• deadCENTER Film Festival Announces 2016 Dates, Opens Call For Entries

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    16th deadCENTER Film Festival The 16th deadCENTER Film Festival will take place Wednesday, June 8 through Sunday, June 12, 2016 in downtown Oklahoma City. Filmmakers may submit their films for review beginning on Monday, Aug. 10.  Films will be selected in the following categories: narrative feature, documentary feature, narrative short, documentary short, student film and Oklahoma film. Submissions can be made online through submissions platform, FilmFreeway.  The early bird deadline is Oct. 31 and entry fees vary based on the type of submission: $40 for narrative and documentary features, $25 for narrative shorts, documentary shorts, and Oklahoma films, and $20 for college films. High school films are free to submit. From hilarious comedies and Oscar nominated documentaries to scary horror films and intense dramas, deadCENTER selects a broad slate of films that cater to all tastes. More than 1000 films were submitted in 2015 from Oklahoma and around the world, and 110 were selected for an official screening. The festival added a distribution forum in 2012 to help filmmakers connect with sales agents and distributors. “For 16 years, deadCENTER has featured over 1,500 quality independent films providing a nationally recognized platform for filmmakers to share their work,” Director of Programming and Education Kim Haywood said. “The level of competition has escalated considerably over the last few years, attracting talent like Tim Blake Nelson, James Marsden, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Famke Janssen, Wes Studi, Bob Berney, Oscar winners Gray Frederickson, Matthew W. Mungle, and Albert S. Ruddy to Oklahoma City. 2016 is gearing up to be equally as amazing.” A record-breaking 30,000 people attended the screenings in 2015, generating an economic impact of more than $1.25 million for Oklahoma City.

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  • New Animals Rights Film Program at 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival, Includes World Premiere of Michael Vick Doc THE CHAMPIONS

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    THE CHAMPIONS A new signature film program devoted to animal rights, called Compassion, Justice and Animal Rights will debut at the 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival.  The new program will provide a platform for filmmakers to share meaningful information, stories of inspiration, and tools for creating a safe and humane world for animals.  Compassion, Justice & Animal Rights will explore this important movement on film, bringing together animal advocacy, environmental and social justice issues. The Animal Rights platform will look to awaken respect for the dignity and rights of living beings, and will allow filmmakers to share information and tools to create a safe and humane world. “Billions of animals continue to be abused every day and denied their basic right to life and protection against violence and cruelty,” said David Nugent, HIFF Artistic Director. “This new signature program will allow the Festival to join the important film movement that brings justice to animals, an effort that has been increasing impact and visibility worldwide.” In 2015, the HIFF Animal Rights program will consist of a small collection of narrative and/or documentary films within the theme screened at the Festival, a private reception, and the Zelda Penzel “Giving Voice to the Voiceless” Prize, which will be awarded to one of these films at the HIFF Awards Ceremony in October. Past winners of this award, which has been part of our awards ceremony for the past three years, include Virunga (Oscar® Nominee), Emptying the Skies, and HBO’s One Nation, Under Dog. This year’s Animal Rights lineup will include the world premiere of the documentary THE CHAMPIONS, directed by Darcy Dennett.  The Champions is an inspirational story about the pit-bulls rescued from the brutal fighting ring of Atlanta Falcon’s star quarterback Michael Vick, and those who risked it all to save them, despite pressure from PETA and The Humane Society to euthanize the dogs. A story of second-chances, redemption and hope, this uplifting documentary takes us on a journey about much more than just dogs—about prejudice, being misunderstood, the power of resilience, and the significance of the relationship we as humans have with animals. Gary Winick The festival also announced today that the popular Festival conversations held at Rowdy Hall (the series formerly known as the Rowdy Talks) has been renamed the Winick Talks at Rowdy Hall, in honor of the late film director and producer Gary Winick (pictured above on the set of “Charlotte’s Web”). Gary Winick, who was a longtime fan and supporter of the Hamptons International Film Festival—he considered the Hamptons his second home—won the HIFF Audience Award in 1999 for his drama The Tic Code, starring Gregory Hines, Polly Draper, and Chris Marquette. As a director, Winick’s other films included Tadpole, 13 Going on 30, andLetters to Juliet; his producing credits include Tape and Chelsea Walls. He passed away in 2011. The Gary Winick Memorial Fund, which was established to help young filmmakers hone their craft and further the art of cinema, will support the Winick Talks at Rowdy Hall. The fund previously created scholarships at the American Film Institute and Tufts University, both schools Winick attended. The Winick Talks at Rowdy Hall will take place three mornings in a row (October 9-11) at the East Hampton restaurant, featuring guest artists in moderated conversation, with audience participation. Topics and speakers will be announced soon. The events are free, and the public is invited to attend; coffee and light breakfast will be served.

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  • STONEWALL Official Trailer Faces Backlash From Some in LGBT Community

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    JEREMY IRVINE Character(s): Danny Film 'STONEWALL' (2015) Directed By ROLAND EMMERICH STONEWALL, a drama about a fictional young man caught up during the 1969 Stonewall Riots, considered the birthplace of the LGBT rights movement, which will World Premiere at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival, followed by a release in the theaters in the US on September 25th, just released its official trailer which is not going over well with some in the LGBT community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNXkJMXPBGc Why? According to Matt Baume in The Advocate, “The trailer focuses on a cis white boy who moved to New York just in time to spark the riots. And that’s hardly the full story of Stonewall, since participants included people of color, trans people, drag queens, and lesbians. In fact, I think it’s the diversity of the riots that makes them as powerful as they were and still are.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQxfdLnpTD4 “Accounts differ, so there’s no way to know for sure who started things or who the ringleaders were, and there’s no complete list of who was there. But participants included Marsha P. Johnson, a trans woman who’s said to have smashed a police car. There was Stormé DeLarverie, a butch lesbian who’s said to have thrown the first punch. And many participants describe seeing Sylvia Rivera, a 17-year old nonbinary-gender drag queen who went on to be a leader for disenfranchised groups for decades.” Roland Emmerich, who directed “Stonewall,” defended his film in a Facebook post, ” When I first learned about the Stonewall Riots through my work with the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, I was struck that the circumstances that lead to LGBT youth homelessness today are pretty much the same as they were 45 years ago. The courageous actions of everyone who fought against injustice in 1969 inspired me to tell a compelling, fictionalized drama of those days centering on homeless LGBT youth, specifically a young midwestern gay man who is kicked out of his home for his sexuality and comes to New York, befriending the people who are actively involved in the events leading up to the riots and the riots themselves. I understand that following the release of our trailer there have been initial concerns about how this character’s involvement is portrayed, but when this film – which is truly a labor of love for me – finally comes to theaters, audiences will see that it deeply honors the real-life activists who were there — including Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Ray Castro — and all the brave people who sparked the civil rights movement which continues to this day. We are all the same in our struggle for acceptance.” Actor Jeremy Irvine, who stars in the film (pictured above),also released a statement via Instagram where he states, “To anyone with concerns about the diversity of the #StonewallMovie. I saw the movie for the first time last week and can assure you all that it represents almost every race and section of society that was so fundamental to one of the most important civil rights movements in living history. Marsha P Johnson is a major part of the movie, and although first hand accounts of who threw the first brick in the riots vary wildly, it is a fictional black transvestite character played by the very talented @vlad_alexis who pulls out the first brick in the riot scenes. My character is adopted by a group of street kids whilst sleeping rough in New York. In my opinion, the story is driven by the leader of this gang played by @jonnybeauchamp who gives an extraordinary performance as a Puerto Rican transvestite struggling to survive on the streets. Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ character represents the Mattachine Society, who were at the time a mostly white and middle class gay rights group who stood against violence and radicalism. I felt incredibly nervous taking on this role knowing how important the subject matter is to so many people but Roland Emmerich is one of the most sensitive and heartfelt directors I’ve worked with and I hope that, as an ensemble, we have not only done such an important story justice but also made a good movie as well. Jeremy”

    To anyone with concerns about the diversity of the #StonewallMovie. I saw the movie for the first time last week and can assure you all that it represents almost every race and section of society that was so fundamental to one of the most important civil rights movements in living history. Marsha P Johnson is a major part of the movie, and although first hand accounts of who threw the first brick in the riots vary wildly, it is a fictional black transvestite character played by the very talented @vlad_alexis who pulls out the first brick in the riot scenes. My character is adopted by a group of street kids whilst sleeping rough in New York. In my opinion, the story is driven by the leader of this gang played by @jonnybeauchamp who gives an extraordinary performance as a Puerto Rican transvestite struggling to survive on the streets. Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ character represents the Mattachine Society, who were at the time a mostly white and middle class gay rights group who stood against violence and radicalism. I felt incredibly nervous taking on this role knowing how important the subject matter is to so many people but Roland Emmerich is one of the most sensitive and heartfelt directors I’ve worked with and I hope that, as an ensemble, we have not only done such an important story justice but also made a good movie as well. Jeremy

    A photo posted by Jeremy Irvine (@_jeremyirvine) on

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  • 24 Films in Zabaltegi Section of the 63rd San Sebastian Festival

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    IN THE ROOM, ERIC KHOO The Zabaltegi program at the 63rd San Sebastian Festival showcases the Spanish premieres of the latest works by reputed filmmakers including Laurie Anderson,  Jem Cohen, Anca Damian,  Andrés Di Tella, Eric Khoo, Corneliu Porumboiu, Walter Salles, and Alexander Sokurov, alongside films selected for international festivals at which they have won numerous awards. Feature films, documentaries, animated movies and a short film make up a selection that reflects the vitality of contemporary cinema. 327 CUADERNOS ANDRÉS DI TELLA (ARGENTINA – CHILE) A documentary by Andrés Di Tella starring Ricardo Piglia, one of the great narrators in the Spanish language, who decides to closely read his intimate diary for the first time. A record of 50 years of life. 327 identical notebooks, all with black oilskin covers, stored away in 40 cardboard boxes. ADAMA SIMON ROUBY (FRANCE) Premiered at Annecy Film Festival, an animated coming-of-age story. 12-year-old Adama lives in a remote West African village. One night his older brother, Samba, disappears and he decides to set off in search of him on a quest that takes him over the seas, to the North, to the frontline of the First World War. ALLENDE MI ABUELO ALLENDE (BEYOND MY GRANDFATHER ALLENDE) MARCIA TAMBUTTI (CHILE) BEYOND MY GRANDFATHER ALLENDE 35 years after the coup d’état that overthrew her grandfather, Salvador Allende, Marcia draws a family portrait that addresses the complexities of irreparable loss and the role of memory in three generations of an iconic family. Winner of the L’Oeil d’Or award for Best Documentary at the last Cannes Festival. COMOARA / THE TREASURE CORNELIU PORUMBOIU (ROMANIA – FRANCE) Corneliu Porumboiu returns with a tender black comedy, in which a father’s love transforms an unlikely treasure hunt into a fairytale. Winner of the Un Certain Talent Prize at the last Cannes Festival. COUNTING JEM COHEN (USA) Fifteen distinct but interconnected chapters, shot in locations from Russia to New York City to Istanbul. Together, these build to a reckoning at the intersection of city symphony, diary, and essay film. Perhaps the most personal of Cohen’s documentary works, it measures street life, light, and time, noting not only surveillance and over-development but resistance and its phantoms as manifested in music, animals and everyday magic. EFTERSKALV / THE HERE AFTER MAGNUS VON HORN (POLAND – SWEDEN – FRANCE) The feature directorial debut by Magnus von Horn was presented at the Cannes Festival Directors’ Fortnight. After having served time in prison, John’s punishment has come to an end. But he soon discovers that the real pain he needs to experience has not yet begun. FRANCOFONIA ALEXANDER SOKUROV (FRANCE – GERMANY – NETHERLANDS) Paris 1940: Large armies are trampling on the heart of civilisation and cannon fire is once again taking its toll. Jacques Jaujard and Count Franziskus Wolff Metternich worked together to protect and preserve the treasure of the Louvre Museum. Alexander Sokurov tells their story. He explores the relationship between art and power, and asks what art tells us about ourselves, at the very heart of one of the most devastating conflicts the world has ever known. The film will compete in the Official Selection of the Venice Film Festival. HEART OF A DOG LAURIE ANDERSON (USA) Composer and artist Laurie Anderson explores in this personal essay film themes of love death and language. The director’s voice is a constant presence as stories of her dog Lolabelle, her mother, childhood fantasies, political and philosophical theories unfurl in a seamless song like stream. The film will compete in the Official Selection at the Venice Film Festival. IN THE ROOM ERIC KHOO (HONG KONG – SINGAPORE) (pictured main image aboce) Eric Khoo’s latest film is a tapestry of stories, all of which unfold in a hotel room over several decades. The common thread is sex. That hotel room is Room 27 at the Singapura Hotel, which started out as a ritzy establishment in the 1940s but has, over the decades, lost its sheen of respectability. In that time, Room 27 has felt and experienced – through the individuals who have passed through its doors and made love on its bed – all facets of the human condition: joy, love, fear, compassion, cruelty, depravity and redemption. UNE JEUNESSE ALLEMANDE / A GERMAN YOUTH JEAN-GABRIEL PÉRIOT (FRANCE – SWITZERLAND – GERMANY) A chronicle of the political radicalization of a number of German youths in the late 1960s, giving rise to the Red Army Faction (RAF), a German revolutionary terrorist group founded, among others, by Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof. It premiered at the Berlinale’s Dokumente Panorama section. JIA ZHANG-KE, UM HOMEM DE FENYANG / JIA ZHANGKE, A GUY FROM FENYANG WALTER SALLES (BRAZIL) The portrait of a young Chinese director who has become one of the most important filmmakers of our time. The documentary, directed by Walter Salles, dwells on the question of memory (individual as well as collective) and cinema. Jia Zhang-ke returns to his birthplace, the Shanxi province in Northern China, and to the locations of his films. It premiered at the Berlinale’s Dokumente Panorama section. KARATSI / LOSERS IVAILO HRISTOV (BULGARIA) Winner of the top prize at Moscow Film Festival, this film stars Elena, Koko, Patso and Gosho, high school students in a small provincial town. Koko is in love with Elena. She wants to be a singer and is excited about the upcoming concert by a famous rock band. An event that shakes up the town and gives birth to new love. MARIPOSA MARCO BERGER (ARGENTINA) MARIPOSA, MARCO BERGER A butterfly’s flapping wings divides Romino and Germán’s universe into two parallel realities: in one of them they grow as siblings who conceal their desire for one another; while in the other they are two youngsters who have an unusual friendship. Winning film of the Sebastiane Latino 2015 Award. MONTANHA JOÃO SALAVIZA (PORTUGAL – FRANCE) A hot summer in Lisbon. David, 14, awaits the imminent death of his grandfather but refuses to visit him, fearing this terrible loss. The void already left by his grandfather forces David to become the man of the house. He doesn’t feel ready to assume this new role, but without realizing it: the more David tries to avoid adulthood, the more he gets closer to it…Selected for Venice’s Critics’ Week. MUNTELE MAGIC / THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN ANCA DAMIAN (ROMANIA – FRANCE – POLAND) The latest film by filmmaker Anca Damian (Crulic) landed a special mention at the Karlovy Vary Festival. In the form of an animated docudrama, the biography of Adam Jacek Winker, a Polish refugee in Paris, portrays a boundless life driven by the desire to change the world. PSICONAUTAS ALBERTO VÁZQUEZ, PEDRO RIVERO (SPAIN) Teenagers Birdboy and Dinki have decided to escape from an island devastated by ecological catastrophe: Birdboy by shutting himself off from the world, Dinki by setting out on a dangerous voyage in the hope that Birdboy will accompany him. THE SHOW OF SHOWS: 100 YEARS OF VAUDEVILLE, CIRCUSES AND CARNIVALS BENEDIKT ERLINGSSON (ICELAND – UK) Benedikt Erlingsson, winner of the Kutxa-New Directors Award in 2013 for Of Horse and Men, takes us back to the days when the most outlandish, skillful and breathtaking acts traveled the world. In this film, rarities and never-before seen footage of fairgrounds, circus entertainment, freak shows, variety performances, music hall and seaside entertainment are chronicled from the 19th and 20th century with an original score by Sigur Rós. SWAP REMTON ZUASOLA (PHILIPPINES) SWAP, REMTON ZUASOLA Produced by Brillante Mendoza, Remton Zuasola’s film tells the story of a young father torn between solving a crime and committing another when his only son is kidnapped and the only way to get him back is to kidnap another child in exchange for his life. The following titles join the Spanish productions already announced: UN DÍA VI 10.000 ELEFANTES – Alex Guimerà, Juan Pajares ISLA BONITA – Fernando Colomo MI QUERIDA ESPAÑA – Mercedes Moncada LA NOVIA – Paula Ortiz THE PROPAGANDA GAME – Álvaro Longoria DUELLUM (Short film) – Tucker Dávila Wood

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  • Todd Haynes to Receive Director Tribute at IFP’s 25th Gotham Independent Film Awards

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    Todd Haynes Todd Haynes will be presented with this year’s Director Tribute at the 25th Annual IFP Gotham Independent Film Awards. Each year, the Director Tribute is awarded to a veteran filmmaker with unique vision who has made a significant contribution to the motion picture industry. In its press release the IFP states that Todd Haynes exemplifies the true independent spirit, with a career spanning over the last three decades and a truly extraordinary and uncompromising body of work. Haynes made his directorial debut in 1987 with the controversial short film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, using Barbie dolls to portray the life and death of singer Karen Carpenter. His feature film debut followed in 1991 with the provocative Poison, which went on to win the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance, spearheading what would become known as the New Queer Cinema. Haynes’s second feature, Safe, was later voted the best film of the 90’s by the Village Voice’s Critic Poll. Haynes’s next film, Velvet Goldmine, premiered in Official Selection at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a Special Jury Prize. This was followed by Far From Heaven (2002), which received four Oscar nominations, including one for Haynes’ Original Screenplay. His 2007 film, I’m Not There, imagined the life and work of Bob Dylan through the guise of seven fictional characters, and once again won him mass critical acclaim. In 2011, Haynes directed and co-wrote Mildred Pierce, a five-hour mini-series, which garnered 21 Emmy nominations, winning five of them, in addition to three Golden Globes Awards. His latest feature film, Carol, premiered in the Official Selection of the 2015 Cannes Films Festival, where Rooney Mara was awarded the prize for Best Actress. The much-anticipated film, which also stars Cate Blanchett, is scheduled for release in November 2015. “We are thrilled to present the Director Tribute to Todd Haynes in our 25th Anniversary year” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director, IFP and Made in NY Media Center. “Todd’s career exemplifies precisely the kind of visionary, independent filmmaking the Gotham Awards first began championing in 1991. We’re also honored to celebrate screenwriting this year for the first time, finally giving due credit to the significance of this craft to independent film as an art form.” The eight competitive Gotham Awards include Best Feature, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Documentary, Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor, Audience Award, and now Best Screenplay. Recent past winners include Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), CITIZENFOUR, and Boyhood (2014) Inside Lleywn Davis, Fruitvale Station and The Act of Killing (2013); Moonrise Kingdom, Beasts of the Southern Wild and How to Survive a Plague (2012);Beginners, The Tree of Life and Better This World (2011); all of which went on to win numerous awards and garner Oscar™ nominations. Last year the organization honored director Bennett Miller, actress Tilda Swinton, and Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. Todd Haynes and the additional Gotham Awards tribute recipients to be announced will join a prestigious group of previous honorees including: Jeff Skoll, James Schamus, Bob & Harvey Weinstein, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sheila Nevins, Jonathan Sehring and film critic Roger Ebert; actors Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Charlize Theron, Stanley Tucci, Natalie Portman, Javier Bardem, and Penélope Cruz; filmmakers David O. Russell, David Cronenberg, Mira Nair and Gus Van Sant.

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  • 19th Fantasia International Film Festival Awards, TAG by Sion Son Wins Best Film

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    TAG by Sion Sono After 23 days of screenings, the 19th Fantasia International Film Festival closed with the World Premiere of ATTACK ON TITAN from Shinji Higuchi, and announced the names of the winners of its awards. The prizes were awarded by the juries of each category.  TAG by Sion Sono (pictured above) took home the Cheval Noir Award for Best Film, along with Award for Best Actress for Reina Triendl, and a Special Mention for its “creative, surprising, and monumental opening kill sequence.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSmNYUj7oFo
    Two buses filled with jubilant schoolgirls are rolling down a country road, and Mitsuko is the only one who is sitting calmly, writing poetry. When she bends down to pick up a pencil dropped by her friend, something unthinkable happens: both vehicles are cut in half by an invisible entity, lengthwise. Standing amidst dozens of severed bodies, the young girl is suddenly being chased by a homicidal wind whose clutches she barely escapes. When she finally makes it back to school after a hot pursuit, she finds herself surrounded by her fellow classmates who are acting as nothing ever happened. Was she dreaming? Hallucinating? Is Mitsuko trapped in a parallel dimension? What’s certain is that she’s at the mercy of Sion Sono’s twisted imagination! via Fantasia Film Festival
    The 20th anniversary edition of The Fantasia International Film Festival will take place in Montreal from July 14 to August 2, 2016. CHEVAL NOIR AWARD – FEATURE FILMS The jury, presided over by Andrew Frank (VP of Sales and Acquisitions, Mongrel Media) and composed of Roxanne Benjamin (filmmaker), François Létourneau (writer and actor), Ian Rattray (co-founder, Film4 FrightFest), and Ryan Turek (director of development, Blumhouse Productions), awarded the following prizes: Cheval Noir Award for Best Film: TAG by Sion Sono Award for Best Director: Malik Bader for CASH ONLY Award for Best Screenplay: Tomoe Kanno for LA LA LA AT ROCK BOTTOM Award for Best Actor (unanimous): Subaru Shibutani for LA LA LA AT ROCK BOTTOM Award for Best Actress (unanimous): Reina Triendl for TAG Special Mention for Sion Sono’s TAG for its creative, surprising, and monumental opening kill sequence. NEW FLESH AWARD – FIRST FEATURES The jury, presided over by Patrick Ewald (CEO, Epic Pictures) and composed of Dave Alexander (Editor-in-Chief, Rue Morgue Magazine), Jimmy Beaulieu (comic artist), and Emico Kawai (Producer and International Sales, Nikkatsu Corporation), awarded the following prizes: New Flesh Award for Best First Feature Film: CRUMBS by Miguel Llanso Special Mention awarded to THE BLUE HOUR by Anucha Boonyawatana for the artist’s courage and vision INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION PRIZE The jury, presided over by John McNaughton (filmmaker) and composed of Matthew Hays (journalist) and Francesco Simeoni (Film preservationist, director of Arrow Video), awarded the following prizes: Award for Best International Short Film: MAURICE by François Jaros Special Mention awarded to LA SÉANCE by Edouard de La Poëze for its atmosphere, décor, and wardrobe SATOSHI KON AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ANIMATION The jury, presided over by Benoit Godbout (filmmaker and artistic director) and composed of Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre (filmmaker) and Johanne Ste-Marie (filmmaker), awarded the following prizes: Satoshi Kon Award for Best Animated Feature Film: MISS HOKUSAI by Keiichi Hara Special Mention awarded to POSSESSED by Sam for its playful homage to horror cinema Satoshi Kon Award for Best Animated Short Film: MISSING ONE PLAYER by Lei Lei Special Mention awarded to GHOST CELL by Antoine Delacharlery for its technical and visual excellence Satoshi Kon Award for Best Family Short Film: UNE HISTOIRE D’OURS by Gabriel Osorio Special Mention awarded to LA MOUFLE by Clémentine Robach for the charm and beauty of its animation and story BARRY CONVEX AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM The Winner of Spectacular Optical’s 2015 Barry Convex Award for Best Canadian Feature or Co-Production is Larry Kent’s SHE WHO MUST BURN. Whether with words or imagery, Larry’s films have always been ferocious and critically engaged with the culture he creates them in. The award is accompanied by a $1000 prize, thanks to The Paul A. Ray Memorial Fund. PRIX AQCC 2015 The jury, composed of Céline Gobert, André Lavoie, and Jean-Marie Lanlo, awarded the Prix AQCC to BRIDGEND by Jeppe Ronde. PRIX SÉQUENCES The jury, composed of Pascal Grenier, Maxime Labrecque, and Mathieu Séguin-Tétreault, awarded the Prix Séquences to MISS HOKUSAI by Keiichi Hara, with a Special Mention for THE BLUE HOURby Anucha Boonyawatana. PRIX L’ÉCRAN FANTASTIQUE The Prix L’Écran fantastique, judged by Yves Rivard, was awarded to SYNCHRONICITY by Jacob Gentry. AUDIENCE AWARDS Best Asian Feature: Gold Prize – LOVE & PEACE by Sion Sono Silver Prize – Poison Berry in My Brain / A Hard Day (TIE) Bronze Prize – Robbery Best European, North American, or South American Feature: Gold Prize – THERAPY FOR A VAMPIRE by David Ruhm Silver Prize – Marshland Bronze Prize – Børning / Turbo Kid / Shamer’s Daughter (THREE-WAY TIE) Best Canadian or Quebec Feature: Gold Prize – TURBO KID by Anouk Whissell, François Simard, and Yoann-Karl Whissell Silver Prize – Bite / Demolisher (TIE) Bronze Prize – Limoilou Best Animated Feature: Gold Prize – MISS HOKUSAI by Keiichi Hara Silver Prize – Possessed Bronze Prize – The Case of Hanna and Alice Best Documentary: I AM THOR by Ryan Wise Guru Prize for Best Action Feature: BIG MATCH by Choi Ho AddikTV Prize for Best Thriller or Suspense Film: MARSHLAND by Alberto Rodriguez Most Innovative Short or Feature: THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE by Perry Blackshear Best Short Film: Gold Prize – GOLD FISH by Michael Konyves Silver Prize – Fools Day Bronze Prize – Iris

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  • Documentary WINTER ON FIRE: UKRAINE’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM to Debut on Netflix After Premiere at Venice Film Fest

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    Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom, directed by Evgeny Afineevsky The documentary Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, directed by Evgeny Afineevsky, will debut on Friday, October 9, 2015 exclusively on Netflix, after making its world premiere at the 72nd Venice Film Festival in September. Chronicling events that unfolded over 93 days in 2013 and 2014, Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom witnesses the formation of a new civil rights movement in Ukraine. What started as peaceful student demonstrations supporting European integration morphed into a full-fledged violent revolution calling for the resignation of the nation’s president. The film captures the remarkable mobilization of nearly a million citizens from across the country protesting the corrupt political regime that utilized extreme force against its own people to suppress their demands and freedom of expression. “While we were filming unfathomably brutal attacks by the police on unarmed citizens, we weren’t thinking about how to get the best shots, only the importance of showing the ways in which the movement would forever change the country and the lives of its participants,” said director Evgeny Afineevsky. The Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom filmmakers investigated the escalating political crisis in Ukraine from directly within the conflict zone. At the onset of demonstrations, they were there to record the special forces who were deployed to disperse the crowds, beating and seriously injuring hundreds of protesters. It was this moment that ultimately gave rise to mass protests and large-scale civil unrest in the country. In response, millions of Ukrainians rallied together to fight against the police state. Through interviews with protesters, activists, journalists, medical workers, artists and clergy representing multiple generations, social classes, nationalities and faiths, including a twelve-year old volunteer, the film tells the story of a diverse movement that self-organized towards one common goal, that stood their ground in the midst of extreme bloodshed, despair and the harshest of conditions. Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom is Evgeny Afineevsky’s third feature documentary. He has produced over ten feature and short films, including the 2002 adaptation of Crime & Punishment, starring Vanessa Redgrave, Crispin Glover, John Hurt and Margot Kidder. He also produced and directed numerous TV projects. His feature directorial debut, Oy Vey! My Son is Gay! has garnered numerous awards at film festivals globally.

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  • Eight Films Added to Official Selection of 2015 San Sebastian Festival

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    21 NUITS AVEC PATTIE / 21 NIGHTS WITH PATTIE JEAN-MARIE LARRIEU, ARNAUD LARRIEU Eight films have been added to the competition for the Golden Shell at the upcoming 2015 San Sebastian Festival, running from September 18 to 26. Films include French directors Jean-Marie and Arnaud Larrieu’s new film 21 NUITS AVEC PATTIE / 21 NIGHTS WITH PATTIE, which tells the story of Caroline, a woman who cuts her vacation short to organize the funeral of her mother, Isabelle, who has died suddenly at her house in the Pyrenees. 21 NUITS AVEC PATTIE / 21 NIGHTS WITH PATTIE JEAN-MARIE LARRIEU, ARNAUD LARRIEU (FRANCE) (pictured above) French directors Jean-Marie and Arnaud Larrieu’s new film tells the story of Caroline, a woman who cuts her vacation short to organise the funeral of her mother, Isabelle, who has died suddenly at her house in the Pyrenees. She befriends Pattie who looks after her mother’s house. But her funeral preparations take an unexpected twist when her mother’s body mysteriously disappears. BAKEMONO NO KO / THE BOY AND THE BEAST MAMORU HOSODA (JAPAN) The latest film from the master of anime, Mamoru Hosoda is the first animatied film to compete at the San Sebastian Film Festival Official Selection. Kyuta is a solitary boy who lives in Tokyo, and Kumatetsu is a supernatural creature isolated in an imaginary world. One day the boy crosses the border into the imaginary world and makes friends with Kumatetsu, who becomes his friend and spiritual guide. The encounter opens the way to all sorts of adventures. LES DÉMONS / THE DEMONS PHILIPPE LESAGE (CANADA) The Demons, directed by Quebec director Philippe Lesage While a series of kidnappings of young boys is raging in Montreal, Felix, 10, finished school in Old Longueuil, an ordinary suburb of peaceful appearance. Imaginative and sensitive, Felix, like many children, is afraid of everything. Little by little, the childhood imaginary demons mix with demons of a disturbing reality. EVOLUTION LUCILE HADZIHALILOVIC (FRANCE – BELGIUM – SPAIN) After winning the New Directors award in 2004 with Innocence, Lucile Hadzihalilovic returns to the San Sebastian Festival with her new film. On a remote island inhabited solely by women and young boys, Nicolas and the other boys are subjected to mysterious and sinister medical treatments. HIGH-RISE BEN WHEATLEY (UK) British director Ben Wheatley presents his last work, based on J.G. Ballard’s novel of the same name. Dr. Robert Laing moves into his new apartment seeking soulless anonymity, only to find that the building’s residents have no intention of leaving him alone. As he struggles to establish his position, Laing’s good manners and sanity disintegrate along with the building. MOIRA LEVAN TUTBERIDZE (GEORGIA) This is a dramatic story of the family living in the seaside city. After Mamuka is released from prison, he tries to rescue his family from poverty. His mother is working abroad, his father is wheelchair-ridden, and his unemployed younger brother appears to be attracted by criminals. Mamuka takes a loan and buys a small fishing boat. But fate is often blind and merciless SPARROWS RÚNAR RÚNARSSON (ICELAND – DENMARK – CROATIA) A coming-of-age story about the 16-year old boy Ari, who has been living with his mother in Reykjavik and is suddenly sent back to the remote Westfjords to live with his father Gunnar. There, he has to navigate a difficult relationship with his father, and he finds his childhood friends changed. In these hopeless and declining surroundings, Ari has to step up and find his way. SUNSET SONG TERENCE DAVIES (UK – LUXEMBOURG) SUNSET SONG TERENCE DAVIES An intimate epic of hope, tragedy and love at the dawning of the Great War, adapted from the Scottish novel by Lewis Grassic Gibbon and directed by Terence Davies. These titles join the Official Selection to the Spanish productions already announced: AMAMA (Amama: When a tree falls) – Asier Altuna EL APÓSTATA (The Apostate) – Federico Veiroj UN DIA PERFECTE PER VOLAR – Marc Recha EVA NO DUERME (Eva doesn´t sleep) – Pablo Agüero EL REY DE LA HABANA (The king of Havana) – Agustí Villaronga TRUMAN – Cesc Gay MI GRAN NOCHE – Álex de la Iglesia (Not in competition) LEJOS DEL MAR (Far from the sea) – Imanol Uribe (Special screenings) NO ESTAMOS SOLOS – Pere Joan Ventura (Special screenings)

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  • European Premiere of STEVE JOBS to Close 59th BFI London Film Festival | TRAILER

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    Steve Jobs directed by Danny Boyle STEVE JOBS directed by Academy Award winner Danny Boyle will be the Closing Night film of the 59th BFI London Film Festival. Working from Walter Isaacson’s best-selling biography, STEVE JOBS is directed by Academy Award winner Danny Boyle and written by Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin. The film takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to create a revealing portrait of the man at its epicenter. STEVE JOBS stars Michael Fassbender in the title role, Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Katherine Waterston. Boyle, Fassbender and Winslet will attend the Closing Night Gala, which marks the film’s European Premiere, on Sunday October 18 at the Odeon Leicester Square. STEVE JOBS is the third film directed by Boyle to close the BFI London Film Festival, following SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008) and 127 HOURS (2010). Spanning a period of 14 years between 1984 and 1998 the story is built around three seminal product launches — of the Macintosh in 1984, the NeXT ‘Cube’ in 1988 and the iMac in 1998 — and it uses this innovative structure to create a cross-hatched portrait of Jobs’ life and to tell the story of the new mass-market technologies that have revolutionized how we communicate with one another. Director Danny Boyle, says: If London was the cradle of the Industrial Revolution then San Francisco is the Bethlehem of the digital one. We had a brilliant time making this movie in Silicon Valley and I hope Londoners will enjoy a behind-the-scenes look into the making of the modern world. It’s always special to bring work home so thanks to BFI London Film Festival for their continued support. In addition to Fassbender and Winslet, the film stars Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, and Jeff Daniels as John Sculley, the former Apple CEO. The principal cast also includes Katherine Waterston as Chrisann Brennan, Jobs’ ex-girlfriend, and Michael Stuhlbarg as Andy Hertzfeld, one of the original members of the Apple Macintosh development team. The 59th BFI London Film Festival runs from Wednesday 7 October to Sunday 18 October 2015. The full program for the Festival will be announced on Tuesday 1 September 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEr6K1bwIVs

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  • Guy Édoin’s “Ville-Marie” to World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

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    Ville-Marie , Guy Édoin Canadian filmmaker Guy Édoin’s second feature film Ville-Marie will World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival as a “Special Presentation”.  “It is a great honour that Ville-Marie will have its world premiere at TIFF, a festival that has seen me grow and evolve as a filmmaker over the course of my five films” declared the director. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB2WPgCyKlQ The film stars Monica Bellucci (Spectre), Pascale Bussières (When Night Is Falling), Patrick Hivon (À l’origine d’un cri)  and Aliocha Schneider (Le journal d’Aurélie Laflamme), who has also been selected as one of four TIFF RISING STARS 2015. Designed to find the next generation of Canadian actors poised for international careers, TIFF Rising Stars draws homegrown talent into the bright spotlight provided by the annual September Festival. An actress (Monica Bellucci) in town shooting a film, hopes to reconcile with her son (Aliocha Schneider). A paramedic (Patrick Hivon), haunted by his past struggles, is under the watchful eye of a nurse (Pascale Bussière) who is trying to keep the emergency room running at Ville Marie Hospital, where these four lives will come together and take an unexpected turn. Written by Guy Édoin, in collaboration with Jean-Simon DesRochers, Ville-Marie was the very first Canadian script to be officially selected for L’Atelier de la Cinéfondation at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014. Guy Édoin’s creative team includes Director of photography Serge Desrosiers; Artistic Director David Pelletier; Costume Designer Julia Patkos; Editor Yvann Thibaudeau; and Music Composer Olivier Alary who worked in collaboration with Johannes Malfatti.
 
The film received financial support from SODEC, Téléfilm, provincial and federal tax credits as well as the Harold Greenberg Fund. Ville-Marie is produced by Félize Frappier of Max Films Media, distributed in Canada by Filmoption International, and sold worldwide by Films Boutique. Ville-Marie will be released in theaters on October 9th, in Quebec, Canada.

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  • French Coming of Age Film BREATHE Gets US Release Date

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    BREATHE is the second feature by actress-turned-director Mélanie Laurent BREATHE, described as a taut coming-of-age tale of the depths and escalating passions in female friendships, and starring talented newcomers Joséphine Japy and Lou De Laâge as two young girls whose all-consuming friendship takes a dark and dangerous turn, will open at the IFC Center in New York on September 11th, and at the Laemmle Royal in LA on September 18th. A national release will follow. BREATHE is the second feature by actress-turned-director Mélanie Laurent ( Inglorious Basterds, Beginnings ), and her assured adaptation of the French young-adult novel of the same name. Charlie (Joséphine Japy) is seventeen and bored. Her estranged parents are too caught up in their own drama to pay much attention to her. School holds no surprises either and Charlie grows tired of her staid friends. Enter Sarah (Lou De Laâge), a hip new transfer student who brings with her an alluring air of boldness and danger. The two girls form an instant connection. Sarah brings the excitement Charlie so desperately seeks, and Charlie is a stable influence on the wild child. Through shared secrets, love interests and holiday getaways, their relationship deepens to levels of unspoken intimacy, which eventually leads to jealousy and unrealistic expectations, and the teens soon find themselves on a trajectory toward a jarring outcome. Already well-known as an actress in her native France, Mélanie Laurent ’s international breakthrough was her portrayal of Shosanna Dreyfus in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, for which she shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast with her co-stars. Her numerous credits include Beginners in which she played Ewan McGregor’s girlfriend, the Golden Globe-nominated film The Concert, and Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy co-starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Ms. Laurent will next be seen in the Angelina Jolie-directed film By the Sea, co-starring Ms. Jolie and Brad Pitt, as well as in French-Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung’s Eternité. Her next directorial effort is Demain, a documentary about the environment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXncAEif-zY

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  • THE DEMONS Directed by Philippe Lesage to World Premiere at San Sebastian International Film Festival

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    The Demons, directed by Quebec director Philippe Lesage The Demons, directed by Quebec director Philippe Lesage, will get its world premiere in official competition at the 63rd San Sebastian International Film Festival (Donostia Zinemaldia)  in Spain, which runs Sept. 18 to 26. The Demons will be competing for the Concha de Oro, the festival’s top prize, awarded in the past to such luminaries as Francis Ford Coppola, Claude Chabrol, Bahman Ghobadi, François Ozon, Peter Mullan and Arturo Ripstein. “I’m very honoured and happy to see my first feature selected in official competition at the prestigious San Sebastian festival,” said Lesage. “Bravo to our entire team!” The film’s exceptional cast is mostly made up of children and teenagers, some making their first appearance on screen. The young actors include Édouard Tremblay-Grenier, Yannick Gobeil-Dugas, Vassili Schneider, Sarah Mottet, Mathis Thomas, Théodore Pellerin and Rose-Marie Perreault. They play alongside  such seasoned professionals as Laurent Lucas, Pascale Bussières, Bénédicte Décary and younger talents including Victoria Diamond and Pier-Luc Funk. The Demons, directed by Quebec director Philippe Lesage With the city of Montreal shaken by a series of kidnappings of young boys, a sensitive 10-year-old named Félix lets his imagination run wild as he comes to the end of his school year. Nothing much ever seems to happen in the quiet suburbs where he lives, but Félix is afraid of everything: his parents’ impending divorce, the maniacs who target little boys, his weird neighbours, even the AIDS epidemic. Slowly but surely, the child’s imaginary demons begin to resemble those of the real, disturbing world around him. Before venturing into fiction, Philippe Lesage made four feature-length documentaries: Pourrons-nous vivre ensemble ? (2007), Comment savoir si les petits poissons sont heureux ? (2009), Ce cœur qui bat (2010) andLaylou (2011). Centred on life in a Montreal hospital, Ce cœur qui bat won the prize for best Canadian film and most promising Canadian film at the 2010 Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal (RIDM), as well as the prize for best feature documentary at the 2012 Jutras. In 2011, Lepage was honoured with a retrospective of his works at the Cinémathèque Québécoise called Découvrir Lesage, giving the public a chance to see his early films. Between his many projects, Lesage also taught filmmaking at the European Film College in Denmark. His first two feature dramas – Copenhague A Love Story and The Demons – have been selected at a number of festivals and will open in cinemas in 2015 and 2016. His next feature, Genèse, is now in pre-production, with shooting slated to begin in the summer of 2016. Produced by Galilé Marion-Gauvin and Philippe Lesage for Les Films de l’Autre in collaboration with Unité Centrale, The Demons is written and directed by Philippe Lesage (2012 Jutra for best documentary, Ce cœur qui bat). The crew includes Dominique Noujeim, associate producer; Nicolas Canniccioni, director of photography; Marjorie Rhéaume, artistic director; Marcel Chouinard and Pascal Van Strydonck, sound (with overall design by Olivier Calvert); and Mathieu Bouchard Malo, editing. The Demons received funding from the SODEC, Téléfilm Canada, the CALQ, Super Écran and La Société Radio-Canada , as well as federal and Quebec tax credits. The film is distributed in Canada by Funfilm Distribution and will open in Quebec cinemas on Oct. 30.

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