The Big Bang Theory star Kunal Nayyar[/caption]
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has added two exciting programs and revealed the members of its features and shorts juries for the 16th annual festival, which takes place April 11 to 15 at the Regal L.A. LIVE: A Barco Innovation Center cinemas in downtown Los Angeles.
The Big Bang Theory star Kunal Nayyar will sit down for a moderated discussion about his career beginnings, his path to stardom on U.S. television’s highest rated comedy, and to advise the next generation of artists on how to gain a foothold in a competitive industry.
Best known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory, Nayyar’s career has spanned television, features and the stage. He’s performed voice work in the DreamWorks animated feature TROLLS, and Fox’s ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT, as well as the Nickelodeon series Sanjay and Craig. His television credits also include a recurring role on TBS’ Sullivan & Sons, and a 2015 stint as guest host on CBS’ The Late Late Show. In 2015, he made his off-Broadway and London West End debut starring alongside Jesse Eisenberg in The Spoils, and he produced the documentary feature BEYOND ALL BOUNDARIES, which won an IFFLA Grand Jury Prize in 2013.
The master class is presented with support from the India Center Foundation and will take place on Thursday, April 12 at 9:00pm.
IFFLA has also added to its 2018 lineup the world premiere of rising star director Karthik Subbaraj’s new feature MERCURY. The film features South Indian superstar Prabhu Deva, and focuses on five long-time friends, all of whom are maimed as a result of their town’s mercury poisoning, who come together for their high school reunion. But a moment of mischief and misfortune during the after-party puts them on a one-way road to hell. MERCURY will screen on Thursday, April 12 at 9:15pm with director Karthik Subbaraj in attendance.
An impressive panel of jurors will preside over IFFLA’s features and shorts competitions.
The features jury includes: director Haifaa Al-Mansour, whose multiple award-winning debut feature WADJDA was the first film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia; film critic Carlos Aguilar, whose work appears in Indiewire, MovieMaker Magazine, Filmmaker Magazine, Variety Latino and Remezcla; and actress Sujata Day, known for her starring role on Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, and her recurring role as Sarah on HBO’s Insecure.
The shorts jury will include: Internationally renowned religious scholar and writer Reza Aslan, whose books include the #1 New York Times best-seller Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, and who has served as producer on HBO’s The Leftovers, ABC’s Of Kings and Prophets, and hosted CNN’s original series Believer; director Aneesh Chaganty, whose debut feature SEARCHING was acquired by Sony Pictures for worldwide release in 2018 after its world premiere in Sundance, where it was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film prize and the NEXT Audience Award; and Guinevere Turner, screenwriter of AMERICAN PSYCHO, THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE, and Mary Harron’s forthcoming CHARLIE SAYS. Turner also wrote, produced and starred in the 1994 landmark queer film GO FISH.-
‘Big Bang Theory’ Star Kunal Nayyar + World Premiere of MERCURY Added to Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2018 Lineup
[caption id="attachment_27844" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Big Bang Theory star Kunal Nayyar[/caption]
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) has added two exciting programs and revealed the members of its features and shorts juries for the 16th annual festival, which takes place April 11 to 15 at the Regal L.A. LIVE: A Barco Innovation Center cinemas in downtown Los Angeles.
The Big Bang Theory star Kunal Nayyar will sit down for a moderated discussion about his career beginnings, his path to stardom on U.S. television’s highest rated comedy, and to advise the next generation of artists on how to gain a foothold in a competitive industry.
Best known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory, Nayyar’s career has spanned television, features and the stage. He’s performed voice work in the DreamWorks animated feature TROLLS, and Fox’s ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT, as well as the Nickelodeon series Sanjay and Craig. His television credits also include a recurring role on TBS’ Sullivan & Sons, and a 2015 stint as guest host on CBS’ The Late Late Show. In 2015, he made his off-Broadway and London West End debut starring alongside Jesse Eisenberg in The Spoils, and he produced the documentary feature BEYOND ALL BOUNDARIES, which won an IFFLA Grand Jury Prize in 2013.
The master class is presented with support from the India Center Foundation and will take place on Thursday, April 12 at 9:00pm.
IFFLA has also added to its 2018 lineup the world premiere of rising star director Karthik Subbaraj’s new feature MERCURY. The film features South Indian superstar Prabhu Deva, and focuses on five long-time friends, all of whom are maimed as a result of their town’s mercury poisoning, who come together for their high school reunion. But a moment of mischief and misfortune during the after-party puts them on a one-way road to hell. MERCURY will screen on Thursday, April 12 at 9:15pm with director Karthik Subbaraj in attendance.
An impressive panel of jurors will preside over IFFLA’s features and shorts competitions.
The features jury includes: director Haifaa Al-Mansour, whose multiple award-winning debut feature WADJDA was the first film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia; film critic Carlos Aguilar, whose work appears in Indiewire, MovieMaker Magazine, Filmmaker Magazine, Variety Latino and Remezcla; and actress Sujata Day, known for her starring role on Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, and her recurring role as Sarah on HBO’s Insecure.
The shorts jury will include: Internationally renowned religious scholar and writer Reza Aslan, whose books include the #1 New York Times best-seller Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, and who has served as producer on HBO’s The Leftovers, ABC’s Of Kings and Prophets, and hosted CNN’s original series Believer; director Aneesh Chaganty, whose debut feature SEARCHING was acquired by Sony Pictures for worldwide release in 2018 after its world premiere in Sundance, where it was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film prize and the NEXT Audience Award; and Guinevere Turner, screenwriter of AMERICAN PSYCHO, THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE, and Mary Harron’s forthcoming CHARLIE SAYS. Turner also wrote, produced and starred in the 1994 landmark queer film GO FISH.
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15 Israeli Films to Compete in 2018 Docaviv – The Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival
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Bus 881[/caption]
Around 120 new local and international documentaries will be screened at the 20th anniversary edition of Docaviv – The Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival which will take place in Tel Aviv from May 17 through May 26, 2018. Docaviv is the largest documentary film festival in Israel, and the only one dedicated exclusively to documentary films.
This year 15 Israeli documentaries were selected from 78 submissions for the Israeli Competition. The selection represents superb, rich and diverse filmmaking, and includes: A Sister’s Song by Danae Elon, The Candidate by Tali Shemesh & Asaf Sudry, A Song of Ascension by David Ofek & Gad Aisen, In the Desert: Firing Zone 918 by Avner Faingulernt, The Jewish Underground by Shai Gal, Settler by Iris Zaki, and others. Three Israeli films were selected for the international Depth of Field Competition. These films stretch the boundaries of documentary filmmaking and explore the cinematic language: Salarium by Daniel Mann & Sasha Litvintseva, The Disappeared by Gilad Baram & Adam Kaplan and Standby Painter by Amir Yatziv.
In addition, six films by students from Israel’s leading film schools were selected for Docaviv’s annual Student Film Competition.
Additional films will be screened outside of competition: The King of Börek by Orit Ronel, Daddy, Where are Mom and Grandma? by Nili Tal, The Assassination by Avi Weissblei, and others. To mark the festival’s 20th edition, founder Ilana Tzur has curated a special slate of films from the festival’s early years, including No. 17 by David Ofek, winner of the Israeli Competition from Docaviv’s fifth edition.
The winner of this year’s Israeli Competition will be presented with the Howard Gilman award: NIS 70,000—Israel’s largest prize for documentary filmmaking. Other honors include the Mayor’s Award for Best Debut Film, Honorable Mention, as well as the Editing, Cinematography, Research, and Original Score awards.
Israeli Competition:
A Sister’s Song Director: Danae Elon Producers: Danae Elon & Paul Cadieux Israeli Premiere Marina, a young Jewish woman from Haifa, sets out to confront her sister, who has become a nun and lives in a monastery in Greece, where she is known as “Sister Jerusalem”. Marina hopes her sister will let her family back into her heart. A Perfect Housewife Director: Jane Bibi Producer: Arik Bernstein World Premiere All her life Jane has stood against the conventions of conservative Georgian society. Now a mother-to-be, she returns to her family after years of resentment. Armed with a camera, she tries to understand her mother and herself, and maybe even find it in her heart to forgive, despite the looming shadow of their complex relationships with the men of the family. You Only Die Twice Director: Yair Lev Producers: David Deri & Markus Glaser By: Yair Lev and David Deri International Premiere Who stole the identity of Ernest Bachinsky, the director’s grandfather? This surprising mystery thriller tells the story of a man who became the president of the Jewish community in Austria while living with a family of high-ranking S.S. officials and concealing his true identity. What dark fate was he trying to run from? In the Desert: Firing Zone 918 A Documentary Diptych Director: Avner Faingulernt Producers: Shlomi Elkabetz, Hagar Saad Shalom, Paul Cadieux, Danae Elon, Avner Faingulernt International Premiere Two documentary features about Jewish and Arab shepherds who live next to each other in the southern reaches of Mt. Hebron, but never actually meet. As they struggle to adhere to ancient traditions, they find that the desert is deceptive, and politics are even more so. But the struggle that determines their fate is the struggle within. Yeshurun in 6 Chapters Director: Amichai Chasson Producer: Yair Qedar World Premiere Yehiel Perlmutter wrecked his own house to be reborn in Tel Aviv as the great outsider poet Avoth Yeshurun, who wrote in a unique mix of Hebrew, Yiddish and Arabic. This is a portrait of a lone revolutionary and silence breaker, suspended between ostracism and recognition. The Wounded Healer Director: Yochay Rosenberg Producer: Ron Ofer World Premiere Dan Philipp, a senior clinical criminologist, has spent a career treating sex offenders. His friendship with the most despised of all criminals and his refusal to uphold the boundaries between normality and deviance have driven him away from his professional community and immediate family. At 87, shortly before he “cashes in his chips”, he finally faces the one memory he never dared to face. Dudu Tassa & the Kuwaitis Director: Tal Hake Producer: Or Davidson World Premiere Dudu Tassa & the Kuwaitis, a successful Arab-Israeli ensemble, join legendary band Radiohead to support them on their USA tour. They try to win the hearts of the audience with almost-forgotten Iraqi music, written a century ago by Tassa’s grandfather and his brother. This is a film about the dream, the excitement, the journey and the distance. Der Nister (The Hidden one) Director: Nahar Shabtai Producers: Elad Peleg & Haggai Arad World Premiere Der Nister is what my mother, Coleen Shabtai, called the house where she dreamed of raising a happy family. She married my father, the poet Aharon Shabtai, and gave birth to six children. Together they raised them in a house in Jerusalem, surrounded by cypress trees—until one day it was all taken away. The Candidate Directors & producers: Tali Shemesh & Asaf Sudry World Premiere The film follows Moshe Kahlon and his campaign staff from the 2015 elections to the moment he sat down in the minister’s office. The mystery man of Israeli politics has agreed to let a camera into his headquarters, where the key players of today’s political arena plan their next moves. The Jewish Underground Director: Shai Gal Producers: Lisa Shiloach-Uzrad, Idit Mistriel, Amit Stretiner, Yossi Uzrad, Guy Jacoel Israeli Premiere This political detective thriller begins with the Shin Bet’s investigation that led to the arrest of the members of the Jewish Underground, who had planned to blow up the Dome of the Rock. Using unique archive footage and interviews, it tells the story of how the members of the underground made their way to the top of Israel’s political power structure, where they continue to pull the strings even today. Flood Director & producer: Ohad Milstein International Premiere Thousands of years after the Great Flood, four people, floating between heaven and earth, must face nature’s changes. Family in Transition Director: Ofir Trainin Producers: Ofir Trainin & Tal Barda World Premiere A Nahariya based family copes with the father’s gender transition. Galit, Amit and their four children believe love conquers all, but just when it seems Amit has finally made it through his gender journey, it is Galit’s personal journey that threatens the relationship. Settler Director: Iris Zaki Producers: Iris Zaki & Osnat Saraga Israeli Premiere Director Iris Zaki enters the heart of Tekoa, a West-Bank settlement, and sits down to talk to the locals. Though fearful at first of the left-wing invader, settlers from various backgrounds gradually open up to her. Their honest, surprising and sometimes funny conversations offer a fresh take on Israeli reality from both sides of the Green Line. A Song of Ascension Directors: David Ofek & Gad Aisen Production: Producer in Chief: Enav Shenhar, Head of Documentary Department: Ilanit Baumann By David Ofek, Gad Aisen and Sigal Russak Gissin World Premiere The film follows Rinat, Elad and Einav. Elad was left disabled after a botched simple operation. He and his wife Rinat bond with Einav as they enter the surrogacy process. The film follows their emotionally intense journey and dramatic life-choices. Wild Directors: Uriel Sinai & Danel Elpeleg Producer: Sol Goodman World Premiere The small staff of this wildlife hospital is acutely aware that an infirm animal cannot survive in the wild. But when an animal makes only a partial recovery, hard choices have to be made. Is life worth living at any cost?Depth of Field Competition
Standby Painter Director & Producer: Amir Yatziv International Premiere In September, 2000, Poznan Art Museum in Poland gave Robert Z permission to copy the painting “Beach in Pourville” by Claude Monet. Robert Z tells the untold story of what really happened that day at the museum, including the consequences. The Disappeared Directors & producers: Gilad Baram & Adam Kaplan Israeli Premiere The Disappeared is an experimental documentary unraveling the story of an action-drama feature film produced by the Israeli Army in the year 2000 and censored just a few weeks before its release. Salarium Directors and producers: Daniel Mann & Sasha Litvintseva Israeli Premiere Salarium captures the entanglement of economic, military and geological forces at work around the tens of thousands of sinkholes on the Dead Sea shores. The sinkholes in Salarium are the point of convergence for many themes: colonization, ecological disaster, military occupation and economic appropriation, human history and geological timelines.Student Film Competition:
Hebrew Kisses Director & producer: Manya Lozovskaya Sapir Academic College Newly repatriated from Russia, Manya tries to build a relationship with Erez, a native born Israeli Jew. But to be with him she must first undergo the process of Giyur and convert to Judaism. The Bride’s Tree Director & producer: Shadi Habib Allah Sam Spiegel Film and Television School Like his father before him, 12-year-old Murhaf is “the Secret-Keeper of the Tree”. He is responsible for a 400-year-old oak. Under the oak, the reality of living in poverty in an occupied land meets a world of fantasy and myth, and Murhaf finds the path to love. My Father’s Son Director & Producer: Hillel Rate Ma’aleh School of Television, Film and the Arts The symbiotic love between father and son is about to be tested by the son’s search for love. Bus 881 Director: Ron Goldin Producers: Christopher Albrodt & Cedric Engels Film Dept. at HaMidrasha – Faculty of the Arts at Beit Berl Academic College Anyone who wants to cross Dormagen has to ride bus 881, where newly-arrived refugees and native Germans find themselves stuck together in forced intimacy. It is a microcosm that tells the story of Germany’s coping with its recent immigration wave. A Train to the Horizon Director & producer: Sharon Shahanny Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Department of Screen-Based Arts Following a dream about a train shooting out from the yard of her Moroccan grandmother’s block, Sharon arrives at the picturesque town of Ofakim. The train turns out to be the block itself, and in it she finds a surprising, difficult and touching reality. Shudia Director & producer: Maayan Kapach Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Department of Photography Shudia is 95, and she can’t wait to die. When her son Meir reopens an old wound—the kidnapping of her eldest daughter—he is surprised to find not only pain, but also humor and an ongoing intergenerational conflict about a girl and a lost identity.Selected Israeli films from the festival’s various sections:
In Search of Ladino Director: David Perlov Producers: Liat Benhabib & Yael Perlov Israel 1981, 49 min A restored version Ladino encapsulates the sounds of an entire world—complete with culture, hopes and memories. David Perlov brings this world back to life, allowing Israeli Ladino speakers, some of them Holocaust survivors, to tell their stories and sing their songs in the rich language that has always been at the heart of their identities. No. 17 Directors: David Ofek & Ron Rotem Producers: Edna & Elinor Kowarsky Screening category: Rare Gems—Ilana Tzur Israel 2003, 75 min, Hebrew, English subtitles On June 2, 2002, a bus was blown up on its way to Tiberias. 17 people were killed. 16 of the bodies were identified, but nobody came for number 17. He was buried some weeks later, a John Doe. The German Director: Noga Nezer Producers: Noga Nezer & Robert Cibis Screening category: Panorama World Premiere In this documentary thriller, a romance between a young German man and the grandchild of a Holocaust survivor spirals of control in grandma’s old house. The Assassination Director & producer: Avi Weissblei Screening category: Panorama World Premiere 85 years ago an influential political leader was murdered on a beach in Tel Aviv. The two shooters were never identified. The film takes us back to those crucial minutes and delves into the unsolved mystery: who killed Haim Arlosoroff. Covered Up Director: Rachel Elitzur Producer: Avigail Sperber Screening category: Panorama World Premiere Rachel does not want to keep wearing her wig after her divorce, but it is forbidden by the Halakha and frowned upon by her family and the ultra-orthodox Jewish community she lives in. Her attempts to understand the meaning of the wigs worn by ultra-orthodox women after marriage lead her to a journey through personal, family and community life. Phoenix Director and producer: Anat Tel Screening category: Panorama World Premiere Phoenix, 32, was born in the Hebrew Israelite Nation in Dimona. When Phoenix was 3, his father was cast out of the community. They say that was when he got his curse. Now, as he starts a new chapter, he wants to forgive his parents, make his dreams come true and find happiness. Memory Agents Directors: Amalia Rosenblum & Ido Rosenblum Producer: Meital Cohen Screening category: Art World Premiere A decade after the death of Adam Baruch—a controversial cultural figure—his children, Ido and Amalia Rosenblum, try to get to know him. They create a temporary museum that displays more than a thousand items from his vast archive, and invite key figures to guide them through memory’s backstreets. The King of Börek Orit Ronell Producers: Yoram Ivry & David Noy Screening category: Panorama World Premiere This is the story of the Alkolombris, a family of Bulgarian bakers who immigrated to the newborn state of Israel, introducing the famous Bourekas pastry. A household name in Jaffa, Bourekas Sami has grown into a large franchise under the name Sami & Sons, but when money and respect began to flow, everything started to go wrong. Neighbors Director: Shay Levi Producers: Yoav Roeh & Orit Zamir Screening category: Panorama World Premiere After years of living in a moshav, I returned to my home town of Rehovot. I traded greenhouses and orchards for an elevator and a stairwell. All of a sudden there are other people living on the other side of my wall—parallel worlds, disturbingly close. Daddy, Where are Mom and Grandma? Director & Producer: Nili Tal Screening category: Panorama World Premiere In May 1996, when Itay Bleichman was 11, his father Dr. Amiram Hochberg murdered his mother Shlomit and his grandmother Ida Bleichman, kidnapped him and took him to Switzerland. In an exclusive interview, Itay recounts his story up to the day he was found in Basel.
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World Premiere of Elissa Down’s THE HONOR LIST to Kick Off 2018 Bentonville Film Festival
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THE HONOR LIST[/caption]
Bentonville Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Elissa Down’s THE HONOR LIST, and the festival will present a Centerpiece Screening of Lea Thompson’s THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN.
“We’re thrilled to be hosting these trailblazing women in the beautiful region of Northwest Arkansas at the fourth installment of BFF,” said co-founder Geena Davis, Academy Award®-winning actor and founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. “This IS the Year of the Woman, and BFF is proud to be at the forefront of this seismic change. If they can see it, they can be it!”
BFF will kick-off its celebration of inclusive filmmaking with its Opening Night film with the World Premiere of THE HONOR LIST as its Opening Night film from Studio L, a Lionsgate company. Directed by Elissa Down and written by Marilyn Fu, THE HONOR LIST is based on a story by Marilyn Fu and Meghan Rienks, and stars Meghan Rienks, Sasha Pieterse, Karrueche Tran, and Arden Cho. The film follows former best friends who reunite when tragedy strikes before their graduation. It is produced by sisters Mariel, Zoe, and Cisely Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures, along with PopSugar Films, and had a crew of over 60% women. Truly a film made by women, for women, it explores the complexities of friendships, family, love, loss, and high school.
“We are very happy to premiere THE HONOR LIST at this year’s Bentonville Film Festival,” said Executive Producer Zoe Saldana. “The festival’s focus on women and inclusion perfectly reflect the theme and spirit of our film, filmmakers, and cast. We couldn’t ask for a better setting to launch this special movie.”
In addition, BFF will present a Centerpiece Screening of Lea Thompson’s THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN, from a script by Thompson’s daughter, Madelyn Deutch, who also scored the film. Thompson plays a supporting role opposite both Madelyn and her other daughter, Zoey Deutch.
Madelyn Deutch portrays a woman out of college dealing with the seemingly incessant failures of adulthood and the reality of a substandard dating pool, so she resigns herself to the support of her mother and sister, who are struggling with their own relationship problems. Zoey Deutch and Thompson’s husband, Howard Deutch, served as the film’s producers, alongside Gordon Gilbertson and Parkside’s Dan Roth and Damiano Tucci. The movie also stars Avan Jogia, Melissa Bolona, Jesse Bradford, Brandon T. Jackson, Cameron Monaghan, Zach Roerig, and Nicholas Braun.
THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN is the first feature film Lea Thompson, Madelyn Deutch and Zoey Deutch have worked on together as creatives behind the scenes. It has been a long collaboration and labor of love that evolved from a yearning for funnier and more honest young women’s stories. The film is set for a June theatrical release by MarVista Entertainment
“From our inception, MarVista has taken pride in supporting female filmmakers and voices,” said CEO Fernando Szew. “With THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN, we immediately connected with the authenticity of the story and performances and know this multilayered film will have strong appeal across generations. We are honored to be working with such a talented, creative and passionate group of women like Lea, Maddie, and Zoey, who also bring amazing dynamism as an inspiring family.”
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The Overlook Film Festival Announces 2018 Lineup, Opens with ‘Unfriended: Dark Web’
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Unfriended: Dark Web[/caption]
The Overlook Film Festival today announced its second year programming lineup of 40 films (23 features and 17 short films from 12 countries) along with exciting parties, virtual reality, interactive events, and live performances – all taking place in America’s most haunted city: New Orleans, Louisiana.
On opening night of the festival, audience members will enjoy the chiller Unfriended: Dark Web (United States, 2018), from Blumhouse Productions and Bazelevs Productions, directed by Stephen Susco, and starring Colin Woodell, Betty Gabriel, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Andrew Lees, Connor del Rio, Stephanie Nogueras, and Savira Windyani.
The Overlook Film Festival will screen A24’s highly anticipated Hereditary (United States, 2018) as its closing feature presentation, directed by Ari Aster, and starring Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, and Gabriel Byrne.
The Centerpiece of the 2018 edition of The Overlook Film Festival is St. Agatha, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, which will hold its world premiere in New Orleans at the festival.
The festival’s Visionary Award will be presented to modern genre favorite Leigh Whannell, best known for writing the first three films in the Saw franchise, as well as Insidious, and Insidious: Chapter 2, and directing Insidious: Chapter 3. Whannell is an Australian screenwriter, producer, director, and actor who will celebrate his latest directorial effort at the festival, Upgrade. The Visionary Award was established to honor a contemporary horror figure or company elevating the genre, while fostering the community by providing opportunities for new talent to thrive.
In addition to the films and special guests, the Overlook Film Festival will be generously packed with live presentations. The festival’s virtual reality program will feature the world premiere of noted experience creator Jon Braver’s Delusion: Lies Within, a fully immersive, 360 degree episodic narrative from Skybound Entertainment.
Opening Night Film:
Unfriended: Dark Web Director: Stephen Susco Cast: Colin Woodell, Betty Gabriel, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Andrew Lees, Connor del Rio, Stephanie Nogueras, Savira Windyani United States, 2018 Preparing for his weekly Skype game night with his friends, a cyber café attendant borrows a laptop from the lost and found, only to find that the previous owner will stop at nothing to retrieve it. A sequel in name only, UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB borrows key cinematic elements from the original UNFRIENDED while telling its own edge-of-your-seat sadistic tale full of shocks and surprises that will make you think twice about who’s watching when you log on.Centerpiece Film:
St. Agatha WORLD PREMIERE Director: Darren Lynn Bousman Cast: Sabrina Kern, Carolyn Hennesy, Courtney Halverson United States, 2018 Horror film impresario Darren Lynn Bousman, director of SAW II, III and IV, modern experiments REPO! A GENETIC OPERA and THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL, not to mention the groundbreaking ongoing immersive property The Tension Experience, brings to life his latest vision, a period piece concerning a troubled woman running from her past who finds herself kept hostage by a coven of vicious nuns.Closing Night Film:
Hereditary Director: Ari Aster Cast: Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, Gabriel Byrne United States, 2018 When their reclusive grandmother passes away, the Graham family is slowly taken hold by a cursed terror, one that won’t let go. A cavalcade of gifted performers led by Toni Collete star in filmmaker Ari Aster’s astounding debut feature, which has deservedly become one of the most anticipated horror films of the year since it’s electrifying debut at the Sundance Film Festival.Feature Film Presentations
Arizona Director: Jonathan Watson Cast: Danny McBride, Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Wilson, Lolli Sorenson, Elizabeth Gillies, Kaitlin Olson United States, 2017 This wickedly inventive comedic thriller that sharply utilizes the true life economic turmoil of the housing crisis as its backdrop, casts Danny Mcbride as an unhinged homeowner who attempts to take out his frustrations on a scrupulous relator (Rosemarie Dewitt) with a rampage that grows increasingly murderous. Beast Director: Michael Pearce Cast: Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Trystan Gravelle,Geraldine James United Kingdom, 2017 In this brutal, sexy, critically acclaimed debut thriller from UK director Michael Pearce, a disturbed woman finds herself caught between her oppressive family’s demands and her animalistic attraction to an alluring stranger who’s arrival in her life is suspiciously timed with a series of vicious murders in their isolated community. Blood Fest Director: Owen Egerton Cast: Robbie Kay, Jacob Batalon, Seychelle Gabriel, Tate Donovan, Barbara Dunkelman, Nick Rutherford, Zachary Levi United States, 2018 When the most exciting horror festival in the country turns the tables on its zealous fan base by trapping them on the grounds and murdering them en masse, a group of teens armed with the knowledge of a thousand horror movies must fight their way through the bloodbath in this hilarious send-up of horror culture. Blue My Mind Director: Lisa Brühlmann Cast: Luna Wedler, Zoë Pastelle Holthuizen Switzerland, 2017 During the process of moving cities with her parents and trying to start over with a new group of friends, 15-year-old Mia begins to discover unexpected changes to her body that she dare not speak about to anyone. In spite of her radical attempts to halt the process, Mia is forced to face the horrifying reality of who she truly is. Equal parts tender, surreal, and grotesque, actor-turned-director Lisa Brühlmann’s first feature is a worth addition to the adolescent body horror canon. Caniba Director: Véréna Paravel & Lucien Castaing-Taylor Cast: Issei Sagawa, Jun Sagawa France, 2017 Sensory ethnography documentarians Lucien Castaign-Taylor and Véréna Paravel turn their cameras on notorious Japanese cannibal cum manga author, pornography director, and sushi critic, Issei Sagawa. In an unprecedented and shocking interview, Sagawa reveals gruesome details about his life and crimes, as well as a peak into his fraught relationship with his mysterious brother. Don’t Leave Home Director: Michael Tully Cast: Anna Margaret Hollyman, Lalor Roddy, Helena Bereen, David McSavage, Karrie Cox Ireland, 2018 An American artist accepts a strange invitation to a secluded Irish manor to construct an original sculpture for a priestly painter whose work has been shrouded in a sinister urban legend involving the disappearance of an 8-year-old girl in this creepy, offbeat cinematic discovery from indie stalwart Michael Tully (SEPTIEN). Downrange Director: Ryuhei Kitamura Cast: Kelly Connaire, Stephanie Pearson, Alexa Yeames, Jason Tobias United States, 2017 Macabre mastermind Ryuhei Kitamura (VERSUS, MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN) comes crashing back with a frenetic new film of murder and mayhem. Stranded by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere from a tire blowout, a group of carpoolers become suddenly besieged by flying bullets from an unseen shooter with incredible precision and a savage will. The Farm WORLD PREMIERE Director: Hans Stjernswärd Cast: Nora Yessayan, Alec Gaylord, Ken Volok, Rob Tisdale United States, 2018 The classic horror tale of a young couple who takes a wrong turn and stumbles into a small town full of people with nefarious intentions is turned on its head in this disturbing manifesto about food production. Seeping with eerie atmosphere, this unnerving first feature from newcomer Hans Stjernswärd finds as much fear in its silences as it does in its sickening, insidious images. Ghost Stories Director: Jeremy Dyson & Andy Nyman Cast: Martin Freeman, Alex Lawther, Andy Nyman, Paul Whitehouse United Kingdom, 2017 After stumbling across a long-lost folder of material from his childhood hero, Goodman, a TV investigator known for debumking psychic hoaxes, digs deep into three cases of ghoulish hauntings. Determined to find rational explanations, Goodman quickly realizes he’s in over his head. Featuring Martin Freeman, this spine-tingling anthology, adapted from the hit stage play, tells enough tales to keep you up for nights to come. Good Manners Director: Juliana Rojas & Marco Dutra Cast: Isabél Zuaa, Marjorie Estiano, Miguel Lobo Brazil/France, 2017 A surprising, imaginative and engaging twist on classic genre stories told with a sophisticated cinematic technique, GOOD MANNERS begins unassumingly with a near destitute nurse becoming the caretaker for a wealthy, isolated pregnant woman exhibiting strange behavior. But soon her habits turn into a sleeping hunger that changes both of their lives forever. Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich WORLD PREMIERE Director: Sonny Laguna & Tommy Wiklund Cast: Thomas Lennon, Michael Paré, Barbara Crampton, Udo Kier United Kingdom / United States, 2018 During a roadtrip to a convention for the 30th Anniversary of the infamous Toulon Murders, a comic book nerd, his new girlfriend and his best friend come face to face with a set of sadistic nazi puppets out for blood. A reimagining of the Charles Band classic, this uproarious horror comedy starring Thomas Lennon, Udo Kier, Barbara Crampton, Nelson Franklin, and Charlene Yi pays homage to the Full Moon features of the late 80s, early 90s. The Ranger Director: Jenn Wexler Cast: Chloë Levine, Granit Lahu, Jeremy Pope, Bubba Weiler, Amanda Grace Benitez, Jeremy Holm, Larry Fessenden United States, 2018 A band of punks on the run from trouble with the local law hide out in the woods, only to stumble onto the radar of a deranged park ranger with a malicious approach to justice and a mysterious connection to a member of their group. Longtime indie horror producer Jenn Wexler makes her directorial debut with this manic, punk-rock take on the traditional slasher flick. Revenge Director: Coralie Fargeat Cast: Matilda Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe, Guillaume Bouchede, Jean-Louis Tribes France, 2017 First time filmmaker Coralie Fargeat subverts expectations of the exploitative rape-revenge film tropes from the grind house age for this explosively shocking assault on misogynistic culture that stunned unsuspecting audiences at both the Toronto and Sundance film festivals. Don’t miss one of the most intense debuts of the year. Satan’s Slaves Director: Joko Anwar Cast: Tara Basro, Bront Palarae, Dimas Aditya, Endy Arfian, Nasar Annuz, Ayu Laksmi, Egy Fedly Indonesia, 2017 When Mawarni, a famous Indonesian singer, dies of a mysterious illness, her husband and four children are left behind to pick up the pieces, only to discover that they are being haunted by a pack of rabid spirits headed by Mawarni herself. Technically billed as a remake of the 1982 Indonesian remake of Don Coscarelli’s PHANTASM, celebrated director Joko Anwar’s SATAN’S SLAVES is its own chilling throwback to 70s supernatural thrillers, packed to the brim with jump scares and iconic imagery. Sex Madness Revealed WORLD PREMIERE Director: Tim Kirk Cast: Patton Oswalt, Rob Zabrecky United States, 2018 Notorious comedian Patton Oswalt and renowned magician Rob Zabrecky star in Tim Kirk’s (DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY) latest experiment in how to tell tales of terror. Taking the form of an audio commentary that plays out over the little known 1938 STD propaganda film SEX MADNESS, the voice of a persnickety film blogger interviews the descendant of the original motion picture’s director who harbors a nefarious secret. Tigers Are Not Afraid Director: Issa López Cast: Paola Lara, Juan Ramón López, Ianis Guerrero, Rodrigo Cortés, Hanssel Casillas Mexico, 2017 In one of the most imaginative (and award winning!) features traveling the genre festival circuit in recent months, a young girl with a missing mother joins a band of street misfits in effort to survive amidst rampant cartel violence in modern-day Mexico City. Populated with fairy tale imagery, TIGERS is at turns harshly real and terrifyingly surreal, reminiscent of films like THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE and CITY OF GOD as it details a tragic and engulfing nightmare. Upgrade Director: Leigh Whannell Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson, Benedict Hardie Australia, 2017 Fan favorite Leigh Whannell, whose work on the SAW and INSIDIOUS franchises have made him a modern genre icon, thrills and delights with this gory and action-packed foray into a science-fiction dystopia. An experimental procedure infuses a sentient computer chip into the body and mind of paralyzed Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green), fueling a spiraling mission for vengeance that leads to a terrifying endgame. Vampire Clay Director: Soichi Umezawa Cast: Kyoka Takeda, Momoka Sugimoto, Ena Fujita, Yuyu Makihara, Asuka Kurosawa Japan, 2017 A group of unwitting art school students find themselves in a brutal showdown against a pack of evil of modeling clay in this campy, inventive, practical effects extravaganza from Japanese FX artist turned filmmaker Soichi Umezawa. What Keeps You Alive Director: Colin Minihan Cast: Hannah Emily Anderson, Brittany Allen, Martha Macisaac, Joey Klein, Charlotte Lindsay Marron Canada, 2018 For their first wedding anniversary, Jackie and Jules retreat to a cozy cabin near a beautiful lake. The sudden appearance of Jackie’s childhood best friend sets off a chain of unlikely events that turn a quiet vacation into the deadliest game of cat and mouse in Overlook Alum Colin Minihan’s (writer of STILL/BORN) claustrophobic survivalist thriller. Wolfman’s Got Nards: A Documentary Director: André Gower Cast: Fred Dekker, Shane Black, Seth Green, Adam F. Goldberg, Ryan Lambert, Ashley Bank, Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Chuck Russell, Heather Langenkamp United States, 2018 August 14, 1987 saw the release of what has become one of the strangest, scariest and most iconic kids film to ever grace the silver screen – THE MONSTER SQUAD. In this endearing documentary, director Andre Gower takes us not only behind the scenes on the production, but also into the heart of the fandom surrounding the movie and the magic that made it such a defining cinematic experience for so many in the genre community.Virtual Reality Presentations
Campfire Creepers: The Skull of Sam Director: Alexandre Aja From master of horror Alexandre Aja, the director of films such as The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha, and Horns, comes an original anthology series that brings classic campfire stories to life in stunning Virtual Reality. Produced by Oculus and Future Lighthouse and distributed by Dark Corner, Campfire Creepers invites viewers to join the fire circle at a summer camp called Camp Coyote as a group of kids take turns telling spooky tales. Inspired by cult classics like Creepshow and Tales from the Crypt, every episode of Campfire Creepers is a wild ride that will have you laughing and screaming in equal measure. Delusion: Lies Within WORLD PREMIERE Director: Jon Braver Set in the 1940’s American South, beloved author Elena Fitzgerald goes missing before releasing the final novel in her epic dark fantasy that has captivated fans Daniel and Virginia. As many believe her to be dead, Daniel and Virginia must leave their grim reality behind to save Fitzgerald from her own literary nightmare. The VR series from Skybound Entertainment is a fully immersive, 360 degrees episodic story. Delusion is based off Jon Braver’s 2014 immersive theatrical performance in Los Angeles. Masters Of The Sun Director: will.i.am This interactive comic book series from Oculus Studios, born from the mind of will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), is a retro futuristic B-boy zombie thriller about a hip-hop group from East LA that must battle an ancient god who is turning black drug dealers and gangsters into zombies. This epic journey, spanning 13 episodes, explores gang culture, hip-hop origins, and cloaked conspiracy theories—from ancient Egypt to the streets of LA. Starring Queen Latifah, Rakim, Jamie Foxx, Ice-T, and KRS-One. Night Night Director: Guy Shelmerdine It’s time to drift off to dreamland…but first your mom is going to read you a short bedtime story. Take a journey into your childhood nightmares with Dark Corner’s sense-stunning immersive experience. Produced by Dark Corner and MPC VR. Wolves In The Walls (Chapter 1) Director: Pete Billington Eight-year-old Lucy suspects that wolves live in the walls of her family’s home. She has no one to believe her … but you. Forging a groundbreaking blend of film, theatre, audience agency, and sleight of hand, this exquisitely crafted animated experience, adapted from material by Neil Gaiman and choreographed by immersive theater company Third Rail Projects, casts you as an active performer in a narrative where you interact, have a relationship with, and go on a quest with the central character in ways that leave your mark on the experience. Live Event Presentations BLACKOUT WORLD PREMIERE Creators: Kristjan Thor and Josh Randall In 2009, an underground immersive horror experience swept through the NYC art scene and began a path that would transform the international theater community. BLACKOUT, the X-rated fear experience designed for adults over 18 to walk through completely alone. Created by directors Kristjan Thor and Josh Randall, BLACKOUT has had productions in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Now at the Overlook Film Festival, BLACKOUT presents the world premiere of a rare and unique opportunity for the adventurous to make their way through what the NEW YORK TIMES has called the “most extreme theater event of the year.” WARNING: This is considered an extreme experience and is exclusively for pass holders. Participants are required to sign a waiver. Slots will be made available exclusively for all-access pass holders. The Canon Podcast Live Host: Amy Nicholson What films should be included in the list of all-time greats? Film critic Amy Nicholson and a guest debate, discuss and sometimes harmoniously agree about whether a film should be Canon-ized. Ultimately, the decision is yours. Cast your vote, and decide the legacy of each movie forevermore. No pressure. In Another Room Directors: Austin and Aaron Keeling Last summer, E3W Productions’ surprise hit ‘In Another Room’ invited guests to explore the richly storied rooms of a notoriously haunted house in Los Angeles, introducing audience members to the inhabitants who lived and died within its walls. Now, E3W Productions is pleased to offer exclusive access to one of the rooms from their debut show, transported to the Bourbon Orleans Hotel for the duration of the Overlook Film Festival. Audiences of three will be invited to step inside this room, where they will meet a previous inhabitant and learn of the tragedies that befell them. ‘In Another Room’ sold out in just three days upon its initial run, and this excerpt promises a haunting, moving, and extremely intimate experience. We invite those of you most attuned to the psychic and supernatural to join us for a once in a lifetime opportunity to come face to face with the unknown. Slots will be made available exclusively for all-access pass holders. Infinitely Dinner Society: Midnight Snacks Creator, Director: Annie Lesser Infinitely Dinner Society’s Midnight Snacks presents Bananas Foster. IDS Midnight Snacks are late night pairings of food and art with the math and science behind infinity. Previous snacks have included donuts paired with the infinite points of a circle, cheese cubes paired with hypercubes and oyster shooters paired with the intangible nature of infinity. Each snack features food sourced from local bakers, shop owners and farmers markets. For the Overlook Film Festival, creator Annie Lesser has designed a piece based on the cosmic horror of the multiverse featuring Bananas Foster made from Louisiana cane sugar and rum. News about Infinitely Dinner Society and the IDS MidnightSnacks can be found Instagram @infinitelydinnersociety. Slots will be made available exclusively for all-access pass holders. The Overlook Immersive Game Producer: Mali Elfman For the signature event of the Overlook Film Festival, 2018 introduces a new alternate reality game and welcomes this year’s experience designers Scott Gillies and Nick Tierce, whose credits include a range of projects with companies such as Electronic Arts, Disney, Microsoft, Niantic Labs, and Google. Throughout the entire weekend, uncover an interactive horror mystery that permeates the festival, featuring live actors inhabiting unique locations, hidden clues, tactile puzzles, and surprising twists that each player can engage with at their own level of comfort and curiosity. Follow the clues to become the protagonist of an engaging and thrilling narrative that no two players will experience in exactly the same way. Details of the game’s story will remain locked away until the festival begins, but you may wish to seek out the celestial raven, instantly. The game is available exclusively to festival pass holders, with active player registration limited to 100 available spots. All registered players must attend a game orientation upon festival check-in. Over the course of the game, curious players may receive invitations to engage further for additional immersive depth, which they may opt-in for when the opportunity is presented. Paperbacks From Hell Creator, Writer, Performer: Grady Hendrix In the early Seventies, three books changed horror forever: ROSEMARY’S BABY, THE EXORCIST, and THE OTHER. The first horror novels to hit bestseller lists since 1940, they opened the floodgates for an avalanche of horror paperbacks to pour onto supermarket shelves throughout the Seventies and Eighties until SILENCE OF THE LAMBS slit the genre’s throat in the early Nineties. Writer Grady Hendrix delivers a mind-melting oral history of this now forgotten world of Nazi leprechauns, skeleton doctors, killer crabs, killer jellyfish, killer babies, pretty much killer everything. Prepare yourself for a tour of this long-lost universe of terror that lurked behind the lurid, foil-embossed, die-cut covers of…the Paperbacks from Hell!!!! The Pumpkin Pie Show: Best of Show Creator, Writer, Performer: Clay McLeod Chapman Come join us for an encore presentation of the best Pumpkin Pie Show stories from over the last 20 years. Author Clay McLeod Chapman will lead the audience through the back-catalogue of his personal favorite tales, offering a view into the sordid lives of Southern Gothic monstrosities that explore the domestic horrors of the everyday, finding terror within our own households. This is Edgar Allan Poe for the modern age, people. The Pumpkin Pie Show: New Skulduggery Creator, Writer, Performer: Clay McLeod Chapman Author Clay McLeod Chapman is bringing BRAND NEW STORIES to the Overlook! The Pumpkin Pie Show has remained a staple of the fest – and this year they’re offering an even sweeter treat: original tales that have never been inflicted upon an audience anywhere. Flesh-eating bacteria, killer baby carrots and haunted comic books are all on the menu. These new campfire stories will be sure send a shiver up your spine. Hear them first before they’re unleashed upon the rest of the world! The Pumpkin Pie Show: One-On-Ones Creator, Writer, Performer: Clay McLeod Chapman A returning favorite from last year’s fest, please join author Clay McLeod Chapman as he takes one audience member at a time on a dark ride through this depraved, intimate storytelling experience. Think of it as a heart-to-bleeding-heart with madmen, murderers and monsters telling their own story. No fourth wall, no escape. First come, first serve. Sessions will last 20 minutes. Slots will be made available exclusively for all-access pass holders. Shock Waves Presents Host: Ryan Turek Overlook welcomes Ryan Turek, co-host of Blumhouse’s hit horror podcast Shock Waves for an insightful discussion with one of the festival’s guests. Summerland Lost Creator, Writer, Performer: Grady Hendrix The Wall Street Journal calls him “a national treasure.” His mother calls him “Sunshine.” Now author Grady Hendrix brings his one-man show about psychic teenagers and shaved cats to New Orleans with Summerland Lost: A Ghost Story. Telling the all-shocking, all-true tale of drunk Victorian teenagers who spoke to the dead, this is the real life story of how biomechanical sex cults, the ghost of Ben Franklin, suffragettes, abolitionists, anarchists, and Arctic explorers all teamed up to answer the ultimate question: is there life after death?Short Film Presentations
Amy Director: L. Gustavo Cooper Cast: Danielle Kennedy, Rebekah Kennedy, Tom Fitzpatrick, Samantha Ann United States, 2017 Set against the backdrop of the deadliest heat wave in recorded history and inspired by America’s most prolific female serial killer, L. Gustavo Cooper’s AMY provides a surreal and distorted glimpse into a killing spree that captivated a nation in the early 1900s. The Beaning Director: Sean McCoy United States, 2017 An experimental sports film combining documentary techniques with horror aesthetics, THE BEANING explores a sinister theory surrounding the death of Cleveland baseball player Ray Chapman in 1920 and the subsequent rise of the Yankee dynasty. Beastly Things Director: Zev Chevat United States, 2017 A young street artist encounters a group of local schoolchildren, and learns what really makes monsters. Blood Runs Down WORLD PREMIERE Director: Zandashé Brown Cast: Farrah Martin, Idella Johnson United States, 2018 When a woman undergoes a frightening transition, her vigilant young daughter must decide between saving her or protecting herself in this haunting tale of inheritance, daughterhood, and demons. Cerulia Director: Sofía Carrillo Cast: Diana Bracho Mexico, 2017 Cerulia returns to her childhood home to bid farewell to her past, but the memories of her youth and a presence in the home will not let her go. Coyote Director: Lorenz Wunderle Switzerland, 2018 A coyote loses his family to a vicious attack by wolves. Tormented by fear, anger and grief, he sees a chance to avenge their deaths… Good Morning Director: Elaine Mongeon Cast: Maya Kazan, Jamie McShane United States, 2017 A young woman and her father adapt to terrifying changes they never expected. Hair Wolf Director: Mariama Diallo Cast: Kara Young, Taliah Webster, Madeline Weinstein, Trae Harris, Jermaine Crawford United States, 2017 In a black hair salon in gentrifying Brooklyn, the local residents fend off a strange new monster: white women intent on sucking the lifeblood from black culture. Latched Director: Justin Harding & Rob Brunner Cast: Alana Elmer, Peter Higginson, Jarrett Siddall, Bowen Harding Canada, 2017 A choreographer pursues creative inspiration at a cottage retreat while attempting to wean her demanding toddler — and unknowingly awakens a vile fairy corpse in the process. When she discovers the creature’s terrifying intentions, she will have to put her creativity to good use to lure the repugnant beast. Milk Director: Santiago Menghini Cast: Cameron Brodeur, Anana Rydvald Canada, 2018 On a late night, a young teen goes into the kitchen for a glass of milk. Upon encountering his sleepless mother, he quickly realizes things are not as they seem. Möbius Director: Sam Kuhn Cast: Caley Jones, Daiva Z, Britt Grayson, Elissa Mielke, Austin Will Canada/United States, 2017 A moth eaten tale of magic and mutation half remembered by a teen poet whose beloved lies lifeless in a stream. Pan Director: Anna Roller Cast: Anna Platen, Jeff Wilbusch, Luisa-Céline Gaffron, Sue Simmy Lemke, Emil Borgeest Germany, 2017 Juno, a twenty-year-old girl becomes obsessed with Pan. Her obsession turns her into an animal. The Plague Director: Guillermo Carbonell Cast: Gabriela Freire, Walter Rey, Rafael Soliwoda Uruguay, 2017 Rosa’s father escapes from a nursing home and comes back to his former house. He hides a secret, and he’s not coming alone. The Sermon Director: Dean Puckett Cast: Molly Casey, Grant Gillespie, Denise Stephenson, Oliver Monaghan, Emma White United Kingdom, 2018 In an isolated church community in the English countryside, a powerful hate preacher prepares to deliver a sermon to his flock, but his daughter has a secret that could destroy them all. Tammy’s Tiny Tea Time (Episode 1: Strangers) Created by Peter Gulsvig Cast: Rachel Butera, Nate Corddry, Peter Gulsvig United States, 2018 Tammy’s Tiny Tea Time exists in the fractured psyche of a middle aged woman whose refusal to grow up has resulted in a life spent talking to inanimate objects (and a dying box turtle) in her parents’ house. Thursday Night Director: Gonçalo Almeida Cast: Bimbo the Dog Portugal, 2017 An elusive stranger pays Bimbo a visit in the middle of the night to deliver a vital message. We Summoned a Demon Director: Chris McInroy Cast: Kirk C. Johnson, Carlos Larotta, John Orr United States, 2017 They just wanted to be cool. Instead, they got a demon.
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Documentary Filmmaker Louie Psihoyos to Receive Inaugural DocLands Honors Award
Iconic photographer and award-winning filmmaker Louie Psihoyos will be honored with the inaugural DocLands Honors Award at the 2018 DocLands Documentary Film Festival, on Friday, May 4, 2018, 6:30 PM in Mill Valley.
The DocLands Honors Award is presented to a filmmaker in recognition of exceptional storytelling within the documentary genre, an artist whose films resonate universally, emphasizing our common humanity – no matter the subject.
The inaugural DocLands Honors Award is presented to director Louie Psihoyos (The Cove, Racing Extinction, The Game Changers) for his dogged determination and tenacity in exposing wrongs and expanding awareness. We also show our appreciation for his astounding efforts in outreach, bringing some of our most pressing environmental and social issues to a worldwide audience.
Recognized as one of the top photographers in the world, Louie Psihoyos was hired directly out of college, where he won an unprecedented first place in every category of the prestigious College Photographer of the Year award, to shoot for National Geographic. He worked for the magazine for 18 years, establishing himself as one of the medium’s most prolific and profound visionaries and social observers. His ability to bring humanity and wit to complicated stories carries over to his filmmaking. His first documentary film, The Cove, won over 75 awards around the world including the 2010 Academy Award® for Best Documentary. His second feature, Racing Extinction, premiered on Discovery in over 200 countries and territories on the same day, was nominated for an Emmy (Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking) and an Academy Award® (Best Song). The film also sparked the #StartWith1Thing movement. Most recently Psihoyos finished directing The Game Changers, executive produced by James Cameron, which debuted at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
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‘Damsel’ and ‘This One’s For the Ladies’ Added to the 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival
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Damsel[/caption]
Two new films – David Zellner and Nathan Zellner’s Damsel (USA 2018) and Gene Graham’s This One’s For the Ladies (USA 2018) have been added to the schedule for the 2018 San Francisco International Film Festival taking place April 4 to 17, 2018.
“I’m goin’ West, of course!” exclaims Samuel (Robert Pattinson, a hoot), who has enlisted the help of Parson Henry (David Zellner) to save his beloved Penelope (Mia Wasikowska) so that he may propose to her, in David and Nathan Zellner’s (Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, Festival 2014) upended Western. The journey is made, things go awry, and they encounter a slew of interesting characters—including a miniature horse named Butterscotch—but in the hands of the Zellner brothers, nothing is as it seems. Damsel screens Saturday, April 14, 8:00 pm at the Victoria Theatre. Both directors are expected to attend. Magnolia Pictures will release Damsel in theaters this summer.
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This One’s For the Ladies[/caption]
On Thursday evenings, a children’s karate school transforms into a male strip joint. Hundreds of women convene for a potluck fundraiser and the opportunity to throw singles at the hot New Jersey Nasty Boyz. This One’s For the Ladies isn’t just about the tips or the dancing. It’s a heartwarming story about friendship, community, these incredible women, and the resilience they show toward whatever comes their way. Winner, Special Jury Recognition for Best Cast Award, SXSW. This One’s For the Ladies screens Sunday, April 15, 8:00 pm at the Victoria Theatre. NEON will open the film theatrically later this year.
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Cannes Classics to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’
Cannes Classics at the upcoming 2018 Cannes Film Festival will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, with world premiere of a 70mm print of the director’s 1968 masterpiece, introduced by filmmaker Christopher Nolan.
Set for Saturday, May 12, 2018, the screening will be introduced by filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who will be attending the Festival de Cannes for the first time. The screening will also be attended by members of Stanley Kubrick’s family including his daughter Katharina Kubrick and Stanley’s long time producing partner and brother-in-law Jan Harlan.
Nolan will also participate in a Cannes Masterclass, set for Sunday, May 13, during which he will discuss his award-winning filmography and also share his passion for the singular work of Stanley Kubrick.
For the first time since the original release, this 70mm print was struck from new printing elements made from the original camera negative. This is a true photochemical film recreation. There are no digital tricks, remastered effects, or revisionist edits. The original version will be presented to recreate the cinematic event audiences experienced 50 years ago. A longtime admirer of the late American auteur, Nolan worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. Pictures throughout the mastering process.
With 2001: A Space Odyssey, director Stanley Kubrick redefined the limits of filmmaking and cemented his legacy as one of the most revolutionary and influential film directors of all time. Originally released in 70mm Cinerama roadshow format on April 3, 1968, the film ignited the imaginations of critics and audiences alike and its impact continues to resonate to this day.
Christiane Kubrick said, “I’m delighted that Cannes has chosen to honour 2001: A Space Odyssey. If Stanley were alive today, we know he would be in admiration of the films of Christopher Nolan. And so, on behalf of Stanley’s family, I would personally like to thank Christopher for agreeing to introduce this very special screening.”
Nolan said, “One of my earliest memories of cinema is seeing Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, in 70mm, at the Leicester Square Theatre in London with my father. The opportunity to be involved in recreating that experience for a new generation, and of introducing our new unrestored 70mm print of Kubrick’s masterpiece in all its analogue glory at the Festival de Cannes is an honour and a privilege.”
Thierry Frémaux said, “Stanley Kubrick in the Official Selection! It is a great honour for the Festival de Cannes to host the 50th anniversary celebration of one of the most extraordinary films in the history of cinema. And to welcome to the Festival for the first time Christopher Nolan, whose presence creates a precious bond between past and present, without which cinema would have no history.”
2001: A Space Odyssey will return to select U.S. theatres in 70mm beginning May 18, 2018.
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‘IN THE ORCHARD’ ‘SALYUT-7’ ‘THE NEED TO GROW’ Win at 21st Sonoma International Film Festival
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IN THE ORCHARD[/caption]
The 21st annual Sonoma International Film Festival came to a close over the weekend with the awards ceremony, and IN THE ORCHARD directed by Christopher Knoblock won the prize for Best American Independent Feature. In the film a grief-stricken woman befriends a Marine Veteran with PTSD, and the two begin a relationship which may lead them towards tragic consequences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv3eTd7rEYU
Other winners include SALYUT-7 directed by Klim Shipenko snagging the prize for Best World Feature; and THE NEED TO GROW directed by Rob Herring & Ryan Wirick won for Best Documentary Feature.
In SALYUT-7, Astronauts are sent to the rescue of Salyut 7, an unresponsive Soviet space station in what will become one of the most complicated mission in the history of space navigation. The documentary THE NEED TO GROW follows the personal journeys of solution innovators as they fight to localize sustainable food systems and regenerate Earth’s dying soils.
The SIFF 2018 winners are:
SIFF JURIED AWARDS
Best American Independent Feature: IN THE ORCHARD / Directed by Christopher Knoblock Best World Feature: SALYUT-7 / Directed by Klim Shipenko Best Documentary Feature: THE NEED TO GROW / Directed by Rob Herring & Ryan Wirick Best Animated Short: TWO BALLOONS / Directed by Mark C. Smith Best Comedy Short: SAM DID IT / Directed by Dominic Burgess Best Dramatic Short: WOODMAN / Directed by Mike Jackson Best World Short: INTO THE BLUE / Directed by Antoneta Alamat KusijanovicSIFF AUDIENCE AWARDS
The A3 Audience Award: Best Documentary: THE PUSH / Directed by Grant Korgan & Brian Niles (co-directors Geoff Callan) The Stolman Audience Award for Best American Indie: FUNNY STORY / Directed by Michael Gallagher SIFF Award for Best World Cinema: TULIPANI / Directed by Mike van DiemAUDIENCE SHORTS AWARDS
Best Animated: THE DRIVER IS RED / Directed by Randall Christopher Best Comedy: GRAHAM’S MATE/ Directed by Andy Hill Best Dramatic: WOODMAN / Directed by Mike Jackson Best Documentary: EMPIRE ON MAIN STREET / Directed by Jessica Congdon Best World Cimena: CROSSING FENCES / Directed by Annika Pampel Best Delicious: SAFRON / Directed by Andreas Ewels
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Brooklyn Film Festival Gets Ready for 2018 Edition: THRESHOLD
Brooklyn Film Festival has officially closed submissions for its 2018 edition: THRESHOLD. The 2018 festival will run from June 1 through June 10, 2018, at two main venues: Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg and Windmill Studios in Greenpoint.
In addition to the two main venues, additional programming will be presented on June 5 at Syndicated in Bushwick and on June 8 at UnionDocs in Williamsburg. On June 6 and 9, BFF will present a total of five shows at Made in NY Media Center by IFP in Dumbo, where it will also present the 14th annual kidsfilmfest on June 2. On June 9, the 7th annual BFF Exchange program will be hosted by Kickstarter in Greenpoint and on June 4, BFF will be hosted by Alamo Drafthouse in Downtown Brooklyn. Additional programming and networking events will be announced at a later date.
BFF Executive Director Marco Ursino said of the 2018 edition, “This will be a special year: we are finally 21! We start seeing things for what they really are, although it doesn’t take a genius to see that we are living in pretty challenging times! Division, bigotry, the wall, Trump…but luckily, some great things usually come from bad times. For example, the Spanish Civil War gave us the Guernica; the NYC defaults in the 70’s gave us the best graffiti in the world. Even the Great Depression gave us swing dancing. It doesn’t matter how bad it looks, art always wins. And this year’s festival is not going to be the exception. In the middle of this undeniably appalling time in American history, directors, actors, producers and the festival want their voices heard. Bad times make great art. And if so, this year’s Brooklyn Film Festival should be amazing.”
BFF received a total of 2,584 films from 120 countries and will select roughly 130 film premieres to be announced in May. The films are divided in six categories: Feature Narrative, Feature Doc, Short Narrative, Short Doc, Experimental and Animation.
In each of the six film categories, BFF’s judges will select Best Film, Spirit Award and Audience Award winners. From all the six categories combined, BFF will award one of each of the following: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Composer, Best Editor, Best Cinematographer, Best Screenplay Writer, Best Producer, Best New Director and Best Brooklyn Project. BFF will assign to the winning filmmakers over $50,000 in prizes (products, services and cash).
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THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED, Assia Boundaoui’s Personal Story of FBI Surveillance, to World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival
A personal journey that unfolds like a thriller, The Feeling of Being Watched charts journalist Assia Boundaoui’s investigation into a secret FBI counterterrorism probe of her Arab-American neighborhood outside of Chicago – code-named “Operation Vulgar Betrayal”- and its enduring impact on her family and community. The Feeling of Being Watched will World Premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, running April 18 to 29, 2018.
In the village of Bridgeview, Illinois, where director Assia Boundaoui grew up, most of her Muslim-American neighbors think they have been under surveillance for over a decade. While investigating their experiences, Assia uncovers hundreds of pages of declassified FBI documents that prove her hometown was the subject of one of the largest counterterrorism investigations ever conducted in the U.S. before 9/11.
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The Feeling of Being Watched[/caption]
With unprecedented access, The Feeling of Being Watched weaves the personal and the political as it follows the filmmaker’s examination of why her community—including her own family—fell under blanket government surveillance. Assia struggles to disrupt the government secrecy shrouding what happened and takes the FBI to federal court to compel them to make the records they collected about her community public. In the process, she confronts long-hidden truths about the FBI’s relationship to her community. The Feeling of Being Watched follows Assia as she pieces together this secret FBI operation, while grappling with the effects of a lifetime of surveillance on herself and her family.
The Feeling of Being Watched was written and directed by Assia Boundaoui and produced by Boundaoui and Jessica Devaney. Director of photography was Shuling Yong and the film was edited by Rabab Haj Yahya with illustrations by Molly Crabapple and original music by Angélica Negrón. Executive producers are Jim Butterworth, Daniel J. Chalfen, Dan Cogan, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Debra Mcleod, Jay K. Sears, Bill Harnisch, Ruth Ann Harnisch, Alexa Poletto, Michael D. Mann, Barry W. Rashkover, and Vijay Dewan.
Assia Boundaoui is an Algerian-American journalist who has reported for the BBC, NPR, Al Jazeera, VICE, and CNN. Her debut short, a film about hijabi hair salons for the HBO Lenny documentary series, premiered at Sundance in 2018, and she has worked in an editorial capacity on the production of a number of documentaries, including HBO’s Emmy Award-winning Manhunt (2013). Assia has a Master’s degree in journalism from New York University and is fluent in Arabic. The Feeling of Being Watched is her feature debut.
Tribeca Film Festival Screenings
Saturday, April 21, 6:45 pm Cinepolis Chelsea 2, 260 W. 23rd St. (at 8th Ave.) Sunday, April 22, 7:30 pm Cinepolis Chelsea 3, 260 W. 23rd St. (at 8th Ave.) *A special extended Q&A panel discussion will follow the screening Wednesday, April 25, 5:45 pm Regal Battery Park 3, 102 North End Ave. (at Murray St.) Thursday, April 26, 5:00 pm Cinepolis Chelsea 6, 260 W. 23rd St. (at 8th Ave.)
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Swiss Filmmaker Ursula Meier to Preside over Caméra d’or Jury of Cannes Film Festival
Swiss filmmaker Ursula Meier will head this year’s Caméra d’or Jury of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, and along with six fellow-professionals, will select the best first film presented in the Official Selection, the Semaine de la Critique and the Directors’ Fortnight.
Ursula Meier is a filmmaker who questions the very need to film. This undoubtedly explains her compact and exciting filmography, which includes 5 short films, 2 works for television, 2 documentaries and 2 feature films for cinema. Inventive strokes of brilliance, each of them has been upsetting the apple cart with a fresh take and establishing her definitively on the European scene. Since 1994, Ursula Meier has compiled a bold cinematography that emphasises the complexity of the world.
An unconditional admirer of Wanda (Barbara Loden) and Sweetie (Jane Campion), Meier decided to take up directing after discovering Money (Robert Bresson). She then became assistant director to a major figure in Swiss cinema, Alain Tanner, with Fourbi (1996). She who claims to be fascinated by the notion of no man’s land has built her imagination there, and manages to reach out to buried areas of human nature, filming with tenderness, without pathos or judgment, characters who are guided by a powerful survival instinct. In 2014, she participated in the film Bridges of Sarajevo, a collective work by 13 European filmmakers, presented at Cannes in the Official Selection.
Her films for cinema – Home (2008) and Sister (2012, winner of the Silver Bear at the Berlinale) – are internationally acclaimed for their original angle and writing. Radical and poetic, the first is a fable shot with pale light and warm photography. The second is a modern tale in the form of a sober and poignant family chronicle.
“A first film,” says the newly appointed President, “is the place of all possibilities, of all audacity, of all risk-taking, of all madness. It is often said that you should not put everything into a first film but the opposite is true, you should put in exactly that – everything – just as you should put everything into every film while always preserving deep within yourself that original, vital, brutal, wild desire of the first time. What immense excitement and joy to discover all these films!”
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BEING SERENA, Intimate Documentary Series on Tennis Superstar Serena Williams, Debuts May 2 on HBO | trailer
HBO Sports is teaming up agin with IMG’s Original Content group for a five-part documentary series chronicling tennis icon Serena Williams at a pivotal moment in her personal and professional life. Being Serena debuts Wednesday, May 2 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, followed by other new episodes subsequent Wednesdays at the same time.
Being Serena will give viewers unprecedented access to Williams during her pregnancy, new motherhood and marriage, while documenting her journey back to supremacy on the court. Viewers will experience her life from every angle as the intimate first-person show delves into her landmark career, family life and expanding role as a businesswoman and investor in the worlds of tech, fashion, fitness and philanthropy.
“HBO is honored to work with Serena Williams on such a personal project,” says Peter Nelson, executive vice president, HBO Sports. “Even though she has been in the spotlight since her teenage years, Serena continues to capture the imagination. With our partners at IMG, we look forward to giving viewers a revealing, behind-the-scenes portrait of her life on and off the court.”
“Serena Williams is a force unlike any other,” says Mark Shapiro, co-president of WME and IMG. “Her entire life is one of the hero’s journey, and it has been a privilege to work with her as she enters this next phase. HBO was an incredible partner in developing a unique look into Serena’s world, and we look forward to sharing this all-access story with the world in May.”
Serena Williams, 36, is one of the most dominant forces tennis has ever seen, with 39 Grand Slam titles, four Olympic Gold Medals and the most women’s singles match victories in Grand Slam history. Her supremacy on the court earned her Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year honors in 2015 and made her a four-time winner of the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, first in 2002 and most recently in 2015.
In Jan. 2017, Williams bested her sister Venus in the final match of the Australian Open, marking her seventh time winning that singles event. Four months after her historic victory, Williams revealed that she and her fiancé, Alexis Ohanian, were expecting their first child, confirming that she was eight weeks pregnant when she won her 23rd Grand Slam singles title. On Sept. 1, Williams gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. Williams and Ohanian wed soon after in a stunning ceremony before family and friends in New Orleans on Nov. 16.
Williams will return to the tennis circuit this spring to compete in her first Grand Slam event of the year at the French Open in late May.
For more than a decade, HBO Sports has been responsible for some of the most compelling unscripted sports programming, with a stylish and contemporary approach marked by unrestricted access. “Hard Knocks,” launched in 2001 in partnership with NFL Films, has won 15 Sports Emmy(R) Awards, and the groundbreaking all-access reality franchise “24/7” has earned 18 Sports Emmy(R) Awards.
Being Serena marks the third collaborative docu-series for HBO Sports and IMG. The first was 2016’s “Gonzaga: The March to Madness,” chronicling the Gonzaga men’s basketball team’s march to its 18th consecutive NCAA men’s basketball tournament berth, followed by 2017’s Primetime Emmy(R) nominee “UConn: The March to Madness,” spotlighting the powerhouse University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team as it sought a fifth consecutive national championship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udW7HcmDMJY