VIMooZ

Molly Green and James Leffler Talk About Their New Indie Romantic Comedy “FOREV” at LA Film Festival

Interviews

The new indie romantic comedy “FOREV” co-written and co-directed by Molly Green and James Leffler is already receiving earning critics praises after the world premiere on Saturday night at the 2013 LA Film Festival. The film is described as a romantic comedy about impulsive marriages. In the film, Pete and Sophie are somewhere on the edge of the desert when he works up the nerve to propose. The hitch being: Their whirlwind road trip from L.A. to Phoenix is the closest these neighbors have ever come to going on a date. Nevertheless, fueled by their respective fears of intimacy and low-grade self-loathing, they run with the idea, much to the annoyance of Pete’s sister Jess, who’s along for the latter half of the ride.

We got the opportunity to interview co-directors Molly Green and James Leffler at the LA Film Festival to find out more about their new film.

Molly and James Photo Credit: Jennifer Nies

VIMOOZ: First, congratulations on FOREV being an official selection in the 2013 LA Film Festival … and the World Premiere on Saturday.
Thank you! We’re thrilled to be at LAFF, and couldn’t be happier with how the premiere went. The theater was packed with people, and then they actually laughed, which was a huge relief. Everyone at the festival has been awesome – we’re having a blast.

VIMOOZ: We read some early reviews and they are very, very good. Are you surprised?
We’re still surprised that we’re in a position to be reviewed! So far it seems like most of the things people are taking away from the movie line up with what we intended, which of course is a director’s dream. We haven’t read a really rough one yet, so we’re kind of waiting for the hammer to fall. Then we’ll just pretend we don’t read reviews.

VIMOOZ: Tell us about FOREV – the story?
FOREV is a romantic comedy about two neighbors who decide they’re going to get married, then realize they probably should’ve started dating first. And that realization becomes increasingly obvious when they get stuck in the middle of the desert.

VIMOOZ: Who are the three main actors in the film?
Noël Wells and Matt Mider play the fiancés, and Amanda Bauer plays Matt’s sister. We’d worked with all of them before, and they were closely involved in the writing process too. They’ve been so integral to the project from the very beginning, and we hope that shows up onscreen.

VIMOOZ: In addition to co-directing, you also co-wrote the film, what was the inspiration?
We knew we wanted to make a movie with Matt and Noël, and landed on the engagement while thinking of situations that could work well with their dynamic. We were 25, the age when you start seeing all of those elegant wedding announcements come in from people you’ve done keg stands with in college, now in grown-up clothes posing in front of some foliage or whatever. Looking around our dumpy apartments we thought, “Wait, how is that guy suddenly an adult?” So the idea that marriage can seem like a shortcut to adulthood was our jumping-off point. Once we brought Amanda into the fold it really rounded out the character dynamic, and the story started to take shape.

VIMOOZ: Co-directing and co-writing, that could be very complicated. Was it?
Actually, not really. We worked so closely throughout writing and pre-production that by the time we got on set we were completely in sync. We’d usually have the same answers to any questions that came up, and that came from doing a ton of prep to get on the same page. We’re still working on our duets, though.

VIMOOZ: Have you worked much together before?
Totally. We’ve been directing music videos and writing together for about 5 years now. We met in college at the University of Texas, and started collaborating the first day we were both in Los Angeles. At this point we basically share a brain.

VIMOOZ: Do you get asked the question about “relationship” as in “is there or is there not“ a relationship between you two?
Man, people love to ask that question! We’re not dating (and probably wouldn’t have survived making a feature if we were), but people definitely ask that all the time. Noël and Matt get it, too, and none of us have been able to find the perfect sassy answer to that question yet.

VIMOOZ: What’s up next for the film?
We’ve got two more screenings at LAFF – Wednesday, 6/19 at 9:50PM and our just-announced, just-added final showing on Friday 6/21 at 9:50PM – and they should be a lot of fun. We hope to do as long of a festival run as we can, and see what happens along the way.

VIMOOZ: What’s up next for you?
Aside from finally catching up on some sleep? We’re always writing. We have a few projects we’re excited to start focusing on, and think it could be cool to try some TV stuff too. But our eye is on the next feature, for sure.

http://youtu.be/bO3Ws3AKaa4
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Nine Documentary Films Win Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund Grant Awards

Industry

Beth Murphy’s WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS

The Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) and Gucci announced the nine documentary film projects selected as the 2013 recipients of the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund grant awards, totalling $150,000 to be administered by the Tribeca Film Institute. The Fund provides production and finishing finances, year-round support and guidance to domestic and international documentary filmmakers with feature-length films highlighting and humanizing critical issues of social significance from around the world.

For the third year, the Kering Foundation (formerly the PPR Corporate Foundation for Women’s Dignity & Rights) has joined the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund to present the Spotlighting Women Documentary Award. Three film projects have been chosen that illuminate the courage, compassion, extraordinary strength of character, and contributions of women from around the world.

2013 projects were selected by a jury comprised of: Brian Sirgutz (SVP of Social Impact at AOL/Huffington Post Media Group); Jada Pinkett Smith; Molly Thompson (SVP, A&E IndieFilms); Olivia Wilde; and director Roger Ross Williams (Music by Prudence, God Loves Uganda).

The projects that will collectively receive $100,000 total in funding for the 2013 Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund are:

RUN AND GUN, Directed and Produced by Marshall Curry (2008 GTDF grantee for If A Tree Falls).

Marshall Curry’s RUN AND GUN

A 32 year old American from Baltimore carries a gun in one hand and camera in the other as he documents his experience as a rebel fighter in the Libyan revolution.

ON A KNIFE EDGE, Directed by Jeremy Williams; Produced by Eli Cane.

Jeremy Williams’ ON A KNIFE EDGE

Set against a background of rising racial tension and protest, a Lakota teenager learns first-hand what it means to lead a new generation and enter adulthood in a world where the odds are stacked against him.

PERRY V SCHWARZENEGGER, Directed & Produced by Ryan White & Ben Cotner. In 2010, opponents of gay marriage blocked the broadcast of a federal trial challenging Proposition 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage. That case is now before the U.S. Supreme Court, where it will rule for the first time on the rights of gay Americans to marry.

THE SHADOW WORLD, Directed by Johan Grimonprez; Produced by Joslyn Barnes, Anadil Hossain & Driss Benyaklef.

Johan Grimonprez’s THE SHADOW WORLD

The Shadow World is a feature documentary that explores the international arms trade, the only business that counts its wins and losses in human lives. Based on the book by Andrew Feinstein.

SILENCED, Directed by James Spione; Produced by Daniel Chalfen; Executive Produced by Jim Butterworth.

Johan Grimonprez’s THE SHADOW WORLD

Four whistleblowers fight to reveal the darkest corners of America’s war on terror, challenging a government that is increasingly determined to maintain secrecy.

UNLOCKING THE CAGE, Directed by DA Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus; Produced by Rosadel Varela & Frazer Pennebaker.

DA Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus’ UNLOCKING THE CAGE

Renowned animal rights attorney Steven Wise wants to break through the legal wall that separates animals and humans. His lawsuit, the first of its kind, will demand the most basic of personhood rights – those of bodily integrity and liberty – for an animal of a species that has been proven to have advanced cognitive capabilities, transforming the status of the animal from that of a mere “thing” to a “person” possessing rights that protect him from abuse and captivity.

The projects that will collectively receive $50,000 total in funding for the 2013 Spotlighting Women Documentary Award are:

DEMOCRAZY, Directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, Nicolas Servide & Viviana Gomez; Produced by Joshua Oppenheimer, Signe Sorensen & Anne Kohncke.

Andreas Dalsgaard, Nicolas Servide & Viviana Gomez’s DEMOCRAZY

Katherin is fighting for peace and democracy in Colombia. Her hero is the unconventional politician Antanas Mockus. This film investigates how to establish trust in a society ravaged by violence, fear and corruption.

DISRUPTION, Directed by Pamela Yates; Produced by Paco de Onis.

Pamela Yates’ DISRUPTION

A band of Latin American activist-economists set out to change their continent, teaming up with impoverished women to challenge accepted notions on how to eradicate poverty. The women become empowered economic and political engines of their communities. If taken to scale, could 20 million women upend a continent?

WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS, (pictured above) Directed & Produced by Beth Murphy (2009 GTDF Grantee, The List), Co-Produced by Beth Balaban. In the remote & conservative Afghan village of Deh Subz, the very first girls’ school opens, challenging centuries-old social traditions against the backdrop of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and rising threats to girls’ education.

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Dance Documentary “DANCING IN JAFFA” to be Released in the U.S.

Documentary

Sundance Selects will release in the U.S., Hilla Medalia’s dance documentary “DANCING IN JAFFA,” which premiered earlier this year at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. Sundance Selects did not announce a release date, but a Fall 2013 date is expected.

DANCING IN JAFFA follows ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine as he returns to his hometown Jaffa, Israel expecting his old home but greeted by new racial animosity. A firm believer that dance can build self-esteem and social awareness, Dulaine brings his popular Dancing Classrooms program to 5 ethnically diverse Jaffa schools. Dulaine sends the best children to a dance competition, boldly pairing Palestinian and Jewish children and challenging the children’s and their family’s beliefs.

Executive producers of DANCING IN JAFFA include Morgan Spurlock & Jeremy Chilnick, La Toya Jackson & Jeffré Phillips and Nigel Lythgoe.

http://youtu.be/DDBkUTHykoQ
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Interview with Director Aaron Douglas Johnston on His New Indie Film “MY SISTER’S QUINCEANERA”

Interviews

The independent film “MY SISTER’S QUINCEANERA” about a Latino family in Iowa, is playing at the LA Film Festival where it had its North American premiere on Saturday night. Starring Silas Garcia, Samantha Rae Garcia, Becky Garcia, Tanner McCulley, Nicole Streat, Elizabeth Agapito and Josefina Garcia, MY SISTER’S QUINCEANERA follows teenage Silas who is considered the man of the house, but he wears that responsibility lightly, searching for more from his life than the small town mischief he gets into with his best friend., The film is written, produced and directed by Aaron Douglas Johnston who is also from the Midwest but now resides in Netherlands. We got the chance to catch up with Aaron Douglas Johnston at the LA Film Festival to find out more about his new film.

VIMOOZ: First, congratulations on MY SISTER’S QUINCEANERA being an official selection in the 2013 LA Film Festival … and the North American Premiere..

Aaron Douglas Johnston: Thank you! It’s a great honor to be here at the LA Film Festival. It’s the first time the film has shown in North America, so it’s wonderful to see and hear the audience react to the film.

VIMOOZ: Tell us about MY SISTER’S QUINCEANERA – the story?

Aaron Douglas Johnston: The film and its story are the result of an intensive workshop in acting and filmmaking that I gave to Mexican-American residents in my hometown of Muscatine, Iowa. I developed the story while working with the workshop participants, who are also the actors in the film. It was a wonderful and rewarding process that created ongoing friendships, great actors, and a film we’re all proud of. MY SISTER’S QUINCEAÑERA follows one Midwestern Latino family as they prepare for a quinceañera. As the eldest of six, big brother Silas is constantly helping his single mom and taking care of his siblings. He has become the involuntary man of the house, but he dreams of leaving his hometown to pursue his own dreams. Family relationships as well as love interest Nicole make the choice a difficult one. Surrounded by family, friends and potential love, he struggles with the question: Should he leave or should he stay?

VIMOOZ: You are credited as the writer for the film, what inspired you to come up with the story?

Aaron Douglas Johnston: The workshop participants and actors inspired me to write this story. I started the workshop with no pre-conceived notions of what the film should be about. During the course of the workshop and through the various assignments and acting improvisations that I gave, I was drawn to several recurring topics: the importance and craziness surrounding the quinceañera, the warmth and love of a large Latino family, and the heart-wrenching dilemma for a son/sibling to decide whether to continue helping to provide for his family or to leave his family behind in order to pursue his own dreams (of higher education in Silas’ case). The richness, love, and at times constrictive nature of family relationships, combined with the beautiful small Midwestern town landscape, inspired me to tell this story.

VIMOOZ: Is there a large Latino community in Iowa?

Aaron Douglas Johnston: Like much of Eastern Iowa, my hometown of Muscatine has a significant Latino population, about 10 to 15%. Latinos have long been a part of Iowa. Through the workshop and the film, I was anxious to explore my hometown, and the workshop became a wonderful way to both get to know the Latino community of Muscatine and to tell an authentic story dear to all of us who collaborated on this film.

VIMOOZ: How did you find the actors?

Aaron Douglas Johnston: All of the actors attended the acting and filmmaking workshop. They had never acted before, but they became not only comfortable but also professional and quite skilled in front of the camera. It was a great experience working with them.

VIMOOZ: Most people may not know that you graduated summa cum laude in International Studies – so will you incorporate this international perspective to all your films?

Aaron Douglas Johnston: I’ve always been fascinated by various cultures, countries, and languages. Before I became a filmmaker, I studied sociology at graduate school, and I’ve lived in several different countries. I now live permanently in Amsterdam. I’m drawn to stories where various cultures mix, mesh, and/or collide in interesting and dramatic ways as well as to stories about insider/outsider themes. These types of stories often mesh with an international perspective so this perspective does find its way into all of my films in one way or another.

VIMOOZ: What’s up next for the film?

Aaron Douglas Johnston: The film will screen at multiple film festivals this year, and we’re currently working on distribution deals to get the film out there so people can see it.

Aaron Douglas Johnston (center wearing grey scarf) with crew at WorldPremiere IFFRotterdam 2013

VIMOOZ: What’s up next for you?

Aaron Douglas Johnston: I’d love to make another film in Iowa, as my own hometown continues to inspire me. I’m also currently developing several projects in the Netherlands. [ Pictured above: Aaron Douglas Johnston (center wearing grey scarf) with crew at WorldPremiere IFFRotterdam 2013 ]

http://youtu.be/YdSMWQEtPJ4
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Documentary “MISS YOU CAN DO IT” To Premiere on HBO on June 24th

Documentary

MISS YOU CAN DO IT directed by award-winning documentary director Ron Davis will premeire on HBO on June 24th. MISS YOU CAN DO IT chronicles Abbey Curran, Miss Iowa USA 2008 and the first woman with a disability to compete at the Miss USA Pageant, and eight girls with various physical and intellectual disabilities as the girls participate in Abbey’s Miss You Can Do It Pageant. Abbey founded the annual Miss You Can Do It Pageant in 2004 and girls and their families travel from all around the country to participate in this one night where their inner beauty and abilities reign.

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age two, Abbey Curran never accepted her physical limitations. She admits her disability comes with lifelong challenges, but none that hold her back, playing sports (she “just falls more”) and driving a car with a special steering wheel and brake. Curran’s resilience and determination to pursue her dreams led her to become the first woman with disabilities to compete in the Miss USA Pageant in 2008.

Miss You Can Do It highlights the extraordinary work Curran is doing with the pageant she founded. Curran and a team of enthusiastic volunteers give participants a chance to be celebrated for all they are inside, not just defined by what the world sees on the outside. For one special weekend the young girls, along with family and friends, some who have traveled far distances, spend time in an oasis of fun, femininity and celebration.

No one leaves the pageant empty-handed, with each girl receiving a special award. The real winners of the pageant might be the families and friends, who proudly cheer them on from the audience.

Among the girls and families profiled are:

– Five-year-old Tierney, who gleefully zips around in a powered wheelchair in excited anticipation of the pageant, while her mom explains that she’s never walked and will progressively lose movement throughout her body. Tierney has spinal muscular atrophy type II, a slow deterioration of all muscles.

– Natasha, 14, who was born with cerebral palsy and suffers from seizures, and Kenna, her younger sister, who has intellectual disabilities. Despite these challenges, “they are a happy-go-lucky family,” according to their proud parents.

– Precocious six-year-old Ali, who has four best friends, one mischievous and imaginary, and three in their 60s: Judy, Judy and Rock, who enjoy watching Ali’s physical therapy sessions on a horse, which helps with her balance. Ali was born with spina bifida, a hole in the spine that caused paralysis of her lower body.

– Teyanna, a smart and creative preteen, whose mother says that after she was born, a nurse suggested they put her in an institution, but they refused and raised her at home. Teyanna has speech difficulty due to cerebral palsy.

– Seven-year-old Daleney, whose parents say her biggest frustration is her lack of independence. Still, she never shows it, even if she takes 15 minutes to tie her shoelaces. Daleney is a quadriplegic with a spastic form of cerebral palsy, causing her to have too much muscle tone and making her limbs cross her midline when she walks.

– Tiny Meg, who is shy, except when she’s with her brothers. Wanting Meg to have a sister to connect with, her parents adopted Alina, a girl from Ukraine. Both Meg and Alina have Down syndrome.

http://youtu.be/LeKQRcyNuO8

via HBO Docs
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USTA calls fault against VENUS AND SERENA Documentary

Documentary

The filmmakers of a documentary about Venus and Serena Williams face a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Tennis Association. In the lawsuit filed Friday, the USTA claims copyright infringement after the filmmakers of VENUS AND SERENA allegedly used unlicensed video footage from the U.S. Open without permission.

The lawsuit states that because the filmmakers never signed the standard agreement or made any payment, the USTA was led to believe the “project had been abandoned..”

According to The New York Times, the unlicensed video footage included an outburst by Serena Williams in the 2009 Open when she yelled obscenities and used threatening language against a line judge.

The documentary was originally released on iTunes in April and in theaters in May. The film is also scheduled to begin airing on Showtime on July 1.

Filmmakers Maiken Baird and Michelle Major have dismissed the accusations, calling the lawsuit a shameful effort to interfere. “In trying to censor this film about the Williams sisters,” they told The New York Times, “the U.S.T.A. is simply making up an agreement that never existed — we shot footage at the U.S. Open with the U.S.T.A.’s permission and of course never agreed to pay them for our own work.”

http://youtu.be/YvMWjtQN5HU
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ONLY GOD FORGIVES Starring Ryan Gosling Wins Sydney Film Prize at Sydney Film Festival

Sydney Film Festival

ONLY GOD FORGIVES

ONLY GOD FORGIVES, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn won the Sydney Film Festival‘s prestigious Sydney Film Prize. Starring Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas and Vithaya Pansringarm, ONLY GOD FORGIVES is described as a brutal and stylish story of betrayal, rage and redemption set in the Thai underworld. This is the second time Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn has won the Sydney Prize, previously winning it in 2009 with the British prison thriller Bronson.

“I am very honoured and extremely excited to have received this honorable award from a country that in my opinion has one of the great film histories of the world,” said Nicolas Winding Refn.

BUCKSKIN directed by Dylan McDonald

The FOXTEL Australian Documentary Prize was awarded to BUCKSKIN, directed by Dylan McDonald. The film documents the work of Adelaide resident Jack Buckskin, who is on a mission to renew a once-extinct language and to inspire a new generation to connect with the land and culture of his ancestors.

The Foxtel jury also gave a special mention to MISS NIKKI AND THE TIGER GIRLS, directed by Juliet Lamont, and highly commended Steven McGregor’s BIG NAME NO BLANKET.

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13 Filmmaker Finalists for 2013 San Francisco Film Society Documentary Film Fund

Industry

The San Francisco Film Society today announced the 13 finalists for the 2013 SFFS Documentary Film Fund awards totaling $100,000, which support feature-length documentaries in postproduction. The SFFS Documentary Film Fund was created to support singular nonfiction film work that is distinguished by compelling stories, intriguing characters and an innovative visual approach. Finalists were selected from more than 200 applications, and winners will be announced in late July.

Previous DFF winners include Shaul Schwarz’s Narco Cultura, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson’s American Promise, which also premiered at Sundance and won the festival’s Special Jury Prize in the documentary category; and Zachary Heinzerling’s Cutie and the Boxer, which won Sundance’s Directing Award for documentary, has played at film festivals worldwide and will be distributed theatrically by Radius-TWC.

2013 DOCUMENTARY FILM FUND FINALISTS
Above All Else — John Fiege, director/producer/cinematographer
Above All Else is the remarkable story of how one man’s struggle to protect his family from the Keystone XL pipeline transformed the fight against climate change in America. For more information visit aboveallelsefilm.com.

Art and Craft — Jennifer Grausman, codirector/coproducer and Sam Cullman, codirector/coproducer/cinematographer
Examining the curious story of a prolific art forger who isn’t in it for the money—but chooses instead to donate his work to museums—Art and Craft uncovers one of the most intriguing cases of deception in art history. Filmed at the moment his ruse is exposed, this story of obsession opens an unlikely window onto questions of mental health, art and philanthropy in the 21st century.

The Babushkas of Chernobyl — Anne Bogart and Holly Morris, co-director/producers
As Fukushima smolders, and the world grapples with a dangerous energy era, an unlikely human story emerges from Chernobyl to inform the debate. The Babushkas of Chernobyl is the story of an extraordinary group of women who live in Chernobyl’s post-nuclear disaster “Dead Zone.” For more than 25 years they have survived—and even, oddly, thrived—on some of the most contaminated land on earth. For more information visit thebabushkasofchernobyl.com.

Evolution of a Criminal — Darius Clark Monroe, director
Ten years after robbing a Bank of America, filmmaker Darius Monroe returns home to examine how his actions affected the lives of family, friends and victims. For more information visit facebook.com/evolutionofacriminal.

Freedom Fighters — Jamie Meltzer, director
There’s a new detective agency in Dallas, Texas, started by a group of exonerated men who have all spent decades in prison for crimes they didn’t commit. They call themselves the Freedom Fighters, and they’ve recently started working their first cases. For more information visit freedomfightersfilm.com.

Homestretch — Anne De Mare and Kristen Kelly, co-director/producers
Four homeless teenagers brave Chicago winters, the pressures of high school, and life alone on the streets to build a brighter future. Against all odds, these kids defy stereotypes as they learn to reach out for help and create new, surprising definitions of home.

How to Become an Extreme Action Hero — Catherine Gund, director
How to Become an Extreme Action Hero harnesses the power of action architect and spatial philosopher Elizabeth Streb. Through Streb’s daring performances and incisive words, the film jumpstarts our hearts and takes us to the edge. For more information visit strebfilm.org.

One in a Billion — Geeta Patel, codirector/producer and Ravi V. Patel, codirector
When Ravi Patel breaks up with his white girlfriend and finds himself almost 30 and still single, he decides to give the traditional Indian matchmaking system a try. His entire family starts a search for his future wife and sends him on a whirlwind of dates around the country in hopes that he’ll find “the one.”

Radical Love — Hillevi Loven, director
Radical Love follows the journey of Cole, a transgender Christian teen growing up in rural North Carolina. Upon graduating from high school, he finds love and a sense of belonging with Ashley, a Christian woman. Together, they struggle to gain acceptance in a conservative Bible belt community that is grappling with the changing values of today’s Christian youth.

Redemption — Amir Soltani and Chihiro Wimbush, co-director/producers
As with the poor living in the urban slums of India, Egypt and Brazil, a surprising number of Americans make their living off of a vast river of trash. These are America’s untouchables. Through the lives of four recyclers, we are introduced to the art, science, economics and politics of recycling: what it offers, how it touches the poor and why it matters to all of us. For more information visit redemptiondoc.com.

Rich Hill — Tracy Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo, co-director/producers
Rich Hill chronicles the turbulent lives of children living in a dying Midwestern town, witnessing their struggles up close as they yearn to find self worth and imagine a future beyond poverty. For more information visit richhillfilm.com.

Street Fighting Man — Andrew James, director/cinematographer
In a new America where the promise of education, safety and shelter are in jeopardy, three Detroit men fight to build something lasting for themselves and future generations in a city that is abandoning its citizens. As we witness each man’s fight to claim his piece of the American Dream, Street Fighting Man reveals that no one can do it alone. For more information visit streetfightingmanthemovie.com.

Tomorrow We Disappear — Jimmy Goldblum and Adam Weber, co-director/producers
When their homes are illegally sold to real estate developers, the magicians, acrobats and puppeteers of Delhi’s Kathputli Colony must unite—or splinter apart forever.
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Documentary “THE TALE OF AN PHUC HOUSE” About Vietnamese Victims of Vietnam War Agent Orange to World Premiere at NYIFF

New York International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_4138" align="alignnone" width="550"]THE TALE OF AN PHUC HOUSE[/caption]

The documentary film “THE TALE OF AN PHUC HOUSE” which follows the everyday lives of twenty disabled children – third generation victims of the Agent Orange warfare that occurred during the Vietnam War ( 1963-1973), has its World Premiere at the 2013 New York City International Film Festival (NYCIFF) where it is nominated for NYCIFF’s Best Feature Documentary Film.

Directed by Ivan Tankushev, known for his work in animation on shows such as Arthur and Family Guy, the film is described as an objective video tale about the simple life of twenty exceptional young adults – living in a small house near Saigon. In the past six years under the supervision of their adopted father, those children, surviving and living with dignity and pride – an amazing example for anyone with similar physical conditions.

Mr. Quang -“The Father”, founded “An Phuc” in 2006 with the intention to create jobs and find a roof tor those physically disabled boys and girls – most of whom are a third generation Vietnamese , claimed or awaiting to be recognize as Agent Orange victims. Not an easy task to certified those children with such an official Governmental recognition; nor small financial, mental and physical responsibility to take care of them. Nevertheless, in the past six years Mr.Quang is doing just that. He not only dedicates his everyday life to those disables young adults but helps them to become self-respected, financially independent and better human beings.

http://youtu.be/IYWPZIr5uvc
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WATCH Trailer for Very Funny Indie Comedy “10 RULES FOR SLEEPING AROUND”

News

[caption id="attachment_4136" align="alignnone" width="550"]10 RULES FOR SLEEPING AROUND[/caption]

10 RULES FOR SLEEPING AROUND, the independent screwball comedy about two couples and their ten rules to a happy, healthy and open relationship, has its World Premiere this weekend at the New York City International Film Festival.

Written and directed by Leslie Greif, the indie comedy features a cast that includes Wendi McLendon-Covey (Bridesmaids, Reno 911!), Michael McKean (Spinal Tap, Best in Show), Tammin Sursok (Pretty Little Liars), Jesse Bradford (Bring it On, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell), and Bryan Callen (The Hangover).

10 Rules for Sleeping Around asks the question “how do married couples keep their relationship fresh long after the honeymoon is over?” One solution – keep it open. However, in order to juggle the ensuing chaos there are specific ground rules to be followed at all cost or else all hell may break loose.

via NYCIFF

http://youtu.be/LX4bjpmaf9c
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WATCH Trailer for “SALINGER” Documentary

Documentary

The Weinstein Company released the trailer for the upcoming documentary “SALINGER,” about the notoriously reclusive “Catcher in the Rye” author J.D. Salinger.

Directed by Shane Solerno who co-wrote Oliver Stone’s 2012 “Savages,” SALINGER features interviews with 150 subjects including Salinger’s friends, colleagues and members of his inner circle who have never spoken on the record before as well as film footage, photographs and other material that has never been seen. Additionally, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, John Cusack, Danny DeVito, John Guare, Martin Sheen, David Milch, Robert Towne, Tom Wolfe, E.L. Doctorow, Gore Vidal and Pulitzer Prize winners A. Scott Berg and Elizabeth Frank talk about Salinger’s influence on their lives, their work and the broader culture. The film is the first work to get beyond the Catcher in the Rye author’s meticulously built up wall: his childhood, painstaking work methods, marriages, private world and the secrets he left behind after his death in 2010.

The Weinstein Company anticipates a September 6 release date.

http://youtu.be/5IPsCA6ttbc
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Top 10 Film Picks of 2013 LA Film Festival

Los Angeles Film Festival

Los Angeles Film Festival opened on Thursday night, June 13, 2013, with Pedro Almodóvar’s I’M SO EXCITED! and runs through Sunday June 23, 2013. The festival will screen nearly 200 feature films, shorts and music videos, and we selected 10 independent narrative films and documentary films from very talented directors, some who might otherwise be overlooked. So here we go 10 films at the 2013 LA Film Festival that definitely deserve a look.

Narrative Feature Film

Forev – USA
(DIRECTORS/WRITERS Molly Green, James Leffler PRODUCERS Stephanie Dziczek, Meg Charlton CAST Noël Wells, Matt Mider, Amanda Bauer)

On a spur of the moment road trip, new friends Sophie and Pete hatch a misguided plan to get hitched. Refreshingly funny and intelligent, this coming-of-age romantic comedy delightfully contemplates how and with whom we fall in love. World Premiere

http://youtu.be/bO3Ws3AKaa4

Forty Years From Yesterday – USA
(DIRECTORS Robert Machoian, Rodrigo OjedaBeck WRITER Robert Machoian PRODUCERS Nick Case, Ryan Watt, Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck CAST Bruce Graham, Suzette Graham, Robert Eddington, Wyatt Eddington, Matt Valdez, Chelsea Word, Elizabeth Overton, Rebekah Mott)

Grief quietly reverberates through a family after a man discovers his wife of forty years has unexpectedly passed away. Filmmakers Rodrigo Ojeda-Beckand and Robert Machoian make their feature directorial debut with this quietly powerful examination of love and loss. World Premiere

http://youtu.be/1SbzJi6RVzI

The House That Jack Built – USA
(DIRECTOR Henry Barrial WRITER Joseph Vasquez PRODUCERS Michael Lieber, Sam Kitt, Hitesh Patel CAST E.J. Bonilla, Melissa Fumero, Leo Minaya, Saundra Santiago, John Herrera, Flor De Liz Perez, Rosal Colon)

[caption id="attachment_4126" align="alignnone" width="550"]The House That Jack Built[/caption]

Complications ensue when street-smart, cash-rich Jack fulfills his fantasy of housing his extended family in a single Bronx apartment complex. E.J. Bonilla heads a dynamic Caribbean-Latino ensemble in this riveting hot house drama. World Premiere

http://youtu.be/Rl_Eh-RDpYg

My Sisterʼs Quinceañera – USA
(DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER Aaron Douglas Johnston CAST Silas Garcia, Samantha Rae Garcia, Becky Garcia, Tanner McCulley, Nicole Streat, Elizabeth Agapito, Josefina Garcia)

[caption id="attachment_4127" align="alignnone" width="550"]My Sisterʼs Quinceañera[/caption]

This lovely naturalistic film focuses on a Latino family in Iowa. The teenage Silas may be the man of the house, but he wears that responsibility lightly, searching for more from his life than the small town mischief he gets into with his best friend. North American Premiere

http://youtu.be/YdSMWQEtPJ4

Pollywogs – USA
(DIRECTORS Karl Jacob, T. Arthur Cottam WRITER Karl Jacob PRODUCERS Karl Jacob, Tracy Utley, Michael Prall CAST Karl Jacob, Kate Lyn Sheil, Jennifer Prediger, Larry Mitchell)

[caption id="attachment_4128" align="alignnone" width="550"]Pollywogs[/caption]

Utterly deflated after a breakup, Dylan splits the city for a well-timed family reunion. Writer/director/star Karl Jacobʼs endearing, witty tale about the search for second chances is gorgeously set against the pristine Minnesota woods of his own hometown. World Premiere

http://youtu.be/XTumZoAoRNY

Documentary Feature Films

All of Me – USA
(DIRECTOR Alexandra Lescaze PRODUCERS Alexandra Lescaze, Deborah Eve Lewis)

[caption id="attachment_4129" align="alignnone" width="550"]All of Me[/caption]

The women of the BBW (Big Beautiful Women) Club celebrate being overweight, and the men who love them don’t want them to change. But what happens when the group decides to undergo weight loss surgery? This startlingly intimate documentary raises fascinating questions about obesity, identity and sexuality. World Premiere

http://youtu.be/VISoaE86U9g

American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs – USA
(DIRECTOR Grace Lee PRODUCERS Grace Lee, Caroline Libresco, Austin Wilkin)

Tenacious 97 year old Asian-American Grace Lee Boggs was an unlikely star of the African-American movement. She looks back on her remarkable (and ongoing) lifetime of activism, dedicated to the possibility of a more just future for us all. World Premiere

http://youtu.be/xNTDB_mBTeA

Llyn Foulkes One Man Band – USA
(DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS Tamar Halpern, Chris Quilty FEATURING Llyn Foulkes, Dennis Hopper, George Hermes, Paul Schimmel, Johnny Carson)

[caption id="attachment_4130" align="alignnone" width="550"]Llyn Foulkes One Man Band [/caption]

At 78 years of age, the brilliant, iconoclastic artist Llyn Foulkes, is still fighting the art world and his own demons as he feverishly creates–and then destroys and recreates–deep, three-dimensional paintings that mirror back his personal and artistic obsessions. World Premiere

http://youtu.be/O3aGdoNP7xU

My Stolen Revolution – Sweden
(DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER Nahid Persson Sarvestani FEATURING Nahid Persson Sarvestani, Parvaneh Aref, Nazli Partovi, Monireh Baradaran, Azar Aal-Kanaan)

[caption id="attachment_4131" align="alignnone" width="550"]My Stolen Revolution[/caption]

Thirty years after narrowly escaping Iran and impending imprisonment during The 1979 revolution, filmmaker and activist Nahid Persson Sarvestani sets out to find the friends she left behind. Through the harrowing stories of the women who were not as fortunate as she, Persson is led to her own redemption. North American Premiere

http://youtu.be/8haBngppLzQ

The New Black – USA
(DIRECTOR Yoruba Richen PRODUCERS Yoruba Richen, Yvonne Welbon)

[caption id="attachment_4132" align="alignnone" width="550"]The New Black[/caption]

In this timely documentary, filmmaker Yoruba Richen questions the assumptions about homophobia in the African-American community, setting off an impassioned conversation about gay rights, family history, the role of the Church and the legacy of the civil rights movement. World Premiere

http://youtu.be/GX4XiTSuuF0

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