The documentary, THE POET OF HAVANA, directed by Ron Chapman about Cuban singer/songwriter Carlos Varela will open the 16th Woodstock Film Festival on September 30, 2015. Opening night will also include a live performance from Carlos Varela, joined by Jackson Browne at The Woodstock Playhouse.
The Poet of Havana explores the cultural, political and social significance Varela has had in his 30 years as a singer-songwriter. A veteran of censorship battles with the Cuban government, his emotionally charged songs—raw, metaphoric chronicles of contemporary Cuban life— have drawn comparisons to Bob Dylan’s work. Jackson Browne’s translation of Varela’sMuros y Puertas (Walls and Doors), talks about how polarized we are as a society, evident in the song’s refrain, “There can be freedom only when nobody owns it.” Shot in Havana with unique access, the audience enjoys stunning concert and insider backstage moments, along with exclusive interviews with such international stars as Ivan Lins, Luis Enrique, Juan and Samuel Formel, Diana Fuentes, X Alfonso, Alexander Abreu, in addition to Jackson Browne and actor Benicio Del Toro (The Usual Suspects, Traffic, Guardians of the Galaxy).
Cuban singer/songwriter Carlos Varela started playing music literally “in the dark.” Growing up in Havana, whenever a power failure killed the lights, Varela and friends would play rock music blowing across the sea via a homemade radio antenna. In 1977, at a concert of Silvio Rodríguez and Pablo Milanés — standard-bearers for Nueva Trova, homegrown folk music that reflected the unrest of many Cubans — Varela realized music could be more than just a fun way to pass the time.
Although he insists poetics took precedence over politics, Varela has struggled with the restrictions of censorship. But while other artists might have sought refuge elsewhere, Cuba is his inspiration and has always been home. He has recorded eight albums and performs worldwide.
Ron Chapman, director of The Poet of Havana, started out as a musician, then went on to manage musical artists, produce albums and ultimately establish a film production company, directing rock videos and TV commercials for some of the world’s leading brands. At his legendary Toronto music club “The Edge,” Chapman provided a scene for some of the most exciting international artists of the day.
Chapman’s 2014 documentary Who the F**K is Arthur Fogel, features Lady Gaga, U2, The Police, Madonna, Rush, and key music industry insiders. His forthcoming film The Forbidden Shore, with performances and interviews of over 60 top Cuban artists, will be the most in-depth cultural/music documentary to come out of Cuba.
In a return to his roots, Chapman has recently completed an album of his own songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B_3FVv_rQY-
THE POET OF HAVANA Documentary to Open 16th Woodstock Film Festival | TRAILER
The documentary, THE POET OF HAVANA, directed by Ron Chapman about Cuban singer/songwriter Carlos Varela will open the 16th Woodstock Film Festival on September 30, 2015. Opening night will also include a live performance from Carlos Varela, joined by Jackson Browne at The Woodstock Playhouse.
The Poet of Havana explores the cultural, political and social significance Varela has had in his 30 years as a singer-songwriter. A veteran of censorship battles with the Cuban government, his emotionally charged songs—raw, metaphoric chronicles of contemporary Cuban life— have drawn comparisons to Bob Dylan’s work. Jackson Browne’s translation of Varela’sMuros y Puertas (Walls and Doors), talks about how polarized we are as a society, evident in the song’s refrain, “There can be freedom only when nobody owns it.” Shot in Havana with unique access, the audience enjoys stunning concert and insider backstage moments, along with exclusive interviews with such international stars as Ivan Lins, Luis Enrique, Juan and Samuel Formel, Diana Fuentes, X Alfonso, Alexander Abreu, in addition to Jackson Browne and actor Benicio Del Toro (The Usual Suspects, Traffic, Guardians of the Galaxy).
Cuban singer/songwriter Carlos Varela started playing music literally “in the dark.” Growing up in Havana, whenever a power failure killed the lights, Varela and friends would play rock music blowing across the sea via a homemade radio antenna. In 1977, at a concert of Silvio Rodríguez and Pablo Milanés — standard-bearers for Nueva Trova, homegrown folk music that reflected the unrest of many Cubans — Varela realized music could be more than just a fun way to pass the time.
Although he insists poetics took precedence over politics, Varela has struggled with the restrictions of censorship. But while other artists might have sought refuge elsewhere, Cuba is his inspiration and has always been home. He has recorded eight albums and performs worldwide.
Ron Chapman, director of The Poet of Havana, started out as a musician, then went on to manage musical artists, produce albums and ultimately establish a film production company, directing rock videos and TV commercials for some of the world’s leading brands. At his legendary Toronto music club “The Edge,” Chapman provided a scene for some of the most exciting international artists of the day.
Chapman’s 2014 documentary Who the F**K is Arthur Fogel, features Lady Gaga, U2, The Police, Madonna, Rush, and key music industry insiders. His forthcoming film The Forbidden Shore, with performances and interviews of over 60 top Cuban artists, will be the most in-depth cultural/music documentary to come out of Cuba.
In a return to his roots, Chapman has recently completed an album of his own songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B_3FVv_rQY
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RYUZO AND THE SEVEN HENCHMEN Among Films in 2nd Wave for 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival
The international premiere of Takeshi Kitano’s RYUZO AND THE SEVEN HENCHMEN (pictured above) among the films in the second wave of programming announced for 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival. Coming immediately after his OUTRAGE saga, Takeshi Kitano’s hilarious crime story stars screen legend Tatsuya Fuji (IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES) as a retired yakuza who realizes that the only way to break the monotony of his daily life by reuniting with his old gang. This is a funny and heartfelt meditation on growing old that only the master of Japanese cinema could deliver. International Premiere.
Fantasia will be presenting a special screening of Gilles Paquet-Brenner’s stylish adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s mystery thriller DARK PLACES, which reunites Charlize Theron and Nicholas Hoult following their appearance together in a certain innocuous Australian road movie. The film’s impressive cast also features Christina Hendricks, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Tye Sheridan.
The directorial debut of Sonny Mallhi, producer of such singular horror works as THE STRANGERS and AT THE DEVIL’S DOOR. ANGUISH is a frightening and emotionally resonant film that offers supernatural explanations for debilitating adolescent mental illness, featuring a powerhouse lead performance by Ryan Simpkins (A SINGLE MAN). World Premiere
David Keating burst onto the international genre cinema scene with his chilling 2010 occult horror film WAKEWOOD. Now, he’s returned, re-teaming with screenwriter Brendan McCarthy (who, as a producer, was also behind LET US PREY and this year’s Sundance hit THE HALLOW) to deliver a demonic tale of desperate good intentions gone horribly, horribly bad in CHERRY TREE. World Premiere.
It’s been a long wait, but the dark god of hard-edged Hong Kong cinema is back. Alongside John Woo and Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam was key in defining the spirit of HK film in the late ’80s. Now, after a near-decade hiatus from feature filmmaking, he’s ready to show the world once again what happens when high-octane action and a hard-knock social conscience collide in CENTERPIECE PRESENTATION: WILD CITY. Canadian Premiere.
The long awaited solo feature debut from Jacob Gentry, co-director of THE SIGNAL, SYNCHRONICITY is, in a word, brilliant. Chad Mcknight, AJ Bowen, Brianne Davis and Michael Ironside star in this individualistic and astonishing sci-fi Noir about a physicist who folds time, traveling into the past to prevent the theft of his invention. World Premiere.
A freshly unemployed worker from an asset management firm creates a website on the dark web, designed to appeal specifically to the financially obliterated. “Better than suicide”, it promises. “Trading.” One of the most blackly subversive social satires to antagonize the screen in years, TRADERS is smart, violent, empathetic and angry. The feature debut of Irish filmmaking team Rachael Moriarty and Peter Murphy, starring Killian Scott (CALVARY), John Bradley (GAME OF THRONES), Nika McGuigan (PHILOMENA) and Barry Keoghan (’71). International Premiere
A captivating medieval fantasy from Denmark, directed by Kenneth Kainz (PARTERAPI) and scripted by the great Anders Thomas Jensen (ADAM’S APPLES, BROTHERS, AFTER THE WEDDING), THE SHAMER’S DAUGHTER (pictured above) tells the tale of a young girl who has inherited her mother’s supernatural ability to make people ashamed of themselves by staring into their souls. International Premiere
Directed by newcomer Victor Zarcoff and produced by the team behind the acclaimed FUNERAL KINGS (Fantasia 2010), this study in terror brings REAR WINDOW to the digital era. the World Premiere of SLUMLORD, a young couple slowly fall apart, unbeknownst that their creepy landlord is scrupulously watching them through hidden surveillance cameras. Wonderfully acted by a cast straight out of a Tobe Hooper film, this domestic nightmare builds suffocating tension by exposing the fragility of our intimacy in today’s world.
Chad Archibald and the talented team behind such Canadian horror breakouts at THE DROWNSMAN, ANTI-SOCIAL, SEPTIC MAN, and EJECTA are back with the World Premiere of BITE – a brand new monster, a lot of flair, and a heck of a strong cringe factor.
Fantasia will be showcasing the world premiere of KIDNAPPED director Miguel Angel Vivas’ English language debut EXTINCTION, an atmospheric and visceral post-apocalyptic monster movie that will blow audiences through the back of the theatre. EXTINCTION is co-scripted by Vivas and Alberto Marini (SLEEP TIGHT) and stars Matthew Fox, Jeffrey Donovan, Quinn McColgan – and some of the most astonishing prosthetic creature make-ups the screen has seen in years.
In addition to EXTINCTION (and the previously announced stop-motion feature POSSESSED), Fantasia will be screening the following Spanish productions:
MARSHLAND
Spain Dir: Alberto Rodriguez
A riveting period Neo-Noir police procedural thriller from the director of UNIT 7, winner of no fewer than 10 Goya Awards this year, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor. Quebec Premiere.
MORTADELO & FILEMON: MISSION IMPLAUSIBLE
Spain Dir: Javier Fesser
Spain’s cult superspy parody comic book explodes into life as a big budget blitzkrieg of slapstick 3D animation that won Goya Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Adapted Screenplay. North American Premiere
SHREW’S NEST
Spain Dir: Esteban Roel and Juan Fernando Andrés
Macarena Gómez gives a riveting performance in this horrific and haunting psychodrama produced by Álex de la Iglesia that’s deservedly become a major hit on the international festival circuit. Quebec Premiere.
TORRENTE, MISSION EUROVEGAS
Spain Dir: Santiago Segura
The completely insane fifth entry in Segura’s blockbuster franchise. TORRENTE: MISSION EUROVEGAS co-stars Alex Baldwin and had the largest Spanish theatrical opening in all of 2014 when it was released last October. An excruciatingly funny film, packed with absurd setpieces and a rogues gallery of familiar faces. North American Premiere.
AN INTRODUCTION TO UGANDA’S WAKALIWOOD SCENE AND A NIGERIAN ZOMBIE EPIC ARE AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS OF FANTASIA UNDERGROUND’s 2015 LINEUP.
Buckle up as Fantasia Underground’s Year Two lineup reaches across the world to bring you eclectic and uncompromising new independent visions from France, Japan, Nigeria, Uganda and the USA.
HARUKO’S PARANORMAL LABORATORY
Japan Dir: Lisa Takeba
One day, as Haruko is zapping, her television unexpectedly transforms into a beautiful, shirtless, TV-headed stud! Welcome to HARUKO’S PARANORMAL LABORATORY, a personal and inventive vision signaling Takeba as Japan’s new Queen of Quirk. Official Selection: Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Yubari. Canadian Premiere.
HOSTILE
France Dir : Nathan Ambrosioni
One of the most talked about horror works at the Cannes Film Market this year, HOSTILE marks the impressive debut of 14 year old director Nathan Ambrosioni. A TV show host answers the call of a mother terrified of her two adopted daughters. What starts with the familiar slowly builds into a poignant horror tale. International Premiere.
OJUJU
Nigeria Dir: C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi
OJUJU is a fascinating and well-staged transposition of the flesh-eating Zombie Film, bringing the living dead to Nigeria’s slums following what initially appears to be rabid river blindness due to a contaminated water supply. Winner for Best Nigerian film at the Africa International Film Festival. Canadian Premiere.
MEATHEAD GOES HOG WILD
USA Dir: Kevin Cline, Zach Harris, and Sean Pierce
Don’t let the quirky title fool you, this is a visceral, heartfelt and violently confrontational slice of urban hell and personal apocalypse, detailing a young man’s breakdown over the course of a single terrible night in one of America’s most segregated cities. Think a socially conscious FALLING DOWN by way of COMBAT SHOCK. World Premiere.
SPECIAL EVENT: INTRO TO WAKALIWOOD – DIY COMMANDO CINEMA FROM UGANDA
“Expect the Unexpectable!” Get ready for WAKALIWOOD – DIY COMMANDO CINEMA FROM UGANDA, as Fantasia proudly presents the film sensation WHO KILLED CAPTAIN ALEX? UGANDA’S FIRST ACTION MOVIE plus a fully loaded arsenal of Wakaliwood trailers, clips from never-before-seen new films, and a live Skype to Uganda with prolific DIY director/writer/editor/producer Nabwana IGG and his superstar crew of kung fu masters, cannibals, and supa commandos!
A viral explosion – “Wakaliwood” is the nickname for Wakaliga, the slum on the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda, where Nabwana IGG and his self-taught DIY team make wild action-packed movies with home-made equipment and the commando spirit. Totally off the grid, Wakaliwood is the last true cinematic Wild West and has taken the internet by storm. Fantasia proudly presents the first ever Wakaliwood festival screening – come experience “the best of the best movies” live!
Curated and hosted by journalist and Blue Sunshine Co-Founder David Bertrand – who recently returned from Uganda, having flown there to go on a location shoot with the Wakaliwood crew and perform in a film with them, the first outsider – let alone the first Canadian – to do so.
Note that Fantasia’s exploration of emerging African Fantastica doesn’t end with our screenings of WHO KILLED CAPTAIN ALEX and OJUJU. Also worthy of major attention is our previously announced selection of Ethiopia’s surrealist Sci-Fi oddity CRUMBS, which will be shown in our Camera Lucida section.
Additional 2nd Wave Titles:
AVA’S POSSESSIONS
USA Dir: Jordan Galland
Ava is recovering from demonic possession. With no memory of the past month, she is forced to attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group. Ava’s life was hijacked by a demon, now it’s time to get it back in this horror farce from the creator of Fantasia favorite Alter Egos. Official Selection: SXSW. Canadian Premiere
BØRNING
Norway Dir: Hallvard Bræin
Roy is mad about cars and is soon challenged in an illegal race across the length of Norway. Fasten your seatbelts (well, it’s the law!) for an old-fashioned action-packed car race flick, faster than Cannonball Run and funnier than Smokey and the Bandit! North American Premiere
BRIDGEND
Denmark Dir: Jeppe Rønde
Teenage Sara arrives with her single father to a small village in the Welsh valley of Bridgend County, which is haunted by suicides amongst its young inhabitants. She falls dangerously in love with one of the troubled boys while her dad as the new town policeman tries to solve the mystery. This powerful, shattering film (a recent Tribeca Film Festival award winner) is based on true events. Canadian Premiere
BUNNY THE KILLER THING
Finland Dir: Joonas Makkonen
You’ve surely seen the jaw-dropping trailer by now, or at the least, heard a breathless account of it. Nothing can prepare for the lunacy of the actual film. Oh, Finland. North American Premiere.
COP CAR
USA Dir: Jon Watts
A pair of kids stumble across an unoccupied cop car, hop in and take it on a joyride across town, setting in motion a tense game of cat and mouse between them and a particularly corrupt and distinctly homicidal police officer (Kevin Bacon). Official Selection Sundance, Edinburgh International Film Festival. Canadian Premiere
CRIMSON WHALE
South Korea Dir: Park Hye-mi
A tough, empathic little marvel of science-fantasy without illusions, simple yet satisfyingly solid in its design and execution, CRIMSON WHALE marks Park Hye-mi as an important new talent in Korean animation. Canadian premiere.
CRUEL
France Dir : Eric Cherrière
For years, timid Pierre Tardieu has been brutally slaughtering men and women without ever getting caught. The time to obtain his long due recognition has come. Crime novelist Eric Cherrière takes us on a dark journey into the disturbed mind of a serial killer. Canadian Premiere.
THE DARK BELOW
USA Dir: Douglas Schulze
In this visually stunning, dialogue-free, experimental thriller set on Michigan’s wintry frozen Great Lakes, a brutish serial killer imprisons his still-living latest victim in the watery depths. Thus begins a uniquely chilling story of survival and shocking revelation. This accomplished experiment in narrative storytelling tears every convention apart. You haven’t seen anything like it. Co-Starring Veronica Cartwright. World Premiere
DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY – TERROR OF FRANKENSTEIN
USA Dir : Tim Kirk
A new lesson in cinephilia eccentricity brought to you by the team behind ROOM 237 and THE NIGHTMARE. While recording a commentary track, the director and the screenwriter of a forgotten – but authentic – Frankenstein movie recall a tragedy that occurred on set, a brutal crime that continues to terrify its witnesses decades after the fact. International Premiere.
GERMAN ANGST
Germany Dir: Jörg Buttgereit, Michal Kosakowski, and Andreas Marschall
Three of German Cinema’s most ferocious underground talents have united to assault the screen with a deathly triptych of tales set against the evolving backdrop of Berlin. Featuring Jörg Buttgereit’s return to narrative filmmaking after a 22-year hiatus. Official Selection: Rotterdam International Film Festival. North American Premiere.
H.
USA / Argentina Dir : Rania Attieh & Daniel Garcia
Two women sharing the same name see their lives change for the worse when a strange occurrence seems to affect a small city. Both disturbing and poetic, H. is an imaginative tour de force that left a strong impression at Sundance and Berlin this year. Canadian Premiere.
THE HALLOW
UK Dir: Corin Hardy
A family who moves into a remote millhouse in Ireland unwittingly enter a fight for survival with pale-skinned demonic entities living in the foreboding woods. Superb practical monster FX buoys this intensely scary film, perhaps the best creature feature out of the UK since THE DESCENT. Official Selection: Sundance, Seattle International Film Festival. Canadian Premiere
HE NEVER DIED
Canada Dir: Jason Krawczyk
Punk icon / author / spoken-word master Henry Rollins stars as a mild-mannered reluctant cannibal who tries to keep to himself yet ends up targeted by the mob. Co-starring Kate Greenhouse (a Fantasia award-winner for THE DARK HOURS). Official Selection: SXSW. International Premiere.
THE INVITATION
USA Dir: Karyn Kusama
One of the smartest, scariest and most engrossing genre films in recent years, THE INVITATION is a masterpiece of ingeniously calculated, character-driven horror storytelling. Karyn Kusama is back, and she’s never been better. Official Selection: SXSW. Canadian Premiere.
JU-ON: THE FINAL CURSE
Japan Dir: Masayuki Ochiai
Directly following last year’s JU-ON: THE BEGINNING OF THE END, this harrowing conclusion of Director Masayuki Ochiai’s reboot of J-Horror’s most beloved franchise generously brings all the goodies expected from fans. Prepare to squirm, screech and shudder because Toshio and Kayoko are determined to finish business with panache. International Premiere
MANSON FAMILY VACATION
USA Dir: J. Davis
Two mismatched brothers tour Hollywood’s notorious Charles Manson murder sites. One is a devoted family man and the other is devoted to The Family (yeah, that one!). When the bickering duo takes an eventful road trip, get ready for a hilarious (and kinda creepy!) “Odd Couple meets Helter Skelter” movie, produced by indie faves the Duplass Brothers. Official Selection: SXSW. Canadian Premiere
THE MASTER PLAN
Sweden Dir: Alain Darborg
In this action/heist/revenge comedy, Charles Ingvar Jönsson (a character popular in Swedish films since the early ’80s) gathers three seemingly incompatible criminals to take vengeance upon the slippery creeps who killed his beloved uncle. North American Premiere.
MONTY PYTHON: THE MEANING OF LIVE
UK Dir: Roger Graef and James Rogan
This love letter to Python fans goes behind the scenes of last summer’s record-setting live reunion and final tour of the Beatles of Comedy. Interviews all the surviving Pythons and special friends, plus charts the group’s history on stage. Dead parrot included! Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival, Hot Docs. Quebec Premiere
THE NUTCRACKER 3D
Japan Dir: Sebastian Masuda
Sanrio’s 1979 stop-motion holiday movie, remixed, revamped, and rebooted by Sebastian Masuda, Harajuku’s “Godfather of kawaii.” A deliciously psychedelic pop-art phantasmagoria of super-sweet, candy-coloured cool. North American premiere.
ON THE WHITE PLANET
South Korea Dir: Hur Bum-wook
A brooding existential nightmare unfolding within a densely detailed landscape of surreal biological monstrosity, animator Hur Bum-wook’s award-winning debut feature is an intense and troubling tale of violence and vulnerability, hope and despair. Canadian premiere.
REMAKE, REMIX, RIP-OFF: ABOUT COPY CULTURE & TURKISH POP CINEMA
Turkey/Germany Dir: Cem Kaya
Turkey in the 1960s-’70s churned out more movies than possibly any other country, often without a single page of original material! Get ready for bizarro Turkish knockoffs of E.T., Dracula, The Wizard of Oz, The Exorcist, Rambo, Superman, Star Trek and more, informatively chronicled in this thorough and uproarious documentary. Official Selection: Locarno Film Festival. North American Premiere
THE ROYAL TAILOR
South Korea Dir: Lee Won-suk
A potent period drama embroidered with wit and wise insights, THE ROYAL TAILOR has its high-spirited mirth and heartbreaking tragedy sewn together masterfully. A great script, a great cast — and a truly wondrous array of magnificent garments! Official Selection: Udine, NYAFF. Canadian premiere.
SCHERZO DIABOLICO
Mexico/USA Dir: Adrián García Bogliano
The director of LATE PHASES, HERE COMES THE DEVIL and COLD SWEAT is back, re-teaming with Francisco Barreiro to deliver a savage black comedy / thriller that will leave audiences breathless. Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival, Stanley Film Festival. Canadian Premiere.
SOCIALPHOBIA
South Korea Dir: Hong Seok-jae
Social media has scary consequences for two police-tech students and an Internet troll in this masterfully executed first feature film by Hong Seok-jae. Filled with stunning twists and keenly constructed characters, SOCIALPHOBIA ranks among the best independent Korean films in recent years. Winner of the NETPAC and DGK Awards at the Busan Film Festival. Quebec Premiere
SOME KIND OF HATE
USA Dir: Adam Egypt Mortimer
Ronen Rubinstein, Grace Phipps, Sierra McCormick and Noah Segan star in a bloody tale of a bullied teen sentenced to a juvenile delinquent camp that happens to be haunted by the murderous spirit of a victim of bullying. Official Selection: Stanley Film Festival. Canadian Premiere.
SHE WHO MUST BURN
Canada Dir: Larry Kent
Director Larry Kent (THE BITTER ASH, HIGH, THE HAMSTER CAGE), Canada’s first underground filmmaker, has been making uncompromising works for 52-years. Now, he has made his first full-on horror film, a harrowing tale of organizers of a Planned Parenthood clinic under violent attack by fanatical evangelists. World Premiere.
THE TAKING
UK Dir: Dominic Brunt
Two financially struggling independent businesswomen fall prey to a brutal money lender in this hard-hitting, vicious and socially conscious thriller that balances gripping drama and ferocious shock value to powerful effect. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Official Selection: Leeds Film Festival. International Premiere
THERAPY FOR A VAMPIRE
Austria Dir: David Rühm
In 1930s Vienna, an infamous vampire count turns to none other than noted psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud to help him deal with various romantic entanglements. This delightful and sumptuously produced horror comedy evokes the Hammer Gothics of yore and Polanski’s classic Fearless Vampire Killers. A must for old-school fangbangers! Official Selection: Zurich Film Festival. Canadian Premiere
WE ARE STILL HERE
USA Dir: Ted Geoghegan
Ted Geoghegan’s super acclaimed directorial debut is finally coming to Canada. WE ARE STILL HERE stars Barbara Crampton, Larry Fessenden and Lisa Marie, features stunning visuals by Karim Hussain and is infused with the spirit of ‘80s Lucio Fulci. What’s not to love? Official Selection: SXSW. Canadian Premiere.
WONDERFUL WORLD END
Japan Dir: Daigo Matsui
With films like SWEET POOLSIDE, director Daigo Matsui proved himself a leading voice in coming-of-age films with lucid and accurate portrayals of Japanese youth and a taste for bizarre creativity. So when he steers his gaze to social media’s impact on two serial bloggers, expect to be disturbed, moved and amazed. Selected in Generation 14+ Section at Berlinale. Canadian Premiere
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2015 Fantasia Reveals Poster, First Wave of Films, Opens with MISS HOKUSAI
Fantasia will open its 2015 edition with the North American Premiere of MISS HOKUSAI (pictured above), one of this year’s most hotly anticipated animated films. Katsushika Hokusai is perhaps the most renowned ukiyo-e (woodblock prints) artist, but very few are aware of his talented daughter O-Ei’s influence on his work. Centered on their relationship and the young woman’s rebellious personality, this mix of classical art and pop-culture, based on Hinako Sugiura’s manga Sarusuberi, is masterfully brought to the screen by multiple award winning director Keiichi Hara (COLORFUL) and Production I.G, the legendary studio behind such contemporary animated masterpieces as A LETTER TO MOMO and GIOVANNI’S ISLAND.
As a flagship part of the Opening Night Festivities, 2015 Fantasia Film Festival will be presenting the Montreal Premiere of Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN. The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time when master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Peyton Reed directs Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stole, and Michael Douglas in the latest Marvel summer blockbuster.
Fantasia will be celebrating the season of Samhain in July with the World Premiere of the all-star omnibus horror feature TALES OF HALLOWEEN, featuring segments directed by such spooktacular greats as Darren Lynn Bousman, Axelle Carolyn, Adam Gierasch, Neil Marshall, Lucky McKee, Mike Mendez, Dave Parker, Ryan Schifrin, John Skipp and Andrew Kasch, and Paul Solet. The film encapsulates the spooky fun of the holiday and is a celebration of all things horror, with a cast which includes familiar faces such as Lin Shaye, Pat Healy, Barry Bostwick, Noah Segan, James Duval, Pollyana McIntosh, Kristina Klebe, Marc Senter, Joe Dante, Stuart Gordon, and John Landis.
The acclaimed Israeli filmmaking team of Yoav and Doron Paz, whose PHOBIDILIA was an official selection at the Berlin and Toronto International Film Festivals, has jumped heads-first into the horror genre with the chilling JERUZALEM (pictured above). A group of American teenagers visiting Jerusalem on Yom Kippur find themselves inside their worst nightmare as the city’s prophecies and superstitions prove terrifyingly real. Starring Yael Grobglas (Jane the Virgin, Rabies), and told entirely from the perspective of a character’s increasingly battered Digital Glass headset, JERUZALEM offers whiplashing sights never before seen and will have audiences frozen in their seats when it World Premieres at Fantasia this summer!
Back to school kids! There’s a super powered happy faced alien who will destroy earth if you don’t do your schoolwork : kill the creature-turned-teacher by all means… even if it’s really nice and competent. Adapted from one of the most popular mangas in Japan and packed with young J-Pop stars, led by Arashi’s Kazunari Ninomiya who is giving his voice to the monster, this unique sci-fi comedy by OPPAI VOLLEYBALL director Eiichiro Hasumi brings a heart-warming coming of age aspect to the School Mayhem genre first popularized by the BATTLE ROYALE films. The International Premiere of ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM will be an out-of-this-world event!
The inspired Quebec/NZ indie that’s become one of the most wildly adored films on the 2015 international festival circuit – blowing minds at Sundance and in Dallas, the Netherlands and Brussels, winning an audience award at SXSW – is coming home for its first screening in the country. At the place of its birth, in fact, as TURBO KID came together at the first edition of Frontières, Fantasia’s International Co-Production Market. Don’t miss what’s sure to be a wild homecoming party for the directing team of François Simard, Annouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell AKA Roadkill Superstar.
Additional 1st Wave Highlights Include…
BIG MATCH
South Korea – Dir: Choi Ho
Lee Jeong-jae (THE THIEVES), Shin Ha-kyun (THIRST) and K-Pop star BoA enters a dangerous death game in this high octane action comedy where a Mixed Martial Arts fighter must play a deadly urban chess confrontation created by a Machiavellian mastermind. Canadian Premiere.
CRUMBS
Ethiopia/Spain/Finland – Dir: Miguel Llansó
Ethiopia’s first sci-fi feature also happens to be a post apocalyptic black comedy, an eccentric love story and a brilliant blast of politically-charged surrealism that exists in a space between Alex Cox and Alejandro Jodorowsky. Probably the single most unusual and unforgettable film you will see anywhere this year, screening in our Camera Lucida section. Official Selection: Rotterdam International Film Festival. Canadian Premiere.
DEATHGASM
New Zealand – Dir: Jason Lei Howden
Behold, the riotous heavy metal Kiwi splatter-comedy-horror-monster-demon-freakout the world’s been begging for has arrived. Packed with lunatic gore reminiscent of early Peter Jackson and volume-11 riffage harkening back to that same era’s most ferocious metal, DEATHGASM absolutely shreds. In every sense. Official Selection: SXSW, Stanley, Fantaspoa. Canadian Premiere.
THE DEMOLISHER
Canada – Dir: Gabriel Carrer
An unstable repairman tending to his crippled wife – an ex-cop brutalized by gang violence – sneaks out at night to unleash his rage on any criminals he can find. An atmospheric and poetic reinterpretation of the urban Vigilante Film as a psychological examination of trauma. World Premiere.
EXPERIMENTER
USA – Dir: Michael Almereyda
Gifted indie trailblazer Almereyda (NADJA, CYMBELINE) turns his unconventional gaze towards the controversial social experiments of Stanley Milgram (brilliantly portrayed by Peter Sarsgaard). Co-starring Winona Ryder, Anton Yelchin, Taryn Manning, John Leguizamo and Anthony Edwards. Official Selection: Sundance, Seattle International Film Festival, Beijing International Film Festival. Canadian Premiere.
FATAL FRAME
Japan – Dir: Mari Asato
A deadly curse hits a gothic style convent in this brilliant atmospheric adaptation of the hit horror video game Fatal Frame, where flawless storytelling and character development, a creepy ambiance taking advantage of every inch of its location and a haunting music score bring the audience back to the golden age of J-Horror. Official Selection: Stockholm International Film Festival. North American Premiere.
FULL STRIKE
Hong Kong – Dir: Derek Kwok, Henri Wong
When ex cons discovers their love for badminton, they ask a fallen former champion to lead them to victory. Derek Kwok and Henri Wong co-direct this hilarious comedy centered on over-the-top characters reminiscent of Stephen Chow’s spectacular SHAOLIN SOCCER. Canadian Premiere.
THE GOLDEN CANE WARRIOR
Indonesia – Dir: Ifa Isfansyah
Aging female warrior Cempaka is the most respected fighter in the Golden Cane clan, but she must now find a successor among her disciples. Coming on the heels of the wildly popular THE RAID series, this flawlessly executed epic actioner by Ifa Isfansyah is here to confirm Indonesia’s place in the leading nations of martial arts cinema. Canadian Premiere.
LA LA LA AT ROCK BOTTOM
Japan – Dir: Nobuhiro Yamashita
Nobuhiro Yamashita, director of the contemporary classic LINDA LINDA LINDA, is back in musical comedy/drama territory with a fighter attitude! Rising super star Fumi Nikaido (WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL?) and J-Pop sensation Subaru Shibutani, member of Kanjani Eight, shine in this remarkable underdog tale. Official Selection: Rotterdam International Film Festival. Canadian Premiere.
OBSERVANCE
Australia – Dir.: Joseph Sims-Dennett
His job is to observe, observe a beautiful woman. Soon enough, he discovers his gig implies more than he ever asked for. A poignant and terrifying thriller in the vein of Polanski’s REPULSION, Among first 2015 Camera Lucida selections to be announced, OBSERVANCE promises to haunt your nightmares. World premiere.
POSSESSED
Spain – Dir: Sam Ortí Martí (AKA Sam)
An instant-classic of wickedly fun (and imaginatively grotesque) stop-motion comedy/horror that many have described as PARANORMAN meets WALLACE & GROMIT by way of SOUTH PARK, POSSESED is the manic creation of Goya-nominated anima-lunatic Sam Ortí Martí, featuring the voices of Santiago Segura, Anabel Alonso and Nacho Vigalondo. Official Selection Sitges, Athens Animfest, Canadian Premiere.
THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE
USA – Dir: Perry Blackshear
A smart, haunting psychological horror masterpiece that Verite Film hailed as “unbearably tense and profoundly moving”. Despite having only been playing on the fest circuit for five months, THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE has already won awards at Slamdance, SF Indiefest, IFF Boston and the Nashville Film Festival. International Premiere
THE VISIT
Denmark – Dir: Michael Madsen
Is Earth ready for an alien visitation? Michael Madsen”s fascinating follow-up to INTO ETERNITY reflects on this interrogation through a simulation with scientists and philosophers. A powerful and groundbreaking documentary. Official Selection: Sundance, Hot Docs. Quebec Premiere.
For the 2015 poster, the festival turned once again to Montreal artist Donald Caron, who has created a stunning depiction of the Cheval Noir facing the Wendigo, a mythical creature born of Native American folklore. The myth is believed to have been created as a warning that those who may have considered turning to cannibalism during times of famine due to harsh winter conditions, could be transformed into a werewolf-like monster.
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Hungary Picks Holocaust Drama SON OF SAUL As Foreign Language Oscar Entry
The Holocaust drama SON OF SAUL directed by Laszlo Nemes, has been selected by Hungary as its official entry in the foreign-language film category of the Academy Awards. Son of Saul which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, was reportedly considered a frontrunner for the Palme d’Or after being named best film in Cannes’ Competition by Fipresci, the International Federation of Film Critics, but instead won the Grand Prix.
October 1944, Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Saul Ausländer is a Hungarian member of the Sonderkommando, the group of Jewish prisoners isolated from the camp and forced to assist the Nazis in the machinery of large-scale extermination. While working in one of the crematoriums, Saul discovers the corpse of a boy he takes for his son. As the Sonderkommando plans a rebellion, Saul decides to carry out an impossible task: save the child’s body from the flames, find a rabbi to recite the mourner’s Kaddish and offer the boy a proper burial. [Cannes Film Festival]
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Sony Pictures to Release Branden Kramer’s Cyber-Suspense Thriller RATTER | VIDEO
Sony Pictures has picked up first-time feature filmmaker Branden Kramer’s cyber-suspense thriller RATTER, starring Ashley Benson (“Pretty Little Liars”).
RATTER debuted in competition at the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival and will have its Los Angeles Premiere on Sunday, June 14, at 9:40pm PST in the Nightfall section of this year’s Los Angeles Film Festival.
Written and directed by Kramer, RATTER is based on the short film Webcam, which has been viewed more than six million times on Vimeo. Benson stars as Emma, a graduate student living alone in New York City. She is being watched by a “Ratter” who stalks her by hacking into all of her personal technology–laptop, cell phone, and other web connected devices–to record her most intimate moments. Eventually the video feeds aren’t enough and the stalker moves from the virtual to the physical – with disturbing consequences.
The film also stars Matt McGorry (“Orange Is the New Black”) and Rebecca Naomi Jones (The Switch).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si4dNU6AQJU
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Terrence J, Draya Michele, Mack Wilds Attend DOPE LA, NYC Screenings
Screenings were held in New York City and LA for the 2015 Sundance Film Festival fave DOPE which opens nationwide on June 19.
Open Road Films hosted a special New York press screening of Sundance fave DOPE at AMC Loews 19 in Manhattan. Actor and recording artist Mack Wilds (pictured above)and television & radio personality Angela Yee hosted the screening.
Actor/tv personality Terrence J (pictured above) and lifestyle marketing specialist Miss Diddy hosted a private screening of DOPE at Landmark Theatres in Los Angeles.
Attendees included reality show personality Draya Michele.
DOPE is produced by Forest Whitaker, executive produced by Pharrell Williams, and co-executive produced by Sean Combs, and stars Shameik Moore, Kimberly Elise, Chanel Iman, Quincy Brown, Zoe Kravitz and A$AP Rocky.
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Watch TRAILER for Rose McGowan’s DAWN to Debut FREE on Youtube
Check out the new trailer to the critically acclaimed film which had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival followed by a successful theatrical run, the taut directorial debut from Rose McGowan, DAWN, which will debut June 21st only on Youtube.
Realizing that her passion lies in filmmaking, Rose McGowan’s breakthrough directorial debut, DAWN, is a disturbing tale of a young girl’s budding sexuality and one’s desire to experience the unknown. Dawn (Tara Barr) is a quiet young teenager living in Kennedy era America who longs for something or someone to free her from her sheltered life. When she strikes up an innocent flirtation with the boy who works at her local gas station (Reiley McClendon), she thinks that he is perhaps the answer to her teenage dreams. Though when she invites the boy and his friends into her otherwise cloistered world, she gets a lot more than she bargained for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yT4Qk3vbfA&feature=youtu.be
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Watch Red Band TRAILER for THE OVERNIGHT Starring Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman
THE OVERNIGHT directed by Patrick Brice and starring Taylor Schilling, Adam Scott and Jason Schwartzman, released a new red band trailer. The Overnight premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and will be released by The Orchard on June 19, 2015.
Writer/director Patrick Brice’s second feature is described as a painfully funny take on thirty something sexual frustration and parenthood.
Alex, Emily, and their son, RJ, have recently moved to Los Angeles’ Eastside from Seattle. Feeling lost in a new city, they are desperate to find their first new friends. After a chance meeting with Kurt at the neighborhood park, they gladly agree to join family pizza night at the home. But as it gets later and the kids go to bed, the family “playdate” becomes increasingly more revealing and bizarre as the couples begin to open up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96fX_tk9Kgw
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Watch Official TRAILER for Documentary The Babushkas of Chernobyl
The official trailer was released today for the documentary The Babushkas of Chernobyl, directed by Holly Morris and Anne Bogart, and World Premiering at the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival.
For nearly 30 years a community of unlikely heroines have lived in Chernobyl’s post-nuclear disaster “dead zone.” Stylish and stubborn, these fascinating women have survived, and even thrived, on some of the most toxic land on Earth. They arethe last survivors of a community who refused to leave their ancestral homes after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. But the babushkas aren’t the only risk-takers: scientists, bureaucrats and even young men and women called “Stalkers” (who break in illegally to pursue their video game-inspired fantasies) explore the dystopian Zone and seek out its radioactive grandmas. First-time feature documentary filmmakers Holly Morris and Anne Bogart’s portrait of a community tells a remarkable tale about the pull of home, the healing power of shaping one’s own destiny and the subjective nature of risk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5pLPUH5eDs&feature=youtu.be
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Showtime Acquires NFL Legend Tony Gonzalez Documentary PLAY IT FORWARD | TRAILER
The documentary PLAY IT FORWARD, an intimate portrait on the life, family and career of legendary NFL tight end and future Hall of Fame inductee Tony Gonzalez, and his relationship with his older brother Chris, has been acquired by Showtime Networks.PLAY IT FORWARD premiered as the Opening Gala of the 2015 Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival – which screens sports movies as part of the annual Tribeca Film Festival. The documentary was the only non-ESPN film in the festival’s nine-year history to win the coveted opening gala spot. PLAY IT FORWARD was written and directed by Oscar(R) nominee Andrea Nevins.
PLAY IT FORWARD, which the Los Angeles Times calls “remarkable, intimate and moving,” tells the compelling story about the relationship between two brothers, the football star, Tony, and his older brother and wingman, Chris, whose heart’s desire was to play the game as only his little brother could. The film follows the Gonzalez brothers over the course of a pivotal year as Tony’s career is winding down, as are his chances of finally getting to a Super Bowl. During this time, Chris, who first taught Tony how to play the game, and always stood by him throughout his college and professional football journey, now chases his own mid-life ambition to become a firefighter. This candid, heartfelt film explores brotherhood, sacrifice and what it takes to achieve greatness, on or off the field.
“I’m so appreciative of Tony and his family who were open and honest in what proved to be such an emotional series of events we bore witness to,” said director Andrea Nevins. “We’re so excited to share the Gonzalez family’s very human story of dreams deferred, loss, and ultimately triumph.”
“The Gonzalez’s story in PLAY IT FORWARD resonates with the love, joy, loss, struggle and sacrifice it takes to hold a family together and achieve success,” said executive producer Michael Strahan. “Whether you’re a player in the NFL or chasing a dream to be a firefighter the one central theme is family. As executive producers, Constance Schwartz and I are thrilled that SHOWTIME has joined us on this journey to take this film to audiences in hopes that they will be as inspired by this story as we are.”
Former Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons All-Pro tight end Tony Gonzalez now serves as a CBS Sports analyst for the NFL pre-game show, THE NFL TODAY, alongside James Brown, Boomer Esiason, Bill Cowher and Bart Scott. Gonzalez also contributes across multiple CBS platforms including INSIDE THE NFL on SHOWTIME and CBS Sports Network’s Sunday pre-game show, THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW (TOPS). Gonzalez’s NFL career spanned 17 years, 12 with Kansas City after being their first-round pick in 1997, and five with Atlanta before his retirement in 2013. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdowns (111) and yards (15,127) by a tight end. He also is the NFL’s all-time leader in consecutive starts (120) and Pro-Bowl appearances (14) by a tight end, and ranks second overall among all players in catches with 1,325. Known for his strength and durability, Gonzalez missed only two games during his 17-year career.
Academy Award(R) nominee Andrea Nevins has produced, directed and written for documentary film, television news, public radio and newspapers for over 25 years. She produced critically-acclaimed and award-winning documentaries for Peter Jennings: Reporting, which earned her an Emmy(R) Award for her work on an ABC News/Time forum on the issue of gun control in America. Nevins’ first independent documentary project, Still Kicking, earned her an Academy Award nomination. The short, which she produced and wrote, chronicled the experiences of former dancers getting back on stage in their golden years. Following this, she co-produced the award-winning Tom Brokaw special, “Why Can’t We Live Together,” about a town south of Chicago that was “tipping” from white to black. Nevins partnered with producer Cristan Reilly to tell the story of aging punk rockers turned fathers in “The Other F Word,” which served as the genesis of their company Rare Bird Films. Her most recent piece with her team at Rare Bird Films was on HBO’s STATE OF PLAY. Titled HAPPINESS, this film explored the career transitions of football greats Brett Favre, Tiki Barber and Wayne Chrebet.
PLAY IT FORWARD will also be uniquely supported by the National Football League’s Legends program. The Legends Community connects and celebrates all who have played in the NFL. Its mission is to bring opportunities and information to retired players through other members of the Legends Community and to help them stay connected with former teammates, clubs, and the league.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSjWfGYG7YA
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Group Calls for Boycott of 2015 London Israeli Film and Television Festival
The UK Guardian newspaper has published a letter from a group of “artists, producers, and concerned citizens” calling for the boycott of the 2015 London Israeli Film and Television Festival.
In the letter, the group directs disappointment at the cinemas and BAFTA saying, “We, the below listed artists, producers, and concerned citizens, are disappointed and saddened to see that Curzon, Odeon, Bafta and other cinemas are hosting the London Israeli Film and Television Festival.”
The letter goes on to say, “By hosting it, these cinemas are ignoring the 2004 call by Palestinian civil society for sanctions against Israel until Israel abides by international law and ends its illegal displacement of Palestinians, discrimination against them, and occupation of their land.”
The group denied that the boycott is directed at the filmmakers, saying “This is not a request to refuse to show films by individual film-makers, but to reject the involvement and financial support of the Israeli state. We call on these cinemas to stand with the oppressed Palestinian people and to take no part in presenting the festival.”
The group includes:
Saleh Bakri Actor
Frank Barat Activist
Leah Borromeo Film-maker
John Brissenden University lecturer
Brad Butler Artist
Sophie Carapetian Artist
Taghrid Choucair-Vizoso Performer
Tania El Khoury Artist
Gareth Evans Curator
Jordan Flaherty Director
Mahdi Fleifel Film-maker
Ramzi Haddad Producer
Umama Hamido Artist
Doug Holton Theatre maker
Annemarie Jacir Director
Ewa Jasiewicz Producer
Aki Kaurismäki Director
Sharon Kivland Artist, educator
Peter Kosminsky Director
Paul Laverty Screenwriter
Mike Leigh Director
Ken Loach Director
Miriam Margolyes Actress
Serenella Martufi Artist
Karen Mizra Film-maker
Jenny Morgan Documentary film-maker
Mira Nair Director
Rebecca O’Brien Producer
Monika Pampus Teacher
Miranda Pennell Film-maker
Agueda Perucho Film editor
John Pilger Film-maker
Sebastian Rex Writer
Abir Saksouk Architect
Petra Serhal Artist
Souheil Sleiman Sculptor
Stanley Schtinter Film-maker
Hind Shoufani Director
John Smith Film-maker
Paul Stroud Composer
SERET – London Israeli Film and Television Festival will be showcasing a program of feature films, shorts, documentaries and TV series, created by Israel’s most talented film and television makers, with many enjoying their UK premieres, from June 11-21, 2015. See the lineup on the festival’s Facebook page.
Pictured above: APPLES FROM THE DESERT – תפוחים מן המדבר playing at the 2015 SERET – London Israeli Film and Television Festival.
Updated: 6/12/15.
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Ten Narratives Selected for 2015 Independent Filmmaker Labs
Ten narratives have been selected for the 2015 Independent Filmmaker Labs, IFP’s annual year-long fellowship for first-time feature directors. The creative teams of the selected films are currently attending the first week’s sessions – The Time Warner Foundation Completion Labs – taking place June 8-12 at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP (pictured above).
Featuring a stylistically diverse slate of sci-fi, fantasy, drama, young adult, comedy, hybrid and horror, this year showcases films from filmmakers across the nation. 70% of the creative teams hail from outside of New York and Los Angeles. 90% films were shot outside of these hubs, in locations such as the Bahamas, Iceland, Mexico and the Amazon, as well as Georgia, Rhode Island and Florida.
“The selected projects in year’s Narrative Labs reflect IFP’s commitment to all-inclusive content and is emblematic of the growing presence of personal stories told and made outside the two major U.S. hubs for filmmaking,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director of IFP. “We look forward to helping these talented filmmakers bring their visions to life.”
Amy Dotson, IFP’s Head of Programming, added: “This year’s films are helmed by risk-takers pushing the boundaries of film and storytelling in exciting new directions. We are delighted to a take risk on them as well and assist in introducing their extraordinary and unique new voices to industry and audiences alike.”
The selected projects for the 2015 IFP Narrative Lab and Lab Fellows are:
Albion: Rise of the Danaan
A twelve-year-old girl who has had to take care of her father is transported to the mystical world of Albion, where she discovers that she alone is the key to saving an entire race of people. Fellows: Castille Landon (Director, Writer), Dori Sperko (Producer)
The Arbalest
A famous, eccentric, recluse toy inventor agrees to his first interview after years of a self-imposed vow of silence to unveil his new invention. Fellows: Adam Pinney (Director, Writer, Editor), Alex Orr (Producer)
Bokeh
On a romantic getaway to Iceland, Riley and Jenai, a young American couple, suddenly discover everyone on earth has disappeared. As Riley struggles to survive and Jenai attempts to reconcile the mysterious event, they must reconsider everything they know about themselves and the world. Fellows: Andrew Sullivan (Director, Writer), Geoffrey Orthwein(Director, Writer), Kent Genzlinger (Producer)
Donald Cried
After Peter LaTang’s last living relative passes away, he returns to a small New England town where he grew up. When the bus arrives, he can’t find his wallet so he calls his childhood friend Donald Treeback for some help. What was supposed to be just a ride turns into a long day’s journey through their awkward past. Fellows: Kris Avedisian (Director, Writer), Jesse Wakeman (Writer, Producer), Kyle Martin (Producer)
Hunky Dory
A dive bar drag queen’s life takes a dramatic turn when his ex drops their 11-year-old son off at his apartment and vanishes. Fellows: Michael Curtis Johnson (Director, Co-Writer, Producer), Tomas Pais (Co-Writer, Producer, Lead Actor), Magela Crosignani (Director of Photography)
Icaros: a vision
By Matteo Norzi and Leonor Caraballo. An American woman with breast cancer travels to the Amazon in search of a miracle. Thanks to a young shaman who is losing his eyesight, she learns instead to confront her ‘susto’: the disease of fear. With the help of Ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic plant medicine, and the Icaros, magical healing songs, they both gain a new vision of their destiny. Fellows: Matteo Norzi (Co-director, co- writer), Abou Farman (Producer), Elia Gasull Balada (Editor), Adella Ladjevardi (Co-Producer)
Katie Says Goodbye
Katie Says Goodbye is the story of a seventeen-year-old waitress who prostitutes herself to support her deadbeat mother, while saving for her dream of escaping to San Francisco. When she falls in love with an ex-convict, things quickly turn south, testing her determination for a better life. Fellows: Wayne Roberts (Director, Writer, Producer), Eric Schultz(Producer), Carlo Sirtori (Producer)
Live Cargo
A young couple mourning the death of their baby retreat to a remote Bahamian island where they become entangled in a turf war between a dangerous human trafficker, an aging island patriarch and an obsessive homeless youth. Fellows: Logan Sandler (Director, Writer), Thymaya Payne (Writer, Producer), Lauren Brady (Producer), Randolph Hearst Harris (Producer)
Lupe Under the Sun
Blurring the line between narrative and documentary, with a cast of non-actors, and set in the agricultural heartland of California’s Central Valley,Lupe Under the Sun takes inspiration from the director’s own grandfather to tell the story of an aging Mexican immigrant. Estranged from his family in Mexico, crushed by backbreaking work and poverty, Lupe struggles to come to terms with his life choices. Fellows: Rodrigo Reyes (Director, Writer), Su Kim (Producer), Manuel Tsingaris (Editor)
Seeds
When his increasingly depraved behavior spirals out of control, reclusive inventor Marcus Milton retreats to his family home along the New England coast. But instead of finding solace, Marcus is haunted by his darkest fears and deepest desires. Is he losing his mind or has something terrible burrowed deep within him? Incubating. Waiting until the climate is right. Fellows: Owen Long (Director, Writer), Steven Weisman (Writer, Producer), Chris Haney (Producer)