VIMooZ

Miami International Film Festival Reveals 2015 Film Lineup

Miami Film Festival

Sidetracked (Las ovejas no pierden el tren)

Miami International Film Festival released the full roster of films selected to screen during its 32nd edition, taking place March 6 – 15, 2015.

This year’s Festival showcases 125 films, including 94 feature films and documentaries, 18 short films, 11 student films and 2 works-in-progress, produced and directed by both renowned and emerging talent from 40 countries.

The Festival opens with the Florida premiere of Director Damián Szifron’s Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes) from Argentina, boasting an all-star cast of Argentina’s biggest stars in an epic comedy of unfettered, delicious revenge.

The Festival closes with the International Premiere screening of Sidetracked (Las ovejas no pierden el tren) from Spain, directed by Álvaro Fernández Armero and starring Spanish box office sensations Inma Cuesta and Raúl Arévalo. This hilarious film follows a comically rudderless couple in mid-thirties life crisis, with stalled careers, an adorable lonesome son, and dysfunctional siblings who nearly steal the show.

The 11 films selected for the Knight competition are:

Aurora (Chile, directed by Rodrigo Sepúlveda) *North American Premiere
Blue Blood (Sangue azul) (Brazil, directed by Lírio Ferreira) *North American Premiere
Butterfly (Mariposas) (Argentina, directed by Marco Berger) *North American Premiere
Invasion (Invasión) (Panama, directed by Abner Benahim) *North American Premiere
Life is Sacred (Denmark / Ireland / Norway / Colombia, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, Viviana Gómez & Nicolás Servide) *North American Premiere
Los Hongos (Colombia / France, directed by Oscar Ruiz Navia) *US Premiere
The Obscure Spring (Las oscuras primaveras) (Mexico, directed by Ernesto Contreras) *US Premiere
The Project of the Century (La obra del siglo) (Cuba, Argentina, Germany directed by Carlos Machado Quintela) *North American Premiere
The Strongest Man (USA, directed by Kenny Riches)
Sunstrokes (Las insoladas) (Argentina, directed by Gustavo Taretto) *North American Premiere
Voice Over (La voz en off) (Chile, directed by Cristián Jiménez) *US Premiere Co-Presented with Film Comment Selects 2015 at the NYC’s Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Jordan Alexander Ressler Foundation Screenwriting Prize

3 Beauties (3 Bellezas) (Venezuela, screenplay by Carlos Caridad Montero) *North American Premiere
Ben’s at Home (Canada, screenplay by Dan Abramovici and Mars Horodyski)
Cut Snake (Australia, screenplay by Blake Ayshford)
East Side Sushi (USA, screenplay by Anthony Lucero)
A Girl at my Door (Dohee-ya) (Korea, screenplay by Jung July)
Innocent Killers (Asesinos inocentes) (Spain, screenplay by J.M. Asensio and Gonzalo Bendala)*World Premiere
Love at First Fight (Les combattants) (France, screenplay by Thomas Cailley and Claude Le Pape)
On the Road, Somewhere (Algun lugar) (Dominican Republic, screenplay by Wendy Muniz and Guillermo Zouain) *World Premiere
Posthumous (USA, screenplay by Lulu Wang) *North American Premiere
Preggoland (Canada, screenplay by Sonja Bennett)
Set Fire to the Stars (UK, screenplay by Andy Goddard and Celyn Jones) *International Premiere
Someone Else (USA, screenplay by Nelson Kim) *World Premiere
Tango Glories (Fermin glorias del tango) (Argentina, screenplay by Oliver Kolker)
Theeb (Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UK, screenplay by Naji Abu Nawar)
They are All Dead (Todos están muertos) (Spain, Germany, Mexico, screenplay by Beatriz Sanchís) *US Premiere
Tour de Force (Hin und weg) (Germany, screenplay by Ariane Schröder) *US Premiere

Knight Documentary Achievement Award.
Films eligible for this Award are:

13 Million Voices (USA, directed by Janelle Gueits) *World Premiere
Being Evel (USA, directed by Daniel Junge)
Before We are Forgotten (Antes de que nos olviden) (Mexico, directed by Matías Gueilburt) *US Premiere
Best of Enemies (USA, directed by Robert Gordon & Morgan Neville)
City of Gold (USA, directed by Laura Gabbert)
Dawg Fight (USA, directed by Billy Corben) *World Premiere
Finding Gastón (Buscando a Gastón) (Peru, directed by Patricia Perez)
The Holders (USA, directed by Carla Forte) *World Premiere
Hot Girls Wanted (USA, directed by Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus)
Invasion (Invasión) (Panama, Argentina, directed by Abner Benahim) *North American Premiere
Iris (USA, directed by Albert Maysles)
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (USA, directed by Brett Morgan)
The Land of Many Palaces (China, UK, directed by Ting Song, Adam James Smith)
Life is Sacred (Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Colombia, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, Viviana Gomez, Nicolas Servide) *North American Premiere
The Lost Aviator (Australia, directed by Andrew Lancaster) *North American Premiere
The Muses of Bashevis Singer (Israel, directed by Shaul Betser, Asaf Galay)
Paco de Lucía: A Journey (Paco de Lucia: la búsqueda) (Spain, directed by Curro Sánchez Varela)*North American Premiere
Playing Lecuona (Spain, Colombia, directed by Pavel Giroud, Juan Manuel Villar) *North American Premiere
The Record Man (USA, directed by Mark Moorman) *World Premiere
The Salt of the Earth (La sel de la terre) (Brazil / Italy / France, directed by Juliano Ribeiro Salgado & Wim Wenders) *2015 Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature
Sweet Micky for President (USA, Haiti, Canada, directed by Ben Patterson)
Tea Time (La once) (Chile, USA, directed by Maite Alberdi) *North American Premiere
This Is My Land (France, Israel, Palestine, Poland, directed by Tamara Erde)
This Is What It Is (Esto es lo que hay) (France, directed by Léa Rinaldi) *World Premiere

Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Competition: A distinguished jury will select from the following five first-time feature filmmakers from Latin America, Spain and/or Portugal for a $10,000 cash award presented by Lexus:

3 Beauties (3 Bellezas) (Venezuela, directed by Carlos Caridad Montero) *North American Premiere
Easy Sex, Sad Movies (Sexo fácil, películas tristes) (Argentina / Spain, directed by Alejo Flah)*International Premiere
In the Grayscale (En las gamas de gris) (Chile, directed by Claudio Marcone) *World Premiere
On the Road, Somewhere (Algun lugar) (Dominican Republic, directed by Guillermo Zouain)*World Premiere
They are All Dead (Todos están muertos) (Spain, Germany, Mexico, directed by Beatriz Sanchís)*US Premiere

Park Grove Shorts Competition:

60 Candles (Uruguay, directed by Ana Guevara and Letícia Jorge) *World Premiere (Screens with Voice Over program)
The Bigger Picture (U.K. directed by Daisy Jacobs) *2015 Oscar-nominee (Screens with A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Contemplating Existence program)
Distance (USA, directed by Ismael Gomez III) (Screened as part of From A Distance Shortsprogram)
Freddie of Wynwood (USA, directed by Fabian Cardenas) *World Premiere (Screens with The Holders program)
Maalu (Australia, Sri Lanka, directed by Sanjay De Silva) *World Premiere (Screens with The Land of Many Palaces program)
Miami (Portugal, directed by Simão Cayatte) *North American Premiere (Screens with From A Distance Shorts program)
Old Bay (USA, directed by Lena Rudnick) (Screened with Ghost Stories Shorts program)
She Bought it in Zarautz
(Zarautzen erosi zuen) (Spain, directed by Aitor Arregui) *North American Premiere (Screens with Flowers program)
Thread (Malaysia, directed by Virginia Kennedy) *North American Premiere (Screens with From A Distance Shorts program)
A Tree in the Sea (United Arab Emirates, directed by Shahir Zag) *World Premiere (Screens withFrom A Distance Shorts program)
Young Lions of Gypsy (A ciambra) (Italy, directed by Jonas Carpignano) (Screens with Ghost Stories Shorts program)

FESTIVAL NON-COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

CINEDWNTWN GALAS Presented By Miami Downtown Development Authority

Everybody Leaves (Todos se van) (Colombia, directed by Sergio Cabrera) *North American Premiere
Kamikaze (Spain, directed by Álex Pina) *North American Premiere
The Pilgrim – Paulo Coehlo’s Best Story (Não pare na pista) (Brazil, Spain, directed by Daniel Augusto) *International Premiere
Playing Lecuona (Spain, directed by Pavel Giroud & Juan Manuel Villar) *North American Premiere

FLORIDA FOCUS: Nine films by Sunshine State filmmakers and directors.

Dawg Fight (USA, directed by Billy Corben) *World Premiere
Distance (USA, directed by Ismael Gomez III) (Screens as part of From a Distance Shorts program)
Freddie of Wynwood (USA, directed by Fabian Cardenas) *World Premiere (Screens with The Holders program)
The Holders (USA, directed by Carla Forte) *World Premiere
Papa Machete (USA, directed by Jonathan David Kane) (Screens with The Architecture of Color program)
Posthumous (USA, directed by Noah DeBonis) (Screened with Ghost Stories Shorts program)
The Record Man (USA, directed by Mark Moorman) *World Premiere
The Sun Like A Big Dark Animal (USA, directed by Christina Felisgrau & Ronnie Rivera) (Screens with The Architecture of Color program)
The Wizard (El mago) (USA, directed by David Liz) *US Premiere (Screens with Ghost Stories Shorts program)

CINEMASLAM features the best works of some of Miami’s most brilliant student filmmakers. This year’s 5th annual competition includes work from students Zachary Burgh, Frederick Criswell, Carlos Cuervo, Melissa Gomez, Patricia Joaquim & Karina Rey, Rita Pereyra, and Timothy Wilcox of Miami Dade College; Luis Galvis and Tyler Huyser from University of Miami, Adonis Lugo from Miami International University; and Ransey Padilla from Center of Cinematography, Arts and TV Miami. The Audience Award winner will be voted on during the screening and announced at the Patrón Opening Night Party at the Freedom Tower of Miami Dade College.

MIAMI MANIFESTO: Film experiences that engage the audience with political headlines beyond your average daily read. The films in this special section, debuting at the Festival this year, will feature extended post-screening conversations with the filmmakers, and lively debates about the extended issues presented in their films. Inbetween the two screenings, a reception hosted by SundanceNow DocClub will take place at Coral Gables Art Cinema.

Best of Enemies (USA, directed by Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville)
Life is Sacred (Denmark / Ireland / Norway / Colombia, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, Viviana Gomez & Nicolas Servide) *North American Premiere

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:

Tough Ain’t Enough: Conversations with Albert S. Ruddy (USA, directed by Gregory J. Bradley)
Habana (Cuba, directed by Edouard Salier) (Screens with From A Distance Shorts program)
The Last Flight of Hubert Le Blon (Hubert le blonen azken hegaldia) (Spain, directed by Koldo Almandoz) *North American Premiere (Screens with The Lost Aviator program)
The Windows(Las ventanas) (Cuba, directed by Maryulis Alfonso Yero) *North American Premiere. (Screens with Venice program)

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: Three cinematic love letters to the strong independent character of the United States.

Posthumous (USA, directed by Lulu Wang) *North American Premiere
Someone Else (USA, directed by Nelson Kim) *World Premiere
Spring (USA, directed by Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead)

VISIONS: Provocative and stirring three feature-length visual experiences guaranteed to test the limits and take viewers to the extreme.

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (En duva satt pa en gren och funderade pa tillvaron) (Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, directed by Roy Andersson)
Magical Girl (Spain, directed by Carlos Vermut)
White God (Fehér isten) (Hungary / Germany / Sweden, directed by Kornél Mundruczó)

REEL MUSIC: Five documentaries emanating the global power of music.

13 Million Voices (USA, directed by Janelle Gueits) *World Premiere
This Is What It Is (Esto es lo que hay) (France, directed by Léa Rinaldi) *World Premiere
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (USA, directed by Brett Morgan)
Paco de Lucía: A Journey (Paco de Lucía: la busqúeda) (Spain, directed by Curro Sánchez Varela)*North American Premiere
Sweet Micky For President (USA / Haiti / Canada, directed by Bob Patterson)

CINEMA 360° Presented by ViendoMovies: A vibrant and dynamic selection of eight narrative works, from both accomplished and emerging filmmakers, including an international selection of dramas, comedies, suspense thrillers, neo-westerns, and innovative docudramas.

The Architecture of Color (A arquitetura da cor) (Brazil, directed by José Henrique Fonseca and Priscila Lopes) *World Premiere
Beautiful Youth (Hermosa juventud) (Spain, directed by Jaime Rosales) *US Premiere
Ben’s at Home (Canada, directed by Mars Horodyski)
Black Souls (Anime nere) (Italy, directed by Francesco Munzi)
Ciudad Delirio (Colombia, Spain, directed by Chus Gutiérrez)
Cut Snake (Australia, directed by Tony Ayres)
The Dinner (I nostri ragazzi) (Italy, directed by Ivano de Matteo)
The Farewell Party (Mita tova) (Israel, Germany, directed by Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit)
Felix and Meira (Félix et Meira) (Canada, directed by Maxime Giroux)
Flowers (Loreak) (Spain, directed by Jon Garaño, Jose Mari Goenaga)
The Fool (Durak) (Russia, directed by Yuri Bykov)
Guidance (Canada, directed by Pat Mills) *US Premiere
Innocent Killers (Asesinos inocentes) (Spain, directed by Gonzalo Bendala) *World Premiere
Panama Canal Stories (Historias del canal) (Panama, directed by Carolina Borrero, Pinky Mon, Luis Franco, Abner Benaim and Pituka Ortega Heilbron) *International Premiere
Phoenix (Germany, directed by Christian Petzold)
Preggoland (Canada, directed by Jacob Tierney)
Sand Dollars (Dólares de arena) (Dominican Republic, Argentina, Mexico, directed by Laura Amelia Guzmán, Israel Cárdenas)
A Second Chance (En chance til) (Denmark, directed by Susanne Bier) *US Premiere
Set Fire to the Stars (UK, directed by Andy Goddard) *International Premiere
Shrew’s Nest (Musarañas) (Spain, France, directed by Juanfer Andrés, Esteban Roel)
Tango Glories (Fermín: glorias del tango) (Argentina, directed by Hernán Findling, Oliver Kolker)
Theeb (Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UK, directed by Naji Abu Nawar)
Tour de Force (Hin und weg) (Germany, directed by Christian Zübert) *US Premiere
Venice (Venecia) (Cuba, Colombia, directed by Kiki Álvarez) *US Premiere
Warsaw 44 (Miasto 44) (Poland, directed by Jan Kosama)

SPOTLIGHT ON ASIAN CINEMA Presented by TV5MONDE: A collection of seven feature length films by both acclaimed and emerging French filmmakers. Zhang Meng’s Uncle Victory is the opening night film of the program.

In the Name of My Daughter (L’homme quón aimait trop) (France, directed by André Téchiné)
Ladygrey (France, Belgium, South Africa, directed by Alain Choquart) *International Premiere
Love at First Fight (Les combattants) (France, directed by Thomas Cailley)
Saint Laurent (France, directed by Bertrand Bonello)
The Price of Fame (La rançon de la gloire) (France, directed by Xavier Beauvois) *US Premiere
Three Hearts (3 coeurs) (France, directed by Benoît Jacquot)
Weekends in Normandy (Week-ends) (France, directed by Anne Villacèque)

SPOTLIGHT ON ASIAN CINEMA: A collection of seven films from both Asian and Asian American directors. Zhang Meng’s Uncle Victory is the opening night film of the program.

A Girl at my Door (Dohee-ya) (Korea, directed by Jung July)
A Hard Day (kkeut-kka-ji-gan-da) (Korea, directed by Seong-hun Kim)
The Land of Many Palaces (China, directed by Ting Song, Adam Smith)
The Liar (Geojinmal) (Korea, directed by Kim Dong-myung) *North American Premiere
Partners in Crime (Kong heng) (Taiwan/China, directed by Chang Jung-Chi)
Scarlet Innocence (Madam Ppang-Deok) (Korea, directed by Yim Pil-sung)
Uncle Victory (Shengli) (China, directed by Zhang Meng)

CULINARY CINEMA: Returning for a third mouthwatering year, a playful pairing of Foodie Films with fantastic Local Restaurants, Sponsored by Frederick Wildman & Sons

The Culinary Cinema category schedule is comprised of five distinct film & restaurant pairings:

City of Gold (USA, directed by Laura Gabbert) – Saturday, March 7 at 3:30 p.m. / Screening paired with 1:00 p.m. lunch at Juvia Miami Beach (1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach)
East Side Sushi (USA, directed by Anthony Lucero) – Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m. / Screening paired with 9:00 p.m. dinner at SUSHISAMBA Coral Gables in The Westin Hotel on Ponce de Leon (180 Aragon Avenue Coral Gables)
Finding Gastón (Buscando a Gastón) (Peru, directed by Patricia Pérez) – Monday, March 9 at 6:50 p.m. / Screening paired with 8:30 p.m. dinner at La Mar by Gastón Acurio at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (500 Brickell Key Drive, Miami)
Natural Resistance (Italy / France, directed by Jonathan Nossiter) – Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. / Screening paired with 8:45 p.m. dinner at Quattro Gastronomia Italiana (1014 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach)
Rewined (Vinodentro) (Italy, directed by Ferdinando Vicentini Orniani) – Thursday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m. / Screening paired with 9:00 p.m. dinner at Macchialina Taverna Rustica (820 Alton Road, Miami Beach) *North American Premiere
Read more
Force Majeure is Big Winner at Swedens’s Guldbagge Awards

Awards

Force Majeure (Turist)

Ruben Östlund’s Force Majeure (Turist), Sweden’s submission for Academy Award nomination as Best Foreign-Language Feature, is the big winner of Sweden’s 2015 Guldbagge Awards.

Force Majeure won six awards including Best Film, and Best Director plus Best Screenplay for Ruben Östlund.

Best Film
Force majeure / Turist
Producers: Erik Hemmendorff, Marie Kjellson and Philippe Bober

Best Director
Ruben Östlund
for Force majeure / Turist

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Saga Becker
for her role as Sebastian/ Ellie in Something Must Break / Nånting måste gå sönder

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Sverrir Gudnason
for his role as Kristian in Blowfly Park / Flugparken

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Anita Wall for her role as Frida in Home / Hemma

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Kristofer Hivju
for his role as Mats in Force majeure / Turist

Best Screenplay
Ruben Östlund
for his script for Force majeure / Turist

Best Cinematography
Fredrik Wenzel
for his cinematography in Force majeure / Turist

Best Editing
Jacob Secher Schulsinger and Ruben Östlund
for editing Force majeure / Turist

Best Costume
Cilla Rörby
for the costumes in Gentlemen

Best Sound
Andreas Franck
for the sound in The Quiet Roar

Best Makeup
Anna-Carin Lock and Anja Dahl
for makeup in Gentlemen

Best Music
Mattias Bärjed and Jonas Kullhammar
for the music in Gentlemen

Best Set Design
Ulf Jonsson, Nicklas Nilsson, Sandra Parment, Isabel Sjöstrand and Julia Tegström
for the set design in A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence / En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron

Best Foreign Language Film
Deux jours, une nuit / Två dagar, en natt
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne

Best Short Film
Still Born
Director: Åsa Sandzén

Best Documentary Film
Concerning Violence / Om våld
Director: Göran Hugo Olsson

Best Achievement
Mats Holmgren

Lifetime Achievement Award
Liv Ullmann

Gullspira
Rose-Marie Strand, Folkets Bio

The Audience Award
The Last Chance / Micke & Veronica, producer: Lena Rehnberg
Read more
New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival Unveils 2015 Lineup

New York International Children’s Film Festival, VIMOOZ

When Marnie Was There

The New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival announced the complete lineup for its 2015 event, which runs February 27-March 22.

The Oscar® qualifying film festival will be held at New York’s DGA Theater, IFC Center, Scholastic Theater, SVA Theatre, and Village East Cinema.

Highlights include US and North American feature film premieres of Studio Ghibli’s When Marnie Was There (Japan), BBC’s Enchanted Kingdom 3D(UK), Mune (France), and Moomins on the Riviera (France), the US premiere of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet (Various Countries), the east coast premiere of the new Aardman feature Shaun the Sheep the Movie (UK), six Oscar®-qualifying short film programs,Best of Aardman Shorts, a collection of four decades of short films from Aardman Animations, and a special program of Nick Park’s Wallace & Gromit Shorts. The Festival will culminate in the Closing Night Celebration, which will include the announcement of the 2015 award winners and a special program of the Best of the Fest short films.

OPENING NIGHT FILMS:

SHAUN THE SHEEP THE MOVIE – East Coast Premiere, Animation, UK, Mark Burton/Richard Starzack; No Dialogue.
The newest film from stop-motion maestros, Aardman Animations – a grass-fed, farm-to-screen adventure brimming with humor, charm, and wit. Shaun the Sheep, the woolly stop-motion star whose vocal range is limited to bleats and baas, first appeared in Nick Park’s 1995 Oscar^®-winning Wallace and Gromit adventure. In his first feature film, Shaun tires of the everyday routine on Mossy Bottom Farm and concocts a plan to lead his flock in rebellion.

WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE – North American Premiere, Animation, Japan, Hiromasa Yonebayashi; In Japanese with English subtitles.
The newest feature from Japan’s famed Studio Ghibli is a sweeping story of friendship, mystery, and discovery that delivers stirring emotions and breathtaking animation as only Ghibli can. When shy, artistic Anna moves to the seaside to live with her aunt and uncle, she stumbles upon an old mansion surrounded by marshes, and the mysterious young girl, Marnie, who lives there. The two girls instantly form a unique connection and friendship that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality.

CLOSING DAY FILMS:

ENCHANTED KINGDOM 3D – North American Premiere, Documentary, UK, Patrick Morris/Neil Nightingale; In English.
The creators of BBC’s groundbreaking Walking with Dinosaurs 3Dand Earth take us on a spell-binding journey through seven realms of with extraordinary timelapse photography. Sweeping aerial shots and macro and micro lensed 3D, propel us from enchanted forests to the boiling edge of the underworld, from celestial ice-capped mountains and lava-spewing volcanoes to crashing waterfalls and deep fantastical seas. Narrated by Idris Elba.

KAHLIL GIBRAN’S THE PROPHET – US Premiere, Animation, Various Countries, Roger Allers; In English.
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran, is among the most popular volumes of poetry ever written, selling over 100 million copies in forty languages since its publication in 1923. The timeless verses have been given enchanting new form in this painterly cinematic adventure about freedom and the power of human expression. Written and directed by Roger Allers (The Lion King), the film intersperses Gibran’s elegant verses with stunning animated sequences by Festival favorite filmmakers Tomm Moore (The Secret of Kells), Nina Paley (Sita Sings the Blues), Bill Plympton (Guide Dog), and a host of award-winning animators from around the world. Featuring the voices of Liam Neeson, Salma Hayak, and Quvenzhané Wallis, and music from Damien Rice, Glen Hansard, and Yo-Yo Ma.

NYICFF 2015 FEATURE FILMS (ALPHABETICAL):

BALLET BOYS – Documentary, Norway, Kenneth Elvebakk; In Norwegian with English subtitles.
Ballet Boys takes us through four years in the lives of three young dancers. The only boy dancers in a world of girls, they strive to get into Norway’s most prestigious ballet academy. Beautifully constructed, slow-motion dance sequences and life-altering auditions provide a pulse of drama throughout their journey, but the film is ultimately the story of their friendship, disappointments, victories, first loves, dreams, and doubts.

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN – New York Premiere, Live Action, France, Nicolas Vanier; In French with English subtitles.
A story of friendship, courage, and loyalty set against the jaw-dropping scenery and alpine panoramas of the Haute Maurienne-Vanoise region of France. Sebastian lives with his grandfather, César, in a vertiginous mountain village, where he crosses paths with a giant and dirty Pyrenean Mountain Dog who the locals have dubbed “the Beast” for allegedly killing their livestock. But Sebastian sees something good in the misunderstood canine and befriends the animal, renaming her “Belle.” Their budding friendship is put to the test when Nazis march into town looking to root out a band of resistance fighters who are guiding Jewish refugees to neighboring Switzerland.

HOCUS POCUS ALFIE ATKINS – East Coast Premiere, Animation, Norway, Torril Kove; In English.
Academy Award^® winning director Torill Kove’s first feature film is a refreshingly warm and intimate tale based on beloved children’s book character Alfie Atkins. Seven-year-old Alfie dreams of owning a dog, but his father insists that he is too small for such a big responsibility. Undaunted, Alfie finds an unlikely ally in George, a kindly magician who performs tricks for the neighborhood kids and has just adopted a puppy of his own. Lovingly animated with thoughtful, honest character interactions, Hocus Pocus offers an emotionally and visually rich cinema experience for audiences of all ages.

JELLYFISH EYES – Live Action/Animation, Japan, Takashi Murakami; In Japanese with English subtitles.
Pop art superstar Takashi Murakami makes his feature film debut with a campy, genre-defying adventure that mixes lo-fi Japanese disaster movie, new kid-on-the-block coming-of-age story, andPokémon-style anime with a delirious abundance of wonderfully imagined magical creatures. Setting Murukami’s fantastical animated designs in an otherwise live action film, Jellyfish Eyes tells the story of Masashi, a young boy who moves to a sleepy town in the Japanese countryside in the wake of a natural disaster.

LANDFILLHARMONIC – East Coast Premiere, Documentary, USA, Brad Allgood/Graham Townsley; In Spanish with English subtitles.
The world generates over a billion tons of garbage a year, much of it ending up in poor rural communities like Cateura, Paraguay, where over 2,000 families survive by separating garbage for recycling. When a teen music program there can’t afford new instruments, a garbage picker named Cola fashions a violin from an empty oil tin – thus inspiring the Recycled Orchestra. The film follows the young musicians as they reach even greater heights, performing concerts in the US, Europe, and Asia – even sharing the stage with heavy metal super-group, Metallica.

LOU! – US Premiere, Live Action, France, Julien Neel; In French with English subtitles.
Twelve-and-a-half-year-old Lou lives alone with her absurdly immature mother, Emma. Her mom has been in a funk lately, eating junk food in her pajamas, playing video games, and generally behaving more like a teen than her on-the-cusp-of-adolescence daughter. But all this changes with arrival of the new bohemian neighbor, Richard, who ignites her goofy mother’s romantic interests. Neel has turned the French comic and animated TV series into a quirky, mom and daughter buddy movie, with vibrant and brilliantly kitschy bubble-gum production design and plenty of cringe-worthy, awkward comedic situations.

MOOMINS ON THE RIVIERA – North American Premiere, Animation, Finland/France, Xavier Picard; in English.
Sixty years ago, when Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson launched the Moomin comic strip, little did she know it would reach 20 million daily readers in more than 40 countries. In celebration of her 100th birthday, French director Xavier Picard brings Jansson’s carefree and adventurous Moomin family to life, with delicately animated characters set within beautifully designed and colored backgrounds, and the comic’s traipsing storylines translated to the screen with just the right amount of absurdity and humor.

MUNE (3D) – North American Premiere, Animation, France, Alexandre Heboyan/Benoît Phillippon; In English.
A world of wonder, magic and mythology is the setting in this sumptuously animated CGI adventure about a land divided between the realms of day and night. As legend has it, the first Guardian of the Sun threw a harpoon into the cosmos and roped the sun to bring light and warmth to all of humanity. Then the Guardian of the Moon lured the moon to the Land of Darkness to provide a balance to the sun and supply the world with dreams. At a momentous ceremony to appoint the two new guardians, an accident seems to occur; the heir apparent is passed over, and the title Guardian of the Moon is bestowed on the waif-like Mune, a small and frightened forest faun who seems wholly unprepared to take on such a weighty responsibility.

SATELLITE GIRL AND MILK COW – New York Premiere, Animation, South Korea, Chang Hyung-yun; In Korean with English subtitles.
Festival award-winning Wolf Daddy director Chang Hyung-yun has created a wholly original, exuberantly outrageous, sci-fi love story unlike anything before it. An orbiting, out-of-commission female satellite picks up a lovelorn pop song on its radio antenna and descends to Earth to try to discover who could be the source of such heartfelt emotions. On the way, it is transformed into the titular Satellite Girl, complete with Astroboy-like rocket shoes and weapon-firing limbs, while the balladeer in question — a loser twenty-something playing at an open mic in a coffee shop — meets the fate that befalls all broken-hearted lovers: he is turned into a farm animal (albeit one who can walk around in a poorly-fitting human suit).

SECRETS OF WAR – New York Premiere, Live Action, Netherlands, Dennis Bots; In Dutch with English subtitles.
Netherlands, 1943. Best friends Tuur and Lambert spend their time dreaming up adventures and discovering secret passages in the caves and forests that surround their close-knit village. Homemade wooden pistols serve as props in their playful war games, as they make light of the conflict that is building all around them. When new girl Maartje enters their social circle, the boys’ friendship faces a challenge typical of adolescence – and Lambert begins to feel more and more like the third wheel. Secrets of War, with its lush backdrops and strong emotional performances from three young leads, expertly balances the universality of shifting young friendships with the moral complexity of war.

WOLFY, THE INCREDIBLE SECRET – US Premiere, Animation, Belgium/France, Grégoire Solotareff/Eric Omond; in English.
Though they’re from opposite ends of the food chain, Wolfy and Tom (a wolf and rabbit, respectively) are best friends. Wolfy has always believed he was an orphan, until one day a gypsy tells him that his mother is still alive in the distant dynasty of Wolfenberg, Land of the Wolves. Despite his fear, Tom agrees to accompany his friend as they venture far from their peaceful countryside home. They arrive in the midst of Carne Festival— a grand meeting of the world’s most renowned carnivores — and Wolfy’s quest for self-discovery quickly turns into Tom’s quest for survival. This beautifully animated film is based on the wildly popular French children’s book series LouLou from writer and director Grégoire Solotareff.
Read more
Yves Saint Laurent Bio Pics Lead 2015 César Award Nominations

Awards, VIMOOZ

Saint Laurent by Bertrand Bonello

Biopics on French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent lead the Césars (the French Oscars); Bertrand Bonello’s Saint Laurent is the top leader with 10 nominations, including best film, best actor for Gaspard Ulliel and best director.

Thomas Cailley’s Les Combattants followed closely with nine, and Oscar nominee Timbuktu with eight. The other biopic, Yves Saint Laurent, directed by Jalil Lespert, recevied seven nominations.

The nominees for the best foreign film were 12 Years a Slave, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Two Days, One Night, Mommy and Winter Sleep.

In a big first, Kristen Stewart became the first American actress to be nominated for a César, she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Clouds of Sils Maria.

Sean Penn will receive the Academy’s Honorary Cesar this year.

The 40th annual César Awards will be held on Feb. 20 at Paris’ Chatelet Theatre

Complete list of nominations for 40th César Awards

Best Film
Les Combattants
Eastern Boys
La Famille Bélier
Saint Laurent
Hippocrate
Sils Maria
Timbuktu

Best Director
Céline Sciamma, Bande De Filles
Thomas Cailley, Les Combattants
Robin Campillo, Eastern Boys
Thomas Lilti, Hippocrate
Bertrand Bonello, Saint Laurent
Olivier Assayas, Sils Maria
Abderrahmane Sissako, Timbuktu

Best Actor
Pierre Niney, Yves Saint Laurent
Romain Duris, Une Nouvelle Amie
Gaspard Ulliel, Saint Laurent
Guillaume Canet, La Prochaine Fois Je Viserai Le Coeur
Niels Arestrup, Diplomatie
François Damiens, La Famille Bélier
Vincent Lacoste, Hippocrate

Best Actress
Juliette Binoche, Sils Maria
Catherine Deneuve, Dans La Cour
Marion Cotillard, Deux Jours, Une Nuit
Emilie Dequenne, Pas Son Genre
Adèle Haenel, Les Combattants
Sandrine Kiberlain, Elle L’Adore
Karin Viard, La Famille Bélier

Best Supporting Actor
Eric Elmosnino, La Famille Bélier
Jérémie Renier, Saint Laurent
Guillaume Gallienne, Yves Saint Laurent
Louis Garrel, Saint Laurent
Reda Kateb, Hippocrate

Best Supporting Actress
Marianne Denicourt, Hippocrate
Claude Gensac, Lulu Femme Nue
Izïa Higelin, Samba
Charlotte Le Bon, Yves Saint Laurent
Kristen Stewart, Sils Maria

Best Adapted Screenplay
La Chambre Bleue
Diplomatie
Pas Son Genre
Lulu Femme Nue
La Prochaine Fois Je Viserai Le Coeur

Best Original Screenplay
Les Combattants
La Famille Bélier
Hippocrate
Sils Maria
Timbuktu

Best Cinematography
La Belle Et La Bête
Saint Laurent
Sils Maria
Timbuktu
Yves Saint Laurent

Best Costumes
La Belle Et La Bête
La French
Saint Laurent
Une Nouvelle Amie
Yves Saint Laurent

Best Editing
Les Combattants
Hippocrate
Party Girl
Saint Laurent
Timbuktu

Best Set Design
La Belle Et La Bête
La French
Saint Laurent
Timbuktu
Yves Saint Laurent

Best Score
Bande De Filles
Bird People
Les Combattants
Timbuktu
Yves Saint Laurent

Best Sound
Bande De Filles
Bird People
Les Combattants
Saint Laurent
Timbuktu

Best Animated Film
Muniscule — La Vallée Des Fourmis Perdues
Jack Et La Mécanique Du Coeur
Le Chant De La Mer

Best Documentary
Caricaturistes – Fantassins De La Démocratie
Les Chèvres De Ma Mère
La Cour De Babel
National Gallery
The Salt Of The Earth

Best Foreign Film
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Deux Jours, Une Nuit
Ida
Mommy
12 Years a Slave
Winter Sleep

Best Newcomer (Male)
Kevin Azaïs, Les Combattants
Ahmed Dramé, Les Héritiers
Kirill Emelyanov, Eastern Boys
Pierre Rochefort, Un Beau Dimanche
Marc Zinga, Qu’Allah Bénisse La France

Best Newcomer (Female)
Lou de Laâge, Respire
Joséphine Japy, Respire
Louane Emera, La Famille Bélier
Ariane Labed, Fidelio, L’Odyssée D’Alice
Karidja Touré, Bande De Filles

Best Debut Feature
Les Combattants
Elle L’Adore
Fidelio, L’Odyssée D’Alice
Party Girl
Qu’Allah Bénisse La France

Best Short Film
Aïssa
La Femme De Rio
Inupiluk
Les Jours D’Avant
Où Je Mets Ma Pudeur
La Virée A Paname

Best Animated Short
Bang Bang!
La Bûche De Noël
La Petite Casserole D’Anatole
Les Petits Cailloux
Read more
Sony Pictures Classics to Release GRANDMA Starring Lily Tomlin

Sundance Film Festival, VIMOOZ

GRANDMA, written and directed by Paul Weitz, and premiering Friday at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival has been picked up for release by Sony Pictures Classics.

GRANDMA stars Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer, Laverne Cox and Sam Elliott. GRANDMA is produced by Andrew Miano, Weitz, Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis and Terry Dougas and executive produced by Stephanie Meurer, Dan Balgoyen and Danielle Renfrew Behrens.

In GRANDMA, Lily Tomlin is Elle Reid. Elle has just gotten through breaking up with her girlfriend when Elle’s granddaughter Sage unexpectedly shows up needing $600 before sundown. Temporarily broke, Grandma Elle and Sage spend the day trying to get their hands on the cash as their unannounced visits to old friends and flames end up rattling skeletons and digging up secrets.
Read more
Darren Aronofsky to Head 2015 Berlinale Competition Jury

Berlin International Film Festival, VIMOOZ

Darren Aronofsky

Director, screenwriter and producer Darren Aronofsky will serve as Jury President, the International Jury who will decide who will receive the Golden Bear and Silver Bears of the 2015 Berlinale Competition.

The other members of the International Jury are Daniel Brühl, Bong Joon-ho, Martha De Laurentiis, Claudia Llosa, Audrey Tautou and Matthew Weiner.

Darren Aronofsky, Jury President, USA
Following his studies at Harvard University, Darren Aronofsky celebrated his feature film debut in 1998 with Pi, which won the award for Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival and Best Script at the Independent Spirit Awards. He presented his highly acclaimed cinematic adaptation Requiem for a Dream at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000, and the cult film The Fountain at the Venice Film Festival in 2006. Again in Venice, his film The Wrestler won the Golden Lion in 2008, and was hailed as the film of the year at the AFI Awards in Los Angeles. The film’s success also represented a sensational comeback of actor Mickey Rourke.

In 2011, Darren Aronofsky presented Black Swan, a psychological thriller taking place in the world of professional ballet. It was nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, the Director’s Guild of America Awards and the BAFTAs. His visually sweeping film Noah was released in 2014.

Daniel Brühl, Germany
Daniel Brühl is one of a handful of German movie stars who have also established a successful international career. Following his distinction with the German Film Award for Das weiße Rauschen,Vaya con Dios and Nichts bereuen in 2002, he celebrated his breakthrough in 2003 with Good Bye, Lenin!, which screened inCompetition at the Berlinale. For that role, Daniel Brühl received the European Film Award as well as another German Film Award. His international work has included roles in Anton Corbijn’s A Most Wanted Man, Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, Bill Condon’s The Fifth Estate and Michael Winterbottom’s The Face of an Angel. Following various productions in Germany, Spain, France and the US, he was recently nominated for numerous awards, including a Golden Globe Award, for his work in Ron Howard’s Rush. His most recent role was alongside Helen Mirren in Simon Curtis’s Woman in Gold.

Bong Joon-ho, South Korea
Born in 1969 in Seoul, South Korea, Bong Joon-ho studied sociology before graduating from the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA). He initially worked as a screenwriter and director’s assistant while also making many short films of his own. His feature film debut Barking Dogs Never Bite was released in cinemas in 2000. His film Memories of Murder was screened at the San Sebastián film festival, among others, and won numerous awards. In 2006, following its world premiere in the Quinzane des Réalisateurs in Cannes, The Host would go on to become the biggest box office hit ever in South Korea. Bong Joon-ho was invited to Cannes once again in 2009 forMother, this time in the section Un Certain Regard. His English language film debut Snowpiercer, featuring Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton and John Hurt, was a selection in the 2014 Berlinale Forum program.

Martha De Laurentiis, USA
Martha De Laurentiis and her husband Dino founded their production firm – today known as the De Laurentiis Company – in 1980. Since then it has been responsible for over 40 feature films and television series, including Stephen King’s directorial debut Maximum Overdrive, The Bedroom Window by Curtis Hanson, Michael Cimino’s Desperate Hours, Breakdown and U-571 by Jonathan Mostow and Brett Ratner’s Red Dragon. It produced Ridley Scott’s film adaptation of Hannibal, which screened out of competition at the Berlinale in 2001. De Laurentiis Company is also an executive producer of the Hannibal television series, which stars Mads Mikkelsen and has entered its third season in the US. At the 2014 festival, Martha De Laurentiis talked about the Hannibal series at Berlinale Talents.

Claudia Llosa, Peru
Peruvian native Claudia Llosa studied Communication Studies in Lima and later scriptwriting at the Escuela TAI in Madrid. She began her career in advertising before starting her own film production company. Her first feature film Madeinusa was released in 2006. Three years later, the WCF-funded film The Milk of Sorrow was a selection in the Berlinale Competition program and went on to win the Golden Bear and the FIPRESCI Award. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2012, her short film Loxoro was a selection in the Berlinale Shorts program and won the Teddy Award. Her English-language film debut Aloft, starring Jennifer Connelly, Mélanie Laurent and Cillian Murphy, screened in Competition in 2014 and Sundance Spotlight 2015.

Audrey Tautou, France
Audrey Tautou’s feature film debut – in the comedy Venus Beauty Institute – garnered her a César Award. Her international breakthrough came in 2001, when she starred in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie and was nominated for the European Film Award, as well as for another César and a BAFTA in 2002. Other films in her repertoire include Cédric Klapisch’s acclaimed L’Auberge Espagnole trilogy, Not on the Lips by Alain Resnais, Salvadori’s Priceless, Coco Before Chanel, and international productions such as The Da Vinci Code and Stephen Frears’ Dirty Pretty Things. Most recently, the French actress worked with Claude Miller (Thérèse Desqueyroux) and Michel Gondry (Mood Indigo).

Matthew Weiner, USA
Since 2007, Matthew Weiner has been the creator, executive producer and writer of the successful and critically acclaimed television series Mad Men, whose seventh and last season is currently running in the US. To date, he has received nine Emmys, two BAFTAS, three Golden Globes, numerous WGA awards and many other distinctions recognising his work on the series. As a director, he has been nominated twice by the DGA for his work behind the camera. Are You Here, starring Owen Wilson and Amy Poehler, marks his feature film debut as a writer, director and producer. Weiner’s other credits as a writer include the television series Becker, The Naked Truth, and The Sopranos – for which he was also an executive producer.
Read more
IFC Film to Release Comedy THE D TRAIN Starring Jack Black

Sundance Film Festival, VIMOOZ

IFC Films announced from the 2015 Sundance Film Festival that the company will release Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel’s comedy THE D TRAIN, with plans to roll the film out in theaters nationwide this year.

The film, with an original screenplay by Paul and Mogel, stars Jack Black, James Marsden, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kathryn Hahn and Kyle Bornheimer. THE D TRAIN was produced by David Bernad, Mike White, Jack Black, Priyanka Mattoo, Ben Latham-Jones and Barnaby Thompson.

“Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel prove with this film that they have arrived as one of the great new filmmaking teams in Hollywood. They have crafted a smart, sensitive and hilarious film which features a terrific ensemble, led by the immense talent of Jack Black and James Marsden,” says Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films. “Our team fell in love with this film and we are planning to put the full weight of the studio behind it with the goal of rolling the film out in theaters across the country.

This is the first acquisition for IFC Films at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, who came to the festival just one year ago with Richard Linklater’s Academy Award nominated film BOYHOOD. BOYHOOD, which also received an aggressive theatrical release over the summer and is still in theaters, has now grossed nearly $25 million theatrically. THE D TRAIN will follow a similar theatrical rollout with another aggressive social media and marketing campaign.

In the film, Dan Landsman (Jack Black) is the overly enthusiastic head of his high school reunion committee and also the group’s laughingstock. To impress his so-called friends, he vows to convince their most famous former classmate—Oliver Lawless (James Marsden), the star of a national Banana Boat TV commercial—to attend the reunion to increase attendance. Dan travels to Los Angeles and spins a web of lies, igniting an intoxicating excitement for the first time in his humdrum life. In exchange for Oliver’s precarious friendship, Dan sacrifices his relationships with his wife, son, and boss, and loses himself in his obsession for approval and recognition

THE D TRAIN premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition Section of the festival.

IFC Films is a sister label to IFC Midnight and Sundance Selects, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.
Read more
Sundance Selects to Release Laura Gabbert’s CITY OF GOLD

Sundance Film Festival, VIMOOZ

Laura Gabbert’s CITY OF GOLD which recently premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival has been picked up for distribution by Sundance Selects.

The film made its world premiere in the U.S. Documentary Competition section at the festival this week.

The festival program describes the film as “a richly penetrating documentary odyssey” saying “Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold shows us another Los Angeles, where ethnic cooking is a kaleidoscopic portal to the mysteries of an unwieldy city and the soul of America. Bombing through colorful neighborhoods in his green pickup truck, Gold is sniffing out his next strip-mall discovery—whether Oaxacan grasshopper soup, hand-cut tonkotsu ramen, or a particularly unctuouspad see ew. As piping-hot platters are served up, so are stories of immigrants whose secret family recipes are like sacred offerings pledged for the opportunity to build their American Dream. With eternal curiosity, razor-sharp intellect, and existential longing, Gold is a culinary geographer taking us where no critic has gone before. Like the film, Gold makes low culture high and high culture relevant, teasing out the meaning of life from a Korean taco, and pondering all that makes us different and all that makes us exactly the same.”

“Laura’s film is an amazing portrait of today’s diverse culture as told through the eyes of inimitable food critic Jonathan Gold,” says President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films Jonathan Sehring. “Our entire team fell in love with CITY OF GOLD and we look forward to working with the filmmaking team on its release.”

“We are very excited to be partnering with Sundance Selects on CITY OF GOLD. Jonathan Sehring and his team bring incredible passion and experience to the project and we’re looking forward to bringing Jonathan Gold’s Los Angeles to the world,” says Gabbert.

Previous Sundance Selects documentaries include CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, PINA, HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE, BUCK, DIRTY WARS and this year’s Academy Award nominated film FINDING VIVIAN MAIER.

Sundance Selects is a sister label to IFC Films and IFC Midnight, and is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc.
Read more
2015 Sundance Film Festival Announces Short Film Awards

Sundance Film Festival, VIMOOZ

World of Tomorrow

Sundance Film Festival announced the 2015 jury prizes in short filmmaking. The Short Film Grand Jury Prize was awarded to World of Tomorrow directed by Don Hertzfeldt.

This year’s Short Film program is comprised of 60 short films selected from 8,061 submissions. The Short Film jurors are: K.K. Barrett, Alia Shawkat and Autumn de Wilde.

2015 Jury Prizes in Short Filmmaking:

The Short Film Grand Jury Prize was awarded to:
World of Tomorrow / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Don Hertzfeldt) — A little girl is taken on a mind-bending tour of the distant future.

The Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction was presented to:
SMILF / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Frankie Shaw) — A young single mother struggles to balance her old life of freedom with her new one as mom. It all comes to a head during one particular nap-time when Bridgette invites an old friend over for a visit.

The Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction was presented to:
Oh Lucy! / Japan, Singapore, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Atsuko Hirayanagi) — Setsuko, a 55-year-old single so-called office lady in Tokyo, is given a blonde wig and a new identity, Lucy, by her young unconventional English-language teacher. “Lucy” awakens desires in Setsuko she never knew existed.

The Short Film Jury Award: Non-fiction was presented to:
The Face of Ukraine: Casting Oksana Baiul / Australia (Director: Kitty Green) — Adorned in pink sequins, little girls from across a divided, war-torn Ukraine audition to play the role of Olympic champion figure skater Oksana Baiul, whose tears of joy once united their troubled country.

The Short Film Jury Award: Animation was presented to:
Storm hits jacket / France (Director and screenwriter: Paul Cabon) — A storm reaches the shores of Brittany. Nature goes crazy, two young scientists get caught up in the chaos. Espionage, romantic tension, and mysterious events clash with enthusiasm and randomness.

A Short Film Special Jury Award for Acting was presented to:
Back Alley / France (Director and screenwriter: Cécile Ducrocq) — Suzanne, a prostitute for 15 years, has her turf, her regular johns, and her freedom. One day, however, young African prostitutes settle nearby, and she is threatened.

A Short Film Special Jury Award for Visual Poetry was presented to:
Object / Poland (Director: Paulina Skibińska) — A creative image of an underwater search in the dimensions of two worlds — ice desert and under water — told from the point of view of the rescue team, of the diver, and of the ordinary people waiting on the shore.
Read more
Sundance’s ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL To Get A Release

Sundance Film Festival, VIMOOZ

Fox Searchlight Pictures has partnered with Indian Paintbrush for worldwide distribution on the poignant coming of age story ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, which received a standing ovation following its Sundance Film Festival debut.

The film is directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon from the Black List screenplay by Jesse Andrews, adapted from his eponymous novel. The film stars Thomas Mann, Olivia Cook, R.J. Cyler with Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, Jon Bernthal and Connie Britton. The film is produced by Steven Rales, Dan Fogelman and Jeremy Dawson with Nora Skinner as executive producer. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and will be released in 2015.

“We are so thrilled to be a part of this film – the movie completely floored us and stole our hearts. The response at the festival has been extraordinary. The performances are honest and relatable and the film is smart, funny and original,” said Gilula and Utley.

“On behalf of the filmmaking team, we are thrilled to be partnering with Fox Searchlight. Steve, Nancy and the team have such a great emotional connection to our movie and we are confident our film is in the best hands moving forward,” said producers Rales, Fogelman and Dawson.

“For a film that was such a personal labor of love, I am delighted to find partners who have embraced the film which such enthusiasm,” said director Gomez-Rejon.

In ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, Thomas Mann plays Greg Gaines, an awkward high school senior whose mom forces him to spend time with Rachel – a girl in his class (Olivia Cooke) whom he hasn’t spoken to since kindergarten – who was just diagnosed with cancer.
Read more
The Orchard to Release Sundance Hit THE OVERNIGHT

Sundance Film Festival, VIMOOZ

THE OVERNIGHT, written and directed by Patrick Brice, and premiering in Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festival, has been picked up by The Orchard for a traditional theatrical release nationwide later this year.

The Orchard acquired the film after a fierce bidding war with multiple suitors. The company has committed to an aggressive P&A spend to support a wide theatrical release.

THE OVERNIGHT, which was produced by Gettin’ Rad and Duplass Brothers, stars the fun-loving foursome of Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman and Judith Godrèche. Scott and Schilling play a young couple new to Los Angeles, who spend an increasingly bizarre evening with the parents of their son’s new friend.

THE ORCHARD, a pioneering music company, recently ramped up a film division and began distributing narrative and documentary films theatrically in 2014. THE OVERNIGHT is its most high-profile acquisition to date. Other upcoming releases for THE ORCHARD include WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS starring Jemaine Clement and the acclaimed fashion documentary DIOR AND I, which will be released theatrically on over 150 screens in April.

The Duplass Brothers said, “Jay and I have made our careers by doing things our own way, and The Orchard is a group of young, smart pioneers who blew us away with their bold, passionate approach to taking this film into the world.”

Producers Adam and Naomi Scott said “For Gettin’ Rad’s first feature, we couldn’t have asked for better collaborators than our friends Patrick, Mark and Jay. Our good fortune continues with this new partnership with The Orchard, a bunch of insanely smart and cool people. We will never stop high-fiving.”

Patrick Brice said “You bring a movie to Sundance with the desire that maybe a few people will connect with it. The fact that it’s now going to play in theaters across the country is beyond my wildest hopes and dreams. You’ll have to excuse me while I throw up from excitement.”

“We were obsessed with The Overnight from the minute we laid eyes on it,” said The Orchards SVP Film and TV Paul Davidson. “It’s a rare intelligent comedy backed up by an even rarer team of smart, passionate filmmakers. We are thrilled to be a part of it.”

THE OVERNIGHT, Patrick Brice’s second feature is a painfully funny take on thirty-something sexual frustration and parenthood. Featuring memorable lead performances by Schilling, Scott, Schwartzman, and Godrèche, THE OVERNIGHT tells a complex story of universal inadequacies.
Read more
2015 International Film Festival Rotterdam Short Film Winners

International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)

LA FIEVRE by Safia Benhaim

THINGS by Ben Rivers, LA FIEVRE by Safia Benhaim and GREETINGS TO THE ANCESTORS by Ben Russell are the winners of The Canon Tiger Awards 2015 at International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).

The Jury also selected OUR BODY by Dane Komljen (Serbia/Germany) to compete in the short film category of the European Film Awards (EFA) later this year.

Canon Tiger Awards For Short Films:

THINGS by Ben Rivers (United Kingdom)
Synopsis:
THINGS is Ben Rivers’ 14th film at IFFR since his 2007 debut. Full of eclipses, encounters, illusions and magic, the film is founded in uncertainty concerning home. It’s a fitting departure, but similarly to previous films, gives freedom to meander, reflect and make our own discoveries. A four seasons’ fable, a kaleidoscope of intimate and non-intimate details comes to the fore in THINGS, perplexing us, intriguing us and urging us to watch again.

About the director:
Ben Rivers studied at Falmouth School of Art and was co-founder of the Brighton Cinematheque. In 2008, AH LIBERTY! won a Tiger Award for Short Films in Rotterdam. His first feature film, TWO YEARS AT SEA (2011), won the FIPRESCI Award at the Venice Film Festival. In 2014, Rivers joined the year-long project STAY WHERE YOU ARE, a group of four award-winning artists and writers who created work on a single theme: their home environment.

LA FIEVRE by Safia Benhaim (France)
Synopsis:
One feverish night a girl meets the spirit of a woman returning from lengthy political exile. Together they travel across Morocco, searching for a home that disappeared and a forgotten childhood. Lost memories and the history of decolonization and political conflict re-emerge in cinematic hallucinations, but then the past is overrun by a new wave of resistance, Morocco’s Arab Spring.

About the director:
Safia Benhaim is a filmmaker who was educated, lives and works in Paris. As a child of Moroccan political refugees, her body of work focuses on the theme of exile. Her films lie on the intersection of documentary and science fiction.

GREETINGS TO THE ANCESTORS by Ben Russell (USA/South Africa/United Kingdom)
Synopsis:
GREETINGS TO THE ANCESTORS is Ben Russell’s 18th film at IFFR since 2002 and the final part in THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS, a trilogy examining the ecstatic limits of utopia in the present. Set between Swaziland and South Africa, in a region still struggling with the divisions produced by an apartheid government, GREETINGS TO THE ANCESTORS documents the dream lives of the territory’s inhabitants as the borders of consciousness dissolve and expand.

About the director:
Ben Russell makes films, performances and installations. He prefers to screen his work in unconventional places, such as monasteries, police-station basements and Japanese film-rental shops. His fields of interest range from anthropology to experimental film. After the many short films he shot in Suriname, he made his first long work, LET EACH ONE GO WHERE HE MAY, nominated for a Tiger Award in IFFR 2010. The highly productive filmmaker lives alternately in the USA and Europe.

Rotterdam nomination for European Film Awards:

OUR BODY, by Dane Komljen (Serbia/Germany)
Synopsis:
Director Komljen opens the door to the world of contrasts that OUR BODY consists of with a bang. The accompanying image would also suit the end of the film once the endless cleaning of the body proves to be no guarantee against unavoidable decline. OUR BODY is a metaphor for the impossibility of a clean modernism as long as it is to be maintained by humans, yet however destructive time’s influence, the mind will survive.

About the director:
Dane Komljen was educated in film directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts of the University of Arts in Belgrade. After his studies he made a video installation in Serbia and short films in Bosnia and Croatia. Currently, Komljen is following a Master’s study in contemporary art at Le Fresnoy, France.

Full line-up Tiger Awards Competition for Short Films 2015

BIBLE by Tommy Hartung (USA)
BLINDER by Tim Leyendekker (the Netherlands, Brazil)
LA FIEVRE by Safia Benhaim (France)
GREETINGS TO THE ANCESTORS by Ben Russell (USA, South Africa, United Kingdom)
THE LIVING NEED LIGHT, THE DEAD NEED MUSIC by The Propeller Group (Vietnam)
MAINSQUEEZE by Jon Rafman (Canada)
THE MAIN COLORS OF THE SKY RADIATE FORGETFULNESS by Basim Magdy (Egypt)
MOON BLINK by Rainer Kohlberger (Austria)
NIGHT SOIL – FAKE PARADISE by Melanie Bonajo (USA, the Netherlands)
OUR BODY by Dane Komljen (Serbia, Germany)
PANCHROME I, II, III by T. Marie (USA)
QUIET ZONE by Karl Lemieux (Canada)
RAKING LIGHT by James Richards (Germany)
RAYMOND by Nina Yuen (USA)
SWIMMING IN YOUR SKIN AGAIN by Terence Nance (USA)
THINGS by Ben Rivers (United Kingdom)
TIJD EN PLAATS, EEN GESPREK MET MIJN MOEDER by Martijn Veldhoen (the Netherlands)
UNTITLED (THE CITY AT NIGHT) by Ane Hjort Guttu (Norway)
VOICE-OVER by Roy Villevoye (the Netherlands)
YOU’RE DEAD TO ME by Min-Wei Ting (Singapore)
Read more