The 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards will be broadcast exclusively on IFC on February 27, 2016, LIVE at 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET. This year marks the 31st edition of the awards show that celebrates the best of independent film. This year’s nominees will be announced at a press conference on Tuesday, November 24 at the W Hollywood and online at spiritawards.com.
Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions returns for his second year as executive producer of the show held in its usual tent on the beach in Santa Monica, in a new location this year just north of the Santa Monica Pier. Producer Shawn Davis returns for his 14th show and Rick Austin returns for his second year as producer.
“After last year’s great show we are thrilled to have Joel Gallen back as our EP,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “We are excited to be back on IFC, I can’t imagine better partners than Jen Caserta and her entire team.”
“We are pleased to continue to partner with Film Independent as the irreverent and informal approach of the Spirit Awards is a seamless fit with our ‘always on, slightly off’ brand,” said Jennifer Caserta, IFC’s president. “We are excited to celebrate the best independent films and provide an exclusive platform for what has become Hollywood’s kick off to awards season.”
Joel Gallen’s credits include the Emmy nominated specials Stand Up To Cancer (2014, 2012), the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert (2009), Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief (2010) and the Emmy and Peabody Award winning America: A Tribute to Heroes (2001). He produced the MTV Movie Awards for 12 consecutive years from 1995 to 2006. He has also produced the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony since 2003 and the Comedy Central Roasts for the last 11 years including the most recent roast featuring Justin Bieber. Gallen executive produced and directed the Concert for Valor for HBO.
About his return to the Film Independent Spirit Awards, executive producer Joel Gallen had this to say, “I love producing the Spirit Awards, not just because of how much it means to the independent film community, but because it’s such a fun and relaxed vibe in the tent. Last year all the speeches were so spontaneous and ‘in the moment’, not one acceptance speech was read from a folded up piece of paper. That may have been the first time in award show history that happened!”-
Date Revealed for 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards
The 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards will be broadcast exclusively on IFC on February 27, 2016, LIVE at 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET. This year marks the 31st edition of the awards show that celebrates the best of independent film. This year’s nominees will be announced at a press conference on Tuesday, November 24 at the W Hollywood and online at spiritawards.com.
Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions returns for his second year as executive producer of the show held in its usual tent on the beach in Santa Monica, in a new location this year just north of the Santa Monica Pier. Producer Shawn Davis returns for his 14th show and Rick Austin returns for his second year as producer.
“After last year’s great show we are thrilled to have Joel Gallen back as our EP,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “We are excited to be back on IFC, I can’t imagine better partners than Jen Caserta and her entire team.”
“We are pleased to continue to partner with Film Independent as the irreverent and informal approach of the Spirit Awards is a seamless fit with our ‘always on, slightly off’ brand,” said Jennifer Caserta, IFC’s president. “We are excited to celebrate the best independent films and provide an exclusive platform for what has become Hollywood’s kick off to awards season.”
Joel Gallen’s credits include the Emmy nominated specials Stand Up To Cancer (2014, 2012), the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert (2009), Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief (2010) and the Emmy and Peabody Award winning America: A Tribute to Heroes (2001). He produced the MTV Movie Awards for 12 consecutive years from 1995 to 2006. He has also produced the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony since 2003 and the Comedy Central Roasts for the last 11 years including the most recent roast featuring Justin Bieber. Gallen executive produced and directed the Concert for Valor for HBO.
About his return to the Film Independent Spirit Awards, executive producer Joel Gallen had this to say, “I love producing the Spirit Awards, not just because of how much it means to the independent film community, but because it’s such a fun and relaxed vibe in the tent. Last year all the speeches were so spontaneous and ‘in the moment’, not one acceptance speech was read from a folded up piece of paper. That may have been the first time in award show history that happened!”
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2015 Tallgrass Film Festival Awards, TAKE ME TO THE RIVER, ARMOR OF LIGHT Win Best Film Honors
The 2015 Tallgrass Film Festival announced their filmmaker awards during a rousing ceremony preceding their Closing Night Gala screening of Ian and Eshom Nelms’ WAFFLE STREET on Sunday, October 18 at the Orpheum Theater in Wichita, Kansas.
Matt Sobel’s TAKE ME TO THE RIVER, (pictured above) was named “Best Narrative Feature,” and Abigail Disney & Kathleen Hughes’ ARMOR OF LIGHT, chosen as “Best Documentary Feature.”
Justin Johnson’s DOUBLE DIGITS: THE STORY OF A NEIGHBORHOOD MOVIE STAR (pictured above) got the nod for both “Best First Feature,” as well as the Golden Strands Vanguard Award for “Dedication to the Craft of Filmmaking” for the film’s subject, R.G. Miller.
The Vimeo Audience Awards were led by Emily Ting, who added to her big night by receiving the $1000 Narrative prize for ALREADY TOMORROW IN HONG KONG. Producer Dennie Aig was on hand to accept the $1000 Documentary prize for Philllip Barbeau’s UNBRANDED. Benjamin Wolff’s BIS GLIECH took home the Audience Award and $500 prize for the short film category. The awards for Emily Ting provided a happy exclamation point to the filmmaker’s return to Tallgrass following her films MAN FROM RENO (2014), THE KITCHEN (2012), and BIG BAD SWIM (2005) (all of which she served as either a producer, associate producer or executive producer).
2015 Tallgrass Film Festival Filmmaker Awards
Vimeo Audience Awards
Audience Award Winning Narrative Film:
($1,000) IT’S ALREADY TOMORROW IN HONG KONG, Directed by Emily Ting
Vimeo Audience Award Winning Documentary Film:
($1,000) UNBRANDED, Directed by Phillip Barbeau
Vimeo Audience Award winning Short Film:
($500) BIS GLIECH (Germany), directed Benjamin Wolff
Golden Strands Programming Awards
Best Emerging Student Award:
THE GIRL, WHO’S SHADOW REFLECTS THE MOON, Directed by Walaa Al Alawi (Syria)
Best Kansas Short Film Award:
EPIC OF HERSHEY, Douglas McGinness, New York/Wichita, KS
Golden Strands Award, Outstanding Female Filmmaker:
Emily Ting, IT’S ALREADY TOMORROW IN HONG KONG
(Award is the Venus Award which is designed by Glass Artist Claire Anderson
and is a representation of a Paleolithic Era Venus de Lespugue)
Golden Strands Award for Courage in Filmmaking:
PERVERT PARK, Directed by Frida & Lasse Barkfors of Sweden
Golden Strands Award, Outstanding Cinematography:
OMO CHILD: THE RIVER AND THE BUSH, Sebastian Humphreys
Golden Strands Award, Outstanding Ensemble Cast:
TANGERINE
Golden Strands Vanguard Award for Dedication to the Craft Of Filmmaking:
R.G. Miller, DOUBLE DIGITS (Award designed by Fisch Haus)
Golden Strands Award, Best First Feature:
DOUBLE DIGITS: THE STORY OF A NEIGHBORHOOD MOVIE STAR, Directed by Justin Johnson
Golden Strands Award, Outstanding Documentary Short Film:
LAST DAY OF FREEDOM, Directors Dee Hibbert-Jones/Nomi Talisman
Golden Strands Award, Outstanding Narrative Short Film:
GUEST ROOM, Directed by Joshua Tate
Golden Strands Award, Outstanding Documentary Feature:
ARMOR OF LIGHT, Abigail Disney & Kathleen Hughes
Golden Strands Award, Outstanding Narrative Feature:
TAKE ME TO THE RIVER, Directed by Matt Sobel
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Director Andrew Davis Presides Over 51st Chicago Int’l Film Fest Competition Jury
The 51st Chicago International Film Festival announced its Competition Juries, with Director/Producer/Writer Andrew Davis serving as President of this year’s International Features Competition Jury. Davis directed the Academy Award®-nominated box-office hit The Fugitive (1993), Under Siege (1992), Collateral Damage (2002), Holes (2003), and The Guardian (2006). The Golden Globe®-nominated director was raised in Chicago and graduated from the University of Illinois.
The International Features Competition Jury includes Iván Trujillo, Director General of the Guadalajara International Film Festival; Writer/Director Laura Astorga whose film Red Princess (2013) was Costa Rica’s official selection for the 87th Academy Awards; Actor/Director Nawaf Al-Janahi (The Circle, Sea Shadow); and Actor/Producer Jossie Harris, who was awarded the Best Supporting Actress award at the 45th Chicago International Film Festival for her role in Mississippi Damned. The Jury will present the Gold Hugo to the best of the 16 films in competition from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Chile, Croatia, France, Israel, Iran, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, UK, and Uruguay.
The Festival’s New Directors Competition Jury consists of Matt Fagerholm (Film Critic & Assistant Editor at Ebert Publishing), Claudia Landsberger (Senior Partner at BaseWorx for Film), and Diego Lerer (Film Critic, Acting President of FIPRESCI Argentina, the film critics’association).
The Festival’s Documentary Competition Jury includes Eric Hynes (Columnist for Film Comment), Michelle Puetz (Curator of Media Arts at the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art), and J.P. Sniadecki (director of the award-winning film The Iron Ministry).
The 51st Chicago International Film Festival’s OUT-Look/Q Hugo Award Jury features Mihai Chirilov* (Film Critic, Director of Transylvania International Film Festival), Richard Knight, Jr. (Film Critic, Founder of the Queer Film Society and Programming Director for the Reeling Film Festival), and John Russell Taylor (critic and author whose books include “Hitch: The Life and Times of Alfred Hitchcock” and “Strangers in Paradise: The Hollywood Emigrés, 1933-1950”).
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HENERAL LUNA, Philippines Oscar Entry to Be Released in the US | TRAILER
Jerrold Tarog’s HENERAL LUNA the Philippines’ submission for 2015 Foreign Language Film Oscar category for the 88th Academy Awards, will be released in theaters nationwide in Fall 2015, via Abramorama. Heneral Luna will open in New York on October 30, followed by Los Angeles and other markets on November 6.
Set during the Philippine-American war, a short-tempered Filipino general faces an enemy more formidable than the American army: his own treacherous countrymen.
In 1898, General Antonio Luna ( John Arcilla ), commander of the revolutionary army, is spoiling for a fight. The Philippines, after three hundred years as a Spanish colony, has unwillingly come under American rule. General Luna wants to fight for freedom but members of the elite would rather strike a deal with the United States. The infighting is fierce in the new cabinet but General Luna and his loyal men forge ahead even as his military decisions are met with resistance from soldiers who are loyal only to President Aguinaldo ( Mon Confiado ). Ultimately, it is the general’s legendary temper and pride that bring him to his death when a pack of presidential guards assassinate him in broad daylight. While American newspapers are quick to point the blame to Aguinaldo, the mystery has never been completely solved and the General’s killers were never put to justice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_T1ykhy3Fg
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WHERE TO INVADE NEXT, THE 33 Among New Films Added to 2015 AFI FEST
Two more Centerpiece Galas, WHERE TO INVADE NEXT, directed by Michael Moore, and THE 33, directed by Patricia Riggen have been added to 2015 AFI FEST. WHERE TO INVADE NEXT, directed by Michael Moore, will screen on Saturday, November 7 at the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei747zi9iYY
THE 33, directed by Patricia Riggen and starring Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Juliette Binoche, James Brolin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Mario Casas, Juan Pablo Raba, Adriana Barraza, Kate del Castillo, Cote de Pablo, Bob Gunton and Gabriel Byrne, will screen on Monday, November 9 at the TCL Chinese Theatre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOoIBOYqHyw
AFI FEST’s Special Screenings section will feature 45 YEARS (DIR Andrew Haigh); ANOMALISA (DIR Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, AFI Class of 2006); CAROL (DIR Todd Haynes); LAST DAYS IN THE DESERT (DIR Rodrigo García); THE LOBSTER (DIR Yorgos Lanthimos); MACBETH (DIR Justin Kurzel); and QUEEN OF THE DESERT (DIR Werner Herzog).
The full festival lineup and schedule will be unveiled on Wednesday, October 21. The 29th edition of AFI FEST will take place November 5–12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood.
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Fia Sandlund’s SHE’S WILD AGAIN TONIGHT to World Premiere at Stockholm International Film Festival
SHE’S WILD AGAIN TONIGHT, Fia Sandlund’s contemporary interpretation of the play, Miss Julie, will world premiere at Stockholm International Film Festival on November 12, 2015
Two young artists meet in New York to work on a radical version of the Swedish classic Miss Julie. Instead of a professional meeting between the politically conscious artists, they become involved in a twisted game of power relations.
Starring the Swedish actor Shima Niavarani as Julie and Mando Diao’s former lead singer Gustaf Norén as Jean, SHE’S WILD AGAIN TONIGHT is, in the director’s words “an operation on Strindberg.” The story blends the borders of reality, acting and fiction in a reflection on the complexity of contemporary society and gender roles.
SHE’S WILD AGAIN TONIGHT is the final part of the director’s trilogy inspired by Strindberg’s play Miss Julie, preceded by She’s Blonde Like Me and She’s Staging It. The script is written by Sandlund in collaboration with Josefine Adolfsson, winner of the Guldbagge Award in 2012, and produced by Tobias Janson.
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COLLIDE Starring Nicholas Hoult, Felicity Jones, Anthony Hopkins Sets 2016 Release Date
The thriller COLLIDE, originally titled Autobahn, directed by Eran Creevy, and starring Nicholas Hoult, Academy Award nominee Felicity Jones, and Academy Award winners Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley will be released in theaters nationwide on April 1, 2016 via Open Road Films.
After a heist goes terribly wrong, Casey Stein (Nicholas Hoult) finds himself on the run from a ruthless gang headed by mob boss Hagen (Anthony Hopkins). Now Casey has precious cargo that belongs to Hagen, who will stop at nothing to retrieve it. Left with no choice, Casey calls his former employer and drug smuggler Geran (Ben Kingsley) to protect his long-time girlfriend Juliette before Hagen gets his hands on her. Casey sets out on an adrenaline-fueled car chase on the German highways to save the love of his life before it’s too late.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evxOIzaYUrY
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Thriller ANGUISH by Sonny Mallhi to be Released on December 18th
ANGUISH, a thriller written and directed by Sonny Mallhi, which premiered in July at the Fantasia International Film Festival, will be released in select theaters and on demand on December 18th via Gravitas Ventures.
Inspired by true events, Tess (Ryan Simpkins, “A Single Man”) is a teenage girl finally old enough to understand that the cause of her psychological problems is a supernatural “gift” that allows spirits to take over her body. Now that she understands what is happening to her, she must decide whether she wants to keep fighting or succumb to the soul of a recently deceased girl who refuses to leave. Karina Logue (“Ray Donovan”) and Annika Marks (“The Fosters”) also star.
https://vimeo.com/132423164
This is Sonny Mallhi’s directorial debut; previously he co-produced “The Lakehouse” and served as Executive Producer on “The Stranger,” “House at the End of the Street” and he wrote and executive produced “The Roommate.” Mallhi’s company Candlewood Entertainment produced “Anguish” alongside Guy Danella (“The Possession of Michael King”). Deepak Bajaj and Madan Popli are the Executive Producers.
“I am looking forward to working with Gravitas,” stated Writer/Director Sonny Mallhi. “This is an accomplished distribution group with a proven track record in horror – it’s exciting to be partnered with them.”
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2015 Los Cabos International Film Festival Announces Films and Projects Selected in Cabos In Progress and Cabos Discovery
2015 Los Cabos International Film Festival announced the names of the films chosen to form part of the Cabos in Progress and Cabos Discovery platforms. Cabos in Progress will feature films in the post-production stage, made in or coproduced with Mexico; and the Cabos Discovery platform will feature projects in the development phase, made in or coproduced by Mexico, USA or Canada.
The competing Mexican films in Cabos in Progress are:
Bellas de noche (pictured above)
Director: María José Cuevas
Producers: Christian Valdelièvre, Alberto Müffelmann, Jaime Bernardo Ramos Montoya y Gerardo Gatica.
Carroña
Director and producer: Sebastián Hiriart
El fracaso
Director: Ricardo Silva
Producer: Paulina Valencia
La habitación
Directors: Carlos Carrera, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Carlos Bolado, Ernesto Contreras, Alfonso Pineda Ulloa, Alejandro Valle, Iván Ávila Dueñas and Natalia Beristáin
Producers: Edher Campos, Luis Salinas, Marta Lewandowska and Marta Habior
Los paisajes
Director: Rodrigo Cervantes
Producer: Pauline Galtié
Somos lengua
Director: Kyzza Terrazas
Producer: Carlos Sosa and Laura Imperiale
Verónica
Directors: Carlos Algara and Alejandro Martínez
Producer: Juan Carlos Segura
The competing projects in the Cabos Discovery platform are:
Sunbathing in Hell (Canada)
Director: Sophie Deraspe
Producer: Félize Frappier
I’m not a bad person (Canada)
Director: Andrew Huculiak
Producers: Nicole I Dyck, Amy Darling, Josh Huculiak
Merciful (Canada) selected from Strategic Partners
Producer: Marc Almon
Salón de Belleza (USA/Mexico)
Director: Andrea Pallaoro
Producers: Eleonora Granata, Jonathan Venguer
Nancy (USA) – selected from IFP
Director: Christina Choe
Producers: Gerry Kim, Mayuran Tiruchelvam, Kelly Willias and Jonathan Duffy
Picking Cotton (USA) selected from Tribeca Film Institute
Director and producer: Jessica Sanders
The Taste of the Apple is Red (SYRIA, QATAR and USA) selected from Cine-Link Sarajevo Film Festival
Director: Ehab Tarabieh
Producer: Solomon Goodman
Calla (Mexico)
Director: Jorge Michel Grau
Producer: Mayra Espinosa Castro
Gunpowder seeds (Mexico)
Director: Arturo González Villaseñor
Producers: Sebastián Celis and Nicolás Celis
Memoria de los días rojos (Mexico)
Director and producer: Rafa Lara
Skin Deep (Mexico)
Director: Paulina del Paso
Producers: Elisa Miller
Casi el paraíso (Mexico)
Director: Gaz Alazraki
Producers: Edgar San Juan and Leonardo Zimbrón
Opus Zero (Mexico)
Director: Daniel Graham
Producer: Julio Chavezmontes
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‘Chevalier’ ‘Sherpa’ ‘The Witch’ Win Top Awards at 2015 London Film Festival
Chevalier directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari is the winner of the Best Film Award at the 2015 London Film Festival. In the film, six men set out on the Aegean Sea aboard a yacht, and before long, male bonding and one-upmanship give way to a loosely defined yet hotly contested competition to determine which of them is “the best in general.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZckUiocInM
Pawel Pawlikowski, whose Ida won the LFF Best Film prize in 2013, and is the president of the Official Competition jury at this year’s festival said, “Chevalier is a study of male antagonism seen through the eyes of a brave and original filmmaker. With great formal rigour and irresistible wit, Athina Rachel Tsangari has managed to make a film that is both a hilarious comedy and a deeply disturbing statement on the condition of western humanity”.
The Grierson Award for the best documentary went to Jennifer Peedom’s “gripping and urgent documentary: Sherpa, which indelibly captures tragedy and mayhem on Mount Everest.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TL-ZbtvuT8
The Sutherland Award presented to the director of the most original and imaginative first feature in the Festival, went to Robert Eggers’ The Witch about a 17th century New England family torn apart by tension and the suspicion of witchcraft.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXmlf3Sefg
The inaugural Best Short Film Award went to An Old Dog’s Diary, a lyrical film portrait of Francis Newton Souza, one of the key Indian artists of the 20th-century, inspired by his personal writings, letters, drawings and possessions.
2015 London Film Festival Award winners
Chevalier – Athina Rachel Tsangari, wins Best Film Award
The Witch – Robert Eggers, wins Sutherland Award (Best First Feature)
Sherpa – Jennifer Peedom, wins Grierson Award (Best Documentary)
An Old Dog’s Diary – Shai Heredia and Shumona Goel, wins Best Short Film Award
Cate Blanchett received the BFI Fellowship, presented by Ian McKellen
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2015 Anchorage International Film Festival Lineup; Opens with “Eadweard”
The 2015 Anchorage International Film Festival revealed the lineup of independent films from around the world to screen December 4-13, 2015 at the BearTooth Theatrepub, Alaska Experience Theater, Anchorage Museum and the Snow Goose Performing Arts Theatre.
The festival will begin with the Opening Night screening of “Eadweard,” at the BearTooth Theatrepub, 8 PM on Friday, Dec. 4. Eadweard is the story of a world-famous, turn-of-the-century photographer, Eadweard Muybridge, later to be known as the “Godfather of Cinema.” This psychological thriller follows Muybridge from his work in Alaska shortly after its purchase from Russia. The story portrays an unconventional photographer as he seeks to capture life in “motion,” developing the first body of stop-motion photography–over 100,000 images depicting animals and humans in motion, and nude and deformed subjects. Director Kyle Rideout will be in attendance for the Opening Night screening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VAds0GH_8E
Among the many cinematic highlights anticipated for this festival are some collaborative screenings including the Alaska Moving Image Preservation Association (AMIPA) debut of a rare, thought-to-be-lost, early Sci-Fi film from 1929 called “High Treason,” which has been in the restoration process for ten years, from Alaska to the Library of Congress. Also on the docket is an Indie Lens Pop-up series documentary from Alaska Public Media, “Autism in Love”, screening at Anchorage Museum, directly after the annual “Family Day” program, offered for free to the public.
2015 FILM SELECTIONS:
Narrative Feature Selections at AIFF 2015 are:
And The Circus Leaves Town (d. Mete Sozer, Turkey)
Creditors (d. Ben Cura, United Kingdom)
Death on a Rock (d. Scott Ballard, United States)
Diablo (d. Lawrence Roeck, Canada)
Eadweard (d. Kyle Rideout, Canada)
Jasmine (d. Dax Phelan, Hong Kong)
Living With the Dead (d. Rebekah Nelson, United States)
Magic Utopia ( d. Shoji Toyama, Shuichi Tan, Japan)
Midori in Hawaii (d. John Hill, United States)
Orphans & Kingdoms (d. Paolo Rotondo, New Zealand)
Status:single (d. Pavel Ruminov, Russian Federation)
The David Dance (d. Aprill Winney, United States)
The Descendants (d. Yaser Talebi, Islamic Republic of Iran)
The Incredible Adventures of Jojo (and his annoying little sister Avila) (d. Ann-Marie Schmidt, Brian Schmidt, United States
They Look Like People (d. Perry Blackshear, United States)
Under Construction (d. Rubaiyat Hossain, Bangladesh)
When the Ocean Met the Sky (d. Phillip Thomas, Canada)
Documentary selections at AIFF 2015 are:
A Courtship (d. Amy Kohn, United States)
A Journey to Namie (d. Sulfikar Amir, Singapore)
Above & Below (d. Nicolas Steiner, Switzerland)
Bihttoš (d. Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Canada)
Children of the Arctic (d. Nick Brandestini, Switzerland)
Circus Without Borders (d. Susan Gray, Linda Matchan, United States)
Code: Debugging the Gender Gap (d. Robin Hauser Reynolds, United States)
Dance of the People (d. Marc Menish, United States)
Free Custom Poetry (d. Cory Wilson, United States)
From This Day Forward (d. Sharon Shattuck, United States)
Harry & Snowman (d. Ron Davis, United States)
Janey Makes a Play (d. Jared Callahan, United States)
Keeping Country (d. Andrew Quinn, Australia)
Knit Me Some Happiness (d. Sofia Olins, United Kingdom)
Lost & Found (d. Nicolina Lanni, Canada)
Love Between the Covers (d. Laurie Kahn, Australia, United States)
Madina’s Dream (d. Andrew Berends, United States)
Man in the Can (d. Noessa Higa, United States)
No Greater Love (d. Justin Roberts, United States)
Riding My Way Back (d. Robin Fryday, Peter Rosenbaum, United States)
Right Footed (d. Nick Spark, United States)
Stink! (d. Jon J. Whelan, United States)
Superjednostka (d. Teresa Czepiec, Poland)
The Brainwashing of My Dad (Work in Progress screening)(d. Jen Senko, United States)
The House is Innocent (d. Nicholas Coles, United States)
To Scale (d. Alex Gorosh, United States)
Vanishing Sail (d.Alexis Andrews, Antigua & Barbuda)
Very Semi-Serious (d. Leah Wolchok, United States)
War of Lies (d. Matthias Bittner, Germany)
Short Film Selections at AIFF 2015 are:
20 Meters of Love in Montmartre (d. Pierre Gaffié, France)
Adolescence (d. Daniel Milan, Mexico)
Birthday (d. Chris King, United States)
Hirsit (d. Selcen Yilamzoglu, Turkey)
Joe Will Die (d. David Janove, United States)
Merry X-mas (d. Boman Modine, United States)
Mike (d. Petros Silvestros, United Kingdom)
Moving On (d. Mike Spear, Marcia Fields, United States)
My Heart (d. Yser Talebi, Islamic Republic of Iran)
Nkosi Coiffure (d. Frederike Migom, Belgium)
One-Minute Time Machine (d. Devon Avery, United States)
Scary Larry (d. Greg Ivan Smith, United States)
The Bravest, The Boldest (d. Moon Molson, United States)
The Call (d. Zamo Mkhwanazi, South Africa)
The Poem of a Memory (d. Christhian Andrews, United States)
The Red Thunder (d. Alvaro Ron, United States)
The Story of a Rainy Night (d. Mehdi Fard Ghaderi, Iran)
Unleaded (d. Luke Davies, United Kingdom)
Winter (d. Lina Roessler, Canada)
Zawadi (d. Richard Card, Kenya)
Animation
Chhaya (d. Debanjan Nandy, United Kingdom)
Golden Shot (d. Gokalp Gonen, Turkey)
In the forest (d. Li Xia, United States)
Mr. McBob (d. Pierre Schantz, United States)
Olilo (d. Ao Li, United States)
Ripple (d. Conner Griffith, United States)
Rosso Papavero (d. Martin Smetana, Slovakia)
Scaredy Bat (d. Greg Perkins, United States)
Sleepy Steve (d. Meghann Artes, United States)
Switch Man (d. Hsun-Chun Chuang , Shao-Kuei Tong, Taiwan)
The Apple Tree (d. Scott Storm, United States)
The Looking Planet (d. Eric Law Anderson, United States)
The Present (d. Jacob Frey, Germany)
Untitled (d. Sean McCarthy, United States)
wHole (d. Verena Klinger, Robert Banning, Germany)
Made In Alaska
3022 Ft. (d. Max Romey, United States)
Degrees North (Switzerland) 52 min.
Easy Money (d. Zayn Roohi, United States)
Heart of Alaska (d. Bjørn Olson, United States)
Hunting in Wartime (d. Samantha Farinella, United States)
I Follow Rivers (d. Ellie Schmidt, United States)
Pushing Out Daisy (d. Allison Week, United States)
Seahorse (d. Kamell Allaway, United States)
Storis: The Galloping Ghost of the Alaska Coast (d. Damon Stuebner, United States)
The Muse (d. Christopher Gage Tucker, United States)
The Ruthless Rhymer (d. Quinton Oliver Smith, United States)
Through the Wires (d. Greg Chaney, United States)
We Are All Related Here (d. Brian McDermott, United States)
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AFI FEST 2015 Reveals Films in New Auteurs and American Independent Lineup, Include FIELD NIGGAS, JAMES WHITE, IXCANUL
The 29th AFI FEST taking place November 5 to 12, 2015 in the heart of Hollywood, revealed 20 more films on the lineup – the films that will be featured in the New Auteurs and American Independent programs during AFI FEST 2015.
The American Independents section represents the best of independent filmmaking this year includes 9 films; and the New Auteurs section includes 11 first and second-time narrative feature film directors from around the world, whose films will be eligible for the Grand Jury Prize.
NEW AUTEURS
DESDE ALLÁ – When a middle-aged man is assaulted and robbed by a young criminal, an unlikely relationship develops. DIR Lorenzo Vigas. SCR Lorenzo Vigas. CAST Alfredo Castro and Luis Silva. Venezuela/Mexico. U.S. Premiere
DISORDER – Matthias Schoenaerts plays an ex-soldier who becomes locked in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with ski-masked home invaders at a wealthy estate. DIR Alice Winocour. SCR Alice Winocour. CAST Matthias Schoenaerts, Diane Kruger, Paul Hamy, Zaïd Errougui-Demonsant, Percy Kemp, Victor Pontecorvo, Mickaël Daubert, Franck Torrecillas, Chems Eddine, Philippe Haddad, Jean-Louis Coulloc’h. France/Belgium
EVOLUTION – On an island inhabited only by women and boys, a 10-year-old receiving strange medical treatment investigates the horrific things the women do at night. DIR Lucile Hadžihalilović. SCR Lucile Hadžihalilović, Alanté Kavaïté, Geoff Cox. CAST Max Brebant, Roxane Duran, Julie-Marie Parmentier. France
THE GULLS (CHAIKI) – In winter near the Caspian Sea, a fisherman’s wife becomes free of her suppressed domestic existence after a life-altering event. DIR Ella Manzheeva. SCR Ella Manzheeva. CAST Evgeniya Mandzhieva, Sergey Adianov, Evgeny Sangadzhiev, Lyubov Ubushieva, Dmitry Mukeyev. Russian Federation. North American Premiere
IXCANUL – A young Mayan woman becomes pregnant outside of an impending arranged marriage, throwing her and her family’s future into dire uncertainty. DIR Jayro Bustamante. SCR Jayro Bustamante. CAST María Mercedes Coroy, María Telón, Manuel Antún, Justo Lorenzo, Marvin Coroy. Guatemala/France
LAND AND SHADE (LA TIERRA Y LA SOMBRA) – An aging farmer returns to rural Colombia where the family and land he long ago abandoned have been devastated by industrial progress. DIR César Augusto Acevedo. SCR César Augusto Acevedo. CAST Haimer Leal, Hilda Ruiz, Edison Raigosa, Marleyda Soto, José Felipe Cárdenas, Edison Raigosa. Colombia/France/Netherlands/Chile/Brazil. U.S. Premiere
MEDITERRANEA – In this timely film, a migrant from Burkina Faso makes a perilous journey from North Africa to Europe. DIR Jonas Carpignano. SCR Jonas Carpignano. CAST Koudous Seihon, Alassane Sy, Adam Gnegne, Davide Schipilliti. Italy/France/USA/Germany
MOUNTAIN – To escape her troubles at home, a young Orthodox Jewish woman falls in with a nocturnal community of prostitutes and drug dealers in the ancient cemetery atop Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives. DIR Yaelle Kayam. SCR Yaelle Kayam. CAST Shani Klein, Avshalom Pollak, Haitham Ibrahem Omari. Israel/Denmark. U.S. Premiere
MUSTANG – Five Turkish sisters must fight back against harsh societal restrictions when a seemingly innocent act is blown out of proportion. DIR Deniz Gamze Ergüven. SCR Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Alice Winocour. CAST Günes Sensoy, Doga Zeynep Doguslu, Tugba Sunguroglu, Elit Iscan, Ilayda Akdogan, Ayberk Pekcan. France/Germany/Turkey
SWORN VIRGIN (VERGINE GIURATA) – A young Albanian woman bucks her destiny by appealing to an ancient regional law allowing her to live free as a man if she takes an oath of eternal virginity. DIR Laura Bispuri. SCR Francesca Manieri, Laura Bispuri. CAST Alba Rohrwacher, Flonja Kodheli, Lars Eidinger, Luan Jaha, Bruno Shllaku, Ilire Celaj, Drenica Selimaj, Dajana Selimaj, Emily Ferratello. Italy/Switzerland/Germany/Albania/Republic of Kosovo
UNTIL I LOSE MY BREATH – A Turkish teenager dreams of leaving her abusive home and moving in with her father, a long-distance truck driver. DIR Emine Emel Balcı. SCR Emine Emel Balcı. CAST Esme Madra, Rıza Akın, Sema Keçik, Gizem Denizci, Ece Yüksel, Uğur Uzunel, Yavuz Pekman, Pinar Gök, Yavuz Özata. Turkey/Germany. North American Premiere
AMERICAN INDEPENDENTS
BOB AND THE TREES – A middle-aged logger gambles his personal and professional livelihood on harvesting an unyielding piece of land. DIR Diego Ongaro. SCR Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil. CAST Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Richard Bradley, Winthrop Barrett. USA
FIELD NIGGAS – Khalik Allah’s stylized documentary chronicles summer nights spent at the intersection of 125th Street and Lexington Avenue in Harlem. DIR Khalik Allah. USA
FUNNY BUNNY – A trio of people look to make meaningful connections in this sweet natured comedy. DIR Alison Bagnall. SCR Alison Bagnall. CAST Kentucker Audley, Joslyn Jensen, Olly Alexander, Louis Cancelmi, Josephine Decker, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Grace Gonglewski, Caridad de la Luz, Nicholas Webber. USA (pictured in main image above)
H. – Two different Helens of Troy live parallel lives in this brilliantly unnerving apocalyptic vision. DIR Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia. SCR Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia. CAST Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson. USA/Argentina
JAMES WHITE – A young New Yorker is forced to take control of his self-destructive lifestyle as he navigates his mother’s fight with a serious illness. DIR Josh Mond. SCR Josh Mond. CAST Christopher Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, Ron Livingston. USA
KRISHA – Estranged relative Krisha shows up to a family Thanksgiving to make amends, but as the day unfolds she can’t escape her dark past. DIR Trey Edward Shults. SCR Trey Edward Shults. CAST Krisha Fairchild, Robyn Fairchild, Bill Wise, Trey Edward Shults, Chris Doubek, Olivia Grace Applegate, Alex Dobrenko, Chase Joliet. USA
MEN GO TO BATTLE – In this indie American period piece, two farming brothers in 1861 are torn apart by the encroaching Civil War. DIR Zachary Treitz. SCR Kate Lyn Sheil, Zachary Treitz. CAST David Maloney, Timothy Morton, Kate Lyn Sheil, Rachel Korine. USA
SONGS MY BROTHERS TAUGHT ME – A brother and sister living on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation cope with the loss of their father in very different ways. DIR Chloé Zhao. SCR Chloé Zhao. CAST John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Eleonore Hendricks, Taysha Fuller, Cat Clifford. USA
STINKING HEAVEN – When a new member arrives at a home for sober living, a self-destructive spiral begins. DIR Nathan Silver. SCR Nathan Silver, Jack Dunphy. CAST Deragh Campbell, Keith Poulson, Hannah Gross, Eléonore Hendricks, Tallie Medel, Henri Douvry, Jason Giampietro, Jason Grisell, Eileen Kearney, Larry Novak. USA