Indie Memphis Film Festival 2020 screened over 230 feature films, shorts, and music videos, and announced this year’s award-winners. Top Jury prizes went to Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby for Best Narrative Feature, and Anthony Banua-Simon’s Cane Fire for Best Documentary Feature.
Deepa Mehta’s Funny Boy will represent Canada in the race for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.
Showtime released the trailer for My Psychedelic Love Story, the newest documentary from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Errol Morris (Wormwood, The Fog of War). The film, which was the Closing Night selection at AFI Fest earlier this month and will screen at DOC NYC next month, is a psychedelic head trip crossed with a possible CIA conspiracy and wrapped in a fascinating love story told by the late Joanna Harcourt-Smith about her time with Timothy Leary.
Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro’s (Neon Bull) Divine Love (Divino Amor) that world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, begins its North American theatrical premiere on Friday, November 13.
HBO released the trailer for the documentary “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” spotlighting the legendary band, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Frank Marshall (“Seabiscuit”, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), chronicling the triumphs and hurdles of brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb, otherwise known as the Bee Gees. The iconic trio, who found early fame in the 1960s, went on to write over 1,000 songs, including twenty #1 hits throughout their storied career. This film follows the Bee Gee’s meteoric rise as they rode the highs of fame and fortune, negotiated the vagaries of the ever-shifting music business and navigated the complexities of working so intimately alongside family.
The Twin Cities Film Fest selected more than 25 finalists for its top awards, and among the 2020 contenders for the top Best Feature Film Award are Darius Marder’s electrifying drummer drama Sound of Metal, Hisonni Johnson’s gritty urban thriller Take Out Girl and Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland.
Parasite won the Best Film award at the 14th Asian Film Awards (“AFA14”) along with Best Screenplay for co-writers Han Jin Won and the film’s director Bong Joon Ho. The film also won for Best Production Design and Best Editing totaling four awards. “I am grateful to all the people involved with the Asian Film Awards for making it possible that Parasite could become part of AFA’s legacy. I strongly believe that we will meet in person next year at the Asian Film Awards, shake hands, and enjoy talking with one another without masks…I believe that nothing can stop us from continuing to make films,” said Bong
Netflix released the trailer for “Trial 4”, the documentary series on Sean Ellis, who served 22 years in prison after being found guilty of killing Boston Police Detective John Mulligan in 1993. Directed by Remy Burkel, “Trial 4” premieres on November 11, 2020.
Magnolia Pictures released the trailer for Zappa – the first all-access documentary on the life and times of the iconic musician and artist Frank Zappa, directed by Alex Winter. The documentary is set for a special one-night-only theatrical event on Monday, November 23rd, 2020 followed by a release everywhere on November 27th, 2020.
After screening 70 films representing 15 countries, Flickers’ Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Film Festival announced the winners with the Grand Prize for Best Horror Feature going to “The Unfamiliar” directed by Henk Pretorius.
The 2020 Naples International Film Festival announced the filmmaker award winners with the top Jury Prizes going to David Gutnik’s Materna for Best Narrative Feature, and Brian Morrison’s Bastards’ Road for Best Documentary Feature. Audience Awards went to Lanie Zipoy’s The Subject (Best Narrative Film) and Lynn Montgomery’s Amazing Grace (Best Documentary Film).
Festival-goers of the 56th Chicago International Film Festival voted Nomadland the third feature film from director Chloé Zhao, the winner of the Audience Choice Award for Feature Film. The film stars Frances McDormand as Fern who, after the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. Nomadland features real nomads Linda May, Swankie, and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West.