Mountain directed by Jennifer Peedom, and narrated by Willem Dafoe is a unique documentary that explores our fascination with mountains, and accompanied by a classical score from the Australian Chamber Orchestra. The film will open theatrically on May 18th, 2018.
Only three centuries ago, setting out to climb a mountain would have been considered close to lunacy. Mountains were places of peril, not beauty, an upper world to be shunned, not sought out. Why do mountains now hold us spellbound, drawing us into their dominion, often at the cost of our lives?
From Tibet to Australia, Alaska to Norway armed with drones, Go-Pros and helicopters, director Jennifer Peedom has fashioned an astonishing symphony of mountaineers, ice climbers, free soloists, heliskiers, snowboarders, wingsuiters and parachuting mountain bikers. Willem Dafoe provides a narration sampled from British mountaineer Robert Macfarlane’s acclaimed memoir Mountains of the Mind , and a classical score from the Australian Chamber Orchestra accompanies this majestic cinematic experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxtWMOAHoiI-
MOUNTAIN Narrated by Willem Dafoe Opens May 18th | Trailer
Mountain directed by Jennifer Peedom, and narrated by Willem Dafoe is a unique documentary that explores our fascination with mountains, and accompanied by a classical score from the Australian Chamber Orchestra. The film will open theatrically on May 18th, 2018.
Only three centuries ago, setting out to climb a mountain would have been considered close to lunacy. Mountains were places of peril, not beauty, an upper world to be shunned, not sought out. Why do mountains now hold us spellbound, drawing us into their dominion, often at the cost of our lives?
From Tibet to Australia, Alaska to Norway armed with drones, Go-Pros and helicopters, director Jennifer Peedom has fashioned an astonishing symphony of mountaineers, ice climbers, free soloists, heliskiers, snowboarders, wingsuiters and parachuting mountain bikers. Willem Dafoe provides a narration sampled from British mountaineer Robert Macfarlane’s acclaimed memoir Mountains of the Mind , and a classical score from the Australian Chamber Orchestra accompanies this majestic cinematic experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxtWMOAHoiI
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Watch Trailer for Wim Wenders’ Documentary “Pope Francis – A Man of His Word”
Pope Francis – A Man of His Word (Focus Features / screenshot) Focus Features has released the official trailer for Wim Wenders’ Pope Francis – A Man of His Word, the new documentary feature with Pope Francis.
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Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee’s Short Doc EARTHRISE Featuring Apollo 8 Astronauts to World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival | Trailer
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The original “Earthrise” image, 1968. Photo credit: Bill Anders/NASA.[/caption]
In Earthrise, the short documentary film from Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, the Apollo 8 astronauts recount their memories of capturing the first image of Earth from space in 1968. The film will world premiere at the upcoming 2018 Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday, April 21, 2018.
Earthrise tells the story of the first image captured of the Earth from space in 1968. Told solely by the Apollo 8 astronauts, – Bill Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell – the film recounts their experiences and memories and explores the beauty, awe, and grandeur of the Earth against the blackness of space. This iconic image had a powerful impact on the astronauts and the world, offering a perspective that transcended national, political, and religious boundaries. Told 50 years later, Earthrise compels us to remember this shift and to reflect on the Earth as a shared home. (Runtime: 29 Minutes)
The Filmmaker
Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee is an award-winning filmmaker, musician and composer. His work has been featured on National Geographic, PBS, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Outside Magazine, exhibited at The Smithsonian and screened at festivals worldwide including Tribeca Film Festival, New York Film Festival, SXSW and many others. He has directed numerous acclaimed films including Sanctuaries of Silence, Marie’s Dictionary, Isle de Jean Charles, Yukon Kings, Elemental, Barrio de Paz and What Would it Look Like. Prior to his work in film, Emmanuel performed with some of the biggest names in Jazz, as well as releasing two critically acclaimed records Previous Misconceptions and Borrowed Time.Trailer
2018 Tribeca Film Festival Screening Info
Public Screenings of Earthrise at Tribeca Film Festival 2018 Screening in the Shorts Program: Home Sweet Home Saturday, April 21, 2018 – 6:30 PM Regal Cinemas Battery Park Tuesday, April 24, 2018 – 5:30 PM Regal Cinemas Battery Park Wednesday, April 25, 2018 – 5:00 PM Regal Cinemas Battery Park Saturday, April 28, 2018 – 3:45 PM Cinépolis Chelsea
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See 2 New Posters for LOVE AFTER LOVE Featuring Chris O’Dowd and Andie MacDowell | Trailer
Love After Love, a film by Russell Harbaugh, and starring Chris O’Dowd, Andie MacDowell, James Adomian, Juliet Rylance, Dree Hemingway, has released two new posters – one featuring Chris O’Dowd, and another one featuring Andie MacDowell. IFC Films will release Love After Love at the IFC Center in New York on March 30th
What happens when you lose the foundation of your family? In the wake of a husband and father’s death, the family members he leaves behind find themselves adrift—and in danger of drifting apart—as they each try to find meaning in a world without the man who held them together. Mother Suzanne (Andie MacDowell) tentatively seeks companionship—but her attempts at dating only drive a wedge between her and older son Nicholas (Chris O’Dowd), whose own relationship with his girlfriend is disintegrating. Meanwhile, younger son Chris (James Adomian) deals with grief in his own complicated—and increasingly worrying—way. What plays out between the trio is a beautifully observed, powerfully emotional journey that speaks to the strength of family ties.
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6 Indie Filmmakers to Compete in Seattle International Film Festival’s 2018 Fly Filmmaking Challenge
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2018 SIFF Fly Filmmakers are (top row: l – r) Jeff Barehand (Olympia), Graham Bourque (Ellensburg), Myisa Plancq-Graham (Seattle), (bottom row: l – r) Elliat Graney-Saucke (Seattle), Kendra Ann Sherrill (Spokane), Masahiro Sugano (Tacoma)[/caption]
The Fly Filmmaking Challenge organized in partnership with Washington Filmworks, returns to the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) after a three year hiatus. For the first time ever, the Fly Filmmaking Challenge hit the road and invited filmmakers from cities across the state to participate.
“As a statewide entity that works closely with creative industries, Washington Filmworks knows first hand how creativity and creative professionals transform communities both culturally and economically,” said Amy Lillard, Executive Director of Washington Filmworks. “The six filmmakers selected for this year’s Challenge have chosen to showcase a diverse group of people and places from their community which make a delightful, inspired, and unforgettable program for SIFF audiences.”
Each filmmaker chose a creative professional living in their community as the subject of their documentary film. From a fashion professional to a creative technologist, from a woodworker to a literary artist, SIFF audiences will experience an intimate look inside each artisan’s creative process and understand how their work benefits the quality of life in the city which they live and work.
Given only 10 weeks to plan, produce, and complete a short 5-7 minute documentary short within the creative challenges, filmmakers must think on their feet to present the most compelling film. “Documentary projects often afford months to years of production but this year’s team said they are up to the challenge.” said Dustin Kaspar, SIFF’s Education Programs Manager. “The abbreviated production timeline engages their creative instincts and provides a showcase of their visionary talent through another artist’s process.
The final program features six short films by filmmakers from across the state, intended to shine a light on Washington’s far-reaching and inspired creative industries. The 2018 Fly Filmmakers are Jeff Barehand (Olympia), Graham Bourque (Ellensburg), Myisa Plancq-Graham (Seattle), Elliat Graney-Saucke (Seattle), Kendra Ann Sherrill (Spokane), Masahiro Sugano (Tacoma).
The Fly Filmmaking Challenge is scheduled to premiere on Monday, May 28 and will screen again on Wednesday, June 6.
The Filmmakers
Jeff Barehand
Jeff is an enrolled citizen of the Gila River Indian Community of Arizona. He studied at the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory in Washington, D.C. and filmmaking at the American Indian Arts Institute’s intensive filmmaking workshop sponsored by ABC/Disney. He is a founding member of the non-profit, the Olympia Film Collective, a South Sound premiere filmmaking hub. He is co-owner of Sky Bear Media, a video production company specializing in producing media for Tribes, Native organizations, and Tribal youth programs. He is a Sundance Native Lab fellow and also the current Board Chair of Red Eagle Soaring, Seattle’s only Native youth theatre program.Graham Bourque
Graham is a filmmaker living in Ellensburg, Washington. He graduated from Central Washington University in 2017 with a degree in Film Production, and has produced a number of short films, documentaries, and commercials. During his senior year, he produced Todd’s Vlog which won 1st place in the narrative short film category at the BEA Festival of Media Arts 2017.Elliat Graney-Saucke
Elliat is a documentary filmmaker focused on equity and cultural knowledge exchange. Currently acting President of the Seattle Documentary Association, Elliat is completing her second feature documentary Boys on the Inside, about ‘boy’ culture in women’s prisons. She is also completing the documentary Art Heart: Children of Riot Grrrl with Celeste Chan, about coming of age in riot grrrl, queercore culture. After seven years in Berlin producing content in eight countries, she is back in Seattle as an organizer and teacher at Northwest Film Forum and Director of Elliat Creative, LLC.Myisa Plancq-Graham
San Francisco native, Myisa, began her photography career exploring the streets of Atlanta in 2011. Her growing appreciation for photography and videography culminated in the creation of Annie Graham Imagery. Creating content by, about and for Black people is her primary filmmaking incentive. Myisa serves as lead director, videographer, and editor for documentary short series UNCODE, highlighting people and stories of the African Diaspora.Kendra Ann Sherrill
Kendra Ann is an award-winning filmmaker from Spokane, WA. Many of her short films have screened at local film festivals such as the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, Seattle Shorts Film Festival, Local Sightings Film Festival, and Reel NW. She is a graduate of the Eastern Washington University’s Film Program, where she received the Best Director and Best Screenplay awards, and was a finalist for the the DGA Student Film Awards. Kendra also serves as the Assistant Director for the Spokane International Film Festival and works full time as an editor and producer for the Emmy award-winning television series Washington Grown.Masahiro Sugano
Masahiro, a Sundance Film Festival alumnus, is an award winning filmmaker whose accolades stretch from a Student Academy Award nomination in 1997 to his most recent 2016 Documentary Award given by the National Asian American Journalists Association. In 2013 he received the Center for Asian American Media’s Innovation Fund for his series “Verses in Exile,” currently hosted on PBS.org. Masahiro’s second feature, Cambodian Son is winner of several awards including the Best Documentary Award at CAAMFEST 2014 and the Audience Choice Award at Bali International Film Festival 2015. As co-founder of artist-ran media lab Studio Revolt, Masahiro creates short films on a variety of societal issues such as deportation. He’s also a pioneering force in the art of spoken word videos. Earning a B.A. in Philosophy from California State University, Northridge, Masahiro went on to earn an M.F.A. in Film from University of Illinois, Chicago. Masahiro currently resides in Tacoma, WA and serves as an Artist-in-Residence at the University of Washington, Bothell.
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Watch Broad City’s Abbi Jacobson and Dave Franco in Trailer for “6 Balloons”
Netflix released the trailer for “6 Balloons” starring Broad City’s Abbi Jacobson and Dave Franco, which just world premiered at the 2018 SXSW.
The film takes place over the course of one night, a woman drives across LA with her heroin addict brother in search of a detox center, with his two year old daughter in tow.
The cast includes Abbi Jacobson (Broad City, Disenchantment, The LEGO Ninjago Movie) and Dave Franco (The Disaster Artist, The Little Hours, 21 Jump Street), 6 BALLOONS also features Tim Matheson (Animal House, The West Wing) and Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle, The Big Bang Theory). 6 BALLOONS is the directorial debut of Marja-Lewis Ryan (The Four-Faced Liar), who also wrote the script; and produced by Samantha Housman (1922, Captain Fantastic), Ross M. Dinerstein (1922), Reid Carolin (Magic Mike, Logan Lucky), Channing Tatum (Magic Mike, 21 Jump Street, Logan Lucky) and Peter Kiernan (Mad Love, Wingmen).
6 Balloons launches on Netflix on April 6, 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uF4XjvS_Z0
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“PICKINGS” ” OFFICER PIGSEY” “DADDY ISSUES” Among Winners of 2018 MidWest WeirdFest Awards
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PICKINGS[/caption]
The 2nd annual MidWest WeirdFest wrapped this past Sunday, at the Micon Downtown Cinema in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and director Usher Morgan’s stunning western/neo-noir hybrid PICKINGS won the award for “Best Film”.
“MidWest WeirdFest was a blast, and winning the festival’s Independent Spirit Award is an immense deal to us”, says Kevin Losani, who, along with Michael J. Widger, directed the incredibly ambitious super hero/comedy feature film OFFICER PIGSEY. “To stand out in a lineup consisting of such impressive, creative, and alternative films is major props! We always believed and hoped people would look beyond our film’s budget restrictions and recognize all the other aspects that we think make it great. We feel this award honors that.”
An overview of the festival’s other winning films follows: Amara Cash won “Best Director” for her visionary erotic drama DADDY ISSUES. The mesmerizing and chilling BORLEY RECTORY from British animator Ashley Thorpe captured the fest’s award for “Best Documentary”. And “Best Screenplay” went to the darkly comedic time-travel tale FUTURE, written by Joshua P. Cousineau, Rob Cousineau, and Doug Kolbicz (directed by Rob Cousineau and Chris Rosik) .
“Best Short Film” was won by the bloody hilarious LUNCH LADIES (directed by J. M. Logan). The monstrous comedy CRYPTO FORCE ALPHA (directed by Megan Kluck) was awarded “Best Animated Short”. While the unique and ambitious thriller MENTAL STATE: REVELATION (directed by Chris Page) took the fest’s “Independent Spirit Award – Short Film”. The laugh out loud web series THE STREET WIZARD’S APPRENTICE (directed by Andrew Melzer, Matt Giordano, and Drew Krehel) snagged the fest’s “Best Web/TV Content” award. And “Best Music Video” went to director Jed Schlegelmilch’s video for HOT COFFIN – “WHISTLE, HAWK & SPIT”.
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Rebekah Nelson’s Award-Winning Short Film “The Shoulder” to Premiere at Queens World Film Festival | Trailer
The Shoulder, an award-winning short film, directed by Rebekah Nelson and produced by Michael Freeland, will have its premiere on Friday, March 16th 2018, at the Queens World Film Festival.
The Shoulder chronicles the harrowing and raw journey of Derrick (Jordan Gwiazdowski), who in a last-ditch effort to save his older brother Jeremy (Jerzy Gwiazdowski) from the grips of addiction, kidnaps him, and drives him cross-country to wean Jeremy off heroin.
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The Shoulder is a timely exploration of the complexities of addiction, and the devastation it wroughts on the individual and their family. The film effectively captures the chaos, demoralization and denial of addiction. The film asks the question, “Am I My Brothers Keeper.”
The Shoulder also features John Warren (Table Talk, Mister Warren’s Neighborhood) and Tony Andriotis.
Rebekah Nelson says, with The Shoulder, I wanted to explore the thin line between survival and devastation. What happens to those who bear witness to the victims of addiction? In the midst of the opioid crisis in the US, I had the opportunity to read the stage play “Hugging the Shoulder”. It gave me some insight into the destructive path of addiction and the impact it can have on those close to the victim. How far should one go to save someone who doesn’t want to be saved? The Shoulder serves as a window into a broader story, a glimpse into the journey of two brothers searching for deliverance.
The Shoulder is based on Jerrod Bogard’s stage play “Hugging the Shoulder”, which premiered at the 2006 New York Fringe Festival.
Screening Info
THE SHOULDER will premiere at The Museum of Moving Image during the following date /time: March 16TH at 7:45pm, Q&A with Director Rebekah Nelson, Producer Mike Free and cast.The Filmmakers
Rebekah Nelson is a filmmaker hailing from Queens, NY. She frequently collaborates with The Sparrow Film Project, writing & directing several short films for their festival. Such shorts include Eurydice and…, The Drop, Cytokine Cascade, A Christmas Carol: Stave V and Mister Warren’s Neighborhood. She produced the indie feature Living with the Dead (Lion Hearted Films), which is available to stream on Amazon. Nelson starred in the feature American Bomber, which was promoted by the NYC Mayor’s Office as part of the MADE IN NY campaign. She has been a member of The Queensborough Theatre Project and Taxdeductible Theatre Company. She received a B.A. in theatre arts from Marymount Manhattan College & majored in drama at the Professional Performing Arts School in NYC. Michael Freeland ‘s producer credits include American Bomber and Dead Light Glory, in which he also starred in, as well as the short In Between. He is the producer of The Sparrow Film Project: a festival of three-minute short films. Michael produced the stage play “Hugging the Shoulder”, inspiration for the short film The Shoulder, in the 2006 NY Fringe Festival. Michael attended school at The University of Southern Mississippi and graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, as well as receiving his B.S. from The New School University. He currently resides in Astoria, Queens and is constantly plotting out the next project.The Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsTMMU_LFDM
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Israeli Psychological Drama SHELTER Releases Trailer + Sets Release Dates
This Israeli psychological drama Shelter, a film directed by Eran Riklis (The Lemon Tree, The Syrian Bride), will open in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre, Monica Film Center and Town Center 5 on April 6. Other cities will follow.
A subtle thriller set in Germany involving Mona, a Lebanese woman (played by Iranian-born, Paris-based star Golshifteh Farahani), and Naomi, an Israeli Mossad agent (Neta Riskin) sent to protect their informant who is recovering from plastic surgery to conceal her identity. Together for two weeks in a quiet apartment in Hamburg, the two women take us into a complex, multi-dimensional labyrinth of trust and mistrust, of honesty and deception, of loyalty and betrayal.
The intimacy of the relationship that develops between Mona and Naomi is exposed to the threat of terror that is engulfing the world today. In this game of deception, beliefs are questioned and choices are made that are not their own. And yet their fate takes a surprising turn in this suspense-laden, elegant neo-noir.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHHQ89_ldqI&feature=youtu.be
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2018 San Francisco International Film Festival Announces Lineup, Opens with “A Kid Like Jake”
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Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, and Leo James Davis appear in A Kid Like Jake by Silas Howard[/caption]
The complete lineup was unveiled today for the 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival, running April 4 to 17. The festival will open with independent filmmaker Silas Howard’s drama A Kid Like Jake, starring Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, and Octavia Spencer; and Closing Night will be Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, Gus Van Sant’s biopic of cartoonist John Callahan, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, and Jack Black. Van Sant.
A Kid Like Jake, directed by Silas Howard and adapted from Daniel Pearle’s lauded Off-Broadway play, is the most exceptional and timely of social dramas, exploring issues at the heart of multiple national debates with great intensity and sly humor. Pregnant Alex (Claire Danes) and her psychiatrist husband Greg (Jim Parsons) are anxiously navigating the minefield of New York’s exclusive private schools. Their young son Jake’s intelligence and imagination have helped him win impressive test scores, but he is also expressing a preference for what Judy (Octavia Spencer), the proprietor of his preschool, delicately describes as “gender-variant play,” ranging from imaginative cross-dressing to a slavish devotion to all things “princess.” While at first encouraged to play up their son’s possible transgender leanings so he might be considered a “diverse” candidate for a progressive school, the parents begin a round of self-questioning once Jake begins acting out when confronted with bullies and teachers looking for more normative behavior. A Kid Like Jake will be released theatrically this summer by IFC Films.
In the caustic and wickedly funny, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, celebrated quadriplegic Portland cartoonist John Callahan had a knack for depicting taboo subjects—especially people with physical disabilities—without political correctness. With an engrossing and shape-shifting performance by Joaquin Phoenix as Callahan, accompanied by scene-stealing support from Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, and Jack Black, Gus Van Sant’s (Milk, My Own Private Idaho) newest film follows the life of this troubled alcoholic who journeys from rock-bottom to an oddball AA group to ultimately channeling his demons into sometimes shocking and always humorous profane art.
The Festival’s 2018 award and tributes include honors for Wayne Wang (A Tribute to Wayne Wang), Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (George Gund III Craft of Cinema Award), Annette Insdorf (Mel Novikoff Award), and Nathaniel Dorsky (Persistence of Vision Award), along with the previously announced Tribute to Charlize Theron.
Special live events include Blonde Redhead performing live with Yasujiro Ozu’s I Was Born, But… , A Thousand Thoughts – A Live Documentary by Sam Green and Kronos Quartet, A Celebration of Oddball Films with Marc Capelle’s Red Room Orchestra, and the 2018 State of Cinema Address by Canadian iconoclast Guy Maddin.
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THE ART OF THE SHINE, Documentary on World of Professional Shoe Shiners, to Premiere on PBS Independent Lens | Trailer
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The Art of the Shine[/caption]
Stacey Tenenbaum’s joyous and quirky new documentary film, The Art of the Shine, that celebrates the art of shoe shining and the men and women who have chosen this unique career, will premiere on Independent Lens on Monday, April 9, 2018, 10:00 – 11:00 PM (check local listings) on PBS.
The Art of the Shine travels from Toronto to Paris to New York to La Paz and beyond, introducing viewers to shiners who share their feelings about their work. In Bolivia, where shining is looked down upon, shiners wear masks so their classmates and neighbors won’t know what they do for a living. In Sarajevo, we meet Ramiz, the last shoe shiner in the city. Ramiz inherited his job from his father, who was beloved — during the Bosnian war, the simple act of getting one’s shoes shined was seen as an act of resistance and a statement of hope.
With a renewed interest in all things ‘retro,’ shining is slowly becoming hip again. In cities like New York, Toronto, and Tokyo, the job is attracting younger people who are working to elevate the profession and give it a newfound cachet. Some are turning the trade into an art form, hand-painting luxury shoes to create custom patinas and designs. In Tokyo, the dapper Yuya purveys a seriously high-end shine that takes an hour and is accompanied by a flute of champagne. Others, like Vincent in Toronto, find shoe shining an effective form of therapy.
In New York, we meet Kevin and his crew, all recovering alcoholics, who he calls his “sober shoe shine gang.” Together they’ve found not only sobriety but a way of life that’s artistically and socially fulfilling. Says Kevin: “I feel like I have the secret to life.” Don, who works from a cart on Fifth Avenue, would probably agree. A former accountant and baker, he gave up the stressful 9-to-5 routine for shoe shining and has never looked back. Joking with people on the street and chatting with his harried customers, Don wouldn’t trade his life for theirs. “This is freedom. It pays the bills and I’m free. I think I live a happier life – I stopped chasing my tail.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7GqRJduyPo
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Tamer El Said’s Arab Uprising Drama IN THE LAST DAYS OF THE CITY Gets Release Date | Trailer
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In the Last Days of the City – Tamer El Said[/caption]
In The Last Days Of The City, the debut feature of filmmaker Tamer El Said, tells the fictional story of a filmmaker from downtown Cairo played by Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, The Square) as he struggles to capture the soul of a city on edge while facing loss in his own life.
Winner of the Caligari Award (Berlinale Forum), the film has screened at over 120 film festivals worldwide and will open at MoMA in New York on April 27 and at Laemmle Monica Film Center in Los Angeles on May 11th. Other cities will follow.
In The Last Days Of The City is a haunting, lyrical chronicle of recent years in the Arab world where revolutions seemed to spark hope for change and yield further instability in one stroke. Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, The Square), plays the protagonist – a filmmaker in Cairo attempting to capture the zeitgeist of his city as the world changes around him – from personal love and loss, to the fall of the Mubarak regime. Throughout, friends send footage and stories from Berlin, Baghdad, and Beirut, creating a powerful, multilayered meditation on the meaning of homeland. Shot during the two years before the outbreak of revolution in Egypt, the film’s multi-layered stories are a visually rich exploration of friendship, loneliness and life in cities shaped by the shadows of war and adversity.