A Thousand Junkies[/caption]
The 9th annual DTLA Film Festival will kick off on Thursday, September 21st with the Los Angeles premiere of A Thousand Junkies, the feature film directorial debut from multi-hyphenate Tommy Swerdlow (Cool Runnings, Little Giants, and Snow Dogs), who directed and co-wrote the film and co-stars with Blake Heron and TJ Bowen, who shares a writing credit. In A Thousand Junkies features three junkies named for the actors playing them, crisscross Los Angeles in search of relief, considering increasingly reckless options in the pursuit of a score, and coming across all sorts of odd characters along the way. The film will be released theatrically by The Orchard later this year.
The Festival, taking place September 21 to 30 at L.A. LIVE, announced its feature films including all documentary and narrative feature-length films in competition. In keeping with this year’s theme – “Movies. Not walls” – the festival will host the first Enemy Nations Film Series. This series will present films from the countries labeled by immigration initiatives and Presidential tweets as homes to enemies of the state.
From The Orchard is The Work by directors Jairus Mcleary and Gethin Aldous, a powerful documentary set inside a single room in Folsom State Prison (California), which follows three level-four convicts as they participate in a four-day, innovative group therapy retreat. Rounding out the trio from The Orchard is Super Dark Times, Kevin Phillips’ harrowing, meticulously observed look at teenage age lives.
Continuing with the dark side, Most Beautiful Island explores the unforgettable and decidedly sinister day in the life of a young woman immigrant struggling to leave behind a mysterious past as she copies with life New York City. Ana Asensio directs and stars in this psychological thriller, which nabbed this year’s SXSW Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize and will be released later this year by Samuel Goldwyn Films.
In Kasra Farahani’s Tilt, Joe is a filmmaker making a definitive documentary about the dark side of America’s post WW2 “golden age.” However, he soon finds himself falling down the rabbit hole of self-doubt and paranoia. In a similar vein Erik Nelson with A Gray State has created a chilling portrait of real-life alt right personality David Crowley as he struggles to complete his opus film project.
Adults struggling with children in their lives is at the heart of several of this year’s narrative features. In Adam Cushman’s Restraint a young married woman’s mental health begins to deteriorate as she attempts to adapt to life in suburbia with her controlling husband and his 9-year-old daughter. In Zach Brown’s Hard Surfaces (formerly Moleskin Diary) life in the fast lane for an artist-photographer suddenly grinds to a halt when he unexpectedly is left in sole custory of his 9-year-old niece.
In Jorge Xolalpa, Jr.’s Blue Line Station a high school couple have a child of their own on its way as they struggle with the best solution for an unwanted pregnancy. In Christopher J. Hansen’s Blur Circle, to be released later this year by Indie Rights, a mother desperately wants to find her missing child, even it means accepting help from a man with a shrouded past.
On the lighter side of relationships, in Jade Jenise Dixon’s Dog Park, also an Indie Rights upcoming release, it’s a canine to the rescue as a group of twenty-somethings struggle with the dating game. In Michael Ferrell’s Laura Gets A Cat, an unemployed writer considers what to do with her unexciting boyfriend while jumping into an affair with a performance artist, all fuel for your vivid imaginary life.
Striking a similar tone but in the context of a documentary, The Dating Project by Jonathan Cipiti confronts the eye-opening statistics that today in America fully half of all adults are single – a far higher percentage than with past generations. Five college-age single Millennials confront their own lack of success in finding a mate in this eye-opening look at dating in the age of social media.
The havoc wreaked by social media is reflected in two of the festival’s rom coms. In director David Tyson Lam’s Viral Beauty our protagonist simply wanted a date. She got a million subscribers, instead. Sloan Copeland’s Life Hack is a humorous but cautionary about privacy and cyber threats in the digital age. The take away? Cover your webcam.
On the other hand Gigi Gorgeous is one girl who ain’t complainin’ about the power of the world wide web. In This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous the life and history of the eponymous Internet superstar is explored in a poignant and inspiring documentary by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple (Harlan County, USA).
Could video games be a contributing factor to Millennials’ singleness? Who cares! In Jeremy Snead’s multi-episodic documentary Unlocked: The World Of Games Revealed everybody involved in all levels of video gaming from creators to players certainly seems to be having a helluva good time. Ditto, all those involved in that other counter culture revolving around music audio cassette tapes. In Zachary Taylor, Georg Petzold and Seth Smoot’s Cassette: A Documentary Mix Tape rabid mix tapes fans, including the likes of Henry Rollins, share what makes this once forgotten and now beloved blast-from-the-past so very au courant.
Yes, nostalgia for the music of the Eighties is part of the appeal of mix tapes. This same nostalgia is captured in Ellen Goldfarb’s Dare To Be Different, a look back at WLIR, the pioneering Long Island, N.Y. radio station that helped to pave the way for new wave and punk, and launch the careers of everyone from Blondie to Joan Jett. (Oh, did we mention Prince, U2 and Madonna were also heard first in the U.S. on the WLIR airwaves?)
The past meets the future in the “lost” 1938 screwball comedy set in the future of 2018 in Jamie Greenberg’s Future ’38. Confused? All will be revealed in this highly original satire that wowed the crowds at Slamdance earlier this year. Gabriel Cruz Rivas and Rodrigo Guardiola’s gaze is firmly fixed in the present in his documentary Zoe: Panoramas, an introspective look inside one of Latin America’s biggest rock bands.
The festival’s signature curated film series this year is entitled Enemy Nations, which refers to how whole nations of people suddenly became identified by the highest levels of the U.S. government as anti-American. The series presents a selection from each of these seven countries in an opportunity for you, the audience, to decide for yourself if the enemy is from beyond the borders, or within.
The series includes Shiva Sanjari’s Here The Seats Are Vacant, a stunning portrayal of Iran’s first female director, who herself became an enemy of her nation with the rise of the Islamic Revolution. Also part of the series is Avo Kaprealian’s Houses Without Doors, a documentary shot surreptitiously by director with a small camera from the balcony of his home on the Syrian front line. The camera records the dramatic changes in his neighborhood and his own family. Five short films, which will be announced later, are part of the series as well.
Forbidden Cuba is the first American feature film shot after the thawing of diplomatic relations between the island nation and the U.S. Art Jones’ picture is a cautionary tale about an American businessman who travels to Cuba to retrieve an executive gone rogue, only to have his own eyes opened to the beauty and vibrant culture of the country.
In Sea Gypsies: The Far Side Of The World filmmaker Nico Edwards sets off for his own adventure as part of a motley crew of amateurs and seasoned sailors attempting the nearly impossible and certainly risky goal of traversing the ocean between New Zealand and Patagonia by way of Antarctica in a sailboat – in the dead of winter. Yes, in the Digital Age real-life adventure is yours for the taking IF you’re willing to pursue it.
Water is also the subject of two more documentary films screening at the festival. In John Hopkins’ Bluefin, fresh from its U.S. premiere at Santa Barbara Film Festival earlier this year, the plight of a magnificent oceanic creature, which unfortunately is best known as a mainstay of sushi, is explored from different perspectives. It’s fresh water and the plight of humans in developing countries who lack it that is explored in Brian Wood’s A World Without Water. This special screening and event will be co-hosted by Los Angeles-based PH8, a NGO with international outreach.
Rounding out the festival’s feature film line-up are two documentaries about the impact of encroaching civilization on precious forest land and its wildlife. Mónica Alvarez Franco’s Cloud Forest – which boasts stunning cinematography – documents the people of a small community in Mexico who are the guardians of one of the ecosystems most at risk in country. Tony Lee’s The Cat That Changed America is about a bona fide Hollywood star. P22 is the most famous lion in America, a cougar who lives in Griffith Park, and this is his amazing story.
A final note about a late entry to the festival. VAXXED: From Cover-up to Controversy was a feature-length documentary invited to make its world premiere at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival when the screening was abruptly cancelled — the only film ever pulled from the festival’s line-up. Soon after, Robert DeNiro in his guise as Tribeca’s co-founder went on national television to proclaim he regretted his festival’s decision and urged the viewing public to go see the film, which by then had entered theatrical release. The man at the center of that film, medical researcher and author Andrew Wakefield, is also the focus of The Pathological Optimist, a biopic about the former medical doctor whose discovery of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism profoundly changed his life and challenged medical orthodoxy that all vaccines were safe for all children. In her film, which is making its Los Angeles theatrical premiere during DTLA Film Festival, director Miranda Bailey weaves a delicate portrait of a man who is both revered and vilified by millions, a full-access look at the man at the center of one of the biggest medical and media controversies of our times.
“One of the missions of our nonprofit film festival is to reflect the rich ethnic-cultural diversity and creative free spirit of DTLA and its surrounding environs. We believe our audiences will agree that this year’s line-up wholeheartedly embraces that mandate,” said Greg Ptacek, festival director.
The complete list of announced feature film presentations at the 9th DTLA Film Festival follows
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Tommy Swerdlow’s A THOUSAND JUNKIES To Open DTLA Film Festival + Feature Films Lineup
[caption id="attachment_24667" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A Thousand Junkies[/caption]
The 9th annual DTLA Film Festival will kick off on Thursday, September 21st with the Los Angeles premiere of A Thousand Junkies, the feature film directorial debut from multi-hyphenate Tommy Swerdlow (Cool Runnings, Little Giants, and Snow Dogs), who directed and co-wrote the film and co-stars with Blake Heron and TJ Bowen, who shares a writing credit. In A Thousand Junkies features three junkies named for the actors playing them, crisscross Los Angeles in search of relief, considering increasingly reckless options in the pursuit of a score, and coming across all sorts of odd characters along the way. The film will be released theatrically by The Orchard later this year.
The Festival, taking place September 21 to 30 at L.A. LIVE, announced its feature films including all documentary and narrative feature-length films in competition. In keeping with this year’s theme – “Movies. Not walls” – the festival will host the first Enemy Nations Film Series. This series will present films from the countries labeled by immigration initiatives and Presidential tweets as homes to enemies of the state.
From The Orchard is The Work by directors Jairus Mcleary and Gethin Aldous, a powerful documentary set inside a single room in Folsom State Prison (California), which follows three level-four convicts as they participate in a four-day, innovative group therapy retreat. Rounding out the trio from The Orchard is Super Dark Times, Kevin Phillips’ harrowing, meticulously observed look at teenage age lives.
Continuing with the dark side, Most Beautiful Island explores the unforgettable and decidedly sinister day in the life of a young woman immigrant struggling to leave behind a mysterious past as she copies with life New York City. Ana Asensio directs and stars in this psychological thriller, which nabbed this year’s SXSW Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize and will be released later this year by Samuel Goldwyn Films.
In Kasra Farahani’s Tilt, Joe is a filmmaker making a definitive documentary about the dark side of America’s post WW2 “golden age.” However, he soon finds himself falling down the rabbit hole of self-doubt and paranoia. In a similar vein Erik Nelson with A Gray State has created a chilling portrait of real-life alt right personality David Crowley as he struggles to complete his opus film project.
Adults struggling with children in their lives is at the heart of several of this year’s narrative features. In Adam Cushman’s Restraint a young married woman’s mental health begins to deteriorate as she attempts to adapt to life in suburbia with her controlling husband and his 9-year-old daughter. In Zach Brown’s Hard Surfaces (formerly Moleskin Diary) life in the fast lane for an artist-photographer suddenly grinds to a halt when he unexpectedly is left in sole custory of his 9-year-old niece.
In Jorge Xolalpa, Jr.’s Blue Line Station a high school couple have a child of their own on its way as they struggle with the best solution for an unwanted pregnancy. In Christopher J. Hansen’s Blur Circle, to be released later this year by Indie Rights, a mother desperately wants to find her missing child, even it means accepting help from a man with a shrouded past.
On the lighter side of relationships, in Jade Jenise Dixon’s Dog Park, also an Indie Rights upcoming release, it’s a canine to the rescue as a group of twenty-somethings struggle with the dating game. In Michael Ferrell’s Laura Gets A Cat, an unemployed writer considers what to do with her unexciting boyfriend while jumping into an affair with a performance artist, all fuel for your vivid imaginary life.
Striking a similar tone but in the context of a documentary, The Dating Project by Jonathan Cipiti confronts the eye-opening statistics that today in America fully half of all adults are single – a far higher percentage than with past generations. Five college-age single Millennials confront their own lack of success in finding a mate in this eye-opening look at dating in the age of social media.
The havoc wreaked by social media is reflected in two of the festival’s rom coms. In director David Tyson Lam’s Viral Beauty our protagonist simply wanted a date. She got a million subscribers, instead. Sloan Copeland’s Life Hack is a humorous but cautionary about privacy and cyber threats in the digital age. The take away? Cover your webcam.
On the other hand Gigi Gorgeous is one girl who ain’t complainin’ about the power of the world wide web. In This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous the life and history of the eponymous Internet superstar is explored in a poignant and inspiring documentary by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple (Harlan County, USA).
Could video games be a contributing factor to Millennials’ singleness? Who cares! In Jeremy Snead’s multi-episodic documentary Unlocked: The World Of Games Revealed everybody involved in all levels of video gaming from creators to players certainly seems to be having a helluva good time. Ditto, all those involved in that other counter culture revolving around music audio cassette tapes. In Zachary Taylor, Georg Petzold and Seth Smoot’s Cassette: A Documentary Mix Tape rabid mix tapes fans, including the likes of Henry Rollins, share what makes this once forgotten and now beloved blast-from-the-past so very au courant.
Yes, nostalgia for the music of the Eighties is part of the appeal of mix tapes. This same nostalgia is captured in Ellen Goldfarb’s Dare To Be Different, a look back at WLIR, the pioneering Long Island, N.Y. radio station that helped to pave the way for new wave and punk, and launch the careers of everyone from Blondie to Joan Jett. (Oh, did we mention Prince, U2 and Madonna were also heard first in the U.S. on the WLIR airwaves?)
The past meets the future in the “lost” 1938 screwball comedy set in the future of 2018 in Jamie Greenberg’s Future ’38. Confused? All will be revealed in this highly original satire that wowed the crowds at Slamdance earlier this year. Gabriel Cruz Rivas and Rodrigo Guardiola’s gaze is firmly fixed in the present in his documentary Zoe: Panoramas, an introspective look inside one of Latin America’s biggest rock bands.
The festival’s signature curated film series this year is entitled Enemy Nations, which refers to how whole nations of people suddenly became identified by the highest levels of the U.S. government as anti-American. The series presents a selection from each of these seven countries in an opportunity for you, the audience, to decide for yourself if the enemy is from beyond the borders, or within.
The series includes Shiva Sanjari’s Here The Seats Are Vacant, a stunning portrayal of Iran’s first female director, who herself became an enemy of her nation with the rise of the Islamic Revolution. Also part of the series is Avo Kaprealian’s Houses Without Doors, a documentary shot surreptitiously by director with a small camera from the balcony of his home on the Syrian front line. The camera records the dramatic changes in his neighborhood and his own family. Five short films, which will be announced later, are part of the series as well.
Forbidden Cuba is the first American feature film shot after the thawing of diplomatic relations between the island nation and the U.S. Art Jones’ picture is a cautionary tale about an American businessman who travels to Cuba to retrieve an executive gone rogue, only to have his own eyes opened to the beauty and vibrant culture of the country.
In Sea Gypsies: The Far Side Of The World filmmaker Nico Edwards sets off for his own adventure as part of a motley crew of amateurs and seasoned sailors attempting the nearly impossible and certainly risky goal of traversing the ocean between New Zealand and Patagonia by way of Antarctica in a sailboat – in the dead of winter. Yes, in the Digital Age real-life adventure is yours for the taking IF you’re willing to pursue it.
Water is also the subject of two more documentary films screening at the festival. In John Hopkins’ Bluefin, fresh from its U.S. premiere at Santa Barbara Film Festival earlier this year, the plight of a magnificent oceanic creature, which unfortunately is best known as a mainstay of sushi, is explored from different perspectives. It’s fresh water and the plight of humans in developing countries who lack it that is explored in Brian Wood’s A World Without Water. This special screening and event will be co-hosted by Los Angeles-based PH8, a NGO with international outreach.
Rounding out the festival’s feature film line-up are two documentaries about the impact of encroaching civilization on precious forest land and its wildlife. Mónica Alvarez Franco’s Cloud Forest – which boasts stunning cinematography – documents the people of a small community in Mexico who are the guardians of one of the ecosystems most at risk in country. Tony Lee’s The Cat That Changed America is about a bona fide Hollywood star. P22 is the most famous lion in America, a cougar who lives in Griffith Park, and this is his amazing story.
A final note about a late entry to the festival. VAXXED: From Cover-up to Controversy was a feature-length documentary invited to make its world premiere at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival when the screening was abruptly cancelled — the only film ever pulled from the festival’s line-up. Soon after, Robert DeNiro in his guise as Tribeca’s co-founder went on national television to proclaim he regretted his festival’s decision and urged the viewing public to go see the film, which by then had entered theatrical release. The man at the center of that film, medical researcher and author Andrew Wakefield, is also the focus of The Pathological Optimist, a biopic about the former medical doctor whose discovery of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism profoundly changed his life and challenged medical orthodoxy that all vaccines were safe for all children. In her film, which is making its Los Angeles theatrical premiere during DTLA Film Festival, director Miranda Bailey weaves a delicate portrait of a man who is both revered and vilified by millions, a full-access look at the man at the center of one of the biggest medical and media controversies of our times.
“One of the missions of our nonprofit film festival is to reflect the rich ethnic-cultural diversity and creative free spirit of DTLA and its surrounding environs. We believe our audiences will agree that this year’s line-up wholeheartedly embraces that mandate,” said Greg Ptacek, festival director.
The complete list of announced feature film presentations at the 9th DTLA Film Festival follows
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Official Poster of 12th Rome Film Fest Features the Timeless Grace and Elegance of Audrey Hepburn
The timeless grace and elegance of one of the most beloved actresses of all time, Audrey Hepburn, are featured in the official poster of the 12th Rome Film Fest.
The picture taken by photographer David Seymour portrays the actress during the shooting of Funny Face (1957). The Rome Film Fest thus pays tribute to the film directed by Academy Honorary Award winner Stanley Donen, which in 2017 will celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of its release in theaters, and to the musical, a genre that will be a recurring motif throughout the festival. In fact, all the films selected for the program of the “Films of Our Lives” section will be musicals and before every screening of the upcoming Rome Film Fest, viewers will enjoy clips from the most famous and unforgettable musicals.
“Few actresses communicate the idea of grace and sophistication like Audrey Hepburn – explained Antonio Monda – I believe she perfectly embodies the identity of the fest we are trying to build, especially in this image filled with joy and elegance”.
Credits: Audrey Hepburn TM -Trademark, © 2012 and Likeness – Property of Sean Hepburn Ferrer and Luca Dotti, ALL RIGHT RESERVED” © David Seymour/Magnum/Contrasto
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MY PURE LAND is Britain’s Entry for 2018 Oscar Race for Best Foreign Film | TRAILER
British-Pakistani director Sarmad Masud’s Urdu language debut film My Pure Land has been selected as Britain’s submission for the best foreign language film category at the 2018 Oscars.
The film stars Suhaee Abro, Eman Malik, Syed Tanveer-Hussain, Razia Malik, Atif Akhtar Bhatti, Tayyab Azfal and Ahsen Murad.
My Pure Land world premiered at this year’s 2017 Edinburgh International Film Festival is based on a remarkable true story, told in partial flashbacks, about how a mother and her two daughters try to protect their remote Pakistan home, picking up machine guns to fight off a virtual army of armed men.
MY PURE LAND is a film based on a true story. A young woman called Nazo and her mother and sister are called to defend their home after a bitter family feud leads to her father’s incarceration. In their isolated farmhouse in Pakistan, the women find themselves surrounded by armed men hired by their Uncle Mehrban to take back the land. When Nazo’s resistance leaves two of the men dead, an enraged Mehrban calls in a local ragtag militia – two hundred armed bandits. But even with only a handful of bullets left, Nazo refuses to give in…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdY8bKCVIC0
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SAAWAN is Pakistan’s Entry for 2018 Oscar Race for Best Foreign Film | TRAILER
Saawan directed by Farhan Alam has been selected by Pakistan as the country’s selection in the ‘Foreign Language Film Award’ category at the 90th Academy Awards.
Saawan written and produced by Mashood Qadri, is based on a true story of a disabled child who lives in a valley in the mountains of Balochistan. He is rejected by his father, intimidated by society, harassed by friends and left alone due to his disability. Strengthened by memories and dreams of the love of his mother, he begins a perilous journey back to his family in the main city. The film features Saleem Mairaj, Syed Karam Abbas, Arif Bahalim, Najiba Faiz and Imran Aslam in the lead roles. The other cast includes Tipu Sharif, Hafeez Ali, Sehrish Qadri, Sohail Malik, Shahid Niazmi, Muhammad Abbas, Danial Yunus, Mehek Zulfiqar and Syed Muhammad Ali. The film won ‘Best Foreign Language Feature Film’ award at the 2017 Madrid International Film Festival and the Best Film and Best Soundtrack Award earlier this month at the 2017 Salento International Film Festival in Italy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heyVzwJeOzY
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2017 Toronto International Film Festival Awards: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Wins Top Award
The Toronto International Film Festival announced its award winners and the Grolsch People’s Choice Award went to Martin McDonagh for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The second runner-up is Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name. The first runner-up is Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya.
The Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award goes to Joseph Kahn’s Bodied. The second runner-up is Craig Zahler’s Brawl in Cell Block 99. The first runner-up is James Franco’s The Disaster Artist.
The Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award goes to Agnès Varda and JR’s Faces Places. The second runner-up is Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! The first runner-up is Long Time Running directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas De Pencier.
IWC SHORT CUTS AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
The IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Marc-Antoine Lemire’s Pre-Drink. The jury remarked the film “is a monumental yet intimate portrayal of a woman in transition. Lead by the towering performances of the film’s two actors, both of who are worthy of receiving their own awards. The jury were especially taken by the leading actress who gives one of the best performances we saw in the Short Cuts programs. The 2017 Short Cuts jury honors Pre-Drink for Best Canadian short film.”IWC SHORT CUTS AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
The IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film goes to Niki Lindroth von Bahr’s The Burden (Min Börda). The jury remarked, “Whimsical but tragic, imaginative and just plain weird, this is exactly what one can expect from a Scandinavian musical with fish in bath robes singing out their existentialist crisis. This is a film that stands out in this program and any film program it will ever be part of.” The award offers a $10,000 cash prize made possible by IWC Schaffhausen. The jury gave honourable mentions to Matthew Rankin’s The Tesla World Light (Tesla: Lumière Mondiale) and Qiu Yang’s Xiao Cheng Er Yue (A Gentle Night).CITY OF TORONTO AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM
The City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film goes to Wayne Wapeemukwa’s Luk’ Luk’l. The jury remarked, “The award goes to a striking debut film that disrupts borders – of form and content and suggests new cinematic territories.This beautifully realized film offers a unique Canadian perspective, made with real compassion, insight and remarkable characters from Vancouver’s East Side.” This award carries a cash prize of $15,000, made possible by the City of Toronto. The jury gave honourable mention to Sadaf Foroughi’s Ava.CANADA GOOSE AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to Robin Aubert’s Les Affamés. The jury remarked, “This year the Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to a hybrid art-house film that proved to be something of a revelation. Wonderfully scripted and perfectly cast, this film managed the rare feat of featuring genuinely interesting and well-rounded characters; surprising dramatic and comedic moments with well thought-out multi-generational female roles (who were totally badass, I might add) while also dealing with poignant and contemporary issues, set against a striking rural backdrop and hundreds of ‘ravenous’ zombies.” The jury gave honorable mention to Simon Lavoie’s The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches (La petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes).THE PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FILM CRITICS (FIPRESCI PRIZES)
Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for the Discovery program is awarded to Sadaf Foroughi for Ava. Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for Special Presentations is awarded to Manuel Martín Cuenca for The Motive (El Autor).NETPAC AWARD
As selected by a jury from the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema for the sixth consecutive year, the NETPAC Award for World or International Asian Film Premiere goes to Huang Hsin-Yao’s The Great Buddha+. The jury remarked, “The NETPAC Jury awards The Great Buddha+ for depicting the interface between the haves and have-nots, with black humor and style, innovating with noir in representing the social reality of Taiwan today.”TORONTO PLATFORM PRIZE PRESENTED BY AIR FRANCE
This is the third year for Platform, the Festival’s juried program that champions directors’ cinema from around the world. The Festival welcomed an international jury comprised of award-winning filmmakers Chen Kaige, Małgorzata Szumowska, and Wim Wenders who unanimously awarded the Toronto Platform Prize, presented by Air France, to Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country. “This is a spiritual epic taking place in 1929 in Australia’s Northern Territory,” said the jury in a statement. “It is a great saga of human fate, and its themes of race and struggle for survival are handled in such a simple, rich, unpretentious and touching way, that it became for us a deeply emotional metaphor for our common fight for dignity. Speaking about their deliberations, the jury added: “We saw 12 films from all over the world that took us into very different universes of the soul and to extremely different places on our planet. We were thankful to be able to see these films and we very much appreciated that actually exactly half of them were made by women. TIFF is leading the way, we feel.” “As we only had one award to give, we had to be quite radical. We also limited ourselves to only one special mention, even if other films might have imposed themselves for best acting, writing or directing.” Awarding a special mention to Clio Barnard’s Dark River, the jury said: “This film, deeply rooted in the Yorkshire countryside, convinced us, as its characters and actors, its photography, its story and its sense of place were all so much ONE, so utterly believable and controlled, that we were totally taken by it.”GROLSCH PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS
This year marked the 40th year that Toronto audiences were able to cast a ballot for their favorite Festival film for the Grolsch People’s Choice Award. This year’s award goes to Martin McDonagh for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The award offers a $15,000 cash prize and custom award, sponsored by Grolsch. The second runner-up is Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name. The first runner-up is Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya. The Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award goes to Joseph Kahn’s Bodied. The second runner-up is Craig Zahler’s Brawl in Cell Block 99. The first runner-up is James Franco’s The Disaster Artist. The Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award goes to Agnès Varda and JR’s Faces Places. The second runner-up is Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! The first runner-up is Long Time Running directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas De Pencier.
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VIDEO: Watch Trailer for Documentary NUDE, Chronicling Fashion Photographer David Bellemere
The documentary “Nude” explores perceptions of nudity in art by chronicling the creative process of fashion photographer David Bellemere.
In anticipation of the October 29th, 2017 premiere of the film, Starz released the official trailer and key art for the new original documentary “NUDE” from Director and Producer Anthony B. Sacco and Producer Josh Shader which follows treats! magazine founder Steve Shaw and photographer David Bellemere’s NU Muses project.
“NUDE” – a feature-length documentary – explores perceptions of nudity in art by chronicling the creative process of fashion photographer David Bellemere. Commissioned by NU Muses founder Steve Shaw to shoot a fine art calendar of nude photographs to debut at Art Basel in Miami, Bellemere’s unique methods and visual style are examined. The film also looks at the creative and business aspirations of Shaw, plus how social media shapes the lives of today’s young models.
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VIDEO: Watch Trailer for Heartbreaking Documentary KINGDOM OF US Premiering at London Film Festival
Here is the trailer for the documentary Kingdom of Us set to premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 7th ahead of its global launch on Netflix on October 13th.
How does a family deal with memories of a traumatic event? It’s a question sensitively examined in this moving documentary. In her quietly watchful debut, Lucy Cohen impresses with a delicate, powerfully effective exploration of grief, identity and family bonds. For over three years, Cohen filmed a mother and her seven children – whose father’s suicide left them financially ruined. Incorporating family archive footage and capturing the surrounding West Midlands landscape, Kingdom of Us records the siblings’ emotional recovery, piecing together their broken past and contemplating fears and aspirations for their future. Cohen’s film highlights youthful power and resilience, as the family travel the rocky road towards hope.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc8_spETMBY
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Woodstock Film Festival Unveils 2017 Film Lineup, will Open with East Coast Premiere of STUCK
[caption id="attachment_24630" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Stuck[/caption]
The 18th Woodstock Film Festival, will open with the East Coast premiere of Stuck, a musical narrative about a group of six strangers trapped together on a stalled New York City subway car. The characters confront their assumptions of one another under the scrutinizing eye of a mysterious homeless man played by Giancarlo Esposito. This kickoff event will begin at 7PM October 11 at the Woodstock Playhouse.
The Festival will present an outstanding lineup of films to be shown in Woodstock, Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Saugerties, and Kingston.
“This year’s lineup is one that challenges our creative and intellectual boundaries and brings important social issues into focus, both locally and globally” said Woodstock Film Festival’s co-founder and executive director Meira Blaustein. “In today’s political climate it is particularly important to celebrate our differences and find our commonalities. This year’s participating filmmakers have gone above and beyond in capturing diverse moments of humanity that personify fierce independence.”
NARRATIVE FEATURES
The Bachelors, directed by Kurt Voelker The Ballad of Lefty Brown, directed by Jared Moshe Beauty Mark, directed by Harris Doran Becks, directed by Dan Powell and Elizabeth Rohrbaugh Cold November, directed by Karl Jacob Crash Pad, directed by Kevin Tent Don’t Come Back From the Moon, directed by Bruce Thierry Cheung Girl in Flight, directed by Sandra Vannucchi Holden On, directed by Tamlin Hall Infinity Baby, directed by Bob Byington Last Flag Flying, directed by Richard Linklater The Light of the Moon, directed by Jessica M. Thompson A Real Vermeer, directed by Rudolf van den Berg Revengeance, directed by Bill Plympton and Jim Lujan The Song of Sway Lake, directed by Ari Gold The Sounding, directed by Catherine Eaton The Square, directed by Ruben Östlund The Strange Ones, directed by Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein Stuck, directed by Michael Berry Submission, directed by Richard Levine They, directed by Anahita Ghazvinizadeh Time Trap, directed by Mark Dennis and Ben Foster The Traveller, directed by Hadi Ghandour Us And Them, directed by Joe Martin Waterboys, directed by Robert Jan Westdijk What Children Do, directed by Dean PetersonDOCUMENTARY FEATURES
32 Pills: My Sister’s Suicide, directed by Hope Litoff 40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie,directed by Lee Aronsohn Against All Odds – The Fight for a Black Middle Class with Bob Herbert, directed by Bob Herbert Arthur Miller: Writer, directed by Rebecca Miller Bean, directed by Emilie Bunnell Becoming Who I was, directed by Moon Chang-Yong and Jeon Jin Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, directed by Alexandra Dean The Chocolate Case, directed by Benthe Forrer The Cycle (America Divided), directed by Solly Granatstein, Lucian Read and Richard Rowley Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution, directed by Jamie Redford Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold, directed by Griffin Dunne La Chana, directed by Lucija Stojevic The Last Pig, directed by Allison Argo Mary Janes: The Women of Weed, directed by Windy Borman My Name is Pedro, directed by Lillian LaSalle Nat Bates for Mayor, directed by Bradley Berman and Eric Weiss The Organizer, directed by Nick Taylor The Rape of Recy Taylor, directed by Nancy Buirski Roll With Me, directed by Lisa France Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me, directed by Sam Pollard Shingal, Where Are You?, directed by Angelos Rallis Supermensch, directed by Mike Myers, Beth Aala A Symphony of Hope, directed by Brian Weidling Thank You For Coming, directed by Sara Lamm This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous, directed by Barbara Kopple To A More Perfect Union: U.S. v. Windsor, directed by Donna Zaccaro To the Edge of the Sky, directed by Jedd Wider and Todd Wider
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Actress / Director Julie Delpy will Receive Honorary Award at European Film Awards
Julie Delpy will receive the honorary award “European Achievement in World Cinema”at the 30th European Film Awards, “in recognition of a rich and diverse career in front of and behind the camera”.
Born in Paris, Julie Delpy was discovered when she was 14 years old by Jean-Luc Godard, who cast her in DETECTIVE (1985). She graduated in Filmmaking from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and has directed, written or acted in more than 30 films. She played the lead in Bertrand Tavernier’s THE PASSION OF BEATRICE (1987), for which she was nominated as Most Promising Actress for a French César. In THE DARK NIGHT by Carlos Saura she was the Virgin Mary and in 1990 her breakthrough came with EUROPA EUROPA by Agnieszka Holland. Her first EFA Nomination followed in 1991 for HOMO FABER by Volker Schlöndorff. She also worked with Krzysztof Kieslowski as Dominique in the THREE COLOURS trilogy (1993/1994), Jim Jarmusch in BROKEN FLOWERS (2005) and Todd Solondz in WIENER-DOG (2016).
Probably most unforgettable is Julie Delpy’s performance with Ethan Hawke in Richard Linklater’s BEFORE series: BEFORE SUNRISE (1995), BEFORE SUNSET (2004), and BEFORE MIDNIGHT (2013). She co-wrote these and received an Oscar nomination in Screenwriting for the latter two as well as a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
She has directed six feature films and received her second EFA Nomination in 2007 for 2 DAYS IN PARIS for which she was also nominated for a César. Her film LE SKYLAB received the Special Prize of the jury at the San Sebastian IFF 2011 and LOLO premiered at the Venice IFF in 2015.
Julie Delpy will be an honorary guest at the 30th European Film Awards Ceremony on December 9th in Berlin.
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FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST to Open and AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL to Close Tokyo International Film Festival
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FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST[/caption]
Fullmetal Alchemist, directed by Fumihiko Sori and starring Ryosuke Yamada, will open the 30th anniversary edition of Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) on October 25. An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, directed by Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen and featuring former US Vice President Al Gore, will close the festival on November 3.
In addition, as a Special Opening Presentation, the festival will screen highlights from the upcoming release Legend of the Demon Cat, the largest-ever Japan-China co-production, directed by Chen Kaige and starring Shota Sometani, during the Opening Ceremony.
The 30th TIFF will be held from October 25 to November 3, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan.
OPENING FILM
Fullmetal Alchemist (2017/Japan) – World Premiere Director: Fumihiko Sori
Cast: Ryosuke Yamada, Tsubasa Honda, Dean Fujioka
A fantasy/action spectacular that brings to live action the epic world of the hit comic series that has sold over 70 million copies around the world. Two brothers embark on a journey to regain all they have lost!
CLOSING FILM
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (2017/ USA) Director: Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk
Cast: Al Gore
A decade after AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH brought climate change into the heart of popular culture, comes the riveting and rousing follow-up that shows just how close we are to a real energy revolution.
SPECIAL OPENING PRESENTATION
Legend of the Demon Cat (2017/China/Japan/Hong Kong) Director: Chen Kaige
Cast: Shota Sometani, Huang Xuan, Hiroshi Abe
The acclaimed director Chen Kaige presents a spectacular epic film about the greatest mystery in history, based on the best-selling Japanese novel by Baku Yumemakura, featuring Chinese and Japanese stars.
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LADY BIRD to Open and THE CURRENT WAR is Centerpiece Film of 2017 Austin Film Festival
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Lady Bird[/caption]
Lady Bird will play as Opening Night film and The Current War will serve as the Centerpiece Film of this year’s 2017 Austin Film Festival (AFF) taking place October 26 to November 2.
The directorial debut by actress Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha, Mistress America), Lady Bird stars Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn, The Grand Budapest Hotel) as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a young woman who fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated and strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse working tirelessly to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird’s father (Tracy Letts) loses his job.
The Current War, the latest film by director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), chronicles the race for marketable electricity in the United States between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse. The film also stars Tom Holland, Nicholas Hoult, and Katherine Waterston. Gomez-Rejon will present the film during the Festival.
Lady Bird and The Current War will join already announced titles An Ordinary Man, starring Ben Kingsley, 24 Hours to Live, starring Ethan Hawke, Please Stand By, starring Dakota Fanning and Toni Collette, and the premiere of the season finale of HBO’s new dramatic series The Deuce, with creators David Simon and George Pelecanos in attendance.
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Heartland International Film Festival Announces 2017 Lineup, Opens with Rob Reiner’s LBJ
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LBJ[/caption]
The 26th annual Heartland International Film Festival will take place October 12 to 22, 2017. Director Rob Reiner will return to Heartland for the opening night screening of his new film “LBJ” and will receive Heartland Film’s Pioneering Spirit: Lifetime Achievement Award. “LBJ” stars Woody Harrelson and is about Lyndon B. Johnson’s ascent to the presidency following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Reiner will also be in attendance for special screenings of classic titles “Stand By Me” and “The Princess Bride” the next morning.
“Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies” will close the festival on Sunday, October 22. “Laddie” is one daughter’s journey to discover her father, Alan Ladd, Jr, the quiet studio head and producer behind such iconic films as “Star Wars,” “Alien,” “Blade Runner,” “Chariots of Fire,” and “Young Frankenstein.” Amanda Ladd-Jones’ quest leads her to understand her father as the man that he is and the impact he’s had on American Cinema. Director Amanda Ladd-Jones will be in attendance to accept Heartland Film’s Pioneering Spirit: Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of her father.
“We are kicking off the next 25 years of Heartland Film with a bang,” said Craig Prater, President of Heartland Film. “Our international lineup of films has expanded by 75 movies over last year, including 10 titles just announced as official entries for Best Foreign Language Film for the 2018 Academy Awards. We will welcome an unprecedented number of film groups, distributors, and filmmakers this year, and our board, staff, and volunteers are ready to elevate the Heartland International Film Festival from the industry’s best kept secret to a Midwest destination and marketplace. ”
Heartland will host 16 premiere titles and more than 150 filmmakers and members of the international film industry, including Chaz Ebert, who will be in attendance for a special screening of the Roger Ebert documentary “Life Itself” and to moderate a film critics panel to include Klaus Eder, the general secretary of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). Additional panel topics include Indiana filmmaking, women in film, and entertainment law.
Special presentation sneak previews of major motion pictures and documentaries will include; Heartland Film Truly Moving Picture Award winners “Breathe” , “The Florida Project”, and “Thank You for Your Service”; in addition to “Bill Nye: Science Guy”, “The Ballad of Lefty Brown”, and “Columbus”. For the first time ever, Heartland will feature 10 international titles recently announced as official entries for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2018 Academy Awards.
KEY EVENTS AND DATES
Opening Night Screening and After Party – “LBJ” Thursday, Oct. 12 – Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, 7 p.m. Narrative feature directed by Rob Reiner. Scheduled appearance by Director Rob Reiner. After party to feature live music from Josh Kaufman (“The Voice”). Sponsored by the David and Betty Klapper Family Foundation. GLOW: Awards Party Saturday, Oct. 21 – The Hi-Fi/Pure Eatery in Fountain Square, 7 p.m. GLOW: Awards Party is not your typical awards show. The night will shine a light on our top Festival award winners with a neon glow party featuring DJ Michael Graves, Pork and Beans Brass Band, Pinvault Pinball, food trucks, and more. Sponsored by the David and Betty Klapper Family Foundation. Filmmakers’ Brunch Sunday, Oct. 22 – The Montage, 11 a.m. Discover the inspiration behind some of your favorite Heartland Film Festival movies by joining the filmmakers for an informal brunch. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to speak one-on-one with storytellers and to hear different perspectives on all aspects of the filmmaking process. Closing Night Screening and After Party – “Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies” Sunday, Oct. 22 – AMC Castleton Square 14, 7 p.m. Documentary feature directed by Amanda Ladd-Jones. Scheduled appearance by Director Amanda Ladd-Jones. After-party to feature live music by Joshua Powell. Sponsored by the David and Betty Klapper Family Foundation.PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Heartland Film Festival is excited to present four panel discussions exploring various aspects of the filmmaking industry including film criticism, Indiana filmmaking, women in film, and entertainment law. Most panel discussions are free and open to the public, but they do require a ticket for admittance. All panel discussions will take place at AMC Castleton Square 14 in the Woodbridge Pavilion. Film Critics Panel – Friday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m. What does it take to be a film critic? Join moderator Chaz Ebert as she discusses the intricacies of film criticism with renowned local and international industry professionals. Panelists include Klaus Eder (General Secretary of the International Federation of Film Critics), Christopher Lloyd, and Richard Propes. Free, but ticketed. Indiana Filmmakers Panel – Tuesday, Oct. 17, 6 p.m. What are the challenges and advantages of local filmmakers in Indianapolis? Join moderator Nathan Bechtold (Indiana Filmmakers Network) as he discusses the Indy film scene with local industry professionals. Panelists Amy Pauszek, Glenn Pratt, and Jack Lugar. Free, but ticketed. Women In Film Panel – Wednesday, Oct. 18, 5:30 p.m. What’s it like being a female filmmaker in a male dominated industry? Join moderator Barbara Ann O’Leary (Directed by Women) as she discusses tricks of the trade and industry insights with three industry professionals. Panelists Naghmeh Farzaneh, Laura Goodenow, and Andie Redwine. Free, but ticketed. Entertainment Law Panel: What’s Next for My Film? – Thursday, Oct. 19, 3 p.m. Completing a film requires hard work, creativity, and never-ending money-raising efforts. But what happens next? This panel of experts will help filmmakers understand their options. Should they secure a distributor and what does that mean? What are the advantages and disadvantages of filmmakers working the film festival circuit and what legal rights do filmmakers maintain? This and more will be addressed during this program of particular interest to filmmakers and fans of filmmaking. Moderated by Cate Sabatine (Co-chair, Indianapolis Bar Association’s Sports & Entertainment Law Executive Committee) with panelists Ron Elberger (Bose McKinney & Evans), Neil Friedman (Founder/President, Menemsha Films), Angelo Pizzo (“Hoosiers,” “Rudy,” “My All-American”).SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
“Stand By Me” (1986) Narrative Feature, Columbia Pictures, Truly Moving Picture Award Winner – Directed by Rob Reiner After the death of a friend, a writer recounts a boyhood journey to find the body of a missing boy. Director Rob Reiner scheduled to attend. “The Princess Bride” (1987) Narrative Feature, 20th Century Fox, Truly Moving Picture Award Winner – Directed by Rob Reiner While home sick in bed, a young boy’s grandfather reads him a story called “The Princess Bride.” Director Rob Reiner scheduled to attend. “Life Itself” (2014) Documentary Feature, Magnolia Pictures – Directed by Steve James The life and career of the renowned film critic and social commentator, Roger Ebert. Featured subject Chaz Ebert scheduled to attend. “The Florida Project” Narrative Feature, A24, Truly Moving Picture Award Winner – Directed by Sean Baker Warm, winning and gloriously alive, Sean Baker’s The Florida Project is a deeply moving and unforgettably poignant look at childhood. Starring Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Valeria Cotto, and Bria Vinaite. “Bill Nye: Science Guy” Documentary Feature, PBS Films – Directed by David Alvarado, Jason Sussberg A famous television personality struggles to restore science to its rightful place in a world hostile to evidence and reason. “Thank You For Your Service” Narrative Feature, DreamWorks Pictures, Truly Moving Picture Award Winner – Directed by Jason Hall DreamWorks Pictures’ “Thank You for Your Service” follows a group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq who struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life, while living with the memory of a war that threatens to destroy them long after they’ve left the battlefield. Starring an ensemble cast led by Miles Teller, Haley Bennett, Joe Cole, Amy Schumer, Beulah Koale, Scott Haze, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Brad Beyer, Omar J. Dorsey, and Jayson Warner Smith, the drama is based on the bestselling book by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author David Finkel. “Columbus” Narrative Feature, Front Row Filmed Entertainment – Directed by Kogonada When a renowned architecture scholar falls suddenly ill during a speaking tour, his son Jin (John Cho) finds himself stranded in Columbus, Ind. – a small Midwestern city celebrated for its many significant modernist buildings. Jin strikes up a friendship with Casey (Haley Lu Richardson), a young architecture enthusiast who works at the local library. As their intimacy develops, Jin and Casey explore both the town and their conflicted emotions: Jin’s estranged relationship with his father, and Casey’s reluctance to leave Columbus and her mother. “Breathe” Narrative Feature, Bleecker Street Media, Truly Moving Picture Award Winner – Directed by Andy Serkis For his directorial debut, Andy Serkis brings to life the inspiring true love story between Robin and Diana Cavendish (Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy), an adventurous couple who refuse to give up in the face of a devastating disease. Written by two-time Academy Award® nominated writer William Nicholson, and shot by three-time Academy Award® winner Robert Richardson. “The Ballad of Lefty Brown” Narrative Feature, A24 – Directed by Jared Moshé When famed Frontier Lawman Eddie Johnson (Peter Fonda) is unexpectedly killed, his longtime sidekick and friend Lefty Brown (Bill Pullman) will stop at nothing to avenge Johnson’s death.U.S. AND WORLD PREMIERE TITLES
“Voyage of the Southern Sun” U.S. Premiere, Documentary Feature, Australia – Directed by Robert Murphy Australian Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year, Michael Smith, discovered the delights and perils of true adventure in a solo circumnavigation in his tiny amphibious flying boat, Southern Sun, that retraced historical Qantas, Imperial and Pan Am airmail routes, in search of the glory days of 1930s aviation. “Marvin Booker Was Murdered” U.S. Premiere, Documentary Feature, U.S. – Directed by Wade Gardner Marvin Booker was murdered. The jail guards lied. The city of Denver covered it up. The Booker family lived it. Their attorneys exposed it. We reveal it. Director Wade Gardner and members of the Booker family are scheduled to attend. “blank 13” U.S. Premiere, Narrative Feature, Japan – Directed by Takumi Saitoh Following the death of his deadbeat father, a son discovers that there was more to him than anyone in the family suspected. Director/Actor Takumi Saitoh scheduled to attend. “Tatterdemalion” World Premiere, Narrative Feature, U.S. – Directed by Ramaa Mosley A dramatic thriller about an army veteran suffering from PTSD who returns home to the Ozarks to look for her brother, but finds an abandoned boy in the woods. As she searches for answers about who the child is, she discovers a mysterious world of folk lore, clan rules and lies. Director Ramaa Mosley and Actor Leven Rambin scheduled to attend. “No Postage Necessary” World Premiere, Narrative Feature, U.S. – Directed by Jeremy Culver When a brilliant computer hacker tries to win the heart of a war widow, he must become the man he’s always envisioned or risk going back to prison. Director Jeremy Culver, cast and crew scheduled to attend. “The New Fire” World Premiere, Documentary Feature, U.S. – Directed by David Schumacher The good news—there’s a new solution to climate change. The bad news—we may not like it. From MIT to Silicon Valley, young engineers are rebooting a controversial and all but abandoned technology—nuclear power. Director David Schumacher scheduled to attend. “Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace” World Premiere, Documentary Feature, U.S. – Directed by Richard Gentile Narrated by Academy Award® winner Forest Whitaker, “Triumph” is a unique window on America’s civil rights movement that chronicles Perry Wallace’s evolution from a reluctant “pioneer” in the final throes of the “Jim Crow” era to a determined “game-changer.” Director Richard Gentile scheduled to attend. “Mum’s List” U.S. Premiere, Narrative Feature, UK – Directed by Niall Johnson A heart-warming true life story of Singe and Kate Greene, whose lives were turned upside down when Kate was diagnosed with an incurable breast cancer. Over her last few months she creates her list: writing her thoughts and memories down to help the man she loved create the best life possible for their two sons after she is gone. Producer Nick Hamson or Producer Gareth Jones scheduled to attend. “Little Kyota Neon Hood” U.S. Premiere, Narrative Feature, Japan – Directed by Satsuki Okawa Kyota, a 12-year-old Japanese boy who’s never seen without his bright protective hood, learns that his beloved Scottish teacher is leaving town. The news causes a stir in the community, rekindling recent memories of their struggles in post-disaster Japan. Director/Writer Satsuki Okawa scheduled to attend. “Maestras – The Long Journey of Women to the Podium” U.S. Premiere, Documentary Feature, Germany – Directed by Günter Atteln, Maria Stodtmeier Being a female conductor means being an exception, even today. But why is it that there have been so few female conductors in the international music scene? Director/Producer Günter Atteln scheduled to attend. “The Maestro” U.S. Premiere, Narrative Feature, U.S. – Directed by Zach Richter, Sam Smith and Corey Petrick After the Second World War, budding film composer Jerry Herst moves to Hollywood to study with infamous master teacher Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Producer David J. Phillips scheduled to attend. “Defining Hope” World Premiere, Documentary Feature, U.S. – Directed by Carolyn Jones “Defining Hope” follows eight patients with life-threatening illnesses—and the nurses who guide them to make critical choices along the way—as they face death, embrace hope, and ultimately redefine what makes life worth living. Director Carolyn Jones scheduled to attend. “The Drawer Boy” U.S. Premiere, Narrative Feature, Canada/Mexico – Directed by Arturo Pérez Torres An actor arrives to rural Ontario to gather stories about farm life and make a play about it. When art attempts to imitate life, the line between truth and fiction is crossed. Director Arturo Pérez Torres scheduled to attend. “Instrument of War” World Premiere, Narrative Feature, U.S. – Directed by Adam Thomas Anderegg “Hello American. For you, the war is over.” When US B-24 bomber pilot Clair Cline is shot down and captured in northern Germany, one battle ends and another begins – to keep hope alive. Now behind Nazi barbed wire and oppression, Cline and his fellow POW’s must find a way to bond together to not just survive but transcend their captivity. Inspired by true events. Director Adam Thomas Anderegg and Producer Russ Kendall scheduled to attend. “A Normal Life” U.S. Premiere, Narrative Feature, U.S. – Directed by Alex Herz A week away from leaving for his first year of college, Michael becomes concerned about his parents’ overprotective tendencies toward his little brother, who has Down syndrome. Director Alex Herz scheduled to attend. “The Best of All Worlds” U.S. Premiere, Narrative Feature, Austria – Directed by Adrian Goiginger The true story of a kid’s life in the unusual world of his heroin-addict mother and their love for each other. World premiere at Berlinale 2017. Director Adrian Goiginger scheduled to attend.AWARD CATEGORIES AND FINALISTS
Set to award $100,000 in cash prizes, the 2017 Heartland Film Festival will announce all of its winners at the Oct. 21 GLOW: Awards Party at the Hi-Fi in Fountain Square. Categories and Finalists include:Narrative Feature Finalists
($25,000 Grand Prize, $1,000 per non-winning Finalist) “American Folk” – Directed by David Heinz “The Drawer Boy” – Directed by Arturo Pérez Torres “Instrument of War” – Directed by Adam Thomas Anderegg “La Soledad” – Directed by Jorge Thielen Armand “Red Dog: True Blue” – Directed by Kriv StendersDocumentary Feature Finalists
($25,000 Grand Prize, $1,000 per non-winning Finalist) “Dealt” – Directed by Luke Korem “Liyana” – Directed by Amanda Kopp and Aaron Kopp “Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry” – Directed by Laura Dunn and Jef Sewell “Purple Dreams” – Directed by Joanne Hock “True Conviction” – Directed by Jamie MeltzerNarrative Short Finalists
($5,000 Grand Prize, $500 per non-winning Finalist) “Across the Line” – Directed by Nadav Shlomo Giladi “The Cage” – Directed by Ricky Staub “The Devil is in the Details” – Directed by Fabien Gorgeart “If Everything Was Real” – Directed by Stephane Mounkassa and Stefan Sundin “Me and My Father” – Directed by Alek PietrzakDocumentary Short Finalists
($5,000 Grand Prize, $500 per non-winning Finalist) “Abstraction” – Directed by Jonathan Cipiti “Edges” – Directed by Katie Stjernholm and Jonathan Hiller “The Good Fight” – Directed by Ben Holman “Kachach, Above Zaatari” – Directed by Bruno Pieretti “Refugee” – Directed by Emily Moore and Joyce ChenAnimated Short Finalists
($5,000 Grand Prize, $500 per non-winning Finalist) “After All” – Directed by Michael Cusack “And the Moon Stands Still” – Directed by Yulia Ruditskaya “The Full Story” – Directed by Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Wilder “In a Heartbeat” – Directed by Beth David and Esteban Bravo “The Wishing Jar” – Directed by Denver JacksonThe Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award ($5,000 total award)
The Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award will honor a single winner, selected from the Festival’s feature-length narrative and documentary titles. The winning film will best embody the ongoing legacy of actor and national hero Jimmy Stewart and will demonstrate the triumph of the human spirit through determination and the defiance of odds, humble vulnerability, and courage in the face of adversity. Made possible by a partnership with The Stewart Family. Summer White Lynch Memorial Award – High School Film Competition Grand Prize ($2,000 total award, underwritten by Gary D. & Marlene Cohen) Finalists include winners of the Narrative, Documentary, Indiana Narrative, and IndianaDocumentary categories of the High School Film Competition:
“Gifted [Thanksgiving Post Mortem]” Narrative Winner – Directed by Freddy Macdonald, Switzerland “Two of Five Million” Documentary Winner – Directed by Socs and DZ Zavitsanos, U.S. “Family Tradition” Indiana Narrative Winner – Directed by Khyler Runnels and Matt Jacobs of Fort Wayne, Ind. “Kara Deady: The Pole Vaulter” Indiana Documentary Winner – Directed by Justin Park of Carmel, Ind. Indiana Spotlight Award ($5,000 total award) U.S. or World Premiere titles in the Indiana Spotlight category qualify for the Indiana Spotlight award.Best Premiere Awards ($3,500 awards)
One Narrative Feature and one Documentary Feature holding its U.S. or World Premiere will be eligible for Best Premiere Award consideration.Audience Choice Awards
There will be one Audience Choice Award winner for the Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Narrative Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short categories.