• Tribeca Film Festival Brings Back its Free Community Events for 2012, Knuckleball to Premiere at FREE Tribeca Drive-In

    [caption id="attachment_2643" align="alignnone" width="550"]Kuckleball[/caption]

    The 2012 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) will bring back its signature free community events: the Tribeca Drive-In (April 19-21), Family Festival Street Fair (April 28), Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day (April 28) and the second annual Tribeca/NYFEST Soccer Day (April 21).

    The ‘classic summer thriller” Jaws, the “swashbuckling adventure-comedy” The Goonies, and the premiere of the baseball documentary Knuckleball! have all been selected to screen at Tribeca Drive-In.

    “Since its inception, the Tribeca Film Festival has strived to give back to the neighborhood and the city with free community events for New Yorkers and visitors of all ages,” said Nancy Schafer, Tribeca Film Festival Executive Director. “We are thrilled to continue the tradition with Festival favorites like the Drive-In, Family Festival Street Fair and Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day, and to challenge our industry colleagues, young athletes and soccer fans with the Tribeca/NYFEST Soccer Day tournament.”

    The following films will be featured at the Tribeca Drive-In, TFF’s outdoor screening series for film enthusiasts of all ages. The free evening of cinema under the stars is open to the public, and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 6 p.m. The programs will also begin at 6 p.m., with live music at 7 p.m., and screenings starting at dusk (approximately 8:15 p.m.).

    Jaws—Thursday, April 19 Steven Spielberg’s classic returns to the big screen! See the movie that thrilled a generation, launched the summer blockbuster and has become one of the most enduring action-suspense films of all time. Come early to celebrate Universal Studios’ 100th Anniversary with trivia contests, live music from local artists and surprise special guests, courtesy of the upcoming New York Downtown Jazz Festival. Later this year, fans can own Jaws for the first time ever on Blu-rayTM featuring an all-new, fully restored and digitally remastered picture from original 35MM film elements. Fans of John Williams’ iconic score will also love the Blu-ray’sTM Dolby surround 7.1 sound which optimizes the film for the home screening environment.

    With the summer beach season in full swing, a bloodthirsty great white shark begins terrorizing the small island community of Amity. A police chief, a marine biologist, and a grizzled sailor set out to hunt it down… but they’re going to need a bigger boat. Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw lead the cast of this groundbreaking Academy Award®-winning thriller. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

    The Goonies—Friday, April 20 Relive the adventure with Mikey, Mouth, Stef, Data, Chunk, and all the unforgettable characters in this beloved classic. Come early to take part in the “truffle shuffle” contest and win prizes in the first-ever Tribeca Treasure Hunt. Live music from afro-jazz pioneers NOMO, courtesy of the upcoming New York Downtown Jazz Festival.

    When their Oregon neighborhood—affectionately dubbed “the Goon Docks”—is threatened by real estate developers, a group of pre-teen friends needs to find enough money to halt the demolition. Lucky for them, they’ve discovered an old treasure map, sparking an adventure to unearth the long-lost fortune of 17th-century pirate One-Eyed Willie. Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Josh Brolin, and Joe Pantoliano star in the movie that captured a generation’s imagination. Directed by Richard Donner.

    Knuckleball!—Saturday, April 21 Take me out to the ball game! Bring the kids early for live music, giveaways, baseball trivia contests and pitching clinics with pro knuckleballers R.A. Dickey of the New York Mets, Tim Wakefield formerly of the Boston Red Sox, and former New York Yankee Jim Bouton, then see the world premiere of this action-packed TFF documentary about their controversial pitching style.

    This classic sports story recounts the trials and triumphs of two of the best known knuckleball pitchers in the MLB: Tim Wakefield, a Red Sox veteran who recently announced his retirement after 19 years, and R.A. Dickey, an up-and-comer with the Mets looking to make a name for himself. This energetic documentary from Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, the directors of Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, deconstructs the controversial and erratic knuckleball style. – World Premiere, Documentary.


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  • Pierre Rissient to be honored with 2012 Mel Novikoff Award at 55th San Francisco International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2641" align="alignnone" width="550"]Pierre Rissient, recipient of the Mel Novikoff Award at the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival April 19 – May 3, 2012, alongside filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. [/caption]

    The 55th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 19 – May 3) will present the 2012 Mel Novikoff Award to “the little known yet enormously influential Pierre Rissient for his tireless work behind the scenes on behalf of international cinema.”

    Rissient is described as being revered by filmmakers of all ages around the world, from Clint Eastwood, who frequently shows him the rough cut of his work, to Werner Herzog, who calls him “the yeast in the dough,” to Quentin Tarantino, who dubs him “a samurai warrior” because he has devoted his life to supporting filmmakers from around the globe.

    In the early 1950s Rissient began his film career as a programmer at the Cinéma Mac-Mahon in Paris. He and his fellow programmers, including Bertrand Tavernier, introduced American film noir and other genre films, by Fritz Lang, Joseph Losey, Otto Preminger, Raoul Walsh and others, to the new French directors including Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut. He worked as assistant director for Chabrol and Godard, directed several short films, and eventually two features. In the 1960s he again partnered with Tavernier to promote the films of John Ford, Sam Fuller, Abraham Polonsky and Jacques Tourneur in French theaters. Over nearly five decades his most significant contribution to international cinema has been as a consultant and scout — official and clandestine — for the Cannes Film Festival, with a focus on discovering new talent in Asia and North America. The careers of directors Jane Campion, Clint Eastwood, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, King Hu, Abbas Kiarostami, Im Kwon-Taek, Sydney Pollack, Jerry Schatzberg and Quentin Tarantino have all benefited from his advocacy.

    The award, named for the pioneering San Francisco art and repertory film exhibitor Mel Novikoff (1922 – 1987), acknowledges an individual or institution whose work has enhanced the filmgoing public’s knowledge and appreciation of world cinema.

    Previous recipients of the Mel Novikoff Award are Serge Bromberg (2011), Roger Ebert (2010), Bruce Goldstein (2009), Jim Hoberman (2008), Kevin Brownlow (2007), Anita Monga (2005), Paolo Cherchi Usai (2004), Manny Farber (2003), David Francis (2002), Cahiers du Cinéma (2001), San Francisco Cinematheque (2001), Donald Krim (2000), David Shepard (2000), Enno Patalas (1999), Adrienne Mancia (1998), Judy Stone (1997), Film Arts Foundation (1997), David Robinson (1996), Institut Lumière (1995), Naum Kleiman (1994), Andrew Sarris (1993), Jonas Mekas (1992), Pauline Kael (1991), Donald Richie (1990), USSR Filmmakers Association (1989) and Dan Talbot (1988).

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  • ELENA, Winner of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize, Opens in NY on May 16

    [caption id="attachment_2638" align="alignnone" width="550"]Nadezhda Markina as Elena and Andrey Smirnov as Vladimir in ELENA, a film by Andrei Zvyagintsev. A Zeitgeist Films release.[/caption]

    ELENA, a film by by award-winning Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev (Golden Globe nominee “The Return”) will open at Film Forum in New York City on May 16 and at the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles on May 25; a national release will follow.

    Winner of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize and Grand Prize for Best Film at Ghent Film Festival, ELENA is described as a gripping, modern twist on the classic noir thriller. Sixty-ish spouses Vladimir (Andrey Smirnov) and Elena (Nadezhda Markina – winner of Best Actress Award at Festival Nouveau Cinema Montreal; Seville and Durban film festivals, and Best Actress Nominee at the European Film Awards) uneasily share his palatial Moscow apartment—he’s a still-virile, wealthy businessman; she’s his dowdy former nurse who has clearly “married up.” Estranged from his own wild-child daughter, Vladimir openly despises his wife’s freeloading son and family. But when a sudden illness and an unexpected reunion threaten the dutiful housewife’s potential inheritance, she must hatch a desperate plan…

    [caption id="attachment_2639" align="alignnone" width="550"]Alexey Rozin as Sergey, Evgenia Konushkina as Tatyana and Nadezhda Markina as Elena in ELENA, a film by Andrei Zvyagintsev. A Zeitgeist Films release.[/caption]

    in addition to  award-winning Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev, ELENA also features what is being described as “Hitchcockian” music by Philip Glass.

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  • Heather Cochran and Bill Kramer Promoted to Senior Positions at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Museum Project

    Heather Cochran and Bill Kramer have been named to two newly created senior positions as part of the continuing progress of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, it was announced today by Dawn Hudson, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Cochran has been elevated to Managing Director, Academy Museum Project, and Kramer will serve as Managing Director, Development. Both will report directly to Hudson.

    “With Heather and Bill in place, the Academy is poised to move the museum to the next phase and beyond,” said Hudson. “Each brings a wealth of experience that will be critical as the museum project continues to gather momentum.”

    In her new position, Cochran, who has been involved with the project since its inception, will help manage and execute the overall vision for the museum, which will be built into the historic May Company building, currently known as LACMA West. Kramer will oversee the museum’s capital campaign and future fundraising efforts for the Academy.

    Cochran joined the Academy staff in 2004 as Museum Project Administrator. In that capacity, she served as the Academy’s liaison with city officials and has been involved in master planning, strategic communications and other facets of the project. She also has shepherded the development of the Academy’s Hollywood properties, supervising the design and construction of its new outdoor amphitheater. Previously, she held the post of director of online development for Communications Development Incorporated, where she spearheaded digital initiatives for a number of foundations, nonprofits, and multilateral agencies, including the United Nations, the World Bank, National Geographic Society, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

    Kramer began his fundraising career in 1999 at the Sundance Institute. Most recently, he served as the chief advancement officer for the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), the independent architecture and design school located in downtown Los Angeles. At SCI-Arc, Kramer established the school’s first external affairs office, which included development, public relations and alumni outreach functions. He also developed multiyear fundraising partnerships with major foundations and individuals. Kramer has also served as director of development at Columbia University School of the Arts, as senior director of development for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, and as executive director of development for the Campaign for Cal Arts, which raised $150 million for the school.

    [via press release]

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  • First all-Filipino horror film THE ROAD to be released in US on May 11 2012

    May 11, 2012 is the day and date release for director Yam Laranas’ critically-acclaimed all-Filipino horror film THE ROAD to be released in US theaters courtesy Freestyle Releasing and Freestyle Digital Media LLC.

    THE ROAD will be the first ever all-Filipino film to be commercially released in mainstream cinemas all over the US when it debuts in 16 markets theatrically, including New York and Los Angeles.

    THE ROAD tells the story of a twelve-year-old cold case that is recently reopened when three teenagers vanish while traversing an infamous and abandoned road. As investigators try to find leads to the whereabouts of the missing teens, they also unearth the road’s gruesome past that spans two decades – a history of abduction, crimes and murders.

    The film is currently an official selection at the 30th Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival.

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  • Palm Beach International Film Festival 2012 Film Lineup Is Complete

    [caption id="attachment_2632" align="alignnone" width="550"]Sassy Pants[/caption]

    The Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) film line-up for the 17th edition, April 12-19, 2012, featuring 25 World Premieres, 14 U.S. Premieres and 2 North American Premieres, is complete. 

    Opening Night kicks off with Robot & Frank, directed by Jake Schreier. Set in the near future, Frank, a retired cat burglar, has two grown kids who are concerned he can no longer live alone.  They are tempted to place him in a nursing home until Frank’s son chooses a different option: against the old man’s wishes, he buys Frank a walking, talking humanoid robot programmed to improve his physical and mental health. What follows is an often hilarious and somewhat heartbreaking story about finding friends and family in the most unexpected places. Robot & Frank features an award-winning cast including Academy Award® nominee Frank Langella, James Marsden, Liv Tyler and Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon. 

    The fest will close with “Sassy Pants,” directed by Coley Sohn and starring Anna Gunn, Ashley Rickards, Diedrich Bader and Haley Joel Osment.  Bethany Pruitt (Ashley Rickards) is valedictorian of her one-student home-school class. Stuck with younger brother Shayne (Martin Spanjers) under their perky but oppressive mother June’s (Anna Gunn) thumb, Bethany’s only escape is a teen fashion ‘zine courtesy of her absentee gay dad.  Life at dad Dale’s (Diedrich Bader) mobile home is no picnic either. Despite the close bond she forms with his fun, younger boyfriend, Chip (Haley Joel Osment), Dad’s self-loathing, alcoholic outbursts weigh heavy on Bethany. She finds solace selling clothes at a cheap, trendy retail chain Jail Bait, but her petty, cutthroat coworkers cause a new set of “real world” navigation problems. When Bethany learns about Fashion Art Technology Institute, aka F.A.T.I., she sees a chance to break free once and for all and forge her own brighter future. How she gets there will redefine her and her family and maybe even update her wardrobe.

    Screenings of this year’s films will be held at Muvico Parisian 20 at CityPlace in West Palm Beach, Cobb Theatres in Downtown At The Gardens, Lake Worth Playhouse in Lake Worth, Debilzan Gallery in Delray Beach and Mizner Park Cultural Arts Centre in Boca Raton.

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  • Hot Docs 2012 Lineup Features 189 Documentary to Open With AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY

    [caption id="attachment_2480" align="alignnone"]AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY[/caption]

    Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival announced its full film line-up for the upcoming 19th edition, April 26-May 6, 2012.

    In addition to the opening night Canadian premiere of Alison Klayman’s AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY, an up-close portrait at of the renowned Chinese activist and artist, other notable films in the Special Presentations program include: Bart Layton’s THE IMPOSTER, which depicts a lost and found boy who may not be who he claims; James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot’s INDIE GAME: THE MOVIE, a look into the lives of video game developers; Lauren Greenfield’s THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES, a portrait of an eccentric billionaire family facing the economic crisis; Kevin Macdonald’s MARLEY, the definitive biography of reggae artist Bob Marley; Christian Bonke and Andreas Koefoed’s BALLROOM DANCER, a look at a Latin ballroom champion’s ambitious comeback plans; and Yung Chang’s CHINA HEAVYWEIGHT, an intimate portrayal of a boxing coach training poor teens in rural China.

    In the competitive Canadian Spectrum program, notable films include: Christy Garland’s THE BASTARD SINGS THE SWEETEST SONG, the story of a tumultuous mother-son relationship in Guyana; Omar Majeed and Ryan Mullins’ THE FROG PRINCES, the story of a developmentally challenged theatre group’s struggle to mount an ambitious production; Angad Singh Bhalla’s HERMAN’S HOUSE, a trip through the years with jailed Black Panther activist Herman Wallace; and Jonah Bekhor and Zach Math’s THE FINAL MEMBER, which looks at Iceland’s penis museum’s search for a critical artifact.

    In the competitive International Spectrum program, notable films include: Bill Ross and Turner Ross’ TCHOUPITOULAS, the adventures of three teenagers exploring the heart of New Orleans at night; Ra’anan Alexandrowicz’s THE LAW IN THESE PARTS, a candid glimpse into the legal minds behind the rules and regulations governing the Occupied Territories; Elizabeth Mims and Jason Tippet’s ONLY THE YOUNG, a look at a last stolen summer of first loves; and Sean McAllister’s THE RELUCTANT REVOLUTIONARY, a portrait of a tour guide caught in the 2011 uprising in Yemen’s capital.

    In the World Showcase program, notable films include: Tiffany Sudela-Junker’s MY NAME IS FAITH, the story of a 12-year-old girl’s struggle to overcome trauma and accept her adopted family; Beth Murphy’s THE LIST, which reveals an American’s crusade for refuge for his Iraqi colleagues; Alessandro Comodin’s SUMMER OF GIACOMO, a 19-year-old deaf boy spends a summer day with a childhood friend; and Peter Gerdehag’s WOMEN WITH COWS, the story of two sisters and their complicated relationship with a dozen cows.

    The Made In Southeastern Europe program includes: Lena Müller and Dragan von Petrovic’s DRAGAN WENDE – WEST BERLIN, about West Berlin in 1970s and now as seen through a working-class Serbian émigré; Ed Moschitz’s MAMA ILLEGAL, a glimpse into the lives of Moldovan women who struggle to support their families; and András Kollmann’s STRONG – A RECOVERY STORY, about a mountaineer whose desire to climb does not fade following a catastrophic injury.

    The Next program includes: Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern’s SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS, where LCD Soundsystem front-man James Murphy’s bids farewell to his fans; Poull Brien’s CHARLES BRADLEY: SOUL OF AMERICA, a heart-warming story of a 62-year-old illiterate James Brown impersonator from Brooklyn; Maya Gallus’ THE MYSTERY OF MAZO DE LA ROCHE, a look at the mysterious life of the Canadian author; and Sylvia Caminer’s AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART, a peek into the world of devoted Rick Springfield fans.

    The Rise Against program includes: Brian Knappenberger’s WE ARE LEGION: THE STORY OF THE HACKTIVISTS, a radical collective’s fight that redefined civil disobedience; Guy Davidi and Emad Burnat’s 5 BROKEN CAMERAS, a portrait of a West Bank village threatened by an encroaching Israeli settlement; and Petr Lom’s BACK TO THE SQUARE, a look at citizens in post-revolution Egypt.

    The Nightvision program includes: Chris James Thompson’s JEFF, a biography of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer; Mary Kerr’s RADIOMAN, the story of Radioman, a fixture in the NYC film scene; and James Franco and Ian Olds’ FRANCOPHRENIA (OR: DON’T KILL ME, I KNOW WHERE THE BABY IS, a wild behind-the-scenes doc with James Franco on General Hospital.

    The Documentary Plays Itself program includes: Phie Ambo’s GAMBLER, which follows director Nicholas Winding Refn as he shoots sequels of his cult classic; Louis Pepe and Keith Fulton’s LOST IN LA MANCHA, which captures Terry Gilliam’s ill-fated attempt to film the Don Quixote story; and Thom Andersen’s LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF, a look at how Los Angeles is depicted on film.

    Additionally, Hot Docs will present two retrospective programs: Focus On John Kastner, a mid-career retrospective of the Emmy Award-winning director’s work; and the Outstanding Achievement Award Retrospective, honouring the influential work of masterful Québécois filmmaker Michel Brault.



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  • NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION Takes Top Awards at 6th Asian Film Awards

    The Iranian film, NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION dominated the 6th Asian Film Awards (AFA) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION won awards for Best Film, Best Editor, and Best Director and Best Screenwriter for screenwriter-director Asghar FARHADI.

    The winners of the 6th AFA are:


    [caption id="attachment_2283" align="alignnone"]NADER AND SIMIN A SEPARATION[/caption]
    Best Film
    NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION (Iran)

    Best Director
    Asghar FARHADI ― NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION (Iran)

    Best Actor
    Donny DAMARA ― LOVELY MAN (Indonesia)

    Best Actress
    Deanie IP ― A SIMPLE LIFE (Hong Kong)

    Best Newcomer
    NI Ni ― THE FLOWERS OF WAR (Mainland China)

    Best Supporting Actor
    Lawrence KO ― JUMP! ASHIN (Taiwan)

    Best Supporting Actress
    Shamaine BUENCAMINO ― NIÑO (The Philippines)

    Best Screenwriter
    Asghar FARHADI ― NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION (Iran)

    Best Cinematographer
    Jake POLLOCK, LAI Yiu-fai (HKSC) ― WU XIA (Mainland China / Hong Kong)

    Best Production Designer
    YEE Chung-man, SUN Li ― WU XIA (Mainland China / Hong Kong)

    Best Composer
    CHAN Kwong-wing, Peter KAM, Chatchai PONGPRAPAPHAN ― WU XIA
    (Mainland China / Hong Kong)

    Best Editor
    Hayedeh SAFIYARI ― NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION (Iran)

    Best Visual Effects
    Wook KIM, Josh COLE, Frankie CHUNG ― THE FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (Hong Kong / Mainland China)

    Best Costume Designer
    YEE Chung-man, LAI Hsuan-wu ― THE FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGON GATE (Hong Kong / Mainland China)

    The winners of the special awards of the 6th AFA are:

    The Lifetime Achievement Award
    Ann HUI

    2011’s Top Grossing Asian Film Award
    LET THE BULLETS FLY

    The Edward Yang New Talent Award
    Edwin

    People’s Choice Awards: My Favorite Actor
    Andy LAU ― A SIMPLE LIFE (Hong Kong)

    People’s Choice Awards: My Favourite Actress
    Eugene DOMINGO ― THE WOMAN IN THE SEPTIC TANK (The Philippines)


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  • THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN, DEATH OF A SUPERHERO, and SLEEPLESS NIGHT from Tribeca Film Festival to be Released Same Time on VOD

    [caption id="attachment_2624" align="alignnone" width="550"]SLEEPLESS NIGHT[/caption]

    Tribeca Film will release THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN, DEATH OF A SUPERHERO, and SLEEPLESS NIGHT nationwide via video-on-demand during the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs April 18-29. The films which are also official selections of the Festival feature actors such as Jenna Fischer, Topher Grace, Malin Akerman, Tomer Sisley, Andy Serkis and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

    Tribeca Film also snagged the film BOOKER’S PLACE: A MISSISSIPPI STORY, directed by Raymond De Felitta, rounding out its selection of titles to be released during the Festival. BOOKER’S PLACE is described as a riveting documentary offering a wholly original perspective on the Civil Rights struggle through its subject, Booker Wright.

    Tribeca Film will also begin to roll out these films theatrically, starting with BOOKER’S PLACE on April 25 and THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN on April 27.

    [caption id="attachment_2625" align="alignnone" width="550"]Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story- Yvette Johnson with her father, Leroy Jones. Photographer: Nicki Newburger.[/caption]

    BOOKER’S PLACE: A MISSISSIPPI STORY, directed by Raymond De Felitta. (USA) – World Premiere in TFF’s Spotlight section. In 1965, filmmaker Frank De Felitta made a documentary for NBC News about the changing times in Mississippi that featured Booker Wright – an African-American waiter who worked in a “whites only” restaurant. Booker went on national television and exploded the myth of who he was and his position serving the white community. 46 years later, Frank’s son, director Raymond De Felitta (CITY ISLAND, TWO FAMILY HOUSE), documents a journey into the past and current-day Mississippi with Booker’s granddaughter, in search of who Booker Wright was, the intricacies surrounding his courageous life and untimely murder, and the role Frank De Felitta’s documentary may have played in it. BOOKER’S PLACE will begin a theatrical release on April 25 in L.A. and April 27 in New York.

    [caption id="attachment_2626" align="alignnone" width="550"]Thomas Brodie-Sangster in [/caption]

    DEATH OF A SUPERHERO, directed by Ian Fitzgibbon, written by Anthony McCarten. (Ireland, Germany) – U.S. premiere in TFF’s Viewpoints section. Donald is a teenager with extraordinary talents, wild daydreams, and a bright future as an artist of fantastical graphic novels. But when Donald discovers that a very real enemy is trying to kill him, an unorthodox psychologist tries to help him find the light in an otherwise dark world. Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Andy Serkis and Aisling Loftus star in this exceptionally honest drama about discovering life, love, and death. DEATH OF A SUPERHERO will have a limited theatrical release beginning May 4.

    [caption id="attachment_2434" align="alignnone"]Chris Messina and Jenna Fischer in “The Giant Mechanical Man” distributed by Tribeca Film. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film.[/caption]

    THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN, directed and written by Lee Kirk. (USA) – World Premiere in TFF’s Spotlight section. Thirty-somethings Janice (Jenna Fischer) and Tim (Chris Messina) haven’t quite learned how to navigate adulthood. Tim is a street performer whose unique talents as a “living statue” don’t exactly pay the bills. Janice is out of work and under pressure by her sister (Malin Akerman) to date an egotistical self-help guru (Topher Grace). In this charming comedic romance, these two strangers help each other to realize that it only takes one person to make you feel important. THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN will have a limited theatrical release starting April 27 in New York.

    [caption id="attachment_2627" align="alignnone" width="550"]Samy Seghir and Tomer Sisley in [/caption]

    SLEEPLESS NIGHT (Nuit Blanche), directed by Frederic Jardin, written by Frederic Jardin and Nicolas Saada. (France, Belgium, Luxembourg) – New York Premiere in TFF’s Cinemania section. Vincent is a dedicated police officer, or so it seems. After he steals a massive bag of cocaine, his young son winds up being held for ransom by the mob boss it belongs to. When Vincent travels to the outskirts of Paris to trade the drugs for his son, he gets caught in an intense cat-and-mouse game that quickly spirals out of control. This night might not only be the longest of his life—it could be the last. SLEEPLESS NIGHT will have a limited theatrical release beginning May 11 in New York.

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  • More Film Program Updates For 2012 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2622" align="alignnone" width="550"]2012 Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant Winner , Let the Fire Burn (Director: Jason Osder)[/caption]

    The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival announced additional programming news for the 2012 festival: The Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant, the Southern Documentary Fund: In-the-Works program, and a celebration of 40 years of New Day Films. The festival will also feature a retrospective of short films in honor of its fifteenth anniversary, featuring one title from each previous year of the festival.

    The 2012 Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant has been awarded to Jason Osder for “Let the Fire Burn” and Ben Powell for “Barge.”

    The Southern Documentary Fund (SDF) will once again present their In-the-Works presentation at this year’s festival. The program will include the short film “Café Sense” directed by D.L. Anderson and Brooke Shuman, along with excerpts from “Can’t Stop the Water” directed by Rebecca Marshall Ferris and Jason Ferris and “untitled LUCY film” directed by Elisabeth Haviland James.

    Full Frame will honor the 40th anniversary of New Day Films and exhibit New Day Film’s very first titles. The four films will screen as one program: Liane Brandon’s “Anything You Want to Be” and “Betty Tells Her Story,” Jim Klein and Julia Reichert’s “Growing Up Female,” and Amalie R. Rothschild’s “It Happens to Us.” A separate panel conversation around New Day Film’s history and legacy will also take place at the festival.

    Full Frame has curated a selection of short films from the Full Frame vault. The fourteen shorts will, representing each year of the festival, will be screened in three separate programs over the course of the weekend. Vault One features “A Thousand Words,” “Caretaker for the Lord,” “For a Miracle,” and “Salt.” Vault Two features “Picture Day,” “Crow Film,” “The Intimacy of Strangers,” and “Lost Book Found.” Vault Three features “Metacarpus,” “Bitter and Sweet,” “A Love Supreme,” “Seltzer Works,” “Breadmakers,” and “Leche.”  Directors and festival years are included below.

    The 2012 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will be held April 12-15, in Durham, N.C.

    2012 Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant

    Barge (Director: Ben Powell)
    This film examines the impact of one of America’s great rivers, documenting the next chapter of life on the Mississippi. Fascinating riverboat workers—notorious captains and seasoned first mates—expose both the decidedly colorful and highly specialized aspects of their profession.

    Let the Fire Burn (Director: Jason Osder)
    In 1985, police closed in on the Philadelphia row home headquarters of MOVE, a radical group some considered terrorists. Through archival footage, this film reveals a remarkable example of how intolerance, and incompetence, can lead to unthinkable acts of violence.



    2012 SDF: In-the-Works

    Café Sense (Directors: D.L. Anderson, Brooke Shuman)
    In the last few decades, specialty roasting companies have tried to make the connection between the small farms that grow the plant to what we find at gas stations and in whipped drinks. Durham’s Counter Culture Coffee hosts a weekly tasting where drinkers learn to distinguish the flavors associated with different countries.

    Can’t Stop the Water (Directors: Rebecca Marshall Ferris, Jason Ferris)
    Over the last fifty years, Isle de Jean Charles has been gradually shrinking, and is now almost gone. Four months into filming the lives of the families that call this place home, one of the greatest environmental disasters in history left the people of this tiny island in south Louisiana with an even more uncertain future.

    untitled LUCY film (Director: Elisabeth Haviland James)
    Lucy Daniels believes a family secret radically impacted the trajectory of her life. Despite early promise, she endured brutal treatment in mental institutions only to pen a bestseller and win a Guggenheim fellowship, all before the age of twenty-two. Re-creations, animated dream sequences, and intimate interviews tell her story.



    40th Anniversary of New Day Films

    Anything I Want to Be (Director: Liane Brandon)
    A teenager’s parents tell her time and again that she can grow up to be anything she wants to be. Through playful, yet troubling, reenactments, “anything” is discovered to be what exists within the realm of certain limitations.

    Betty Tells Her Story (Director: Liane Brandon)
    A woman sits in a chair before the camera. At the urging of the filmmaker, she describes a past event. She finishes her story, but then the filmmaker asks her to recount it. The distinctions between the first and second telling are restrained yet perceptible, raising ideas about femininity and self-worth.

    Growing Up Female (Directors: Jim Klein, Julia Reichert)
    This documentary captures six women, from ages four to twenty-six, as they experience coming of age in America. Touchingly revelatory, this pioneering feminist film acknowledges the countless pressures applied to young women and the many forms these influences can take.

    It Happens to Us (Director: Amalie R. Rothschild)
    Women of different ages, races, and economic backgrounds boldly speak to having had an abortion. This diverse collection of stories articulate and connect the viewer to powerful, sometimes graphic, recollections of the physical and emotional experience.



    2012 Vault

    Bitter and Sweet (Director: Johanna Lee) – 2001 Festival
    Witness a day at an acupuncture shop in New York’s Chinatown, with Mom, Pop, and the family cat. A delightful, affectionate portrait of both a business and a marriage.

    Breadmakers (Director: Yasmin Fedda) – 008 Festival
    At the Garvald Bakery, a team of workers with mental disabilities prepare bread for all of Edinburgh. The participants, each in their own way, contribute to the rhythm of this choreographed effort.

    Caretaker for the Lord (Director: Jane McAllister) – 2011 Festival
    The maintenance man of a church in Glasgow’s East End muses about its future as he mops the floors and changes the light bulbs. The run-down church ministers to more members of its vulnerable community than those in charge realize.

    Crow Film (Director: Edward P. Davee) – 2003 Festival
    Ubiquitous and much-maligned crows are transformed into stately, mysterious objects of beauty. This film captures the intricate rhythms and textures of the birds flying and pecking their way through their world and ours.

    For a Miracle (Po Cud) (Director: Jarek Sztandera) – 2005 Festival
    This astonishing film of the national pilgrimage of disabled people and their caregivers from Poland to Lourdes by train—under the auspices of Catholic clergy—is a surreal passage that inspires faith and mercy, anxiety and despair.

    The Intimacy of Strangers (Director: Eva Weber) – 2006 Festival
    Cellphone conversations have the ability to collapse the distinctions between public and private space. Capturing intimate moments obliviously performed for strangers, this film is a love story of the modern age, transmitted for all to hear.

    Leche (Director: Naomi Uman) – 1999 Festival
    A dreamlike evocation of a dairy farm in Mexico through a textured film surface—the filmmaker develops her film in buckets. A document of a timeless place and the magic of crafting things by hand.

    Lost Book Found (Director: Jem Cohen) – 1998 Festival
    This film updates the venerable city symphony, but without the genre’s grandiose claims. Instead, this is more of a chamber piece; it starts as a personal documentary but then shifts from the private to the enigmatic.

    A Love Supreme (Director: Nilesh Patel) – 2002 Festival
    In this stunning and elegant tribute, Nilesh Patel pays homage to his aging mother as he captures the beauty and artistry of her life’s work: making samosas. A delicacy.

    Metacarpus (Director: Nicole Triche) – 2007 Festival
    Magicians, musicians, doctors, and others sing the praises of their hands. A collage of insight and image portrays this special limb’s beauty and diverse utility, its development and distinctive form.

    Picture Day (Director: Steven Bognar) – 2000 Festival
    One school. 601 kids. 12 frames per kid. What do you get? This playful, funny parade of images reveals the range of possibilities contained in half a second’s worth of pictures.

    Salt (Directors: Michael Angus, Murray Fredericks) – 2009 Festival
    Every year a photographer ventures to the middle of Lake Eyre, a desolate salt flat in South Australia, pitching camp at its very core. With neither land nor water in sight, he looks into the abyss and finds that, in the midst of nothingness, there is everything.

    Seltzer Works (Director: Jessica Edwards) – 2010 Festival
    Regular consumers are a rare breed but the dedicated owner of Gomberg Seltzer Works in Brooklyn takes great pride in his work and the details involved in creating the real throat-tingling spritz.

    A Thousand Words (Director: Melba L. Williams) – 2004 Festival
    Williams’s lack of communication with her father, especially after a stroke silences his memories, leads her to explore his enthralling home movie footage and accomplished still photos from the Vietnam War, which speak of a fettered artistic soul.

     

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  • Benoît Jacquot’s Farewell, My Queen Starring Diane Kruger as Queen Marie Antoinette to Open 2012 San Francisco International Film Festival

    The 55th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 19 – May 3) will open with Farewell, My Queen (Dans les adieux à la reine, France 2012), Described as Benoît Jacquot’s extraordinarily atmospheric historical drama about the turmoil at Versailles in the early days of the French revolution, starring Diane Kruger as Queen Marie Antoinette and Léa Seydoux as her reader.

    Sumptuous and intimate, Benoît Jacquot’s portrayal of court life at Versailles during four crucial days in July 1789 observes at close range the social decay that brought down the monarchy. In this adaptation of Chantal Thomas’s novel, a servant — the queen’s reader and sometime confidante, Sidonie Laborde (Léa Seydoux) — navigates the quietly mounting atmosphere of confusion, denial and panic among the royal family and their cohort following news of the storming of the Bastille. For the tacit but not timid Sidonie, dogged at all times by Jacquot’s camera, the palace’s seemingly endless hallways all lead to one room, the chamber of Marie Antoinette, to whom she is devoted and by whom she is mesmerized. Diane Kruger plays the monarch in a state of charged vulnerability, having lost her head over the otherwise much-despised Gabrielle De Polignac (Virginie Ledoyen); compared to that thrall, the revolution is as nothing to her. She transfers this frisson to Sidonie. Meanwhile, the aristocrats, sycophants and pretenders ensconced at Versailles read the writing on its walls and begin to take their leave. Thus, regime change begins at home.

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  • Sarasota Film Festival Releases the Full Lineup of Films for 2012

    [caption id="attachment_2615" align="alignnone" width="550"] Festival Centerpiece – DARK HORSE[/caption]

    The Sarasota Film Festival (SFF) officially announced their complete 2012 Festival program today, featuring over 230 films from 30 nations. The Sarasota Film Festival kicks off on April 13th with the previously announced ROBOT & FRANK on Opening Night, with Todd Solondz’s DARK HORSE serving as the Festival Centerpiece and Joe Berlinger’s UNDER AFRICAN SKIES serving as the festival’s closer.

    The Narrative Feature Competition

    [caption id="attachment_2616" align="alignnone" width="550"]11 Flowers[/caption]
    11 FLOWERS, Director: Wang Xiaoshuai
    ALPS, Director: Giorgos Lanthimos
    ARCADIA, Director: Olivia Silver – US Premiere
    COMPLIANCE, Director: Craig Zobel
    ELENA, Director: Andrei Zvyagintsev
    FRANCINE, Director: Brian M. Cassidy, Melanie Shatsky
    GOODBYE FIRST LOVE, Director: Mia Hanse-Løve
    THE LONELIEST PLANET, Director: Julia Loktev

    The Narrative Feature Jury
    John Anderson, Chairman, New York Film Critics Circle
    Steven Gaydos, Executive Editor VARIETY
    Karina Longworth – Film Critic, LA Weekly

    The Documentary Feature Competition
    THE ATOMIC STATES OF AMERICA, Director: Don Argott, Sheena M. Joyce.
    BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!, Director: Fredrik Gertten

    [caption id="attachment_2337" align="alignnone"]CHASING ICE[/caption]

    CHASING ICE, Director: Jeff Orlowski
    DETROPIA, Director: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
    FIRST POSITION, Director: Bess Kargman
    JUSTICE FOR SALE, Directors: Femke van Velzen, Ilsa van Velzen
    THE PATRON SAINTS, Director: Brian M. Cassidy, Melanie Shatsky
    RADIO UNNAMEABLE, Director: Paul Lovelace, Jessica Wolfson


    Documentary Feature Jury
    Joe Neumaier- The NY Daily News
    Thelma Adams, Yahoo!
    Clemence Taillandier, Zeitgeist Films

    The Independent Visions Competition
    EMPIRE BUILDER, Director: Kris Swanberg -World Premiere
    LEAVE ME LIKE YOU FOUND ME, Director Adele Romanski
    GAYBY, Director Jonathan Lisecki
    IN OUR NATURE, Director Brian Savelson
    RICHARD’S WEDDING, Director Onur Tukel -World Premiere
    SEE GIRL RUN, Director Nate Meyer
    SUN DON’T SHINE, Director Amy Seimetz
    THE UNSPEAKABLE ACT, Director Dan Sallitt -World Premiere

    [caption id="attachment_2318" align="alignnone"]WELCOME TO PINE HILL[/caption]
    WELCOME TO PINE HILL, Director Keith Miller

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