• 2018 Woodstock Film Festival to Showcase Over 100 Films + Opens with KARL BERGER – MUSIC MIND

    [caption id="attachment_31849" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]Karl Berger of Karl Berger - Music Mind Karl Berger of Karl Berger – Music Mind[/caption] The fiercely independent 19th Annual Woodstock Film Festival will showcase more than 100 films and open with a live performance by the Karl Berger Band following the screening of the feature documentary Karl Berger – Music Mind, which offers “an inside look into the creative process and unique approach toward music that makes Karl Berger”. Matthew Heineman’s feature narrative debut A Private War, starring Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan and Stanley Tucci will close the film festival on the evening of Sunday, October 14th. There will be a panel discussion after the film screening of Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane, featuring the filmmakers, as well as panelists from the documentary Newtown. In the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre that took the lives of twenty first-graders and their teachers, local clergyman Father Bob Weiss receives a letter from a fellow priest in Dunblane, Scotland, whose community suffered an eerily similar fate in 1996. From across the Atlantic, the two priests forge a poignant bond through the shared experience of trauma and healing. Never before seen film clips of the filmmakers’ upcoming documentary about the mass shooting in Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, will be shown during the panel. Roger Ross Williams is the first African American director to win an Academy Award with his short film Music By Prudence. Williams has directed a wide variety of acclaimed films including God Loves Uganda, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award, and Life, Animated, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2017. Williams is on the Board of Governors for the Academy of motion pictures, Arts and Sciences, representing the Documentary branch, as well as being on the Diversity Committee for the Academy. This year Williams is our Special Guest Programmer whose selection spotlights some of his favorite contemporary works by filmmakers of color. Williams said, “I am thrilled to be a guest programmer at this year’s Woodstock Film Festival. The three films I have chosen demonstrate the scope, depth and creativity that is possible when we, as black filmmakers, tell our own stories.” These films include Hale County This Morning, This Evening, Shakedown, and Mr. SOUL!.

    NARRATIVE FEATURES

    Across The Universe, directed by Julie Taymor Almost Home, directed by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen Ask For Jane, directed by Rachel Carey Beyond the Night, directed by Jason Noto Cold Brook, directed by William Fichtner Dorst (Craving), directed by Saskia Diesing Dreams by the Sea, directed by Sakaris Stórá Fort Maria, directed by Thomas Southerland and S. Cagney Gentry Ghost Light, directed by John Stimpson Here and Now, directed by Roman Shumun Julia Blue, directed by Roxy Toporowych Keely and Du, directed by Dominique Cardona and Laurie Colbert Lez Bomb, directed by Jenna Laurenzo Little Woods, directed by Nia DaCosta Love Revisited, directed by Nicole van Kilsdonk Only A Switch, directed by Michael Vincent Paris Song, directed by Jeff Vespa A Private War, directed by Matthew Heineman ReRUN, directed by Alyssa Rallo Bennett Socrates, directed by Alex Moratto Spell, directed by Brendan Walter Swimming With Men, directed by Oliver Parker Then Came You, directed by Peter Hutchings Unlovable, directed by Suzi Yoonessi We Only Know So Much, directed by Donal Lardner Ward What They Had, directed by Elizabeth Chomko Wheels, directed by Paul Starkman Wildlife, directed by Paul Dano

    Younger Days, directed by Paula van der Oest

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

    2030, directed by Johnny Boston The Advocates, directed by Rémi Kessler Carmine Street Guitars, directed by Ron Mann Dreaming of a Vetter World, directed by Bonnie Hawthorne The Feeling of Being Watched, directed by Assia Boundaoui For The Birds, directed by Richard Miron Ghost Fleet, directed by Shannon Service and Jeffrey Waldron Give Us This Day, directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist Hale County This Morning, This Evening, directed by RaMell Ross In Our Bones, directed by Alex Kimura The Interpreters, directed by Andres Caballero and Sofian Khan Karl Berger – Music Mind, directed by Julian Benedikt Michelin Stars – Tales from the Kitchen, directed by Rasmus Dinesen Mr. SOUL!, directed by Melissa Haizlip and Samuel Pollard A Murder In Mansfield, directed by Barbara Kopple Netizens, directed by Cynthia Lowen Personal Statement, directed by Julianne Dressner Shakedown, directed by Leilah Weinraub Somaliland, directed by Harry Lee and Ben Powell Stay Human, directed by Michael Franti Suicide: The Ripple Effect, directed by Greg Dicharry and Kevin Hines Up to Snuff, directed by Mark Maxey What Is Democracy?, directed by Astra Taylor The World Before Your Feet, directed by Jeremy Workman

    WRESTLE, directed by Lauren Belfer and Suzannah Herbert

    SHORTS

    1-0, directed by Nada ElAzhary; 59 Seconds, directed by Mauro Carraro; After Her, directed by Aly Migliori;  Antouni (Homeless), directed by Alik Tamar; Are You Still Singing?, directed by Gillian Barnes; A Year, directed by Jisun Jamie Lee; Beast, directed by Leonora Lonsdale; Beautiful Things, directed by Dina Waxman; Black Spirit, directed by Chakib Taleb-Bendiab; Boy Boy Girl Girl, directed by Ross Kauffman; Carolee, Barbara & Gunvor, directed by Lynne Sachs; The Christmas Rabbit, directed by Christophe Lopez-Huici; The Crying Room, directed by Shalom Auslander; Del Rio, directed by Raj Trivedi; Dinner, directed by Anna Gilmore; Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me), directed by Joseph Wallace; Ego, directed by Mario Addis; The English Teecher, directed by Andy and Carolyn London; Even Ants Strive for Survival, directed by Ren Xia; Funeral, directed by Leah Shore; Gamble, directed by Chayadol Lomtong; Goose in High Heels, directed by John R. Dilworth; He’s Watching, directed by Arthur Metcalf; Homing In, directed by Parker Hill; Jo, directed by Justine Williams; One Small Step, directed by Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas; Last Requests, directed by Courtenay Johnson; The Last Seance, directed by Laura Kulik; Lifeboat, directed by Skye Fitzgerald; Lucy, directed by Ruben Gutiérrez; The Magical Mystery of Musigny, directed by Emmett Goodman and John Meyer; Martin, directed by Sholto Crow; Melt Down, directed by Amy Jingyi Xu; Mirror Mirror, directed by Jacob Internicola; Mother, directed by Amanda Palmer; Moved to Tiers, directed by Avery Herzog; The Movie House on Main Street, directed by Teresa Torchiano; My Brother (Mi Hermano), directed by Alexis Gambis; Pour 585, directed by Patrick Smith; Rooster and The Queen, directed by Aaron Weisblatt; Salam, directed by Claire Fowler; Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane, directed by Kim A. Snyder; Shiva Baby, directed by Emma Seligman; Sorceress, directed by Max Blustin; Trump Bites, directed by Bill Plympton; Two Balloons, directed by Mark C. Smith; Unnatural, directed by Amy Wang; The Velvet Underground Played at My High School, directed by Tony Jannelli and Robert Pietri; Vicarious Resilience, directed by Eva Tenuto; Voice, directed by Takeshi Kushida; Welcome to the New World, directed by Jerry Suen & Anni Sultany; The Winds of Downhill, directed by Jedd and Todd Wider; Your Face Global Jam, directed by Ken Mora

    YOUTH INITIATIVE

    This year, the Woodstock Film Festival will present films written, filmed, directed, produced, and edited by passionate teens. The Woodstock Film Festival’s Youth Initiative is supported by the Thompson Family Foundation. Three out of the ten films were created by students who participated in the Woodstock Film Festival Summer Youth Film Lab, a three week immersive program underwritten by an anonymous donor, that gives teenagers an opportunity to learn about the art of film and practice the full spectrum of the filmmaking process with guidance from accomplished film industry professionals.
    After The Collapse, directed by Youth Film Lab participant Ethan Laclaverie Past the Fear, directed by Youth Film Lab participant Samuel Levine Mirror Mirror, directed by Youth Film Lab participant Jacob Internicola Along the Water, directed by Marissa Gaylin Can’t Hurry Love, directed by Lola Cook The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Suburbia, directed by Alex Alford and Zak Denley I Am The Only One, directed by Aicha Cherif Inclusion On The Air, directed by Eli Canter Silence, directed by Camille Dobbs Wake Up, directed by Maura Palden

    MUSIC VIDEOS

    This year, the Woodstock Film Festival is highlighting 11 outstanding music videos from talented artists from the United States, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg. These music videos will be screened online at the start of the festival.
    Boyish – Music by Japanese Breakfast Dumb Dumb– Music by Cipherella Found – Music by Toulouse Glendale– Music by Clans Land of the Fairies – Music by Rami Fortis Magic Meadow Music Video – Music by Journey Blue Heaven Mandarin – Music by Boogrov Paprika – Music by No Metal in this Battle Pora Sotunda – Music by The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices

    Solicitous– Music by Drekoty

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  • Canadian Premiere of Surfing Documentary MOMENTUM GENERATION to Close Whistler Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_31845" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Momentum Generation Momentum Generation[/caption] MOMENTUM GENERATION, the latest documentary from Award-winning filmmakers Jeff and Michael Zimbalist, will have its Canadian premiere as the Closing Night film of Whistler Film Festival.  The documentary follows the biggest names in surfing, including Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Shane Dorian, Kalani Robb and the late Todd Chesser. Executive produced by Sundance founder Robert Redford with stunning archival footage from the godfather of surf films Taylor Steele, MOMENTUM GENERATION gives audiences an inside look at the lives of these teenagers as they rose to super stardom as the first competitive surfers. WFF’s Director of Programming Paul Gratton had this to say about the current 2018 lineup: “The increasing importance of the Whistler Film Festival as a launchpad for world-calibre Canadian features is evidenced by the significant number of World Premieres that have already been secured for this year’s festival.” In addition to the previously announced World Premiere of FUCK YOU ALL, THE UWE BOLL STORY, WFF added nine Canadian films premiering at Whistler this year. Seven of the films are eligible for the five awards in WFF’s coveted Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature *, which includes the second largest festival prize in the country featuring a $15,000 cash prize presented by the Directors Guild of Canada, British Columbia and $15,000 post production prize presented by Encore Vancouver. BELLA CIAO! * (2018, Canada (BC), World Premiere) Carmen Aguirre and Tony Nardi star in a remarkable story directed by Carolyn Combs of friends, lovers, seekers and thieves. Set at the intersection of the Latin American, First Nations and Italian communities in Vancouver, Bella Ciao! captures the struggle towards solidarity within Canada’s immigrant urban mix. A tribute to the mosaic of diversity and the different generations of distinct cultures that help define Vancouver and by extension, all of Canada today. IN GOD I TRUST * (2018, Canada (BC), World Premiere) John Cassini, Marc Senior and Melissa Roxburgh star in this multi-character drama from Vancouver based filmmaker Maja Zdanowski. A distressed young black man, a reckless white nationalist, and a pair of traveling vacationers intertwine in three tales of redemption, violence and faith during a random encounter in Northern Idaho. INTO INVISIBLE LIGHT * (2018, Canada (MB), World Premiere) Director Shalegh Carter delivers a powerful story of grief, longing, and one woman’s path to healing through the realisation of her long-buried desire to write. A widow rekindles a past relationship with a writer/professor. Conceived under the sway of both love and art INTO INVISIBLE LIGHT is a story of forgiveness, second chances and the revitalizing power of self-expression. HONEY BEE * (2018, Canada (ON), World Premiere) 2017 WFF Star to Watch Julia Sarah Stone astounds as an underage truck stop hooker under the sway of a manipulative pimp, sent by authorities to a tough love placement location, a working farm run by a no-nonsense character played by Martha Plimpton. Director Rama Rau continues to explore female sexuality, as she did with her previous documentary look at burlesque queens, THE LEAGUE OF EXOTIQUE DANCERS. NEVER BE DONE: THE RICHARD GLEN LETT STORY (2018, Canada (BC), World Premiere) This raw and immersive documentary tells the story of how controversial Vancouver stand-up comedian Richard Lett sabotaged his own promising career, lost everything and lived to tell the tale. Director Roy Tighe’s commitment to presenting Lett’s highest and lowest moments over the past nine years ultimately presents a message of personal redemption, and shines a poignant light on the intensely private struggle of addiction. NOSE TO TAIL * (2018, Canada (ON), World Premiere) Aaron Abrams plays a talented but abrasive chef who is struggling to keep his high end restaurant afloat. Over the course of one event-filled day, he must deal with an angry lover, a would-be investor (Ennis Esmer) and unhappy staff, not to mention the realization that his establishment is no longer as trendy as when it first opened. Directed by Jesse Zigelstein, this a character study that will have foodies salivating. NORTH PRESTON’S FINEST (2018, Canada (ON), World Premiere) Director Jaren Hayman provides us with an intimate glimpse into the country’s largest black community, painted in recent years as one of Canada’s most established human trafficking hubs. With poignant interviews and stories from residents of all kinds, from pimps and their victims to politicians and the citizens they serve, NORTH PRESTON’S FINEST explores one community’s struggle against crime, economic adversity and systemic racism, and their ardent desire to change the narrative. RED ROVER * (2018, Canada (ON), World Premiere) Métis director Shane Belcourt directs a wistful story about a socially awkward geologist who is encouraged to apply for a one-way manned mission to Mars by an extroverted musician he meets in the park. Rising star Cara Gee shines as a muse with her own issues who inspires our unhappy would-be space traveler, who longs for a new beginning. WOODLAND * (2018, Canada (BC), World Premiere) Directed by Vancouver based Jon Silverberg, this is about a man’s personal journey that touches on the land, the mythical and the spiritual. Set in 1989, out-of-work photojournalist Jake (Richard Harmon) who struggles with addiction and a troubled past, takes a job as watchman of a wilderness lodge on the remote Haida Gwaii island in the Pacific Northwest. Under the watchful eye of veteran handyman Sparky, Jake sets up a darkroom to develop the photos he shoots, which reveal strange apparitions that he soon discovers are prophecies of his and Sparky’s disturbing future.

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  • Screen Media to Release ‘audacious, psychotropic’ Horror Film LUZ [ Video]

    [caption id="attachment_30850" align="aligncenter" width="1300"]Luz Luz[/caption] Tilman Singer’s audacious, psychotropic horror film LUZ, which made its North American bow at Fantasia Film Festival, and will have its US premiere at Fantastic Fest this week will be released in theaters across the US in first quarter 2019 by Screen Media. LUZ begins as a young female cabdriver (Luana Velis, in the title role) drags herself into the brightly lit entrance of a run-down police station. A demonic entity follows her, determined to finally be close to the woman it loves. Shot entirely on 16mm, this first feature film from Singer pays homage to horror masters Cronenberg, Argento and Fulci, while infusing a fresh take on the genre all of his own. LUZ is written and directed by Tilman Singer, produced by Dario Mendez Acosta and Singer and stars Luana Velis and Jan Bluthardt. Filmmaker Tilman Singer concluded:”To see this kind of reaction to our film, visit festivals and now release it in North America is a little bit like shooting a movie itself; It’s hard to fully grasp. Producing LUZ I had no idea where it would go and I am excited for the life that it will have.”

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  • Miami Film Festival Unveils GEM 2018 Lineup, Opens with BIRDS OF PASSAGE

    [caption id="attachment_31771" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Birds of Passage (Pájaros de verano) Birds of Passage (Pájaros de verano)[/caption] Miami Film Festival unveiled the full line-up of the GEMS 2018, the Fall edition of the annual festival, opening with Colombia’s Oscar submission Birds of Passage (Pájaros de Verano) and closing with Spain’s Oscar submission Champions (Campeones). Miami Film Festival GEMS takes place October 11 to 14, at MDC’s Tower Theater Miami. Bárbara Lennie, the acclaimed and much in-demand Goya-winning Spanish actress, will accept the Festival’s Precious Gem Award prior to the presentation of her newest film, Petra, directed by Jaime Rosales. Lennie also joins Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Ricardo Darín in Oscar-winner Asghar Farhadi’s Everybody Knows (Todos lo saben), which will also play at GEMS. Lennie’s other recent roles are well-known to Miami Film Festival audiences – her 2018 film A Sort of Family won the Festival’s Knight Competition Grand Prize, and her 2017 film Maria (And Everybody Else) won the Festival’s HBO Ibero-American Feature Film Award. Cinematographer Diego García, touted as a strong contender for his first Oscar nomination for shooting Paul Dano’s directorial debut, Wildlife, starring Cary Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal, will receive the Festival’s Art of Light Award and participate in a conversation about his craft prior to the Florida premiere of Wildlife. Garcia’s previous credits include his Fenix Award-winning work on Gabriel Mascaro’s Neon Bull, and previous Miami Film Festival selections Cemetery of Splendor (2015) and The Darkness (2017). García will additionally lead a Master Class on Cinematography for attending local industry members and film students. Returning for a second consecutive year to Miami Film Festival GEMS is the virtual reality (VR) sidebar Virtual Escape, in partnership with MDC’s Miami Animation & Gaming International Complex (MAGIC). Festivalgoers will experience five projects of 360°, VR and Alternative Gaming available through the entire GEMS weekend. This year’s edition of GEMS will feature two distinct sections. The Spotlight Stage will feature high-profile, major-interest films from internationally renowned directors, many of which are in strong contention for Academy Award nominations. The Discovery Stage will feature new filmmakers creating some of the year’s most interesting debut work, breaking out into international prominence.

    The Spotlight Stage

    EL ÁNGEL – Argentina/Spain. The second collaboration of Almodóvar’s El Deseo and Argentina’s K&S Films production companies after their first, the international hit and Oscar-nominated Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes), which opened Miami Film Festival in 2016. Directed by Luis Ortega, El Ángel recently broke the record for the highest grossing debut weekend of an Argentine film in Argentina box office history. The film stars rising new talents Lorenzo Ferro and Chino Darín. MFF MARIMBAS AWARD NOMINEE. ANIMAL – Argentina/Spain. Filmmaker Armando Bo won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay for his previous feature film – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), which also won Best Picture and Best Director for Alejandro Iñárritu. Animal stars Argentina’s box office superstar Guillermo Francella (The Clan, The Secret in Their Eyes, Corazón de león) and Carla Peterson, and was a summer box office hit in Argentina. MFF MARIMBAS AWARD NOMINEE. BEN IS BACK – U.S.A. Filmmaker Peter Hedges was nominated for an Oscar as writer of About A Boy, and his first feature as a director, Pieces of April, was also Oscar-nominated. Ben is Back recently world premiered in TIFF to acclaim and Oscar buzz for stars Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges (Peter’s son), who was previously Oscar nominated for Manchester by the Sea. MFF MARIMBAS AWARD NOMINEE. BIRDS OF PASSAGE (PÁJAROS DE VERANO) – Colombia/Denmark/Mexico/France. Co-director Cristina Gallego will attend the Opening Night presentation and participate in a conversation with the audience. Gallego and her filmmaking partner Ciro Guerra previously collaborated on Embrace of the Serpent, which received Colombia’s first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 2015. MFF MARIMBAS AWARD NOMINEE. OPENING NIGHT FILM. BORDER – Sweden/Denmark. Winner of 2018 Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard BEST FILM Award and Sweden’s 2019 Oscar submission, Border will be Miami Film Festival GEMS’ first MIDNIGHT/LATE-NIGHT SPECIAL PRESENTATION. Directed by Ali Abbasi, Border is a follow-up to Swedish author Jon Ajvide Lindqvist’s 2008 international hit multi-award-winning film adaption, Let The Right One In. MFF MARIMBAS AWARD NOMINEE. BURNING – South Korea. The highest-rated film in the history of the international critics’ poll at Cannes Film Festival and South Korea’s 2019 Oscar submission, Burning stars Steven Yeung (Sorry To Bother You and TV’s The Walking Dead). Director Chang-dong Lee has won multiple international awards for previous films such as Secret Sunshine (2007) and Poetry (2010). The screening of Burning will be followed by a panel moderated by programmer Lauren Cohen featuring local film critics discussing the film and the state of art house cinema in 2018. MFF MARIMBAS AWARD NOMINEE. CAPERNAUM – Lebanon. Directed by the acclaimed Nadine Labaki and winner of the Jury Prize at 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Capernaum is a candidate for Lebanon’s 2019 Oscar submission. CHAMPIONS (CAMPEONES) – Spain. An unprecedented box office sensation at Spain’s domestic box office and Spain’s 2019 Oscar submission, Champions is directed by Goya winning director Javier Fesser (expected to attend the screening) and starring two-time Goya winning Best Actor Javier Gutierrez. MFF MARIMBAS AWARD & ZENO MOUNTAIN AWARD NOMINEE. CLOSING NIGHT FILM. COLD WAR – Poland/France. Pawel Pawlikowski won Best Director at 2018 Cannes Film Festival for his follow-up to Ida, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film of 2014. Cold War is a candidate for Poland’s 2019 Oscar submission. MFF MARIMBAS AWARD NOMINEE. EVERYBODY KNOWS (TODOS LO SABEN) – Spain/France/Italy. Only the second Spanish-language Opening Night Film of Cannes Film Festival in history. Directed by two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi (A Separation, The Salesman) and starring Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Ricardo Darín, Inma Cuesta, Eduard Fernandez, and 2018 Miami Film Festival GEMS Precious Gem Awardee, Bárbara Lennie. PETRA – Spain. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jaime Rosales, the exquisite Petra is a modern-day Spanish version of a classic Greek tragedy, featuring a towering performance by 2018 Miami Film Festival GEMS Precious Gem Awardee, Bárbara Lennie. MFF MARIMBAS AWARD NOMINEE. The Discovery Stage BOYS CRY – Italy. Winner of the Silver Ribbon for Best First Feature Film, Italy’s prestigious critical honor, and a world premiere at 2018 Berlin Film Festival. Written and directed by brothers Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo, Boys Cry is a candidate for Italy’s 2019 Oscar submission. JORDAN RESSLER FIRST FILM AWARD NOMINEE. DIAMANTINO – Portugal/France/Brazil. Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt’s deliriously offbeat Diamantino won the 2018 Critic’s Week Best Film Award in Cannes. JORDAN RESSLER FIRST FILM AWARD NOMINEE. DRY MARTINA – Chile/Argentina. Director Che Sandoval will attend the screening and participate in a conversation with the audience. Dry Martina is one of the most important releases from Chile in 2018 and features a hilarious lead performance by actress Antonella Costa. IBERO-AMERICAN FEATURE AWARD NOMINEE; THE HEIRESSES (LAS HEREDERAS) – Paraguay/Uruguay/Germany/Brazil/Norway/France. Winner of numerous international prizes, including the Alfred Bauer Prize and Best Actress for Ana Brun at the 2018 Berlin Film Festival, Marcelo Martinessi’s film is Paraguay’s 2019 Oscar submission. JORDAN RESSLER FIRST FILM AWARD NOMINEE. HOPELESSLY DEVOUT (MI QUERIDA COFRADÍA) – Spain. Winner of the Audience Award at 2018 Malaga Film Festival, this uproarious comedy in the spirit of early Almodovar films is directed by Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz. JORDAN RESSLER FIRST FILM AWARD NOMINEE. SOUFRA – U.S.A. Documentary directed by Thomas Morgan about the world’s most unlikely entrepreneur, Miriam Shaar, a third-generation refugee living in an encampment outside of Beirut looking to fulfill her dream of opening a catering company despite facing severe political and social barriers. Before the screening, a lunch with a local Miami “chefugee.” WILDLIFE – U.S.A. Acclaimed actor Paul Dano’s directorial debut, co-written with his partner Zoe Kazan, starring Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal. Cinematography by Diego García, recipient of Miami Film Festival GEMS’ Art of Light Award. WOMAN AT WAR – Iceland/France/Ukraine. A feminist epic comedy about an environmentalist crusader, directed by Benedikt Erlingsson and winner of the Best Screenplay Prize at 2018 Critics Week in Cannes. A candidate for Iceland’s 2019 Oscar submission.

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  • Joel Edgerton’s BOY ERASED to Close 2018 Hamptons International Film Festival [Trailer]

    [caption id="attachment_31533" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Boy Erased Boy Erased[/caption] This year’s 26th Hamptons International Film Festival will close with writer/director Joel Edgerton’s BOY ERASED  at Guild Hall in East Hampton On Monday, October 8. BOY ERASED examines a young boy’s experience when his parents send him to a healing refuge to cure his “homosexual” disease, starring Academy Award ® -nominated actor Lucas Hedges (MANCHESTER BY THE SEA), Academy Award® -winning actors Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe, and Golden Globe ®-nominated actor Edgerton himself. Based on the memoir by Garrard Conley, the film previously screened at the 2018 Telluride Film Festival and the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. “We are thrilled that BOY ERASED is our closing film. Garrard Conley’s bestselling autobiographical novel reveals the necessity of getting rid of programs whose mission is to change the identity of its subjects. Made with a stellar, acclaimed cast, the film is a great representation of book to film adaptations,” said Anne Chaisson, Executive Director of the Hamptons International Film Festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B71eyB_Onw BOY ERASED Closing Night Film East Coast Premiere Writer/Director: Joel Edgerton As the son of a Baptist pastor growing up middle-class in the Arkansas suburbs, Jared (Academy Award® nominee Lucas Hedges) seems to be the model son of a loving family. Excelling in school and in a committed relationship, Jared’s heavily conditioned image is shattered when a friend outs him to his community, leading his parents (Academy Award® winners Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe) to send him to Refuge, a church program that aims to reinforce gender roles and heal those with the “disease” of homosexuality. Based on Garrard Conley’s memoir of the same name, director and co-star Joel Edgerton delivers a refreshingly empathetic take on the difficulty of retaining a sense of one’s self in a circumstance that aims to erase it.

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  • Netflix Debuts Chilling Horror/Thriller APOSTLE Trailer

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    Apostle Netflix premiered the trailer for the chilling horror/thriller Apostle, starring Dan Stevens and Michael Sheen, that will have its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX.  Apostle which is written and directed by Gareth Evans (THE RAID) will debut globally on Netflix on October 12. London, 1905. Prodigal son Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) has returned home, only to learn that his sister is being held for ransom by a religious cult. Determined to get her back at any cost, Thomas travels to the idyllic island where the cult lives under the leadership of the charismatic Prophet Malcolm (Michael Sheen). As Thomas infiltrates the island’s community, he learns that the corruption of mainland society that they claim to reject has infested the cult’s ranks nonetheless – and uncovers a secret far more evil than he could have imagined. Written and directed by Gareth Evans (THE RAID), Apostle is a harrowing occult fable where the only thing more horrifying than madness is the sinister reality behind it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1JdWOqc9Q8

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  • 33rd Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Announces Lineup of 150+ Films

    [caption id="attachment_31825" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Return of the Hero The Return of the Hero[/caption] The 33rd Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival today announced the film line-up of more than 150 films for the 33rd annual event held from November 2 to 18, 2018. This year’s honorees include OscarⓇ nominated filmmaker Gary Ross (Big, Seabiscuit) will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at a tribute screening of his 1998 award-winning film, Pleasantville. Ross is also known for The Hunger Games (2012) and most recently Ocean’s 8 (2018). Transparent‘s Melora Hardin, will be presented with a Career Achievement Award at the World Premiere of Paul Osborne’s Cruel Hearts. Jeremy Piven, perhaps best known as Ari Gold on Entourage, will receive a Career Achievement Award Opening Night at the Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Screen 7 Recording legend, Connie Francis will attend FLiFF’s poolside retro screening of Where the Boys Are, and present former singing star Frank Loconto, of The Laine Brothers, with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Also receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award, Inventor-Philantropist-Filmmaker, Maurice Kanbar, namesake of the Maurice Kanbar Insitute of Film & Television at NYU. FLiFF kicks-off with the Opening Night Film with the East Coast Premiere of The Return of the Hero, a hilarious comedy starring OscarⓇ Winner, Jean Dujardin (The Artist) as the dashing Captain Neuville. Set in 1809 during the Napoleonic era, Neuville is called to the front, leaving his future bride heartbroken. Her sister decides to write letters on his behalf to cheer her up. But it all goes south when Neuville reappears. For the Centerpiece Film and Party, Danish filmmaker Mads Brügger arrives from Copenhagen in time for the red carpet at the Southeast Premiere of his dark “odd couple” comedy, The Saint Bernard Syndicate, which charts two hapless Danes as they scheme to sell Saint Bernards to China’s middle class as status symbols. Attendees will also meet a couple Saint Bernards from the Florida St. Bernard Rescue. FLiFF’s Closing Night Film is the Florida Premiere of Sharkwater Extinction. The thrilling and inspiring action-packed journey exposes the massive illegal shark fin industry and the political corruption behind it; a conspiracy that is leading to the extinction of sharks. Director, Rob Stewart, tragically lost his life while filming Sharkwater Extinction last year in the Florida Keys. Rob dedicated his life to saving our oceans. Special Guests are Rob’s parents and producers of the film, Brian and Sandy Stewart who will present the Rob Stewart Environmental Award to one of this year’s festival selections to Poisoning Paradise. In addition to Sharkwater Extinction, there are three additional environmental films. The East Coast Premiere of Aldabra: Once Upon an Island, narrated by Pierce Brosnan, is a wonderfully entertaining 3D journey featuring heroes Elvi the Giant Tortoise, Buster the Robber Crab and other marine characters. The Florida Premiere of Poisoning Paradise, produced by Pierce Brosnan with wife and directors Keely Shaye Brosnan and Teresa Tico, reveals the devastating impact of pesticide poisoning on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai and exposes the collusion between federal and state legislators and the world’s largest biotech companies. The Southeast Premiere of Secrets of a Frozen Ocean follows 75 year old, Yngve Kristoffersen, a Norwegian scientist who sets out on a dangerous 18 month expedition in the Arctic to prove a theory of an asteroid that hit the Arctic Ocean millions of years ago and affects earth to this day. FLiFF will host 4 Benefit Premieres. The Southeast Premiere of Intelligent Lives, a catalyst to transform the label of intellectual disability from a life sentence of isolation into a life of possibility for the most systematically segregated people in America. The award-winning filmmaker Dan Habib, will be in attendance. 100% of the proceeds will benefit United Community Options of South Florida, formerly United Cerebral Palsy of South Florida. The Florida Premiere of The Land of High Mountains (Haiti), Will Agee’s inspiring true story of the only pediatric hospital in Haiti providing life-saving, healthcare to the most vulnerable families for over 30 years and the incredible people, both Haitian and foreign, who are working together to heal the children and to realize the dreams of a nation. 100% of the ticket revenue will benefit The Saint Damien Hospital Foundation. Filmmakers Special Guests are Will Agee, Olaf Hamelink, and Jennifer Rayno the Director, St. Damien Pediatric Hospital Fund will be in attendance. The Florida Premiere of The Most Dangerous Year (USA) Vlada Knowlton’s story of a group of Washington State families with transgender kids who joined the fight, in 2016, against a wave of discriminatory anti-transgender legislation that swept the nation and their home state. The film is co-sponsored by OutShine Film Festival, a 501(c)3 organization who will receive 50% of the ticket sales. The East Coast Premiere of Turning Point will benefit The Walk To End Alzheimers. Director James Keach, the brother of actor Stacy Keach, will attend. James also directed the Oscar nominated film Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me. World Premieres include: Cruel Hearts starring Transparent‘s Melora Hardin and Ocean’s Eleven’s Eddie Jemison in writer/director Paul Osborne’s thriller. Extraordinary: The Seeding, Jon Sample and Jack Roth’s riveting documentary of an alien hybrid program that may actually exist. U.S. Premieres include: The Bromley Boys (UK) Steve Kelly’s funny yet touching coming-of-age football memoir. Diane is the Right Shape (France) stars Clotilde Hesme in Fabien Gorgeart’s dramedy about a surrogate mother for a gay couple. Eternal Winter (Hungary), Attila Szász true story of an unlikely romance in a Soviet labor camp. Just Believe (Italy), Alessandro Aronadio’s, comedy of a business owner who must establish his own religion to create a tax free operation. Les Ex (France), Maurice Barthélémy’s comedy about five couples who take stock of their past relationships. Marisa in The Woods (Spain), Antonio Morales’ dramedy stars Patricia Jordá as a woman who feels that she’s taken a supporting role in her own life. Quanto Basta (Italy), Francesco Falaschi’s warm comedy about a chef whose life is changed after assigned to teach cooking to students with Asperger’s syndrome. East Coast Premieres include: The Unicorn, Robert Schwartzman’s (Dreamland) “cleverly crafted” three-some comedy. Hurley (USA), Derek Dodge’s documentary about racing legend Hurley Haywood speaks for the first time about being gay in the 1970’s macho world of motor sports. Meant to Be Broken, Jonathan Zuck’s dark comedy about an unlikely trio on a crazy law breaking journey that culminates in Miami. Rescue Under Fire (Spain), Adolfo Martínez Pérez’ action adventure based on the true story of Spanish troops attempting to rescue a U.S. helicopter crew in Afghanistan. Spitak (Armenia/Russia), Alexander Kott’s action-drama of a man searching for his family in the very epicenter of the earthquake. Volcano (Ukraine), Director Roman Bondarchuk’s surreal black comedy about a translator stranded in a strange, little Ukraine Steppes town. Southeast Premieres include: Abdel and the Countess (France) Isabel Doval’s comedy about a widowed Countess who befriends a young man from the hood to help save her legacy. Born Just Now, Robert Adanto’s an intimate look at Belgrade-based artist Marta Jovanović. Driver (Israel) Yehonatan Indursky’s comic-drama about a sham artist and his daughter in an ultra-Orthodox community. Jumpman (Russian Federation), Ivan I. Tverdovsky’s thriller about a young man with a rare condition – he feels no pain. Letter from Masanjia (Canada – China) Leon Lee’s intense documentary of a political prisoner’s SOS letter that led to labor reform in China. Monger (Argentina), Jeff Zorrilla’s incredible journey into the world of sex tourism in Buenos Aires. Normandie Nue (France), Phillipe Le Guay’s (Women On The 6th Floor) comedy of a photo opportunity for a town of 300. The catch is… they all have to be naked. Once Upon a Time in November (Poland), Andrzej Jakimowski’s drama of a mother and son’s struggle to find a safe place in a homeless shelter. A Polar Year (Denmark) Samuel Collardey’s unique comedy, where actors play themselves in a recreated story. Parkland: Inside Building 12, Charlie Minn’s striking documentary told through interviews and real-life footage. Reinventing Rosalee, Dr. Lillian Glass’ inspiring documentary featuring her mom Rosalee a 101-year-old Holocaust survivor who lives life to the fullest. Sarah Q, John A. Gallagher’s dramedy of a small-town girl who moves to New York to become an actress. Smuggling Hendrix (Cypress) Marios Piperides award-winning comedic love story of a man on a mission to retrieve his dog from across the Turkish border. Song of Back and Neck, ‘The Office’ actor Paul Lieberstein’s comedic take on his history with back pain and curbed anger. The Unafraid, Anayansi Prado’s & Heather Courtney’s inspiring portrayal of the brave young people fighting back in difficult times. Florida Premieres include: American First: The Legacy of a Raid (USA) Almudena Toral’s & Andrea Patiño Contreras’s documentary of the largest immigration worksite raid in U.S. History. The Art and Times of Frosty Myers (USA), Chris Stearns’ portrait of the sculptor best known for his 1969 “Moon Museum” and 1973 “The Wall” in SoHo. The Beginner (Germany), Alexandra Sell’s charmingly comic tale of a woman who attempts her dream of being a figure skater at age 58. Kent Jones’ award-winning Diane, starring Mary Kay Place in her most powerful performance of her career. Hatchback, Eric Sheffield’s quirky comedy of a journalist, that helps a mysterious girl find her long-lost dad. Cracking Aces (USA) H. James Gilmore documentary of the pioneering women of professional poker. Fiddlin’ (USA), Julie Simone takes us to the World’s Oldest Fiddler’s Convention. Hope’s Mission (Florida), Richard Jacksons’ documentary of a mother who risks everything to save her 3 children. Living on a Dollar a Day (USA), Thomas Nazario’s moving story of people around the world who survive on a dollar or less each day. Seeing Is Believing: Women Direct (USA) Cady McClain’s documentary includes interviews and clips from women directors. Snowbirds (Canada) from Joannie Lafrenière offers a glimpse into the French Canadian tourists who descend upon Hollywood, Florida each winter.

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  • Camden International Film Festival Announces 2018 Award Winners – THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED Wins Audience Award

    [caption id="attachment_23721" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Feeling of Being Watched The Feeling of Being Watched[/caption] The Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) handed out the awards to the winners of the 2018 Festival, with the Audience Award going out to Assia Boundaoui’s The Feeling of Being Watched.   CIFF hosted their annual Awards Ceremony, presenting four awards for documentary features and one for a documentary short, in addition to its Points North Pitch Award. In the Pitch, the six teams of Points North Fellows who worked with industry members in a year-long mentorship, presented their feature documentary works-in-progress to a top-level panel of funders, producers and broadcasters — all before a live audience at the Camden Opera House. For the 2nd year, Showtime Documentary Films was the Presenting Sponsor of the Fellowship. This year’s Points North Pitch Award, which included in-kind post-production services from Boston-based Modulus Studios, went to director Sierra Urich’s work-in-progress feature documentary, Joonam. An Academy-qualifying festival for short films, the winner of the Camden Cartel Award for Best Short is eligible to enter the Documentary Short Subject competition for the Academy.This year’s winner is Circle by Jayisha Patel. The runner-up was David Freid’s Guns Found Here. For the fourth year, CIFF collaborated with long-time partner, Documentary Educational Resources, to present the John Marshall Award for Contemporary Ethnographic Media. The Jury of Alice Apley (Documentary Educational Resources), Alijah Case (Documentary Educational Resources), Ilisa Barbash (Producer/Director), Ernst Karel (Sound Artist), Irina Leimbacher (Critic, Educator), and Maple Razsa (Anthropologist, Filmmaker) awarded this year’s John Marshall Award to Ramell Ross’s Hale County This Morning. Jurors Enat Sidi (editor), Meghan Monsour (Creative Director, Ambulante Film Festival) and Sean Farnel (producer) awarded the 2018 Cinematic Vision Award to Vadym Ilkov’s My Father Is My Mother’s Brother, with Special Jury Mention going to Exit Music, directed Cameron Mullenneaux. The Jury noted: “Surprising, tender and quietly profound, My Father Is My Mother’s Brother is non-fiction filmmaking at its finest. A raw, creative, and unconventional family portrait.” This year’s jury of Andrea Meditch (producer), Justine Nagan (POV), Talal Derki (Filmmaker, OF FATHERS AND SONS) awarded the 2018 Harrell Award for Best Documentary Feature to On Her Shoulders, directed by Alexandria Bombach: “For using an intimate but respectful gaze to convey suffering through subtle gestures and the use of silence. The film captures the weight of bearing witness by allowing the protagonist to speak for herself. On Her Shoulders transforms a traumatic personal experience into a realization of horrifying and memorable collective responsibility.” The Harrell Jury awarded two Special Mentions: one each to Vitaly Mansky’s Putin’s Witnesses and James Longley’s Angels Are Made of Light. The 2018 Camden International Film Festival Audience Award went to Assia Boundaoui’s The Feeling of Being Watched. The 15th edition of the Camden International Film Festival will take place September 12 to 15, 2019. Submissions will open in January 2019.

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  • IFC Midnight to Release Emma Tammi’s American Frontier Set Horror THE WIND from TIFF2018 [Trailer]

    Emma Tammi’s narrative feature film The Wind which made its World Premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival to an enthusiastic Midnight Madness crowd has been acquired by IFC Midnight for release in the US.   The Wind will next screen this weekend at Fantastic Fest. With The Wind, director Emma Tammi and writer Teresa Sutherland have embarked on a nightmarish yet empathetic exploration of domestic solitude, skillfully conjuring — in bone-chilling visual and sonic strokes — an indescribable spectre that seems to emanate from the abyss of the night itself. Hailed by critics as a femme-centric western and supernatural horror, the film stars Caitlin Gerard, Julia Goldani Telles, Ashley Zukerman, Dylan McTee, and Miles Anderson. The Wind not only features an array of talented female creatives at the helm and in front of the camera, it also showcases the work from production designers Hillary and Courtney Andujar, set decorator Elsbeth Mumm along with film editor Alexandra Amick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DPKc8j0ekM “Emma Tammi’s impressive debut into narrative filmmaking starring a break out performance from Caitlin Gerard packs the kind of fierce ingenuity we are continually searching for when we distribute films. We’re thrilled to bring such an intelligently crafted and distinct vision in the horror genre to audiences around the country,” said Jonathan Sehring and Lisa Schwartz, co-presidents of IFC Films/Sundance Selects. “IFC’s history of cultivating large audiences for smart, genre-bending films makes them the ideal partner to bring this beautiful, thought-provoking, and ultimately horrifying film to market. It is an important time to champion storytelling that takes risks, and IFC emboldens those narratives that challenge and move us, while entertaining. We are very excited to be part of the family and look forward to working with their talented team to bring The Wind to the U.S. audience,” said in a statement from director Emma Tammi with producers Christopher Alender and David Viste.

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  • Yen Tan’s Powerful AIDS Drama “1985” to Open 30th Anniversary of NewFest [Trailer]

    1985 Yen Tan’s powerful AIDS drama “1985” will open this year’s 30th anniversary of NewFest, one of the world’s most respected LGBT film festivals.  “1985” joins a history of notable NewFest Opening Night Films, including “Go Fish” (1994), “High Art” (1998), “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” (2001), “But I’m a Cheerleader” (2000), and “We Were Here” (2011). The film is a return to NewFest for Tan, whose previous films “Ciao” (2008) and “Pit Stop” (2013) have screened at the fest in the past. Written and directed by Yen Tan, “1985” follows Adrian (Cory Michael Smith, “Gotham”), a closeted advertising executive who, after having been gone for three years, returns to his Texas hometown for the holidays during the first wave of the AIDS crisis. Burdened with an unspeakable tragedy in New York City, Adrian looks to reconnect with his preteen brother Andrew (Aidan Langford) while navigating his relationship with religious parents Eileen (Academy Award Nominee Virginia Madsen) and Dale (Golden Globe Award Winner Michael Chiklis). When he reaches out to his estranged childhood friend Carly (Jamie Chung, “The Gifted”), their unresolved issues force Adrian to confront an uncertain future that will significantly alter the lives of those around him. Shot on black-and-white super 16mm film, “1985” takes a unique look at a pivotal moment in American history through the prism of empathy, love and family. “New York’s LGBT Film Festival was born out of the height of the AIDS crisis–when there was a vital need for visibility and positive representation of the LGBTQ community,” said Executive Director Robert Kushner. “So to begin the festival’s 30th Anniversary with Yen Tan’s poignant vision of 1980s life makes our Opening Night all the more resonant.” Speaking on the selection, NewFest’s Programming & Operations Manager Nick McCarthy said, “Yen Tan’s delicate, reflective, and humanistic portrait ties beautifully into the fibers of NewFest and will make for a powerful and noteworthy celebration. “1985” is a new queer classic, addressing the AIDS crisis in a sensitive, textured and, most importantly, modern light.” “It’s an extreme honor to have “1985” be the Opening Night selection at NewFest this year, a festival that’s been screening my works since 2008. It’s especially meaningful that our lead character Adrian visits his Texas hometown in the film, but New York is where he could live his most authentic life. “1985” is a story that honors the significance of queer outsiders who moved to bigger cities to find themselves, even at dire times.” said Yen Tan. “1985” world premiered at SXSW. Wolfe Releasing will release “1985” theatrically in New York City and Los Angeles on October 26th. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARcTHTYQyjc

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  • 2018 Toronto International Film Festival Awards – GREEN BOOK Wins People’s Choice Award

    [caption id="attachment_31408" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Green Book Green Book[/caption] The Toronto International Film Festival announced its award winners at the closing ceremony with the People’s Choice Award and $15,000 cash prize going to Peter Farrelly for Green Book.​ The first runner-up is Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk, and the second runner-up is Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA.

    2018 Toronto International Film Festival Award Winners

    IWC​ ​SHORT​ ​CUTS​ ​AWARD​ ​FOR​ ​BEST​ ​SHORT​ ​FILM

    The IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Meryam Joobeur’s Brotherhood.​ The jury remarked, “The film was masterfully executed, layered with bold ideas, rich textures, and nuanced character observations played by an unforgettable cast.” “The film successfully explored complex personal and political themes with compassion for its characters. By employing the intimate prism of a Tunisian family, the film was evidently made with a sense of maturity that points to a bright future from Meryam Joobeur.” The award offers a $10,000 cash prize, made possible by IWC Schaffhausen. The jury awarded an honorable mention to Jérémy Comte’s Fauve for its confident visual storytelling and moving performances from the child actors. The short-film awards were selected by a jury comprised of Claire Diao, Molly McGlynn, and Michael Pearce.

    IWC​ ​SHORT​ ​CUTS​ ​AWARD​ ​FOR​ ​BEST​ ​SHORT​ ​FILM

    The IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film goes to Sandhya Suri’s The Field​. The jury noted, “The film is striking for its aesthetic lyricism, tender performances, and powerful emotional impact.” “It’s a unique and refreshing glimpse into female desire set in rural India that demonstrated a scope greater than its short format.” The award offers a $10,000 cash prize, made possible by IWC Schaffhausen. The jury gave honorable mentions to Anette Sidor’s Fuck You, for its acutely observed study of teenage sexuality, and to Emma de Swaef and Marc James Roels’s This Magnificent Cake!, for the spectacular level of animation and the surreal humour it uses to explore its complex colonial subject matter. The short-film awards were selected by a jury comprised of Claire Diao, Molly McGlynn, and Michael Pearce.

    CITY​ ​OF​ ​TORONTO​ ​AWARD​ ​FOR​ ​BEST​ ​CANADIAN​ ​FIRST​ ​FEATURE​ ​FILM

    The City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film goes to Katherine Jerkovic’s Roads in February (Les routes en février). The jury remarked it was selected, “For its warm portrayal of a young woman trying to reconnect with her distant heritage after her father’s untimely death, and for the way the film demonstrates how genuine human connections best develop between two individuals when they stand on common ground.” This award carries a cash prize of $15,000, made possible by the City of Toronto. The Canadian awards were selected by a jury comprised of Mathieu Denis, Ali Özgentürk, and Michelle Shephard.

    CANADA​ ​GOOSE®​ ​AWARD​ ​FOR​ ​BEST​ ​CANADIAN​ ​FEATURE​ ​FILM

    The Canada Goose® Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to Sébastien Pilote’s The Fireflies Are Gone (La disparition des lucioles). The jury said it was chosen, “For its true-to-life depiction of a young woman’s quest to find meaning and hope in a world that has constantly disappointed her.” This award carries a cash prize of $30,000 and a custom award, sponsored by Canada Goose®. The Canadian awards were selected by a jury comprised of Mathieu Denis, Ali Özgentürk, and Michelle Shephard.

    THE​ ​PRIZES​ ​OF​ ​THE​ ​INTERNATIONAL​ ​FEDERATION​ ​OF​ ​FILM​ ​CRITICS​ ​(FIPRESCI​ ​PRIZES)

    The Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for the Discovery programme is awarded to Carmel Winters for Float Like a Butterfly​, which the jury called “a pastoral and traditional bucolic film, capturing the familiar angst and anxiety a young adult woman undergoes in order to have her say in the scheme of things in a predominately male-driven patriarchal society.” “Through her spectacular and deft narrative, nuanced understanding of the dilemmas women face, and a pitch-perfect performance by Hazel Doupe, this film is a triumph of free spirit.” Honorable mention goes to Laura Luchetti’s Twin Flower. The Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for Special Presentations is awarded to Guy Nattiv for Skin, which the jury called “a gripping study of a group of extremists and the choices available to them. It’s raw yet intelligently paced, with stunning performances, especially by a near-unrecognizable Vera Farmiga.” honorable mention goes to Louis Garrel’s A Faithful Man.

    NETPAC​ ​AWARD

    As selected by a jury from the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema for the seventh consecutive year, the NETPAC Award for World or International Asian Film Premiere in the Discovery and Contemporary World Cinema sections goes to Ash Mayfair’s The Third Wife. The jury remarked, ”Ash Mayfair’s debut feature The Third Wife signaled the emergence of a young female director-writer whose aesthetic sensibilities, cinematic language, and extraordinary ability to illuminate the past for contemporary audiences augur well for the future of Vietnamese and world cinema.” The jury gave honorable mention to Bai Xue’s The Crossing. The jury said, “Bai Xue’s storytelling in her debut film The Crossing shattered cinematic boundaries to create an original visual language that propelled her protagonist’s emotional crossing into adulthood as she crossed the physical boundaries of Hong Kong into mainland China.” EURIMAGES’ AUDENTIA AWARD The Festival and the Council of Europe’s Eurimages Fund present the third Audentia Award for Best Female Director to Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian’s Fig Tree. “Fig Tree is a stunning and illuminating debut,” the jury remarked. “Based on her own experiences, Ethiopian-Israeli writer-director Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian takes us on an unsentimental journey and shows us the tragic effects of civil war on ordinary people. Confidently directed with grit and compassion, Fig Tree is a beautifully rendered, big-hearted story about a Jewish teenage girl’s attempt to save those she loves, but it’s also an intimate coming-of-age story of self-discovery and female empowerment.” This award carries a €30,000 cash prize. Awarding an honorable mention to Camilla Strøm Henriksen’s Phoenix, the jury said: “Phoenix is a courageous debut from Norwegian director Camilla Strøm Henriksen. A visually arresting and emotionally nuanced film, Phoenix focuses on a young teen who assumes an enormous burden of responsibility in the face of her mother’s mental illness and her father’s absence. With a seamless blend of stark realism and cinematic magic realism, Henriksen’s story subtly, yet powerfully, unfolds from the perspective of her mature young protagonist.”

    TORONTO​ ​PLATFORM​ ​PRIZE​ ​PRESENTED​ ​BY​ ​AIR​ ​FRANCE

    This is the fourth year for Platform, the Festival’s juried program that champions directors’ cinema from around the world. The Festival welcomed an international jury comprised of award-winning filmmakers Mira Nair, Béla Tarr, and Lee Chang-dong, who unanimously awarded the Toronto Platform Prize Presented by Air France to Wi Ding Ho’s Cities of Last Things. The jury said, “This is a deeply moving drama from a director who shows great skill in his ability to weave together multiple genres with social and political critique, while telling a story that remains intimately human at its core. For us, this film has a spirit that always feels beautifully close to real life.” “Over the course of the Festival, we’ve had the privilege of watching 12 films that left us excited with the feeling that the future of directors’ cinema is in such capable hands. The great joy of being on the Platform Jury has been participating in a competition celebrating emerging visions that are bold, daring, innovative, and sometimes even challenging. The great difficulty, however, has been selecting only one director to win the Toronto Platform Prize. After much contemplation and thorough discussion, we all agreed together upon one prize winner and one honorable mention.” Awarding an honorable mention to Emir Baigazin’s The River, the jury said: “We were completely absorbed by the singular world this film creates through precise and meticulous craft, breathtaking visuals, and a boldly patient yet engrossing observational style.” The Toronto Platform Prize offers a custom award and a $25,000 cash prize, made possible by Air France.

    GROLSCH​ ​PEOPLE’S​ ​CHOICE​ ​AWARDS

    This year marked the 41st year that Toronto audiences were able to cast a ballot for their favorite Festival film for the Grolsch People’s Choice Award. This year’s award goes to Peter Farrelly for Green Book.​ The award offers a $15,000 cash prize and custom award, sponsored by Grolsch. The first runner-up is Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk. The second runner-up is Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA. The Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award goes to Vasan Bala’s The Man Who Feels No Pain​.​ The first runner-up is David Gordon Green’s Halloween. The second runner-up is Sam Levinson’s Assassination Nation. The Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award goes to Free Solo, directed by E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. The first runner-up is Tom Donahue’s This Changes Everything. The second runner-up is John Chester’s The Biggest Little Farm.

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  • 13th Rome Film Fest Unveils Official Poster Featuring Comic Genius Peter Sellers

    Rome Film Fest today unveiled the official poster of the upcoming thirteenth edition of the festival featuring comic genius Peter Sellers. Peter Sellers will be featured throughout the Rome Film Fest and will also be the focus of a retrospective curated by Mario Sesti and organized in collaboration with the British Embassy and the British Council. The 2018 Rome Film Fest will be held from October 18 to 28, 2018. Beloved by extremely diverse audiences, who have admired his extraordinary comic talent, the brilliant unpredictability of his performances and his excellent portrayal of dramatic roles, Peter Sellers is pictured as his most famous character, Inspector Jacques Clouseau, lead character of The Pink Panther series. The shot was taken by British photographer Terry O’Neill, renowned internationally for his portraits of countless figures from the worlds of music and film, from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones, from the British Royal Family to Hollywood stars. In the official poster of the 2018 Rome Film Fest, Peter Sellers is caught red-handed by O’Neill, who captures the full range of his irony and astonishment: Inspector Clouseau faces the audience squarely and makes it the star of the event. “Ever since the first year, I have wanted to distinguish my artistic direction with posters that conveyed elegance, grace and lightness – explained Antonio Monda, artistic director of the Rome Film Fest. – This year I am pleased to add irony to the list, and Peter Sellers was a great master in this sense. Not only was he a comic genius, but a terrific and versatile actor, as demonstrated by his amazing acting performances for masters as different as Stanley Kubrick, Vittorio De Sica, Hal Ashby, Blake Edwards, Alexander Mackendrick and many more”. Poster credits: Peter Sellers ™ Used with permission from The Lynne Unger Children’s Trust. Photo by Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images/Getty Images

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