Concerto for Two by Tomasz Drozdowicz[/caption]
The international première of the documentary film “Concerto for Two” by Tomasz Drozdowicz will open the 58th Krakow Film Festival on the May 27th. It is a tale full of vivid episodes, telling us about the eminent conductor, pianist and composer Jerzy Maksymiuk, as well as an intimate depiction of the unique relationship which he forms with his wife Ewa.
The conductor Jerzy Maksymiuk and his wife Eve make up a special relationship. The charismatic maestro, successful in the world of music, seems to be totally helpless and lost in the daily life without the help of his wife, who supports him in the simplest everyday activities and takes many life decisions on his behalf. The camera accompanies the artist during his work with outstanding musicians and orchestras, as well as shows the fascinating world of the genius composer, absorbed in the score to the very boundaries of madness.
The director Tomasz Drozdowicz created a portrait of the artist filled with behind-the-scenes anecdotes, from which the works of the greatest composers sound out. Above all, however, he showed the story of love, passion and talent.
“It is another Polish film which will open our festival and the next one after “Dream of Warsaw” by Krzysztof Magowski, which portrays an outstanding musician,” explains Krzysztof Gierat, the Director of Krakow Film Festival. “The film about Czesław Niemen was made up of archival materials and memories, this one is a dynamic observation of the creative process clashing against prosaic, often funny everyday life, which is much harder to record as a colorful score.”
Jerzy Maksymiuk was born in Grodno. His music studies were crowned with three diplomas: piano, composition and conducting. He is the founder of the Polish Chamber Orchestra, which was considered one of the best orchestras in the world. He has given concerts in the most prestigious concert halls of the world. He has recorded about 100 albums and has written music for several dozen films, out of which he most values the soundtrack written for “The Hourglass Sanatorium,” directed by Wojciech Has.
Tomasz Drozdowicz is a graduate of Directing at the Faculty of Film and Television at the University of Silesia in Katowice. He is the author of documentary films, among others, “Kolba, na szczęście!”, “Zupa na puentach,” and the feature film “Futro,” as well as numerous music videos, television series and teleplays.
The film “Concerto for Two,” produced by Film Studio Autograf, was shown at the session Docs to Go! within the frames of the project DOC LAB POLAND at the Festival in 2016. This year, it will compete for the highest laurels in two competitions: the international music documentary film competition DocFilmMusic and in the Polish competition.-
‘Concerto for Two’ Thrilling Documentary about Conductor Jerzy Maksymiuk will Open 58th Krakow Film Festival
[caption id="attachment_28376" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Concerto for Two by Tomasz Drozdowicz[/caption]
The international première of the documentary film “Concerto for Two” by Tomasz Drozdowicz will open the 58th Krakow Film Festival on the May 27th. It is a tale full of vivid episodes, telling us about the eminent conductor, pianist and composer Jerzy Maksymiuk, as well as an intimate depiction of the unique relationship which he forms with his wife Ewa.
The conductor Jerzy Maksymiuk and his wife Eve make up a special relationship. The charismatic maestro, successful in the world of music, seems to be totally helpless and lost in the daily life without the help of his wife, who supports him in the simplest everyday activities and takes many life decisions on his behalf. The camera accompanies the artist during his work with outstanding musicians and orchestras, as well as shows the fascinating world of the genius composer, absorbed in the score to the very boundaries of madness.
The director Tomasz Drozdowicz created a portrait of the artist filled with behind-the-scenes anecdotes, from which the works of the greatest composers sound out. Above all, however, he showed the story of love, passion and talent.
“It is another Polish film which will open our festival and the next one after “Dream of Warsaw” by Krzysztof Magowski, which portrays an outstanding musician,” explains Krzysztof Gierat, the Director of Krakow Film Festival. “The film about Czesław Niemen was made up of archival materials and memories, this one is a dynamic observation of the creative process clashing against prosaic, often funny everyday life, which is much harder to record as a colorful score.”
Jerzy Maksymiuk was born in Grodno. His music studies were crowned with three diplomas: piano, composition and conducting. He is the founder of the Polish Chamber Orchestra, which was considered one of the best orchestras in the world. He has given concerts in the most prestigious concert halls of the world. He has recorded about 100 albums and has written music for several dozen films, out of which he most values the soundtrack written for “The Hourglass Sanatorium,” directed by Wojciech Has.
Tomasz Drozdowicz is a graduate of Directing at the Faculty of Film and Television at the University of Silesia in Katowice. He is the author of documentary films, among others, “Kolba, na szczęście!”, “Zupa na puentach,” and the feature film “Futro,” as well as numerous music videos, television series and teleplays.
The film “Concerto for Two,” produced by Film Studio Autograf, was shown at the session Docs to Go! within the frames of the project DOC LAB POLAND at the Festival in 2016. This year, it will compete for the highest laurels in two competitions: the international music documentary film competition DocFilmMusic and in the Polish competition.
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I AM NOT A WITCH and MINDING THE GAP Win Top Awards at 20th Sarasota Film Festival [Complete List of Winners]
[caption id="attachment_25151" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
I AM NOT A WITCH[/caption]
The 20th Anniversary edition of the Sarasota Film Festival celebrated its Closing Night on Saturday with a screening of Rory Kennedy’s new film from Discovery, ABOVE AND BEYOND: NASA’S JOURNEY TO TOMORROW, along with the presentation of this year’s jury and audience award winners. I AM NOT A WITCH directed by Rungano Nyoni took home this year’s Narrative Feature Jury prize, and MINDING THE GAP directed by Bing Liu was the Documentary Feature Jury Prize winner. During the Closing Night, actor Steve Guttenberg and Academy Award©-nominated actress Virginia Madsen received Career Achievement Awards.
The festival’s Independent Visions Jury Prize, which includes a distribution deal from FACTORY 25, went to MILFORD GRAVES: FULL MANTIS directed by Jake Meginsky and Neil Young.
The Terry Porter Visionary Award presented by The Huisking Foundation went to THE RIDER directed by Chloé Zhao for its spirit of independence and experimentation.
The jury awarded a special recognition award for Breakthough Performance to Helena Howard in MADELINE’S MADELINE; a special mention for Visionary Storytelling to NOTES ON AN APPEARANCE; and a Special Jury Prize for Social Commentary to THE SENTENCE.
This year’s Animated Shorts Jury Prize winner is THE BURDEN, directed by Niki Lindroth von Bahr. The jury awarded LUNCH TIME, directed by Alireza Ghasemi, best Narrative Short and the Documentary Short award winner is SAND MEN, directed by Tal Amiran.
This year’s Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature was HEARTS BEAT LOUD directed by Brett Haley.
The Audience Award for Best Documentary was presented to RBG, director Betsy West and Julie Cohen.
The Best In World Cinema Audience Award went to MAKTUB, directed by Oded Raz.
MR. CONNOLLY HAS ALS, directed by Dan Habib won the Audience Award for Best Short Film.
During the Closing Night, actor Steve Guttenberg and Academy Award-nominated actress Virginia Madsen received Career Achievement Awards.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the 20th Anniversary of the Sarasota Film Festival, which brought together groundbreaking films and important conversations for our audiences,” said President of the Sarasota Film Festival, Mark Famiglio. “Congratulations to this year’s winners, the esteemed Festival Jury and our audiences have thoroughly enjoyed your engaging and inspiring films, and we thank you for letting us showcase them here in Sarasota.”
2018 winners of The Sarasota Film Festival Awards:
Jury Awards
Narrative Feature Competition Winner I Am Not A Witch Director – Rungano Nyoni Documentary Feature Competition Winner Minding the Gap Director – Bing Liu Independent Vision Competition Winner Milford Graves: Full Mantis Director – Jake Meginsky and Neil Young Animated Shorts Competition Winner The Burden Niki Lindroth von Bahr Narrative Short Competition Winner Lunch Time Alireza Ghasemi Documentary Short Competition Winner Sand Men Tal AmiranAudience Awards
Best Narrative Feature Hearts Beat Loud Director – Brett Haley Best Documentary Feature RBG Director – Betsy West and Julie Cohen Best Short Film Mr. Connolly Has ALS Director – Dan Habib Best In World Cinema Maktub Director – Oded Raz
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See New Trailer + Poster Debut for THE ESCAPE Starring Gemma Arterton and Dominic Cooper
IFC Films has released the brand new trailer and poster for The Escape, writer/director Dominic Savage’s intelligent, empathetic portrait of a stay-at-home mother in suburban England.
The Escape stars Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace; The Girl With All The Gifts; Their Finest) as a wife held prisoner by the monotony and isolation of her seemingly perfect life and Dominic Cooper (“Preacher;” My Week With Marilyn; An Education) as a husband ill-equipped to understand her pain.
The film, which premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, will be released by IFC Films on Friday, May 11 in New York and Los Angeles, as well as on Digital and On Demand platforms, with a national theatrical rollout to follow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx05E-99DPA
A woman sets out to reclaim her life in this stirring, emotionally rich look at what it means to start over. Tara (Arterton), a housewife and mother in suburban London, is living a life that is no longer hers: it belongs to her loving but overworked and self-absorbed husband (Cooper), her young son and daughter and the numbing routine of housework and childcare. In desperate need of a change, Tara one day makes a bold decision. Armed with a one-way ticket to Paris, she leaves everything behind to rediscover herself in a new city – but walking out on your life isn’t so simple. Built around a remarkable central performance from Gemma Arterton, The Escape is a perceptive, deeply compassionate portrait of a woman on the rocky road to becoming herself.
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More Films incl. Return of Lars von Trier with ‘The House That Jack Built’ Added to 71st Cannes Film Festival [Video]
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The House That Jack Built by Lars von Trier[/caption]
The Cannes Film Festival has added more films to the Official Selection 2018, and will welcome back the Danish director Lars von Trier, winner of the 2000 Palme d’or, to the Official Selection. His new film The House That Jack Built by Lars von Trier starring Matt Dillon and Uma Thurman will be screened Out of Competition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAaLDuEPglI
Mr. von Trier, who won the Palme d’Or in 2000 for “Dancer in the Dark,” has been absent from the Cannes festival for seven years, after comments he made during the news conference for his 2011 competition title “Melancholia.”
Mr. von Trier began by referring to his discovery, as an adult, that he had a German family. “What can I say? I understand Hitler,” he said. “I think he did some wrong things, yes, absolutely, but I can see him sitting in his bunker in the end.”
As the actress Kirsten Dunst squirmed and shook her head in the seat beside him, Mr. von Trier added, “He’s not what you would call a good guy, but yeah, I understand much about him and I sympathize with him a little bit. But come on! I’m not for the Second World War, and I’m not against Jews.”
The festival board voted to declare Mr. von Trier persona non grata. He was barred from that year’s prize ceremony or from entering the festival headquarters, although “Melancholia” stayed in the competition. via NY Times
Competition
Added films are: UN COUTEAU DANS LE CCEUR (KNIFE + HEART) by the French Yann Gonzalez starring Vanessa Paradis. AYKA by the Russian Sergey Dvortsevoy, director of Tulpan, wiiner of the Prize Un Certain Regard 2008. Thes two films by Yann Gonzalez and Sergey Dvortsevoy are both directors’ second feature. It will be their first time in Competition. AHLAT AGACI (THE WILD PEAR TREE) by the Turkish Nuri Bilge Ceylan, winner of the Palme d’or 2014 for Winter Sleep. The Competition 2018 will be composed of 21 films.Out of Competition
Festival President Pierre Lescure and his board of directors will welcome back the Danish director Lars von Trier, winner of the 2000 Palme d’or, to the Official Selection. His new film will be screened Out of Competition. THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT by Lars von Trier starring Matt Dillon and Uma ThurmanUn Certain Regard
MUERE, MONSTRUO, MUERE (MEURS, MONSTRE, MEURS) by the Argentinean Alejandro Fadel. CHUVA E CANTORIA NA ALDEIA DOS MORTOS (THE DEAD AND THE OTHERS) by the Portugese João Salaviza and the Brasilian Renée Nader Messora. And : DONBASS by the Ukranian Sergey Loznitsa which will open Un Certain Regard 2018 on Wednesday May 9.Special Screening
The animated film: ANOTHER DAY OF LIFE by Damian Nenow and Raul De La Fuente.Midnight Screenings
WHITNEY, a documentary by the Scottish Kevin Macdonald, about the life of the singer Whitney Houston. FAHRENHEIT 451 by the American Ramin Bahrani with Sofia Boutella, Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon. It’s the second adaptation of the novel by Ray Bradbury, after the one made by François Truffaut.Closing film
THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE by the British Terry Gilliam, with Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce and Olga Kurylenko The screening will take place on Saturday May 19 after the Closing ceremony and the film will be released in France on the same day.
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See the New Trailer + Poster for BOOM FOR REAL: THE LATE TEENAGE YEARS OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT [Video]
When you think you have read and seen everything there is to know about Jean-Michel Basquiat, then comes the captivating documentary, Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years Of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The film which follows Basquiat’s life pre-fame and how New York City in the 1980’s formed the artist he became, released a new trailer and cool retro-looking poster. Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years Of Jean-Michel Basquiat which World Premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, will be in theaters on May 11.
Using never-before-seen works, writings and photographs, director Sara Driver, who was part of the New York arts scene herself, worked closely and collaboratively with friends and other artists who emerged from that period: Jim Jarmusch, James Nares, Fab Five Freddy, Glenn O’Brien, Kenny Scharf, Lee Quinones, Patricia Field, Luc Sante and many others. Drawing upon their memories and anecdotes, the film also uses period film footage, music and images to visually re-recreate the era, drawing a portrait of Jean-Michel and Downtown New York City -pre AIDS, President Reagan, the real estate and art booms – before anyone was motivated by money and ambition. The definition of fame, success and power were very different than today – to be a penniless but published poet was the height of success, until everything changed in the early 1980s. This is New York City’s story before that change.
THE BACKGROUND
“If we don’t tell the history, then others will, who weren’t there and don’t know the truth.” – Alexis Adler
Thirty years ago, Alexis Adler, an embryologist and friend of Jean-Michel stored away what’s now considered a treasure trove of his art and writings, along with the more than 150 photographs she took of him at work, goofing around and hanging out. In 1979, she gave him a key to her apartment, a safe place for him to stay and there he began to explore his talents.
BASQUIAT AND NEW YORK CITY
The film explores the movements that touched and inspired Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as the influence a bankrupt, violent city had on this seminal artist. Jean-Michel has become, over the years, the ultimate representation of this period. All the many things that were going on in the city fed through him – politics, hip-hop, punk rock, race issues and the art scene.
In 1978, Jean-Michel was a teenager (18 years old), living on the street and sleeping on friends’ sofas in the East Village. He was shaped and formed by his friendships — those he influenced and those who influenced him. The crumbling city allowed them the freedom to discover and experiment with their work.
THE CITY, THE CRIME, THE ARTS
During a brief time, downtown NYC was the epicenter for a community of young artists: musicians, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, performers, dancers, etc., living among the burned-out buildings that punctuated the city. These artists cross-pollinated each other, experimenting with different mediums. There were no divisions between young and old. The young learned from the older artists and vice versa. At the parties, clubs and in the streets there were minimalist painters, beatniks and jazz heroes. It was cheap to live in NYC. The city was lawless and drugs were everywhere, sold openly on the street.
The origins of hip-hop were floating through everything. The sounds of salsa, disco, punk, hardcore and no wave music wafted in the streets and through the clubs: CBGB, Mudd Club, Max’s Kansas City, Hurrah, Studio 54, Tier 3.
The streets were dangerous and crime rampant. The night’s events spread by word of mouth and handmade posters plastered on building walls, as well as through listings in local art papers: the Village Voice, the East Village Eye and the Soho News. NYC was bankrupt and crumbling, but because it was so cheap it became a fertile breeding ground for so many artists.
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30th Filmfest Dresden Announces Award Winners, Amar Kaushik’s GRANDFATHER Wins 2 Golden Horseman Trophies
[caption id="attachment_28339" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Grandfather (Aaba) Amar Kaushik[/caption]
A total of ten Golden Horsemen and four special prizes were awarded at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday, for the 30th Filmfest Dresden. The Indian director Amar Kaushik received two Golden Horseman trophies for his short fiction film Grandfather (Aaba) and Jon Frickey, who lives in Hamburg, scooped up one of the special prizes, in addition to a Golden Horseman trophy.
30th FilmFest Dresden Award and Prize Winners
International Competition
Golden Horseman Best Animation Film International Competition (7.500 Euro) “LUPUS” from director Carlos Gómez Salamanca (Colombia / France, 2016) Jury comments: “Starting from real events taking place in its home country, through the use of different animation techniques, this film overcomes the border of a local story to become a metaphor of a disease spreading out in many societies around the world.” Special Mention: “YAL VA KOOPAL – MANED & MACHO” from director Shiva Sadegh Asadi (Iran, 2017) Golden Horseman Best Short Fiction International Competition (7.500 Euro) “AABA – GRANDFATHER” from director Amar Kaushik (India, 2016) Jury Comments: “Set in an exotic landscape the film tells a classic story of the eternal circle of life. After the final verdict from the local physician, an old man carefully prepares for his ultimate journey. With few words spoken and in a rich visual style the director warmheartedly touches a serious topic in a humorous way.” Special Mention: “PŘÁTELSKÉ SETKÁNÍ NAD SPORTEM – FRIENDLY SPORT MEETING” from director Adam Koloman Rybanský (Czech Republic, 2017) Golden Horseman of the Audience International Competition (3.000 Euro) “THE THEORY OF SUNSET” from director Roman Sokolov (Russia, 2017) Golden Horseman of the Youth Jury International Competition (2.000 Euro) “AABA – GRANDFATHER” from director Amar Kaushik (India, 2016) Jury Comments: “The film recounts a story about life and the end to it in a calm and loving way, revealing an unusual insight into a warm-hearted world where few words are spoken. The plot is borne by the three powerful characters and their impressively authentic portrayals. Between bamboo and American TV shows for children, the film finds a realistic, almost humorous response to the self-evident nature of the occurrences in life.” Special Mention: “LUPUS” from director Carlos Gómez Salamanca (Colombia / France, 2016) Jury Comments: “The special mention of the Youth Jury in the International Competition goes to the film LUPUS for its complexity, its unique idea and its multi-layered adaptation, the combining of documentary elements and its differing animation styles, as well as the soundscape and editing concept selected.”National Competition
Golden Horseman Best Animation Film National Competition (3.000 Euro) “SOG” from director Jonatan Schwenk (Germany, 2017) Jury Comments: “This animation film, which knowingly incorporates analogue and digital animation techniques, reveals how something completely extraordinary can emerge when two worlds are combined with each other. Regrettably, its characters are excluded from this marvel and permit fear to prevail, rather than create something incredibly new. A moving parallel to current affairs.” Special Mention: “HALMASPIEL” from director Betina Kuntzsch (Germany, 2017) Jury Comments: “Exposed to the fortunes of life like pieces in a game…” Golden Horseman Best Short Fiction National Competition (3.000 Euro) “JOY” from director Abini Gold (Germany, 2017) Jury Comments: “Left alone and having to fend for herself, the protagonist defies her situation. The hope that tomorrow – when all is well again – is abruptly shattered. Disappointment, betrayal and anger: These we read in her face like an open book. Which is the very strength of this social drama. Superbly cast and portrayed, and set within the tightest space, the conflict between a daughter and her mother inevitably ends in catastrophe.” Special Mention: “ATTAK” from director Ruben Meier (Germany, 2017) Jury Comments: “A film with the courage to confront male clichés and archaic fantasies of violence, that humorously deconstructs then at the same time without exposing its protagonists in the process. We can’t wait for more to come.” Golden Horseman of the Audience National Competition (4.000 Euro) “ATTAK” from director Ruben Meier (Germany, 2017) Golden Horseman of the Youth Jury National Competition (2.000 Euro) “U MEĐUVREMENU – MEANWHILE” from director Mate Ugrin (Germany, 2017) Jury Comments: “A story of farewell and hopelessness is told in the streets of a desolate small town. Doing so, juxtaposed light-intensive visual compositions prevail over the dialogue and plot. Permitting the filmmaker to achieve the creation of a dense, atmospheric and sensitive portrayal of this uncertain stillness. With the viewers becoming observers drawn helplessly into the situation.” Minister of Fine Arts Promotion Prize (20.000 Euro) “LINK” from director Robert Löbel (Germany, 2017) Jury Comments: “In less than eight minutes, we dive into a world full of metaphors that manages with the simplest of narrative means to pose the great question in life: Where do we want to live? Two figures seem to be taking their own individual way in life, and yet everything they do also has consequences for the other one. For where we come from is who we are.” DEFA Promotion Prize Animation (3.000 Euro) “MASCARPONE” from director Jonas Riemer (Germany, 2018) Jury Comments: “In a skilfully abstracted and lavishly adapted declaration of love to the great dream factory of Hollywood, the winning film embodies an accomplished balancing act between technical perfection and deliberately haptic simplifications. Brilliantly interwoven animation techniques and real-film elements impel the audience onto a high-speed filmic rollercoaster.”National and International Competition
ARTE Short Film Prize (6.000 Euro) “NEKO NO HI – CAT DAYS” from director Jon Frickey (Germany / Japan, 2018) Jury Comments: “The animated film convinced the ARTE Jury with its simplicity and carefully crafted details, as well as through its vibrant colours. This powerful aesthetic is combined with a fable-like tale that flirts with absurdity so as to grasp the subject of identity. A positive and gentle father-son relationship works its way through the film that teaches the acceptance of others and being different.” Audience Award Regional Film Night (3.000 Euro) “MIN BÖRDA – THE BURDEN“, Music & Sound: Hans Appelqvist (Sweden, 2017) Jury Comments: “This film’s soundtrack is distinguished by its humour, depth, creativity and versatility. With all of these elements at the highest level and perfectly combined with each other and with the image. The handling of the music, sounds and language goes far beyond merely illustrating the storyline and forms the soul of the film. Through the innovate use of experimental effects and disassociations, the traditional musical becomes a mirror on the surrealism of everyday life in our society.” Golden Horseman* for Gender Diversity (1.000 Euro) “NEKO NO HI – CAT DAYS” from director Jon Frickey (Germany / Japan, 2018) Jury Comments: “The development of a gender identity presupposes the freedom of self-definition. In medical diagnoses, this freedom is often not permitted to inter and trans persons. The prize-winning film challenges this with a heartening “Be whatever you want to be!” Animated for children, the film calls upon every human to have self-confident authenticity.” Special Mention: “MRS MCCUTCHEON” from director John Sheedy (Australia, 2017) Jury Comments: “A school ball dancefloor is transformed into a social ideal, in which each and every heteronormative pressure to conform seems to be suspended for one evening. With gender identity, sexual orientation and ethnic origins no longer playing a role, true to the motto: Just be yourself and be proud of it!” Regional Film Night 2018 Audience Award (2.000 Euro) “OCCUPIED SUMMER” from director Berit Toepfer (Germany, 2017)
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Tribeca 2018: Watch Disney’s ‘Be Our Guest’ Recorded Live with Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach in HOWARD [VIDEO]
Here is a video clip taken featuring legendary actors Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach from the upcoming film Howard, which will have it’s world premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. The clip shows Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach recording the original track “Be Our Guest” for Disney’s Beauty and The Beast (1991), and how lyricist Howard Ashman was deeply involved with the writing and recording of his song. The clip also features interviews with composer Alan Menken and Beauty and The Beast director Kirk Wise about the magical recording process. Howard Ashman was responsible for the iconic soundtrack to B&TB, along with other Disney classics like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid.
Howard, directed by Don Hahn (Producer of The Lion King and Beauty and The Beast, director of Waking Sleeping Beauty ), is the untold story of Howard Ashman, the creative mind and brilliant lyricist behind Disney classics Aladdin, Beauty and The Beast, The Little Mermaid and creator of the musical, Little Shop of Horrors, whose unparalleled career and vibrant life were cut short at 39 years of age, when he was felled by the AIDS epidemic.
Howard Ashman a Jewish kid from Baltimore grows up in an average family with a extraordinary love for musical theatre. After college he opens a theatre in a derelict section of New York and struggles to put on shows, until his adaptation of Roger Corman’s film Little Shop of Horrors becomes a huge off off broadway hit and catapults him into the limelight. Finally on Broadway, he collaborates with the Oscar and Tony winner Marvin Hamlisch and together they produce a disappointment, Smile. Embarrassed he flees to Los Angeles and takes up with a struggling gang of artists in a warehouse— Disney animators who have just been kicked off the studio lot until they can prove themselves. Howard with Alan Menken write the Oscar® winning songs for The Little Mermaid. While the film becomes a global phenomenon, Howard is diagnosed with HIV—which he kept a secret in this time when AIDS is a death sentence and gay men are at the margins of society. Howard writes the lyrics to Beauty and the Beast from his hospital bed and dies before he can see the final film. The legacy of his work lives on in Broadway productions and live action remakes of Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid and Aladdin for a new generation. The writer and screenwriter for this documentary is Don Hahn.
Tribeca Film Festival Screenings
Sunday, April 22 @ 2:30PM – Cinépolis Chelsea 7 Monday, April 23 @ 6:15PM – Cinépolis Chelsea 5 Tuesday, April 24 @ 3:30PM – Regal Cinemas Battery Park 5 Thursday, April 26 @ 7:00PM – Cinépolis Chelsea 5
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MR. SOUL! – Film Behind Ellis Haizlip and his TV Program SOUL! – to World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival
MR. SOUL! a film about a fearless black pioneer who took things in his own hands and created a television program that was so beyond it’s time and yet was so on time, will World Premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival.
Directors Melissa Haizlip and Sam Pollard bring us the film behind Ellis Haizlip and his television program SOUL! This groundbreaking TV Show ran from 1968 – 1973 and celebrated Black American/African American culture on a weekly basis in living color in your home.
This timely film, MR. SOUL!, chronicles how SOUL! was at the forefront of late night talk shows and became a model for many of your favorite programs you watch today. From hard topics on race to musical performances from up and coming music icons SOUL! had it all! It was like The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson but was all Black. Before there was Oprah and before there was Arsenio, there was Mr. Soul – Ellis Haizlip.
Right on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, one fearless black pioneer reignited a Harlem Renaissance for a new era, ushering giants and rising stars of Black American culture onto the national television stage. He was hip. He was smart. He was innovative, political and gay. In his personal fight for social equality, this man ensured the revolution would be televised. The man was Ellis Haizlip. The Revolution was SOUL! – an amazing weekly television show that aired on public television from 1968 – 1973 celebrating Black American culture, art, life and community and shared it with the nation via the airwaves.
Featuring rare live performances and interviews from the legendary Al Green, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, Sidney Poitier, Cicely Tyson, James Baldwin, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, Ashford and Simpson, Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, Billy Preston, Black Ivory, The Delfonics, Bill Withers, Nikki Giovanni, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Sonia Sanchez, The Last Poets, Wilson Pickett, Odetta, Merry Clayton, Mandrill, Kool and the Gang, Toni Morrison, Kathleen Cleaver, Betty Shabazz, Stokely Carmichael, Louis Farrakhan, Mrs. George Jackson, George Faison, Patti Labelle and many more.
MR. SOUL! TRIBECA SCREENINGS
Sun. 4/22, 8:00 p.m.- Tribeca Festival Hub – WORLD PREMIERE Mon. 4/23, 5:45 p.m., Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-3 Wed. 4/25, 9:15 p.m., Cinepolis Chelsea 5 Thurs. 4/26, 6:30 p.m., Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-5
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Shakeup at Dubai International Film Festival, 2018 Festival Canceled
The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) announced this week that they will cancel the 2018 edition of the festival, and will be adopting a new strategy to support the growth and evolution of the film and content industries in the region. The Festival will now occur every two years with the 15th edition, which will reflect DIFF’s changed strategy, confirmed to be hosted in Dubai in 2019.
The strategic shift aims to embrace the significant changes taking place in the region’s creative and entertainment landscape. The new strategy also seeks to leverage the emergence of exciting new talent and innovative new technologies that are rapidly transforming the content landscape in the region.
Jamal Al Sharif, Chairman Dubai Film and TV Commission commented: “DIFF has established Dubai as a world-class destination in the film and content industry. It serves as a platform to promote cultural understanding between the region and the world, as well as the development of the local and regional film industry, giving the opportunity to many ambitious film makers to shine.
“With the vast changes taking place both in the regional and global movie-making and content industry, we are seeking to redefine the Dubai International Film Festival’s approach towards nurturing growth, creativity and talent. Innovative new approaches and technologies are transforming the distribution of content and the craft of movie-making. As a forward-thinking player in the global film industry, DIFF seeks to embrace the future of the industry through this strategic shift.
“The Festival will continue its significant contribution to the development of the industry, as we look forward to celebrating with the public, film lovers and industry professionals in 2019. We will announce the final dates, details and the new program as soon as confirmed.”
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‘American Animals’ to Open 19th Newport Beach Film Festival on April 26 [Trailer]
The 2018 Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) will kickoff with American Animals as its Opening Night film on Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 7:30pm at Edwards Big Newport (300 Newport Center Drive) followed by a gala reception at Fashion Island (401 Newport Center Drive). The 19th annual NBFF will run from April 26 to May 3, 2018.
American Animals is an extraordinary and thrilling true story of four friends living an ordinary existence who brazenly attempt to execute one of the most audacious art heists in US history. But not everything is as it seems, and as the daring theft unfolds through each of their perspectives, each of them start to question whether their attempts to inject excitement and purpose into their lives is simply a misguided attempt at achieving the American Dream.
The Newport Beach Film Festival will showcase more than 350 films from 50 countries and host nightly special events, red carpet galas, compelling conversations with filmmakers, international spotlight events and seminars. The Festival offers filmgoers unique opportunities to mingle with celebrities, filmmakers from around the globe and film industry professionals in a beautiful seaside locale.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKvPVvy2Kn8
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Cameron Bailey Promoted to Artistic Director and Co-Head of TIFF
The Board of Directors of TIFF this week promoted Cameron Bailey to the newly created position of Artistic Director and Co-Head of TIFF. The role is a promotion and expansion of Bailey’s current position of Artistic Director, which he has held since 2012. Prior to that, Bailey held the role of Festival Co-Director from 2008-2012. Bailey will report directly to the Board of Directors effective October 1, 2018.
Since CEO Piers Handling’s announcement last July that the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival would be his last, the TIFF Board engaged in a process for CEO transition, including a review of the organization’s current structure. After their assessment, the Board decided on a two-headed structure for TIFF, with one position (Bailey’s) focused on the artistic direction of the organization, and the other, Managing Director & Co-Head, focused on the business and revenue optimization. These two positions will work closely together to set the tone and lead the organization, bringing the new strategic plan to life. They will both report directly to the Board of Directors.
“With a five year strategic plan for TIFF launched this year, and more changes on the horizon for our industry, we believe a two-headed structure is right for the future success of TIFF,” explained Jennifer Tory. “Cameron is a film industry veteran who has earned a reputation for discerning, expansive curation since joining TIFF as a programmer in 1990. Combined with his accomplishments as TIFF’s Artistic Director, we have full confidence in his vision for the direction of the organization.”
“Piers has done a remarkable job during his tenure as Director & CEO and Artistic Director before that,” continued Tory. “We are indebted to him for the vision and strategy – and the elegance he brought to the role.”
“I have tremendous respect for Cameron and his longstanding contribution to TIFF’s success,” said Piers Handling. “His passion and vision for the future of the organization underlines his deep leadership skills. It gives me great comfort to know TIFF is in such good hands.”
“I’ve been fortunate to work alongside Piers for so many years. We programmed Canadian films together, we made our first programming trip to Burkina Faso together and we’ve spent countless hours working out how best to engage audiences with the power of film,” said Cameron Bailey. “I am honoured to be entrusted with guiding the future of TIFF.”
A search committee of the Board of Directors has been working with Caldwell Partners to identify candidates for the Managing Director & Co-Head role. The search is international in scope and is expected to result in an announcement prior to this September’s Festival.
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First Look at Women Commandos Fighting Isis in Documentary ‘Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom’ [VIDEO]
Here is a first look at Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom, a dangerously intimate documentary directed by Alba Sotorra that follows a woman commando unit as it takes on ISIS. Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom will World Premiere at the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival on Sunday April 29.
When we meet Arian, a 30-year-old commander of the YPJ, the Kurdish-Syrian Women’s Protection Unit, she is struggling to recover from multiple ISIS sniper wounds. But her greatest worry is to be sent home. “If I live an ordinary life, I will be scared of death,” she says.
The words reflect the dual motivations that inspired Kurdish women to literally take arms against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria as it gobbled territory and slaughtered villagers in their homeland. She and her all-female comrades know the stakes involved in stopping the ultra-fundamentalist insurgency from overrunning them.
“To them, a piece of fabric is worth more than a woman,” Arian says angrily in an earlier interview from the battlefield. “To end their threat to women, we will fight them until there is no one left.”
But Alba Sotorra’s riveting documentary Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom, is about more than the threat in front of these women. It’s about their camaraderie. And it’s about what they left behind that they would like to see change in the face of a victory over the Islamic extremists.
The documentary jumps regularly between the post-recovery Arian – who wants nothing more than to get back in battle – and the YPJ fighters as they make village-by-village progress to the occupied Syrian city of Kobane, “the heart of Kurdistan.” We witness Arian in her role as a de facto life coach toward fellow soldiers who have left a life where they were only expected to be wives and mothers. “What kind of woman do you want to be?” she repeatedly asks those under her command.
As a fellow fighter named Nupelda offers in advance of the next fire-fight, “Here, there is a goal, to enrich my thoughts and be free.” There is tragedy along with the high ideals. Some of the women we meet en route to Kobane will be injured and killed. But the push forward continues, along with the dreams for a better life than before.
“When the war in Syria broke out, Kurdish women took arms against Daesh (ISIS),” director Sotorra says. “Having followed the news about the atrocities committed in the region, especially against women, I thought it was incredible that a female force was emerging as the fiercest power against these monsters.”
When the YPJ was taking back Kobane and repelling attacks, Sotorra undertook a risky filmmaking mission via contacts in Turkey, arriving in time to see a city in ruins and without power. “I decided to travel to Kobane and meet the women who had led that battle. I wanted to share their feminist struggle and, as a woman filmmaker, it almost felt like my duty to document it.
“It was an adventure. I had no idea what I was getting into. Sometimes I think if I had been aware of all the things I would experience, I wouldn’t have had the courage to go. But ignorance is bliss and this is a story about courage.”
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