Terrifier, Damien Leone[/caption]
Scary Movies X, New York’s top horror festival returns to the Film Society of Lincoln Center from July 14 to 20, 2017, opening with the New York Premiere of Damien Leone’s aptly named Terrifier, the follow-up to his earlier All Hallow’s Eve, which finds creepy cult killer Art the Clown back on the prowl. The screening will be followed by the fest’s “Cake, Clowns & Corpses”– themed 10th birthday party.
Scary Movies X closes with a double dose of dread: the New York premieres of Brandon Christensen’s Overlook Film Festival prizewinner Still/Born, serving up heaps of new mommy trauma; and Colin Minahan’s It Stains the Sand Red, an inventive zombie picture set in the blistering desert.
Other highlights include Damien Powers’s Killing Ground, a “straight-up, stripped-down suspenser” (Variety) about a camping trip gone wrong in the Australian bush; Caught, Jamie Patterson’s subtle, otherworldly home-invasion pic starring Mickey Sumner; Pavan Kirpalani’s Hindi head-trip Phobia; and Daniel Castro Zimbrón’s The Darkness, a highly atmospheric post-apocaylptic thriller lensed by Diego García (Neon Bull, Cemetery of Splendor).
Continuing the fest’s 10th anniversary celebrations are a quartet of delightfully nasty party-themed flicks from the 1970s and ’80s: Ed Hunt’s Bloody Birthday, George McCowan’s Frogs, J. Lee Thompson’s Happy Birthday to Me, and William Fruet’s Killer Party. And to top it all off, Scary Movies X presents an evening with comedy legend and horror maestro Bob Balaban in person, featuring screenings of his Parents and My Boyfriend’s Back, both films ripe for rediscovery.
FILMS & DESCRIPTIONS
All films screen digitally at the Walter Reade Theater unless otherwise noted.
Opening Night
Terrifier
Damien Leone, USA, 2016, 82m
Coulrophobics beware! It’s Halloween night and Art the Clown, the cold-blooded killer who also stalked Damien Leone’s previous short of the same name and his 2013 omnibus feature All Hallow’s Eve, is not wearing a creepy costume just for show. He’s as evil as he looks—seriously, the scariest clown to ever hit movie screens—and, after an evening of partying, two young women unluckily enter his sights. At first they’re mildly amused by his presence (the ditzier of the two even dares take a selfie with him), but soon they understand the true danger he presents, as he proceeds to terrorize them, as well as anyone else who crosses his path. Lean and oh so mean, Terrifier is grittier, and more jarringly depraved, than most horror movies these days, oozing ’80s slasher–style gore. New York Premiere
Friday, July 14, 7:30pm (Q&A with Damien Leone)
Closing Night
Still/Born
Brandon Christensen, Canada, 2017, 84m
Young couple Mary and Jack are about to become proud first-time parents to a set of twins. But something goes wrong in the delivery room and only one baby makes it out alive. Mary, feeling somewhat displaced, living in a new home and neighborhood, begins to exhibit paranoid tendencies—is she dealing with postpartum depression or are demons in fact trying to steal her newborn as she vigorously claims? Winner of a special jury prize for “scariest film” at the recent inaugural edition of the Overlook Film Festival and co-produced and -written by Colin Minahan, director of the other closing-night selection, It Stains the Sand Red, the film is indeed chockful of frights. And as everything continues to spiral further out of control, Still/Born stays grounded thanks to the intense, dedicated performance of Christie Burke as the mother who means business in keeping her baby safe no matter what forces are against her. New York Premiere
Thursday, July 20, 7:00pm
Closing Night
It Stains the Sand Red
Colin Minahan, USA, 2016, 92m
The solo feature directorial debut of Colin Minahan, one half of the Vicious Brothers (Grave Encounters, Extraterrestrial), makes his strongest impression yet with this engaging, visually striking film, set during apocalyptic times, about a woman, Molly (a fearless Brittany Allen), who finds herself stranded in the desert after her dumbass boyfriend is killed by a zombie. As she’s pursued by the threatening yet slow-moving creature, who relentlessly trails her close behind, the film becomes something of a character study of victims, both monster and human—a zombie humanized with a happy past, and a woman desensitized by a more troubled one. The mortals that pop up in the story, as per usual, are often just as bad as the monsters; Molly herself is flawed, a drug addict who has abandoned her young daughter, but who throughout a series of terrible incidents remains strong because hardship is nothing new for her. A Dark Sky Films release. New York Premiere
Thursday, July 20, 9:30pm (Q&A with Colin Minahan and Brittany Allen)
Better Watch Out
Chris Peckover, USA/Australia, 2016, 89m
Encompassing three great traditions of horror—the Christmas, home-invasion, and babysitting subgenres—Better Watch Out is a twisted and twisty mash-up of dark delights as filtered through the lens of an ’80s teen comedy. Cheeky 12-year-old Luke (Levi Miller) has long crushed on his super-cute, and of course already taken, babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) and decides that while under her watch on Christmas Eve he will finally make his move. But the big night is disrupted by the arrival of a menacing masked intruder, setting the scene for a chain reaction of progressively disturbing events. Virginia Madsen and Patrick Warburton appear as Luke’s parents, who, along with audiences, are in for a truly chilling holiday surprise. A Well Go USA release. New York Premiere
Tuesday, July 18, 7:00pm
Bloody Birthday
Ed Hunt, USA, 1981, 85m
“Just because you all have the same birthday doesn’t mean you’re special,” a teacher informs tight-knit trio Steven, Curtis, and Debbie as they turn 10. She’s right—it’s that their simultaneous births in 1970 Southern California occurred during a solar eclipse that makes their situation out of the ordinary. Apparently, Saturn, which is known to control the emotions, was blocked, leaving the astrologically ill-timed children cold-hearted. And, for some unexplained reason, a decade into their lives, the little maniacs set out to wreak some bloody havoc, sparing no one, not even their own families, in their murder spree, on which they put to use a wide array of weapons, including guns, ropes, cars, and arrows. With inspired direction, loads of nudity, and a moody score, this is pure ’80s trash cinema, and evil-kid horror, at its finest.
Saturday, July 15, 3:15pm
Caught
Jamie Patterson, UK, 2017, 85m
One afternoon, married journalists Julie and Andrew (Mickey Sumner and Ruben Crow) residing in the remote English countryside are paid a visit by an impeccably styled couple, whose odd manner of communication suggest there’s a disconnect, to say the least. Roles are reversed—the journalists become the interview subjects as they are questioned about their current research—and it begins to look like they may have stumbled upon something sinister. The behavior of the unwelcome guests (played perfectly by Cian Barry and April Pearson) becomes increasingly bizarre, and that Julie and Andrew have a tiny baby at home and a young son due back from school any moment only adds to the tension. Like its title, so succinct, even generic, until its meaning is put into clearer focus, Caught is a stellar example of what can be accomplished with little means but a whole lot of imagination, while also reminding us that it’s often the unknown that can be the most terrifying. North American Premiere
Sunday, July 16, 7:00pm
The Darkness / Las tinieblas
Daniel Castro Zimbrón, Mexico/France, 2016, 94m
After a mysterious apocalypse, Gustavo (Brontis Jodorowsky, who channels an intensity worthy of his family name) is left to care for his two sons, adult Marcos and teenage Argel, and his sickly young daughter, Luciana. The family has made their stand in a cabin in the woods, bathed in an eternal twilight and perpetually surrounded by toxic fog that may hide monsters. Gustavo keeps the children locked in the basement for their safety, but when early in the film he and Marcos venture outside to hunt for food, Marcos didn’t come back—and Argel is left to discover the secrets that his father and the woods are hiding. Claustrophobic, and exquisitely shot by Diego García (Neon Bull, Cemetery of Splendor), The Darkness transcends the horror tropes it gets its bones from, and becomes something beautiful, fantastical, and truly unnerving. New York Premiere
Sunday, July 16, 5:00pm
An Evening with Bob Balaban
Parents
Bob Balaban, Canada/USA, 1989, 35mm, 82m
As supremely black as a comedy can be, Bob Balaban’s brilliantly subversive feature directorial debut is deranged in all the right ways. Ten-year-old Michael, a socially awkward only child living in 1950s suburbia with his doting mom and emotionally abusive dad (Mary Beth Hurt and Randy Quaid, both great), is plagued by bizarre nightmares—which are about as terrifying as his reality: he suspects his picture-perfect parents to be cannibalistic, while not having a taste for meat himself. Recently relocated to a new town, Michael finds comfort in school through an equally oddball friend, who claims she’s from the moon, while figuring out how to survive his home life, and more specifically mealtime. You’ll never think of “leftovers” in the same way.
Monday, July 17, 7:00pm (Q&A with Bob Balaban)
My Boyfriend’s Back
Bob Balaban, USA, 1993, 35mm, 85m
At the start of this horror-comedy for the highest of lowbrow tastes—produced by Sean S. Cunningham, written by Dean Lorey (who went on to Arrested Development), and directed by the great comic actor Bob Balaban—geeky teen protagonist Johnny Dingle (Andrew Lowery) announces in voiceover: “This day was the beginning of the end of my life.” And, yes, after a severely botched attempt to play hero for Missy (Traci Lind), the girl he has forever lusted after, he gets shot by a masked robber at the deli where she works, but not before making his dying request that she go to the prom with him. When she says yes, he will do whatever it takes to make that a reality—decomposing body be damned!—much to the annoyance of Missy’s jock boyfriend (Matthew Fox) and his bullyish sidekick (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who nicknames Johnny “Dead Boy.” Unfairly maligned by many, this film is a delight due for a serious revisiting.
Monday, July 17, 9:30pm (Introduction by Bob Balaban)
Frogs
George McCowan, USA, 1972, 35mm, 90m
It’s Jason Crockett’s birthday weekend and a group of family members have assembled on his Florida island plantation to celebrate. Environmentally unfriendly, the cranky, wheelchair-bound old man (Ray Milland) finds the growing masses of frogs inhabiting his space to be a menace and has no second thoughts about poisoning the waters to get rid of them. So when “nature” begins taking revenge, it’s easy to root against “man,” even if Crockett’s guests, as well as a photographer researching the area (played by a totally hunky Sam Elliott, in one of his first screen appearances), are unfairly caught in the path of destruction. Despite the film’s ludicrously misleading title—the killer creatures featured actually encompass a wide range from mainly toads to snakes, turtles, spiders, gators, and beyond—the gloriously campy B-movie provides a darn good creepy-crawly time.
Sunday, July 16, 1:00pm
Happy Birthday to Me
J. Lee Thompson, Canada, 1981, 35mm, 111m
Recovering from a highly traumatic event that took place around the time of her birthday many years past, pretty and popular Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson) appears to have made some real progress. But as she approaches her 18th year, there’s a black-leather-gloved killer on the loose, knocking off her elite-private-school friends, which brings her stability into question. Giallo-like in its plot convolutions as well as its stark, shadowy visual style, this rare foray into strict horror by dark crime thriller master J. Lee Thompson is perhaps best known for its infamous shish-kebab murder scene, but the underappreciated slasher film has much more to offer, with a whole slew of show-stopping death set pieces and a stellar supporting cast, including Glenn Ford as Virginia’s doctor.
Saturday, July 15, 1:00pm
Killer Party
William Fruet, USA/Canada, 1986, 35mm, 91m
In 1986, a pair of April Fool’s Day–themed horror-comedies opened in theaters. The wider release of the two, April Fool’s Day, was a hit and remains a genre favorite, while the other was overlooked and lives in semi-obscurity. But today, Killer Party looks better than ever. It kicks off with a clever, awesomely cheesy pre-credits prologue that sums up the ’80s in just under 10 minutes, before shifting the focus to a group of friends eager to join a sorority, who prepare for a raging initiation party at a long-off-limits—for good reason!—frat house. Twenty-four hours of gags, hazing rituals, and demonic possessions ensue in this genuine treat of a slasher film—no surprise coming from William Fruet, the director responsible for The House by the Lake, Spasms, and Funeral Home.
Sunday, July 16, 3:00pm
Killing Ground
Damien Power, Australia, 2016, 89m
The story starts like so many others: a couple are en route to a campsite. But unlike most survival thrillers, instead of the standard idiotic chatter, the relaxation-seekers here actually engage in intelligent conversation—revealing right away that this isn’t going to be the usual ride. On arrival, they find an eerily empty tent pitched nearby, its presence casting a dark shadow over their lovely spot as well as a sense of mystery about the whereabouts of its inhabitants. And as the action progresses, with an intriguing turn of the cinematic clock we begin to go back and forth in time so it can be revealed what happened to the other family—made up of a mom, dad, teenage daughter, and little baby. Expertly constructed and strongly acted—the two sadistic villains are truly skin-crawling and their prey authentic and sympathetic—Damien Power’s feature debut is at times excruciatingly cruel, yet always positively stunning. An IFC Midnight release.
Saturday, July 15, 7:15pm (Q&A with Damien Power)
The Limehouse Golem
Juan Carlos Medina, UK, 2016, 105m
In Victorian London, Scotland Yard inspector John Kildare (a great Bill Nighy, in a role originally meant for Alan Rickman, to whom the film is dedicated) takes a special interest in the well-being of Lizzie Cree (Olivia Cooke), a young stage performer accused of murdering her husband. She seems an unlikely killer and he becomes obsessed with proving her innocence, all while the title “monster” is leaving behind a string of mutilated corpses à la Jack the Ripper—a case that may just be connected to Lizzie’s. This jam-packed, handsome, highly literate film—adapted from Peter Ackroyd’s 1994 novel Dan Leno & the Limehouse Golem and featuring real-life historical figures (such as Karl Marx, novelist George Gissing, and theater actor Dan Leno) woven into the fictional narrative—satisfies as a gothic murder mystery and an inside look into the lively world of the music halls so popular at the time, while also offering its fair share of bloodletting. An RLJ Entertainment release. U.S. Premiere
Saturday, July 15, 5:00pm
The Night of the Virgin / La noche del virgen
Roberto San Sebastián, Spain, 2016, 117m
Spanish with English subtitles
Every developing boy has sex on the brain and his “first time” is a momentous occasion. So when a sexy older woman at a New Year’s Eve party shows interest in Nico, an awkward and unfortunate-looking late bloomer at 20, the offer to go home with her is one he can’t refuse. That her name is Medea is only the first of many red flags, and it becomes rapidly clear that Nico would have been way better off holding on to his virginity a bit longer. The insanity that unfolds that evening in Medea’s cockroach-infested apartment is better witnessed than described, because nobody would believe the half of it. Audacious, inventive (featuring some spectacular practical effects), sometimes hilarious and jaw-droppingly disgusting, and always totally bonkers, the film has more on its mind than pure gross-out—though it succeeds in that too. In any case, we promise you have never seen anything like it… New York Premiere
Tuesday, July 18, 9:00pm
Offensive
Jon Ford, UK, 2016, 105m
After his father passes away, Bernard (Russell Floyd) inherits a sprawling home in the French countryside—but on the condition that he and his wife Helen (Lisa Eichhorn) actually live there for a designated period of time. The retired urbanites decide that a more idyllic existence might do them some good, but sadly it’s not peace that awaits them, as a pack of barbaric local teens promptly begin tormenting them. With no one to turn to (the neighbors are all terrified and the cops corrupt) a war rages between the feral youth and the more civilized older folks as they’re pushed to their limits. Rough and raw (visually as well as thematically), the ultra-tense film is painfully cruel yet purely satisfying, and, with the introduction of some revelations about Bernard’s father, it also serves as an intriguing exploration of three generations of violence. New York Premiere
Sunday, July 16, 9:00pm
Phobia
Pavan Kirpalani, India, 2016, 111m
Hindi with English subtitles
Mehak (Radhika Apte) is a talented, vivacious painter, but after a horrific attack she becomes afflicted with post-traumatic agoraphobia. Her condition overwhelms her sister Anusha’s hospitality and sympathy when it starts affecting her young nephew, and she soon finds herself living alone in an apartment lent to her by an old friend. She’s too afraid to even approach the door and unwilling to accept anyone’s offers for help, while strange neighbors and even stranger images begin to appear before her. And as the hallucinations become increasingly violent, she falls deeper and deeper into madness. Or is she in fact haunted? Are those severed fingers real? Phobia is the strongest Hindi horror outing in ages, anchored by a fiery performance by Apte, who absolutely rivets the screen. North American Premiere
Saturday, July 15, 9:30pm-
NY Horror Film Fest “Scary Movies X” Returns to FSLC, to Open with TERRIFIER
[caption id="attachment_22746" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Terrifier, Damien Leone[/caption]
Scary Movies X, New York’s top horror festival returns to the Film Society of Lincoln Center from July 14 to 20, 2017, opening with the New York Premiere of Damien Leone’s aptly named Terrifier, the follow-up to his earlier All Hallow’s Eve, which finds creepy cult killer Art the Clown back on the prowl. The screening will be followed by the fest’s “Cake, Clowns & Corpses”– themed 10th birthday party.
Scary Movies X closes with a double dose of dread: the New York premieres of Brandon Christensen’s Overlook Film Festival prizewinner Still/Born, serving up heaps of new mommy trauma; and Colin Minahan’s It Stains the Sand Red, an inventive zombie picture set in the blistering desert.
Other highlights include Damien Powers’s Killing Ground, a “straight-up, stripped-down suspenser” (Variety) about a camping trip gone wrong in the Australian bush; Caught, Jamie Patterson’s subtle, otherworldly home-invasion pic starring Mickey Sumner; Pavan Kirpalani’s Hindi head-trip Phobia; and Daniel Castro Zimbrón’s The Darkness, a highly atmospheric post-apocaylptic thriller lensed by Diego García (Neon Bull, Cemetery of Splendor).
Continuing the fest’s 10th anniversary celebrations are a quartet of delightfully nasty party-themed flicks from the 1970s and ’80s: Ed Hunt’s Bloody Birthday, George McCowan’s Frogs, J. Lee Thompson’s Happy Birthday to Me, and William Fruet’s Killer Party. And to top it all off, Scary Movies X presents an evening with comedy legend and horror maestro Bob Balaban in person, featuring screenings of his Parents and My Boyfriend’s Back, both films ripe for rediscovery.
FILMS & DESCRIPTIONS
All films screen digitally at the Walter Reade Theater unless otherwise noted.
Opening Night
Terrifier
Damien Leone, USA, 2016, 82m
Coulrophobics beware! It’s Halloween night and Art the Clown, the cold-blooded killer who also stalked Damien Leone’s previous short of the same name and his 2013 omnibus feature All Hallow’s Eve, is not wearing a creepy costume just for show. He’s as evil as he looks—seriously, the scariest clown to ever hit movie screens—and, after an evening of partying, two young women unluckily enter his sights. At first they’re mildly amused by his presence (the ditzier of the two even dares take a selfie with him), but soon they understand the true danger he presents, as he proceeds to terrorize them, as well as anyone else who crosses his path. Lean and oh so mean, Terrifier is grittier, and more jarringly depraved, than most horror movies these days, oozing ’80s slasher–style gore. New York Premiere
Friday, July 14, 7:30pm (Q&A with Damien Leone)
Closing Night
Still/Born
Brandon Christensen, Canada, 2017, 84m
Young couple Mary and Jack are about to become proud first-time parents to a set of twins. But something goes wrong in the delivery room and only one baby makes it out alive. Mary, feeling somewhat displaced, living in a new home and neighborhood, begins to exhibit paranoid tendencies—is she dealing with postpartum depression or are demons in fact trying to steal her newborn as she vigorously claims? Winner of a special jury prize for “scariest film” at the recent inaugural edition of the Overlook Film Festival and co-produced and -written by Colin Minahan, director of the other closing-night selection, It Stains the Sand Red, the film is indeed chockful of frights. And as everything continues to spiral further out of control, Still/Born stays grounded thanks to the intense, dedicated performance of Christie Burke as the mother who means business in keeping her baby safe no matter what forces are against her. New York Premiere
Thursday, July 20, 7:00pm
Closing Night
It Stains the Sand Red
Colin Minahan, USA, 2016, 92m
The solo feature directorial debut of Colin Minahan, one half of the Vicious Brothers (Grave Encounters, Extraterrestrial), makes his strongest impression yet with this engaging, visually striking film, set during apocalyptic times, about a woman, Molly (a fearless Brittany Allen), who finds herself stranded in the desert after her dumbass boyfriend is killed by a zombie. As she’s pursued by the threatening yet slow-moving creature, who relentlessly trails her close behind, the film becomes something of a character study of victims, both monster and human—a zombie humanized with a happy past, and a woman desensitized by a more troubled one. The mortals that pop up in the story, as per usual, are often just as bad as the monsters; Molly herself is flawed, a drug addict who has abandoned her young daughter, but who throughout a series of terrible incidents remains strong because hardship is nothing new for her. A Dark Sky Films release. New York Premiere
Thursday, July 20, 9:30pm (Q&A with Colin Minahan and Brittany Allen)
Better Watch Out
Chris Peckover, USA/Australia, 2016, 89m
Encompassing three great traditions of horror—the Christmas, home-invasion, and babysitting subgenres—Better Watch Out is a twisted and twisty mash-up of dark delights as filtered through the lens of an ’80s teen comedy. Cheeky 12-year-old Luke (Levi Miller) has long crushed on his super-cute, and of course already taken, babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) and decides that while under her watch on Christmas Eve he will finally make his move. But the big night is disrupted by the arrival of a menacing masked intruder, setting the scene for a chain reaction of progressively disturbing events. Virginia Madsen and Patrick Warburton appear as Luke’s parents, who, along with audiences, are in for a truly chilling holiday surprise. A Well Go USA release. New York Premiere
Tuesday, July 18, 7:00pm
Bloody Birthday
Ed Hunt, USA, 1981, 85m
“Just because you all have the same birthday doesn’t mean you’re special,” a teacher informs tight-knit trio Steven, Curtis, and Debbie as they turn 10. She’s right—it’s that their simultaneous births in 1970 Southern California occurred during a solar eclipse that makes their situation out of the ordinary. Apparently, Saturn, which is known to control the emotions, was blocked, leaving the astrologically ill-timed children cold-hearted. And, for some unexplained reason, a decade into their lives, the little maniacs set out to wreak some bloody havoc, sparing no one, not even their own families, in their murder spree, on which they put to use a wide array of weapons, including guns, ropes, cars, and arrows. With inspired direction, loads of nudity, and a moody score, this is pure ’80s trash cinema, and evil-kid horror, at its finest.
Saturday, July 15, 3:15pm
Caught
Jamie Patterson, UK, 2017, 85m
One afternoon, married journalists Julie and Andrew (Mickey Sumner and Ruben Crow) residing in the remote English countryside are paid a visit by an impeccably styled couple, whose odd manner of communication suggest there’s a disconnect, to say the least. Roles are reversed—the journalists become the interview subjects as they are questioned about their current research—and it begins to look like they may have stumbled upon something sinister. The behavior of the unwelcome guests (played perfectly by Cian Barry and April Pearson) becomes increasingly bizarre, and that Julie and Andrew have a tiny baby at home and a young son due back from school any moment only adds to the tension. Like its title, so succinct, even generic, until its meaning is put into clearer focus, Caught is a stellar example of what can be accomplished with little means but a whole lot of imagination, while also reminding us that it’s often the unknown that can be the most terrifying. North American Premiere
Sunday, July 16, 7:00pm
The Darkness / Las tinieblas
Daniel Castro Zimbrón, Mexico/France, 2016, 94m
After a mysterious apocalypse, Gustavo (Brontis Jodorowsky, who channels an intensity worthy of his family name) is left to care for his two sons, adult Marcos and teenage Argel, and his sickly young daughter, Luciana. The family has made their stand in a cabin in the woods, bathed in an eternal twilight and perpetually surrounded by toxic fog that may hide monsters. Gustavo keeps the children locked in the basement for their safety, but when early in the film he and Marcos venture outside to hunt for food, Marcos didn’t come back—and Argel is left to discover the secrets that his father and the woods are hiding. Claustrophobic, and exquisitely shot by Diego García (Neon Bull, Cemetery of Splendor), The Darkness transcends the horror tropes it gets its bones from, and becomes something beautiful, fantastical, and truly unnerving. New York Premiere
Sunday, July 16, 5:00pm
An Evening with Bob Balaban
Parents
Bob Balaban, Canada/USA, 1989, 35mm, 82m
As supremely black as a comedy can be, Bob Balaban’s brilliantly subversive feature directorial debut is deranged in all the right ways. Ten-year-old Michael, a socially awkward only child living in 1950s suburbia with his doting mom and emotionally abusive dad (Mary Beth Hurt and Randy Quaid, both great), is plagued by bizarre nightmares—which are about as terrifying as his reality: he suspects his picture-perfect parents to be cannibalistic, while not having a taste for meat himself. Recently relocated to a new town, Michael finds comfort in school through an equally oddball friend, who claims she’s from the moon, while figuring out how to survive his home life, and more specifically mealtime. You’ll never think of “leftovers” in the same way.
Monday, July 17, 7:00pm (Q&A with Bob Balaban)
My Boyfriend’s Back
Bob Balaban, USA, 1993, 35mm, 85m
At the start of this horror-comedy for the highest of lowbrow tastes—produced by Sean S. Cunningham, written by Dean Lorey (who went on to Arrested Development), and directed by the great comic actor Bob Balaban—geeky teen protagonist Johnny Dingle (Andrew Lowery) announces in voiceover: “This day was the beginning of the end of my life.” And, yes, after a severely botched attempt to play hero for Missy (Traci Lind), the girl he has forever lusted after, he gets shot by a masked robber at the deli where she works, but not before making his dying request that she go to the prom with him. When she says yes, he will do whatever it takes to make that a reality—decomposing body be damned!—much to the annoyance of Missy’s jock boyfriend (Matthew Fox) and his bullyish sidekick (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who nicknames Johnny “Dead Boy.” Unfairly maligned by many, this film is a delight due for a serious revisiting.
Monday, July 17, 9:30pm (Introduction by Bob Balaban)
Frogs
George McCowan, USA, 1972, 35mm, 90m
It’s Jason Crockett’s birthday weekend and a group of family members have assembled on his Florida island plantation to celebrate. Environmentally unfriendly, the cranky, wheelchair-bound old man (Ray Milland) finds the growing masses of frogs inhabiting his space to be a menace and has no second thoughts about poisoning the waters to get rid of them. So when “nature” begins taking revenge, it’s easy to root against “man,” even if Crockett’s guests, as well as a photographer researching the area (played by a totally hunky Sam Elliott, in one of his first screen appearances), are unfairly caught in the path of destruction. Despite the film’s ludicrously misleading title—the killer creatures featured actually encompass a wide range from mainly toads to snakes, turtles, spiders, gators, and beyond—the gloriously campy B-movie provides a darn good creepy-crawly time.
Sunday, July 16, 1:00pm
Happy Birthday to Me
J. Lee Thompson, Canada, 1981, 35mm, 111m
Recovering from a highly traumatic event that took place around the time of her birthday many years past, pretty and popular Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson) appears to have made some real progress. But as she approaches her 18th year, there’s a black-leather-gloved killer on the loose, knocking off her elite-private-school friends, which brings her stability into question. Giallo-like in its plot convolutions as well as its stark, shadowy visual style, this rare foray into strict horror by dark crime thriller master J. Lee Thompson is perhaps best known for its infamous shish-kebab murder scene, but the underappreciated slasher film has much more to offer, with a whole slew of show-stopping death set pieces and a stellar supporting cast, including Glenn Ford as Virginia’s doctor.
Saturday, July 15, 1:00pm
Killer Party
William Fruet, USA/Canada, 1986, 35mm, 91m
In 1986, a pair of April Fool’s Day–themed horror-comedies opened in theaters. The wider release of the two, April Fool’s Day, was a hit and remains a genre favorite, while the other was overlooked and lives in semi-obscurity. But today, Killer Party looks better than ever. It kicks off with a clever, awesomely cheesy pre-credits prologue that sums up the ’80s in just under 10 minutes, before shifting the focus to a group of friends eager to join a sorority, who prepare for a raging initiation party at a long-off-limits—for good reason!—frat house. Twenty-four hours of gags, hazing rituals, and demonic possessions ensue in this genuine treat of a slasher film—no surprise coming from William Fruet, the director responsible for The House by the Lake, Spasms, and Funeral Home.
Sunday, July 16, 3:00pm
Killing Ground
Damien Power, Australia, 2016, 89m
The story starts like so many others: a couple are en route to a campsite. But unlike most survival thrillers, instead of the standard idiotic chatter, the relaxation-seekers here actually engage in intelligent conversation—revealing right away that this isn’t going to be the usual ride. On arrival, they find an eerily empty tent pitched nearby, its presence casting a dark shadow over their lovely spot as well as a sense of mystery about the whereabouts of its inhabitants. And as the action progresses, with an intriguing turn of the cinematic clock we begin to go back and forth in time so it can be revealed what happened to the other family—made up of a mom, dad, teenage daughter, and little baby. Expertly constructed and strongly acted—the two sadistic villains are truly skin-crawling and their prey authentic and sympathetic—Damien Power’s feature debut is at times excruciatingly cruel, yet always positively stunning. An IFC Midnight release.
Saturday, July 15, 7:15pm (Q&A with Damien Power)
The Limehouse Golem
Juan Carlos Medina, UK, 2016, 105m
In Victorian London, Scotland Yard inspector John Kildare (a great Bill Nighy, in a role originally meant for Alan Rickman, to whom the film is dedicated) takes a special interest in the well-being of Lizzie Cree (Olivia Cooke), a young stage performer accused of murdering her husband. She seems an unlikely killer and he becomes obsessed with proving her innocence, all while the title “monster” is leaving behind a string of mutilated corpses à la Jack the Ripper—a case that may just be connected to Lizzie’s. This jam-packed, handsome, highly literate film—adapted from Peter Ackroyd’s 1994 novel Dan Leno & the Limehouse Golem and featuring real-life historical figures (such as Karl Marx, novelist George Gissing, and theater actor Dan Leno) woven into the fictional narrative—satisfies as a gothic murder mystery and an inside look into the lively world of the music halls so popular at the time, while also offering its fair share of bloodletting. An RLJ Entertainment release. U.S. Premiere
Saturday, July 15, 5:00pm
The Night of the Virgin / La noche del virgen
Roberto San Sebastián, Spain, 2016, 117m
Spanish with English subtitles
Every developing boy has sex on the brain and his “first time” is a momentous occasion. So when a sexy older woman at a New Year’s Eve party shows interest in Nico, an awkward and unfortunate-looking late bloomer at 20, the offer to go home with her is one he can’t refuse. That her name is Medea is only the first of many red flags, and it becomes rapidly clear that Nico would have been way better off holding on to his virginity a bit longer. The insanity that unfolds that evening in Medea’s cockroach-infested apartment is better witnessed than described, because nobody would believe the half of it. Audacious, inventive (featuring some spectacular practical effects), sometimes hilarious and jaw-droppingly disgusting, and always totally bonkers, the film has more on its mind than pure gross-out—though it succeeds in that too. In any case, we promise you have never seen anything like it… New York Premiere
Tuesday, July 18, 9:00pm
Offensive
Jon Ford, UK, 2016, 105m
After his father passes away, Bernard (Russell Floyd) inherits a sprawling home in the French countryside—but on the condition that he and his wife Helen (Lisa Eichhorn) actually live there for a designated period of time. The retired urbanites decide that a more idyllic existence might do them some good, but sadly it’s not peace that awaits them, as a pack of barbaric local teens promptly begin tormenting them. With no one to turn to (the neighbors are all terrified and the cops corrupt) a war rages between the feral youth and the more civilized older folks as they’re pushed to their limits. Rough and raw (visually as well as thematically), the ultra-tense film is painfully cruel yet purely satisfying, and, with the introduction of some revelations about Bernard’s father, it also serves as an intriguing exploration of three generations of violence. New York Premiere
Sunday, July 16, 9:00pm
Phobia
Pavan Kirpalani, India, 2016, 111m
Hindi with English subtitles
Mehak (Radhika Apte) is a talented, vivacious painter, but after a horrific attack she becomes afflicted with post-traumatic agoraphobia. Her condition overwhelms her sister Anusha’s hospitality and sympathy when it starts affecting her young nephew, and she soon finds herself living alone in an apartment lent to her by an old friend. She’s too afraid to even approach the door and unwilling to accept anyone’s offers for help, while strange neighbors and even stranger images begin to appear before her. And as the hallucinations become increasingly violent, she falls deeper and deeper into madness. Or is she in fact haunted? Are those severed fingers real? Phobia is the strongest Hindi horror outing in ages, anchored by a fiery performance by Apte, who absolutely rivets the screen. North American Premiere
Saturday, July 15, 9:30pm
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Melbourne International Film Festival to Open with World Premiere of JUNGLE Starring Daniel Radcliffe | Trailer
The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) will open its 66th edition with the world premiere of Greg McLean’s new film Jungle starring Daniel Radcliffe.
“We couldn’t be more delighted to have Jungle opening this year’s MIFF,” said Artistic Director Michelle Carey. “Greg McLean’s new film is bold, hugely entertaining and a thrilling ride! It’s an impressive showcase of Australian and international talent behind and in front of the camera.”
“I am absolutely thrilled to have Jungle selected as the opening night film at MIFF. Back in 2005 my first film Wolf Creek screened at the festival and it was incredibly exciting to have the movie presented in my home town. Now, some years later, having this amazing story about survival and the power of the human spirit launched in Melbourne is just as much of an honour. I truly can’t wait to share this film with audiences” said director of Jungle, Greg McLean.
The stunningly shot, edge-of-your seat story of survival and self-discovery is supported by the MIFF Premiere Fund. Adapted for the screen by scriptwriter Justin Monjo (INXS: Never Tear Us Apart) from the bestselling novel of real-life story of adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg. The film is produced by McLean, along with Dana Lustig, Gary Hamilton, Mike Gabrawy and Todd Fellman.
In the early 1980s, 22-year-old Israeli backpacker Yossi Ghinsberg (Radcliffe) and two friends – Swiss teacher Marcus Stamm and American photographer Kevin Gale – set off from the Bolivian city of La Paz on what was supposed to be the adventure of a lifetime. Leading the way into the uncharted Amazon was an Austrian expat named Karl Ruprechter, who had met the friends just days before and claimed to be familiar with the region. But their dream trip soon turned into a wilderness nightmare.
Director Greg McLean (Wolf Creek, MIFF 05) moves beyond his previous horror fare to take on an altogether different kind of fear in Jungle – all the more potent for being true. Radcliffe continues pushing his post-Potter career to the extreme, ably supported by Alex Russell (Premiere Fund-supported film Cut Snake, MIFF 14), Joel Jackson (Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door) and Thomas Kretschmann (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Dracula).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcoBDgJ3ZBw
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Paladin to Release Philip Gelatt’s Genre-Bending Thriller THEY REMAIN
They Remain, a genre-bending experience in terror written and directed by Philip Gelatt, has been acquired by Paladin, for a film festival launch and theatrical release commencing in the Fall.
Based on the 2010 short story, “-30-” by award-winning author Laird Barron, They Remain explores the evolving relationship between Keith and Jessica, two scientists who are employed by a vast, impersonal corporation to investigate an unspeakable horror that took place at the remote encampment of a mysterious cult. Working and living in a state-of-the-art, high tech environment that is completely at odds with their surroundings, they spend their days gathering physical evidence, analyzing it, and reporting on their findings.
The intensity of their work, and their extreme isolation, bring the pair closer. But, when Jessica discovers a mysterious artifact of unknown origin, the dynamic between them changes: secrets are kept, sexual tensions arise, and paranoia sets in. Keith begins to have visions and is unable to distinguish whether they are nightmares or hauntings. Having lost all sense of what is real and what is imagined, all he knows is that the horror he and Jessica have been sent to uncover—a horror that could be biological, psychological, or supernatural— now threatens his very survival.
Barron’s novels, short fiction, and poems have earned him a substantial following among aficionados of fantasy, noir, horror, and sci-fi, and have twice won him the Shirley Jackson Award. Gelatt, similarly, combines multi-disciplinary experience as a graphic novelist and comic book creator for the “Indiana Jones” franchise, and for such companies as Dark Horse Comics and Oni Press, with his background as a video game writer for such companies as Crystal Dynamics and Frictional Games, and on “Rise of The Tomb Raider” (for which he won the WGA Award). With this pedigree, it is unsurprising that They Remain succeeds in splicing these various strains of pop culture DNA into a unique and imaginative cinematic hybrid.
They Remain stars William Jackson Harper (“Paterson,” “True Story”) and Rebecca Henderson (“Mistress America”) as Keith and Jessica. The film’s third “star” is cinematographer Sean Kirby, whose hallucinatory images contribute immeasurably to its disorienting, disturbing mood. Kirby’s credits include the acclaimed documentaries “Racing Extinction,” and “The Tillman Story,” as well as Robinson Devor’s notorious “Zoo,” which created a sensation at both Sundance and Cannes, and which Urman executive produced and released through THINKFilm.
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PBS to Release BILL NYE: SCIENCE GUY Documentary in Theaters Late 2017
“Bill Nye: Science Guy,” which premiered at the 2017 South by Southwest Film Festival follows the legendary science advocate and TV personality Bill Nye in his pursuit to ignite a passion among Americans for science and science education.
PBS Distribution (PBSd) will release the film in theaters across the country later this year, following a robust festival tour including upcoming screenings at AFI Docs in Washington, D.C. and the Los Angeles Film Festival. It will have its broadcast premiere in 2018 via PBS documentary series POV.
“Bill Nye: Science Guy” was produced and directed by David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg, produced by Seth Gordon, Kate McLean, and Nick Pampenella, executive produced by Walker Deibel, Mary Rohlich, Henry S. Rosenthal, and Chad Troutwine, and co-executive produced by Andre Gaines.
Bill Nye is on a journey to change the world. Once the host of a popular kids show, today he is the CEO of The Planetary Society where he’s leading a mission to launch a solar-powered satellite into the cosmos and advocating for the importance of science research and discovery. He is taking off “The Science Guy” costume and taking on those who deny the importance of science, with the goal of creating a more scientifically literate and engaged universe. “Bill Nye: Science Guy” follows the man himself as he embarks on a quest to change the world through science advocacy and education. With intimate and exclusive access, as well as plenty of wonder and whimsy, this is a behind-the-scenes portrait of “the Science Guy,” as he inspires millennials to participate in STEM. The film features Bill Nye, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Ann Druyan, Ken Ham, Joe Bastardi, and many others.
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FilmRise to Release Sophie Brooks’ Comedy THE BOY DOWNSTAIRS in Early 2018
Sophie Brooks’ debut feature film The Boy Downstairs which had its world premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival will be released in early 2018 by FilmRise.
Aspiring writer Diana (Mamet in her first film role since the end of HBO’s hit “Girls”) returns to New York City after a few years living in London and finds what seems to be the perfect Brooklyn apartment to start fresh. However, on the first night in her new home she discovers that her ex-boyfriend Ben (Matthew Shear, Mistress America) lives in the apartment downstairs. With support from her affable landlady Amy (Deirdre O’Connell) and her best friend Gabby (Diana Irvine), Diana proclaims her intentions for a cordial friendship, but as the story progresses and old wounds are reopened, she is forced to confront the true nature of her feelings.
The Boy Downstairs was written and directed by Sophie Brooks. It was produced by Dan Clifton, David Brooks, and Leon Clarance; and executive produced by Paul Brooks.
“I am beyond excited to team up with FilmRise,” said filmmaker Sophie Brooks. “The Boy Downstairs was an incredibly special experience for me and I cannot wait for audiences to see it next year.”
“We are thrilled to share Sophie Brooks’ charming feature debut with the world,” said Danny Fisher, CEO of FilmRise. “The Boy Downstairs is a fresh, sincere comedy that we believe audiences everywhere will enjoy.”
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GOOK, THE RABBIT HUNT, and AMERICAN PARADISE Among Winners of Las Vegas Film Festival
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Gook[/caption]
“Gook” directed by Justin Chon won the Best Feature and “The Rabbit Hunt” directed by Patrick Bresnan won the Best Documentary awards at the 10th Annual Las Vegas Film Festival, which wrapped after six fun-filled days and nights of films, panels, special screenings and events at the Brenden Theatres and Palms Casino Resort.
The Festival also introduced a new award this year – Best in Show – for the film that best encapsulated the spirit of the Festival. The inaugural award was given to director Joe Talbot for his short, “American Paradise.” A desperate man in Trump’s America tries to shift his luck with the perfect crime. Inspired by true events.
Additionally, Christina Najar was named winner of the Music Video Lab Audience Award for her music video for the band Scartoon.
2017 Las Vegas Film Festival Award Winners
Best Short “Shy Guys” Director: Fredric Lehne 2016 Tony winner Reed Birney brings the laughs as strangers confront and resolve one of the most insidious and perplexing scourges to ever afflict mankind – while standing at neighboring urinals – in this first film from ubiquitous character actor Fredric Lehne. Best Animation “Pussy” Director: Anna Kerrigan Alone at home one evening, a young girl decides to have a solo pleasure session—but not everything goes according to plan. Best Vegas Cinema “Mary Shelleys Fankenweed” Directors: Nick & Zachary Thomas Byer After the legalization of both recreational and medical Marijuana- Moses, a local drug dealer, tries to unload a shipment of his “Mary Shelley’s FrankenGreen”, but no one’s buying. After getting a hold of one of his most trusted buyers, Randy- Moses comes to find out Randy has also jumped on the ‘Medical Marijuana’ bandwagon. Through the heartache of this ‘drug dealer to drug user’ break-up, Moses goes on an emotional breakdown. Best Music Video “Terror” Director: Joseph Armario While cleaning her house, a woman finds a creature living in her couch that will not die. Best Wildcard “5 Stages of Dying” Director: Nima Shoghi A young man spirals through a wild array of emotions when diagnosed with a terminal illness. Best Documentary “The Rabbit Hunt” Director: Patrick Bresnan On the weekends during the harvest season, seventeen-year-old Chris and his family hunt rabbits in the sugarcane fields of the Florida Everglades. Best Feature “Gook” Director: Justin Chon Eli and Daniel are two Korean American brothers that run their late father’s shoe store in a predominantly African American community of Los Angeles. These two brothers strike up a unique and unlikely friendship with an 11-year-old African American girl, Kamilla. As Daniel dreams of becoming a recording artist and Eli struggles to keep the store afloat, racial tensions build to a breaking point in L.A. as the “infamous” L.A. Riots break out.
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Fantasia 2017 Unveils Poster and First Wave of Films, Opens with Action Thriller THE VILLAINESS
The Fantasia International Film Festival celebrates its 21st Anniversary in Montreal this summer, taking place from July 13-August 2, 2017, with its Frontières International Co-Production Market and Industry Rendez-Vous Weekend being held July 20-23. The full lineup of over 130 feature films will be announced July 5. In the meantime, the festival is excited to reveal a selected First Wave of titles, along with several special happenings.
In celebration of Montreal’s 375th anniversary, veteran Fantasia artist Donald Caron has created a poster the festival describes as “a visual love letter to our city with a piece that truly speaks for itself.”
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THE VILLAINESS[/caption]
Fantasia 2017 will start with a thunderous smash! After leaving the Cannes audience absolutely mesmerized with its groundbreaking and spectacular fight scenes and Kim Ok-vin’s ferocious, yet poignant interpretation, Jung Byung-gil’s action thriller THE VILLAINESS (North American Premiere) will be the Opening Film of this year’s edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival.
Following this astonishing jolt of raw adrenaline, who else than the Grand Maestro of international genre cinema could keep the pace? Fantasia favorite Takashi Miike, who received a well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award last year, will once again please his hordes of Montreal fans with the exuberant JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: DIAMOND IS UNBREAKABLE (North American Premiere), masterfully adapted from Hirohiko Kitakubo’s cult manga and featuring a stellar cast led by Kento Yamazaki.
This Summer, Fantasia will be saluting the groundbreaking work of independent American filmmaker Larry Cohen. Widely recognized as one of the godfathers of progressive, socially conscious genre cinema with such individualistic landmarks as the IT’S ALIVE films, BLACK CASEAR, Q, and THE STUFF, in addition to his distinctive screenwriting work for a plethora of other filmmakers, Cohen’s output has always been smart, character-driven, and boldly confrontational.
Larry Cohen will be awarded before the World Premiere of Steve Mitchell’s KING COHEN, a phenomenal documentary about the filmmaker’s extraordinary history and work, that features appearances by Martin Scorsese, John Landis, Yaphet Kotto, J.J. Abrams, Fred Williamson, Rick Baker, Joe Dante, and Eric Bogosian, among many others.
Following our past live performance events of METROPOLIS and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Gabriel Thibaudeau and Fantasia are re-teaming for a presentation of a unique cinematographic concert of Paul Leni’s 1928 classic THE MAN WHO LAUGHS, rightfully recognized as an early masterpiece of horror cinema. Thibaudeau’s original score for the film, which has been performed worldwide over the past 20 years, from Paris to São Paulo, Tokyo to New York, will be interpreted live by a nine-piece orchestra under the direction of the composer, featuring the Quatuor Molinari. Do not miss this true homage to silent cinema’s golden age!
Georgian-born French filmmaker Géla Babluani created one of the most significant thrillers of the last 15 years with his enthralling debut, the classic 13 TZAMETI. Now, after a seven-year hiatus following that film’s 2010 US remake, he has returned with MONEY’S MONEY – a taut robbery thriller whose stellar cast includes Benoît Magimel, Olivier Rabourdin, Vincent Rottiers, and Féodor Atkine. Fantasia will proudly be showcasing the film’s World Premiere.
Fantasia’s Axis Section presents two new animated films by Japan’s Yuasa Masaaki, who will attend the festival in person. Masaaki’s 2004 opus MIND GAME, showcasing his free-spirited sensibility, remains an all-time animated highlight of the festival’s programming history. First up, a wild jumble of characters and events that come together on one strange night in Kyoto, in the madcap, musical romantic comedy NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL (International Premiere). And then there’s LU OVER THE WALL (North American Premiere) – boy meets mermaid in this manic anime mash-up of Gothic folklore, wild fantasy, and feelgood teenage J-pop jams!
Fantasia will be presenting a special screening of Luc Besson’s hotly anticipated fantasy spectacular VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS. Based on the adored French comic series by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières, the film stars Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, and Rihanna – and promises to be one of the most visually extravagant genre works the screen has ever seen.
The lives of an addict, a Luchador, a cartel organ smuggler, and an ex-con collide in this wildly original crime/drama/blacker-than-black comedy/thriller that’s as informed by Mexican subcultures as it is by American cinema. A ferocious feature debut by Ryan Prows, LOWLIFE is one of the most gobsmacking crime film discoveries that we’ve come across in years. Beg, cheat, or steal to be at our World Premiere and witness the birth of an unforgettable instant classic.
Director Cho Sun-ho amazes with his masterfully crafted first feature film A DAY (International Premiere), which tells the story of a famous doctor stuck in a time loop where he must try to save his daughter from a fatal car accident over and over again. Going far beyond the GROUNDHOG DAY concept in terms of emotional implication and unpredictable twists, this riveting thriller will keep you on the very edge of your seat! Cho Sun-ho is definitely a name to remember!
Fantasia is proud to be presenting the World Premiere of FRIENDLY BEAST, a bold and brilliant feature debut from Brazilian writer/director Gabriela Amaral Almeida. Easily one of the most provocative works you’ll encounter this year, the film concerns a restaurant owner going over the edge when an armed robbery is attempted at his establishment. He holds everyone captive at gunpoint – criminals and customers alike – and situations corrode into a nightmare state, guided by manipulation and raw compulsion.
Ted Geoghegan’s sophomore feature, following 2015’s acclaimed WE ARE STILL HERE, confronts audiences with a very different kind of horror: our collective history. Set in 1814, MOHAWK tells the white-knuckle tale of two young Mohawk warriors and their British lover pursued by murderous American military renegades Hell-bent on blind revenge, and features a striking ensemble cast that includes Kaniehtiio Horn, Eamon Farren, Ezra Buzzington, Jonathan Huber (WWE Superstar Luke Harper), and Noah Segan. History often hurts, but sometimes it hits hard enough to kill.
The CAMERA LUCIDA Section is back at Fantasia for its eighth consecutive year! Opening with the Québec Premiere of David Lowery’s A GHOST STORY, a metaphysical exploration of love, longing, destiny and mortality that reunites the PETE’S DRAGON’s director with actors Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck, the section will once again showcase some of world cinema’s boldest and most innovative voices, at the very edge of genre cinema.
World premiering at Fantasia, Giordano Giulivi’s THE LAPLACE’S DEMON unfolds like an all-time great TWILIGHT ZONE episode directed by the three-headed offspring of Guy Maddin, Mario Bava, and Val Lewton! It will send you right over the edge with its unique mix of faux-vintage aesthetics, probabilistic science-fiction, and Gothic style. A total discovery, it beautifully balances pastiche, homage, and invention!
Also in the section, Yuya Ishii’s THE TOKYO NIGHT SKY IS ALWAYS THE DENSEST SHADE OF BLUE (Canadian Premiere) is an offbeat rom-com, a slacker dramedy, and a poetic ode to the Big City, all rolled into one virtuosic film from the director of THE GREAT PASSAGE, and based on the poetry of Tahi Saihate.
Geng Jun’s FREE AND EASY (also a Canadian Premiere) sees a soap salesman, a monk, and some lazy cops collide in a factory town in the Northeast of China. Putting the “dead” firmly back in deadpan, Geng’s comedy unfolds as an absurdist caper of Beckettian proportions, making for a great portrait of small-town crime in the wake of China’s rapid industrialization. The rest of this year’s Camera Lucida lineup will be revealed on July 5.
Years ago, Thailand gave the world ONG BAK. Then Indonesia surprised us with THE RAID. This year, it’s Cambodia’s turn to redefine the limits of action cinema with spectacular stunts and breathtaking fights at an unrelenting, frenetic pace. Explosively directed by Jimmy Henderson, JAILBREAK highlights the beauty and the know-how of a national cinema worth discovering. Don’t miss this!
YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, the hilarious feature debut of Spanish stunt coordinator Federico Cueva, who has worked extensively on the films of Alex de la Iglesia and Santiago Segura, is an explosive action/comedy that sees a framed con man (Peter Lanzani) having to impersonate an orthodox Jew in order to escape ruthless killers – played by Segura, Gerard Depardieu, and Hugo Silva! Fantasia offers you the chance to be the first to see this incredible actioner outside its home country!
Fantasia favorite Yuichi Fukuda (HK: FORBIDDEN SUPERHERO) is back, with his biggest film yet: GINTAMA, based on Hideaki Sorachi’s long-running, best-selling shonen manga series – adapted to the big screen in all its comedic, swashbuckling, fourth-wall-breaking glory! Fukuda runs completely wild with the manga’s many sight gags and extravagant costumes, in what proves to be at once a must for diehard fans and a treat for manga enthusiasts in general; a crash-course in live-action done right!
From the Oscar-winning director of THE COUNTERFEITERS and the ANATOMIE films comes the crushingly intense COLD HELL – a film that crackles with elements of Giallo, horror, thriller, and full-throttle action cinema, anchored with powerful doses of socio-political confrontation. A tough-as-nails Turkish taxi driver (Violetta Schurawlow) in Vienna witnesses a murder and finds herself stalked by a fundamentalist serial killer inspired by Islam. After a lifetime of being under siege, she’s not about to run from anyone. What follows is anything but the usual cat and mouse formula, as ideology and hate clash up against ferocious, end-of-the-rope anger.
Danish madmen Casper Christensen and Frank Hvam became a comedy team for the ages in the unforgettable KLOWN series – the first film having won a Cheval Noir at Fantasia, where it had its North American Premiere. Now, they’re together again, as co-writers and stars, in Jesper Rofelt’s DAN DREAM, an ‘80s-set comedy about a group of eccentric men striving to make an electric car. Fantasia’s audience will be the very first to see the film outside of Denmark. Get excited!
If Nicolas Machiavelli would’ve written a comic book with an edgy sense of humor, it would look like Usamaru Furuya’s manga Teiichi no Kuni. Akira Nagai, director of the Fantasia 2016 success IF CATS DISAPPEARED FROM THE WORLD, adapts this witty mix of political satire and coming of age story without falling one second into outrageous cynicism. With a dynamic performance from actor Masaki Suda who bring just enough humanity to his aspiring politician character, TEIICHI: BATTLE OF THE SUPREME HIGH (North American Premiere) is the perfect film to maintain a bit of sanity in today’s political context.
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BRIGSBY BEAR[/caption]
After celebrating its World Premiere at Sundance and its European launch at Cannes (Critic’s Week), Dave McCary’s extraordinary BRIGSBY BEAR will have its Canadian bow at Fantasia. Brigsby Bear Adventures is a children’s TV show produced for an audience of one: James (Kyle Mooney). When the show abruptly ends, James’s life changes forever, and he sets out to finish the story himself. Co-starring Mark Hamill, Claire Danes, and Greg Kinnear, BRIGSBY BEAR is an inventive and touching outsider comedy about the power of storytelling that easily ranks among the most charming films you’ll encounter this year.
Liu Jian’s award-winning 2010 debut, PIERCING 1, marked him as China’s first world-class independent animator, and established an austere, understated visual style and caustic social commentary that has carried through to his latest. Making its Canadian Premiere at Fantasia 2017, Liu’s bold second feature, the Berlinale breakout HAVE A NICE DAY is a bitter, bitingly funny slice of low-key neo-noir, in which a memorable bunch of nobodies chase a bag of cash and strike hopeless bargains with fate.
ADDITIONAL FIRST WAVE TITLES INCLUDE:
68 KILL
USA – Dir: Trent Haaga
Matthew Gray Gubler and AnnaLynne McCord incinerate the screen in this crazy scumbag thrill-ride of white-trash crime and kink that manages to subversively play with gender and be a toxic anti-romantic bloodbath of a comedy in the same breathless blow. Winner: Audience Award (Midnighters), SXSW 2017. Canadian Premiere.
BAD GENIUS
Thailand – Dir: Nattawut Poonpiriya
When Lynn (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) discovers that her academic skills can bring her thousands of baht if she helps her wealthy friends cheat at exams, she elaborates a complex scheme. What if OCEAN’S ELEVEN would somehow meet THE BREAKFAST CLUB? Well, it happened! A breathtaking coming-of-age thriller that is way smarter than anything you can expect! Official Selection: New York Asian Film Festival. Canadian Premiere.
BASTARD SWORDSMAN
Hong Kong – Dir: Tony Liu
Who will truly master the silkworm technique and bring balance to the martial world? The last surviving 35mm copy of the Shaw Brothers gem will blast you with its avalanche of unfettered lunacy. First Canadian screening in 30 years!
BITCH
USA – Dir: Marianna Palka
The provocative tale of a woman (Palka) who snaps under crushing life pressures and assumes the psyche of a vicious dog. A sharp, feminist satire that’s alternately uncomfortably funny and confrontational with a warrior soul, BITCH is a stunning achievement in every sense. Official Selection: Sundance 2017, Chicago Critics Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere.
DEAD MAN TELLS HIS OWN TALE
Argentina – Dir: Fabián Forte
Misogynist alpha male Angel has it all – money, power, family, sex. His only problem is, he’s dead. Gender politics are unpacked in Fabián Forte’s subversive black comedy dosed with unexpected terror. Official Selection: Morbido 2016, Fantasporto 2017. Canadian Premiere.
DEAD SHACK
Canada – Dir: Peter Ricq
A rural Canadian mix of DEAD ALIVE, SCOUTS GUIDE TO THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, and ’80s kids’ movies! Director Peter Ricq (creator of the animated series FREAKTOWN) keeps things fast, light, and full of fight. Official Selection: Neuchetal Fantastic Film Festival 2017, Lund 2017. North American Premiere.
THE ENDLESS
USA – Dir: Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead
Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group’s beliefs may be more sane than they once thought. SPRING and RESOLUTION announced Benson and Moorehead as unconventional genre forces to be reckoned with. THE ENDLESS – in which the gifted filmmaking duo also star – confirms their brilliance beyond any question. Official Selection: Tribeca 2017. Canadian Premiere.
GAME OF DEATH
Canada – Dir: Sebastien Landry and Laurence Baz Morias
A hard-partying pack of teens are forced into a desperate game of kill-or-be-killed after playing the wrong retro game in this high-energy, blood-spattered brainchild of Montreal filmmakers Sebastien Landry and Laurence Baz Morais. Official Selection: SXSW 2017, Jeonju International Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere.
KILLING GROUND
Australia – Dir: Damien Power
A young couple (Harriet Dyer; Ian Medows) on a romantic getaway in the Australian wilderness encounter a dangerous pair of locals (Aaron Pedersen; Aaron Glenane) and a make deadly discovery in this inventively intense thriller that brings audiences back to the glory days of Aussie genre cinema and sun-drenched outback horror. Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival. Canadian Premiere.
KODOKU MEATBALL MACHINE
Japan – Dir: Yoshihiro Nishimura
People are turning into bizarre organic/mechanical creatures who terrorize the last survivors of a decimated, dome-covered Tokyo. Yoshihiro Nishimura (TOKYO GORE POLICE), Japan’s master of extreme make-up effects, is back with more of his gory creativity and his formidable capacity to create hellish – but funny – monsters. Official Selection: SXSW 2017, Night Visions 2017, The Overlook Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere.
MAYHEM
USA – Dir: Joe Lynch
Amid a frightening viral outbreak that leaves the infected temporarily unable to control their impulses – and subsequently not criminally responsible for their behaviour – a lawyer (THE WALKING DEAD’s Steven Yeun) and shafted homeowner (Samara Weaving) fight to confront the top executives who wronged them. A cheerfully ferocious middle finger salute to cutthroat corporate culture. Official Selection: SXSW 2017. Canadian Premiere.
M.F.A.
USA – Dir: Natalia Leite
After being sexually assaulted by a fellow classmate, an art student (Francesca Eastwood) becomes an avenging vigilante, refusing the vulnerability of victimization and exacting cold-blooded – and bloody – revenge. Official Selection SXSW 2017, Galway Film Fleadh 2017. Canadian Premiere.
MON MON MON MONSTERS
Taiwan – Dir: Giddens Ko
In a shabby Taipei neighborhood plagued by nocturnal killings, four teenage boys find trouble… and trouble finds them. A twisted coming-of-age film from the writer of MACHI ACTION and an impressive blend of genres, bouncing from comedy to horror in matters of seconds without ever making a mess. Official selection: Hong Kong International Film Festival 2017, Udine Far East Film Festival 2017, New York Asian Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere.
MUSEUM
Japan – Dir: Keishi Ohtomo
Fantasia favorite Keishi Ohtomo (the RUROUNI KENSHIN trilogy) is back with MUSEUM, based on Ryosuke Tomoe’s 2013 manga of the same name. It’s overworked cop vs. sadistic, frog-headed killer in this gruesome and deranged, horror-tinged thriller in the tradition of David Fincher’s SE7EN! Official Selection: Sitges 2016, Busan 2016. Canadian Premiere.
MY FRIEND DAHMER
USA – Dir: Marc Meyers
Ross Lynch stars in the haunting, sad, funny, and true story of Jeffrey Dahmer in high school, based on Derf Backderf’s critically acclaimed 2012 graphic novel of the same name and Meyers’s own 2014 Black List script. Also starring Anne Heche, Dallas Roberts, and Vincent Kartheiser. Official Selection: Tribeca 2017. Canadian Premiere.
NAPPING PRINCESS
Japan – Dir: Kenji Kamiyama
The divide between teenage Kokone’s fanciful reveries and the real world is crumbling in NAPPING PRINCESS, a sleek Japanese anime that blends steampunk fantasy and plugged-in techno-thrillers. From acclaimed director Kenji Kamiyama (GHOST IN THE SHELL: SAC, CYBORG 009, and EDEN OF THE EAST). Canadian Premiere.
NIGHT OF THE VIRGIN
Spain – Dir: Roberto San Sebastián
The first time is often clumsy and awkward, but for Nico the virgin, it’s the beginning of an endless nightmare. An unmissable comedy/horror rollercoaster of blood and lust that features some of the most grotesquely imaginative grossouts we’ve seen in years. Official Selection: Fantaspoa 2017, FrightFest 2017. Canadian Premiere.
PORK PIE
New Zealand – Dir: Matt Murphy
A trio of young misfits in pursuit of lost love race the length of the country in a stolen Mini Cooper S. Avoiding the law and with nothing to lose, they become folk heroes and most wanted criminals as they find themselves caught in the crosshairs of a media frenzy and escalating police operation. North American Premiere.
REPLACE
Germany/Canada – Dir: Norbert Keil
Afflicted with a dermatological disease, young and beautiful Kira discovers she can replace her skin with that of other girls. REPLACE is a visually sumptuous and grotesque horror/science-fiction creation, co-scripted by Richard Stanley and co-starring genre legend Barbara Crampton. Canadian Premiere.
RON GOOSSENS, LOW-BUDGET STUNTMAN
Netherlands – Dir: Steffen Haars and Flip Van der Kuil
A failed stunt makes Ron Goossens an overnight national celebrity in Holland, in the incendiary new comedy from the team who gave you the insane NEW KIDS films! Official Selection: Fantaspoa 2017, Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival 2017. North American Premiere.
SEQUENCE BREAK
USA – Dir: Graham Skipper
A loner’s budding romance is menaced by a mysterious arcade game that’s a portal to the cosmos in this masterful melding of retro ’80s horror nostalgia and Lovecraftian doom. The directorial debut of actor Graham Skipper (THE MIND’S EYE), SEQUENCE BREAK won Best Feature Film at the 2017 Chattanooga Film Festival. International Premiere.
SPLIT
South Korea – Dir: Choi Kook-hee
A fallen bowling champion (OLDBOY’s Yoo Ji-tae) attempts to team up with an autistic prodigy (POETRY’s David Lee) to rack big money with underground bowling gambles. Built like a genuine sports drama, SPLIT has way more to offer than the traditional competition story… but it will still make you cheer for the protagonists until the end credits! Official Selection: New York Asian Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere.
SUPER DARK TIMES
USA – Dir: Kevin Phillips
An emotionally incinerating and strangely dream-like gaze into the shadowy crevices of teenage psychology, directed with vivid imagination, telling a powerful story about adolescence’s end and the darkening of innocence, friendship, loyalty… and murder. Official Selection: Rotterdam Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere.
THOUSAND CUTS
France – Dir: Eric Valette
From the maker of MALEFIQUE and ONE MISSED CALL comes a compelling story about wine, drugs, neighbors, neophobia, and politics, in which a hitman seeks a place to hide. Starring Tomer Sisley (SLEEPLESS NIGHT). Official Selection: Rotterdam Film Festival 2017. North American Premiere.
TOKYO IDOLS
UK/Canada/Japan – Dir: Kyoko Miyake
“Idols”, girl bands and their pop music, permeate every moment of Japanese life. TOKYO IDOLS peeks behind the curtains of this industry, explores a cultural phenomenon driven by an obsession with young female sexuality, and the growing disconnect between men and women in hyper-modern societies. Official Selection: Sundance 2017, Hot Docs 2017, DOXA 2017, Japan Cuts 2017. Québec Premiere.
TOM OF FINLAND
Finland – Dir: Dome Karukoski
Award-winning filmmaker Dome Karukoski (LAPLAND ODYSSEY) brings the life and work of one of the most influential and celebrated figures of twentieth century gay culture to the screen in this extraordinary story of revolution and acceptance through counter-cultural art. Official Selection: Goteborg Film Festival 2017, Edinburgh International Film Festival 2017, Tribeca 2017. Canadian Premiere.
VAMPIRE CLEANUP DEPARTMENT
Hong Kong – Dir: Yan Pak-Wing and Chiu Sin-Hang
A motley crew of misfits tackle the bloodthirsty hopping vampires descending on Hong Kong! Laughter, kung fu, horror, and insanity, with a gallery of HK icons! Official Selection: Udine Far East Film Festival 2017, Bucheon International Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere.
WHAT A WONDERFUL FAMILY! 2
Japan – Dir: Yoji Yamada
The Hirata family is back, and Grandpa is acting up again! This sequel reunites legendary director Yoji Yamada (of the TORA-SAN series) with the exceptional cast of the first film for another round of hilarious, multi-generational slapstick comedy! Official Selection: Beijing International Film Festival 2017, Shanghai International Film Festival 2017. Canadian Premiere.
WU KONG
China/Hong Kong – Dir: Derek Kwok
Award-winning director Derek Kwok (GALLANTS) reboots the famous Monkey King legend from the popular novel, with fresh vigour of epic proportions that you’ll love for 10,000 years. To be released during the same week in China and North America. Québec Premiere.
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Contact Dance International Film Festival kicks off June 28 in Toronto | Video
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Parcon by Andrew Suseno and ParconNYC[/caption]
The Contact Dance International Film Festival (CDIFF), returns for its third season June 28 to July 2, 2017 in Toronto with five different screening programs presented alongside dance workshops, jams and parties where dancers fly and bodies collide with force, grace and tenderness.
The Festival will bring Mayumu Minakawa and Tom Weksler to Toronto to teach Tom’s Movement Archery workshop, and to perform together and present their film work.
Other special guests include filmmaker and dancer Harriet Waghorn, from Edifice Dance Theatre in the UK, who will be teaching her unique fusion of ballroom and contact improvisation; New York filmmaker and Parcon dancer Andrew Suseno who will teach an outdoor cityscape workshop; and Luke Anderson (Founder of the StopGap Foundation) and Laura Storey who, with Festival director Kathleen Rea, will teach Inclusive Contact Improvisation Workshops and facilitate an Inclusive Contact Improvisation Jam; and present their film Contact Dance Every Body by Olya Glotka.
This year, the festival will present 80% of its programming is in accessible spaces. There are two films on the program that showcase dancers using a wheelchair; Contact Dance Every Body and the documentary Intimate Dance: Journeys through Movement by Sanford Lewis. The inclusive workshops and jams lead by an all-abilities team of dance teachers are designed to be welcoming to people of all training levels and abilities, to those new to the form of Contact Dance, and to dancers using wheelchairs.
The Festival literally kicks off on Wednesday, June 28, at Dovercourt House with a pre-Jam Workshop Class with Tom Weksler, followed by The Wednesday Dance Jam with music by Jennifer Gillmor; and continuing with the first screening program, Toronto Spins, a mixed program of short films that celebrate the explosion of dance films made by Toronto based filmmakers and dancers. Also, included is a documentary on the Israeli Contact Festival.
Each day of the Festival features workshops, classes and Jams with live music with the Festival’s visiting artists plus evening screenings and a live performance of Zen and the Art of Dance with Mayumu Minakawa and Tom Weksler at the Betty Oliphant Theatre on June 29; Rotating View Points, a mixed program of short films that find contact improvisation in an underground parking lot, on a circus pole and through philosophical discussion, at the Celia Franca Centre on June 30; An Intimate Dance: Journeys Through Movement and Touch, a feature-length documentary following the lives of an all-star athlete, a skeptical beginner, and a professionally trained dancer on and off the dance floor, at the Celia Franca Centre on July 1; plus the Gala Film Screening of international shorts showing dancers rolling up and down the Niagara escarpment, local water towers, an abandoned factory, a farmer’s field, the Helsinki Market Square, the New York subway, and Toronto’s financial district, at the Revue Cinema, also on July 1.
Sunday, July 2 offers an intense post-Festival Dance Film Making workshop with Olya Glotka in various locations around the Roncesvalles/High Park area, from 3:30pm-Dusk. Films will be made!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqGH5i54Nh8
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World Premiere of Richard Linklater’s LAST FLAG FLYING to Open 55th New York Film Festival
Richard Linklater’s Last Flag Flying will World Premiere as the opening film of the 55th New York Film Festival on Thursday, September 28. The film will open theatrically on November 17, 2017 from Amazon Studios.
In Richard Linklater’s lyrical road movie, as funny as it is heartbreaking, three aging Vietnam-era Navy vets—soft-spoken Doc (Steve Carell), unhinged and unfiltered Sal (Bryan Cranston), and quietly measured Mueller (Laurence Fishburne)—reunite to perform a sacred task: the proper burial of Doc’s only child, who has been killed in the early days of the Iraqi Invasion. As this trio of old friends makes its way up the Eastern seaboard, Linklater gives us a rich rendering of friendship, a grand mosaic of common life in the USA during the Bush era, and a striking meditation on the passage of time and the nature of truth. To put it simply, Last Flag Flying is a great movie from one of America’s finest filmmakers.
New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones said, “Last Flag Flying is many things at once—infectiously funny, quietly shattering, celebratory, mournful, meditative, intimate, expansive, vastly entertaining, and all-American in the very best sense. But to isolate its individual qualities is to set aside the most important and precious fact about this movie: that it all flows like a river. That’s only possible with remarkable artists like Steve Carell, Laurence Fishburne, and Bryan Cranston, and a master like Richard Linklater behind the camera.”
“It’s always special to be at the New York Film Festival, but to be premiering our movie on opening night, when you look at the half century of films that have occupied that slot, is a wonderful honor,” says Linklater.
The 18-day New York Film Festival, (September 28 – October 15), highlights the best in world cinema, featuring works from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent.
New York Film Festival Opening Night Films
2016 13TH (Ava DuVernay, US) 2015 The Walk (Robert Zemeckis, US) 2014 Gone Girl (David Fincher, US) 2013 Captain Phillips (Paul Greengrass, US) 2012 Life of Pi (Ang Lee, US) 2011 Carnage (Roman Polanski, France/Poland) 2010 The Social Network (David Fincher, US) 2009 Wild Grass (Alain Resnais, France) 2008 The Class (Laurent Cantet, France) 2007 The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson, US) 2006 The Queen (Stephen Frears, UK) 2005 Good Night, and Good Luck. (George Clooney, US) 2004 Look at Me (Agnès Jaoui, France) 2003 Mystic River (Clint Eastwood, US) 2002 About Schmidt (Alexander Payne, US) 2001 Va savoir (Jacques Rivette, France) 2000 Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier, Denmark) 1999 All About My Mother (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain) 1998 Celebrity (Woody Allen, US) 1997 The Ice Storm (Ang Lee, US) 1996 Secrets & Lies (Mike Leigh, UK) 1995 Shanghai Triad (Zhang Yimou, China) 1994 Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, US) 1993 Short Cuts (Robert Altman, US) 1992 Olivier Olivier (Agnieszka Holland, France) 1991 The Double Life of Veronique (Krzysztof Kieslowski, Poland/France) 1990 Miller’s Crossing (Joel Coen, US) 1989 Too Beautiful for You (Bertrand Blier, France) 1988 Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain) 1987 Dark Eyes (Nikita Mikhalkov, Soviet Union) 1986 Down by Law (Jim Jarmusch, US) 1985 Ran (Akira Kurosawa, Japan) 1984 Country (Richard Pearce, US) 1983 The Big Chill (Lawrence Kasdan, US) 1982 Veronika Voss (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany) 1981 Chariots of Fire (Hugh Hudson, UK) 1980 Melvin and Howard (Jonathan Demme, US) 1979 Luna (Bernardo Bertolucci, Italy/US) 1978 A Wedding (Robert Altman, US) 1977 One Sings, the Other Doesn’t (Agnès Varda, France) 1976 Small Change (François Truffaut, France) 1975 Conversation Piece (Luchino Visconti, Italy) 1974 Don’t Cry with Your Mouth Full (Pascal Thomas, France) 1973 Day for Night (François Truffaut, France) 1972 Chloe in the Afternoon (Eric Rohmer, France) 1971 The Debut (Gleb Panfilov, Soviet Union) 1970 The Wild Child (François Truffaut, France) 1969 Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (Paul Mazursky, US) 1968 Capricious Summer (Jiri Menzel, Czechoslovakia) 1967 The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo, Italy/Algeria) 1966 Loves of a Blonde (Milos Forman, Czechoslovakia) 1965 Alphaville (Jean-Luc Godard, France) 1964 Hamlet (Grigori Kozintsev, USSR) 1963 The Exterminating Angel (Luis Buñuel, Mexico)
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2017 Brooklyn Film Festival Winners: Rodrigo Reyes’ LUPE UNDER THE SUN Wins Grand Chameleon Award
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LUPE UNDER THE SUN by RODRIGO REYES[/caption]
Lupe Under The Sun, a film inspired by the life of the director’s own grandfather and shot with a cast of non-actors in real locations won the top prizes at the Brooklyn Film Festival. The film directed by Rodrigo Reyes, won the Grand Chameleon Award and the prize for Best Narrative Feature. A Cambodian Spring by Chris Kelly , and An Insignificant Man by Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla shared the award for Best Documentary.
Catherine Eaton’s The Sounding received the Audience award for Feature Narrative while the East Coast premiere of Kyle Eaton’s Shut Up Anthony grabbed the Spirit award for Feature Narrative.
“I couldn’t have wished for a better 20th anniversary! Everything fell into place as if it was always meant to be great from the start. A perfect combination of solid practical experience and pure magic,” said Marco Ursino, BFF Executive Director.
The Brooklyn Film Festival awarded the winners a total of $60,000 in prizes (products, services, and cash).
2017 WINNERS
GRAND CHAMELEON AWARD LUPE UNDER THE SUN by RODRIGO REYES Best Narrative Feature LUPE UNDER THE SUN by RODRIGO REYES Best Documentary – EX EQUO A CAMBODIAN SPRING by CHRIS KELLY AN INSIGNIFICANT MAN by KHUSHBOO RANKA & VINAY SHUKLA Best Short Documentary THE FOURTH KINGDOM by ALEX LORA & ADAN ALIAGA Best Narrative Short WATU WOTE: All of by KATJA BENRATH Best Animation TANGO by PEDRO GIONGO & FRANCISCO GUSSO Best Experimental COOKING WITH CONNIE by STAVIT ALLWEIS Best New Director EL REVENGE by FERNANDO FRAIHA Brooklyn Pride Award SWEET PARENTS by DAVID BLYSpirit Awards
Feature Narrative SHUT UP ANTHONY by KYLE EATON Feature Documentary MANIC by KALINA BERTIN Short Documentary SCRAP by CHRISTIAN FILIPPONE Short Narrative RHONNA & DONNA by DAINA ONIUNAS-PUSIC Experimental EXQUISITE CORPS by MITCHELL ROSE Animation PANIC ATTACK by EILEEN O’MEARAAudience Awards
Feature Narrative THE SOUNDING by CATHERINE EATON Feature Documentary DISCO’D by MATTHEW SIRETTA Short Documentary ASHLEY ASHLEY by TED SANANMAN Short Narrative PUNCHLINE by CHRISTOPHE SABER Experimental LIVE YOUR LIGHT by JENDRA JARNAGIN Animation COIN OPERATED by NICHOLAS ARIOLICertificates of Outstanding Achievement
Producer ESTELLE ARTUS & FRANCES BOXE for ACCORDING TO HER Screenplay SLOAN COPELAND for LIFE HACK Cinematography VEDAT ÖZDEMIR for RAUF Editing JOANNA NAUGLE for KATE CAN’T SWIM Style CATHERINE EATON for THE SOUNDING Original Score DAN VEKSLER for ACCORDING TO HER Actor Female GOLAB ADINEH for THE SIS Actor Male JOSH HELMAN for KATE CAN’T SWIM
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AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, SAMI BLOOD, and LANE 1974 Win Top Awards at Seattle International Film Festival
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AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, directed by Rodrigo Grande[/caption]
The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) today announced the winners of the 2017 Golden Space Needle Audience and Competition Awards. At The End Of The Tunnel, directed by Rodrigo Grande was voted winner of the Golden Space Needle Award – Best Film, along with Best Director for Rodrigo Grande; Dolores, directed by Peter Bratt won the Golden Space Needle Award – Best Documentary.
The awards were presented at a ceremony and breakfast held at the Space Needle. The 25-day Festival, which began May 18, featured 400 films representing 80 countries, including 36 World premieres (14 features, 22 shorts), 34 North American premieres (22 features, 12 shorts), 20 US Premieres (11 features, 9 shorts), and 750 Festival screenings and events.
Interim Artistic Director Beth Barrett said, “This year at SIFF, we celebrated extraordinary cinema from 80 countries over a marathon 25 days bringing to our audiences more than 750 screenings and events and introducing them to over 350 filmmakers and industry guests. Executive Director Sarah Wilke and I were thrilled to present Anjelica Huston with the Festival’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Acting before screening the World Premiere of her newest film Trouble, as well as welcoming Sam Elliott back to the the Festival for a special screening of his film, The Hero. We had an incredible lineup of local films, and our documentary film selection continues to be among the best in the country. We also launched a new program, the SIFF New Works-in-Progress Forum, where we screened two narrative and two documentary features in the midst of their creative process to the Seattle audience of industry and festival attendees, as well as continuing our exploration of the intersections between cinema and VR/360.”
SIFF 2017 GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AUDIENCE AWARDS
SIFF celebrates its films and filmmakers with the Golden Space Needle Audience Awards. Selected by Festival audiences, awards are given in six categories: Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Short Film. This year, over 82,000 ballots were submitted. GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST FILM AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, directed by Rodrigo Grande (Spain/Argentina 2016) First runner-up: KING’S CHOICE, directed by Erik Poppe (Norway 2016) Second runner-up: I, DANIEL BLAKE, directed by Ken Loach (United Kingdom/France/Belgium 2016) Third runner-up: PATTI CAKE$, directed by Geremy Jasper (USA 2017) Fourth runner-up: LANE 1974, directed by SJ Chiro (USA 2017) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST DOCUMENTARY DOLORES, directed by Peter Bratt (USA 2017) First runner-up: CHASING CORAL, directed by Jeff Orlowski (USA 2017) Second runner-up: STEP, directed by Amanda Lipitz (USA 2017) Third runner-up: CITY OF GHOSTS, directed by Matthew Heineman (USA 2017) Fourth runner-up: DIRTBAG: THE LEGEND OF FRED BECKEY, directed by Dave O’Leske (USA 2017) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST DIRECTOR Rodrigo Grande, AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL (Spain/Argentina 2016) First runner-up: Justin Chon, GOOK (USA 2017) Second runner-up: Philippe van Leeuw, IN SYRIA (Lebanon/France/Belgium 2017) Third runner-up: Mani Haghighi, A DRAGON ARRIVES! (Iran 2016) Fourth runner-up: Hirokazu Kore-eda, AFTER THE STORM (Japan 2016) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST ACTOR David Johns, I, DANIEL BLAKE (United Kingdom/France/Belgium 2016) First runner-up: Leonardo Sbaraglia, AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL (Spain/Argentina 2016) Second runner-up: Timothy Spall, THE JOURNEY (United Kingdom 2016) Third runner-up: Fares Fares, THE NILE HILTON INCIDENT (Sweden/Denmark/Germany 2017) Fourth runner-up: Bogusław Linda, AFTERIMAGE (Poland 2016) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST ACTRESS Lene Cecilia Sparrok, SAMI BLOOD (SAMEBLOD) (Sweden/Norway/Denmark 2016) First runner-up: Elina Vaska, MELLOW MUD (Latvia 2016) Second runner-up: Danielle MacDonald, PATTI CAKE$ (USA 2017) Third runner-up: Sophia Mitri-Schloss, LANE 1974 (USA 2017) Fourth runner-up: Simone Baker, GOOK (USA 2017) GOLDEN SPACE NEEDLE AWARD – BEST SHORT FILM DEFEND THE SACRED, directed by Kyle Bell (USA 2016) First runner-up: LITTLE POTATO, directed by Wes Hurley, Nathan M. Miller (USA 2017) Second runner-up: THE GENEVA CONVENTION, directed by Benoit Martin (France 2016) Third runner-up: FLUFFY, directed by Lee Filipovski (Serbia/Montenegro/Canada 2016) Fourth runner-up: THE CLEANSING HOUR, directed by Damien LeVeck (USA 2016) LENA SHARPE AWARD FOR PERSISTENCE OF VISION Presented by Women in Film Seattle Amanda Lipitz, STEP (USA 2017) This award is given to the female director’s film that receives the most votes in public balloting at the Festival. Lena Sharpe was co-founder and managing director of Seattle’s Festival of Films by Women Directors and a KCTS-TV associate who died in a plane crash while on assignment. As a tribute to her efforts in bringing the work of women filmmakers to prominence, SIFF created this special award and asked Women in Film Seattle to bestow it.SIFF 2017 COMPETITION AWARDS
SIFF confers five juried competition awards: SIFF Official Competition, Ibero-American Competition, New Directors Competition, New American Cinema Competition (FIPRESCI Prize), and Documentary Competition. The winners in each juried competition receives $5,000 in cash. SIFF 2017 OFFICIAL COMPETITION WINNER GRAND JURY PRIZE SAMI BLOOD (SAMEBLOD) (d: Amanda Kernell, Sweden/Norway/Denmark 2016) JURY STATEMENT: After viewing this excellent selection of eight outstanding, diverse films from eight different countries, we faced the challenging task of choosing a winner. For its beautifully nuanced and spare portrayal of the struggle to discover who you are, both because of and in spite of where you are from, featuring a stunning and expressive central performance and lush cinematography of a rarely seen culture, we present the Grand Jury Prize to Sami Blood. SPECIAL JURY MENTION MY HAPPY FAMILY (d: Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Gross, Georgia/Germany/France 2017) JURY STATEMENT: For their deft handling of a large ensemble cast, for their approach to a subversively feminist story within a patriarchal culture, and for their ability to capture emotional chaos with depth, grace, and resonance, we present a Special Jury Mention for Excellence in Direction to Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross for My Happy Family. 2017 Entries: 7 Minutes (d. Michele Placido, Italy/France/Switzerland 2016, North American Premiere) Bad Influence (d: Claudia Huaiquimilla, Chile 2016) Beach Rats (d: Eliza Hittman, USA 2017) Have A Nice Day (d: LIU Jian, China/Hong Kong 2017, North American Premiere) Hedi (d: Mohamed Ben Attia, Tunisia/Belgium/France/Qatar/UAE 2016) My Happy Family (d: Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Gross, Georgia/Germany/France 2017) Sami Blood (Sameblod) (d: Amanda Kernell, Sweden/Norway/Denmark 2016) Zoology (d: Ivan I. Tverdovsky, Russia/France/Germany 2016) SIFF 2017 IBERO-AMERICAN COMPETITION WINNER GRAND JURY PRIZE THE WINTER (EL INVIERNO) (d: Emiliano Torres, Argentina/France 2016) JURY STATEMENT: A complex and multi-layered first feature that bends the Western genre to create a remarkable film that is as much about the relationship between two men, as it is about Man’s relationship to the landscape. SPECIAL JURY MENTION DEVIL’S FREEDOM (LA LIBERTAD DEL DIABLO) (d: Everardo González, Mexico 2017) JURY STATEMENT: A timely and urgent film on the ongoing Mexican drug war, that presents the many faces of violence without presenting any actual faces. The SIFF Ibero-American Competition aims to highlight the strength, creativity, and influence of storytelling in the region. The Ibero-American Competition is for films having their Seattle premiere during the Festival and without US distribution. 2017 Entries: Chameleon (d: Jorge Riquelme Serrano, Chile 2016, North American Premiere) Devil’s Freedom (La Libertad Del Diablo) (d: Everardo González, Mexico 2017, US Premiere) May God Save Us (d: Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Spain 2016) Pendular (d: Julia Murat, Brazil/Argentina/France 2017) Santa & Andres (d: Carlos Lechuga, Cuba/Colombia/France 2016) Two Irenes (d: Fabio Meira, Brazil 2017, North American Premiere) The Winter (El Invierno) (d: Emiliano Torres, Argentina/France 2016) Woodpeckers (d: José María Cabral, Dominican Republic 2017) SIFF 2017 NEW DIRECTORS COMPETITION WINNER GRAND JURY PRIZE BOUNDARIES (PAYS) (d: Chloé Robichaud, Canada (Québec) 2016) JURY STATEMENT: For its fully-fleshed portrayal of women and the dilemmas of their public and private lives and its absurdist feel for political process, we award the Grand Jury Prize to the French–Canadian film Boundaries. SPECIAL JURY MENTION THE INLAND ROAD (d: Jackie Van Beek, New Zealand 2017) JURY STATEMENT: We also single out Gloria Popata for her arresting debut as a troubled native New Zealander in the film The Inland Road. 2017 Entries: Anishoara (d: Ana-Felicia Scutelnicu, Germany 2016) Boundaries (Pays) (d: Chloé Robichaud, Canada (Québec) 2016) Diamond Island (d: Davy Chou, France 2016) The Inland Road (d: Jackie Van Beek, New Zealand 2017, North American Premiere) I Was A Dreamer (d: Michele Vannucci, Italy 2016, North American Premiere) Kati Kati (d: Mbithi Masya, Kenya 2016) The Man (d: Charlotte Sieling, Denmark 2017) Paris Prestige (d: Hamé Bourokba, Ekoué Labitey, France 2016) Quit Staring at My Plate (d: Hana Jušić, Croatia 2016) Struggle for Life (d: Antonin Peretjatko, Belgium 2016) SIFF 2017 NEW AMERICAN CINEMA COMPETITION WINNER GRAND JURY PRIZE LANE 1974 (d: SJ Chiro, USA 2017) JURY STATEMENT: A tough-minded, but tender look at the underside of 1970s counterculture life. 2017 Entries: American Folk (d: David Heinz, USA 2017) Columbus (d: Kogonada, USA 2017) Dara Ju (d: Anthony Onah, USA/Nigeria 2017) The Feels (d: Jenée Lamarque, USA 2017, World Premiere) In The Radiant City (d: Rachel Lambert, USA 2016) The Landing (d: Mark Dodson, David Dodson, USA 2016) Lane 1974 (d: SJ Chiro, USA 2017) Say You Will (d: Nick Naveda, USA 2017, World Premiere) SIFF 2017 DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION WINNER GRAND JURY PRIZE BECOMING WHO I WAS (d: Chang-Yong Moon, Jin Jeon, South Korea 2016) JURY STATEMENT: We admired the filmmaker’s skill and commitment to capturing the relationship between the two subjects in this artfully crafted documentary. For a film that beautifully tells the story of a truly incredible emotional and spiritual journey, the jury awards the grand prize for documentary filmmaking to Becoming Who I Was. SPECIAL JURY MENTION WHAT LIES UPSTREAM (d: Cullen Hoback, USA 2017) JURY STATEMENT: For filmmaker Cullen Hoback’s journalistic integrity in revealing the unseemly collusion between public servants and lobbyists that lead to the poisoning of West Virginia’s water supply, we give a special jury mention to What Lies Upstream. Unscripted and uncut, the world is a resource of unexpected, informative, and altogether exciting storytelling. Documentary filmmakers have for years brought untold stories to life and introduced us to a vast number of fascinating topics we may never have known existed. The SIFF Documentary Jury members were Kathy McDonald (Documentary Magazine), Ryland Aldrich (producer, L.A. Times, Folk Hero & Funny Guy), and Shane Smith (Hot Docs). 2017 Entries: Becoming Who I Was (d: Chang-Yong Moon, Jin Jeon, South Korea 2016, US Premiere) Close Relations (d: Vitaly Mansky, Germany/Latvia/Estonia/Ukraine 2016, US Premiere) The Farthest (d: Emer Reynolds, Ireland 2017) Ghost Hunting (d: Raed Andoni, Palestine/France/Switzerland 2016, US Premiere) The Reagan Show (d: Pacho Velez, Sierra Pattengill, USA 2017) Roberto Bolle ― The Art Of Dance (d: Francesca Pedroni, Italy 2016, North American Premiere) Those Who Remain (d: Eliane Raheb, Lebanon/UAE 2016, North American Premiere) What Lies Upstream (d: Cullen Hoback, USA 2017) Winnie (d: Pascale Lamche, France/Netherlands/South Africa 2017) SIFF 2017 FUTUREWAVE AND YOUTH JURY AWARDS SIFF presents FutureWave Shorts during ShortsFest Weekend. These inspiring original short films represent some of the best short filmmaking from around the world. In addition SIFF presents films throughout the Festival curated for youth in our Films4Families and FutureWave feature programs. YOUTH JURY AWARD FOR BEST FUTUREWAVE FEATURE PATTI CAKE$ (USA 2017), directed by Geremy Jasper JURY STATEMENT: For the unique, compelling characters and incredible music in this story of transformation. YOUTH JURY AWARD FOR BEST FILMS4FAMILIES FEATURE SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS (United Kingdom 2016), directed by Philippa Lowthorpe JURY STATEMENT: For its relatable story and characters, production design that captured the essence of an era, and combination of action, humor, and mystery. FUTUREWAVE SHORTS WAVEMAKER AWARD (GRAND PRIZE) The winner will be awarded a $1000 cash prize presented by Amazon.com BATTLES (BATAILLES) (Canada (Quebec) 2016), directed by Karen Pinette Fontaine JURY STATEMENT: For its richly composed visuals and poetic journey of self that takes the viewer from a hollow party atmosphere to a seemingly empty space that becomes filled with the narrator’s culture that is thriving within her. FUTUREWAVE SHORTS AUDIENCE AWARD FAMILY SHADOWS (USA 2016), directed by Laura Malatos FUTUREWAVE SHORTS PRODIGY CAMP SCHOLARSHIP The winners each will be awarded a $1250 partial scholarship to the 2017 Prodigy Camp. THE PETITION (USA, 2016), directed by Riley Goodwin and Kibiriti Majuto SIFF 2017 SHORT FILM JURY AWARDS All short films shown at the Festival are eligible for both the Golden Space Needle Audience Award and Jury Award Shorts Competition. Jurors will choose winners in the Live Action, Animation, and Documentary categories. Each jury winner will receive $2,500 and winners in each of the three categories may also qualify to enter their respective films in the Short Film category of the Academy Awards®. LIVE ACTION GRAND JURY PRIZE WOMEN&WINE (KVINNER&CAVA) (Norway, 2017), directed by Liv Karin Dahlstrøm JURY STATEMENT: For its honest depiction of friendship that, over a short period of time, authentically runs the spectrum from silly and beautiful to awkward and heartbreaking, we give the Jury Award for Best Live Action Short to Women&Wine, directed by Liv Karin Dahlstrøm. SPECIAL JURY MENTION NOTHING EVER REALLY ENDS (INGENTING TAR NOENSINNE SLUTT) (Norway, 2017), directed by Jakob Rørvik JURY STATEMENT: For its exceptional craftsmanship in all areas of the filmmaking process we decided that Nothing Ever Really Ends could not go unmentioned. From the writing and directing to the editing and acting this film unfolds effortlessly. And all in the service of an incredibly entertaining and relatable story. SPECIAL JURY MENTION FANNY (Norway, 2017), directed by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel JURY STATEMENT: We’d also like to recognize a filmmaker who impressed us with an intimate and frank film about sexuality and loneliness. For his unique vision, heartbreaking honesty, and nuanced direction in the film Fanny, we’d like to award Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel a special jury award for emerging director. DOCUMENTARY GRAND JURY PRIZE REFUGEE (USA, 2016), directed by Joyce Chen and Emily Moore JURY STATEMENT: For many refugees, getting to the United States is only the first step of a decades-long journey. Refugee is the moving and powerful story of a mother of five, Aicha Diop, whose journey to obtain asylum encapsulates the hope of life in America, as well as its harsh political realities. SPECIAL JURY MENTION WAITING FOR HASSANA (Nigeria, 2017), directed by Ifunanya Maduka JURY STATEMENT: By bringing to light one young girl’s traumatic experience, this important documentary gives a voice to all 276 teenage girls whose lives were violently interrupted by Boko Haram in 2014. This film is a necessary reminder that an issue doesn’t vanish when its hashtag stops trending. ANIMATION GRAND JURY PRIZE PUSSY (CIPKA) (Poland, 2016), directed by Renata Gasiorowska JURY STATEMENT: A witty and whimsical animated short about a girl and her body, Pussy quickly takes the audience on a wild ride through female sex positivity. SPECIAL JURY MENTION THE HEAD VANISHES (France, 2016), directed by Franck Dion JURY STATEMENT: Through its beautiful animation and unique perspective, The Head Vanishes poignantly captures the exceptional challenges, the hopeful glimmers, the peaceful moments, and the continual struggles of dealing with a mentally ill parent. SHORT FILM JURIES FOR SIFF 2017 LIVE ACTION: Ina Pira (Vimeo), Lacey Leavitt (producer, Laggies, Safety Not Guaranteed) and Tony Fulgham (commercial director and independent filmmaker) DOCUMENTARY AND ANIMATION: Anna Sampers (Milwaukee FIlm), Nancy Chang (Reel Grrls) and David Chen (Slashfilm) SIFF 2017 360/VIRTUAL REALITY COMPETITION SIFF 360/VR AWARD Sponsored by Pixvana WE WHO REMAIN (USA, 2017) by Emblematic Group / Trevor Snapp and Sam Wolson JURY STATEMENT: We are pleased to present the SIFF 360/VR Award, sponsored by Pixvana, to We Who Remain, a film that intimately brings the viewer inside the heart of a forgotten conflict in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. Fusing elegant storytelling with sharp technical skill, the film weaves together narratives from a student, rebel soldier, journalist, and mother who have chosen to remain and relentlessly struggle to bring peace back to their land. SIFF is proud to be awarding this new cutting edge work and providing the winner with a $500 prize and the opportunity for the awarded film to be distributed globally through Pixvana’s SPIN Studio platform. The SIFF 360/VR Award jury is comprised of Julia Fryett, Kate Becker, and Sarah Wilke. SIFF 2017 CHINA STARS AWARDS The Seattle International Film Festival is pleased to have presented the following awards at the China Stars Award Ceremony on Friday, June 9th at the Pan Pacific Hotel. CHINA STARS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Qin Yi (The Beautiful Kokonor Lake) CHINA STARS EMERGING TALENT Liang Dong (The Door) CHINA STARS EMERGING ACTOR Yi Li Ha Mu. M (The Beautiful Kokonor Lake) SIFF 2017 CATALYST SCREENPLAY COMPETITION The Catalyst Screenplay Competition is a platform aimed at offering up-and-coming writers the opportunity to gain industry exposure through SIFF. This year, the Finalist and Grand Prize scripts were juried by script supervisor Emily Zulauf (Inside Out) and producer Brent Stiefel (Obvious Child). The winning script, The Tiger & the Protected, received a live read by SAG-AFTRA actors on Saturday, June 10. Grand Prize Winner The Tiger & the Protected by Jeff Scott Finalists I Can Change by Amy Lowe Starbin Keeper of the Cup by Larry Shulruff This Close by Marc Messenger Semi-Finalists Beasts Undiscovered by Jeremy Dehn and Catherine Dale Catherine’s Cross by Millie West Ladies by Natalie Nicole Dressel A Promise Kept by Linda Sunshine Until the End of the Ninth by Beth Bollinger The Zuckermans by Ethan Mermelstein
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Newark Black Film Festival to Open with Ava DuVernay’s 13TH
The Newark Black Film Festival (NBFF) kicks off its 43rd season on June 28 at the Newark Museum with 13th, Ava DuVernay’s exploration of the history of race, justice and mass incarceration in the U.S., focusing on the nation’s prisons that are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.
Youth Cinema, the accompanying summer-long series of free children’s features and short films, debuts on July 3 at The Newark Public Library and July 5 at the Museum.
Since its introduction by the Museum in 1974, the NBFF has provided a forum for emerging writers, directors, producers, performers that highlight the work and history of African Americans and the African Diaspora that reflect the diversity of viewpoints, from documentaries to the avant-garde. Screenings are followed by a Q&A session.
Screenings are free, but reservations are strongly suggested.
NEWARK BLACK FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
All screenings begin at 7 pm in the Newark Museum BJ Auditorium, unless otherwise noted.
June 28: 13th
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of race, justice and mass incarceration in the U.S., focusing on the nation’s prisons that are disproportionately filled with African-Americans.
Opening Reception: 5:30 pm
Speakers: Khalil Muhammad, Prof. of History, Race and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School; and Lawrence Hamm, People Organization for Progress
Host: Gloria Hopkins Buck
July 5: Queen of Katwe – Family Night in the Museum Garden
Living in the slum of Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle for 10-year-old Phiona and her family. Her world changes when she meets a missionary who teaches children how to play chess.
Enjoy pre-film activities at 7 pm with the Newark Chess Club, a mentorship program that teaches strategic theory and thought, through chess. Screening will follow at 8 pm.
Speaker and Host: Darryl Scipio, Newark Chess Club
July 12: Steps
A young attorney left traumatized after an armed robbery becomes an alcoholic, loses everything and spends 14 years on the streets. After he befriends a local pastor, his story shifts to one of redemption and love in this Indie film set in Jersey City.
Speakers: Eddie Harris, filmmaker/writer; and Penwah, actress/producer/comedian
Host: Richard Wesley, screenwriter/educator
July 19: Shashamane
This documentary, set in Shashamane, Ethiopia, tells the story of Africans returning to their homeland, after generations of slavery and oppression, to reclaim their African identity.
Speakers: Giulia Amati, Producer, Karl Courtenay Phillpotts, President, The Shashamane Settlement Community Development Foundation and Jake Homiak, Director of the Smithsonian’s National Anthropological Archives.
Host: Akil Khalfani, Director of Africana Institute, Essex County College
July 26: Millie & The Lords
Milagros Baez, a young Puerto Rican woman, has her life changed for the better when she learns about the Young Lords Party who fought for social justice in Spanish Harlem in the 1960s.
Speakers: Jennica Carmona, writer/director and Jessica Carmona, co-producer and plays the role of Millie
Host: TBD
August 2: John Lewis: Get in the Way
A portrayal of John Lewis’ personal journey of courage, disappointments and hard-won triumphs. Over decades, he has inspired others to stand up and seek justice for the marginalized.
Speaker: Kathleen Dowdey, producer/director
Host: TBD
NEWARK BLACK FILM FESTIVAL YOUTH CINEMA SCHEDULE
Youth Cinema will be held on Mondays at The Newark Public Library at 10:30 am and at the Newark Museum on Wednesdays at 1 pm.
Monday, July 3, The Newark Public Library
Wednesday July 5, Newark Museum
Tell Me Who I Am – A princess from Timbuktu and her magical friend take a journey in a time-travel ship into the 21st century.
George Washington Carver – Learn how Mr. Carver became one of the world’s foremost experts in agriculture and horticulture.
Adventures in Odyssey: Race to Freedom – With the help of friends, a young boy helps slaves escape through the Underground Railroad.
Monday, July 10, The Newark Public Library
Wednesday, July 12, Newark Museum
The Proud Family Movie – A young girl and her family go on vacation, only to be captured by a mad scientist.
Monday, July 17, The Newark Public Library
Wednesday, July 19, Newark Museum
Meltrek: Exploring Ancient Africa – Learn history, culture and contributions of various African civilizations.
Zarafa – In this African fable, a boy and a baby giraffe take a hot air balloon on an adventure from Africa to Europe.
Monday, July 24, The Newark Public Library
Wednesday, July 26, Newark Museum
Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness – Adventures of neighborhood kids of different racial cultures.
Sule and the Case of the Tiny Sparks – A young girl who wants to learn the meaning of a proverb seeks guidance from the proverb detective.
The Honest-to-Goodness Truth – Libby tries not to lie–she’s been taught that it’s good to be honest– sometimes the truth can be hard.
Monday, July 31, The Newark Public Library
Wednesday, August 2, Newark Museum
Mrs. Katz and Tush – Lamel, a young African-American boy, and Mrs. Katz, an elderly Jewish woman, develop an unusual friendship through their concern for a cat named Tush.
You’re Beautiful – 11-year-old Shola truly knows the internal conflict she faces and the pressures of dealing with school.
White Water – A boy in the Deep South discovers that no matter the fountain, water is water.
Monday, August 7, The Newark Public Library
Wednesday, August 9, Newark Museum
Queen of Katwe – Living in the slum of Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle for 10-year-old Phiona and her family. Her world changes when she meets a missionary who teaches children how to play chess.