• New York Film Festival Unveils Official 2018 Poster

    56th New York Film Festival Poster It is here – the poster for the 56th New York Film Festival (September 28 – October 14), collaboratively designed by cinematographer Ed Lachman and visual artist JR.  NYFF posters are a yearly artistic signature of the festival, and Lachman and JR join an impressive legacy of artists whose work has been commissioned for it, including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, Julian Schnabel, Cindy Sherman, and last year’s artist, Richard Serra. “This year’s poster came together in the best imaginable way—spontaneously, at last year’s festival,” said New York Film Festival Director Kent Jones. “Dan Stern, our board president, was talking to Ed Lachman, one of the best DPs alive, a visual artist, and a regular at the NYFF, and asked him if he had any interest in doing a poster for this year. Ed thought it over, got back to Dan, and told him that he and JR—who was at the festival with his amazing collaboration with Agnès Varda, Faces Places—had been discussing the possibility of a collaboration, and they’d agreed that the NYFF poster presented them with a great opportunity. The result is better than we could ever have imagined, a real thing of beauty, and it’s going to be a favorite.” On the partnership and thought process behind this year’s poster, Ed Lachman explains, “Being at the Festival is the highlight of the year for me, when I’m not working. It’s a place to meet, share, and experience what cinema can be. The opportunity to create the poster for the New York Film Festival and collaborate with JR was a formidable experience and similar to filmmaking, where one works with other visual artists to create a project. I’ve had the greatest respect and admiration for his work over the years, both visually and how he engages communities he’s portraying within a social context, which I think is so important in today’s world, to find how we’re all connected, rather than separated and divided.” According to Lachman, “The idea came together using JR’s emblematic eyes . . . What is cinema without the mind, the heart, and the eyes of the filmmakers? Using the director’s eyes can symbolize the creative force behind the images and the stories that the Festival has championed and represented to New York over the years, supported by the audience holding the placards of their eyes, and what can be more New York than our alleyways?” A revered and award-winning cinematographer, Ed Lachman has shot more than 100 narrative, experimental, and documentary titles in the United States and internationally. He is known for his collaborations with Todd Haynes, Steven Soderbergh, Robert Altman, Paul Schrader, Todd Solondz, Sofia Coppola, Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders, Volker Schlöndorff, Ulrich Seidl, and Jean Luc-Godard, among others. Lachman’s work has garnered him numerous honors including Academy Award nominations for his work on Carol (2015) and Far from Heaven (2002), as well as an Emmy nomination for the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce (2011). He has been honored with the American Society of Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award, Telluride Medallion Award, Gotham Award, and this year at Cannes with the 2018 Angenieux ExcelLens in Cinematography Award. Lachman is also known as a visual artist who has had installations, videos, and photography at the Whitney Museum of American Art, MoMA, the Ludwig Museum in Germany, and many other museums and galleries throughout the world. JR exhibits freely in the streets of the world, catching the attention of people who are not typical museum visitors. In 2006, he created Portrait of a Generation, images of suburban “thugs” that he posted in huge formats in the bourgeois districts of Paris. In 2007, with Marco, he made Face 2 Face, large portraits of Israelis and Palestinians standing facing each other in eight Palestinian and Israeli Cities, considered the biggest illegal exhibition ever. In 2011, he received the TED Prize. Later that same year, he created Inside Out, a global participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into works of art. As of September 2017, over 350,000 people from more than 140 countries have participated, through mail or gigantic photo booths. His recent projects include a collaboration with New York City Ballet; the feature documentary Faces Places, co-directed with Nouvelle Vague legend Agnès Varda; seemingly “erasing” the pyramid outside of the Louvre; giant scaffolding installations at the 2016 Rio Olympics; an exhibition on the abandoned hospital of Ellis Island; and a gigantic installation at the U.S.-Mexico border fence. As he remains anonymous and doesn’t explain his enlarged full-frame portraits, JR leaves the space empty for an encounter between the subject/protagonist and the passerby/interpreter. A special thank you to photographers David Godlis and Julie Cunnah for their photo contributions to the poster. Chantal Akerman photo courtesy of Kenneth Saunders/The Guardian. The complete list of NYFF poster artists: Larry Rivers, 1963 Saul Bass, 1964 Bruce Conner, 1965 Roy Lichtenstein, 1966 Andy Warhol, 1967 Henry Pearson, 1968 Marisol (Escobar), 1969 James Rosenquist, 1970 Frank Stella, 1971 Josef Albers, 1972 Niki de Saint Phalle, 1973 Jean Tinguely, 1974 Carol Summers, 1975 Allan D’Arcangelo, 1976 Jim Dine, 1977 Richard Avedon, 1978 Michelangelo Pistoletto, 1979 Les Levine, 1980 David Hockney, 1981 Robert Rauschenberg, 1982 Jack Youngerman, 1983 Robert Breer, 1984 Tom Wesselmann, 1985 Elinor Bunin, 1986 Sol Lewitt, 1987 Milton Glaser, 1988 Jennifer Bartlett, 1989 Eric Fischl, 1990 Philip Pearlstein, 1991 William Wegman, 1992 Sheila Metzner, 1993 William Copley, 1994 Diane Arbus, 1995 Juan Gatti, 1996 Larry Rivers, 1997 Martin Scorsese, 1998 Ivan Chermayeff, 1999 Tamar Hirschl, 2000 Manny Farber, 2001 Julian Schnabel, 2002 Junichi Taki, 2003 Jeff Bridges, 2004 Maurice Pialat, 2005 Mary Ellen Mark, 2006 agnès b., 2007 Robert Cottingham, 2008 Gregory Crewdson, 2009 John Baldessari, 2010 Lorna Simpson, 2011 Cindy Sherman, 2012 Tacita Dean, 2013 Laurie Simmons, 2014 Laurie Anderson, 2015 Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2016 Richard Serra, 2017

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  • INNER GHOSTS and LEVEL 16 Among New Films Added to 2018 Brooklyn Horror Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_31887" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]INNER GHOSTS INNER GHOSTS[/caption] The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival added five more features to the 2018 lineup, including the North American Premiere of Paulo Leite’s supernatural thriller INNER GHOSTS and Danishka Esterhazy’s dystopian women-led satire LEVEL 16. The 2018 Brooklyn Horror Fest runs October 11th to 18th with events and screenings at Nitehawk Cinema, Syndicated, LIU Kumble Theatre, Videology, Wythe Hotel Cinema and IFP’s Made in NY Media Center. INNER GHOSTS (North American Premiere) Brazil/Portugal | 2018 | 89 Min | Dir. Paulo Leite To call Dr. Helen’s research “revolutionary” would be one hell of an understatement. Hoping to find a cure for brain diseases, Helen has developed a theory that such ailments can be treated by testing on ghosts, all of whom, of course, don’t need brain functions in order to act. As Helen sees it, if she can tap into how ghosts do that, she can figure out a way to get brain disease patients to communicate through their souls. Lofty, indeed. But after Helen’s young daughter dies suddenly, she puts her research on hold, refusing to connect to the afterlife anymore. Before long, a stranger’s request sends Helen back to the spirit world; as it turns out, though, something evil has been waiting there for her. Fans of INSIDIOUS, take note: INNER GHOSTS delivers the same kinds of supernaturally charged goods. Writer-director Paulo Leite’s impressive debut fuses heavy science with a Lin-Shaye-like hero, nightmarish demons, otherworldly twists and a third act that’s as relentlessly assaultive as it is audaciously off-the-wall. LEVEL 16 (East Coast Premiere) Canada | 2018 | 102 Min | Dir. Danishka Esterhazy Co-Presented by The Future of Film is Female Having spent their entire lives trapped in a prison-like school, the teenage girls of Vestalis Academy must follow a strict educational system that enforces conforming to “The Feminine Virtues.” They are forced to follow the school’s rules for fear of extreme punishment – with the light at the end of the tunnel being adoption to a loving upper class family. Sixteen-year-olds Vivien and Sophia, who have reached the final level of the school are on the cusp of adoption, until they learn the horrifying truth about the academy. Canadian filmmaker Danishka Esterhazy crafts a cold female-centric satire featuring striking imagery of a dystopian society. Loaded with charismatic performances, LEVEL 16 is an intense and cerebral experience like no other. Sure to get under your skin by the finale, Esterhazy will take you on a journey through the past, complete with characters named after classic Hollywood stars to express a sharp, feminist critique. The Night Shifter Brazil | 2018 | 110 Min | Dir. Dennison Ramalho You know that old expression, “Dead men tell no tales”? Well, don’t tell that to Stênio, a well-meaning family-man whose life is, prior to understanding the falsehood of that old expression, a mess. His wife can’t stop reminding him that their situation is dire thanks to financial stresses and general marital discord; even worse, when he’s working as a mortician, mean-spirited paramedics make it their second job to routinely make fun of Stênio. Weirdly enough, his reprieve comes from the corpses he works on, all of whom can communicate with him. But when one specific stiff reveals a big secret, Stênio finds himself, as well as his family, under attack, turning his world into a living hell courtesy of the undead. Blending dark humor with visceral scares and buckets of gore, Brazilian filmmaker Dennison Ramalho (“J is for Jesus” in ABCS OF DEATH 2) makes his feature debut with the kind of full-throttle horror film that’s directly engineered for a thrill-seeking festival audience. No-holds-barred in its hardcore nature, THE NIGHT SHIFTER goes all out in its depiction of one man’s inner rage being exposed by the should-be deceased. TENANTS (New York Premiere) Mexico | 2018 | 88 Min | Dir. Chava Cartas Picking up the pieces after a traumatic event, Luzma and Demián move into a new apartment complex. Before they’re even unpacked, strange interactions with the secretive landlord and a disturbed handyman quickly put a dash on the young couple’s hopes for a fresh start. To make matters worse, Luzma begins to suffer from terrible hallucinations and Demián seems less and less himself. There’s something truly wrong with this apartment. Mixing traditional haunted house tropes with region specific mythology to great effect, TENANTS explores the dark extremes of local religious practices of Santería and Brujería witchcraft. Part ROSEMARY’S BABY with a little AMITYVILLE HORROR, Mexican director Chava Cartas first foray into horror carves out a space in religious horror all its own. TUMBBAD India | 2018 | 109 Min | Dir. Rahi Anil Barve, Adesh Prasad Throughout his young life, Vinayak has heard the legend surrounding his family’s home: There’s a demon guarding his family’s treasure and he best not challenge it. But when his great-grandmother dies, Vinayak inherits both the fortune and the creature protecting it. Fast-forward to adult Vinayak and his ingenious idea: Slowly but surely, he’ll sneak pieces of the treasure out by tricking the demon in various way, a plan he’s carried out successfully for years. That is, until his greedy family inadvertently angers the demon. Once that happens, all bets are off. TUMBBAD is not only a truly scary-as-hell horror film, but it’s an ambitious blend of historical drama, supernatural creativity, creature feature insanity and character-driven tension.

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  • LOL Watch Trailer for Killer Unicorn Movie CAROUSHELL

    CarousHell Movie Poster Due for release in 2019 from Wild Eye Releasing, CarousHELL is the latest horror offering from filmmaker Steve Rudzinski, director of Red Christmas, Captain Z & the Terror of Leviathan and Everyone Must Die! Based on a script by Rudzinski and Aleen Isley, and starring Steve Rimpici, Sé Marie and Haley Madison, the horror/comedy tells of a sentient carousel unicorn that gets pushed too far by a brat. The unicorn breaks free of his spinning prison to go on a revenge-driven murder spree on his way to kill the kid.

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  • Space Documentary ABOVE AND BEYOND: NASA’S JOURNEY TO TOMORROW Sets October Air Date on Discovery [Video]

    [caption id="attachment_28881" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]ABOVE AND BEYOND: NASA‘S JOURNEY TO TOMORROW ABOVE AND BEYOND: NASA‘S JOURNEY TO TOMORROW[/caption] Rory Kennedy’s documentary “Above and Beyond: NASA’s Journey to Tomorrow” takes a sweeping look at the Government Agency and its goals for the future during Its 60th Anniversary.   Above and Beyond: NASA’s Journey to Tomorrow airs October 13 at 9:00/8:00c on Discovery and Science Channel,  building on the long-standing history of Discovery’s NASA Programming. Human beings, more than any other species, are driven by an insatiable curiosity, a remarkable ability to wonder. It is a need to know that lies deep within our DNA as we seek to answer some of time’s most fundamental questions: Where do we come from? Are we alone? What will become of us? As NASA celebrates its 60th anniversary, Discovery once again shines a spotlight on the historic institution taking us to the moon, to the surface of Mars, to the outer edge of our solar system and beyond. But more than a moving portrait of NASA’s many accomplishments in space, ABOVE AND BEYOND also sheds light on the agency’s lesser-known area of focus – the vital role NASA has played in measuring the health of our home planet. However far NASA may travel, its gaze has always returned to Earth – monitoring our seas and skies, our ice and sands – in an ongoing struggle to meet today’s great challenge – protecting our planet. Directed, produced, and narrated by Academy Award(R)-nominated and Emmy(R)-winning Rory Kennedy (“Last Days of Vietnam,”) ABOVE AND BEYOND: NASA’S JOURNEY TO TOMORROW examines the extraordinary ways NASA has changed not only our vision of the universe, but also our planet, and ourselves. The documentary special airs October 13 at 9pm ET/PT on Discovery and Science Channel. In 1961, announcing the moon shot, President Kennedy issued a great challenge, a challenge that in many ways set NASA on its course: “We have given this program a high national priority,” President Kennedy said. “Even though I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us.” With ABOVE AND BEYOND, filmmaker Rory Kennedy asks: what has become of President Kennedy’s faith in human ingenuity, his grand vision and aspirations? Looking back over the last 60 years and forward to the next, ABOVE AND BEYOND explores NASA’s commitment to dreaming big. With wide-ranging access to NASA leaders, scientists, and astronauts, Kennedy goes behind the scenes of the world’s greatest space agency. Through interviews with engineers like Adam Steltzner (who led the Mars Curiosity rover mission) and International Space Station (ISS) astronauts like Peggy Whitson (who holds the US record of 665 days in space), the film highlights the next-generation space telescopes, the dazzling prototypes of Mars-bound spacecraft, and the cutting-edge missions to further explore our solar system, galaxy, and larger universe. And yet, even while aiming higher and journeying farther than ever, NASA also continues to point its technology homeward – from the ozone hole to global climate change – in an effort to better understand the past, present, and future health of our planet. Though it may surprise some, NASA has always explored both space and Earth. As far back as the 1960s, Apollo 8 showcased NASA’s ability to inform human perspective. In its mission, that crew traveled 240,000 miles over three days before the dark side of the moon came into view, something humankind had only dreamed about. In ABOVE AND BEYOND, Apollo 8 astronaut Jim Lovell describes how, when the spacecraft moved around the moon, revealing for the first time the whole Earth in the distance, he could suddenly see, “the earth as it truly is: a grand oasis in the vastness of space.” Indeed, they had come to explore the moon and instead discovered the earth. From Apollo’s Jim Lovell to the Space Shuttle’s more contemporary Scott Kelly, astronauts have returned home with a new appreciation for our planet’s uniqueness, as well as its incredible fragility. After having spent a year on the ISS (the largest human-made object in space, a scientific laboratory that weighs over 1 million pounds, travels at 17,000 mph and orbits the earth 16 times a day), Kelly states, “If we can do this, we can do anything. We just have to dream it, and dream big, and go do it.” ABOVE AND BEYOND goes on to highlight, beyond human space exploration, the remarkable role played by telescopes and rovers, including Curiosity which landed on Mars to explore whether that planet could have once supported life. While researchers knew from earlier missions that water had previously existed on the surface of Mars, Curiosity was sent to dig deeper, answering if the water had been sweet or salty, acidic or basic – the kind of water humans could have drunk. “Curiosity has answered our question, and that answer is yes,” explains Steltzner. “The ancient wet environment, three-and-a-half-billion years ago, when life was first starting here on Earth, Mars was an environment that was habitable for life.” As Ellen Stofan, NASA’s Chief Scientist, 2013-2016, explains, “When we look outward, when we understand the planets, when we go out into the universe, we’re really still trying to look back at ourselves and say, ‘How does our planet work?’ That Mars was once habitable, just like earth, and is no longer makes clear how planetary bodies transform. Now, more than ever, NASA is using its extraordinary tools to look back at Earth from space. If President Kennedy once set NASA’s challenge at the moon, Rory Kennedy argues that today the agency’s most urgent mission is equally clear – to report back on the health of our own planet. With over 19 different satellites studying the earth, with aircraft and ground teams, NASA can see almost every aspect of the earth’s systems from direct measurement, all that data streaming over years and decades. It is a comprehensive global view of an incredibly complicated planet. From the rapidly melting Antarctica ice caps, to the bleaching and dying of coral reefs, the data collected by NASA is essential to humankind’s understanding. Informing our challenge today, NASA offers us a record of how the planet is changing and makes undeniably clear the threat of what is to come. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTOtUQSKGTo

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  • Tribeca Award Winning Documentary UNITED SKATES to Debut on HBO in 2019 [Trailer]

    [caption id="attachment_29156" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]UNITED SKATES UNITED SKATES[/caption] UNITED SKATES, directed and produced by Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown, and winner of the Documentary Audience Award at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival has been acquired by HBO and will debut on the network in 2019.   John Legend is an executive producer of the documentary feature. As America’s last standing roller rinks are threatened with closure, UNITED SKATES spotlights a community of thousands who fight in a racially charged environment to save the underground African-American subculture of roller skating, which has been overlooked by the mainstream for generations, while giving rise to great musical talents. The documentary will screen this fall in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and London, among other locations, supported by a robust outreach campaign.

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  • Watch Beautiful Trailer + Poster for Barry Jenkins’ IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

    If Beale Street Could Talk Movie Poster Annapurna Pictures has released the official trailer for If Beale Street Could Talk, Academy Award-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins’ first film since the Best Picture Oscar-winning Moonlight.  If Beale Street Could Talk is his adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel – the first English-language feature film based on the work of the author, to whom the movie is dedicated. The film starring KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Beach, Ed Skrein, Diego Luna, Dave Franco, and Pedro Pascal opens in select theaters on November 30. Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple’s unbreakable bond and the African-American family’s empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year-old Tish Rivers (screen newcomer KiKi Layne). A daughter and wife-to-be, Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny (Stephan James). Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit. Through the unique intimacy and power of cinema, If Beale Street Could Talk honors the author’s prescient words and imagery, charting the emotional currents navigated in an unforgiving and racially biased world as the filmmaker poetically crosses time frames to show how love and humanity endure.

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  • NewFest 2018 Announces Full Lineup of 140 + LGBT Films For 30th Anniversary

    [caption id="attachment_31533" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Boy Erased Boy Erased[/caption] Following the big announcement of Yen Tan’s award-winning AIDS drama 1985 as Opening Night Film, NewFest today announced the full lineup of more than 140 LGBT films from around the world for their 30th annual celebration. The festival runs from October 24 to 30 at the SVA Theatre, Cinépolis Chelsea, and The LGBT Community Center in New York City. This year’s NewFest will feature several other galas and special screenings, including the New York Centerpiece screening of Ondi Timoner’s MAPPLETHORPE, starring Emmy®-nominee Matt Smith (“Doctor Who”, THE CROWN) about the iconic queer artist; and the U.S. Centerpiece screening of Joel Edgerton’s BOY ERASED, starring Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, Troye Sivan, Cherry Jones, Flea and Xavier Dolan. Other gala presentations include the International Centerpiece and New York premiere of Wanuri Kahiu’s groundbreaking love story RAFIKI, which screened at Cannes and was originally banned in its home country of Kenya for depicting a relationship between two young women, and the New York City premiere of Documentary Centerpiece film DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION!, which will be followed by a conversation on female representation in the film industry and lesbian visibility in cinema. The festival will close on October 30th with the New York premiere of Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon’s documentary MAKING MONTGOMERY CLIFT, which is co-directed by the late Hollywood star’s nephew and features exclusive archival footage and audio interviews from the family’s archives. This year’s edition continued in the tradition of receiving submissions from around the world, with films and episodic programming coming from 32 countries. In addition, 60% of content is by and about underrepresented voices (Women, People of Color, Trans, Bi and Differently Abled). Overall, the festival will screen 46 feature length films (including over 80% of feature works from first-time feature filmmakers, such as, Caroline Berler Tchaiko Omawale and Jonah Greenstein), 89 shorts and 9 episodic series, including the French Canadian production FÉMININ/FÉMININ by Chloé Robichaud, for a total of 144 selections. The International Narrative Features section includes the New York premieres of Anne Fontaine’s Venice Film Festival Queer Lion winner REINVENTING MARVIN (featuring a turn by Isabelle Huppert as…Isabelle Huppert) and 2018 Berlinale Teddy Award for Best Feature winner HARD PAINT from Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon (NewFest alums for 2016’s “The Nest”), as well as 2018 Berlinale Teddy Award for Best First Feature winner RETABLO from Alvaro Delgado Aparicio. Other premieres include the New York premiere of two films submitted for next year’s Academy Awards®: Marcelo Martinessi’s THE HEIRESSES from Paraguay and Blerta Zeqiri’s Kosovoan entry THE MARRIAGE; as well as Jamie Patterson’s TUCKED, another New York premiere, which picked up multiple awards at this year’s Outfest, including the Best Narrative Audience Award and the International Feature Grand Jury Prize which it shared with HARD PAINT. This year’s Documentary Features section is particularly strong and features some of the best new trans and non-binary stories from the U.S. and around the world, including T Cooper’s MAN MADE, about trans fitness models, which picked up the Best Documentary Feature Audience Award at Outfest 2018, Kiko Goifman and Claudia Priscila’s BIXA TRAVESTY, about the political activism of black Brazilian transgender singer Linn da Quebrada (Teddy Award for Best Documentary/Essay Film, Berlinale 2018), and SIDNEY & FRIENDS, Tristan Aitchison’s look at an underground network of trans and intersex people fighting to survive on the edge of Kenyan society. Also featured are the North American premiere of Gustavo Sánchez’s I HATE NEW YORK (Spain, 2018), which features New York nightlife luminarie Amanda Lepore; the East Coast premiere of Matt Alber and Jon Garcia’s ROOM TO GROW about what it means to be an LGBT teen in today’s world, and Jeff Kaufman’s EVERY ACT OF LIFE, a profile of multi-Tony Award®-winning playwright Terrence McNally, featuring appearances by Meryl Streep, Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Wilson, Angela Lansbury and Rita Moreno. A hallmark of every NewFest is the bringing of new work to New York audiences, highlighting the emerging voices of queer cinema and 80% of the films in this year’s U.S. Narrative Features section are either New York, East Coast, or World premieres, and 9 of 10 films are from first or second-time filmmakers. In addition, in keeping with this year’s emphasis on inclusion, diversity and representation, 4 of the 10 films have female directors and 6 feature female leads. NewFest’s commitment to bringing new films from around the world to New York audiences has never waivered and this year’s edition is no different. With the ever decreasing cost of technology and ever increasing reach of the Internet, previously underrepresented countries and communities are finding their voices like never before. As a result, more and more films like Wanuri Kahiu’s RAFIKI, a story (written with Jenna Cato Bass) about the first love between two women in Kenya are seeing the light, as well as films like Christiaan Olwagen’s South African Apartheid-set musical CANARY and Ruth Caudeli’s EVA + CANDELA (Colombia), to name but a few. Of course, no NewFest would be complete without a few frightfully scary queer offerings and this year’s HalloKween sidebar is no exception! Featuring the New York Premiere of Drew Bolton’s KILLER UNICORN, a satirical stab at the slasher flick featuring a bevy of Brooklyn drag queens; NewFest alum Yann Gonzalez’s Cannes competition entry KNIFE + HEART (starring Vanessa Paradis); and the New York premiere of CARMILLA: THE MOVIE, based on the lesbian vampire web series sensation. Continuing its long tradition of working with many New York City organizations, this year NewFest partnered with over 100 organizations across the city to bring audiences some of their most exciting programs, including HIP TO BE QUEER: Youth Shorts, presented by the NYC Department of Education and in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment; a Spotlight Screening & Conversation of Dir. Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson’s multiple award-winning TRANSMILITARY presented in partnership with GLAAD, and a screening of CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS: DANIEL, a new film from NewFest alum David Weissman (WE WERE HERE, THE COCKETTES), presented in partnership with The Generations Project.

    2018 NewFest Full Lineup

    OPENING NIGHT GALA

    1985 New York Premiere Dir. Yen Tan, USA, 2017, 85 mins Writer: Yen Tan Cast: Cory Michael Smith, Virginia Madsen, Michael Chiklis, Jamie Chung, Tina Parker, Bill Heck, Ryan Piers Williams Set during the early AIDS crisis, Adrian (Cory Michael Smith, GOTHAM, CAROL) returns to his Texas hometown for Christmas, keeping quiet about his sexuality and HIV status. Award-winning writer-director and NewFest alum Yen Tan (PIT STOP, CIAO) delivers a poignant period piece about a gay man tying up loose ends—whether it’s with his conservative parents (Academy Award-nominee Virginia Madsen and Emmy Award-winner Michael Chiklis), a high school ex-girlfriend (Jamie Chung), or his younger brother (Aidan Langford, BOSCH), who shows an interest in Madonna and may be following in Adrian’s footsteps. Shot on crisp black-and-white super 16mm film and featuring career-best performances from its cast, Tan’s powerfully textured 1985 is a new queer classic—addressing the AIDS crisis in a sensitive, reflective and, most importantly, modern light.

    INTERNATIONAL CENTERPIECE

    Rafiki New York Premiere Dir. Wanuri Kahiu, Kenya/South Africa/Germany/Netherlands/France/Norway/Lebanon, 2018, 83 mins Writers: Wanuri Kahiu, Jenna Cato Bass Cast: Sheila Munyiva, Samantha Mugatsia, Patricia Amira, Muthoni Gathecha, Jimmy Gathu, Nice Githinji, Charlie Karumi, Patricia Kihoro, Neville Misati Fresh from its triumphant Cannes premiere, RAFIKI is a must-see film that delivers a beautifully acted, nuanced portrayal of being queer in Nairobi. This vibrant romance follows the burgeoning relationship between Ziki (Sheila Munyiva), the playful Beyonce-wannabe who lives in the city’s affluent Skyview Towers, and Kena (Samantha Mugatsia), the shy, responsible tomboy who hangs out on the overcrowded Slopes estate with the local Boda Boda (motorcycle taxi) boys. The film’s delicious pink-hued color palette is part of the African film aesthetic known as the afrobubblegum movement, and sets the joyous tone for this rare look at first love between two women in Kenya. Banned in its home country of Kenya for its positive depiction of two young women in love, RAFIKI is a global call to action that proves a work of art does not have to be explicit in order to stir resist in the face of oppression.

    U.S. CENTERPIECE

    Boy Erased Dir. Joel Edgerton, USA, 2018, 114 mins Writers: Joel Edgerton, Garrard Conley (based on the memoir Boy Erased by) Cast: Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, Cherry Jones, Flea, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Joe Alwyn Set in the uber-conservative suburbs of Arkansas, this grippingly vital drama stars Academy Award-nominee Lucas Hedges (MANCHESTER BY THE SEA, LADYBIRD) as a young gay man sent to Refuge, a church-run conversion therapy program that aims to “cure” homosexuality, upon the insistence of his Baptist preacher father (Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe) and religious yet conflicted mother (Academy Award-winner Nicole Kidman). Based on the memoir by Garrard Conley and adapted for the screen by director and featured actor Joel Edgerton, this urgent drama stirs a challenging yet compassionate portrait of a family—and perhaps country—at odds with its differing ideas of empathy and identity. In addition to powerhouse performances by Hedges, Kidman, and Crowe, the ensemble includes stellar supporting turns from multitalented queer artists Troye Sivan, Xavier Dolan, and Cherry Jones. BOY ERASED is at once an evocative coming of age story about finding your voice, and a compelling tale of personal survival and family reconciliation in the face of ignorance.

    NEW YORK CENTERPIECE

    Mapplethorpe Dir. Ondi Timoner, USA, 2018, 102 mins Writer: Ondi Timoner, Mikko Alanne Cast: Matt Smith, Marianne Rendón, John Benjamin Hickey, Brandon Sklenar, McKinley Belcher III, Mark Moses Emmy-nominee Matt Smith (DOCTOR WHO, THE CROWN) plays renegade queer artist and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Set in the gay leather communities and highbrow galleries of New York City in the 70s and 80s, Ondi Timoner’s biopic is an unflinching look at the life and career of the icon made famous for his striking black-and-white images of phalluses and flowers. This film takes a chronological look at the influences and practices that captured male homo-erotic desire so poignantly in the face of the devastating toll of the AIDS crisis.

    CLOSING NIGHT GALA

    Making Montgomery Clift New York Premiere Dir. Robert Clift and Hillary Demmon, USA, 2018, 88 mins The iconic Hollywood actor Montgomery Clift—described in many accounts as “tragically self-destructive” and “tormented” by his sexuality—is brought to new light by his nephew Robert Clift, who uncovers never-before-seen footage and exclusive audio interviews collected by the filmmaker’s father. The viewer gains insight into a fresh portrait of the legendary actor who was unashamed of his sexuality, maintained a great sense of humor, and even defied the studio system. Robert’s access to interviews with family and close friends of Monty turn against the faulty narrative made popular by previous biographies and documentaries that considered him “the slowest suicide in Hollywood history.” Thoroughly well-researched and edited, Robert—along with co-director Hillary Demmon— brings to the surface a personal account of his uncle Monty and his father Brooks Clift that forces us to ask: Why was so much of Monty’s story left out? How were previous accounts so wrong? Who do we trust to write our history? MAKING MONTGOMERY CLIFT brings the star out of the archive, and further out of the closet.

    DOCUMENTARY CENTERPIECE

    Dykes, Camera, Action! New York City Premiere Dir. Caroline Berler, USA, 2018, 60 mins Cast: Barbara Hammer, Jenni Olson, B. Ruby Rich, Rose Troche, Desiree Akhavan, Cheryl Dunye, Su Friedrich, Vicky Du, Yoruba Richen, Lesli Klainberg One of the most glaring omissions in the film canon has been the work of queer women. Thankfully this once-hidden population picked up the camera and transformed the visibility of lesbians in cinema through classics such as GO FISH (1994), THE WATERMELON WOMAN (1996), HIGH ART (1998), all of which premiered in New York at NewFest. Pioneering filmmakers Barbara Hammer, Su Friedrich, Rose Troche, Yoruba Richen, Desiree Akhavan, Vicky Du, Cheryl Dunye, critic B. Ruby Rich, Jenni Olson, and others discuss with humor and depth how they’ve expressed their queer identity through film, while also revealing personal stories from their own experiences of looking for themselves on screen. First-time director Caroline Berler expertly balances films clips with candid interviews, making DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION! a joyous response to the days of the celluloid closet, culminating in a groundbreaking celebration of empowerment and visibility for the ages. This screening will be followed by a conversation on female representation in the film industry and lesbian visibility in cinema with featured cast, moderated by Terry Lawler (Executive Director, New York Women in Film & Television).

    U.S. NARRATIVE

    Fish Bones New York City Premiere Dir. Joanne Mony Park, USA, 2017, 82 mins Writer: Joanne Mony Park Cast: Cristina Tamez, JooHyun Kim In her debut feature, director Joanne Mony Park delivers a sensitively-drawn portrait of Hana (Joony Kim) a young woman caught between two worlds; the expectations of her Korean family, and her own needs and desires as a university student and model discovering her queer identity. The film’s quiet attention to detail captures charming moments of self reflection and attraction, as Hana falls for Nico (CRIS GRIS), a charismatic Latina who lives without the self-consciousness that holds Hana back. The chemistry between these two leads captivates the viewer and heralds the discovery of a bold and exciting new directorial voice to watch. Lez Bomb New York City Premiere Winner of the 2018 Bentonville Film Festival Dir. Jenna Laurenzo, USA, 2018, 90 mins Writer: Jenna Laurenzo Cast: Elaine Hendrix, Cloris Leachman, Bruce Dern Lez Bomb is a multigenerational comedy of errors following Lauren, a young woman who comes home for the holidays with some life changing news. Little does Lauren know, the eccentric cast of characters that make up her family have their own string of surprises as well. As it turns out, there is no good time to drop the “lez bomb.” Produced by Bobby Farrelly (There’s Something About Mary) and featuring Cloris Leachman, Bruce Dern and Steve Guttenberg. Two in the Bush New York Premiere Dir. Laura Madalinski, USA, 2018, 97 mins Writer: Kelly Haas, Laura Madalinski Cast: Sarah Mitchell, Travis Delgado, Caitlin Aase After losing her job, Emily arrives home early from work to find her girlfriend in the throes of passion with someone else. In an instant, her entire life is turned upside down. Moving in with her best friend, Emily lands a new gig working for a dominatrix, and promptly falls for her new boss, and her boss’s boyfriend. In this wise and witty look at the world of bisexuality, polyamory and dungeons, filmmaker Laura Madalinski asks us to consider what risks are worth taking for love. Jules of Light and Dark New York Premiere Dir. Daniel Laabs, USA, 2018, 85 mins Writer: Daniel Laabs Cast: Betsy Holt, Tallie Medel, Robert Longstreet, Liz Cardenas In present-day Texas, teenage Maya and her on-again, off-again girlfriend Jules total their car after a night of backwoods raving and mischief. They are rescued from the wreckage by Freddy, a divorced oil worker whose stoic facade crumbles as he comes to see himself, and his repressed desires, in Maya. As Jules recovers, Maya and Freddy develop a rapport that eases their small-town lives. Together, they subtly encourage one another to chase after what they want the most (or at least figure out what that might be). JULES OF LIGHT AND DARK is an iridescent coming-of-age story boasting the rural isolation of Deb Shoval’s AWOL and the wanderlust of Andrea Arnold’s AMERICAN HONEY. Defined by earnest, full performances and composed in a blue palette, Daniel Laabs’ first feature solidly articulates the universality of queer loneliness and uncertainty across genders and generations. Bitter Melon Dir. H.P. Mendoza, USA, 2018, 95 mins Writer: H.P. Mendoza Cast: Jon Norman Schneider, Patrick Epino, Brian Rivera, Josephine de Jesus, L.A. Renigren, Theresa Navarro, Sohr Picart, Amelia Anima, Anne Ishida, Corey Jackson, Ryan Morales, Safiya Fredericks, Vint Carmona Who knew that the insensitive way some of his Filipino-American family members treat his sexuality would be the least of Declan’s worries when he returns home for the holidays? As he and his siblings tiptoe around his freeloading brother’s volatile personality, long-buried secrets are revealed to set in motion a hilarious plan of revenge. A black comedy with heart, the latest from H.P. Mendoza (FRUIT FLY) deftly explores toxic masculinity and abuse— emotional and physical—with absurdity and true empathy. Solace New York Premiere Dir. Tchaiko Omawale, USA, 2018, 88 min Writer: Tchaiko Omawale Cast: Hope Olaide Wilson, Lynn Whitfield, Glynn Turman, Chelsea Tavares, Luke Rampersad, Sydney Bennett A visually arresting debut from director Tchaiko Omawale, this dark and dangerous coming of age tale tackles themes of mental wellness while exploring the confusion of an adolescent crush. Recently orphaned teen Sole (Hope Olaide Wilson) is sent to live with her estranged relatives. Quickly becoming infatuated with the rebellious girl next door, Sole falls in with a crowd of queer misfits that light up her dark days. Emmy-winner Lynn Whitfield delivers a satisfying turn as deeply hypocritical Aunt Irene, and emerging artist Syd (of R&B group The Internet) will satisfy those with their finger on the pulse of music from the margins. For Izzy Grand Jury Prize, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2018 Dir. Alex Chu, USA, 2018, 84 mins Writer: Alex Chu Cast: Michelle Ang, Jennifer Soo, Elizabeth Sung, Jim Lau A warm, heartfelt film about blending families, featuring powerhouse performances from its all-Asian cast. Beloved late actress Elizabeth Sung plays Anna, a successful business-woman and single mother struggling with a strained relationship with her 20-something queer daughter Dede (Michelle Ang). Her widower neighbor Peter (Jim Lau) is the caretaker of his millennial daughter Laura (Jennifer Soo) who is on the Autism spectrum. When Laura and Dede form an unlikely friendship they each bond with the other’s parent, ultimately bringing Peter and Anna together to find an unexpected later-in-life romance. The Skin of the Teeth East Coast Premiere Dir. Matthew Wollin, USA, 2018, 80 min Writer: Matthew Wollin Cast: Pascal Arquimedes; Donal Brophy; Tom Rizzuto; Chuja Seo; Greg Barker; David Cruz; Chris Raffaele; Kathryn Shasha This sinister drama-thriller evokes the feel of a contemporary film noir, with a shades of GET OUT-meets-Grindr. When Josef arrives at John’s apartment for a date, their prickly energy slowly gives way to an unusual and genuine chemistry. But after Josef takes a pill with unclear effects, the night takes a shocking turn, and he is plunged into a surreal interrogation of just who and what he is. Pascal Arquimedes’ compelling lead performance keeps the viewer holding their breath from beginning to end. Daddy World Premiere Dir. Jonah Greenstein, USA, 2018 75 mins Writer: Jonah Greenstein Cast: Alexander Horner, Thomas Jay Ryan, Ashley Robicheaux A homeless man survives in New York by sleeping with men he meets on Grindr. Longing for a better life but also intimacy, he becomes a hustler and falls in love with one of his clients. Gorgeously shot and displaying intimate moments that are at once passionate and melancholic, DADDY explores themes of poverty, sex as currency, and what it is to be human. Filmmaker Jonah Greenstein’s feature debut paints a portrait of gay New York City through the lens of a young man and his encounters. Devil’s Path New York Premiere Dir. Matthew Montgomery, USA, 2018, 87 mins Writer: Matthew Montgomery, Stephen Twardokus Cast: Steve Callahan, Brandy Elliott, Jon Gale While searching for his missing brother in a remote gay cruising park, Noah (Stephen Twardokus) sets his sights on a handsome stranger (JD Scalzo). When Noah is viciously attacked, he and his new companion escape through the woods with two menacing thugs in hot pursuit. Lost and frightened, they begin to turn on each other and slowly unravel the truth of what’s really going on around them. This moody, picturesque psychological thriller from first-time director Matthew Montgomery features unexpected twists and turns, and seamlessly blends sharp, opposing perspectives about sex and love with suspenseful set pieces filled with existential dread.

    INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES

    Hard Paint New York State Premiere Berlinale 2018 – Teddy Award for Best Feature Film Dir. Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon, Brazil, 2017, 117 mins Writer: Filipe Matzembacher, Marcio Reolon Cast: Shico Menegat, Bruno Fernandes Online, Pedro smears neon paint across his body for pay-per-view voyeurs hungry for his webcam erotica. IRL, he rarely sees the sun or speaks to another soul in Porto Alegre. After catching word of a rival ripping off his rainbow-colored act, he ventures from the shadows to settle their score — but finds an unlikely new friend in the process. This Berlinale Teddy Award winner conjures a dark, sensual atmosphere of alienation and discovery. We’re proud to welcome this young filmmaking duo back to the festival for the third time after their previous feature Seaside and mini-series O Ninho (THE NEST). A Moment in the Reeds New York City Premiere Dir. Mikko Makela, Finland, United Kingdom, 2017, 107 mins Writer: Mikko Makela Cast: Janne Puustinen, Boodi Kabbani, Mika Melender, Virpi Rautsiala In the Finnish countryside, Leevi, who is home from studying abroad to help his father renovate their lakeside house, encounters Tareq, a Syrian asylum seeker they hire as a handyman. Leevi’s father returns to town on business as tension builds between the two young men, and they give in to their mutual attraction. One of the first LGBT-themed films made in Finland, Mikko Makela’s intimate drama places at its center the freedom and acceptance of sexual and ethnic minorities amid the backdrop of the breathtaking Finnish landscape. Retablo New York City Premiere Teddy Award for Best First Feature, Berlinale 2018 Grand Jury Prizes for Best First Feature, Frameline & Inside Out Dir. Alvaro Delgado Aparicio, Peru/Germany/Norway, 2018, 95 mins Writer: Alvaro Delgado Aparicio, Héctor Gálvez Cast: Amiel Cayo, Junior Béjar Roca, Magaly Solier As his name suggests, fourteen year-old Segundo Paucar (Junior Behar) is his father Noé’s (Amiel Cayo) most devoted apprentice. Together, they craft intricate storyboxes—consisting of a cabinet, hand-painted figurines, and a lot of heart—for Peruvian families. Upon discovering his father with another man, Segundo struggles to accept his father’s delicate touch and its beautiful byproducts. With this award-winning debut feature, Alvaro Delgado Aparicio emphasizes his devotion to the touching and fraught power structure that afflicts fathers and sons. In RETABLO, patience in art and relationships might be tragically condemned by society, yet they are fiercely rewarded by family. Mario New York City Premiere Dir. Marcel Gisler, Switzerland, 2018, 124 mins Writer: Marcel Gisler Cast: Max Hubacher, Aaron Altaras, Jessy Moravec, Jurg Pluss, Doro Muggler, Andreas Matti Mario, a German soccer player, faces a harrowing decision when he must choose between pursuing his career on the field or his forbidden love for Leon, his roommate and a new player on the team. As rumors unfold in the locker room and spread to higher ranks, Mario attempts to deny them, and asks his girlfriend Jenny to pretend they are together. The torment caused by this macho world is reflected in Mario’s mother, who, in one memorable scene, refuses to be photographed during a magazine photoshoot with Jenny and her son, her eyes consumed with anguish. Eva + Candela New York State Premiere Dir. Ruth Caudeli, Colombia, 2018, 90 mins Writer: Ruth Caudeli Cast: Silvia Varón, Alejandra Lara, Roberto Cano, Luna Baxter, Kristina Lilley, Cristina Warner, Carlos Carvajal, Ana María Cuellar, Andrés Estrada South America’s evocative answer to BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR, this stirring portrait captures the dynamic interplay between two strong, independent women: a female director and the star of her first film. The two are, drawn together by a powerful attraction and their shared desire to take on the movie world. The passion between them creates a seductive and fascinating intimacy. But over time, their relationship evolves, swinging from infatuation to sensuality, which turns to tenderness, and then routine. They never wanted to be a conventional couple, and yet that’s just what they’ve become. Can Eva and Candela withstand the inevitable effects of time to overcome the metamorphosis of their relationship? Tucked New York Premiere Dir. Jamie Patterson, United Kingdom, 2018, 80 mins Writer: Jamie Patterson Cast: Derren Nesbitt, Jordan Stephens, April Pearson, Steve Oram, Lucy-Jane Quinlan, Ruben Crow, Joss Porter When veteran drag queen Jackie Collins receives a diagnosis with six weeks left to live, all he wants to do is perform his long-running act, and behave as if all is normal. But between a surprising new friendship with a rising young queen and unfinished business with his estranged daughter, he may just have the most eventful month and a half of his life. A feel-good film with charm and humor as well as surprising insight into our evolving understanding of gender identity across generations, this crowd-pleaser marks the first queer film from prolific young British director Jamie Patterson. Canary (Kanarie) New York City Premiere Dir. Christiaan Olwagen, South Africa, 2018, 124 mins Writer: Christiaan Olwagen, Charl-Johan Lingenfelder Cast: Schalk Bezuidenhout, Hannes Otto, Germandt Geldenhuys, De Klerk Oelofse, David Viviers, Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Francois Jacobs, Andrico Goosen, Ludwig Binge, Jennifer Steyn, Tinarie van Wyk-Loots Drafted during apartheid by the South African Army, teenage Johan’s love for Boy George and Depeche Mode lands him a spot in the Kanaries — the military’s traveling choir. But soon, romance on the battlefield forces him to reckon with his long-repressed sexual identity. Examining the effects of nationalism on the soul, while also exploring the tender brotherhood among misfits, this musical comedy revels in the discovery of finding your voice and learning to fly. Reinventing Marvin New York Premiere Dir. A nne Fontaine, France, 2017, 116 mins Writer: Anne Fontaine, Pierre Trividic Cast: Finnegan Oldfield, Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Macaigne, Gregory Gadebois This sweeping drama captures a life in the theater, as we see timid young Marvin (Jules Porier) blossom into adult Martin (Finnegan Oldfield, NOCTURAMA) — with a little help along the way from Isabelle Huppert, playing herself, and an older mentor who encourages him to acknowledge his sexuality and exorcise his pain by putting it all on the stage. Director Anne Fontaine (THE INNOCENTS, COCO BEFORE CHANEL) masterfully spins a powerful tale that reminds us that no matter how far we get from our upbringing, a piece of it remains with us always. The Heiresses New York City Premiere Dir. Marcelo Martinessi, Paraguay, Germany, Brazil, Uruguay, Norway, France, 2018, 97 mins Writer: Marcelo Martinessi Cast: Ana Brun, Ana Ivanova, Regina Duarte, Margarita Irun Chela (Ana Brun) and Chiquita (Margarita Irun) are a middle aged lesbian couple living in present day Asunción, Paraguay. Descendants of Paraguayan aristocracy, the women have enjoyed a silver spoon lifestyle together for thirty years. When the couple is abruptly hit by financial hardship, they scramble to find work and auction off their respective heirlooms—silver spoons included—to stay afloat. When Chiquita is imprisoned for her fraudulent side hustle, Chela begins working as a taxi driver, gradually building new relationships and autonomy for the first time in her life. The Marriage New York City Premiere Dir. Blerta Zeqiri, Kosovo/Albania, 2018, 97 mins Writer: Blerta Zeqiri Cast: Alban Ukaj, Adriana Matoshi, Genc Salihu A decade after the bitter Kosovo war and unaware if her parents survived, Anita’s wedding plans with Bekim slowly come together—until his best friend comes back to town. Tensions grow, as a triangle of love, lust, and drunken nights spilling secrets form. Kosovo’s Oscar submission for Foreign Language category is a culturally infused drama about unforgettable partnerships an isolated society struggles to accept, giving a tiny glimpse of hope that embracing who you are should be the norm.

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

    Coby East Coast Premiere Dir. Christian Sonderegger, France, 2017, 78 mins Cast: Coby, Jacob Hunt, Sara Mound A paramedic in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Coby shares a satisfying life with his supportive girlfriend Sarah, their pack of dogs, two brothers, and his parents. Nearly a decade after transitioning, the quotidian movements of his day-to-day—from receiving a shot of testosterone from his girlfriend to escorting a toddler to the ER—are quietly yet candidly documented by French director Christian Sonderegger. A contender in the ACID program at Cannes, COBY revolutionizes the use of the now-ubiquitous YouTube transition video as a conduit for telling the stories that rest in the silent white space between video updates. Man Made New York Premiere Dir. T Cooper, USA, 2018, 98 mins Writer: T Cooper, Allison Glock-Cooper From surgeries and T parties to the struggles and joys of transitioning, follow four men as they prepare for Trans FitCon, the only bodybuilding competition exclusively for trans men. Glimpse the intimate relationships between these men and their partners, family, and children as they train throughout the year. This powerful documentary from director T Cooper and executive producer Tea Leoni culminates in a triumphant gesture of acceptance and an understanding of the shared struggles among them as they take the stage and embody their true selves. Cherry Grove Stories East Coast Premiere Dir. Michael Fisher, USA, 2018, 72 mins Writer: Scott Lawrie This fascinating documentary captures the unique community of Cherry Grove, Fire Island – from its early days as a center for drag culture to the present day – featuring interviews with residents, old-timers, and captivating new and archival footage. Starting in the 1950s, Cherry Grove provided gays, including the likes of Tennessee Williams, with a safe space to express themselves at a time when interactions by people of the same sex were often the target of police raids. Michael Fisher’s oral history navigates the rich history and unknown stories of this vibrant beachfront community. I Hate New York North American Premiere Dir. Gustavo Sánchez, Spain, 2018, 75 mins Writer: Gustavo Sánchez Cast: Amanda Lepore, Chloe Dzubilo, Sophia Lamar, T De Long, Bibbe Hansen, Io Tillett-Wright, Katrina del Mar, Linda Simpson From 2007 to 2017, Gustavo Sánchez followed seasoned transfemme artists Chloe Dzibulo, Sophia Lamar, and Amanda Lepore around Manhattan’s rapidly-changing East Village, with a humble Sony Handycam, Sánchez captured hundreds of hours of footage. I HATE NEW YORK is the result of these intimate conversations between the debut filmmaker and his triptych of captivating and driven female artists. In yellow cabs, Tompkins Square Park, and impossibly small apartments, Dzibulo, Lamar, and Lepore offer their unfiltered thoughts on everything from success and rivalry to gentrification and the utter pointlessness of nostalgia. These interviews are supplemented by commentary from the women’s fellow Village characters and creatives, including Penny Arcade, Bibbe Hansen, T De Long, and iO Tillett Wright. Through patient and devoted direction, Sánchez has created a documentary that offers unprecedented access to three transwomen who not only made their mark on New York’s ephemeral underground, but lived to see middle age . Despite its name, I HATE NEW YORK is a hopeful love letter to a hostile city and the transwomen who’ve called—and continue to call—NYC home. Every Act of Life Dir. Jeff Kaufman, USA, 2018, 92 mins Writer: Jeff Kaufman Cast: Terrence McNally, Meryl Streep, Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Wilson, Angela Lansbury, Rita Moreno Playwright Terrence McNally has redefined contemporary gay theater with an extraordinary body of work that includes The Ritz, Corpus Christi, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, and Love! Valour! Compassion!, to name just a few. But his life offstage has been just as fascinating, encompassing activism, addiction, romance, and the constant pursuit of artistic excellence. McNally shares his story onscreen with the help of friends and colleagues like Angela Lansbury, Rita Moreno, Nathan Lane, F. Murray Abraham, and many more, as captured by documentarian and NewFest alum Jeff Kaufman ( THE STATE OF MARRIAGE). Silvana New York City Premiere Dir. Mika Gustafson, Olivia Kastebring, and Christina Tsiobanelis, Sweden, 2017, 94 mins Writer: Mika Gustafson, Olivia Kastebring, Christina Tsiobanelis Cast: Silvana Imam Years before Hayley Kiyoko and King Princess refused to apologize for being out in love and art, Silvana Imam climbs Sweden’s charts as an openly lesbian creator and one of her country’s only female rappers. Born to Lithuanian and Syrian immigrants, Imam is furiously political and playfully queer, taking her country to task for its racism while spitting verses about lesbianism. Silvana is many films in one: a travel log, a tour diary, an experimental film, and a public service announcement on one of the European Union’s flawed superpowers. Filmed from 2014 to 2016, Mika Gustafson, Olivia Kastebring, and Christina Tsiobanelis’ portrait of the artist is an intimate time capsule of the feminist artist’s meteoric rise to superstardom and the early days of her relationship with a fellow musician, the Swedish pop star Beatrice Eli. Room to Grow East Coast Premiere Dir. Matt Alber and Jon Garcia, USA, Canada, 2018, 87 mins For many queer people, some of our toughest years were when we were teenagers living at home. Homophobic parents and school environments often made life unbearable. Now meet the next generation of queer youth, as they forgeing a path of love, with the support of their families. In the face of one of the harshest political climates, with homophobia and racism on the rise, these fearless teenagers are claiming their identities and taking the world by storm. ROOM TO GROW is an intimate look into what it means to be an LGBTQ teen today. Love, Scott New York State Premiere Dir. Laura Marie Wayne, Canada, 2018, 75 mins Writer: Laura Marie Wayne Cast: Scott Jones After being violently attacked on the street, openly gay musician Scott Jones is left paralyzed from the waist down. Told through the eyes of Scott’s close friend, this heartbreaking and inspiring portrait of grief traces the journey from convalescence to recovery to finally forgiveness. As Scott revisits the location of the attack and rebuilds his life as a choir conductor and public speaker. This poignant documentary depicts the universal struggles of LGBTQ people and the people who love them through an incredibly intimate and personal story. Bixa Travesty Teddy Award for Best Documentary/Essay Film, Berlinale 2018 Dir. Kiko Goifman and Claudia Priscila, Brazil, 2018, 75 mins Writer: Linn da Quebrada, Claudia Priscilla, Kiko Goifman Cast: Linn da Quebrada, Jup do Bairro Black Brazilian transgender singer Linn da Quebrada weaponizes the trans body and music for political protest. Linn and childhood friend Jup do Bairro use extravagantly costumed music performances to dazzle audiences while opposing their country’s white heteronormative order. Figuring her embodied existence as resistance, Linn eschews the role of cis woman, choosing a fluid gender identity instead. Full of funny and intimate moments, the film advocates for personal choice against a society that imposes static gender identity. Sidney & Friends New York Premiere Dir. Tristan Aitchison, Scotland/Kenya, 2018, 75 mins Cast: Michael Daviot, Awuor Onyango, Charles Ouda Six people from Nairobi share their candid reality of what it’s like to live as a targeted gender minority, in a region known for the prejudice and discrimination against its LGBTI population. When his family tries to kill him, Sidney, who is intersex, flees to Nairobi where he befriends an underground community. Documentarian Tristan Aichitson discovered this network of trans and intersex people fighting to survive on the edge of Kenyan society, and spent three years capturing their voices in interviews. These are their stories.

    EPISODIC SIDEBAR

    Episodic Showcase

    Some of the most well-crafted LGBTQ characters these days can be found in episodic content. This sampler platter of seven new shows gives an authentic, unfiltered look at our community, without the censorship of the networks. Catch them here first, and decide which series to add to your must-binge list. Total run time: 87 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow

    HALLOKWEEN sidebar

    Knife+Heart Official Selection, Cannes Film Festival 2018 Dir. Yann Gonzalez, France, 2018, 110 mins Writer: Yann Gonzalez, Cristiano Mangione Cast: Vanessa Paradis, Nicolas Maury, Kate Moran, Jonathan Genet, Khaled Alouach, Félix Maritaud, Noé Hernandez, Thibault Servière, Bastien Waultier, Bertrand Mandico, Jules Ritmanic, Pierre Pirol, Dourane Fall, Romane Bohringer, Elina Löwensohn, Yann Colette, Jacques Nolot, Florence Giorgetti A Cannes 2018 Official Selection, this steamy and seedy ode to cinema and postured pulp comes from visionary director and NewFest alum Yann Gonzalez (YOU AND THE NIGHT). Vanessa Paradis stars as a no-nonsense gay porn producer on films such as “HOMOCIDE” and “ANAL FURY” who’s befuddled by a crush on her editor (Kate Moran) and the fact that her cast and crew are being knocked off one-by-one by a leather-clad madman. Shot on lush 35mm and featuring a pulsating original score from M83, KNIFE + HEART is a gloriously and gorgeously gory take on the modern slasher flick set in the world of 70s Paris. Celluloid lovers unite–the giallo subgenre has finally gone full-blown queer. Killer Unicorn New York Premiere Dir. Drew Bolton, USA, 2018, 74 mins Writer: José D. Álvarez Cast: Alejandro La Rosa, Dennis Budesheim, Markus Kelle Flaunting lewks and flouting conventional taste, this deliriously campy romp dashes through slasher tropes with deadly Brooklyn attitude and a distinctively queer spirit. Following a traumatic experience at “Brooklyn’s Annual Enema Party,” party boy Danny is haunted by a hunky masked stranger who causes a massacre of Brooklyn nightlife. Featuring a bevvy of Brooklyn’s biggest drag divas, including Bushwig co-founder Horrorchata, this crass creation of cult fervor is John Waters meets John Carpenter. And watch out–these queens aren’t the only ones who came to slay. The Carmilla Movie New York Premiere Dir. Spencer Maybee, Canada, 2017, 94 mins Writer: Jordan Hall and Alejandro Alcoba Cast: Elise Bauman, Natasha Negovanlis, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Cara Gee THE CARMILLA MOVIE picks up five years after the events of the award-winning global phenomenon digital series CARMILLA . Laura (Elise Bauman) and former vampire Carmilla’s (Natasha Negovanlis) domestic bliss is interrupted by an unknown supernatural threat when Carm shows signs of re-vamping and Laura starts having ghostly dreams. Catch up on seasons 0-3 on YouTube and then join us to celebrate the power of the audience, as our favorite lesbian vampires are reunited in this fan-demanded feature film.

    SHORTS PROGRAMS

    Boys Shorts From a fast-paced chase to a lazy summer day, this year’s Boys Shorts explore what it means to bring your full self to both the mundane and the extraordinary moments in life. In cities across the globe, these films capture the contemporary lives of a panoply of gay men from many different backgrounds in 2018. Total run time: 89 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Girls Shorts From friendship to dating to marriage, these shorts look at love and intimacy through many different lenses and paint a picture of strong, vulnerable, funny, and stubborn women who shine on the big screen. The heartbreak and joy of everyday life weave together in this collection of stories that span cultural and generational gaps too often overlooked in film. Total run time: 94 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Drawn This Way 2.0 Intimate and inspiring, this collection encapsulates the complexity of the queer experience in all of its brilliance. Both narrative and non-fiction stories utilize the illusion of movement to reveal personal truths, explore new boundaries, and create connections with one another. An inventive and eclectic array of perspectives and forms come together in moving ways. Total run time: 94 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Feminist Shorts “The F Word” When you think about feminism, do you think about subverting gender stereotypes assigned to female bodies, female athletes succeeding at the top of their game, or small town societal structures being reshaped? Do you think about women and young girls coming into their own? The beauty of the F word is that it means many different things to each of us, and in a post #MeToo world, we have the power to continue to explore feminism through art, reinterpreting and redefining it for ourselves. Total run time: 85 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow HalloKween Shorts Real and mental demons plague our protagonists in this Halloween-focused line-up. From a hospital psych ward to high school hallways, and from online conversations to inner-monologues, we cover the scariest grounds on earth in this program of horror shorts. Total run time: 95 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Hip to be Queer: Youth Shorts Through an inclusive and vibrant collection of short films from around the world, the program provides access and empowerment for LGBTQ+ youth to see themselves on screen while promoting media literacy and encouraging self-expression. The collection of short films will range from comedies to dramas, and vary in topics that cut across the youth experience, including interpersonal relationships, bullying, family, gender, identity, self-care, and cultural divides. Open to all students and staff within The New York City Department of Education, this event will be a specially-curated film program of Youth Shorts at NewFest’s 30th Annual New York LGBTQ Film Festival. Presented by the New York City Department of Education and in Partnership with Partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment Total run time: 91 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Trans and Non-Binary Shorts A blend of documentary and fiction films showing an inclusive array of protagonists facing personal obstacles and experiencing universal life lessons. These endearing films show us the humanity within our community and the various ways we can transcend gender. Total run time: 86 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Wigged Out: Drag Shorts In celebration of Emmy-winning show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and its tenth year of taking the untucked revolution to TV, we exalt the art of drag and the fearless queens who inspire and wow us with their jaw-dropping talents and vital stories on and off the runway. By turns hysterical and moving — and starring beloved queens such as Bob the Drag Queen and Latrice Royale — these films add up to one enormous eleganza extravaganza that will leave you gagged. Total run time: 78 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Three’s Company Enjoy the experience of polyamory without all the drama in this queer collection of threesomes. As relationships evolve, so must our art. And this collection of powerful films about modern dating is an example of how to use art to push back on societal norms and redefine the lives we want to live. Total run time: 86 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Queer Jewish Shorts From the U.S. to Israel, this program brings together six short films that examine what it is to be queer and Jewish, and how religion can be a guide for some but an obstacle for others. Total run time: 98 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow Our Queer History Histories are reconstructed then deconstructed in magnificent textures and styles to celebrate and reflect on the narratives of lives on the fringes: from Italian exiles on a remote island in the 1930s, to British farmers in the early 21st century, to families and spaces intimately shaped over years by HIV/AIDS. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of NewFest, we look back on the past three decades and further not only to remember but also to discover. Total run time: 101 mins Q&A with filmmakers and select cast to follow

    SPOTLIGHT SCREENING & PANEL

    Transmilitary Audience Award, SXSW 2018 Dir. Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson, USA, 2017, 93 mins Writer: Jamie Coughlin, Gabriel Silverman Cast: Laila Ireland At the risk of being discharged and losing their livelihoods, trans service members come out to top brass at the Pentagon to challenge the transgender military ban. From 2015 to the present day, we follow four trans service members—Senior Airman Logan Ireland, Corporal Laila Villanueva, Captain Jennifer Peace, and First Lieutenant El Cook—as they fight to defend their equal right to serve their country. This screening is co-presented in partnership with GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) will be followed by an extended conversation with the filmmakers and subjects, and moderated by Zeke Stokes.

    SPECIAL EVENTS

    GIA (20th Anniversary Screening) Dir. Michael Cristofer, USA, 1998, 123 min. Writer: Michael Cristofer, Jay McInerney Cast: Angelina Jolie, Faye Dunaway, Mercedes Ruehl, Elizabeth Mitchell It’s been 20 years since Angelina Jolie chronicled the life of supermodel Gia Carrangi in Michael Cristofer’s now-classic HBO movie. Carrangi, who rose to meteoric fame in late 70s New York, was known for her trademark temper and bold, unapologetic fashion style, but died young from AIDS-related complications. While the film has long been considered essential LGBTQ viewing, it’s rarely enjoyed on the big screen. Revisit it with us, your NewFest family and soak up the sultry scenes between Jolie and costar Elizabeth Mitchell, as well as revelling in supporting roles from icons Mercedes Ruehl and Faye Dunaway as Gia’s mother and modeling agent respectively. An HBO Original Film. CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS: Daniel Maloney (partner event with Generations Project) East Coast Premiere Dir. David Weissman, USA, 2017, 67 min Cast: Daniel Maloney, David Weissman “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. Director,” says New Yorker and subject Daniel Maloney, 77; and so begins the start of a stimulating interview between Maloney and director David Weissman (WE WERE HERE, THE COCKETTES). A principal dancer with Martha Graham in the 1970s, Maloney recounts his experiences facing racism, serving in the army, moving to New York, and first sexual encounters–all the while carrying on the art so closely linked to culture, community, and civilization: oral tradition. This film is part of a documentary series in which Weissman collaborates with a young editor–in this case, Jake Stein, 24 and newly out–to capture illuminating stories from elders that represent a cross-section of the LGBTQ community. LOOKING FOR? Dir. Tung-Yen Chou, Taiwan, 2017, 61 mins Explore the mysteries of dating apps in this charming, infectious documentary that lays all the sexy details out on the table. Young Taiwanese filmmaker Tung-Yen Chou searches for a love of his own, as he questions gay men around the world about their intimate experiences on hookup apps. Can Grindr lead you to the love of your life? This refreshingly raw and far too relatable look into digital romance is a snapshot of the moment.

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  • Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival Launches 4th Edition with Charles Ferguson’s WATERGATE

    [caption id="attachment_31860" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Watergate Watergate[/caption] Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival & Symposium, a project of 100Reporters, launches its fourth edition with world, U.S. and Washington premieres of fifteen new, investigative films that speak to our times in a newly urgent language, bridging investigative reporting and visual storytelling. This year’s themes: Demystifying. Exposing. Equalizing. Verifying. Double Exposure opens with WATERGATE, in which celebrated director Charles Ferguson (INSIDE JOB) recreates the epochal White House scandal for a new generation, using interviews with key players, previously-classified documents and Richard Nixon’s own secret recordings as the spine for Oval Office dialogues with chilling resonance today. The festival’s closing film, DIVIDE AND CONQUER, tracks the rise and fall of kingmaker Roger Ailes, the driving force behind Fox News, who lost it all following accusations of sexual harassment at the top. GHOST FLEET investigates the hidden population of modern-day slaves who underpin industrial fishing, held captive at sea for years at a time. THE PANAMA PAPERS details the unprecedented coordination of over 300 journalists who reveal the biggest global corruption scandal in history. Our 2018 films explore the psychic cost of community-wide surveillance, uncovered through journalistic sleuthing and the Freedom of Information Act; wrongful criminal confessions; sexual assault and social media; the underside of savior complexes and much more. The films deliver illuminating stories from war-torn Afghanistan to middle America, from a middle-class apartment in Budapest to the Oval Office. Check the full lineup at dxfest.com. “This year’s slate demonstrates the increasing relevance of film to the most pressing stories of our day,” said Double Exposure founder and co-director, Diana Jean Schemo. “Our Opening Night film revisits a scandal with searing relevance in 2018. And our Closing Night film on Roger Ailes and Fox News brings the story of an era that began with Watergate to our present time of social media, sexual reckoning and rampant truth-bending.” “This is an extraordinary moment for investigative filmmaking. We are finding more and more filmmakers integrating journalistic practice into their storytelling, and more journalists moving into the visual realm,” said Double Exposure co-creator and co-director, Sky Sitney. “Each film on our slate not only tells an urgent story in itself, but shapes that story through a riveting, new visual language that stands at a crossroads between these two distinct practices.” HISTORY’s definitive original documentary, WATERGATE, chronicles one of the biggest criminal conspiracies in modern American politics and features a roster of some of the most important media, legal and political figures from the scandal, including Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, John Dean, Jill Wine-Banks, Richard Ben-Veniste, and many others. Wednesday, Oct. 10, 7pm, Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Post screening discussion with director Charles Ferguson and special guests to be announced. Following Opening Night, all screenings take place at the Naval Heritage Center, and are followed by conversations with the director, film subjects, and others. STOLEN DAUGHTERS: KIDNAPPED BY BOKO HARAM revisits a shocking story that made global headlines. In 2014, 276 Nigerian school girls were kidnapped from a school in Chibok, Northern Nigeria, and hidden in the vast Sambisa forest for three years by Boko Haram, a violent Islamic insurgent movement. Granted exclusive access to the 82 girls who were freed last year and taken to a secret government safe house in the capital of Abuja, the film explores how the young women might adapt back to life after having experienced such trauma, and how the Nigerian government is navigating, and at times commandeering, their reentry into society. Thursday, Oct. 11, 6pm. Naval Heritage Center. ROLL RED ROLL goes behind the headlines of a notorious high school sexual assault case to witness the social media-fueled “boys will be boys” culture that let it happen, and defended them when it did. Thursday, Oct. 11, 8:30pm, Naval Heritage Center. Post-screening discussion with director Nancy Schwartzman, film subjects Alexandria Goddard and Rachel Dissell, and others to be announced. In UNPROTECTED, an acclaimed American charity said it was saving some of the world’s most vulnerable girls from sexual exploitation. Then the girls were raped, and that was only the beginning. Friday, Oct. 12, 4pm, Naval Heritage Center. Post-screening discussion with director Nadia Sussman, and others to be announced. [caption id="attachment_27798" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Feeling of Being Watched The Feeling of Being Watched[/caption] For THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED, filmmaker Assia Boundaoui follows the trail of her neighbors’ suspicion that their community just outside Chicago has been under surveillance for over a decade. While investigating their experiences, Boundaoui uncovers tens of thousands of pages of FBI documents that prove her Muslim community was indeed the subject of one of the largest counter-terrorism investigations ever conducted in the U.S. before 9/11, code-named “Operation Vulgar Betrayal.” Friday, Oct. 12, 6pm, Naval Heritage Center. Post-screening discussion with director Assia Boundaoui, and others to be announced. GHOST FLEET follows a small group of activists who risk their lives on remote Indonesian islands to find justice and freedom for the enslaved fishermen who feed the world’s insatiable appetite for seafood. Bangkok-based Patima Tungpuchayakul, a Thai abolitionist, has committed her life to helping these “lost” men return home. Facing illness, death threats, corruption, and complacency, Patima’s fearless determination for justice inspires her nation and the world. Friday, Oct. 12, 8:30pm Naval Heritage Center. Post-screening discussion with director Shannon Service, producer Jon Bowermaster, and others to be announced. THE TRUTH ABOUT KILLER ROBOTS is an eerie, eye-opening work of science-nonfiction, that charts incidents in which robots have caused the deaths of humans in an automated Volkswagen factory, in a self-driving Tesla vehicle and from a bomb-carrying droid used by Dallas police. Though they are typically treated as freak anomalies, each case raises questions of accountability, legality and morality. Exploring the provocative views of engineers, journalists, and philosophers, and drawing on archival footage, the film goes beyond sensational deaths to examine more subtle ways that robots pose a threat to society. Saturday, Oct. 13, 10am, Naval Heritage Center. Post-screening discussion with director Maxim Pozdorovkin. THE UNAFRAID (dirs. Anayansi Prado & Heather Courtney) follows the personal lives of three DACA students in Georgia, a state that has banned them from attending their top state universities and disqualifies them from receiving in-state tuition at any other public college. Shot in an observational style over a period of four years, this film takes an intimate look at the lives of Alejandro, Silvia and Aldo as they navigate activism, pursuing their right to education, and fighting for the rights of their families and communities. Saturday, Oct. 13, 12:30pm, Naval Heritage Center. Post-screening discussion with director Heather Courtney, film subjects and others to be announced. FALSE CONFESSIONS. Each year innumerable American suspects confess to crimes they did not commit, and experts say that trained interrogators can get anybody to confess to anything.
The film follows indefatigable defense attorney Jane Fisher-Byrialsen, who is determined to put an end to interrogation techniques that all too often pressure innocent people into false confessions. As we weave through four of Fisher-Byrialsen’s cases, all involving false confessions, the film examines the psychological aspect of how people end up confessing to crimes they have not committed and the consequences of these confessions – for those accused, for their families and for society at large. Saturday, Oct. 13, 3pm, Naval Heritage Center. Post-screening discussion with director Katrine Philp, subject Jane Fisher-Byrialsen, and others to be announced. In making OF FATHERS AND SONS, Syrian-born filmmaker Talal Derki travels to his homeland in Syria, where he gains the trust of a radical Islamist family, sharing their daily life for over two years. His camera focuses primarily on the children, providing an extremely rare insight into what it means to grow up with a father whose only dream is to establish an Islamic caliphate. Osama (13) and his brother Ayman (12) both love and admire their father and obey his words, but while Osama seems content to follow the path of jihad, Ayman wants to go back to school. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for World Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, OF FATHERS AND SONS is a work of unparalleled access that captures the chilling moment when childhood dies and jihadism is born. Saturday, Oct. 13, 5:30pm, Naval Heritage Center. [caption id="attachment_31523" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes[/caption] In DIVIDE AND CONQUER Alexis Bloom sheds light on the current moment in American political life by following the arc of Roger Ailes: long-time Republican Svengali and controversial founder of Fox News. By coaching an unrivaled stable of politicians over the course of fifty years, Ailes heavily influenced Republican politics, steering the conservative movement from Nixon to the Tea Party to Trump. Under his tutelage, anger and fear became the coin of the realm, both on the ballot and on national television. This is a story of serial cruelty, both on the public stage and in private life. Like a true Shakespearean figure, ambition and desire were Ailes’ undoing. He was finally toppled when victims of his sexual harassment stepped forward. The accounts of these women—raw and infuriating—are the axis around which Ailes’ story inexorably turns. Saturday, Oct. 13, 8:30pm, Naval Heritage Center. Post-screening discussion with director Alexis Bloom, and others to be announced. For A WOMAN CAPTURED, director Bernadett Tuza-Ritter follows the life of a European woman who has been held by a Budapest family as a domestic slave for 10 years. She is one of over 45 million victims of modern day slavery today. Drawing courage from the filmmaker’s presence and the camera as witness, the woman captured attempts to escape the unbearable oppression and become a free person. Sunday, Oct. 14, 11am, Naval Heritage Center. Post-screening discussion with director Bernadett Tuza-Ritter. [caption id="attachment_28168" align="aligncenter" width="1180"]People’s Republic of Desire People’s Republic of Desire[/caption] THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE dives deep into world of young stars of live streaming in China, where the shift to a virtual life in place of flesh-and-blood relationships has gone far. The stars build followings among the rich and poor, with the rich lavishing online personalities with gifts worth millions of dollars, and the poor cheering the wealthy patrons on and rooting for their idols. The scene culminates with a once-a-year competition, a cross between the Hunger Games and Black Mirror, in which the winner is the one whose patrons buy the most votes. Sunday, Oct. 14, 1:45pm, Naval Heritage Center. Post-screening discussion with filmmaker Hao Wu. Filmed over three years, ANGELS ARE MADE OF LIGHT follows students and teachers at a school in an old neighborhood of Kabul that is slowly rebuilding from past conflicts. Interweaving the modern history of Afghanistan with present-day portraits, director James Longley offers an intimate and nuanced vision of a society living in the shadow of war. Sunday, Oct. 14, 4:30pm, Naval Heritage Center. Post-screening discussion with filmmaker James Longley. In THE PANAMA PAPERS, Alex Winter delivers a powerful, illuminating film that paints a complete picture of the biggest global corruption scandal in history. The “Panama Papers” leak involved the unprecedented coordination of hundreds of journalists from 107 media organizations in more than 80 countries, who broke the story in 2015. The papers included over 11.5 million documents that detail financial and attorney-client information for nearly 214,500 offshore accounts. Winter includes interviews with whistleblowers and key journalists on the investigation, to tell the story of the massive data breach which uncovered murky political and financial corruption, bribes, election rigging and even murder. Sunday, Oct. 14, 7:30pm, Naval Heritage Center. Post-screening discussion with filmmaker Alex Winter, and others to be announced.

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  • QUEEN OF THE WORLD, Landmark Documentary on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to Debut on HBO

    [caption id="attachment_31871" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are welcomed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to Buckingham Palace in London, April 1, 2009. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are welcomed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to Buckingham Palace in London, April 1, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza[/caption] “Queen of the World,” the Landmark Documentary on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, tells the story of how the Commonwealth and its growth have been a central focus and passion throughout Her Majesty’s life.  The documentary will debut MONDAY, OCT. 1 (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO, which has U.S. rights to the film. Produced by Oxford Films, QUEEN OF THE WORLD will offer unique insights into Her Majesty The Queen as a figure on the global stage in her role as head of the Commonwealth, an association of free and independent nations that were once part of the British Empire, and the baton she is passing to the younger members of the Royal Family as they continue to build upon her legacy. Today, there are 2.4 billion Commonwealth citizens, which is almost one-third of the world’s population. Filmed over more than a year with privileged access to The Queen, her family, her staff and her residences, the documentary tells the story of how the Commonwealth and its growth have been a central focus and passion throughout Her Majesty’s life. QUEEN OF THE WORLD features behind-the-scenes moments with The Queen and other members of the Royal Family, including Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Princess Anne; Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex; and the Countess of Wessex. As the family and world leaders discuss the importance of the Commonwealth to The Queen, the film documents the ways she passes her knowledge and experience to the younger generations. Drawing on footage from The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s private film archives and treasures of the Royal Collection, QUEEN OF THE WORLD will offer a unique perspective on The Queen’s early years as Head of the Commonwealth, when she had the symbols of the then-eight Commonwealth countries embroidered on her Coronation gown. That number had grown to 53 countries by the time the Duchess of Sussex had flowers representing the nations of the Commonwealth embroidered on her wedding veil in 2018. The documentary begins in 2017 with Her Majesty The Queen recording her annual Christmas message to the Commonwealth before what will be a momentous year for both the Royal Family and for her “family of nations.” QUEEN OF THE WORLD spotlights some of the programs that The Queen hosts every year to give opportunities to people from around the Commonwealth. At Buckingham Palace, a team of young professionals from the Caribbean join a program inspired by The Queen’s desire to give a helping hand to rising stars in the hospitality industry in countries where tourism is vital to the local economy. The group is given advice before its first royal introduction, to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. It’s a lively encounter as Prince Harry, The Queen’s new Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, tells them, “You guys have spent way more time in Buckingham Palace than I ever have – and you’ve only been here two weeks!” Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is reunited with her wedding gown and veil for the first time since her wedding day, as Royal Collection specialists prepare the dress for a new public exhibition. She reflects on her wedding day, on the importance of the Commonwealth and on the symbolic significance of the floral Commonwealth emblems sewn into her silk veil. With access to private home movies, QUEEN OF THE WORLD shows the role that the Royal Yacht Britannia played in The Queen’s early tours of the Commonwealth, when it served not just as a floating palace and traveling embassy, but also as a home away from home. Princess Anne watches footage of her and her brother, Prince Charles, as young children on their first trip on the Royal Yacht after six months apart from their parents during the great post-Coronation Commonwealth tour, in which The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh traveled 40,000 miles around the globe. The film also follows a special event at Buckingham Palace during London Fashion Week. The Countess of Wessex explains the significance of the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange, in which designers and artisans from each of the 53 Commonwealth countries create and display new looks. The designs are shown at Buckingham Palace at an exhibition attended by the Countess and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Beatrice and many key figures from the global fashion industry. As the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex prepare to head for the Pacific on their first major Commonwealth tour together, a new chapter in this remarkable global story is about to unfold. Oxford Films also produced the documentary “Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy,” which debuted on HBO in 2017.

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  • 2018 Twin Cities Film Fest Boasts Diverse and Inspiring Lineup, Opens with GREEN BOOK

    [caption id="attachment_31408" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Green Book Green Book[/caption] Twin Cities Film Fest today announced a diverse and inspiring lineup of films for their 2018 festival, to be held October 17 to 27. This year’s festival will officially open their ninth year with Peter Farrelly’s Green Book, which recently won the coveted People’s Choice Award this past week at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. When Tony Lip (Mortensen), a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley (Ali), a world-class Black pianist, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on “The Green Book” to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism, danger—as well as unexpected humanity and humor—they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkZxoko_HC0 Opening night festivities will also include a screening of Time for Ilhan, a documentary about State Representative and Federal House candidate, Ilhan Omar, who will be in attendance along with director Norah Shapiro and cinematographer Chris Newberry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ8uivoe36U The Centerpiece Highlight on Friday, October 19 is the Newport Beach Film Festival hit comedy When Jeff Tried to Save the World starring Jon Heder (“Napoleon Dynamite). United Skates, a documentary about roller skating and a community’s battle to save an underground subculture will close out the festival on October 27. Other visiting guests this year include David Arquette and Tom Arnold with the U.S. premiere of Saving Flora, the story of a 14-year-old girl who kidnaps an elephant from a circus to take it to a nature reserve, screening on October 22. Chef Andrew Zimmern will also be in attendance on Thursday, October 25 for the Midwest premiere of Chef Flynn, a documentary about a ten-year-old who transformed his living room into a supper club and achieved sudden fame. TCFF will also feature Widows (20th Century Fox) a modern-day thriller from Steve McQueen starring Viola Davis and Liam Neeson, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Fox Searchlight Pictures) starring Melissa McCarthy, Boy Erased (Focus Features) starring Joel Edgerton and Nicole Kidman and The Favourite (Fox Searchlight Pictures) starring Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. In addition to their regular programming this year, TCFF will collaborate with the Jewish Film Festival and the Northstar Science Film Festival, showing a slate of thought provoking films while launching a brand new initiative, TCFF Tech. TCFF Tech is a one-of-a-kind 3-day event spotlighting the impact of technology on social issues, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

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  • Gustav Möller’s Thriller THE GUILTY is Denmark’s Entry in Oscar Race for Best Foreign Film [Trailer]

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    [caption id="attachment_27745" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Guilty The Guilty[/caption] Gustav Möller’s minimalist thriller ‘The Guilty‘ has been selected as Denmark’s official entry for the 2019 Foreign Language Oscar category.   ‘The Guilty’ is Gustav Möller’s feature debut. The film was selected from a shortlist that included Bille August’s ‘A Fortunate Man’ and Hlynur Pálmason’s ‘Winter Brothers.’ The Guilty’ by Gustav Möller takes place over one single night at an emergency call center, following a policeman’s race against time to save a kidnapped woman, with the phone as his only tool. The film won the Audience Award at its world premiere at Sundance and has since met with a warm critical reception across the board. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXeeVRazqFM In Denmark, 139,000 tickets have been sold since it premiered in June, and in France, so far 260,000 cinema-goers have seen the thriller. The film is to be released in US theaters on 19 October by Magnolia Pictures, which also saw the US launch of the three Danish Oscar nominated films ‘A Royal Affair,’ ‘The Hunt’ and ‘A War.’ The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the five nominations for the title as Best Foreign Language Film on 22 January. The 2019 winners will be announced on Oscar Night taking place in Los Angeles on 24 February.

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  • 2018 Woodstock Film Festival to Showcase Over 100 Films + Opens with KARL BERGER – MUSIC MIND

    [caption id="attachment_31849" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]Karl Berger of Karl Berger - Music Mind Karl Berger of Karl Berger – Music Mind[/caption] The fiercely independent 19th Annual Woodstock Film Festival will showcase more than 100 films and open with a live performance by the Karl Berger Band following the screening of the feature documentary Karl Berger – Music Mind, which offers “an inside look into the creative process and unique approach toward music that makes Karl Berger”. Matthew Heineman’s feature narrative debut A Private War, starring Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan and Stanley Tucci will close the film festival on the evening of Sunday, October 14th. There will be a panel discussion after the film screening of Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane, featuring the filmmakers, as well as panelists from the documentary Newtown. In the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre that took the lives of twenty first-graders and their teachers, local clergyman Father Bob Weiss receives a letter from a fellow priest in Dunblane, Scotland, whose community suffered an eerily similar fate in 1996. From across the Atlantic, the two priests forge a poignant bond through the shared experience of trauma and healing. Never before seen film clips of the filmmakers’ upcoming documentary about the mass shooting in Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, will be shown during the panel. Roger Ross Williams is the first African American director to win an Academy Award with his short film Music By Prudence. Williams has directed a wide variety of acclaimed films including God Loves Uganda, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award, and Life, Animated, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2017. Williams is on the Board of Governors for the Academy of motion pictures, Arts and Sciences, representing the Documentary branch, as well as being on the Diversity Committee for the Academy. This year Williams is our Special Guest Programmer whose selection spotlights some of his favorite contemporary works by filmmakers of color. Williams said, “I am thrilled to be a guest programmer at this year’s Woodstock Film Festival. The three films I have chosen demonstrate the scope, depth and creativity that is possible when we, as black filmmakers, tell our own stories.” These films include Hale County This Morning, This Evening, Shakedown, and Mr. SOUL!.

    NARRATIVE FEATURES

    Across The Universe, directed by Julie Taymor Almost Home, directed by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen Ask For Jane, directed by Rachel Carey Beyond the Night, directed by Jason Noto Cold Brook, directed by William Fichtner Dorst (Craving), directed by Saskia Diesing Dreams by the Sea, directed by Sakaris Stórá Fort Maria, directed by Thomas Southerland and S. Cagney Gentry Ghost Light, directed by John Stimpson Here and Now, directed by Roman Shumun Julia Blue, directed by Roxy Toporowych Keely and Du, directed by Dominique Cardona and Laurie Colbert Lez Bomb, directed by Jenna Laurenzo Little Woods, directed by Nia DaCosta Love Revisited, directed by Nicole van Kilsdonk Only A Switch, directed by Michael Vincent Paris Song, directed by Jeff Vespa A Private War, directed by Matthew Heineman ReRUN, directed by Alyssa Rallo Bennett Socrates, directed by Alex Moratto Spell, directed by Brendan Walter Swimming With Men, directed by Oliver Parker Then Came You, directed by Peter Hutchings Unlovable, directed by Suzi Yoonessi We Only Know So Much, directed by Donal Lardner Ward What They Had, directed by Elizabeth Chomko Wheels, directed by Paul Starkman Wildlife, directed by Paul Dano

    Younger Days, directed by Paula van der Oest

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

    2030, directed by Johnny Boston The Advocates, directed by Rémi Kessler Carmine Street Guitars, directed by Ron Mann Dreaming of a Vetter World, directed by Bonnie Hawthorne The Feeling of Being Watched, directed by Assia Boundaoui For The Birds, directed by Richard Miron Ghost Fleet, directed by Shannon Service and Jeffrey Waldron Give Us This Day, directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist Hale County This Morning, This Evening, directed by RaMell Ross In Our Bones, directed by Alex Kimura The Interpreters, directed by Andres Caballero and Sofian Khan Karl Berger – Music Mind, directed by Julian Benedikt Michelin Stars – Tales from the Kitchen, directed by Rasmus Dinesen Mr. SOUL!, directed by Melissa Haizlip and Samuel Pollard A Murder In Mansfield, directed by Barbara Kopple Netizens, directed by Cynthia Lowen Personal Statement, directed by Julianne Dressner Shakedown, directed by Leilah Weinraub Somaliland, directed by Harry Lee and Ben Powell Stay Human, directed by Michael Franti Suicide: The Ripple Effect, directed by Greg Dicharry and Kevin Hines Up to Snuff, directed by Mark Maxey What Is Democracy?, directed by Astra Taylor The World Before Your Feet, directed by Jeremy Workman

    WRESTLE, directed by Lauren Belfer and Suzannah Herbert

    SHORTS

    1-0, directed by Nada ElAzhary; 59 Seconds, directed by Mauro Carraro; After Her, directed by Aly Migliori;  Antouni (Homeless), directed by Alik Tamar; Are You Still Singing?, directed by Gillian Barnes; A Year, directed by Jisun Jamie Lee; Beast, directed by Leonora Lonsdale; Beautiful Things, directed by Dina Waxman; Black Spirit, directed by Chakib Taleb-Bendiab; Boy Boy Girl Girl, directed by Ross Kauffman; Carolee, Barbara & Gunvor, directed by Lynne Sachs; The Christmas Rabbit, directed by Christophe Lopez-Huici; The Crying Room, directed by Shalom Auslander; Del Rio, directed by Raj Trivedi; Dinner, directed by Anna Gilmore; Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me), directed by Joseph Wallace; Ego, directed by Mario Addis; The English Teecher, directed by Andy and Carolyn London; Even Ants Strive for Survival, directed by Ren Xia; Funeral, directed by Leah Shore; Gamble, directed by Chayadol Lomtong; Goose in High Heels, directed by John R. Dilworth; He’s Watching, directed by Arthur Metcalf; Homing In, directed by Parker Hill; Jo, directed by Justine Williams; One Small Step, directed by Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas; Last Requests, directed by Courtenay Johnson; The Last Seance, directed by Laura Kulik; Lifeboat, directed by Skye Fitzgerald; Lucy, directed by Ruben Gutiérrez; The Magical Mystery of Musigny, directed by Emmett Goodman and John Meyer; Martin, directed by Sholto Crow; Melt Down, directed by Amy Jingyi Xu; Mirror Mirror, directed by Jacob Internicola; Mother, directed by Amanda Palmer; Moved to Tiers, directed by Avery Herzog; The Movie House on Main Street, directed by Teresa Torchiano; My Brother (Mi Hermano), directed by Alexis Gambis; Pour 585, directed by Patrick Smith; Rooster and The Queen, directed by Aaron Weisblatt; Salam, directed by Claire Fowler; Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane, directed by Kim A. Snyder; Shiva Baby, directed by Emma Seligman; Sorceress, directed by Max Blustin; Trump Bites, directed by Bill Plympton; Two Balloons, directed by Mark C. Smith; Unnatural, directed by Amy Wang; The Velvet Underground Played at My High School, directed by Tony Jannelli and Robert Pietri; Vicarious Resilience, directed by Eva Tenuto; Voice, directed by Takeshi Kushida; Welcome to the New World, directed by Jerry Suen & Anni Sultany; The Winds of Downhill, directed by Jedd and Todd Wider; Your Face Global Jam, directed by Ken Mora

    YOUTH INITIATIVE

    This year, the Woodstock Film Festival will present films written, filmed, directed, produced, and edited by passionate teens. The Woodstock Film Festival’s Youth Initiative is supported by the Thompson Family Foundation. Three out of the ten films were created by students who participated in the Woodstock Film Festival Summer Youth Film Lab, a three week immersive program underwritten by an anonymous donor, that gives teenagers an opportunity to learn about the art of film and practice the full spectrum of the filmmaking process with guidance from accomplished film industry professionals.
    After The Collapse, directed by Youth Film Lab participant Ethan Laclaverie Past the Fear, directed by Youth Film Lab participant Samuel Levine Mirror Mirror, directed by Youth Film Lab participant Jacob Internicola Along the Water, directed by Marissa Gaylin Can’t Hurry Love, directed by Lola Cook The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Suburbia, directed by Alex Alford and Zak Denley I Am The Only One, directed by Aicha Cherif Inclusion On The Air, directed by Eli Canter Silence, directed by Camille Dobbs Wake Up, directed by Maura Palden

    MUSIC VIDEOS

    This year, the Woodstock Film Festival is highlighting 11 outstanding music videos from talented artists from the United States, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg. These music videos will be screened online at the start of the festival.
    Boyish – Music by Japanese Breakfast Dumb Dumb– Music by Cipherella Found – Music by Toulouse Glendale– Music by Clans Land of the Fairies – Music by Rami Fortis Magic Meadow Music Video – Music by Journey Blue Heaven Mandarin – Music by Boogrov Paprika – Music by No Metal in this Battle Pora Sotunda – Music by The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices

    Solicitous– Music by Drekoty

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