Monthly Archives: April 2016

#TCM, #TCMFF

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) Launches #TCM Backlot

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April 27, 2016

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) today announced the launch of its first ever-official fan club, TCM Backlot, which will serve as the ultimate destination for enthusiasts of TCM. TCM Backlot will give fans unprecedented access to all things TCM including exclusive content, never-before-seen talent interviews, archival videos from the TCM vault, an exclusive TCM podcast, as well as opportunities to win visits to the TCM set, attend meet and greets with TCM hosts and the opportunity to influence programming through online votes. TCM Backlot can be accessed at tcmbacklot.com for an $87 annual fee and will be available for fans to join on April 27, as a kick-off to the 7th annual TCM Classic Film Festival which begins the next day in Hollywood. The fan club was created in partnership with fullcube, a platform integrating and automating subscription-based businesses.

 

“Creating a fan club allows us to super-serve and further engage with our most passionate and devoted fans,” said Jennifer Dorian, general manager of TCM. “We are always looking for exciting and immersive brand extension opportunities and TCM Backlot offers just that – allowing fans the ability to go behind-the-scenes and dive deeper into the world of TCM, providing a consistently updated fan experience filled with entertaining content and engaging opportunities.”

 

“The creation of TCM Backlot shines a spotlight on the tremendous opportunities for media companies, like TCM, to transform their relationship with consumers,” said David Hickson, co-founder and CEO of fullcube. “Fullcube’s capabilities help create a brand extension for TCM by bundling a wide variety of engaging assets such as digital content, e-commerce, event and experiential assets, into a premium subscription offering delivering exclusive benefits to classic movie lovers.”

TCM Backlot will provide members with robust access to TCM content, talent, programming and events. Membership highlights include:

 

  • Programming Influence – receive an advance look at TCM programming and have the opportunity to influence the schedule of movies through contests and voting.
  • Guest Programmer – enter to win an opportunity to co-host a night of movies with a TCM host.
  • On-set Tours – win the opportunity to tour the TCM set and watch a TCM production being shot as well as interact with TCM hosts and crew.
  • VIP Event Access & Members-Only Events – enjoy exclusive access to special events during the annual TCM Classic Film Festival and the TCM Cruise, as well as exclusive events at historical Hollywood sites and members-only TCM Bus Tour events
  • Giveaways and Discounts – receive discounts to TCM related events, tours and merchandise as well as contest givaways of TCM merchandise.

 

For more information on TCM Backlot, please click here or visit tcmbacklot.com.

 

About Turner Classic Movies (TCM)

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a two-time Peabody Award-winning network that presents great films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world highlighting the entire spectrum of film history. TCM, which is available in more than 85 million homes, features the insights of hosts Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests and serves as the ultimate movie lover destination. Currently in its 22nd year as a leading authority in classic film, TCM offers critically acclaimed series like The Essentials, hosted by Robert Osborne and Sally Field, along with annual programming events like 31 Days of Oscar® in February and Summer Under the Stars in August. TCM also directly connects with movie fans through events as the annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood and the TCM Classic Cruise, as well as through the TCM Classic Film Tour in New York City and Los Angeles. In addition, TCM produces a wide range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs, and hosts a wealth of material online at tcm.com and through the Watch TCM mobile app.

 

TCM is part of Turner, a Time Warner company. Turner creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

 

About fullcube

 

fullcube is a platform integrating and automating subscription-based businesses. Developed after more than a decade of experience designing, launching and managing premium subscription programs for enthusiast brands, the fullcube platform simplifies the consumer experience and maximizes revenue for subscription offerings from publishers, media, entertainment and sports companies, and membership organizations. fullcube’s platform provides an infrastructure that creates a premium subscription product and integrates multiple subscription offerings into a single hierarchy through the bundling of digital content, commerce, event and experiential assets designed to engage subscribers spanning the spectrum from fanatical to brand-new. For more information, visit: www.fullcu.be.

(Source: Press Release TCM Press Room)

#TCM

#TCMFF Opening Night Screening

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Turner Classic Movies kicks off its 7th annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood on Thursday, April 28 with the opening night screening of All The President’s Men at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX. Carl Bernstein, investigative journalist and author of the book “All The President’s Men,” joined Spotlight director Tom McCarthy and Spotlight screenwriter Josh Singer for a conversation with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz highlighting journalism in film. Actor Alec Baldwin joined Ben Mankiewicz to open the evening’s events.

TCM Classic Film Festival 2016 - Opening Night
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 28: (L-R) Head of Turner Network Sales Coleman Breland, General Manager at TCM Jennifer Dorian, Managing Director at TCM Genevieve McGillicuddy attends ‘All The President’s Premiere’ during the TCM Classic Film Festival 2016 Opening Night on April 28, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Turner)

 

TCM Classic Film Festival 2016 - Opening Night
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 28: (L-R) Head of Turner Network Sales Coleman Breland, Managing Director at TCM Genevieve McGillicuddy, General Manager at TCM Jennifer Dorian, and actor attends ‘All The President’s Premiere’ during the TCM Classic Film Festival 2016 Opening Night on April 28, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Turner)

(Press release provided by TCM Press Room)

#LAFilmFest

LA FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2016 COMPETITION LINEUP‏

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LOS ANGELES (April 26, 2016)— Today the LA Film Festival, produced by Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, unveiled the official U.S. Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, Nightfall and LA Muse sections. The 2016 LA Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of feature films, shorts and web series, along with programs such as the Filmmaker Retreat, Coffee Talks and Master Classes. The Festival runs June 1-9, 2016 at the ArcLight Cinemas.

“Our Programming team, led by Roya Rastegar and Jennifer Cochis, killed it,” said Festival Director, Stephanie Allain. “The competition lineup of 42 world premieres echoes Film Independent’s mission to celebrate diversity and showcases a multitude of innovative, fresh voices. We can’t wait to share these films with audiences and industry alike, and, following years which saw films like Meet the Patels, Code Black, Nightingale, The Drew, Out of My Hand and French Dirty acquired out of the Festival, are confident that 2016 will mark our best Festival yet.”

“Discovering storytellers is our raison d’être,” said Roya Rastegar, Director of Programming. “We invest a great deal to learn about filmmaking communities across the globe. We look for films with conviction in perspective, style and voice.”

“Curating films for LA audiences is so special because Angelenos have a uniquely homegrown love of cinema,” added Creative Director, Jennifer Cochis. “It’s with true film lovers in mind that we program: from political theater to musical theater, we’re highlighting storytelling in all its forms.”

la-film-festival-logo-2016The 2016 LA Film Festival, which will have its headquarters at the ArcLight Culver City, announces a diverse slate of 56 feature films, 58 short films and 13 short episodic works representing 28 countries. Previously announced, the Opening Night Film is the World Premiere of Ricardo De Montreuil’s Lowriders, sponsored by Jaeger-LeCoultre. This year’s Guest Director is Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed) and Ava DuVernay (Selma, Middle of Nowhere) and Array Releasing will receive the Spirit of Independence Award. More special screenings and programs will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Festival’s five competitions feature 42 World Premieres. Across the five feature competition categories, 43% of the films are directed by women and 38% of the films are directed by people of color.

This year, LA Film Festival Director Stephanie Allain is joined by Creative Director Jennifer Cochis, Director of Programming Roya Rastegar and Managing Director Ralph Rivera. Film Independent Curator Elvis Mitchell continues to oversee signature programs and LACMA events.

Passes are currently on sale to Film Independent Members and the general public. In addition to access to screenings and events (even after they sell out), Festival passes provide access to networking receptions and the Festival Lounge, where pass holders interact with Festival filmmakers and professionals in the film community. General admission tickets to individual films go on sale to Film Independent Members beginning Thursday, May 5 and to the general public beginning Tuesday, May 10. Contact the Ticket Office for passes, tickets and event information by calling 866.FILM.FEST (866.345.6337) or visit lafilmfestival.com.

US Fiction Competition (12)

Original voices with distinct visions from emerging and established American independent filmmakers.

11:55, dir. Ari Issler, Ben Snyder, USA, World Premiere

72 Hours, dir. Raafi Rivero, USA, World Premiere

Blood Stripe, dir. Remy Auberjonois, USA, World Premiere

Chee and T, dir. Tanuj Chopra, USA, World Premiere

Destined, dir. Qasim Basir, USA, World Premiere

Dreamstates, dir. Anisia Uzeyman, USA, World Premiere

GREEN / is / GOLD, dir. Ryon Baxter, USA, World Premiere

My First Kiss and the People Involved, dir. Luigi Campi, USA, World Premiere

Paint it Black, dir. Amber Tamblyn, USA, World Premiere

Tracktown, dir. Jeremy Teicher, Alexi Pappas, USA, World Premiere

The View from Tall, dir. Erica Weiss, Caitlin Parrish, USA, World Premiere

Woven, dir. Salome Mulugeta, Nagwa Ibrahim, USA, World Premiere

Documentary Competition (12) Sponsored by Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television.

Compelling, character-driven non-fiction films from the U.S. and around the world.

 

Company Town, dir. Natalie Kottke, Erica Sardarian, USA, World Premiere

Denial, dir. Derek Hallquist, USA, World Premiere

Dr. Feelgood, dir. Eve Marson, USA, World Premiere

Dying Laughing, dir. Lloyd Stanton, Paul Toogood, USA/UK, World Premiere

The House on Coco Road, dir. Damani Baker, Grenada/USA, World Premiere

Jackson, dir. Maisie Crow, USA, World Premiere

The Last Gold, dir. Brian T. Brown, Germany/USA, World Premiere

Looking at the Stars, dir. Alexandre Peralta, Brazil/Nicaragua/USA, World Premiere

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, dir. Deborah Riley Draper, USA, World Premiere

Out of Iraq, dir.  Eva Orner, Chris McKim, Canada/Iraq/Lebanon/USA, World Premiere

Political Animals, dir. Jonah Markowitz, Tracy Wares, USA, World Premiere

They Call us Monsters, dir. Ben Lear, USA, World Premiere

 

World Fiction Competition (6)

Unique fiction films from around the world from emerging and established filmmakers, especially curated for LA audiences.

 

Heis (chronicles), dir. Anaïs Volpé, France, World Premiere

Like Cotton Twines, dir. Leila Djansi, Ghana/USA, World Premiere

London Town, dir. Derrick Borte, UK, World Premiere

Lupe Under the Sun, dir. Rodrigo Reyes, Mexico/USA, World Premiere

A Moving Image, dir. Shola Amoo, UK, World Premiere

Play the Devil, dir. Maria Govan, Trinidad/Bahamas/USA, World Premiere

LA Muse (6)

Fiction and documentary films that capture the spirit of L.A.

Actors of Sound, dir. Lalo Molina, Argentina/Finland/Germany/India/Ireland/USA, World Premiere

Girl Flu., dir. Dorie Barton, USA, World Premiere

Manchild: The Schea Cotton Story, dir. Eric “Ptah” Herbert, USA, World Premiere

Namour, dir. Heidi Saman, USA, World Premiere

No Light and No Land Anywhere, dir. Amber Sealey, USA, World Premiere

Sensitivity Training, dir. Melissa Finell, USA, World Premiere

Nightfall (6)

From the bizarre to the horrifying, these are films to watch after dark.

 

Abattoir, dir. Darren Lynn Bousman, USA, World Premiere

Beyond the Gates, dir. Jackson Stewart, USA, World Premiere

Don’t Hang Up, dir. Alexis Wajsbrot, Damien Macé, UK, World Premiere

Mercy, dir. Chris Sparling, USA, World Premiere

Officer Downe, dir. M. Shawn Crahan, USA, World Premiere

Villisca, dir. Tony Valenzuela, USA, World Premiere

Short Films (58): From over 2,500 submissions, the short films selected represent 15 countries and 64% are directed by women. Short films are shown before features and as part of seven short film programs. Shorts will compete for juried prizes for fiction and documentary shorts, as well as an Audience Award for Best Short Film.

Future Filmmakers Showcase: High School Shorts (33): The LA Film Festival’s Future Filmmaker Showcase brings to the big screen the best films made by budding young filmmakers from across the country and the globe. In this diverse slate of films, incredibly accomplished high school students will present wild comedies, moving dramas, mesmerizing animation, introspective experimental films and everything in between. Program sponsored by Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television and Time Warner Foundation.

Episodes: Indie Series from the Web (13)

A showcase of independently crafted web series, celebrating rising creators whose work and subjects are innovative and unfiltered.

20 Seconds to Live, dir. Ben Rock, USA

Brothers, dir. Emmett Jack Lundberg, USA

Caring, dir. Maggie Kiley, USA

Fridays, dir. Anna Kerrigan, USA

The Ghost and the Negro, dir. Sylvester Folks, USA

Her Story, dir. Sydney Freeland, USA

Instababy, dir. Rosie Haber, USA

Literally So Busy, dir. Jerad Sloan, USA

Little Things, dir. Lex Halaby, Mila Shah, USA

Outside Comedy: Beth Stelling, dir. Thomas Wood, USA

Quirky Female Protagonist, dir. Yulin Kuang, USA

Shangri-LA, dir. Drew Rosas, USA

Time Out with Yes Please!, dir. Kholi Hicks, USA

(Source: Film Independent press release)

#NBFF

After The Reality Opens 2016 #nbff

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The 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival opened for its 17th edition with the quasi-family drama, After The Reality, to a six-screen, sold-out crowd at the Edwards Big Six in Newport Beach California. Movie-goers anxiously waited in a line that extended out onto the sidewalk of Newport Center Drive.

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Stella Artois Official Newport Beach Film Festival Sponsors, Mark and Ann Danner, outside the Regal Entertainment Group’s Edwards Big Six & RPX movie cineplex in Newport Beach, Calif., at the 17th Annual Newport Beach film Festival’s Opening Night, April 21, 2016. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

At approximately 7:47 P.M. the cinephiles in Theater Six were welcomed to the festival by Newport Beach Film Festival Founder and Executive Director Greg Schwenk. Schwenk reminisced about the last seventeen years before giving way to Newport Beach Mayor, Diane Dixon. Dixon, decked out in a striking red outfit stressed the vital role the festival has come to play in the airy Newport Beach community  and predicted it will continue to grow in stature as a major lifestyle film festival with its already present world-class appeal. While not downplaying the opening film, Dixon confessed she was already looking forward to seeing Dirty Old Wedge, a popular Newport surfing area with a storied history.

Without any more adieu, the 17th edition of the Newport Beach Film Festival was underway.

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#NBFF, Documentary

FILM REVIEW: La Tradition #nbff

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Viewed by Larry Gleeson during the 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival.

La Tradition, a documentary film written and directed by Jeff Fliegler under the GrubTribe umbrella, charts the evolution of culinary chef and restaurateur Pascal Olhats’ and his influence on the fine dining scene in Southern California. The title of the film is the name of Olhats’ first restaurant in Newport Beach. For the last 30 years in the OC (Orange County, Calif.), Olhats has imbibed and shared his culinary, his kitchen techniques and etiquette on cooking shows, in culinary classes and through his restaurants and catering businesses. Making extensive use of the interview, Fliegler captures the essence of the Frenchman while revealing his culinary creations, his devoted proteges and Olhats’ dedication to bringing the finest dining and culinary experiences to his customers and clients alike.

GrubTribe, a culinary focused media site, got the idea to bring cameras into Olhats’ work space to get close to the food and its preparation. Olhats went along with the idea quipping that “people will do anything to get close to my food.” According to Fliegler it was more than that, ““Pascal is one of my personal heroes, and it was such a great experience to tell his story. For the past year, we’ve been following Pascal and all the chefs he’s mentored to get the footage for the film.”

La Tradition opens with an eye-pleasing, Hollywood-style frame of Olhats and quickly moves into how he got his start as a chef. Not missing a beat, Olhats passes the credit to his mother who mentored him at the tender age of seven on his first creation, mayonnaisse! Often credited with bringing real continental cuisine to the Newport Beach culinary scene, Olhats colorfully expands the concept playfully posing the question “in what context?” and “what is continental cuisine? From what continent?” with a hearty laugh that the audience mirrored. Olhats stated simply that he attempted to share his culinary background in classical cuisine with a lighter approach utilizing flour and herbs with reduction to create a more refreshing cuisine to the heavy, butter and creamy foods of the more traditionally thought of French cuisine. The result has culminated in Olhats being called the Ambassador of Orange County Cuisine.

Throughout La Tradition, Fliegler creates an excellent portrait of Olhats with broad, yet intimate strokes. Apparently, in an effort to organize his footage, Fliegler added categories to the film and displays each with large, block-lettered overlays. The categories included: (1) If you can’t take the heat get out of his kitchen; (2) Julia Childs, the Ambassador of French Cuisine; (3) Kick Ass Sea Bass; (4) Life On The Farm; (5) The Legacy. Each category comes complete with Olhats and his proteges providing ample documentation on an extraordinary culinary career and lifestyle. Comments on Olhats such as “first in the kitchen in the morning and last to leave at night,” “First class guy, my cooking mentor who also taught me the business side,” “Best representative of French cuisine in the United States,” and “French brother from another mother,” serve the viewer and the chef quite well in delineating a man, his passion and his dedication and sense of duty to the fine art of culinary and its French tradition.

I found La Tradition to be a very enjoyable film to watch. To hear the chef’s proteges recount the day-to-day triumphs and tribulations experienced and endured to get to where they are today coupled with Olhats own colorful commentary made for a very heartwarming and a very heartfelt story. Warmly recommended.

#TCM

#TCM Classic Film Festival Interview

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Turner Classic Movies (TCM) today announced that screen icon Faye Dunaway is set to attend the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival, taking place in Hollywood April 28 – May 1, to participate in a sit-down interview about her life and celebrated career in front of a live audience of festival passholders at the The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre. In addition to the interview, Dunaway will be on-hand to introduce a screening of Network (1976), for which she won the Oscar® for Best Actress.

“Faye Dunaway has had an extraordinarily successful career spanning nearly six decades, including winning the Academy Award® for Network and working alongside some of the best in the industry such as Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and Robert Redford,” said TCM Host Robert Osborne. “She is one of the great beauties and magical leading ladies of film. It’s going to be a great treat for our fans to hear from her first hand about her extraordinary life and career.”

 

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Dunaway joins an already exciting roster at this year’s festival, including previously announced appearances by director John Singleton for the 25th anniversary screening of his coming-of-age classic Boyz N The Hood (1991), Carl Reiner with an extended conversation and screening of Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982) Elliott Gould with screenings of his Golden Globe nominated performance in M*A*S*H (1970), The Long Goodbye (1973) and Eva Marie Saint who will be on hand to introduce a screening of the political comedy The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming (1966).  Actor Stacy Keach will be discussing John Huston’s gritty look at the world of small-time boxing in Fat City (1972) and French actress Anna Karina will be introducing Band of Outsiders (1964), Jean-Luc Godard’s riff on gangster films.

 

About Faye Dunaway

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Faye Dunaway began her career onstage before moving to the big screen and starring in the pioneering film Bonnie and Clyde (1967), for which she received an Oscar® nomination. She’s appeared in several iconic films throughout her career, including The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) and Chinatown (1974). She won an Academy Award® in 1976 for her role in Network.

 

Born in Bascom, Florida in 1941, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1962 from Boston University. Six days after graduation, Dunaway won the role of Paul Scofield’s daughter in Broadway’s production of A Man for All Seasons. Three years later, she found off-Broadway success with a critically acclaimed role in William Alfred’s Hogan’s Goat and was immediately pursued by producers to do five films in a row.

 

Dunaway’s third film was Bonnie and Clyde as the iconic Bonnie Parker opposite Warren Beatty, launching her into Hollywood stardom. In her next film, she starred alongside Steve McQueen as a high-fashion “take-no-prisoners” insurance investigator in The Thomas Crown Affair. She continued her career throughout the 1970s, with such films as Little Big Man (1970), The Three Musketeers (1973), The Towering Inferno (1974), Eyes of Laura Mars (1978) and The Champ (1979).

 

As her career progressed, Dunaway took on more complex roles, including the troubled wife Evelyn Mulwray in Roman Polanski’s 1974 film Chinatown; and a civilian who is abducted by a CIA researcher in Three Days of the Condor, a 1975 film directed by Sydney Pollack.  Dunaway won the Academy Award® for Best Actress in 1976 for her groundbreaking role as a pioneering television executive in Network. In 1988, she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for her performance in Barfly (1987), alongside Mickey Rourke.

 

The 1990s saw Dunaway perform in several films, including The Handmaid’s Tale (1991); Arizona Dream (1992);  Don Juan DeMarco (1994); The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999); The Yards (2000), a crime-thriller; and The Rules of Attraction (2002), a dark comedy. One of Dunaway’s most acclaimed performances of the decade came in 1993, with her guest role as Laura Staton in the TV series Columbo for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.  She also won a Golden Globe for her work in the telefilm Gia (1998).

 

Additionally, from 1996 to 1997, Dunaway received universal acclaim starring as opera diva Maria Callas in the American tour of Terrence McNally’s Master Class. Since then, she has made several TV appearances, including on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2006, Grey’s Anatomy in 2009 and has a recurring role on the upcoming second season of the Amazon drama series Hand of God.

(Source: TCM Press room)

#SBIFF, #TheWave, Uncategorized

Two films announced for #SBIFF The Wave Film Festival ~ Pan-Asia

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Take a five day trip to Asia by seeing eleven brand new Asian films including the recently announced Mr. Six and Sweet Bean!

 

Mr. Six 

This thrilling new film from gifted auteur Guan Hu (Cow) immerses us in the crime-riddled labyrinth of Beijing’s rapidly changing underworld. Based on actual events, Mr. Six is the story of a fascinating man whose life reflects the history of a nation.
In a welcome return to acting, great Beijing writer-director Feng Xiaogang stars as the mysterious Mr. Six. Many years ago Mr. Six was a notorious gangster. That was back when there was still such a thing as honour among thieves, when criminals earned respect and maintained principles. These days Mr. Six is all but forgotten, a living relic residing in a hutong, or narrow alley.

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Feng Xaiogang as Mr. Six  (Credit: China Lion Film)

One day Six’s son, Xiaobo (Li Yifeng), is abducted by some spoiled punks after scratching their precious Ferrari. Mr. Six, who has been diagnosed with a serious heart condition, realizes that he must do whatever it takes to get his son back and forge a meaningful bond with him while there is still time — even if that means returning to the life he thought he had left behind. Beijing’s new generation of thugs are all flash and no ethics, but Mr. Six, calling on a few friends from his past for assistance, finds that the old ways can still be used to get a difficult job done.

With Guan’s impeccable narrative power behind the camera and Feng’s subtle character-making magic in front of it, Mr. Six sees a panoply of diverse talents come together to tell a gripping story that bridges Chinas old and new. – Giovanna Fulvi, tiff

 

Sweet Bean

Adapted from the novel by Durian Sukegawa, the new film by Naomi Kawase is a graceful ode to the invisible essences of existence — to the beauty and joy we can discover once we learn to listen to nature and feel the life that is coursing through and all around us.

“Sweet Bean” is a delicious red bean paste, the sweet heart of the dorayaki pancakes that Sentaro (Masatoshi Nagase) sells from his little bakery to a small but loyal clientele. Absorbed in sad memories and distant thoughts, Sentaro cooks with skill but without enthusiasm. When seventy-six-year-old Tokue (Kirin Kiki) responds to his ad for an assistant and cheerfully offers to work for a ridiculously low wage, Sentaro is skeptical about the eccentric old lady’s ability to endure the long hours. But when she shows up early one morning and reveals to him the secret to the perfect an — listening to the stories of wind, sun and rain that the beans have to tell — Sentaro agrees to take her on, trusting her strange ability to connect with nature. With Tokue’s new home-cooked an recipe, Sentaro’s business begins to flourish — but along with her smiles and culinary skill, Tokue is afflicted with an illness that, once revealed, drives her into isolation once again.

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Credit – NYTimes.com

Using cookery to explore her perennial theme of communion with nature, in An Kawase also poignantly addresses the discrimination that condemns many like Tokue to live their lives segregated from the rest of society. Beautifully shot and quietly moving, An is a humble masterpiece from a singularly accomplished filmmaker.  – Giovanna Fulvi, tiff

Stay tuned for more on this exciting new Wave!

 

Passes to The Wave Film Festival ~ Pan-Asia  are available now here: http://sbiff.org/product-category/the_wave/

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(Source: SBIFF)

 

#TIFF

Submit Your Film to the 29th Tokyo Int’l Film Festival #TIFF

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Film submissions for the Competition section of the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is now ready on the festival website! (Submission period: April 15-July 8, 2016)

As one of the largest film festivals in Asia – TIFF Competition has been showing many outstanding films created by up-and-coming directors as well as premieres of works by prestigious filmmakers of the world.

Last year, we were honored to receive 1,409 films from 86 countries and regions. 16 excellent films were screened after the pre-selection and Nise – The Heart of Madness (Brazil) directed by Roberto Berliner won the Tokyo Grand Prix for the last year’s TIFF.

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 28th TIFF Award Winners ©2015 TIFF

A summary of the Regulations for the Competition 2016 is attached. TIFF looks forward to even a larger number of submissions from around the world.

The 29th TIFF will take place October 25-November 3, 2016 for 10 days in Tokyo, JAPAN.

For detailed information about film submission, please visit the TIFF official website: www.tiff-jp.net . (Source: Press release courtesy of TIFF Public Relations Group)

 

#TCM

2016 #TCM Classic Film Festival Adds Film Legends To Lineup

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Turner Classic Movies (TCM) continues to add screen icons and intriguing panels to its star-studded festival lineup during the 7th Annual 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival, set to take place April 28 – May 1 in Hollywood.  

Beloved Oscar® and Golden Globe® winner Angela Lansbury joins the festival with a screening and conversation of The Manchurian Candidate (1962), the combination satire and political thriller.

Oscar winning actress and singer Rita Moreno will introduce a 60th anniversary screening of the cherished musical The King and I (1956).

Emmy nominee Billy Dee Williams will present a screening of Brian’s Song (1971), the true story of friendship between Chicago Bears’ player Gale Sayers (Williams) and Brian Piccolo (James Caan).

Investigative journalist Carl Bernstein, Oscar winning director/ screenwriter Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), along with Oscar Winning screenwriter Josh Singer (Spotlight), join the festivities for opening night’s 40th Anniversary screening of the political thriller All The President’s Men (1976).

Club TCM, the central gathering point for festival passholders located in the lobby of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, will feature a remarkable slate that includes:

 

  • “Man’s Best Friend: Dogs in Film.” Movie icons are stars that evoke an immediate emotional response, and Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, Old Yeller, Benji and Beethoven are right up there with the best of the two-legged variety.  Join Randy Haberkamp of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as he shares stills and clips from the Academy’s collections of dogs in movie history, and then interviews three of Canine Cinema’s biggest stars during a rare public appearance. Meet Clyde of Marley & Me (2008), Brigitte, the original Stella from Modern Family and the latest Lassie.

 

  • “From Headlines to Ticket Lines” a panel discussion with director James Vanderbilt (Truth), Oscar winning writer Josh Singer (Spotlight), broadcast news producer and author Mary Mapes and print journalist/editor Ben Bradlee, Jr. about the challenges of dramatizing the work of journalists for the screen.

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Previously announced events and appearances for the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival include a handprint-footprint ceremony to honor acclaimed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. John Singleton for the 25th anniversary screening of his coming-of-age classic Boyz N The Hood (1991), Carl Reiner with an extended conversation and screening of Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982) Elliott Gould with screenings of his Golden Globe nominated performance in M*A*S*H (1970), The Long Goodbye (1973) and Eva Marie Saint who will be on hand to introduce a screening of the political comedy The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming (1966).  Actor Stacy Keach will be discussing John Huston’s gritty look at the world of small-time boxing in Fat City (1972) and French actress Anna Karina will be introducing Band of Outsiders (1964), Jean-Luc Godard’s riff on gangster films.

 

Complete bios for each of the artists appearing at the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival can be found at the festival’s website: filmfestival.tcm.com

(Press release courtesy of TCM Pressroom)

#NBFF

@GrubTribe Producers Gain Acceptance to Newport Beach Film Festival (#NbFF) with Pascal Olhats Documentary

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The Newport Beach Film Festival accepted “La Tradition” for an April 23th screening at their 2016 event. The movie charts the evolution of Pascal Olhats’ influence on the fine dining scene in Southern California. The title of the film is the name of Olhats’ first ground-breaking Newport Beach restaurant.
“Some people will do anything to get close to my food!” said Olhats, the colorful subject of the film. “GrubTribe got the idea to bring cameras. Why not? I always welcome people with good taste!”

“We couldn’t be more thrilled,” said the film’s director, Jeff Fliegler. “Pascal is one of my personal heroes, and it was such a great experience to tell his story. For the past year, we’ve been following Pascal and all the chefs he’s mentored to get the footage for the film. We captured some fascinating stories and sentiments.”

 

The documentary biopic reveals the man, the myths, the restaurants, the disciples and the culinary creations behind this internationally recognized master.

 

The movie was produced by the team behind the foodie site GrubTribe.com. It’s their first documentary effort, but they’ve been producing chef, restaurant and culinary demonstration videos since 2014. The team also manages a video production company called Mycena.

 

The movie follows the story of Olhats’ rise to greatness, the people he elevated, the food he crafted, and his evolving influence on the Orange County fine dining scene. It’s a touching, informative and sometimes hilarious view into the world of a local master.

 

“The movie is not just about food,” said GrubTribe co-founder Phil Dunn. “It’s about how one person can bring a community together and spread prosperity through personal craft. Pascal has that rare ability to connect people through wonderful creations and a spirit of brotherhood.”

Tickets for La Tradition are available here: TICKETS

(Press release courtesy of La Tradition & GrubTribe)