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Ashland Independent Film Festival Winners ‘American Gadfly’ ‘A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff’ ‘Small Time’ ‘Missing in Brooks County’ Win Top Awards

Ashland Independent Film Festival

A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff

The Ashland Independent Film Festival wrapped up its 20th anniversary virtual edition on Thursday, April 29th with an Awards Celebration. The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature went to “A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff” by Alicia J. Rose and the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature went to “American Gadfly” by Skye Wallin. The Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature went to “Small Time” by Niav Conty and the Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature went to “Missing in Brooks County” by Lisa Molomot, Jeff Bemiss.

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Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival Cancels 2021 Fest

Traverse City Film Festival

Traverse City Film Festival (image via Facebook)

Due to a still surging pandemic in the state of Michigan, the Board of Directors of the Traverse City Film Festival, has canceled the 2021 festival. In a letter, TCFF founder and president, Oscar-winner Michael Moore, he said, “The Board of Directors of the Traverse City Film Festival, after much discussion and after hearing from hundreds of you (our longtime supporters), has decided that the Film Festival, in the face of a still surging pandemic in the state of Michigan, cannot be held this summer.”

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RIP. Olympia Dukakis, Academy Award-Winning Actress Dies at 89

People

Olympia Dukakis rides up Market Street as one of the Celebrity Grand Marshals in the LGBT Pride Parade in San Francisco on June 26, 2011, from the film, Olympia directed by Harry Marvomichalis (credit: Harry Marvomichalis)

Olympia Dukakis, winner of the Academy Award and Golden Globe for her performance in Moonstruck (1987) and the subject of the documentary about her life, titled Olympia, died today in New York City. She was 89.

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2021 Tribeca Festival Announces Immersive Lineup of Cutting-edge VR, AR, MR Experiences

Tribeca Film Festival, Virtual | Mixed Reality (VR) (MR)

Breonna’s Garden

The 2021 Tribeca Festival announced the line-up for Tribeca Immersive, a leading incubator for innovation and a global stage where top creators choose to debut their latest work. With Tribeca At Home and in-person experiences at outdoor venues across New York City, Tribeca Immersive will showcase cinematic and cutting-edge virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality and participatory experiences by top artists who push the boundaries of storytelling with technology. The 2021 Tribeca Festival runs June 9-20.

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IN OUR MOTHERS’ GARDENS Trailer. Shantrelle P. Lewis’ Documentary Celebrates the Strength of Black Women and Black families

Documentary

Shantrelle P. Lewis “In Our Mothers’ Gardens” (Image by Rog Walker)

The award winning documentary In Our Mothers’ Gardens, the feature film debut of director, curator and author Shantrelle P. Lewis, is being released in select cities and on Netflix beginning Thursday, May 6. The documentary film had its world premiere at the 2020 BlackStar Film Festival, winning the Shine Award for Best Film.

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THE FEAST, Welsh-language Revenge Horror Eyes Thanksgiving 2021 Release

Foreign Language Films, Horror + Scifi

The Feast directed by Lee Haven Jones

IFC Midnight will release the Welsh-language supernatural revenge horror The Feast, directed by BAFTA-winning television director Lee Haven Jones in his feature debut. IFC Midnight will release the film Thanksgiving 2021.

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2021 Florida Film Festival Announces Winners. ‘The Last Out’ ‘Materna’ ‘Holy Frit’ ‘I’M FINE’ Win Top Prizes

Florida Film Festival

Materna directed by David Gutnik

The 2021 Florida Film Festival announced the Grand Jury and Audience Awards with the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature going to The Last Out directed by Michael Gassert and Sami Khan; and the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature went to Materna directed by David Gutnik.

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REVOLUTION RENT, Documentary on First Production of Musical ‘Rent’ in Cuba Debuts on HBO

Documentary

“Revolution Rent” directed by Andy Señor Jr. and Victor Patrick Alvarez

The documentary Revolution Rent, directed by Andy Señor Jr. and Victor Patrick Alvarez, follows Señor Jr. to Cuba, where he is tasked with directing a stage production of the Tony^® and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, “Rent,” the country’s first Broadway musical produced by an American company in more than 50 years. Returning to his exiled parents’ homeland, Señor Jr. embarks on a personal journey, exploring his Cuban heritage and his family’s complex relationship to the country they love. Revolution Rent debuts Tuesday, June 15 (9:00–10:30 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO in celebration of the 25^th anniversary of the iconic musical’s Broadway premiere.

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PORT AUTHORITY Trailer. Martin Scorsese Produced Trans Love Story Stars Leyna Bloom, Fionn Whitehead

Independent Film, LGBTQ

Port Authority starring Leyna Bloom, Fionn Whitehead and McCaul Lombardi

Momentum released the official trailer for the indie film Port Authority starring Leyna Bloom, Fionn Whitehead and McCaul Lombardi. The film is the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Danielle Lessovitz with Martin Scorsese as an executive producer.

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THE GIG IS UP Trailer. Shannon Walsh’s Documentary Explores the Gig Economy

Documentary

The Gig Is Up (Dogwoof)

Here is the first teaser trailer for the The Gig Is Up, Shannon Walsh’s documentary feature film on the gig economy.

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Palm Springs ShortFest Returns as an In-Theater Event in June 2021

Palm Springs International ShortFest

The Palm Springs ShortFest will become the first film festival in the state to hold all of its screenings in-theatre in 2021 returning to the Camelot Theatres (Palm Springs Cultural Center) from June 22-28, 2021.

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UNDINE Trailer. German Drama Film Starring Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski Opens in US Theaters in June

Foreign Language Films, Independent Film

Franz Rogowski as “Christoph” and Paula Beer as “Undine” in Christian Petzold’s UNDINE. Courtesy of IFC Films.

IFC Films released the trailer for the German drama film Undine written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Christian Petzold (Barbara, Phoenix, Transit), starring Paula Beer (Transit, Frantz) and Franz Rogowski (Transit). Undine which premiered in competition in the 2020 Berlin Film Festival opens in theaters and VOD on June 4, 2021.

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