They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music in Exile[/caption]
Timed to Music Freedom Day 2016, BBC Worldwide North America will release Johanna Schwartz’s “timely and powerful” feature documentary They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music in Exile.
They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music in Exile will open theatrically on March 4 in New York (Village East Cinema) and April 1 in Los Angeles (Laemmle Santa Monica Theater) with additional markets to follow.
Music is the beating heart of Malian culture, but when Islamic jihadists took control of northern Mali in 2012, they enforced one of the harshest interpretations of sharia law by banning all forms of music. Radio stations were destroyed, instruments burned, and Mali’s musicians faced torture, even death.
Overnight, the country’s revered musicians were forced into hiding or exile, where most remain — even now. But rather than laying down their instruments, these courageous artists fought back, standing up for their freedoms and using music as a weapon against the ongoing violence that has ravaged their homeland.
They Will Have To Kill Us First is director Schwartz’s debut feature, and follows Songhoy Blues andmusicians Kharia Arby, Fadimata “Disco” Walet Oumar,and Moussa Sidi as they each deal with the unfathomable situation in different ways. Telling the story of the uprising of Touareg separatists, revealing footage of the jihadists, and capturing life at refugee camps where both money and hope are scarce, Schwartz and her indefatigable, mainly female, crew chart the perilous journeys to war-ravaged cities, as some of Mali’s most talented musicians set up and perform at the first public concert in Timbuktu since the music ban.
Co-written by Schwartz and Andy Morgan, renowned journalist and former manager of Grammy® Award winning band Tinariwen, They Will Have To Kill Us First is produced by Sarah Mosses of Together Films and executive produced by Andre Singer (The Act of Killing) alongside Stephen Hendel, Victoria Steventon, OKAY Africa and Knitting Factory Entertainment.
They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music in Exile, features an original score by Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), and a commissioned soundtrack featuring Songhoy Blues, Kharia Arby, Fadimata “Disco” Walet Oumar, Moussa Sidi and many more to be released on March 4 timed to the film’s release and Music Freedom Day 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TX7ybW6nAQ-
Powerful Doc THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST: MALIAN MUSIC IN EXILE Gets U.S. Release Date | TRAILER
[caption id="attachment_11886" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music in Exile[/caption]
Timed to Music Freedom Day 2016, BBC Worldwide North America will release Johanna Schwartz’s “timely and powerful” feature documentary They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music in Exile.
They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music in Exile will open theatrically on March 4 in New York (Village East Cinema) and April 1 in Los Angeles (Laemmle Santa Monica Theater) with additional markets to follow.
Music is the beating heart of Malian culture, but when Islamic jihadists took control of northern Mali in 2012, they enforced one of the harshest interpretations of sharia law by banning all forms of music. Radio stations were destroyed, instruments burned, and Mali’s musicians faced torture, even death.
Overnight, the country’s revered musicians were forced into hiding or exile, where most remain — even now. But rather than laying down their instruments, these courageous artists fought back, standing up for their freedoms and using music as a weapon against the ongoing violence that has ravaged their homeland.
They Will Have To Kill Us First is director Schwartz’s debut feature, and follows Songhoy Blues andmusicians Kharia Arby, Fadimata “Disco” Walet Oumar,and Moussa Sidi as they each deal with the unfathomable situation in different ways. Telling the story of the uprising of Touareg separatists, revealing footage of the jihadists, and capturing life at refugee camps where both money and hope are scarce, Schwartz and her indefatigable, mainly female, crew chart the perilous journeys to war-ravaged cities, as some of Mali’s most talented musicians set up and perform at the first public concert in Timbuktu since the music ban.
Co-written by Schwartz and Andy Morgan, renowned journalist and former manager of Grammy® Award winning band Tinariwen, They Will Have To Kill Us First is produced by Sarah Mosses of Together Films and executive produced by Andre Singer (The Act of Killing) alongside Stephen Hendel, Victoria Steventon, OKAY Africa and Knitting Factory Entertainment.
They Will Have To Kill Us First: Malian Music in Exile, features an original score by Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), and a commissioned soundtrack featuring Songhoy Blues, Kharia Arby, Fadimata “Disco” Walet Oumar, Moussa Sidi and many more to be released on March 4 timed to the film’s release and Music Freedom Day 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TX7ybW6nAQ
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“LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER!” A Film About Mother/Daughter Relationship & Forgiveness Opens April 8 | TRAILER
[caption id="attachment_11882" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER!, a film by Gayle Kirschenbaum[/caption]
LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER!, by Gayle Kirschenbaum, and a hit at film festivals around the world and winner of numerous awards, will be released in the U.S. by Kirschenbaum Productions.
LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER! will open in New York at the Village East and in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Monica Film Center in Santa Monica and Town Center 5 in Encino on April 8. Other cities will follow.
What trauma could make a child certain that she was born into the wrong family? What wounds are inflicted when the home that’s supposed to be a haven isolates her as an outsider; when her mother’s words are rarely nurturing but instead, ruthlessly shaming, demeaning and critical? What will it take for the adult that child becomes to forgive such a past? Is forgiveness even possible?
This is the dilemma that Emmy® award-winning filmmaker Gayle Kirschenbaum faces in her relentlessly honest and bitingly funny documentary, LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER! Her film is about the transformation of a highly charged mother/daughter relationship from Mommie Dearest to Dear Mom, from hatred to love. The documentary is the expanded version of the funny, award-winning festival favorite film, MY NOSE, in which we follow her mother’s relentless campaign to get Gayle to have a nose job.
LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER! is comprised primarily of decades-worth of intimate family home movies and videos—from 8 mm film coverage of Gayle’s outwardly “Leave it to Beaver-esque” childhood in an upwardly-mobile Long Island suburb, to personal family celebrations, fights, and even tragedies right up to the present—it’s the story of one determined woman’s quest to reconcile with and understand her past, which means forgiving her proud, narcissistic and formidable elderly mother, Mildred.
With raw courage and equal parts humor and pathos, Gayle invites the audience to take this epic journey along with her. Gayle is determined to unlock the key to her family’s pain and crack open her mother’s brittle shell. When Mildred grudgingly agrees to participate in the process, the two of them (with the help of a therapist) uncover shocking family secrets and long-buried suffering that throw their family history into sharp relief, and begin to shift the dynamics of their complex relationship.
The specter of loss haunts the film almost as strongly as the pain of criticism: Mildred’s still a powerhouse well into her ninth decade, but Gayle knows her mother won’t be around forever. Can she learn to understand, love and forgive her mother—before it’s too late?
LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER! may be about one mother-daughter relationship, but its insights and lessons are universal. In order to move forward into the future, we all have to forgive what happened in our pasts. Gayle Kirschenbaum brings her unique brand of fearless honesty and laugh-aloud humor to a film that took decades to shoot, about a relationship that took a lifetime to mend.
https://vimeo.com/119594942
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Max Landis’ Directorial Debut ME HIM HER to Open on March 11th | TRAILER
[caption id="attachment_11878" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]
ME HIM HER[/caption]
ME HIM HER, written and directed by Max Landis, and starring Luke Bracey, Dustin Milligan, Emily Meade, will be released in New York, Los Angeles, and on VOD platforms, on March 11th by FilmBuff.
The directorial debut of Max Landis, who had previously penned the screenplays for Chronicle and American Ultra, ME HIM HER is a madcap romantic comedy about Brendan (Point Break’s Luke Bracey), a heartthrob television star who enlists Cory (90210’s Dustin Milligan), his shiftless slacker best friend to fly out to LA and help him keep his newly-realized homosexuality a secret from Hollywood. Upon arrival in LA, Cory has a drunken one-night stand with Gabbi (The Leftovers’ Emily Meade) and is mostly too busy trying to see her again to help Brendan – despite the fact that Gabbi is a lesbian. With a rowdy cast rounded out by Alia Shakwat, Geena Davis, and Haley Joel Osment, ME HIM HER is a bizarrely endearing high-energy sendup of modern love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGRAYRs2964
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Under the Shadow Kicks Off Lineup for 2016 New Directors / New Films
Under the Shadow The Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art have announced the complete lineup for the 2016 New Directors / New Films (ND/NF), taking place March 16 to 27 in New York City.
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Tribeca Film Festival to open with Fashion Documentary THE FIRST MONDAY IN MAY
[caption id="attachment_11869" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
The First Monday in May[/caption]
The world premiere of Magnolia Pictures’ The First Monday in May will open the 15th annual Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday, April 13, 2016.
Directed by Emmy Award nominated filmmaker Andrew Rossi (Page One: Inside The New York Times) the intimate documentary looks at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s most attended Costume Institute exhibition in history, “China: Through the Looking Glass.” The film follows curator Andrew Bolton, now Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute, in an exploration of the tension between fashion and art. The Tribeca Film Festival runs April 13 to April 24. Opening night is sponsored by Farfetch with special thanks to Thakoon.
“The First Monday in May illuminates the debate between fine art, fashion, pop culture and captures the creativity, passion and visionaries behind the exhibition and gala – Andrew Bolton and Anna Wintour,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder, Tribeca Film Festival, and Executive Chair, Tribeca Enterprises. “It is an honor to pay tribute to a fellow New York cultural institution on our opening night.”
“It’s an honor to premiere this film downtown with the Tribeca Film Festival for their fifteenth Festival, and I am truly thrilled to partner again with Magnolia Pictures,” said director Andrew Rossi. “The First Monday in May celebrates creativity in art and fashion and is deeply rooted in the creative world of New York, so to launch at a Festival that came into life in order to support that culture is very meaningful. We’re so excited to have the team at Magnolia behind the film, bringing it to audiences all across the country.”
The First Monday in May follows the creation of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “China: Through the Looking Glass,” exhibition, an exploration of Chinese-inspired Western fashions by Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton. With unprecedented access, filmmaker Andrew Rossi captures the collision of high fashion and celebrity at the Met Gala, one of the biggest global fashion events co-chaired every year by Condé Nast Artistic Director and Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour. Featuring a cast of renowned artists in many fields (including filmmaker Wong Kar Wai and fashion designers Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano), the movie dives into the debate about whether fashion should be viewed as art.
Produced by Fabiola Beracasa Beckman, Sylvana Ward Durrett, and Dawn Ostroff, in association with Relativity Media, Conde Nast Entertainment, Mediaweaver Entertainment and Sarah Arison Productions, The First Monday in May will be released in theaters on April 15. The film features Wong Kar Wai, film director and Artistic Director of “China: Through the Looking Glass”; Baz Luhrmann, film director and creative consultant for the Met Gala; Vogue’s Andre Leon Talley; Harold Koda, Former Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute; Thomas Campbell, Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Maxwell K. Hearn, Douglas Dillon Chairman of the Department of Asian Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art; and fashion designers Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, John Galliano, and Ricardo Tisci; as well as cameos from some of the leading names in fashion and entertainment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRFCVG85X_s
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Award-Winning Film RABIN IN HIS OWN WORDS, to Open in U.S. on May 6th
[caption id="attachment_11865" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Yitzhak Rabin, Bill Clinton, and Yasser Arafat during the Oslo Accords on 13 September 1993[/caption]
20 years after his assassination, Yitzhak Rabin himself tells his dramatic life story in RABIN IN HIS OWN WORDS, a film by Erez Laufer, that is set for release in the U.S. by Menemsha Films.
Winner – Best Documentary at the Haifa International Film Festival 2015, RABIN IN HIS OWN WORDS will open at the Lincoln Plaza Cinema in New York and Laemmle Royal and Town Center 5 in Los Angeles, as well as in South Florida, on May 6th. A national release will follow.
RABIN IN HIS OWN WORDS is an “autobiography” of sorts, the story is told entirely in Rabin’s own voice. Through a combination of rare archival footage, home movies and private letters, his personal and professional dramas unfold before the viewer’s eyes – from his childhood as the son of a labor leader before the founding of the State of Israel, through a change of viewpoint that turned him from a farmer into an army man who stood at some of the most critical junctures in Israeli history. Through a brilliant diplomatic career as Israeli Ambassador to the United States and his entry into the Israeli political arena, and through his later years during which he served as Prime Minister, opposition leader, Minister of Defense and Prime Minister once more, in which he made moves that enraged a large portion of the public, until the horrific moment when his political career and life were suddenly brought to an end.
RABIN IN HIS OWN WORDS brings the man – flesh and blood – back to life, if only momentarily. The film relays the personal and political life of the man and the myth – as he lived it. Like any good protagonist, his narrative is well rounded: sacrifice, heroism, hubris, humor and heartache. Yitzhak Rabin was a complex, contradictory character: honest, innocent and timid while forceful, determined and resilient; a loyal friend who spent much of his time in solitude; blessed with a sense of resolve paralleled only by the doubt that shadowed it; calm and collected like a dormant volcano bound to erupt one day; courteous and contained, he was a gentleman with the fiery temperament of a red-head.
The film combines rare archives that, since they were originally broadcasted 40 years ago, have not been seen or heard, a private 8 mm mostly shot by Rabin, a super 8 mm of Rabin in color in 1948 shot by American couple visiting Israel, and private letters to his sister his father and to his wife Leah.
The director Erez Laufer is the co-Editor of two Oscar nominees for Best Documentary: Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker’s The War Room (1993) and Laura Poitras’ My Country My Country (2006) His own film Mike Brant, Laisse-moi t’aimer won the 2002 Israeli Academy Award for Best Documentary, and had its international premiere at the Directors Fortnight, Cannes Film Festival 2003.
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Watch TRAILER for “Creepy, Weird” Turkish Horror Film BASKINO
IFC Midnight has released the trailer for the “creepy, weird” Turkish horror film BASKINO, directed by Can Evrenol.
BASKIN opens on VOD and in NY at The IFC Center on March 25th, and in LA at Arena Cinema on April 1st.
A five-man unit of cops on night patrol get more than they bargain for when they arrive at a creepy backwater town in the middle of nowhere after a call comes over the radio for backup. Entering a derelict building, the seasoned tough guys and their rookie junior, who’s still haunted by a traumatic childhood dream, do the one thing you should never do in this kind of movie: they split up. They soon realize they’ve stumbled into a monstrous charnel house and descend into an ever-more nightmarish netherworld where grotesque, mind-wrenching horrors await them at every turn. This is one Baskin (that’s “police raid” to you non-Turkish speakers) that isn’t going to end well. But wait! Things aren’t what they seem in this truly disturbing, outrageously gory, and increasingly surreal film whose unpredictable narrative pulls the carpet from under your feet and keeps you guessing right up to the final moment. A wildly original whatsit that reconfirms Turkey as the breakout national cinema of the moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9SfWmXQY3o
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LAST OF THE ELEPHANT MEN Among Winners of 2016 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
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LAST OF THE ELEPHANT MEN, directed by Daniel Ferguson and Arnaud Bouquet[/caption]
Before a boisterous crowd packed into The Loft in downtown Missoula last week, the juries of the 2016 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival revealed their selections in the festivals four competition categories.
Winners include LAST OF THE ELEPHANT MEN, directed by Daniel Ferguson and Arnaud Bouquet, FOLLOWING KINA, directed by Sonia Goldenberg, HUNTING IN WARTIME, directed by Samantha Farinella and ZONE BLANCHE, directed by Gaëlle Cintré.
Feature Competition films over 40 minutes in length
Winner: LAST OF THE ELEPHANT MEN, directed by Daniel Ferguson and Arnaud Bouquet – For centuries, the Bunong indigenous people of Eastern Cambodia lived with elephants, depending on them for every aspect of life. Now with the forest around them threatened by logging and mining companies, both the Bunong and the elephant face a desperate struggle to survive.
Jury Statement: We were struck by the film’s sensitive exploration of the mythic relationship between elephants and people among the Bunong people of Cambodia. The film is beautifully and patiently shot. By capturing the interdependency between the Bunong and their elephants, it turns these amazing animals into characters in their own right.
Artistic Vision Award, Feature: FOLLOWING KINA, directed by Sonia Goldenberg – When Kina Malpartida won her title as the first Peruvian World Boxing Champion, the country was struck by a female boxing fever. Inspired by her, two young women fight against all odds to sustain a dream and become the next champion. Without any official support, they are driven by passion and perseverance to succeed in a totally male-dominated sport.
Jury Statement: We were highly impressed with the manner in which the film takes viewers into the real world of womens boxing in Peru, culminating in the insightful depiction of the rural and urban backdrops to two women, Alicia and Anita, both of whom hope to follow in the footsteps of Kina Malpardita.
Big Sky Award – Presented to one film that artistically honors the character, history, tradition and imagination of the American West.
Winner: HUNTING IN WARTIME, directed by Samantha Farinella – Profiles of Tlingit veterans from Hoonah, Alaska who saw combat during the Vietnam War. The veterans talk about surviving trauma, relating to Vietnamese civilians, readjusting to civilian life, and serving a government that systematically oppresses native people. Their stories give an important human face to the combat soldier and show the lasting affects of war on individuals, families and communities.
Short Competition films between 15 and 40 minutes in length
Winner: DAGUAVA DELTA, directed by Rainer Komers – Far from the centre of the Latvian city of Riga, the suburbs Bolderāja and Daugavgriva are a kind of social island or biotope – a blend of apartment and detached family houses, backyards, shipyards, docks, yacht club, sea academy, historic fortress and barracks. Here, where the Daugava River flows into the Bay of Riga, anglers crowd the sunny mole during the spawning season of sprat, while veterans in the local pub are in memorial of their fallen fathers on Victory Day.
Artistic Vision Award, Short Competition: ZONE BLANCHE, directed by Gaëlle Cintré – Four women who are electro-hypersensitive -a rare condition where people find themselves acutely intolerant to electromagnetic fields, including cell phone signals and WiFi- are driven deep into the Alps in search for remote shelters. Because of their extreme condition, their way of life, between a primitive existence and post-apocalyptic science-fiction, has never been photographed. Until now.
Jury Statement: Working within the constraints of being unable to record with any electronic digital media, Zone Blanche creates a rich portrait of women who must live outside of society because of their sensitivity to electromagnetic fields. Utilizing the poetic language of avant-garde cinema, the film draws on the documentary impulse to give the audience access to the experiences of people who don’t have the option to tell their stories in contemporary digital media.
Mini-Doc Competition films 15 minutes and under
Winner: MINING, POEMS, OR ODES, directed by Callum Rice – Robert, an ex-shipyard welder from Scotland, reflects on how his life experiences have influenced his new found compulsion to write. His retrospective poetry revels a man who is trying to achieve a state of contentment through words and philosophy.
Artistic Vision Award. Mini-Doc Competition: A CEREBRAL GAME, directed by Reid Davenport – A filmmaker with cerebral palsy ponders his changing identity through the lens of baseball.
Jury Statement: The jury is pleased to present an Artistic Vision Award to A Cerebral Game, a film we feel especially demonstrates the core virtues of perseverance and passion that are essential to the art of filmmaking itself, and perhaps especially to the documentary genre. It’s quite an accomplishment to make a great documentary of any length – but this filmmaker has emerged against all odds. In this case, the filmmaker narrates his own story while creating a visual landscape that is at once disorienting and nostalgic – and the result is so raw and compelling it’s impossible to turn away. We open on shaky ground and come to discover, thanks to this director’s honesty and fearlessness, that we are watching the results of his inability to hold the camera steady – and that that ability is not what makes great filmmaking. He has the talent and fortitude to move forward and work on his dream and the resulting film is truly moving and inspiring.
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WHITE LIES, New Zealand’s Oscar Entry for Best Foreign Film, to Open in NYC on March 5th | TRAILER
“WHITE LIES” (Tuakiri huna), New Zealand’s entry in the 2014 Oscar competition for best foreign-language film and distributed in the USA by ArtMattan Films, will receive its US Premiere Theatrical Release in New York City at MIST HARLEM from March 5 to 11, 2016.
White Lies will also screen at the Jean Cocteau Cinema (Santa Fe, NM), The Cinema Art Center (Huntington, NY) and Studio C Cinema (Cornelius, NC) starting on March 4, 2016.
Based on a novel by “Whale Rider” writer Witi Ihimaera, White Lies is an intense women-centered drama that explores with great humanity and sensitivity such difficult topics as race relations, skin bleaching and abortion. Paraiti is the healer and midwife of her rural, tribal people – she believes in life. But new laws in force are prohibiting unlicensed healers, making the practice of much Maori medicine illegal. She gets approached by Maraea, the servant of a wealthy woman, Rebecca, who seeks her knowledge and assistance in order to hide a secret which could destroy Rebecca’s position in European settler society. This compelling story tackles moral dilemmas, exploring the nature of identity, societal attitudes to the roles of women and the tension between Western and traditional Maori medicine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TmzTQoMidc
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HOCKNEY, A Documentary about David Hockney’s Life & Art Sets U.S. Release Date | TRAILER
HOCKNEY, a documentary film by Randall Wright (Lucian Freud: A Painted Life), will be released in the U.S. by Film Movement.
After screening at Outfest, London, Vancouver, Palm Springs film festivals among others, the film will open at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and at Metrograph in New York, and at Laemmle Royal, Playhouse 7 and Noho 7 in Los Angeles on April 22, 2016. A national release will follow.
HOCKNEY is the definitive exploration of one of the most significant artists of his generation. For the first time, David Hockney has given access to his personal archive of photographs and film, resulting in an unparalleled visual diary of his life. The film chronicles Hockney’s vast career, from his early life in working-class Bradford, where his love for pictures was developed through his admiration for cinema, to his relocation to Hollywood where his life long struggle to escape labels (‘queer’, ‘working class’, ‘figurative artist’) was fully realized.
David Hockney offers theories about art, the universe, and everything: “I’m interested in ways of looking and trying to think of it in simple ways. If you can communicate that, of course people will respond; after all, everybody does look.“ But as HOCKNEY reveals, it’s the hidden self-interrogation that gives his famously optimistic pictures their unexpected edge and attack. The documentary traces the artist’s journey to live the American or Californian dream, yet paradoxically reveals that he never broke ties with the childhood that formed him. Did Yorkshire awkwardness in his blood give him the willpower to survive relationship problems, and later the AIDS plague that killed the majority of his friends? Acclaimed filmmaker Randall Wright offers a unique view of this unconventional artist who is now reaching new peaks of popularity worldwide, and, at 78, is as charismatic as ever, working in the studio seven days a week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUsjBK3q58k
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2016 Tribeca Film Festival Unveils Films in US Narrative, International Narrative, and Documentary Competition
[caption id="attachment_11845" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Jodie Whittaker as Anna in the film ADULT LIFE SKILLS.[/caption]
The 2016 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), taking place April 13 to 24, announced the US Narrative, International Narrative, and Documentary Competition feature film selections, as well as Viewpoints.
One third of the Festival’s feature films are directed by women — the highest percentage in the Festival’s history. Twelve female directors and screenwriters are eligible to receive the fourth annual Nora Ephron Prize, which recognizes women who embody the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer.
The Festival earlier announced that on April 14, the world premiere of Contemporary Color directed by Bill Ross and Turner Ross will open the World Documentary competition. The world premiere of Kicks, directed by Justin Tipping, will open the US Narrative competition. The world premiere of Madly, directed by Gael García Bernal, Mia Wasikowska, Sebastian Silva, Anurag Kashyap, Sion Sono, and Natasha Khan, will open the International Narrative Competition. Viewpoints will open with the world premiere of Nerdland directed by Chris Prynoski.
The films selected for the US Narrative Competition, International Narrative Competition, World Documentary Competition, and Viewpoints are:
US Narrative Competition
Opening Film
Kicks, directed by Justin Tipping, written by Justin Tipping and Josh Beirne-Golden. (USA) – World Premiere. When his hard-earned kicks get snatched by a local hood, fifteen-year old Brandon and his two best friends go on an ill-advised mission across the Bay Area to retrieve the stolen sneakers. Featuring a soundtrack packed with hip-hop classics, Justin Tipping’s debut feature is an urban coming-of-age tale told with grit, humor, and surprising lyricism. With Jahking Guillory, Mahershala Ali, Kofi Siriboe, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Christopher Meyer. A Focus World release.
Always Shine, directed by Sophia Takal, written by Lawrence Michael Levine. (USA) – World Premiere. This twisty psychological drama about obsession, fame, and femininity follows two friends, both actresses (Mackenzie Davis and Caitlin FitzGerald), on a trip to Big Sur, to reconnect with one another. Once alone, the women’s suppressed jealousies and deep-seated resentments begin to rise, causing them to lose their grasp on not only the true nature of their relationship, but also their identities. With Lawrence Michael Levine, Alex Koch, Jane Adams
[caption id="attachment_11844" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Lola Kirke as Joey and Breeda Wool as Rayna in AWOL.[/caption]
AWOL, directed by Deb Shoval, written by Deb Shoval and Karolina Waclawiak. (USA) – World Premiere. Joey (Lola Kirke) is a young woman in search of direction in her small town. A visit to an army recruiting office appears to provide a path, but when she meets and falls in love with Rayna (Breeda Wool) that path diverges in ways that neither woman anticipates. Building on the award-winning short of the same name, director Deb Shoval crafts a clear-eyed love story, and an impressive feature film debut.
Dean, directed and written by Demetri Martin. (USA) – World Premiere. In comedian Demetri Martin’s funny and heartfelt directorial debut, Martin plays an illustrator who falls hard for an LA woman (Gillian Jacobs) while trying to prevent his father (Kevin Kline) from selling the family home in the wake of his mother’s death. With Rory Scovel, Ginger Gonzaga, Reid Scott, Mary Steenburgen, Christine Woods, Beck Bennett, Briga Heelan
Dreamland, directed by Robert Schwartzman, written by Benjamin Font and Robert Schwartzman. (USA) – World Premiere. Robert Schwartzman makes his directorial debut with this comedy about the cost of reaching your dreams. Part-time pianist Monty Fagan (Johnny Simmons) begins a May-December romance that upends his home life. A set of perfectly cast co-stars push or manipulate Monty along the way: Amy Landecker, Frankie Shaw, Alan Ruck, Beverly D’Angelo, along with Robert’s older brother Jason Schwartzman, and their mother Talia Shire.
The Fixer, directed by Ian Olds, written by Paul Felten and Ian Olds. (USA) – World Premiere. After an exiled Afghan journalist (Dominic Rains) arrives in a small town in Northern California, he lands a menial job as a crime reporter for the local newspaper. Restless in his new position, he teams up with an eccentric local (James Franco) to investigate the town’s peculiar subculture only to find things quickly taking a dangerous turn. With Melissa Leo, Rachel Brosnahan, Tim Kniffin, Thomas Jay Ryan
Folk Hero & Funny Guy, directed and written by Jeff Grace. (USA) – World Premiere. Alex Karpovsky and Wyatt Russell co-headline as two artistically inclined childhood friends, a comedian and a folk-rocker respectively, who set out on a tour together in hopes of regaining their “mojo” and finding love in the process. Jeff Grace’s debut film offers a fresh perspective on male friendship and a music infused spin on the classic road-trip buddy comedy. With Meredith Hagner, Michael Ian Black, Hannah Simone, Heather Morris, Melanie Lynskey, David Cross
Live Cargo, directed by Logan Sandler, written by Logan Sandler and Thymaya Payne. (USA, Bahamas) – World Premiere. Nadine (Dree Hemingway) and Lewis (Keith Stanfield) move to a small Bahamian island hoping to restore their relationship in the wake of a tragedy, only to find the picturesque island torn in two: on one side a dangerous human trafficker and on the other an aging patriarch, struggling to maintain order. With Leonard Earl Howze, Sam Dillon, Robert Wisdom
The Ticket, directed by Ido Fluk, written by Ido Fluk and Sharon Mashishi. (USA) – World Premiere. When a blind man inexplicably regains his vision, he becomes possessed by a drive for a better life—a nicer home, a higher paying job—leaving little room for the people who were part of his old life. Dan Stevens, Malin Åkerman, Oliver Platt, and Kerry Bishé star in this haunting parable of desire, perception, and ambition.
Women Who Kill, directed and written by Ingrid Jungermann. (USA) – World Premiere. Morgan and Jean work well together as true crime podcasters because they didn’t work well, at all, as a couple. When Morgan strikes up a new relationship with the mysterious Simone, their shared interest turns into suspicion, paranoia, and fear. Ingrid Jungermann’s whip smart feature debut is an adept and wry comedy on modern romance’s hollow results, set in an LGBTQ Brooklyn. With Ingrid Jungermann, Ann Carr, Sheila Vand, Shannon O’Neill, Annette O’Toole, Grace Rex
International Narrative Competition
Opening Film
Madly, directed and written by Gael García Bernal, Mia Wasikowska, Sebastian Silva, Anurag Kashyap, Sion Sono, and Natasha Khan. (Argentina, Australia, USA, India, Japan, UK) – World Premiere. Madly is an international anthology of short films exploring love in all its permutations. Directed by some of the most vibrant filmmakers working today, the six stories in Madly portray contemporary love in all its glorious, sad, ecstatic, empowering, and erotic manifestations. With Radhika Apte, Satyadeep Misra, Adarsh Gourav, Kathryn Beck, Lex Santos, Mariko Tsutsui, Yuki Sakurai, Ami Tomite, Justina Bustos, Pablo Seijo, Tamsin Topolski. In English, Hindi, Japanese, Spanish with subtitles.
El Clásico, directed by Halkawt Mustafa, written by Anders Fagerholt and Halkawt Mustafa. (Norway, Iraqi Kurdistan Region) – North American Premiere. Alan and Gona are in love, but Gona’s father won’t approve their union because Alan is a little person. So, Alan hits the road with his brother, traveling from their small Iraqi village to the Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid. The plan: meet Cristiano Ronaldo, and earn the blessing of Gona’s father. El Clásico is a distinctly cinematic road movie, brimming with warmth and humor. With Wrya Ahmed, Dana Ahmed, Rozhin Sharifi, Kamaran Raoof, Nyan Aziz. In Arabic, Kurdish with subtitles.
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Ana Cecilia Stieglitz as Pasajera Angelina in Icaros: A Vision.[/caption]
Icaros: A Vision, directed by Leonor Caraballo and Matteo Norzi, written by Leonor Caraballo, Matteo Norzi, and Abou Farman. (Peru, USA) – World Premiere. An American woman in search of a miracle embarks on an adventure in the Peruvian Amazon. At a healing center, she finds hope in the form of an ancient psychedelic plant known as ayahuasca. With her perception forever altered, she bonds with a young indigenous shaman who is treating a group of psychonauts seeking transcendence, companionship, and the secrets of life and death. With Ana Cecilia Stieglitz, Arturo Izquierdo, Filippo Timi. In English, Spanish with subtitles.
Junction 48, directed by Udi Aloni, written by Oren Moverman and Tamer Nafar. (Israel, Germany, USA) – International Premiere. Set against a backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Junction 48 charts the musical ambitions of Kareem, an aspiring rapper from the town of Lod. A heartbreaking portrayal of the intersection of personal and political tragedies, Junction 48 questions to what extent music can be dissociated from politics. With Tamer Nafar, Samar Qupty, Salwa Nakkara, Ayed Fadel, Sameh “SAZ” Zakout, Saeed Dassuki. In Arabic, Hebrew with subtitles.
Mother (Ema), directed by Kadri Kousaar, written by Leana Jalukse and Al Wallcat. (Estonia) – International Premiere. This darkly comic, crime mystery set in small-town Estonia centers on Elsa, the full time caretaker of her comatose son, Lauri, and the locals, who are abuzz with rumors about who shot Lauri and why. But in this tight-knit town, where everyone seems to know everyone and everything except for what’s right under their nose, the world’s clumsiest crime may go unsolved. With Tiina Mälberg, Jaan Pehk, Andres Tabun, Andres Noormets, Rea Lest, Jaak Prints, Siim Maaten In Estonian with subtitles.
Parents (Forældre), directed and written by Christian Tafdrup. (Denmark) – World Premiere. Told with deadpan Nordic humor and a touch of surrealism, Parents follows Kjelde and Vibeke, two empty-nesters who find themselves unable to let go of the past. Stripped of their identity without their son, who recently moved away to college, they attempt to reclaim their youthful vigor by moving back into the old apartment where they first fell in love. They soon realize that everything that once defined them might no longer exist. With Søren Malling, Bodil Jørgensen, Elliott Crosset Hove, Miri-Ann Beuschel, Anton Honik In Danish with subtitles.
Perfect Strangers (Perfetti sconosciuti), directed by Paolo Genovese, written by Filippo Bologna, Paolo Costella, Paolo Genovese, Paola Mammini, and Rolando Ravello. (Italy) – International Premiere. Paolo Genovese’s new film brings us a bitter ensemble with an all-star cast that poses the question: How well do we really know those close to us? During a dinner party, three couples and a bachelor decide to play a dangerous game with their cell phones. Brilliantly executed and scripted, Perfect Strangers reveals the true nature of how we connect to each other. With Marco Giallini, Kasia Smutniak, Valerio Mastandrea, Anna Foglietta, Edoardo Leo, Alba Rohrwacher, Giuseppe Battiston In Italian with subtitles.
The Tenth Man (El Rey Del Once), directed and written by Daniel Burman. (Argentina) – North American Premiere. Ariel is summoned to Buenos Aires by his distant father, who runs a Jewish aid foundation in El Once, the bustling Jewish neighborhood where he spent his youth. Writer-director Daniel Burman (All In) returns to Tribeca with this tender exploration of community, and the intricacies of the father-son relationship. With Alan Sabbagh, Julieta Zylberberg, Usher, Elvira Onetto, Adrian Stoppelman, Elisa Carricajo. In Spanish with subtitles.
World Documentary Competition
Opening Film
Contemporary Color, directed by Bill Ross and Turner Ross. (USA) – World Premiere. In the summer of 2015, legendary musician David Byrne staged an unprecedented event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to celebrate the art of color guard—synchronized dance involving flags, rifles, and sabers—by pairing regional color guard teams with performers, including St. Vincent, Nelly Furtado, and Ad-Rock. More than a concert film, Contemporary Color is a cinematic interpretation of a one-of-a-kind live event, courtesy of visionary filmmakers Bill and Turner Ross.
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DUSTY and DELIA at the Redhook, Brooklyn waterfront from the last scene of the documentary film ALL THIS PANIC.[/caption]
All This Panic, directed by Jenny Gage. (USA) – World Premiere. What is it like to come of age in New York City? First-time director Jenny Gage follows vivacious sisters, Ginger and Dusty, and their high school friends over the course of their crucial teen years. In this sensitive and cinematic documentary, Gage captures all the urgency, drama, and bittersweetness of girlhood as her subjects grapple with love, friendship, and what their futures hold.
Betting on Zero, directed and written by Ted Braun. (USA) – World Premiere. Allegations of corporate criminality and high-stakes Wall Street vendettas swirl throughout this riveting financial docu-thriller. Controversial hedge fund titan Bill Ackman is on a crusade to expose global nutritional giant Herbalife as the largest pyramid scheme in history while Herbalife execs claim Ackman is a market manipulator out to bankrupt them and make a killing off his billion dollar short.
BUGS, directed and written by Andreas Johnsen. (Denmark) – World Premiere. Head Chef Ben Reade and Lead Researcher Josh Evans from Nordic Food Lab are on a mission to investigate the next big trend in food: edible insects. Filmmaker Andreas Johnsen follows the duo on a globe-trotting tour as they put their own haute-cuisine spin on local insect delicacies (bee larva ceviche, anyone?) in the pursuit of food diversity and deliciousness.
Do Not Resist, directed by Craig Atkinson. (USA) – World Premiere. In Do Not Resist, director Craig Atkinson, through keen and thoughtful observances, presents a startling and powerful exploration into the rapid militarization of police forces in the United States. Filmed over two years, in 11 states, Do Not Resist reveals a rare and surprising look into the increasingly disturbing realities of American police culture.
The Happy Film: a GRAPHIC Design Experiment, directed by Stefan Sagmeister, Ben Nabors, and Hillman Curtis. (USA) – World Premiere. Designer Stefan Sagmeister takes us on a personal journey to find out what causes happiness. Experimenting with three different approaches—meditation, therapy, and drugs—Sagmeister embarks on an entertaining and introspective quest, accented with a whimsical panoply of graphics, charts, and proverbs. The Happy Film may not make you happier, but it will surely move you to reexamine your own pursuit of happiness.
Keep Quiet, directed by Joseph Martin and Sam Blair. (U.K., Hungary) – World Premiere. Passionate in his anti-Semitic beliefs, Csanád Szegedi was the rising star of Hungary’s far-right party until he discovers his family’s secret—his maternal grandparents were Jewish. The revelation prompts an improbable but seemingly heartfelt conversion from anti-Semite to Orthodox Jew. This captivating and confrontational film explores the complex and contradictory character of Szegedi, prompting deep questions about Szegedi’s supposed epiphany. In English, Hungarian with subtitles.
LoveTrue, directed by Alma Har’el. (USA) – World Premiere. Alma Har’el, director and cinematographer of the 2011 TFF Best Documentary Feature Bombay Beach, returns with LoveTrue, a genre-bending documentary, demystifying the fantasy of true love. From an Alaskan strip club, a Hawaiian island, and the streets of NYC—revelatory stories emerge about a deeper definition of love. Set to a hypnotizing score by Flying Lotus and executive produced by Shia LaBeouf.
Memories of a Penitent Heart, directed by Cecilia Aldarondo. (USA, Puerto Rico) – World Premiere. Like many gay men in the 1980s, Miguel moved from Puerto Rico to New York City; he found a career in theater and a rewarding relationship. Yet, on his deathbed he grappled to reconcile his homosexuality with his Catholic upbringing. Now, decades after his death, his niece Cecilia locates Miguel’s estranged lover to understand the truth, and in the process opens up long-dormant family secrets. In English, Spanish with subtitles.
The Return, directed by Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway, written by Kelly Duane de la Vega, Katie Galloway, and Greg O’Toole. (USA) – World Premiere. How does one reintegrate into society after making peace with a life sentence? California’s controversial and notoriously harsh three-strikes law was repealed in 2012, consequently releasing large numbers of convicts back into society. The Return presents an unbiased observation of the many issues with re-entry through the varied experiences of recently freed lifers.
Tickling Giants, directed and written by Sara Taksler. (USA) – World Premiere. Charting Bassem Youssef’s rise as Egypt’s foremost on-screen satirist, Tickling Giants offers a rousing celebration of free speech and a showcase for the power of satire to speak for the people against a repressive government. Where this story differs from the familiar success of Youssef’s idol, Jon Stewart: Bassem’s jokes come with serious, dangerous, and at times revolutionary consequences. In Arabic, English with subtitles.
Untouchable, directed by David Feige. (USA) – World Premiere. When a powerful Florida lobbyist discovered his daughter was sexually abused, he launched a crusade to pass some of the strictest sex offender laws in the country. Today, 800,000 people are listed in the sex offender registry, yet the cycles of abuse continue. David Feige’s enlightening documentary argues for a new understanding of how we think about and legislate sexual abuse.
Viewpoints
Opening Film
Nerdland, directed by Chris Prynoski, written by Andy Kevin Walker. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Nerdland is an R-rated cartoon comedy about celebrity, excess, and two showbiz nobodies, John (Paul Rudd) and Elliott (Patton Oswalt), with a plan to become famous—or even infamous—by the end of the night. Featuring an army of comedy cameos including Hannibal Buress, Laraine Newman, Mike Judge, Kate Micucci & Riki Lindhome, and Molly Shannon.
Abortion: Stories Women Tell, directed by Tracy Droz Tragos. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. In 1973, the US Supreme court decision Roe v. Wade gave every woman the right to have an abortion. In 2016, abortion remains one of the most divisive issues in America, especially in Missouri. Award-winning director and Missouri native Tracy Droz Tragos sheds new light on the contentious issue by focusing on the women and their stories, rather than the debate. An HBO Documentary Film.
Actor Martinez, directed and written by Nathan Silver and Mike Ott. (USA) – North American Premiere, Narrative. Arthur Martinez is a computer repairman and aspiring actor who commissions indie directors Mike Ott and Nathan Silver to film his life. In the directors’ first collaboration, we see them follow Arthur as he goes to work, drives around, and auditions for a love interest (Lindsay Burdge), leading them to question the meaning of the project, and ultimately that of identity and stardom.
Adult Life Skills, directed and written by Rachel Tunnard. (U.K.) – World Premiere, Narrative. Anna (Jodie Whittaker) is stuck: she’s approaching 30, living in her mother’s shed, and spending her time making movies with her thumbs. Her mom wants her to move out; she just wants to be left alone. Adult Life Skills is an off-beat comedy about a woman who’s lost, finding herself. With Jodie Whittaker, Brett Goldstein, Lorraine Ashbourne, Alice Lowe, Edward Hogg, Eileen Davies, Rachael Deering, Ozzy Myers
After Spring, directed by Ellen Martinez and Steph Ching. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Close to 80,000 Syrian refugees live in the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan. After Spring immerses us in the rhythms of the camp, the role of the aid workers, and the daily lives of two families as they contemplate an uncertain future. Executive produced by Jon Stewart, this is a fascinating journey through the camp’s physical and human landscapes. In Arabic, English, Korean with subtitles.
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As I Open My Eyes (À peine j’ouvre les yeux), directed by Leyla Bouzid[/caption]
As I Open My Eyes (À peine j’ouvre les yeux), directed by Leyla Bouzid, written by Leyla Bouzid and Marie-Sophie Chambon. (France, Tunisia, Belgium, United Arab Emirates) – US Premiere, Narrative. As I Open My Eyes depicts the clash between culture and family as seen through the eyes of a young Tunisian woman balancing the traditional expectations of her family with her creative life as the singer in a politically charged rock band. Director Leyla Bouzid’s musical feature debut offers a nuanced portrait of the individual implications of the incipient Arab Spring. With Baya Medhaffer, Ghalia Benali, Montassar Ayari, Aymen Omrani, Lassaad Jamoussi, Deena Abdelwahed, Youssef Soltana, Marwen Soltana. In Arabic with subtitles. Presented in association with Venice Days.
Between Us, directed and written by Rafael Palacio Illingworth. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Longtime couple Henry (Ben Feldman) and Dianne (Olivia Thirlby) are afraid that if they finally tie the knot it would mean the end of their days as free-spirited urbanites. But a whirlwind night apart involving temptations from a duo of strangers (Analeigh Tipton and Adam Goldberg) will either make them realize why they are together in the first place or finally drive them apart forever. With Scott Haze, Peter Bogdanovich, Lesley Ann Warren
Califórnia, directed by Marina Person, written by Marina Person, Mariana Veríssimo, and Francisco Guarnieri. (Brazil) – North American Premiere, Narrative. Nostalgic, sweet, and at moments poignantly funny, Califórnia is a coming-of-age tale about a high school student, Estela, growing up in São Paulo in the 1980s. Estela is doing all she can to get to California to visit her glamorous and cultured uncle. While focused on keeping her grades up, her life is complicated by romance, sex, and social pressures. With Clara Gallo, Caio Blat, and Caio Horowicz. In Portuguese with subtitles.
The Charro of Toluquilla (El Charro De Toluquilla), directed and written by Jose Villalobos Romero. (Mexico) – International Premiere, Documentary. Jaime García appears to be the quintessentially machismo mariachi singer, yet beneath his magnetic confidence lies a man struggling to maintain a relationship with his estranged family while living as an HIV-positive man. In Jose Villalobos Romero’s remarkable cinematic debut, he utilizes vivid tableaus and stylized perspective to paint a beautifully unique and emotional portrait of a man divided. With Analia Garcia Hernandez, Rocio Hernandez, La Paloma, Andrea Dominguez, Ventura Garcia. In Spanish with subtitles.
Children of the Mountain, directed and written by Priscilla Anany. (USA, Ghana) – World Premiere, Narrative. When a young woman gives birth to a deformed and sickly child, she becomes the victim of cruelty and superstition in her Ghanaian community. Discarded by her lover, she is convinced she suffers from a ‘dirty womb,’ and embarks on a journey to heal her son and create a future for them both. With Rukiyat Masud, Grace Omaboe, Akofa Edjeani, Adjetey Annang, Agbeko Mortty (Bex), Dzifa Glikpo, Mynna Otoo. In Twi with subtitles.
Detour, directed and written by Christopher Smith. (U.K.) – World Premiere, Narrative. After his mother ends up in a coma under suspicious circumstances, a law student (Tye Sheridan) decides to drown his sorrows at a seedy bar. The next morning, he wakes up to the realization that he may have hired a hitman (Emory Cohen) and his girlfriend (Bel Powley) to take out the suspected perpetrator (Stephen Moyer) of his mother’s life-threatening accident. With Theo James
Equals, directed by Drake Doremus, written by Nathan Parker. (USA) – US Premiere, Narrative. Set in a sleek and stylish future world, Drake Doremus’ sci-fi romance envisions an understated dystopia, where all human emotion is seen as a disease that must be treated and cured. Against this backdrop, coworkers Nia (Kristen Stewart) and Silas (Nicholas Hoult) begin to feel dangerous stirrings for one another. An A24 release
14 Minutes from Earth, directed and written by Jerry Kolber, Adam “Tex” Davis, Trey Nelson, and Erich Sturm. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. On October 24th, 2014, a secret three-year mission by a small crew of engineers came to fruition deep in the desert of New Mexico. There, a human being (Alan Eustace ) was launched higher than ever before without the aid of a spacecraft—shattering all records. This film documents the mission and its greater implications for the scientific community and stratospheric exploration.
haveababy, directed by Amanda Micheli. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Amanda Micheli’s haveababy opens with a YouTube-based competition for a free round of in vitro fertilization, courtesy of a Las Vegas fertility clinic. Through this controversial contest, Micheli explores the complexities of America’s burgeoning fertility industry and paints an intimate portrait of the many resilient couples determined to have a baby against all odds.
High-Rise, directed by Ben Wheatley, written by Amy Jump and Ben Wheatley. (U.K.) – New York Premiere, Narrative. Based on J.G. Ballard’s novel of the same name, High-Rise stars Tom Hiddleston as Dr. Robert Lang, a newcomer to a recently constructed complex in which the residents are stratified by social class. But when the power goes out, the tenuous hierarchy rapidly descends into chaos. Luke Evans, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, and Elisabeth Moss co-star. A Magnolia Pictures release.
Houston, We Have a Problem!, directed by Žiga Virc, written by Žiga Virc and Boštjan Virc. (Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, Czech Republic, Qatar) – World Premiere. The space race and NASA’s moon landing are as much part of our national identity as they are fodder for conspiracy theories. Houston, We Have a Problem! adds new material to the discussion on both fronts, as filmmaker Žiga Virc investigates the myth of a secret multi-billion-dollar deal involving America’s purchase of Yugoslavia’s space program in the early 1960s. In Croatian, English, Serbian, Slovene with subtitles.
The Human Thing (La Cosa Humana), directed by Gerardo Chijona, written by Francisco García and Gerardo Chijona. (Cuba) – International Premiere, Narrative. Gerardo Chijona’s (Ticket to Paradise) newest film opens with a thief breaking into the home of a famous writer, and unknowingly stealing what turns out to be the only manuscript of his upcoming story. In desperate need of money, he submits it to a contest, which will see him competing with the very writer he robbed. With Héctor Medina, Enrique Molina, Carlos Enrique Almirante, Vladimir Cruz, Miriel Cejas, Amarilis Núñez, Osvaldo Doimeadiós, Mario Guerra, Alejandro Rivera. In Spanish with subtitles. Presented in association with the Havana Film Festival New York.
Keepers of the Game, directed by Judd Ehrlich. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Lacrosse is a sacred game for Native Americans, traditionally reserved for men. When a women’s varsity team forms in upstate New York, they aim to be the first Native women’s team to take the championship title away from their rivals Massena High. But when their funding is slashed, and the indigenous community is torn, they find more than just the championship is on the line.
The Loner, directed and written by Daniel Grove. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Daniel Grove’s neon-soaked feature debut follows reformed mobster Behrouz, who is haunted by memories of being a child soldier in Iran in the 1980s. As he pursues the American Dream in Los Angeles Behrouz finds it increasingly difficult to stay away from the seedy underbelly of the city. Grove’s neo-noir is a smart, action-packed, and colorful thriller with an electrifying score. With Reza Sixo Safai, Helena Mattsson, Parviz Sayyad, Julian Sands, Laura Harring, Dominic Rains. In English, Farsi, Russian with subtitles.
Night School, directed and written by Andrew Cohn. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Indianapolis has one of the lowest high school graduation rates in the country. For adult learners Greg, Melissa, and Shynika, a high school diploma could be a life-changing achievement. Andrew Cohn’s absorbing documentary observes their individual pursuits, fraught with the challenges of daily life and also the broader systemic roadblocks faced by many low income Americans, including wages and working conditions.
Obit, directed by Vanessa Gould. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Within the storied walls of The New York Times, a team of writers is entrusted with reflecting upon the luminaries, icons, and world leaders of our day. Vanessa Gould’s fascinating documentary introduces us to those responsible for crafting the unequaled obituaries of the NYT. As we’re taken through their painstaking process we learn about the pressures accompanying a career spent shaping the story of a life.
Poor Boy, directed by Robert Scott Wildes, written by Robert Scott Wildes and Logan Antill. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Romeo and Samson Griggs, two reckless, misfit brothers living on the outskirts of town, survive by hustling, gambling, and thieving. In an attempt to leave their lot behind for good, they design their most complex and financially rewarding long con yet. With Lou Taylor Pucci, Michael Shannon, Justin Chatwin, and Amanda Crew.
The Ride, directed and written by Stéphanie Gillard. (France) – World Premiere, Documentary. The Ride takes us along the annual 300-mile trek through the South Dakota Badlands. There, young men and women of the Lakota Sioux ride horseback and reflect upon the history of their ancestors. This intimate, stunningly photographed account captures the thoughts and emotions of the young riders and the adults who guide them along their journey.
SOLITARY, directed by Kristi Jacobson. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. With unprecedented access, director Kristi Jacobson offers a deeply moving portrait of life inside solitary confinement within a supermax prison. Filmed over the course of one year, this riveting film tells the story of the complex personalities that dwell on either side of a cell door while raising provocative questions about the nature of crime and punishment in America today. An HBO Documentary Film.
Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four, directed by Deborah S. Esquenazi. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. In 1994, four women were tried and convicted of a heinous assault on two young girls in a court case that was infused with homophobic prejudice and the Satanic Panic sweeping the nation at that time. Southwest of Salem is a fascinating true crime story that puts the trial of the San Antonio Four in context of their ongoing search for exoneration.
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9 Films by Local Filmmakers Selected for 2016 Ashland Independent Film Festival’s Locals Category
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The Giantess[/caption]
Nine films by local filmmakers are Official Selections in the 2016 Ashland Independent Film Festival’s Locals category.
The nine films chosen are all shorts or short documentaries created by filmmakers who live in the Siskiyou region.
Two films by Medford director Ray Nomoto Robison (Dear Future Self and The Settling) were accepted. Robison is not a newcomer to the film festival. His film Model Rules screened at the 2009 film festival, and his three-minute short, Four Daughters screened in 2012. This will be the second time in the film festival for Cyle Ziebarth of Medford. Ziebarth’s animated short Climb of Competence, was accepted this year. His film Pizza Deliverance was screened in 2012.
The list of selected directors also includes:
Jacob Dalton, of Medford, for Loose Ends.
Philip Kumsar, of Jacksonville; Jameson Collins, Lauren Dahl, and Violet Crabtreee, all of Arcata, CA., for The Giantess, an adaptation of a comic by Crabtree.
Dade Barlow of Jacksonville, for Female to Male: Transgender.
Cat Gould of Ashland, for Bernardina.
Amirah David of Ashland, for As I Am.
Libby Edson of Ashland, for YoMIND/ASH (Ashland High School) Yoga Program.
“Our team of programmers was particularly impressed with these nine films, but the choice was tough, with a record number of submissions and so many strong entries to the festival this year,” said Richard Herskowitz, director of programming. “We hope that our local audiences will recognize the talented filmmakers among them and come out to cheer them on.”
Kumsar, who submitted The Giantess, noted that the film was a project of passion: “We are beyond thrilled to be involved in a film festival.”
Every year the Ashland Independent Film Festival presents local films for free to the public in the Locals Only program, but tickets are required. Deadline for submission is December and entry is free for residents of eligible counties within the Siskiyou region: Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath in Oregon; Siskiyou and Del Norte in California.