• Mutant Frogs Invade in STRANGE NATURE Trailer Starring John Hennigan

    ,
    Strange Nature Movie Poster Based on true unsolved outbreaks of wildlife mutations, fall fright-fest Strange Nature marks the directorial debut of fx maestro James Ojala (Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Thor, Tron: Legacy) and stars Lisa Sheridan, Stephen Tobolowsky, wrestling superstar John Hennigan, Tiffany Shepis, and Carlos Alazraqui. The film follows Kim (Lisa Sheridan) and son Brody who find themselves in the middle of a horrendous phenomenon where deadly offspring mutations spread from animals to humans, after moving in with her estranged hermit father in the backwoods of a small town Strange Nature leaps into theaters from Sep 22 (Los Angeles with other cities to follow). A children’s hiking group in rural Minnesota discover several live, mutated frogs along a pond. In the same area, a single mother, Kim, and her 11-year-old son, Brody, have just moved in with her estranged father, Chuck. It’s not long before they too start witnessing strange occurrences including a disemboweled deer and the family dog’s deformed puppies. As the fear rises the rumors begin to fly. Some blame the intimidating disfigured hermit father and daughter who live on a surrounding lake. Environmental science points to the water sources. Possibly causes are pesticides, parasites or both. As the chaos spreads it becomes clear that Chuck’s cabin is a hotspot ground zero for these mutations. Trent, a grade school science teacher investigating the cases begins to fall for Kim while trying to protect her and Brody from whatever is coming next. Suddenly, a couple of teenagers go missing. Their mutilated bodies are found only a mile away. The attacks are so brutal it doesn’t seem humanly possible. Then another. Could it be a man or a beast? Finally, the unthinkable: the first human baby is born with similar horrid birth defects as the animals. Ultrasounds show an increasing number of abnormal fetuses with similar defects on the way. Upon delivery, the mothers start getting sick. Extremely sick. Fearful for her unborn child and family, Kim searches for answers and a safe escape… if there is anywhere safe. Strange Nature builds to an uncompromising climax of the terrors affecting a nice, quiet town and possibly future generations everywhere.

    Read more

  • Watch Susan Sarandon Struggle to Rescue her Son from Terrorists in VIPER CLUB Trailer

    [caption id="attachment_31775" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Susan Sarandon and Edie Falco in VIPER CLUB. Susan Sarandon and Edie Falco in VIPER CLUB. Courtesy of YouTube Premium and Roadside Attractions[/caption] YouTube and Roadside Attractions today dropped the trailer for Viper Club starring Susan Sarandon as ER nurse Helen Sterling who struggles to free her grown son, a journalist captured by terrorists in the Middle East. After hitting walls with the FBI and State agencies, she discovers a clandestine community of journalists, advocates, and philanthropists who might be able to help. The film directed by Maryam Keshavarz also stars Matt Bomer and Edie Falco, and will be released in theaters on October 26, 2018. At her job, veteran emergency room nurse Helen Sterling (Susan Sarandon) is unflappable: she can navigate crises at her hospital with strength and grace. On the inside, though, she’s starting to fall apart. Her son, a freelance journalist named Andy (Julian Morris), has vanished while covering a war zone in the Middle East, and she’s just gotten word from the kidnappers making demands she doesn’t even begin to know how to meet. Helen first seeks help from the FBI, who demands she tell no one, and warns her it’s illegal to pay terrorist organizations. The State Department is even less help. When she is contacted with a ransom demand for twenty million dollars, her government handlers tell her to stall the terrorists with negotiations, even though they seem to have no plan to rescue Andy. Unable to share any of her ordeal with her colleagues at work, Helen finds herself connecting with a young patient critically injured in a mass shooting, and the hesitant new resident, Dr. Rahimi (Amir Malaklou), a recent immigrant from Iran. She’s plagued by memories of her lifelong connection to her son, a relationship fraught with Andy’s perpetual need for independence and adventure far away from the sheltered life his mother built for him. Andy’s ex-girlfriend, Iraqi-American reporter Sheila (Sheila Vand) brings Helen a morsel of hope: a secret fraternity of international journalists called the Viper Club might be able to help. Sheila puts Helen in contact with photojournalist Sam (Matt Bomer) and with Charlotte Spencer (Edie Falco), a wealthy New Yorker whose son also was kidnapped by terrorists. Helen grows close to Andy’s network of friends and colleagues and starts to understand the man her son has become. Desperate, determined, and disenchanted with bureaucracy, Helen must decide whether to follow the rules of ineffective government officials or to join with her newfound community to get Andy back at all costs.

    Read more

  • 7th Ithaca Fantastik Announces First Wave of FIlms – BIRDS OF PASSAGE, BLACK MOTHER, DIAMANTINO and More

    [caption id="attachment_31771" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Birds of Passage (Pájaros de verano) Birds of Passage (Pájaros de verano)[/caption] Ithaca Fantastik today announced the first wave of films for the 7th edition of 10-day festival of genre films, electrifying music and dynamic art, taking place October 26th to November 4th, 2018. Films include Quentin Dupieux’s newest work KEEP AN EYE OUT! (Au Poste!), an uproariously absurd piece of cinema as only the maker of the fondly remembered tire-on-a-rampage comedy RUBBER could deliver, and the Cannes critics week winner DIAMANTINO, directed by Abrantes and Schmidt, with its layers of magical realism and social commentary seen through the eyes of the titular character—a star footballer who sees giant fluffy puppies surrounded by a pink mist… but only when he’s ready to score! Aaron Schimberg’s NYC indie festival fav CHAINED FOR LIFE challenges the perception of the viewer by creating a cinematic meta-reality where the notion of image and personality is blurred against the backdrop of a horror movie set. Kalik Allah’s BLACK MOTHER will takes you on an anthropological journey into Jamaica to reveal a tale that is truly larger than life. Following their academy award winning film EMBRACE THE SERPENT Gallego and Guerra are back with BIRDS OF PASSAGE (Pájaros de Verano), which depicts tribal life and the destruction of the social fabric of 1970s la Guaija, Colombia as the drug trade begins in South America. A pitch perfect statement on our narcissistic Western society Alexandros Avranas’s LOVE ME NOT, on par with the best work from Lanthimos, but without the fluff, and we promise it will punch you in the guts with it’s foreboding and uncompromising premise. Incorporating similar visual language, Nicolas Pesce’s sophomore film PIERCING offers a colorful descent into the deranged mind that excites the senses while shocking the heart with its unflinching bleakness. Yann Gonzales continues to awe and impress audiences with his formidable second feature KNIFE+HEART (shot on 35mm) is the ultimate modern-day Giallo with the alluring setting of the 70s Paris pornography scene. Similarly, Japanese ‘geki-mation’ pioneer Ujicha delivers more of his unique animation blend of child-like innocence and ultra-violence in his own highly stylized second film, VIOLENCE VOYAGER! IF will also present three delightfully demented BobbyPills productions starting with the vibrant and utterly off-the-wall CRISIS JUNG, that takes audiences on an epic journey and feast of visual extravaganzas à la Fist of the North Star with a dash of smutty humour. BobbyPills scores again with VERMIN, an anthropomorphized buddy cop film with a stench of Peter jackson’s skin crawling musical freak fest MEET THE FEEBLES… What can go wrong? To add a charmingly irreverent cherry on top, viewers can revel in unrestrained positive sexuality with an exclusive look at Bobbypills’ new series, PEEPOODO AND THE SUPER FUCK FRIENDS—come to learn, and you won’t be disappointed! René Manzor’s glorious new transfer of GAME OVER (3615 Père Noël) rounds out our curation of crazy French cinema —an earlier, darker, take on the genius-child-defending-his-home holiday thriller that (adult) fans of Christmas classic Home Alone will devore with love! Keep an Eye Out! (Au Poste!) East Coast Premiere Quentin Dupieux / 2018 / France / 73min When Fugain trips over a dead body in front of his condo, his first impulse is to report it to the police—as any good, logical citizen would. He quickly realizes his mistake when he learns that the obsessive Captain Buron will gleefully grill him until he cracks. Black Mother Regional Premiere Khalik Allah / 2018 / USA / 77min The history of Jamaica retold through the framework of a woman’s pregnancy, Black Mother is a heartfelt look at Jamaican identity that transcends its documentary form to offer an unusual and unique exploration of humanity. Birds of Passage (Pájaros de verano) Regional Premiere Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra / 2018 / Colombia / 125min In La Guija, Colombia in the 1970s, an indigenous Wayuu family gets swept up in the newly-booming marijuana trade. When greed and passion overtake their tribe’s honor, their lives and ancestral traditions are forever fractured. Chained for Life Regional Premiere Aaron Schimberg / 2018 / USA / 91min Freda is an actress cast as the lead in a schlocky horror film. Her co-star and much of the supporting cast are played by actors with disabilities. As she connects with her peers off-screen, she begins to consider if their treatment on set is exploitational and whether our current standards of representation in modern film are really as equal as we would like to believe. Crisis Jung US Premiere Baptiste Gaubert and Jérémie Hoarau / 2018 / France / 70min Jung and Maria are sweethearts enjoying their blossoming love in an innocent world. But their starry-eyed love is imperiled when the malignant Little Jesus kidnaps Maria’s body to build his nefarious temple of pain! Diamantino Regional Premiere Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt / 2018 / Portugal / 92min After missing the penalty shot at the world cup final, footballer Diamantino’s career is over. Floundering, he falls prey to sinister forces offering him a job as a political mascot—shilling the promise to “make Portugal great again”. Hoping for a second chance, he is instead transported on a surreal and satirical journey through a dysfunctional modern landscape. Game Over (3615 Code Père Noël) East Coast Premiere René Manzor / 1989 / France / 87min Thomas, a French kid obsessed with American action films, believes he will be the first kid to catch Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When a thief dressed as Santa shows up instead of the real deal, Thomas’s vengeance for broken childhood dreams takes on epic proportions in this cornerstone film. Knife + Heart (Un Couteau Dans Le Coeur) Regional Premiere Yann Gonzales / 2018 / France / 110min After producer Anne breaks up with her editor girlfriend, the late 70s low-budget gay French porno they were shooting begins to take an… artistic turn. The sensual film becomes a real-life erotic thriller when one of her adult film stars is brutally murdered. Anne and her sidekick, Archibald, can’t seem to out-maneuver the chaos that ensues. Love Me Not East Coast Premiere Alexandros Avranas / 2018 / Greece, France / 99min An infertile, upper-middle-class couple hires a young woman as a surrogate and all three move into a remote villa. The ladies start to bond, the husband becomes envious, and an unfortunate chain of events turns the table on the already dysfunctional new family dynamic. Violence Voyager Regional Premiere Ujicha / 2018 / Japan / 83min Bobby and Akkun set out for an end-of-school celebration in the mountains where they discover an abandoned amusement park. Surprise! The owner greets them and conveniently offers them free tickets. Against their better judgement, they take him up on his offer. Piercing Regional Premiere Nicolas Pesce / 2018 / USA / 81min Reed takes off from his idyllic life with his wife and baby for a very important business trip. But the business he has in mind is murder! All set with his plan to commit the perfect crime, Reed finds his victim in mysterious call girl Jackie…but Reed may have called the wrong person. Vermin Alexis Beaumont / 2018 / France / 81min A young praying mantis follows in his father’s many footsteps and moves to the big city to become a police officer. A greenhorn kid from the country, young Reggie is totally unequipped for the dangers and temptations of city life. But when Reggie is assigned a partner with a history of drinking and bad police work, the sparks fly and both characters get more than they bargained for.

    Read more

  • Judi Dench to Receive Golden Icon Award + Premiere RED JOAN at Zurich Film Festival [Trailer]

    [caption id="attachment_31766" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Judi Dench in Red Joan Judi Dench in Red Joan[/caption] Judi Dench will be honored with the Golden Icon Award at this year’s Zurich Film Festival and present her latest film, RED JOAN, a drama inspired by the life of Melita Norwood, in which she plays a woman whose tranquil life is suddenly disrupted when she’s arrested by MI5 and accused of providing intelligence to Communist Russia. Dench will present the film alongside co-star Sophie Cookson, who plays Young Joan. The Golden Icon Award is the Festival’s most prestigious symbol of recognition, given in appreciation of the lifetime achievements of an actor or actress RED JOAN is directed by legendary director Trevor Nunn (original London production of ‘Les Miserables’, ‘Twelth Night or What You Will’). Judi Dench (SKYFALL, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE) co-stars alongside Sophie Cookson (GYPSY, KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE) and both are joined in the film by Stephen Campbell Moore (THE CHILD IN TIME, GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN), Tom Hughes (VICTORIA, LONDON TOWN), Ben Miles (THE CROWN, WOMAN IN GOLD) and Tereza Srbova (EASTERN PROMISES, INKHEART). The year is 2000 and Joan Stanley is living in contented retirement in suburbia at the turn of the millennium. Her tranquil life is suddenly disrupted when she’s arrested by MI5 and accused of providing intelligence to Communist Russia. Cut to 1938 where Joan is a Cambridge physics student who falls for young communist Leo Galich and through him, begins to see the world in a new light. Working at a top-secret nuclear research facility during WWII, Joan comes to the realization that the world is on the brink of mutually assured destruction. Confronted with an impossible question – what price would you pay for peace? – Joan must choose between betraying her country and loved ones or saving them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pblqRd6GfZ0 Since playing Ophelia in HAMLET at The Old Vic Theatre almost 60 years ago, Judi Dench has garnered wide popular and critical admiration for a career marked by outstanding performances in both classical and contemporary roles. She has won numerous major awards – including an Academy Award, ten BAFTA Awards and a record eight Laurence Olivier Awards – for work on both stage and screen, and in recognition of her many achievements she received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 1970, became a DBE (Dame of the British Empire) in 1988, and in 2005 was awarded a Companion of Honor. She has also received the Japan Arts Association’s prestigious Praemium Imperiale Laureate Award for Film and Theatre. Judi Dench recently wrapped on Disney’s ARTEMIS FOWL, directed by Kenneth Branagh. Last year she appeared in Kenneth Branagh’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, for Twentieth Century Fox and starred in VICTORIA & ABDUL, directed by Stephen Frears for Working Title and Focus Features. This latter performance was nominated for a Golden Globe, SAG and AACTA International Award. This is the second time in her career she has played Queen Victoria. For her first such performance, directed by John Madden in MRS BROWN, she won BAFTA and Golden Globe awards and was nominated for an Academy Award. Judi Dench received an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award, both for Best Supporting Actress, for another magisterial performance as Queen Elizabeth I in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, and she has received Academy Award nominations for performances in a further five films: Lasse Hallstrom’s CHOCOLAT, for which she was also nominated for a Golden Globe; IRIS, directed by Richard Eyre, for which she also won a BAFTA Award; MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS, directed by Stephen Frears, for which she was further nominated at the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes; NOTES ON A SCANDAL, again directed by Richard Eyre, which also brought her BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations; and PHILOMENA, directed by Stephen Frears and co-starring Steve Coogan, for which she also received BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG award nominations. Judi Dench is recognised globally for her legendary role as M in seven JAMES BOND films, from GOLDENEYE to SKYFALL.  

    Read more

  • Netflix Releases Quincy Jones Documentary Trailer Featuring Mary J. Blige, Tony Bennett, Bono, Will Smith,

    ,
    Quincy Netflix released the trailer for the documentary Quincy, described as an intimate look into the life of icon Quincy Jones, ahead of its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival on September 9. The film directed by Quincy’s daughter Rashida Jones along with Alan Hicks, seamlessly threads personal vérité moments with private archival footage to reveal a legendary life like no other. A unique force in music and popular culture for 70 years, Jones has transcended racial and cultural boundaries; his story is inextricably woven into the fabric of America. Beyond his own acclaim as a trumpeter, producer, conductor, composer and arranger, Jones’s inimitable gift to discover the biggest talents of the past half of the century is unprecedented. He has mentored and cultivated the careers of young talents, from Lesley Gore and Michael Jackson to Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith. Quincy features Quincy Jones, Mary J. Blige, Tony Bennett, Bono, Will Smith, Jay Z, Peggy Lipton, Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey and many others. The film will launch globally and in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles on September 21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT7gn6nhsAc

    Read more

  • 2018 Venice Film Festival Awards – Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA Wins Golden Lion for Best Film

    [caption id="attachment_30917" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]ROMA ROMA[/caption] The Jury of the 2018 Venice Film Festival chaired by Guillermo del Toro awarded the top prize, Golden Lion for Best Film to ROMA by Alfonso Cuarón. The Favourite by Yorgos Lanthimos was awarded the Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize, along with the award for Best Actress to Olivia Colman.

    VENEZIA 75

    GOLDEN LION for Best Film to: ROMA by Alfonso Cuarón (Mexico) SILVER LION – GRAND JURY PRIZE to: THE FAVOURITE by Yorgos Lanthimos (UK, Ireland, USA) SILVER LION – AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to: Jacques Audiard for the film THE SISTERS BROTHERS (France, Belgium, Romania, Spain) COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress: Olivia Colman in the film THE FAVOURITE by Yorgos Lanthimos (UK, Ireland, USA) COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor: Willem Dafoe in the film AT ETERNITY’S GATE by Julian Schnabel (USA, France) AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for the film THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (USA) SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to: THE NIGHTINGALE by Jennifer Kent (Australia) MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best Young Actor or Actress to: Baykali Ganambarr in the film THE NIGHTINGALE by Jennifer Kent (Australia)

    VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM

    LION OF THE FUTURE “LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to: YOM ADAATOU ZOULI (THE DAY I LOST MY SHADOW)  by Soudade Kaadan (Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon, France, Qatar) ORIZZONTI

    ORIZZONTI

    ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST FILM to: KRABEN RAHU (MANTA RAY) by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Thailand, France, China) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to: Emir Baigazin for the film OZEN (THE RIVER) (Kazakhstan, Poland, Norway) SPECIAL ORIZZONTI JURY PRIZE to: ANONS (THE ANNOUNCEMENT) by Mahmut Fazıl Coşkun (Turkey, Bulgaria) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS to: Natalya Kudryashova in TCHELOVEK KOTORIJ UDIVIL VSEH (THE MAN WHO SURPRISED EVERYONE) by Natasha Merkulova e Aleksey Chupov  (Russia, Estonia, France) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR to: Kais Nashif in TEL AVIV ON FIRE by Sameh Zoabi (Luxembourg, France, Israel, Belgium) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to: Pema Tseden   for JINPA by Pema Tseden (China) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to: KADO  by Aditya Ahmad (Indonesia) VENICE SHORT FILM NOMINATION FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2018 to: GLI ANNI by Sara Fgaier (Italy, France)

    VENICE CLASSICS

    VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY ON CINEMA to: THE GREAT BUSTER: A CELEBRATION by Peter Bogdanovich (USA) VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST RESTORED FILM to: LA NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (Italy, 1982)

    VENICE VIRTUAL REALITY

    BEST VR AWARD (IMMERSIVE STORY) to: SPHERES  di Eliza McNitt (USA, France) BEST VR EXPERIENCE AWARD (FOR INTERACTIVE CONTENT) to: BUDDY VR  by Chuck Chae (South Korea) BEST VR STORY AWARD (FOR LINEAR CONTENT) to: L’ÎLE DES MORTS by Benjamin Nuel (France)

    COLLATERAL AWARDS

    HFPA Award – HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Press Association) Presented to three filmmakers (director, producer) from the Orizzonti category awarded for Best Film, Best Director and Special Jury Prize

    Casa Wabi – Mantarraya Award (Fundación Casa Wabi – Mantarraya Group) To the director winner of the Award for a Debut Film of the 75th Venice Film Festival

    FIPRESCI Award (International Federation of Film Critics) Napszállta (Sunset) by László Nemes Best Film from Orizzonti and from the parallel sections: Lissa Ammetsajjel (Still Recording) by Saeed Al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    SIGNIS Award (International World Catholic Association for Communication) ROMA by Alfonso Cuarón Special Mention: 22 JULY by Paul Greengrass

    Leoncino d’Oro Award (Agiscuola) WERK OHNE AUTOR by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Cinema for UNICEF: What you gonna do when the world’s on fire? by Roberto Minervini Francesco Pasinetti Award (Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani) CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone Special Pasinetti Award: SULLA MIA PELLE by Alessio Cremonini ALESSANDRO BORGHI and JASMINE TRINCA Brian Award (UAAR, Unione degli Atei e degli Agnostici Razionalisti) SULLA MIA PELLE by Alessio Cremonini

    Queer Lion Award (Associazione di Promozione Sociale Queer Lion) JOSÉ by Li Cheng

    ARCA Cinemagiovani Award Best Italian Film in Venice: CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone Best Film of Venezia 75: WERK OHNE AUTOR by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

    CICT – UNESCO “Enrico Fulchignoni” Award (Conseil International du Cinema et de la Télévision) EL PEPE, UNA VIDA SUPREMA by Emir Kusturica

    FEDIC Award (Federazione Italiana dei Cineclub) SULLA MIA PELLE by Alessio Cremonini Special Mention FEDIC: RICORDI? by Valerio Mieli Mention FEDIC Il Giornale del Cibo: I VILLANI by Daniele De Michele

    Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Award JULIAN SCHNABEL and WILLEM DAFOE

    Lanterna Magica Award (Associazione Nazionale C.G.S.) AMANDA by Mikhael Hers

    Gillo Pontecorvo Award (Istituto Internazionale per il cinema e l’audiovisivo dei paesi latini) Best co-production for a debut film: THE ROAD NOT TAKEN by Tang Gaopeng

    Smithers Foundation Award (International Council of Film and Television at UNESCO and the Observatory on Cultural Communication at U.N.) A STAR IS BORN by Bradley Cooper Special Mention: THE MOUNTAIN by Rick Alverson

    Interfilm Award for Promoting Interreligious Dialogue (International Interchurch Film Organisation) TEL AVIV ON FIRE by Sameh Zoabi

    Green Drop Award (Green Cross Italia) AT ETERNITY’S GATE by Julian Schnabel WILLEM DAFOE

    Premio Soundtrack Stars (Free Event and SNGCI) Best Soundtrack: CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone, music by Sacha Ring and Philipp Thimm Best original song: A SUSPIRIUM by Thom Yorke for the film Suspiria by Luca Guadagnino Special Mention: JUDY HILL for the film What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire by Roberto Minervini

    Sun Film Group Audience Award (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) LISSA AMMETSAJJEL (STILL RECORDING) by Saeed Al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    Circolo del Cinema di Verona Award (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) BETES BLONDES (BLONDE ANIMALS) by Maxime Matray and Alexia Walther

    Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia & International Award for the Best Technical Contribution (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) LISSA AMMETSAJJEL (STILL RECORDING) by Saeed Al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    Award for Best Short Film SIC@SIC 2018 (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) MALO TEMPO by Tommaso Perfetti

    Award for Best Director SIC@SIC 2018 (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) GAGARIN, MI MANCHERAI by Domenico De Orsi

    Award for Best Technical Contribution SIC@SIC 2018 (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) QUELLE BRUTTE COSE by Loris Giuseppe Nese

    Label Europa Cinemas Award (Giornate degli Autori) JOY by Sudabeh Mortezai

    BNL People’s Choice Award (Giornate degli Autori) RICORDI? by Valerio Mieli

    GdA Director’s Award (Giornate degli Autori) C’EST ÇA L’AMOUR by Claire Burge

    HRNs Award (Human Rights Nights Association) A Letter to a Friend in Gaza by Amos Gitai Special Mention: PETERLOO by Mike Leigh Special Mention: 1938 DIVERSI by Giorgio Treves

    Sorriso diverso Award (Ass. studentesca “L’università cerca lavoro”, UCL) Best Film: UN GIORNO ALL’IMPROVVISO by Cirio D’Emilio

    NuovoImaie Award (Artists’ Rights in collaboration with SNGCI and SNCCI) Linda Caridi and Giampiero De Concilio

    Sfera 1932 Award (Consorzio Venezia e il suo Lido with Seguso Vetri d’Arte – Murano dal 1397) CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone

    UNIMED Award (Mediterranean Universities Union) A TRAMWAY IN JERUSALEM by Amos Gitai

    La Pellicola d’Oro Award (Association “Articolo 9 Cultura & Spettacolo” and “S.A.S. Cinema”) FRANCO RAGUSA Special effects for the film Suspiria KATIA SCHWEIGGL Best tailor for the film Capri-Revolution SARTORIA ATELIER NICOLAO DI STEFANO NICOLAO Lifetime Achievement

    Lizzani Award – ANAC (Associazione Nazionale Autori Cinematografici) CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone

    Premio Vivere da Sportivi, Fair play al cinema (Vivere da sportivi: a scuola di fair play Assoc.) What you gonna do when the world’s on fire? by Roberto Minervini Special Mention: ZEN SUL GHIACCIO SOTTILE by Margherita Ferri Special Mention: Lissa ammetsajjel (Still Recording) by Saeed al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    Edipo Re Award (Università degli Studi di Padova e ResInt Rete dell’Economia Sociale Internazionale) LISSA AMMETSAJJEL (STILL RECORDING) by Saeed Al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    Read more

  • BICYCLE THIEVES (1948) to Open Klasikoa, Restored Classic Program at San Sebastian Film Festival

    ,
    Bicycle Thieves Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette) (1948), by Vittorio De Sica, an emblematic film of Italian neorrealism and considered one of the best movies in the history of cinema, will open Klasikoa, a yearly rendezvous with a restored classic at the San Sebastian Film Festival. The film, considered one of the best movies in the history of cinema, winner of an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1949, chronicles the misfortunes of a man on his first day at work whose essential element for keeping his job is stolen: his bicycle. André Bazin, in his famous analysis of the film, in his work What is Cinema?, describes it as cinema in its pure state and concludes on the subject of the plot: “in the world in which this workman lives, the poor must steal from each other in order to survive.” The film has been restored by the L’imagine Ritrovata laboratory, part of Italy’s Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, a global benchmark in film research, conservation and restoration. The restored copy was presented in the Cannes Classics section at the last Cannes Festival, followed shortly afterwards by its screening at Bologna’s Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival, as part of its Ritrovati e Restaurati 2018 / Recovered & Restored 2018 section. BICYCLE THIEVES (LADRI DI BICICLETTE) VITTORIO DE SICA (ITALY) Cast: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Elena Altieri, Gino Saltamerenda In post-war Rome, Antonio, an unemployed worker, lands a simple job putting up posters on the condition that he has a bicycle. With great difficulty, he manages to buy one, only to have it stolen on his first day of work. This is the start of an adventure whereby Antonio will try to recover his bicycle, with his son Bruno, while his wife Maria waits at home with their other child. Desperate, Antonio tries to steal a bike, but is arrested by the police.

    Read more

  • Filmmaker Claire Denis to Receive 2018 Roger Ebert Golden Thumb Award

    Claire Denis Claire Denis, the award-winning creator of Beau travail, 35 Shots of Rum, Nenette and Boni, Chocolat, and this year’s High Life — which is premiering at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival — has been named the recipient of the fifth annual Roger Ebert Golden Thumb Award. Friends, filmmakers, and industry professionals will gather to acknowledge the French director’s remarkable career achievements at an intimate reception taking place on Monday, September 10, at the Toronto International Film Festival. “It is an honour to celebrate Claire Denis with the Roger Ebert Golden Thumb Award,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director at TIFF. “Claire’s passion and expertise reflect industry excellence as she continues to reinvent her perspective in cinema.” The Roger Ebert Golden Thumb Award was designed to celebrate a remarkable filmmaker who reflects renowned film critic Roger Ebert’s taste and passion for cinema. Denis joins previous recipients Martin Scorsese, Ava DuVernay, Agnès Varda, and Wim Wenders in an impressive list of honorees. The awards event, hosted by TIFF and the Ebert family, is a celebration of cinema that brings the film community together during the Festival.

    Read more

  • Jahmil X.T Qubeka’s SEW THE WINTER TO MY SKIN to Open Cape Town International Film Market and Festival [Trailer]

    Sew the Winter to My Skin Jahmil X.T Qubeka’s epic existential-adventure film Sew the Winter to My Skin, which will have its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this week, will be the opening night film of this year’s 2018 Cape Town International Film Market and Festival. Set in South Africa’s rural Great-Karoo region in the 1950s, the film chronicles the exploits of the outlaw John Kepe and the various individuals his escapades affected. This Robin-hood-esque figure would steal primarily livestock from the white settler farmers, terrorizing them for over a decade. Led by the hardliner General Botha, a mammoth manhunt ensues in the mountain where Kepe was rumored to occupy a Noah’s Ark like cave. This spectacle ingratiated Kepe in the hearts of the marginalized indigenous-population who turn Kepe’s miscreant deeds into the stuff of legend making him a threat to the very fabric of the colonial society. Director Jahmil X.T Qubeka says this of the making of the film and its selection as the CTIFMF’s Opening Night film, “It is my intention with projects like this to explore and to dissect the impact of the Apartheid experience on the psychology of self. The very roots of external struggles such as land redistribution are inherently imbedded in an internal meditation or yearning. Dignity seems to be the pursued pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. I wanted to offer some insight into what I believe to be mankind’s inherent need to feed into mythologies that conveniently suit the order of the day. With this film, I am endeavouring to create a visual experience that crosses the boundaries and limitations of spoken language. I am honored to have Sew the Winter to my Skin invited as the opening film for the Cape Town International Film Festival, it is important for us to bring the film to its intended audience and celebrate South African cinema.” The film’s producer Layla Swart, who hails from Cape Town and studied film at The University of Cape Town, elaborates further, “Sew the Winter to my Skinis an epic ballad to the art of visual storytelling and is a benchmark film in the tapestry of South African cinema. Selected in 2017 for the prestigious Cannes L’Atelier program, the film was also awarded the Berlinale World Cinema Fund 2017 and has garnered incredible responses at screenplay level alone. I believe that films like Sew the Winter to my Skin not only contribute to a universally accessible understanding of African storytelling, but raise the benchmark for the young South African directors who are emerging with a burning desire to canonize their experience, their heroes, their legacy. We are indeed very excited to share this film with the audience at the Cape Town International Film Festival.” CTIFMF Marketing Director Jehad Kasu also has this to say of the selection, “Having access to this level of quality South African filmmaking that conveys a local story as an opening night film, is half of the reason why the CTIFMF exists – to exhibit the excellence in local story telling and production. The other half is to create an enabling film business environment for this kind of content to reach as many other parts of the world as possible. This second objective has the dual benefit of educating/entertaining global audiences with African cultures, traditions and daily life, while simultaneously boosting the economic growth of the local film and television industry. We also congratulate the whole team, including Layla and every other woman blazing a blinding trail of success in this industry. In years to come we look forward to the problem where our programmers have the difficulty in selecting an opening night film from an array of world-class local productions – that are later snapped up by foreign sales and distribution companies.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrLepWsV1EQ

    Read more

  • Actor Donald Sutherland to Receive Zurich Film Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award

    Donald Sutherland Actor Donald Sutherland, a veteran of the silver screen, with credits spanning six decades will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 Zurich Film Festival. Sutherland will also personally present his recent film ELLA & JOHN: THE LEISURE SEEKER, Paolo Virzì’s English language debut, in which Sutherland stars with Helen Mirren. The film is presented within the Festival’s retrospective of Sutherland’s work, which includes the following titles: THE DIRTY DOZEN, Robert Aldrich (1967) KELLY’S HEROES, Brian G. Hutton (1970) START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME, Bud Yorkin (1970) MAS*H, Robert Altman (1970) KLUTE, Alan Pakula (1971) DON’T LOOK NOW, Nicolas Roeg (1973) FELLINI’S CASANOVA, Federico Fellini (1976) 1900, Bernardo Bertolucci (1976) INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, Philip Kaufman (1978) ORDINARY PEOPLE, Robert Redford (1980) ELLA & JOHN: THE LEISURE SEEKER, Paolo Virzì (2017) The Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the Festival’s most esteemed and is awarded across a range of fields within international filmmaking. Sutherland will receive his award on September 30, 2018. ZFF Co-Directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Donald Sutherland to Zurich and to present him with our Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Festival. Sutherland is an icon of, not just Hollywood but also international cinema, bringing his extraordinary presence to countless iconic roles over a truly formidable career. Sutherland’s body of work includes films that are broadly considered as classics, and re-defining, so we are extra pleased to be able to present this retrospective, including some of his best loved roles.” Donald Sutherland is one of the most respected, prolific and versatile of actors, with a resume of well over one hundred and fifty films, including such classics as Robert Aldrich’s THE DIRTY DOZEN; Robert Altman’s MAS*H; John Schlesinger’s THE DAY OF THE LOCUST; Robert Redford’s ORDINARY PEOPLE; Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900; Philip Kaufman’s INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS; Nicolas Roeg’s DON’T LOOK NOW with Julie Christie; Alan Pakula’s KLUTE with Jane Fonda; Federico Fellini’s FELLINI’S CASANOVA and in Brian Hutton’s KELLY’S HEROES with Clint Eastwood, who later directed him in SPACE COWBOYS. Sutherland stars as J. Paul Getty in director Danny Boyle’s current series TRUST. THE LEISURE SEEKER had its world premiere at the 2017 Venice Film Festival. He will next be seen on film in AD ASTRA, co-starring with Brad Pitt for director James Gray. Sutherland was producer, screenwriter and star, voicing the lead character, of PIRATE’S PASSAGE, an animated movie based on William Gilkerson’s acclaimed novel, which won the 2016 international Kidscreen Award for Best Special or TV Movie. Sutherland was President Snow in the THE HUNGER GAMES series. He has appeared as Nicole Kidman’s father in Anthony Minghella’s COLD MOUNTAIN; as Charlize Theron’s father in F. Gary Gray’s THE ITALIAN JOB and as Mr. Bennett, Keira Knightley’s father, in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. For the latter he received a Chicago Film Critics nomination. He starred in FORSAKEN, a period Canadian Western, which premiered at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival. His extensive film credits include Paul Mazursky’s ALEX IN WONDERLAND; Dalton Trumbo’s JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN; Bud Yorkin’s START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME; John Sturges’ THE EAGLE HAS LANDED; Herbert Ross’ MAX DUGAN RETURNS; Louis Malle’s CRACKERS; Phillip Borsos’ BETHUNE; Oliver Stone’s JFK; Ron Howard’s BACKDRAFT; Richard Marquand’s EYE OF THE NEEDLE; Euzhan Palcy’s A DRY WHITE SEASON with Marlon Brando; Richard Pearce’s THRESHOLD, for which he won the 1983 Genie Award as Best Actor; Fred Schepisi’s film adaptation of John Guare’s SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION; Robert Towne’s WITHOUT LIMITS; and a memorable cameo in John Landis’ National LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE. He has starred as a voice in the animated feature ASTRO BOY; in Andy Tennant’s FOOL’S GOLD Gold; in Griffin Dunne’s FIERCE PEOPLE with Diane Lane; in Robert Towne’s ASK THE DUST with Salma Hayek and Colin Farrell; in AMERICAN GUN with Forrest Whitaker; in AN AMERICAN HAUNTING with Sissy Spacek; in LAND OF THE BLIND with Ralph Fiennes; in AURORA BOREALIS with Louise Fletcher and Juliette Lewis; in THE EAGLE, opposite Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell for director Kevin Macdonald; in Simon West’s THE MECHANIC with Jason Statham and Ben Foster; in Seth Gordon’s HORRIBLE BOSSES with Colin Farrell; in Mary McGuckian’s MAN ON THE TRAIN; children’s book adaptation, MILTON’S SECRET; and YA novel adaptation, MEASURE OF A MAN. Donald Sutherland, who is Canadian born, was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 1978 and a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres in France in 1983. In 2012, he was awarded the highest French honor, the Officier des Arts et Lettres.

    Read more

  • Award Winning LIYANA Exec Produced by Thandie Newton Sets Release Date [Trailer]

    ,
    LIYANA Movie Poster The new trailer and poster debuted this week for the award-winning genre-defying documentary LIYANA directed by Aaron and Amanda Kopp and executive produced by actress Thandie Newton. The acclaimed film which has won over 25 film festival jury and audience awards will begin its 25+ city theatrical run with a special screening at New York’s IFC Film Center on October 9 before opening at the Maysles Documentary Center on October 10. Los Angeles and additional cities will follow. Under the guidance of acclaimed South African storyteller, Gcina Mhlophe, five orphaned children from Swaziland collaborate to craft a collective fairytale drawn from their darkest memories and brightest dreams. Their fictional character, Liyana, is brought to life in innovative animated artwork as she embarks on a perilous quest to rescue her young twin brothers. The children’s real and imagined worlds begin to converge, and they must choose what kind of story they will tell – in fiction and in their own lives. This genre-defying film weaves an original animated hero’s journey with poetic documentary scenes to create an inspiring tale of perseverance. LIYANA is a tribute to creativity, the strength of the human spirit, and the healing power of storytelling. LIYANA is the critically acclaimed feature directorial debut of award-winning filmmakers and cinematographers Aaron Kopp & Amanda Kopp. They both shot for the Academy Award nominated campus assault documentary THE HUNTING GROUND. Aaron, who was raised in Swaziland, also shot and co-produced the Academy Award winning documentary SAVING FACE, which earned him an Emmy nomination. LIYANA features an original score by South African composer, Philip Miller, and stunning animation by Nigerian artist Shofela Coker, illustrating Liyana’s journey as told through the children in Swaziland. Executive produced by award-winning actress, Thandie Newton, LIYANA has screened at more than 80 film festivals around the world including the British Film Institute’s London Film Festival and MoMA DocFortnight. The film has been hailed as, deeply moving and beautifully crafted by The Hollywood Reporter and lush and uplifting by the New York Times. Critics across the country say the film is brilliant, masterful, an inspirational cinematic experience, and that LIYANA stands a strong chance of making Oscar buzz throughout the year.

    Read more

  • Filipino Film GOYO: THE BOY GENERAL Sets US Release Date [Trailer]

    GOYO: The Boy General (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral), Following its successful release in its native Philippines, GOYO: The Boy General (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral), a film written and directed by Jerrold Tarog will open theatrically in New York on September 21, with Los Angeles and other key US cities to follow. GOYO: The Boy General is a historical biopic that focuses on the last months in the life of Gregorio del Pilar (Paulo Avelino), one of the youngest generals of the Philippine Revolution (against Spain) and the Philippine-American War. He was the most trusted ally of Emilio Aguinaldo, the Philippine President and Commander-in-Chief during the Revolution and War. GOYO is the next installment, following the surprise 2015 blockbuster hit HENERAL LUNA, a film that chronicled Revolutionary General Antonio Luna’s life (and which also had a US theatrical release in October 2015). After five months of relative peace, the U.S. Army begins its final push to crush the Philippine army and capture Aguinaldo. Goyo faces the biggest challenge of his life as he oversees the large caravan of officers, soldiers and civilians making their perilous escape through the mountains of the Northern regions. The hovering presence of death and failure throughout the journey ultimately calls into question Goyo’s accomplishments and public popularity. The boy general is forced to grow up and ask the only question that matters during times of war: What does it really mean to be a hero? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYK_6W_seNg Director’s Statement – Jarrold Tarog: For many, Gregorio del Pilar was a true hero of the revolution, but for some, he was nothing more than an arrogant henchman of Revolutionary President Emilio Aguinaldo. Yet his willingness to give up his life reveals a level of determination and perhaps humility that cannot be easily dismissed. For someone so young and popular to face death head on, Goyo, as del Pilar is known to his friends, deserves to be examined using both a wider and a more intimate lens. As the second part in the envisioned historical trilogy that began with HENERAL LUNA (2015), GOYO: ANG BATANG HENERAL continues an attempt to examine our faults as a people by using the past as a reflection of the present. With multiple points of view and the same characteristic freedom to move between historical fact and fiction as in HENERAL LUNA, GOYO expounds on themes of maturity and responsibility, contrasts the naivete of youth with sobriety of adulthood, and attempts to ask questions about our readiness for a task of nation building. How does one attain honor when facing certain death? What should a man like Goyo hold close to his heart when forced to make the ultimate sacrifice?

    Read more