rookie with John Lee Hancock The VFF will present a 15th anniversary screening of The Rookie, the inspirational true story starring Dennis Quaid as a high school baseball coach whose career and life takes an improbable turn when he promises his team that if they make the playoffs, he will attend a Major League tryout. The screening will be followed by a conversation with the film’s director John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, Snow White and the Huntsman) and screenwriter Mike Rich (Finding Forrester, Secretariat). Shot-by-Shot Workshop For this 30th anniversary year, the Festival is reviving its Shot-by-Shot Workshop, one of its most cherished traditions. Created and presented for many years by the late Roger Ebert, the yearly Shot-by-Shot Workshop offers movie lovers a rare chance to enjoy live commentary on classic films by leading film experts. This year’s presentation will be Harold and Maude, presented by Nick Dawson, biographer of the film’s legendary director Hal Ashby. Honoring Our Veterans As the nation marks Veterans Day weekend, the VFF will pay tribute to those who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice for our nation with a series of military-themed presentations. In addition to The Vietnam War, this series will include Last Flag Flying, Richard Linklater’s latest film, which stars Steve Carrell, Laurence Fishburne, and Bryan Cranston as a trio of Vietnam vets who reunite to bury one of their sons, who was killed in action in Iraq. The friends accompany the young man’s casket on a trip through coastal New Hampshire, reminiscing about and coming to terms with the shared memories of a war that continues to shape their lives. The Festival will also present American Veteran, a new documentary from director Julie Cohen about Army Sergeant Nick Mendes, who was paralyzed from the neck down by a massive IED in Afghanistan in 2011, when he was only 21 years old. The film follows Mendes from the earliest days of his recovery as he learns to eat and breathe on his own to his life today with wife Mandy, whom he met when she worked as one of his caregivers. The film shows a nuanced portrait of a quadriplegic soldier’s sometimes harrowing, sometimes romantic, and often surprisingly funny life.
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I, TONYA to Close Hamptons International Film Festival + Fest Announces Full Lineup

[caption id="attachment_24703" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] I, TONYA[/caption] Craig Gillespie’s I, TONYA, the film that tells the history of Olympic ice skater Tonya Harding and her fall from grace, will be the Closing Night Film of this year’s Hamptons International Film Festival. The film stars Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan and Allison Janney. The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) announced the full slate for the 25th Anniversary festival, including the selections for Spotlight Films, World Cinema and Shorts Programs, as well as Signature Programs including Views from Long Island; Air, Land & Sea; Compassion, Justice & Animal Rights; and Conflict & Resolution. The 2017 festival will take place October 5 to 9, Columbus Day Weekend, with over 65 features and 50 shorts representing a total of 40 countries across the globe. New additions to the Spotlight section include Joe Wright’s DARKEST HOUR, starring Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ben Mendelsohn; Paul McGuigan’s FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL, starring Annette Bening and Jamie Bell; Reginald Hudlin’s MARSHALL, starring Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Sterling K. Brown and Kate Hudson; Noah Baumbach’s THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED), starring Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson; and Todd Haynes’ WONDERSTRUCK, starring Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams. The section will also feature the previously announced Vincent Gagliostro’s AFTER LOUIE, Luca Guadagnino’s CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, Fatih Akin’s IN THE FADE, Rob Reiner’s LBJ, Guillermo del Toro’s THE SHAPE OF WATER, Alexandre Moors’ THE YELLOW BIRDS, and Brendan Malloy and Emmett Malloy’s THE TRIBES OF PALOS VERDES. This year’s World Cinema Documentary titles include the East Coast Premiere of Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s LOVE, CECIL; the U.S. Premiere of Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s ONE OF US; the New York Premiere of Stefan Avalos’ STRAD STYLE; the U.S. Premiere of Radu Jude’s THE DEAD NATION; and the World Premiere’s of previously announced Coodie & Chike’s THE FIRST TO DO IT and Tiffany Bartok’s LARGER THAN LIFE: THE KEVYN AUCOIN STORY. Other films in this section include Tony Zierra’s FILMWORKER; Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir’s I AM EVIDENCE; Susan Lacy’s SPIELBERG; Katie Green and Carlye Rubin’s THE FAMILY I HAD; Jairus McLeary and Gethin Aldous’ THE WORK; and Myles Kane and Josh Koury’s VOYEUR. The World Cinema Narrative films include the U.S. Premiere of Jonas Carpignano’s A CIAMBRA; the East Coast Premiere of Sebastián Lelio’s A FANTASTIC WOMAN; the U.S. Premiere of Boris Khlebnikov’s ARRHYTHMIA; the U.S. Premiere of Michael Haneke’s HAPPY END; the East Coast Premiere of Andrey Zvyagintsev’s LOVELESS; the East Coast Premiere of Maggie Betts’ NOVITIATE; the U.S. Premiere of Paolo Virzì’s THE LEISURE SEEKER; and the previously announced World Premiere of Onur Tukel’s THE MISOGYNISTS. Other films in this section include Jim McKay’s EN EL SÉPTIMO DÍA; Nicolas Bedos’ MR AND MRS ADELMAN; Petra Volpe’s THE DIVINE ORDER; Sean Baker’s THE FLORIDA PROJECT; and Ruben Östlund’s THE SQUARE, winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. As part of their Signature Programs, in the Views From Long Island section the festival will screen Yance Ford’s STRONG ISLAND, a deep and emotional investigation into the senseless death of Ford’s brother in 1992 and the judicial system that failed his family. This section will also screen the previously announced World Premiere of Ben Cummings and Orson Cummings’ KILLER BEES and the World Premiere of Josh Klausner’s WANDERLAND. The Air, Land & Sea program will present the North American premiere of Richard Dale, Lixin Fan, and Peter Webber’s EARTH: ONE AMAZING DAY, a documentary narrated by Robert Redford exploring the natural wonders and creatures of the world over the course of one day. This section will also include Michael Bonfiglio’s FROM THE ASHES, a look at the coal and mining industry and how it will continue to affect the current state of economy, health, and climate. The Compassion, Justice, & Animal Rights program will include a presentation of Brett Morgan’s JANE, profiling the life and work of Jane Goodall at the beginning of her career, including archival footage recently discovered on 16mm. This section will also include the previously announced Allison Argo’s THE LAST PIG. The Conflict & Resolution program will consist of Rina Castelnuovo and Tamir Elterman’s MUHI—GENERALLY TEMPORARY, a story of Muhi, a young boy in Gaza taken to an Israeli hospital for emergency surgery and the political, cultural limbo Muhi and his grandfather face, as well as Aki Kaurismäki’s THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE, about two individuals starting a new chapter of their life and how their lives intertwine. This section will also include the previously announced East Coast Premiere of Ai Weiwei’s HUMAN FLOW and Greg Campbell’s HONDROS. HIFF also announced nine programs of short films this year, including Narrative and Documentary Short Film Competitions; New York Women In Film and Television: Women Calling the Shots; Soar! Shorts For All Ages; Student Short Films Showcase; Twist and Shout; I’ll Be On My Way; Come Together; and two short films that will play before features. The festival will present a special screening of Bryan Fogel’s ICARUS, winner of the 2017 SummerDocs Audience Award. This year the festival will honor Academy Award®-winning actress Julie Andrews with a Lifetime Achievement Award, including a special presentation of VICTOR/VICTORIA co-presented with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Saturday, October 7, in East Hampton. The event will feature a post-screening conversation between Julie Andrews and Alec Baldwin. The festival previously announced that Allison Chernick’s ITZHAK will open the festival on Thursday, October 5; Simon Curtis’ GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBINSON will serve as the Friday Centerpiece; Martin McDonagh’s THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI will serve as the Saturday Centerpiece; and Andy Serkis’ BREATHE will serve as the Sunday Centerpiece. In addition, Emmy® Award-winning actor and Oscar®-nominated director Rob Reiner will participate in the “A Conversation With…” series.
OPENING NIGHT FILM
ITZHAK (USA) World Premiere Director: Allison Chernick Alison Chernick’s documentary ITZHAK examines the life and music of Itzhak Perlman, widely considered one of the world’s greatest living violinists. Exploring the ways in which Perlman’s passion for music allowed him to find a platform for personal expression against tremendous circumstances, Chernick creates a portrait of man whose remarkable will to survive is never removed from his tremendous generosity and humor. Through it all, the discipline we see at work is starkly contrasted with the world we see at home, as a modern Jewish family continues to embrace their heritage against a world of changing expectations. A co-production of American Masters Pictures for WNET.
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
I, TONYA (USA) U.S. Premiere Director: Craig Gillespie For many, the revelations following the attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in the lead-up to the 1994 Winter Olympics cemented the legacy of Tonya Harding as one of the most iconic villains in sports history. Craig Gillespie’s at turns hilarious and tragic look at the life of Harding (astonishingly realized by Margot Robbie) flips the script on this sensational narrative—following her from the tumultuous relationship with her abusive mother (Allison Janney) to the absurd moments that led to that fateful night in Cobo Arena. Fueled by a razor-sharp script that doesn’t let anyone in Harding’s orbit out of its sights, I, TONYA is an outrageous and surprising look at the players behind the notorious scandal.
FRIDAY CENTERPIECE
GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (UK) North American Premiere Director: Simon Curtis Simon Curtis, director of MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (HIFF 2011), presents a heartfelt look into the complicated relationship between beloved children’s author A. A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) and his son Christopher Robin (newcomer Will Tilston), whose collection of toys and unbridled imagination inspired the enchanting world of Winnie the Pooh. As the whimsical adventures of this honey-loving bear quickly capture the attention of a traumatized, post-war England, the family suddenly finds themselves swept up in the international success—though not without paying the price that often accompanies such fame. While his mother (Margot Robbie) revels in the spotlight, her son struggles with the abrupt loss of his childhood. With great empathy, GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN explores the complexities of family, war, and celebrity.
SATURDAY CENTERPIECE
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (USA) U.S. Premiere Director: Martin McDonagh With the local police force no closer to finding a culprit in the months following her daughter’s murder, Mildred (Academy Award® winner Frances McDormand) decides to make a statement of her own when she posts three signs leading into the town with a blatant message for the town’s chief of police (Woody Harrelson) and his rough-hewn second-in-command (Sam Rockwell). With the same bitingly dark and comedic tone of his previous two films, IN BRUGES and SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS (HIFF 2012), Academy Award® winning writer-director Martin McDonagh returns to feature filmmaking with this wildly entertaining and unpredictable story of a divided community simmering with tension and ready to blow.
SUNDAY CENTERPIECE
BREATHE (UK) U.S. Premiere Director: Andy Serkis Best-known for his motion-capture work as Gollum in the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and Caesar in the PLANET OF THE APES series, Andy Serkis makes his directorial debut with the inspiring true story of activists Robin and Diana Cavendish (Academy Award® nominee Andrew Garfield and Golden Globe® winner Claire Foy). When Robin’s shocking contraction of rapid-onset polio leaves him paralyzed, the two make the controversial decision to remove him from the hospital and define a different life for him. Working together to both create a sustainable condition for Robin and break the stigma surrounding disability rights, the two begin a groundbreaking campaign captured with a warm and enlivening touch by Garfield, Foy, and Serkis.
SPOTLIGHT FILMS
AFTER LOUIE (USA) New York Premiere Director: Vincent Gagliostro Still reeling from survivor’s guilt in the years following the AIDS epidemic, NYC artist Sam (Tony Award® winner Alan Cumming) spends his days working on a seemingly never-ending video tribute to the partner he lost along the way. While an intimate encounter with a younger man (Zachary Booth) at first seems like just another one-off, it soon forces Sam to re-assess his resentment for a generation he perceives to be oblivious to the political immediacy and pain of his own. Longtime activist and first-time filmmaker Vincent Gagliostro brings a knowing sensitivity to this poignant story of generational difference, all centered around Cumming’s raw and magnetic lead performance. Presented in partnership with Newfest. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (Italy/France) Director: Luca Guadagnino As another summer in his family’s Italian villa lazily drifts by for 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet, Variety’s 10 Actors To Watch), 24-year-old Oliver (Armie Hammer) seems at first to be little more than the latest in a long line of his father’s (Michael Stuhlbarg) research assistants. However, as the weeks wind on, a tender connection develops between the two in Luca Guadagnino’s sun-soaked masterpiece. Refining the stylistic splendor of his previous work into a lush exploration of desire and intimacy, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME is an intoxicating reminder of the tentative gestures and fleeting moments that mark our first steps into the unknown, and their lasting ability to soften the sting of changing seasons. DARKEST HOUR (UK) East Coast Premiere Director: Joe Wright Joe Wright (PRIDE & PREJUDICE, ATONEMENT) returns with a thrilling drama centered on Winston Churchill—starring Academy Award® nominee, Gary Oldman in his most forceful and transformative role to date. Newly appointed as Prime Minister of Great Britain, Churchill faces one of the most defining trials of his career: negotiate peace with Nazi Germany or stand firm to fight for the ideals, liberty, and freedom of a nation. With the threat of invasion imminent as the unstoppable Nazi forces move across Western Europe, Churchill must withstand his darkest hour, rally a nation, and attempt to change the course of history FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL (UK) East Coast Premiere Director: Paul McGuigan Adapted from British actor Peter Turner’s memoir of the same name, the late-life relationship between legendary Golden-era actress Gloria Grahame (Academy Award®- nominee Annette Bening) and the significantly younger Turner (Jamie Bell) is lovingly recounted in Paul McGuigan’s moving period romance. As the two begin their relationship, we follow Grahame as she moves between Los Angeles, a town in which she seems eternally out of touch with an industry that doesn’t quite know how to treat her, and Turner’s native Liverpool. At the center of it all is Bening, whose lively and nuanced performance brilliantly pays homage to an actress denied the stature she deserved in her own lifetime. IN THE FADE (Germany/France) U.S. Premiere Director: Fatih Akin Selected as Germany’s official submission for the Academy Awards® Best Foreign Language Film, Fatih Akin’s tightly-wound revenge thriller stars Diane Kruger as a woman struggling to overcome her profound grief in the wake of a neo-Nazi terrorist attack that leaves her husband and son dead. Awarded the Best Actress prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Kruger provides a stunningly fearless and grounded lead performance as the victim of an increasingly prevalent form of violence, pushed to the edge and forced to find her own justice in the wake of a failed judicial system. LBJ (USA) New York Premiere Director: Rob Reiner Led by a thunderous lead performance by Woody Harrelson in the titular role, Rob Reiner helms this eye-opening study of the controversial political career of Lyndon B. Johnson, ranging from his days as Senate Majority Leader to his sudden ascendancy to the presidency in the wake of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Aided by an impressive supporting cast that includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Richard Jenkins, and Bill Pullman, Reiner offers a panoramic look at Johnson’s long-debated presidency in a time of both major progress and strife for a nation at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement and the dawn of the Vietnam War. MARSHALL (USA) Director: Reginald Hudlin Long before Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) sat on the U.S. Supreme Court, the NAACP sent the young, rabble-rousing attorney to defend a black chauffeur (Sterling K. Brown) against his wealthy employer (Kate Hudson) in a landmark case that became a media sensation. Partnered with Samuel Friedman (Josh Gad)—a green, Jewish lawyer who had never tried a criminal case—the pair struggle against a hostile storm of fear and prejudice, driven to discover the truth in the inspiring trial that set the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement to come in Reginald Hudlin’s engrossing drama. THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED) (USA) Director: Noah Baumbach Content in living out their individual lives in separation from one another, the three middle-aged siblings of the Meyerowitz family find themselves uncomfortably reunited when they are forced to come together to deal with the sudden health issues of their father (Dustin Hoffman), a sculptor who has long defined his career through his resentment to those around him. With a perfectly calibrated ensemble including Ben Stiller, Emma Thompson, and Adam Sandler (in a powerfully grounded performance), THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES finds director Noah Baumbach returning to the tales of familial dysfunction that defined his earlier work with a renewed understanding of the moments of lyrical humor and tenderness that arise alongside it. THE SHAPE OF WATER (USA) East Coast Premiere Director: Guillermo del Toro As the Cold War reaches its peak in the early 1960s, Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute janitor working at a US government facility, finds a strange creature held deep within the laboratory. Guillermo del Toro’s THE SHAPE OF WATER is a mesmerizing continuation of his fascination with on-screen monsters and their real-world counterparts, wonderfully realized through a brilliant cast (including Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, and Richard Jenkins), and jaw-dropping production design and cinematography. In creating perhaps the most realized synthesis of his many preoccupations to date, del Toro has created a wondrous take on the classic monster movie that seems to exist out of time and yet inseparable from our own. THE YELLOW BIRDS (USA) East Coast Premiere Director: Alexandre Moors In the midst of the Iraq War, Bartle (Alden Ehrenreich) and Murph (Tye Sheridan) find themselves woefully unprepared for the realities facing them upon their deployment into active duty. What starts off as a simple mission ends in tragedy, driving one traumatized soldier to return home desperate to escape the past while the other’s parents begins their own search for the truth. Aided by stand-out supporting turns from Jennifer Aniston and Toni Collette, THE YELLOW BIRDS provides a haunting look at the personal devastation facing both the soldiers on the ground and those they leave behind. THE TRIBES OF PALOS VERDES (USA) World Premiere Director: Emmett Malloy & Brendan Malloy When teenage Medina (Maika Monroe) moves with her family to the picture-perfect paradise of Palos Verdes, California, they seem headed for a happy new chapter in their lives. But old troubles soon catch up to them, as the disintegration of Medina’s parents’ marriage leads her mother (Jennifer Garner) into an emotional freefall and pushes her brother towards addiction. Caught in the middle of it all, Medina must rely on her inner strength to become the stabilizing force in her family, while finding refuge in a new passion: surfing. Set amidst the sun-kissed beaches and crystal blue waters of the California coast, THE TRIBES OF PALOS VERDES is a stirring look at how life’s greatest challenges forge who we become. WONDERSTRUCK (USA) Director: Todd Haynes Celebrated filmmaker Todd Haynes (CAROL, HIFF 2015) returns to the festival with a transcendent adaptation of Brian Selznick’s best-selling novel. Deftly alternating between two narratives set fifty years apart, WONDERSTRUCK follows a pair of runaway deaf children on their seemingly individual—though ultimately interconnected—adventures. Though separated by time and place, the mysterious symmetry between Ben and Rose’s (newcomers Oakes Fegley and Millicent Simmonds) journeys emerge with mesmerizing poignancy. Starring the incomparable Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams, and featuring breakout performances from its young leads, WONDERSTRUCK is an impeccably crafted and visually stunning coming-of-age tale.
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
11/8/16 (USA) World Premiere Curator & Producer: Jeff Deutchman On the day of the 2016 presidential election, filmmaker Jeff Deutchman surveys the thoughts and feelings of ordinary Americans as they head to the ballot box. Told in brief vignettes from across the country, and focusing on voters from every side of the political spectrum—ranging from a Sikh man and his family in New York City to a coal miner in West Virginia—the film humanizes the electorate in an age of sweeping generalizations. In its panoramic form and disparate viewpoints, 11/8/16 provides a necessary counterpoint, finding moments of common humanity within a seemingly unbridgeable divide. LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY AND A CASTLE (Spain) New York Premiere Director: Gustavo Salmerón Julita Salmerón’s biggest wishes in life were to have lots of children and a pet monkey, and to live in a castle. Gustavo Salmerón’s humorously candid film follows his mother, and the rest of their family, as they rummage through the vast family archive over a period of fifteen years. She reflects on the dreams she managed to fulfill, along with the lingering effects of the economic crisis that forced her to almost lose it all. Filled with moments of warmth and sincerity, LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY, AND A CASTLE is a touching documentary about an eccentric, otherworldly family facing up to the harsh economic realities of living in contemporary Spain. LOVE MEANS ZERO (USA) New York Premiere Director: Jason Kohn With his notorious no-nonsense approach to coaching, Nick Bollettieri is regarded as a controversial figure in the world of tennis—but also, crucially, as a mentor with the know-how to push players to greatness. Director Jason Kohn balances the pointed questions to his subject, who remains intransigent throughout, with interviews with many of Bollettieri’s students—Boris Becker and Jim Courier among them—to shed light on the enigmatic figure. What emerges is a story of a coach fiercely determined to win at all costs, and a compelling look at what it takes to compete at the highest level. MOUNTAIN (Australia) U.S. Premiere Director: Jennifer Peedom Narrated by Willem Dafoe, MOUNTAIN takes the viewer on a sweeping journey to the most awe-inspiring summits on earth. A collaboration between BAFTA-nominated director Jennifer Peedom and Richard Tognetti’s Australian Chamber Orchestra, the film glorifies our species’ pursuit of peril: from ice climbers, snowboarders, and wingsuiters, the thrill-seekers’ daredevil antics will leave audiences gasping for breath. Filmed in 15 countries and assembled from 2,000 hours of hypnotizing footage, MOUNTAIN is a beautifully scored and visually stunning work that vividly captures the fear and reverence inspired by the world’s highest peaks. THE CHINA HUSTLE (USA) U.S. Premiere Director: Jed Rothstein In the midst of the 2008 market crash, investors on the fringes of the financial world feverishly sought new alternatives for high-return investments in the global markets. With Chinese indexes demonstrating explosive growth, the country suddenly emerged as a gold rush opportunity with one caveat: US investors were prohibited from investing directly into the country’s market. Makeshift solutions led to a market frenzy, until one investor discovered the massive web of fraud left in its wake. Jed Rothstein’s documentary rings the alarm on the need for transparency in an increasingly deregulated financial world by following those working to uncover the biggest heist you’ve never heard of.
NARRATIVE COMPETITION
DISAPPEARANCE (Iran/Qatar) U.S. Premiere Director: Ali Asgari Rising Iranian filmmaker Ali Asgari, whose short film THE SILENCE took home the Best Narrative Short Competition prize at HIFF 2016, returns to the festival with his mesmerizing feature debut. Set against the backdrop of contemporary Iranian society, where conservative traditions often conflict with modern desires, DISAPPEARANCE is the tale of one couple’s race against time to solve an unsolvable problem over the course of one endlessly long night. Featuring outstanding performances from newcomers Sadaf Asgari and Reza Ranjbaran, and an impressively assured stylistic touch, DISAPPEARANCE establishes Asgari as one of the bold new voices in world cinema. OH LUCY! (USA/Japan) U.S. Premiere Director: Atsuko Hirayanagi In this delightfully offbeat tale, OH LUCY! follows Setsuko Kawashima (Shinobu Terajima)—a lonely, chain-smoking introvert who is wasting away at her office job in Tokyo. Setsuko’s world is turned upside down when she meets the charismatic English teacher, John (Josh Hartnett), who draws her out of her shell with the help of a blond wig and the promise of a bold new identity. When John abruptly departs for Southern California, the newly emboldened “Lucy” sets out to find him on a life-altering journey of self-discovery. Based on her award-winning short film, Atsuko Hirayanagi’s charming directorial debut explores the transformative power of individualism. SUMMER 1993 (Spain) New York Premiere Director: Carla Simón Following the death of her parents in Barcelona, six-year-old Frida (the haunting Laia Artigas) is sent to her uncle’s (David Verdaguer) picturesque countryside home, in Carla Simon’s autobiographical feature debut SUMMER 1993. Frida battles with a sense of loneliness and displacement while also yearning to fit into the picture with her new family. Punctuated by moments of youthful exuberance and mature ruminations, this coming-of-age drama, set amongst summery hues, is an extraordinarily moving snapshot of being a child in an adult world, anchored by a flawless performance by its young star. THOROUGHBREDS (USA) East Coast Premiere Director: Cory Finley Two wealthy teenage girls with violent impulses seek to inject excitement into their boring suburban lives in THOROUGHBREDS, Cory Finley’s deliciously twisted filmmaking debut. When Lily’s (Anya Taylor Joy, THE WITCH) stepfather threatens to send the troubled teen off to reform school, she recruits her equally unstable childhood friend, Amanda (Olivia Cooke, ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL), in a dangerous plot that serves both of their interests. Featuring electrifying performances from its young leads—including the late Anton Yelchin, in his final appearance—this stylish neonoir establishes newcomer Finley as a filmmaker to watch. UNDER THE TREE (Iceland/Denmark/Poland/Germany) East Coast Premiere Director: Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson “Love thy neighbor” does not apply in the Iceland suburbs of UNDER THE TREE. After his wife kicks him out of the house, Atli (Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson) stays with his parents—just as the passive aggressive hostility with their neighbors is ramping up over a large tree in the yard. Director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson establishes character dynamics with jabs to the gut and enough dark humor to quell the uneasiness in your stomach. With a moody score and sound design that sways between the tension and release of the scenes, you may find yourself nervously laughing the next time you want to talk to your neighbors about the noise.
WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY
FILMWORKER (USA) Director: Tony Zierra At the age of 27, actor Leon Vitali met Stanley Kubrick during the filming of BARRY LYNDON. Despite having his own respected acting career, Vitali’s fascination with Kubrick led him to throw it away and pursue a life in service of the director as his personal assistant, right-hand man, and, most tumultuously of all, friend. With a treasure trove of behind-the-scene footage and stories recalled by both Vitali and Kubrick’s past collaborators, FILMWORKER provides a fascinating firsthand account of the complex relationship that facilitated the creation, and made possible the preservation, of some of the director’s most legendary work. I AM EVIDENCE (USA) Directors: Trish Adlesic, Geeta Gandbhir Produced by Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order: SVU), I AM EVIDENCE uncovers the many disturbing ways our criminal justice system neglects victims of sexual assault. In this revealing exposé, filmmakers Trish Adlesic and Geeta Gandbhir investigate the alarming number of untested evidence kits that have accumulated over the last several decades, denying justice to thousands of survivors in the process. Giving voice to the brave individuals affected by this misconduct and to the heroic law enforcement officials who tirelessly work to deliver long-awaited due process in these cases, I AM EVIDENCE is a powerful call to action. LARGER THAN LIFE, THE KEVYN AUCOIN STORY (USA) World Premiere Director: Tiffany Bartok LARGER THAN LIFE: THE KEVYN AUCOIN STORY explores the life of the iconic make-up artist, who transformed the profession into a prominent and influential art form. Director and fellow make-up artist Tiffany Bartok paints a beautiful and deeply personal portrait of a man who, as both an artist and LGBTQ advocate, dedicated his life to elevating the inner confidence and presence of others. Through intimate archival footage and interviews with his famous friends and clients, Bartok weaves through the journey of Aucoin’s life up until his tragic end—reminding everyone that he truly was larger than life. LOVE, CECIL (USA) East Coast Premiere Director: Lisa Immordino Vreeland Documentarian Lisa Immordino Vreeland (PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART ADDICT) presents an engaging portrait of the visionary Cecil Beaton. Known for his astounding work ethic and prickly personality, the celebrated and sometimes controversial photographer and costume designer shot iconic portraits of celebrities and took home two Academy Awards® for his work on GIGI and MY FAIR LADY. Expertly weaving thoughtful passages from Beaton’s diaries—brought to life through Rupert Everett’s keen narration—with archival interviews featuring his famous friends (and foes), LOVE CECIL tracks the artist’s long, illustrious career with equal amounts of affection and frankness. ONE OF US (USA) U.S. Premiere Director: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady In a borough defined by rapidly shifting identities and vastly increased visibility, Brooklyn’s Hasidic community exists as an anomaly—one virtually cut off from the change surrounding it and defined largely by the secrecy of what exists within it. Over the course of three years, Oscar-nominated® directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady embed themselves with three former members who have removed themselves from the community, exploring the circumstances that led to their departure and capturing their new lives outside—despite persistent threats from the world they left behind. As in 2006’s JESUS CAMP, Ewing and Grady explore the boundaries of a community defined by religious connection, and shine a light on the disturbing conditions found within. SPIELBERG (USA) Director: Susan Lacy Emerging out of the New Hollywood era to become the biggest name in blockbuster film for the last four decades, Steven Spielberg has been defined by both the countless classics he directed and the constant risks that kept his streak alive throughout his career as a filmmaker, producer, and studio executive. With interviews from Spielberg’s consistent collaborators (Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Williams), contemporaries (George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola), and friends and family, Susan Lacy’s wide-spanning portrait of the director provides an unprecedented look at the most influential figure in modern filmmaking. STRAD STYLE (USA) New York Premiere Director: Stefan Avalos Out on the vast middle American steppe, an eccentric loner named Daniel Houck passes the time cruising social media and obsessively whittling away violins inspired by Old World masters like Guarneri and Stradivarius. Stefan Avalos’s unlikely, rousing documentary STRAD STYLE follows Daniel as a chance encounter on Facebook with a famous violin soloist leads him on a singular, yearlong quest to craft an exact replica of the world’s finest violin. Avalos’s intimate camera paints an irresistible portrait of a Midwestern misfit with the chance to enter the rarefied world of classical music, far away from the windswept plains of Ohio. THE DEAD NATION (Romania) U.S. Premiere Director: Radu Jude Acclaimed narrative filmmaker Radu Jude explores Romania’s shifting identity throughout history in his first documentary, THE DEAD NATION. Using archival images found from the collection of a rural photographer, text excerpted from the journal of a Jewish doctor, and songs recorded from the nationalistic anthems of the time, Jude’s cinematic essay provides a harrowing yet captivating account of the rise of nationalism and anti-semitism in Romania during the 1930s-40s. Equal parts mesmerizing and horrifying, THE DEAD NATION is, as the narration describes, “torn between reality and poetry,” creating a necessary recollection of a period with eerie similarities to our own. THE FAMILY I HAD (USA) Director: Katie Green, Carlye Rubin In Katie Green and Carlyle Rubin’s THE FAMILY I HAD, Charity Lee recalls the harrowing moment her teenage son shattered her family with one unthinkable act of violence. Ten years into the wake of this unimaginable tragedy, the grieving mother is forced to come to terms with her new reality. With great empathy and unrivaled access to their subjects, Green and Rubin forgo true-crime sensationalism for a nuanced exploration of the family’s complicated history with mental illness, addiction, and domestic abuse. Highlighting our capacity to adapt to even the most unmooring of circumstances, THE FAMILY I HAD is a moving testament to human resilience. THE FIRST TO DO IT (USA) World Premiere Director: Coodie & Chike In 1950, three years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball, Earl Lloyd stepped onto an NBA basketball court and changed the game forever. During Lloyd’s 22-year NBA career, he became its first African American player, its first African American scout, and its first African American full time head coach. Through intimate conversations with family, childhood friends, and the legendary players whose lives he touched (including Oscar Robertson, Dave Bing, and Kawhi Leonard), THE FIRST TO DO IT chronicles the experience of Lloyd and other early African American players against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement and explores the role of sports in the lasting legacy of desegregation today. THE WORK (USA) Director: Jairus McLeary, Gethin Aldous Twice a year, the maximum-security Folsom State Prison allows free citizens from the outside to participate in an intensive group therapy program with the incarcerated men on the inside. With unprecedented access, directors Jairus McLeary and Gethin Aldous document these raw and revealing sessions—capturing harrowing moments of human vulnerability, catharsis, and connection in the process. Awarded the Best Documentary at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival, THE WORK is an extraordinary feat of verité filmmaking that looks behind prison walls to reveal a movement of redemption that transcends what we think of as rehabilitation. VOYEUR (USA) Director: Myles Kane, Josh Koury In 2016, legendary journalist Gay Talese published in The New Yorker an excerpt from his upcoming book, The Voyeur’s Motel, that quickly proved to be one of the most controversial stories of his career. Following the writer during this period, documentarians Myles Kane and Josh Koury track Talese as he investigates the story of the Colorado motel owner, Gerald Foos, who secretly built an observation platform to watch the most intimate moments in the lives of his guests. As questions emerge about Foos’ trustworthiness Talese is thrown in the middle of a controversy that is threatening to destroy the story he’s been working on for more than three decades.
WORLD CINEMA NARRATIVE
A CIAMBRA (Italy/France/USA/Germany) U.S. Premiere Director: Jonas Carpignano Adapted from his eponymous short film, filmmaker Jonas Carpignano returns to the southern Italian setting of his debut MEDITERRANEA (HIFF 2015) in this neo-realist coming-of-age story. Desperate to join the ranks of the men of his Romany family, 14- year-old Pio finds his initiation into adulthood unexpectedly fast-tracked with the imprisonment of his father and older brother, as he gradually involves himself in the same criminal world that placed them there. Executive produced by Martin Scorsese and directed with a remarkably atmospheric touch that refuses to settle into the expected tropes of the genre, A CIAMBRA is another nuanced look at the difficulty of escaping a life of crime in a community defined by it, confirming Carpignano as a undeniable international force. A FANTASTIC WOMAN (Chile) East Coast Premiere Director: Sebastián Lelio A shatteringly intimate and nuanced performance from newcomer Daniela Vega anchors Chilean director Sebastián Lelio’s latest film, A FANTASTIC WOMAN. In this Hitchcockian drama, transgender woman Marina (Vega) and Orlando (Francisco Reyes) are in love and are planning to spend the rest of their lives together, but when tragedy strikes, Marina finds herself unexpectedly under criminal investigation. Much like with his previous film, 2013’s GLORIA, Lelio offers a complex portrayal of a strong female character unsure how to navigate a hostile environment defined by prejudice and intolerance. ARRHYTHMIA (Russia/Finland/Germany) U.S. Premiere Director: Boris Khlebnikov ARRHYTHMIA, Boris Khlebnikov’s explosive portrait of a fractured marriage, follows the young, gifted paramedic Oleg (Alexander Yatsenko) and his wife Katya (Irina Gorbacheva), who works as a nurse in the hospital’s emergency department. Headstrong, impulsive, and willing to bend the rules when necessary, Oleg frequently runs afoul of the new management that is trying to implement absurdly strict new rules that prioritize bureaucracy over the patients’ well-being. As their professional and personal lives collide, Oleg and Katya must deconstruct their familiar spaces in order to rebuild their marriage in Khlebnikov’s intriguing commentary on the anatomy of a relationship. EN EL SÉPTIMO DÍA (USA) Director: Jim Mckay Returning to feature filmmaking after a decade in television, indie veteran Jim McKay’s EN EL SÉPTIMO DÍA is a heartfelt, subtle, and captivating portrait of an undocumented Mexican immigrant in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park. José, played brilliantly by newcomer Fernando Cardona, is a hardworking delivery man whose only respite from his overwhelming schedule is his local soccer team. But when assigned a double shift on the day of the championship, José is forced to either let down his team or lose his only source of income. Refreshingly authentic and frequently humorous, EN EL SÉPTIMO DÍA is a rare film that highlights the consequences of the most seemingly simple decisions. HAPPY END (France/Austria/Germany) U.S. Premiere Director: Michael Haneke While living out their days in a Calais mansion against the backdrop of the city’s increasingly turbulent refugee crisis, the well-off Laurents find themselves slowly torn apart by the surprise arrival of a young guest. In the follow-up to his Academy Award®- winning (and five-time nominated) film AMOUR (HIFF 2012), acclaimed filmmaker Michael Haneke returns to the career-defining social and familial themes of his work in this story of the disintegration of a single bourgeois family. Anchored by powerful performances from past Haneke collaborators Isabelle Huppert and Jean-Louis Trintignant, HAPPY END is another unrelentingly singular work of social satire from a master filmmaker working at the top of his game. LOVELESS (Russia/France/Belgium/Germany) East Coast Premiere Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev Boris and Zhenya’s (Aleksey Rozin, Maryana Spivak) divorce has devolved into an endless series of arguments. Consumed with selling their apartment and beginning lives with new partners, their 12-year-old son Alyosha (Matvey Novikov) seems increasingly pushed out of their minds, until he suddenly disappears without a trace into the wintry expanse of Moscow. Using the foundation of a crime procedural to shed greater light on the stark inhumanity seeping into every aspect of contemporary Russian society, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s (LEVIATHAN) expertly crafted film applies his impeccable ability to portray human drama on a global scale to this bitingly vicious story of lost love. MR AND MRS ADELMAN (France) East Coast Premiere Director: Nicolas Bedos In his directorial debut, Nicolas Bedos stars opposite co-writer Doria Tillier as a French couple intertwined, consumed with, and defined by each other in life and work: he, an accomplished writer; she, his sometime-muse and editor. The chemistry between Bedos and Tillier is irresistible, as they quip back and forth through four decades of music, haircuts, and a romance that’s more shattered glass and Camus than chocolate and flowers. Biting and tender, MR & MRS ADELMAN packs the intricacies of marriage into a romantic comedy—with a twist. NOVITIATE (USA) East Coast Premiere Director: Maggie Betts Drawn in by the prospect of a higher calling despite her non-religious upbringing, Cathleen (Margaret Qualley), a teenager growing up in the early 1960s, soon finds herself among a group of young women who have devoted themselves to a training program within The Sisters of Blessed Rose convent. While their earnest devotion is quickly contrasted with the harsh realities of religious life, the sudden announcement of Pope John XXIII’s Second Vatican Council provides a new question for both the students and their Mother Superior (Academy Award® winner Melissa Leo): whether to transform along with the church’s plans of liberal reform or adhere to the strict principles that first compelled them into the convent. THE DIVINE ORDER (Switzerland) Director: Petra Volpe In 1971, a quaint Swiss village, seemingly untouched by the cultural and social upheavals of the 1960s, anticipates the vote for women’s suffrage. Following her exposure to a women’s rights demonstration in Zurich, a shy and well-liked housewife becomes the unexpected beacon of her village’s suffragette movement. Featuring a strong ensemble cast, led by the effortless Marie Leuenberger, THE DIVINE ORDER chronicles the challenges of a determined group of women who cast off the stubborn ways of the village and fight for independence. Directing with a keen eye for sincerity and humor, Petra Volpe captures the inspiring journey of harnessing your voice to both speak truth to power and tell your husband he can do his own laundry. THE FLORIDA PROJECT (USA) Director: Sean Baker Sean Baker supplants the West Hollywood setting of his 2015 festival hit TANGERINE with the cheap motels laying in the shadow of a certain Orlando mouse-themed amusement park, in another free-flowing and sincere look at those living in the shadows of the cities they call home. Living in one of the rooms are 6-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her 22-year-old mother Halley (Bria Vinaite), who struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Aided by Willem Dafoe’s remarkably warm performance as Bobby, a staff member of the hotel, Sean Baker has crafted another empathetic look at those existing on the fringes. THE LEISURE SEEKER (Italy) U.S. Premiere Director: Paolo Virzì Academy Award® winner Helen Mirren and two-time Golden-Globe® winner Donald Sutherland shine as Ella and John, an aging couple who embark on one final adventure in Paolo Virzi’s English-language feature debut. Foregoing the concerns of their doctors and grown children, the pair impulsively set off on a whirlwind, cross-country escapade in their beloved Winnebago. Experiencing equal moments of elation and frustration, the pair wind their way down the East Coast—rekindling their passion for life and their affection for one another along the way, in a journey full of humor and pathos. THE MISOGYNISTS (USA) World Premiere Director: Onur Tukel In a single, fully-stocked hotel room on the night of the 2016 general election, two Trump supporters celebrate the unexpected results, in the latest from indie provocateur Onur Tukel. As the night rages on, an ensemble of characters venture in and out of the room. Some match the two’s enthusiasm while others voice their terror at the prospect of the incoming President, but most struggle to find reasons to care less about the results that caused the debauched celebration occurring around them. Led by Dylan Baker’s gleefully deranged lead performance, Tukel’s tongue-in-cheek exploration of a divided America digs deep into the night’s mass existential crisis, and leaves with some disquieting results. THE SQUARE (Sweden) Director: Ruben Östlund Winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Ruben Östlund’s provocatively anarchic THE SQUARE follows Christian (Claes Bang), the suave director of a respected contemporary art museum who sees the museum, and his career, suddenly upended when the PR campaign surrounding his latest exhibit goes off the rails. Using the same razor-sharp humor utilized in his festival favorite FORCE MAJEURE (HIFF 2014), Östlund has created another masterful social satire that playfully disassembles the hypocrisy, privilege, and self-importance of the contemporary art world. Featuring fantastic turns by Terry Notary, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, THE SQUARE skillfully orchestrates one standout sequence after another, and in the process creates one of the most memorable films of the year.
VIEWS FROM LONG ISLAND
KILLER BEES (USA) World Premiere Directors: Benjamin Cummings, Orson Cummings KILLER BEES spotlights the famed Bridgehampton basketball team as they prepare to defend their state championship title. Following the young men on and off the court, filmmakers Benjamin and Orson Cummings explore the Bees’ historical importance within the local community. More than just a high school team, the Bees are a symbol of hope—particularly to those who are struggling to survive in one of the wealthiest districts in the country. Produced by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neill, KILLER BEES is a nuanced look at the powerful role sports play in overcoming racial, social, and economic adversity. STRONG ISLAND (USA/Denmark) Director: Yance Ford The dynamics of family, loss, and racial injustice converge in Yance Ford’s haunting meditation on the senseless death of his brother in 1992 and the judicial system’s failure to indict the killer. Moving beyond the tropes of traditional nonfiction filmmaking, Ford skillfully balances memoir with true crime investigation—interspersing intimate conversations with his family and revelatory moments of catharsis against the backdrop of the racial disparity that plagues our society. A work of profound resonance and relevance, STRONG ISLAND is a powerful examination of one grieving family’s quest for the truth. WANDERLAND (USA) World Premiere Director: Josh Klausner In an effort to briefly escape his humdrum life of isolation in New York City, Alex (Tate Ellington) impulsively accepts an invitation from an online acquaintance (Dree Hemingway) to house-sit at her picturesque “Enchanted Cottage” on Long Island. Despite his best attempts for a quiet weekend of relaxation, Alex suddenly finds himself lost on a surreal, all-night musical odyssey of misadventures. Filmed in and around the Hamptons area, and featuring a cast of wonderfully kooky local characters, Josh Klausner’s WANDERLAND is a madcap East End experience.
AIR, LAND & SEA
EARTH: ONE AMAZING DAY (UK) Directors: Richard Dale, Lixin Fan, Peter Webber Narrated by Robert Redford and co-directed by Academy Award® nominee Peter Webber and BAFTA winner Richard Dale, EARTH: ONE AMAZING DAY takes us on a breathtakingly immersive voyage across the continents—revealing our planet’s natural wonders and unique animal behavior, and reminding us of its increasing vulnerability. Over the course of a single day, the filmmakers travel across the globe, following the sun from the highest peaks to far-flung islands and exotic jungles. Along the way, we spend time with animals ranging from the white-headed langur monkeys in the mountains of southwestern China to a colony of chinstrap penguins in the Antarctic Ocean, illuminating the awe-inspiring beauty of our planet on an epic and sprawling scale. FROM THE ASHES (USA) Director: Michael Bonfiglio Moving beyond the rhetoric that frequently muddies the debate, FROM THE ASHES reflects on the United States’ long and often fraught relationship to the coal and mining industry, and ponders its uncertain future under the current administration. Balancing the conflicting perspectives of those most closely affected—one, an idealized return to the glory days of a thriving industry and the other, a growing awareness of the environmental consequences from the world’s most destructive form of energy— documentarian Michael Bonfiglio presents a series of compelling stories that speak to what is at stake for our economy, health, and climate.
CONFLICT & RESOLUTION
HONDROS (USA/Iraq/Liberia/Libya) Director: Greg Campbell Known for his probing and humane coverage of countries ravaged by conflict, Chris Hondros was one of the world’s most acclaimed war photographers when killed in action at the age of 41. Director Greg Campbell thoughtfully retraces Hondros’s numerous assignments to war-torn nations, with a visceral understanding of the invaluable power of photojournalism. Featuring interviews with Chris’s colleagues and subjects, Campbell creates a stirring portrait of the life of a pioneering photographer who committed himself to bearing witness to the human condition, to ennobling the suffering of others, and to telling their stories with compassion. HUMAN FLOW (Germany) East Coast Premiere Director: Ai Weiwei Visionary artist Ai Weiwei’s haunting new documentary follows the plight of migrants displaced from their homelands by war, poverty, and climate change. A sprawling global odyssey, HUMAN FLOW was filmed in 23 countries over the course of more than a year and examines the staggering scale of a crisis that has now reached epidemic proportions. Bearing witness to the atrocious refugee experience serves as a reminder that this is not just a refugee crisis, but rather a human crisis. The end result is a stirring and poignant essay on the profound impact and ways in which it shapes the word. MUHI – GENERALLY TEMPORARY (Israel/Germany) Director: Rina Castelnuovo, Tamir Elterman Jerusalem-based journalists Rina Castelnuovo-Hollander and Tamir Elterman present MUHI—GENERALLY TEMPORARY, an enchanting portrait of a sweet boy from Gaza who finds himself trapped between two conflicting nations. After an immune disorder threatens to take his life as an infant, Muhi is rushed to an Israeli hospital for emergency surgery and into the care of those considered to be his people’s enemy. Unable to leave due to the severity of his condition, the endlessly cheery Muhi and his doting grandfather remain in bureaucratic limbo for seven years—their moving story illustrating the far-reaching impact these paradoxical circumstances hold over the individuals caught in the crosshairs. THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE (Finland/Germany) Director: Aki Kaurismäki At the same time Syrian refugee Khaled emerges from the coal freighter on which he has stowed away and takes his first hopeful steps into Helsinki, traveling salesman Wikström makes his own foray into the unknown when he leaves his wife and purchases a local restaurant—setting the stage for the surprise convergence of their two worlds. Applying his trademark deadpan visual style to a globally urgent backdrop, Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki (LE HAVRE) continues his legacy of advocating for those on the fringes with this gently tragicomic look at the necessity of hope and the power of even the smallest gestures of compassion.
COMPASSION, JUSTICE, & ANIMAL RIGHTS
JANE (USA) Director: Brett Morgen Culled from hundreds of hours of recently discovered 16mm archival footage, Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Brett Morgen crafts an enchanting portrait of legendary primatologist and activist Jane Goodall when her revolutionary work was still in its infancy. Shot by National Geographic during her first encounter with the chimpanzees of Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park, we witness the transformative period when Goodall first began to develop the methodology that would soon make her a household name. Scored by illustrious composer Philip Glass and featuring eye-opening new interviews with Goodall, Morgen has created the definitive account of how this maverick scientist became the world’s most beloved conservationist. THE LAST PIG (USA) New York Premiere Director: Allison Argo A moving meditation on a man’s crisis of faith, THE LAST PIG follows Bob Comis as he concludes his last season as a pig farmer. Peppered with reflections on his decade with the pigs, farmer Bob’s introspective voiceover guides us through the changing seasons on the farm, and the images, often filmed at ground-level, merge us with the drove. Director Allison Argo masterfully gives weight to what at first appear to be mundane daily rituals, and as an ethical question swells for farmer Bob, it does for us as well. In this intimate portrayal of a man at a crossroads, we are welcomed into the sacred moment of choice.
SPECIAL SCREENING
ICARUS (USA) Director: Bryan Fogel The ruthless worlds of international sports and politics rarely collide as spectacularly as they do in Bryan Fogel’s ICARUS. While investigating the furtive world of illegal doping in sports, he connects with renegade Russian Scientist Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov—a pillar of his country’s “anti-doping” program. Fogel and Rodchenkov develop a close friendship, despite shocking allegations that place Rodchenkov at the center of Russia’s state-sponsored Olympic doping program. As signs point to illegalities running to Russia’s highest chains of command, they realize they hold the power to reveal the biggest international sports scandal in living memory and soon find themselves in the middle of an international conspiracy. Winner of the HIFF SummerDocs Audience Award, sponsored by Candescent Films.
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Guillermo del Toro’s THE SHAPE OF WATER Wins Golden Lion at Venice International Film Festival

Guillermo del Toro fairy tale drama The Shape of Water, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962 won the Golden Lion for Best Film at the 2017 Venice International Film Festival. The film, starring Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer, also won the Future Film Festival Digital Award, C. Smithers Foundation Award – CICT-UNESCO, and the Soundtrack Stars Award. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFYWazblaUA The Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize went to Foxtrot by Samuel Maoz, and the Silver Lion – Award for Best Director went to Xavier Legrand for his film Custody (Jusqu’à la Garde). Custody also won the award for Lion of The Future “Luigi de Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film.
2017 Venice International Film Festival Awards

VENEZIA 74
GOLDEN LION for Best Film to: THE SHAPE OF WATER by Guillermo del Toro (USA) SILVER LION – GRAND JURY PRIZE to: FOXTROT by Samuel Maoz (Israel, Germany, France, Switzerland) SILVER LION – AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to: Xavier Legrand for the film JUSQU’À LA GARDE (France) COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress: Charlotte Rampling in the film HANNAH by Andrea Pallaoro (Italy, Belgium, France) COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor: Kamel El Basha in the film THE INSULT by Ziad Doueiri (Lebanon, France) AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to: Martin McDonagh for the film THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI by Martin McDonagh (Great Britain) SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to: SWEET COUNTRY by Warwick Thornton (Australia) MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best Young Actor or Actress to: Charlie Plummer in the film LEAN ON PETE by Andrew Haigh (Great Britain)
ORIZZONTI
ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST FILM to: NICO, 1988 by Susanna Nicchiarelli (Italy, Belgium) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to: Vahid Jalilvand for BEDOUNE TARIKH, BEDOUNE EMZA (NO DATE, NO SIGNATURE) (Iran) SPECIAL ORIZZONTI JURY PRIZE to: CANIBA by Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor (France, USA) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS to: Lyna Khoudri in LES BIENHEUREUX by Sofia Djama (France, Belgium, Qatar) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR to: Navid Mohammadzadeh in BEDOUNE TARIKH, BEDOUNE EMZA (NO DATE, NO SIGNATURE) by Vahid Jalilvand (Iran) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to: Alireza Khatami for LOS VERSOS DEL OLVIDO by Alireza Khatami (France, Germany, Netherlands, Chile) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to: GROS CHAGRIN by Céline Devaux (France) VENICE SHORT FILM NOMINATION FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2017 to: GROS CHAGRIN by Céline Devaux (France)
VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM
LION OF THE FUTURE “LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to: JUSQU’À LA GARDE by Xavier Legrand (France) VENEZIA 74
VENICE CLASSICS
VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY ON CINEMA to: THE PRINCE AND THE DYBBUK by Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosołowski (Poland, Germany) VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST RESTORED FILM to: IDI I SMOTRI (COME AND SEE) by Elem Klimov (USSR, 1985)
VENICE VIRTUAL REALITY
BEST VR AWARD to: ARDEN’S WAKE (EXPANDED) by Eugene YK Chung (USA) BEST VR EXPERIENCE AWARD (FOR INTERACTIVE CONTENT) to: LA CAMERA INSABBIATA by Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang (USA, Taiwan) BEST VR STORY AWARD (FOR LINEAR CONTENT) to: BLOODLESS by Gina Kim (South Korea, USA)
COLLATERAL AWARDS
Arca CinemaGiovani Award Venezia 74 Best Film: FOXTROT by Samuel Maoz Best Italian Film: BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Giorgio Ferrero BNL People’s Choice Award – Giornate degli Autori GA’AGUA (LONGING) by Savi Gabizon Brian Award LES BIENHEUREUX by Sofia Djama Circolo del Cinema di Verona Award – 32nd Venice International Film Critics’ Week TEAM HURRICANE by Annika Berg Civitas Vitae Award IL COLORE NASCOSTO DELLE COSE by Silvio Soldini Fair Play Cinema Award EX LIBRIS – THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY by Frederick Wiseman Special Mention: HUMAN FLOW by Ai Weiwei Fedeora Award (Federazione dei Critici Europei e dei Paesi Mediterranei) Best Film: EYE ON JULIET by Kim Nguyen Best Director of a Debut Film: SARA FORESTIER for M Best Actor: REDOUANNE HARJANE for M FEDIC Award LA VITA IN COMUNE by Edoardo Winspeare Special Mention: NICO, 1988 by Susanna Nicchiarelli Mention FEDIC – Il giornale del cibo: LE VISITE by Elio Di Pace FIPRESCI Award EX LIBRIS – THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY by Frederick Wiseman Best Debut Film: LOS VERSOS DEL OLVIDO by Alireza Khatami Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Award GEORGE CLOONEY, MICHAEL CAINE and AI WEIWEI Enrico Fulchignoni – CICT-UNESCO Award HUMAN FLOW by Ai Weiwei Future Film Festival Digital Award THE SHAPE OF WATER by Guillermo del Toro Special Mention: GATTA CENERENTOLA by A. Rak, I. Cappiello, M. Guarnieri, D. Sansone GdA Director’s Award – Giornate degli Autori CANDELARIA by Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza Green Drop Award FIRST REFORMED by Paul Schrader HRNs Award – Special Prize for Human Rights THE RAPE OF RACY TAYLOR by Nancy Buirski Special Mention: L’ORDINE DELLE COSE by Andrea Segre Special Mention: HUMAN FLOW by Ai Weiwei Interfilm Award LOS VERSOS DEL OLVIDO by Alireza Khatami Label Europa Cinemas Award M by Sara Forestier Lanterna Magica Award (CGS) L’EQUILIBRIO by Vincenzo Marra La Pellicola d’Oro Award Best Production Manager in an Italian Film: DANIELE SPINOZZI for Ammore e Malavita Best Production Manager in an International Film: RICCARDO MARCHEGIANI for Mektoub My Love: Canto Uno Best Stagehand: ROBERTO DI PIETRO for Hannah Leoncino d’Oro Agiscuola Award THE LEISURE SEEKER by Paolo Virzì Cinema for UNICEF Award: HUMAN FLOW by Ai Weiwei Lizzani Award GÉRÔME BOURDEZEAU and DOMINIQUE BATTESTI IL COLORE NASCOSTO DELLE COSE by Silvio Soldini Lina Mangiacapre Award LES BIENHEUREUX by Sofia Djama Mouse d’Oro Award MEKTOUB, MY LOVE: CANTO UNO by Abdellatif Kechiche Mouse d’Argento Award: GATTA CENERENTOLA by A. Rak, I. Cappiello, M. Guarnieri, D. Sansone NuovoImaie Talent Award FEDERICA ROSELLINI for Dove cadono le ombre MIMMO BORRELLI for L’equilibrio Open Award GATTA CENERENTOLA by A. Rak, I. Cappiello, M. Guarnieri, D. Sansone Francesco Pasinetti Award – SNGCI AMMORE E MALAVITA by Manetti Bros. Special Award: GATTA CENERENTOLA by A. Rak, I. Cappiello, M. Guarnieri, D. Sansone Special Award: NICO, 1988 by Susanna Nicchiarelli Gillo Pontecorvo Award – Arcobaleno Latino MIAO XIAOTIAN, CEO of China Film Coproduction Corporation Queer Lion Award MARVIN by Anne Fontaine Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia Award for the Best Technical Contribution – 32nd Venice International Film Critics’ Week LES GARÇONS SAUVAGES by Bertrand Mandico Sfera 1932 Award LA MÉLODIE by Rachid Hami SIAE Audience Award – 32nd Venice International Film Critics’ Week TEMPORADA DE CAZA by Natalia Garagiola SIGNIS Award LA VILLA by Robert Guédiguian Special Mention: FOXTROT by Samuel Maoz C. Smithers Foundation Award – CICT-UNESCO THE SHAPE OF WATER by Guillermo del Toro Sorriso Diverso Venezia 2017 Award – Ass Ucl IL COLORE NASCOSTO DELLE COSE by Silvio Soldini Soundtrack Stars Award ALEXANDRE DESPLAT for The Shape of Water Special Award: AMMORE E MALAVITA by Manetti Bros. Lifetime Achievement Award to ANDREA GUERRA UNIMED Award LA VILLA by Robert Guédiguian Special Mention: BRUTTI E CATTIVI by Cosimo Gomez image via Twitter
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10 New Films from Darren Aronofsky, Sean Baker and More Complete San Sebastian Festival Pearls Lineup

[caption id="attachment_24073" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Mother!, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem[/caption] Ten new films including the latest from Darren Aronofsky, Sean Baker, Michael Haneke, Martin McDonagh, will complete the Pearls section of the 2017 San Sebastian Festival. All will compete for the City of Donostia / San Sebastian Audience Awards. Mother!, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem and Michelle Pfeiffer, is the latest film from Darren Aronofsky (New York, 1969), the maker of Pi (1998), Best Director Award at Sundance; the cult movie Requiem for a Dream (2000); The Wrestler (2008), Golden Lion in Venice; and Black Swan, Academy Award for Best Actress (Natalie Portman). His latest production is a psychological thriller that will compete at the coming Venice Festival. The Florida Project was one of the most applauded films at the last Cannes Festival, where it participated in the Directors’ Fortnight. Here, Sean Baker (Summit, United States, 1971) tells us about the summer holidays spent by a six year-old girl and her friends, while the adults around them struggle through hard times, after presenting at Sundance 2015 Tangerine, his fourth feature and the first to be completely shot with an iPhone, which harvested around twenty awards. The author of Marius et Jeannette / Marius and Jeanette (1997), Best Actress César for Ariane Ascaride; Marie-Jo et ses 2 amours / Marie-Jo and Her Two Lovers (2002), which competed at Cannes; and Les neiges du Kilimandjaro / The Snows of Kilimanjaro (2012), selected for Un Certain Regard, congregates his regular accomplices on the cast of La villa / The House by the Sea. Robert Guédiguian (Marseille, France, 1953) brings a tale of three siblings who reunite at their father’s house in a small cove near Marseille at the height of winter, and which will compete in Venice. In 1998 Guédiguian won the Special Jury Prize for À la place du Coeur / Where the Heart Is in San Sebastian, to which he returned in 2004 with Mon père est ingenieur / My Father is an Engineer. Michael Haneke (Munich, Germany, 1942), one of the essential directors of today’s cinema, will present Happy End. The author of Funny Games (1997), La pianiste / The Piano Teacher (2001), Das Weisse Band /The White Ribbon (2009) and Amour / Love (2012) has been acclaimed throughout his career with around a hundred awards coming from festivals and international accolades. Happy End, his snapshot from the life of a bourgeois European family, was selected for the Cannes Official Selection. Hirokazu Koreeda (Tokyo, 1962), who has competed four times for the Golden Shell -Wandafuru raifu / After Life (1998), Hana yori mo naho / Hana (2006), Aruitemo, aruitemo / Still Walking (2008) and Kiseki / I Wish (2011), winner of the Best Screenplay Award – has won San Sebastian’s Audience Award twice: in 2013 with Soshite chichi ni naru / Like Father Like Son and in 2015 with Umimachi Diary / Our Little Sister. In Sando-me no satsujin / The Third Murder, to compete at Venice, he follows a lawyer who doubts his client’s guilt. Xavier Legrand, whose short Avant que de tout perdre won the César, four awards at Clermont-Ferrand and landed an Academy Award nomination, debuts in feature films with the story of a son of divorced parents with his shared custody. Jusqu’à la garde / Custody has been selected for the official selection in Venice. Martin McDonagh (Camberwell, United Kingdom, 1970) won, with Six Shooter (2004), the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. His first feature film, In Bruges (2008), won the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay and an Oscar nomination in the same category, and his second, Seven Psychopaths (2012) received the Audience Award in Toronto’s Midnight Madness section. In Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, to compete at Venice, he narrates the confrontation between a woman (Frances McDormand), whose daughter was murdered months ago without the culprit being arrested, and the local police, headed by two officers played by Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell. After placing his camera in a Danish regiment in Afghanistan (Armadillo) and shooting an episode of the series True Detective, Janus Metz (Denmark, 1974) presents Borg/McEnroe. The film, to open Toronto Festival, recreates the 1980 Wimbledon final between the Swedish and North American tennis players. Lynne Ramsay (Glasgow, United Kingdom,1969) competed at Cannes with her previous film We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), winner of Best Director at the British Independent Film Awards and Best European Actress Award (Tilda Swinton). You Were Never Really Here, written and directed by the Scottish filmmaker, was acknowledged with the Best Screenplay and Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix) Awards at the last Cannes Festival. Paolo Virzì (Livorno, Italy, 1964) is one of today’s most important Italian directors. Some of his most remarkable films are Il capitale umano / Human Capital (2013), winner of the David di Donatello Awards for Best Screenplay, Director and Actress, and his penultimate work, La pazza gioia / Like Crazy (2016), winner of the David for Best Film and, once again, Best Director and Best Actress. The Leisure Seeker, starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland, is his first film shot in the USA and will compete at Cannes. These titles join the others already announced: Teströl és lékekröl / On Body and Soul by Ilkidó Eneydi; Nelyubov / Loveless by Andrey Zvyagintsev; 120 battements par minute (120 BPM) / 120 Beats Per Minute, by Robin Campillo; Wonderstruck, by Todd Haynes; The Big Sick, by Michael Showalter; Call Me By Your Name, by Luca Guadagnino; and Loving Pablo, by Fernando León de Aranoa, which will close the section out of competition. The City of Donostia / San Sebastian Audience Award is split into two accolades: the Best Film Award, with 50,000 euros, and the Best European Film, with 20,000 euros. BORG/MCENROE JANUS METZ (SWEDEN – DENMARK – FINLAND) Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Sverrir Gudnason, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny Biopic about the rivalry between two of world tennis’s biggest icons: the imperturbable Björn Borg and the temperamental North American John McEnroe, through their legendary confrontation at Wimbledon 1980. Two sportsmen completely different from one another who became legends and the price they had to pay for it. Fire and ice on the court. HAPPY END MICHAEL HANEKE (FRANCE – AUSTRIA – GERMANY) Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Mathieu Kassovitz All around us, the world, and we, in its midst, blind. A snapshot from the life of a bourgeois European family. JUSQU’À LA GARDE / CUSTODY XAVIER LEGRAND (FRANCE) Cast: Denis Ménochet, Léa Drucker, Thomas Gioria, Mathilde Auneveux, Saadia Bentaïeb, Sophie Pincemaille, Emilie Incerti-Formentini Myriam and Antoine are divorced. She asks for exclusive guardianship to protect her young son from her violent husband, but the judge decides to award both spouses shared custody. The victim of a jealous father, in the endeavour to protect his abused mother, Julien will do everything he can to stop the worst from happening. LA VILLA / THE HOUSE BY THE SEA ROBERT GUÉDIGUIAN (FRANCE) Cast: Ariane Ascaride, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Gérard Meylan, Anaïs Demoustier, Robinson Stevenin In a little cove near Marseille, at the height of winter, Angèle, Joseph and Armand return to their elderly father’s home. Angèle is an actress living in Paris and Joseph has just fallen in love with a girl half his age. Armand is the only one who had stayed behind in Marseille to run his father’s small restaurant. It’s time for them to weigh up what they have inherited of their patriarch’s ideals and the community spirit he created in this magical place around a restaurant for workers. But the arrival of a group of boat people will change their reflections… MOTHER! DARREN ARONOFSKY (USA) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Harris A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. A riveting psychological thriller about love, devotion and sacrifice. SANDO-ME NO SATSUJIN / THE THIRD MURDER HIROKAZU KOREEDA (JAPAN) Cast: Kasaharu Fukuyama, Kôji Yakuso, Suzu Hirose Attorney Shigemori takes on the defence of murder-robbery suspect Misumi who served jail time for another murder 30 years ago. Shigemori’s chances of winning the case seem low – his client freely admits his guilt, despite facing the death penalty if he is convicted. But as he digs deeper into the case and hears the testimonies of Mishumi and his family, Shigemori begins to doubt whether his client is the murderer after all. THE FLORIDA PROJECT SEAN BAKER (USA) Cast: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Valeria Cotto, Bria Vinaite, Caleb Landry Jones The Florida Project tells the story of Moonee, a precocious six-year-old and her ragtag group of friends whose summer break is filled with childhood wonder, possibility and a sense of adventure, while the adults around them struggle with hard times. All over the United States, cheap motels have become the last refuge for those unable to secure a permanent home. These invisible destitute people are increasingly greater in number, and 41% are families who struggle every day to keep a roof over their heads. This story is set in the suburbs of Orlando, holiday capital par excellence, home to “the most magical place on earth”. All along the road wending through the land of theme parks and resorts, the cheap hotels that in their day attracted tourists, exploiting the mysticism of Disney, now house homeless families. Moonee and her mother Halley, 22, live in one of these places: the Magic Castle Motel. THE LEISURE SEEKER PAOLO VIRZÌ (ITALY ) Cast: Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland Ella and John are fleeing the suffocating care of their doctors and grown children. He is distracted but strong. She is frail but sharp. The journey aboard their faithful old camper takes them from Boston to Key West in the USA. Sharing moments of exhilaration and anguish, they recapture their passion for life and their love for others, seeing differently and with perspective the things they’ve left behind. And this means that the way they see each other too will change during their adventure. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI MARTIN MCDONAGH (UK) Cast: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Peter Dinklage, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, Caleb Landry Jones After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby, the town’s revered chief of police. When his second-in-command officer, Dixon, an immature mother’s boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing’s law enforcement is only exacerbated. YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE LYNNE RAMSAY (USA – FRANCE) Cast: Joaquin Phoenix. Ekaterina Samsonov, Alessandro Nivola, Alex Manette, John Doman, Judith Roberts A missing teenage girl. A brutal and tormented enforcer on a rescue mission. Corrupt power and vengeance unleash a storm of violence that may lead to his awakening.
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