The North American premiere of the comedy film Belgian Rhapsody directed by Vincent Bal will close the 39th Montreal World Film Festival in Out of Competition. Produced by Peter Bouckaert for Eyeworks (Ben X, The Verdict, Marina presented and awarded at the MWFF) this comedy stars Amaryllis Ouitterlinden, Arthur Dupont, Jos Verbist, Marc Weiss, Koen Van Impe, Philippe Résimont.
Two Belgian brass bands, the Flemish “Sint Cecilia” and the Walloon “En Avant”, have both been selected for the great European final. The Walloons are blown into the final by Hugues, their exceptionally talented and handsome trumpet player. When Sint Cecilia’s soloist drops dead on stage, Elke, daughter of the band’s conductor Joseph, has the solution: let’s buy that Walloon super talent out. BELGIAN RHAPSODY is a musical comedy about Belgium where anything goes when the two dominant communities compete: double-crossing, schmaltzy songs and even love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zoUYll9Ft8
Born in Ghent, Belgium in 1971, Vincent Bal began his career at the age of six appearing in musicals, films and television series. However, he quickly realized that he was far more comfortable behind the camera and enrolled at the LUCA School of Art in Brussels, after which he directed a number of film shorts and TV commercials, notably The Bloody Olive (1996), adapted from a graphic novel by Lewis Trondheim. His best known feature, THE ZIGZAG KID (2012), based on David Grossman’s novel, won the European Film Academy’s Young Audience Award. Together with Colette Bothof, he wrote and directed 26 episodes of the animated series Kika & Bob.
The MWFF will take place from August 27th to September 7th-
BELGIAN RHAPSODY by Vincent Bal will close the 39th Montreal World Film Festival | TRAILER
The North American premiere of the comedy film Belgian Rhapsody directed by Vincent Bal will close the 39th Montreal World Film Festival in Out of Competition. Produced by Peter Bouckaert for Eyeworks (Ben X, The Verdict, Marina presented and awarded at the MWFF) this comedy stars Amaryllis Ouitterlinden, Arthur Dupont, Jos Verbist, Marc Weiss, Koen Van Impe, Philippe Résimont.
Two Belgian brass bands, the Flemish “Sint Cecilia” and the Walloon “En Avant”, have both been selected for the great European final. The Walloons are blown into the final by Hugues, their exceptionally talented and handsome trumpet player. When Sint Cecilia’s soloist drops dead on stage, Elke, daughter of the band’s conductor Joseph, has the solution: let’s buy that Walloon super talent out. BELGIAN RHAPSODY is a musical comedy about Belgium where anything goes when the two dominant communities compete: double-crossing, schmaltzy songs and even love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zoUYll9Ft8
Born in Ghent, Belgium in 1971, Vincent Bal began his career at the age of six appearing in musicals, films and television series. However, he quickly realized that he was far more comfortable behind the camera and enrolled at the LUCA School of Art in Brussels, after which he directed a number of film shorts and TV commercials, notably The Bloody Olive (1996), adapted from a graphic novel by Lewis Trondheim. His best known feature, THE ZIGZAG KID (2012), based on David Grossman’s novel, won the European Film Academy’s Young Audience Award. Together with Colette Bothof, he wrote and directed 26 episodes of the animated series Kika & Bob.
The MWFF will take place from August 27th to September 7th
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MI AMERICA Film Explores Violence Against Migrant Workers Sets Release Date
As the immigration debate takes center stage in a presidential campaign marked by increasingly divisive and racially charged rhetoric, a new film MI AMERICA offers an on-the-ground look at some of the reality of this conflict.
The film is inspired by true stories from around the country and delivers a harrowing narrative on the conflict between disenfranchised Americans and immigrant workers. MI AMERICA opens in theaters on October 16th and is directed by Robert Fontaine who also stars in the film. The cast also includes Michael Brainard, Brad Lee Wind, Grant Boyd, Michael Derek, Stephen Booth and Annemarie Lawless.
The story explores the circumstances surrounding a brutal hate crime targeting five Hispanic migrant laborers. Rolando Ramirez (Robert Fontaine) has been assigned to this case by chance. This journey will force him to question his own identity, and beliefs, on what it means to be an American, and in turn, attempt to bring those who committed this crime to justice.
A hate-crime has been committed, that has upset the delicate balance of a small, ethnically diverse waterfront city Braxton in upstate New York. The film explores the circumstances around the kidnapping and disappearance of Five Hispanic migrant labors.
Rolando Ramirez (a Hispanic-American Detective, and a longtime resident of the community), has been assigned to this case by chance. Or was it fate? His journey will force him to question his own identity, and beliefs, on what it means to be a North American, and in turn, attempt to bring those who committed this crime to justice…some of whom were close friends from childhood.
Violence against Latinos and the story told in MI AMERICA is not unfamiliar to cities and towns across the U.S. where the conflict of disenfranchised Americans and immigrant workers have resulted in tragedy. The immigration dilemma and debate continues to rage on as we enter the politically charged battlefield of the 2016 election and Latinos continue to be targets.
This gripping murder mystery offers a potent opportunity to take a closer look at this dire issue in the media.
[via release]
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RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN Wins Top Award at 68th Locarno Film Festival | TRAILER
RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN by the South Korean director HONG Sangsoo is the winner of the Pardo d’oro, the top award, of the 68th Locarno Film Festival, along with award for Best Actor. In RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN, film director Ham Chun-su arrives in Suwon a day early by mistake, and has time to kill before his screening with a debate the next day. He stops by a restored, old palace and meets an artist named Yoon Hee-jung who introduces him to her paintings. They spend time together visiting her studio, having sushi and soju for dinner, spending time drinking with Hee-jung’s friends and they end up growing close to each other. But when Chun-su is asked if he is married, he has no choice but to reveal that he is, deeply disappointing Hee-jung.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBjQP6FbQEM
THITHI by Indian director Raam Reddy won two top awards, Pardo d’oro Cineasti Del Presente Premio Nescens and Swatch First Feature Award. THITHI tells the story of how three generations of sons react to the death of Century Gowda, their grandfather, a 101-year-old man, in a remote village in South India.
The 69th Festival del film Locarno will take August 3 –13, 2016
Concorso internazionale
Pardo d’oro
JIGEUMEUN MATGO GEUTTAENEUN TEULLIDA (Right Now, Wrong Then) by HONG Sangsoo, South Korea
Premio speciale della giuria (Special Jury Prize)
TIKKUN by Avishai Sivan, Israel
Pardo per la miglior regia (Best direction)
ANDRZEJ ZULAWSKI for COSMOS, France/Portugal
Pardo per la miglior interpretazione femminile (Best actress)
TANAKA SACHIE, KIKUCHI HAZUKI, MIHARA MAIKO, KAWAMURA RIRA for HAPPY HOUR by HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke, Japan
Pardo per la miglior interpretazione maschile (Best actor)
JUNG JAE-YOUNG for JIGEUMEUN MATGO GEUTTAENEUN TEULLIDA (Right Now, Wrong Then) by HONG Sangsoo, South Korea
Special Mention
For the script of HAPPY HOUR by HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke, Japan
For the cinematography by Shai Goldman for TIKKUN by Avishai Sivan, Israel
Concorso Cineasti del presente
Pardo d’oro Cineasti del presente – Premio Nescens
THITHI by Raam Reddy, India/USA/Canada
Premio speciale della giuria Ciné+ Cineasti del presente (Special Jury prize)
DEAD SLOW AHEAD by Mauro Herce, Spain/France
Premio per il miglior regista emergente (Prize for the best emerging director)
LU BIAN YE CAN (Kaili Blues) by BI Gan, China
First Feature
Swatch First Feature Award (Prize for Best First Feature)
THITHI by Raam Reddy, India/USA/Canada
Swatch Art Peace Hotel Award
SINA ATAEIAN DENA for MA DAR BEHESHT (Paradise), Iran/Gemany
Special Mentions
LU BIAN YE CAN (Kaili Blues) by BI Gan, China
KIEV/MOSCOW. PART 1 by Elena Khoreva, Russia/Estonia/Ukraine
Pardi di domani
Concorso internazionale
Pardino d’oro per il miglior cortometraggio internazionale – Premio SRG SSR
MAMA by Davit Pirtskhalava, Georgia
Pardino d’argento SRG SSR per il Concorso internazionale
LA IMPRESIÓN DE UNA GUERRA by Camilo Restrepo, France/Colombia
Locarno Nomination for the European Film Awards – Premio Pianifica
FILS DU LOUP by Lola Quivoron, France
Premio Film und Video Untertitelung
MAMA by Davit Pirtskhalava, Georgia
Special Mention
NUEVA VIDA by Kiro Russo, Argentina/Bolivia
Concorso nazionale
Pardino d’oro per il miglior cortometraggio svizzero – Premio Swiss Life
LE BARRAGE by Samuel Grandchamp, Switzerland/USA
Pardino d’argento Swiss Life per il Concorso nazionale
D’OMBRES ET D’AILES by Eleonora Marinoni, Elice Meng, Switzerland/France
Best Swiss Newcomer Award
LES MONTS S’EMBRASENT by Laura Morales, Switzerland
Prix du Public UBS
DER STAAT GEGEN FRITZ BAUER by Lars Kraume, Germany
Variety Piazza Grande Award
LA BELLE SAISON by Catherine Corsini, France
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PICNIC and THE HOUSE IS INNOCENT Are Grand Prize Winners of 2015 Rhode Island International Film Festival

The FLICKERS: . The 2015 Grand Prize winners are “Picnic,“ directed by Jure Pavlovic from Croatia (pictured above) that takes place in Sarajevo during rush hour.
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‘Back to the Future’ Documentary BACK IN TIME Eyes Future Release | TRAILER
“Back to the Future” fans will love this. Gravitas Ventures will release the documentary Back in Time, which takes a look at the very real impact the Back to the Future movies have had on our culture. Back in Time will receive a limited theatrical and VOD release later this year in October.
Directed by Jason Aron the documentary film Back in Time is, described as at its heart, a look at the very real impact the Back to the Future movies have had on our culture. What was once a little idea that spawned a tightly-focused documentary has grown into something truly amazing over two years of filming. Back in Time is a cinematic monument to the vastness of the trilogy’s fandom. In addition to the footage and interviews revolving around the time machine itself, the crew found that simply by delving into the impact of the trilogy an epic journey began to unfold before them. The crew captured countless hours of footage during filming. From Steven Spielberg to Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, to the Sheas and Hollers, and from James Tolkan and Lea Thompson to Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox, Back in Time features interview after interview that simply must be seen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvzcYS_NH7I
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PALIO,””Rocky” on Horseback”, Documentary Official Trailer, Sets US Release Date
The official trailer is released for the Italian horse racing documentary Palio directed by Cosima Spender, that premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Editing. The NY Times in a glowing article, noted “Cosima Spender’s “Palio” takes an equally offbeat subject, the brutally competitive semiannual horse races in the piazza of Siena, Italy, and treats it as if it were a classic sports movie — “Rocky” on horseback…”
In the heart of Tuscany, the dusty terra-cotta-tinged city of Siena is home to the world’s oldest horse race: the Palio. Twice a summer jockeys representing ten of the city’s historic districts maneuver through a frenzied course in the central Piazza del Campo, cheered and jeered in equal measure by passionate local supporters. The cutthroat spirit of the race speaks to its medieval roots, as riders are compelled to do whatever it takes to win both on the course and off; to succeed in the Palio taking bribes and making deals is just as essential as being a good rider. A master of the game’s complex strategies, renowned jockey Gigi Bruschelli needs just two more victories to become the winningest rider in the Palio’s storied history. But his former trainee Giovanni Atzeni, a young upstart keen to enter the pantheon of the race’s legends, stands in the way of his throne. With breathtaking cinematography, director Cosima Spender’s enthralling documentary captures the intensity of the event as well as the beauty of Siena. All together creating a mesmerizing portrait of an age-old tradition and the larger-than-life personalities who keep the spirit of the race alive each year. Tribeca Film Festival
Palio will be released in the U.S. on November 6, and on iTunes later that month. The next Palio race takes place this Sunday, August 16, in Siena, Italy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NGAIKMtvxY
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Danish War Drama LAND OF MINE to Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival
Martin Zandvliet’s war drama “Land of Mine” will open the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival’s brand new section, Platform. The film, Zandvliet’s third, unearths a lesser known chapter of Danish postwar history
Taking place in May 1945 only a few days after the end of the war, the film tells the story of how a group of German prisoners of war were brought to Denmark and forced to disarm the two million land mines that had been scattered along the West Coast by the German occupying forces. In charge of the enfeebled young men performing the dangerous task is Sergeant Carl Leopold Rasmussen. Like so many of his fellow Danes, he has a deep hatred for the Germans after having suffered five years of hardships during the occupation. He lets his rage rain down on the prisoners, until one day a tragic incident makes him change his view of the enemy even if it may be too late. Actor Roland Møller takes his first lead as the Danish sergeant in charge of the prisoners. Møller made his screen debut in Tobias Lindholm and Michael Noer’s prison drama “R” and went on to perform in Lindholm’s “A Hijacking” and Noer’s “Northwest”. Among the Danish cast is also Mikkel Boe Følsgaard (“A Royal Affair”), while the young Germans all are amateur actors, discovered through Berlin-based casting expert Simone Bär who has collaborated with Michael Haneke, among others. Zandvliet’s debut feature “Applause” (2009) received numerous awards, with quite a few directed at the film’s lead actress Paprika Steen. The film was selected for the Toronto Film Festival, as was Zandvliet’s second feature, “A Funny Man” (2011), which also enjoyed great domestic success with a total of 10 Robert and Bodil awards, Denmark’s highest film distinctions.
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World Premiere of REGRESSION Starring Ethan Hawke, Emma Watson to Open San Sebastian Film Festival | TRAILER
Alejandro Amenábar’s latest film, Regression, will open the coming edition of the San Sebastian Festival. The world premiere of the film, presented in the Official Selection out of competition, will take place on September 18.
Regression has an international cast headlining Ethan Hawke, Emma Watson, David Thewlis and David Dencik. In his sixth feature film, Alejandro Amenábar, who also wrote the screenplay, returns to a psychological thriller, a genre to which he has contributed already classic titles such as The Others, Abre los Ojos (Open Your Eyes) andTesis (Thesis). The film, shot in Canada in English, is produced by Fernando Bovaira.
Minnesota, 1990. Detective Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke) investigates the case of young Angela (Emma Watson), who accuses her father, John Gray (David Dencik), of an unspeakable crime. When John unexpectedly and without recollection admits guilt, renowned psychologist Dr. Raines (David Thewlis) is brought in to help him relive his memories and what they discover unmasks a horrifying nationwide mystery.
Regression will open in Spain on October 2 followed by key territories, including Germany, UK, France, Italy, China and Korea later this Fall. The remaining worldwide releases will take place in the months to follow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNxl56_ExWY



From August 22 through 25, 2015, Museum of the Moving Image in New York City will honor director Alex Ross Perry with a
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