THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, based on the real-life research of Dr. Zimbardo, on the psychology of imprisonment, will open in theaters via IFC Films on July 17th.
It is the summer of 1971. Dr. Philip Zimbardo launches a study on the psychology of imprisonment. Twenty-four male undergraduates are randomly assigned to be either a guard or a prisoner. Set in a simulated jail, the project unfolds. The participants rapidly embody their roles—the guards become power-hungry and sadistic, while the prisoners, subject to degradation, strategize as underdogs. It soon becomes clear that, as Zimbardo and team monitor the escalation of action through surveillance cameras, they are not fully aware of how they, too, have become part of the experiment.
Based on the real-life research of Dr. Zimbardo (who was a consultant on the film), THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT is a dramatic period piece that remains relevant over 40 years later. Along with an impressive cast, including Billy Crudup as Zimbardo, Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G., 2013 Sundance Film Festival) delivers an intense, visceral film about the role of power that plays to both chilling and exhilarating effect.
Features an excellent roster of young talent, including Ezra Miller, Tye Sheridan, Olivia Thirlby, Michael Anganaro, Logan Miller, Thomas Mann, Keir Gilchrist, Johnny Simmons, Moises Arias, Jack Kilmer, Chris Sheffield, Ki Hong Lee, and James Frechville, to name a few.-
THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT Sets July 17th Release Date
THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, based on the real-life research of Dr. Zimbardo, on the psychology of imprisonment, will open in theaters via IFC Films on July 17th.
It is the summer of 1971. Dr. Philip Zimbardo launches a study on the psychology of imprisonment. Twenty-four male undergraduates are randomly assigned to be either a guard or a prisoner. Set in a simulated jail, the project unfolds. The participants rapidly embody their roles—the guards become power-hungry and sadistic, while the prisoners, subject to degradation, strategize as underdogs. It soon becomes clear that, as Zimbardo and team monitor the escalation of action through surveillance cameras, they are not fully aware of how they, too, have become part of the experiment.
Based on the real-life research of Dr. Zimbardo (who was a consultant on the film), THE STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT is a dramatic period piece that remains relevant over 40 years later. Along with an impressive cast, including Billy Crudup as Zimbardo, Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G., 2013 Sundance Film Festival) delivers an intense, visceral film about the role of power that plays to both chilling and exhilarating effect.
Features an excellent roster of young talent, including Ezra Miller, Tye Sheridan, Olivia Thirlby, Michael Anganaro, Logan Miller, Thomas Mann, Keir Gilchrist, Johnny Simmons, Moises Arias, Jack Kilmer, Chris Sheffield, Ki Hong Lee, and James Frechville, to name a few.
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Comedian Tig Notaro Documentary Kicks Off Film Lineup for 2015 Hot Docs
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Comedian Tig Notaro Documentary TIG[/caption]
210 documentaries from 44 countries will be featured at the upcoming 22nd edition of Hot Docs, taking place April 23 to May 3, 2015. The Festival will opens with the international premiere of directors Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York’s TIG (USA, 2014, 95 min), described as a testament to comedian Tig Notaro’s defiant spirit and incredible humor in the face of adversity.
This year’s Scotiabank Big Ideas Series will welcome such notable subjects as: Grammy-nominated comedian Tig Notaro (TIG); charismatic former Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Danny Williams, subject of (DANNY); director Alex Winter, WIRED senior writer Andy Greenberg and the parents of subject Ross Ulbricht (DEEP WEB); Ex-Fugee Pras Michel (SWEET MICKY FOR PRESIDENT); and Olympic Gold Medal–winning hockey player Charline Labonté, former Major League Baseball player Billy Bean and American college football player Conner Mertens (OUT TO WIN).
Hot Docs announce DocX, a new program that celebrates innovative documentary storytelling through new technologies and original experiences, will feature a one-night-only participatory live performance of Katerina Cizek’s HIGHRISE: UNIVERSE WITHIN, LIVE. Festival audiences will also have the opportunity to experience the DocX Virtual Reality Showcase, a free exhibit at the Isabel Bader Theatre, available to view from Friday, April 24 to Friday, May 1, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In addition to the opening night international premiere of Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York’s TIG, a testament to comedian Tig Notaro’s defiant spirit and incredible humour in the face of adversity, other notable films in the Special Presentations program include: Andreas Koefoed’s THE ARMS DROP, which follows a British arms dealer’s hunt for the MI5 agent who betrayed him; Violeta Ayala’s THE BOLIVIAN CASE, a sensational exposé about three teenage girls caught smuggling cocaine; Jessica Edwards’ MAVIS!, a powerful film rich with songs and stories from music legend and civil rights icon Mavis Staples; Nick Berardini’s TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE, an investigative look at the allegedly non-lethal TASER gun; Matthias Bittner’s WAR OF LIES, a riveting account about the effects of misinformation about weapons of mass destruction; and Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross’ WESTERN, a subtle portrait of the ever-growing divide between two towns straddling the US-Mexico border.
In the competitive Canadian Spectrum program, notable films include: Charles Wilkinson’s HAIDA GWAII: ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, a look at a sustainable and healing community at risk from a proposed oil tanker route; Shelly Saywell’s LOWDOWN TRACKS, which tells the stories of five transient musicians on Toronto’s streets; Su Rynard’s THE MESSENGER, which highlights ever-worsening environmental devastation through the alarming disappearance of songbirds; Rama Rau’s NO PLACE TO HIDE: THE REHTAEH PARSONS STORY, an alarming account of the effects of cyber-bullying; and André-Line Beauparlant’s PINOCCHIO, a deeply personal portrait of the struggle to trust someone who feels no obligation to the truth.
In the competitive International Spectrum program, notable films include: Malin Andersson’s BLOOD SISTERS, the story of twin sisters bound by trauma; Karen Guthrie’s THE CLOSER WE GET, a sharply focused snapshot of strained family dynamics; Ramyata Limbu, Amy Benson and Scott Squire’s DRAWING THE TIGER, a powerful portrait of a studious daughter carrying her family’s hopes for a brighter future; and Ross Sutherland’s STAND BY FOR TAPE BACK-UP, a poetic and humourous meditation on memory and loss.
In the World Showcase program, notable films include: Yael Melamede’s (DIS)HONESTY—THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES, a fascinating and insightful study on honesty; Monika Pawluczuk’s END OF THE WORLD, a revealing look at personal struggles as the Mayan doomsday prophecy looms in the night; Maya Newell’s GAYBY BABY, a moving and honest film about the lives of children of same-sex parents; Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber’s PEACE OFFICER, a timely investigation of the controversies behind recent police shootings and the militarization of American law enforcement; and Gillian Laub’s SOUTHERN RITES, a complex look at race relations and the true pace of progress in America.
The Made In India program includes: Spandan Banerjee’s ENGLISH INDIA, a look at a country coming to terms with its own identity as it shakes off the weight of its colonial past; Parvez Sharma’s A SINNER IN MECCA, a fascinating personal essay on a gay Muslim’s inner-most struggles, and Anuj Adlakha and Farha Alam’s THE SUPERSTARS OF KOTI, a coming-of-age tale about three boys united as “chosen ones.”
The Next program includes: Luke Meyer’s BREAKING A MONSTER, a behind-the-scenes look at the tension between being a kid amidst the overwhelming demands of the music industry machine; and David Shapiro’s MISSING PEOPLE, an engrossing examination of the effects of violence on the psyche.
The Nightvision program includes: Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel’s FINDERS KEEPERS, a stranger-than-fiction tale of a human foot inadvertently bought at an auction; and Rodney Ascher’s THE NIGHTMARE, a real-life horror film about the mysterious phenomenon of sleep paralysis.
The Show Me the Funny program includes: Howie Mandel, Reed Grinsell and Steve Sunshine’s COMMITTED, an inspiring look at the hard road to success; and Bao Nguyen’s LIVE FROM NEW YORK!, the story of SNL’s enduring brand of television magic as told by the show’s countless alumni.
The Screen on Screen program includes: Florian Heinzen-Ziob and Georg Heinzen’s ORIGINAL COPY, a delightful ode to Mumbai’s last one-of-a-kind film poster painter; Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen’s RAIDERS!, the story of two friends painstakingly remaking Raiders of the Lost Ark; and Alex Sichel and Elizabeth Giamatti’s A WOMAN LIKE ME, a funny and moving documentary-drama hybrid about the filmmaker’s tumultuous journey with terminal cancer.
The Redux program will highlight six films that deserve another outing on the big screen.
Additionally, Hot Docs will present two retrospective programs: Focus On Carole Laganière, a mid-career retrospective of the filmmaker’s work; and the Outstanding Achievement Award Retrospective, honouring the influential work of Chilean documentary filmmaker Patricio Guzmán.
Also a premier documentary conference and market, Hot Docs will be welcoming over 2,000 industry delegates who will partake in a wide array of industry events and services, including conferences sessions, receptions and parties, Hot Docs Deal Maker, The Doc Shop and the Hot Docs Forum, April 29 and 30.
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24 DAYS, Based on True events of Kidnapping of a Jewish Man in Paris, Sets US Release Date
24 DAYS, winner of the Lia Award at the 2014 Jerusalem Film Festival and winner of the Audience Award at the 2014 Boston Jewish Film Festival, will open at the Quad Cinema in New York and at the Laemmle Music Hall in Los Angeles, as well as other cities on April 24th. The film will also be available through iTunes on the same day.
Directed and produced by Alexandre Arcady, and based on a memoir written by the victim’s mother, the film chronicles the agonizing 24 days during which Ilan Halimi, a young Jewish cell-phone salesman, was held captive in Paris by a group of African and North African immigrants later known as the “Gang of Barbarians,” while his desperate family was subjected to blackmail. The events of Ilan Halimi’s kidnapping and murder sent shock waves through France and brought into focus the dangerous wave of anti-Semitism that is sweeping through France, a country that is home to Europe’s largest Jewish community.
Friday January 20, 2006, 23-year old Ilan Halimi, targeted solely because he was Jewish, was kidnapped and taken to an apartment in the Bagneux neighborhood of Paris. There, he was held captive and tortured for three weeks before being dumped in a woodlot by his captors. Found motionless and naked by the railroad tracks at Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, he wouldn’t survive his ordeal.
In this film, Ruth Halimi, Ilan’s mother, revisits those 24 nightmarish days. 24 days in which she and her ex-husband Didier received nearly 700 calls, ransom demands that never ceased to change, insults, threats, photos of their tortured son… 24 days of anguish for a family waiting in silence and fear, hoping the Police could save their son.
But Police Headquarters didn’t know who was responsible for his kidnapping. No one recognized in time the anti-Semitic hatred of his abductors, or that Ilan would lose his life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg4xo2pYRdI&feature=youtu.be
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TIME OUT OF MIND to Open and I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS to Close Sarasota Film Festival
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Director Brett Haley’s I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, starring Blythe Danner, Martin Starr and Sam Elliott[/caption]
Director Oren Moverman’s TIME OUT OF MIND, starring Richard Gere, Jena Malone, and Ben Vereen, will open the 17th Sarasota Film Festival on Friday, April 10th at 6:30PM at the Sarasota Opera House. Moverman will attend the festival and receive the Hearts and Minds of Independent Film Award.
Director Brett Haley’s I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, starring Blythe Danner, Martin Starr and Sam Elliott, will screen as the Closing Night film on Saturday, April 18th at 7:00PM at the Sarasota Opera House. Haley will be in attendance along with Danner, who will receive the festival’s Impact Award.
“We’re excited to have these two films to open and close our 17th installment,” said Mark Famiglio, President of the Sarasota Film Festival. “Opening with a very dramatic performance by Richard Gere and closing with the elegant and clever Blythe Danner, the festival will have both touching and inspiring moments for all.”
“I’m thrilled to be able to showcase these two significant films for my first year at the festival,” said Michael Dunaway, Director of Programming. “They place the Sarasota Film Festival in a competitive spotlight and tastefully frame our diverse lineup.”
TIME OUT OF MIND, produced by Richard Gere, Lawrence Inglee, Caroline Kaplan, Edward Watson, Miranda Bailey andBill Pohlad, and directed by Oren Moverman, follows a seemingly normal homeless man (Gere) on the streets of New York as he struggles to find stability and restore his relationship with his estranged daughter (Malone). IFC Films will be releasingTIME OUT OF MIND in September.
Closing night film I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, directed by Brett Haley, stars Ms. Danner as a widow who’s settled into her life and her age, until a series of events propel her into a renewed engagement with the people and the world around her. The film also stars Martin Starr, Sam Elliott, Malin Akerman, June Squibb, Rhea Perlman, and Mary Kay Place. The film was written by Brett Haley and Marc Basch and produced by Rebecca Green, Laura D. Smith and Brett Haley. Bleecker Street will be releasing I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS in May.
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Tsai Ming-liang’s Cult Classic REBELS OF THE NEON GOD to finally Get US Release
Tsai Ming-liang’s cult classic REBELS OF THE NEON GOD finally gets US Theatrical release; the film will open at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Quad Cinema in New York on April 10 and at the Nuart in Los Angeles on June 12. A national release will follow.
Coinciding with the release of REBELS OF THE NEON GOD is a major eighteen-film retrospective of Tsai Ming-liang, featuring many rare 35mm prints, that will take place at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, NY from April 10–26, 2015.
Tsai Ming-liang emerged on the world cinema scene in 1992 with his groundbreaking first feature, REBELS OF THE NEON GOD. His debut already includes a handful of elements familiar to fans of subsequent work: a deceptively spare style often branded “minimalist”; actor Lee Kang-sheng as the silent and sullen Hsiao-kang; copious amounts of water, whether pouring from the sky or bubbling up from a clogged drain; and enough urban anomie to ensure that even the subtle humor in evidence is tinged with pathos.
The loosely structured plot involves Hsiao-kang, a despondent cram school student, who becomes obsessed with young petty thief Ah-tze, after Ah-tze smashes the rearview mirror of a taxi driven by Hsiao-kang’s father. Hsiao-kang stalks Ah-tze and his buddy Ah-ping as they hang out in the film’s iconic arcade (featuring a telling poster of James Dean on the wall) and other locales around Taipei, and ultimately takes his revenge.
REBELS OF THE NEON GOD is a remarkably impressive first film that hints at the promise of its director: a talent confirmed by Tsai’s equally stunning second feature, VIVE L’AMOUR (Golden Lion, Venice), and continuing to his most recent film, STRAY DOGS, which ranked high on many “best of” lists last year. Though showing such diverse influences as the French New Wave, Wong Kar-wai’s early films—and, yes, REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE—Tsai’s film is most remarkable for introducing his startlingly unique vision to world cinema.
https://vimeo.com/121043079
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Montclair Film Festival Announces 2015 Conversation Series
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Richard Gere, starring in Oren Moverman’s Time Out Of Mind[/caption]
The Montclair Film Festival (MFF) announced the 2015 Conversation Series, presented by Audible, Inc., the world’s largest seller and producer of downloadable audiobooks and other spoken-word content. The Conversation Series takes audiences inside the creative process, featuring immersive discussions with leading voices in film and other creative storytelling mediums. 2015 marks the second year of collaboration between Audible and the MFF, with the organizations partnering to host the Audible Listening Lounge, the festival’s home for conversations, special events, and unique community programs.
On Saturday, May 2nd, Richard Gere, producer and star of Oren Moverman’s Time Out Of Mind, joins Stephen Colbert at the historic Wellmont Theater for a discussion about this very special film and the passion that informs his work.
May 9th, Academy Award® winning director Jonathan Demme joins AMC Networks Executive Vice President of Original Programming Joel Stillerman for an intimate discussion of Demme’s wide-ranging filmmaking career.
The Conversation Series also features discussions with two-time Academy Award® winning director Barbara Kopple (Hot Type: 150 Years of The Nation), Emmy-winning MacArthur Fellow Stanley Nelson (The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of the Revolution), producer/ director Abigail Disney (The Armor Of Light), documentary producer John Battsek (Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead, Listen To Me Marlon), actor Patrick Wilson, journalist and producer Jonathan Alter, and many more.
The series will also focus on creative storytelling, including a live recording of Michael Ian Black’s interview with Bobcat Goldthwait (Call Me Lucky) for his Audible original audio series How To Be Amazing; a live recording of David Crabb’s Stories in Session, Audible’s new storytelling series; and Meant To Be Spoken, a panel that explores the process behind creating original content for audio featuring author John Scalzi (Old Man’s War), actress and audio narrator Barbara Rosenblat (Orange is the New Black), and Audible producer Kat Lambrix.
Tickets for all Montclair Film Festival films go on sale on Wednesday, April 8th for Members and Sponsors, with public sales beginning Monday April 13th. The full 2015 MFF program will be announced on Thursday, April 2nd. Tickets for all events are available by visiting www.montclairfilmfest.org. The 2015 Montclair Film Festival takes place May 1-10, in Montclair, NJ.
The 2015 Montclair Film Festival Conversation Series
Presented by Audible
Hunger & Homelessness in Montclair
A Community Conversation
Saturday, May 2nd
10:00 AM
The Audible Listening Lounge
Moderated by: Steve Adubato, Emmy Award winning broadcaster (WNET/ NJTV) and Author
It’s not as hard as you would think to end up without a roof over your head. In fact, many people are one step away from financial misfortune that could leave them homeless. Partners for Health Foundation presents this conversation to talk about our neighbors in need and how we can collaboratively address hunger and homelessness. Using MFF’s screening of TIME OUT OF MIND starring Richard Gere as a platform for dialogue, this discussion explores local issues and potential solutions.
Black Voices In Film
Saturday, May 2nd
12:00 PM
The Audible Listening Lounge
Moderated by: Professor Sultan Sharrief (Writer/ Director, BILAL’S STAND)
Conventional wisdom has held films featuring black actors or focusing on black themes aren’t commercially viable. Recent successes in black themed film, from both Hollywood and Independent productions, have proven such thinking wrong, but have also revealed some issues. This conversation looks at the current state of black film to highlight what has worked, and to discuss the implications of how black issues have been defined and depicted in film.
With:
Pete Chatmon (Writer/ Director, BLACK CARD)
Curtis John (Programmer, New Voices In Black Film)
Lacey Schwartz (Director, LITTLE WHITE LIE)
In Conversation With Richard Gere
Saturday, May 2nd
2:00 PM
The Wellmont
Moderated by: Stephen Colbert
Actor, activist, and humanitarian, Richard Gere has established himself as one of America’s leading screen artists. From his breakout performance in AMERICAN GIGOLO to his defining roles in AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN and PRETTY WOMAN, to his award winning performance in CHICAGO, Richard Gere has created iconic characters that have shaped the cinema. In his latest film TIME OUT OF MIND, Gere gives a deeply human performance as George, a homeless man struggling with life on the streets and a system that offers no comfort. In this conversation, Richard Gere joins Stephen Colbert for a career-spanning discussion of his passions and work, both on and off the screen.
In Conversation With Stanley Nelson
Saturday, May 2nd
2:00 PM
The Audible Listening Lounge
Stanley Nelson (THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION) is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, MacArthur “genius” Fellow, and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama in August 2014. Nelson is the director of twelve documentary features, including FREEDOM SUMMER (2014), FREEDOM RIDERS (2009), JONESTOWN: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE (2006), and THE MURDER OF EMMETT TILL (2003). Join Stanley Nelson in this conversation examining his films and his extraordinary career as one of our leading documentarians.
In Conversation With
Patrick Wilson & Friends
Sunday, May 3rd
1:00 PM
The Montclair Art Museum
Patrick Wilson is one of our most versatile actors, with roles ranging from the cinema to Broadway to television. In 2014, Patrick hosted one of the MFF’s most beloved panels, interviewing his friend and colleague Christian Borle. This year, Patrick returns to the festival with another surprise guest in what promises to be an in-depth look at the craft of performance. Join us for what promises to be an unscripted, provocative conversation!
In Conversation With
Barbara Kopple
Sunday, May 3rd
3:00 PM
The Montclair Art Museum
Barbara Kopple is one of the leading lights in non-fiction filmmaking. Having learned the craft of filmmaking under the tutelage of Albert and David Maysles, Kopple went on to make her feature film debut with HARLAN COUNTY, U.S.A. (1976), for which she won her first Oscar®. Her second film AMERICAN DREAM (1980) won her a second Academy Award®, with Kopple going on to create unforgettable films like WILD MAN BLUES (1997), SHUT UP & SING (2006), RUNNING FROM CRAZY (2013), and HOT TYPE: 150 YEARS OF THE NATION, playing this year’s MFF.
In Conversation With
Jonathan Alter
Sunday, May 3rd
7:30 PM
The Audible Listening Lounge
Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, reporter, columnist and television analyst. He is the author of three New York Times bestsellers, and spent 28 years at Newsweek, where he was a longtime senior editor and columnist and wrote more than 50 cover stories. He has also written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Atlantic, the New Yorker, Vanity Fair, the New Republic, and other publications. Since 1996, Alter has been an analyst and contributing correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC. Alter also produced the scripted series ALPHA HOUSE for Amazon.com, and will discuss his wide-ranging career in this conversation.
Audible Presents
How To Be Amazing with Michael Ian Black
Special Guest: Bobcat Goldthwait
Sunday, May 3rd
7:30 PM
The Montclair Art Museum
In this live taping of the latest episode of Audible’s original audio series HOW TO BE AMAZING, host Michael Ian Black talks with comedian, actor, and filmmaker Bobcat Goldthwait, whose new documentary about stand-up comic Barry Crimmins, CALL ME LUCKY, is screening at the Montclair Film Festival this year. Among the fascinating personalities Black has interviewed in previous episodes of the show are Amy Schumer, Kevin Smith, Elizabeth Gilbert, Bob Odenkirk, and Tavi Gevinson.
In Conversation With John Battsek
Monday, May 4th
7:30 PM
The Audible Listening Lounge
Since conceiving and producing Academy Award®-winning ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER in 1999, John Battsek has been involved in the creation of over thirty documentaries, including SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN (Academy Award® 2013), THE IMPOSTER (BAFTA winner 2013); RESTREPO (2011) SERGIO (2010); MANHUNT (2013), HILLSBOROUGH (2014) and THE TILLMAN STORY (2011). Battsek has been nominated three times for a PGA Award and was the recipient of 2013 prestigious Grierson Trustees Award for Outstanding Contribution to Documentary. His latest films, Stevan Riley’s LISTEN TO ME MARLON and Douglas Tirola’s riotous DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD play this year’s MFF. Join us for a look at the work of this pioneering producer and the films that have defined his incredible career.
In Conversation With
Montclair Filmmakers
7:30 PM
The Audible Listening Lounge
Meet 2015’s crop of homegrown talent! The Made in Montclair panel features several filmmakers from this year’s line-up who are from our community. Join us as we meet local artists and learn about their films, process, and how living and working in Montclair has shaped their perspectives on filmmaking.
With:
Director, Daryl Ferrara (CEREMONY FOR OUR TIME)
Director, Charles Poekel (CHRISTMAS AGAIN)
Director, John Block (THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY)
Director/Cameraman, Steve McCarthy (WARMING OCEANS)
Audible Presents
Meant To Be Spoken
Wednesday, May 6th
7:30 PM
The Audible Listening Lounge
As audio continues to come into its own as a challenging and exciting storytelling medium, artists and creators of all stripes are flocking to the form. Audible invites you to an informal chat about this emerging art form with author John Scalzi (Old Man’s War), actress and audio narrator, Barbara Rosenblat (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK), and Audible producer, Kat Lambrix. They’ll discuss writing works that are meant to be performed, creating character with voice, and other considerations of this innovative storytelling medium.
In Conversation With
Abigail Disney
Saturday, May 9th
12:00 PM
The Audible Listening Lounge
Abigail E. Disney is a filmmaker, philanthropist and the CEO and president of Fork Films. Disney’s longtime passion for women’s issues and peace building culminated in producing her first film, PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL, which screened in Montclair in 2011. She then executive produced the five-part PBS series, WOMEN, WAR & PEACE. Since then, she has produced numerous acclaimed social-issue films, including 1971 (2014), CITIZEN KOCH (2013), FAMILY AFFAIR (2010), HOT GIRLS WANTED (2015), INVISIBLE WAR (2012 Academy Award® Nominee). Her directorial debut, THE ARMOR OF LIGHT, plays this year’s MFF.
In Conversation With
The National Lampoon
Saturday, May 9th
2:00 PM
The Audible Listening Lounge
National Lampoon was one of the definitive satirical voices of the 1970’s and 80’s, a groundbreaking publication that was one of the original multiplatform content creators. With the infamous magazine, the National Lampoon Radio Hour, and in the production of classic films like ANIMAL HOUSE (1978) and VACATION (1983), National Lampoon made an unforgettable mark on American comedy. This panel, held in conjunction with the MFF screenings of Doug Tirola’s DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD, will feature a group of original National Lampoonwriters in an irreverent conversation about the stories behind the late, beloved publication.
In Conversation With Jonathan Demme
Saturday, May 9th
2:00 PM
MKA Upper School
Jonathan Demme is an Academy Award® winning director, documentarian and producer. Best known for his masterpieces THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) and PHILADELPHIA (1993), Demme’s legendary career spans four decades, beginning with the exploitation hit CAGED HEAT (1974), through to his storied work on the beloved MELVIN AND HOWARD (1980), STOP MAKING SENSE (1984), SOMETHING WILD (1986), and SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA (1987). Jonathan Demme remains one of our most vital and important directors, and will join AMC’s Joel Stillerman for a conversation that will explore his creative process and career as one of this generation’s defining filmmakers.
Audible Presents
Stories in Session
Sunday, May 10th
2:00 PM
The Montclair Art Museum
The power of narrative comes to life in master storyteller and storytelling coach David Crabb’s new original series for Audible, Stories in Session. At this special live event that promises to push buttons and boundaries, two special guests armed only with a microphone will share true stories from their own lives, after which David will conduct a brief interview with each performer to get the story behind the story.
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25th Anniversary of Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas to Close 2015 Tribeca Film Festival
The 25th Anniversary of Martin Scorsese’s gangster film GoodFellas—remastered from a 4k scan of the original camera negative, supervised by Scorsese—will close the 14th Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Ray Liotta and Paul Sorvino, the film was praised by The New York Times as “breathless and brilliant” and “both the most politically serious and most evilly entertaining movie yet made about organized crime.”
In honor of the 25th Anniversary celebration, the film’s creators and cast members will reunite at TFF for a conversation following the film with Jon Stewart where they will discuss the acclaimed 1990 Academy Award-nominated classic based on the true-crime bestseller “Wiseguy” by Nicholas Pileggi. Closing night, co-sponsored by Infor and Roberto Coin, will take place at The Beacon Theatre.
“While TFF’s mission is centered around new stories and voices, we also seek to honor the creators and films that have shaped the cultural landscape,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder, Tribeca Film Festival. “GoodFellas is one of those pictures with an honest and stylized portrayal of the gangster lifestyle that has inspired a generation of filmmakers and television directors across genres. We are proud to celebrate its 25th anniversary at our closing night and introduce new audiences to one of Marty’s masterpieces.”
Martin Scorsese said, “I was so excited to learn that this picture, now 25 years old, would be closing this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Excited and moved. It was an adventure to get it on screen—we wanted to make a movie that was true to Nick Pileggi’s book and to the life of Henry Hill and his friends, which means that we broke some rules and took some risks. So it’s heartening to know that GoodFellas has come to mean so much to so many people. It’s wonderful to see one of your pictures revived and re-seen, but to see it closing Tribeca, a festival of new movies, means the world to me.”
“I was most proud of this film 25 years ago, and equally proud of it now. I’m very happy that it is our closing night film,” said Robert De Niro, co-founder, Tribeca Film Festival.
GoodFellas explores the criminal life like no other movie. Following the rise and fall of a trio of gangsters over 30 years, it’s an electrifying, fact-inspired tale of living and dying. The film earned six Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director and was named 1990s Best Film by the New York, Los Angeles and National Society of Film Critics. In 2000, GoodFellas was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the US Library of Congress.
On May 5, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) will release GoodFellas 25th Anniversary on Blu-rayTM and Digital HD which will include a new documentary. “Scorsese’s GoodFellas” featuring interviews with Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta and more.
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2015 Montclair Film Festival Announces Opening, Closing, Centerpiece Films
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Hello, My Name Is Doris, starring Sally Field and Max Greenfield[/caption]
The Montclair Film Festival (MFF) announced the Opening, Closing and Centerpiece selections for the 2015 festival, taking place May 1-10, 2015 in Montclair, NJ.
The 4th annual festival will open on May 1st at the historic Wellmont Theater with the East Coast Premiere of Michael Showalter’s award winning Hello, My Name Is Doris, starring Sally Field and Max Greenfield.
On May 8th, the festival will screen Jessica Edwards’ Mavis! as its Documentary Centerpiece film. Ms. Edwards will attend to present her portrait of the legendary gospel and R&B singer, Mavis Staples. Ms. Staples will attend the screening and participate in a post-screening Q&A with Stephen Colbert.
May 9th, the festival presents Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s award-winning Me And Earl And The Dying Girl as its Narrative Centerpiece film. The film was Executive Produced by Montclair’s own Nora Skinner.
On May 10th, the festival presents a special Mother’s Day screening of Kris Swanberg’s acclaimed feature Unexpectedas the festival’s Closing Night Film.
OPENING NIGHT FILM
HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS
Director: Michael Showalter
Producers: Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Riva Marker, Daniel Crown, Michael Showalter, Jordana Mollick, Kevin Mann
Cast: Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Stephen Root, Jack Antonoff, Natasha Lyonne, Tyne Daly
USA/ 95 Min
In Michael Showalter’s HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS, Sally Field makes a triumphant return with her leading performance as Doris Miller, an unassuming office worker living in her childhood home despite the recent death of her mother. But when Doris finds inspiration in the ideas of a self-help guru, the arrival of a handsome new co-worker named John (Max Greenfield) heralds a new obsession. Can Doris catch John’s eye, find happiness and move forward? Or are her dreams destined to remain just beyond her reach? HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS is the rarest of comedies, effortlessly moving between laughs and real feeling to paint a touching portrait of a dreamer. The Montclair Film Festival is proud to present Michael Showalter’s HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS as the 2015 Opening Night Film.
DOCUMENTARY CENTERPIECE
MAVIS!
Director: Jessica Edwards
Producers: Jessica Edwards, Rachel Mills
Featuring: Mavis Staples
USA/ 85 Min
Directed by Jessica Edwards, MAVIS! is the first feature-length documentary on gospel/soul music legend and civil rights icon Mavis Staples and her family group, the Staple Singers. From the delta-inflected gospel sound she helped pioneer in the 1950s, to the “message songs” of the civil rights era marching beside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to massive hits such as “I’ll Take You There” in the soul-filled Stax era, and her recent Grammy-winning work with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples is one of the most influential and enduring vocalists of our time and a true American icon. MAVIS! follows her unrivaled career through dynamic live performances, archival footage, captivating storytelling and interviews with friends and collaborators. She occupies a singular place in American music: a soldier of love and peace whose fight continues; her message of equality is needed now more than ever.
NARRATIVE CENTERPIECE
ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL
Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Executive Producer: Nora Skinner
Producers: Jeremy Dawson, Dan Fogelman, Steven M. Rales
Cast: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Molly Shannon, Connie Britton, Nick Offerman
USA/ 104 Min
Greg Gaines (Thomas Mann) is an awkward, self-deprecating high school student determined to coast through his senior year as anonymously as possible. He spends most of his time remaking bizarre, spirited versions of classic movies with his only friend Earl (RJ Cyler) – and avoiding social interactions like the plague. But Greg’s plans are foiled when his well-meaning mother forces him to befriend Rachel (Olivia Cooke), a classmate who’s been diagnosed with leukemia. Bristling with wit from a clever screenplay by Jesse Andrews, director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s second feature is a poignant coming-of-age film with a heart of cinematic gold.
A Fox Searchlight Release
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
UNEXPECTED
Director: Kris Swanberg
Producer: Andrea Roa
Starring: Cobie Smulders, Gail Bean, Anders Holm, Elizabeth McGovern
USA/ 85 Min
With the Chicago public high school where she teaches scheduled to close, Samantha (Cobie Smulders) decides it’s time to plan for the future. But when Sam discovers she is pregnant, everything changes, including her relationships with John (Anders Holm), who wants to build a family with Sam, and Jasmine (Gail Bean), one of her brightest students. Despite her personal and professional struggles, Sam remains determined to have a baby on her own terms while supporting Jasmine in her quest to attend college. Kris Swanberg’sUNEXPECTED is a luminous ode to modern maternity, a beautifully crafted story of friendship and motherhood that depicts the experience of pregnancy with a delicate, sophisticated grace.
A Film Arcade Release
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Steve Jobs Documentary to Open 2015 San Francisco International Film Festival
The Big Nights selections are revealed for the 58th San Francisco International Film Festival taking place April 23 – May 7, 2015. including the Opening Night, Centerpiece and Closing Night programs. The two-week festival kicks off with the Opening Night presentation of Alex Gibney’s fascinating documentary Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (USA 2015), about the tech icon. The End of the Tour (USA 2015), James Ponsoldt’s acclaimed portrait of David Foster Wallace starring Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg, is slated for the Festival’s high-profile Centerpiece spot. Finally, the Festival will come to a close with celebrated veteran director Michael Almereyda’s drama Experimenter (USA 2015), starring Peter Sarsgaard and Winona Ryder.
Opening Night: Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine
When Steve Jobs died in 2011, the world mourned. But why, asks Alex Gibney, were people who never knew him moved to tears by the death of a businessman who sold them products? Featuring frank interviews with close friends and former colleagues, the film adds detail, nuance and counterpoint to the burnished tale of Jobs’ journey from garage to corner office, offering a bracingly candid inquiry into his genius and his flaws as well as our own relationship to technology.
Centerpiece: The End of the Tour
A novelist of modest success wins an assignment from Rolling Stone to follow David Foster Wallace on the end of his Infinite Jest publicity tour. Over the course of five days, the two engage in heady discourse about art, the modern world and the pitfalls of self-conscious living while skirting the borders between friendship and professional distance. Based on writer Dave Lipsky’s memoir, James Ponsoldt’s melancholy chamber piece exhibits the director’s characteristic generosity toward human imperfection embodied in Jason Segel’s quietly affecting performance as Wallace.
Closing Night: Experimenter
This inventive and playful biography of scientist Stanley Milgram revisits his famous experiment, in which subjects were made to believe they were administering electric shocks to others in order to test why people will cede to authority, no matter how brutal the request. An examination of scientific ethics, the drama also explores the moral consequences of “just following orders.” Anchored by a riveting performance from Peter Sarsgaard as Milgram, iconoclastic genius Michael Almereyda (Hamlet) has delivered a timely and important film about the role of science in our society.
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Complete Film Lineup Announced for 2015 Sarasota Film Festival
The Sarasota Film Festival announced its full line-up, including its Narrative Feature Competition, Independent Visions Competition, Documentary Feature Competition, its Sundance/Gate Foundation Shorts, its Centerpiece and Spotlight films, and its Best of the Web Program for the 2015 Festival taking place April 10th Through April 19th, 2015.
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MARIE’S STORY, True Story of Marie Heurtin, Born Deaf and Blind, to Open in US
MARIE’S STORY, the award-winning historical biopic by Jean-Pierre Améris, will open in New York City on May 1 at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and in Los Angeles on May 29th at the Laemmle Royal, Playhouse 7 in Pasadena and Town Center 5 in Encino. A national release will follow.
MARIE’S STORY is based on true events of 14-year-old Marie Heurtin, born deaf and blind and thought to be unreachable, and her remarkable transformation as one dedicated nun (César Award-winner Isabelle Carré) commits to finding a way to communicate with her.
At the turn of the 19th century, the daughter of a humble artisan and his wife is born deaf and blind and unable to communicate with the world around her. Desperate to find a connection to young Marie and avoid sending her to an asylum, the Heurtins send her to the Larnay Institute in central France, where an order of Catholic nuns manage a school for deaf girls. There, the idealistic Sister Marguerite sees in Marie a unique potential, and despite her Mother Superior’s skepticism, vows to bring the wild young thing out of the darkness into which she was born. MARIE’S STORY recounts the courageous journey of a young nun and the lives she would change forever, confronting failures and discouragement with joyous faith and love.
Headlined by a commendable debut performance from newcomer Ariana Rivoire, herself born deaf, MARIE’S STORY highlights the best of the human spirit and its potential for greatness despite incredible barriers. Years before Helen Keller emerged as an icon for the deafblind community, Sister Marguerite, portrayed with grace and patience by Carré, found in Marie Heurtin a young woman with emotions and aspirations, and gave her a voice with which to express both.
Born in 1885 and brought to the Larnay Institute as a young girl, Marie Heurtin arrived disheveled and incommunicative. She knew how to bang her tin fork and plate together in order to ask for food, but not much else. Sister Marguerite, herself suffering health issues she kept hidden from her charges, worked tirelessly to make a connection for Marie between the object in her hands and the sign for it. Once she learned the word for “knife,” Marie quickly caught on to all concept of language and expression; with Sister Marguerite’s help, she even learned abstract constructs like old and young, life and death. Marie would live the rest of her days at the Institute, which is still in existence today, where she learned to sew and read Braille and eventually became a tutor and inspiration to other students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HG-bDNEumw
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New Trailer for 2015 Sundance Hit DOPE
Check out the new official teaser trailer for DOPE, the hit movie out of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, which opens in theaters on June 19, 2015. With a #dope soundtrack featuring four new original songs by Pharrell Williams,DOPE tells the story of Malcolm (Shameik Moore) who is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself.
Produced by Forest Whitaker, Executive Produced by Pharrell Williams and Co-Executive Produced by Sean Combs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKGF8nNM2iI
CAST: SHAMEIK MOORE, TONY REVOLORI, KIERSEY CLEMONS, BLAKE ANDERSON, ZOE KRAVITZ, A$AP ROCKY, CHANEL IMAN, QUINCY BROWN
RELEASE DATE: June 19, 2015
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Rick Famuyiwa
PRODUCERS: Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi,
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Pharrell Williams, Michael Y. Chow, Rick Famuyiwa and David Lonner
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Sean Combs
CO-PRODUCERS: Mimi Valdes and Caron Veazy