Love Jacked[/caption]
The 26th Annual Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF) will take place Thursday, February 8 through Monday, February 19, 2018. The festival will open with Love Jacked directed by Alfons Adetuyi, and close with Traffik directed by Deon Taylor, starring Paula Patton, Omar Epps and Laz Alonso.
“The Pan African Film and Arts Festival has been recognized as one of the largest celebrations of Black culture and Black films,” mentions Ayuko Babu, PAFF Executive Director. “For 26 years, we have presented diverse and inclusive programming that features the creative work of leading disruptors in film and entertainment. The 2018 PAFF experience aims to step outside the ‘business as usual’ film festival norms and move the needle forward by amplifying the game-changing voices of influential, ethnic, millennial and LGBTQIA storytellers.”
With pride, PAFF shares reign as one of two international film and art festivals that screen a large selection of new Black films and exhibit fine art and unique crafts from around the world. This year’s confirmed lineup showcases over 170 films from over 40 countries within five continents and in 26 languages! What’s more, as an official Oscar-qualifying festival for shorts and live-action films, PAFF will hold special screenings for several works that are up for consideration for the 90th Annual Academy Awards
The festival will be held at the Cinemark Rave 15 Theatres/Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza (3650 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd) in Los Angeles, California.
Carpinteros (Woodpeckers)
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2018 Pan African Film & Arts Festival Reveals Highlights, Opens with “Love Jacked”
[caption id="attachment_26705" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Love Jacked[/caption]
The 26th Annual Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF) will take place Thursday, February 8 through Monday, February 19, 2018. The festival will open with Love Jacked directed by Alfons Adetuyi, and close with Traffik directed by Deon Taylor, starring Paula Patton, Omar Epps and Laz Alonso.
“The Pan African Film and Arts Festival has been recognized as one of the largest celebrations of Black culture and Black films,” mentions Ayuko Babu, PAFF Executive Director. “For 26 years, we have presented diverse and inclusive programming that features the creative work of leading disruptors in film and entertainment. The 2018 PAFF experience aims to step outside the ‘business as usual’ film festival norms and move the needle forward by amplifying the game-changing voices of influential, ethnic, millennial and LGBTQIA storytellers.”
With pride, PAFF shares reign as one of two international film and art festivals that screen a large selection of new Black films and exhibit fine art and unique crafts from around the world. This year’s confirmed lineup showcases over 170 films from over 40 countries within five continents and in 26 languages! What’s more, as an official Oscar-qualifying festival for shorts and live-action films, PAFF will hold special screenings for several works that are up for consideration for the 90th Annual Academy Awards
The festival will be held at the Cinemark Rave 15 Theatres/Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza (3650 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd) in Los Angeles, California.
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92 countries in Competition for Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 90th Academy Awards
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Pop Aye – Kirsten Tan[/caption]
A record 92 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 90th Academy Awards. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants.
The 2017 submissions are:
Afghanistan, “A Letter to the President,” Roya Sadat, director;
Albania, “Daybreak,” Gentian Koçi, director;
Algeria, “Road to Istanbul,” Rachid Bouchareb, director;
Argentina, “Zama,” Lucrecia Martel, director;
Armenia, “Yeva,” Anahit Abad, director;
Australia, “The Space Between,” Ruth Borgobello, director;
Austria, “Happy End,” Michael Haneke, director;
Azerbaijan, “Pomegranate Orchard,” Ilgar Najaf, director;
Bangladesh, “The Cage,” Akram Khan, director;
Belgium, “Racer and the Jailbird,” Michaël R. Roskam, director;
Bolivia, “Dark Skull,” Kiro Russo, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Men Don’t Cry,” Alen Drljević, director;
Brazil, “Bingo – The King of the Mornings,” Daniel Rezende, director;
Bulgaria, “Glory,” Petar Valchanov, Kristina Grozeva, directors;
Cambodia, “First They Killed My Father,” Angelina Jolie, director;
Canada, “Hochelaga, Land of Souls,” François Girard, director;
Chile, “A Fantastic Woman,” Sebastián Lelio, director;
China, “Wolf Warrior 2,” Wu Jing, director;
Colombia, “Guilty Men,” Iván D. Gaona, director;
Costa Rica, “The Sound of Things,” Ariel Escalante, director;
Croatia, “Quit Staring at My Plate,” Hana Jušić, director;
Czech Republic, “Ice Mother,” Bohdan Sláma, director;
Denmark, “You Disappear,” Peter Schønau Fog, director;
Dominican Republic, “Woodpeckers,” Jose Maria Cabral, director;
Ecuador, “Alba,” Ana Cristina Barragán, director;
Egypt, “Sheikh Jackson,” Amr Salama, director;
Estonia, “November,” Rainer Sarnet, director;
Finland, “Tom of Finland,” Dome Karukoski, director;
France, “BPM (Beats Per Minute),” Robin Campillo, director;
Georgia, “Scary Mother,” Ana Urushadze, director;
Germany, “In the Fade,” Fatih Akin, director;
Greece, “Amerika Square,” Yannis Sakaridis, director;
Haiti, “Ayiti Mon Amour,” Guetty Felin, director;
Honduras, “Morazán,” Hispano Durón, director;
Hong Kong, “Mad World,” Wong Chun, director;
Hungary, “On Body and Soul,” Ildikó Enyedi, director;
Iceland, “Under the Tree,” Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, director;
India, “Newton,” Amit V Masurkar, director;
Indonesia, “Turah,” Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo, director;
Iran, “Breath,” Narges Abyar, director;
Iraq, “Reseba – The Dark Wind,” Hussein Hassan, director;
Ireland, “Song of Granite,” Pat Collins, director;
Israel, “Foxtrot,” Samuel Maoz, director;
Italy, “A Ciambra,” Jonas Carpignano, director;
Japan, “Her Love Boils Bathwater,” Ryota Nakano, director;
Kazakhstan, “The Road to Mother,” Akhan Satayev, director;
Kenya, “Kati Kati,” Mbithi Masya, director;
Kosovo, “Unwanted,” Edon Rizvanolli, director;
Kyrgyzstan, “Centaur,” Aktan Arym Kubat, director;
Lao People’s Democratic Republic, “Dearest Sister,” Mattie Do, director;
Latvia, “The Chronicles of Melanie,” Viestur Kairish, director;
Lebanon, “The Insult,” Ziad Doueiri, director;
Lithuania, “Frost,” Sharunas Bartas, director;
Luxembourg, “Barrage,” Laura Schroeder, director;
Mexico, “Tempestad,” Tatiana Huezo, director;
Mongolia, “The Children of Genghis,” Zolbayar Dorj, director;
Morocco, “Razzia,” Nabil Ayouch, director;
Mozambique, “The Train of Salt and Sugar,” Licinio Azevedo, director;
Nepal, “White Sun,” Deepak Rauniyar, director;
Netherlands, “Layla M.,” Mijke de Jong, director;
New Zealand, “One Thousand Ropes,” Tusi Tamasese, director;
Norway, “Thelma,” Joachim Trier, director;
Pakistan, “Saawan,” Farhan Alam, director;
Palestine, “Wajib,” Annemarie Jacir, director;
Panama, “Beyond Brotherhood,” Arianne Benedetti, director;
Paraguay, “Los Buscadores,” Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schembori, directors;
Peru, “Rosa Chumbe,” Jonatan Relayze, director;
Philippines, “Birdshot,” Mikhail Red, director;
Poland, “Spoor,” Agnieszka Holland, Kasia Adamik, directors;
Portugal, “Saint George,” Marco Martins, director;
Romania, “Fixeur,” Adrian Sitaru, director;
Russia, “Loveless,” Andrey Zvyagintsev, director;
Senegal, “Félicité,” Alain Gomis, director;
Serbia, “Requiem for Mrs. J.,” Bojan Vuletic, director;
Singapore, “Pop Aye,” Kirsten Tan, director;
Slovakia, “The Line,” Peter Bebjak, director;
Slovenia, “The Miner,” Hanna A. W. Slak, director;
South Africa, “The Wound,” John Trengove, director;
South Korea, “A Taxi Driver,” Jang Hoon, director;
Spain, “Summer 1993,” Carla Simón, director;
Sweden, “The Square,” Ruben Östlund, director;
Switzerland, “The Divine Order,” Petra Volpe, director;
Syria, “Little Gandhi,” Sam Kadi, director;
Taiwan, “Small Talk,” Hui-Chen Huang, director;
Thailand, “By the Time It Gets Dark,” Anocha Suwichakornpong, director;
Tunisia, “The Last of Us,” Ala Eddine Slim, director;
Turkey, “Ayla: The Daughter of War,” Can Ulkay, director;
Ukraine, “Black Level,” Valentyn Vasyanovych, director;
United Kingdom, “My Pure Land,” Sarmad Masud, director;
Uruguay, “Another Story of the World,” Guillermo Casanova, director;
Venezuela, “El Inca,” Ignacio Castillo Cottin, director;
Vietnam, “Father and Son,” Luong Dinh Dung, director.
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 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
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WOODPECKERS, GUILTY MEN, GABRIEL AND THE MOUNTAIN will be Featured in Australia’s Cine Latino Festival
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GABRIEL AND THE MOUNTAIN (GABRIEL E A MONTANHA)[/caption]
Cine Latino, Australia’s largest festival of Latin American cinema returns for its second year with screenings in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide – as well as adding Hobart to its 2017 itinerary.
The festival’s 2016 partnership with Los Angeles based ‘Hola Mexico Film Festival’ continues this year, bringing a selection of the best contemporary Mexican films to Australia. This year’s line up will also include a new sidebar: Cine Argentina, focusing on the best new films from Argentina.
Cine Latino announced five films that will screen as part of its 2017 program.
Following its history-making screening at Sundance is the Dominican Republic’s WOODPECKERS (CARPINTEROS), directed by José María Cabral. Blending documentary and fiction, the film is set in corresponding male and female prisons where inhabitants use a special sign language called ‘woodpecking’ to forge connections.
Peruvian film CRAZY IN LOVE (LOCOS DE AMOR), from director Frank Pérez-Garland, embraces an energetic musical format to tell the stories of several couples living in the country’s capital, Lima. Equally charming and sincere, the film is performed to a brilliant soundtrack of Latin American hit songs from yesteryear.
Iván Gaona’s GUILTY MEN (PARIENTE), Colombia’s nail-biting entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, is the story of a trucker/DJ engaging in a dangerous game with Santander’s paramilitaries, as he attempts to reunite with a former flame.
Winner of two major prizes at Cannes 2017, and based on true events, Brazilian writer/director Fellipe Barbosa’s spectacular GABRIEL AND THE MOUNTAIN (GABRIEL E A MONTANHA) is a moving and richly-layered road movie; a re-creation of a journey through Kilimanjaro, Kenya, Malawi and Zambia, as through the eyes of the eponymous traveller.
Manane Rodriguez (The Lost Steps) directs BREADCRUMBS (MIGAS DE PAN), a film centered around the Uruguayan dictatorship of the 70s and 80s and its impact on a young woman after she is captured by the military. The film stars award-winning Argentine actor Cecilia Roth.
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30th Virginia Film Festival Reveals Lineup, Opens with DOWNSIZING + Spotlights Race and Charlottesville
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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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WOODPECKERS is Dominican Republic’s Entry for 2018 Oscar Race for Best Foreign Film | TRAILER
José María Cabral’s Woodpeckers (Carpinteros) was selected this week as Dominican Republic’s official submission for the 2018 Foreign Language Oscar category.
Woodpeckers (Carpinteros) which premiered earlier this year at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival tells the story of handsome Dominican-Haitian Julián (actor Jean Jean in a breakout role) who begins a begins a jail sentence for petty theft inside the notorious Najayo prison just outside Santo Domingo. He becomes immersed in the system of “Woodpecking,” the unique sign language the male prisoners use to communicate with women in the adjacent penitentiary just over 400 feet away. Julián’s entanglement with one female inmate, Yanelly (the astonishing Dominican actress Judith Rodriguez Perez), is the fuse that ignites the events of Woodpeckers, which was shot on location at the actual prison using real inmates for all but the lead roles.
Director José María Cabral’s first feature film, Jaque Mate (2011), was selected as the Dominican entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards.
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VIDEO: Watch Love Blossom in Prison in Trailer for Dominican Republic Film WOODPECKERS (CARPINTEROS)
Here is the new trailer and poster for the Woodpeckers (Carpinteros) directed by Jose Maria Cabral. Love can spring up in the most unlikely places, and the new film Woodpeckers (Carpinteros) tells one such tale of illicit and slow-boil attraction.
The film starring Jean Jean, Ramon Emilio Candelario and Judith Rodriguez, was an official selection of many film festivals including the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and the Guadalajara Film Festival, where the film won the awards for Best Actor and Jury Prize. Woodpeckers will be released in theaters on Friday, September 15, 2017 at (AMC EMPIRE 25, UA KAUFMAN ASTORIA STADIUM 14) with a wider national release to follow.
Dreadlocked and handsome Dominican-Haitian Julián (actor Jean Jean in a breakout role) begins a jail sentence for petty theft inside the notorious Najayo prison just outside Santo Domingo. While navigating the indignities, corruption and everyday violence from both guards and fellow inmates, he becomes immersed in the system of “Woodpecking,” the unique sign language the male prisoners use to communicate with women in the adjacent penitentiary just over 400 feet away.
Standing in windows or out in prison yards, love – and heated liaisons – blossom. Julián’s entanglement with one female inmate, Yanelly (the astonishing Dominican actress Judith Rodriguez Perez), is the fuse that ignites the events of Woodpeckers, which was shot on location at the actual prison using real inmates for all but the lead roles. Director José María Cabral, whose previous work was the Dominican Republic’s official submission for the Foreign Language Oscar, delivers a knockout film, full of atmosphere, sexuality, and grit.
Trailer Woodpeckers (Carpinteros)
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2017 Milwaukee Film Festival Unveils Cine Sin Fronteras Lineup, WOODPECKERS, CHAVELA and More
The Cine Sin Fronteras program returns to the 2017 Milwaukee Film Festival for the second year, showcasing the rich and vibrant Latinx diaspora from around the world. This year’s program includes seven feature films and the new shorts program CSF Shorts: Menos es Más.
The films come from eight different countries and include Carpinteros (Woodpeckers), the first Dominican film to screen at the Sundance Film Festival; Chavela, a portrait documentary chronicling the dramatic career of legendary singer Chavela Vargas; and Dolores, a documentary exploring the extraordinary life of one of America’s most important labor activist.
The 2017 Milwaukee Film Festival will take place at the Landmark Oriental Theatre, Landmark Downer Theatre, Fox-Bay Cinema Grill, Times Cinema, and Avalon Theater from September 28th to October 12th.
2017 Milwaukee Film Festival Cine Sin Fronteras
Carpinteros (Woodpeckers) (Dominican Republic / 2017 / Director: José María Cabral) A love story unlike any other – prisoners in the Dominican Republic’s Najayo prison, separated by concrete, barbed wire, and hundreds of yards, falling for one another without ever speaking a word between them. Dubbed ‘woodpeckers’ for the created language of hand signals that allows men and women to bridge this physical divide (100% real, by the way), star-crossed lovers Julian and Yanelly pursue love despite guards, worsening conditions, and a murderous ex that remains on the inside. Verite grit combines with sensual performances to make Carpinteros a pulse-pounding romantic delight. https://vimeo.com/198679519 Chavela (USA / 2017 / Directors: Catherine Gund, Daresha Kyi) If you’ve yet to acquaint yourself with the iconoclastic, stereotype-defying career of singer Chavela Vargas, prepare yourself for a documentary that ensures you will never forget her journey from fame to alcohol-fueled obscurity and back again. Taking the masculine world of Mexico’s ranchera music by storm with her unmistakable voice (fiercely passionate and deeply moving) while challenging gender norms with her mode of dress and stage presentation (with partners such as Frida Kahlo), Chavela’s singular personality is given proper tribute by this riveting and soulful portrait. https://vimeo.com/202123182 CSF Shorts: Menos es Más El Buzo (México / 2015 / Director: Esteban Arrangoiz) Hermanas En Ruedas (USA / 2017 / Director: Amberly Alene Ellis) Leche (USA / 2015 / Director: Gabriella A. Moses) La Madre Buena (México / 2016 / Director: Sarah Clift) El Maquinador (Argentina / 2015 / Director: Pablo Latorre) Otro Corto (Puerto Rico / 2016 / Director: Heixan Robles) Undesirables (USA / 2016 / Director: Angela Rosales Challis) Divinas Divas (Brazil / 2016 / Director: Leandra Leal) In 1960’s Brazil, the iconic first generation of drag queens took the stage at the Rival Theatre, one of the only venues that gave shelter to these performers, many of whom became famous the world over. 50 years later, eight of these magnificent drag performers are returning to the Rival for a cabaret curtain call, a celebration of those that helped challenge gender norms and smash gender roles in a repressive society, in this ravishing documentary filled with show-stopping performance and tender insight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDetz7OSTjA Dolores (USA / 2017 / Director: Peter Bratt) Trailer: http://bit.ly/2w3zYRD Dolores Huerta is the most important activist in American history that you’ve never heard of. An equal partner alongside Cesar Chavez in organizing the first farmworkers unions (eventually becoming the UFW), Huerta fought ceaselessly to protect the rights of jornaleros, mujeres, and all whom those in power would seek to exploit. Even at the age of 87, she remains a stridently feminist, uncompromising firebrand. Combining archival footage with unprecedented intimate access, Dolores finally gives this titan of American activism the tribute she so richly deserves. Esteban (Cuba / 2016 / Director: Jonal Cosculluela) Nine-year-old Esteban ekes out an existence with his single mother on the streets of Havana, but he dreams of a brighter future thanks to his natural affinity for music. When a cantankerous old piano instructor makes his way into the young boy’s life, Esteban looks to seize this opportunity even if it means going against his mother’s wishes. A winning portrait of perseverance with an absurdly charming performance at its center, Esteban is a story for anyone who believes in the power of music to change one’s life. https://youtu.be/cYwCngfWZQ8 Extra Terrestres (Puerto Rico / Venezuela / 2016 / Director: Carla Cavina) Teresa, returning to her Puerto Rican home after seven years away studying astrophysics, has picked the worst possible time to come out by revealing her impending nuptials to her traditional family: Their poultry business is under attack from unscrupulous government officials and rival companies, while her sister struggles to reign in her precocious young son’s constant experimentation around the house. Cosmic interludes combine with intimate family drama to form a winning portrait of life and love that is literally out of this world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-8V4cB-D-k El Sueño de Mara’akame (Mara’akame’s Dream) (México / 2016 / Directors: Federico Cecchetti) While Nieri, a young native Huichol, sees his impending trip to Mexico City with his father as an opportunity to perform alongside friends in their beloved rock band, his dad has other ideas – he’s a Mara’akame, a Huichol shaman, and cultural tradition stipulates Nieri to undergo a spiritual journey in order to follow in his footsteps. Once in the big city, Nieri must settle the struggle between modernity and indigeneity in order to find himself in this eye-opening glimpse into the Huichol traditions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w72f67Zn9U
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VIDEOS + PHOTOS: Dominican Republican Film WOODPECKERS Sets Release Date
Watch some video clips and photos from the Dominican film Woodpeckers (Carpinteros) directed by Jose Maria Cabral and set in the Dominican Republic’s Najayo Prison. The film which was an official selection at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival will open in theaters on Friday, September 15, 2017 in New York (AMC Empire 25) with a wider national release to follow.
Julián finds love and a reason for living in the last place imaginable: the Dominican Republic’s Najayo Prison. His romance, with fellow prisoner Yanelly, must defeat the distance that separates them by using a sign language created by the inmates in Najayo, called “Woodpecking,” enabling them to effectively communicate and develop personal and even intimate relationships without the knowledge of dozens of guards. Using real prison locations and non-actors throughout, WOODPECKERS is also based on real events.
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2017 Seattle International Film Festival Announces Lineup of 400 Films, Closes with THE YOUNG KARL MARX
[caption id="attachment_18956" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
The Young Karl Marx (Le jeune Karl Marx)[/caption]
The 43rd Seattle International Film Festival taking place May 18 to June 11, 2017, today unveiled a lineup of 400 films representing 80 countries.
Opening night kicks off Friday, May 18 with The Big Sick, starring and written by Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) along with his wife Emily V. Gordon. Closing this year’s Festival is the North American premiere of The Young Karl Marx, directed by Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro). The story follows 26-year-old Karl Marx (August Diehl) and his wife Jenny in exile in Europe, where they meet a man who provides them with the final piece needed for the foundation of Marxist theory.
At the annual Centerpiece Gala, SIFF will travel to 1990s Manhattan in the slice-of-life comedy, Landline. Director Gillian Robespierre brings back actress-comedienne Jenny Slate following their SIFF 2014 run of Obvious Child.
The World premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s Trouble will screen at Seattle’s historic SIFF Cinema Egyptian as SIFF honors the film’s executive producer and star, Anjelica Huston, with the Career Achievement in Acting Award. In addition to the award presentation and screening, the acclaimed actress is also slated for an on-stage interview at the Wednesday, June 7 event.
Also scheduled is An Afternoon with Sam Elliott, where the festival will pay tribute to the all-American actor. Along with his iconic voice, Elliott makes his way to SIFF on Saturday, May 27th for the Seattle premiere of his newest film The Hero following an onstage discussion that afternoon.
Receiving raving reviews following its’ world premiere at SXSW is Seattle native S.J. Chiro’s first full-length feature, Lane 1974. Drawing off of Chiro’s own childhood experiences as well as those described in Clane Hayward’s memoir “The Hypocrisy of Disco”, SIFF is thrilled to present this 1970s coming-of-age narrative.
One of several interactive events features Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World, a documentary by Catherine Bainbridge celebrating the achievements and contributions of Native Americans in modern American music. Along with the screening of the film, guests will also enjoy Indigenous Centered Perspectives, an exhibit showcasing works by four indigenous artists at the Paramount Theater. The Friday, May 26 event is hosted by SIFF in collaboration with Amazon Video Direct, STG, and Longhouse Media.
“This year’s robust line-up includes a wide variety of programs ranging from heartfelt features from comedy favorites to thought-provoking documentaries, as well as once in a lifetime conversations with Hollywood legends,” says Interim Artistic Director Beth Barrett. “We are thrilled to jump into our 43rd edition and introduce spectacular programming from across the world to over 150,000 film enthusiasts in Seattle over the course of 25 days.”
GALAS
Opening Night Gala The Big Sick The hilarious, romantic, and moving true story of the cross-cultural courtship between Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley”) and his wife Emily (Zoe Kazan) comes to life in this utterly delightful comedy from director Michael Showalter and producer Judd Apatow. (d: Michael Showalter c: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher, USA 2017, 119 min) Centerpiece Gala Landline The director and star of Obvious Child reunite for this uproarious slice-of- life story about two sisters (Jenny Slate and breakout star Abby Quinn) in pre-cell-phone 1990s Manhattan who discover that their father is having an affair, and conspire to expose him. (d: Gillian Robespierre c: Jenny Slate, John Turturro, Edie Falco, Abby Quinn, Jay Duplass, Finn Wittrock, USA 2017, 93 min) Closing Night Gala The Young Karl Marx North American Premiere Director Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) presents a lush period drama that joins 26-year- old Karl Marx (August Diehl) and his wife Jenny in exile in Europe, where they meet Friedrich Engels, who provides the final piece needed for the foundation of Marxist theory. (d: Raoul Peck c: August Diehl, Stefan Konarske, Vicky Krieps, Hannah Steele, Olivier Gourmet, France/Germany/ Belgium 2016, 118 min)SPECIAL GUESTS
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN ACTING AWARD Anjelica Huston Featuring Trouble Plus screenings of The Grifters and The Witches Anjelica Huston is a powerhouse of a woman whose career has spanned over 50 years: through modeling, film, television, and on the page. Born into the family of renowned film director John Huston and legendary grandfather Walter Huston, Anjelica was sure to make a splash in the industry with both her unique beauty and strong presence. Her penchant for and exquisite skill in portraying tenacious, crafty, emotionally strong women has undoubtedly made her among the greatest actresses of our time. Past honorees of the SIFF Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award include Laura Dern, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Viggo Mortensen, Kyle MacLachlan, Sir Ben Kingsley, Kevin Bacon, Edward Norton, Sissy Spacek, Joan Allen, and Anthony Hopkins amongst others. AN AFTERNOON WITH Sam Elliott Featuring The Hero He of the gruff baritone voice and the luxuriant mustache, Sam Elliott is the quintessential portrait of the American cowboy, a quality he’s drawn on since he first appeared onscreen in the 1969 Oscar® winner Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. From Tombstone to Gettysburg, The Big Lebowski to Mask, Road House to Thank You for Smoking, ad campaigns for Coors and the American Beef Council, and TV work ranging from “Mission: Impossible” to “Justified,” his rugged, commanding presence is an unmistakable gift to American pop culture and any genre lucky enough to have him.COMPETITIONS
Official Competition
7 Minutes (d. Michele Placido, Italy/France/Switzerland 2016, North American Premiere) Bad Influence (d: Claudia Huaiqimilla, Chile 2016) Beach Rats (d: Eliza Hittman, USA 2016) Have A Nice Day (d: LIU Jian, China/Hong Kong 2017, North American Premiere) Hedi (d: Mohamed Ben Attia, Tunisia/Belgium/France/Qatar/Uae 2016) My Happy Family (d: Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Gross, Georgia/Germany/France 2017) Sami Blood (d: Amanda Kernell, Sweden/Norway/Denmark 2016) Zoology (d: Ivan I. Tverdovsky, Russia/France/Germany 2016)New Directors Competition
Anishoara (d: Ana-Felicia Scutelnicu, Germany 2016) Boundaries (d: Chloé Robichaud, Canada (Québec) 2016) Diamond Island (d: Davy Chou, France 2016) The Inland Road (d: Jackie Van Beek, New Zealand 2017, North American Premiere) I Was A Dreamer (d: Michele Vannucci, Italy 2016, North American Premiere) Kati Kati (d: Mbithi Masya, Kenya 2016) The Man (d: Charlotte Sieling, Denmark 2017) Paris Prestige (d: Hamé Bourokba, Ekoué Labitey, France 2016) Quit Staring at My Plate (d: Hana Jušić, Croatia 2016) Struggle for Life (d: Antonin Peretjatko, Belgium 2016)Ibero-American Competition
Chameleon (d: Jorge Riquelme Serrano, Chile 2016, North American Premiere) Devil’s Freedom (d: Everardo González, Mexico 2017, US Premiere) May God Save Us (d: Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Spain 2016) Pendular (d: Julia Murat, Brazil/Argentina/France 2017) Santa & Andres (d: Carlos Lechuga, Cuba/Colombia/France 2016) Two Irenes (d: Fabio Meira, Brazil 2017, North American Premiere) The Winter (d: Emiliano Torres, Argentina/France 2016) Woodpeckers (d: José María Cabral, Dominican Republic 2017)New American Cinema Competition
American Folk (d: David Heinz, USA 2017) Columbus (d: Kogonada USA 2017) Dara Ju (d: Anthony Onah, USA/Nigeria 2017) The Feels (d: Jenée Lamarque, USA 2017, World Premiere) In The Radiant City (d: Rachel Lambert, USA 2016) The Landing (d: Mark Dodson and David Dodson, USA 2016) Lane 1974 (d: SJ Chiro, USA 2017) Say You Will (d: Nick Naveda, USA 2017, World Premiere)Documentary Competition
Becoming Who I Was (d: Moon Chang-Yong, Jeon Jin, South Korea 2016, US Premiere) Close Relations (d: Vitaly Mansky, Germany/Latvia/Estonia/Ukraine 2016, US Premiere) The Farthest (d: Emer Reynolds, Ireland 2017) Ghost Hunting (d: Raed Andoni, Palestine/France/Switzerland 2016 US Premiere) The Reagan Show (d: Pacho Velez, Sierra Pattengill, USA 2017) Roberto Bolle – The Art Of Dance (d: Francesca Pedroni, Italy 2016, North American Premiere) Those Who Remain (d: Eliane Raheb, Lebanon/Uae 2016, North American Premiere) What Lies Upstream (d: Cullen Hoback, USA 2017) Winnie (d: Pascale Lamche, France/Netherlands/South Africa 2017)AFRICAN PICTURES
Borders (d: Apolline Traoré c: Amelie Mbaye, Naky Sy Savane, Burkina Faso 2017, 90 min, North American Premiere) Hedi (d: Mohamed Ben Attia c: Majd Mastoura, Rym Ben Messaoud, Sabah Bouzouita, Hakim Boumessoudi, Ombia Ben Ghali, Tunisia 2016, 89 min) Investigating Paradise (d: Merzak Allouache c: Salima Abada, Younès Sabeur Chérif, France 2017, 135 min, North American Premiere) Kalushi (d: Mandla Dube c: Thabo Rametsi, Thabo Malema, Welile Nzuza, Jafta Mamabolo, Pearl Thusi, Gcina Mhlophe, South Africa 2016, 107 min) The Nile Hilton Incident (d: Tarik Saleh c: Fares Fares, Mari Malek, Mohamed Yousry, Yasser Ali Maher, Ahmed Selim, Hania Amar, Sweden 2017, 106 min) The Wedding Party (d: Kemi Adetiba c: Adesua Etomi, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Banky Wellington, Nigeria 2016, 110 min) Winnie (d: Pascale Lamche, France 2017, 98 min) Wùlu (d: Daouda Coulibaly c: Ibrahim Koma, Inna Modja, Ismael Ndiaye, Jean-Marie Traore, Dembele Habib, Mariame Ndiaye, Quim Gutierrez, Oliver Rabourdin, France 2016, 95 min)CHINA STARS
The Beautiful Kokonor Lake (d. XING-HAO Shen c: Qin Yi, Jiang Ping, Jennifer Shu Chang. Huang Hong, Tony Rui-Xin, China 2017, 98 min) The Door (d. XING-HAO Shen c: JIANG Wu, JIANG Qingin, ZHU Xu, FU Ying, LI Naiwen, China 2017, 98 min, North American Premiere) Free and Easy (d. JUN Geng c: ZU Gang, ZHANG Zhiyong, XUE Baohe, WANG Xuxu, GU Benbin, ZHANG Xun, YUAN Liguo China 2016, 99 min) God of War (d. Gordon Chan c: Sammo Hung, Vincent Zhao, Regina Wan, Yasuaki Kurata, Keisuke Koide, China 2017, 130 min) Have a Nice Day (d. LIU Jian c: Yang Siming, Cao Kou, Ma Xiaofeng, Zhu Changlong, China 2017, 77 min) Knife in the Clear Water (d. WANG Xuebo c: YANG Shengcang, ZHOU Jinhua, YANG Fan, YANG Xue, China 2016, 93 min, US Premiere) Love and Duty (d. WANCANG Bu c: RUAN Lingyu, JIN Yan, China 1931, 153 min) The Song of Cotton (d. ZHU Yuancheng c: YAN Bingyan, WANG Deshun, China 2016, 90 min) Soul on a String (d. ZHANG Yang c: Kimba, Quni Ciren, Siano Dudiom Zahi, Solange Nima, China 2016, 142 min) Tea Pets (d. Gary Wang v: SHI Lei, YUAN Zeyu, JI Guanlin, China 2017, 93 min) Short films from the Beijing Film Academy: Bloom (d. SUN Yiran and XU Jiyao c: Yiran SUN, Jiyao XU, China 2017, 8 min) Elephant King (d. FU Yan and FU Chao c: Wang Naizhen, Fan Meng, Fu Yan, Fu Yongcha, China 2017, 11 min) Free Throw Line (d. ZHANG Yixin China 2017, 7 min) I Come From Prairie (d. Nuhan Arisbek, China 2017, 8 min) The Sea (d. LI Yifan, China 2017 c: Jinshan Wang Feiyu Chen, Yihao Qian, 7 min)CULINARY CINEMA
Cook Up a Storm (d: Raymond Yip Wai Man c: Alberto Calvet Gonzalez, You Ge, Yong-hwa Jung, Barbora Mottlová, Yan Tang, USA 2017, 97 min) Fermented (d: Jonathan Cianfrani c: Edward Lee, USA 2017, 67 min, World Premiere) Food Evolution (d: Scott Hamilton Kennedy c: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, Michael Pollan, Charles Benbrook, USA 2016, 92 min) Kakehashi: A Portrait of Chef Nobuo Fukuda (d: Andrew Gooi c: Nobuo Fukuda, Sarah Fukuda, Kazuko Fukuda, Japan 2017, 46 min, World Premiere) Lives with Flavor (d: Pablo Gasca Gollas c: Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, Marco Beteta,Martha Ortiz,Israel Ronzon, Alberto Albarran, Patricia Muñoz Zurita, Salomé Freixas, Gonzalo Serrano, Mexico 2017, 52 min, World Premiere) New Chefs on the Block (d: Dustin Harrison-Atlas c: Frank Linn, Aaron Silverman, Kate Diamond, Michel Richard, Danny Meyer, Mike Isabella, Tim Carman, Emily Sprissler, USA 2016, 96 min) The Turkish Way (d: Luis Gonzalez c: Joan Roca, Josep Roca, Jordi Roca, Sabiha Apaydin, Maksut Askar, Mehmet Gurs, Sina Sucuka, Spain 2016, 120 min)FACE THE MUSIC
Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall (d: Katherine Fairfax Wright f: Todrick Hall, Teresa Stanley, Wayne Brady, Chester Lockhart, Jesse Pattison, Brenda Cornish, Vonzell Solomon, Jenni Thomasson, Jazlyn Nicole Miller, USA 2017, 105 min) Bill Frisell, A Portrait (d: Emma Franz f: Bill Frisell, Paul Motian, Jim Hall, Mike Gibbs, Jason Moran, Jim Woodring, Joey Baron, Tony Scherr, Kenny Wollesen, John Zorn, Australia 2017, 114 min) Chavela (d: Catherine Gund f: Chavela Vargas, Pedro Almodóvar, USA 2017, 90 min) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with live soundtrack by The Invincible Czars (d: John S. Robertson c: John Barrymore, Brandon Hurst, Martha Mansfield, Charles Lane, Cecil Clovelly, USA 1920, 79 min) Give Me Future (d: Austin Peters, USA 2017, 85 min) A Life in Waves (d: Brett Whitcomb f: Suzanne Ciani, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, Kitaro, Peter Baumann, Dorit Chrysler, Sarah Davachi, Don Buchla, USA 2016, 75 min) On the Road (d: Michael Winterbottom f: Wolf Alice, James McArdle, Leah Harvey, Swim Deep, Bloody Knees, United Kingdom 2016, 112 min) The Paris Opera (d: Jean-Stéphane Bron f: Stéphane Lissner, Benjamin Millepied, France 2016, 110 min)NORTHWEST CONNECTIONS
The Cage Fighter (d: Jeff Unay f: Callie Carman, Joe Carman, Delanee Carman, Vernon Beach, USA 2017, 83 min) Crazywise (d: Phil Borges, Kevin Tomlinson f: Adam Gentry, Ekhaya Esima, Angeles Arrien, Phil Borges, Carroll Dunham, USA 2017, 82 min, World Premiere) Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey (d: Dave O’Leske, USA 2017, 96 min) Lane 1974 (d: SJ Chiro c: Sophia Mitri Schloss, Katherine Moennig, Annette Toutonghi, Sara Coates, USA 2017, 80 min) Pow Wow (d: Robinson Devor, USA 2016, 75 min) Rocketmen (d: Webster Crowell c: Alycia Delmore, Basil Harris, Christopher Dietz, Ian Fraser, Ben Laurance, USA 2017, 67 min, World Premiere) Wallflower (d: Jagger Gravning c: David Call, Atsuko Okatsuka, Conner Marx, USA 2017, 84 min, World Premiere)360˚/VR STORYTELLING POWERED BY WONDERTEK
360˚/VR STORYTELLING POP-UP, POWERED BY WONDERTEK LABS Weekends from Friday, May 19 – Saturday, June 10 Passholder Happy Hours and Festival Forums times SIFF Lounge, presented by Vulcan Productions While the emerging tech behind-the-scenes of virtual reality and 360˚ have been evolving over the past few years, 360˚ filmmakers and VR content creators have been organically evolving a new language and tools for storytelling in this space. WonderTek Labs has curated a selection of some of the best in 360˚ storytelling from creators from the Seattle region and around the globe, showcased on Google Daydream headsets, that highlight a spectrum of where 360˚ storytelling is today. Selections will include a work-in-progress cut of Seattle-based Mechanical Dreams’ Potato Dreams, the VR companion to SIFF’s short-film selection Little Potato; a reprise presentation of “The Stranger” Genius Award winner Tracy Rector’s Eagle Bone; Madrid-based Future Lighthouse’s groundbreaking branded storytelling piece Beefeater XO (a top-10 finalist for the Tribeca X Prize); an interactive VR episode for Spanish hit television series “El Ministerio Del Tiempo”; a selection of the best work to come out of the four SIXR Cinematic VR Hackathons; and other content TBD. 360˚/VR STORYTELLING PLAYTANK Saturday, June 10 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM SIFF Film Center Are you a filmmaker who wants to learn more about transitioning to 360˚/VR, or a VR dev who wants to connect with filmmakers? Do you have a 360˚ or VR project in mind and want to connect with other folks interested in working on projects? Do you have expertise to share, or things you want to learn? The 360˚/VR Storytelling PlayTank is a hand-on, interactive event intended to bring together the Seattle 360˚/VR and filmmaking communities for a morning of topical small-group breakout conversations, hands-on demos and workshops, and informal opportunities to connect like-minded creatives, show personal projects and demos, and learn about emerging technologies. The PlayTank will kick off with a Geekout Breakout Session Breakfast, where participants will join small, mentor-facilitated, small-group breakout sessions on topics including Spatial Audio, 360˚ Production and Post Production, Branching Narrative in 360˚ Storytelling, 360˚ Documentary Storytelling, and Ethics in Developing 360˚/VR Content. Mettle CEO Chris Bobotis will be on hand to present a hands-on workshop for Mettle’s 360˚ editing plug-ins for Adobe Premiere. Bring your laptop to participate (you must have Adobe Premiere; you can download a free 30-day trial version if you don’t own Premiere). Participants will receive a free temporary license to use Mettle’s products as a part of this workshop. Upstairs in the PlayTank, participants will explore hands-on demos and workshops, and grab another coffee and connect organically with others in the community. The PlayTank is an open and collaborative space. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops and demos to share.