• Ilgar Najaf’s POMEGRANATE ORCHARD is Azerbaijan’s Entry for 2018 Oscar Race for Best Foreign Film | TRAILER

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    Pomegranate Orchard Ilgar Najaf’s Pomegranate Orchard has been selected by Azerbaijan as the country’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 90th Academy Awards. The film which world premiered in the “East of the West” competition of the 2017 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival stars Qurban Ismayilov, Anar Hasanov, Samimi Farkhadov and Hasan Agayev. In Pomegranate Orchard, Gabil returns home to the humble family farmstead, surrounded by an orchard of venerable pomegranate trees; since his sudden departure twelve years ago he was never once in contact. However, the deep emotional scars he left behind cannot be erased from one day to the next. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVm8N-S0Ma4

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  • Austin Film Festival Reveals First Wave of Films, PERMANENT, PLEASE STAND BY and More

    [caption id="attachment_24022" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Please Stand By  Please Stand By[/caption] Permanent with Rainn Wilson and Patricia Arquette, Please Stand By with Dakota Fanning and Toni Collete, and 24 Hours to Live with Ethan Hawke and Liam Cunningham are among the first wave of films revealed for the 2017 Austin Film Festival (AFF), taking place October 26 through November 2. In addition to playing films from all over the world, AFF continues to spotlight local films and talent. This year AFF will premiere the romantic comedy Amanda and Jack Go Glamping starring David Arquette and Amy Acker, written and directed by Austin filmmaker Brandon Dickerson. Additionally, AFF will present a remastered retrospective of 1985 Austin-produced cult horror film Confessions of a Serial Killer starring famed local filmmaker Robert Burns. Based on the crimes of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, Confessions was the first independent film acquired for distribution by Roger Corman. Already confirmed to attend the fest this year are David Arquette for Glamping, and Sasheer  Zamata (Saturday Night Live) and Brent Morin (Undateable) for the World Premiere of comedy The Outdoorsman. These actors will join AFF’s already announced Distinguished Screenwriter awardee Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea). AFF FIRST WAVE:  24 Hours to Live Writers: Zach Dean, Jim McClain, Ron Mita Director: Brian Smrz Starring: Ethan Hawke, Liam Cunningham, Rutger Hauer 24 Hours to Live follows a career assassin who turns rogue after his latest mission goes awry. Amanda & Jack Go Glamping World Premiere Writer/Director: Brandon Dickerson Starring: David Arquette, Amy Acker, Adan Canto, June Squibb With his mid-life marriage on rocky ground, dejected one-hit-author Jack Spencer goes glamping (glamorous camping) with his wife, Amanda, in search of a spark. When the isolated retreat suddenly becomes anything but private with the arrival of double booking honeymoon hipsters and a super-hunk land owner, Jack must learn to get over himself as he dives deep off the grid into a comedic exploration of love, failure, relevance, and miniature donkeys. Confessions of a Serial Killer –Remastered 1985 Retrospective Writer/Director: Mark Blair Starring: Robert Burns, Dennis Hill, Berkley Garrett The thinly veiled account of the chilling life and crimes of notorious Henry Lee Lucas, whose reign of terror came to an end on July 11th, 1983. The Deuce-Season Finale World Premiere Creators: David Simon, George Pelecanos Starring: James Franco, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Zoe Kazan Created by George Pelecanos and David Simon and starring James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Deuce follows the story of the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York’s Times Square from the early 1970s through the mid-1980s, exploring the rough-and-tumble world at the pioneering moments of what would become the billion-dollar American sex industry. George Pelecanos, David Simon, James Franco and Nina K. Noble executive produce. Flock of Four World Premiere Writer/Director: Gregory Caruso Starring: Braeden Lemasters, Shane Harper, Coco Jones, Reg E. Cathey In 1959, four best friends search for a legendary jazz musician and discover an unforgettable night of culture and music in South Central, Los Angeles. Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End World Premiere Director: Pablo Bryant Mr. Fish, one of the most dangerous American cartoonists working today, is faced with selling his art or selling his soul. An Ordinary Man North American Premiere Writer/Director: Brad Silberling Starring: Ben Kingsley, Hera Hilmar, Peter Serafinowicz The life of a fugitive war criminal takes a turn for the unexpected in An Ordinary Man.  After years of hiding in plain sight following the brutal Balkan wars, a man known only as the General, ferried nightly from couch to couch by faithful loyalists, at last is placed in an apartment of his own.    When Tanja, the young housemaid of the prior tenant unwittingly stumbles through his door, it’s clear to both that her simply departing will not be an option.    What follows is a cat and mouse game of intentions and identities, in which the General’s need for human contact drives him to take increasingly greater risks, pressing to unearth Tanja’s secrets…and setting  them both on a collision course with the past. The Outdoorsman World Premiere Writer: Ryan Gilmour Director: David Haskell Starring: Brent Morin, Sasheer Zamata, Spencer Grammer As he prepares to cut ties with society and spend a year in the mountains, an aspiring wilderness writer meets a goal oriented, corporate woman who has quit her job to ‘find herself.’ He falls in love, but ultimately must ask himself what he wants: the ‘normal’ life he’s avoided his whole life, or living his outdoor fantasy, alone. Permanent Writer/Director: Colette Burson Starring: Kira McClean, Rainn Wilson, Patricia Arquette Set in 1983 in small town Virginia, Permanent  centers around a 13-year-old and her family. The story of a hairstyle gone incredibly wrong and a young girl’s plight to fit in while encountering bullies at a new school. Please Stand By Writer: Michael Golamco Director: Ben Lewin Magnolia Pictures’ upcoming dramedy starring Dakota Fanning and Toni Collette. Touched North American Premiere Writer/Director: Karl R. Hearne Starring: Hugh Thompson, Lola Flanery A ghostly, psychological drama about a young woman who disappears from her building and her solitary landlord who tries to track her down.

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  • U.S. Premiere of BREATHE is Centerpiece Film + LBJ, THE SQUARE and More Headed to Hamptons International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_22908" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]BREATHE Breathe[/caption] The U.S. premiere of Breathe, the directorial debut of Andy Serkis, starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy will be the Sunday Centerpiece  of the 2017 Hamptons International Film Festival in East Hampton. Additional films featured this year include Ai Weiwei’s Human Flow, a documentary shining light on the global migrant crisis; the recipient of the Palme D’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Ruben Östlund’s The Square, a fictional story about the world of art starring Elisabeth Moss, Claes Bang and Dominic West; and lastly, based on her award-winning short film, the U.S. premiere of Atsuko Hirayanagi’s Oh Lucy! Both Alan Cumming and Toni Collette will attend this year’s festival with new films: Vincent Gagliostro’s After Louie stars Cumming as an NYC artist with survivor’s guilt following the AIDS epidemic, and Alexandre Moors’ The Yellow Birds stars Collette as a veteran’s mother. The Yellow Birds follows two soldiers finding their way in the midst of the Iraq War, and also stars Jennifer Aniston, Tye Sheridan and Alden Ehrenreich. “This first group of films display works that both explore the complexities of our world and some of the challenges we face, while also highlighting the resilience of the human spirit in facing such adversity,” said HIFF Artistic Director David Nugent. As part of the Festival’s signature programs, A Conversation With… will feature renowned Emmy-award winning actor and Oscar-nominated director Rob Reiner, director of LBJ, the upcoming drama starring Woody Harrelson as President Lyndon Johnson, which will also screen at the Festival. Breathe U.S. Premiere | Director: Andy Serkis For his directorial debut, Andy Serkis brings to life the inspiring true love story between Robin and Diana Cavendish (Academy Award® nominee Andrew Garfield, Golden Globe® winner Claire Foy), an adventurous couple who refuse to give up in the face of a devastating disease. When Robin is struck down by polio at the age of 28, he is confined to a hospital bed and given only a few months to live. With the help of Diana’s twin brothers (Tom Hollander) and the groundbreaking ideas of inventor Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville), Robin and Diana dare to escape the hospital ward to seek out a full and passionate life together—raising their young son, traveling and devoting their lives to helping other polio patients. Written by two-time Academy Award nominated writer William Nicholson, and shot by three-time Academy Award winner Robert Richardson, Breathe is a heartwarming celebration of love and human possibility. LBJ New York Premiere | Director: Rob Reiner After powerful Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson (Woody Harrelson) loses the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination to Senator John F. Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan), he agrees to be his young rival’s running mate. But once they win the election, despite his extensive legislative experience and shrewd political instincts, Johnson finds himself sidelined in the role of vice president. That all changes on November 22, 1963, when Kennedy is assassinated and Johnson, with his devoted wife Lady Bird (Jennifer Jason Leigh) by his side, is suddenly thrust into the presidency. As the nation mourns, Johnson must contend with longtime adversary Attorney General Bobby Kennedy (Michael Stahl-David) and one-time mentor Georgia Senator Richard Russell (Richard Jenkins) as he seeks to honor JFK’s legacy by championing the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964. After Louie New York Premiere | Director: Vincent Gagliostro Still reeling from survivor’s guilt in the years following the AIDS epidemic, NYC artist Sam (Tony Award® winner Alan Cumming) spends his days working on a seemingly never-ending video tribute to the partner he lost along the way. While an intimate encounter with a younger man (Zachary Booth) at first seems like just another one-off, it soon forces Sam to re-assess his resentment for a generation he perceives to be oblivious to the political immediacy and pain of his own. Longtime activist and first-time filmmaker Vincent Gagliostro brings a knowing sensitivity to this poignant story of generational difference, all centered around Cumming’s raw and magnetic lead performance. The Yellow Birds East Coast Premiere | Director: Alexandre Moors In the midst of the Iraq War, Bartle (Alden Ehrenreich) and Murph (Tye Sheridan), two young soldiers fresh out of training camp, find themselves woefully unprepared for the realities facing them upon their deployment into active duty. What starts off as a simple mission ends in tragedy, driving one traumatized soldier to return home desperate to escape the past while the other’s parents begins their own search for the truth. Aided by stand-out supporting turns from Jennifer Aniston and Toni Collette, The Yellow Birds provides a haunting look at the personal devastation facing both the soldiers on the ground and those they leave behind. The Square Director: Ruben Östlund Winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Ruben Östlund’s provocatively anarchic The Square follows Christian (Claes Bang), the suave director of a respected contemporary art museum who sees the museum, and his career, suddenly upended when the PR campaign surrounding his latest exhibit goes off the rails. Using the same razor-sharp humor utilized in his festival favorite FORCE MAJEURE (HIFF 2014), Östlund has created another masterful social satire that playfully disassembles the hypocrisy, privilege, and self-importance of the contemporary art world. Featuring fantastic turns by Terry Notary, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, The Square skillfully orchestrates one standout sequence after another, and in the process creates one of the most memorable films of the year. Human Flow East Coast Premiere | Director: Ai Weiwei Visionary artist Ai Weiwei’s haunting new documentary follows the plight of migrants displaced from their homelands by war, poverty, and climate change. A sprawling global odyssey, Human Flow was filmed in 23 countries over the course of more than a year and examines the staggering scale of a crisis that has now reached epidemic proportions. Bearing witness to the atrocious refugee experience serves as a reminder that this is not just a refugee crisis, but rather a human crisis. The end result is a stirring and poignant essay on the profound impact and ways in which it shapes the word. Oh Lucy! U.S. Premiere | Director: Atsuko Hirayanagi In this delightfully offbeat tale, Oh Lucy! follows Setsuko Kawashima (Shinobu Terajima)—a lonely, chain-smoking introvert who is wasting away at her office job in Tokyo. Setsuko’s world is turned upside down when she meets the charismatic English teacher, John (Josh Hartnett), who draws her out of her shell with the help of a blond wig and the promise of a bold new identity. When John abruptly departs for Southern California, the newly emboldened “Lucy” sets out to find him on a life-altering journey of self-discovery. Based on her award-winning short film, Atsuko Hirayanagi’s charming directorial debut explores the transformative power of individualism.

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  • UK Premiere of THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI to Close London Film Festival | Trailer

    THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri will receive its UK premiere as the Closing Night gala of the 61st BFI London Film Festival on Sunday October 15, at the Odeon Leicester Square.  Screenwriter, director and playwright McDonagh is expected to attend along with Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and other filmmakers and cast. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a darkly comic drama from Academy Award® winner Martin McDonagh. After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes (Academy Award® winner Frances McDormand) makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby (Academy Award® nominee Woody Harrelson), the town’s revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), an immature mother’s boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing’s law enforcement is only exacerbated. Written and directed by Academy Award® winning director Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri stars Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, Zeljko Ivanek, Caleb Landry Jones, Clarke Peters, Samara Weaving with John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage. BFI London Film Festival Director, Clare Stewart says: “We are thrilled to be closing the 61st BFI London Film Festival with Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri . By turns riotously funny and deeply sobering, this all-too-relevant film confronts division and conflict in small-town America and is driven by a blistering performance from Frances McDormand.” Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Director Martin McDonagh says: “I’m excited to bring this film back to my home town for its UK premiere. I’m more than proud of it and if there are any fans of In Bruges still out there, I don’t think they’ll be disappointed.” Twentieth Century Fox will release the film across the UK and Ireland on January 12, 2018. The 61st BFI London Film Festival  takes place from Wednesday October 4 to Sunday October  15, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jit3YhGx5pU

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  • 11 Finalists Selected for 2017 Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival Short Film Competition

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    [caption id="attachment_23996" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Once Upon a Line by Alicja Jasina Once Upon a Line by Alicja Jasina[/caption] Eleven short films have been selected as finalists for the Juried Short Film competition at the 2017 Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival. More than 300 entries from 25 countries were submitted for review. To be eligible, the films must have been completed within the past year and be under 20 minutes in length. All eleven films will be screened the night of Saturday, September 9, at the Capawock Theater. At the conclusion of the shorts program, a panel of judges will announce the winning film. A cash prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the winning filmmaker(s).

    2017 Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival Juried Short Film Lineup

    5 Films About Technology Directed by Peter Huang (Canada) Time: 4:39 minutes A look at the dumber side of technology. El Atraco (The Robbery) Directed by Alfonso Díaz (Spain) Time: 9:53 minutes What’s going to happen when these tough times get worse and there are more robbers than bars? Caramel Mou (Unleavened Bread) Directed by Wilfried Méance (France) Time: 8:30 minutes Vanessa is in love with Rémi. Rémi is in love with Vanessa. Only one damper: his bread won’t rise… disillusionment of 10 point font Directed by Greg Condon (USA) Time: 1:12 minutes A collection of playfully animated words, created on a typewriter. Elevator Lesson Directed by Linda Kuriloff (USA) Time: 5:27 minutes Aiden Walker has a chance encounter gone wrong with Maggie Reynolds with whom he ends up stuck on the elevator. The Finger Directed by Chris Carfizzi (USA) Time: 10:08 minutes A guy’s simple injury has an unexpected and profound effect on his special evening with his girlfriend. If We Must Die Directed by Giovanni Ferrari (USA) Time: 18:37 minutes Adapted from a short story by the internationally acclaimed author Kurt Vonnegut, IF WE MUST DIE tells about the unforgettable day of three destinies who collide in the wake of a small town murder. A police chief, his prime suspect, and a ten-year-old paperboy all defend their versions of the truth. Nature will be the final judge. Once Upon a Line Directed by Alicja Jasina (USA) Time: 7:05 minutes A man leads a monotone, humdrum existence until he meets somebody. Rabbit Punch Directed by Keith Farrell and Hannah Salt (UK) Time: 15:00 minutes Rabbit Punch is a redemption tale, based on a true story of a teenage boy who has come to Manchester, UK from the Congo as a young refugee. When a chance encounter leads him to his local boxing club, his life takes an unexpected turn, but can this club help him to escape his past? Time Flies When I Am Having Fun Directed by John Tappert (Sweden) Time: 4:30 minutes From personal experience Marianne knows that time passes too quickly when she is having fun. She therefore tries to live as boring as possible, which turns out to be harder than she thought. La Vista (The Visit) Directed by: Romina Scheduler (USA) Time: 12:30 minutes During an encounter with his aging mother, a man must face an unsettling truth about himself.

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  • 2017 New Orleans Film Festival Reveals Competition Lineup + MUDBOUND is Centerpiece Film

    [caption id="attachment_19917" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Mudbound Mudbound[/caption] The 2017 New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF) selected the Louisiana-shot Mudbound, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year as the Centerpiece Film; and announced the competition lineup. The festival will take place October 11th to October 19th in venues across the city. With 53 percent of films by female directors and 45 percent by directors of color, 2017 boasts the most diverse line-up in the festival’s history. Directed and co-written by Dee Rees, whose previous directorial projects include Pariah and Bessie, Mudbound is an adaptation of the prizewinning novel from Hillary Jordan about racial tension in the 1940s American South. It stars Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige, Garrett Hedlund, and New Orleans native Jason Mitchell. In addition to being directed by a woman, Mudbound also features women in the lead roles of producer, writer, cinematographer, editor, sound mixer, and head of makeup. Set in the rural American South during World War II, Dee Rees’ Mudbound is an epic story of two families pitted against one another by a ruthless social hierarchy, yet bound together by the shared farmland of the Mississippi Delta. Mudbound follows the McAllan family, newly transplanted from the quiet civility of Memphis and unprepared for the harsh demands of farming. Despite the grandiose dreams of Henry (Jason Clarke), his wife Laura (Carey Mulligan) struggles to keep the faith in her husband’s losing venture. Meanwhile, Hap and Florence Jackson (Rob Morgan, Mary J. Blige)—sharecroppers who have worked the land for generations—struggle bravely to build a small dream of their own despite the rigidly enforced social barriers they face. The war upends both families’ plans as their returning loved ones, Jamie McAllan (Garrett Hedlund) and Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell), forge a fast but uneasy friendship that challenges the brutal realities of the Jim Crow South in which they live. “Mudbound is an epic film that feels like an instant American classic: timeless and yet strikingly relevant to issues our country is facing today,” said NOFS Artistic Director Clint Bowie of the festival’s Centerpiece Film. After receiving a record number of nearly 5000 entries for the 2017 competition lineup—an increase of over 20 percent from 2016—the festival’s seasoned team of programmers carefully curated a slate of original, affecting, and provocative films. Entries came from 109 different countries. Overall, directors of selected films represent 44 different nationalities. This year, Louisiana-made films represent 29 percent of the lineup.

    NARRATIVE FEATURES

    After Louie | dir. Vincent Gagliostro Sam worked as an artist and activist through the early years of AIDS, and the younger generation of gay men has left him bewildered. That is, until he meets Braeden. A relationship blossoms between them, reawakening Sam’s artistic soul and wilted heart. Damascene | dir. Freddy Syborn WORLD PREMIERE. Frank and Inez meet while biking to a party. They went out at university, but they haven’t seen each other for nine years. Their journey through the streets of London, captured on their helmet GoPros, brings to light old stories and old secrets. Rift | dir. ErlingurThoroddsen After receiving a disturbing late-night call from his volatile ex, Gunnar drives through the night to a secluded cabin below a glacier, where the two men are haunted by their dead relationship. Sambá | dir. Laura Amelia Guzmán, Israel Cárdenas Cisco returns home to the Dominican Republic after doing time in a U.S. prison but soon finds that the only way he can make a buck is through loosely organized street fights. When a former boxing coach shows interest, they discover there is atonement for both of them in the game. She’s Allergic to Cats | dir. Michael Reich A dog groomer living in a rat-infested Hollywood dive struggles to raise money for an all-cat remake of Carrie. Snowy Bing Bongs Across the North Star Combat Zone | dir. Rachel Wolther, Alex H. Fischer Bing Bong (n. /biNGbäNG/) A pre-historic future lady creature. Soft and dangerous. “Three bing bongs awaken to the morning light, an epic battle awaits them.” The World of Which We Dream Doesn’t Exist | dir. AyoubQanir U.S. PREMIERE. In Central Asia, a Mongolian shaman is visited by an ancient spirit with a message to embark on a grand journey in a world where multiple generations thrive with and alongside shamanic magic. Victor’s History | dir. Nicolas Chevaillier WORLD PREMIERE. A proud son hires a documentary filmmaker to immortalize his father’s legacy. Tensions flare up between filmmaker and subject—a rookie cameraman is caught in the cross fire—as the three travel across France unearthing family secrets. Wexford Plaza | dir. Joyce Wong A dark comedy about a lonely female security guard who works at a dilapidated strip mall. Isolated and friendless, a glimmer of hope appears when a charming make-up salesman shows Betty kindness, leading to an unexpected sexual encounter. Young and Innocent | dir. Jesse Robinson During the hot days of summer, Marion runs away from camp and checks into a seedy motel where she meets a man named Norman. They begin a friendship, though Marion begins to have dreams of another young girl who’s recently gone missing in the area.

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

    Ask the Sexpert | dir. Vaishali Sinha U.S. PREMIERE. 90-year-old Dr. MahinderWatsa is an institution on page 34 of the Mumbai Mirror, doling out on-demand sex advice to a faithful readership. Meanwhile a ban on comprehensive sex education in schools is adopted by approximately a third of India’s states. Burqa Boxers | dir. AlkaRaghuram In a culture that values beauty, delicacy, and submission as the ultimate feminine traits, young Muslim women in Kolkata challenge stereotypes, learning boxing with one of the first Indian women to become a boxing coach and an international referee. Communion (Komunia) | dir. Anna Zamecka Ola is 14 and takes care of her dysfunctional father, autistic brother, and a mother who lives separately; but most of all she tries to reunite the family. Her 13-year-old brother Nikodem’s Holy Communion is a pretext for the family to come together. Horace Tapscott: Musical Griot | dir. Barbara McCullough A poetic meditation on the strength of African American music and activism embodied in the history of Los Angeles through the life of musician, composer, and community activist Horace Tapscott (1934-1999). Love and Saucers | dir. Brad Abrahams The story of David Huggins, a 73-year-old man who claims to have had a lifetime of encounters with otherworldly beings—including a romance with an extra-terrestrial woman, and chronicled it all in surreal impressionist paintings. Olancho | dir. Chris Valdés, Ted Griswold Manuel, a farmer from Olancho, Honduras, seeks fame by making music for the region’s drug cartels. When some of his song lyrics get him in trouble, he must make the most difficult decision of his life: continue the quest for fame, or flee. The Organizer | dir. Nick Taylor WORLD PREMIERE. A feature length documentary about the life, times, and philosophy of community organizer Wade Rathke. Pow Wow | dir. Robinson Devor An elderly Austrian heiress, a Native American family, a bitter Las Vegas comedian, and a cadre of white golfers throwing their club’s annual “pow wow” party, join in a portrait of the garish contrasts of the Coachella Valley in Palm Springs. The Thunder Feast (Truenos de San Juan) | dir. Santiago Maza Stern U.S. PREMIERE.The ancient tradition of a town and its patron saint changes when devotion is mixed with explosives. The World Is Mine | dir. Ann Oren U.S. PREMIERE. A western Cosplayer of cyber diva HatsuneMiku moves to Tokyo to get to know the HatsuneMiku fandom. Her journey explores identity through cosplay and the collective fantasy of this phenom.

    LOUISIANA FEATURES

    AS IS by Nick Cave | dir. Evan Falbaum Director Evan Falbaum spent 12 months in Shreveport, Louisiana, with visual artist Nick Cave and captured the profound way in which he delivers his message of change to the Shreveport community. Cut Off | dir. Jowan Carbin WORLD PREMIERE. Struggling with his new life in New Orleans, Clive follows Trevor, a former professor, to his country home on the bayou to gain a new perspective. While Trevor helps Clive deal with his demons, Clive is sucked into a mission to kill. Do U Want It? | dir. Josh Freund, Sam Radutzky An exploration and celebration of the musical culture of New Orleans, and the complex nature of success, through the story of beloved New Orleans band Papa Grows Funk. Fat Tuesday | dir. Jorge Torres-Torres WORLD PREMIERE. Behind the mask of Mardi Gras, something sinister stalks the streets of New Orleans. Filmed on-location during the final days of Carnival, a group of friends is picked off one by one by a mysterious killer. Hate Crime | dir. Steven Esteb As a killer is executed for murdering a young gay man, two sets of parents struggle to deal with the consequences of fear and repression. Isleños, a Root of America | dir. Eduardo Cubillo U.S. PREMIERE. A travel in time throughout North American history, dealing with a community in St. Bernard Parish largely unknown by the general public with significant and unique influence on politics, arts, war conflicts, and American society. On Our Watch | dir. Jonathan Evans WORLD PREMIERE. Louisiana is facing a coastal land loss crisis. If nothing is done, Louisiana’s wetlands, industries, people, and culture are in danger of being washed away. The Power of Glove | dir. Adam Ward, Andrew Austin U.S. PREMIERE. Released by Mattel in 1989, the Power Glove was hyped as a device that would change the way humans interact with computers. Thirty years later, a small but dedicated fanbase has brought new life to the Power Glove by hacking and repurposing it. Sick to Death! | dir. Maggie Hadleigh-West WORLD PREMIERE. After drinking radioactive iodine to kill her overactive thyroid, filmmaker Maggie Hadleigh-West catapults into illness only to run smack into the medical corruption that is shredding the fabric of millions of lives all over the world. Small Town Rage: Fighting Back in the Deep South | dir. Raydra Hall, David Hylan Examines the work and influence of the AIDS activist group ACT UP Shreveport and the challenges that come with advocating for people living with AIDS in the conservative Deep South.

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  • 2017 Milwaukee Film Festival Announces Cream City Cinema Program of Locally Made Films

    [caption id="attachment_24012" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Roller Life Roller Life[/caption] The 2017 Milwaukee Film Festival today announced the full lineup for the 9th Cream City Cinema program, that showcases the best new work from Milwaukee-based filmmakers and awards three juried cash prizes totaling $12,500. This year’s program is comprised of four shorts programs and six feature films, including the documentary Roller Life profiling Milwaukee’s own Brewcity Bruisers; the coming-of-age period piece Scott Road; and the return of the popular The Milwaukee Music Video Show, featuring music videos for notable local artists WebsterX, The Fatty Acids, and IshDARR. In addition to the Cream City Cinema lineup, films with local ties can be found in other programs throughout the festival. These include Mark Borchart’s short documentary The Dundee Project, which will screen prior to Love and Saucers in the Cinema Hooligante program; Across the Line, an immersive virtual reality short playing as part of the VR Gallery; and Dear Coward on the Moon, which will have its world premiere during the festival in the Spotlight Presentations program. The 2017 Milwaukee Film Festival will take place at the Landmark Oriental Theatre, Landmark Downer Theatre, Fox-Bay Cinema Grill, Times Cinema, and Avalon Theater from September 28th to October 12th.

    2017 Milwaukee Film Festival Cream City Cinema

    Chasing Bubbles (USA / 2016 / Directors: Topher Cochrane, Alex Rust) At the age of 25, Alex Rust was successful, but unhappy. Forgoing the comfort of a solid career track, he decided to take a leap of faith on a global adventure beyond his wildest imagination. Trading his minivan for a small sailboat dubbed “Bubbles,” Rust sets course for the Bahamas (guided only by a copy of Sailing for Dummies), kicking off a yearlong excursion that took him to the corners of the world in this portrait of a restless spirit edited by MFF alums Chris James Thompson and Andrew Swant. Civic Art: Four Stories From South Los Angeles (USA / 2017 / Director: Mark Escribano) A 2013 Los Angeles initiative to create public art projects gets the documentary treatment in this locally produced (among numerous local ties!) look into civic-minded creativity. Four groups, with skill sets spanning various disciplines, are tasked with transforming vacant or underutilized areas throughout the city into public spaces that feel safe and encourage community-oriented activity. From conception through execution, you’re given a ground-level view of the tension and exhilaration involved as artists and communities partake in creative placemaking, a conversation not dissimilar to those taking place in Milwaukee. Preceded by: Seeking Century City (USA / 2017 / Directors: Adam Carr, Wes Tank) Life of the Party (USA / 2017 / Director: Rubin Whitmore II) A wedding reception in a West Allis bowling alley, populated by a motley assortment of friends, coworkers, and family, have congregated to celebrate the union of David and Tyesha. With each passing minute this melting pot of Americana (different cultures and identities abound) threatens to boil over as the attendees anxiously await the arrival of the bride and groom. An ensemble piece that’s alternately comic and dramatic, Life of the Party (from Milwaukee’s own Rubin Whitmore II) is a wedding you have to see to believe. Manlife (USA / 2017 / Director: Ryan Sarnowski) Anyone driving on I-94 in years past couldn’t help but notice the barn with “Study Natural Law” plastered on its side and wonder what it meant. The riveting Manlife shows us truth is stranger than fiction – the barn references the life’s work of Alfred Lawson: baseball player, inventor of the airliner, and creator of an economic/spiritual/philosophical movement known as Lawsonomy. But equally fascinating is the story of the man who has singlehandedly kept Lawsonomy alive for decades: Merle Hayden, Lawson’s last crusader and a man apart in the modern world. https://vimeo.com/219521457   The Milwaukee Music Video Show If these shorts are too loud, you’re too old. Our annual showcase features a who’s who of the local music scene (Webster X, Ishdarr, Marielle Allschwang, Fatty Acids and many more), running the gamut of musical genres while also showing us the exquisite diversity allowed by the music video format, a series of short, sonic bursts of creative excitement. Direct Hit! – “Snickers or Reese’s” (USA / 2017 / Directors: Adam Santiago, Derek Shreves) The Fatty Acids – “Digested” (USA / 2017 / Director: Cole Quamme) Hot Coffin – “Whistle, Hawk & Spit” (USA / 2016 / Director: Jed Schlegelmilch) IshDARR – “Locals” (USA / 2016 / Director: Damien Blue) Jacob Banks – “Unholy War” (USA / 2017 / Director: Cody LaPlant) Jim White & Paul Fonfara – “The Saga of the Whittled Hodag” (USA / 2017 / Director: Kara Mulroony) Joe Quinto & Miguel Diaz – “Black Magic” (USA / 2016 / Director: Emmanuil Morari) The Kingdom of Mudnscum – “Genie Gypsy Woman” (USA / 2017 / Directors: Tommy Simms, Jamie Hazelwood) The Listening Party – “Bones” (USA / 2017 / Director: Jessica Farrell) Marielle Allschwang – “Aquarium” (USA / 2016 / Director: Heather Hass) NO/NO – “Television” (USA / 2016 / Director: Ryan Thomas Reeve) Ragani – “Peace Prayer (Seeing All The World As Divine)” (USA / 2017 / Director: Ragani) Sat. Nite Duets – “St. Yuppie” (USA / 2017 / Director: Kurt Raether) Soul Low – “Amputee” (USA / 2017 / Director: Harper Robinson) Uncle Larry – “Cosmic Sugar” (USA / 2017 / Director: Billy Judge Baldus) WebsterX – “Blue Streak” (USA / 2017 / Directors: Damien Blue, Cody LaPlant) The Milwaukee Show I Each year The Milwaukee Show is one of the hottest tickets in town—a rare chance to see work from our local best and brightest in the gloriously opulent setting of the Oriental Theatre’s main house. Highlights this year include exquisitely crafted animation, a puppet musical, and a variety of eye-opening looks at serious issues (mental health, human trafficking and bullying). The Alligator Hunter (USA / 2017 / Director: Kyle V. James) ANGELAAA (USA / 2017 / Director: Shannon McInnis) ‘the beautiful’: The Stories She Tell (USA / 2016 / Director: Maeve Jackson) Grey Sheep (USA / 2016 / Director: Damien Blue) Remnants of a Room (USA / 2017 / Director: Devon Smith) Sabrina (USA / 2017 / Director: Julien Lasseur) The Sneeze (USA / 2017 / Director: Erin Valusek) The Survivor (USA / 2017 / Director: Christopher Carson Emmons) A Walk With My Brother (USA / 2017 / Director: Sitora Takanaev) The Milwaukee Show II Our ongoing crusade to get you to cinematically buy local continues here with this second installment celebrating the multitude of talented voices creating on the local scene, the best celebration of local talent one could ask for. Highlights this year include a little bit of ‘Sconnie history, mind-expanding experimental films of the highest caliber, eye-popping animation, and much more! CORN (USA / 2017 / Director: Nicklas Hendrickson) The Deer Queen (USA / 2017 / Director: Brooke Thiele) Hummingbird: A Sister’s Courage (USA / 2017 / Director: Tyshun Wardlaw) It’s Gotta Be In Ya! (USA / 2017 / Director: Kara Mulrooney) Marshland (USA / 2017 / Director: Drew Britton) The Pilot (USA / 2017 / Director: Sean McDowell) Silently Steal Away (USA / 2017 / Director: Andrew Swant) Visions of an Island (USA / 2016 / Director: Sky Hopkina) The Milwaukee Youth Show If you want to see the latest work from our bright young things, look no further: This collection of PSAs, animated shorts, documentaries, and genre-spanning fiction made by those 18 and younger in the greater Milwaukee area serve as both a testament to our burgeoning local film scene and a chance to say you knew them before they hit it big! Aww Heck (USA / 2017 / Directors: Kevin Blaine, Jack Lehtine, Brad Mellema-Warzala, Mason Schlax) Clayton’s Cavalcade of Confounding Creatures (and Calamitous Cuisine) (…or chowder) (USA / 2017 / Director: Clayton Allen) Giombi Gone Wild (USA / 2017 / Directors: Emily Giombi, Holly Myers) Green Creek – “Father Nature” (USA / 2017 / Directors: Callan Blachowski, Amina Odogba) Greyhound Pets of America Wisconsin (USA / 2017 / Directors: Calvin Carmony, Nicholas Tenaglia I am a Feminist (USA / 2017 / Director: Hannah Milos) I Miss You (USA / 2017 / Director: Dara Khampane) Just Desserts (USA / 2017 / Director: Karissa Demotto) Niatsus (USA / 2017 / Director: Maddie O’Connell) One Step Ahead (USA / 2017 / Directors: Emma Brockman, Parker Rehm, Luke Rogahn) Spectrum (USA / 2017 / Director: Collin Dedrick) Tiny Glowing Screens (USA / 2017 / Director: Emily Jacobson) Tolerance (USA / 2016 / Director: Annalise Schmidbauer) Walk a Mile (USA / 2017 / Directors: Grace Paskiewicz, Omar Shana) Roller Life (USA / 2016 / Director: Michael Brown) The fastest growing sport in the nation is roller derby, an earthquaking, bone-shaking paean to female empowerment filled with outsized personalities performing athletic acts of derring-do. The Brew City Bruisers, Milwaukee’s own roller league, goes under the microscope in Roller Life, showcasing both the amazing teams (including but not limited to the Rushin’ Rollettes, Maiden Milwaukee, and the Shevil Knevils) that comprise this special community and the incredible women who have helped to form them. Preceded by: Mondo Lucha! (USA / 2017 / Director: Daniel Andera) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM2oICQjyVU Scott Road (China / 2016 / Director: William Tang) Proof that global cinema can come from our own backyard (producer Youcai Yang calls Milwaukee his home), Scott Road is a coming-of-age story told with uncommon poise and precision. On the verge of the lunar new year in 1949 Shanghai, a 15-year-old boy develops a crush on his young substitute teacher, who just so happens to be his older brother’s ex-girlfriend. With both young men set to leave for Taiwan, they must find their own ways to say farewell to their shared love. Preceded by: That Is Circling All Round the Sun (USA / 2017 / Director: Colleen Kwok) Locally made films found in other programs at the festival include:

    FEATURES

    The Blood Is at The Doorstep (USA / 2017 / Director: Erik Ljung) Program: Spotlight Presentations It’s a scene Milwaukee natives will not soon forget: Dontre Hamilton, an unarmed Black man resting in Red Arrow Park, shot 14 times by a police officer in broad daylight, leaving behind a devastated family to pick up the pieces and bringing a community already struggling to maintain positive police-community relations even closer to the brink. Filmed over a three-year period, The Blood Is at the Doorstep focuses intimately on the Hamilton family’s strength in the face of unspeakable tragedy, as we follow mother Maria and older brother Nate as they turn to community organizing as a means of honoring Dontre’s memory while still doggedly pursuing answers, with public outcry intensifying the longer none are given. A heart-rending portrait of justice deferred from director Erik Ljung, illuminating one family’s remarkable ability to channel their grief into fuel for activism and community building, and a sobering reminder of the chasm that so often divides us. https://vimeo.com/205828363   Dear Coward on the Moon (USA / 2017 / Director: Carol Brandt) Program: Spotlight Presentations World premiere! Jasmine is a precocious nine-year-old girl prone to flights of fancy, constantly traversing imaginary lunar landscapes and exploring the world around her, while her older sister Jade struggles to support them with her full-time job. When Jasmine’s curiosity reveals an upsetting family secret that causes her to run away, Jade must reach back into their shared past in order to track down her beloved sister in this locally made, Wisconsin-set family drama directed by MFF alum Carol Brandt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4y1ts2eARY Don’t Break Down: A Film About Jawbreaker (USA / 2017 / Director: Tim Irwin, Keith Schieron) Program: Sound Vision Jawbreaker remains one of the most influential punk rock acts of the 1990s—inspiring and collaborating with bands such as Rancid and Green Day, touring with Nirvana—with their trademark personal lyrics and blistering energy. But an acrimonious album release split them apart, with all three members refusing to ever play with one another again. That is, until an emotional weekend reunion wherein Jawbreaker jams, reminisces, and tries to square away the hurt of the past in this energetic tribute (locally produced by the September Club!) that will have you moshing in the aisles. https://vimeo.com/223189941  

    SHORTS AND VR FILMS

    Across the Line (USA / 2017 / Director: Jeff Fitzsimmons, Brad Lichtenstein, Nonny de la Peña) Bob the Buck (USA / 2017 / Director: Brendan T. Jones) The Dundee Project (USA / 2017 / Director: Mark Borchardt) Pharma Lab Training Video: 1 (USA / 2017 / Director: Joseph David Bowes)

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  • Toronto International Film Festival Unveils TIFF Kids + TIFF Next Wave Lineups for Young Cinephiles

    [caption id="attachment_24009" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]I Kill Giants by Anders Walter I Kill Giants by Anders Walter[/caption] The 2017 Toronto International Film Festival delivers age-appropriate films curated for young audiences with the TIFF Kids and TIFF Next Wave lineup. “Curating film selections with our younger Festival-goers in mind allows us to bring the same transformative films from around the world to a new generation of film lovers,” said Elizabeth Muskala, Director, Youth Learning and TIFF Kids. “There is a film for everyone at the Festival; families and young cinephiles have a special place here at TIFF, and we hope this movie-going experience inspires future filmmakers and critics alike.” The 2017 TIFF Kids features three memorable films — two of which are World Premieres — that explore themes of family, courage, acceptance, and humor. The selection features two page-to-screen adaptations: The Breadwinner, the remarkable story of a young Afghan girl finding strength in the love of her family and the power of storytelling; and I Kill Giants, based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Joe Kelly and directed by Academy Award winner Anders Walter. The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales is a comical story of life in the countryside and the hijinks that ensue as animals try to get along. This year’s TIFF Next Wave lineup features a record 12 titles, including the first-ever selection from the Primetime programme. The Next Wave line-up comes from the TIFF Next Wave committee, a group of young film buffs responsible for selecting the films they believe their peers would most enjoy. The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.

    2017 TIFF Kids

    The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales (Le Grand Méchant Renard et autres contes) Benjamin Renner, Patrick Imbert, France North American Premiere (Contemporary World Cinema) Recommended for ages 8 and up The Breadwinner Nora Twomey, Canada/Ireland/Luxembourg World Premiere (Special Presentations) Recommended for ages 10 and up I Kill Giants Anders Walter, United Kingdom World Premiere (Discovery) Recommended for ages 12 and up

    2017 TIFF Next Wave

    AVA Sadaf Foroughi, Iran/Canada/Qatar World Premiere (Discovery) Call Me By Your Name Luca Guadagnino, Italy/France Canadian Premiere (Special Presentations) Dark Germany, 2 episodes Showrunners: Baran bo Odar, Jantje Friese Director: Baran bo Odar World Premiere (Primetime) High Fantasy Jenna Bass, South Africa World Premiere (Discovery) Killing Jesus (Matar a Jesús) Laura Mora, Colombia/Argentina World Premiere (Discovery) Lady Bird Greta Gerwig, USA International Premiere (Special Presentations) Scaffolding (Pigumim) Matan Yair, Israel/Poland North American Premiere (Discovery) Sheikh Jackson (Al Sheikh Jackson) Amr Salama, Egypt World Premiere (Special Presentations) The Rider Chloé Zhao, USA Canadian Premiere (Special Presentations) Unicorn Store Brie Larson, USA World Premiere (Special Presentations) What Will People Say (Hva vil folk si) Iram Haq, Norway/Germany/Sweden World Premiere (Contemporary World Cinema) Youth (Fāng Huá) Feng Xiaogang, China World Premiere (Special Presentations)

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  • Toronto International Film Festival In Conversation With to Feature Angelina Jolie, Javier Bardem and More

    [caption id="attachment_24006" align="aligncenter" width="1366"]2017 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL’S IN CONVERSATION WITH Angelina Jolie, Javier Bardem, Helen Mirren and Gael García Bernal Angelina Jolie, Javier Bardem, Helen Mirren and Gael García Bernal[/caption] This year’s 2017  Toronto International Film Festival In Conversation With… lineup will feature Angelina Jolie, Javier Bardem, Helen Mirren and Gael García Bernal . Through intimate, onstage discussions, the program provides audiences with the rare opportunity to get a glimpse into the careers of industry luminaries. The discussions are moderated by a journalist or industry expert, interspersed with clips of career highlights and followed by a brief Q&A. “Through insightful and dynamic conversation, this program provides a unique platform to engage with these cinematic stars,” said Theresa Scandiffio, In Conversation With… programmer and Senior Director, TIFF Learning. “All of this year’s guests have made a huge mark in the world of film with epic onscreen roles — but we’ll also learn more about the vital work they do behind the scenes, and the stories that brought them to where and who they are today.” The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs September 7 to 17, 2017.

    2017 Toronto International Film Festival In Conversation With…

    In Conversation With… Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie has forged a boundary-pushing path as an actor, director, producer, and humanitarian. Jolie’s roles in Hackers, Gia, and her Academy Award–winning performance in Girl, Interrupted were marked by a transfixing onscreen presence and a restless, mercurial energy that earned her early recognition in the film industry. Having made a deep imprint on Hollywood through lead roles in the Lara Croft franchise as well as Salt and Maleficent, and her acclaimed performances in A Mighty Heart and Changeling, Jolie has subsequently devoted herself to humanitarianism and socially conscious projects. For over 15 years she has given her time and energy as a dedicated UNHCR Ambassador and Special Envoy. As a storyteller, Jolie routinely shakes up the status quo, her passion fuelling such poignant directorial works as In the Land of Blood and Honey and Unbroken. At this year’s Festival, TIFF presents Jolie’s most recent projects: directing, producing and co-writing First They Killed My Father; and producing Nora Twomey’s animated feature The Breadwinner. In Conversation With… Javier Bardem Javier Bardem is an artistically and politically minded force of nature. A household name in Hollywood, art house, and genre in both English- and Spanish-language cinema, he lives and breathes his craft. Always eager to take on diverse and challenging roles, Bardem’s long list of memorable performances include No Country for Old Men, for which he won an Academy Award, The Sea Inside, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Biutiful and Skyfall. A dedicated professional, he’s worked with an impressive roster of luminary filmmakers: Julian Schnabel, the Coen brothers, Woody Allen, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Terrence Malick, Ridley Scott… the list goes on. Equal parts charisma and compassion, his work on The Sons of the Clouds: The Last Colony brought him to the UN to plead the case of the refugees of the Western Sahara. Hear from this truly galvanizing figure as he speaks candidly about his life, career, and the two films — Loving Pablo and mother! — that he brings to the Festival this year. In Conversation With… Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren is the embodiment of a living legend. A master of both theatre and cinema, she is renowned for delivering bold performances with an air of effortlessness that belies her extreme precision. On stage, she has brought to life the visions of Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Strindberg. Her depth of classical training — particularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1960s and ’70s — has been translated brilliantly across a daring filmography including The Long Good Friday; Cal (for which she won Best Actress at Cannes in 1984); Peter Greenaway’s astonishing The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover; and the TV detective series Prime Suspect. These were star-making parts in which Mirren showed total control — and this was before her fame playing British monarchs Queen Charlotte in The Madness of King George; the eponymous ruler of Elizabeth I; and her sublime, Academy Award–winning turn as Elizabeth II in The Queen. Mirren’s work always vividly illustrates a devotion to exploring a range of human experience. TIFF welcomes Mirren to this intimate onstage conversation to take a closer look at her newest film, the Festival Gala Presentation selection The Leisure Seeker. In Conversation With… Gael García Bernal Gael García Bernal has long been a commanding presence in world cinema. Since his breakthrough performances in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros (and later Babel) and Alfonso Cuarón’s Y Tu Mamá También, Bernal has collaborated with such contemporary auteurs as Pedro Almodóvar (Bad Education) and Pablo Larraín (No, Neruda). Bernal’s subversive spirit continues to chart revolutionary ground, from Che Guevara (Fidel, The Motorcycle Diaries) to real-life Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari (Rosewater) to his latest role, inspired by Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, in Mozart in the Jungle. In 2005, Bernal, his longtime collaborator Diego Luna, and producer Elena Fortes launched a documentary film festival (Ambulante), screening films across Mexico (and later, the United States). Two years later, Bernal released Déficit, his directorial debut produced by Canana, a company he founded with Luna. Join us at TIFF to sit down with this artist and community builder as he presents his latest performance in Joan Chemla’s If You Saw His Heart at this year’s Festival.

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  • 45 Films from Fresh Filmmakers on Toronto International Film Festival 2017 Discovery Program

    [caption id="attachment_24001" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]A Fish Out Of Water (上岸的魚) Lai Kuo-An A Fish Out Of Water (上岸的魚) Lai Kuo-An[/caption] The Toronto International Film Festival debuted the 2017 Discovery program lineup with 45 first and second feature films by up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world. Good news for the future of global cinema: this is the biggest Discovery program to date, with 25% more titles than the 2016 roster and two-thirds of the selection World Premiering at TIFF. “Uncovering new talent is one of the key roles of the Festival,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “The Discovery programme allows us to carve out a space for emerging filmmakers to be seen by the international film industry and has helped launch the careers of award-winning filmmakers like Maren Ade, Barry Jenkins, Steve McQueen, Christopher Nolan, and Dee Rees.” The films, produced or co-produced in 35 different countries, include fresh, experimental and compelling voices. Life in small, rural communities is portrayed in Miracle, Ravens and The Swan, while families dealing with crises and conflict are addressed in Apostasy, Shuttle Life and Suleiman Mountain. LGBTQ+ themes run through several of the Discovery titles, including Montana, Soldiers. Story from Ferentari and The Poet and the Boy, while teen sexuality is explored in Disappearance, Kissing Candice and Princesita. “If you don’t support the future of filmmaking, you fall behind. So we’re always looking for new talent,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “The fact that the Discovery programme continues to grow is deeply encouraging, and speaks to the fact that there are a lot of people that want to make films when it is often increasingly more difficult to do so.” The Toronto International Film Festival also announced an additional title to the Docs program: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart, a documentary about Lorraine Hansberry, a black writer, communist, feminist, lesbian and outspoken trailblazer at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.

    Toronto International Film Festival 2017 Discovery program

    1% Stephen McCallum, Australia World Premiere ¾ (Three Quarters) Ilian Metev, Germany/Bulgaria North American Premiere A Fish Out Of Water (上岸的魚) Lai Kuo-An, Taiwan World Premiere A Worthy Companion Carlos Sanchez, Jason Sanchez, Canada World Premiere All You Can Eat Buddha Ian Lagarde, Canada World Premiere Apostasy Daniel Kokotajlo, United Kingdom World Premiere AVA Sadaf Foroughi, Iran/Canada/Qatar World Premiere Black Cop Cory Bowles, Canada World Premiere The Butterfly Tree Priscilla Cameron, Australia International Premiere Cardinals Grayson Moore, Aidan Shipley, Canada World Premiere Disappearance (Napadid Shodan) Ali Asgari, Iran/Qatar North American Premiere Five Fingers For Marseilles (Menoana e Mehlano ea Marseilles) Michael Matthews, South Africa World Premiere The Future Ahead (El futuro que viene) Constanza Novick, Argentina World Premiere The Garden (Sommerhäuser) Sonja Maria Kröner, Germany International Premiere The Great Buddha+ (大佛普拉斯) Huang Hsin-Yao, Taiwan International Premiere The Lady From Holland Marleen Jonkman, Netherlands/Germany World Premiere Gutland Govinda Van Maele, Luxembourg/Germany/Belgium World Premiere High Fantasy Jenna Bass, South Africa World Premiere Human Traces Nic Gorman, New Zealand North American Premiere Discovery Closing Film. I am not a Witch Rungano Nyoni, United Kingdom/France North American Premiere I Kill Giants Anders Walter, United Kingdom World Premiere Indian Horse Stephen Campanelli, Canada World Premiere Killing Jesus (Matar a Jesús) Laura Mora, Colombia/Argentina World Premiere Kissing Candice Aoife McArdle, Ireland World Premiere Luk’Luk’I Wayne Wapeemukwa, Canada World Premiere Mary Goes Round Molly McGlynn, Canada World Premiere Miracle (Stebuklas) Egle Vertelyte, Lithuania/Bulgaria/Poland World Premiere Montana Limor Shmila, Israel World Premiere Never Steady, Never Still Kathleen Hepburn, Canada World Premiere Oblivion Verses (Los Versos del Olvido) Alireza Khatami, France/Germany/Netherlands/Chile North American Premiere Oh Lucy! Atsuko Hirayanagi, USA/Japan North American Premiere The Poet and the Boy (Si-e-nui Sa-rang) Kim Yang-hee, South Korea International Premiere Princesita Marialy Rivas, Chile/Argentina/Spain World Premiere Ravens Jens Assur, Sweden World Premiere Scaffolding (Pigumim) Matan Yair, Israel/Poland North American Premiere Shuttle Life (分貝人生) Tan Seng Kiat, Malaysia North American Premiere Simulation Abed Abest, Iran North American Premiere Soldiers. Story from Ferentari (Soldaţii. Poveste din Ferentari) Ivana Mladenovic, Romania/Serbia/Belgium World Premiere Suleiman Mountain Elizaveta Stishova, Kyrgyzstan/Russia World Premiere The Swan (Svanurinn) Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir, Iceland World Premiere Discovery Opening Film. Tigre Silvina Schnicer, Ulises Porra Guardiola, Argentina World Premiere Valley of Shadows (Skyggenes Dal) Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen, Norway World Premiere Village Rockstars Rima Das, India World Premiere Waru Briar Grace-Smith, Ainsley Gardiner, Renae Maihi, Casey Kaa, Awanui Simich-Pene, Chelsea Cohen, Katie Wolfe, Paula Jones, New Zealand International Premiere Winter Brothers (Vinterbrødre) Hlynur Pálmason, Denmark/Iceland North American Premiere

    TIFF DOCS

    Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart Tracy Heather Strain, USA World Premiere

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  • Morgan Freeman to Receive 2017 SAG Life Achievement Award

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    Morgan Freeman Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman has been named the 54th recipient of SAG-AFTRA’s highest tribute: the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Freeman will be presented the performers union’s top accolade at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 at 8 p.m. (ET), 7 p.m. (CT), 6 p.m. (MT) and 5 p.m. (PT). Given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” the SAG Life Achievement Award will join Freeman’s exceptional catalog of preeminent industry and public honors, which includes a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Academy Award, HFPA’s Cecil B. DeMille Award®, an AFI Lifetime Achievement Award, seven Image Awards, a Silver Berlin Bear, several Obies®, a Kennedy Center Honor, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “I am thrilled to announce Morgan Freeman as this year’s recipient of the SAG Life Achievement Award. Some actors spend their entire careers waiting for the perfect role. Morgan showed us that true perfection is what a performer brings to the part,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. “He is innovative, fearless and completely unbound by expectations. As a chauffeur, convicted murderer, boxing gym attendant, pimp or president, Morgan fully realized every character, baring their souls and showcasing their humanity. It has been a privilege to see his genius at work.”

    A Life Devoted to His Art and Craft

    Freeman first earned recognition for his acting skills at age 12, when he won a statewide drama competition in Mississippi. As a young actor he paid his dues in small roles, pausing only to serve in the U.S. Air Force. Theater beckoned first, then film and television. As he breathed life into memorable characters, widespread critical acclaim came accompanied by enraptured audiences and commercial success. Freeman invariably ranks as one of the five worldwide top-grossing actors of all time, with his films having earned over $4.5 billion in cumulative ticket sales.

    An Indelible Presence in Film

    Freeman has earned four Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. He received the SAG Awards Actor® for his performance in the Best Picture Oscar® winning Million Dollar Baby, a role that also garnered him a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award and an Image Award. Two films starring Freeman are held in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry: Unforgiven, which received four Oscars, and The Shawshank Redemption, for which Freeman received Best Actor nominations for a SAG Award, Oscar and a Golden Globe. Among Freeman’s extensive list of credits – now nearing 100 films – another milestone is Invictus. His portrayal of Nelson Mandela received the National Board of Review Award for Best Actor and an Image Award along with nominations for another SAG Award, Oscar and Golden Globe. In addition, the picture was produced by Revelations Entertainment, the company Freeman and Lori McCreary co-founded in 1996 with a mission “to produce films that reveal truth” and to stay in the forefront of digital entertainment. Other credits in that still-growing list include Street Smart (Freeman’s 1987 breakthrough role), The Dark Knight, The Bucket List, Glory, Lean on Me, Se7en, Amistad, Bruce Almighty, and Along Came a Spider. Further demonstrating his astonishing versatility, Freeman most recently starred in Warner Bros.’ Going In Style, Paramount Pictures’ Ben-Hur, Summit Entertainment’s Now You See Me 2 and Focus Features’ London Has Fallen. Freeman’s upcoming films include Broad Green Pictures’ Villa Capri and Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.

    Integrity and Inspiration in Television

    Freeman first became nationally known and loved in 1971 when he starred in the seminal Children’s Television Workshop (CTW) show The Electric Company, for which he created characters including the iconic Easy Reader. Known as the most popular instructional show on television over its six-year run, the series won an Emmy® for Outstanding Children’s Series and a Grammy® for its soundtrack album. Freeman’s indelible impact on a generation was reflected when fellow cast member Rita Moreno, a life-long friend he met on the show, asked that he presented her with the 50th SAG Life Achievement Award. Most recently, Freeman is an executive producer with McCreary on the Revelations Entertainment series Madam Secretary for CBS, which will air its fourth season starting in October. Freeman hosts and is an executive producer for the Revelations Entertainment, three-time Emmy nominated series Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, which recently completed its seventh season for the Science Channel. Also through Revelations, he hosted the Emmy nominated event series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman on the National Geographic Channel, which completed its second season. Through Revelations, he will next host The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman, which premieres October 11 on the National Geographic Channel.

    A Respected, Trusted Voice

    Freeman’s is one of the world’s most recognizable and beloved voices. He most recently narrated The C Word, the latest in a string of prestigious documentaries that includes the IMAX film Island of Lemurs: Madagascar, Science Channel’s Stem Cell Universe with Stephen Hawking, and the informative IMAX feature We the People. Three previous narrations are the Peabody Award winning ESPN 30 For 30 documentary The 16th Man and two Academy Award-winning documentaries, The Long Way Home and The March of the Penguins. He could also be heard in the presidential campaigns for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. In a lighter vein, Freeman was the overwhelming choice when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg asked the millions of Facebook users what voice Zuckerman’s smart home system should have.

    Authenticity and Insight on Stage

    After earlier roles in the off-Broadway stage productions of The Niggerlovers and the transformational all African-American production of Hello Dolly, Freeman’s 1978 role as Zeke in The Mighty Gents earned him a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award® nomination. His arresting, moving performances went on to earn three Obie Awards even before he portrayed Hoke Colburn in Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Driving Miss Daisy, a role for which Freeman received an Oscar nomination when he reprised it for the Best Picture Oscar winning film of the same name. Freeman most recently trod the boards in the triumphant revival of Clifford Odets’ The Country Girl, directed by Mike Nichols.

    Helping to Shape the Future

    In 1973 Freeman co-founded the Frank Silvera Writers’ Workshop, now in its 37th season, which supports and nurtures promising African-American playwrights to ensure those voices can be heard. He additionally supports Artists for a New South Africa and the Campaign for Female Education, organizations working to create hope and better lives for countless people. Freeman provides a boost for another group of artists on an immediately practical level. He co-owns the Ground Zero Blues Club®, which celebrates and features performances by authentic blues musicians. It’s next-door to the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in the heart of the area’s rich blues heritage that Freeman loves. In his spare time, Freeman enjoys the freedom of both sea and sky – he is a long-time sailor and has earned a private pilot’s license.

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  • 2017 Camden International Film Festival Announces Lineup, Opens with World Premiere of SHOT IN THE DARK

    [caption id="attachment_23992" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Shot in the Dark by Dustin Nakao Haider Shot in the Dark by Dustin Nakao Haider[/caption] The 2017 Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) will take place September 14 to 17, 2017 throughout Camden, Rockport and Rockland, Maine, and present 37 features, 35 short films, and a dozen virtual reality experiences from 30 countries.  Keeping with CIFF’s mission to discover and support new talent in nonfiction filmmaking, over half of the lineup’s 37 features are made by first- or second-time filmmakers. CIFF will open with the world premiere of Dustin Nakao Haider’s Shot in the Dark.  Additional highlights include titles making their US debut following premieres at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (Love Means Zero, Eric Clapton: Life In 12 Bars, Cocaine Prison), the North American premieres of films coming from Locarno (Sand und Blut, Did You Wonder Who Fired The Gun?) and Venice (This Is Congo), award-winning films from Visions du Reel (Taste of Cement, All That Passes By Through a Window That Doesn’t Open) and Berlin (El Mar La Mar, House In The Fields, Devil’s Freedom) alongside some of the year’s top documentaries (Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, Whose Streets?, The Work). The 13th Camden International Film Festival is a program of the Points North Institute.  This year, eight projects that have participated in the Points North Institute’s Artist Programs will be screening at CIFF. These titles include All That Passes By Through A Window That Doesn’t Open, No Man’s Land, The Cage Fighter, The Family I Had, The Reagan Show, The Sensitives, Whose Streets? and Commodity City. These films have garnered awards and debuted at prestigious festivals including Sundance, Locarno, Tribeca, Rotterdam, and Visions du Reel. “Screening at CIFF this year feels like a homecoming,” says Sabaah Folayan, Director of Whose Streets?, distributed by Magnolia Pictures. “This community believed in our project when it was still just an idea and it means everything to be able to come back and share the finished film.” This year also features an expanded 2nd edition of Storyforms: Remixing Reality, CIFF’s exhibition of VR, immersive media, and installations. For the first time, Storyforms will present “room-scale” and “walk-around” VR experiences. Highlights include Tree by Milica Zec and Winslow Porter, which comes to CIFF after showing at Sundance, Tribeca and Cannes. Storyforms will also include a sneak preview of the latest groundbreaking walk-around VR experience produced in a new collaboration between FRONTLINE PBS and Nonny de la Peña’s Emblematic Group, which brings climate change to life as never before, allowing viewers to travel alongside NASA scientists to a place where the glaciers are melting faster and faster.

    2017 Camden International Film Festival Features

    SHOT IN THE DARK – Opening Night Film Dustin Nakao Haider | United States |  96 mins Orr Academy’s basketball court is a haven. Outside, it’s a neighborhood racked with gangs and violence. Though each player has his own struggle, they’ll need to fight together if they ever want to break out. World Premiere | Filmmaker in Attendance 69 Minutes of 86 Days Egil Håskjold Larsen | Norway | 71 mins A 3-year-old girl and her family’s long journey from a Greek refugee centre to Uppsala, in a film that gives the tragedy both a form and a face. US Premiere A River Below Mark Grieco | USA, Colombia | 86 mins A River Below captures the Amazon in all its complexity as it examines the actions of environmental activists using the media in an age where truth is a relative term. Filmmaker in Attendance Abacus: Small Enough to Jail Steve James | USA | 88 mins From acclaimed director Steve James, ABACUS tells the incredible family saga of the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Filmmaker in Attendance All That Passes By Through a Window That Doesn’t Open Martin DiCicco | USA, Qatar | 70 mins A journey by rail where workers reflect upon opportunity and regret, floating through a Eurasian expanse striving to fill their days and dreams, as much as their pockets. North American Premiere / PNI Alumni | Filmmaker in Attendance Behold the Earth David Conover | USA | 63 mins A feature-length musical documentary film that inquires into America’s divorce from nature, built out of conversations with leading biologists and evangelical Christians. Filmmaker in Attendance Bobbi Jene Elvira Lind | Denmark. Sweden, Israel, USA | 96 mins A love story, and a film about a woman’s fight for independence, a woman trying to succeed with her own art in the extremely competitive world of dance. Filmmaker in Attendance Cocaine Prison Violeta Ayala | Australia, Bolivia, France & USA | 76 mins From inside one of Bolivia’s most infamous prisons, comes the story of the foot soldiers of the drug trade. US Premiere | Filmmakers in Attendance Common Carrier James N. Kienitz Wilkins | USA | 78 mins A mix of artists struggle to perform their roles, at once connected and alienated by the plague of modern life. Filmmaker in Attendance Devil’s Freedom Everardo González | Mexico | 74 mins A deeply compelling investigation into the phenomenon of Mexico’s “disappeared” from the perspectives of those bereaved by, and those responsible for, some truly barbaric acts. Did You Wonder Who Fired The Gun? Travis Wilkerson | USA | 90 mins This isn’t a White Savior story. It’s a White Nightmare story. North American Premiere | Filmmaker in Attendance Do Donkeys Act? Ashley Sabin, David Redmon | UK | 72 mins A film that subtly subverts the notion of the “dumb beast” as it captures donkeys communicating emotionally with each other in the midst of healing from human cruelty and neglect.  Filmmakers in Attendance El Mar La Mar Joshua Bonnetta, J.P. Sniadecki | USA | 94 mins A portrait of the Sonoran Desert along the United States border with Mexico. Filmmakers in Attendance Eric Clapton: Life In 12 Bars Lili Fini Zanuck | USA | 95 mins A look at the life and work of guitarist Eric Clapton told by those who have known him best, including BB King, Jimi Hendrix, and George Harrison. US Premiere House in the Fields Tala Hadid | Morocco, Qatar | 86 mins House in the Fields is the first part of a triptych set in Morocco, that starts in the Atlas Mountains, journeys through Casablanca and finishes beyond the borders. US Premiere | Filmmaker in Attendance In the Waves Jacquelyn Mills | Canada (Québec) | 60 mins An expressive documentary that depicts the life of 80 years old Joan Alma Mills in her aging coastal village as she finds herself confronted by the fragility of life. North American Premiere | Filmmaker in Attendance Let There Be Light Mila Aung-Thwin, Van Royko | Canada, France, Italy, Switzerland, USA | 90 mins Let There Be Light follows the story of dedicated scientists working to build a small sun on Earth, which would unleash perpetual, cheap, clean energy for mankind. After decades of failed attempts, a massive push is now underway to crack the holy grail of energy. Filmmaker in Attendance Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry Laura Dunn, Jef Sewell | USA | 80 mins A cinematic portrait of farmer and writer Wendell Berry. Through his eyes, we see both the changing landscapes of rural America in the era of industrial agriculture and the redemptive beauty in taking the unworn path. Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle Gustavo Salmerón | Spain | 90 mins A bustling, loose-limbed portrait of actor-director Gustavo Salmerón’s large family, especially his unforgettable mom. US Premiere | Filmmaker in Attendance Love Means Zero Jason Kohn | USA | 89 mins Nick Bollettieri coached a generation of tennis champions, but his relentless desire to win cost him the relationship he valued most. US Premiere | Filmmaker in Attendance Maineland Miao Wang | China, USA | 89 mins Chinese students now account for over one-third to one-half of international secondary school students, including in a small liberal arts college in Maine. Filmmaker in Attendance No Man’s Land David Byars | USA | 83 mins Embedded with the militants of the 2016 occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, NO MAN’S LAND provides a vivid depiction of events that have become emblematic of the current political divide. PNI Alumni | Filmmaker in Attendance Purge This Land Lee Anne Schmitt | USA | 80 mins Contemplating the culpability of White America in the ongoing disenfranchisement of Black America, this film combines images of sites of white racial violence with anecdotal history of John Brown’s radical ethics.  Sneak Preview | Filmmaker in Attendance Quest Jonathan Olshefski | USA | 104 mins The moving portrait of a family in North Philadelphia who open the door to their home music studio, which serves as a creative sanctuary from the strife that grips their neighborhood.Filmmaker in Attendance Resurrecting Hassan Carlo Guillermo Proto | Canada, Chile | 100 mins A blind family is haunted by the tragic death of their son Hassan and seek to resurrect his spirit and transcend their suffering, while singing in the subways of Montreal. Filmmaker in Attendance Sand und Blut (Sand and Blood) Matthias Krepp, Angelika Spangel | Austria | 90 mins Private video footage narrated by refugees now living in Europe offers a new and intimate perspective on Syria and Iraq’s recent history: a montage of haunting images of devastation, fear, and hatred. North American Premiere | Filmmakers in Attendance Secret Screening Academy-Award Winning Director | USA A gripping investigation by one of the country’s most celebrated directors. Sneak Preview | Filmmaker in Attendance Shot in the Dark Dustin Nakao Haider | USA | 96 mins Orr Academy’s basketball court is a haven. Outside, it’s a neighborhood racked with gangs and violence. Though each player has his own struggle, they’ll need to fight together if they ever want to break out. Opening Night Film | World Premiere | Filmmaker in Attendance Stranger in Paradise Guido Hendrikx | Netherlands | 72 mins A blunt film essay on the power relations between Europe and refugees. Filmmaker in Attendance Taste of Cement Ziad Kalthoum  | Germany, Lebanon, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Qatar | 85 mins In Beirut, Syrian construction workers are building a skyscraper while at the same time their own houses at home are being shelled. North American Premiere | Filmmaker in Attendance The Cage Fighter Jeff Unay | USA | 83 mins Although a man promises his wife and daughters that he will not return to competitive mixed martial arts fighting, he secretly begins training for the dangerous sport that gives him a sense of purpose. PNI Alumni | Filmmaker in Attendance The Departure Lana Wilson | USA | 87 mins Ittetsu Nemoto, a former punk-turned-Buddhist-priest in Japan, has made a career out of helping suicidal people find reasons to live. Filmmaker in Attendance The Family I Had Katie Green, Carlye Rubin | USA | 77 mins How does the mother to a murdered child and the murderer himself move forward, and what kind of relationship can she forge with her now incarcerated son? PNI Alumni | Filmmakers in Attendance The Reagan Show Pacho Velez, Sierra Pettengill | USA  | 75 mins Made up entirely of archival news and White House footage, this documentary captures the pageantry, absurdity, and mastery of the made-for-TV politics of Ronald Reagan. PNI Alumni | Filmmakers in Attendance The Sensitives Drew Xanthopoulos | USA | 83 mins What if modern life made you sick? PNI Alumni | Filmmaker in Attendance The Work Jairus McLeary, Gethin Aldous | USA | 87 mins Set entirely inside Folsom State Prison, “The Work” follows 3 men during 4 days of intensive group therapy with convicts, revealing an intimate and powerful portrait of authentic human transformation that transcends what we think of as rehabilitation. Filmmakers in Attendance This is Congo Daniel McCabe | USA | 93 mins Following four compelling characters, the film offers a truly Congolese perspective and an immersive exploration into Africa’s longest continuing conflict. North American Premiere | Filmmaker in Attendance Whose Streets? Sabaah Folayan, Damon Davis | USA | 90 mins “Portrait of Ferguson May Be the Doc of the Year: Powerful you-are-there portrait of how a community raged in the aftermath of tragedy – and reacted with activism – could not be more vital” – Rolling Stone PNI Alumni | Filmmakers in Attendance

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