• HollyShorts Film Festival to Honor Matthew Modine with 2013 Indie Maverick Award

    HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL TO HONOR MATTHEW MODINE WITH INDIE MAVERICK AWARD

    Matthew Modine will be honored with the 2013 Indie Maverick Award at the upcoming 9th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival taking place August 15-22. As part of the celebration, Modine will showcase his purposefully provocative short film JESUS WAS A COMMIE on opening night.

    In addition, Modine will speak with the festival’s filmmakers during the theatrical special screening of ShortsHD’s presentation of THE SHORT FILMS OF MATTHEW MODINE, a collection of Modine’s short films spanning two decades that will close the festival on Thursday, August 22. The Short Films of Matthew Modine includes: When I Was a Boy (1993), Smoking (1995), Ecce Pirate (1996), To Kill An American (2005), I Think I Thought (2007), and Jesus Was A Commie. His shorts range in genre – ironic comedy, drama, historic adventure, and documentary narrative.

    “Matthew Modine is a true Indie Film Maverick with a passion for short form content and we’re honored to present him with the 2013 HollyShorts Indie Maverick Award,” said Daniel Sol, festival co-founder and co-director. “We can’t wait for our filmmakers and attendees to check out the theatrical presentation of his collection of shorts, it’s a really great showcase.”

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  • The Top Ten Features and Documentaries at 2013 Melbourne International Film Festival

    These Final HoursThese Final Hours

    The 62nd Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) ended on August 11 after 17 days screening 320 films, and the MIFF Premiere Fund-supported Zak Hilditch’s THESE FINAL HOURS was awarded the title of best Australian feature along with a $5000 cash prize. The TeleScope Award was presented by the Film Critics Circle of Australia to Danish film NORTHWEST.

    The Audience favorites were tallied online and were divided in to Features and Documentaries as follows…

    Top 10 Features
    1. The Rocket
    2. The Past
    3. The Broken Circle Breakdown
    4. Wadjda
    5. Approved for Adoption
    6. The Patience Stone
    7. Blancanieves
    8. A Hijacking
    9. Touch of The Light
    10.Omar


    Top 10 Documentaries
    1. The Crash Reel
    2. Valentine Road
    3. Gore Vidal
    4. In Bob We Trust
    5. Cosmic Psychos
    6. Lygon Street – Si Parla Italiano
    7. The Punk Singer
    8. The Sunnyboy
    9. Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer
    10.Village at the End of the World

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  • The new Daedalus Film Fest to Feature Documentaries About Global HIV/AIDS Crisis

    BLOOD BROTHER, Director, Steve HooverBLOOD BROTHER, Director, Steve Hoover

    The Daedalus Project, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s annual fundraiser to end the spread of HIV/AIDS, will launch its first-ever film festival on August 16-18 at The Varsity Theatre on Main Street in Ashland, Oregon. The Daedalus Film Fest, produced in partnership with the Ashland Independent Film Festival and Coming Attractions Theatres, includes a slate of 5 bold, original, award-winning documentaries about the ongoing global HIV/AIDS crisis.

    “For years, we’ve come together as a community to save lives at Daedalus. This Film Fest is a new way for audiences to engage in the conversation about HIV/AIDS and to participate in OSF’s life-saving efforts,” says Daedalus organizer and OSF Company Member Eduardo Placer.

    Festival selections originated on 4 continents and garnered significant awards and nominations including the 2013 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, the 2013 Sundance Audience Award, the 2012 Independent Spirit Award and a 2012 Academy Award ® nomination.

    2013 Daedalus Film Festival Selections

    BLOOD BROTHER, 2012, 93 mins, India/US
    Director, Steve Hoover

    2013 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Winner and Audience Award Winner

    The unmistakable power of love is celebrated in this story of one American’s decision to move to India and restart his life among children living at an orphanage for those infected with HIV.

    Friday, August 16 at 7:30 PM
    Sunday, August 18 at 7:30 PM

    THE DREAMS OF ELIBIDI (NDOTO ZA ELIBIDI), 2010, 75 mins, Kenya
    Directors Nick Reding, Kamau Wa Ndung’U
    S.A.F.E. (Sponsored Arts for Education) Production

    Originally a stage play with actors from the Nairobi slums, this film combines fiction and documentary as its lively protagonists come to terms with HIV and life in the slums.

    Saturday, August 17 at 1:00 PM

    FIRE IN THE BLOOD, 2012, 80 mins, UK/India
    Director, Dylan Mohan Gray

    An untold corporate crime story of immense proportions about pharmaceutical companies and governments blocking access to low-cost AIDS drugs in Africa and India causing millions of unnecessary deaths – and of the people who decided to fight back.

    Saturday, August 17 at 4:00 PM
    Sunday, August 18 at 1:00 PM

    HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE, 2012, 110 mins, US
    Director David France
    Academy Award ®Nominated film for Best Documentary

    The story of young activists who created some of the most powerful social movements of our time, saving their own lives and millions more. Their activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition.

    Saturday, August 17 at 7:00 PM
    Sunday, August 18 at 7:00 PM

    WE WERE HERE, 2011, 90 min, US
    Director, David Weissman
    2012 Independent Spirit Nominated film for Best Documentary

    Five individuals who lived in San Francisco during the AIDS epidemic share intensely personal stories that also illuminate the much larger themes of that era and the incredible power of a community coming together with love, compassion, and determination. (View trailer)

    Saturday, August 17 at 7:30 PM
    Sunday, August 18 at 4:00 PM

    “Nearly all of these films are making their first big-screen appearance in the Rogue Valley,” says Joanne Feinberg, Director of Programming at the Ashland Independent Film Festival. “In many cases, we wanted to include these selections in AIFF’s annual festival, but some of these films are only now available. The Daedalus Film Fest presents us with a unique opportunity to share these works with Southern Oregon.”

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  • trinidad+tobago film festival Unveiled the 22 Films in Caribbean Features Section

    ABO SO Juan Francisco PardoABO SO Juan Francisco Pardo

    The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) announced the first section of its program of films for its 2013 edition, the Caribbean features section. Twenty-two feature-length Caribbean and diaspora films—ten fiction films and 12 documentaries—will screen at the ttff/13, which runs from 17 September–01 October. The 22 films come from 14 Caribbean countries, and all but one will be making their local premiere at the Festival. In addition five of the films will be world premieres, nine will enjoy their Caribbean premiere, and two their international premiere.

    The full lineup of Caribbean features follows. Films marked with an asterisk (*) are in competition.

    Narrative selections

    ABO SO Juan Francisco Pardo, Aruba, 2013, international premiere*

    ANA’S FILM Daniel Díaz Torres, Cuba, 2012, T&T premiere

    CHRISSY! Marcia Weekes, Barbados, 2012, T&T premiere

    GOD LOVES THE FIGHTER Damian Marcano, T&T/USA, 2013, world premiere*

    I AM A DIRECTOR Javier Colón, Puerto Rico, 2012, T&T premiere*

    KINGSTON PARADISE Mary Wells, Jamaica, 2013, Caribbean premiere*

    MELAZA Carlos Lechuga, Cuba, 2012, T&T premiere*

    PAYDAY Selwyne Bourne, Barbados, 2013, international premiere

    THE SWIMMING POOL Carlos Machado Quintela, Cuba, 2012, T&T premiere

    THREE KIDS Jonas d’Adesky, Haiti/Belgium, 2012, T&T premiere*


    Documentary selections

    CARMITA Laura Guzmán and Israel Cardenás, 2013, Dominican Republic//Mexico/Cuba, Caribbean premiere*

    FATAL ASSISTANCE Raoul Peck, Haiti/France, 2013, T&T premiere*

    FORWARD EVER: THE KILLING OF A REVOLUTION Bruce Paddington, T&T/Grenada, 2013, world premiere

    NO BOIS MAN NO FRAID Christopher Laird, T&T, 2013, world premiere*

    POETRY IS AN ISLAND: DEREK WALCOTT Ida Does, Aruba/The Netherlands/Suriname/Saint Lucia, 2013, world premiere*

    RED, WHITE AND BLACK: A SPORTS ODYSSEY Robert Dumas, T&T, 2012

    SILENT MUSIC Melissa Gomez, Antigua, 2012, Caribbean premiere

    SONGS OF REDEMPTION Miquel Galofré and Amanda Sans Pantling, Jamaica/Spain, 2013, T&T premiere*

    THE STUART HALL PROJECT John Akomfrah, UK/Jamaica, 2013, Caribbean premiere*

    TEN DAYS OF MUHARRAM: THE CEDROS Hosay Che Rodriguez, T&T, 2013, world premiere*

    VIVA CUBA LIBRE: RAP IS WAR! Jesse Acevedo, Cuba/Mexico/USA, 2013, Caribbean premiere*

    THE WIND THAT BLOWS Thomas Weston, St Vincent and the Grenadines/USA, 2013, T&T premiere

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  • Morelia International Film Festival Reveals Official Films for 2013 Festival

    The 11th edition of the Morelia Film Festival (FICM) which will take place in Morelia, Michoacan October 18-27, 2013

    The 11th Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), which will take place from October 18 to 27, 2013, unveiled the Official Selections in competition. The competition is composed of a total of 88 titles, including 11 titles in the Mexican feature film section of the competition and 11 titles from Michoacán, 43 short films and 23 Mexican documentaries complete the Official Selection.

    The Official Selection in competition:

    Michoacan Section

    FEATURE FILM

    Enero. Adrián González Camargo

    SHORT FILMS

    Algo del universo. Diego Isham
    Ciudad capital. Agustín Bracho Adalid
    Dr. Onco. Yadira Arellano
    Esteban Grabinski. Víctor Rodrigo Pérez Hernández
    Larga espera. Julio Alberto Ávila Díaz
    Llamada nocturna. Mauricio Calderón
    Secreto. Jorge Sistos Moreno
    Terreno baldío. Gerardo Martínez Aguilar
    Tiempos supermodernos. Lubianca Durán Becerra
    Una estatua mutilada. Juan Carlos Oñate

    Mexican Short Film Section

    FICTION

    Algo tan pequeño. Gabriel Mariño
    Arma blanca. Mauricio Calderón Rico
    La ausencia. Saulo Corona
    Avenida Progreso. Mauricio Guillén
    Aviéntame. Haroldo Fajardo
    La banqueta. Anaïs Pareto Onghena
    Blackout capítulo 4 “Una llamada a Neverland”. Manuel Camacho
    Dissonance. Alejandro Jiménez
    El dolor fantasma. José Pablo Escamilla González Aragón
    En el bosque. Alejandra Ibarrola Medina
    Estatuas. Roberto Fiesco
    El fin de la existencia de las cosas. Dalia Huerta Cano
    Frente al espejo. Carlos Kasuski
    Gajes del oficio. Mariana Gironella
    Hermanas. Cristina Kotz Cornejo
    Inframundo. Ana Mary Ramos
    Jerusalén. Alicia Segovia Juárez
    La laguna encantada. Pablo Pérez Lombardini
    Música para después de dormir. Nicolás Rojas Sánchez
    Ni aquí ni allá. Gina Herrera
    El palacio de las flores. Regina García Solórzano
    Paradisio. Rodrigo Ruiz Patterson
    Pasajeros. Miguel Fernández
    Porcelana. Betzabé García
    Príncipe. Indra Villaseñor
    Protocolo. Rodrigo Hernández
    El regalo. Sergio Umansky
    El río ahí entre los árboles. Pepe Gutiérrez
    Sable. Jean-Marc Rousseau Ruiz
    Silent. José Yapur
    Sofía de Bucarest. Santiago Mohar Volkow
    Syjamscy. Joaquín del Paso
    El triunfo. Baltazar Peña Ríos
    El último velo. Luis Palomino
    Zero Hour. Dan Carrillo

    ANIMATION

    La casa triste. Sofía Carrillo
    Dry Gulch. Alejandro Ayala Alberola
    Electrodoméstico. Erik de Luna
    Lluvia en los ojos. Rita Basulto
    Moskina. Beatriz Herrera Carrillo
    ¿Qué es la guerra? Luis Beltrán
    Tierra seca. Ricardo Torres
    Un día en familia. Pedro “Zulu” González

    Mexican Documentary Section

    FEATURE FILMS

    Los años de Fierro. Santiago Esteinou
    Atempa, sueños a orillas del río. Edson Caballero Trujillo
    El cuarto desnudo. Nuria Ibáñez
    Elevador. Adrián Ortiz Maciel
    El hombre detrás de la máscara. Gabriela Obregón
    Lejanía. Pablo Tamez Sierra
    Oasis. Alejandro Cárdenas
    Quebranto. Roberto Fiesco
    Rosario. Shula Erenberg
    Tochi. Misael Alva Alva

    SHORT FILMS

    La ahorcadita. Pierre Saint-Martin y Carlos Torres
    Amor en tiempos de incendios. Gilberto González Penilla
    B-boy. Abraham Escobedo Salas
    Familia desconocida. Ezequiel Reyes
    Fuera de foco. Adrián Arce y Antonio Zirión
    El imaginario y su túnel. Javier Quiñones Sánchez y Javier Niño Barrios
    Manos grandes. Roberto Olivares Ruiz
    Mi punto de partida. Uriel López España
    Las montañas invisibles. Ángel Linares
    La Parka. Gabriel Serra
    Parque Colosio. Bruno Varela
    Túmin. Economía solidaria. Melissa Elizondo Moreno
    Un salto de vida. Eugenio Polgovsky

    Mexican Feature Film Section

    A los ojos. Michel y Victoria Franco
    Club Sándwich. Fernando Eimbcke
    Las horas muertas. Aarón Fernández
    Los insólitos peces gato. Claudia Sainte-Luce
    La jaula de oro. Diego Quemada-Diez
    Manto Acuífero. Michael Rowe
    Paraíso. Mariana Chenillo
    Penumbra. Eduardo Villanueva
    Somos Mari Pepa. Samuel Kishi Leopo
    La vida después. David Pablos
    Workers. José Luis Valle

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  • UNE PROMESSE Among Final Films to Complete Lineup for Venice International Film Festival.

    Une Promesse

    A PROMISE (UNE PROMESSE), by French director and scriptwriter Patrice Leconte, starring Rebecca Hall, Alan Rickman, and Richard Madden, as well as 4 new films in the Out of Competition and Venezia Classici sections, will complete the program of the 70th Venice International Film Festival, taking place 28 August to 7 September 2013.

    In addition, American actress, scriptwriter and author Carrie Fisher will complete the International Jury of the Venezia 70 Competition, while Mexican director Amat Escalante will complete the international Jury for the “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film.

    Finally, the collective film “Venezia 70 – Future Reloaded”, composed of 70short films lasting between 60 and 90 seconds, made by 70 directors from all over the world to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Festival, will be the second opening film at the inaugural ceremony.

    UNE PROMESSE, written (with Jérôme Tonnerre) and directed by Patrice Leconte, will have its world premiere screening at the 70th Venice Film Festival. Based on a novel by Stefan Zweig, the film takes place in Germany, in the period preceding World War I, and hinges on a woman who falls in love with the young assistant to her husband, a rich and powerful industrialist. Earlier films by Patrice Leconte include Monsieur Hire (1989), based on a novel by George Simenon, the well-known Le mari de la coiffeuse (The Hairdresser’s Husband, 1990), starring Jean Rochefort and Anna Galiena, Ridicule (1996), which received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film, L’homme du train (The Man on the Train), which earned public acclaim at the Venice Film Festival in 2002, and Confidences trop intimes (Intimate Strangers, 2004).

    Three new documentaries have been added to the programme of the 70th Venice International Film Festival:

    · Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater by Gabe Klinger (Venezia Classici – Film History Documentaries)

    · Donne nel mito: Anna Magnani by Marco Spagnoli (Venezia Classici – Film History Documentaries)

    · Dai nostri inviati – La Rai racconta la Mostra del Cinema 1980 – 1989 by Enrico Salvatori, Giuseppe Giannotti, Davide Savelli (Out of Competition – Special Events).

    Finally, Gideon Bachmann presents (and comments, live) Dietro le quinte di 8 e ½, 170 snapshots he personally took during the making of Fellini’s masterpiece (Out of Competition – Special Events), thus ideally completing the one-day tribute to Fellini (Friday, September 6), which will feature the world premiere of the new film by Ettore Scola Che strano chiamarsi Federico.

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  • Premiere of “CBGB” to Open CBGB Music & Film Festival in New York City

    CBGBCBGB

    The film “CBGB” will have its US festival premiere at the opening film of this year’s CBGB Music & Film Festival the five-day festival/conference that will take place in New York City from Wednesday, October 9 to Sunday, October 13, 2013. Based on the behind-the-scenes story of the beginnings of the US punk movement, CBGB features a talented ensemble cast channeling the prime movers of the era.

    Starring Alan Rickman (HARRY POTTER, LOVE ACTUALLY) as late CBGB owner Hilly Kristal, the film CBGB chronicles the creation of the music landmark and musical movement that spawned Blondie, Television, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Dead Boys and The Police. Other stars in the film include Malin Akerman (WATCHMEN, THE PROPOSAL) as Debbie Harry of Blondie, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters) as Iggy Pop, Mickey Sumner (FRANCIS HA) as Patti Smith, Rupert Grint (HARRY POTTER) as Cheetah Chrome of Dead Boys, and Johnny Galecki (THE BIG BANG THEORY) as record exec Terry Ork among many others.

    The CBGB Film Festival will premiere an estimated 40 new movie titles, featuring Q&A sessions with directors, producers and/or actors. In addition to CBGB, a number of important music films will also have their worldwide premieres at CBGB Film Festival, including Louder Than Love: The Grand Ballroom Story (directed by Tony D’Annuncio and documenting the Detroit music scene) and Looking For Johnny, The Legend of Johnny Thunders (directed by Danny Garcia about legendary punk guitarist Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls). “Attending the CBGB Film Festival in New York City in its first year was an honor and a total blast at the same time,” says director Garcia, who makes his second premiere at CBGB Film Festival (last year he debuted the acclaimed The Rise and Fall of The Clash). “I’m really looking forward to returning for this year’s edition.” This year’s festival will bolster its feature film line-up with the addition of short films from around the globe.

    An abbreviation for “Country, BlueGrass, and Blues”, CBGB holds a very important place in rock ‘n’ roll history when it began its auspicious origin as a music club on The Bowery in NYC’s East Village. Founded by the late Hilly Kristal in 1973, CBGB became a hotbed for American punk and new music.

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  • ‘CHEAP THRILLS’ ‘BIG BAD WOLVES’ Among Winners of Fantasia International Film Festival

    CHEAP THRILLS directed by E.L. KatzCHEAP THRILLS directed by E.L. Katz

    The Fantasia International Film Festival wrapped up this year’s festival and confirmed record attendance numbers after screening over 131 features from 31 countries and more than 220 shorts over three weeks. Fantasia also announced this year’s prize-winners with SXSW’s Audience Award winner CHEAP THRILLS directed by E.L. Katz winning the New Flesh Award for Best First Feature. BIG BAD WOLVES by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado won the award for Cheval Noir Award for Best Film; and Hou Chi-Jan won the award for Best Director for WHEN A WOLF FALLS IN LOVE WITH A SHEEP.

    Fantasia International Film Festival Winners with Jury Statements via Fantasia International Film Festival

    New Flesh Award for Best First Feature: CHEAP THRILLS by E.L. Katz

    Winner of this year’s SXSW’s Audience Award, the Fantasia jury calls CHEAP THRILLS, “Darkly humourous, smart and bloody in ways that will make many viewers squirm with glee. This abundantly confident first feature provides a thoroughly entertaining snapshot of modern blue collar desperation in a world addicted to easy money and childish amusement.”

    Special Mention: HALLEY by Sebastian Hofmann

    The jury for the First Feature Competition consisted of Jury President Charles de Lauzirika (Filmmaker), Ramachandra Borcar (Musician), Manon Dumais (Film Critic, Voir), Jason Lapeyre (Filmmaker) and Stéphane du Mesnildot (Film Critic, Les cahiers du cinema).

    Cheval Noir Award for Best Film: BIG BAD WOLVES by Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado

    Statement: With elements of horror, crime thriller, revenge drama, and wicked black comedy, BIG BAD WOLVES takes genre-bending to bold new levels. This sense of originality, along with its subversive political subtext, assured visual style, and impeccable ensemble cast, is what separates the film from the rest of the pack.

    Best Director: Hou Chi-Jan for WHEN A WOLF FALLS IN LOVE WITH A SHEEP

    Best Screenplay: Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado for BIG BAD WOLVES

    Best Actor: Cho Jae-hyun for THE WEIGHT by Jeon Kyu-hwan

    Best Actress: Nathalie Boutefeu for LES GOUFFRES by Antoine Barraud

    Special Mention: ACROSS THE RIVER by Lorenzo Bianchini & LES GOUFFRES by Antoine Barraud

    The grand jury for the Cheval Noir Competition was comprised of Jury President Laura Kern (Managing Editor of Film Comment), Jean-Pierre Bergeron (Actor, Filmmaker), Samuel Jamier (Co-Director of the New York Asian Film Festival), Jarod Neece (Senior Programmer, South by Southwest Film Festival), Travis Stevens (Producer, CEO of Snowfort Pictures)

    Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation (Tied): BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC III – THE ADVENT & THE GARDEN OF WORDS

    Fantasia’s Animation Jury is pleased to award the Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation to two equally exceptional films. Each of these astounding films represent, in their unique way, the various ends of the spectrum in animation story telling, one as an epic giant battle to save a world, one as an intimate poetic study of relationship.

    Statement: BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC III – THE ADVENT, directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka: this film is “fantastic” in every sense of the word, from start to finish. An intense visual attack of the senses, “The Advent” goes deep into the dark side, to look horror, pain and death in the face, without shying away.

    Statement: THE GARDEN OF WORDS (KOTONOHA NO NIWA) directed by Makoto Shinkai: this delicate film of poetic observations of life is extremely beautiful and every single scene is a masterpiece of composition. The colours, the exceptional backgrounds, and the intimate, well-observed relationships will win everyone over.

    Special Mention: AFTER SCHOOL MIDNIGHTERSby Hitoshi Takekiyo

    Best Animated Short Film: KICK-HEART by Masaaki Yuasa

    The animation jury is pleased to award the Best Animated Short to KICK-HEART by Masaaki Yuasa. KICK-HEART stood out for its overall originality, unique sense of timing, and its engrossing and vibrant style of motion and visuals.

    Special Mention: JAMON by Iria Lopez

    Statement: We award this Best First Film for its adept and consistent visual style, clever storytelling and overall sophistication.

    Special Mention: THE WINDOW by Yeun Sang-ho

    Statement: We recognize this film for its outstanding script and skilled realization of very difficult subject matter.

    The jury for the animation prizes consisted of Jury President Patrick Bouchard (Director), Luc Chamberland (Director and Animator) and Keltie Duncan (Programmer and Technical Coordinator at the Ottawa International Animation Festival).

    Best International Short: RESET by Marcus Kryler & Fredrik Åkerström

    The international short jury consisted of Jury President Sten-Kristian Saluveer (Programmer, Director and Producer), Garrick Dion (Senior VP of Development, Bold Films) and Frédérick Maheux(Filmmaker).

    Audience Awards:

    Best Asian Feature:

    Gold HK/FORBIDDEN SUPER HERO by Yuichi Fukuda

    Silver LESSON OF THE EVIL by Takashi Miike

    Bronze HOW TO USE GUYS WITH SECRET TIPS by Lee Wonsuk

    Best International Feature:

    Gold CURSE OF CHUCKY by Don Mancini

    Silver OXV: THE MANUAL by Darren Paul Fisher

    Bronze BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN by Felix Van Groeningen

    Best Canadian or Quebec Feature:

    LES 4 SOLDATS by Robert Morin

    Best Animation Feature:

    THE GARDEN OF WORDS by Makoto Shinkai

    Guru Prize For Most Energetic Film:

    Gold HK/FORBIDDEN SUPER HERO by Yuichi Fukuda

    Most Innovative Film:

    OXV: THE MANUAL by Darren Paul Fisher

    Best Short Film:

    Gold LE CHEVREUIL by Rémi St-Michel

    Silver L’ÉTRANGER by Olaf Svenson

    Bronze JACK ATTACK by Antonio Padovan & Bryan Norton

    Best Documentary:

    REWIND THIS! by Josh Johnson

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  • Tom Hanks Films to Open and Close BFI London Film Festival

    Tom Hanks CAPTAIN PHILLIPS to open, SAVING MR. BANKS to close 57th BFI London Film FestivalTom Hanks CAPTAIN PHILLIPS to open, SAVING MR. BANKS to close 57th BFI London Film Festival

    The 57th BFI London Film Festival will open on Wednesday 9 October with the European Premiere of CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, directed by Academy Award nominee Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Supremacy) and starring two time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Philadelphia). The festival will close on Sunday 20 October with the European Premiere of SAVING MR. BANKS, described as the extraordinary untold story of how one of the most beloved tales of all time, Mary Poppins, was brought to the big screen. SAVING MR. BANKS is directed by John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) and also stars Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and two-time Academy Award- winner Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, The Remains of the Day, Howards End) as the London based author of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers.

    CAPTAIN PHILLIPS starring Tom HanksCAPTAIN PHILLIPS starring Tom Hanks

    CAPTAIN PHILLIPS is described as director Paul Greengrass’s multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. It is – through Greengrass’s distinctive lens – simultaneously a pulse-pounding thriller and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization. The film focuses on the relationship between the Alabama’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (two time Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks), and his Somali counterpart, Muse (Barkhad Abdi). Set on an incontrovertible collision course off the coast of Somalia, both men will find themselves paying the human toll for economic forces outside of their control. The film is directed by Academy Award® nominee Paul Greengrass, from a screenplay by Billy Ray based upon the book, A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty. The film is produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, and Michael De Luca. Sony Pictures release the film in UK cinemas on 18 October, 2013.

    SAVING MR. BANKS starring Tom HanksSAVING MR. BANKS starring Tom Hanks

    SAVING MR. BANKS is described as a poignant, sharply funny and moving story of personal journey and discovery, which reveals how P.L. Travers’ emotional connection to her characters and exhaustive apprehension to Walt Disney’s creative vision nearly dismantled the entire twenty-year endeavor to transform a work of personal significance into one of the most endearing classic films in cinematic history. The film is directed by John Lee Hancock, produced by Alison Owen, Ian Collie and Philip Steuer, and written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. Walt Disney Studios releases the film in UK cinemas winter 2013.

    The 57 th BFI London Film Festival runs from Wednesday 9 October thru Sunday 20 October, 2013.

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  • Swiss Films “THE BLACK BROTHERS” “HILLSIDE” “GERGIEV – A CERTAIN MADNESS” are First Films Announced for 2013 Zurich Film Festival

    gergiev-a-certain-madness

    The 9th Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) announced its first films – three Swiss films that will have their world premiere at the upcoming festival.  The films are the remake of the youth’s classic THE BLACK BROTHERS by Oscar-winner Xavier Koller, Markus Imboden HILLSIDE, the cinema adaptation of the eponymous bestseller by Markus Werner, as well as the documentary GERGIEV – A CERTAIN MADNESS, in which the photographer Alberto Venzago the Russian conductor Valery Gergiev exception comes into focus.

    THE BLACK BROTHERS
    Xavier Koller

    A world premiere celebrates the remake of the classic YA THE BLACK BROTHERS Tetzner Lisa and Kurt Held in the newly created program section “Children and family films.” The 1940/41, published a fictionalized novel dark chapter Ticino social history: Material hardship forced many farming families to hire out their underage sons in the northern Italian cities, where they were under inhuman conditions as chimney sweeps agents risking their lives daily. The novel portrays vividly how Giorgio rebels against his fate with his fellow establishes a protective collar and finally the dangerous escape ventured back into the home.

    As a director, acting Oscar winner Xavier Koller. Giorgio is played by the rediscovery Finn handle, which makes his screen debut here. Beside him, Moritz Bleibtreu act in the role of ruthless trafficker Luini, Waldemar Kobus as Kaminfegermeister Rossi and Richy Müller as Father Roberto.

    HILLSIDE
    Markus Imboden

    No less excited waiting for the film adaptation HILLSIDE. Markus Werner was presented in 2004 with the novel a profound relationship thriller. Two men, random acquaintances, whose characters could not be more, can be applied to a dialogue about the capriciousness of love and beyond in a female phantom, which they always bring each other closer – dangerously close. The cinematic presentation concerned with Markus Imboden an award-winning director whose last work, Der Verdingbub became the local Blockbuster. Imboden was available to a performer Trio: Martina Gedeck embodies the female phantom, Henry and Max Hübchen Simonischek the male antagonists.

    GERGIEV – A CERTAIN MADNESS
    Alberto Venzago

    Third in league is the documentary GERGIEV – A CERTAIN MADNESS by Alberto Venzago. The realized production with great expenditure of time focused on the Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, a force of nature in the international music scene. Every year at Easter complete the Maestro and 115 musicians from the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre, a veritable tour de force: the Trans-Siberian Express traveling over 10,000 kilometers strike up to every night in a different place. “We need to bring culture to the people – not the other way around”, Gergiev justified this commitment. With GERGIEV – A CERTAIN MADNESS Alberto Venzago proves once more that he equally at home in the movie – and a firm grasp – as in the photograph.

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  • REVIEW: LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER

    Lee Daniels’ The Butler 

    By now, you’ve likely heard all about LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER, the story of an African-American man who served on the White House staff through eight administrations. In the film Forest Whitaker stars as Cecil Gaines, who is loosely based off actual White House butler Eugene Allen. Of course, don’t be fooled by the marketing – reading the Washington Post article the film was initially based on, shows that the film is fictionalized to a great degree. Because of that, in some ways The Butler is like a real-life version of Forest Gump, though by no means do I mean to compare the obviously completely different protagonists (to be like Forest Gump, Cecil would have had to do something like stop the Cuban Missile Crisis by misplacing JFK’s silverware).

    Whereas the real-life Eugene was born in Virginia, Cecil is a child of cotton fields in the Deep South. After a horrific childhood tragedy he slowly grows into his role as a servant and constantly impresses the right people until he is hired by the White House. However, his service to white presidents in the racially turbulent 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s puts him at odds with his eldest son Louis (David Oyelowo), and while we witness Cecil’s humorous encounters with numerous presidents we also witness his rocky relationship with Louis, who gradually becomes involved in the Civil Rights Movement.

    If you go to see the The Butler to see caricatures of former presidents, be prepared – their appearances are limited to glorified cameos that are often played for laughs. The idea seems to be to show the presidents at their worst, so you see Eisenhower (a miscast Robin Williams) cowering over his decision to enforce Brown v. Board of Ed, Lyndon Johnson (Liev Schreiber) on the toilet, Nixon (an even more miscast John Cusack) pandering for votes and drunkenly insisting he’ll never resign, and Ronald Reagan (Alan Rickman) trying to hide things from Nancy (Jane Fonda). Only John F. Kennedy (James Marsden) gets off without looking ridiculous, partially because Marsden plays him straighter than the other presidential actors and partially because, well, I’m sure you know how Hollywood feels about the Kennedys. I mean, you’d think a White House butler would’ve seen a mistress or two running around Kennedy’s office, right? As for Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, they get a pass via a montage that zooms through late 70s/early 80s American history, which, inexplicably, ends with a lengthy shot of Princess Diana. This leads to a major all-serious tonal shift in the last half hour of the film that is far removed from Eugene Allen’s actual life.

    Aside from the presidents, the film does have an impressive cast beyond the always great Whitaker. Oyelowo’s Louis is a great foil for Cecil, even if the Louis character is entirely fictional. I was also surprised by how good Cuba Gooding Jr. is as Cecil’s fellow butler Carter. Considering the last film I saw Gooding in was opposite Dolph Lundgren in the direct-to-video One in the Chamber, his funny performance here could put his career back on track. Another surprise is Oprah Winfrey, who plays Cecil’s oft-drunk wife Gloria. She’s a better actress than I expected, but most of her lines are delivered as sassy quips, even the lines of her dialogue that aren’t supposed to be sassy quips. She also curiously seems to age at half the rate that Cecil ages. Still, the shame of that is that there about a half-dozen far more proficient middle-aged African-American actresses who deserved the role over her and could have done something more than a two-dimensional sassy wife.

    In that sense, the engaging father/son story and the more comedic upstairs/downstairs presidential comedy seem like two completely different movies. While the drawing card is obviously the presidents, it’s the far weaker part of the film. Surprisingly, it’s the fictional story of Cecil and Louis that is the most moving. It makes me wonder if the real-life Eugene Allen’s story would’ve been better told as a documentary. Director Lee Daniels went from directing films with small scope like Shadowboxer, Precious, and The Paperboy to The Butler, and I think that explains why the film’s weaker parts are the ones that meant to be more “epic” in scope. I believed in the scenes of Louis facing harsh racism as an activist. I did not believe the scenes of Cusack’s goofy Nixon handing campaign buttons to the butler staff. I’d think screenwriter Danny Strong, who wrote HBO political movies Recount and Game Change, would have had a better handle on the political material.

    Lee Daniels’ The Butler

    Despite the August release date, The Butler is the most obvious Weinstein Company Oscar bait since The King’s Speech. While being Oscar bait isn’t necessarily a bad thing (The King’s Speech alone is evidence of that), I figure you’ve seen enough Oscar bait movies to know how thick The Butler lays it on. It’s a very good movie, but it misses the “great” mark by trying to be too goofy and too preachy at the same time.

    Film Review Rating 3 out of 5 : See it … It’s Good

    http://youtu.be/9uBXH_DLxsU

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  • New Indie Films, Documentaries in Theaters This Weekend Friday August 9

    Lovelace, Jug Face, I Give It a Year, Prince Avalanche, Blood, In a World..., Off Label

    Sometimes a good movie is hard to find. This is the first in a weekly feature here at VIMOOZ covering the most notable releases of non-mainstream films. Though some of these films are in such limited release they might not be playing in your area, it’s a good idea to write down any titles that interest you that you might be able to catch later on VOD or other streaming services.

    LOVELACE

    LOVELACELOVELACE
    Directors: Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman
    Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Sharon Stone, Robert Patrick, Juno Temple, Adrian Brody
    Though it’s impossible to verify the figures, there’s little doubt the 1972 pornographic film Deep Throat is one of the most profitable — not to mention influential — films of all time. Its star, Linda Lovelace, became a pornographic icon. Lovelace tells the story of the titular star (portrayed by Amanda Seyfried)and her troubled life behind the scenes, particularly her relationships with her abusive husband (Peter Sarsgaard). It premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival to mixed reviews

    JUG FACE

    JUG FACEJUG FACE
    Director: Chad Crawford Kinkle
    Starring: Lauren Ashley Carter, Sean Bridgers, Kaitlin Cullum
    Though it’s already available on VOD, this horror movie out of the Slamdance Film Festival will get a limited release beginning this weekend. Though because of the scares, you might want to watch it in the privacy of your old home. Ada (Lauren Ashley Carter) is a pregnant girl who lives in a backwoods cult community who discovers she might be the next one sacrificed in a bizarre community ritual.

    I GIVE IT A YEAR

    I Give It A YearI Give It A Year

    Director: Dan Mazer
    Starring: Rose Byrne, Rafe Spall, Anna Faris and Simon Baker
    Already a hit across the pond, I Give It a Year is a British comedy about an eccentric newlywed couple who everyone thinks won’t last. Being that I’ve known a few couples who fall into that category I imagine that this can only get messy.

    PRINCE AVALANCHE

    PRINCE AVALANCHEPRINCE AVALANCHE

    Director: David Gordon Green
    Starring: Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch
    Though David Gordon Green’s most recent directing credits include The Sitter, Your Highness, and Pineapple Express, don’t forget that he began his career directing indie dramas like George Washington and All the Real Girls. Despite Paul Rudd starring in this it falls in the latter category. Rudd and Emile Hirsch star as polar opposites who are working together to work on a highway after a wildfire. I saw it at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and enjoyed it for its contemplative nature.

    BLOOD

    BloodBlood
    Director: Nick Murphy
    Starring: Paul Bettany, Stephen Graham, Mark Strong, Brian Cox
    Another British film finally getting its U.S. release, Blood is a thriller about two brothers (Paul Bettany and Stephen Graham) who are corrupt policemen assigned to investigate a crime that they themselves committed.

    IN A WORLD…

    IN A WORLD...IN A WORLD…
    Director: Lake Bell
    Starring: Lake Bell, Fred Melamed, Demetri Martin, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Rob Corddry, Nick Offerman
    Ever notice how you hardly ever hear a female voice narrating movie trailers? I mean, most of us are aware that there are only a handful of people who do those voiceovers, but none of them are female. Carol (Lake Bell) is a vocal coach who decides that she will go where no female voice has gone before. In a World… has since received positive reviews and received a screenwriting award at the Sundance Film Festival for Lake Bell, who I guess wasn’t satisfied with just acting, producing and directing.

    OFF LABEL (Documentary)

    Off LabelOff Label
    Directors: Donal Mosher & Michael Palmieri
    I think it’s obvious that Americans are whole are over-medicated. Off Label delves into the lives of eight Americans whose lives are basically defined by the pills they take daily as it explores the tightening hold pharmaceutical companies hold on the United States.

    ZIPPER: CONEY ISLAND’S LAST WILD RIDE (Documentary)

    ZIPPERZIPPER

    Director: Amy Nicholson
    When exactly does “city improvement” cross the line to “culture destruction?” ZIPPER takes a look at New York City’s push to “revitalize” the Coney Island amusement area by pushing out independently owned carnival games and restaurants in favor of chain restaurants and entertainment complexes. This documentary focuses on the fate of a popular carnival ride and how it’s fate parallels the fate of Coney Island as a whole. ZIPPER runs at New York’s IFC Center through August 13.

    OTHER NOTABLE WEEKEND INDIE, FOREIGN & DOCUMENTARY RELEASES:
    Ashley
    Whensday
    Long Shot: The Kevin Laue Story
    Chennai Express

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