• “AFRICAN GOTHIC” based on Reza de Wet’s master piece – Diepe Grond – to premiere at Durban International Film Festival

    Connie Jackson as Alina, the housekeeper, Damon Shalit as Frikkie and Chella Ferrow as Sussie in African Gothic directed by Gabriel Bologna which will have its SA Premiere at DIFFConnie Jackson as Alina, the housekeeper, Damon Shalit as Frikkie and Chella Ferrow as Sussie in African Gothic directed by Gabriel Bologna which will have its SA Premiere at DIFF

    AFRICAN GOTHIC, the new international film version of Reza de Wet’s iconic masterpiece, Diepe Grond, will have its South African and African premiere at the 2013 Durban International Film Festival.

    Chella Ferrow as Sussie and Damon Shalit as Frikkie in African Gothic directed by Gabriel Bologna, which will have its SA Premiere at DIFFChella Ferrow as Sussie and Damon Shalit as Frikkie in African Gothic directed by Gabriel Bologna, which will have its SA Premiere at DIFF

    AFRICAN GOTHIC, directed by Gabriel Bologna, is described as a gritty, poignant drama set in a decaying farmhouse in the desolate heart of the parched Free State, about a dangerous and passionate relationship between deeply troubled lovers, their benign domestic worker and a hapless lawyer who pays them a visit. The production features two South African-born actors from Johannesburg who play the pivotal roles of Frikkie and Sussie: Damon Shalit plays the menacing Frikkie, and Chella Ferrow plays his beautiful and complex, sweetheart from childhood.

    The Durban International Film Festival takes place in Durban, South Africa from July 18 to 28, 2013.

    http://youtu.be/YscH8QR5hhc

    Read more

  • Demarest Films and Cinedigm Announce New Partnership; Sets August 23 Release Date for “SHORT TERM 12”

    Short Term 12

    Demarest Films and Cinedigm today announced a new co-acquisition and distribution partnership; and their first collaboration will be Destin Daniel Cretton’s 2013 SXSW Film Festival dual Grand Jury and Audience Award winner SHORT TERM 12. SHORT TERM 12 will be released theatrically August 23rd.

    SHORT TERM 12 is the touching and uplifting story of Grace (Brie Larson), a twenty-something social worker who has channeled the demons of her own troubled past into a passion for helping at-risk teens. Her newest ward, Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever), forces Grace to relive her own difficult upbringing just as she and her boyfriend Mason (John Gallagher Jr.) are on the cusp of making a decision that will change their lives. This is writer/director Cretton’s second feature following the 2012 Sundance Film Festival selection I AM NOT A HIPSTER. The film also features Rami Malek and newcomer, Keith Stanfield.

    “We have been looking for ways to work with Sam and William since they formed Demarest Films. We are thrilled they felt as passionate about SHORT TERM 12 as we did and are very happy to bring them in as partners on this powerful film,” said Chris McGurk, Chairman and CEO, Cinedigm. “This arrangement is truly unique as it’s not a traditional distribution or production relationship – it’s a fully-fledged partnership that allows us to share equally in the upsides of our indie films, from theatrical all the way thru the vast ancillary opportunities our distribution expertise and infrastructure provides. It’s great to be working with such an innovative team and this arrangement should expand acquisition opportunities for both parties in the future.”

    “Cinedigm is on the cutting edge of the independent film renaissance and we are thrilled to be partnering with them and tapping into the vast potential that digital distribution provides,” said Sam Englebardt, Co-founder and CEO, Demarest Films. “SHORT TERM 12 is a great initial project as it’s not only a strong, award-winning film with beautiful performances, but we also believe the long tail ancillaries of this project will be significant. We expect this to be the first of many films that we co-release with Cinedigm and a model that we are excited to replicate with other distribution partners as well.

     http://youtu.be/Cook_OOKWlw

    Read more

  • “THE NEW BLACK” and “SLOMO” Win Audience Awards at AFI DOCS

    THE NEW BLACK directed by Yoruba RichenTHE NEW BLACK directed by Yoruba Richen

    THE NEW BLACK directed by Yoruba Richen received the Audience Award for Best Feature, and SLOMO directed by Joshua Izenberg received the Audience Award for Best Short at AFI DOCS presented by Audi (formerly Silverdocs). The festival announced the Audience Award winners earlier today wrapping up the five day festival. THE NEW BLACK examines how African-American voters have become bitterly divided on the issue of gay marriage because of homophobia rampant in one of the pillars of the African-American community – the church. Focusing on the fight for marriage equality in Maryland, it argues that this hot-button issue is a matter of civil rights.

    SLOMO directed by Joshua IzenbergSLOMO directed by Joshua Izenberg

    This year’s Audience Award for Best Short went to SLOMO directed by Joshua Izenberg. The film asks what would really happen if you quit your lucrative job and just did what you wanted all day, like subject John Kitchin, a doctor who traded his medical practice for rollerblades and sandy beaches, and explores the neurological and spiritual joys of slow acceleration.

    Read more

  • Actress Meg Ryan Honored at 2013 Taormina Film Festival

    MEg Ryan at 2013 Taormina Film Festival

    Actress Meg Ryan was honored with the Taormina Arte Award Lancia at the 2013 Taormina Film Festival in Italy.

    Read more

  • Actress Marisa Tomei Honored at 2013 Taormina Film Festival

    Marisa Tomei at 2013 Taormina Film Festival

    Actress Marisa Tomei attended the 2013 Taormina Film Festival in Italy where she was honored with the Taormina City Prize.

    Read more

  • Academy Announces Submission Dates For 2013 Oscars

    academy-awards1

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced category submission deadlines for 86th Academy Awards consideration.

    The dates are as follows:

    Scientific and Technical Awards  – Friday, July 12
    Documentary Short Subject  – Tuesday, September 3
    Documentary Feature  – Monday, September 23
    Live Action Short Film  – Tuesday, October 1
    Animated Short Film  – Tuesday, October 1
    Foreign Language Film  – Tuesday, October 1
    Animated Feature Film  – Friday, November 1
    Original Score  – Monday, December 2
    Original Song  – Monday, December 2
    Official Screen Credits Form  – Monday, December 2
    All submissions are due by 5 p.m. PT

    Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center and televised live on the ABC Television Network. 

    Read more

  • TRAILER: Bobcat Goldthwait’s BigFoot Horror Film “WILLOW CREEK” Releases Trailer

    WILLOW CREEK

    A trailer has been released for horror film WILLOW CREEK which premiered earlier this year at Boston Independent Film Festival.  Bobcat Goldthwait, known for his “gruff but high-pitched voice” who has also directed WORLD’S GREATEST DAD, 2009; GOD BLESS AMERICA, 2012, wrote and directed the BIg Foot “found-footage” horror film.

    willow-creek-poster

    Jim and his girlfriend Kelly are in Willow Creek, California, to retrace the steps of Bigfoot researchers Patterson and Gimlin, who, in 1967, recorded the most famous film of the legendary monster. Kelly is a skeptic, along for the ride to spend time with her boyfriend between acting gigs. Jim, a believer, hopes to capture footage of his own, so his camera is constantly rolling.

    The small town is a mecca to the Bigfoot community; sasquatch statues guard the local businesses, murals of the missing link line the roads, and Bigfoot burgers are the town delicacy. The couple interview locals who range from skeptic to believer and from manic to completely menacing. Some of the stories they hear are of chance encounters with a gentle creature, while others are tales of mysterious eviscerations.

    On the day that Jim and Kelly plan on hiking into the woods to look for proof, they are given a simple warning: “It’s not a joke. You shouldn’t go there.” Despite the ominous message and Kelly’s own reservations, they head deep into the forest to set up camp. The events that follow will make them wish they had simply spent the night at the Bigfoot Motel. [IFFB]

    http://youtu.be/eHcqBIPecRE

    Read more

  • Kathleen Hanna Documentary “THE PUNK SINGER” to Get a Fall 2013 Release

    Kathleen Hanna The Punk Singer

    The punk roc documentary THE PUNK SINGER directed by Sini Anderson will be released in the Fall 2013 by Sundance Selects. The Punk Singer: The Documentary about Kathleen Hanna focuses on Kathleen Hanna credited as a founder of the third wave of feminism and Riot Grrrl movement.

    Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of the punk band Bikini Kill and dance-punk trio Le Tigre, rose to national attention as the reluctant but never shy voice of the riot grrrl movement. She became one of the most famously outspoken feminist icons, a cultural lightning rod. Her critics wished she would just shut-up, and her fans hoped she never would. So in 2005, when Hanna stopped shouting, many wondered why. Through 20 years of archival footage and intimate interviews with Hanna, “THE PUNK SINGER” takes viewers on a fascinating tour of contemporary music and offers a never-before-seen view into the life of this fearless leader. SXSW

    http://youtu.be/xuhtI_Kgn3E

    Read more

  • French Films “DELICATE GRAVITY” and “STRANGER BROTHERS” Take Top Awards at 2013 Palm Springs International ShortFest

    DELICATE GRAVITY DELICATE GRAVITY

    French films took the top prizes at the 2013 Palm Springs International ShortFest – DELICATE GRAVITY (Délicate Gravité) directed by Philippe André was awarded the BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD, and STRANGER BROTHERS (Faux Frères) directed by Lucas Delangle was awarded the BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD. Both films are now eligible to be submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.

    The 2013 Palm Springs International ShortFest award winners are:

    JURY AWARDS

    BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD
    DELICATE GRAVITY (Délicate Gravité) (France), Philippe André
    Yvan Attal and Anne Parillaud are wonderful as two lonely spirits who come together by chance when a cell phone call to a wrong number provides the catalyst for a meeting.

    PANAVISION GRAND JURY AWARD
    STRANGER BROTHERS (Faux Frères) (France), Lucas Delangle
    Guillaume returns to the village where he grew up to pick up the car he inherited from his father years before. Once there, he encounters his step brother, and things get a little more complicated.

    FUTURE FILMMAKER AWARD – Winner received a $2,000 cash prize and a GoPro Hero 3 Camera courtesy of Radiant Images.
    RHINO FULL THROTTLE (Nashorn Im Galopp) (Germany), Erick Schmitt
    Bruno roams the streets of Berlin, gazing behind the many facades and surfaces as he seeks the soul of the city. Unexpectedly, he meets an ally in his quest and immediately falls in love. But she is also on a quest, and it’s one that has her leaving Bruno and Berlin very soon.

    Jury Special Mention – The jury would like to give a special mention to the short film The Wall from Norway for its grit, humanity and creativity.


    AUDIENCE AWARDS

    AUDIENCE FAVORITE LIVE ACTION SHORT
    WALKING THE DOGS (UK), Jeremy Brock
    Emma Thompson stars as Queen Elizabeth in this delicious rendering of the infamous 1982 incident in which a man broke into the Queen’s bedroom while her security guard was out in the palace grounds walking the dogs.

    Runner-up – GREAT (Germany), Andreas Henn

    AUDIENCE FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY SHORT
    NOT ANYMORE: A STORY OF REVOLUTION (USA), Matthew VanDyke
    Shot on the ground with a hand held camera and told in striking first person, the Syrian struggle for freedom as experienced by a 32 year old rebel commander, Mowya, and a 24 year old female journalist, Nour, in Aleppo, Syria is exposed like no TV newscast could do.

    Runner-up – SLOMO (USA), Josh Izenberg

    AUDIENCE FAVORITE ANIMATION SHORT
    A GIRL NAMED ELASTIKA (Canada), Guillaume Blanchet
    A spirited girl made of rubber bands journeys across her corkboard universe in this delightful stop-motion film.

    Runner-up – CHOPPER (Netherlands), Lars Damoiseaux, Frederik Palmaers

    The ShortFest Online Audience Award went to SHELVED (New Zealand), directed by James Cunningham. The film will be available to view on the PSIFF website for the next three months.


    JURY CATEGORY AWARDS 

    BEST ANIMATION SHORT
    First Place ($2,000) – ARTS & CRAFTS SPECTACULAR #2 (Germany),Ian Ritterskamp & Sébastien Wolf
    This surreal claymation extravaganza wryly celebrates the close encounter of such disparate pop figures as Popeye and Yoko Ono during a be-in at a museum somewhere in time.

    Second Place ($500) –Chopper(Netherlands), Lars Damoiseaux & Frederik Palmaers

    BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT OVER 15 MINUTES
    First Place ($2,000) – WILD HORSES (USA), Stephanie Martin
    Mireille Enos stars in this story of cruelty, courage, love and memory as two generations of women bear witness to the brutality common to wild horse roundups in the American West.

    Second Place ($500) – SPRING TIDES (Les Grandes Marées) (France), Mathias Pardo

    BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT 15 MINUTES AND UNDER
    First Place ($2,000) – WE KEEP ON DANCING (Australia), Jessica Lawton
    Two distinctly disparate characters come together over a broken down Volkswagen Beetle in this sweet, amusing tale of love, loss and… car trouble.

    Second Place ($500) – NOT FUNNY (No Tiene Gracia) (Spain), Carlos Violadé

    BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
    First Place ($2,000) – LETTERS FROM PYONGYANG (Canada), Jason Lee
    The tragedy of a divided Korea is powerfully evoked in this profound personal journey undertaken by filmmaker Jason Lee, who ventures with his father from South to North, across the Korean peninsula, in search of clues of his family’s unsettled past.

    Second Place ($500) – DECEMBER 25 (Australia), Wendy Dent

    STUDENT CATEGORIES

    BEST STUDENT ANIMATION
    First Place – HARALD (Germany), Moritz Schneider
    Harald is a champion wrestler with a monster mother for his coach. Though his true love is growing flowers, coach mom doesn’t wanted him distracted by such trifles, so when she takes away his latest plant, Harald is forced to sieze the day.

    Second Place – THE MAGNIFICENT LION BOY (UK), Ana Caro

    BEST STUDENT LIVE ACTION SHORT OVER 15 MINUTES
    First Place – MAGMA (Poland), Pawel Maslona
    Dedicated furniture salesman Janusz always knows just how to close a sale but after an extremely rare accident at work, he finds his carefully constructed life unraveling.

    Second Place – PAULINE IN A BEAUTIFUL WORLD (USA), William Thompson

    BEST STUDENT LIVE ACTION SHORT 15 MINUTES AND UNDER
    First Place – JUMP (Australia), Aimee Lee Curran
    In a visually dazzling story about the importance of family when pursuing your dreams, Jump tells the tale of 12-year-old Edwin, a circus clown like his father, who dreams of becoming a trapeze artist..

    Second Place – RELICS(USA), Jennie Allen

    BEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY SHORT
    First Place – EMPTY NEST (Myanmar), Zaw Naing Oo
    In one small pocket of Yangon, the urban center of Myanmar, Daw Ni Lang lives very modestly with her husband and young son. It’s a hard life, but she’s managed to raise four children who are all well-educated… if only they would call home a little more often.

    Second Place – JONATHAN (Ecuador), Abe Zverow

    BEST STUDENT CINEMATOGRAPHY
    Leigh Lisbão Underwood (cinematographer), THE BOY SCOUT (USA)
    Trapped in their car for days after an unexpected snowstorm strands them on a remote mountain road during an impromptu trip, Grant and Leah confront a life-or-death choice… With another storm on the way, should they stay or should they go.

    Second Place – Tam Morris (cinematographer), JUMP (Australia)

    BEST US FILM SCHOOL STUDENT FILM AWARD
    First Place – MY FATHER’S TRUCK (Xe Tai Cua Bo) (Brazil/Vietnam), Mauricio Osaki
    10-year-old Mai Vy skips school one day to help her father with his passenger truck for hire. Set along the countryside of Northern Vietnam, Mai Vy is soon confronted with varying shades of morality and harsh realities as she learns how things outside the classroom really are.

    ADDITIONAL PRIZES The Alexis Award for Best Emerging Student Filmmaker went to OSTRICHLAND (USA), directed by David McCracken. T

    Bridging the Borders Award presented by Cinema Without Borders went to THAT WASN’T ME (Aquel No Era Yo) (Spain) directed by Esteban Crespo. The runner-up was TRYOUTS (USA), directed by Susana Casares.

    The next Palm Springs International Film Festival will be held January 3-13, 2014.

    Read more

  • “HAVING YOU,” and “HOW TO FOLLOW STRANGERS” Awarded Top Honors at 2013 Lower East Side Film Festival

    HAVING YOUHAVING YOU

    “HAVING YOU,” and “HOW TO FOLLOW STRANGERS” were awarded top honors at the 2013 Lower East Side Film Festival (L.E.S* Film Festiva), which ran June 13 – 23 in New York City.

    Prix D’or Winner, “HOW TO FOLLOW STRANGERS” is directed by Chioke Nassor and stars Broad City’s Ilana Glazer. There is a true story of a woman who died in her apartment and it took people a year to find her body decomposing in a crisp Chanel suit. A young man becomes obsessed with this urban tragedy and disappears, wondering if anyone will notice. A young woman who shares his commuting schedule DOES notice…

    Best Feature Winner, HAVING YOU, is directed by Sam Hoare and stars Golden Globe Nominated Anna Friel, Golden Globe and BAFTA Nominee Romola Garai, and BAFTA Nominee Phil Davis. Jack has finally managed to propose to his infertile girlfriend when his life is turned upside down by the arrival of an old one-night stand that introduces him to his seven year old son.

    The Full List of Winners are:

    PRIX D’OR – Best of Fest – How To Follow Strangers. Dir. By Chioke Nassor
    BEST FEATURE – Having You. Dir. By Sam Hoare
    AUDIENCE AWARD – i hate myself 🙂 Dir. By Joanna Arnow
    BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT – The Caretaker. Dir. Lauren Lillie
    BEST DOC SHORT – Wright’s Law. Dir. By Zack Conkle
    BEST ANIMATION – Fear of Flying. Dir. By Conor Finnegan
    L.E.S* NEIGHBORHOOD AWARD – The Birdman. Dir. By Jessie Auritt.

    Read more

  • Jonathan Demme’s ENZO AVITABILE MUSIC LIFE to Kick Off 2013 Maine International Film Festival

    ENZO AVITABILE MUSIC LIFE

    ENZO AVITABILE MUSIC LIFE directed by Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme (Silence Of The Lambs, Philadelphia, Stop Making Sense) will kick off the Opening Night of the 16th Maine International Film Festival (MIFF) on Friday, July 12 at the Waterville Opera House. Jonathan Demme, the MIFF 2002 Midlife Achievement Honoree, will introduce his new film, which centers on Enzo Avitabile, the Neapolitan musician who’s blazing a world music trail in his collaborations with other musicians from around the Mediterranean and around the world, including Buena Vista Social Club’s Eliades Ochoa.

    ENZO AVITABILE MUSIC LIFE is the first in a special section of MIFF 2013 called “Demme Does Music,” designed to highlight what the festival describes as Demme’s fantastic feel for and ability to convey the excitement of music. Although his feature films, including classics like Silence of the Lambs, for which he won the Best Director Oscar in 1992, Philadelphia, Melvin and Howard and Something Wild, invariably have a strong musical element, according to Festival Programmer Ken Eisen, it is Demme’s “beautiful portfolio of films directly centering on music and musicians that really shine with the excitement, power and thrill of Jonathan’s wonderful ability to wed film with music.”

    ENZO AVITABILE MUSIC LIFE will open theatrically at Lincoln Plaza and a downtown theater in New York on October 18, and at the Royal and other Los Angeles area Laemmle theaters on October 25.  A national release will follow.

    http://youtu.be/bMY73xNXDJk 

    Read more

  • Director Paris Barclay Elected First African American President of the Directors Guild of America

    Paris Barclay

    Director Paris Barclay was elected President of the Directors Guild of America by acclamation at the Guild’s National Biennial Convention held over the weekend at DGA National Headquarters in Los Angeles.

    “I am profoundly honored to be elected President of the DGA,” said Barclay to the assembled delegates after the vote. “The DGA has worked for more than three-quarters of a century to advance the creative and economic rights of directors and their teams and I look forward to continuing this strong tradition of service. As the son of a glass blower and a tile maker from Chicago, I am extremely humbled to have the honor to serve in the footsteps of the legendary leaders of the DGA like Frank Capra, Robert Wise and Gil Cates.”

    Barclay has a deep history of service to the Guild, having most recently served four terms on the National Board as First Vice-President, beginning in 2005 and as Third Vice-President from 1999 to 2005. Barclay joined the Guild in 1992 and began his service as a member of the African American Steering Committee in 1993. He joined the Western Directors Council in 1997 as an alternate and was elected a full Council member in 1999 and has served on the Council for 16 years. In 2007, the Guild honored Barclay with the Robert B. Aldrich Achievement Award for extraordinary service to the DGA and its membership.

    Barclay has directed over 130 episodes of television during his directing career, including: Sons of Anarchy, Glee, Smash, House, Cold Case, NCIS: Los Angeles, In Treatment, The Good Wife, CSI, Lost, The Shield, The West Wing, ER and NYPD Blue. In addition to episodic directing, Barclay has been an active director-producer, currently serving in that role in Sons of Anarchy and previously for In Treatment, Cold Case, City of Angels and NYPD Blue.  

    Barclay has received 10 DGA Award nominations for Outstanding Direction in Comedy and Drama Television. He became the first Director in the history of the Guild to receive a comedy and a drama nomination in the same year, two years in a row (2008 In Treatment & Weeds and 2009 In Treatment & Glee). He won the 1998 DGA Dramatic Series Award for his NYPD Blue episode “Heart and Souls” featuring the death of Jimmy Smits’ character Bobby Simone. He has also won two Emmy Awards for his direction of NYPD Blue and received four additional Emmy nominations for producing and directing. Barclay has also received three NAACP Image Awards, four Peabody Awards, two Humanitas Prizes, and countless other recognitions. He also directed the HBO movie for television The Cherokee Kid and the Miramax feature Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. He began his career in advertising working as a creative executive and then segued into directing commercials and music videos for artists including: Janet Jackson, Bob Dylan, and LL Cool J.

    Barclay, a graduate of Harvard College, is married to his husband, Christopher Barclay, and has two sons.

    Read more