After her husband dies, an elderly woman embarks on a trip to fulfill her longtime dream of climbing a mountain in Edie, the uplifting feature film directed by Simon Hunter (Lighthouse, Mutant Chronicles), and starring British actress Sheila Hanc (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Carry On Cleo). The film will receive a theatrical release this fall followed by a home entertainment release via Music Box Films.
Under the theme “Beyond Borders: Storytelling Across Time,” this year the citywide 26th edition of the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF) launches at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s BAMcinématek in May, heads to Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) from May 30 through June 4, and closes at Maysles Cinema. The festival lineup includes 68 films of multiple genres from 31 countries across the diaspora, and is presented by FLC and African Film Festival, Inc.
A sensitive fisherman transforms into a prolific human smuggler to pay his debts in Kareem Mortimer’s award-winning drama Cargo, starring Warren Brown (”Strike Back”) and Jimmy Jean Louis (”Heroes”), inspired by true events.
The World Premiere of Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano’s new film The Specials, starring Vincent Cassel and Reda Kateb, in Official Selection 2019, will be the Last Screening of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival. The Specials was submitted at the last minute to the selection committee.
The Cuban horror film Is That You? (¿Eres tu, Papá) directed by Rudy Riverón Sánchez was awarded the top jury prize for Best Film at the 2019 Richmond International Film Festival. Prescience starring Eric Roberts, and the psychological thriller Nesting Dolls tied to win the Audience Award for Best Feature Film.
Plus One, written and directed by Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer, was honored with the Narrative Audience Award and Gay Chorus Deep South, directed by David Charles Rodrigues, was given the Documentary Audience Award at the 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T. The winner of each receive a cash prize of $10,000.
Being Frank (formerly known As You Can Choose Your Family) from director Miranda Bailey will open theatrically in New York and Los Angeles on June 14, 2019. The indie comedy starring Jim Gaffigan, Logan Miller, Danielle Campbell, Anna Gunn, Samantha Mathis and Alex Karpovsky is about a normal father’s family life turned upside down when his son discovers he has another family.
Fresh off the heels of winning a Tribeca X award for best episodic short series, HP Inc. struck a deal to distribute its film series The History of Memory through Cinedigm’s dedicated documentary channel Docurama by July.
Back to the Fatherland from filmmakers Kat Rohrer and Gil Levanon, follows the journey of three families in transition; Israeli grandchildren from the “Third Generation” and their respective grandparents. The film deals with both sides of the historic tragedy and the attempt to build their own future, without ignoring the past.
Dominga Sotomayor’s Too Late to Die Young (Tarde para morir joven) starring trans actor Demian Hernández – who has transitioned since production – in the role of Sofía, and inspired by the director’s own childhood, opens on Friday, May 31 at Film at Lincoln Center in New York, and on Friday, June 7 at the Laemmle Music Hall in Los Angeles, followed by other cities.
Cannes Film Festival announced the Un Certain Regard jury chaired by Lebanese director and actress Nadine Labaki; and the short films and Cinéfondation jury chaired by Claire Denis, French director and screenwriter.
CineYouth Festival announced award winners for the 2019 edition led by Best Overall Film winner No Such Sunrise by 22 year olds Dana Brandes-Simon, Laura Li, and Cella Wright from Oberlin, OH. The Audience Award was won by 22 year old Kylie Murphy of Shrewsberry, NJ for her short film Mad Lib Pixie Dream Girl which screened in the “She Persisted: Women in Cinema” program.