• 2018 LA Film Festival Unveils Diverse Competition Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_31196" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Banana Split[/caption] The 2018 LA Film Festival taking place September 20 to 28, 2018. unveiled a diverse slate of 40 feature films, 41 short films, and 10 short episodic works in the U.S. Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, LA Muse and Nightfall sections. Across the competition categories 42% of the films are directed by women and 39% are directed by people of color. “Our mission of finding fresh new voices from different geographical and cultural axes remains true,” said LA Film Festival Director Jennifer Cochis. “These storytellers are united by their ability to transport, impact and inspire audiences with the power of their craft.” Venues for the 2018 Festival include the ArcLight Cinemas in Culver City, Hollywood and Santa Monica, as well as the new LMU Playa Vista Campus (opening this fall), the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and the Writers Guild Theater.

    U.S. Fiction Competition

    Banana Split – USA (DIRECTOR Benjamin Francis Kasulke WRITERS Hannah Marks, Joey Power PRODUCERS Jeremy Garelick, Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon, Will Phelps, Glen Trotiner, Sam Slater CAST Hannah Marks, Dylan Sprouse, Liana Liberato, Luke Spencer Roberts, Haley Ramm, Meagan Kimberly Smith) – Over the course of a summer, two teenage girls develop the perfect kindred spirit friendship, with one big problem: one of them is dating the other’s ex. World Premiere In Reality – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Ann Lupo CO-DIRECTOR/CO-WRITER Esteban Pedraza & Aaron Pryka PRODUCERS Ann Lupo, Nadine Martinez, Holly Meehl CAST Ann Lupo, Miles G. Jackson, Kimiko Glenn, Jill Eikenberry, Olivia Washington, Esteban Pedraza, Lauren E. Banks) – A young woman takes a journey through her own fantastic mind as she investigates her relationship to unrequited love. LA Premiere Olympia – USA (DIRECTOR Gregory Dixon WRITER McKenzie Chinn PRODUCERS Gregory Dixon, McKenzie Chinn, Elliott Lonsdale, Lucy Lola Manda, Sarah Sharp CAST McKenzie Chinn, Charles Gardner, Ericka Ratcliff, LaNisa Renee Frederick, Penelope Walker, Sadieh Rifai) – A struggling Chicago artist finds herself at a crossroads in life, overwhelmed by changes and needing to make a critical decision in her relationship. World Premiere Simple Wedding – USA (DIRECTOR Sara Zandieh WRITERS Sara Zandieh, Stephanie Wu PRODUCERS Ray Moheet, Norman Aladjem, Sara Zandieh CAST Tara Grammy, Christopher O’Shea, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Rita Wilson, Maz Jobrani, Houshang Touzie, Jaleh Modjallal, Peter Mackenzie, James Eckhouse, Rebecca Henderson, Aleque Reid) – A romantic comedy about a young Iranian-American woman and the lengths she goes to in order to appease her parents and their need to see her settled down. World Premiere Softness of Bodies – USA/Germany (DIRECTOR/WRITER Jordan Blady PRODUCERS Jordan Blady, Catherine Morawitz CAST Dasha Nekrasova, Morgan Krantz) – An American poet living in Berlin hopes to win a prestigious grant while dealing with her former relationships, a rival poet and her own penchant for stealing things. World Premiere This Teacher – USA (DIRECTOR Mark Jackson WRITERS Mark Jackson, Dana Thompson PRODUCERS Mark Jackson, Dana Thompson, Gigi Graff, Josh Mandel, Javier Gonzalez CAST Hafsia Herzi, Sarah Kazemy, Lucy Walters, Kevin Kane, Lev Gorn) – A young Arab-French woman on an introspective journey visits her childhood friend in New York City before heading to the woods upstate. World Premiere The Wrong Todd – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Rob Schulbaum PRODUCERS Ric Murray, Anthony Ambrosino CAST Jesse Rosen, Anna Rizzo, Sean Carmichael, Derek K. Moore, Erin Rose) – A sci-fi comedy about a man who gets caught up in extraordinary events, and the bizarre lengths he goes through to get back to his reality. World Premiere

    Documentary Competition

    Behind the Curve – USA (DIRECTOR Daniel J. Clark PRODUCERS Caroline Clark, Nick Andert, Daniel J. Clark) – The internet breathed new life into an old conspiracy theory: that the earth is flat instead of spherical. America’s flat-Earth movement appears to be growing, in spite of its detractors in the scientific community. US Premiere Facing the Dragon – USA/Afghanistan (DIRECTOR Sedika Mojadidi PRODUCER Jenny Raskin) – After international withdrawal from Afghanistan, two remarkable Afghan women working within the government and media struggle to maintain their hard-won rights while balancing what’s best for their families. World Premiere False Confessions – Denmark (DIRECTOR Katrine Philp PRODUCER Katrine A. Sahlstrøm) – “Would you confess to a crime you did not commit?” A defense attorney fights against the complex and manipulative tactics of US police interrogations, focusing on victims of coerced confessions as she helps exonerate her incarcerated clients. North American Premiere hillbilly – USA (DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS Sally Rubin, Ashley York SUBJECTS bell hooks, Billy Reddon, Ronny Cox, Frank X Walker, Crystal Good, Silas House) – Two filmmakers visit rural Kentucky, one returning home to Appalachia, to unpack the stereotype of “hillbilly” and explore the personal and painful experiences fueling our polarizing political climate. LA Premiere Mamacita – Germany/Mexico (DIRECTOR José Pablo Estrada Torrescano PRODUCERS José Pablo Estrada Torrescano, Arne Birkenstock) – A filmmaker fulfills his promise to make a film about his 95-year-old grandmother, showcasing her big personality and along the way uncovering the source of deep familial wounds. US Premiere Moroni for President – USA (DIRECTORS Saila Huusko, Jasper Rischen PRODUCERS Saila Huusko, Jasper Rischen, Sara Goldblatt) – Determined to shake up the status quo and bring positive change to his people, a young, gay college professor begins a grass-roots campaign to become the next President of the Navajo Nation. LA Premiere Same God – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER Linda Midgett) – It started out simply: a demonstration of solidarity. What followed? Life-changing events violating university and ethical codes and a public attack on a tenured professor’s ideals, faith, racial and religious identity. World Premiere The Silence of Others – Spain (DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS Almudena Carracedo, Robert Bahar) – In a country with streets that still bear his name, a group of resolute Spanish citizens seek justice for crimes committed during the brutal dictatorship of Francisco Franco by organizing a groundbreaking international lawsuit. West Coast Premiere Stammering Ballad – China (DIRECTOR/WRITER Nan Zhang PRODUCERS Ruby Chen, Yong Zhang, Sinae Ha) – The visual and musical journey of a Chinese folk musician torn between his desire for fame and his love for singing rural folk songs that are on the verge of being lost. North American Premiere Wrestling Ghosts — USA (DIRECTOR Ana Joanes PRODUCERS Ana Joanes, Toni Nagy) — Unable to understand why parenting seems like a constant uphill battle, an emotionally exhausted mother who can’t connect with her two young sons courageously confronts the events of her own traumatic childhood. World Premiere

    World Fiction Competition

    Border – Sweden (DIRECTOR Ali Abbasi WRITERS Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf, John Ajvide Lindqvist PRODUCERS Nina Bisgaard, Peter Gustafsson, Petra Jönsson CAST Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff, Jörgen Thorsson) – Despite having the remarkable gift of being able to smell emotions, a border agent leads a mundane existence until she meets a stranger who shares her unique abilities and upends her life. California Premiere The Cotton Wool War – Brazil (DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCERS Cláudio Marques, Marilia Hughes CAST Dora Goritzki, Thaia Perez, Thaila Lima) – Dora is a German-raised teenager visiting her enigmatic Brazilian grandmother for the first time. While trying to return to Germany at all costs, she discovers the incredible history behind the women of her family. US Premiere The Day I Lost My Shadow – France/Lebanon/Qatar/Syrian Arab Republic (DIRECTOR/WRITER Soudade Kaadan PRODUCER Amira Kaadan CAST Sawsan Arshid, Reham Al Kasar, Samer Ismail, Ahmad Ali) – In the midst of a gas crisis during the early days of the Syrian Arab Spring, a young mother takes the day off work and strays far from home with only one objective in mind: finding a working cylinder so that she may cook a meal for her son. US Premiere Heaven Without People – Lebanon (DIRECTOR/WRITER Lucien Bourjeily PRODUCERS Lucien Bourjeily, Farah Shaer CAST Ghassan Chemali, Hussein Hijazi, Jean Paul Hage, Jenny Gebara, Laeticia Semaan, Nadim Abou Samra, Samira Sarkis) – When a large family comes together for the first time in two years over Easter lunch, tensions bubble to the surface in surprising ways as they navigate an unforeseen conflict that threatens to derail their reunion. LA Premiere Microhabitat – South Korea (DIRECTOR/WRITER Jeon Go-Woon PRODUCER Kim Soon-Mo CAST Som Lee, Jae-hong Ahn) – An increase in the price of cigarettes destabilizes the economy of Miso, a young housekeeper who prefers to stop paying the rent rather than give up on the little pleasures of life. While she enjoys her smokes, Miso starts a couch-surfing journey that reconnects her with family and friends. West Coast Premiere Socrates – Brazil (DIRECTOR Alex Moratto WRITERS Alex Moratto, Thayná Mantesso PRODUCERS Tammy Weiss, Ramin Bahrani, Alex Moratto, Jefferson Paulino CAST Christian Malheiros, Tales Ordakji, Rosane Paulo, Caio Martinez Pacheco, Jayme Rodrigues) – A 15-year-old boy in São Paulo is forced to live on his own after his mother’s death. The search for a job, and dealing with his own sexual awakening, proves to be a lot to handle. World Premiere Tower. A Bright Day. – Poland/Czech Republic (DIRECTOR/WRITER Jagoda Szelc PRODUCERS Marcin Malatyński, Agata Golanska, Agnieszka Janowska, Kacper Habisiak, Andrzej Jędrzejewski, Maciej Ostoja-Chyżyński, Rafał Bubnicki CAST Anna Krotoska, Małgorzata Szczerbowska, Rafał Cieluch, Dorota Łukasiewicz-Kwietniewska, Laila Hennessy) – A protective mother has taken care of her young niece for years, raising her in the countryside as her own daughter. Her sister’s sudden return triggers a sense that she may be back to reclaim her offspring or to implement even more ominous plans. LA Premiere

    Nightfall

    The Dead Center – USA (DIRECTOR Billy Senese WRITER Billy Senese PRODUCERS Billy Senese, Denis Deck, Jonathan Rogers, Shane Carruth CAST Shane Carruth, Poorna Jagannathan, Jeremy Childs, Bill Feehely) – When a mysterious John Doe wakes up in a morgue and wanders into a psychiatric ward, a devoted doctor and curious medical examiner must slowly uncover dark and sinister secrets about the man that reveal a more horrifying truth than they could have ever imagined. World Premiere Deep Murder – USA (DIRECTOR Nick Corirossi WRITERS Josh Margolin, Quinn Beswick, Benjamin Smolen, Nikolai von Keller PRODUCERS Eric B. Fleischman, Andrew Swett, Drew Foster, Jesse Berger, Brent Johnson, Pat McErlean CAST Quinn Beswick, Katie Aselton, Christopher McDonald, Jerry O’Connell, Jessica Kennedy, Chris Redd, Stephanie Drake, Josh Margolin) – Set in an alternate reality in which everyone is a cliché from a tacky soft-core porn film, a group of increasingly self-aware stock characters are up against a mysterious killer offing them one by one. World Premiere Ghost Light – USA (DIRECTOR John Stimpson WRITERS/PRODUCERS Geoffrey Taylor, John Stimpson CAST Roger Bart, Tom Riley, Shannyn Sossamon, Danielle Campbell, Carol Kane, Cary Elwes) – The story of an unfortunate Shakespearean acting troupe that unleashes the infamous curse of Macbeth with horrifying results. World Premiere Head Count – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Elizabeth Callahan PRODUCERS Samuel Sandweiss, Brandon Somerhalder CAST Isaac W. Jay, Ashleigh Morghan, Bevin Bru, Billy Meade, Hunter Peterson, Chelcie May, Tory Freeth, Michael Herman, Amaka Obiechie, Sam Marra, Cooper Rowe) – During a weekend getaway to Joshua Tree, a group of teenagers find themselves under mental and physical assault from a supernatural entity that mimics their appearances as it completes an ancient ritual. World Premiere Spell – USA (DIRECTOR Brendan Walter WRITER Barak Hardley PRODUCERS Brendan Walter, Jon Lullo, Barak Hardley, Katy Stoll, Eleanor Wilson CAST Barak Hardley, Jackie Tohn, Magnús Jónsson, Birna Rún Eiriksdóttir, Tom Wright, Stacey Moseley, Michael Nanfria, Michole Briana White, Bryndís Haraldsdóttir) – Following the unexpected death of his fiancé, an American illustrator travels to the Icelandic countryside to seek solace. What he finds instead is a blurred line between reality and fantasy as magical things begin to shake his very foundation—unless it’s all in his head. World Premiere Thriller – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Dallas Jackson PRODUCERS Greg Gilreath, Adam Hendricks, John Lang, Dallas Jackson CAST Mykelti Williamson, RZA, Jessica Allain, Luke Tennie, Tequan Richmond, Paige Hurd, Chelsea Rendon, Mitchell Edwards, Pepi Sonuga, Jason Woods, Maestro Harrell, Michael Ocampo)– Years after a childhood prank goes horribly wrong, a clique of South Central LA teens find themselves terrorized during Homecoming weekend by a killer hell-bent on revenge. World Premiere

    LA Muse

    The Advocates – USA (DIRECTOR Rémi Kessler PRODUCERS Rémi Kessler, Robert McFalls) – A sweeping look at the homeless crisis in Los Angeles and an intimate view of the tireless advocates who strive to create better lives for their clients. World Premiere El Chicano – USA (DIRECTOR Ben Hernandez Bray WRITERS Ben Hernandez Bray, Joe Carnahan PRODUCERS Joe Carnahan, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Frank Grillo CAST Raúl Castillo, George Lopez, Aimee Garcia, Emilio Rivera, David Castañeda, Marlene Forte, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Sal Lopez) – A cop is drawn into his ex-con brother’s death while investigating the crime-fighting exploits of a mysterious vigilante known as “El Chicano.” World Premiere Fire on the Hill – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Brett Fallentine PRODUCERS Brett Fallentine, Jordana Glick-Franzheim) – Three Black cowboys in South Central share their stories following a mysterious fire that burnt down the community’s stables, leaving the fate of the culture in question. World Premiere Funke – (DIRECTOR Gabriel Taraboulsy PRODUCERS Gabriel Taraboulsy, Alex Emanuele, Jay Holzer, Cecile Murias) – A prodigious chef mounts his culinary comeback, eyeing the most competitive street in America as a stage for his ode to the dying art of handmade pasta. World Premiere Making Montgomery Clift – (DIRECTORS/WRITERS/PRODUCERS Robert A. Clift, Hillary Demmon) – Classic film star Montgomery Clift’s legacy has been a story of tragedy and self-destruction, but a more complicated picture emerges when his nephew dives into the family archives. World Premiere Saint Judy – USA (DIRECTOR Sean Hanish WRITER Dmitry Portnoy PRODUCERS Sean Hanish, Paul Jaconi-Biery CAST Michelle Monaghan, Leem Lubany, Common, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Mykelti Williamson) – The true story of LA immigration attorney Judy Wood, who single-handedly changed the United States Law of Asylum, saving countless lives in the process. World Premiere Solace – USA (DIRECTOR/WRITER Tchaiko Omawale PRODUCERS Tchaiko Omawale, Maya Emelle, Hope Olaide Wilson, Sabine Hoffman, Sascha Brown Rice CAST Hope Olaide Wilson, Lynn Whitfield, Chelsea Tavares, Glynn Turman, Luke Rampersad, Sydney Bennett) – A teenage orphan moves to LA to live with her estranged grandmother and works to win a performance art grant while secretly struggling with binge eating. California Premiere Staycation – USA (DIRECTOR Tanuj Chopra WRITERS Tanuj Chopra, Anthony Ma, Grace Su PRODUCER Lalithra Fernando CAST Anthony Ma, Grace Su) – A modern millennial codependent couple in DTLA have their relationship thrown for a loop when he discovers a photo from an ex on her phone. World Premiere Stuntman – USA (DIRECTOR Kurt Mattila PRODUCERS Steven Golebiowski, Kurt Mattila, Eddie Braun CAST Eddie Braun, Gary Davis, Conrad E. Palmisano, Buddy Joe Hooker, Scott Truax) – A veteran stuntman sets out to complete the jump that bested his idol Evel Knievel: clearing the Snake River Canyon in a rocket-powered craft. World Premiere We the Coyotes – USA (DIRECTORS/WRITERS Hanna Ladoul, Marco La Via PRODUCERS Raphael Gindre, Kevin Van Der Meiren, Julius Schultheib CAST Morgan Saylor, McCaul Lombardi, Betsy Brandt, Khleo Thomas, Lorelei Linklater) – A young couple moves to LA from the Midwest to start a new life together, but things don’t go exactly as planned. North American Premiere

    Shorts (41)

    Agua Viva – USA (DIRECTOR Alexa Lim Haas) – A Chinese manicurist in Miami attempts to describe feelings she doesn’t have the words for. Audition – USA (DIRECTOR Richard Van) – Unable to find a sitter, an aspiring actress has no choice but to drag her three-year-old son to her audition. Beastly Things – USA (DIRECTOR Zev Chevat) – A young artist encounters a vicious group of local schoolchildren and learns what beastly behavior truly means. Black 14 – USA (DIRECTOR Darius Clark Monroe) – An archival social study examining the media coverage of a 1969 racial protest at the University of Wyoming. Burn Bridge – USA/England (DIRECTOR Rhys Jones) – Hopelessly infatuated with his clueless best friend, an adolescent boy in North Yorkshire explores his sexuality and acts out with destructive behavior. Caroline – USA (DIRECTORS Celine Held, Logan George) – A precocious six-year-old is faced with a big responsibility on a hot Texas day. Cheer Up, Baby – USA (DIRECTOR Adinah Dancyger) – A young woman who has been sexually assaulted by a stranger on the subway is rendered with psychological menace and sensory dislocation in this elliptical tale. Counterfeit Kunkoo – India (DIRECTOR Reema Sengupta) – In a city that houses millions, Smita fights a stubborn cultural bias while trying to rent a house in middle-class Mumbai. Coyote – Switzerland (DIRECTOR Lorenz Wunderle) – After wolves attack his family, a coyote goes on a vision quest of revenge. Cross My Heart – Jamaica/USA (DIRECTOR Sontenish Myers) – An American teenage girl visits her family in Jamaica and uncovers a secret that changes the way she sees the people she loves. Delay – Iran/Italy (DIRECTOR Ali Asgari) – A man and his two children miss their flight and while waiting for the next flight, undergo a transformative moment. The Earth is Humming – USA (DIRECTOR Garrett Bradley) – In Japan earthquake preparedness is a way of life, and a full-blown industry. Falling – France (DIRECTOR Benjamin Vu) – In 1994 France, a clever, gay, much-bullied young esthete and his naïve, athletic classmate develop an unexpected intimacy when they’re paired up for a high school presentation. Hair Wolf – USA (DIRECTOR Mariama Diallo) – In a black hair salon in gentrifying Brooklyn, the residents fend off a strange new horror: white women sucking the lifeblood from black culture. Hierophany – USA (DIRECTOR Kevin Contento) – A Florida boy comes in contact with the sacred while living in the margins of the South. Intercourse – Sweden (DIRECTOR Jonatan Etzan) – A passing joke between a couple blurs the lines and brings them to terms with how it has changed their relationship. Jeom – USA (DIRECTOR Kangmin Kim) – A father and son, who share the same big birthmark on their butt wage war against this genetic blemish. Kevlar – Sweden (DIRECTOR Tuna Özer) – A young man from the projects outside of Stockholm borrows his friend’s jacket to impress a hip city girl and winds up at a party in a strange land. Ladders – USA (DIRECTOR Andrew Stephen Lee) – The bright future facing a smart, ambitious Dominican teen becomes clouded with doubt following a pointed interaction at a fundraising gala. Libre – USA (DIRECTOR Anna Barsan) – Undocumented immigrants forced to spend months in detention turn to private companies to secure their release on bond in this gripping documentary. Lotus – Iran (DIRECTOR Mohammadreza Vatandoust) – After a controlled flood an old woman is left to gaze from her window at the island she’s forbidden to visit, longing for the object of her affection. Mud – USA (DIRECTOR Shaandiin Tome) – On her last day of life, a woman faces the inescapable remnants of alcoholism, family and culture. Nevada – USA (DIRECTOR Emily Ann Hoffman) – A young couple’s romantic weekend getaway is interrupted by a birth control mishap in this stop-motion animated comedy. One Leg In, One Leg Out – Canada (DIRECTOR Lisa Rideout) – A lively, strong-willed sex worker struggles to move from the streets and into a career as a social worker, hoping to help fellow trans sex workers find acceptance. The Passage – USA (DIRECTOR Kitao Sakurai) – Fleeing a pair of mysterious agents sends a dim-witted mute on a series of absurd misadventures. Room 140 – USA (DIRECTOR Priscilla Gonzalez Sainz) – Immigrants just released from detention centers spend their first night in Oakland at a motel paid for by a local pastor. Roya – USA (DIRECTOR Shaina Pakravan) – On the night of a relative’s engagement party, an image conscious Iranian-American mother clashes with her free-spirited teenage daughter. Scratch – Spain (DIRECTOR David Valero) – A young DJ with a cognitive disability has trouble understanding the violent word around him; his actions subvert societal concepts of perpetrator and victim, apology and forgiveness. Shadow Animals – Sweden (DIRECTOR Jerry Carlsson) – A young girl follows her parents to a party where the adults’ behavior becomes increasingly strange. The Shift – USA (DIRECTOR Elivia Genny Shaw) – For San Francisco’s 911 dispatchers, the city is hard to escape. Sin Cielo – USA (DIRECTOR Jianna Maarten) – Two teenagers pursue young love in the borderlands where life under cartel violence may be inescapable. Skip Day – USA (DIRECTORS Ivete Lucas, Patrick Bresnan) – With graduation approaching, a group of high school seniors take a day at the beach to revel in the joys of being young in an increasingly unsteady world. Swedi – Sweden (DIRECTOR Sosi Chamoun) – A woman in a grocery store contends with a clerk who won’t leave her alone in this one-take shot. This Magnificent Cake! – Belgium/France/Netherlands (DIRECTORS Emma De Swaef, Marc James Roels) – Set in colonial Africa in the late 19th century, this breathtaking stop-motion epic examines colonialism through five different stories. This, My Favorite Mural – USA (DIRECTOR Michael Arcos) – The Latinx immigrant experience in Louisiana is explored through the eyes of a German woman who becomes obsessed with finding the artist who painted a tire shop mural. The Things You Think I’m Thinking – Canada (DIRECTOR Sherren Lee) – On his first date since a devastating accident, a burn victim throws himself back into the world of relationships and the fear of allowing love back into his life. True Love in Pueblo Textil – USA (DIRECTOR Horatio Baltz) – A young girl living in the Cuban countryside describes how it feels to be stricken with the world’s oldest infliction: love. War Paint – USA (DIRECTOR Katrelle Kindred) – For a bright South LA teen, what should be a happy 4th of July weekend becomes an unexpected lesson in the stark realities of power and racism. Weekends – USA (DIRECTOR Trevor Jimenez) – A young boy shuffles between the homes of his recently divorced parents in this surreal hand-animated film set in 1980s Toronto. While I Yet Live – USA (DIRECTOR Maris Curran) – African-American quilters from Alabama talk about love, religion and the fight for civil rights as they continue the tradition of quilting that originally brought them together. Wild Wild West: A Beautiful Rant By Mark Bradford – USA (DIRECTOR Dime Davis) – The origin of artists is explored through paper, percussion and one provocative creative.

    Episodes: Indie Series from the Web

    Avant-Guardians, dir. Clarence Williams II, USA Flatbush Misdemeanors, dirs. Dan Perlman, Kevin Iso, USA Fresh, dir. Grant Scicluna, Australia Kiki and Kitty, dir. Catriona Mackenzie, Australia Otis, dir. Alexander Etseyatse, USA Petal & Paint, dir. Bradley Smith, USA Psusy, dirs. Duckworth, Jaya Beach-Robertson, New Zealand Revenge Tour, dir. Andrew Carter, USA Robits, dir. Christopher Parks, USA Tracy Buckles, dir. Robin Nystrom, USA

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  • 19 Canadian Films Added to 2018 Toronto International Film Festival Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_31190" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Firecrackers Firecrackers[/caption] The Toronto International Film Festival added another 19 Canadian titles to the Festival’s 2018 lineup. The selection includes nine films directed by women and six exciting debut features. From personal dramas exploring identity to documentaries that spotlight a world at risk and democracy in jeopardy, this year’s lineup is rich in stories that tap into contemporary Canadian and International anxieties. “We’re especially proud to present such a diverse group of films,” said Steve Gravestock, Senior Programmer, TIFF. “Ranging from science fiction to fantasy, myth to documentary, and romance to a dystopic vision of our neighbours to the south, this year’s Canadian films come from every region in the country, stretching from east to west and north to south.” TIFF presents the World Premieres of three films that showcase Indigenous talent: Gwaai Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown’s Edge of the Knife, the first feature-length film made in Haida, which is classified by UNESCO as an endangered language; Darlene Naponse’s Falls Around Her, a moving portrait of healing and resilience, starring renowned Métis actor Tantoo Cardinal; and Miranda de Pencier’s feature directorial debut The Grizzlies, a creative collaboration between De Pencier and Inuit producers Alethea Arnaquq-Baril and Stacey Aglok MacDonald that tells an inspiring, true story and that was shot on location in MacDonald’s home community in Nunavut. “We’re thrilled with this year’s lineup of compelling and distinctive films,” said Danis Goulet, TIFF Canadian Features Programmer. “The films feature characters who push hard against prescribed boundaries, asking vital questions about the state of the world and the status quo. We are especially excited to have a strong slate of bold and dynamic women-centric stories. Forty percent of the Canadian film slate this year is directed by women.” This year’s lineup also includes works by legendary Canadian documentary filmmakers that look at contemporary culture through a critical lens, such as Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, and Edward Burtynsky’s highly anticipated documentary Anthropocene, Ron Mann’s Carmine Street Guitars and Thom Fitzgerald’s Splinters; Festival alumnus Igor Drljača is making his feature-documentary debut at the Festival with The Stone Speakers, and veteran Barry Avrich returns with Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz, a portrait of the United States’ chief prosecutor during the Nuremberg trials. A highlight of the festival will be a Special Event World Premiere and tribute showcasing the illuminating documentary Sharkwater Extinction, the final work by the late filmmaker and conservationist Rob Stewart. Other works by TIFF alumni premiering at the Festival include Canadian master Denys Arcand’s The Fall of the American Empire; Bruce Sweeney’s Kingsway; Sébastien Pilote’s The Fireflies Are Gone; Maxime Giroux’s The Great Darkened Days; and Astra Taylor’s What is Democracy? Renée Beaulieu is at TIFF for the first time with Les Salopes or the Naturally Wanton Pleasure of Skin, a study of a professor’s hidden desires. The Canadian feature debuts at this year’s Festival are: Gwaai Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown’s Haida epic Edge of the Knife; Akash Sherman’s sci-fi fantasy drama Clara ; Jasmin Mozaffari’s Firecrackers; Andrea Bussmann’s first solo project, Fausto; Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein’s Freaks and Miranda De Pencier’s Grizzlies. This year’s slate also features performances by multiple Canadian and international stars, such as Amanda Crew, Graham Greene, Brigitte Poupart, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, and Kyle MacLachlan. Other talent includes TIFF 2018 Rising Star Michaela Kurimsky ( Firecrackers) and former TIFF Rising Stars Sarah Gadon ( The Great Darkened Days) and Karelle Tremblay ( The Fireflies Are Gone). All 23 Canadian feature films at the Festival are eligible for the Canada Goose ® Award for Best Canadian Feature Film. All five Canadian feature directorial debuts are eligible for the City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film. This year’s Canadian feature-film jury is composed of award-winning Montreal filmmaker Mathieu Denis ( Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves), renowned Toronto journalist and documentarian Michelle Shephard ( Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr), and legendary Turkish director Ali Özgentürk, who wrote the screenplay for The Girl with the Red Scarf . The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.

    SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS*

    Anthropocene Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Edward Burtynsky | Canada World Premiere The Fall of the American Empire Denys Arcand | Canada Toronto Premiere The Grizzlies Miranda de Pencier | Canada World Premiere Previously announced Canadian features at the Festival include Keith Behrman’s Giant Little Ones (Special Presentation), Kim Nguyen’s The Hummingbird Project (Special Presentation), Patricia Rozema’s MOUTHPIECE (Opening Special Presentation), and Don McKellar’s Through Black Spruce (Special Presentation).

    SPECIAL EVENT

    Sharkwater Extinction Rob Stewart | Canada World Premiere

    TIFF DOCS

    Carmine Street Guitars Ron Mann | Canada North American Premiere Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz Barry Avrich | Canada World Premiere What is Democracy? Astra Taylor | Canada North American Premiere

    DISCOVERY

    Clara Akash Sherman | Canada World Premiere Edge of the Knife Gwaai Edenshaw, Helen Haig-Brown | Canada World Premiere Firecrackers Jasmin Mozaffari | Canada World Premiere Freaks Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein | Canada World Premiere

    CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA

    Falls Around Her Darlene Naponse | Canada World Premiere The Fireflies Are Gone Sébastien Pilote | Canada North American Premiere The Great Darkened Days Maxime Giroux | Canada World Premiere Kingsway Bruce Sweeney | Canada World Premiere Les Salopes or the Naturally Wanton Pleasure of Skin Renée Beaulieu | Canada World Premiere Splinters Thom Fitzgerald | Canada World Premiere

    WAVELENGTHS

    Fausto Andrea Bussmann | Canada/Mexico North American Premiere The Stone Speakers Igor Drljača | Canada/Bosnia and Herzegovina World Premiere

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  • Julian Schnabel’s AT ETERNITY’S GATE to Close 56th New York Film Festival

    At Eternity’s Gate Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate will make its North American premiere as the Closing Night film of the 56th New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall on Friday, October 12, 2018. CBS Films will release the film in November 2018. Julian Schnabel’s ravishingly tactile and luminous new film takes a fresh look at the last days of Vincent van Gogh, and in the process revivifies our sense of the artist as a living, feeling human being. Schnabel; his co-writers Jean-Claude Carrière and Louise Kugelberg, also the film’s editor; and cinematographer Benoît Delhomme strip everything down to essentials, fusing the sensual, the emotional, and the spiritual. And the pulsing heart of At Eternity’s Gate is Willem Dafoe’s shattering performance: his Vincent is at once lucid, mad, brilliant, helpless, defeated, and, finally, triumphant. With Oscar Isaac as Gauguin, Rupert Friend as Theo, Mathieu Amalric as Dr. Gachet, Emmanuelle Seigner as Madame Ginoux, and Mads Mikkelsen as The Priest. New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones said, “At Eternity’s Gate is such a surprising film, for all kinds of reasons. Julian Schnabel makes use of the most up-to-date information about Vincent van Gogh, altering our accepted ideas of how he lived and died; he grounds the film in the very action of painting, the intense contact between an artist and the world of forms and textures colored by light; and he gives us Willem Dafoe’s performance as Vincent—acting this pure is endlessly surprising.” “I would like to say thank you to Kent Jones and the NYFF selection committee on behalf of Willem Dafoe, who is Vincent van Gogh in the film, and the cast and crew, who I have been so privileged to work with, for choosing At Eternity’s Gate for Closing Night,” said Schnabel. “It is a profound honor to be included with the other films and to be part of the history of Closing Night films that came before us. Looking forward to sitting in the audience with everybody.” Earlier this summer, NYFF announced Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite as Opening Night and Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA as the Centerpiece selection. This year’s gala screenings, including Closing Night, will be held on Fridays instead of Saturdays. The 56th New York Film Festival runs September 28 to October 14, 2018.

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  • Xavier Dolan’s THE DEATH AND LIFE OF JOHN F. DONOVAN to World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

    The Death and Life of John F. Donovan Xavier Dolan’s The Death and Life of John F. Donovan will have its World Premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival this September. The Death and Life of John F. Donovan follows the story of a young actor (Jacob Tremblay) as he reminisces on the letters he once shared with an American TV star (Kit Harington), who passed away a decade earlier, and the impact those letters had on both their lives. The film also stars Natalie Portman, Ben Schnetzer, Susan Sarandon, Jared Keeso, Kathy Bates, Thandie Newton, Emily Hampshire, and former TIFF Rising Star Sarah Gadon. “In only a few short years, Xavier Dolan has drawn film lovers all over the world into his personal vision,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “That vision and his remarkable skill as a filmmaker are on full display in his English-language debut. We are honoured to premiere it in Toronto.” The Death and Life of John F. Donovan will screen as part of the Special Presentations programme. The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.

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  • Penelope Cruz, Whoopi Goldberg, Jane Lynch Among 2018 HollyShorts Film Festival Lineup

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    [caption id="attachment_31174" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]THE BIRDS SING TO LOUD starring Jane Lynch THE BIRDS SING TO LOUD starring Jane Lynch[/caption] The Oscar-Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival today unveiled the Official Selections of the upcoming 14th edition taking place August 9 to 18, 2018  at the TCL Chinese Theater, Harmony Gold Theater and other locations in Hollywood. Nearly 400 short films will compete for the festival’s top prizes. Last year HollyShorts finalists included 3 out of the 5 Live Action Oscar nominees and the winning short Silent Child from Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton. This year, HollyShorts received an all-time record 5,000 submissions from over 80 countries. The competition will feature Live Action, Animation and Documentary Shorts as well as web series, student shorts, music videos, TV pilots, and VR. The festival also features a screenplay competition where the winning short gets greenlit, shot and shown at next year’s festival courtesy of Evil Slave Productions. This year’s competition lineup is the most star-studded. Standouts include Penelope Cruz’s short documentary SOY UNOENTRECIENMIL which explores childhood leukaemia, Ramon Rodriguez’s (The Affair) ROUND, Liz Lachman’s PIN-UP starring Angela Sarafyan (Westworld), Kelley Kali’s LALO’S HOUSE starring Garcelle Beauvais and Jimmy Jean-Louis, Jarod Einsohn’s Long Walk Home (Produced by Anthony Hemingway) starring Ryan Rottman, Jocelyn Stamat’s LABORATORY CONDITIONS starring Minnie Driver, Kevin Alejandro’s (Arrow) LUCIFER, Fox and Mars Candy Brands short BITE SIZE HORROR (Directed by a team of up and coming horror directors), Choice Skinner’s BLACK LIGHTNING- TOBIAS REVENGE starring Jay Hunter (If Loving you is Wrong), Jack Kenny’s THE BIRDS SING TO LOUD starring Jane Lynch, Mark Lobatto’s STEALING SILVER starring Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Michael Reilly’s HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oscar nominated animator Bill Plympton’s MODERN LIVES, Guy Nattiv’s SKIN starring Danielle MacDonald (Patti Cake$), Tyler Winther’s GOLIATH 22 starring Jaylen Moore (SIX), R.H. Norman’s HAJJI starring Ross Marquand (Walking Dead), Lisa Edelstein’s (House) UNZIPPING, Omar Benson Miller’s (Ballers) ADVANTAGE OMAR, Jaclyn Bethany’s THE DELTA GIRL starring Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan) and Caitlyn Carver (I, Tonya) among others. The festival will announce additional films in the coming week, include opening night and closing night programs. Image via Twitter

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  • Hannah Fidell’s Road Trip Comedy THE LONG DUMB ROAD Sets November Release Date

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    [caption id="attachment_31170" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Long Dumb Road The Long Dumb Road[/caption] The road trip comedy The Long Dumb Road directed by Hannah Fidell that World Premiered earlier this year at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival will open theatrically in NY on November 9th before expanding to LA and other cities on November 16th. The Long Dumb Road stars Tony Revolori, Jason Mantzoukas, Taissa Farmiga, Grace Gummer, Casey Wilson, and Ron Livingston. From writer-director Hannah Fidell (A Teacher, 6 Years) and co-writer Carson D. Mell (“Silicon Valley,” “Tarantula”) comes a comedy of transformation, discovery and maturity set on the road between Austin and Los Angeles. When college-bound teenager Nat (Tony Revolori) offers itinerant 30-something mechanic Richard (Jason Mantzoukas) a ride during a stop-over in small-town Texas, neither one realizes the indelible impact each traveler will have on his respective journey. Nat, an aspiring photographer, is heading towards a bright future in art school in Los Angeles and wants to find the real America en route to new beginnings out West; Richard, a lovably unkempt motormouth, is simply looking for connection in the moment — and maybe a beer or ten — while he grapples with indecision, past mistakes and dead-ends. As they travel through the American Southwest, taking in picturesque towns and crossing paths with an assortment of old flames, fellow travelers, kooky cons, and Good Samaritans, both passengers come alive through the myriad possibilities of the open road. Finding connection, comfort and chaos in their shared journey, this improbable and unforgettable screen duo forges an epic bond few will forget.

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  • 2018 Durban International Film Festival Awards: THE REPORTS ON SARAH AND SALEEM Wins Best Film

    [caption id="attachment_31165" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Reports on Sarah and Saleem The Reports on Sarah and Saleem[/caption] The 39th Durban International Film Festival held its awards ceremony on Saturday and awarded the Best Feature Film prize to The Reports on Sarah and Saleem, directed by Muayad Alayan. Maisa Abd Elhadi was awarded Best Actress prize the for her role as Bisan in the film. A total of 17 awards were given out at the ceremony. DIFF has recently been included as a Documentary Feature Qualifying Festival by the Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences, which means that both the winners of the Best Documentary, New Moon and Best SA Documentary Sisters of the Wilderness, will now automatically qualify for consideration for an Oscar nomination.

    39th Durban International Film Festival Awards

    Best Feature Film: The Reports on Sarah and Saleem, directed by Muayad Alayan, and produced by Muayad Alayan, Rami Alayan, Hans de Wolf, Hanneke Niens, Rebekka Garrido, Rodrigo Iturralde, Georgina Gonzalez, and Alejandro Duran. Best South African Feature Film: High Fantasy, directed by Jenna Bass and produced by David Horler and Steven Markovitz. Best Documentary: New Moon, produced and directed by Philippa Ndisi-Hermann. Best South African Documentary: Sisters of the Wilderness, directed by Karin Slater and produced by Ronit Shapiro. Best Direction: Constantin Popescu for Pororoca Best Cinematography: Liviu Marghidan for Pororoca Best Screenplay: Jennifer Fox for The Tale Best Actor: Bogdan Dumitrache for his role as Tudor in Pororoca, directed by Constantin Popescu Best Actress: Maisa Abd Elhadi for her role as Bisan in The Reports on Sarah and Saleem Best Editing: Anne Fabini, Alex Hall and Gary Level for The Tale Artistic Bravery: was won jointly by High Fantasy, directed by Jenna Bass and Supa Modo directed by Likarion Wainaina. Best South African Short Film: Stillborn, directed by Jahmil X. T. Qubeka and produced by Huanxi Media Group, Xstream Pictures, and Yellowbone Entertainment. Best African Short Film: Aya, directed by Moufida Fedhila and produced by Appel d’Air Films. Best Short Film: The Patience of Water (La Paciencia Del Agua), directed by Guillem Almirall. Audience Choice Award: The State Against Mandela and the Others, directed by Nicolas Champeaux and Gilles Porte. Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award: Silas, directed by Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman and produced by Appian Way, Big World Cinema and Ink & Pepper Productions. Best Wavescape Film: Heavy Water, directed by Michael Oblowitz  

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  • 2018 Stony Brook Film Festival Awards: THE ETRUSCAN SMILE Starring Brian Cox Wins Grand Prize

     (left to right) Emmy Award winning actor Brian Cox and Alan Inkles, founder and director of the Stony Brook Film Festival, at the U.S. Premiere of The Etruscan Smile, July 21, 2018. The Etruscan Smile won the Grand Prize at the 23rd Annual Stony Brook Film Festival Presented by Island Federal Credit Union. Credit: Nick A. Koridis The Etruscan Smile, starring Brian Cox won the Grand Prize at the 23rd Annual Stony Brook Film Festival. It also stars Rosanna Arquette, Thora Birch, JJ Field, Peter Coyote, Treat Williams and twins Aero and Boom Epps. The Etruscan Smile is based on the bestselling book La Sonrisa Etrusca by Jose Louis Sampedro, with the story being transposed to Scotland and the United States. In it, a rugged old Scotsman reluctantly leaves his beloved isolated Hebridean island and travels to the U.S. to seek medical treatment. Moving in with his estranged son and workaholic daughter-in-law, he finds his life being transformed by a new-found bond with his baby grandson. Alan Inkles, founder and director of the Stony Brook Film Festival announced additional awards at a reception at Staller Center for the Arts, Stony Brook University on Saturday, July 28. “We received so many enthusiastic responses from our astute audience members over the ten days of the Festival. The Etruscan Smile was hailed as a favorite. I was fortunate to have Brian Cox reach out to us just as we were finishing our schedule. He had been to the Stony Brook Film Festival for his film The Carer and was keen on having the U.S. Premiere of The Etruscan Smile at Stony Brook.” Th Stony Brook Film Festival has awarded eight Grand Prizes in its 23-year history. The Etruscan Smile is the ninth to receive a Grand Prize.

    2018 STONY BROOK FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

    2018 Grand Prize

    The Etruscan Smile U.S. Premiere – United States – 107 min Directed by Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis. Written by Michael McGowan, Michal Lali Kagan and Sarah Bellwood. With Brian Cox (Braveheart, The Carer), Thora Birch (Ghost World), JJ Feild (Austenland), and Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction).

    2018 Jury Award – Best Feature (tie)

    Octav U.S. Premiere – Romania – 100 min Directed by Serge Ioan Celebidachi. Written by Serge Ioan Celebidachi and James Olivier. With Marcel Iures, Victor Rebengiuc, Eric Aradits and Alessia Tofan. The magical feature Octav centers on an elderly man returning to his family home after decades of absence. The apparition of his childhood sweetheart triggers a rewind to the life-changing events from his youth. As long-forgotten memories resurface, he begins to find answers to the questions that have cast a shadow over his life and gains clarity on decisions before him. Octav is a life-affirming story that celebrates the purity of childhood, love, and friendship. In Romanian with subtitles. Produced by Adela Vrînceanu Celebidachi. Edited by Mircea Olteanu. Director of Photography: Blasco Giurato. A Celi Films and Oblique Media Film production. From The Little Film Company.

    2018 Jury Award – Best Feature (tie)

    Symphony for Ana East Coast Premiere – Argentina – 119 min Directed by Ernesto Ardito, Virna Molina. Written by Ernesto Ardito, Virna Molina and Gaby Meik. With Isadora Ardito, Rocio Palacin, Rafael Federman, Ricky Arraga, Vera Fogwill and Rodrigo Noya. Based on a true story, Symphony for Ana is about the bloodiest coup d’etat in Argentina, when the military dictatorship ‘disappeared’ 108 students from The National High School of Buenos Aires, known for being elite and prestigious. Ana is a student there, a teenager who just wants to fall in love, have lots of friends, and fight for a better world. Instead, she must choose her friends carefully as she navigates the power struggles and ever-changing allegiances in her 15-year-old world. This intense and superbly acted film features current students from The National High School of Buenos Aires. The hard-hitting story drawn from Gaby Meik’s book is history that should not be forgotten. In Spanish with subtitles. Produced by Ernesto Ardito, Virna Molina. Edited by Ernesto Ardito, Virna Molina. Director of Photography: Fernando Molina. An Ernesto Ardito and Virna Molina Film.

    2018 Audience Choice – Best Feature

    The Guilty Denmark – 85 min Directed by Gustav Möller. Written by Emil Nygaard Albertsen and Gustav Möller. With Jakob Cedergren, Jessica Dinnage and Omar Shargawi. In this brilliantly suspenseful thriller, an alarm dispatcher and former policeman answers an emergency call from a kidnapped woman, when the call is suddenly disconnected. With the phone as his only tool, the dispatcher enters a race against time to save the endangered woman and find her kidnapper, but he soon realizes that he is dealing with a much more complicated crime than he first thought. A tense and restrained knockout performance by Jakob Cedergren keeps the audience riveted throughout the film. In Danish and English with subtitles. Produced by Lina Flint. Edited by Carla Luffe Heintzelmann. Director of Photography: Jasper Spanning. A Nordisk Film/SPRING production. From Magnolia Pictures.

    2018 Spirit of Independent Filmmaking

    Thrasher Road East Coast Premiere – United States – 86 min. Written and Directed by Samantha Davidson Green. With Allison Brown and Christian Kohn. Samantha Davidson Green, the writer and director of Thrasher Road, attended the Stony Brook Film Festival with actress Allison Brown and Christian Kohn to represent the film. Ms. Green teaches film directing at Dartmouth College and Thrasher Road was her first feature film after making award-winning short films that have been featured at festivals worldwide. In this original, fresh road trip story, pregnant Chloe and her elderly dog, Thrasher, get an unwelcome rescue from Chloe’s father when her car breaks down in a trip across country. Stuck together in a car with thousands of miles ahead of them and thirteen years’ estrangement behind them, father and daughter start to reconnect. Shot on location from California to Mississippi to Vermont, this very indie road trip features a cast from across the country, and a heart as big as a huge, rusted-out, pickup truck. Produced by Maria Rosenblum, Jonathan Wysock. Edited by Karen Smalley. Director of Photography: Eric Leach. A BetwixtNbetween Films production.

    2018 Jury Award – Best Short

    Unnatural East Coast Premiere – United States – 26 min. A film by Amy Wang. In every attempt for normality, 18-year-old James is perpetually confronted by his demon. “The core of this film is about hating who you are,” notes Amy Wang. In Unnatural, she introduces a reclusive teenager with a secret.

    2018 Audience Choice Award – Best Short

    Internet Gangsters New York Premiere – United States – 6 min. A film by Sam Friedlander. SBFF alumnus and Deer Park native Eddie Alfano (Cops and Robbers) returns to star in a hilarious short as two New York hitmen in L.A. discover technology is the real enemy. As one of the many gems among the shorts that the SBFF audience rated highly, it was a standout. Image:  (left to right) Emmy Award winning actor Brian Cox and Alan Inkles, founder and director of the Stony Brook Film Festival, at the U.S. Premiere of The Etruscan Smile, July 21, 2018. The Etruscan Smile won the Grand Prize at the 23rd Annual Stony Brook Film Festival Presented by Island Federal Credit Union.  Credit: Nick A. Koridis

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  • Dark Cuts Pictures to Release Jeremy Wechter’s E-DEMON in the Fall [Trailer]

    e-Demon Jeremy Wechter’s e-Demon tells of an escaped demon on a dark and twisted mission that manipulates a group of friends hanging out on a video-chat. The film is craftily structured – it takes place completely on a computer screen via the webcams being shown. Dark Cuts Pictures has acquired North American rights to e-Demon, planning a fall theatrical and VOD release. Kendra, AJ, Mar and Dwayne are old college friends who find themselves growing apart. Attempting to hang on to their good old Ohio State days, the gang gets together online for a night of stories, pranks and drinking via web-cam. As the evening progresses, they unknowingly release a deviously clever demon that had been trapped for centuries in Salem, Massachusetts. Since the demon can possess multiple people at once, the group of friends must determine who they can still trust in order to survive the demon’s dark and twisted mission. Dark Cuts is planning a September theatrical roll-out with a day-and-date VOD release. e-Demon writer and helmer Wechter scored best director at the New York Horror Film Festival.

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  • RLJE Films to Release GALVESTON Starring Elle Fanning and Ben Foster [Trailer]

    Galveston The drama Galveston, which premiered at this year’s SXSW Film Festival and will screen at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival in September will be released in theaters this Fall  after been acquired by RLJE Films. Based on the novel “Galveston” by “True Detective” creator Nic Pizzolatto, the film was directed by Mélanie Laurent (Breathe), written by Jim Hammett and stars Ben Foster (Hell or High Water), Elle Fanning (The Beguiled), Lili Reinhart (“Riverdale”), and Beau Bridges (“Homeland”). In Galveston, Roy is a heavy-drinking criminal enforcer and mob hit man whose boss set him up in a double-cross scheme. After killing his would-be assassins before they could kill him, Roy discovers Rocky, a young woman being held captive, and reluctantly takes her with him on his escape. Determined to find safety and sanctuary in Galveston, Roy must find a way to stop his boss from pursuing them while trying to out-run the demons from his and Rocky’s pasts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XFKu8UNi7I “Elle Fanning and Ben Foster deliver powerful performances in this provoking drama,” said Mark Ward Chief Acquisitions Officer for RLJE Films. “Their chemistry captures audiences on a gripping, emotional ride. We are so proud to bring this film to the big screen.” Galveston was executive produced by Jean Doumanian (Everyone Says I Love You), Patrick Daly (August: Osage County), Kevin Flanigan (Take Shelter), Dexter Braff (The Kings of Summer), and Sean Thomas O’Brien (My Blind Brother).

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  • KUSAMA – INFINITY, Portrait of Legendary Female Artist Yayoi Kusama Sets Release Date

      KUSAMA - INFINITY Kusama – Infinity is a revelatory portrait of artist Yayoi Kusama, who overcame impossible odds to become the top-selling female artist in the world. Directed by Heather Lenz, the film will open on Friday, September 7 at New York’s Film Forum and in Los Angeles at the Landmark Nuart with a national rollout to follow. KUSAMA - INFINITY Yayoi Kusama is best known for her colorful polka dot- and pumpkin-themed designs and her massively popular mirrored Infinity Rooms. For decades, her work pushed boundaries that often alienated her from her peers and those in power in the art world. She was an underdog with everything stacked against her: growing up in Japan during World War II, life in a dysfunctional family that discouraged her creative ambitions, sexism and racism in the art establishment, and mental illness in a culture where that was a particular stigma. In spite of it all, Kusama has endured and has created a legacy of artwork that spans the disciplines of painting, sculpture, installation art, performance art, poetry and novels. After six decades of work—including many years in New York in the pulsing art scene of the ‘60s—people around the globe are now experiencing her Infinity Rooms in record numbers, and Kusama continues to create new work every day.

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  • South African Western FIVE FINGERS FOR MARSEILLES Guns for Theaters September 7th [Trailer]

    [caption id="attachment_26927" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Five Fingers for Marseilles Five Fingers for Marseilles[/caption] Imagine Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; Yul Brynner in The Magnificent Seven; or John Wayne in The Searchers. Now journey from the sweeping plains of America’s Old West to the unforgiving hinterlands of South Africa. Then update the archetypal gunfighter to steely black cowboys who are deft horsemen and lethal marksmen. The result is the boldly original and modern take on the Western genre, Five Fingers for Marseilles, filmed on location in the North-Eastern Cape village of Lady Grey, South Africa. The movie marks the feature directorial debut of Michael Matthews and the feature screenwriting debut of Sean Drummond. The pistol-packing South African western Five Fingers for Marseilles stares down the barrel of a national theatrical release Friday, September 7, 2018 via Uncork’d Entertainment. Matthews and Drummond honor the traditional Western genre — and its Spaghetti and revisionist variations — while exporting the trappings into a fresh contemporary story set against the backdrop of post-Apartheid South Africa. Five Fingers for Marseilles takes place in a small town “governed” by dubious local officials, living in fear of a lawless mob; when an exiled outlaw returns home in search of solace and redemption, brotherhood and loyalty are fused with vengeance. Combining the socio-political threads found in many a great Western; stunning visuals captured in panoramic widescreen lensing; and a cast of talented South African actors giving powerful, nuanced performances, Matthews and Drummond deliver Synopsis: The residents of the colonial town of Marseilles are under the thumb of police oppression and only the young rebels known as the Five Fingers are willing to stand up to them. Their battle is just, until Tau kills two policemen and flees the scene. The remaining rebels disband while the banished Tau resorts to a life of crime. Twenty years later, now known as feared outlaw The Lion of Marseilles, he is released from prison. He returns home, desiring only peace and to reconnect with those he left behind. The battle for South Africa’s freedom has been won, and former comrades-in-arms are in prominent positions as mayor, police chief, and pastor. But it quickly becomes clear to Tau that Marseilles is caught in the grip of a vicious new threat — and he must reconstitute the Five Fingers to fight frontier justice. Standing against former allies and new enemies, the re-formed Five Fingers saddle up and ride out, and put their lives at risk to save their beloved Marseilles. Starring Vuyo Dabula, Hamilton Dhlamini, Zethu Dlomo, Kenneth Nkosi, Mduduzi Mabaso, Aubrey Poolo, Lizwi Vilakazi, Warren Masemola, Dean Fourie, Anthony Oseyemi, Brendon Daniels, and Jerry Mofokeng, Five Fingers for Marseilles is written by Sean Drummond and directed by Michael Matthews. The film is produced by Asger Hussain (The Paperboy, Precious) and Yaron Schwartzman (Double Play, 37) from Game 7 Films, as well as Drummond and Matthews (collectively known as Be Phat Motel); and co-produced by Dylan Voogt. Be Phat Motel is next slated to produce the feature adaptation of Apocalypse Now Now penned by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Terri Tatchell (District 9). The film is executive-produced by Jeff Hoffman of Above the Clouds Media Group, Paulo Areal, Dumi Gumbi and Josh Green. A South African box office hit, Five Fingers for Marseilles made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to successfully screen at Fantastic Fest, BFI London Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWT0hJhMZwk

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